Are You My Mother?
It doesn’t get any more adorable than when a dalmatian adopts a rare spotted lamb that looks just like her.
Tag Archives: adoption
9.12.12 I Love Lulu
Louise just rescued
April 2010
Louise
July 2012
Louise then and Louise now. It is amazing how much an animal can change when it is cared for and shown respect and kindness. Lulu was such a mess when we got her. Not only was she afraid of everyone and everything, but her skin was in such terrible shape and she had scars in many places; including where the flea collar was embedded in her neck. But you would never know that part of her life to look at her now. She is going to be 3 years old next month. I can hardly believe it. I am so in love with this silly, prancing, ball of anxiety. I guess we should have a dog party. Dog cookies for everyone! I will start planning. Look for your invitations early next month. Of course, I made her birthday Halloween, since I didn’t know the actual date. Isn’t that perfect? Just like Lulu Belle. 
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
9.11.12 Remember, Honor, & Do Something About It
1992 from Liberty Island
In 1992, I was visiting New York City and took the Ferry in NY Harbor to Liberty Island. My ‘longest’ girlfriend (she said at our age I am not allowed to call her my ‘oldest’ girlfriend) and I, had a stranger take a casual picture (with a real camera no less) of the two of us. To the left of us, which is what I clipped here, were the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in the Financial District. Twenty years ago, it was just another part of the New York City skyline. Today, it is a symbol for the strength and resilience of the American people.
In America, we definitely have our own internal strife. We had the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1995, where 168 people were murdered. We have mass shootings for various strange reasons (last one was in a movie theater). But the worst on American soil in my lifetime was the “9/11” attacks. These were four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group, that occurred on the morning of September 11, 2001 and killed 2,977 people.
Here in the United States, we don’t live in a state of war or even a state of preparedness; we are very lucky for that. I can not imagine living in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, or one of many African or Asian or Latin American nations, that are constantly under siege from each other, themselves, or even drug cartels. What I do know is that the 11th of September 2001 shook me to the core and that I will never be the same again.
Dog Duty in Iraq
Make sure to think about your own country and your own place in the world. If everyone works for a solution to hate, maybe we will have war no more.
I know that I am a dreamer. But remember the people and the dogs out there on the front lines everyday working to keep your borders safe from crazy people and your homeland secure.
If you are American than please join DogDaz in honoring our Military Working Dogs by writing your Congressperson and Representatives and ask them to AMEND HR 5314 to make it mandatory for all adopted OCONUS (overseas) Military Working Dogs (MWDs) to receive transport back to the U.S. via military air. Retired MWDs have no “return to home station” benefits even though for the time of their service we proclaim them as “military members.” As it stands now, retired OCONUS MWDs must be transported at adoptive owner’s expense as a “pet.” This policy is keeping people from giving these little heros lifetime homes. You can help MWD today!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
8.8.12 “In A Perfect World Every Dog Has A Home”
I stumbled upon this great animal pop artist, Dean Russo, on Facebook. Not only is his work incredible but the messages that he adds are just so on the mark. This piece, ” In a perfect world every dog has a home,” is such a wonderful battle cry. When I contacted DeanRussoArt, Megan told me that “amongst other ways he contributes to animal charities, Dean has a program of Affiliate Rescues that he closely works with and contributes to on a monthly basis since he has way too many requests to take on all of them.” Check out his colorful creativity and brilliant imagination.
Did you know that according to Angie’s List (Baltimore Edition August 2012), “5 million companion animals enter animal control facilities nationwide every year, and more than 60 percent die there.” At times, it seems like such an overwhelming problem, but I know that so many people and organizations are doing such good work to try and stop the tidal wave.
What do we do about the homeless, the abandoned, the abused? What can we do about the millions of dogs that are not properly taken care of, both pure breed and inter breed, that end up without someone loving them? This breaks my heart.
I guess you can see why the DogDaz zoo has 5 cats and 2 dogs currently (down from our high of 11 animals). I want to thank all the animal rescue organizations out there, all you tireless protectors, and voices for the voiceless. Thank you MJ’s Sanctuary for Louise, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue for Sofie, Last Chance Animals Rescue through the PetSmart Charities for Noel, Constance Kitty, Nine, and Stella, and thank you to the Anne Arundel County SPCA for The Muffin Man.
I wish I could snap my fingers and give every animal a home (actually I wish I could do that for humans too) Please remember that even $1 makes a difference. Really, it does. Ok, I will get off my soup box now. See what a picture like that can do to me.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
3.18.12 Louise, The Shy
Louise's Adoption Photo
March 2010
We adopted Louise in April 2010, when she was about 6 months old. I decided that her birthday would be Oct 31, 2009 so she could be my Halloween Dog. Squash E Bear was starting to really slow down by then and he was totally blind. I thought that getting a companion might help him on our walks and keep him company. I went on http://www.PetFinder.com and other dog sites and started to look for my next love. After several false starts (one being a shelter adoptee that bit me and Squash the first night she was here), I was ready to give up. Late in March we stopped in PetCo to buy guinea pig food on a Saturday and happened upon an unexpected adoption fair. I was immediately attracted to this medium size male dog with long hair (like Squash’s), but the rescue leader tried to talk us into this very fearful little black labby thing. I never thought about a black dog before, or a lab, and I was not interested in a short haired dog (I like the furry kind). We took Louise for a little walk and she was timid and fearful. I really was not interested. After a while her foster family came to pick her up and I saw a different dog emerge. She jumped on the kids and was really happy to see them. We talked to the foster and went home to think about it.
As you can see from the adoption picture above, Louise was not in the best of shape when rescued. They were having trouble placing her because people were scared off by the condition of her skin and her shyness, When you rescue an animal, you don’t know a lot about their beginnings. I was told that she was rescued with her sister, Thelma, at about 4 months old. The rescuers (MJ’s Sanctuary) went down to pick up a bunch of dogs from a kill shelter in North or South Carolina (that is where Maryland gets a lot of dogs) when 2 men drove up with 2 puppies in the trunk. The rescue team tried to talk the men into releasing the dogs to them but these guys did not want to, so the team kind of liberated the dogs somehow before they could be taken into the shelter. Hence her name, “LOUISE” (from the great liberation movie, “Thelma & Louise“). I figure Lulu’s Mom was maybe a hunting dog who got pregnant and gave birth in a barn. Somebody put flea collars on the pups and threw some food at them but I don’t think they interacted much with them because she appeared to not be socialized to people, and definitely not to males. The flea collar was embedded in her neck and her skin was covered with terrible dry mange when they rescued her and she shied away from everyone.
Lulu trying to cuddle with Squash
April 2010
I decided that I would spend some time with Louise and see how it work with Squash. As you probably figured, it did not take long for me to fall in love. Though it has taken 2 years of work (which continues) to help her over the anxiety of life, I could not have been chosen by a better dog. Today she is a loving and special girl, with a shiny coat and adoring eyes.
Louise Today
March 2012
Just another DogDaz morning at our house ❤
2.12.12 Sending the Vet’s kid to college….
Don’t you sometimes just have those kind of days. I took the 2 dogs and 3 of the cats (Muffin and the kittens) to the vet on Friday. Silly me. I was thinking, why don’t I just pack them all up in the Explorer and get it over with. Noel and Connie went last week, so they got to stay home. And at the last minute I actually added Louise because she was shaking her head a lot so I kinda knew she had some ear thing going on. Soooooo, V & I loaded them all up and off we went for the 20 minute ride to see Dr. Kate. Did I mention that V is not a dog person: Cats Yes – Dogs Not So Much. That must be why the whole way to the vet Sofie whined and whined and whined. Now she doesn’t normally do that but with 3 cat carriers in the back and V in the front, it was all to much for little Sofie, and way to much for V. That was only the ride there.
We did the dogs first, and it was a good thing that I brought Lulu because she does have an ear infection. I sensed it coming but it is a rare occasion that any of my dogs have ever had ear problems, so I was not sure. Sofie was just getting her 1 year check (we got her in March last year). I put the dogs back in the truck and then we unload the cats.
Stella and Nine needed their first vet check and shots (and they traveled very nicely). And Muffin, well he needed the old man checkup (you know what that means, blood, etc). Poor Muffin appears to have hyperthroidism, so we are waiting for the blood work back to figure out what meds to put him on. He is already on heart medication and a baby aspirin, but luckily he is a trooper when it comes to taking pills (as long as I hide them in cat treats). Stella also has an ear gunk, but not really an infection, possibly left over from a recent mite cleaning (but we would not know).Shots and blood done. We load them back in the truck and I go to pay the bill, but of course, my daughter had my credit card (because she had to get her hair dyed and cut yesterday (yet another story, you will have to read her blog to get that one)) so I was really lucky V was with me for this adventure so that we had a way to pay. And, for those of you with multiple pets, you know what that bill costs.
Sofie whined the whole way home so V was about to jump out the window. Now top it off with, when we got home we had a call from the vet telling us that the kittens have some parasite in their stool, so I guess it back there tomorrow to pick up yet more meds. Thankfully Lulu is a wonderful dog and she is letting me do the ear cleaning and put medicine in it, but Stella! I am not sure I will have any hands left trying to get ear cleaner in her.
I forgot to rob a bank on the way to the vet, so I guess I will just have to dip into my daughter’s college fund. But that’s what you get when you decide to run a zoo. Just another DogDaz morning at my house. ❤
2.8.12 5:01: Louise is an Otter
Happiness
Louise loves to have her head scratched. Actually, she loves to have under neither her neck scratched so much that she bends her head back so far she looks like a otter. I don’t have any picture of her like that because I am always busy scratching her neck and am not that good with the camera in my other hand. Lulu can be a very serious dog. I think because she is a fearful dog, she thinks a lot about things before she does them. But she has a funny and fun side too, I just need to remember sometimes to pull it out of her. You really need to understand the personality of your dog, especially when they are the quiet type, to get them to laugh and do silly things with you. Louise likes to make me laugh. She will bury her head against me and do a total body tumble – then she will start to just get overly crazy and roll on her back.
Lulu in the leaves (being serious)
Lulu sitting and staring
She also loves to sit on her hunches and stare at you. She doesn’t need to be leaning on anything, she just sits She is a big hugger and likes to put her arms around you and give you a hug, She is just the right height to place her head under my mousing hand and make it jump. Of course this is a queque that she thinks I have sat at the idiot box for long enough and it is now time to go play with her and Sofie (well, really just her – sometimes I think she wishes I would leave Sofie inside – or sell her to the Gypsies). I try to spend quality time with each of my animals (but with 7 it is kind of hard). Louise and I have a very close relationship and I make sure to give her personal tummy rubs and tumbles and ball tosses every day. She is a Mama’s girl and really sticks to me like glue. I never thought about owning a black dog or a short hair (I always had fluffy dogs) and we weren’t looking for one when we stumbled upon a rescue event at the pet store that day, 2 years ago. The coordinator of the event pushed this very fearful, mangy (yes, she really had dry manage all over) our way. Sometimes you just have to listen to the universe, because boy do I love this dog! Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo! ❤
2.7.12 5:45: Let us in!!!
Sofie & Louise waiting with toys
The dogs have decided that it is time that they get to go in the safe room with the new kitties. So they are camped outside the door with their toys. There is a lot of whining going on from Sofie (the whiner), but I am resistant. And since the upstairs litter box is right outside the kittens door, ‘The Muffin Man’ has decided it is a great launching pad to get in the room as soon as a human opens it. Muffin has enlisted Miss Kitty to help him try and get inside. I think that between the whole group of them they may figure out how to actually turn the door knob. (I know that my Alice cat used to be able to get up on her back hunches and turn a knob years ago – so I am a little concerned.) 2 weeks is a very long time to have the kittens locked away, but we are not going to the Vet until Friday (which will be the first week). Then we need to let them out slowly to experience the mob on the other side of the door. I am thinking that I will let them out together, because there is safety in numbers, but I it has been a long time since I introduced 2 new animals at the same time. (Sofie is helping me type (whine whine whine) and wants you all to know that she is going to do everything she can to get over the barricade and see what is on the other side. Louise just wonders if it is food.) Sofie is actually whining extra bad because C’s boyfriend, whom she absolutely loves, is here and he is a cat person, so they immediately disappeared in to the kitten room. “No fair!” she whines, “Why is D not playing with me, I know he is here!” This is going to be an interesting 2 weeks for sure.
This is my house, let me in!
What is going on in there?
Why are we locked out, Muffy?
This is just too funny.
Just another DogDaz morning at zoo! ❤
2.4.12 6:36 Welcome to the Zoo: Unnamed Baby Girl & Nine
not-yet-named Baby Girl
I would like to introduce you to the 2 newest members of the zoo. Drum roll please!!!!!
Here is our not-yet-named 5 month old baby girl. I never had a brown tabby before. She talked the whole way home and does not appear to be afraid of anything.
And here is our other newest member, ‘Nine.’ I named him that because he is the ninth cat to reside in this house. The family is starting to give me grief and rethink his name, but I like it. Nine appears to be about 1 year old. Right now he is a little overwhelmed and is hiding under the couch in the safe room.
Nine
This brings our cat count back up to 5. We are so excited. Right now they will have to stay in separate space for about 2 weeks, until we are sure they are not sick or carrying anything we do not want the others to catch. The dogs and Miss Kitty are already waiting at the closed door of the safe room because they know something different is behind it. I do hope they are fine and that the vet gives them a 100% rating.
Our hope is that these new babies will be cuddlers and help fill the void from the passing of Cuddles and Zackary earlier this year. The 3 older cats are just not lap warmers and we really miss that.
Welcome home our little rescues. They are from Last Chance Rescue through the PetSmart Charities. And I want to give a shout out to Peggy, who made the whole adoption thing the easiest we have ever had (and we have had many).
Not just another DogDaz at the zoo – it’s a CATDAZ! ❤
The Shelter Pet Project
The Shelter Pet Project is a public service ad campaign focused on spreading the word that pets in shelters are wonderful and lovable, and encouraging potential adopters to consider the shelter as the first place to find a new best friend.
DogDaz Zoo 