A.K.A. Big Mick, Mickaroni, The Mickster, Mickey Moose, Mickaroon, and Whatagoodboy!
Last updated Feb 7, 2024
History
Mickey was on the loose and wandered into a campground. He found a child by a camper trailer and they played together. Mom of child let their pet Great Dane out of the camper and it attacked Mickey. Mickey defended himself. Injuries occurred. Animal Control was called. The family demanded that Mickey be destroyed because he’s a “vicious pit bull”.
A veterinarian examined and evaluated Mickey and found no aggression at all. P.M.F.C. took him in and kept him quiet until The Family left the area.
Base Info
Arrival date: March 20th, 2023
Breed: Staffordhire Terrier/Black Labrador
Sex: Neutered Male
Age: Adult
Birthdate: March 2018
Weight: 61 pounds on Mar. 20 ………… 57 lbs May 1, 2023 ………… 64 lbs Aug 1, 2023 ………… 62 lbs December 2023
Preferred style of play: Likes gentle wrestling. Will do some running.
Is affectionate: Yes
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Yes . Cats: Probably not, gets excited about vagrant cat in our area.
Jumps up on people: Occasionally
Mouths: Yes – its more an enthusiastic licking. Working on that.
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Commands
Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Yes
Shake / Paw: Working on it … almost there.
Kennels on command: Yes
Adoption Information:
Start by submitting a completed Adoption Application (Now an on-line, mobile friendly form).
Contact information for your veterinarian is required and we will do a reference check.
If local (within @50 miles), schedule a meet-n-greet after your application has been processed. If you have another dog, bring it. A home inspection and interview will be done after a successful meet-n-greet.
If not local, adopter needs to contact a reputable rescue in THEIR area and request that rescue pull the dog from us after performing a home inspection and investigation of their own. You will then adopt the dog from them.
Local adoption fee is $200.00 This includes neuter surgery, vaccination against Parvovirus, Distemper, Adednovirus, Rabies, and Bordatella and a thorough de-worming. This dog has been microchipped and will be registered in the adopters name. Any health issues we found were addressed and are described below.
Observations:
Big Mick has clearly enjoyed life as a house dog before. He is tidy in his habits and enjoys being able to come inside when he wants to.
One notable thing: when I’m dishing up their meals, most cottage dogs are singing their songs of encouragement. Mickey on the other hand settles on his bed and quietly chews a bone as an appetizer. He is such a good boy.
Recently Mickey has needed to share his apartment with another dog. Twice, different dogs. Both spayed females, but I don’t think it would matter. He did SO well at sharing, they even ate meals together without any antagonism. Mickey is so easygoing!
More will be added as care and training progress. To receive notices of updates subscribe below. It’s painless and you can unsubscribe any time you want. Your e-mail address is used ONLY to deliver post notices. That’s a promise!
This female, 30 pound Blue Heeler is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet. Yet someone beat her to the brink of death. Multiple skull fractures, cracked ribs, one eye ball punctured, the other suffered nerve damage as did both ears. One was filled with blood. Then this piece of filth tossed her in a dumpster to finish dying, alone and terrified.
Someone found her. Newport Animal Control named her after a character in a book and took her to Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital. Dr Sandra and her amazing staff had to force feed this girl with a syringe because she wanted to die so badly she would not eat or drink.
As she gained strength, J Lo changed her mind and began eating on her own. Examination revealed that she was now deaf and blind. As she progressed beyond the critical stage, PMFC was asked to foster her though the rest of her medical rehabilitation. How could we say no?
We were asked by the police officers who are Newport Animal Control not to post anything on social media as they were investigating the case, had a lead, and intended to press charges. Unfortunately they were not able to make a strong enough case to bring charges. So we may now talk about J Lo.
At her last exam Dr Sandra proclaimed, “You have done a phenomenal job with this dog!” I give credit to Fido Fixer Elixir for some of that.
Despite all that has been done to her, she is a sweet, affectionate girl. And, uncharacteristically for her breed, she LOVES being indoors. She is crate trained and house broken. She has made friends with the other Cottage dogs although I have not been allowing them to play together yet.
Because of the gag order, I did not build a web page for her right away. She is now available for rescue pull or adoption through City of Newport Animal Control. She is a special needs girl, you may contact me at Doug@PineyMountainFoster.org if you want to ask about that.
More info is in the progress notes below all the Info stuff.
Base Info
Arrival date: November 18, 2022
Breed: Blue Heeler
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: Unknown
Weight: 29.6 pounds on 11/18/2022 ……….. 31.2 pounds on Dec 1 ……….. 35.0 pounds on Jan 1, 2023
Spayed/Neutered: No. Due to brain damage, anesthesia might kill her.
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Energetic, affectionate, clingy.
SAFER Testperformed: No
Departure date: Undetermined
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Yes.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Yes
Preferred style of play: Likes rowdy play with Blade. Noshing plush toys when solo.
Is affectionate: Yes
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Probably . Cats: Reacted with mild curiosity to a crated cat at the vet.
Jumps up on people: Occasional, gentle
Mouths: A little, when playful. Gentle. It’s a Heeler thing. I discourage it.
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Commands
Comes when called: Yes. Vision impaired, but she tries.
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Not yet
Shake / Paw: Not yet
Kennels on command: Yes
House Dog Training
Willingly enters his/her crate: Yes
Is calm/quiet while in crate: Yes
Understands going outside to potty: Yes
Alerts me of need to go outside: If crated, will paw at the door and whine.
I was a little worried that Blade would beat up on her. He can be kind of a bully. But he’s been good to her. Callie too.
This evening I was in the den. J Lo was pacing, pacing, pacing all through the house. Newbies do that until they feel comfortable in the new environment.
Blade bounded into the room, barked twice, and bounded out again. That’s Malacollie for “COME SEE!” She must have done something and he’s snitching on her. I went to see.
She was circling the kitchen. I saw no mess, nothing chewed up, nothing out of place. “So … what’s the deal, Blade?” He sniffed her butt.
When she heard my voice she broke out of her loop and trotted to the back door and stood there. “Oh, you need to go out?”
Blade, J Lo, and I went out.
When she got to the yard she circled a few times to find the right spot and made a pile. Blade looked proud of himself.
“So you were telling me she needed to go and doesn’t know how to ask? GOOD BOY!”
They both got a nice treat when we got back inside.
Jan 13
J Lo is getting more active. Her eyesight is improving so she is more confident in interacting with others and her surroundings. She likes rowdy play with Blade. I think she scares him a little!! She is doing GREAT at being a house dog: gets along with everyone (even shares her toys), is not chewing up anything, has not had an accident in the house, and as soon as she finishes her heat cycle I will let her sleep outside of her crate at night. I’m sure she will be fine.
Jan 16
Her right eye is gone, just an empty socket now. It would take surgery to stitch it closed and due to her brain trauma anesthesia would be quite dangerous.
Although the pupil in J Lo’s left eye has remained dilated and fixed, she can see. Not perfectly I’m sure, but she has slowly regained enough sight to be able to navigate the Cottage, and the play yard, and now our house. At first she smacked into things and I thought about getting her a Halo. But before that could happen, she started regaining sight. In between, I kept her on a leash to help direct her.
She also got her hearing back.
I took J Lo in for a medical progress exam today. During the exam Dr Sandra went, “Oh my!” then called, “Rebecca, Chad, come in here.” Chris and Angela were already attending. Dr Sandra shined a light in J Lo’s eye and everyone took in a collective gasp. Her pupil constricted a little. Joyosity ensued.
On the ride home, J Lo was clearly pleased with herself. She’s getting better, and she’s doing really well. We’re all happy for this sweet little gal.
J Lo was transported to A Pathway To Hope in New Jersey on March 3rd. There she went into a foster home while veterinarians examined her and developed a care plan.
She was cleared for surgery. She was spayed, the punctured eyeball removed and the opening closed off and a broken tooth was extracted.
While the was in the veterinarian’s care, her Vet Tech fell in love with J Lo and entered into a trial foster for J Lo’s recovery.
I was notified on April 17 that Noelle has formally adopted J Lo, now Leela, and everyone is very happy about that.
Stella is a sweet Georgia Peach who is here for heartworm treatment and a penchant for chasing cats.
Last Updated: January 28, 2023
History
Stella was adopted from a large rescue in Atlanta Georgia, in poor physical condition and heartworm positive. Stella’s Mom began the heartworm treatment process and helped her gain weight and get into shape. Stella proved to be cat aggressive, and there were 5 cats in the family. Stella’s Mom tried hard to get Stella over her fascination with chasing cats, but Stella wasn’t responding. Mom sequestered Stella in part of the house, but that’s no way for a dog to live. She began searching for a rescue that would take Stella and would be a good place for her to complete her heartworm treatment. She found Piney Mountain Foster Care and reached out to us.
Base Info
Arrival date: August 27, 2022
Breed: Staffordshire Terrier
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: @ July 13, 2020
Weight: @53 pounds on Aug 27 ……….. 54.0 pounds Oct 1 ………… 49.0 pounds Nov 1 ………… 49.4 pounds Dec. 1 ………… 54.4 pounds Jan. 1
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Exceptionally sweet and loving.
SAFER Testperformed: Yes – Failed: reactive to all female dogs. Okay with males. ** see 8/31 notes below.
Departure date: Undetermined
Relational Behavior
NOTE: Stella has only just arrived. Info below will be updated as we get to know this sweet girl.
Relates well to other dogs: Sort of (see 8/31 notes below).
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Undetermined
Preferred style of play: Likes to run, likes rough-n-tumble play with other dogs.
Is affectionate: Yes
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Untested but probably . Cats: NO, high prey drive.
You are here WAY too early!Good morning. Belly rub please.
Observations
August 31, 2022
Stella arrived around 10:30 Friday night. Her first night was confusing and anxious. S.A.F.E.R. testing is supposed to be done as soon after admit as possible so the dog does not become acclimated to the handler. I tested Stella Saturday, mid morning. She did quite well except for interactions with other dogs. She was hostile toward all the females, including my mentor dog, Blondie Bear, who is 13 years old and as sweet and gentle as can be. Stella acted playfully toward the male dogs. Even Blade, who came out after Stella was in her outside run and tried to intimidate her by snorting and lunging at her. Stella found that entertaining and her tail was wagging madly the whole time, “Do that again, that’s funny!” Blade was miffed at his failure to intimidate.
By Saturday afternoon, Stella had changed her mind about the girls and was using her play time to go around and invite each of them to play. None accepted, they were still remembering her behavior that morning.
By Monday the other girls are fascinated by Stella’s squeaky bunny toy, and Stella was delighted to show them how it worked. All were getting along fine. I’d been keeping Blondie Bear inside during play times (much to her consternation) so there was no risk Stella would hurt her while my attention was elsewhere.
Wednesday morning I brought Blondie out with me for cleaning and play time. I put Stella on a long lead and let her approach Blondie Bear.
Stella tried to get rowdy.Blondie tells her off with several loud, sharp barksStella backs off and they get along fine.
So that ended well, and I expect she will learn to relate to the others as well.
January 6th, 2023
Stella is within days of completing her recovery period. Treatment went exceptionally well. Recovery has gone well except she has become frustrated with being on activity restriction (no zoomies in the yard) and has recently been taking her frustrations out on bedding and plush toys. Prior to this she has been extremely gentle on toys. Okay, she’d flap them hard sometimes, but never ripped them open like some dogs do. The bed she came in with remained in pristine condition, until she got frustrated. Minor damage, I took it out of her room and will give it back (after repairs) when she calms down after restriction is over.
More will be added here as major steps in care and training progress. To receive notices of updates subscribe below. It’s painless and you can unsubscribe any time you want. Your e-mail address is used ONLY to deliver post notices. That’s a promise!
Zane was one of three dogs dumped on Piney Mountain Rd and accused of killing a residents rabbits. Reaction included gunfire. To keep them safe, PMFC built an emergency shelter and took them in. Zane’s companions were a pair of 9 month hound pups: friends but clearly not relatives.
Base Info
Arrival date: Feb 18, 2022
Breed: Siberian Husky
Sex: Male
Age: Adult (currently 6 years)
Birthdate: 2017
Weight: 48 pounds on Feb 14 (should be 70) ……….. 52 pounds March 1 ………… 57 pounds March 11 ………… 66 pounds May 25 ………… 70 pounds Aug 1 ………… 73 pounds Dec 2 (ideal weight, will hold him here)
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Mild for a Husky
SAFER Testperformed: No
Departure date: Undetermined
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Mostly. Since he recovered and has been feeling well, he is reactive with Blade (male Malamute) but does fine with all the others except Callie Roo. Callie is a trouble maker.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Has become guarded, but not excessively. He used to give the pups first shot at all the food they encountered. That was why he was starving.
Preferred style of play: Mixed. Can play gently or rowdy. Likes to RUN.
Is affectionate: Yes, mostly aloof (its a Husky thing) but does enjoy petting and treats.
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Unknown, but probably. . Cats: Unknown, but probably not. He IS a Husky
Jumps up on people: No
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Commands
Comes when called: Generally – depends on if he’s busy. He IS a Husky.
Sits on command: Yes.
Down / Off: N/A
Shake / Paw: Yes. Does it with flair.
Kennels on command: Yes
Observations
Zane tolerates The Children’s (his hound companions) rambunctious behavior but does not enjoy it. Sometimes they gently mouth-wrestle, he likes that. He does not like being dirty, and seems to want to be indoors. He may have been a house dog.
Zane says hello to ZoeyBeing exceptionally calm in his crateYUM, lunch time!Enjoying the cushyMan can he SHED!Chilling while it’s hot outHelping Blondie superviseHe does like his Kong toy
Separator
Heartworm Treatment
Zane tested positive for heartworms on March 11, 2022. It was a STRONG positive, so a microscopic exam of his blood was done confirming that his count is exceptionally high. The Vet Nurse warned that he may not be savable.
On March 15th we went in again and had chest x-rays done. His heart was NOT enlarged and no serious lung damage was seen. That was encouraging. We started him on Doxycycline and Prednisone, the first step in treating the heartworms.
Zane received his first Immiticide injection on April 25th, and he tolerated it quite well. Another 3 weeks of Prednisone to reduce inflammation in the lungs.
Not feeling so good.
His 2nd and 3rd injections were done on May 24th and 25th. This left him feeling sick and sore for a few days. I tried bringing him into our house, but he just whined and fidgeted. When the other House Dogs came to say “hello” he warned them off – not being mean, just a low growl to let them know he’d prefer to be left alone. He was in pain and in an unfamiliar place. When I took him outside to potty he went straight to the gate that leads to The Guest Cottage and said, “I want to go back to MY house.” I moved his crate back in there so he’d be more comfortable.
Zane will be going back to Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital on June 22 for a blood test to check for HW microfilaria. Until then I must keep him from getting overactive. He is on crate rest and leash walking while in recovery to prevent dead worm tissue causing an embolism in his lung. A bad embolism would cause him to drown in his own blood.
That blood test revealed a very low cunt of microfilaria, but they ARE still there. He gets another dose of Heartgard in a couple of days, that will take care of those. Another blood test is scheduled for next month.
Zane passed a blood test in August and was neutered. He is now available for placement.
Zane is quite gentle on his bedding and toys. He is especially fond of plush toys, which he treats like his “baby”: carrying it around with him and licking it. He also likes getting spiffed up for a photo shoot. We have many more photos and videos of Zane on our Facebook page.
July 26
On July 13th Zane went into a foster home, living indoors with his foster Mom, Rhonda, and his foster sister, Storm (another Husky). Reports from Rhonda have been good. Most recently he has been left uncrated in their home while Rhonda goes off to work. She works 10 hour days, so it’s a stretch but he has been good at holding everything until she gets home and lets them out to potty. He likes hanging out with Storm in her room. They play together in the yard but behave indoors.
Zane’s treatment and recovery is complete and he is available for adoption or rescue pull. This page probably won’t get major updates until he is adopted. But if you want to receive updates, subscribe.
Found running loose and picked up by a good Samaritan, Zoey is starting life over.
Last Updated: Sept 10, 2022
Zoey the Magnificent!
History
Zoey was found running loose along with a 13 week puppy. Maybe her puppy, we don’t know. Both are Husky. A kind lady picked them up and took them to City of Newport Animal Control to check for microchip and publish Found Dog notices. No chip. No one claimed them. So they both came to Piney Mountain Foster Care for fostering while awaiting transport to A Pathway to Hope rescue in New Jersey.
Base Info
Arrival date: Feb 7, 2022
Breed: Husky
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: Approx Feb. 2020
Weight: 54.5 pounds on Feb 7 ……….. 51.2 Lbs on Mar 1 (Not eating kibble well, adding canned food) ………… 55.6 lbs on Apr 27 ………… 55.0 lbs on July 1
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: On the calm, quiet side for a Husky.
SAFER Testperformed: No
Departure date: Undetermined
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Yes, most dogs.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Yes.
Preferred style of play: Running. She LOVES to run/race/bump with another dog.
Is affectionate: Yes, aloof but likes petting
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Yes . Cats: Unknown, but probably. Sits quietly and watches feral cats while others go bonkers.
Jumps up on people: No
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Commands
Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: N/A
Shake / Paw: Not yet
Kennels on command: Yes
Adoption Information
Zoey is promised to A Pathway to Hope in Hawthorne NJ. Please contact them regarding adoption. We are happy to answer questions about Zoey’s health and history, since we know her best.
We also post photos and short stories to Facebook daily.
Zoey has decided to turn the tables. Instead of thinking of her cone as cruel punishment, it’s a fashion accessory: an exclusive item, since only she has one.
Sept 10, 2022
Zoey has been successfully transported to New York state where her foster-to-adopt family welcomed her into their home. They have kindly sent several pictures and descriptions of her settling process. I think this one says the most. This is Zoey’s new sister, Luna, showing Zoey around the place. Zoey is both enthralled with and intimidated by the pool. So much more exciting than the big box of water she enjoyed here!
BFFs Zoey and Luna resting together after a busy day.
Want to help save lives? Everyone involved with PMFC is a volunteer, no donated funds go to salaries or benefits. We are 501(c)(3) – EIN: 84-3593563
This fine, well-behaved regent is seeking a new court.
Last updated March 17, 2022
History
City of Newport Animal Control got a call about a dog hit by a car and went and picked him up. Arthur’s leg was a little sore at first but no serious injury. He resided there for a few months before being adopted. But his new mom brought him back a few days later. She said he was too big for her — meaning he pulled too hard and she didn’t know how to correct that.
Base Info:
Arrival date: Dec. 14, 2021
Breed: Black & Tan Hound
Sex: Male
Age: Adult: approx 3 years
Birthdate: Unknown
Weight: 51.6 pounds on Dec 14 ……….. 47.6 pounds Jan 19 (different scale) ………… 44.6 pounds Feb 21 (increasing food) ………… 47.0 pounds Mar 11
Neutered: Yes, Jan. 19, 2022
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Affectionate and gentle. Some separation anxiety.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Seems okay with it.
Preferred style of play: Likes racing and gentle wrestling with another dog. No interest in toys yet.
Is affectionate: Yes
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Yes . Cats: Yes
Jumps up on people: No
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash? Vastly improved! Just needs to be kept in practice.
Commands
Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: N/A
Shake / Paw: Almost there
Kennels on command: Yes
House Dog Training
Willingly enters his crate: Not yet
Is calm/quiet while in crate: No, gets vocal but not destructive
Understands going outside to potty: Yes. he is well housebroken.
Alerts me of need to go outside: Gets really loud if crated and needs to potty.
Is destructive of bedding and/or toys: If he gets bored while kenneled.
Engages in kitchen counter cruising: Yes, he is shameless!
Stays off people furniture: His foster allows this.
Gallery
Definitely cat friendlyStill the goodest boyHe has the best smile!Rode well on the way home.
Arthur decided to get up a Glee Club or Choir to keep everyone entertained.
Dec 14, 2021
Arthur spent the day here at Piney Mountain while waiting for his foster mom to get off work. He was kept crated inside and given potty and play time in our big yard every two hours. He is not fond of being crated but did not tear up his crate nor the blanket. He would get vocal (howling) if he thought I was near enough to hear. Other times he sat calmly and quietly in his crate and waited. (I have ways of knowing these things).
Dec 15. 2021
Foster mom, Stacey reported that Arthur’s meet-n-greet with her other dogs went well, he ignored her cats completely, is not sure how it’s going to go with her chickens, and he is absolutely dismayed by the Guineas dive bombing him from the roof top. He did well that night.
Dec 17, 2021
We have separation anxiety with destructive behavior. Hopefully it’s a temporary behavior. He digs under fences too and can escape. Foster dad is installing deterrents. He finally started eating today.
Dec 19, 2021
Foster mom reports that at 3:00 AM the house dogs went nuts: something was in the yard attacking their chickens. They let the pack out to drive it away. Arthur returned with a mostly dead chicken in his mouth, dropped it at her feet and trotted away. Foster dad dispatched the chicken. Arthur, the ever helpful!
Dec 25, 2021
King Arthur went on a quest.
Arthur has been problematic in that he finds and exploits the weaknesses in his foster family’s fencing. He is quite inventive and can squeeze through a hole smaller than one would imagine. Dennis has been working at plugging each newly discovered weakness and Arthur had not run off, just explored a little beyond the fence until he was noticed and retrieved. Until last Wednesday.
Arthur dug under a fence and ran off. Dennis called me. Arthur was wearing his collar with our phone number embroidered into it. There are vicious dogs in the area. And coyotes. And the occasional bear. We were both deeply concerned. Searching for him was really not an option because the terrain is rugged, mountain forest.
Shortly afterward, a fellow called me asking if I’d lost a dog. I got his info: he had not gone far. Dennis went and got him. Dennis was working from home that day, so he kept him in the house (except for leash walking potty runs) the rest of that day, then brought him back here Thursday morning.
Blade has become pretty much a house dog, so his apartment in the Guest Cottage could be made available, we put Arthur in there. He was okay with that until after dinner and the associated potty run in the yard. Then I was walking him back to his apartment and he became agitated, wanting to head up the chute to the back door of our house, “No, no, you don’t understand: I NEED to go in the house. I need to lay on the sofa. I need to snuggle a cat! It’s bedtime!”
“I’m sorry bud. You HAD that cush gig, but you insisted on running off. That is really dangerous. So now you’re back here. But I’ll do what I can to make you comfy.”
I put a big cushy blanket on his bed and gave him a cat sized stuffed toy to cuddle with. Then I closed up his bedroom door to keep the cold out and bid him good night. It’s not what he wants, but it will do. To date he has not torn up the blankets or the stuffed toy.
Arthur is an exceptionally sweet, attentive boy and will make someone a great companion. He just needs to be supervised in a fenced yard. Someone who is home most of the time would be ideal.
NOTE added March 11
Arthur has been in residence here at Piney Mountain for a month and a half and has not once tried to dig out or climb over our fencing. He is now routinely allowed to run unsupervised in the play yard while I am cleaning the Guest Cottage. Sometimes he plays with another dog, sometimes he’s solo, but he’s fine either way. When it’s chilly I put a blanket on his bed at night, he likes that. But I pick it up in the morning or it becomes a plaything and gets torn up.
Jan 21, 2022
Arthur went in for neutering on the 19th and has been recuperating.
He came home about dinner time, so I fed him and let him eat what he would. Most dogs don’t eat much right after surgery despite being starved that day. Arthur ate about half his portion, then finished it off overnight.
He wasn’t trying to lick his incision, so I delayed coning him until bedtime, checking on him often. It’s possible he would have left it alone and I’m torturing him unnecessarily. But it’s also possible he’d get bored, start licking and open the thing up. That would be bad. He didn’t go crazy or anything, but the look he gives me is heartbreaking, “What did I do? I try to be a good boy. Why do this to me?” I must be strong. For his sake, I must be strong. Even if it feels like I’m being heartless.
By the following day, Arthur had learned to take the cone in stride. He even seemed to appreciate the fact that it kept his head dry in the rain. He doesn’t hold it against me anymore and is eating well and behaving like the champ he is.
Going to and from the vet, Arthur rode in the cab of the truck with me. He loaded up well. He rode well and was watching everything whizzing past. No car sickness. He stood between the seats, draped over the console, would have been on the front seat except I had him restrained with a safety strap. He sometimes rested his chin in the crook of my elbow. So Sweet! Next time he can ride up front.
January 28
Arthur has healed up nicely from his neuter surgery and is playing with the other dogs again. He shows very little interest in escaping the play yard now and does not generally get vocal when kenneled (separation anxiety). He will let me know if he needs out to potty. But as long as I keep to the usual schedule, he can and will wait for the next potty run.
March 14
Arthur has become really good with the recall command. and is a super good boy in his kennel. He always keeps it neat and tidy — unless I’m away from here too long, and he just can’t hold his urine any longer. That my fault not his. Arthur does not like Zane, but gets along well with all the other dogs. He is annoyed by Ariel (energetic puppy) an her insistence that he play with her. Sometimes he does, other times he just wants to be left alone to do what he’s doing. Other times he comes back to me and says, “PLEASE put me back in my room so I can get away from this WILD CHILD.”
More will be added as care and training progress. To receive notices of updates subscribe below. It’s painless and you can unsubscribe any time you want. Your e-mail address is used ONLY to deliver post notices. That’s a promise!
Clearly, Elsa was once a well behaved family pet. But something happened that caused her to be terrified of people.
Last Updated Oct 4, 2021
History
Elsa was picked up as a stray in a suburb of Knoxville TN. Elsa was transferred to C.A.R.E. in Jefferson City and Sigrid became Elsa’s sponsor. At this point, Elsa was described as terrified of people. She would back into a corner and try to melt into the floor if anyone approached her. She would not walk on a lead. If picked up she would void her bladder and bowels all over the person. But she tugged at Sigrid’s heart and Sigrid determined to save her.
Elsa was spayed on September 13, then transferred to Piney Mountain Foster Care for psych rehab. All of us expected it to be a long process.
SAFER Testperformed: No – too scared at admittance
Departure date: Undetermined
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Yes, she loves other dogs
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Yes
Preferred style of play: She likes to run and will tussle a little but is not fond of rough play.
Is affectionate: Wants to be – is timid
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Probably . Cats: Unknown
Jumps up on people: No
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash: Does very well in known areas, balky when going someplace new,
House Dog Training
Willingly enters her crate: Yes, with bribe
Is calm/quiet while in crate: Yes, except if she needs to potty: whines.
Understands going outside to potty: Yes
Alerts me of need to go outside: Yes – goes to door or whines and looks toward the doorway.
Is destructive of bedding and/or toys: No
Engages in kitchen counter cruising: Yes – must keep an eye on her
Stays off people furniture: Yes
Gallery
Wants to go in her room.
Getting comfy with House Dog Gang
Elsa joins our Breakfast Club
Elsa’s encampment and toy collection
Enjoying an evening with the family
Progress Updates
Monday Sept 13
Marie and I went to Jefferson City to meet Sigrid as the van returned with dogs and cats who’d been “fixed” that day. Elsa was still little bit loopy but the shelter staff managed to move her from their transport crate into mine and we loaded her into our truck. She traveled well.
At Piney Mountain, we moved her transport box inside the kennel building before opening it. I needed to remove the toggles and take the top of the transport box off to get Elsa out of it. She is very scared, but makes no attempt to bite as I handle her.
I gave her a bowl of kibble for dinner, but she didn’t eat it. Then I put a harness on her, to avoid injuring her neck, and attached leash. Getting her into the play yard to potty was a matter of interlacing my fingers under her chest, one leg on either side of her, and trundling her along with her front legs just off the ground and her hind legs digging in to resist. Once in the play yard I released her and sat down (to be less intimidating).
She did not potty – but because of the surgery she had not eaten or drunk anything all day, so that wasn’t surprising. I offered her treats to allow me to approach her, then try to get her to approach me. That worked well. Then I trundled her back into her box, removed her harness, and got her settled for the night.
Tuesday, Sept 14
Elsa seemed to have had a good night. She kept her room clean. She has not eaten yet (I left a dish of her kibble in with her overnight) but she did eat a beef stick and several of our peanut butter cookies as well as a few Bil-Jac treats before she went to bed, so she’s not starving.
Busy day today. I had a delivery to make and errands to run in the early morning, then kennel cleaning, then a veterinarian appointment in the afternoon. Kennel cleaning took longer than usual because I did some rearranging so I could get Elsa into the Pit Bull crate (more room in there in case we need to use some form of licking deterrent) but I could not have it sitting out in the middle of the floor. We went outside for a while before I put her in her new room. She was not happy with it until I put a heavy blanket over the top and back. She seems content now. And she did eat her kibbles while I was out on my errands this morning. I left her harness on while I went to run morning errands. When I got back I found she’s chewed the harness off. I tossed that one and got out another, I’ll just be sure to remove it when she’s left on her own.
After dinner play time yielded some interesting steps. Feeling that she’s cowed by my following her around at leash length and will not potty, I put her on a 12 foot lead this evening. That didn’t really help for I was still “following her”. So I sat down and let her circle.
We got to where when I called and held out my hand she would come over to me just close enough I could scratch her under her chin. I let her drag the lead while exploring the yard. She seemed fond of Maggie and hung out near her kennel for a while. Blondie Bear was also loose in the yard and the two of them walked together for a while.
She still didn’t potty. It’s not uncommon after spay surgery to be either loose or constipated. I gave her canned for dinner, I’ll give her another can for breakfast to make sure she doesn’t get plugged up.
We also looked at her incision tonight. It looks great. No indication she’s been licking.
Wednesday, Sept 15
After breakfast, Elsa went outside and into the play yard to say hello to each of her neighbors.
Elsa urinated copiously but produced nothing solid. After some wandering, she went over and sat beside the gate, seeming ready to go back to her room. Accomplishing that was not so smooth, but it was not traumatic either. Still skittish, but doing better.
Mid-morning: We have POOP! Large quantity, normal consistency but there are live worm segments present. This afternoon I’ll start a 3 day course of Fenbendazole (SafeGuard) that will take care of them. She just needed to get ALLL THE WAY across the yard from me to get past the modesty.
Thursday, Sept 16
While I was cleaning kennels Elsa was softly calling me, “I need to Goooooooooooo”. So I rushed getting Maggie back in her room and let Elsa out. She went straight to the gate and trotted across the yard to a spot she liked and defecated. She was much happier afterward.
Elsa is an exceptionally clever girl! At the 2:00 play time I went out and Luna was dancing around inside her bedroom, seemingly enthralled by something goin on inside the building. I peeked through the roll-up door windows and saw Elsa running loose inside.
She did no damage, only got into a trash can that had a coupe of empty dog food cans in it. I took her out in the yard and when I put her back I made triple-sure the door latch was down and locked. This evening I went out to check, and she was loose again! One would think she has some Border Collie in her! I’ve wired the latch, and will see if she’s still contained when I take her dinner out in a few minutes.
Friday, Sept 17
Just finished evening yard time for the dogs. Elsa is doing well with Go Walkies, where I hold onto the handle of her harness and keep her walking beside me. She destroyed the orange harness this morning and is using a grey one now. Better design: just one buckle to mess with so it’s easy on-off which is good because I take it off after each yard time. She also got quite chummy with Blondie Bear today.
Saturday, Sept 18
I moved Elsa’s room into the back of the building next to Pearl’s bedroom. Elsa seems to like being bunked in next to Pearl, she is calmer now between yard outings. It also seems to help if I leave a light on back there. Up front the garage door windows let in lots of light, back there it’s a bit dark. The yard run we just did went well. She didn’t do anything, but getting her to “walkies” out to the yard took almost no coercion at all and just a little to get her back inside. While outside she was snuggling up beside Maggie’s kennel and they were “conversing”. Twas quite sweet.
Sunday, Sept 19
As we walk back and forth between kennel and play yard I use a standard leash and she walks along beside me BEAUTIFULLY! Loose leash. She only get reluctant when we get into new territory (like going into the house for the first time).
She is quite bright, and so much wants to be included and loved. It’s just a matter of gently introducing her to new things, building on the trust we have formed.
We brought Elsa in the house this evening to see how she’d do, and she did beautifully. I took her back to her room for dinner. In the evening Marie was working with Blade and could hear Elsa crying because she’s lonely. I got a large wire crate out of storage and set it up in our bedroom (all the dogs sleep in there at night). We brought Elsa inside again just before we sat down to our dinner. She behaved exceptionally well: no begging. She snoozed in the den with me until bed time, went outside to potty then into her crate I set up for her.
She slept peacefully all night. Went out with the others to potty in the morning and ate breakfast in the kitchen with the other dogs, no issues at all. It looks like we have another house dog!
Monday, Sept 20
Clearly, Elsa has been a house dog before as she is doing wonderfully. The only issue we need to keep working on is getting her to walk on a leash and go willingly wherever I go. Right now she leash walks well if we’re going somewhere she’s familiar with, but new areas are met with heavy resistance. Once we have that conquered, Elsa will be ready to go home to Sigrid’s for final training and placement for adoption.
Saturday, Sept 25
Elsa has recovered from her surgery, is feeling fine, and has settled in here to the point she is getting playful with our other residents. She is especially fond of Josephine, our little Dachi-Beagle. Josie was intimidated at first because Elsa is so much bigger, but when she found Elsa to be careful not to hurt her, she joined into the play. And Callie Roo makes sure the play does not get out of hand.
We are almost to the point where I can let Elsa out into the yard to potty and play and she will come back when I call her. She will come to the point of peeking around the corner of the house, but if I’m in sight she will duck back and return to the yard. When I go after her, she evades me very little and will walk calmly with me back to the door by my loosely holding the handle on her harness.
Monday, Oct 4
Elsa is just about ready to go on to her new home. She will need some time to adjust after the move (she relies on routine and familiarity for comfort), but she has become a regular member of our family. She has started helping herself to any food I might leave momentarily unattended on the kitchen counter, so I have to be mindful of that.
She is, going outside to potty with the other house dogs, and is more often coming back with them rather than making me go out to fetch her back in. When she does not come back on her own it’s because it’s a nice day and she’d rather hang out by the kennels and chat with Pearl and Maggie.
If I take her outside around 8:30 PM she sleeps through the night and will “hold it” until around 7:30 AM.
Pearl was one of three dogs picked up for vagrancy by the pet police. No owner ever came to claim her, so she’s starting anew.
Last updated: July, 2024
History
Pearl was picked up with two other dogs: Camo; who is clearly related to Pearl, but younger, and another unrelated dog who was adopted before we pulled these two. All were classed as strays, posted on the Animal Control Facebook page but no one came to reclaim any of them, so Animal Control made them available and PMFC took them both in.
Base Info
Arrival date: June 9, 2021
Breed: Husky/Redbone mix
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: @ June 2019
Weight: @ 45 pounds on June 9, 2021 …………………50.8 pounds on March, 2022 ……………….. 50.0 pounds on Jan. 1st, 2023 ……………….. 54.2 pounds on Aug. 1st, 2023
……………….. 49.6 pounds on July 1st, 2024
Spayed: Yes, July 1, 2021
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Can be rowdy at times, but has learned to express affection gently.
SAFER Testperformed: Yes – Passed
Departure date: Undetermined
Adoption Information
Start by submitting a completed Adoption Application (Now an on-line, mobile friendly form).
Contact information for your veterinarian is required and we will do a reference check.
If local, (within reasonable driving distance) schedule a meet-n-greet after your application has been processed. If you have another dog, bring it. A home inspection and interview will be done after a successful meet-n-greet. Sometimes we can bring the dog to you for a combined meet-n-greet and home inspection.
Local adoption fee is $200.00 This includes spay surgery, vaccination against Parvovirus, Distemper, Adednovirus, Rabies, and Bordatella and a thorough de-worming. This dog has been microchipped and will be registered in the adopters name. Any health issues we found were addressed and are described below.
For long distance adoption, contact a reputable rescue near you and ask them to pull the dog from us and handle the adoption to you using their policies and fees.
Progress Summary
Detailed notes and discussion are available below the summary and gallery.
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Yes, she relates positively to friendly dogs
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Yes
Preferred style of play: Likes solo play with balls (video below), running and wrestling with dogs.
Is affectionate: Yes.
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Unknown – can get rowdy for toddlers. . Cats: NO.
Jumps up on people: Not any more.
Mouths: Rarely – doing much better
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Housebroken: Working on that.
Commands
Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Yes
Shake / Paw: Yes, but insists on making it her own (video below)
Kennels on command: Yes
Diet
Victor Classic – Professional Dry Dog Food, Purina One classic ground canned food. PMFC Peanut butter cookies given as rewards for compliance. Occasional snacks include: Milkbones, Bil-Jac
Photo Gallery
Feelin cute …LOVE the big ballHouse sittingRunning like the windMy pool is coolI saw Snoopy do thisTake me home daddyI don’t feel so good.
June 12, 2021
Pearl is coming along. She still gets excited when we are in the yard together: jumping on me and nipping at my hands. Camo was the same way at first. I’m using the same technique I did with him and it is helping, she just slower at being dissuaded from this behavior. She’s not dumb: she has learned “In Your Room” (although she does not always comply right away) and she now knows “sit” (and is compliant).
She loves her swimming pool. I put that in there because she would stomp in her water bowl. She plays in her pool all the time. When it gets hot I’ve seen her laying in the water, resting.
June 22
We’ve taken to calling her Pearl the Squirrel because of the goofy antics she gets into – she’s DEFINITELY a Husky! She rarely goes into her dog house, but she loves to sit or stand atop it. My favorite is when she lounges over the entrance part like she’s draped over a barrel (photo in the gallery above). So funny.
She is starting to move away from me when she gets play time. Sometimes she just wanders a short way away to sniff the grass, other times she takes off and RUNS in big lazy laps around the yard. But if I call her she comes right back to me.
She learning that she gets more petting if she’s calm and stays, “down”. When she insists on jumping on me she goes back to her room early. She’s learning. Not as fast as Camo DeTigger did (they are clearly related) but she is learning. She even let me trim her nails yesterday. A major step forward.
July 2
Pearl was spayed, HW tested and got her rabies and microchip yesterday. She is heartworm negative, so we can now safely make her available for adoption. While she was groggy from the surgery I trimmed all her toenails and got her into a surgical onsie instead of putting her in a cone. She would HATE the cone!
By bed time last night we managed to get a small tail-wag out of her. She tried to eat something but it came back up. This morning the tail is swinging wider and she’s in less pain. She ate the stew I brought her for breakfast but left the kibble part for later. Probably wise until her tummy is feeling better.
July 5
Pearl is back to being her spunky self again (video above). She wants to know when she can have her swimming pool back. That won’t be until next week. The incision looks good and is healing well but she needs a full 10 days before she can get wet again.
July 10
Pearl has healed up well from her spay surgery. She decided she was tired of the surgical onesie she was wearing (instead of a cone – Huskies HATE cones) and she slipped out of it and shredded it. Technically she has a few days to go but she’s leaving the incision alone so I’ll not harass her further.
July 14
I have been keeping Blade and Pearl separate because Blade was antagonistic toward Pearl. She did not return his animosity. I figured Blade was just being Blade and reacting to change. He doesn’t like change, even a pretty girl moving in next door. A few days ago I finally let them out to play in the yard together. At first Blade was being grumpy, but Pearl soon won him over and they were running and playing in the yard. See video above. Pearl does not seem to dislike any of the dogs and would be happy to play with any of them. I’ll start testing that soon.
Sept 21
Pearl gets along with and will play with all the other outside dogs. She has calmed down and is more manageable in the jumping on people to demand affection department.
Nov 17
Pearl has calmed quite a bit now. She’s still a Husky and has a lot of energy, but has learned to direct it in proper directions. She rarely jumps up on me or tries to mouth me. She has learned to appreciate some quiet time with a chew bone or toy (See “Kongs” video above). She also appreciates a spell of calm petting.
With the colder weather I have been closing the kennel dogs in their bedrooms at night. The kennel building is heated and closing the doggie doors keeps the cold out. I gave her a blanket to snuggle into on her Kuranda, she seemed to appreciate that the first night, but has since decided it’s a toy and spends the night destroying it.
She keeps her room clean every night, waiting until I let her out after breakfast to relieve herself. A good start on house breaking/crate training. I have no trouble getting her to come into her room at night, she is not averse to being confined in her room.
Dec 11, 2021
Pearl is doing MUCH better as restraining her enthusiasm and demanding attention from me. We have been closing her into her bedroom at night because of the cold. She has a perfect score for keeping her room clean and dry all night long. Well, except for those times when she goes snorkeling in her water bucket. But that is clearly drinking water not urine. What’s a husky to do when she gets bored? Shove her head into her water bucket and blow bubbles through her nose, of course!
Giving her a Kong toy stuffed with biscuits has given her something less soggy to do until she’s ready for bed.
April 11, 2022
Pearl has calmed down a lot in her relationship with me. She has been exposed to several new people recently and did well with all. She has become reactive to other dogs walking by her kennel, but that is common when a dog is confined. When it is she who is loose and walking by the other dog, she’s fine. And she plays well with most other dogs.
She does well at keeping her bedroom clean at night as long as I don’t dally too long in the morning.
Jan. 9th, 2023
Little has changed. She is getting frustrated with life in a kennel.
August 8th, 2023
It’s been hot and Pearl has not enjoyed the heat. Even on nice days, she insists on going inside to her room (where it’s air conditioned). When I release her from her bedroom to leash walk her out to the play yard she insists on taking a tour of the building, checking on each resident, looking around the kitchen, checking out the mop sink, then coming to stand by me to be leashed. So far she hasn’t gotten into anything (not even the kitchen trash) she’s just looking around. She LOVES playing with Brutus!
More will be added as care and training progress. To receive notices of updates subscribe below. It’s painless and you can unsubscribe any time you want. Your e-mail address is used ONLY to deliver post notices. That’s a promise!
Baby and Maggie were members of a family who loved them, but were neglectful, until the their landlord decided they were a nuicance and he demanded they get rid of their dogs. No fault of the dogs, but they lost their home.
Last updated: Aug 28, 2021
Base Info
Arrival date: March 30, 2021
Breed: Border Collie
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: @ 03/25/2019
Weight: @ 40 pounds on March 30 ……………..42.8 lbs. on May 12 ……………..37.7 lbs on June 11
NOTE: Baby has tested Positive for Heart Worms. We cannot adopt her out until that is treated. Treatment will take around 120 days, and it will be EXPENSIVE! We will need to raise the funds to pay for it before we can begin treatment. Baby will not be available for adoption for several months.
Contact information for your veterinarian is required and we will do a reference check. We do not adopt to people who neglect their dogs.
An adoption Contract must be signed by PMFC and Adopter. This is a legal document and an actual signature is required. If the form must be mailed back and forth, allow time for that to happen. Electronic PDF is allowed if you can print/scan.
Adoption fee is $200.00 This generally does NOT cover what we have invested in medical care and room & board. But it helps.
Progress Summary
Detailed notes are below the summary
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Yes. Gets territorial about her crate, but relates well when in the open.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Oddly, she is guarded when in her crate, but not when eating or taking treats in a loose group.
Preferred style of play: She likes to run in the yard and gentle tussling.
Is affectionate: Yes, very much so.
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Yes . Cats: Unknown
Jumps up on people: Yes – but doing much better.
Mouths: No. Does nose-bump my hands
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Commands
Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Yes
Shake / Paw: Yes
Kennels on command: Yes
House Dog Training
Willingly enters her crate: Yes
Is calm/quiet while in crate: Yes
Understands going outside to potty: Yes
Alerts me of need to go outside: Yes, goes to the door.
Is destructive of bedding and/or toys: Bedding no, plush toys: yes but not terribly so.
Engages in kitchen counter cruising: No
Stays off people furniture: Most of the time. See notes for May 10 below.
Diet
Victor Classic – Professional Dry Dog Food 1/3 cup kibble and 2.5 oz home made stew, AM and PM (needs to lose a little weight)
Baby arrived this morning. All new intakes go into a kennel for evaluation and dog-dog testing with our “staff”. Most stay in their kennel for a while because most intakes are wild-eyed, hooligan, street dogs pulled from a shelter. Baby and her sister, Maggie were beloved house dogs. They should progress well.
This is raw, unedited footage. I’ll replace it with a cleaner version when I get the chance.
March 31
She did excellently last night. I brought her in around 8:30. Marie played with her for a bit then I settled her in her crate. We fiddled about for a while getting ready for bed, then slipped off. Both of the new girls remained quiet and slept through the night. I got up once around 3:00 to greet John and they stirred, but did not fuss. I went back to bed and so did they. I got up at 4:00 (as is my habit) and took each of them outside to potty, gave each a drink, and began my study time. Both behaved splendidly!
This afternoon I was baking dog cookies. I moved crates for Baby and Maggie from the den to the living room where they have a good view of the kitchen. Baby is reliably house broken and a pretty calm girl, so I let her out of her crate to wander the front part of the house while I worked. She found a comfy spot in the kitchen with a better view of the stove and lounged on a blanket.
After a few minutes, Maggie got lonely and started fussing. Baby got up, went back into her crate (beside Maggie’s crate) and laid down. Maggie stopped fussing.
How sweet is it that Baby cares that much about her little sister?
April 2
Baby has been with us three nights now. Each night she has retired to her crate for the night around 9:00, after her last potty run, settles in quickly and sleeps the night through. I hear her stir if I get up in the night to use the bathroom. but she settles again when I do.
I was told that she’s never been crated and would resist being crated. It found it is just the opposite. She finds comfort in her “room” and prefers to be in there when not playing or being petted. If she has toys, treats or food in there, she will be grumpy toward other dogs who approach her crate, warding them off. But if I cover the crate with a blanket – just on the side where another dog might be – she is calm and mannerly.
I have not noticed any aggressive behavior in her at all when out of the crate. She is friendly and playful with everyone, but at the same time respectful. If the other dog does not want to play, she will withdraw her attentions and seek entertainment elsewhere. I have not tried giving her toys or treats outside the crate with other dogs present. Not yet. I’ll give her some time to get more comfortable with The Pack first.
April 11
Baby is doing really well. She is super-sweet and smart as well. She loves to cuddle – can get a little pushy about that sometimes, but I’m working on that. She plays well with the other dogs – mostly. She sometimes gets a bit rough with our “delicate little flower” Josephine. But Callie Roo is good at reminding her to be gentle.
April 13
Baby is at the clinic to be spayed and vaccinated against rabies. We also have them implant the microchip and do the Heart Worm test while the dog is unconscious. Unfortunately, Baby tested POSITIVE for Heart Worms. We are proceeding with the spay surgery, microchip, and vaccinations. We will have to get a quote from our vet on treating her for the Heart Worms, but it will delay any adoption while she undergoes treatment. We know it’s expensive. We will need to do a fund-raiser for her treatment.
April 20
May 4
Baby is progressing very nicely. Her major annoyance for me was her habit of greeting me by standing up and raking her front feet down my belly and legs. This is just poor training: something that was cute as a tiny puppy, so it was allowed, maybe even encouraged. When the dog gets older it’s no longer cute. Being a Border Collie, she instinctively wants to be “touchy” with her forelimbs. I’ve been working with her on channeling this and we’ve compromised.
May 10
Baby is scheduled to begin heart worm treatment on May 12th. That should be completed 120 days after that.
Baby has been good about staying off the people furniture, except that she and Marie have decided it’s okay for her to come up on the bed for some bedtime belly rubbing.
Baby was insistently affectionate when she got here, often interrupting my work at my desk by crawling onto my lap and punching my arms with her nose (making it impossible to type), demanding petting. We’ve been working on that. Now when she wants petting she comes over, stands on her hind legs and places one paw on the back of my chair and one paw between my shoulder blades. If I don’t respond in a few moments she will start tapping my back gently with that foot, “Sir, please sir, may I have a moment of your time?” It’s very sweet, and it never fails to get her some snuggle time — as soon as I get to a stopping point. She is one bright dog (Border Collies are) and she’s willing to compromise to make everyone happy.
May 14
Baby has begun heart worm treatment. The initial phase is to kill the microfilaria in her blood and reduce inflammation and risk of infection with Doxycycline and Prednisone. Typically this goes for 30 days then she gets the first Immiticide injection. This process will take months and is expensive (typically runs around $1,600.00 for a dog her size). If you want to help us pay for her life-saving treatment, please do so below — and we Thank you!
May 30
Baby’s energy level has declined quite a lot. She no longer goes out to play with the others in the yard. Most times she will not leave the walkway, but insists she stay right beside me. She pees and poops on the gravel then wants right back in the house to lounge in her crate. Whether this is due to her medications or the worms chewing on and clogging her heart I cannot say. We elected to save $300 by opting out of the x-rays and blood panel prior to treatment. She seems in good spirits and still has a healthy appetite.
She eagerly anticipates snuggling with me in bed while I read before lights-out. When I go in to change into my PJs she repeatedly peaks around the corner to see if I’m ready. If not she ducks back into the den where her crate is. When I’m settled into the bed with my big reading pillow she comes in and sits beside the bed, her little tail stump wiggling madly, until I say, “okay” then she leaps up on the bed and flops down beside my legs. It makes her SO happy.
June 11
A quick update on Baby.
She spent the day at Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital, P.C. to get her first Immiticide treatment. They say she did very well and all of the staff (and everyone in the waiting room this evening) think she is the SWEETEST most loving dog. And, of course, she is!
When she got home she trotted up the walkway, in the back door and straight to her room, her sanctuary, until I had dinner ready to serve. Eat, go out to potty, then right back to her room, with her toy treasury. She’s sleeping now, glad to be home.
She goes back in a month for her second round of shots, then begins a 30 day recuperation period with strictly limited activity. Basically this is crate rest to keep her from forming an embolism in her lungs. That would be bad: she could die.
July 31
On most evenings it is Doug’s habit to take a shower then sit in bed and read for a while. When he comes out of the bathroom Baby (Bae Bae) is generally lounging on the people bed ready for evening snuggles. Last night, as he was heading for the shower, he stopped to grab his PJs and heard a soft “whump”. Looking beside him he found Baby already in position, “I’m ready for snuggles.” “They’d be stinky snuggles, let me shower first.” “I like stinky stuff. I’m a dog.” “I’m going to shower first anyway.” “Whatever. I’ll be here waiting for you.” And she was.
Baby is doing really well with her heart worm treatment recovery.
She is becoming a bit of a nuisance with her habit of stepping in front of me as I’m walking down the hallway, flopping down on the floor and rolling up on her back to demand a belly rub. Normally I just step over her and keep going, then come back to offer a belly rub when I’ve accomplished my task. I want to discourage her from trying and trip us.
August 21
Baby has gone on several home visits with her prospective adopters including two visits where Marie and I left her there with them. The latest one was for two hours. Baby did well: no anxiety over us leaving her.
The next morning, Marie was readying to leave the house and Baby was dancing by the door, “Let’s go, let’s go, I want to go see my other family again.” She was disappointed to find that Marie was going to work.
Baby is scheduled to begin her Foster-To-Adopt phase next week. Here a quick look at this cutie being silly.
Aug 28
Baby (now going by Babe) is on a two week trial, or foster-to-adopt, session in her new home. She has visited several times, so these people were not strangers to her. Martha sent this shot this morning: Babe seems to be settling in well. She and Dick spend their days hanging out together, going for walks and taking naps. They snuggle up together at night. She even gets along with their cats. Looks like a success story in the making!
More will be added as this sweet girl progresses. Subscribe for notification of updates.
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I met this sweetheart Monday March 15th. We’ve been watching her for a while but didn’t have an available apartment for her. Now we do. She is skittish, but willing to be friends – once she got used to me and as long as Lee was there. She gets along great with the NAC staff now. She’s four years old and until Newport Animal Control rescued her she had spent her entire life in a dog box. Not a kennel, a hunter’s dog box! She was terrified of everything and everyone at first, but she’s learning to like this vast new world.
Last updated: Sept 27, 2023
Base Info
Arrival date: March 22, 2021
Breed: Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: Jan 2017
Weight: 70.4 Pounds on Jan 15, 2021. ……………. 57.8 healthy pounds Aug 1 2023
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
General Health: Good Temperament: Shy, skittish, easily frightened, but affectionate
SAFER Testperformed: No
Available for adoption? YES | Rescue? YES
Departure date: Undetermined
Adoption Information
Start by submitting a completed Adoption Application (Now an on-line, mobile friendly form).
Contact information for your veterinarian is required and we will do a reference check.
If local (within @50 miles), schedule a meet-n-greet after your application has been processed. If you have another dog, bring it. A home inspection and interview will be done after a successful meet-n-greet.
If not local, adopter needs to contact a reputable rescue in THEIR area and request that rescue pull the dog from us after performing a home inspection and background investigation. You will then adopt the dog from them according to their policies.
Local adoption fee is $200.00 This includes spay surgery, vaccination against Parvovirus, Distemper, Adednovirus, Rabies, and Bordatella and a thorough de-worming. This dog has been microchipped and will be registered in the adopters name. Any health issues we found were addressed and are described below.
Progress Summary
Detailed notes are below
Relational Behavior
Relates well to other dogs: Yes. She avoids aggressive dogs, but will play rough with a dog who is not out to hurt her. She is also happy to just “hang out” with another dog.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Yes, she and Blade often enjoy a meal near one another. She also shared a kennel with Pearl for a while and they both ate in the kennel together.
Preferred style of play: She likes to run and bump and mouth-wrestle. She does this cute ninja spin to bash her opponent with her butt.
Is affectionate: Yes
Is good with: . Men: Yes . Women: Yes . Children: Undetermined. Too rowdy for small kids. . Cats: No. Cat aggressive.
Jumps up on people: No
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash: Yes
Commands
Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Most of the time
Shake / Paw: Yes
Kennels on command: Yes
House Dog Training
Not yet applicable
Diet
Victor Classic – Professional dry and Purina Pro Classic Ground canned. PMFC Peanut butter cookies given as rewards for compliance. Occasional snacks include: * Milkbones * Bil-Jac liver treats * peanut butter stuffed bones
Getting to know DougLoaded and ready to rideNot sure she wants to get outI’ll just watch from here, thanksBut I don’t WANT my room cleanedShe loves having a blanket
Progress Updates
March 23, 2021
Luna’s first full day here has completed successfully. She stays in her bedroom on her Kuranda dog bed. Partly because her next door neighbor, Blade, likes to cow her by throwing himself against the tin privacy panel between them. NOISY! I’m going to replace that with plywood. That will take the fun out of it for him.
She has been out in the yard with me for walks several times. Trees creaking in the breeze and loud trucks rolling by on the hard road spook her at first, but she learns to ignore them. She walks well on the leash when using a Martingale collar so she can’t pull out of it – which is her first inclination when she gets spooked: pull out and run away. But some petting and soothing words calm her down quickly and we resume the walk.
March 26
Two big steps taken today. First, while we were on a walk I dropped the lead and let Luna wander freely. In the past she was circling around my legs all the time, today she was going off a little ways to check out interesting smells in the grass. She stayed within 6 feet of me as I canvased the yard doing a poop pick-up. Then I got the pruners and did some tree trimming. While I was focused on that, Luna wandered off. She was way over by the fence, looking out toward the road out front. But she glanced back to be sure I was still where she left me.
When finished I called her. At first I got the tilt-head of confusion. But I started slapping my knees and calling her in a high pitched voice and she came trotting back to me. We walked back to her kennel. I bribed Blade to not scare her, and she went right inside and on through to her bedroom.
Later, while cleaning kennels, I gave Luna a bath. I used a bucket of soapy water and a wash cloth, not a hose, then towel dried her. She did really well with this, even licked my face to let me know she wasn’t mad. She smells better too.
April 12
Luna has made a good deal of progress. She is no longer afraid to come out of her bedroom and is not afraid of other dogs coming up to her kennel to chat. She reacts well to friendly dogs. If one goes aggressive on her she will return the same.
She now responds enthusiastically to the “Come” command, (see video above) galloping all the way across the yard if need be. Just in the past two days Luna has mastered the “sit” command.
Her appetite is also much improved. She generally finishes her bowl of food within 20 minutes of receiving it instead of taking many hours.
April 21
I moved Luna from Apt 3 to Apt 1 yesterday. She took to the move well, no pouting or cursing like Blade did when I tried to move him once. Being in Apt 1 will help to socialize her because it brings her out of the back corner and into the Lime Light kennel. She needed the seclusion at first. But she’s doing much better now. If things get overwhelming, she can always retire to the privacy of her bedroom. And she truly likes having a patch of sunshine to lie in in the afternoons. She never got that in Apt 3.
May 5
Luna has done well in learning her commands and is becoming more social. Not really friendly with anyone but me yet, but at least she is curious – wanting to come out and visit when we have guests who are playing with other dogs.
July 17
We have had a number of guests come through here lately – human and canine – and Luna has reacted to them in mixed fashion. Some she accepts readily, others she is quite fearful of. I’m not sure what determines her reaction as there is no common denominator that I can see.
Oct 5
Luna is still insecure around strangers, but she warms up quickly to those who will persist and allow her to get to know them on her terms. Once she’s comfortable, she is quite affectionate and obedient. She is good at amusing herself with a chew toy, but has not chewed up her bed. She plays well with the other kennel dogs and Blondie Bear but HATES Callie Roo (one of our house dogs. I do not know why, but I suspect Callie stirs the pot with Luna. Callie is known to do that.
Dec 18
One of our Board members, Jennifer, has been coming in weekly to work with Luna. At first, she was skittish but once Jen sat down (to reduce the apparent threat she represented) Luna warmed up to her and quickly became affectionate. Luna’s last name (Luvpitt) is appropriate because she is quite affectionate once she gets comfortable with someone.
I’m going to try various calming agents to see if we can’t get her settled enough to the veterinarian for spaying.
January 2022
In January our resident manager was down with COVID and PMFC Board of Director members (and spouses and friends) came to pitch in and care for the dogs so Doug could heal. This experience proved quite beneficial to Luna as she was exposed to a variety of people repeatedly.
March 2022
A while back we moved Luna to Apartment 4, which is a split unit consisting of a mega-crate indoors and a good outside kennel (tile floor, not dirt). I did this because Luna is best suited to sleeping in a crate. And in fact she loved her new bedroom with a thick blanket folded up to snuggle into. But she did get jealous of Zoey being in her old home and would go over to harass her through the fencing, “Why are you in my house? Get out of MY house! That’s MY house!” then she’d wander off. She’d had her say and was done.
As things evolved, Luna got her old apartment back and seems happy to be “home” again.
April 7, 2022
Luna was spayed today. She did really well. As she recovered, and was still a little drunk on anesthesia, she noticed a tiny newborn goat in the kennel across the hall from her. She kept the staff in stitches watching her try to figure out what kind of puppy that was.
Luna also passed her heart worm test. All results on the 4Dx text were negative. vaccinations are up to date and she’s been microchipped as well.
August 15, 2023
Luna is a lovey, affectionate girl with those she has gotten to know. For most people earning her trust takes only a few minutes if done properly. She plays well with most other dogs but gets skittish with those who get too rough or demanding.
Luna should NOT be given plush toys. She ate one recently. I don’t mean she tears them up I mean she CONSUMED it. That caused a bowel blockage and we almost lost her. But with IV fluids and prayer she moved it through and was fine once again.
She does enjoy having a blanket to sleep on at night, I just pick it up in the morning so it does not become a toy and get torn up (and the scraps eaten).
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