Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

Charlie Brown at the shelter...I mean, c'mon!

This living teddy bear is Charlie Brown! He's got quite a story behind him: this was his THIRD stint in San Jose animal control. Charlie first arrived as a stray, then was adopted out, then came back a second time as a stray, was adopted again, and came back this third time as a stray yet again. Clearly he's a door darter, although I never once had him try to Houdini out of the backyard or anything like that. CB's background is a classic example of the importance of screening for quality adopters. Just about anyone can walk into the shelter, pay $10, sign a form, and walk right out with a dog. Sure, it could've been a door dart situation that can happen to anyone, or they might not have realized that CB is definitely not a suitable off-leash dog, or any number of potential things you just can't screen for. Oftentimes it isn't the right dog for them, and that's assuming they're even qualified to give a dog a good home at all. Unfortunately these things happen with open adoption policies. So although CB likely would have gone up for adoption again for a third time (he had a fatty mass that was delaying his push-through process), I saw him and his history and decided that he deserved a proper chance at a good life with a controlled outcome rather than yet another roll of the dice. The rest is history! Charlie turned out to be a wonderful dog who is great with everyone; it's just that not everyone makes a great dog owner. He can tell you firsthand!

Charles, Brown, CB, Chuck, Mr. Brown - no matter what we called him, he came running with a zest for life! Charlie has an absolutely fantastic personality. Everyone who met him loved him and his whacky little hoarse squawking. Schipperkes often sound like that; we think he is mixed with some Chi or something a bit smaller. He's the spunkiest little guy and super loves to play...especially with laser pointers! We bought him a crazy laser machine and he went utterly bananas over it, so much so that I only let him use it for less than 3 minutes at a time because it drove him that berserk. Check out the video...it's insane.

Irresistible!

Charlie has the most flufftastic fur and such a darling face - everyone said he looked just like a little teddy bear! He sure snuggles like one, too. You could hug him all day long and he'll be your best friend forever. That dog will snuggle anytime, anywhere! Oh, and he is a bit of a food hog...his shelter medical notes actually said that he ate a cheeseburger. I'm not sure when or how, if it was one of the tech's lunches or what, but he swiped a burger at the shelter apparently. Crafty little critter! We actually had another Schipperke mix in the St. Francis foster program at the same time (not living with us, but we watched him a couple times). Skipper is a spitting image of CB, except all black and a little older. The two of them together were hilarious entertainment. They remind me of those old wind up toy hamsters that take a couple jerky moves backward before zinging forward with a great burst of energy! That's pretty much CB's MO. Nutball!

100% Adorable

Charlie spent February through the first part of June with us, even though he was supposed to just be an "overnighter"...whoops. That fell through and we just loved him; he fit in so well, so why make him move if he had no other place to go? I was grateful for the time to enjoy his antics, even though we had a very crowded house at the time (our three, Shrimp & Grits, CB, and the occasional vacation relief foster guest). We couldn't understand why it took so long for him to be adopted, and frankly I still can't figure it out! What matters isn't his past or any of that, but that he ended up with an absolutely wonderful woman named Evelyn as his forever mommy. He goes everywhere with her and truly is her best friend. I love this dog; he is one of my favorites. I'm so glad he gets to be cherished, finally! Happy life, Mr. Brown!

Coco's Story

The next few posts I publish are going to be looking backward all the way to August in an attempt to catch up. I don't want to leave any fosters out! After Buck left for New Mexico, we took in Miss Coco, a cute little diva with a whole lotta attitude. Coco had a ton of nicknames that reflected two sides of her personality: crazy and fussy. Coocoo, Poof, Poofy, Coco Poof, Puff, Coocoo Brain, Coco Loco, Coco Latte, etc. Coco was picked up as a stray by a shelter volunteer near Berryessa & 680. That's a very high-traffic spot. Coco, as beautiful as she is, did not pass the shelter's behavior assessment. This landed her on the needs rescue list, so St. Francis APS stepped in.

Coco came to us after cycling through a couple different foster homes. She proved to be a very tricky girl who needed a lot of socialization work. She looks so cute and innocent, doesn't she? That was the tough thing about Coco. Everyone would approach with their hands stuck out to pet her, assuming that because she was small and fluffy she'd accept their physicality with grace. Not so much. Even after working with Coco for weeks, she'd still bare her teeth and snap at everyone if they got too close.  We were no exception. She could be the sweetest thing, then just snap at the drop of a hat if something rubbed her the wrong way. It became clear that Coco really wanted to be an only dog. She'd pick fight over flight every single time. She was uncomfortable at our house with all of our guys. It was a weird experience watching her just sort of plateau after a while instead of improving. Of course we saw certain improvements while we had her like potty training, leash walking, sleeping quietly through the night, etc, but she never really blossomed. You could just tell she needed something she wasn't getting from us: space.

Coco at the shelter

The cute little fluffy-eared angel became one of our group's toughest dogs to get adopted. It was an exercise in patience and paying very close attention to canine communication. Coco's body language was always very clear: she was uncomfortable, on edge, nervous, and stressed. Almost all the time. She couldn't go to a home with very young children. She needed to be an only dog, yet she wasn't going to make a good "first time" dog due to her issues. She did so poorly at adoption events that we stopped taking her for liability reasons. How the heck were we going to get this dog adopted? Sure, she's cute and can be sweet at home, but she requires everything done on her own terms. Her foster parents, all of us, were the only people she ever let see her lovable side. It was there, trust me. Coco loves to play with toys, runs like the wind, bounces off the furniture, and gets super excited when we come home from work. The challenge was getting her to let others in enough to see that side of her. 

Goofy Coco

Fortunately, one of our rescue friends and fellow foster parents stepped in to help. She wanted to try fostering Coco and see if she did any better at her house. She only has one other dog and her house is much quieter than ours. I was a bit hesitant at first, as I really like to see things through and it felt weird, but we agreed. Coco went to Cathy's house and did quite well. They walked our downtown area with the adopt-me vest on and showed off Coco's good looks at every chance. After about a month with Cathy, Coco found her forever home. She lives with a family that has two older children and no other dogs. She's doing great!

People often asked us what happened to Coco to make her so snippity. For all we know, nothing happened. She wasn't well-socialized, didn't have any people skills, and didn't know how to be a house dog. That may very well be all. A dog who shows fear or poor social skills hasn't necessarily been abused or "gone through something". It may just be a dog who needs time, patience, love, and work in order to learn how to trust. I think this was the case with Coco. 


This is a perfect example of why we should never judge a book by its cover and ALWAYS ask before approaching someone's dog. Just because Coco looked adorable and happy doesn't mean she wanted to be petted by a stranger. You just never know. If you ever see a yellow ribbon attached to a dog's leash, it means they need space and prefer not to be approached. Please be mindful of this and teach your children these lessons, too. Some dogs are friendly from the get-go, but others might take some time to warm up. I'm definitely the latter type of person. Maybe I'll tie a yellow ribbon around my neck...

For more information on The Yellow Dog Project, click here:

 http://www.theyellowdogproject.com/The_Yellow_Dog_Project/About.html

Pupdate on Buck: Complications

Let's start with the good news: Buck had a wonderful photo shoot done with the fantastic Renee Scott a couple weeks ago! Renee did a fabulous job capturing Buck's handsome features and personality, as she always does. Just look at how gorgeous our sweet old man looks! I always have such a hard time waiting to receive Renee's photos after our portrait sessions, but man I was SO excited to get Buck's pictures I almost couldn't stand it! As usual, the photos were well worth the wait. Renee outdid herself!

Now for the bad news: poor Buck is blind again, permanently. Last week, roughly three weeks after his cataract surgery, Buck began bumping into things and getting confused again. His retina in the right eye detached. Within 48 hours, Buck lost all sight. Although we could pursue retinal surgery to have a scleral buckle placed, we have decided to forgo any further surgeries and focus on Buck's comfort level instead. The retinal repair surgery is very complex, more expensive than the cataract surgery, and only carries about a 50% success rate. St. Francis, Drew, Dr. Burling, and I all think it's in Buck's best interest to just put together a management plan at this point. He is very uncomfortable in that right eye, but Dr. Burling isn't sure why. We are trying a few more tactics here for the next week: continuing his intensive eye drop regimen, adding oral prednisone, and hoping the steroid injection Dr. Burling gave him helps relieve the inflammation. If after this week Buck's right eye remains inflamed and painful, we will sit down with Dr. Burling and discuss our options. Yes, there is a chance that Buck's eye will have to be removed. No eye is better than a painful eye! Having said that, we will consider all viable alternatives before taking that route.

We want you all to know that we've got Buck's comfort and happiness at the very top of our priority list. He's technically available for adoption so that we can begin garnering interest and reviewing applications, but we will not let him leave us before we are confident that he's in good shape. Dr. Burling is committed to restoring his comfort, as are we. Although it's devastating after all Buck's been through, vision is no longer a goal. We just want him to feel good. As you can see in the picture to the right, Buck does his best to keep his head held high and enjoy life. Thanks to everyone for your support. Paws crossed for our sweet Buckle!

Pictorial Pupdate: We Love Lucy!

I know I just posted a pupdate about Lucy, but I wanted to save these gorgeous portraits for their own separate post. Talented photographer, Renee Scott, donates her time to St. Francis Animal Protection Society by holding portrait sessions for adoptable pets. What she captures through her camera lens is truly breathtaking. We took Lucy to Renee's home studio last weekend for her photo shoot. Even though Lucy still felt yucky from her surgery and didn't look her best (what with the scars, shaved fur, and skinny ribs still showing), Renee harnessed a few fine moments of Lucy's beauty. We at St. Francis are so grateful for her efforts. Somebody is going to see these photos of Lucy and scoop her right up once she's ready for adoption!

If you'd like to have a portrait session for your own pet, Renee is holding a limited time special benefiting St. Francis APS! During this special, creation fees will be $75 and include a one hour location shoot anywhere within 30 miles of South San Jose. Portrait packages start at $300. Dogs, cats, horses, and pretty much anything with fur are all welcome! Renee is happy to shoot at your home, at the park, at the beach, or anywhere that means something special to you and your pet. Her special runs from April 22 - April 26. Contact Renee at 901-497-0898 to schedule your session and be sure to mention St. Francis!

Find Renee Scott Photography on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Renee-Scott-Photographer/498072920250114

Check out Renee's website here: http://www.reneescott.com/