Pupdate: Lefty's Progress So Far

Wow! Lefty aka Pirate aka Cap'n Jack aka Jack aka Jacky aka Wacky Jacky is doing GREAT. And yes, we are nuts for nicknames around here. Y'all should know that by now. This crazy little bugger...ya can't keep a Boston down! I know that much. Jacky is no exception. Despite having one eye and a broken hip, he is still totally bonkers. I'm sure it's mostly because he's on crate rest, although we do make sure he gets gentle playtime breaks throughout the day. We've also realized he's still a puppy. He's got bright, white, sharp teeth and boatloads of energy. He's completely fearless and doesn't know any speed except full steam ahead. Unfortunately for him, that means his play breaks are cut short before he further hurts himself.

Having said that, I can't deprive the little guy altogether! I'm a sucker and a pushover when it comes to his scruffy little Energizer bunny butt. His favorite thing in life so far is his rope toy. I got him a mini rope that's not long enough to whack himself in the eye if he kill shakes it. He's obsessed. THROW THE ROPE THROW THE ROPE THROW THE ROPE! WHERE'S THE ROPE WHERE'S THE ROPE WHERE'S THE ROPE? I GOT THE ROPE I GOT THE ROPE I GOT THE ROPE! That's pretty much the bulk of Jacky's brain activity. I love it. He just cracks me up. He'd run on that broken leg all day long if I let him. Don't worry, not gonna happen.

The plastic e-collar is pretty much a mechanism of death and destruction. The vet said he can't wear a comfy cone because it would be too easy for him to smash it out of the way and rub his eye against stuff. Consequently, he's stuck in the hard plastic cone of shame. I hate cones. They make everything so much harder on the dog. Too bad, because as PPR's Allie pointed out, wearing a cone is much better than ripping open that eye socket. So don't feel too bad that Jack has to wear the cone. It's keeping him safe. Plus, his eye is looking awesome! It's not swollen or red anymore. Honestly, dogs are made up of Wolverine DNA, I swear. Their healing rate is unbelievable. Paws crossed his FHO recovery is no exception!

Poor Lefty has had quite a time trying to figure out how to fetch despite being confined to an e-collar. At first he just shoveled everything around like a bulldozer. Now he's decided that brute force is the best option. He smashes down on top of his target in an effort to squish the cone to the side so he can just reach whatever he's trying to get (usually the rope). This has resulted in a couple of barrel rolls / near headstands that have about scared the peewally out of me. It's terrifying, heartbreaking, and hilarious all at the same time. Watching him eat is a whole other thing. I had to hand feed him at first. Now he slams his head straight down so the cone completely surrounds the food bowl. He looks like a crash-landed satellite.

Wearing a cone plus only having one eye has really put the ultimate kibosh on Jacky's peripheral vision. He clips corners, crashes into furniture as he walks by, and slams into our legs. The other dogs are terrified of it (he chases them around like a maniac and smashes into them when he tries to get close enough for a good sniff). It slices and bruises our legs when he runs into us (constantly). So, a couple rescue friends suggested I wrap the edges in duct tape. In keeping with his Pirate nickname, I bought skull and crossbones tape and decked out his cone with it. Now Jack's the most stylin' pirate on the block. Probably in the whole city!

I am clean, regal, and SCRUFFY!

Cap'n Jack got a bath today. Boy, did he need it! Not only does he look like a pirate, but he smelled like one too. He was very well behaved in the tub. I could tell he actually enjoyed it. The poor dude just stood there, shut his eyes, and leaned into my hands as I shampooed him. He even let me *very carefully* wipe all the dried blood and dirt away from his face and eyes. He needed that so badly. I took his cone off so I could clean around his neck and ears really well. Gosh he's so much cuter without the cone! I let him keep it off for a few (closely supervised) minutes until he dried. He was SO excited to roll around in the towels and dry off. I'm not sure I've ever seen a dog peacefully enjoy a bath so much. It warmed and broke my heart at the same time. Judging by his behavior and by the color of the tub water, I'd say it had been a very long time since Jacky last had a bath. Bonus: now that he's clean, he's extra mega scrufftacular!

Lefty / Pirate / Cap'n Jack / Jack / Jacky / Wacky Jacky is a really great little dog. We love him to pieces. He is so affectionate, happy go lucky, and goofy. While he's certainly feeling happier and is on the road to recovery, he still has a very long way to go. Please consider donating to help PPR with his medical bills (see link below). Happy New Year, Lefty! I promise it will be SO MUCH BETTER for you than this past year.

http://www.perfectpetsrescue.org/donations-and-how-you-can-help.html

Meet Lefty, the Feisty One-Eyed Scruff Munchkin!

I'm super excited to announce that we are back in the foster circuit, hurray! My finals are over, we had our break, and now we're ready to roll again. Our first foster of the [almost] new year: Lefty aka Pirate! Lefty is a Boston Terrier mix...maybe some Scotty? Some Cairn Terrier? Corgi? Who knows. He's scruffy, spunky, sweet, and spectacularly adorable. He's small, 17.5 pounds, heartworm negative and probably 2-4 years old.

Post Eye Removal

Poor Lefty came into DeKalb Animal Services yesterday with a severe eye trauma and a busted leg. You can see how awful the eye was in his shelter photo. Eyes usually pop out of their sockets like that as a result of impact. That combined with the broken leg leads us to believe Lefty was hit by a car. Fortunately for Lefty, Perfect Pets Rescue came to his aid immediately. He went straight to a local vet for evaluation and had an emergency enucleation after the eye ruptured last night. Even though this sounds and looks drastic, Lefty is MUCH more comfortable without that awful eye. Ruptures are incredibly painful, as the eyeball actually bursts from all the built up pressure caused by the trauma. He is far better off without it. The socket is swollen now, but with warm compresses applied every few hours it will return to normal. Lefty will adapt to having one eye before too long.

Resting on the way home

On top of dealing with an eye removal, poor Lefty has to go back to the vet on Friday for a femoral head ostectomy and neuter surgery. They'll take his eye stitches out then, too. Needless to say, this little scruffy munchkin is having one hell of a week. But at least he gets to rest and recoup in a comfy, warm, [relatively] quiet place! We are thrilled to have him. After our family Boston, Buster, passed earlier this week, helping a fellow Boston in need soothes my heart. This little guy is super special. He's doing great so far. I even got him to pee despite the rain we're having today. He let me wipe him down with Nature's Miracle wipes (to reduce odor and clean some gunk off him a little) and takes all his pills like a real champ. He's spending most of his time resting quietly in a crate with a big fluffy blanket.


Lefty has THE CUTEST little wiggle waggle walk! He's actually not limping much at all, despite the busted leg/hip. I just love his tail, his mug, his fabulous bulldog underbite, and his funky personality. I'll continue to post updates on him to let everyone know how he does on Friday. Once he's recovered from everything, he'll go on transport to PPR in New York where he'll await his forever home.


While he's not available for adoption yet, be sure to follow Perfect Pets Rescue on Facebook and watch for Lefty to pop up on their website. I know the holidays just passed and wallets are thinner than normal, but PPR could really use all the help they can get footing Lefty's extensive medical bills. Lefty would love for PPR to be able to help others like him and he really doesn't want to have to get a job! To donate to PPR, please click here: http://www.perfectpetsrescue.org/donations-and-how-you-can-help.html

He's got a cool tail...

...and a classic Boston profile!

...a long Corgi body...

For the Love of Buster

I've got a bit of sadness to share. One of my family dogs, Buster, crossed the rainbow bridge on Christmas Eve. Buster was a nine year old Boston Terrier who belonged chiefly to my younger brother, Max. We had three Bostons growing up: Bandit, Birdie, and Buster. I've already told you all about my Bandit in an earlier post. Birdie is my sister's, although nowadays she's more my mom's since my sister went to college. Anyhow, Birdie and Buster were always very close. She's doing ok, but of course she knows. It helps that my sister brought her dog home for Christmas the day after Buster passed, so Birdie's had a positive distraction.

While we of course love(d) all three dogs, Buster was the sweetest, funniest, most wonderful of the bunch. Everybody loved Buster. He had the smushiest face of everyone, which earned him the nickname "Smush" among others (Smush, Squish, Busty, Bubba, Butt, Buttweed, etc.). Even though I know it's way TMI, I will explain the origin of the Buttweed nickname. **For those of you who'd prefer the mystery, please skip to the next paragraph** Ya see, Buster had a special talent for dingleberries. Translation: he needed his booty wiped every single time he went potty. What's more is that he oftentimes had grass sticking out of his butt afterward. Extra special. Hence, Buttweed. Anyhow, that's the end of the nickname story. Sorry for that, but when a dog passes you've just got to share everything about them with everyone. Even the not so shareable stuff. Never thought I'd be telling the masses about Buster's buttweeds!

Ok, for those of you re-joining us here, let's continue talking about how awesome Buster was. He was so snorty and so squishy. He had a big old head and comparatively tiny ears. He had bones made of rubber and would spend hours on end lying in the sun with his back legs stretched out behind him like a frog. He loved tug o' war. One of his favorite things was to hold onto the rope/tug toy and let my brother swing him around in circles. In their younger years, he and Birdie were best tug buddies. They played for years until Birdie lost her front teeth. Buster never quit. He lived for tug.

Buster was the gentlest dog...we got him when my brother was five years old and he'd let Max do anything to him without protest. I don't think I ever heard that dog growl at anyone. He was just so incredibly mellow and laid back. I've never met another dog quite like him: half clown, half cauliflower.

About four months ago, my family found out that Buster was in congestive heart failure. They did everything they could for him until he was no longer comfortable. Buster spent his last few days in the GA mountains with his family. He was on vacation in a cozy cabin with those who loved him most. On the way home, it became clear he was ready to go. My mom and Max took him to the vet the next day and said their goodbyes. They buried him in the backyard on Christmas morning. My mom says they're planning to plant a tree over his grave. I wasn't there, but I know he's behind his favorite avocado tree lying in the sunshine forever. He would have liked that. It's so strange to think of him being gone; he never outgrew his puppiness.

We love you, Buster. Keep Bandit company for us.

Birdie (left) and Buster (right)

The Great Foster Adventure: Our First Year in Review

Thought I'd let everyone know that Drew and I are taking a much-needed fostering break for the holidays. Coming off of a ten month foster bonanza, we need a minute to catch up with each other, things around the house, and of course our own pups. I feel like we were trying to take a break since early summer, but it just didn't line up that way. I can't believe we're down to just our three dogs again for the first

time in almost a year! It is insanely quiet and calm. I can tell they're super happy. They need a breather as much as we do. Having said that, it's not even been two weeks and I'm already going through foster withdrawal. I haven't been to the shelter yet during this time and I know it's going to be hard to go without having the option to take someone home. Must resist! With law school exams lurking right around the corner, I need this time to focus on life beyond dog stuff. It sucks, but that's how it's got to be for a little bit. Plus we're going away for Christmas, so we'd need a foster-free house for that period anyway.

Anyhow, I think it'd be nice to write a few posts on my

own 

doggies during this down time. I also have a couple more product plugs lined up. So even though there won't be any new dogues invading until after Christmas, be sure to check back every now and then for other posts. Rest assured, come the new year we will get back on track! In the spirit of reflection, check out the pictures of all the pups who 

passed through our home this year. What a great bunch! Paws up for all of them and their wonderful new lives! This first year of fostering was incredibly rewarding and super fun. It has been such an adventure...can't wait for the next chapter! As always, thanks for reading!

Happy Tail: Suri Cruise!

Congratulations, Suri!

Well, that didn't take long at all! Little miss Suri Cruise is adopted! Hurray! Her new name is Zoe, how perfect! Suri stayed in an awesome NJ foster home for a week until her furever family took her home. How pawsome! She is going to be so happy. Hopefully we'll get some updates on her so we can see what she grows up to look like. That little monster is going to be adorable, I just know it! I love this pup and I'm so glad she's got a great home. She has so much personality...sometimes she's a rabble-rouser and other times she is just super snoozy and mellow. She does that hilarious thing where she sits down and just gives you the "I'm too cute to ignore" puppy death stare from across the room until you pick her up. She's a goof troop. Good luck, little girl!

Can we go home now?

Too cute...NJ foster siblings!

Happy Tail: Katie Holmes!

Congratulations, Katie!

I've got some more pawsome news to share: Mama Katie got adopted on Thursday night! Woot! She looks SO happy and seems to fit right in with her new pack. She's got two low-rider siblings just like her: Dottie and Bogey! You know that's a crew that's sure to turn heads walking down the street together. Katie's new name is Kit. I think that's super cute and fits her quite well. I'm so excited for her. Check it out: she's already claimed her new daddy's lap! Love the family photo! We were all a little concerned that Suri would get adopted right away and no one would want Katie. Everybody wants puppies, but all too often the mama gets left in the dust. SSR wasn't about to let that happen! As it turns out, Katie beat Suri to furever. Who would've thought?

Happy Suri in her foster home

Don't worry, Suri is super happy and cozy in her NJ foster home (enjoy the brain-meltingly adorable photographic evidence). Her furever will come soon enough, I'm sure. And don't feel sad that they're not adopted together, either. Sure, they'd been through a lot together and were definitely bonded, but they're very independent girls. Katie was starting to play a bit too roughly with Suri and she also became a little overly protective of her toward people when they got to NJ. I really think they'll both do better separately. They can start totally fresh. From what I've heard, it sounds like occasional play dates may even happen! So PAWS UP for Katie/Kit! Good luck, sweet mama girl. We are so happy for you!

Raven's Journey Continues: From Shelter to Sanctuary

5 weeks of healing!

We handed Miss Raven off to Canine Pet Rescue this evening. During her time at CPR, Raven will learn how to be a real GSD. She'll go through CPR's awesome training program, get to hang out with other German Shepherds at CPR's pristine kennel, enjoy the fresh Georgia country air, and build her leg strength back up. I can't wait to see super happy pictures of her romping in the fields and maybe even doing some bite work! Most of all, I will be so very happy to see her leg finish healing. This is Raven's fifth week out of the shelter and her leg, as you saw in my last blog post, has come so far. Dogs' healing powers amaze me. Clearly there's some Wolverine DNA in there somewhere. I know you're probably tired of the gory injury photos, but I can't help myself. Seriously, look at the difference!

She's just a big lovey goofball

Raven is going to make somebody an awesome family dog. While it seems she needs to be an only dog, she is great with kids. Miss Ray loves to lay on the couch or on the floor nearby her people. As long as she can be near you, she's a happy camper. She loves to play fetch and is a pro at "sit". Hey, come on, even I can teach a German Shepherd how to sit! She seriously sat the first time I asked and looked at me like, "Are you for real lady, this is all you've got?" Raven's so smart...I'm just thrilled that she's going to get all the mental stimulation and exercise she's been craving. I love my Chis and terriers, but there's just something extra special about having a highly intelligent dog that sees you as a partner.

Having said that, super smart dogs are a lot of work. We're tired. Our dogs are tired. Raven is the only one who isn't tired. She's ready to rock and roll at CPR and her leg isn't holding her back anymore. She's going to thrive. I'll post any pictures I get of Raven in her element at CPR and certainly her happy tail picture when she finds her furever home. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on some pictures of her leg after it's entirely healed, too. Be sure to check out the old video below of Raven enjoying her doggy bed and wagging her tail.

Good luck, Ravie Rave!

So if you or someone you know is looking for a Georgia German Shepherd, please help us network these amazing dogs by liking/sharing CPR's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/caninerescue

If you'd like to donate to Canine Pet Rescue so they can continue to help other dogs like Raven, please follow this link: http://www.caninepetrescue.com/how-you-can-help/donate.html

Raven's Recovery: Putting One Paw in Front of the Other

Weekly carpal progress

Weekly armpit progress, clockwise from top left

Lovely Miss Raven is doing fantastic. We are at the one month mark today and her leg is looking great. Her most recent follow-up was on Halloween. The vet was super happy with how everything looked and decided that from here on out, we're ok to go bandage free and let the fresh air finish up the healing process! Raven is doing such an awesome job not licking excessively (with the help of a little bitter spray). She's also walking a lot better without the bandage. I'm sure it felt funky and was probably restricting her range of motion a little. In the picture collage on the left, you can see how far Raven's carpal injury has come in the last four weeks. Top left: initial wound, top right: two weeks into recovery, bottom left: three weeks in, and bottom right: four weeks from initial vet visit. It's totally filled in/granulated, which means there's no longer bone or tendon exposed and no holes remaining. The gray perimeter you see in the bottom right photo is new skin forming. Her armpit wound has really come a long way as well. It was pretty deep and required a drain and stitches (which Raven promptly ripped out on day 1). Despite the awkward location and difficulty keeping the stitches in, it's done remarkably well. She'll probably have a long scar there where the dead tissue sloughed off, but no biggie. She'll still be beautiful, scars or no scars!

Dainty little temp bandage!

Now that all the extensive home care is finished (no more bandage changing, no more medications, no more weekly vet trips), Raven is good to move on to the next stage of her journey toward furever. We're taking her out to the Canine Pet Rescue farm this Friday and turning her over to Carla & Co. She'll stay at the CPR kennel (which is a gorgeous facility on a breathtaking spread of land out in Dacula, GA) until she gets adopted. They'll put her through their awesome training program and she'll learn how to be a real GSD. I'm super excited for her...I know she's going to thrive. I'm sure she won't have to wait very long for a home either; she's such a beautiful and sweet girl.

Enjoying the patio at Midway!

Last night, Raven and I met some friends for drinks. We sat on the restaurant's patio for a couple hours and Raven was super well behaved. There were loud crowds and other dogs on the patio, but she minded her manners perfectly and even let strangers pet her. This was Raven's first social outing. We've taken her for walks in the park several times, but nothing like this before. She handled the socialization so well. I was a proud foster mama! I have to say: I think all my foster dogs are beautiful, but it's extra fun when I have an ultra stunning dog to show off (ahem...Cowboy...). Miss Raven certainly is a showstopper! Nobody can resist her beautiful dark sable coloring and all that shadowing around her face and ears. And pink/fuschia is definitely her best color. I just can't wait to see how pretty she is when that leg is completely healed! She is getting closer to that point every single day. You know I'll share whatever pictures I receive! Stay tuned.