New photo of Sunshine...

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

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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

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...

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?

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

There are several reasons for this... 

1. 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!
2. 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...
3. 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... 
4. 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!

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...

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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

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?