Luna's Tail... Tale

It takes a community to save a dog's life... While a dog might become a hard case because of just one owner and their inability to do the right thing, it will always take a community to right those wrongs done to a dog - and such is the case of Luna, a new rescue saved by TLC...

Five different folks emailed me about Luna and although we are just too full for comfort, I finally gave in on the fifth email and set up transportation from the high kill shelter to TLC... Dennis, from Animal Resources (#1), drove to Devore and pulled Luna from there, then drove her from the certain death to our rescue shop...

Luna arrived in very poor shape, but very sweet... We gave her a few days to adjust to our routine, sounds, smells and us before tackling her...

Niki (#2) from the TLC Bathing Brigade began the process - even Luna's ears had long mats and tangles hanging down... I've seen some bad cases, but Luna's coat is one of the worst I've seen... Scissor cutting the mats revealed they were down to the skin and it was quite painful to Luna, but she was a trooper throughout it all...

We got to the worst spots eventually - on Luna's back, down her legs and her butt... Shallan (#3) jumped in and while Niki held Luna still, Shallan started shaving the coat, tiny bit by tiny bit, as we gently started shearing away the months and months of neglect...

Some of the mats we got off were filthy underneath and stank, putrid from an inability to scratch, roll around and remove anything bothering her...

Eventually it took three of us (counting myself as #4 here in the community) to remove all of the mats - one to hold the front of Luna, another to stretch out Luna's leg to avoid any safety issues and the third to actually use the shaver to remove the mats... sigh...

Once freed of the massive amounts of mats and crap in her coat, we treated the skin immediately to relieve some of Luna's suffering... And then Niki did a medicated bath followed by a special conditioner to soothe skin and work on the dry coat...  

We gave Luna more treats, her breakfast and a break from the process to regenerate, run around, relax...

Later when Arissa came in (#5) and the rescue shop settled down and was quiet, Arissa started to perform her 'magic' and work on Luna's remaining coat...

Again, Luna was sweet and a major trooper through all of the scissor cutting by hand, trying to turn a clean but horribly chopped coat into a work of art... The coat will grow back in of course, and if adopted to the right kind of owner, Luna will be a showcase of beauty...

Today Luna is going in to be spayed, microchipped and get her rabies shot... Then she'll go up for adoption and we know someone very special will fall in love with this bundle of sweetness...

Yep, it takes a community to save a dog's life... And the TLC volunteers are the best around!

The young die early

We are CONSTANTLY asked "Why so many Chihuahuas?" at the rescue shop and we always respond (pretty much) the same way - "Because TLC concentrates on the small dog breeds that are being killed at our local shelters or on tomorrow's kill list... "... I myself add another comment to this - "These are all dead dogs and puppies walking that you see here - every one of these little ones was scheduled to die..."

Some people shake and shudder, express disgust or horror and then eventually work their way around the circle in the rescue shop and leave, leaving behind the horror we TLCers deal with day in, and day out.

The general public believes if they take either a mom with pups or just the pups to their local shelter, they are insuring these canines live... It couldn't be further from the truth... Under California law it is LEGAL to kill any animal that cannot be spayed or neutered and then be adopted... Shelters do not have the capabilities to set aside a place for a mom to stay, give birth or to raise their young until the litter can be spayed or neutered.  A litter without a mom must be bottle fed, and the mortality rate is very high despite anything and everything someone (or a rescue does).

This litter was taken into the San Bernardino shelter and killed on Saturday, May 11th.

According to the email I got,  "We look at this box of tiny puppies, their eyes not even open yet, and we ooh and aah and delight in their cuteness and innocence. They are adorable, sweet, and have their whole lives ahead of them...or not. In reality their lives have already ended thanks to a cruel and inhumane policy recently put into place at the increasingly deadly San Bernardino City Shelter. In what could be called their most callous, hateful move to date, shelter supervisors have declared that they will no longer allow staff or volunteers to contact rescues to save underage puppies or kittens dumped at the shelter without their mothers. If a rescue is present at the time the babies are impounded the rescue can take them, but if no rescue is there the puppies or kittens will be taken to the back and immediately killed."

This is REALITY, folks...

At TLC, we always take in any mother pregnant or with a litter and will find or make room because we know two things - 1) That mother didn't ask to be pregnant and it is through the stupidity of humans she is in the situation she is and 2) If TLC has enough time, space and money, these puppies and mom will grow up to an adoptable state in 2- 2 1/2 months, be spayed or neutered and fulfill the constant demand from the general public for puppies instead of adopting an adult dog that more desperately needs a furever home and has a greater chance of being left behind and not adopted.

It is simply fulfilling the law of supply and demand, and we hope by having puppies available for adoption, we will lower the inbound volumes of puppymill puppies being shipped into our state once a week from the 10 puppymill states around the country.

So the next time you walk through the rescue shop and leave without putting a few coins in our donation box.... Or ignore our plea for financial help to do what we do, remember what these little ones were like before legally they were killed on Saturday...    

Recycle for Rescue - Update

Recycle4Rescue

With the recycling efforts of the past 6 weeks (and especially all of Carol's contributions to the cause!), we were able to take enough recycling to the center to actually save the life of one dog!

That means for all of the plastic, glass and aluminum cans that WERE going in the trash for the past 6 weeks but were brought to us, a little wee's one life was saved... Rexa was spayed, her vaccines were updated, she received her rabies shot and was microchipped... with the $171.26 we received back from turning it all in!

Simply because folks took the time to collect their clean recycling and drop it off at the rescue shop, we were all (as a community) able to save that dog's life!... Pretty amazing, huh?   Almost like the Phoenix rising up out of the ashes...

So next time you get ready to throw that plastic water bottle into a trash can, think about a face or two that peers out at you from our website... It was from your recycling efforts we were able to take in this owner surrender, get her up to adoptable standards and find her a furever home!

You can bring your clean recyclables to the rescue shop at 1555 Simi Town Center, #587, Simi Valley, CA seven days a week.  Six of those days, my white pick-up quad dually will be parked in the front of the rescue shop and you can simply leave them in the back of the truck.  On Sundays, just let them know at the rescue shop you have recycling and then drive it around to the back.  If you need a receipt for your recycling, you will need to come into the rescue shop though!

THANK YOU FOR THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND RECYCLING FOR RESCUE!

Poll - Which are easier to train?

Which size of dog is easier to train?
	Small dogs
	Medium sized dogs
	Big dogs
pollcode.com free polls

We're too hot!

Because TLC's rescue shop is located in a high traffic mall, every week or so someone leaves their pooch in the car in the summer heat.  Not knowing exactly what to do, people come into the rescue shop to report it.

It is illegal in California to do this.  It's the law - and bear in mind - any peace officer, humane officer or animal control officer is able (legally) to break into your car to remove a pet you have left there in the heat!  Not only will you be fined, you'll have to pay to have your window or door repaired as well... plus whatever vet/hospital costs to treat your pet!

Pets suffer greatly from heat exhaustion and stroke - faster than humans do - and dogs do not have sweat glands like humans do... just a few on their feet.  They cannot perspire and rid the excess heat by panting.  As the temperatures rise, even panting can only help so much.  Heat stroke occurs when normal body mechanisms cannot keep the body's temperature in a safe range. Dogs with heavy coats, heart or respiratory troubles, those who are exercising too much in the heat, as well as overweight, very young, infant, and elderly dogs all need special consideration in the heat and have a greater likelihood of developing heat stroke.

HEAT STROKE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

• A rapid or erratic heartbeat/pulse
• Rapid breathing, or struggling for breath
• Increased, excessive, loud, heaving, irregular panting or the sudden stopping of panting
• A very high body temperature - usually, cell damage begins to occur at body temperatures over 106 degrees
• Excessive drooling, or frothing at the mouth
• Dark red gums
• Vomiting
• Barking or whining
• Anxiety or agitation
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Lack of coordination - stumbling and/or trouble standing or walking
• An anxious, vacant, or staring expression
• Listlessness or weakness
• Shaking or seizures
• Dry mouth and nose
• Lack of urine production
• Weakness and muscle tremors
• Glazed eyes and/or dilated pupiis
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Collapse or unconsciousness

Animals showing these signs need immediate medical treatment.  So take the dog to a veterinarian or animal emergency room NOW. If your pet starts to retch and vomit, this can be a sign that the body temperature is reaching 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Soon after, the dog will go into shock, followed by possible seizures and a loss of consciousness. These are all serious signs and the dog must see a veterinarian immediately. This is an EMERGENCY! Even at the earliest stage of heat stroke, you may be fighting for your dog's life. If not treated immediately, these symptoms can be followed in minutes by collapse, seizures, coma, and death.

If untreated, hyperthermia (heat stroke) results in kidney, liver and/or heart failure. Dogs who are treated after a significant delay may survive, but could be left with permanent effects such as blood clotting disorders, metabolic abnormalities, muscle damage, and/or brain dysfunction, etc.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT HEAT EXHAUSTION AND/OR STROKE:
This is a life threatening situation and needs immediate veterinarian attention. There are a few things you can do if your vet has to call you back or on the way to the veterinarian's office or emergency room:

1. Immediately move the dog to a cooler area. Place the dog in a shady area or put a large umbrella over him/her.
2. Offer the pup small amounts of water (too much water may cause the dog to vomit and add to your pet’s dehydration).
3. If the dog will not drink of his/her own accord, then wipe the mouth area with a clean, wet cloth.
4. Sponge down the whole body, including tummy and groin area with COOL, not cold water. Cold water will cause blood vessels to constrict and will stop the heat from escaping. This could send your dog into shock from the sudden drop in body temperature.  NEVER throw buckets of water over the dog, or throw him/her into cold water, as these actions will almost certainly put the dog into shock, making the situation far worse than it already is!
5. If you do not have an electric fan, improvise one with a towel or something that will cause a draft around the wet dog; however, do not do anything that might panic him/her unnecessarily. Fanning the dog will help to cool him/her through the process of evaporation. If the dog has collapsed, continue with the above steps until professional help arrives. Be prepared to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should it become necessary. The dog needs electrolyte replacement and oral replacement is not sufficient. The electrolytes need to be replaced through intravenous (IV) administration.

"But I am just going to be 5 minutes".... How many times have we all heard this?  When it is 75 degrees outside, in 10 minutes the temperature inside your car can reach 100 degrees.  At 85 degrees, the inside of your car will reach 90 degrees in 5 minutes.  A dog's normal body temperature is 99.5 to 102.5º.  At 105 to 106º, the pet is at risk for developing heat exhaustion. If the body temperature rises to 107º, your pet has entered the critical zone of heat stroke. With heat stroke, irreversible damage and death can occur... yes, in less than 5 minutes.





Be an advocate for dogs left in cars - print out the flyers and keep in your car... See a dog in a car?  Leave it on the owner's windshield!

Luv up on a pup!

For those of you all who can't adopt a pup, we can always use donations of things we use alot of we take care of the litters that come through TLC's doors and onto furever homes... And it is a tax deduction for you as well!

Next time you are in your favorite pet shop doing for your own little furbaby, think of TLC and then drop it off at the rescue shop as you pass by... The puppies will LOVE you for it and we thank you in advance!

Cow hooves - odd thing (and maybe some folks are offended) but for puppies cutting their tiny teeth and chewing on everything in sight, this is an ideal tool to get the teeth through quickly and in turn, the swelling and uncomfortable pain is lessened.
Pitty pads as we call them... at times we go through a lot of these.  We're not picky - we'll take any brand or amount!



Puppy chew toys - At a certain point of being chewed on, we throw them away once they have sharp edges.  So we go through a lot of puppy chew toys around here!

Puppy collars - We prefer to use the snap kind simply because they are safer with rowdy howdy puppies.  Sizes from 6" up to 10" are the ones we use the most of.

Wet puppy food - We buy this by the case!  And then some!  We like Wellness Puppy in the can, but as long as it is a high quality wet puppy food, we'll take it!

Milk Replacer - We buy this in the large can and our nursing moms get it as well, so we go through a lot of this...

Again, even if it is one can of wet puppy food, we deeply appreciate the help and donations.  It is not unusual for us to have more than one litter at the rescue shop at any given time and besides being a LOT of poop and piddle, that is a LOT of puppy supplies that are used up all the time!

The "Titans"... smile...

Barkely napping

As we interact and learn more about Barkley, it is essential to us that we fix any bad habits and teach him new, good ones... Because of his massive size, he needs to be a dog easily controlled when he eventually gets adopted down the road... 

Intact dogs are not always easy to handle or live in a community environment - one of the factors county shelters deal with day in and day out...  Because all incoming dogs in TLC are quarantined when they are fresh out of the shelter, Barkley's movements were restricted greatly until we knew he was not ill or bringing in anything contagious...  

There was nothing unusual about this TLC procedure - all new dogs are kept in either one of our 6 isolation units, 8 large intake units or in the case of moms one of the 17 units we call 'window boxes' (or WBs)... If they are ill, we treat them and get them healthy until they have free access around the rescue shop... Many dogs come in with upper respiratory illnesses and need confinement, medications and twice daily nebulizer treatments until we can eliminate the URIs... 

But because of Barkley's large size, we had to make special accommodations... (smile)... And he is still VERY much a puppy... He also needs to be monitored and learn how to interact with dogs much smaller than he is... It is a process that takes time and dedication or it simply does not work... 

Momma is my dog and she too came in as a shelter dog, VERY pregnant with her 5 month old daughter, Koda... We followed the same procedure and then just prior to delivery, she came to our home and birthed her puppies... Once she was all done with that aspect of her life, Momma 'adopted' me and my family... Many followed "Big Momma" (AKA LemonCello) through our blog and FB pages as her puppies grew up and one by one, became adopted and went onto their own furever homes...

Momma asleep under my desk at the rescue shop

Once it became apparent Momma had adopted me, and I finally agreed (although I am not really a big dog person), I was determined that Momma's training would be stepped up and she'd become certified as a therapy dog... 

I have done this numerous times with MUCH smaller dogs (like 5 pounders) but throughout my career I have been asked to provide much larger sized dogs that are not put off by wheel chairs, moving doors, smells of living assisted facilities, etc... Momma is now in step 2 of 4 to becoming a master certified therapy dog... And we continue her training on a daily basis...

And because of Momma's threatening look, she has become an unbelievable ambassador to folks afraid of these 'bully' breeds... She comes with me to the rescue shop every day I work, greets folks through the swinging gate at the rescue shop and comes home with me each night... And yes, she snores as badly as my husband does at night!  And they do NOT do it in unison either, so I do have increased sleepless nights since Momma became part of our lives!

I knew ahead of time that Barkley's arrival at TLC would not only be a challenge to the rescue and its volunteers, but to me and even moreso, to Momma... She is very much a gentle giant, but she is incredibly smart and in tune to my body language now... She is almost hard wired to me and my thoughts - to the point it is scary... Because she has free roam in the rescue shop, it was critical that the meeting of these two 'titans' was under controlled environments because if the two of them did not get along, none of us could stop a dog fight should it break out... And because Barkley cannot be neutered until we are ahead of the demo, all of this caused me a lot of worry and concern... 

I questioned myself if the bond between her and I was as strong as I believed it to be... I questioned myself if my training efforts had paid off enough for her to tolerate Barkley around without aggression... And because he still has testosterone flowing through him, would he recognize the canine manners he needed to respect Momma's position and authority?  Lots of questions and worries I had prior to authorizing TLC to pull Barkley and save him... 

Once Barkley cleared medical procedures, we allowed the two titans to meet each other only under controlled, scheduled situations... Thankfully, we have several really good dog whisperers who volunteer with TLC, so it was easy enough to accomplish... 

Barkley asleep with his head on my foot

Until Barkley in his puppy ways, decided to break through not one, but two gates put up... And we had an unscheduled and unmonitored meeting between the two titans... 

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE TIME... I see Barkley come barreling around the corner and directly into my office, knowing that Momma was out and about the rescue shop... UT OH... MAJOR UT OH TIME...

Momma gave me just one look as in, "Is this OK for him to be doing?  If not, I WILL take care of it!" (and I knew she would)... I returned the look - "It's fine... Easy, Momma... Be nice..." (and she was)... 

The question we now face is who has the spot underneath my computer desk to nap it... Traditionally it has been Momma's (and it is not a big spot at all)... My office is actually a big closet, with 3 filing cabinets, a desk, my chair and a very small area to move around in... As in 3' wide and 5' long... Not a lot of space for two titans to move around in... And NOT a place I want to be if they decide to argue with each other!

This experience has been good for both of them... Barkley is learning large dog canine manners and it tests the training I have done with Momma... You never, EVER let down your guard with two large titans of this size and you must always be vigilant with any two dogs together, no matter their size, age, breed or disposition... Dogs are dogs and just like us humans, never 100% predictable... 

But as long as Barkley needs all of this extra medical and TLC are, it is essential that he continues moving forward to a dog that responds correctly and appropriately with any situation presented to him... We owe it to Barkley and to the new furparent that eventually adopts him!

Barkley and Momma together in my small office at TLC's rescue shop