We got our picture in the newspaper!

Source: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/07/bully-walk/

Bully Walk

STAFF

Monday, September 7, 2009

Photo by Wade Spees

The 'Bully Walk'

Nearly a dozen dogs, mostly pit bulls, did the 'Bully Walk' at noon Sunday around Hampton Park. Even dogs that have displayed aggressive behavior are welcomed to promote their socialization during the monthly walks. They are marked with a red cloth on their collars to caution other owners. 'See, look at all the pit bulls not fighting,' organizer Kelly Scarbrough said.

ASPCA Happy Tails: A Nose Ahead

ASPCA Happy Tails: A Nose Ahead

Like so many other homeless pups, Wally, a young black Pit Bull mix, had been living the shelter life far too long before the tides finally started to turn in his favor. Sweet-faced and youthful, he arrived at the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS)—an ASPCA Mission: Orange partner shelter—earlier this summer with a strong personality that made him stand out from the pack. And yet, he still didn’t meet his match.

But thanks to the shelter’s selfless corps of volunteers, Wally wasn’t far from the minds of several Good Samaritan animal lovers, including SCRAPS volunteer Karen Allen. When Karen read an article about scent-detection dogs, like those who work with conservationists to study whales and their habitats, she immediately thought of Wally. Whale conservation dogs work from boats to locate whale scat samples, and many can detect it from more than one nautical mile away. These samples are key clues in determining why whales are disappearing from their natural homes.

Everyone at SCRAPS knew Wally had the drive and work ethic to make a successful working dog—and what better way to give back than by helping to preserve another living species? After receiving the go-ahead from SCRAPS staff, Karen contacted the head of a whale conservation program in western Washington. One of the program’s canine handlers came to SCRAPS to test Wally, who passed with flying colors and was considered a promising candidate. In late July, he made his way across the state to begin training to become a conservation dog.

“Our volunteers are always working hard to help find homes for our pets,” said Nancy Hill, Director of SCRAPS. “But this time they really went the extra mile to give Wally a very unique new home and hopefully a new job!”

Source: http://www.aspca.org/news/national/09-04-09.html#2

Kris Crawford of For Pits' Sake Honored with Prestigious National Award

Kris Crawford of For Pits' Sake Honored with Prestigious National Award

Source: http://www.pr.com/press-release/175667

Kris Crawford and Her Pit Bulls Cheyenne, Dakota & Tahoe Receive Presidential Volunteer Service Award

San Jose, CA, September 02, 2009 --(PR.com)-- For Pits' Sake, Inc. announced today that Kris Crawford and her pit bull dogs - Cheyenne, Dakota & Tahoe - have been awarded the President's Volunteer Lifetime of Service Award for over a decade of service to the community. The President's Volunteer Service Award is a prestigious national award given by the President of the United States to recognize the valuable contributions made by volunteers across the nation. Since 1997, Crawford and her dogs have been saving and changing lives through their search and rescue work, safety and humane educational programs for children, and their therapy/rehabilitation work with disabled and battered/abused children.

The President's Volunteer Service Awards is a national program created to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated sustained commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

Established in 2003, the award was created by President George W. Bush, and continued by President Barack Obama to give Presidential recognition to people and organizations who meet certain requirements for volunteer service. The award is a Presidential honor that recognizes the valuable contributions of volunteers nationwide who are answering Barack Obama's call to serve others. Lifetime Awards are given to people who have volunteered over 5,000 hours to their communities. The number of hours that Crawford and her dogs have devoted to volunteer community service through their search and rescue efforts, safety and humane educational programs and their work with disabled, battered and abused, and at-risk children far exceed that.

"It is indeed a privilege and an honor to accept the President's Volunteer Lifetime Service Award," said Kris Crawford, founder of For Pits' Sake. "One doesn't engage in volunteer activity in order to get recognition. One does it to help make life just a little bit easier for someone else -- whether that be human or animal. I have learned that wishing for change doesn't produce change. We can't just sit around hoping someone will do something because more often than not, everyone else is sitting around hoping someone else will do something too!"

The award came with a letter from the President's Council on Service & Civic Participation. One of the paragraphs say, "This award recognizes your dedication to volunteer service and signifies that you have served your community. Through your volunteer efforts, you are demonstrating values that make our nation strong and you are helping build a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility in America and your country with distinction. You have joined a remarkable team whose everyday acts of kindness and decency make our country a better place. Congratulations again on receiving this Presidential Volunteer Service Award. And thank you for demonstrating the best of the American spirit."

A congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama was also presented with the award. It says, among other things:

"Congratulations on receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award, and thank you for helping address the most pressing needs in your community and your country. I am extremely proud to recognize your most outstanding volunteer efforts with this award. In my Inaugural address, I stated that we need a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our Nation, and the World. These are duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit than giving our all to a difficult task. Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment that moves America a step closer to it's great promise. Thank you for your devotion to service and for doing all you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great nation."

This award not only recognizes Crawford for her work and her commitment to helping others, it also recognizes the contributions of her three pit bull dogs - Cheyenne, Dakota & Tahoe - who change minds, touch hearts, and save lives.

About For Pits' Sake, Inc. (www.ForPitsSake.org)
Founded in 1997, For Pits' Sake, Inc. is a leader in the community for both human and animal rescue, humane education, safety programs and therapy work with battered/abused and disabled and special needs children. As world-famous search and rescue dogs, the For Pits' Sake pit bulls responded to over 200 search missions including high profile cases such as the search for Laci Peterson and the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Their Safety Around Dogs program (www.SafetyAroundDogs.org) is an award-winning program dog bite prevention program for elementary schools. For Pits Sake also has an award-winning anti-dog fighting campaign (www.KnockOutDogFighting.org) that has formed partnerships with community organizations and law enforcement agencies to stop cruelty to both animals and children. For Pits' Sake, Inc. has received numerous awards including a Jefferson Award - The Nobel Prize for Community Service, the American Red Cross Real Hero Award, the President of the United States Volunteer Service Award, the United Animal Nations Animals Choice Award, the NSAL Heroism Award, a Certificate and Letter of Achievement from the FBI, Certificates of Appreciation from County Supervisors, Senators and Assembly members, and a letter from the Governor of CA stating they "demonstrate the best of the best and ...the true strength of California."

"Study: Chihuahuas most likely to bite"

Study: Chihuahuas most likely to bite
Source: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090816/GJCOMMUNITY_01/708169974/-1/FOSLIFESTYLES

By Suzanne Sparhawk

Sunday, August 16, 2009

This country celebrates National Dog Bite Prevention Week every year in May.

During that time various organizations post helpful tips on how to protect yourself and your children from being bitten, along with a variety of graphic stories about individuals who had been attacked by dogs. Generally, we see nothing about the simple prevention methods of training and socializing dogs, or training children to interact safely with them.

For the last 20 years or so the most often selected dog bite prevention method has been to ban certain breeds or types of dogs. Anyone with any understanding of dog behavior will know that banning dogs has no effect on reducing bite incidents for the simple reason that all dogs, given the "right" set of circumstances, will bite. The only sure-fire way to prevent all dog bites is to eliminate all dogs from our society. But some are not satisfied with this method, and believe that there must be a better solution; one that solves the problem of poor communication between dogs and humans, and eliminates the risk of bites.

Since the majority of people do not want to live their lives without the company of dogs, it was deemed necessary to gather facts so that a more intelligent solution could be devised.

Colorado had instituted some of the most draconian laws that banned any dog that bore even the slightest resemblance to so-called "pit bull" types in a concerted, but failed, attempt to eliminate all dog bites. The Coalition for Living Safely With Dogs and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association joined together to conduct a two-year study about how likely any given dog is to bite, as part of their effort to overturn breed-specific legislation already passed in some states and many cities and prevent its imposition in additional places.

Their major finding so far is that all dogs will bite, and that circumstances under which the bite occurred are more pertinent than the breed or type of dog involved. This is good news for dogs, in that the study poked big holes in the theory that bites could be prevented simply by banning certain breeds or types of dogs. It also contained bad news in that the situation was shown to require far more sophisticated and far-reaching methods than simply banning one or more dogs.

Among facts discovered or confirmed are that the breed most likely to bite a veterinarian or groomer is the Smooth-Coat Chihuahua. It also confirmed that, refuting the myth that Pit Bull dogs can perform the most severe bites, the most damaging bites were administered by Lhasa Apsos. And to prove the egalitarian nature of dogs, about 40 percent of bites were inflicted by mutts and "designer dogs," slightly more than the percentage they make up in the general dog population.

The most common factor in dog bite incidents was that the dog was running loose and unsupervised, specifically while the dog was engaged in dog-on-dog aggression, or while exhibiting aggression protecting property, or during fear-based aggression.

So the true simple solution is not to ban certain dogs, but rather to require that no dog be allowed to roam loose.

New Hampshire has an exemplary dog control law, in that it requires all dogs to be confined on their owner's property and, when off its owner's property, to be under the direct control of an adult. This law was passed back in the early 1980s, and is a direct and major contributor to the relatively low number of bite incidents in this state, as well as to the reduction in litters of unwanted puppies.

Almost every municipality in the state has accepted this law. If yours has not, perhaps you should inquire as to why not? Most bites occur in the dog's home, and most involve aggression while the dog is protecting its property. Children are bitten more often, but much less severely, than adults.

Generally these bites occur because children are not taught how to interact with dogs, or are left alone and unsupervised with one or more dogs. Children must be taught not to attempt to remove their dog's food or toys, and not to physically abuse dogs while in play. Dogs need to be socialized and trained so that their behavior is reliable in all situations.

Puppy Love!

Had to share some puppy cuteness! Aldo & Callie are some of the most adorable babies we have had yet. I think the only topper is Carlos!

Lots of adoptions!

We have had several adoptions in the last week! Bailey's foster mom decided she wants to adopt him (yay!) and Izzy found her new daddy! Chance found a home with his former family's sister and is now a therapy dog to their autistic child (wow).

No progress on Palmetto's adoption yet, but we are still hopeful.

Jake's foster mom has expressed interest in adopting him, too. :) And Mack's foster dad is totally in love with him.

We may just run out of dogs! (That is a good thing ya'll)

Kathy's Story

Several volunteers have been asked to write their "story" for our blog. This is Kathy's story:

I first found out about South Carolina Pit Bull Rescue shortly after my adopted dog Mattie (accidentally) jumped out of our second story window! Mattie came to us shortly after the death of my beloved lab and she succeeded in getting me up and keeping me going. I wasn’t sure of what I was getting into but I needed some help and I needed it fast. Having a Pit Bull has been a wonderful experience. So wonderful in fact, that we have adopted a second pit. Not only is the breed such a loving breed but the rescue and all of its members have been so helpful. I researched other rescues but came back to SCPBR because I found it to have an impressive success rate with their dogs. Their members are comprised of professional women who have a clear goal in mind…helping rescue, rehabilitate and re-home dogs. It’s serious business and there’s no room for drama. They get the job done and have fun doing it! I was also impressed because they realize that all rescues share the same goal and they often help out other rescues when they need assistance.

I filled out a volunteer application in September of 2008 and have loved every minute working with this group. I have seen many dogs in the past year find their forever homes and have been fortunate enough to pull some from shelters. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my life. I am truly thankful for this organization and look forward to seeing what the next year will bring. Many thanks to everyone who I’ve met along the way for making me feel so welcome. And most importantly, thanks for the wonderful work that you do.

- Kathy Evans

"Hard to Adopt"

Every rescue has its "challenging" and "hard to adopt" dogs. These are ours - Jake and Bailey. There is nothing wrong with these boys. They are beautiful, affectionate, and loving. Their only crime is being mixed. Every breed rescue faces these challenges with mixes - people come to us looking for purebred pit bulls and they do not want to consider a mix. Poor boys. =(

Jake is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix. Does he have some Pit Bull in him? Possibly. He has stunning aqua eyes and a grayish/brownish coat. He was adopted into a home in 2008. We got him with his two sisters as babies and the AC officer swore she saw the parents and they were pits. So, who knows? His adopter had some major life changes, making her unable to keep him. Our rescue has a lifetime commitment to every dog and we took him back in, in April of this year. No one has shown any interest in adopting Jake because he is not a pit. =(

Bailey is a beautiful chocolate lab/pit mix. He is a stunning boy, loving, affectionate, with a big heart. He's been in our rescue a long time now and has bounced into several foster homes. His only crime? Looking like a chocolate lab...

If you run across anyone who wants a perfectly wonderful dog that is not a purebred, send them our way. These two boys deserve a chance, just as much as any of our purebreds.

Palmetto

Our beautiful little Palmetto also has a possible forever home, thanks to her foster mom too!!!














SC Pit Bull Rescue is lucky to have some amazing foster homes that are proactive in the search for a forever home. These foster homes make the adoptions possible and these dogs owe their lives to the foster homes.

Palmetto has a possible home in the upstate - cross paws for her!

Beautiful Izzy

Izzy came to SC Pit Bull Rescue from Charleston Animal Society. Izzy, who became Dutchess, then Daisy Mae (haha), is extremely sweet. She is full of wiggles and love and kisses! She has a big 'ole underbite, which adds to her personality. Her ears were clipped in some former life.

Izzy is allllll puppy, bouncy and wiggly and love. =)

Izzy's foster mom took Izzy with her to work one day and a coworker met her and wants to adopt her! Mind you, she has been in our rescue less than a week... amazing!! She is still in the "waiting" period and cannot go to her forever home yet. She is still healing from her spay and being treated for kennel cough. But it looks like her forever home will be waiting for her when she reaches ready status!

An update for "Daddy"

We received an update on "Daddy", now named Milo, on July 14, 2009.

Those who met Daddy were forever touched by his aura. He was so terrified, withdrawn, and badly abused. He is missing an eye and it is speculated that his eye was destroyed during physical abuse.

When we first met Daddy, he was in the back of a kennel in the quarantine area of the shelter. He was so withdrawn that the personnel who cleaned the kennels were afraid of him. He refused to move from the spot he was laying in, would not get up and greet anyone, and was absolutely terrified. He was the worst case of a withdrawn, fearful dog that most of us had ever seen.

SC Pit Bull Rescue worked hard to find a rescue for this special dog. Without space in foster homes, SC Pit Bull Rescue could not take him. When a rescue cannot accept a dog, that rescue usually works hard to find another rescue for the dog. A wonderful woman in Houston, Texas, Angela Sera, offered to take him into her rescue. SC Pit Bull Rescue arranged a transport for him from Charleston, SC to Texas. Melissa volunteered to drive all the way to Louisiana and took a multiple-day road trip. An individual from Texas met Melissa in Louisiana and transported Daddy to his rescue.

Angela and her foster homes worked very hard to bring this boy out of his shell. We got lots of updates and have been SO HAPPY to hear about his progress. He got the chance he deserved and has learned that humans are not all mean.

Thank you to everyone who assisted with Daddy, to Doc Williams SPCA, to Angela Sera, and to all of the donors who made the multi-day transport possible.

Check out his new pictures!

An update for Hope

For those who remember Hope, she was one of a kind. She came to us in horrible condition, the victim of extreme neglect. Her story is on this page: http://www.scpitrescue.org/hope.html
Her adoptive family sent an update this weekend and some videos of Hope playing BALL!! For those who met Hope and knew how terrified she was of the world, you know what a huge feat that is. Hope has come a long way, thanks to her wonderful family and all of the wonderful volunteers that helped her on each step of her journey.

Here are her videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDMti9O2FDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytJrRDXwfmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJO8hpBLs28

THANK YOU to everyone who helped Hope. She deserved a chance at a good life, and she got it.

We achieved tax exempt status!

SC Pit Bull Rescue achieved tax exempt status, which backdates to the formation of the rescue on April 27, 2007. If you have ever made donation to our rescue in any amount over $50.00, please email info@scpitrescue.org to be sent a receipt. All donations are tax exempt and can be used to itemize donations on your taxes. =)

Thank you to everyone who supported us during our massive paperwork stage that was required to reach 501c3 status. It took a lot of work, the effort of a strong board of members, and lots of fundraising to raise the $750.00 filing fee. Thank you to everyone who helped!

Our Blog

Our blog has not been updated in a while, and it was brought to my attention! We have had some big changes in the rescue, new board members, new ideas and motivated volunteers, and lots of great stuff happening! I will continue to update the blog for the rescue and make sure to bring it back to the very active status it was in. :)

Fighting pet prejudice

Direct Link to Article: http://www.thedurhamnews.com/front/story/191566.html

Fighting pet prejudice

Article by Pam Spaulding
I'm a Bull City native, but it's safe to say more people know me as a national political blogger at PamsHouseBlend.com, where I write about LGBT rights, race and gender issues, the Religious Right and life in the South. My first column for The Durham News is a bit off the beaten path.
When our shelter dog Lab mix Bailey passed, my wife and I (yes, we legally married in Canada, and it's not recognized in my home state) visited the Durham Animal Protection Society looking for the right match for our remaining dog Chloe, a Bichon Frise. We found Casey.

A tan American Pit Bull Terrier, she was eager to please from our first meeting. We initially had our eye on a retriever mix, but it nearly fear-bit us when it entered the room.

The irony is that the pit bull, the Staffordshire Terrier and the Bull Terrier are often targets of breed-specific discrimination that, quite frankly, is akin to racism. It touches the same hot buttons: images of gang-bangers and thugs who think owning a fighting dog enhances their street cred. It's ironic that the pit bull was historically bred not to be human-aggressive and many aren't dog-aggressive either.

The pit bull actually scores higher on the American Temperament Test than many popular breeds considered "friendly."

But with the bad rep in mind, we knew our new addition to the family had to be an exemplary ambassador for the breed; we took Casey to obedience class, and wanted to place her in dog daycare a couple of times a week for socialization. Dog parks were out, because even if our dog didn't start a scuffle, it's quite common for owners of other breeds to blame the pit if anything happens.

What I encountered during my search was one local facility with a breed-specific discriminatory policy. It said:

"Due to input from clients across North America and experience at our Camps with various breeds, we made the decision in 2006 that certain breeds are not appropriate candidates for our open play environment. ... These breeds include American Pit Bull Terrier, an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of these breeds."

Doesn't that kind of discrimination seem quite familiar, painting an entire group with a broad brush based on the experience with a few? If we're talking about dogs with a bad rap and bite frequency, why aren't Dobermans or Rotties on that list? What if a Golden Retriever attacked another dog -- would that breed be banned? We all know the answer.

Many a young minority man can tell you how women clutch their bags or cross the street as they approach, regardless of how the man is dressed. I got a taste of this while walking Casey. Kate was walking Chloe and I was bringing up the rear with Casey and we approached a family. Chloe was getting excited, barking, and she lunged to play with the little girl. The mom let her, never questioning whether Chloe might bite. When I came past, the mom immediately called her daughter off the trail to avoid the Pit Bull.

Otherwise intelligent people completely, utterly take leave of their senses about this -- and it's too often reinforced, even by dog professionals like that dog care facility. Not all are that way though; Casey and Chloe ended up going to Pet Ritz @ The Triangle, where Pits, Dobies, Rotties and other breeds that often suffer bad raps are assessed and accepted as individual dogs.

Contact Pam Spaulding at pam@phblend.com. Tell us what you think of this and future My View columns in a letter to the editor at

Dog Shot While Protecting Owner

Dog Shot While Protecting Owner
Pit Bull Shot During Home Invasion Robbery Attempt
POSTED: Monday, March 2, 2009
UPDATED: 9:44 pm EST March 2, 2009

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A pit bull is credited with saving his owner's life. The dog took a bullet during a recent home-invasion robbery in Mayport.



Man has to adjust to life on three legs after being shot while protecting his owner from a trio of armed robbers.

The 10-month-old dog named Man protected his master, Mike Thomas, when he needed him most.

"My dog protected all of us. He took the bullet for all of us," Thomas said.

He said he was at home last week with his brother and some friends. That's when, police said, three men stormed through the front door of the home with a shotgun.

Thomas said the men were wearing masks and trying to rob him.

"I seen like three dudes run up on the porch, and I kind of jumped up. As soon as I jumped up, they ripped the door open and my dog jumped from sitting beside me all the way to the door and jumped on one of them. The dude got scared and shot him," Thomas said.

The pit bull scared the intruders before anyone else was hurt. However, the dog's act of courage came at a large price. The shotgun pellet entered Man's left shoulder, and doctors had to amputate his entire front leg.

Thomas said the Clay County Humane Society preformed the $5,000 procedure for free.
"At first, I was a little -- it just wasn't him because I pictured him with four legs. Now, he's used to it. He still sleeps with me on my bed. It's all good. I don’t love him any less," Thomas said.
With the help of his owner, Man has adjusted to life with three legs. Thomas said his dog is pain medication and that the dog's stitches will be removed in a few days.

Copyright 2009 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The link: http://www.news4jax.com/news/18837417/detail.html?taf=jax

New Photos of Jup-Jup

New photos are up of Jupiter! http://www.scpitrescue.org/jupiter.html Doesn't he have the most beautiful smile? What a charmer! His dog aggression rehab has been a huge success, and he's meeting new dogs with much less apprehension now, and much more ease. Yay for Jupiter!

Enough cuteness to go around!

I caught Blaze cuddling with a bookie-bear. =) Isn't this just adorable?

Blaze will be available for adoption at the end of January. He is one of Bailey's babies. He is about 8 weeks old now!

The Animals' Savior

"The Animals' Savior"
by Jim Willis

I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society.
I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal.
And I was angry.
"God" I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?"
God was silent for a moment, and then he spoke softly.
"I have done something," He replied.
"I created You."

The Holiday Drop-In Was Wonderful!

Photos are up: http://www.scpitrescue.org/holidaydropin2008.html

Thank you to everyone who stopped by!!!! We had a GREAT turn out, and a big pile of donated christmas gifts for the dogs. They are already enjoying some stuff, and they love it!!!

Thank you!!!

Bailey & Her Puppies

We have a fabulous update from Bailey's foster mom!

Bailey and her babies are doing well! We did lose one little guy, the little white one, unfortunately, on Thanksgiving morning. The other 7 are doing fabulously though! Foster mom says "They are all up and running! They crack us up because when you go into the room they all start yipping and growling! The kids have named them (ok, I named the blue female Talula)Talula, Princes, Precious, Milkyway, Flower, Blaze and Ace!"

And as for Bailey, the mom? We were afraid she would be dog aggressive, but it turns out she's just being a mom, protective over her puppies. Away from her puppies, she's fabulous!!! Her foster mom says "Baley has been such a surprise! She was so timid and protective when she first came to us that I just wasn't sure what to expect from her. I finally picked her up and carried her down the stairs on Friday morning so she could go outside! Once there I couldn't get her to go back in. She loved it!!! She walks very well on the leash and just really enjoyed being outside! Since then she has only used the bathroom in her bedroom once!"

Bailey was then introduced to foster mom's other dogs, and cat, which went wonderfully!!!! Her dogs include a beautiful young male Pit Bull, Dakota, a senior black lab mix female, Pearl, and Dizzy, another one of our dogs, who is her other foster dog. Foster mom said " It was like they had always been together. So, now we know that she is kid, dog, and cat friendly." She still keeps the other dogs from getting on the stairs leading up to the room where her puppies are, but that's too be expected. She's an excellent mother!

Bailey & Dakota

Bailey & Dizzy (with Larissa loving them both!)

Look what I found!

http://www.thankfulpaws.com/events-testimonials.htm

It's got photos of handsome handsome handsome Alvin at Paws in the Park! Thanks Alice!!

I'm proud to announce that Alvin DID get adopted by the person who met him at Paws in the Park. Thank you Charleston Animal Society for such a wonderful event!!!! We got Alvin adopted, which was worth it all!

It's raining puppies

We've had 13 puppies come in, in a little over a week. WOW!!! It seems to have hit puppy season.

Bailey & her babies came to us on Saturday, November 22, 2008.

This is Bailey:

Isn't she gorgeous?

And these are Bailey's babies, born in a cold shelter on 11/13/08:

Obviously, they are little bitty babies and won't be available for a while!

A HUGE thanks to Lisa for being our "nursing mommy" foster home. You have a lot of work ahead of you in the coming weeks, and we'll be there for you every step of the way!

Five more puppies came in on Wednesday, November 26, 2008. They were rescued by animal control after being removed from a bad situation. They are only 5 weeks old. The wonderful staff at Charleston Animal Society took care of them for a week before releasing them to rescue, and they did a fabulous job!!!

This is Lynette!

This is Lynette on the top and Gabby on the bottom =) (do you see the Desperate Housewives them yet?)

This is Bree.

This is Susan.

This is little Orson. (so cute!)

And, of course, little Carlos. Look at that spot around his eye!

The whole puppy pile.

Thank you Alice for helping us get these puppies out of the shelter quickly and for providing them with a wonderful, warm, and family-filled Thanksgiving!

Hope!!

Hope went to her possible forever home on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. So far, so good! Cross your paws that this is her perfect home! We couldn't be happier for her.

Punkin Update

Punkin Update 11/10/08 (from her foster mom)

Punkin is adapting beautifully to her temporary foster home and nursing care. She seems to be completely unaffected by her past. She does not startle and embraces new experiences. She has integrated well into her foster pack which include a female Rottweiler, a male and female Pit Bull and a blind male Shih Tzu. She has met the "barn dogs" and horses and loves running with the bicycles around the horse rings. She doesn't mind having her wounds irrigated and cleaned. They are healing beautifully and look great with pink granulating tissue. She "sits" for her pills which she loves in Pill Pockets. Her fleas are gone thanks to Capstar and she is eating like a champ! She is sleeping ALL night in the kennel and has already learned "sit" and "shake". Her favorite spot in the house is on the big pillow in front of the fireplace.

Dreaming of sugarplums...

Look at her wounds! They are hardly visible! WOW!!!!

Punkin with her foster siblings! The middle one had an embedded harness once too, and the one on the end, Marley, we all know as the dog who had an embedded collar and once looked like this....

God Bless you Heather and Brian, for everything you do for these angels. Thank you for helping our little Punkin for a while.