With an update on HAPS
Update March 2008 on the 4 dogs that are still in need!Hello, my name is Leanne LaRocca and I work at The Pet Palace in Houston, TX. Saturday, October 27th 2007 was a day that changed my life forever! On that day, I had the privilege and the honor of meeting four precious dogs better known as “The Cave Dogs” from Ethiopia. From that moment on each dog captured both my heart and my soul and I knew without a doubt that they had crossed my path for a reason. They each have made huge strides and have overcome so many obstacles and continue to thrive everyday! What truly amazes me is that even though these babies led a very cruel and miserable life at the hands of man, they each still have such a tremendous amount of love to share back with man! Incredible isn’t? Having now known them for several months, I have a very strong bond with each and I would like to take this opportunity to let you hear and to visualize what their life is like now!
FREE AT LAST--- A NEW BEGINNING
Each Haley, Tommy, Maria and Hana all share one thing in common and that is that they are all fighters and knew if they would just hang on one more day that help would come! That help did come thanks to two very special individuals, Dr. Antennah Roba and Efrem Legase, not to mention so many countless others. It is because of all their dedication and endless work to get the dogs transported to the states, that I am part of their next chapter in their journey to find a loving and permanent home that they can live out the rest of their days with a family that has only unconditional love to give!!!
HALEY
Better known as “wiggle butt” because every time Haley sees anyone or anyone goes to visit her, she wiggles her behind with such excitement! When I first laid my eyes on Haley, I teared up thinking how close to death she was just months before. Quickly, my tears turned into joy when I saw how full of life she was! She was very curious about her new environment and wanted to explore every inch of it including the numerous people who were there for her big arrival at The Pet Palace. She settled right in and seemed very comfortable and at peace with her new life! She started gaining weight which was such a blessing as she was underweight when she arrived. She loves meal times as she knows now that she won’t have to worry about where her next meal will come from!!! You definitely can get her undivided attention with any kind of treats---she loves them! One of her other loves is playing with her toys—for the first time she was interacting with her environment instead of fearing it! She loves rope toys, toys with squeakers, and tennis balls. She will go get the ball, but she hasn’t mastered bringing it back quite yet. That will come soon as she is also very intelligent. She is good at manipulating her environment to get what she wants (pawing, vocalizing…)! One of the cutest times of Haley is when she is sprawled out on her back while playing with her favorite toys. Besides being such an outgoing dog with a lot of personality, she also has a very loving side! There is nothing better to Haley than being loved on and belly rubs! Once again, she will sprawl out on her back and nestle her head into you while she gets pampered! If you stop petting her, she will paw at you----it’s very touching! It’s amazing that she can lay on her back like that as she is displaying that she is learning to trust man and is comfortable in that position! Haley also likes to go on walks. She walks well on the leash except for the occasional pull or two. She loves sniffing everything—very intuitive this one! Haley gets along very well with Hana—they love to run around and chase each other and wrestle! They even enjoy a game of tug-of-war!! I have noticed that when she gets too excited, she tends to play a little rough and tends to nip a little bit. We are working on that—she is getting better! Haley has gotten into the pond at The Pet Palace, but she tends to be a little timid around water for the most part. I truly believe that Haley will thrive in a home as she has come so far in such a short amount of time. She would definitely need a family that had time for her and would give her a lot of attention. She has such a high energy level so she would have to be exercised and played with everyday! Haley hardly ever has accidents inside and for the most part is potty trained as all the dogs are. In closing, Haley is a very well socialized dog who loves to play, but at the same time loves to cuddle and receive lots of TLC!!!
MARIA
Better known as “Ms. Diva” because she acts like a princess and loves to initiate drama with the other dogs! When I first met Maria, I fell in love! She was very confident and comfortable with her new home. She held her tail up high as to say, “I know I look good”! She views herself as high maintenance as she has to be looking her best at all times for whoever is looking her way, especially the boys! She literally prances and has a lot of attitude in her step. She is the smallest of the four, but don’t let that fool you. For a smaller dog, she sure does have a lot of spunk and let me tell you she is very vocal! She is also full of energy and loves to run (she is very fast)! She loves playing with her toys and likes you to play with them with her. Maria can also become overly excited in a short amount of time; she tends to nip quite a bit, but she is working through that. She is very loving and truly enjoys getting attention; however, she is also perfectly content entertaining herself! One her favorite activities are to bark at other dogs nearby! She likes to be noticed and if she is not she will let you know by being very vocal. She has to be aware of her surroundings at all times. When she is in a run with a doggy door, she loves to go outside and sunbathe and to just watch what is happening on the property. Maria also has a hearty appetite—she loves bones! She has also gained weight and looks very healthy. She likes to go for walks off the property and does well on the leash. She is also very curious about her surroundings and loves to explore new places! She has gotten in the water once and seemed like she enjoyed it! She gets along with Tommy as I understand that they shared a home together before their horrible ordeal. I still cannot believe Maria lost her puppies down in The Gido Cave—I believe she would have been an excellent mom because she has such a loving spirit! Maria would benefit from a home that has a lot of activity going on. She would thrive because of her outgoing demeanor—she likes to be the center of attention! She would also benefit because she is so active and needs something going on a lot of the times! She also needs a family who will shower her with love and pay her lots of attention! Maria is a very well-balanced socialized dog!
HANA
Better known as “The Watchful Gentle Soul” because Hana has a lot of love to share with everyone! When I met her, her eyes are what drew me to her! She has one good eye, but the other is partially closed shut (no telling what happened to her). She is not bothered by her eye, but it is a constant reminder of her past. She is still as cute as can be! Regardless, she does not let it hold her back. Just like Haley and Maria, Hana is also very energetic and loves to romp and play. She likes toys and loves to play tug-o-war with Haley. However, sometimes she does tend to get bored with her toys. Her most favorite activity is to be on patrol, she wants to know what is going on all the time. Hana is very observant and responds to everything going on around her. She has to know what dogs are passing and has to make her presence known! She does a lot of vocalizing and barking. She has no aggression issues; she just wants to be recognized and the sight of another dog truly excites her! Sometimes she will get too excited and wear herself down quickly. I believe that Hana would be great with other dogs because she is so playful and charismatic! She loves to run and is interested in just having a good time! She is very easing going and does not meet a stranger! She is so sweet and loyal that she truly can be considered man’s best friend. Again, Hana lead a very cruel life at the hand of man, but she is still willing to reach out to the very ones’ that hurt and neglected her! She has learned to trust again and this is truly a miracle considering all that she has been through! She loves to receive lots of TLC, but on her own terms. You can be in the middle of loving on her and if she sees or hears something more interesting, she off to check it out! She has a hearty appetite, but is not real crazy over treats. She does enjoy chewing on bones and chewies. Hana also loves to sunbathe outside her run—she loves the outdoors!!! She is not great on walks as she tends to pull quite a bit. We are working on loose leash walking; she is doing a little better. It’s just going to take some time! I think she just gets so excited because of all the stimuli around her—it’s a lot for her to process! Believe it or not, Hana loves taking pictures—she loves to pose and is very photogenic! We have gotten some excellent shots of her! I believe that Hana’s family should also be active and have the time to spend quality time with her. She would benefit from someone who loves the outdoors and that would take her along. She also needs a lot of attention and people to spoil her!
TOMMY
Better known as “The Survivor and The Protector”, Tommy has had the most obstacles to overcome and he has truly proved himself as a true survivor because he has had the will to live! He is very loyal and a great companion and would protect his owner at all costs. When I first met Tommy, he was very timid and very gentle. He seemed to be the most skeptical of the four—not to say that he was not sweet and loving, he was. He was just so passive and shy, unlike the other three. His past was haunting him and he was not as trusting toward man as the others. He held his distance, but at the same time he would crave attention, but only on his own terms. With Tommy, you have to use kid gloves. In other words, let him go at his own pace to feel more comfortable! It took me awhile to learn this. Tommy does not like surprises—he wants to know what is going on at all times! If he does not, then his insecurity increases and he is more likely to strike out. For instance, I use a clip leash with him, but before I put it on, I let him sniff it for a minute to ease his insecurity. I would not suggest trying to leash Tommy too quickly—if he is not ready he will bite at the leash and growl intensely. He does display some aggression behaviors which we have been addressing, but it is going to be ongoing with him. I soon found out about Tommy’s hips and back—it seems as he has bad hips and a bad back. It then occurred to me that Tommy’s behavior very likely could be the result of the intense pain he was feeling. Again, more reason to go at his pace! Several months went by, Tommy’s behavior was improving, but he still had his moments. I really started to bond with him—I would lie in the grass with him while giving him lots of TLC. I talked to him, I cried with him and I laughed with him. He is the most loving and gentle little boy I have ever met! His spirit was starting to heal and his very cruel past was slowly escaping his memory!!! He was now being shown real compassion and love and I believe Tommy understood that I was different from the rest! I was showing him unconditional love for the first time in his life! He knew I did not expect anything from him—I was there to be his companion! Tommy had his first surgery in January on one of his hips—I had the privilege of taking him to his appointment. He rides in the car very well—he likes to look out the window! His surgery went well and he is still healing. He is doing wonderful—he starting to put his weight back on his leg. He acts like a different dog!! He loves to run, but in short intervals—he gets tired easily. He absolutely loves his toys—his favorite is his blue octopus! He has to take it wherever he goes—he even took it to his surgery. It’s like his security blanket to him. Tommy’s most favorite thing to do in the world is EAT! He is very, very food motivated—he eats about anything. He is crazy when it comes to treats—he gets so very excited! He does have a tendency to sometimes display toy and food aggression, but he is easily redirected. The best information I can give on Tommy is to GO AS SLOW AS HE NEEDS! He is still in pain, but is getting stronger everyday! If he continues to do well, he will have his second hip surgery real soon! Tommy is very laid back and he loves to take naps! The best home for Tommy would be a single person home where he can really bond with his owner. He would be a very loving and loyal companion! He does also need to be exercised to keep his bones and joints healthy—he does like to go on short walks and does very well on the leash! Tommy is a hero in my book as all of the dogs are!
In closing, Haley, Tommy, Maria and Hana are all incredible souls—to be doing so well despite their past circumstances is truly a MIRACLE to me! I will miss each of them so much when they do find a home, but I will be happy to know that a new chapter is being written in their books!!! They have taught me so many things such as to never give up because you never know what lies on the other side and they have taught me what unconditional love is all about! There are not words to describe how much this has meant to me! I knew Haley, Tommy, Maria, Hana and I were supposed to cross paths! What an incredible journey they have had, but it’s merely the beginning for them! They have a lot more living to
Thank you,
Leanne LaRocca
llarocca@comcast.netBackground StoryThousands of street dogs in Ethiopia are in desperate straights. Among them are four who were miraculously rescued from a deep pit into which they had been thrown and left to die. Below is an update on the situation of the four dogs, other homeless dogs in Ethiopia and the organization HAPS which has been doing a courageous job to help a great many dogs.
On August 22, 2007, Christy Crabtree, of Best Friends Network, wrote these words in the article, "Ethiopia: US physician rescues abandoned dogs":"The thought of anyone throwing an animal into a pit to die would seem barbaric and ancient but in Ethiopia, in a cave outside of Addis Ababa, it has been a common occurrence, until now.
"Dr. Anteneh Roba, President of The Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation was notified by the Homeless Animal Protection Society of Ethiopia (HAPS) of the cave and what it was being used for. People were tossing dogs into the pit, many of them mothers with their babies, to die a horrible death. Over 6,000 animals have died in the pit.
"Immediately Dr. Roba and his foundation stepped in and working together with HAPS were able to pull four dogs from the pit, an obstacle in itself due to the fact they had to raise the dogs out of the pit and figure out how to maneuver in the cave. After eight long days, the dogs were rescued and the event was televised nationwide.
"Countless lives were saved that day because in response to the situation, The Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation and HAPS both petitioned the government to close the cave. After the foundation agreed to foot the bill for all expenses in closing the cave with HAPS supervising the closing, the cave was finally shut down for good."
Letter from British singer and songwriter, Maria DainesBritish singer and songwriter, Maria Daines, who has been strongly supportive of the work of HAPS, has sent this letter to Best Friends about the situation in Ethiopia:"Four dogs rescued from Gido Washa Cave in June 2007, all need good homes
"Dear all,
"It has come to my attention via Dr. Anteneh Roba of Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation, that the four dogs rescued in June 2007 from Gido Washa cave in Ethiopia, are now desperately in need of good homes following their ordeal.
"The reason I am writing this urgent plea is because HAPS (Homeless Animals Protection Society) in Ethiopia, may sadly have to close their doors in the near future due to lack of funds. Dr. Roba has offered to pay transportation costs for the dogs to be rehomed in UK and maybe elsewhere if homes can be found. Please contact me and I will pass any offers of help to Dr. Roba, or you can contact him personally on the email address below or visit the Amsale Gessesse website.
"Furthermore if anyone can help HAPS to stay open by volunteering support to raise their profile and especially with immediate funding, I know they would be so grateful to hear from you, their website address is also in the mail details below. This is really a crisis and I would hate to see these beautiful dogs that overcame all the odds and survived not only their abandonment but also their desperate rescue, end up euthanized purely because there is nowhere for them to go.
"Please help if you can and if possible share my email with as many advocates and friends as you can.
"With best wishes and HUGE THANKS
"Love from Maria Daines xx
"p.s. Dr Roba's email address -"
roba@amsalefoundation.org
Update from Dr. Ropa, of the Amsale Gessesse Memorial FoundationDr. Ropa sent this update to Best Friends September 10, 2007My name is Anteneh Roba. I am co-founder and President of the Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation, a humanitarian/animal rights organization located in Houston TX.
Our foundation financially intervened to rescue the four cave dogs in Ethiopia in July. Please refer to Christy Crabtree's excellent article in Best Friend's international section [please see quote above…Ed.].
The four dogs have been housed at HAPS headquarters since last July. Unfortunately because of a set of circumstances namely the fact that HAPS is closing down due to lack of money and also the fact that nobody has come forth to adapt these sweet dogs, The Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation has decided to get them to the USA for adoption here in Houston. To that end we are trying to raise funds for their transport and boarding while here, and we are also trying to raise awareness of the plight of animals in Ethiopia and also to raise money to stop HAPS from closing its doors.
We have also approached the local Houston media to help us publicize the problem with no luck so far. We have not raised enough money to cover their transportation and boarding. Initially we were going transport them to the US end of August, but due to traveling restrictions because of high temperatures their transport was postponed and now because of the crisis with the decision of the Ethiopian Government to kill all stray dogs in Addis Ababa, we have been scrambling to stop the massacre and have not had the time or energy to work on getting them to the USA at the end of September as planned.
At this point we are definitely looking at the end of October to bring them state side.
As far as HAPS is concerned we are trying to get funding to resume the agreement HAPS had with the Government which allowed them to spay/neuter/vaccinate dogs, and to shelter them when needed. We believe if we could raise $20,000 to $50,000 we could re-establish a good working relationship and save a lot of innocent lives
As far as the mass killing of dogs in Ethiopia, we have written letters, approached the government through diplomatic channels and worked with international organizations to make our position known and to discourage the government from carrying out their plan. We have also appealed to the US ambassador in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to help us in this endeavor. So far we have no evidence of massive killing, although there is no evidence to the contrary and sporadic dog killings have been reported.
This is a short summary of what is happening. I thank you for your interest and I hope you can help us help the animals.
Sincerely,
Anteneh Roba M.D.
President Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation
The email address of Dr. Roba is given below.How you can helpIf you are able to help the four dogs rescued from the cave to be sent to Texas, able to help HAPS to avoid closing its doors, or able to help Ethiopian animals in any other way, please write to Dr. Anteneh Roba:
roba@amsalefoundation.orgTo read Christy Crabtree's entire article "Ethiopia: US physician rescues abandoned dogs", on the United Kingdom Community, please go to:
Original storyTo watch a video of the four dogs being rescued, please go to
the Amsale Gessesse Foundation website:
http://www.amsalefoundation.org/Photo: Courtesy of HAPS