It's A Christmas Miracle

Most people thought it was impossible.  Only a few kept the faith.  Some offered encouragement, and others prayed.  One special friend even asked Santa - for the second year in a row - for a Christmas miracle.  And on Christmas day that miracle happened.  I got a phone call from someone who wants to adopt Ziggy.

Ziggy prays for a home.

When I brought Ziggy home as a foster puppy two years ago, I didn't expect to have him for long.  But as the days turned into weeks, and then months, I began to fear he would never know what it was like to have a home of his own.  Ziggy is an amazing, wonderful dog and I love him very much.  But he's never been an easy dog.  He prefers to be an only pet, so it hasn't been easy for him living with so many other foster dogs.  He deserves a home of his own, and it seems that he may finally get his chance. 

Part of me is trying to not get my hopes up in case this doesn't work out.  Another part of me is trying not to be sad that I may soon lose this dog who is such a big part of my life.  But mostly I am just so excited for Ziggy.  He's waited so long for a home of his own, and this is a perfect fit for him.  The adopter met him today and is very excited about adopting him and continuing to train him.  Ziggy will be leaving me sometime in the next week and will go to his new home as a foster-to-adopt situation to see if he'll be a good fit.  I'll continue to share updates as I receive them.  Sometimes long-term fosters get adopted and returned more than once if they have issues, but Ziggy has never even been adopted once.  I hope and pray that he has finally found his forever home.  

Ziggy 

Merry Christmas!

I'm trying a new kind of decoration on my Christmas tree this year.

Charlie the kitten - not just a decoration!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Update on my fosters... part 2

In addition to the foster pets in yesterday's post, I also have the following:


Molly

 Molly is a Puggle/Min-Pin mix that I've been fostering for three months now.  She's very talented at jumping, she furiously tries to scare away the vacuum cleaner every time it's turned on, and she loves to bark ferociously at Ziggy - but only when he's walking away from her.  Molly has become very attached to me, and she will not look at anyone else during adoption events.  This makes it challenging to find her a home.  I also can't leave her alone during the events because she gets snippy with people (imagine a three year old child throwing a tantrum and screaming "Where's my MOM?  I WANT MY MOM!")  That's Molly.  I'm taking her to training classes and we continue to work on socialization (other people are nice too, Molly!) as well as basic obedience.  She's a very smart dog, and one of these days I'm sure she's going to figure out that the vacuum cleaner really won't hurt her. 




Ziggy, the deaf and slightly famous pit bull, is continuing to work hard at agility classes, and was recently promoted to the Intermediate-Advanced class!  Okay actually he's still in the intermediate class because there is no intermediate-advanced class, but when I asked his trainer when we'd be ready for the advanced class, she said he was at an Intermediate-Advanced level now, so I'm considering that a promotion.  Ziggy is proof that pretty much any dog can do agility.  Not because he's deaf, but because he's slow and not very athletic.  Other dogs get all excited in class and jump around and run - Ziggy just patiently waits for the treats to appear, and does the agility routines solely because it gets him food.  Oh every once in awhile he jumps over an extra jump when he doesn't have to - but even then I doubt he's doing it for fun - I think it's because it's the shortest way to get to me and the treats.  We still have a lot of fun together though, and it's good exercise and good mental stimulation. 

Allie

A rescue friend recently invited me to go with her to a shelter.  She wanted to pull a young dog as a friend for another young puppy she had recently rescued.  Of course I said yes.  I know some rescuers who hate visiting shelters because it makes them so sad, but I enjoy going there as long as I can take at least one of the animals home with me.  It's great to take them from their small steel cage where they are scared and alone, facing an uncertain future, and take them home where they can live in a house and get all the affection and attention that they want.  I know that their uncertain future just became a whole lot more certain of a happy ending, and although it's hard to leave the others behind, I always focus on the joy of the one I can save.  In this case, I knew my friend was going to pull a puppy, and I decided I had enough dogs at the moment but could take in a cat.  So off we went to pull a dog and a cat.  We looked at the dogs first.  It didn't take long until she found the puppy she wanted, but we finished looking at the few other dogs that we had not seen yet and quickly saw a second one that we both fell in love with.  I agonized over the decision for several minutes (okay actually it was more like 10 seconds) and then said she should take the first pup and I'd take the second one.  She quickly agreed that sounded like a fantastic idea, and I said "at least it will keep me from pulling a cat".  The idea being since I was pulling a new dog, I really didn't need to pull a cat as well.  But even as I said those words, I felt sad about leaving without a cat.  So while the paperwork was done for the two puppies, I headed over to look at the cats.  And I guess you aren't surprised to learn that I came home with both Allie the puppy and Theo the kitten. 

Unfortunately both Allie and another puppy who had been pulled previously came down with pneumonia.  They both ended up at the emergency clinic overnight, but are doing better and are both back at their respective foster homes now.  Allie is getting two different kinds of medicine, and she's having to get a nebulizer treatment three times a day, but she's feeling much better.  I'll have her for at least a few more weeks while she fully recovers, then she'll be able to go to the vet to get her vaccinations and be spayed, and then she'll be ready for a home of her own. 

  

Allie


So those are my seven foster dogs currently.  I was going to give a status update on my two foster cats as well (Theo and Charlie) but Charlie really needs a whole post of his own, so I'll share that another day.

Update on my Fosters... part 1

Currently I have seven foster dogs and two foster cats.  King, the extremely smart pit bull puppy, has gone to a foster-to-adopt home where he's doing really well.  And Bandit the previously semi-feral kitten has finally found a home just in time for Christmas! 

You may remember me claiming that I could handle Jefferson, the incredibly energetic and challenging Shepherd mix.  Well, I was wrong.  Fortunately one of my friends gave me the best Christmas present ever when she took Jefferson to work with him some more.  She's a professional trainer and if anyone can get through to him, it's her. 



Oscar



This is Oscar, the deaf Boston Terrier.  He's doing really well with house-training and is finally allowed to sleep in bed with me and the other dogs at night (all the dogs except Ziggy, who would likely eat the bed while we slept).  Oscar has such a funny personality - I've learned from a friend who often sends me Youtube videos that many Boston Terriers have this same "silly gene".  He loves attention, likes to play with the other dogs, likes to be held, and thinks that he is Mr. Tough Guy.  He always makes me laugh.

Chloe, my brown and white cow-dog, tested positive for heartworms. This means she will have to undergo a painful, expensive and dangerous treatment to get rid of them.  If left untreated, they will eventually cause congestive heart failure.  I'm talking to more and more people who don't have their dogs on heartworm preventative.  They often want to adopt one of our rescue's dogs, but we don't adopt to people who don't use heartworm preventative, because we've seen the devestating effects firsthand.  If you don't use heartworm preventative, please talk to your vet and see if it is recommended in your area. 




Roo

Roo the red pittie mix with the large ears, is doing very well with her Canine Good Citizen training classes.  She has passed her first level (where she learned sit and down) and is now working on stay and come when called.  She's also learned she can jump four foot tall baby gates and fences.  This is why the new fence will be a six foot privacy fence.  In the meantime, she's having to stay on a tie-out or leash while in the yard, which makes her sad.  I call her my squeaky girl, because she she whines/squeaks when she is sad or nervous.  And lately, I've needed some WD-40 to stop all the squeaking! In case you were wondering... yes she was squeaking when we made her wear a Santa hat.  But she looks so cute!

I'll update the status of the rest of my current foster pets tomorrow!

Why I've Been Slacking...

The truth is, I just haven't felt like talking lately.  There's been a lot of things happening that have made me sad, scared, angry, and frustrated, so I've been spending my free time doing things that don't require thinking - things like reading, or playing computer games, or going on walks with Ziggy.  But I've slacked off for long enough, so it's time to start writing again!  Here are a few of the things that have made me so anti-social lately:

- My new foster puppy Allie got out of my yard and disappeared for two days.  She eventually turned up at a neighbor's house, but those were a very scary two days.

- I've started job searching, since I've been laid off at work as of the end of the year.  It's difficult to find a job that is going to be anywhere close to where I'm living now, which means a long commute and no one to help with the foster dogs while I'm gone for 11+ hours a day, so I'm dreading actually finding a new job.  Then again being out of work with two house payments doesn't seem like such a good idea either.

- My best friend was also just laid off from her job, effective in a few months.  She's been at her company for over 30 years, and the company decided to move her job to India, so they could save a few dollars.

- My foster dogs continue to find new ways to escape the fenced yard.  It is a temporary "hog wire" type of fence and the dogs are digging out underneath, or in some cases actually climbing or jumping it.  They then proceed to lead me on a merry chase around the neighborhood.

- After running through a field behind my house, they end up in the Bad subdivision.  I call it that because one of the residents there came and complained about the dogs and said her neighbors would shoot them on sight.  I understand complaining about the dogs - they shouldn't be allowed to run loose, although in all fairness I have spent many, many hours trying to keep them contained.  But threatening to shoot my dogs makes me angry.  I was told that they would shoot the pit bulls because they were afraid of them.  The sad part is the pitties I have would never hurt them - it's the Min-Pin/Puggle that they should be scared of!  Regardless, I am now going to have to get a regular wood privacy fence in order to keep my foster dogs safe.  I was hoping to put off this major purchase until I found a new job, but that's not going to be an option now.

In spite of these many stressful and scary events, I am still constantly reminded to be grateful for all that I have.  My family and friends, good  health, a place to live, food to eat, and the ability to help those less fortunate.  I am blessed and have not forgotten it.

There's one more recent "event" that made me want to throw up, but then it made me finally decide to write another blog post even if I wasn't feeling up to it.  Because when bad things happen, who better to share them with than friends right?  Good.  So fortunately for you I did not take any pictures.  But if you're easily grossed out, you may want to skip this next paragraph.  Especially if you've been considering fostering but haven't decided if you can handle it or not.

Today I was taking Allie to the vet because she has not been feeling well.  I was driving down the highway and feel something warm and look down to see I'm completely covered with partially digested puppy food, really gross digestive juices, and to top it off, two or three roundworms swimming around in the puddle.  Do you know what it's like to be frantically looking for somewhere to pull over while watching these long yellow worms swim around in a puddle that is quickly soaking through your jeans and onto your legs?  It easily qualifies as my most disgusting experience of 2011 - if not of my entire life!  Hopefully 2012 will be a better year!

Houston Pittie Pack

Kissa-bull is a blog written by Sandra about her dogs, known as the Houston Pittie Pack and the Wee Ones.  It was heartbreaking to learn this morning that Sandra's home was destroyed in a fire last night.  Sandra and her human family members survived, but she lost her home and five of her dogs.  As Mayzie's mom reported, "She tried desperately to get all the dogs out of the house but they were hiding under beds and in closets. She was only able to save Brinks and Bella. The rest – Guero, Coco Chanel, Tiger, Lucky and Shelby – are all now at the Bridge."  These dogs were so special, and so loved.  I can only imagine the pain that Sandra and her family are going through.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  
A chip-in has also been set up to help with any immediate needs that the family has.  If you can help, please consider donating any amount to this family.  You can also leave Sandra a comment on her blog at http://kissa-bull.blogspot.com/ to let her know that you're thinking of her during this time.

Introducing King

This is my newest foster dog:

I received a call from another rescue volunteer who saw this puppy at a rural pound.  The pound has only outdoor kennels, and the dogs' only shelter is in doghouses.  Since the weather has been below freezing, I immediately agreed to take him.  He is around ten weeks old, and I named him King.  

King is a very smart puppy.  He quickly learned to sit on command and is doing very well with house-training.  He went to his first adoption event today, and already has someone interested in adopting him!  He may only be here a short time, but he's fitting in all of the fun he can while he's here.  He enjoys wrestling and playing with all the other dogs - especially Jefferson and Ziggy.  He loves to eat, and he loves to cuddle once he's tired out.  He's a great puppy, and I'm hoping he will have a home for Christmas. 

My Very Own Moo-Cow

Earlier this year I moved to a very rural area for the first time in my life. Growing up, I was one of those kids who never saw cows or horses unless we went to a petting zoo or drove somewhere on vacation and passed a field of animals.  That was always an exciting event.  But now that I'm all grown up, and I live next door to a field of cows, I'm much more mature.  I no longer point out the window and yell COWS! when I drive by.  Sure, I still slow down to admire them, and I talk to them and take their pictures, but so does everyone, right?  Right??

So now that I'm a country girl, I've been wanting my very own cow.  The only thing stopping me was that I have no idea how to get a cow, how to feed a cow, how to take care of a cow, or what Ziggy would do with a cow.  Fortunately Chloe came along to take my mind off having my own cow.  It's sort of like giving a guinea pig to a child who really wants a dog.  They might be disappointed to not get a dog, but having a guinea pig is still pretty cool.  I know I can't have a real cow right now, but having a dog who sort of looks like a cow is still pretty cool.

My very own cow dog

Chloe is around five years old, and she is extremely sweet.  In fact, one of the great things about Chloe is she is so eager to please.  She's been working really hard to do a good cow imitation. 

"Moo"

It sounds a bit more like "woo, woo, woo", but it's a better imitation than any of the other dogs have ever managed.  She seems really happy to be out of the shelter, and she shows this by her constant wagging tail and her beautiful smile.

Happy girl!

That's Roo in the background, carrying a toy around in her mouth as usual. Chloe gets along really well with the other dogs, does fine with the cats, and loves people.  She is house-trained and loves to cuddle.  So I guess she's the best kind of moo-cow I could imagine!

Morgan was Adopted

Back in August, I took home this dog:

Morgan is very small dog with a very big personality.  She has some problems with separation anxiety, and her skill as an escape artist made her a bit of a challenge to place into a home.  It didn't help that she spent her time at most adoption events getting very excited and barking every time she saw a new dog.  So I was very excited when a wonderful family saw her online and adopted Morgan.  I'm really hoping that she settles into her new home quickly and becomes a perfect fit.

This is Morgan being held by a member of her new family:

And here is Morgan modeling a Santa hat that her new family purchased for her.  I'm pretty sure she's being spoiled rotten.

Merry Christmas Morgan - I'm so glad you have finally found your home!

Ziggy and the St. Louis Blues

Ziggy has always wanted to be a hockey player.  Really, it's true.  He doesn't talk about it much, but I think it's obvious in the way he acts.  For one thing, he's always practicing his body checks.  He loves to run around the house and body check other dogs or people.  Like some hockey players, he is ready to immediately defend himself if another dog tries to push him around.  And he spends quite a bit of time in his "penalty box", also known as a crate, as a result of his tough-guy hockey player attitude.  If Ziggy got to play hockey, I'm pretty sure he'd be the enforcer of the team. 

However since Ziggy is a dog, he can't play hockey.  But he was extremely excited to get to meet a real-life professional hockey player and get his picture taken with him.  Ziggy met Carlo Colaiacovo, and immediately tried to steal his jersey.  Once he realized he couldn't get away with that, he settled down and posed for a picture.  And now, that picture is going to be on a calendar being sold by the St. Louis Blues as part of their Pucks for Paws promotion. You can buy a calendar online here to support several area rescue groups. 

Now it's true that there are eleven other months of the calendar with eleven other adoptable animals, but in Ziggy's mind, this is his calendar.  His and Carlo's, that is.  So when he heard that Carlo would be signing autographs at the Pucks for Paws kickoff event, he decided that of course he should sign autographs as well.  This is why we spent thirty minutes yesterday with Ziggy's trainer, so he could learn how to pawtograph a calendar.  The event is this Sunday and hopefully it goes well.  Maybe a hockey fan will even be there looking to adopt a dog who loves hockey as much as they do!  If you're in the area and would like to come to the calendar kickoff event, find out details here.  Ziggy will be glad to sign his pawtograph for you.