It's a Hen's Life

Many creatures pass through the Berkeley shelter, usually of the canine and feline variety.  When a chicken arrives it's almost always a rooster (no surprise) who has likely riled the neighbors with an early morning salute.   

Recently, a Barred Rock hen named Poodle showed up to spend some time in one of the cat rooms as she waited for a new home (not a pot thank you very much!)    She faithfully laid an egg a day and was quite vocal about her accomplishment.   No doubt the neighboring cats were wondering what all the fuss was about!

Poodle at the shelter with curious onlooker

We're pleased to report that Poodle (now "Shirley") did indeed find a chicken coop to call her own here in Berkeley.

Indeed, she now bunks with sister hens Louise and Renee high in the sky

The digs aren't bad -- plenty of fresh air and sunlight

The hens make their way down to the ground for some bug wrangling and pecking via a spiral staircase

Shirley learned very quickly how to maneuver the stairs.  She's one smart bird!

Here she is in the yard doing what chickens do... Frankly, Shirley rules the roost despite her newcomer status.  This girl is tough!  No doubt she was hardened on the mean streets of Piedmont where she lived before she did time at the shelter.

An, umm, "interested" visitor stops by to say "Hi."  Mmmm, no can opener required.

Enjoying a dust bath in the sunshine.  It's a simple but good life.

Angel Love

I had the pleasure of walking new girl Angel in the park today.  She's a lovely dog who probably hasn't had much exposure to the world outside a yard.  She surveyed her surroundings a bit cautiously at first.  However, all the fresh smells proved irresistible and she pressed her nose to the ground with great interest as we wended are way around the park.   This girl sure likes to sniff and explore and it was a joy to see her soaking it all in.

Posing politely at the start of the walk

Hmmm, what do we have here?

Back at the shelter community room, Angel flashes her lovely smile after the pleasant jaunt in the park

Mmm, those hot dogs are tasty

Looking more animated and comfortable now after her adventure.

Eyes of love

I am BlueBarry and I love BALLS!

 

Doggie fun over at the dog run on Sunday

Mixing and matching dogs for play can be a challenge.  When it works it's a joy to see! 

We started things off with Jasper and Deirdre who had never met though they have both played with other dogs.  We did an on-leash intro but dropped the leashes pretty quickly as they were both keen to play.

We then brought over new adorable little dumpling Eclair to see if she'd like to join in.  She had hung out with Morty the day before in a play session so we thought she might be a good candidate.  As it turns out, she was a bit overwhelmed by the active antics of Jasper and Deirdre.  Note the tail between her legs.  She didn't appreciate the forward invitations to engage from Deirdre.  She was much more interested in the humans present and sought refuge with them.    We ended up taking her out due to her discomfort though sometimes it is valuable to let a shy dog work through their nervousness.  

Then it was time for the party to get started!    Bear came over to fire things up with the more than willing Deirdre.
 

We love Zoomies!




We ended the day with some calmer dog intros.   Morty has been introduced to a lot of shelter dogs at this point.  He's always been a gentleman; he's just not inclined to play.  Enter Deema.  She hadn't shown much interest in other dogs until she met hunk Morty.  It was great to see her looking excited about something (she often appears anxious).  Look at the doggie smile!

Given that Morty and Deema's interactions were so low-key we decided to bring Eclair back over so she could hang out with less "in your face" canine buddies. 

Deema came on  stronger with Eclair than Morty but eventually we dropped the leashes.  Honestly, there wasn't really any true doggie play between them but it was at least a chance to be around other dogs.

For the record, some of the other dogs we tried out included Brawny, SeaShell and Grape.  We didn't find the right mix with them but we'll keep trying!

Cali shows Mr. Grape around Aquatic Park

Cali and new shelter dog Grape had a pleasant jaunt around Aquatic Park together today.   They were a companionable pair and looked absolutely fabulous with their matching pink collars.

This picture aside, Cali lead the way for most of the walk.  She loves to explore!

Cali says come on in, the ice plant is great!

What a cute pair of pooches!

Grape is still learning to sit for treats but Cali is a master.

Cali leads the Sunday doggie play

It was a quiet day at the shelter today, not a lot of visitors, but we did have some active doggie play starring Cali!

Cali & Jasper are well-matched in their energy level.  They like to go-go-go and then pause briefly to catch their breath before starting up the fun again!

Once Cali was a little tired out we brought in new puppy Oliver.  Cali was delighted with her new little playfriend.

 Cali showing her tolerance for the little guy's antics.

We introduced new sweet boy Bear to Cali.  He was quite barky at first but settled down after a walk together.

Cali giving Bear some space which allows him to become more comfortable.