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.