Our Big Dipper is coming back to the rescue tomorrow. Sadly, his new housemate, a shihtzu, has not adjusted well to him being in the home and she is so afraid of him she is secluding herself. He isn’t doing anything, but if he even looks in her direction she stresses. Dipper has done well respecting her space but her anxiety levels are so high it is heartbreaking.

After talking with Dipper’s adopter today we are both in agreement that a new addition to the family at this time is just too much for her to handle after being the only dog for so long. This is for the best for Lola. We will check in and make sure that she is okay and readjusting after Dipper is removed.

Honey met her other 3 foster siblings today and did awesome! She was submissive and her foster sister pittie Orca kept her long-standing Alpha title in the pack. Honey seemed very comfortable with all the dogs and had a very exciting day of play time.

This is huge as Honey had been struggling just a tad with wanting to be dominant. A HUGE thank you to her foster mom for helping her through that! Can my day get any better???

We also got a chance to stop by and see our boy Jasper today. He is doing wonderful and is now just patiently awaiting his furever family. He loves cats, dogs, people, kids…LIFE! He is potty trained, crate trained, leash trained and knows his commands.

He is a big and goofy lab mix who loves to run and play. Warning though: He has massive happy tail syndrome!!!

If you are looking for a lovable goof to add laughter to your days and snuggles to your nights…look no further, he’s your man!

On the way: Ms. Saphire had shotgun today….

And then: Well today’s adoption didn’t go as we planned. It started off with all three of the girls getting very sick in the car. We pulled up to our appointment with head to toe ick pibbles

We were greeting by the neighbors and adopters and everyone pitched in to get the girls into the back yard for some serious clean up. Saphire was the itty bitty welcoming committee pitte and instantly went around saying hi while the three girls started clean up.

Then everyone was off and running as neighbors popped by to say hi and show some love to the babies. After a while it was decision time as we had a long ride back to the fosters with the two that needed to go home.

Ummm…..Saphire and I left empty handed!!! All three of Kona’s pups stayed!! Misty and Storm got adopted to the same family and Skye is in a foster to adopt right next door! Most pawsome day EVER for these three sisters! They will be growing up together…How cool is that?

We just got in from a very long trip to the vet with Rollo.

After reviewing the x-rays it seems that Mr. Rollo has sprained one of his toes on his left paw. It can take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to heal. We need to keep quiet and inactive…no more backyard romping with his best buddy Raven!

While we were there Rollo got to visit the woman who saved his life on the Parvo unit. She was stunned at what a big (67.9lbs) and healthy boy he has become!

I have to say I am really disappointed with the treatment that we received tonight though and really hope it was just an off night for them. They gave amazing care to both Rollo and Baby Bear upon their rescue so it was a shock to get a doctor who was afraid to touch Rollo (who btw was sleeping on the floor).

He kept insisting that a muzzle be used on Rollo. He would not even hold Rollo’s paw to examine it he was so afraid. 1. Your a vet, get used to big dogs…not all should be muzzled for your comfort. 2. Why do you need to muzzle a dog who is laying down on the floor with his head in my lap? 3. If you are that afraid…go get a doctor who will do his job (there were 2 others working). I won…Rollo did not get muzzled!

Then after dealing with all that and the vet tech’s (you guys ROCK!) doing all of the handling of Rollo it was time to check out. 45 minutes to even be called to come up and get my bill by one of the rudest/crankiest women ever!

Between the doctor and the desk I was at the vet for over 3.5 hours.

It was a long and very frustrating visit at Animal League, but at least Rollo only has a sprain.

Angel is spending the morning protecting her new family from the rascally squirrels running around outside! She had a great night last night and has adjusted so smoothly to her new home. She is extremely happy to have a new brother and sister to watch over and a new mom to give her the structure she loves so much. YAY for this sweet baby!!!

We would also like to thank Crystal with Saving Lives, 1 Dog at a Time for helping make this happen today.

Angel had many pittie angels on her side and I thank each of you for working so hard to help her. She has much love and happy tails ahead!

Dipper, now Sheldon, has been adopted! He found himself an amazing family tonight and we couldn’t be happier for our little man! Thank you so much Bill & Kim for giving him a pawsome home filled with lots of love! There are many tail wags and puppy pounces in this muffins future.

There really hasn’t been a change with Baby Bear on the new meds. No better/no worse..but hopefully they are working on those mini heartworms. His breathing is still heavy but he is alert and happy. We are trying to keep him quiet and comfy…both a bit difficult. He is wanting to play and explore outside and now gets very antsy indoors – the heat really gets to him fast as well.
He does need to go in for another round of x-rays on his lungs and heart which we will probably schedule for Monday.

This is Otto. Otto spent his life as a bait dog. His 69 wounds have, over time, healed and turned to scars that cover his body. Otto was on death row back in Novemeber, everyone was passing on rescuing him.

We were fortunate to come across his photo here on Facebook and lucky enough to able to help him. Weighing in at a little over 23lbs (normal weight should have been around 75lbs) our boy was in tough shape.

Over the months he has responded amazingly to our program, wiggling his way into our hearts with his goofiness. He lives a very structured life and aims to please. Though he hasn’t been allowed any meet and greets with other dogs yet he can successfully be around them and stay nonreactive. This is huge for a dog who was once a chew toy for other dogs.

But this post isn’t about him, it’s about all dogs. Looking at Otto one would never know the past that he has endured, minus some scars he is just a happy block head! Though his walks are very controlled and structured, he is still a work in progress.

This post is about keeping your dog on a leash.

First of all, let me start by saying, it’s the law. That law is in place for a reason.

Second, I don’t care how well behaved your dog may be off leash…what about the others it may run in to? How do you know their background, their reaction, their temperament? How do you know your dog will be safe?

Simple…you DON’T.

You can’t gauge another dogs reaction, an owners ability to react, sometimes even your own dogs reaction. It is your responsibility to keep your dog safe and in control at all times. Being off leash, you have no control. You are potentially putting your dog in harms way, whether it be by another dog, chasing a squirrel into the street etc.

Today Otto had an off leash Pekingese charge him. Even as we moved away this dog was biting at Otto’s back legs barking and growling. As the owner stood there calling the dogs name and saying come, the dog kept following us, biting at Otto. Otto hit his limit but luckily still responded to my control of the situation and trusted in me to keep him safe. Unfortunately I had to kick out at the other dog, which I feel horrible about. But at that point, we had moved half way down the block and the dog was still charging…the owner was still standing there.

Otto did well, but in all honesty could have really done some damage to that dog….If you love your pet…keep them safe, you owe it to them.

Use a leash….It’s that simple.