Friday, July 25, 2014

Save the Animals Charity Blog Hop

Hey, Y'all and Welcome to the Save the Animals Charity Blog Hop!


If you're here from Roberta then you're in the right place. If not then you will want to start at the beginning HERE

This Blog Hop will work a little differently than our past ones. We give free SVGs all the time, and this time, we are asking YOU to give back to the Animals by donating to our fundraising campaign "Save the Animals". By donating, you can earn exclusive SVGs. Here is a look at the donation levels. And as a BONUS since your donation is going to a charity, its a tax write off!! So keep your receipt!

Here is an example of the donation screen.. When donating, please make sure to include your email address under "personal note" so that we can send you the SVGs that pertain to your donation level (it will not be published on the website)




Each person in this hop picked one animal to represent today.
I picked dogs, specifically Rescued dogs.  
 
I have heard about rescues before, but didn't really understand what was going on.  I attempted to get a dog from a rescue many years ago and didn't hear back from them, so I just moved on and got a dog from a backyard breeder.  In the last 9 months I have learned so much I never knew about rescue animals and rescues in general.  I want to share with you my experience and what I've learned.
 
What I thought vs. Reality
  • I thought all rescue groups gave animals away for free and if they were charging for them then it was a scam.  Reality....they are charging a fee to cover the cost of vetting the animal no matter what the problem is, getting all the shots current and spay/neutering the animal.  Also, charging for an animal helps keep down the risk of people just getting the animal to use as bait in dog fights. (Sad but true!). If the fee is a little more than the vetting costs, then the money goes into a reserve to help with an animal that might have more expensive vetting costs.  The rescue fees are normally much less than the cost of buying a pet and you already have a fully vetted animal.  Bonus!
  • I thought all rescue animals had something wrong with them.  Reality, most of the animals that wind up in rescue are healthy, well mannered family pets that for various reasons their family can't keep them (Sad but true!) and that means there are many WONDERFUL pets waiting for their forever homes.  All different ages, breeds and personalities.  
  • Rescues are ran by volunteers and those volunteers love these animals.  If it doesn't work out with you and an animal, the very best thing to do is to give that animal back to the rescue you got it from.  They work tirelessly to make sure all of the matches are good for all parties.
  • And, lastly and sadly, I was very naïve about how people treat their pets or other animals they encounter.  I thought all little puppies were in happy families that wanted them and were being worshiped like we are worshiping our dogs.  Reality, some breeders don't have a love for the animals they are breeding.  There are many experienced, reputable breeders out there, but unfortunately there are more backyard breeders that only are in it for the money.  When the breeding mommy or daddy are no longer useful then they are cast aside.  Or, in the case of our puppy, Mercy, if there is a problem with the animal at birth they may either be subjected to horrible conditions or destroyed without compassion.  (Sad, but true!)
The next time you want a pet (of any kind or breed), please consider a rescue.  Check out Pet Finder they have many adoptable animals.  There is a rescue group for everything....including hedgehogs!!!  Saving an unwanted animal is very rewarding, but also, all these animals want is to be loved and to please their humans. 
Please help put backyard breeders out of business. 
 
Here is my project.  It is a thank you card.  We have so much to be thankful for with our little Mercy, but most recently we found a pet sitter for her that truly loves her as much as we do and that will afford us the chance to travel occasionally.  It is very comforting finding someone that will care for your kiddos the way you would and it is a special person that would change a dog's diaper multiple times a day.  Just saying!
After my project there is a story about Mercy and our rescue experience. 
Please read it if you fell compelled.  It is long, so I understand if you want to skip it.
 



 
little Mercy loves to lay around on her blankie and gather
many toys around her!


 
On my project I used the Bull Dog/Terrier Dog Puppy file from SVG Cutting Files for the little Mercy dog on the front of the card.  I also used the following Jaded Blossom stamp sets: Kitty Kitty, Puppy Love, Simple Sayings 3 , and Kind Thanks.
 
The Story of Mercy
I would like to the story of the puppy me and my husband rescued last fall.  Her name is Mercy Denise. That is her fourth and last name.  She was born to a backyard breeder in South Texas.  She was named Miracle because she was born with a spinal defect that has left her paralyzed from the waist back and her rear legs are completely fused straight.  She has no bowel control, so the breeder tied her up with a short leash on their carport.  She lived there from February to September last year....did I mention this was in South Texas? Well, Texas is HOT all except 4 days in the winter months.  It is not good for any dog to be outside constantly in this weather, but the smooshed face of a little Boston Terrier makes is hard for them to breath and being outside for long periods of time is a major no-no.  I can only imagine the other things she encountered out there day in and day out as a little baby that was paralyzed.  When she was saved by a young lady named Denise, she had many open wounds on her legs, feet and bottom from being on the concrete.  She lost a toe and some claws, too.  There was blood all over the carport floor where she had been tied.  Denise immediately took her to a vet.  The vet told her that Miracle should be put down, so Denise took her to another vet that cared for her and did her spay surgery and x-rays to determine what was wrong with her.  That vet indicated she had a severed spine from birth or injury. Denise wanted to give Miracle a clean start and named her Ariel after the Little Mermaid because of how she dragged her body behind her.  Denise cared for her, got her in diapers, let her live in her home with her and her other Boston Terriers and loved her like crazy!  Denise lives in a small town in S. TX and realized that Ariel would get the best care and have a better chance of meeting a wonderful forever family in a large city.  She heard of the Boston Terrier Rescue of North Texas and brought Ariel to Dallas.  To shorten the story I will tell you that me and my hubby weren't looking for another dog, but we immediately fell in love with Lucky (her new name the rescue gave her - it is common for rescues to rename the animals, again, to give them a new life, but often they don't know anything about the animals they receive.)  We donated to Lucky's care and watched her on Facebook. Within the week we met her and after we passed the home interview and the application process we received Miracle/Ariel/Lucky into our home!  My husband named her Mercy and I gave her the middle name of Denise after the lady that saved her from God only knows what.  She is now our child.  She has been with us for 8 months.  She doesn't know she is any different than any other puppy.  She is soooo loved!  My husband and I treat her just like our baby!  Her sister, Liberty Belle the Boston Terrier, loves her (well at least she tolerates her and misses her when she is gone.) My mom makes her custom onesies  so her diapers will stay on her little butt, we have a stroller for her when we go out and she has a cart that was donated from a nice lady that she knew in her S.TX days.  She loves running around in our back yard and at the dog park.  Here are some links of her first few days with us.  This was before we conquered the diapers coming off, so she was in store bought clothes. 
She was just 9 pounds....now she weighs almost 14. 
 
She has a little fan club on face book. Please check out Mercy Denise the Boston Terrier on Facebook.
Mercy wears custom clothes made by her Grammy to keep her diapers on in style! 

Thank you so much for checking out our Blog Hop.
Click HERE to donate
http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/goto/SVGJB

Here is the line up for the hop! Next up is GiGi

94 comments:

  1. So sad but at least with Mercy she has a happy ending and a great family! I pray other dogs are just as lucky as her.

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  2. WOW!! I am so happy that Mercy is with her forever family!

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  3. omg that was soo sad :( Thank god she is Loved and cared for now

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  4. OMG... your baby is so beautiful and your creation is adorable... Thanks for sharing your story...

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  5. How wonderful and lucky is little Mercy! Beautiful story. Thank you. xx

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  6. What a cutie Mercy is -- and how heartwarming that she found her forever home. I love your card!!

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  7. Wow, what a story. I don't understand how people can treat animals that way. :( You are angels for saving this girl. Your card is adorable-love that dog's sweet outfit.

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  8. what a story, I am glad she is with her forever family.

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  9. Awe Mercy is adorable :-) Such a heart-breaking story with a heart-warming ending.

    How people can be so cruel is beyond me. They should be jailed, no questions asked.

    Love your card :-)

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  10. Aww Stefani, you sweet baby is adorable. And wow the things she has been through. So happy she now has a new happy home where she can be loved!! And I just love your card. All the pick and grey is a fav of mine.

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  11. Awww, that poor pup pup has been through so much. So glad to see that she is now with a loving family.

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  12. Awe! Mercy is adorable! I make it a point to always adopt from the Humane Society and never breeders or my local pet stores. People can be so cruel to not only each other but to animals as well. I know every day Mercy is so happy to be in such a loving family.

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  13. Awe! Mercy is adorable! I make it a point to always adopt from the Humane Society and never breeders or my local pet stores. People can be so cruel to not only each other but to animals as well. I know every day Mercy is so happy to be in such a loving family.

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  14. WOW! I am SO thankful for people like you! Mercy is such a lucky and TOTALLY ADORABLE little doggie to find parents like you. It's such a sad story of what she went through, it really breaks my heart. Shame on that woman for leaving her in the carport for SO LONG!
    OH, Your card is SO super cute! I love the eyes :)

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  15. Awww girl! Totally tearing up over here after reading Mercy's story! I bet she's SOO glad to have you and your hubby!! Great job on your card!!

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  16. What an amazing story! Cute card and awesome fur baby!

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  17. Mercy is lucky to have you and your hubby enter her life!
    We love our rescued Greyhound and wondered why we took so long to seek him out.

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  18. She's just precious! Love her style lol And I love your card! Well done!

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  19. Mercy is so adorable and yet very lucky to have a family like hers. TFS!

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  20. First off, what a cute card!! And thank you for sharing the story of Mercy! It takes a special person to care for an animal such as Mercy. :) I'm so glad she found you guys!

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  21. Lovely card and loved the story of your sweet Mercy!

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  22. We have rescue cats. No animal should spend as many years in a cage as our cats have. They come with issues but with great love, also. Good job with this hop.

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  23. These files are adorable and the cause is so worthwhile - I felt honored to have helped you pull this off. Keep it up Ladies!!

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  24. Your little baby is so cute and I'm so happy she has a forever home where she is loved like all fur babies should be!

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  25. Your baby is adorable. Thank you for saving her.

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  26. love it. glad to help the cause!!! I too have 2 rescue dogs...would have keep the litter of 7 but can only have 2(which is good because they are BIG labs and the 2 of them take over our king size bed), found homes for the rest.

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  28. Such a sweet and tender story, so glad it has a happy ending for all of you! Thank goodness for loving families who care for these little ones!

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  29. I am so glad that Mercy found her forever home with a family that loves "fur babies". Your card is adorable. Thanks for sharing.

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  30. What a great posting on the facts of rescues! thank you for sharing and your card is adorable

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  31. What a great posting on the facts of rescues! thank you for sharing and your card is adorable

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  32. Great card!! Glad you were able to give her a forever home after her horrid treatment!!

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  33. What an amazing story and such a sweet card.
    Hugs,
    Larelyn

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  34. What an amazing story! Your little Mercy is very lucky to have you for a forever home!! Very cute card!!

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  35. What an amazing story! So happy for Mercy she now has her forever mama to love her! Darling card, love the colors!

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  36. Cute card and thanks for sharing your personal story.

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  37. Sweet Mercy! She is so lucky to be in your family! Big hugs to all!

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  38. I'm glad Mercy has such a wonderful furever home. Cute projects!!

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  39. I love how you made this personal and I really like the "what I heard vs. reality" Thank you for posting that info. Your creation is adorable!

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  40. So happy for you and your family Mercy is adorable!

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  41. OMG, Mercy's story brought tear to my eyes!! You are a special family to take on a puppy with special needs!! We have 3 dogs, 2 of which are rescues. Ginger, my CHORKIE, was found on the streets. The family that found her tried to find her owners, but with no chip or tag, they were unsuccessful, they could no keep her so we took her. She is also special needs. She has seizures and takes medication twice a day. She has been with us for 7 years and is spoiled rotten!! Our other rescue, Sweet Pea, we found on Petfinder. She was the first dog we got. I wanted a Yorkie, but they are so expensive, so I went to Petfinder looking for one. Sweet Pea (Yogurt was her rescue name!) was listed under the Yorkies, although she looks more like a Cairn Terrier. I first looked at the 2 puppies she had while in the rescue organization, but when I clicked on her picture, her sweet little face touched my heart. She had an expression that said "won't someone love me". When we first went to see her, I was the first one to take her out of her kennel, and she has been glued to my side every since. She is a true Mommy's girl!! I love all 3 of my furbabies, and consider my rescues extra special!! Thanks for sharing your adorable card and your story!!

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  42. Mercy's story made me cry. I love my fur babies as much as the rest of my family. Thank you for continuing in Mercy's care and love. I saw your card on FB this morning before I started hopping. I absolutely love it.

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  43. My goodness what she went through, your card is just beautiful.

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  44. Oh my word-- I am now a blubbering mess but this is one lucky lady! How awesome are you!

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  45. What a beautiful outcome to Mercy's story! How could you not love her - she's adorable!

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  46. such a sad story, but a happy ending. I also have a rescue dog, love that little baby to pieces!

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  47. Such an awesome story! I watch the video of her in the back yard - She looks so adorable and happy! All of our pets are rescues - 1 dog, 2 cats, 1 turtle and 2 tree frogs. I wish you hadn't mentioned hedgehogs - now I'll have to check into that - lol. They are so cute to me but not sure how they would get along with the cats. Thanks for all the info and sharing mercy's story. I am now a facebook fan of Mercy's.

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  48. Such a great story! We have a rescue dog too. I would not have it any other way. He's a great dog and has been with us for over 7 years now. Thank you for sharing your project and your story!

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  49. awesome story..glad she has a loving home

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  50. such a cute little card of mercy you did a fab job love the little brads on the flowers on her outfit !!

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  51. Love your card and your doggy is so cute!!

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  52. So glad she found a loving home at last!

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  53. glad that mercy has a forever family and is so loved , love the color choices for your card and all the little details on it

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  54. Thank you for doing this for the animals

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  55. Love hearing about happy stories... very cute!

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  56. omg this is the cutest card I just love all the details just beautiful
    Hugs
    Debbie

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  57. so happy she is cared for and loved. relief

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  58. Sweet story. Glad you found a puppy sitter that will take good care of her when you need one and sweet of youth make a cute thank you card for your sitter.
    TTFN

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  59. My next cat will be a rescue pet, sometime this autumn. Your pup is darling!

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  60. Oh goodness. Gave me goosebumps. Thank you for taking that princess in. She's lucky to have found you.

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  61. adorable love this one such a cute doggy, :)

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  62. Mercy is beautiful - and she now looks so happy - thanks to her loving family!

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  63. What a sad story, with an amazingly happy ending. Thank you for finding Mercy and giving her a forever home.

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  64. Adorable and so happy that Mercy found a Mommy like you to take care of her and love her.

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  65. Love your card! I love seeing people rescue animals. There are so many out there that need help. I wish everyone would care so much to so, as well.

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  66. We have a boston terrier and we love her soooo much! :) Great job! Thanks!

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  67. Such a sad story with a beautiful ending!!! Thank God for Denise saving this beauty and for your family giving such unconditional love! We have a Boston Terrier too and just love him!

    Your card is so precious!! I will have to get that svg for sure!

    Thank you!

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  68. I love little Mercy!! So happy you have rescued her!

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  69. I'm so glad Mercy was rescued and became part of your family!! She has such character :)

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  70. Super cute card! What a lucky puppy to have you!

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