August 25, 2006
It is a beautiful day again - what a wonderful summer it has been! The flowers have grown and blossomed in riots of colour. The greenhouse - wow
I may have to pickle the cucumbers this year. Eventhough we eat them like apples there is an overabundance of them. What a great growing year! And for dogs too
We average two or three calls a day asking us to take in puppies. My answer is usually "No" "You chose to breed your dog, it is YOUR responsibility to find them good homes" I rarely say no to old dogs though. Which is why we have so many old dogs living out their lives in comfort, love and care. Nike is an example.
He is 15 years old and his family moved - both dogs were not going. Cody is only 11 years old and should find himself a home - he is here too. But Nike now renamed Willow after a old dog we all knew and loved, will live here as he is blind - his owners didn't even know. Now that he has adapted to us and his yard it would be more than difficult to move him. He is happy here. He wanders around the yard but when my husband comes out he "dogs" his heels. He really likes following the lawnmower!! He is still not comfortable coming in the house but is forced to when it rains. He complains a bit then settles on his big cushion and sleeps. But once the door opens - out he goes again. I can see we will have a battle of wills this winter. Maybe he will enjoy the woodstove and stay in.
©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.
August 24, 2006
I woke up with a migraine this morning! I knew I was in trouble as I slowly walked to the gate to meet my son who was heading back to Surrey today. I gave him a hug. He gave me two bags of groceries from his stay. I waved goddbye and then hurried like mad back to the house. It was just one piece of morroccan coconut cream pie - it was so good - another trigger to a debilitating headache. I made sure the front door was shut so the dogs would only go out the side yard and went to my favorite chair with a cold cloth and warm sleeping bag to sleep it off. The dogs were all good. They knew I wasn't feeling well. Not a sound out of any of them except Tessa who grumbled and complained a bit. Dogs are very sensitive to your moods. They know when you are angry, or sad or happy. I don't know how many times I have chased a running away dog who finally came back to me and I praised him/her with clenched teeth. "Good dog" is still "good dog" especially coupled with a treat. You cannot punish a dog who finally comes to you from the "catch me if you can" game. No matter how angry you feel you must praise the dog for coming back. So that next time the game is shorter and shorter. Treats also help to shorten the game into a reliable recall.
Just received a call from animal control that three dogs will be arriving tomorrow. And the male is limping very badly - looks like a broken leg. Why so many broken legs lately? First the two little ones and now the big guy - he looks like a karelian bear dog she said. Bad things come in threes maybe this will be the last for a while.
©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.
August 22, 2006
Today will be a busy day – Dave is taking five newcomers to the veterinarian today. Two are eleven week old American Eskimo mix puppies and both broke their front legs in falls from a balcony. Max was taken to a veterinarian and because there wasn’t much money available only a splint was put on his leg and he was given his vaccinations. Then yesterday Ivan fell off a balcony – not the same one Max fell off of. But there was no money at all for Ivan’s care so he was brought here to Turtle Gardens with Max. They both have appointments for check-ups, x-rays and a cast or surgery if needed. It’s an expense we can’t really afford but the pups need a safe haven to land and Turtle Gardens will give it to them. They also came in with Pixie; a teeny tiny terrier/Chihuahua mix female puppy.
Because she is in the x-pen with the boys; (they are a month older but very gentle – their injuries keep them quiet) she will be checked out and vaccinated/wormed at the same time so they can all shed the virus together. Sometimes pups shed the vaccine and those close to them without any protection can get sick. So we make sure that all puppies are vaccinated at the same time.
The other two newcomers are adults. Spice is a beautiful, soulful golden retriever mix – a gentle sweetheart of a medium dog. She is about 5 years old and is supposed to be spayed. Her constant companion is a little silkie terrier mix named Sugar.
It is she who has the problem – she leaves a pool of urine when she gets up. This is a hormonal imbalance which is easily controlled with a small pink pill. But she will need bloodwork to determine if she has other problems as well. The tests are expensive but we need to know how she feels – she can’t tell us. Although I wish they could talk to me. They are very bonded to each other – you won’t see one without the other. They were very gentle with my grandkids yesterday. I am hoping to adopt them to a special family together.
And so was Stanley! He is supposed to be chasers of bikes and kids yet was as gentle as could be with my grandkids and the smaller grandkids of his foster to adopt home. Unfortunately her old dog couldn’t/wouldn’t adjust to Stanley so he is back here but we know a lot more about him now. He is housebroken, likes to sleep on the end of the bed, is very loyal and loving and gets along well with kids, cats and cattle. He never left his yard there!! Bur he was not left alone outside unsupervised. He stayed in the porch when Nancy left. He was never destructive or whined or cried. He will be an awesome companion for a lucky family.
©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.
August 17, 2006
Today is spay day again! Both are pound dogs - Shelagh is from Burns Lake while Tella is from Telkwa. Both are retriever mixes possibly with collie. Both are young females finishing their first heat cycles. Shelagh is smooth white with tan ears and a couple of small tan spots on her back. Tella is longer haired, blonde and looks golden retriever. Both are wonderfully quiet, well behaved girls. Tella is a bit of a fence jumper but that is stopping now that her needs are being met. Shelagh likes the big chair in the common room while Tella likes to be under my desk at my feet. Both want to be FAMILY dogs. They want to be with their people. One thing I have noticed though is that Tella is no longer a cream coloured girl – with good food she is turning more golden as are Shelagh’s ears! A lot of dogs come in here very thin. With extreme malnutrition comes coat fading. Dogs appear to be cream or even white. As they gain weight from better food, rehydrated from unlimited water and wormed so their food feeds them, their coats change. They become darker, more vibrant and often grow a longer coat as well. Tella is looking more and more like a golden retriever. She is very gentle like one as well. Hopefully her home will come soon.
Laynie is due to be spayed tomorrow with Walter and Pete neutered. Today she was viewed by her new family!! She will live in Fort Fraser with an older couple with grown kids. They will pick her up from the veterinarian after her spay. It will be a bonding period for all of them. Laynie will need to be kept quiet for a week to heal so all walks will be on leash. She needs a quiet place to recover so what better place than with her own family. Hooray for Laynie! And to really make my day – Davinci has a family coming to see him tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that it is a match and Davinci has his own boy to play with.
©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.
