Sprocket's Story **UPDATED - News from Sprocket's Foster Home!**

**UPDATED 8/19/11 - News from Sprocket's Foster Home!**

Just wanted to post a quick update about sweet Sprocket, who is doing wonderfully in his foster home but is still looking for his forever home! 

Here's a pic of Sprocket from July 8th, a few days after he got to his new foster home.  He was hanging out in his foster mom's office.  :)

Here he is on July 14th - can you tell he made himself at home right away?  :)  After spending so much time in shelters, he was probably relieved to be somewhere safe! 

And here's the latest picture, from August 8th.  This picture never fails to make me smile, because when I first met him, he had nothing to sleep on but wood shavings that were caked with his own waste.  To see him snoozing on a clean, comfy dog bed warms my heart!  :)

Sprocket's foster mom says he's one of the easiest foster dogs she's ever cared for - if she didn't already have several dogs of her own, she'd want to keep him!  He's great with her other dogs and is FULLY HOUSETRAINED!  (Hooray for Sprocket!) 

If you're interested in giving Sprocket a forever home, visit http://www.gotspots.org/ and fill out an adoption application!

**UPDATED 7/5/11 - Sprocket's Happy Beginning!**

Most people have heard the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child," but today I'd like to paraphrase that and make it "It takes a small army to rescue a dog!"

Early this morning, I got a text message from the director of Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue, letting me know that our original plan for pulling Sprocket from the Miami County Animal Shelter had hit some unexpected snags.  It was basically some red tape, and we weren't going to let it slow us down!

So I started texting back and forth with my friend Julie, and she consulted another friend of ours who we know through volunteering with the Piqua dogs, and by putting our heads together we came up with a new plan - Julie was going to pay the adoption fee & pull Sprocket on behalf of the rescue group.  I okayed this with the director of SCDR, gave her Julie's contact info, and let them work out the details.  And at about 10:30 today I got a text message with the following picture from Julie - it's Sprocket, taking one last look at MCAS on his way to freedom!

Julie immediately started giving Sprocket great treatment - giving him a bath, then taking him to the vet for a checkup.  She & I decided it'd be nice to take Sprocket for a walk in a local park before it was time for him to meet up with the transport group who'd be driving him to his new foster home in the Cincinnati area.  So on my lunch break, I met Julie & Sprocket at the park, and let him enjoy some fresh air!  Sprocket took a nap in Julie's backseat on the way there:

Of course, as soon as Sprocket saw all the trees and wide open spaces, he perked right up!  Here he is, checking out the view at the park:

And here he is, investigating my camera:

And here he is, getting excited because Julie was holding up a treat:

And here's Sprocket's gorgeous smile!

And one last one...look how happy he looks to be on his way to a new life!

Unfortunately I had to go back to work, so I gave Sprocket a few more hugs and we parted ways! 

At 4:00 today, Julie & Sprocket met up with the transporter who was driving Sprocket to his new foster home in the Cincinnati area.  Here he is, getting ready to head on down the highway!

I'm hoping I'll be able to keep up with Sprocket's progress through Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue - if so, I will be sure to post updates!  That's why I called this update Sprocket's "Happy Beginning" - it's definitely not a "happy ending," because it's the beginning of an awesome new chapter in Sprocket's life - one where he'll be taken care of in a wonderful foster home by folks who will teach him the things he needs to know to be a great dog!  Then, when the time is right, SCDR will match him up with the perfect family for him!  :)

Thanks to everyone involved - the folks who volunteered alongside me when he was first rescued, those who've followed his story from the beginning & have helped to promote him on the internet, the newspaper reporters & camera crew that covered him, the county shelters who took care of him while he waited for adoption, Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue who agreed to take him in and went above & beyond to make that happen, Julie for pulling him out of MCAS, the transport drivers who got him to Cincinnati, and his new foster family!  I can't wait to see what the future holds for Sprocket!

**UPDATED 7/3/11 - Sprocket's getting closer to rescue!**

Well the troops have rallied from all across the internet, and we're getting closer to rescuing Sprocket!  I found a wonderful rescue group called Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue - you can visit their site at http://www.secondchancesdalrescue.com/ - and e-mailed them.  They responded quickly to say they'd be able to take Sprocket!  They have pulled dogs from Miami County Animal Shelter before, and are contacting all their area adopters & fosters to get him pulled from the shelter and placed into a foster home, where he can be housetrained and eventually placed into a forever home that's right for him.  I'm very excited that Sprocket will soon be getting a chance at a happy life - and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as things progress!

**UPDATED 7/2/11 - Sprocket needs a new home!**

Some of you who have been reading this blog since the beginning may remember Sprocket - he was the last of the dogs rescued from One More Chance Rescue & Adoption in Piqua to be stuck in a traditional kill shelter.  I turned myself in to his very own public relations representative, and even managed to get Channel 7 to put him on the news and the Piqua Daily Call to write a nice article about him.  The links, as well as Sprocket's whole story, can be found below.

Unfortunately I received a call today letting me know that Sprocket - now known as Bosley - is at the Miami County Animal Shelter.  The folks who adopted him in April turned him in because he's having trouble being housebroken and they don't have a fenced in yard to help him. 

Here's some info that the Miami County Animal Shelter posted on Sprocket's profile: "Bosley needs a Hero! He was originally one of the dogs from the "Rescue" in Piqua that was shut down due to cruelty and neglect. Bosely was transfered to the Darke Co. Animal Shelter and finally adopted out through that shelter (his name at that time was Sprocket). Bosely has since been neutered, is now current on all vaccines, and seems to now be in very good health overall. Bosley was brought to our shelter, because he can't seem to pick up housebreaking and the adopters were unable to put up a fence where they lived, so keeping him outside was not working out. Bosley is a real lover. He needs someone who understands his issues and can go the extra mile with him!"

I feel SO bad for Sprocket - adopted as a puppy, only to be returned and have to spend 5-6 years of his life suffering neglect at the hands of an animal hoarder who disguised himself as a rescuer - stuck inside a dark warehouse, not being fed or given clean water regularly, forced to live in his own waste.  (Is it any wonder why he's having a bit of trouble with potty training?  He's lived in a kennel his whole life!)  Then finally rescued from the hoarder and taken to an animal shelter...getting adopted...and yet somehow ending up back in another animal shelter!

He really is a wonderful dog- VERY sweet and affectionate!  I'm going to see if the Piqua Daily Call will write another article about him, but in the meantime want to get his story out there via this blog.

If you, or anyone you know, might be able to be Sprocket's hero, please contact the Miami County Animal Shelter at (937) 332-6919!  Or take the time to stop out at the shelter and meet Sprocket/Bosley!  Here's the shelter info:

Miami County Animal Shelter
1110 North County Road 25A
Troy, OH 45373
(937) 332-6919

Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

If you can't adopt Sprocket, please share the link to this blog wherever you can.  The more people who see it, the better chance he has to finally find his forever home!!


**UPDATED 4/11/11 - Sprocket has been adopted!!**


Say hello again to Sprocket!

I've featured Sprocket on this blog a few times before, but recently got some new information about him and wanted him to give yet another moment in the spotlight in the hopes that I will finally be able to help him get a home! 


As those of you who've read my previous posts know, Sprocket is the LAST of the 108 dogs rescued from One More Chance Rescue in Piqua to still be stuck in a traditional "kill" shelter.  While the director of that shelter has said he wants to keep his promise to Sprocket to find him a good home, he's been there for two months and obviously can't stay there forever!  Two weeks ago I turned myself into Sprocket's personal publicist and managed to get the Piqua Daily Call & Greenville Daily Advocate to write articles about him - you can read the article at:


http://www.dailycall.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=171713&SectionID=86&SubSectionID=164&S=1


I also managed to get Channel 7 to feature him on the news!  You can see Sprocket in action at:


http://www.whiotv.com/video/27392692/index.html


I called the shelter this past week to see if it had helped, and while they said they'd gotten several phone calls, only two families had actually come in to look at him and nothing had worked out yet.  Also this past week, I was browsing dog listings on Petfinder and discovered something that has made me even more determined to do what I can to help Sprocket find a home outside a shelter's walls!


While I was browsing the dog listings on Petfinder, I started noticing dogs who looked awfully familiar.  When I saw this picture, I immediately knew I was looking at some of "our" Piqua dogs:

There was no mistaking that sweet face--I knew it was Sprocket!  One click later, I realized that Petfinder had erroneously restored some of One More Chance's original posts about the dogs.  (Once news of the animal cruelty charges broke, Petfinder graciously removed all the shelter's listings from their site, and it seems to have just been a glitch that restored them.  They have since been removed again.) 


During Sprocket's time at One More Chance Rescue, he was known as Canada.  He is not, as we guessed, an English Pointer Mix - he's actually a Dalmatian/Black Lab mix!  And thanks to a computer glitch, we now know his history.  One More Chance posted this on 4/28/09:


"Canada is a Dalmatian/Lab Mix, was saved as a tiny puppy from being killed at another shelter.  He was adopted, but later returned due to the owners lack of time to spend with a young puppy.  Canada is a great big teddy bear, he loves to snuggle and is waiting very patiently for someone to come and take him home with them.  He is a very energetic and fun boy who would love to romp and play in a fenced yard.  He is not yet neutered and is 4 1/2 years old.  Canada, like all dogs kept at a rescue facility, is not house trained, but could quickly learn.  He loves everyone and would love to belong to a forever family!"


On 12/1/09, there was another entry:


"Please make this the year that Canada gets a home for Christmas.  He is such a loving dog, please don't let him spend his life in a pen.  He needs a yard to run in, a warm place to  lay, and people to walk and play with him.  I'm praying that God will bring a wonderful family for him THIS YEAR!"


As we all know, that didn't happen.  Instead, Sprocket has been stuck with the other dogs at One More Chance Rescue--kept in deplorable conditions, getting no exercise, not getting food & water regularly.  It's through no fault of his own that he hasn't been adopted yet--we've heard many stories about people who tried for years to adopt dogs from One More Chance, but the man in charge would never part with them because he felt the people wouldn't take as good of care of them as he could.  (He has a distorted definition of "care," and is truly a hoarder, NOT a rescuer.)


In all honestly, I was shocked to learn that this amazing dog who LOVES everyone he meet & can't wait to dish out hugs has spent almost his entire life (except for his brief adoption period) stuck living in a pen in a shelter!  If you would like to FINALLY give this sweetheart the forever home he deserves, please contact the Darke County Animal Shelter.


Here are Sprocket's details one more time: Dalmatian/Black Lab mix, 6 years old, weighs 70 lbs., current on vaccinations and microchipped. ID #02231119.


And here is the shelter's information:


(Removed, so as not to confuse folks as to what shelter he's currently at!)


If you have any questions about Sprocket, leave a comment on this entry & I will do my best to get answers for you!  Thanks for reading, and be sure to pass this link on to anyone you think might be interested in giving Sprocket a home!

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog.  He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world... When all other friends desert, he remains."

~ George G. Vest