Adoption Events: What's Involved

Every Saturday, and even some Sundays, we hold adoption events to try to find our foster pets a home.  In case you've never been to a pet adoption event, I thought I'd share with you what is involved. 


Gonzo and Molly wait quietly at an adoption event.

 First, you need crates.  Wire crates are best, because they make it easier to see the dogs and cats than the plastic travel-type crates.  Crate liners (brightly colored fabric cloth that covers the bottom of the tray) are great, especially when you have a dark colored dog.  I have no crate liners, and many other groups don't either, so if you're looking for a good volunteer opportunity, and you can sew, there ya go.  Bandanas are also good.  I usually forget to put these on my fosters, but I remembered on the day this picture was taken.  It's also important to remember to take the leash off of any dog who might decide it makes a good chew toy.  I've learned this the hard way.  More than once.

Whenever possible, hold a dog out of the crate so people can easily notice him or her and pet him or her.  This makes the animals much more approachable to people, and really helps them get adopted.  See, doesn't Cookie look very approachable in this picture?  (We won't discuss the fact that after three adoption events she still isn't yet adopted...sigh).


Cookie, looking approachable

They make all sorts of "Adopt Me" bandanas and vests and collars for dogs - these are always popular.  They also make vests to collect donations, and we often get more donations when one of our dogs is wearing this vest than when we only have the standard donation box available. 


The ever-helpful Roo collecting donations.


Adoption events are mostly the same.  We set up at an area PetSmart store and wait.  People come by and pet the dogs and cats.  Most of them make at least one of the three following statements: 
"I wish I could take him but I already have "x number" of dogs or cats at home."
"If I could afford to, I would take you all home!" (Speaking to the cats/dogs, not the volunteers - I think)
"If my house was bigger/If I lived in the country, I would have "x number" of dogs or cats."

I think maybe they feel guilty for not adopting because most of the animals turn on their best "please save me" faces while they're in their crates.   What the people don't realize is that the pathetic looks are the dogs' way of trying to get people to let them out of their crates and pet them.  The dogs have no idea that people think they're begging for a home. 


Gonzo practicing his pathetic look.

Many new volunteers get overzealous and try to convince every person walking by that they should take home one of these pathetic-looking animals.  I have learned that it's a bad idea to guilt someone into adopting a dog or cat, because as soon as the guilt wears off, the dog or cat will most likely be returned to us!  Still, I have been known to offer cash rewards to anyone who is willing to adopt Ziggy and keeps him (no takers yet).  The most important thing about volunteering at an adoption event is to pay attention to the foster pets and to the people who may be interested in them, because you never know when one of the many visitors will actually be looking for a new member of the family and might choose one of your foster pets!
In addition to talking to people who walk by and answering questions about the foster pets, we also take dogs out for potty breaks (or clean up messes if they aren't taken out in time!), let the foster dogs play with each other, complete adoption paperwork for any adoptions, and just spend time with the animals.  Most of the foster parents who bring their pets stay at these events so they can answer questions about their fosters, and we also have several volunteers who don't foster but are available to help with adoption events.  These volunteers are so greatly appreciated because adoption events are a lot of work, and setting up for the event, taking care of the dogs during the event, and taking everything back down at the end of the day is exhausting.  So if you can't foster but want to help, you can inquire of your local shelter or rescue group if they need help at adoption events. 

Adoption events are a lot of work, but I always enjoy them.  Not only do my foster pets get a chance to find a home, but I get to spend a day surrounded by good friends.  So next time you see a shelter or rescue group at your area PetSmart or PetCo stores, stop by to visit the dogs, drop a dollar in the donation box if you can, and remember that there is a cash incentive being offered to whomever adopts Ziggy.  He'll be waiting with his best pathetic look!


Pleeease adopt me!



Ziggy Gets Mail

Recently Ziggy received four (yes, FOUR) packages in the mail.  They were addressed to Ziggy Superstar, and Ziggy immediately knew that meant him.  The packages were from Ziggy's friend Hannah, who has been following him on the blog and wanted to send him a care package.  Ziggy immediately tore into the box.

"I'll just open this right now!"

He was so excited to find that all four boxes were full of various dog chews just for him!  There were some old favorites like rawhides, and new favorites like Moozles.  There were elk and moose antlers, venison shins, bully sticks and many other varieties of dog chews.  Hannah said that Ziggy could share his treats with the other dogs, but since Ziggy has to spend so much time in his crate, I am saving all the treats for him so that he doesn't get so bored while crated.   

"This Moozle is really good!"

He's also discovered where the boxes of treats are sitting on the counter, and has tried a few times to help himself.

"I can almost reach them..."

I think Hannah has managed to really brighten Ziggy's days!  He's getting one chew bone a day and he really looks forward to "treat time".  Each time I give him a chew, I tell him "This is from Hannah" and he says "Can she adopt me?"  Okay maybe he doesn't really say that.  But if Hannah didn't live so far away, I think I would be saying that.  Thank you Hannah for caring so much about one very special homeless dog who has to spend too much time alone in his crate with nothing to do.  Thanks to you, he will have something fun to occupy him for quite some time!

Living In Beagle World

It's a whole new world around here.  It started out with just a Puggle mix, or two.  Somehow they kept coming.  First Beagles mixed with Pugs, then a Beagle mixed with Pug and Min-Pin, then an adorable puppy that was a Beagle mixed with no-one-knows-what, and now a Beagle mixed with Corgi.  I'm currently fostering four Beagle mixes and a Ziggy, who has the same scent-obsession as a Beagle.  It's a strange experience having all of these dogs around who are all so much alike.  I enjoy fostering a variety of breeds, but it's kind of fun to have so many fosters that are at least part-Beagle right now.  Here are my current foster dogs:

Gonzo is a Puggle - a Beagle/Pug mix.  This guy will do absolutely anything for food.  He's not picky either - if it's even slightly edible, he'll eat it.  He's my old man - he's only four years old, but he's happy just eating and sleeping most of the time. He puts up with the other dogs, and even the cats sleeping on him and getting in his way, and he never does anything except a slight grumble from time to time. He is my easiest foster dog right now because he's house-trained and listens well, and never does anything wrong.  This means he'll probably not be around for very long.

Molly is a Beagle/Pug/Miniature Pinscher mix.  She is my most challenging beagle-mix.  I blame the Min-Pin in her.  Molly is easily frightened, and she's learned that the best defense is a good offense.  She will snarl, bark, growl, and become aggressive if she feels trapped.  But once she's learned to trust, it's a different story.  She's now so attached to me that she follows me everywhere.  She even sleeps in bed by burrowing under the covers so she can make sure she'll know if I move.  She is slowly learning to trust other people, and may someday find her very own home!

Cookie is a Beagle mix pup who was misbehaving in her previous foster home.  As is sometimes typical of puppies who had to fight for every piece of food that they could get, Cookie came into foster care with some resource guarding issues, where she would guard her food and her crate and anything else that she feared might be taken away from her.  So since I've had some practice with this issue (thanks to Ziggy), and since I had no other puppies for her to bully, I took her in to work with her.  She's doing very well now and will hopefully find her forever family soon.

This is Benny, my newest foster dog.  Benny is supposed to be a Beagle/Corgi mix.  He's definitely part Beagle!  Benny came in as a stray from a very rural area.  He is a little bit shy of new people, but has quickly settled in here and enjoys playing with the other dogs and Charlie the kitten.  We're now working on house-training and I'm hoping to teach him that chewing on the kitten's tail is not a good way of playing.  Charlie the kitten isn't the type to complain when a dog wants to chew on him.

Okay so he's not a Beagle.  But Ziggy has a nose that could rival any Beagle, when it comes to sniffing out food.  I took this picture of Ziggy at his agility class tonight.  If he looks happy, it's because to him agility is all about doing things to get food.  Jump over some jumps and get food.  Go through some tunnels or over some obstacles and get food.  It's all so much fun!

Message From Ziggy

I just heard that today is the national Pit Bull Awareness Day.  I have to say, I'm rather sad about how I've been treated today.  No one has acknowledged my presence.  My foster mom got up early to go to an adoption event, and she left me at home.  Alone.  In my crate.  She didn't even leave me a chew bone.  Oh wait, yes she did.  But I ate it so fast I almost forgot about it.  Does anyone remember me, here all alone?  I'm a pit bull.  Today's my day.  Where is the awareness?

 Ha ha - Did I fool ya?  I'm not really sad!  I am sure that I am one of the luckiest homeless pit bulls in the entire city of Foley, MO. I get to do agility and go on walks and I even get really yummy chew bones and treats from people sometimes.  I have lots of friends and people who care about me.  There are a lot of homeless pit bulls that don't have any of those things.  Please remember that being a pit bull doesn't make a dog bad or scary.  And please be aware of all the other homeless pit bulls out there, who are not allowed to be adopted because of laws against their breed.  Happy Pit Bull Awareness Day!

Introducing Cookie

She's about four months old.
She's a Beagle mix puppy.
She loves to play with Charlie the kitten.
She is a little bit shy around people.
She needs a home!

Best Adoption Weekend Ever

At least, it's the best adoption weekend we've had in as long as I can remember, which granted, isn't all that long.  Still, we had ten dog adoptions on Saturday, which has to be some kind of record for our rescue group.  I went camping with some friends and missed the whole event, but the two foster dogs that I sent with another volunteer were both adopted.  Here's the scoop on my fosters:

Gonzo

Miley the Puggle was adopted on Saturday!  I talked to her new family today and they said they love her and she's doing great.  This is good timing, since I just brought her littermate Gonzo home on Sunday.  Gonzo was at another foster home but needed a new place to go, so since I've become Puggle Central lately, I took him home.  He's so much like Miley that it seems like there hasn't even been a change in fosters.

Einstein

The other foster dog that was adopted is Einstein.  Einstein was my newest foster - I only had him for a week.  Einstein is a two year old Pomeranian/Sheltie mix (a designer breed mix known as a Poshie).  He was the friendliest, happiest little guy.  He was rescued from a very rural animal control facility, and he loved everyone he met.  He had a few bad habits, so I'm hoping that his new owners will be patient with him and his adoption will work out.

Eight other dogs also found their new homes on Saturday!  

Keeping Track

When I have a lot of foster animals, it can be a challenge to keep track of all of their adoption/medical records, any medication they are on, when their heartworm preventative and flea/tick preventative is due, and where anyone should be at any time.  I have a bag that I take to adoption events that contains all of the adoption paperwork and medical records.  I have a whiteboard in my kitchen that keeps track of when my fosters' heartworm and flea/tick preventative was last given:

And the rest of the info is just stored in my slightly overfull brain.  For example, my current mental list for fostering contains the following information:
Two kittens need dropped off at PetSmart in the morning.
Einstein, my newest foster dog, needs dropped off at the vet in the morning and picked up after work.
Elton needs dropped off at another volunteer's home in the morning so he can attend a meet-and-greet with a potential adopter.
Pogo needs to go to PetSmart on Wednesday to meet a potential adopter.
Thumper needs a dental scheduled at the vet.
Roo needs to have her stitches taken out from her spay surgery.
Miley needs to go to PetSmart on Saturday to meet a potential adopter.
Need to follow up with Morgan's foster mom and see how she is doing.
Need to follow up with Roxy's new family to see how she is doing.

Trying to keep track of all of this may explain why on most days I can no longer remember my own name!  However it's all worth it every time one of these previously homeless pets finds a forever home.  This weekend Audrey the Shih Tzu was adopted, and Thumper the Bearded Collie went to a foster-to-adopt home.  I saw both Bosco and Farley, two previous foster dogs, shopping with their families.  They were both doing great.  Also, Bunny the Bichon from a puppy mill was officially adopted!

Introducing Roo and Audrey

This is my newest foster dog.

I named her Roo.  She's very sweet, and she has sad eyes and large ears. Roo was picked up as a stray by an area animal control facility.  She is around four years old, and she is very laid back.  She does really well with the other dogs, and completely ignores the cats, so she's no problem here at all.  This is good since she is a pit bull and will probably be here awhile.

Ever since she arrived, Roo almost always has either a bone or a stuffed toy in her mouth.  She learned her new name right away, and already knows how to sit on command.  She is house-trained and comes when called.  So far she has absolutely no bad habits, but I figure if she hangs around here very much, Ziggy is sure to teach her a thing or two.

Audrey is my other newest foster dog, although she's only here until Saturday when she's being adopted!  Audrey is a two year old Shih Tzu, and is great with other dogs, although she thinks that cats are great fun to bark at and chase.  She is such a happy little girl - it's hard to believe that just a month ago she was scheduled to be euthanized at an area shelter.











There are so many purebred, young, well behaved dogs in shelters that are euthanized instead of being saved.  Audrey and Roo are two of the few lucky ones that make it out alive. They're now enjoying the comfort of a foster home until they are adopted!

Ziggy Wins An Award

I recently took Ziggy to an area fundraiser so he could participate in the agility demonstration.  While we were there, Ziggy entered the "Best Trick" contest and did his prayer that all the homeless pets would find homes.  This is a picture of him doing this trick at an adoption event earlier this year:

Ziggy won second place in the contest and received a medal!

Highlights of the past week...

September 27th - Went to an area shelter to drop off Harry and pick up Molly and two more FIV+ cats.  Harry is a previous foster dog that wasn't doing well here with the other fosters, and since we currently have no other foster homes available to take him, he is temporarily staying at the shelter.  Molly wasn't doing well at the shelter so she became my foster dog.  And since this shelter doesn't adopt out FIV+ cats, I brought home Scotty and Charley until room opens up at another area no-kill shelter that has a free-roaming adoption room for just FIV+ cats.   

Scotty

   

Charley

 They have joined the rest of my foster cats - Kirby, Bandit, Belle, Thomas, and Pogo.  Mercury, Kona and Kimba have all been adopted! 

September 28th - Went back to the shelter and picked up Thumper, a Bearded Collie mix.  She's eight years old and very sweet.  

Thumper

September 29th - Helped set up the All Paws garage sale fundraiser.  Got to do some pre-sale shopping.  Spent  more money than I had planned.  

September 30th - Got up at 4:30 a.m. for the garage sale.  Spent most of the day trying to stay awake. Bought more items and spent even more money.  Realized I ran out of checks and had no cash.  Blamed it on lack of sleep and wrote an IOU.  

October 1st - Went to the Purina Pet Project Event.  Ziggy got to join the Purina Dog Show and pray for all the animals to find homes.  I didn't actually see anyone get adopted at the event, so I'm hoping that's not Ziggy's fault.  We had a great time and I met some wonderful people.

October 2nd - Held a small adoption event at PetSmart.  No one was adopted, and I came home completely exhausted.  Brought home Audrey, a temporary foster dog who is already scheduled to be adopted as soon as she is vetted.  

October 3rd - Got up early and dropped off Audrey and Carlos, another All Paws dog, at the vet.  Went back home and worked for several hours.  Went back to the vet with Elton and Thumper for their exams, and then took all four dogs with me to the shelter to pick up Roo, another foster dog.  Came home and got Roo introduced to everyone else.  Left and took Ziggy to Agility class.  Came home and collapsed.  Got a good night's sleep surrounded by Miley, Molly, Elton, Thumper, Roo, Audrey, Pogo and Charley.  

Special Events

This weekend is going to be very busy!  If you're looking for something fun to do, join us at one of these special events:
All Paws Rescue Garage Sale
Friday and Saturday
7:00am - ???
533 Rascal Crossing, O'Fallon MO

Purina Pet Project Event
Saturday
10:00am - 2:00pm
Purina Farms

Hope to see you there!

Introducing Molly and Kirby

Because it's Puggle Season, and because she had nowhere else to go, today I brought home this girl:

Molly

Molly is a Puggle mix who was adopted out as a puppy, and the people who adopted her failed to socialize her.  She's been bounced around from one home to another, and recently was turned in to a shelter.  The shelter scheduled her to be euthanized because she has shown aggression.  She is very hand shy and insecure.   I said I'd give her a try at my house and if she was too aggressive we'd have to make the tough decision to have her euthanized.  She's been here for three whole hours now and I'm pretty sure that she's not going anywhere except to an adoptive home eventually.  She's very sweet.  She acts a lot like Miley, except that she does startle very easily.  We will have to find just the right adoptive home for her, and until then I'll be working a lot with her to boost her confidence and teach her better ways to handle her fear.  Right now she's curled up next to me on the couch as I type, and Miley is curled up on her other side.  I think she's going to fit in just fine.

Kirby, on the other hand, is a different story altogether.  I wasn't looking for a foster pet like Kirby.  But when I went to the shelter last week and saw him, I had to rescue him.  He's been at the shelter for three months!  He's been featured as the "Pet of the Week" twice, and still no one picked him.  I can't understand why... one glance and I was in love with this very strange looking creature....

Kirby

Can you guess what he is?




If you guessed a very unique looking kitten, you are correct!

 I've never seen a kitten with black fur with silver tips.  His tail is almost all silver.  He's gorgeous and extremely friendly - he starts purring as soon as I touch him.  I'm in love.

Anticipation

I always feel a bit excited when I agree to take in a new foster.  Since so many of my foster dogs have found homes recently, I've been able to finally say "yes" to some recent requests for help.  But it's hard to know for sure who I will end up with.  Another rescuer and I went to a shelter together recently.  There were three dogs that we offered to take if they were to run out of time.  The first dog is a cute black/brown Dobie mix who may be rescued by a breed-specific rescue group, but if not, we offered to take her.  The next dog is a young Lab mix who is still on hold to see if the owner turns up - if not, and if he isn't adopted, we may get him too.  And the third dog is a beautiful Border Collie who is running out of time.  We're waiting for the Border Collie to be cat-tested to see whether I will get him or my friend will get him.  So worst case, we may be getting three dogs from this shelter.  Then there's the lady in southern Missouri who often sends us dogs.  She has a Beagle-Corgi mix and another Beagle who need rescue.  They'll be here in a week or two I think.  So we're up to five dogs - between the two of us, that isn't bad.  And we have another foster home who can take one of the dogs probably.  But of course as soon as we agree to take these dogs, other dogs start coming in.  My friend received a request from a friend of hers who had picked up two dogs on the highway - they'll be here in about three weeks.  And I received a request from a friend who had a stray dog show up at her house - he'll probably be coming my way.  And oh yes, there are two returns coming back in the next few days.  Let's see - that puts us up to ten new foster dogs between the two of us.  Of course that's a worst case scenario - most likely we'll end up with only four or five of these dogs, and hopefully by the time we get the last of them, we'll have had a few more adoptions to give us more space.  But in the meantime, I'm going to stop scouring the Internet for deaf dogs needing help, and start stocking up on dog food.  I just hope one of these new foster dogs shows up soon, because I am impatiently waiting!

Amazing Adoptions

The main reason I foster is because I love helping dogs go from awful circumstances to awesome homes.  This week has been especially amazing with adoptions.  

My foster dog Ellie, pictured here before she was released from a shelter, was originally picked up as a stray and scheduled to be euthanized.  She was very shy and fearful.  

After a few weeks in foster care, she's a totally different dog.  She's been spayed and vaccinated and learned to walk on a leash and feel safe around people.  And now she's been adopted and is loving her new life with her new family.  

Next it Tulsa, the deaf Australian Cattle Dog who's been bounced around her entire life.  A cattle dog is not an easy breed to keep for a pet, and no matter how much people say they can handle the high drive and high intensity of a cattle dog, they often change their minds after a few weeks or months.  In Tulsa's case, she's been through several homes and kept coming back to foster care, until now.  Tulsa went to a foster-to-adopt home a few weeks ago, and yesterday we made the adoption official.  I really like her new mom, and feel confident that this home will be her forever home!  Tulsa is living with another cattle dog, so I know her family is familiar with the breed, and they are very in love with Tulsa.  We couldn't ask for a better home for her.  

And one more amazing adoption this week was Roxy the American Pit Bull Terrier.  Roxy is a wonderful dog - good with people, other dogs, cats - she's just very friendly!  This is Roxy with another All Paws volunteer. 

 As you can see, Roxy loves to give kisses.  Roxy always was happy to wear the donation vest at adoption events.  She earned her Canine Good Citizen certification while in foster care, and she became my best friend.  It was really hard to let Roxy go - she's an amazing dog, and I miss her every day.  But I know that right now she has a new best friend - a 19 year old who just loves her.  And although she will always have a very special place in my heart, her adoption means I'm able to save another pit bull now that would otherwise be euthanized.  

In addition to all of these adoptions, I have one more exciting announcement.  No, Ziggy is not being adopted.    But Bunny the feral Bichon just went into a foster-to-adopt home!   Bunny made a lot of progress while in foster care.  She learned to enjoy cheese, dog treats, and dog chews.  She learned that people weren't as scary as she originally thought.  She got started on house-training and leash training.  She learned to chase cats (even though I never taught her this, she loves it!).  Her personality really came out, and she became very attached to me, and would even come greet me and let me pet her.  She still has a long way to go, but her new foster family is willing to give it a try and see how she does.  They have another Bichon and two Westies that they've rescued, and that will help Bunny a lot to feel safe with other dogs around.  I am hopeful that this will work out and Bunny will have her very own home for the first time in her life.  

Feral Felines and Parvo Puppies

The rescue group I volunteer with recently took in a litter of puppies, and five of them came down with a deadly virus called Parvo.  This is the same virus that Ziggy had when I first brought him home. Parvovirus takes five to ten days to show symptoms after being infected, so dogs often acquire this in shelters and then carry it into a foster home with them.  To make matters worse, shortly after the five puppies were treated (at a cost of over $3000!), we took in more puppies and they also came down with the virus.  The newest pups were taken in to a different foster home, so it was not spread from the first puppies, and they came in from a different shelter, so there was no way to know that they had also been exposed.  But four more puppies became sick, and the vet bills are going up and up.

Rescuing animals isn't cheap, and small groups like ours rely solely on the donations of individuals, so we're all doing whatever we can to help raise the funds to pay for the parvo puppies' vet bills.  We have a fund raiser garage sale coming up, and we're also raffling off a quilt.  These vet bills were on my mind when I received an e-mail from another rescuer.

She told me about a lady who had been doing everything she could to care for some stray and feral cats near her home.  The lady had paid to have them all spayed or neutered, and had rescued many of the kittens and gotten them into foster homes until they could be adopted.  She had two kittens left and was willing to make a large donation to anyone who would help with them.  The problem was the kittens were both around seven months old, and they were fearful of people.  They would need a lot of work before they could be placed for adoption.  I thought about how much work it would take, and then I thought about our vet bills, and then I thought about those kittens that might end up living outside if no one would help them, and then I thought about the lady who had gone to so much trouble and expense to save them.  And then I said yes, we would take them.  So now this lady has not only helped to save these two kittens, she's also helping to save several puppies with parvo!  And as for the two kittens, well, they're slowly adjusting to life in a home.  One of the kittens has gone to another foster home to live with an expert in cat socialization.  The other kitten is currently with me, although another very experienced cat foster mom has offered to take him, so I'm not sure how long he'll be here.  But I've sort of fallen in love with him, so hopefully it will be for awhile.  I named him Bandit, and he finally purred for me for the first time today!

Socializing semi-feral cats is a multi-step process.  The first step was to separate them - check.  Next, I added some Feliway to help them feel calm - check. Next step, teach them to be comfortable around me by bribing them with canned food and treats - check.  Also, pet other cats around them so they see that i'm not so scary - check.  I'm not sure if that really helps or not, but it doesn't hurt!  Next, hold them and pet them and teach them that human attention is a good thing.  This is the step we've been working on.  Bandit is comfortable with me in the room, and he's okay with me holding and petting him (once I catch him), but he doesn't like it when I approach him.  I am keeping him in a "cat playpen" when I can't be with him, but spend some time each evening letting him run around and he's finally comfortable enough to let me take pictures while he explores the room.  The more time I spend with Bandit, the more I love him.  I don't have a lot of experience with taming cats, but it seems that it's not that different than taming a feral Bichon.  Already Bandit leans into my hand when I pet him, and I'm pretty sure that the whole bribery with canned food is starting to really pay off, because he seems to look forward to my visits instead of trying to hide.  Hopefully it won't be long before he becomes comfortable around people and gets to have his own home and his own family.

Re-Introducing Mercury

In May 2009 I took in a litter of 12 week old kittens, and named them after planets.  Mercury is the gray kitten on the right.

He has always been very outgoing and social.  He likes other cats, he likes dogs, and he loves people.  This is Mercury bossing around a foster puppy that I had when he was a kitten.  He was very good at it.

Mercury was adopted out two years ago, but was recently was returned when his mom and dad got divorced.  He's grown up to be a beautiful cat, and should not have too much trouble being adopted even as an adult.

Mercury is currently living at a local PetSmart store while he waits to be adopted.  My previous foster kittens Kona and Kimba were both adopted from the store recently!  I am hoping that Mercury has the same experience and gets a great home quickly, because he is much too outgoing to be happy living in a cage.  The volunteers that take care of the cats at the store will have their hands full because he is extremely affectionate and extremely energetic!

Ziggy Takes On A Wild Dog Pack

Ziggy is one tough dog.  He recently stood up to a pack of wild dogs, all on his own.  He wasn't scared.  He didn't need backup.  Ziggy can hold his own.  I was nearby monitoring this pack of wild dogs and was able to capture some photographs to share with you.


It all started with Ziggy just walking along, carrying a toy and minding his own business.  Then a huge, vicious wild dog approached him from behind.

The wild dog has brought along a pack of dogs, all there with one intention - to steal Ziggy's toy.  They quickly surrounded him so he had nowhere to escape.

They repeatedly tried tackling him.

One member of the wild dog pack even used a rather rude method to try to dominate and distract Ziggy, but even that didn't work.

Finally, the wild dog pack managed to get Ziggy to drop the toy, and quickly stole it from him.

That didn't last long though, because Ziggy immediately tried to steal it back, and an impromptu game of tug broke out.

In the end, the toy was not quite strong enough, and one member of the wild dog pack ended up with a headless duck for a toy, while Ziggy happily carried off a duck head as a prize.

Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home.  These dogs were closely monitored during their play session to make sure the play did not escalate into aggression.  No dogs were harmed during the making of this blog post.  One stuffed duck toy was harmed, so please send donations of dog toys to All Paws Rescue at PO Box 1274, O'Fallon MO 63366.