Finding the Way Home

Rescued a Human

2011-07-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

I received this from a dear sweet woman I did some herding with last year.
I thought it was lovely.

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, but not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened, and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe.

I would promise to always be by her side.

I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.

So many more to be saved. At least, I was able to save one.

I rescued a human today.

Aryton heads West

2011-04-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ayrton is just killing an hour or so before he meets up with his puppy transport driver to head to meet his amazing family in Colorado!

I love crazy dog people.

Love knows no bounds and this guy's gonna give it back tenfold.

Happy Easter from the black pups

2011-04-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Some Catch up Pics

2011-04-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

We have had 6 of Meg's pups left for a bit now...and I was getting kind of worried...but thanks to a couple simple changes their Godmother, Pam, suggested for their Petfinder listing we've suddenly got a new batch of potential adopters looking to come out this weekend.

Keep your fingers crossed they take some of these guys home!

They sure aren't getting any smaller!! I picked one up tonight and thought I was going to need a spotter :)

They are however some of the nicest all around pups I've ever known.

So very sweet like their momma...and though I wondered about the DNA results...they have Golden personalities through and through!!!

It's like they should be service dogs, I just love them to pieces!! Wish I could keep one myself!

So...here a a few pics

I've been gone and the weather has been terrible...so not a lot of picture taking and I'm way behind on things...

Sleepy sweetheart.

Puppies in the dirt.

A.K.A. my garden....

Think I'll wait to plant that til I can get it fenced...

Who could be mad at those cute faces though?

Brown nosers :)

Momma Meg

Doesn't that one look like a little piglet?? So cute!

Sweet sweet Meg

I pray we find her a fabulous home--she is an amazing girl!

So full of love and life!

No more Beagles and half a dozen black dogs

2011-04-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

Aw...kisses with Momma.

Pups love playing the the brush pile in our yard.

Annabelle

That last Beagle pup on his way out :)

Things are going well--pups enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL day yesterday out in the yard playing with the girls...but if only they could all find homes of their own..it's hard being a black dog.

Puppy pics--and DNA results!!!!

2011-03-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics Casey took today.

Gotta love our drab brown yard.

It's been cold and ucky here.

Spring--PLEASE come back!!

Last little Beagle boy waiting for his forever home.

Doing what Beagles do best--make noise!!

Meg playing with Ty--"holding" her baby

Have a mentioned what a SWEET girl she is??

Little puppy would like some lap time....

Please

Looking out into the big ol' world.

These guys are getting big--some are close to 20lbs!

Run!!

Ty, always the honorary "Daddy"--he is such a good boy!

He puts up with anything from kids and puppies

But is tough as nails and brave as a lion.

DNA test results came back on Meg's litter....

ummmmm

Pam and I are not too sure about their accuracy this round.

They were mostly Golden Retrievers

A little bit Maltese??!!??

and a tiny bit Rhodesian Ridgeback

Story time

2011-03-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Tayla reading to the pups

This little guy was very grateful.

Sporting a cute camo collar--thanks to their Godmother!

2 little Beagle boys left--my goodness they are noisy puppies!!!

Posted the lab pups--Dessa Kindergarten teacher adopted one yesterday--woohoo!

ps--Sorry for the infrequent posts...still having trouble with the blog letting me download pictures?

Bliss

2011-03-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Awww

Down to four boys and someone is driving from Wyoming right now to pick up a pup tomorrow....
Still can't download those videos for you :(

Collars and Homes

2011-03-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts....was having some troubles with downloading the pics to the blog...finally got them on--but now it won't let me load video??

Ah well.

Not that this was really worth waiting for...but here's something to quell your need for a pup fix until I can get more uploaded.

The beagle pups went up for adoption last week and so far Beret has found a wonderful home as well as Shako.

Tomorrow someone else is coming to visit...so hopefully another finds a family of his/her very own!

Here are a few pics from this weekend.

Poor Bonnie...Dessa thought she should be a designer pup.

Boys rocking their new collars!

Pup pics

2011-03-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

These are pics Casey took a few days ago when it was snow/raining out.

Big black dogs bolt out the door--little guy in the back is SO cute!

Sometimes it's hard to be little....

"Wait for us!"

"Can someone help us out please?"

LOL--that little guy on the right CRACKS me up!

I see boxer in the middle there...

Aw--that look on the right is so sweet.

Puppy prints in the snow

Time to eat! Wet fur doesn't look very pretty...but no one seems to care.

DNA results for Fedora's litter!

2011-03-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Drum roll please....
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.
.
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The DNA results are in for Fedora's puppies-tested on Shant.
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.
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These pups are over 75% Beagle (no surprise)
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and.....
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10-19% Boxer!

WHAT!!??

they are so little!!
I expected them to be mixed in with some little terrier.
lol
Though it does explain the face of a couple pups that I couldn't quite place the look...probably because I wasn't thinking big enough :)

Meg's litter was tested and we should have those results in a couple weeks too.

Thanks Pam for making this such a cool and exciting discovery!

Pups go to Kindergarten

2011-03-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

This morning Casey took 3 of the puppies in to meet Dessa's classmates.

She was on cloud 9 and Casey said the puppies were great.

Happy, friendly, no piddle messes :)

Though a couple of his Beagle pics look less than happy.

Hopefully some of her friends can talk their parents into letting them take one home... ;)

ps--DNA TEST RESULTS ARE IN!!
Stay tuned for the results!
It's a shocker!

Fairy Godmother strikes again

2011-03-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight we received another care package from our fabulous fairy Godmother!

Let me tell you...she is pretty dang good at packing a box!

Puppy pads for packing--brilliant!

Her husband tapes it up like nobody's business either--I swear the box had to be water tight!

Her and her sweet sweet coworkers (who are all going to Heaven btw) all chipped in to send the puppies their very own collars!!!

Even a collar and leash for the hard working/behind the scenes Mommas! Pam never forgets these unsung heroes. I remember when she adopted her Sassy Bru from us--she totally blew us away when she sent along a whole beautiful basket full of things for that Momma dog.

Treats....and REALLY good ones! Selected by her very own adopted taste testers, Blondie and Sassy Bru.

ANOTHER DNA kit!!

Do you know how very lucky we are to have these donated?

Should be hearing about Fedora's litter any day now!

And a whole bunch more collars for Meg's pups.

I feel blessed to know such amazing people.
You would think fostering dogs would be emotionally draining (and it is sometimes) but every time a dog is adopted you meet someone with a big enough heart to welcome that furry soul into their family and their hearts. And that's pretty dang rewarding and uplifting.

Thank you Pam!!
Pups send their puppy breath kisses and tail waggs your way!

Will get more puppy pictures posted...put Fedora's litter up for adopton today...a little girl has likely already found a home....
And tomorrow 3 pups get to go visit Adessa's kindergarten class!

Pups first playday outside

2011-03-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

Casey was switched to 2nd shift and since today was a pretty nice first day of March he got the puppies out for their very first outside play day.

These are all his pictures....

Looking out into the world.

It's hard to be little

Except when it's nice

Meeting new friends

Exploring

That's quite a stance

lol--had to include this because Fedora looks so pitiful

Momma Meg--so sweet--I just love this girl

And she loves her puppies--and Fedora's puppies too actually (that's who's nursing)

Not the most flattering picture...she did just have 10 babies...and now is nursing 17, cut her some slack

Stay tuned for baby Beagle's first shots

DNA test

2011-02-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight we decided to do the DNA test for Fedora's litter.

We pulled Tam O'Shanter up because I like the little guy.

I'm torn between Tam or Shant for a nickname.

Here he is with his tug.

My girls love a tuggy dog--blame that on flyball.

Our SUPER cool handy dandy DNA test thanks to the pups Colorado Godmother, Pam.

Rub rub rub

My helpful assistant, Tayla.

The baby holding one of the little girls.

And a video spree of Shant just because he was so dang cute!

Gotta love a waggy beagle tail (and a strange 6yr old)

Ty checking the puppy over.

Try not to notice the places he licked...specifically the order in which he did it.

Next couple are quick little nose down tail up Beagle shots.

And finally...just a puppy being cute.

Couple weeks and we'll know who daddy is!!
Any guesses?
I think some of the pups have a terrier-y underbite-ish face.
Like Shih-tzu or Lapso apso-ish
I'm not sure...I can't quite think of the breed I have in my mind.

Meg's puppies--Manicure and Names-4 weeks

2011-02-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

Wrestling and manicuring Meg's pups was a lot more difficult than Fedora's.

These guys are fighters....or at least wigglers.

Here are your girls....(named after F1 race car drivers)

In red is Miss Jackie

she also has a small white tux on her chest and a bit of white on her chin you can't see here

Mika is in pink

small white tux, little white on chin and little white on left back foot

Jody-Purple

small white tux on chest and white on left front paw

In gold is Miss Keke

she has a thin white strip on her chest

Niki has coral--she was the one in yesterday's picture post with 'Dora's litter

she's our only all black pup

Here are your F1 boys

They are really hard to tell apart right now!

And I'm not sure this nail polish thing is going to cut it....

In Silver is Alain (his mouth has foam from vomiting...lovely I know--I didn't realize this til after the picture)

small white snip on chest (like most all the other boys!)

Juan is sporting brown

itty bitty white snip on chest

Jenson (crybaby) in blue

looks like i'm into torturing puppies
he is easiest to decipher--big white tux and looks like maybe the start of a cherry eye :(

The pups kept getting hung up on the chairs, lol

Graham is a little guy--he's gets to keep his black nails

itty bitty white snip on chest

Ayrton in red

He came running up and gave me lots of kisses--he was so sweet

but then put up a doozy of a fight for his manicure

he too has an itty bitty white snip on his chest...sigh

Hanging out

Tayla with the crew

Looks like Dessa isn't the only dog whisperer in the family :)

More puppy torture :)

Fedora's litter-Manicures and Names-5 1/2 weeks

2011-02-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Life is crazy around here and time is flying by....have I said that before? :)

Figured we'd better use up those names Pam gave these guys.

She went with a hat theme if you recall.

Fedora is momma.

We trimmed up all those itty bitty puppy nails and painted their left front paws to try to make it easier to tell them apart (we'll see how that goes)

Here is the crew....

Ladies first-

Sporting light pink is Prarie Bonnet--aka-Bonnie

In coral is French Beret-aka-Beret (for now I think)

A couple pups soaking up some love on Dessa's lap.

Hey--this girl isn't part of Fedora's litter (stay tuned for their names later)

Though the puppies are all living together in one big commune...they love each other.

Gentlemen-

In brown (of course) is Stetson

Wearing black is Bowler

Red is Tam O'Shanter (Tam for short? Shant?)

I'm really liking this little guy a lot--he's spunky.

I think he will be our DNA test pup.

Silver-Shako (possibly shortened to Ko)

In blue is Derby

Bella and the pups.

Hugs

Kisses

Pup update--Meg's giant pups

2011-02-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

'Dora's pups are 5 weeks in a couple days...and Meg's are 3 1/2 weeks old.

Fedora's pups are so playful--and cute. Meg's pups are just starting...but as you can see--they have a considerable size advantage.

They mix together a lot now in the pup room.

Meg will often be nursing a mix of the litters.

Dessa, the puppy whisperer

Excuse the girls attire--Casey was alone with them for some time today....

"Dessa, love us, pet us, please."

Side by side.

They were not interested in Tayla's doll blanket.

Dessa's special pup of the day. She kept begging to keep her forever.

Armful.

The Beagle mixes look a little shih-tzu or something lapdog terrier like to me...haven't figured it out yet.

This little girl looks kinda like her momma.

But some of them are giants. Big heads...a look I can't place yet.
And a couple have thick--little longer coats....
?

Pup was sound asleep long after the others went back to their momma's.
We had to drag her away from Dessa.

Some video.

Looks like the Beagle pup might be humping...but he's just off balance.
I think :)

Little howl.
There is a cute barker in this mix and a good howler.

Just Mr tail wagger again.
I think puppy tail wags are adorable!

Fedora's puppies- 4 weeks old

2011-02-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight I let the girls bring up three of Fedora's pups to play with.

We picked the three that were awake.

2 boys and a girl

The litter has really been playing up a storm!

There are a couple bold pups and a couple real cry babies :)

Here is one of the lovers.

The girls were SO excited!

One of the boys was a realy crybaby. He hated how slippery the floor was.

He cried

And Dessa coddled him.

And kissed him.

And loved him

Dessa, you're totally going to spoil that pup.

She was fine with that.

Excitement

Waggy tails (the one little boys tail wagged and wagged and wagged) and apologies for the music in the background :)

Puppy update

2011-02-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Sorry for the lack of updates...I just got back from Arizona.

It was beautiful and warm and sunny!

And now I'm snowed in here.

Whey did I come home? :)

Pups are doing fabulously!

All growing well and getting chunky.

Both girls are great mothers and have settled in to enjoy each other's company.

Here are Meg's wee ones.

Eyes still closed--still eating and sleeping all day and night.

Meg is such a good girl!

She barks to go outside.

Sits for treats.

And gives you eternally grateful looks when you pet her.

She always keeps watch over her babies when I'm handling them.

Dora's pups have started going mobile.

I caught two of the brave ones out exploring.

Sorry for the weird camera setting...I thought I had it right.

Interesting profile don't you think?

So excited to do that DNA test...waiting a little longer since you really gotta swab good.

This little one was totally into my pant leg.

And my toes.

Back to bed

awwww

oops--another of Meg's mass of black

'Dora is just the happiest little momma.

Wag wag wag wag

She's gonna be a little socialite

A little clip of the explorers you can actually kinda see :)

Eyes opening and a very special delivery :)

2011-01-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

Pups have opened their little cross eyes :)

love the cute little tongue

puppy pile

Sweet Meg and her babies. 5 girls 5 boys--can't beat that :)

Momma giving hugs to her baby

Tonight Fedora and her pups received a special package all the way from their Godmother in Colorado!!

It was PACKED full of goodies!

It included a DNA testing kit.

How exciting is that???

Stay tuned!!

Fedora opened two special bones.

She was very excited about them!

(Snatching it while she's nursing her pups)

And--being the sweet girl she is--she let Meg have the second bone.

Meg was SO excited--when she heard Fedora getting hers she came over and did a sit in front of me.

She was someone's good girl at one time....

Here's a video of one of the little cry baby boys....

I'm heading for Arizona tomorrow to visit one of my best friends...so no updates til I get back.

And then there were more.

2011-01-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday another momma gave birth at the shelter in the bitter (temps in the negatives) cold to 10 little black pups.

Today she came here for her maternity leave.

It's a bit much...but what else were we to do?

I hate the thought of little babies growing up in a cold wet shelter.

And I know the worry of a Momma...I'm sure no matter what species we are...those basic instincts are the same.

They called mom Megan...not sure if that will stick.

I love her sweet sad face already.

You can see she's so nervous.

So we'll be leaving her mostly alone for a few days.

Fedora on the other hand is full of life and happy as can be.
Her pups are growing plump and look like the picture of health.

Will try to get some more pics...but they are basically little balls of black white and tan. Eating and sleeping the day away.

Fedora, in true beagle fashion destroys her pen. Rips up all the newspaper trying to bury stuff and spreads her food everywhere.

She also loves attention and is very cute.

Puppy update--5 days old

2011-01-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

Pups are doing well!

Here are a series of pictures for you.....

Dessa and one of the little girls..

Don't even ask about Tayla's outfit, lol.

Bella was SO excited to get a turn!

Next starts the series of what is supposed to be all of the puppies....I stressed to Casey how he needed to keep them clearly separated...but they got mixed...so here's our best shot on day 5 at individual pics. Each pup should have a face on--boy/girl shot and side profile.
Boy/girl shot seems a little degrading, eh? Ah, they won't remember

That means boy just so you know.... :)

whoops an extra side/front shot

The two girls.

Final count in case you got confused....5 boys-2 girls.
I usually prefer male dogs...but it seems most people like females...so kinda swayed the wrong way for the general public--right way for me--the puppy raiser :)

Couple of videos of the girls loving on that female pup.

Fedora's litter-1 day old

2011-01-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

Pups are a day old.

Ended up with 7--lucky lucky :)

Haven't done a boy/girl count yet...still giving Momma some alone time with her new family.

Sweet Fedora...seems a touch nervous...she likes us and wants some pets but isn't sure we should be bothering the pups.

This was the one moving in the front on the video clip.

Fedora was licking him while I took this pic.

Dark video that's hard to see anything with....it looks so much clearer when I'm shooting it, lol.

First pictures

2011-01-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

Things are moving along in labor and delivery. I don't like to disturb momma too much...but it looks like there are 5 or so little pups down there so far. They sure are noisy! I can't help but worry a little about Momma....it's hard to give birth and take care of and feed several more pups at the same time.

She seems to be doing really well...very focused on cleaning them up.

I didn't realize she came with such a sad crate....we'll get her all fixed up when we change out her bedding later.

There has been one tragedy so far.

One little girl was dead.

I know...it's kinda weird to take a picture.

I'm strange like that.

I just feel like without a picture she had left no mark on this earth.

So I took one.

Things looked good...I'm not sure what happened...if she just didn't get cleaned up fast enough or what.

Here is a touch of video.

You can't see much other than a bloody mess and Momma's sweet face...but you can hear baby cries.

I'll work on my quality of photos and video in the future.

Happy Labor Day 1-11-11!!!

2011-01-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

When I peeked in on Momma this morning I thought she had that look on her face....and I was right--she's down there birthing puppies right now--one noisy little pup out already.
Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly!!
What a cool Birthday, eh?

ps-
names
I'm letting Pam who came from Colorado to adopt a pup out of the last beagle litter pick in thanks for the great life she's giving her Sassy Bru!
I think she's going with Fedora for momma and following with a hat theme for the rest of the crew.

Newest Foster-Maternity leave

2011-01-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

Today Casey picked up our newest foster from the shelter.

Look at that sweet little face.

And that HUGE belly!

She's here on maternity leave from the shelter.
She is huge! I pray she delivers her pups without problems.
I know nothing about her.
But the whole situation is a bit similar to our pregnant Joanie beagle last year.
Any name ideas?
She's very sweet and a little shy.

Still alive

2011-01-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

I know it's been f-o-r-e-v-e-r since I've posted here.

I'm really sorry!

I can hardly keep up with day to day life around here.

We do have two fosters right now....

Meet Jake

He's a SUPER sweet blue heeler boy unless you are a child.

He bit Adessa and will only go to a home without young kids.

To adults he is such a lover!

He's great around the farm and would love to have a home of his own.

Since he has issues with kids we're REALLY hoping to find him his own place before the weather gets nice. It will prove much more difficult to keep him separate from the kids then.

So if you know of anyone who might like this boy....please let us know!

Now, meet Muzzy.

I'm not much for shih-tzu's but this guy is pretty cool.

Other than that hideous underbite (which I'm sure some will actually find cute) he's a great little dog!

Jake was on death row at the shelter.

But Muzzy came from a family.

He didn't really like their baby-who crawled around and grabbed at him (Muzzy snapped at him a couple times). And since they had another on the way they figured they'd better find him a new home.

He is really good with our kids. The just adore him!

He has snapped a couple times--but not violently--more in warning...and I felt it was appropriate.

So he could go to a home with kids in the right situation.

Not under 2yrs.

He's very sporty---gets along great with our dogs.

Loves playing ball and tug.

In fact...I'm considering training him for flyball.

The problem with that is that I get attached to dogs when I train them....

I think he'd be really good though!

Muzzy comes to foster care

2010-10-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Muzzy

Isn't it just the right name for him?

He comes from a woman who works at my daycare. She has a one year old and a baby on the way and felt she needed to find Muzzy a new home since he's nippy with young children (aren't we the perfect foster home). She says he's okay with kids older than 2yrs...but I think older than 5yrs would be best.

He's a Shih-Tzu/terrier mix. 3yrs old and up to date on shots and neutered. He's a very pretty tan/golden color and LOVES to play fetch. He just got here about an hour or so ago...so more information as we get to know him.
I'm not much for these little under bite type dogs...so hopefully we can find him a home soon, lol.
How 'bout you?

Goodbye my Lexie-Jane

2010-10-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Lexie

3/28/2007-10/3/2010

Today I sent Lexie to Heaven.
I had thought she would pass peacefully in her sleep some time from now, but it wasn't to be.
Thursday night Lex suddenly had terrible pain with certain movements. Friday she went to the Vet and I couldn't help but feel it might have been the last time she saw her home. She spent the weekend there on morphine, muscle relaxants and a few other drugs. The doctors were hopeful and kept me updated regularly. Things were sounding good until Sunday morning when I got the call from the Vet. Lexie was in a lot of pain and none of the meds were working.
It was time to say goodbye.
I wanted to bring her home so her last memories weren't of misery.
But the situation didn't make it possible for that to be.
So I asked that they get her as comfortable as possible, I didn't want her last moments to be in pain.
My mom drove up also which not only meant the world to me, but also to Lex. My mom helped raise Lex and care for her over the years and I was thankful she was going to be there in her last moments.
I brought Lex's favorite dog bed and her first big girl collar which included her first heart shaped ID tag.
The good old days when she was young and happy.

When the Vet brought her out she cried out in pain as she hurried to see us and I died a little inside.
Her tail still wagged furiously--though low and tight to her body with anxiety.
We took her in the back room and the Vet left to give us some time together.
I placed her bed in a ray of sunshine. It would have been irresistable to Lex at home.
Lex was so miserable she couldn't even take comfort in our attention. She just braced her head against my mom's leg as if it was her only way to cope.
I called the Vet back and as she brought in the meds Lex finally decided she would like to sit in her favorite bed after all.
That soothed my aching heart a little.
I held her rigid shaking body in my arms. Her neck was locked in the only position that didn't cause her to cry out in pain and I prayed for mercy.
And then there was sweet relief.
Lex's body finally relaxed into my arms as she went to meet God. For a moment--before her soul left, I had my old Lex back. Relaxed in my lap-so content and peaceful.
And then she was gone.

I took her home to bury here on the hill next to Waylon.
All the dogs came to say their goodbyes. They all seemed a little confused.
Ruger's tail wagged rapidly, low and fast. He was so happy to see her yet uncertain about why she wasn't actually there. He always loved Lex so much.
Tayla sat by her, telling her stories and Dessa came out to pet her soft coat.
We let her lay in the sunshine in her favorite dog bed until she was warmed all the way through.
It would have been just as she wanted it.
Then Casey carried her up the hill.
We put her favorite blanket over her body.
Casey tucked an old soft Frisbee from her younger years in next to her.
I added the purple stuffed elephant my mom had given her many years ago for her Birthday.
She loved that toy and had squeaked the thing until it broke. I saved it all these years, I suppose for this day.
I also tucked in a couple treats and then we all gave her a few last kisses, pets and loving words.
And said our final goodbyes.

I have spent the day thinking back on my life with Lex.
13 1/2 years.
That's longer than I have lived with anyone other than my parents and brother.
That is my entire adult life minus one year.
I still remember the day my mom and I went to get her. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Like a dream come true--finally a dog of my own.
I had moved back home after a year in the cities and my parents were there to help me raise her. She went almost everywhere with me. At the time I was a groomer so she went to work with me and then when the weather was nice she would sit in my car while I took an evening college class. She was the most beautiful little puppy with brilliant blue eyes and a beautiful silver coat. She was pure sweetness with just the right amount of naughty mixed in.
She would eat things, like my pictures, or hairbrush, or my parents stink bait, and then throw it all back up.
She adored our family dog, an old Miniature Schnauzer, who pretended to be highly irritated with her but truly loved how she doted on him.
She was the most gentle dog ever. She never bit anyone or even thought of trying.
She was smart and athletic and my best friend.
I loved her with all my heart.
We grew up together. I, just starting out in the world, had a lot of learning to do and she got me through some bad times as well as some wonderful times.
We added Waylon, my first rescue, to our lives when Lex was a bit over a year.
She hated him at first.
I was heartbroken as I had gotten him as a companion for her while I was away at school and work. At this time I lived in another town and my parents weren't around to help care for her during those long hours.
But eventually they grew to love each other dearly and my whole life revolved around the two of them.
Every day they were showered with attention.
It was a grand life for a dog.
Times changed and I moved around, changed boyfriends, jobs, career paths, and life goals--but Lexie--she was always there.
When I became pregnant with my first child I remember how close Lexie would stay to me on our walks. It's like she wanted to take special care of me. Her behavior was so touching to me that even today it warms my heart to remember it.
Children came and life got crazy.
Waylon passed away and Lex was content to spend most of her days curled up on the couch or a soft bed in a beam of sun on the floor, happy still to take long walks at my side.
She preferred to be left to her sleep most of the time unless there was food involved-and then she was willing to join the kids as clean up crew.
She was so quiet and maintenance free I feel sad thinking that life won't be so different without her here.
But then I realize no one will come magically running to clean up dropped food or the kid's spills. No one will stand at the french doors when they are ready to come in and bark.
And I will miss the routine of letting her in.
Her hearing was bad so we couldn't call her from the front door.
Instead we had to wave our hand that we were coming and then she would run around to the front.

Though I am heartbroken that her last days were in pain and away from home, I'm glad she lived a full life.
It hurts to lose my dear friend, who was with me through so many of life's adventures.
The ups,
the downs,
the all arounds.

Lex, please know I am sorry your last days were torture.
I would give anything to take that away.

Know I did my best for you and I love you, always and forever.
Near and far, heaven and earth, the same.
I will see you again someday.

ps--Tell Way hello.

Please click here to see Lexie's montage.

Happy 1st Birthday Joanie's puppies!

2010-09-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY MY DEAR SWEET PUPPIES!!!

Oh how happy I am to hear you're all doing well!

I can't believe a year has gone by.

Prepare for a long post...I've included most of the posts from their time at our house--and then the updates after.

(For others who may read this post...this is a Happy Birthday post to an awesome litter of puppies we fostered last year)

I tagged some of the dogs in the old pics...but left some for you to figure out..I think I can guess most of them :)
A little key if you get confused:
Boys-
Chumbo-now Lilo
Waggs-now Bailey
Scrappy-now Raider
Girls-
Sassy-now Sassy Bru
Twinkle-now Scout

Here is the first of my Joanie and puppies posts from a year ago:

Meet Joanie

I'm guessing Beagle/JRT mix?? Her mouth makes me think differently...either way, she's momma. She already has a home lined up when her maternity leave runs up (Which ended up falling through). She's a sweet little thing and a doting mother. She was found as a stray and delivered 5 little puppies at the shelter. She came to our house as a foster. Puppies should be ready by Christmas.

Born September 25th.

Pics taken here at 1 week 1 day of age.
Can you find your pup in there? (Scout is an easy one :)

They will be raised with young children, other dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, horses, nearby cattle and lots of love.

(What terrible pics of my kids, lol)

We are excited to see what exactly they are mixed with. They are all black and white and a couple have spotting on their muzzle.

Week two--opening their eyes

Peek-a-boo, looks who's eyes are opening.

The little guy in front is the explorer so far, we find him outside the nesting kennel at times. The guy behind him is the crybaby of the bunch.

The one with more white is a little girl. There are 2 girls, 3 boys.

Mom enjoying some attention

This is our crybaby at 2 weeks of age.

This is the puppy with the most white. She was happy to lay her head on my husbands hand when he brought her up to see the girls.

Yawn. It's exhausting being so cute.

I was wrong, they are not all black and white. See that little brown blush?

This little guy conked out after his nail trim. The world is an exhausting place when you are only 2 weeks old.

Aw, mom and daughter. Sorry about the glow eyes.

Here they are at 3 1/2 wks..

Here's a tummy shot of each one. The one little boy is huge. (I'm pretty sure I meant Bailey at this point though Lilo quickly overtook him)

(Bailey)

(Lilo)

(Scout)

(Raider)

(Sassy Bru)

5 weeks-first bath

Today was the first time we gave the puppies a (much needed) bath.

All cuddled up!

This is the little girl I love to take pictures of...I'm calling her Pansy for now. She acts (and kind of looks) like a little fru-fru dog--shivery and shy, but so cute!

"May I get out now pretty please?"

Didn't like your bath little guy?

Keeping warm

Little man in action.

The older girls were outside and Abriella was having a FANTASTIC time with the puppies all to herself--she was so funny to watch. She was following them around and, I believe, telling them what to do.

She thinks she's a puppy too it seems.

Right now I'm pretty certain they are mixed Beagle/Terrier/English Springer Spaniel.
Their tails kind of come up over their back though-throws me for a loop...any thoughts on other breeds?
(Pam knows the answer to that one!)

Momma.

Settling in for nap time. They smell so good, like fields of lavender (though I have never actually smelled a field of lavender, I imagine it's similar to the puppies after their lavender baths).

Some video clips of the puppies.

#1 Curious puppy

#2 Playtime (the slapping sound is me hitting the floor with my hand)

#3 Abriella in her lovely outfit playing with the puppies

#4 Hoping my daughter doesn't develop an interest in the dog fighting circuit

Six weeks

"Scrappy" (Raider)

Oh, how time flies! The pups are now 6 weeks old and we're really seeing their personalities. They are all so very different. We've been trying out names and it seems we might be settling on some.

In the first video is the pup we've had no choice but to name, Waggs. His first trial name was Dozie because he was always napping...but now he's woken up and he's always wagging his tail. As I was taking pictures of the other dogs he was laying next to my leg and I could feel his tail just wagging away. He is sweet, calm and happy-such a nice boy!
The second video is a clip from puppy playtime at our house. It's a crazy time of day.

7 weeks

It's some quick blogging this week.
Brief discussion and not-so-great pictures.
But I feel I have to stick a 7 week posting on here one way or another.
Look how big the one boy is (at the water dish)! Right now we are calling him both Rambo (for his war-like behavior) and Chumbo (for his size).
The one next to him is the little girl we are calling Pipsqueak (for her squeaks) and Sissy (for her behavior).
The little boy out in front is Scrappy. He has the shortest coat of all and is pretty sporty.
Sassy, the one looking back at the camera, is the other female. She's well named.
And Waggs is bottom of the pic.

From left to right below-

Scrappy, Sassy, Waggs (drinking), Pip/Sissy

8 weeks
Today the puppies got their first round of shots. I had waited a couple weeks extra....and might have waited a little longer if they were my own foster pups. At 6 weeks only 25% of puppies get any benefit from the vax...at 9 weeks only 60% of the puppies are protected. But since these guys will be ready for adoption soon, I figured I better get one in.

This is mommy--Joanie--looks like she might need a home as well.

She is a great dog. All around sweet-loves to sit and be pet and great in the house.

Pipsqueak/Sissy (still deciding)
(which actually became Twinkle then now Scout)

She is very soft and will need a gentle home. The kids are drawn to her like a magnet so she'll need gentle kids and plenty of supervision. She is really beautiful and looks the most froofy of all the pups.

This is Sassy. She is just like her name says, Sassy. But also sweet. She is going to be a great all around girl and will be happy as long as she's involved in her new family's lives.

Rambo (sometimes we call him Chumbo). He is twice the size of his littlest litter mate. He is also very bold and the most dominant pup. He will do well in a home with a loving/assertive owner. He seems like he might be the kind to challenge you. These types of dogs might take more work but the payoff can be huge.

Waggs.

He is always wagging that tail. Very laid back and go with the flow kind of guy. Doesn't like drama so a quiet home will be a better fit for him. Loves to cuddle.

Scrappy.

He is a Scrappy little guy. Small and the short coated version in the litter. He is Mr. All-around. The most sporty of the group as well.

Each of these pups is going to be a great dog!

They all have great temperaments and we are guessing they will be 20-30lbs-ish? (I was right for a couple...and some of the personality descriptions...and totally wrong on others--goes to show what I know!)

Hard to tell for sure.

Will be ready for their new homes soon...if we can let them go :)

Posted on Petfinder

It's a bit of a sad day round here. I finally had to post the puppies on Petfinder today. I've put it off for as long as I could, hoping that they could stay here forever...but I suppose they need homes of their own.
We have grown to love each and every one. It's really a stand out litter.
I was hoping to find them all homes with people I know...but no one has stepped up...so they are available to the public.
They took a field trip today to my children's daycare and were a huge hit! They were perfect little furry friends and made the kids very happy.

Here is Tayla with her favorite, Twinkle.

Kisses

A little game of tug.

Waggs hanging out.

Mother

and

Daughter

Here is little Miss Angel beating up her brother.

Not so sweet now, eh?

And a little video clip of a team game of tug. It's a very old tattered tug--but perfect for lots of little mouths.

Herd is thinned
We have two boys left as of today.
Chumbo and Waggs.
Some people are interested in coming down to see them...so they might all be placed by the weekend's close.
Sassy-now Sassy Bru (for Brunette--a cute name that coordinates with her sister to be-Blondie, another beautiful Beagle mix) has been adopted by a wonderful couple from Colorado. We are figuring out transport--anyone heading west soon??
She is the little fast one in the video.

Waggs and Sassy
Shame on me for not giving updates for our pups' families in waiting! It's been a crazy week around here....but today we are snowed in and I will try to get more pics for you guys than this...here is a little taste of the first snow outing.

Sassy Bru on the left-Waggs on the right.

Sassy better like it, she's going to Colorado!

Waggs will be a surprise Christmas puppy! shhhh!

He's practicing his "dashing through the snow".

Couldn't find Sassy Bru the other day....

Please disregard the messy room and messy child.

Pup's cute though :)

Waiting

Back to sleep.

Sassy goes home
My husband just left to meet up with Sassy Bru's new owners who are making a drive from the far side of Colorado to get this little girl.
I know it'll be worth their trip. She is fabulous!
My daughter cried--we sure loved her!

Waggs goes home

Santa stopped by the house this morning to pick up Waggs. He is on his way to meeting his new family and is upgrading from only 3 girls to 5 girls! What a lucky puppy!

We will miss our sweet little man.
Merry Christmas to his new family!

Waggs did not like his bow--we had to make it smaller to keep out of his mouth.

Darned bow.

Whatcha lookin' at Waggs?

Oh, you want a Christmas present too?

This was the dog Waggs did not like when he first came. They actually became great play buddies. That's where we keep all the bibs under the highchair, Waggs favorite spot. It's been destroyed in the play.

1 year Updates

Bailey (formerly knows as Waggs)

"Overall, Bailey has just been wonderful.
He is still much a puppy. My wife has gotten used to Bailey's smallish stature.
She wanted him to be bigger at first.
His smallness has caused some problems that we did not have with our big 105 lb Golden Retriever.

All the girls love him especially Jackie, our little 7 year old.
She does a lot of things to him and he doesn't not mind one bit.

Bailey is @16 inches at the shoulder and according to the Wii he is 22.5 lbs.

He weird traits are he loves anything that is plastics, especially old margarine containers and water bottles.

He has gone through a lot of the old stuff animals we have around the house.
He follows a lot of commands(most of the time) and loves to play fetch in the house.
He does a funny little hop right before he picks up the objects.
He when lays down, he likes to lay his back hips flat on the ground. It looks like a chicken that has been cut and at its lay spread apart.

He likes to hang out under neath the dinning room table or under an overstuffed chair in the front room.

He is becoming a bit of a squirrel dog. He likes to chase the chase squirrels and likes to eat acorns.
He does have free range of the house just as long as there is someone in the room. If left alone, he does get into things that he should not.

Overall, Bailey is a great dog. He is loved by all in the house. He is always excited to greet everyone that comes in the house. He is just the right size for snuggles on the couch.

It seems weird that he has been in the house for almost 9 months."

Lilo (formerly known as Chumbo)

"Lilo is 18 1/2" tall and weighs 23 lbs.

His coat is just a little thicker than it was when we got him. It's longer on the bottom but across his back it's shorter and right after a bath the short hair gets curly. He hardly sheds and still is not sure if he really likes to get brushed or comb but he loves to take a bath. In fact, when the sprinkler is on in the yard, he loves to play in the water.

Lilo is a pretty laid back guy but when he wants to play watch out. He gets everyone going!!

He loves to be the tease with Taz (who is in one pic with him) and they pick on the cats to make them growl and hiss. It's like a game with the Lilo and Taz. The one cat usually puts them in their place while the other one stays very still until they leave the room otherwise they will chance her around the house. Lilo hardly barks but when he does it's usually when he is playing. He has a deep voice like a beagle. To get your attention he likes to sit by you, looks at you, and whimpers. We needed to teach him to ring the bells when he needs to go outside and if you have music on, he loves to dance with you. Lilo gets very excited when he hears the word "ride" so if you say it you have to give him a ride otherwise he keeps whining. I guess you might say he has a stubborn streak to him. Lilo also does not like to see his or Taz's food dish empty. If he finds it empty, he picks it up and carries it to you and is not satisfied until you fill it and put in back in it's spot.

Lilo loves to say hello to everyone. He discovered that he can put his head through our fence so he can make sure everyone going by can see him.

When we go for our walks, he makes sure he stops at every house that has a furry friend in hopes that they are outside and can play for a little while. Lilo loves to play but when it's bedtime, he never complains because he's usually pretty tired.

Lilo loves the outdoors so he can't wait to be able to play in my flowers or help dig holes no matter how mad we get at him. One time he even helped with the weeding. Apparently, he didn't like where some of my perennials were planted so he tried to rearrange them as he was pulling the weeds. We also discovered that he love fresh green beans that he can pick himself.

The other day, Lilo sat near our kitchen counter and whined. We had a hard time trying to figure out what the problem was but we could tell that he wanted something on the counter. After many trials and errors, we discovered that he could smell the peppermint candy that was in a little tin. Now everyday, he stops by the counter until we let him have one. Thank goodness they are very little so they last awhile.

Lilo is very loving. He loves to give kisses and loves to snuggle. If you have a little sore, he insists that he helps clean it up to make it heal faster. He's prances when we go for walks and he keeps his eyes on the squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunk so they know they are in his way. He is such a mild temper dog that we even take him to a local nursing home to visit with people. Everyone loves him!!!"

Sassy Bru (formerly known as Sassy)

"Sassy Bru is 14.5 inches tall, and weighs 18 pounds. She has the coat of an American Eskimo Dog - full fluffy ruff, heavy hair growth on the rump and upper legs, not very curly but thick. We keep her trimmed down fully during the summer; she had to be groomed three times this summer so she's a fuzzy girl.

Personality - Sassy Bru is smart and totally understands our commands, but she likes to do what she likes to do. And that would be digging and eating cat poop. After which she puts herself in a time-out in her carrier upon entering the house, so we know she's done one of the two (digging or eating poop).

Quirks - Sometimes one or both of her ears flip open/backward, and she just leaves them there and doesn't shake her head to flip them back down. She looks like a Doberman with a bad ear trim.
Endearing qualities - Sassy Bru loves playing with her sister dog Blondie, which is why we adopted her in the first place. The two of them definitely have "terrier play habits" that are VERY noisy (almost vicious at times). Bru also likes to come to me after she's been sleeping or outside and away from me, to be picked up, after which she proceeds to smell my breath and neck. She can be a snuggler!

Funny stories - The outside cats love Bru. She's not much bigger than they are, and they come up and rub against her. Sassy Bru doesn't seem to know quite what to make of this affection. She knows if she chases the kitties she'll be in BIG trouble (back to that time out in the carrier again...). Lately Bru's been trying to chase the local crow, who sits just above her and caws at her to tease her. Drives her nuts, her bark changes totally when she's trying to get that bird.

In general, when I have the two dogs in public together, folks gravitate to Sassy Bru because they can tell she's curious about them. She has the sweetest face, I think she'll look like a puppy forever."

Scout (formerly known as Twinkle and Pipsqueak, and Sissy and Pansy...)

"Here are a couple of recent pics of Scout. She is such a good dog!

-How tall is your pup? Measure from the floor to the highest part of the shoulder. Scout is about 13"
-How much does your pup currently weigh? Scout weighs 10 lbs (yes, only 10 lbs!! :))
-What kind of hair/coat does your dog have? she has a soft undercoat and a longer soft topcoat that we sometimes shave off.
-What kind of personality? Other than being curious, Scout is pretty mild-mannered for a dog. She loves to run and play with the kids and other dogs, though
-Any naughty/cute quirks? She is always into the garbage... she can't reach the kitchen one, so we'll find her in the bathroom and/or kids' room digging. She likes to eat paper, too.
-Best qualities? Scout is great with the kids, very gentle but playful.
-Any funny/sweet stories you want to share? Even after a year, the kids still fight over who 'gets' to take her outside and feed her every day. I work from home, so she's usually home with me, but when I have a busy day outside the house, we take her to doggy day-care... she prefers to play with the 80-90lb dogs rather than the ones her size... we truly think she's convinced she's a 80 lb dog.
-Anything else about your dog in general. She's been the perfect size/personality for my son, who before getting Scout was petrified of dogs. A great addition to our family!"

Raider (formerly know as Scrappy)

"The first Pic is Raider alone, it was hard for me to get this because the two are always together!

The second is Addie and Raider how they often sit together.

The third pic makes me laugh because Raider actually sat on Addie that way for about 10min and chewed his bone and in the picture Addie's expression is like "Are you serious, get this dog off of me!"

Scrappy/Raider

1.Height- about 12 in from floor to shoulder

2.Weight- 17lbs

3.Coat- Short hair/ black and white

4.Personality- We have a 2 ½ year old Australian Shepherd/Terrier mix who is very high strung. She goes CRAZY (that’s and understatement) over anything that moves; squirrels, rabbits and other dogs. Raider, however, could care less. He is very laid back and really has very little interest in other dogs. He does like people more but is not hyper like his big sis Addie.

5. Quirks- Although we thought he would outgrow it, he is still a mama's boy. When I leave and come back (even if it has only been 20 mins) he cries like he hasn't seen me in days. He has to sleep in between my husband and I every night and during the day he does not leave his doggie sisters sight. He just discovered he likes to get into the garbage and shred Kleenex. Raider and Addie are always a team (double the trouble) the other day I found them with a chewed up Barbie doll-- it was left with only stubs for arms and legs!

6. Best qualities-sweet and laid back

7.Funny/sweet stories- When we got Scrappy/Raider he was the runt and he came with a load of issues that we were not prepared for. In the beginning he started to get aggressive with our kids and us and even the vet. Our veterinarian even told us we should consider getting rid of him. I was heart broken because I was already very attached to him but the aggression really scared us especially with having 3 young children. Then our vet discovered that as the runt, he had several health issues. As we started to treat him and as he got better the aggression went away. It made sense then that he didn't want to be touched or bothered because he just didn't feel good. I am so glad we did not give up on him he is a great little dog and a perfect playmate for our other dog which was our main reason for getting him!

8. Even though he was the runt, we somehow thought that he would maybe be the size of our other dog Addie who is 30 lbs. However, when Raider reached about 15lbs our vet could tell he wasn't going to get much bigger. It is fun and funny to us that he will look like a puppy forever! One last thing even though Addie is the boss of Raider he lives up to his original name Scrappy. He can really hold his own when Addie does something that rubs him the wrong way! So the name Scrappy really fits him but unfortunately my husbands favorite football team is not called the Scrappys'!"

Joanie (also known as Momma)

This was a sweater made just for her when she went to her new home.

"Joanie didn't cooperate much when I was trying to measure from highest part of shoulder to ground, think about 12 inches. Last time she was at vet, she weighed 16.5 pounds.

She likes baby carrots and a dog biscuit or two for breakfast, "snacks" like greenies & the dog biscuits I make for her (whole wheat flour, quick-cooking oats, flax seed, peanut butter & water), & for dinner she eats about 3/4 cup of Science Diet Nature's Best natural chicken & brown rice small bites dog food. When I go to work, I put either one of the snacks I make or a Kong ball treat inside a Kong ball for her to keep her busy for awhile (not long!).

She wants to play with the cats, but Sally (from Humane Society in Clinton) doesn't like her - in fact Sally (who weighs a whole 7 pounds!) will block a doorway so Joanie can't get in (Joanie is afraid to go by Sally, as Sally growls, spits & bats Joanie in the head!). She also chases Joanie (but sometimes Joanie chases Minnie, my other indoor cat).

Joanie likes a rawhide chew bone on occasion & after chewing on it awhile, she'll hide it somewhere (various places - like under my bed pillow, under the couch cushions, under the padding in her kennel, under magazines on the floor by the bed, etc.!). She loves to go for "runs" in the yard - I bought one of those leashes that extends to about 16 feet, so she can run ahead of me. Since we don't have a fenced yard, I'm afraid if I just let her loose, she'll run out to the gravel road.

She does have a bad habit of trying to eat the cat poop in the litter box (have to try & clean it asap after cats have gone), so had to move opening close to wall & block the sides. The cats don't appreciate this habit of hers! She also tries to eat anything in the yard (dog & raccoon poop, etc.) & a couple of times ended up gnawing on chewing gum Rick had thrown on the ground when he was cutting grass. I try to keep her from doing this kind of thing, because inevitably she ends up throwing up the stuff on my bed in the middle of the night!

I sometimes take her to the nursing homes to see my hospice patients (& other patients there who like dogs) - the people get a kick out of visiting with her, and she behaves pretty well.

Joanie can sit and will shake hands (reluctantly - she puts up her paw like "why do I have to do this?") to get a treat.

She likes to sleep beside me on my bed. I put a little dog/cat bed on the floor for her in my room (because sometimes she'll sit in the one in the kitty room when I'm getting ready for work), and she did sleep in it one night - not sure if she thought she was in trouble and had to or what. But the next night, Sally (the meanie cat) plopped herself down in it, so Joanie slept on the bed again!

She used to cry & bark for about 45 minutes when I first put her in the kennel to go to work. But now, when she sees me getting ready, she just goes into her kennel and no longer barks or whines.

Overall, she's a sweet little dog, and we enjoy her. She gets along well with our other dog and our big white "indoor/outdoor" cat who prefers dogs to other cats.

Forgot about Joanie's funny little habit of after going to bathroom, she sometimes turns around and throws grass & dirt all over it with all four feet!"

Joanie's "What's for dinner?" look.

Looking for a run down on those stats?
Joanie-12"/16.5lbs
Lilo-18.5"/23lbs
Bailey-16"/22.5lbs
Raider-12"/17lbs
Sassy Bru-14.5"/18lbs
Scout-13"/10lbs

Sounds like they got a fair share of Momma's personality :)

I should have been better organized...but of course, I wasn't. I dug and dug through old emails looking for picture updates I had gotten from you guys after the puppies went home...I know I'm missing some (I'm very sorry--I found as many as I could) and so here are some more puppy pics.....

Scout

Bailey (he was a Christmas gift for his girls).

Evidently that was exhausting.

Sassy Bru and her sister Blondie

Lilo

Sassy Bru and Blondie again

Lilo and Taz

I hope you all had as much fun as I did looking back on puppyhood and seeing what great dogs they have all grown up to be!

We sure had fun fostering them and I am eternally grateful that wonderful families like yours have opened your hearts and your homes to these guys! Just a year ago they were born in a cold dark shelter and now just a year later they have soft beds and families of their own.

Give them all some Birthday hugs and kisses from us!

Here is the hold up for the post this morning....didn't get it done last night...little rough around the edges...but you get the sentiment :)

Goodbye Gus

2010-09-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

After a million reasons why I should have kept him and a million reasons why he needed to go, I took Gus halfway across the state yesterday to meet his new family (we both traveled halfway). They are a really nice couple with a Standard Schnauzer a lot like Gus in personality.
They will give him so much more time and attention than I could here with all the other dogs, kids, etc...but I still cried.
I hate that I couldn't explain to Gus that it wasn't his fault...that he wasn't getting shoved off again because of anything he did wrong. He was totally devotedly in love with us, all of us, and there is not doubt he would have given his life to protect us.
Those adoring eyes looking up at me will be etched in my memory forever.
That's what makes the goodbye so hard. I put human feelings onto dogs I know...but I can't help but believe he doesn't wonder why we sent him off...those big pleading eyes looking for us to come in the door at any minute and take him back to our farm.

Here's Dessa and Gus before we hit the road.

Gus enjoying the wind in his face.

Tayla came along and was the best traveling companion.

She never complained once about the 7hr drive.

I later moved him Gus up front (after he chewed up something in the back) and he laid with his head on Tayla's lap for quite awhile, making her giggle--then came up to stand next to me and snuffle my face a little. He finally laid down at Tayla's feet and slept.

Tayla sent along her Scooby shirt that she wore all day on Friday (getting everyone's smell here at the farm on it) and then she slept in it and then I tucked it next to me on the drive to meet his adopters.

They emailed me today that he was doing well though a little needy. They said he seemed to be looking for us--whining at the door then going outside to look around as if we might be out there.

He slept with Tayla's shirt.

And when I read their email I cried all the more.

We miss you Gus!

Babies having babies

2010-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

So we signed up as a foster for another humane society because they are so overrun with kittens right now plus they are trying to win $100,000 and need to show more community involvement....I figured we'd take in 2-3 kittens--let them play around the house until they weighed enough to be spayed and neutered and drop them off.
Easy, Peasy, happily ever after.
Humph.
We got a Momma kitty who looks to be a baby herself. She is so small and skinny and doesn't seem to have many motherly instincts. When we brought her here the kittens cried and cried and she avoided them like the plague. If one wobbles out of the nest, she just leaves it until we find it cold and tired and set it back in with the group.
This sent me into super stress mode...it was late and since we live in nowhere there wasn't any place to get kitty formula nearby... Casey made a stop at the local small grocery store and we made our own--thank heavens for the internet!
There are 8 baby kitties--some bigger than others because they added a few orphans to her litter. My goodness this momma looks like she can barely keep her own body functioning..let alone feed 8 more little ones.

Meet Momma.

She needs a name.

Here's one of the bigger babies being fed.
The little ones look weird and kinda scare me to tell you the truth...I hope there isn't something genetically wrong with them, lol.

Was trying to show how thin momma is...but you have to feel it.

She's so sweet and pretty!

She loves attention.

The babies.

A few more puppy pics

2010-08-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

This cat needs a home and has super personality! She loves the kids, attention and even tolerates pups chewing on her tail!

Beautiful boy with the white snip.

Sweet little girl with shy eyebrows.

This was something else to try and orchestrate!

Aw-they love each other.

Today black with tan and white stripe female was adopted by a very sweet couple and awesome pup-dog named Scooby.

And two very nice boys and their dad came down to adopt the tan female with black fading.

Thanks for adopting and giving these guys great homes!

Tomorrow someone is coming to look at possibly two puppies to adopt! Woohoo!

Puppy video 7.6 weeks old

2010-08-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

The first pup was just adopted...the Black female with tan markings and the white stripe down her face.

2 tan males left

2 tan females left

2 black with tan/white marking females

1 black w/ tan male (little white)

Everybody loves puppies!!!

2010-08-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

We received a call from a repeat offender telling us she again had a litter of puppies she needed us to take. My husband went to check it out and was appalled at the conditions they were living in. They were separated from their momma already (too early in my opinion) and shut on a dirty, stinky porch. Mom was tied out with no food or water and you could see every bone in her body. We fostered puppies out from the litter the momma dog came from but this woman was unwilling to give this dog up-now here she is creating more unwanted dogs for the world.
When my husband went to get the puppies she again refused to give one up. The director at the shelter tried to talk her into bringing in the mom and pup for vet care and spaying but the woman refused. She also admitted her mother's cat is dying of cancer and they don't have enough money to put her to sleep. The shelter is hoping to seize mom and pup but for now 8 of these little guys are safe.

There are four mostly tan pups and four mostly black pups(with tan and white markings).

Aw, look at that face.

Look, Tage the Border Collie can roll his tongue.

Stay tuned for a slew up unsorted puppy pictures.
I tried to get one of each pup but then lost track...so they are just random shots.

Nice eyes Tayla.

There are six little girls and only 2 boys.

I think this is the one Dessa calls Little Ann (Red Fern Grows).

Aren't those cool black markings?

Mom is a German Shepherd/lab mix? She's super sweet and would only be about 50-60lbs if she was fed.

No one knows who dad is. The woman thought it was the neighbor dog...who is thought to be a hound(coon?)/pit mix...but who knows. When the woman complained he got her dog pregnant the owners of that dog tied him up on their balcony with too long of a line. He fell off and hung himself :(

I'm not seeing any Pit in these pups yet...but their little barks are pretty cute and hound like.

Their personalities are very lab like. Sweet, gentle and so happy to be with people. When you pick them up they snuggle their little puppy nose into your neck and just sigh--oh it's euphoric.

Meeting one of the foster cats.

Puppy fanny.

Awwwww

Isn't her color beautiful?

Dinner time.

We are fostering for the local humane society so adoptions will be through them when they are old enough.

Do you need a puppy?

Know anyone who does?

These guys are going to make great dogs!

Couple quick videos of nothing exciting.

A zoo

2010-08-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

There has been a sudden influx on the number of pets needing homes. I've been getting calls and emails for animals in desperate situations.
It makes me sad as we can't save them all.
We've taken 12 death row cats for the local Humane Society--some are really really nice cats. I can't believe they didn't get homes---so if you know of anyone who needs one or two or three or more....
We are supposed to be fostering some kittens for another Humane Society because they currently have 15 different litters that can't yet be adopted but haven't picked them up yet.
And...we took 8 puppies from a bad situation. The woman who had them is a repeat offender and dealing with her is beyond frustrating.
Mom is currently tied out in a yard, so skinny you can see every bone in her body and the woman insisted on keeping one of the puppies as a companion for her....though she keeps them separate.
The shelter is going to try to seize them....but for now 8 are safe.
They are 6 week old German Shepherd mixes. The mom is a German Shepherd-y type and very sweet--I can't get an idea about who dad might have been at this point.
Pictures to come.... :)

How to trim a dog's nails

2010-08-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for some time as I often (and surprisingly) come across people who feel like trimming their dog's nails is a difficult job that can only be done by a professional (vet or groomer). Having been both a Vet Tech and Professional Groomer I can tell you that our hands are the same as your hands...so you can save yourself a trip and the money if you have the minor ambition it takes to do this on your own.

First you need a decent pair of nail clippers from any pet store, Wal-Mart, farm supply company, etc....under $10 is fine (not super cheapies though--think sturdy). Get small ones if you have a small dog--big ones for a big dog--makes sense, right? As far as those electric nail files/grinders....I guess they are helpful to smooth the rough edges...but can't do the job of a clipper unless you have most the day, a patient dog and a good supply of batteries. So...I would say save your money.

Next, get yourself a good dog.

Like Ty here.

You could cut his foot off and he'd just lay there and look at you adoringly.

If you have a bad dog, this can still work.
Here are my tips for naughty dogs.
If they are going to bite you (really bite--not just mouth you as a way of saying please don't do that) then get a muzzle that fits well and put it on before you even get the clippers out.
The biting is not that common...but I've clipped plenty of biters--the worst being a friend's Jack Russell that took three people and a muzzle to clip nails (he weighed like 15 lbs)....If you have a dog that's crazy like that and you have ample money and time--by all means take him to have someone else do it....but know that you can do it if you want to. Or...you can just give them lots of exercise on cement to wear down the nails naturally....
If you have a dog that's just nervous (I have two nervous nellies here) then make sure you hold them securely but not aggressively. There is a difference.
It helps to have two people--but you can do it with one.
I have two Weimaraners that hate having their nails trimmed. They are bigger dogs and I find it's easiest to do them two ways...either standing over them, squeezed between my legs and leaning down like a horse shoer...or with them on the ground on their side--my legs wrapped around them (from behind) keeping their head pinned to the ground (they can't get up without their head). If you have someone to help have them hold the dogs head against them with one arm and their body against them with the other. Holding them in the air helps because then they have nothing to claw at (if you hold them right). Get the hold situated before you bring out the clippers...the dog will likely put up a fight. If he senses right away he is secure he will give up quickly. Your hold will make him feel safe and secure. If your hold is a little loose and can get loose or thinks he can he will fight really hard for a long time. SO much better to get the hold right from the start. Remember--safe and secure--not aggressive. You don't want the dog to feel the hold is scary--keep his eyes and nose free and don't have his body in an awkward or uncomfortable position.
And when you grab his leg to trim those nails keep his comfort in mind--dog's can't lift their legs straight out or up too high--it's painful--they don't move that way.

When it's time to clip the nail pray your dog has light colored nails like Ty.
They are so easy!

See the pink part behind the "clear" nail---that's the quick--think of it as your finger--if you cut it--it'll bleed and hurt.

You can see the quick from underneath too...though not so much in this picture. It's fleshy--where the nail is just, well, the nail.

I angle my clipper a little towards the dog when I cut because that's the way the quick tapers down. Remember--take a little at a time if you are nervous about the quick. The more you do it, the more you will know your dog's nails and where to cut safely.
If you do make them bleed you may lose a little trust...but it's not the end of the world. Depending how deep you cut it might bleed a bit.
You can buy "quick stop" at the store--it's a powder that "clots" the blood and stops the bleeding quickly. I usually just pack in some dirt because it's right there...I know--not super hygienic--but I've never had a problem.

Don't forget to clip those dew claws if you dog has them. Since they don't make contact with the ground they often are grown out more than the other nails and if let go will curl back into the dogs skin--ouch.
The nails on the back feet are often a bit shorter than the front because they naturally wear down faster...so be careful not to just clip the same amount all around...each nail should be evaluated separately...they won't all need the same amount clipped off.

Here's the nail clipped--clear as mud right?
It was hard taking pictures with one hand and holding the dog and clippers with the other.
I really should have just done a quick video.
I also often hold the clippers horizontally for the cut instead of vertically. I trim the sharp edges with the nail clippers too that are left in the corner---lot less doggy scratches that way.

Here's Ruger with a dark nail...he's one of my pansy dogs--he hates having his nails trimmed--so not many one handed picture taking shots here.
You can't see the quick on dark nailed dogs. Instead, see on the bottom side of the nail-where it ends compared to where the top of the nail ends? The quick usually starts just past where that bottom side of the nail ends...so I would start with just a little and work my way in planning to clip about as far as that bottom edge. When you are clipping a dark nailed dog you can often see the quick start from the cut/front part of the nail. You'll start to see a little white dot in the center of where you clipped--that's the start of the quick--go much further and you'll draw blood.

Just a little at a time Ru boy.

So there you have it.

Save yourself $10 every couple months or so.

Once you get good at it the whole think will only take a couple minutes--provided your dog is halfway cooperative.

Is 7 still lucky if we're talking cats?

2010-08-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

The local Humane Society is SWAMPED with cats....and they were either going to be forced to put a bunch down...or....we were going to have to take some in.
I'm not much of a cat person...I mean...cats can be nice, I know...but I'm just more into dogs. We have a couple really nice farm cats here...but a couple is a nice number......7 on the other hand....that's a lot of cats!

Soooooooooo....if you like cats, PLEASE help!!!
They have a lot more cats still at the shelter...plus I am getting a few more cats next week...yes, I said it--MORE cats!!!!
They are destined to a farm cat life here and I know they would much rather be warm in someone's arms and home this winter...so if you or if you know anyone....please pass along the word!
Or...if you need farm cats....some of them might rather take well to the life...and as long as you are providing them with good shelter from the weather and food and water and love...they could help you keep away vermin in exchange for a mere $55.
$55 is dirt cheap people!
Spayed/neutered and up to date on shots---saves you hundreds and no Tom cat worries or deluge of kittens (which are cute...but become a problem when they succumb to disease or multiply and multiply and start inbreeding and then all the sudden you have mutant kittens--not so cute).

So...let me give you some general introductions (they came with names).
Keep in mind these cats were hauled around in tiny crates then set free in a back room in a barn--they may not be at their peak photogenic ability...but I will update as I get to know them more and get better shots.

This is Pattches (yes, with 2 t's and she's actually Pattches 2).

As you can see is she is very friendly. She came out of her crate calmly and was ready for some pets.

A nice calico short hair.

Meet Felix.

I think he's named perfectly. He just looks like a Felix. He seems completely comfortable with who he is-no identity crisis cat here. He exudes contentment.

He is evidently a Maine Coon which I looked up and is an affectionate and intelligent breed.

I agree--he was out of the "cat room" this morning and waiting for me when I went to check on the crew.

He's such a cool boy I'm surprised he wasn't adopted.

Long hair does not fare well in the country...so I hope he finds a home soon!

This is Stripes.

He's a very nice mellow boy.

Meet Tigger (aka grumpy butt).

He was the most unhappy of the campers as you can see.

I told him that kind of face wasn't very adoptable...but he didn't seem to care.

I hope to get better pictures after he settles in....perhaps he is one of those farm cat types?

This is Henry. Kind of a scowl here...but not grumpy like Stripes.

Henry is also a Maine Coon. He was the first out of the kennels and I said to myself, "Oh Henry". He just looked big and furry and I thought...oh what did we get ourselves into.

Here is a nicer picture of him.

Meet Pyro. (I don't know if there is some back story with his naming and fires...let's pretend he saved his family from a burning building and then they were separated mysteriously and he has pined for a home of his own since..a silent hero in waiting...makes a better story that way, eh?)

He's beautiful.

And does carry a silent hero sort of air about him.

Pesta--our other girl.

She's cute and the smallest one. She's so beautiful I'm also surprised she wasn't adopted.

So, there you have it folks.

The newest residents at The Way Home Rescue.

Cats.

Please adopt some...did I say that yet?

Please :)

They are all 1-2yrs of age except Pattches is 5yrs old.

All young and healthy and ready to love you forever!!

I've also had a shelter about an hour away contact me, desperately asking us to take some/any dogs as they are a kill shelter and full--putting dogs down for space.

And the shelter in the city I work is maxed out with kittens and needing foster homes until they can be adopted. I did sign us up for that....the girls LOVE kittens and since we rarely ever get babies here and...since they only stay a short time..I thought we might manage.

But...with 8 dogs and after this week over a dozen cats, chickens, horses and 3 little girls...we are getting a bit maxed out....

So is the life of rescue.

Please help if you can adopt...if you live locally and can foster I can get you some information.

Happy Birthday Bailie

2010-07-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of activity here....I need to get some new things up....but in the meantime I hope you'll stop by and wish Bailie a Happy Birthday!

Good news for Gus!

2010-06-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO!!!
The Vet called...Gus's biopsy came back clean. No cancer!!
It was granulation tissue...could have been a reaction from the microchip (long ago)
or vaccines (6 months ago) or an injury (though I never noticed one).
Either way....WOOHOO!
Now hopefully the lumpy bumpy hole that's left will heal over well.

Gus runs for the cure

2010-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Gus was feeling so good after his "mass" removal this week that my husband thought we should really let him run the short sprint in Mutt Dog Derby on Saturday. We figured we could count it as running for the cure...even though he hasn't been diagnosed with anything...and we gave his winnings to the Humane Society instead of for cancer research...we are pretty loose with our labels I suppose.

Anyhow...Gus managed to win third place (though I think he could have done a bit better than he did) and we are proud of what a good boy he was.

Yay Gus! Dessa loves her trophy!

Gus has a lump

2010-06-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

I found a small lump on Gus the Giant Schnauzer Sunday.
He is at the vet now having it removed...looks like there is a fair chance it's cancer....won't know til next week.
He also tested positive for Lyme...which isn't a huge surprise with the ginormous tick population here.
And he hurt his shoulder yesterday playing with the dogs and is currently limpy.
No Mutt Dog Derby for Gus this weekend :(
It's a fundraiser for the Greyhounds and Animal Shelter...he was our best chance.

Say a little doggy prayer for Gus that all goes well and that the tests come back okay....if you have time add in something about the vet bill not being too high :)

Record time adoption!

2010-06-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

Joey came to us from the shelter on Saturday and on Thursday he found his "Way" home!!
It's such great news that I'm afraid it won't work out (I have to stop with the negative thinking)....the woman who adopted him is very nice and also has three little girls. She has reported back that Joey is doing well and has become her new shadow.
That's the fastest we've adopted a dog out.
Yay Joey!!
And yay for another dog that we can now help....looks like we are looking at a big chocolate lab or a heeler mix....

Welcome Joey!

2010-05-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

The shelter is starting to fill up...which means room is running out and Joey has been there the longest. I've been admiring his sweet face in newspaper ads and just can't believe he hasn't found a home. Casey actually went to pick up a Blue Heeler mix today that the staff is a bit leery of...but he wasn't neutered so we took this little guy home instead.

If you notice his left ear is full of fluid. The shelter's vet did some sort of surgery on it?? And said it will remain bigger forever...but it's obviously full of fluid so we will take him to our vet on Tuesday and see what he has to say.

The dogs mobbed him (not the usual way we introduce a new pack member) but Joey didn't mind a bit. He even ignored crazy Tage.

His truck ride was hot so he was quick to make himself at home in the creek.

Look at that cute little tongue.

He seemed to fit right in and Dessa was please to get her turn at his leash.

He is about 2yrs old, neutered and current on all shots.

That's all I have right now--I'll keep you updated but I think he's going to make someone pretty lucky. He seems pretty sweet and laid back.

Sammy found his "Way Home"

2010-05-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!
After half a year at out house and absolutely no inquiries until 2 weeks ago Sammy has finally been adopted!
He went to meet his new family this past weekend and my husband said he took to his new mom/owner right away. I try not to every be there for the changing of homes because I tend to want to cry.
The woman who adopted him seems very nice and patient and is willing to give him time to warm up. He will be living on a goat farm in the country and is expected to help out around the farm, keeping away pests and trouble. It is a dream home for Sammy and fairly similar to his life here so it should be a smooth transition.
I have report that he's doing well and it looks like their other little adopted terrier and him will be good friends. Other than the ducks trying to steal his food....life is looking pretty good.
Yay!
Whenever I think we'll have a dog forever I'm reminded that there is always the right home out there somewhere.

Sammy still needs a home

2010-05-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sammy, who was also at one time known as Frisco still needs a home of his own.
He has been here since last fall and up until this week no one has even asked about him.
He is still very shy but will love you with all of his heart once he realizes you'll take care of him. He is an EASY dog to keep. I have hardly ever heard him bark and most the time don't even know he's here...he just blends into the background.

From my heart to Heaven

2010-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today I sent my best friend and soul mate to Heaven.
Though my heart still aches for him I feel overwhelmingly grateful for the wonderful years of love he gave me.
I am also thankful that out of his death I was able to start, "The Way Home Rescue" and help to help over 50 dogs find their "Way Home" so far.
Click here to read an older post with Way's tribute.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I am There

You are not alone.

If you listen
You will hear my howl in the wind,
as it races through the trees to fall upon your ear.

If you wait
You will feel me brush against your leg,
as you walk through golden fields, I am at your side.

If you breathe
My familiar scent will rush to fill your lungs
you will know it is me, I am still the same.

If you look
You will see my silhouette,
skirting the early morning mist, your eyes do not deceive you.

If you will listen more closely,
Wait a while longer.
Breathe more deeply.
Look a little harder.

You will see you are not alone,
I am there.
I have always been there
I would never leave you
From the first day our eyes met until the end of time.
I am with you
Always

I am in your heart
Everywhere you go
I am there.

I'll see you again someday Way.
Sending you lots of love from my heart to Heaven.
Love you always,
Mom

I Am An Animal Rescuer

2010-02-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

I Am An Animal Rescuer
My job is to assist God's creatures
I was born with the desire to fulfill their needs
I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures without planning or selection
I have bought dog food with my last dime
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid
I have fallen in love a thousand times
And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count
I have animal friends and friends who have animal friends
I don't often use the word "pet"
I notice those lost at the road side
And my heart aches
I will hand raise a field mouse
And make friends with a vulture
I know of no creature unworthy of my time
I want to live forever if there arent' any animals in Heaven
But I believe there are
Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind?
Some may think we are master of the animals
But the animals have mastered themselves
Something people still haven't learned
War and abuse make me hurt for the world
But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind
We are a quite but determined army
And we are making a difference every day
There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan
Nothing more rewarding than saving a life
No higher recognition than watching them thrive
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play
Who only days ago, was too weak to eat
By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue
I have been rescued
I know what true unconditional love really is
For I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many
Grateful for so little
I am an Animal Rescuer
My work is never done
My home is never quiet
My wallet is often empty
But my heart is always full
-Author unknown

Lovely poem

2010-01-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this poem from a blog I read today.
This is what their Vet office sent to them after they lost a pet.
I thought it was sweet.

"Remember me always, but do not grieve for me too long. I have tried always to comfort you in times of sorrow, and have made every effort to add joy to your life. I never wanted to cause you pain. Peace for me is certain now, and I suspect I will have eternal sleep in the earth I have loved so well. Please, after your period of grieving for me, make room in your heart for another. You are the kind of human being that should always have a friend like me to love. Your kind and gentle heart should not be wasted on my memory too long. Give your love to another. I know your new best friend will never take my place, because we had something very special. It may not be quite the same, but a new devoted and loving companion will, in time, become special in their own way. You loved me very much and I loved you. No matter how deep my sleep, my spirit will always be with you". - Author Unknown

For anyone paying attention to our foster list--we have met some wonderful people recently and found great homes for our fosters!
Joanie and all her pups are doing well.
Tova found a great home-she really bloomed while she was here and we miss that pretty girl.
Frisco is still here. Casey takes care of his every need and he's totally fine with him. So the "man" issue is totally fixable. It took less than two weeks. :)

Meet Frisco--our newest foster

2009-12-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

Tova is on the left--she's really coming around--someone might even come look at her tomorrow. She's a beautiful little girl!
Frisco is the new boy to the right...he's so timid...just needs a little TLC!

Dear future family,

Hello! My name is Frisco. I've had a pretty rough past but I'm ready to put it behind me and move on with the rest of my life.I was found with my brother in a ditch last summer. The vet thought we were so hungry that we were eating glass because blood was coming out of places it shouldn't have.He says I'm healthy now though!My brother found a home but I sat alone and scared at the shelter. I'm a nice boy but I was so scared of everyone that no one gave me a chance.Finally, a family decided to take me home and I was so excited I couldn't believe it!I lived with them for 5 weeks but the man of the house was upset because I was still so scared of him. They got a new puppy for Christmas and I had to leave. The people at the shelter didn't want to make me come back again so they found me a great foster home! I am a very good boy if you give me a little time. This house has a man too and I didn't go near him for a few days but he was the only one who fed me and took me outside and now I think I can start to trust him. Sometimes I even forget I'm scared and I wag my tail for him. People being nice to me is really new to me, so it takes me some time to warm up. Men are extra scary to me, but if you are patient, I can love anyone who loves me back.There are lots of dogs here and I get along with them really well. There are 3 little girls and I'm really nice to them, they don't scare me and since I have such good manners they like to play with me too. I'm fine with the farm cats here, the horses, chickens and other farm animals. I'm pretty gentle and quiet so you don't have to worry about me causing problems.I'm hoping the New Year brings me a new family, one that will love me and keep me forever. I have so much love to give if you would just give me a chance.

Wags and Kisses,

Frisco

Santa picked up Waggs today

2009-12-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

Santa stopped by the house this morning to pick up Waggs. He is on his way to meeting his new family and is upgrading from only 3 girls to 5 girls! What a lucky puppy!
We are pretty lucky too as Santa left us some treats from the kitchen of Mrs. Claus as a thank you for holding on to him. They were very yummy and we were all thankful and have happy tummies :)
We will miss our sweet little man.
Merry Christmas to his new family!

Waggs did not like his bow--we had to make it smaller to keep out of his mouth.

Darned bow.

Whatcha lookin' at Waggs?

Oh, you want a Christmas present too?

This was the dog Waggs did not like when he first came. They actually became great play buddies. That's where we keep all the bibs under the highchair, Waggs favorite spot. It's been destroyed in the play.

New homes for everyone...almost!

2009-12-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Joanie taking her last treat here. It was one that Sassy Bru's family sent for her. Very yummy!

The pups all have homes! Waggs will go on Christmas Eve to his, we are enjoying his last few days here--he is such a sweet boy!

Joanie the momma dog got adopted last night by a wonderfully sweet woman. They seem to have very similar personalities from what I could tell. Both kind and gentle. I hope it works out well--Joanie deserves a great place to call her own!

Today I am taking the newest foster to Petsmart for my first open adoption. I am nervous about having just anyone want to take her..I like to screen my homes a little more...but, we'll see. I doubt she'll get adopted as she is so shy right now--but it'll be good exposure.

Sassy Bru is on her "way home"

2009-12-12T06:22:00.000-08:00

My husband just left to meet up with Sassy Bru's new owners who are making a drive from the far side of Colorado to get this little girl.
I know it'll be worth their trip. She is fabulous!
My daughter cried--were sure loved her!

Note added---

Sassy Bru made it safely into the arms of the people who will love her forever.

Casey said they were wonderful people and he was as pleased as he could be that they made such a trip for a little beagle mix.

They also sent along a BEAUTIFUL basket for us and the dogs with really nice stuff in it! It was so very over the top thoughtful--as if they didn't have enough to do driving cross country after a big snowstorm.

Ah, dog people--I love them!

We want our Mommies (and Daddys and siblings)!

2009-12-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pics I took today for the families who are waiting to get their pups. We will be sad when they are gone but are beyond happy at the excellent homes they are getting!
I just downloaded all of them despite some being repetitive. When you are waiting for a puppy I imagine you are okay with the same image over and over :)

Sassy Bru and Waggs (Sass has the thicker white stripe down her nose)

Sassy Bru from the side (we didn't crop her ears even though it looks like it in this pic)

Following is the challenge to get a good pic of all three pups.

My girls love sticking them in this basket.

Chumbo is on the left...the only one without a home.

Sassy Bru and Dessa at nap time.

Waggs-he was so comfy I wouldn't let anyone move him.

Chumbo--they love that old beanbag chair.

Black and white for the black and white dogs.

Getting sleepy.

Out

Out, close up.

What a cute tummy!

Wouldn't let the girls bother him...but then I decided to.

Hey, he says

Get this off.

Ah well.

Back to sleep.

Shout out to CR and Colorado!

2009-12-09T10:34:00.001-08:00

Shame on me for not giving updates for our pups' families in waiting! It's been a crazy week around here....but today we are snowed in and I will try to get more pics for you guys than this...here is a little taste of the first snow outing.

Sassy Bru on the left-Waggs on the right.

Sassy better like it, she's going to Colorado!

Waggs will be a surprise Christmas puppy! shhhh!
He's practicing his "dashing through the snow".

Couldn't find Sassy Bru the other day....

Please disregard the messy room and messy child.

Pups cute though :)

New girl-needs name

2009-12-09T10:27:00.001-08:00

This girl got dropped off the other day. There are secrets surrounding her arrival here that cannot be revealed for everyone's "safety".
Just a couple quick pics...we need to get to know her a little better. So far she is beyond sweet--she's gonna be a great dog for someone!
The name she came with is silly--so I need a new one.
Something that expresses her secretive arrival and/or her sweetness without being too fruffy (that's a word as far as I'm concerned).

ps--I'm talking about the one on the right.

The herd has been thinned

2009-12-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

We have two boys left as of today.
Chumbo and Waggs.
Some people are interested in coming down to see them...so they might all be placed by the weekend's close.
Sassy-now Sassy Bru (for Brunette--a cute name that coordinates with her sister to be-Blondie, another beautiful Beagle mix) has been adopted by a wonderful couple from Colorado. We are figuring out transport--anyone heading west soon??
She is the little fast one in the video.