Massive, massive trigger warnings here.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Sexual Assault
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Massive, massive trigger warnings here. But holy damn, this speaks for itself. Amanda Palmer never fails to make her point.

Kind of graphic but she's ok.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Graphic Photos, Animal... Discomfort?
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Kind of graphic but she's ok. It's just too interesting not to share.

I scanned the comments and got the story:

This girl was eating a rabbit and her tooth got stuck in it - causing her head to be swallowed (into her own self) with it. 😳😳😳 She righted herself after a while without her human having to help. He said he wouldn't have known what to do, anyway.

I'm glad she survived. I wonder how often this happens...

Snakes are weird. I don't know what I'd do if I found our Bruce in this situation. Probably call 911. 😂😂😂

Credit:  Luke Roland Martin on Facebook

So, Balthazar just bit through my fingernail.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Blood
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So, Balthazar just bit through my fingernail. It hurts, a lot, but the popping sound it made when it happened was nauseating. Maybe he agrees on that last bit because he ran and barfed right after.

He's normally a nibbly cat. This time, he chomped. 😳😦 RUDE.

I had to clip Faith's toenails.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Blood
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I had to clip Faith's toenails. I quicked her. So. much. blood. I feel terrible. 😭

This isn't nail art, but I'm proud of it anyway.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Minor (non-bloody) Nail Trauma
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This isn't nail art, but I'm proud of it anyway. One of these nails is a reconstruction. As most everyone knows I struggle with psoriatic disease. Sometimes it attacks my bones. Since I was 13 or so, it has attacked my skin. Over the last couple of years I've had 2 fingernails affected.

I think it's pretty obvious which nail is fake (the pointer finger), but I feel that at a glance it's not noticeable. I know it's not perfect, but I'm not upset. This was my first attempt at sculpting with hard gel. Also, more importantly - having this protection over my damaged nail is a lot more comfortable and is preventing additional damage from snags.

Wearing Light of Lyra by Tonic. Picture of the nail damage below the next paragraph (it's not gory, but just FYI in case you are bothered by that).

This is the reconstructed nail without polish. As you can see, my actual nail is trimmed short and then cut away almost down to the cuticle where it had lifted away from the nail plate. Believe it or not, it was really sore before I cut away all of the un-attached nail. Since psoriasis makes cells reproduce too fast, there was pressure and buildup under the nail. Removing it didn't hurt at all and made it feel a lot better, but left it vulnerable to snags and I was constantly messing with it. Now it is protected.

Since the gel is clear I can remove the polish to check on how my nail is doing. If the pressure from the psoriasis returns I can easily remove the gel, clean my nail plate, and replace it. Added bonus is that I can make it look super similar to my other nails while I wait for it grow out. 😊

Kitten situation:

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse
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Kitten situation:

I was in the left lane getting ready to pass someone.  There was a car in front of me, but not super close.  If I'm not mistaken it was red.  Next thing I know a kitten comes flying back towards my car.  I hit the brakes.  I saw it on the side of the road.  Young, white and orange and brown, blue eyes.  I stopped so close to it because it was right on the edge of the road.  I hesitated because I don't want someone to plow into me.  I panicked; couldn't find emergency flashers.  Said "screw it" and open the door.  No kitten.  My assumption was that it went under my car and hid.  Could not find it there.  Looked in the median.  Called my mom.  Moved my car out of the road.  Looked under it some more.  Looked across the road.  Took my car (super slowly) to Hero's parking lot to get out of the grass and away from the traffic noise to look some more.  Had to come home because the sun makes me sick. Looked on opposite side of the road on the way home.  Cannot find it.  Questioning my sanity.

This old asshole...

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse
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This old asshole farmer just tortured a wasp in front of me. He pulled his stinger out and then said "Look at my pet." 🙁 I told him that wasn't nice so he pulled its head off. I guess that was a quick death, at least. But my heart hurts and I'm sad.

This is a great example of why I hate people.

I feel traumatized.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Mutilation

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I feel traumatized. I think I just saw half a dog. 🙁

Local people:  If you are on Noble Street down where that light is on Greenbrier behind the Kangaroo... That's where it is - on the railroad gravel. Avoid it or check it out - whatever you need to do. I was on my way to work and couldn't stop, but he can't be alive. I can't tell if he's actually in half or partially buried, but it didn't look gorey just driving by.

Shaun left Dad's BBQ on Noble where we met for lunch a few minutes after me. I had to call him and ask him to look as he went by to make sure I saw what I saw. Unfortunately, I am not being crazy this time. 🙁

If anyone is missing a bull dog or boxer (or some other stocky, short-haired breed), make sure it wasn't yours. He was brown and white.

This is the sad little face of an animal who has not been properly cared for. 🙁

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Neglect

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This is the sad little face of an animal who has not been properly cared for.  🙁

This little box turtle came to me today from my friend who works in a pet store.  Some dude had been asking for months, (it seems like, anyway), for her to take some turtles from him.  She finally relented and when she picked them up this past weekend they were in less than stellar shape.

This guy, along with 2 other box turtles and a red foot tortoise, had all been living in a 75 gallon tank together.  That is very much NOT ok for a few different reasons.

His shell is so soft on the underneath that you can dent it with your finger.  His nails are clearly overgrown, and some are completely missing, leading me to believe they probably broke off down in the quick from being so long.  His beak is also overgrown, and his (or her - not even the vet could tell) tail seems to be partially missing or disfigured.

My friend took him to see Dr. Atlas today and he thinks that with proper care, lighting, and nutrition, he will be ok.  I really hope so, but I gotta say - I put him in his new home 2 hours ago and he hasn't moved once.  He is the definition of pitiful right now.  🙁

The reason I am posting him in my rehab album is because he very well might be native to here (we are not sure yet, but better safe than sorry), in which case I shouldn't have him without a permit.  But I have no intentions of dealing with conservation so that's why I'm not posting him for all the world to see.

Anyway, send this little dude all the good vibes.  I'm about to stick him in a warm bath and see if that perks him up some.

I also have the red foot, but I'll post pics of him later.  I was planning to just foster him, but Shadow (much to my surprise) seems to want to keep him.  We'll see.

It is really unfortunate...

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Death, Neglect
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It is really unfortunate, but this happens. It is the main reason I FREAK THE HELL OUT anytime one of my dogs gets loose. Hokes Bluff PD is investigating, but I am not sure that this person did anything illegal. 

Just because you love your pets and think that everything they do is cute does not mean that everyone will be amused by their shenanigans.  Same goes for your kids. Please try to respect other people's property and space. 

For the record - I am NOT condoning the shooter's actions, but the owners should be held responsible for their hand in this, too. Everyone likes to ignore it because this is "the country," but there ARE leash laws in this state.

Thank goodness!

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse

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Thank goodness!

THEY GOT HIM! 😃

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse
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THEY GOT HIM!  😃

😳 Don't read if you have a weak stomach.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Injury

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😳  Don't read if you have a weak stomach.

I just got 7 maggots out of Orange's genital area.  We are both soaking wet with saline, but we made progress.  I used a saline flush, tweezers and cottons swabs to get the maggots once they started coming out.  They weren't just rinsing off - once they came out, it looked at though they were looking for another entrance to go in.  Blegh.  🙁

He's currently resting and drying off, and I'm sitting here shaking, feeling so grossed out and worried.  What an evening.

On the bright side he seems to be a little fighter.  I know that couldn't have felt good, and he wasn't afraid to let me know it.  I hope that's a good sign.  I'm gonna Google kitten care real quick while he rests, and hope he will eat for me.  He wasn't that into it earlier, but maybe he worked up an appetite while fighting me.  ❤

Photos from our Spay / Neuter Day

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Surgery
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Photos from today:

1 cat being neutered to the left, 1 dog being prepped to the right and 2 dogs in the surgical room.

Dr. Susan C LeCoq waiting for her next neuter patient with Blu, Will, and Angela Dodd! We could not perform this great service without the competent volunteers and staff.

Fred Womack and Dr. Barry G Nicholls neutered many cats.

Brandy Nelson recovering a lab and patiently waiting for extubation of his endotracheal tube.

The surgical site has been prepped and he will be transferred to the surgical suite. Ace Herring RN

Dr. Ashley Crow performs many of the neuters during our 50 pet neuter day. Thanks S.A.V.E.

Patricia Womack preparing the surgical site with assistance from Ace Herring RN

I guess I'm behind on everything...

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Bite
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I guess I'm behind on everything because I only just now saw the video of the news anchor being bitten in the face.  All I can say is that I wouldn't have been in his face.  Probably not even petting him.  I'm glad that she's ok and I hope that he doesn't end up put down over that.  He was too stressed to be in that situation.  His owner should have left him home.  🙁

To all of my friends who have heard about the horrible shelter abuse:

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse
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To all of my friends who have heard about the horrible shelter abuse, please be aware that I know about it (and don't need reminding of the torture that has been inflicted upon those poor souls).  More importantly, I would like to point out that it is NOT the shelter I have volunteered for.  They would NEVER treat an animal inhumanely.  I know many of the workers personally and they all stretch and give more than their job duties call for.  Their hearts are in their work and it shows.  Please do not confuse them with the House of Horrors on Morrisville Road.

I was not going to post this girl on the internet, but...

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse
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ADOPTED 10/07/11 - 

I was not going to post this girl on the internet, but I'm getting desperate.  Any bully lovers out there?  I have this amazing girl who has gone through so much and I would love to see her with a happy ending to her tale.  However, I have dominant females here and that isn't working out.  Here is a detailed bio:

Meet Olive. I've had this girl since July 10th. I picked her up from a guy who said she just wandered up as a stray and that since he didn't like dogs he punched her in the face. Her eye was, and still is, swollen. Sometimes it is gooey. She will go belly-up if a man approaches her so I have to feel like she has, indeed, been abused or mistreated by a man. Despite that she shows no aggression towards people. She is very sweet, always happy to see you, and will give you the gentlest kisses ever. I'm thinking she is an American Bull Dog mix, maybe a year or two old.

Olive is spayed, up-to-date on shots, de-wormed, heartworm negative, and on prevention. She is house-trained, crate-trained, and ok on a leash. I have cats and she never bothers them, though I have never left her alone with them. She likes other dogs and likes to play. Her best bud would get her by the back leg and just drag her outside to wrestle and she loved it. She is not generally dog-aggressive, but if someone growls at her first she will fight - and fight to finish it. She is not necessarily a dominant female - one of my personal dogs dominates her all the time. But if someone tries to run her away from food, water, or toys, it's on. She either needs to be the only dog or paired with a submissive dog in a home where the interactions can be supervised.

Olive cannot be left alone in a fence all day. She WILL find a way out even with an electric line along the top. If you tie her out she will bark non-stop and run to the end of the line over and over, climbing things, tearing up things - whatever she can do to get loose. You will not get a minute's peace. I can't blame her - I wouldn't want to be tied out alone, either. But, she does well in her crate, will just go in when I call her to it, and doesn't make a fuss. It would probably be best if she was crated when left home alone.

Olive is a funny, goofy girl. She loves to play in the water and ride in the car. She likes hugs and really wants a human to call her own. She is a great dog, but due to the personality clash between her and some of my permanent dogs I need to find her a home ASAP. I don't want to take her to the shelter because as a bully breed she will be put down almost immediately. She deserves more than that. Please share her and help me find it.

This is Dahlia, my latest bag of bones.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Neglect

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This is Dahlia, my latest bag of bones. I found her wandering down Noble Street (with no ID or collar, of course) on my way home from work yesterday (10/01/10). She was near the new Dollar General. I parked there and tried to encourage her to come to me, but she walked away. When I walked towards her, she walked away faster. 🙁 I thought she would be too skittish to ever to come to me and considered just leaving her be, but I couldn't just drive away. I don't understand how anyone can do that.

So, I drove my car a little closer, turned it off, and opened the door. I talked to her and she finally approached me and let me pet her. She started to walk away several times, but I called her back and each time she returned. Finally, she licked me so I took that as a sign that she wanted to get in my car.

She ate and drank a LOT when I got her home. She was nice for her bath. I think she's young - less than a year old. She appears to have never had a litter of pups, but I highly doubt that she's spayed. Very sweet, and so far - gets along great with my other dogs. Definitely a large breed something or other. Also, no accidents in the house so far.

Hedgie update... not a happy ending, unfortunately. :(

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Neglect, Self-Harm
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Ok, so the hedgehog had to be put down. It was really sad (especially after getting my hopes up that she'd be fine). After the initial vet trip she did really well for a few days and we all thought she'd just heal up and be 3-legged, which was cool. But suddenly she started eating another leg. SEVERIOUSLY. Jeni took her to the vet again who put her on antibiotics, but by that night she'd pretty much destroyed that leg. She chewed it all night and screamed the whole time. 😨😭

I slept on the couch with the tv on, but I could still hear her and I felt pretty sick that I couldn't do anything for her right then. By the next day when we finally got her to the vet to be put down she'd finished that leg and started ANOTHER. The vet said that all he could figure would be nerve damage from the initial wound... so that sucked. She pretty much felt that she was in pain the whole time and I really hate that. Not that it's much of a plus, but it was pretty interesting to see her walk on two legs, both on the same side. She totally did and I was kind of amazed. So yeah... that's the story.

Putting it all out there.

TRIGGER WARNING:  Animal Abuse, Animal Neglect
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I've got mud all over me... on my pants, my jacket, in the creases of my fingernails. I'm tired. We've been working in the yard all day, all weekend. All of last weekend, too. My better fence is finally up so that means my little doggie won't be getting out again anytime soon - which is awesome. I think I'm about the only person in the entirety of fucking Anniston who gives a shit about their animals. Oh, I feel a rant coming. This is not what this blog was going to be, but I have a feeling everything I say will lead back to it so why not just let it out. Maybe I'll feel better if I don't hold it in.

Last year I put a fence up. It wasn't the best fence ever, but it was keeping MY dogs in MY yard so that was good enough for me. Well the neighbors to the side of me have a weenie dog named Fred and he began chewing his way in which in turn let my smallest dog out. Believe me when I say that that will not work for me - I've been late to work, I've been out in strange neighborhoods half-dressed in the fucking cold / dark / rain chasing my dog down. I've had to ask directions back to my own house because I've chased him so far. I've walked in the middle of the road so that cars will slow down in case he runs out into the street (that may seem like overkill, but fuck it's a small residential road - people shouldn't be driving so fast anyway). The point is I do these things because I love my dogs and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do everything in my power to protect them. The moment I took each of them in that was my promise to do whatever I had to to keep them safe, healthy, and happy.

Anyway, I talked to the neighbors several times about keeping Fred in their yard and they said they would, but they didn't. I patched that hole I don't even know how many times. I finally called and filed a police report, because it was getting ridiculous and they finally started chaining their dog when he was out almost all of the time. But we all know almost doesn't count, right?

Hey, you want to hear a story about a cat now? Fred's owners have a lot of cats at their house. One night like at 2 am I went to take out the trash and I saw this black and white kitten come up to me. I reached down to pet her and she started purring. I turned to walk away and she tried to follow me and I realized that she couldn't walk. She was dragging herself with her front legs. Apparently, she'd been hit and no one was going to take her to the vet. Her bottom was swollen and raw from dragging on the ground. I freaked out and took her into my house. "Pet me, love me, don't treat me like I'm worthless." That's all she fucking wanted. She was the absolute sweetest kitten. She would drag her nasty, swollen, leaking bottom up into your lap and roll up and purr like she was in heaven already. Do you know how much it fucking killed me to have to have her put down? And you know what else? Her owners didn't even ask where she was.

Despite living REALLY close to the road it didn't seem to bother Fred's family that they let him run loose and that he could be smashed into dead pretty easily. Same with the neighbors across the street. Their little dog, Molly, met her doom last night. I knew it was coming and I shooed her out of the road every single time I saw here there. After weeks and weeks of hearing tires screeching and horns honking I knew she wouldn't be so lucky forever. My heart broke a little for Molly, but I was more angry at her people for letting it happen. It was completely preventable. She was an indoor dog, but no one bothered to chase her down when she would get out.

Animal rights, animals laws, why didn't I do something? Because all of that shit is imaginary in Alabama. Believe me I've tried to get something done. Oh yeah - there are leash laws which is why I was able to file a report on Fred's family, but mostly it was because he was damaging my property. As for the cat the officer told me that there are no leash laws for cats and that it wasn't cruelty for not getting her medical attention or having her put down because (and I quote) "It's not like they're out there kicking her in the head or something... they just don't have the money." And animal control? Yeah, you call them and they'll tell you that animals are property and they have no jurisdiction over animals that are "owned." "It would be like stealing their car." And yes that is EXACTLY what animal control said when I called.

Hey, but what about exotics? Guess what I have in my house RIGHT NOW. A hedgehog who has chewed her arm into complete mush. Her foot got cut on some glass is what I hear... and the owner didn't have the money to take her to the vet. I understand that - to an extent. But it costs like less than $50 to have such a small animal put down and while that may be a tough call to make it sure as hell beats letting them suffer. So I have her now and it's up to me to figure out what's to become of her. She has rotten, dead flesh hanging from her shoulder. It is MUSH - there is not even bone left. I was trying to clean her and I thought it was poop on her, but then it would NOT come off and upon closer inspection I realized that that is what's left of her goddamn cute tiny paw. (Have you ever seen hedgie feet? They are srsly the cutest). I just picked her up tonight and what I need to know is how you let something get THAT out of hand.

Not that I have the money to be doing all of this, but she's going to the vet in the morning. If there's no help for her at an affordable price then she has to be put down. I'm a single fucking parent with a mortgage and creatures of my own to care for and people come at me with all these sad stories knowing that I will fucking take on their responsibilities because I can't stand the thought of an animal being mistreated or neglected, or suffering. I know I can't save the whole world, but damn it I can help that one. That's my attitude and it gets me into heart wrenching situations EVERY FUCKING TIME. I'm starting to think I'll never learn.

On the off-shot that there is help for her there's a cute, sweet, albino, 3-legged hedgie up for adoption. My house is absolutely packed so she can't stay here for long. If you might be up for taking her or chipping in on her medical bill write me and let me know. I'm going to bed, but I'll check back here in the morning.

P. S. Guess I'll save my happy blog for another day. 😕