Goodbye, Willow

On Wednesday, October 26 our family suffered a huge loss.

Our pretty princess, Willow, spent her last day in the best way we could have hoped. Heather gave her a few of her much-loved pig's ears and a bowl of Frosty Paws dog ice cream. She spent her afternoon on the couch napping. When I got home from work, I took her to the ACCES clinic where she was given much love and attention. I stood by her as she leaned her head first against me, then laid it down on the table and quietly left us.

Adopted!

Tonight, Shadow is sleeping in his new forever home. Good for you, Shadow.

Now, we just need someone with lots of patience and time to fall in love with Rigby.

He bounces like a gazelle when he runs and wants nothing more than to cuddle up and get some loving attention.

Unfortunately, it never ends.

The Humane Society estimates there are 6-8 million dogs and cats that go into shelters every year. As many as half of those will be killed.
That is one of the many reasons that we open our home to rescued dogs, with the high hope that they get adopted.
We've told a few of the stories here. There are many more dogs that touch our lives in one way or another through our volunteer work and contributions that we never even discuss. Dogs like the 200+ per month helped by Old Dog Haven. The dozens that we transport from shelters to foster homes every year. The thousands adopted out thanks in part to our donations to rescue groups.
A local rescue group found itself in a bit of a bind recently and we stepped in to help. A number of fosters unfortunately had to back out of their committments after a truckload of dogs from a high-kill shelter in California came up to an adoption event in Seattle.
We had volunteered to take one dog into our house, but ended up with three new residents: Bueller, Shadow, and Ordie.

A few days later another foster stepped in to take Bueller and within a day decided to become his forever home. Yay Bueller.
Now, after three more adoption events and nearly a month, we still have our 2 houseguests.

Shadow                                                                          Ordie(whom we call Rigby)

Shadow- aka Sombra aka Slappy- is a super sweet incredible docile Dutch Shepherd mix about 10 months old. He is good on a leash, good with sit, but do NOT raise your voice or move to fast or he will drop to the floor like your about to beat him. He is good with, but unsure about, other dogs. He tries to play at times, but is too intimidated.
Ordie we call Rigby. He is a very good natured guy once he gets to know you. He is extremely timid. New people and places are not just scary to him, but terrifying. Even from 50 feet away, seeing someone walking down the street can instill panic in him. He will take someone with a lot of patience, but will return the committment with incredible loyalty and a lot of love. We guess he is about 2-3 years old.
If anyone knows someone looking for a graet dog, send them this way.

Almost through it

Back to the vet...again.

After 5, yes, 5 trips to the vet, Daisy is now out of her splint. I think the vet may have simply given up.
Heather and I have sat through several lectures by the vet, the tech and the assistant about our need to keep Daisy immobile and  off her foot. We even switched to using a sedative to slow her down, and had them up the dosage when it had no effect.
She wore a raw spot on her paw from the splint rubbing and we've treated that.
Now, finally, they have said let it go. She is still supposed to take it easy(yeah, right) but no more splint.
We will be back in for a follow up x-ray in 2 weeks, but for now Dr. Donovan believes it is healing well and she should be good to go in no time.

Questionable behavior?

So Daisy is recovering from her injury. She has been back to the vet twice. Because of some miscommunication she ended up getting a bit of a skin irritation under the splint, but that has been treated. She is also doing too much which could hamper the healing process. So, when she goes to work with me, she is relegated to laying behind the desk. On this particular day she had two visitors.

If she were a horse...well, let's not go there.

So at my feet right now is one of the most pitiful pups you have ever seen.

Last night, Daisy was out in the backyard with Loki being the typical the typical hyenas that that they are, jumping on each and running around the yard. When she came in she was limping a bit. As the night went on, she limped a bit more.

Feel lucky punk? Well, do ya?

So here are some pics as promised of our current foster Lucky. For more on his story check out the previous post. Or leave the past behind, check out these fantastic shots of a puppy in action(yes, this big guy is still very much a puppy), and find a spot in your heart and home for this guy.

Here comes another one just like the other one

But this one is a bit different.
Dexter went on to his new forever home last weekend, but we were called on again to offer a short-term home to a foster dog.
Lucky joined us Tuesday. The rescue believes he is less than a year old and a malamute mix, but I see a bit of Great Pyrenees in him.
He has a sad back story(but don't they all?).

Good luck, Dexter!

Good news for Dexter! He found his forever home. He has gone to a woman with a long history with dogs so he should get plenty of the attention and training he needs. I am told she was head over heels about him Good luck, Dexter!

Here and gone

Time flies. It is hard to believe that it has been so long since a post. In that time we gained a foster pup... and now he is gone. As I write this he does not yet have a forever home and may well return, but he went to get snipped today.(Ouch!) Another volunteer with the rescue picked him up and he is going to an adoption event tomorrow where his new mom and dad may be waiting for him. So we hope.
He is Dexter, a catahoula mix.

Bueller? Bueller?

He's a smart guy. Take his advice.

Daisy update

Daisy went back to the vet today to get her stitches removed. The tests came back and while this was a mast cell tumor(more info here for those who want it) it was a relatively benign Grade II on a scale of 1-4. The vet, who also did the surgery, says she believes they got it all. The tests show no problem cells in the border of the area removed, so that is a good sign. Basically what this all means is, Daisy is fine. Other than the big scar and bald spot on her side.

Under the knife

About a month ago, we noticed Daisy was not eating normally. She was snubbing food and would occassionally get sick when she did eat. We took her to the vet, who found no reason for the behavior, but during the exam she did find a lump on Daisy's side. Her concern is that it could be cancerous. So it had to come off.

A Dip in the Pool: a Willow update

Time for us to dive into Willow’s progress on her rehabilitation plan.

Willow has now been with us for nine-and-a-half months. She has lost twenty pounds. She still won’t get up on her back leg and that gives us some concern. We’ve tried making her walk in her wheel chair, which allows her to lift the weak leg off the ground move along using just her front legs. We’ve also tried a sling which becomes an incredibly awkward ballet as she tries to avoid using her back leg and we pirouette and brisė our way down the sidewalk.

Bite back!

Great idea. I can't wait to see if this ex-con, animal abuser tries to stop it.

Some gave all...

We know that police officers put their lives on the line every day. That includes the canines willing to give everything for their handlers.
KanePhoto: The Colombian
On Saturday morning, Clark County K9 Kane died in the line of duty. He had chased down a suspect and was stabbed to death waiting for his human counterpart to arrive on the scene. Let's hope this brutal killing earns the perp a good long sentence.
http://www.kval.com/news/local/119120759.html

Kane in action.Photo: The Colombian

From catwalk to dog sled

Here is an interesting story about a woman who traded her modeling career for a life working with sled dogs.

Her work rehabilitating unwanted sled dogs stands out in marked contrast to the comments made by many following the slaughter of more than 100 in Whistler earlier this year.
http://bit.ly/eOiOdi

Woman files $60k claim against Seattle power co.

The woman whose dog was electrocuted on Thanksgiving day has filed a $60,000 claim against Seattle City Light.

                            Photo c/o Lisa McKibben

She agrees to accept half that if they take sme proactive steps to educate the public and employees, and prevent this type tragedy from happening again.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014472670_dogclaim12m.html
more after the jump

the joy of dogs

If you ever doubt the healing power dogs or the simple joy they can bring, check out this story. It is about the therapy dog at Swedish Edmonds Hospital.

There's also a pretty good story on it in the Seattle Times. There is also a touching story about yet another case of animal cruelty, however this one has a happy ending.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014449886_phoenix10.html

Also, I got a rather patronizing email from Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe about the State Senate's failure to pass Sb 5649- the anti-tethering bill. She gives some pat rhetoric about how important it is to focus on the economy, etc. I guess she forgot the days lawmakers worked on tough subject like the steps required to get a hair dressers license (HB 1085) or -and I am not making this one up- Carpet Stewardship(SB 5110). With work like that on the docket, really, who has time to care about the thousands of dogs freezing and starving to death while chained alone to a tree in some redneck's backyard?

Why laws need to be stronger

To many of us, Hawaii conjures up images of an island paradise. However, for some 150 dogs, it was a real-life hell. Police busted a backyard breeder for animal cruelty, taking dozens of dogs that the Humane Society, officers, and vets say were in horrible shape. However, the slimeball's lawyer is now saying "these aren't household pets, they're breeding machines, no different from farm animals." He also is arguing the difference between animal cruelty(which his client is accused of) and simple animal neglect, which is what he says happened and carries a lighter punishment. This case is a prime example of why animal cruelty/neglect laws need to be toughened up. Get the details after the jump.

Roll them bones!

An Atlantic City casino is taking a gamble on Americans' love for their dogs.

They now offer pet-friendly rooms. Just an idea if you're planning an East Coast vacation with Fido. You can read all about it here. http://www.nbc40.net/news/16559/

Fat cats and doughy doggies

We've heard a lot over the past few years about America's growing obesity problem. Turns out the epidemic of overweight people has spread to our pets. A new study shows more than half of the country's household pets are too heavy to be healthy.This strikes very close to home, as in our house we have been working to help Willow shed an amazing 28 pounds. (She is now down to 70 pounds and looking great.) In typical American fashion, we refuse to simply get off our fat arses and walk the dog, we have to find new and interesting ways to help our furry friends slim down. Here is the video from ABC.

 You can read more here. http://abcn.ws/hvUVeA

Call to action!

*1

There is a bill in committee down in Olympia right now that could better the lives of countless dogs. It is pretty simple. It limits the amount of time a dog can be tethered and demands that owners provide little things like shelter and water to the animal. Unfortunately, many of the lawmakers at today's committee meeting displayed the ignorance and stubborness that makes so many people dislike and distrust the government and elected officials.
I swiped this post is from an entertaining and informative blog by a fellow Seattle dog lover. It's called Dogspot.
Read it and give your lawmaker a call. remember, no matter what they think, they work for you.
http://bit.ly/gPdHNt
*1 This image was blatantly stolen from the very talented RJ Matson, who was refering to MO lawmakers trying to repeal a ban on puppymills. See more of his work here. http://www.rjmatson.com/frames_S.htm

brush, brush, brush!

February is National Pet Dental Health Month. That had nothing to do with why we took two of our guys to the dentist, but it is a good tie in for the blog post.

The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that eighty percent (80 percent!) of dogs have some form of periodontal disease by the time they are two years old. Periodontal infections have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life threatening disorders. They say the best way to prevent periodontal disease is by regularly brushing your pet's teeth.

It was while brushing Loki’s teeth that Heather noticed a discoloration on one of his far back molars; a black spot that we thought to be a cavity. Snuffy was already going in to the dentist for a consultation so we signed Loki up as well.

Wanna see my picture on the cover.... gonna buy 5 copies for my mother...*

Well, it's not Rolling Stone, but a little press is always nice.

Heather is a quilter. She is a very good quilter and every year takes time out of her busy schedule to take part in a class or two. One of the classes she attends is at Country Threads in northern Iowa.  They put out a newsletter called the Goat Gazette. During Heather’s last visit to Country Threads, she spoke with the owner, Mary about our pack. Mary is a big-time animal lover with several rescues in her pack, including dogs, cats, and even a goat.

So after leaving, Heather sent her a couple pics and we got a shout out in the Goat Gazette’s Pet Promenade.

* From Dr. Hook's "On the Cover of a Rolling Stone"

Adoption Day: One Year Later

One year ago this past weekend I traveled four hours through a wind and snowstorm from Boise, ID, to Elko, Nevada to pick up a stray dog. I had only seen a couple bad pictures of the guy. He was a wild looking mess of a dog, mostly German Shepherd with a little something else tossed in there to spice things up., guessed to be almost two.

<<<<petfinder pic

As I type this, that pup is snoring away at my feet. So how did we go from total strangers 12 short months ago to near-constant companions today.