Seriously guys???

One of my many trash pick up days

Over the past few weeks I have invited a trash attacking canine demon into my home.   I'm not completely sure who it is - in fact, I think this demon may be teaching other dogs in the house to topple the juiciest and nastiest trash over on to the kitchen floor.   I can tell you who it isn't - it is NOT Hopper, Cooper or Charlie and the only reason I know that is because I keep them separated in a different area away from my cat.     You understand the point of demon dogs toppling over trash cans, don't you?  They're not just wanting to see the different items in the trash.   Nah, they then drag the nasty, dirty trash to every corner they can reach.    And if they become particularly attached to a piece of trash, they will definitely pee on it.   SCREAAAAAMMMM     Over the weekend I was in a huge cleaning frenzy and I had to run to the grocery store for a few supplies.   I completely forgot about the trash and when I came back they had spread it all over the place.   But this time, there was a pouch of spoiled dog food in the trash that someone drug into my room.   EEWWWW   that was one of the sickest smells in the world and it took me the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday to get rid of it.   I had found the empty pouch quickly enough, but rancid smells are not easy to erase.   I burned a candle, mopped, laundered my bed clothes, sprayed air freshener, etc, etc.

Since I began fostering, I quickly learned to keep the trash can up off the floor.   Often times I don't even know when I have a trash attacker as a foster because they generally can't reach the trash can.   Only when they go on to their forever home do I hear about their Oscar the Grouch tendencies.    I foster small dogs so I can use a chair or a stool or something similar to keep the trash safe.   Right now, this is not working.   I've tried blocking the trash can by shoving it between my refrigerator and wall and added a barricade for good measure.   Did that work?  Nope     The past few days we've decided to sequester the trash can in the bathroom, in the bathTUB with the door closed.    Worked perfectly!!   For a couple of days, that is.    Tonight when I came home - the bathroom door was open and a good part of my shower curtain was destroyed as someone was desperately trying to get to the yummy delicious trash.   Wait a sec ... other than my shredded shower curtain it WAS a success because they didn't get to the trash, right?  (Just the shower curtain)

Yes, I am frustrated.   Yes, I'm even pissed off.   And, yes, I'm at my wit's end.  But you know what?  I'll figure it out.   I have made a promise to these dogs - not just our permas, but our foster dogs and a dog we're dog sitting for an indefinite period of time.    This is not a casual decision and I think that's what frustrates me so much about people giving up on dogs too quickly.    I was emailing with a friend of mine who adopted one of my most difficult fosters and she was telling me that she does second guess her decision to adopt a couple of dogs at times but her commitment to her dogs and our organization is too great for her to to do anything but keep on keeping on and loving these little guys.    Thanks Robin!!

It's a tricky situation to be annoyed by because we don't want our foster dogs to live a miserable life and be disliked because of their behavior.   We just want them to be given a fighting chance.   It's funny I think our society gives up on marriages and rescued animals too easily.    There's probably some wonderful tidbit in there for a therapist to get a hold of and cure me of all my nuttiness.   But until then, I'll watch out for my son, myself and our diggie dog zoo.

Why the tulip picture?  Because it's spring and tulips are one of my favorite flowers (pink one specifically) and I took the picture.   AND it's purty.  :)

OVERwhelmed

Suzie and Tina hiding until all the dachshunds are gone :)

It's been a little over a week since I've been over my personal limit of dogs and I'm a little at my wit's end.   I know exactly the number of dogs I can handle and once we go past that, I can't keep up with anything.     It just so happens that Charlie was returned and that forced my hand.   It's an unwritten rule in fostering that, if at all possible, a returned dog goes back to the original foster.   Of course, if I had told the head of our grou I absolutely can not do it she would have found another place for him.    But knowing a dog is being returned and their little heart is already broken, it makes me feel better to know they'll be in a familiar place with people that love them.     And Charlie is doing great, so I believe I made the right decision.

Tonight I came home to the trashcan dumped over - everything in the trash (and it was a FULL bag) drug around the house, torn up, peed on and just a HUGE HUGE mess.   This was especially frustrating because I thought I had figured out how to block the trash can off from the dogs.   Apparently I was completely wrong.   They also got into my pantry and pulled out a couple of potato chip bags ate those up and tore the aluminum foil box up, causing the foil to roll across the floor.      It took me about 15-20 minutes to clean up this mess after walking through the door.   That sucks - ready to finally just chill a little bit at the end of a work day and to be faced with that crap.   ugh ugh ugh ugh   If I hadn't felt overwhelmed earlier today, I definitely would be by now.

I'll be glad when it gets a little warmer because not all of the dogs will want to sleep in my bed.   The nights that JTK is at his Dad's house are just miserable sleeping wise.    There are a couple of dogs in the house (and I'm not naming names!) who have zero human bed manners.   I can move them all I want but they dash back to whatever spot they particularly want and it almost always means taking up the place where I want to sleep.nnnDinnertime and breakfast time are quite a battle too.   Certain dogs have to be kept  separate, each dog has to be given the perfect amount for their particular nutritional needs and one certain little difficult dog can not be allowed near any of the other dogs until their kibble is all gone.     When mealtime is over I'm always relieved that every dog has a full tummy and no fights were started.   ::sigh::

TRe waiting for a spot to steal during the night

Someone needs to be adopted and quickly!   I have to be careful or else I'll be paying people to take one of these dogs off my hands!  haha   Just kidding ... a true statement though would be that I need to make sure I'm careful on who adopts one of my fosters and I don't talk myself into thinking I've found a perfect home just to lose some stress.    I recently received an email from someone  interested in Charlie but they were really concerned about housebreaking issues.    After he was just returned for housebreaking issues, I have to make sure he doesn't come back for that reason.   So I'm probably going to make things sound even worse than they are.

JTK is at a higher bit of a stress level too because he has to help me with all of the chores associated with the dogs - all the while making sure not too many dogs are outside at one time and that the ones that are still inside aren't TOO obvious.   It is totally exhausting right now and Joe, in true 13 year old fashion, tells me daily that we have too many dogs.   I'm one of those people that I can know something and be handling it somewhat ok, but to have someone else vocalize it sends me into frenzy mode.  :-)

Heidi may possibly come back due to biting, but her original foster has already said they'd take her back.  If I had to face the thought of taking in another dog right now I would probably have a complete breakdown.

Send some dachshund lovers my way to get Charlie or Danny adopted!!!  :-)

Beautiful Charlie

Doxie Boy Twins

With Charlie back in the house, it's almost impossible to tell he and Danny apart.   They look so much alike it's spooky.     It didn't help matters that even before Charlie came back JTK and I would often mistakenly call Danny ... Charlie.  :)   They're both about the same age but they have very different personalities.   Danny is a little more fun loving and carefree where Charlie is more serious and intense.  The one thing they have in common is that they're incredibly beautiful dachshunds. 

We went to the adoption event on Sunday and they are a handful together.   They both get stressed out and then they feed off on each other's stressful energy.   Luckily I had JTK with me or I would have never made it through the few hours we were there.   Isn't that picture of dramatic Danny hilarious?

Charlie looking VERY handsome

Charlie is doing much better - he started perking up as soon as he saw Joey last Tuesday.   Last Monday Joe was at his Dad's house so when Joe came home on Tuesday it was a sweet little reunion.   I've come tot he conclusion that Charlie needs to be in a home with other dogs.  He has done incredibly well with housebreaking since he's been with the other dogs.    Even though he's doing better, he's not fully confident and I think that's causing some behavior issues.    He needs a quiet home, with other dogs and the people definitely need to be savvy about dachshund behavior and attitude.   Dachshunds are truly a unique breed - they're sweet and affectionate but they're also stubborn, overly protective, and incredibly prey driven.    Charlie is being kept with Hopper and Cooper in the area of the house where he can't get near my cat, Roscoe.    Today I came home, after being gone almost 11 hours.   How can a dog hold it that long and yet crap right in front of someone?   Because he was apparently showing his displeasure about something.

Say a little prayer for Suzie tonight.    The past few weeks, her COPD has gotten more noticeable again.   Tonight she doesn't seem quite herself.    She's been lying quietly on a couch pillow all evening - which is a little out of character.   She has eaten snacks and barked a little bit, but she always lies back down. 

Silly Joe with Suzie and Tina's ear :)

Return To Foster (Instead of Sender)

Sad Charlie  :'-(

I had a foster returned yesterday, sweet Charlie, the awesome standard dachshund who was adopted a few months ago.      On  Monday morning I got an adamant text that Charlie was not allowed to stay in his home one more night.   They were having housebreaking issues and for some reason this came to a head on a Monday morning while I was at work.    Even though we just had a weekend where I was totally available, he suddenly had to leave Monday.   I was so aggravated - nobody wants a foster returned but it's really frustrating when people forget this is a volunteer situation and we sometimes need a little consideration.    At one point I asked "Why didn't you tell me Sunday" through text and I got a barrage of how this couldn't possibly be considered inconvenient if she was willing to come to my house.   Well, I have a little rule about telling people my address when they get all psycho on me.  :-D

One unfortunate thing I've learned when a person decides to return a dog they often have to demonize that dog in their mind to justify why they're giving up on them.   This dog has to be the WORST dog in the world so they're completely rational to return them.   Of course, when a dog is even close to this status in a person's mind I don't want them anywhere near that person.   And while I had every intention of making sure Danny was under a loving roof by nightfall, I wasn't going to help her feel ok for what was being done.     Is it terrible of me to be totally amused to know the straw that broke the camels back is that Charlie looked her right in the eye and dropped a big steaming poop on her carpet?

After all the drama was said and done I picked Charlie up last evening.    Of course, the person was 30 minutes late ... of course they were!    I'm sad to say he's a different dog.   He's not nearly as loving and carefree as he was when he was adopted.   My friends have reassured me that he'll come around and I sure hope they're right.     And I hope it's sooner rather than later.  This may not make sense, but not only does he duck when we go to pet him but he also seems frightened to show emotion.   He seems shutdown - not just depressed and his little voice is hoarse as well.    I was getting scared he had been debarked, but a good friend of mine pointed out he probably was kept someplace that he felt the need to bark.   Not good, but better than being debarked.  :-(

Returns happen quite frequently in rescue - sometimes they come back the next day, sometimes a few months and sometimes a few years.    Our group received a dog back that was adopted out as a puppy a couple of years ago and has come back as a frightened and unsocialized dog.   How heartbreaking ... Another dog came back after about a week in her new home right after recovering from leg surgery.    We really are glad they come back to us - in fact that's part of our contract.    If someone adopts one of our dogs and turns them into a shelter for euthanasia or because they don't want them anymore we can sue them for breach of contract.   We want the dogs back - we want to know they're safe and they're loved - but at the same time we don't want a failed adoption.

Danny and Charlie - brothers from another mother

I feel horrible about Charlie.  I feel like I let him down - like I should have known this would happen.   I did all the background work I'm supposed to do, they lived in a nice area, the husband was an Iraq war veteran, they had two lovely kids,  the husband was raised with dachshunds, and the wife didn't work but went to school.    Sounds perfect ... obviously not.        I've let Charlie down and I've let down the people he used to live with that trusted me to find a good home for him.      The funny thing is Charlie will probably forgive me far sooner than I'll forgive myself.

Mackie Has a New Home

Somewhere Out There   .... that's always the song I think of when a foster leaves that I have particularly loved.     Saying good bye to Mackie was tough ... tougher than I thought it would be.   I try to explain to myself why some foster's adoptions cause a torrent of tears.    Linda, in our group, said it best today when she said "Mackie's just special."

She has a boy doxie to boss a whole bunch of people to love her - I think her life will be wonderful and she'll forget me probably before my tears even dry.    And I have shed a lot of tears about Mackie today.     JTK has even asked me a couple of times if I'm ok and willingly gave me a hug - what a good kid he is. 

I haven't cried this hard about a foster in a long, long time and there's no way around it - it really sucks.   I've been thinking about it and I realized that I had intentionally changed the "type" of foster I had been choosing.    More often than not, I've been choosing fosters I thought would get adopted quickly because the longer I have them, the sadder I am to see them go.   

Mackie was with us for 5 months - shit that's close to 3.5 years in a dogs life no wonder I'm sad.

Happy life to Mackie and her new family - she deserves the best life and love has to offer her. 

Mohawk Mackie

My sweet little beloved foster, Mackie, has two people interested in her.     Tonight I called a really nice woman on the way home to talk to her and after I got off the phone I had to shed a few tears.  I really think Mackie is going to be finding a new home soon.     She's had so many people interested in her lately and the reason she didn't go home with them had more to do with me than with them.   However, when you talk to someone that sounds like they already have affection and empathy for a little dog they haven't even met ... it would be nearly impossible to say  no to them.   IF ... they decide to adopt her.   This household also has a male doxie named Henrick - Mackie does love her own breed!!

Just the other day JTK told me that maybe we should think about keeping Mackie because of how attached I've become to her and she to me.   The truth is, I simply do not have room for one more dog to keep as a perma.   I am completely at my limit - you have to start saying no sometime as a foster Mom.    :)    And I've said no a lot - I have to.   It's only when I start reach the 6 month point of having a foster that I have a little harder time with it.   I know it's the right decision, though, because I saw about 15-20 pictures of dogs today that need a foster home.   And we all know that isn't even the tip of the iceberg.    If Mackie finds a home, then I have room in my home for another foster.

I will miss this little girl with all my heart, though.   She's one of my favorite kind of fosters - one with a huge attitude, a lot of spirit and far from perfect.   I seem to bond with the foster dogs that have faced so much adversity and unhappiness in their lives yet they still manage greet each doy with  joy and abandon, without a care in the world.   Truth be told, I wish I could be more like these little warriors of life.   In this picture, you can Mackie's torn little ears - probably from years of having to endure fly bites with no relief or treatment.

We got some amazing news about Mackie about a month ago.   Our group has some extra funds and we had a number of XRays done on her to see why she has her crazy little walk.    It turns out our little girl was born with a BUNCH of crazy bones.   Her back legs are bowed, her knee sockets aren't quite aligned correctly, she has bowed ribs and she literally has a crooked spot in her spine.    All of these things contribute to why she walks very unconventionally.    Like any other dachshund, she does have a chance for disc issues and arthritis.    But for now, she's perfectly fine.    She's not in any pain and is she ever mobile!    Once again, these imperfections of such a sweet girl make her just ideal in my eyes.

And of the best things about Mackie is such a little clown   Every night around 9:00 she decides she needs to race around the house and gather as many toys as she possibly can.   Even better, if Cooper the big schnoodle of the house is in her way then she can bully  him and scare the crap out of him.   I literally almost peed my pants last night watching her chase Cooper around the house.   Here's a picture of him cuddling up to him, so you know she really loves him.   And he tolerates her like a naughty little sister.  

Everyone say a little prayer for Mackie that she finds a home this weekend and pray for me to have the insight to find the best home for her and the knowledge that saying goodbye is the only option.

I tried to get a good picture of Mackie's Mohawk because she definitely has a mohawk ... that's because this little girl is a rebel and unstoppable!!  In fact she's on the floor having a fit right now because I won't pick her up ... but every time I do she stomps on the laptop keyboard and ruins my blog.  :)  

How to Decide on a Home ...

One of the things I've learned in fostering is to really follow my gut instinct about a situation.    There have been times that I've gotten an application on a foster and everything looked perfect on paper.    It *should* be the best home for a foster dog, but there's something that makes me not want to adopt out to that person.     There have been a couple of times that I didn't listen to that gut instinct and came to regret it - luckily it wasn't a situation that couldn't be resolved.   Both times the dog came back to our group but I did feel a lot of guilt about allowing them to be in a home that I had misgivings about.     I always listen to that little voice these days - whether it's because someone uses a training method I don't believe in or if it's the tone of voice someone uses that I don't like, I can tell when I don't feel comfortable with my foster being adopted by someone.

Luckily I mostly get a really good feeling from someone - either in their emails, through a phone conversation or after meeting them in person.   It's hard to explain exactly what I'm talking about but there are little signs that are almost a certainty that this person will be a wonderful human for a foster that they're asking about.     A lot of times it's just being able to have a conversation with someone and hearing the sincerity in their voice and feeling comfortable with the exchange.

Debra contacted me last Friday about adopting Trooper - at first there was some discussion about her possibly fostering for the group.   But by Saturday she was completely smitten with the little guy and all thoughts of fostering had turned to adopting the little guy.     There were a couple of things that Debra did that made me feel  she would be a good home for Trooper.    First of all she called him "Lil Man" - when someone has a tendency to use little terms of endearment for a dog I like them instantly.   The other thing she did was send me a picture of her beloved dog, Sammy, she had recently lost.    When someone loves their dog so much they want to share pictures and stories, then they are definitely someone who I can trust.  

I've heard from Debra and things sound wonderful for she and Trooper.    I am so happy for the both of them - sometimes dogs and people find exactly who they  need in this lifetime.     I think Debra will help Trooper heal and recover from the trauma of the injuries and experience of his accident and I think Trooper will bring Debra a lot of love and joy.

This is her beloved Sammy, and I know he's playing over the Rainbow Bridge thankful that he had a  wonderful human in this world in Debra.     Thank you to people like Debra who love their furry family and help our group continue to save more dogs when they open their heart by adopting one of our fosters.

My Girl Mackie

Who could resist that face???

I've had Mackie quite a while - we're reaching that point where it's just going to get harder and harder to say goodbye when she gets a adopted.   She's a doll and feisty and sassy so we need to get her adopted.    She would have been adopted monthes ago but she's got a disc issue.  And when people hear disc issue and dachshund, they get scared and lose their desire to adopt her.   She's extraordinarily mobile so she's not a candidate for any kind of surgery.   I feel confident that she will make it through her life doing fine simply because of her small size.     Because she's so small, she's simply unable to jump onto couches, chairs and beds.   She's so small, her little legs can't even allow her to reach to the next step to either go up or go down.  But I can't guarantee this.

A lot of people have fallen in love with Mackie, but when I tell them why she walks so odd - they generally walk quickly away.    I am confident that there's a dachshund lover out there who will be prepared to take a dachshund in who may or may not have back issues later in her life.   Unfortunately, the breed can easily have back issues even if they appear totally healthy.    That's why dachshund lovers are encouraged to not let them jump onto or off of things or even take stairs.    Its another reason why dachshunds need to keep extra weight off - they need to keep extra pressure off their backs.

Fearless and Resourceful Mackie

If Mackie didn't walk weird - as a vet once said, as a drunken sailor.   Nobody would ever know anything is potentially wrong with her.   She is the feistiest bad ass dog I think I've ever fostered.    I crack up at her antics on a daily basis.     As my Dad would say - she's full of piss and vinegar.    But she's got the sweetest face and expression so you can hardly believe how nutty she can be.     Every other dog in the house is bigger than Mackie and every other dog in the house is terrified of her.    Almost every night when JTK is getting ready for bed and we're reading a book, we can hear a frenzy of running back and forth in the living room.   Generally she's terrorizing Cooper, the biggest dog in the house. 

When Charlie first came in the house, she immediately had to let him know she was way tougher than he was and that he'd better stay on her toes.    A couple of times we caught her actually biting his ankles - JTK likes to say she's "LITERALLY" an ankle biter.  ;)    Suzie is not scared of Mackie, though, because she's a tough old broad and this little whipper snapper is not going to boss her around.    I think Mackie wants to grow up to be like Suzie     Really, it's like she's begging Suzie for tips on how to be even more bad ass but Suzie is really not interested in being Mackie's Sensei.  haha   Tina loves Mackie and so does Jingle - they tolerate a lot out of her that they normally wouldn't.    I think they both understand the life she had as well and give her a break for her little outbursts.  ;)

Is that a wink?? ;)

I had to put a bungee cord on one of my cabinets to thwart Mackie's efforts to steal cat food.   I keep Roscoe's cat food in a flip top container and one day I walked into the kitchen to find Mackie standing on all the other items in the cabinet  with her long nose in the container chomping on Roscoe's cat food.   I'm pretty impressed that she not only got the cabinet open, but she got the container open too.   She is resourceful!

Mackie came from a puppy mill - a puppy mill so bad that the Humane Society of Missouri raided them and seized all the dogs.    Apparently it was a mill filled with dachshunds and doberman pinschers.   Considering her size and the horror of her surrounding conditions, Mackie had to rise to the occasion to keep herself and her babies safe - I'm sure of it.    I don't even want to think about what her life was like for her to have been part of a puppy mill raid.   Luckily the employees at the Humane Society fell in love with her and worked very hard to find a rescue for her.    See, Mackie had this nasty little growth on her head and the Humane Society will not adopt out any dog that has anything wrong with them.   This growth on her head made her unadoptable and if a rescue couldn't be found, she would be put to sleep.

The email about Mackie was one of the many emails our group gets and I took a couple of days to decide if I would foster her.    I called the HSMO and the woman was so excited - she was just about to enter into their system that a rescue couldn't be found so she would be euthanized.   Luckily, I called in just the nick of time.   

When I picked Mackie up that night, she was in rough shape.   She had a surgery to remove the growth on her head, she had a dental removing a number of infected teeth and she had her spay surgery.    Apparently, her had dropped dangerously low during the operation and we had to make sure she stayed warm that night.    In the next couple of days a number of people saw her including my sister in law and nephew and everyone was really worried about her because she had a very difficult recovery.  When I see her behavior today it's really hard for me to remember that tiny little girl I brought home that had to be bundled up and kept warm to keep her temperature stable.

Mackie is a beauty

Mackie is my little buddy - JTK does annoy her quite a bit and she lets us all know that.    Mackie needs to be with me almost all the time.   And when we sleep at night, she has to sleep on top of  me.   It can be kind of hard to sleep, but its much better than how she was at the beginning.    She used to have to nestle her head under my neck all night long.    I'm a side sleeper, so every night Mackie crawls up on me underneath the  covers and that's how we sleep.

Please help me find a home for Mackie - someone who will be willing to face anything that needs to be faced for her, but will also have a positive attitude that she will live out her as healthy and full of life as she is now.

Why Trooper had to be named Trooper

The week before Christmas, our group received an email from one of the vets we use about a little Min Pin that needed to find a rescue.   Turns out this little guy was actually hit by a car, paralyzed, and brought into the vet's office to be euthanized.   I don't know what made the vet decide to take a chance on him, but she decided to give him some time and see how he did.    I don't even know how long he had to hang in there, but I do know that when he started to recover she put the word out to see if a rescue would take him.

Because I have my little crazy Min Pin, TRex, I immediately called the vet's office to find out the sex and size of this dog.    There was a chance someone else in our group was going to take him, but I had already decided if nobody came forward I would take him in.    There was no way I was going to let a little dog that made it through so much spend Christmas alone.

I let JTK know about him and he was completely against bringing in another foster.   Luckily I realize I'm the adult in this family and I told the head of our group I'd foster him.     So, on Christmas Eve, I headed over to PetCo to meet her and bring him home with me.     The little man was pretty nervous and he wet all over himself in the crate.   But, that didn't matter so I bundled him up and headed home.    When JTK got home from his Dad's on that day his heart melted and he couldn't believe how cute he was and immediately was happy I decided to foster him.  :)

The name he came with was Squidward (as in Sponge Bob SquarePants)   ... but JTK loves to name the fosters so we wanted to see what would fit his personality.      This Min Pin was definitely doing better, but he hasn't 100% recovered and nobody is sure if he will.    He can lose his balance easily and topple over, but he does not give up.    He's got an unstoppable spirit and is a true sweetheart.     We went over to visit my Mom because Christmas Eve is her birthday and we brought our new foster with us.    While we were there, he hopped right up on her couch and JTK started talking about how amazing he is and said "He is such a trooper!"   So ... that is how he became named Trooper. 

Trooper is a fantastic foster - he's sweet, he's funny, he's playful, he's affectionate and he's housebroken!!  Can you believe it?   After suffering such a horrible accident, he actually holds it.   Some times he can make it up and down stops, but not always.    When he goes potty, he can fall over because he still wants to hike his leg.   He also  likes to do the tough boy kick afterward, which can send him toppling over too.   But he bounces right back up and doesn't miss a beat.

Everyone who has met Trooper falls in love with him.    We took him over to my brother & sister in law's house on Christmas and everyone was really taken with how cute he is and how sweet he is.   My friend, Katie, met him and fell totally in love with him.   If she didn't have her limit of animals, I know she would have adopted this cutie right away.

I'm sure Trooper will find a wonderful home and quickly - he certainly deserves it.    Pass the information on about Trooper and let's find him a great home.

There Goes Charlie ...

Handsome Charlie

Charlie, a beautiful dachshund foster I took in back in November was adopted today.   He was adopted by a beautiful family and I am so excited for his future.   Charlie is a GREAT dog - he's housebroken, affectionate, funny and just down right beautiful.   I chose not to put him on Petfinder for a while because I just wanted to keep a sweet dog around through Christmas.    I finally put him on Petfinder on Tuesday and immediately had 2 families interested.

Charlie was an owner surrender from a sweet family in Illinois who was having trouble with their young toddler and Charlie getting along.   I admit that usually I get very judgemental about owners surrenders but I learned my lesson this time about how heartbreaking it is for everyone involved.     The family that gave him up actually interviewed me to decide if they would let me take him into our group as a foster.   When they dropped him off, he was so sad to see them leave and he cried all night.   It was pitiful.   Charlie was adopted by his Dad when he came home from the Iraq war 4 years ago.    His Dad was really close to him and it became obvious very quickly that Charlie loves being around men.   He quickly bonded with JTK and that first night the only way he would stop crying was if JTK would hold him.    One of my friends dubbed him the dachshund whisperer.  ;-)

Charlie and JTK

The first weekend we had Charlie we took him to the Holiday Magic event and he did wonderfully.   He dealt with all sorts of kids and loved all the attention.   Anyone that ever meets Charlie loves him and if that person dares to stop petting him, he moans and groans and barks and yaps until they come back.    One of my favorite things about dogs is how expressive they are.    This past week when it snowed and we woke up in the morning Charlie absolutely didn't want to go outside.     I had to pick him up to carry him outside and when I did he just started groaning and moaning - it was hilarious!  It was so obvious he was in misery at the thought of going outside.

Charlie's NewFamily

I found out today that the Dad in Charlie's new family is also and Iraq war vet - that was a huge sign to me that he's meant to be with his new family.   I even got a hug from the Dad!!  

I also got to visit with a couple of my favorite people in the world - the ones who adopted Velma (previously Calypso) and they made a huge gift to our group.    They had their family donate money to St. Louis Sr. Dog Project instead of exchanging gifts.   I'm blown away - that is one of the most giving and selfless things I've ever heard of.   No wonder I like these two humans so much!! :)     Katie fell in love with my other foster, Trooper, and she absolutely spoiled him while we visited.    Trooper will be highlighted in a blog tomorrow or the next day.   He has a very cool story and as usual, he's one of my favorite types of dogs - one that fits in well on my island of misfits.  :) 

I'm glad I met Hollie and her family and got to see Katie and Dan - it was a good day and the most positive way to end 2011.

Here's to a prosperous and joyful 2012 everyone!   And here's to saving even more lives and bringing furbabies and families together in the new year.

Katie and Trooper



Broken

Nope, still not a blog quitter.   Let's just say I suddenly felt EXTREMELY self conscious about my blogs because I started seeing someone.   No, not a dog ... an actual MAN.    I can hear the gasps throughout the blogosphere!      And I suddenly realized that I was not ok with having him see all the inner workings of my thoughts even though I'm ok with anyone else seeing these musings.  

I was already pretty certain of something, but now I'm convinced.  Being in rescue is certainly not conducive to being in a brand new relationship.   Heck just having a couple of dogs that might, let's say, BITE someone just for looking at them wrong isn't necessarily conducive to starting a brand new relationship.   :-)    The people I've surrounded myself with currently don't think I'm all that crazy due to the number of dogs I have scrambling around.       My friends aren't shocked or even perturbed by the barking of a passel of little furry friends.    My friends don't think I'm weird for talking to dogs.   And my friends look at these rescue dogs as deserving creatures that just need a chance.    So I was really caught off guard when I let someone into my life and they weren't as accepting of the current lifestyle I've chosen.

Not only am I looked at as a little bit weird, but I was really struck by our completely opposite mindsets one day when we  were discussing Mackie.   Mackie is my crazy little dachshund  foster that came from a puppy mill raid.   She's got some disc issues but she isn't a candidate for surgery because shes so mobile.    She has kind of a nutty little sideways walk that makes her even extra cute and she's unstoppable.    She is CRAZY mobile  - one of my favorite things is to watch her decide to race through the house for no reason.   She's clearly able to be very active and she's a lot of fun to be around.   

Anyway, we were discussing her adoption fee and this person thought it was really high.   Even though I saw the vet bill and I know our adoption fee isn't even half of what it cost to have her vetted.  To have her spayed, infected teeth removed, the rest of the teeth cleaned, to have a growth removed from her head, receive all her vaccinations, a heart worm test and a microchip it cost close to $500! And that was with a rescue discount!   So even with a normal adoption fee of $225, our group won't recoup its costs.  

A lot of people think this is high and so did this guy ... in fact he said something to me that really bothered me.    He asked me why someone would pay that high of an adoption fee for a dog that was "broken."   I couldn't believe that - I would never look at Mackie or any of my other fosters as a broken dog.    I look at them as wonderful, beautiful little souls that are only looking for the right person to love them just as they are.   They just want a chance to be loved as they are.

I think that's what all of us in rescue are looking for too.    A lot of us have had some pretty sad things happen in our lives.    A lot of us have been really disappointed by people - often betrayed.   But not with dogs and cats - we find unconditional love with these little furmeisters.    If they can love us, no matter how broken we are, we find kindred spirit in the animals we foster and the people that foster alongisde us.   We find love and acceptance easily in the dogs and cats we foster - not so much most of the people we come across in our lives, though.

Maybe I just need to date a vet .... ;-)

Broken Video

Help a Dooley Out!

One of my friends in the group, Becky, is going through a really hard time with one of her perma dogs.   One of her dachshunds, Hazel, is exhibiting paralysis in her hind legs.    This, unfortunately, is something that can happen with these long dogs and is called going "down in the back."     There's a very good chance that Hazel will recover but for the time being this sweet girl needs A LOT of Becky's time, energy and attention.      Hazel can't do anything really for herself so Becky is losing a lot of sleep and focusing almost 100% on Hazel.

Right now, Becky has an awesome foster dog named Dooley.   He's a Shar Pei/Shepherd mix and is really a stunning dog.    He also happens to love sitting in chairs.  :)   He's been trained really well by Becky - sit, stay, etc, etc.    He's tolerant of a number of dachshunds in her home as well.    Dooley even attended a training "boot camp" because he was showing a little possessiveness of his humans when company came over.    He has really overcome that behavior, but will need to be watched for a bit in his new home to see how he interacts with visitors.  

Becky really needs someone to take Dooley while she focuses on Hazel.   Because Dooley is a bigger dog, I can't foster him at all.  I wish I could but I know my neighbor would really be calling the health department if she saw a dog bigger than a cat in my house!   This seems to be a tricky time to find a foster home due to the holidays coming up, homes being filled with company and people going out of town.

Hazel

Becky is one of the best people I've ever met in rescue.    She will do anything she can to help a dog or a person out that needs it.   She seems to gravitate toward dogs in high kill shelters that aren't "perfect" looking.   In fact, they often have to overcome some hair loss or some other issue while in her care.   When Dooley came to Becky he had bald spots all over him - he was quite a sight.   But after a lot of love and care, Dooley's coat came back so beautifully he actually needed to be groomed and have his fur shaved.

If you can possibly foster Dooley - or even better Adopt Dooley - please contact me.    I will get you in touch with Becky who really, really  needs some help.   And if you can't help out with Dooley, do us all a favor and say a few extra prayers for Becky and Hazel.

Not So Happy Holidays

One of the saddest things I learned about when I got into rescue was the fact that Federal holidays often speed up or increase the numbers of animals that are put to sleep.    Whether it's 4th of July, Christmas or Thanksgiving Day animal control facilities are generally government entities and are not open on holidays.    Due to the fact the building will be closed, a "clearing out" of the animals takes place the days leading up to a holiday.    Therefore, there's also a scramble by rescue groups to try and pull as many dogs as possible.    It just doesn't seem fair to know the majority of people will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week, but an extra number of animals will lose their life this week because they were unlucky enough to be in a pound before a major holiday.

Today an email was circulated about a local pound that needs a commitment for 11 dogs and 9 cats by 4:00 pm tomorrow - Monday November 21st.     And then another 7 cats and 3 dogs by 4:00 pm on Wednesday November 23rd. 

This is a cat that has until 4:00 pm tomorrow to be tagged for rescue.    This picture breaks my heart because she's obviously so sweet because she's rubbing up against the cage:

2 year old Female Cat

Here's a dog that has the saddest eyes, and he has only until 4:00 pm tomorrow as well.

Boxer Mix - 1 1/2 years old

It just sucks - no way around it.

Rest in Peace, Daisy

Yesterday I got the news that one of our most memorable fosters, Daisy the Pug, had to cross over the rainbow bridge.    Daisy was a puppy mill girl and she was pulled from the one and only auction I ever attended.  I was there with Michel, and they brought out this very old pug for auction.    Nobody wanted her, so we were able to bring her home.    I remember Michel telling me at the time there was no way we were leaving there without her.     This was the same auction we brought TRex home from.   I'm not sure if it was their shared history or what, but TRex was in love with Daisy from day one.   She was always his little girlfriend ... or not so little.  :-)   

A short time after I brought Daisy home she went into heat.    In my  mind, there was something so inherently wrong for such a senior lady to be in such a state.   For goodness sake, didn't she deserve some rest and relaxation in her senior years?   Because of that, her spay surgery and dental were greatly delayed and we had her all to ourselves for longer than most of our fosters.    Joey and Daisy became quite the pair - they loved each other truly.    Daisy is the dog that gave JTK his love of pugs.    When we were at adoption events, Daisy didn't even have to be on a leash if she were near JTK.   She'd just lie right next to him.

Even though Daisy was a senior, (and a little bit round) she was much faster than you'd ever  imagine.   I can't tell you how many times we cracked up at the speed with which she would tear around the back yard.    One vet tried to tell us she was totally blind - she certainly had vision problems but she wasn't blind.    She had no trouble at all following JTK wherever he went.    I remember even explaining that to the vet - how can she be blind if she follows Joey with her eyes wherever he goes?    One of my favorite things was when Daisy did decide she wanted to go somewhere, she really didn't care what or who was in her way.    JTK started doing the Hulk voice when she got in those moods and would say "DAISY .... SMASH"    It made me laugh so hard.   And it was soooo appropriate.

Daisy was adopted out once to a crazy family and she was finally returned because she would lie under the teenage son's computer and unplug his system.   He didn't want a dog gate up because that was too inconvenient, so this old girl came back to us after a couple of months.    And she was a much more difficult dog when she came back - it's always so disheartening when you think you haven't done your best for one of your fosters.   Now I understand it was just the path Daisy needed to take in order to find her wonderful, forever home.

One day, one of the best people in the world, Barbara came in and adopted Daisy.    Barbara is really an angel - she's adopted so many of our dogs and she often gravitates toward the ones that likely wouldn't be adopted by anyone else.     Barbara has kept in touch with me since adopting Daisy and I have heard nothing but fantastic news.   Daisy was the best dog she and David had - she was the only one who could be trusted to roam through the house unsupervised - she was housebroken - she was mellow - she was sweet - she was perfect.   In fact all of the pictures in this blog were emailed to me by Barbara.

Daisy started having some troubles in the past couple of weeks, and in true Barbara fashion - there were a number of trips to the vet and even to Veterinary Specialists up here in St. Louis   (Did I mention Barbara lives in Rolla, MO?)    Barbara spares no expense when it comes to her furry family members.  Daisy was diagnosed with some neurological issues and within a short time an xray showed a number of growths in her lungs.     After that, she quickly went downhill and couldn't even stand the last time Barbara took her outside.     What made things especially heartbreaking is that Barbara and David had to say goodbye on Thursday to another one of their dogs, Minnie.

Today Barbara and David came up today to visit with our group.   I'm so thankful that Daisy had such a wonderful home filled with two loving people to spend the last days of her life with.    Daisy will be missed but she will always be loved.  

Day of the Weens!

The girls in their costumes

Today was the annual Gateway Lo-Downs Howl-O-Weener party.   It's one of my favorite things to do and I considered not going because JTK wasn't up for going after a weekend of camping and two of my favorite doxie buddies, Katie and Becky couldn't go.  But I got my sensible cap on and decided to give it a go anyway because I knew Elisa and Boomer would be there.      Maybe I'm growing up a little if I chose to get a little out of my comfort level?  Nah .... Suzie and Tina have such a wonderful time in a roomful of doxies, so I wanted to make sure they got in their deserved party time!    This year they were so much more social.   Last year, they would hardly leave my side but this year I was constantly trying to look for them.   Tina could invariably be found wherever someone was snacking.  :)

Treat time!

What was hilarious to watch was whenever someone would open up a bag of treats, dachshunds from far and wide throughout the facility would gather around the person with the treats.   It was so cute - and it was such a relief to see it's not just Suzie and Tina doing it! ha

Of course there was a costume contest and Suzie was a devil and Tina a ghost.    I had them from last year's after Halloween sale and Tina got lumped into her costume just because it was the only one that fit.  :)    It was not a good costume for a short dachshund, though, because the flowing fabric kept getting her tripped up.    Finally, while the festivities were going on I tied up the fabric on Tina's back.   But when it was time for the costume contest, I had to untie it and let it go.

Tina Checking out her winnings

Guess what?   Tina won a prize for looking the most miserable in her costume.   HA   I think that's hilarious because she did look at me a couple of times like she was disgusted.   But you know what, that dog usually LOVES to dress up.    Maybe she didn't like being a boring old ghost - she probably thought she needed something with more bling and sass.     I was tickled pink that she won, though.    This little old gal deserves the winnings.

One of my favorite moments of the afternoon when there were a number of senior doxie ladies together.    There was Bitsy who was saved by her Mom Boomer from a rural shelter.    There was also Betty who was saved by Boomer from another rural shelter but adopted by someone else in the Lo-Downs and then there was Suzie and Tina.     All four of these girls faced uncertain futures and now they're all in homes where they're loved so much, they're actually taken to parties in honor of their breed.  :)  

Even if you're not a doxie lover, one of these parties shouldn't be missed.    I am telling you, there is no way possible to not have a huge smile on your face when you're faced with a roomful of crazy, happy dachshunds in Halloween costumes.   It is really a sight for sore eyes.     It actually helped me face what's really important in my life today as well.   Being a decent person and making a positive impact in the world is what are my priorities.   I can only live my life based on my own beliefs and do the best I possibly can.   I don't need to behave similarly to other people who may hurt me and I don't need to give up just because I make a mistake.   



Two Tired Girls on Their Way Home

Tonight I'm feeling a little older and wiser, but also a little more realistic about me, my life and the people I'm comfortable being around and investing my emotions in.   Thank you dachshunds of St. Louis for your infinite wisdom.      <"( );::::::;~   (emoticon by Boomer)

Sleeping Dogs

One of my favorite things in the world is to have a dog dreaming in their sleep - it's especially sweet if you happen to be holding them at the time.    It's especially touching if it's a dog that's a senior and/or sick.  I can only imagine what they're doing in their little dreams.      We can only imagine what's causing their little yips and the scurry of their little feet.   I can't help but smile and be completely happy when I come across a dog dreaming.    Mackie recently did it while I was holding her in my arms.    It's nothing but a heavy sigh moment of happiness.

Yesterday TRex got to visit my Mom only because after I had locked everyone else up behind the doggie gate, TRex was patiently waiting for me at the front door.   He was so stinking excited, I didn't have the heart to not take him.    My brother, Craig, and my nephew, Tristan, were visiting my Mom as well.      Tristan just LOVES TRex and everyone was snacking on Burger King and McDonald's when we got there so Rex was in a FUHRENZY!!    He's generally polite at home, but when he's out visiting someone and he's already in frenzy mode - add food into the mix and he's a total nutcase.  I  tried to explain to everyone that he has little impulse control in these situations.  What was funny, when we got home Rex just completely crashed.    He looks 100% innocent when he's asleep.  :)

Today I was having one of those days where I miss my Dad.   It wasn't a  day that was consumed with grief, just a day where I wanted to spend some time with my Dad.  I don't know why - but autumn makes me think of him and today would have been a perfect day to have hung out with him.    So, I went to his grave at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.     Last month it was 14 years since he died - I honestly can't fathom that it's been that long.    While I was there and just sitting by his grave, a beautiful buck came out of the woods near his grave.   It was so amazing to see and I always take moments like that as some sort of communication from him.   I tried to take a picture, but I only had my cell phone with me and I didn't get it in time.    As I was leaving, I came across a herd of deer in the graves.   It was really a fantastic  sight - the leaves are changing and there's all these beautiful creatures in the midst of the serene white gravestones.   It was very peaceful and very reassuring.   Luckily, I was able to get a picture of that moment.  

Fun Day at the 5K

A few of us very dedicated volunteers woke up to arrive in Forest Park bright and early at 7:30 this morning.    I am telling you, it was exhausting being up that early on a Saturday!   Thank goodness I didn't work this week or I probably would have never made it in time.    Kingsbury Animal Hospital had their first annual 5k and it benefited our group.    There was a great turnout and we had a lot of fun watching everyone with their beloved animals.     There was this one golden doodle puppy that we fell in love with.   I asked to take his picture with his Mom and she picked him up.    As soon as she did, he just nestled his little head on her shoulder.   It was the cutest thing.    We had to take a picture of him with her back to us so we could see his cutie pie face.    And he has a great name - Professor Lupin.  :)   Being a Harry Potter fan, you know I appreciated that one. 

Professor Lupin

It was a beautiful day - a perfect October day to spend  in Forest Park.      Boomer was adopted and went to a wonderful home - I had him just a week.   He received so much attention and applications I didn't quite know what to do with myself.   I certainly do better when I only have 1 or 2 applications to consider at a time.     I think he'll be very happy and even though he was a perfect dog, it's nice to be back to little dogs only.   :)

Mackie and Chuckles "cheering on" the runners

At one point, we were at the finish line cheering on the runners & walkers and Mackie and Chuckles decided to bark at any and every person or dog that ran past.    It was really cute and a bunch of us couldn't stop laughing at their silliness.  Mackie also chose to try and climb into the cooler where the water bottles for the racers were.    She was in fine form. 

She actually had a lot of interest but when they realized she has disc issues, their interest definitely waned.   Mackie has a condition that causes her walking conditions and there's a chance she could end up crippled.   She's not a candidate for surgery right now because she is so mobile.     Some people think she will definitely end up paralyzed but I have a positive attitude and I'm going to believe she's always going to be ok.   I don't think her disc issues should really be a cause for worry - honestly if you think about it, all dachshunds have a very good chance of having back issues whether they're exhibiting symptoms or not.  I hope I find someone who will be the perfect home for her.

Mackie wants some ice water

There was music today, raffle baskets and  the  Seoul Taco food truck was there.   If you like spicy, you will love this food!  It was so delicious.     On Monday they'll be pulling names for the raffle baskets - I'm hoping to win the beer basket OR the treat package from Three Dogs Bakery.   Wish me luck.