Bye-bye, Odie-Pie!

Odie is on his way home tonight. I won't miss him marking on the corner of my bed, but he has been a lot of fun. He lives in an apartment that doesn't have many stairs, so getting up and down ours has been a challenge for him. He's so funny because he's a stocky little dog and he looks like he's going to tumble, even when he's walking. Going up and down stairs is no less comical, but he seems to have figured it out.



Bye-bye, Odie-Pie! We'll miss you (well, at least I will - don't know about Bill!).

The Same, But Different

They're both ex-puppy mill breeder Boston Terriers who are three-and-a-half years old. But that is where the similarity ends.

Odie, one of our rescues who has found a home but needed some dog-sitting this week, is a red Boston with amber eyes and a very dominant personality. My dog Bill is black and white with mocha eyes and a very patient, concerned personality. He's not dominant, but he's definitely not submissive.

Odie is an in-your-face kind of guy who really wants attention. He likes to be handled and licks my face. Bill, instead, watches from a distance. He, too, would like to feel loved, but he's just not sure how to.

Odie loves toys and can play for hours. Bill will play with you on his own time.

Thought they both were neutered as adults, Odie marks and Bill doesn't.

The same, but very different - each with their own cuteness, and their own eccentricities. What's nice is how much they can learn from each other! Bill played with toys this morning, and yesterday Odie learned to swim!

Sneak Peek at our Upcoming Dachshund Book

No fosters this week, so I thought I would give you a sneak preview of our upcoming Dachshund book. Here's one of our first edits entitled "Katrina's Little Angel."

Angel was rescued by a group of volunteers that traveled from Texas to Louisiana many times during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. On one of the search-and-rescue trips, the volunteers discovered a puppy mill in an old out-building of abandoned property. The storm had flooded the property and reached as high as seven feet inside the building. Crates were stacked from floor to ceiling, and unfortunately everyone below the waterline had drowned.

Angel and her brother Dominick were in one of the top crates. When the water receded, the crates shifted and theirs fell to the ground. Dominick got lucky and landed on his sister, which broke his fall. Unfortunately for Angel, this caused a traumatic back injury. Additionally, days without food or water made the pair so weak that when rescuers arrived, they thought Angel and Dominick were dead. Their survival could only have been a miracle!



The dogs were brought to safety at a makeshift shelter in Lafayette, LA, where workers determined that Angel’s injury would, indeed, require medical attention. Volunteers transported the pair to Beaumont, TX, where they were evaluated by a vet. A kind couple then ferried them across a lake to Houston, where they spent the night with a volunteer. The next day, Dominick was taken to San Antonio to reside in foster care with Diamond Dachshund Rescue. Angel continued on to a surgeon in Austin and was cared for by All Texas Dachshund Rescue. She underwent extensive spinal surgery the following morning.

This young, beautiful, black-and-tan piebald “angel” touched the hearts of everyone she met. Angel’s Houston transport volunteer was so taken by her that she offered to foster Angel through her rehabilitation. Angel recovered well but needed lots of therapy and acupuncture following her surgery. After months of hard work and expensive therapy Angel wiggled her way into her foster mom’s heart. Now Angel’s “forever” mom, she can’t imagine life without her.

While Hurricane Katrina devastated many areas of the South, it actually may have saved Angel and Dominick’s lives. Had it not struck, they would most likely still be stuck in a cage at that puppy mill. Angel’s strength and will to survive is a testament to all of the tireless volunteers who helped during Hurricane Katrina. Their work has not gone unnoticed, especially by two little dogs whose lives would have been lost if not for their selfless efforts. -Anonymous

The Jersey Dog...

...and I don't mean "Jersey" as in the state. Nope, this one looks like a cow. She's black and white with a udder and swayback - just like a cow!

(Ruth: "Who You Callin' A Cow?")

I don't mean to insult our new foster, Ruth, it's just that she looks like a miniature cow! She is super sweet and amazingly well adjusted considering she spent the last four years of her life in a cage as a puppy mill breeder. Her poor belly hangs so low that it almost knocks her over when she walks, and the closest she can get to a run is a moderately fast waddle. When she stands for any period of time, she starts leaning and almost falls over, until she corrects herself and then starts falling over to the other side.

Probably the cutest thing so far, though, is the way she tries to play. Since she was literally introduced to a cage-free world less than a week ago, she really doesn't know what to do with herself. That doesn't stop her from putting in a valiant effort to act like a dog. Imagine this: Ruth walks up next to Bill, and whacks her front paws on the floor with her butt up in the air, giving him a sideways glare and inviting him to play. Bill, being a little "off" himself, does the mirror image back to her, as if to say, "No, you come get me!"

Next is Ruth's turn... same thing again. And then Bill... And then Ruth... And then Bill...



You get the picture. It's like some sort of convoluted Irish "Riverdance" and it goes on until they notice me laughing at them. I don't think either will ever "attack," so the dance could go on for hours. Dog dancing fans, you've never seen this! Bill and Ruth are choreographers, and they don't even need a human!

Air Camille

Yesterday my husband, Dylan, and I took our first flight for Pilots N Paws, a non-profit that does air transport for rescue dogs. My husband has been a pilot for a few years now and was excited about the idea that he could do something nice for the dogs while keeping his hours in the air current. It's a great idea for pilots and it works out positively for everyone.

I was apprehensive to say the least. I mean, a dog in a Sessna? Isn't that loud? What if they throw up? We bought a pair of Mutt Muffs to reduce the noise for the dogs we transport, but I still wasn't sure how it would go. Those planes are pretty loud!

So the day finally came that our foster, Camille, needed a lift from Boulder, CO to Cheyenne, WY. No problem! We'll take her in the plane! It all sounded good until we actually had to do it. Yup, there was that apprehension again. To make things worse, the Daily Camera decided they wanted to do a story on Pilots N Paws, so they would come out and shoot photos, which made Dylan nervous too!

Turns out the nerves were for nothing. The day couldn't have gone smoother! First, Camille tried to eat her Mutt Muffs, but once she understood that Mutt Muffs weren't food, she did great! All I got was a little drool on my sleeve, and she got a smooth flight to Cheyenne.

Her family was there waiting when we landed, and they were thrilled to meet her. She immediately rolled around in the grass to show them how much fun she is. I think they will all be very happy together.

Are we taking Bill up in the plane next? Probably not... he's a dog who is afraid of the Nintendo noise. Maybe we'll break him in by playing plane noises on the TV all day so he gets used to it. Do you think he'll be able to tell the difference?

Secret Shopper Foster Dog

So, she doesn't snore, there's nothing leaking out of her (add body part here), she hasn't bitten anyone, she hasn't attacked the cats (although she has tried to play with them), she wrestles with Bill for hours, she's not on medication, she doesn't cower when I approach (in fact, she runs up to me!), she's potty trained....

....what kind of foster dog is this?! She's too perfect! I think she's a secret agent, or maybe secret shopper, reporting back on how many pieces of cheese and turkey we actually provide each day. I mean, she must be! She's got to be making some kind of living to have gold toenails (yup, they're gold! Never seen that before...)

I'll give her an extra piece of cheese today to ensure I get 100% on her secret shopper survey. Her name is Camille, and I'd say you can meet her, but I think she has already made plans out on the town with some new friends it looks like she found!

Dog Parks and Socialization are so Important for ex-Puppy Mill Dogs

As I watch Bill run gleefully through the dog park I think back to where we were at a year ago, when he was first released from the puppy mill. The changes in him have truly been remarkable. For the fist several months with us Bill just wouldn't move. He sat in his bed with no light in his eyes, and we had to carry him outside to go potty (he had no problem bolting right back inside to his bed, though). I had been thinking about keeping him, but we are very active and I started thinking he would never move - maybe he would be a great dog for a shut-in? He didn't seem to need much activity.

One of the most helpful things for me, as he was my first puppy mill foster, was the network of friends I developed through MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue, who were going through, or had gone through, the same thing with their ex-breeders. Being able to talk with them, and having their reassurances that Bill would get better, helped me through my most on difficult days.

What helped Bill the most were other dogs. We didn't have any other dogs in our house when we were trying to rehabilitate him (now we try to have a dog around "for him" as much as possible - Bill and I are both foster junkies!). However, I started taking him to the dog park and the other dogs helped him so much. At first he would just sit by the gate and shake. After a few weeks, though, he began to move a little.... and then he really started to MOVE A LOT! Turns out that the little guy likes to play with other dogs!

The sweetest thing I can remember is watching a border collie mix named "Scuff" herd Bill over to the water bucket. Not only did he show Bill where the bucket was, he even showed him how to drink!

It's funny, dogs are great therapy for people, and dogs are great therapy for other dogs. So what are we humans really good for?