So: vaccination station

Yes, another long absence and I’m now in Boston Don’t worry, being busy keeps me out of trouble, the garden is growing like a weed patch, the Gs are all doing great, and Bruce has everything under control.  This time after a long pause, I’ve got several great stories to share and you’re going to get a couple of posts in a row.

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Our Gidget is a former street dog that was rescued by an organization called Duck Team 6. If you remember her story, she was found under a church in a part of Dallas where the residents often have to scrape by.

Duck Team 6 is a group of friends who have experience rescuing dogs from the streets. They are not a rescue group per se but really work with other groups to find homes for these dogs who have been dumped or who have been born to street dog parents. They also do community outreach and help people who have dogs keep them fed and safe. The folks who run the organization and the army of volunteers behind them work very hard to help both people and dogs.

In our spare time (mostly on weekends), Bruce and I have been helping them out. We’ve been to community events with “Duck” dogs who need to find homes and we answer people’s questions about the animals.

Last week (during the week!) we also bagged donated dog food:

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The Gs were pretty excited about what we brought home in the truck, but none of us were prepared for how much dog food we would be bagging:

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We thought we had 250 pounds but we had a bunch more. We ended up bagging almost 150 gallon sized zipped bags with the donated food. These would be given out at last weekend’s outreach event.

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Gidget was very pleased with our hard work (her tail is a blur because it’s wagging). She and George were the clean up crew for any pieces that missed the table or a bag and fell on the floor. They certainly did a lot of sampling. Godiva couldn’t have cared less; Guinness only sampled if the pieces landed near his front paws (he was sleeping next to the dining room table).

So then, we decided that we’d help at the actual event on Saturday. The event was a pop up free vaccination clinic where neighborhood residents could get free shots, free dog food, free leashes and collars, free flea prevention, free hay for dog houses, free nail trims (you may recognize the nail trimmer, Bruce cut the nails of nearly 60 dogs of all sizes):

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line up was long but everyone was patient (photo courtesy of Duck Team 6)

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If you look carefully, you’ll see me holding a clipboard. My job was greeting people and patients and checking them in. (photo courtesy of Duck Team 6)

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(photo courtesy of Duck Team 6)

photos by Teresa McClure

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Bruce doing pedicures (photo courtesy of Duck Team 6)

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Expert hands (photo courtesy of Duck Team 6)

Duck Team 6 expected a much smaller turn out than they ended up having. Over 150 dogs were vaccinated (and a few cats too). And more people kept showing up! So there will be another clinic in December and more happy people with their beloved pets protected against a host of medical issues.

Of course, none of this is without expense. Duck Team 6 is a very small not-for-profit, run by friends, supported by volunteers.

If you are interested in learning more about the great work that they’re doing in Dallas, like Duck Team 6 on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DuckTeam6) or supporting the upcoming December pop-up clinic with a tax-deductible donation, visit their website (www.duckteam6.org)

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14 thoughts on “So: vaccination station

    • Thank you! It’s a way we, the Mortroski Midcentury, is giving back. Godiva is a rescue. Guinness is a stray (he was heartworm+ and a neurological issue), George was a rescue, Gidget was a rescue. We will keep helping until we aren’t needed.

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    • Locally, yes, we are getting great pr especially for this effort. Just because people don’t have cash doesn’t mean they don’t want their pets to have medical care. Truly it is often the difference between bills and the animal. Duck Team 6 is making it so the people don’t have to choose.

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      • Yes, a real change from what’s usually the story. Keeping a family’s pet(s) in their family vs making a family give up their 4-legged family member. You can see the love in the photos. These dogs are all important and loved. And just like for their people, preventative medical care is something desired, just not affordable. These animals were washed, brushed, dressed. The people wanted the volunteers to know how important they were and how loved they were. Bruce could tell you that leashes and collars brought tears to many people’s eyes since they were so nice and looked nice on the dog. A small thing, but a symbol of how special that dog was to the person. And his nail care training didn’t fall on deaf ears; many people truly did not know how to trim their dog’s nails.

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  1. You and B kick ass! We love you guys. I wish I were rich and could donate enough to make Duck Team not worry about finances. I would do it in a heartbeat. Keep it up my friends, keep it up!!

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  2. Amazing and thank you for sharing the experience & the photos….had lunch today with a friend who adopted a rescue last year from a northern community going through tough times. You are supporting such an amazing cause!

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  3. Alas. I wrote a big, long comment and it looks like it didn’t go through. Essentially, I wanted to say that I think Bruce should be the next patron Saint of Dogs (if they don’t already have one). We know what a chore it is to perform “pawdicures” on our two; I can’t imagine doing 60! In one day no less! It is such an important, but frequently neglected, part of doggie health too — when the nails are too long they can catch them on rough surfaces and rip open their paws. George and I are both incredibly proud of the two of you for donating your time and talents and treasure to to make the canine community a little better. I hope you both realize that your good example is contagious too. I know you inspire not only George and me, but many, many others to help our furry friends by giving as selflessly as we can to help our furry friends. Good job, friends! Reagan and Maggie send their special kind of kisses too!

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