State of the DREAM

Hi everyone.  I’m sorry I have not updated you lately.  We had a sudden death in our family and everything kinda went into limbo for a while.

Here’s what’s going on.  Many of you have asked for an update on the Dawson County situation.  The accounts of the facts differ, and all my information is second-hand.  Animal Control says the situation there isn’t as bad as was originally reported, and that no laws are being broken.  So it seems there will not be additional movement there.  Since I do not know where the dogs are, I can’t appeal to the family directly, but I am going to try to find out.  I know that we could help them.  But we must fight the battles we can fight.  It is very frustrating and saddening not to be able to help them all.

In the meantime, all our foster homes are now full again, and I have three dogs that need to come in or risk death.  One is in DeKalb County (cute black mix), one was in turned into a southern county but saved by a good samaritan and now needs to come into a foster home, and one is in a shelter just south of Chattanooga.  So I am hoping that some of our pending adoptions go through soon, so we can place those dogs in our foster homes.

Our bad news yesterday was that sweet Dalton, who came out of the AC at Catoosa County, has heartworms.  So he started that treatment today.  ARGH!  Besides the cost of treatment, that also means he stays at his foster home for a minimum of 45 days before he can be adopted.  But we will take care of him.  He is a FUNNY, sweet guy.  He enjoyed his Zaxby’s treat yesterday.  (My standard opening bribe with a new dog is either that or a plain cheeseburger.  After that, they love me.)  When he smelled that chicken, he hopped over in the passenger seat and SAT, very hopefully.  What a good boy!

A big challenge that we have in perpetuity (ah, great word) is resisting the urge to just add more foster homes so we can take more and more dogs.  This is especially tempting right now, with dogs’ lives on the line.  The problem is that the bigger we get, the harder we are to manage, especially as an all-volunteer organization.  About 20 foster homes seems to be the breaking point for sanity.  And when a foster home is … well, how do I put this delicately …. “high maintenance” … that tips the breaking point in the “insanity” direction.  Another complication is foster homes that are too far away and can’t provide transportation to/from their homes, or take dogs to the vet, etc.  That just creates more work, and all the board members (who already manage intake, applications, references, vetting, registration, Department of Ag / Legal, fundraising, and the “vast” treasure chest of DREAM’s funds (smile) ) all work as volunteers and have their own full-time jobs and lives — and do their own fostering.  So having a foster home that needs a lot of support really adds to that burden.

And of course, taking more dogs means needing to raise more $$$, which takes a lot of time.

I think I’m on a tangent. Time money dogs time money dogs time money dogs aaaaaahhhh!

Anyway, that’s where we are right now.  We have 27 dogs in our care right now, and 3 that need to come in, and 1 in temporary foster that needs a long-term solution.

Thanks to all of you who care enough about these dogs to keep up with us and what we’re doing.  It’s good to know there are people out there listening and caring.