WELCOME PRINCESS VIRGINIA #2

 Princess Virginia is in her foster home now! 

 Ida and Toni helped to transport her to our area and to the vet.

 I brought my basket of collars, leashes and harnesses.  Thank you to everyone who donates these to me!  Any that are in good shape are wonderful!!  I found a purple collar, a purple and pink harness and a pink leash.  She is fancy now!

 She met a puppy in the office and was very interested.

 Then, on to Marian's to meet Winston, who is new foster brother.

 "Is she here for awhile?" :-)

 He was very excited and began to do zoomies!

 Princess was happy to meet a friend.  She looks small, but she is over 16 pounds-- and needs a diet.

 Yes she does.

Winston is doing great with her and as soon as she is fully vetted, she will be ready for adoption.   Welcome to rescue, Princess Virginia!!

FAREWELL TYLER

 Tyler came to us over 11 years ago.

 He came in with a group of dogs who were in a hoarding situation and we took care of each one of them.

 Max and Tyler were adopted together-- they became great friends.

 For some reason, though, Tyler always had a special place in my heart.   He just did.   He eyes held a sweetness that made me love him.

 His mom and dad lived in Virginia, but then moved to California.  And his mom began to do rescue out there.  She has a huge heart for these special ones and has helped SO many!   Tyler didn't mind sharing. 

 Tyler was a sweet one, with a gentle spirit.  He was quiet and laid back. 

 His eyes, his face-- his heart.

 His mom used to send me the funniest emails from "the boys."   Here's part of one of them that Tyler sent me shortly after he was adopted: 
"12-9-06

It's cold!!! I like to go outside in my yard, but it's cold!!! My usual plan is to stay outside as long as I can to run around and bark at the neighbor dogs. But when it's cold, I don't want to be out! ChubbyLady (my mom) says we are going to go to Petco to find a "nonhumiliating" sweater for me. I believe all sweaters to be humiliating. But it's cold!!! Then Chubby mommy gets impatient says "pee, already, would you?" Max is a goody two-shoes and pees right away.
Chubbymommy and I still argue about who is in charge of the furniture. I am in charge!! She says "I pay your bills." Ha. But I like the best spots! And what are these bill things? When she moves me, then I get to sit on her lap sometimes, and it's really warm on her lap. And soft.  Sometimes Skinny Guy picks me up and that is a little scary. He's much taller than everybody else and it's far to the ground.

My new thing is to wait for Chubbylady to sit down on the couch. Then I jump on the couch really fast and run all the way up from her lap right under her nose and try to sit on her. That way, she knows I love her!!! And other stinkies can't have her lap.
Love, Tyler"

Tyler, like so many Pekes, was very intelligent and could write great stories.   

Tyler was getting older.  His heart was not great and for the past 8 years, he was on meds for it.   Today, though, he was laying in the sunshine, and had a heart attack.   He did not recover from this one. 

His mom said, "He left today after having been my little friend for 11 years. Tyler was adorable, but visitors seldom noticed him; the other Pekes were generally pushier, but Tyler was a genuinely good soul who slept by me, followed me everywhere, went on walks until this last year when he couldn't manage it anymore, and was sweet and gentle with all the rescues who came in and out. "

Tyler is back with Max now, where they can run together and play.   You were such a loved boy.   

Run free, sweet one.

PRINCESS VIRGINIA

 Princess Virginia lived her entire life with her owner, being loved and cared for.   He had to go into assisted living after his wife passed away and he was not allowed to take his beloved girl.   It is heartbreaking to have no choices. 

 Princess V. is ten years old and very sweet.   She loves people and we were told she loves other dogs, too   (We don't know about cats.) 

We will have more information once she is vetted.   And we are going to try to stay in touch with her previous owner so that he can be assured that she is loved and cared for.     Welcome to rescue, sweet girl!

SWEET FLOYD

 Floyd came to me as a hospice foster. 

 He is deaf, has a very bad heart, and a broken pelvis (in two pieces, can't be fixed).  His health actually seems to have improved-- he's no longer on pain meds, just heart meds now.

 I bet you think this is Floyd-- nope!  When Mattie was here, I had to do double takes all the time.  Their coloring is so similar, and they are about the same size.   (The same thing went for Kai Kai and Benjamin-- two red dogs. haha)

 He is an older boy, and he sleeps a lot.

 He gets along with everyone.   He is very mellow.

 He just hangs out in whatever space he's in.

 If I go out the front door, he waits for me.

 He can't do stairs, and he can't jump, but he's content to be carried in and out.

 Hanging out on the porch is fine, too.  When he goes out into the yard, he has a path he follows-- and he goes around the entire yard, from one side to the other.   He follows a certain path and he's very consistent about doing this. 

 If he's awake, he keeps an eye on me, so he can follow me.  Like most of the dogs here, he only has one eye.  We are very low on eyes in this house!

 He and Kai Kai can hang out together sometimes.

 He is a gentle boy and lets Sugar Bit give him a kiss.

Floyd is just a quiet little love bug.   His heart seems to have grown bigger-- in love-- since he's been here.  It's amazing how these little "hospice" dogs can just hang on.  He knows he's safe here and he's loved.   I guess he decided he would stay awhile. 

STARLIGHT AND HER BOWLS

 Starlight has been in our home almost ten years-- hard to believe!  

 She love love loves our grandbits.   This is one of my favorite pictures of her with Bitty Bit aka The Viking-- who is now 10.    Starlight didn't trust adults, but kids, oh my, she loves them.

 Starlight has been a little princess since she arrived.   She is one of the prettiest Pekes I have ever fostered-- She decided that she would never leave.   And she hasn't.

 But, she is a funny eater!   Yes, you are!

 I put her dry food in her bowl, and then add her canned food.  Add a little water, mix it up and put her in the shower stall-- yes, she eats in the shower because she must have her own dining room.   We have a bathroom at the end of our laundry room (where I have a "dog desk" for preparing all the dog foods and medications), so it's easy for her to scoot in the shower once her food is ready.  

 But, does she just eat?  NO!   She knocks her bowl around, she pushes it, she spills the food over the side.  She rarely eats at the first sitting-- so I have to pick it up, pick up the food she has spread around, and offer it to her another time.    She must think she's a Hobbit, who needs to have "second breakfast" and "second dinner."   Or third, or fourth...

 I saw this and thought it was so cute- but since it would take so many sittings before I ever read it, I did not buy it.  

 I know other dogs must do this, too.  Baby Girl/BG does it, too-- and then she puts a toy in her bowl.

 I thought about putting her food in a big, heavy bowl, but I'm afraid she would give herself a concussion trying to move it around.

 Should I have Sugar Bit put a lot of bowls around just to confuse Starlight?

At almost 13, I doubt that Starlight is going to change, so we will keep up the crazy pattern we have going.  I don't expect her to change.   She will just keep treating me as her servant, expecting me to observe when she is ready for her "second" or "third" sitting.   Yes, mam, Starlight.  I'll do what you want!

GRANGER--LOVED BOY

 Granger loves to be in things--  in bookbags...

 or curled up in someone's arms.

 He can be under things..

 Or curled up in a blanket.  The less of him we can see, the better he likes it.

 He loves his Bits, and snuggled up to them in the best.

 If there's an empty box around, he claims it!  My daughter got a new coffee maker, and Granger claimed the box.

We call him "the best, bad dog ever" because he is so sweet-- but he can be bad, too!  lol   He used to be a farm dog, but now he lives much closer to me and I can see him-- and his family- more often.  He is so loved.  Can you tell?