Happy Mardi Gras!

From Gretna, Louisiana, and PAWdi Gras 2006, my little dog, Cross, models her hand-made "Mardi Gras" outfit, complete with sequins and funky fringe. She wore this under duress.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

(Let the Good Times Roll!)

And throw the dogs a biscuit, mister!

What I've Been Doing

My dogs don't blog. They just make poops.

Not only has it been four months since I've posted, Blogger ate the first version of this post instead of uploading it, so all my brilliant thoughts have been lost to the ether of the Interwebs and I am forced to reconstruct a long post!

Time flies. I don't have any excuses for not posting. I've been doing Dog Lady work. I just haven't posted. The reality is that once you break the habit, the longer you wait to get back to the blog, the tougher it is. Therefore, I am resolved not to take such a long break in the future.

Min Pins are like "Pringles"--you can't have just one.

The little Min Pin foster puppy I've had since my last post in 2010 is still with me. She is not--and let me be clear about this!--a foster failure. She just hasn't met the right family yet. "Cricket," as we call her now, is stinkin' cute and very, very busy. She needs a family who is experienced in Min Pin antics and would do best in a situation where she doesn't have to be crated for 12 hours a day (she is a smarty-pants escape artist and can unlatch the crate so I have to use carabiner to close it). Cricket would appreciate a canine playmate as well.

Her cast came off in January, and she's doing great, although her right paw is smaller than the left and she still favors the leg at times (out of habit or what, I'm not sure). She's matured into a tornado of energy with a chewing habit that is driving us nuts: glasses, iPod earbuds, dozens of mechanical pencils, books, papers, and two bag's worth of daily CT Hex dental treats. She'll find her home, now that it's warmer at the Off-Sites.

My dear friend, the passionate and tireless Marcia P., who stepped down in late 2010 as Off-site Coordinator for the Shelter, has launched her own animal-rescue group. Although still in its fledgling stage (the 501 c 3 status is pending) Operation Pets Alive!: Helping People Save Pets has already accrued a list of accomplishments, including sponsoring foster-only Off-sites, TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) of stray cats in several Montgomery County areas, and two "Flights for Life that send dogs from the Shelter to New Hampshire for adoption.

Courtesy of Operation Pets Alive!: Helping People Save Pets

The second Flight for Life is in the air as I re-construct this post--leaving from Conroe, TX with 20 dogs on board, including 12 Shelter dogs, two dogs from All-Texas Dachshund Rescue, and six puppies rescued by OPA. The dogs were bathed and loaded by volunteers. The pilot and plane are funded by generous gifts from friends and volunteers at OPA. What a thrill these dogs, including six long-term (over 90 days) dogs from the MCTAS Shelter will have when they find new homes.

In other efforts, OPA has partnered with Susan Herbert, founder of K-9 Corral, a wonderful rescue group that has placed more than 3,500 animals, to ramp up Herbert's program to provide free and low-cost spay/neuters for owners of large (over 30 pounds) dogs in New Caney, TX, a once-rural, but now rapidly growing region of Eastern Montgomery County. Herbert has secured grants to provide vouchers to be used at Spay Houston, a wellness clinic that does low-cost shots and spay/neuters in Houston, TX.

Spay Houston's fees are much lower than area veterinarian offices, making it possible for Houston residents to take action against unwanted litters. In 2010, K-9 Corral's Herbert handled 239 free or very low-cost operations by providing qualifying New Caney residents with vouchers.

In January, OPA stepped in as a partner, providing professionally printed signs and flyers, along with volunteers who went door-to-door in targeted neighborhoods to spread the word about the vouchers. With OPA's assistance, Herbert manned tables at her local Wal-Mart. I helped for three Sunday afternoons, chatting with interested people about the program while Herbert filled out the paperwork. It was fulfilling and fun to connect these residents with a program that lifts the burden of cost. Many people could afford the Spay Houston rates for their small dogs or cats if they could get a voucher for their larger pets. K-9 Corral has done 157 operations so far this year, a testimony to the need for such programs.


Below is the draft logo I designed for OPA. It wasn't selected as the final logo, but I think it's spiffy. You can see a button-sized version of the final logo in my sidebar. I don't have a high-res image yet.



So I've been busy, and my Dog Lady Stetson is still getting a lot of use. I'm looking forward to more opportunities to help pets in 2011. Leave me a note and let me know what things have been happening in your parts! I resolve not to leave this blog unattended in the future!

Old Dogs

Senior Citizen Chihuahua
Originally uploaded by Calsidyrose

I feel the worst for the old dogs who come into the Shelter. The ones like Mrs. Puff, the old Chihuahua surrendered two weeks ago.

No one noted any remarks beyond "owner surrender" on her intake paperwork. She is heartworm negative, so someone was caring for her, at least that much. But not enough to keep her to the end of her days.

She is so self-contained, so fully aware--she watches me and I can hear her thoughts:

You are nice, but...
The couch is comfy, but...
I like your grass, but...
The food is good, but...

Sometimes it is difficult to meet her gaze, which is intensely direct and unflinching. Her ears stand up like bat wings, and she follows my movements with her gaze, clouded though it is due to beginnings of cataracts.

I wonder if her owner thinks about her. I know Mrs. Puff has thought hard about her person. I know the first day I met Mrs. Puff, she was looking for her person. We were at an Off-Site at the local cinema-complex, a place I'm sure Mrs. Puff had never been. But she had a purpose--she was, like the Blues Brothers, on a mission from God.

All day, in spite of the heat, she padded forward, first one direction, then the next, walking as far as the leash would permit, her gaze direct and unflinching, her bat-wing ears perked forward, listening. Her confidence was palpable. Her person would come.

I took her home. I've fed her, gotten her on a potty schedule, fixed a bed by the dresser in my bedroom since she complains if she's crated. I've given her meds for kennel cough, cleaned out her ears, and dosed her with benadryl when her itchies become too bothersome. I've placed an ad extolling her virtues, but no one has responded. I am not her person. I am her foster.

Two days ago, I sensed a shift in Mrs. Puff. A flicker of depression. An awareness that her person is not coming. Now she is focused fully on me, on my daughter, and my son. She wants her bed in a certain spot. She wants help onto the couch. She wants her food. She has surrendered her heart to me. And it makes my heart ache to know this.

Meet Our New Dog

 Tony Tony Chopper

I finalized the adoption today of a stag red Miniature Pinscher from the Montgomery County Texas Animal Shelter.  Meet our newest dog, "Tony Tony Chopper".  I didn't name him, my 16-year-old daughter did, after a character in the Japanese pirate-themed anime "One Piece."  If you aren't familiar with the show, don't feel bad!

 At the Red, Hot and Blue Parade. Chopper has slimmed down since this photo.

I first saw Chopper in late June, and I thought at first he was "Rusty," a stag red MinPin I fostered last summer (detailed in an earlier post).  I took Chopper with me for the July 3rd Parade (also in an earlier post), where my husband decided to walk him. He liked the dog, and so I took Chopper home, gave him a bath, wormed him and put flea meds on him. My little rat terrier mix "Cross" seemed to like Chopper, too.  My son was away at college when Taco died, so he had been pestering me (even though he's almost 21) to get a MinPin puppy.  I don't do puppies.  Never have, never will.

I didn't want to force a decision about Chopper right away--we had a trip to New York City and Washington, D.C. planned for a week in early July--so I arranged for Chopper to go to another volunteer's house for four days, until my son could come get him (my son went with us to New York but came home because of his job).  By the time we got back home, Chopper was a part of the family.

My husband was calling him "Brown Dog" and we were waffling between "Sam" (no one liked it except for my husband), "Rusty" and even "Tucker" (the name of our other foster).  While we were in Washington, D.C., my daughter decided there would be no more discussion.  His name was "Tony Tony Chopper."  And that was that.

We love his velvety ears and big brown eyes.

I put off finishing the adoption on Chopper because I had to decide if we were ready to take him on--he's probably about four, and he's heartworm positive.  He's going to our Vet tomorrow (I've decided to stick with Dr. Williams at VCA, but that's a topic for another post).  I'm going to have them check his blood under a microscope for filaria and probably do a general workup.  He's on the Shelter list for the 2-shot treatment, but that program is on hold (again) until the Constable (who is the County official in charge) decides how to pay for it.

Chopper isn't going to "replace" Taco, but we like MinPins, and he's the first one to come in at the Shelter. He's affectionate without being clingy and gets on well with other dogs, which is great for my fosters.  We can take him to pet events or the dog park--things that were hard to do with Taco.  He's small enough to sleep with my son or daughter.  He is a little barkier than he was at first, but that's okay.  He loves to play with chew toys, but doesn't get ugly or bitey when you take them from him.

 Cross likes Chopper, too.

And Cross once again is enjoying her walkies.  She had become pokey about walking alone--she and Taco were deeply bonded, even though they didn't sleep with each other or play together.  Everyone, including Chopper, is happy.

D.C. with Dogs

We are on vacation, and my little dog and all my fosters are at their get-away digs, too!  In fact, the MinPin, "Sam" is now back at my house with my college-age son, who had to head home to work. Sam's foster mom said he was well-behaved at her house (she has seven dogs, including fosters and rescue transients).

We spent four days in New York City and are now in Washington, D.C., staying with my sister-in-law, who works high up in the FBI.  This cute little Chihuahua was on tour with his owner at the Lincoln Memorial.  His owner says he goes out to see the D.C. sights almost every weekend, riding along in her backpack.

My daughter said I just had to have a "dog fix".  She was right--I felt better after seeing this cute little guy. re We' heading out to visit Arlington Cemetery today to pay our respect to those who have died for our freedom, then we're off to Mount Vernon.  Did George Washington have a favorite dog?  I plan to find out.

On The Hunt

Sometimes in the course of events it becomes necessary to take an excursion with members of the family.  As this is one of those times, I'll be away from my off-sites.  My own dog, Cross (AKA The Cutest Dog in the World) has gone to my Mom's house, to join the Chihuahua Pack.  Teencie and Tucker are still vacationing with their BFFs the Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mixes.  "Sam," the Miniature Pinscher who was my Rusty-look-alike is going to visit another MinPin named "Jake."  So, we'll BRB.

It's Raining Chihuahuas

We're not quite in a drought here in North Houston, but it's been raining Chihuahuas at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter where I volunteer.  Here are three owner-surrender Chi's, reluctantly turned in by an elderly man who could no longer afford to keep them.  They were very sweet, so once they are checked over (and spayed/neutered if needed) I'm sure they will find homes.  We've had Chihuahua puppies and assortment of adult Chihuahuas, along with Teencie, my tiny little foster Chi.

 I don't know if our Chihuahua frenzy is due to fall-out from the popularity of these dogs in the media as "purse dogs" and movie stars (Beverly Hills Chihuahua), but one thing for sure is that these cute little dogs come with their own special needs.

Meanwhile, Little Teencie has come a long ways.  She is still very skittish and will dodge and nip if she feels threatened, and she has a typical, sharp Chihuahua bark, but she has been sleeping with my daughter or with me (she started howling at night when crated) and this has helped her warm up considerably.

My what big eyes you have, Tucker!

Both Teencie and Tucker are going to spend the next four days with a different foster volunteer--I'm leaving tomorrow for an Art Retreat in Waxahachie, and these two dogs are more work than my family is willing to provide.  Tucker has already had one stint at a foster's house and it was very good for his confidence.  Tucker still has issues with men.  He gets panicky when my big college-age son is around, so I have to crate him to keep him from barking fearfully.  If my son would work with me, I could get Tucker to settle down, but my son takes it personally--he's still missing our dog, Taco, and thinks Tucker is just stupid.

Tucker is doing good with his heartworm treatment and will start going to off-sites soon.  BTW, the Shelter lists him as a Chihuahua mix, but at 15 pounds and with his long Whippet-like legs and Beagle-bugle bark, I don't think there's much Chihuahua in him!

-*- Top photo by T.H.

Fun with My Dogs

This is my daughter (yes, she has dyed her hair blue-green for the summer) holding a reluctant "Teencie" as we are now calling our skittish little Chi foster girl.  Teencie wants so badly to be held, but she isn't quite yet brave enough to let us do so.  We can scratch behind her ears, and hold her (firmly) for a few moments.  She whines and howls in her crate at night, so now she's sleeping with my daughter.  That is, she is sharing the bed.  This has made Teencie more confident.  We've had a her a week and she has improved tremendously.

This is Tucker, my other foster, right before his June 10-11 heartworm treatment.  He received the 2-dose, back-to-back Immiticide shots.  He's doing fine--the biggest problem is keeping him quiet.  He loves to run after birds and squirrels.  One of my Vet Tech friends says her clinic is out of Immiticide, and it doesn't look like they will be able to get more for awhile.  Our Shelter clinic ran out of the drug earlier this year, and so when I took Tucker home, I put his name on a wait list.  When the Immiticide doses arrived, I got a call--I made sure to get him in so he wouldn't lose his place in the line.

This is my dog, Cross.  She isn't really taunting you,  She is about to lick.  She has a licking problem.  She is powerless over her desire to lick.  She needs a 12-step group.

Thank You to My Readers

Today, I'd like to make note of some milestones and acknowledge my gratitude to my faithful readers.  I began this blog a year ago in March 2009.  Although I have had some time gaps (mostly in the fall, when I'm busy being a Band Mom), I have written 110 posts.  And recently, my 50th follower joined the pack!

As readers, you have all been so supportive.  My goal isn't to rant and rave (there's enough of that already on the Interwebs) nor is it to present an always rose-colored vision (there's enough sweetness on the Interwebs as well).  I wanted a place to connect with other people involved in animal rescue, a place where I can post a cute picture (like the one above), a funny video, or a snarky aside.

You, my faithful readers, have followed my adventures as a Shelter volunteer, the exploits of my foster dogs, my Vet adventures with my own two dogs, and have taken things in stride when I have a cuteness attack or a need to gripe.  I have added a number of intriguing blogs to my sidebar list, and have begun clicking the "follow" button on other peoples' blogs so they know I'm reading.  My lurking days are fading.  I know how much your comments mean to me, so I've increased my effort to leave a note on the blogs I read.

My other blog, "El Rancho Not So Grande," is an artsy blog.  I love making art, collecting junk, and learning new craft techniques, but the artsty blog world is where I don't feel as confident.  Many of the artsy blogs are so beautiful, elaborate, and so filled with exquisite photography and shots of stunning abodes that I feel like my eclectic interests are too scattershot.  Still, I have some followers and receive a few comments.

I have been a writer all my life--I have written three complete novels (all submitted through an agent, but with rejections), countless poems, and I've worked as a managing editor (transportation journals) and free-lancer for 20 years.  When I started writing, we didn't have computers--just the typewriter--and the Internet was a pipe dream.  I got my first computer in 1985 and went on-line  (dial-up) in 1998.  I wish I'd had the Interwebs with its blogs and social networking when I was a young novelist.

"We Don't Rent Puppies" has allowed me to develop a different sort of voice than I used in my novels and professional writings.  I've been timid, but I'm getting bolder.  And I owe it to my readers, especially to the very regular readers who leave me comments.  Thank you all!

If you're dropping by and reading me for the first time, please look at some of my previous posts. Leave a comment so I can visit you.  I also invite you to sign up as a follower.  And remember, we still don't rent puppies.  Adopt a Shelter pet and gain a friend for life!

-*-
Artwork courtesy of Flickr; based on a scan of a vintage children's greeting card.

Shameless Self-Promotion

As those who are my dedicated readers know, I enjoy making art--whether with paper, glue and scissors or my scanner and Photoshop.  I like using my artwork in my blog posts, but I don't want to mix my artsy life with my animal rescue blogging.  So, to that end, I invite those of you who might be interested to visit my new creative blog, "El Rancho Not So Grande" by clicking on the longhorn steer link in the sidebar.

I am not planning to slack off on "We Don't Rent Puppies."  In fact, now that my own dog, Taco, is over the crisis of his illness, I plan to do off-site adoptions again.  I can't have a foster dog until I get the all-clear from Taco's Vet, but I have some news about some of my adoptions, so I'll be posting some updates.

I began "We Don't Rent Puppies" a year ago last March, and I now have about 45 followers.  I'm nearly at 100 posts, too, which is a good milestone to reach in Blogland.

I appreciate all my readers' comments.  Together, we're making a difference in the lives of animals.  If you have an blog that I should add to my Blogroll list, leave a comment with the link.  Again, thanks for your support!

If you like what you see over at "El Rancho Not So Grande," let me know!

-*-
Artwork:  My new dog-related business cards from Moo!

What I Do When I'm Not With My Dogs

Band Mom 2009
Originally uploaded by Calsidyrose

I'm a "Band Mom" with a Sophmore French Horn player in the TWHS Highlander Marching Band. I chaperone the students on the school buses to their games and take lots of photos.

I'm still doing my "Dog Lady" work, but have had to scale back a bit to get my high-maintenance 15-year-old daughter started back in school.

Our Shelter will be participating in the "Second Chance at Love" event, hosted by PetsMart (it's a Nation-wide event) beginning Labor Day.

I still have "Rusty," my min-pin foster boy. He wants everyone to know he's looking for his own home!

Checking In

It's been awhile since I've posted--I've been on the road in the great state of Texas: down to Galveston, then out to Port Arthur, then to Spring Branch (near San Antonio).

My 15-year-old daughter has Band Camp, so I'm back to being a Band Mom. Plus, I am slated to have two root canals tomorrow. I haven't been to the Shelter in 10 days due to travel and tooth issues--the pain meds for the infection in my teeth make me feel loopy, so I'm limiting my driving.

So, for fun, I'm including this photo of my fluffy dog and daughter. I will be back to doing Off-Site Adoptions this weekend, so I'll have updates on Blackie (my bully dog) and hopefully will find Rusty the MinPin a good home. Although if you ask Rusty, he thinks he's got a good home already.

Premio Meme Blog Award

I wanted to thank Everyone Thinks They’re Good Drivers for awarding me Premio Meme Blog Award.

The rules associated with this award are that I am to write seven little-known facts about myself, and then pass this award to seven of my fellow bloggers.

Seven Little Known Facts about Calsidyrose
1.I just received word that my mixed-media piece, “Landfall,” (a Hurricane Katrina piece) has been selected by Susan Davidson, Senior Curator for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, for the first ever Rauschenberg Tribute Exhibition, an International Juried Competition hosted by the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, Texas. My piece will be on display with the work of 33 other artists from August 30th through early October 2009. This is the first time my work will appear in a juried art show, let alone a show with pieces chosen by such an esteemed judge.

2. I am an Oil Brat—I was born in Tulsa, but my Dad’s job took our family overseas. From 1967 through 1976, we lived in foreign countries, including Venezuela, Libya, and Bahrain. I owned a horse when we lived in Libya and we used to take trail rides across old battlements left over from the fighting in World War II.

3. I hold a 3rd degree green belt (one level below brown) in Shotokan Karate, although it has been many years since I have actively practiced. I started Karate because I was a devoted fan of the TV show, Kung Fu—“When you can snatch the pebble from my hand it will be time for you to leave.”

4. I had my photo taken with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at their Victorville, California, museum in 1985. I can remember watching re-runs of Roy Rogers’ TV show when I was very young. I wanted to be Roy because he got to ride Trigger. I still adore Trigger and keep a vintage Trigger lunchbox on display in my office.

5. I majored in Classical Civilization, which means I studied Ancient Greek. I had to memorize the first 20 lines of Homer’s Iliad in Greek for one of my classes.

6. I used to do free-lance landscape design for clients I met through my job at Roger’s Gardens, a 7-acre nursery in Newport Beach, California.

7. I have written three complete novels and have received a stack of rejections from New York publishers. All three novels are set in the American Southwest. All three books feature something involving horses, even if it’s just a cameo appearance!

I am bestowing this award on the following blogs:


One Bark at a Time
Dogs Deserve Freedom
Painting a Dog a Day
Garden Antiques
Magpie Ethel
The Dog Geek
Shakespeare Geek


I have a long list of bookmarked blogs on a variety of subjects, and I’m a big lurker. I didn’t start leaving comments until I launched my blog, and since I try to stay on topic, I limit the WDRP Blogroll to dog-related blogs.

Thanks again for my award, and I hope those who received it enjoy it as well!

p.s. I read somewhere that people like to see the blogger, so below is photo of me with one of my favorite Shelter dogs, JoJo, the pit bull! My 15-year-old daughter took the portrait!

JoJo Gives Me Kisses
Originally uploaded by Calsidyrose

The Dog Lady Van

This is my 2001 Town & Country Chrysler mini-van. I’ve clocked 124,400-plus miles on the odometer. While the vehicle has provided faithful service as Band Mom car (I have hauled in one trip a full set of tympanis, one concert tuba in a hard case, two trombones and three full-size music stands), as our primary travel vehicle (including one trip from Southeast Louisiana to Green Bay, Wisconsin and back), and as a college student-hauler (four trips from Houston to Lubbock, TX, and back), this road-seasoned red minivan is primarily the Dog Lady Van.
•Most animals transported in one trip: 17 (cats, dogs, puppies and kittens—all crated).
•Average number of dogs transported per week: 8 animals.
•Number of crates I can fit inside with third row seats removed: 2 medium-large wire crates; 2 small wire crates, two small plastic crates.
•Number of bags of 50 pound kitty litter I’ve hauled in one trip: 25 bags.
•Number of times a dog has hurled or pooped in a crate while being transported: 6 times.
•Amount of dog hair accumulated over the course of one year: Ummm…a lot, according to my husband.
•The service provided for abandoned animals since 2002: Immeasurable!

What I Do on Weekends

On Fridays, I go to the shelter, select some dogs from the Adoption Room and put “off-site” tags on their kennels, then on Saturdays and Sundays, I haul the dogs in the back of my minivan to various locations (PetsMarts, bookstores, pet-gift stores and the like) hoping to place dogs in good homes. Ideally, I am saving a shelter dog’s life by finding it a loving, forever home. The reality is that I’m doing the best I can NOT to rent puppies. In the dog-rescue arena, however, cute, cuddly puppies and small lap dog always win out over the adult dogs.

The big black dogs are ignored as people lift up the soft, floppy lab babies or the speckled beagle-mixes or the fluffy shepherd-hounds. The medium-sized brown dogs are passed over if there is anything—adult or puppy—that looks like a Chihuahua, even if that critter is too tall, long-backed, sickle-hocked and snappish. The nine-month old adolescent dogs—the ones who were smooched on and loved over as puppies—jump and bang against their crates, clamoring for attention because no one ever taught them basic manners.

People come in with amazingly detailed shopping lists—“I want a white female malti-poo.” Or “We’re looking for a black-and-tan dachshund puppy.” My personal eye-roller is “We want a dog that won’t get too big.” I generally ask the potential adopter, “Show me with your hand how big is ‘too big’.” The person may hold their hand at least knee-high, but they’ll often add: “I don’t want anything over 25-pounds.”

Meanwhile, my portable crates are filled with soulful eyed coonhound mixes, eagle-eyed Australian cattle dogs who need day-jobs, and, of course, the dime-a-dozen lab and retriever types who bring new meaning to the word “boisterous.” Not one of these dogs is close to weighing 25 pounds.
If they can’t find their shopping-list dog, people often fall in love with the puppies. And all too often those puppies end up in a shelter several months later as untrained, leggy, and wildly exuberant not-quite-adult dogs. These “teenage” dogs have it roughest—they don’t have the cuddle-currency of a puppy, and since they often are not quite housebroken (many owners take a lax stance on the potty issue, so the dog never quite gets the routine down) and lack even basic leash training, they’ll be passed up, again and again.

Even my best adult dogs don’t stand a chance against the puppies. Every shelter volunteer will tell you about the amazing, awesome, superb and wonderful adult dogs we have seen in the kennels. But it’s an uphill battle trying to match these animals with the right family—and those cute puppies don’t make the job any easier. Combine the puppy factor with the fact that many adult dogs enter the shelter system for shaky reasons (yard too small, schedules kids won’t care for the animal, people are moving, and it’s no wonder more animals than ever need loving homes.

So my weekends are spent with kennel-crazed shelter dogs. I put collars on them, spritz them with doggie perfume, then lavish as much attention on them as I can—walks, ear rubs, a little basic command-practice and lots of treats. And when an adoption match-up works, I know that I’ve at least done a small part in saving one dog. But I won’t rent you a puppy.

We Don’t Rent Puppies

I volunteer as an “adoption coordinator” for the animal shelter in my county, which lies north of Metro Houston, Texas. Our county took in more 20,000 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens in 2008. The number of dogs placed in new homes is argued over, but it’s safe to say that, unfortunately, thousands of pets never made the cut.

The county is trying—truly—to reduce its euthanasia rate, and the paid shelter staff and all the adoption coordinators, dog walkers, bathers, groomers, puppy fosters, transporters, publicity folks, volunteer vets, and even most of the adopters, are doing their absolute best. However, the puppies, dogs, cats and kittens keep on arriving at the shelter.

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle the small part I contribute to help stem the tide of unwanted animals, along with my own observations about the animal-rescue business. And, no, we don’t rent puppies.