Mama said there'd be days like this...

I must be thankful that I have experienced four months of almost all spectacular days, and only one challenging day before getting my first bad day as a shelter volunteer.  And I must be grateful that I had a week between the first bad day and the first terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I am going to use this blog to decompress a little bit from the news I just received, and I ask you to ride this wave with me.  I will hearken back to my first post, and try to reflect on my hope that what I gain from this will be better than what I feel right now.

Wednesday after my last post (so April 4) was an interesting day.  Carley, the boxer I had written about, was on seizure watch.  Apparently, she had a couple seizures on her last few morning walks, though not with me on Monday.  Wednesday was not so kind.  In the midst of one of her leaping bounds, Carley twisted, fell to the ground, and had another seizure.  I know it was harder for me to watch than it was for her to experience, but that didn't ease my heart.  I was thankful to be able to be near her as she came out of it, and provide her with a soothing voice and, when she was more or less clear-headed, some gentle pets and loves.  The adoption coordinator needed the details relayed to her, so as I told her what I had seen, I was able to process.  I did ask her what happens next, though, and was actually pretty dang happy with the answer.  The shelter doesn't necessarily have the resources to help a dog like Carley.  She had had a few tumors removed from her body, and there was a possibility that it was a brain tumor causing the seizures.  Thankfully, there are some amazing rescues out there that help special medical needs cases.  The shelter would attempt to get her to a boxer rescue like that.

Now, I would love to pretend that's how everything ended up playing out.  Unfortunately, this is a non-fiction blog, so I have to tell you about the email I got on Wednesday afternoon.  Carley was taken in for a neurological exam mid-morning, April 4.  Sadly, she had a massive seizure during the exam and passed.  That sucks.  Big time.  Thankfully, I was with a wonderful group of friends when I got this news, and I was able to process with support and hugs around me.  As distanced as it may sound, it sucked, I was sad, but at the same time, it was very clear that Carley was a sick doggy, and I am thankful that she does not have to suffer any more.

Thank you, Carley, for showing me care-free play and love.

Since that day, I have gotten to help out with some dogs in need of extra loves.  The following Saturday, I spent almost 45 minutes with Jackson.  Jackson is on kennel rest, as he has a fractured bone in his right front leg.  He gets potty walks that stay on the grass, and no crazy play.  I think that even if he had the opportunity for crazy play, it will take him a while to want it.  Jackson is very skittish.  He hardly settled at all during the time I had him out.  He would not take treats, peanut butter or cream cheese (which most of the pups go nuts for).  What he did seem to enjoy, though, was me sitting on a bench while he sat at my feet, and getting slow gentle pets.  It was new for me that a pup was more comfortable with me above him than at his level.  Most of the dogs are happy to have me come sit on the ground with them.  It just seemed to make Jackson nervous.  Thankfully, he did finally settle a bit, and when I took him out again on Monday, he seemed to be coming along.  Things were still slow, but he was a little less panicked.  I hope that trend will continue.

Jackson was a bit camera-shy with me, and since he wasn't interested in the treats I offered, I opted to snap a quick side shot and stop stressing him out.

Now...on to where we are today.  With a bit of lead up, I am in a position that I am not getting the news I just got out of nowhere.  I have had warning of it since Saturday.  That being said, it's still BS news.  If you are not sure you can ride this with me, I won't be offended if you walk away from today's post right now, because this is about to get really, really sad, and maybe make you a little angry, too.  I just feel I need to caution, because the next sentence I write will break the hearts of those of you who have been on this ride with me.

Zander was put down today.

Let me give you a second, go get your Kleenex, and if you need it, a stiff drink.











Okay.  

Saturday, Zander was not in his kennel, nor was he out at the Okay Corral.  I was initially in an optimistic panic, and ran to ask the Team Lead if he had been adopted.  The answer I got was not the one I wanted.  Zander got pulled from adoptions, and would be having his fate decided by the powers that be in the coming week.  Turns out, there is one volunteer that Zander has shown aggression towards.  There has not been any actual contact, from what I can gather, but there was a lunging on his leash in the hall incident that was very out-of-character for the big bubblehead.  It was enough aggression to this one volunteer that he was moved back to behavior evaluation.

Now, I will disclose that I do NOT know the whole story.  And as a volunteer, there are probably parts that I will never be privy to, so I need to remind myself not to jump to conclusions.  Zander did not like small children, and that was disclosed on his kennel card.  Apparently he had lunged at his door on a couple occasions for others, not just children, or so I'm told.  My skepticism is that the majority of the dogs in that area of kennels do that, so I'm not sure why that would be a huge deal.  But I digress.

My understanding is that once he was moved back for evaluation, they would have two options.  One would be to determine if he was too much of a liability to send a rescue, and thus be put down.  The other was that he could be plead out to the rescues as a dog with some behavior challenges.  Either scenario, he would not be moved back to adoptions.

Again, I do not have all of the puzzle pieces.  I have to learn to accept that, or I will get very mad.  From my perspective, there would be no reason not to move him out to a rescue.  It sounded as if his aggression was only a surprise in that he has never shown it, not that it was a "turn", where he went from normal old Bubblehead Zander to crazy Cujo.  I hear that, and I think, well crap, no dog is perfect, right?  At least he sent clear signals.  But, again, I don't know the whole story.  To me, that's not an aggressive dog, that's a dog that doesn't like someone, for reasons we may never know.  After all, with these pups that come in, you never know what they dealt with before.  And then in comes the magic word that makes people in California see dollar signs (generally in the direction of leaving themselves and going to lawyers).

Liability.

That's right.  The shelter has a crap-ton of liability about what happens with their pups.  I don't know enough about the process to know when that moves from the shelter to a rescue or an owner, but it was enough of a concern that Zander is gone.  Forever.

I don't know what I can do about how I'm feeling right now.  I let the volunteer lead know that I'd follow up with my commitment for this upcoming Saturday, but that I was going to need a week off to decompress and think.

I said at the beginning of this that I was in it for six months.  I'm not sure that now is the best time to make that decision on walking away.  I'm hurt, I'm sad, and I feel like in a way, I've lost one of my own dogs.  My mother's advice was to reevaluate if I can handle this, because clearly I become attached.  She reminded me why I had changed my mind about becoming a vet...and this was a big part of it. With the same breath, though, she reminded me to celebrate the joy that I have found as a part of this experience, in the form of a wiggly little brown and white dog with a silly ear who is proving to be a phenomenal running companion already.  Raeanne is a lucky one.  She got out.  So did Edward, and Carlie.


I have to step back to that orientation, where we were told that there would be hard days.  But we were also told that our hours, our energy, and our love would help these dogs shine.  I have seen some amazing dogs find fur-ever homes, and I am lucky to have been a part of that.  I have celebrated life with a dog on her last day.  I have watched dozens of people, probably at least a hundred even, give up hours of their day, multiple days a week, to try to help dogs shine.  At seven AM on a Saturday morning, you get a sense for the sheer volume of people that care as much as I do.


One of the volunteers and I were talking about Zander's situation on Saturday morning; she is clearly as fond of him as I am.  With tears in her eyes, and frustration in her voice, she said something that is really resonating right now, but for different purpose.


"They expect these dogs to be perfect.  No dog is perfect.  All we can do is learn as much as we can, teach as much as we can, and share that information with those who need to know."


I think I need to take that approach towards my experience.  I seemed to have expected this volunteering journey to be perfect--to have no sorrow.  But it will.  And all I can do is learn as much as I can from the good and the bad, and share with anyone who will listen, and those who need to know, that despite shitty days like this, I think it is probably worth it.  And when I'm not too sure, all I have to do is close my eyes and listen to the snoring, snorting pitbull at my feet.




In memory of Sir Zander Bubblehead, the biggest lap dog I have ever known, and a dog who has changed my life.

May the walks be filled with good smells, may the laps be cozy and may the treats be plentiful in the place you now find yourself.

Lest I ignore those still here...

Jackson's information can be found here.  He will not be fully healed for about six more weeks, but feel free to stop by and introduce yourself.

Catching up

I know I'd aimed to write more frequently, but again, life has gotten in the way!  Thankfully, it has not impeded too much of my ability to help walk the pups, but a mini vacation and the home sale saga have been a bit of a distraction!

My last post about stereotypes seemed to have resonated.  I cannot reiterate the lack of bad dogs in this world.  I am continuously reminded of this with dogs that come through who have clearly had a rough go of things, and yet have so readily forgiven people, and await their new homes and families.

Some quick catch up on the shelter family.  Jet was adopted...which is AWESOME!  Noel will miss chewing on his collar in their shared time, but it was exciting for him to move on.  Joy has moved to foster, which is awesome for her.  Dozer-returned-to-being-called-Alex is in foster as well, with the intent of the foster "failing" and him being adopted to that family.  

More new faces have trickled in and out, but it seems to be slow right now, which is a problem I'm okay with.  Puppy season is fast approaching, though.

Luna is a sweet big girl who is starting to settle into the routine.  She's strong, and is getting over her nervousness about everything.  She wasn't overly nervous, but over the last couple of weeks, seeing her changes, well, I understand she wasn't quite feeling herself on the rainy day that she and I walked together.

Kate has been getting a lot of practice on her gentle leader, and is doing quite well.  She's a completely different dog to walk when she's on it, and self-corrects brilliantly.

Wyatt is a big beautiful dog that some of the volunteers call "Brown Bob", since he is guessed to be a similar mix as Bob.  I think he might have a little bit of Chesapeake Bay Retriever in him, but he's so very friendly that if it's there, it's definitely not more dominant in his personality.  Wyatt is a goof.  He loves to play for play's sake, and just really seems to be a happy dog.  He was not, however, interested in posing for the camera!

My heart skipped a few beats this past Saturday, because there is a rare sight in the shelter here...Auzzie is an Australian Cattle Dog, and is clearly confused about what's going on right now.  He's a snausage for sure (what we've always called the breed, for their roundness when given more love than work), and is stressed out about two things.  One, he's got no job at the shelter.  Two, he clearly came from a family, and is trying to figure out what happened to them and him.  When he and I spent time together, he was quick to come get treats, say hi, and sit very quickly on my lap, but then would turn, and spring out, as if to say "this isn't quite right...".  Knowing these dogs helps me to understand Auzzie a bit; most ACDs are very loyal to one family, and can be pretty stand-offish with others.  Auzzie seems to be trying to figure out who his family is at the shelter.  I hope he goes home soon, because he doesn't get free range to go nuts in the interaction areas....Auzzie has proven himself a talented fence climber.

  
I finally walked Penelope after having been walking dogs at the shelter for three months...somehow, she and I had never had time together.  She is rambunctious, for sure, but also very, very sweet and eager to please.  She's one of those who's been in for a while.

Today, I spent some time with Carley.  She is a big Boxer mix, and really lives the meaning of the word "fun".  On the leash, she is rather well-behaved.  She didn't pull much at all, but as soon as the leash was off in Mark's Park, she bounded end to end for ten minutes straight.  I can't call it running; she was airborne most of the time and powered herself up as much as forward.  She is very loving as well...many of her characteristics remind me of my oldest sister's Boxer, Brock. I did have to laugh at one thought that crossed my mind, though.  Between Polly's overbite and Carley's underbite, I think we've got a two regular mouths!

I spent a bit of time with Noel today for the first time in over a month (other than the quick 'hi' I try to give her frequently).  Poor girl is positive for mange....again.  However, what struck me more was how much she has grown and filled out since I first saw her in January.  She's on a harness now, and is settling much more quickly on her walks and playtimes.  I hope she finds a home soon; she is so eager to please and will smother you with love, even if you don't smell like treats!

Finally, today was a reminder of that willingness to love.  Cedar is a young pup, only about four and a half months.  He's had all of his shots, though, so he's allowed to go for walks.  Cedar will be enormous; his paws are almost as big as Murphy's!  However, he's clearly had a rough time; his coat is patchy (I believe they said he's recovering from mange), and he is so very skinny.  He is, however, very eager to climb up into laps and snuggle.  I hope he does not have to stay long at the shelter.  Cedar has great manners, too...he knows sit and down, and will wait at the door in a sit.

   
Then the big one...whoever had 10 weeks as the call for my begging, you win.  Raeanne came home with us for good on her one year anniversary in the shelter, March 19.  She has been an amazing addition to our pack.  Edward, my 11 year-old dog, has been wrestling with her like he's a puppy again.  Carlie, our socially-awkward dog, has even been playing.  That has much to do with Raeanne's amazing dog-reading skills.  She recognizes that Carlie is a different style of play, and adjusts accordingly.  She is giving the cats plenty of room (partially because I'm not sure she knows what to do with them).  And she absolutely loves to snuggle.  It's only been two weeks, and she is settling in so wonderfully.  She is going to make a great running partner as well.  This was a good discovery to make, but on the flipside of a sadder one; Edward is pretty much tapped out after two miles now, and with my training runs getting longer, he's had to stay home.  Raeanne did seven miles with me on Sunday (we've been doing shorter during the week to build up, and she did six the weekend before).  I swear, she was ready to do it again after a quick nap!

I am lucky to have such a great pack, of all shapes, sizes and species.  As usual, I encourage everyone to find their own.  Maybe it's your first animal, maybe it's your fifth...but I have found the best of surprises from the third dog that I swore I wouldn't end up with.


Looking for a fur-ever friend?  One of these pups could be it...

Luna
Kate
Wyatt
Auzzie
Carley
Polly
Noel
Cedar

Second chances and stereotypes

Today's is a hard one to write.  Alex, now called Dozer, had to go back to the shelter.  It is sad to me that the home was not right for him, but it is also respectable to me that his family was able to make the right decision for their household, no matter how hard it was, but also that they did what the shelter asks and brought him back instead of any of the other options.  I am both saddened and pleased, as Dozer gets another chance, with a little more knowledge under the belts of the shelter workers.  Just stinks, and there's no way around that.

I got to hang out with another return on Saturday.  Dudley was only in the shelter briefly, as I recall, but was returned.  As I went to get him out to take him to the Okay Corral, I noticed his surrender reason was "because".  Nice.  And then I realize he's skinnier, and more skittish than when he left.  My heart broke.  But then, I realized that they at least did one thing right in bringing him back.  

Dudley strikes me as pretty forgiving, and thankfully, he was gone by Monday morning.

On to my rant for today...I have had the pleasure of knowing many pit bulls.  I have had the tragedy of having to say goodbye too early to a sweet dog that someone "broke", and no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't "fix".  Samantha will always hold a special place in my heart, and even over a year after we said goodbye, I still struggle with how everything happened.  Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

The other night on TV was a "funny" video of a boy trying to kiss a chihuahua...and the chihuahua was growling and nipped at the boy any time he got close.  Laughs from the boy, laughs from the camera operator, and cue the "Applause" sign and laugh track.

NO.  This is not okay.  This dog, while not carrying the same equipment as a 50 pound pittie, was clearly aggressive towards people.  I thought back to the video of a news reporter getting bit in the face that went viral a few weeks back.  The poor dog did everything in his power to say he was unhappy with what was happening, and there was no laugh track to his discomfort.  While Max is an Argetine Mastiff, and not a pittie, my frustration translates across.  I have seen too many people react with fear, anger, and blatant hostility regarding pitties, and it breaks my heart.  

My dear friend and college roommate came for a visit this weekend and we discussed this.  Her pup, Gigi, is some sort of mix that includes cattle dog and pit, though she sometimes looks like a basenji.

Gigi is very friendly with adults, but timid with children, and my friend has gone to great lengths to be a responsible pet owner regarding this.  Gigi and my dog, Edward, were best of friends for the three years they lived together.  She sometimes chases cats, but even the best dogs struggle with that!  All this aside, I have watched with my friend as someone petting Gigi will inquire about her muttness.  My friend learned that it was easier to not refer to her pit portion, despite the fact that you can see it very clearly in certain of Gigi's expressions.  People who had been snuggling, petting, and pouring their love onto Gigi would back away as if burned.  Folks, this is the same dog you were just slathering with attention.  And yet, countless times, my friend has been lectured about the danger of pit bulls, and told how vicious they are.  To that point, I submit three pictures from this past week, all of pit bulls.

I have written of Zander's love before.  This is a regular occurrence for he and I.  In case you can't tell, he has managed to fall asleep like this in our 20 minutes together.

Pretty Polly has spent many walks like this with me as well.  This was a trick to take, as I had to lean back to get the length of her, but Polly loves to lay along the dip created by my legs when I have them straight in front of me.  As you can see by her expression, her only concern is that I have stopped rubbing her belly to take a picture.

And this is Jersey.  He has not been at the shelter as long as Zander and Polly, but I have gotten to know him pretty quickly.  He's not as big of a cuddler as some of the others, but within a minute or two of me sitting on the ground at his level, he works his way partly into my lap.  He doesn't relax quite to the level that Zander and Polly do, but I do nothing more than sit and pet him.  He chooses to make the contact that he does, and it has very quickly started becoming more and more.  Jersey loves smooshing into my lap when I scratch under his collar.

Clearly a vicious breed, no?  

The point that I would force as far into everyone's brain as I possibly can was made so simply clear to me by a bumper sticker I saw yesterday.

There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.

Pitties have equipment that can harm.  So do a lot of other dogs.  But when they are not tormented into becoming "guard dogs" and fighters, and instead raised in loving homes, they exhibit just as much, if not more, love as any other breed.

Enough soap box.  

If you're in the area, come see them.  And by in the area, I would like to remind you that we drove 90 minutes for the right rescue dog for our family when we picked up Carlie.

Alex-called-Dozer
Zander
Polly
Jersey

Return to routine

I apologize right off the bat for the absence.  We've got a bit of a big deal going on in my life outside volunteering, and it has consumed most of my spare time for the last two weeks.  I have still been walking dogs, just haven't been able to decompress and share.

There have been plenty of furry faces to come and go since my last update, some of whom it was a big deal for.  Pete was a 'blue' that had been at the shelter for some time, and he has gone on to a fur-ever home.  Abby, the beautiful "basengi mix" from a few weeks ago got adopted as well.  A number of pups had quick turnarounds as well, which is always a mixed emotion.  I'm excited that they get to move on so quickly, and I'm a little bummed that the dogs who have been in the shelter for so long are still there.

To save space, and rambling, I'm going to do a quick update on the faces I've gotten to know in the last two weeks.  Some have come and gone, but others are still there.


Duchess got a second glance from everyone...it is very rare for a dog that appears to be purebred anything to be in the shelter, and all the volunteers and staff said the same thing about her: "She'll be gone before the staff's had lunch".

And she was....maybe it has to do with not looking like a "bully breed", maybe it's because Disney re-released "Lady and the Tramp" not too long ago, either way, this little Cocker Spaniel didn't have to wait long.


My theory doesn't hold up with Nina, though, so it must have been her stellar personality.  Nina was only in adoptions for a few days before she found a fur-ever home.  She was very sweet, so I was not surprised by that.

Random interjection to share that Zander is still at the shelter, and they have made him a 'blue'...which no one seems to understand.  I'm still allowed to walk him, even though I'm not technically qualified for blues.  However, Heather, the lead, made me feel pretty good when she said "You two clearly have a relationship, so you're welcome to keep walking him."

While it saddens me that he remains there, it's always a highlight for me to spend some time with him.  It's pretty predictable; potty break, a few half-hearted ball chases, and then straight into my lap for scritches and loves.  Zander is a special boy, and I hope that he will soon find someone to return the affection that he so readily shares.


Jersey has been in adoptions for a couple weeks, and I have had a few opportunities to get to know him.  He is very eager to please, and very eager to play.  One of the games that Jersey likes to play with me is run as fast as you can across Mark's Park, then back, and end by colliding with Janean's legs...I know it probably doesn't sound like that great of a game, but once I figured out that was what he wanted to do (and prepared myself for it) it turned into a great adventure....especially when I started feeling like a matador, jumping out of the way at the last second. With all that energy, it has been great for me to spend time with Jersey, because I find myself running back and forth in Mark's Park with him.  He is so spirited, and I find myself acting like a little child when I play with him, and giggling until I can hardly breath.

Jersey is hard for me to read about other dogs; he is definitely interested in them, but can be talked out of it for a treat.  Certain of the dogs that walk by get his interest with tail wagging, but others just get his interest.  I would be intrigued to see how he would do with some of the more "seasoned" play-date female dogs, such as Estelle or Raeanne.  He surely could use the energy burn!


Pasha has been in the shelter for a few weeks as well.  As horrible as it sounds, it seems like most of us dread getting her out to the Okay Corral.  Let me explain...Pasha is a whiner and crier, and that gets the other dogs worked up.  After walking with her the first time, my perception of that changed a bit.  Pasha does not like to be left behind.  When I walked her, she would go to the very end of the leash, feel the tension, adjust, and stay just slack as far as she could go ahead.  Her nose was almost always to the ground for smells, and she covered easily four times as much ground as I did with her back and forth exploring.  Pasha is also very sweet, and very eager to please.  She is smart, but clumsy.  Case and point...within five minutes of our walk, she knew that if she pulled too far ahead and I stopped, we would resume walking only after she loosened the tension and looked at me.  However, when we went to the picnic tables for some scritches, Pasha was so excited about the under-the-collar work I was doing that she proceeded to slide off the bench unintentionally!  She is very playful, and today I discovered that she has hoarding tendencies...in Mark's Park, every time I threw a toy for her, she would take it to the middle of the park, drop it, and come for another.  By the end of our ten minutes in there, she had piled up six toys!!

Pasha needs out quickly, but to someone that has a puppy friend for her, or is home a lot, as I can only imagine what her separation anxiety would be like out of the shelter.  That being said, a peanut butter-filled Kong sure got her to settle this morning, and helped with the whining for almost 30 minutes!


To dogs that come and go quickly, add Dorothy.  She is a young boxer mix.  The best explanation is that a boxer face was put on a pittie puppy...and needless to say, she didn't stay long.  She is a wiggly, attention loving girl, and I am glad that she found a home quickly, because time without petting was hard for her, as evidenced by my hand pulling her back from my camera because she was trying her darndest to be in my lap...

Enter Brewster.  Brewster is listed as a chow mix, and I have a feeling that he may be in the shelter for some time, as his kennel card indicated that he is a digger, both for the purpose of burying toys, and also for digging at fences.  He is one of the silliest dogs I have seen there, probably second only to Polly.  My hope, though, is that someone will see him, fall in love, and decide that they are willing to give him the attention that he needs to deal with the digging.  He's also about the fluffiest damn dog I've ever seen...

Alright, and to a big announcement...it took about six weeks, but the first real attempt at persuasion has started.  Raeanne is a gorgeous pup that is coming up on a year in the shelter.  That's right, not foster, but the shelter.  She gets along with other dogs, doesn't seem to have much of a prey drive (meaning she should do well enough with learning the rules related to cats) and is fully housebroken.  She's also a young, high-energy girl that will require consistent rules and exercise.  

Because she is a 'blue', I haven't ever walked her on my own.  However, last Saturday, Ty and I did an interaction (just people and her) and that went well, and two days ago, we took Edward and Carlie over for a walk and to see what we could do.  Given that we will be out of town in two weeks, we don't want to commit to anything before that.  However, the first pup interaction didn't go all bad...Edward, being the old grumpus that he is, was annoyed that she wanted to say hi while he was still sniffing and peeing, but Carlie seems to think that this could be fun...We'll be trying again this weekend, and potentially even doing a short-term foster (if I can get that approved).  While I am appreciative that EHS doesn't put down for time and space, it is also a struggle to see a pup who has been there for so long.  I would love to be her new fur-ever home.

More regular updates should be back on the docket now, and again, my apologies for the lapse.

If you're near enough to Escondido, and thinking of a furry friend, I'd encourage you to meet some of these:

Zander
Jersey
Pasha
Brewster
Raeanne

 

 

 

Maybe weekly is the best way to do this...though I worry I may leave something out!  Story of my life, though.

Wednesday was the introduction of some new faces, and the confirmation of Murhpy's adoption!  I was so ecstatic to see him gone, as he was starting to get really antsy, and needed someone to surround him with the love the volunteers can only give part of the day.

Dominic is a new face at EHS.  He is seven months old, and has a similar paw deformity as Carlie (my younger dog).  His is his front right paw, and as with my pooch, it doesn't seem to slow him down one bit.  He is such a cute, good boy, and I am hoping he finds someone who will ignore that silly paw, and see how eager he is to please and to learn.

Wednesday was a lesson for me in patience and consistency.  Kate is a beautiful girl that has had a rough go of it for a little while; she's been through a lot to get to adoptions.  I took her out for some time together, and rather than having my arm pulled out of the socket, decided to practice good walking with her.  Kate's eagerness to make you happy leads to a dog that self-corrects very well; when she'd pull, I'd stop, tap my leg, and wait.  She very quickly learned that I expected her to turn around and come back to me, and was occasionally even treated for doing that.  By the end of our time together, I actually had her near to my hip with little pulling.  The frustration, though, is that what I do is different from what another volunteer might do, and because they prefer to get the dogs as much interaction as possible, you don't always get to work with the same pup.  I let Heather, the leader, know that I thought Kate would be a good candidate for a Gentle Leader, as she was quick to self-correct, and the GL drives that.  Sure enough, by the weekend, she'd been given her first lesson.

Also, Wednesday was my chance to get to know the newest "Bubblehead"...Kenya is as big as Zander, and just as affectionate.  She is beautiful, but pretty energetic, so we had a good walk before sitting down for snuggles.  I was able to get a great picture that captured the "Kenya Bubblehead Element":

I think I am most excited about this because it is now her featured photo on the EHS website...I think it shows her true personality in a way that shelter photos don't always get to do.  That challenge of capturing what I find the best in each dog, well, that's been half the adventure.  Kenya, for example, was more interested in smothering me with kisses and sitting pretty for treats than letting me get an easy shot of her.  However, patience again comes into play, and, as with most of the others, she settles enough for me to grab a shot that really resonates with me.

Friday was a day of simple pleasures.  Devon reminded me of these again, as when I took her into Mark's Park, she proceeded to sprint, full-speed ahead, in crazy figure-8s all over.  She didn't want to chase anything, she just wanted to run run run, then come in for a few kisses and some pets.  Devon has the potential to be a brilliant agility dog, which sounds silly when talking about a pit bull, but she corners like my cattle dog, and flies to the top of the tables and hay bales.  I discovered that I could get her running faster and faster by cheering for her, but could also get her to jump up onto one of the stands just by pointing at it.  

  
After heading out for some calm, quiet time, I discovered that Devin loves loves...she settled down rather quickly as soon as I was at her level and rubbing her belly.  Simple things...and yet such great peace from them for a lot of these dogs.

I had a little bit of extra time on Friday and ended up going out for a walk with Sunney.  Now, Sunney is easily the most muscular dog at EHS.  By that, I don't mean the biggest or strongest, but rather, where a lot of the pits are big, strong dogs, Sunney could pass for a body-builder (in the dog world).  Her shoulders ripple, and her legs are amazing...I wish I was toned like this pup!  She's not underweight at all, she's just an example of what a mostly-healthy, strong pittie sometimes looks like.  She also has "freckles" on her tummy and chest, which make her look so silly.  Sunney loves belly rubs, and doesn't like going back into the kennel, so we spent a decent amount of time alternating belly rubs and coaxing towards the kennel.

Sunney has been at EHS for over 150 days, and I can say that I'd probably be a little slow to go back to the kennels if that was my story as well.  Thankfully, Sunney doesn't seem to hold any type of a grudge about it.  She has so much love to give.

Saturday was another fun morning, filled with the anticipation of an outreach event with Polly later in the day.  I spent some great time with Boone.  Boone is a big boy, and I very quickly discovered that he was not too keen on the thought of a walk...nope, he wanted to sit, have me pet him, and snuggle while he is fed treats.  So that's what we did.  It actually was slightly challenging to get a good picture of Boone, because every time I stopped petting him, he'd lean farther and farther towards my hand (which was holding my camera), and I finally settled for the compromise of a little bit of my hand in the picture:

I also got to hang out with Paris.  I have taken to a bit of a routine with some of the more peppy big dogs; we go to Mark's Park for some running around like crazy, then do a walk, then have some quiet snuggling/petting/treating time before we head back.  I quickly discovered with Paris that she would be much happier, as Angus had been, with just Mark's Park time.  Paris is a fetching machine...she goes and goes and goes, and not only drops the ball for you, but even does so in a manner so that it rolls to you.  However, it was the first time I've actually decided to grab the Chuck-A wand to throw the ball...seemed the dirtier the ball got, the more Paris loved it.  I did want to get her settled down before going back, though, so we had a quick walk and sat for a bit.  She made sure to bring her ball with her.  As you can tell by her tongue, I wasn't kidding about that whole dirty ball thing...she just loved it.

Outreach was great.  Again, I don't think the event is as much about specific adoptions, but about visibility into the great dogs that EHS has.  Polly spent most of the day playing with Kong toy, and then when the sun hit where we were sitting, she moved herself into my lap...her head was up by my stomach, and she stretched out completely between my legs...and fell asleep.  It was great publicity for how amazingly loving pitties can be.  A number of folks walked by and stopped to chat about how relaxed she seemed, sprawled across my legs.  Yup folks, a real vicious dog indeed...

I got to play with Devon again today, though this time, there was a Jolly Ball in Mark's Park (amazingly with handle in tact!), and turns out Devon is a big fan.  So we played...I'd kick the ball, follow her to where she fetched it, let her chew it for a bit, then tell her to leave it, and kick it again.  As much exercise for me as for her, I suppose!  Devon's version of fetch, while not the norm, was definitely a good start to the day.

Wanted to make sure everyone had a visual for the Jolly Ball...as I said before, they're made for horses (though I've heard horses are generally indifferent to them), and this should give a good size comparison of Devon's head to Jolly Ball.


Abby was a good follow-up to Devon's energy....in a way.  I was warmed up, and thankfully so, because Abby was ready to go!  I have never seen a dog cover so much of Mark's Park so quickly...she's listed as a Basengi/Shepherd mix, but I'm guessing there's some cattle dog in there as well, as her face can be eerily familiar to Edward's!

You might not see it there, but I bet you will here (if you know Edward, of course):

She just has the ability to keep her tongue in her face :)  Abby is a blast...she's young, and has a lot of energy, but I see an amazing jogging partner in her.  She loves to play, loves to run, and can squeak a squeaky toy faster than any dog I've ever met.  It was exhilarating to watch her bound around Mark's Park.  Abby does not avoid any of the structures or hay bales.  Rather, she uses them as a part of her ground, or flies directly over them.  At one point, she was fetching a squeaky toy, running back to me, and dropping it mid-jump so that it landed at my feet just as she landed on the hay bales next to me.  Abby is such a unique girl, and I really hope that she finds a home with someone to run with her, and to throw her squeaky toys until she tires (which could likely be a very long time).


I've mentioned a number of dogs this week, and as usual, links are below.  Sorry to have made you wait until the end for this, but Sunney and Boone aren't there...between my time with them and today, they found Fur-Ever homes!  I'm so especially excited about that for Sunney.


Dominic
Kate (notice her sitting so pretty with the Gentle Leader on!)
Kenya

Devon
Paris
Polly
Abby 
 

A wiggly distraction

Last week was an interesting one...I was only able to walk on Monday morning and Sunday morning, due to being out of town.  It was interesting how much I missed it, and even more interesting how much I felt I missed as I took stock of the pups at the shelter on Sunday morning.  There were plenty of familiar faces, and plenty of new ones, and pleasantly some absent faces.

The bummer first: Star is back.  Turns out his family had to move unexpectedly, and could not find an apartment that would welcome a large boy with some pit in him.  However, I don't think he will be there for long.  He is such a well-behaved, sweet boy, that it should not take long to get him out.

On the note of absences...I helped Alex find a home!!  A friend's son and his family (which includes a wife, 2 year-old son, baby on the way, and a lab/pit mix) have been talking about getting a new furry friend.  I had thought they would be great for Angus, but obviously, there were other plans for him.  So yesterday, I met the family at EHS, and showed them around.  It was awesome to be able to tell them so much about the dogs that they were interested in (and that I thought they should be interested in).  When they saw Alex, I was pretty confident that was it.  Sure enough, Alex's playful personality, combined with his utter lack of a dominant bone in his body, had Alex and Bones playing together like old friends.  Alex went to his Furever Home yesterday, and I needed the joy that brought.

I have a friend who is in the hospital right now that is very ill.  Yesterday's moment of wiggly zen between Alex and his new family was exactly the kind of medicine my heart needed to rejuvenate me.  It was also a splendid reminder of all the good that our furry friends can do, whether they intend to or not.  After Alex's joyful exit, the love and kisses my pups showered me with at home were icing on the cake.  My older dog never sleeps on the bed, and yet somehow, last night, he seemed to know that his presence would calm me.  Edward jumped up right in between our pillows, let out a deep doggy sigh, and exuded everything that I was in need of.  Somehow, worry can get put to the back of one's mind when your dog "smells like sleep".

It is moments like this of my own that make me want so desperately for the pups I love at EHS to be given the chance to be that for someone else.  I look at Joy, with so much love to share, and my heart melts.  If you need to see what I'm talking about...Joy's got a video on YouTube now.  While the music makes me giggle, so does the sweet girl who needs a home of her own that has sat in the shelter for almost a year.

Jumping back to Sunday morning, it was short morning for me, given that Ty's grandparents were in town, and family breakfast was set for 9.  I got to meet an amazing girl though.  Madeline may be related to Angus somehow, if only in her enthusiasm for ball-chasing and kisses.  We had a great walk and some good snuggles, but Madeline's personality exploded out of her as soon as we hit Mark's Park and she saw the tennis balls.

I was bummed to discover later that she is listed as a no-kids dog due to shyness.  Apparently, my sister was right about my whole "Pied Piper" thing, because all of the dogs that I have been told are shy are anything but with me.  No-kids-dog aside, Madeline is a sweet girl that is eager to please.

This morning, it was sweet relief to have routine.  My mind was not free to worry, and instead was focused on the furry friends around me...and the "I'm on hold!" sign on Murphy's kennel!!!  At this point, his info isn't on the site anymore, so fingers crossed that the big old Murphulmutt has gone to his Fur-Ever home.  Alex and Murphy in under 48 hours would be even more of that positivity that I am craving.

This morning's walk was dedicated to Noel.  Yes, goofy little Noel, who leaps and bounds and tries so hard to do exactly what you want as soon as you go to the treat bag, but also makes efforts to just get the treat bag for herself...

 
That cleverness is what made getting a great picture so challenging...any time I took out a treat, her smile would go away as she stared intently at my hand.  And anytime I gave her the treat and then tried to snap a picture as she began smiling again...well...I'd end up having to push her away from my treat bag, where she got nose-deep more than a couple times today!

Noel is silly; that is the only word to describe her.  She is young, and has so much of that "puppiness".  In Mark's Park, I watched her throw a toy for herself for fifteen minutes.  A tube sock stuffed with towels was no match for her...she could easily throw it with her mouth about 8-10 feet.  Hilarious to watch, for sure.  Also a wonderful reminder...simple joys and pleasures do not need to be dependent on anyone else.  There is something to be said for someone who will "throw you the ball", but there is something more to be said for being able to "throw it yourself", as Noel did today.

I am excited for what this week brings.  There are a lot of new faces, and I am eager to get to know more of them.  I also need to figure out more friends to bring by and get dogs.

My furry friends that would love to love are on the Escondido Humane website.

Joy
Star
Noel


 

Learning to love goodbyes

I'll start on a really high note: Angus found his forever home!!! (So did a few others...but his is so very exciting to me...more on that to come)

Last week was a crazy week.  I didn't end up getting in to walk dogs on Wednesday, as per the norm, because Ty got in a [thankfully] minor crash on his motorcycle that morning, and it kind of put the day into a totally different schedule.  I am very grateful for the fact that he wears the appropriate safety gear, and would remind any other motorcyclists to ALWAYS do the same...he went down less than a mile from our house.


Anyway...off that soapbox.


Friday was a great day though.  I spent some time with Noel.  Remember the cute little face, oh so sad, that greeted me on orientation day?  Well, she's still there, and still as cute as ever.

She was very focused on the treat in my hand, and I was very pleased that her paws were all down, so I wasn't able to capture the grin that she has developed in the last few weeks.  


I also spent some extra time with Zander.  He's having some struggles out at the Okay Corral...he is a barker, and they try really hard to minimize that out there.  Get one going, and let it go, and before you know it...well, 10 dogs barking at the same time is just the beginning.  As soon as he's out of that kennel though, Zander is just a big old mushball...he's not nearly as interested in walking as he is laying on your lap and being fed treats...so we try to get a little bit of both of those things done.

Saturday brought some good updates...Merlin the boxer found a forever home!  A number of the little guys have as well...January's adoption numbers are quite high, thanks in part to the special that EHS has on adult animals.


I got to meet another great lab mix, Hunter.  I thought I was in for a challenge when I first took him out, as he almost pulled away from me...however, there was actually a reason!  Hunter is housebroken, and as such, reallllllllly needed to go to the bathroom.  As soon as he had taken care of his business, he trotted along, right at my hip.  He is a big boy, or rather, will be, as he could use to gain a few pounds.

 He is very sweet, and one of those awesome dogs that will do just about anything for a treat.


The highlight of Saturday, though, was the hour-plus that I spent with Angus.  He was having a tough day...he's had a few of those lately.  There are more noisy dogs out at the Okay Corral than what I've seen in my few weeks, and Angus seems to be stressed out by that.  Angus stressed equals Angus drooling...and he looked like Hooch from Turner and Hooch when I got to him.  I took him out for some ball time, and some love time.  When we got to Mark's Park, the Jolly Balls were out (Jolly Balls are huge...they're usually used as a horse toy).  I've not seen Angus with these before, and it was HILARIOUS.  Both of the balls had holes in them, so he could get a good grip on them.  I would kick one across the pen, he'd barrel over to get it, and run right over it in his eagerness to play.  Then, he'd pick it up, and shake it like crazy.  The best part, though, was when he stuck his head in one...not his muzzle, not his top jaw, his WHOLE head...and then proceeded to run around like a big dork...straight into me.  We played like this for about a half an hour, then Angus was actually played out...he stopped bringing the ball back and instead just laid on it.  So, we vacated the park for another dog, and went for some cuddling time.  Angus laid right in my lap, and we sat that way, relaxing together, for another half and hour or so.

I also took him to Good Citizen class on Saturday, which was awesome to see.  It is so cool that so many people are willing to work with dogs over and over to help them learn their manners.  It was also really great to see certain dogs interacting/ignoring each other.


I snuck in an extra day this week...Sunday was a community outreach at PetSmart in Escondido.  I took Angus.  He spent 3 hours lounging in my lap.  Mike, another volunteer, had Murphy.  Murphy was picture perfect, and anyone who came to say hi, well, he offered a paw for a shake.  I hope it will lead to him finding a forever home soon.  Noel was there as well, and she was trying her darndest to get everyone's treats.  The coolest thing to see, though, was Joy.  Out of the shelter, she was a completely different dog.  No pulling, no planting her paws, no barking...just a big, cuddly lap pit bull.  I'm not sure we'll get any adoptions from that event, but it was great visibility for the shelter.


As I brought Angus back to the shelter, a family was coming out of the dog area.  They were asking a few questions about a dog, and I leaned in: "If you guys want to meet an amazing dog, the big boy I just put back is it."  They would have never met him; they had already picked a few to interact with and were headed back to the lobby.  However, they walked around to Angus' kennel, and I gave them as much information as I could.  It felt great, and I could tell that they appreciated how much I had to give on him.  They had their three year-old and chihuahua with them for interaction, and went to go "try out" Angus first.  I left before they got out there, but later last night, I jumped on the EHS website, and Angus was gone!  I confirmed this morning...a forever home for my big old BlackAngusSteak dog.  It was an awesome kind of sad to feel...I knew I wouldn't likely see him again, but I knew he was with a home that he would love.


Today, Lena was gone also...YAY!  We're hoping this one stays...she's been returned once.  I played with Polly today for a while...she is such a goofy-looking dog, but is so amazingly sweet.  She launches herself around Mark's Park.  She'll run from one end to the other, then jump up onto whatever stand is nearest to you so that she can give a slobbery kiss, get a treat and some rubs, then takes off again.

I had to put both pictures in; the first you can see what I was talking about with her eyes and underbite, but the second shows you her adorable smile...she is just such a happy dog.  I hope that someone will look beyond her initial oddness to take her home soon; over one hundred days is a long time for such a loving dog to be in the shelter.

I also got to play with Alex today.  He is the cute pup I met at training that literally bounds his way around...I don't know that his front legs actually bend (they do, he just doesn't feel the need to; he PRANCES!).  Alex and I had a great walk, then cuddle time, then some Mark's Park craziness.  This big little guy needs a home soon; he is so very stressed by going back in that he drops to his belly and slides along...he doesn't fully plant, because he can tell that you want him to go, and he is SO eager to please, but it takes some work to get him to his kennel.  I hope that the friend I'm sending this week will be a good match...I'll update you all on that as soon as I know!

I am out of town this week, and as such, do not get as much time with the pups.  Saturday will be my next walking day, and I hope to find some more relieved "sadness" in the absence of dogs who have found forever homes.

For your viewing pleasure:

Noel
Zander
Hunter
Polly
Alex