Maggie has found a home

Maggie had a big day yesterday as she returned to the vet for her followup visit and to get her stitches out. When Dr. Nairn came in the room, the first thing he said to me was "I need to talk to you. I think you need to keep Maggie". I laughed and told him the thought had crossed my mind as I feel pretty attached to her at this point- having gone through 2 big surgeries and everything else, I do feel attached.  He sees her as a special girl who is clearly attached to me, and he wants to see her in the best environment for her senior years. Not sure it should be me, but well, that's a whole other issue.

We talked about her surgery and the results. When I got Maggie, she had 2 lumps. By the time she went for the second surgery, she had 4. They removed all 4 the second round, in an attempt to get clean margins. It's been a rough recovery, and while her stitches are out, she still is bleeding and not healed under her arm put at this point. (surgery was two weeks ago today).  All 4 lumps, even the one he thought was a skin tag turned out to be either a Grade 1 or a Grade 2 Mast Cell tumor. And, she has a new one, this week. I showed it to Dr. Nairn last night, and while we don't know 100% that it's cancer, based on what we've seen so far, it is likely that it is another Mast Cell.

I am devastated. I can't put this dog through more surgery. New Hope doesn't want to put her through another surgery for her sake and the sake of our wallets- she's cost us upwards of $3500.00 as of yesterday.  So, I contacted the powers that be and we have made a plan.

As of today, Maggie will live with me. Mags will live out whatever she has left in my home and be kept as comfortable as possible, until I don't think we can keep her happy anymore. She isn't appearing to be sick at this point, but the cancer is spreading, seemingly quite rapidly. I am treating her with Benadryl and Pepcid in an effort to keep the cancer at bay, but it doesn't seem to be helping at this point.  So, the decision is made: Maggie will come off Petfinder and remain a New Hope dog- but essentially mine.

I am happy to give Maggie as comfortable a home as possible, for whatever time we have- it could be weeks, it could be years. I am being realistic, and I think we have weeks to months together. In any case, if she starts to appear to be feeling worse or the cancer spreads more, I'll have lots of say in determining when enough is enough, and for that I am grateful. And, it just seems like the right thing to do, to see her through to whatever her end will be. She's a lovely dog, and I feel blessed to have been able to rescue her (ironically, after her owner died of cancer) and to take care of her this far- she's showed her quirky, spoiled rotten, only dog mentality to me through this whole time. But, she's also showed me a gentle, wants desperately to be loved side that is endearing.  So, there it is. Maggie is home.

Franken-Maggie

WARNING: Graphic, post surgery pics below.  (just in case you are squeamish!)

Maggie is back home. The vet wanted to keep her last night, but I couldn't figure out a way to manage to get into the city to pick her up, get her home, then back to the city for an 8 hour + day of agility, obedience, then hanging out with the Junior Girls Basketball team at their tournament. I'm supervising the tournament this evening. So, I asked if I could please try bringing her home and was told that as long as Mags is on complete crate rest for the next while, I could. And, I have strict orders to bring her back if anything looks bad or worsesome.

Maggie was incredibly tired and droopy in the car but by the time we arrived at my house, she was already perking up. She hobbled up the stairs, plopped herself in her crate and loudly demanded some dinner. :)  She MUST be feeling ok if she wants to eat, right?!?

Anyway, she cried most of the night, in a low, pathetic moaning kind of way- as if to say, "I'm lonely and I don't feel good! Cuddle with me please!!"  This morning, she just barks. She's decided that she is ready to go and should be allowed to get back to normal.

Sadly though, she can't.  They removed a big chunk of skin, on both tumour sites- one goes up into her armpit and the other is her neck.  Because of the incision in her side/armpit, she can't put full weight on that paw until the skin begins to heal/regenerate.  It pulls on her stitches too much and hurts. But, she still manages to do stairs and limp along bravely, tail wagging, happy to be up and moving. And, crate rest?!? Yeah, she's not too big on that!

Anyway, Maggie is showing big signs that she is going to be just fine! Her prognosis is GREAT! They got it all and have clean margins on all sites. There was no sign of regrowth at the time of her second surgery. So, in a couple weeks the stitches will come out and Maggie will be deemed completely healthy. And, once her fur grows back, you'll never know she had surgery to have cancer removed. And, she'll be back to her playful, happy go lucky self, making me think that all is right in the world again, at least for a moment. She is easily the most resilient dog I have ever seen and she's teaching me loads about grinning and bearing it, and just getting on. Well done Maggie, that's a huge life lesson for me!

Anyway, here's the photo of her neck... it looks awful this morning!

Isn't that awful?!?  Poor Maggie!  Luckily though, she has been a strict diet the last weeks and she had loads of extra skin to make up for the huge patches they took off. So, it looks much, much worse than it is!

I had a hard time getting Maggie to stand still for this, but here's a photo of her side. That's part of her incision only; it continues up into her armput. It looks pretty sore this morning.

You can't see much here, but the yellowing you see is the start of bruising. This was two hours ago, and now it's incredibly bruised- the whole shaved area basically looks like a big, ugly bruise. I was warned that would happen.

Ah well, keep sending the well wishes- Maggie loves hearing that people are rooting for her!!

Christmas comes early....

Earlier in the week, I took my students to the Festival of Trees. This is an annual fundraiser for the MS society.  After looking at a few of these sites, I couldn't help but get in the Christmas mood!

The quality of these pics aren't the best. Sorry! I took them on my iPhone, and had to jostle through crowds, give the phone a second to focus and it didn't always work out. Ah well...

One of my favourite wreaths.

The Dr. Suess inspired tree!

Gingerbread house, a-la- Smurfs!

It was fun and I had such a good time looking at the 80 trees, the wreaths and gingerbread creations. I am definitely starting to feel the Christmas mood!! 

So, that HAD to carry over to last night, hehe! It was our First Annual?!? Steak Night to raise funds for New Hope Dog Rescue. I had to go, of course, as I have Miss Maggie and her surgeries/diagnostics have just past the $3000.00 mark.  So, I spent a few days, created some PowerPoint presentations to demonstrate the needs (they will be up here soon!) and I went, with no intention to buy anything. I just planned to eat my steak, play my PowerPoints and come home.

But, then I spotted this and my eyes lit up. It's a basket donated by the Meadow Lake Humane Society. I found it touching that another rescue donated to us, to help out! And, we often take puppies from them (especially mangy little pups that need extra TLC), so I guess that's why.  So, I bid. Then, I walked away and didn't think much about it- I ALWAYS get outbid on stuff.

It got a little jostled in the car on the way home, but it gives an idea at least.  

Look at all that Happy Puppy Making Goodness! 

Yes, I won the silent auction and brought home Christmas in a giant pail, for the dogs.  There's the food like treats. There's even a box for the ratties to enjoy, hehe!  I don't give rawhides to my dogs as they don't sit well with them, but I have the two chewing fiends lodging here who will LOVE them! 

The toys!  There is basically two of everything- two squeaky toys, two tuggers, two sets of balls (Yeah for Sophie!), two ducks.... I've put most of it away but the dog bed. Spike spent his night, curled up on the new doggy bed, now living at the foot of my bed.   All in all, I am pleased!

Yes, it was a bit of a big donation to get that bucket, but for Maggie, it's worth it! :)  Our steak night brought in over $5000.00 and that just warms my heart.  Hug your pups today and think a good thought for those in rescue. We are grateful for all your kindly thoughts and donations. :)

Oh, and if you can spare a kindly thought for Maggie, she's back at the vet having her second sugery today. If all goes well, Miss Maggie will be declared Cancer Free by the end of today!! 

Stuff

It's been a busy couple weeks. I've been working on a couple slideshows for a New Hope fundraiser and that's kept me hopping. I'll post them after the event.

In the meantime, Miss Jorja has been adopted! I decided to place her up for adoption after all as she had some issues with strangers that she needed worked on with someone who had time to do so with her. Lucky girl had an application very quickly from a family I was delighted to see her live with. And, I will be able to keep up with her life, on facebook so that is great!

Maggie has gotten GREAT news!  All her tests came back fine so she goes for more surgery this week to get the clean margins she needs to be declared cancer free. She'll be up for adoption at that point and will be looking for the perfect retirement home.

And, Guinness has moved in. I don't understand people.... they have basically the perfect dog and they decide for the standard "My baby has allergies" and "I'm moving to a place I can't keep him" reason and I don't buy it. He had a blown cruciate and they paid for the surgery, then did all the rehab. And, he is in great shape, after his surgery (which was in July).  He may need some pain meds here and there as he's likely going to get arthritis in the knee, but that's so minor in the whole scheme of things. He's a gentle, gentle soul who just wants to be loved. I can't help myself- I'm smitten and can't wait to find him his perfect forever home!

In other news, I've been working on a little agility equipment and a door blocker for the Rat Room. That way, it stays warmer in there and keeps packs of wild, starving labradors from raiding their food. They seem MUCH happier with the door open! And, Murphy has no inclination to jump it, which is great!

Spike and Sophie are continuing on, in their usual, happy ways. I am so lucky they are open to having random new dogs come through here!! :)

The Save Maggie Campaign

New Hope has been overwhelmed by dogs lately that have HUGE medical needs. Some we knew about when we got them, others like Maggie were a surprise. And, because I am fostering Mags, I felt like I had something to say about her, the needs she has and what she has meant to me.  So, I wrote a letter to kick off a fundraising campaign to help these dogs. It just came to me, the day she arrived home after having her ultrasound done. And, I want to share it with you.....

Maggie is a lovely 8 year old Chocolate Lab. She is a CKC registered dog and came from a breeder in Saskatchewan.  She’s obviously had obedience work in her life, and she’s clearly been pampered and loved her whole life.

So, how did she come to be with New Hope? You see, her owner recently died of lung cancer. Her breeder was not interested in taking her back. And, no arrangements were made for Maggie, or at least none that worked out for her. But, lucky for Maggie, a family friend decided to contact New Hope and ask if we could help. Me, being the Labrador lover I am, said “SURE!”  When I picked up Maggie and all her belongings; her crate, a bag of food, a blanket, bowls and her registration papers; I saw on her neck a lump. Of course, the nice man exclaimed “OH! I had no idea that was there!” and jumped in his car and drove away.

I brought a very scared, confused Maggie home that day and she began the steady process of settling in with me. It hasn’t been easy for her. She’s been an only dog her whole life and she was clearly attached to her owner and was clearly loved by him.  She has been grieving his loss; at times I catch a far away look in her eyes, as if she knows she’s missing someone desperately. It’s heartbreaking to see that look of sadness and confusion in her eyes, as she pleads with me to take her home. But, she’s trying and Maggie has learned to get along with the pack of dogs here (2 other Labs, a Jack Russell and a mixed breed dog).

Also, lucky for Maggie she found us as she was taken for vet care immediately.  The vet originally thought the two lumps were fatty tissue. However, by the time her appointment came to have them removed, a third was growing. Dr. Nairn, at Erindale Animal Hospital made the decision to have the lumps biopsied and it was a good thing. Sure enough, poor Maggie has Mast Cell Cancer, a common skin cancer in dogs.  She’s had her lumps removed, only to find one regrowing almost immediately.  Today she was back at Erindale having a liver biopsy and ultrasound to see if her cancer has spread. As of tonight, it sounds like good news; the cancer has likely not spread but further surgery is required to ensure there are clean margins on the tumor sites in an attempt to keep them from returning.  She’s been poked and prodded, and shaved to do these tests; she’s pretty miserable this evening, huddled in a lump on the couch beside me, post sedation. She’s trying to sleep it off, but her shaved belly is itchy and irritated and it’s keeping her awake. She’ll be ok in a few days, but at the moment, Maggie again is looking at me with longing in her eyes, to make this stop, to help her feel better. I am trying.

Maggie has become part of the family for the time she is with me. She runs in the yard with the other dogs. She sleeps on the bed, occasionally. She cuddles up on the couch and she wrestles and plays with the others. She chews a bone and really just wants a soft touch and a nice place to have a nap. She is a great dog working hard to make the best of a situation she is powerless to control. She continues to break my heart though as I look at her, and wish I could make it all better. She really NEEDS her own family, a family where she can be loved and cared for, in a quieter place that has more room to give her all the attention she needs. I wish I could give that to her, but part of fostering is loving them as best you can, while they are in your care, but also knowing that there will be a time to let them go. I am doing the best I can to look after my girl,  but, I still need help for Miss Maggie.

What help does Maggie need?  She needs YOU to help her in a variety of ways!  You can choose to donate money to help us help dogs like Maggie. Maggie did not ask for this fate and she certainly is longing for the comfort and care she deserves. She also deserves the medical treatment she is receiving; if she had been placed in a shelter, Maggie would have been euthanized. Not here at New Hope; we choose to treat her with the dignity and respect she would have if she was one of our own personal dogs. And, truly, I’ve grown to love Maggie as if she was one of my own. But, her surgeries and scans come at a price and New Hope along with Maggie need your generosity to keep us able to save and take care of the dogs who need us.

As well, we need MORE FOSTERS! If you think you could provide compassionate care and love to a dog in need, please, PLEASE contact us today! We have puppies and seniors, purebreds like Maggie, and dogs who are uniquely mutts. We have large and small, most healthy, some with big needs. They all just want a home that cares and helps them become the best they can be, in order to find their forever home.  In order for us to keep operating, we NEED YOU!  Please, consider donating. Consider volunteering. Consider fostering.  Consider adopting- especially one with needs or a senior like Maggie. I promise you, it will truly change your life.

W-Ratt y Wednesday and Huh?!?

First of all, welcome to Wratty Wednesday.... here's your weekly dose of rattly cuteness.

Yesterday I went into my office to find all three girls snuggled together in their Kleenex box. So cute! Please note their hard work at redecorating the Kleenex box; that was their nightly project. 

Now onto other news.... Spike is asking HUH?!?  Yup, it's true... I WAS taking a break from rescue. I guess it's ended in a flurry of Newfoundland/Labrador, puppy breathe cuteness.  How could I say no when they need a place just until Friday?!?

So, here is Dory.  She is a doll... cute, cuddly, snuggly and full of impish playfulness. Love her, she's been wrestling with Sophie and Murphy non stop since arriving last night.

Macy! She is a little bit more of an independent girl, off exploring. She also is less in the midst of the doggy play sessions. But, what a doll.  Please note their size: at 8 weeks, they are approximately the same size as Murphy. Can you say LARGE puppies?!? LOL

Snuggly Dory. Sigh!  

So, they are 8 week old pups from the Meadow Lake shelter. They stand a better chance at a quick adoption in Saskatoon so they have arrived with their sister (who already met a family last night!). Like I said, they are moving to their real foster on Friday but they needed a place to crash for a couple nights and I crumbled at the sight of their faces.  They are still a bit grubby and will be getting a bath along with a vet visit as soon as we can manage it, but in the meantime they are still cute!

Wrestle time with Sophie and Dory. :)

Anyway, in other news.... 

1. I never did give an update on Sophie after her vet visit last week. She has indeed torn her other ACL. It isn't as bad as the other side, but it was still inflamed and sore the day I took her in- about 3 weeks after it happened. But, thankfully I kinda knew what it was, so she was already on mostly crate rest and Deramaxx so I had done the right things to help it heal. She is on the mend, but sadly, this spells really truly the end of Sophie's agility career. Sigh.

2. Spike's titles.  Alright, here's the explanations!

FDCh-S:  Flyball Dog Champion-Silver. This is the 4th flyball title, after Flyball Dog, Flyball Dog Excellence, Flyball Dog Champion. So, Spike and I earned 1000 points and achieved that title over 3 weekends of racing. Of course, he is retired now so that's the end of this flyball titles, but that's ok!

SJATD: That's Spike's St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog title. It allows us to volunteer with St. John Ambulance as a dog-handler team.

SGDC:  Our first agility title!  In agility there are 3 levels of competition and you have to complete enough clean (perfect) runs at a level to move up. As well, there are different types of runs you can enter; standard runs (which include all equipment) and the games runs. There are 3 different agility games to play, and for the Starters level you need 2 perfect runs in each of the games to achieve this title. So, we finally got the last of our games to move up to the Advanced level. And, we are 1 standard round (out of 3 needed) to achieve our Agility Dog of Canada title.

So, yes, I am proud of my little rescue dog who could: he tries soooo hard for me and he LOVES his agility! He doesn't care about the titles, and really neither do I, but I do love to see how far we've come and what a team we are becoming. He truly is a once in a lifetime dog. :)

Well, that's likely enough from the Black Dog Crew this Wednesday morning.... hope the rest of your week runs smoother than mine likely is with these cute balls of puppy fuzz in the house!

Updates!!

ARGH, where does time go???

Due to popular demand, the official update on Moose:  Moose is now Cooper and he will spend his life with Sara, his adopter. Yes, she is the girl that met him at the fundraiser. She has a roommate who has a young husky dog named Shout and when I took Moose over there, he took one look at me, then he was gone in a flurry of teeth, fur and wrestling with his new sis. They both were smitten. Sara was smitten and honestly, I tried to say goodbye to the boy, but he wouldn't; he was too intent on trotting around after his new Mama and playing with Shout. PERFECT PLACE for him! Exactly where Moose/Cooper should live.

Otherwise, my summer is winding down as I am back to work next week. I am dreading being away from my dogs all day- I've been home for 3 months after all with my sick leave then summer holidays. But, such is life and we'll all adjust.

The ratties are great. Yes, they are RATS. And, I love them!  I am making them a new cage; a giant grotto that likely will help me expand the family a little. I already added Dru, a black rat who is just a little doll. She fits with the other girls so well. Honestly, their temperaments are likely tiny dogs. They LOVE people, they love socialization and are highly trainable. I can't wait to clicker train some tricks! hehe

The dogs and I are great! I worked a weekend at Rebecca's and they were in heaven, running around, chasing, digging, enjoying the space. Then, they got a weekend at Bec's while I hung out at a Leadership Camp for young people. They had fun and I was inspired about the next generation. There are some super stars growing up in this province and it gives me hope!

In light of the fact that I ended last school in such a difficult position (sick leave, essentially due to stress) I have made some big decisions in the last while. The most recent one is to take a step back from the rescue. I love New Hope and the work they do, but I personally need a break. So, that is huge for me as I have been involved pretty much since I arrived here. I think the time away will be good; I will be able to re-find my passion for dog rescue, perhaps. And, at the end of the day my focus is on getting my thesis done, creating a better, more stable and normal routine for the dogs this fall and making sure that I stay healthy! I'll miss it, and I'll miss the variety of dogs who have come through my doors over time. But, a break and a rest is good sometimes.

That's all for this morning; I promise pictures and stories about the dogs soon. I definitely have some to tell!

Dog's Breakfast Fundraiser

I took Moose to a fundraiser event for New Hope Dog Rescue yesterday afternoon. It's a crazy afternoon as it's an ice cream eating contest and while I didn't actually watch the competition, I understand there were 5 guys, each eating some crazy amount of ice cream to see who could do so the fastest. I believe it entails like 14 scoops of ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top.

I was a bit busy while they were eating. You see, a gal had applied to meet a number of our puppies and had met Moose's brother James on Friday. She liked him, but his foster mama mentioned how much cuddlier Moose is than James, and she wanted to meet him.  So, while guys were making themselves sick on ice cream, Moose was worming his way into the heart of she who is likely going to be his new mama!  She wanted the night to think about which she wanted, but I suspect Moose will be packing his bags and moving out tomorrow. And, if not, that's ok too- I have come to love his cuddles on the couch and Murph has enjoyed having a playmate.  So, I'll keep you posted!

Anyway, some shots from the day of Moose, asking nicely for doggy biscuits....

He's perfected THE LOOK.  You know... THE LOOK that says "I'm here, I'm quiet and just sitting here, and I'm WAITING for that doggy biscuits!!"

Moose with one of our Special Girls, Robin.  We brought her and her sister Ducky in from a shelter in NorthWestern Saskatchewan. Once she arrived, we realized that she was in bad shape; she has severe hip dysplasia on both sides and immediately underwent bilateral hip surgeries. Moose loved her and she was content to lie on her bed, and get biscuits for being such a lovely girl!

All in all, it was a great afternoon and I'll keep you all posted on what happens with the Moose Man!

Moose

I figure I better introduce my new monkey before he's come and gone... he has a meet and greet in a bit, but you never know right? He might not hit it off with them?!?

Anyway, here's the cutie, himself...

Moose is an 11 week old Lab X of some sort. Sweet as the dickens and LIVES for people. He's been the easiest foster so far as he is basically crate trained already and almost makes it through the night- sometimes he has to go out once but he wakes you up, then is happy to go right back to sleep in the kennel.  He's only had one accident in the house so far and it was totally my fault- that was Friday when he first arrived.  He's playful and cute. Seriously, did I mention he LOVES people?!?  

Yup, he has a tiny hint of puppy mischief in him, but nothing to serious, to be honest. He's chewy, that's really his worst flaw.  But, how can you resist that little face anyway?

Moose is going to be a bigger boy, I suspect- maybe 70 pounds?!? It's so hard to know because we were told Lab/BC mix but really, we have no way of knowing. Lab for sure. In any case, he's waiting for the perfect home and in the meantime, I'm soaking up the puppy cuddles!! :)

He was sooo funny at the vet yesterday for his puppy checkup as nothing really bothers him! He didn't even notice the microchip needle going in as he had a dog biscuit to munch on, then he proceed to turn around and kiss the vet. And, he insisted on meeting EVERYONE in the parking lot on the way back to the car. So, yup, he's a doll. Someone is going to be very lucky with this pup!

What a difference a week makes!

What a difference a week makes is for sure!! Last weekend, on Sunday it was cold. Very cold in fact. And, I picked up a new foster dog named Boston, brought him home and realized within minutes it wasn't going to work for lots of reasons. (but mainly his fear of Sophie, which I can't entirely blame him for!).  Anyway, he went back on Monday and I committed to take a puppy. Well, since then, the weather has warmed up to melting temperatures, Sophie has gone back to agility classes (but, I think she deserves a post all to her own, about that!) and I brought the pup home.

His name is Ringo, although that doesn't really suit him, to my way of thinking. I call him Porkchop and Piglet because he's a rolly polly pup. He's a farm special dog; in other words, who know what he is?  There's likely some lab in there, possibly some border collie but there's also maybe some shepherd, looking at his siblings. All I know is that he is CUTE!

Ringo is 7 weeks old at best guess; his momma was rescued when he and his siblings were about a week old. She was tied to a dog house and had very little food. It was cold, and New Hope had to take them.  So, here they are and Ringo is a sweet little thing! I love puppies this age because they are all potential and promise; who knows what this dog could become?  I can tell you the base of his personality is sweet, cuddly, mostly quiet but still full of puppy play. He plays with Murphy then crashes on my lap for a nap. He's learning to stand up for himself a little because Murphers is relentless in her pursuit of play. In comparision to Murphy, he's laid back and fairly moderate in his energy levels.

He's fairly quiet in his crate; he'll settle in there nicely at night, but watch out, once he's awake, he lets you know loud and clear! He's actually doing fairly well with his kennel training. He's keeping his crate clean, which I am so impressed about, but we'll see on Monday when I am gone to work all day. In any case, he's doing better than Murphy even does in her crate, LOL. He's even doing quite well on housetraining.  There's been very few accidents (like 1 or 2 since Friday night) and he'll even cry a bit when I suspect he needs out. He's even rung the bell at the back door, which is Sophie's way to tell me she wants out. So, while he can't be considered housetrained for a long time yet,  I think he's a smart one and won't take long to figure it out.

Really, for anyone looking for a cute, cuddly boy who might end up on the larger side of medium, they can't go wrong with this little gaffer. He really is a lovely boy!!  I am quite smitten with his little socks, his sweet personality and how gentle and friendly he is.

Robine Hood Aidan Story

It's a heavy topic for so early on a Wednesday morning, but I just arrived home from a walk with my three dogs. I was able to do it with safety, no fear of dog packs, no fear of "what if one gets away?".  This story touched my heart because I know the issues in Northern Saskatchewan, when it comes to dog control.  This event happened in Buffalo Narrows, SK which is an hour south of where I lived for 3 years.

Dogs in Northern Saskatchewan are shot as a means of dog control. Each Northern community has a dog catcher and their job is to keep the dogs from packing up; this is accomplished by randomly shooting dogs viewed as a problem or as strays.  I know from experience, when the dogs pack up at certain times of the year, they are SCARY! They become mean and aggressive, but I also know there is a BETTER WAY than culling the dogs.

I lived in fear the entire 3 years I was in La Loche; I worried my dogs would be stolen, get off their tie outs, run off and get shot. I lived in a teacherage, supplied by the school division that refused to fence my yard properly and also refused to allow me to fence it, if I could have afforded to. So, I resorted to tie outs, the first 2 years I was there. By the third year, my dogs, Spike and Sophie NEVER were out of the house without me. I had caught kids throwing rocks at them, had been threatened that they would steal Sophie, and Spike had escaped his tie out a couple times. So, I kept them with me at all times. They got off leash runs, very carefully and both were taught a recall command that was as solid as possible. End result? We made it. But, many of my friends lost dogs to the dog catcher.

I know packing, stray and wild dogs IS a problem in Northern Saskatchewan. But, there has to be a better way! Noone needs to live with the fear of their dog being shot. Noone needs to go through what Nadia has gone through; please watch her story below.  And, help us find new ways to control dog populations in Northern Saskatchewan so the communities remain safe for the children to play without the fear and threat of dog shoot days.  If you want more information about this issue, please comment below and I can share more about how we might make a difference.  The volunteers of New Hope Dog Rescue are committed to finding ways to help make a difference to dog owners in Northern Saskatchewan.

Introducing Henry!

Things have been a whirlwind around my place lately!  As you all know, I picked up Ben just a couple weeks ago, he had an amazing application for adoption within hours of being on the website and he's gone, on trial already! He's been renamed Moose and they have the patience needed to help a big, goofy lab find his way in the world!  So, that left me free to take another dog on and Henry has now arrived!

Henry is a sweet little corgi cross of some sort. It's been an adventure so far, having him in the house because he is sooo scared of making a wrong move. It's like he was tossed out by someone, and now he's worried he's going to mess up and get dumped again. :( It's heartbreaking to watch a dog go through that, but let me tell you, they make the best pets ever! (Just look at my Spikey... he was JUST LIKE THIS TOO!).

Anyway, Henry is settling in well. He likes hanging out, quietly chewing on a bone, but he's always ready to go somewhere, if I want to go. He's getting along as well as can be expected with my dogs; Sophie is lots of dog for anyone to manage and she needs some "finishing school" to polish off the rough edges. So, for Henry to handle Sophie with a certain amount of grace and resignation, speaks volumes about this gentle little soul. And, Murphy is RELENTLESS in her quest to get him to play. He will play, but mainly he just wants to hang out, sleep and cuddle at the moment. Henry LOVES Spike, following him around, giving kisses and the like. Sooo sweet to watch!

Henry's learning the crate, but is clean in the house. He's loving having dog beds to curl up in, bones to chew on, a toy box to visit. He has a grateful nature that is very sweet. He'll make someone a gem of a dog!! He is such a quiet, sweet boy, I can see him being a super star, therapy dog someday. I am smitten with this little boy because he's such a gentle soul and he is sooo grateful for food, a quiet corner, whatever attention he gets. He'd make a great pet for a family or an older couple, that's for sure. 

Stay tuned for pictures.... Soph accidently broke my camera the other day and I am struggling along without the ability to get a decent photo. Take my word for it, Henry is CUTE!  I'm hoping to get a new camera by the end of the week so I can post photos of what a goodlooking boy Henry actually is!

So I didn't get puppies, I got Ben instead....

Alright, it's true. My labby loving heart nearly broke two days ago when the call came for a purebred, Black Lab boy to come into New Hope. He's 15 months old and a gentle soul but his owner, (who also was his breeder) decided that he was a bother as he was trying to move to Ontario, after splitting up with his wife. Said owner never even gave him a name, he just called him Boy. So, I broke down and brought Gentle Ben home. He's a big, blocky lab and is quite a pretty boy. He's laid back and sweet; wanting to hang out and learn about living in a house with lots of attention. Poor boy goes to the vet for his shots this afternoon and to discuss neutering (let me tell you, that has to happen SOON!)  He'll also be getting a bath today as he smells like cigarette smoke. I'm happy we could help this poor boy out; if he'd gone to the SPCA, there's no telling what would have happened. Yes, he's all lab and sweet, but he's scared and not showing himself well. He's really submissive and laid back, but I am sure that would cause people to move on by his kennel run. That's the problem for Big, Black Dogs. They DO get overlooked in the shelter, so I am pretty sure he wouldn't have even made it to Christmas necessarily.

Anyway, stay tuned for Gentle Ben's petfinder page and pictures! I'll get them done today!!

Reflections on Rescue

It's been a difficult month in the world of dog rescue. I'm not going to lie about that. But, then, the reality is that no month is easy in dog rescue. But, I have to admit, I think the Saskatchewan Doggy Rescue Community is pretty darn spectacular!

As you know, I coordinate intakes for New Hope Dog Rescue. Simply, this means, if you have a dog you don't want, and you want New Hope to take them, you talk to me. Or, if we get a message about a stray or pound dog, I call them back, get the information then send that off to our foster home coordinator to see if we can fit the dog in. I maintain a LONG list for owner surrenders. It can take months to get an owner surrender in, as we are a small, volunteer run organization and can only take as many dogs as we have resources to take.  And, I am just one of many volunteers who make this all work.

What I hate about rescue is that I see the worst of people. I get the angry "What do you mean you can't take my dog tonight" phone calls. I get the intakes for "my ten year old dog I've had since he was a pup is an inconvience now that I want to travel so can you rehome him for me?". I get intakes for dogs whose owners are truly heartbroken to give them up but life circumstances are just to great and they need help. So, I see the spectrum.  It's hard to not get frustrated and give up, I'll be honest.

But, then we have moments when I have to jump up and down and scream, cheering for us! This was one such week. About 3 weeks ago, we got call about a litter of 10 husky pups, taken away from mama dog way to young and they needed a place to go. So, we took them. Then, 3 days ago, we got a call about a dog tied to a doghouse, with no food, no warmth and 1 week old pups. There were 9 of them, I believe. We found them room. Then yesterday, there was another. This time a Lab with her 10 puppies, could we find room?  We all groaned, thought, "Wow? Can we??"  We've never, NEVER had this many dogs before, or this many puppies. Apparently, we CAN! We had one home graciously open their doors and say, yes, they can come here for Christmas. And, even better, another dog rescue, Bright Eyes,  in the province opened their doors and said they could take them for us. So, we saved 11 more lives and that rocks!  I feel proud to work with an organization that DOES make a difference. It's good to remember that in the discouraging moments.

Anyway, I just thought I would share this morning as Christmas , well winter, can be a very difficult time in the world of dog rescue. Support your local rescue, people, it's worth it!

A little bit of this and that

You'll notice I've overhauled the blog. I like it, I have to admit. This is what happens when you are procrastinating from writing semester end papers. And, are home, struggling with the flu not able to attend things like agility classes or even work. I don't like to share my germs so I have elected to stay at home and get better.

Sophie thinks she's died and gone to doggy heaven... she's been getting daily off leash runs and LOVES it! I like LOVE that she hasn't limped at all! This makes me happy! The chiropractic likened it to a human with their sciatic nerve out; it's painful enough to make you limp and for Sophie, it was enough to cause her intermittent lameness.  I was reading  Mango's blog yesterday which is filled all kinds of good ideas to help with stretching and rebuilding muscle tone. He has a sore leg as well and is working hard to build up the muscle tone, much like Sophie Dawg so I took some notes and am working on it with her. She doesn't mind; in fact, Sophie is happy to be getting all this attention and work!

Spike on the other hand has been pouting. He doesn't like that Sophie cuts into his valuable training time. Poor boy isn't all that thrilled that we are taking an extended break from Flyball as well; in the midst of Spike's injury and recovery, I realized I just don't have the time to commit to practices. So, I cut back on my dog sport involvement and am just focusing on agility at the moment. Murphy is just grateful I've had the flu the last days and have stayed home, hanging out on the couch with her. She'd rather I stayed home all the time to be at her beck and call, to be honest. I might like that too, as she sleeps much better when she hasn't been crated all day.

In other news, many of you know that I am involved with dog rescue. I coordinate the intakes for New Hope Dog Rescue in Saskatoon and I also occasionally foster. It's been a tough winter thus far; we've had far more than our fair share of puppies come through our doors and I just thought I would share a few of their little faces. Seriously, someone needs to take these little cuties home or I may end up with a puppy or two extra here. They have to go SOMEWHERE as we have a Mama and her 9 pups coming in today. Mama was tied to a dog house and the pups are about a week old. It's cold out there folks, far too cold for week old puppies to be living in a dog house. I actually think my buddy Rebecca  will be taking them in, but I may help her out and bring home one of them myself. We'll see...

Anyway, here's Bella. Ain't she a little doll of a husky mix?  You seriously should consider adopting her!

Or, Aeron perhaps. He's a handsome little guy!

Or little Morrigan, the one I want to foster. I can't resist those little eyes. 

Stay tuned to see if they all find their way to Rebecca's or whether I take one. SO cute! And, just think, we managed to save 10 more dogs with a little shuffling around. All's good as long as we have foster homes!!

Anyway, here's hoping I make it back to work tomorrow. And, get my semester end papers completed. And, begin to feel human again- after all, Christmas holidays are just around the corner; I must feel better for my holidays!!

Max gets a home

I am very involved with a dog rescue in Saskatoon called New Hope Dog Rescue. We are a small rescue, run by a dedicated group of hardworking volunteers and we take on abused and unwanted dogs from whereever, when we can. I have fostered off and on for the past two years and I have found myself in the position of Intake Coordinator. I love working with the rescue but of late, I have lost a bit of my passion as I have found myself feeling tired, overworked and barely able to work with my own dogs.

So, when Max came to our attention I tried to tell myself "NO!" But, his sad, sad story tugged at me and I agreed to foster him before anyone else even knew he was coming in. I've had Max, I think since about May, and it took quite awhile for him to be ready to adopt out, then he's been waiting for his family to get back from holidays. Today is his day; he gets to go home!

Max has been potentially the hardest and the easiest foster I've had. He's easy going, wanting to please and lives to cuddle. But he had no idea how to behave in a house as he likely hadn't been in one. He had frequent marking accidents and this was hard to break; he's stil not fully cured of that problem but he's well on the way as he take correction very easily and wants to please.

Max also had health problems. He came in after he had been mauled by dogs and he developed an abcess at one bite site. That required a drainage tube. After he had been here maybe a day or two, he passed a live tapework, YUCK! So, that required attention as I just can't handle the worms. Then, we learned he had allergies and it's been a long, steady process to get his diet under control. He also has a bit of an ear thing, likely related to his allergies. Max had endured it all with calm attitude and just lets it all happen. He's great that way!

Max deserves a great life. I think Max is getting that today as he moves on to his new home!  I'll miss you Maxim, be good little man!!