Introducing Chloe The Great....

Disclaimer: Our lawnmower was broken.  With the recent rain we've had, our backyard suddenly turned into a jungle.  Please don't judge me because of the height of the grass in the following pictures.  The day after these pictures were taken, we bought a new lawnmower and the backyard is back to being just a backyard.  You will see this in tomorrow's pictures.  So please, pretend this isn't my backyard - pretend it's a park with a terrible groundskeeping service.  Then we'll both be happy.  Thank you.

Last Saturday there was a Great Dane at one of our adoption events.  Her name is Chloe, and she was very skinny. 

I like Great Danes.  I have to, since I own one.  It's like a rule.  So I inquired about fostering Chloe.  She was staying at an area shelter, but she wasn't eating very well.  So they let me take her home.  And honestly, I immediately thought I made a bad decision.  Because Chloe has some issues. 

In the first 24 hours after I brought her home, Chloe barked for at least 9 of those hours.  She may have barked the entire time I was at work too - I'm not sure.  She also ate an entire bag of potato chips. (Hey, I was doing my part to fatten her up!)  She had multiple bouts of diarrhea. (I'm sure it wasn't the potato chips...right?)  She was scared of the other dogs, and she was scared of being left alone.  She paced constantly and wouldn't eat wet or dry dog food.  She was not having an easy time adjusting to being in a new home. 

Fortunately I have the best husband in the world when it comes to dog-dog introductions.  He helped Chloe and Noelle meet each other and when I got home from work the next day, Chloe was getting along great with all of the dogs (Remi, Noelle, Ziggy and Freckles).  Wow - I was super-impressed.  I was also very relieved because it meant she wouldn't bark all night since she was able to be in the room with us.  So suddenly things were looking up.  

Over the next few days, we worked with Chloe to try to find the magic combination that would cause her to eat.  Some days it was dry food with wet food mixed in.  Other days that didn't work, but plain dry food on the floor without a bowl would work.  Some days she'd eat from my hand and other days she wouldn't. But overall, I felt satisfied that she was getting enough nutrition and would eventually gain weight. 

Soon it was Saturday, and time for another PetSmart adoption event.  I took Chloe and Freckles, and Freckles quickly found his forever home.  A few hours into the adoption event, a couple arrived.  They had been volunteers for a dog transport, to get a dog from its temporary home to a new rescue group or adoptive home several states away.  The couple lived in Kansas City, and they had heard about Chloe from another transport volunteer who is also an All Paws Rescue volunteer.  So they visited with Chloe, and decided to make her a part of their family!  

Wow - both of my foster dogs adopted in the same day.  And both of them I had less than a week!  And both of them went to families that I really liked, and felt like they would be a perfect fit.  It was an amazing day. 

But don't worry - I'm not really back to Ziggy as my only foster dog.  About three hours after I left PetSmart, two new foster dogs showed up at my house.  I'll tell you about them tomorrow. 

Never Hungry Again...

About a month ago, I posted about Bogart, a white Boxer that came into rescue in very poor shape.  Exactly one month later, he has gained back all the weight he needed and he looks amazing.  His foster mom gave him a lot of small meals, and he gobbled them all up.  He got the veterinary care that he needed, and he went from this...

to this...

No more visible ribs or spine!  He gained 20 pounds, and he has been living very happily with his foster mom and several doggie friends, until last night.  Then something exciting happened. 

Bogart was Adopted!

Now he's living with his real forever family, and he'll never be hungry again. 

Well, except for maybe right before dinnertime.  And when he wakes up in the morning.  I know I'm often pretty hungry right before breakfast.  So okay, I take back what I said about him never being hungry again.  Because if he's anything like my dogs, he will get hungry all the time.  And maybe he'll even trick his humans into Second Dinners, like Remi has been known to do on occasion.  But the important thing is he'll be well fed with nutritious food, and very much loved.   

Starved

Last week an e-mail came, requesting help with a dog in a rural area.  The dog had been removed from its owners by an Animal Control Officer due to extreme neglect.  The dog was discovered in a small makeshift pen with only a turned over garbage can for shelter.  He was thin, sad, and just about frozen. 

Bev, an All Paws Rescue volunteer, agreed to take him.  She got him into the vet right away, and found he is in bad shape.  He is over 20 pounds underweight.  He has a double ear infection, whip worms, and eyes that are almost infected.  He also has a lot of sores on his feet and hocks.  The poor guy is a wreck. 

Bev has started him on medication and high calorie healthy food.  She has named him Bogart, and he is finally getting the love and care he needs.  I went over to visit him yesterday, and was shocked at his appearance.  It was obvious that he felt bad, but he was still very eager to be petted and receive attention.  His owners not only starved him physically, but I believe he was starved for affection as well.  

 

It'll be awhile before Bogart is ready for adoption.  In the meantime, if you'd like to help with his medical bills, or send him a get-well card, you can find the link to All Paws Rescue in the sidebar.