From Junk Yard Dog to Couch Potato

Bella is as sweet as she can be and such a happy girl.  She doesn't just walk, she prances.  She is always smiling.  I know it sounds weird, but I swear to it.  She is an itty bitty thing, weighing in at a mere 26lbs.  Granted, she is way too skinny, but even when she reaches a healthy weight she will be abnormally small.  Her peanut size has earned her the nickname "Midgy."  Perhaps she was the runt or maybe she didn't get enough nourishment in the time of her life that she was suppose to be growing and developing.  I am also quite sure that she has already had a litter, so that didn't help her either.  The pregnancy and nursing likely drained her body even further.  Puppies shouldn't have puppies!  She must not have been more than 8 months old when she gave birth.  I know they lived at least for a while, but I doubt anyone even saw the pups.  I can only hope that someone stumbled upon them and brought them to safety.  From what I have been told about the area she came from, odds are they weren't so lucky.   

See how skinny!

Every bone in her body sticks out.

Coming from a junk yard, Bella has never known the luxury of inside.  Like so many before her, she shied from entering the house.  Unlike some of the others however, it took her only hours to become totally comfortable being a house dog.  The couch is her preferred place to be.  We will even find her there all by herself, when the rest of us are outside.  I imagine she figures that she has spent enough of her life in the elements and is now quite content to leave them behind. 

Of course she got a nice, long, warm bath and I bought her a shiny new pink collar with jewels. She looked so proud when I put it on her. She was sick of being dirty! She likes to fancy!

So far, she has been such an easy dog.  I was expecting worse, given her history.  She understands to potty outside, does fine in a crate, rides calmly in the car, and sleeps quietly through the night.  All of these things were a pleasant surprise.  She already has all of the skills to be a great family member.  She just needs a little fine tuning.  Of course she has never had any training and the leash is totally foreign to her, but that kind of training is the easy part.  She is very eager to please and seems smart so I think she will learn quickly. 

Her physical issues are my main concern at this point.  Although she was de-wormed at the shelter, she still has tapeworms, which are causing her some GI upset (not fun for either one of us).  The meds I ordered should be here today.  I'm going to bring her in to my vet and get another heart worm test done, just to be sure that the shelter didn't make a mistake saying she was positive.  Fingers crossed that they did!  We need to get her healthy soon as she is proving to be miss popularity.  Once we got some new pictures of Bella on Petfinder, THREE applications came in on her the very first day!  I am shocked, but very glad that people can look past her imperfections.  I kind of thought she was a dog a person would have to meet to truly appreciate.  I guess I was wrong about little Midgy!

Pint sized!

There's that smile!

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Foster Mom

There I sat, alone and afraid,
You got a call and came right to my aid.
You bundled me up with blankets and love.
And, when I needed it most, you gave me a hug.
I learned that the world was not all that scary and cold.
That sometimes there is someone to have and to hold.
You taught me what love is, you helped me to mend.
You loved me and healed me and became my first friend.
And just when I thought you'd done all you do,
There came along not one new lesson, but two.
First you said, "Sweetheart, you're ready to go.
I've done all I can, and you've learned all I know."
Then you bundled me up with a blanket and kiss.
Along came a new family, they even have kids!
They took me to their home, forever to stay.
At first I thought you sent me away.
Then that second lesson became perfectly clear.
No matter how far, you will always be near.
And so, Foster Mom, you know I've moved on.
I have a new home, with toys and a lawn.
But I'll never forget what I learned that first day.
You never really give your fosters away.
You gave me these thoughts to remember you by.
We may never meet again, and now I know why.
You'll remember I lived with you for a time.
I may not be yours, but you'll always be mine.

-author unknown

Welcome Bella!

Bella is coming to us from the Forrest City, AR animal shelter.  She, along with two companions, was picked up by animal control for running loose.  They were told that the dogs "lived" at an auto repair/salvage shop.  Animal control questioned the staff as to why the dogs were so underweight and they were told that they only feed them hot dogs and whatever else they can find.  They told animal control to take the dogs to the "pound."  

She is a boxer mix, about 8 months old.  The pictures don't give me the best idea of what she may be mixed with.  I'm looking forward to the guessing game when I see her in person.  I am told she is very sweet, but also very shy.  She unfortunately tested (light) heart worm positive, which is unusual at her young age.  She must have been infected when she was a tiny baby, as it takes 6 months for heart worm to show up on a standard test.   I will be getting her from one of the shelter volunteers who will meet me at a truck stop tomorrow morning. 

We are so happy that we decided to pull Bella from the shelter.  Nobody had shown any sort of interest in the poor girl and her time there was running out.  Mere hours after posting her on our website of adoptable dogs, she already received an inquiry.  We'll have to get to know her a bit before deciding what type of home she will fit best into.  Having basically lived the life of a stray, there is no telling what issues she will come with.   I'm glad that she is already attracting people with her good looks.  Hooray!

Pictures and details to come!

My dog ate my blog...

It's a good thing that I don't try to make my living by blogging!  Clearly, I'd be broke.  I can offer a long list of excuses as to why I haven't written in well over a month.  I'm an excuse master... just ask any of my old teachers.  Here goes.  I'm too tired, It's been our busiest season yet at work (yay!), our laptop died preventing me from writing at home, I'v been sick a lot  (all true, by the way).  I'm back now with a new computer and planning to be more consistant again.

Although we had a couple of quick visitors since Xavier left, we haven't officially taken in another dog.  All of those reasons for not blogging...ditto for not taking a dog.  If a dog comes in to our home, I need to be able to give him the time and energy he needs to ready him for his future.  I know that I couldn't have done that this past month.  Had an emergency come up, I'm sure I'd have figured something out, but learning when to say "no" is an important part of staying sane in the rescue world. 

But, we haven't been completely without doggy action.  Here are five things that have happened since my last post that I probably would have blogged about if I weren't a neglectful writer:

1)  Jonathon found two dogs along side a rural road while out working.  We exercised every resource in finding their homes, but with no success.  No surprise, given the area.  They were a Toy Poodle and a Pomeranian of all things!  Not exactly what we were used to. They stayed with us for a while and we were able to find them both great new homes.  I was reminded of two things by these pups.   First, tiny little lap dogs are much easier to re home than the big dogs and second, I am still a big dog girl.  Oh, my god that yapping! 

2)  Dixie's foot was impaled by something. She had a hole clear through.  It was pretty gross.  We think she may have been after a squirrel and tried to clear the fence like she did when she was young and agile, only to find that age has caught up with her.  Luckily, my vet is awesome and it healed without surgery. 

3)  Xavier's adoption didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped.  He took the transport alright, but I think he was more attached to us and dependent on our dogs than we knew.  He didn't adjust very well and everyone was feeling pretty overwhelmed.  I felt helpless being across the country.  I talked frequently with them and tried to provide as much advice and encouragement as I could, but he was exhibiting behaviors that I had never experienced with him.  I know to act out, X must have been very stressed out, so my heart was hurting for him.  I also felt awful for the family.  They were so worried about him  They were very willing to listen and take any advice that myself and another member of our adoption team had to give.  They were not going to give up on him.  Over time, he settled in and is doing much better.  Sigh of relief.

4)  I finally managed to find a home for my neighbor's dog which is something I had been working on for a very long time.  The poor dog was in a bad situation and needed a way out.  A rescue friend of mine fostered her for six weeks (I couldn't do it.  Given the circumstances, it would have been too hard for everyone involved).  She just got to her forever home in VA a couple of nights ago.  They love her dearly and my neighbor's life has gotten easier too. 

5)  Most recently, I have decided to part ways with the rescue that I have been working with for the past two years.  Much thought went into this decision and it wasn't an easy one to make.  I am eternally grateful for the dogs that have come into my life by way of them.  I will still support them and attend events, as there is no bad blood between us. 

In the time I have been with them, the board member turnover has been high.   Most of the people I was close with have moved on. I don't agree with some of the changes that have been made, but even worse, it seems that some people are losing sight of the big picture...the dogs.  Politics and petty personal differences have weaseled in and created more drama than I care to deal with.  Sadly, this is all too common in the rescue world.  A few people have even split with feelings hurt, relationships shattered, and reputations tainted.  All so unnecessary, as we all do this for the love of the dogs.
I really hope that the new members can turn things back around, but I am stepping away from direct involvement, at least for now.  I figure that distancing myself before I get dragged into any of it is the smart way to go.  I certainly don't want to make any enemies in the animal rescue network.  The more connections you have, the more successful you are for your dogs. 

I have kept in touch with some of the board members that have left.  One of them has started her own rescue and we will begin fostering for them now. (She was the person who brought us Lincoln and Derby)  She is beyond delighted to have us.  She is in Texarkana, so it's a bit of a drive and vetting arrangements will be harder.  I guess that means we won't get the sick guys anymore!  We are expecting a new arrival any time now. 

To any adopters of my foster dogs- Please still feel free to call or email me anytime you want or need anything!  You and your dogs are super important to me and  I'm always here for you!  Again, terms are still good  between the rescue and myself.  I just need something new. 



Well, there you have it.  My life, in a nutshell. 

Good Bye, My Friend.

Xavier left on transport this morning.  Plenty of tears, but no regrets. 

They are beyond ready for him to join their family and I will anxiously await the news that he has arrived, safe and sound, in his new life. 

I always feel a little guilty leaving the house with one of my fosters for the last time.  Dixie and Jax have no idea that their friend will not return with me this afternoon.  Our house will be sad for a while, as usual, but we will move on.  Somebody else will need us soon. 

Good bye, boy.  You and I will walk separate paths through our lives from now on, but you will always be a part of my pack and have a place in my heart. 

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Once again, I have been neglectful with updating the blog.  It is the very busiest time of the year for us at work and in balancing all the extra stress of work with the dogs, I am fully consumed. 

Xavier has been being treated for a bladder infection of some sort.  It got really bad for a while.  He couldn't even hold it for a couple of hours and he even peed himself in his sleep a few times.  Because it's not fair to leave a dog to sit in his own urine, it put our crate anxiety training on hold.  Instead he came with me to work every day and even road along with me during my sales leads.  I had to pull over every hour or so, but we made it work.  It's situations like these that make me realize how fortunate I am to be able to have my dogs at work when need be.

The urinalysis revealed something very odd.  "One for the books" according to the doctor.  I will spare the details, as people who are not fascinated with medical oddities, like I am, might find them a bit disgusting.  The puzzling test results caused us some concern that there may be some remaining damage to the bladder, which was repaired during one of his surgeries.  We got opinions from several different doctors, none of whom could give an explanation.  Everyone had ideas, but none too confident.   The starting point was a strong course of antibiotics, because the ultrasound that was done the day before I got him was perfectly normal.  He seems to be making good progress.  He can do three hour stretches in the crate now and he can control the urge a bit more.  I'm hopeful that there is no hidden damage.  There is a chance that he may always be prone to bladder infections because of his medical history.  His adopter aware of this and it doesn't deter him in the least.

Oh, and by the way, he has an adoption pending!  And, it is far, far way from the people who did this to him in the first place.  Just like Rheagan and Enzo, Xavier will be heading to the D.C. area.  His future "dad" is a chef and his fiance, who is from Italy, is just finishing up her final year in law school.  The two of them will be getting married this summer.  It sounds like they are very active, just like X, and are surrounded by walking trails and dog parks.  They have been preparing their home with all of the things that he needs.  They are aware of his separation anxiety and want his transition to be as smooth as possible.  They got him the same crate, same food, his favorite kinds of toys, and a Thundershirt.  They are also setting him up with dog medical insurance, because of his history.  He has had dogs all of his life, but X will be her very first.  She is excited, but nervous about the whole adoption process.  I think they will provide a wonderful home for X.  They are going to London next week, so he will be with us for a couple more weeks, which will give us time for follow up lab work.  We want to be sure that everything is figured out before he goes on transport, which, by the way, I am dreading already!

Please, Stop!

When Asia died, it about destroyed me.  The only thing worse for me, concerning my dogs, would be for one of them to get lost.  I just couldn't take not knowing if they were dead or alive, suffering on the side of the road somewhere, or, God forbid, had fallen into the wrong hands.  That is why I never hesitate to stop what I'm doing to assist a loose dog.  I understand that not everyone is capable of handling a "stray" dog.  It isn't necessarily safe if you don't know what you are doing.  But if a dog has a collar on, he isn't a "stray," he has simply lost his way.  He likely has a home and he may just have somebody, like me, worried sick and broken hearted at his absence.  So I ask of you all, dog lovers or not, the next time you see somebody's four legged family member running at large, please don't ignore him.  Please stop.  The five minutes that you take to check the tags and call the owner, the vet, or even animal control (for those of you fortunate enough to have animal control in your area) could make a world of difference to somebody. 

I did just that on Thursday afternoon while I was driving around doing sales leads for work.  I shuddered as a stout little beagle narrowly avoided getting hit by a car.  He clearly had no clue as he padded down the middle of a well-traveled street.  He had a red harness on and I could see the id tags from my car.  Beagles are usually pretty friendly to strangers so I'd no doubt that I could catch him.  I got out and called to him and he came scampering over, tail wagging.  He was clean and well fed.  His name, "Chance," was printed on his collar.  It was strange because the phone number on the tag was from a town 25 miles away.  I called the number and got no answer but I left a message.  It was during work hours, so I wasn't surprised.  I put Chance in my car and he accompanied me the rest of the day.   Later, back at the office, I got the phone call from Chances very relieved owner.  He and his wife were staying in Little Rock preparing for an estate sale at his recently deceased mother's house and the back door had been left open.  They had been searching and worrying all day.  The house wasn't far from my own, so I told them I'd bring Chance back to them.  When I pulled up with him, an older couple met me in the yard.  There were instant tears and big hugs for me.  They were so thankful.  The woman told me that she had been praying to God to bring him home safely.  She said "and God sent you.  You are Chance's guardian angel."  We talked for a while and the husband gave me $50, which I promptly refused.  They both insisted and I could see that it meant a lot to them that I take the money, so I gratefully accepted it.  The happy ending was enough for me though.  I told them that I only hope that somebody would do the same for me.  They promised that they would always remember this and pass it on if the situation ever presented itself. 

It was a good day.