Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Quick Update

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season this December. We sure did. Marie happily received a new chewy toy, Neika got a new cat-nip filled crinkly pillow toy, and Reggie got a new red sweater (we shaved some mats off back in September, but the fur never grew back fully, so he's a little bald in spots, and gets chilly at night). Marie spent the week chewing, Neika spent it kicking around her little pillow (usually just as we were trying to fall asleep), and Reggie adjusted nicely to wearing something more than just his collar. He was less than thrilled with the whole situation, but I think he feels better at night now.

Other than Reggie walking into the tree every now and again (hey, you move things around on your blind cat and chances are good they'll run into stuff now and again as they get used to the new set up), we all had a nice Christmas.

We took some time off from fostering. Marie and our last foster, Diamond (a Queensland Heeler), didn't get along so well. There was an incident involving just who got to use the small crate, and neither girl wanted to back down. Yes, I said small crate, and yes, Diamond is a Heeler. No idea how, but she actually managed to fit in a small crate and liked it that way. So, needless to say, we decided we all needed a break.

And it was for the best, as Reggie has gotten worse these last couple of months. For your review, Reggie is a 15 year old Maine Coon cat. He suffers from hyperthyroidism, kidney damage (from the HT, requiring daily sub-q fluids), high blood pressure and arrhythmia. He is also blind. Add to that now having an infection in his mouth and you have one grumpy cat. The mouth infection begs for removal of teeth. He's actually already lost one on its own. Problem is, he's a 15 year old cat with an arrhythmia. Our vet feels that surgery is just too risky, and the chances of losing him there on the table are too high. So we're treating that infection with a round of antibiotics every couple of weeks. He's been having problems getting to his litter box in time the last couple of weeks, so we've come home to some pretty foul messes on the tile in the kitchen and dining room (at least he keeps it on the tile I guess). He has his good days and his bad days when it comes to eating (the last few days have been bad days unfortunately). So we've had some fun in the House of L lately. We just felt that adding a new dog to the mix probably wasn't such a good idea.

So that's all that's been happening around here. I'm hoping to be able to post a bit more often after the New Year. I don't know where 2008 went, but it sure went by quickly. Hope you all have a great rest of 2008 and wonderful New Year!

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

I'm in Love....

...with a boy named Tad.





I got the joy of spending some time with Tad a couple of Saturdays ago. And I have fallen hard for this adorable little guy. I posted a picture of him from his rescue day back in May. Little did I know that the sad little face belonged to the sweetest little dog.

We list Tad as a Chihuahua, though he reminds a little of my Min Pin (and it's not just the markings). He could have a little crazy pinscher in him, who knows.

He has soulful eyes, a soft smooth coat, and a funny little "collar" of fur that sticks out a bit on his neck. He loves to sit in your lap and give you soft little puppy kisses. He's a quiet little guy who is content to just "be." He has wonderful manners in public and walks well on the leash. He also appears to be mostly housebroken (we were at Noble Beast in Phoenix, and he let me know he needed to go outside while we were there).

Tad enjoys spending time with his canine companions, and while he would probably be fine as an only dog, he would also do well with a sibling. Because he's a small, calm dog, he doesn't require a large amount of exercise beyond daily walks and romps across your living room. He'd make an excellent apartment or condo dweller.

Tad also looks quite stunning in a sweater, as you can see from the photo. ;D

Do you have a space in your pond for this little Tad-pole? If you do, hop on over to our website and fill out a Matchmaker Form.

And until he finds his forever home, I will continue to pine for the little guy.

Thanks for stopping by! See you at the dog park!




Monday, September 29, 2008

Help RESCUE Win $10,000!!!

All you have to do is vote! Its that easy.


Click on the "Go Now" button above and vote. To browse for RESCUE, select Arizona for the state, then scroll down until you see the Phoenix listing. Click on RESCUE and vote! We have 183 votes as of this posting. We'll need a whole lot more to win, so start voting!! You can even send it on to everyone in your email address book to help spread the word.

Thanks for voting. See you at the dog park!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Meet Gracie!


Meet our foster Gracie!


She has been with us since August 25th, but I just haven't had a chance to post about this sweet and goofy girl. Gracie came down with pneumonia a few days after coming to stay with us, and she started out a meager 19lbs. But she's recovered from that is now a crazy, silly, energetic puppy. And she's put on a pound or two.


Gracie is a Whippet/Dalmatian mix (we think). She's a medium sized dog, coming about to the knees. But she's all legs!! She is so not a graceful dog. Its part of her charm though.


Gracie loves a good toy. Whether you throw it for her or if she pounces on the toy and sends it flying herself, she loves to fetch. And if a toy squeaks, its good times in the House of L. Right now as I type this, she is raiding the doggie toy box. Not sure what she's trying to pull out, but I think it might be the ball that lights up.


She is a young dog, and exhibits many puppy behaviors. She's mouthy, but does not chew inappropriately. She is housebroken, but sometimes she'll be so focused on playing with a toy that she'll forget to go outside and just tinkles in the house, then goes on playing. We have to make sure to make her take breaks to go potty. She is high energy and it is a must that she go to a home with another playful pup. She isn't the best on a leash yet, but she's a smart dog and will learn quickly. She has already learned "sit" though she's not always consistent with it yet. She'll sit when we stop and wait for her to before placing her food bowl on the floor. She's also started to crate up on command.


Gracie has been an absolute joy to have around. But tomorrow, she'll be going over to the dog daycare where we board some the RESCUE dogs. She'll be much happier there because she'll have lots of playful friends (both four-legged and two legged) to keep her busy. She's getting a little bored here, since the old lady (the Min Pin) and the grouchy cats won't play with her. I try, but I just can't over the feeling of fluff in my mouth when I'm carrying around the squeaky stuff toy. Oh well. We've had a lot of fun with her and can't wait to see her find her forever home. Now that she's up on the website and available for adoption, I don't think she'll be with RESCUE much longer. :D


Tomorrow I pick up a new foster. He's a 3lb Chihuahua named Jalen. I'll post more about him soon.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Bowl-a-rama Was a Success!!!

Wow! We had an initial goal of $45,000 for this fundraiser. At the beginning of last week we were only up to about $31,000 and so dropped that goal to $35,000 for a final total. Well, we surpassed that, and while we didn't quite meet the original goal, we did raise a whopping $43,000!!!! I don't know if any of those donations came from my 2 readers, but if it did, thank you very much!!

We also had a blast bowling on Saturday morning. People came dressed in their best '50s attire and we bowled our little hearts out. The dogs beat the cats, ahem. You can see some video footage on RESCUE's Facebook page. Check it out! And check out some of our other videos and photo albums while you're there. You can get your morning dose of cuteness from all the dogs and cats.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Bowl-a-Rama Fundraiser: Three Days Left!!


Well, we have three days left until Phoenix-area shelters converge and take over a bowling alley this coming weekend!!

RESCUE has a goal of $45,000. This will help cover most of our expenses for the rest of the year. $1500 a month covers our dog boarding costs. But we also have cats in boarding, medical expenses (we recently had to have all the teeth pulled from one of our little dogs, man was the expensive) and various other expenses that come with any business (even non-profits have bills to pay). But with only three days left, it looks like we won't quite meet that goal, which is unfortunate.

However, the volunteers have all worked really, really hard to raise the money we have so far. We now hope to raise at least $35,000 before the end of the week. We're about $1000 short of this goal!! If you haven't made a donation yet, please take a moment to go over to the website and make a secure, tax-deductible donation. Every little bit helps, even a donation as small as $5 will help make a difference.

Already made a donation? Please pass the link on to the animal lovers in your life and encourage them to make a donation as well.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park.

Rocky was Adopted!

Well, little man Rocky is now in his forever home with new dad Jerry. Rocky and Jerry met on Sunday. Rocky is a little unsure about new people, particularly when they try to pick him up. So Jerry took a seat on the couch and let Rocky come to him. Rocky obliged and share his squeaky toy with Jerry while sitting in his lap. Hopefully Rocky has adjusted and warmed up to his new dad by now.

We'll miss the little guy, that's for sure. He was a joy to have around, and we would have had no problem if he had had to stay with us longer. But I know he'll be loved and spoiled in his new home where he'll be the only dog for a while (which means no sharing the lap with another pooch).

Good luck Rocky! We'll miss you!

We'll be cat sitting in about a week, and the kitties will be staying with us for almost two weeks, so we'll be taking a little break from dog fostering. We should have a new pup by the end of August though, and I'll be sure to post all about the lucky dog.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Etsy Has Gone to the Dogs!

I'm a crafty gal in my spare time and I have my own Etsy shop where I sell a few items. I've been meaning to post about this for some time now, but just have not had the time. I want to spotlight pet related Etsy sellers from time to time.

Now, you might be asking "What is Etsy?" Excellent question. Etsy is a site where crafty and creative people can sell their handmade goodies.


Today I wanted to spotlight one of my favorite shops, and two more that caught my eye when I was surfing around this morning.

The first shop is Art4MilkBones. She makes the cutest wooden signs and leash holders, along with other small bits and bobs. I have actually purchased a number of her signs. They are well done, quality work. I wish I had a reason to buy more from her!! (I'm sure I'll find some)

Pets Welcome Sign

Recycle Love - Rescue Pet Sign

Paw Print Leash Holder

Gift Tags

She has so many other great items, so be sure to check out her entire shop!!



The next shop I found today is Acme Couture. This shop sells handmade doggie apparel.
I have not purchased from this shop yet.

Rooin' in the Rain Coat
The Sherlock Holmes Coat (what all the best dressed doggie sleuths are wearing)

And the best part about shopping there, 15% of the sale goes to a greyhound rescue!!



And the third shop I'd like to spotlight is Boo Dog Mugs.

Adorable Min Pin Mug
Siberian Husky Mug
Bull Dog Mug


So run over to Etsy and check out these great sellers. And while you're there, search around. You'll find plenty more where that came from!! Have an Etsy shop that sells pet related items? Or know of a favorite? Leave me a comment and I'll try to spotlight that shop in a future post!

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Meet Paisley!

Today I wanted to break from the dog world and step briefly into Kitty Kat Land. Now, I don't get to spend much time with the cats of RESCUE personally, but I do like to check in and see how my favorites are doing. Every now and again I get the chance to swing by our cat boarding facility to pick up or drop off supplies.

Last year, I was picking up the tent for an event. I was greeted in the lobby by a rather curvaceous kitty name Paisley.



Paisley is a 10 year old, female, tortie (tortoise-shell). She's a full-bodied gal, but it just adds to her feminine allure. She is a gorgeous cat with a short-medium length coat, and stunning eyes. Her photos just don't her justice though. Paisley will greet you with a meow and will then proceed to tell you all about her day. She's a talkative one. After that she'll often flop over for tummy rubs and lots of petting, or give you little head-butts. She's a sweet and mellow girl, who still likes to play with toys. She doesn't know she's supposed to be an "old" cat.

Unfortunately, due to her age, and the fact that the tortie coat never really photographs well, she is often overlooked by potential adopters. It's such a shame because she is a wonderful, sweet, loving cat, just looking for a forever home where she can spend her golden years.

You can now view a video of Miss Paisley over on RESCUE's Facebook page. Check it out!!

Do you know of someone who might be interested in Paisley? Pass on the link to her bio! If you're interested in her yourself, you can fill out an application online.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Rocky Has An Adoption Appointment!!



Ah, the good life, the life of a foster dog in our household. Yep, that's the same Rocky you see in the earlier post. But now he's clean, comfortable, and happy. We have had the little guy for just over a month now and he has been an absolute joy. He was housebroken that first weekend and has adjusted to our work schedule beautifully and is able to hold it while we're at work. No accidents. He gets along with our Min Pin and he's polite to the cats. Okay, he's mostly terrified of the cats and avoids them at all costs. But he has started to show some interest, if only he could get close enough for a sniff.


Rocky is a quiet and well behaved little guy, and he has "cool hair" as my husband would say. (See the picture below from his rescue day). He has learned to sit before I put down his food bowl, to sit when it's time to come back in from a romp in the back yard, and he crates up when we tell him to. Gotta love that. We were only able to train one other foster dog to crate up on command, and it took him longer than a month. Rocky had that down in about two weeks. He's a smart little guy.


Rocky also discovered the joy of a good squeaky toy and it's now non-stop squeakage at the House of L.


But this may just be our last week with this wonderful little pup. We received an application for him earlier this week and are now in the process of finalizing an appointment for Sunday. His potential adopter is a single man, who is home more than away and has no other pets. He owned a Min Pin and a Yorkie previously (how ironic) so he's used to the small breeds, particularly the small terriers. He has a lifestyle that will allow him to devote plenty of time, love and attention to little Rocky, and that's exactly what we want for our little buddy.


So keep your fingers crossed for us and I'll be sure to post an update next week!!


Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Bowl-a-rama Time!



It's that time of year again, time for Bowl-a-rama!



Bowl-a-rama?!



Yes, Bowl-a-rama!




Bowl-a-rama is a fundraising event sponsored by PACC911. Animal shelters and rescue organizations from around the Valley participate in this fun event. From May through the end of July groups make a big push to raise as much money as they can. Then, on the first Saturday in August, the groups take over a local bowling alley for the entire day (and I mean take over, it's crazy animal lovers as far as the eye can see) and have a great time bowling, wearing goofy costumes, and belting out creative cheers. There are also raffle prizes and a silent auction going on that day. The bowling day itself is just for the rescue groups. Prizes are also awarded to the groups for best costumes and best cheers, and for raising the most funds.

RESCUE has a goal of $45,000. This will help see us through the remainder of the year. We have two teams working to meet that goal: The Leader of the Pack (the dog team) and the Rockin' Bowlin' Felines (the cat team, obviously). So far we've raised almost $20,000, so we are close to that half-way mark. But there's only one month left to raise money.

I am on the Leader of the Pack team, go figure. Each team member has an individual goal of $1,500. $1,500 will help cover one month worth of boarding costs. Or it could help cover medical costs for a dog or two. Am I anywhere near that? No. But you can help me out!!

All you have to do is make a donation using our secure donation page: http://azrescue.org/servlet/sponsor02?bowl=1

Every little bit helps, whether it's as small as $5 or $25 or larger donations of $50 or more. It's tax deductible as well. I know the economy is tough right now, gas prices are through the roof, food costs are going up, people are losing their homes. But the dogs and cats still need your help, maybe now more than ever before. But if we don't have the funds, we can't help as many of them as we need to.

Home foreclosures are at an all time high. People are finding themselves in situations where they feel they can no longer keep their pets. The number of pets ending up at shelters has grown considerably in the past year. People are turning in pets at a higher rate and the city and county shelters find themselves at capacity. They are also abandoning animals in the homes when they have been foreclosed. There are just so many animals out there in need of new homes. Smaller groups take in what they can, and that includes RESCUE. We managed to rescue five new dogs two weeks ago (Rocky was one of them). But we can't do this without your financial help.

Maybe you can't adopt one yourself, and maybe money is tight for you, but maybe you can find a way to spare $5 or $10 this month and make that donation to RESCUE. Tell a friend, or ten friends. Take up a collection within your carpool, at your work, from your family and friends. Every little bit adds up.

And it's so easy. Just click the link I posted above. This will take you to our donation page. Select a bowler (Leader of the Pack in this case ;D), type in a quicky message to encourage us, indicate the dollar amount of your donation, and you can put me down as the Referrer (AZ Dog Mom) so I know it came from a reader. Didn't I tell you that would be easy?

So please, head on over to the site this month and make a donation. Then tell everyone you know about it and ask them to make a small donation. With your help, we can reach our goal of $45,000.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Meet Our New Foster Rocky!

This is little Rocky. He's a terrier mix (Yorkie/Cairn perhaps?), or as I like to say, "He's a little scruffy dog!" He's has cute little round brown eyes that just stare up at you, giving him a sad little face. And his hair sticks up all over, much like Einstein's did. Its quite endearing really.

Rocky was sprung from the joint on Friday, June 13th. Being the day that he was rescued from the kill list, and given a second chance at life, it should have been a pretty lucky day for the little guy. But ended up being a pretty rough one instead. That evening we went to a fundraiser event, "Yappy Hour" at a resort in Scottsdale. The first hour went well, he got lots of attention from folks. But then I put him down to get a drink of water. The water bowls were near a door to the patio. One of the guests came in with her dog. The dog sniffed at Rocky and then turned to walk away. Suddenly it turned back and chomped down on little Rocky, picked him up and started off with him, shaking him and all that, as if Rocky were a toy (and maybe that's what the dog thought he was....). I was of course yelling and screaming. When you're in a situation like that, you're not always thinking, you're just reacting. Luckily, someone else did have their wits about them and dumped a large pitcher of cold water on the dog's head. It let Rocky go and I scooped him up and backed off quick. Rocky let out the scream that little dogs scream when they're frightened out their tiny little skulls, which of course scared everyone present, even more so than we already were. We rushed him out of that room into a quiet office to look him over. He has a little sore on one of his front legs, but its minor and should heal up quick. No other punctures, though he did bite his tongue, but it only bled a little bit.

He's come out of it sore, and a little nervous of everything in general, but I don't think there's any lasting physical damage. He was a rather happy-go-lucky pup when I picked him up, but not so much right now. I'm hoping that after a week or two in quiet, stress-free, safe and loving environment, that he'll perk up and be back to normal. I came out of it with rug burn on the top of one foot, bruises on my knees, and nasty sore on the inside of one knuckle (I think the leash ripped the skin when he was pulled from me).

But now its time to tell you a little about Rocky. He's a quiet little guy who loves some lap time. He's a bit of a circus dog in that he'll get up on his hind legs and walk a bit if he thinks there's something up high of interest. He has jumped up onto our dining room chairs in order to get high enough for me to pay attention to him (hey, it worked didn't it?). He enjoys looking out the front window, and even more so if the office chair is pushed up close to it so he can sit rather than stand as he watched the street. Rocky also enjoys the large dog bed we have. All the little guys love it. He spent about an hour yesterday passed out on his back, head to the side, legs up in the air. Here's a picture that I took of the little guy. (**Note: This photo has been censored, as this is a family friendly blog. ;D)



So far, he has not shown much interest in toys or playing, but new fosters often don't until they have been with us for a bit and are more comfortable. He does not try to get Marie to play with him, but he has tried to sniff her a few times. The cats absolutely terrify him and he avoids them at all costs. Even if it means taking the long way around the dining room table.

Rocky enjoys being picked up and held. He likes to be close. He also likes to curl up for his naps in safe little spots such as under the dining room chairs, between the bar stools at our kitchen island, in the little space between the recliner/end table/sofa, under my worktable, etc. He actually briefly went into his crate when I was working in that room yesterday.

He does okay in the crate when we leave or at night. He'll bark for a while, but then quiets down.
Overall, so far he's been a good little guy. He's only had a few accidents in the house, but they were really "marking" more than anything. He's not yet neutered, so its to be expected. There are plenty of other fosters that marked those same places, so he's just letting future fosters know he was there. Think of it as doggie graffiti.

Well, that's about all I can tell you about this sweet little guy for now. As we get to know him better, I'll be sure to post some updates and of course some great new photos.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Thursday Thirteen!


I've never tried the whole "Thursday Thirteen" type of post, but I want to try to post more often here, figured I'd take advantage of this. So here it is, my first attempt at a Random Doggie Thursday 13! (And I'll throw in some cat stuff too)

1. If you have a peach tree in your backyard, birds will indeed flock to it. And proceed to feast on the peaches you have not yet picked. And make a big mess, in more ways than one. The ground beneath said tree will soon be sporting many sticky peach-pits. Your dog will discover these long before you do and is likely to pick them up and carry them around the yard, and attempt to chew them. Bad, very bad. Lesson to be learned, do a daily peach-pit check BEFORE you let the dogs out.

2. When you take a brief break from fostering, your own dog will love you more, and then become bored because she has no one to steal toys from or snap at. And you will once again see the elusive scaredy cat on a more regular basis, outside of her feline sanctuary. But you will find you miss having another little four-legged one around.

3. My cat spends way to much time near the water bowl. Chest and neck mats are a real pain to comb out. Much comb-biting is involved.

4. When you have so many leashes hanging on the leash hooks that they start to fall off if you brush by too close, you have too many leashes. Especially considering there are never more than two dogs in the house at one time.

5. Its can be frightening to find clumps of fur in the back of the coat closet. Especially when that fur is from a dog that you fostered over a year ago.....maybe I need to vacuum out the closets more often.

6. Dog + Moth = Me laughing hysterically through the patio door. Good times were had by all, well except for maybe the moth.

7. There's this great new alarm clock out. Its called the Reggie-Clock. At 6am, every morning, it marches into the bedroom and lets out a LOUD and startling "MUR-ROWR!" Trust me, you'll jump so high you won't be able to go back to sleep. And there's no snooze button. (Who knew a 15 year cat could be so loud and demanding)

8. RESCUE is working one of our biggest fundraisers of the year right now. We have until the beginning of August to raise as much money as we can for the Bowl-a-rama fundraiser. This is an event sponsored by PACC911 and rescue groups and shelters all over the Valley will be joining in. RESCUE has a goal of $45,000 and we need all the help we can get!!! So take a moment to visit the website and maybe even make a small donation. You'll be helping to fund our efforts to give homeless dogs and cats a second chance at life and a new forever home. I will be doing a separate post about this soon (I'm on the Leader of the Pack team).

9. When you own dogs and/or cats, you can take them with you wherever you go. Just take a look down at your shirt or pants. You'll see, they're always with you, whether you want them to be or not. Where's that lint-roller?

10. A dog can make your day. No matter how bad your day at work was, you can't help but smile, laugh, and feel calm when you have a warm, furry friend sitting on your lap loving you unconditionally (though a treat won't be turned away). I love my Min Pin.

11. Cats are not always graceful or sure-footed. Neika, our Siamese, is the poster child for the graceless cat. When she's not catching a foot on the top of the baby-gate as she jumps over, or trying to balance on the bars of the clothes hamper cart only to fall into one of the hamper baskets, she's sitting on the bed in a most unlady-like position. A position that compels us to ask her if she'd like a beer. Use your imagination. I came out of the bathroom this morning only to see her lounging on the bed in one of these lovely positions. Really, its a wonderful way to start the day.

12. Could there be a more sad little face than this?

This little guy is Tad. No, he's not my new foster, but he is new to RESCUE. And he just looks so little and sad and scared. Tad is a chihuahua, about one year old and sweet as can be. He's not quite ready for adoption, but watch for him, he'll be up on the website real soon.

13. "Anyone who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog." -- Franklin P. Jones (And Saturday, I will once again get to taste the sweet elixir of clean, as I give Marie a much-needed bath)

Wow, that was tougher than I thought to come up with 13 things. But, there you have it, 13 random thoughts from yours truly.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Sunday, May 18, 2008

RESCUE is The Best!


Well, RESCUE won The Best contest at AZ Central!
If you voted for us, thank you so much!
Thanks for reading. See you at the Dog Park!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Meet Our New Foster Toby!

Time to meet our new foster dog, Toby! Toby has been with RESCUE (and us) since April 2nd. Why he's still with us, I don't know. Just look at that face!!!


Toby



(This picture was taken on his rescue day, so he was a little unsure of himself at the time.)

Toby is a small (around 8lbs) brown and white chihuahua. He's friendly and fairly outgoing, and seems to have a soft spot for men. He does well with dogs and cats. He's quite the playful little guy and loves all his toys. Including the big-dog toys, many of which are as big if not bigger than he is. He's a bit "toy ADD" in that he'll start playing with one, spot another one out of the corner of his eye, abandon current toy and take up new toy. Thirty seconds later, he sees yet another toy that must be played with. And so and so on until every toy has had a chance to be gnawed on that hour. But he's a sweet and goofy little guy (my favorite puppy personality) and you just can't help but smile at him.

Toby has a slightly twisted muzzle, his nose is a little off center (that's not just a weird camera angle, his nose is really slightly off to the side like that). But it doesn't faze him, and since he hasn't hit his teens yet, he's not constantly worrying about his looks. So he is blissfully unaware of his imperfections, as it should be. It makes him all the more endearing, don't you agree? He also has a slightly crooked tail, that appears like it may have been broken before. It add to his overall charm.

When Toby is worried or unsure of a situation, he will wrinkle up his little forehead (see photo) and look up at you with his big, sad, brown eyes and you just have to melt right then and there. I don't care who you are, he has the magic to melt.

Toby loves lap time and wants nothing more than to be snuggled up to his person while he naps.
He is also a nibbler (that's one of his nicknames now, Nibbler). He loves to nibble on fingers and toes (especially when the toes are attached to feet that are trying to move around the house). He never bites hard, just softly nibbles. Its very sweet.

So if you or someone you know is looking for a small, calm, sweet little pup to spoil and love, check out Toby. You might just be his forever home.

Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Romeo's Adoption!

I never got a chance to write a post about Romeo, the white boxer (mix?) we fostered earlier this year. But I now have some great pictures from his adoption day so I just wanted to share.



Here is a shot from Romeo's rescue day:
Romeo



And here are some shots of him and new brother, Mickey Blue Eyes, having a jolly good time playing and wrestling (something I'm sure is an everyday occurrence in their home now):



Romeo and Mickey
Romeo and Mickey
Romeo, tired out






And here is a great shot of Romeo with his new forever proud papa.
Romeo and Dad



We loved having Romeo around. He was a sweet and goofy dog that made us smile every day. His temperament was a dream, he was smart, great on the leash, and even learned a few commands. He was a great foster that we were sad to see go, but we know he has found the perfect forever home with a mom and dad who will love him and treat him like the wonderful dog that his is. And he now has a canine brother who is matched to him in play style and temperament, so we know he'll have fun every day and get all the activity he needs.


Good luck Romeo! We'll miss you!



Thanks for reading. See you at the dog park!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

RESCUE - The BEST in Phoenix?




RESCUE has been nominated to be the "Best" in Phoenix for animal shelters/rescue groups!



The "Best" is hosted by azcentral.com . This is their second year for this and it is a Reader's Choice poll. Readers nominate their favorite local businesses from a number of categories. These include favorite people, recreation areas and activities, Valley attractions, arts and entertainment, food and dining, various services, and even pets! The top ten are selected for each category and then readers can vote on their favorite from that list of 10.

The winners for each category will receive plenty of media exposure and then of course they will be awarded the title – THE BEST for 2008!!!

Voting is simple. Head on over to the azcentral.com Best website and then click on Pets. A new window will pop up which asks you to enter the characters you see (this is just a security check). Then you will be taken to the poll page. The default category will be Best Animal Shelter (on the left side of the screen). You can also choose other categories by clicking on them, which will then open a new list of nominees. Click the radio button next to RESCUE to select us, then click Vote down at the bottom of the list. That will tabulate the votes to date and show you the current results.

You can vote once a day from now until April 17th. So please tell a friend (or 10)! And be sure to log on every day to cast your vote. You can help RESCUE with your vote by giving us a chance to show the community who we are and what we do to help homeless dogs and cats in Maricopa County.


Thanks for reading. See you at the Dog Park!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Should I Stay or Should I Go? (The Poo Chronicles)

Well, its all about the poo this week at the house of L. Yes, I said poo. Its something you get frighteningly comfortable with when you have a multi-pet household with critters of all ages.

Really, that goes for all pet messes. For example, on our wedding day, one of our cats had thrown up on the living room carpet (guess he wanted to let us know how he felt about missing out on cake). When we got home that night I was seen on my hands and knees cleaning it up, still in my wedding gown. If that's not commitment to one's animals, I don't know what is.

But I digress. Our elderly cat, Reggie, has been suffering from bouts of constipation. We have special medication to give him for this problem. Its supposed to taste like chicken. If the smell is anything to go by, that's a chicken I do not want to eat. He hates it, and I don't really blame him. But he tolerates it well enough, considering. Our nightly ritual now involves wrapping him in a towel (to keep my husband's hands safe from the talons-of-death), I hold Reggie like a baby, my husband fills up the syringe and then squirts it into Reggie's mouth. Yes, we do end up wearing some of it. Then we get out the pillow and some cat food, and he gets his sub-Q fluids. I've become quite tolerant of sticking a one inch long 18 gauge needle into my cat, and it disturbs me slightly. But it part of owning an elderly cat with hyperthyroidism and damaged kidneys I guess. Oh, he also suffers from a slight heart murmur, has high blood pressue, and his vision is diminishing day by day. My cat is on more prescriptions (including his food) than I am. And his cost more. But he's still an affectionate cat who can hold his own with a large, enthusiastic, young dog (and in our household, that's a valuable trait).

Back to the whole constipation issue. He's backed up. But we had poo on Monday night, which I announced to the entire household. I had to hold myself back from rushing on here and annoucing it then. So its getting better.

We have a new foster right now, and I will tell you much more about him in another post. His name is Romeo and he is a boxer (mix?). Anywho, he was only supposed to be with us over the weekend (our boarding facility was going to be closed and we had an adoption event, so I took him in so he could be at the event), but he'll be sticking around for a bit. He had some diarrhea last weekend I'm told. We noticed on Friday night when I got him home, that he still had some intestinal issues. By Saturday evening, it was worse. He was quite lethargic as well. He woke us up in the early morning hours on Sunday, twice, needing to go out. He repeated this Monday and Tuesday mornings. Its very pretty outside at 3am. You can see lots of stars from our backyard. This morning however, he only got me up around 5am. I do so appreciate that. The poor guy though, he held it until we heard him whimpering and let him out. He's such a good dog!!

Turns out that our little (well, not too little, he is boxer afterall) guy has a bacterial infection. I picked up some meds for him yesterday. He gets them three days this week, then we wait seven days and give it to him for three more days. We already noticed a difference this morning. I was out in the backyard with both him and our Min Pin, Marie. He tried to get her to play, though she's not having it. He gave her a couple of enthusiastic play bows, let out a few goofy grrrs, jumped around, ran to the grass and back to the patio. She just turned her back. But I was laughing at him. And happy to see he is starting to get back some energy. When we got back inside, he actually tried to get Reggie to play with him (which is saying something, seeing as how his basically terrified of Reggie). He play bowed, then pawed at Reggie. Then Reggie swatted him, and poor Romeo cowered and crawled backwards to hide behind me. ;D

He's lost some weight from all the runs (and I don't mean around the block), so we'll be working to get some meat on him on the next week or so. Eggs and rice (with some medication hidden in it) along with Wellness dry dog food should help.

Well, thanks for reading (despite the topic). See you at the dog park!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Beauty to the RESCUE!


Its that time of year again, time for the annual Beauty to the RESCUE fundraiser event!


This event takes place on Sunday, March 9th, from 9am-3pm at the Mane Attraction Salon in Phoenix. The address is 3156 E. Camelback Road.

The beauty of this event isn't just the customers after a service, but also in the fact that Mane Attraction is open on a day it would normally be closed. They also donate all the proceeds from the day to RESCUE. How great is that?!

The event will include beauty time, food from Seven's Heaven, items for auction, dog grooming services by Animal Attractions, and of course, the lovely dogs of RESCUE. You can partake in all of this as you rock out to the musical stylings of Sistah Blue.

And to top off the festivities, we will have be holding a raffle drawing at the end of the day for a $1000 grand prize. You can purchase raffle tickets for only $5 from the RESCUE website. And you do not need to be present to win!

So hurry over to the site, buy your tickets and then go mark you calendar for Beauty to the RESCUE!



Thanks for reading. See you at the Dog Park!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

A Min Pin's New Years Resolutions

My Min Pin Marie finally wrote down her 2008 New Year's Resolutions. Since she can't type (or turn on the computer), she asked me to share them with you all. She thinks that maybe, if she puts them out there on the internet for all to see, this will give her some accountability and might just help her keep them. So, here they are, in no particular order.



Marie's New Years Resolutions for 2008



  • Be nicer to my foster brothers and sisters

  • Try not to destroy my stuffed toys (that way Mom won't take them away from me when she spots my stashes of stuffing all over the house)

  • Try to eat slower so I don't choke

  • Lose 3 pounds (Mom says I'm becoming a little fatty)

  • Convince my Siamese cat sister Neika that I'm a nice dog who really wants nothing to do with her anyway and that she doesn't need to hiss at me and run every time she sees me. (I'm not one of my nosy foster siblings after all.)

  • Figure out a way to get into the cats' litter closet so I can raid that litter box.

  • Convince Mom to put the giant stuffed dog on the floor so I can gnaw on it and tell it who is boss.

  • Be much more sneaky when I get up to Mom's workbench to steal anything that smells good. (I really enjoyed that last spool of thread).

  • Continue to sit on the floor and stare up at Dad when he's eating in the hopes that he'll either drop a tasty morsel, or he'll break down and share with me. (Sharing is the nice thing to do after all, its so rude to eat in front of others.)


Well, there you have it. I'm not sure if I approve of some of those, but I do agree, she needs to lose a couple of pounds.


Well, that's all for this time. Thanks for reading. See you at the Dog Park!