Monday, August 29, 2011

Paris' Fight for Life

Paris is a little teeny that came out of a high kill shelter... This is her story so far...

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Another convert! (smile)

Allow me to introduce another foster mom to you all --- Maria --- and she's having her first Chi litter with TLC... Maria stepped up when she learned of a preggo Chihuahua in a local high kill shelter... And Maria is a self-professed "big dog lover" so this is a whole new frontier for her - watching and waiting for another little one (Italia) to give birth...

Follow Maria's story with Italia on her blog - The Wag Tales...

Stay tuned for more puppies are on their way! 

First photo of Dulcie's puppies!

We received the first photo of Dulcie's puppies from her foster mom... Drum roll please, Maestro.... 

Introducing Delta, Dawn and Darla~!!!  

Our best guess is that they were born on August 18th, so they won't be 8 weeks old until October 13th.  Dulcie has been a great mom so far, and after only 48 hours of settling in, she jumped into her foster mom's lap and started handing out kisses!



 


~~~ Linda

Friday, August 26, 2011

Maddy: Special Girl with a Huge Heart

There are so many special furbabies in need of help.  They are termed hard cases because of one reason or another.  Maddy is one such pup.  The reason she was considered a hard case was because of the fact she was neglected and as a result, she developed a condition called Demodex Mange.  She was seized, along with her brother, after a Good Sam reported spotting them in the backyard, suffering in horrible conditions.  Animal Control stepped in and Maddy found herself at the Pasadena Humane Society.

Demodex mange is non-contagious and is caused by common skin mites that irritate the skin when a dog is under great stress, causing the hair to fall out, and eventually large, painful welts develop.  The stress on the immune system is awful, but the condition is easy to treat.

When I got the good news that TLC had a spot for this hard case pup, my twin 7 year old daughters and I headed to the shelter to pick her up.  After filling out the paperwork, we waited in the lobby, excited to see this girl and feeling that wonderful feeling inside, knowing this life was going to be saved!  A few minutes later, the shelter director emerged from the medical ward with a giant dog bed, inside of which, a little partially hairless head peeked out at us.  I remember thinking what big, beautiful eyes this girl had.  They were kind and trusting, and most of all - grateful. 


I swooped her up in my arms, bedding and all, and my daughters and I headed back to our car.  The girls took turns in the back holding this little peanut, careful not to move her too much in case her skin was sore.  We took her back to our house to pick up another foster and jumped back in the car to adoptions where the TLC volunteers would take their first look at this peanut.  We loved this girl already, and decided to call her Maddy  in honor of one of my beautiful little neices. 

When we got to adoptions, Linda, the Director of TLC, looked her over real good and declared that she'd be feeling much better in a day or two.  Her mange was probably on a scale of about a 4 out of 10 - not too bad so it wouldn't be long until she'd be healthy enough to adopt out. 

Linda took her home and began the process of healing her with daily baths and medications.  About 6 weeks later, Maddy returned to adoptions and my daughters and I were quite blown away to see a totally different dog. 


Maddy is BEAUTIFUL!


She still has big, beautiful eyes that are not only grateful, but happy now!  This baby girl has the best personality.  She LOVES to give kisses and she is tender and gentle with children who respect her smaller size.  I have seen other dogs try to engage her in play, tugging at her ears and annoying her, yet she takes it like a champ - playing if she feels like it or walking away if she's not in the mood.  Maddy is one of those dogs that I can honestly say we'd have adopted already ourselves, if we weren't at our max!  She is just that special. 

A few months ago, I put together a video of Maddy, in the hopes someone would see how very special she is and adopt her into their loving home.  She was a puppy when she was pulled, but we are now approaching a year since she's been in foster care.  Her demodex had come back and was cleared again, so she had been in a holding status.  Under stress, it can flare up.  This is unfair for Maddy, who should really have spent her puppyhood as somebody's furever baby.  Black dogs tend to get overlooked without even given half a chance, but this girl is not only gorgeous, she is one of the most special girls out there.  Her heart is truly beautiful.

Check out here video by clicking on the link here: Maddy's Video and come in to meet her in person.  She has come close a few times to being adopted, but is still waiting for just the right family to finally call her very own!  Perhaps she is waiting for you...
~ Jen

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Introducing "Boots"...

We named him "Boots" because of the pair of white boots on his front paws, but we could have just as easily called him the 'Come Back Kid'... Boots was not showing well at a high kill shelter and was considered 'unadoptable'... He preferred to hide UNDERNEATH his bed and not come to the front of the kennel run to be seen by the general public... Eventually, not adopted and his time had run out, he ended up on the kill list... 


One of our foster dads took on Boots as his own personal foster and 'project'... We suspect that Boots was the victim of a big dog attack, for his personality issues were all fear based... And centering around other dogs... 

Once the fur dad gained his trust, they moved slowly in the rehabilitation process...  Being picked up, Boots immediately went into 'statue' mode, stiffened up and gave you the impression if he wasn't looking at you, you couldn't see him either... Any dog that came too close would also put Boots into alabaster stiff... 

The foster dad continued every day, working with Boots... A big step was Boots being in an Xpen in his family room with other dogs around, but Boots not screaming for dear life... It took a few days for Boots to realize the Xpen was 'HIS' safety zone, and although he could smell, see and hear the other dogs, they could not get into the Xpen to hurt him (not that they would)... From there, the foster dad moved to holding Boots on his lap for long stretches of time... Originally, we had our doubts if Boots could be rehabilitated and overcome his fears, but the foster dad is pretty determined once he sets his mind on something!

Once the foster dad and Boots could sit together quietly and calmly, little by little he was introduced to other foster dogs using the umbilical method... From there, the 'umbilical cord' was unhooked and Boots was allowed to sit or stand on the floor but without his 'safety cord' to the foster dad... Following this step, the foster dad began to leave the room for very brief times and always returning, showing Boots that it was OK to be in a room with other dogs and not one would attack him... 

We thought Boots had his break through when he started walking freely around with the other dogs - but we were wrong... 

Years (?) of fear turned into aggression towards other dogs... The foster dad kept up his end of it, not allowing Boots to be aggressive towards the other dogs, but still keeping Boots' trust in him... It was a tedious task of retraining and took weeks, but Boots and the foster dad succeeded (and extremely well!)... 

Boots is now able to freely move around the foster dad's home and backyard with other fosters... He now eats with other dogs and just recently, starting sleeping with another foster in the crate at night... 

Boots still likes to sleep under the covers and probably always will, for it is a common Chihuahua trait... But Boots has some other breed in him (Boston Terrier?, Bulldog?) if you look at his conformation and shape... He's small (about 6 pounds) but he is ALL solid and chesty... 

Boots wears his 'tux' well, don't you think? ... He's always ready to go to a gala ball with those white 'gloves', tux and tails... He has a white 'bow tie' and shirt, but the rest of him is solid black with just the very tips of his back toes in white... 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Another 'human' moment...

One of the things we humans tend to see in our dogs and fosters is the repetition of feelings and/or events we ourselves have gone though... 

Yesterday was one of those days that no matter how hard I tried to stay ahead and get done what I needed to do, something or someone kept getting in the way... I find when I get frustrated about these turns of events, the best thing is to go with the flow and just enjoy the flowers and smells along the way... 

About a week or so ago, I set a kennel down on the patio enroute to something else, and I noticed that Felix liked hanging out in it... So I threw an old bathroom rug inside of it as a temporary measure so he was not laying on a kennel floor and bare block patio floor... That lasted for just a few days until one of the puppies got ahold of it and ripped it into pieces... sigh... 

Yesterday as I made another trip to the backyard, I noticed Felix was once again laying inside of the kennel... My day and schedule was already out of whack, so what is one more thing, ya know?  I grabbed the kennel, scrubbed it down, mounted it on a small furniture doily and replaced it back in the same spot --- but this time with a nice blankee inside... 

And sure as sugar, within a few minutes Felix wandered back inside of it and laid down - content once again... One of his favorite playing buds immediately crawled inside with him and I remember my first apartment times...  Calling up friends and inviting them over as I was a "big girl now with my own digs"... "Hey, why don't you come over and we'll watch some TV and talk, or watch a movie?"...

One friend would tell another friend and when I thought I had enough cheese dip and crackers for our 'party', more people would show up unexpectingly!  You have been there, right?  You end up trying to be the 'hostess with the mostest' and all you really wanted to do was not be alone on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do!... 

Next thing you know, you are the one running around, filling up glasses, replenishing the chips and dips, scanning your cupboard to find something to serve your guests and eventually, you question why being alone on a Sunday afternoon was a bad idea, after all!

I got that same feeling as I watched Felix enjoying his new 'digs'... One friend arrived, and then another... What fit fine with just him became OK with one friend... The second friend made things a bit cramped and uncomfortable, but Felix was still doing his best to enjoy his new space with his two buds... 

And then a BIG friend showed up and Felix just wasn't having it!... LOL..."Enough already... I was doing fine here Berlin, and then she brought a friend, but Frisco, you are just too darn big for my comfy new space!... You are ouutttttTTAAAAA HERE!"


As I'm snapping photos of the events as they unfolded with my iPhone and Felix is reminding Frisco just WHOSE new digs this really was, it really did cause me to LOL... 

That sound got everyone's attention... Felix paused for just a few seconds and then decided he did indeed crash the party... He had an about face and decided there were other things in the backyard more interesting to pursue... The two 'party girls' then left as well, and Felix settled in to TRULY enjoy his Sunday afternoon in his nice, clean, comfy special spot all by himself!  Yes, we can always relate to our dogs and fosters - it is a sideline benefit of rescue we all enjoy!
~~ Linda

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I was bitten by the Foster bug

I've always had a soft spot for stray animals. On a whim my mother would bring home a new dog from the shelter. I never knew if there would be a new dog in the backyard when I came home from school. As an adult I carry dog food and extra leashes in my car. You never know when you might need it. I've often thought about starting my own rescue saving just one dog at time.


When a friend decided that she didn't want to work through her dog Bonnie's issues and dumped her at the pound I knew I had to act. Not only did I know this dog, but it didn't deserve to die. If I could help this dog why not others?


After working with Bonnie to find a home I knew I needed to team up with a rescue group. I finally connected with "Tiny Loving Canines." I attended several month's of adoptions with Bonnie and was so impressed with the people and their core values that I knew this was my calling. Almost 2 years later I'm still here and loving it!


Since rescuing Bonnie I've fostered 5 dogs. One of my littlest, Ava, is sitting on my lap as I type. She was deemed "a biter" and not worthy of saving, according to the shelter, but I can proudly say she is a real love with a few senior moments. I've failed fostering twice, but I'm hopeful I'll graduate with honors when Bojangles & Ava find their furever homes. Yes, Bonnie ended up becoming a part of our family.  It's because of Bonnie that I'm able to live out my dream. While at the dog park today with my Fab Four (my original pack), a very special little guy that I fostered, Moe Moe, came by to visit. This was a total surprise. He looked amazing and ran up to me to say Hi. It made my day! It's hard to express in words the feeling you get when something like this happens. If you love animals you've got to foster. Knowing that you've saved a life and found them a new home is priceless. Introducing Ava & Bojangles, my new foster babies.



 

Holly

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Baby Steps to Fostering...

So many left behind...


and so many saved!


I just wanted to introduce myself as one of the TLC bloggers.  I am excited that this blog is back up and running.  There are so many inspirational stories of some of the precious furbabies we have saved since TLC began a couple of years ago.

As a newbie to the world of formal dog rescue (only about a year and a half under my belt), I have to say that this is perhaps one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever had.  I have met the most dedicated people banning together to make all the difference in the world of these poor thrown away and abandoned furbabies, and I've met the most precious and wonderful dogs that have found their way into TLC and into the hearts and homes of families all throughout California. 

One of the best bits of advice that Linda, the Director of TLC, told me when I first started navigating my way through this new world of rescue was to take *baby steps*.  It is easy to get overwhelmed when you pull up to any animal shelter and hear the cries and barks of so many desperate dogs pleading to be saved.  And then walking those dreadful halls, looking into the overflowing kennel runs to the deafening sounds of so many frantic animals caged in such horrid conditions is enough to make you turn tail and run.  But in that moment, you have a choice to make, and the brave choice is to open your heart to these poor souls.  

We desperately need more foster homes, for the amount of dogs we can save is dependent on it.  If you are interested in opening your home and heart to one of these furbabies, please contact us at 1-805-405-2765, or visit us on a Saturday at one of our two adoption locations at the Petco in Moorpark, or at Unleashed in Simi Valley, between the hours of 12-4pm and see what we do!  Help us save as many of these furbabies as we can!  Together, we can make a difference in the lives of so many more.  It all starts with baby steps...

They are counting on us!



Jen



Joys of fostering....

I could not give you the number of times we have been asked how we can give up a dog we have been fostering, but my standard answer for a few years has always been, "Because we know when we find a good furever home for one of our fosters, we will go right back into the shelters and find another dog on a kill list that we can save... by adopting this dog today, you are actually saving two dogs instead of one."

And that's really how most of us foster think about the process... Yes, we love our fosters and they are treated just like our own dogs for as long as they are with us, but we also know that there are dogs dying today that are great dogs, could find their furever home if they just had more time and if rescues aren't going in and pulling these dogs, they die a cold and lonely death.

Fostering is not just for 'tree hugging' loonies... It is really for someone who wants to make a difference in the world, one dog at a time... Or for a momma who is preggers, it is several dogs at a time... We never know what we will find in a rescued dog - some are like jigsaw puzzles as we piece it back together, little by little... Others come out of the shelters in "shelter shock", unable to deal with a lot of noise, activity, other dogs, high energy levels (i.e. small children) or just life in general as they were traumatized during their shelter stint... Others are great dogs going in and coming out - easily adaptable to just about everything and they find furever homes rapidly... And then we always have a few that we have to start from scratch with - marking in the house, learning the doggie door, realizing that sleeping in a crate at night is not such a bad thing, etc...

But how many times in life can we take something broken and make it whole again?... How many times can you capture a moment and know that you - yourself - created the environment that allowed this dog (or several) to become well balanced and adoptable again?... It is a VERY empowering feeling that once experienced, becomes intoxicating and a passion you are hooked to, more powerful than any drug...

This is a beautiful shot of two unrelated dogs - RitaBaDeta and BettyBoop... BettyBoop is a young pup that needs other emotional supports around her to stay balanced... She's bonded herself to another orphan (Benny) and when the two of them are together, it is a beautiful thing to watch... As she has grown older, on occasion she will reach outside herself and trust other dogs... In this particular photo, BettyBoop was asleep underneath my feet at the computer and RitaBaDeta felt that BettyBoop's eyes needed cleaning... Half asleep, BettyBoop kept moving like an irritated child for she wanted to sleep and not be licked... RitaBaDeta felt it needed to be done and as I watched the exchange going on, it gave me enough time to grab the camera and snap one of those 'memory foster moments' we all have so many times in this passion...

I must have a gazillon of them by now after all of these years... But even on a bad day, no one can take these memory moments away from me... It is the 'juice' that keeps us rescuers going - the updates from new furparents and their shared joy with one of our fosters who now has found their furever home - the precious moments we are privileged to see when two dogs interact with each other in unconditional love when you yourself know just HOW close they both came to being euthanized...

These memory moments are priceless and this is why I am a foster...

Linda