Jackie and the Missing Isabelle

On Saturday, March 2^nd, I had the pleasure of taking my nephew, Eric, with me on a dog transport.   This was a rare opportunity and Eric rose to the occasion, and enjoyed being part of the dog rescue effort.
 

Everyone waiting as each took turns
getting their appropriate animals.

We met a large truck from Bowling Green, KY, at 10:30 AM in Center Valley.  About 60 dogs were on board, who had ridden 16 hours straight to Center Valley, thanks to a wonderful lady named Theresa, who made this drive alone.  There were many, many people waiting to either receive their forever pet, or to transport to various rescue groups.  There were dogs, cats, and puppies.  And I learned the next day that a pregnant dog who had boarded in Kentucky, was a happy mother of two puppies upon arriving in Center Valley.  How’s that for a birth story?!!?

 

Entering the transport truck.

We picked up Jackie and Isabelle.  I found their paperwork right at the front of the box, and when things had quieted down a little, we ventured into the truck to claim our pups.  You can imagine the ruckus, since some dogs were going on to other locations farther north.  So there were plenty of pooches to bark their greetings at us.

 



Eric & Jackie

First out of her crate was Jackie, an adorable cattle dog/pointer mix, of about a year and a half.  Eric grabbed her, leashed her and exited the pandemonium for a more serene walk in the grass – which made Jackie quite happy, of course.

Somehow, I managed not to get one picture of Isabelle.  So Isabelle wasn't missing, but her photos are!  I think in the chaos, I just never got any pictures snapped.  You know how you stiffen up if you get nervous? That was Isabelle, a four-year old Chihuahua. All four legs splayed straight out, even as I held her and tried to soothe her. She remained like that even when I gently deposited her on the grass. But within seconds, she proved herself to be the good little canine she was and got to her business. The four of us walked around a little together, but it was quite windy and cold. Jackie didn’t seem to notice much, but Eric, Isabelle and I were shivering so we loaded everyone into the car and started our journey home.

 

Isabelle nested right in to the newspaper inside her carrier. Jackie was much more interested in watching the sights fly by and spent most of the ride sitting up to look out the window. She’d fret now and then, and whine, but went back to her window-gazing. Towards the end, she actually laid down and rested a bit.

We met Brian and Terry at our final destination of the shopping center across from where I live.  Terry, Isabelle’s foster mother, arrived first and scooped up Isabelle, who was reluctant to get out of the carrier to face the cold wind again.  Terry carried her directly to her car, where it was warm and safe.  Terry had two other Chihuahuas at home, and told Isabelle that she’d soon have friends to play with, and things were definitely looking up for her.  And no, I didn't get any photos of Isabelle here either.  I don't think I'd make a good newspaper reporter after this!

Brian soon arrived, and he took over walking Jackie.  You might remember Brian from a couple of my previous transports.  He only fosters dogs, and his neighbors always know when he’s getting a new one and greet him and his new charges upon their arrival home.  His foster dogs get to meet all the other dogs in the neighborhood, as well as the neighbor kids.  So I knew Jackie would have a great time.

But first, Jackie went to a Meet & Greet at Cutter’s Mill Natural Pet Center in the shopping center where we met.  Cutter’s Mill holds adoption events for our Almost Home Dog Rescue dogs every other weekend, and he wasted no time in getting Jackie in front of potential adopters.

Brian reported Jackie did very well meeting everyone, but didn’t find her adoptive family that day.  But just look at her here, relaxing at Brian's home.  What a lucky dog! Looks to me like she's doing just fine!  And Brian sent a quick update the following day:

"Jackie was a little shy at the Meet and Greet, but was very friendly with everyone she met. Since she has been at my home, she has very quickly come out of her shell and is just a fireball of energy. She is certainly making herself right at home. She has also made herself very comfortable at the same time."

 
And I want to add kudos to Eric for being a great partner in this effort.  He said he enjoyed doing it and maybe the next time he comes to visit, we can do it again.  Kudos, of course, to Theresa, the driver of the transport from Kentucky, who was continuing on to Connecticut and parts further north.  And kudos to Terry and Brian, who dedicate themselves to fostering dogs as they wait for their "furever" family.

JessaMay and the Kitties

Today, Sunday, February 17, 2013, Linda took on a transport for another dog rescue organization, and drove one dog, JessaMay, and six cats/kittens from Norristown, PA, to Lehighton, PA.  Another friend of mine, Laurene, started transporting for this same organization several months ago, and drives rescues from Lehighton to Scranton, PA.  So Laurene picked up the kittens from Linda today, and met Linda for the first time.  This tickles me, and although I don't mean to brag, I pretty much got Linda and Laurene into this cause, and I'm quite proud of that.  Anyway, enough about me!  On to Linda's transport!

Meet JessaMay.  Doesn't she have such a soulful face?  I'm in love with her, and haven't even seen her in person.   Linda reports that JessaMay is heading to One Life to Live Dog Rescue in Scranton.  She's 60 pounds of muscle, but a darling who loves to be hugged.  She suffered some stress on this long transport and it must have been too much for her little tummy, and she got sick en route.  But I'm sure once she arrives at OLTL, JessaMay will settle down and enjoy a good rest, and will receive tender care and lots of love and attention.

Linda, in her new SUV, was also able to transport six cats, whose ultimate destination is Rochester, NY.  Any transport is a long ride to most cats, as you probably know, but it will be worth it, for sure, as they are now safe and sound. They were stacked in the back of Linda's vehicle, and one of them -- they think it was the orange tabby cat -- cried almost the entire ride.  But we always focus on the fact that any animal transported away from a place of certain doom is far better off, even if a little uncomfortable while being transported, as the final destination is always a safe haven for each and every one.  And so it will be with these cats.

This was a large transport effort, with three drivers doing the Norristown to Lehighton run, and four drivers picking up in Lehighton to complete their drives to Scranton. Here are a few other wonderful passengers who rode with other drivers.

It may be distressful to see these dogs and cats in crates, but it is the safest way to transport them.  It keeps them under control, and when arriving en masse like they do, that is important for everyone concerned.

Merlin, The Magnificent

Merlin, the big galumph, has become Merlin, the Magnificent!  Merlin has hit the royal jackpot, if you ask me.  Just look at him in his royal robe, sitting next to the fireplace -- with one of his loyal subjects in attendance on the settee along the back wall.

Merlin, it turned out, went to his furever family the day Linda and I delivered him on our last dog transport.  OK, I admit it.  I made a mistake, as I thought it was Cuddles who was going to her home.  But it was lovable Merlin who was heading straight home.

Here's what his family told our transport leader three days later:

He is adjusting quickly.  We are very happy...thank you!  Very Truly, Tara

I bow to Merlin to honor his magnificence.

 

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.