| Progress and News Continued |
April 8: We wrapped up our first full week in business last week and stayed
pretty busy boarding pets during our first holiday. We rushed a bit to be open
for Spring Break and Easter weekend, and we still have some touch-up
painting, landscaping and other odds and ends to be done, but we felt it was
important to be open during this period.
We want to thank all those who chose to be part of our opening from the
bottom of our hearts. We will never forget you. All the planning and dreaming
Tina and I have done over the past three or four years deciding how to shape
Beechwood Trails Pet Lodge, were only ideas before March 28th. We are
elated to see our vision of the perfect pet boarding facility make its first, huge
step to becoming reality. And what's especially nice is that everything is
working! Every dream we had seemed to be a hit with the pets! We saw a
place where we could spend time with each pet, making sure, in the dogs'
case, they spent a big portion of their day wagging its tail, not just spending
its time idle, waiting for their owner to return. This may sound odd, but dogs
are a lot like people. Spending their day doing nothing, not having any
mental stimulation, they aren't going to develop into everything that they can
be. We saw a place where a pet wouldn't dread returning to. Fear in a dog
is a tough problem to whip, and any experience, if not pulled off well, can
push a dog into becoming fearful. Once it starts down that path, it takes
special training to turn them around. Having had experience working with
fearful dogs, we know what to do to make a dog develop a happy attitude.
Lita, our wild-caught Carolina dog, came to us afraid of her own shadow, due
to her wild beginning. Although she probably will never be 100% cured of her
fearful ways, she is well on her way to understanding that the world is a pretty
good place to live and enjoy. And as we said good-bye to our guests this
weekend, we saw them wagging their tails and looking us in the eye in a way
that could only mean they enjoyed our company. Thanks, folks!
April 10th: Today I renewed my love for Alaskan Malamutes. We have been
fortunate enough to have had a beautiful Malamute with us for the past
several days, and although we have spent a lot of time with her in the play
areas, as we do with every dog, we had the task of bathing and brushing her
today - not an easy job, getting her ready for her trip home. I must have spent
two hours with her brushing off enough hair to completely fill a 20 gal trash
bag! Growing up, we had a beautiful Malamute named Juneau. Today
reminded me of how much I loved Juneau, and how much I would love having
another one. You know, I knew there was a chance it would happen, but I
didn't know I'd want to keep EVERY dog who stayed with us! Tina keeps
telling me, "We have to let them go, Gary." I truly do love dogs.
April 11th: I want to announce the Douglas County Humane Society's 1st
Annual Charity Car Show and Motorcycle Poker Run Ride this Saturday from
9:00 to 4:00 at Clinton Nature Preserve. All proceeds benefit the animals of
Douglas County. Sam Memmolo of SpeedChannel's "Two Guys Garage" will
be there! Please plan to join us! Oh, we'll have one of the newest pets up for
adoption through the Humane Society, Pogo, with us. He's a cute little terrier
mix, maybe some fox terrier, possibly some rat terrier, and is at the Lodge
now learning how fun life can be. Dottie, who has never met a stranger, is
teaching Pogo to be a clown. We named him Pogo, well, for one, it just
seemed to fit, but he bounces along as he runs, thus Pogo. Of course, if you
adopt him you can name him Pillsbury if you'd like! He's a cutie, though, just
waiting for someone to make him part of their family. I'll post a picture of him
tomorrow here. Dottie has turned out to possibly be one of the best dogs I've
ever had. I just can't believe someone dumped her! She is the perfect
example of the cliche: One man's trash is another man's treasure. When
someone doesn't recognize a gem like Dottie or Pogo, it's up to us
"enlightened" individuals to jump in there and welcome them into our homes.
Don't forget, join us for the car show!
April 12th: Tina and I got some shots of Pogo this morning! Click on this link
Pogo Pics to see what a pretty little guy he is. It wouldn't take long at all for
this little boy to get in the swing of being a regular family member.
April 15th: I just wanted to say that if any of you are worried about your pets'
food, in light of the recent pet food recalls, and would like to find a pet food
that's made here in the U.S., that isn't mass produced by some separate
entity, producing a number of different name brand foods all under the same
roof, using ingredients from foreign countries, please click on this link and
read what you should be feeding your pets and why. Canidae Tina and I did
much research into what we would feed our own dogs, and we're so thrilled
with it, we feed it to our guests at the Lodge and sell it here also. Let us know
what you need and we can get it for you.
Douglas County Humane Society's First Annual Car and Motorcycle Show
was a tremendous success yesterday at Clinton Nature Preserve! There
were some beautiful restored and newer cars, hot rods and motorcycles
being shown. As yesterday's storms crossed the state line, the last of the
trophies were being handed out, allowing everyone to leave the show and get
safely home before the storms arrived. Please plan on attending next year's
show! All the money taken in goes to help the animals of Douglas County,
which is SO important! And please join the Humane Society and help us
provide and find good, loving homes to Douglas County's stray and
abandoned pets. Pogo didn't find a home yesterday, so he's still available!
You should have seen this cute little guy putting the hard sell on folks at the
show. So he rode home with me and is waiting at the Lodge for you to come
offer him the home he deserves. Call the Humane Society at (678) 838-9123
or the the Lodge at (770) 577-STAY (7829).
April 17th: Got a call this evening from Diana Memmolo, our president of the
Douglas County Humane Society, and she said she may have someone
interested in adopting Pogo! This is a lady who saw Pogo at the car show
Saturday. Pogo had a rough day today: Pogo was neutered. That's okay,
though (easy for me to say), because he'll be a much better pet now, and,
hopefully, after resting for the next few days, he'll be going to his new home.
Dottie won't like Pogo leaving the Lodge, but Dottie doesn't seem to dwell on
anything negative for more than a second or two. Dottie is the reason ALL
my pants have paw prints on them! I know, I know, you're not supposed to
allow them to jump on you. Believe me, Tina and I have watched enough of
the "Dog Whisperer" to know that by now, but I can't help it. When anything: a
dog, my wife....whatever, loves me so much they want to hang onto me that
much, how am I suppose to say no? I don't guess I'll ever be a great dog
trainer, because I just flat enjoy a happy dog doing whatever (within reason) it
wants to do. Tina and I are enjoying wrestling with a rottweiler puppy that has
already pushed over 100 lbs. What a clown! He's hilarious, and he's just a
big - real big - puppy! Woops, I hear Jingle, our singing dog, sounding off
downstairs telling us it's time to go outside before bedtime. She's like having
a rooster in the bedroom each night. She sounds off around 5:30 each
morning with this spooky sounding howl, telling us to wake up! THAT, along
with a few other things, is why having a New Guinea singing dog isn't always
the brightest idea.
April 18th: Let me announce that Tina's and my monthly Southeastern
Greyhound Adoption Meet & Greet will be this Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 at
Douglasville's Petsmart on Chapel Hill Road. We have some beautiful
Greyhounds looking for a new home, now that their racing days are done. If
you've never seen a Greyhound up close - or at all - you are in for a treat.
They are the most beautiful, most graceful dogs on the face of the earth.
Watching them run is as exciting for me today as it was with our first
Greyhound, Cheyenne, when we adopted her in January of 1993. As is
typical of first time Greyhound adopters, once you bring your first one home,
you'll soon be looking for space for your second one, then third, and so on.
The only reason we only have five is because we've rescued so many other
dogs and our plate is kind of full, so to speak.
April 19th: I worked at the Lodge doing several different things today. I was
confident I had done a good job, too, at least until Tina came out and pointed
out the mistakes I had made, and then suggested a better way, a fix to get
me out of the jam I'd unknowingly gotten myself into. Wow, without my one
and only I would have never known just what a loser I really am! I'm one lucky
guy. Nah, I'm only joking. But she does have a way of picking things apart.
Where she worked before, if anyone needed something proofread, they
brought it to Tina. Now, you can't be too sensitive, because she's going to
find something wrong. WhenEVER I'm typing anything and she tries to read
over my shoulder, I'll stop until she goes away. I mean, I'd rather put a
mistake out there for the whole world to read, than to have Tina find it. I do
have my pride, you know. Okay, now I'm being serious. We had more
visitors today, just dropping in to take a tour of the Lodge, making sure it's the
right place for their beloved pets. Vacation season is quickly coming on, and
folks are wisely looking for a place where their pets will feel comfortable.
When Tina and I came up with the slogan "Where your pet will feel like
family", that said everything we felt. Everything we wanted Beechwood Trails
Pet Lodge to be is the same exact thing we always wished we could have
found for our own pets when we boarded them. Please come and visit us,
because we absolutely love showing what a fun place we have just for your
pets.
April 22nd: I forgot to announce that today is the day Tina and I do our
Southeastern Greyhound Adoption Meet & Greet at the Douglasville
Petsmart on Chapel Hill Road from 1:00 to 3:00. So, if you're out and about,
drop in to see us! Who knows, you may learn that you just can't do without
adopting a Greyhound another day. Ex-racers make unbelievably good pets
and will change your life - for the better. Please come see us!
We had a very successful SEGA M&G today at Petsmart, and met several
folks who have been following our painful progress over what seems like
eons. It's so nice when people relate to us experiences they've gone through
with builders, and it makes us feel less like the only people to have ever gone
through anything like we have. Oh well, the nightmare is over now...for the
most part, except for paying subs the builder failed to pay for the work they
had done (See updated entry below for the date April 24th) Man, if we had
only used a first class builder like our friend in Norcross, Betterton
Construction Company. Ron would have had us in business midway through
last summer. Oh well, we can't look over our shoulder. Oh, we have found a
home for Pogo! Today after getting back to the Lodge from Petsmart, we
were met by a family who had seen Pogo at Douglas County Human
Society's 1st annual car and motorcycle show last weekend. They had
thought he would work out great for them, so they came to the Lodge today to
take a closer look and spend some time with Pogo in the play area. Pogo
put on a show for them, and showed what a neat little guy he is. After we take
Pogo to Douglas Oaks Veterinary Clinic Wednesday to have his stitches
removed, they will come pick him up and take him home. We're so happy
Pogo has found the home he deserves, although Tina and I, along with Dottie,
are going to miss having him at the Lodge.
We already have a couple of regular day boarders, their owners allowing
them to stay with us a few days each week, giving their dog a break from
being confined at home all day while they're at work. This is working great for
them, because they get their dog back at the end of the day tired and happy.
Tina and I spend plenty of time in the play areas with them, letting them spend
some of the energy they otherwise will hit you with once you're back home.
Too, some dog owners have chosen to let their pups day board with us once
or twice before they board them for an extended stay. This is an excellent
idea, because it gives their pet the opportunity to become friends with Tina
and I, making them feel at home once it's time for the longer stay. This also
allows folks uneasy about boarding their dog for the first time the chance to
see their dog happy here with us. If you think this is a good idea for you and
your pet, call us and we'll set your pet up for a day of fun!
April 24th: I have been asked by the owner of the company who built the
Lodge to rephrase part of my entry of April 22nd concerning the builder not
paying the subs. He would LIKE for me to replace it with a statement saying
that "the builder had agreed to allow Beechwood Trails to pay the balance of
the monies owed the subs in order to expedite the closing of the loan". The
problem with this statement is it doesn't quite tell the whole truth. We are
being forced into this situation, because he is unable to comply with the
requirements of the contract, which does not release the final payment until
all subs have been paid. Have you ever read the book "Catch 22"? The final
payment can't be paid until all subs have been paid and lien wavers have
been signed by all parties. "All parties" aren't going to sign lien wavers until
they have been paid....and around and around we go. What he would really
like for me to say is that everything is going to be "okay", and it doesn't
matter how poorly we were treated, and a signed contract, with a completion
date of 120 days after the contract was signed (April, 2006), really means
somewhere in the neighborhood of 365 days, and even makes allowance for
his building contractor to abandon our job in order to finish a job in Kentucky,
started well after he began our job.
In fact, well, shoot, let me just accurately paraphrase a section of the contract
that he happily signed on the date above: 'The final payment of $$$ will be
made as soon as possible after the Certificate of Occupancy is issued by
Douglas County, and Seller (him) has delivered to Buyer (us) a "Final
Contractor's Affidavit" evidencing that all suppliers and subcontractors
have been paid in full.' Gee, where might that affidavit be?
We are really trying to work with this company on this situation. Let's hope
they want to do what's right.
We gave our first two trail hikes today! The first was with a beagle, and I kid
you not, he sniffed each square inch of ground for all it was worth. Each time
he caught a scent, he'd sound off. I'm not sure which one of us had the best
time. The second was with a rough coated collie. Man, what a difference in
the two breeds! He seemed to enjoy it as much as the beagle, but was
happy seeing things and not sniffing nearly as much, and with such gusto. By
the way, how many knew Lassie was a rough coated collie? Strange, huh?
As soft as they are, they chose to call it a rough coat. Again, they didn't ask
my opinion. Yep, a smooth coated collie looks pretty much the same, highly
intelligent, with the same sweet disposition, but doesn't have the long hair.
So if you want your pup to really enjoy something, tell us to "go take a hike". I
will say, though, your dog has to have been treated with Frontline or an
equivalent, and has to walk well on a leash. The flea and tick treatment is
because I haven't quite got the ticks trained not to bite the dog....or me, for
that matter.
April 25th: Got an e-mail today from the Douglas County Humane Society
with a link to the FDA site showing an update as to what dog and cat foods
are now on the recall list. Please check the list to make sure your pets are
safe. FDA Pet Food Recall List
April 30th: Saturday marked the end of our first month in business. We have
to say that we have been much busier than we would have ever guessed! As
part of the research Tina and I have done over the past few years, Tina has
been a member of a Yahoo! Group made up of kennel owners all over the
world, but mostly here in the U.S.. Being able to bounce questions and ideas
off of them has been unbelievably helpful to us. Tina joined that group around
four years ago, and we have been there when other kennel owners opened
their doors for the first time, and saw them struggle through the first months of
business. Hopefully, with summer vacation season just around the corner,
our just out of the box pains will be minimized. We have enjoyed so much
owners telling us that their pets, who usually hate being boarded, actually
showed enjoyment they've never seen before, or they didn't show any of the
signs of stress they've witnessed in the past once they were back home.
That is exactly our aim, and I truly believe the pets know it. The few we've had
who came to us seeming a little out of sorts, within one day had caught on
and began enjoying themselves. One of the tricks we do is to simply go into
their runs and sit with them. No matter how timid they are, it doesn't take long
before they understand that we are their friend and they can trust us. Thanks
everyone for making our first month a successful one! That same trick, that
only takes a day or so with "normal" dogs, took two or three months with our
Carolina Dog, Lita. Day after day I'd sit in her run and just stay quiet with her.
She finally took a chance, and you should see her today. I've taken some
tough jobs gaining the trust of a dogs who have been either abused, or were
completely wild or unsocialized, but Lita's case is by far the most extreme
case of fear I've ever seen. Having her wagging her tail when we walk up
now gives both of us the best feeling we've ever had.
May 3rd: Wow, it's May already? Tina and I had a good day today, and
talked to a young man, Terry, from the Douglas County Sentinel about
advertising in the paper. We've decided it's time to let some people know
about our place! Terry had plenty of ideas and will be working with us over
the next few days to come up with, well, with something worth saying! It's
funny, but he said the ad doesn't need to be wordy, just simple and to the
point. My problem is, I've got lots to say, and I have a difficult time being
simple and to the point! I guess it's up to Tina. No, she's worse than I am!
Anyway, oh, I forgot to mention the other day about Pogo, the little guy whose
picture is up above. He was adopted, then returned the next day. See, Pogo
doesn't care for men, upon first sight, and his new home just didn't work out.
So he's back with us at the Lodge, but may be going to a new, new home
tomorrow or Saturday! Yeah, I think this new home understands that Pogo's
going to need to be taken slowly and with a lot of patience. No, it's not that
he's a bad guy, no, far from it, it's just that he's uneasy around men to begin
with, and he has an abundance of energy. I mean, he didn't like me to begin
with, but I sat down with him in his run, gave him a few treats and waited for
him to understand he could trust me. It didn't take long before we were best
friends. Dottie's going to miss Pogo. She's about twice his size, and
certainly has the upper hand when they're playing. They're a hoot to watch!
May 6th: Interest in our pet lodge is growing by the day! We give tours every
day, and I can't remember a single instance of the family taking the tour not
having made reservations for their pet once the tour was complete!
Yesterday, a young lady, Jennifer, drove up to take a tour, and when I saw her
step out of her car I immediately recognized her, having met her and her boy
friend at one of Tina's and my SEGA Meet & Greets at Petsmart at least six
or seven months ago. By the way, Jennifer, I hope you don't mind me telling
everyone your story. Anyway, I do believe Jennifer was the very first person
to contact us about the lodge, showing her enthusiasm about finally finding a
place on this side of town to feel good about leaving her beautiful chocolate
lab with. I remember that call clearly, because, thanks to cell phones, Tina
and I were deep in the woods, on the back part of our property here, clearing
walking trails. After talking with Jennifer, I was so pumped up, and so
excited, that there was actually someone out there as excited as we were!
Anyway, I said all of that to say this: Yesterday morning, out of the blue, I
mentioned to Tina that we haven't heard from Jennifer since the day, months
ago, when we had met her at Petsmart. That made us wonder if Jennifer had
found another place and had given up on us. It wasn't long after that that
Jennifer drove up and stepped out of her car. We gave her the tour and had
a great visit with her and her sweetheart lab. So I do believe everyone who
had called long before we were open, has come on in and either has made
reservations, or who's pet has already stayed with us....at least once. Man,
I'm so glad we're doing this!
May 7th: We adopted Pogo to his new family this afternoon! We feel good
about this one, because the entire family has been involved in the whole
process from the word go. Pogo seems as happy as he can be with his new
family, and we're crossing our fingers this time will stick. We took in a seven
year old black lab from a poor girl whose landlord had changed his pet policy
mid-stream, telling her that her dog had to go. Can you believe there are
people that sorry around? I mean, he could have at least allowed those pets
living there at this time to live their lives out, but not permit any new pets.
Anyway, we will be taking care of Jetta, getting her more used to people and
accepting new situations. At this time she seems to have a slight fear of
men, similar to what Pogo had before coming to us, and is somewhat shy.
She's been with us one full day now, and I have spent a lot of extra time with
her, sitting in her run, taking her for trail hikes and giving her the royal
treatment. I guess I'm stalling, hoping her previous owner can work things
out, perhaps knocking a knot on her landlord's head or something, and
finding a way to take Jetta back where she belongs. But, if that doesn't work
out, we will find Jetta a good home through the DCHS....that's us insiders'
super secret code for Douglas County Humane Society, but you didn't guess
that, did you? Anyway, also, I received an e-mail from Dr. Brisbin, with the
Savannah River Ecology Lab, and the man who we got Lita and Jingle from.
His Carolina Dog, Star, is about to have puppies, sired by a Carolina Dog,
Jesse, from Jacksonville, FL. When the time comes, we are considering
mating Lita with Jesse. However, we may get one of the male pups from
Star's litter, wait a year or so, and mate him with Lita. Being very serious
spay/neuter proponents, we are having to change our ways just a bit, in
regard to saving the Carolina Dog and the New Guinea Singing Dog. Both
are wild breed dogs, and deserve to live on, even though their territory is
disappearing out from under them. Speaking of Singing Dogs, Dr. Brisbin
told me they are strongly considering breeding our Jingle with a German
male they traded the Singing Dog folks in Germany a female from here. See,
all the Singing Dogs in America are from the same few that came from the
island in the late 50s and early 60s. The gene pool is very narrow, and the
German male is giving the Singers here a shot in the arm, as is the female
the German folks received from us. So, come next September, which is
breeding season for Singers, we will let Dr. Brisbin take Jingle to his facility
in Aiken, SC, where he will have the German male waiting. It's a long time
off, but they are considering letting Tina and I have one of the pups! I guess
it's ridiculous, but I feel honored they would even consider us. Like I said, it's
a long time off, and things can always change.
May 10th: We got a very discouraging call this afternoon from the family who
adopted Pogo (see photo above). When he was adopted the other day, we
knew one of the children in this home may have some allergy problems, but
we were keeping our fingers crossed Pogo wouldn't aggravate them. As it
turned out, Pogo did cause her to have certain reactions that just couldn't be
lived with. So poor Pogo is back with us. Bounced twice, and neither time
was his fault! He is such a great, very loving little guy, he deserves to have a
home to call his own. So please, folks, if you have room in your home and
hearts, please welcome Pogo to join you. Tina and I are happy to be around
him again, and Dottie is absolutely thrilled, but, still, he needs a home of his
own so bad. Tina and I have stayed busy showing folks the Lodge, well,
really, ever since we opened, but especially over the past couple of weeks!
We are so happy that everyone who visits us seems to be as happy as we
are with our idea of the perfect home away from home for their pets.
Tomorrow (Friday), we are bringing in some sod to begin working on our
landscaping. The "looks" of the place has kind of lagged, but we hope it can
play catch-up over the coming weeks. Up until this point we've spent all our
time- and resources - on our guests, making our place into what we had
dreamed, but we think it's time to spruce the place up a little.
May 15th: We've been busier and busier, which is a good thing, but I'm
having a difficult time finding the time to play with the website these days.
We've had several repeat guests so far, but the grand prize for repeat stays
goes to a pair of French Bulldogs, who've stayed with us four times now! And
we are lucky enough to have had two owners, each with two Frenchies, board
with us. These little guys have the best personalities, and best senses of
humor, you just can't help but smile when they're around. Tina and I are still
working with Jetta, the black Lab who badly needs a home. She came to us
shy and standoffish, and you can already see the confidence building up in
her, and she is learning to play! And she REALLY looks forward to her daily
trail hike. I'm not joking: the first day I took her on the trails, she did a 180
after walking a couple hundred feet, and she drug me back to the Lodge.
Now, she puts a big, happy smile on her face when she sees me coming with
the leash, and then drags me out the door! I love to see happy dogs, and a
dog who's afraid of people and the world around them, isn't getting all the
enjoyment out of life they deserve. Jetta has already taken a huge step
toward making someone an all around good pet. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention
that we just zoomed right on past an important milestone over the weekend!
We had more dogs at the Lodge than we have of our own here at the house!
Yeah, can you believe it?! And you may think that can't be that many. Think
again.
May 22nd: Wow, have we been busy! Every day, more folks hear about us
and call or drop by to make reservations. This weekend promises to be
something else! For those of you who have dropped by, you saw the pallet of
sod, from the good folks at Super-Sod, that we put out beside the parking
area. Well, actually, we took it off the pallet and spread it about some, but
you probably guessed that. I know, one pallet's worth isn't that much, but
we're having to go slowly with our landscaping plans. It'll happen, but over the
weeks to come. We're about to have the final payment from the bank
released to us, which was supposed to have gone to our builder, BUT, they
failed to pay the subs so we're going to take the money and do what they
should have done. We've gotten pretty good at finishing what they were
contracted to do. You just wouldn't believe what we've been through. I
sincerely apologize to the subs who have waited so long to be paid. Your
patience is greatly appreciated, and your wait is nearly over.
May 30th: I know that this really shouldn't be called the Progress Page any
longer, since we are well underway. When I get a spare second, I will
reconfigure this portion of the site, allowing you to read any news or important
information without having to scroll through several pages. I would like to
keep all this available for anyone searching for news of someone building a
pet boarding kennel. The big news is, well, besides the fact that we were
very busy over the Memorial Day weekend, Jetta was adopted yesterday!
She has found a terrific new home and will live with a very loving family and
her new black lab brother. Jetta had done such a turnaround over the three
weeks or so we had her, and we knew it was time for her to take her place in
her forever home. It wasn't easy, because I'd already fallen in love with those
big brown eyes. Pogo is still with us, but, like Jetta, I expect him to find a
home perfect for him soon. I'd like for you to know that we put down four
pallets of sod at the end of last week. Have you ever laid sod before? Last
Thursday, I worked 13 hours, starting at 5:00 AM, stopping at 6:00, laying
sod, only stopping about fifteen minutes for lunch. Nearly a week later, I'm still
not over it. What's worse, I put in another eight hours the next day. Nope, sod
isn't fun. But our outdoor exercise areas look great now, and, after another
few days of dousing the new sod with water a couple times a day, they should
be ready for use. A little more sod and shrubs out front and the place will be
nearly done. We look forward to you coming to see it!
June 3rd: Alright, I wasn't going to say anything - out of fear that it may bring
on more abandonments, but Tina and I desperately need your help. We were
warned early in our research that owning a boarding facility may bring on
people "dropping off" their dogs for a permanent stay. I mean, in one light I
can understand that, instead of taking an unwanted dog to a kill shelter, you
would anonymously leave them with someone who would care enough to,
either keep the pet themselves, or would put forth an effort to place the pet in
a good, loving home. Well, back to my begging: For one thing, please don't
leave dogs tied to our driveway gate - with or without explanation as to why.
There are kindhearted, breed specific or non-breed specific, rescue groups
everywhere. Some may ask you to foster the pet until a good home is found,
but they will be willing to work to help you. Now, for those of you who are as
much in shock at the news of us being left with an abandoned pet as we
were, please, please, please consider giving this unbelievably great guy a
home! Tina and I need another dog as much as I need to hear another
mention of human-caused global warming. So, here's my pitch: We are
looking for a perfect home for the sweetest Doberman Pinscher I have ever
met. Now, if you don't know the breed, and you're thinking Dobes are mean,
vicious, guard-type dogs, forget all about that. Just forget shows like
"Magnum PI", movies like "Fletch", that show Dobermans trying to consume
someone. Every Doberman I've ever met - every single one - has been a
fun-loving, sweet, affectionate dog. Last Wednesday, upon returning from a
quick trip to the bank and Post Office, we found a beautiful, young, male
Dobe, wearing a nice collar and leash, fastened to a long rope, tied to our
driveway gate. He was patiently waiting beside the bowl of water left for him,
for whatever turn his life was to make next. We pulled in, he stood up and
started wagging his tail, looking us in the eyes with the most caring set of
brown eyes I've ever seen. We worked the rest of the day thinking of a name
for him. We didn't want to name him any of the usual big, tough, "bully breed"
dog names, but wanted to give him one from feelings we got from our new
friend. He was left alone, having to face the world solo, so we named him
Solo. Yep, I'd keep him in a heartbeat, but, you see, with that attitude, we'd
quickly end up way over our heads in dogs. You know, there's always an
endless supply of love to go around, but quality time becomes a problem.
So, someone willing to keep Solo indoors, with lots of love, please come see
him. Adopting Jetta a couple of weeks ago was tough, and letting Solo go -
especially because I have always loved Dobermans - will be just as heart
ripping, but he really deserves another home. But, like I said, until the perfect
home comes looking for Solo, he's always welcome with us. He hasn't been
taken to the vet yet to be checked out, but he appears to be perfectly healthy,
well fed, and what's more, he's already neutered! He has one flaw, but one
that can be whipped in no time: he likes to mark his territory. But with the
steady, disciplined use of a belly band, it won't take too many slip-ups before
he decides that peeing on himself isn't worth doing. Gretz and Pete both
spent a week or two wearing a belly band, well, actually they had a hand towel
safety pinned around their waist while indoors - just because we were too
cheap to buy a belly band - slipping up two or three times each before
figuring it out. Once they have it, they have never gone back to their marking
days. So, with just a little work, Solo will be one of those dogs you'll love
forever. I know, I already do. Man, I'm lucky it's only dogs I fall in love quickly
with. I don't think Tina would put up with me bringing a human female home
every other week and asking if I can keep her....fat lip city!
June 14th: Solo is quickly becoming a permanent fixture around the Lodge,
worming his way into our hearts every second of the day. I'm telling you, he's
unbelievably sweet, and has such a great personality, and gets along so well
with Dottie, he may be going nowhere. ! He will be making a visit to the vet
today to make sure he's free of heartworms or any other problem. Is
heartworm one word? If it's not, it ought to be. Anyway, Tina and I have been
increasingly busy, adding more pets to our Beechwood Trails family every
day. The tours haven't slowed one bit, and we're in our tenth week, I I'm
counting correctly, of business! In fact, I think we are adding new
reservations at a quicker pace now than we have since we opened. It just
makes us feel great to know that what we believed was going to be so
fantastic, seems to be striking the right note with a lot of pet owners. We had
the feeling our plan was going to work well, but we had no idea we would be
this busy, this early. Another thing we have been excited about is the
opportunity to see certain breeds that we have only seen on televised dog
shows or read about in books and magazines! I can only say thank you to
everyone who has given us a shot, and that I sincerely hope we can be
together for many years. As soon as Tina can give me a price sheet, listing
our prices for Canidae pet foods, I will list those prices on our Canidae page.
We are excited introducing such a healthy, natural food to pet owners. Such
a MUCH better food for not that much more cost, and in some cases, less.
Please visit Canidae's website to learn what you should be looking for in a
pet food. And what you should be avoiding, such as animal by-products,
corn, wheat gluten, and many other fillers that have no business in your pet's
food bowl. Please, please, please read your pet food's ingredient list.
pretty busy boarding pets during our first holiday. We rushed a bit to be open
for Spring Break and Easter weekend, and we still have some touch-up
painting, landscaping and other odds and ends to be done, but we felt it was
important to be open during this period.
We want to thank all those who chose to be part of our opening from the
bottom of our hearts. We will never forget you. All the planning and dreaming
Tina and I have done over the past three or four years deciding how to shape
Beechwood Trails Pet Lodge, were only ideas before March 28th. We are
elated to see our vision of the perfect pet boarding facility make its first, huge
step to becoming reality. And what's especially nice is that everything is
working! Every dream we had seemed to be a hit with the pets! We saw a
place where we could spend time with each pet, making sure, in the dogs'
case, they spent a big portion of their day wagging its tail, not just spending
its time idle, waiting for their owner to return. This may sound odd, but dogs
are a lot like people. Spending their day doing nothing, not having any
mental stimulation, they aren't going to develop into everything that they can
be. We saw a place where a pet wouldn't dread returning to. Fear in a dog
is a tough problem to whip, and any experience, if not pulled off well, can
push a dog into becoming fearful. Once it starts down that path, it takes
special training to turn them around. Having had experience working with
fearful dogs, we know what to do to make a dog develop a happy attitude.
Lita, our wild-caught Carolina dog, came to us afraid of her own shadow, due
to her wild beginning. Although she probably will never be 100% cured of her
fearful ways, she is well on her way to understanding that the world is a pretty
good place to live and enjoy. And as we said good-bye to our guests this
weekend, we saw them wagging their tails and looking us in the eye in a way
that could only mean they enjoyed our company. Thanks, folks!
April 10th: Today I renewed my love for Alaskan Malamutes. We have been
fortunate enough to have had a beautiful Malamute with us for the past
several days, and although we have spent a lot of time with her in the play
areas, as we do with every dog, we had the task of bathing and brushing her
today - not an easy job, getting her ready for her trip home. I must have spent
two hours with her brushing off enough hair to completely fill a 20 gal trash
bag! Growing up, we had a beautiful Malamute named Juneau. Today
reminded me of how much I loved Juneau, and how much I would love having
another one. You know, I knew there was a chance it would happen, but I
didn't know I'd want to keep EVERY dog who stayed with us! Tina keeps
telling me, "We have to let them go, Gary." I truly do love dogs.
April 11th: I want to announce the Douglas County Humane Society's 1st
Annual Charity Car Show and Motorcycle Poker Run Ride this Saturday from
9:00 to 4:00 at Clinton Nature Preserve. All proceeds benefit the animals of
Douglas County. Sam Memmolo of SpeedChannel's "Two Guys Garage" will
be there! Please plan to join us! Oh, we'll have one of the newest pets up for
adoption through the Humane Society, Pogo, with us. He's a cute little terrier
mix, maybe some fox terrier, possibly some rat terrier, and is at the Lodge
now learning how fun life can be. Dottie, who has never met a stranger, is
teaching Pogo to be a clown. We named him Pogo, well, for one, it just
seemed to fit, but he bounces along as he runs, thus Pogo. Of course, if you
adopt him you can name him Pillsbury if you'd like! He's a cutie, though, just
waiting for someone to make him part of their family. I'll post a picture of him
tomorrow here. Dottie has turned out to possibly be one of the best dogs I've
ever had. I just can't believe someone dumped her! She is the perfect
example of the cliche: One man's trash is another man's treasure. When
someone doesn't recognize a gem like Dottie or Pogo, it's up to us
"enlightened" individuals to jump in there and welcome them into our homes.
Don't forget, join us for the car show!
April 12th: Tina and I got some shots of Pogo this morning! Click on this link
Pogo Pics to see what a pretty little guy he is. It wouldn't take long at all for
this little boy to get in the swing of being a regular family member.
April 15th: I just wanted to say that if any of you are worried about your pets'
food, in light of the recent pet food recalls, and would like to find a pet food
that's made here in the U.S., that isn't mass produced by some separate
entity, producing a number of different name brand foods all under the same
roof, using ingredients from foreign countries, please click on this link and
read what you should be feeding your pets and why. Canidae Tina and I did
much research into what we would feed our own dogs, and we're so thrilled
with it, we feed it to our guests at the Lodge and sell it here also. Let us know
what you need and we can get it for you.
Douglas County Humane Society's First Annual Car and Motorcycle Show
was a tremendous success yesterday at Clinton Nature Preserve! There
were some beautiful restored and newer cars, hot rods and motorcycles
being shown. As yesterday's storms crossed the state line, the last of the
trophies were being handed out, allowing everyone to leave the show and get
safely home before the storms arrived. Please plan on attending next year's
show! All the money taken in goes to help the animals of Douglas County,
which is SO important! And please join the Humane Society and help us
provide and find good, loving homes to Douglas County's stray and
abandoned pets. Pogo didn't find a home yesterday, so he's still available!
You should have seen this cute little guy putting the hard sell on folks at the
show. So he rode home with me and is waiting at the Lodge for you to come
offer him the home he deserves. Call the Humane Society at (678) 838-9123
or the the Lodge at (770) 577-STAY (7829).
April 17th: Got a call this evening from Diana Memmolo, our president of the
Douglas County Humane Society, and she said she may have someone
interested in adopting Pogo! This is a lady who saw Pogo at the car show
Saturday. Pogo had a rough day today: Pogo was neutered. That's okay,
though (easy for me to say), because he'll be a much better pet now, and,
hopefully, after resting for the next few days, he'll be going to his new home.
Dottie won't like Pogo leaving the Lodge, but Dottie doesn't seem to dwell on
anything negative for more than a second or two. Dottie is the reason ALL
my pants have paw prints on them! I know, I know, you're not supposed to
allow them to jump on you. Believe me, Tina and I have watched enough of
the "Dog Whisperer" to know that by now, but I can't help it. When anything: a
dog, my wife....whatever, loves me so much they want to hang onto me that
much, how am I suppose to say no? I don't guess I'll ever be a great dog
trainer, because I just flat enjoy a happy dog doing whatever (within reason) it
wants to do. Tina and I are enjoying wrestling with a rottweiler puppy that has
already pushed over 100 lbs. What a clown! He's hilarious, and he's just a
big - real big - puppy! Woops, I hear Jingle, our singing dog, sounding off
downstairs telling us it's time to go outside before bedtime. She's like having
a rooster in the bedroom each night. She sounds off around 5:30 each
morning with this spooky sounding howl, telling us to wake up! THAT, along
with a few other things, is why having a New Guinea singing dog isn't always
the brightest idea.
April 18th: Let me announce that Tina's and my monthly Southeastern
Greyhound Adoption Meet & Greet will be this Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 at
Douglasville's Petsmart on Chapel Hill Road. We have some beautiful
Greyhounds looking for a new home, now that their racing days are done. If
you've never seen a Greyhound up close - or at all - you are in for a treat.
They are the most beautiful, most graceful dogs on the face of the earth.
Watching them run is as exciting for me today as it was with our first
Greyhound, Cheyenne, when we adopted her in January of 1993. As is
typical of first time Greyhound adopters, once you bring your first one home,
you'll soon be looking for space for your second one, then third, and so on.
The only reason we only have five is because we've rescued so many other
dogs and our plate is kind of full, so to speak.
April 19th: I worked at the Lodge doing several different things today. I was
confident I had done a good job, too, at least until Tina came out and pointed
out the mistakes I had made, and then suggested a better way, a fix to get
me out of the jam I'd unknowingly gotten myself into. Wow, without my one
and only I would have never known just what a loser I really am! I'm one lucky
guy. Nah, I'm only joking. But she does have a way of picking things apart.
Where she worked before, if anyone needed something proofread, they
brought it to Tina. Now, you can't be too sensitive, because she's going to
find something wrong. WhenEVER I'm typing anything and she tries to read
over my shoulder, I'll stop until she goes away. I mean, I'd rather put a
mistake out there for the whole world to read, than to have Tina find it. I do
have my pride, you know. Okay, now I'm being serious. We had more
visitors today, just dropping in to take a tour of the Lodge, making sure it's the
right place for their beloved pets. Vacation season is quickly coming on, and
folks are wisely looking for a place where their pets will feel comfortable.
When Tina and I came up with the slogan "Where your pet will feel like
family", that said everything we felt. Everything we wanted Beechwood Trails
Pet Lodge to be is the same exact thing we always wished we could have
found for our own pets when we boarded them. Please come and visit us,
because we absolutely love showing what a fun place we have just for your
pets.
April 22nd: I forgot to announce that today is the day Tina and I do our
Southeastern Greyhound Adoption Meet & Greet at the Douglasville
Petsmart on Chapel Hill Road from 1:00 to 3:00. So, if you're out and about,
drop in to see us! Who knows, you may learn that you just can't do without
adopting a Greyhound another day. Ex-racers make unbelievably good pets
and will change your life - for the better. Please come see us!
We had a very successful SEGA M&G today at Petsmart, and met several
folks who have been following our painful progress over what seems like
eons. It's so nice when people relate to us experiences they've gone through
with builders, and it makes us feel less like the only people to have ever gone
through anything like we have. Oh well, the nightmare is over now...for the
most part, except for paying subs the builder failed to pay for the work they
had done (See updated entry below for the date April 24th) Man, if we had
only used a first class builder like our friend in Norcross, Betterton
Construction Company. Ron would have had us in business midway through
last summer. Oh well, we can't look over our shoulder. Oh, we have found a
home for Pogo! Today after getting back to the Lodge from Petsmart, we
were met by a family who had seen Pogo at Douglas County Human
Society's 1st annual car and motorcycle show last weekend. They had
thought he would work out great for them, so they came to the Lodge today to
take a closer look and spend some time with Pogo in the play area. Pogo
put on a show for them, and showed what a neat little guy he is. After we take
Pogo to Douglas Oaks Veterinary Clinic Wednesday to have his stitches
removed, they will come pick him up and take him home. We're so happy
Pogo has found the home he deserves, although Tina and I, along with Dottie,
are going to miss having him at the Lodge.
We already have a couple of regular day boarders, their owners allowing
them to stay with us a few days each week, giving their dog a break from
being confined at home all day while they're at work. This is working great for
them, because they get their dog back at the end of the day tired and happy.
Tina and I spend plenty of time in the play areas with them, letting them spend
some of the energy they otherwise will hit you with once you're back home.
Too, some dog owners have chosen to let their pups day board with us once
or twice before they board them for an extended stay. This is an excellent
idea, because it gives their pet the opportunity to become friends with Tina
and I, making them feel at home once it's time for the longer stay. This also
allows folks uneasy about boarding their dog for the first time the chance to
see their dog happy here with us. If you think this is a good idea for you and
your pet, call us and we'll set your pet up for a day of fun!
April 24th: I have been asked by the owner of the company who built the
Lodge to rephrase part of my entry of April 22nd concerning the builder not
paying the subs. He would LIKE for me to replace it with a statement saying
that "the builder had agreed to allow Beechwood Trails to pay the balance of
the monies owed the subs in order to expedite the closing of the loan". The
problem with this statement is it doesn't quite tell the whole truth. We are
being forced into this situation, because he is unable to comply with the
requirements of the contract, which does not release the final payment until
all subs have been paid. Have you ever read the book "Catch 22"? The final
payment can't be paid until all subs have been paid and lien wavers have
been signed by all parties. "All parties" aren't going to sign lien wavers until
they have been paid....and around and around we go. What he would really
like for me to say is that everything is going to be "okay", and it doesn't
matter how poorly we were treated, and a signed contract, with a completion
date of 120 days after the contract was signed (April, 2006), really means
somewhere in the neighborhood of 365 days, and even makes allowance for
his building contractor to abandon our job in order to finish a job in Kentucky,
started well after he began our job.
In fact, well, shoot, let me just accurately paraphrase a section of the contract
that he happily signed on the date above: 'The final payment of $$$ will be
made as soon as possible after the Certificate of Occupancy is issued by
Douglas County, and Seller (him) has delivered to Buyer (us) a "Final
Contractor's Affidavit" evidencing that all suppliers and subcontractors
have been paid in full.' Gee, where might that affidavit be?
We are really trying to work with this company on this situation. Let's hope
they want to do what's right.
We gave our first two trail hikes today! The first was with a beagle, and I kid
you not, he sniffed each square inch of ground for all it was worth. Each time
he caught a scent, he'd sound off. I'm not sure which one of us had the best
time. The second was with a rough coated collie. Man, what a difference in
the two breeds! He seemed to enjoy it as much as the beagle, but was
happy seeing things and not sniffing nearly as much, and with such gusto. By
the way, how many knew Lassie was a rough coated collie? Strange, huh?
As soft as they are, they chose to call it a rough coat. Again, they didn't ask
my opinion. Yep, a smooth coated collie looks pretty much the same, highly
intelligent, with the same sweet disposition, but doesn't have the long hair.
So if you want your pup to really enjoy something, tell us to "go take a hike". I
will say, though, your dog has to have been treated with Frontline or an
equivalent, and has to walk well on a leash. The flea and tick treatment is
because I haven't quite got the ticks trained not to bite the dog....or me, for
that matter.
April 25th: Got an e-mail today from the Douglas County Humane Society
with a link to the FDA site showing an update as to what dog and cat foods
are now on the recall list. Please check the list to make sure your pets are
safe. FDA Pet Food Recall List
April 30th: Saturday marked the end of our first month in business. We have
to say that we have been much busier than we would have ever guessed! As
part of the research Tina and I have done over the past few years, Tina has
been a member of a Yahoo! Group made up of kennel owners all over the
world, but mostly here in the U.S.. Being able to bounce questions and ideas
off of them has been unbelievably helpful to us. Tina joined that group around
four years ago, and we have been there when other kennel owners opened
their doors for the first time, and saw them struggle through the first months of
business. Hopefully, with summer vacation season just around the corner,
our just out of the box pains will be minimized. We have enjoyed so much
owners telling us that their pets, who usually hate being boarded, actually
showed enjoyment they've never seen before, or they didn't show any of the
signs of stress they've witnessed in the past once they were back home.
That is exactly our aim, and I truly believe the pets know it. The few we've had
who came to us seeming a little out of sorts, within one day had caught on
and began enjoying themselves. One of the tricks we do is to simply go into
their runs and sit with them. No matter how timid they are, it doesn't take long
before they understand that we are their friend and they can trust us. Thanks
everyone for making our first month a successful one! That same trick, that
only takes a day or so with "normal" dogs, took two or three months with our
Carolina Dog, Lita. Day after day I'd sit in her run and just stay quiet with her.
She finally took a chance, and you should see her today. I've taken some
tough jobs gaining the trust of a dogs who have been either abused, or were
completely wild or unsocialized, but Lita's case is by far the most extreme
case of fear I've ever seen. Having her wagging her tail when we walk up
now gives both of us the best feeling we've ever had.
May 3rd: Wow, it's May already? Tina and I had a good day today, and
talked to a young man, Terry, from the Douglas County Sentinel about
advertising in the paper. We've decided it's time to let some people know
about our place! Terry had plenty of ideas and will be working with us over
the next few days to come up with, well, with something worth saying! It's
funny, but he said the ad doesn't need to be wordy, just simple and to the
point. My problem is, I've got lots to say, and I have a difficult time being
simple and to the point! I guess it's up to Tina. No, she's worse than I am!
Anyway, oh, I forgot to mention the other day about Pogo, the little guy whose
picture is up above. He was adopted, then returned the next day. See, Pogo
doesn't care for men, upon first sight, and his new home just didn't work out.
So he's back with us at the Lodge, but may be going to a new, new home
tomorrow or Saturday! Yeah, I think this new home understands that Pogo's
going to need to be taken slowly and with a lot of patience. No, it's not that
he's a bad guy, no, far from it, it's just that he's uneasy around men to begin
with, and he has an abundance of energy. I mean, he didn't like me to begin
with, but I sat down with him in his run, gave him a few treats and waited for
him to understand he could trust me. It didn't take long before we were best
friends. Dottie's going to miss Pogo. She's about twice his size, and
certainly has the upper hand when they're playing. They're a hoot to watch!
May 6th: Interest in our pet lodge is growing by the day! We give tours every
day, and I can't remember a single instance of the family taking the tour not
having made reservations for their pet once the tour was complete!
Yesterday, a young lady, Jennifer, drove up to take a tour, and when I saw her
step out of her car I immediately recognized her, having met her and her boy
friend at one of Tina's and my SEGA Meet & Greets at Petsmart at least six
or seven months ago. By the way, Jennifer, I hope you don't mind me telling
everyone your story. Anyway, I do believe Jennifer was the very first person
to contact us about the lodge, showing her enthusiasm about finally finding a
place on this side of town to feel good about leaving her beautiful chocolate
lab with. I remember that call clearly, because, thanks to cell phones, Tina
and I were deep in the woods, on the back part of our property here, clearing
walking trails. After talking with Jennifer, I was so pumped up, and so
excited, that there was actually someone out there as excited as we were!
Anyway, I said all of that to say this: Yesterday morning, out of the blue, I
mentioned to Tina that we haven't heard from Jennifer since the day, months
ago, when we had met her at Petsmart. That made us wonder if Jennifer had
found another place and had given up on us. It wasn't long after that that
Jennifer drove up and stepped out of her car. We gave her the tour and had
a great visit with her and her sweetheart lab. So I do believe everyone who
had called long before we were open, has come on in and either has made
reservations, or who's pet has already stayed with us....at least once. Man,
I'm so glad we're doing this!
May 7th: We adopted Pogo to his new family this afternoon! We feel good
about this one, because the entire family has been involved in the whole
process from the word go. Pogo seems as happy as he can be with his new
family, and we're crossing our fingers this time will stick. We took in a seven
year old black lab from a poor girl whose landlord had changed his pet policy
mid-stream, telling her that her dog had to go. Can you believe there are
people that sorry around? I mean, he could have at least allowed those pets
living there at this time to live their lives out, but not permit any new pets.
Anyway, we will be taking care of Jetta, getting her more used to people and
accepting new situations. At this time she seems to have a slight fear of
men, similar to what Pogo had before coming to us, and is somewhat shy.
She's been with us one full day now, and I have spent a lot of extra time with
her, sitting in her run, taking her for trail hikes and giving her the royal
treatment. I guess I'm stalling, hoping her previous owner can work things
out, perhaps knocking a knot on her landlord's head or something, and
finding a way to take Jetta back where she belongs. But, if that doesn't work
out, we will find Jetta a good home through the DCHS....that's us insiders'
super secret code for Douglas County Humane Society, but you didn't guess
that, did you? Anyway, also, I received an e-mail from Dr. Brisbin, with the
Savannah River Ecology Lab, and the man who we got Lita and Jingle from.
His Carolina Dog, Star, is about to have puppies, sired by a Carolina Dog,
Jesse, from Jacksonville, FL. When the time comes, we are considering
mating Lita with Jesse. However, we may get one of the male pups from
Star's litter, wait a year or so, and mate him with Lita. Being very serious
spay/neuter proponents, we are having to change our ways just a bit, in
regard to saving the Carolina Dog and the New Guinea Singing Dog. Both
are wild breed dogs, and deserve to live on, even though their territory is
disappearing out from under them. Speaking of Singing Dogs, Dr. Brisbin
told me they are strongly considering breeding our Jingle with a German
male they traded the Singing Dog folks in Germany a female from here. See,
all the Singing Dogs in America are from the same few that came from the
island in the late 50s and early 60s. The gene pool is very narrow, and the
German male is giving the Singers here a shot in the arm, as is the female
the German folks received from us. So, come next September, which is
breeding season for Singers, we will let Dr. Brisbin take Jingle to his facility
in Aiken, SC, where he will have the German male waiting. It's a long time
off, but they are considering letting Tina and I have one of the pups! I guess
it's ridiculous, but I feel honored they would even consider us. Like I said, it's
a long time off, and things can always change.
May 10th: We got a very discouraging call this afternoon from the family who
adopted Pogo (see photo above). When he was adopted the other day, we
knew one of the children in this home may have some allergy problems, but
we were keeping our fingers crossed Pogo wouldn't aggravate them. As it
turned out, Pogo did cause her to have certain reactions that just couldn't be
lived with. So poor Pogo is back with us. Bounced twice, and neither time
was his fault! He is such a great, very loving little guy, he deserves to have a
home to call his own. So please, folks, if you have room in your home and
hearts, please welcome Pogo to join you. Tina and I are happy to be around
him again, and Dottie is absolutely thrilled, but, still, he needs a home of his
own so bad. Tina and I have stayed busy showing folks the Lodge, well,
really, ever since we opened, but especially over the past couple of weeks!
We are so happy that everyone who visits us seems to be as happy as we
are with our idea of the perfect home away from home for their pets.
Tomorrow (Friday), we are bringing in some sod to begin working on our
landscaping. The "looks" of the place has kind of lagged, but we hope it can
play catch-up over the coming weeks. Up until this point we've spent all our
time- and resources - on our guests, making our place into what we had
dreamed, but we think it's time to spruce the place up a little.
May 15th: We've been busier and busier, which is a good thing, but I'm
having a difficult time finding the time to play with the website these days.
We've had several repeat guests so far, but the grand prize for repeat stays
goes to a pair of French Bulldogs, who've stayed with us four times now! And
we are lucky enough to have had two owners, each with two Frenchies, board
with us. These little guys have the best personalities, and best senses of
humor, you just can't help but smile when they're around. Tina and I are still
working with Jetta, the black Lab who badly needs a home. She came to us
shy and standoffish, and you can already see the confidence building up in
her, and she is learning to play! And she REALLY looks forward to her daily
trail hike. I'm not joking: the first day I took her on the trails, she did a 180
after walking a couple hundred feet, and she drug me back to the Lodge.
Now, she puts a big, happy smile on her face when she sees me coming with
the leash, and then drags me out the door! I love to see happy dogs, and a
dog who's afraid of people and the world around them, isn't getting all the
enjoyment out of life they deserve. Jetta has already taken a huge step
toward making someone an all around good pet. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention
that we just zoomed right on past an important milestone over the weekend!
We had more dogs at the Lodge than we have of our own here at the house!
Yeah, can you believe it?! And you may think that can't be that many. Think
again.
May 22nd: Wow, have we been busy! Every day, more folks hear about us
and call or drop by to make reservations. This weekend promises to be
something else! For those of you who have dropped by, you saw the pallet of
sod, from the good folks at Super-Sod, that we put out beside the parking
area. Well, actually, we took it off the pallet and spread it about some, but
you probably guessed that. I know, one pallet's worth isn't that much, but
we're having to go slowly with our landscaping plans. It'll happen, but over the
weeks to come. We're about to have the final payment from the bank
released to us, which was supposed to have gone to our builder, BUT, they
failed to pay the subs so we're going to take the money and do what they
should have done. We've gotten pretty good at finishing what they were
contracted to do. You just wouldn't believe what we've been through. I
sincerely apologize to the subs who have waited so long to be paid. Your
patience is greatly appreciated, and your wait is nearly over.
May 30th: I know that this really shouldn't be called the Progress Page any
longer, since we are well underway. When I get a spare second, I will
reconfigure this portion of the site, allowing you to read any news or important
information without having to scroll through several pages. I would like to
keep all this available for anyone searching for news of someone building a
pet boarding kennel. The big news is, well, besides the fact that we were
very busy over the Memorial Day weekend, Jetta was adopted yesterday!
She has found a terrific new home and will live with a very loving family and
her new black lab brother. Jetta had done such a turnaround over the three
weeks or so we had her, and we knew it was time for her to take her place in
her forever home. It wasn't easy, because I'd already fallen in love with those
big brown eyes. Pogo is still with us, but, like Jetta, I expect him to find a
home perfect for him soon. I'd like for you to know that we put down four
pallets of sod at the end of last week. Have you ever laid sod before? Last
Thursday, I worked 13 hours, starting at 5:00 AM, stopping at 6:00, laying
sod, only stopping about fifteen minutes for lunch. Nearly a week later, I'm still
not over it. What's worse, I put in another eight hours the next day. Nope, sod
isn't fun. But our outdoor exercise areas look great now, and, after another
few days of dousing the new sod with water a couple times a day, they should
be ready for use. A little more sod and shrubs out front and the place will be
nearly done. We look forward to you coming to see it!
June 3rd: Alright, I wasn't going to say anything - out of fear that it may bring
on more abandonments, but Tina and I desperately need your help. We were
warned early in our research that owning a boarding facility may bring on
people "dropping off" their dogs for a permanent stay. I mean, in one light I
can understand that, instead of taking an unwanted dog to a kill shelter, you
would anonymously leave them with someone who would care enough to,
either keep the pet themselves, or would put forth an effort to place the pet in
a good, loving home. Well, back to my begging: For one thing, please don't
leave dogs tied to our driveway gate - with or without explanation as to why.
There are kindhearted, breed specific or non-breed specific, rescue groups
everywhere. Some may ask you to foster the pet until a good home is found,
but they will be willing to work to help you. Now, for those of you who are as
much in shock at the news of us being left with an abandoned pet as we
were, please, please, please consider giving this unbelievably great guy a
home! Tina and I need another dog as much as I need to hear another
mention of human-caused global warming. So, here's my pitch: We are
looking for a perfect home for the sweetest Doberman Pinscher I have ever
met. Now, if you don't know the breed, and you're thinking Dobes are mean,
vicious, guard-type dogs, forget all about that. Just forget shows like
"Magnum PI", movies like "Fletch", that show Dobermans trying to consume
someone. Every Doberman I've ever met - every single one - has been a
fun-loving, sweet, affectionate dog. Last Wednesday, upon returning from a
quick trip to the bank and Post Office, we found a beautiful, young, male
Dobe, wearing a nice collar and leash, fastened to a long rope, tied to our
driveway gate. He was patiently waiting beside the bowl of water left for him,
for whatever turn his life was to make next. We pulled in, he stood up and
started wagging his tail, looking us in the eyes with the most caring set of
brown eyes I've ever seen. We worked the rest of the day thinking of a name
for him. We didn't want to name him any of the usual big, tough, "bully breed"
dog names, but wanted to give him one from feelings we got from our new
friend. He was left alone, having to face the world solo, so we named him
Solo. Yep, I'd keep him in a heartbeat, but, you see, with that attitude, we'd
quickly end up way over our heads in dogs. You know, there's always an
endless supply of love to go around, but quality time becomes a problem.
So, someone willing to keep Solo indoors, with lots of love, please come see
him. Adopting Jetta a couple of weeks ago was tough, and letting Solo go -
especially because I have always loved Dobermans - will be just as heart
ripping, but he really deserves another home. But, like I said, until the perfect
home comes looking for Solo, he's always welcome with us. He hasn't been
taken to the vet yet to be checked out, but he appears to be perfectly healthy,
well fed, and what's more, he's already neutered! He has one flaw, but one
that can be whipped in no time: he likes to mark his territory. But with the
steady, disciplined use of a belly band, it won't take too many slip-ups before
he decides that peeing on himself isn't worth doing. Gretz and Pete both
spent a week or two wearing a belly band, well, actually they had a hand towel
safety pinned around their waist while indoors - just because we were too
cheap to buy a belly band - slipping up two or three times each before
figuring it out. Once they have it, they have never gone back to their marking
days. So, with just a little work, Solo will be one of those dogs you'll love
forever. I know, I already do. Man, I'm lucky it's only dogs I fall in love quickly
with. I don't think Tina would put up with me bringing a human female home
every other week and asking if I can keep her....fat lip city!
June 14th: Solo is quickly becoming a permanent fixture around the Lodge,
worming his way into our hearts every second of the day. I'm telling you, he's
unbelievably sweet, and has such a great personality, and gets along so well
with Dottie, he may be going nowhere. ! He will be making a visit to the vet
today to make sure he's free of heartworms or any other problem. Is
heartworm one word? If it's not, it ought to be. Anyway, Tina and I have been
increasingly busy, adding more pets to our Beechwood Trails family every
day. The tours haven't slowed one bit, and we're in our tenth week, I I'm
counting correctly, of business! In fact, I think we are adding new
reservations at a quicker pace now than we have since we opened. It just
makes us feel great to know that what we believed was going to be so
fantastic, seems to be striking the right note with a lot of pet owners. We had
the feeling our plan was going to work well, but we had no idea we would be
this busy, this early. Another thing we have been excited about is the
opportunity to see certain breeds that we have only seen on televised dog
shows or read about in books and magazines! I can only say thank you to
everyone who has given us a shot, and that I sincerely hope we can be
together for many years. As soon as Tina can give me a price sheet, listing
our prices for Canidae pet foods, I will list those prices on our Canidae page.
We are excited introducing such a healthy, natural food to pet owners. Such
a MUCH better food for not that much more cost, and in some cases, less.
Please visit Canidae's website to learn what you should be looking for in a
pet food. And what you should be avoiding, such as animal by-products,
corn, wheat gluten, and many other fillers that have no business in your pet's
food bowl. Please, please, please read your pet food's ingredient list.
Remember the wise saying by
Mahatma Gandhi:
"The greatness of a nation, and its
moral progress, can be judged by the
way that its animals are treated."
Mahatma Gandhi:
"The greatness of a nation, and its
moral progress, can be judged by the
way that its animals are treated."