WEBVTT 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:14.710 Welcome to Rough Life. What a week it has been. 00:00:15.750 --> 00:00:19.329 If you're new here, hi, welcome. I'm Katie Keaton, 00:00:19.609 --> 00:00:22.609 the Transport Coordinator turned Interim Foster 00:00:22.609 --> 00:00:25.929 Coordinator. This is my podcast where I spend 00:00:25.929 --> 00:00:28.969 about 10 minutes telling you the stories of the 00:00:28.969 --> 00:00:31.890 animals on the van and the other 20 minutes telling 00:00:31.890 --> 00:00:36.479 you about my life. So feel free to pass forward 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.439 to the stories that won't hurt my feelings, but 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:43.200 for those of you who are sticking around Holy 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:46.859 moly, let me tell you about this week first of 00:00:46.859 --> 00:00:50.280 all We were pretty much all set to cancel this 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.520 transport because this is the absolute busiest 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:58.390 week of the year ever of our lives for me and 00:00:58.390 --> 00:01:00.490 Dr. Burton. Honestly, I don't even know what 00:01:00.490 --> 00:01:02.390 all she has going on up there. Y 'all probably 00:01:02.390 --> 00:01:05.989 know more than I do, but I do know it's like 00:01:05.989 --> 00:01:09.730 eight puppy therapy events in three days. One 00:01:09.730 --> 00:01:14.730 of those events is a huge, super big deal. It's 00:01:14.730 --> 00:01:19.510 the Stanley pup that they film for ESPN and Disney 00:01:19.510 --> 00:01:23.299 Plus. And then she also has like four or five 00:01:23.299 --> 00:01:26.019 people spending the weekend with her and we have 00:01:26.019 --> 00:01:29.099 intake on Sunday morning. So much going on. But 00:01:29.099 --> 00:01:33.920 enough about her. Let's talk about me. We closed 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.840 on our new house last Wednesday. So exciting. 00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:40.879 So Monday and Tuesday were spent frantically 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.799 running around, making sure everything was ready 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:47.849 for that. Then on Wednesday we had the final 00:01:47.849 --> 00:01:50.829 walkthrough and the closing and then we just 00:01:50.829 --> 00:01:54.189 hung out there at the new house. No TV, no internet, 00:01:54.370 --> 00:01:58.569 no furniture. We ate dinner on the floor in our 00:01:58.569 --> 00:02:01.870 huge empty house with all the doors wide open 00:02:01.870 --> 00:02:04.909 and the quiet country breeze blowing through 00:02:04.909 --> 00:02:06.849 while the baby just crawled around and the dogs 00:02:06.849 --> 00:02:10.879 ran and explored. It was... So wonderful, so 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:14.000 peaceful, so calming, and then boom, hit the 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:17.000 ground running. Thursday morning, at it again. 00:02:17.539 --> 00:02:22.039 So my stage four breast cancer mother is throwing 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:26.800 my stage four prostate cancer stepfather a surprise 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:31.060 70th birthday party, the day of transport. Oh 00:02:31.060 --> 00:02:34.379 my gosh. So if you are new here or you just didn't 00:02:34.379 --> 00:02:40.080 know, I have two. helpers down here two one two 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:44.340 Jessica is one and my mother is the other why 00:02:44.669 --> 00:02:47.810 My mother picked transport day to host a surprise 00:02:47.810 --> 00:02:50.009 party that she needed so much help with from 00:02:50.009 --> 00:02:53.729 me. I will never know. So not only have I been 00:02:53.729 --> 00:02:56.669 helping her get ready for that all week, I had 00:02:56.669 --> 00:02:59.830 to spend all day Saturday baking and cooking 00:02:59.830 --> 00:03:02.689 and getting ready for it, driving to it, staying 00:03:02.689 --> 00:03:05.710 there for a few hours. And then I had to go pick 00:03:05.710 --> 00:03:08.409 up my mom's foster puppies, fly to the doghouse 00:03:08.409 --> 00:03:11.169 for transport, load them all up in the van, send 00:03:11.169 --> 00:03:14.069 them off and then fly back to the party venue. 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:16.319 and help her clean everything up and get everything 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:19.319 back home and on top of all this I have become 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:25.960 the foster coordinator what is going on so apparently 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:31.439 apparently Tatiana just dipped after submitting 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:33.840 her two -week notice without like a single word 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.939 to anyone other than me the last thing she said 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:38.719 to me was yeah I'll be in tomorrow to do those 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:43.849 foster calls So, not sure what happened there 00:03:43.849 --> 00:03:48.189 and not sure why she didn't respond to my scathing 00:03:48.189 --> 00:03:51.610 text message that I sent her. I was livid. But 00:03:51.610 --> 00:03:54.870 regardless, because of this, I'm actually super 00:03:54.870 --> 00:03:58.449 excited because I was able to hire two quote 00:03:58.449 --> 00:04:00.330 -unquote assistants. They're not assistants. 00:04:00.629 --> 00:04:04.030 I mean like they are, I like more or less assist 00:04:04.030 --> 00:04:07.289 them. You may know them and if you don't, you 00:04:07.289 --> 00:04:10.430 soon will. It is Chandler and Melissa and they 00:04:10.430 --> 00:04:15.629 have been actual literal godsends who have single 00:04:15.629 --> 00:04:18.430 -handedly or double -handedly, since it's two 00:04:18.430 --> 00:04:20.990 of them, kept transport from being canceled this 00:04:20.990 --> 00:04:23.129 week. Like, I'm not even kidding. Melissa has 00:04:23.129 --> 00:04:25.750 been a rock star, jumping right in and calling 00:04:25.750 --> 00:04:28.529 anyone who needed to be called and finalizing 00:04:28.529 --> 00:04:30.870 everything we needed and just checking off the 00:04:30.870 --> 00:04:32.990 to -do list one by one. Chandler, I'm pretty 00:04:32.990 --> 00:04:36.339 sure Chandler can read my mind. and I guess I 00:04:36.339 --> 00:04:39.019 should be freaked out by that but it is so insanely 00:04:39.019 --> 00:04:41.500 helpful. I don't even care if she can read my 00:04:41.500 --> 00:04:43.860 mind. Like I will be thinking of something that 00:04:43.860 --> 00:04:46.879 I need to get done or you know that we've got 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.800 to focus on next and Chandler will text me literally 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:51.959 right then and be like hey so I went ahead and 00:04:51.959 --> 00:04:55.980 did this this and this with the robots. I'm like 00:04:55.980 --> 00:04:59.040 uh well okay I was just sitting down to get that 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:01.180 done but I guess I can focus on the next thing 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:04.019 on the list or we'll be talking to Melissa in 00:05:04.019 --> 00:05:07.620 our group. Chat and we will send like the same 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:10.500 message at the same time. I just I love them 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:13.279 both They are so incredible and both of them 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:16.379 have made my life so much better this week alone 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:20.199 so the tentative plan as of right now, which 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:22.379 I mean after intake tomorrow they may both run 00:05:22.379 --> 00:05:26.100 for the hills and I'll be introducing you to 00:05:26.100 --> 00:05:31.860 my new foster team in the next episode, but For 00:05:31.860 --> 00:05:35.879 right now at least the plan for May is for all 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:38.480 three of us to just like do everything like everyone 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.100 pitch in everyone figure out like What you're 00:05:41.100 --> 00:05:43.319 good at what you like which parts you don't like 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.740 so I'll be talking to the fosters and confirming 00:05:46.740 --> 00:05:49.019 them one day and then like Melissa will be calling 00:05:49.019 --> 00:05:50.959 them another and Chandler will be tacking him 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.660 periodically We're just gonna do all the jobs 00:05:52.660 --> 00:05:54.360 and figure out which one of us is the best at 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:57.480 what and who hates what like I already told them 00:05:57.500 --> 00:06:00.480 I will cut my arm off before I talk on the phone 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:05.439 to someone. I will cold text you all day long. 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:07.680 I will cold text anybody. You give me phone number, 00:06:07.740 --> 00:06:11.180 I will cold text you, I will hook you up with 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:15.759 a foster dog. But the second my phone rings it's 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:18.220 like it's on fire in my hand and I can't throw 00:06:18.220 --> 00:06:21.250 it across the room fast enough. and Chandler 00:06:21.250 --> 00:06:24.149 is like part robot like she can whip these robots 00:06:24.149 --> 00:06:26.930 into shape so fast it has taken me months to 00:06:26.930 --> 00:06:30.709 get them where they were and she came in and 00:06:30.709 --> 00:06:33.329 like completely leveled them up already Melissa 00:06:33.329 --> 00:06:35.810 is still working part -time for the month of 00:06:35.810 --> 00:06:38.170 May and so that's why like the tentative plan 00:06:38.170 --> 00:06:42.149 is if she even wants to come on board full -time 00:06:42.149 --> 00:06:45.889 with us by the end of May like maybe in June 00:06:45.889 --> 00:06:50.240 we I don't know, reconfigure. But I'm just really 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.220 hoping that we don't scare her off first. So 00:06:53.220 --> 00:06:55.899 I think the dynamic will change again and she'll 00:06:55.899 --> 00:06:57.899 be doing more of like the reassignments and I'll 00:06:57.899 --> 00:07:01.420 be focusing more on the fosters needed for transport 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:05.680 and we'll just fight over Chandler. I don't know. 00:07:05.740 --> 00:07:08.120 I keep telling everyone it's a very fluid situation. 00:07:08.339 --> 00:07:10.720 It's changing all the time. So who knows how 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.740 we're even going to have it worked out by the 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:16.290 next episode. Anyways, now that you know how 00:07:16.290 --> 00:07:18.589 insanely crazy my life has been this week, let's 00:07:18.589 --> 00:07:21.509 talk about this transport. The theme is Star 00:07:21.509 --> 00:07:24.310 Wars. Oh, OK, wait. So that is another funny 00:07:24.310 --> 00:07:27.269 story about Chandler. So intake is on May 4th, 00:07:27.269 --> 00:07:30.879 and I guess that's Star Wars Day. But so she 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.379 asked if we could do a Star Wars theme for the 00:07:33.379 --> 00:07:35.699 names and volunteer to come up with the names 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:39.180 for them. And Chandler is an OG. So she knows 00:07:39.180 --> 00:07:42.019 we have had several Star Wars themes before. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:44.699 So she and her husband said to send them the 00:07:44.699 --> 00:07:47.500 list of all of the Star Wars names that we have 00:07:47.500 --> 00:07:51.100 ever done across all the transport. And she would 00:07:51.100 --> 00:07:54.100 weed through them and compile a list of new names 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:57.829 for this week. The next day. So I sent her the 00:07:57.829 --> 00:08:01.269 list. The next day, I had over 70 names to choose 00:08:01.269 --> 00:08:05.089 from. I could not believe it. Chandler also said 00:08:05.089 --> 00:08:07.050 that her husband was gonna put a column next 00:08:07.050 --> 00:08:09.730 to the names and list when the character appears 00:08:09.730 --> 00:08:12.470 in the saga or the trilogy or whatever it is. 00:08:12.829 --> 00:08:14.569 But Chandler was like, I think that's too much. 00:08:15.339 --> 00:08:18.779 they are the literal best. I usually don't even 00:08:18.779 --> 00:08:21.639 have names done or even know what my theme is 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:23.779 until the night before transport because like 00:08:23.779 --> 00:08:26.079 we don't even know who's going or like how many 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.540 are going and which ones are going to get cut 00:08:28.540 --> 00:08:31.439 so I can't do names until we have a more finalized 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.980 picture. Well because of Melissa hawking everyone 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:37.299 down and making all the confirmation calls to 00:08:37.299 --> 00:08:39.860 finalize everything and Chandler handling all 00:08:39.860 --> 00:08:41.519 the names and answering everyone's questions 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:44.960 and getting everything organized We were completely 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:47.480 done with transport on Wednesday. We had like 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:49.480 four more people just to like circle back with 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:51.940 and finish calls with, but we knew who was going. 00:08:52.100 --> 00:08:54.460 We knew what their names were. I knew what crates 00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:58.039 they were going in three full days before transport. 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:01.879 In the history of Wolf Trap, that has never happened. 00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:05.379 Like I have rolled up to transport before and 00:09:05.379 --> 00:09:07.879 we didn't even have names done or know who was 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:12.480 going. Three full days is insane. okay okay okay 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:16.460 the stories. younglings is an owner surrender. 00:09:17.229 --> 00:09:20.669 The owner's neighbor, who is the guy who brought 00:09:20.669 --> 00:09:23.149 Rachel to transport last month, the Love on the 00:09:23.149 --> 00:09:26.149 Spectrum transport. So when he saw what great 00:09:26.149 --> 00:09:28.529 care that our dogs get, he asked his neighbor 00:09:28.529 --> 00:09:31.149 if he wanted him to reach out to us on his behalf 00:09:31.149 --> 00:09:33.450 and see if we would take his puppy. The neighbor's 00:09:33.450 --> 00:09:35.730 older and he has a ton of farmland and cattle 00:09:35.730 --> 00:09:38.309 and he uses great Pyrenees to protect the farm. 00:09:38.750 --> 00:09:40.669 So when the female ended up pregnant, he gave 00:09:40.669 --> 00:09:42.370 away the ones that he could, but no one wanted 00:09:42.370 --> 00:09:44.429 this one. And it's a purebred great Pyrenees, 00:09:44.429 --> 00:09:46.649 so I don't know why nobody wanted him. He told 00:09:46.649 --> 00:09:48.309 the neighbor that he could have him and the neighbor 00:09:48.309 --> 00:09:50.909 went and got him that night so that he wouldn't 00:09:50.909 --> 00:09:52.929 give him away and he just agreed to foster him. 00:09:53.289 --> 00:09:55.370 He called Dr. Jamie the next morning to tell 00:09:55.370 --> 00:09:57.590 her that he had the dog but unfortunately it 00:09:57.590 --> 00:10:02.090 was completely feral. So he spent two weeks working 00:10:02.090 --> 00:10:03.830 with this puppy and he's made great progress. 00:10:03.889 --> 00:10:05.629 He was really sweet at transport. You could tell 00:10:05.629 --> 00:10:07.970 he was definitely like on edge and like kept 00:10:07.970 --> 00:10:10.870 his head on a swivel but he is so sweet and he 00:10:10.870 --> 00:10:15.799 was so much better than he was. Paz Vizsla, who 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:18.700 is actually we think of Vizsla mix. So how stinking 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:22.259 perfect is that name? He showed up in someone's 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:24.639 house. Her dogs were all going crazy barking 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:26.779 and she found him curled up against the side 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:29.159 of the house on the other side of the fence, 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:33.980 shaking and terrified. He was super skinny, super, 00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:36.279 super skinny and clearly in need of medical care. 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:39.480 But he was an immediate cuddle bug and she has 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:41.399 been working on fattening him up ever since. 00:10:42.370 --> 00:10:45.570 The e litter of two are from our Alabama shelter 00:10:45.570 --> 00:10:48.029 friends They were supposed to go on the love 00:10:48.029 --> 00:10:50.710 is no not love is blind. That was a long time 00:10:50.710 --> 00:10:53.649 ago They were supposed to go on the love on the 00:10:53.649 --> 00:10:56.289 spectrum transport But they got super bad kennel 00:10:56.289 --> 00:10:58.549 cough right before they were supposed to go so 00:10:58.549 --> 00:11:00.690 we held them back so that they could be treated 00:11:00.690 --> 00:11:04.110 They are doing much better and so stinking cute. 00:11:04.110 --> 00:11:06.950 Oh my goodness. I love them They were brought 00:11:06.950 --> 00:11:10.519 in as strays at the beginning of April The bee 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:13.620 litter of three are from our wonderful Dr. Jamie 00:11:13.620 --> 00:11:18.059 for new listeners. She was Dr. Burton's student 00:11:18.059 --> 00:11:20.480 down here at Mississippi State. They ended up 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.200 becoming lifelong best friends. Dr. Jamie does 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:25.360 a ton of vet care for us, super cheap, and in 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:27.639 return we help her with animals that get dumped 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:30.659 on her. Case in point, the bee litter of three. 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:33.919 She got a call back in November from somebody 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:37.940 on their county's shelter board. there were apartments 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:40.059 close to where she lived and she said for years 00:11:40.059 --> 00:11:43.639 she has watched a mama dog just have litter after 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.279 litter after litter at these apartments twice 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:49.200 a year every year. She said she couldn't take 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:50.940 it anymore and she was sick of seeing these puppies 00:11:50.940 --> 00:11:53.100 getting run over all the time so she asked Dr. 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:54.759 Jamie if she would help with them. Dr. Jamie 00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:57.259 said bring the mom and all the puppies to the 00:11:57.259 --> 00:12:00.480 clinic. So she spayed the mom and then the woman 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.629 who called her took her back to foster her until 00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:06.149 a rescue was found. She was gonna send her to 00:12:06.149 --> 00:12:08.210 the northern rescue with the puppies but the 00:12:08.210 --> 00:12:10.529 mom kept escaping every single day and going 00:12:10.529 --> 00:12:12.690 back to the apartments where she had lived for 00:12:12.690 --> 00:12:15.250 so long so eventually they just let her stay 00:12:15.250 --> 00:12:18.730 there because at least she spayed. Dr. Jamie 00:12:18.730 --> 00:12:21.309 spayed and neutered all six of the puppies and 00:12:21.309 --> 00:12:23.750 kept them at her clinic for weeks. They even 00:12:23.750 --> 00:12:26.700 ended up doing a big fundraiser and she took 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:29.100 the puppies with her to the fundraiser and got 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:31.799 three of them adopted locally which we know how 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:35.500 I feel about that. But so these three did not 00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:37.299 get adopted they came back to the clinic with 00:12:37.299 --> 00:12:41.120 her and have been with her ever since. This was 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:45.350 last year that this happened. Um, so then a couple 00:12:45.350 --> 00:12:48.110 weeks ago, she needed their kennel for paying 00:12:48.110 --> 00:12:50.490 clients over spring break So she brought them 00:12:50.490 --> 00:12:52.990 to her house and they have had a ball. They are 00:12:52.990 --> 00:12:55.190 so well behaved They've had the best time playing 00:12:55.190 --> 00:12:58.409 with her daughter her cattle her cats and her 00:12:58.409 --> 00:13:01.169 six personal dogs She said they're going to be 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:04.669 the best dogs for someone someday Also, dr. Jamie 00:13:04.669 --> 00:13:08.029 was working with it. So these dogs are like almost 00:13:08.029 --> 00:13:10.850 six months old Dr. Jamie's had them since they 00:13:10.850 --> 00:13:13.250 were like six weeks old The reason she had them 00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:15.110 so long was because she was working with another 00:13:15.110 --> 00:13:17.309 northern rescue who kept saying, oh, yeah, we'll 00:13:17.309 --> 00:13:19.210 take them. Oh, yeah, we'll take them. Oh, yeah, 00:13:19.210 --> 00:13:22.070 we'll take them. And then like every single transport 00:13:22.070 --> 00:13:24.769 would be like, oh, sorry, we can't get them. 00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:26.529 And like, don't get me wrong, I've definitely 00:13:26.529 --> 00:13:28.769 done that, too, where I'm like, oh, yeah, I literally 00:13:28.769 --> 00:13:30.549 did this to Dr. Jamie this way. I'm like, oh, 00:13:30.549 --> 00:13:32.669 yeah, we can get that letter of six on. And then 00:13:32.669 --> 00:13:34.409 like I forget and I'm like, oh, my gosh, like, 00:13:34.730 --> 00:13:36.210 I forgot to circle back with you. You forgot 00:13:36.210 --> 00:13:39.159 to circle back with me. But like. they're going 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:42.139 on the next transport like if they're the only 00:13:42.139 --> 00:13:45.039 litter on there they're going so like worst case 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.659 scenario if i forget about you i'm getting you 00:13:47.659 --> 00:13:51.009 on two weeks later period or like I even told 00:13:51.009 --> 00:13:53.149 her like I've got a foster home open we can take 00:13:53.149 --> 00:13:54.509 them and she was like no they're fine with the 00:13:54.509 --> 00:13:56.330 foster that they're at now like he'll keep them 00:13:56.330 --> 00:13:59.950 two more weeks so for someone to be putting you 00:13:59.950 --> 00:14:03.870 off for five and a half months she eventually 00:14:03.870 --> 00:14:06.250 was like I don't I'm not even trusting them anymore 00:14:06.250 --> 00:14:08.029 I'm not working with them I want Wolf Trap to 00:14:08.029 --> 00:14:10.370 take them I'm almost like okay we'll get them 00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:15.429 on next week the eight litter of three were being 00:14:15.429 --> 00:14:18.450 given away for free in the parking lot of just 00:14:18.450 --> 00:14:22.139 a grocery store Fortunately for us, our bottle 00:14:22.139 --> 00:14:24.860 feeder foster and her family have no willpower, 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:27.480 so they stopped as soon as they saw it and they 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:30.440 got all three of them. And then my mom took over 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:32.779 fostering them since they don't need bottles. 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:37.049 The F letter of three were found in the road 00:14:37.049 --> 00:14:39.830 just down from one of Jessica's friend's homes 00:14:39.830 --> 00:14:43.169 The lady pulled over and they all ran into the 00:14:43.169 --> 00:14:44.809 ditch where it looked like they had probably 00:14:44.809 --> 00:14:47.110 been living for quite a while There were some 00:14:47.110 --> 00:14:48.870 scraps of food in there with them and everything 00:14:48.870 --> 00:14:51.470 and we couldn't take them immediately We were 00:14:51.470 --> 00:14:54.850 so completely overrun. So she put them in a teeny 00:14:54.850 --> 00:14:58.009 tiny little pen with her goats and I don't know 00:14:58.009 --> 00:14:59.750 that it was much better than living in the ditch 00:14:59.750 --> 00:15:02.610 but they at least had consistent food and didn't 00:15:02.610 --> 00:15:04.629 get run over until we were able to get them on 00:15:04.629 --> 00:15:10.529 transport. The G litter of five, our owner surrenders. 00:15:10.590 --> 00:15:13.289 The mom was a stray dog dumped at someone's house 00:15:13.289 --> 00:15:16.350 that is friends with my mom. She ended up being 00:15:16.350 --> 00:15:20.769 pregnant. The dog, not my mom. And they let her 00:15:20.769 --> 00:15:22.990 stay and have her puppies there. She has been 00:15:22.990 --> 00:15:25.730 such a fantastic dog though that they asked if 00:15:25.730 --> 00:15:28.110 they could keep her instead of sending her with 00:15:28.110 --> 00:15:30.990 her puppies. And we were like, yeah, we will 00:15:30.990 --> 00:15:34.730 even spay her for free for you. The C litter 00:15:34.730 --> 00:15:38.070 of 9 were originally a litter of 11. They belonged 00:15:38.070 --> 00:15:40.309 to a mama that showed up to someone's house. 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:43.309 The lady had called a shelter to get her scheduled 00:15:43.309 --> 00:15:47.659 for a spay. but the mom was so skittish and the 00:15:47.659 --> 00:15:49.340 lady couldn't get her hands on her and then a 00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:51.440 few days later she realized she was pregnant 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.539 anyways so the mom had 11 puppies and this family 00:15:55.539 --> 00:15:59.980 owns two dogs of their own they have a huge big 00:15:59.980 --> 00:16:03.019 old mean doberman and then a teeny teeny tiny 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:06.559 little jack russell and the doberman just loved 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:08.559 these puppies and was so sweet and so gentle 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:11.899 with them and the little jack russell killed 00:16:11.899 --> 00:16:14.720 two of the puppies. Can you even believe that? 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:18.779 So they eventually just made the Jack Russell 00:16:18.779 --> 00:16:20.460 stay away from them so he would stop killing 00:16:20.460 --> 00:16:22.799 them one by one. They have since gotten really 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:24.419 attached to the mom and they will be keeping 00:16:24.419 --> 00:16:27.019 her as well and they are very happy to be getting 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:30.820 her spayed for free. The D litter for are from 00:16:30.820 --> 00:16:33.679 our Alabama shelter friends and she said that 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.659 they were an uh -oh litter and That the owner 00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:38.600 had already gotten both of the parents spayed 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:41.019 and neutered, but he needed help finding homes 00:16:41.019 --> 00:16:48.399 for the puppies Okay on to the cats Olga I guess 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:50.259 is how you say that I actually had a typed in 00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:55.649 as Olga, but thankfully Google corrected me Oga 00:16:55.649 --> 00:16:57.889 actually has a really sad and heartbreaking story. 00:16:58.090 --> 00:17:01.190 She is from our Alabama shelter friends, but 00:17:01.190 --> 00:17:04.430 I actually pulled her before the last transport 00:17:04.430 --> 00:17:06.289 when I heard her story, so she's been staying 00:17:06.289 --> 00:17:08.369 with our bottle feeder foster for the last few 00:17:08.369 --> 00:17:11.049 weeks. The shelter made a really long post as 00:17:11.049 --> 00:17:13.470 like a PSA to stop this from happening in the 00:17:13.470 --> 00:17:17.140 future, but basically... This mom was brought 00:17:17.140 --> 00:17:19.240 in as a stray that was found after we had some 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:21.220 really rough storms and tornadoes come through 00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:23.680 our area. They could tell right away that she 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:26.140 was a nursing mama because she was so full of 00:17:26.140 --> 00:17:28.980 milk. So they sent some of their workers to the 00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:30.799 area where the person said that they had found 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.519 her to look for the kittens, but they never found 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.779 any. They didn't hear them. They didn't see them. 00:17:36.639 --> 00:17:40.240 Seven full days later, someone else came into 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:44.059 the shelter with four super emaciated, super 00:17:44.059 --> 00:17:48.500 pitiful, super tiny kittens. And they said the 00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:51.220 way the mom reacted to seeing them brought them 00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:54.480 to tears. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:58.569 that those were her kittens. Unfortunately, because 00:17:58.569 --> 00:18:02.269 it had been a minimum of seven full days by then 00:18:02.269 --> 00:18:04.670 without nursing any kittens, all of her milk 00:18:04.670 --> 00:18:07.450 had dried up, so the shelter workers were taking 00:18:07.450 --> 00:18:10.049 turns bottle feeding the four kittens around 00:18:10.049 --> 00:18:12.130 the clock. They refused to take the kittens away 00:18:12.130 --> 00:18:14.069 from the mom for longer than just a few minutes 00:18:14.069 --> 00:18:16.069 though, so they would just feed them and give 00:18:16.069 --> 00:18:19.220 them back. After everything she had been through 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:21.559 she just wanted to be with them non -stop and 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:24.539 it makes me so mad when people suggest taking 00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:26.519 babies away from the moms just because they don't 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:29.200 have enough milk for them. Food is not the only 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.400 thing that moms provide for their babies just 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:33.940 because she didn't have milk anymore, didn't 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:35.900 mean that she couldn't keep them warm, she couldn't 00:18:35.900 --> 00:18:38.140 stimulate them to go to the bathroom and just 00:18:38.140 --> 00:18:40.519 honestly hold them after everything the five 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:43.339 of them had been through the last week. so when 00:18:43.339 --> 00:18:45.500 i heard about this family i immediately reached 00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:47.660 out to our rock star bottle feeder foster and 00:18:47.660 --> 00:18:51.180 she instantly agreed to take them. we were so 00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:54.359 sad but not very surprised the next morning when 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:56.640 the shelter only gave us the mom and two kittens 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:58.880 because the other two kittens had passed away. 00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:02.480 despite everyone's best efforts round the clock 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:07.160 care and attention and literal honestly minute 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:11.930 by minute care multiple that visits the other 00:19:11.930 --> 00:19:14.269 two kittens that ended up passing away I think 00:19:14.269 --> 00:19:16.529 it was four days later and then five days later 00:19:16.529 --> 00:19:20.210 for the other one so we are very sad that all 00:19:20.210 --> 00:19:22.509 four kittens died but honestly I still count 00:19:22.509 --> 00:19:28.880 it as a success and Maybe. It's still these new 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:31.819 mom hormones that have made me so soft lately, 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:35.480 but I cannot even imagine what this mom went 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:38.660 through to survive a tornado, possibly have your 00:19:38.660 --> 00:19:41.339 home destroyed, be separated from your kittens, 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.099 but be desperately trying to find them and get 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:47.220 back to them, only to be ripped away by some 00:19:47.220 --> 00:19:51.240 probably well -meaning human and then stuck in 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:55.369 a metal cage at the shelter. I just, I can't 00:19:55.369 --> 00:19:59.490 even imagine not knowing are your babies alive, 00:19:59.589 --> 00:20:04.089 where they are, if they're all right, and I know 00:20:04.089 --> 00:20:06.650 like animals don't have the same emotions as 00:20:06.650 --> 00:20:08.710 us and they don't have like the long -term memories 00:20:08.710 --> 00:20:11.690 that we do, but you cannot tell me that this 00:20:11.690 --> 00:20:15.150 mom wasn't grieving for her kittens and heartbroken 00:20:15.150 --> 00:20:17.849 not knowing where they were. The fact that she 00:20:17.849 --> 00:20:20.890 was able to reunite with all of them and be with 00:20:20.890 --> 00:20:24.200 all of them as they died i don't even care what 00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:26.460 you say. i know that this brought her peace. 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:32.420 so anyways the shelter made a post and the post 00:20:32.420 --> 00:20:36.440 was just like stop snatching cats up especially 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:38.779 ones that are full of milk and then just dumping 00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:40.900 them at the shelter. like the moms are out foraging, 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:45.119 the moms are are looking for their babies and 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:48.730 i'm i am certain that this was a very well -meaning 00:20:48.730 --> 00:20:50.670 person who just didn't want something bad to 00:20:50.670 --> 00:20:52.829 happen to this cat after the tornadoes but still 00:20:52.829 --> 00:20:57.529 like leave her alone just follow her until she 00:20:57.529 --> 00:20:59.869 leads you to her kittens or call the shelter 00:20:59.869 --> 00:21:03.190 and they'll monitor the situation these these 00:21:03.190 --> 00:21:09.390 kittens did not have to die newt gunray and the 00:21:09.390 --> 00:21:12.519 j litter of four are from the same home but not 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:15.400 the same litter. So the mother of the J litter 00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:17.779 showed up very pregnant at these people's barn. 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:20.759 She ended up having four kitchen - four kitchens. 00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:24.680 She didn't have any kitchens. She ended up having 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:29.000 four kittens in the attic of their garage. They 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:30.839 just left them there until it got too hot and 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:32.440 then they brought them all down and put them 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:38.059 in a super big Great Dane sized crate. in their 00:21:38.059 --> 00:21:40.240 garage so they've handled them a lot and they've 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:42.759 took really good care of them but they have lived 00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:46.799 their entire life in a crate. And then Newt showed 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:48.680 up in the neighborhood one day a couple weeks 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:50.839 later and someone called this lady thinking it 00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:53.470 was one of her kittens. and it wasn't but she 00:21:53.470 --> 00:21:54.970 brought it home anyways and she kept it separate 00:21:54.970 --> 00:21:57.269 for a few days but then added it in with the 00:21:57.269 --> 00:21:59.789 other kittens and the mama just accepted it no 00:21:59.789 --> 00:22:02.970 problem. They have the mama scheduled to be spayed 00:22:02.970 --> 00:22:05.450 in a couple weeks and are super glad that we're 00:22:05.450 --> 00:22:07.329 going to pay for it and super glad that they 00:22:07.329 --> 00:22:11.309 now have a barn cat. The J litter of four are 00:22:11.309 --> 00:22:14.789 actually two litters of two that were just a 00:22:14.789 --> 00:22:19.089 few days apart. Two different people showed up 00:22:19.089 --> 00:22:23.480 at our vet with these two litters of two on separate 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:27.339 days. The unspoken protocol when this happens 00:22:27.339 --> 00:22:29.740 at our vet. So when someone shows up at the vet 00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:32.960 with newborn kittens, the vet calls our bottle 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:35.579 feeder foster. Our bottle feeder foster says, 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:38.059 yes, absolutely. And then goes and gets them 00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:42.559 and then calls us. schedule them on the transport 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:45.059 list once they're weaned. And they usually call 00:22:45.059 --> 00:22:47.480 Jessica once all the kittens are eating on their 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:49.799 own so that they can focus on the next batch 00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:52.000 of bottle babies. So Jessica has had these for 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:55.859 quite a while. All the rest of the kittens are 00:22:55.859 --> 00:22:58.930 from our Alabama shelter friends. And though 00:22:58.930 --> 00:23:01.769 we love them dearly and are so thankful for the 00:23:01.769 --> 00:23:04.529 wonderful care they give the animals, they never 00:23:04.529 --> 00:23:07.009 have a lot of information or background stories. 00:23:07.490 --> 00:23:10.329 She said that all the cats on the van today were 00:23:10.329 --> 00:23:13.009 brought in as strays. That's all. That's all 00:23:13.009 --> 00:23:16.670 she gave me. So our litter of four were strays. 00:23:17.250 --> 00:23:21.130 T litter of three were strays. The M mama and 00:23:21.130 --> 00:23:26.369 her three M kittens all came in S strays, S mama 00:23:26.369 --> 00:23:29.630 and her five S kittens actually kind of have 00:23:29.630 --> 00:23:32.910 a little bit of a story. So mom was brought in 00:23:32.910 --> 00:23:36.769 as a stray and she was pregnant. So she had her 00:23:36.769 --> 00:23:39.829 three biological kittens in the shelter. Then 00:23:39.829 --> 00:23:42.210 someone brought in an orphan kitten. They had 00:23:42.210 --> 00:23:45.910 found it and couldn't find a mom so they gave 00:23:45.910 --> 00:23:47.769 it to the shelter. This mama took it right in. 00:23:48.069 --> 00:23:50.509 Her babies were just a few days old then and 00:23:50.509 --> 00:23:52.750 then the day before transport yesterday someone 00:23:52.750 --> 00:23:54.690 else came in with a super young kitten that they 00:23:54.690 --> 00:23:56.589 had found abandoned and they gave it to this 00:23:56.589 --> 00:24:01.029 mama too and she took it right in. That is all 00:24:01.029 --> 00:24:03.829 the stories this week. Thank you, thank you so 00:24:03.829 --> 00:24:06.549 much for listening, thank you even more for fostering. 00:24:06.609 --> 00:24:09.910 If you are one of the fosters in this group Thank 00:24:09.910 --> 00:24:12.529 you for your patience and your understanding 00:24:12.529 --> 00:24:15.789 Chandler Melissa and I are just Figuring this 00:24:15.789 --> 00:24:18.509 out as we go flying by the seat of our pants 00:24:18.509 --> 00:24:20.829 Every single one of you have been so wonderful 00:24:20.829 --> 00:24:22.970 to work with and we are just so appreciative 00:24:22.970 --> 00:24:25.289 of your willingness to foster these critters 00:24:25.289 --> 00:24:28.869 for us If you have a minute, please rate review 00:24:28.869 --> 00:24:32.309 and subscribe to the podcast I always say my 00:24:32.309 --> 00:24:34.990 dream is to one day make enough money from this 00:24:34.990 --> 00:24:38.680 podcast that I can quit my job So that I can 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:41.000 do it for free so that I can do my job for free 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:43.519 and not take money away from wolf trap and the 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:46.500 animals If you are not fostering this round go 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:48.619 ahead and sign up for a spot on the next transport 00:24:48.619 --> 00:24:52.319 May 17th You may even get a text from my new 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:56.900 robot if you do I'm working on it It's a rough 00:24:56.900 --> 00:25:00.339 life, but it's better with two assistants. No, 00:25:00.339 --> 00:25:03.380 I'm kidding It's a rough life, but someone's 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:04.119 got to do it