1/15/08

From Joelle...

In early January Club Orient guests, Michael and Danny, alerted me to the fact that a very friendly and sweet stray was on the property when they left. I was due to arrive at C.O. three days later so I knew what would be waiting for me. I named her Tulip and although I was there for 12 days trying to get her adopted, I was unsuccessful.

Many people were concerned for her welfare and she was "the perfect dog"...only 30 pounds and very sweet. Many people admired her but no takers!

We received donations from Michael and Danny and Rob and Victor which covered her vet bills and transportation to the U.S. with Sue K. Sue found her a home with a family with three children, two grandparents and two Shitzus and lots of space to run!! She is living in Connecticut.

Tulip

1/15/08

From Sue K. ...

In January, a small, white puppy was spotted under a car in front of L’Orientique at night. I picked up the sweet, terrified, shaking pup and gave her a bath, Frontline and A LOT of LOVE. She was very lucky to have found her forever home with a couple (the Walsh’s) staying on Orient Beach who fell in love with her while babysitting her for a few hours! She now lives outside Washington, DC, along with her island brother who was also rescued off Orient Beach several years ago!!

Thanks to the SNOB website recent visitors to Orient Beach (Wendy & Ralphie), found the information they needed to get the homeless dog they found and wanted off the Island and home to New York. They gave a good description of the dog Sofi to Joelle and then I was able to track her down behind a restaurant along Orient Beach. After getting her, I then passed her along to Kathy & Dave staying at C.O. who cared for her and escorted her back to JFK to the loving hands of her new parents! Kathy and Dave also found a homeless young coconut retriever in front of the office at C.O. Due to their big hearts, they could not leave her behind to the known fates of the island dogs, and so she too (now called Pumpkin) went back to the states to her forever home to Kathy’s daughter!

Sofi

While at CO we heard that a small puppy had just been left at the old shelter no longer in operation along the road to Le Galion. I went to get him and he turned out to be a wonderful, well adjusted, tick infested, adorable little guy now named Luc. I knew Luc would have no trouble getting adopted in the States due to his stellar personality! Luc and Tulip were best of friends and played hours on the beach and traveled together back to the states. Luc was adopted by a family in Ct. with 2 young boys and they love him dearly!!

Luc

Joelle and I were walking Tulip and Luc down to Galion Beach where we spotted two semi-feral dogs looking for their next meal-- a gold colored male with stick-up ears and a mangey black and tan female with a rectal tumor. I fed them twice a day for the next 7 days before I left. They were always together, never apart. Many other ferals were seen in the same area at times, but these two were always there. If more time were available to try to catch them, then the male would have been neutered and the female humanely put out of her misery before she could spread her contagious venereal cancer which is quite prevalent on the island in feral dogs. A very sad outcome for these dogs.

At the end of January there was a VERY FRIENDLY, tall, skinny, black, flat-coat retriever with a leather collar on who would give you his paw when he sat down. He was hanging out with a stout, grouchy gold colored female dog behind the Mexican Restaurant by Pedro's. He was also seen traveling a few times across the salt marsh to Galion Beach. Can anyone find him and give him a forever home????

5/3/07

From Joelle...

May 3, 2007 Altho anyone can submit a Beach Report (and we invite and encourage it), it seems like I'm usually the one who does it...and I sometimes forget! So, although I can't tell you exactly what was going on at the beach since Nov., I can summarize what I've heard.

As of the end of Nov. 2006, Club Orient has a new manager. He is a pet lover and, altho Club Orient is most definitely not a shelter, he agrees that the dogs who find their way onto our property should be treated humanely. He welcomes the help and concern of SNOB members and guests. Resort management cannot be responsible for caring for these dogs and must stand by a no feeding policy. Admittedly this is a difficult policy to enforce. The policy does not apply to guests who are intending to permanently adopt the dog.

Bruce, from TTOL, contacted me about a month ago to tell me that he will be holding his 2nd annual fundraiser for SNOB the day after Thanksgiving at Baywatch on Orient Beach. It's a special evening affair and it's going to be a very big party. Be there at 6 pm!

I will be at C.O. the last 10 days in Aug. to set up feeding stations for the cats during the 4-6 week closedown beginning on Sept. 1. The manager and volunteer staff will help to keep several feed stations clean, watered and full of food. Much appreciation to the manager, Denis Pairault, for his cooperation and support.

Karin Hoeller and Dorothy Denault, as usual, assisted in many adoptions while they were at C.O. in Nov. One adult went home to San Diego with "Kathie" and Karin adopted a puppy to Joyce of Cincinnati. Rob and Lesley adopted Buddy, a long time resident at C.O. and the Bob and Glenda adopted Daisy, Buddy's lady friend. I was able to assist with both of those adoptions altho I was in Chicago at the time. It was a pleasure!

Susan Airola rescued Queenie in Dec. Sue Kitts cared for Queenie when Susan went home. Sue K. brought Queenie home with her in Jan. and found her a wonderful new home in CT. Sue also took 2 other dogs home with her to relocate in CT. In early January, Kathy Konyn found 2 dogs on our beach. She adopted one (she already had one island dog at home) and found a guest to adopt the other one.

Got news on March 29 of 2 dogs who had recently arrived at C.O., a black and white spotted boy and a Beagle-mix tri-color little girl. A guest wanted to take them home to PA but she was leaving the next day on an airline that does not allow pets. A month later I received another email telling me these 2 dogs were going home to the U.S. Stanley will be living in NY and Tina, Stanley's beach buddy, will live in Ohio.

11/23/06

From Joelle...

A man named BRUCE contacted me just before Thanksgiving. He is one of the TTOL (Travel Talk On Line) people. He told me he was throwing a party the day after Thanksgiving at a TTOL favorite hangout, Bay Watch on Orient Bay, and he had suddenly gotten this idea that he'd like to make it a fundraiser for SNOB! What a nice and generous thought!

We exchanged a few emails and I put him in contact with a SNOB friend, Barbara, at Club Orient and we were off and running.

This very happy, caring animal person raised $350 and was so happy with the results that he has vowed to do this for SNOB again next year. Thank you Bruce for your unsolicited kindness and continuing support!

11/9/06

From Paula...

It has been a "slow" start to the dog rescue this year. I really had only seen 2 small black males on the beach and that was a brief encounter. They didn't return.

Then...He came to me for food. I have taken to calling him "Big Boy" for the lack of anything else or more island-like. He is a beautiful Golden Retriever mix and so friendly and sweet it hurts to imagine how he got the cuts and sores that he has on his face and tail.

Everyday he finds me on the beach and guides me to our "home" here at C.O. and eats like it may be his last meal. (We always buy 20# of Pedigree crunchies and 4-5 large cans of soft.) He is rapidly going through my supply. Then he gets a raw hide chew and prances me back to my chair and proceeds down the beach to show off his prize to all who want to look. Some people swim with him during the day too. He loves to play in the waves.

I would say he weighs about 50# and has golden eyes. His hair is curly when it is wet and his legs are very long. He never barks and he takes food from my hands like a feather.

Unfortunately, he is still intact. This is a fact that we will work on asap. Then he will have a purple collar on and hopefully someone will adopt him.

I think he is about 5-6 years old. His face is getting a little white, but he is a love.

3/6/06

From Joelle...

Susan and I fostered 2 of the 3 dogs I fostered in January when I was here. One of them, SANDRA, was adopted and went home shortly after I returned in late February. The woman who agreed to foster the 3 dogs while I was gone for a month ended up adopting Sandra.

When Sandra and her new family left Susan took on SUNNY, a young, rambunctious 7 month old (pup of Sandra) who refused to walk on a leash. Susan and Bill worked miracles with this sweet-hearted ruffian. Sunny was adopted and will be flown home to his new family in Pennsylvania as soon as the weather warms up.

I had CARLITA who was rescued from an apartment complex where she had been having litter and litter. When her puppies began moving around on their own, they were being hit and injured or killed by the many cars in the complex. We rescued her and 2 pups in January. The pups went to CT with Sue Kitts and have since been adopted. But Mama Carlita had heartworm, tick fever and TVT. She was treated and is convalescing. She will be put up for adoption once she has a clean bill of health. After 2 weeks with me she was returned to the vet for chemo therapy. I'll pick her up again in April and she'll be ready for a home.

I never thought I would be happy to find a dead rat in my backyard but I'm ecstatic! It proves that our feral cat colony is doing their job...AND doing it while being well-fed!

Pataud, the arthritic black lab who leaves home to visit our beach and his favorite beach boy almost on a daily basis, is still there...and still in need of being neutered. Altho we tried, the vets refused to neuter a dog who has an owner without the owner's approval. She would not give her approval. It's extremely difficult to get this job done even if you offer it for free! The French believe that a dog should be left "natural" to do the "natural" thing and do not associate their homeless, starving pet population with the acts that a natural dog commits. The spay/neuter project must not only operate but educate! Educating is far more difficult than operating. Please see spay/neuter project.

12/14/05 - 1/9/06

From Susan...

In the Studio circle:

I observed only one "wild" dog during my stay, a medium short-haired white dog of indeterminate sex, which passed through once or twice. Collared dogs: a "teenage" female German Shepherd and an older dog belonging to one of the resident manitenance people. All of these dogs stopped coming around after "Ramon" (more on Ramon later) moved in with us. He barked at them and they left.

On the Beach:

I saw one brown female several times, wearing a collar and numbered tag. Her name is Effie and I am told she has been seen before. Another regular was the Black Lab Patou who supposedly belongs to someone who works at Watersports. Patou can often be seen fetching a tennis ball from the Bay for whoever is willing to throw it. Most other dogs sighted were accompanied by owners, but usually not on leashes.

A regular canine Orient Bay visitor who had disappeared around the Spring of 2004 miraculously reappeared! "Ramon" moved in with us, and when we left he went home with us to the United States. You can see his evolving story at www.ramonsxm.net Also he will have an entry on this site on the Stories page.

11/27/05

This is the photo of the happy winners of the 1st Annual Prettiest Dog on the Island Contest held November 27 at Lotterie Farm. The money raised at this charitable event which was sponsored by Pedigree dog food, Island 92 radio, Presidente beer and Lotterie Farm will benefit the spay/neuter project. To get information on how to donate, please contact joelle@snobsxm.org.

10/20 - 11/8/05

Thelma and Louise were the only resident strays at Club Orient upon my arrival. There was a collared black Lab on the beach occasionally...possibly the puppy's papa?. Patou, the Lab, was extremely friendly and spent 3 nights with Susan A. She seriously considered taking him home but the beach boys told us he belonged to someone who lived further down the beach on Orient Bay. She reluctantly left him behind and sad to know he was not neutered. I befriended the mom and pup on my first day there. They hung around but I could not touch either one. It took me three days to be able to pet Thelma but the baby continued to avoid my touch.

Paula S. arrived a week later and she quickly volunteered to foster the girls following their spay surgery. Jane L. was the one to actually "catch" baby LOUISE by sneaking up on her while she slept. Once in her arms, LOUISE relaxed and did a 180. Both, now tamed and calm, were taken by Tito the next morning to be spayed. Sadly Thelma tested positive for heartworm. Paula S. decided she would fly home to Minnesota with her and Steve where they would treat her heartworm and find her a forever home. Karin H. arrived from Vancouver and agreed to take the baby back with her to be placed by Mary Kate in Seattle...if someone else doesn't adopt Louise from Karin before her departure on Dec. 4. If so, some other lucky puppy will go home with Karin.

Ursula, my friend, island business woman and one-woman rescue squad organized the Prettiest Dog on the Island Contest to raise funds for her spay/neuter project. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this all day affair at Loterie Farm on Nov. 27 will go towards spaying and neutering dogs on the French side of St. Martin. This is extremely important because there are NO animal organizations on the French side to do this work. I admire her enthusiasm and incredible energy. SNOB would like to support her in her efforts. Donations can be made via the ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE (an American foundation) and will be tax deductible. Checks should be made out to ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE with a notation on the check that the donation is for Ursula's Spay/Neuter Project. Contributions can be mailed to Audrey Waldron, 4799 Barber Rd., Metamora, MI 48455 or Joelle Clark, 4701 E. Lake Shore Drive, Wonder Lake, IL 60097. If you have any questions please email me at joelle@wonderwave.net.

4/14/05-5/2/05

With the help of another homeowner, Valerie, I was contacted by a couple the day after I returned to Chicago. They wanted help and information to adopt one of the beach dogs. They will be flying home with him on Saturday, May 7.

Earlier during our stay, I had a puppy and a dog to care for. The pup and dog were escorted "home" by my sister Monique. David, our webmaster, met her plane in Baltimore and transported both dogs to their new home in Maine. The puppy's new name will be Martini. The dog was Coral, a dog I had cared for in Feb. during my last visit. She had been taken with 3 other dogs from the resort and "relocated" on the other side of the island on March 26. With the help of a local friend, Tito, I was able to find her again. After 3 weeks missing, it was a small miracle! She is now happily living on a property where she has 150 acres in which to run.

One of the dogs taken was the aggressive Boxer who had attacked and injured 2 dogs in Feb. I learned that he, unfortunately, got into a fight with a bigger, badder dog and died of internal bleeding. I was unable to find the other two dogs, who had been offered a foster home in Calgary.

I also found a sad little wild Mama dog with a litter of 3 babies which she hid in the bushes near the warehouse. Another local friend, Ursula, agreed to take the babies to socialize and place them, and I worked to trap the Mama dog to have her spayed. She was incredibly smart. After feeding her for several days in a trap that was not set, she was unwilling to go into the trap once it was set. As hungry as she was, she just knew it was unsafe for her to go in. I was unsuccessful.

The good news is that I checked with Annie in housekeeping, who adopted Keary, the cat who had been abandoned by the former manager. He is happily living indoors with Annie and Annie thinks he is just the greatest cat she has ever known. His adoption is no longer pending.

On this visit, I got to know Spencer, a black and white tuxedo cat. This cat came into my "neighborhood" where there were other cats who didn't know him. Although they hissed at him, he calmly stood his ground, put his head down and submitted to them. They quickly accepted him. Altho most of the cats are semi-wild and really not suitable to be adopted because they would be unhappy to be confined indoors, Spencer is a very good candidate for a home. He especially seems to like men. I would very much like to find someone who would adopt this really great island cat...and he's handsome too.

I attended an Animals R Friends meeting and met many very proactive members of this great organization (see our Links page for more information). They have acquired land and have plans to build a shelter...however, they are a Dutch organization and this will probably not benefit us on the French side. The French side continues to ignore the problem and has no plan to deal with the many homeless pets and irresponsible owners. They leave the work to individuals who take it upon themselves to help one dog/cat at a time...a sad situation in a place that is paradise to the rest of us.

2/22/05-3/8/05

We worked very hard to find homes for 2 cats who were abandoned by the former manager and asst. manager. Unlike most of the cats at Club Orient, both cats were prime candidates for adoption because they had always lived in a house and had been taken care of by their people. Both KEARY, a white/orange-spotted male, and MEETOO, a gentle green-eyed female tabby, were both adopted...one to a member of the staff (Annie) and one to homeowners (Peter and Linda). See the Stories page for more details.

Many dogs appeared on the resort during my 2 week stay...