Success Story: Paulie (now renamed Jack again)

These are the stories we love to hear when we follow-up on our adoptions!  It is the 'rescue juice' that keeps us rescuers doing what we do!

Click on the photo to read his new furmommy's comment!

Success story: Quincy (now Toby)

From Toby's furmomma:

We are SOOO in love with our little Toby!  He's fit in with our family beautifully!  He's learned not to bother our 14 year old puppy, and has become best friends with his look-a-like sister, 7 year old Mimi.  They play tug-o-war with their toys, growling at each other while they pull, and Mimi plays so gently with him, it's heartwarming!  

Outside, they chase each other all over the backyard, which is one of the reasons we wanted Toby, to get Mimi on her feet (the older puppy didn't provide much exercise for her).  I have a video of them chasing, and another of them playing tug-o-war, but can't send it. 

I'm attaching a picture I took last night of Toby coming out from under the couch cover with his new toy.  He loves to burrow! He hasn't changed much, gaining one pound, but even though his one ear stayed up, the other doesn't seem to want to, so it's always flopped over.  Too cute!

We can't thank you enough for taking such good care of him.  He checked out beautifully with the vet - healthy and alert with a wonderful disposition.  And he's so smart!  Training so easily (anything for a bit of organic turkey!)  We are so grateful!

I've liked you on FB and occasionally share pics of adoptables for my friends. If we lived closer (we're in Valencia) my sons would volunteer.

This first month has been a joy.  Thank you all again for what you do!

Julie

Past, present and the future....

This morning I talked on the phone with someone that I had worked for twice in my professional career, but had not reconnected for at least twenty years... Thanks to the Internet, I was able to track her down through an organization, they forwarded my email and she responded... After the conversation, it was a good feeling to sit back and enjoy... It is copacetic to say thank-you to someone in your past who is, in some part, responsible for the person you have become today... 

One's past is not always something you can be proud of, but it does make you either the person or the organization you are today... And with this in mind, I am announcing the formation of 'THINKvc' which stands for 'Take Heart In No Kill Ventura County'... 

It is my hope that this think-tank organization becomes the steam engine that continues to motivate the progress we as a community have made towards No-Kill...

And with the power of the Internet yet again, I believe we have even great opportunities to unite as one humane community, dedicated to the twelve principles (or 'spokes') of No-Kill...  All interested are invited to become a part of this journey - I wish I had the website (www.thinkvc.org) up and running for this announcement, but it is still in the hands of the webmaster and not yet completed... 

All aspects of what makes No-Kill successful are invited - the shelter system, the rescues, the medical community, the general public, the folks involved who make our laws and plan our future by the implementation of the laws... If you believe in No-Kill, you are invited... 

This has been a long, hard (and sometimes, very weary) journey to change mindsets, principles and personas... There were numerous times in the past 10 years I thought to myself that I should just give up and walk away... And I'd come back again, simply just not believing that we needed to kill healthy, adoptable pets surrendered to our shelter system... 

It has been a team effort to get this far and we have much more to accomplish, my friends!  Interested in becoming part of the future of Ventura County?  Email me and let's get busy saving even more animal lives!

2 + 2 does not equal 4

Before the math teachers out there begin to fret, there are just far too many times that two plus two does not equal four... Sorry...  But because as a society we equate 'value' to numbers, rescue folks and those with humanitarian predispositions are well aware this is not a good way to look at life... 


Far too many times we get contacted about a small dog that someone does not want any longer, or see dogs and puppies that we know other rescues will pass by... Allow me to tell you Carlee's story, and you'll get an insider's appreciation that 2 + 2 ╪ 4... 

Carlee is a 1 pound, 6 ounce Chihuahua puppy who is 7 weeks old now... When we were contacted about her not quite 2 weeks ago, she could not hold her head up, but flailed around uncontrollably unless held and/or confined... 

The first night, we had to hold her head and feed her with a small baby spoon so she would not dunk her head into the wet food and drown herself... Looking at this puppy as a rescue person, you know going in that this is going to be a 'hard case' and rehabilitation is doing to take time and money... But a lot of time, love, energy and TLC more than anything else... 

What do you do however?... Do you walk away from a tiny munchkin like this?

It is just not what we do... Two weeks ago we put over $350 in a dog on vet bills, plus all the rest of the things we do (which are not cheap) and still adopted the dog at $200... Saving animals' lives is not cheap and money in seldom equals money out... 

Carlee has something the vet believes is cerebelluar hypoplasia - basically part of the brain which controls the motor skills did not develop properly... Didn't mean much more than that... Carlee hears great, loves to give kisses and is a healthy puppy with puppy energy... She's intelligent and learns quickly... 

And as a foster mom, you learn how to adapt yourself to what you are fostering (not the other way around)... 

You consistently have to think out of the box and multi-task, or you are just not a good foster mom at all... Especially with the hard cases... Sorry... 

It seems that a cute puppy like Carlee would have immediately been swept up and adopted, but because she requires work as she progresses, she becomes 'unadoptable'... Sad, huh?

Doesn't make her any less cuter or any less in need of care and love... So I applaud those in the rescue community who consistently step up and foster some of the 'less than perfect' pets that are left behind and not adopted... It takes special pets to find special fosters to make exceptional furever homes for these kinds of case.... 

We started looking for ways to get Carlee up and working those muscles, refining the motions she needed to control and/or develop those motor skills every puppy needs... 

Our first prototype was not very pretty, but it sure was creative if nothing else!  Wasn't too long before Carlee was strengthening those neck muscles and could hold her head up well enough to feed herself...

It wasn't long before I figured out that with practice, Carlee could teach herself to hold her head in place long enough to feed herself... It was a matter of ME learning the correct bowl to put her food into!...

And along the way, Carlee learned to give us the proper advance notice in body language that she needed to widdle or poo... As long as you could read her body language, there was just NO WAY she wanted to have an accident anywhere she slept, sat in, etc... 

Not only does a puppy need their back legs to move forward, it also strengthens their neck muscles so they continue to go in the direction they want to go in... 

Next step was to add wheels to that prototype... In Carlee's case, she went from a cute 'bobbler' to a roaring motor scooter --- in about 10 days --- from the time we got her at TLC and she was scooting around like a crazy munchkin!

It was harder to find tinker toys than it was to teach Carlee to scoot around in this prototype we came up with... SERIOUSLY... 

Along the way, we started homeopathic processes as well to increase the growth of nerve endings... You keep her healthy, keep her working those muscles and motivated to get where she wants to go, provide stimulation and play time... You basically do the next best right thing... 

And also along the way, you realize that no matter how much money, time, energy and love you put into saving the next puppy or dog, it will always exceed any adoption donation... 2 + 2 just does not equal 4 in rescue... We will always put in more, and it is only through the community's support with donations and volunteering that TLC continues to take on the small dogs and puppies that get left behind.... 

Carlee has now moved onto another foster mom in TLC who is exploring hydrotherapy as another option... And another creative soul, I am just as sure she will come up with new tools to speed up Carlee's rehabilitation... 

Two weeks later, look how proudly Carlee stands with her head held high... This is what rescue is all about!

Grieving for pets

A week ago today, I lost a dear friend of mine... All of us have gone through this - I am not the first and I will not be the last... And despite knowing that, it does not make the hurt any less hurtful or less painful... 

In fact, all of these three pets to the left have gone across the Rainbow Bridge, but two were mine - Rogaine to the left and Peanut to the right.  Both Peanut and Rogaine were by my side in 2005 when I came very, very close to death and wished it so... Neither one left my side through those long, long months of recovering and now here I am, alone and both of them are gone... 

I have stood at the rescue shop and talked to other folks who have lost their pets... We always have this odd hesitation about discussing this topic for some reason... What do you say?... And how do you do it?  Do we not all broach the subject and wonder if the person is questioning (in their own mind) why we are hurting so deeply over the loss of 'just a dumb dog'?... 

I know I do... 

I have yet to talk about losing Rogaine to lymphosarcoma in 18 days when I did not get that 'look' in a person's eyes... Either they can relate (and do so), instantly telling me how they lost this pet or that pet ~OR~ I can see they don't hold the same value to the loss of a pet's life as dear as I do... 

I would need to take off my shoes and socks to count the number of times I've seen that mental process going in inside their heads... "It's 9 years ago and this woman is STILL getting emotional and choking up over the death of her dog?"... And using my toes and my fingers, I could would need more digits to count the number of times in nine years I have seen 'that' look... 

So how do I even BEGIN to explain this loss of Peanut to anyone?... I know in my head the second we begin living we also begin dying, but my heart wants to know it is not true... 

How do I begin to explain the magnificence of this dog to anyone else?... Or the number of countless times I have watched her 'size up and get right' any new foster I took on... This was a very smart and calculating bitch... And yes, I can say that word, because she was all that and more... 

While Rogaine taught me the meaning of unconditional loyalty and love, Peanut taught me rescue, what a Chihuahua was all about and gave me a focused purpose in my life...  

I promised I would save one dog in his name every month of my life for the rest of my life during Rogaine's last moments, but Peanut taught me to take on the hardest tasks in the worst of times (saving the number one breed dying in the shelter systems when the economy took a dump) and make things better... 

Although I continued to foster for other rescues after losing Rogaine, Peanut forced me to look at the high volume of Chihuahua and Chi mixes in the shelter and ask myself, "Why?  Why must THEY die?  No, Linda... you can make a change and you must...."

And there is just no way to explain these losses to anyone else, nor can I expect others to know how I am feeling...  For those addicted to Facebook or a cell phone, I can explain it in terms of 'imagine no Internet access or a cell phone glued to your hand for the rest of your life'... 

Does that equate it to about the same depth of loss?... No, not really, because neither the Internet nor a cell phone have a beating heart... But for someone who has just dropped and broken their cell phone, they get an inkling of the loss (until the stop at the AT&T or Verizon store)... Close, but not so close... 

And through Peanut's intelligence, she showed me that every dog can be trained... That it does not matter their age... And that each dog 'pays it forward' to other dogs... Something that few humans practice each day of their lives, but a mindset that dogs do all the time... 

Whenever I started fostering a new dog, PeaniePean had this 'walk around' stance she'd do... Tail not quite wagging but erect...  Sniff, sniff, sniff... And if she did not like the way they smelled, you'd see her do that slow wag that showed what her mind processes were doing... She quickly taught me to immediately bathe all shelter dogs, throw away any collar they had on and give them a fresh clean start before introductions to others in my home... 

Peanut was also called "Pean, the Queen" by my family and I because she truly ruled the roost at my house... And she did it simply by command presence, something that few dogs have... 

I LOVE smart female dogs - I can't explain it and I won't apologize for it... She just 'fit' inside my heart like butter over a toasted Thomas' English muffin - through all the nooks and cranies, ya know?... I loved to watch her mind work and I was blessed to have 11 years of this memory... 

So, how do I now fill this huge, huge void in my heart and in my life?... 

I caught myself the other night reaching down for her and about to call her name to put her to bed... Peanut slept in a crate at eye's level aside of my bed... About two years ago at the ripe old age of 15, she stopped being able to hold her bladder throughout the night... Prior to this, she fell asleep every night, curled up aside of my belly... She and I went to sleep as I slowly massaged and patted her from nose to tail... It was almost a ritual at night... 

And when she moved to the crate to sleep (so mom no longer woke up in a wet, cold bed), I would put my hand through the crate bars and do just about the same thing... 

Now I reach at night but there is no Peanie to be rubbed and patted now... 

Is the loss human in scope?... Well, to me it is... At least once a day when I was home, Peanut would do something to make me laugh... She wasn't the kind of dog that did well in the general public in her later years - she had no patience for strangers (although when younger, she did enjoy shopping for fabric for some strange reason!)... But she sure did things that would make me giggle or just think and wonder... 

Will I see a comical but very smart wee one every day in my life again?... Doubtful... Peanut was a 'one of a kind' kind of dog... 

Do I love other dogs?... Sure, there is foster momma love and you love all of your dogs to some degree... But once in a great while, one comes along that is so truly special they carve out a niche in your heart that you know is unique and extremely hard to replace... 

I will not say "Good-bye, Peanut" but just "See you later..... ".

Love, 

Mom

For more of PeaniePean in a Smilebox tribute

Isabella... It is Pitty time!

Despite TLC not really set up for saving the big dogs, in 2013 we made it part of our mission to save at least one Pitty per month throughout the year.  Our most recent save is "Isabella", an absolute magnificent Blue & White Pitty female, approximately 3 years old.

I first spotted Isabella when four of us TLC volunteers went through VCAS volunteer orientation at the Simi Valley facility.  You cannot look at this dog and not appreciate power, intelligence and an overall appreciation of what self esteem is all about.  I was amazed to find that Isabella already had the beginnings of obedience training, but found herself in the shelter system... someone must have loved this dog to give her the basic foundation of a good canine citizen.  I always wish these dogs could talk to tell us their back story and how they ended up the way they did, but for us in rescue, each dog becomes a jigsaw puzzle we slowly put together.

Initially Isabella did not walk well on lead at all - she listened to you, she knew 'Sit' but she had just too, too much high energy on lead.  The TLC volunteers fixed that quickly with a prong collar and dedicated, working walks throughout each day.  BTW, Isabella is potty trained.

Recently I took her out on a walk and once again, I was amazed with Isabella's rapid progress.  I already knew she was a lap dog (or so she thought she was) as I'd been 'lap sitted 60 pounds worth' several weeks ago.  So before we got in the cuddles, we put in the work to earn them.  Beyond 'Sit', Isabella also knows 'Up' (as in up into a car, up onto a bench or sofa, etc.) and rapidly learned 'Off' (the reverse).  If the initial high energy is already spent on the walk, she will do a good 'Stay' for you... not quite a long stay yet, but possible.  We also started working on 'Shake' and Isabella is right-pawed (a sign of intelligence and ALWAYS looked for in guide dogs, therapy dogs, etc.).  However, she is also cross-pawed, so this is NOT the dog for the novice dog owner.  Isabella will blossom under someone's ownership who already knows this breed.  She still needs training and is a cat-chaser we are told.   Isabella still has a LOT of puppy in her and while she does not react to small kids in the rescue shop, she can EASILY knock over small toddlers without intending to.

Of course, even with my own Boxer/Pitty, due to the immense power and strength, in my own opinion none of the Bully breeds should ever be left alone with children and no adult supervision.  Although Isabella is housed with a lot of small dogs at the rescue shop and does not react to them there, she still reacts to other dogs on lead outside.  Again, it is a matter of training and an owner's commitment to the furever life of any adopted dog or cat.

Isabella is spayed, up to dates on her vaccines including rabies, microchipoed and if you are a Ventura County resident, will be licensed prior to adoption.  If you are interested in adopting Isabella, please put in an adoption application online at https://tinylovingcanines.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k7/

And if Isabella is not the dog of your dreams, the rescue shop does not have it, PLEASE visit our county shelter at either Camarillo or Simi Valley.  You can visit their website at http://www.vcas.us and they now have extended hours (11AM to 6PM at both facilities).

There are SO many pets awaiting their furever home - wouldn't it be a great feeling to know you insured their life by adopting them?

Success Story! RobRoy (now Ludo)

Adam just updated us with some new photos of a puppy he adopted from us recently.  RobRoy (now Ludo) looks like he is grinning in each of the photos.  what gorgeous pup!  He looks SO happy....


From Adam:

"Ludo (formerly Rob Roy) is doing great. He's seven pounds now. He recently went on a trip with us to Arizona and loved it. We're starting to think that the mystery father was Jack Russell Terrier instead of Chihuahua."