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!

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!

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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!

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!!!

(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:

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):

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

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!

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!

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!