Awesome Olive

Someone around here is way too cute, and that someone is Olive! This sprightly little girl is a whole lot of awesome personality packed into one tiny dog. On our walk today she actually had me giggling out loud at her little antics. This probably made me look like a bit of a lunatic to passerby, but she was just so cute and amusing that at times I had to chuckle. But let's start at the beginning.... The very first thing I noticed about Olive was how friendly she is. When I walked into her kennel for the very first time, she trotted right up to me wagging her comically long, curly piggie tail and seemed extremely delighted to see me, just like we were old friends. When I knelt down, she put her two front paws up on my knee, licked my hand, and looked up at me with a cheerful expression on her sweet little face. Too cute!

On our walk to Aquatic Park, she continued to make a great impression on me because she is so cheerful and sprightly and yet COMPLETELY lacks any manic, hyper energy! (How nice!) She has a calm, confident vibe which is downright delightful. She is happy and self-possessed, and she has a very charming way of trotting along with her head held high surveying the world. She does have a small dose of sass (probably the dachshund in her) and once gave a few barks at a group of people that apparently displeased her. But after she had said her piece, she just went back to trotting along happy as could be. What a cute, funny girl, I thought to myself.

The next adorable thing she did was this...We'd just been walking maybe 5 minutes. While trotting down the sidewalk, she stopped to scratch an itch and then she gradually stopped scratching and kind of melted to the sidewalk, ending in a nice lounging pose. She had decided it was a good time for a little lie-down break. She was quite at her leisure, relaxing very regally in the middle of the sidewalk as if that were the most natural thing in the world. That definitely got a chuckle out of me. With a little coaxing, she hopped back up and we continued on our merry way.

I won't relate every adorable, funny little thing that Olive did to totally steal my heart on this walk, because this post is already getting pretty long. But here are the highlights: lots of quiet cuddle time, lots of sitting on my lap staring at the lake, a few happy bursts of energy that were expressed by her hopping through the grass like a little rabbit, and one tremendous leap clear over the back of a bench (which I think surprised her as much as it surprised me!). In summary (trying to wrap this up quickly before it gets insanely too long), Olive = wonderfully sweet, quirky, fun, not hyper lap dog who also could accompany her owner on mellow walks about town that might be peppered with random moments of charming silliness.

Text and photography by Alicia D., devoted volunteer

Victor Finds His Forever-Home

GREAT NEWS! Victor, everyone's favorite dapper little gentleman, was adopted yesterday afternoon!!!! Although I only had the chance to take Victor out for one walk before he went home with his forever family, he really touched my heart with his sweet, loving personality. During our walk together, we took a short little stroll to a nice, sunny patch of grass at the Aquatic Park and lounged around in the sun while I rubbed his tummy. He seemed blissfully content, every now and then glancing up at me with a little look that seemed to say "this is the life." I thought to myself how sweet this little dog was and how easy it was to make him happy. All he seemed to ask was for someone loving to give him tummy rubs and lounge around with him in the sun. I am so happy that Victor has connected with a wonderful person who will do these little things for him and provide him with the loving forever home he so deserves. He is sure to return all the love he gets tenfold and make his owner(s) very happy. I wish Victor much love and happiness and endless tummy rubs in his new forever home!

Text by Alicia D.

Tulip By Any Other Name . . .

....would still be as cool. Taking Tulip for a walk is like going to a yoga class - calm, relaxing, and meditative. When Tulip and I walk together around the aquatic park loop, I can practically feel my blood pressure dropping. This is a girl who likes to take her sweet time and enjoy her surroundings. She has great leash manners and is easy to walk - no hyper energy, no drama. She just lopes along beside you and frequently casts a cheerful glance up at you with an expression that says, "This is fun, huh?"

Tulip is committed to her mellow pace and will not be rushed. If you try to hurry her along, she will continue loping along at her slow, steady speed and give you a look that seems to say "What's the rush? Stop and smell the roses, why dontchya." Her determined mellowness is goofy and charming, and a good lesson in taking it easy and savoring the moment. She has an incredibly sweet and affectionate personality, and enjoys peppering her walks with pet-and-cuddle breaks. She is very well-behaved on her walks and attentive to her handler. If you have to stop and dig a rock out of your shoe, for example, she'll happily hang out beside you until you are ready to keep going. She is an intelligent dog and, in addition to her naturally polite leash etiquette, she is learning basic commands (which I don't think anyone taught her in her life before BACS). She picks things up quickly, and she's treat-motivated and eager to please. She sometimes shows a dash of that pittie stubbornness, but if you stand your ground, she will quickly yield. She is by nature an easy-going, obedient dog, and with a little training I think she will have excellent manners.

She seems to regard all people she walks by as potential friends. When she sees someone coming her way, her tail will start wagging and she'll cast them friendly glances. It's pretty darn cute. She seems to instantly love everyone she sees. She gets amped up when she sees other animals (dogs, cats, etc.) and in these moments she will pull on the leash. The vibe seems like it could be friendly with dogs (although hard to say for sure, of course, without seeing her interact with another dog) but the vibe doesn't seem particularly friendly with cats (or at least not with the one in the BACS office that taunted her so mercilessly a few days ago). In those moments, it's easy to get her back on track by just moving her past the distraction - she quickly forgets what was so exciting and goes back to being her mellow self.

Tulip is a real charmer. Her nice leash manners, coupled with her affectionate, cheerful personality, make it an absolute joy to spend time with her.

Text and photos by Alicia D.

Teddy and Dana are Headed to SoCal

Teddy and Dana (both long-term dogs who arrived in October 2009) have been adopted by volunteer Courtney S. and her family. They will be leaving the shelter in mid-May, when Courtney's parents come to town to take Courtney home to San Diego at the end of the UC school year. Courtney is over the moon with delight at the prospect of bringing two of her favorite shelter dogs into a forever-home that is HERS! More to come . . .

Shy Sweethearts

Many of us have had the experience of being nervous in a new situation or feeling shy in a large group of strangers. Many BACS doggies feel this way too, especially with all the different sounds and people that fill their lives at the shelter. Two particularly shy canine residents are Cinnamon and Buster. These two gentle puppies don’t seem like they had much (if any) human contact before they arrived at BACS, and as a result they can be very timid.

Cinnamon, one of the shyest dogs at BACS, is an adorable 3 month old pittie-catahoula mix. She has the most gentle expression in her huge green eyes. She is quiet and introverted, and trembles with nervousness when a new person initiates contact. But once she has been around you for a little while, she grows more relaxed and will accept treats from your palm (this girl loves treats!) and will nuzzle and lick your hand. When she gazes up and fixes you with her soulful stare, it is enough to melt your heart. Cinnamon has a long way to go before she is comfortable around people, but plenty of patience and TLC should help her get there.

Buster, a 4 month old pittie, is a sweet boy with a loving, affectionate temperament. He seems to crave human interaction and will wag his tail when he sees someone approach his kennel. But once he is face to face with you, he becomes very bashful. Fortunately, Buster interacts beautifully with other dogs, and a canine companion allows him to be the goofy, joyful pup that he is beneath his shyness. He and Goldie, another lovely, shy BACS resident, went on a walk together the other day, and both blossomed in the presence of one another dog. It was beautiful to see them romping and playing in the grass, enjoying each other’s company and leaving their shyness behind for a little while.

Text and photography by Alicia D.

Reveling in Raulon's Radiance

As a relatively new volunteer to the BACS, I’ve done a lot of learning, growing, and loving in the short time that I’ve been there. One big fella has got a good, tight grip on my heart-strings, though: Raulon.

This gentle giant was one of the first dogs I walked after finishing my orientation and I haven’t been able to stay away since. There’s no need to be intimidated by this guy’s large stature; he’s a big teddy bear.

One of our favorite activities is lounging around on the benches, picnic table tops, or on the dock along Aquatic Park. As he melts into your arms, he almost emanates joy, as the wind cools his face and the sun warms his beautiful brindle coat. When we’re ready to move along, he’s more than happy to keep up a steady trot and jog around the Park, barely paying attention to the geese, runners, and disc golfers we meet along the way.

On every walk, this big guy is guaranteed to get a few hearty chuckles out of me. He can’t quite understand why we can’t walk up and join everyone who’s sitting on HIS benches along the way. His curiosity and lust for life always take us on a different route, so every outing is an adventure.

This mellow man would flourish in an active, loving household. Despite his rough start in life, he has so much love to give to anyone with a bench to sit on and a minute to spare.