Mimi's new cage

Since he's so good outside of the cage, he doesn't spend a whole lot of time in it, but I know he appreciates having more space at night.

He let Honey groom him a little.

I really can't say enough good things about this little guy.

Zeta, still looking

I just realized, her coat is very soft now. It used to be crunchy and coarse, but now it's very soft. Maybe it's the new fish-based grain-free food.

Mimi and his new cage

I'll get better pictures later, but our fabulous little critter volunteer came over and made Mimi a wonderful new cage.

He's just as handsome as ever.


He spent some time with Honey, comforting her and distracting her from the thunder.

Zeta and Snickers

This is also how Zeta treats cats. No good at all. By the time he left, though, they were best friends. She grows on you like a fungus.

Zeta loves small dogs

New friends

I am so proud of Zeta. She made new friends, which is a pretty big deal for her. If we can keep this momentum going, we might be able to take her to adoption events.

 She even likes babies!

Meet Mimi!

Mister Mimi came home with me last night. I was worried that some stranger of dubious character might purchase him and not give him the golden years he deserves, so he is now safely hanging out in our critter room.

He was taken to the shelter about two weeks ago, presumably because of allergies. They had him for 8 years, so it must have been quite a surprise. He's very handsome and in very good shape, especially considering his age. His previous owner said he was easy to handle, good with kids, curious and spent most of his time in his cage.

What I've learned is that he is quite sassy (but very gentle) and loves to explore outside his cage. He loves burrowing and scratching fabric (and carpet). He's a sweet guy, but gets overly excited with too much affection. Hopefully he'll be neutered soon, which should help with his amorous ways and also help with his litter box usage.

The photos so far are from our dedicated critter cuddler. I'll get some more soon!

Happy tails

The most rewarding thing about being a foster parent is seeing your foster pet happily settled in and well taken care of in their new home.

The most recent adoption was Jazz, who came into the shelter looking like a wet mop:

But he quickly made friends with my mother-in-law, who was more than happy to take him off our hands.

After about a week, he had a trip to the groomer and now he looks like the rightfully spoiled pet he ought to be. He's now living the good life in Michigan.

Then there's Mamba, who was adopted by a fellow foster parent so I get tons of updates about her.

And last, but certainly not least, Finley, who was adopted last summer and grew into a gigantocat.

He had crystals in his bladder, but luckily his mom caught it quickly and took good care of him. Couldn't ask for a better mom =) That's what we hope for with all our temporary babies- a family that loves them as much as we do.

Zeta, 11 weeks in foster

Our little snuggle bug is still hanging around the house, waiting for that perfect family.

Looks like I never got around to mentioning a few things. One is that, surprise!, she's actually closer to 2 years old that 7 years old. Looking back at her first photos, it's easy to see how they would give her a higher age, considering the terrible condition she was in. But with just some good ol' dry kibble and chew toys (Nylabones and antlers), that tartar has come right off and she doesn't seem to have any damage or dental disease indicative of an older dog. She's now a healthy weight, and her skin infection and ear infections are gone. Her ears will need to be kept clean by her new family (we clean them once a week), but she's an easy girl and just loves the attention.

The other thing I wanted to share was my idea of her history. When dealing with shelter dogs, it's often best to just let the past stay in the past and not worry about it. Going forward with a positive attitude is usually the best way to ensure a happy life for a dog, whether they came from a difficult or easy beginning.

Sometimes, though, knowing where a dog came from is helpful in figuring out their current behaviors and how to help them. I believe that Zeta was kept as breeder and didn't see people except at mealtime. She was underfed and fed garbage, based on the condition of her teeth and the ease with which her tartar was gotten under control, as well as her weight and the fact that her nails were white with malnutrition. Her lack of socialization was obvious based on how she reacted to me when I first met her: Open stare, no move for attention, no reaction to voice or touch. It's also obvious she was bred because of the state of her nipples- she may not have been bred as much as Honey, but it was pretty significant and definitely at least three litters, probably many more.

It makes me feel better knowing that animal control stepped up to save her and her former owner will never hurt her again. He is also banned from adopting animals at WCAC.

We've taken care of her skin, her ears, her teeth and her weight. The white in her nails are growing out and some of them are downright pink and healthy. Now we're just dealing with those socialization issues and her resultant fear of strangers. She also fiercely protects her home and her family, which is something we can help by assuring her that she is safe and we are in control- there is no need to protect us because we'll protect her.

We've spoken with professional behaviorists as well as experienced dog handlers and have been assured that she isn't "broken"- her issues can be resolved with leadership, consistency and assertiveness. Now all that's left is for us to follow through and/or find a family willing to take her down that road.

Rescue Dogs

Looking at Honey now, it's easy to think of her as the perfect, sweet girl she is. It's taken a lot of work to get where we are today, and I'm lucky enough that this is what I come home to now:

There was a time when we couldn't leave her home alone because of her anxiety. About six weeks after we took her home, she destroyed her crate to the point where she couldn't safely be put back inside. I left her out and came home to find she had eaten her nylon leash and harness. She eventually went to the emergency vet where they induced vomiting to get most of it and then scoped to get the remainder. In the weeks and months that followed, she went to the shelter to be kenneled whenever there was no one at home. I was contacting rescues trying to get someone to commit to her whenever her case was over, but with no luck.

That doesn't even cover the sorry state she was in when we brought her home. She'd just had puppies a few months before, plus she had sores from the hard floor of the kennels as well as "happy tail", which is caused from being so excited at any attention that the tail is beaten bloody on the walls from wagging so hard. Just like with Zeta, we had to put some pounds on her and watch her wounds slowly heal.

It's hard to believe that this is the same dog that would crate herself if you raised your hand or your voice, that didn't understand what toys were and ate like she'd never had food before. She's the one that was labeled "use caution" and the one who mothered all our kittens. She's the one who used to vomit if she was fed too late, or if she was just upset. The one that I worried, "Who is going to take this dog?!"

I truly cannot imagine my life without her. She is the most loyal and faithful companion I could have wished for and I'm thankful every day for her presence in my life. It's been a journey, but entirely worth the early stress and trouble. There's nothing like having someone to come home to, who misses you the same after five minutes or five hours.