Pet detective tracks down hurricane-displaced pooch

Saturday, January 21, 2006
By Matt Vande Bunte
The Grand Rapids Press

LAKE ODESSA -- Of the 26 dogs Mackenzie's Animal Sanctuary rescued in September in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, none had been reconnected with their owners.

Until this week.

An e-mail came in Tuesday to the shelter from an Atlanta volunteer trying to track down a missing dog named Rueben. The description seemed to match the breed, size, color, age and mild manners of a retriever mix staff had come to know as "Hooch."

The key piece of evidence provided by the K-9 sleuth: a missing canine tooth. Just like Hooch.

Back to Deborah Smith-Callahan went a digital reply that the dog owned by former New Orleans resident Jordana Smith was found.

"Jordana was crying. (Deborah) was crying. My office staff was crying," said Mackenzie's General Manager Erik Bauer said. "It was happy days around here.

"It was a huge undertaking (to shelter the Katrina dogs). This makes it worthwhile."

Running short of food for her 11-month-old daughter, Jordana Smith and her husband were forced to evacuate their rented New Orleans residence a few days after the hurricane. They left their two dogs behind with a bathtub full of water. When they returned, the dogs were gone.

The younger female was located by Smith-Callahan, a volunteer for the American Humane Association. But the whereabouts of Rueben -- who was picked up from a holding area for rescued dogs in Mississippi and transported to Mackenzie's -- remained unknown to his owner.

"It's been a horrible needle-in-a-haystack search," said Jordana Smith, whose family relocated to Austin, Texas. "He's like a family member. It's been hard having him gone."

Smith-Callahan, who is no relation to and has never met the dogs' owner, adopted the female pet because Smith's new landlord permits only one dog. She started sending e-mails and fliers to shelters nationwide in search of 9-year-old Rueben.

"Months went by, and it was very discouraging," Smith-Callahan said. "We had a couple false alarms where we'd see pictures that looked like him. It just seemed like Rueben would not be found."

Then, a contact saw Hooch on Mackenzie's Web site and suggested Smith-Callahan take a look. The e-mail confirmation that Hooch was Rueben was emotional.

"There are no words to tell you how wonderful I felt," Smith-Callahan said. "I felt like I won the lottery."

Mackenzie's is raising money to help reunite Rueben with his owner. Bauer said a shelter supporter offered to fly in the family Wednesday for a Thursday reunion at Mackenzie's. Donations are needed to cover part of the cost.

"I know he's going to be returned to me one way or the other," said Smith, who turned 27 on Friday. "I know he's in good hands, and I'm going to see him soon."

©2006 Grand Rapids Press
© 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

REUNION: RUEBEN HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!

Yes, it's true - Rueben has been found. He is at Mackenzies Animal Sanctuary in Lake Odessa, MI. The main reason it took this long for him to be found is because he's posted on Petfinder Classifieds rather than on the AERN database set up for Katrina animals. But he seems to be in good shape and they are happy that his owner has been located and are looking forward to sending him home. Someone named Tammy spotted his picture and contacted Deborah, the volunteer who has remained determined and passionate about finding him for 4 1/2 months. I am so happy and thankful to both of you!!! Rueben will be reunited with his family in Texas very soon. Thanks to everyone who helped look for him.
And yes, Mackenzies does have other Katrina dogs posted on Petfinder Classifieds. I'll ask them to post on the AERN database, although now that I have the information on their other Katrina dogs, owners are being searched for. If you are an owner looking for your pet, or a volunteer working with an owner, please have a look at their Katrina dogs here.

Pet detective tracks down hurricane-displaced pooch
Saturday, January 21, 2006
By Matt Vande Bunte
The Grand Rapids Press

LAKE ODESSA -- Of the 26 dogs Mackenzie's Animal Sanctuary rescued in September in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, none had been reconnected with their owners.

Until this week.

An e-mail came in Tuesday to the shelter from an Atlanta volunteer trying to track down a missing dog named Rueben. The description seemed to match the breed, size, color, age and mild manners of a retriever mix staff had come to know as "Hooch."

The key piece of evidence provided by the K-9 sleuth: a missing canine tooth. Just like Hooch.

Back to Deborah Smith-Callahan went a digital reply that the dog owned by former New Orleans resident Jordana Smith was found.

"Jordana was crying. (Deborah) was crying. My office staff was crying," said Mackenzie's General Manager Erik Bauer said. "It was happy days around here.

"It was a huge undertaking (to shelter the Katrina dogs). This makes it worthwhile."

Running short of food for her 11-month-old daughter, Jordana Smith and her husband were forced to evacuate their rented New Orleans residence a few days after the hurricane. They left their two dogs behind with a bathtub full of water. When they returned, the dogs were gone.

The younger female was located by Smith-Callahan, a volunteer for the American Humane Association. But the whereabouts of Rueben -- who was picked up from a holding area for rescued dogs in Mississippi and transported to Mackenzie's -- remained unknown to his owner.

"It's been a horrible needle-in-a-haystack search," said Jordana Smith, whose family relocated to Austin, Texas. "He's like a family member. It's been hard having him gone."

Smith-Callahan, who is no relation to and has never met the dogs' owner, adopted the female pet because Smith's new landlord permits only one dog. She started sending

e-mails and fliers to shelters nationwide in search of 9-year-old Rueben.

"Months went by, and it was very discouraging," Smith-Callahan said. "We had a couple false alarms where we'd see pictures that looked like him. It just seemed like Rueben would not be found."

Then, a contact saw Hooch on Mackenzie's Web site and suggested Smith-Callahan take a look. The e-mail confirmation that Hooch was Rueben was emotional.

"There are no words to tell you how wonderful I felt," Smith-Callahan said. "I felt like I won the lottery."

Mackenzie's is raising money to help reunite Rueben with his owner. Bauer said a shelter supporter offered to fly in the family Wednesday for a Thursday reunion at Mackenzie's. Donations are needed to cover part of the cost.

"I know he's going to be returned to me one way or the other," said Smith, who turned 27 on Friday. "I know he's in good hands, and I'm going to see him soon."

©2006 Grand Rapids Press
© 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

The death of a pet

Author Unknown

Some of the most poignant moments I spend as a veterinarian are those spent with my clients assisting the transition of my animal patients from this world to the next. When living becomes a burden, whether from pain or loss of normal functions, I can help a family by ensuring that their beloved pet has an easy passing. Making this final decision is painful, and I have often felt powerless to comfort the grieving owners.

That was before I met Shane.

I had been called to examine a ten-year-old pet named Belker. The pet's owners - Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old pet in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting his old pet for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me - I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.