Name Contest

Thanks to everyone who contributed names for the little pup! We recieved a lot of feedback but two names stuck out instantly.

Everyone meet Diego (named by Samantha)

Diego so far is a very healthy little guy who loves to cuddle. He is quite talkative and has a great appetite! (he's making up for lost time I suppose!) Keep your fingers and toes crossed that he remains healthy.

And thanks to Deanna for the very fitting and

beautiful name of "Mercy" for the little girl who didn't make it.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support. It has been a rough couple of days and you all have helped to make it that little bit better. Thank you.

Parvo

Wikipedia Definition: Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a contagious virus affecting dogs. The disease is highly infectious and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with feces. It can be especially severe in puppies.

My Definition: Hell. It is painful, attacks their immune system and will kill them quickly if not treated. Parvo makes them nauseous and they end up dehydrated. There is no "treatment" other than IV fluids and anti-nausea medication. It is expensive to treat and not guaranteed to cure.

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We have been very lucky- up until this week we have never had a puppy with Parvo in rescue. Which is really very good- Parvo is a devastating virus that can potentially kill. It is VERY contagious and is hard to kill. It can lie dormant in the ground even. Even vaccinated, healthy dogs can get it- although the risk is minimal. But you get unhealthy reserve puppies and it is bound to happen sooner or later. Unfortunately it has happened.

Reno was diagnosed on Thursday. Right away Vegas went into quarantine in case he too had it. Reno spent three days at the clinic on IV- and fortunately has survived and is now back at a foster home and recovering well. We are very grateful that he has made it, although he is not completely out of the woods yet- he will shed the virus for 10-14 days so is still in isolation. He is very lonely, and quite sad.

As of yesterday Vegas had been perfectly fine- although a little stressed about the loss of his brother and moving to a new foster home. This morning however we suspect that he too now has a full blown case of Parvo. We are devastated. We are almost 100% certain but will know after the Parvo test this afternoon. Poor Baby. Please keep your fingers crossed that he too will be strong enough to fight this.

We are still hopeful that the little yet-to-be-named puppy is healthy and Parvo free. As of right now he is showing no signs. However Parvo's incubation period is usually 10-14 days.

So- this brings us to the hard cold fact that we need help.

Reno's vet bill was just under $900.00 We unfortunately got a very small discount and as mentioned before it is very expensive to treat. We have the money for his bill- however we will be strapped for Vegas and are asking for monetary donations to help cover the costs. We are a completely volunteer run group with no charitable status- so if you need a receipt unfortunately we will be unable to take your donation.

However any small amount is helpful and will be greatly appreciated.

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We also are in need of supplies:

Pee Pads (the puppies are all in quarantine and cannot go outside),

Blankets and Bedding- we are throwing out soiled bedding as it is too risky to wash.

Medi-cal Gastro canned dog food- Reno is eating this exclusively right now until his stomach heals.

Bleach- one of the only things that will actually kill Parvo. We are going through GALLONS.

Mop Heads. Each Puppy has their own mop and bucket- over the past five days we have gone through four Vileda mop heads.

And toys- yes, toys. The puppies are bored- they can't have visitors and are lonely and sad. The toys can include soft, plushy toys, or kong like toys. They will either be thrown out or bleached upon recovery.

And of course- Money. We are in short supply of the green stuff and are going to be planning a fundraiser but at this point any donations will be appreciated.

Please keep these sick little puppies in your thoughts.

If you are able to donate something please contact

Natalie at 381-2518 or Amanda via email manymuddypaws@yahoo.com

The Full Story- and a Contest.

The Gov't is in the process of building new houses for the residents of the reserve. They have started laying the foundations and so far that is all. We recieved a distressing call yesterday about two puppies who were thrown into one of the foundations. That is about an 8 ft drop onto cement.

Natalie drove to Fort Macleod (where they were holding them for us) to pick them up. Sadly the girl puppy had to be euthanised- she was too weak and too small after her trauma.

The little boy puppy however is so far doing great. He is young- about 5 weeks old and really misses his mom and siblings. He has a great little personality though and really loves to be cuddled and held. He is obviously a little fighter and already has beaten the odds. He is not ready for adoption quite yet but if you think you might be interested you are more than welcome to put in an application on the little guy.

Speaking of which we need names- yes, even though the little girl puppy died she needs a name too. Because we paid for her euthanasia she was technically a PDCR dog and all PDCR dogs deserve a name. So- we are open to suggestions!

In the comment section post your name suggestions- if your name is chosen we have a special prize- and of course you will have gotten to name two very special little dogs. Please make sure to include your email address in your comment (if you aren't comfortable with that you can email me privately at manymuddypaws@yahoo.com)

The contest ends Tuesday, April 29th.

Newcomer

Cute as a button eh??? Too bad he and his sister were thrown into a cement pit. (a newly poured foundation of a house) His sister died this afternoon. She was too far gone.

More info to come later.

Reggie- Adopted

This little guy was surrendered to us yesterday. In just a few hours and by word of mouth I have a home already lined up for this little guy. But thought I would post his pictures for everyone to see.

It is proof that even small breed, apparently purebred dogs can end up needing new homes! This little guy is fabulous and is great in the house, in the car, good with kids, cats and other dogs. Amazing!

Ivy

Ivy was found wandering around on her own more than a week ago. She appears to be a Pit Bull cross and is very sweet. She is quite friendly and is a happy little thing once she gets to know you. She is quickly coming out of her shell though and will be ready for her new home in a few days.

We are guessing her to be between 1 and 2 years old. She has probably had a little or two of pups already but is being spayed as I type this. Ivy adores other dogs and is very outgoing towards them- she loves to wrestle and play chase games.

She is currently in a foster home with two small children and is doing great with them, she is gentle and calm and is careful not to knock them down. She doesn't interact with them much and prefers to play with the other dog. She has also been pretty good with the cats- she will chase them if they run, but is very respectful of those claws! Ivy is very small- she weighs just about 30 lbs and is about 17 inches tall.

We sure have a lot of great dogs right now!!! We don't have one dog who has tough issues, or wouldn't make a great pet. It is amazing really how lucky we have been.


In adoption news....


Bo has been adopted by his foster family! Yay for him! He is such a good boy- and we have had him for quite some time with no interest- poor guy. But- he now he has his happy ending and will be very spoiled and loved for the rest of his life.

Tula and Jett have very promising applications on them-

we will know early this week if it is a go.

I also have applications on both Rika and Scout. The weather has thrown a little glitch into the process though- so it will be another week before the decision is made about either of them.

The dogs still in the system are doing well and settled into their foster homes.

The gambling brothers- Vegas and Reno are getting cuter by the day and are really enjoying this weather! They are growing like weeds and are on day 3 of no accidents!!! Good boys!


Scout is as cute as ever and is the sweetest little thing- he just wants to cuddle! He had a blast at daycare running around and playing with the other dogs.

Rika is a doll but is getting more and more attached to her foster home. She is one of those dogs who attach very quickly and it is getting difficult for her now. She is starting to show signs of stress and really isn't showing her little personality off anymore to people who meet her. But- hopefully within the week she will be adopted!

Nikki is doing well- we took her off the website early last week as there was some misunderstanding with a previous owner. It has since been dealt with and Nikki is looking for that perfect family. She is a 6 year old Belgian Malinois who is smart, sweet and needs a stable loving home to call her own.

Mya has settled into her foster home and is burning off some steam at daycare during the day. She is a party girl and loves to play. She is great with the other dogs and is very smart- too smart for her own good actually!

Lucy STILL is looking for a home. I can't beleive we've had no interest in this dog! She is a 4 year old Chocolate Lab who just wants a warm bed to call her own. She adores people, and is past the obnoxious lab stage- she is friendly and outgoing, and of course loves to fetch!

Miss Confidence..

If Mya was a person she'd be one of those highschool cheerleader girls. She is ultra happy and bubbly all of the time. She is outgoing, friendly and very quick to make friends (both 4 legged and 2 legged!)Mya is a Cattle Dog/Border Collie cross who is very much the life of the party. She loves to play- and is a great retriever. Although she is an active girl she is not hyper- nor is she one of those off the wall type dogs. She knows how to be calm and settle down in the house.

Mya is completely housetrained and is good in the crate. She will seek it out during the day if she needs a nap- or to hide her toys! Mya has been exposed to kids, cats and other dogs- she handles everything with ease and confidence.

She is a pretty little dog with a cute floppy ear that matches her carefree personality. Mya stands roughly 19 inches tall and weighs about 35lbs. She is a dog who will require brushing and a good quality food to keep the shedding down. Mya is also very much a princess and has been allowed to sleep on the furniture. She is not happy to be out in the yard by herself and will protest! She loves to run and play and is great off leash. She would make an excellant jogging partner!!!

My says that she is ready for her new home and would like a family that she could call her own!

A Holiday

Running a rescue is hard work! Especially when you take in to consideration that we have full time jobs, families, pets of our own and a real life! Sometime we just need a break. So we have decided to take a holiday!

Natalie and I will both be away from April 10th until the 17th. All Adoptions and Intake will not be processed until we return. All of the dogs are safe and sound in their foster homes and once we return we will get back to work on finding them suitable, permanent homes!

In the meantime there will be nowhere to leave a message and emails will not be replied to until we return. If there is an emergency you can leave an email at manymuddypaws@yahoo.com but I can't guarantee it will be replied to.

We will be back on the 17th but it may take a day or two to sort through all of the messages to be patient! We will be in touch!

Thanks!

-Amanda (one tired rescue worker!)

Scout

When Natalie and I went to Stand Off a few weeks ago there was a little tri-color dog that I tried to catch and couldn't- there were too many people around, and I scared the little dog off by trying to grab it.

Yesterday, in my conversation with the Pound Rescue volunteer she mentioned a little dog that they had picked up- and had neutered, but no one claimed him- would we have room for him as well? I was so sure it was him immediately I said yes.

I dreamt about this dog for four nights- I felt so bad leaving him behind, and knew that he would be highly adoptable and that he deserved to sleep on a warm bed, and be loved by his owners.

It turned out that yes- it is the same little dog- and I adore him. We have named him Scout.

When we first saw him a few weeks ago he was playing with some kids- chasing their bikes, just hanging out with them. He is in pretty good shape, and is just a little underweight. Someone loved this dog once.

Scouts heritage is a mystery. Initially he was labelled as a corgi cross, but I am not sure that is very accurate. Again- with reserve dogs it is very hard to tell as they are generations of cross breeds- you get all sorts of weird things!! For the sake of our paperwork I am going to call him a Sheltie cross- as the size, color and something about his face is right. He is much smaller than he looks in the pictures and is probably about 15 inches tall or so. He is light on his feet and is quite athletic.

Scout is very friendly and loves attention. He will sit for a cookie and takes it very gently- even though he is starving. He is not housetrained- but we are working on crate training and at this point I am sure he will catch on pretty quickly. Scout appears to be fine with cats, and is great with other dogs.

That is all the information I have on him for now- but stay tuned for more on the little cutie!

(oh- and although the pics don't show it- he has very large,

pointy ears that stand up every so often....like a little elf....)

The Boys

Yesterday morning I recieved a call from one of the volunteers at Pound Rescue. They were in Stand Off and were wondering if we could help. They were taking dogs back after the spay/neuter clinic on the weekend- and found two more sets of puppies. They have no room, and we do. So we of course said yes. There was supposed to be a litter of nine- which by the time they got to the house they could only find three- cute little shepherd cross pups, happy friendly and still very young. Misty Creek has these pups if you are interested.

And then there were these two. Adorable don't you think?

Initiall we thought that perhaps they were little Pit Bull type crosses, but after baths and cuddling we decided that they have very Sharpei like noses, and the little black pup- Reno, has a very tight little curly tail....So officically we are calling them Sharpei crosses.
Reno is a little boy, with white on his feet and chest. At this point they are still a little shocked about their life changes so we don't know a ton about their personality- but they are happy, and tail wagging- and will be bouncy normal little pups in no time. They are very skinny, and slightly dehydrated but otherwise are healthy.

This handsome little guy we've named Vegas. He is much more flashy than his brother- and has a thicker coat. Vegas still has the trademark nose though and cute flat little ears. ;o)

Updated List of Available Dogs

Bo- 1 year old male, lab cross. Bo has a heart of gold and will make a great companion. He likes to lie at your feet and enjoys going for long walks. He would be an ideal camping or hiking buddy. Bo is completely housetrained and well behaved in the house.

Rika- 8 month old Cattle dog cross. Rika is a petite little thing- weighing maybe 25 lbs. She is small but mighty and has energy to burn- she loves to run and play. Rika is calm in the house though and loves to snuggle. She crawls right onto your lap and will stay there until you make her move! She is a great blend of action and relaxation!

Tula- approx 1.5 years old. Red Australian Cattle Dog. Tula is a complete doll who is very talkative. She makes little grunting noises and will carry on a conversation with you! She is slowly coming out of her shell and will make an excellent family dog. She is great with kids and really seems to love them. Tula can still be a little shy though and will need patience and love. She is housetrained and is comfortable in the house.

Jett- 2 year old Border Collie. Jet is an absolute dream and although I initially pegged him for an outside farm type dog he has surprised us all! He is GREAT in the house- never has an accident and is calm and comfortable. This isn't your typical BC- he is relaxed and easy going- never getting too excited and seems to know when the time is right to play, and time to just chill. He is great with the other dogs and respects cats. Jett is great with kids, and would be a great family dog. He loves to go for walks and is great off leash.

Lucy- 4 year old Chocolate Lab. Lucy is a loveable dog with lots of personality. She is very affectionate and bonds very quickly to people. She is a typical lab in that she loves to fetch, is happy to meet everyone- but unlike some labs she has an "off" switch and is content to hang out and suntan in the backyard! She is a great age as she is past the horrible teenage stage, but isn't an old dog either. Lucy can be possesive of toys and food with other dogs so would be best suited to be an only dog.

Felix- 9 week old Lab cross. Felix and his sister Portia were found on the reserve playing among the garbage. He is a cute little guy who with a little love and patience will blossom into a great little pup. Felix is still quite shy but is slowly working up enough courage to actually come and meet people. He will be a medium-large sized dog when he is full grown.

Finding the right home...

Our goal as a rescue organisation is to rescue and rehab dogs, and then find suitable permanent homes. The rescue and rehab is the easy part! Finding the right home can be a challenge.

Our adoption policy is pretty straight forward- there is an application, home visits, meeting the dog, and finally a decision as to whether or not it is a good match. It tends to get a little dicey when there is more than one application- especially if they are both great.

First, we look at the lifestyle of the applicants. Does the activity level match the dog? Do they have the time to spend with the dog? Do they have experience with this particular type of dog? Can they provide the dog with a stable home? Is it a good match overall?

Then, we like to see how the dog and people interact- is the dog happy and comfortable in their presence? Does the family seem to mesh well with the dog? Does the personality match?

Finally we rely on references, the home check and just our gut feeling to help us make the right decision. Sometimes it is easy once you look at all the facts, and other times it can be very difficult. It is hard to explain to someone that their application was denied for this dog- and that they aren't bad pet owners- and that we for sure would adopt a dog to them, just not this particular dog.

I have a hard time saying no, and I am never quite sure how to word it- unless of course the application is denied for other reasons-that would make someone not a good pet owner period.

And then I have no problem. ;o)

We are very proud of our adoption rate- in the past two years- that is over 140 dogs- we have had 3 returns. I think that is pretty good- and mostly due to the fact that we screen and try and match the right dog to the right family. It is not a first come, first serve kind of process- in fact sometimes I will often say no if I think that there could be someone better for that dog out there! After all it is permanent homes we are looking for- some of our dogs are in their third or fourth homes!!! The least amount of moving around the better!!