The email began with a warm greeting, even buttered me up a little which is a familiar approach with favor requests, before getting to the main point of pitching a column topic.
The solicitor next mentioned her title, board president of the Humane Society of Ventura County, as if that would impress me and sway my keyboard into benevolence. Taking no chances, Sheila Kane McCollum tried to play on my emotions by introducing me to Kumar and Harold.
Unlike the movie “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and its two sequels, this storyline is not a comedy (although it does feature a buddy road trip). Rather, it begins with a neglect case involving two adult dogs and a pair of puppies. The owners, when visited, agree to surrender the furry four-legged foursome to the HSVC in order to give them all a better opportunity for re-homing.
Shortly after their arrival at the shelter, the two puppies, dubbed Harold and Kumar by the caring staff, became lethargic with pale gums—symptoms of Parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that can prove fatal. Testing came back positive and because HSVC does not have a veterinarian on site around the clock, H & K were transferred to Horizon Veterinary animal hospital for the intensive care they required.
Following the diagnosis it was necessary for all HSVC personnel coming into contact with H & K to wear full Personal Protective Equipment, then sanitize and decontaminate afterwards, as if they were in the ICU treating COVID patients. Similar health safety protocol continued at the animal hospital where Harold remained for six days, and Kumar for more than two weeks, while receiving antibiotics and medication to treat the Parvovirus, as well as IVs for hydration and feeding before finally being able to take solid food.
Such medical attention is expensive, Shelia told me. All told, in fact, Harold and Kumar received more than $15,000 of care—all covered by the Humane Society of Ventura County. Located on four bucolic acres in Ojai, the non-profit organization relies on donors (go to HSVC.org to give) in order to live up to its mission of ensuring the welfare of local animals.
It is no small mission. The HSVC offers on-site shelter and adoption, low-cost spaying and neutering, vaccines, ID chips, emergency services that include animal rescue teams and disaster preparedness, even a free pet food pantry. Mobile vaccination clinics and pet food pantries are also offered. Furthermore, staff provides humane education through classroom visits during the school year and at youth camps in the summer.
Sheila wanted me to write about all this, and more, that the HSVC does. And then, with a final tug so hard as to snap a rock climber’s rope, much less a heartstring, she told me that because of the high cost and amount of woman- and manpower required, at many shelters Harold and Kumar might have been euthanized.
Thanks to the HSVC, however, “Harold & Kumar Go To The Shelter” has a happy ending. Indeed, both puppies now have a new lease—rather, leash—on lifewith adoption and new forever—rather, pardon a second pun, fur-ever—homes in their futures.
I was personally blessed long ago to have had two rescue doggies—Mac and Sammy—who were every bit as adorable and loving as Harold and Kumar. All the same, I regretfully had to tell Sheila I couldn’t help her.
After all, considering that the menagerie HSVC cares for includes horses, I simply cannot run the risk of my column turning into a dog and pony show.
* * *
Essay copyrights Woody Woodburn
Woody writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @woodywoodburn. His SIGNED books are available at www.WoodyWoodburn.com.
