J Lo

Posted on: January 7, 2023 by: DougB Comments: 5 Comments

Last updated: Apr. 17, 2023

Introduction

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 Test performed: 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.
Is destructive of bedding and/or toys: No
Engages in kitchen counter cruising: Too short!
Stays off people furniture: Yes, so far.

Gallery

Observations

Jan 6

Guess who’s auditioning for a spot as a house dog?

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.

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

Stella Bella Piglet-Pooh

Posted on: August 27, 2022 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

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 Test performed: 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.
Jumps up on people: Not any more.
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash: Yes, if she’s not pouting.

Commands

Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Yes
Shake / Paw: Not yet
Kennels on command: Yes. with a bribe

House Dog Training

Willingly enters his/her crate: Not yet
Is calm/quiet while in crate: Yes No
Understands going outside to potty: Yes No
Alerts me of need to go outside: Yes No
Is destructive of bedding and/or toys: Yes No
Engages in kitchen counter cruising: Yes No
Stays off people furniture: Yes No

Adoption Information:

Applications are being accepted now.

Gallery

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.

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.

We add new stuff to our Facebook page daily.

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!

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

Zane Goodfellow

Posted on: March 10, 2022 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

Last Updated: Dec. 6, 2022

If you are interested in adopting Zane, complete the application form.

History

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 4-5 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 Test performed: 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, and 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.
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.
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
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.

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.

Zane in crate heartworm — 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.

If you are interested in adopting Zane, complete the application form.

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.

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

Zoey Zoomheart

Posted on: March 7, 2022 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

Found running loose and picked up by a good Samaritan, Zoey is starting life over.

Last Updated: Sept 10, 2022

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 Test performed: 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!

Zoey & Luna BFF — 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

King Arthur

Posted on: December 16, 2021 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

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.
SAFER Test performed: Yes – Passed
Departure date: March 18, 2022

Adoption Information

Arthur has been accepted by Homeward Bound Dog Rescue of New York. You may contact them for information about adopting Arthur.

Progress Summary

Detailed notes are below the summary

Relational Behavior

Relates well to other dogs: Yes
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

Arthur with bone — Definitely cat friendly

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!

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

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Elsa

Posted on: September 20, 2021 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

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.

Base Info

Arrival date: Sept 13, 2021
Breed: Schnauzer mix
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Birthdate: Unknown
Weight: @ 35 pounds Sept 13
……….….. 48.2 pounds Oct 5
Spayed: Yes.
General Health: Excellent – a little skinny
Temperament: Timid, sweet, happy
SAFER Test performed: 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

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 Brindusky

Posted on: June 9, 2021 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

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: January 9, 2023

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 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
Spayed: Yes, July 1, 2021
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Can be rowdy at times, but has learned to express affection gently.
SAFER Test performed: 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, very much so.
Is good with:
. Men: Yes
. Women: Yes
. Children: Unknown – pretty rowdy for toddlers.
. Cats: NO.
Jumps up on people: Not any more.
Mouths: Rarely – doing much better
Walks well on a leash: Doing better
Housebroken: Working on that.

Commands

Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Yes
Down / Off: Yes
Shake / Paw: Not yet
Kennels on command: Yes

Diet

Victor Classic – Professional Dry Dog Food
PMFC Peanut butter cookies given as rewards for compliance.
Occasional snacks include:
Retriever Beef Basted Sticks
Beef Hooves
Pig ears

Photo Gallery

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 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.

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

Baby

Posted on: March 30, 2021 by: DougB Comments: 5 Comments

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
Spayed: Yes
General Health: Fair (HW+ being treated now)
Temperament: Exceptionally sweet, gentle, affectionate
SAFER Test performed: Yes – Passed
Departure date: Undetermined

Adoption Information

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.

[give_form id=”24755″]

Submit 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. 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)
PMFC Peanut butter cookies given as rewards for compliance.
Occasional snacks include:
Retriever Beef Basted Sticks
Pet Factory (USA made) chip rolls

Gallery

Progress Updates

March 30

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.

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

[give_form id=”24755″]

Luna Luvpitt

Posted on: March 16, 2021 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

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: April 8, 2022

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.
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
General Health: Good
Temperament: Shy, skittish, easily frightened, but affectionate
SAFER Test performed: 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.
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: Undetermined
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 Dog Food: 1½ cups AM and 1 cups PM
PMFC Peanut butter cookies given as rewards for compliance.
Occasional snacks include:
* Retriever Beef Basted Sticks
* Jones Beef Hooves
* Pig Ears

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.

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Sasha Swingtail

Posted on: January 9, 2021 by: DougB Comments: Leave a comment

Sasha is a Husky, just being a Husky, but seemingly she got a bum rap.

Last Updated: Jan. 31, 2021

Base Info

Arrival date: Jan. 09,2021
Breed: Husky mix
Sex: Female
Age: ~~Youth~~, Adult, ~~Mature~~, ~~Senior~~
Birthdate: Dec 2019
Weight: 45 Pounds on Jan. 9
. 50 pounds on Jan. 26
Spayed: Yes
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Mild, low key for a husky. Affectionate.
SAFER Test performed: No
Departure date: January 30, 2021

History

Sasha’s owner refused to crate Sasha while away at work all day, so their house got torn up. Her biggest issue was that she’d bolt out the door and once out recall was iffy. She liked to wander along the highway (very dangerous). Owner gave up on trying to keep her safe and a friend of the family picked her up (after a skunking) and took her in, then contacted us. She loves to chase skunks and has been skunked twice. Her friend, Kate cleaned her up both times. She loves car rides.

Sasha’s Progress Summary

Detailed notes on this foster dog’s progress are posted below the summary.

Relational Behavior

Relates well to other dogs: Yes. Standoffish at first, but gets along fine once she’s acclimated to them.
Can eat food/treats near other dogs: Yes: https://vimeo.com/499204252
Preferred style of play: Undetermined
Is affectionate: She’s loving and cuddly and follows her people around all day.
Is good with:
. Men: Yes
. Women: Yes
. Children: Yes
. Cats: No violence or even teeth baring, but she grumble/growls at them. Loves to chase skunks so probably best to avoid black cats with white stripes.
Jumps up on people: Yes but she’s just wanting to cuddle and is gentle about it. Still … I’m discouraging it.
Mouths: No
Walks well on a leash: Excellent!

Commands:

Comes when called: Yes
Sits on command: Not yet
Down / Off: Yes
Shake / Paw: Not yet
Kennels on command: Yes, with a bribe.

House Dog Training

Willingly enters her crate: Yes, with a bribe and as long as she hasn’t been crated too much.
Is calm/quiet while in crate: Yes, mostly.
Understands going outside to potty: Yes
Alerts me of need to go outside: Yes, but it’s subtle, unless she’s crated. Then she yells for me.
Is destructive of bedding and/or toys: No
Engages in kitchen counter cruising: No, she has not done this so far.
Stays off people furniture: Sort of. She has not gotten on our sofa except when I’m on it, then she wants to be on my lap.

Diet

💕 Victor Classic – Professional Dry Dog Food
. 1 cup + 3 oz. home made stew AM
. ¾ cup + 3 oz. home made stew PM
💕 PMFC Peanut butter cookies
💕 Retriever Beef Basted Sticks
💕 Jones Beef Hooves
💕 Pig Ears or Oinkies as weekend treat.

Gallery

Progress Updates

Jan 9

Sasha just arrived. We went for a walk in the yard and she came inside for a tour and meet the other dogs. She’s a little wary of the “strangers” (dogs) though they are all reacting well to her being here. She went willingly into her crate and has been resting there while I process her intake. We’re in the same room. If I leave for a few minutes she calls me, but is remaining calm.

Sasha walks well on a leash. Kate, her former caretaker, says she could drop the leash and Sasha would continue to walk alongside her.

Jan 10

Saturday afternoon, Sasha spent most of her time in a crate getting used to our other 4 house dogs. After supper Sasha came out and hung with me at the sofa while most of the rest gathered around the fireplace.

Sunday morning we went to Liberty Church of Cosby, and took Sasha with us. We can do that because we are currently meeting as Parking Lot Church, using an FM transmitter so we can listen on our car radios. Sasha loves to ride, and she was deeply interested in parking lot church. So many cars, a few people milling around, stuff going on up front, and she watched it all.

All that paying attention was exhausting, so on the way home she took a snooze.

When we got home, Sasha took a potty break, we all had lunch, and as I’m writing this up she is sound asleep on the carpet next to my desk chair. Blondie Bear is napping a few feet away.

Jan 11

On her first night here we left her crate in the den. She did okay with sleeping in there by herself, but did “call” me 4 times during the night to go outside. Each time we went out, she did pee but I got the distinct impression that this was incidental.

Last night I wiggled her crate into the bedroom and she slept with the rest of us — and slept through the night. When I got up at 4:30 she watched me go, but made no fuss. She slept until Marie got up at 5:30.

Also, she has lost her wariness of the other house dogs. They are now getting along fine. She is not fond of Timmy or Blade (outside dogs) but likes Scout. And he likes her. If he would come out of his kennel, I think they’d play well together.

So far she has shown no inclination to play with the house dogs, although the other night Josephine hid behind a tree and jumped out at Sasha as she passed, dropped into a play bow, then scampered around her in an attempt to get Sasha to chase her. Sasha was tempted, but refrained. Maybe later. Josephine is half her size, but I don’t think Sasha would hurt her while playing.

Jan 15

Sasha has been a full-time house dog, mostly free ranging it for almost a week now and she has done excellently! She does have some separation anxiety issues, but has learned to control those well. Yesterday we needed to go away twice for a couple of hours each time with a little over an hour between sessions. Sasha crated easily each time. The first session she remained calm as we left and was excited to see us upon our return, but not frantic. The second time we left she cried as we headed to the car, but upon returning we found her still in her crate and no damage to either the crate or her bedding. We think having other dogs in the house (and some of them in crates) relieves her loneliness.

Because of her reported wanderlust and escapism traits I have been taking her outside for potty breaks on a leash. Yesterday I started letting her accompany me outside without the leash. Most of the time she stayed near me, took care of her business and headed back to the house. After being cooped up so much yesterday, and it being a pleasantly warm sunny afternoon, Sasha engaged in some zoomies around the yard, but always in big circles around me. When she’s worked out the pent up energy she zoomed back to the back door of the house and waited for me. Inside she was well behaved.

She has been sleeping in her crate, in our bedroom, at night. She has behaved extremely well. Tonight I will take her crate in there in case it’s needed, but will invite her to sleep on a dog bed like the others.

Jan. 26

Sasha is home from her surgery. They say she did really well and everyone thought she was just the sweetest girl! As would be expected, she is in pain. But she did eat dinner and she is walking around, slowly. Even went outside for a potty break. Right now she’s tucked up under my chair so close it’s hard to get in and out without stepping in her. But if it maker her feel better to be close, that’s fine. It does make it easier to reach down and give her scritchies often.

Jan. 27

Sasha is a sensitive gal. She’s not dealing with the pain well despite giving her a Tramadol (pain reliever). She’s not crying, just fidgeting a lot because she can’t get comfortable. So we were both up most of the night as she needed lots of comforting.

She’s sleeping now (of course) 🙂

She did eat dinner last night, so that’s good. She lost part of that due to anesthesia induced nausea. It takes a while for that to go away. Today will get better for her. The first 24 hours are the worst. Dogs (animals in general) have amazing recuperative powers.

Did you know that giving a dog a good, deep ear rub releases endorphins in their body that make them feel good? It’s true!
https://www.cesarsway.com/why-do-dogs-love-to-have-their-ears-rubbed/
And of course you know that petting a dog releases endorphins in us, so it’s a win-win situation.

At breakfast this morning I brought Sasha’s favorite bed out to the kitchen so she could be comfortable yet near us as we ate our breakfast.

Jan. 28

Miss Swingtail’s tail was swinging again by yesterday evening. She spent a good part of yesterday outside lounging in the sunshine. After dinner last night she decided to snuggle with Marie and Josephine.

You have to look close to even see Josie! But she was quite comfy down there.

We had a better night last night. I was up a few times to get her to stop licking. She has discovered the fabric is stretchy and she can get her nose in there to lick the incision. Sometimes she’s just licking a foot. But I have to check just the same. So I keep a small flashlight on a cord around my neck, Sasha sleeps next to my side of the bed, and I seep lightly. Listening. At least I got to be in the bed last night.

I gave her that last name because of what she does with her tail: it’s a long tail to start with. Instead of wagging it the way most dogs do, hers sweeps around in a full arc, touching her ribs on both sides on each stroke. It’s a slow motion too, just a relaxed, comfortable swinging motion. Swingtail.

Special Notes

Sasha likes to hold hands. She finds this soothing, and will come and ask for it when she needs it. If you stroke the top of her paw with your thumb, it is especially soothing. She is not highly anxious, she just gets nervous.

Sasha does not shed like normal huskies do, but she enjoys being brushed. She has an itchy spot on her right rear leg. I don’t see any issues with her skin, but when she starts chewing on that spot I get her brush and work on the leg for a minute or so an that seems to take care of the issue. I use a slicker brush (like THIS ) but you can find one locally, and other brushes may work as well.

Sasha is reliably housebroken. She will go stand by the door to the outside (once she knows which one that is) or will come get me and lead me there. Most of the time she will insist that I go out into the yard with her or she won’t leave the porch. But I need only be where she can see me. She will wander off to do her business, but keeps an eye on me, then comes running back to go inside. Unless it’s nice weather, then she sometimes want to linger. As she becomes confident in her surroundings (see the 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 Months rule) she will probably go out without accompaniment.

She likes to ride in the car and will sit in the back seat or the front. She does not jump around or get crazy, but I recommend using a harness and seat strap for safety. The strap buckles into the seat belt buckle and the harness prevents breaking her neck (as a collar would) in the case of a sudden stop.

Sasha is a talented escape artist and has more than once slipped past me, without my knowing, as I’m closing the door so that I turn around and she’s sitting there grinning at me, “Where are we going Dad?”

She is now comfortable enough here that I can go into the kennel building or into my workshop (the old trailer) for a short time and leave Sasha in the play yard with the other dogs and not worry that she will go over a fence to come looking for me. If I’m planning an extended work session, Sasha, Buddy and Callie all get crated to prevent issues.

Sasha uses a 36″ wire crate. These fold down for ease of transport. I line the bottom with a soft blanket and a pillow. I leave the door open so she can go in there to rest when she wants to. Sasha does not tear up her bedding. She crates easily when I give the “In your room” command and poke a dog cookie though the bars so she goes inside to get it. She prefers to sleep in there at night. With no other dogs around she may not feel as strongly about that.

Sasha is wary around new dogs. Once she is assured she is not about to be eaten, she gets along with calm dogs fine. I can even hand out treats to them as a free-range pack and she waits her turn. Sasha has become a well behaved, sweet, gentle, reserved little lady.

ADOPTED

Sasha and Geoff — This is MY Hooman, Geoff, and I’m gonna keep him!

January 30, 2021: Happy tails, Sasha! We will miss you, but we’re happy you’re launching into a life with Geoff where you will be loved and well cared for. Drop us a note when you can!

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Rescue | Rehabilitate | Rehome

Introduction

Base Info

Relational Behavior

Commands

House Dog Training

Gallery

Observations

Jan 6

Jan 13

Jan 16

History

Base Info

Relational Behavior

Commands

House Dog Training

Adoption Information:

Gallery

Observations

August 31, 2022

January 6th, 2023

History

Base Info

Relational Behavior

Commands

Observations

Heartworm Treatment

History

Base Info

Relational Behavior

Commands

Adoption Information

Sept 10, 2022

History

Base Info:

Adoption Information

Progress Summary

Relational Behavior

Commands

House Dog Training

Gallery

Dec 14, 2021

Dec 15. 2021

Dec 17, 2021

Dec 19, 2021

Dec 25, 2021

Jan 21, 2022

January 28

March 14

History

Base Info

Relational Behavior

House Dog Training

Gallery

Progress Updates

Monday Sept 13

Tuesday, Sept 14

Wednesday, Sept 15

Thursday, Sept 16

Friday, Sept 17

Saturday, Sept 18

Sunday, Sept 19

Monday, Sept 20

Saturday, Sept 25

Monday, Oct 4

History

Base Info

Adoption Information

Progress Summary

Relational Behavior

Commands

Diet

Photo Gallery

June 12, 2021

June 22

July 2

July 5

July 10

July 14

Sept 21

Progress Updates