Category: Rescue

Szula – Updated!

Szula’s recovered SO WELL after her elbow was rebuilt at Veterinary Specialties! Thanks to everyone who donated to Szula’s cause and also to all of you who prayed for Szula’s recovery.  Just take a look at her during her 2-week review with Dr. Fitzpatrick……….

Szula’s Back-story: This little 3.5 month old English Bulldog pup is Szula. She was playing a couple days ago in her fenced yard in Amsterdam with the other two dogs who live with her, when some miserable loser decided to try stealing her. While the perpetrator was trying to get her out the gate, the other two dogs rushed him and he slammed the gate on Szula’s left front leg, BREAKING HER ELBOW COMPLETELY! Szula’s owner, Eric, rushed her to the vet where for $300, they gave her a couple of laser treatments and told him that Szula only had a pinched nerve. A day later, when she was still in pain and not using the leg, Eric took her to the emergency hospital for $600 worth of diagnostics, including X-Rays. That’s when he found out that Szula’s leg was broken. A trip to Dr. Glennon followed, where an estimate of ~$3,000 for surgery to rebuild Szula’s shoulder was provided. Eric’s not working; in fact, he’s preparing for his own upcoming surgery. He’s already in hock for the $900 he’s spent in trying to diagnose his puppy’s injury. The perp got away and the authorities are still trying to find him. Dr. Glennon says if Szula can’t receive her surgery by Tuesday, then he’s recommending euthanasia.

SZULA UPDATE AS OF 7PM, JULY 8: Eric got discouraged over the weekend when he was only able to scare up around $300 in pledges through Onyx and Breezy Foundation and Guilderhaven. So he did not make his appointment with Dr. Glennon until I talked with him this afternoon. To date, Dr. Glennon’s office only provided a verbal estimate based on the phone call Eric had made to them back on July 3. But now Szula actually has a consult scheduled with Veterinary Specialties Referral Center for tomorrow, July 9. Either Dr. Glennon or Dr. Fitzgerald will review the tests and x-rays Eric’s already done and from there, they will make their recommendation. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update, likely in the late afternoon. Meantime, please pray and send your best energy to Szula and her Dad and to the doctors who will be reviewing her case tomorrow.

SZULA UPDATE AS OF JULY 9: Eric just got back from Veterinary Specialties Referral Center. Dr. Fitzgerald says if Szula can’t get her surgery by Friday, then she should be put down. Please network like crazy so that we can get Szula the surgery she needs. This poor girl should not have to euthanized.

Anyone wishing to donate to this surgery can submit a PayPal donation via Veterinary Specialties Referral Center in Pattersonville, NY’s website. On the right hand side of the home page, click on ‘For Pet Owners’. When that page loads, on the left hand side, click on ‘Financial Assistance’. Fill out the form, including the required fields; the pet owner’s name is Andres Robles, the client id is 16295, your email address, the pet’s name is Szula and the amount of your donation. Then hit submit. On the next page click ‘Pay with PayPal’ to complete your PayPal transaction. If you have questions, Dr. Glennon’s office can be reached at 518-887-2260.

Thank you so very much for your donation. Together we can get this little girl the lifesaving surgery that she needs. No donation is too small. Every little bit helps.

July 19, 2020 By Melinda Plasse In Fundraisers, Rescue, TASP Blog Comments Off on Szula – Updated!

Police: Two arrested in Bethlehem for animal abuse. Horses found allegedly mistreated and malnourished.

By Spotlight Staff

Monday, November 11, 2013 -3:57 p.m.

Bethlehem Police Department executed a search warrant at 80 Waldenmaier Road on Monday, Nov. 11 as a result of a multi-week investigation into complaints of animal cruelty and neglect of horses.

Police said upon arrival to Stone Brook Farms, 33 horses were found on the property. After an investigation, some horses were allegedly found to be in various stages of neglect and malnourishment. Others were allegedly found to be without water. All horses were examined by licensed veterinarians and as a result of the examinations eight horses were seized to undergo further evaluation, treatment, and care. Police said the seized horses will be stored at another location until further ordered by the Town of Bethlehem Court.

As a result of this investigation, Karen A. Burrows, 49, and William J. Trianni, 25, both of 80 Waldenmaier Road, were arrested and charged with eight counts of failure to provide sustenance, a Class A misdemeanor under the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law. Both subjects were released on appearance tickets and are due to return to the Town of Bethlehem Court on December 3 at 4 p.m.

Volunteers from TASP were called to the scene to help police and the horses.

July 19, 2020 By Melinda Plasse In Rescue, TASP Blog Comments Off on Police: Two arrested in Bethlehem for animal abuse. Horses found allegedly mistreated and malnourished.

Jacob Goes Home

“Without my TASP foster family, I’d still be existing on the chain instead of sleeping on the bed.”

View Jacob’s Video

July 19, 2020 By Melinda Plasse In Rescue, TASP Blog Comments Off on Jacob Goes Home

ASPCA Generosity Helps TASP Do Right By Hurricane Sandy Animal Victims

While TASP volunteers were volunteering at ASPCA’s Hurricane Sandy Emergency Pet Shelter in Brooklyn from October to January, we came across Brooke and Pluto, two wonderful pit bulls who were picked up as strays after the hurricane. As the shelter was winding down, we worked with ASPCA to develop a plan for these two dogs to move upstate with us and undergo boarding, foster care, medical care, obedience and agility training and general guidance on how to be a good member of the family. ASPCA graciously stepped forward with a generous grant enabling us to bring Brooke and Pluto to their full potential as pets, so they can achieve forever homes through our adoption program. The effort is now blossoming and we are happy to report that Pluto has moved in with his new family in Scotia. Brooke also landed a fantastic home with a retired soldier, and she goes everywhere with him as his support dog. Both dogs entered their new homes with a full year’s free ASPCA Pet Insurance coverage, to further insure their future. THANK YOU, ASPCA, for partnering with TASP to make this work possible.

Read full press release…

ASPCA Grant Logo
July 19, 2020 By Melinda Plasse In Rescue, TASP Blog Comments Off on ASPCA Generosity Helps TASP Do Right By Hurricane Sandy Animal Victims

Dogs rescued from NYC being trained, prepped for adoption locally

Published: Monday, June 03, 2013
By Andrew Beam – The Troy Record

CROPSEYVILLE — The Animal Support Project has a 2-year-old pit bull up for adoption after it was found without a home during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Pluto with his new adopted family, the Rosenbarkers. (photo provided)

The Animal Support Project, a 501c3 charitable organization which regularly tries to prevent pets from being placed in animal shelters, has had to play a different role after two pit bulls were found displaced due to the damage done by the hurricane to New York City.

READ FULL ARTICLE…

July 19, 2020 By Melinda Plasse In Rescue, TASP Blog Comments Off on Dogs rescued from NYC being trained, prepped for adoption locally

TASP Joins ASPCA and Other Partners Caring for Hurricane Sandy’s Displaced Pets

April 11, 2020 By Melinda Plasse In News, Rescue, TASP Blog, Volunteers Comments Off on TASP Joins ASPCA and Other Partners Caring for Hurricane Sandy’s Displaced Pets

Concierto

Concierto
Concierto stood by the round bail feeder,
withered and wet, spring mud clinging to his hocks
ribs protruding hard and knobby
like the exposed roots of a stricken tree.
“I think it’s cancer,” Aunt Mary said.
“he’s lost three hundred pounds this week”
I nodded and stepped up
reached out a pale hand and scratched
the center of his neck through the fence
for the thousandth time.
He rolled back his muddied eyes,
tilted and lifted back his head.
I stepped closer to him
smelled his neck and mane
and he rested his chin on the crown of
my head.
He gently moved his muzzle to my shoulder
and I ran my hands over his nostrils and
lips, still soft and velvet as the day he was born,
and rubbed the white star between his eyes.
“Happy Easter, old man.” I whispered.
I took his chin in my hands and
kissed him below the forelock.
pulled out my phone
captured a final portrait
of a proud warmblood
and watched him in the mirror as I drove away.
He returned to the feeder,
buried his nose in the hay all
headed out, pale-green and perfect
his jaw still strong,
his methodical chewing
a reassuring reminder
that horses live and love
unburdened and
ever present.

December 26, 2018 By Melinda Plasse In Rescue, TASP Blog Comments Off on Concierto

Jacob Goes Home Video

September 26, 2013 By webmaster In News, Rescue Comments Off on Jacob Goes Home Video

Fate uncertain for 15 former fighting pit bulls

Fate uncertain for 15 former fighting pit bulls

Originally published: March 28, 2013 11:41 AM
Updated: March 28, 2013 8:58 PM
By SCOTT EIDLER scott.eidler@newsday.com

 

Most of the 15 pit bulls sat nameless in cages outside the shelter.

Some of the animals, seized in January and simply labeled evidence while awaiting the outcome of a criminal dogfighting case, were scarred, had open sores and visibly shook. Unlike non-fighting dogs named Oreo, Egypt or Sunny also housed at the North Hempstead-run shelter in Port Washington, the pit bulls have been deemed unavailable for adoption and face an uncertain future.

Though vets check the dogs weekly, shelter director Sue Hassett said, no date has been set for their release, and experts say the path to recovery is winding and uncertain.

“Until the court clears them, they’re kind of in limbo,” she said. But “they’re hanging in there; this is probably the best they’ve ever had it” since police recovered them from an alleged dogfighting ring in a New Cassel woman’s backyard.

The Nassau County district attorney’s office declined to comment on case specifics.

On a cold morning last week, some of the dogs, from 6 months to several years old, paced their steel cages. Some were loud, others quiet during the outdoor break.

Based on history, according to animal and legal experts, the dogs’ outcomes may vary, too.

“They’re like fine athletes; they’re in training to fight and that’s what their job is,” said Sandra DeFeo, executive director of the Humane Society of New York. “If they’re trained to kill . . . do you want them?”

John Byrne, a Nassau district attorney spokesman, said in an email that the office “has worked closely with leading experts . . . to assess these animals and to provide them with the best possible future.”

However, “many fighting dogs cannot be safely adopted due to the barbaric training they’ve been subjected to,” he said. “. . . We anticipate that these animals — all victims of horrific abuse — will not be available for public adoption.”

Professional handlers, recalling past dogfighting cases, told tales of triumph and tragedy.

“The older dogs, once they are accustomed to fighting, it is very difficult to rehabilitate [them],” said Roy Gross of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “It can be done, but it’s very costly; it’s very time-consuming.”

Often, “these animals get euthanized; they’re not safe to put out for adoption.”

But Melinda Plasse, president of upstate Cropseyville-based The Animal Support Project, said “that used to be the norm. . . . We have a lot more data that helps us understand there is hope for these animals.”

She cited the breakup of a dogfighting ring last year, involving 50 pit bull mixes in a Bronx apartment. Most were adopted, including Mona Lisa, 4. She was cared for first in a shelter run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, then a foster home upstate.

Eventually, after four months of training, she got better.

“The shorter you can make the sheltering, the better,” Plasse said. Otherwise, “They’re living an institutional life; it’s like putting kids in reform school.”

September 16, 2013 By webmaster In News, Rescue Comments Off on Fate uncertain for 15 former fighting pit bulls

Press Release – Two Hurricane Sandy Dogs Find New Homes

Press Release Logo

July 5, 2013

                                                                                                Media Contact: Melinda Plasse

                                                                                                518-727-8591

                                                                                                taspinfo@yahoo.com

 

             Two Hurricane Sandy Dogs Find New Homes with Help From

ASPCA and The Animal Support Project

 

Cropseyville, N.Y.—- The Animal Support Project (TASP) announced today that after months of behavioral rehabilitation, two dogs found in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy are moving on to new homes. A generous grant from the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) enabled TASP to rehabilitate Brooke and Pluto, two New York City dogs lost during Hurricane Sandy last fall. At this writing, the first of the two dogs has already begun the next chapter of his life with a new, loving family in Scotia, N.Y.

Following Hurricane Sandy, TASP assisted with daily care at the ASPCA Emergency Boarding Facility in Brooklyn, N.Y., which was established in November to provide temporary sheltering for animals displaced by Sandy. During the operation, TASP volunteers recognized the potential of Brooke and Pluto, two dogs that remained unclaimed when the boarding facility closed in February.

“NY City’s stray pets endured tremendous hardships during and after that hurricane. Given that reality, the ASPCA’s Emergency Boarding Facility in Brooklyn provided the bridge to a new, secure life,” said Melinda Plasse, President of The Animal Support Project. “ We at TASP are proud to partner with the ASPCA, enabling Brooke and Pluto to enter that new life well equipped both physically and behaviorally.”

Thanks to the generosity of ASPCA, TASP was able to afford the behavior training and medical care necessary to make Brooke and Pluto adoptable. They start their new lives with a year’s worth of ASPCA pet health insurance, thanks to ASPCA’s commitment to the animal victims of Hurricane Sandy.

“The ASPCA was thrilled when The Animal Support Project volunteered to take in Brooke and Pluto, two dogs that have been through a great ordeal,” said Dr. Dick Green, director of disaster response for the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team. “We are happy to see these dogs finally move on to new, well-deserved homes through the tireless effort of TASP.”

Disaster response is just one component of TASP’s mission to support animals and their owners through tough times. As an ASPCA Field Investigations & Response Partner, TASP expands its disaster response and recovery capabilities to assist even more animals and the people who treasure them.

For more information, please visit www.theanimalsupportproject.org

About The Animal Support Project

The Animal Support Project, Inc. is a 100% volunteer 501.c.3 charitable organization dedicated to proactively reducing the suffering of all species of companion animals through crisis intervention. Through TASP’s combination of field response, public awareness, mentoring and spay/neuter initiatives, hundreds of animals each year are spared the stress of being surrendered to a shelter or euthanized. Equally important, the owners of these animals are enlisted in the process whenever possible, helping them become a part of the solution and part of a more humane community.

ASPCA Grant Logo

July 5, 2013 By webmaster In Furever Homed, News, Rescue Comments Off on Press Release – Two Hurricane Sandy Dogs Find New Homes