The rescue group that I foster for is trying to find and purchase a building not only to house all the rescued dogs and cats, but also to house a low cost spay/neuter clinic. In addition, the lady who has fostered the bulk of the rescued cats has developed some health problems and it has become necessary to move the rescued cats.
We had a building that we used for moms and pups, and an occasional boarding situation, but mainly kept empty to keep the utility bills as low as possible. The rescue cats are now living in what we call "the Beanie Building" as it used to house the Bean Blossom Gang. PAWS Hancock has gone to the free roaming concept of housing the cats, and they thoroughly enjoy it. We installed some windows at a level where the "barn cats" can come a look through the windows at the "house cats".
The dogs have already gotten used to the idea of the volunteers coming and going in the next building. The birds that are nesting in the old vent fan in the Beanie Building wall help to entertain the new occupants. If the cats could just get to them!
I find myself looking at the cats at the local animal controls - something I hadn't done before. Although today they brought out some kittens that were dumped in the middle of a road - just babies. They also brought out a mom and her kittens.
It's going to be an interesting summer. We'll see if they are able to find and purchase a building for their clinic. If not, we'll have to come up with the money to hook up a better heating system for the coming winter.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Salsa, The Tripawd Greyhound
Salsa, a red fawn female greyhound, was running a luring course when another dog ran into her and broke her left front leg. It was a very bad break, and despite the vet's efforts to pin the leg, it became obvious that it wasn't going to work. Her left front leg was amputated. She went to a greyhound rescue and was adopted out. This all happened four years ago.
Yesterday she was returned to the rescue I foster for. She is now 6 years old. The family she was living with have found it necessary to move cross country and cannot afford to take her with them.
She is a full blooded greyhound, complete with registration papers and a registered name. She is very well housebroken, good with kids, and very pleasant to be around. She gets around very well and is enjoying being turned out in the play yards to exercise and sniff all the new stuff.
If anyone is interested in adopting Salsa, you may go to http://www.pawshancock.org/ and read more about her.
This particular Salsa is of the mild variety!
Yesterday she was returned to the rescue I foster for. She is now 6 years old. The family she was living with have found it necessary to move cross country and cannot afford to take her with them.
She is a full blooded greyhound, complete with registration papers and a registered name. She is very well housebroken, good with kids, and very pleasant to be around. She gets around very well and is enjoying being turned out in the play yards to exercise and sniff all the new stuff.
If anyone is interested in adopting Salsa, you may go to http://www.pawshancock.org/ and read more about her.
This particular Salsa is of the mild variety!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Three Amigos
About six months after we moved here and had kennels and fence erected, our kin moved 16 rescued dogs on site. In the group were three "office dogs" - Cheddar - a red and white husky male, Pandora - a beagle mix female, and Penny - a sharpei mix female. They lived in our utility room for several months while we tore down an old chicken house/hog confinement office - and built a new, insulated and better smelling office.
Cheddar was losing his eyesight and his hearing, but he still loved to "chase the kittys" He had hip problems and had been diagnosed with cancer, so he had no hope of catching a cat, but it sure was fun to try, and it gave him a reason to get up and go out each day. He was humanely euthanized when we could no longer make him comfortable and we could not fix the problems.
Pandora, who is 12 years old now, had to have expensive allergy shots and daily medication, and could be a bit snarky, so her chance at adoption was an old employee who knew her long before I met her. After th
ree years with us, the lady took her into her home.She needed a place to stay while her owner was out of town, so she has spent the last week here, and has been on a diet and exercise program. She has masses in the kidney areas and doesn't get around very well, but she was glad to see her old friend and once we got her joints loosened up, she put her nose to the ground like the good old days.
Penny, the sharpei mix, is very timid and used to be afraid of thunderstorms. Not any longer. She is my "office dog", and since the maternity ward is in the bathroom of the office, she has the job of keeping an eye on the moms and babies, if we have any, and when we wean, it gives the pups comfort to have another dog close by. Whenever I have a chance, I take her to the hay field for a nice long walk. She has learned to relax and sniff the ground. Penny is still very mobile, no masses, hears fine. She will be my maternity and office security partner for, we hope, many more years. She's 11.
Cheddar was losing his eyesight and his hearing, but he still loved to "chase the kittys" He had hip problems and had been diagnosed with cancer, so he had no hope of catching a cat, but it sure was fun to try, and it gave him a reason to get up and go out each day. He was humanely euthanized when we could no longer make him comfortable and we could not fix the problems.
Pandora, who is 12 years old now, had to have expensive allergy shots and daily medication, and could be a bit snarky, so her chance at adoption was an old employee who knew her long before I met her. After th
ree years with us, the lady took her into her home.She needed a place to stay while her owner was out of town, so she has spent the last week here, and has been on a diet and exercise program. She has masses in the kidney areas and doesn't get around very well, but she was glad to see her old friend and once we got her joints loosened up, she put her nose to the ground like the good old days.Penny, the sharpei mix, is very timid and used to be afraid of thunderstorms. Not any longer. She is my "office dog", and since the maternity ward is in the bathroom of the office, she has the job of keeping an eye on the moms and babies, if we have any, and when we wean, it gives the pups comfort to have another dog close by. Whenever I have a chance, I take her to the hay field for a nice long walk. She has learned to relax and sniff the ground. Penny is still very mobile, no masses, hears fine. She will be my maternity and office security partner for, we hope, many more years. She's 11.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Cassie
She was dumped to fend for herself, probably because she is heartworm positive. Animal control named her Cass after Mama Cass. They thought she was pregnant, and she was so kind, gentle, quiet, well behaved, housebroken they passed her by when the kennels filled up and they had to euthanize something for space. However, time was running out for her, so they tagged her with an "Urgent".
We took her home and visited the vet. She wasn't pregnant, but rather coming into heat and between the hormone surges and the extra dog biscuits the animal control officers were feeding her, she did look pregnant. We then found out she is heartworm positive, and after the heat cycle, a good general deworming, some exercise, and vitamins, she has already undergone the first part of the heartworm treatment.
She is an exceptionally nice dog. She gets along with other dogs, people, kids, tolerates cats, and just wants to please. I have yet to hear her bark. She is very reliably house trained, comes when called, learned sit in record time, and I will admit that my husband and I have considered keeping her.
As the saying goes, "if you want to make God smile, just tell him YOUR plans". I was reviewing old emails tonight from prospective owners, and came across one that had applied for a dog that would not suit their lifestyle. They asked that we keep our eyes open for a dog that would work.
Then it hit me - Cassie. She's only 2 years old and fits their "wish list". She has to finish up the heartworm treatment and get spayed and microchipped. As much as we would like to keep her, it would be very selfish of us to deny her a family all her own. Here she has to share us with over 35 other dogs, and some 11 cats, and even some horses.
We'll just have to wait and see how this turns out.
We took her home and visited the vet. She wasn't pregnant, but rather coming into heat and between the hormone surges and the extra dog biscuits the animal control officers were feeding her, she did look pregnant. We then found out she is heartworm positive, and after the heat cycle, a good general deworming, some exercise, and vitamins, she has already undergone the first part of the heartworm treatment.
She is an exceptionally nice dog. She gets along with other dogs, people, kids, tolerates cats, and just wants to please. I have yet to hear her bark. She is very reliably house trained, comes when called, learned sit in record time, and I will admit that my husband and I have considered keeping her.
As the saying goes, "if you want to make God smile, just tell him YOUR plans". I was reviewing old emails tonight from prospective owners, and came across one that had applied for a dog that would not suit their lifestyle. They asked that we keep our eyes open for a dog that would work.
Then it hit me - Cassie. She's only 2 years old and fits their "wish list". She has to finish up the heartworm treatment and get spayed and microchipped. As much as we would like to keep her, it would be very selfish of us to deny her a family all her own. Here she has to share us with over 35 other dogs, and some 11 cats, and even some horses.
We'll just have to wait and see how this turns out.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Designer Husky
We went to a local animal control to pick up some puppies, and since we had one extra crate with us, decided to see what else we could pull. We found him at the end of the row, in a small kennel, and as soon as he saw us he started begging to get out. A beautiful cream husky with soft red and black highlights, and a definite "swoosh" on his face and tail. He needed to learn to walk on a leash and not to jump up on people, but he was super friendly. We loaded him up.
Some friends were looking for a husky, so the rescue coordinator sent pictures of the dog to them. They were excited to see the swoosh. They explained that he might be a descendant of a dog from one of the top breeders of huskies, as those marking were indicative of that breeding.
While this was evolving, I taught him to walk on a leash, sit, and not jump on people. He obviously has been a house dog, is fully housebroken, and exhibited some separation anxiety. He loves to play fetch, and has a really strong prey drive. He also loves water. We worked through the separation problem, and about that time the friends asked to try a sleepover. They have a female husky mix and a small dog, so we cautioned them that it might not work on a long term basis. They brought their dogs, and the meeting and socialization went well, but after they got him home, he decided after the first 24 hours that the small dog was a target. He was returned.
So, our designer husky is looking for a home. I'm kind of keeping my eyes open for a female husky that might want to have a buddy to play with. Huskies play hard and have a lot of endurance, after all they can travel up to 150 miles a day
His name??? Nike, of course.
Some friends were looking for a husky, so the rescue coordinator sent pictures of the dog to them. They were excited to see the swoosh. They explained that he might be a descendant of a dog from one of the top breeders of huskies, as those marking were indicative of that breeding.
While this was evolving, I taught him to walk on a leash, sit, and not jump on people. He obviously has been a house dog, is fully housebroken, and exhibited some separation anxiety. He loves to play fetch, and has a really strong prey drive. He also loves water. We worked through the separation problem, and about that time the friends asked to try a sleepover. They have a female husky mix and a small dog, so we cautioned them that it might not work on a long term basis. They brought their dogs, and the meeting and socialization went well, but after they got him home, he decided after the first 24 hours that the small dog was a target. He was returned.
So, our designer husky is looking for a home. I'm kind of keeping my eyes open for a female husky that might want to have a buddy to play with. Huskies play hard and have a lot of endurance, after all they can travel up to 150 miles a day
His name??? Nike, of course.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Antiques and Unadoptables
On site we have some precious antiques and also some unadoptables, mostly because they have bite records. So, since they aren't going to be adopted, let's put them in the spotlight because they deserve some recognition. All are good dogs - life just hasn't been the best for them.
Ashley is a shepherd mix, 11 years old, bite record -she's a fear biter. Max, Siberian husky 11 years old, bite record. Harley, chow/husky mix, 8 years old - ran away so many times and was captured by animal control. No longer runs away, but will definitely bite. I added "Sue" to the Harley - she's a beautiful dog. Joe, formerly Cujo, a rottie/chow mix that was teased till he finally bit someone. A smart, wonderful dog - my husband and I absolutely love him. He's 5. Heidi, pit/lab mix and Abner, border collie, beagle, coonhound mix - both are 4 years old. Abner has trust issues and Heidi, being a pit mix, is not adoptable. They enjoy each other's company.
Lil Bit is 7, a chow/beagle mix, and formerly alpha of the Bean Blossom Gang. She has a bite record. Ms. Blackie is a shepherd mix, and at age 13, she is pretty active even with hip dysplasia. She hangs out with Buddy, chow mix, age 11. Buddy likes to hunt for the barn cats.
Duffy is s shepherd mix, age 11, with a bite record. Brewster is a newfie/chow mix with a bite record. He's 6. Penny is 11 years old, a sharpei mix, who has always been fearful. She has improved, but gets nervous and eats blankets, then upchucks. My biggest fear is that she will obstruct, so she has a Kuranda bed instead of blankets. Patience is a 4 year old pit mix that has been fought or used as bait. She will stalk and attack another dog. She loves a good back rub. Chelsea is a pit mix, age 7 , and while basically a very good girl, if another dog starts a fight, she will jump right in. She loves a good back rub as well. Then there's Lilly, just over a year old, a pit bull/lab mix. She wasn't treated very well by someone, nd it has taken a bit to develop a trust between us. I've taught her not to jump on people, to sit, to come when called, and she has quit mouthing and trying to nip when she is touched. She now enjoys a massage.
We do our best to give them a good life as they will be here till they pass over the rainbow bridge.
Ashley is a shepherd mix, 11 years old, bite record -she's a fear biter. Max, Siberian husky 11 years old, bite record. Harley, chow/husky mix, 8 years old - ran away so many times and was captured by animal control. No longer runs away, but will definitely bite. I added "Sue" to the Harley - she's a beautiful dog. Joe, formerly Cujo, a rottie/chow mix that was teased till he finally bit someone. A smart, wonderful dog - my husband and I absolutely love him. He's 5. Heidi, pit/lab mix and Abner, border collie, beagle, coonhound mix - both are 4 years old. Abner has trust issues and Heidi, being a pit mix, is not adoptable. They enjoy each other's company.
Lil Bit is 7, a chow/beagle mix, and formerly alpha of the Bean Blossom Gang. She has a bite record. Ms. Blackie is a shepherd mix, and at age 13, she is pretty active even with hip dysplasia. She hangs out with Buddy, chow mix, age 11. Buddy likes to hunt for the barn cats.
Duffy is s shepherd mix, age 11, with a bite record. Brewster is a newfie/chow mix with a bite record. He's 6. Penny is 11 years old, a sharpei mix, who has always been fearful. She has improved, but gets nervous and eats blankets, then upchucks. My biggest fear is that she will obstruct, so she has a Kuranda bed instead of blankets. Patience is a 4 year old pit mix that has been fought or used as bait. She will stalk and attack another dog. She loves a good back rub. Chelsea is a pit mix, age 7 , and while basically a very good girl, if another dog starts a fight, she will jump right in. She loves a good back rub as well. Then there's Lilly, just over a year old, a pit bull/lab mix. She wasn't treated very well by someone, nd it has taken a bit to develop a trust between us. I've taught her not to jump on people, to sit, to come when called, and she has quit mouthing and trying to nip when she is touched. She now enjoys a massage.
We do our best to give them a good life as they will be here till they pass over the rainbow bridge.
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