Another Chapter of the Great Rescue Journey...

I'm writing again! This means two things: 1) I've got stuff to share with you and 2) I've got time to do it! Of course, making time for one thing means cutting back on something else, or in this case all the things. This post is equal parts catharsis and chronology, so bear with me while I bring you up to speed...it's going to be a lengthy one. And before I begin, thanks for listening...it means a lot!

When we moved to California, I had to start from scratch and find a way to insert myself into the rescue scene. As I described in my reflection post about 2014 rescue, I dove head first into the thick of things, gained a lot of experience, and made a bunch of amazing friends along the way. 2015 was messy. As with any field that involves passionate people striving to do big things in the name of change for a common cause, drama and egomania all too often play a nasty role in rescue. The group I poured my soul into during 2014 tore apart at the seams, causing an enormous divide within the rescue community in its wake. Trusted leaders made selfish decisions in furtherance of personal legacies and recognition, spinning webs of lies and destroying reputations along the way without regard for damage done to the cause. I spent most of 2015 trying to recover from the personal hurt and attempts to flay my integrity; I found that fighting the good fight by marching forward with the ever-present need for rescue work was the best way to heal my wounds and affirm my value. Nose to the grindstone, as they say. Rescue never sleeps, never stops, never takes a breath. I showed people who I am and what I care about, which turned out to be a very effective way to gain trust and get good work done. Apparently this approach isn't used as much as it should be. Sincerity is always a breath of fresh air; it's too bad we only ever seem to catch fleeting gasps of it here and there.

Some of my favorites from Unleashed...

Drew and I fostered for a few other groups during the great gap period of 2015 and we had some awesome dogs come through our home, but time and time again I found myself discontent with the group dynamics for one reason or another. I also found it difficult to simply be a foot soldier when I was so used to leading and carrying a bigger role. I struggled to find my place post St. Francis and bounced around quite a bit as a "free agent". Fortunately, I had an awesome little job which I absolutely loved at Unleashed (a boutique concept store owned by Petco) as their Dog & Cat Department Manager. I worked here happily for a bit over two years and enjoyed the meshing of animal welfare between my job and my rescue efforts. Pet nutrition became my major jam and orchestrating our store's relationships with rescue groups for adoption events and fundraising suited my skillset and brought me great joy. Our little store found its way to #1 in the District (and I think the Region) for adoptions during my stint. I even got to organize the Adoption Alley participants at San Jose's annual Christmas in the Park 2015! I took serious pride in my work at Unleashed and my two bosses' support and friendships helped me through the transitional period between what I call St. Francis Round 1 and St. Francis Round 2.

Maddie's Fund foster awareness campaign interview

In March 2015 after spending some time doing courtesy evaluations for various rescue folks, I was asked to join the San Jose Animal Advocates team - four of us (at the time, but later we became six) who walked, slept, ate, breathed, talked, and dreamed rescue triage around the clock. SJAA acts as a liaison between the rescue community and the San Jose shelter, inserting itself into the flurry of deadlines and dates in an attempt to ease the burden on both sides by doing the legwork and heavy lifting of networking. The "needs rescue list" pinged my phone every night around 3-4AM, indicating the latest round of dates and notes on those who needed a little extra help in order to make it out of the shelter. We used our relationships with local groups and rescuers all around the Bay Area to help give these guys voices; we knew which folks to "pitch" which animals to and how to focus our efforts in a perpetual avalanche of deadlines. Review the list, choose candidates, go perform evaluations, take photos and videos for networking, write creative bios for networking, fight the clock, ask for deadline extensions if needed, ask for medical updates, work social media, cash in favors, secure funding when needed, cross your fingers, become heavily emotionally invested, and then either succeed or fail. Save a life or mourn a life. Either way, get over it quickly because the caseload is never just one dog or cat - it's 5, 10, 15, or more at a time. And that clock is always ticking in three day increments. I got to the point where I'd wake up in the middle of the night just before the next NRL came in so I could catch up on messages in order to get a head start on the next day. No alarm clock needed, just the constant need to check my phone and do work that could never wait dragging me out of my slumber each night. I easily put in 40 volunteer hours per week for SJAA in addition to my 40 hour per week job. SJAA is like an around the clock emergency that never allows for breaks, comfort, or a lasting sense of accomplishment. On top of that, we constantly had to sort out difficulties between team members and often between ourselves and the shelter team. Dynamics flew from both sides every day and it wasn't always clear that we were on the same side. It became sort of a "too many cooks in the kitchen" situation. Sure, there was one week in which we secured rescue for twelve dogs who weren't supposed to make it out, but there was also the week immediately preceding where we lost four into whom we'd poured immeasurable effort. I'll never forget the day I assessed 17 dogs in three hours, only to spend three more hours typing up my formal evaluations once I got home. In any case, even for someone as capable of compartmentalizing and embracing a clinical approach to heavily charged tasks as I am, I couldn't sustain the emotional roller coaster of SJAA. I found it hurting my marriage, as I became more married to my inboxes than my husband, more likely to be late to dinner because my evaluations at the shelter ran long, more likely to fall asleep on the couch with my phone in my hand during a movie, more likely to lose myself in the endless flurry of rescue triage and lives in limbo. After 9 months of SJAA trenchwork, I resigned. I quit for myself, for my husband, and for the animals. I had to make sure I didn't burn out completely so that I could continue saving lives longterm. It was an amazing ride, but it was time to rest and switch gears. Turns out I didn't have much time to rest...

St. Francis APS 5k "Run for Rescue" 2016

I'd maintained a working relationship with the President of St. Francis after the "break up" and during my time with SJAA. I'd reached out to her a few times to take in animals we were networking. She lives in Arizona, so the deal was always that I'd manage the dog and its foster home if St. Francis sponsored it. I was amazed by her willingness to work with me after all of the mud-slinging done during the split, but we put our cards on the table and shared our healing processes. I'd never had anything but pleasant dealings with her and she'd never shown me anything but graciousness. When she asked if I'd assume rescue operations for St. Francis and help her rebuild, I needed time to think. It took me a while to process this development and to really consider whether it was something I wanted to do. After SJAA, I felt I needed to run a rescue like I needed a hole in my head - those of you who know me have heard me say this time and time again! And oh my god, I'd have to do cat rescue, too! Hah. But I also really valued the concept of helping restore a community pillar like this group and seeing something good triumph over all the garbage tossed our way. I accepted her offer and began recruiting fosters and rebuilding our animal inventory. I made it my mission to do things differently - I had to in order to show the animal welfare community that St. Francis wasn't the monster under the bed that they'd heard about from a few power hungry egomaniacs who'd lost their way and attempted to burn the barn on their way out. I had to regain everyone's trust on behalf of this organization; I had to make St. Francis rise from the ashes. There's only one way for one girl to do that: get. to. work.

Most of our trusty crew!

Tee up St. Francis Round 2! I spent eight months championing this 44 year old organization's legacy, its present approach, and its future mission. I believed in what I was doing; I believed in this little mini crusade that became my pet project. I was so done with the default desperate ways of rescue; I wanted something more sustainable and more stable that would cause less grief for everyone involved. Working with my friends proved to be the most powerful approach I could've ever cooked up. One by one, the very best of the old St. Francis crew - most of whom are my personal friends - returned to the group wanting to help. It turns out that helping friends make a difference in something you all share passion and respect for is a very powerful thing. And with every animal we helped, with every new or old volunteer we recruited, with every adoption event or fundraiser or volunteer get together we held, we felt that sense of community achievement that so many rescues fail to foster. We made one hell of a team and we saw St. Francis grow in ways it never had before due to the strong ties and great integrity across our volunteer network, our little St. Francis family. We won. We all banded together and enabled St. Francis to shrug off the cloud of disrespect and misuse left behind from 2015 and reclaim its place as a cherished pillar of animal welfare in our community. We all got to glean a great sense of vindication and achievement for ourselves, as well. This felt amazing. Not only did this "project" help me heal, but it helped me build even stronger friendships and hopefully make some lasting impressions for change in the way volunteers are treated across the board. Don't get me wrong, our animal inventory and "numbers" were impressive, but that's only one moving part of the machine. The people - they're the key. When people want to help, it's our job to help them figure out how to help. Folks could do anything with their time, so if they want to give it to you, to your cause, take their hand and graciously show them how to do so. It's not rocket science; treat people with respect and foster constructive contribution. Take the time to high five or publicly recognize or raise a glass when someone does something good. We all need that pat on the back! Rescue isn't about us, but we can't do it if we lose ourselves along the way. Find that balance and help others see it - don't keep it a secret. I am thankful to Caron and humbled by the opportunity to further St. Francis APS; to say it's been a remarkable journey is an understatement. I owe extensive thanks to Kim for her undying support and eagerness to learn all things rescue on such a quick timeline. I am eternally grateful to my friends and rescue peers for the support and camaraderie they've given me throughout this crazy endeavor. I believe St. Francis will always be better for it, because of all of you and the love you brought back to it.

My birthday rolled around and I got an unexpected gift in the mail: an acceptance letter to the Foothill College Veterinary Technology program. Finally. Except I felt nothing upon opening the envelope; I wasn't excited anymore. I'd found so much purpose in the St. Francis project and gained so much more experience than I'd ever imagined; I wasn't keen on giving it all up for something that would throw me back into a state of grueling challenge. Timing is a funny thing; I still very much want to build a career as a vet tech, but not right now. I worked toward acceptance for almost three years and it was weird to say no when the opportunity finally presented. I was happy...I'd found my place. Finally. I signed my name to the line declining my spot in the program and stuck the form in the mail. With great discussion and realization that our West Coast adventure had just come to a transition point, we decided to move back to Atlanta. Just like that, my focus changed. California hadn't kicked my butt after all - it just threw me curve ball after curve ball until my carefully laid plans became an almost unrecognizable tapestry of colorful experiences. I got a new tattoo to symbolize this and to parallel the one I got upon leaving Atlanta. Drew took a new job and I left mine to focus on rescue full time and, incidentally, I've started a small pet sitting business along the way (Wet Noses ATL). 

Count the brown dogs!

So, that's what I've been up to since 2014. The decision to leave St. Francis in the form of a gradual hand-off was difficult, but I managed things long distance for about a month and then found myself ready to let go. I learned so incredibly much during the almost three years we spent in California. The good, the bad, the ugly, the awesome, the inspirational, the humbling, and the challenging. These things make us who we are...I wouldn't change any of it, not even the lessons your own mother hopes you'll never have to learn. I will never stop being a pain in the ass! Never stop questioning the status quo, pondering change, stretching that comfort zone, building new bridges and carefully crossing old creaky ones without looking back, pressing for success, and advocating for what you believe in. Never. Stop. Being. Genuine. I'm still struggling to find my place here in Atlanta rescue again; things are different since we left and I'm having a hard time not running my own circus so to speak, BUT I'm proud to say I've been here before and patience will yield whatever is next. In the meantime, we foster here and there. You know the drill! The time has come for our next adventure...

P.S.: To those of you at the San Jose shelter, at SJAA, and of course to everyone who played a part in St. Francis Round 2, thank you from the depths of my crazy dog lady soul. Much love!

P.P.S.: This one's for all my St. Francis Round 2 critters: Dogs Chowder, Zoe, Holly, Mimi, Pepper, Prince, Annie, Perry, Sabrina, Bonsai, Snoopy, Big Ben, Rango, Dozer, Buttercup, Alfie, Bumble Bee, Dottie, Skipper, Chippy, Charlie Brown, Rascal, Star, Bailey, Shelby, and Zed and cats Arrow, Harper, Sequoia, Brie, KitKat, Skittles, Candy, Gumdrop, Taffy, Charlie, Raven, Rain, River, Daisy, Magnolia, Cosmos, Dora, Diego, Jesse, Jason, Jill, Friday, Professor Pudding, Ivy, Big Boo, Little Boo, Poppy, Monkey, Tiger, Bear, Bunny, Dizzy, Duke, Miles, Nina, Orangie Orange, Gris Gris, Oscar, Simba, Roo, Stevie, Stewie, Skip, Scout, Tommy, and Oreo. I can't name all my SJAA animals, but you're all in my heart forever.

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!

Ziggy: A Designer Dog in Need of Rescue

I got a call from St. Francis Animal Protection Society one afternoon, saying that they could use my help figuring out a quick solution to a sensitive case. After a couple phone calls and some speed dial networking, I was on standby to receive another foster dog under Jake's Wish Dog Rescue. Without sharing details, here's Ziggy's story. It's a great example of rescue networking and folks working together for animal welfare.

Ziggy came to us from a domestic violence situation. Although Ziggy was never harmed, his human mom had to flee her home and leave him behind. She bravely had a family member reach out to St. Francis APS and put together a plan for Ziggy's rescue. It took almost three weeks to get Ziggy out of his home and into foster with us, and once it happened it was very sudden. I had about an hour's notice before Ziggy was dropped off at my work in his crate, confused and stressed. 2 years old, 15 pounds, unaltered, full of fleas, overgrown nails, and eating grocery store food. Sigh.

This is his "I'm fancy" pose

Oh yeah, Ziggy happens to be a papered Designer Dog! He's a Pugillon - his sire was a Pug and his dam a Papillon. I wish I could share their full names because they're hilarious, but I'm afraid that might shed light on identities. I gave Ziggy a new name along with his fresh start in life. His old name was nowhere near as great as his parents', anyhow. Ziggy is a registered AKC Hybrid. In other words, he fancy. That underbite, that curled tail, that smushed face? Somebody paid big bucks for that mess. I'll admit - part of me took a small thrill in neutering a "designer dog". Hah. So here's this fancy pants breeder dog who came to me in worse shape than a lot of stray mutts I pull from the shelter. Frustrating.

We had some serious work to do with this little dog. He was very loved by his people, but I think when your husband is beating the crap out of you, bathing and training and caring for the dog takes a bit of a backseat. Ziggy was infested with fleas and had a terrible skin infection from scratching constantly. He was absolutely miserable. He also had crazy separation anxiety, no doubt as a result of being in a turbulent home environment for some time and now suddenly ripped away from his people. Barely a moment went by without Ziggy shrieking at the top of his lungs. I couldn't even shut the bathroom door without him losing his mind. The fact that we didn't receive any complaints from neighbors that first week is nothing short of a miracle sent from the dog gods. So, we got to work setting strict boundaries and teaching Ziggy proper manners. He needed to learn his place and figure out what it meant to be in a stable home where rules apply to everyone.

a structured Ziggy = a happy Ziggy

Our second week with Ziggy was much better. He'd gotten neutered and seemed to feel more confident around the house with us. He slept nicely in his crate next to our bed and no longer had a panic attack if I disappeared around the corner for a moment. He picked out some favorite toys and learned which of the dogs in our house enjoyed playing with him. He also learned which dogs didn't enjoy playing with him, which was an important lesson for him to grasp. I grew pretty darn fond of Ziggy while we had him, despite his neuroses. Someone else saw past the quirks and fell in love with his crazy mug...Ziggy was adopted after two weeks with us!

So, rescue isn't restricted to mutts in need. All breeds of dogs end up in shelters, sadly, and/or in need of rescue assistance from time to time. Looking for a specific breed? Get in touch with a local rescue group. They can help do some of the legwork for you. Obviously, we don't get Pugillons in the shelter every day, but as long as you have patience you will find what you're looking for. Hardly a week goes by where I don't see a Golden Retriever or a Boston Terrier or a ShihPoo or a Maltipoo stuck in the shelter. Hard knocks don't discriminate. Ziggy can tell you that firsthand, although he luckily avoided having to go to the shelter. Cheers to Jake's Wish & St. Francis APS for saving a life together!

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

2014: Rescue in Review

It's New Year's Day 2015 and all I can do is get super excited to save a whole bunch more lives this year! I had a pretty fantastic time rescuing in 2014. The year started off a bit quiet with our move to California, but by March I was already in deep again. 2014 brought different types of rescue involvement for me: volunteering in our shelter's vet clinic, acting as a foster coordinator for St. Francis APS, evaluating shelter dogs for different groups, and pulling dogs for sponsoring rescue groups. All of these new experiences taught me a ton. I quickly learned that I hated foster coordinating - my heart belongs to the dogs, not people. I work best in the trenches where most people don't even like to go, not fighting customer service fires at all hours of the day and night when foster parents feel like giving up. Having said that, there was something very rewarding about evaluating a dog, networking the dog, pulling the dog, placing the dog in foster care, providing foster parent support for the dog, and then facilitating successful adoption of the dog. Foster coordinating meant that every time I pulled a dog, I was involved in 100% of that dog's journey to furever. This was fun in theory for a minute, until I had 7+ "sub-fosters" as I called them at once, each of which seemed to have an emergency at the same time. Every time I patched one leak, another sprung. My fuse is too short for that. I wouldn't do 2014 any differently; foster coordinating was an invaluable experience. Having said that, I am looking forward to simply being a foster mom again in 2015.

My favorite aspect of foster coordinating is evaluating dogs for interested rescue groups. I'll continue to do this in the New Year, not as a foster coordinator but just when needed. If a rescue group is interested in a dog that is on the rescue only list, it helps to send someone in to get better pictures of the dog than their (often terribly unflattering) intake photo and to get an idea of the dog's personality. This helps rescues decide whether the dog is a good candidate for their adoption program, which helps them determine whether they want to pull the dog out of the shelter. The shelter has behaviorists who evaluate each animal that comes through the door. Their notes are included on the needs rescue list, but with how over-burdened they are it is always helpful to send in someone for a second look. The shelter is stressful and an animal's behavior can change a lot from day 1 to day 3 in a kennel. Oftentimes the behavior notes from day 1 aren't representative of the dog's true demeanor. 

When I go to do an assessment, the first thing I do is read over the behaviorist's notes on the animal, the vet's notes, and the general intake notes to get an idea of what I'm looking at. Then I pay attention to the dog's kennel presence - whether he's friendly and soliciting my attention at the front of the kennel, whether he's cowering in the back corner, whether he's alarm barking, etc. Next I get shelter staff to help me take the dog out into the courtyard, where I can get a better feel for his personality. I spend about 15 minutes with the dog comparing how they do in the courtyard with how they presented in the kennel. Some of the things I note are how long it takes the dog to solicit attention from me, whether their body language is showing signs of fear / stress / aggression / overstim / confidence / etc., leash skills or lack thereof, signs of possible potty training, any training skills or commands they already have, and how they react when other people walk by the courtyard fence. I also note how they do with me touching their paws, looking at their teeth, checking out their ears, feeling their belly, snuggling or even picking up like a child might do, and other general handling patterns. I also usually get the shelter staff to help me do a brief dog-to-dog or at least a walk-by with another dog, so I can get an idea of how the dog does with other dogs. Then I get some decent photos and move on to the next dog. When I get home, I type up little assessments of each dog I evaluated and send on to the interested rescue group with the updated photos.

I enjoy doing evaluations so much because it is something further I can do to help dogs stand a chance at getting out of the shelter. I like challenging myself to recognize different signals dogs give, to better understand how we can communicate with dogs, and to just be quiet and listen for a change. Each dog is different and although they can't speak for themselves, I can do my best to give them voices. It's taking a second look. That's all. It's incredibly rewarding to be able to place dogs I've evaluated and then watch them get the "happy tails" they deserve. When I evaluate a dog, it works out that I'm usually the person who goes back to pull them if they are chosen for rescue. Pulling dogs out of the shelter and delivering them to their foster homes is just such an awesome experience. Although I assessed many more, I had the pleasure of pulling 18 dogs out of the San Jose shelter in 2014. Some of them became our personal foster dogs, but most were simply my "sub-fosters" as a foster coordinator. I want to give them a place in my blog, even if they didn't live with me. Their faces mean so much to my heart - they defined my year. The Chihuahua on the bottom right of the final collage with the questions marks turned out to be Mischa, my last pull of 2014. I pulled her last night, NYE 2014, at 6PM and delivered her to her foster home. One last save of the year! Each dog pictured has a different story. Some are wonderful, some are sad, some are ongoing. Regardless, I will always feel connected to them and I look forward to doing my best to help others like them in 2015. So cheers, 2014, and thank you to everyone out there who played a part in saving these lives. It takes a village! With more rescue adventures, more foster dogs, and vet tech school beginning, I know 2015 is going to be just as meaningful. Enjoy the faces of my 2014 :-)

Happy Tail: Blue Belton Buck

This blog post is so overdue. Shortly after my last post, my grandmother passed away. She read my blog regularly and enjoyed hearing all the stories about our foster dogs. I didn't feel like writing for a while because I felt like no one was listening anymore without her there reading my posts. Of course, that's not true, but it took the wind out of my blogging sails for a bit. Next thing I knew, six months had gone by and I hadn't finished telling Buck's story. It's a wonderful story, a happy tail to top all happy endings, so I can't move forward without sharing it. So here we go, back on the blogging train. This one's for my Tutu, who made sure I was raised with dogs and supported my rescue efforts 100%.

Post enucleation

Bob & Buck

After determining Buck had lost his sight again and that the inflammation in his eye was not improving, we made the difficult decision to remove the right eye. We all agreed that Buck would be much better off without that irritated eye bothering him constantly. Dr. Burling did a fabulous job and Buck recovered from his enucleation beautifully. It was very quickly clear to us that he felt much more comfortable even just a couple days after the eye removal. We knew we'd made the right choice for Buck, even though it felt a bit defeating. With his head held high, Buck moved forward with life as we'd seen him do so many times already.

In this midst of all this, something amazing happened. We received a perfect adoption application for Buck from a wonderful man named Bob in New Mexico. Bob fell in love with Buck while searching for English Setters on Petfinder. He'd rescued a few other English Setters previously and missed their companionship after they passed. We were unsure about sending Buck so far away at first, but didn't write it off as a dealbreaker. After all, we've got dogs all up the Northeastern United States thanks to transport efforts. What's the difference? 

Livin' the life!

I had a lengthy, heartwarming, and exciting phone conversation with New Mexico Bob. Next thing we knew, he flew up to San Jose to meet Buck in person. They were a perfect match. Not least of all, Bob wasn't put off by Buck's health uncertainties. Bob met Buck before we knew his eye needed to be removed. We wanted to see him through the rest of his eye situation before adopting him out, which Bob understood. I kept him posted throughout Buck's surgery and recovery. He never wavered in his commitment to Buck. I'll never forget Bob's inspiring answer when I asked him if he'd be put off by Buck losing his eye: "Perhaps when I was younger and vainer I might have felt differently, but age has made me a more compassionate man and I want nothing but his comfort and well-being". I could not have scripted a more perfect response. This guy won me over with his patience, compassion, and dedication to a dog he'd barely met.

He's even got 2 Christmas stockings!

He loves his bed

On August 31, we sent Buck off on the road to forever. Bob flew up to San Jose, rented a car, and drove back to New Mexico with Buck alongside him. I didn't cry over Buck. This adoption was so incredibly happy, inspiring, and perfect. With all the obstacles Buck faced and the logistics Bob hurdled to adopt Buck, we felt nothing but joy and gratitude as we watched them pull out of our driveway. We knew Buck found the life he deserved. I get pupdates from New Mexico Bob every so often. Buck lives the life of a king, which is exactly as it should be. He goes to work with Bob every day, rests in orthopaedic beds cushier than any human mattress, naps in front of the fireplace, enjoys brunch at the club overlooking the golf course, goes for leisurely car rides on the weekends, and never leaves his daddy's side. Buck is comfortable, happy, and well-loved.

I can never thank all of Buck's fans enough for their amazing amounts of support and encouragement. Animal Eye Specialists, Dr. Burling, St. Francis APS, and many friends and neighbors rallied together for this old dog. Thank you. He is so very special and he's safe because of all of you. Most of all, thank you to New Mexico Bob for being an incredible human being and of course, to Buck, for growing our hearts just a couple sizes bigger. We love you, Schmuck! Happy forever, old boy.

Happy Tail Photo!

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!

Blue Belton Buck: A Glimpse into the Future

Wow, a lot has happened since I last posted! Our boy Buck had his eye surgery on June 17. All went very well; Dr. Burling removed the cataract from his right eye and replaced it with an artificial lens. To be honest, the first night was a bit anticlimactic. Buck was so drunk and disoriented from the anesthesia that he didn't really have much of an "I can see" moment. Regardless, we filmed his grand entrance post-surgery to share with everyone. You can hear Dr. Burling describe his immediate post-op vision as "a little funky" in the video. Here it is:

Day 2 was awful. Buck was uncomfortable, his eye was inflamed, and he required more assistance than he did before the surgery. Dr. Burling warned us this would be the case, so we weren't disheartened. Still, seeing him struggle so much was difficult. He barely opened his right eye at all. We went back for his first post-op re-check and Dr. Burling said everything looked fine, so home we went for more rest in hopes of a better Day 3.

Buck's right eye before & after

We didn't really see much improvement until Day 4. Buck's eye stayed open most of the time by this point and he felt much better. We could see how clear and beautiful his eye looked without the cloudy cataract (see the photo to the right for before & after). For the first 10 days after surgery, I gave Buck three different types of eye drops six times every day to reduce inflammation, exercise the pupil, and prevent scar tissue from forming. He's a trooper and doesn't mind the drops at all. Now we are down to three types of drops four times per day, but starting tomorrow we're dropping down to three times per day. Ultimately, Buck will only need one type of drop once per day. We'll get there!

Such a baby!

Last week we noticed some increased cloudiness, so Buck went back to Dr. Burling for a tissue plasminogen injection that dissolved the cobwebby fibers forming in his eye. No biggie! During this visit, Dr. Burling noticed a minor vitreous hemorrhage as well. This means there's a little bit of blood between the retina and the lens. Although this hemorrhage doesn't mean the retina definitely will detach, it's an indicator of heightened risk of detachment. It's something Dr. Burling will continue to re-check, but we can't guarantee that Buck will retain his vision indefinitely. She says that usually three-month post-surgery is the "out of the woods" marker for retinal detachment. So far, so good. Paws crossed for smooth sailing! Today marks two weeks since Buck's surgery and he's doing great. We've hit a couple minor bumps along the road, but overall Dr. Burling says everything looks pretty darn good. Buck had his third re-check yesterday and he'll go back for his fourth next week.

Buck & his Crinkly Cajun Croc!

We've seen a tremendous difference in Buck's quality of life since his surgery. He is happy all the time, gets excited about everything, and gets around with no trouble at all. He jumps up on the couch and cuddles up next to us while we watch TV. He doesn't cry and whimper when we leave the room anymore. He even jumped up into the truck all by himself to go to his check-up! Most exciting of all, Buck PLAYED with a TOY for the very first time since we've had him last night! It was such a cool thing to see. He'd never shown interest in toys before his surgery. Sometimes we could tell he was excited and wanted to play, but he didn't know how to play without being able to see. Well, Auntie Melissa sent me home with some new toys for my crew yesterday. On a whim, I introduced one of the new toys to Buck. Lo and behold, he chomped at it! Before I knew it, he was tossing it around and chewing on it like a champ. So awesome! THIS was truly a tremendous moment. Enjoy the video:

Buck also enjoys going for walks now much more than he did pre-surgery. He's a great loose-leash walker and he lets you know when he's ready to turn around and head home. To see how well he's navigating since his surgery and to get a glimpse of his spectacular leash manners, check out this video (sorry about the noisy wind!). That's all for now. Buck's walking into the next chapter of his life...never looking back!

Pupdate: Moving Forward with Buck's Cataract Surgery

Whew, sorry for all the dead-air time on this blog recently! We've been going 100 miles per hour with rescue around the clock it seems. I know many of you probably already know the latest report on Buck through his Facebook page, but I want to share it here as well.

Uncle Buckle had his ERG at the eye specialist last week. We received both good and bad news from it. The bad news is that the left eye, which houses the older cataract, experienced retinal detachment at some point. This means that there is no hope for Buck to regain sight in that eye, with or without cataract removal surgery. Thus, we will not do the surgery on that eye and will instead manage the inflammation caused by the cataract with prescription drops. Now for the good news: Buck's right eye passed the ERG and is a perfect candidate for cataract surgery! He is scheduled to go under the knife next Tuesday, June 17, and will regain all vision in that eye. Hurray!

I know it's a bummer that we can't salvage the left eye, but hey - one eye is way better than none! Although St. Francis is willing to pay whatever it takes to give Buck the gift of sight, only doing one eye will reduce our bill by a good bit. That's not what we're focused on here, but it's a silver lining for sure.

St. Francis is doing pretty well raising funds to cover Buck's eye care. We've applied for a grant through the Doris Day Foundation. We've received a good amount of private donations from folks via Facebook, adoption events, and the St. Francis website. We've got $500 in GAP funds pledged from the San Jose shelter where Buck came from and the eye specialist is giving us a 30% rescue discount on his procedures. Without the rescue discount, Buck's diagnostics and surgery would cost roughly $5,500. We are still hoping to raise a total of $4,000 to cover follow-up visits and prescriptions. Although only fixing the one eye does reduce the surgery cost, it doesn't knock off quite as much as you might think. We're still paying for the vet's time and expertise, the use of the hospital's highly specialized equipment, a full day hospitalization, and slightly less anesthesia than we'd need for two eyes. The major difference is that we're only paying for one artificial lens implant, which knocks about $500-700 off the bill. So that's the state of Buck's financials for those of you who are curious. He's very fortunate to have St. Francis's and his followers' support. Last time I posted we didn't have a designated sponsorship page set up for Buck yet. We do now! If you'd like to do a one-time donation or a recurring sponsorship, please click this link to visit Buck's page: http://stfrancisanimal.rescuegroups.org/animals/sponsor_this_pet?AnimalID=6895219

In other Buck-related news, he's been doing great overall. He's got some itchy allergies and minor tummy issues going on that we're working to resolve. No biggie - just the normal stuff for an old man! Buck attended several adoption events over the last couple weeks. He's not available yet, but he really enjoys car rides, walks, and outings in general. One of his favorite outings is going to the food trucks at Willow Glen Movable Feast every Friday evening. He wears his fabulous blue "adopt me" vest and catches everybody's eyes. Check out the video below to see how excited Buck gets when he hears his leash and collar jingle! That signals him that he's about to go for an adventure. Thanks for reading our latest update! Stay tuned to read how Buck's surgery goes next Tuesday...can't wait to share pictures and videos of that tremendous life-changing moment!

Pupdate: Buck's Eye Consultation

Dr. Burling checking out Buck's eyes

We just returned from Buck's consultation at Animal Eye Specialists. Dr. Burling and her tech, Julie, are awesome. For those of you just tuning in, Buck has advanced cataracts that completely obstruct his vision. He can't see a thing. Today's consultation basically served as an opportunity for the vet to examine the eyes, see how severe the cataracts are, and evaluate whether Buck is a good candidate for surgery. Cataract surgery is only performed if the eye is healthy and if sight can be restored. For these reasons, diagnostics have to be done before determining the next step.

Buck's exam went pretty well. Dr. Burling said the left cataract is chronic and older than the right one. She saw some scarring in the left eye, meaning that the cataract has shrunken and/or shifted with time and caused further irritation. The right cataract is less dense and a bit newer, which is good. Both eyes are irritated, but the pressure in both is normal so that's a big relief. We have to go back in a couple weeks for additional diagnostics (retina exam, etc.), but as of right now Dr. Burling believes Buck's right eye is prime for surgery. Assuming nothing unexpected is found during the retinal exam, Dr. Burling estimates with 95% certainty that Buck's vision can be restored to the right eye. The left eye is more complicated due to the cataract's age and severity. She's not as confident about the retinal health in the left eye. If the retina isn't in good shape, there's no point in removing the cataract. If the retina is healthy and we remove the left cataract, Buck will regain his vision in that eye barring complications.

So sleepy after his appointment

Obviously there are a lot of variables and "ifs" involved here, but how amazing! I learned so much from this consultation today and I'm super excited by the prognosis for Buck. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but I can't help but imagine how incredible it will be to bring him home after surgery when he can SEE again for the first time. Dr. Burling sent us home with special eye drops today to reduce the inflammation in Buck's eyes. We'll see what St. Francis wants to do and proceed from there. If we move forward, diagnostics and surgery could be only two short weeks away. Folks - this is a VERY expensive surgery. I don't want to ask for donations until we get the final go-ahead, but please be ready to share Buck's story. St. Francis is going to need all the support we can get in order to make this happen for Buck. PAWS UP for this step forward...and paws crossed for even more good news. If you haven't already, don't forget to check out Buck's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bluebeltonbuck 

PS - The mass Dr. Osterman removed from Buck's chin was benign! Hurray!!

Blue Belton Buck: A Setter with Soul to Spare

Drew and I picked up a very special new foster last night from the shelter. Buck is a 9 year

Buck's pitiful shelter intake photo

old, 

purebred, blue belton English Setter. He is blind. Buck's story is really sad: his owners of nine years surrendered him to the shelter as a euthanasia request because he is no longer able to see. Buck is blind due to advanced cataracts in both eyes; had his owners treated the cataracts, he'd still have his sight. Turning him in to die alone in a shelter - and not even having the decency to take him to the family vet for euthanasia if that's what you've decided on - is beyond my comprehension. You don't just discard a living creature like that, right when he needs you the most. I hope nobody's there for these people when they get old. I'm not sorry.

How do you say no to this?

I saw Buck on the "needs rescue" list and I knew I had to meet him. I visited Buck for the first time last Tuesday. It took all of five minutes for me to totally fall in love with him. When we entered the courtyard, Buck seemed pretty spooked as he bumped into walls, fences, chairs, and even knocked over a broom. He didn't respond to whistling or other "come here" noises, so I tried his name. I'm used to dogs not knowing their names at the shelter, but I forgot Buck lived with someone for nine years and of course knew his name. As soon as I said, "Buck!", he stopped stumbling into things, turned around, walked straight up to me, and rested his head on my knee. His expression said, "That's me! Somebody knows me!". I've done a whole lot of rescue, but this is one of the most poignant moments I've experienced so far. My heart just melted. As if that wasn't enough, when I sat down next to Buck a couple minutes later he backed right up into my lap and sat there happily for the rest of our visit.

Of course, St. Francis Animal Protection Society stepped in once again and saved yet another life. Thanks to them, Buck is home with us. Buck got neutered and had a mass removed from his chin yesterday. When he got home with us. Buck met our dogs, explored the backyard, went up and down all the stairs without any major wipeouts (on-leash, for safety), got cleaned up and tucked in for bed. What a day! He did pretty well in the crate overnight. No barking, just a bit of squeaking and stressing. We can work with that. He'd do just fine sleeping on a dog bed outside of the crate, I'm sure, but we have so many stairs that I want to crate him for safety purposes while we're gone until he gets used to them. Ultimately, he'll be able to have free roam with the rest of the pack. He's such a good boy.

Exploring the backyard

Today he's settling in some more. He's totally housebroken - no surprise since he lived with people for almost ten years. He's a little clingy because he can't see where anyone is, so he'll whimper if I walk away and is still afraid to try and follow me. That will improve as he becomes more confident and gets used to this new environment. I don't expect a blind dog to adapt to all the nooks and crannies of a three level townhome overnight. It's definitely not the easiest place to navigate by scent and sound alone. He's doing quite well, all things considered. Check out this video of him conquering the little concrete steps from the garage to the backyard (he's still reaching, but he didn't miss any!):

Plz lady, can I keeps dis rug?

Buck loves the white shag rug in the living room. He's obsessed with rolling on it and rubbing his face all over it. He pretty much thinks it's the best thing we've got. He's content to lie on the rug by my feet while I'm on the couch. We're anxious to get the biopsy results from the mass he had removed yesterday. I'm hoping to hear something by the end of the week. We'll see. We had it taken off because it kept opening up and bleeding. Hopefully it was just a benign old man growth. I'll let you know when we find out.

I called the eye specialist this morning. Buck is going in next Friday, the 16th, for a consultation. The doctor is going to look at his cataracts and see if there's anything we can do for him. He hasn't been blind for long; he lacks developed navigational and coping skills. I'm not too hopeful that removing the cataracts will be able to reverse his blindness at this point, but we'll see what the vet says. I don't know much about eyes, but I'm looking forward to learning a lot. At the very least, we need to know what he's dealing with and if there's anything we can do to help him. His eyes are a bit red right now, but I'm hoping it's just from stress and not irritation. I'm trying to clean his tear stains, but not much luck so far. I've wanted to foster a blind dog for a while now, so I'm happy to help Buck and learn a lot along the way.

It's going to be a while before Buck is available for adoption, but we are happy to have him. He's a wonderful dog: so sweet, gentle, well-behaved, and of course absolutely beautiful. Check out Buck's Facebook page and stay tuned for pupdates as we move forward: https://www.facebook.com/bluebeltonbuck