A Surprise Encounter

I was at my local dog gathering area last night with Monkey and another dog, and a guy comes up to the gate with his black pittie and said that his dog plays pretty rough, can my dog handle it? I said, sure thing. So, he let him go and the two of them went at it, playing as hard and as rough as two pittie boys can. The dog was well-behaved and friendly, with a slight awkwardness that was sweetly endearing. Then his person, David called his name: DJANGO! I said, Django!?!?! There can only be one, I thought. Where did you get him? I asked. Home at Last, he replied. BUTCHIE!!! I shouted with glee. All I could think about was that precious boy who came into the shelter an adolescent and grew up into an adult while in a cage. I remembered him sucking on the links of the kennel, as he started to become a little kennel crazy toward the end of his stay before HAL rescued him.

Now, Django is with David, a very nice man who absolutely adores him, and our 'Butchie' has grown up into a goofy, lovable adult who plays hard, but respects boundaries-- never once did their play verge on fighting. Thank you Alan C. and everyone who loved Butchie while he was at the shelter; thank you Kate for holding on to him as long as you did; and thank you HAL for rescuing him when he was nearing a point of no return. I know it wasn't easy placing him for I believe he had two fosters before he found his forever home- but obviously your persistence paid off.

Butchie/Django's shelter pictures upon first arriving:


The young pooch looks understandably apprehensive. All's well that ends well.

Isaac and Ivy Step Out

I was keen to do another play session with Isaac since he's such a lovable lunk. In the previous doggie play fest he had come on a bit strong with hormones raging. However, the neutering has done wonders for him I'm pleased to report. Steve and I opted to try him with Ivy mainly because all the other female candidates had been out on a walk already.

Ivy is very bouncy and barky and she likes to dash madly around the dog run. Isaac wasn't quite sure what to make of her squeals and antics. He was keen to engage more with Steve than the crazy shepherd girl. We were a bit wary of dropping the leashes because we weren't sure how Isaac would respond. However, once we gave them free rein they were fine together. Unfortunately we had to cut the play short because the water pails were empty. Isaac kept licking the empty bucket.

So, we took them to the shelter, gave them some water and then proceeded on a walk. It was fun to see this unlikely pair trotting companionably next to each other. Steve says Isaac is very easy to manage and he's eager to please. Good boy!

Elderly dog rescued from shelter

It is always particularly wrenching when an elderly dog is either dumped at the shelter or shows up as a stray. We want to believe that every dog is beloved and will live out their final years in the comfort of a home. Perhaps it's also unsettling because we know that one day when we reach an advanced age that our circumstances could change for the worse.

Whatever the case, we are so grateful that Raven, a sweet, small Rottweiler mix who showed up last November, was able to move onto a much better situation. He had previously been picked up by an animal control officer and returned to his home. This time the owner was unwilling to bail him out. Raven is 16 years old.

Fortunately, Rottie Angel Rescue agreed to rescue Raven and ensure that he is loved and cared for until the end. We cannot thank them enough. Raven stopped by this past Friday and we snapped these pictures in the lobby. We wish all senior dogs were this lucky!

Natasha: A Dog in Need Found a Home

Natasha, now "Tasha" was a long-term resident at the shelter. As the months went by she became more and more reluctant to leave her cement kennel. When volunteers walked by her cage she would bark excitedly as if she wanted to get out. However, once she was leashed up and outside she would stop walking after only a block and want to retreat back to the kennel. No amount of coaxing would convince her to continue. Resigned, volunteers would return her to the kennel rather than stressing her out further. It was painful to see a dog with such a bad case of agoraphobia. It came time to consider putting an end to her suffering... Volunteers decided to do one last push to try to find Natasha a foster or forever home so that she could have a chance to recover and discover life anew. An appeal went out on all the websites and Craig's list ads were posted. People called in wanting to find out more, offering money to help her plight. And then, a woman knowing Natasha was in need, drove up from the Southbay to meet her. Natasha went home with her new mom Robin that night. Volunteers and staff were thrilled.

According to to Robin, "Tasha’s tail never stops wagging." What more could we ask for?

Otis: From shelter dog to artist's muse

Otis is one of those dropdead gorgeous dogs -- the "Angeline Jolie of dogs" as someone said. However, he had a bit of an "eyeore-ish" quality about him during his stay at the shelter. He never really showed much happy doggie energy and was clearly having a really hard time being in the shelter. Indeed, as time progressed volunteers worried that Otis wasn't going to make it out at all. He was starting to act up in the kennel and things weren't looking good. A volunteer was taking Otis to the BADRAP training class each week where he did quite well. So, the volunteer was dismayed to hear that Otis's number might be up.

And then... along came a home. Happy Days. Otis is now living with a nice young couple and his new brother Cisco. During the follow-up call to check on Otis we heard from his new mom that "when he was getting his first teeth cleaning at the vet, the vet noticed that his lower canine was partially broken off and that the nerves under it were all exposed. So all this time, he has been in excruciating pain (that's how the vet described it and my heart puckered.) But it was not a problem and Otis went through surgery that day and got that all fixed. And his disposition changed dramatically and is a lot happier now!"

Hallejulah. It's music to our ears to hear such good news. In addition, Otis has a new job as model for his mom's artistic explorations. Check out some of her work presented here.

Who Is That Handsome Guy?

It is Phil!!!! Remember the poor pittie dumped in front of the shelter with wounds all over his body? Although he was not a pleasant sight to behold back then, his sweet personality shined through and touched us all. This amazing survivor ended up getting adopted right away by a very caring family. Now look at him! Phil is a drop dead gorgeous guy with a heart of gold to match.