The kids were riding their ATV's and spotted the litter of 11 puppies with their mother in a yard. Being the kids they are, they stopped and asked if they could have a puppy. The left with two and went home to ask if they could keep the pups. The children's mom looked at the puppies, literally covered with fleas, thin, but with bloated bellies of worms and malnutrition, and asked where they came from. She and her husband decided to go to the house and see if they could rescue the whole litter. The owner of the puppies gave them the whole litter of pups. The mother of the puppies is a purebred Brittany, and dad is a Brittany mix. Let us pray they get mother spayed, and soon!
Two of the puppies subsequently died despite the efforts of the rescuing family. They found homes for all but six of the remaining litter. However, they couldn't keep the rest of the litter any longer, so they called for help. Yesterday my sister-in-law and brother called to say they were bringing us five of the puppies, as the rescuing family decided to keep one pup.
There are three females, two males, and despite numerous baths, they still have a flea problem. Capstar and a topical will take care of that, plus at least one more bath. Their bellies still show signs of worms, and it's also obvious that they are nutritionally deficient. They are between 8 and 9 weeks old
I wormed them, vaccinated, treated them for fleas, and gave them food. They were all a bit lethargic when they came in, but perked up after consuming food, taking a nap, consuming food, taking another nap, consuming more food, and taking a third nap. We took pictures for the "before" part of their files. They are all friendly and cute as can be. We will find them homes, no matter how long it takes.
Please spay and neuter!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Short Tales
Dolly Momma went for a sleepover, but the family had a cat, and Dolly decided the cat didn't belong. Dolly came back to us, but we did find out that she was "perfect" - except for the cat. She accidentally got out of her crate one day, and nothing was damaged or hurt in the house. She simply jumped up on the couch and took a nap till the family got home. She does need a haircut, but other than that, she is a wonderful little dog that needs a home.
Hope, the mother we took in that had pups less than 12 hours after she arrived, is now spayed and ready for a new home. She has gained weight nicely and has a new coat. She's still a bit shy around strangers, but looks and feels better and doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
All 8 of Hope's puppies have found new homes. Having them all born alive was a miracle in itself.
Pandora, one of the precious antiques, was brought back to us when her owner broke her ankle. She was grossly overweight and subsequently suffered a stroke. I put her on a diet the minute she returned, and after the stroke we immediately started physical therapy three times a day. We are glad to report that she not only is losing weight, but she can now walk again, although if she tries to hurry she sometimes stumbles. She's happy and comfortable, but would like more food - sorry, Pandora, ain't gonna happen!
Rabbit has come out of his burrow and become a happy little dog with a waggily tale and a smile. He's still a bit shy around strangers, but he got to go to his first on site adoption event and handled it very well.
Tony, the mountain dog that got chucked out of a truck, has learned to sit, is working on stay, and is quite a character. He loves to play and now that he knows he won't be left behind, he enjoys staying out in the play yard with a toy. He will throw it up in the air and catch it.
Angel is a work in progress. She has learned to focus and sit and catch. She's a good hearted young lady that needs someone with plenty of time and a desire to teach.
Goliath and I have been working on touching his front legs, and he has come a long way. I was told he was very badly behaved at the vet before his return, so we'll see what happens when he is due for his annual vaccinations in about six weeks.
Claire is a little beagle girl with a lot of energy and not much training. We are working on sit, and she is coming along. Walking on a leash is getting better as well. She is such a little cutie - need to get her shaped up so she finds a family.
I found out last week when I boarded one of the dogs we adopted out that my nickname is "Sergeant Maggie" because I believe in exercise and structure. It works - always has.
Then there's the gremlin in the kennel kitchen. Maybe it was the full moon, maybe the barn fan creating too much air movement, but just the other day while I was washing the very last food bowl and thinking that lunch sounded like a good idea (it was 2:30 PM), the stovepipe for the wood stove crashed down on me - no major injury, just a few scrapes and bruises.
There are still three foundation bred horses, all yearlings, to find homes for. We now have two miniature horses of our own - Swiffer and Eclipse.
The calico/tabby kitten, Kitzu, is growing and likes to help while I'm on the computer. She also likes to help me while I peel wallpaper in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
We have some nice quality round bales of horse hay for sale, the sun is shining, and it's a beautiful day!
Hope, the mother we took in that had pups less than 12 hours after she arrived, is now spayed and ready for a new home. She has gained weight nicely and has a new coat. She's still a bit shy around strangers, but looks and feels better and doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
All 8 of Hope's puppies have found new homes. Having them all born alive was a miracle in itself.
Pandora, one of the precious antiques, was brought back to us when her owner broke her ankle. She was grossly overweight and subsequently suffered a stroke. I put her on a diet the minute she returned, and after the stroke we immediately started physical therapy three times a day. We are glad to report that she not only is losing weight, but she can now walk again, although if she tries to hurry she sometimes stumbles. She's happy and comfortable, but would like more food - sorry, Pandora, ain't gonna happen!
Rabbit has come out of his burrow and become a happy little dog with a waggily tale and a smile. He's still a bit shy around strangers, but he got to go to his first on site adoption event and handled it very well.
Tony, the mountain dog that got chucked out of a truck, has learned to sit, is working on stay, and is quite a character. He loves to play and now that he knows he won't be left behind, he enjoys staying out in the play yard with a toy. He will throw it up in the air and catch it.
Angel is a work in progress. She has learned to focus and sit and catch. She's a good hearted young lady that needs someone with plenty of time and a desire to teach.
Goliath and I have been working on touching his front legs, and he has come a long way. I was told he was very badly behaved at the vet before his return, so we'll see what happens when he is due for his annual vaccinations in about six weeks.
Claire is a little beagle girl with a lot of energy and not much training. We are working on sit, and she is coming along. Walking on a leash is getting better as well. She is such a little cutie - need to get her shaped up so she finds a family.
I found out last week when I boarded one of the dogs we adopted out that my nickname is "Sergeant Maggie" because I believe in exercise and structure. It works - always has.
Then there's the gremlin in the kennel kitchen. Maybe it was the full moon, maybe the barn fan creating too much air movement, but just the other day while I was washing the very last food bowl and thinking that lunch sounded like a good idea (it was 2:30 PM), the stovepipe for the wood stove crashed down on me - no major injury, just a few scrapes and bruises.
There are still three foundation bred horses, all yearlings, to find homes for. We now have two miniature horses of our own - Swiffer and Eclipse.
The calico/tabby kitten, Kitzu, is growing and likes to help while I'm on the computer. She also likes to help me while I peel wallpaper in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
We have some nice quality round bales of horse hay for sale, the sun is shining, and it's a beautiful day!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Brystls
My ex brother-in-law decided he wanted to open a pet shop. He took in animals from people that just walked in - everything from a 12 foot long python to a pet raccoon that took over the bathroom and had to be returned to the owner. Along the way he even had a Colorado black bear cub. One day he called to say he had taken in a female dachsund and wanted my husband and I to take it to our apartment for a few days to see how she behaved. The dog had been with us for about a week, and when we went to work, we put her in the bathroom. She had food, water, and could move about. One day the husband let her loose in the apartment. I got sick at work and was sent home, and all I could think about was lying down near the bathroom till the yuck passed. When I walked into the apartment, there were two holes the size of softballs in the bedroom wall, three of the venetian blinds were destroyed, and there was a pile of dog poop coiled like a snake in the middle of the bed!
We reported her behavior, and Allen said he would take her back to the pet shop. When I got there, he showed me an 8 week old schnauzer female puppy, obviously sick, that he had purchased from a breeder a couple of days before. I took her to our vet and then to our apartment and never returned her. She was very sick and after a long recovery, we knew we were keeping her forever.
She was my very best friend. She never got very big because of the illness when she was so young. She curled up next to me every night, snuggled on my lap when reading or watching TV, loved to ride in the car and go for a walk, was always there when I needed to vent, especially when husband #1 left a note on the TV that he didn't want to hurt me but married me to put him through college, and now that he had a master's degree, he was moving on with someone else.
Through the years I had Brystls aka Booger, I got another schnauzer and a chow. They were all best buds, and I used to take them to Grapevine Lake in Texas before it got really civilized. We would drive out, walk through the pucky weeds to the lake, go swimming and fetch sticks, walk back to the car, stop for ice cream, go home and get a bath, have a good meal and fall asleep together on the couch.
She started to sleep in other than her usual spots. She didn't eat the usual stuff - was more picky and avoided fatty foods. By this time, I had remarried, and we were expecting our first child and moving to the country. The vet diagnosed either cancer of the liver or an abscess of the liver. Booger started having seizures. I took her to the vet, and he changed her medicine. About a block from the vet's office, she seized in the car, a major one, and I turned around and cried all the way back, carried her in, and asked him to put her out of her misery. He refused. Told me to try the new medicine and bring her back in 4 days.
The next two days weren't any better, but then things always get worse before they get better. Then on the third day, Boog had a whole 4 hours when she ate, played, and acted like her old self. Then things went sour. She died in my arms at 2 a.m. and my husband gently lifted her from my arms and took her out and buried her under the one and only tree we had - a place we used to spend a lot of time together - me reading a book, Boog taking a nap or sniffing the area.
It's been 32 years since she passed away. There's a saying the "You don't get the dog you want, you get the dog you need". How true that is. She was my very best friend when I needed her the most.
We reported her behavior, and Allen said he would take her back to the pet shop. When I got there, he showed me an 8 week old schnauzer female puppy, obviously sick, that he had purchased from a breeder a couple of days before. I took her to our vet and then to our apartment and never returned her. She was very sick and after a long recovery, we knew we were keeping her forever.
She was my very best friend. She never got very big because of the illness when she was so young. She curled up next to me every night, snuggled on my lap when reading or watching TV, loved to ride in the car and go for a walk, was always there when I needed to vent, especially when husband #1 left a note on the TV that he didn't want to hurt me but married me to put him through college, and now that he had a master's degree, he was moving on with someone else.
Through the years I had Brystls aka Booger, I got another schnauzer and a chow. They were all best buds, and I used to take them to Grapevine Lake in Texas before it got really civilized. We would drive out, walk through the pucky weeds to the lake, go swimming and fetch sticks, walk back to the car, stop for ice cream, go home and get a bath, have a good meal and fall asleep together on the couch.
She started to sleep in other than her usual spots. She didn't eat the usual stuff - was more picky and avoided fatty foods. By this time, I had remarried, and we were expecting our first child and moving to the country. The vet diagnosed either cancer of the liver or an abscess of the liver. Booger started having seizures. I took her to the vet, and he changed her medicine. About a block from the vet's office, she seized in the car, a major one, and I turned around and cried all the way back, carried her in, and asked him to put her out of her misery. He refused. Told me to try the new medicine and bring her back in 4 days.
The next two days weren't any better, but then things always get worse before they get better. Then on the third day, Boog had a whole 4 hours when she ate, played, and acted like her old self. Then things went sour. She died in my arms at 2 a.m. and my husband gently lifted her from my arms and took her out and buried her under the one and only tree we had - a place we used to spend a lot of time together - me reading a book, Boog taking a nap or sniffing the area.
It's been 32 years since she passed away. There's a saying the "You don't get the dog you want, you get the dog you need". How true that is. She was my very best friend when I needed her the most.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Redemption
One of the local animal control facilities had two beagle females, one with puppies, surrendered to them because there had been a serious illness in the family and it necessitated the family members moving out of state without much prior notice. The family was unable to find a place where they could have a pet, so they were forced to leave the beagle family behind.In today's world, it is hard to rent, and even buy a home, where dogs of any size and breed are allowed. Apartments often have size and weight limits. Housing developments and gated communities often have restrictions, not only about the size and breed of acceptable dogs, but also what kind of fence you are allowed to have. Not to mention insurance companies refusing to insure if you have an "aggressive" breed.
Anyway, we took the beagle girls into our rescue, finished raising the puppies up to 8 weeks old and found them new homes, got Katie and Bindi spayed and hoped we would find them a home in short order. Both Katie and Bindi are nice, small beagles, housebroken, good on a leash, very friendly. However, because of the economy, the heat, summer vacations, and the fact that school is starting and school supplies, clothes, and fees must be paid for, no one applied for the girls.
On Thursday of last week, the rescue coordinator called me and wanted to know what I thought about the fact that the owners of Katie and Bindi had flown in for 24 hours with the intention of trying to find Katie and Bindi, and take Katie back with them. They had found an apartment which
would allow them to have one dog.Animal control gave them the rescue office number, and when that didn't work right away (the mailbox is almost always full), they gave the cell phone number of the rescue coordinator. When she called me, she asked what my feelings were. Nobody flies that far and spends a whole day tracking down a dog unless they really care. I suggested they come on out to the farm and let Katie decide. Her response to them would help us make up our minds.
Katie is now living in Florida. She was absolutely delighted to see them, as was Bindi. They are looking for a home where they can have both beagles, and vowed to send money to support Bindi till they can fly here and pick her up.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Harley
Harley, a chow/husky mix came to us through the veterinarian our boss uses. The young lady who originally owned her had to "get rid of her" because she was a runner and animal control had been called too many times. She had been around children, but because the lady used her for protection, she had become aggressive. The snare that animal control had to use to catch her hadn't helped any. Her basic personality favored the chow side of the family. She would dart through an open door and not come back when she was called.
I added "Sue" to her name, and started working on teaching her to come when called. She growled at me every day for the first two weeks, but she soon realized that she would not eat unless it was in her kennel, a 4 ft. x 12 ft. area, plus a doggie door and outside run of the same size. Very carefully we worked on a collar and leash. We had to get past the snare pole. Harley Sue did not like men, and we, with the help of my husband, worked on getting her to trust a man and respond to his commands.
She learned to walk properly on a leash, be brushed anywhere with no fear or growling, come when called, and also learned "sit" and "shake". She didn't get along with other dogs, but soon learned to go out in the play yards next to another dog without trying to start a fight. She loved to go out and watch the barn cats play down by the old barn. She liked guarding the miniature horses while they grazed in the lot next to the play yard.
We will pick up her ashes today, and they will be eventually be buried with the ashes of all of the dogs that have been rescued by the owner of this rescue. Harley Sue suffered a massive heart attack on July 24.
I added "Sue" to her name, and started working on teaching her to come when called. She growled at me every day for the first two weeks, but she soon realized that she would not eat unless it was in her kennel, a 4 ft. x 12 ft. area, plus a doggie door and outside run of the same size. Very carefully we worked on a collar and leash. We had to get past the snare pole. Harley Sue did not like men, and we, with the help of my husband, worked on getting her to trust a man and respond to his commands.
She learned to walk properly on a leash, be brushed anywhere with no fear or growling, come when called, and also learned "sit" and "shake". She didn't get along with other dogs, but soon learned to go out in the play yards next to another dog without trying to start a fight. She loved to go out and watch the barn cats play down by the old barn. She liked guarding the miniature horses while they grazed in the lot next to the play yard.
We will pick up her ashes today, and they will be eventually be buried with the ashes of all of the dogs that have been rescued by the owner of this rescue. Harley Sue suffered a massive heart attack on July 24.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Rabbit
If he could have become invisible by skrunching himself up at the back of the crate, he would have. We had taken a road trip to a local animal control to rescue as many as we could, as they were having to euthanize for space. We walked through the whole building and saved the intake room till last - it was full to overflowing and more dogs were scheduled to arrive.
I noticed the little guy, a brown, rough coated, pointed ears, black muzzle, scared stiff border terrier/Norwich terrier? mix. I went over to his crate three or four times, and each time he tried to become invisible. There was no growl, no bared teeth - just pure fear. He had no kennel card and no name, which meant that he was scheduled for euthanasia. Shy, timid dogs don't usually find homes, and with such severe overcrowding, his number was rapidly coming up.
After choosing three other dogs, I asked the rescue coordinator if we could go back and see him again. I dropped a slip lead on him, and there was no aggressive behavior. We took him outside, and he obviously had never been on a leash, or hadn't learned how to walk on one. He jumped, tried to run away, tried to chew the leash in two, but never tried to bite. I asked to take him with us. About that time, one of the vet techs came after him, but instead of prepping him for his demise, she gave him his vaccinations and checked him for heartworms, which we sincerely appreciated. She said he was very good during the vetting process - just had some leash issues.
It's wonderful how fast dogs learn. By the time we got him home and took him out of the crate, he was leading as well or better than most. His tail was tucked to his chin, but he walked right along with me. The next day when I took him out to the play yard for exercise, he took off with tail tucked and ears plastered to his head - he looked and ran like a scared rabbit - and since we needed to name him, he was given the name Rabbit.
He needed a lesson on coming when called, and we found out that he had obviously been kicked. For a couple of days, if he was standing next to you and you moved your foot, he would hunker down and try to disappear.
That's all behind him now. He trots down the kennel in front of the other dogs with his head and ears held high. His tail no longer is tucked to his chin and it has developed a happy wag. He's still a little shy around new people, but it doesn't last long. He loves a good back rub, comes when called, and has learned "sit". He's excellent on a leash. We will get him neutered and post him for potential adoption - someone will get a very nice companion.
A new owner will probably change his name, but everytime I think of him, all I will see is that scared little brown rabbit trying to make himself invisible, and then smile as I think of how far he has come in such a short time!
I noticed the little guy, a brown, rough coated, pointed ears, black muzzle, scared stiff border terrier/Norwich terrier? mix. I went over to his crate three or four times, and each time he tried to become invisible. There was no growl, no bared teeth - just pure fear. He had no kennel card and no name, which meant that he was scheduled for euthanasia. Shy, timid dogs don't usually find homes, and with such severe overcrowding, his number was rapidly coming up.
After choosing three other dogs, I asked the rescue coordinator if we could go back and see him again. I dropped a slip lead on him, and there was no aggressive behavior. We took him outside, and he obviously had never been on a leash, or hadn't learned how to walk on one. He jumped, tried to run away, tried to chew the leash in two, but never tried to bite. I asked to take him with us. About that time, one of the vet techs came after him, but instead of prepping him for his demise, she gave him his vaccinations and checked him for heartworms, which we sincerely appreciated. She said he was very good during the vetting process - just had some leash issues.
It's wonderful how fast dogs learn. By the time we got him home and took him out of the crate, he was leading as well or better than most. His tail was tucked to his chin, but he walked right along with me. The next day when I took him out to the play yard for exercise, he took off with tail tucked and ears plastered to his head - he looked and ran like a scared rabbit - and since we needed to name him, he was given the name Rabbit.
He needed a lesson on coming when called, and we found out that he had obviously been kicked. For a couple of days, if he was standing next to you and you moved your foot, he would hunker down and try to disappear.
That's all behind him now. He trots down the kennel in front of the other dogs with his head and ears held high. His tail no longer is tucked to his chin and it has developed a happy wag. He's still a little shy around new people, but it doesn't last long. He loves a good back rub, comes when called, and has learned "sit". He's excellent on a leash. We will get him neutered and post him for potential adoption - someone will get a very nice companion.
A new owner will probably change his name, but everytime I think of him, all I will see is that scared little brown rabbit trying to make himself invisible, and then smile as I think of how far he has come in such a short time!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Time for a Road Trip
It was a week ago today when an animal control called to say they had taken in 11 dogs that day, had 14 more coming the next day, and the day after that they were receiving 24 more, and that's just what they knew for sure was coming. The 11 year old daughter of some friends had just told me she wanted a job like mine, so I asked her parents permission to haul her along on our road trip to animal control. She might as well see first hand about rescue and the choices and decisions that have to be made, particularly when there is limited space and money available.
We looked at all the dogs and started a mental list of the ones that we thought we might be able to place in new homes in fairly short order. There was Sally, a golden retriever mix, only a year old, had been to a hospital meet and greet, needed some manners, and had a great personality. There was a beagle mix female, 8 months old, cute and personable - we call her Claire. There was a wirehair mix male, about one year old, easy going and friendly. There were a few puppies, but their cages were right next to a pup that had some diarrhea, so we passed on all of them just in case it was of the contagious variety. There were a few others that we looked at, including a little guy that I now call Rabbit. We loaded Sally, Claire, Dusty, and Rabbit and headed home. These dogs would fill up all the empty spaces.
When we got home, there was our guest - a former student from our days as adjunct faculty at Kirkwood Community College in the equine program. There was a friend and her daughter with my yearling miniature horse. My husband was asked to do a DVD specifically for miniature horse owners, and I bought a dun colt whose sire was of the Little King bloodline and whose mother is named Dust Bunny. I have named the colt Swiffer. The breeder sent along another colt, Eclipse, for company. She also sent along a calico kitten with tabby stripes - is that a tabico? She's adorable, probably only 6 weeks old, and loves my big 91 pound lab/rott mix female.
The friend and daughter who delivered the minis picked out a yearling colt from the foundation quarter horse stock, so we have only 2 more quarter horses to place. Both are colts, both are yearlings, both are still available.
At the end of the day, I asked the 11 year old what she thought of the job. In spite of the hot and humid weather, all the kennel cleaning, dish washing, laundry, she said she loved it. I explained to her that it is impossible to save every dog, and to keep from becoming a hoarder, she will need to set up some guidelines and rules for herself and follow them in order to do the best job she can do. Then we both laughed at me, because I broke a rule of my own. We brought Rabbit home - that will be the next blog.
We looked at all the dogs and started a mental list of the ones that we thought we might be able to place in new homes in fairly short order. There was Sally, a golden retriever mix, only a year old, had been to a hospital meet and greet, needed some manners, and had a great personality. There was a beagle mix female, 8 months old, cute and personable - we call her Claire. There was a wirehair mix male, about one year old, easy going and friendly. There were a few puppies, but their cages were right next to a pup that had some diarrhea, so we passed on all of them just in case it was of the contagious variety. There were a few others that we looked at, including a little guy that I now call Rabbit. We loaded Sally, Claire, Dusty, and Rabbit and headed home. These dogs would fill up all the empty spaces.
When we got home, there was our guest - a former student from our days as adjunct faculty at Kirkwood Community College in the equine program. There was a friend and her daughter with my yearling miniature horse. My husband was asked to do a DVD specifically for miniature horse owners, and I bought a dun colt whose sire was of the Little King bloodline and whose mother is named Dust Bunny. I have named the colt Swiffer. The breeder sent along another colt, Eclipse, for company. She also sent along a calico kitten with tabby stripes - is that a tabico? She's adorable, probably only 6 weeks old, and loves my big 91 pound lab/rott mix female.
The friend and daughter who delivered the minis picked out a yearling colt from the foundation quarter horse stock, so we have only 2 more quarter horses to place. Both are colts, both are yearlings, both are still available.
At the end of the day, I asked the 11 year old what she thought of the job. In spite of the hot and humid weather, all the kennel cleaning, dish washing, laundry, she said she loved it. I explained to her that it is impossible to save every dog, and to keep from becoming a hoarder, she will need to set up some guidelines and rules for herself and follow them in order to do the best job she can do. Then we both laughed at me, because I broke a rule of my own. We brought Rabbit home - that will be the next blog.
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