Welcome Jezzybelle!

As things often do in dog rescue, plans change at the last minute. A little chihuahua mix (I think she might be part rat terrier) came up and needed someone with some fostering experience and even though I had no intention of taking in a long-term pup, I cannot help but open my heart and my home to these animals in their time of need. So Kelvin is with one of our newest Waggy fosters, while I took in a dog from Animal Care and Control.

She came with the name Cookie (like so many others), so I renamed her Jezebel, which has quickly morphed into Jezzybelle. At just two years old, nine pounds and emaciated, she has some issues but they are nothing that cannot be cured with a few weeks of good food and a safe, secure, and loving environment. She is fear "aggressive" in that she'll growl and shriek when intimidated but if you give her space and let her warm up to you on her own, you'll find a loyal and loving little friend who won't leave your side. (She spends most of her time trying to get up on the couch for some quality snuggle time!)

Jezzy does need to learn some manners but she gets along with other dogs and has no resource guarding issues at all. She is a bit nervous walking outside and needs some work on her housebreaking but with patience and consistency, this smart girl will get it in no time at all. She would do best in a home with no children and some dog experience but I think that once she comes out of her shell, she will soon be the most popular pup on the block.

If you are interested in adopting Jezzybelle, please go to Waggytail Rescue to fill out an application!

Goggie CPR

From the awesome people over at I Can Has Cheezburger, here is a great infographic on how to perform CPR on your dog. I would highly suggest printing it out and keeping it somewhere where you'll easily find it in case of an emergency. (I plan on putting it right up on the fridge!)

Where have all the fluffies gone?

Well, they aren't actually gone but sometimes life gets in the way so I had to take a step back from fostering for a bit. That and my last foster became another permanent family member! Penelope (originally Kaitlin and then Lily) and Lola May bonded so closely that I didn't have the heart to separate them, so now we are a two chihuahua household. Well, technically a 1.5 chi household, seeing as how Penelope is half dachshund.

Penelope vacationing at Hunter Mountain

While this is not a personal blog by any means, I feel it important to mention that my living situation has changed. I am no longer with my fiance and he kept custody of two of our dogs. He kept Rhea, our happy-go-lucky spaniel mix, and he also kept Dexter as he was proving very difficult to place and has some aggression issues that would make him unsuitable for most homes. I have my pug mix, Maximus, who I brought to the relationship and the two little girls.

For right now, while I readjust, long-term fostering probably is not an ideal situation for the puppies or for me. It is important to know when to say no, despite how difficult that may be. I will be taking in a little guy, Kelvin, while his foster mom is on vacation. Kelvin is available for permanent adoption and if you are interested, please visit the Waggytail Rescue  website to submit an application.

Moose & Maverick: Our Tennessee Titans!

Moose and Maverick (originally Max - but that got a little too confusing with a Maximus already living in the house, were quite the pair. When I picked them up at the ASPCA (after a 4 hour wait), they had come a long, long way from Tennessee from a hoarder who may or may not have been using them as boa constrictor food.  Yikes! They came along with a pup by the name of Chloe, but I dropped Chloe off with her foster momma on my way home, so I didn't get a chance to get any pictures of her.

I'm Moose! A 7 lb Chihuahua who survived the boa!

At first, they were the most scared little creatures I had ever encountered. Maverick managed to lodge himself behind our refrigerator and it took some serious time and moving of heavy appliances in order to get him back out. For the first few hours they just hid under our printer table, snuggled up with one another, wondering where the heck they had ended up now.

Unlike Moose, Maverick is a 5 month old pup who was much more keen on exploring and making buddies with the other dogs  in the house, after we introduced them one at a time (we go from our calmest, least threatening pup to most energetic, in order to see how they interact with other dogs and so as not to overwhelm them all at once.). Isn't Maverick handsome? When he grows up he is going to look just like a mini German Shepard Dog.

Maverick making fast friends with Dexter

Needless to say, neither of them had ever been on a walk before, so the first attempt was comical. There were a lot of backflips and lying down and not much walking to be done, but I am happy to report that in less than 24 hours, Moose man is almost a normal walker, so long as no strollers or small children come by.

Yeah, I like  it under here jussssstttt fine.

Maverick (who may now be back to Max) is now with his long-term foster mom who will provide us with more information, once he is settled into his new home and once we get to know Moose a bit better, I'll do a whole post just on the little guy because he definitely deserves to be in the spotlight after all he has been through.

Our "Agressive" Foster Dog Playing With Lola May

Here is Dexter, wrestling with our barely 4lb Chihuahua, Lola May. This went on for nearly thirty minutes and as always, she came out victorious!