The PAWTY of ALL PAWTIEs!
The Second Annual "SHELTER PAWTY" in Bluffton, South Carolina...
BEAUFORT COUNTY: HOME TO THE PAWTY!
There are lots of ways to view Beaufort County, South Carolina. One of the many ways to 'visit' is by watching movies! Among the many films made (at least partially) in Beaufort County are "The Big Chill", "Prince of Tides", "Something to Talk About", and two of my personal favorite 'legends' - "The Legend of Winn Dixie" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance". And there are more....LOTS more! The coincidental fact that there have been several 'military-theme' movies shot in Beaufort County isn't really very coincidental at all! In fact, the whole of Beaufort County is rich in military presence - dating back to pre-Revolutionary years!
Beaufort County is one of America's oldest settlements - beginning with the Spanish explorations of the mid 16th century, through the invasion of the Union Forces in 1861. Relics, graves, and ruins of earlier conquests and defeats are dotted throughout Beaufort County - soil deep in history and 'dedication to the cause' for many Europeans and Americans alike.
With such military-rich history, you see, it's really no coincidence at all that films such as "The Rise and Fall of the Confederacy", "Platoon", "GI Jane", "The War" and even "Forrest Gump" were filmed at least partially right here in Beaufort County, South Carolina!
Why? Well, if you've ever visited the historic sites of Beaufort, Port Royal, Hilton Head or other surrounding neighborhoods in Beaufort County, you'd have to be as blind as me to not notice all the military installations!
Beaufort County is 'home' to the Beaufort Arsenal built in 1798, the Old Sheldon Church ruins (destroyed during the Revolutionary War and again by Sherman in his 'march of destruction', and St Helena's Episcopal Church - once used as a hospital during the Civil War when flat tomb stones were converted to 'operating tables'. On the outskirts of Beaufort and Port Royal is Parris Island - THE Marine Recruit Depot for the Eastern US and the Marine Corp Air Station which continuously flies overhead while practicing air maneuvers. And within a county littered with age-old cemeteries stands also the Beaufort National Cemetery where thousands of military personnel have found their resting place under the protective oaks and palmettos. Among those soldiers lie the remains of several Civil War Soldiers unearthed in the early 1980s. Also among these graves are momma Karen's parents as they were both members of the United States Military during time of war.
As you might guess, with such military presence, the people of Beaufort have developed quite the adoration for the United States Armed Services. And, as you might have also guessed, movie producers know just where to go for the terrain, the personnel, and the knowledge necessary for the production of a successful war-time movie! This county has whatever a movie calls for in way of ‘living props': from sand dunes to wetlands - salt water to fresh - ocean side resorts to ancient ruins - Beaufort County seems to have something for everybody! Eerily moss-draped oaks line even the main streets while palmettos seem to sprout at will. Mansions and shanties populate this landscape - sometimes side by side. Shrimp boats, sail boats, tall ships and flat boats follow the inter-coastal waterways in search of the bounties these waters promise - beauty, serenity, and food. This is a land unlike many lands - this is Beaufort County, South Carolina! Among resort areas and back-wooded roads, one thing you'll not have to look long and hard for is a canine. The Carolina Dog isn't the only breed that stake claim to this county as ‘home'. Few breeds are found to be non-existent in Beaufort County as folks seem to create pets out of just about anything closely resembling a dog! Bird Dogs, Cattle Dogs, and Sheep Dogs live side by side the more ‘elite' Maltese, Schnauzers, Mexican Chihuahuas, and frilly little French Poodles. Unfortunately, all too often, they live in side by side cages in the area Animal Shelters. Too old, too large, too loud or too hyper for someone with ‘higher expectations' - they end up being dropped off to possibly live out their days in a small wire cage with a concrete floor and only a dashing hope of living a better life. This is where THIS article comes in.....One ‘temporary home' for too many in Beaufort County is with the Beaufort County Animal Control. Though employees of the shelter truly care for the animals, there is only so much that can be done for what are deemed ‘un-wanted' or ‘un-adoptable'. The original shelter was built in the 1950s, but due to a substantial gift left to Animal Control, a newly built shelter has been built in Beaufort where Animal Control employees work diligently to educate the public on the importance of ‘rabies, pet overpopulation, and responsible pet ownership'. They offer dogs (and even CATs) to the public for adoption - but require each to be spayed or neutered before completion of the adoption process. This is just one shelter - and one option - made available to those pets that just aren't considered ‘pets' any longer. Ambrr and I have visited the new shelter and we've been able to make some new friends while waiting PATIENTLY in line to getour photos taken with Santa in 2006! (And Yes - I looked GOOD!) In 2005, the Humane Association of the Lowcountry was established in order to help with fostering and adopting of animals throughout the Beaufort County area. Adoption Fairs are held weekly at the Feed & Seed store on Lady's Island - exhibiting some of the most adorable animals you could want! This organization - as with many pet-oriented organizations - is operated by volunteers - folks just interested in the best interest of animals. Since I live on St Helena's Island - the neighboring island of Lady's Island - I've got to visit a couple of these Adoption Fairs. Even a blind dog like me can tell that these folks are dedicated! And while I got to make some new friends - mom got to do some Gabriel-Shopping inside! Once known as Beaufort Humane Association, PAL - Palmetto Animal League - serves the entire county of Beaufort. PAL has no shelter facility YET - so the employees/volunteers rely upon the open hearts and homes of area residents to foster their animals in need.But all of that is about to change! On October 13th, 2007 - PAL threw their second annual "SHELTER PAWTY" in order to raise the necessary funds for an animal shelter all their own! For two years now, folks from all over the state of South Carolina (and beyond) have shown expressed interest in helping PAL get it's shelter by attending the ‘Shelter Pawty' by the thousands! Of course I was there both years - as was Ambrr. Allicks got to go the first year, and though she did behave herself pretty well, she didn't get to attend the 2007 event since our newest foster ‘Possum' was promised the trip and she and Allicks just don't get along so well. The mere fact that Possum beat out Allicks for a day of fun and sun probably hasn't made their relationship better - but hey - someone's gotta win and this time it was Possum! (Sorry, Allicks! But at least you get the satisfaction of knowing that I wasthere - enjoying myself and entertaining the throngs!) There are lots of contests to enter at this event, and for the second year straight I entered the Best Pet Tricks Contest. The other contestants weren't so terribly talented, but then again - you can't expect them ALL to be as talented as ‘yours truly'. In 2006, I won Third Place.(the judges and I didn't see eye-to-eye on this, but what can a pup do?). This year, I won FIRST PLACE!I shared the winnings with the other contestants since the judges just couldn't bear to hurt the others' feelings by giving me the title of Best Dog Trick Dog! (Sometimes you must be compassionate with those lesser than you.) Possum faired pretty well at her debut at the Pawty. She received the Top Award for Best Costume. She went as Little Orphan Annie - red hair and all! Yes - she looked somewhat silly, but being blind - she didn't know how silly she looked. She got a lot of laughs, but being deaf - she didn't hear the comments made. All she knows is that she got a prize. She was thrilled and that's all that matters! As usual, Ambrr and I were busy working the booth for LWARC (Lethal White Aussie Rescue-Carolinas), while Possum (on the other paw) was free to meander through the park and check out the other stuff offered pups in attendance. One of her favorites was the Agility Course set up and overseen by Abbey - an area trainer who personally invited Possum to try out the course. She didn't do all that bad either! Though she saw no reasonable logic for ascending the A-Frame - she DID enjoy the Teeter-Totter! Walking along side was Hands - but Possum got the timing and footing down pretty well by the end of the day - waiting patiently for the teeter-totter to completely lower before slowly and cautiously exiting! The ‘jumps' were a bit challenging, but she managed to do a ‘Possum Jump' (which is basically ‘stepping over the thing), for which she was extremely proud! We had some friends who helped out with the LWARC booth including Donna - who tried to keep some sort of order to the booth. She works with momma at Sun City - and Ambrr has a special place in her heart for her. She also helped keep Possum away from the CATS who shared our booth by the end of the day! Yes - I said CATS! Sometimes a pup just has to wonder about people and the decisions they make! My mom, for instance, has a friend Sasha. Mom invited Sasha to bring...are you ready for this...TWO CATS to our booth! They came, of course (you know cats) - and they TRIED to steal the glory that I have worked to hard to maintain! Sasha's quite well known for her handicapped cats - and I've got to add - quite well respected for all her work in the interest of these....lesser critters! OK - I promised my mom I'd stay away from knocking FELINES today, so I'll try to keep that promise. They were cute...I guess. They attracted lots of attention and probably showed many people that being handicapped isn't all that bad - and certainly better than being DEAD! So, I suppose a ‘thank you' IS in order to these....CATs...forhelping the cause for the Handicapped!So....Thanks...I guess. Whew!That was a little difficult for me. I'll work on that...mom says I need to get over my feelings for the feline. But as CATs go - you think I'M bad - you should see POSSUM! She REALLY throws fits whenever a cat is nearby! Even at the Shelter Pawty - all of a sudden Ambrr and I heard an all too familiar shouting of ‘Who Let the Cats Out' - and sure enough - it was Possum! This was rather embarrassing for Donna who was unfortunate enough to be the one on the other end of Possum's leash! Ambrr and I had to smile though - with a small bit of satisfaction that SOMEONE was getting by with making an ANTI-CAT stand as Possum did! Our friend Jem came all the way from Georgia to help out in the LWARC booth! Jem brought along her mom - DeDe - who wasn't satisfied until she entered Jem into the Good Citizen's Certificate Test. Jem went along with the idea, knowing all the while that there was just too much distraction at this place for HER! She'd try though - and try she did! She didn't do too bad - and seemed to enjoy the challenge - even though Abbey-the-Trainer didn't give her a certificate of accomplishment. That certificate didn't really matter much to Jem OR DeDe.The accomplishment was great just knowing a Lethal was Center Stage! For the second year in a row, approximately 4,000 people attended the event! Some brought their dogs. A few brought CATs. And one guy brought a Raccoon and a SKUNK! The skunk wasn't an average run-of-the-mill skunk either! It was cream colored with that white streak down the back and tail. Ambrr says it looked weird - but then she added that it looked SORT OF like Possum! We didn't share that little story with Possum though. Sometimes she's really touchy! There were teeny tiny dogs and HUGE DOGS – like SEAMUS the Irish Wolfhound! Now HE was BIG! Hands said that one of these days SHE wants to own one too - and had always planned on naming her Wolfhound 'Seamus'. Guess that's a popular Irish name, but it's a little strange sounding to me! I'm lucky she didn't get to name ME! I hope you have learned something important by reading this article. I hope you can see that - even where there are mansions - there's animals abandoned. Even where there's land rich in history and sacredness - there's animals in need. Even where there are people who adopt puppies for the best of reasons, there's those whose expectations are beyond reality. And maybe most importantly, I hope you realize that even where there's 'would-be-pets' left without promise in shelters - there are people who go beyond duty to save them and give them homes. Even in Beaufort County, South Carolina - there are numbers of animals waiting to be adopted. Waiting to know a lasting love in a lasting home...Waiting for someone like YOU who can give to them what they rightly deserve in this life - life itself. That's what these volunteers at these (and other) animal facilities are all about. That's what this Shelter Pawty is all about - to raise money for a shelter. It was a worthwhile day - but exhausting! Lots of money was raised and donated. But this isn't the ONLY event geared to help out animals in need. Every August there's a get-together at the Beaufort Drive Inn where you'll find lots and lots of dogs and venders. Keep an eye out in YOUR area for events such as these. Whenever you see an event to raise money and/or awareness to the homeless pets, make a point to experience what all these events (and animals) have to offer. Sometimes giving something as simple as TIME reaps great rewards! Sometimes it means saving life. Next year - YOU should try to attend this event! You can PAWTY DOWN with US!Maybe Allicks will be able to go next year. She's counting on it and asked me to make her plea publichoping to apply some PublicPressure on momma when it comes time for THAT decision again! You'll have to go yourself and see if Allicks gets her wish!(I'm sure many of you are wondering just what doggie-drug I'm on to have seemingly ignored all lessons taught on grammatical writing. Well, it's simple. There's glitches involved here that are out of MY PAWS and for once - these glitches are in the program and not the programmEE! We'll have to take that up with the Freeservers folk in time.) By: Gabriel Anderson
“Let's see here...Uh-huh….uh-huh…good…..yeah…that’s right...Well - except for a few typos, it all looks pretty good. Of course, my picture COULD be a bit LARGER...but we'll work on that later.”
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JEM: "OK mom - you have my UNdivided attention. Let's give it a whirl!"
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GOOD CITIZEN'S TESTING
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"OK - you'll have to make up your mind here....is it UP or DOWN you want?"
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"So we didn’t get the certificate THIS time! We'll have other chances. You and I both know I’m as good a citizen as a dog can be - with or withOUT that piece of paper! So - shake it off - you’ll do better next time!”
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POSSUM: "You know, Chris, I kind of LIKE this Teeter-Totter thing! We should get one of these for home! Next trip to Wal-Mart, you check that out, huh!"
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THE AGILITY COURSE
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"I've got an idea - let’s go back to the Teeter-Totter! Who’s the dummy that thought THIS thing up anyway?!”
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"WHAT THE....!"
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“You know...there comes a time in every dog's life that you catch yourself wondering just how the heck you got mixed up with PEOPLE! What ONE doesn't think of - another one WILL! Ramps...jumps.....tires....nylon tunnels - what'll they come up with next?”
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“Donna, don't tell the others, but YOU've always been my FAVORITE! After mom takes this picture, hows 'bout we break open those Hot Dog treats? It's OK - you don't have to ask...trust me!"
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THE ART OF SUCKING UP
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POSSUM singing our FIGHT SONG...
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"WHO LET THE CATS OUT!"
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AMBRR: "Well, Possum doesn't have the BEST singing voice I've ever heard!"
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ME: "Maybe not - but she's got the LOUDEST!"
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AMBRR: "How do YOU know? You can't hear!"
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ME: "Yeah, well I can't SEE either, but I know how silly YOU looked in that costume today!"
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(A 'Kodak Moment' indeed!)
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ME: "Hey Ambrr! Today's been fun - what's on for tomorrow?"
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Possum: Incognito
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And so it was! Sunday morning found us still tired from our Saturday in Bluffton! We slept in, had breakfast, and I went with mom to the beach to wade in the ocean. Then back home to Crittersville we headed! Ambrr and Possum didn't have their chores done, so they couldn't go. After lunch, we each picked a comfortable spot....and enjoyed our 'AFTER-PAWTY'!
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"NOTHING!"
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