Today Post::a boy's heart

Christine Allen’s son Sam turned four fingers old on Tuesday. We’ve had the pleasure of watching him grow from a babe to a boy with a special connection with dogs, starting with his love for homegirl Izzy, then later as one of V-dog Teddle’s very first and bestest friends.

Sam’s been such a true heart to the dogs, so we weren’t surprised when we heard he was already giving healing hugs to newcomer Huckleberry. Happy Birthday Sam - and thank you. The world has so much to learn from your tender example.

Photo: Christine Allen

Today Post::Wanted: Crystal ball

These are the days when we sure could use a crystal ball. This sweet soul presented us with a new mystery when he came into Oakland Animal Services, shook up from his past misadventures. He sat in his run looking very forlorn while the days that his owner could come collect him him ticked away. Poor kid almost got lost in the hustle-bustle, such a quiet guy and all, swallowed in a shelter that’s being rocked with the challenges that come from staff shortages during an increase in intake numbers.

Somehow his little spirit found a way to stop us in our tracks. “Who are you?”, I asked. I blew through the kennel bars into his face; a rude greeting I give to dogs that we want to suss out. Many dogs offer full ecstatic wriggles when we do this. “Me! Me! Do it again!” Occasionally a dog will snarl and spit back, as if to say, “People have not been nice to me. GO AWAY!” But this guy, he stood very still, lifted his paw and licked his lip when he got hit with that rude greeting. Read: Big baby softie, asking for a connection.

We brought him into the trailer to stare at him. He’s a mess: Red, swollen toes … bleeding, yeasty ears…swollen glands…(very) old bite marks and strange red sores on some of his joints. He was having a hard time walking on those feet and looked like he needed to get under a blankie and drink ginger ale and watch old I Love Lucy re-runs.

“What happened to you, honey?” He just stared back, “I don’t feel good. Please hug me.”

Dogs live in the present moment, so we don’t really need a crystal ball to know when they need help now, but it sure would be nice to know more about how dogs like this came to such a crisis state. Of course we hugged him.

A visitor from Australia was with us and offered a new name for a new day. Huckleberry. Huck for short. Unfortunately our Ambassadog ward has been invaded by puppies while a veterinarian puzzles over a recent spread of dog germs. Huck was safe, but relegated to a noisy ward of wild barkers. He hunkered down, as if to wait out a loud thunderstorm. “Please. Get. Me. Outta. Here.” Shelter staff slathered his yeasty ears with medicine goo and filled him full of antibiotics while we strategized an exit plan.

Finally, on Sunday, his big day came. Josie Kat adopters Nafia and James drove up in their shiney red mustang, a fitting get-away car for a lovely boy. He’s off to foster care now, and while we may never know anything about his past, we’ll do our best to create a better future for him.

Stay tuned for news on the softie dog named Huck while we sort out his health issues and see about finding him a new home.

Today Post::An Update

I know it’s been forever since I’ve updated here ~ sorry.
Closing the store and getting rid of 4 years of stuff in the basement has kept me busy!
Just a quick update: the woman who was going to adopt Jazper never showed up.  To his benefit, the first few evenings with him in the apartment were less-stressful than I’d feared.  Last night he was a very Good Boy, but he is still locked up in the bathroom at night.  While I’m painting the store, he is still coming down with me.
Bella and Jack probably aren’t going any where.  The little rascals have weaseled their way into my heart.  So, for now, Eight Is Enough.

And everyone (except Spooker, but you can’t expect miracles) loves Eyad.  Especially Daphne, who was missing her daddy something terrible the past two years, since he left us.  She and Eyad have bonded and it’s great to see how affectionate she is with him.

Here’s a pic by Eyad for you to enjoy, until I can post again.  If you’d like to see more of his photography, check out his RedBubble Gallery.
Cheers,
NTM

Today Post::Halloween Not Good for Black Cats

The New Zealand Veterinary Association is warning trick-or-treaters to spare a thought for their pets this Saturday night.

Halloween is a bad time of year for black cats, with their long-standing connections with witches, hubble-bubble and evil.

Veterinarian Pieter Verhoek warned petowners to keep black cats away from children who might play pranks.

Reports of deliberate cruelty to black cats rise especially in the weeks around Halloween in Britain, the RSPCA animal charity said on Wednesday.

Verhoek said dogs should be restrained and protected from getting over-excited by a series of visitors to the front door which could result in someone getting bitten by accident.

Treats and trick-or-treating should also exclude pets, Verhoek advised.

“Lollies and chocolate are not good for cats and dogs, and in some instances can be toxic. Especially with chocolate, which can result in animals getting seriously sick or even dying. We do suggest that such treats are kept out of the reach of our pets.

“If the kids want to dress your dog or cat in a costume - please be sensible - ensure that the animals are comfortable and not restrained by unaccustomed clothing,” he said.