Sometimes your pets pick you

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Many animal lovers can relate to the joys of pet ownership. The unconditional love, support and friendship that comes from having pets drives many of us to become the best pet-people we can be. But what about when it isn't so easy? Pet ownership is not just about going to the store and bringing home your perfect best friend. There are many pets that end up in tough places, and many of these animals need the help of animal lovers everywhere to save them from truly difficult situations. Pet-owner Becca Kaschmitter understands better than most about the hardships that can come with pet ownership and animal rescue, and how those hardships can make it worth all the while.
Becca has lived in Jefferson County for her whole life, with the exception of a single year when her father was stationed in Hawaii. At 36 years old, Becca is an important part of her community, and you may recognize her from her work at the Monticello Post Office here in the center of town. Before she worked in Monticello, however, she spent eight years serving in the Lamont community at the post offices there.
Becca has been married to her high school sweetheart for 17 years, and together they have two children, a 17-year-old daughter, Breanna, and a 16-year-old son named Ben. Those who know Becca know that she and her family are avid animal lovers, and have been active in the rescue and sanctuary of unwanted animals. Indeed, they currently have eight dogs and care for around seven cats!
Not all of their animals have come from the happiest places, and the Kaschmitter family has seen a significant amount of abused and neglected animals that have been discarded by their previous owners. While they do not go looking for new animal companions, it is common for needy pets to find them.
“Most of our pets have found us,” says Becca, “we don't go looking for them. In fact, we keep saying 'no more!' but every time we end up with another.”
Her story is one shared by many people who concern themselves with animal care, those men and women who take in the unwanted and unloved animals and give them warm, safe, loving homes. It can be a richly rewarding and uplifting endeavor. But just like with many animal lovers who are involved with this sort of care, Becca and her family have seen their fair share of heartbreak in the animals they have taken in.
Take Chester, for example. Chester is a 15-year-old Manchester Terrier that has been in the Kaschmitter family for 12 happy years. “I got him from someone who saw me with a dog and asked if I wanted him,” recalls Becca. “She had taken him from someone that was going to shoot him because he was 'mean.'” Becca says that when she had first taken in sweet little Chester, it was quite apparent that he had been starved. “He was a skeleton with skin on it. He also couldn't use his back legs.” While he had a rough start, the last 12 years have been very good to Chester, and he is reportedly “fat and happy” now.
Patience is a virtue when dealing with abused and neglected animals, and nobody knows that better than Becca and her family. One of her current dogs, Little Girl, came to live with the family seven years ago when she dug into their yard and had a litter of puppies. This Jack Russel mix was extremely fearful. “It took four years for her to let us touch her,” says Becca, “She would come in and eat with our dogs and sleep in the bed, but if we moved, she ran.” Sometimes you adopt a dog, and other times, they adopt you. Little Girl knew she would be safe at last with this family, and she was right.
Draco, a four-year -ld short bully, didn't luck out at his first adoption. Or his second or third. This unfortunate sweetheart's journey began in one of the most traumatizing and violent situations a pup can be in; he was a victim of a dog fighting ring. He was fortunately rescued from his situation, but the damage had been done; he was left with extensive injuries and scars, indications of the horrors he had survived. An imbedded collar had cut into his vocal cords, and his body was riddled with the tell-tale signs of dog fights. The extreme trauma associated with dog fighting also left scars no one else could see, and though no fault of his own, he was adopted and returned by three other homes before the Kaschmitters found him at last, and became his permanent family.
Not all of the dogs that the family has taken in to foster have been completely ready at first to accept the love and help they are offered. Zeus, an American Bulldog, was thrown out near the Kaschmitter's house in November, and despite the offerings of food that Becca and her family gave him, he would not allow them to come near. The situation became dire when neighbors in the area tried to shoot him, and in January, the family set out a trap for him with much success. Zeus has been completely vetted; is now heartworm negative, is up to date on heartworm and flea prevention and has been neutered. As Draco does not get along with him, the Kaschmitters are currently looking for a forever home for Zeus, to ensure that he finds the right fit.
The family also has two Labradors, Buck and Stanley, who are father and son. Buck is 12 years old and Stanley is 10. Not all of the dogs that belong to the Kaschmitter's are accidental. Ivy, a five-year-old Great Pyrenees was welcomed into the family as a Christmas gift for their daughter, Breanna. Ivy loves children, and waits eagerly at the fence every morning and afternoon, waiting for the Aucilla school kids to drive by and talk to her. She knows their routine, and has to be outside every day to greet them.
Welcoming in animals to the family isn't just a passion of Becca and her husband; Their daughter Breanna once snuck home a tiny baby chihuahua without her parent's knowledge. Three years later, and this sweet puppy is named Lulu, and is reportedly the best little snuggler and loves hugs and kisses.
It isn't just dogs that have been welcomed by the family. They also regularly practice Feline TNR (Trap Neuter Release), and allow the cats to hang around their home after they have been spayed or neutered. Becca says most of their current cats have come originally from the dump. They often have kittens and, after being spayed or neutered to prevent additional litters, the family finds suitable homes for them or allows them to stay on their property.
While animal rescue can often be hard work, it is also deeply rewarding. For every sad beginning, there is the possibility of a happy ending, and seeing the transition can make all the difference.
“I feel it's worthwhile,” says Becca, “to see them go from being scared of people to being happy and full of life and love. My advice to people who are looking for a pet, or for those who already own a pet, is to look at shelters or rescues, and to spay and neuter! There are too many unwanted pets that either get put down or dumped.”
The consequences of irresponsible pet ownership are heavy for the unknowing animals that endure them. It is important for prospective pet owners to be fully aware of the responsibility associated with animal care, and be ready and willing to care for new pets appropriately.
To see an animal's full recovery from their difficult beginning can be one of the most rewarding moments in a pet-owner's journey. Becca and her family work hard to rehabilitate their animal companions, and when they come home each day, their pets are always happy to see them. The compassion and dedication of the Kaschmitter family is a powerful reminder that the animals in our care are at our mercy, and deserve to be treated fairly, kindly and most of all, they deserve to be loved.