Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Sudden Seven get their Names!
 |
| Tootsie - Female - 14lbs |
 |
| Tic Tac - Male - 16 1/2 lbs! |
 |
| Twister - Male - 18 lbs!!! |
 |
| Twinkie - Female - 11lbs |
 |
| Taffy - Female - 13lbs? |
 |
| Turtle - Female - 14lbs |
 |
| Toffee - Female - 15lbs |
Monday, July 25, 2011
Suddenly, Seven!
My Monday began slowly. I crawled out of bed and slowly began typing the last page of my paper, only half focused. By about 10am I had about 2 more sentences and was cruising facebook, not promising for my progress.
Suddenly my phone began barking, which to me is like the bat signal.
I picked up and it turned out that over the night 7 puppies had found themselves in need of a rescue and both Gisele and Amy were wondering if I could pull the second leg of the transport. Absolutely!
I was thrilled! I would have to get my kit together and grab a drink and throw on my TDL shirt and.. oh crap.. the paper! I slammed my nose to the grind stone and completed more work in 15 minutes than i had in the past hour. Amazing what a little motivation will do for ya!
I picked up 3 crates from Holly on the way out and was on my way. The drive, despite a bit of traffic, was uneventful. I met Amy at Wendy's again and we shuffled the pups from one crate to another, holding them up for their beauty shots.
I'm pretty sure their monologue would have gone something like this: "Oh, they're opening the cage! ...um I don't think I want to come out.. oh she's got my legs-woah! ok.. i dont mind the hand around my chest but those parts down there are-- hey the other one is holding a camera.. huh well this is strange- oh! new cage, ok... well what the heck was that about... weird ladies.."
The trip to the Vet was actually pretty quiet (astounding with seven pups) and only one fussed at times. I played some evanescence and they settled right down (Evanescence seems to have an almost magical way of calming pups and dogs).
We shortly arrived at the vet and unloaded each for another close-up and a bit of video. They were adorable but all a little puzzled by their new surroundings. Meet the pups, (we believe they are border collie, Aussie, and maybe lab/noufie) who are currently nameless. (Dont miss the video at the bottom!)
Suddenly my phone began barking, which to me is like the bat signal.
Rescue team ASSEMBLE!!!!
I picked up and it turned out that over the night 7 puppies had found themselves in need of a rescue and both Gisele and Amy were wondering if I could pull the second leg of the transport. Absolutely!
| ||
| The pups at the farm when Amy got them. "Are you here for use?" |
I was thrilled! I would have to get my kit together and grab a drink and throw on my TDL shirt and.. oh crap.. the paper! I slammed my nose to the grind stone and completed more work in 15 minutes than i had in the past hour. Amazing what a little motivation will do for ya!
I picked up 3 crates from Holly on the way out and was on my way. The drive, despite a bit of traffic, was uneventful. I met Amy at Wendy's again and we shuffled the pups from one crate to another, holding them up for their beauty shots.
I'm pretty sure their monologue would have gone something like this: "Oh, they're opening the cage! ...um I don't think I want to come out.. oh she's got my legs-woah! ok.. i dont mind the hand around my chest but those parts down there are-- hey the other one is holding a camera.. huh well this is strange- oh! new cage, ok... well what the heck was that about... weird ladies.."
The trip to the Vet was actually pretty quiet (astounding with seven pups) and only one fussed at times. I played some evanescence and they settled right down (Evanescence seems to have an almost magical way of calming pups and dogs).
We shortly arrived at the vet and unloaded each for another close-up and a bit of video. They were adorable but all a little puzzled by their new surroundings. Meet the pups, (we believe they are border collie, Aussie, and maybe lab/noufie) who are currently nameless. (Dont miss the video at the bottom!)
 |
| This lil one was kinda scared but makes great eye contact with the camera. I am betting once out of her shell she will be quite the ham! |
 |
| Oof! Absolutely one heavy pup! He has a smooth coat and is the 2nd heaviest of the litter! |
 |
| HUGE! I almost didn't believe he and the next one came from the same litter! He will be HUGE just look at those paws and super long legs! Heaviest! |
 |
| This lil girl is the runt of the litter. She has a smooth coat and is personality PACKED. |
 |
| Needs to be called Einstein. She seems to be analyzing the world and look at her hair! |
 |
| The only one with so much red! This lil one (pretty good size) has an adorable personality too! "Play with me, play with me!" |
 |
| Maybe this one should be called Jordan, I mean her legs are so long she could play Basketball! 3rd biggest! |
Here is some live action shots of these Seven little wonders:
Thank you TDL for the video
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Truelove at First Sight
I'd been on the road for an hour, headed out into the countryside. The sun is slowly sinking and the storm is slowly crawling away after making the first 15 minutes of travel more than a little interesting by suddenly and inexplicably pouring. The rain had made it impossible to drive at that point and even pulling off the road had the potential to be very dangerous. I just let my foot off the gas slightly, praying that while blind I was somehow staying in my lane, not hydroplaning, and that the other drivers were doing the same.
Now all that chaos was over it was nice to be able to just cruise. I pulled off at the exit and pulled into the parking lot of the Wendy's. Amy sat on the tailgate of her truck and beside her Lady Truelove stood, stretching her legs after a long day of riding in the car from Georgia.
I'm not entirely clear on her story yet, but it seems she has been a long while with out care. From a distance you can't see it. She looks a little fluffy, but still regal and lovely. What I do know is that she was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Georgia, and now she's with us.
As you get closer you can start to see the little signs that someone didn't show her the love she deserves. I parked beside Amy's truck and watched Lady's ears perk up, interested in who was here. When I stepped out she paused, stepping back slightly. "Who is she?" Lady looked to Amy and stood close to her. My heart pinches me. Lady's a little intimidated by me so I turn on the charm.
I don't approach her but instead kneel down to her level and hold out a hand "Hi baby! How are you beautiful girl?" Amy steps forward and Lady takes her lead. I mean if Amy is ok with me how bad could I be right? Lady sniffs my hand and promptly lowers her self down. She wants to be petted but is a little afraid to ask. She tries to show me she's not a threat and rolls onto her back, tail slightly tucked. She's doing everything in her power to say "I am a good girl, I promise! Please love me, or at least pet me."
I gently stroke her head and rub her belly, telling her how beautiful she is. She's warming up to me and feels confident enough to stand up straight and let me take some pictures of her beautiful smile.
As we are taking pictures of her Amy is apologizing that Lady hasn't been bathed yet. Really Amy, you just flew in from Alaska, landed in GA and rescued two dogs, drove to Florida and met me here; I don't think ANYONE will be complaining that she's a little dusty. Amy shows me some of Lady's little clumps of matted fur, something you don't really see in the pictures, but they are there. She probably hasn't seen a brush for quite some time.
As we are snapping pictures Amy notices something else which points to Lady's past neglect. In fact you can see this in the picture of her smile above. Directly above her right eye there is a grey dot. We look closer and discover she has a tick on her eyelid. I kneel down and carefully try to figure how to remove it. God knows it can't feel pleasant. Lady doesn't flinch when the tick is pulled nor does she make a sound. Such a brave girl.
Toward the end of our photo shoot Lady seems to realize I'm not just taking pictures, but that I am taking pictures of HER and she cranks up the charm, posing in ways which put the pictures in breed books to shame. She sticks one paw in front and shows off her great lines and lifts her head, ears up. She looks like she should be standing in a lush green field with sheep just in sight. She has transformed from the timid little girl I met into an impressive and brave dog.
In that moment I could see all the potential she has. Right now she is a little timid but there is a courage deep down in there that helped her survive her past and will serve her well in her future. She just needs a family who can give her the security she needs and then the timid dog will be a fleeting image and this dog that I was seeing, this beautiful brave girl would be the one running around.
We finished up the pictures and walked to the back of the car. I tried bribery and sweet talk to try to get her to hop in the crate but she looked at both Amy and I as if to say "Seriously? you think I am getting back in the car, after being in there for hours, for only one dog treat? No thank you!" Needless to say we had to put her in. If I were her I'd be resisting too.
The hour and a half back to her foster's house are quiet. She just quietly rests in the back and never whines or shakes or even moves as far as I can hear. As we arrive at her Foster's house I call back to let her know we've arrived. No sounds. I almost worry if she is ok but sure enough, when I open the back hatch she sits up and thumps her tail. It is a good thing I was prepared for her to try to bolt when I opened the cage door because she wanted out. Not to run away or escape, just out. I gently hold her and put her slip lead on and then let her hop down. She doesn't pull or even walk off. She just stands beside me. She is a very good girl and listens to just about everything you say.
Her fosters come out to meet her and welcome her to her new temporary home.She explores the backyard for a few minutes but the rain has snuck back up on us and we're forced to move back inside. Inside she gets low again for Maria and sniffs her hand. Luis holds out his hand and she gets lower. She's a little more cautious with him, which may hint at her past, but Luis is both patient and gentle and quickly wins her trust. She sniffs his hand and then asks for pats.
Both tired and a little uncertain about all of this, she is not quite ready to be fully introduced to her two doggy roommates just yet. Instead they glance at each other from opposite sides of the baby gate. One really important thing to remember, if you ever foster or transport, or own dogs, is to always consider where your dogs are coming from. Why did we hold off on introductions? Well Lady had just been pulled from a high-kill shelter, carted from GA to a Wendy's in Florida, stretched in the parking lot, got put back in a new car with a new person, was carted another hour, had just begun exploring her new surroundings, was adjusting to new people, soon I'd be leaving, and she hadn't eaten much because she was on transport all day. Do you really think she was interest in meeting new people or do you think she just wanted a nap? If you guessed nap that would be correct. She promptly sniffed the room and flopped on the floor. It had been a VERY long day for her.
She has been through a lot and will still go through more, especially this week as she meets her roommates, visits the vet, get's spayed, gets a trim/de-matting, and has all the little living hitch hikers evicted. She's an amazing dog and is waiting for her perfect family. Someone who can make life make sense again and provide the care and security she needs. In return I can tell you she will love like none other, and would love to be at their side. She is gentle and walks like a charm. Her smile is contagious and her spirit is bright and hopeful.
She knows her past and is hoping for a better future.
The best part is, she'll have it!
Bellow are a few more pictures from when she cranked the charm. Can this girl pose or what?
Now all that chaos was over it was nice to be able to just cruise. I pulled off at the exit and pulled into the parking lot of the Wendy's. Amy sat on the tailgate of her truck and beside her Lady Truelove stood, stretching her legs after a long day of riding in the car from Georgia.
I'm not entirely clear on her story yet, but it seems she has been a long while with out care. From a distance you can't see it. She looks a little fluffy, but still regal and lovely. What I do know is that she was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Georgia, and now she's with us.
As you get closer you can start to see the little signs that someone didn't show her the love she deserves. I parked beside Amy's truck and watched Lady's ears perk up, interested in who was here. When I stepped out she paused, stepping back slightly. "Who is she?" Lady looked to Amy and stood close to her. My heart pinches me. Lady's a little intimidated by me so I turn on the charm.
I don't approach her but instead kneel down to her level and hold out a hand "Hi baby! How are you beautiful girl?" Amy steps forward and Lady takes her lead. I mean if Amy is ok with me how bad could I be right? Lady sniffs my hand and promptly lowers her self down. She wants to be petted but is a little afraid to ask. She tries to show me she's not a threat and rolls onto her back, tail slightly tucked. She's doing everything in her power to say "I am a good girl, I promise! Please love me, or at least pet me."
I gently stroke her head and rub her belly, telling her how beautiful she is. She's warming up to me and feels confident enough to stand up straight and let me take some pictures of her beautiful smile.As we are taking pictures of her Amy is apologizing that Lady hasn't been bathed yet. Really Amy, you just flew in from Alaska, landed in GA and rescued two dogs, drove to Florida and met me here; I don't think ANYONE will be complaining that she's a little dusty. Amy shows me some of Lady's little clumps of matted fur, something you don't really see in the pictures, but they are there. She probably hasn't seen a brush for quite some time.
As we are snapping pictures Amy notices something else which points to Lady's past neglect. In fact you can see this in the picture of her smile above. Directly above her right eye there is a grey dot. We look closer and discover she has a tick on her eyelid. I kneel down and carefully try to figure how to remove it. God knows it can't feel pleasant. Lady doesn't flinch when the tick is pulled nor does she make a sound. Such a brave girl.
 |
| Oh! You're taking pictures of me? Here, check out my nose! |
Toward the end of our photo shoot Lady seems to realize I'm not just taking pictures, but that I am taking pictures of HER and she cranks up the charm, posing in ways which put the pictures in breed books to shame. She sticks one paw in front and shows off her great lines and lifts her head, ears up. She looks like she should be standing in a lush green field with sheep just in sight. She has transformed from the timid little girl I met into an impressive and brave dog.In that moment I could see all the potential she has. Right now she is a little timid but there is a courage deep down in there that helped her survive her past and will serve her well in her future. She just needs a family who can give her the security she needs and then the timid dog will be a fleeting image and this dog that I was seeing, this beautiful brave girl would be the one running around.
We finished up the pictures and walked to the back of the car. I tried bribery and sweet talk to try to get her to hop in the crate but she looked at both Amy and I as if to say "Seriously? you think I am getting back in the car, after being in there for hours, for only one dog treat? No thank you!" Needless to say we had to put her in. If I were her I'd be resisting too.
The hour and a half back to her foster's house are quiet. She just quietly rests in the back and never whines or shakes or even moves as far as I can hear. As we arrive at her Foster's house I call back to let her know we've arrived. No sounds. I almost worry if she is ok but sure enough, when I open the back hatch she sits up and thumps her tail. It is a good thing I was prepared for her to try to bolt when I opened the cage door because she wanted out. Not to run away or escape, just out. I gently hold her and put her slip lead on and then let her hop down. She doesn't pull or even walk off. She just stands beside me. She is a very good girl and listens to just about everything you say.
Her fosters come out to meet her and welcome her to her new temporary home.She explores the backyard for a few minutes but the rain has snuck back up on us and we're forced to move back inside. Inside she gets low again for Maria and sniffs her hand. Luis holds out his hand and she gets lower. She's a little more cautious with him, which may hint at her past, but Luis is both patient and gentle and quickly wins her trust. She sniffs his hand and then asks for pats.
Both tired and a little uncertain about all of this, she is not quite ready to be fully introduced to her two doggy roommates just yet. Instead they glance at each other from opposite sides of the baby gate. One really important thing to remember, if you ever foster or transport, or own dogs, is to always consider where your dogs are coming from. Why did we hold off on introductions? Well Lady had just been pulled from a high-kill shelter, carted from GA to a Wendy's in Florida, stretched in the parking lot, got put back in a new car with a new person, was carted another hour, had just begun exploring her new surroundings, was adjusting to new people, soon I'd be leaving, and she hadn't eaten much because she was on transport all day. Do you really think she was interest in meeting new people or do you think she just wanted a nap? If you guessed nap that would be correct. She promptly sniffed the room and flopped on the floor. It had been a VERY long day for her.
She has been through a lot and will still go through more, especially this week as she meets her roommates, visits the vet, get's spayed, gets a trim/de-matting, and has all the little living hitch hikers evicted. She's an amazing dog and is waiting for her perfect family. Someone who can make life make sense again and provide the care and security she needs. In return I can tell you she will love like none other, and would love to be at their side. She is gentle and walks like a charm. Her smile is contagious and her spirit is bright and hopeful.She knows her past and is hoping for a better future.
The best part is, she'll have it!
 |
| Happily ever after is on it's way! |
Bellow are a few more pictures from when she cranked the charm. Can this girl pose or what?
 |
| She's realizing I am taking pictures of her and is about to crank the charm. |
 |
| Charm is ON! Are you getting my good side? |
 |
| Bam! Did you get this shot? Ok now send it off to all the amazing Dog magazines, I'm a star! |
 |
| This is my "I just need rolling hills and sheep" picture. |
 |
| I can be a "weekend" dog too! Imagine us on a beach... waves sand, this pose, it'd be great! |
 |
| Beautiful markings! |
Monday, July 4, 2011
Shane's Transport
The drive up to get him was easy and the traffic was extremely light despite it being the 4th of July. I made it to the house in record time. Shane and his mom were sitting on the porch and he was right beside her, head in her lap. My heart twisted.
I parked the car and hopped out, trying to be cheerful. Shane barked only once, and then gave a grin as he wagged and looked to his mom. She welcomed me and asked if we had to leave right away or if we could stay for a bit. I felt a thump in my chest. Sure we could stay for a bit.
We sat for a few minutes and she explained about why she had to do this. She told me how good he is, he proved it by giving paw and rolling onto his back for a belly rub. She explained about how he'd started masterfully climbing the fence and touring the surrounding fields and a trailer park. She told me how she was afraid he's run into the highway and that's- her voice began to catch, and shake- that's why she was doing.. this. I tried to reassure her that it would be ok and that saving his life was the right thing to do. She'd done it twice now. She'd taken him in after he was pulled from the shelter, and now she was letting go so he could live and be safe.
 |
| Ear up, tongue out. So Shane. |
I put my leash on him and handed hers back to her. My heart twisted. I flashed back to sitting in a vet's office, waiting for the vet to tell me if my dog was ok, and watching another vet come out to another family with a leash. It felt the same now. We walked out to the car, Shane questioning why I was holding the leash but accepting it, His mom was.
"Wanna go for a ride Shane?" I tried to be cheerful. He smiled and hopped in to his crate. I hugged his mom tight and she thanked me. I promised we'd drive safe and she slowly returned inside.
The trip was quiet. Shane didn't make a peep. We arrived at the fosters without a problem. The moment we arrived his fosters hurried out to meet him. They're a beautiful young couple with two dogs of their own, a high fence, and a beautiful home. We walked him around the front yard and they ooed and ahhed over him.
 |
| Getting some reassurance from his foster dad. |
We went back outside to take a few pictures of him and his fosters. He came to them when called and stood beside them. He was ok. You could tell he didn't quite understand what had happened, or maybe he did and was being strong, but he was doing well.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Upcoming Transport: - Shane the Stunning
Between the end of spring classes, the last minute wedding plans, the wedding and honeymoon, returning to summer classes, and the summer slowdown there has been less of a need/ability for me to transport. Of course that does not mean that there are less dogs needing a home. In Florida the summer heat, vacations, etc all interact to drop the number of families looking to adopt and unfortunatly, many pets find themselves without a home due to moves and a lack of time for them.
Shane is one of the few lucky dogs this summer. He is about a year old and was rescued from a high-kill shelter around Memorial Day. His rescuer, Amy, took him to her mother's house to take some pictures (see full story here) and Shane immediately adopted her mother and her mother fell for him, as did her two dogs.
Unfortunately, sometimes life has other plans. Shane has a great disposition, he is young with the personality of a much older, wiser dog, well behaved and well trained. He loves to explore and exercise, which was fine until his new owner hurt her leg and had to put him out in the yard to exercise. Shane, being the curious young fellow his is, found her small fence little obstacle when exploring the world, and because their house is near a busy highway, his adoptive mom now worries for his safety. It is because of this, she made the incredibly hard choice that it was better for him to leave, and be safe, then to stay and risk his life.
Too often we see people give up animals for the wrong reasons, they are moving and there is no room for the dog in their new life, they don't want to spare the time or effort for their care, or they just decide that the dog is a thing to be thrown away. This is NOT Shane's tale. Shane is love and well cared for. Anything he needs he gets and unfortunately, like medicine, sometimes what we want is not what we need. Shane may not understand why we do this for him, but we must lead him to find a new family and new happiness so we may spare his life. So I will go and get him and carry him to his foster's home, so that he can live safe and so he may find a new happiness.
I look forward to meeting Shane, and dread having to take him away.
I have no doubt I'll carry a heavy heart on this transport.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)