Cuddles and Merlin and Shorty, Oh My!

Linda and I had the pleasure of joining together to transport three dogs yesterday, January 25, 2013.  As a result of an auto accident, Linda had to buy a new car and chose a nice Mercury SUV, which can easily accommodate more transport dogs, so we decided that this time, I would be Linda’s helper.  So I rode shotgun.  It was a 20 degree day – beautiful and clear, but extremely cold.

The three dogs, Cuddles, Merlin and Shorty, were all rescued from a kill shelter in Ohio.  Their stories, however, were varied.

I must start with Shorty, because boy, was he misjudged!  And the operative word in that last sentence is “boy”.  We all thought he was a girl, and mistakenly assumed he was Cuddles!  To further besmirch him, he came with a reputation that “she” didn’t get along with the other female transport dog, and spent a lot of time growling at her.  Wrong!  But one can’t blame Shorty.  First of all, how on earth did he get a name like Shorty?  Would you name this cute little guy Shorty?  Me neither.  That classic Shih-Tzu face, and long coat and tail, all of which are typical of this small breed, makes him a diminutive dog, not a big dog who happens to be short, right?  But Shorty it was, and he was stuck with it – which would make me growl too.  But Shorty didn’t growl!  He snored!

Shorty ended up sitting on my lap because Merlin, the big galumph, was trying to sit on poor Shorty in the back seat.  Shorty was shaking uncontrollably, and we weren’t sure if it was from fright or the cold.  Probably a bit of both, but we couldn’t take the chance that he’d be flattened by Merlin.  So we wrapped Shorty in a towel and he contentedly enjoyed a comfortable, warm ride in my lap.  He was so comfortable, that he fell asleep and snored to his little heart’s content.  He was definitely not a growler by personality alone, and definitely more a lover.

 

Shorty had to withstand the cold when we arrived at our destination and handed him over to his foster mom, Cindy.  But we knew he'd soon be warm and happy in his new temporary home, and because he's so sweet, Linda and I are confident that he'll soon find a forever family who will shower him with the love he deserves.

Merlin, the aforementioned big galumph, is a male lab mix, who has a face that just melts your heart.  He was put into protective custody on January 7th by a humane officer as there is a summons for his owners, who abandoned him in the basement of the house they vacated.  Sadly for Merlin, the basement was dark, dingy and filthy -- and he had demodectic mange.  His case is one of total neglect at best, and abuse at worst.  Thankfully, after getting immediate vet care, he began to look much better, but you can still see the effects of the mange in this photo.

 

Merlin Greets His Foster Mom

But Merlin is one of the sweetest dogs with a great disposition and wonderful personality.  He wags his tail if you even glance in his direction.  He’s 60 pounds of strong affection.  Merlin was named by the Humane Officer who did the right thing by getting him out that horrendous basement, and it’s the perfect name for him.  Linda and I are sure he’ll work his magic on someone real soon who will appreciate his warm heart and desire to be the best damn dog ever.  After all, he’s quite handsome too.

 



Cuddles Shows His Profile



Cuddles, a 4-year old Dalmation mix (we think) was surrendered by her owner on January 11^th.  With a cute face – don’t you agree? – Cuddles is full of personality and is purported by her owner as being fine with other dogs and cats.  She knows her sit command, shakes paw, and can sit up “straight as a poker”.  Cuddles felt the frigid weather too, with her short coat not offering much protection, and her thinness from obvious lack of food.

 

Cuddles Gives Kisses to Andrea

But she was definitely happy to be around anyone who showed her the slightest bit of attention and she easily gave away her kisses to just about everyone.  This makes me think she might have been the neighborhood floozy since she gives her love so freely.  But she’s a looker, all right.

Cuddles Gives Kisses to Linda

And Cuddles was the luckiest of our three canine passengers, as we delivered her to new forever Mom.  Hopefully, she’ll soon become secure in the love of her new family, and will give her heart over to them, and them alone – which will help restore her loosey-goosey reputation.  Or not.  But if she continues to give her love freely to anyone in her new neighborhood, well, that’ll be okay too, as she’ll be one happy dog who has a forever home – and that’s all that matters. 

 

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.