2 more reasons...

No, make that three more reasons to spay or neuter your pet... Their mom (Lady Love) almost lost her life bearing these two little munchkins on Saturday (2/13/16)... 

A teeny tiny little black doll baby of a Chihuahua, Lady Love should have NEVER gotten pregnant in the first place... And whatever male she bred with was much larger than she was... In turn, she carried and then tried to give birth to puppies that were much too large for her... 

Dumped in a shelter because she was pregnant, Lady Love MUST have been someone's loved and treasured pet at one time in her life... She's 'maybe' 4 pounds when not carrying pups, and just as friendly and cute as can be... 

Not one person comes into my nursery and does not comment on her beautiful appearance and personality... She has such a winning smile and is always SO glad to see you... Friendly as can be, Lady Love is a jewel and her owner should have spayed her so she would not have had to go through this... 

She began the birthing process EARLY in the morning on Saturday and struggled, struggled... FINALLY the first pup was born, and with due diligence, she immediately broke the sack, breathed life into her and cleaned her up... When the second pup began its way down the birth canal, Lady Love struggled once again... I could clearly see that this pup was far too big for her to birthing... 

I did everything I could in my 'experience rescuer tool box' and was seconds away from rushing her to the ER for an emergency C-section (a $1200 - $1800 procedure even for a rescue)... Lodged in between, I was not sure the pup and Lady Love would have survived the 12-minute race to the facility, so I did my very best... Once born between the two of us, Lady Love did her part with the placenta and I did mouth-to-mouth without success... A little boy, he crossed the Rainbow Bridge with supreme effort by all of us to no avail... 

The third and final pup was no different... A female myself who has given birth, I was cringing inwardly as I watched Lady Love strain to give birth to this pup... 

And I pushed aside the anger I felt towards the owner for not taking better care of this lovely female Chihuahua...  Not the time nor place - the puppies' lives were at stake along with their mom's life...   The anger could come later, so here it is...  Black dogs are the last to be adopted and the first to be killed in our shelters - it is our mindset about what colors are good and which are 'evil'... If you want to know more about this phenomenon, Google "Black Dog Syndrome"... We deal with it every day in rescue and at TLC offer a discount every Friday on the adoption donation in the hopes the black dogs find furever homes faster... 

And then... 

We kill an estimated 8 million pets in this country each year because we have an epidemic of unwanted homeless pets... Simply going and spay/neutering your pet will stop countless unwanted litters that have high mortality rates and moms that suffer unwanted pregnancies and deliveries... In my 36+ years of rescue work, I have bottle-fed countless litters whose mom has died, trying to give birth... Orphans without a mom, sometimes we save a majority of them - sometimes we lose the entire litter through nights and nights of 3-hour, round the clock feedings... 

I have taken on moms with prolapsed uterus issues, giving birth in fields where the pups and mom's uterus is loaded with grass clippings and fleas... We have taken in moms and dads plus the litter when the two pets were not spayed & neutered and the inevitable occurred... An unwanted pregnancy and an unwillingness to raise the puppies... 

If you cannot do the 'right thing' in regards to your pets, you really should not have them at all... And the 'right thing' is to spay or neuter your pets unless they are show dogs and have legitimate waivers to remain intact... I doubt few reading this blog post have a $6,000+ show dog but many do have pets that are still intact... 

There are SO many low cost spay and neuter options available to all of us... And if you allow your pet to remain intact, you GREATLY increase their chance of testicular or ovarian cancer, cutting short their life... Because you could not afford the $60 to do the 'right thing'?

Are you aware that conservative estimates now state that for every 10 puppies born in this country, only 1 will live out its normal, healthy life into old age?... The other nine will die early because of illness, neglect, car accidents, lack of yearly veterinary care, etc... What gives us the right to kill like this - intentionally or accidentally?

Before you believe you are not part of the problem because you do not have a pet, please allow me to share this fact with you... If you are a taxpayer in California, 8% of what you pay in taxes goes to the care, feeding, housing and eventually killing or adoption of unwanted homeless pets... Whether or not you own a pet... And until we as voters and taxpayers say, "Enough is enough" (whether you are talking to your legislators or to your neighbor who just HAD to buy that puppymill puppy that is still intact and will produce more unwanted offspring), we are ALL a part of the problem... 

Unwanted homeless pets and their offspring is everyone's problem and until we are ALL a part of solution, it is not going to go away, folks... Whether you have an intact male who is not neutered, or a female who is not spayed... Whether you do not own a pet but are not speaking out to those pet owners who leave their pets intact... 

We cannot sustain No-Kill here in Ventura County and across the State of California unless we all get behind the efforts to stop unwanted homeless pets from entering our shelter and rescue systems...  Please think of Lady Love and the struggle she had to bring these puppies into the world... 

Pitbull - UT OH - HUH?

Pitties get SUCH a bad rap and then end up dying in our shelters - not because of the breed, but because of bad humans and bad ideas... 

One of my TLC volunteer fosters is currently fostering a Pitty named "Ruby Lee", a street dog that was left to survive on her own after becoming pregnant... Ruby Lee went on to deliver 7 healthy puppies at Kathy's house on January 19th (a first for Kathy who was nervous about 'birthin puppies')... 

Kathy consistently fosters moms with puppies for us... And Kathy has a German Pinscher named "Molly" who was one of her fosters (a foster fail - we've all had them)... Initially Ruby Lee would hide underneath the coffee table whenever Molly was around - and Ruby Lee is TWICE the size of Molly as you can see from the video... 

This just goes to show you that with the right humans, even Pitties can be just like any other dog - what the video here:  https://www.facebook.com/100008431834043/videos/1575621256062254/

The video starts out slow, but Molly is actually teaching Ruby Lee how to play like a dog... And those jumps are not easy to do when you are carrying 8 milk jugs for your puppies on your tummy!

I am posting this video to show folks that Pittys are just like every other dog - you provide the proper situation for them and they will bloom... Until we stop spreading only the bad, isolated incidents about this particular mix of dogs, we will keep killing them in our shelters for lack of space... 

Here are the photos that prompted us to take in Ruby Lee as she lived on the streets and continued to grow pregnant... 

We REALLY need to start spaying and neutering our dogs UNLESS we are showing them as purebreds... There is absolutely NO other reason to keep a dog intact unless you want them to get various forms of cancer early and shorten their life... Intact dogs are hormonal-driven to mate and they will find a way to do so no matter what you do... Unwanted pregnancies are the #1 reason these females end up in the shelters... And also the #1 reason intact males go stray and are picked up by animal control... We proved it that intact dogs bark more and spayed/neutered dogs bark less... What more does anyone need to believe the facts and start changing the mindsets of all of us?

Ruby Lee is a goodwill ambassador of this breed mix and continues to prove that just because of what you look like or labeled, that is not a reason to be killed or die... 

I ask everyone to share this blog and that video of her with Molly in the hopes that one by one, we CAN change the minds of people who belive these dogs need to die... And at taxpayers' expense... Even if you don't have a dog, if you are a taxpayer, your tax monies are going to take care of the irresponsible dog owners that live in our communities... EVERYONE should be doing due diligence to educate those around us as to the plight of these unwanted, homeless animals which flood our shelters and rescues... 

I myself have a Pitty named "Momma" who comes to the rescue center every day and at night, sleeps with a 3-pounder named "Fiesty"... Momma has changed many minds and hearts about this breed (and saved a puppy who needed a blood transfusion)... People who care need to join together and stop not only the needless use of taxpayer funds to house and care for unwanted pets of others, but to spread the word that we ALL are responsible for what is going on in our communities as well as the incorrect reputation of the bully mixes... 

Spread the word, people!  Change some opinions and mindsets of those you know and love!

Linda
Director, TLC

P.S.  RubyLee's puppies at 2 weeks old are below:

Cathy Kilbourne - R.I.P.

Caitlin Kilbourne shared a page

Thousand Oaks, CA ·

Hello Facebook Friends,

As some of you may have heard, my beautiful, sweet, caring angel of a mother Cathy Kilbourne passed away from complications due to cancer a few weeks ago on December 5th, 2015. Many of you have already reached out in various wonderful ways and offered your endless love, good wishes, and support, for which my family and I are forever grateful. Words really cannot express how happy it makes me to know that my mom was so loved by so many people - a true testament to what an amazing soul she was and how her short time here on this Earth was never taken for granted.

I am writing this today to ask those of you who wish to join me in celebrating her life attend the memorial service being held on Saturday, January 9th, 2016 at 1:00pm at the United Methodist Church located at 1000 E Janss Rd, in Thousand Oaks, CA (91360). I am also writing this in the hopes that you all can help me spread this message. My mom touched so many lives, and I know all of the phone calls and emails I've been dispatching don't even begin to scratch the surface of the network of people she's built during her time here.

In order to properly honor my mom during the service on January 9th, I have a few requests to make:

1. My mom's favorite colors were purple and red, so if you could please try to wear these colors in any form or fashion during the service, I know she would absolutely love to look out on a sea of vibrant color as people gather to celebrate her.
   
2. If you were thinking of sending flowers, please instead consider making a donation to the Tiny Loving Canines Animal Shelter (http://www.tinylovingcanines.org/donate.html) in my mom's name. She loved animals of all kinds, shapes, and sizes, and was heavily involved in this organization until her passing. Honoring her commitment to making a difference in the lives of shelter pets would be a wonderful tribute to my mom's selfless and giving heart.
   
3. Please bring your stories of my mom to share at the service. Tell me how she made you laugh, made you smile, made you some really good food, or helped you through a tough time. Please tell me how she touched your life, even if it was just in the smallest of ways. (If you would like to write any of these stories down for me to collect in a memory book, I would greatly appreciate it.)
   
4. Smile when you think of her smile emoticon my mom was ever the optimist, and if there is anything she would want us to learn from her it is that it's ok to cry, but there is so much more out there for us to celebrate and laugh about and be thankful for. So although this is a sad time for us all, let our heavy hearts be lifted by our memories of happier times with her.

Thank you all again for reaching out and in turn helping me reach many others. If you have any questions about the service or just want to tell me a great story about my mom, please feel free to message me here on Facebook or contact me on my cell phone.

Now that you're done reading this, please also take a quick break from Facebook to go hug your loved ones and tell them how much you love them and how much you appreciate them. Go outside and enjoy the sun on this lovely day. Relish every deep breath, every color you see, every feeling you feel. Go snuggle with your pets. Go make a delicious meal. Smile at all the little things that make life worth living, not just for yourself, but for my mom as well!

Update on the Vikings litter...

Arrival at TLC - probably a day old

On the 19th of this month, VCAS contacted us about a litter of puppies that had been surrendered to them from the general public... By California law, unless an animal can be spayed or neutered, they cannot be adopted by a shelter or a rescue organization... 

And this litter had no mom and was but a day or two old... 

In other words, a bottle-fed litter... 

Not having a foster mom or dad to take on this challenge, they became my fosters and 'so it began' as the story books say... 

So how do you do something like this, you might ask?... With a lot of help and patience (and little sleep)... Luckily, my family members believe deeply in No-Kill for Ventura County and what TLC does... So I get a lot of support from my husband and daughter - not everyone in rescue is as lucky as I am... 

My husband came up with a great solution to my first obstacle to overcome - making sure each puppy got fed... With four white ones, it would be really easy to miss one, thinking they'd already been fed, ya know?

TWO crates, both with heating pads, so that as you fed a pup, you could move them to the other crate... And when you run out of puppies, you are done for the next three hours! (smile)

I have told numerous friends that when folks tell me they don't believe in God, I want them to bottle-feed a litter of puppies... There is absolutely no way you can tell me God does not exist if you do something like this... As you watch them nurse and actually live through the most dire circumstances of their very young and tender lives, you have to believe in the magic and Greatness of God above... 

And the other amazing point?  Momma dogs are incredibly efficient and effective... How they do what they do and successfully raise a litter of puppies is beyond me (and then some)... 

Because they have no momma, it is up to me to keep them clean... Momma dogs constantly groom their puppies and clean up after them, making sure their 'den' is nice and tidy... In my case, it means they end up getting baths every two days... 

First you have to fed everyone a little bit or it becomes like a shark feeding frenzy... They all go nutso when it is time to nurse... So if you at least take the 'edge off', they go through the bathing process much easier!

Once bathed, as you're drying them off, they all have a different way they like to nurse... There is the 'side saddle' pup... If you give him a finger to push up against, he's just as happy as a piglet in mud... 

Another one is a pushy/puller... She pushes the bottle with her feet and pulls the nipple with her mouth at the same time... I'm guessing she's getting more milk that way, but I can always tell it is her 'cause the bottle jerks back and forth as you struggle to hold onto it!

This little girl likes to lay on her back when she is eating... In fact, both of the two dark females like to nurse on their backs, so you constantly have to watch to make sure they aren't nursing too fast and it is coming up their noses by accident... 

One of these puppies 'sings' throughout the nursing process... She makes puppy sounds nonstop for some reason... 

It is an ongoing process... Adjust the water temperature, give them a bath, dry off most of the water and then start them nursing so you can really dry them off with the microfiber drying towels... Once you have one done, you start the process all over again with the next puppy!

They are now 12 days old, so most of them have started opening their eyes... 

They have now figured out that when there is light coming in from the front of the crate, it must be feeding time... So they will gang-rush the gate door, all demanding to be fed at the same time (and I only have two hands!).

Halfway there and an hour later, three are clean and have very full bellies!  Time to snooze and nap... Ah, to have the life of a puppy, huh?

One of the puppies is a 'bottle holder'... He is not going to let that bottle disappear or go away from him... So he tends to hold on tightly (or as tightly as you will let him!)... 

And those little claws?... You'd be amazed at how strong they are for as young and tiny as this litter is!

"This is MY bottle and I'll give it up only when I want to - not before!"

The runt of the litter is really teeny tiny... This is the one I stay worried about... I usually feed her at the beginning and then again at the end again... Her belly cannot hold that much milk at one nursing, but by the time you go through the entire process, she is ready for a small 'second helping'.... 

She weighs 3.4 ounces right now and is about half the size of her bigger siblings... But even for her small size, she is a determined little creature... She's fighting for her portion of the feeding time... 

Makes you marvel at the amount of natural instincts each puppy is born with... And the amount of maternal instincts each momma dog has... They do this with no books or the Internet to reference to... Just know what needs to be done and how to do it, even if it is their first litter...

Ah, this is the life, huh?... Full belly and clean coat... Warm, clean bedding and blankee to crawl into... 

Two and a half hours later, all six are fed and cleaned, ready to take their naps and relax for another 90 minutes before the process starts all over - but just nursing so that's only about 30 minutes with six puppies... 

Thankfully, this week they are nursing every 4 hours instead of 3, so we are getting more sleep now... Even so, there is two of us TLC volunteers bottle feeding this litter... And a momma dog does it all by herself... 

Aren't mommas just the most amazing creatures, regardless of the species?

Paws-itively Yours,
Linda
==================
P.S. Their names are:
Brown females - Siggy and Helga
White females - Lagetha and Princxess Aslang
White males - Bjorn and Ragnar

Stay tuned as they grow and eventually come up for adoption about mid May!

Meet LeRoy Brown and siblings...

LeRoy Brown and his three siblings, plus his mom, Kashi, were thrown over someone's back fence... We do not know who the father is, but this litter is bench-footed and colored like Flop-eared Doxies, so that is what we have listed them as... Momma Kashi weighs 16 pounds, so we expect the boys to eventually weigh in around 20 pounds when full grown, the girls about momma's size.

They are about 8-10 weeks old now and will be spayed and neutered the 2nd week of January, then come up for adoption.

LeRoy Brown is the smaller of the two boys at 4 pounds, 6 oz (12/30/13).  He is more of a Brown & Tan.

His brother, Maxim, is the larger of the two boys at 6 pounds (12/30/13) and more of a Red & Tan.

There are two girls in this litter, both about the same size of 4 pounds, 6-8 ounces.  Bon Qui Qui looks most like her mom but with the black tipping on her ears and around the muzzle.

And bringing up the end of this is Ember as a Black & Red.  This is the 'town crier' of the bunch and will bark nonstop if the water bowl is empty and she's thirsty (smile)... She tends to be the pack leader in smarts.

But no matter which one you fall in love with, this is a gorgeous litter and should never have been thrown over someone's back fence!  Puppies and mom will be spayed/neutered sometime after 1/6/14, brought up to date on vaccines and microchipped prior to adoption.  Complimentary vet exam and PETCO Adoption coupon booklet included with every TLC adoption.  You can apply online at our website.  Nonrefundable tax deductible adoption donation of $400 is required to adopt a puppy.

The point between life and death....

Avalon

 

 

TLC's mission statement is that we will do whatever it takes to save a dog's life unless it is immoral or illegal.  We will save one hard case for every four. 

And this isn't easy for a rescue to do -- many will not take on hard cases because of the increased vet bills, the extensive time the dog may be with the rescue because of behavior issues or simply?  The time, talent, energy, knowledge and just overall commitment to pull a pregnant mom out of a shelter, allow her to have her babies and raise them, wean them, keep everyone healthy until mom and pups can be spayed and neutered then adopted.

Miami

Because of our propensity to take on hard cases within our county and outside, we are sought out constantly to take on these kinds of rescues - for the most part, we have to say "Sorry, no" because we are committed heavily to helping Ventura County go No-Kill by 2014.

Once in awhile, there is no other rescue who will take on these hard cases that come up... Things start getting desperate for the dog or puppy, and we do reach the point that we know if we won't, no one will (more or less)...

Such is the case with the litter of 5 puppies with ringworm... 

Ventura

Ringworm is a very hard case to take on... It is highly contagious (by contact) and transfers over to humans very readily...  Any area needs to stay in a state of quarantine so that other dogs don't catch it --- any person handling the ringworm dog or puppy needs to be very much aware of the dangers of cross contamination and strict protocols need to be followed...

Special medicated shampoos are required every 2 days, then thorough drying after the bath because ringworm is a fungus... There are prescribed oral medications as well, plus cultures run to make sure you have conquered the fungus... Did I mention pristine environments to prevent secondary infections ~~~ WHEW!

Pismo

But how do you say no when it is a litter of 5 puppies that no other rescue is willing to save? This particular group of 5 small puppies (all under the age of 6 weeks old) were 'packaged' up in a box, then deposited outside a police station in Selma, California... Over 3 hours away from us... And trust me, there are MORE than enough dogs and puppies in our own county to save!

Numerous emails from different sources later, I finally caved in and asked the TLC volunteers if they would be willing to take this hard case on... As we worked through logistics from transportation to reconfiguring the rescue shop to contain this quarantine area, I was amazed at the depth of compassion the TLC rescue organization seems to have the market on...

Waikiki

Volunteer bathers jumped to the call, filling in the schedule... Other volunteers worked diligently to make sure the area was pristine and ready for their arrival... Our transporter, Dennis, got stuck on the other side of the Grapevine when snow closed it yesterday and that delayed his arrival by an extra three hours...

All in the sake of humanity towards pups, whose owner with little compassion, dumped in a box right before the holiday season, huh?  Those of us involved in rescue see this kind of thing occur 52 weeks out of the year, so why should the holiday season be any different? 

But it SHOULD be different... Folks who carelessly allow their pets to stay intact and breed indiscriminately, then don't take care of the consequences of their irresponsibility should be, if nothing else, educated and fussed at by others... We rescue folk cannot keep stepping up when the general public fails to do the right thing, regardless of the time or season... But that's a discussion for another time and place...

At this point in time, TLC stepped up and we were there to save these 5 little "Miracles of Christmas" - to insure they get the veterinary care they need, get healthy again and eventually become adoptable after being spayed, microchipped, etc.  This is what we do... This is what TLC does... We are the point between life and death year round for those who cannot speak for themselves.

"The fluffies are comin'... the fluffies are comin'..."

Listen my friends, and you'll feel glee... 
The fluffies and scruffies are now at TLC~~~!!!..... 

Well, not exactly like Paul Revere was reported to have spread the word of the British arrival, but I tried!... Normally, TLC concentrates the most on the number one breed coming into shelters - the Chihuahuas... But there's adults and puppies of the 'hairy' variety now up for adoption!

Allow me to introduce "Freeway" currently debuting this week at Pets Hope in the Simi Towne Center Mall... What a handsome man he is!  About 15-18 pounds, Freeway was found running a freeway (hence the name), he has been neutered now, up to date on his shots including rabies, microchipped, etc.:

And we still have Nacho looking for his furever home... Isn't that look just absolutely priceless?

Next comes Libby and her sweet little girl, Lulu:

Next on the runway is Flower:

Finally, Flower's litter of 6 fluffies are ready for adoption having been speutered this week... Puppies will need their rabies shot at 4 months old, but otherwise they are up to date on their shots, microchipped and licensed for the county of Ventura... The boys first parade down the TLC runway:

And now the ladies.... 

If interested in adopting one of the fluffies and scruffies (or several!), hurry on down to either the PETCO in Moorpark this Saturday between noon and 4PM, head over to Pets Hope 7 days a week to find your next best furry friend or check our websites for other absolutely fantastic cuddle bunnies!

More puppies on the way...

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!

Another convert! (smile)

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

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

Stay tuned for more puppies are on their way! 

First photo of Dulcie's puppies!

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

Introducing Delta, Dawn and Darla~!!!  

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

 

~~~ Linda