Rusty was Home for Christmas!

Just got word from Brian, the foster dad to Rusty, whom we transported on December 15th, that Rusty went to his "furever" home on December 22nd.  Joy to the World!

Almost Home for Christmas

Amidst the flurry of preparations for holiday celebrations, shopping, gift-wrapping, and decorating, the dog rescues continue.  The people who dedicate themselves to saving these helpless, but wonderful and loving animals are truly remarkable, and for them I give many thanks.  For without them getting these great dogs and cats out of the deplorable shelters within days of being euthanized, there would be no transports to freedom and a healthy, happy life.  It still boggles my mind that once the animals are out and into the large transport vehicle, that all the people along the way manage to do their parts as well, by being there to meet their particular leg of the transport.  It’s a monumental project, but somehow it works.

Yes, there are delays sometimes, and I’m sure more than one driver has occasionally driven a second leg because someone got sick or had an emergency, but for the most part, the network stands together and everyone meets the commitment they made.  I have no idea how this was done prior to e-mail!  It must have been a much smaller outreach, and hours and hours of telephone calls.  The dedication exhibited by the rescuers is awe-inspiring.

And yes, we transported two dogs on Saturday, December 15^th for Almost Home Dog Rescue.    Sally and Rusty were terrific transportees.  Rusty seemed quite enamored with Sally.  I think it was love at first sight, but for Sally, not so much. 


Sally (a name given her by the shelter) was so adorable.  A two-year old beagle.  Thin, but adorable.  You just wanted to scoop her up and hold her forever.  And she probably would let you. 

Big brown eyes, soft fur, recently spayed, and looking for a home. Here she is in her Playboy centerfold pose. She loved her belly rubs, but was still a little camera shy for a model. She likes cats and other dogs; just not Rusty in the love department. But I’m sure she thought he’d make a fine friend.

Thankfully, Sally found her home just in time for Christmas!  We drove her to her new dad, who was so tickled to meet her too.  Doug said his 20-year old son lives with him, and they love beagles.  So Sally will have two men to dote on her, love her and spoil her.  She’s one lucky dog!  And I bet Santa will put a nice, new toy in her stocking hung over the fireplace on Christmas morning.

 

Rusty has the sweetest face, and loves to have his ears scratched.  Unfortunately, Rusty was surrendered by his family because they could no longer take care of him.  So he came along for the ride too, although his future is a little less settled.  But he certainly hit the jackpot as far as foster families go.  Brian is a great foster dad.  He introduces each of his foster dogs to the neighbors and their dogs.  So Rusty will have plenty of friends in his new neighborhood until he finds his forever home.

During the time he spent at the shelter, Rusty blossomed into quite a social butterfly. But the great thing about Rusty is that he was fostered prior to getting onto the transport truck. Since he was so friendly and pleasant, his temporary foster mother worked with him and took him to visit nursing home patients, where he won accolades for his good behavior and his ability with the residents. So he has a very bright future, and hopefully his new family will cultivate his talents for friendship with those who need him most.

 

In the meantime, Rusty will be treated to a great Christmas with Brian and his family, and will undoubtedly find a juicy chew toy under the tree, which is exactly what he wished for!

It looks like Sally and Rusty will have a Merry Christmas after all.  When they fall asleep Christmas Eve, after putting out the cookies and milk for Santa, they will probably have visions of sugar plums, or rather Milkbones, dancing in their heads.

May you all have a Merry Doggone Christmas, and a Happy Tails New Year!

Goodness, Gracious, Greats Balls of Fluff!

Carol and I were off yesterday to pick up Angel and Angelica, 8 month old Bichon Frisee sisters, who arrived on a large transport from Ohio.  Their history stated they were a "forced surrender".  We'll never know what those circumstances were.  But I am absolutely positive the surrender wasn't because of neighborhood complaints about these two little sweeties yapping too much.  We never heard a peep out of them.  They were brave little girls.

Angel and Angelica arrived in a trailer that looked like a horse trailer with no windows.  Many dogs alighted, all of which were quite pleased to be in the great outdoors on such a nice day.  This one pup was especially fun to watch as he pranced around, showing off his toy.  Dogs will be dogs, no matter what.

Eight dogs were going in this van to Connecticut, with Sue and Rob, who obviously are quite dedicated to their rescue work.

Sue diligently went through the paperwork to be sure her assigned dogs had the proper paperwork.  All dogs in this transport system arrive with veterinarian records indicating what shots they've just had, and when they were neutered, if known.  Usually those same vets neuter anyone who hasn't already been fixed.  It's so important as organizations such as these continue their work towards no more homeless pets.

I don't know how I got so lucky to transport these two little white puffs of fur. Yes, they needed a good grooming, but they were so friendly and well-behaved. When they weren't "velcroed" together in a common mission of smelling the smells, Angelica was most interested in seeing what was happening around her. Angel, on the other hand, was looking for belly rubs and cuddles, and freely gave away her kisses.

After quick slurps of water, and a successful walk in the grass, we picked up our little charges and deposited them in the back seat, where they immediately curled up for a good snooze.  Never has a dog transport been so tranquil.  I think they were grateful to have a little peace and quiet, as Josh Groban softly sang in the background, and Carol and I chatted our way to Montgomeryville, where we met Shelley, the dogs' foster mom.

 

Angel and Angelica again displayed their resilient and gleeful nature by greeting Shelley with lots of opportunities for her to pet them, and excitedly wagging their ragged little tails.

I'm pretty sure that once they got to Shelley's house, met their two foster dog brothers, and had a little dinner, they probably conked out into a blissful sleep, but instead of counting sheep, they counted little Bichon Frisees.

Happy, Happy, Happy!

 

Meet Happy, a lucky dog who got to stay overnight at Linda’s on Saturday, October 6^th. Linda reports that the name, Happy, definitely suits this adorable lab mix, although she found herself calling her Lovebug.

 

Although shy at first, and reluctant to enter or exit the car or house, once Happy was inside Linda’s home, she went right to work. First on her agenda? Finding that darned bone at the bottom of the toy basket. Nothing like a good chew to help a dog-tired body relax.

 

After a nice meal, it was time to attack the cat bed. Ruff, ruff and a tail wag, and it was hers. Victory so sweet!

 

Fortunately, no cats were harmed in the making of this photo. In fact, no cats were anywhere to be seen during the filming. Small detail in Happy’s mind.

As all beautiful females do, Happy admired her own good looks in the mirror when she passed it, and gave herself kudos with a boisterous woof each time she spotted herself. She definitely thought she was the fairest of them all.  Linda’s cat, Vetti, was not impressed. She watched Happy and Dolly from her perch, knowing full well she is the fairest of all the land. After all, why are cat calls called "cat calls"? They aren’t called dog calls. Silly dog. Cats rule, dogs drool.
 

Happy was undeterred by Vetti’s catitude, and made herself at home. She was a little upset when Linda took Dolly for a short walk in the morning, and hoped it was her turn next as she watched from the window.

 

Sure enough, Linda returned and took Happy for a walk too. But it ended by putting Happy in the car, to take her to her last transport ride which would land at her final destination – a wonderful shelter in the northeast. Thankfully that would be her last car ride until her forever family finds her. Which Happy knows won’t be too long, because she’s the most beautiful and happy dog anyone has ever seen!

 

What's In a Name?

Tullis, Tullis, Tullis.  How does a dog end up with a name likeTullis?  But that’s exactly what happened to this sweetie-pie.  So, I looked it up.  Tullis is a boy’s name that means “significant”, with Tully being the more familiar form of the name.  Tullis was surrendered by her family at the age of about three.  I don’t know about you, but I can excuse them for dubbing her with a name normally designed for a boy.  This little dog is not only significant, she’s going to be very significant to her forever family.  Here’s Tullis’s story.

Sue and Tullis say good-bye.

My friend, Carol, accompanied me on what has become my usual transporting route from Center Valley to somewhere near where I live.   An easy drive.  Tullis arrived with a very nice lady, Sue, but seemed a bit sad to leave her.

Carol reassures Tullis that it will be OK.

But Tullis also appreciated the attention she received from Carol.  So after a short break to potty and get a drink of water, we made the easy exchange and loaded Tullis in the back seat of my car, where she did the right thing by landing on top of the blanket cover I bought a couple months ago.

Tullis didn’t relax too much on our ride.  She spent most of her time standing in the backseat, checking out the scenery on either side of the car, or putting her head on my shoulder or Carol’s.  But pretty much, this trek was uneventful.

What wasn’t uneventful was meeting the family who was going to foster-to-adopt little Tullis.  We parked to await the arrival of her foster mother, Maura.  We had no idea most of the family would arrive to greet her.  Tullis won the lottery!  Here Tullis is with Maura and her three gregarious kids, who were friendly, well-spoken, outgoing and confident.  And so excited to meet Tullis!  The little girl told me she loved her already and thought she was cute.  They told us they already have two dogs at home, and look forward to welcoming Tullis into the family.   I believe their dogs were both border collies with energetic natures, so they looked forward to Tullis’s calmer manner, which they thought would work well.  I later learned that their border collies were also from Almost Home Dog Rescue, the organization for which I drive.  That just makes this family even more fantastic in my mind.

Tullis seemed a little overwhelmed with all the attention, and was distracted with various parking lot activities and smells, but she trotted easily on the leash with her new family.  Carol and I were both thrilled that Tullis had been so lucky to have landed with this wonderful family.  Oh – and Maura told us they would probably change her name.  They’d been thinking about Daisy.  A fine name, really, and certainly cute.  But who knows – maybe Tullis will stick, especially if they read this blog or look up its meaning.  Or maybe Tully.  But if she ends up being called Daisy, I can picture the little girl picking petals off a daisy, reciting “she loves me, she loves me not,” and ending on “she loves me” for sure.  100% sure.
 

Don't Call Me Late for Dinner!

On Saturday, September 9^th, Linda, who has turned out to be SuperWoman of dog rescue, and Dolly, her own rescue dog who has become SuperDog of sleepovers, once again hosted a dog.  You don’t dare call this handsome black canine late for dinner!  Because his name is Early!    Yes, Early! 

Early was a shy pup, scared at first to get into Linda’s car or enter her home.  Fortunately, he soon started to relax.  Here he is with proud doggie-host, Dolly, who poses perfectly for her photo in Linda’s lap, with Jack, the cat, looking on curiously. 

Early turned out to be the perfect house guest, and other than trying to bury his bone under the carpet (hey, he’s a D-O-G!), he did everything right.  He did his business outside, ate well, and didn’t pay much mind to the cats, but most of all he respected Dolly.  Like every dog who has come before him, he too enjoyed the view from the upstairs deck.

 Early’s journey was long, and he arrived with many dogs from South Carolina.  After his overnight at Linda’s in Pennsylvania, he was off to New York in the back of a van with a few other lucky dogs also headed to the same rescuing shelter.  Believe me – it’s so worth the discomfort of being in a cage, squeezed into small spaces of vehicles, to ultimately be alive, getting regular meals, being treated kindly, and finally being safe in either a foster home, or with even better luck, in a forever home.  Freedom is worth sacrifice, and I swear rescue dogs so understand this.  Linda reports she heard from the shelter that Early settled in at his foster home and was getting to know his labrador foster brother.  I wonder if his name turned out to be Lately.

Monroe -- Marilyn Perhaps?

Linda once again stepped up and hosted another dog, lucky Monroe, at her home last night.  You may recall that Linda is doggie mother to Dolly, so when she heard the name, Monroe, she immediately thought of Marilyn.  Dolly (Parton) and (Marilyn) Monroe -- both in the house.  We giggled over this as we speculated what Monroe would be like.  So, please let me introduce Marilyn, er...I mean, Monroe.  Linda is the one with the long dark hair.  Monroe -- well -- doesn't exactly look like Marilyn Monroe -- but Linda still felt she was beautiful!




Monroe's first meal of the day.

Monroe's transport arrived quite late, as it was delayed by heavy rain in the south.  She was tired and hungry.  Linda was happy to take her home and provide her first meal of the day.  Due to the number of dogs being transported, they are not fed much because of the hours and hours they spend in vehicles.  Better to arrive hungry, than not arrive at all!



I ain't goin' nowhere!

Linda, of course, wanted to take Monroe for a walk after her dinner, but Monroe wasn't having any of it.  She liked Linda's house, and wasn't about to risk going out the door for fear she'd get pushed into another vehicle and be trapped again for hours on end.  So she planted herself on the landing at the top of the stairs.  Linda didn't push it.



I'm a killer dog, I'm a killer dog...

Monroe soon became comfortable and found a toy that she just loved.  In fact, she even slept with it!

And surprise, surprise.  Monroe liked belly rubs.  She liked them so much, that Linda is convinced Monroe would let her belly be scratched 23 hours a day!  The extra hour would be for eating and walks, of course.





Not to be outdone, Dolly also had to get in on the belly-rub  action, and soon Linda found herself, arms outstretched, trying to be all things to all people dogs.  Boy, they have the life, don't they?

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, and there's nothing like being in the great outdoors, with a beautiful view.  So Monroe took the opportunity to breathe some fresh air and enjoy her morning in repose on the deck, while Linda prepared to take her to the final leg of her transport.  Monroe knew she'd been the perfect house guest.  No accidents, no problems.  And Linda kept telling her what a good dog she'd been.  So a great time was had by all.  Monroe is on her way to the northeast today, where she will be fostered until she finds her forever home.  As sweet as she is, she'll be snapped up quickly, and will live the life of the star she is.

Update on Missy

Remember Missy from last week?  She was the dog whom I believed missed her family so much.  As predicted, the young lady of 24, who was so interested in adopting Missy, even at her ripe old age of 6, met Missy last Sunday and still had love in her heart for her.  She excitedly submitted her application, and Missy went home with her just this past Thursday.

We don't know whether Missy's original family was a family with kids, or if maybe she belonged to just one person who couldn't keep her for some reason.  But what I do know for certain is that her new doggie mother will be very good to her, and Missy will soon be barking a new tune -- one of joy, security, comfort and love.  Lots of love.

Beautiful Becca

Linda hosted Becca for an overnight last night, before she was transported further up the line to her foster home.  Becca was beautiful, and enjoyed watching the neighborhood from her perch on Linda's deck of her condo.

The deck wasn't the only thing Becca enjoyed.  A good old belly rub is one of her favorite things.  Isn't it everyone's?  And notice how much she enjoyed just plain old lovin' (right).  I know, everyone enjoys that!

And here's Linda's favorite picture (left) of Becca.  It's wonderful to know she is well on her way to a safe, happy home, thanks to the transports that somehow manage to work in a rather chaotic situation.  And thank goodness for people like Linda, who are dedicated to helping these wonderful dogs escape to a much better place! 

Just Missy and Me

Yesterday, August 4th, another dog transport came my way.  I was supposed to transport two dogs, Missy and Oscar Meyer, last Saturday, but it fell through.  This weekend, I was set to drive both again, but learned late Friday that Oscar Meyer wouldn't be coming as he had a urinary tract infection and had to remain at the foster home where he is.  So Missy would be coming alone.  Because I thought I'd have two large dogs, I hadn't arranged for anyone to accompany me, as I wasn't sure the two dogs would both fit in the back seat.  So this time, it was just Missy and me.

I arrived early at the drop-off location, but waited only two minutes before Missy arrived.  It turned out her driver was Steve, who was the man who had helped me on a previous transport after I fell backwards in the parking lot (and got a mild concussion).  So I got to thank him in person for all his help that day.  I was so happy I got the opportunity to do that.


Missy is a six-year old mix who sadly was surrendered by her family.  Wish I could tell you why.  She's the sweetest girl, but it seemed quite apparent she missed her family.  I got the distinct feeling she hoped her family was there to meet her, and was disappointed it was only another driver.  She walked great on the leash, and after a few slurps of water, we were ready to go.


Missy inaugurated my special backseat cover-up that I'd hurriedly bought for my last transport, King Arthur, who instead chose to sleep on the floor.  She hopped right in, but was nervous and upset, as she panted quickly and whined a bit.  We waved bye-bye to Steve, and started our trek to the next location.

Missy contemplated being the navigator on this ride, but finally decided to settle down in the back seat -- where she kept her eye on me, just to be sure I obeyed all laws and followed the correct route.  I've become quite the expert at taking photos while I drive.  Don't tell anyone, okay?



Once we got off the highway and got into more stop-and-go driving, Missy was up to check things out herself.  She got excited, and hopeful I think, that her family would be there to meet her once we got to our destination.  She immediately began searching the parking lot, and I'm convinced she was looking for her family.  It made me sad, but I tried to cheer her up by taking her for a stroll and giving her some cool water.  But when a car drove by, she'd look up with such hope in her dark eyes.

We waited about 15 minutes for Ray, her new foster mother, to arrive and in those few minutes, Missy seemed to realize that she didn't know anyone in the parking lot, and she wanted to get back in my car.  I think she hoped we'd continue on to find her family.  But of course, that wasn't the plan.

Ray arrived and we chatted for a few minutes.  She needed to go to the pet store (one that welcomes dogs inside), which was across the parking lot.  So I let Missy go, and off they went.  I just know Missy was hoping Ray was taking her to her family.

Missy really tugged at my heart, so I was relieved when Ray told me Missy has a solid potential adopter -- a young lady of 24 who has already fallen in love with Missy, an older dog, just from her picture, and is anxious to have Missy come live with her right away.  Ray promised to update me.  So keep your fingers crossed.  Missy is a family dog who has lots of love to give, and it looks like her new family may be smaller than her previous one might have been, but sometimes a family of two is all it takes -- especially if it's a real love affair.  And I suspect it is.



Goober, Goober, Goober!

Linda hosted another dog this weekend.  His name is Goober.

He arrived on another Darlington Express Transport.  The history on these dogs is rarely known, and they can prove challenging sometimes.  If they've never had a home, or are always kept outside, they lack all training in the manners of living inside.  Such was the case with Goober.  So Linda had her hands full -- of cleaning products.

First off, Goober got a sponge bath.  Since he also enjoys belly rubs, he didn't mind much that someone was doing double-duty and cleaning him at the same time.  In fact, he probably didn't even know.  But hopefully, he enjoyed his cleaner little self afterwards.
Linda didn't report how Goober was on the leash, or how he liked his walks.  But Linda did learn this morning that he doesn't like the vacuum cleaner much, and he seemed puzzled when he watched her scrubbing the carpet.  Linda seemed to drink an awful lot of coffee, which Goober didn't understand at all.  She seemed to think it would calm her nerves, but Goober didn't get why she needed her nerves calmed.  Could it possibly be because she's a cleaning nut?  After all, that's how she spent most of her morning before delivering him to the next leg of his transport.

As for him, he was quite comfortable other than when the Hoover came near.

Despite this being one of Linda's more difficult cases, she and I both know that he'll soon be in good hands at Furever Friends in Rochester, NY.  And they will work to quickly get him trained on good homelife behavior, which will prepare him to find his "furever" home.  He likes people and is sweet.  He just doesn't know what it's like to have a home.  Hopefully, that will change real soon.  We wish Goober lots of luck on his quest!  In the meantime, Goober owes Linda a large roll of paper towels.

Yay, Effie!

Let me introduce you to Effie, a sweet terrier mix, who arrived two weeks ago on the Darlington Express transport, and had the pleasure of spending one night at Linda's house.  She quickly warmed up to Linda, who treated her to cut-up chicken.  No wonder!  Bribery always works with dogs!  But she wanted to follow Linda everywhere, and even jumped over a baby gate to be sure Linda was within her sight. 

Effie loves walks, and her little tail never stopped wagging as she pranced along with Linda.  She also loves her belly rubbed.

Little Effie was so fortunate.  After she left Linda's, she went to a temporary foster home, who had a boxer.  Effie fell in puppy love with him.  But this proved she'd be great with other dogs.  And before you could say, "Lady and the Tramp", Effie was adopted by a family who also has a small dog.  Hopefully love will be in the air there too.

It's so gratifying to hear these success stories.  This transport idea works, one dog at a time.  Effie is proof positive!

Dolly at Home with Linda

Dolly, who has a happy home with Linda, my friend who took up dog transporting with a vengeance and also hosts doggies overnight to enable them to catch their transport the next day, casts her gaze at the view off her deck of Linda's condo.  Yes, that really is Dolly!  You might think she's a black lion with her mane cut this way, but that's beautiful Dolly, looking stately and beautiful, as a happy border collie should.