He’s true blue to pets at shelter
“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.”
Mike Trueblood, 66, of Lowell, owns three rescue dogs and several cats. The first thing Trueblood does when he adopts a pet is to have it spayed or neutered. The unsettling percentage of dogs and cats bought as Christmas presents that end up in shelters saddens him.
The first time I met Trueblood was about a year-and-a-half ago when I interviewed another animal lover by the name of Brenda Thompson, of Cedar Lake.
Thompson and Trueblood are former volunteers at the PawsHere Foundation, Inc. rescue operation near Shelby. PawsHere has been in the news lately.
What a difference 18 months makes.
PawsHere Foundation Inc. rescue operation?
“It was established by an Edward B. Lollis in 2007 before I came on the scene,” he said. “I’ve been told Lollis established a trust with the facility that he hoped would continue well into the future. Lollis obtained 501(c) (3) status for PawsHere Foundation, Inc.” Then what? “Mr. Lollis died in 2010.” When did you begin volunteering at PawsHere?
“In the fall of 2012. Julie Thompson was working there almost full time. Julie is the one who taught me how to take care of the dogs. She was the best and really cared for the dogs.”
Are Julie and Brenda Thompson related? “No, it’s just a coincidence.” When you started volunteering, how many dogs were kept on the premises?
“I believe there were 20 or 21 at that time. I started out just working Sundays. Then it became Saturday and Sunday.
Explain the duties of a volunteer at PawsHere.
“Each day the dogs were let out for exercise and their kennels were scrubbed with hot water that contained soap and bleach, their food and water bowls were washed. The barn had a kitchen that was fully equipped with a sink and running water — both hot and cold.
“We tried to give each dog as much time in the pasture as we could, but since each dog was individually exercised, time was always a factor. Twenty-one dogs times 30 minutes would come to almost 11 hours, so most of the time they were only out about 15 minutes. I always felt bad about that because it was the only time the dogs were out of their pens in a 24-hour period.” Spring of 2013? “I was able to put the dogs in the outside kennels each day it was nice. There was a hose that reached the outside kennels so every dog had water. At the end of the day, after I’d brought the dogs inside, I’d hose down and scrub the outside kennels so they would be clean for the next day.” Summer of 2013? “... out of my own pocket, I bought a large barn fan that was mounted on a wall bracket (but was last seen lying in a garage).” Fall of 2013? ... Julie (couldn’t be paid by PawsHere any more and) had to find a full-time job because she’s a single mom. I started working with the dogs Monday through Friday. I was usually there six or seven hours a day.”
Did you receive any kind of stipend?
“Not a dime. I wasn’t there to make money.” Winter of 2013-14? “As you remember, last winter was brutal. The pump in the barn broke. We were without hot water .... ” Continue, please. “Conditions worsened. Urine and feces would be frozen to the floor each morning. I brought scrapers and brooms from home and tried to get the floors clean, but without hot water it was nearly impossible. The water bowls would be frozen each morning.
“I’m 66 years old and have a bad back. Carrying those fivegallon buckets in the dead of winter took its toll. Sometimes I could barely walk and was in a lot of pain. But I didn’t want to abandon the dogs, I had grown to love them all and was concerned about their welfare.” Spring of 2014? “My back was shot. I had to give up volunteering at Paws.”
Mike, in all your time at PawsHere, did you ever see a veterinar- ian?
“Never. Like I said, I loved all those dogs. But there was a rottweiler mix named Rocky that was my favorite. About a month ago, I told Brenda and Julie: ‘I want to go get Rocky.’ ... I brought Rocky home. He gets along great with my other dogs.”
In what kind of shape was Rocky?
“He did have a little parasite, so we got some pills for that. I spent $500 to get Rocky back in the pink. He’s worth it. I had him neutered and had his teeth cleaned. I had him checked for heartworms. He tested negative. Rocky has put on some weight. He was in that pen for six years. That’s half his life. And he’s still a loving dog.”
It was reported there were dead and dying dogs when the Lake County Sheriff’s Department served the search warrant about three weeks after you rescued Rocky. Did you see dead dogs?
“No. Things obviously turned extremely south soon after.” Final thoughts? “For me, it has always been about the dogs. Everybody is in an uproar on the Internet over the Paws situation, and rightly so. But where were these people when Julie, Brenda and I needed help? I understand people work and they have families. But it seems like we could’ve gotten two or three more people from the surrounding area to volunteer at Paws. We used to put out fliers asking for help in any form.
“Julie and I went to see the dogs that have survived. They’re being cared for at a shelter in Wheatfield. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Those shepherds look like they hadn’t been fed for a month. Heidi died that morning. Too weak. Too late.”
*** Trueblood was in tears for much of this interview.
While fending off severe back pain, aging and deaf as a post, he lugged five-gallon buckets of water when no one else would. At times, he risked frostbite during our winter of discontent.
Mike Trueblood shared the bone with the dog.
— Jack London