This New Year is particularly happy, because the little Chihuahua who was looking for a home, found one. Many thanks to Fr. Ed Renner who took up Shorty's cause and spread the word that he needed a home. Many thanks to the family who took Shorty in.
May 2011 be a year when major advances are made in solving the homeless pet problem in the United States.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Looking For A Home
As they say in Tennessee, "This little guy is no bigger than a minute." Actually, in Tennessee, they say, "This little guy is no bigger'n a minute." But either way you say it, this little guy needs a loving home.
If you have a place in your heart and home, email me:
portiasmom at live dot com
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
A Home for Christmas
This portrait says it all. Brody has found his forever home where he can settle in and be the Pekingese he is meant to be. Isn't he a handsome boy!
Many thanks to Charlie and Dayonne. Special thanks to Charlie who works around Brody's antics to produce the well groomed doggie in this portrait.
Friday, December 10, 2010
No Room At The Rescues
The Holiday Season is here. The pressure is on to Trim the Tree, Deck the Halls, Bake the Pies, Mail the Cards, Buy the Gifts--and Wrap the Gifts!
And no matter how many times people are urged NOT to buy a puppy or a kitten, a dog or a cat at Christmastime, some people do.
There are two REALLY IMPORTANT reasons why acquiring a family pet at Christmastime might be a Very Bad Decision:
1. There is inadequate preparation for the new family member. The purchase is on impulse, and, sometimes, the recipient is TOTALLY surprised. Not. A. Good. Idea.
2. Holidays are noisy, chaotic days in many homes. A living creature trying to adjust to its new home, trying to figure out the house rules, is at a severe disadvantage and might--probably will--communicate its confusion and distress in "unacceptable" ways.
Pets acquired under these circumstances will almost inevitably be new "intakes" at public shelters, humane societies and rescues over the course of 2011. And because these facilities are filled to the max right now, many wonderful domestic pets' lives will be sacrificed to the thoughtlessness of humans during this time of giving.
If you are planning to add a dog or cat to your household this month--or any month, for that matter--I urge, I beg, I plead, that you consider the following points.
1. Any breeder who sells a puppy, kitten, dog or cat through a third party is being cruel, uncaring, irresponsible about the well being of that animal. This most certainly includes "donating" a living animal to be auctioned for charity.
2. Any breeder who is purposely breeding and selling mixed breed puppies--regardless of the cute "breed" label they are given--is ignorant, greedy, dishonest--take your pick.
3. Pet shops depend on puppy mills, which are the canine equivalent of Auschwitz. Yes. The puppies they sell have "papers." Auschwitz kept good records, too.
4. Care of the pet will be the responsibility of adults in the household. It's wonderful for children to help adults care for pets, but they must be junior partners. All children--especially children under ten years of age--must be supervised in all interaction with pets. Small dogs are EXTREMELY vulnerable to injury by young children. Toy breeds are not good choices for families with young children. Furthermore. Dogs who depend on children to feed them go hungry. Dogs who depend on children to water them go thirsty. Dogs who depend on children to let them into the back yard or walk them relieve themselves in the house.
5. The Help--nannies, housekeepers, gardeners, etc. should NOT be left to look after a family pet. However, if you are adopting from a responsible rescue, expect The Help to be included in the screening process. Actually, the very careful breeder of our Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers screened all Help before she would consider selling a puppy to any family.
On The Other Hand. The Holidays are a time when there is an emphasis on thinking of the needy, remembering those who are dependent on the generosity of others. Pets in shelters and rescues certainly fit that description.
1. If you are thinking of making a charitable donation as a gift to a friend or relative, consider an animal rescue. It is never too early for children to learn generosity toward the helpless and needy. There is a list of fine rescues on the right hand side of this blog that will put your donation to good use.
2. If you really are considering a dog or cat as a Christmas gift for your family, make the gifts actually given on Christmas Day be items that the new family member will need: food and water dishes; beds and cushions; grooming aids; safe, durable toys. Then, when life gets back to normal, your home will be ready for the new dog or cat.
3. Think seriously before taking children with you to choose a dog from a pound. Seeing rows on rows of rejected dogs, all of whom need a home, all of whom deserve a second chance, and knowing that the majority of them will never find that home, that second chance, is painful for the most mature adult to bear. In his book, A Small Furry Prayer , Steven Kotler refers to the process of acquiring a dog from a pound as Sophie's Choice. That's a little too "real" for many children--and some adults.
This is not meant in any way to discourage you from adopting from a pound or humane society. It's a wonderful, rewarding thing to do. But make that heart-wrenching trip an adult only undertaking. Before confronting all that canine pain, think seriously about the size of dog you are looking for and try to keep your basic criteria in mind in spite of all the heart tugs. If you are looking for a mid-sized dog, try not to succumb to a five pound mite or an eighty pound galumpf, no matter how appealing they are. VERY SMALL DOGS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN. There. I said it again. And if a dog is eighty pounds while living in the stress of a shelter, it will easily be ninety or ever one-hundred pounds when it settles into a happy home.
4. The internet is a wonderful resource when looking for a dog or cat. We found our first "rescue", Daphne, online.Petfinder makes it possible for you to visit shelters and rescues via your computer. We also investigated Greyhound rescues in San Diego County on the internet before we decided to adopt through Greyhound Adoption Center.
5. Regardless of the source of your adopted pet, be prepared for a screening process. In general, public facilities have fewer but more rigid criteria. Private rescues tend to be more thorough but will take individual situations case by case.
For example, my dear friend Edie, who is a model caretaker of small dogs, was refused permission to adopt a West Highland White Terrier mix from her county animal control shelter because she has no fence on her five acre property. She walks her dogs on leash as many times a day as they need it. This is actually the safest option for her little dogs, because coyotes, hawks and rattlesnakes frequent her property and letting a small dog loose--even in an enclosed area--for only a few minutes is risky. By the way, the dog that she applied for was euthanized because no one who met the agency's criteria wanted it.
On the other hand, John and I adopted our first rescue, Daphne, from a private rescue that waived the fence requirement because we were accustomed to walking our dogs on leash several times a day.
But there are also rescues--typically overwhelmed breed rescues--who may place dogs with no screening of adopters and little or no profiling of the dog. If you are a dedicated, experienced dog person, you will do everything in your power to make the adoption work. But for families with little experience with dogs, this type of adoption can end in tears. The less experience you have had with dogs, the more information about your adoptee's past, his or her behavioral patterns, and the more follow-up support you will need.
Remember. Even the least traumatic transition from one living arrangement to another--when a dog moves directly from one loving home to another--is stressful for a dog. It is a safe bet that the dog you adopt will not be experiencing "the least traumatic transition". Be patient. Be kind. Six months is not too long to expect as an adjustment period.
But whatever you decide to do, Think First. Please do not add to the misery of innocent cats and dogs who fill our rescues and shelters during this season of giving and good will.
Note: I usually write and post on the same day. This post has taken me eight days to write. The subject was too painful to deal with in just a few hours. Yesterday, as I was answering the phone for Greyhound rescue and thinking about finishing this post, I received a call from a Humane Society in the Central Valley of California, north of Sacramento. There are no large cities in the county they serve and they are hundreds of miles from San Diego County. But they have taken in a dog that appears to be part Greyhound and they are very crowded, so they were calling to see if we might have room for him.
The very nice lady I spoke with was apologetic: "I know you are probably full. Every shelter, every rescue I know of is full. I know you are at the other end of California. But I thought I would call, just in case..."
I am not the person who makes intake decisions for the rescue for which I do volunteer phone answering once a week. I don't have to decide the fate of a mixed-breed sighthound in a shelter miles away. I do know that the people who will be making that decision are compassionate, caring people, who will extend themselves on his behalf. But he is just one dog among hundreds of thousands of dogs who need homes this Christmas.
Please do not add to their numbers.
And no matter how many times people are urged NOT to buy a puppy or a kitten, a dog or a cat at Christmastime, some people do.
There are two REALLY IMPORTANT reasons why acquiring a family pet at Christmastime might be a Very Bad Decision:
1. There is inadequate preparation for the new family member. The purchase is on impulse, and, sometimes, the recipient is TOTALLY surprised. Not. A. Good. Idea.
2. Holidays are noisy, chaotic days in many homes. A living creature trying to adjust to its new home, trying to figure out the house rules, is at a severe disadvantage and might--probably will--communicate its confusion and distress in "unacceptable" ways.
Pets acquired under these circumstances will almost inevitably be new "intakes" at public shelters, humane societies and rescues over the course of 2011. And because these facilities are filled to the max right now, many wonderful domestic pets' lives will be sacrificed to the thoughtlessness of humans during this time of giving.
If you are planning to add a dog or cat to your household this month--or any month, for that matter--I urge, I beg, I plead, that you consider the following points.
1. Any breeder who sells a puppy, kitten, dog or cat through a third party is being cruel, uncaring, irresponsible about the well being of that animal. This most certainly includes "donating" a living animal to be auctioned for charity.
2. Any breeder who is purposely breeding and selling mixed breed puppies--regardless of the cute "breed" label they are given--is ignorant, greedy, dishonest--take your pick.
3. Pet shops depend on puppy mills, which are the canine equivalent of Auschwitz. Yes. The puppies they sell have "papers." Auschwitz kept good records, too.
4. Care of the pet will be the responsibility of adults in the household. It's wonderful for children to help adults care for pets, but they must be junior partners. All children--especially children under ten years of age--must be supervised in all interaction with pets. Small dogs are EXTREMELY vulnerable to injury by young children. Toy breeds are not good choices for families with young children. Furthermore. Dogs who depend on children to feed them go hungry. Dogs who depend on children to water them go thirsty. Dogs who depend on children to let them into the back yard or walk them relieve themselves in the house.
5. The Help--nannies, housekeepers, gardeners, etc. should NOT be left to look after a family pet. However, if you are adopting from a responsible rescue, expect The Help to be included in the screening process. Actually, the very careful breeder of our Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers screened all Help before she would consider selling a puppy to any family.
On The Other Hand. The Holidays are a time when there is an emphasis on thinking of the needy, remembering those who are dependent on the generosity of others. Pets in shelters and rescues certainly fit that description.
1. If you are thinking of making a charitable donation as a gift to a friend or relative, consider an animal rescue. It is never too early for children to learn generosity toward the helpless and needy. There is a list of fine rescues on the right hand side of this blog that will put your donation to good use.
2. If you really are considering a dog or cat as a Christmas gift for your family, make the gifts actually given on Christmas Day be items that the new family member will need: food and water dishes; beds and cushions; grooming aids; safe, durable toys. Then, when life gets back to normal, your home will be ready for the new dog or cat.
3. Think seriously before taking children with you to choose a dog from a pound. Seeing rows on rows of rejected dogs, all of whom need a home, all of whom deserve a second chance, and knowing that the majority of them will never find that home, that second chance, is painful for the most mature adult to bear. In his book, A Small Furry Prayer , Steven Kotler refers to the process of acquiring a dog from a pound as Sophie's Choice. That's a little too "real" for many children--and some adults.
This is not meant in any way to discourage you from adopting from a pound or humane society. It's a wonderful, rewarding thing to do. But make that heart-wrenching trip an adult only undertaking. Before confronting all that canine pain, think seriously about the size of dog you are looking for and try to keep your basic criteria in mind in spite of all the heart tugs. If you are looking for a mid-sized dog, try not to succumb to a five pound mite or an eighty pound galumpf, no matter how appealing they are. VERY SMALL DOGS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN. There. I said it again. And if a dog is eighty pounds while living in the stress of a shelter, it will easily be ninety or ever one-hundred pounds when it settles into a happy home.
4. The internet is a wonderful resource when looking for a dog or cat. We found our first "rescue", Daphne, online.
5. Regardless of the source of your adopted pet, be prepared for a screening process. In general, public facilities have fewer but more rigid criteria. Private rescues tend to be more thorough but will take individual situations case by case.
For example, my dear friend Edie, who is a model caretaker of small dogs, was refused permission to adopt a West Highland White Terrier mix from her county animal control shelter because she has no fence on her five acre property. She walks her dogs on leash as many times a day as they need it. This is actually the safest option for her little dogs, because coyotes, hawks and rattlesnakes frequent her property and letting a small dog loose--even in an enclosed area--for only a few minutes is risky. By the way, the dog that she applied for was euthanized because no one who met the agency's criteria wanted it.
On the other hand, John and I adopted our first rescue, Daphne, from a private rescue that waived the fence requirement because we were accustomed to walking our dogs on leash several times a day.
But there are also rescues--typically overwhelmed breed rescues--who may place dogs with no screening of adopters and little or no profiling of the dog. If you are a dedicated, experienced dog person, you will do everything in your power to make the adoption work. But for families with little experience with dogs, this type of adoption can end in tears. The less experience you have had with dogs, the more information about your adoptee's past, his or her behavioral patterns, and the more follow-up support you will need.
Remember. Even the least traumatic transition from one living arrangement to another--when a dog moves directly from one loving home to another--is stressful for a dog. It is a safe bet that the dog you adopt will not be experiencing "the least traumatic transition". Be patient. Be kind. Six months is not too long to expect as an adjustment period.
But whatever you decide to do, Think First. Please do not add to the misery of innocent cats and dogs who fill our rescues and shelters during this season of giving and good will.
Note: I usually write and post on the same day. This post has taken me eight days to write. The subject was too painful to deal with in just a few hours. Yesterday, as I was answering the phone for Greyhound rescue and thinking about finishing this post, I received a call from a Humane Society in the Central Valley of California, north of Sacramento. There are no large cities in the county they serve and they are hundreds of miles from San Diego County. But they have taken in a dog that appears to be part Greyhound and they are very crowded, so they were calling to see if we might have room for him.
The very nice lady I spoke with was apologetic: "I know you are probably full. Every shelter, every rescue I know of is full. I know you are at the other end of California. But I thought I would call, just in case..."
I am not the person who makes intake decisions for the rescue for which I do volunteer phone answering once a week. I don't have to decide the fate of a mixed-breed sighthound in a shelter miles away. I do know that the people who will be making that decision are compassionate, caring people, who will extend themselves on his behalf. But he is just one dog among hundreds of thousands of dogs who need homes this Christmas.
Please do not add to their numbers.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Maddox R.I.P.
Yesterday afternoon, Friends of Portia received the sad news of the passing of Maddox, a model of what a Greyhound should be--complete with a helicopter tail that expressed his happiness.
Madddox is an example of the great good fortune homeless dogs fall into when they are taken into a responsible rescue. Maddox was rescued from the race track by Greyhound Adoption Center. Once a dog becomes a GAC dog, he never has to be homeless again.
A few months ago, Maddox and his Greyhound buddy lost their first adoptive home when their humans divorced and their home was seized in foreclosure. For all too many dogs, these traumatic events mean a trip to the local pound. But Greyhound Adoption Center dogs don't have to fear the specter of ending their days at a pound. GAC adopters sign a pledge that, should circumstances make it impossible for them to continue to care for their Greyhound, GAC will be notified and the dog will return to GAC's custody.
Fortunately, that is what happened with Maddox and his pal. And even more fortunately, instead of returning to the GAC kennel for care and profiling pending a new adoption, the original Placement Representative who handled their first adoption had room for them both. Talk about Lucky Dogs. There isn't a better home for Greyhounds to be found. With Jim and Lindsay Howell, the only question to be asked is, "What is best for the dog?"
So, when Maddox began to limp from time to time a few weeks ago, he immediately received the medical attention he needed. Eventually, the dreaded diagnosis was made: osteosarcoma.
Maddox crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday, knowing that he was loved.
Our condolences go to Jim and Lindsay.
Osteosarcoma--bone cancer--is the plague of long-legged dogs. Boxers, Irish Setters, Flat Coated Retrievers are among the breeds I have heard of being particularly prone to the disease. All sight hounds are at risk.
The gifted Martingale collar designer, Alisha Navarro at Two Hounds Design has made canine osteocarcoma research a special project. Each year she designs collars to raise research funds to find a cure for this deadly disease. Next time you are looking for a stylish collar for your dog--Two Hounds Martingales look smart on any breed--pay a visit to her site and support canine osteosarcoma research.
Friends of Portia like to think of Maddox, now free of pain, running and playing with Jumble and Ruby and Portia and Zephyr and Ariel--and all the Dogs of our Lives that we have loved.
Madddox is an example of the great good fortune homeless dogs fall into when they are taken into a responsible rescue. Maddox was rescued from the race track by Greyhound Adoption Center. Once a dog becomes a GAC dog, he never has to be homeless again.
A few months ago, Maddox and his Greyhound buddy lost their first adoptive home when their humans divorced and their home was seized in foreclosure. For all too many dogs, these traumatic events mean a trip to the local pound. But Greyhound Adoption Center dogs don't have to fear the specter of ending their days at a pound. GAC adopters sign a pledge that, should circumstances make it impossible for them to continue to care for their Greyhound, GAC will be notified and the dog will return to GAC's custody.
Fortunately, that is what happened with Maddox and his pal. And even more fortunately, instead of returning to the GAC kennel for care and profiling pending a new adoption, the original Placement Representative who handled their first adoption had room for them both. Talk about Lucky Dogs. There isn't a better home for Greyhounds to be found. With Jim and Lindsay Howell, the only question to be asked is, "What is best for the dog?"
So, when Maddox began to limp from time to time a few weeks ago, he immediately received the medical attention he needed. Eventually, the dreaded diagnosis was made: osteosarcoma.
Maddox crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday, knowing that he was loved.
Our condolences go to Jim and Lindsay.
Osteosarcoma--bone cancer--is the plague of long-legged dogs. Boxers, Irish Setters, Flat Coated Retrievers are among the breeds I have heard of being particularly prone to the disease. All sight hounds are at risk.
The gifted Martingale collar designer, Alisha Navarro at Two Hounds Design has made canine osteocarcoma research a special project. Each year she designs collars to raise research funds to find a cure for this deadly disease. Next time you are looking for a stylish collar for your dog--Two Hounds Martingales look smart on any breed--pay a visit to her site and support canine osteosarcoma research.
Friends of Portia like to think of Maddox, now free of pain, running and playing with Jumble and Ruby and Portia and Zephyr and Ariel--and all the Dogs of our Lives that we have loved.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Happy News: Sad News
This morning John and I took Magic in for a check up on her eye.
Happy News: Magic's eye looks great! Dr. Schultz is very pleased with her progress. The swelling is markedly reduced and the cloudiness is just a hint of what it was a week ago. One more week of eye ointment should be the end of this anxiety provoking episode.
Sad News: When we arrived at the vets, we learned that a Bull Dog was in surgery, "being stitched back together" after an attack by another dog. The surgery had been in progress for a while and was expected to last at least another hour and a half. I have no details of the attack. But my heart goes out to the Bull Dog's humans. John and I have spent our own anxious hours waiting while our beloved dogs were being "stitched back together." And our memories of losing our beloved Portia are still painful.
What can I say? Our living situations are too compact for dogs to be permitted to roam off leash. No dog "always obeys." Know your dog. Be VERY CAREFUL if more than one dog is present when food is available. Your dog's life and the lives of all the dogs that your dog encounters depend on your watchfulness and responsible care.
All paws crossed that the Bull Dog survives.
Happy News: Magic's eye looks great! Dr. Schultz is very pleased with her progress. The swelling is markedly reduced and the cloudiness is just a hint of what it was a week ago. One more week of eye ointment should be the end of this anxiety provoking episode.
Sad News: When we arrived at the vets, we learned that a Bull Dog was in surgery, "being stitched back together" after an attack by another dog. The surgery had been in progress for a while and was expected to last at least another hour and a half. I have no details of the attack. But my heart goes out to the Bull Dog's humans. John and I have spent our own anxious hours waiting while our beloved dogs were being "stitched back together." And our memories of losing our beloved Portia are still painful.
What can I say? Our living situations are too compact for dogs to be permitted to roam off leash. No dog "always obeys." Know your dog. Be VERY CAREFUL if more than one dog is present when food is available. Your dog's life and the lives of all the dogs that your dog encounters depend on your watchfulness and responsible care.
All paws crossed that the Bull Dog survives.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Knitters For Critters
It's not too late to knit up a scarf that will be sold for the benefit of needy dogs and cats in San Diego County. Preferred scarves are long, fringed, and in dark colors. Please use non animal based yarn. Send to Knitters for Critters. The critters thank you.
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