Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Phoebe Meets Bella

Phoebe plays with Bella, a 7-month old pittie available for adoption through Paw Printz Pitbull Rescue. Phoebe herself was adopted from Paw Printz 5 years ago.

Whenever we have dogs that come to visit, Phoebe is the first one of our dogs to meet them. Her temperament is submissive and 100% sound. She was also raised in a houseful of ever changing dogs for the first 8 months of her life so she is very attuned to each dog and adjusts her behavior towards them accordingly. She's the perfect dog's dog.




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Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces


Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Pins & Needles

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs343.ash2/62347_1437370100207_1411640354_31204504_4715827_n.jpg

Aside from monthly chiropractic and massage therapy sessions, Popeye also currently has acupuncture performed on him. Dr. Rettig of Alternatives for Animals is a holistic vet.

The first time I took Popeye to see her, I brought Phoebe with us. Phoebe loves people, and she loves going to the vet. She also has the most good-natured temperament you could imagine in a dog. So of course she was the guinea pig. I had never seen acupuncture performed on an animal before and I wasn't sure, with Popeye's quirks and minor bouts of viciousness, whether he would be a good candidate. So I had the procedure performed on Phoebe first just to see what it was like.

Needless to say, Phoebe did very well, and the acupuncture procedure did not appear daunting at all. So I started taking Popeye in for it. Originally, it was to see if it would help with his incontinence or year-round allergies. Despite several sessions, it didn't seem to have any effect unfortunately. Since an acupuncture visit used up at least 3 hours of my already busy schedule, I eventually stopped taking him.

But now we're resumed the visits on a once a month basis. Not for any specific reason, but more as part of a general maintenance program in conjunction with his chiropractic and massage sessions.

During the acupuncture session, Dr Rettig quickly sticks each needle in him. The needles are hair thin and pliable. Popeye is always happy to see Dr Rettig, so he doesn't mind when she examines, pokes, and prods him. On a rare occasion, he might flinch when a needle is inserted, depending on whether that particular area of his body is more stressed, but most of the time, it doesn't seem like he even feels it. Sometimes some of the needles fall out if he moves around too much. For the most part though, after they've been inserted, he just lays down and rests. Of course, I am right there next to him on the floor, usually in a very bad posture, petting his head the entire time so that he remains calm. And then after about 20 minutes, the needles are removed.

I've heard from many people how acupuncture helped their pets as well as themselves, and I believe them. However, I also realize that not everyone will benefit from it. So right now, the jury is still out on whether it will help Popeye in the long run. Since Dr Rettig is a genuinely caring practitioner, and Popeye does not mind these visits at all, I'm not opposed to giving them another try. (Dr Rettig is also one of the few vets that supports raw feeding, so that's a plus too.)

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Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces






Sunday, September 26, 2010

400 Shelter Dogs Stranded by Taiwan Flood



The Animal Rescue Team Taiwan helped to save Popeye. And Isis and Dori and Sophia. And Laura, Miko, Kelly, Logan, Tina, Jewel, and dozens more that we have fostered. They have saved thousands and thousands of dogs. Founded by Joseph and assisted by his wife, Maggie, their son, Antony, and an ever growing league of volunteers, ARTT never ever turns their back on a dog in need, no matter their age, their medical condition (and many of them are in horrific condition--some so bad that they are rescued only to be given a loving and comfortable place to die), breed, or temperament.

And when I say never, I mean never. Joseph and his team go through amazing lengths to perform true, physical acts of rescue. You won't find any group in the US that does what Joseph and ARTT do. They have a website, only in Chinese at the moment, but the pictures alone will give you an idea of the wonderful work they do. Be forewarned though, some of the pictures are graphic because stray dogs in Taiwan are infinite and many of them suffer horrendous abuse at the hands of humans. The kind of abuse that makes it into the news here is the kind of abuse that goes on every day, and with few, if any, repercussions, in Taiwan. http://savedogs.org/ (you can also use Google Translate for a rough translation of the website).

This is ARTT's latest major endeavor. Taken from http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=434102954149&id=219525364848&ref=mf:


Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN (ARTT), a non-profit organization in Taiwan, calls for the public to help the flooded dog shelters in southern Taiwan after Typhoon Fanapi hit the island on September 19.

The dog house run by Chen , located in Gangshan Township, one of the worst-hit areas in Taiwan, was submerged by two-story-high floodwaters. When Chen realized the severity of the situation, he began to stack up the dog cages to create high ground and carry his dogs up.

"I took more than 400 dogs up to higher places all by myself and in the dark. Then I was stranded with them on the top of the dog cages for the next 48 hours," Chen told ARTT volunteers and local media. Chen's heroic action saved most of the animals but 21 still drowned.

After escaping the immediate danger of flood, Chen faced the equally perilous prospects of hypothermia. To survive this, Chen swam across the floodwater to an adjacent room to get dog food, on which he and his dog fed on for two days before the rescuers arrived. Chen brought ARTT volunteers back to his dog house Wednesday and found it severely damaged. The dogs were happy to see Chen but many of them were still too shaken to leave high ground even after the flood had receded.

Volunteers from Animal Rescue Team Taiwan, who accompanied Chen back to the dog house, said that many of the dogs may suffer from hypothermia, common cold or skin diseases after spending a long time in water. They called for the public to donate medicine, dog food and other materials. The repairing of the dog house would cost over NT$500,000 (US$15,000), they estimated. More information/photos please see www.saveDOGS.org (now in Chinese).

Donation Method (A) - Wire Transfer:

Bank name: Land Bank of Taiwan

Bank transit (SWIFT) number: LBOTTWTP024

Bank account number: 024-001-201201

Bank address: 1 Tzu-yo Rd Sec 1 Taichung City 40045 TAIWAN

Account in the name of: Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN

Donation Method (B) - Sending Checks:

Please send your checks payable to "Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN" to:

PO BOX 23-44 Taichung City 40199 TAIWAN






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Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces



Saturday, September 25, 2010

Little Miss Roo

Thanks, Mauro, for sending this story.

From the Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary blog:

Introducing ... Little Miss Roo

Roo for blog

Please welcome our newest arrival, an adorable 9-month old female Chihuahua named Roo who came yesterday. She was born without her front legs. A local rescue group, Riverside Rescue in Lunenburg, Vermont, had a breeder show up at their door last Tuesday with Roo. Sharon from Riverside Rescue emailed me on Wednesday to ask if we could take her, and we said yes. So Sharon dropped Roo off at our vet clinic in Whitefield for a medical check-up and a spay, and then on Saturday, Kim from the clinic was kind enough to bring her out to us.

We're not sure who named her Roo -- we think it was the breeder -- presumably because she looks a bit like a kangaroo when she's up on her back legs:

Roo 2

Although she can hop around, she doesn't stay up for long and ends up scooting around on her chest. So we will be contacting our friends at Doggon' Wheels for a quad wheelchair for this little girl. Then she'll look like a kangaroo in a go-cart!

Yes, we do know about Faith, the two-legged dog who's made the rounds on the Internet for a number of years now. Faith basically walks on her back legs and does just fine that way. But Roo isn't able to do that -- she can hop a couple of times on her back legs, or maybe four or five times if she gets really excited, but soon she has to drop to the ground and rest on her chest. Then she'll hop and slide, using her chest to balance herself as she moves forward. So far she doesn't have pressure sores, but her chest is bald in that spot and thus a problem would develop in time if we let it.

Roo on chest

However, this doesn't really matter as far as Roo is concerned, because the only place she wants to be is in our arms, not hopping around on the floor! She is a total lovebug, and her little tail twitters so fast you think it might just fall off. If I walk over to her when she's on the bed, she will hop over to my feet, stand up, lean against my leg, and look up at me. At that point it is impossible not to pick her up and hold her. (She knows this.)

Here's Roo reaching for Alayne:

Roo reaching for Alayne

She is great around the other dogs, and doesn't mind at all if they come over to check her out. But speaking of other dogs, the Dachshunds are more than a little upset that they're now facing some serious competition, i.e., they no longer have a monopoly on the "small and cute department." The Dachshunds got together last night and decided unanimously, 7-0, to vote Roo off the island. However, since this particular island is run by benevolent dictators who can ignore the wishes of certain self-interested and petulant inhabitants, we annulled the Dachshund vote and told the assembled rabble to, in effect, "get over it as fast as your short legs can carry you." They've spent much of Sunday walking by Roo and casting nervous glances over their shoulders at the tiny 5-pound (2.27 kg) thing on the bed.

Although Roo is not the first dog to arrive since we came to New Hampshire -- blind and deaf Gabe the Cocker was -- she is our first-ever New England dog. So please say hello to little Miss Roo!

Roo 1

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Good luck, Roo! We hope you use those ears only for good.

Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces

Friday, September 24, 2010

Update on Laura

3 years ago, we fostered a Taiwan dog named Laura. She was only about 8 months old at the time. She was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and underwent surgery for a twisted ankle while under our care. Take a moment to read her full adoption ad here--she was one of my favorite fosters.



Laura is now 4 years old. It's hard to believe that much time has gone by. Her dad just sent a video showing Laura playing with her new brother, Rudi. It's so good to see both of them happy.


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Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces


Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Awesomest Trained Dog Video Ever





These guys are an actual band called OK Go. Check them out: http://www.youtube.com/user/OkGo#p/a/u/1/V2fpgpanZAw . They're great!


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Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

How to Properly Hug a Baby

Received the following email:


Attention all dogs! The following are important instructions for every dog to know.

Instructions for properly hugging a baby:

1.First, spy a baby:


2. Second, be sure that the object you spied was indeed a baby, by employing classic sniffing techniques. If you smell baby powder and the wonderful aroma of wet diapers, this is, indeed, a baby.


3. Next you will need to flatten the baby efore actually beginning the hugging process. **Note: The added slobber should help in future steps by making the "paw slide" easier.


4. The "paw slide" - Simply slide paws around baby and prepare for possible close-up.


5. Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execute the difficult and patented "hug, smile, and lean" so as to achieve the best photo quality.

Dogs, if this is properly done, it will secure you a warm, dry, climate-controlled environment for the rest of your life.

Good luck to all of you!


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Don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Giants Dog Days of Summer 2010

Check out the pics here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051241&id=1411640354&saved#!/album.php?aid=2051241&id=1411640354&ref=mf


And don't forget to cast your vote today for Walkin' the Bark Rescue in Concord, CA in the Shelter Challenge. Vote every day through December 19, 2010. Anything we win will help pay for a wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces



Sunday, September 19, 2010

Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge

Starting today, Sept 20, through Dec 19, 2010, the Animal Rescue Site is hosting its Holiday Shelter Challenge. It's pretty basic. Just vote once per day for your favorite listed shelter/rescue. There's no login required. Just go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces, search for your favorite shelter/rescue, and click on the Vote button. The organization with the most votes wins $10,000, with several more smaller prizes available.

If you'd like to vote for Walkin' the Bark Rescue, just do a search for walk as the Shelter Name and CA as the State. Remember, there's a limit of 1 vote per computer per day.


In honor of Popeye, 100% of any grants that Walkin' the Bark Rescue wins from this Shelter Challenge will be used to provide financial assistance towards the purchase of a Doggon Wheelchair for handicapped pets whose guardians cannot afford to purchase one on their own.

Scooter #2

Carmen Hail - Stick

Marcel Morales

Mugs Reid

Abbey McKenney

Prince Funsten

Dingo Rovio

Carmen Hail - Ball

Quincy Hintz

Skippy Johnston - Toy

Skippy Johnston - Water

Rudy Dude Scott - Swimmer

Popeye - Field

Praze

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The Rescue of Rosie

Thanks, Linda, for sharing this story. Having been involved in a few searches for lost fearful dogs, watching this video brought back the memories of hopelessness and heartbreak I often felt during the long and lonely hours that turned into days that turned into weeks of trying to find a dog that did not want to be found. I got so used to having my hopes dashed after each attempt that it became a constant dread and expectation.

Such was the state that I lived in that when the dogs were actually, miraculously, found, I sometimes had to remind myself that it was really true. Sometimes I would panic for a moment, and then remember that they were safe, and then panic again that that was just wishful thinking (like how, for a split second, you might think it's a Friday and be happy about it, only to realize it was really only Tuesday and be disappointed--except a thousandfold), and then only after forcing myself to really focus would I accept that what I had wished for with all my might for what seemed like the longest time actually came true.

Rosie's story has a happy ending, thanks to the involvement of a number of caring individuals. I remember that about my searches too. How complete strangers would come together to help an unknown dog. Thank you to all the people in the world who care enough to get involved.

Friday, September 17, 2010

It's Crowded in Here

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs702.snc4/62256_1422971220244_1411640354_31177907_7310389_n.jpg

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Belly Band Stash

I don't know, do you think 40 belly bands is really enough?

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cosmo Enjoying Water

This cat is nonstop entertainment.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Sweet Emily














Emily is truly a super sweet dog. She will come right up to any stranger to be petted. So far, she's been mild mannered and gets along with both Logan, the resident dog, and Cosmo, her fellow foster kitten.

Download:
FLVMP43GP