Its official, Jimmy is now in his forever home! By the end of last weekend he and his new sister were playing like they'd been friends from the start. He even got to sleep with his new family at night and is settling in well. We're looking forward to seeing some pictures of him and hope they all come to the Adopters Picnic later this month.
No new foster yet. They went to Animal Control last week but only came away with a few new cats, no dogs. We've had three adoptions over the past week!! I'll be sure to post when we do get our next foster.
Until then, thanks for checking in. See you at the dog park!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Foster Update September 21st, 2007: Jimmy
"Little Jimmy Jimmy won't go home..."
Oh wait, yes he will, and hopefully it will be this weekend! Last weekend Jimmy had a Meet & Greet with A and D and their adorable little pup named Lily. They have a very dog-friendly home: tile and wood floors which make it easy to clean up accidents, a set of steps to help small dogs get up on the bed, and toys in just about every room! And I don't mean just one or two toys, I mean a pile-o-toys! Jimmy picked out one or two while he was there even.
A and D of course loved Jimmy from the moment we walked into the house. Lily, not so much. She really wanted nothing to do with him, and made that pretty clear. But Jimmy is a very respectful little guy, and when she snubbed him, he took it all in stride and found other things to capture his attention. She never snapped at him, but she did growl a bit and mostly just "avoided" him by turning away from him.
Jimmy did warm up to A and D after about an hour. He's slow to warm up to strangers because he's still a bit apprehensive. But they were very understanding of this and most of the Meet & Greet was spent sitting on the floor and letting Jimmy come to them when he was ready. Of course, when he did, he snuggled close and gave sweet little puppy kisses. :D
After two hours they wanted to move forward with it but they wanted to be sure that Lily and Jimmy would be fine together, they want to be sure the dogs are a match. So Jimmy will be going over there this evening and will spend the weekend with them. That way A and D can have some bonding time with him, and Lily will get a chance to show if she'll get used to him or if she'd rather he just wasn't around. She reminds me of our min pin. Marie is all growl and no bite, and after a week or two, accepts the fact that the new dog is sticking around. Its usually not long before she's initiating wrestling matches even. So keep your fingers crossed for them and I will post next week to let you know if it was a match and Jimmy has found his new forever home!
See you at the dog park!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Joys of Being a Dog Foster
Today I wanted to post about the importance of being a dog (or cat) foster and about how rewarding it can be.
I have been volunteering with RESCUE since February 2001. Over the years I've volunteered as a Dog Walker, a Dog Caretaker/Chaperone, a Cat Foster (once...), a Dog Foster, and the coordinator of the Dog Caretakers. My favorite role has and is still that of a Dog Foster parent. I've fostered more than 15 dogs since 2001. I managed to pass Dog Fostering 101 (meaning I didn't adopt that first foster myself). But,there have been three foster dogs that I wish I could have adopted. The first was an 85 lb brindle coat pit bull named Mikey. He was the biggest baby ever. Then there was Guido, a little red Chihuahua/Min Pin mix. He was the one foster that my Min Pin truly loved. The two would play non-stop and even liked to share a crate. And the third was Tango, a Queensland Heeler mix. We had him for two years and came very close to making him permanent, but then his forever mommy found him and gave him a new home. He was the most rewarding foster. He started out a bit of a problem child, but with lots of patience and work, we helped him become a great dog.
Now, there are many animal rescue organizations in the Phoenix area, and all across the country. Most are for dogs and cats, some also include horses and livestock, small animals, and even reptiles. The one thing all these groups have in common, besides a love for animals, is the need for volunteers. Most shelters and rescue groups work on limited funds. And many are non-profit, and rely soley on donations and the occassional grant (which are hard to come by). Without volunteers, most shelters and rescue organizations would not be able to do the work that they do, which is helping abandoned animals get a second chance at life. Volunteers are the lifeblood of organizations like RESCUE.
Most shelters and rescue organizations will gladly accept your monetary donations as well as your donations of bedding, food, and other supplies. But they also really need volunteers. They need people to give a little bit of their time to help clean cages and dog runs, to transport the animals to vet appointments and events, to help groom and take care of the animals, to give the animals attention, and exercise, and public exposure. But one type of volunteer that these groups really need is that of foster homes. Some organizations do not have a facility of their own and must rely on the generosity of vets and boarding facilities that are willing to give them a few runs or cages. But what they really have to rely on is foster homes. Even the groups that have their own shelter facilities need fosters. There will always be animals that are too sick to be in boarding, too scared to be in boarding, that need extra love and attention and care. There will be animals that don't do well with other animals. There will be animals that will just deteriorate behaviorally the longer they spend in boarding. People who are willing to open their doors (and their hearts) to these special animals, foster parents, are the answer to these animals' prayers.
What does it take to be a foster? Part of that will depend on what a specific group may require. But that is something you can check into depending on what rescue organization you'd like to volunteer with (RESCUE is always looking for more fosters ;D). In general though, what is needed first of all is a real love and passion for the animals. Second, patience and understanding, and a bathtub.
Many of these dogs (and cats or other animals) are coming to your home from a kennel environment, and sometimes directly from the pound. They're scared, nervous, disorientated, unsure of their surroundings, maybe a little distrustful of humans, and in need of a lot of TLC. And to be frank, they're often pretty dirty and smelly too. That's where the bathtub comes in. Patience and understanding will come the first time they have an accident in the house or mark your favorite recliner. It will come when they destroy a shoe you carelessly left out. It will come when they get into the kitchen trash while you step out to get the mail. It will come when they roll in something stinky in the backyard and then jump up on your lap. It will come when you tell them no and they ignore you. But eventually, that all pays off as your foster learns the ropes of living in a house and living with others. It pays off when they learn some basic commands, listen to you, and walk by your side on leash. It pays off when you see them transform from a shy, skittish, unsure dog to a happy, playful and confident dog. It pays off when they meet a potential adopter and wow them with all they've learned and all they can do, and that adopter becomes their new forever home.
Now, most of what I've just mentioned applies more to dogs, but the same general idea can be applied to any type of animal you open your home to.
Becoming a dog, cat, or other animal foster, is one of the most rewarding ways you can help a shelter or rescue organization. You can see first hand the fruits of your labor and time with these animals. You get to be there every step of the way as these animals grow and become the dog or cat they were meant to be. You can reap the rewards when the day comes and you hand them off to their new forever home, wave good-bye, wipe away a tear or two, and prepare to open your home to the next animal in need.
Thanks for reading, and see you at the dog park (hopefully with your new foster dog)!
I have been volunteering with RESCUE since February 2001. Over the years I've volunteered as a Dog Walker, a Dog Caretaker/Chaperone, a Cat Foster (once...), a Dog Foster, and the coordinator of the Dog Caretakers. My favorite role has and is still that of a Dog Foster parent. I've fostered more than 15 dogs since 2001. I managed to pass Dog Fostering 101 (meaning I didn't adopt that first foster myself). But,there have been three foster dogs that I wish I could have adopted. The first was an 85 lb brindle coat pit bull named Mikey. He was the biggest baby ever. Then there was Guido, a little red Chihuahua/Min Pin mix. He was the one foster that my Min Pin truly loved. The two would play non-stop and even liked to share a crate. And the third was Tango, a Queensland Heeler mix. We had him for two years and came very close to making him permanent, but then his forever mommy found him and gave him a new home. He was the most rewarding foster. He started out a bit of a problem child, but with lots of patience and work, we helped him become a great dog.
Now, there are many animal rescue organizations in the Phoenix area, and all across the country. Most are for dogs and cats, some also include horses and livestock, small animals, and even reptiles. The one thing all these groups have in common, besides a love for animals, is the need for volunteers. Most shelters and rescue groups work on limited funds. And many are non-profit, and rely soley on donations and the occassional grant (which are hard to come by). Without volunteers, most shelters and rescue organizations would not be able to do the work that they do, which is helping abandoned animals get a second chance at life. Volunteers are the lifeblood of organizations like RESCUE.
Most shelters and rescue organizations will gladly accept your monetary donations as well as your donations of bedding, food, and other supplies. But they also really need volunteers. They need people to give a little bit of their time to help clean cages and dog runs, to transport the animals to vet appointments and events, to help groom and take care of the animals, to give the animals attention, and exercise, and public exposure. But one type of volunteer that these groups really need is that of foster homes. Some organizations do not have a facility of their own and must rely on the generosity of vets and boarding facilities that are willing to give them a few runs or cages. But what they really have to rely on is foster homes. Even the groups that have their own shelter facilities need fosters. There will always be animals that are too sick to be in boarding, too scared to be in boarding, that need extra love and attention and care. There will be animals that don't do well with other animals. There will be animals that will just deteriorate behaviorally the longer they spend in boarding. People who are willing to open their doors (and their hearts) to these special animals, foster parents, are the answer to these animals' prayers.
What does it take to be a foster? Part of that will depend on what a specific group may require. But that is something you can check into depending on what rescue organization you'd like to volunteer with (RESCUE is always looking for more fosters ;D). In general though, what is needed first of all is a real love and passion for the animals. Second, patience and understanding, and a bathtub.
Many of these dogs (and cats or other animals) are coming to your home from a kennel environment, and sometimes directly from the pound. They're scared, nervous, disorientated, unsure of their surroundings, maybe a little distrustful of humans, and in need of a lot of TLC. And to be frank, they're often pretty dirty and smelly too. That's where the bathtub comes in. Patience and understanding will come the first time they have an accident in the house or mark your favorite recliner. It will come when they destroy a shoe you carelessly left out. It will come when they get into the kitchen trash while you step out to get the mail. It will come when they roll in something stinky in the backyard and then jump up on your lap. It will come when you tell them no and they ignore you. But eventually, that all pays off as your foster learns the ropes of living in a house and living with others. It pays off when they learn some basic commands, listen to you, and walk by your side on leash. It pays off when you see them transform from a shy, skittish, unsure dog to a happy, playful and confident dog. It pays off when they meet a potential adopter and wow them with all they've learned and all they can do, and that adopter becomes their new forever home.
Now, most of what I've just mentioned applies more to dogs, but the same general idea can be applied to any type of animal you open your home to.
Becoming a dog, cat, or other animal foster, is one of the most rewarding ways you can help a shelter or rescue organization. You can see first hand the fruits of your labor and time with these animals. You get to be there every step of the way as these animals grow and become the dog or cat they were meant to be. You can reap the rewards when the day comes and you hand them off to their new forever home, wave good-bye, wipe away a tear or two, and prepare to open your home to the next animal in need.
Thanks for reading, and see you at the dog park (hopefully with your new foster dog)!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Jade Was Adopted! And We Have a New Foster!
Yes, Jadey-girl was adopted this weekend by a wonderful family that includes a canine sister for Jade! Congratulations Jade, we'll miss you!
Now, Jade left our home a few weeks back to spend some time at the doggie daycare where we board some of our dogs. She did great there and enjoyed all the puppy playmates she had all day, everyday. It was a great environment for one so playful. So while she was gone, we got a new foster.
Meet Jimmy!
Now, Jade left our home a few weeks back to spend some time at the doggie daycare where we board some of our dogs. She did great there and enjoyed all the puppy playmates she had all day, everyday. It was a great environment for one so playful. So while she was gone, we got a new foster.
Meet Jimmy!
This picture was taken on the day he came from Animal Care and Control (aka. The Pound), Friday August 10, 2007. He was a little shy, nervous, and scared that day, as you can see from his face. He was also quite skinny. He's put on an ounce or two since then ;D. We hope to have some new pictures of him soon.
Let me tell you a little bit more about Jimmy-Jimmy, as we call him. Jimmy is about 9 months old, and still quite the puppy. He's a chihuahua, and he's tiny and barely weighs anything. He loves stuffed squeaky toys. We bought him a little one, its about 2.5-3 inches tall. Its a ducky. He loves it. But he surprised us and started to play with one of the "Big-Dog" stuffed toys, a stuffed bone with rope hanging off each end. He just loves to chew on the stuffed part. He'll even throw the little ducky around a bit. He does like to nibble on fingers, pillows, carpet, and wires, so we do have to keep an eye on him and keep stuffed toys handy to distract and redirect him. But he listens when we tell him no, so that's a good thing.
Jimmy may be small (probably about 5 or 6 lbs) but he has no problem getting up onto the couch or the bed. He just takes a flying leap and up he goes. He loves to snuggle close, whether it be in your lap, or next to you with him muzzle under your arm or behind your back. He often buries his muzzle under things besides us, including pillows and between couch cushions. He's so sweet and adorable though! He loves to be held and he loves his belly to be rubbed. He is a bit submissive overall, he'll flop over onto his back and give you his belly regularly. He'll also give us the nervous grin, but we're seeing that less and less as he gets more comfortable.
Jimmy is still a little bit skittish and will start if you move towards him too quickly. He also is nervous while eating. He'll take a mouthful and carry it to a "safe spot", eat it, then return for more. But he eats well despite this. We just make sure none of our other animals are around him while eating. He seems to prefer kibble to soft food though. Usually, its the other way around.
Jimmy does great with our Min Pin. He doesn't bug her to play with him nor does he seem to mind her being around. They basically exist in the same household, but don't interact much. We do see them playing in the back yard now and again when we've let them out to potty, but otherwise, the two stick to themselves. Jimmy is much more interested in his humans. So he could definitely live with another dog, but he'd also do just fine by himself. I'm sure if our Min Pin was more the playful sort, that the two would play together more. But he respects her and doesn't push her. He also is great with our two cats. He was curious about the bigger cat (our Maine Coon), and did get in a few sniffs, but as our bigger cat weighs almost three times as much, and is almost twice as tall as Jimmy, so he pretty much ignores the cats.
Jimmy needs work on the leash, I'm fairly certain he's never been on one, or at the very least, its been a while.
He also is NOT housebroken. He does fine while in the crate now, no accidents in there, but he's proving to be a little more difficult to housebreak than our average foster. Most of our fosters have been adult dogs, and they're just plain easier to housebreak. Its the reason I really don't ever want a puppy, I'd prefer the next dog we adopt to be an adult.
But overall, Jimmy is a wonderful sweet little puppy. He needs a little bit more work, he needs some time to grow up, but he'll make a wonderful addition to a home.
And last night, our Min Pin proved she is the Great Black-and-Tan hunter. She's proven time and again that she is an excellent fly hunter, a not-so-great bee hunter (we are thankful for that), a fabulous cricket hunter, and a fair lizard hunter (though we try to discourage that one, eww). But now we can add "toad hunter" to her illustrious list. Last night, I went to let the dogs back in after their pre-bed potty time. Jimmy came in but no Min Pin. I called her but she didn't come running. Concerned, I went outside to look around the yard for her. Then I heard her bark. She was on the side of the house near the gate. I went down to the end of the walk and she starting pouncing on something on the ground. To me, it looked like a chunk of rock or concrete. Jade had found a few of these in our yard and had spread them around. I figured it must be one we missed. Then it moved. Turned out to be a toad, or more specifically a Couch's Spadefoot Toad. Cute and fat little thing. Scared out of its mind. I picked Marie up, carried her into the house and then we humans went back outside with a flashlight. We escorted said toad out the gate and into the front yard, hopefully sending her on her way to another yard. Don't really want the Pinscher playing with toads.
Other than that, its been pretty quiet in our zoo. See you at the dog park!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Adoption Appointment!
Miss Jade has an adoption appointment this coming weekend, on Sunday. She did an informal meet and greet with the human family member last weekend. Of course, she won him over instantly with her sweet personality and gorgeous looks. Now she needs to meet the four-legged family member, to be sure the two will get along.
Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for her. I will post another update early next week to let you know!
See you at the dog park!
Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for her. I will post another update early next week to let you know!
See you at the dog park!
Monday, June 18, 2007
RESCUE Bowl-a-rama Fundraising Event
August 4, 2007 is the date for the 5th Annual Bowl-a-rama. This event is huge fundraiser for RESCUE. We have a goal of $50,000 this year for this event. To quote our website:
"Organized by local animal-loving businesswoman Eileen Proctor, top dog of It's A Ruff Life!, in conjunction with Pets911, this event is part of their continued mission to lend a paw to animals that are currently living a "rough" life. The Bowl-A-Rama brings together over 60 animal organizations to participate in this fifth annual fun-filled day to help the animals.
All pledges raised by RESCUE will go directly to our mission of providing a second chance at life for dogs and cats who through no fault of their own are spending their final days at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control."
All pledges raised by RESCUE will go directly to our mission of providing a second chance at life for dogs and cats who through no fault of their own are spending their final days at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control."
Basically, we try to raise as much money as we can between now and August 4th. On the 4th, all the animal rescue organizations come together and take over a local bowling alley and bowl, cheer each other on, parade around in crazy costumes, and all around have fun. The organization with the best costumes wins a prize as does the organization that raises the most funds. RESCUE wants to be the latter in that. We did it last year and we want to do it again this year.
So how can you help? Easy! You can make a pledge to one of our teams. Its a secure online transaction which is tax deductible (you'll receive a receipt in the mail), and only takes a minute!
I'm on the "Hot Doggies" team this year. We're the dog team. There is also a cat team. But of course, you want to support the dog team. Its all about the dog team. Don't forget, its the dog team you want to support. Got that? D-O-G T-E-A-M. So when you head on over to the website to make your donation, you'll want to be sure to indicate the "Hot Doggies" team. We have a little internal competition amongst the RESCUE volunteers: Cat Team vs Dog Team. The dog teams have always raised more than the cat teams, and we want to keep it that way. ;D (But the Cat Team is determined to make it a close second.) When the form asks for a referrer, you can just put this blog or my blog name (AZ Dog Mom).
So scoot on over there before you head out to the dog park and make that donation! We need all the funds we can get, every little bit helps.
Jade Updates
Well, Jade is making herself quite at home in our household. She's adjusted to the household schedule quite nicely. She now crates up when we tell her to (with a little cookie motivation of course) and she knows how to tell us she needs to go outside to go potty. So she's finally housebroken, which is so nice.
Jade still needs some work on the leash, she pulls and meanders, but she'll learn. She's gets regular walks and will continue to need that in her new home. Dog park visits would be a good thing for her too, to continue to keep her socialized.
She's eating great and has put on some weight. She'll be going to the vet on Wednesday to be spayed, and I'll ask them to weigh her then so we can see how much she's gained.
She got a bath last weekend and boy is her coat shiny. I took her picture using the Sepia-tone setting on the camera:
Isn't she gorgeous? I call her our sexy super-model. She's tall, leggy, thin, has great teeth, and she's gorgeous!
Jade still needs some work on the leash, she pulls and meanders, but she'll learn. She's gets regular walks and will continue to need that in her new home. Dog park visits would be a good thing for her too, to continue to keep her socialized.
She's eating great and has put on some weight. She'll be going to the vet on Wednesday to be spayed, and I'll ask them to weigh her then so we can see how much she's gained.
She got a bath last weekend and boy is her coat shiny. I took her picture using the Sepia-tone setting on the camera:
Isn't she gorgeous? I call her our sexy super-model. She's tall, leggy, thin, has great teeth, and she's gorgeous!Here's another shot of her just hanging out on the couch:
Jade loves to play, but she's still a puppy for the most part, so she's a little rough and rude in her play. She needs a doggie mentor in her adoptive home, another dog who can show her the ropes and teach her how to be a little more polite in her play. She is fine with our Min Pin and she's getting better with our cats. Again, she just tries to play with them (and they don't want to play) and she can be a little rough with them as well. She is cat safe, but the cat will need to be a confident cat that can put her in her place and let her know what the boundaries are.
We think Jade would be good with children. Granted, they'll need to be "sturdy" children, big enough that she won't be able to easily knock them over if she were jump on them or whack them with that crazy Lab tail. ;D She has a great temperament though. We can lay our head on her like a pillow, play with those ears and tail, finger her soft velvety jowls, dance with her, hold her paws, rub her belly, and more. And she just eats up the love. She does mouth a little if you waggle fingers in front of her mouth, but she does not bite down with any pressure, just lots of Lab spit.
She loves to carry around tennis balls and enjoys a good chew toy. She also loves treats.
She is learning a number of new commands. She came to us already knowing how to "hi-five". If you put your hand in front of her, palm towards her, she'll put her paw up to your palm. We have taught her to sit (using an up-turned palm signal) and we're working on stay and lay down. She'll come when called, sort of. She also responds well to "No" and will redirect easily if she's doing something she's not supposed to.
Jade loves her people and loves to be near them. She's always at our feet or right up next to us on the couch. And when she gets too warm, she'll roll over onto her back, legs stretched out to the limits, head turned to the side, belly to the sky. Crazy girl.
She'll be available for adoption by the end of this week. If you know of anyone interested in a sweet female lab mix, send them over to the RESCUE website later this week and check her out!!
See you at the dog park!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
