Jewel's legacy lives on ...
Paige's foster housemates

Honorable Mentions

and some good stories to share

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Pyro

4 month old 
"Flame"  Point Siamese

fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

1/13/08  This adorable little boy was turned into a shelter by a person who had too many cats.  
Upon his arrival he went through the standard bath given.  As you can see [photo had shown a dripping-wet Pyro], he was thrilled.

Pyro has been settlig in nicely.  He is a very affectionate boy, but also the quintessential busy kitten!  He leaps, he climbs, he runs, he dives; he's a blur of cream and red fur.

1/25/08 Pyro has been a pleasure to foster.  One of the cute things about him is how he prefers to sleep under the covers with us at night.  He is very insistent about it, and will walk about on you until you lift the cover up.

Pyro loves to play, like any kitten.  He's actually gotten our three cats to join him in some thundering games of chase.  While he can be very cuddly and affectionate with us, when he's in a playful mood he does not hesitate to use his claws and teeth to gain the upper hand.  We're working on teaching him that there are better ways to play with people, but keep this in mind if you are thinking about adding him to your family.

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Former Fosters that Jewel knew

Honorable Mentions

and some good stories to share

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Mickey

7.5 year old 
Traditional Seal  Point Siamese
fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

11/23/07 My introduction to Mickey:  More word on the seal male – Joanne is going to submit him when she gets home from work tonight.  He’s an ex-show cat, and was adopted when his show career was over and has been bounced around to 3 homes since.  He’s not feeling too happy about life, and is getting sick.  So, of course he’s not eating.

11/30/07 08:53pm: Mickey yowled - loudly - the entire car ride home. The poor guy was immediately brought to the bathroom for his ringworm culture and bath. He protested loudly, then kicked out with his legs, and ended up chomping down on my arm (four raised welts present, one with skin barely broken). We both ended up sharing the bath when he knocked the hand-held sprayer out of my hand. We were at a stand off, him with my shirt in his mouth, me with unhappy kitty in my hands, water spraying both of us, until my husband came in and shut the water off. 

When I released my hold on Mickey's scruff, he opened his mouth and let my shirt go. I turned and placed him in the towel my hubby had open, then bundled him up and cradled him, talking softly. He didn't relax much, but was more than willing to be dried off by several towels. The poor guy had to have been scared to death. I brought him down to his nice warm bedroom and cuddled him a few more minutes before placing him on the floor. He darted for one of the boxes I have for him to hid in and hunkered down in the back. I poured some food for him then picked him up, talking softly. Mickey did eat a couple of pieces of food; I left him to dine and unwind in private. 

12/01/07 07:27am: Siamese meows greeted me when I entered the bedroom this morning. Mickey wouldn't come out of the hidey-hole box at first, but he did inch forward to sniff me and receive pets. After a few more minutes he came out and rubbed all over everything, purring and meowing. He had eaten the canned food I had left out for him, and had nibbled on the dry. He used the litterbox also; stool was normal although a bit plentiful. This boy is a love! 

12/02/07 08:57am: Mickey is still sneezing, but the clavamox is doing its job. His breathing is less congested; he scarfed down all the dry food I left out overnight. Periodically we'd hear him demanding to either be let out of the bedroom or have someone come keep him company. He's not fond of being kept shut away from the rest of the household. 

He seems to prefer using the litterbox at night. He leaves several donations, but the box had been clean all day yesterday.

Update 12/12/07:  Mickey's ringworm culture (standard protocol to do) came out negative.  He's been off the Clavamox for a day and seems to be feeling fine.  He's got run of the house, and explores happily although skittishly.  He is NOT the type of cat who will greet visitors at the door.  Any strange noises has him running for cover.  His favorite spots to hide are under one of the couches downstairs in the family room or under a bed.

The first night Mickey was released from his bedroom he spent up on the waterbed between my husband and I.  Our dogs sleep in our bedroom, so he hasn't been as inclined to visit.  He doesn't mind our quiet older dogs, but the younger two are too rambunctious for him.  

Mickey doesn't care for being picked up and held (squirms until he can jump down), but he will rub against you and purr for hours if you let him.  He is a sweet boy!

More information on why Mickey was given up:  I'm guessing the show-breeder could only keep so many, and re-homed him when he was retired.  One home had the "cat or me" choice, and the woman gave up the cat.  The last was reportedly a health issue (woman with a brain tumor), although he was the only one of several cats and dogs rehomed.  There was mention of him marking the computer desk in the small trailer they lived in.  I've not seen any behavioral spraying, and have found him nothing but sweet!

Update 12/15/07:  I think Mickey was once a spy.  The way he slinks around the house, charging past you when you are not expecting a Siamese cat to dart past, supports this.  He'll lift his head like a the telescope of a submarine, looking around, then shoot along to another part of the house.  He's a boy on a mission, and that is to make sure that no area of the house is unexplored.  A bit of covertness is necessary so as not to bring attention from the dogs, and Mickey moves so quietly that usually he remains undiscovered.  Mickey, Secret Agent Man!

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Aiden

7.5 year old 
Seal  Point Siamese
fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

From the first foster home 11/13/07:  He was dumped outside with 3 other Siamese.  Luckily they were dumped in the yard of a woman who's a friend of one of our volunteers at one of the
shelters we have worked with for years (it's in south Jersey).  They trapped two of them so far, Aiden and a seal female who went home with one of their vet techs.  Aiden came to the shelter to be tested and to get his vaccines, then was immediately sent to foster care rather than the shelter (Joanne, our volunteer, gives "our" cats priority treatment). 

He's very friendly.  He came out of the carrier purring and curious, not very stressed at all that he'd just gone on a three hour car ride.  The first thing we do with all of our cats is culture them for ringworm and then give them a bath.  The bath really gives us a good look at a cat's personality, as most of them don't like it very much at all, so we get to see the cat's temperament at it's worst.  Aiden was the easiest cat to bathe I have ever had - what that tells me is that he's a cat that's not going to be very upset over things. The vet estimated his age as maybe 6 or 7, but possibly younger than that.  It's very hard to guess a cat's age, they use
the teeth to judge, and go by how much tartar they have.  Siamese tend to develop that tartar earlier than many cats, so the often are aged to be older than they really are.  Very hard to tell. 

While he did spend a few days hiding - so many changes! - he's now out with everyone and doing fairly well with my cats.  There have been some hissing exchanges, but nothing major, and each day he gets better and better.  He likes attention, and catnip toys.  He seems to prefer a covered litterbox, and uses that without issue.  He's fussy about his food though - the person who was fostering him for the shelter had him for two weeks, and reported that she could get him to eat only one thing, and that was Nutro Natural Choice Indoor Cat formula.  I've offered him multiple things here, and other than canned cat food (fish flavors only, please!) that truly is all he will eat. 

He's a very good looking cat - a dark seal with almost black points, and very crossed eyes!  

If you've got any specific questions about him, please ask, and between Laura and I we'll answer you.  He's already up to date on all his vaccines and has been neutered, so other than a vet visit to confirm his health and get him micro chipped (he's already been seen by the shelter vet) he's ready to go home.

From an email to a potential adopter 11/14/07:  Aiden just joined us last night, so I do not have a lot to say about him yet.  Overall, he seems like a very nice boy.  He looks to be in good health, and although a little nervous, was more interested in getting out of the bedroom that will be his for a bit and not at all in trying to hide from me.

From an email to a potential adopter 11/16/07 I haven't been able to get any pictures of Aiden; the one time I would have been able to get some great ones I didn't have my camera (he was rubbing all along my Dane, purring, kissing her on the nose).  I have my camera downstairs (family room, 2 bedrooms, bathroom & laundry room) so I am ready next time he makes an appearance.

Aiden likes to hide.  He is a shy boy, although not opposed to some cuddling if you catch him.  The hitch is you have to catch him, and he squirms after a few seconds.  Maybe when he settles in more he'll be a lap cat, but I am *not* seeing any of that.

He couldn't care less about other cats.  He's initially hissy with them, but after a few days walks by like the others don't exist.  He is not interested in playing with them, curling up with them, or interacting with them at all. If you're looking for a playmate for your cat, this is NOT your boy.

If you have a dog, or are planning on getting a dog, then Aiden will be happy.  I would go as far to say if you want to adopt Aiden, he will not be happy unless you have a dog for him to hang out with.  If you don't have a dog, or are not adding one very soon, please don't consider Aiden.  He won't be happy.

That's about all the update I have right now.  As I learn more about him, I will let you know.  I'll be updating his info on the Siamese Rescue website very soon, you can also check there.

11/30/07 Aiden went on his way to his new family.  They have a Siamese his own age plus two Dobermans.  It sounds like the perfect place for him!

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(Ghengis) Kahn 

3 year old 
Seal  Point Siamese
fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

arrived at our house on 9/29/07, the same day he was neutered.  He originated from a NJ shelter, where he came in as a stray.  His appetite, litterbox habits, etc. are wonderful. He does actively sharpens his claws on available surfaces, including doors that are shut to keep him inside.  He loves being held, rubbing against you and melting into your arms.

11/13/07 7:02 a.m.:  Kahn is going home today!  He'll be joining a VA family who has two sons and three dogs.  It sounds like a match made in Heaven for this active cat!

10/30/07 07:12 a.m.:  Kahn has been settling down quite a bit.  I can get into the bedroom pushing him back with only my hand; I don't need to use the baby gate to ensure he doesn't dart out after my cats.  I've learned to speak quietly to him; when I sit down he hops right up on my lap and rubs away, meowing.  He's stopped using his teeth and claws to show me how lonely he is.

I'd noticed he was batting at one of my cats under the door, and she was playing back.  I put a harness on him and let him walk out yesterday, hoping that this meant he was willing to accept other cats.  Let's just say it did not go well; poor Whisper lost a couple of tuffs of white fur before I could pull Kahn off her.  The positive note is that he did NOT turn to attack me this time!  I got him back into the room and was even able to take the harness off without him using me as a substitute for his frustration.  The other good thing is that the only thing wounded on Whisper was her pride -- no scratches or bites, thankfully.

Kahn's strengths:

• VERY affectionate with people

• Is a very fun, interactive boy who can be a lap kitty or constant companion in the house

• LOVES dogs

• GREAT litterbox habits -- no spraying, going out of the box

• Not a picky eater (currently on Iams adult dry food)

Kahn's issues:

• MUST BE the ONLY cat in the household

• Has not completely learned how to play gently; likes to use his claws and teeth

• Will sharpen his nails on doors; some of this is likely because he has to stay in one room:  plenty of scratching posts would be a good idea!

From an email to the Siamese Cat Rescue List 10/22/07:

This intro has taken a month to make itself public.  Kahn is my third foster for SCR, and who knows what number general kitty foster ... but he makes me feel like a complete novice.

 Kahn is guestimated to be around three.  He was neutered the day he arrived; he's been WONDERFUL with the litterbox.  He's more than happy to eat the dry kibble I offer (I'm a mean mommy who only gives canned if there is a medical reason). 

Other than that, all bets are off with Ghengis Kahn.  He DESPISES cats.  Did I mention he hates other cats?  His tail bushes, eventually he'll yowl, and maybe, just maybe, some other person will become a kitty scratch post and feel those nails scale up their calves and thighs and have his WIDE kitty mouth chomp down on their knee.  I survived, I learned, and all is well.

Kahn does not like cats, no ... but he ADORES dogs.   BIG dogs.  He'd met my elderly Dane by accident and was merely curious.  He saw my six-month old Dane on the outside of his window and just RUBBED, RUBBED, RUBBED against the window.  I discovered I did have nerve and let the pup into the room with Ghengis Khan.  He did not live up to his name ... but he did play hide and seek with Paige, and darted beneath her legs, around her gangly feet, and up whatever he could.  He thinks the white tip of her tail is his own personal cat toy.

My corgi mix thinks he's related to Napoleon -- but Gator won't even look at Khan.  Khan thinks he wants to play with Gator, but I've kept their interactions to a minimum.  The Lab cross I'm raising for The Seeing Eye is also eager to be introduced to Kahn; I have no doubts that Kahn will tell her how it is and how he expects it.  She, aiming to please, will bounce around and do as he demands.

 Must be great to be a cat!

 Kahn is very affectionate, very loving ... he also has been slow to learn bite and nail inhibition.  I'm discovering how to handle him at an equal pace to Kahn's learning what I want.  When I talk quiet, and pet him, Kahn is beginning to settle down.  Only days before he'd be so excited he's flex his nails or pass along his excitement with his teeth.  We are both learning.

 No children for Kahn -- he may end up being a great family pet, but even this novice can see the door-darter in the making.  He has so few manners right now, that I would not want to be responsible for him going to a parent who feels nails and teeth should never be viewed around kids.  He's a handful.

 Anyone have a home that wants an armful of cat?

My corgi mix thinks he's related to Napoleon -- but Gator won't even look at Khan.  Khan thinks he wants to play with Gator, but I've kept their interactions to a minimum.  The Lab cross I'm raising for The Seeing Eye is also eager to be introduced to Kahn; I have no doubts that Kahn will tell her how it is and how he expects it.  She, aiming to please, will bounce around and do as he demands.

 Must be great to be a cat!

 Kahn is very affectionate, very loving ... he also has been slow to learn bite and nail inhibition.  I'm discovering how to handle him at an equal pace to Kahn's learning what I want.  When I talk quiet, and pet him, Kahn is beginning to settle down.  Only days before he'd be so excited he's flex his nails or pass along his excitement with his teeth.  We are both learning.

 No children for Kahn -- he may end up being a great family pet, but even this novice can see the door-darter in the making.  He has so few manners right now, that I would not want to be responsible for him going to a parent who feels nails and teeth should never be viewed around kids.  He's a handful.

 Anyone have a home that wants an armful of cat?

10/13/07 04:58pm: Kahn spends the majority of the day in his huge playpen, although I try to let him have time out in the whole bedroom several times daily. All he wants is to be picked up and held. After playing for a while yesterday he became noticeably excited, scaling up my leg at one point and nipping me on my hand when I was cleaning out his litter box. He needs to learn bite inhibition and proper play with people.

He shows tendencies to be a door-darter; he shoots out into my unfinished basement as soon as the door is open; he's very animated when he's sitting up on the window sill watching the leaves blow.

Kahn still reacts when he sees my cats; his tail is not bushing up quite as much but it remains puffy. Some of his body language appears playful, but the intensity of his stare and pacing has me unwilling to attempt integrating him at this point.

10/07/07 01:20pm: Yesterday I had stepped into Kahn's room to spend some time with him. He saw one of my cats and darted out, chasing her up the stairs. I grabbed him in my bedroom, before he reached her. I carried him back down the stairs, scolding him mildly. When I put him over the gate and went to shut the door, he leapt against the gate, bouncing off the stairs onto my leg. He bit me in the knee, leaving four puncture wounds. He scaled up, leaving a few nail punctures and scratches on my leg before leaping from me and going off towards the family room in search of ... I'm guessing other cats. I threw a towel over him and returned him to his room.

He's now in two colossal-Dane size crates that are put together, giving him room to play and move around, yet not have direct contact with my cats. We'll see how he does after several days of being able to see and smell them, IF they come into the bedroom. 

One of my dogs entered the room; he climbed on top of the covered litterbox to sniff. When he saw one of my cats in the hallway, he stiffened, started yowling, and tried to climb up the crate. When he saw a 2nd dog of mine later, he was cautiously curious but not aggressive. Dogs seem to be OK, and although I'm not marking him 'no cats' yet, he certainly has issues with them at this point.

After the experience yesterday, I am not comfortable placing him with children. 

10/21/07 03:25pm: Kahn is back in a bedroom and out of the double-collosal crate I had set up to try to get him used to my cats. His reactiveness to them never subsided; I feel at this time that marking him 'no other cats' is the prudent thing to do. He ADORES the dogs, though; even playing with my six-month old Dane! Addendum to this: Paige is in advanced obedience and is very well behaved. She does get 'zoomies' now and then, but is remarkably gently with Kahn. 

10/30/07 07:49am: Kahn is becoming much less aggressive in his play and even more affectionate.

11/9/07 07:56 am:  It's official; a family with three dogs and two boys wants to make Kahn their own!

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Complex Simon

(No Simple Simon is THIS boy!)

5 year old 
"Applehead" Seal  Point Siamese
fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

From Simon's first foster home [8/17/07]:  This is a great cat who has been through a lot.  He originally came from the shelter, the result of a hoarder situation.  He had been bitten by a large tom cat in the home and his paw had not been treated.  He had puncture wounds and the paw had become quite infected.  I went to see him immediately but not before they put the other cat to sleep.  So we could not test it for FIV/FeLV.  So, as a result, poor Simon had to be tested then, wait 6 weeks to get into rescue and then be tested again--both times negative.  He will need a third test in 6 months which is the suggested protocol.  So, a friend of mine who does rescue offered to foster him for that 6 weeks.  The vet, my friend and I worked diligently and got him back in good health.  He looks great now and is so happy.

Recently, he has started to play with toys and with the kittens that are being fostered here.  It is fun to watch because I doubt he had much of a life in his other home.  However, sometimes he does not get along with other cats, in particular, very assertive, confident cats.  He just has a demeanor or a look that ticks them off--it is hard to explain.  He definitely cannot go to anyone with a male cat.  He is very assertive with males, a result of the tom cat who used to pick on him.  He is fine with females but really is main thing is he wants attention from humans, something he had not had in the past.

He has been completely vetted and is doing very well.

Simon was moved to my house when the resident cat at the other foster home made it clear that he and Simon could not live together. 

8/26/07  I've only had Simon here for 10 days, and we were up in VT for four of those.  I've found him to be a super friendly, VERY inquisitive little boy (big boy?  He's SOLID).

Normally I keep a new foster alone in a separate bedroom for two weeks -- to make sure the cat is in good health, and to give time to adjust to the sounds of my house (teenagers tromping about, dogs running overhead and barking, cats darting around).  Since Simon was already quarantined at Sally's, and I didn't want Simon having a stroke if he darted out of the bedroom and ran into my 4 1/2 month old Great Dane puppy, I was much more liberal with letting Simon out of the room.

Simon would be the poster cat for "Curiosity killed the cat" (luckily Satisfaction brought him back!)  If it's above him, he'll jump on it.  If he can go through it, you'll see his head sticking out.  Whether it's the full-grown elderly Great Dane, the Corgi mix, the Shepherd, or the Dane puppy, he gives a curious tilt of his head and calmly deals with the dog's reaction to him.  The only time he hisses is if more than one dog approaches.

I'm more amazed at my cats' reaction to him.  My dominant female hisses, but not nearly as emphatically as she did to the last foster.  My submissive female rubbed noses with him the first time she met him!  They will lay on the same window sill or couch -- not next to each other, but the fact that Simon is up there with her just amazes me.  I have not seen any interactions between Simon and my super-submissive male cat.

When we returned last night my husband opened the bedroom door to let Simon roam.  I had my son shut him back in last night before going to bed, and I let him free again this morning when I got up.  I've not heard any cat-fighting sounds.  My pet sitter who stayed here said that Simon was just the sweetest, most affectionate cat.  She felt really bad keeping him in a bedroom by himself.

If I were looking to adopt a cat, Simon would be it.  He's loving, funny, and  people-friendly.  I miss having a cat that will greet people at the door; Simon is that type of boy.

9/1/07  Simon has free run of the house and I do mean RUN.  He's upstairs, downstairs, seemingly faster than physically possible for him to have moved from one place to another.  He and Canth, my male cat, interact without an issue at all (keep in mind my Canth is super submissive).  I even heard the pitter patter of playing kitty feet barreling up and down the stairs this morning; I don't know which cat was joining Simon in his early hours frolicking.

9/16/07 Simon is on his way to his new home in CT.  He'll have two other cats to share his Mom with, and what sounds like a wonderful home!

fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

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Shayla

10 year old 
Lynx  Point Siamese
fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

April 2007 – just this past weekend we had what was hopefully the last snowstorm of the season.  It started off rainy, windy, and cold … just like the period six months back when I first heard of a Siamese cat that needed a foster home.

 It seemed colder in October – likely because the cold weather had just started.  It rained heavily, a cold, thoroughly soaking deluge that went on for several weeks.  On a cloudy Saturday I drove half an hour south to meet a woman who volunteered with Siamese Cat Rescue.  She told me how Shayla had been discovered hanging around a feral cat colony.  The person who fed the cats waited two weeks before letting the group know about the orphan.  We had to wait until she tested negative for feline leukemia and FIV before she could come into the program.

  I looked through the carrier bars at my first foster for this group, and wondered what had taken her from a safe, indoor life.  She was front declawed, emaciated, and just pitiful.  The first step a foster must take is to be given a bath with an anti-fungal shampoo.   I pulled her from the carrier and placed her in the tub, wondering how this would go.  She was amazingly pliant, letting the warm water wash the debris,  flea dirt, and urine from her coat.  She curled up in the towels in my arms, looking around the yellow bedroom I had painted just for her arrival (my “sunshine” room).

For two weeks Shayla got to enjoy the bed, chair, and window in the room all to herself.  We would come in and sit with her, but the other cats were not allowed in, nor could she explore the rest of the house.  We wanted to make sure Shayla harbored no illnesses, and it also gave her a chance to adjust to the sounds of the dogs, cats, and people who occupied the home.  She would greet us by rubbing around our legs, and would bury her head against our shoulders when we picked her up.  Every now and then when we pet her she would give a gentle bite, then look up at us to see what we would do.  I would scold, “Don’t bite!” and walk out of the room. 

On day 14 I opened the door to “the sunshine room”  and did not close it behind me.  There is a white plastic gate with a square cut out of the bottom middle.  This makes it easy for the cats to walk in and out, but keeps the dogs from entering the room.   Shayla would sit and peer through the opening.  There were some growls from my three cats and Shayla at first.  I left the door open as long as I was home, but gave Shayla back her privacy when I left or went to bed at night. 

 Shayla began to explore the upstairs landing and my bedroom.  One time I caught her spraying the wall in my bathroom; my cat Whisper had been stalking her.  I immediately cleaned the area with Nature’s Miracle and kept a close eye on Shayla whenever she went back into that room.  More than once Jim would come in to find Shayla sitting in the Jacuzzi and Whisper sitting on the edge.  He would lift Shayla out and scold Whisper.  Even with the occasional spats between the two girls (Whisper the aggressor), Shayla never marked in the house again.

 I felt that Shayla wasn’t gaining the weight she should have from her twice-daily canned food and bowl of dry that was always left out (my cats started to gain, though!).  Blood work showed that her thyroid was not working correctly.  She was started on half a Methimazole pill daily.  When a recheck showed an even higher elevation, she was put on 1 pill twice daily.  A final recheck boosted her to 1 ½ in the morning and one at night.  This seems to have done the trick – she has finally filled out.

 In December I found a circle of bloody urine in my Jacuzzi.  I found another spot in an empty litterbox in “the sunshine room .”  Shayla was discovered to have a urinary infection and was placed on Clavamox.  Things seemed to have resolved, but in mid-January while dealing with the hospitalizing of my son, we discovered Shayla was ill again.  Here is what I wrote about the episode:

 My 12 year old son has been ill since January 4th and was hospitalized (emergency surgery) Thursday the 11th.  I've been spending most of my time at the hospital since then; my husband takes over when he can so I can come home for a bit. 

When Jim came back into the hospital Friday, he mentioned that Shayla had not eaten her dinner the night before.  When I came home that evening I found two untouched plates of canned food and a very sick looking cat.  Her third eyelids half covered her eyes, she looked so much like our cat Oreo had right before he died that I could have cried.  I gave her some fluids sub-q, offered a/d (which she half-hearted lapped at), and prayed for her as I ran back out the door to the hospital. 

 When I returned a few hours later, I called Siri & Darryl and asked unsuccessfully for permission to bring Shayla to an emergency clinic.  I did get the OK to bring her to a vet in the morning and have blood work done.  I work for a vet, but both doctors were away at a seminar this weekend.  I called another nearby hospital and begged for help.  An appointment was made for 10 a.m.  The last place I wanted to be on Saturday was a vet hospital, but at the same time I couldn’t ignore the fact that Shayla was very sick.  I reassured myself that Jim was perfectly capable of caring for Matt, and tried to ignore the guilt I felt for not being with my son.  Shayla needed me too ... 

The physical exam on the cat found one of her kidneys to be small, lumpy, and bumpy.  The doctor recommended blood work and a urinalysis.  It turned out Shayla’s Bilirubin was elevated, but kidney function was fine. She was not concentrating her urine well and there was blood present in it.  I was instructed to start her on Baytril, a pet vitamin, and Pepcid a/c.  I was to continue giving her sub-q fluids and syringe-feeding her the a/d (appetite stimulant food).  We were hoping that treating the urinary tract infection would rally her, but keeping in mind that there could also be liver problems.

 At 16 and almost 18, my daughters' Chelsea and Shaina are more than capable of crushing the correct dosage of medication and syringe feeding Shayla.  Chelsea stepped in and handled the syringe like a pro.  The doctor recommended I give the fluids twice a day, but said that once a day would be sufficient under the circumstances.  Once Matt is discharged (hopefully by Wednesday) I can easily do the twice a day.

 It has been incredibly draining worrying about both my son and the cat, running back and forth from the hospital to home to care for both.  I'd really appreciate all the positive thoughts and energy you can muster that Shayla will improve like my son has been.  She is such a sweet lady; she deserves the time to enjoy being loved and pampered by the family that doesn't know she's theirs.

Shayla was treated with Clavamox for the urinary issues and improved for a bit.  In February I discovered an “unknown blob” in the tub.  One of the doctor’s at the vet clinic I work at confirmed it was a urinary plug; Shayla’s urine was still a bit off.  Baytril and chondroitin were prescribed. 

After the new meds, Shayla bounced right back to the cat that I know and love.  She’s been eating Senior canned and dry and chows it down with gusto.  She uses the covered and uncovered litter boxes without issue.  She will slap the feather we hold out to her right out of our hands, and chase a catnip mouse into submission.  She loves sleeping on the back of the couch in our family room downstairs; the other cats can share it with her (although there is no curling up together).  She also adores the four-tiered cat climbing thing we have hanging on the door in “the sunshine room.”    

 Some things that make Shayla special: 

• the way she reaches out to pat me on the shoulder or back when I’m cleaning out the litter boxes

• how Shayla will put her paws on your shoulders when you pick her up, giving her own kitty hug

• the way she melts against you when you lift her from the floor

• how gently she walks onto your lap when you sit on the couch

• watching Shayla play with a cat nip mouse, or a feather

• the way she lets you know she's been brushed enough!

Shayla has been a true treasure, and I know the family who ends up adopting her will love her even more than we have come to.  She deserves her own lap to curl up in, and the security of knowing that she has a family to truly call her own.       

August 7th, 2007 - It's hard to believe that summer is in full, humid swing.  Harder still is that no one has seen what a gem this cat is.  Middle-aged for an indoor cat and living with a minor health issue (thyroid), these are the only two drawbacks -- and her age isn't necessarily a negative thing!  

Shayla is sweet, loving, yet full of personality.  I've never had a cat that would tap me on the shoulder repeatedly while I'm cleaning out the litter box, but that's what Miss Shayla does.  She's not the most vocal Siamese, but she certainly makes her presence known.  Her hugs, her snuggles, the way she lays so trustingly in our arms ... The only reason I'm sorry her family doesn't know she's here is because she is not meant to be OUR cat.  She's looking for you, and even though she knows she's loved here, she also knows that her special people are Shayla-less.  We'll love her until you show up, but please come for your girl. 

Shayla was moved to another foster home in August 2007.  It was the right move; a month later I received an email that she was being adopted by a couple in NJ!

fostered for Siamese Cat Rescue

---

Abby
Date in: August 2006
Age: 5

From the foster home 8/27/06:

*Abby is great with other dogs, but no toy breeds!
*She can be placed with cats if the people understand she enjoys chasing them.
*Smaller pets (rabbits, ferrets, etc.) must be kept safe from her.
*She can be skittish with men.
*She walks well on a leash; I use the easy-walk harness on her. She loves going for walks!
*She rides well in the car - she is nervous at first, but quickly settles and lays down
*Abby knows sit, and knows she has to do it before getting breakfast/dinner.
*She will normally be found in the same room as her people (right now is the exception, she's curled up on the couch in the other room).
*She will get up on the furniture.
*She is afraid of fireworks and may get nervous during thunderstorms, too. She pants, trembles, and curls up next to another dog for comfort.
*She likes to sniff the counters, but has not stolen anything off them. Yet.
*Her best buddy is the 8-month Lab cross we're raising for The Seeing Eye. She and Anika radiate to each other. She will take tennis balls from Ani and then allow her to steal them back. Abby loves to grab Ani by the tail when I'm throwing tennis balls for her. They rip around the yard like gazelles.
*Abby does not like the rain, but can be encouraged to go out. It just takes a while.
*Abby has no problem doing stairs, and can leap up and down them.
*She's not the neatest drinker, but I've shared my house with Danes who have made a much bigger mess.
*She will sit and stare pathetically at you as you eat. Don't believe her if she tells you we never feed her. She just doesn't get to share our food!
*Abby loves to lean against you for hugs. She lifts her head to give you tiny kisses as she tries to melt against your body.

From the foster home 8/6/06: Abby was turned over to MAGDRL when her owner was hospitalized after a massive heart attack. From what I understand, this five year old merle-girl went everywhere with him.

Abby arrived around 2 o'clock this afternoon. She was introduced to my dogs one at a time; she did wonderfully with each introduction. When I brought her into my bedroom to meet the cat sleeping on my bed, she was more interested in the scents surrounding her than the glaring feline. When coming face to face with him later in the hallway, she gave him wide berth.

She has -- so far -- been a very sweet and well-mannered houseguest. Best yet, she had initiated play with the seven month old Lab we're raising for The Seeing Eye. She lays on the floor and rolls over onto her shoulder, sliding forward. It's so cute!

From the foster home 8/7/06: Day # 2 has found her a tad bit too interested in our rabbit -- but still very respectful of our cats. She was fine when I pet her as she ate, but I don't risk testing with the other dogs this soon. So far she's shown no interest in toys, but everything is still new for her.

I did find her on the couch this afternoon -- since I figure it's up to her adopters to allow that, I called her off. She hopped right up and curled up on the rug. She's very interested in people food, but isn't obnoxious about it.

One of the pics up shows her interesting way of sitting. Maybe she's part frog?

From the foster home 8/11/06: Abby went to work with me today; she was due for her yearly exam and vaccines. Dr. Bell was kind enough to write off the exam. Our girl weighs 103.9 lbs.; the doctor said she was one of the few dogs she could rate as being at her ideal weight.

Abby had her Rabies 3 vacc, Distemper, heartworm & lyme test. The tests for heartworm and lyme came back negative, thankfully. I still need to bring in a fecal; I swear I went up and down the yard this morning and didn't see a thing. This afternoon when we returned, I almost stepped in her offering. Figures. A fecal run later came back negative; no internal parasites.

This is a little girl who will not do well being kenneled. The poor dog trembled horribly when I put her in one of the cages. She settled down over the next few hours, but I was worried about her. I don't think she untucked her tail from her belly until she was confident we were on our way home. She wasn't nasty with any of my coworkers and didn't need to be muzzled, but it was obvious that she was terrified. Poor girl.

Abby rides well in the car. She stands nervously at first, but doesn't attempt to climb over the seats (I did have her restrained in the back of my minivan). She laid down after a few minutes and waited until I had the back opened up before she got out.

I made another discovery the other night when the darling kids next door were setting off fireworks -- she is afraid of them. Jewel was in the computer room with us trying not to have a meltdown; Abby laid down next to her and just trembled. I don't know if thunderstorms will illicit the same response. She's not destroy-the-house-upset, but it's obvious she wants the loud noise to stop.

She's becoming more and more interested in the flight response three of my cats have to her. For this reason I think we should mark her with a question mark when it comes to our feline friends. I can tolerate her behavior, but I think she would really stress out a cat that was not used to her enthusiasm. A home who understands play drive and a dog responding to a running cat would be fine, but anyone unsure should look at another Dane.

Small animals like rabbits are out -- she sees ours as extreme temptation. Even looking through the window when Abby is outside, has her prancing and whimpering. The poor bunny wants to make it clear she is NOT a meal.

She is still having fun playing with 7 month old Lab X Anika. Our Corgi X Gator has had no issues with her, and our Dane Jewel tolerates her well. A non-toy size male playmate for Abby would be best. She definitely thrives having canine companionship.

Abby is incredibly affectionate with people. She will sit when you insist on it, and is happy to give you her paw. I need to take her for more walks to gage her leash manners, but she was doing well today at the vet clinic when I used the Easy Walk Harness on her. My coworkers liked her a lot.

Tomorrow I have a large 2 year male Dane coming for the weekend. We'll see how she does with his youthful enthusiasm. I should also get some more good pictures for her page.

From the foster home 8/13/06: Abby did very well yesterday when introduced to a Dane visiting for the weekend. Bentley is a sweet but boneheaded adolescent; Abby played with him for a bit then had no problem telling him to BACK OFF.

Also in the picture is a neighbor's Lab, also here for the weekend. Hunter wants to play with the other dogs, but is definitely intimidated by a pack. She and Abby do fine outside in the yard together, but Abby intimidates Hunter too much inside to have them together.

From the foster home 8/14/06: Today an approved adopter came up to meet Abby. His dog launched himself at Abby. If the owner hadn't leapt on his dog and literally pried his jaws off Abby, it would have been a lot worse than a torn ear and puncture wound. Since I work for a vet I quickly treated Abby's wounds and got her started on antibiotics.

From the foster home 8/20/06: Abby's wounds healed quickly and well. She has two more doses of Amoxi to finish, then this whole thing can be behind us.

Abby has had no accidents in the house. She is not crate trained, but respects a secured gate. If it's one she can bump open with her nose, she'll quickly be on the other side of where you placed her. She has not chewed up anything or proven herself untrustworthy in any way (the gate is to protect our rabbit). She will sniff at the counters and would likely steal something that was super-enticing, but I have not lost any food to her yet.

She's not much for playing with toys. I'm going to bring up a bag of stuffies that were donated by a client (the sister of the woman who gave some to my foster Glory back in January). Abby will steal the tennis ball away from Anika and chew on it a little, but other than that I've not seen her pick up or show any interest in the dog toys that litter the house.

Abby is a little nervous when it comes to meeting men she doesn't know. She never reacted to my husband, but she woofed at a dog-sitting client's boyfriend and never did settle down with the man who came up to meet her. She woofs nervously and backs away.

Abby is a sedate lady who enjoys the company of her people. She likes nothing better than to curl up on the couch next to you when you're watching TV. She'll be in whichever room you are in, curled up in a ball until you're ready to go to the next room -- then she's right there, eager to see what things you're planning on doing. She's very inquisitive, as this picture shows.

From the adopters 9/17/06: Thank you again for taking the time to do our home visit, and for bringing Abby to meet us. We had a family meeting, and David and I had some seperate "parental" discussions, and the feeling is unanimous...we would like to adopt Abby. So, if you are still comfortable with her being part of our family, we would like to pursue it. We have talked through our concerns about her age, and we're comfortable with it. If it turns out to be a short time, it will still be better than no time. We have definitely become a Dane family, and our house is empty without one.

From the adopters 9/23/06: I just wanted to let you know how things are going. Abby is doing beautifully! She layed down in the car right away, and slept most of the way home. The evening was uneventful, with all the puppies getting along. They even had their first romp session in the backyard! It didn't last long, but it was quite entertaining.

Thank you for sending the blanket, it worked beautifully. We put it on one of the dog bed's, and Abby adopted it for her own. We moved it upstairs, and she slept soundly in our room all night. She is affectionate and playful with the whole family. She really has settled right in. The only issue we have encountered so far is a little jealousy from Luna. She gave a little snap this morning while she was draped across my lap and Abby came to nudge me for some attention. I'll keep an eye on it. They seem to be fine together under all other circumstances.

We took Abby to the pet store today, and into the vet just to say hello. She was a little nervous, but did very well. She let people approach and pet her (men and women). She also did well with the other dogs we encountered. She layed down in the car and slept for most of the ride. All in all, things are going even better than I could have expected.

I apologize, but I don't remember what you said the ear medicine is for. Which ear is being treated?

Thank you again for everything. We are having a blast with her, and she seems to be enjoying herself.

From the adopters 9/25/06: We had a banner day yesterday. Abby was treated to a full out romp in the yard with the puppies. They are still a little apprehensive, but I think she and Sheba are going to be quite a pair once their confidence in each other builds a little bit. Abby also tried her best to teach them how to play with the tennis ball, Anika style. She had it in her mouth, and kept approaching the puppies, clearly confused by the fact that they didn't take it from her. It was so cute! She also spent some time playing with a couple of the stuffed toys. She has gotten brave enough to start getting on the furniture. Last night, we walked into our bedroom to find all three of them on the bed! It was absolutely adorable.

Abby has had no further apprehension with David. She is extremely affectionate with him. Also, we had several people come into the house over the weekend. She runs to the door with the puppies to check out who it is, but walks away uninterested. No barking, no cowering. (I think that her calm reaction is actually helping to settle the puppies down faster, when someone comes in.) She seems quite at home, and we are just delighted to have her!

I checked her stomach, but didn't see any irritation. She hasn't been scratching our licking it either, so hopefully it has cleared up. I'll keep an eye on it, and her ears. Thank you for the medication. Do I owe you additional money for her medication and supplies? I was so excited to get her home, it didn't even occur to me to ask you. I apologize. Please let me know, and I'll send you a check right away.

I was going to transition her to the Iams large breed, but the kibble is so much bigger. Do you think that would increase the risk of bloat?

From the adopters 10/27/06:  I thought you might like an update on Abby.  She has become a full-fledged member of the family.  She behaves as if she has lived with
us forever.  She and the puppies are still getting along very well.  They are showing no aggression toward each other (except for one minor incident involving a dropped dog biscuit).  I also thought you would find it amusing that Abby has become a real toy hound.  She plays with the stuffed toys, and chews on the Nylabones all the time!  Sometimes the three dogs lay next to each other on the floor, each with their own
bone, just chewing away.  I have attached a picture of Abby in mid-frenzy, rolling around on her back throwing a plush animal around. It's adorable!  Our girl has also become quite the good passenger in the car.  She jumps right in, and lays down almost the entire time.

Samantha had her sixteenth birthday party last weekend with 28 teenagers (male and female) running around our house.  Abby wasn't even phased. She let everyone pet and hug her, no apprehension whatsoever, and no problem with the (in my opinion) overwhelming noise.  She did manage to score two mini-sandwiches and a piece of birthday cake!  Tonight, we plan to take her along while Jennifer goes trick-or-treating. 

We are just thrilled with her.  Thank you again for all of your help.  I know that we would not have been approved to adopt a third girl, if it hadn't been for your endorsement.

Wrangler
DOB: 3/11/06

6/18/06 I can't thank all the people taking time out of their day yesterday to get Wrangler up to us.

Anika, the Lab cross we're raising for The Seeing Eye, is five months old. She's only a little taller than Wrangler; they likely weigh about the same (she was 41 lbs. as of Friday). The two of them have been racing back and forth, taking turns chasing and leaping on each other.

Wrangler met one of my cats this morning. Oreo quickly established that he did not want a nosey puppy poking at him; Wrangler backed right off. I can see where his energy would be too much for some cats, but that won't be a problem in our house.

Wrangler spent the night crated in my 17 year old daughter Shaina's room, where Anika also sleeps. Wrangler woke Shaina up a little before 6 this morning; when she took him out he did pee. For a 12 week old puppy he is very well mannered; Anna did a TERRIFIC job with him.

A typical puppy, Wrangler is curious about everything. He is afraid of people he doesn't know; once he's settled in a bit we will work on socializing him.

Update 6/19/06: This is one smart little boy. This morning he went right to his crate when I was getting breakfast ready. He knows where he eats.

He gave a tiny growl last night when I put my hand in his bowl as he was eating. This morning he let me caress his face, put my fingers in his food, and pick up the pieces of kibble. No rumbling, no growl, only major tail wags.

I took him to the vet to socialize him a little. He weighs almost 38 pounds. He was very bashful with my coworkers, but let everyone pet him. He even approached the last person on his own. He'll come back in with me Wednesday for his Rabies vaccine. I wanted today's visit to be positive only!

We had to stop at a catsitting job after that. My husband walked him around and worked on getting Wrangler to trust him a bit more. When we were ready to leave, Wrangler got right in and laid down where I'd been putting him. He really does pick things up quickly!

He is still giving my cat Oreo wide berth. He did run down the stairs after him when he caught a glimpse of the tail disappearing, but barreled back up after Oreo turned and chased him. I don't think Wrangler realizes there is a rabbit in our family room downstairs.

Update 6/23/06: I took Wrangler to work with me again yesterday. Appointments hadn't started up again yet (it was noon), so we let Sarge, my boss' GSD, out to meet Wrangler. The pup backed away at first, but quickly established that Sarge was no threat. The two of them ran around, played tug, and had a blast together. By the time our first appointment of the afternoon arrived, Wrangler was pooped. I had put the Scooby blanket that arrived with him under my desk; he was more than content to curl up into a puppy ball and sleep at my feet.

Our 3:30 appointment was an 8-week old Dane pup and her newly adopted 4-month old Aussie Shepherd brother. In comparison to Wrangler's 37 lbs., Lily weighed 19 lbs. Wrangler had a good romp with both puppies.

Dr. Craig was our doctor; Wrangler was noticeably more wary of him than my female coworkers he hadn't met. Food is an excellent motivator for this dog; Craig hand-fed him and was then able to pet him for a few minutes. You could tell that Wrangler was still nervous, but he didn't scramble away as he's done before.

Wrangler was cautiously interested in our three clinic cats. One let him sniff him thoroughly, one simply stayed out of view, and the third fled every time Wrangler came around. Wrangler did start to chase him a few times, but stopped as soon as corrected. The two screaming parrots in the back didn't get nearly as much of Wrangler's attention as did the hissing cat in the cage below.

At closing time one of our clients brought down her two year old Standard poodle. Noelle will be staying with us for the next week. I have to admit, seeing a pompom toting dog was not a sight I had ever thought to see in my yard! I was warned that Noelle will not come back if loose; true to their word Noelle refuses to come back into the house this morning. All I have to do is say Wrangler's name, or call, "Puppies!!!!!!" for he and Anika to come running.

From the main MAGDRL site May 2006: born on March 11; blue Dane mix puppy.

Wrangler is a playful puppy with lots of spunk. He is learning about the leash and the "sit" command, and doing very well. Wrangler is fearful of strange people. He loves toys and watching TV on the Couch (he really watches, he jumps when its loud, gets excited when the characters laugh, etc.)

Wrangler was diagnosed with a Juvenile Heart Murmur that has diminished and is expected to be gone by approximately 3 months of age. Wrangler is a loving boy, but needs time to get to know new people.

Wrangler's new family will have to agree to sign him up for obedience classes (as we require for all young dogs). We're working on the housebreaking, but he does still have an occasional accident. Wrangler needs to be placed in a home with a well-adjusted dog to teach him how to react to new situations.

Update 7/1/06: The M_ family from MD are the lucky new custodians of Wrangler. They used some of the treats that accompanied him on his trip up here to lure him over. He was much more willing to meet them than he was my coworkers when he first arrived. He has made so much progress!

Wrangler will have a Border Collie/Lab sister to play with, two boys to cuddle with, and a couple who fell for his puppy charms. He is a lucky little boy.

I miss him horribly. I am glad he was matched up so quickly, or we would have had a foster failure on our hands.

 

 

Glory
Date in: January 2006
Age: 6 months

Miss Glory was turned over to a Ferret Rescuer when her owner realized that she was not being cared for. The in-laws fell in love with her, but due to health issues had to decline adopting her themselves. MAGDRL was called to step in.

She was a little shy when first introduced to me, but quickly warmed up. She curled up quietly on the half-hour drive home.

This petite little girl is sensational with other dogs. She is inquisitive, cautious, and bursting with puppy energy. Her playmates are a yearling Dane that is visiting for the weekend, the year-old Lab cross we're raising for The Seeing Eye, a nine year old Great Dane, and a Corgi mix.

She has not been introduced to my cats, but I am not expecting many problems beyond her youthful drive to play with them. Further updates will let you know.

Obedience classes are a must for our young blooming beauty. She needs the gentle socialization. She will not be ready to adopt until she has been vetted and spayed.

Update 1/5/06: I took Glory to work with me today. She only weighs 60.4 lbs. (at six months old). Despite our hectic day, the doctor was kind enough to examine her.

She feels her Doberman-cut ears were the result of a kitchen-table scissor job (she pointed out scissor nicks). The white fleck behind her head and on her leg are scars, not the white fur of a mis-marked black Dane like I thought. Her heart and lungs sounded great.

Sunday night (the day she arrived) she joined my crew in receiving their monthly heartworm preventative (since she was around six months old she was still too young to accurately test, so I followed my clinic's protocol of dispensing preventative). This does work against roundworms, as evidences by the teaming amount she ejected Monday morning. I was happy to hear her fecal this morning was negative for other parasites, although we did dose her with Pyrantel as a precaution.

Dr. Heather's two main comments were to put weight on Glory, and to get her socialized since she needs confidence (she recommended Agility as well as Obedience). She felt we should wait to spay her until she puts some weight on, so I may not be able to keep her January 19th appointment. We'll see how she feels and looks in two weeks. Three good meals a day and the eviction of the round worms should help her gain!

Glory received her Rabies vaccine, but we'll hold off on the distemper for another week or so.

Once Glory settled in she happily greeted my coworkers and was very curious with the two clinic cats. Both allowed her to sniff them over much more thoroughly than mine would ever have put up with. Miss Glory *likes* cats.

The only negative I've found about Glory is that she doesn't appreciate being crated. She paws at the door and cries. Normally she settles down in a few minutes, but when I fed her upon returning home tonight, she wouldn't even stay in there long enough to eat her meal. I'll continue to work on this -- she hasn't had any accidents, but will nonchalantly chew things (like the step of a stair!).

From the foster 1/13/06: A friend of mine that I met through the vet clinic always reminds me to "just ask" if I need anything. I took her up on her offer this week and meekly said I would love some dog food & nylabones for Glory & Nikki (our Seeing Eye trainee). She brought over two 20-lb. bags of dog food, a four-pack of nylabones, and then sent me the email below.

Hey Laura,
I have gone through the Island of Misfit toys and found that between Murray, Brandy, and Shadow there is at the very least one full 30 gallon garbage bag full, and possibly half of another one. I have the plush ones in the wash now, and the latex and hard rubber ones are in the bag waiting to be transported. I will bring them to you at the clinic tomorrow if that is okay.

Please give Glory, and all the others a big hug from me,
Cathy

This picture on is the spoils from her gifts, and other pics of Miss Glory Be!

Update 1/27/06: Miss Glory made it through her spay yesterday with no complications. She's put on 8.4 lbs, for a petite 68.4 total weight. Everyone said she looked so much better -- her coat, the weight gain, and even the way she greeted everyone (she's had a good dose of confidence this month).

Miss Glory had a NJ family come visit her last Monday. She was drawn magnetically to the 7 year old daughter, gently kissing her on the face. Ironically, knowing that Glory has a family waiting has made it easier for me to love her. The temptation to keep her has been removed from my hands, and knowing she'll be part of such a wonderful family has eased my mind.

Adopted 1/28/06

From the adopters 1/31/06: Everything is going pretty well, although we're still settling in some!

Umbra doesn't seem to have any problem with us going to work - she's very good about going into her crate and only cried a little the first night. Since then she hasn't fussed at all about bed time (we generally cover her crate, turn out the lights, and go upstairs, so it's not like she's missing anything!) She appears to like the crate and is very diligent about putting all her toys away there (I guess she's used to some competition!)

We haven't had any accidents, and nothing's been eaten although she's "brought" me a few things of my daughter's and "tasted" one of daddy's boots and a corner of the kitchen cabinet.

She doesn't ever seem to finish 3 cups of dry food (+ about 7oz of pedigree wet food). Breakfast and dinner usually get MOSTLY eaten, and lunch is MOSTLY not eaten. Today she ate MOST of lunch (2cups this time), but left a good bit of dinner.

I haven't seen any issue with the stitches. We stopped the sedatives Sunday morning because all she was doing was lying in our laps anyway.

NOW though, she seems to really want to play, but I'm not sure she knows HOW. She gives me "wild dog" looks and mouths at me and play bows, but if roll a ball or give her a little push, she doesn't seem to understand the game. It might improve once I can be a little more wild myself, I've been trying to keep the play on the quiet side to prevent zoomies since she's still healing.

She's generally glued to my hip (which gets interesting when I'm cooking) and cries when I'm in the bathroom or (currently) while I'm in the study. Hopefully she'll settle down about that some! She seems a little uncertain about men. Yesterday a contractor was here at lunchtime and she stood still while he said hello but then tried to haul me back through the backyard and into the house. She also takes evasive action when Charles tries to put her on a leash, but she never gives me any issue about it at all. I'm having him feed her dinner now so she'll associate him with a good thing (besides walks).

She is hands down the world's messiest drinker. She just gets distracted mid-gulp and spits a cup of water on the kitchen floor. It looks like a herd of elephants took a bath in there. I'm going to start putting rubber ducks in her water bowl :P

We're having a good time getting to know each other. Her goal in life appears to be to teach me to sit, so she can sit on me. Once everyone is sitting, she stops pacing and licking things and goes to sleep on our laps.

We've been taking her for little walks around the park once or twice a day and I got out some of the food oriented toys tonight hoping that some mental stimulation will help relieve some of her nervous energy.

Do you think I'd hurt anything if I gave her a bath this weekend? I figured I ought to give the stitches at least a week before hosing her off :P

I talked to Cathy (NJ coordinator) yesterday and she said she and Dakota are going to be at the local pet store end of February, so we might stop in and visit. She suggested we take Umbra and sit outside a busy store or park so she gets more used to seeing people come and go.

From the adopters 2/2/06: Umbra figured out the food cube last night and spent a good 15 minutes playing with it, which is the longest she's played with anything (apart from her bone) since she's been here, and she de-stuffed her blanket overnight. She was noticeably less glued to me since yesterday afternoon - she's still following me up and down the stairs, but she went to the kitchen to get a drink HERSELF (before I was getting kind of worried because she wasn't eating or drinking unless I was within her line of sight...) and didn't cry while I did my daughter's hair this morning, she just waited in the hall.

The contractors were back to finish the work on my roof and railing yesterday afternoon, and they freaked her out enough that she didn't really want lunch; she still wasn't crazy about the contractor she'd met before, but for some reason she liked his assistant with a beard. I only mention it because some dogs get kind of freaked out by things like beards, so it was funny that she seemed to prefer him to the guy she'd already met. I've discovered that if I put less water in her bowl and just keep refilling it, she doesn't manage to spit quite as much of it onto the kitchen floor. She also likes lime yogurt.

From the adopters 3/9/06: Umbra was up to about 80lbs last time we got her on a scale, but she's only grown upwards a little, and she was starting to get a tad porky in the shoulders, so we cut the food back a little and now she seems to be neither gaining nor losing (visually anyway), which seems about right (until she grows upwards some more, at least).

She and Caileen are good friends now, and they play tug of war (which usually starts with Umbra following Caileen around the living room, progresses to Umbra pulling Caileen around the livingroom, and last night ended with Umbra flopping down on top of Caileen). She loves to play. And she has an obsession with firewood. A few weeks ago I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and I heard this awful racket, and I came in the livingroom and Umbra was throwing logs all over the place (you might have a dane if...). We eventually reached a compromise - she isn't allowed to play with my firewood, but I gave her her own piece to toss around in the back yard.

She enjoys her evening walks now, although certain dogs scare her. The other day, Charles and Caileen had her out, and a little bitty dog came running out of his yard and barked at her and she pulled everyone straight home. We still go to the pet store at least once a week so she can meet people and dogs, and she's starting to really enjoy that too. She greets all the people in the pet store with a waggy tail now, which is a big improvement, and she'll make friends with any dog that will have her (as long as they aren't barking at her on her walk!). We had a little dinner party two weeks ago, and Umbra wasn't too sure about the "strangers" at first - she barked at them from the stairs a whole bunch, but after everyone finished arriving, she seemed to relax, and by the end of the evening everyone was on the floor patting the dog and she was having a ball.

She's very good about sitting for her meals, no matter who asks, and usually she'll sit if she even thinks you MIGHT have something good to share (last night she sat for mango sorbet). The only thing I think we really need to work on is getting her to stop racing on the stairs and trying to barge past me into rooms. She's figured out that SOMETIMES I don't let her in if I'm working on something, and she'll try to push past me just in case. I'm working on getting her to sit before going through doors (at least upstairs) to help curb this some, and if I put my hands out on the stairs she CAN'T race past me, and usually won't try it unless Caileen is with us on the stairs, in which case she goes completely bonkers. She's still stuck to me like glue, so I wind up gating her out of the kitchen sometimes if I'm carrying hot things around or going up and down the stairs to the basement repeatedly.

She hasn't eaten any more beds or blankets, and she hasn't been doing as much 'tasting' of things, although she does really like Caileen's socks. I was brushing Caileen's hair after her bath the other day, and Umbra came up to watch. Presently I noticed that the socks I'd taken out for Caileen weren't there anymore. I questioned the dog, and she raced off down the stairs, so I figured I'd find her with the socks in her crate, but by the time I got downstairs, she was on the couch. I checked the crate anyway, because that's usually where she puts things, but the socks weren't there. I looked under the couch, I looked under the dog, I looked around the livingroom - no socks. Then I noticed this LITTLE bump in Umbra's mouth, and on further investigation, found that she was hiding the socks in her jowls. Once I found them, she let me have them back.

She hates having her nails clipped. HATES it.

Daisy
Date in: July 31, 2003
Date in foster care: September 1, 2003

Daisy was turned over to MAGDRL with Daffney when their family decided it was better they not accompany them on their move to
Florida. They had hoped Daffney and Daisy could be placed together. Forwarned that the chances of that were slim, the people decided it
would be best they enter MAGDRL together and hope that someone would be willing to open their hearts and home to both girls.

Daisy is five years old and deaf. Our policy is to only adopt deaf dogs to households that have
at least another dog to "be her ears."

Daisy has been more outgoing than Daffney. She is curious about the house and what it contains.
She has been excellent with the other dogs and cats. She is slower to warm up to new people;
visitors will have to go slow.

Update 10/12/03: Daisy is much more of a velcro dog than Daffney is. As long as she is with a
person, she is happy. She is not toy motivated and hasn't been seen playing with any yet. She loves
to go for walks, and does fairly well on a leash as long as she is not walking with Daffney. Taking
the two of them out together is too much. Like any dog, she has benefited from one-on-one
attention. She is very responsive to hand signals, but will also turn her head away if she doesn't want
to "hear" what you are telling her to do! She has done well with the times when she and Daffney
have been separated in different parts of the house, but she still prefers the company of her "sister."

Update 11/16/03: Eight days ago the girls were visited by a woman interested in adopting either her
or Daffney ... she loved both of them and was having a hard time deciding which dog would better
fit into her family (a four-year-old child, a German Shepherd, and a Bichon Frise). Monday evening
the entire family came to meet the girls. Daffney made it clear that THIS was the home she had been waiting for. As much as part of me is sad that I was not able to find a home for Daffney and Daisy TOGETHER, I know that this is the best place for Daffney, but not Daisy. The Shepherd had too
much energy for sedate Daisy, and the little boy intimidated her.

It is with relief that I find I was right -- with Daffney no longer here, Miss Daisy has blossomed. She
is not being bullied and directed by her "sister," she is acting on her own and loving it. She has
already become more animated, play bowing to me, almost getting the zoomies. She has been
following me around the house a bit more, but does not leap up from the dog bed in front of the fire, either, if she notes I am not in the room. She knows Jewel, my Dane, will steal her spot if she does.
Last night Jewel had the bed first. Oreo, one of the cats, waltzed up and curled up by Jewel's feet on
the bed. Daisy stood over them with a sad look on her face ... and realizing the other two were not
going to get up for her, she curled up back-to-back with Jewel. When I checked a while later, Jewel
had gone into the other room, and Oreo was kneading Daisy's back ...

Daisy is still not 100 % comfortable with my husband. The majority of the time she will bark at him
when he enters the room. She will then cautiously check to see who it is ... and when she recognizes
him, the tail wags gently and she will approach, still gingerly. She will "woof" a little bit at my kids sometimes, but has no hesitation in approaching them once she sees she does know them. That is
pretty much the way she is with new people -- a little bit of a bark, back away until she is
comfortable engaging them, then happily lean against them for loving.

Daisy was moved to a NJ foster home in mid-December. This is the first update from the new foster
on 12/14/03: Just letting everyone know that Daisy is continuing to improve dramaticly. She came
to obediance class on Sat, and did very very well for her first time there. She approached everyone including kids and men. She is still cautious in everything she does, but she no longer cries for
long periods and she is working out her relationship with Brody (Great Dane). There have been
no other incidents between the two (there was a minor fight the day after Daisy moved in). The
trainer suggested a vibrating collar for her and we are going to look into it.

Update from the foster 12/18/04: She is doing MUCH better. She went to her first obedience class last Sat, and did very well. We are working on sit and heel (heel is tapping your left leg, sit is raising your hand, palm up). She is still hesitating with my husband but he's working with her.
We had friends over and she was friendly and looked for pets. On Monday we went to a friend's shop and got her a bath, and her nails cut. I was with her the entire time to reassure her, and she
was fine. She met a 2 month old chihuhua puppy when she was there and was very gentle with
him. Her and Brody are cuddling on the couch now.

Update from the foster 1/5/04 Things are going well here. Daisy is continuing to adjust, but is
doing really well all things considered. I have contacted the Deaf dane rescue organization to see
if their trainer has any suggestions for us. We are slowly but surely trying to crate train her,
taking baby steps all the time. I'd like to see if we can help her become more confident.

She is actively playing with Brody now, but I think that she would probably be better with a dog that is a little more mature than he is. She is starting to play with Bob as well. She still runs from him if she wakes up, or when he gets home, but comes around quick.

She is great with everyone who has come over including my 6 year old niece who was all over her. She would be ok in a home with small kids, even with the deafness. She is very gentile, even when she is woken up.

We have a convention in Florida the end of next week. My brother is going to stay with the two of them and our pet sitter is going to give him a hand. It's only 4 days, so I am hoping it will be alright. The last time we went away Brody ate the couch.

Update from the foster 1/5/04: Daisy is continuing to adjust pretty well. Now that the crazyness of
the holidays is over, I think that she'll settle down pretty nicely. She has not been nearly as
anxious as when she first came. She has started to go lay down when she isn't getting attention. When she first came, she would not stop walking around and around, usually right under your
feet, until you sat down.

She is starting to learn the crate, very slowly, and with the help of some extra tasty treats. She has started following comands better and is taking them from Bob now as well. She is warming up to him more, and participates in play with him and Brody more and more. She'll even give Brody a chomp on the behind if she thinks he's getting to rough with Bob. She is working things out with Brody, although it is turning into brother and sister relationship. There have been more
squabbles, but none drawing any blood, and less frequent now. Hopefully as we get back to a regular routine, it will be even less. In the mean time we have decided to let them work it out as much as possible, and not worry about it unless blood is drawn.

Also, she is wonderful with kids. She was wearing my 6 yr old niece for 3 days, and seemed to
really enjoy it. She would probably be good in a home with an older child that would play with
her.

Update from the foster 1/22/04: Just wanted to pass along that Miss D is doing well. We were
away on buisness for a few days and returned home to two very happy dogs. It was the first time
I ever saw Daisy do a doggy smile. She jumped up also, which I don't encourage, but I was
really glad to see.

It seems as though her and Brody have worked out most of their differences, and there were no squabbles when we were away. Knock on wood it's the longest they have gone without fighting
since she has been here. They are sharing sleeping space now, which was sketchy at best before.
I'm spoiling them by letting them sleep on the guest bed together.

We are still working on the crate training. She will stay in the crate with a treat without wailing when you leave the room. We are doing that part slowly because she does not tolerate seperation
at all well. She wants to be with us or Brody all the time. We'll keep working on it while she is
here.

She let me cut her toenails for the first time last night. I've never seen toenails like them before.
She has trouble with them breaking, and I know they are sore for her. We are working on that too with supplements.

She has come a long way in a short time. She is still shy with my husband when he first gets
home, but it doesn't last long, and she has been good with all visitors. She seems to have bonded
to Brody, and actively seeks to be part of the crowd in a good way, not a crazy pacing way. She
is making progress all around.

Update from the foster 2/3/04: Daisy is GREAT with kids. She was excellent with my niece (6yrs), and with other children that she was introduced to. We had my niece over a three day period and Daisy glued herself to her, looking for pets. She was very gentle and never even jostled my niece.

I have also been working on waking her up touching different areas of her body, and she has
never once shown any aggression. She startles when she is woken up out of a dead sleep, but so
do I if you catch my drift. I think she would be fine with +5 kids, old enough to understand not to poke and prod.

Also, I really feel that we should not rule out an only dog situation for her. If the right situation comes along, I think she might actually perfer it. If a retired person or someone who mostly stays
at home comes along, Daisy would be a fantastic companion dog for them. She is very
affectionate, and it seems as though she perfers the company of people to that of other dogs. If
that type of situation doesn't come up, then placement with an older male dog companion.

She is crate trained now, and is getting better and better with my husband, but has started to squabble with Brody again. Still no stitches, but the two of them get fed up with each other. Her training is coming along very well and she is getting really nice on the leash.

Update from the foster 2/3/04:Wanted to share this weekend's adventures of Daisy. My husband
had to work on Sat, so that meant I could only bring one of the dogs to class. Of course I brought Daisy , because she needs to build some confidence. Let me tell you how delighted she was to be
the center of attention. She loves going to class and being the only one that is focused on. She
was smiling the entire time, a rarity for her. She was enjoying the other dogs and pretending not
to see me if I did not have a treat to congratulate her with. She is coming along with sit and heel
quite nicely.

Stay is another story. She has figured out that if she stands up quick, and pretends not to see me,
I'll be a sucker with the treats every time, at which point she magically notices i'm trying to get her attention. Down isn't happening either, but we'll keep trying. She is doing great with heel, and is quite nice on a leash.

I apreciate that my input on Daisy is being considered. I am trying to work on leaving her alone
for short periods of time so that if a home without another dog comes along, she won't be passed over automatically. I still believe that she would prefer to be an only dog, with a parent, or
parents who would spoil her and make her the center of attention. She likes other dogs, but she
does feel the need to compete with the ones she lives with, so an older male might be the best.

Update from the foster 3/8/04: For those of you who are wondering, Daisy is doing well. She has become much more outspoken in obedience class. Very LOUDLY outspoken I might add. She
seems to just want to let everyone there know she's on the scene, and who is large and in charge, even though it sounds like someone is cutting her paws off.

She seems to have developed a fixation on small dogs. The last two weeks she has focused on a
mini terrier, a pug and a tiny sheltie. I can't figure out if she wants to play, is frightened of them,
or wants to eat them. It's anyone's guess at this point.

She is getting better with sit, still working on down, getting better with stay. Still Cujo with people approaching the car.

She is a SWEETHEART though. PLEASE keep her in mind.

Update from the foster 4/26/04: Hey everyone, some good news. Daisy has been with us now for about 4 1/2 months. It took her a very long time to be comfortable here, but she has gotten
steadily better as time goes by. One thing that has always been an issue has been her fear of
some men, including my husband. She would only aproach him if he was sitting down, or low to
the ground and not moving much. We had them outside yesterday, and Bob got Brody all jazzed
up and playing. She usually runs around the outskirts policing the whole event, nipping Brody if
he gets too rough, but this time she hung back and waited for Brody to peel off, and she ran up
to my husband and did play bow. I couldn't believe it. She has been playing some with Brody
and me, but this is the first time we have seen her do that. We were psyched.

She did great in "class" the day before. Bob has been working her, and she has been responding well. He got her to do her first "down". We are still trying to work out her other issues. She still
goes mental in the car, and she will still wake you up at the crack of dawn, but she's come a long way.

We have been working on leaving her by herself, and she's doing ok. She does nicely on a leash,
she goes to her crate for treats. Much better with Bob. She's relentless about pets sometimes, her breath is the WORST, and she has become a great companion dog. She is super sweet. We are really pretty attached to her, and would seriously think of keeping her if the two dogs got along better. Brody still gets rough with her sometimes, and we have to break it up. Another older dog
may not be so hard on her.

PLEASE do not forget about her. It's going to kill us when she finds a home of her own, but we know there is someone out there just for her. So keep her in mind if you get a good candidate. I
still think she would do fine as an only dog for someone who is home most of the time, but an
older dog would be nice company. She is great with kids and cats. The people would have to
work with us on transfering her to a new home. It would require several visits back and forth
before we could let her go. She'd be pretty buggy for a few days.

Update from the foster 7/5/04: Hi everyone, It looks like our girl has finally found her forever
home. The H___ family: Luther, Kelly and Bill came up for their second visit July 4th morning,
and everything went very well. We will be taking a ride down there next Sunday to deliver her
and finalize all the paperwork.

I wanted to thank everone who helped us with Daisy, and ask that everyone do the same for the H___'s. I am hoping that the transition will not be as difficult this time. If for any reason
something does not work, she will come back to us permanently. Please keep yout fingers crossed
that it all works out for her, and that we don't fall apart in trying to do what is best for her.
Thanks again everyone,
Daisy, Jen and Bob

Update from the foster 7/11/04: Ok everyone, we just got back from south Jersey. We dropped
Daisy off to Kelly and Bill, and so far so good. Thanks again to everyone who has helped us
with Daisy, and a huge special thank you to Kelly and Bill for opening their hearts to a dog who needs to be loved so much. We are going to miss her terribly.

I am sure that the next few days are going to be a bit rough, so any help that can be extended to Kelly and Bill will be much apreciated.

Thanks again everyone, and Hoorah for Daisy!

 

Amber
Date in: August 30, 2004
Age: 8 1/2

From the PA Coordinator: Amber is an 8 1/2 year old
beautiful and sweet fawn girl with cropped and standing ears. Her picture just doesn't do her justice. She came to us from a local shelter where she had been dumped because if she was left alone over 12 hours she would potty in the house. She is wonderful with her foster brothers and sister and totally
ignored the cats we tested her with. I think in an earlier life Amber was a show dog as when she was offered a treat she stacked right up! She was living with children 4 through 9 and she is just a sweet gentle soul. Someone please find it in your heart to give this girl the home she deserves to live out her life.

Update 9/1/04 from the PA Coordinator: She did just fine, no accidents and she was crated from 8 to 5:30. My neighbors told me that she barked from about 4:30 till I got home. She isn't use to being crated. Neighbors thought there was something wrong with me because they "never" hear my dogs bark. They thought the dogs were calling for help LOL She is use to having free roam of the house but I wasn't about to take that chance on the first day here.

She slept on the floor in my bedroom last night and never even stirred. She just wants to be close by.

Update 9/6/04: My sincere thanks to Kathie for overnighting Amber for several nights until she could make her way up to the Poconos, and for Kathie and the Johns for taking time out of their day to get Amber up to me. The picture attached shows 8 1/2 year old Amber with my 6 year old Dobie foster, "Red Dog." 

As much as Amber lives for human contact, I see her also wanting to be with the other dogs. I've got more pictures of her up on her page; she's laying down with a doleful look on her face as the other dogs play, but refused to move out of the room where she could enjoy peace and quiet. She seems to be baffled by the comotion, but not made uncomfortable by it. If they go outside, she has to go outside. As long as she's paired off with another dog she doesn't mind being in a different room than me, but solitary is a state she refuses to visit.

She is a big girl -- a smidge shorter than my Jewel, but wider and with HUGE feet in
comparison. She's not fat at all, just built. If cropped ears are your thing, she has a beautiful earset. Her eyes melt you; you can almost read her mind and the confusion from all the changes of these past few days.

This is a very likable dog. She does great with the other dogs, is curious but respectful when sniffing the cats, and greets anyone walking into the house like they are a long-lost friend.

Amber would make a great dog to introduce someone into the joys of sharing their life with a Dane. Due to the reason she was turned in, I wouldn't recommend a home that worked more than an 8 hour day -- Kathie said she had no accidents when left for a normal workday. I'll be able to verify that once my work week starts. She has not had any accidents overnight, and with all the water she drinks, if incontinence were a fact, her bedding would not have been dry. I think her future home just needs to realize that she cannot be left without a way to potty if they are going to be gone for an unreasonable amount of time.

Update 9/19/04: Shortly after Amber arrived I called her former vet for a complete medical history. They said they had to call the former owners for permission to release the information (standard procedure). I asked that my name & number be passed along if the former owners would like to speak with me. They did give permission for the records to be faxed up to me, but never called to give me personal information on Amber.

From the medical history, it's noted that the former owner said Amber got bladder infections each time her heat cycle completed. At the end of August they brought her to the vet for another infection, so I'm guestimating she had come out of heat and was not coming into heat (she was still very swollen). I had asked my boss at the vet clinic if she felt spaying Amber at her age (8 1/2) was a good thing. Her take is that she would rather do a routine spay than wait and have to do an emergency surgery due to a uterine infection. Surgery date is Tuesday, October 5th. I'll be having a senior profile (bloodwork) done on her and can compare it to bloodwork run last year by the other vet.

Amber is wholly a people dog; other animals are very well tolerated but it is people that mean the most to her. When I come home from work she greets me with a toy in her mouth, tail wagging happily. She runs to the gate with the other dogs when someone comes home, but generally doesn't bark like they do. She watches and waits to see who it is.

There have been a couple of days she's been left from 8 a.m. till 3 p.m. No accidents. No accidents overnight. She likes her water, and I feel that if she had weak/little bladder control, she would be having accidents. The key with her is to keep it reasonable -- she was turned in because she'd pee in the house when left for 12 hours at a time. She just can't hold it for that long.

She likes to lay right up against the couch you are sitting at. I also have a dog bed in the living room, she will sometimes curl up on that. When Red, the Dobie foster, walks by she will rumble a tiny bit; he gives her wide berth. Precious, the 9 1/2 month old Seeing Eye pup, can step on her tail and doesn't raise more than a dirty look. Jewel tip-toes around Amber; Amber will sniff Jewel's mouth and ears and gently wag her tail. Amber ignores the Corgi X for the most part. The only "trouble" came when I fed Gator before I put Amber out on the porch; she stood over Gator and low-growled as he tried to eat his food. I pulled her 150 lbs. away from his 35 and have made sure she's at her eating post before I put Gator's food down. She can be shoulder-to-shoulder with the other dogs when I hand out treats and doesn't do more than sit like the others.

She's curious about the cats, and will slowly chase if one streaks by her.

She's an easygoing girl who loves to go for walks and wants to be an integral part of the family. She is gently and loving and super sweet. She will stick her face in mine when I'm reading a book and gently kiss me, reminding me that my first duty is to pet her, not keep up with Nevada Barr's words. Priorities, ya know?

Update 10/5/04: I brought Amber in for her spay this morning. The bloodwork we had done Friday showed an elevated platelet count, possible indication of an infection. Two scenarios were that she was starting a uturine infection (pyometra), or the "bladder" infection she came in with was never cleared up (the reason she was turned in, inability to hold her urine for over 12 hours). She weighed in at 140 lbs., 10 lbs. lighter than her weigh-in at her former vet at the end of August. She looks good now; hopefully we can keep the extra weight off her.

The surgery went well. My boss estimates she had at least one litter; usually the uterus is "pencil thin" and Amber's was not so narrow and was "saggy." She also showed me some cysts that were developing in Amber's overies.

I had pointed out to the doctor the lump on Amber's face. She was worried it was an abscessed tooth, but exploration showed it to be neither that nor the blocked salivary duct she also guestimated. It was a cyst, non malignant <phew!>. She drained it, instructed me to do hot compresses and massages on it daily, and prescribed an antibiotic in case the syringe-stick could lead to infection.

After getting Amber off the table, she got a much needed pedicure (I've been working on it slowly but could do a much better job when she was out cold). As procedure I also cleaned her ears well (gee, when we're having surgeries, are our ears cleaned and nails cut?????). We put an ice
pack on her incision and then some hot-water bottled around her to make sure her temperature rose back up (it went from 100.5 to 99.5, not a huge drop but we like to ensure everything is OK). When she was awake enough I helped get her into her cage, where she stayed until I was told to go home an hour early at four. The doctor OK'd me bringing her home; Amber is resting comfortably and quietly downstairs on a crib mattress swaddled in blankets.

I work all day tomorrow; I'll be bringing her back in with me to keep an eye on her ... Not that I'm paranoid or anything. :-)

The best news of all: once Amber is recooperated from her spay she has a home waiting for her ... I'll share all the details once Amber leaves me, but I can tell everyone now that I am going to miss this girl something fierce.

Update 10/16/04: Saturday morning Amber went home with our very own Denise and Beau M___.  It has been very odd not having her presence here. She is another one that I can say I am the better for having been able to share in a part of her life.

I know she will find only more happiness in her new home.

Update 10/18/04 from the adopters: lets see.........we stopped on the way home and we had a hamburger........so much for her not eating for a few days. came home, and its like she has lived here for 8 years. eating very well thank you.

knows where the treat can is . been sleeping on the love seat. sleeps in the bedroom with the rest of the pack.

the only problem was Em, my 4 mo. old cairn pup said there are enough blondes already........ and chased Amber and snapped at her for the first 4 hours. Dorothy on the other hand the 7 mo. old, thinks Amber is wonderful!

Red Dog
Born: 5/15/98
Date in: 8/27/04

One Thursday in August I thought about a Doberman that my brother had taken out of a bad situation when I was a kid. Thinking about her brought a smile to my face. I started contemplating the nice Dobermans we
have seen at the vet clinic I work at. Out of the blue I asked my husband if we could have a Dobie someday ... That night my office manager called to vent about a Dobie our clinic had placed who was bouncing back 
to us. Without hesitation I offered to foster "Red Dog."

Last March Red's owner was found dead. Both he and the other Dobie in the home were surrendered to our clinic for us to find homes for. Placed separately at the time, they ended up back together in the home that adopted Red a short few days after he had been turned in.

Cody, the other Doberman, began beating up on Red. Red's sides and back show several rows of marks where Cody's teeth sliced into Red. Using the reasoning that Red would be easier to find a home for than dog-aggressive Cody, the Dobie was returned a year and a half later.

Red is a super boy. At six years old he is neutered, up to date on shots, heartworm tested and on monthly preventative. He has been doing sensational with the other dogs in his foster home, won't even look at the cats, and gravitates towards the children (ages 10-15). He does pull a bit on a leash when walked, but this is easily correctable with reminders.

Red can be shy with new people, but his reaction is merely to bark, run, then come up cautiously and lick them. He *loves* to give kisses.

Red dog is one of the sweetest, most affectionate dogs that I have shared my home with in a long time. He truly pulls at my heart strings.

For information on adopting a Doberman, visit Delaware Valley Doberman Pinscher Assistance Inc.

 

Dana Date in: May 2005 Age: 10 From the PA Coordinator 5/6/05: Dana is a sweet 10 year old merle female who came to us from a local shelter. Dana found her way to the shelter as part of an animal cruelty case when she was taken in along with 80 other animals from one house. She was dearly loved by the shelter staff and she appears to have some arthritis in her hind end. We will have more updates as we get to know this sweet old girl better. Update from foster home 5/22/05: Thank you, John and Kristin, for picking up Dana from the kennel and bringing her to me. After seeing how her excess weight handicaps her, I'm especially grateful that we didn't have to figure out how to move her from your car to mine. Getting her to lose weight will be my first priority. It's sad to see how hobbled she is; she tries to keep up with the other dogs when they go in and out of the house. She wants to come upstairs with the rest of us, but is physically unable to climb the seven steps. I have a feeling that she will soon figure out a way to master them. In the least she should be comfortable downstairs -- I don't think she can get up on the twin-size bed, but there's a comfy dog bed and a crib mattress for her to curl up on. Hopefully I'll be able to bring her into work with me this week and have a Senior Panel run to make sure her only problem is her weight. I'll also do heartworm/Lyme test, update her Rabies, and license her. If Dana has noticed the cats, she's not been impressed by them. My kids have been out of the house most of the day, so she hasn't had much opportunity to interact with the teenage and pre-teen sect of the house. She approached my husband without hesitation. All she asks for is love and attention. What a doll! I snapped many pictures of her today. She's shown out in the yard with our Dane, our Corgi X, and the two dogs we're raising for The Seeing Eye. Update from the foster 5/23/05: I called in this morning to see if I could bring Dana with me -- I hated the thought of keeping her in a kennel all day, but was more concerned with her near-constant panting. She trudged in with me and I somehow managed to get her on the scale. Any votes for how much she weighed? A whopping 190.9 pounds. If you saw the pics yesterday, my Dane who is the same height but not as large-boned as Dana weighs 120. I'd guess Dana should be 140? How in the world am I going to get 50 lbs. off this poor dog ... granted, she's not accepted a single meal from me yet ... My boss examined her and was concerned about her fast heartbeat ... always the realist, she also questioned how much our group would want to spend on a 10 year old Dane. I want basic answers -- liver, kidneys, heartworm, lyme status. Dr. MacCabe didn't recommend a thyroid test -- some symptoms are there, but not the majority. Pat mentioned the dirty "o" word ("osteosarcoma") in regards to what she thought was some leg swelling, but was quick to point out that with her weight and gait, it was difficult to diagnose what was swelling and what was just fat. She's not limping, just waddling. We'll work on diet, short but frequent walks for exercise, and see where we end up. When she finally poops, I'll bring in a fecal sample too. Our normal protocol is to make sure all hospitalized animals are in cages -- that's just basic safety. It was a fairly slow Monday, though; at one point when I got up from working the desk I found Dana stretched out on a blanket between the tub and the cage that had been set up for her. One of my coworkers had given her a bowl of water, and there Dana rested all day. She'd look up when someone approached, but didn't try to wander. She received many pats to the head and shoulder-rubs. My boss brought her GSD out to meet Dana. He approached her with tail-wags and gently kissed her. He's a gentle soul, a rescue himself who radiates to sick and injured animals (she lost her off-kilter GSD a few months ago to bloat). We left with her vaccinated against Rabies, licensed, and awaiting bloodwork results (give me the patience to wait till the come in tomorrow). She settled right in for the ride home, no longer concerned (I suppose) that I was taking her to someone else. I'll put her new collar (complete with foster tag, Rabies tag, and license) on tonight, and hopefully from that she can know that she belongs, at least until her real Mom and Dad come for her. They just don't know she's theirs, yet. Update from the foster 5/25/05: Dana's bloodwork came back showing that she is heartworm positive. Having been through treatment with a prior foster, and witnessed those we've done at the vet clinic I work at, I never entertained the possibility that we would put her through the treatment. At her age, with the poor physical condition she is in, that would have been only cruel. I asked the board to make the decision whether we explore how far along she is, or whether we euthanize her. I explained the facts then excused myself from voting. The decision came back that the best thing FOR DANA is to put her to sleep. As much as I didn't want to hear that, I agree with it. She spends all her time laying down. She can barely walk, and when she does, she pants madly. Each step is painful to watch. I will pack a lifetime of love in the next few days. I really don't care that she's