TLC - Tiny Loving Canines

Dogs and Puppies Showing (1/28/12)

2012-01-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

PETCO - 742 Los Angeles Dr., Moorpark - Noon until 4PM

Pets Hope - 1555 Simi Towne Center Dr., Simi Valley - Mon-Sat 10AM to 8PM, Sun 11AM to 6PM

Dog	Location
Albert	Pets Hope
Amber	Pets Hope
Angelina	By appointment
Ava	PETCO - Moorpark
Babe	Pets Hope
Baby Holly	By appointment
BabyGirl	PETCO - Moorpark
Bardot	PETCO - Moorpark
Benny	PETCO - Moorpark
Billy	By appointment
Blondie	PETCO - Moorpark
BlueBelle	PETCO - Moorpark
Bogart	PETCO - Moorpark
Bonnie (Clyde)	By appointment
Boots	PETCO - Moorpark
Bronson	PETCO - Moorpark
Bug	Pets Hope
Carmella	By appointment
Clyde (Bonnie)	By appointment
CookieBear	By appointment
Cora	Pets Hope
Coral	Pets Hope
Cosmo	Pets Hope
Dale	PETCO - Moorpark
Diamond (Luna)	Pets Hope
Dodger	By appointment
Domino	PETCO - Moorpark
Dudley	Pets Hope
Dulcie	PETCO - Moorpark
Elias (Maggie)	By appointment
Emerald (Luna)	Pets Hope
Erin	PETCO - Moorpark
Felicia	PETCO - Moorpark
Felix	PETCO - Moorpark
Flash	PETCO - Moorpark
Freeway	By appointment
Garbo	PETCO - Moorpark
Glory	Pets Hope
Gumbo	By appointment
Gunner	Pets Hope
HoneyBear	PETCO - Moorpark
Italia	PETCO - Moorpark
Jack	By appointment
Jessie	PETCO - Moorpark
Jewel	PETCO - Moorpark
Jody	Pets Hope
Joey	By appointment
Joey	Pets Hope
Josie	By appointment
Kiwi	PETCO - Moorpark
Lemon Drop	By appointment
Little Ricky	By appointment
MaggieMae	By appointment
Margarita	Pets Hope
Mickey	Pets Hope
MinnieMoo	By appointment
Mojito	Pets Hope
Mollie	Pets Hope
Myles	Pets Hope
Nacho	PETCO - Moorpark
Oliver (Maggie)	By appointment
Peanut	By appointment
Pearl	PETCO - Moorpark
Peyton	PETCO - Moorpark
Phillip	PETCO - Moorpark
Popi	PETCO - Moorpark
Rachel	PETCO - Moorpark
ReddyFreddy	PETCO - Moorpark
Ruby (Luna)	Pets Hope
Ruth	Pets Hope
Samson	PETCO - Moorpark
Scarlet	Pets Hope
Scruffy	PETCO - Moorpark
Shadow	PETCO - Moorpark
Sheldon	PETCO - Moorpark
Shotzi	Pets Hope
Sienna	PETCO - Moorpark
Skipper	PETCO - Moorpark
Smitty	Pets Hope
Smokey	PETCO - Moorpark
Sofie	Pets Hope
Sparky	PETCO - Moorpark
Stefan	PETCO - Moorpark
Storm	Pets Hope
Svetlana (Maggie)	By appointment
Tahiti	PETCO - Moorpark
Tammy	PETCO - Moorpark
Tanner	By appointment
Vienna	PETCO - Moorpark
Vinny	PETCO - Moorpark
Walter (Maggie)	By appointment
WhoDat	PETCO - Moorpark
Wilson	PETCO - Moorpark
Winnie	By appointment

Dogs & Puppies available (1/21/12)

2012-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Location: Petco in Moorpark, 742 Los Angeles Ave., Noon until 4PM
Location: Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center, Simi Valley, 10-8PM except Sundays which is 11 to 6PM
Location: "By appointment" - use the contact email on their profile

Dog	Location
Albert	Pets Hope - Simi
Alfie	By appt
Alice	Pets Hope - Simi
Amber	Pets Hope - Simi
Ava	Moorpark PETCO
Babe	Pets Hope - Simi
BabyGirl	Moorpark PETCO
Bardot	By appt
Benny	Moorpark PETCO
Billy	Moorpark PETCO
Blondie	Moorpark PETCO
BlueBelle	Moorpark PETCO
Bogart	By appt
Bonnie & Clyde	By appt
Boots	Moorpark PETCO
Brody	Pets Hope - Simi
Bronson	By appt
Bug	Pets Hope - Simi
Carmella	Moorpark PETCO
CookieBear	By appt
Coral	Pets Hope - Simi
Cosmo	Pets Hope - Simi
Dale	Moorpark PETCO
Diamond (Luna)	Pets Hope - Simi
Dodger	Moorpark PETCO
Domino	Moorpark PETCO
Dudley	Moorpark PETCO
Dulcie	Moorpark PETCO
Elias	Pets Hope - Simi
Emerald	Pets Hope - Simi
Erin	Moorpark PETCO
Evita	Moorpark PETCO
Fanny	Pets Hope - Simi
Felicia	By appt
Felix	Moorpark PETCO
Garbo	By appt
Glory	Pets Hope - Simi
Gumbo	By appt
Gunner	Pets Hope - Simi
HoneyBear	Moorpark PETCO
Honor	Pets Hope - Simi
Italia	Moorpark PETCO
Jack	By appt
Jessie	Moorpark PETCO
Jewel	Moorpark PETCO
Jody	Pets Hope - Simi
Joey	Moorpark PETCO
Joey	Pets Hope - Simi
Josie	Moorpark PETCO
Kiwi	Moorpark PETCO
Lemon Drop	By appt
Lilliana	Moorpark PETCO
Maddy	By appt
MaggieMae	Moorpark PETCO
Margarita	Pets Hope - Simi
Mela	By appt
Mickey	Pets Hope - Simi
MinnieMoo	By appt
Mojito	Pets Hope - Simi
Mollie	Pets Hope - Simi
Myles	Pets Hope - Simi
Nacho	Moorpark PETCO
Oliver (Maggie)	Pets Hope - Simi
Peanut	By appt
Pearl	Moorpark PETCO
Peyton	Moorpark PETCO
Phillip	Moorpark PETCO
Rachel	Moorpark PETCO
Rambo	Pets Hope - Simi
ReddyFreddy	By appt
Ruby	Pets Hope - Simi
Ruth	Pets Hope - Simi
Samson	Moorpark PETCO
Scarlet	Moorpark PETCO
Scruffy	Moorpark PETCO
Shadow	Moorpark PETCO
Shady	Moorpark PETCO
Sheldon	Moorpark PETCO
Shotzi	Moorpark PETCO
Sienna	By appt
Skipper	Moorpark PETCO
Smitty	Pets Hope - Simi
Smokey	By appt
Sofie	Pets Hope - Simi
Sparky	Moorpark PETCO
Stefan	Moorpark PETCO
Storm	Moorpark PETCO
Svetlana	Pets Hope - Simi
Tahiti	Moorpark PETCO
Tammy	Moorpark PETCO
Tanner	By appt
Tommy	By appt
Vienna	Moorpark PETCO
Vinny	Pets Hope - Simi
Walter	Pets Hope - Simi
WhoDat	Moorpark PETCO
Wilson	Moorpark PETCO
Winnie	By appt

Update - Successful Furever homes!

2012-01-19T03:43:00.000-08:00

From Posey's new furmom:

I just wanted to send you a pic of my girl and let you know she is doing fantastic. We are so incredibly happy with her, she is such a good girl. BTW she sleeps with us :) , no accidents (NOT ONE) in the house, super sweet...All I have to say is thank you for taking such good care of her, for saving her and for letting her choose us.

I am attaching a picture we took of her at a friends house.

Bartholomew found his furever home!

2012-01-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

The 'juice' that keeps us rescuers going - successful "furever" homes for the puppers we save out of the shelters and off kill lists! WTG, Bartholomew! Just love that last 'Kodak' moment, huh?

Linda

Dogs & Puppies available for adoption (1/7/12)

2012-01-06T21:57:00.001-08:00

Dog	Location
Albert	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Alice	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Amber	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Anya	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Ava	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Babe	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
BabyGirl	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Bardot	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Bartholomew	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Benny	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Billy	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
BlueBelle	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Bogart	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Boots	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Brock	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Brody	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Bronson	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Bug	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Carmella	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
CookieBear	By appt only
Coral	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Cosmo	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Dale	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Diamond (Luna)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Dodger	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Domino	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Dudley	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Elias (Maggie)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Emerald (Luna)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Erin	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Evita	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Fanny	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Felix	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Garbo	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Gigi (Jewel)	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Glory	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Gumbo	By appt only
Gunner	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
HoneyBear	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Honor	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Italia	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Jack	By appt only
Jewel	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Jody	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Joey	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Joey	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Kiwi	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Lemon Drop	By appt only
Lilliana (Maggie)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Luna	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
MaggieMae	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Margarita	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Mickey	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
MinnieMoo	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Mojito	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Mollie	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Myles	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Noodles	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Oliver (Maggie)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Ollie	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Paris	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Peanut	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Pearl	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Peyton	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Phillip	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Rambo	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Ruby (Luna)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Ruth	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Samson	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Scarlet	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Shady	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Sheldon	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Shotzi	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Sienna	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Smitty	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Sofie	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Sparky	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Stefan	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Stitch	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Storm	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Svetlana (Maggie)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Tahiti	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Tammy	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Tanner	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Vinny	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
Walter (Maggie)	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM
Wendall	Pets Hope, Simi Valley, 10-8PM
WhoDat	PETCO in Moorpark, Sat 12-4PM

Dogs & Puppies available for adoption (12/31/11)

2011-12-31T08:43:00.001-08:00

Dog	LOCATION	Address & Times
Albert	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Alice	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Ava	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Babe	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
BabyGirl	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Bardot	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Bartholomew	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Bear	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Benny	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
BlueBelle	By appt
Bogart	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Bonnie & Clyde	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Boots	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Brady	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Bronson	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Butter	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Carmella	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
CookieBear	By appt
Cosmo	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Dale	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
DeNiro	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Dodger	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Domino	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Dudley	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Eli	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Erin	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Evita	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Fanny	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Felicia	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Felix	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Garbo	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Gigi	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Glory	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Gumbo	By appt
Hero	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
HoneyBear	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Honor	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Italia	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Jack	By appt
Lemon Drop	By appt
Maddy	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Margarita	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Mojito	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Nacho	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Noodles	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Peanut	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Pearl	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Peyton	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Phillip	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Robby	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Roma	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Ruth	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Samson	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Shady	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Sheldon	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Sienna	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Smitty	Simi Valley	Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center -Mon/Sat 10A-8P, Sun 11A-6P
Smokey	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Sparky	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Stefan	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Tahiti	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Tammy	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Teddy	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
TinyTim	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Tommy	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
WhoDat	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Wiggles	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM
Wilson	Moorpark	Petco, 742 Los Angeles - Sat., 12/31 Noon until 4PM

Introducing our Timothy!

2011-12-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

Allow me to introduce our little Timothy who the foster mom referenced in her posting right before Christmas. Timothy is about 3 months old and has an eye injury that needed immediate attention by the eye specialist. We are keeping our fingers crossed the surgery is not needed, 'cause it is $2,000 (and no medical discounts for a rescue either).

I met Timothy the other day and he is a doll baby... Friendly, outgoing and just a sweet, sweet puppy!

Rescue group in crisis mode after cat euthanized, not treated

2011-12-30T19:33:00.000-08:00

Humane Society‎ Sparks Outrage By Euthanizing Man's Kitten Over Money

PHOENIX -- Animal lovers threatened to pull donations to an animal rescue group and the public flooded the agency with scathing comments and calls after a man's cat was euthanized when he couldn't afford its medical care, prompting the Arizona Humane Society to go into damage-control mode Wednesday. Read the rest of the story HERE.

It's that time of year when special and inexplicable things occur.

2011-12-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

In light of the holiday season, I thought I would share with everyone

the email one of our foster mom's sent to all of the TLC volunteers last night:

=================================================

It's that time of year when special and inexplicable things occur.

Bartholomew is like a big brother to Samson. Samson was the baby of his litter
and was sent here to grow up and learn to socialize with other, larger dogs. He
and Bartholomew are crate mates and Bart watches over him all day long.

So it came that this week the "pack" heard a commotion by the pine trees and ran
to investigate. The neighbor was dragging his trash cans to the street and the
dogs were complaining at how close he was coming to "their" yard. As many times
as I apologize to the neighbor for all the barking, all he says is, "It's just
barking!" And so the chorus went on. But someone was missing. Samson looked
around and noticed that his friend Bartholomew was not in the crowd.

Samson left the pack and alone retraced their route looking for his friend but
Bartholomew was nowhere to be seen. Samson did not give up and eventually heard
a faint barking echo near the pool. Samson knew better than to venture near the
big water, but that was where he heard Bart so he climbed up on the deck
anyway...and there was his friend, Bartholomew, standing on his tip toes keeping
his head above water but unable to climb out.

So Samson did what all good and loyal friends do. He sat on the deck by
Bartholomew's side and he barked. He barked non-stop until he finally summoned
help from a human in the house. Bartholomew was scooped out of the water,
bundled into towels and whisked off into the warm, dry house to recover.

Samson does not know that he may have saved Bart's life this week. And
Bartholomew has little understanding of having been saved. But that's because
dog's behave this way by their very nature. Dog's stand vigil by dead companions
or by the grave of an owner. Lassie saves Timmy from the well. Dog's are BORN
loyal and will remain loyal until their last breath...whether we deserve it or
not.

It is cold tonight and Bartholomew and Samson are cuddled together in the fuzzy
bed in their crate dreaming doggy dreams just like every other night. One day
soon, each of them will get adopted by a loving family and they will be loyal to
their new family...just as they have been loving and loyal to each other...after
all...they're dogs...it's what they do...it's who they are.

(By contrast, our cat, were she allowed outdoors, would have watched curiously
as Bartholomew slowly drowned...go figure!)

BTW...out newest TLC rescue is Timothy, a 3 month old chi weenie with a serious
eye injury. He looks and acts like a puppy version of Stevie and so we could not
leave him to his fate at the shelter. The vet is giving the medicines and bed
rest until next Tuesday to work their magic, or it will be surgery and/or eye
removal. We need one more Christmas miracle ...for little Timothy.

Paws crossed...

Merry Christmas!!!!!

====================================================

If you haven't seen Samson or Bartholomew on our website yet,
here are their profiles so you can put a visual to each of these dogs:

Bartholomew: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/21530691

Samson: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/19764965

As for little Timothy mentioned by the foster mom at the end of her email, he's been to see the eye specialist yesterday. If the meds prescribed are not helping, then Timothy will need a $2,000 surgery next week. So if you are in a giving mood, have some extra to share after all of your shopping and/or are needing a tax deduction before the end of the year, Timothy and all of us TLCers would be greatly appreciative of the help!

Happy Holidays to one and all!

Linda and the TLC volunteers

Update: BonnBonn

2011-12-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

From BonnBonn's furmom:

Thank you so much for the poem. It made me smile! I love my BonnBonn so much, she is truly my best friend and I want to believe she feels the same way about me.

She has a full wardrobe of hoodies (see attached pic), sweaters, vests and coats to keep her warm in the cooler months... sleeps snuggled up with me every night (see attached pic) and goes everywhere with me (see attached pic)... except for work. She even has a high end carrier that looks like a designer purse!

I just want to thank you, again, for allowing me to be BonnBonn's mom. There is no greater gift than the gift of love. I couldn't love her anymore even if she was my natural child. She will always be my furbaby.... until death do us part.

Happy Holidays to you and yours,

Madreena

The need for accurate reporting at local shelters...

2011-12-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Why Transparency?
by Maddie's Fund President, Rich Avaizino

"Many shelters say they don’t want to publish their statistics because the organization will look bad. If an agency fears looking bad, something is going on -- perhaps it’s not getting enough funding to do the job well, or it’s not properly supported by other animal welfare groups or the community. But if the organization isn’t getting the resources or backing it needs and large numbers of dogs and cats are dying as a result, shouldn’t the public know that? Don’t we owe it to the animals to tell the community what’s taking place in the shelter system, especially in public animal control facilities? Not only does the public have the right to know, but once the information is exposed, there is greater opportunity for solutions to be found to reduce the killing. If the community doesn’t know what’s happening, it can’t help."

Read the rest of his editorial HERE and ask yourself if you really know what is going on in the local shelters in regards to euthanasia, numbers of animals being saved, etc.

Update: Gus Luskin taking a break!

2011-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

TLC dogs & puppies showing this weekend (Saturday)

2011-12-17T02:17:00.000-08:00

Dog	Location
Albert	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Alfie	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Alice	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Ava	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Babe	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
BabyGirl	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Bardot	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Bartholomew	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Bear	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Benny	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Billy	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Blondie	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
BlueBelle	By appt only
Bogart	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Bonnie (Clyde)	By appt only
Boots	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Brady	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Bronson	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Butter	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Carmella	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Clyde (Bonnie)	By appt only
CookieBear	By appt only
Cosmo	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Dale	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
DeNiro	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Diamond (Luna)	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Dodger	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Domino	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Dudley	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Dulcie	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Eli	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Emerald (Luna)	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Erin	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Evita	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Fanny	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Felicia	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Felix	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Garbo	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Gigi (Jewel)	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Glory	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Gumbo	By appt only
Hero	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
HoneyBear	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Honor	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Italia	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Jack	By appt only
Jewel	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Joey	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Kiwi	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Lemon Drop	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Luna	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Maddy	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Margarita	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Mela	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
MinnieMoo	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Mojito	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Nacho	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Noodles	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Peanut	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Pearl	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Peyton	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Phillip	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Rachel	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
ReddyFreddy	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Robby	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Roma	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Ruby (Luna)	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Ruth	Pets Hope, 7 days a week 19AM to 8PM, Simi Valley
Samson	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Scarlet	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Shadow	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Shady	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Sheldon	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Shotzi	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Sienna	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Skipper	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Smokey	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Sparky	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Stefan	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Storm	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Tahiti	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Teddy	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Vienna	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
WhoDat	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Wiggles	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Wilson	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM
Winnie	PETCO, Moorpark - Sat. - Noon - 4PM

NEWS: SafeHaven takes in rescue dogs

2011-12-17T01:54:00.000-08:00

SafeHaven takes in rescue dogs

By Jennifer Moody, Albany Democrat-Herald

Posted: Friday, December 16, 2011 7:00 am

Staff members at SafeHaven Humane Society don’t look much like Santa’s reindeer.But like Rudolph in the classic Christmas cartoon, they’re doing their best to find new homes for refugees from the Island of Misfit Dogs.The “island,” in this case, is Southern California, where shelters quickly fill with animals facing the equivalent of doggie death row.

SafeHaven is partners with the Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team, a California nonprofit that pays for transporting dogs from high-kill shelters in California to out-of-state rescue groups and humane societies.Every four to six weeks, START makes a rescue round, bringing dogs to partner shelters in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

The most recent round of rescues brought 250 dogs to Oregon, 40 of them to SafeHaven.SafeHaven became a partner a little more than a year ago and usually participates about once a month. But even before that, the shelter would occasionally send people to California to rescue dogs that stood a good chance of adoption up north.

The no-kill shelter doesn’t have space to accommodate the immigrants — plenty of Linn-area dogs also need its services — so sometimes it can take just one or two dogs.Twenty dogs — poodle, terrier, Chihuahua and Dachshund mixes, including one Dachshund mix with five puppies — made up the latest group, which arrived Thursday.Four more dogs are expected next week, and 16 came last week, although one, a pregnant German shepherd-border collie mix, gave birth to nine puppies the day after she arrived.

Director Chris Storm is confident they’ll all find homes soon. “We can’t keep little dogs in the shelter,” she said. “We had a litter of six today and they’re all gone.”SafeHaven has the capacity for about 30 dogs, or 60 if they’re small and get along. It also fosters puppies. It averages three to four dog adoptions a day, so the new dogs shouldn’t crowd anybody out, said Marti Cersovski, the humane society’s marketing communications manager.

Unfortunately, no similar rescue team exists for cats, at least not that Cersovski knows about. The stray or surrendered cat population continues to overwhelm SafeHaven, she said.

On Highway 34 just west of the Interstate 5 interchange, SafeHaven is open from noon to 6 p.m. seven days a week Tuesday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Adoption fees pay for animals to be spayed or neutered, microchipped, vet-checked and vaccinated.

Although it happens only occasionally, Cersovski said, some people who adopt an animal do end up bringing it back to SafeHaven, often saying they didn’t realize how much time or energy was involved. It’s important to be fully prepared for all the particulars before taking on that responsibility, she said.“It’s a lifetime commitment for the life of that dog or cat,” she said. “Especially at this time of year, we want them all to go home for the holidays, but we want them to go home forever.”

SOURCE

NEWS: Animal control plan has benefits, study says

2011-12-17T01:44:00.000-08:00

Animal control plan has benefits, study says

San Joaquin County considers partnership with Stockton

Dogs await possible adoption at Stockton’s animal shelter. A new report says a more regional approach to animal control could save taxpayer dollars while boosting officer resources. Some question the study’s accuracy, however.CLIFFORD OTO/The Record

By Zachary K. Johnson

Record Staff Writer

December 16, 2011 12:00 AM

STOCKTON - All but one of the seven cities in San Joaquin County have balked at the idea of pooling resources to create a countywide system for animal control.

But a partnership between the city of Stockton and county government could still form the foundation for a more regional approach to animal control that could, from the outset, save taxpayer dollars while reducing the number of stray dogs and cats killed in the county, according to Stockton's Animal Protection League, an animal advocacy group commissioned by the county.

At its meeting this week, the county Board of Supervisors stopped short of voting to authorize staff to develop a joint powers authority with the city. But the board directed its consultant to meet with other animal advocates, to continue gathering information and to come back early in the new year.

"Please all get together and talk this over so we can come to a realistic and compassionate answer," board Chairman Larry Ruhstaller said.

Such a plan could put more animal control officers in the field, offer programs that will help push down the number of animals killed and allow the construction of a joint shelter to replace the outdated and inadequate shelter currently used by the agencies, said Tammie Murrell, director of the Animal Protection League and a former Stockton deputy police chief. "That, we believe, will not only improve services ... but improve euthanasia rates ... and improve the care of the animals," she said.

About $7.6 million would be needed to build a new shelter. Before a shelter is built, however, Murrell said the merging of the two agencies would bring other benefits, including ways to cut down euthanasia through an adoption and foster program, spaying and neutering services, humane education and use of volunteers.

Because of the economy of scale, an in-house veterinarian and a licensing unit to bring in revenue, Murrell said the plan could shave about $430,000 from city and county operating costs that were a little more than $2 million in the 2009-10 fiscal year.

The plan allows for other cities to opt in at some future point. Since August, Lodi, Manteca and Escalon have shown interest in one or two components of a combined plan, but the other cities have shown no interest, according to the county.

Stockton's animal control and animal shelter are part of the Police Department. County government contracts with the city for the shelter. The county's animal control covers unincorporated land - from urban areas near Stockton to the county's rural reaches. Until this year, county animal control was part of the Agricultural Commissioner's Office. Now it is part of the Sheriff's Office.

The league's study doesn't include improvements made since the shift to the Sheriff's Office, said Ann Mooney, field representative for Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents county animal control officers. Mooney urged the board to not jump into discussions with the city without accurate and up-to-date information.

The study also drew fire from Eileen McFall, who said the study used systems with sky-high euthanasia rates as models. There are so-called "no-kill" models of shelters that save most of the animals they take in, said McFall, an animal advocate and professor at University of the Pacific. "We could certainly be doing a lot better."

Contact reporter Zachary K. Johnson at (209) 546-8258 or zjohnson@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/johnsonblog.

Yet another reason why Ventura County should be no kill....

2011-12-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

Agree with us?
Send an open letter to the
Ventura County Board of Supervisors
HERE.

Baby Holly Update.........

2011-12-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

(Note: click on any photo to see a larger version)

Two weeks ago, TLC agreed to take on this 5 month old pup found wandering the streets of Torrance... She had a lot going against her - Demodex, Guardia, malnutrition and an upper respiratory infection...

The shelter had named her "Peggy Sue" but we changed her name to "Baby Holly" in honor of one of TLC's hard working volunteers...

And saving one of these babies is really a team effort in the humane community - from Ric who alerted TLC - to Tammy who transported - to Baby Holly's foster mom and those who support TLC with donations financially... It truly is a team effort! And these are the kinds of things those donations go to... the hard cases others walk away from and the public will not adopt...

Two weeks later, Baby Holly has gained a pound and a half of weight... She's learned what it is to be a puppy and to play with others - now that she has the energy to do it... She's also learned to enjoy the daily baths and seems to even look forward to them...

The 'skull cap' of scab and muck is now gone... It is no longer festering underneath with noxious tissue, decaying and infected...

The open infected sores are now healed and it no longer hurts her to open her mouth on the sides... BabyHolly no longer shakes her head constantly from the infection inside her ears...

Baby Holly is a princess at sitting each day for her eye drops after her bath and willing takes her meds... Sometimes she'll even lay a few kisses on her foster mom like she appreciates all the effort to save her life and get her healthy again!

We are still working on removing all of the demodex that had filled her ears, but it is a tedious process that takes time, even with the most patient of dogs (and foster moms)... But Baby Holly sits there and with gentleness, gently the ears are wiped out every day and progress is being made...

And the ears are now standing up - this was a surprise to us for sure! Maybe because she was so sick, she didn't have the energy to keep them up (?)...

This is one of the most gentlest dogs we have run across for a long time... She never barks, she never complains, she never whines...

Any bit of attention you give her - be it a bath and massage afterwards - it seems she just SOOO appreciates it... She will stand for 30 minutes as you do what you need to do without trying to jump down, move away or do anything but be cooperative!... There is almost an 'old soulness' about this pup... Could be because she was through so much in such a short amount of time on this Earth, but you get a sense she is happy to just "be", ya know?... Just happy to be...

Her coat is starting to come in well now... She's still got patches where the crust left, but took the hair with it...

Some of these spots had a few layers deep of infection too, so it was touchy to treat the infections and still do what we needed to with the exfoliatants...

Overall, it is still thin, but there are no longer any open wounds, nor filled with scabs and hair stuck in the scabs --- so when the scabs left, they took the hair and opened up surface abrasions... This pup was in bad, bad shape and we are so very pleases she has done so well in just two weeks...

This is what rescue is all about... Demodex dogs are not the easiest saves, but they are probably some of the most rewarding ones we do...

Now, as far as her eye, we are still not sure what the eventual outcome of that is going to be... As Baby Holly continues to get healthier, the eye seems to not be as clouded over...

She still has the drops that go in three times a day and shortly she will go back into the vet's for a recheck... Maybe at that time there will be a decision made... We think she has vision in the eye, even if still a bit clouded over...

Two weeks ago, the eye was completely clouded over and now from this sideways perspective, you can see the cloudiness is centered in just the very center while around it, the eye has become clear...

She is not in pain however... And she is not turning her head sideways to see, so we are keeping our fingers crossed the eye can be saved with time, meds and TLC...

But we think the most amazing thing about all of this progress is the lack of scarring on her head... That skull cap was pretty gruesome to see (and smell - YUCK)...

We thought for sure she'd have scars all across her head for the skull cap of scabs had cracked in numerous places and there was a LOT of decaying tissue underneath it...

We just couldn't see where it wouldn't be scarred up, ya know? And yet? It is now just about as smooth as a baby's bottom!

Amazing, huh? What a difference in just two weeks with a lot of TLC, the proper meds, good nutrition and time...

And now we are going to close this entry in the blog with a nice snapshot of Baby Holly in her clean outfit for the day - a bright pink and yellow hoodie that looks like it was just made for her! What a sweetie this little one is... and she'll be available for adoption about the middle of January once she is spayed. Are you the very special someone for our Baby Holly?

OK, I call "Uncle"...

2011-12-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Alfie can be found getting along with other small dogs, but he certainly enjoys playing with some of the foster puppies... He has a ton of patience with them for some reason...

After a wild game today of "kill the duck" and having stuffing all over the place, "Uncle" Alfie and several of the pups crawled into a small spot to take their afternoon nap...

The stuffed duck was a goner, but their foster mom reports it took her at least 30 minutes to clean it all up... And as a small wad of the stuffing is in the right corner of the photo, she missed some!

Eventually even Uncle Alfie succumbed to a nap... After all, running around after these young whipper snappers can wear an uncle out eventually!

Precious moments...

2011-12-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the moments we catch as a foster mom are just too cute not to share... Our Tommy asleep, using another pup as a pillow...

Another update - this one is from Gus' furmom!

2011-12-13T19:10:00.001-08:00

Fudge - just in time for Christmas!

2011-12-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

Our dear sweet Fudge found his furever home on Saturday. WTG, Fudge! What a cutie pig this guy is!

From his new furever mom:

Fudge is now all settled in his new home with his brothers and sisters; he was a little nervous at first with all the barking about a new kid in the house.

Everybody is now acquainted with each other and he is now just one of the guys. You are right, he does not bark………………….I like that.

I put a sweater on him but did not seem to like it, maybe it’s not what he is used to. Did you put any sweaters on him?

Also, all 5 of my other dogs went to the groomer today and tomorrow I’ll be putting Advantage Plus on them. When is the last time Fudge took a bath and is he wearing any flea repellent?

Last, thank you so much for taking such good care of Fudge; he will bring lots of joy into is furever home and he will be spoiled rotten by us.

Best,
Elena

Update on Zeus (now named "Alex")

2011-12-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

Zeus as in pretty sad shape when we found him in a high kill shelter in June of this year. The majority of his pretty Maltese coat was gone and his skin showed through in various shades of light pink to deep hurtful red.

He worried his foster mom all the time, as she tried to discover the culprit for his massive loss of hair. Eventually we figured out he was allergic to fleas - it took just one flea for him to start chewing through his coat and causing top level skin tissue damage. And you knew from looking at him, Zeus must be in pure misery and pain once it started! It would no sooner clear up -- then it would start all over again.

We just got an update from Zeus furmom - he is now named "Alex"...

"I just wanted to share this picture of Alex with you. Alex likes to lie under the Christmas tree. I think he loves the tree's skirt and branches over head. When I came home the other day, he had the skirt in the middle of the room. The skirt was rolled in a ball and he was lying on top of it! He is such a "love bug". I think I may need to put him on a diet though; he just loves to eat! I will bring him by to see you over the holidays! His coat has gotten very long, but I still find him licking his front legs at times."

And Alex now looks divine as the angelic angel we knew was there all along! He just needed lots of TLC and a great furmom like Jill to adopt him!

First step for NO-KILL in Ventura County

2011-12-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

These are the times I am so very proud of the humane community... The first real step towards 'NO KILL' has occurred here in Ventura County with the opening of SPARC - Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center.

On November 18th, Santa Paula city council considered a partnership with a nonprofit organization (SPARC) to create the first no-kill facility in Ventura County (news article here from the Santa Paula Times).

And on December 9th, the following article appeared in the Santa Paula Times:

Men and dogs...

2011-12-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest hurdles we have to overcome in rehabilitating rescue dogs is their fear of men. Not all rescue dogs have this fear, but were I to make a list of the items we work on the hardest, I would say this is at the top of our list (and then potty training, canine manners, etc.).

The majority of the humans in dog rescue are women. Dunno why that is, but I am sure Freud followers could explain it to us intellectually. I just know that is it, and not why. And I believe most of us rescuers 'drag' our hubbies into our passion (some totally unwilling to be a part of the experience).

So when we find our husbands, partners, BFFs, etc. willing, it is like icing on the cake of life for us. I 'assign' certain saves to my husband, Paul, from the moment I get the dog out of the shelter. I will bathe them, feed them, take care of them --- but I don't cuddle, work with them, give them treats or goodies, etc. Everything GOOD to GREAT in their lives will come from Paul, and that is the only way I have found we can begin the process of overcoming a fear of men.

I myself am blessed (and I know it) - once Paul realized only HE could do what WE were attempting, he jumped into it head first and has done some very good saves. Dogs that would hide in a corner or slink away from the very sight of him eventually ended up spending their evenings in his lap watching TV until they found their furever home.

It doesn't happen overnight, and I wonder if that is why some male counterparts of rescue families get irritated over the passion. There is no instant gratification to be had, for it takes time to establish that trust and a dog to overcome the fear.

Maybe part of this generation's downfall is that we all grew up watching Lassie on TV. She was ALWAYS the best of the best, and we all wanted a dog like Timmy had, ya know? At least what we saw on TV as we laid on our bellies in front of it, engrossed in the weekly adventures of Lassie and her family. So in our heads now, we see "dog" and 'think' Lassie. Sadly, it does not always work out that way.

TLC is very lucky in that most of our husbands support what we do, and many actively engage in rehabilitating hard cases, or adding 'added value' with extra socialization of dogs... some even work as hard as we women do to create an adoptable dog from one that was destined to be euthanized because they were not perfect - or a Lassie.

One such great guy is Rob, DeAnna's husband. Rob, like Paul, goes out of his way to work harder on the dogs that have men-fear based issues. I can't say if Rob got to the realization like Paul did --- that only HE can affect this change, but Rob certainly has had some major success stories already.

As you can see from a recent photo, football watching does have its perks - lots of belly warmers, lap warmers, companions to pick from, huh?

And rescue is not just for women, guys. In TLC, we have three men that come every weekend, foster dogs and work just as hard as we women do! Joe Sr. and Joseph (father and son team) along with Gherry (who is currently fostering our two blind puppies - Peanut and Butter) are all valued members of the TLC volunteer team.

We could not do this without all of the volunteers and fosters in TLC - men and women alike - so allow me to say thank you to those who support what we do!

As always,
Linda

P.S. For more on the topic of rescue dogs and the fear of men:

Conquering your dog's fear of men
Why dogs are more afraid of men - there's a study involving points of light in the gait of men versus women (could be why sitting down is a critical aspect of the rehabilitation being done by men in TLC also)
Adopting a shelter dog
Puppy socialization tips - briefly discusses this fear and how to overcome it (pdf file)

This free book guides you through the first seven days of Adopting a Shelter Dog. With seven simple lessons, the book helps you ease the transition from shelter life to home life for you and your pup. You can download your copy here.

You can't replace one dog with another......

2011-12-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

Everyone in our area has become aware of the little munchkin "Minnie" who was lost on October 9th. Each and EVERY dog or puppy is just so special and unique - it is just simply impossible to replace a lost, missing or deceased loved one - canine, feline, human, whatever. And all of the TLC volunteers and fosters who go into the local shelters or watch the websites have been diligently on the lookout for little Minnie, to no avail.

For the past few weeks, every time I saw a missing Minnie poster, I would think to myself, "What would I do should I lose one of my girls? What an incredible amount of sadness I would feel - would I be able to overcome it were I forced to walk in these folks' moccasins?" And it seemed that every time I was outside my home, I would see a Minnie poster and the thought process would start all over again.

There is quite a bit of difference when your canine BFF is growing older and you start to slowly accept the realization that one day they will be gone over the Rainbow Bridge waiting for you. Or if your loved pet becomes ill and shows no hope of recovery. But a sudden and unexpected loss seems to strike our psyche harder because we had no time to prepare ourselves for it. The loss becomes profound and one way of dealing with the grief is to 'let no stone unturned' until we drive ourselves into exhaustion in the hopes we have done everything possible that could (or should - or would) be done.

These are all thoughts that have percolated inside my pea brain for about six weeks now.

As a side note to all of this? In rescue, the warning bells go off inside our head when we meet up with someone still in major grief, and seeing one of our dogs up for adoption, immediately wants to adopt it "because it looks just like our dear, sweet Molly who we lost recently". We humans are visual creatures and fall in love based upon a dog's appearance much faster than we do their personality, and I think I worry more about a placement when it is based upon someone trying to replace their lost dog with another that looks like them. For us in TLC, it is all about the dog and people should fall in love with a dog or puppy from the inside out for it to be as successful as possible.

Yesterday the owners of Minnie came to our adoptions event and brought us one of her photos. We seem to become 'the place' for Chihuahuas, so it was only natural that we be contacted. My heart had long ago gone out to Bill and Penny, although I had never met them in person before, but I could SO relate to what they had been going through for the past 2 months. I felt like I already knew them as odd as that might sound.

They spent quite some time with us yesterday at adoptions and each time I looked at Penny, I would see puppies chewing on her hair, her hands surrounded by little ones as she leaned into an Xpen or if she was sitting, one of our dear TLC dogs or puppies in her arms. This is the kind of medicine you can't bottle up and sell, ya know? There is something about puppies and dogs that reach inside of us on a level that is indescrible, so I won't even try.

I do know that dogs sense it within us on a certain level and despite the naysayers who say dogs can't "feel", I know they are wrong - dogs DO feel and WILL try to comfort, the same as a momma will do to her pups. Granted some dogs do it better than others, but all dogs have the potential to feel our feelings.

And one of our baby foster mommas (Susan) has the unique knack of instilling unconditional love and kindness in all of her fosters. It is a gift and not everyone has this, but Susan has a PhD in unconditional love. As I watched Penny interact with the puppies in our adoption Xpen, my thoughts turned to one particular puppy who was a show stopper and very unique little munchkin - Lexy.

Not just in appearances, but in personality, Lexy has caught my eye at the past two adoption events. She has a distinct knowledge at an early age of who she is and what her place in this world should be (or will be if she has anything to do with it!).

You can almost spot this in some of these little ones at a very early age - they don't have a clue how little they are but they have the heart of a lion and the love that is unlimited for those they have picked to be their 'very own'... this is our dear, sweet Lexy.

Taking a risk, and not wanting to hurt, I put Lexy in Penny's arms at adoptions. If nothing else, her small size and loving nature could do nothing worse than to be comforting to Penny. You absolutely cannot replace one dog with another, but you can refocus yourself onto another dog even if you have lost the love of your life, ya know? In dog training, we use this practice all the time - rechannel and exchange... give a puppy a toy and he'll drop your favorite pair of shoes without the need for a scolding or harsh tones.

It was a good feeling to see Lexy immediately start working her magic. Cuddling up, she reached upwards and place a puppy kiss on Penny's chin.

Later on, one of our volunteers caught this beautiful photo of Lexy sitting on Bill's lap... almost as if Lexy was listening to the pearls of wisdom Bill was sharing with her!

This is the 'juice' that keeps us rescuers going... and through all the hard times when we think that we haven't made a dent in the huge number of adoptable pets that show up in shelters and will be put to death if they can't be adopted in a certain time frame.

Each successful 'furever' home is another building block in our determination to make a difference. And there are times our efforts seem futile, without reasoning and apathy would be the easier road to travel... turning away so you don't have to know or feel. I believe each TLC volunteer yesterday felt rejuvenated as they watched Bill and Penny interact with many of the puppies and dogs at adoptions (and we had 62 dogs and puppies there, waiting for their furever homes, so there was a LOT of that good positive energy and magic going on!).

There is not replacement on this side of the Rainbow Bridge for sweet little Minnie, but it was with a great deal of internal good feelings when I was told Penny and Bill were going to adopt our sweet little Lexy. They vow to never give up looking for Minnie, but they will have the love of Lexy along this journey now.

For you see? Lexy is truly a unique little one that might have had a calling beyond even her own knowledge... in Lexy's case, she does not 'wear her heart on her sleeve' but on her side for the world to see. And if I know Lexy? She will do her utmost best to give Bill and Penny all of the unconditional love and kindness at her command, plus her internal strength and character to be sweet, funny and special - all wrapped up in one!

Season's Greetings to one and all!
Congratulations to Lexy, Bill and Penny!

As always, Linda and the TLC volunteers

P.S. Please help Bill and Penny in their quest to find Minnie:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/oct/19/couple-searches-for-lost-dog/?print=1

http://www.classifiedads.com/pet_lost_and_found-ad8096128.htm

Meet our newest - Tammy

2011-12-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

Tammy is a sweet little girl that recently joined us in TLC. About 4 pounds, photos don't do justice to those huge eyes you can practically fall in love with! She's a bit camera shy, but ya gotta see this one in person.

About 10 months old, she's beyond the puppy stage of chewing, needing potty training, etc. and now looking for her own furever home!

Dogs & Puppies available for adoption (12/10/11)

2011-12-09T21:31:00.001-08:00

Dog	Location
Albert	PETCO in Moorpark
Alfie	PETCO in Moorpark
Alice	PETCO in Moorpark
Ava	PETCO in Moorpark
Babe	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
BabyGirl	PETCO in Moorpark
Bardot	PETCO in Moorpark
Bartholomew	PETCO in Moorpark
Benny	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Billy	PETCO in Moorpark
Blondie	PETCO in Moorpark
BlueBelle	PETCO in Moorpark
Bogart	PETCO in Moorpark
Bonnie (Clyde)	PETCO in Moorpark
Boots	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Brady	PETCO in Moorpark
Bronson	PETCO in Moorpark
Butter	PETCO in Moorpark
Carmella	PETCO in Moorpark
Clyde (Bonnie)	PETCO in Moorpark
CookieBear	PETCO in Moorpark
Cosmo	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Dale	PETCO in Moorpark
DeNiro	PETCO in Moorpark
Diamond (Luna)	PETCO in Moorpark
Dodger	PETCO in Moorpark
Domino	PETCO in Moorpark
Dudley	PETCO in Moorpark
Dulcie	PETCO in Moorpark
Eli	PETCO in Moorpark
Emerald (Luna)	PETCO in Moorpark
Erin	PETCO in Moorpark
Evita	PETCO in Moorpark
Fanny	PETCO in Moorpark
Felicia	PETCO in Moorpark
Felix	PETCO in Moorpark
Fudge	PETCO in Moorpark
Garbo	PETCO in Moorpark
Gigi (Jewel)	PETCO in Moorpark
Glory	PETCO in Moorpark
Hero	PETCO in Moorpark
HoneyBear	PETCO in Moorpark
Honor	PETCO in Moorpark
Italia	PETCO in Moorpark
Jack	PETCO in Moorpark
Jewel	PETCO in Moorpark
Joey	PETCO in Moorpark
Kiwi	PETCO in Moorpark
Lemon Drop	PETCO in Moorpark
Lexy (Jewel)	PETCO in Moorpark
Luna	PETCO in Moorpark
Maddy	PETCO in Moorpark
Margarita	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Mela	PETCO in Moorpark
MinnieMoo	PETCO in Moorpark
Mojito	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Nacho	PETCO in Moorpark
Noodles	PETCO in Moorpark
Peanut	PETCO in Moorpark
Pearl	PETCO in Moorpark
Peyton	PETCO in Moorpark
Phillip	PETCO in Moorpark
Rachel	PETCO in Moorpark
ReddyFreddy	PETCO in Moorpark
Robby	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Roma	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Ruby (Luna)	PETCO in Moorpark
Ruth	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
Samson	PETCO in Moorpark
Scarlet	PETCO in Moorpark
Shadow	PETCO in Moorpark
Shady	PETCO in Moorpark
Sheldon	PETCO in Moorpark
Shotzi	PETCO in Moorpark
Sienna	PETCO in Moorpark
Skipper	PETCO in Moorpark
Smokey	PETCO in Moorpark
Sparky	PETCO in Moorpark
Stefan	PETCO in Moorpark
Storm	PETCO in Moorpark
Stretch	PETCO in Moorpark
Tahiti	PETCO in Moorpark
Tammy	PETCO in Moorpark
Tanner	PETCO in Moorpark
Tommy	PETCO in Moorpark
Velvet	PETCO in Moorpark
Vienna	PETCO in Moorpark
Vinny	Pets Hope, Simi Valley
WhoDat	PETCO in Moorpark
Wiggles	PETCO in Moorpark
Wilson	PETCO in Moorpark
Winnie	PETCO in Moorpark

2011-12-08T20:19:00.001-08:00

SPARKY
Sometimes as a foster mom, your fosters can be a continual source of humor as you watch them. I watched Sparky catch wind of a Greenie in a crate that was 'just' at his stretched out height when standing up. He circled back around, stood up and first used his paw to see if he could reach in and snag it. When that didn't work, he stuck out his tongue as farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as it could stretch and from my vantage point, I could see he was just about 1/2" short... (smile)...

He then gave up disgusted and went away... About 5 minutes later, he comes back and starts pawing on the blanket inside the crate until he managed to get a full corner out of it through the crate bars... Sparky grabs ahold of the blankee with his mouth and shakes the devil out of it... Stops, checks to see how much closer he got the Greenie within reach, and readjusts all over again...

This goes on for about a good 10 minutes and he is bound and determined that that Greenie is his! But with no success! He alternates between shaking the blankee, pulling more of it out of the side of the crate and pawing what is now hanging over the side at this point. As he pulls, the Greenie continues to be pushed backwards into the crate, unable to go underneath that bar holding the blankee in...

All of a sudden without any warning, he's pulled SO hard on the blankee and gotten so much out of it, the part left in the crate lifts the door latch out its hook and it bursts open! If he had been a human, he'd have landed on his butt, but his reaction was a dog's. The door pops, swings forward, almost hits him in the face but the Greenie comes flying out and he catches it!

SCORE!

Dogs & Puppies available for adoption (12/3)

2011-12-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

These are the dogs and puppies up for adoption this week at the three locations:
PETCO, 742 E Los Angeles Dr., Moorpark (noon to 4PM)
Pets Hope, 1555 Simi Towne Center, Simi Valley (M to Sat 10AM-8PM, Sun 11AM-6PM)
Unleashed, 2643 Tapo Canyon Rd, Simi Valley (noon to 4PM):

Dog	Location
Alfie	PETCO - Moorpark
Alice	PETCO - Moorpark
Ava	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Babe	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
BabyGirl	PETCO - Moorpark
Bardot	PETCO - Moorpark
Bartholomew	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Benny	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Billy	PETCO - Moorpark
BlueBelle	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Bogart	PETCO - Moorpark
Boots	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Brady	PETCO - Moorpark
Bronson	PETCO - Moorpark
Butter	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Carmella	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Cosmo	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Dale	PETCO - Moorpark
DeNiro	PETCO - Moorpark
Diamond (Luna)	PETCO - Moorpark
Dodger	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Domino	PETCO - Moorpark
Dulcie	PETCO - Moorpark
Eli	PETCO - Moorpark
Emerald (Luna)	PETCO - Moorpark
Erin	PETCO - Moorpark
Evita	PETCO - Moorpark
Fanny	PETCO - Moorpark
Felicia	PETCO - Moorpark
Felix	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Fudge	PETCO - Moorpark
Garbo	PETCO - Moorpark
Gigi (Jewel)	PETCO - Moorpark
Glory	PETCO - Moorpark
Hero	PETCO - Moorpark
HoneyBear	PETCO - Moorpark
Honor	PETCO - Moorpark
Italia	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Joey	PETCO - Moorpark
Kiwi	PETCO - Moorpark
Lexy (Jewel)	PETCO - Moorpark
Lobo	PETCO - Moorpark
Luna	PETCO - Moorpark
Maddy	PETCO - Moorpark
Margarita	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Mela	PETCO - Moorpark
Melvin	PETCO - Moorpark
Mojito	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Nacho	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Peanut	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Pearl	PETCO - Moorpark
Peyton	PETCO - Moorpark
Phillip	PETCO - Moorpark
Pisa	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Rachel	Unleashed - Simi Valley
ReddyFreddy	PETCO - Moorpark
Robby	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Roma	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Ruby (Luna)	PETCO - Moorpark
Ruth	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Scarlet	PETCO - Moorpark
Shadow	PETCO - Moorpark
Shady	PETCO - Moorpark
Sheldon	PETCO - Moorpark
Sienna	PETCO - Moorpark
Skipper	PETCO - Moorpark
Smokey	PETCO - Moorpark
Sparky	PETCO - Moorpark
Stefan	PETCO - Moorpark
Stretch	PETCO - Moorpark
Tahiti	PETCO - Moorpark
Tammy	PETCO - Moorpark
Tanner	Unleashed - Simi Valley
Tommy	PETCO - Moorpark
Velvet	PETCO - Moorpark
Verona	Pets Hope - Simi Valley
Veronica	PETCO - Moorpark
Vienna	PETCO - Moorpark
WhoDat	PETCO - Moorpark
Wiggles	PETCO - Moorpark
Wilson	PETCO - Moorpark

Give the gift of life to a shelter dog....

2011-11-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

This year we have two exciting programs going on during the seasonal time... Instead of giving presents to someone you love (or if you don't know what to give them), give the gift of life for a shelter dog... When you make a tax deductible donation of TLC, we will send your recipient a holiday card in lieu of your gift.

Or if you would like to remember a dearly loved pet who passed over the Rainbow Bridge, a tax deductible donation of $100 will put an ornament with their name on the TLC tree... and in turn, help to save the life of a shelter dog! Help Peanut fill up the tree with lots of ornaments this year!

For more details, see our web page HERE.

Amazing what a month can do...

2011-11-25T06:43:00.001-08:00

Progress of the "Hollywood Five" at 4 weeks:

http://tlc-hollywood5.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-difference-month-can-make.html

When horror can be happiness...

2011-11-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

At first glance, this photo might just fill you with absolute horror and sadness, but it really is a glance of happiness and joy yet to come... Rooney (whose butt you see) was pulled out of a high kill shelter about three weeks ago... Not only did he he have demodex, he also had kennel cough and was severely emaciated...

For three weeks, he has barely moved out of his cushy bed... Not even to pee... He'd widdle on himself, lacking the physical strength to walk or move very much at all... Dutifully, he'd allow us to give him medications, syringe feed him to keep up his strength and sit in a nebulizer once a day for twenty minutes... Just hacking and coughing throughout the day and night seemed to sap all the strength out of him...

Last night, he got up and walked across the floor... We just sat and watched him - totally amazed....

Tonight, Rooney heard the feeder being refilled. He got up from his spot on the blankees, trotted across to the feeder and with his unorthodox manner, proceeded to eat on his own.

Granted, his position is not something we can explain - why the food closest to him was not what he wanted, and choose to perch on the edge like this is remarkable if nothing else!

The feeder sits in a tray because another foster digs through the food in the feeder with her paw, picking out specific pieces she wants... And she can easily empty out the entire feeder and have it across an area 5' away in a matter of 5 minutes or less... So the tray catches her 'discarded' pieces of kibble...

Maybe it is easier for him to stand like this?

Dunno, but it sure was unique and different! (smile)...

And Rooney proceeded to eat until he was full, protecting the entire feeder from any other dog that ventured too close to his side of the kibble... Amazing stuff... From being so close to death's door and then after three very long weeks, to see him do these things is very heart warming!

We are not so sure the other dogs appreciated Rooney deciding to step all over the kibble before he was done, but they didn't complain too much!

Hence the photos we could not resist taking! Yep, truly photos of happiness!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

2011-11-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Canine addiction...

As I think about what tomorrow is and what I am thankful for in my life, I have to say I am thankful that I am addicted to dog rescue... Tonight I was driving home after picking up a few dogs, and I was reflecting not only on the crazies on the road, but just how very lucky I am that I have the ability to rehabilitate dogs, be involved with some really very special people in TLC and that what I do makes a difference --- even if in a small day today for just one dog...

.... more

Where do all the dogs go after adoptions?

2011-11-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

A question commonly asked of the volunteers is
"Where do all the dogs go after adoptions?"

TLC is a no-kill rescue without a kennel or boarding facility. All of the TLC rescues are fostered in someone's home with their dogs. And foster moms (and dads) are like gold and diamonds to us - without a foster mom willing to foster a dog, we can't save its life.

The foster moms and dads bring their fosters to one of two mobile locations each Saturday to be shown from the hours of noon until 4PM. You can always fill out an adoption application ahead of time at our website (HERE) and then come in to meet the dog or puppy on Saturday.

Just what is the 'demo' you keep talking about?

2011-11-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

Periodically, I get emails from folks asking why TLC rescues so many "demo" Chihuahuas... "Demo" (or demodex) is somewhat common and we see more and more of it recently, for some strange reason.

You can read the Wiki on demodex HERE, but in short? We ALL have hair mites - microscopic in size, but we all have them. We see evidence of them only from what they leave behind --- and usually in dogs with suppressed immune systems, demo occurs (also known as 'red mange'). Small patches of hair loss start and if left without vet care, it can spread throughout the dog's coat and cause sores that bleed eventually.

Fairly common in puppies, it can also occur with the ill or older dogs. And once these dogs hit the shelters, it is usually the 'kiss of death' for few people in the general public will adopt one. It is not contagious, but it smells and looks pretty ugly when at its worst.

One of the worst dogs we pulled with demo was BabyLove. When we first pulled her out of the shelter, BabyLove actually 'sweated' blood when you picked her up or held her. It did not take that long with the proper medical care - and BabyLove started responding well, picking up weight, growing back her gorgeous coat and eventually found a fantastic furever home!

Recently we were called about a litter of 5 pups we have begun to call the "Hollywood Five" - Bogart, Bardot, Garbo, DeNiro and Bronson. They too have demo and are responding rapidly with treatment...

So if you happen to see a dog at a local shelter and it is confirmed demodex, don't turn away - you could very easily be saving that dog's life!

Why unemployment is so high in America...

2011-09-12T19:46:00.001-07:00

The dogs have started applying for the cashier jobs now...

Peanut and Butter....

2011-09-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

Have you caught up on Peanut and Butter, the two blind Chihuahua pups in our rescue? Here's their blog....

Lorna's learning how to type!

2011-09-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Lorna is a little white Chi that has found her way into our rescue... She's a major lap sitter and consistently climbs up onto her foster mom's lap while she's working on the computer... We think she's trying to learn how to type in the hopes she can help other little dogs find furever homes...

We'll let you see the progression of last night's events....

Our little Mela...

2011-09-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

Mela is a little bit of nothing... About 2.5 pounds if that... She was spotted by someone in the general public at a local high kill shelter, and we got numerous emails about her... Finally, we discovered she was in the medical ward because of demodex - a form of mange... And of course, with demodex they have a distinctive odor, so she earned the name of "Stinky Butt" as well!

Mela is coming along little by little... Demo takes some time to recover from... It seems they need to lose all of their hair first and then slowly, slowly as their nutrition levels rise with better food, antibiotics to fight off secondary infections and lots of TLC and cuddling, the skin starts regenerating its coat...

So while you might pull a naked dog out of a shelter, there's no telling what you will end up with once you've gotten the demo taken care of!

She's no longer 'stinky' but the name has stuck... We're still working on some bare spots along with her tummy and legs... She's got a cowlick on the top of her head and still a small bald spot, but still amazing progress in a short time...

Mela is an 'under the chin' cuddler... Given half a second, up underneath your chin she'll go and snuggle in for a nap... She's very sweet and loving, but she's a true Chihuahua!... Don't mess with her, no matter how big of a dog you might be... Mela 'don't play'... No matter who you are! ...

In fact it seems that the bigger you are, the more likely she is to tell you where to go, how fast and when!... The other dogs know if Mela wants to sleep in a certain corner of the bed, that is hers to nap in... She claims it, it is hers!... And don't argue with her either!

In her world, she's typical Chihuahua - 2.5 pounds of weight and a 100 pounds of attitude... No lack of self esteem, even if she is half naked...

Sweet pup... Once she's fully healed, she will make someone a great dog!....

~~~ Linda

Berlin: Ready for Adoption!

2011-09-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Baby Berlin is ready for adoption! Berlin was one of four pups in a litter turned into the shelter at about one month old with their little mama, Vienna.

Berlin is Paris' sister and is much larger than Paris. Berlin is just beautiful and almost has a shepherd look to her, though she is much smaller and will never reach that large size. Her mama is only about 5 lbs!

This is her mama, Vienna.

The family was saved in the nick of time and now Berlin is almost 4 months old and hoping her furever family comes to adopt her soon!

While the journey was a long one with lots of ups and downs, Berlin will have a happy ending on this journey to find her family. She is a very sweet little girl who enjoys being held.

You can watch her video here. She will be at adoptions in Moorpark on Saturdays from 12 - 4pm at Petco. If you are interested in meeting Berlin, call us at 1-805-405-2765 or fill out an application here.

This cute little puppy can't wait to meet her new furever family!

~ Jen

More puppies on the way...

2011-09-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yet more puppies are arriving at TLC's foster homes... Scarlet was pulled out of a high kill shelter prior to her delivery and a few days later, she gave birth to 5 beautiful puppies on August 25th...

Welcome to the world - Ozzie (M), Paco (M), DonnaLee (F) Zeva (F) and Sergo (M)!

They won't be 8 weeks old until October 20th, but mark your calendars in case you are thinking about adopting a little one!

Paris' Fight for Life

2011-08-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

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

Another convert! (smile)

2011-08-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-08-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

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

Maddy: Special Girl with a Huge Heart

2011-08-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

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

Introducing "Boots"...

2011-08-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

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...

Another 'human' moment...

2011-08-22T01:54:00.000-07:00

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

I was bitten by the Foster bug

2011-08-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

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

Baby Steps to Fostering...

2011-08-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

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....

2011-08-20T03:16:00.000-07:00

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

Sasha's pups are now 2 weeks old

2010-11-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

Dumped at a local high kill shelter RIGHT before she delivered her litter, we were making arrangements to get her out of the shelter and she went into labor...

By the time we picked her up the next morning, she had brought 3 males and 1 female into this world - born in a shelter...

Sasha is an EXCELLENT mom and she's proud of her babies (as is her foster mom) - Hammy, Woodie, Buzz and Jessie (the little girl).

Read Sasha's blog HERE.

Off to Canada!

2010-09-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Sixteen TLC dogs snagged rides to Canada yesterday - thanks to a LOT of hard work by many of us and those who donated towards the cause. See this part of their journey to a furever home HERE. Way to go, guys!

Introducing Licorice...

2010-07-30T16:14:00.001-07:00

Licorice is a 2-3 month old 'kissy-face' Chihuahua pup with a spot of white on her chest and a bit of white underneath her jaw... Black dogs with dark eyes are a nightmare to photograph as you can see below:

They are also hard to get adopted at the shelter for humans connect to dogs via visual aspects... If you can't see a dog's eyes easily, we as humans have a tendency to stare into them harder (which in dog language is dominance)...

However, Licorice is as sweet as can be and all puppy (still), so hopefully she will find her furever home quickly... She's small at 4 pounds and shouldn't get much bigger, but 'playful' is her middle name...

I just had to post these two photos - she's not got a mean or vicious bone in her body but when she grabbed the camera strap and started to tug, it became an excellent opportunity to snap some photos of her face... LOL...

Too cute, huh?

Licorice is now spayed, up-to-date on her shots including rabies, microchipped and licensed for the County of Ventura... She is potty- and doggie-door trained... Licorice gets along well with other dogs, but as a puppy she would bother a very senior dog to an early grave - she is still VERY much a puppy with high energy levels.

Introducing Bambi....

2010-07-30T15:28:00.001-07:00

Bambi is the epitome of what you would expect a Chihuahua to be - little, kissy face and loving, a lapdog extraordinaire and devoted companion... She was used for breeding by a backyard breeder and we found her at local shelter with Willie...

This is one of my favorite photos of Bambi... it shows that side of Bambi we see all the time - curious and interested, alert to what is going on around her and not afraid to figure out how to further investigate what she is interested in!

Bambi is the finest example of what I say about Chihuahuas all the time - 5 pounds of weight and 100 pounds of attitude... But in Bambi's case, she is less than 5 pounds... However, she doesn't have a clue how little she is!... She is an AVID lap dog and if you sit down, she's there... Wherever you are, she wants to be...

She photographs exceptionally well and will pose to give you that majestic look of hers:

Always reminds of the Sphinx every time I see it!

Sophia and her pups

2010-07-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is Sophia's normal look with the ears erect and attentive to you... She is SUCH a good girl!... Spayed now and up-to-date on her shots, Sophia has already received her rabies and is microchipped as well as being licensed for the County of Ventura...

We took these photos and then put her in the Xpen with 6 puppies - video to follow as soon as it is edited and up on YouTube... It is precious - what an endearing and gentle soul she is! Stay tuned for the video...

Sophia's pups (Thelma and Louise) were born on 5/29, so they won't be 8 weeks old until 7/24/10... One is long-haired and fuzzy like their mom (Louise):

and the other is short-haired and looks like a typical Chi-Weenie cross puppy (Thelma)...

The puppies won't be spayed until 8/2 and not ready for adoption until that following Saturday (8/7/10)... But they are adorable - no doubt about that!

Khloe & Kourtney

2010-07-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Khloe & Kourtney are sisters... Maybe 'purebreds' (for whatever that term now means with all of the backyard breeders and Internet sellers) or maybe they are 'Chi-Weenies' (the newest fad)... They are 4-5 months old, spayed, up-to-date on their shots including rabies, microchipped and licensed for the County of Ventura...

Siblings, they can be found throughout the day playing nonstop... We would like to adopt them together if possible (but not necessarily required) because they have bonded to each other... When dumped at the shelter, the owner told the staff that they bought the puppies and then realized their lifestyle did not have enough time to spare for puppies... (sigh)...

Khloe and Kourtney are very much alike in appearance... Khloe is a tricolored Brindle...

Khloe is the 'explorer' of the pair... She's the first one to investigate any new toy or a dog dish's contents!

What's for dinner today, Mom?

And while Khloe is just as sweet as her sister, Kourtney - Kourtney is the one to hang back a bit and watch her sister's antics first! Kourtney is a bi-color Tan & White (without the brindle aspect that her sister has)...

I don't think I have ever laughed so much at a pair of dogs... They are an absolute riot to watch throughout the day... Kourtney is the first one to want up in your lap and cuddle, then sits and waits for Khloe to wind down and nap... Makes you wonder who has it all figured out, huh? ...

Still puppies, both are potty- and doggie-door trained now... They are crate-trained for sleeping at night, but there is no telling where (and how) you will find them napping throughout the day!

Both are fans of belly rubs and 'catch-me-if-you-can' games...

In order to keep them together, ask one of the volunteers about a lowering of the adoption donation... Especially if you work during the day and have no other dogs (or your dog needs a companion or friend), these two would make a GREAT addition to any family or lifestyle!

RichieRich... what a sweetie!

2010-07-30T06:52:00.001-07:00

This is how we found him at the shelter... confused and scared:

At 5 pounds and 18 months old, he seemed to be the most easily adoptable little pup... Why his time ran out at the shelter is beyond us!

All we can think of is that his previous owner must have fallen on hard times and could no longer keep him... With the economy downturn, it seems like the best ever dogs are showing up at the shelter without rhyme or reason!

RichieRich is potty trained along with doggie door trained... At TLC, we believe in telling you the good, the bad and the ugly about every dog in our foster program - no surprises later then!

The only 'bad' thing about RichieRich is that he has a high pitched bark (when he barks)... He's not a barker per sec, but when he does bark to alert you that someone is at the door, he is so small that it seems to be squeezed up out of him... And is much higher in pitch than you normally experience with a Chihuahua...

Dunno, but I'd hate to think this is what got him into the shelter to begin with... Can you imagine if your vocal tone got you put in jail without warning?... (I can think of a few celebrities that would be jailed immediately if this was the case! smile...)

RichieRich is a well mannered little guy... He listens to obedience commands and because of his young age, the only way is forward!... He does not mark nor chew...

He gets along well with other little dogs and plays throughout the day!... RichieRich would make a great addition to an active lifestyle or family... And while he has all the energy of a puppy, you don't have to go through that 'puppy potty training stage' either - whew!

Richie Rich is now neutered, up-to-date on all of his shots including rabies, microchipped and licensed for the County of Ventura...

He is also the traditional Chihuahua sunbather in the mornings... Pretty common for this breed, RichieRich can be found every morning enjoying the warmth of the sun and fresh air outside...

He tends to play so hard with one of the other fosters throughout the day, that we have discovered buckle collars just don't withstand the fray! More than once we have found his collar amongst the toys after an intense play session!

But he is a major love bug and hands out kisses with abandon... Trained to sleep in a crate at night, RichieRich would sleep in someone's bed if given just a second's hesitation - he loves to curl up and cuddle... What a sweet, sweet little soul he is!

We're all better now!

2010-07-29T20:47:00.001-07:00

Their coats have completely grown back in now and these two are the sweetest pups ever!... Where you find one, you'll find the other... And they play all day long... Ah, the energy of puppies!... Finally slowing down to take a nap, they curled up on a doggie bed with the TLC mascot (Nacho) and used him as a pillow to boot!

Lazy dog days of summer...

2010-07-29T20:17:00.001-07:00

The addition of the 'pup tent' proved too much for the fosters on a recent warm afternoon day... One climbed inside, another on the side, but SnickerDoodle picked the entrance to lay down at...

Didn't take too much of the warm breezes and gentle sun for Snickers to decide this was the perfect time to take a nap!

We have been remiss with this blog... Sorry!

2010-07-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

We have been remiss with this blog since joining P.A.P.A. - we've been VERY busy!

BTW, here is the P.A.P.A. website: http://www.vcpapa.org and at TLC, we are more a part of the Alliance (one of the 9 'spokes' of a no-kill solution) - the Alliance's website is here: http://www.papa-alliance.org. Since our joining PAPA and the Alliance, this group has managed to save over 150 dogs (many were Chihuahuas) from death at our county's shelter... They are now living in great furever homes in Manhattan (NY), Boston and the Northwest as far as Oregon and Washington (state). These areas of the nation are hard pressed to find the small breeds and we in SoCal have a glut of the them - especially Chihuahuas - so it is a 'win-win' all the way around, as long as we can continue to raise the funds to transport them to welcoming arms around the nation!

And now for a bit of humor... In the 'where's Waldo' vein of comedy... Can you find the 2nd Chihuahua in the toy box? (smile)

Update on ChinChin...

2010-07-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

Two wheelchair companies have decided that ChinChin is not a candidate for their product despite the fact he is now swimming with both front feet full on each day... So?... Determination is the mother of invention, I always say!

Needing to be very lightweight but able to hold up the bulk of his body until his front legs can eventually strengthen up, we came up with this improvisation of a quad wheelie for him until we can find a company who can make one...

ChinChin wasn't that excited about it initially... As you can tell from the expression on his face! But it didn't take him very long to put weight on both front feet... Baby steps, baby steps, ya know?

There was a time when the only position ChinChin knew was upright... Now he moves around a LOT and readily rolls over for a belly rub... Who said he was going to be a live pillow the rest of his life? Not us, for we believe he will eventually be walking on those two front legs yet!

Meet Sophia...

2010-07-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

We found Sophia at a local shelter with her litter of pups... She is some kind of fuzzy wuzzy cross... Wire-haired Terrier/Chi mix? Chi-Weenie with Terrier thrown in?... She has none of the annoying Terrier traits, so we are dumbfounded as to her exact mix, but that coat of hers is definitely fuzzy wuzzy!... She must have some Terrier in her background because despite as fuzzy as that coat is, she doesn't leave hair all over the place (a common benefit Terriers lovers rave about)...

She is such a calm and gentle spirit... Our guess is that she ended up in the shelter because she was pregnant... For she has no bad habits and such a pleasing personality...

This is a video of Sophia and her two pups taken when they were but a month old... Sophia is ten times sweeter in person that she appears in digital form... She is a quiet and loving dog who always has a wagging tail to greet you...

I don't believe I've ever seen a more easy going dog before...

Such a well-behaved little guy!

2010-07-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Snickers is such a well-behaved little guy... He learned 'sit' with only three tries and now knows other obedience commands as well (stay, no, off, back, quiet, lay down, etc.)... He learns very quickly and also gets along great with the other fosters... Snickers will make someone a great companion and family member... He loves to walk (and walks well on lead without pulling)... Although he is now crate-trained to sleep in at night, he'd prefer to sleep in your bed at the drop of a hat!

Introducing Snickers...

2010-06-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Snickers, otherwise known as "SnickerDoodle" by his foster family, is a sweet, well-mannered and obedient brindle Chihuahua... About 2 years old and 9-10 pounds, our vet believes Snickers was 'maced' by someone and gets daily drops in his eyes... He does this exceptionally well without complaint - our vet says Snickers sees life like through a shower curtain... He can see movement, colors - and can even catch flies!

SnickerDoodle is love bug and prefers to sit on his foster mom's lap whenever possible... Not a marker nor a barker, we can do just about anything with Snickers as you can see from the photo below - he is the poster child for P.A.P.A.'s Flying Squadron (our local grassroots effort to move Chihuahuas to other parts of the country who are in desperate need and with willing arms and hearts)... This effort has saved an average of 50 dogs a month since May, 2010...

Another step forward - a friend!

2010-06-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

I'm assuming because ChinChin has been immobile for years, he's forgotten how to be friendly around other dogs as a survival mechanism... I have been debating with myself for days about this, but today I just took the plunge and put our Abby in with ChinChin... Abby is a tri-pede, having lost her front leg after the surgeon was not able to fix it with surgery - this is her blog HERE...

Despite a bit of hissing and anxiety, ChinChin finally figured out Abby meant him no harm and allowed her to cuddle in with him in his doggie bed in the play pen... Progress, progress, progess - one step at a time!

The next step - a wheelchair for ChinChin!

2010-06-18T20:33:00.001-07:00

Many Chihuahuas have done quite well once they were up and installed in a wheelchair - or "wheelies" as they are called... They are usually custom made for the dog based upon the weight, amount of mobility, size to the floor, etc.

I have several friends who have gone through this with their dog, so I picked everyone's brains to figure out how to do it, who to order it from, etc. as we begin the next step - getting ChinChin up and under his own power...

Would you like to donate towards ChinChin's wheelchair?... It is a tax deduction and every little bit will help us reach our goal of $300 - here's the link to donate: Helping ChinChin get his Wheelies.

Attitude is half the battle!

2010-06-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Several times a day, ChinChin sits in the playpen and he is always alert and aware of his surroundings as you can see from this video HERE... Once he realized the other dogs could not actually touch him, I found he was more apt to relax and enjoy his time out of doors...

ChinChin tends to move like a seal or walrus does when they are out of water... There's almost a forward momentum roll that gets him where he wants to go... It might take him a bit of time to get there, but eventually he will... Slowly, I keep encouraging him to use those front legs and make them stronger with exercise.. Every other day we do water therapy in a large tub with a life preserver jacket... Initially both front legs were curled inwards... Now his left front leg is almost straight and no longer kinked in... See video HERE...

Another thing we are doing is to increase his mobility with a doggie stroller... Not really the color for his sex, it does get him up off the floor, out and about...Ya do what ya gotta do, ya know?

Too much hair!

2010-06-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

The first obstacle we had to overcome was all that hair~!! ChinChin's coat was absolutely gorgeous and while I expected it to be tangled and a mess, there were only a few spots that were matted... However, in some spots it was 6-8" long and thick...

I am not a professional dog groomer, but with small clippers and scissors, I started working on not only shortening the length around his face, ears and chest but also shaving the lower half of him to make easy clean-ups not so difficult.

Throughout it all, he was quite patient with me... My heart was breaking having to cut any of it, but I kept telling myself he needed his strength to get those front legs working along with the ability and self-esteem to stay clean and tidy...

Midway through, we both needed a break to stop and get a drink... And think about all of this... It almost seemed like he was happy to have most of that coat gone though... He certainly was a lot cooler without it dragging around behind him...

Ut oh... Now what have I done?

2010-06-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

We tried to network this dog like crazy without success and no takers... A gorgeous Japanese Chin about 5-6 years old, but with no mobility in his back legs... No rescue was interested... Sigh...

TLC normally does not rescue this breed, but I just couldn't stand by and let him be euthanized... I dragged the president of our rescue to the shelter and let him make that decision as I held ChinChin in my arms... "Wrap him up - do the paperwork - it is not his day to die here today" was his reply... And ChinChin came into our lives...

His coat was gorgeous... Absolutely gorgeous... But without the ability to move around on those back legs, giving him a bath took hours for it to dry...

The first morning I carried ChinChin out to the patio and watched him look around... His nose was going like crazy, taking in all the smells and he watched the birdies, listened to the sounds around us and just came alive instead of a living stuffed pillow...

I had made an appointment with my vet for that evening and asked for an honest appraisal... Did I make a mistake???... My vet's reply? "No, Linda... this dog has already started bonding to you and he wants to live... You didn't make a mistake... It is going to take a lot of work, but if anyone can do it, you can with your amount of heart... "

Turns out after looking at the X-rays, ChinChin had had a luxating patella surgery many years ago, but it failed and he was unable to sustain his weight... The knee joints in the two back legs are just shot and of little value... The two front legs have slowly started atrophying without much use, and started curling inwards... Even food could not tempt him to move very far at all...

Now what - where do I start, Doc?

New photo of Sunshine...

2010-05-07T10:10:00.001-07:00

This is the side Sunshine's foster parents see of her... Sweet, quiet, calm, loving...

Going to a weekly adoptions that is filled with lots of strange people, dogs and children who charge the Xpen and stick their fingers between the wires (or people who stare down into and with unintentional dominance in dog language), is simply not Sunshine's 'thing'... She doesn't do that well and can't seem to find her own furever home because of it... sigh... Sweet pup...

There is ALWAYS a home for every dog, if we just have enough time... Eventually a dog will crawl into someone's heart... And we are keeping our fingers crossed that Sunshine's furever love is just around the corner!

Update on Sandy

2010-04-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sandy has turned out to be what we refer to as a 'stabilizer dog' at adoptions ~~~ a dog that is friendly towards all (kids, strangers, new dogs, etc.) and we know the dog will greet everyone with a tail wag, waiting for a pet or a cookie... And in doing so, helps other fosters to realize strangers and adoption events are not such a bad thing!

Sandy is probably one of the most even-tempered and well balanced rescues we have had for a long time... Nothing seems to bother her - she'll walk away from an aggressive dog, tolerate 'too-heavy' petting from kids, not be bothered by unusual or strange noises, etc...

We are still at a loss to figure why she ended up in a shelter unless her owners simply could no longer afford financially to take care of her... Whoever owned her previously must have really loved her and put a lot of emotional energy... She loves to go for rides, walks, play ball or just hang out with you on the couch and nap... Dogs from shelters aren't this well socialized unless they experienced all of that previously in their lifetime...

Sandy is just one great dog and she gives out kisses like there is no tomorrow too!

JerryLee's escapades...

2010-04-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

JerryLee has not been adopted yet, so he 'runs with the big boys' now and accordingly, we have begun potty training him... Although he is 'getting it', for the most part he follows one of the other dogs and then realizes what he is really supposed to be doing in the backyard... :) He is a TON of fun to watch... And his coat is to die for, so he probably gets far too many pets and belly rubs...
No telling where you will find him throughout the day... He goes exploring on his own and sometimes has to learn about life the hard way - like what happens when you decide to explore a rose bush garden... What goes in easily one way does not always come out as easily the same way - even if you try to back out exactly in the same fashion~!!!

Once he is done exploring like any other young puppy, he finds a convenient place to curl up and take a puppy nap... Once he's sleeping, not much disturbs him, so periodically throughout the day we go on a 'JerryLee Hunt' to find him...

And he can be just about anywhere, but he has really decided he likes the bottom of this portable stand to curl up in... So to make it more comfy we have added a blankee to it... Those wires can't be cozy to sleep on, ya know?... But he's chosen this spot to call his own, so you do your best to accommodate their wishes!

Why so many Chihuahuas?

2010-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Every adoptions we get the same question at least once: "Why so many Chihuahuas?"...

There are several reasons for this...

First off, this breed is the most popular in our area, especially in L.A... And accordingly, the most popular breeds are the ones that show up the most in the shelters... Most people believe a dog breed this small should have no problems being adopted out of the shelter - after all, how much can they eat?... But there are only so many adoptive homes to go around and always more dogs than there are homes!
At TLC, we routinely pull off of the kill lists and make a practice of pulling one 'hard case' for every four dogs... When you adopt a dog or puppy from TLC, you are not only saving that dog's life but another one or two as well... 100% of the adoption donations go right back into the attempts to save these dogs from dying... It is not unusual to pull one dog from the shelter who is sick and needs medical care - and then up with hundreds (thousands) to get them to the point they can be adopted... Once we get a dog adopted and we know it is going to 'stick,' we go right back into the shelters and pull another one off of the kill lists...
We are a SMALL group of very dedicated volunteers and we all LOVE this breed... There is something about 5 pounds of weight but a 100 pounds of attitude that is quiet endearing... And if you come across a 'yappy rat dog' Chihuahua, it is not the breed but the owners that have allowed a Chi to be like that... The fact they stay small all their life and are so portable is just icing on the cake... They tend to be 'clannish' among their own breed, which is why you commonly see an owner with not just one Chihuahua, but more than one...
This breed was popularized by celebrities in the past 10 years, similar to what happened to the Dalmatian, etc... Once you add them into popular movies, the puppymills beef up their production in anticipation for the added volume of purchases that will be made at petshops around the nation... "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" did just this and now there an even greater glut of Chihuahua and Chihuahua mixes in the shelters...

Currently, an unwanted Chihuahua is being put down every 4 minutes and 32 seconds... We can't save them all but we do everything we can to save as many as we can...
.... that's why TLC always has so many Chihuahuas!

"Dog days" came early this year!

2010-03-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

Chillin' out on a blankee after a rousing game of 'catch the ball'... Queenie peers over Zeus' shoulder, fast onto the afternoon snooze...

Buddy had to do a bit of the 'is everything OK?' before he settled in for his nap!

But Millie beat out everyone as she sprawled out first and caught some z's right away...

Missy then joined in after getting a drink of water...

Sandy preferred to take the 'high road' and jumped up on the doggie lounge to spread out and snooze...

Even Teeny had to check out the action, then settle in for one of those sweet afternoon naps!

Buddy... I am SO tired...

2010-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

He was just SO tired, but we couldn't resist taking this snapshot as he fell asleep and leaned onto the plastic pole...

Sleep sweet!

Sandy

2010-03-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sandy has proven to be so even tempered at adoptions, going up to anyone and everyone including children... She's turned into a 'stabilizer dog' that we count on at adoptions - a dog that is friendly, doesn't shake when faced with strangers, showing new fosters 'the ropes' and that adoptions is a good thing (lots of cookies, pats and goodies!)...

She's not barky either surprisingly... She'd do well as a solo dog for working people or with a family who has children and an active lifestyle...

Sweet, SWEET dog and a great example of what a Chihuahua can be to get rid of the bad impression people have of this breed... Her furever home must be right around the corner - are you the one?

Update on Pepi

2010-03-18T18:45:00.001-07:00

We wanted to post an update on Pepi as we noticed we'd been a bit neglectful in getting some of these blogs updated...

As you can see from this photo we took last week of Pepi modeling one of our new Chi-Weaters (a fundraising project for TLC), he is evenly putting down weight now on all four legs... You would never know he's gone through that surgery in January for other than sitting down a bit lopsided, you can't tell it ever occurred!

He readily goes up and down doggie steps, makes jumps 2' and more onto the futon in the backyard, etc. Pepi has fully recovered now and is waiting for his own furever home!