Remembering Barkley

Some very sad news to share - we learned of our first foster loss yesterday. Barkley (aka Benji), our second foster dog, got away from his dog walker Saturday and ran into traffic. He didn't make it. His mom, Susan, is absolutely devastated by the horrible loss of her best friend. Barkley had a wonderful two years with her - adventures at the beach, trips to the snow, hikes, dog parks, epic Halloween costumes, and SO much love. He was an only child, the apple of his mom's eye, and her constant companion. That's what we have to focus on: all the good things this dog experienced because of his rescue and adoption.

We have a lot of foster dogs out there living their forever lives, so it's sort of inevitable that we get this type of news at some point. I just didn't expect it to be Barkley. He was maybe a year old when we pulled him from the shelter, so he'd be around 3-4 years old now. It's heartbreaking to think of his life being stolen like this, but it's comforting to think of how much he is missed. This little unwanted dog who was so shy and shutdown in the shelter went from a life of the unknown to a life of love and joy. Barkley brought us so much joy during the month we fostered him and I know his mom feels the same way about their time together. I just wish it could have been 12 years together instead of 2. Regardless, knowing that he got to have this amazing life full of love is what we all must remember. Susan - you rescued a dog who deserved your love and you'd have given him the moon if you could have. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, for loving Benji. We are so sorry it ends this way, but eternally grateful that it ever even began in the first place.

The Journey Continues...

Our guys enjoying the new view

This blog isn't about me. It's meant to share all of my dog adventures and the many things Drew and I learn along the way. While I vent and emote through my posts, I always try to be sure the dogs remain my writing focus. Having said that, life just threw Drew and I a pretty serious curve ball that I feel deserves a post of its own. My blog's been quiet lately and I want to explain why. So, if you don't mind reading about me for a little bit, I'll share our latest adventure with you.

We moved from Atlanta to San Jose, California last week. Drew got a job offer in San Francisco just after Christmas. One month later, we sold our Atlanta house, said goodbye to everyone we know, loaded up our three dogs, and pointed the Pathfinder west. It was really fast, really exciting, really scary, and in some ways really sad. We don't know a single soul out here, but it's a totally fresh start for both of us. What does that mean for me? I left law school. I didn't transfer; I'm not taking time off. I'm done. What does any of this have to do with dogs? A whole lot! Let me explain:

1) I am enrolled in Carrington College California's Veterinary Technology program beginning June 2014. I didn't have this kind of opportunity it Atlanta; our nearest vet tech program was an hour away. I am SO tremendously excited about this! Dogs aren't just going to be a hobby for me anymore. They're going to be part of my career. I learned through fostering how much I love helping animals recover from illness and injury, being a dog nurse, paying close attention to things that a lot of people don't have the stomach for, and gaining an animal's trust in a really special way. I started with heartworm treatment and ended with Cap'n Jack's FHO and enucleation recoveries. I can do this. I really want to do this. I am super mega ultra excited to DO THIS! So I left law school in the dust for something I'm truly passionate about: animal care. Of course, being a vet tech involves way more than just dogs. CCC's program encompasses thirteen different species: Cows, snakes, frogs, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs, rabbits, cats, horses, birds, pigs, and mice. I've got a lot to learn!

2) We're going to have to take a hiatus from fostering. We are renting a townhome out here until we figure out all the neighborhoods and decide where we want to replant our roots. Let me tell you, finding a landlord who is ok with three dogs is no small task. Try doing it on a three day house hunting trip, to boot. I'm pretty sure we almost wound up living in a cardboard box under a bridge with our dogs. Anyway, we absolutely love our new neighborhood (Willow Glen, San Jose!) and our townhouse, but we probably should not push the envelope any further by adding a rotating fourth dog to the mix. Maybe after we live here for a year or two I can talk to our landlords and see if they'd be open to the idea, but I'm not comfortable doing it on the DL. Not to mention, this isn't our property. If you roll Cindy Lou Who (December 2012) and Cap'n Jack (January 2014) into 2013, we fostered 22 dogs last year. None of them were destructive, but if something ever happened here I'd be up a creek with the landlord because this isn't my house. While it's heartbreaking to step back from fostering, it's only temporary and it's better to be responsible about it. My dogs need their space while they adjust to our major life change anyway. They're doing great, by the way!

Chrissy, Katharine, & the FODA van

3) We don't know anybody out here. Anybody. I left my entire rescue network behind in Atlanta and the Northeast. I've got to start completely from scratch. How? The same way I did it in Atlanta when I moved there. I submitted my volunteer application to Santa Clara County Animal Care & Control this morning. Volunteering at animal control is the best way to get your finger on the pulse of animal welfare in your locale. It's also a great way to meet fellow animal lovers and give back to your community. Drew and I will be attending the next volunteer orientation on the second Saturday of March. So, we'll go from there. Eventually I'll learn which rescue groups are the best to work with out here, who needs the most help, who I'd like to foster for, etc. For now, we'll focus on walking and socializing the dogs at AC. I'm really curious to see what our AC is like out here...you can be sure I'll post about that. I'll really, truly, from the bottom of my heart miss fostering for transport through FODA for all the wonderful groups up North. You guys rock. I'm heartbroken about leaving you and I don't know how I'll ever possibly find such amazing dog people to work with again.

4) I need a job. My vet tech program doesn't start until June and even then it's only going to take up four evenings per week. I've applied for reception positions at local vet offices and sales positions at a couple of reputable pet supply stores. I'll only be working part-time and it will be nice to either establish a good relationship with a vet office early on or be able to help people find high quality products for their pets. We will see what happens. If I end up going the pet supply route, you can expect many more product plug posts to come!

5) I got a tattoo. What? Haha. I did! I'm going through a really hefty phase of 

change in my life. I wanted to mark it with something personal and special. I always wanted a paw print tattoo, but I never acted on it. (No, Mom, I don't have any others). Well, I finally did it. Two days before we left Atlanta, I grabbed Katharine and got inked. It meant a lot to me that Katharine, a dear rescue friend, tagged along. Here are a few of Katharine's other names: Zaxby the Chicken Wing Dog's mom, Finn the Dog's mom, FODA godmother / transport co-pilot / foster mom extraordinaire, and bringer of lunch to our awesome buddies at DeKalb County Animal Services. Anyway, the paw print is something really special to me. It punctuates my rescue work in Georgia, marks where it all started for me and also the end of that chapter, and commemorates the beginning of my vet tech career. So huge thanks to Katharine for going with me and to Dirk at East Atlanta Tattoo for being gentle. Now I figuratively wear a piece of my heart on my proverbial sleeve.

So, this is where The Great Foster Adventure that started it all stands. See what I meant about all the mixed emotions? It's a lot! It's taken me a while to get around to writing this post, but I'm glad I had the chance today. As always, thanks for reading and stay tuned to see what comes next! This isn't the end, only a new beginning. I have no idea where this crazy dog life is going to take me next!

This post is dedicated to Jamie, Chrissy, Katharine, Melissa, Jacki, Jane, Anna, and Rebecca. Thank you all for being such amazing friends, advocates, and drinking buddies. Paws up for DRDC!

Happy Tail: Cap'n Jack!

Straight off the bus and kisses already!

Ahoy, mateys! We've some great news to share with ye: Cap'n Jack found himself a couple o' jolly hearties who be offerin' him a poop cabin to call his own! The ole salt set sail for New York with Quartermasters Chrissy and Katharine on the FODA jollyboat a couple fortnights past. He be happy as a clam in cold waters! His new mateys say climbin' the riggin' n' unfurlin' the sails he was! No more swabbin' the decks for this cap'n...treats n' belly rubs be the only sight in his salty future.

Spoiled rotten, he be!

Ok, I can't keep that up for an entire post. Yes, Wacky Jacky settled in perfectly with his new family. His adoption was lined up long before he left on transport. His parents even had a skull n' crossbones collar waiting for him! He gets along swimmingly with his two canine siblings. Jack's parents are continuing the physical therapy for his hip, but you know he hasn't let it slow him down for a second. I'm super lucky that his mom and dad keep me updated with tons of photos and videos. They even speak fluent Piratese! Jacky couldn't have scored better. The little scruff munchkin steals the hearts of everyone he meets; mine is no exception. I miss his snorty mcsnort face and scrufftacular spirit, but I am so beyond thrilled for him and his forever family. Fair winds and smooth sailin' to ye, Cap'n!

PS: HUGE thanks to Auntie Kirsten for temp fostering Cap'n Jack TWICE during his stay in Georgia!

BONUS: Check out some pictures from the time between my last post about Jack and his adoption below for some over the top scruffaliciousness!

Katie & Suri Head North

Bon voyage, girls!

Today I sent Katie and Suri on transport to See Spot Rescued in New Jersey. They went on the FODA van and we crated them together so they could stay snuggly and (hopefully) less stressed. Mama and Suri have been through so much together...they're such a cute little team! I felt nothing but happiness when I said goodbye to them today. They are the sweetest little things, but I am just so excited for them to take the next step toward furever. I know their lives are going to be filled with so much love, whether they get adopted together or separately. For now, they'll go to a foster home together until

Like mother, like daughter

they get adopted. I'll keep you posted as I find out about their journeys. Paws crossed for safe travels and bright futures for Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise! They deserve nothing but the very best. Good luck, girls!

Please share widely...Katie especially needs help generating adoption interest! I think Suri has a few people interested, but nothing concrete. If you're in the Jersey City area and would like to adopt Katie or Suri, please email SSR and request an application: seespotrescued@gmail.com

Happy Tail: PICKLES!

Love at first sight!

I cannot believe I am writing this post...Pickles has been adopted! I am so excited, it's stupid. The Pickles Project is finally complete. We sent him to New Jersey yesterday on the FODA transport bus. He arrived safely this morning and is already SO in love with his wonderful new mommies. We had Pickles (now Preston!) for 6 1/2 months. He came so tremendously far during that time. Despite having never met his new mommy before, he let her hug and kiss him right away when he got off the transport bus. No bites! This little dog's journey has not been easy, but he has made me so very proud. Seeing pictures of him all snuggled up and looking perfectly blissful brings peace to my broken heart. I know it will heal with time, but because of all the updates and photos it is already a million times better!

Goodbye, my blatch!

I can't even begin to describe how difficult it was for me to let Pickles go. I became so deeply attached to this little dude. Long-term fostering is not a cake walk. It's trying, emotionally draining, and it hurts so much more when it's time to say goodbye. At first I felt so bad for him, then about 2 months in I think I actually hated him for a couple weeks. He was so difficult and I was convinced he'd never get adopted. Then one day I realized a small part of me didn't want him to go. That small part became my whole heart very quickly. I fell completely in love with his poor little Chihuahua soul. A rescue friend of mine likes to say that the hardest fosters are always the hardest to let go. She's right. Pickles was such a project and I poured so much of my heart into helping him learn how to trust and love. He truly was an exercise in great patience, but it was worth every frustrating second of it. I left the shelter with a terrified, undersocialized, fear aggressive disaster dog and 6 1/2 months later waved goodbye to a bubbly, snuggly, loving companion. Pickles is still not perfect, but what dog ever is? Perfect is boring. What matters is that he's to the point where he can enjoy life with confidence and zeal.

Check out my new sweater!

I'm smiling in my sleep

Pickles's new mommies have been following his Facebook page for four months. They waited for him until he was ready. I am so glad they did and I know Pickles is, too. They are head over heels in love with him. Seeing how happy he looks already on his very first day with his new family erased all the pain I felt letting him go. It was just meant to be. They went shopping for sweaters right away because it's chilly up there and Picky has no fur. They also went for a nice hike in the woods to get to know each other a bit (look how pretty their hike was!). It wore Pickles out, so they went home and took a snuggly nap. I'm so happy that he had such an amazing first day of his furever! I'm also super excited that he lives mega close to his old buddy, Cowboy Cody! Can't wait to see the pictures of their reunion. I will have to post pictorial updates, for sure. HUGE thanks to everyone who shared Pickles's Facebook page, liked his photos, offered me moral support, and of course to Chrissy for personally delivering him to his new moms. 

I miss Pickles a ton. It's sad sitting in my reading chair without him, but I know he has such a love-filled life ahead. I'll always love him. Best of luck to you, my little Blatch, my Blatchy, my Picnic, my Pachelbahn, my Picky, my Packles, my Packle Wackle, my Pickman, my Pickwick, my Picks, my Pickwicky, my Proudly Pugnacious Pickles. You're the best little blatch a girl could ever ask for. Congratulations on finally finding your furever family!

Katie & Suri: Your Daily Dose of Adorable

Hold still while I get ya, Mama!

We likes to snuggles

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd write a little post letting you all know that Katie and Suri are doing great. Suri's learning new dog things every single day. She's barking, play bowing, climbing stairs, going down the stairs, and today she even did the dirt-scratching kick after she went potty! I'm having a blast watching her figure everything out. Mama Katie's really enjoying being a house dog. She got to go to lunch with me and Aunt Chrissy on Monday. We sat out on the patio and she soaked in the sunshine. She's a super sweet girl who I thought really deserved a little break from her puppy. Nothing too new to report, just that they're doing very well. Mostly, I just need an excuse to post a bunch of pictures and videos. Enjoy!

Katie Holmes & Suri Cruise: No Longer On Their Own

Just sayin'...

It's not every day you see a mama with only one puppy come into animal control. Y'all know we just temp fostered the houndy mama and her litter of 10, so when we saw this pitiful pair we just couldn't resist. Their intake photo interested me. You can see the independence and determination in both of them. Mama is alert and sitting up straight. Puppy is sitting tall next to mama, not hiding underneath or behind her. They both just kind of seem to be saying, "Yep, here we are. We made it this far, just the two of us. What's next?". When I got to the shelter and saw them in person, I knew I wasn't leaving without them. I took mama out without her puppy to see how she acted around people and other dogs. She was totally cool. When I walked back to her kennel, puppy was just sitting there just like she is in the intake picture. She wasn't fazed in the slightest. Ok then, off we go!

Adorable

The rescue group taking them is See Spot Rescued (SSR) in New Jersey. SSR likes their dogs to have famous first and last names, so Drew came up with Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise. We think it suits them well. Their shelter names were Becky (pup) and Darlene (mom). I thought those were really cute too, especially Becky for the puppy. Unfortunately, I didn't watch Roseanne growing up and so we didn't realize they actually already had celebrity names. Plus Drew is way too proud of himself for thinking up Katie and Suri given his profound lack of celebrity knowledge. So, Katie and Suri it is!

Katie's poor skin

Suri post-bath and sans fleas

Katie and Suri are both at good weights and seem to be in general good health. They were picked up as strays by an animal control officer a few days before I brought them home. Suri was completely infested with fleas. We used the shower handheld and bathed her with Dawn dish soap. They use that stuff on wildlife because it is so gentle and good at de-gunking. We washed her for about 15 minutes and the fleas just poured off of her the entire time. I have never seen so many fleas on one dog before, let alone a three pound dog like Suri. Poor thing. It was really bad. I can't believe she was still so strong with all those awful things leeching off of her. It makes me wonder if mama had one or two other pups that were just as infested and didn't make it. Who knows. I just know Suri felt so much better once we got rid of all those fleas. She's doing really well and only has some scabs from where the worst of the fleas were living on her. Mama Katie didn't have any on her, but she'd been chewed up by them really badly. Her skin is a WRECK. It's just horrible. At the shelter, I noticed she had pretty serious hair loss going on, but I didn't see the full extent of it until we got her home. Her poor skin is just torn up. Dogs can have severe allergic reactions to a single flea bite. When they scratch and chew and dig at their own skin it just makes

everything that much worse. She was so terribly inflamed, raw, and itchy. We bathe her with Xymox shampoo and conditioner. Katie gets biotin, therapeutic dosages of fish oil, and pet kelp to help restore her skin and coat. We also rub her down with an herbal gel to give her some instant topical relief from the itching. The gel is called Scratch Attack Anti-Itch and has yerba-mate, boswellia, arnica, chamomile, witch hazel, aloe vera, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and tea tree oil. All of these ingredients are good natural remedies that should help Katie feel much better. Her skin has already improved. It's no longer red and inflamed, although she still has a long way to go. It will probably never look perfect, but all that's important is that we get her feeling more comfortable.

Check out those double dewclaws! Little freaks!

We think Suri is probably about six weeks old. Mama is a Dachshund mix who is probably about 25 pounds and roughly 2 years old. Suri looks nothing like mama. They both have super funky, fairly unusual double rear dewclaws. If it wasn't for that, I'd almost wonder if Suri was mama's pup. She's still nursing, but we're trying to help mama wean her because she has teeth and is rather rotund. Suri's really a little boss...she eats everything in sight (even if she has to shove mama out of the way) and she loves to chase the Chihuahuas. Bunkin, Flea, Oliver, and Pickles are pretty scared of her. It's hilarious. We spend a good deal of time playing in the backyard so she gets plenty of fresh air and exercise. Suri is running faster and steadier every day. Yesterday she sailed over a log at the end of the driveway mid-stride and kept right on running without stumbling! She even

conquered the very bottom step of the outside stairs and the slightly raised threshhold of the backdoor. Mama Katie is super spunky and likes to play pretty rough with little Suri. She'll shove her around, roll her over, pin her down, chomp on her ears, and run zoomies around her until she starts to cry uncle. Then she'll back off and Suri will resume chasing after Flea and Pickles. Yesterday she sent Oliver bounding away in terror and Bunkin decided he'd be safest hiding behind my legs. What a goof troop!

It seems like Mama Katie was a house dog at some point. She's completely house-trained and is even trying to teach Suri where to go potty. When we're out in the yard, Katie grabs Suri by the ear/leg/arm and drags her into the grass where she fusses at her until Suri goes potty. It's like she's saying, "Look here, this is where we go and we're not going back inside until you do!". It's super funny. Katie is VERY people friendly. She loves to crawl up into your lap and give kisses, even if she's just met you. She made herself right at home from day one, cuddling with us during tv time, leaning against our feet when we're standing in the kitchen, and squeezing in alongside me when I sit in the recliner to study. She's super tolerant of all the other dogs, too. Normally mamas with young pups are slow to warm and a bit protective, but Drew is a champ and seamlessly integrated Katie and Suri in with the rest of our pack in a day's time. In short, she's a really well-behaved girl. It makes you wonder what happened for her to wind up in this situation. My guess, for what little it's worth, is that mama may have be owned and loved but was never fixed, escaped her yard/house, got knocked up, birthed her pup as a stray, and wound up in animal control. No doubt she's a flea bitten mess, but she seems to be in good shape other than that and doesn't seem to have any emotional scars. It's really sad, no matter what their story may be. The great news is they're both safe and loved, mama will never have to go through this again, and Suri will never have any babies of her own. The hard part of their journey is over for good.

We will probably have Katie and Suri for three weeks or so. Suri has to gain a couple pounds before she can be spayed and Katie's got to be fixed once her milk dries up. Hopefully I can get Katie's skin in better shape during that time before they head to New Jersey. I really have nothing but awesome things to say about these two girls. They're both fantastic little dogs and I know they will make somebody very happy. We're certainly enjoying having them around! Huge thanks to See Spot Rescued for committing to take them and also to Friends of DeKalb Animals for transporting them to NJ. Stay tuned for more cuteness! I'll be posting occasional updates with lots of pictures over the next few weeks.

Happy Tail: Brewster!

Brewster, now named Wilbur, found his forever home yesterday! Hurray! Thanks SO much to FODA and Delaware County SPCA in Pennsylvania for helping this big ole mushmallow get adopted. Paws up!

Brewster: Just Passing Through!

Hi, I'm Brewster!

This beautiful boy is going by the name of Brewster for the next 36 hours. Brewster's hanging out with us until he goes on transport with Friends of DeKalb Animals on Saturday. He's heading to a rescue group in Pennsylvania. When the shelter is at max capacity like it was today, every single cage matters. So, Brewster gets to be comfy for the next two nights and a lucky dog at the shelter gets to take his open space in adoptions. Hurray!

Who's that handsome fella in the mirror?

Brewster is mega sweet and mellow. While we won't get to see his full personality over such a short time, it's obvious that he's going to make somebody a great dog. I don't know anything about his story, but he's about 70 pounds (a little skinny under all that fur) and I think he might be a Great Pyrenees/Lab mix or something like that. He's gorgeous. He's got some stains that a good brightening shampoo might be able to lift, but overall he looks like he was well cared for at some point.

Check out my awesomely fluffy tail!

If you love the fact that Brewster is now safe and another dog gets to avoid euthanasia, PLEASE donate to Friends of DeKalb Animals. They're the ones who make ALL OF THIS possible! It costs FODA $175 to vet and transport a dog; they rescue anywhere from 50-100 animals EACH MONTH. FODA gives the homeless pets at DeKalb County Animal Services HOPE. Brewster and so many others just like him are alive and happy because of FODA's dedication. Here is the link to their paypal page: http://friendsofdekalbanimals.com/how-to-donate/

Paws up for Brewster and FODA!