Meadow Lake & District Humane Society

Temperature: -10C (Feels like -17)

Donation Total: $7136.70

Yesterday our friends at the Nor’Wester Motor Inn generously offered to match donations made between 9am and 9pm. In a 12 hour period we received $3917.70 in donations!

The total amount raised is $11,054.40, which officially makes this the most successful Extreme Sleepover in the history of Sleepovers.

WOW!

WOW!

WOW!

I don’t know any better way to celebrate than to spend one more night at the shelter!

…I think my celebration skills need work…

8:20pm Arrive at the shelter. Visit with Hope.

8:40pm Take Meeka, Buster and Wolf on an off leash walk. They have a blast!

9:10pm Come back to the shelter and the dogs are all at the front door. I let them in  but Meeka runs across the street. She doesn’t answer when I call.

9:30pm I have been driving around calling for Meeka. Nothing. Feeling a bit foolish for trusting her. I blame my bad decisions on lack of sleep.

9:40pm Meeka arrives back at the shelter. This must be what a parent feels like when the police bring home their drunk teenager.

Back into her kennel she goes. YOU’RE GROUNDED (even though it’s technically my fault but she doesn’t need to know that). Thank you for the police escort!

9:50pm There was a gift of Christmas Cookies and a pair of fuzzy socks waiting for me after my ordeal. What a treat! Thank you!

10:00am I set up my bed in the office with Charmaine and the kittens. This feels like a terrible idea.

10:10pm The dogs are restless tonight. Lots of howling and barking. The puppies in the office are doing their fair share of barking.

10:20pm The kittens are running around, back and forth between the bathroom and all over my back. Don’t mind me…just trying to sleep here…

10:25pm Is this what it feels like to have spiders crawling all over you? Who knew the pitter patter of adorable little kitten paws would be such a creepy feeling.

11:34pm A loud rumbling enters my ear. I have been boarded by Ash. She has quite the insta-purr feature.

12:00am BANG! CRASH! Followed by the scurry of little kitten feet. I have no idea what the kittens are doing in the bathroom but it didn’t end well.

12:15am There goes the Husky…AROOOO!

1:10am Puppies get into a fight and growl, bark and shriek. They startled me awake and I actually shot up out of bed and sent Ash flying.

2:00am Kittens are still scurrying about. They stop eventually right? GO TO BED

I am met with a defiant “Mew”.

2:34am Puppies are barking in their kennel.

3:00am Ash is sleeping on my face, purring away.

5:40am I look around to see where the kittens are. One is sleeping on my back, I turn my head to look on the other side of my pillow and one of them ninja chops me in the face. Jerk.

6:00am I get up, dismantle my bed and wrangle kittens. If anyone thought herding cats was difficult, try it with kittens!

Extreme Sleepover #6 Complete!!

I recently had the opportunity to travel to BC for work. While I was there I met up with a former foster puppy of mine that I sent to her new home in Vancouver 11 years ago and was finally able meet her adopter for the first time.

It was amazing to see Molly so many years later, and her adopter said something that has stuck with me.

“Thank you for giving me the love of my life.”

What an honor that was to hear and it really put the work we do in animal rescue in perspective.

We are dealers in unconditional love. We rescue and rehabilitate furry bundles of loyalty, love and devotion and then send them out into the world so they can give back to those who need them. They are the ones who greet you with a smile and a wagging tail, or content purr. They are a quiet companion during difficult times, or there to keep you company while you sleep. They bring an incredible amount of love, joy, laughter, and when it is all said and done, a lot of heartache, but you can’t have a rainbow without the rain, and you can’t have the love of an amazing companion without the inevitable loss.

2018 has been a difficult year for loss in a lot of ways. I want to dedicate this fundraiser to those 4 legged teachers of life lessons that I’ve loved and lost. Whether they were my own, or animals that came through rescue, every one of them that I encounter holds a special place in my heart.

Who rescued who?

Thank you to everyone who made this fundraiser such an overwhelming success and supporting a cause near and dear to my heart. Thank you for believing in the work that we do. Your support will allow us to continue to help animals in need, and allows me to get some much needed sleep!

If you’d still like to make a donation towards helping the animals in our care, here’s how!

Donate by Mail
Box 944 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y7

Temperature: -12C (Feels like -19)

Donation Total: $2070

It was a difficult day.

I attended a couple of residences in a nearby community along with the RCMP as there were some animals that were in need of assistance. I went in only expecting to take 2 puppies but ended up with 3 puppies, a horribly emaciated young dog and a kitten. The shelter has been full of cats for a long time and there is a waiting list of those waiting to come in, but when a little kitten is sitting in the snow looking up at you shivering and screaming, leaving it behind wasn’t an option. I was not emotionally prepared for the condition that these animals were in. They were starving. They were fighting over garbage. And when given food they couldn’t get it into them fast enough. Their first instinct when a hand is lifted towards them, or they are touched, is to cower and scream. To have such young animals, only a few months old, already struggling and knowing suffering…it was hard on my heart.

I am grateful to be able to work with the compassionate constables. This should be their superhero names, because to me they are just that. These animals wouldn’t have gotten the help they needed if it weren’t for them intervening. Our shelter has worked hand in hand with the RCMP for years, taking in animals from members locally, and from those serving in the Northern Communities. They have tough and busy jobs but still make the time to help those who cannot help themselves.

9:10pm Arrive at the shelter. Another new dog from Bylaw Enforcement, bringing the total of City impounds to 4 since Monday, and not one has been claimed by an owner yet.

The shelter is bursting at the seams now. 10 new animals since Monday.

9:15am I receive some surprise visitors who bring a gift of a singing telegram and a fuzzy festive Christmas blanket. Thank you!

9:30pm I take Buster for a walk. He has been very kennel stressed so needs to wear off some energy. And maybe this will help with his barking. Wishful thinking, perhaps.

9:45pm Back from our brisk walk. Buster had a blast jumping and frolicking in the snow. I put him away and pick my sleeping buddy for the night.

This sweet girl will be joining me tonight. When searching for a name for her, the word “hope” kept coming to mind, so Hope she shall be.

9:50pm I get a visit from the RCMP with chocolate! You have the right to remain delicious.

Wait, that sounds really terrible.

10:00pm My law enforcing friend leaves after a quick visit. “I usually ask all my prisoners if they want the lights on or off.”

Off please!

10:10pm Hope curls up by my feet. What a stark contrast to where she was living just hours ago.

10:12pm The dogs bark.

10:21pm The new impound whines. The cats next door growl, spit and hiss.

10:30pm Still whining. He wants to go home. Puppies in the office start to cry. Then the dogs start barking.

11:07am I put my hand out and Hope rests her head on it and lets out a big sigh. I start to cry. And then the impound continues to cry. And we go back and forth for awhile. Dogs never cease to amaze me with their forgiveness despite being hurt and neglected at the hands of another. They just want to love, and to be loved.

11:15am My hand fell asleep.

12:36am Impound has been crying steady for 2 hours. Someone please come get your dog. He misses you.

1:29am A cat screams. I startle. Oh my nerves.

2:15am Roll over, check on Hope.

“Hello Hooman.”

3:37am Impound yawns and whines. I check on my sleeping companion and she is getting closer.

4:15am Impound whines and then sets everyone off barking and howling.

4:18am Ally growls next door. I cover Hope with a blanket.

4:46am Impound still crying. I get up for the day and there won’t be anymore sleep happening for me. Someone is meowing.

4:54am I remove my bed and set up a bed and food and water for Hope. I’ve been evicted from my kennel as the shelter is full. I will find somewhere else in here to sleep tonight.

5:00am Feed dogs breakfast and put a few outside in the back runs. Clean puppy cages. Wormy poop seems so much worse when I am barely functioning. Gag.

5:15am Night #4 complete!

If you’d like to donate to help me reach my fundraising goal of $5000 so I can get back to my warm bed, here’s how!

Donate by Mail
Box 944 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y7

Temperature: -8*C (Feels like -16)

Donation Total: $1850

9:15pm First stop, McDonalds! I order 10 plain cheeseburgers for the dogs and a peppermint hot chocolate for me. I feel judged. It’s for dogs…I swear!

9:18pm My order is too big. I have to pull forward and wait in the parking stall of shame.

9:25pm Arrive at the shelter. There is another new impound and now I am one cheeseburger short. No going back. Someone has to share!

9:30pm I let Charmaine and the kittens out as they are looking quite pathetic. “Wont’ somebody PLEASE think of the kittens!”

9:32pm The kittens help themselves to my hot chocolate. I guess I was done.

They also knock the cheeseburgers on the floor and dig in.

9:36pm Hand out cheeseburgers.

Some are more enthusiastic about it than others and are unable to distinguish cheeseburger from my fingers. Oww.

While I was handing out cheeseburgers SOMEBODY helped himself to my care package. Who knew kittens liked muffins?

9:45pm Oh praise the foam gods! My bed gets and upgrade tonight!

9:55pm Tying to pick sleeping buddies for the night. I choose Meeka and Frenchy, but then Frenchy starts peeing on everything (he gets neutered Monday). So I put him back. I can’t put Reilly next to Buster as they don’t get along, the impounds aren’t vaccinated and Beasley won’t come out of her kennel. I try Buster but he was too hard to manage and didn’t like Meeka. I wrestled him back to his kennel.

Peeing Frenchy it is!

He has no concept of personal space.

10:00pm The dogs go outside. Buster barks and barks at them.

10:10pm Meeka and Frenchy are hitting it off quite well…

Maybe TOO well.

No worries folks, no puppies were conceived during this sleepover. Meeka is spayed.

10:15pm Buster is still barking.

10:20pm Silence….ahhhhhh.

10:25pm Frenchie comes inside and flops on top of me covered in snow. NOOOOOO!

10:27pm Someone across the hall is whining. Buster starts barking again.

10:30pm the dogs come in. Meeka’s turn to get in my face. She is so snowy and cold!

11:10pm Frenchy flops down on top of me.

11:23pm Someone barks and barks and barks. I think it is the new impound. I gave you a cheeseburger and this is the thanks I get…

11:30pm Frenchy is officially a bed hog. Meeka is curled up beside me.

11:45pm Dogs are barking.

11:57pm I roll over and face Frenchy and he punches me in the face. I roll back and face the other way and get a face wash from Meeka.

12:00am Frenchy moves down to my feet.

Nevermind he’s back up on my back…and he farted on me.

12:03am Give Meeka some tummy rubs. She is a good girl who doesn’t punch me in the face and fart on me.

12:12am Frenchy farts again. It smells like cheeseburgers and regret.

1:25am One of the cats is playing with ball in the track toy.

1:45pm Frenchy is stuck to me like glue.

2:15am I roll over and Frenchy gets up and proceeds to walk up and down on my back. This is the closest thing I’ve had to a massage in awhile so I won’t complain. A little to the left…ahh…He flops down and goes to sleep.

….that’s it?

2:30am I roll over and get hit in the face by Frenchy again. I didn’t even realize he was beside me. When I fell asleep he was sleeping on my back. If I have a black eye in the morning, it was Frenchy’s fault.

3:47am Cats meow.

5:15am I wake up. No hits to the face. The dogs are sleeping soundly. Frenchy is way out of swinging distance.

5:20am The dogs start barking. I get up.

5:30am Feed the dogs breakfast and fill water buckets.

5:45am Put 5 dogs out in the back runs.

5:57am Put Charmaine and the kittens away. Mop the floors in the dog area.

6:00am Night #3 complete!

If you’d like to donate to help me reach my fundraising goal of $5000 so I can get back to my warm bed, here’s how!

Donate by Mail
Box 944 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y7

Temperature: -7C (Feels like -12)

Donation Total : $1100

Thank you to those who have donated thus far! Keep it coming! (PLEASE!)

8:45pm Arrive at the shelter. Great news! Dax was adopted tonight! I am happy and a little bit relieved as I knew he would likely end up barking all night knowing I was in the building and he had to sleep in his kennel. Do you believe in miracles? Tonight I do! Enjoy your new family little guy!

Minda found me an extra quilt and a gift was left from Sherri and Kathy. Thanks ladies! Sure did brighten my day!

8:50pm I let the kittens out with Charmaine for the night. The little Grey kitten is stuck to me like glue. I put her down and Charmaine whacks her in the face and she sulks and crawls up on my shoulder and won’t get off.

I managed to walk around, use the bathroom and wash my hands while balancing a kitten on my shoulder. Is this something I can add to my resume? Professional kitten balancer? Or maybe I was a Pirate in a former life. With my East Coast accent I’m also quite good at ARRRRs.

Apparently I was also a scratching post in my former life.

And Charmaine was a dog.

8:57pm Pick my sleeping companions for the evening. Wishbone and Wolf.

9:00pm I remember to grab the earplugs!

9:06pm There are 2 new additions to the shelter that were picked up by Bylaw Enforcement at 7-11. Boy were they surprised when they went for slurpee and ended up in doggy jail. I am not pleased about the addition of a husky. They are notorious for howling.

9:10pm The girls wrestle a bit. Not nearly as bad as Dax and Rex!

9:20pm Wishbone found a cat toy and is slobbering all over it on my pillows. I go to remove it from her mouth so she doesn’t choke and grab on to her tongue instead.

9:27pm Lights out. I stumble and trip over the dogs in the dark. We make it to my kennel and I welcome them to Casa de Jill. They go outside the dog door to check it out.

9:33pm A fight is brewing in a cat communal. Low grumblings and the occasional shriek.

9:37pm I hear a squeak. What the…Wishbone found another toy.

9:40pm The dogs go in and out. Ally the 15 year old cat is in the cage next door meowing by my head.

9:43pm The girls settle down.

9:47pm …and the Husky begins…Aaarrrooooooo!!!!

9:53pm Wolf tries to take the earplug out of my ear, mistaking it for a treat. It is the sweet sound of silence, but probably not very tasty. What an awful feeling. I wipe the slobber out of my ear and roll over.

10:33pm Ally sings me the saddest song. She gets close to my head to ensure I hear it all. “MOWWWW…..MOWWWWW……MOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW….”

11:37pm I roll over. The dogs take it as an opportunity to announce my movement to the rest of the building.
“HEY GUYS! SHE’S MOVING!”
“WHAT? WHY IS SHE MOVING?!:
“I DON’T KNOW! THERE MUST BE DANGER!”
“WARN THE OTHERS!”

11:52pm The dogs continue. The earplugs…they do nothing… two of the biggest barkers are in my cage.

11:58pm The dogs settle down again.

12:01pm Squeaky ball goes squeak.

1:07am Cats play with jingle balls. Jingle jingle jingle.

2:00am I wake up to whining and crying. Wishbone is trying to get into the 2nd dog door that is covered with the Kuranda bed. THERE ARE 2 DOORS! Why is this such a hard concept! COME IN THE DOOR YOU WENT OUT OF!

2:37am Cats meow.

3:25am someone hits their metal food bowl. CLANG! I just about jump out of my skin I get startled so badly. Thankfully no one barks. The girls are sleeping soundly.

5:20am I wake up. The shelter is quiet with the exception of the heater overhead and some snoring. Wolf is hugging my feet.

5:34am I get up as I have to do the shelter shift this morning before I leave. I wake up Wolf and Wishbone and put them back in their kennels with the promise of food.

5:45am Dogs have breakfast. Find a kitten in the garbage can. He seems quite content to be there. I fish him out and put Charmaine and the kittens away.

6:00am Feed, water and scoop litter boxes. Despite the amount of poop there sure was no stink bombs last night. Did I lose my sense of smell already? Ally comes to say hello. I told her I did not appreciate her serenade last night. “Mowww” she replies.

6:15am I finish up some chores and head home to get ready for work. Night #2 complete!

If you’d like to donate to help me reach my fundraising goal of $5000 so I can get back to my warm bed, here’s how!

Donate by Mail
Box 944 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y7

Temperature: -6*
Donation Total: $550

Tis the Season to be Sleepless, fa la la la la la bark ruff meow! The Extreme Sleepover is now in its 6th year! This silly little idea has snowballed over the years and raised over $38,000! I am always overwhelmed by the support that this fundraiser receives every year and it only encourages me to keep going for the organization that is my heart, even though it means very little sleep and the odd flea infestation. It is a small sacrifice in order to ensure that our shelter is able to keep operating and providing a temporary home for animals in need. 2017 saw 448 animals come through our doors, which was our busiest year yet! So far this year we have already seen 411 animals come in, and the year isn’t quite over. It is a huge testament to the dedication of our volunteers who work tirelessly every day to ensure that these animals are loved and cared for while they wait for their forever homes.

The past year has been one of many successes, challenges and growth for our little shelter on the prairie. If you would like to take an opportunity to see what MLDHS has been up to over the last year, check out our year in review!

Lets kick off Extreme Sleepover #6 with the Recap of Night #1!

7:21pm Arrive at shelter. My kennel has been all decked out for the holidays!

7:27pm Dax helps me in checking out the my care package. Thanks to Santa’s Elves!

7:38pm I pick my sleeping buddies for the evening. Rex and Dax.

I let them outside to burn off some steam.

7:50pm I feed the dogs and bring them inside. Not quite a full house this year, but we have a lot of vocal dogs to make up for it.

8:00pm Gather supplies to make a bed. Rex and Dax try their best to be helpful.

I regret this decision.

Seriously.

8:12pm I let Charmaine and the kittens out in the office to stretch their legs. I close the door and leave them loose for the evening.

8:15pm Lights out. Going to try to get a head start on some sleep. Rex flops down on top of me while I try to get under the covers.

8:18pm Rex and Dax go outside. There are 2 dog doors to get in/out but the one closest to my head is blocked off with a Kuranda bed to cut the draft. Of course that is the one Dax tries to come back in and he starts crying.
“There are 2 doors. Use the other door.”
But my helpful suggestion falls on deaf ears as he starts to cry harder and gets the other dogs barking. He finally figures it out and comes in the other door.
Slow learner.

8:25pm Rex and Dax are wrestling and keep bumping into me. Dax’s little teeth are chomping the air like a wee baby shark…doo doo doo doo doo doo…

Aww crap.

8:35pm The death match continues. Cats meow. Brutus barks.

8:47pm Rex starts digging at my butt cheek and I yell “that’s my butt!” Then all the dogs go into a barking frenzy.

8:50pm. Dax and Rex finally settle down. Rex curls up behind my legs and Dax is by my head. I give him a kiss on the head and tell him he is a good boy and roll over to sleep.

8:53pm. The dogs settle just in time for the cats to pipe up.

9:06pm A single cat has been meowing constantly. I regret not grabbing the earplugs from my care package before laying down. Rookie mistake. Now Rex is sprawled across my legs and I don’t want to move and start Wrestlemania part 2.

9:12pm Dax starts to snore. How can such a wee puppy have such a big snore?

9:30pm The solo serenade finally fades, but the silent olfactory assaults have just begun. There is a lot of pre-bedtime litter box action.

9:40pm Another cloud of stench lingers over me. I finally fall asleep, or very well
could have passed out from the smell…whatever works.

11:12pm I roll over as my arm fell asleep. Dax works his way under the covers. Rex flops back on my legs.

11:20pm A cat meows next to my head and I realize I forgot to separate Joan the cat for her spay appointment in the morning. I get up and do that. Rex and Dax follow me out groggily wondering why I disturbed their slumber. Dax pees on the floor. Better there than in my bed. Rex lifts his leg and pees on the Christmas tree…he does not discriminate between real trees and artificial ones. Equal opportunity pee-er.

11:24pm I adjust my cushions and crawl into bed. Dax is now under the covers behind my legs and Rex is on top of my feet.

11:28pm One of the cats found a jingle ball. Great. Just great.

11:52am Wrestlemania 2 commences on top of me. Don’t worry boys, I’m not trying to sleep or anything.

11:54am They notice the light on my phone and move their wrestling match to my head, then go outside.

11:57am They both come inside and Dax jumps on my head with his cold snowy feet. Rude. They continue wrestling on my legs.

12:02am Dogs across the hall start barking at something outside. Then come back inside and bark just to make sure I hear them.

12:12am I break up Rex and Dax and hide Dax under the covers. “We’re done. Go to bed.” Rex tries to dig under the covers to get to Dax. “NO! WE’RE DONE! GO TO BED!” Rex gives up on his Dax recovery mission and lays on my legs. Dax settles in and goes to sleep. North side dogs are still barking.

12:25am Everyone settles down.

1:09am Scratching of the litter box followed by toxic cloud.

1:45am One of the dogs whines. Random cat meow.

2:06am I roll over. Dogs adjust and go back to sleep.

3:43am Roll over.

4:17am Roll over. How come no one gives me treats when I roll over? I’m quite good at it!

5:40am I wake up. Owww my hip. Dax is still under the covers snoring away. Rex is sound asleep by my feet.

5:49am Dax and Rex wake up. Dax gives me a smooch and Rex comes up to say hello.

5:53am They resume wrestling. Time for me to get up. Owwwww. The cement floor was not built for comfort. My cushions adjusted with all of my rolling over and I was actually just laying on the floor. That explains my discomfort.

5:57am I struggle to find the cage latch in the dark. Am I trapped in here forever??

5:58am Oh thank dog, I’m free! I go turn on the light. Dax has a pee and Rex waters the tree again. Into the garbage can it goes. In his many months at the shelter he has never marked. It must be a special occasion saved just for me. I am touched..

6:05am Put Rex and Dax back in their cages. Gather Charmaine and the kittens and put them all away and clean up the mess in the office. They looked like they had a party.

6:07am Night #1 Complete!

If you’d like to donate to help me reach my fundraising goal of $5000 so I can get back to my warm bed, here’s how!

Donate by Mail
Box 944 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y7