Rescue Me

Fun things to do with your dog!

2008-05-13T06:46:00.001-04:00

Are you looking for some fun things to do with your dog? We can help!

We've put together an extensive Squidoo lens that's packed full of all kinds of things you can do with your pup, from teaching them tricks, dog agility, frisbee to playing fetch, hiking, camping and loads more!

Have fun with your dog, 'cause dogs know how to have fun!

Meet Simba!

2008-05-13T06:42:00.000-04:00

Simba is a one year old male hairless Chinese Crested. Simba weighs about 13 pounds and has very handsome cream/ strawberry blond hair on a slate body. He is rather shy and timid of strangers at first so his new owner will have to show some patience and TLC to gain his trust.

He is very submissive to other dogs. He loves to go outside and run and play with other dogs. However, Simba shouldn't be in a home with cats as he chases them and that could lead to trouble. Simba is learning to walk on a leash but prefers his freedom and to run on his own terms. He is crate trained but will need watching some in the house for marking but since he has been neutered, this should improve. He hasn't marked in his foster home so this is really good. Simba is up to date on his vet care and neutered. And you may want to consider getting Simba some new furniture of his very own from a furniture catalog, he would love that!

Simba is currently being cared for through a foster associated with the Humane Society of West Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. For more information about Simba, click here!

Meet the CO pups!

2008-05-12T08:30:00.004-04:00

Along with friends at Ovcharka Rescue, Northern Lights Molosser Rescue has taken in nine, eight month old Caucasian Ovcharka pups & their four year old mother. Five of the puppies are located in Missouri, at Northern Lights Molosser Rescue.

These poor pups have been neglected, are underweight, and have sores & hair missing from Demodectic mange that went untreated. Demodectic is not contagious, but it takes longer to clear up. These pups are currently undergoing treatment for their mange, and wounds and are now on a healthy diet, once they are up to a proper weight, and their skin is on the road to fully healing, they will be altered, vaccinated & microchipped. Then they will be ready to go into their new homes.

We found these pups currently being cared for by Northern Lights Molosser Rescue in Viburnum, Missouri. For more information about these pups, click here!

Meet Bonnie!

2008-05-11T08:22:00.000-04:00

Bonnie is a mid-size cattle dog mix, weighing around 40 pounds. She is approximately one year old. Bonnie has a sweet disposition and a friendly nature. She wiggles from head to toe when she wags her tail. Bonnie loves to be with people and loves to play with the other dogs. She likes to play with tennis balls and seems to understand "fetch."

We found Bonnie currently being cared for by Animals Best Friends in Independence, Missouri. Animals Best Friends is a non-profit organization run soley by volunteers. Our mission is to contribute to the humane care and treatment of rescued animals by connecting our loving animals to caring homes.

For more information about Bonnie, click here!

Meet Scarlett!

2008-05-10T05:35:00.001-04:00

Scarlett, a Bouvier des Flanders, Golden Retriever mix, was an owner surrender because her dad passed away and my mom couldn't take care of her anymore. Everyone tells her she looks like a movie star with a gold bangle of fur, but she will still play in the dirt and is just as down to earth as any of those other pups.

She lives with a rescuer and two Great Danes, and, even though they all love each other and get along great, she is looking for her forever home. She gets along well with other dogs and is very sweet! (Do you want a dog that’s adorable, be fun and playful, loves attention, is very obedient, and not destructive? Then look no further — she's the one for you!

We found Scarlett currently being cared for through the Forte Animal Rescue in Marina del Rey, California. Their mission is to create a network for the rescue community, and cultivate the human-animal bond through educational activities.

For more information about Scarlett, click here!

We have a guest in the Dog House for Be Kind to Animals Week!

2008-05-09T14:26:00.000-04:00

I'd like to introduce you to Susan Daffron, the founder of the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals and the author of books on caring for adopted dogs called Happy Hound and a book about adopted cats called Happy Tabby.

Johann: So Susan tell us about what a special week this is!

Susan: This week is Be Kind to Animals Week. The American Humane Association created Be Kind to Animals Week in 1915 to celebrate the human-animal bond. One of the best things you can do to be kind to a companion animal is to save his life. A staggering number of animals are euthanized in animal shelters every year and most of them are not "bad" dogs or cats. They are just unwanted and unlucky. When you adopt from an animal shelter or rescue group you lessen the amount of animal suffering in the world and do a good thing for your community too. (Impounding animals and tracking down cases of animal cruelty do have financial implications, after all!)

Unfortunately, even now after many years of promotion and increasing awareness of humane issues, statistically, many people still do not adopt from shelters and rescues. Sure not every shelter or every animal is going to be a perfect match for you. But it's easy to find a wonderful pet through a shelter or rescue and save a life. If you are one of those people who has worried about adopting from a shelter or rescue

Johann: Do you have a few tips for our readers?

Susan: Yes I do!

1. Go with your instincts. If a shelter/rescue "feels wrong" to you, odds are good that it's poorly managed. Animals pick up on human emotions. If the humans running the place are miserable, the critters know. You'll know too.

2. Watch for "cage crazy" animals. Some humane societies keep animals for literally years in small cages. If you see animals lunging against the cage and snarling, odds are good the shelter/rescue isn't doing any behavior testing at all. Ask about their techniques.

3. Avoid "feeling sorry" for animals in poor conditions. A clean shelter is a good shelter. A filthy shelter is often a sign of things gone very wrong. In fact, filthy conditions can indicate a situation that is really an animal hoarder using a "shelter" as a way to collect more animals. Contact the Humane Society of the United States if you see animals in dirty, inhumane conditions.

4. Fees should not be a stumbling block. Reputable rescues may charge high fees because they have invested a lot of money in getting an animal spayed/neutered and other health care costs, such as heartworm treatments. Owning a pet is expensive and if you are worried about the fee, you might want to rethink getting a pet at all.

Remember that whether or not you go to a shelter, the animals will still be there. Avoiding the homeless animal problem doesn't make it go away. There are always animals waiting for homes. Adopting an animal gives you an opportunity to do your part to help ease this serious problem. Plus, if you're an animal lover, the satisfaction you experience when you adopt a pet is incomparable.

Johann: Do you have any final thoughts?

Susan: Yes. Thank you again for helping me spread the word about why adopting pets from shelters and rescues is so important. The whole reason I wrote my books and started the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals is to help get more critters into their "forever homes." Here's to saving more lives!

Petfinder.com!

2008-05-09T14:03:00.000-04:00

Did you know that both my sis, Gracie, and I were both found through Petfinder.com? Yep, we were!

Petfinder is an on-line, searchable database of animals that need homes. It is also a directory of over 10,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the USA, Canada and Mexico. Organizations maintain their own home pages and available pet database.

Petfinder has all kinds of really cool badges that you can add to your blog, rescue or shelter site, or website! Here's one we made of my sis, Gracie!

Car rental - looking around for the deals really pays off!

2008-05-09T13:59:00.003-04:00

When we had our car accident last year, we had to rent a car for about four weeks while our Rover was in the repair shop. We went online and got a really great deal on our car rental.

Because we got just the SUV we wanted at a great price the insurance company paid for almost all of the cost of the rental car. It was great! And Mum was really proud that she took the time to find the best car for us at the best price.

If you have to rent a car, it's always a really good idea to check prices online and comparison shop.

Meet Gene!

2008-05-09T11:35:00.004-04:00

Gene is a six-year-old labrador retriever /greyhound mix who appears well trained and housebroken. He knows the commands sit, down and give paw. He was found as a stray with a micro-chip which was never registered so his original owners could not be located.

We found Gene currently being cared for by by Chicago Animal Care and Control. Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the goals of the City of Chicago Animal Care and Control in their efforts to care for and find homes for thousands of rescued and unwanted animals.

For more information about Gene, click here!

Reality!

2008-05-09T11:30:00.002-04:00

Mum and I don't watch many reality shows, but there are a couple that we've been watching lately. One is Groomer Has It on Animal Planet, Saturday nights. And the other is Gene Simmons Family Jewels - which just cracks Mum up! The other night she laughed (or should I saw cackled) for a solid 15 minutes after the show was over. I thought she was having a fit or something.

If you are into reality shows, there's a site that will give you all the scoop on your favorites. It's Reality TV News, all the time!

Meet Patty!

2008-05-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

Patty is an approximately 3 year old spayed female Bichon Frise who came from a Wisconsin puppy mill. She is current on vaccinations, heart worm negative and on preventative and microchipped. She is also working on house training.

Patty's foster mom writes on 5/5/08 - "Patty was basically feral upon arrival. Had no idea about walking on a leash and was terrified just walking through doorways. The first week here, just getting her outside for a walk was a chore. Once out, she would do everything in her power to get as far away from me as possible. If I pulled on the leash, she would just lie down in fear. She did however, potty outside.

It’s been two weeks since she’s been with me and she is eager to go for walks now although, she is still hesitant when I go to attach the leash to her harness. Once on, she’s fine. She’s doing all her jobs outside but she doesn’t yet know how to tell me she has to go out so once in awhile, she’ll piddle in the house.

She loves to be petted now. When I stop, she’ll nudge my hand with her paw to get me to continue. She has been going to adoption events and she’s getting braver all the time. She still sticks close for safety and security but she is not shrinking in fear when people pet her.

All in all, she’s a very sweet dog whose life had a terrible beginning. She’s just beginning to accept that it’s in her past and only good is in her future.

Patty is currently being fostered through New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue in Joliet , Illinois.

For more information about Patty, click here!

The importance of knowing CPR for your pup!

2008-05-08T13:45:00.000-04:00

In August of 2007, we created this lens in honor of our great blogging friend, Tish and her pup Cruella. Because, in February of 2007, Tish and Cruella had a really big scare. Cruella choked on a piece of hot dog and couldn't breath.

Tish told the story on her blog, "Cruella became disoriented and started to stumble around the room. I started screaming, and I continued to whack her between the shoulders, hoping to dislodge the food." Every time I read Tish's post about this terrifying night, I start to get those scary chills and go over and hug my Mum. It really makes me scared, and at the same time grateful, that I'm alive and so is Cruella, thanks to Tish.

Recently, Tish attended a Red Cross training and became certified in pet first aid and cpr. It's an incredibly important and life saving program they offer, and Tish's program only cost $25.00.

Please visit my Canine CPR lens and learn about how to save your pup's life. Your pups life is too important, and you just never know when something can go terribly wrong. What you know may be just the help your pup needs in times of crisis.

Pet insurance!

2008-05-08T13:36:00.002-04:00

Who would have thought what a big role pet insurance would have played in my life?

First, it was the time I was attacked by another dog in 2005, then a dislocated toe and a broken metacarpal in 2006, then a pulled iliopsoas muscle in 2008. Mum jokes sometimes that I'm the $10,000 dog without a documented pedigree.

Luckily Mum had signed me up for a catastrophic pet insurance plan the first time she saw what I threw up in the car when I got car sick at a very young age. She had no idea what I was taking in. Oh, she watched me closely when I was a wee pup, but I was sneaky you see. And good thing she did get that insurance policy, it's come in real handy and paid for a lot of my injuries over the years.

Whether you get a catastrophic policy (that pays for first time illness and injuries) or you get a maintenance health plan, we really recommend it to help defray the expensive costs of veterinary care.

If you live in the UK, here is a great site that can help you decide what pet insurance plan and company is right for you. And if you are looking at comparisons for credit cards, they can help you with that too!

May be worth checking out, you never know what can happen!

Meet Cheever!

2008-05-07T07:49:00.000-04:00

Cheever is one of the ARPO's Race Puppies, Shar Pei, Mastiff mixes! They race around the house, and race around the yard, and want to race right into your hearts.

Friends at FIDO (Friends of Indy Dogs Outside) were notified about the litter and hooked them up with ARPO. They are some of the cutest puppies you'll find. Their mommy is a brindle colored mixed breed, long haired dog of about 45#, but their daddy is a bigger dog who wandered thru their 'hood. The pups range in weight from 10-15# already and are just 8 weeks old (born 3/11/08), so most of them will grow to be large adults. Mom's been spayed now and there will be no more accidental litters from her.

We found Cheever being cared through a foster home with the The Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership, Inc., in Indianapolis. ARPO was conceived in 1998 by a group of Indianapolis citizens concerned about the continuing high rate of euthanasia in our city. ARPO seeks to unite animal-related businesses and organizations in central Indiana for the purpose of promoting responsible pet ownership and decreasing the number of companion animals surrendered to shelters. ARPO is funded solely by donations and is staffed entirely by volunteers. We do not have a shelter, so all of our adoptable animals are housed in temporary foster homes until loving permanent homes are found.

For more information about Cheever, click here!

Fundraising locations!

2008-05-07T07:40:00.003-04:00

If you live in the Milwaukee area and are looking for a place to hold your next event, you may want to check out utilizing a conference center Wisconsin style and look into the Davians Banquet & Conference Center, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

It's one of the areas most popular places to host weddings, corporate and association events, fund raisers, and other social functions.

They also provide off site catering, as well as vending and coffee services, school lunch programs for private schools and contracted cafe dining.

So the next time you are in the Milwaukee area and looking for an event location, check out the Davians Banquet & Conference Center.

Bonnie L. Hays shelter to receive dog agility center!

2008-05-07T07:28:00.000-04:00

From the Hillsboro Argus in Hillsboro, Oregon...

The Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter in Hillsboro has received a $5,000 donation from The Home Depot and a commitment of more than 100 Home Depot associates who will volunteer their time and skills to build a dog agility, training and play area at the shelter.

From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, volunteers will build the exercise area, including a teeter-totter, ramp, high jump and a tunnel on a 1,600 square-foot lot adjacent to the shelter, at 1901 SE 24th Ave. They will also paint a dog mural on the shelter's shed.

The Home Depot will supply the fencing, wood, concrete pavers, paint and hardware. Additional businesses have collaborated by donating in-kind items. Baker Rock Resources, of Beaverton, contributed 10 yards of pea gravel and 5 yards of sand. Contech Construction Products Inc., of Portland, delivered the culvert for the tunnel. J. Frank Schmidt & Son Company of Boring gave six trees and additional bushes for landscaping.

Animal Services manager Gary Hendel said the long-term goal of the new structures will be to hold dog obedience classes for the public and adopters.

"The completion of this long desired project will mean we can enhance the well-being of all the dogs in our care," Hendel said. "And, once the obedience classes start, they'll be designed to promote the human and animal bond."

Commercial furniture for your next event?

2008-05-07T07:18:00.003-04:00

You've seen them at all the outdoor and indoor restaurants - restaurant chairs, tables, umbrellas and other furniture. And maybe you thought that they would be great for your shelter or rescue. Or perhaps your shelter or rescue is planning a big special event to raise money and you need some furniture.

We found a site called Contract Furniture Company that has fairly good prices on these items. So, if you have a commercial establishment or shelter and have the need for furniture they may be worth checking out. And rather than getting very inexpensive furniture that may not take the wear and tear, these may cost more, but would last for a much longer time.

Of course there would be a cost involved. But perhaps you could get a sponsor to help defray the costs, and then you would have seating for every event you held in the future!

Animal groups to get $600,000

2008-05-07T06:34:00.000-04:00

Partnership with ASPCA aimed at saving area's unwanted pets

By Jenny Peterson
The Post and Courier
Charleston, South Carolina

Surrounded by dogs of all shapes and sizes, local animal welfare groups gathered Tuesday at the Charleston Animal Society shelter in North Charleston to accept a $600,000 pledge to help save more abandoned and unwanted pets.

The money, presented by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, will be used to help increase area shelter adoption rates by 10 percent within a year and reach a 75 percent save rate by 2011.

"This is not smoke and mirrors" said ASPCA President Ed Sayers. "These are real numbers the community can be accountable to." Charleston County is the eighth community in the nation to partner with the ASPCA on its "Mission: Orange" campaign.

The $600,000 can be used in a number of ways, including increasing adoption efforts, offering incentives for spaying and neutering and educating the public about the 10,668 homeless pets that local shelters took in last year alone.

As part of the campaign, the ASPCA has sent a team of six employees to Charleston County to help determine which areas need the most work.

"The concept is like training wheels. The idea is that you give the community the tools (it needs)," Sayers said, after the presentation.

To learn more about "Mission: Orange," go to aspca.org.

"It's unconscionable to have the thousands of animals killed every year," Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said. "We will be a model for the rest of the country."

Read more...

Being more green!

2008-05-07T06:16:00.002-04:00

Mum and I are big fans of helping to improve the environment, however and whenever we can. We utilize organic products to feed our lawn, flush the doo, use environmentally safe products to clean and much more. So when we say this we wanted to be sure and share it with you.

Did you know that Power Save Energy products can help you save lots of money on your utility bills? Nearly as much as 25% on your electric bill every month without even reducing any of your usage.

You can save money, and increase the life of your appliances, eliminate power surges, and help save the environment all at the same time!

Should I get a dog?

2008-05-06T18:29:00.002-04:00

We saw this on Dogster's Blog and just had to share it. It's one man's journey into adopting a dog - responsibly.

They say..."This Current video, One Man and His Pug, is totally lovely, Tom Mitchelson takes us through an entertaining journey as he moves from deciding he wants a dog in his life to borrowing a pug to “test drive” the dog-driven life."

Sunscreen!

2008-05-06T18:15:00.003-04:00

With all the outdoor agility we do we are always looking for ways to protect our skin. Mum uses cool coats on me to keep me cool, and keeps me out of the sun in our shade tent as much as possible. But she's out there walking courses, checking results, building courses in between our runs, so she gets exposed to the sun a lot more than I do.

Sometimes putting sunscreen on your face can be pretty yucky and greasy. So getting one that stays on, but doesn't feel like grease paint is really important to Mum. And when she is out in the wind and the sun she has to protect her lips too. Screen, Inc. has products on the market that really fit the bill and are made just for the face and lips.

Their products have been dermatologist-approved. And their have received the coveted Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Dealing with devastating pet injuries!

2008-05-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

I've been through my share of injuries, even one of them was life threatening. Having an injury or illness sure isn't fun, but there are lots of folks out there doing amazingly, wonderful things to help us pups recover, get back to our great lives, and live a longer and happier life.

This fella to the left? That's Tripp. After alerting his family to a fire in the house, Tripp, a three-legged dog, received the Golden Retriever Club of America’s G.R.A.C.E. award, given to rescued goldens with significant and exceptional accomplishments.

Here's a great story we found on MSNBC.com:

Dealing with devastating pet injuries.

Spared euthanasia, animals can overcome adversity surprisingly well

By Kim Campbell Thornton
MSNBC contributor

A man followed a trail of blood that led beneath his house. There he found a cat, skinny and full of fleas, that had been shot in the leg. He took the stray to a veterinarian, where the initial decision was to euthanize the animal.

“I had just given him a tranquilizer and when I sat by his cage, talking to him, he started purring and licking my hand, so I asked the doctor if he could try to save him instead,” says veterinary technician Randi Golub, of Eugene, Ore. “He had to have one of his legs amputated because it had been shattered by the gunshot.”

Golub cared for the cat as he slowly regained health and eventually adopted him. Now three years later, Cassidy climbs to the top of his cat tree with as much agility as Golub’s four-legged cats.

Historically, most animals like Cassidy were euthanized without much of a second thought, under the rationalization that their lives wouldn't be worth living minus a leg or an eye. Today, while there are no hard statistics on how many pets undergo surgeries such as amputation or removal of an eye instead of euthanasia, veterinarians say there's more discussion about and use of other options.

Part of the reason is that modern advances in rehabilitation techniques, pain management and cancer therapy have contributed to the successful treatment of dogs and cats with devastating injuries and other disfiguring diseases and conditions.

Read more...

The dentist!

2008-05-06T13:00:00.002-04:00

Going to the dentist for our hooomans is never a fun thing to do. But did you know that some dentists, including those that practice Beverly Hills cosmetic dentistry are utilizing new and innovative tools to help the process be much more bearable!

They are using tools like painless air drills, miniature cameras, and digital x-rays, for a more pleasant and pain free dental experience. And with the new kinds of braces on the market, you can get your teeth straightened without being called metal mouth!

Your teeth, just as your pup's teeth, are very important, and going to your dentist regularly can keep them healthy and make you happy. And give you a winning smile!

RescueInk!

2008-05-06T12:31:00.001-04:00

You take a look these guys, and maybe your first reaction is to cross to the other side of the street. They remind you to just remember to look both ways before you do.

No, they're not a gang, vigilantes or a social organization, but they do have that certain "in your face" style when it comes to animal abusers.

They formed Rescue Ink because they feel the problem of animal abuse and neglect has grown beyond the resources of the existing animal welfare agencies. They love the work done by many of the local shelters, but they cannot possibly keep pace with the volume of problems that need to be addressed.

That's where Rescue Ink comes in. They will stop at nothing within the bounds of the law to protect animals at risk. They will intercede without hesitation when they are informed of a situation that needs to be addressed, and they will address it. If they need to convince people to do the right thing ... they can be very convincing, they'll even buy animals if that's what it takes to get them away from abusers.

Rescue Ink is all about zero tolerance when it comes to animal abuse and neglect. Their ranks are growing every day, as Americans from coast to coast are reaching out to join in their efforts. If you know something they should know, give them a call... NOW!

Learn more about Rescue Ink, and their great programs for Companion Outreach Services, The Feral Cat Trap, Neuter, and Return program, the School Visitation Initiative, the Animal Housing Workshop, Rescue Ink Animal Advocates, and the Pit Bull Awareness Program.

Shopping cart software!

2008-05-06T12:17:00.000-04:00

If you have a website and want to sell items you're going to need a shopping cart. There are a wide variety of ways that you can incorporate a shopping carts into your website and into your website design. And to keep with your branding, you want it to be customizable, and flow well with your current website.

We found a company today called AmeriCommerce that has an interesting online store software product, that may be worth checking out. I'm sure there would be a cost involved, but for shelters and rescues looking to pick up some extra money, perhaps you could find a sponsor for your website to defray some of the costs.