Selena

Remember Selena?  She was one of the first dogs I ever fostered.  She'd been sitting in a shelter for many months before I brought her home.  She wasn't house-trained and seemed to have no idea how to behave in a house.  She had a lot of energy, and she spent all of her time at adoption events barking non-stop.  I feared if I didn't bring her home as a foster dog she would never get adopted.  So she came home with me, and we started working on house-training and manners.  And she was the first dog to give me that great feeling of success as a foster mom, knowing that I made a difference in helping them become more adoptable.  After two months, she had greatly improved.  She was house-trained and much more well-behaved, although she still had that non-stop energy level.  She was adopted to a family with several young children.  Unfortunately two months after they adopted her, the family decided to return her when they found they had another baby on the way.  So she came back to my house, and I feared she would again take months to find a home that wanted a high-energy dog like Selena. 

Selena is wonderful - she is always so happy and just enjoys life.  She reminds me a bit of Noelle in that way.  But also like Noelle, she is not an easy dog.  She knows what she wants, and she is very determined and focused.  And if she doesn't get her energy out through exercise or play with other dogs or other energy-reducing activities, she can make life difficult.  So I feared that finding the right home for her would take some time.  I'm happy to say that I was wrong. 

The day that Selena came back, I remember a lady named Pam coming up to her and asking about her.  Pam said she'd been thinking about Selena for a long time (Selena had been going to adoption events for several months before she was adopted) but the time had not been right to adopt her.  And now that Selena had been returned, and circumstances had changed, Pam thought maybe she'd be interested in adopting her.  I tried not to get my hopes up.  So many times people express interest in a dog and it doesn't work out for one reason or another.  But I agreed to take Selena to Pam's house and introduce her to her other dog.  So the next day Selena and I went and met Pam and her dog, and they hit it off very well.  Pam decided to adopt her, and I waited every day for the next few weeks for a phone call saying that Selena had too much energy and it wasn't working out.  I remember a few months later Pam came into PetSmart and stopped to say hi.  Her arms were covered in bruises which she said were from Selena's rough play.  I thought "OK, this is it - she wants to give her back."  And who could blame her?   So I was surprised when she said she was just there to say hello and wasn't planning to return her.  I figured right then that Pam was someone special, and Selena was one lucky dog. 

Recently I ran into Pam at PetSmart again and she told me how well Selena is doing.  Pam went through obedience classes with Selena and said that really helped as well.  Even after almost two years, Selena has as much energy as ever.  She now has a blanket that she carries around with her everywhere.  It's great to see how happy she is and how well she is doing.

Puppy Bowl Trip - Part 2

The following post is written by my foster puppy Bear (really!) about his trip to the Puppy Bowl last weekend.

On Sunday morning we got to Discovery Studios where lots of people wanted to pet me.  My mommy had to fill out some forms and then we went and met a veterinarian.  She did some poking and prodding and took my temperature and then said I could play football!  I remembered how when we played football at home, mommy and Aunt Bernice gave me a little stuffed football with peanut butter on it, and I carried it all over the room.  It was a lot of fun.  So I was excited to play football again!

We went to this big room they called the green room, but mommy said it wasn't really green.  There were a lot of other puppies there!  My mommy took lots of pictures to show you, but the studio said she can't show you any of them until the show airs in February, so I will just have to tell you what I saw instead.  There were lots of puppy pens with puppies inside, and mommy let me go in and meet the other puppies who were also there to play football.  Some of the puppies were really nice, but a few of them were big and kind of scary.  I visited with them for awhile and then they called me to get a head shot.  That sounded a little scary, but all it meant was they took me someplace and set me on a table and took a bunch of pictures of me.  I was used to mommy taking my picture so it wasn't too bad.  Then they let me go back to mommy and we went back to the green room to wait.  Finally, it was my turn for football.  The set was very small so only puppies were allowed in - no foster mommies or daddies.  So they took me away from mommy and put me on this field with a bunch of other puppies and a bunch of toys.  It was very bright, with a lot of lights, and people I didn't know standing around, and other puppies running and playing.  There was no peanut butter in sight.  A guy in a white and black striped shirt picked me up and introduced me to the camera, and then put me right into the big field full of puppies!  I was a little bit scared, until I saw two of my friends that I had met in the green room earlier.  Sunny and Nutmeg were just my size, and they were very fluffy like me.  They had driven in from Georgia the night before, and then stayed up all night playing so they were sleepy.  And I think they were a little scared of the bigger puppies also, so they had curled up by the end zone under the goal post and took a nap!!  That looked like a safe place, so I decided to join them.  So I laid there and watched the other puppies play.  One time I got up and got a drink of water, but then I went back to where it was safe by my new friends.  I stayed there the whole time, until they finally decided to let me go back to mommy in the green room.  Then I felt much better. 

Mommy and I watched some TV screens in the green room and saw the other puppies playing football.  One of the puppies is named Tonka, and he looks a lot like me!  On the field there was a water bowl with a camera underneath, and one time they took out the water bowl to refill it, and a puppy fell into the hole!  Mommy thought that was very funny.  I was just glad it wasn't me.  I knew that football field was dangerous.  After awhile, they finished with the rest of the puppies and asked us to line up to go out onto the field one at a time for a starting lineup shot.  They put each puppy in a tunnel and wanted them to run across the field while they had spotlights shining on them for their introduction.  I watched a few other puppies do it, then it was my turn.  But when they put me in the tunnel I got really scared and refused to move.  Then they gave me a little push onto the field, and the lights were so bright so I just stood there while people called me and I didn't move.  After a few tries, they asked mommy to take me and try again later.  So we waited awhile, and then mommy took me back in.  This time they let her get on the field and call me, because she said then I wouldn't be scared and I would run right to her.  So they put me in the tunnel, and mommy called me from the other side of the field, and I was still scared so I looked at her and then I just sat down where I was.  Then one of the other people in the room said she wasn't really my mommy, and everyone laughed.  But I still wouldn't move because it was too scary!  Finally I walked over to her and they said that was good enough, so I was happy because I didn't have to go back on the field anymore.  And then they gave Mommy and Grandma each a t-shirt and we got to go home! 

So that was my Puppy Bowl trip.  It will be on TV in February, the day of the Super Bowl.  Mommy says she isn't sure if I will be on TV or not, but it will be fun to watch and see.  And once it gets here she can share some pictures with you from the event.

Pawsta for Pets

Having recently joined All Paws Rescue, I haven't gotten very involved in the group yet.  Oh sure, I foster for them, and attend just about every adoption event they have, but there is so much more involved in running a rescue.  There are phone messages and e-mails to answer, fundraisers to organize, grants to write, not to mention the accounting and paperwork that comes along with running a non-profit organization.  I've enjoyed my time doing nothing but fostering, but I'm starting to feel guilty for not helping more.  I'm going to start working on some grants soon, and I'm planning to help with an upcoming fundraiser.  But I have to be honest with you - I totally hate fundraising.  I know most people hate it, but it's one of those necessary evils.  And as a foster mom I get to see the need for fundraising more than most.  For example, Chenille my foster Pomeranian is having blood work done, and then she'll need a dental on top of her spay surgery and regular vet care - that's going to cost a LOT more than we'll get back in her adoption fee.  So I want to help raise money for Chenille and the other pets that All Paws saves every day.  I'm just BAD at it.  There is a fundraiser this Sunday for All Paws, so several weeks ago I offered to sell some tickets to the spaghetti dinner and some raffle tickets.  I got eight tickets, plus a whole stack of raffle tickets to sell.  And so far I have sold TWO tickets to the event (thanks Mom and Dad - well, thanks Mom - I don't even think my Dad knows he's going yet).  And I've sold absolutely no raffle tickets.  I'm pathetic.  In a last-ditch desperate attempt to feel better about myself (not to mention to help out All Paws), I'm posting the event here in hopes that someone out there will want to help the animals, (or will feel sorry for me) and will buy a ticket or two.  So here's the deal.  It's a Spaghetti Dinner with a silent auction this Sunday evening (4-8pm) at the Elks Lodge in O'Fallon, MO.  The doors open at 4:00pm, and dinner is served from 5:00pm - 6:30pm.  Tickets are $10 for adults or $5 for children under 6 years old.  So please, if you don't have plans on Sunday night, come out and support All Paws Rescue.  We will have tickets for sale on Saturday at the St. Charles PetSmart at Zumbehl and Hwy 70 between 10am and 3pm, or you can purchase tickets at the door on Sunday. 

Now about those raffle tickets... they are raffling off a wheelbarrow full of booze!  It is quite an impressive list too - I think there are over 30 bottles of a wide variety of alcohol in there - enough to stock a bar, or have a really long party with all of your friends.  And you do not have to be present to win.  So if you're interested in purchasing a raffle ticket, they are 1 ticket for $5 or 3 tickets for $10, and they will also be available on Saturday, or at the event on Sunday.  Or you can e-mail me to let me know if you'd like to purchase the tickets online!  Here is the flyer for the event.  I hope to see you there!

Video of Bear meeting his mirror image...

Puppy Bowl Trip - Part 1

Today and tomorrow we will have a special guest blogger - my foster puppy Bear!

Hi, this is Bear. We got back last night from the taping of the Puppy Bowl VI at Discovery Studios in Silver Spring, Maryland, and my mommy says I get to tell you all about our trip. Mommy and Grandma Sue and I left on Saturday morning at 6:00 AM. I was determined to make sure my mommy didn't oversleep so I started barking by 5:00 AM to make sure she woke up on time!! We left on time, and it was a 14 hour drive, but I slept almost the entire way to Maryland! Mommy was very proud of me - she said I was perfect in the car. I didn't need to stop very often, and I never whined or barked. I just hung out in my puppy crate and napped a lot.

Saturday night we got to our hotel and checked in. Discovery Studios had left a package for Mommy and Grandma, and they were excited to get some goodies from the studio, like mousepads and t-shirts. They didn't leave anything for me. We went for a walk and then went inside and I explored the hotel room. I had a lot of fun, until I discovered another puppy in the room with us!!

At first I just stopped and stared. Had the studio left some goodies for me and this dog ate them before I got there??? I looked suspiciously at this other dog... and then I walked toward him, and he walked toward me. I tried to sniff him, but something kept blocking me. I was very confused, so I pawed at him and he pawed back at me.

Then I did a play bow, and he did too, so I thought maybe we could be friends! But something like a glass wall kept blocking me from getting to him - it was very frustrating. Mommy kept taking pictures of me and laughing at me, and she called my grandma to come see the other puppy too. Then mommy said it was just a mirror and there was no other puppy, but I could see him there right in front of me! Pretty soon my grandma distracted me with a toy and I forgot all about the other puppy. We played a little bit and then I went to sleep. My mommy let me sleep in bed with her!! She said this was so I would be quiet and not disturb the other hotel guests. I wish we stayed in a hotel every night.

I woke up at 2:00 AM and mommy took me outside, and then we came back in and she wanted to go back to sleep but I was ready to play! So I played with my toys until mommy finally got up, and she said it was time for the Puppy Bowl!  Here is a picture of me practicing. 

I have to go now - Mommy said she has work to do now, but I can tell you the rest of the story tomorrow.

Snoopy, Skye and Sonic were adopted!

Three of my four foster puppies have been adopted this week.  Only Bear is left, and he now has an application pending on him, so once he's ready for adoption in a few weeks, he has a home waiting!  Puppies are so much easier to find homes for than adult dogs.  I understand they're usually cuter than adult dogs, and it's kind of nice to raise them from a puppy so they don't come in with bad habits.  But they also have no manners at all.  Now that his littermates are gone, Bear has woken me up at 6:00 AM every day this week to tell me that he's ready to start his day.  He has food - he has water - he has a place to potty.  The only thing he wants when I drag myself out of bed is to be petted and then to go play with the other dogs.  How inconsiderate!  He never did this when he still had siblings to play with.  All of my adult dogs are civilized enough to sleep until at least 7:00AM.  But Bear doesn't seem to be learning good manners from my other dogs.  Only the bad manners, like jumping up and counter surfing, seem to be noticed by him.  It's a good thing he's so darn cute. 

I leave this morning for Silver Spring, Maryland, to tape Bear participating in the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.  The show won't air until February, but I'm hoping they'll let me take some pictures to share while I'm there.  My husband is going to stay home and take care of all the other dogs, and hopefully he'll still be speaking to me when I return. 

Dogs have issues too...

Some dogs have normal issues. Lizzy's issue is fear of strangers - normal for a dog who wasn't socialized at a young age. My previous foster dog Murphy has a fear of the outdoors, and loud noises - still not uncommon. Dogs like Lizzy and Murphy seem to see the world as Dangerous Until Proven Otherwise. Other dogs, like my Noelle, see the world as their playground - they have no fear, and every new thing is an adventure.

Recently I met a dog with very interesting issues. He does not seem to have the normal fears of a dog picked up as a stray. He isn't afraid of people. He isn't afraid of the outdoors, or loud noises, or other dogs. This is what he is afraid of:

 This dog, named Bobby Hill (to go with the foster family's theme of a popular TV show family), is the sweetest little beagle. He was picked up as a stray and taken to a shelter. When he was brought from the shelter to an adoption event, we all remarked on how sweet he was - and how skinny. Here's Bobby Hill at the adoption event.

So of course, being the typical soft-hearted rescue people that we are, we started trying to give him treats, to help fatten him up. If there's one thing that we tend to use a lot of at adoption events, it's treats! So bring on the donations - we'll use 'em. :-) Bobby Hill ate one small piece of soft chicken treat, and ignored the dog biscuits we offered. Then he ignored the rest of the chicken treats we offered. Well no wonder he is so skinny, if he won't even eat the yummy treats, I thought. A couple of times he walked up to the water bowl, sniffed it, then walked away. Very strange. But then Kenny, one of the rescue group volunteers, realized he seemed afraid of the water bowl. He poured some water on the ground, and Bobby Hill lapped it up. So we tried giving him water from a water bottle, and he lapped that up too. After drinking an entire water bottle full of water, Bobby Hill felt much better, and even started eating treats again. He had been so dehydrated that he wasn't able to swallow the treats before that! No wonder he was so skinny - the poor guy probably had not had anything to eat or drink since being taken to the shelter. He was so afraid of the water bowl that he was literally dying of thirst with the water right in front of him all the time. He must have been living on his own for awhile, scrounging food where he could get it and drinking from puddles. I have no idea what could have caused him to identify bowls as a scary object - but fortunately Kenny figured out the problem, and then proceeded to take him home as a foster dog where he could get him fattened up, and teach him that bowls really aren't so scary after all!

It takes a lot of patience to help a dog with issues. Bobby Hill has progressed from eating dog food off of a piece of newspaper on the ground, to eating out of his foster sibling's food bowl. He's also gone from drinking out of a cupped hand, to drinking from a small clear saucer, to drinking from a larger water bowl (but only when outside). Helping a dog to overcome their fears can sometimes be a long, drawn-out process, but it's so worth it in the end to see them gain freedom as they overcome their fear. Bobby Hill is now ready for adoption, and as you can see from these pictures taken just a few short weeks after the ones above, he's already gained weight and looks much better. Thanks to his foster parents Kenny and Holly who continue to work with him and help him overcome his fear of those scary things we like to call bowls.

Puppy Update

We had a pretty good weekend at PetSmart for adoptions.  All Paws had six dogs there, and received applications on four of them - not bad!  Three of them were my puppies - Skye, Sonic and Snoopy.  Hopefully they will be going to their new homes later this week. 

Bear is gearing up for his trip to Maryland this weekend, for the taping of the Puppy Bowl.  There will be 60 puppies there, so he'll have a lot of competition.  But he's been sharpening his puppy playing skills and practicing carrying around a mini-football that a friend gave him, so he is ready to go!

Update on my fosters - Part 2

As promised, here is the update on the cats currently living in my house. 

Merlin - My orange tabby cat - I still think he's the best cat in the world. Sometimes he comes in my room at night and sleeps on my pillow, and sometimes he doesn't, and I really miss him on the nights that he finds better things to do. I found out he's afraid of children. So he has something in common with Lizzy. The only difference is when he sees children, he runs away and hides, whereas Lizzy, well, Lizzy doesn't.

Gandalf - Another orange tabby cat. He looks like Merlin, but he's not Merlin. He's very affectionate though, and he likes to stand on my keyboard and nudge my face so I can't breathe, until I pet him. If you ever get an e-mail with something like this in the text: ae;oq12a f, that was most likely Gandalf's fault.

Artemis - A gorgeous black cat. Artie is doing very well - he's finally used to all the dogs, and comes upstairs to hang out all the time. He still likes to sleep in his "cat area" downstairs though. He is the only cat I've had that my husband actually likes. I caught my husband Dave petting Artie the other day, and Dave said "Why couldn't you adopt this one instead of that other one." And it was obvious from the tone of his voice what he thought of "that other one" (Merlin).

Scribbles - My crabby cat has been getting braver lately. I feel so sorry for her in solitary confinement that I've started leaving her door open recently. So she comes out and hisses at the puppies, and then runs back to the safety of her room. The puppies are safe from her in their ex-pen - lucky for them. I never heard from the people who inquired about her, so I guess she's still waiting for someone to want her.

Orca, Penguin and Puffin - The little tuxedo kittens just don't want to grow. They have to be two pounds before they can get spayed/neutered at the vet, and last night I weighed Puffin and she was 1.91 pounds. She's so close! I've been giving them canned food every day, and they always have dry food out, so I don't know what else I can do. Well, someone suggested tying little fishing weights to their collars - but I thought that might be cheating.

 
So that's the story on my animals.  For now.  I have plenty of cats, a few too many dogs, and no space for emergency returns.  But Artemis and Dodger should be moving on to other foster homes soon, and hopefully the puppies will be ready for adoption by next week, so that will help.  I will be taking Lizzy, Dodger, Gandalf and Artemis to adoptions this weekend.  I don't have high hopes for any of them getting adopted, but stranger things have happened, and it's worth a try to find them their very own homes.

Update on my fosters - Part 1

Yep, it's time for another Foster Pet update, where I get to list all of the foster pets at my house, and you get to think I'm crazy. But it also gives those of you who want to know about a specific pet a chance to find out how they're doing, so I hope you like these updates from time to time. If nothing else, you can read this post and then feel sorry for my husband. Just remember, HE's the one who made me get a dog three years ago. Up until then, I didn't want a dog, and had been avoiding it as long as possible. So if he hadn't insisted on getting a dog, which led me to discover how many homeless dogs and cats are killed every day, which led me to want to help them, this never would have happened.

Also, as a special bonus, I'm going to include updates on my own pets. Aren't you excited?

Remi - My Great Dane, and one of the largest dogs in the city... well, maybe in our subdivision anyway. He is getting old for a Dane - he turns four this month! He plays less and sleeps more, and he backs down from little poodle/daschund mixes when they bark at him. But my wimpy 160 pound dog is still tough enough to bark at every person and bicycle and truck that goes by our fence - as long as they are on the OTHER side of the fence.

Noelle - My deaf pit bull mix is spending a lot of time lately with my husband Dave as he works on our basement. Even though I am the one who feeds her, pets her, plays with her, and takes care of her every need, she is so his dog. Okay fine, he feeds her and pets her and plays with her also. But that's only because she follows him around everywhere. Maybe she's trying to make up for the fact that she ate his cowboy boots one day last week when he wasn't home.

Lizzy - I call her my child-eating border collie. I'm sure THAT will help her get adopted. She's settled into our house great - which is good, because I have a feeling we will have her for awhile. She loves to play with Noelle, and she listens very well and always just wants attention. It's only when strangers come in the house, or when she sees children that she goes nuts. Minor issue, right?

Skye, Sonic and Snoopy - My foster puppies went to the vet this week and got spayed/neutered. They can't get adopted yet though - even though I had already dewormed them once (remember this?), when they checked at the vet they found the puppies still have hookworms, whipworms, roundworms and coccidia. Somehow I wasn't surprised. So they're stuck with me for another week at least.

Bear - As I mentioned yesterday, Bear is going to be traveling to Maryland with me in a couple of weeks to take part in Puppy Bowl VI. Anyone interested in going with me? We'll only be driving 28 hours in three days with a small puppy in the car. It should be fun!

Chenille - It turns out my sweet, loving deaf Pomeranian is about 12 years old! The shelter originally said she was six years, and I thought she was a little older than that, but not twice that age. I guess it will hurt her chances of finding a home, but senior dogs find homes all the time so hopefully she'll still be adopted. She's so sweet - she's happy just to sit on my lap and be petted.

Dodger - This funny looking guy (sorry, but he is) is starting to settle in to the new routine. Both him and Chenille get canned food instead of dry food and all the other dogs get jealous! He has a very loud bark for such a little dog, and he's not afraid to use it. But he's also playful and friendly, and he does well with the other pets. Even Noelle is getting used to having him around. He's another dog that likes to sit on my lap while I type on the computer. Unfortunately my lap already has a waiting list with the cats and Chenille, so he has to take turns which he doesn't really like. Hopefully he can soon find another home where he will get all the attention he desires.

That's it for the dogs at my house. I'll post an update on the cats tomorrow, so maybe it won't look like I have quite so many. It's worth a try.

Puppy Bowl VI

The Puppy Bowl, aired each year on Animal Planet, is shown the afternoon of the Super Bowl and features puppies at play in a model football stadium.  If you've never seen it, it's a lot of fun to watch.  And next year, my foster puppy Bear may be one of the puppy football players!  We'll be traveling in a couple of weeks to Silver Spring, Maryland, for the taping of Puppy Bowl VI, which will be aired in February 2010.  And if Bear can manage to stay awake and active enough during the taping, he'll get to be on the show!  It's a long shot, because Bear is the most laid-back, quiet puppy I've had.  A few people who have met him have even asked if he is sick, because he is so non-active.  He's not sick, just lazy.  But I'm hoping after a day in the car, driving 14 hours to Maryland, he will have stored up enough energy to go out and play some puppy football!  Now does anyone know where I can get a tiny stuffed football to start teaching him how to score touchdowns? 

Introducing Chenille and Dodger

You're not going to believe this.  I hardly believe it myself.  I took the four puppies to the vet this morning, and they all got pre-adopted!  No, not really.  The hard-to-believe news is actually that they said they can't neuter Bear yet.  They want to give him a little more time to finish, uh... maturing.  So they want me to hold onto him for three weeks and then they will recheck him at that time!  If I would have just waited one more day to talk about him, I never would have had to admit my embarrassing plan to keep him off the website.  Of course I was only planning on holding him an extra week - not an extra three weeks.  But I'm not complaining.  He's cute enough he'll still be very adoptable in three weeks, and that will give me some extra time to find him the perfect home (i.e. one who will send me regular updates on him). 

It's always scary offering to take foster pets sight-unseen.  Sometimes I am surprised by how adorable and sweet they are.  Sometimes I am surprised by how funny-looking or difficult they are. This week, I've had one of each. 

First is Chenille.  Someone who knew I have a soft spot for deaf dogs told me about a group looking for help with a deaf Pomeranian.  Of course small dogs aren't my thing, but deaf dogs are, so I said I'd take her.  I was told she was a senior dog, deaf, not house-trained, expected to be difficult to place - all in all, I expected the worst.  But then, thanks to a string of volunteers from Kansas City to St. Louis, this dog showed up. 

And not only did she turn out to be beautiful (thanks to a volunteer in Kansas City who got her groomed before sending her my way!) but also so very sweet.  She is a bit shy, and hides in her crate sometimes, but she also loves to be held and carried around.  She does great with kids, other dogs, and cats.  It's true she needs some work on house-training, but she's not going to be hard to adopt like I thought she might.  She's at the vet today being spayed and readied for adoption, so I will get her on the website and try to find her a home soon!

Sometimes the opposite happens.  A dog that sounds like a very easy adoption on paper turns out to be not so easy. I could be wrong.  I hope I'm wrong.  But when I was told a poodle mix who is already house-trained and good with other pets needed a temporary foster home, I thought I could get him adopted before he had to go to another longer-term foster home.  A poodle mix - how hard is that?  But here's Dodger, who showed up at my house last night:

 

It's not his fault he looks like a Dauschund/Poodle cross with bare spots in his thin fur.  It's not his fault he's missing a lot of teeth and has to eat soft food, or that he has allergies.  It's not his fault that he's probably younger than Chenille, but looks a lot older.  I just hope that someone can see what a great dog he really is and decide to adopt him in spite of those things! 

Quick Update

There has been a lot going on this weekend and not much time to take pictures, so I'll post more details with pictures soon.  But just because I can't wait to share news with you, I had to tell you now. 

First, I have a new foster dog named Chenille.  She's the deaf Pomeranian I was waiting for.  She came in on Saturday from Kansas City!   She's beautiful and a little bit shy and great with other animals and loves to be held.  I'm guessing she'll be adopted right away, even though she's mostly deaf and older.   

Second, my foster puppies go to the vet tomorrow so they will be ready for adoption hopefully by this weekend.  Except for Bear.  I am doing an awful thing.  I'm going to list his three littermates on the website for adoption, but not him.  Don't tell anyone.  I am ashamed of myself.  But I can't help it - he's my favorite puppy ever.  And that's saying a lot, because I've had some pretty awesome puppies, including my own dog Noelle who I got at 4 months old.  I just can't bear to put Bear on the website yet (ha).  So first I'm going to try to find a home for him with someone I know.  Someone who will keep me updated on him and let me see him from time to time.  If you know of a really good home who may be interested in adopting the cutest, sweetest puppy ever, let me know.  Otherwise I'll put him on the website as soon as his littermates are adopted.  I have to make room for more puppies, even if it means giving up the best puppy ever.  He is so laid back - he let my niece carry him around like a baby for an hour last night and never wiggled or complained.  He's fluffy and cuddly and, well, you just have to meet him and I think you'd fall in love too. I'm sure I'll have more pictures of him soon too.

Third, I'm getting a new foster dog tonight.  It's another small dog - a poodle mix.  What's the deal with me and small dogs lately?  I have never been a small dog person, and with a 160 lb dog of my own, I never expected to foster small dogs because I was afraid they would get stepped on!  And yet my four most recent foster dogs are all small dogs.  At least they're always in high demand.  And they eat less than the big dogs.  Less poop to pick up too.  (Sorry).   I'll have more news on the new foster dog tomorrow I hope.

Fourth, and most exciting for me - I got an inquiry on adopting Scribbles!!!  I never thought it would happen.  I recently made a video of her though, and I think that caught someone's attention.  It's not a great video - but how do you make a great video of a cat who doesn't do anything?  It's not easy.  So at least it helped her be noticed.  It remains to be seen if the inquiry will lead to an application or an adoption, but stay tuned and you'll know when I know!  Now I'm motivated to go make videos of all my hard-to-adopt pets.  Artemis and Lizzy are next on my list!   If you're a foster mom or dad for pets, I highly recommend making a video of your hard-to-place foster pets to help them get adopted.  Here are some tips from Petfinder.com.  And if you don't have a video camera but can get your fosters to me, I'd be glad to make a video of them for you.  I'll help any group, with any pet, as long as you promise not to expect much.  :-)

Trey and Keisha were adopted!!

Trey and Keisha each found wonderful new homes yesterday.  They of course got a lot of attention at PetSmart, but I was holding them for two people who had seen them on the All Paws website and each put in an application online.   The families were both able to come meet them at PetSmart yesterday and decided to adopt them.  Not a surprise considering how sweet they both are! 

Kitten Update
My foster kittens went to the vet on Friday but they're still too little to be spayed/neutered, so they have to wait another couple of weeks before they're ready for adoption.  I'm going to have to start giving them treats to fatten them up!  Even though they're nine weeks old, the girls only weigh 1.5 pounds and the boy only weighs 1.8 pounds - these guys are tiny!  They're doing well though.  Orca is the demanding one - she reminds me of Anastasia (previous foster kitten) because she likes to make her desires known by meowing loudly until I do what she wants.  She has me well trained.  Puffin is the quiet one - she kind of hangs back and watches the others before she tries anything new.  Penguin is the explorer of the group.  He's always the first to climb the highest or jump the farthest or explore strange new worlds (like the living room). 

Rocky and Bullwinkle

Remember these puppies?

They were named Deuce and Dusty, and they were adopted to separate families.   Of the entire litter of 9 puppies, there were only two chocolate males.  In their new homes, which don't know each other, one of the puppies has been renamed Rocky, and the other one has been renamed Bullwinkle!  

Introducing Snoopy, Skye, Sonic and Bear

Yesterday I took in four new puppies.  They were covered in fleas and had so many worms that they were coming out everywhere.  They vomited worms for 8 hours after I dewormed them, poor things.  Today they're feeling much better, and after their deworming and flea medication, they look much better too!  If you want to see really gross pictures of what I got to clean up, click here.  But I'm warning you, you really don't want to see them. 

So I'll show you pictures of adorable, clean puppies instead! 

This is Snoopy.  He's my favorite.  My husband named him.  He is sweet and cuddly and always just wants to crawl on my lap for petting. 

Next is his sister Skye.  She looks a lot like Snoopy only she has brown ears.  She's my favorite.  She's got the cutest little bark, and even though she's the smallest, she was the first to step up when the other dogs came around and bark at them to let them know she wasn't afraid. 

Next is my favorite puppy - Sonic.  He looks like he might have some German Shepherd in him.  The mom of the litter was said to be a Spaniel/Border Collie mix, and the dad was unknown.  I have no idea how big these puppies will get, or what all they're actually mixed with.  But that's part of the fun of having a pure-bred Mutt puppy - waiting to see how they turn out! 

And last (but definitely not least) is Bear. He's not my favorite. He is too cute and cuddly and roly-poly to be my favorite.  I hate it when my favorite puppy or kitten is the first in the litter to be adopted, so I am definitely not making this one my favorite. 

And just in case you clicked on the link to the really gross pictures, I'll leave you with one more picture of Bear to try to make up for it. 

She smiles...

No matter what happens, Keisha always looks happy. 

Even if Trey is about to flatten her...

yet again...  she looks happy. 

Even when surrounded by dogs who outweight her by 155 pounds, she is happy.

This is one happy dog.

And here's another happy dog.

My life...

Again I should start with a disclaimer that not all foster homes are like mine.  In fact, most of them probably aren't anything like mine.  Which is lucky for them.  Because my house is totally crazy.  So to make you feel better about the things you haven't gotten to on your "To Do" list yet, let me share some of my life with you.

The grass always needs cut.  This means I am constantly posting pictures of my foster animals being practically hidden in the tall grass.  This is another good reason to foster only big dogs - they make the grass look shorter.  Don't they?  Let's just go with yes, they do.

The carpet always needs vacuumed.  Daily.  No, more like hourly.  This is so constantly on my to-do list that I never bother crossing it off.  If it's not the inside of a stuffed animal or pillow, it's something else.  Last night Lizzy ate a piece of paper where I'd written down the e-mail address of someone interested in adopting one of my foster kittens.  Only she left small bits of it lying around to be vacuumed up.  They were too small and mangled to be put back together - I know, because I tried. 

The floor always needs mopped.  I dare not post a picture of my own kitchen floor, so I am using this picture of my parent's kitchen floor as an example of how clean my floor will never be.  Sigh - I miss having a kitchen floor that stays clean for more than 4.8 seconds.

My life is a constant cycle of feeding, cleaning, petting, scooping litterboxes, doing laundry, chasing kittens, cleaning, throwing tennis balls, escaping for 9 hours at work, returning home to feed, clean, pet, play with, scoop, chase, and clean some more.  And I love every second of it.  Except the laundry part.  I don't love that at all. 

Tomorrow Keisha and Trey go to the vet to get spayed and neutered - hooray!  I have to get them into good permanent homes before the new puppies show up, and the new foster dog.  It turns out I am getting the deaf senior Pomeranian after all!  And four puppies.  I told my husband about the Pomeranian a few days ago.  I started out with the classic "how much do you love me" line... and it worked!  So today I snuck in the news about the new puppies.  He asked why the container of puppy food was still in the kitchen since none of our fosters are eating puppy food, and I said I just hadn't had time to move it yet, and it was okay to leave it there since I may be getting more puppies in a few days.  Then I rushed to say something else and he just kind of sighed and didn't ask me anything else.  I do appreciate what a wonderful husband I have!!!

Delta was adopted!

The last of the litter of nine puppies has been adopted!  And I went the whole weekend without taking in any new fosters!  I'm not sure which one I'm more excited about at this point. :-)  I did offer to take in a deaf Pomeranian - and maybe three more puppies.  And I was hoping to find room for a St. Bernard and a Rottweiler as well.  But I think the Pomeranian found another foster home, and I'm still waiting to hear about the puppies, and so far I haven't talked my husband into fostering another big dog yet. 

Lizzy, Scribbles and Gandalf all went to adoptions on Saturday.  Scribbles was actually pretty calm, considering the circumstances.  She did very well, and one person even successfully petted her while she was there!  There's hope for her yet.  None of my fosters were adopted, but there were a few other dogs and cats adopted, so that was exciting. 

On Sunday I took Champ, another All Paws foster dog, to the JDRF walk in Forest Park.  Since Lizzy isn't really crazy about crowds, especially with lots of kids running around, I borrowed a friend's foster dog for the day.  Champ is awesome - he's a Boxer mix who was perfect for the event.  Not only did he like all the people he met, and get along with the other dogs there, but he also kept that crazy Fredbird from getting too close. :-) 

Introducing Keisha and Trey

This is Keisha.  She's much cuter in person. I'll have to get a better picture of her for the website - but I didn't want to wait to introduce her so I took a quick photo of her this morning before work.  Keisha is a Maltese, weighs just under 6 pounds, and is very sweet.  I introduced her to the rest of the dogs this morning.  It was a bit crazy with six dogs running around the living room, but everyone got along very well. 
Keisha and her brother Trey came from a family who had to give them up due to economic circumstances.  They gave them to a friend who works at PetSmart and she contacted another one of my rescue friends who told me about them and asked if I could help.  I am sure these two cuties will be adopted very quickly - the hardest part of saving these dogs is just wading through the many applications we're sure to get on them to find the best homes.  I wish that was the hardest part for all dogs who need homes! 

This is Trey.  He's a cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle).  He weighs about 20 pounds, and he's two years old.  He's very friendly and happy all the time.  His biggest (only?) issue is because he's not neutered, and he just came into a house with a lot of interesting dog and cat smells, he wants to mark everything in sight.  So I have to keep a close eye on him all the time.  They'll both go to the vet to get spayed and neutered as soon as possible!  In the meantime, they're getting used to the new house and the other dogs and cats.  They actually lived with two pit bulls before, so I'm glad they're used to being around bigger dogs.  And I found it interesting that Noelle did fine with them immediately.  I guess she doesn't see them as much of a threat since they're so small! 

My house is now full!  Hopefully my next several posts will be announcing some adoptions very soon!! :-)