The work is going very well. The septic has been emptied and all is well on that front!

Watching the septic empty is good fun for the dogs!

Then Stan went to Houston to pick up the two by fours to repair the wall as well as the two by sixes for the sill and supports. Stan is doing a terrific job of replacing the busted supports and two by fours.

He has replaced the kitchen window which has just been hanging in there. Another don’t know why it didn’t fall down!!

  And now he has to replace the bathroom window - another poor job that needs redoing!! They certainly didn’t know how to build a house when this was put together!

The bathroom window is now framed and in place.

Stan works until dark trying to finish as much as he can before school starts.

Working until he can’t see anymore!

Dave’s little Ragamuffin - she stays by his side all the time.

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

Today saw the septic tank emptied for the final digging coming up. And the order for the replacement wall from a small local mill.  Then the forms will be built and the cement poured for the foundation. It is finally looking like there is light at the end of the endless tunnel!! Thank doG. The resident dogs were very well behaved while the tank was emptied - all the noise and a stranger but they were quiet and well mannered. Mr. Payne was very surprised at how well behaved the rescue dogs were! I was so proud of all of them including my own delinquents - Squire who turns 9 years old today laid at my feet and never said a peep. Lorna will tell how unusual this is my temperamentally challenged boy! It has been a very good day!

And an update from a long time ago adoption. And yes I do remember them! Sam would go out for day trips while Tracy was marking cut blocks. He would come back with orange spots on him because he stayed so close to them while spraying the markers!! Grace was one of two out to lunch Old English Sheepdogs that arrived at TG in ‘96. She was very lucky to be adopted by Tracy as she put a lot of training and socializing to turn her into a "good dog".Very few people would have put up with her early shenanigans.

Sam, Casey, Grace and Mavis the cat the geriatrics from TG still barking and meowing

Just thought I’d tell you that Sam the airdale cross, Casey the akita cross, Grace the Old English Sheep dog are geriatrics at 13 years and Mavis my lovey Calico cat is also about 13- 14 years and still purring.

I picked up this bunch from you in 1995 -96 while TG was at Babine Lake (GRANISLE).  I was married at the time and living in Houston then WL.

Right now I’m taking a post degree nursing program in Saskatoon (as you know forestry has taken a major nose dive) and luckily was able to move my furry family along with me - everyone crammed in the truck for a long long drive (including Lex a 6 year old cat I found outside Alexis Creek).

I take the dogs to a dog park here every day where Sam does the dog and human social circuit - he is a social butterfly (and people are always asking what breed he is - they love his look), Casey glomms onto any human and especially kids- she’s a big black dog but soft as a marshmallow, and Grace barks her fool head off and try’s to catch beagles and young upstarts to teach them a lesson.

They are geriatric and have some health problems - Sam had some bladder crystals but that has been solved, he has a bit of dementia also at times, Casey has lipomas and her rear is getting a little weak, and Grace has arthritis and rear weakness too (she has arthritis meds each morning).  But they all live indoors (and always have), have soft beds, and good food etc their quality of life is still good and Grace knows when to wake me for breakfast, and is always first out the door.

Mavis has a heart murmur and can’t jump as high but is happy and hangs out in the yard when I’m at home - on the long long drive here she was on a pillow on the front seat and every once and a while would ask - are we there yet?  She is the best softest, loudest purring cat in the world (Lex is the best black cat with a kinky tail).

Anyway thank you for my furry family they have been a source of love and builder of patience (I’m thinking particularily of Grace regarding patience - she is one crazy, kooky but special dog) through the years plus a lot of fun. 

I will be done in 2008 and am moving to the Terrace area - I’ll try to stop in to show you the geriatric bunch on the way through - hopefully they will all be alive - they are getting a bit old!  If I had a digital camera I’d send a photo but - I don’t!

Keep up the good work, hope all goes well, you’ve certainly earned a lot of good karma.

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

Stan has been hard at work with plumbing and that is perfect!! Today he started on the last wall and found why the wall was bulging -  the sill only had 4 nails in it and not all the way through!! It was a miracle that the house did not collapse last winter with the snowload.

The sill does NOT sit on what looked like the foundation - it was all for show!! It was put in so it would look like a foundation - to sell the house!!

This is what told us that there was a problem.

The false foundation.

Rotted sill and wall studs. The insulation is sawdust in this part of the house!

Faye smiling as she watches me take pictures.

Dave watching Stan remove the siding on the house from the Blue House steps.

Now Dave is supervising!

Kelsey burning all the debris from the removal. While Old Penny watches.

Tara likes to be where the action is.

Stan has replaced the rotten 2 by 4’s and is replacing the windows. The wall will be properly insulated and new siding put up. Digging should start very quickly and the final foundation put in. Still lots of work and so little time - School starts next week!!

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

We received a visit from SPCA’s Debbie Goodine and her cohort Chad of the PGSPCA  checking to see if we needed help with our dogs because of Dave’s injury.  I feel we are doing well with Stan, Kelsey and me to care for the few dogs that are here. I asked how Silas was doing in his new home and was very surprised to hear that he is still in foster with his days spent at the shelter facility as a greeter in the office.  I asked why he wasn’t on petfinder and was told it was done by volunteers and they were all on holiday. They are advertising him in Prince George and he was on cable TV but the right home for him has not come up!! I was very disappointed that he is not placed when I was promised they had prospective homes lined up. That was the only reason I let him go.

Today I had a visit from Lisa who is writing a book called Amazing Dog Stories and she wanted to feature rescue dogs and a rescue in particular. She was a reporter when I was writing articles for the Interior News. And she wanted TG to be the rescue in her book. I gave her Sam’s Story which is how and why TG came to be. She mentioned that I am always second to the dogs and she wanted the story to be about me and TG. She took a lot of pictures (I am not a happy camper about photos) so if you want to see what I look like you will have to wait until her book comes out in October or November. I took a few of our dogs out of the fence for the photo shoot including my Sweetpea, Lilianna, Raven, Mooshka, Tara, Merlin and Faye. They all followed me back into the fence when I did - what good dogs they are!!

Murphy’s Law is still very hard at work - the last wall to be checked needs replacing - an entire wall!!! It will be a newly built house instead of a fix-it. Again thank you "Somebody" - you are our guardian angel.

And now an update and a request for a Nautical reunion!!

Hi Yvette,
I’ve been sorry to learn of all the setbacks to the (massive)
renovation project. It’s great though that there is a flow of good
news coming through to keep you going. And just think how nice it
will be when its all done! I do hope Dave does not need surgery
though. I got a real kick out of the pictures of Rosie’s (aka Bonnie
Lassie’s) pups. I can’t get over how much they resemble her, at least
in the face. Langley and Surrey are both a ways away (from me and
from each other), but if there’s any interest in reintroducing the
pups to their mom, I’d be interested in trying to make it happen some
weekend in the fall. If you have the time and/or the energy to pass
that on (along with my email), I’d appreciate it.

Rosie is doing great, though this past Saturday she cut a paw pad on
some shells while running (endlessly) after geese and ducks along
English Bay. She’s almost fully recovered, judging by the running she
was doing on the Kits dog beach just now. She’s started up with a dog
walker who takes a pack out to the mountains for the day (she’s only
going once a week now, but will soon start up to twice, and then come
to work with me the rest of the week), and the report is that Rosie
is a great dog to bring out. She certainly seems to be enjoying herself!

Good luck finishing the reno (or really rebuilding). I hope that all
the bad stuff is now out of the way.

Best,

And an update on little Heidi - she is blossoming with Colin as I knew she would!!

Colin

To meet or beat the challenge up to $5000 - your donation is doubled:

Petland Terrace – challenge other pet stores to meet or beat - $113.00

From pop cans – challenge other recyclers to meet or beat – Donna - $37.50.

From the professional beggar – Rayla – at the TG Fleamarket - $60.00

In respect for the abandoned dog on Forestdale Canyon Road : $50.00

Sassy from Courtenay : $50
Canines North Dog Club – challenge other dog clubs to meet or beat : $100

Miss Maxine: $50
Molly : $50
Razz: $50
Mia : $50
In memory of Shadow: $50
in memory of Rever: $50.
in memory of Kiro: $50

A dog proof fence with a double gate is our goal with the challenge. Please help us reach our objective!

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

The renos are coming together slowly much more work than anticipated. Everything that is touched needs replacing - how could a house look fairly stable, be so rotten? The water and sewer lines have been located and the backhoe will be in tomorrow to finish  the digging. Then the forms will be built and the cement truck will pour the foundation. Once the foundation is in the backhoe will replace most of the gravel around the house. There isn’t enough money to put in a basement but a larger crawl space will all the supports etc can be checked regularily.  The floors will be put in and the tile glued down and left for two weeks to cure. Stan and his daughter/my granddaughter have just a week left before school starts and Stan has to go back to work.  It will be a very hectic week.

Dave will have x-rays later this morning and we will know if he needs surgery. He is quite cranky at his inability to move around. Here’s hoping his news will eb good.

Lady went on line on Saturday evening and by 11 am yesterday we had a visit from Heather to see her!! Lady walked well on leash and sat when asked. She even liked her husband - a non dog person!! She sat when he told, shook a paw and rolled over for a tummy rub. She is gone home with them as a foster to adopt - she needs to be good with the toddler (she was asleep and missed the visit!!) and get along with the resident dog an Irish Setter who is very active well actually very hyper! Lady is very mellow and dog social - she should do well. Good luck Lady - here’s your chance to shine!

And Nautical Updates:

Molly aka Teeny Teena - my favorite of the nauticals as I had her the longest is doing very well!

Yvette,

Greetings to you from Langley BC.  Our family was fortunate to be
successful in the adoption of one of Bonnie Lassie’s pups from the LAPS
shelter on July 20th and our family life has now been changed for ever.
We met our future puppy known by the name Paris, at the Fraser Valley
Correctional Facility in Aldergrove and she was a very shy timid young
lady.  We fell in love with her immediately and after a second visit
later in the week, Paris came to our home.  We re-named her Misty in
honor of the fact that she was known as one of the Nautical Pups and she
is certainly not the same dog that joined our family just 5 weeks
earlier.  She has totally come out of her shell and has the best
personality you could ever want in a dog.  Everyone she meets now is her
new best friend and she loves to head down to the local dog park and
play with all her new found 4 legged friends.  She attends puppy class
with us every Friday and is quickly learning new tricks and proper puppy
manners.  Thank you for the work that you do and we are very proud to
have been able to make a home for one of your rescued dogs.

Foster Family

This is Molly’s sister and Bonnie Lassie aka Rosalita’s pups!!

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

Brook and her family adopted beautiful Raven a few months ago and they are very pleased with her calm gentle temperament. When asked what she wanted for her birthday party Brook replied " I want to help Turtle Gardens where Raven came from instead of presents" And an idea formed with her mom for an Animal Education Birthday Party! All the games would be animal related and the theme would be Responsible Pet Care!

The first 1 is of the birthday girl (Brook) and her sister Grace and friend Michelle,

the second is Brook and the cake

last here is Laura the cake hog

Cole rolling the ball with his nose

Deborah doing the same

Walk the dog race

Matching tail race

all the kids!

All in all Brook raised $113 for Turtle Gardens. It was matched by Terrace Petland - Thank you Petland! The entire family came out today in the pouring rain to deliver the dogfood and to show me lovely Raven!! What a gorgeous, calm sweetheart of a dog she turned out to be!! Brooke - you are an inspiration for us all!  It does my heart and soul good to see your unselfish desire to help our dogs. Thank you Brook - you rock!

Brook and the dogfood and a box of treats !

Brooke and family in the rain!! Murphy’s law still hard at work!

To meet or beat the challenge up to $5000 - your donation is doubled:

Petland Terrace – challenge other pet stores to meet or beat - $113.00

From pop cans – challenge other recyclers to meet or beat – Donna - $37.50.

From the professional beggar – Rayla – at the TG Fleamarket - $60.00

In respect for the abandoned dog on Forestdale Canyon Road : $50.00

Sassy from Courtenay : $50
Canines North Dog Club – challenge other dog clubs to meet or beat : $100

Miss Maxine: $50
Molly : $50
Razz: $50
Mia : $50
In memory of Shadow: $50
in memory of Rever: $50.
in memory of Kiro: $50

A dog proof fence with a double gate is our goal with the challenge. Please help us reach our objective!

PS. I have a sprained back - torn ligaments and a pinched nerve but no arthritis/disc damage. I should have a full recovery once the swelling goes down!! And the sun is trying to shine in the rain yet!!!

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

Today will be Dave’s first time left alone with his cast. The problem is that people don’t respect fences and walk right up to the house. Some of the non-adoptable dogs are non-adoptable because of their temperaments. They don’t like people. They don’t trust many people and they can bite. Most people assume that they can walk right in as we are a public place.  But our non-adoptables live with us - they are now our dogs and they have access to the yard. Norrnally the first alert alarms get us out the door of the house to stop people at the gate. Dave will have trouble getting to the door let alone across the yard.  Hopefully we won’t have any visitors to disturb this morning. Stan is driving me as Bear has to visit the dentist this morning. Murphy’s law is still at work - her bridge broke last night! Luckily she could get in this morning but that leaves no one at home to help out Dave. Will keep you informed when I get back about my results and Dave lonely sojourn at home alone!

I just received an update on shy little Heidi - a true rescue from the Kispiox shoot. I am sure that Colin and Heidi are a perfect match!

And a PS from Colin:

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

It was just a depression in the ground, a slight jar to my back - a twinge so I kept going. That was 10 days ago. It has gotten progressively tougher to take. With my feet swollen this morning I was told that I had to leave the yard and visit the doctor. Protests were useless and i was soon at the clinic  for a prescription for pain meds and muscle relaxers and an appointment for an x-ray tomorrow morning. Two trips in two days - not good. It is hopefully just a pinched nerve not anything that will slow me down especially with Dave down. Stan’s says that it was supposed to be a two week vacation in the cabin not a convalescence cabin!! We are very fortunate to have Stan here. He makes coffee and very good porridge. And is always in good humour! The dogs all like him and will listen to him. I can rest knowing the dogs are happy and well cared for even if it isn’t always me taking care of them. Thank you Stan.

Little Heidi had a bath yesterday and went for a sleepover at Lorna’s for her big adventure. Today she flew from Smithers at 8 am to arrive in Vancouver shortly after 9am and into her new dad’s arms. Colin will update us on her arrival later today - of that I am very sure!  Her going home kit from Kate D and Little Lucy went with her - Colin will send pictures of her in her bandana.

Another adoption yesterday as well. John and his wife came to TG to see the Karelians and the black lab Lady. Ed met them in the driveway and was picked up to be cuddled. They thought he was very cute then looked at Chenille and Silken. We walked to the dividing fence and looked at all the dogs there while Ed sat on his feet.  He picked up little Ed and cuddled him while we talked. Then he looked at his wife and said "i like him", His wife said "I do too". So they asked if Ed was available and he was! We discussed payment and they drove off to the ATM at the Topley Grocery while I prepared all the paperwork. Ed and i met them when they came back as did Lady. He really liked the lab too. But one dog at a time he said so away went Ed. Not who they came to see but who they discovered wanted them! Ed will be going camping and touring - a great life for a little fellow who has never met a stranger!

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