Hello. My name is Tam. I live in Orange County, and I rescue dogs. This is my blog on my rescue dogs. They are looking for new homes. If you know anybody who is looking for a dog, please let them know about my blog. You can e-mail my posts to your friends by clicking an e-mail icon below each post. Please spread the word about rescued animals. Pets are always available for adoption at local animal shelters, too. Please always think about adopting first when you look for a pet.
The year 2011 was not the best year for most people. Depressing news one after another I many times asked myself "how are we supposed to keep going?" "How long can we last?" "What happens if we can't manage to stay afloat?"
I look at my kids and get scared. I look at my dogs and cats and feel pressured.
I know our time is limited so make the most of it.
Enjoy life while you can.
I think about it and feel like I am getting pulled in so many different directions I don't know how to put priorities in order.
I have a feeling I will live with this dilemma until the very last moment.
Will I feel relieved then?
I have all the positive expectations for the new year...with a bit of uncertainty attached to them.
The idea of new year gives everybody a equal chance to start afresh....I really hope it's going to be a good one.
Very often when I have time, I check websites of animal shelters and look at the lists of their adoptable pets. The same depressing lists.
SEAACA is a shelter I got my dog Ginger from.
When I went to look for a dog to adopt, their cages were all full and each one seemed to have at least 5 dogs in it.
There were so many dogs and I remember thinking,
It's impossible to choose one dog out of all these dogs....
Because they all looked equally beautiful,....and sad.
Ginger caught my eyes because she had a look of a beautiful red fox, and looked so reserved. She cuddled up in the back of the cage and whenever there were motions outside her cage, she huddled with the others behind the bars and looked out worriedly.
So skinny. I don't know what but something told me to meet her in person. I asked one of the workers at the shelter to get her out of the cage. I probably spent 10 mins with her, and that was it.
Ginger has gained 15 lbs after I adopted her
What divides the fate of the animals there?
The rest of the dogs I didn't chose that day. How many of them had gotten out of there with new owners? Or had been found by their owners? What happened to the rest?
I look at these pictures on the adoptable pets list, and get amazed how there are always so many of them listed there.
Why isn't the list getting shorter?
Haven't people been better educated about taking care of their pets for some time now?
What for are the rescue groups working so hard to get animals out of the shelters and try to adopt them out??
Why do breeders still exist?
Why are the animals still sold in pet stores?
I get overwhelmed by the same questions over and over when I see those faces on the websites.
Hasn't "make the world a better place" been a slogan for all of us?
Today I noticed pictures of a bunch of German Shepherd puppies on SEAACA's website.
This one looks just like Anko.
There are 6 of them.
Will they all make it out of there?
Or will they spend their first Christmas in a shelter cage?
Anko was a "backyard dog" a little over a year ago
This actually happened back in September. I haven't updated the blog since earlier so here I am, posting a happy entry for the record.
Greg was adopted by a family that already owns to other poodles. Greg will not be lonely for sure!
Here he is (far right). Looking so cute and clean with his new hair-cut.
I have heard now his name is Benny. To us he will always be Greg and we will never forget him.
I miss him so much. Don't get me wrong I am very happy for him now that he is living in a permanent home with two friends of his kind. What I mean is that this was my first real encounter with a poodle. And I was so amazed by Greg's entertaining nature. Now I notice poodles in the streets and in somebody's yard all the time.... Funny I used even avoid small dogs, (I guess mainly because I had seen them pee on my feet and try to mate with my arm) now I notice Chihuahuas and Poodles and they makes me smile.
I haven't fostered after Greg. I think I was a little exhausted after Greg. Physically because he was peeing everywhere in the house when he first arrived, he wasn't potty-trained. Most rescue dogs aren't, I think. They were never given proper care or love. We can't blame them but when you open your home to these guys, that means you would need lots of spray cleaners and paper towels.
Greg got to go outside most of the time at the end, however a few months of accidents finally took its toll and my house was stinky!
I was tired and wanted to breathe fresh air in my home. I decided to take a break from fostering and clean the house.
Now I think my house smells much better and I feel better too.
I started thinking again - Having another cute face like this around wouldn't hurt. Even if it means putting your furniture and carpets at risk of another urine coating....
It's been about 2 months since Greg (AKA J.P.) came to our house.
He has made tremendous progress in every way, and now it feels like he belong to us.
The matter of the fact is, we can't keep him. Greg needs to find a fabulous forever home!
So here we go.
Greg is actually a "Miniature Poodle" although the video titles say toy-poodle.
<Greg's Profile>
1-2 years old
Weighs about 14 lbs
Healthy
Happy and plays a lot
Very affectionate
Potty - When he first came to us, he wasn't potty trained at all, and was literally going everywhere. As I have my own bigger dogs, I take them outside for the bathroom. Greg learned the process gradually, and now he goes outside 90% of the time. He still sometimes has an accident, but you are expected to have to do a little cleaning if you have a pet, so this shouldn't be a big problem. I am confident that he can learn to go outside if the house has a doggy-door or access to outside freely. I'm sure he can even be trained to go on the toilet sheets if the owner knows how to train - unfortunately I don't.
Very smart and learns commands fast
Loves walks
Gets along with my two dogs
Likes to chase my cats - Greg wants to play but because he is rough, it bothers the cats. One of my cats is always such a sport, and he teases Greg and plays with him often
Barks at noises from outside
Barks at strangers coming into the house
Barks at other dogs during walk
I think this is about all I can think of right now.
Personally I find Greg so funny and lovable.
I never knew poodles before, and am surprised to learn how much fun they are. There is so much interaction with them, as if you can talk with them.
I even secretly decided when I'm older, after my two current dogs, to get a poodle for my pet.
Greg is adoptable through ICARE Dog Rescue. He attends ICARE's adoption events on weekends so check out the dates on ICARE's website.
Please also e-mail me if you want to meet him at my house. We live in Cypress, Orange County.
Hi. It's been a while...
Soon after our Jack got adopted, we got another cutie.
This time it's a miniature poodle!
Jean Pier (J.P.)
His name is Jean Pier, J.P. for short although we call him Greg or Greggy (my kids named him).
Greg is a super happy fella, still young (about 1 year old), loves to play and loves being around people.
He is super affectionate and great with kids. I often find my kids and Greg engaged in a serious tag or tug-of-war.
He was much fluffier when he first came to us about a month ago (Yes, it's been a while since we got him...) but we trimmed him because he looked too hot in his curly long hair.
Greg with long hair!
Now he looks nice and cool although there are some spots that look uneven.... well, not to worry it will grow back in no time!
We had him for over 4 months, and we were always wondering why nobody had discovered him. Jack was such a good dog. And finally, one day somebody with a magical eye, saw him.
We miss Jack so much. We are wishing him a happy new life with a wonderful family.
Good job, Jack! Take care of yourself!
We will never forget your happy smiles!
And please don't forget us....
WE LOVE YOU!!!!
Jack and his forever family
Thank you for finding Jack!
There are many other dogs who still haven't found their forever families, and are waiting to be found by someone.
Jack has learned the routines with us and now knows all the signs and sounds, and can figure out what's happening or where we are going.
I take my dogs out for a walk daily, and Jack knows when we are just about to get out of the car and start walking.
He anxiously whines and begs me to let him out! And I love the sound Jack makes when he whines.
Well, yes, it's a typical Chihuahua whining sound, but isn't it cute?
Jack also enjoys chasing my dogs when they are charging in the field. And this is the only time he barks loud and continuously - chasing after my other dogs.
Aren't they wild?
I love watching them when they run like crazy!
Jack is a super cute male Chihuaha. He is up for adoption and looknig for a home.
Please read his profileande-mail me if you are interested or if you have any question!
Jack is available to adopt from ICARE DOG RESCUE.
Please check out their website to see other dogs that need permanent homes, too.
How many separations and how much fear they've all gone through...?
still they never stop trusting and loving humans,
and can't help but wag their tails and smile when they see us.
We humans are solely responsible for all these animals in need of homes.
We just have to change this....so we, too, can trust humans again.
I tried to take some videos of Jack during the walk today.
One of the clips had him going to the bathroom, and was so cute, I decided to post it here.
He first peed, then started walking again, then all of a sudden, was going poop. (Sorry if a sight of Jack going poop offends you)
To me, it's funny.
All dogs look so vulnerable when they go poo and many of them just look funny.
I especially love the kicks Jack does after he goes to the bathroom.
He usually does it after he pees, but today he did it after he pooped.
He kicks with his skinny legs. Most of them just in the air and are not serving any purposes.
I always get glued to Jack when he goes because I want to see those cute kicks!
Can you see how happy he looks when he walks?
He always has a BIG smile on his face when we walk in our neighborhood.
And always wants to be the one who leads the pack!
Way to go, Jack the mucho-macho Chihuahua!
Jack will be at an adoption event on this Saturday by ICARE DOG RESCUE.
Check out their website for the event info, and other adoptable doggies!
Yes, I know, I haven't cleaned your eyes yet. Sorry, Sorry.
I wasn't sure how much a Chihuahua could walk.
Guessing from the fragile look, not that much...?
NO! I was wrong!
Jack can keep up no matter how long or how much we walk...an hour...two...
I don't last more than two hours so we never tired longer than that, but he has never shown signs that he is tired or wants to go home. Great!
When he first came to us, he was so thin and light. Now because of the daily walk for the past 2 months, he has built muscles and looks much muscular, and is much heavier!
But today during the walk, he must have stepped on something. He started sitting down and licking his foot frantically.
I checked his toes. Nothing I could see.
Something tiny, must have been irritating his foot. He kept licking his toes.
I felt sorry but at the same time knew it would go away soon, so kept walking. Jack didn't want to be left behind so tried hard to keep up with us. He didn't want to use his rear left leg so he walked with one of his leg lifted.
What a macho guy! I was so proud of Jack the macho Chihuahua!
By the end of the walk he was fine just as I thought.
I want to show you how cute he acts when he waits for dinner so next time I will try to record it.
For today, here is our Jack licking his foot like crazy....
Poor Jack but still never stops making me smile even when he is confused.
Look how he runs strong with three legs!
Please e-mail me if you are interested in meeting Jack the mucho-macho Chihuahua.
m, mom,...can you clean the tear marks around my eyes?
Ok so I have had Jack for 2 months now, and I can tell you a lot about him.
Here are some facts about Jack the Chihuahua.
* Male, about 2 years old
* Shots current
* Neutered
*Micro-chipped
* House-broken (goes outside)
* Fine with other animals (dogs/cats)
* Fine with kids
* Loves laps and arms (always wants to be on someone’s lap or in arms )
* Always on the cold side – shivers when it’s cool. Needs to be kept warm by a sweater or a blanket in winter
* Quiet. The only times he barks are when he is in the house and hears noises from the outside, or someone is coming into the house, and when he plays with my dogs chasing each other. When he barks, he is loud. Besides those times, he is always napping in the house looking drowsy, and very quiet
* Loves walking! He trots very happily if you let him walk freely. Please take him out for a walk every day!
* Eats well but as he is so tiny he only needs a small bowl
It's been a while since my last post and the reason why is because...
I got too comfortable with my new foster
JACK the Chihuahua!!!!
M....Me??
Isn't he cute?
He can do a cute thing like this.
And like this.
And he waits for his dinner looking like this.
See him from behind.
Isn't he just adorable?
Jack came to me back in Feb.
My first time with a Chihuahua to be up close and personal.
I was so anxious. But what if he barks excessively like many little dogs almost typically do?
When he arrived, I realized I had wasted my time worrying about the little guy.
He was calm and quiet, yet friendly he came to me without any hasitation, and seemed comfortable being with us.
After that day, we, including my dogs, all have enjoyed his company so much I almost forgot we had to find him a home!
Before we get too comfotable with him (we obviously are already) and don't want him to be taken away from us.....
I still need to keep fostering and keep room open for the next one!
Anyway, I will post his detailed profile next time.
Jack the Chihuahua is adoptable through ICARE DOG RESCUE.
Check out the website for more adoptable hairy friends!
There are a couple of more videos of Misaki and my dogs while she was here so I will post them here.
Misaki fetching a toy
When she first came to our home, she was shaking. We wondered if she was scared or cold.
The shaking stopped on the 2nd day already.
By the middle of the 2nd day, she had started gathering the soft toys in the house and nesting up.
There was still tension between my dogs and Misaki. They looked as if they would snap at each other if anybody made a wrong move, so I had to watch them closely.
They did actually snap once but I was right by them I could stop them quickly.
She kept adjusting to living with us quickly and we didn't see any shaking anymore.
By the 5th day, they had stopped worrying about the others and started opening up to each other.
In the video above, Anko, our wimpy German Shepherd mix, tries to get Misaki to play with her.
It's amazing. Once they understand the other dog is not a threat, they invite him/her into the pack immediately.
If we had had more time with Misaki, she would have started really interacting with my dogs, especially with Anko.
When you introduce a new dog to your other dogs at home, give them at least 4-5 days to decide whether they are compatible or not.
Watch them closely during this transition period as most likely they will snap at each other and fight. It's perfectly normal because they don't know each other yet, and that's how dogs express themselves. After a few days they will get used to having the other around, and start interacting, and possibly playing. This is what I have learned from my experience.
Do not give up on a new dog in only one day!
Way too soon!
On Misaki's adoption day, we took her to ICARE's adoption event to hand her to her new family. We put her in the crate while we waited for the adopter's arrival.
Misaki started shaking again.
I'm sure now she doesn't remember shaking in the cage or crate, or at the shelter, ....and never needs to.
It happened very quickly for her, and it's wonderful that she has found a new home.
Of course, she is a great dog. She deserves a good family to live and share her life with.
I'm confident the family will like her and enjoy her like we have the last 5 days.
We gave her a new name - a cool Japanese name. Misaki.
It's spelled 美咲, it means "blooming beauty".
It's a not-that-common but well-heard name for Japanese girls in Japan..
I love the sound of it.
OK, so dogs need new homes will never end.
I hope one day it will but realistically probably not within my lifetime.
We got a new dog to foster. This time it's a Shiba-inu, a tiny Japanese dog that looks just like a fox.
She was rescued from a shelter by a member of ICARE dog rescue. Apparently her owner got her with a purpose of breeding, then the AKC rejected her for "not having the right tail".
So what did the owner do?
Went ahead and drop her off at the shelter.
Shiba-inu is one of Japan's 6 designated Natural Monument dog breeds. They are ancient, have lived with the people in Japan as long as everybody can remember. They have been popular in other countries these years, too, yet, they are not that commonly available in the United States.
You would be paying hundreds of dollars if you buy them from pet stores and breeders.
So for those facts alone, makes you wonder how someone will just dump a Shiba-inu at a shelter. She could have sold it and got some money back. How about petfinder.com and craigslist?
I look at the dog, and see the distinctive look, the unmistakable look of a Shiba-Inu.
WHY?
Well, for now let's put the WHY part aside, and onto the info.
I have had her for 2 days and this is my observations by far.
Must be young - the way she walks and behaves, tells me she is still young
Shots current - got the shots at the shelter
Spayed - very recently spayed just before she got out of the shelter. Healing well
Potty trained - goes outside. So far no accidents
Cool affectionate - Looks kind of distant but follows us everywhere quietly
Clumsy with other animals - I stil don't know this for sure (of course we met yesterday), but so far, she is acting bold and blunt with other animals I have, which are 2 dogs and 2 cats. She walks into them without hesitation and makes my dogs growl and my cats hiss back at her. Maybe she is very young, and doesn't know the rules yet. Anyway, I don't see aggression from her so she is probably still learning.
Stubborn - when she doesn't want to move, she wouldn't budge. The Japanese dogs are know for their stubbornness
It's been a few weeks since ZsaZsa went to a new home.
She must be fully recovered from the spay surgery by now and must be enjoying her life with her new family.
We are wishing all the best for all of them.
Stay good, ZsaZsa!
I have been busy with my family, house, business, and of course my dogs and cats....and my friend's dogs.
Can't believe this year is into the 23rd day already. We just celebrated a new year a few days ago...it feels like.
Somebody forwarded me a video clip of what happened to the Michael Vick's dogs. It's an amazing piece I really recommend it to everybody who loves dogs. "The dogs are alright"
Wishing all the dogs and cats a nice and warm home....
Yes, she did today and is now resting in our home.
The clinic she had the surgery at was "Brookhaven Pet Hospital". A small, friendly clinic that offers low-cost spay/neuter.
The poor little girl must be so tired. She is moving slow, and is very quiet.
She doesn't seem to want to eat or drink - which is probably good because if she ate it may make her sick because of the anesthesia.
I know she will feel much better tomorrow, and keep feeling better and better each day.
Looks like she will be going to her new home on Saturday. We have 5 days before that I'm sure she will be fully recovered from the surgery by then and be ready for her new family!
Don't worry, ZsaZsa. The worst is over. After this things are going to get better and better.
ZsaZsa rests after the surgery - I wish my house was a little less noisy.
Sorry ZsaZsa. You can kiss those noisy kids good-bye in 5 days!!
