Pt Isabel Get-Together

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

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

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

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

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