When rescuers need help: We need two foster homes

Mary Murray, known to our readers as “Mary” in the comments, runs GWP Rescue, Inc., a licensed, insured, no-kill 501(c)3 rescue for German wirehaired pointers based in the Kansas City area but serving the breed nationwide. Yesterday, she received some devastating news about an illness in her immediate family. No surprise given her history of service, she immediately understood that the news would affect her fostering of two dogs in her care, since she would now be dealing with the overwhelming demands of helping someone she loves through a fight for his life with the odds not good in his favor.

She didn’t ask me for help; she was just looking for a shoulder to cry on. And were I not getting on a bus for a national book tour in a couple of weeks, one of her two fosters would be heading to me now. Truth is, I have a soft spot for gun dogs. But I can’t help her, so I’m doing the next best thing.

Can someone offer a foster home for Jenny or Emma? Here’s what Mary says about them:

Jenny is the 18-month-old, social, playful, non-aggressive. Emma would need experienced people she is a DD [Deutsch Drathaar]. If we could find someone in the Kansas City Metro area that would be lovely.

Can anyone help? Here’s the link to Mary’s contact information. As a person who ran a breed rescue for three years, fostering and placing about 100 dogs a year through a small network, I can tell you that it’s hard to ask for help when you’re used to being the helper. In fact, Mary only agreed to this post in part (I suspect) because she was shell-shocked by the situation she suddenly found herself in yesterday. I hope in our readership we can find two families that can help Mary and these dogs. Emma is a tough-minded hunting dog, but I know there are people reading here who are more than up to the challenge of fostering her. As for sweet Jenny, I suspect most any responsible, loving family will do.

The image is not of either dog, but is off GWP Rescue’s website. Just in case you’ve never realized how cute a furry face can be …

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Rescuers Save Dog Stuck on Icy Reservoir for Days

Gibson managed to evade rescue attempts for days while stuck on the icy reservoir (Photo: Animal Rescue League of Boston)

A cold, scared, hungry sheltie mix spent several days on a frozen Cambridge, Mass., reservoir before rescuers were finally able to pluck her from the ice.

Gibson, 4, evaded rescuers for days while trotting around the pond, which is two miles around. She even fled from her owner.

“The dog kind of reverted to a semiwild, self-preservation state,’’ Brian O’Connor, manager of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, told the Boston Globe. “They’re not like people. You can’t rationalize with them and tell them you’re there to rescue them.’’

Rescuers finally netter her, but only after a struggle that ended up with one rescuer — who had chased her down in a four-wheel vehicle — getting bitten.

Gibson was dehydrated and had lost weight, but is now doing OK, and resting comfortably back at home.

I think all Jake would need if this happened to him would be the lure of a piece of cake, and he’d be off the pond in a heartbeat. What would it take for your dogs, Dogsters?

Dog rescued from frozen pond: MyFoxBOSTON.com

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