Hello PD Lovers!!! Let's talk PD's Shall we???

We all have at least one thing in common. . . .we realize Prairie Dogs ROCK!! I would love to hear and share stories, and find out about what is going on in the PD community and all that. How about you?
We haven't had a succesful meetup yet but would love to. . . . has any other groups been succesful? What did it look like??
Anybody want to help lifting the ban on PD's ? Who has info? Do you know where to go? What are we supposed to do??
I would love to chat, any body feel free to respond about anything PD!! OK??
Yahoo!!
Elizabeth

I currently own 2 PD's Curry ( M ) and Chili ( F ). . . .how about you?
My baby Pepper is gone now but is with me forever!! You can see pics of them all on our Houston Meet up page if you are interested!!

Elizabeth, So sorry to hear about your baby. If you don't mind me asking, do you know what Pepper died from? I am always interested in learning more about pds., such as foods that are toxic to them, etc.
I hope you respond to my message, so I can see if I am doing this right. I am new to the message board, & have had some difficulty getting in. Unfortunately Amarillo, Tx. does'nt have enough people interested in these adorable creatures to start a group at the present time, maybe ever, if they don't lift the ban. How are people supposed to fall in love with them if they can't be aquired? Not to mention the fact that they are vanishing from the prairie.
I must admit I have mixed feelings on pd. sales in pet shops. I think those of us who do our homework on their needs should be allowed to keep them as pets. I do not believe they are the right choice for everone. We have several, & can't imagine life without them. They are the most lovable & affectionate animals I know.
The main reason I chose to visit this site is to see if anyone out there can help in our efforts to rescue wild pds. from being posioned, shot, or blown up. We also are willing to adopt pds.that people have to give up.
We started relocating pds. as a way of dealing with the loss of our Beefcake. We have moved approx. 250 so far. We need to move about 1000 yhis year, if we can find enough places to take them to. The hardest part of the process is finding new homes for them (in cattle country)everyone who ownes land hates them . If you know of anyone who wants to start a town, or add to an existing one please let me know asap. Time is running out quickly. Please help us get the word out. Thanks Deana

Hello Deana,
Thanks for responding, sorry I was so long but I have been out of town. I was happy to hear from you!
Pepper's death is a mystery to me. He was in good health. He was almost four years old and I had him from about 6 weeks old.
He visited the Vet regularly and was nuetered. At his last visit to the Vet approx. 3 months before his passing, the vet couldn't find anything wrong with him. He said he was healthy. The vet is a PD specialist.
Pepper had a little sore on his back that I do not know what from, and that is what the vet was trying to find out as well, but detected no ringworms or anything else. So I just treated the wound as he had instructed for the time he had said and the sore scabbed over but never really went away.
This is the only thing that I can say maybe could have had something to do with it, I don't know.
He was bright eyed, energetic, healthy coat, healthy appetite. . . the day he died.
One moment, he was OK. I was having a conversation with my husband in the living room where Pepper's cage was, and he was out of my vision for maybe 20- 30 minutes. Last I saw him he was nibbling on the treat I gave him.
When I stood up, I saw him on his side.
At first, I thought, "Awe, how cute", because he never layed on his side, and I believed he was asleep by his food dish. Then my husband said "Is he Ok?"
And I thought, "What?!" Like, why wouldn't he be OK, of course he's OK!
So I went to pick him up, and he was limp.
He was already gone.
So, I have no idea, why. It was very sudden and very unexpected. Nothing in his life, such as food or toys or environment had changed.
He didn't fall or choke on anything, he just layed down and didn't wake up.
So if anybody else has an idea as to what could have happened, because I don't.

What about your Beefcake? What happened?

Tell me more about what you are doing and who is "WE" anyway.
Have you worked with Pat Storer? She is heavily involved in relocation.
A few questions:
How many is several. . . .how many do you have?

Where are you moving them from. . . .Amarillo??

What kind of help are you looking for, just info if someone knows of a location for a prairie dog town?

I know Lubbuck has been wiping there numbers down, but do you know if there are still like PD towns that are protected there?

Have you tried any websites for this cause because in the past, I know I have come across some. I can always find them for you if you don't already know. I would like to be involved in saving these PRECIOUS animals any way I am able to, bit I don't know of a place.

Is it illegal for you to place wild PD's into a home? Or is it just to "purchase" one?

I have just recently (1 month ago) got a new PD about 2 years old, she was rescued from a bad household.

I needed her bad because my other2 PD's are 8 and 9 years old, so I couldn't risk being Prairiedog -LESS, since the ban is expected to last over 10 years!!
So get back to me, I must run now but will talk to you and anybody reading, later.

~Elizabeth~

Elizabeth, Yes it is illegal to buy, sell, barter, exchange, swap, distribute, transport (other than to a vet) or release pds. into the environment, or offer to do any of these things. You can request permits to do some of these things through the FDA. Call me @ 806-584-7954 to discuss details. You can also check out their website www fda.gov. Where did you hear the ban was supposed to last 10 years?
You said Pepper was eating a snack when you last saw him alive. If you weren't within a few feet of him, & very quiet, you probably wouldn't have noticed him choking. They barely make any sound when they gag.
By we I mean my husband, Billy & me. Sometimes we get a couple of volunteers to help us. We use the flushing method to catch pds. on construction sites & other places where they would be destroyed in one way or another.
We need to find a place/ places to take 300-600 from Pampa, & possibly a few hundred from Abilene.
We mainly need land, but if you don't have that, you cah help by passing along my contact info. to anyone who might. We do some relocations for free, some for the cost of supplies, or slightly more. Donations are gladly accepted, & used strictly for prairie dog relocating. We are a one income family. High gas prices make it very difficult to deliver animals to various out of town locations.
I'm so glad about your 2 year old. It would really suck to be prairie dog-less! Life would be so dull! I bet if you take good care of them you ( & it sounds like you do) you can enjoy a few more years with Curry & Chili. I know of one pd. that is 13 years old.
I have one that came from an abusive home. Cricket is mr. personality. He is about 4 years old & un-neutered. We figured he would have major trust issues with Billy, but they adore each other. His 1st mommy is out of town alot & can't be home to protect him from her husband. He knocked his teeth out & that's why we got him. Sometimes I wonder if someone upstairs knows when we need a new baby in our lives. It's funny how things work out. We think our Snuggle-Bug was abused before we got her also. She is so insecure. She is about 5 years old & lives for snuggle time each night.
After raising a teenager, it's nice to have "children" that know how to take & give affection. Our living room is so full of love. You couldn't pay me enough to raise another human baby, but you can't have too many pds. Well maybe at cage cleaning time. Ha Ha
Most people have no idea what they are missing by not being part of a pd family. Gotta run call me when you can. Deana

This is the info I found at the website:
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This joint order has been superseded by an interim final rule published in the Federal Register Nov. 4, 2003.
For related information, visit FDA's monkeypox web page.



WILD-TO-WILD TRANSLOCATION OR TRANSPORTATION OF PRAIRIE DOGS

REVISION 1 - JULY 10, 2003

Please find enclosed the revised LETTER AND LIST of affected states. Changes are necessary because of new information last week confirming infection in rodents from the 4/9/03 shipment. Thus, it is reasonable and prudent to assume that any state receiving imported rodents from this shipment should also be considered affected. The earlier list focused only on states receiving animals from an "infected premise". Importantly, the new change adds TEXAS to the list, which has a lot of PDs and potential requests for translocation. OHIO and OKLAHOMA have been removed from the list. We will update this list and provide it to you with the revision date and number as more information is developed concerning the tracebacks of affected animals.

REVISION 1 - JULY 10, 2003

Dear: [Government Authority]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have received a number of requests seeking the wild-to-wild translocation or transportation within certain States of prairie dogs that are subject to the June 11, 2003 joint order issued by the CDC and the FDA. The purpose of the joint order is to control the introduction and establishment of the viral disease monkeypox within the United States.

The joint order prohibits, the transportation or offering for transportation in interstate commerce, or the sale or offering for sale, or offering for any other type of commercial or public distribution, including release into the environment, of Prairie dogs (Cynomys sp.) and the following rodents from Africa: Tree squirrels (Heliosciurus sp.); Rope squirrels (Funisciurus sp.); Dormices (Graphiurus sp.); Gambian Giant Pouched rats (Cricetomys sp.); Brush-tailed porcupines (Atherurus sp.), Striped mice (Hybomys sp.).

The prohibition does not apply to individuals who transport listed animals to veterinarians or animal control officials or other entities pursuant to guidance or instructions issued by federal, state, or local government authorities.

We have been asked about appropriate procedures for the wild-to-wild translocation of prairie dogs within the United States. We suggest that states issue guidance or instructions for such translocation of prairie dogs with the following limitations:

The intrastate translocation be limited to states that are not implicated in the current monkeypox outbreak.

The intrastate translocation of prairie dogs be approved by and conducted under the guidance or instructions issued by federal, state, or local government authorities.

"Wild-to-wild" not include captive prairie dogs that are obtained from or delivered to commercial, private, or public settings.

As of JULY 10, 2003, the states implicated in the current monkeypox outbreak include: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. An updated list of implicated states is available by contacting the CDC. For translocation of prairie dogs within states implicated in the current monkeypox outbreak, or for translocation interstate, please refer requesters to FDA for FDA and CDC consideration.

For further information, contact Gloria Dunnavan, Division of Compliance, Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, 7500 Standish Place (HFV-230), Rockville, MD 20855, (301) 827-1168.


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So I thought it was OK to "acquire" a PD from another Private Owner.
Geez, I don't want to break the law!!

Well, I might have done it again. I have another PD being delivered from the stork!
I am so excited!

As for Chili, she has been seeing the Doc, and right now I am giving her some kind of steroids for her slipped discs that she has and keeping her from walking properly.

But, I am hoping for the best!

~Elizabeth

Well Chili is doing much better on the steroids. Now we are working on getting her dosage down to as low as it can be with her still reaping the benefits.

I got my new boy ROCKY and he is a sweetie!!
So now that makes 4! Yahoo! I'm loving it, when we come home, it's like we have our own cheerleading squad!!
The only thing that worries me, is that Rocky's former owner had just gotten him nuetered and it appears that his left testicle is still visible. Is this possible or is that sweeling?? It is only on one side and it has been a little over a month since his surgery. . . anybody know???
~thanks
Elizabeth

I am crushed that they have gone to such extreme with the prairie dogs. I have one and had planned to get others but then all this came up. My Boo has not had an easy life. She jumped and landed wrong on her back. She is now paralyzed on the lower half of her body. We had an operation where they put pins, a rod, and a shield on her spine but it didn't help. (this was immediately after she was hurt) She is fat and sassy and very loving and I don't know what i would do without her. She is going on 5 years now and still going strong.

I hope you read my post. I need some advice on my sick pet.