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Gemini Farm Sanctuary ~ Rome, PA
A 501c3, Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Sanctuary
for domestic pets and farm animals in need.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Gandhi
Luke, a German Shepherd-Australian Shepherd mix, and
Tilt, a Lab-Poodle mix, enjoying the snow. Fortunately, they stopped playing long enough to get their picture. Bios on both dogs coming soon
Pippi Let me introduce you all to the resident six pound alligator! Pippi is a rat terrier/chihuahua mix that was purchased by a friend of mine for a therapy dog as a very tiny puppy. At four months old she was biting people and they realized she just wasn’t the right dog for the job. They called me and asked if I would take her since they didn’t dare offer her for adoption to the general public. Needless to say, Pippi came to the farm to live. We love her but she is a handful. She has learned that biting us isn’t a good thing but we have to manage her very carefully in order to make sure she doesn’t decide to take a chunk out of a visitor to the farm. Pippi is NEVER allowed to interact with strangers but she is often snuggling under a blanket with one of us that she knows at the farm. It is hard to think of her as a threat at those ‘blanket times’ but she is and she shows that every time someone knocks at the door.
Eleanor came from an Ohio Amish puppy farm and was purchased by a local pet store at a dog auction. The auction was described to me as a gathering of interested dealers who came to a large field filled with dogs of all shapes and sizes. The dogs were in crates and were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Ellie was transported to a local business and offered for sale. A kind animal lover friend saw her and just couldn’t leave her in that facility and she asked me to foster Ellie if she could get her. I agreed. Of course I had the best intentions. We would foster until spring when the friend could take her to her home. We wouldn’t get attached. We would use common sense. Not possible and Ellie, the Amish Bull Mastiff puppy, is now a permanent addition to the Gemini Farm crew. When we got her at four months old she weighed 28 pounds. At seven months she is 70 pounds and growing daily.
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”
~Robert A. Heinlein (author, Starship Troopers)
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“I care not for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.”
~Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States)
Gracie, a Gr Pyrenees and Golden Retriever mix is not happy about being required to go outside to potty while the cats have a litter box. She is also not happy that they can sit in the warm house and tease her.
Gracie was a result of an accidental breeding. She came to us about six years ago and we have adored her ever since. She is a love to her family but she is not fond of strangers and lets that fact be known whenever people stop by. She takes her job as family protector seriously. What is interesting is that when she goes to Cornell (she has had a couple of health issues that could not be dealt with by her ‘family doctor’) she is the sweetest dog ever and they all love her there. I’ve watched as the techs hug her and give her treats and she even refused to eat while there for surgery unless one on the staff sat with her. They find it hard to believe that the Gracie they see isn’t the Gracie we see at home. To be honest, I’m very happy that she is the way she is.
Tilt, Tilt came to us about two years ago as a sweet tiny pup with some neurological issues that caused him to hold his head to one side all the time. The veterinary clinic that had him wanted to find a home that would be able to deal with a dog that was likely to be handicapped for the rest of his life. A former student works at that clinic and so she gave me a call to see if I would take him. We said yes.
He arrived happy, playful and with no idea that he was handicapped. Tilt’s mom was nine years old when she had her first litter and the whole ordeal was confusing to her. During the delivery, she accidentally killed on a pup and chewed Tilt’s tail off along with severely biting him on the neck. The head tilt was due to that bite to the neck. He was on antibiotics, just in case the bite had introduced infection and as luck would have it, the antibiotics worked and Tilt no longer tilts. He is a normal happy guy.
We would love to find Tilt a home where his talents are appreciated. You might wonder what those are. Well, to start, he uses his nose all the time to find things. A career in tracking, either just for fun or as a working dog for search and rescue or police work would suit him very well. He loves to chase balls so many dog sports would be just what he would love. He is one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met and I taught him the beginnings of heel and sit, in about five minutes with no leash. And last, he will do anything for a treat so it is easy to motivate him.
Tilt doesn’t have to leave our home and sanctuary. We just think his amazing talents are wasted here. His energy, his happy go lucky attitude and his love of solving problems makes him a great candidate for an active home looking for a dog they can train to do just about anything.
Tilt’s mom is a poodle...yes, you read that correctly. His dad is a Lab mix. Between mom and dad, there is a lot of retriever talent and intelligence. He is about 75 pounds...although a diet wouldn’t be a really bad thing.
If you think you might be the right person for Tilt or you know someone who would be that wonderful home, please contact us. And if you know of a service dog agency that would appreciate his amazing talents we would love to chat with them.
George G. Vest's Tribute to the Dog:
George Graham Vest (1830-1904) served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1879 to 1903 and became one of the leading orators and debaters of his time. This delightful speech is from an earlier period in his life when he practiced law in a small Missouri town. It was given in court while representing a man who sued another for the killing of his dog. During the trial, Vest ignored the testimony, and when his turn came to present a summation to the jury, he made the following speech and won the case.
Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.
"George Graham Vest - c. 1855"