Salem Animal Rescue League

Volume 11, December 1997

After a long five months, Juneau’s foster family can finally relax. Juneau, a 6 year old husky, has been living with the Cosses since June after her rescue from the Lacasse farm (see VICTORY!). This is not the first damaged dog the Cosses have helped. Sarge (AKA Shepherd #13) was one of the 16 dogs removed from an old horse barn owned by James Koh in September 1993. But Juneau’s fate was more tenuous. Koh had released the dogs to SARL after only three days of being hunted by the press. Lacasse, on the other hand, would not give up the more than 200 animals she neglected. The judge’s decision to permanently remove the animals from Lacasse’s custody was applauded by humane society workers around the state.

But this is only part of the story. How do you save a dog who has been chained to a dog house her whole life? With lots of love and patience! The love was the easy part. She was sweet and affectionate from day one. The patience was surely challenged due to her separation anxiety. With help from an anti-anxiety drug (which she no longer needs) and some behavioral modification, she is doing just fine.

As reported in the last SARL Tails, she also had a breast tumor removed. We are happy to report it was benign. She has been spayed and given her shots and is ready for that next big step. Her foster family toyed with the idea of keeping her but three dogs would prevent them from fostering our most needy cases in the future. So, with a heavy heart, they are ready to let her go. If you have room in your heart and your home for this wonderful survivor, please call us - (603) 890-2166. The Cosses would be happy to answer all your questions.

According to Bert Troughton of the NHFHO, "I can’t stress enough how awful conditions were when we entered the property on June 14, many of the birds had obviously never seen the light of day, I doubt whether some of the dogs had ever in their lives been released from their chains, most of the animals had had to compete or scavenge for food, and all around them was evidence of other animals who lost the battle to survive. I’m not sure every animal will recover from that kind of existence." Lacasse kept dogs, cats, horses, goats, pigs, rabbits, sheep and fowl.

In addition to losing custody of the animals, she is prohibited from owning animals for six years and will be held responsible for 100% of the financial charges ultimately allowed by the court. Since the seizure, a total of nine licensed humane societies and rescue leagues have provided care and nurturance for these abused and neglected animals for a total cost of $50,000. When asked about the apparently high cost of caring for the animals, Ms. Troughton stated "...we are 100% privately funded and do not have the resources to pay for costs incurred for the kind of animal care required during extended court proceedings such as this one. I think most taxpayers and animal advocates would agree that it is both fair and appropriate to hold individuals found guilty of animal cruelty accountable for costs incurred to rehabilitate and care for their animals." She noted that the $50,000 represented only $11.86 per animal per week. "I think anyone would be hard pressed to have cared for so many animals for less money.

Humane societies are viewing this as a landmark case in New Hampshire. While other states have permanently terminated custody for persons convicted of one or more counts of animal cruelty, this is the first case on record in New Hampshire. Humane society officials feel this decision sends a clear message to animal abusers and will make future cases easier to prosecute for both municipalities and humane societies. The Salem Animal Rescue League has been fostering one of the 1 6 huskies, Juneau, removed from the property.


The Salem Animal Rescue League would like to wish all our supporters a happy and love-filled holiday season!

The Harrisons sent us this wonderful picture and a nice update on Hildagarten (AKA Shepherd #1 6). They state Heildi has come a long way. She has finally learned to trust men (many of the Shepherds rescued from Koh’s property were fearful of men yet accepted women immediately). They report she walks easily on a leash, heels well and absolutely loves snow. Marty writes, "She gives so much love and truly makes our family special.

The Salem Shepherds have recently celebrated the fourth anniversary of their rescue from the neglect and abuse they suffered from James Koh on Town Farm Road in Salem. Of the 14 dogs SARL was able to place, eight are still thriving in wonderful loving homes. We wish them long and happy lives.

We would like to express our appreciation for the work you are doing, having just had the experience of one of your "clients."

We visited the Harrison family in Washington early in April and met "Hildegarten," when we learned of her history, and appreciated that a great deal of love, care and attention had been devoted to her. As dog owners, we appreciated how much must have been achieved.

However, on our return visit in late September we saw such a marked improvement that we felt we should write to you. What a different dog we saw! She had gained confidence, and was very alert and interested. Her physical health was first class, with her coat in a very healthy state.

We obviously attribute everything to the caring family where you placed her. But without your vigilance and initial action this could not have come to pass.

Adult cats make wonderful companions! There are many reasons why adult cats can make a difference in your life. Here are some more good reasons to take a second look at adult cats:

*Older cats already have distinct personalities. When choosing a cat one should look at his personality not his age. If you want a playful cat or a lap sitter or both, with an adult cat - what you see is what you get.

*Adult cats can be less expensive. Most come to your home with all their inoculations and already spayed or neutered.

*Since adult cats have a little less energy, they are less likely to wreak havoc on your house out of boredom when you are away from the home. They therefore make perfect pets for the two income family.

If you’re still not convinced and you are concerned that an older cat will not live as long as a kitten, think about this: the average healthy cat will live 1 6 to 20 years with love and proper veterinary care. That’s a lot of love!

Cats are adaptable. You must allow the cat a few weeks to get acquainted with his/her new home. A stressed cat may act differently once you get it home so be patient and give him some time to adjust. Cats are also intelligent. You can teach an old cat new tricks - or at least new rules of the house.

If you would like to see some of our cats in person, give us a call. Our volunteers will be happy to help pick out the "purr-fect" cat for your family.

If an ear problem is suspected, the cat should be seen by a veterinarian. It is sometimes necessary to have the first ear mite treatment performed by the veterinarian as it can involve removal of debris as far down as the middle ear. After this, the cat’s owner can usually continue the treatment at home for a short time until the entire ear mite colony is destroyed.

Routine care of the ears includes keeping the ears clean and dry since moisture and dirt are a breeding ground for parasites. When cleaning a cat’s ears, use a small cotton ball moistened with warm water or mineral oil. Gently clean only as far as can be seen without probing into the ear canal.

The Lemoine family sent SARL a picture of Penny "with her stand up ears." They adopted this little dachsund-X in September of 1996 as an 8 week old puppy. They write, "We cannot say enough about your organization. Our puppy was well taken care of and loved from the beginning. She has brought a lot of joy and laughter to our family. Please know how much we do appreciate your hard work and dedication to these animals."

The Koppel family sent us a great picture of Joshua. This handsome boy was also adopted as a puppy. They write, "He is well loved and a great dog!"

The Jorgensens sent us a photo of a real Christmas pup. This lucky Penny was adopted from SARL 4 years ago.

Emma (adopted from SARL) and her new big brother Winslow are bird watching together. The Griggs write that it was not always smooth sailing after Emma moved in. Having an energetic kitten move in did have one great benefit - Winslow has lost 3 pounds since Emma arrived!

Veterinarians classify tumors as either benign or malignant. Benign tumors grow slowly and do not spread into the surrounding tissue or spread to different parts of the body. A commonly seen example of a benign tumor is a lipoma. Lipomas are those fatty tumors seen or felt under the skin on some dogs. Malignant (or cancerous) tumors are much more dangerous since they invade surrounding healthy tissue or can travel (or metastasize) from one site to another area of the dog’s body.

There is no one answer to why cancer strikes some dogs and not others. It appears that some dogs are genetically predisposed to some cancers. Boxers and Whippets are more prone to skin cancer while German Shepherds and Goldens to blood-vessel tumors and large or giant breed dogs to bone cancer. Other cancers can result from cell damage from environmental factors such as sunlight, radiation or chemicals.

Since the cause of cancer can not always be determined, it is sometimes hard to know how to prevent it. There are, however, some lethargy easy proven ways to reduce the risk for some cancers. Spaying a female dog prior to her first heat greatly reduces her risk of breast cancer. Each heat a female dog goes through increases her chance to develop breast cancer. For example, a female that has had four heats is 300 times more likely to get breast cancer than a female spayed before her first heat. Similarly, neutering males can prevent testicular tumors and help prevent noncancerous prostate conditions. Fair-skinned dogs and the others prone to skin cancers mentioned above, should have limited exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Since prevention is difficult, early detection is crucial. Yearly visits with your veterinarian are extremely important. Regular grooming will also alert you to abnormal lumps on the dog’s body which should be evaluated. With early detection and quick treatment, many dogs will survive the frightening diagnosis of canine cancer.

The holidays are an exciting time. There are decorations to put up, cookies to bake, not to mention shopping for all those perfect presents. Sometimes we get so busy at Christmas time we forget our furry loved ones.

When decorating, put breakable ornaments out of the reach of your dog or cat. Remember, larger dogs with powerful tails can sweep entire branches of your Christmas tree clean when greeting you or a guest. Also be aware of the temptation that real candy canes and ornaments made from dough can present to your pet.

While shopping, don’t forget that pets enjoy presents under the tree. New toys and collars are always appreciated. They enjoy unwrapping the present too, just remember to take off the original packing that the gift came in. A new chew toy or bone is particularly good to keep your dog out of mischief while you are away or busy entertaining company.

Dogs and cats give us their unconditional love every day of the year. Let’s not forget to show them our love and appreciation this special time of the year.

The Salem Animal Rescue League wishes you, your family and your pets a very Merry Christmas.

Frostbite - Exposure to cold weather and moisture can result in frostbite - especially for very young, debilitated, or older animals. Your pet may even be in danger in an improperly sized dog house without proper bedding or inside a drafty garage.

Ice and Salt - Salt and chemicals used to melt snow and ice can burn the pads of pets' feet or be ingested later when they groom themselves.

Frozen Lakes and Ponds - Seemingly frozen water may, in fact, be weak. Even strong swimmers tire easily and drown in cold water.

Dogs and cats are companion animals. If it is too cold for you to be out with your pet, maybe your pet should be in with you!

Becoming a member helps us help them. SARL is a tax-exempt, all volunteer organization so all your donations go directly into caring for our needy dogs and cats. We had a lot of medical expenses this past year but thanks to your generosity in the past, we saved a lot of animals that may not have had a chance elsewhere. SARL spoke to hundreds of school-aged children in an attempt to instill in them the love and respect for animals that unfortunately not all children learn at home. Your donation also makes this newsletter possible. Thanks again for your continued support!