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!

Puppy Perils

This is "Dezi", who is harder to "dress" than a Barbie doll. The red sweater is held on with the pink harness. The jingle bell helps me find her. The Cone of Shame keeps her from chewing on her cast. She can still move at the speed of light. Thanks to Allie, of "Hyperbole and a Half" for giving me the courage to post one of my pencil sketches, tweaked in Photoshop Elements 6.

Question: What goes "Tick, tick, jingle, tick.....jingle...click, yip, yip, yip."?

Answwer: A Miniature Pinscher with a cast on her front leg.

I do not normally foster puppies. I admit this. I prefer adult dogs. I don't have a puppy-proof house or yard, although my yard is escape-proof.

So when I came home with this 5.2 pound black-and-tan puppy with a broken leg, I assumed that I'd be able to keep up with her. I mean, how fast can a tiny dog with a huge plaster splint around her front leg move?

The puppy, cast and all, fell in my pool, right off the bat. I had to take her back to the Vet to have a new cast put on because she got completely soaked. I paid for it of course.

I swear, I was watching her, but she darted around or behind me (or transported herself through space) in a couple seconds while we were walking around the pool back to the house.

When I figured out that she wasn't next to me, I saw my own oversize MinPin, Chopper, staring intently at the pool, ears cocked, and the puppy was paddling--quite well, actually--to keep her head above water.

Which makes me wonder how on Earth puppies ever make it to adulthood at all.

Dezi, as she is named, is almost impossible to keep up with. Her cast doesn't slow her down at all--without it I'm sure she would move at warp speed.

Things I have removed from her tiny puppy mouth: computer cords, lamp cords, a bit of celery that dropped on the floor, twist ties, sparkly purple stuff from something that must belong to my daughter.

She can climb up stairs, but not down--the Cone of Shame that she must wear to keep her from chewing on her bandages limits her vision.

She can get on the couch (she couldn't do this last week when I brought her home but she has grown, as puppies tend to do). She annoys Cross, my fluffy dog. She gets run over by Chopper because he zooms around snorking up things from the floors like a Dustbuster with legs.

She thinks my husband is the most wonderful man in the world and when he walks in the door, she hops up and down like she's just pounded three Red Bulls. Then, she falls asleep in my arms and snuggles her head into my shirtsleeve and sighs a happy, happy puppy sigh. She is absolutely adorable.

Back on Track

I have been away from my blog for three reasons:
1. My 16-year-old daughter had Marching Band Competitions from early October through the first week of November.
2. My Off-Site Coordinator and dear friend, Ms. M. stepped down from volunteer Team Lead for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter at the end of September.
3. The Shelter has undergone many shifts and changes, and I've been completely out of the loop.

-*-
On November 9th, I found a home for the wonderful Mrs. Puff. A fellow Band Mom adopted her, and Mrs. Puff has already been Vet-checked and had treatment for her teeth. Mrs. Puff had 7 teeth pulled and is on a KD Diet and has trimmed down almost a pound since her arrival at the Shelter in late July. My friend is going to start PetsMart training with Mrs. Puff at the end of the month. Like many Chihuahuas, Mrs. Puff didn't know anything about leashes and had no real obedience skills. So this spry, 10-year-old girl will soon learn how to sit and heel! And since it is an "open adoption", Mrs. Puff may visit our house for dog-sitting when my friend is traveling.


I have a new foster--a very bouncy, cute-as-can-be black-and-tan Miniature Pinscher puppy. "Desiree" came to my house the day after Mrs. Puff left. She is about 4.5 months old and weighs 5.2 pounds with the cast on her broken right front leg. She arrived at the Shelter with the injury, along with dark blue paint on her toenails. She was someone's pet but wasn't claimed. Our Shelter has a less-than-stellar return-to-owner rate. Desiree has to wear the cast (and the Cone of Shame) for about 8 weeks. She'll visit the Vet who did the surgery, which included a pin to hold the bones in her leg in place, next week for a check-up.

My own dogs are doing well--Chopper had his two heartworm shots and is at the end of his one-month of rest. And Cross is still a sweetie, although she needs an appointment at the groomer's to trim off her shaggies.

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I have removed this blog from my Facebook account via Networked Blogs. I made the decision after receiving a message from the acting Shelter Director regarding some numbers I quoted about the euthanizations of cats over the summer. I made it clear in the post (see September 16th) where I got the information: "Meanwhile, the Shelter is overrun with kittens and cats. I heard, unofficially, that approximately 1,000 cats and kittens have made the trip to the EU room in the past few weeks."

The response from the Shelter Director was first posted on my Facebook wall, then later removed and sent to me via a Facebook message:

"Your 'unofficial' information about 1000 dogs/cats going to the EU room was very, very inaccurate. Since I know you care about the dogs who may not realize when people who don't know us read those things and may think we're a high kill shelter and we are NOT..and may choose not the help us. As you know, community support is vital to saving animals."

The number of EUs per month is listed on the County's website under Archives. I checked the numbers here: http://www.co.montgomery.tx.us/animal/search/reportarchive.htm. Unless the County's own numbers are inaccurate, my qualified statement (regarding cats only, since that is what I was writing about in the two sentences I devoted to the subject) was not overstated. According to the County, 600 cats were euthanized in July 2010, while in August, 233 cats were euthanized due to space/behavior issues (the County is instituting new, more specific labeling criteria). An additional 207 cats were euthanized in August due to sickness or injury. These numbers match closely with the numbers from my "unofficial" sources.

At the time Shelter Director's response arrived in my email, things were up in the air at the Shelter and rumors were flying loose and fast. Two months later, things have settled down and Constable Tim Holifield, the public official in charge of the Shelter (in theory, the buck stops with him), has made some changes and put some positive spin on things. I'm not criticizing, just stating my opinion, based on the communications sent out to volunteers.

Meanwhile, my friend, Ms. M., has been on an information-gathering safari, rounding up no-kill sheltering models, including the benchmarks used by Austin Pets Alive. It is Ms. M's opinion that actual progress toward becoming a "No-Kill" Shelter is minimal at best.

The Constable wrote in a volunteer newsletter circulated in mid-October:

• "WE ARE COMMITTED TO BECOMING A 'NO-KILL SHELTER'!
• As we progress to the status of 'No Kill', we must first successfully pass a multitude of milestones, each having their important place in every 'No Kill' Shelter. To my knowledge, in the State of Texas there are none that are government owned. The difficulty with a government owned facility is the lack of ability to decide which animals will be accepted or refused.
• It is the position of staff, volunteers and animal lovers alike of moving Montgomery County Animal Shelter closer and closer until we reach the ultimate goal of a 'No Kill Shelter'. We believe there are several components to reaching this goal and simply overcrowding a kennels with 3+ animals and watching them get sick, while claiming to be 'No Kill' except for sick animals is not the answer."

I'm clueless as to whether these statements represent true commitment or the usual political blather. We'll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I'm fostering the Miniature Pinscher for the Friends of the Montgomery County Animal Shelter (FMCTAS), a fund-raising non-profit group that provides money for medical expenses and other needs that fall through the cracks at the Shelter. Although Desiree is an adorable dog, I'm not sure why she wasn't placed with a rescue, in particular, with the Texas Chapter of Internet Miniature Pinscher Service (IMPS) which does fabulous work foster, re-habbing and placing Min-Pins. The FMCTAS has spent a lot on this sweet girl (and we can only keep praying she doesn't get distemper) but if she is placed as an MCAS pet, she'll be adopted out for $75.00 at best.

While there have been days I've stood in the Adoption Rooms and wished we had some purebred dogs instead of 80 pit-lab mixes and hyper Cattle Dogs, I know we probably need to focus on moving as many animals out of the Shelter as possible. Getting dogs (and cats) into rescue is vital.

-*-

So, faithful readers, I'm back on track, even if I don't know where I will be serving as a volunteer. For now, fostering is fine. Ms M. is working on some new directions and I plan to be involved with that, too, even if I'm not able to help with the ground-floor planning due to some other personal commitments. Please bear with me and stay tuned!

October Multi-Tasking

This is an iPhone photo of a Street Dog in Peru.
You can tell he's got severe mange. I'm not sure why he's wearing the shirt.
I can't wait to hear the story from my friend when our Church group returns from Peru.

I have had a whirlwind of October activities that have kept me away from doing Off-Site adoptions, thus the paucity of posts. I feel a bit like I've got a dog like the one in the photo below chasing after me!

Goofy dog trailer hitch cover seen at the Texas Renaissance Festival.

I had to take off my "Dog Lady" cowboy hat and don my "Band Mom" hat. My 16-year-old daughter plays mellophone (a marching-style French Horn) in The Woodlands High School Marching Band, and October is the busiest Band month.

This is my "Band Mom" Hat. My "Dog Lady" Hat is a brown Stetson cowboy hat.

There are football games, practices, competitions, auditions and fundraisers. We spend a lot of time on yellow school buses. We stand in lines, sit on stadium seats and cheer our Band kids on. They are super kids--dedicated, funny, and unfailing polite. They just earned a first place in their UIL Area Division, competing against 30 Bands to earn the privilege to go to the Texas State UIL Marching competition to be held next week in San Antonio. I will load up my three dogs (Chopper, Cross and my sweet foster, Mrs. Puff) to head to my Mom's house in Spring Branch (close to New Braunsfels). We'll leave the dogs with my Dad to babysit the pack--a total of seven dogs, including four Chihuahuas--and go watch the Bands participate in two separate competitions.

Chopper in a quiet pose. Soon his Heartworms will be history!

We've had a lot of transitions and changes at the Shelter lately, but there's one great bit of news--the Shelter has begun offering the Heartworm treatment to the adopters and fosters on the six-page waiting list. The treatments were halted in early summer for a number of reasons (cost, vaccine availability, staffing issues, etc.) but are now being offered.

I had a part in this--my newly adopted dog, Chopper, was heartworm positive, so I have been asking, and asking again, when the treatments would begin again. I got the call this week to bring him in for a two-day, two-shot protocol. Now the issue will be keeping a bouncy, squirrel-chasing 18-pound Miniature Pinscher quiet for a month!

I'm still fostering the amazing Mrs. Puff, the elderly but very spunky owner-surrender Chihuahua. My daughter wants to keep her. I love her dearly and she's a very easy dog. My dogs love her, too. But a fellow Band Mom has met her and wants to adopt her after the hub-bub of our competitive season is done in about two weeks. My friend recently lost her own elderly dog and has taken quite a shine to Mrs. Puff. I told my daughter we can go visit Mrs. Puff and even take her a Christmas present later this year!

I'm looking forward to getting back into my Dog Lady volunteer work. I'm excited about some new volunteer opportunities that are on the horizon, and look forward to helping new foster dogs find homes. I received an email from the Shelter noting that we'll be participating in the Home for the Holidays program again this year--it's one of my favorite national tie-in programs.

Don't Pity the Shelter Dog

Okay, it's an advertising line for Pedigree Dog Food, but it's true--don't pity the Shelter dog.
Pity never helped anyone, dog or person.  Pity is easy, cheap and pointless.  The key is to do something.  I always have to tamp down the inclination to get hacked off when people come up to our Off-Site animals and say, "Oh, I could never do you what you are doing."

It's not rocket science, folks.  It's not a 26-mile foot race.  It's not a solo piano concert at Carnegie hall.  It's just taking some sort of action.  I know there are many reasons why some animal lovers can't do some aspects of the sort of volunteer work I do--allergies, parental responsibilities, incompatible work schedules, a reluctant spouse.  You know, life stuff.

But don't give me lame excuses and expect me to absolve you of your pity.  I don't have the time.  It's hot out right now.  The dogs are arriving in greater numbers at the Shelter.  Those in charge of the County coffers are having second thoughts about taking the Shelter to a No-Kill position.  Fosters are in short supply.  Things are tough all over, and pity doesn't help.

So, here's what you can do next time you see me at an Off-Site event:  Put some money in the damn donation jar.  Or offer to walk a dog.  Buy a box of dog biscuits or a leash or a collar, and donate them to the cause so I don't have to buy these things each week.  If I'm by myself at the Off-site,  offer to sit and just watch the animals so I can go take a bathroom break.  These are the easy things, things you can do anytime you see animal rescue volunteers with adoptable dogs and cats at PetsMart, Petco, or other public places.  These things are helpful.

Of course, you could volunteer your time to foster an animal.  "Oh, I'd never be able to give them up if I fostered one," I hear people say.  Nonsense.  You're not taking the animal to keep.  You are providing a crate, a bed, good food, a bath, a routine, some basic training, and some love.  It's not that complicated. Okay, it's a lot more complicated if you take a sick, injured animal, or a litter of puppies, or a clutch of tiny kittens that need to be bottle-fed, but we have so many animals in need that you have your pick.  You don't have to take on the worst case right out the chutes.

Foster homes improve a dog's chances of being adopted.  A clean, exercised, well-fed dog is much more likely to find a home.  A dog with any kind of a "history"--information a foster learns about the dog's temperament and needs--is much more adoptable.  Sure, you take the risk of having a "foster fail" (when you end up keeping the foster animal), but there are folks who can help you avoid that if you feel so tempted.  Besides, we all have foster fails.

If you can't do any the things I've suggested, at least do these things:

1.)  Spay or neuter all your pets.  The world does not need another litter of puppies or kittens.
2.)  Don't buy from roadside breeders or "puppy stores."
3.)  Make sure your dog is taking monthly heartworm prevention.
4.)  Microchip your pet and register the number.
5.)  Don't let your dog run loose.  Don't keep your dog all day long in a backyard unless you have a properly constructed kennel with shade, shelter and fresh water and food.
6.)  Don't chain your dog.
7.)  Train your dog so he or she can be a good member of your family.

Above all, don't ever pity the Shelter dog.  Adopt one.  Foster one.  Or donate your time and money.  It's not hard to help.

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.

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.

Little and Fiesty

I have acquired a second foster, a teeny, tiny, itsy-bitsy, bitey-bitey black-and-tan Chihuahua girl.  One of the Shelter Clinic Techs pulled her from the Stray area  because she was so nippy she would have been euthanized and urged me to take her home and "tame" her.

Evidently, I have become the "small dog lady".  I'm also considered the Chihuahua expert--which makes me laugh!  My off-site Team Leader, who loves the big lunk-head Labs, was impressed how I dodged the Chi's nips in order to get a slip leash on her.  If you use a towel and grip her from behind, she can't get you with her itty-bitty teeth.

This little girl is tee-nincey, weighing maybe two and a half pounds.  She growls (a teeny sound) and rolls her eyes and nip-nip-nips!  Her bite isn't strong, but she is a wiggly, fiesty thing.  She is terrified and doesn't hesitate to let you know how she feels. She did eat some chicken from my fingers at dinner tonight and she seems calmer than she did yesterday, when I first saw her.  Hopefully, she'll come around.  She is absolutely adorable--my 16-year-old squealed like a kid when she saw her.

Tinker Bell (as I'm calling her since "El Diablo" is a boy's name) isn't in good shape--her toenails were so long (before the first bit of trimming) that the front feet nails curled completely under.  She's skinny and has a silver dollar-sized bald patch on her right side (an old burn wound?).  She came in as a stray (how on Earth did the Animal Control officer catch her???) and hasn't been spayed or checked for heartworms (with my luck lately, she'll be heartworm positive).  I just hope she doesn't get distemper like Arabella did.

Tucker Starts Heartworm Treatment

This little guy is Tucker, my current foster.  He had the first of two immiticide shots to combat heartworm infestation and he is currently curled under my desk, groaning pitifully.  I hate having to put a dog through heartworm treatment--the cure is painful and risky.  Tucker will have a second shot tomorrow followed by a month of crate rest (or at least very limited activity).  Barring complications, the adult heartworms will be killed by the powerful drug and he'll be on Heartguard to prevent further infection.

Here in Houston, preventive heartworm treatment is a year-round necessity.  Anyone who skips preventive treatment is putting their dog at stake.  I know that many dog blogs offer conflicting opinions about treatment and preventive protocols for heartworm, and I hate it when people say, "Oh, we give the heartworm preventive in the warm months but not in the winter."  I get mosquito bites all year round, and so do dogs.  And heartworms are transmitted only by mosquitoes.  Dog bloggers who advise people to use farm animal products or to skip using Heartgaurd or similar products because it is a "Big Pharma scam" should come walk our corridors at the Shelter. About 40 percent of our incoming animals come in with heartworm.  And many times, the heartworm is so advanced that the animals are already severely ill.  In our area, the main reasons people don't give preventive tablets are financial--or they assume that if their dog appears healthy, it doesn't have heartworms.

I'm not looking forward to the next two weeks of extremely limited exertion for Tucker.  But he'll be a healthier dog at the end it.

Doin' the Distemper Dance

Distemper is a horror--it is highly contagious, and almost always lethal.  Plus, it's dicey to diagnose since the early symptoms mimic other common ailments, including bordetella (kennel cough), upper respiratory infections and the early stages of parvo.

My little foster Chihuahua, Arabella, who we're calling Princess, probably has it.  It's tentative because obtaining a distemper diagnosis is not easy.  We've got fever (highs up to 104.9 degrees F, currently averaging about 103.4 degrees F), lethargy, despondency, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, excessive salivation, dehydration and gummy eyes with red rims.  The kitchen-sink approach (described two posts earlier in this blog) didn't work.  Four days of IVs and antibiotics worked only as long as the catheter was in place. 

So now we're trying something new and controversial--the Dr. Sears treatment, which is based on the "Newcastle" vaccine.  One of our area Vets who has treated animals from the Shelter is offering the three-day series of serum vaccines (taken from healthy donor dogs).   Today, our little Chihuahua received the first of the vaccines, along with an injection of Baytril.

Her sponsor has taken her home tonight because she wants to oversee the dog's treatment.  The sponsor is convinced she can do a better job getting the dog to eat (good luck with that).  Plus, she doesn't have kids.  I'll get the dog back on Thursday, which provides me with a chance to catch my breath.  I have another foster dog, plus my own dog.  Taking care of this dog has been a challenge because my family is still grieving the loss of our dog, and her symptoms have caused her to look a lot like he did (although he didn't have distemper), which pains my 16-year-old to tears.  I don't know if the Newcastle approach will work.  All we can do is try.

According to an ABC news report in March, "Spring is considered to be distemper season. But what's happening now is believed to be more than that. Harris County Animal Control is seeing about 20 percent more distemper cases than normal. Then there's the wildlife population. Raccoons are susceptible to distemper. Since January more have been brought into Houston's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center."  Distemper outbreaks are also reported in Autstin, and are affecting other states as well as Texas--California and Florida are experiencing upticks in cases.  In Toronto, Canada, there is an outbreak of distemper in raccoons that is spreading to dogs.

What galls me is that distemper is one of the most preventable diseases that afflicts dogs.  Years ago, of course, it was a rampant killer, but vaccinations for puppies have put a huge dent in the disease's power.  However, many people don't vaccinate their puppies--and almost all the puppies from unwanted litters arrive at the Shelter vulnerable to the disease.  They are sentenced to death because they are exposed before the vaccines have a chance to take effect.


We can't do much about wild-animal transmission of distemper to dogs, but we can save lives, not mention tons of money, by vaccinating.  As for Arabella, only time will tell.

Shelter Crash and the Kitchen Sink

This is "Princess" (what my daughter is calling her), aka "Aribella," a Chi Mix foster.  She is I have a foster dog that is suffering from "Shelter Crash" as I call the decline that begins shortly after pulling the dog from the Shelter.  The "Crash" includes an array of symptoms that range from loss of appetite to loose stools, lethargy and fever.  Princess arrived Mother's Day with the "zoomies" and a very active kissy-tongue, but a week later, she lost her pep and zip.

Princess has lost weight she couldn't afford to lose, won't eat much but hand-fed boiled chicken, and won't drink, so we've done sub-cus twice and I'm giving her watered down Royal Canin Recovery by syringe.  She still wags her tail and trots a bit outside, but retreats to her crate or the blankets by the recliner.  Two days ago, she spiked a fairly high fever.  She had a cursory exam by a Vet on Sunday, and has seen another Vet (better--i.e., more attuned to Shelter dog issues) on Monday.  We're heading back this afternoon because she hasn't perked up the way she needs too, although at least she isn't declining horrifically fast.

Meanwhile, we're doing the Kitchen Sink treatment--she's been wormed, and has the bordetella booster, and isn't a puppy, so we're pretty sure it's not parvo.  She's taking an Albon-Metroniadazaole combo in liquid, plus a docycline tablet, plus she's had three days of penicillin injections with B12 added along with some other anti-biotic.  I have given her some Purina foriflora powder and have an anti-diarrhea tablet but haven't given her that since she hasn't had a bowel movement. 

So...what's the deal?  This has happened before with my fosters.  They come home chipper, then crash and burn.  So we try a little of everything because under most circumstances we don't do any diagnostics via blood tests.  This little girl's coughing, discharging snot or wheezing, but it still could be disptemper.  Or giardia, or some other parasite.  Of course, there's one other unknown--she's not been tested for heartworms.  I don't think her symptoms point to heartworms, but then, I'm no Vet.  Plus I think she's coming into heat.

I hope we can get this dog back into shape--she's a little character and will make someone an awesome pet.  

My Newest Foster

Meet Tucker, my newest foster.  He's been on my "project dog" list at the Shelter for more than a week, and on Tuesday, I brought him home.  He's a sweet, young dog with a toffee-colored coat, the biggest brown eyes and soft, floppy ears.  We think he's a Beagle-Chihuahua mix.  He's a little bigger than my dog Taco was, but far too skinny, so he's getting extra meals for now.

He had worms and kennel cough, and I got him put into the Iso Ward so he could get medication.  I couldn't bring him home because of Taco's illness, but now he's here.  Tonight we went on our first walk--he was skittish but settled into the rhythm pretty well.  Cross, my little Rat Terrier is ignoring him.  Tucker is so happy to be out of the Shelter.  And my daughter perked up the moment I brought him home.  When he has gained some weight, he'll go to Off-Sites.  He will make someone a wonderful pet.  And for us, he's soothing our sadness.

What We Learn from Shelter Dogs

Here’s a story about two shelter dogs.  In early February, an elderly woman surrendered two dogs to the Shelter.  She had had the dogs since each was a puppy, but was caring for her husband (who had terminal cancer) and he was becoming anxious when the dogs came to him for attention.  The woman wrote a one-page, single-spaced bio for each dog, including everything about how much food they ate, what toys they liked and so on. She attached their original adoption paperwork, health records and microchip information.

I did not witness this intake, but after reading the dogs’ bios, I didn’t get the feeling that this was a casual or easy decision.  It is easy to make a snap judgment and claim that we’d never do such a thing, but I prefer to err on the side of mercy.  I don’t know if this woman would have made a different decision if we could have offered her options—say if we could have found a temporary foster for her dogs. We all know that more needs to be done to help older people prepare for the time when they can’t care for their pets without help. 

I met “Hapa” (a Hawaiian word meaning half-breed), a fluffy Keeshound mix, and “Bear” (a black German Shepherd mix) on a Monday, the day after their intake while selecting dogs for a week-long PetsMart adoption event.  I immediately put them on my Off-Site list.  They clean, healthy, and extremely despondent.  Bear was particularly attached to Hapa.  Both dogs had impeccable manners—they walked at a heel, sat on command, and could sit up for a treat.

At the end of the Off-Site, I convinced a brand-new Off-Site helper, Jeff, to take these two dogs home so they didn’t have to go back into the chaos of the Shelter.  He had dogs of his own (don’t we all?) and could only keep them crated in his garage.  The weather was cool, so that was fine.

It took about a month to find a new home for Hapa and Bear.  Extremely bonded dogs can be adopted separately, but it was clear that these dogs –who were about six years old—would do best if placed together, so that that was the game plan.  Jeff was an awesome foster.  He spent his own money to have some Vet work done on one of the dog’s teeth (there was some rot) and did other things to keep the dogs healthy.  Several people wrote up ads and placed them on the local on-line sources and told our friends and acquaintances about these dogs.  The dogs eventually found a home.

When I heard the complete tale, I felt a bit guilty about encouraging Jeff—who a brand-new volunteer!—to take on these dogs, but it was his choice. I saw Jeff this weekend.  He has had other fosters since Hapa and Bear.  He is a great volunteer and is focused on what’s best for the dogs.  Here’s what he wrote me about his experience with Hapa and Bear: 

“I really did mean it when I said I wanted to thank you for getting me involved the first night.  To repeat myself, I learned a lot from Bear and Hapa in terms of what is really important in life-- in terms of what a person spends time on.  I gained some personal intestinal fortitude from the attitude of those two very strong dogs.

“They accepted their current circumstances and handled them very bravely and showed such gratitude with their unadulterated affection every morning when I went out to feed them. They were very brave and courageous dogs and deserve the loving environment in which they now live. I think of them every so often and will never forget their attentive look to me when I would say from 30 feet away – “Where are those two good girls?”

I hear stories like this from other volunteers.  We may be helping the dogs, but in so many cases, it is the dogs who help us the most. 

Adoption Updates!

Most of the dog adoptions I complete are done at off-site locations such as PetsMart or at local community festivals. Consequently, I don't normally get to see my dogs with their new families except by chance.  Even with my foster placements, I don't have a way to do much beyond a follow-up by phone--I represent the County and and have no legal claim to the dogs I place.

However, two of my fosters have been placed with friends and one adopter--"Peaches," the puppy mill Chihuahua--has sent me several emails.

"Felicity," a little grey-and-black dog is now named "Chloe" and has a home with a friend of mine who lives near Cut-and-Shoot, Texas. Chloe has a best buddy, Dexter (a mini-schnauzer) and loves to run out to greet the Great Pyrenees that guard my friends' goats.  My friend says she thinks that Chloe may be part Papillan and part Terrier.  I plan to go out and visit Chloe soon.

"Peaches" found a wonderful home with a semi-retired couple who live in Missouri.  They spent the winter months here in Texas and first met Peaches at a PetsMart event in mid-February.  They came with their rescue dog (a sweet little Japanese Chin named "Chappie") and spent the afternoon with me.  Peaches fell in love with the husband and very quickly adjusted to being the Queen of the Motorhome, with Chappie as her loyal subject.  She is now at her new home in Missouri and loves her yard and likes to chase one of the housecats.  Peaches' family sends me emails on a regular basis, which is great because we still miss Peaches.

I wish I could see how "Rusty," my little heartworm-positive Miniature Pinscher, is doing.  I called his people twice, but would just like to know if he's still with them.  The staff knows that if one of my foster dogs ever comes back to the Shelter they are to call me ASAP.  I also always tell the adopters that if things should change, they can call me and I'll make arrangements to get the dog.

Peaches Found a Home

My little BYB mama dog Chihuahua, Peaches, has found a home--with a retired couple from Missouri who winter around the "warmer" South in their motor home (I saw on the weather forecast that it was snowing in Kerrville, their next motor home stop!).  Peaches' new Mom has sent along several email updates, and I'm pleased to report that Peaches has learned to walk on a leash to do her potty business, and she is quickly transferring her bond to her new people.  Peaches even has a doggy buddy to boss around (Queen Bee dog that she is), a sweet-natured puppy mill rescue Japanese Chin named "Cappie."  Peaches new family has always had "second-hand dogs" and Peaches has big paws to fill--they recently lost their beloved "Chula," another puppy mill Chihuahua mama dog.  Peaches' new mom told me that she believes her dear Chula was nudging her from Dog Heaven to visit the particular PetsMart where I was doing an off-site with Peaches.

I'll miss my sweet love bug Peaches, but I'm sure I'll be getting regular updates!  As my daughter says, now it's time for me to go get another "new best friend."

Chihuahuas Multiply in Shelters

According to the Los Angeles Times blog, “LA Unleashed,” there has been a sharp increase of Chihuahuas entering California animal shelters. The increase is being blamed, in part, on the long-term pop culture status of these feisty little dogs—from Paris Hilton’s pocket pooch, “Tinkerbell,” to the saucy, lately departed “Gidget,” who played the Taco Bell Dog who snarled, “Yo Quiero Taco Bell!” during the wildly popular Taco Bell commercials of the early 2000s.

I don’t have statistics for our Shelter here in Metro Houston, but Chihuahuas arrive, in various sizes and temperaments, on a regular basis. Recently, we received four Chihuahuas which were surrendered by their owners because the owners claimed, “We aren’t making money with these dogs anymore.”

One of those dogs, “Peaches,” the matriarch breeder Chihuahua, is sitting on my lap as I write this entry. We’re at my Mom’s house in Spring Branch, TX, which is a virtual “Chihuahua Ranch” since my Mom has three Chihuahuas (plus my very first ever foster dog, a Jack Russell mix).

“Peaches” has overcome her fear to exhibit her true Chihuahua nature—she is snippy, bossy, needy, and exceedingly cute as she prances along, thrilled with her new life as a “Queen of the Lap Dogs.” Her very nature—her tendency to snap if she feels threatened, her prancy gait, and her radar-quick prick ears, are hall-marks of the breed’s character.

I grew up with my Mom’s Chihuahuas—we’re in the fourth generation of dogs (none are related)--and while I am a small dog fan, I rarely recommend Chihuahuas to my adopters.

These are high-maintenance dogs—their tiny tummies do best with several small meals, they have are horrifically difficult to housebreak (so you’ll be cleaning up tiddle spots and poops around the house) and they are noisy, noisy, noisy. Of course, they love to snuggle, they have kissable little, round heads, and they fit perfectly in your arms.

Still, I don’t recommend them to most of my adopters. Chihuahuas aren’t great with little kids. They are fragile and nippy. They chew up everything they can get in their mouths. And if your Chihuahua eats a packet of M&Ms, you’ll be making a vet visit to have its tummy pumped.

We get lots of Chihuahuas in the Shelter. Many come in with confirmation issues—overbites, underbites, hip problems, splayed feet, weird body shapes and eye problems. The Chi-Weenies (the Designer Dog cross of Chihuahuas with Dachshunds) aren’t any better, in spite of the “thumbs up” given by the Animal Planet show, “Dogs 101.” The ones we get at the Shelter tend to be wildly long in the back, with bad teeth, temperament issues aside.

All that said, my little foster girl, “Peaches,” is going to make some Chihuahua-savvy person an awesome pet. She’s a very perky, pretty girl (in spite of her overbite and bad teeth) and is a snug-bug who is easy to sleep with (yes, I let her sleep in bed with me—it’s almost unheard of to banish a Chihuahua pet from your bed!) Right now, “Peaches” thinks she’s going to stay with me, but on January 2nd, she’ll be at a foster-dog event in search of an owner who will give her the life she deserves.

What do you think about these attractive little diva-dogs? Let me know in the comments!

Puppy Mill Chihuahua Mama

My 11th foster dog for 2009: a tiny Chihuahua girl who was a puppy mill breeder mama. She was one of four back yard breeder dogs turned into the Shelter last week. When does a "back yard breeder" become a "puppy mill breeder"?--well, in my mind, it's when the owner surrender form states: "We had these dogs only for breeding for top dollar puppies. We no longer make money with these dogs and are moving."

I don't know how the intake person who handled this "surrender" could keep calm. I think I would have gone ballistic. There were three females and one male. Three of the chihuahuas had horrible confirmation--long, skinny backs, outward-turned paws and weak mouths. The mama, named "Peaches," by her owners (although she doesn't appear to answer to the name) came with me. Peaches has an overall good body type, adorable markings, including a kissy spot of white on top of her round apple head, tiny ears and a peach-colored coat, but she has a severe underbite, crooked lower teeth and her ankles have fallen so far they nearly touch the ground. The ankle issue is probably a by-product of spending a life in a wire cage.

All the dogs were nearly feral, with poor socialization. This mama dog was not producing puppies for her owners because when the Shelter vet did the spay operation, the poor dog's uterus was filled with pus from a horrible infection. The Shelter vet did a full hysterectomy and gave her an antibiotic shot. I have started Peaches on Clavamox and have give her some Tramodol leftover from when my little dog got bit up by the Jack Russell foster (that happened in April).

Peaches nommed hard on my index finger put of fear yesterday while I was putting a harness on her, but she seems a bit less terrified today. Picking her up without a fuss is impossible, of course, but she did eat some boiled chicken out of my hand. She is probably not housebroken, but has piddled on the pee-pee pad.

While I was taking care of Peaches' paperwork, the dispatcher came in to say that one of the Animal Control officers was bringing in 10 Rat Terriers from a hoarding situation where there were at least 40 dogs. The Shelter is stuffed with dogs, and we're not really set up to handle these special cases. If you live in the Houston area, and would like to foster a special needs dog, please leave me a comment or visit the Montgomery County Texas Animal Shelter website, http://www.montgomerycountypets.com/. I'll be posting updates about "Peaches" and her kennel-mates.

Back in the Saddle

After taking time off in October and November from dog rescue work to support my 10th grade marching band student, I am now back to hosting foster dogs and working at Off-Site Adoption events in Montgomery County, Texas.

I did an off-site event in early December, and came home with a new foster dog, a sweet, pretty little terrier mix female. She had kennel cough, tapeworms and roundworms, but after 10 days of medicine, she was regaining her spirit. I found her home—a friend overheard me talking about the dog when things were still touch and go (she wouldn’t eat for the first two days I had her) and on December 12th, “Felicity” (as I had named her) went to her new home. Today, I met her new owner at the Shelter and we got the dog her rabies shot and microchip. Unfortunately, she turned out to be mildly heartworm positive, but will do fine being on a monthly dose of Heartguard. The neat thing about this adoption is that I’ll be able to check up on “Felicity” in the future!

Currently the Shelter is overflowing with animals. We’re having a late-season influx of puppies and kittens, and have received many owner-surrendered pets. We have hundreds of adoptable animals—cats, dogs, puppies and kittens. Many animals are available through special holiday adoption programs. For more information for adoptions in the North Houston, TX, area (North Harris County and Montgomery County) visit the Montgomery County, Texas, Animal Shelter website at http://www.montgomerycountypets.com/

Rusty Found a Home

Rusty, my little stag red miniature pinscher foster, with me since May 23rd, found a home on Labor Day, Monday, September 5th. He was with me all summer because he came to me heartworm positive, and it was awhile before we could start the treatment, followed by a month of crate rest. I didn't take to many events in August because we were busy getting my kids back to school.

Beginning Saturday, I took Rusty to three different Off-Site events over the long weekend, and was willing to hang onto him as long as it took to find the right match. I definitely wanted him to go with people who understand (and adore) min-pins. He attracted a lot of attention, but nothing seemed to click. Then a woman who had been looking for a min-pin to replace one she had owned years back saw him. She has an 11-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy, plus her husband. Rusty appears to be good with kids, and he’s not nippy, so I hope it works out.

I had a good feeling about this adoption, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’m going to call tomorrow to see how Rusty’s doing. I told the woman if she changes her mind, even after the 7-day-return policy (our Shelter has revised the policy, reducing the time from 10 days) to call me first. Rusty will not ever go back to the Shelter if I can prevent it.

I miss him so much. I had another foster over the holiday weekend,too, a needy little whippet mix girl who found a home on Tuesday. My dogs are very happy to have the house to themselves for awhile. My husband is happier too—he’s not that big on having fosters, although I know he really did like Rusty.

I can’t keep every dog, so that’s how it goes.

Rusty Is Housetrained

Rusty Is Housetrained
Originally uploaded by Calsidyrose

Just for fun--even though some people object to "housebreaking" (as opposed to "housetraining."

My foster dog, who is almost done with his one-month of rest from Heartworm treatment, has had to put up with my Mom's four dogs, including a Chihuahua puppy who sometimes will use the pee-pee pad but who much prefers to tinkle on the carpet.