Rosie

I ran into Rosie and her new person, Matt: "Rosie is doing great. We took her to Montclair and she got a clean bill of health, in addition to all her shots. We love the new addition to our family. Rosie LOVES to play fetch; it is her favorite. We have been taking her to the Rockridge dog park, Point Isabel, on hikes, etc. She gets along well with most dogs, but seems to care less about them; she prefers to play fetch. We are taking her camping this weekend for the holiday." Lucky Rosie! . . . Lucky Matt!

Update on Starbuck (aka Gesso)

Starbuck is doing great! She's training really well. She loves loves loves going to the park everyday and playing with other dogs. She's learning to control her excitement on walks when we come across another dog or someone she wants to say hello to. She's just perfect and happy!

I've started giving her Claritin for her allergies as per the doctor's suggestion and it's working really well for her-- no more scratching (I thought she had fleas for a while!), her eyes are less red and she has no more rash on her belly.

She's really a perfect fit for me, everyone says she's just like her mom!

I'm taking her to the the wine country this weekend for swimming and training (my friend who lives there has a dog and is a great trainer and teacher). Will keep you posted--

Poe: Lap Dog Extraordinaire

As you can imagine, capturing a good picture of a pooch can be quite a challenge. Shelter dogs in particular are abuzz with interest in the world around them when out on their walks. The last thing they want to do is stand still for a photo opportunity! It's next to impossible to capture an appealing photo when the photographer is also the leash holder. I can assure you of that!

And then there's Poe. This funny pooch loves to sit in the park, preferably on your lap so he can be pet and give you doggie kisses in return. Good boy. When I had him out today I kept waiting for someone to walk by so I could ask them to take a photo of me with my 60-lb lap dog. Finally, I decided I'd have to do it myself and so I held the camera out in front of us and snapped away. Behold the many faces of Poe from a very close-up position!

At one point, Poe watched a family walk by with a very large dog but Poe wasn't going anywhere... He was clearly too comfortable lounging in my lap in the sun. It's a true pleasure to see a shelter dog so relaxed if only for a brief time while he is free of the shelter.

One the way back, Poe dragged a bit, clearly relishing his time outdoors and not wanting to go back inside to the cement kennel. However, he continued along with some words of encouragement and we managed a short little jog at the end. Poe has been at the shelter since January now and it really is his turn to exit the shelter for good. He has the makings of an affectionate and loyal companion. Let's hope he finds the peace and love in a new home that he deserves sometime soon.

Kali Update (aka Trixie)

Received word from Kali's new mom:

Kali is doing well, we are still trying to break the food aggression but she is doing a lot better. Please pass these pictures on to her extended family and we will be seeing you soon.

She is really a sweet girl, she and Moose really enjoy playing together. They are so funny running through the house like banchies and playing tug-a-war.

Kali loves going in the car now-- you ask if she wants to go with Mama and she is at the car door waiting to jump in, She loves the water and when she gets to a creek she is in it before you can stop her. Love them dirty dogs, there is nothing that makes them happier than the water and dirt bath. (ha-ha).

Thank you all again for all the love that you provided her, she is another little angel in our family

Melvin and his latest fanclub members

I stopped by the shelter today to do the review walk of two new pooches who arrived at the shelter together last week. These pit mix girls, Ellie & Pearl are real sweeties! Ellie in particular offers lots of kisses and is quite submissive; she rolls over on her back a lot. Pearl, with the black and white coloring, is a bit more nervous about her surroundings still. She barked at the fire hydrant and the doggie carved into the stone bench. She also appears to be the more "alpha" of the two pooches. However, she's more than happy to share some love with you. Neither girlie wanted to walk very far but definitely blossomed and became more comfortable when they were around each other.

We were hanging out in front of the shelter when ACO Melvin stopped by to say "hi" to us. Well, these two dogs were all over him with kisses and affection. I was impressed that they were so immediately friendly and excited to see him. No doubt it's due to his charms (Hi Melvin) but it probably didn't hurt that the had taken the girls out to the back play area earlier in the day to romp around. They clearly appreciated it!

Stop by to meet the sisters. They really are unusually sweet.

Bo