Foster: Lexi

My sexi lexi is the sweetest, most loving, snuggle bug of a dog. I fell in love with her which says a lot because I am not a small dog or female dog fan. EVERYONE who meets her falls in love instantly!


Lexi came into care in May/June she came from just north of London. She was covered in these weird red bumps all over her body, smelled horrible, had horrible breath and was thought to have been pregnant. She got her shots, antibiotics and spay.

She was only about 7 months old just a baby and was leaking urine, peeing in her crate and the house all of which I thought was from house training. The leaking urine I thought was just from her spay.

Lexi LOVES Blaine and they have so much fun playing, but I noticed she is the worlds laziest puppy ever. I figured it was just the way she was and hey shes easy. We got the peeing and pooping in the house fixed, but she was still leaking and peeing in her crate.

Hiking is her passion and she looks stunning doing it. I can't figure out why she isn't putting on weight like I would like to see and pass it off as shes just active, or maybe like bossco and take years to finally fill out. She could careless about dogs walking by her but people has to know and love them ALL. I think she would make an amazing therapy pup.

Lexi is sick very sick, can't keep anything down, wont get up on the couch or bed, acting funny, and still leaking when she sleeps or walks. We take her to the vet because of the time of year he thinks she are toxic grass, we always avoid areas with signs and I have never seen her eat grass but okay. And she has a bladder infection that is why she is leaking. Antibiotics, antitoxins, antacids and special tummy food for 10 days. She lady bits hang out really far so she is going to get bladder infections a lot throughout her life. We do that she starts to act "normal" again, but is still leaking.

This is the third time she has been at a vets office and the third time I have brought up her breath and smell and its the third time I am told oh its normal. She has cranberries for her food to help prevent bladder infections and stuff for her water to help with her breath and whatever the smell from her is.

She has a few people interested in adopting her but I am not sure, something in my gut says she needs to stay. I explain that the leaking is going to be a problem for adopters. This is the 5th time I have brought it up. We all talk at the rescue and decide she needs to see a vet and figure out what is going on. a few weeks pass and I email getting quotes from local vets. The vet she has been seeing is very worried and wants to see her right away.

We go, I will pay this out of pocket so I will let the ladies know as soon as we figure out what is going on. I bring up her breath and smell again, again he says its normal. He tests her blood, urine and looks her all over. We wait 2.5 hours for the rests of both the blood and urine. Her kidneys are failing, some of her results are in the 600's and they are supposed to be 150 etc. Her pancreas isn't working right and her sugar is high, she is also anemic. Okay so what now, he says he would normally recommend over night and fluid push but knows that for rescues money is tight. So he says fed her this, give her these pills, and this pump stuff on her food. Okay I can do that. He says the food I have her on is horrible food (Acana I know it is not vets have limited training on each food and push the one they get money from).

I message the ladies and let them know what is going on, I am in panic mode because leaving that vet made me feel like this is my fault. In all my years of dealing with vets I have never ever been made to feel that way. I don't understand what the hell I missed, how could I have missed this, how could multiple vet visits and 2 different vets have missed this. In my head and gut I know she is dying. "Missy" had a dog who died of kidney failure and as she is explaining symptoms Lexi has been like this since the day she came into care. Everything I passed off as normal or happening for this reason or another was a symptom.

Lexi has to head to the vet in Toronto for IV fluids and more testing to see what the cause is. I am broken, crying, angry, a big old mess. The next morning we head to Toronto and I have decided to get over myself, she needs me to be strong for her! With no idea how long she will be there or even at all I bring all my stuff and her stuff with me in case we are there a day or two or if she needs anything while we are there. The drive down we talk and she sits in the front with me, she is the perfect travel buddy, quite, relaxed and just enjoying the drive. We make a few pee breaks, she hates the cold as much as I do lol.

We get to the vet in Toronto, I showed him the results, I told him everything the vet here told me. He got down on the floor with her and loved her up. I brought up her breath and her smell. Right away he said no that isn't right at all I blurt out HA I AM NOT CRAZY!!! He looks at me funny, I explain then he gets it lol. He said he doesn't believe these results, a dog who looks as healthy and acting the way she is couldn't have these results. I explained that the vet here didn't believe she wasn't throwing up but she wasn't and hasn't been since Sept when she had the antitoxins.

He retested her blood (took about 10 mins), he was in shook. From the outside she looks healthy and normal from the inside she is dying. They decide she needs to stay for the fluid push and they will put her on antibiotics and send her urine away. This could be 1 of three things. Congenial, infection or Lepo. I go home leaving her behind feeling horrible that she has to stay in that place alone and scared, being poked and prodded. I knew in my heart that she wasn't going to get better but "missy" said they had to at least try. I get home I miss her so much, I am going over how I missed this over every moment of her life her. Each day I get an update. They find a heart murmur, in a normal dog IV fluids would not cause a heart murmur. In my head I am going yup its congenial. She has to go to "missy" for the night because the vet is having their Christmas party. They do testing that day and her markers have come down but only by a few points. They do an ultrasound and show "missy" She has one shriveled up kidney that does nothing and one kidney that is very large and missing parts. Well thats batting a thousand. Is it worth taking her back for 1 day or just bring her home because 3 days did pretty much nothing.

 She stays the night with "Missy" falls in love, of course who wouldn't she is perfect.  I pick her up from the vets office and they show me how to do the IV fluids at home. Lexi has about 6 months to live. She is all skin and bones all the weight she had put on is gone in a few days :(. We get home she isn't her self.

6 Months!!! She wont likely make it her second birthday, "Missy" says I am getting good at being a pawpice. Yup becoming an old pro. I am putting together her bucket list and making the next few months as amazing as possible.


A few days later Lexi has 3 major seizures 2 hours apart. She wont come out of her crate much and she never liked her crate, she would only go in it if she had too.





2 days later, she can barely walk, full body spasms when you touch her. Wont eat and wont drink.  I talk to everyone I have 2 options I can go that day or in a week, Lexi wont last a week.

That night Lexi dies, feeling no more pain.

Foster: GUS

What a mess he was/is! Gus came into care from a post on facebook of someone seeing a dog in a field for a few days and no one could get near him without him growling and showing teeth. Of course tag me in it because EVERYONE knows what I am going to do. I send a quick message to the head of Bullies In Need and explain I can't just leave him there, knowing that we feel the same way about animals I didn't wait for her response. I loaded up and headed out.

As I am driving up the country road I see a dog walking up the side of the road. I slowly pull over he runs, so I slowly follow to see where he is going to go. He heads up a long drive way past a house that looks empty and back past an old barn. I come to the end of the driveway. Gather my supplies, Tim bits, Hotdogs, bags of dog treats and a container of water for him.

High corn and grass prevent me from seeing where he is so I just talk out loud to him, at least we think its a him, please don't be a her with puppies is one of the things I say to him. Hoping the whole field isn't high corn I come to a little hill. Well I am short this only helps slightly, but I can see him and thank goodness its soybeans!!!

I talk to him and toss a few broken pieces of hot to him and sit down on this prepared to wait until he decides to come to me. As I sit quietly suddenly I feel pinches, what the hell!!! Stand up thinking something is poking shit, he was right there and I spooked him, back to his hiding spot. I brush off and sit back down, more pinches, what is going on!!! I stand up again and take a better look around, only I would sit on a freaking bity ant hill while trying to save a dog.

Okay change of plans. I talk to the dog and walk out to the field and closer to where he is throwing hotdogs and pieces of tim bits. By the way we are about 2 hours in at this point. I sit down near his "safe" spot and talk and put food in a line towards me and my hand out. Now I sit quite I don't move he comes to me and lays down in front of me! He is eating food from my hand!!!! this is awesome!!!

Car noise who is that? who is here. I tell him I will be right back. I head out to see who is there. The people who posted for their parents awww sweet they want to help. I appreciate their kindness and thoughts but in the back of my head hoping they haven't just reset the last 2 hours of work.

I go back to where I was he is not happy he growls and shows his teeth I throw a piece of hot dog at his nose and tell him thats is enough of that you were just eating from my hand and letting me pet your chin. So I sit down with the bucket of water for him and show him its safe. It takes about 5 mins for him to realize what it is but once he does he drinks for a good 3 mins straight.

okay its been about 3 hours at this point, he is letting me pet his chin and eat out of my hand, time to see if I can lead him out of this soy bean field. So with a trail of food he follows slowly at first with a distance between us and then he is right at my heals. We get to my SUV and I open all the doors, hoping against all hope I can get him in. Suddenly another car pulls up, my thoughts are SERIOUSLY I JUST GOT HIM THIS FAR!!! But this car doesn't pull all the way up it stays back a bit. Out comes a women, the dog takes off for the house but doesn't run away. Hes checking all the doors (how heart breaking) Marianne and I talk she tells me who she is, she works with rescues to help catch loose animals and also families catch missing animals. She has a whole cooked chicken and blankets and I am greatful because I have run out of treats and still unable to get him looped.

He comes close once again and lays just out of reach eating chicken and cookies, I still cant get him looped. Its getting dark, he is still going to the doors over and over again. We check the barn its full of crap, I check the house its full of totes and boxes. As we do this he follows all around not letting me too far out of his sight. Marianne checks with the people across the road they own the house we have been told. They are not home.

Still can't get him looped. Its dark I can't leave him alone but not sure what I am going to do at this point. Steve is in the area someone else in rescue who has bullies, he this it could be one his that went to forever home. He comes and verifies it is not his. He helps me get him looped and into the truck.

Thank god for these two people or I may not have gotten him that night, it might have been the next day.

I get him home and into the back room with water and blankets where he can chill out. I take him out a few times in the night to pee and sniff the yard. He barely leaves my side.

The next day I go into feed him and get a better look at him. He is covered in scabs and infected scabs from his hind legs all the way to the middle of his back. His collar is on so tight it is digging into his skin.

We get in touch with the owners of the rental unit, the people who lived there moved out two years ago, they have been feeding "gus" they have a dog too that "gus" has been going over and playing with. We contact the people who rented the house and still a week later haven't heard anything back.

Over the week (so far) that he is here, he lets me tend to his wounds and he slowly comes out of his shell. He has two baths and lets me gentle bush him out everyday to help with the scabs. He finally meets Bossco and Lexi after seeing them while they were in there crates and through a gate for a few days then he met one at a time and only for short periods of time. Now he loves them, he loves Blaine. He is so scared of men to the point where he just looked at Richard and peed everywhere, showed his teeth and growled. So we did this slowly with lots of treats and a gate between them until Gus trusted him enough to get close. He gives him kisses and snuggles now but still if he moves to quickly it freaks Gus out. Every sound freaks him out. He had his first walk with us as a group and did awesome. Before his bath I would have said he was 4, after his bath and him letting me look at his teeth I would put him 7+. He has SOOOO many broken teeth :(

He is learning everyday, yes even old dogs can learn new tricks! mainly by watching the other dogs and paying attention to what I say to them and what they do he has learned "out", "sit", "leave it".

His skin is healing nicely almost all his scabs and sores are healed up. Only a few left on his tail. His hair is growing back. Gus gets to go to the vet tomorrow where he will be checked for microchip (just in case) and have a full look over.

A week later he is very hand shy but will let me put my had in his food dish while he eats, every noise spokes him, too much movement spokes him, he hates being outside for more than a few mins (who blames him tho), he is in a crate when no one is home because he has separation anxiety and it is for his safety as well. No accidents so far in the house other than when he peed everywhere because he met Richard. He now eats in the same area as the other dogs with no issues, he takes treats while sitting next to them no issues.  In just a week he has made leaps and bounds and I couldn't be prouder of him.


***PLEASE REMEMBER DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME, UNLESS YOU KNOW HOW TO READ BODY LANGUAGE TRYING TO GET A DOG TO TRUST YOU CAN BE DANGEROUS, CONTACT A RESCUE, YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL OR SHELTER FOR HELP***

Once he is fully healed and has worked on over coming his past he will be ready for his forever home.



 

2018 a year in rescue!

I figured I might as well do this now as Gus will likely be the last foster of this year that crosses my doorway. I whole heartly believe every dog enters my life for a reason.

Christy!!!

Christy was an owner surrender and my first foster in a long time. She was sweet, smart, full of life and energy! Her and Blaine were quite the pair getting into EVERYTHING all the time lol. She came into my life to remind me that I still needed to this, I still need to open my heart and door those animals that were not longer wanted by their families. Christy reopened my heart, my home and showed me Blaine need this too!


Heart break comes like tea in the morning to those in rescue.

Donny and Cherry came to me so broken that Donny was only with us for a day. Cherry was with us until it was her time. These two tiny spirits showed me that I am strong enough to do this again. That I am strong enough to love them until they don't need me anymore. Strong enough to get through anything, including losing two sweet souls who only knew peace and love a short time but will never be alone alone again.






In December I lost my world, my heart dog, the boy who had been with me through everything! I swore I would never love a dog in the same again and its true I wont!

Lexi the Cat Dog who has so many face wrinkles she looks liek the stuffed toy "wrinkles" I had as a kid. EVERYONE suited up in their capes for this one. She came in a hurry and with her she stole my heart. She is tiny compared to what I am used to that is for sure but only in stature not in muscle, heart of brains. Lexi LOVES Blaine. She has stolen a place in my heart I didn't think I had left after losing ACE, she has shown me a I can love in a similar way again. No dog will ever replace Ace, but she sure is trying on his shoes. Lexi is still here and I haven't fully decided what I am going to do about her. She is a perfect dog minus having to have her lady bits washed 3-4 times a day, special stuff on her food and leaking when she sleeps. All because her lady bits are hanging out far further than what they should be. Poor sweet pie, but even with those issues she is still loved.


As most people will tell you, when it comes to animals I don't think I just react. Which is how I ended up with 8 fosters, pregnant and Richard working in Alberta lol.

Yes that is a dog in a field. You might not be able to see him but he was there. Gus was a post in a group that I was tagged in so of course I loaded up and went to get him. I will have a post about just him so I wont go into too much detail about his story here. Gus came into my to teach me patience and to show me that I still will never give up on an animal no matter how unhappy they are in that moment with me. To show me that waiting is just the beginning of the rainbow!!!


Every rescue teaches us something new, shows us something we didn't know was within us. From your heart breaking for those you saved past and what they have been though to your heart breaking once again to see them off to their forever home everyone in rescue knows by best that our hearts are our strongest muscle and will always heal despite the scars.


Those in rescue remember you are needed, you are loved and no matter how hard the day, week, month YOU have made a difference! YOU are making a difference!!

Ottawa: Christy

This was my second time going to Ottawa and it was for the same reason as the first time but this time I got to explore a little bit more and enjoy a little time out my normal activities.

I was taking a foster to her forever home, they were an amazing couple. They fell in love with her the moment she enter their home, they had a rocky start though with her escaping her crate and being just a pain in the butt, typical puppy behavior. Time has past and they have long signed the paperwork.

Things are different with this rescue, the adoptive family added me to facebook and I get to see photos and updates all the time, I never had that with the other rescue. We would get one or two updates but that was about it.

Ottawa was amazing!!! We skated the canal, I didn't get very far because of my foot but I still did a couple KM and it was amazing!!

Just so happens we were up there at the same time as the Ottawa snow festival we got to see sculptures and eat fresh made maple suckers.

We also visited the hill and a few other places while we were there. It was a short trip but it was amazing and we can't wait to go back again!!!

Have you been to Ottawa? What is your must do thing while you are there?

Cherry

Cherry and Donnie came together, however their stories are slightly different. They both came from a shelter in Windsor. They both had the same story “ we picked them up on opposite ends of town but both had a microchip and there was only an email attached that traces back to a known sketchy back yard breeder”. Cherry came with a whole list of her own issues, she was scared of life, had to be carried in and outside barely left Bosscos crate which she had claimed as her own. At her vet appointment when I had built up the courage to finally take her in, about 4 days after Donnie had crossed the rainbow bridge. The vet gave her a good once over, her spay was a butcher mess, both ears were infected, both eyes were infected, she couldn't produce her own tears, she was completely blind, had dementia, was partial deaf, but man her nose worked great!!! She had pressure wounds all over her body from spending her life in a crate and used solely for breeding. Donnie and Cherry were likely a breeding pair.

After being with us for a short time she started to warm up to us and boy she was sneaky. She would steal things and hide them in “her” crate, man she was such a hoarder lol. She was doing great, loved Blaine and would even allow us to snuggle with her. You could tell when she would get lost or confused she would just walk in circles until you went and picked her back up.

One morning we woke up to her having pooped on the mat, pee was the norm with her every morning there would be pee in front of the door on the mat or she would pee in her crate. This morning was different, she had a rough night and had pooped on the mat. I tired to take her out of the crate like every other morning to take her to pee and get some food. This morning she growled and went to bite me, I tired again and same thing so I gave up and left her be figured it was just an off day or whatever. I messaged the rescue and let them know she was having an off day and that I would see how she was at end of the weekend. This happened all day that day. She refused to leave the crate and was bring mean, she had also started to have what looked like the shakes someone who MS gets. The rescue figures she had a stroke or seizure during the night. I called the vet and made her apt for the Tuesday. This would give her time to see if she improved for not. Which she didn't.

Sadly after being in care for a short few months we had to say goodbye to Cherry. This wasn't easy.

After losing both Donnie and Cherry I felt as those I had failed them both, that if I could have found them sooner, if I could have, I don't know done something else to help them they would have been able to feel love for even just a little longer.

In rescue saying goodbye to dogs and holding them while they cross the rainbow bridge, giving the most out of life for even a short while is an honor, it breaks you but it is an honor that not many can handle. The best part? Even though they are only with you for a short time you get to see them be free and happy in a way without you they would never have, you get snuggles and love that is beyond words. You get to comfort, spoil and show them love that they have never gotten in their little lives.

Once again as I write this and think of the amazing snuggles and Cherry trying to steal my shoes as I am wearing them lol or socks from the clean laundry basket as I mate them, I am in tears because though she was only here for a little while each animal touches your soul in a unique way that without being in rescue I would never experience.

Thank you for allowing me to be the one to help those who can not help themselves. Thank you for allowing me to care for those who need it the most and thank you for allowing me to make a difference one dog at a time.

Donny a big headed foster boy

A little bit ago I got asked if I would go and assess two dogs in a shelter in Windsor, Ontario. Of course my answer was yes and I went down right away. We got to the shelter and smell was horrid in even the admin area. The lady there explains where they came from “ we picked them up on opposite ends of town but both had a microchip and there was only an email attached that traces back to a known sketchy back yard breeder”We wait to be taken back to asses this too older dogs, we go back the food dish was moldy, both kennels were filled with shit and piss covered blankets and towels. They open Donny's cage up and out he trots with some gentle coaching. Cherry on the other hand had to be carried out. Neither attacked me lol so they were being sprung, they had them on allergy meds and Cherry had special ointment for her eyes. They tell me Donny has a hernia and can't poop right. I get them into the crates in the SUV not a peep out of either of them all the way to Sarnia, we stop once for pee breaks. Donny jumps out Cherry has to be carried. I notice that even in the crate it would appear Donny is literally bent over in the pooping position all of the time. This seems really odd. We bring them home they take well to my big guy and my son. Donny is leaking consent blood and stool. That means emergency vet visit for Donny. My amazing vet who is honest, down to earth and loves animals looks him over. He has spine issues from being in the poop position for so long. I explained where he came from as he was putting on a glove and lube to shove up Donny's rear end. He pulled at least a pound of poop from his rear and Donny relaxed big time. I was gagging so much blood and so much stool. He said that's all he could get for now. He checked him and then did something I have never in the 17 years I have been going to him do, he asked the young women vet who he has taken on at his practice to come do a second exam she did then went back and they talked. As I listened in to what they were saying. Him “Have you ever seen that before?” Her “No you?” Him “not outside of training” Her “Well I agree it is what we think it is”. My vet comes back in. He looks grim as he starts explaining “Donny should never have left the shelter and you should take him back there right now.!” I explained that it wasn't an option. Then he explained to me what was wrong “Donny's descending colon has separated from the rectum and is no longer lined up. The poop has created a sac inside the rectum that is filling with poop. He has been like this a long time. It could be caused by a long term hernia or something else but we have no way of knowing. There is a surgery that is $5000.00 that will likely not even fix the problem. We can try but it is rare that it will work. Unlike humans dogs can't wear a colostomy bag. I knew what the decision had to be. All the shelter down there had to do was a rectal exam and this dog would not have suffered a minute longer, but nope that's not what they did. I called the rescue and explained everything as I was trying to hold it together. I held Donny while he crossed the rainbow bridge. I told him over and over you are loved, you wont be in pain any more and your a good boy, no one will ever hurt you again. Blaine was with me. I was broken. Blaine said its okay mom he is with my brother Ace now. I cried harder.

Donny was only with me 24 hours but I made him feel as loved and comfortable as possible during his time with me. There was no investigation done into cruelty, there was no charges laid, these “sketchy breeders” have been left to do it over and over and over again.

As I type this the anger all comes back the heart break all comes back.

Annie and The Shelter

Annie was a foster dog of mine, she had been in foster care with me for about a year. Annie is super sweet, loving and loves kids!!!

After being in care for a year with little to no interest we had to make a hard decision to take her to the shelter for more exposure. She was in the shelter for about a month, I hated every moment that she was in there I couldn't go to the shelter to get pictures and she was all I could think about.

A foster dog leaving is never an overly easy thing, but this was different. The shelter we work with is one of the good ones, she got walked everyday and lots of love and play time.

I cried all the way to the shelter, Susan (the shelter manager) pretty much at to force me to leave and I cried all the way home. I was physically sick knowing she felt abandoned.

From the moment she came into care she was a special little lady. She came leaps and bounds from the scared of her own shadow to a confident loving baby. Yes she had her issues with other dogs when it came to bones but that was pretty much it.

I had only planned to leave her there for a week and then bring her back home. We stopped at the pet store and got her tons of raw hyde and food to make through the week.
At the end of the week I went to the shelter with all intentions to pick her up. Annie was soooo happy to see me, Susan said she was doing fine at the shelter and should stay. I struggled with the decision but decided Susan new best and she stayed. She was out in the yard when I left and Annie tired to chase the car it broke my heart seeing the pain in her eyes that I left without her. Right then and there I decided that no matter how long I had a foster dog I would not send them back to the shelter no matter what.

I don't know how owners of dogs they have had 10 years can just drop them at a shelter without even looking back. Especially those who leave their dogs at high kill shelters knowing they will be killed.

 

Annie waiting for Richard to come out of the pet store.

 

Stay tuned for a wonderful update on Annie!!!!