Great Blue Heron Rescue

Rick called that Sunday afternoon about a possible injured Great Blue Heron in my area. Could I go check it out? I logged into the VBSPCA Yahoo Group page and got the address and contact info. I spoke to the property owner, who gave me directions and said that the GBH had been a resident in their canal for many years. The last two days, however, he had not left the canal behind their home and appeared to have a wing injury.

Well, I had no carrier so I needed to improvise. I pulled down an old wardrobe carton from our attic, poked a bunch of holes in it, and taped it back together.  I grabbed some gloves, some eye goggles, and as an afterthought, a bed sheet out of my dryer. It would prove to be the most useful of tools.

Cheryl responded via Yahoo Groups and said she would meet us there. Joe and I drove the 3 minutes to the property and met the property owners, who secured their 3 big dogs, and we located the GBH. It was obvious even from across the canal that it was seriously injured. Its wing was just dangling and it was scrunched down, low to the ground.

Cheryl arrived and we all moved to the other side of the canal. We “walked” the GBH back to the other side. I had completed the “Rescue and Restraint” training, so I knew that we had to corner this bird in
order to capture it. Low and behold, we suddenly had it up against the corner of a fence! Since Cheryl was behind it, she was the grabber. She did not hesitate. She had it in her arms in an instant! Now, the tricky part. From the training, I remembered that in self-defense the GBH would try to poke your eyes out. Sure enough, he uttered a guttural squawk and uncoiled his neck at me.  Three times he lunged. But, Cheryl had a good grip and I had my face turned away. I threw the sheet over his head and he relaxed. We gently wrapped the sheet around him, Cheryl put him in my arms, and we carried him to my SUV.  We could see his blood oozing out from the sheet and down my arm.

Having this magnificent bird in my arms was an incredible and moving experience. He was literally “light as a feather.” I could feel his heart beating against my chest. I prayed that he could be saved. I was moved to tears.

But sadly, not all rescues have happy endings. Barbara examined him at the shelter and confirmed what we had feared. He had a compound wing fracture, maybe from flying into something hard, possibly an automobile.
The prognosis was poor, and the decision was made to humanely end the suffering of this Great Blue Heron.

Godspeed, Great Blue Heron.….and dance the sky on laughter-silvered wings.

Lone Pelican

Got a new video camera for Christmas. Here is my fist attempt at a movie. Of course,  an animal is involved.

No more bacon, ham, pork chops.............

As an animal lover, I am incensed by any mistreatment of God's creatures. This article was posted by the Humane Society of the United States yesterday and appeared in our local newspaper this morning.

 "For approximately one month, an HSUS undercover investigator documented the suffering endured by female breeding pigs held in severely restrictive gestation crates on a factory farm operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, in Waverly, Virginia. Many of the highly intelligent and inquisitive pigs develop sores and infections from crate-related injuries and from simply lying in the same position without relief. Out of sheer boredom, they engage in repetitive behaviors — such as bar biting and head swaying — sometimes injuring themselves in the process."

My letter to  C. Larry Pope, CEO, Smithfield Foods:
Mr Pope;
 If our country is to continue to use pigs and other animals as our primary food source, they need to be treated humanely. As the largest supplier of pork in the world, your company should be a shining example of how food animals should be raised, cared for, and slaughtered. Please keep your promise to get pigs out of cruel gestation crates. And please investigate those cruel workers who mistreated your animals,  made them suffer, and deal with them accordingly.
Additionally,  I will no longer buy or eat any pork products "manufactured" by your company until you can show that improvements have been made in the way the pigs are managed and treated at your facilities.
~Pamela T Monahan

Why We Volunteer for the Virginia Beach SPCA

There is a place in our community where the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, & the lost and abandoned are comforted. It is the Virginia Beach SPCA.

My husband and I both volunteer for the VBSPCA. It all started when we began donating food and kitty litter. Then, we launched Ivy’s Pet Project in our neighborhood, to collect food and supplies for the shelter.  Finally, we went through volunteer orientation this summer (got the t-shirt). We began hanging out with the dogs, preparing them for their furever homes.  From there, it just got bigger. We volunteered at the Puttin’ for Paws Golf Tournament. We raised money and walked in the annual Walk for the Animals. We donate our newspapers, cans, and shoeboxes. We deliver pet food to Senior Services of Southeast Virginia every month. Most of the time we just show up and they put us to work.

There have been tears. One of the first dogs we were involved with was Rembrandt. He came into the shelter with numerous health issues and major orthopedic problems. Sadly, a Good Samaritan never appeared, magical funds never materialized, and Remmie’s condition declined.  He waits at the Rainbow Bridge. 

Why do we volunteer? Because of our own dogs.  Ivy and Iris, our two crazy, yellow Labs, give us tons of unconditional love and devotion. They constantly amuse us. They are our best friends and valued members of our family.  The animals at the VBSPCA are looking for another chance to enhance the lives of humans. They each have a story and usually not a happy one. We want to help these homeless animals get a second opportunity to live the good life. Please help us help them. Consider donating your time, talent, or treasure to the Virginia Beach SPCA and lend a paw to homeless animals.  

Through a child's eyes

I think that the beach brings out the child in all of us. Walking the beach with my husband, my son, his wife, and my grandkids, we are all searching for that special shell, to take back home as a forever reminder of our trip to the seashore. Of course the grands want to pick up every shell, and I am a bit more selective with my finds. But we are all together in one, simple, childlike goal. We are all in awe of the sunrise and of the dolphins surfacing just offshore. We all share the joy of splashing in the water and treading gently on the sandbar searching for sand dollars (we already have a hundred dollars worth!). We marvel at the pelicans falling from the sky and laugh out loud at the antics of our old Labs, made young again by the magic of the sea. To see life through a child's eyes, where everything is new and exciting, is a treasure.

A simple reason why I love the ocean

Virginia Beach, Virginia at Sandbridge after Hurricane Earl passed off the coast

a simple reason why I love dogs