No Room at the Inn:

Well...I had to turn down someone who was needing to surrender a sweet little housedog. Why? Because there's no room at the inn. We are most comfortable at around 7-10 dogs in the rescue. Up until yesterday, there were 25. And, as much as I hate to say it, that's way too many...even for us.

I thought about not posting this, because I like our blog to be all Perky (grin) and chipper, but I also think you all deserve the truth. The truth is, we are in over our head.

Dog rescue is very fulfilling. We've changed the future for many a dog and for many a family. But honestly, it's not easy and it's not cheap. And I never really expected it to be either easy or cheap, but I personally can not afford 25 dogs OR the price of caring for them. It was all fun at first, when we just added them into what we already do at Play n Stay Pet Camp. But when there are 25, that changes the amount of staff that are needed (because we can't do it all), which changes the cost of payroll, which changes the checking account drastically. (Play N Stay Pet Camp/me and Vanessa have been covering the cost of all rescue staff...payroll is paid by US, not by your donations.) Add to that the cost of vet care and feeding, and we could probably pay for 3 meals a day for all of the population in some small foreign country.

So, we're in a stuck spot. I know we could do more fundraising, more adoption days, more advertising, but we just can't right now. It would be different if it was our only job. Adding volunteers aren't the solution, because all of our rescue happens within our other businesses and our home. Foster homes aren't a solution for us either, because we need to have the dogs available when someone is ready to see them.

For now, our priority HAS to be Play N Stay Pet Camp, grooming, and special order puppies. (It will have to stay that way until donations can cover expenses OR I am "independently wealthy", which I don't see happening anytime soon). We just can't keep up at this size right now and we don't have it within us to go bigger.

So-for now-we will downsize as we can, without compromising what we believe is in the best interest of the dogs. A rescue organization in Pittsburgh took Big Momma and her six pups yesterday. They do well with Pit mixes and have a BEAUTIFUL facility.

That freed up some space in my kitchen. (No-I'm not joking...they were in my kitchen.)

We are also changing to a less expensive diet effective immediately. (We go through about 30# of dog food every other week.)

We are also considering a forfeiture fee for dogs that are surrendered, to help pay for their dog's care while we try to find them another home.

So, here's the moral of the story: If you've been "eyeballing" a dog on our site and have been considering making a appointment, PLEASE DO! We have some wonderful dogs who deserve to be someone's dog. They are beautiful and wonderful and special. Call me 740-695-4566.

If you are a dog lover who can't add to your pack right now, please consider generously supporting the dogs at The Lucky Puppy this holiday season. 100% of your donation goes to their vet care and feeding.

I do hope the little dog that I turned down finds a nice home. It's so tempting to say, "Just one more..." That's how I got to 25.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for the support that you have given us. We have been able to accomplish what we have only because of your faithfulness!