We’ve had a great year for adoptions, food and wellness and we hope to grow more especially thru referals.

We’ve finally also figured out how to keep track of adoptions, how many each month. Dec/09 was 11 and that’s pretty good considering i don’t adopt out ‘gift’ or ’surprise’ dogs during december.

So far, 3 this month and it’s only the 3rd!

Home For The Holidays Foster Program was terrific! We had 5 dogs fostered out and 2 were adopted (that was not the intent but it’s a good thing and the dogs were more or less picked by the fosters who were looking for a 2nd dog) and one more likely will be.  The other two, Andy and Chaz were adopted this weekend BECAUSE of the HFTH program. Their Bio’s were updated re what they were like in homes and candid, ‘family’ shots added  to their site as well.

When people came to meet the dogs the fosters graciously came too and talked about their experience with the dog, their likes and dislikes, the funny and naughty things they did. Made it more personal and gave life to the dog’s stories.

I’m really glad we participated in the progam and definitely will next year again – hopefully more of you will take part too.

2. We cannot clash with any collar you might choose either! Ditto for bandanas. Accessorize us!

3. Ease of vaccuuming! You can quickly spot the areas of most urgent need.

4. Excellent night walk protection, the “bad guy” won’t see us til it’s too late!

5. We hide dirt well (doesn’t mean we don’t need that bath after a messy play, but your guests won’t be able to see it so quickly).

6. We make an excellent “backdrop” for a second, more colorful dog if you choose to have more than one.

7. Availability! We are available now at every shelter you can imagine, in every age bracket, no long waiting lists, no long search!

8. Status symbol potential. Black pearls are the most costly you know….

9. No annoying queries “what kind of dog is that” people are content with “big black dog” and don’t ask!

10. We need you!

This message brought to you by the thousands of big black dogs who will die today because nobody realizes our wonderful potential!

Puggles, the little pug mix has been here since June 25th. Except for a few weeks she spent in foster in July (the Foster Mom moved away), she has been here in a big, big crate with a bed and peepee paper and food and water and room to walk around in there.

She is about 10 yrs old and has lots more life in her! She weems to have been in a little crate all her life, having puppies in a puppy mill. She could barely walk, couldn’t bend her knees even, was incontinent but willing to try to be housebroken. She is blind in one eye. That’s all the bad stuff. THE GOOD STUFF is she is no longer incontinent, pees on her paper, walks for hours in the yard on nice days and shorter times on not so nice days but wants to go out and experience the day always. She wears her little coat and just chugs around that yard in ever bigger circles humming to herself and thinking big thoughts…

She has NEVER BEEN SICK HERE. Other dogs have had kennel koff, diahreah, some problem or another but even exposed, Puggles thankfully doesn’t get sick.

She has such a will to live and i am POSITIVE someone out there wants to adopt her. A retired man, woman, couple, who hs time for leasurely walks each day and a dog who loves to snuggle, is fiercely independant, costs nothing to feed and MAYBE cost $20 every 6 months to keep her from being incontinent and a few bucks a month on pee pads….

You or someone you know, or work with or live beside knows someone who will love Puggles. Everyone who meets her falls for her but she needs more time and attention (and deserves it) than someone who still works can give her. Of yes!! she has this one tooth that sticks out and it is too CUTE for words!! If it helps, Puggles’s adoption fee is not fixed in stone.

“Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.”
- Sydney Jeanne Seward

Top Ten Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog*
1. Older dogs are housetrained. You won’t have to go through the difficult stage(s) of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping/cleaning up after accidents.
2. Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won’t chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.
3. Older dogs can focus well because they’ve mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.
4. Older dogs have learned what “no” means. If they hadn’t learned it, they wouldn’t have gotten to be “older” dogs.
5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they’ve learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.
6. Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they’ve been given.
7. What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.
8. Older dogs are instant companions — ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do.
9. Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don’t make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.
10. Older dogs let you get a good night’s sleep because they’re accustomed to human schedules and don’t generally need nighttime feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.

*Adapted from Labrador Retriever Rescue’s “Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Rescue”

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, 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 could save one.

I rescued a human today.

Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog’s professional dog trainer. Janine’s passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2009 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org

Still here – HOSS (renamed Cooper on the site), Hubert, Sophie, TRU!! and many more! these guys SO NEED A HOME PLEASE – some have been here a month – some more!!

Dogs here are all from the top down to Remy and then start again 2nd page after Peyton. Remy to end arrive on TUES!!

When they come to me, I DO direct them away from puppies and younger dogs, my fear being not so much that they can’t handle them – there are some ‘old’ people waaaay fitter than ME! – but that they will die before the dog.

I have been directing older people to dogs over 5 yrs old (depending on breed/longevity) who need homes as badly, if not more cuz people want puppies, but are awesome dogs who have a long life to love someone .

I was thinking that ALL OF YOU have older relatives and friends who you didn’t know were looking for a dog and may have been refused and never told you OR want a dog but know a puppy is more than they need or want and don’t know about PETFINDER or that there are rescue organizations ther than pounds OR that they don’t have to go into a shelter and feel horrible seeing the dogs there but can go on the internet too. Maybe they don’t know that there ARE OLDER DOGS WHO NEED THEM. Middle ages or LAZY people like me should apply for these guys TOO!

Dogs i have here needing older people to love them if other people don’t want them is:

COCOA, an 8-9 yr old female chocoolate lab, med size – she can live another 5-7 yrs, BELLE, a7-8 yr old female blk lab mix, large, can go another 5-7 yrs, OCTAVIA, 9-11 yr old chihua/terrier mix, female, 10lbs who is the NICEST small dog i’ve ever seen!! never bites or even lifts a lip, not a barker, good on her legs and loving!! she can go another 8 or so years!  POLLY PUGGLES 10 -12yr old pug mix, female, one back leg is gimpy but getting stronger now that she’s using it – seems she may have been crated her whole life (she & Octavia likely puppy mill breeding dogs) and she really chugqs along outside!! She SINGS like a kitten when she needs attention and ok, she is UGLY but E.T. was cute after two hours so she;’ll grow on you! she can go another 5-8 yrs. RAY - still here – 9-10 yr old blk lab, male, blind from cataracts not cancer or diabetes. Awesome dog who gets around darn good for his ‘disability’. He can go 4-6 more years too!

We will help anyone adopting these dogs with health and food advice to make them last as long as they should too!

Other ‘older’ dogs who need people – Joey, Hoss, Claudia - they’re all apprx 4-5 yrs old and have a good 10 yrs left (13 or so for the beagle) and they are calmer and loving and easier to have around – don’t need exceptional amts of exercise either!!

THis is all just thoughts but i’d really like to know what you think and if there is a market for older dogs and people and where the best place it to let seniors know we’re here with great dogs.

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!

All of them exceptionally loving tho in spite of it all and coming to check you out or give a kiss even tho you’d rather be lying on the couch in an airconditioned livingroom – the same one inviting you from upstairs.

People of course coming & going to see dogs, pick up food, have to see the newbies or Satan #1 & Satan # 2 – aka Rollie & Pollie – who are facinated by the chaos and peeved not to be too included since they can see for themselves that there are a LOT of short dogs just like THEM to play with.

Sandra and John came and gave baths and picked off Ticks and brushed and brushed and brushed – unbeliveable the hair – birds are LOVING IT!! Sandra took pictures too so new ones shld be up tmo or mon or tues once sorted thru.

No other volunteers on the horizon for the next few days tho.

On the bright side – PENNY AND RUBY TUESDAY WERE ADOPTED TODAY AND OZZY MAY GO ON TUES!!

We’re trying to figure out how to add Bob & Madeline’s pictures of the transport to this post – may take a couple days.