Those that know me well, know that I am very bad about asking for help, or anything else for that matter. I am also very bad at accepting offered help or gifts too. I am a take charge kind of person that wants to take care of everyone else, and of course have a passion for the plight of homeless dogs.
In the past 3 years, I feel like I have finally found my calling and that is in dog rescue. These precious, helpless animals need a voice. They need someone to step up and show the world how much love they have to offer if only given the chance. They also need help being spay/neutered. This is what I believe I was called to do.
Rescue, as in life, is not without challenges. Shelters are overflowing with animals needing rescue and adoption, and it is heartbreaking to have to "ignore" many, many emails and Facebook postings with pictures of dogs that look so sad, or are sick or injured. The number of animals in need is way more than there are volunteers and rescuers can help. Sometimes it seems even a momma and one litter of puppies is a lot for just me to handle. But our goal is to do it RIGHT and to do it WELL.
Diagnosis: Severe Chiari Malformation of the brain blocking all cerebral spinal fluid from flowing freely down his spinal cord. Due to the lack of medical understanding of this condition, it took further pushing and fighting, until finally a doctor at Cleveland Clinic listened. Jeffrey had decompression surgery (craniectomy at the base of his skull and laminectomy of the C1) in Cleveland on May 11, 2010. This may have saved his life, as well as prevented him from being paralyzed from the neck down.
Due to the amount of time it took to get the decompression, there is some brain damage - IGF-1 deficiency, hypoglycemia, Intracranial Hypertension, and Severe Apraxia of Speech. With this information under our belts, we are now using it to see if it is the cause of our 2 daughters' health issues, including gastric vulvulus, headaches, body pain, ketotic hypoglycemia, exercise intolerance, and frequent dislocation of their joints - at the young ages of 5 and almost 7 years old.
I do not share this information lightly or for people to feel sorry for us. It is what God gave us, and we believe He does not give us more than we can handle. But as Mother Teresa says - we wish He did not trust us so much. :-)
The animals in our home are therapy for our family. I only hope and pray that we can give these animals half the love and loyalty that they give us. With every extra ounce of energy I have, I want to save more animals from being euthanized. I want to educate the community of resources available to help with the cost of spay/neuter, and the benefits and life long reward of adopting shelter/rescue animals.
It is a two fold request that we now ask for your support by nominating us for Extreme Home Makeover - to raise awareness about Chiari Malformation, to raise awareness about the plight of homeless animals and spay/neuter, and obviously, have the home that will allow us to not only care for our medically challenged children, but continue to rescue dogs in need.
The information is posted on the Crossroads Dog Rescue Facebook wall as well as here:
Taken from Pilots N Paws Facebook page: NEWS FLASH! After seeing a news article on one our rescue flights, Pilots N Paws was contacted by Extreme Makeover-Home Edition. Pilots N Paws would love to nominate a family who is making a difference in the animal rescue movement to bring about change and awareness to the cause. If you know a family that are heroes to animals and that and need a home, please send an email to producer Kelly Mooney ExtremePets@EMHE.TV as soon as possible. Let's get moving people!
Thank you will never be enough if we are chosen. For now, thank you for considering us and supporting our rescue cause!!
~Stephanie Richardson & Family
Crossroads Dog Rescue
crossroadsdogs@gmail.com
