Tuesday, June 30, 2020

TUCKER-- SIX YEARS LATER

 Six years ago, I saw this picture.   I could NOT get it out of my mind. 
 The eyes looked right into me.   SO..... we took him into rescue. 
 And he did so well. 
 He went from this shelter picture...
 To this, once he was in his foster home.    He was transformed.
 He sniffed the grass.
 He ran and played and was a loved boy.   He needed to lose weight and he did.   He was roly-poly. 
And he was adopted and has had the best six years!   Can you see how much he loves his mom.  
 He and his mom and dad have gone on an adventure.
 Off to the country and having fun.  Social distancing at its best.
 And the views!
 We thought Tucker was about 8 when we got him.  If that's right (and we're not sure), he's about 14 now.   He doesn't look it though. 
His mom gives him rides so he won't get too tired.
Tucker went from unwanted to truly loved.  What a precious boy.  ❤️

Monday, June 29, 2020

MATILDA-- TWO YEARS LATER

We were asked to take Matilda into rescue two years ago in July. 
She was about 8-10 years old-- and she was blind.   But, oh, so cute!
She was absolutely a sweetheart though.   We had to see if we could help her. 
And we did!   She had cataracts, but the ophthalmologist thought she could be helped with surgery.  So many of you donated to her care and we were able to help her to see. 
Her foster parents couldn't let her go and they adopted her.  The first time she looked out and SAW was a miracle!   People, lakes, animals-- she let them know SHE WAS THERE now!
She has lots of adventures, so naps are essential.
She loves her parents kids and grandkids. 
She loves to go for walks...
And she visits with her mom's daughter's dog, Zeke! 
They enjoy just hanging out together.  Zeke was a rescue, too. 
Matilda still has eye drops and visits the ophthalmologist occasionally.  But, surgery changed her life.  Thank you to all of you who help our rescue perform these miracles of love.  💜

Sunday, June 28, 2020

A REFLECTIVE SUNDAY

 Some days, you need to step back and reflect and not do much and count blessings. 
 I lost a friend-- suddenly.   (It wasnt COVID). It hit me hard, so I have had to allow myself to look at life, see the blessings.   I've remembered funny stories and had memory time of decades ago.
 There is always hope, and love, even in loss.
 Maybe I'll take a trip on my computer.  I need to see beauty.  The dogs can even come along if it's a virtual trip.
 I can visit my daughter.   (This is one of her horses.)   I can be quiet.
 I can see Granger and take Clara and relax. 
I can even go to the beach on the bay-- the one I go to isn't public, so it's safer, not as many people, quieter.   Thank you for letting me take a day/blog to just reflect and be quiet.  We all need to do that sometimes.

Saturday, June 27, 2020

ARE YOU BEING WATCHED?

 I feel like I’m being watched.  A lot!
 They are always “Peking” at me.
 Minnie was watching me from the porch as I walked Clara. She was out w us but decided to go get in front of the fan.
 Callie keeps an eye on me.
 Come on in, Callie.
 Really Callie.  You CAN come inside. Lol.  She loves being outside or on the porch.   Before she was adopted, she lived outside.  She now can be in or out, she has beds everywhere.
 Minnie gave up on watching me and found her soft bed.
Piper watches me a lot.  I love this older picture of him. He’s such a good sport and happy and protective and loving.   Do your dogs watch you?  

Friday, June 26, 2020

FLAT FACED DOGS AND THE HEAT

 Flat faced dogs like Kacey are very prone to heat. 
 Mattie's mom keeps her safe.  It can get really hot when they travel to Florida.
I've seen this posted on several sites, so I thought I would share with you.  I don't know who wrote it, but if I find out, I will put the writer's name.  
"Please share this post, it explains why hot days can be fatal to dogs!
When you read or hear about the bulldog-type, short-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds having more trouble with the heat, you may wonder why. On a good day, with moderate temperatures, they have a much more difficult time moving air to their lungs because of their anatomy.
This picture shows the back of the mouth of a long-nosed dog on the left (a collie-retriever cross) and a short-nosed dog on the right (a pug). You can see that this area is compressed and limited in the pug. Pugs, Bulldogs (all types), Bostons, Boxers, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Pekingese, etc. all have this anatomy. The space is even more limited when they are overweight or obese.
When it is hot, dogs can only cool themselves by panting. Excessive panting leads to swelling in the back of the mouth and throat. This swelling makes it even more difficult for the brachycephalic breeds to breath and they can suffocate.
In fact, any dog can succumb to heat stroke or compromised breathing so PLEASE DO NOT exercise or leave dogs outside in the sun or in cars when it is hot. They trust us to make good choices and take care of them!"
 Jelly's mom lives in Florida now and makes sure he is never out for long in the heat. 
 Fia's flat faced pups are kept safe.  They can be outside in the shade, but when it's hot, only short periods of time can be safe.  The hotter it is, the shorter that time.   The tongue and the back of the throat can swell so fast and by the time you notice they are in distress, it could be too late, so please, be cautious. 
Beaches and lakes can be so much fun.  But, keep your dogs safe.  They depend on you.  ❤️

Thursday, June 25, 2020

DAISY MAE

 Daisy Mae was turned into a shelter by her breeder owner.  She was not well cared for.  I have no problem w good, responsible breeders.   But, Daisy’s breeder wasn’t one of those.
 My friend, Emily, adopted her. Daisy will need medical care but she is safe now— never to be bred again.
 Her life has changed and she will realize how special she is, how worthy of love she is.
 Daisy sees the vet this morning to see how she can get healthy— she will need time to gain weight, and get ear meds and eye meds and good food.  
She is sleeping in a soft, comfy bed now.  Her mom has helped our group for years.  Now, she has gone from rescue supporter to rescuer.  She will make a difference in Daisy Mae’s life.  I’m so proud of her!! ❤️

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

APPLESAUCE LOVES HIS HOME

Applesauce was in my home about a month-- not long at all!!   He was about as perfect a foster as you can have.  Housetrained, sweet, not aggressive, loves toys, eats well.  And he went through all his surgery and medical care like a champ.   I just love this boy.  💙
But, my goal was to find him a home.   He had so much interest!!   Not only is he cute, but he's such a good boy. 
He went to his new home and there were new beds and new toys for him. 
His first night, at bedtime, he wandered around a bit, but then found a bed he wanted to sleep in. 
The next day, the neighbors came over and brought him toys!  He danced around like he had been waiting for them-- he was so excited.   Later, he was on the couch and he made a game of pushing the toy off the couch so his new mom could get it.   Then, he carried his toys around snorting and happy. 
I'm so happy for Applesauce and his mom!  This is why I foster-- for happy endings like this.  😚

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

 I have had Pekingese for most of my life.  Cranberry was one of my Pekes when I began doing rescue 17 years ago.  (She was very proud of herself for climbing on the table.)
 Scooterbug and Cranberry probably thought I'd lost my mind when I began bringing all these dogs into the house.
 I began helping with applications shortly after I started rescue.   Reviewing them, hoping to find wonderful homes for our dogs.
 I was surprised with some questions we received-- and these questions revealed a lot.
 "Are they good with kids?"  This is a good question- because many Pekes are not good with kids.  They can't put up with their quick movements or grabbing or hugging.  Granger loves his kids.
 One question that can be annoying is, "How much does it cost?"   I've had this question a lot.  One question I've NEVER had is, "How much have you spent on this precious Peke to get them healthy??" 
 I have had people say, "They're older, can't you lower the adoption fee?"   Or, "I'm on a limited income, can you waive the fee?"   If you can't afford the adoption fee, we wonder if you can afford their care.  We have such incredibly low adoption fees.  They haven't changed in years.  We spend so much on some of our foster dogs, over $1,000 and up.   Yet, their adoption fee might be $200. 
 I asked other rescuers what question annoyed them the most and it was, "How much is the dog."   Some people say our process is too detailed, we are too picky.
 We have people who really want to be a dog mom-- or dad.  They fill out the application, and first, they have to answer ALL the questions.   If they put N/A to some of them, it's harder to evaluate.  Some people don't want to put their age-- but age helps us determine the best fit.   We don't want a dog to overwhelm an owner.  I'm older now, and a puppy can be too active for me.  I personally adore the seniors.   Maybe that's because I'm a senior, too.
 Some people want them for a gift-- a Christmas gift or to surprise someone.  This is a bad reason to get a dog.   A person having a dog should be THEIR choice, not one given to them.  They need to be ready.
 Sometimes, we get multiple applicants for one dog-- sometimes, we have SO Many.  And they all might be wonderful.   So, we have to pick one.   We keep a list of approved people, so we ask them later if they're interested in a new one who comes in.   It helps when they stay in contact with me.  We have a rescue committee who help make decisions-- and kindness goes a long way with us.  So, thank you to those who have been kind. 
We do the best we can.  We can't adopt everywhere.  We won't transport our dogs to locations that are far away.   We do not fly our dogs.   We are a Virginia and Maryland rescue and sometimes go a little out of our area, but that is our purpose-- to help Pekes in our area and find homes in our area.
We have found homes for hundreds of Pekes in need.  We hope to continue to do that.   (Of course, we will need new and younger people to start to help.  We can't do this forever without that.)   Our adoption process is one of the fairest I have seen.  Some people don't like it-- they think just because they SAY they are a good owner, that should be enough.  It isn't.  We need vet checks to show they are good owners.   We do home checks to make sure the home is safe and loving.  After all the time and love we give, these Pekes have part of our hearts.  We don't just place them anywhere. 
We want to know they will be cherished as much as we cherish them.  We want to know their care will continue the way we have cared for them.   We want as perfect a home as we can find.  We have found so many-- and also found great friends in the process.   And we have Pekes who will forever be in our hearts.  That is a blessing.  💜

PEKES

PEKES
MUST LOVE PEKES