Linens for Animals on chron.com
Linens for Animals
Linens For Animals' Founder Enlists 911 To Save Dog
On Memorial Day weekend, Lori Birdsong and her husband, Dr. Mark Bussan, founders of Linens for Animals, were going to take a three day weekend off and enjoy their "kids"--their dogs--and boat, when one of the dogs started acting like something was wrong.
Thankfully, acting on a gut feeling that something was really wrong, they rushed their dog, Shawnee, to get help--and the way they handled the emergency drive was brilliant--and something I thought we could all learn from.
Shawnee had life-saving surgery and is thankfully, back home with her family and recovering.
Linens for Animals founders, Lori and Mark, and lots of volunteers, will be at the Dog Bowl today (Sunday, June 6) at the event's main entrance in Dallas. Just look for their beautiful trailer and cute dogs for adoption!
Lori Birdsong and Mark Bussan, with BB and Sophie, show off their trailer that hauls thousands of pounds of donated (and laundered) hospital linens each week to give to rescues, shelters, fosters...They have been a tremendous blessing to the Rescue Ranch.
Beautiful Shawnee and her best boy friend, Lakoda, were inseparable until he passed away two years ago from cancer. Lakoda was instrumental in bringing Lori and Mark together!
from an email...
Dr. Mark and my Memorial Day weekend was really more like the 4th of July. Picture my car with flames and hazard lights flying down the freeway at 100 mph on Sunday at 5 PM!
We were at Cedar Creek Lake (Dallas area) with our 7 dogs and good friend JQ-eating fabulous Extreme BBQ and watching movies on Sunday at 5 PM. And then all hell broke loose.
Our Dobie, Shawnee, started moving around listlessly, vomiting clear bile and crying. We immediately took her to a local vet, who we had never met. He instantly took x-rays of her stomach and spleen. His comment was, "Your dog has a flipped stomach, bloat and we have to operate immediately or she will die. (Did I mention the she has Von Willebrands ie. a dog Hemophiliac?) His response was "you have a dead dog, because I have no plasma."
He immediately called Lake Ray Hubbard Emergency Pet Care Center, an ER in Mesquite,TX to inquire if they had any plasma on hand. YES, they had tons !!!!! He said "fly like the wind, time is of the essence, time is not your friend!"
So, I crawled in the back of the car with Shawnee, bawling my eyes out, and thinking, "Holy %^&", all the way to Mesquite--like 80 freaking miles!
So, I started screaming at Dr. Mark, "Drive faster! Drive faster! Drive faster!" His calm response was, "If we get pulled over it will take even longer." My response was "Fine! I'm calling 911."
Here's how that call went. "Hello 911. What is your emergency?"
My response, while sobbing, and screaming, "I'm in a blah- blah-blah black vehicle traveling eastbound on 175 to 635 east to 30 north to Beltline. We are beyond speeding (FYI- like we are between 90-100 mph the whole trip). I'm really sorry, but we have a medical emergency. It's a life or death situation and that's where the hospital is that we are going to."
And....."We are not stopping, so do whatever you want to me at the end of the day, you can cuff me, take me where you wan, do whatever you want , but we are rolling and not stopping!"
There was silence~~~~~~~~~~~.
Then the operator said, "Gotcha, I see where you are, be careful." Flames were coming out of our tailpipe like a rocket!
We arrived at the ER and they swooped us right in, and we were greeted by Dr. Michelle Hazlewood D.V.M. (Oh by the way, she looked like she was 12). She looked me dead in the eye and said, "I've done this operation a thousand times, I have no concern about your dog's Von Willebrands cuz I have more plasma here in our hospital then the entire state of Texas, because it is Memorial Day Weekend.
...And ,if that is isn't enough I have a donor dog for whole blood, So, go home and let me do what I do best. Call me at 3AM to check on her." Oh, and FYI she says, "There is 50/50 chance that I may have to take the spleen but don't worry she will be OK."
So, Dr. Mark and I drove back to Cedar Creek Lake back with our other dogs and our friend,JQ, to await the golden hour of the 3AM phone call. At 3AM we dialed the number and we were told that Shawnee was alive and well and doing great and...they didn't have to take her spleen! YIPPEE YO KI YAY! There were so many screams and hollering coming out of our house, I'm surprised that the neighbors didn't call the police.
The next morning JQ left rather swiftly mumbling something like,"The next time I go on vacation I'm gonna visit New York City's Subway. Way less going on there than at your house."
At 5 AM the next morning we left to pick Shawnee up 'cause the ER closes at 7 AM.
I asked to speak with the Chief of Staff of the hospital Dr. Travis Dennett DVM. I asked him if anyone ever bothers to reach out and tell him what a rock star he had chosen as a team mate and staff vet Dr. Hazlewood? He said, "No, they mostly just call me fix this or that."
Shawnee all dressed-up in hospital garb during her last hospital visit.
I continued to gush for 30 minutes about how last year when Shawnee was sick, 10 doctors and 10 hospitals didn't have the chutzpa to lay their hands on her because of her Von Willebrands.
So folks, the moral of the story is. NEVER give up on your critters and ALWAYS use 911 !!!!!!!!!!
Have a great weekend, may ours be filled with nothingness.
Lori@linensforanimals.org
Also, for all donations--and to order linens--please visit our website at:
Lots of washable pee pads are just waiting for you to come and get them. Lots of rescues from eight states caravan or split the cost of a trip to Dallas to get a car--or truck--load of them. (It takes six pads to cover the bottom of a puppy pen and every foster should have at least two or three changes of pads...)
There are different types of linens available and they are all FREE to any rescue/r--Lori just asks that you make a donation to Linens For Animals so they can continue their own rescue work. Her dream is to see a LFA in every city!
Sgt. Andrew Hampton, Lori Birdsong, and Jerry Reid from Operation Military Embrace. This photo was taken the night before Andrew went to M.D. Anderson for a consultation regarding his stomach cancer.
More from Lori--and an invitation to their Grand Opening!
A Note From Us to You!
Dear Friends,
The past four years, we worked steadily to make Linens for Animals more than just about linens. Although we have supplied linens to shelters, rescue groups, and wildlife rehabbers across 8 states, we wanted to do more! In 2009, we received the long awaited and prayed for 501(c)3 status, enabling us to work as a charity and accept donations while being able to give you a tax-deduction.
This past year, when we learned of their dire condition, we adopted a rescue/sanctuary that housed over 170 dogs and cats. The current rescue /sanctuary only has outdoor pens and the animals are in need of warmth and shelter. Although I have tried to get support from the local community in Johnson County, I can not. It is located too far from any major city and getting volunteers and fosters, is impossible. Now you may not know me, but I don't accept defeat when it comes to the animals!!!
However, realizing the scope of what we began humbled us to our core and now we need to ask for your help. I found an incredible property in McKinney. Our new indoor/outdoor facility will be able to not only care for our current sanctuary dogs that will live out their lives with us but also our current & future animal guests.
In order to make this huge move to the new property, we have to foster or adopt at least 60 cats and 28 large mixed breed dogs. All are vetted and most are spayed & neutered. The warm fuzzies of the holidays are behind us but the needs of the animals are not!
My wonderful and generous husband, Dr. Mark Bussan was personally delivering food to hungry animals this very early New Years day morning! Hunger doesn't take a Holiday!
I have to call upon you, my friends and animal family, to help. We can't do it alone! Mark and I have sold personal property, borrowed and leveraged all of our assets to make this dream a reality. Please consider either adopting, fostering or donating to Linens for Animals.
I know many of you already take care of animals, either your own or foster, and I know we are coming out of the Holidays and cash may be tight. I really hate to even ask but the animals can't speak for themselves. So Linens for Animals will speak for them.
Every week, Linens for Animals donates 15,000 pounds of fresh, sanitized hospital linens to animals in need, maybe yours have been the recipients of some of these gifts. And now you can help us.
Perhaps you can take a moment to help us find homes for the adoptable animals; you can click on our website to donate funds. You can forward this newsletter to help us reach more animal loving people like us. Check with your church, your friends, and your workplace. I can give you brochures to handout and gather more support for Linens for Animals.
We are here for the animals 24/7. Every week without fail, we are here delivering linens and providing comfort to animals in need.
So this is my personal plea; can you help Mark and I find homes for some of these beautiful animals?
With a humble heart and my fingers crossed, I await your response.
In gratitude -
lori@linensforanimals.org
PS Everyone is invited to our grand opening of the new facility on June 26, 2010. There will be live music, activities for the kids, animals to adopt and so much more. Anyone who wants to sponsor a kennel door--an $80 donation (we need 20 donors)--will get their name or company's name on a brass plaque! 
Dr. Mark and the couple's dogs, on a happier, less eventful weekend. Shawnee is sitting up front, making sure Mark steers the boat toward the nearest family with a lakeside bar-b-que!
One More Thing...
Would you mind clicking on the "Recommended" button above this story? Everyone gets just one vote per blog--and I would appreciate it if you would give me yours. Thank you kindly! 
www.chron.com/rescuevolunteer
I write another blog (almost) every day
about life at the Rescue Ranch
www.firststop-laststop.com/myblog
Please forward this to your contacts/friends in the Dallas area so they can enjoy the Dog Bowl today, too!
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