Sleeping

Buddy Plays with a Toy

Buddy never plays with toys. But I pulled out a brand new one today and he immediately took to it. Maybe he only plays with toys that still have the tag on them.

Golden Grace

This is Walkin' the Bark's latest addition. She was found wandering the streets in Sacramento one evening last week. A neighbor brought her to Robin's attention (you'll recall that Robin is currently fostering Seven). One thing led to another and in the end, both Robin and I agreed that ultimately, the choice boiled down to taking the dog to the shelter (where she would undoubtedly be put to sleep) or Robin fostering the dog.

Less than an hour in the dog's presence and Robin couldn't bring herself to condemn her to a shelter and likely death. It's one thing to be aware of the fact that there are thousands of dogs just like this one already in the shelter that we cannot do anything about. But when one actually crosses your path, your heart is touched and you can't help but feel some responsibility for that dog.

Robin, although she already has her hands full with one foster dog (Seven--a so-called "difficult" dog), her own dog, and several cats, decided she would care for this stray as well. Unfortunately, the dog was found right before the 4th of July weekend and Robin already had plans to be out of town. So the dog ended up being boarded at a vet that weekend.

Robin named her Golden Grace. She appears to be about 8 months old or so, a pit mix, currently 33 lbs. Our own Phoebe was that age and size when she first came into our lives, and she is one of the best things that ever happened to us, so Gracie brings back fond memories.

When Gracie was found, she was ridden with fleas and on the ribby side. She was a bit timid towards strangers but was found to warm up quickly. She freezes on leash, so it's obvious she has never been taken on walks, and we suspect she was a dog left in the backyard her whole life.

At the vet, she took being handled in stride. She won over everyone there with her sweetness. And as it turns out, she is extremely playful in typical pit fashion.

Dogs and Primates Freed from Lab this Independence Day Weekend!

from: http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/laboratory-beagles-gain-freedom-over-independence-day-weekend/



Yankee Doodle Dandy may just be the song of the day for 120 Beagles and 55 primates rescued over the weekend from bankrupt AniClin Laboratories, located in Oxford, N.J. It has been three months since the lab was shut down, yet the animals used in experiments conducted at the facility, remained locked inside.

WAR, or Win Animal Rights, fought the legal battle for months, trying to gain custody of the 120 Beagles and 55 primates trapped inside the lab. AniClin's parent company, Azopharma, went into bankruptcy on Friday, April 2, and the building housing the animals was locked up with a sign posted, instructing employees not to return. A few brave and caring former employees decided to scale the fence and tend to the animals. And if it weren't for them, animal advocates likely wouldn't have been alerted to the potential plight of the dogs.

Bank of America (BOA), in charge of receivership for Azopharma, was tired of paying for the animals food and water so they looked for a buyer. Unable to find anyone interested, you would think BOA would happily surrender the animals to a rescue group, right? Think again. It took a court order -- issued in Missouri on Wednesday, June 30 -- for the animals to win their independence.

WAR's Camille Hankins already had a sanctuary lined up for all 55 rescued primates. As for finding placement for the Beagles, Hankins has been working closly with Pets Alive, a rescue shelter located near the Catskill Mountains (about an hour and a half outside of New York City). Pets Alive, in conjunction with the New York chapter of Best Friends Animal Society, planned, coordinated and drove to AniClin Laboratories on Friday -- along with numerous volunteers -- to rescue the Beagles. And now, for possibly the first time in their lives, these timid pups felt grass under their feet.




Most of the Beagles are between two to five years old and have always lived in the laboratory -- caged with little human contact, much like a puppy mill. Their rehabilitation will take dedicated effort on the part of the rescuers who foster and care for them.

The first Beagle removed from the van was named Liberty. It is common practice for lab animals to never receive names. They are only recognized by numbers. And to help raise funds for the Beagles' care, Pets Alive is holding a contest: For a $25 donation, you can submit a name to be given to one of the lucky dogs.

All Beagles are reported to be in good health; half of them were the control group and did not particiapte in experimentation. They will be vetted, spayed and neutered. Thirty were already sent to a northern New Jersey group, St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, for fostering and eventual adoption. Adopt-A-Dog, based in Greenwich, Conn., picked up ten of the dogs over the weekend. And for those remaining, Pets Alive will coordinate getting each and every dog to a foster group.

Happy Fourth of July, all!

Popeye Tugs & Phoebe Dances

Buddy and Bo Play

Thanks to Buddy's foster family for sharing this video. Hands up to Bo for actually getting Buddy to play!

A Visit to Contra Loma Lake