The National Pyr Blog

Overheard recently on the Great Pyrenees Discussion List, a privately owned Listserv, managed by members of the breed AKC club.

Question: “Why so many Pyrs in rescue?”

(O.K. somebody noticed.  Good.  There are 1,369  Pyrs and Pyr mixes listed on petfinder.com today and somebody noticed.  Great.  This is progress.)

Answer: (from Northern California Pyr Rescuer) “A major source the past twenty years has been farm-bred dogs.”  O.K.   I’ll buy that.   “All we, as Pyr owners, can do to help stem this tide is to educate people about the breed BEFORE they get one”.

Really?  Maybe we can do more. There are between  135 and 150 Pyrs from the South and Mid-West who need homes posted every week on the National Pyr website. This is just the tip of the iceberg.   Go to  the  Northern California Pyr Rescuer’s site and you will see  one dog listed.  The other page for males says no males are available for adoption.  You may wonder why some rescue groups have so many dogs listed and others have one or none. The reason: location, location, location.

Here’s the poop.  Regionality is an important factor in dog rescue.  The lack of spay/neuter is a problem for all breeds in the South. Even worse for farm dogs in the South/Midwest who are not spayed or neutered because the livestock they guard is not spayed or neutered.  No spay/neuter = more dogs.   The redistribution of dogs from kill shelters in the South and Mid-West, where there are so many dogs to place, to areas where there are virtually no dogs needing rescue to place, is critical to saving dogs’ lives.

Many Pyr rescue groups in the northern part of our country refuse to participate in this redistribution effort, saying it is not their problem.  They converse about the problem knowledgeably and offer feel good non-solutions like “All we, as Pyr owners, can do to help stem this tide is to educate people, blah, blah, blah” when actually, they can do a lot more. They can save  dogs’  lives.

As rescuers they can work with other rescuers in the redistribution of dogs from places where dogs die horrible, cruel deaths by gassing or heart stick in kill shelters.

This Pyr in a Springfield, MO shelter will die from a heart stick injection if not rescued. The MO Pyr rescue is full and cannot take more dogs.

These rescues can help move dogs from TN, KY, TX, GA, AL and MO to Northern California, the Northeast and other places in the Northern U.S. where Pyr rescue dogs are scarce.  They can make more of these dogs available to people who want to adopt them.  Just think–there could be 10 or 20 dogs listed for adoption on the Northern California Pyr Rescue site instead of one!

Don’t let anyone pull the Pyr fur over your eyes when it comes to rescue. Check out the dogs who are available on your closest rescue here. Let all Pyr rescue groups know they need to get with the solution and that having one or a couple of dogs listed for adoption is not acceptable. As a  Pyr owner and lover of this breed you can do something more.  Rescue involves the active participation of those who can  foster dogs, help with transport or donate to this worthy cause. Don’t be fooled by the biggest lie.  There is a way to save more Pyrs; we know how to do it and it involves the participation of all Pyr rescue groups North,  South, East and West to help redistribute these dogs.  Stand up for  the dogs we love.  RESCUE NOW!

The summer started out great. National Great Pyrenees Rescue, Great Pyrenees Rescue Society and Lonestar Pyrs and Paws went to Boston on Saturday, June 19 to be with Luke Robinson on the final mile of his journey for 2 Dogs 2000 Miles. We had a booth at the Boston Commons after the walk and rescue dogs, adopters and volunteers came from all over.

Reaching Boston was the achievement of a very specific goal for Luke. In a similar way, reaching Boston was the realization of a goal for National Pyr, too. We are an online rescue group—no physical offices or shelter location. Most of what we do is on the internet, which gives us very little opportunity to meet each other face to face.  After three years of working together, some of us would meet for the first time in Boston and it was a day to savor.  We have great pictures to share and summer was off to a good start—or so it seemed.

Now, almost a month later, the problems of summer have really hit. We haven’t seen the full-blown parvo epidemics of last year yet, but the sheer number of dogs out there is staggering. Everyone is struggling. In addition to the large number of dogs in kill shelters, new forms for owner surrenders come in every day.  Even when rescues can afford to board dogs, boarding kennels are full.  We know more people are on the move in summer but otherwise it doesn’t make a lot of sense  as to why rescue is so much more difficult—it just is.  The need and the urgency for RESCUE NOW is real.   Back from vacation?  Adopters and fosters are needed to help with the overflow.  Going on a trip?  Maybe you can help transport a dog.   If you’ve ever thought of rescuing a dog—the time is now!  More ideas and our volunteer form can be found here.  Don’t wait.  This is the time when rescue—and the dogs—need you most.

Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse in Tennessee, they did. Big Fluffy Dogs, a Nashville-based rescue, took in 14 dogs from a hoarder situation a couple of weeks ago. They were still struggling with this when the torrential rains and flooding hit this week. In a flooding  situation so bad, it has been compared to the  devastation wreaked by Katrina, many wonder what has happened to the animals. Similarly to Katrina, flood evacuees were not allowed to bring their animals to shelters. Yet flooded neighborhoods appear to be devoid of cats and dogs. In the aftermath, there is ominous silence.

Ironically, May 2 - 8  is National Pet Week, whose purpose is to promote responsible pet ownership and celebrate the human-animal bond.  For those who have lost their pets or are homeless and have to make some hard decisions about their pets, this week is going to be very difficult and not a celebration at all.

Tennessee has always presented one of the toughest challenges for Great Pyrenees rescue efforts. It ranks in the top five states for Pyr  rescue activity along with Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri and Texas.   As one of the deadliest “hot spots” for Pyrs, the only road to survival for many of these dogs is the route out of Tennessee.  National Great Pyrenees Rescue has been dedicated from the very beginning to getting Pyrs and Pyr mixes out of  Tennessee and other hot spots so they can find safety in places where they are wanted.

This week you can add to the thousands of dogs who crowd Tennessee shelters,  hundreds more who have been abandoned or displaced by the flooding and have no where to go.  It’s the perfect storm of rescue.  Euthanasia is already a fact of life (or aptly death) in these shelters where there wasn’t any room to begin with.  And now there are more dogs.

Pyrs used as livestock guardian dogs in rural areas may be particularly susceptible to the aftermath of the flood.  With their flocks drowned  and their owners livelihoods compromised,  the dogs will be abandoned as well.  We saw this type of abandonment  during the drought that affected this area a couple of years ago and there is no reason to believe that things have changed.

National Great Pyrenees Rescue urges anyone who can,  to donate to Big Fluffy Dogs’ fund for flood relief. Fosters for Pyrs and Pyr mixes will be needed desperately as well in the weeks to come.  Please let  us at National Pyr or Big Fluffy Dogs know if you can foster.  Big Fluffy Dogs will be posting updates regularly on their website.  As of  this morning, 18 calls had been received about Pyrs-in-need due to the flooding.  This is not a short term situation that will dissipate with the flood waters.  Rescue will be feeling the effects for a long, long time.   We’d like to hear from you  if you can help make a bad situation better.  We thank you and the dogs thank you.

Pyr adopters, rescuers and dog lovers of all kinds turned out last Sunday, March 21,  for a walk  in Connecticut on a beautiful Spring day.  We were there  to bring attention to a worthy cause–finding a cure for cancer in companion animals.  Luke Robinson of  2 Dogs 2,000 Miles has  made it all the way to Newtown, Connecticut from his starting point in Austin, Texas in September 2008.

Adopters, rescuers and Pyrs sign in.

National Great Pyrenees Rescue’s  rescue partner, Great Pyrenees Rescue Society of Houston, was there at the Austin launch.  Many of us in the Northeast had been following the progress of Luke and his two Pyrs,  Hudson and Murphy, so  this was our opportunity to meet them in person and show our support.

Walkers make strides along the way.

Everyone gathers around as Luke (left), with walking stick, addresses the crowd.

It was a short two-mile walk and an opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones.  It’s  always an amazing sight to see so many Pyrs together. They aren’t always the most vigorous walkers and it was a warm day so the walk around the Fairfield Hills campus was just about the right length.

Everyone was eager to hear what Luke had to say about his journey and we were all invited to the Newtown library afterward to see a presentation and have some cake.  National Pyr and 2 Dog 2000 mile volunteer, Jodi Bialek and her husband Scott, did a terrific job of putting the day together.

National Pyr founding member Samantha Kearse with Luke, her dog Logan and Hudson and Murphy.

Some of us had our pictures taken with Luke and his dogs and many of us thought seriously about making the trek to Boston, the weekend of June 18th, so we could be there when Luke, Hudson and Murphy arrive at their ultimate destination.

The call came in on Friday and by Sunday morning five Pyr pups–three boys and two girls–were on their way from a farm in Kansas to Pyr rescue in Colorado. Most of us don’t think twice about the national network that makes Pyr rescue effective but when it works, we should take some time to savor it. National Great Pyrenees Rescue started building the groundwork for a responsive, national rescue network three years ago and now we are seeing the results.

On Friday afternoon, a phone call came into the National Pyr Rescue toll-free 877-739-3582 hot line.    Ren, a NY volunteer who receives these calls, e-mailed the contact information on Saturday to National Pyr’s director, Barbara, also located in NY, who immediately called the person back. During the phone call critical information about the dogs was collected on the surrender information form, which captures the dogs’ history and their owner’s location.

The woman, who lives on a farm in Kansas, needed to surrender five Pyr pups who were 16 weeks old plus a 2-year old male. She said that her husband was sick and going into the hospital and she couldn’t take care of the farm and all the dogs. The completed surrender form was e-mailed out to National Pyr’s Kansas and Missouri contacts, Lou Anne and Carolyn. Lou Anne immediately forwarded the information to Dawn at  Colorado Great Pyrenees Rescue in Brighton, CO.   As it turns out, the Colorado Pyr rescue was going to be in Kansas on Sunday, the next day, driving a transport for  Colorado Animal Rescue Express (CARE) to pick up dogs from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma kill shelters. There are so many dogs in these states, that the animals’ best shot at finding homes is to send them west to Colorado.

With the connection to Colorado Pyr rescue made late Saturday afternoon, it was then possible to arrange to have the owner of the five Pyr pups meet up on Sunday with Dawn’s husband, Ken, who was driving the CARE  volunteer transport and  bring the five pups immediately into rescue.

One of the KS pups on transport to CO this morning.

Without this quick action, the pups could have been shot or brought to a kill shelter.  They would have been at risk without vaccinations  to contract life-threatening Parvo or other diseases. Arrangements are being made for the two-year-old male, who is a livestock guardian dog (LGD), to go to a Pyr rescue that specializes in finding homes for LGDs.

Prior to the establishment of National Pyr in 2006, some rescue networking had been done regionally in the South by a group called Southern States Rescue and by the Great Pyrenees Club of America (GPCA).  The new National Pyr network, which includes members of both the GPCA and Southern States networks, offers several improvements.  While GPCA rescue had been limited to places where the GPCA had members, the  National Pyr network embraced Pyr rescuers whether or not they were affiliated with the breed club.  And while GPCA rescue has restrictions on where rescue dogs could be placed, the National Pyr network does not impose geographical limitations.   Many GPCA rescues only accept purebred Pyrenees and the new National Pyr rescue encourages helping both Pyrs and Pyr mixes.

For the past three years, National Pyr’s top priority has been improving  communications about Pyrs and Pyr mixes in the places where rescue is needed most. National Pyr volunteers manage the National Great Pyrenees Rescue Yahoo Chat group for rescuers. We’ve also nurtured development of what has grown to three Pyrs-in-Need lists of dogs needing rescue in high-kill shelters. These lists are updated daily by our volunteers, Sue (Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas), Penny (Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina) and Catherine (Texas). National Pyr also provides an online surrender information form so rescuers can move quickly to intercept dogs  before they are taken to kill shelters.

Now hundreds of Pyrs and Pyr mixes,  who would have been lost in kill shelters,  go through the National Pyr network to find loving homes and adopters.  We’ve come a long way in three years and it’s time to thank everyone in the network for making it work.

Saturday was a happy day.  Four dogs of Great Pyrenees origin made it out of the United States on the overground railroad.  Homes couldn’t be found for them here, or more specifically, so many dead ends were hit in trying to find them, this was their best shot at finding furever homes.

Bart,  Lisa, Ziti and Marsha came from below the Mason-Dixon line  and arrived via paid transport in Nanuet,  NY, Saturday morning, Dec. 12.

Lisa (left) and Bart (right)

Ziti (left) and Marsha (right) with Volunteers

7:45 Arriving in Nanuet, NY

Bart and  Lisa came up from Georiga, Marsha came from Alabama and Ziti was rescued in East Tennessee. It was a long trip for them before they got to New York.

Here, in the words of some of the volunteers who participated in this relief effort, is how the day went:

8:20 AM

John Nunes wrote:

Hi All

Just a quick note to let you know that Marsha and Ziti are getting along just fine. Transport was on time and we should be arriving in New Paltz at 9:15.

Best regards
John

11:22 AM

Tracey Nelson wrote:

Here we all are! The dogs are arriving. They got here at about 7:45 ~ish. We met up with Jayne and Pekoe in New Paltz. Everyone got acquainted, Pekoe had some treats for all the dogs.

Bart and Lisa are quite afraid right now, they’re really not too sure which end is up. I’m sure once they get to their final destination and settled in, all will be right again. They are both very sweet puppies. Lisa did not want to leave her crate when they got to Nanuet. The transport guys had to pull her out, then she wouldn’t come off the trailer. Some kind words and some coaxing, and she started to walk around and do her business. She hopped right into the car. Bart was another story! I had to pick him up and get him in the car.

9:30 Rendevous in New Paltz

Once we were on our way, they settled in and it was a quiet ride to New Paltz.

Sue & Maryanne- Not sure who’s getting which dogs…Bart and Lisa both need a bath, once they’re settled.

Take good care-
Tracey

2:38 PM

Jayne Vandeyar wrote:

Thanks for the pics, Tracey!  What a pleasure it was to help these gorgeous puppies on their way to new lives.  Bart & Lisa seemed very frightened, but soon warmed up as they realized that we were all there to support them.

Marsha and Ziti were great – Marsha was the matriarch of the group, she seemed the less skittish, more interested in snacks.  Ziti was especially hungry but we tried not to let her eat too much so she didn’t throw up.

They all had a light meal of Holistic Select kibble and fresh water at the Albany stop, and they had pee breaks at each end of our leg (New Paltz /Albany).  I’m sure they are well on their way to their next stop by now, tired, excited, and well-loved.
Thank you to all involved.

Jayne

2:54 PM

Hi all - I ended up with an extra red leash in the Syracuse transfer. Does anyone know whom I should send it to?  I will be loading up photos soon - we almost caused some accidents on the Thruway with everyone looking at the van whose entire back was filled with fluffy whiteness. Could not believe how calm the four dogs were in a smallish place for the first time all together. Mostly slept, but had some attempted visits to the front seat from Ziti and Bart. Such sweeties!  Let me know about the leash!
Julie

It doesn't look like Georgia out there--

4:18 PM

Maryanne Pearce  wrote:

Transfer complete! They were early and we came back early. Drinks, pee breaks and walkies, coats on, dogs in van. Headed to the border.

Marsha very calm and tired. Lisa exhauted and timid. Ziti and Bart accepting pets and reassurance. Very quiet car.  At border now.

What a day!  Thank you Tracey, John, Pekoe, Jayne, Alan, Sharon,  Bonnie, Julie, Sue,  Maryanne and Kelly, our new Director,  for orchestrating this.  In the South, Shelly, Shari, Linda and Chere  fostered and prepped the dogs for transport.  When National Great Pyrenees Rescue was established three  years ago this month, we never thought we would have a foreign branch!  You have helped save these dogs and many others by freeing up much-needed foster space in the South for the next dogs to come in from kill shelters. We thank you and the dogs thank you!

12/15/09 7:30 PM

At Home in Canada

Isolde (formerly Lisa) and Tristan (once Bart) in Canada

It was a tragedy when a terrible fire swept through the Moss family’s home in Piqua, Ohio. They lost most of their possessions and their Great Pyrenees named Jeter, who alerted the family to the fire.

Jeter, the Pyr who saved his family.

Jeter, who was a rescue dog, saw them all safely outside and then returned to the house and perished in the fire. It was several months before the Moss’s were ready for another dog. But when their  house was finished in October, they turned to National Great Pyrenees Rescue to find their next dog. They  filled out an application for a puppy but with a brand new house, decided a puppy may not be the best idea.  Mary Nelson,  NationalPyr’s Georgia rep, told them about Hattie who was rescued  from a Georgia kill shelter and was just the right age and temperament for them.

Following in the footsteps of Jeter, Hattie has been renamed Maddux.

In  Jeter’s honor,  National Great Pyrenees Rescue waived the adoption fee for Hattie. Despite an offer of volunteer transport help, the trip was made  from Piqua, OH to Alpharetta, GA to pick Hattie up.    Just in time for the World Series, Hattie’s been renamed ‘Maddux” in honor of  Greg Maddux, who was an All-Star pitcher for the Atlanta Braves.

Jack is a rescue dog who came up from Texas to find a new home.  He just happened to be at his foster Mom’s in New York during  the most glorious time of the year in the Hudson Valley.  Every year for ten years in September the Hudson River Ramble schedules a series of events and hikes all along the great stretch of the river.  On September 19 Jack and foster Mom, Barbara, NGPR’s director, headed off with 26 other intrepid hikers and a rescued Corgi to hike the escarpment trail in the Northern Catskill mountains where some of  the best views of the Hudson River can be found.

Valley View from the Mountain House Site

It was a flawlessly beautiful day.   The kind of day that everyone hopes their hike will be on.  One of the first views on this hike is from the site of the famous Catskill Mountain House, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.  I’ve seen it many times before in all the many moods the Catskills offers and this day was one of the best.

We headed back through the woods and explored the site of another famous hotel, the Hotel Kaaterskill.  There are many old carriage roads in the woods from the days of  the great hotels.  Later in the day  we came to a juncture where several trails met and headed over to several other famous overlooks.

At a Crossroads

One of the things I needed to do as Jack’s foster was to observe his behavior with other people on the hike, people we met in the woods and other dogs.  Jack did really well with everyone and the Corgi, too.  He wasn’t overly excited and was able to walk well on his leash and obey commands.

Barbara and Jack

I realized that there were many similarities between Jack’s situation and this hike.  Like the beautiful Hudson River, as a young dog,  Jack’s life stretches out before him.  If he could make new friends, he would succeed in finding his way out of the woods and reach his forever home  at this important crossroads in his life.

When we rested along the way, Jack snuggled close for a picture of our hike together.    He did well on his big day in the woods but like  all good things, our hike had to end.  I was pretty tired, but glad I went, especially when I saw the big smile on Jack’s face  after the end of  his excellent adventure.  Seeing a dog like Jack grow and develop to meet new challenges is one of the reasons why fostering is so rewarding.  Jack was a tired but happy puppy that night and so was I.

Jack's a Happy Guy

We wrapped up our Top Dog  calendar cover contest one week ago. The results surprised and pleased us. First, because so many people responded and entered their dogs. Second, because the income helps us help more dogs. Zoe and Willis took first place and raised $555 dollars for rescue.  Claudia in second place, raised $250, followed by Kodiak with $210.  Seven dogs raised $100 or more–Bernie, Brie, Harvey, Janey, Jed, Rudi Bear and Yeti.   We thank everyone who participated and their wonderful dogs. To see all the dogs’ photographs visit the  Top Dog contest page.

As mentioned before in this blog, summers are tough. The surrender of animals continues and even accelerates in the summer. The pool of qualified adopters drops off because people travel, go on vacation and spend less time at home, putting adoptions off. People available to foster drop off too, which puts a real squeeze on rescue. We must continue to pull dogs from shelters–an activity that certainly doesn’t drop off over the summer.

Unwittingly, the calendar contest came at time when rescue really needed a boost. This summer was tough.  We had some very sick parvo puppies sending veterinary expenses through the roof.  We’ve had our share of heartworm positive dogs with more on the way. The stream of dogs coming from shelters didn’t stop either. Everyone was feeling challenged and on edge.

The contest boosted our spirits. The array of dog photos we received was heartening and charmed us all.  Registration fees  and voting provided unexpected income.  We were able to continue our usual program of pulling, vetting, fostering and even boarding dogs to save as many as possible.  Still, there are many dogs we have to let go and hope another rescue can help them.  For now, there are just too many.

All of the dogs in the calendar are rescue dogs.  They look great and every single one of them is a winner. Mary and Debi, our volunteer graphic artists,  have done a great job touching up the photos and laying them out in the design you see above.

Each dog entered in the contest will receive a certificate of merit for the contributions he/she was able to raise for new dogs currently coming into rescue. We thank these pooches and we thank all of you for making the calendar contest a success that will go on and on.

Some of us worked on the 2010 NGPR calendar and contest  last weekend and some of us drove.  Roger’s Rescue volunteers brought up four pups from Kentucky to homes in New York, New Jersey and New England.  There were also two Pyr volunteer transports going on across the I-90 corridor.  One transport left on Saturday from Indiana heading to points east with dogs from Indy Pyr Rescue going to homes in the Northeast. The other headed west early  Saturday morning bringing Wilbur and Orville from Maine to Ohio.

Wilbur and Orville have been making the rounds lately.  If  these beautiful boys hadn’t been rescued by Shari, NGPR’s Alabama rep,  they would have been destroyed in a Southern kill shelter. They spent time in a holding pattern in Alabama, waiting to come up together for fostering.  Most NGPR fosters already have a fine selection of their own dogs, so taking two together is pushing it!  Shari wanted to keep them together,  so when Janet in Maine said she would foster both dogs, it was ideal.

They weren’t in Maine long when Ron, who knew the breed well, contacted rescue about adopting them.  He was in Ohio, about 11 hours from Maine where the boys were.  We knew if rescue transport could go one way (heading east) that we could probably head the other way (west) too.  Suzanne organized the transport which came together in about 24 hours, cementing plans for Wilbur and Orville to get home over the weekend.

It was a busy weekend for Pyrs rescuers on the computer and on the road.  We thank everyone who gave up a part of their weekend to do this. We’re excited about the Top Dog rescue contest and wish everyone well but our #1 job will always be getting the dogs home.