WALKIN' THE BARK RESCUE

Untitled

2012-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

A Visit to 3 Springs Ranch

2011-12-15T21:11:00.000-08:00

(As you've probably noticed, we haven't had a chance to update the blog very much lately. Please visit Popeye Walkinthebark's Facebook page for more regular updates.)

Contra Loma - Nov 9, 2011

2011-11-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Abby & Sara

2011-08-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Popeye & Juju Fast and Furious

2011-06-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

This was the first time a small dog has engaged Popeye in physical play.

Snuggling with Phoebe & JujuBee

2011-06-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

How the Dog Bed Ate Juju

2011-06-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

Juju continues to delight with his burrowing tendencies.

Juju is Back

2011-05-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

After about a month with Crazy Lady & Sugar, Juju is back with us so that CL & S can take on a new foster dog. Popeye & Juju have resumed where they last left off.

Pictures added to Juju's photo album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1728822306330.2078934.1411640354

See You Later, Juju-Gator

2011-05-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

It's been fun having Juju around for the past couple of weeks. Except for his habit of using the chairs to get onto the dining table, he was hardly any trouble at all. But now it's Crazy Lady and Sugar's turn to enjoy some JujuBee. They'll foster him until he's found a Forever Home.

Here are some pics of Juju during his stay with us:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1728822306330.2078934.1411640354

And a short clip showing Juju's agility:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1743015661155&comments

Popeye Chases Juju

2011-05-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks, Popeye has finally stopped growling and snarling at Juju long enough to engage in a little play.

Where's Juju?

2011-04-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

The other night, as I was working at my desk, I realized it had become quiet. The clanging of Juju's collar tag as he amused himself with his toys was no more. The other dogs had long been asleep.

I decided I should check up on Juju to make sure he wasn't doing anything he shouldn't. I last heard him in the family room but when I checked the couch and his crate, he wasn't there. So I checked his other spots in the front room--the chaise, Boomer's crate by my desk, Popeye's bed, Phoebe's crate by the door. No Juju.

Did he go to another part of the house? I looked in the hallway, thinking he might have made himself comfortable on the pile of clothes on the floor. Nope. The other rooms were closed but maybe he went in one and locked himself in. But he wasn't in any of those places either.

Well, Juju's a tiny dog and he camoflauges easily, so maybe I just overlooked him. Back I went to the front room, looking carefully behind the stuffed animals on the chaise. Back I went to the family room, looking closely at the blankets on the couches, which are the same color as he is. Still, no Juju. Back I went to through the hallway, and then I heard the little clang of his collar coming from the family room. I went back to that room and there he was. I knew he had to have been in there, but I could've sworn I checked carefully.

This exact thing happened the next morning. When I couldn't find him, knowing he was around somewhere in the house and most likely in the family room, I got frustrated. Where could Juju be?

I had been hoping to quietly catch him at his hiding place, but I finally got too fed up and just cried out his name. Lo and behold, I began to hear the soft clanging of his tag. It was indeed emanating from the family room, which is where I still figured he must be. In fact, it seemed like the sound was coming from his empty crate.

Juju had been picked up as a stray. He was skin and bones (and still is) and his nails were like talons, so he must have been a stray for quite a while. I wonder if he used to burrow like this while living in the open.

In Memory of Revista

2011-04-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Posted on Facebook 4/20/2011:

MAJOR SENIOR ALERT! 17 1/2 Years old!!! DUMPED by Owners in a High Kill Shelter!!! (CARSON)
Blind, deaf, arthritic, old baby. :( Senior girl deserves to be on a nice warm doggie bed...not hard cement!

Her name is REVISTA! 17 1/2 Year old GSD Mix--already Spayed!
Dumped by her owners on 4/20!

This touched a lot of people, but one woman named Wendi stepped up. The following were updates posted by this kind woman:

4/21 @ 9:06 PM: This breaks my heart. I can't imagine?! I am in Los Angeles and can "pull her" if needed and help how I can please advise.

4/22 @ 8:41 AM: I am going to get her today around 1:00pm PLEASE advise shelter to hold her. Do you have a 501C3 that we can use??

4/22 @ 9:45 AM: Shelter knows I'm coming at 1pm to rescue! Giving her vaccinations now!

4/22 @ 1:27 PM: She is out and smiling! On way to vet.

4/22 @ 4:00 PM: Very sad day. Unfortunately she was a very sick girl with a very bad internal infection. She would not have survived surgery and was in pain. I walked her in the grass, she sniffed and smiled...the vet came out to the grass, I held her cute little face in my hands, twirled her ears and held her tight. I had two wonderful friends there who were petting her also. She went peacefully without fear. Her last moments were surrounded with kindness and love....I'm pretty sad right now but know it was right thing to do. She is at peace.

I am in tears for the passing of Revista. For the fact that she had to know even a second of fear and uncertainty and discomfort after her owners dumped her at the shelter. And I am in tears for the compassion a woman named Wendi showed this dog. And for her loss. Wendi's act of kindness, especially in the face of the knowledge that Revista would not have much time left in this life (though it came as a shock to learn just how little she had), allowed a sweet dog to breathe her last breath shrouded in love.

** To help with Revista's medical costs, you can send a donation to Wendi at puppylovela(at)aol.com through Paypal. Please note Revista.

Meet Juju Bee

2011-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Like pitbulls, we suspect chihuahuas also get a bad wrap in their own way. The few hooah-hooahs that have stayed with us have been delightful and not at all the yappy, extremely hyper misbehaved dogs their breed may often be stereotyped as.

Juju Bee, our latest rescue from Lake County Animal Shelter, is a doll, as you can see from this video.

New Foster Sneak Peek

2011-04-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a little sneak peek of our latest foster. More to come. . . .

Meet Brodie

2011-04-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, after receiving another email from Lake County Animal Control about dogs scheduled to be euthanized due to lack of space, we (and when I say "we", I really mean "Robin," Fosterer Extraordinaire) offered to take any dog who was good with dogs and cats, since Robin has both.

Generally, when we make this kind of open offer, we get pits, pit mixes, nondescript black dogs, older dogs, or dogs with some quality that makes them harder to adopt--always wonderful, lovable dogs, just bearing an appearance that most adopters aren't looking for. And those are exactly the kinds of dogs we try to help -- the ones that are overlooked.

It speaks volumes about the desperate number of unwanted pets lingering in overcrowded shelters that the dog Lake County gave to us this time was this fellow:

Eventually dubbed Brodie, he is currently a 5-month old, 35lb fox hound or coon hound mix. A happy-go-lucky boy.

Brodie, along with an SUV full of other rescued dogs, traveled from Lake County to Marin to Oakland, where I picked him up and eventually got him to Sacramento. I say "eventually" because somewhere along the way between Fairfield and Sacramento, my phone hit my GPS and redirected me back home to Antioch without me realizing it until I hit Martinez. So what was supposed to be a 2.5 hour ride in traffic between Oakland and Sacramento became a 3.5 hour ride in traffic.

Good thing Brodie was great in the car and spent most of the ride napping. My back was almost killing me by the time we got to Robin's place, but Brodie was rearing to go.

Brodie is your typical lovable puppy. Mischievous, good natured, and a total lap dog. He was just neutered and will hopefully find his perfect home soon.

A Weekend with Max

2011-04-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Max stayed with us Saturday and part of Sunday. Crazy Lady has done a great job with controlling many of his bad habits and he turned out to be less troublesome than I expected. He was a delight to have over.

Pics here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1715188165485&set=a.1715186205436.2078119.1411640354&theater

Meet Maxwell

2011-03-28T00:33:00.000-07:00

Every day, dozens of dogs die in overcrowded shelters in less than a 5-hour radius to the Bay Area. These include purebreeds and little dogs, dogs that you wouldn't normally think would have a problem being adopted. But the reality is that especially in rural areas, dogs come into the shelters at an alarming rate yet there are rarely any adopters at all.

For most of these dogs, their only chance of survival is to be transported to more populated areas, where there are more potential adopters. Yet who does the transporting?

This past Saturday, a dedicated group of volunteers, people just like you and me, who have full-time jobs and families of their own and I'm sure a hundred other things they could spend their time doing, worked together to save over 30 dogs. Under the organization of one amazing coordinator named Jennie, 3 transporters split the drive between Bakersfield to Santa Rosa, over a 9-hour route. They picked up 3 dozen dogs from 5 different shelters and transported them to 4 cities where over a dozen rescues were waiting with open arms.

One of those lucky dogs was A843504 from Kern County Shelter in Bakersfield.

He has since been knighted Maxwell. I drove 50 minutes to pick this little guy up at one of the drop-off points of the transport. I scooped him up in my arms and put him in the backseat of the car. He was a little nervous and unsure of me but within 2 minutes, he was ready for a cuddle. Within 10 minutes, he had chewed off the harness I just put on him.

"Who me?"

Yes, you, you little stinker. That harness held memories. It was the first harness I ever bought for Popeye.

"Oh. Sorry."

You're not getting off so easily, mister. It's bath torture for you.

Not by my hands though. Remember Crazy Lady & Sugar? They fostered Pip until he was adopted.

They had so much fun, they asked to do it again. So where was I? Oh yeah . . .

"Torture."

"Is it over yet?"

"Uncle."

Crazy Lady & Sugar will be putting him through his paces until a good home is found for him.

Cookie: A Happy Found Dog Story

2011-03-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, our mail carrier knocked on our door and told me about a stray dog she saw along her route, just a few blocks away. Out in the cold rain I went and back I came with Pip, a little long-haired chihuahua.

Today, the mail carrier knocked on our door again and told me about another stray she saw. I'm starting to get scared of answering the door when she knocks. This time, it was a pit who was following a woman and her dog. "Very calm and friendly." I never meet calm & friendly strays.

But I grabbed a leash and a small bag of dog treats and followed the mail carrier in my car to where she saw this dog. The dog, a black & white pit, was just hanging out with a woman and her dog. Not really interacting with them, just hanging out. She was indeed calm. The woman clearly didn't know what to do and was relieved that reinforcements arrived.

I was thrilled to see this dog had a tag. First sign that she wasn't dumped. The tag had the name "Cookie" in large bejeweled letters, and on the back, it had a crossed-out phone # and 2 teeny phone #s written with a sharpie that were barely legible. For you petowners out there, it's great that your dog has a tag and that anyone who might chance upon him will know his name, but really, that's about the least important information you can provide about the dog. Make sure the contact info is updated and readable because that's what may save his life.

Cookie wasn't uberfriendly like most pits are. She wasn't bouncy or tail bashing waggy, but she was mellow and well-socialized. She got into my car with just a little bit of enticement with treats, and I took her home and put her in the backyard, where I gave her a ton of water and a bit of food. I wasn't sure how long she had been wandering (she was covered in dry poop--obviously she rolled in something nasty just like Boomer likes to do).

I tried calling what I thought to be the number written on her tag but it was disconnected. I then brought out my microchip reader to see if she was chipped but of course she wasn't. Then I tried to call Animal Control to see if anyone had reported a lost dog but of course the local AC is closed on Fridays (and Mondays and Sundays).

All the while I was making plans in my mind about everything I'd have to do if no one claimed her. She was well-behaved, knew "sit" at least, and she quietly followed me around the yard while sniffing everything she could. She was so mellow, I thought for sure she was an older dog.

If she was going to stay, I'd have to introduce her to the dogs sometime. She seemed fine with the woman's dog she followed so I wasn't too too nervous about introducing her to Phoebe at least. Phoebe gets along with everyone. But I had the penny shaker in hand just in case something bad happened.

I need not have had the slightest qualms. Cookie, calm and self-contained up until now, absolutely lit up the moment she saw Phoebe. Their powerful tails almost seemed synchronized as they swooshed their tails as hard and as fast as they physically could.

In the meantime, I began to change the digits in the phone # I originally called. The 5 could've been an 8, the 4 could've been a 9. I called 3 more numbers, left 2 voicemails, and got another disconnected line. The first person to call me back said she didn't have a dog. But the second person immediately asked, "You have Cookie?" Bingo!

Cookie had been spotted with another dog. But the other dog was skittish with strangers and took off. Turns out these dogs jumped the fence this morning. The other dog returned home, so maybe Cookie would've gotten safely home as well without our interference. But I'm glad I got involved anyway.

I dropped Cookie, with Phoebe tagging along, off at her house about a mile away. She went back to being the calm lady. I had a nice chat with her Dad, who told me that he himself had found Cookie wandering the streets with nothing but a harness just a couple of months ago. Despite putting up flyers and reporting a found dog with AC, nobody claimed her so he just adopted her. I made sure to suggest getting a new tag.

I'm glad this story had a happy ending and that I was a part of it. It was a pleasure hanging out with Cookie and I already have a soft spot for her. And on my drive back home with Phoebe, I passed this:

It always gives me a good blissful feeling to know that people really love their dog.

Inspiration

2011-03-03T22:39:00.000-08:00

Another Day at the Park

2011-02-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

UTI Free

2011-02-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

5 urinalyses later (the first 2 were positive, the last 3 were negative) and Popeye is finally officially declared UTI free. Of course we'll still get him tested every few months since his incontinence and immunosuppressent drugs make him more susceptible, but we must be doing something right. And we have been doing a lot:

- expressing him more often throughout the day (6-7 times/day)
- adding lots of water to his raw diet. He rarely drinks from the water bowl so this way we make sure he gets plenty of H20.
- supplementing with d-mannose daily
- adding apple cider vinegar to his meal daily
- supplementing with Tract-Ease Herbal Formula
- supplementing with Cranberry Wellness Pet Supplement periodically

Yes, this is probably overkill but that's the way I tend to roll. I also check the pH level of his urine with pH strips almost every morning and night to make sure the levels are consistent. I would do it more often but it's not easy expressing a 2-legged dog while trying to hold something in his urine stream. Although I probably could just put the strip on my shoe as his pee often lands there.

pH levels normally change throughout the day, so they may read high during 1 test but normal during another test. For this reason, any single test is pointless; it's the general trend that matters.

For Popeye, his pH tends to be in the 8 (high-alkaline) range right before bed but 6-7 (normal) in the morning. If this changes on a regular basis, it might be time to get him rechecked at the vet. But hopefully that won't be for a long long time.

Updates

2011-01-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

We are busy busy bees right now, so here are some quick updates:

Sassy had her surgery to remove her spleen, which had a large tumor attached to it. The whole thing weighed almost 10 lbs! She is recovering nicely from the surgery now. The biopsy determined that the tumor wasn't quite cancer per se, but something called fibrohistiocytic nodules. The nodules range from benign (stage 1) to malignant (stage 2). Sassy has stage 2 and 3-5 chemotherapy sessions of doxorubicin intravenously administered are recommended to help minimize the risk that they become malignant in the future. Sassy's surgery cost over $2500 and the chemo will be extra. This is the main reason I am such a busy bee right now as I've taken on new work to help pay for this.

Pip survived getting snipped (ie. neutered) and has been adopted. He shares his new home with 2 boxers and a fellow 5lb chi.

Isis' brother, Otis is entered in the Bissell Pet Photo Contest. Every week, the 5 photos with the most votes advance to the finalist stage. After 13 weeks, a Bissell panel of judges will select the top winners among the finalists. Finalists and winners get a whole bunch of goodies, including spending money and Bissell products. The winning pet gets his/her photo on a Bissell package, and top winners get a grant to donate to their favorite charity.

Vote for Otis every day through Feb 1 at: http://bissell.promo.eprize.com/mvpcontest/gallery?id=38316

And maybe enter your own pet photo. Who wouldn't love to see their pet on the box of something?!

Sending Good Vibes to Sassy

2011-01-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

Sassy is a senior dog who was surrendered to Lake County animal shelter last year. For 11 years, she lived with a family who fostered children on a regular basis. She slept with a cat every night. Then her human parents got a divorce, had to move, and decided they couldn't keep her anymore. Sassy was so sad at the shelter.

Then an awesome woman named Wendy offered to foster Sassy for our rescue, even knowing that there was a distinct possibility that Sassy wouldn't ever be adopted due to her age. We visited Sassy back in June and were thrilled to see her so happy and loved and still as sweet as ever.

This past Sunday Wendy told me that Sassy coughed up a tiny bit of blood and that her belly felt swollen. Worried about the possibility of bloat, a life-threatening emergency, it was decided that Sassy be taken to the vet immediately. Eventually an ultrasound was taken and it was discovered that Sassy had a massive tumor on her spleen, so enlarged that it was pressing up against her kidney and liver.

Tumors on the spleen can't really be accurately diagnosed as benign or malignant unless the entire spleen is removed and biopsied. Dogs don't really need their spleen so its removal doesn't really affect much. Unfortunately, the surgery is costly, around $2000-$3000. If the tumor is benign, the removal of the spleen solves the problem and the dog can resume her normal life. If the tumor is malignant (ie. hemangiosarcoma, one of the most aggressive types of cancer), the removal of the spleen buys the dog about 2-3 more months before the cancer attaches itself to another, more vital organ. Even with chemo, the prognosis is generally only about 6 additional months.

Samson, one of my 2 first dogs, a german shepherd, had hemangiosarcoma. His spleen was removed and brought him back to his normal self for 3 months. I will always cherish those extra 3 months that we were able to share with him.

After discussing it with 3 different vets, we decided to go ahead with the surgery for Sassy.

Not every vet is comfortable with performing a splenectomy, and Sassy's vet was one of them. Based on the recommendation of a trusted acquaintance and creator of DogAware.com (a site with tons of practical information on dog diet and health issues--we often refer new adopters to the site to assist them with selecting a good quality dog food), I called Oak Tree Vet in Danville. I was told that they could perform the surgery and to have Wendy bring Sassy in right away because of the risk of the tumor rupturing.

Tumors on spleens have generally come out 50/50 benign vs malignant. The doctor explained that the fact that Sassy's tumor has gotten so large (it must have been growing for a long time) without any other symptom of something being wrong (until very recently, there hasn't been any change in her personality) is actually a positive sign that it may be benign.

As I write this, Dr. Arnott and his staff are trying to clear his schedule for the rest of the day so that the surgery can be performed asap. I'm pleasantly surprised and very much gratified at the care everyone there has already shown to Sassy.

Sassy will have her surgery either this afternoon/evening or first thing tomorrow morning. We wish her & Wendy the best. Send them as many good vibes as you can.

Luxating Patellas

2011-01-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

I've heard of lots of dogs with luxating patellas who required surgery, and I expect it's just a matter of time before we get a dog with this condition. I knew it related to the knee but that was about it. Here is a very concise and informative video explaining what exactly a luxating patella is, how you can recognize it, and what can be done to minimize the need for surgery.

Full link, which includes a summary of the main points provided, here:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/01/11/recognising-floating-knee-caps-in-pet-dogs.aspx?aid=CD945

Popeye Makes Taiwan News

2011-01-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Princi for letting us know that Popeye made news in a Taiwan newspaper today:
http://tw.nextmedia.com/applenews/article/art_id/33099944/IssueID/20110110#

It's in Chinese but you can use Google Translate for a rough translation to English by going to http://translate.google.com/ and then copying & pasting the article link into the box.

Popeye is also featured on the Animal Rescue Team Taiwan website:
http://savedogs.org/rescue/2011011001

The Animal Rescue Team is the organization that first provided Popeye with a chance to find a happier life, and they made all the arrangements and covered all the costs to fly him to the US. They are an amazing team, founded by husband and wife schoolteachers, Joseph & Maggie, and their son Antony. They never turn their backs on any dog and frontman, Joseph, isn't afraid to get down and dirty if it means saving a dog's life. Given how many strays litter the streets there and the lack of animal cruelty and spay/neuter regulations, you can just imagine what a truly dedicated organization this is.

I Rescued a Human Today

2011-01-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY by Janine Allen

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

http://rescuemedog.org/dog-blog/i-rescued-a-human-today-by-janine-allen/

Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog's professional dog trainer. Janine's passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2011 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org

They're Multiplying!

2011-01-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

Popeye & Phoebe's Leg

2011-01-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!

Popeye celebrates by gnawing on Phoebe's leg. I think it's a Taiwan Dog thing.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

More Phoebe

2010-12-29T11:53:00.001-08:00

BTW, that's the one couch that the humans have deemed dogs are not allowed on.

Yes, this couch:

The same couch:

Cuddling with Phoebe

2010-12-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

Pip & Sugar

2010-12-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

Crazy Lady was kind enough to offer to foster Pip for a while. Her dog, Sugar, was one of our foster dogs about 3 years ago. Sugar is somewhat of an alpha but she is super playful. Her play mannerisms are more assertive than usual and that sometimes causes new dogs to react to her in unexpected ways.

A big thank you to Crazy Lady and Sugar for offering to take care of Pip. Our dogs had enough of him.

The New Snuggles Mascot

2010-12-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

Pip usually follows me around all over the house. The other night I noticed he was missing, and I didn't hear the bell he wears on his collar. I checked the front room, which is the room we spend most of our time. Nope. Then the family room. No there either. I started walking through the hallway to the bedroom to look when I found him--snuggled in my clean laundry basket.

Popeye & Pip Play Chase

2010-12-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Popeye chasing Pip the first night.

Pip Runs Circles Around Popeye

2010-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Every new dog that comes to the house is subjected to growling, snarling and teeth-baring from Popeye. He doesn't attack them, just makes a lot of noise if they deign to come near him. It usually takes him about a week to get over it. We have a record with Pip though--Popeye started playing with him on the first night. Of course, by the next morning, Popeye was back to the snarling and barking.

Pip Gets Belly Band-ized (How to Make a Basic Belly Band)

2010-12-18T11:26:00.000-08:00

Pip is turning out to be a great dog, but like many dogs, especially males ones, especially unneutered ones, he has a tendency to mark both inside and outside the house. We have fostered plenty of dogs with this tendency, and after they get used to all the new smells, the marking generally stops. It's just a matter of being hyper-vigilant in the beginning.

I'm finding that with all the extra work that goes into caring for Popeye everyday, plus I'm not as spry as I once was, I just don't have the energy to be so vigilant or to clean up additional accidents.

Since I have so much experience now with making belly bands for Popeye, I decided to make one for Pip. It is SO easy to make a belly band for a regular dog. But "regular" dog, I mean a dog who walks in the normal horizontal position that 4-legged dogs walk in, and a dog whose waist is not so atrophied that it is considerably narrower than the hips. Both these issues make it virtually impossible to keep belly bands stay on Popeye, since gravity is pulling them down, so there are a lot more tweaks and additional gear required.

But for a regular dog like Pip, a basic but effective belly band can be made in less than 5 minutes, at almost no cost, and without any sewing.

I'm not big on exact measurements (due to my laziness) but basically I get a rough idea of how long the belly band needs to be to go all the way around the dog's waist, then I add 2 inches (you'll see why later). I also check to see how wide the band needs to be in order to cover the penis area, and also add at least 2 inches. It's always better to be too wide rather than not wide enough. Let's use overall measurements of 30cm long x 10cm wide as an example.

Since I'll be using a thin fabric like a t-shirt, I then take the general measurements and multiply the width by 4. So that would be 30cm long x 40cm wide. I cut that out of an old t-shirt.

I'm going to illustrate the next few steps using a dishtowel because it will be easier to see.

So you have your cut out piece.

Fold the width into quarters, like this.

This way only the folded edges are exposed. None of the cut edges are exposes. T-shirts, as I discovered, have a habit of fraying and curling at the cut edges. So if you hide those edges, you shouldn't have a problem.

To prevent fraying and tearing, I make a couple folds at both ends to hide the cut edges. That's why I added 2 inches to the length in the step above.

I use plastic snaps to secure the 2 ends of the belly bands. I prefer plastic over metal because they are lightweight, they don't rust, there's less clanging in the dryer, and they're way cheaper, but metal snaps work too. These pliers are what I've been using to attach plastic snaps since getting Popeye, and I use them so often for so many household things, I wonder what I did without them.

You can use also use velcro (though that will require sewing). Or if wanted to go really basic, you could even just poke holes in the ends, loop some string through them and then just tie the 2 ends together. I used to do that in the earliest days of Popeye's diapers, but it got tiresome fairly quickly.

You could also do multiple rows of snaps if you wanted, to allow for some adjustment in sizing. All of Popeye's belly bands have many rows since I was lazy about the measurements. This band has just 1 row, but I later added another row because after I tried it on Pip, I found it to be too loose.

Your belly band is basically complete at this point. To use, just adhere a maxi pad or pantyliner to it. The one we had was longer than the belly band so I just made a fold in the middle.

You could even use 2 pads side by side for more coverage and/or if you find the width of the belly band riding down.

Note: It's handy to have a least 2 belly bands in case there is a leakage accident, so that you have an extra one to use while the other is waiting to be washed.

After using your belly band, you may find some ways to improve upon it so that it works better for your particular dog. For this reason, I wouldn't be too particular about trying to make your early belly bands look perfect (if you care about that sort of thing--which my lazy butt obviously doesn't).

Pure wool is great to use as a belly band because the lanolin in wool actually neutralizes the ammonia in urine. Wool is commonly used in cloth diapering for babies because when pee gets on it, rather than washing it every time, you just hang it up outside and the pee sort of magically disappears. That means you can re-use it several times even when it gets stained with pee before having to wash it.

To prep wool for use as a belly band, you need to felt it first. You've probably heard how wool always needs special care when washing so that it doesn't get ruined. Well, if you stick it in your washer for a hot wash and cold rinse, you've essentially "ruined" your wool. The result is that it's been felted--ie. made fuzzy and softer.

Here's my wool belly band. I didn't have any pieces of wool long enough so I just took 2 scraps and sewed them together. Then I attached some plastic snaps to the ends. Since wool is thicker and doesn't curl up at the ends, there's no need to worry about extra layers or folding the ends. Just 1 piece of wool the exact size you want your belly band to be is all you need.

Place an absorbent pad on top as usual. If urine accidentally gets on it, just hang it up for a few hours and it'll be as good as new. When you decide it needs to be washed, you can wash it on hot wash/cold rinse. Every few washes, use lanolin detergent instead of regular detergent. Easy.

Pip tends to stay by my side, but now he is free to explore the house on his own every once in a while without me having to keep an eye on him every second.

Found Long-Haired Chihuahua

2010-12-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

The mail lady knocked on my door early this afternoon. She's a great mail carrier and I am lucky to be part of her route. She's seen our dogs from time to time and knows I've fostered. Today she told me that there was a little dog in a box abandoned in front of one of the houses around the corner. It's been raining and the temperature fairly cold by California standards, and the mail lady said the dog was shivering but would not come to her.

So I put on my shoes, grabbed a leash, the car keys and Phoebe (in case the dog was dog-friendly and Phoebe could coax it to us). Boomer decided he wanted to come along too, so they both hopped in the car. It was still raining at the time. Here's what I saw when we got there.

I got out of the car and immediately the dog stepped away. I let Phoebe out, but the dog backed away and went off to huddle in the corner between the house next door and the side fence. I knocked on the door of the house and asked the person who answered if she had a dog. Lots of times when dogs hang around in front of a particular house, especially little ones, it means they've escaped the yard. But she said no.

We both went over the dog, still huddled in the corner and growling at us. I tried to loop a leash around him but he kept attacking it. The other woman is a cat person so didn't know too much about dogs. I'm a wuss otherwise I would've just picked the dog up. Instead, we decided to try to trap him. I had a mail bin in my car which I angled in front of the dog, between the house and the side gate, so that he couldn't escape. Of course, he could've jumped over the mail bin but luckily for us, he wasn't that adventuresome. If he was, he would've taken off from fright rather than back himself in a corner.

The woman went back to her house and came back with a pet crate, which took the place of the mail bin. We had the door open, and the dog was cornered. He had only to take 2 steps to get into the crate. But he wasn't moving and couldn't be bribed with treats. Shaking and growling, he just cowered. I found a piece of cardboard and put layed it on top of the crate, with part of it sticking out so that the dog was covered--not just from the rain but also to prevent him from jumping over the crate. We then left him alone and went to stand by my car. 2 minutes later, I heard a little noise and when I went back to look at him, I saw he had finally gone into the crate. It was a simple matter of just closing the door and packing him into my car.

When I got home, I pulled out one of our spare crates--an XXL one. I wasn't sure how scared and withdrawn this dog was going to be so I wanted him to have his own little space. Luckily, he was such a small dog that a large crate was plenty of room. I set up the 2 crates facing each other so he would have access to both.

As it turns out, the moment he was let out of the plastic crate, he transformed into this tag-wagging, friendly dog who wanted to be lifted up. We named him Pip, short for pipsqueak, which is what Popeye calls him. Popeye's not a fan yet.

Pip was not microchipped and had no collar, which actually isn't uncommon. We had gone on the assumption he had been abandoned in that cardboard box, but I immediately noticed how well groomed he was. Nails not overgrown, hair brushed, ears cleaned, and I could smell the fragrance of shampoo on him.

The more I get to know him, the more I find it impossible to believe that somebody abandoned him. Maybe if he had some super annoying habit like incessant barking or hyperness or some behavioral problem. But he is, so far, a fabulous dog. Judging from his teeth, he appears to be only about 5-6 months old. He is not yappy, though he does make little squeaky whines when he wants attention. He is definitely used to being cuddled because if you sit on the floor, he immediately crawls onto your lap. He doesn't mind being picked up and he's fine with the other dogs. He has a tendency to mark (and he's not neutered) but he appears at least somewhat housetrained.

This dog is just too cute, too young, and too well-behaved to have been dumped so unceremoniously in the rain and cold. We'll be making more calls. In the meantime, he'll have a warm place to stay. And maybe, in a week or so, Popeye will warm up to him and finally have a buddy that's smaller.

Urinary Tract Infections & D-Mannose

2010-12-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Popeye was recently diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Since day one, I've been told that he was at a higher risk for UTIs due to his incontinence. For both people and dogs, urinary tract trouble often happens when bacteria enters through the urethra. Regular urination helps to flush out the bacteria--that's why you might've heard that drinking plenty of water can help to prevent UTIs.

Since Popeye doesn't have control over his bladder and therefore relies on manual expression, there is a larger risk that not all of his urine is being discharged. That means there is a larger risk that bacteria can fester, resulting in an infection. He also takes immunosuppressent drugs for his year-round "allergies," so his immune system may be compromised, making him less able to combat the bacteria.

Popeye's currently on his 2nd round of antibiotics. It turned out that the first one he was given, Baytril, was not effective against the particular strain of bacteria he has, staphylococcus pseudintermedius. He's now on Cephalexin, and we are awaiting test results to see whether his UTI has cleared yet.

A side note about antibiotics: Some of you probably already know that antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria but they kill good bacteria as well. That's why it's a good idea to supplement with probiotics at the same time in order to replace the good bacteria that is necessary for a healthy gut. There are many different strains of good bacteria, so it's important to select a probiotic made specifically for pets or for people, depending on who is taking it. Yogurt contains a couple of strains. Popeye gets probiotics as a regular supplement, but he gets 3-4x more when he's on antibiotics.

More info on probiotics here: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/probiotics/

I had always heard that cranberry juice helped to prevent UTIs. Not every doctor seems to think so though. Still, I was curious enough to do some research about it in an effort to find a natural preventative and/or treatment for Popeye in case this becomes a chronic issue.

It turns out that the specific element in cranberry juice that is said to help prevent & treat certain UTIs is called d-mannose. It only helps with UTIs caused by e. coli (not the same e. coli you've heard about in the news associated with unsanitary foods). Popeye's current UTI is caused by staph, not e. coli, so d-mannose may not be effective for him in this case. Luckily though, e. coli is the culprit for the majority of UTIs, both in dogs and in people.

E. coli bacteria essentially sticks to the d-mannose, which is then flushed out of the system when you pee. Pretty simple, huh? It doesn't kill any bacteria (good or bad), it just prevents the e. coli from sticking to the inside walls of the bladder and urinary tract.

Aside from cranberry juice, d-mannose is also found in pineapple juice, blueberries, and several other fruits, but in smaller concentrations so you would really have to ingest a lot of those fruits for it to be effective. D-mannose comes in straight powder form and tastes like sugar. And it's cheap. So if you or your pet is prone to UTIs, you might want to give it a try. Again, it won't work on every kind of UTI (ie. staph)

A very useful article on d-mannose here: http://www.tahomaclinic.com/mannose.shtml

Shelter Dogs Need Blankets, Towels, Litter Pans

2010-12-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Do you have old blankets, towels, and litter boxes to spare for cold shelter dogs? It's cold this season and many shelter dogs are forced to sleep on freezing and bare concrete floors. Central Valley shelters in CA are asking for your old blankets, towels, and litter boxes (which are used as makeshift beds to get the dogs off the cold floors). If you have any you can spare and can take a moment out of your day, please mail them to:

Sheila Metzger
8521 Shoal Ct.
Bakersfield, CA 93312

Of course, I'm sure there are other shelters throughout the country that can also use these so you might want to give your local shelter a call and ask them.

You can also order litter pans to be shipped to the address above at http://www.petmountain.com/show_product/11442-500823/?utm_source=pricegrabber

Many shelter dogs don't have much this holiday season. We may not be able to find them all homes, but the least we can do is give them a warm place to sleep.

Pitbull Puppies

2010-12-08T17:33:00.001-08:00

Here's a video of a bunch of cute pitbull puppies, available for adoption at Best Friends Sanctuary. (Thanks Linda.)

Here's a video of Phoebe, our own pitbull pup (who's actually 6 years old now), watching the video of pit pups.

And here's a video of Phoebe playing with a trio of pit pups.

And of course Phoebe when she was truly a pit pup herself. (We adopted her from Paw Printz Pitbull Rescue when she was 8 months old and have been counting our lucky stars since.)

Another Visit with Seven

2010-12-06T22:55:00.000-08:00

Seven, Robin's foster dog, was adopted about 4 months ago. This past weekend, we went to visit him at his home in Santa Cruz.

Riddle's Song

2010-12-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

When you hear about a dog that has been victimized, abused, or neglected by his human, your faith in humanity chips away. But hearing about dogs like Riddle restores your hope a little.

Phoebe & Popeye Gentle Play

2010-12-01T22:58:00.000-08:00

NPR: Nicholas Dodman on Caring for Your Aging Dog

2010-11-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

From http://www.pawesome.net/2010/11/required-listening-to-help-your-white-muzzled-friend/. (Thanks Linda!)

Dave Davies interviews veterinary behaviorist and author of Good Old Dog, Nicholas Dodman. This fascinating interview about raising and caring for aging dogs covers topics such as why you might not want to feed your dog “senior” dog formulas, how cancer is the number one killer of older dogs, and how smaller dogs live longer than larger ones (and how size affects how you calculate your dog’s age in human years). If you have an older dog or are considering adopting an older dog (Hello, Muttville!), this is a must listen.

Interview Highlights: http://www.npr.org/2010/11/22/131516152/helping-your-good-old-dog-navigate-aging

Popeye Racing at Contra Loma

2010-11-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

The Oddest Couple in the World

2010-11-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

From http://www.tonic.com/article/the-oddest-couple-in-the-world/(Thanks for sharing, Linda.)

A male Chihuahua's tenacity in guarding his beloved pit bull girlfriend helped save their lives. Now, the couple is inseparable.

Sometimes even an abandoned, injured dog with a bad rap ends up doing great things. And so it was with a female pit bull, being guarded by her beloved boyfriend, a Chihuahua.

What the Pennsylvania dog warden did not realize when he rescued the pair on Labor Day, was just what a sweet story these two dogs had to tell.

Once the pit bull got into a crate on the warden's truck, the Chihuahua would not follow. Instead, he put himself between the two, barking and growling at the warden.

"So I sat on the ground ... all the time having a conversation with a Chihuahua that was guarding a Pit Bull!," the warden writes in a story about this odd couple.

"Eventually he let me get close enough so we could have a face to face & heart to heart discussion. I told him that his intentions were very noble and would not go unrewarded for the both of them."

The warden would not follow his usual routine when finding a pit bull — to take the dog to a facility that could euthanize her within 48 hours. "Due to this little guy's tenacity and I do believe true affection for his Pit Bull lady," the warden writes, "I was not going to let that happen." Cute couples, it turns out, melt hearts.

The warden found them safe haven at the no-kill Washington Area Humane Society. He asked the staff, could they please find room in their already overflowing no-kill shelter for just two more dogs?

"We truly didn't have room but we could not let them go," says Alice Wancowicz, assistant manager of the shelter in Eighty Four, PA. "They stayed in the bathroom for two days until we could get a run open."

And so, the staff embraced the pair, naming them Bonnie and Clyde. "We were trying to think of a good duo kind of name," says Wancowicz. "They're kind of like rebels but they're not, they stick together."

Now, it is Bonnie who protects little Clyde. "They are just adorable together," Wancowicz says. "Bonnie just lays there and Clyde jumps all over her. They are totally inseparable." The couple goes on walks together, eat together, sleep together, with Clyde snoozing on top of Bonnie or cuddled within her front arms.

"When Bonnie got spayed, Clyde was beside himself," Wancowicz says. "He wouldn't settle down, was crying, on your lap, off your lap, you could tell he wasn't himself."

So it comes as a surprise that they have not been adopted. "They would fit in anywhere," says Wancowicz. "They don't have issues with adults or kids."

The dog warden writes that we need to change our opinions of pit bulls: "You may find a loving, loyal and dedicated companion to fight for like our Chihuahua friend did. Perhaps this story will give you a second chance to revisit your thoughts and opinions concerning Pit Bulls. They deserve the opportunity to overcome a stereotype that can most certainly lead them to death."

We know that Tonic readers like to take action. If you want to help out Bonnie and Clyde, click here (www.washingtonpashelter.org) to visit the Humane Society's website. Or, you can call them at 724-222-PETS (7387)

Pt Isabel Get-Together

2010-11-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

We recently had a little Walkin' the Bark / Taiwan Dog get-together at Pt Isabel. I was surprised and delighted at how many people showed up! I got to see dogs that I haven't seen in years, some not since they were puppies.

People who foster and rescue have the same dream for each of their dogs--that they one day become a part of a family that will love and appreciate them for the rest of their lives. We give a bit of ourselves to each one of these dogs, and when they are adopted, they take that bit with them for always. To be able to see them in the context of their Forever Families, sharing and contributing to the happiness of their humans, is literally many dreams come true.

Ihna Update

2010-11-21T17:22:00.000-08:00

Inha first arrived in the US from Taiwan as a puppy of 3 months old in 2007.

She was adopted by a family with a young daughter. Unfortunately, she eventually became too much of a handful for the family and they returned her to us 7 months later.

Having been forewarned about her issues, we decided that she would not be allowed to get away with the slightest misbehavior. To our surprise and delight, we almost immediately discovered that Ihna was not at all an unruly dog but rather one with too much energy and not enough discipline. In fact, Ihna may have been the most eager to please and inexhaustible dog we've fostered.

We were also fostering another dog named Sugar at the time. Sugar could be a b-i-t-c-h with some dogs so we made sure to introduce them carefully. Luckily, Ihna was a submissive girl and had no issues with Sugar bossing her around.

Not too long after Ihna came to us, Sugar was adopted by a wonderful woman named Crazy Lady and another foster dog, Nacho, came to join our pack.

They submitted to their mutual torture with good nature.

Not too long later, Ihna was discovered by the perfect family. Not only was the couple aware of the importance of leadership and discipline, 2 things that Ihna thrived on, but they also had a dog just as ball-obsessed and energetic as Ihna. Madeira even looked like Ihna.

Almost 3 years later, we are thrilled to hear how well Ihna continues to thrive.

"Ihna and Madeira play together all day long. When we got Ihna, Madeira was pretty sad about the recent loss of her friend Snowflake... We weren't sure if we were ready to get another dog, but Ihna won our hearts! My husband and I were so excited to get Ihna and welcome her to our home!

She is full of energy and full of love! She is still a bit shy to new visitors, but after a short time they can see what we experience everyday-- she is the sweetest and most loving dog!!!

Last year I had major knee surgery and she followed me around the house everywhere while I was on crutches worrying about how I was doing and if I was getting around okay. For the first week I had to sleep with a brace on my leg (from my ankle to my thigh) and was in a lot of pain. Ihna would sleep on my stomach and put her head on my chest and stay there all night long. She showed so much concern for my recovery.

We take her hiking every weekend and she's a great hiking dog!! You'll note in one of the attached pictures she's just jumped out of a mountain lake, at an elevation of just about 3000 meters! She never tires no matter how many hours or how much elevation we gain during the hike! She's full of energy!

We are so happy to have her as a part of our life and I couldn't imagine life without her! She's my little baby girl! :)"

Popeye's Rough Day

2010-11-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

Hi. Popeye here.

What a rough day. First Foster Mum drove me 45 minutes for accupuncture. I am usually very tolerant about it but today I wouldn't let the vet touch me, which I've never done before. I snarled and bared my teeth, so she decided no accupuncture today.

Then Foster Mum decided to walk me in my cart around the neighborhood so the trip wouldn't be a complete waste. We had a nice walk. I was good. Everyone stared.

When we got back to the car, while Foster Mum was loading my cart, I saw a passerby and started barking and barking. All that barking resulted in me leaving a nice surprise for her in the backseat. Several nice surprises in fact. 2 kinds too--a wet kind and a smelly solid kind--who doesn't like variety? I'm a generous dude.

After Foster Mum cleaned it all up, I then proceeded to snarl and growl at her while she tried to put my seatbelt on. This is nothing new.

Eventually we were on our way back home, where of course we hit traffic.

Once we got home, 4 hours after we left, I was expressed and given a quickie bath. I watched Foster Mum make my bed ever so nicely. But she forgot to leave an extra blankie out for me, so I had to undo all her work in order to create a pile to nest in. When Foster Mum tried to fix some of the blankets under me so that if I had an accident it would not soak through the bed, I made a ruckus of more snarling and snapping. I don't like to be disturbed when I'm trying to get my beauty rest.

Finally all was settled and I was able to take a much deserved rest. There are days when I don't growl and snarl at all or at least not much, but today I did overtime with it. Grueling.

Now, 5PM, Foster Mum can begin what she calls "work" while I recuperate from my rough day. She has 2 hours until it's time to make me dinner.

Happy Veterans' Day

2010-11-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the men and women who serve and have served our country. And thank you to the dogs who help to make every day a little brighter.

Walkin' the Bark Rescue Could Win $2,000

2010-11-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

This wonderful picture of our once-fearful former foster dog Isis, and her brother Otis, was selected as one of the 10 finalists in the Animal Rescue Site's Shelter Fan Photo Contest.

If this photo receives the most public votes through Nov 15, Walkin' the Bark Rescue will win a $2,000 grant, which will go towards financial aid for the purchase of a Doggon Wheelchair for handicapped pets whose owners cannot afford one on their own.

Vote every day (you can only vote once per computer each day) through Nov 15. It's quick and easy. No login required. To vote, go to:

http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/68342/voteable_entries/9894013

Yeah, Isis & Otie! Thank you to Jen & Rob for submitting this photo on behalf of the rescue!

Just an aside: Isis (aka Iris) was a severely undersocialized and fearful dog when we first got her a few years ago--my very first severely fearful foster. Her journey in life has truly been an amazing one. It was in large part because of Isis (plus another fearful dog we fostered at the same time, Dori) that I became drawn to dogs with some kind of special need. I will always view her as a particularly special shining star. If you'd like to read her story, please visit http://sillypugs.com/dogs/Iris/Iris.html. Jen & Rob have given her the perfect home and in doing so, have given me one of the best gifts ever.

More Popeye vs the Mitten

2010-11-02T22:32:00.001-07:00

Popeye vs the Mitten

2010-10-31T21:25:00.001-07:00

Goodie in a mitten (in this case, a nylabone ring) = hours of endless fun

Popeye Helps to Make the Dog Bed

2010-10-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

Green Smoothies

2010-10-28T23:40:00.001-07:00

I'm anal about what the dogs eat. Ever since switching over to raw feeding back in the late 90's, I've spent hours and hours every month on the dogs' food, from grinding their raw meaty bones to blending their veggies, from researching what supplements to try to driving long distances to pick up enough locally raised meats to fit their own freezer. I'm like a dictator when it comes to what the dogs eat.

But I myself still eat like a college student. I rarely cook and rely mostly on eating out and mooching off what other people make. And I hate veggies. So often I've seen veggies on a dish and thought to myself, "It's great being an adult. There's nobody to make me eat my veggies." Seriously, that rocks.

As I get older though and as age and my conscience catch up with me, I'm feeling more compelled to eat healthier. Not healthy per se, that would just take too much effort, just healthier.

Somebody recently told me about green smoothies. These are smoothies made of fruits and green leafy vegetables. Everybody knows the huge benefits of eating greens. But I hate greens and so rarely do. The purpose of green smoothies is to get you to eat tons of raw greens and actually enjoy it. So you take a bit of greens, add some fruits to mask the flavor, and blend together. Blending not only allows you to drown out the taste of the greens, but it also breaks down the cellulose walls of the produce making it much easier for your body to digest. And since you're blending rather than juicing, you're utilizing the fiber as well.

This is an entertaining video I came across that explains the benefits of green smoothies.

Blending veggies is not new to me. I do it all the time for the dogs. Because of the cellulose lining, dogs can't digest whole veggies. So you have to break them down first, either by blending, grinding, processing, or some other method.

Here are some veggies I blended recently for the dogs.

I always look like a health nut when I go grocery shopping for the dogs, buying a cart full of veggies for them. Considering how I eat, that's very amusing to me.

Here's what the veggies look like after they've been blended.

Although I hate veggies, I absolutely love fruit, so when I learned about green smoothies, I decided to give it a try. I got The Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko, which is a basic starter book with tons of recipes.

Today I tried the first recipe:

1 mango (with skin)
1 cup kale (I just used a couple of leaves)
1 cup water

The mango I got had almost no flavor so I also added a banana.

It wasn't very sweet, which I was ok with, but the great thing was that the banana completely masked the smell and flavor of the kale. Finally, there is a way for me to eat my greens without making a face.

In the book, Victoria also explains dogs like green smoothies too, so you can share some with them. Our dogs like to lick the glass clean.

I always knew it was just a matter of time before the dogs inspired me to eat as healthy as they do.

Pit Bull Blues by John Snipe

2010-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

The best pibble song ever.

With all the absolutely wonderful pibbles we have met over the past several years in our rescue efforts, it seems silly (sad, frustrating, ridiculous) that so many people have such a distorted image of them. Don't they know that the dogs they should really be afraid of are 2-legged ones from Taiwan named Popeye?

Submit your Photo in the Shelter Fan Photo Contest

2010-10-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Animal Rescue Site is hosting a Shelter Fan Photo Contest. 10 finalists will be selected by judges and then will be put up for public voting. The person who submitted the photo with the most votes gets a $25 gift certificate to the Animal Rescue Site store and $2,000 to the rescue of their choice.

You can submit your favorite pet picture here:
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/contest.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_contest_from_home_sidetabs

If you'd like to use Walkin' the Bark Rescue as the benefiting organization, our location is Concord, CA, USA.

Submissions will be accepted through Nov 1. Complete rules here. Good luck!

Bill Burr: Adopting a Pitbull

2010-10-21T01:07:00.000-07:00

If you have or love a pit, you will love this video.

This was Tyler's reaction when I brought our first pitbull foster home. I was so excited to have her (she was only 8 months old and the cutest, sweetest puppy), but when Tyler walked through the front door and saw her happily waiting to greet him for the first time, he looked hard at her and then at me and his exact words were, "Is that a pit? We're not keeping her."

5 years and 50 fosters later, she is still his favorite dog in the whole world.

Popeye the Grouch

2010-10-20T11:41:00.001-07:00

He's actually playing in this video, but this gives you an idea of what Popeye's like when he's grouchy. It's much less cute when he's grouchy for real.

Lila & Baby

2010-10-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

Prince Charming's foster mom and dad also rescued a little dog named Lila. Lila had some issues with her hind legs but she improved greatly while in their care and is now able to get around almost perfectly.

It turned out that Lila was pregnant and later gave birth to one child, a boy named Baby. They are the cutest mom and son pair ever.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Prince Charming the Special Needs Shih Tzu

2010-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

We went to visit a lovely couple who is fostering a Shih Tzu named Prince Charming. Prince was left in the overnight drop box at a local shelter. Because he has issues with his hind legs, he was scheduled to be put down but one of the volunteers stepped in and rescued him.

Prince is about 7 years old and get along with everyone, human and canine alike. Like most Shih Tzus, he's a complete cuddle bug and loves his belly rubs.

Prince appears to have suffered some neurological damage resulting in his hind legs walking in a drunken gait. He's actually improved since he went into foster care 2 months ago, and as you can see, he can still get around and take pleasure in the simplicities of life.

If anyone would be interested in adopting him, drop a note.

Our Trip to Boonville

2010-10-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

Here's what I packed for myself for our 3-night, 4-day trip to Boonville, CA last week. And actually, only the right pouch is my stuff.

Here's what Tyler packed for himself.

And here's what we packed for the dogs.

And that's really only half of it. I had a list of over 2 dozen things that we had to bring for the dogs, mostly Popeye. First, we have Popeye's "emergency kit" that we keep in the car at all times. A spare wheel for his cart, baby wipes, an extra belly band, spare parts for the cart and tools to change them, an inflator for the tires, and some water.

Since Popeye needs to be manually expressed and I have a bad back, we have our own portable "changing station," which consists of a plastic baby pen and a crate divider.

Then we've got the stroller, which we ended up not using, but it stays in the car wherever Popeye goes just as a precaution. There's also his cart of course, and that white bin is used to elevate his water and food bowl so he doesn't have to bend forward so much.
3 plastic bags of belly bands (40 total), and luckily there's room for the humans' stuff.

But wait, we're not done yet. Lots of extra blankets and towels in case Popeye has some accidents. Also, tons of rugs because we don't know if the flooring at the cottage is going to be too slippery for Popeye to walk on. We brought 13 rugs but next time, we're going to bring more.

Luckily, we were able to borrow a cargo box. Oh, and don't forget the 3 dog beds.

And of course the food. I individually packaged each meal ahead of time.

6 feeding times, 3 dogs--that's 18 individual meals.

Popeye takes a lot of supplements with his meals. I included as many of the supplements as I could with the meals, but some supplements I kept separate because I wasn't sure how they would do frozen with the meat. Rather than bringing every bottle, I packaged all the powder supplements in little ziplocks for each meal.

Of course, there was one supplement that I did mix in with the meat whose capsule shell ended up getting warped. Usually I can bury the capsules in the ground food so that Popeye doesn't notice them. But because the shells were warped, he was better able to pick them out. So every meal ended like this. 36 pills down the drain.

Once we got to the cottage, we immediately set up Popeye's changing station outside.

And we made the inside more dog-friendly.

A sheet over the little spare bed in the corner, dog beds on the floor, elevated water bowl, and a path of rugs. The floor turned out to be textured stone, which Popeye has no problem walking on. But we still put out the rugs to provide some cushioning for the times when he goes nuts and bounces around on the floor.

There's no such thing as packing light when it comes to the dogs. But it was all worth it because the trip went off without a hitch. Popeye tends to always have some little mishap, even at home, whether it be a seroma, a new scrape somewhere on his body, an allergy flare-up (which he actually did have but we managed to control it with meds), or heaven forbid an injured leg, which happened when we took him to the Giants ballgame a couple of months ago. But none of that happened. Nobody got injured or skunked or infested with fleas. I was nervous about the trip but it ended up being a good one.

Mason, the Handicapped Pitbull

2010-10-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Emily's Adoption Ad

2010-10-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

"Lab mix female. 10 mos. old. The sweetest dog even though she is badly injured. A/C sent to private vet who said she has a broken pelvis and broken leg. Needs FHO and pin in leg. Vet will do surgery on both for $1200.00. MUST HAVE RESCUE OR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT BY MONDAY OR A/C WILL PICK UP AND EUTHANIZE. Vet staff are in tears over this one as she is such a sweet dog....."

That was the email we received about the dog that would later be known as Emily. We weren't in a position at the time to take in another dog, but we vowed to help in some way. With just those 2 pictures and the few words from a shelter worker, in less than 2 weeks we managed, through networking and fundraising, to raise all the funds needed for her double surgery. People from all over the country came together to help this nondescript black dog that none of us had ever met.

Our rescue was eventually able to bring Emily into foster care, where she lives with another dog, several cats, and an unexpected visitor in the form of a kitten only a few weeks old.

Emily truly is one of the sweetest dogs you'll meet. She is very well socialized and loves all people, especially children, and dogs and cats. She thinks people exist to give her attention and her best friend was Cosmo, the little kitten, until he himself was adopted. She is also great with other dogs, playful and submissive.

Emily is about a year old and approx 35 lbs. We're not sure what her exact mix of breed is but she definitely has a herding streak. She sometimes tries to herd the resident dog, her fosterer, and even the cats. But she is always gentle about it.

Emily had FHO surgery on her hip and a pin inserted in her front leg. She will probably never have full use of her front leg, but is still able to move around and play using mostly her 3 other legs. Probably ideally, a home without a long flight of stairs would be best, though she may be able to navigate them when the occasion calls for it. She is able to use the doggie door without any problems and otherwise gets along just fine. No additional medical care is needed, though it's always helpful to just be aware of any potential changes that may occur over the years.

Emily is crate trained and housetrained, though she may need a refresher course in a new environment. She's spayed, microchipped, heartworm tested negative, and current on shots.

If you're looking for a sweetheart of a dog, one that loves people and gets along with other pets, Emily is it. She is mild-tempered, well-socialized, playful, and happy. Due to her young age and willingness to please, we recommend at least basic training so that she develops into a model canine citizen.

Emily is currently being fostered in SACRAMENTO. If you are interested in meeting her, please send an email to request an adoption application which will be reviewed prior to scheduling a play date. There is a $200 tax-deductible adoption fee which helps to cover a portion of each dog's medical cost.

For lots more pictures of Emily, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047118&id=1411640354

The Buckeye

2010-10-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we visited a little peace of doggie heaven called The Other Place in Boonville, CA. 4 cottages, fully fenced, on 500 acres of hillside with a little pond. The cottage we stayed in was called the Buckeye.

This was Popeye's first trip and I was very nervous. So many mishaps could happen. He could strain a leg, like he did when we took him to the Giants ballgame, have a really bad allergy flare-up (he actually did have a flare-up, but luckily we got it under control with meds), tip over in his cart and hurt himself.

But the 4 days, 3 nights ended with no emergencies. Nobody got hurt. Or skunked. Or car sick, except me on our way back home through the winding road of Hwy 128. It was nice to get away, since we rarely ever do. And now that it's over, I can let out a big "Whew!"

Pawesome.Net Article: Living with a Handicapped Dog

2010-10-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Taken from: http://www.pawesome.net/2010/10/living-with-a-handicapped-dog/#more-20683

We’re honored to have Judy Nguyen guest post for us today. Judy, of Antioch, CA, runs the Northern California based dog rescue, Walkin the Bark. As the proud owner of Popeye, the bipedal pup, she shares her insights on what it’s like to decide to amputate and life with a handicapable dog.

Our dog, Popeye, is like most other dogs in many ways. He enjoys his walks, he loves to wrestle with other dogs, he knows basic commands like “down” and “go to bed,” and he can run like the devil. But it’s how he’s different that makes him the center of attention wherever he goes.

Popeye only has 2 legs.

Popeye was originally found as a stray puppy in 2008. He was already paralyzed in the rear and due to lack of use, the joints in his hind legs fused together so those legs stuck out like rods. Whether he was born paralyzed or suffered from an accident, we don’t know. What was clear from the start was that Popeye had no idea that he was any different than any other dog.

Despite being partially paralyzed, Popeye was completely mobile, able to move around with just his front two legs. After consultations with several vets, we eventually had his paralyzed legs amputated because it was agreed they hindered him more than helped him. It was a tough decision, one that I vacillated back and forth repeatedly over. After all, amputation is forever; there’s no going back. But once it was done, I only wondered, “What took me so long?” After seeing how much more easily Popeye was able to move without his paralyzed legs, I realized the entire time he had them, it was like I was holding my breath. Once they were removed, it was like a sigh of relief.

Around the house, Popeye can get around with very little assistance. The only time he needs a hand is to climb onto our bed for a snuggle or into the car. Other than that, he has access to the entire house and backyard. Since he can scrape himself against rough flooring or concrete ground, we simply added some rugs to the few areas in the house that weren’t carpeted and to the backyard patio that leads to the lawn.

His paralysis left him incontinent, and it’s Popeye’s incontinence that has made him harder to adopt rather than the fact that he only has two legs. He does not have control over his bowels or bladder so we manually express him 4-5 time per day. He wears belly bands 24 hours/day, which I made for him using the same material concept in baby cloth diapers. This helps to catch any leakage from his bladder. He no longer wears full diapers, since pooping accidents are rare, and when they do happen, the poop is generally solid and dry so it’s easy to just pick up with a napkin and throw it away. People are grossed out by the idea or they think it’s difficult to take care of, but after you get used to it, it’s not that hard.

On walks and visits to the park, Popeye has a customized wheelchair ordered from Doggon Wheels. The wheelchair allows him access to virtually anywhere. He’s been to the regional park, on trails, to the beach, even to a Giants ball game. And whether in or out of the wheelchair, he can run like a maniac.

Since getting Popeye, we have been introduced, via the internet and in person, to several other dogs (and cats and even other species) across the world who are partially paralyzed and only have the use of a limited number of limbs. The idea that a dog doesn’t need all four legs to live a full and happy life is nothing new to us. We see proof of that every single day with Popeye. Yet many pet guardians, even some vets, don’t realize that fact, and as a result, beloved pets are needlessly euthanized.

One time when we took Popeye to a beach, a woman came up and told me her dog had had cancer in one of his legs. Thinking that he could not live happily without all four legs, rather than amputate the cancerous leg, she chose to euthanize him because she believed it was the kinder thing to do. She said that if she had seen Popeye before that, she would have known differently.

I’ve seen dogs missing both back legs like Popeye, I’ve seen dogs missing both front legs, and I’ve seen dogs missing both right legs. All were mobile, if not on their own, then certainly with the help of a wheelchair. I’ve even seen quad-wheelchairs designed for dogs requiring assistance with all four limbs. At the same time that some dogs are being euthanized because their guardians do not realize that a mentally and emotionally “whole” dog does not require a “whole” body, there are handicapped dogs around the world playing in lakes, herding sheep, going for five mile hikes, and inspiring others.

There are a number of companies that make customized wheelchair for pets. The cart that has worked best for Popeye was built by Doggon Wheels. They can also build carts for pets requiring front body assistance or even 4-limb assistance. Other cart companies include K-9 Carts, K-9 Carts West, Eddies Wheels, and Walkin’ Wheels. Prices generally range from $300-$500 depending on the size of your pet and their specific needs, but you can also inquire about refurbished carts that may be available. Some companies may also offer a loaner program. Many of these carts are built quite differently, so it’s important to thoroughly research and ask questions to best determine whether a particular cart will be the ideal one for your pet.

Popeye is truly a special dog. But every dog can be equally special—they just need the chance to show you what they are capable of. Caring for a handicapped pet may require a change in thought process and some extra work, but it will also prove just how much we humans are capable of too.

Popeye is under the care of Walkin’ the Bark Rescue. To read more about him, visit PopeyeTheDog.com.

Walkin’ the Bark is participating in a contest sponsored by The Animal Rescue Site, which will award $10,000 to the rescue with the most votes. “In honor of Popeye, we’ve pledged to use 100% of any funds our rescue might win from that contest to provide financial assistance to those with a pet requiring a wheelchair but who cannot afford to pay the cost on their own,” Judy tells Pawesome. Just plug in “Walkin’ the Bark” in Concord, CA on the Shelter+ Challenge site and cast your vote once daily until December 19, 2010.

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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

Publish Post

Phoebe Meets Bella

2010-09-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

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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Pins & Needles

2010-09-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

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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400 Shelter Dogs Stranded by Taiwan Flood

2010-09-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

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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Little Miss Roo

2010-09-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Mauro, for sending this story.

From the Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary blog:

Introducing ... Little Miss Roo

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:

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.

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:

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!

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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

Update on Laura

2010-09-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

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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The Awesomest Trained Dog Video Ever

2010-09-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

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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How to Properly Hug a Baby

2010-09-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

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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Giants Dog Days of Summer 2010

2010-09-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge

2010-09-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

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.

The Rescue of Rosie

2010-09-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

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.

It's Crowded in Here

2010-09-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Belly Band Stash

2010-09-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

Cosmo Enjoying Water

2010-09-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

This cat is nonstop entertainment.

Sweet Emily

2010-09-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

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:

FLV MP4 3GP

Cosmo in the Cat Tree

2010-09-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of experience with cats, but Cosmo would be my choice if I ever wanted one. He provides hours and hours of entertainment. He's available for adoption in the Bay Area.

Emily & Cosmo Share a Drink

2010-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

I visited Emily and Cosmo, both of whom are being fostered by Robin in Sacramento, today. Needless to say, they get along great with each other.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

I Nose You

2010-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, this iPhone thing is addictive.

Popeye Enjoys a Turkey Neck

2010-09-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm holding onto the end so he doesn't gulp it down.

Hope, the 2-Legged Maltese

2010-09-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028681/Pictured-The-puppy-born-legs-uses-toy-wheels-around.html

This tiny puppy may have been born without front legs but there's no way that is holding her back.

Hope, the appropriately named two-legged Maltese puppy gets around by using a specially-designed device which features wheels from a model aeroplane.

The energetic pup uses her hind legs to boost her body forward onto her chest and operate the wheeled prosthetic limbs.

Hope: The two-legged Maltese puppy gets around by using her hind legs to boost her body forward onto her chest

The beloved pooch was born with only two legs and has small wriggling nubs where her front legs should be.

At first Hope moved around by hopping but experts said her her natural mode of moving eventually would damage her bones and spine.

The wheeled device was created by orthotist David Turnbill free of charge with makeshift shoulder joints connected to model airplane wheels.

The wheeled contraption which allows Hope to get around

Each of the device's 'arms' can move up or down independently of the other, allowing Hope to pivot and turn.

The spring-loaded prosthetic arms hook to a custom-fitted chest plate to allow Hope to lay down or sit up without removing the prosthetic.

The wheels she uses as front legs took some getting used to and at first the tiny lap dog would tip over to one side.

Hope was born without front legs and instead has two nubs

However practice made perfect and now the persistent puppy has mastered the art of wheeling herself around, there is no stopping her.

In fact she can bound across a room at a surprisingly break-neck pace.

'She gets around fine,' said the puppy's rehabilitation specialist Cassy Englert.

A cast was made of Hope's body in order to build the prosthetic device

'She never knew anything other than hopping like she did. The hardest thing is teaching her a new way to get around that's going to actually be better for her,' he added.

Hope was taken in by Southern Comfort Maltese Rescue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA when she was six weeks old.

When the puppy grows bigger she will need to have another device made for her.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Popeye (Photoshop Iphone App)

2010-09-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

Trying out some fancy schmancy stuff from the free Photoshop Express app for iphone 4. I took this picture with the Facetime view, which flips the camera view to reflect the holder so you can obsess over your own face.

Popeye's Outing Ritual

2010-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

These are the steps we take before and after taking Popeye on an outing. Because I have a bad back, I try to carry him as little as possible--hence, the "throne," which is also what he sleeps on at night.

A Dog's Last Will

2010-09-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

And that is exactly how I became involved in rescue. It was Jassy & Sammy's last will.

Nico Update

2010-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Nico?

Original post dated Sept 9, 2009:

From http://www.hamiltonhumane.com/events/nico.htm

This story begins with a photograph…probably the most compelling photo I’ve ever seen in my time working in animal welfare as it represents so perfectly the sadness and hopelessness these animals often feel as they sit in shelters waiting for a home, or in this case, for the end to come. The photo went out on Face Book the last week of July, and so began the amazing story of redemption for a dog named Nico.

A local rescuer was at the Los Angeles shelter where Nico had arrived as a stray and took this photo of him in his kennel. Moved by the story it told, she posted it on Face Book in the hopes someone might offer to help this physically and emotionally broken dog. To her surprise, the photo spread like wild fire across the U.S. capturing the attention of a woman in San Diego named Kelly Gibson who coordinates animal transports across the country saving hundreds of animals’ lives. Kelly decided to drive to Los Angeles to meet the dog who had touched so many with this haunting image.

Kelly entered Nico’s kennel with warnings from the staff that they didn’t know much about his temperament, only that he is deaf and she should be careful. Kelly knew within moments of stooping down in front of Nico, an approximately 6 year old Dogo Argentino, that this was no ordinary dog. Nico greeted her with a kiss and a beautiful gaze of one bright blue eye and one hazel eye. He was horribly thin and covered in sores, cuts, scars and fleas. The poor condition of his skin and coat as well as several missing teeth were all indications of a dog who has suffered from malnutrition most of his life. A large tumor on his back was especially noticeable on his emaciated body. He was indeed deaf which is not uncommon of pure white dogs, but he managed to communicate loud and clear his delight that Kelly had stopped by to see him that day. He was gentle, loving and gracious…and he was scheduled to die unless someone rescued him and soon.

I’ve known Kelly for about a year now as she has helped us by transporting some of our canine residents to out of state rescues where they’ve been adopted into loving homes. Kelly knows how hard our organization works to find homes for even the hardest to place pets, and she knows that we do not discriminate against any breed, senior pets, or animals with disabilities. She knew when she met Nico that we were his best chance for a second chance.

Kelly and I began working on a plan to get Nico out of this kill-shelter and to safety. Working with a local Los Angeles based rescue organization called The Mutt Scouts, she was able to pull Nico from the facility and board him at a vet clinic where he would be treated for upper respiratory and wait out the three weeks it would take to coordinate his transport.

Kelly started working her magic that involved close to 45 people needed to transport and board Nico during his two week journey across the country from L.A. to Noblesville, Indiana. Kelly also established an online fundraising page that helped us raise $2,000 to put toward his boarding, transport and medical care.

On our end, we approached the Invisible Fence Company about the possibility of them fostering Nico at their facility and allowing one of their trainers, Julie Case, to train him. As a deaf dog with a painful history, he would require special training and care. After seeing Nico’s photo, they couldn’t say no, and agreed to let Nico stay with them for as long as it takes to find him a permanent home.

With a transport in place, the generous donations from hundreds of people from all over the country, and the Invisible Fence Company willing to take Nico in, we had all the pieces in place to finally get Nico to Indiana.

But as it would turn out, Nico wouldn’t travel alone. You see, next to Nico at that Los Angeles shelter was another dog sitting on death row we now call Jug Head. His big smile, blue eyes and beaming personality caught Kelly’s attention during her visit with Nico. Another plea for help on Face Book would catch the attention of Iron Underdawgs Pit Bull Rescue here in Indiana, and they generously offered up one of their foster homes to take Mr. Jug Head in until he found a forever home.
So with their bags packed and a bright future ahead, Nico and Jug Head began their journey to their new homes here in Indiana.

Nico and Jug Head arrived at the Humane Society for Hamilton County on Saturday, August 29th to open arms and lots of kisses. WRTV Channel 6 was there to film their arrival and featured the story on the news that evening. Julie, his foster/ trainer, and Nico became immediate friends and Jug Head was quite the hit.

Updates of Nico’s progress will be featured here each week. Below is our update after week one:

Nico is adjusting very well to his new surroundings. He has been examined by Dr. Risser at Fall Creek Veterinary Clinic and is being treated for a bacterial skin infection. Once that is under control, he’ll have the tumor on his back removed and be neutered.

In the mean time, he has begun basic training and socialization with Julie. He is responding well to the clicker training concept but she flashes a light instead. Nico is VERY treat motivated and knows sit, down and stay. His favorite toy is a bright orange ball they put treats in and he tries to sneak away with the stuffed animals on display in the waiting room. Sadly, both Eyore and Winnie the Pooh are missing limbs.

Nico is learning something every day, but also gets plenty of play time as you can see. I don’t know about you, but it looks like he’s feeling a little better about life these days.

Nico Working

Nico Play Time

Nico Update: September 24, 2009 Julie Case, Trainer & Foster

Nico is doing very well adapting to his new schedule and place. He is very sweet and affectionate to anyone who comes up to pet him. He is showing zero signs of stress and his appetite is excellent. Nico responds to training very well, but we definitely have a lot to learn. He shows zero evidence of ever being exposed to any rules. You can clearly see he has had to survive on his own for some time. I train with visual markers and signals. One of the most important things for Nico to learn is to always pay attention to his handler. He is learning to focus on me and watch me at all times. I use a key chain light as the visual marker of any behavior I like. He has learned SIT, DOWN, STAY, HEEL, COME, LETS GO, PLACE and NO! No was our biggest challenge. He had to accept and make sense of “NO”, which meant whatever he is doing he, for some mysterious reason, had to stop, for example peeing on furniture, chewing on leashes and collecting whatever he wants from table tops and trash cans – all the fun things. What amazes me is that he shows no signs of food or toy aggression. You would think after starving and being through all the tough times, he would be very possessive of his food. I can easily take a bone from his mouth or stick my hand in his food bowl while he is eating and Nico does not mind it at all. He thinks toys are magical and he collects them in his basket, always amazed by how many the basket will hold. His favorite thing is to go to the pet store and pick out a new toy. Nico gets along with dogs here in school and so far has not shown any signs of dog aggression. Trying to impress the ladies, he has learned to run on a treadmill and is getting in a better physical shape already. I’m so pleased with his progress and see nothing but a bright future for him.

Nico Making (& Smelling) New Friends

Discovering the magic of toys. . .

*******************************************************

Almost a year later, this is what Nico's doing now:

From http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/09/nico-dogo-argentino-update.html

Last year, guest blogger Janet Kinosian shared the story of Nico, a shelter dog who was rescued through the efforts of Southern California rescuers and a community of animal-loving Facebook users. Since then, Nico's story has gotten even better; here, Kinosian fills us in on what's been going on in the life of this hard-luck dog who became one of the luckiest couch potatoes in Indiana.

Remember Nico, the defeated deaf white Dogo Argentino at South Los Angeles animal shelter -- who moved so many people with the sad photo of him first posted on Facebook? Nico, the forlorn animal who evoked the agony and utter defeat so many discarded animals must experience? Well, it's a joy to update you on Nico's life.

Just look at these two photos side by side: Can this possibly be the same animal?

Photos like the one on the left aren't anything new on the Web: Tens of thousands flood Facebook alone on a daily basis. What was different about Nico's photo, though, was what it captured: the loneliness of an animal that lay against the shelter's wall full of sadness, seeming to have lost all hope. That only spurred on Southern California rescuers.

And that's where the photo on the right comes in.

Things have worked out well for Nico SwanGarris. That's his new name and he lives now with his two moms and new sister, Brisby, a pit bull mix who is also deaf and white, in Indiana. He still loves balls, baths and life as a major couch potato, says Bridget Swan, who, with her partner Melissa, adopted Nico in November 2009.

Last August, Southern California animal rescuer Nikki Audet first posted Nico's photo on Facebook, and Kelley Gibson, a rescuer and animal transporter based in a San Diego, helped get him to the Hamilton County Humane Society in Indianapolis. Nico likely didn't know how lucky a hand he'd been dealt.

He quickly went through training to help him with issues resulting from his deafness and teach him how to navigate in a world of sound. His bumps and nicks and battle scars were attended to. He was happy and safe when Bridget and Melissa decided they wanted to adopt a dog, and Bridget's friend said she should see this dog at the local humane society.

Swan remembers that, at first, the animal agency was a bit wary of her adopting Nico. She didn't understand why until she was clued in by shelter staff that Nico was a bit of a celebrity and they wanted to make sure she was adopting him for the right reasons.

These days Nico walks in parades with his new moms, “loves to sit up close on your feet so he knows when you are walking away,” says Swan, and “in general is 100% low-key. He'll get a wild hair in him once in a while, but he's a mellow guy, and he deserves it after all he went through back then. He just loves people -- despite whatever was done to him -- and gives lots of kisses. He's very generous and free with his kisses. He's just so dependent on us, and he likes to hang with you 24/7.”

Nico has had one setback: A cancerous tumor was discovered and removed shortly after his adoption. Recently, Swan and Garris learned that the cancer has returned, but they remain optimistic about his future. "We are attempting a holistic approach so that we can hopefully avoid an ear amputation," Swan says. "We know that he will beat this just like all the other terrible things he has put up with in the past. He is a loving fighter and is strong."

According to Swan, finding toys for Nico can be a bit of a problem, as he loves and chews up Kongs, bones and anything he can wrap his canines around. He also has hundreds of fans on Facebook who hear about his daily happenings and send him messages of love and support.

Asked what Nico might say now that he's safe and sound, Swan replies: “The main message is this: Just because it's a cute small dog or puppy doesn't mean it'll be your best companion. Go for the downtrodden, defeated dogs, look at the underdog, because they will give you all their love and gratitude and forever be grateful you literally saved their life.”

So this soulful, special dog, once full of sadness, now lives out the good life in the Midwest. It's the happy story ending all dog rescuers wish for but often don't always see -- though every animals deserve nothing less. We're wishing Nico a happy, healthy and cancer-free future!

-- Janet Kinosian

*******************************************************

Feeding Ritual

2010-09-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Kulani & Phoebe

2010-09-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

We adopted Phoebe from Paw Printz Pitbull Rescue about 4 years ago. Since then, I've remained in close contact with her foster mom, Cyndi. Cyndi sometimes brings her latest foster over for a photo or video session. Today she brought Kulani, which is Hawaiian for "beautiful girl."

Kulani was dumped in a rural area. A very kind man found her and brought her home with him. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to keep her and Paw Printz stepped in. Kulani is very timid with people. Quick movements and objects held in your hand will cause her to scurry away and hide. But when you get down to her level, she is very quick to come up to you for a cuddle. That's what she did with me. She kept her distance while I was standing, but the moment I sat down on the floor, she came right up to me and sat on my lap.

She is great with other dogs. Here she is with Phoebe, vying for the title of Most Submissive Dog.

Kulani is an extremely sweet and gentle girl. She's young, only about 1 year old. She's got a lot of love in her and all she needs is a soft voice and a gentle hand to help her overcome whatever hardships she may have endured in the past. If you're able to foster or adopt her, drop us a line.

Popeye & Phoebe Morning Play

2010-09-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

That's Popeye making the growly noise at the beginning of the video, which is why Boomer slinks off. Wherever Popeye is, usually Boomer is not. But Phoebe of course has a blast with both of them.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Gracie, Seven & Emily Update

2010-09-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

Gracie was adopted a few weeks ago to a great family with 2 little boys that adore her (and as loving as she is, the feeling is mutual no doubt).

A week later, Seven also went to his forever home in Santa Cruz. He's going to be a beach dog just like when he was a pup in Taiwan.

Both these dogs were being fostered by Robin in Sacramento, who has always done an amazing job with all of the many other dogs she's fostered for our rescue. We are so fortunate to have her on our team.

Meet Robin's latest foster dog.

Recognize her? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't--I don't think I would have. She looks very different from her original pictures.

Yes, that's Emily who recently had an FHO surgery performed on her back leg and a pin inserted in her front leg.

After more than 2 weeks at the vet, I'm sure she's happy to be in a home environment. She's on strict crate rest for the next 3-4 weeks, but she's already winning hearts.

I can't wait to meet her!

Giants Dog Days of Summer 2010

2010-08-30T10:20:00.001-07:00

Boomer got to play with Sugar and Crazy Lady while we, along with fosterer extraordinaire Robin, took Phoebe and Popeye to the Giants Dog Days of Summer at AT&T park in SF. Phoebe of course was 100% well-behaved and Popeye was a pleasing 97%, only growling at the pug that stood in line in front of us.

Popeye Gets a Massage

2010-08-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Because of the way he moves, Popeye's body is more prone to being stressed and strained. So equine and canine massage therapist Victoria Tugwell of http://www.newhappyhounds.com comes to work on him every month. Not only does she do house calls, her prices are surprisingly affordable, she does an amazing job, and Popeye loves her.

Coming Together for Emily

2010-08-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

It started with an email from Dana at Merced County Animal Shelter. The email listed a number of dogs requiring rescue. Emails of this sort come in every day, and sometimes it takes a special effort to not feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of animals that need help. Everyone knows they exist and that thousands of good pets die every year because somebody let them down. But the thought is usually an abstract one. It's something you know, but unless you're actually exposed to situations like these first-hand, it's often not something you feel.

I admit I don't open every single one of the these kinds of emails. I know there's a limit to how much I can do, and no good can come from focusing too much on what I can't do.

This particular email from Merced Shelter I did open. After a quick perusal, my attention came to rest on one particular dog. A nondescript black one, labeled as a pit mix--already 2 strikes against her chances of being adopted--but also requiring $1200 for surgery on a broken pelvis and leg.

The brief description provided was:

"Lab/Pit mix female. 10 mos. old. The sweetest dog even though she is badly injured. A/C sent to private vet who said she has a broken pelvis and broken leg. Needs FHO and pin in leg. Vet will do surgery on both for $1200.00. MUST HAVE RESCUE OR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT BY MONDAY OR A/C WILL PICK UP AND EUTHANIZE. Vet staff are in tears over this one as she is such a sweet dog....."

I received that email about 8 days ago. It was a Sunday and her time was almost already up. We do not have the resources in our own home to take her in, but when you can't help one way, you help in another. I felt compelled to at least make a push to get her the funds for her surgery. That would at least increase her chances of being rescued.

So I posted her on Popeye's Facebook account. Nothing more than a copy and paste of those 2 pictures and the short description. She did not even have a name.

That day, Monday, 3 donations came in. A far cry from the $1200 needed, but it was 3 donations more than what we started off with. I contacted Dana just to let her know that somebody was working on raising the funds, hoping to buy more time.

The next day, Tuesday, I reposted on Facebook. By now, the vet was accepting donations directly on her behalf so I included this new info. She was also given a name--Emily. A few more donations came in, but still nowhere near enough.

A couple days later, Thursday, I decided to hold a fundraising drive on our treat website, something I never even thought to do before. All profits generated by sales for 3 days would go towards Emily's surgery fund. The orders immediately started coming in.

By then, Emily's Facebook posts had generated a surprising number of followers. Not massive, but when you consider we are most of us strangers living in different parts of the country, and that Emily is a dog that none of us have ever met, it was fairly incredible.

By Friday of that week, the vet's office informed us that another $550 was needed.

When I called this Monday morning, they told us another $270 was needed.

Within a couple of hours of posting that update on Facebook, we were told that the remainder of the balance had been paid! In just over a week, based on nothing more than 2 pictures and a few sentences from a shelter rep, $1200 was raised for a dog that could have been easily overlooked in any shelter. Most from people I've never personally met, friends and fans of Popeye, friends of friends, long-term and new customers, all across the country. How amazing is that?

This is how one person can make a difference, because it was the total sum of every individual involved that allowed us to reach our goal. Because of the dozens and dozens of people who reached out in their own small but ultimately huge way, a plain black dog named Emily is one step closer to starting a new life.

Emily has had her surgery and is recuperating nicely at the vet for now. We're still trying to find a foster home for her, but at least the first obstacle--and it was a big one--has been overcome, thanks to the combined efforts of so many people.

We Won!

2010-08-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

The most incredible thing! I almost can't believe it! We are one of the Grand Prize winners of the Petfinder World's Best Pet Parent Photo Contest!

That means the rescue will receive $10,000! At the very start of this contest, we pledged to share any prize money with a few other animal welfare groups and now it looks like we've all won!

$1,000 will go to Animals Ilan Rescue, a small grassroots rescue effort in Taiwan. Seven came from this group. Abbie, my contact with the group, whom I have never met in person but feel like I know, is one of the most dedicated rescuers I've coordinated with.

$1,000 will go towards the medical care of any dogs needing it at Lake County Animal Shelter. We have pulled a few dogs from this shelter, and Marnette and Sara there have always been so devoted in getting each dog to safety.

$2,000 will go towards the medical care of some lucky pits rescued by an incredible man named Tyler Nasise in San Diego, CA. I first heard of Tyler last year when he saved a pit puppy named Smokey who suffered from acid burns so terrible that he not only required surgery but had to wear a tshirt for 7 months to protect his skin. I was in awe of Tyler then, but since then, he's gone on to rescue several other pits with severe medical issues. He chronicles each dog's journey on Facebook, so check him out if you have a FB account: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100000137453553&ref=ts

Aside from the prize money, this contest was important to me because it was an opportunity to share a glimpse of Popeye's journey with a wider audience. As you can imagine, the sight of a 2-legged dog garners a lot of attention. I remember one time, we took him to a crowded beach in San Francisco. One woman came up to me and said that her dog had had cancer in one of his legs. Rather than amputate, because she thought a dog could not live happily without all 4 legs, she had him euthanized because she believed it was the kinder thing to do. She said that if she had seen Popeye before that, she would have known differently.

It was a sad story. I think that if people could just see Popeye, they'll come to realize the capacity that pets have to live life to the fullest, despite having a bit of a handicap, and maybe more less-than-perfect animals (and what is "perfect" anyway?) will be given the opportunity to do just that.

Kudos to Petfinder for turning this into a win-win situation for everybody involved. I didn't think it was possible for them to come up with a solution that would make everybody happy, but they did it. I'm glad that Oldies But Goodies Cocker Rescue also received the grand prize and that the other finalists will have another chance to win. We're all on the same team ultimately, with the same purpose, and our rescue is no more or less deserving than any other rescue.

A big big BIG thank you to everybody who voted! Popeye had supporters not just across the country but as far as Guatemala, Brazil, and Tawain. I am almost, but not quite, speechless and want to express my utmost appreciation to everyone who participated. That includes Tyler P, my "Bub," for taking the winning photo, helping to write up the 500-character essay (it's harder than you think!), and maybe most importantly, for listening to me blather on about the contest almost nonstop since it started. I know he's grateful that the contest has ended early for us so that he doesn't have to spend another 38 days listening to that.

And to think, we almost didn't enter because we didn't think we'd have a chance of winning. The power of teamwork and the inspiration of a spunky 2-legged dog named Popeye.

Cheers to all the "World's Best Pet Parents" out there! We've been fortunate enough to know so many!

Meet Bella, the 6-Mth Old Pit

2010-08-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is Bella. Bella is about 6 months old and was surrendered by her owner. She has demodex mange with awful scabs all over her body, especially on her head. Part of her front right paw is missing so she walks with a limp. It does seem to cause her pain sometimes so the vet may think she'd be better off with that leg amputated.

She's not quite as happy-go-lucky as most pits on initial meeting, but as you can see, she gets there.

Bella is under the care of Paw Printz Pitbull Rescue, which is where we adopted Phoebe from.

Popeye in Black & White

2010-08-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Cosmo Kramer - Needs a Foster / Adoptive Home

2010-08-17T20:42:00.001-07:00

He's cute, he's cuddly, he's Cosmo Kramer the little kitty cat, and he will wrap you around his tiny paw in no time. Undaunted by dogs or other cats, Cosmo is fearless. He's about 9 weeks old and is a very sociable cat. If you or someone you know is looking for one awesome kitten, Cosmo really needs a home. He's currently in Sacramento.

Dolly the Pitbull

2010-08-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

A beautiful song, a beautiful story, a beautiful dog named Dolly.