Introductions and Adoptions

Lately I feel as if I'm always running behind.  Somehow as I look at my most recent blog posts, I find that I've neglected to tell you about several new fosters, and a few of them have already been adopted!  So to catch up, here's the short version..



Peaches

  Peaches is an extremely sweet Lab mix who belonged to my neighbors.  Since they let their dogs run loose, Peaches and the other dogs often came over to my house across the street to visit me.  I fell in love with Peaches the first time I met her, and often reminded my neighbor that if she ever decided to give Peaches up, I would take her.  That day finally came, and last week Peaches came to my house as a foster dog.  She's a great dog - loves to cuddle, loves to play with the other dogs, loves to eat - she just loves life.  So when she was adopted this past weekend, I was very happy for her, but just a little bit sad that I didn't get more time with her!




Natasha



Natasha came from an animal shelter in Columbia, MO. She is around four years old, and has this cute scruffy look that I love.  She was one of those dogs that I brought in and instantly she fit in with no adjustment time at all.  She stayed loose in the house while I was at work and never tore anything up.  She slept on my bed at night and never bothered the cat.  She played great with all the other dogs, and she bonded very quickly to me.  Natasha hasn't been adopted yet, but we had a new volunteer sign up to foster for us, so I gave her my perfect dog so she would hopefully have a good foster experience.  Because if I'd given her Ziggy to foster, she'd have drove him back to my house and we'd never see her again.  So far she says she hopes Natasha gets adopted soon because she is falling in love with her!

Nosey is my newest Beagle puppy.  When I heard that SNUGGLE, the neonate rescue group who had helped us with Jill and her puppies, had a blind puppy that they wanted us to take, I basically begged them to pick me please.  Amazingly enough, the competition was slim and I was allowed to foster this adorable guy.  Nosey was born with retinal dysplasia and has been blind from birth.  There's nothing that can be done to repair his vision, but so far he has no idea that all the other dogs have a sense he is missing.  In his world, we're all blind.  And he gets around just as well as all the other dogs.  He's a happy little pup, always sniffing and usually finding stray pieces of kibble that the other dogs miss.  He loves to play with the other dogs, but he is a bit rough on small dogs, so will do best with bigger dogs.  He's received several applications for adoption but so far none of them have passed the vet check that we do, so he is still with me! 


Frodo



 And then there's Frodo.  Frodo is a long-haired cat, although in this picture he has been shaved down.  He is a very tiny cat with a very large personality.  He had ringworm when he was a young kitten, and is still recovering, so I will have him at least a few more weeks until he is deemed ready for adoption.  He's extremely affectionate and playful, and will make a wonderful pet for someone eventually! 



Jude



 Jude is another foster dog who has been fostered and is already adopted.  He is your typical Lab puppy - easy-going, friendly, loves everyone.  He is around 8 months old, and was turned into rescue with his sister.  He has been adopted by a family with three kids, and it seemed to be his dream come true!   

 Other recent changes include Trixie the Chihuahua who was adopted, Twinkie the Chihuahua who went to another foster home and may be adopted by the foster, Ivy the Beagle puppy who was adopted, Iris the Beagle puppy who went to a foster-to-adopt home, Gemma the deaf pit bull mix who went to another foster home, and Piper the 16-year-old pit bull from the hoarding situation who went to her forever home!

I still have Bogey the shy dog, Lucky the deaf Catahoula/Great Dane mix, Allie the Border Collie/Akita mix, Jill the Beagle mom, and Ziggy the TV star. 

In Memory of Shelby

Today I lost my girl.  Shelby had several more seizures, and the vet finally said there was nothing more that could be done for her.  She is now at peace - no more suffering.  Everyone who met Shelby seemed to fall in love with her.  She was only three years old, and she had such a short life.  But she brought a lot of joy to others in those three short years.

The first time I saw a picture of Shelby was when someone posted her on my Facebook page.  She was in an animal shelter and they were trying to find a rescue for her because she was deaf.

I didn't fall in love with her right away.  I was nervous about taking in a new dog without being able to evaluate her first, and it didn't help when the lady who transported her to me called to ask if I had a crate because she was awful in the car.  I didn't have a crate, so fashioned a harness for her and hoped for the best.  All the way on the 30 minute drive home, she bounced around as far as she could in her harness and barked constantly at every passing car.  She was so excited, and I was a little bit nervous of her.  After all, a large dog that I had just met was barking in my ear and lunging past me trying to get to any cars that came by.  I wondered what I had gotten myself into.  Then we got home and she calmed down as soon as the car stopped.  I took her inside and introduced her to the other dogs.  She was so easy-going.  A couple of the dogs were being rude and pushy, and she just ignored them.  I was very relieved, since my biggest fear was that she wouldn't do well with the other dogs.

Within a few days, I started getting really attached to Shelby.  It wasn't just that she was such an easy dog to care for, or that she was so affectionate.  It wasn't just because she had one brown eye and one blue eye - a combination I love.  It wasn't even just because she was such a sweet girl and so eager to please.  I couldn't define it, but within a week I was totally in love with her.  I so much wanted for her to have a long, wonderful life.  I connected with Shelby in a way that I do with very few dogs, and having to say good-bye to her today was heartbreaking.  But I am relieved that she is no longer suffering, and I am glad that I got to know her and love her for the short time that she was here.

Shelby 2008 - 2012

Shelby update, and Thank You

Shelby is feeling better!!  She has not had any more seizures in the last 24 hours, and she came home from the E-clinic and is doing well.  She is still ataxic, but that is hopefully just due to the medicine she is on.  If you don't know what ataxic means, well, here's a hint:

Ziggy enjoys a beer.

Unlike Ziggy, Shelby hasn't been drinking, but she walks around like she's drunk, bumping into things and occasionally falling over.  But she's starting to act more like her old self, and hopefully within a few days will be back to normal.  She'll be on seizure medicine the rest of her life, but that is not too expensive so she should be able to be adopted without much trouble once she is recovered from her heartworm treatment.  Someday she will have her Happily Ever After!

Merlin the cat is also fully recovered from his run-in with Ziggy.  Thanks for all of your well-wishes!

Rescue is expensive, and I'm grateful to work with a rescue group that covers all foster pet medical expenses as well as providing dog food for the fosters.  Shelby's emergency vet bill was over $600, and that doesn't include the several hundred dollars it will cost for her heartworm treatment.  Her adoption fee is only $125, so as you can imagine, the rescue group relies heavily on donations from the public in order to continue to help animals.  It always amazes me how many people out there are happy to give just a few dollars to help when they can.  Without so many people giving, we couldn't save dogs like Shelby.

It's great when people donate to the rescue, which by the way is tax deductible, but recently something even more amazing happened.  A very special person read about the problems I've been having with my foster dogs escaping my fenced yard.  Living in a rural area is wonderful, except for the mindset many people have about animals.  If people see stray dogs, they are as likely to shoot them as call the owner, even when the dogs are wearing collars and tags.  So when a neighbor stopped by to warn me that my dogs were going to be shot if they got out of the yard again, I was desperate.  I was out of work and couldn't afford a better fence, but had nowhere else for the foster dogs to go.  So I bought a fence and shared my concerns about paying for it.  I love writing this blog because I get to share the good and the bad of rescue, but I never expected what happened next.  Jess from At A Glacial Pace created a wonderful fundraiser to help me buy the fence!  She spent so much time and hard work, just to help keep my foster dogs safe and me sane (well, relatively sane).  The fundraiser was a lot of fun - an online Valentine's Day Party - and many people in the blog community donated.  I am grateful to each one of you who participated and made this a successful event.  My fence is up and is working perfectly to keep the dogs in the yard!

Shelby in the back yard

Thank you Jess, and everyone who contributed!

Jefferson - trying to help build the fence!

Introducing Simon and Sampson

They are brothers.  I call them the Salmon brothers (silent "L"... like the fish).  Simon is the gray cat, and Sampson is orange.  We keep having contests to see which one is friendlier, but so far no clear winner has been determined.  Last night Simon slept on my pillow and Sampson was my foot-warmer.  These are ultra-friendly cats. 

And in case you are wondering, yes, they are hanging out in a sink.  Due to Simon's vision problems, I wanted to put them in a room without a lot of furniture.  I was told that Simon is blind.  So I didn't want him to be bumping into things more than necessary.  I thought the master bathroom, with its bright, open space and large window to let in a lot of light, would be a great place for the Salmon brothers.  Especially since my husband wouldn't be home for a week, and it would give them time to settle in.  They pulled a towel into the bottom of the sink and found their favorite spot to sleep.  Nevermind the cat beds in there.  The sink is apparently more comfortable.  Fortunately we have dual sinks in there, and they made themselves comfortable in my husband's sink.  Don't tell him, and he'll never know.  I think by the time he comes home, the cats will be ready to move into the main part of the house.  I hope so, because otherwise I don't expect him to be very happy with me when he comes home and finds the Salmon brothers in his sink.

Before he left, my husband made me promise to not bring home any more cats.  He said that last time he left for military duty, he came home and the house was filled with cats.  I said okay, and told him I wouldn't bring home any except for the one special needs cat I had already offered to take.  I told him the cat was blind, but he came with his own seeing-eye cat.   Fortunately Simon's vision problems aren't as bad as I had feared, and he gets around my house just fine. Still, because he's been with his brother Sampson his whole life, and as you can see they are good friends, these will be two cats that are required to be adopted together. 

My Rejects

My mom called my special needs foster pets "rejects".  I have been giving her a hard time ever since.  I know what she meant - they aren't perfect, and they were rejected by someone before they get to me.  And even after I get them, they are rejected by many potential adopters because of their special needs.  I understand why most people don't want a special needs pet.  I know they take extra work, and extra time, and not everyone has that to give.  But I think they give extra love that makes it all worthwhile.  So sometimes I seek out the rejects. 

Some animal rescue people take on really difficult cases, like bottle-feeding newborn kittens who need around-the-clock care, or taking on a dog that requires eyedrops several times a day.  Even if I didn't have a full-time job and was capable of doing that sort of rescue, I don't think I have what it takes to make that commitment.  I admire those who do, but I am content saving my favorite type of rejects - deaf dogs and pit bulls.  So when my recent special needs pets were adopted and they were no longer rejects, I decided to look for another one of my favorites and see if I could help them.  I went looking for one and found three! 

Mia is a senior pit bull.  I don't know why she was abandoned by her family, but she's been to several adoption events as an All Paws dog and so far she has not been adopted, due to her breed and her age.  I fell in love with her when I first met her.  Her current foster mom lives pretty far away so can't get her to adoption events very easily, so I offered to foster her since I could get her to adoption events every week.  I'll try her after Thanksgiving and see how she does with Noelle, and if she does okay, she'll be my newest reject... I mean foster dog. 

I was sad that my last deaf foster dog was adopted so quickly - I really enjoy working with deaf dogs - so I contacted another rescue group who has had a deaf pit bull at their shelter for quite some time.  This is Boo Bear.  She was living in a car before she went to the shelter, so she's never been in a house.  She needs some work with house-training and manners, but the rescue group who has her absolutely loves her.  I can't wait to go meet her.  I don't know if I'll take her home or not, but it's a definite possibility. 

Of course after offering to try out Mia and Boo Bear, I got an e-mail.  The heading just said "Deaf Boxer Pup".  I immediately started laughing, and said to myself "you've got to be kidding!".  Because I had after all just offered to take an adult deaf pit bull and an adult senior pit bull, and both were likely to be long-term fosters.  But I just couldn't resist - even before opening the e-mail I thought "Okay, I'll take it!".  I'm hopeless.  Bella is a deaf four-month-old Boxer puppy. She's become a reject because she is deaf.  I'll start her on some basic dog training using hand signals, and hopefully she won't be a reject for long.

FIV Cats

I'm sure that some of you who are reading this know much more about FIV than I do.  But for those of you who don't know much about it, here's a quick lesson.  I'll try to make it painless.

- FIV (Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus) is a slow virus that affects a cat's immune system over a period of years. 

Chester

- FIV is a cat-only disease and cannot be spread to humans or other non-felines.

Bart

-  FIV cats most often live long, healthy, and relatively normal lives with no symptoms at all.

Arnie

- FIV is not easily passed between cats. It cannot be spread casually - like in litter boxes, water and food bowls, or when snuggling and playing. It is rarely spread from a mother to her kittens.

Hallie

- The virus can be spread through blood transfusions, badly infected gums, or serious, penetrating bite wounds. (Bite wounds of this kind are extremely rare, except in free-roaming, unneutered tomcats.)

Milo

- A neutered cat, in a home, is extremely unlikely to infect other cats, if properly introduced.

Morris

- Many vets are not educated about FIV since the virus was only discovered 15 years ago.

Theo

- FIV-positive cats should be kept as healthy as possible. Keep them indoors and free from stress, feed them a high-quality diet, and treat any secondary problems as soon as they arise.

Turner

FIV Facts courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

As you probably guessed, each of the cats shown above is a cat waiting for a home.  They've each been waiting a long time, because they tested positive for FIV.  The crazy part is in some cases they may not even have FIV.  If they were ever vaccinated against it, they will show as positive for the virus for the rest of their lives.  And even if they do have FIV, they may go their entire life without ever showing symptoms.  FIV positive cats can live long, healthy, happy lives.  So please, if you're considering adopting a cat, consider one of these very worthy FIV cats. 

Unwanted

None of our special needs dogs were adopted this week. I was really surprised, and really sad. These special needs dogs are all so sweet and they need someone to love them! Why doesn't anyone want them??? I think this will be the hardest part of volunteering for a dog rescue organization - not dealing with the dogs, but the people. Its not always easy to foster - the dogs require a lot of time and attention, and they chew things they shouldn't, they have accidents in the house, they don't always behave like I wish they would. But they bring so many rewards -- unwavering love and affection, loyalty and devotion. They just want to love someone and be loved in return. They don't judge, or hold grudges, or place blame. And they don't go holding out for the perfect owner - they accept their person, even with all their faults and shortcomings, just as they are. That's why I'll always prefer to deal with dogs instead of people. These special needs dogs we have - they aren't much different than other dogs. I got to spend a few hours with them at PetSmart on Saturday, and they were all such good, well-behaved dogs. I don't understand why they haven't been adopted. I know there are many people out there who care about these dogs and have adopted their own rescued dogs. But there are so many more who only care that they get a dog that will scare away intruders, or be a hunting dog, or keep their kids entertained. These are not bad reasons to want a dog, but if you only think of the dog as a possession and what it can do for you, you're going to make a poor dog owner, and miss out on a lot of joy that comes with truely loving a pet. I ran across a post on a web-site which I think explains it rather well:

Note to adopters: Lassie and Cleo and Rin Tin Tin and Toto don't show up in rescue. We don't get the elegantly coiffed, classically beautiful, completely trained, perfectly behaved dog. We get the leftovers. Dogs that other people have incompetently bred, inadequately socialized, ineffectively "trained," and badly treated. Most Rescue dogs have had it. They've been pushed from one lousy situation to another. They've never had proper veterinary care, kind and consistent training, or sufficient company. They've lived outside, in a crate, or in the basement. They're scared, depressed and anxious. Some are angry. Some are sick. Some have given up.
But we are Rescue and we don't give up. We never give up on a dog. We know that a dog is a living being, with a spirit and a heart and feelings. Our dogs are not commodities, things, or garbage. They are part of sacred creation and they deserve as much love and care and respect as the next Westminster champion. So please, please don't come to rescue in the hopes of getting a "bargain," or indeed of "getting" anything. Come to Rescue to give, to love, to save a life -- and to mend your own spirit. For Rescue will reward you in ways you never thought possible. I can promise you this -- a rescue dog will make you a better person.
-excerpt from http://www.midwestbloodhoundrescue.com/11%20Newsline.htm

Valentine's Day

This Saturday is a special adoption event for Valentine’s Day. We’re focusing on special needs dogs, which of course includes Tulsa. It also includes some very special other dogs that I really hope find forever homes this weekend. Here is a flyer I made up for Heartland's special needs dogs (click on it to see a larger version). As you can see, Tulsa is the fourth dog on the flyer. I hope she finds a home, but I'm really enjoying fostering her, so I'm okay if it takes a little longer!