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Spirit's Homestretch, Inc., 524 E 27th Street, Owensboro, KY (2024)

08/12/2024

Thank you to the donor who shopped our Chewy wish list. The dogs are grateful!

07/23/2024

Welcome, Maisie! (Stacey posting.) When the director of our local shelter texted me to ask if I had room for this 17-year-old JRT, how could I turn her away? The former owner of Maisie, formerly Babee, could no longer care for her so she ended up at the shelter. I’ve had her a couple of weeks now and she is getting settled in. Her physical exam showed nothing serious, but one of her kidney values was elevated and she definitely needs a dental. We will recheck her kidney value Friday and hopefully it will have improved enough for her to have a dental soon. Maisie has some rather significant cognitive issues which may affect her quality of life sooner rather than later, but I will do everything I can to make her last weeks good ones.

06/18/2024

Dog days of summer

05/29/2024

There are two little white fluffy dogs who live at my house. (Stacey posting.)

Torrie, my toy poodle, stayed inside while I watered my flowers tonight as she usually does, enjoying a pre-bedtime nap in her fuzzy bed between my pillows.

Oliver joined me outside to supervise, which he did while sitting in a mud puddle.

04/08/2024

Thank you to the stealthy donor who left a large box of towels on Stacey’s porch. You didn’t trip the doorbell cam so I don’t know who to thank, but I appreciate the towels and the dogs have enjoyed the toys you tucked in. 🙂

03/23/2024

Shirley posting.

Happy 20th Birthday, Jasmine!

In March of 2016, I still had three very senior cats, and although I intended to keep and love them until they went to the bridge, I was not going to replace them. I was gradually going in the direction of having a houseful of senior dogs. While shopping at PetSmart one evening, I went by to look at the kittens – always safe because I certainly couldn’t get a kitten with all the dogs in the house. NO, NO, NO – a beautiful calico cat who was 12 years old! Not fair, SPARKY. I never saw her face that night, because it was buried in a corner of the cage.

Heavy hearted, but full of resolve, I left and took my purchases home. After 30 minutes at home, the resolve had dissipated, and my heart was lightening as I called SPARKY and told them I would bring Jasmine home the next day.

She has been the most wonderful cat. She loves everybody, quietly stays in the bedroom portion of the house, sleeps with us, and often amuses us. She has been our only cat for 5 years now, and what a treasure she is. Thank you, SPARKY.

03/11/2024

Welcome, Oliver! (Stacey posting.) This 12-year-old little cutie found himself back at the local shelter from which he’d been adopted many years ago. Sadly, one of his elderly owners passed away and the other was too ill to give Oliver the care he needed.

Oliver has been here for a couple of weeks now and is feeling a lot better. Thanks to meds which the shelter prescribed and provided, plus further treatment from my vet, Oliver’s skin is much better. He’s also had his nails trimmed, numerous medicated baths, and a dental. Other than his skin he is in good shape.

As he has started feeling better his sweet and sassy personality has really come out. He gets along well with all the other dogs and loves nothing more than to sit with me to watch tv and then go to bed on my pillow. ❤️❤️

01/26/2024

Many thanks to the ladies who dropped off a new bed, canned food, towels, and bedding. Torrie is ecstatic to have a bed that matches her. All the dogs will enjoy the food and bedding. Thank you!!

11/11/2023

Frankie and Teddy

10/25/2023

Normally the pantry is gated off from the dogs, but when I left it open briefly Frankie seized the opportunity. He climbed several plastic totes (which are not in the camera shot) and made his way onto the counter where the container of oats was (not its usual spot).

10/17/2023

Torrie was expressing her indignation at how long she was kept waiting for her breakfast. I stopped meal prep long enough to sneak in and snap a picture of her. As soon as I did, she whipped her head around and gave me some serious attitude. Little diva! 🤣❤️

08/04/2023

(Shirley posting)

Welcome, Sadie.
I know, I know – 5 was my new limit, and Sadie makes 6. But who could refuse that face! Sadie is a 14 yr. old Shih Tzu from the Animal Shelter. The original owner – now out of state – was located, but the poor dog went through several hands before being turned in as a stray.

I brought her home, took her to the yard. She walked around for a couple of minutes, then came in, walked around inside for a couple of minutes, examined the dog beds, then claimed HERS. She gets along with all the other dogs, does great with everybody, eats well, and just seems to know this is her forever home.

Sadie had a fantastic new dog exam. She is HW negative, f***l negative, bloodwork is good, heart is good, teeth are acceptable – I was saying “Are you sure you have the right dog?” All in all, I’m happy to have broken another of my rules.

08/01/2023

Pre-rinse cycle in Shirley’s kitchen.

07/14/2023

There are usually beds on the deck but even when there are not, some of these insane dogs want to lie in the hot sun for a while.

06/15/2023

(Shirley posting)

Actually this is the second one - look below for the first one.

06/15/2023

(Shirley posting)

Video of Pepper Jack. He won't cross barriers going forward. Hysterical!

06/15/2023

(Shirley posting)

Some of my favorite recent photos

05/26/2023

Loving this perfect weather

04/20/2023

Shirley posting.

Welcome, Sawyer (formerly Apache).

Saturday morning, Wayne and I were sitting at the table drinking coffee. I had fed our four dogs, and remarked how easy it was. They were all agreeable, ate well, didn’t require a lot of meds, and we probably needed to keep it that way.

About 30 minutes later, Wayne was gone to his son’s for their Saturday morning time together, and Stacey forwarded me a post from Kristi Bellamy Palazzi about Apache, a 10-year old beagle at DCAS. Within minutes I had checked with Wayne, who gave me a hard time which I gave back, until he said “Why on earth did you bother calling me?” I said, “So I could say I checked with you before I said Yes.” He laughed, and Apache – renamed Sawyer – was ours. I had him home by late morning.

He is heartworm positive, has bad dental disease, and has a tick- borne disease (ehrlichia). He has a bad cough, which is most likely due to the heart worms. If more is involved, the Doxycycline he is on as pre-treatment for heart worms will treat that as well.

He is wonderful, so sweet and loving. He’s really enjoying the big back yard, the soft beds and sofas, the regular meals, the laps. He was a stray, and had been at the shelter for over 3 weeks. How could nobody come looking for him? Fellow dog lovers know my secret, unprintable thoughts.

We love him, and are happy with our slightly larger family.

04/14/2023

Shirley posting.

Who prepares Pepper Jack's every meal?
I do.

Who gives PJ treats on a regular basis?
I do.

Who carries PJ outside and back in several times a day?
I do.

Who interprets PJ's barks and stance and lifts him to the seat of his choice?
I do.

Who does Pepper Jack cuddle with every chance he gets?
Wayne

Of course.

04/02/2023

Welcome and Happy Birthday to Lucy! (Stacey posting.) Lucy arrived recently, just in time to celebrate her 15th birthday with us. Lucy’s dad had a stroke and was no longer able to care for her. His daughter, who lives out of town, reached out to our shelter for help. Our shelter director contacted me and, well, you know the rest. 🙂 Lucy has adjusted beautifully, especially after having been an only dog all her life. She is one of the most easy-going dogs I’ve met. I’m still in contact with her previous owner’s daughter and it is our plan for her to pick up Lucy when she’s in town and take her to visit her dad.

Lucy has had good veterinary care all her life but she does need a dental, which is scheduled for Tuesday. Other than that, our only concern is a suspicious area that X-rays showed in the area of her spleen. Whatever it is, it’s not causing any issues at the moment so we’ll watch and wait for now. If she looks a little curvy in the pictures, that’s because she is. She is on a sensible weight loss plan now.

Lucy is a smart, sweet little girl and I’m glad she’s part of the family.

We could use some funds for her dental. You can use the donate button on our page (which I cannot find to add to this post) or you can send it via PayPal to paypal.me/spiritshomestretch

[email protected] Thanks so much!

03/28/2023

Shirley posting.

Goodbye, Max.

This has been another heartbreaking loss. Wayne had Max from the time Max was 10 months old. He and Jerri got Molly about a year later, and I’ve never seen two more closely bonded dogs.

For 13 years, Max was a rambunctious, outgoing, loving, wonderful dog. Quite suddenly last Tuesday night, his heart gave out. He spent most of the day Wednesday and Thursday at the veterinary hospital, all of us hoping against hope the meds would work their miracle. They did not, and Friday we had to let him go.

Max loved everybody (but always, especially, Wayne), and he got along well with the other dogs. He enjoyed being outside, and liked the freedom of our big backyard. With his almost incessant barking, he kept all monsters away with the help of the other dogs. We used to get irritated at times with the barking, but what we wouldn’t give to hear it now!

Max liked to be covered when sleeping, and learned quite early to wriggle under one of the many blankets always available. We often spent some time searching for him until we saw a blanket move on an “empty” bed.

You and Molly are back together, sweet boy. Enjoy your days in the sun and garden, and keep it safe as you did for us. You were much loved, and we miss you terribly.

03/22/2023

Godspeed, Maxwell. (Stacey posting.) A few short months was all we had together but what a hole he has left in my heart. Maxwell did great for most of the time he was here, but then he lost the use of his back legs. While he was amenable to being helped walk with a towel under his belly, he was unable to get out of his own mess if he had an accident in his bed. When dignity and quality of life are so compromised, it is time to make that decision. Maxwell passed quickly and peacefully, having known nothing but comfort and peace and love during his time with me. I miss him. 💔

02/27/2023

Shirley posting.

Welcome – and Goodbye – Piper.

The first week in February, we lost two dogs and took in two new dogs. Since then, we remarked often on how easy the current five dogs were, and how we needed to maintain the status quo. How ridiculous; we should know ourselves better by now. Within a couple of hours of getting a text from DCAS about a pitiful Lhasa Apso last Thursday, we had made her ours.

Piper was originally picked up as a stray, but the owner was located and declared she didn’t want the dog anymore. Piper was emaciated, her long hair was one solid mat, and her mouth was awful. A vet appointment the next day unfortunately confirmed that the dog had a very limited time to spend with us. She was in extreme kidney failure, and nothing could help that.

She had a long-acting antibiotic shot for her dental disease, and we gave her fluids just to help her feel better. Stacey shaved her well, and then bathed her. I won’t go into detail, but she was unbelievably dirty.

Then we loved, and loved, and loved on her. My Stacey and Wayne’s Dana did their part to show her what loving treatment was like.

Sadly, she had a seizure Saturday night, and a much worse one this morning. In light of all that, we decided to let her go. I had hoped for a few weeks, but that was simply not to be.

Run and frolic and enjoy yourself, little girl. Spend time remembering your last few days of affection rather than the years of neglect. You have a very special place in our hearts.

02/23/2023

Welcome, Patches! (Stacey posting.) This fluffy little Maltese is 13 years old and was surrendered to the shelter by his elderly owner who came to the decision she could no longer give him the care he needed. Patches is an affectionate boy who loves nothing more than to be carried and held 24/7. He is gradually getting a little more independent. He is totally relaxed with his new, large family. Of course he needs a dental but that may not be possible because his kidneys are not working as well as they should be. We’ll do our best to manage both situations and keep him as happy and healthy as possible. In the meantime I’m getting used to doing a lot of things single-handedly while holding him. ❤️

02/09/2023

Here's a quick and easy way to support both Spirit's Homestretch and a woman-owned small business - Steph's Crafting Bits. She will donate a portion of your purchase to Spirit's Homestretch if you just mention our name at the time of purchase. 😀

02/09/2023

(Shirley posting)

Welcome, Feisty AND Pepper Jack.

Stacey described last week for me as a roller coaster, and that it was. We let Toffee go on Tuesday afternoon, adopted Feisty Friday morning, let Tyson go Friday afternoon, and adopted Pepper Jack Saturday morning. Oh my – I’m still reeling.

Feisty is a 10-year-old black chihuahua whose owner was homeless. We got her from the Daviess County Animal Shelter. (Thanks, Ashley.) I don’t know how long, or how bad it was (I like to think the owner was staying with friends rather than living on the street), but it was no situation for a pet. We haven’t been able to have the initial exam yet, but we see no major issues. She is underweight, but shouldn’t be for long the way she’s eating.

She is super sweet, loves everybody, and wants to be wherever we are, preferably on the couch beside us.

Pepper Jack is a 12-year-old black and white papillon. He was the only pet of a woman who had to go into a nursing home. He was in several homes before Robin Dance of Pay It Forward (Henderson) saw to it that he came here. A special thanks to the lady who had boarded him before, and was keeping him until he found us.

Many times I have observed that the pets that had the best homes are the hardest to adjust. I think Pepper Jack misses his mom terribly, and will take a while to fully accept us. He is not a problem, but wants very little handling so far. He does ask to be lifted to the love seat, his throne. One funny thing – he does not like the metal strip across the floor for the sliding door, and more than once has approached it, and then turned around and backed out of it. He prefers being carried out and back in.

We love them both, and look forward to many good times with them.

02/06/2023

(Shirley posting)

Goodbye, Tyson.

Last Friday, just two days after losing Toffee, I had to let Tyson go.
Tyson came to us almost two years ago because of a change in living situations of some of his family. Robin Dance of Henderson’s Pay It Forward heard about him, and made sure he didn’t spend even one night without a warm, loving home.

He was a long-haired chihuahua, one of the most beautiful dogs we’ve had. He was always a bit of a challenge – never ate particularly well, growled at any dog who invaded his personal space (which was just about anywhere he could see), and always suffered from a previously broken, poorly healed elbow that was arthritic.

He didn’t like being picked up, but came to us frequently for petting and rubbing. He eventually learned to use steps to get on the love seat, and claimed that as his. He really liked it when I joined him there.

In the last half-year, he developed a heart problem which escalated rapidly. When his coughing and breathing became troublesome, we had to let him go. I’m not sure he ever before had the total love and respect that we tried to give him, and I think we gave him the best possible two years he could have had.

Run and leap free of all pain, my beautiful boy. Chase the butterflies. You were a much-loved part of this family.

02/03/2023

Welcome, Maxwell. (Stacey posting.) This stunning 12-year-old was seized by deputies in a neighboring county for being outside with no shelter in the frigid temps we had a few weeks ago. Maxwell’s owner agreed he could not provide the care Maxwell needed so he relinquished him. Thanks to folks from that county’s shelter and the rescue group from whom Maxwell was originally adopted, he found his way to me. It truly takes a village.

Maxwell is healthy except for one major issue - he has a large tumor in his colon which protrudes from his a**s. It is not bothering him now. Both his appetite and his bowel movements are normal. As long as that continues to be the case, he will get all the loving and spoiling he can put up with. He is getting along famously with his new large family, and I adore him.

02/01/2023

Goodbye, Toffee.

Toffee, my approximately 17 year-old Chihuahua, was the longest- term dog I’ve had, acquired as a 3-4 year-old before I started concentrating on seniors. Like Mary Poppins, the wind blew her in one terrible, stormy June afternoon in 2009. She appeared on the porch of Stacey’s employers, putting her one phone call and one email away from becoming my forever baby.

She has gone by many names in her time with me, among them Wild Child, Miss Insanity, and – all too often – That Damned Dog. She once stole a chicken breast from my TV tray, and ate every bite while I was chasing her around the house. She leapt high enough to sn**ch a piece of cheese from a sandwich I was making at the counter. She got half a pizza with 3 adults standing right there “guarding”. At least three times she’s had to be taken to the vet to induce vomiting.

But she’s also the one who would climb in my lap, puts her paws on my chest while she gazed at me, then collapse against me in the best doggy hug you could ever ask for. She always snuggled against me as I got that extra hour of sleep on the couch after other dogs got me up in the morning. And she taught me to scoot forward in my chair so she could squeeze in behind me as I ate, worked jigsaw puzzles, or wove baskets.

I laughed at my Wild Child, I shared funny stories about Miss Insanity, and I loved That Damned Dog beyond all reason. Age finally caught up with her in spite of my admonitions to stay young forever, and I had to love her enough to let her go.

Get back to your crazy antics, little girl. Keep them guessing and laughing at the Bridge. You haven’t left a hole in my heart – you’ve left a chasm.

08/12/2024

07/23/2024

06/18/2024

05/29/2024

04/08/2024

03/23/2024

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01/26/2024

11/11/2023

10/25/2023

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07/14/2023

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02/01/2023

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