©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Most of the dogs that come into Turtle Gardens are pound pups without a name.  One of the first gifts we give the newbies is a name - an identity of their very own.  With 200 dogs a year coming in names are a chore. Sometimes the dog will "tell" me his/her name. I will look at the dog and a name will pop into my head - they communicated their name to me. Those names really suit the dog - and generally stay with the dog after adoption.  Sometimes a colour or personality help me choose their name. Like Ruby Red or Shyla/Shylo for a shy dog. Or time of year - like Merry, Grinch and Holly who arrived just before Christmas. Then there are names  with meanings like Yoru - dark night in Japanese (she is a black border collie/chow) or Adoni which means fiery sunset in Haida - that really suited the russet coloured boy!  Lorna named Plato because he had such a"dead" personality!! I thought it suited him as he is a philosopher - he is calm and placid - a thinker so his brothers were named similar to match - Sampson and Moses. I will name mom and pups to a letter - if the mother is Sally then all the pups will have "S" names.
   The trio from Thursday need names. The smallest is a black and tan male shepherd mix and looks a lot like Walter. I have been calling him Little Walter - now he is Willie.  The female is an obvious runner and can really run fast! So her name is Cindy after Cindy Klassen the Olympic speed skater!!  The last fellow is also a runner so he is named Charles after Charles Hammelin another speed skater who won the Championship in Sudbury recently (Sudbury is my hometown!)   Names mean a lot. A name can reflect rightly or wrongly the dog’s personality like Storm - she was renamed Aimee by Lorna and a friend is what she is. Names help the dogs find homes and give them a sense of belonging. Names are important!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Turtle Gardens began way back on April 8, 1988. Over 4000 animals have been rescued. Since 2001 every dog over 6 months of age has been spayed or neutered.  So speuter days are a regular event for Dave and I. Thursday’s speuter was way more than Dave had bargained for. Lou at only six and a half months of age was in heat! Ruby Red has an injured eys which is healing very well. There were three pound dogs to pick up after their speuters. Dave loaded up Lou and Ruby Red both very groggy and sleeping as soon as they were placed in the van. The two males were awake but loaded well tho the black male bit the smaller black and tan male on the ear. They were tied in at opposite ends of the van. Finally the black female was brought out. As Dave was putting her into the van she jumped onto his back, jumped over and out the door at a dead run.  She had just been spayed - she should have been very sleepy!  She sure could run. The staff and Dave followed her down the driveway, across the highway stopping traffic in both directions. She was finally herded back towards the clinic where she ran around the clinic and hid in dense bush. It was decided to leave her there for now in hopes she would come out to the staff. At least she was away from the highway.  A live trap was called for from the pound. She is the first one to get away from Dave when loading up - how infuriating! And embarrassing.
   The next morning we received a call from the clinic. The runaway has been found - next door! A lady from Topley would transport her for us and we would pick her up once she arrived. She arrived at her home and telephoned us at 7 pm. Our road had not been plowed yet and Dave was prompltly stuck. pick up would be best in daylight. Our road was plowed at 6 am this morning. Dave shoveled his way out and picked up the new girl. She was still in her crate so we slid it up to the chain near the door - no more taking chances. She must really want to get out to potty!! I slid my hand into the crate and grabbed her collar. Soon she was hooked up to the chain and freed. Boy was she glad to get out and to see me. She was doing happy dances, wagging her tail and jumping up on me. She really likes me! She is a medium sized pretty girl. She seems to be happy to be here as she lies by my feet. Her big adventure is over.

Meeting Sweetpea and Tuk!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

As well as a spay day yesterday it was a training day as Lorna came to bring Aimee aka Storm over for a viewing. Unfortunately it was a no-show for the prospective adopter but Lorna decided to work the dogs while she was here.
  The first was Coco Brindle - the shiest of the chessie mix puppies. I put a collar and harness on her as well as he rleash. She was not a happy camper! And tried to go back over the fence. Rayla is behind her!
 

Finally she could actually sit and look around her.
She still wasn’t very happy tho. Lorna did ttouch on her and put a tensor bandage around her to keep her mind busy. Soon Lorna could touch her all over her body and she relaxed and went for a walk - tho she was held up with a towel! When she was released she ran right back into the house then back out into the yard again. She was ok!

Next was Kernel Pupter’s turn. He is a willing,friendly but sensitive fellow. He will be an awesome family companion - he really likes kids too and is good with cats as well. What a treasure!

Then Jaime went out. Now that her demodex is under control - she is a much happier girl!  Lorna found her to be confident and walked very well on leash. She would take wieners but not kibble as treats - smart girl!

And finally little Merry. She hasn’t grown much since her arrival - she is an apartment sized German Shepherd!  Lorna says she is a very nice dog!! She is very interested in people, has lots of focus (would be a wonderful RallyO prospect), She is very food oriented and is a confident happy little soul. Another truly awesome family companion.

Lying in her favorite chair after a hard day’s work!

By then it was dark so we had a nice supper and conversation. Lorna left early as she has to work day shift today. Dave returned with the spayed girls and two neutered boys from the pound. The young shepherd male is friendly, sweet and such a gentle fellow. The other is a husky/karelian bear dog - he is full of himself yet - the neuter will calm him down quickly. He is adapting well this morning, is much quieter - he was hungry and thirsty last night! Both are a bit thin but will soon be healthy and robust and ready for loving families.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Yesterday, Dr. Lois called and told me that she had an open day Thursday and could speuter dogs for us. I suggested the three pound dogs would be good candidates and Ruby Red as she had several applications for her (I wish all dogs had her interest!!) and Lou as she was old enough. 

It started snowing in the afternoon and snowing and snowing. By the time the alarm rang this morning a good foot had covered the ground.  Dave was up first call today and tho a bit grumpy went out to start the TG Bus and turn it around. No problems there. I put a collar and leash on Ruby Red - she was on my bed. I don’t keep collars on the pups - they chew them off each other! Then I found Lou sitting by the door and put a collar and leash on her. I found their health books from their vaccinations and vet visits and they were ready to go. Dave left on time - no problems today!

And a Happy Endings!

Hi Yvette, I just wanted to touch bases with you about Bastian, to say how much we are enjoying him. He is very well mannered and listens to whatever we say, he has been great with the other animals and loves to sleep in the doggy bed in the livingroom, although he doesn’t exactly fit in it , he enjoys it just the same, when I get to PG I will buy a bigger one for him  He is very kind with us and loves hugs but will bark if someone comes around which is exactly what I wanted him to do. So thank you for letting us adopt Bastian, we couldn’t ask for a better match for our family, he is very well loved here.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Chico and Riley came home from their speuters - hungry! Chico was very vocal in telling us his displeasure at his neuter - he was sore! A half can of pedigree went a long way in appeasing the little guy. Riley was unfazed eventhough her dew claws were removed as well as her spay. She ate the other half can of pedigree and slept the evening under Dave’s chair. Chico slept on his favorite chair - a padded one all curled up in a little ball with little whimpers sounding every little bit - he sure is a suckee! This morning both are as happy as can be and back to normal. Riley’s family has already arrived and she has gone home to meet her own little girl who wants a bed companion and a buddy to play with. Riley will be all that and much more - Good luck girl!

  All four of my demodex kids are on ivomec again and this time we really see a difference. Plato has a shiny, thick coat - his eyes are bright and happy and he is very playful. He is running outside with the other dogs!!

Sampson has hair on his ears!! His eyes are bright and he is playing with the two chessie mix puppies. He has started going out the front door into the main yard and he is looking so much better.
 

 Little Jaime the dwarf pup has bright eyes again, a thicker shiny coat and is not greasy feeling. She was one of the worse affected - her immune system is really bad - her dwarfism is an indicator of that. Her mom is a full size pittie/rottie and weighs about 70 pounds. Her grandmother Honeybear, a rottie/sharpei - weighed 110 pounds. Jaime barely weighs 32 pounds, is short legged and quite homely. She was very friendly with the family who came to see Grey Ghost and Chico - she really liked the 7 year old boy!

And the last is poor Moses - the wrinkly boy who was very ill. He was bald with sores clustered on his head, his eyes were infected and he wanted nothing to do with people or dogs. Now he has shiny hair sprouting on his body, his eyes are opened, his head is healed and he is jumping all over me! He is a happy boy!

 He is the smallest of the demodex boys at 60 pounds. Sampson is 100 pounds while Plato is 80 pounds. They have been on ivomec off and on since their first flare up at four months of age. It cleared the demodex but never fully eradicated it. This time they look good! I wonder if it is because their immune systems are finally kicking in. It has been a long road for these guys but I finally see light at the end of a long and very expensive  tunnel.  They will be fine now ready to lead a normal life as normal dogs.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Dave decided to let the wood stove go out last night as it was only -5 when he went to bed and it was too hot! It was supposed to stay at that temperature according to the weather network. They were wrong!! The temperature plummeted to -20 during the wee hours of the morning. It was crispy when I woke up this morning to the buzzing alarm. I sure hated to leave the warm bed - Sweetpea did not get up - she stuck he rhead out of the covers and cuddled back in with her head on my pillow - what a smart dog! She didn’t get up until the fire was roaring in the woodstove! meanwhile Dave drank his coffee, started the van - he started up without being plugged in too! Then he we put leashe son Chico and Riley and off they went to the van, and drove away - so far so good.  The road had been plowed yesterday, no new snow fell and Dave could turn around with out any problems. Riley will be SPayed and Choco nEUTERED - hence the word - speutered!!
  chico
Riley

Riley has a new home tomorrow - her family will come here tomorrow morning to pick her up.  Chico is still waiting for his family.

And now a Happy Ending from Telegraph Creek who adopted in 2001 - six years ago!

Hi Yvette I just found your website-the main picture sure looks like our Nustaw-is it a relative? I adopted Nustaw in June, 2001. She was one of a litter of pups from a border collie/maremma cross the size of a small pony. "Bessie"? The father was unknown but must have been German Shepherd from Nustaw’s gait, small size (50-60-#) and one loppy ear. You asked me to send you pictures so here are 4, hope it’s not too much at once for your computer. We live 17 miles out of Telegraph Creek and across the river from everyone else. Nustaw was a tough one to train because she is smarter than we are. The main problem we had was that she wants to deal with problems herself rather than reporting them to us. We’ve got that sorted out but if you or your expert advisors have any advice we’d sure appreciate it. For example, when company came instead of letting us know she would race out and deal with them herself. Instead of standing by the house to bark, she would run out to meet them and try to chase them away. Same with bears; instead of warning me of a bear she would attack it which usually resulted in a treed bear or a bear running back down the trail towards me. We have sorted these problems out but I’m not sure how-she tries so hard to please and somehow figured out what I wanted. She’s 5 now and we trust her completely. She’s saved each of our lives at least once, wakes us up when wolves attack our horses, and keeps bears out of her terrritory.In between she kills mice and torments the cat. Thank you for a wonderful dog; we love her, the cat loves her and the horses love her. Tammy Fredrickson We have sorted these problems out but I’m not sure how-she tries so hard to please and somehow figured out what I wanted. She’s 5 now and we trust her completely. She’s saved each of our lives at least once, wakes us up when wolves attack our horses, and keeps bears out of her terrritory.In between she kills mice and torments the cat. Thank you for a wonderful dog; we love her, the cat loves her and the horses love her. Tammy Fredrickson Trail Buddy
Fight!

Good morning!

In April!

The dog in our header is Keela a stray from Burns Lake who had her puppies in the pump house on the Woyonne Reserve in February of 2004. Nustawi came from Houston - not very far away (60 kilometers) so it is possible that Keela’s mother/grandmother came from the same litter. I wish I spoke dog - what wonderful stories they could tell us!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.