Pupdates ~ Anna and pups

I don't think I've posted recent pictures of the puppies lately, so I thought it'd be about time!! They are now 6 weeks old and are FULL OF ENERGY! Holy jumpin! I thought the last litter was busy! With the last ones, I had to be careful when I had people come to view them because nap time was more often than play time. It is the opposite with this latest litter. They are BUSY BUSY little bees. Even when they are napping, they are quite happy to get up and play more (unlike the last litter ... when it was naptime, a bomb could go off and they wouldn't budge). There's ONE picture I have of them sleeping ... it's a rarity to catch them like this but it was after they had been outside for the first time (they've been out several times now so it's not so exciting or tiring anymore).

We are currently accepting calls about them and compiling a waiting list. They won't be ready to go to their new homes for another 2 weeks but it works best if people come and pick their puppies early so we know they have homes!

Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Montana

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

MONTANA

Happy Tails ~ Teddy and some others

Thought I'd pass on some really nice news today so rather than giving you a Pupdate of the dogs that are at the shelter, I'm going to let you know some of the ones who have been adopted recently! A bit of good news in a sea of disappointment. It's nice to be able to share some "Happy Tails".

Teddy is the most recent guy adopted. Here is his advertisement: Teddy is a ten-year-old neutered Belgian Shepherd cross with all the loyalty and intelligence the breed possesses. He waited patiently at the pound and now at the shelter for the owner he believed would come. Day by day, his hope dwindled as he looked at each car pulling into the parking lot. He has lovely manners and would like a home for the rest of his days. In return, he will give you his whole heart. Everyone at the shelter was so excited when he was adopted! (Maybe a little sad to say goodbye though) Every time we walked him, he would pull and pull to go see the cars in the parking lot to see if one of them was his. It was very sad and broke a great many hearts at the shelter. Sometimes when we get the real old guys in, the dog walkers all worry that they will be around forever ... scary thing is that sometimes they are faster to be adopted than the middle aged ones!!

Of the dogs from our pull day, Riley, Charlie, and Pip have all been adopted. Jenny has a waiting list 4 families deep and we are waiting to determine who will take her. Heidi still has no takers but she is in today for her spay surgery.

Penny was one of our long term stays. She was eventually adopted by one of our volunteers.

Amy is a real sweet heart. So happy to see people that she just can't stop wiggling!! This was one we never even had to advertise because she was adopted via word of mouth.

Ruby is also a dog we didn't advertise. Another word of mouth adoption. Busy busy gal! So much energy ... and she wasn't a deep "thinker" so things such as a Kong Wobbler (which we give to some of the busier guys) wasn't of interest for her at all!! She needed to burn off energy the old fashion way ... walking, running and swimming!! Luckily, she enjoyed a good game of fetch so that helped our volunteers.



We currently have Tucker, Gracie, Am.Eskimo (no name yet), Heidi, Melody and Jenny at the shelter.



I will be going to AC again this week or next for another pull day.



I have also offered to take a dog I received via email ... one of those "if we don't find a home it will be euthanized" jobbies, but I don't know if we'll end up with him as the person who has him doesn't want him to go to a shelter (even though we are no kill and have a super duper kennel enrichment program ... If she feels that it is better to kill the dog then that's none of my business, right? I did offer to take him. That's all I can do. Some people really have to get their heads out their asses and take a good look at reality.)

CL Post ~ Steps to the Shelter

I can't believe I've never posted this one before! This is one of my favourites ...

What Happened When I got a PUPPY off Craig's List

Step 1: Look at all those CUTE PUPPIES on Craig's List!! I can't resist, I really want a puppy!!



Step 2: I'm sure the landlord won't care (I'll explain it to him). Plus all my friends want me to get a CUTE PUPPY!! :^) :^) :^)



Step 3: Lots of breeders on Craig's List... Here's one! Look how CUTE!!! It's not expensive and I can take it home today! How exciting!!



Step 4: So cute! He has the cutest markings! I love him! My friends all love him. Wish I didn't have to clean up all the poop and pee when I get home but it's OK, he's so snuggly and happy to see me.



Step 5: Where did all this energy come from? He's so cute but he wears me out sometimes, LOL!!!! But I still love him.



Step 6: He's been making this really high-pitched YIP YIP YIP YIP out in the yard while I'm at work and some nosy old busybody is complaining. Why won't he shut up?



Step 7: Oh no, I left him in the house so he wouldn't bark and he ripped the curtains and chewed up my best shoes. What's wrong with him? I'd ask the vet but have been postponing his shots and getting him fixed -- kinda broke right now...



Step 8: Bad week. The landlord called to say dogs weren't allowed and wants me to replace the drapes and the screen door and pay a higher deposit. I can't afford that -- my temp job ended last month. What bad luck!!



Step 9: Why won't my friends take my dog for a few months? Thanks a lot. I'll have to look for another place now. Will lose my original deposit too, really sucks. I don't want to give up my puppy but maybe he deserves a better home with someone with more time.



Step 10: Someone said that breeders take back their dogs so I contacted the breeder from Craig's List but they said no. I said they could have him for free but they won't take him. How mean. And the landlord's being a real jerk now. I don't have time for this BS.



Step 11: Post a cute ad on Craig's List--

"CUTE DOG FOR ADOPTION, HURRY! Adorable 11 month old for adoption. Still puppy-like! Loves attention. Owner must relocate and can not take the dog. Puppy comes with special bed. Good Home only. FREE."



Step 12: Post the ad again. Landlord sent me a letter.



Step 13: Post the ad again. Horrible situation, too much pressure!!!



Step 14: Hooray!!! I didn't have to take my baby to the pound after all. Someone was going to get a dog from the animal shelter but saw my free ad first. Everything is OK now!





....meanwhile at the shelter, a needle is pushed into the leg of another sweet, trusting young dog surrendered by his owner. Someone had called about him yesterday but never came, and now his time is up. The plunger moves forward. He sighs deeply and quietly dies, and his warm body is added to the overflowing barrels of other forgotten dogs, bought and discarded by people who didn't keep them.

Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Missouri

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

MISSOURI

Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Mississippi

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

MISSISSIPPI

Pupdates ~ Others From our "pull" day

I figure I should post real quickly what other dogs we pulled from the shelter. One of them has already been adopted and I think another is going today! Yikes! Here goes ... the black is info about the dogs, the red is my info/thoughts popped in.

Jenny: 2 year old Mastiff mix. Female. Super friendly. Big (72 lbs) goofball. Mastiff rescue wouldn't respond to the requests sent about this dog for placement. She passed all her required tests and still didn't get scooped up! I have 2 different volunteers who are considering her for adoption, though "considering" is the key-word. I'll update this in another few weeks once she's been spayed and is actually listed for adoption!

Charlie: 12 week old. Male. Sheltie / Collie cross. He was surrendered to the animal control because he was biting the children ... hello? Is anybody in there?? HE'S A PUPPY!! You have to teach them not to nip dumbass! ... he had to be quarantined for 10 days as is policy. Charlie has already been adopted!

Riley: 5 years old. Neutered Male. Owner surrender due to an unfortunate incident in which the foster-kitten came too close to Riley's food bowl ... I'd have a pretty nasty reaction if someone came close to my food bowl too; "Joey doesn't share food!" (can you place this quote?) ...  Super friendly ... just like you would expect a Golden to be! ... No cats. Gets along great with other dogs. Housetrained. Potential adopter to let us know decision today about wether or not they are adopting Riley.

Heidi: 2 year old. Female. Looks to be a German Pinscher cross. Head shape VERY similar as seen from profile angle. She was pulled by the SPCA but was returned right away as she was "too hyper" for them ... ok. she's NOT that hyper!! In fact, she is less active than most of the Beagles we've had go through the shelter in the last 6 months!! ... SPCA returns reportedly do not have a great chance for being pulled. Housetrained.

Pip: 1 year old. Pug/JRT cross. Male. Super friendly with both people and other dogs. Busy guy with lots of energy (yep, more than Heidi above!). Housetrained.

 

For the dogs who are not altered, they will be going for their surgeries this week. We may list them next week if all goes well. Cross your fingers for them!

My hope is that we will create a good working relationship with this facility and will continue to pull dogs out of there on a regular basis. That is my plan for this anyway. Hopefully I don't walk away with litters of puppies each time I visit ...

Pupdates ~ Must be Crazy

Ok. Call me crazy. It's true. You might as well because the only reason why I did what I have done is if I was certifiably crazy. I went last week to one of the high kill Animal Control facilities in Ontario. I made the mistake of going BY MYSELF! That's right ... 


What was I THINKING!?



Why would I have thought that I could do this without doing something stupid?!? IDIOT!!



*headdesk headdesk headdesk*


 
I went there as a representative for my local (No Kill) Humane Society. I was there for one job only ... to pull 2 - 3 dogs out of there and bring them to our shelter so we could re-home them.




I left with 10.



Now, to be truthful ... of the dogs who went to the shelter, 4 of them are adults and 1 is a 12 week old puppy ...... Have you counted up?? Do you know what that leaves??? Let me give you a hint:



(please disregard the messiness in the background of this picture)

Did you figure it out?? Need another hint??

No, they aren't stuffed animals lined up in a row ... here's your last hint:

If you haven't figured it out yet you should have another coffee. Or maybe something stronger.




I brought a JRT/Beagle home who had 4 puppies. They were 5 days old when I brought them home. The pictures were taken immediately after I brought them home. I had to put them in a crate for the first few hours until I had my husband bring the Ex-Pen in from the barn and disinfect it for me.



Oh ... did I tell you that my husband didn't know that I brought the puppies home?? Truth be told, I didn't know I was going to bring them until I already had them in my truck.



He's a wonderful husband. He didn't divorce me ... he didn't kick me out of the house ... he didn't even yell at me. All he said was "And you thought it would be a good idea for you to go to this facility without me while you were pregnant?? ARE YOU NEW??"




Anyway ... here we go again, eh? See? Told you I was crazy.



On the bright side, the mom is totally housetrained so we aren't having to clean her several times per day. Not having to clean up constantly gives a lot more time to spend doing Early Neurologial Stimulation for the puppies, which is nicer not to rush through.



The puppies will be available for adoption via the Humane Society when they are 8 weeks old. They are 2 weeks old (as of today!).

News Reel ~ Hot Dogs

Alright ... we see this EVERY year in Ontario ... Hot Dogs in Cars ... SERIOUSLY People?! Stop leaving your dog in the car!!! Just leave them at home! It's not that hard. The following quote was taken from an article called Protect your pets which was posted today.





'there have been approximately 10 instances of dogs being left in cars over the last two weeks. Within the span of one day, there were three cases, she says, including one dog that had been left in a car for roughly an-hour-and- a-half, and was spiraling into "serious distress."'




Why do people insist on taking their dogs with them for a car ride if they aren't going to a dog appropriate destination?? If you take your dog with you, then go somewhere that you can take your dog OUT of the car!!
 
 
 
If it's hot enough to use your A/C then it's too hot to have your dog in the car. Peroid. It's very selfish of you to leave your dog in the car when you are putting your dog in jeopardy.
 
 
 
It takes only a few minutes for a dog's temperature to rise to unsafe levels. If they over heat for too long, neurological damage or even death could occur. Every year, dogs die in cars because their asshat owners didn't want to leave their poopsie poo at home ... "she might be lonely" ... well, that's crap. In the instance of those who don't ever make it out of the cars, she won't ever be lonely again.

Happy Tails ~ Albert

I figure some good news is always welcome. We have a Happy Tail from this weekend. One of our resident dogs at the shelter was adopted! He's been with us for several weeks now ... another lost soul who came in from the pound.



When Albert came in, he was crawling with fleas and had lost much of his hair. He was thin as a rail (you could actually see his ribs since his coat was so thin) and very scared. Here is a picture of what he looked like when he came in:

We treated the fleas with Advantage Multi. Once he settled in, he was given dewormer (since Multi doesn't kill off tapeworms), received vaccinations, had surgery for castration (neuter) and we plumped him up a bit.



When we got to know Albert (who was named for the street on which he was found), we realized that the growling and snarling was simply a defensive mechanism. It turned out that he was a super friendly guy whose personality more resembled a cuddly teddy bear rather than a piranha.

The good news is that Albert found his new forever home this weekend. He will be living with another dog and a young couple who absolutely adore him. They have already sent a new picture of him!

 Good luck Albert! Fare thee well.

Pupdates ~ Gracie

The shelter has been one crazy place lately. Dogs coming in, dogs going out, cats everywhere, small animals adopted left right and centre ... Crazy crazy crazy. There has been one constant though and that is Gracie.




After several months, Gracie is still at the shelter. She went out on an adoption and was returned to us within 3 weeks. Now, she is back at the shelter. She came back with a severe bladder infection that included crystals! How painful is that!? So, she went on antibiotics for a few weeks and is now on a special food. The vet says she has to stay on this special food forever ...

When it comes to dogs that are hard to adopt out, Gracie is one of them. She's estimated to be about 6+ years old so she's nearly a "senior", has to stay on medicated food, is NOT good with other dogs, chases cats, is a "talker" and isn't purebred.



On the bright side, Gracie is a cuddler, has nice manners and is a superb fisher-dog! Unfortunately, not many people need a fisher-dog anymore since the invention of supermarkets.

Climbing back into the saddle

It's hard to get back to blogging when you've taken a hiatus. The longer you stay away, the more difficult it is to come back. Things are starting to calm down on this front and so I have a little more time to actually stop and think. Crazy, no?



I have spent the last few months reeling from all sorts of things including puppies, humane society stuff, work stuff (it's our busiest time of year), business stuff (I run a part time business in addition to my full time job), and the newest component ... pregnancy! Yep, you read that rightly. I've spent the last 3 months battling morning sickness, nausea and vertigo (among other symptoms).



So, now that the morning sickness is leaving (slowly), I am ready to get back to everything else; including blogging.



That said ... it is quite likely that my blog topics may take a bit of a turn now that we'll be preparing for baby. My husband and I will spend the next few months preparing our dogs and cats for our new arrival ... that's right - we will begin to actually TRAIN our animals to expect the new baby!



I know. I know. That's crazy talk. Why would we ever prepare the members of our family for the upcoming screaming and crying and pooping and vomiting and smelling and everything else baby. Why are we doing this again?? Oh yeah, so we have a cute kid for fundraising at the humane society events ... er ... I mean ... because we are ready to take the next step in our life. Yeah. Right. That's it.



Anyway, I'm going to be plowing through all sorts of different training in the next few months. It is quite likely that I will take you all along for the ride. After all ... it isn't every day that you have the opportunity to try and train bitey-mc-bitey ACD to be gentle with baby!!



I will also resume my "normal" blog posts, beginning with an update from the shelter.

RANT ~ Dog Wars ... Let's make little Vicks!

Still trying to keep my head above water over here ... the puppies (or should I call them "Poopies"?) are 6.5 weeks old and trouble...makers! My goodness. It's a good thing they are cute because they take all my free time and all my patience.



I read an email a few hours ago and I've been sputtering mad ever since. It took me a few hours to calm down enough to even begin to consider posting a comprehensive blog entry about this. After reading this, I hope you CROSS POST this to as many blogs as we can and I hope that you report this as an inappropriate app to the Android Market ... here goes ...



A new Application has been released for the Android cellular phone OS ... it's called "Dog Wars". See the picture below ...

In this game, players train Pit Bulls to fight. The dogs are forced to drag tires and can be injected with steroids as their owners shoot at cops coming in to bust the ring.




Why does it feel like we are going backwards all of a sudden?




Although it looks as though Google has pulled "Dog Wars" off the marketplace, I strongly encourage everyone to let Google know just what they think of this application! Find the website below that will link you directly to a form you can fill in and send to Google.
 
 
 
http://www.google.com/support/androidmarket/bin/request.py?contact_type=takedown

Shadow's 28-Day Eukanuba Challenge ~ Recap

Well I'm a little late with my final post for the 28-day challenge ... today is day 44! Sometimes life gets busy. That's ok though because my review of the product doesn't change much from day 28 to day 44. Eukanuba remains a good product, if you ask me, but then again - I was already sold on it ...



Eukanuba is the only food that my allergy ridden dog can eat without a reaction. We tried many different brands on the market (nearly all of them - including the imported one made from kangaroo meat!) - when we were trying to find a resolution to Shadow's allergies, cost was not a factor. Ultimately, our veterinarian recommended Eukanuba (since it is what she feeds!) and after a week, Shadow had noted improvements in her condition - she's been eating it ever since that time. The food that was sent to me for this challenge was actually a different type of Eukanuba than she normally is fed. That meant that we had to watch her like a hawk for any allergic reactions she might have.



I was impressed to note that this "Naturals" food gave Shadow more energy than the normal Eukanuba. Whenever a high-energy dog starts to slow down with old age, it is wonderful to find something that gives them that spark of life again. It's great to see the sparkle in her eyes and hear the mischievous "RAWR" in her growly-play-bark.



The dogs were excited to eat it (ok, they are always excited to eat food BUT they were more excited than normal with this food) AND it did not smell like Play-Doh! (I hate that IAMS Play-Doh smell!). To me, the lack of Play-Doh smell remains an enormous plus!



Whenever we have really sick animals come into the shelter or old animals, we put them on Eukanuba. The reason for that is because there is something special about the Eukanuba formula that helps the sick guys get back on track. I don't know what it is in there that does it but Eukanuba firms up their BM's, allows them to either put on weight or keep weight on and will often give an animal that would otherwise be too sick/old to live another lease on life. If the shelter could afford to feed Eukanuba to every dog/cat there, we would.



Shadow will continue to eat Eukanuba; probably for the rest of her life. While I would absolutely love to put all my dogs on a RAW food diet, Eukanuba is simply the right choice for Shadow at this stage in her life. No matter my personal opinions about the product, the right decision will always lie in the decision that does right by the dog. It puts a dent in my wallet but it's worth it to see her happy.

News Reel ~ When dogs are the audience ...

This is not new news but it's important and I feel that the more people who know about these programs, the better. In Granite Falls, there is a reading program called  Reading with Rover . In this program, dog owners bring their dogs to elementary schools and libraries so the children can read to them.



This program is an initiative that is designed to encourage reluctant readers to polish their skills and build some self - confidence. "A child who may be hesitant to read aloud to his peers is typically less stressed when reading to a dog and the dog never judges the child's reading ability."



Check out the article on heraldnet.com about this program When dogs are the audience, youngsters improve reading skills



If you are interested in joining a program such as this look around in your local community or contact your local literacy council for more information.

Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Minnesota

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

MINNESOTA

Pupdates ~ Xena

Well I was going to blog about one of the other dogs at the shelter today but I found I don't have any pictures of them! I guess I'll have to get a bunch more while I'm there tonight so I can Pupdate! Due to a serious case of slacking on my part, there are no pictures of Maggie the senior Beagle. She was adopted yesterday after being with us for 2 weeks. She is a super sweet dog and I'm glad she's got a new forever home.



Xena

The only other dog I have pictures of is Xena and they are all similar to the one posted. Xena came in with her brother Zeus. (She used to live with a dog named Hercules ... are we seeing a common theme?) Xena is approximately 13 months old and has spent the last 6 months of her life in a shed with very little light. The first 3 days she was at the shelter she was so photosensitive that we were working off the emergency lighting to get her accustumed to brightness.



As I'm sure you guessed by now, she is the pregnant dog who came to us with 10 days' left of her pregnancy! Too far along in her pregnancy for an abortive spay; therefore we knew we were going to have puppies! After some trials and tribulations, a decision was made that the best place for Xena was a foster home. Can you guess whose home she went to?? Come on ... guess! I'll give you 3 chances but the first 2 don't count.



In the picture above, the puppies are 2 days old. There are 3 white, 1 black and 4 tan. Of the 8 puppies, there are 6 males and 2 females. What you see in the pic is what they do most of the time ... sleep ... that is, unless they are eating or squeaking. They squeak a lot. Xena doesn't seem to know not to sit on their little heads. She also tends to lie down on top of them. She's learning but it's obvious she's never done this before.



You can see the whelping box my husband made ... he found the designs on the internet ... it's designed for a Great Dane ... his theory for most things is "go big or go home". It's a little large but it will do. They'll need the room as they get bigger.



I am putting together an action plan for "Early Neurological Stimulation" for puppies. I've been looking into what they do when prepping puppies for therapy dog work and also what other exercises are recommended. I figure if it works for dogs who will be therapy dogs, then why wouldn't it be a good idea to do the exercises with these puppies? In the coming weeks we are going to be going crazy with puppies and puppy exercises ... what is it they say ... It takes a village to raise a child? How about 8 puppies? Think I can haul in the village?? I'll try to keep this blog updated with not only other DDF related topics but also with puppy pictures for your reading pleasure.

Know anyone who is going to be looking for a Husky mix puppy in about 8 weeks' time??

Shadow's 28 Day Eukanuba Challenge ~ Day 14

We are at the end of the second week for Shadow's 28 Day Eukanuba Challenge. Day 14.



I would like to let you all know that feeding Shadow a different dog food than the other dogs in the house is impossible! We have Shadow, then two of our own dogs, then a dog sitting dog, then a prego foster dog ... that makes 5 dogs! THEY ALL WANT TO EAT THIS FOOD. Normally when we have different food for a different dog, they don't care but for some reason they all want this food. It must taste good (to dogs ... it smells like dog food to me!).



Even the damn cats are stealing the food from the food bin!!



Our other 2 dogs have their own Eukanuba food ... but you know ... it's not as good as the "other" stuff that Shadow is eating!



The dog sitting dog came with her own food ... but you know ... it's not as good as the "other" stuff that Shadow is eating!



The prego foster dog came with some super-food that was prescribed by the veterinarian since she's nearly ready to pop (MediCal Development). It's jam packed with all sorts of vitamins and nutrients ... but you know ... it's not as good as the "other" stuff that Shadow is eating!!



Of course, if Shadow has something different then they all have to have it!



So ... what is the solution ... the easiest thing I could think of is to go out, buy more bags of the same food we were sent for Shadow and feed the others the same food! That is exactly what I have had to do. So much for free food and a fun product review! This has turned into a very expensive opinion article.



So I'm supposed to make note of any changes that my dog is going through while on this food ... the only change I've noticed is that she has more energy. (Which, for a 10 year old dog is saying a lot) She is rambunctious and playful now when she would have otherwise been grumpy and sullen with the other dogs. I don't know if this change in her demeanor is due to the change in weather (it IS springtime now) or if it is from the change in food.



Everything else seems the same for Shadow. Of course, the other dogs are all much more excited at meal times now. Since they get the same "new" stuff as Shadow, they are more bouncy and excited (I didn't actually think that was possible since they are always excited to eat but I stand corrected!).

Pupdates ~ Penny

Well, Charlie was adopted, but after a week the adoption fell through so he's back at the shelter. Turns out that the child living in his new home had allergies ... the people adored Charlie (let's face it - he's a super cool little dude!) but they were unable to keep him.



I have many stories to share with you as we currently have several dogs but I promised I'd write a little about Penny next. She deserves to have her story told just as much as the next guy!



In case you are wondering, we still have Gracie and Charlie. We've had two long haired chihuahua's come and gone (they lasted a week at the shelter before someone took them home!) and several other dogs come in. There is an older beagle who we have called Maggie; a Lhasa-Poo called Molly; a Border Collie / Labrador mix coming in today; and two Huskies. One of the dogs is pregnant ... Is that enough of a teaser?




Penny

Penny was picked up by Canine Control on October 1, 2010. She was very nervous and frightened. Canine Control recommended that we euthanize Penny and he asked for a behaviour assessment be done. So, on October 3, 2010, I packed up my stuff and wandered over to the Kennel who acts as Municipal Pound for our area. I recommended that we do not euthanize since she's a good dog once you get past the nervousness. Unfortunately, no one was available to foster her so she sat at a boarding facility until the shelter was open. We moved her into the shelter on December 23, 2010 and it has been her home ever since.

We have since learned that Penny is a great big goofball with a silly sense of humour. She thinks she is a lapdog and won't hesitate to climb into your lap if you are kneeling, squatting or sitting. You will note in the picture to the right that she looks like she is laughing ... that is because she had just knocked me over into a puddle of urine when she climbed into my lap as I was trying to take her picture. I'm sure I was cursing up a storm when I took this picture (under my breath of course! Haha). She is learning not to pull on the leash and is almost a pleasure to walk now! She knows Sit, Stay, Paw, Other Paw, and Wait. 

She is probably a Chow / Shar Pei / Labrador mix or something ... certain parts of her anatomy are purple! She was very overweight when she arrived but has lost most of it and no longer jiggles when she walks.

Penny needs a home that will continue teaching her manners including appropriate greetings. She has been learning a lot during her stay at the shelter but would be happier in a home environment. She is still nervous of strangers but now takes only a few moments to get over her fears rather than several minutes.

Penny for your thoughts?

Three Ways to Promote Successful Adoption Listings

I've said it a few times but I'm going to reiterate this point again ... if you are involved in rescue, you will increase adoptions if you promote the animals properly. There are many people out there who are surfing the web in their spare time (at work, on lunch, at home, etc.) ... some of them are looking for new pets. We have to accept that potential adopters are sometimes out there to be found via the internet.


Successfully presenting an adoptable pet is not brain-surgery but there are certainly a few best practices you should use that will help ensure the pet is adopted. Some of these suggestions are courtesy of AdoptAPet.com and Petfinder.com.

Promotion Tip #1 IT'S ALL IN A NAME

Shorter, easy-to-remember names work best. Also, you can use the name field to include a short attractive phrase like: “See My Video!”, “loves kids”, “fully trained”, or any other word or words that call out the best feature of that pet (for example “Molly – Loves Kids!”). Adopters will see that on their search results page, and are more likely to click on your pet!

Promotion Tip #2 THE VIDEO

A picture is worth a thousand words… but nothing captures a pet’s personality like a video! You only need 20 to 30 seconds… you can do it with most phones or digital cameras. Why are most rescues too lazy to make a video?? Probably because their fosters don't take the time to make one. It only takes a few seconds ... maybe even 10 minutes if you include the set up and take down time! *gasp* COME ON FOSTER HOMES! Here is your moment to STAND OUT and SHINE!

Promotion Tip #3 THE PHOTO

Oh dear ... how many times have I said that the rescue posted a terrible picture of a dog? TOO MANY! Rescues ... here’s your chance to make your pet really stand out! So DON'T MUCK IT UP! When a potential adopter does a search on a pet website and looks at the results page, the pet’s photo and name are the first things they see. Research shows that the best eye-catching main photo is a close-up of the pet’s face. Here are a few other suggestions:

~ Take the photo in the brightest light possible. This will hopefully eliminate the flash and will help show the actual contours of the pet rather than showing how shadows collect around them. It will also reduce red-eye.


~ Have the pet wear a bright solid color bandana that compliments the pet (how about a blue bandana for a dog with blue eyes?!?).


~ Place a toy or commonly recognized object (like a tennis ball or telephone) next to the pet to effectively show the pet’s size.


~ Take the photo with grass or a soft solid bright color as the background.  


~ Make dogs run around first so they are panting and look like they are smiling!


~ Hold a treat right above the camera lens to get the pet to look right at you!

Shadow's 28 Day Eukanuba Challenge

About a month ago, I received an invite to participate in a 28 Day Eukanuba Challenge. I was informed that during this time, I would receive free food for my dog if I agreed to feed it to her and blog about it. I accepted. I will be blogging about this experience during the next few weeks ...

First off, it was very nice not to be excluded for living in Canada. There are SO many product review opportunities that I am asked to participate in and as soon as they find out I'm in Canada, they thank me for my time and send my on my merry way - product-less. It is nice to find a company who is willing to include Canada in its surveys.



In fact, the contact person - Christina Kwan - was great about the fact that I live in Canada. When I notified her that the food hadn't arrived, she tracked it down (since it was over a week late) and confirmed that it was on its way. She mentioned that it might take a bit longer to get over the border but it will get there ... she was right! It has arrived and this weekend marks the beginning of Shadow's 28 Day Eukanuba Challenge ...

Let me begin by telling you that Shadow is 10 years old. She is a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix. She has had super severe allergies since her first birthday. Her allergies include food and environmental nasties. When Shadow has an allergic reaction to food, her face swells, gets itchy, her hair falls out and it will often begin to bleed. When Shadow has an allergic reaction to environmental nasties, her whole body experiences the reaction mentioned above (she gets bloated and itchy, then her hair falls out, then she bleeds from all sorts of sores). We have used many different products and procedures to control "the allergies of Shadow". Listening to her cries of pain and frustration during a reaction is heart wrenching. We take every precaution necessary to prevent outbreaks. Although I have agreed to test this food, I will stop feeding it completely if Shadow shows any signs of an allergic reaction. (We do already know that she can eat the Naturally Wild formulas so I don't anticipate any issues but that doesn't mean we won't be watching like hawks!)

When I went to the post office to pick up the food, the post lady said that she didn't know what was in the box; that they'd all been trying to guess at what it was; and that it was too heavy for her to pick it up so could I please come to the back and get it. (Ok, so I live in farm country ... the post office has been run out of someone's house ever since I can remember ... everyone knows everyone else and the post lady knows ALL ... they were quite perturbed that they couldn't figure out what was in the package! Snoopy ladies!)

The ladies at the post office weren't the only snoopy ones because as soon as I brought the food box home, the ACD thought she might like to participate in this challenge too! Sorry Kosha ... we only received ONE bag of food for ONE dog ... !

It was a challenge just to get the food out without the help of all three dogs! Pah!

Over the next 28 Days, Shadow will be eating Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice Senior Formula.



This was the only picture I could get of her that didn't show her crawling out of her skin with excitement that there was another bag of food in the house. (As it was I had to put the other two in a down/stay on the other side of the room to keep them out of the way!)



The other dogs are going to be jealous. They are already jealous. They always are when one of them has something different. They don't care if it is better or worse ... they are too concerned that they might be missing something to rationalize.

The new food has been poured into our air tight dog food storage bins. The bin on the right (the full one) is the new food. The bin on the left is our old food.



When I poured the contents of the dog food bag into one of the storage bins we use, I noticed a distinct difference about the smell of the kibble ... most IAMS products smell like play-doh to me. I don't know what it smells like to dogs. I've had some foster dogs who refuse to eat IAMS products. I don't normally like the smell of IAMS kibble. This kibble is different though ... it actually smells like dog food! It smells good ...



The other dogs are pining for the food and I actually caught the cat yesterday and today climbing into the food bin to steal dog food! Crazy, no? I wonder if I will have to buy a bag of this stuff for everyone in my house just to keep the four legged arguments to a minimum??

Guess the Breed #19

It's been so long since I've done a GTB post ... I think the last one I published was in June! So, I thought I'd put up an easy one to get the ball rolling again!

Here is today's GUESS THE BREED! What do you think this one is?? I'll give you a hint ... no, he's not a sheep.





Ready? Set? GO!



It's been a while but remember the rules ...



1. No bashing other peoples' opinions.



2. Post your opinion. Don't be shy.



3. Have fun!

Pictures Say a Thousand Words ... Caption Day

It's been quite a while since I've published a captions post. I really like them because I LOVE reading everyone's responses!



It's been so busy that I haven't been able to get my creative juices flowing. Unfortunately, that is most evident in my blog ... so, here's another one of those wonderful captions questions!



If a picture says a thousand words ... what does this one say???



Please feel free to post any thoughts that come to your mind! I'd love to know ...

Pupdates at the Shetler ~ Charlie

Well I have some good news! Ralph has been adopted! Yahoo! You go, ol' man! I have to admit, I was rooting for him. There's something about a 12 year old GSD at a shelter that makes my heart cry ... We still have Penny, Gracie and Charlie and apparently have 4 more dogs coming this week sometime. Penny isn't even listed as adoptable yet ... I will tell her story either later this week or next week. For today, I am going to tell you about Charlie ...




Charlie

At 6 months old, this guy has already been through a LOT. He was at his last home for only a week before they decided that he was too much energy (he was chasing their cat all over the house) ... before that, he stayed with a family for about a month. That family found him in a card board box covered in mange. They took him in, treated the mange with a local clinic, had his vaccinations administered and then rehomed him. We don't know any history before that ...



Charlie is a drama queen - and can you blame him?? If you touch or grab him the wrong way, he screams. You'd think you're killing him. He startles even the most steady of the volunteers with his theatrics.



He is a very chatty guy and will wow you with his "Beagle Bugle". He is mouthy and loves to get his own way ... but ... I do believe that deep down, he is going to be a really good dog. We are working through the mouth-i-ness and he is a lot better this week than last. I think he is stressed at the shelter and has too much energy to be cooped up in a kennel all day. Sometimes he just seems to forget his brain ...



Charlie LOVES to play fetch and will play with just about any toy. He seems to love everybody equally - there's no favourites here! Luckily, many of our volunteers will play fetch with him for a while, which seems to make him happy.

The picture to the right is him singing ... a-woo-woo-woo!! (I asked him to sit/stay and this is what he did!) He'll need someone who understands the breed or at least is willing to learn about them ... someone who will love him for who he is ... I shudder to think what would happen to a guy like this if someone took him home and didn't like his singing ... can you see a shock/citronella bark collar in his future? I hope not ...

Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Michigan

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

MICHIGAN

Pupdates at the Shelter ~ Ralph

We currently have Penny, Ralph, Gracie and Charlie at the shelter. We had hoped that Charlie would be adopted this weekend but it fell through. Today I will tell you a little about Ralph ...



Ralph

Ralph is 12 years old ... he will be 13 on October 30, 2011. How do I know this so exactly? Well you see, Ralph was picked up by canine control in December. He was scanned for a microchip and one was found. After a long and frustrating search (three phone numbers later!), his owners were found but they did not want him back. We learned a bit about him from his previous owners ... he's only ever been with one family (lucky dog!), the date he was born.



You know, he's a great dog and anyone would be happy to have him ... except perhaps his old owners. Funny how that happens when you get old, eh?



Ralph is the nicest old man I've met in a while. Most German Shepherd Dogs I've met get cranky when they start to age and ache but for some reason, Ralph is not! He seems to always be in a good mood, though some days he has more trouble walking than others. Ralph walks with a hitch in his step. Sometimes he falls down because he loses his balance or he's trying to run and move too quickly. He just gets right back up and continues with whatever he was doing - it doesn't seem to bother him at all.



Ralph is on Metacam to manage any pain he is experiencing and he has decided that since he feels better, he should move faster (which is not good since his balance is so terrible!) Ralph's new home will need to continue administering Metacam daily.



Hopefully his new home comes along soon ... he's been with us a long time for an old guy! I'm sure he'd prefer a nice warm house (with no stairs) over the shelter's cold concrete floors (ok, he's being spoiled at the shelter ... he has 3 different beds and a special room to himself but that's beside the point!). Cross your fingers for this guy. He may need all the help he can get.

DDF PSA ~ Pilots N Paws

I had meant to feature this back in September when I happened across the site info but I got sidetracked (go figure, eh?). Anyway, please forgive me if I've already done this - I did run a search through my previous posts but couldn't find anything.

I want to bring you attention to Pilots N Paws.

Many times, there are areas where there are a LOT of animals being euthanized in local pounds/shelters due to overpopulation, but then in other areas there are none. A great example of this would be in Ontario, where there are not that many dogs and certain shelters are actually shipping them in from Quebec (where a large number of animals are being killed).



So, a dedicated group of pilots saw this as a potential way to save animals and they have gotten together to develop a successful rescue effort. The Pilots N Paws organize air-transport for shelter animals. The shelters on either end have to make all the arrangements but Pilots N Paws are the people who are actually doing the transport!



Check it out! Pass it on! Spread the word!

Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Massachusetts

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

MASSACHUSETTS

News Reel ~ Sled Dog Cull - 100 sled dogs

I'd like to bring your attention to a recent big news article about a sled dog cull in BC (note that this article is the least colourful one I could find - more colourful ones can be found on Google). I find it interesting how the media can skew a story so well. It's amazing to me how a simple change in the way an article is written can drastically alter the world view of a story.



Ok, first off here's a bit of background ... a company in BC had a pack of 300 sled dogs. They had so many because they were offering sled dog rides as a money-making-tourism-ploy during the olympics. They made lots of money. Then, when there was a lack of tourists to pay, the manager had to figure out a way to make more money. The solution that was found was to have less dogs.

The manager "did everything he could finding homes for them, having them adopted, every which way that he could". When he couldn't find homes, he decided the best way to get rid of the dogs was to shoot them.

Unfortunately, this guy had his head up his ass when he should have been learning about the best and fastest way to shoot a dog because he certainly did this in the worst way possible. He couldn't seem to figure out how to kill a dog in only one shot. I don't know how it's possible but apparently he couldn't even figure out that he should tie the dog up first! Asshat. (BTW - he gets our ASSHAT Award for today!)

Ok. What. The. Hell. Did. He. Think. He. Was. Doing? **HeadDesk ... Headdesk ... HeadDesk ** 

Let's put that aside and get a little perspective here. Yes. He's an idiot for the way he did it. We get that. Now ... I've worked for some pretty sleasy people and a story like this just stinks of big business, politics and soap ... why are the owners of this company washing their hands?? Why did they "know nothing"?? I am willing to bet hundreds of dollars that the owners knew EXACTLY what was going on. I bet they provided the solution as well as the means. I bet this is not the first time and it certainly will NOT be the last.

What do you think they would be able to do with 100 surplus sled dogs?? Who would be willing to take them?? What do you think happens every day to other sled dogs that DON'T receive the publicity that these dogs have received??

Perhaps all these people and big names who are speaking out against this sad action could step forward ... do you think any of them will be there in 6 months time when the media train has stopped?? Will they actually lend a hand towards rescue efforts or are the just pimping out the media??

I'm sure you can guess where my bet lies. 

And by the way ... did anyone notice that the last name of the general manager of cruelty investigations for the British Columbia SPCA is "Moriarty"??

Pupdates at the Shelter ~ Alice

Goodness! It's been a busy week this week with adoptions ... I have some good news! Traveller has been adopted and so has Alice! I haven't even written out Alice's story yet so I'm going to take the opportunity to do so now.



Alice

Poor Alice was an owner surrender. Sometimes the going gets tough when people lose their jobs (and their house!) and unfortunately, the intact, 1 year old, female dog is one of the first things to go.



Alice is super friendly and very gentle. She is prone to excitement and submission urination so we had to be careful and quick when removing her from her kennel!



In the first few days, Alice had shredded two beds and stolen the hearts of many volunteers. We quickly learned which beds we could put in with her and which ones would end up in little itty bitty pieces! She was super stressed out in the shelter and did not do very well there despite the kennel enrichment provided. There are some articles about shredding that I've read which actually suggests that in a shelter environment, you should actually allow it (provided you give them appropriate things to shred) because it is an outlet for that stress. Interesting, no?



I'm glad she only lasted a week before being adopted. The family who took her home actually came to look at another dog but decided that the other dog was just "too much" for them. They went with the more quiet girlie, Alice - lucky for Alice!

Hooray for Alice!! Hooray for Traveller!!

Best wishes in your new lives with your new families. I hope they are your forever home and they give you all the love and affection you deserve.