I first met Haley in September of 2009. She was one of the 35 dogs seized in Iowa. Iowa was one of the states involved in that big ‘ol crap storm in July of 2009.

In Iowa Haley was my introduction to what was going to be. The first dog of 35 we were going to be evaluating for the US Marshall who would then present our findings to the presiding federal judge.

Haley was lucky. She had Rita, the US Marshall who worked tirelessly to find someone, anyone, qualified to evaluate pit bull temperament. Rita had a plan. She wanted to be in a position to cognitively appeal to the presiding judge on the dogs’ behalf. To Rita, there had to be a place in the world somewhere for some of these dogs.

She was right there was.

There hasn’t been a lot about Haley on our forum or this blog.  Life outside of the shelter was a scary thing. Haley has needed time to adjust. Lucky for her she scored a spot with ARLP treasurer Amy and her dude, disc dogger, Larry. How awesome was that?? Together they have worked to introduce Haley to a world that she would want to be a part of.

As Haley began venturing out of her shell Amy and Larry noticed that Haley was having issues with one of her legs. When some R&R failed to improve the condition they brought her to ARLP’s veterinarian, Dr. Rahimi. X-rays revealed that our sweet little Haley had a luxating patella. This occurs when the groove at the bottom of the femur in which the patella (knee cap) slides up and down, is too shallow.  The knee cap slides from side to side instead of sliding up and down, and jumps out of the groove – or “luxates”.   When the joint is luxated, it causes the leg to go lame or limp – not to mention it is very painful.  If left untreated, the groove will wear down and the joint will become arthritic, causing permanent swelling, poor mobility or total lameness.

Last week Haley had surgery to repair the patella. It went well! And we are all hopeful that Haley will make a full recovery. The hardest part now will be keeping her still. For in true pittie fashion, Haley feels she is good to go. And why shouldn’t she? Life is good now. No more dogfighters, no more rotating knee caps, no more scary things.

Here is some video footage of Haley. Haley remains uber camera shy but we will do our best to get photos to document her progress.

As you can imagine, Haley’s surgery was expensive. Even though we are only a lil’ bitty rescue operating on a shoestring we didn’t think twice about whether or not to make this repair. Haley has come too far to start hitting snags now.

If you would like to help A Rotta Love Plus with the cost of the surgery and follow-up care by making a donation, please click on the donate button at the top left of this page.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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No this isn’t a pit bull, or a Rottweiler for that matter. It is a poodle though. A poodle I am calling Mugs.

Mugs was seized by Animal Humane Society from a Minnesota puppy mill.

The mill dogs have a special place in my heart. And when the call came for help I couldn’t say no. After all we have a cat on our available dogs page why not a poodle? Mugs was not at all what I expected he would be. Initially at AHS he shut down, would not be handled and was all whale eye.

I was fully expecting to put some work into Mugs with the hope he would eventually be adoptable. I thought six months was a realistic guess.The moppet was afraid that is for sure but he wanted my attention even though he was afraid, a really good sign. I brought him home and sequestered him in the living room fully prepared for a dog that possibly would want nothing to do with me.  Especially after I bathed him.

Mugs was foul. He was so matted there wasn’t an area with single hairs anywhere on his being. His rear end looked like 6 Brillo pads had been smashed and glued onto his back. Into the tub he went. I like to use lavender scented baby soap for the new stinky dogs that come into my home. What better way to wash the stank out?

This is what the bathtub looked like afterward. Those are mattes floating in the water. Keep in mind, Mugs is a 7 lb dog.

Mugs survived the bath. He actually didn’t mind it as long as I let him stand with his front paws on the side of the bathtub with his face in my chest. I was smitten immediately.

Once the little bugger dried he looked like this.

Once he was clean and the additional dog was removed from his body it became only too apparent that this was one HAPPY dog! Just a nut box. And, well, I love me some nut boxes. When they say that dogs don’t carry baggage there isn’t a dog who I have met that serves as a better example of that than Mugs. I wish all puppy mill survivors and rescues could be so lucky.

Mugs is two years old. The first two years of his life were spent in a puppy mill. Right from the git all Mugs has wanted to do was interact with me. He was all about this woman who brought him to this new place, tossed him into a bathtub of water, cut the mattes away from his body and massaged him with lavender soap while whispering sweet nothings into his ear. I guess a little slice of heaven in his frame of reference.

Mugs is curious. He is smart. He is sweet. Which is why dealing with the fact that he will piss and poo at will and doesn’t know what stairs are that much more bearable. It is fun working with Mugs because Mugs throws himself into all with gusto. Yes, that includes going outside into the cold and snow to potty even though he doesn’t know that outside is the only place potty belongs. Just coz you be little doesn’t mean you can’t potty outside, right Chi?

Let me tell you it does a body good. Chi, who like Mugs, spent the first two years of his life in a puppy mill, will never be curious. He will never let anyone but me see the quirky happy dog he has become since coming to live with me three years ago. It took Chi almost a week before he would even approach me. He would stare at me from inside his kennel intently. Waiting, ready to run if necessary.

And that is ok. Chi has taught me many valuable lessons, something all dogs can do if we stop long enough to listen.

The world is Mug’s oyster. And I feel lucky to be a part of this initial exploration of life beyond kennel bars.

Special thank you to Stacie and Micaela at Central Bark in Eden Prairie for donating their time and grooming services to Mugs.

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The pit bull loving world lost a friend this month. Many know Demo by way of the beautiful book his person wrote, of which he was the star. Demo, the Story of a Junkyard Dog, richly illustrated by Scott Bruns, is a sweet and deeply touching story about dog yearning to be seen for who he truly is. What better message for a pit bull to embody than one that encourages all of us to look beneath the surface to see what is really there. Against every conceivable obstacle Demo prevails.

This is a fantastic book that examines environmental and social issues in addition to its positive message about pit bulls.

Thank you Demo.

Please take a moment to read the beautiful tribute Jon wrote to his own personal Snoopy.

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WOAH people!  Can you believe what my foster mama wrote down there?  Brody this, Brody that, who’s a good boy, what a goood boooy.   HELLO people!  I thought this was a blog about rescue doggies like ME, not spoiled prissy-prince doggies who always get the good side of the couch!

I AM GEORGIE!

Well.  One thing my mama got right was about “Grody” picking on me when I first moved in, but I did not give up!  Nope!  I kept trying…and trying…and trying…to get him to like me, and one day he finally gave in.  (Who can blame him?  I have always possessed a charm that is lethal to men of my species.)  Not every dog would put in the time and effort necessary to win over that cranky ol’ man, but I DID!  Score one point for Georgie, wahoo!

You know what else?  When people come to the door, Brody has to go in the bedroom cuz he can’t keep his loud yapper closed long enough to let the nice people through the door to play!  Did my foster mama tell you that?  Did she tell you that Brody didn’t get to come to book club, but I did, because I am GEORGIE and I am LOVE and SWEETNESS?  Ha, I cannot even read and I still got invited to book club.  How is that for a good dog trick?

And when foster mama tells me to “kennel up,” boy do I launch myself right into my crate!  Brody doesn’t even know what a kennel IS!  Who’s a good doggie now, huh mom?

I gotta run, I think I hear the sound of my foster mama giving my Kong Wubba to Brody.  This is outrageous, people!

Somebody score me a forever home soon so I can finally get some ‘preciaiton around here!

Smooches,
♥ GEORGIE ♥

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This is a post by ARLP foster Sara.

Sara is currently fostering Georgie. Georgie is fun and spunk dogified and is available for adoption (click on photo to view her profile).

Before my first fostering experience I had a number of preconceptions about what it would be like, some of which turned out to be accurate (for example, that it would be sanity-testing at some times; blissful and gratifying at others). One thing I did not anticipate was how fostering would positively affect my relationship with my resident dog, Brody.

Improved Leadership

In many respects, we saw Brody as the perfect dog before our first foster, Georgie, came into our lives: he naturally deferred to our authority the majority of the time, was loving, loyal, and very eager to please. Brody was our baby and, with our adoration and attention — not to mention several series of obedience classes — he blossomed into an affectionate, respectful, obedient, and dog-tolerant adult dog.

So it came as a surprise to us that, after the two-week shutdown, Brody and Georgie’s introduction did not go well (a longer story for another blog entry, perhaps). Given our history with Brody, we initially held Georgie responsible for the less-than-ideal introductions. But with the guidance of our ARLP case manager, we learned that it was probably mostly Brody’s issue, and would have to do some work with him.

To that end, we instated a new emphasis on human leadership in our home through the Nothing in Life is Free program, and observed as both Brody and Georgie became even more in tuned to us. One day several weeks later, when a small scuffle broke out in the midst of their play session, all I had to do was say Brody’s name to get his attention, and he looked at me and sat, ignoring Georgie. I could tell that we both felt better knowing that I was in charge of the situation.

Old Dog, New Tricks

As I have alluded to, Brody has had the basics – sit, down, come, stay, off – down pat since he was a wee little puppy. We had become a bit lazy about working with him since there was not an immediate need to do so, but now that we have been working with Georgie, the clicker and treats are always at the ready. As a result of this convenience, we have also put some time into teaching Brody a few new tricks. It gives him the opportunity to receive some much-needed one on one attention from us, is a lot of fun for everyone involved, and provides a break for him from the tension that sometimes exists in our multi-dog household.

Gratitude

Finally, fostering strengthened my bond with my resident dog simply through gratitude. In the beginning, it was the way Brody relaxed patiently in his doggy bed until 10 am when Georgie would start howling in her crate at 5; the way he can be in a kitchen full of food and people all night and keep all four paws on the ground throughout the evening; the way he knows, without command, to stay in the back seat during car rides; and more. Now that Georgie has become much better mannered in her new surroundings and as accustomed to our household routine as her foster brother is, I am still so grateful to Brody for his patience with us as we fumble through our first fostering attempt, for sharing his toys and his people, and for opening his home to Georgie and to any other foster dogs that we are fortunate enough to meet in our future.

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It is always hard walking through animal control. There are so many pit bulls. And when we are walking thru we usually only have one open foster home available. It isn’t often that we see a senior pit bull. The sad reality is the vast majority of pit bulls don’t see the up side of two years old. When we do see a senior pit bull our hearts ache in a whole different kind of way.  It is difficult enough to place seniors let a lone one who happens to be a pit bull.

In the beginning of last November I was taking a walk thru MAAC. So many happy slutty pit bulls came to the front of their runs to greet me. I like to stop and acknowledge each one. I almost left the first bay when I got close to the end because there did not appear to be anyone in the last kennel. No one anxious to make my acquaintance anyway. Yet something made me take a peek just to be sure.

There in the back of the kennel was an old, rickety, crusty gal. She was laying on a soft blanket that had been provided to her by the caring staff. I knelt down and coaxed her over. And she hobbled on over to appease me. Such soulful eyes. There was a pang in my heart as I walked away. There was nothing I could do for her.

The next night as I was walking out of ARLP’s offices with fellow volunteer Michelle K., I thought about the old girl. Michelle is a “big picture” thinker who has one of those big open hearts all creatures are welcome to fall into. So I asked her. I asked her if she would consider giving “Diggs” some quality time before she left this earth. She didn’t hesitate, “I can do that”, “I would like to do that”.

On November 6th, 2009 Michelle met me at animal control. She was there to pick up a beleaguered old lady and Amora became ARLP’s first ever compassion hold.

Last week I emailed Michelle and asked her how our old gal was doing. Here is what she had to say:

Amora is still doing wonderfully fantastic.

She loves her some attention & scratches & cuddles & love, and she’s all about the begging. She loves to eat–especially if it is chicken or anything good that might come from the kitchen. She hangs out on her dog bed in the middle of the house. I think that she just likes to feel like she’s a part of the action, like she’s included, rather than being kept away from things and people. So she pretty much stays on her bed and rests, unless she wants to do some begging action in the kitchen.

She’s just so easy to have around, besides a little loving a few times a day, taking her out to do her business and feeding her, she is, as Brian calls her in a very affection way, a piece of ‘furniture.’ That is how easy she is–when you walk by her she wants you to stop and acknowledge her, she loves to roll on her back to rub her belly, but that is all that she really asks from us.

I never intended to add a third dog to my house, and that’s still not my plan. I don’t imagine her being with me for months or years…but the thing is that selfishly Amora makes me feel good. In so many ways I feel powerless to really make a difference, an impact or a change in everything that is wrong with the state of animals in our society today. There is just so much need out there. And in so many ways I really am powerless, but all I have to do is look at Amora and she makes me happy because she is so incredibly happy. With her I have something in front of me everyday to make me smile. After only a few days with us Amora’s story no longer was a sad one, but a happy one. That’s the one thing that I stress to people about Amora, her story is only a happy one–if Amora is anything at all, she is happy. And I want to keep letting her be happy.

We’re just going to keep hanging for as long as she’s feeling well and doing well, whether it’s tomorrow or a month from now.

Pictured above: Amora, Michelle & Amora

Thinking about Amora reminded me of one of my favorite stories.

Excerpt from the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

(this starts at the point when the Skin Horse and the Rabbit are talking)

The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Thank you Michelle.

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A Rotta Love Plus partnered with the third grade teachers and staff at Barack and Michelle Obama Service Learning Elementary School (formerly Webster Elementary) in St. Paul this school year to assist in their year-long service learning project. The project focus this year revolves around dogs and all of the many things we can learn from these animals (ie. responsiblity, empathy, compassion, kindness, etc.). Already the 3rd graders have learned a number of things relating to the care and responsibility of dogs and future lessons will include teaching empathy, safety, and humane treatment.

Yesterday, 12/22/09, A Rotta Love Plus helped coordinate a program for 4- third grade classrooms. Hector, a former Micheal Vick dog and now therapy registered dog, was joined by his owner Clara Yori and pit bull owner Amber Anderson (who has adopted a pit bull from A Rotta Love Plus and is a Kindergarten teacher at the school) to talk about the humane treatment of dogs. These four- 1/2 hour programs were largely guided by the students and their questions about Hector as he bears the physical scars of his past, yet emotionally you would never know the horrors that he once encountered. It is our hope that discussions such as these will help kids develop their empathy, not only for animals, but to treating each other with empathy and kindness as well.

We are very excited about this program!

The media paid a visit too. If you have a moment please consider sending an email to each network to thank them. Yesterday, they put a very positive spotlight on pit bulls, and we liked it.

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Hi Santa,

Jo here. I’m writing to you because my foster mom says that, “If you don’t ask, you can’t get upset when you don’t receive.” But Santa, I’m a simple pup, and I’ve already gotten so much more than I ever imagined this year. My foster mom says that somewhere out there is a family that will love me more than she does. Can you imagine? Someone who loves me more than my foster mom? They must be really amazing! So maybe you could find them and send them my way? I promise I’d be a really wonderful Christmas present. I’m so small, I’d fit right in a stocking over the fireplace. Then I’d stay nice and warm, too! See how well this would work? But Santa, if you can’t find this special family that will love me forever, could you do something else for me?

Could you please, please find a home for Jack?

Actually, we could use a lot of homes. There’s a bunch of dogs here at ARLP looking for their forever families, but we also need more foster parents. You might not know, Santa, because I know you’re busy with the elves and the snow and everything, but there are a lot of pit bulls living in animal control who will be spending the holidays in cages because there aren’t enough foster homes to get them out. Fostering is a lot of fun, because people get to love and play with and snuggle all kinds of great dogs, but they don’t have to do things like pay vet bills. Plus there’s all the good karma that comes from saving a life! Say, Santa, I bet you and Missus Claus would make great foster parents! I know lots of pitties and rotties that would like to play some reindeer games.

Even if people can’t take another dog into their home, ARLP needs other help. We need people to help transport, to take dogs to doggie school, to work on the website, to help with the education program, to help with research projects – gosh, just about anything! If someone has a skill, we’ll find something for them to do. Just having an extra set of hands around can be a big help.

Another thing ARLP needs is money. We are entirely funded by the kindness of others - that means the rescue doesn’t get any federal or government money. ARLP isn’t raising your taxes, no sir! In fact, any money people send us is even tax deductible. But it also means that we rely entirely on donations to keep dogs like me in kibble and vet visits. And Santa, I really like the vets and techs at Blackberry Vet Hospital. They’re really nice to me, and always give me lots of treats and snuggles. And ARLP is entirely volunteer run, so 100% of donations goes for the care of the dogs and to the programs we run. Yay!

Of course, these days money is tight, and while there is no donation too small, I understand if folks need to spend money on their kids and rent and groceries, Santa. But maybe you know some people who have new or gently used dog gear they’re not using anymore? ARLP always has a need for sturdy collars, leashes, and toys. Food and water bowls, old blankets and bedding, and treats would be much appreciated as well. We need crates, too, Santa. We bullies are hard on our crates – I mangled two of them all by myself before I learned better. The 36 inchers are perfect for dogs my size, although we also have a need for larger, rotti-sized crates and smaller crates for puppies. We’ll take wire or plastic crates, new or used – we’re not picky! Santa, I bet you know lots of people, so maybe you know someone who has a SUV or a minivan they don’t need anymore? It’d be real nice to have a vehicle to transport dogs to vet visits and adoption days. And, y’know, out of Iowa. Lastly, Santa, we could use some winter coats for us dogs. Lady Rachel brought me the biggest jacket we had, and it’s about four inches too short for me! And I’m only 40 pounds!

But for the most part, Santa, the folks here make sure I want for nothing. Maybe you could do me a favor, though? I’d really appreciate it. You see, I would not be alive today if it weren’t for Rachel and Lara here at ARLP, Tim and Donna at BadRap, Rita the Federal Marshall, and Scott and all the other dedicated people who cared for me at Animal Rescue League of Iowa. They saved me, Santa. If I have a future, it is because of them. The tricks that I will learn, and the minds that I will open, the joy that I will feel and the love that I will give - it is because they were willing to say, “This is a good dog, and we will not let your ignorance take her from the world.” Their willingness to fight for me is the reason I am here to fight for others like me. Isn’t that incredible, Santa? So I was hoping you might have something extra special to put under their Christmas trees this year. They deserve so much more than the undying gratitude of one little, black, pittie girl.

Thank you so much, Santa, and Merry Christmas.

Love,

Jo

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Saturday morning at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park, more than 50 people from 12 different animal welfare organizations came together to discuss Leadership. There are so many of us working tirelessly to rescue and rehome dogs and cats. So many of us share the vision of a day when there will no longer be a need for us to euthanize healthy, adoptable dogs and cats. We as a community must come together to address the pet over population problem. Every year 6- 8 million animals are surrendered to shelters. Every year 4 million are euthanized for lack of homes … that’s one animal every 8 seconds (source: HSUS). Read more…

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There are a number of organizations and individuals who are part of a community coalition called MN Alliance for Family & Animal Safety. (Representatives from various organizations include: Prevent Child Abuse MN, Day One, Animal Humane Society, UofM Veterinary School, HSUS, Various Police Departments, Hennipen County Guardian ad Litem Program, Minnesota State Bar Association, just to name a few).

One of the main goals of this coalition is to coordinate the efforts of multiple safe housing locations for pets in domestic violence situations. Right now three animal rescues including A Rotta Love Plus, Animal Ark, and Pet Haven are piloting this program with Minneapolis Care and Control (MACC) come January, 2010. When an animal comes into MACC they will contact a representative from MN Alliance for Family & Animal Safety who will then coordinate with one of the above rescues to find the pet a foster home until the victim of domestic violence finds safe housing that can include their pet. We hope to dramatically grow the number of foster based animal rescues who might be able to assist in these efforts so we can expand this program throughout the metro and hopefully throughout the state.

This of course will not take away from the many organizations who have provided safe places for pets in these situations for many years (including Animal Ark and Cornerstone Shelter’s relationship with a veterinary clinic), rather we are trying to centralize and coordinate this effort so it can be easily utilized, advertised, and victims don’t have put themselves (or their kids) in danger in order to stay with a beloved pet.

A Rotta Love Plus (ARLP) provided foster care for a dog last year through MN Alliance for Family & Animal Safety and after about 8 months that dog is now back with his owner and two kids who missed him very much. During the 8 months in foster care ARLP provided the dog with veterinary care, basic obedience training, and the foster family took the dog to visit the owner and kids. This dog certainly meant a lot to this family and they were overjoyed to 1). know that the dog was safe and 2). be in a situation to have him back again. The owner was overcome with tears of joy upon their reunion.

Please stay tuned for much more to come from the MN Alliance for Family & Animal Safety on this matter, at the capital in passing a bill to include pets in Orders for Protection, and in various other educational opportunities in regards to the link between human and animal violence.

Please check out this article from the Star Tribune.

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