Today is speuter day at Babine Pet Hospital in Smithers. Dr. Mike is helping the Sheriff dogs with their speuters in conjunction with Northwest Animal Shelter Society. Thank you so very much!!

Stan and Dave both went this morning for this 1.5 hour trip out and back then out again to pick them up. There is too much to do to hang around and wait for the dogs to recover from surgery - so it is two return trips for the TG Bus.

Today the Sheriff dogs are all done save the two untouchables - they need rehab and the two moms nursing single pups.

So the spay is:

Dog # 29 -  No name yet - but she is soft like butter!!

The boys that are neutered today are:

Ripley formerly known as Dog #20

Darcy formerly known as Dog # 24

and Clifford the big red dog formerly known as# 16

This morning when I checked for comments - I found one from Jude who asked What i the Group Foster Home Program? First off - thank you for your comment - there are days when I wonder if anyone reads it as there isn’t any feedback.  The Red House which is being renovated has gone to the dogs! What this means is that we will live with the dogs but the house is being converted to ensure the DOGS are comfortable, clean and safe. The renovations are done with the dogs in mind not the people. The dog rooms will have drains in the floors so moping will be quick and simple. The floors will be impervious to moisture so easy to clean and smell proof. There are baseboard heaters so that if the woodstove goes out during the night - the rooms will stay warm. There is more than one common room so puppies and youngsters will be separated and will be integrated for play times under supervision as will shier dogs that are "worried" around bigger dogs. There will be several dog yards again to segregate the dogs into compatible groups. Our bedrooms will be separate from the general population so our geriatric dogs will have one on one time with just them and us. They will have both a man door and dog door to their own yards - old dogs are easily knocked down by exuberant or unruly teenager dogs. The bedrooms will be at the very back of the house - in the old storage room. The house will belong to the Foster Group Home Program. Next year we will subdivide the property so that Turtle Gardens will actually own the red house so a caretaker would have their own place to live with the dogs. Now that it has a solid foundation , we are seriously considering building a second addition - an apartment for the caretakers. Someday Dave and I may want to retire but TG will continue on.

Over the years I have discovered that the dogs we take in have never been inside a building let alone a home. They have been chased/hit/ yelled at for even trying to come in to get warm or looking for food. So we need to teach them that it is ok to come in. A lot of the dogs that come here are second and third generation strays. They are what I call semi-feral and they need rehabilitation. We are first and foremost a rehabilitation center not a shelter. Which is why the kennel doesn’t work. It warehouses the dogs but doesn’t rehab them. If an unruly dog goes into a cage - he doesn’t learn manners in there. He stays an unruly dog. When an unruly dog comes into our foster program - he learns manners - he has to, to co-exist with multiple dogs and people too. He is crate trained to facilitate his housetraining. He learns to live with other dogs. Dog  Parks are a social event for people as well as dogs especially in bigger cities. So they need to learn doggie social skills. The Sheriff dogs for example - don’t know how to play with other dogs - they have been chained all their lives. They can be too rough - but they are learning - the other dogs "tell" them so, then stop playing - poor fellows are having a tough time but are eager to learn the "ropes" of doggie games.

The foster group home also teaches dogs boundaries  and self-control. They learn to be quiet indoors, "sit" for treats, their name and basic skills of interaction with people. We in turn learn their personalities and dispositions. We "know" our dogs so we can match them to their adoptive homes. For our dogs the Group Foster Program works.

And yes Wendy - here is Possum, Scrumper (formerly Coon) and Fraggle’s sister Brie Marie. Fraggle is going to Lone Butte - near 100 Mile House. These are the "Woo" dogs!!

  Pretty little Brie!

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

Mornings are the hardest part of the day. As I take out Sheela - another one of the wannabe sled dogs and tether her outside (two reasons why she is tied - 1. she jumps the fence and 2. she is mean to smaller dogs) - I notice that the woodstove is chugging away at the kennel. Lucky dogs!! I am very glad that Stan is still here. He makes sure their stove is always going - and soon that load of firewood will be gone and the struggle to get more comes again. With the foot of snow close areas are impassable. The kennel isn’t the only place that will use wood - the rehab center will need wood too. I am trying to convince Stan to move up here again. But the logging is slowing down up here and work is hard to find.  But TG sure could use his expertise with all the improvements we have planned for the future.

Once the heaters dry out and remove the dampness from the rehab center, work can begin on the floors. The center beam inside is the next hurdle. Two walls were removed to bring in light and space.  But it needs a beam to replace the weight bearing walls. Stan and Dave will figure that problem and soon the inside fence to allow heat and light but prevent the dogs from invading the kitchen will be up too. I am having a hard time restraining my impatience. Thank goodness Stan is here to finish the job so well. For a while anyways.

The kenneled dogs are fed at 7 am and again when Stan goes to bed in the adjoining atco. He feeds, checks and waters them before he can finally relax. They are a lot of extra work. Tomorrow 4 dogs go in for their speuters at Babine Pet Hospital in Smithers and the last 3 will be done on Thursday. Except for Momma dog and Mackenna who are still nursing single pups all the Sheriff dogs will be vet checked, vaccinated and spayed/neutered!!! How wonderful is that!!
Once the rehab center is complete all the dogs will be integrated into the Group Foster program and the kennel will be closed again. It has been a very long 6 weeks since their arrival.

Stan is planning the next TG Bus trip for this weekend. As I do the adoption papers I am filling out the case numbers and Bailey will be #200 this year!! That is 200 adoptions this year so far!  The grand total for TG"s existence is well over 4000 - I will double check for the exact number.  That is a lot of happy families with their dogs and cats too. And a lot of dogs who found a safe haven for their second chance at the good life!

The yard is flat again! The piles at the back will be used to upgrade the dykes along the river behind the house. Hopefully the money will be there when the time comes to build it.

Mya sitting on the berm along the front of the rehab center.

Shadow bowing to Squire - "Come play with me!"

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

Ok, I will no longer complain about the cold as it keeps getting colder each morning! It was -15 this morning and the warmest it got today is -6!! Winter is here! And it is supposed to be cold. Danny the backhoe operator  said that this is the final day to backfill as the frost is going too deep.  But we are done for now - the dyke building will wait until spring! The gravel is back all around the house - as level as it can be and much higher than before. The rehab centre is now on an island and safe from the flooding. Now the indoor work is ready to go. Soon, very soon it will be back together. Christmas is here this year - my youngest tells me!!

Cynda’s parcel arrived today - it was so much fun opening it up. There was a special sweater for Nala to wear outside as she is so short coated! And toys for the puppies, as well as treats and a "gas" card to help with the next trip down south. And her puppy isn’t even going this trip! She is only 5 weeks old yesterday. Cynda asked for new pictures of the puppies - so here they are - the ones that were awake anyways!!

This yellow girl is waiting for her family. Her twin has been chosen!

The smallest puppy! She and her black sister are also waiting for her family - but was sleeping during this photo shoot today!

Cynda and her family’s red puppy! The pups are now 5 weeks old.

Beautiful Nala - the puppies"

This little girl was born a day or two before coming here! She is now 6 weeks old yesterday!

Lovely Mackenna - thank you Deb for naming her such a great name!!

And an update from Possum and his mom Katherine - Possum is Fraggle’s brother. Fraggle has finally found his new family and will be going home soon.

Hi Yvette …
 
It’s been a while since I wrote and gave you an update on little Possum. He is doing wonderful and is a happy, energetic young dog. (He’s one year old this month!) He is an absolute joy to me and we have so much fun together. I had to have one of my cats put down in September (the 10yr old - from lymphoma) which was heartbreaking to say the least and having Possum certainly helped ease the pain. We have a routine that we follow each day and he seems to respond well to that. I had his hair cut again a few weeks ago as his coat was getting very thick and matted. (It feels almost like wool and I couldnt brush through it) He loves his hair short - he’s always ‘extra bouncy’ once he’s had it done. He is CRAZY about toys - especially soft ones with squeakers. ( I have to admit he is a little spoiled when it comes to toys… he has an enormous basket full of them )
 
We spent a few days at the beach this summer (we rented a house right on the ocean) He had a blast !! He jumps right into ANY water be it ocean, river or stinky muddy swamp! He loves it. It was so nice to let him run loose down at the beach - he loves to run and he is fast! He loves it if you throw a ball or stick and almost always brings it back to you to throw again. He gets all crazy when he’s loose - he runs as fast as he can and comes charging at you then darts off the other direction as soon as he gets close.
 
He makes me laugh every single day. Sometimes until I have tears running down my face.
 
I just wanted you guys to know how happy we are - how happy I am to have found him. I have attached a few pictures - a couple before his haircut and one after - I have also included his ‘Halloween pic’ my sister bought him the outfit and he was very good to sit posed with his costume on. He was a HUGE hit!!
 
Hope all is going well with you and all of the construction.
 
Katherine and Possum

Handsome devil - Possum

Happy boy!

Possum the "Superdog"!!

Freshly groomed!

It’s exhausting work being handsome!

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

The soft whine woke me up while it was still dark. I could see my breath so I asked if she was sure she had to go out? She whined again so I got up and took her outside in the cold crisp snowy night. She did her business quickly and was soon back in her crate finishing the bit of supper she had left. I reorganized my bed and slid under the covers - my furry heater was cold to the touch! Sweetpea had gone outside too. It wasn’t long though before she warmed up and so did I.

It was -12 this morning - and according to Global felt like -16 with the wind chill. It felt colder than that on my trek to the bathroom - invigorating I must say! Stan and Dave rewired the electric baseboard heaters in the dog room today to warm up the house. It is all indoor work except for Monday’s finishing the last of the backfilling - we hope. The last support wall to level the inside centre supports is in the jig - soon it will be up and the floor level and solid for the new tile. Stan and Dave work from daylight to dark. Then he feeds the kennel dogs again - he feeds and walks at 7 am too. The last dogs will be speutered next week and the rehab centre will be up and ready then too - I hope. Everybody will be together and the kennel will be closed again.  I can hardly wait. Let the goodtimes come!

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

The smell of coffee brewing finally lured me out of my cocoon of warmth this morning! It was downright chilly again. Sweetpea and Grizzly were still under the covers and they didn’t get up with me - lucky dogs.  The cold trek to the washroom soon had me wide awake and bright eyed. Today the backfilling will be done! Then it is the inside work. Another week or two but it is bearable knowing the renos are almost done!!

Today was visitors day and I was in and out all day! Cheryl,Tracy and their two children surprised me - my boys went to school with her so I knew her right away - she looks just like her mother! They were looking for a medium small type dog to take camping, and other outdoor activities with their kids.  I showed them Nala’s puppies and they were a hit! Cuteness overload here. The soft, fluffy yellow girl with the star on her forehead will be going home after Christmas. They will be 5 weeks old tomorrow so another 4 weeks puts them right at Christmas week.Too hectic a time for a brand new puppy. They will have two vet checks/vaccinations and will have learned excellent doggie social skills. They will learn how to be dogs with the skills to learn how to be good family pets. It is a very important time in their lives they need to be with their mom and siblings.  There is fewer behavioral problems with dogs that have that most important relationship with their family.  We see more problems with dogs that were sold/adopted/given away too early. This little one will have the best chance we can give them to be a great family pet.

Then Andrew and his family arrived in two trucks - the entire extended family came to pick their family’s companion. They had an idea of the personality they were looking for. Shep came to mind when I discussed choices with them. I put a leash on him - Thank you Cheryl - those are very handy leashes you sent me - they fit in my pocket so I always have one handy - and he walked quietly out the gate and to the driveway. He sat when they came near. He quietly shook a paw. Then he went for a walk while I discussed the wannabe sled dogs with a friend of the family. Her family is considering adopting  one of the saluki types for skijorring, hiking or just hanging around. She and her family didn’t know that we had so many ready for homes already - only 9 (two are nursing moms) are left to speuter and they are scheduled for next week! The two moms will be done after Christmas when the babies are weaned.

Andrew and family were back and very happy with Shep! Shep has a home! Thank you Char for doing such a good job with him - he can retrieve, sit, walk well on a leash. A very good choice for an active family. Shep jumped into the back seat of the truck and away he went - sitting proudly looking out the window - he was going home!
Shep standing proud.

The last of the backfilling was done today! It is looking much better in the yard - like a yard again!! The house is already warmer inside - it had been very drafty before!
Finishing the front.

Dez and Mya watching Dan at the backhoe.

Leveling the berm around the house.

The finished berm on the dog yard side - higher than before - and smooth. Now to seed it in the spring. Oh the possibilities.

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

We are all doing happy dance today!! The walls are done!!! And the backhoe was here to backfill. The new foster group home will be the high point of the property  - more safety at flood time. Now Stan has to build the internal middle wall underneath the house to ensure stability. And then the new beam in the dogroom separation and new indoor fencing. And finally the new flooring in the dog rooms. Yaaaahhhoooo!!!!!! It is a joyful day at TG.
Scraping the snow off the gravel beneath.

The last wall is done - the small wall is needed for access to bring in the lumber for the middle wall inside. Bailey is watching the final nailing.

The gravel will go up as high as we can so that it is much higher on the property - a safety from the potential flooding.

Pushing the snow away in the front and pushing the dirt under the porch.

A delicate job!

The plank over the ditch to enter the red house - it will now be level!

Clearing the snow from the front piles of gravel in the front yard.

Picking up the woodstove that helped warm under the house to dry the cement and keep the water pipes from freezing when we had -12 nights.

Dez watching Stan roll the stove out of the way.

backfilling the last side.

Finishing the front and trying to finish the last side before dark.

The completed dog yard side.

Harley watching Dave.

Too dark to keep working!! Hopefully the big dump of snow fore-casted will not happen before the back filling is done.

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

It is just an ordinary day at Turtle Gardens today. It snowed during the night - a good 5 inches of sticky white stuff that covered the ice. I walked the plank easier today - did I mention that with the porch floor out there is an eight foot gap over a ten foot ditch! So Stan nailed a 2" by 8" plank with a 2" by 6" board railing for me to go into the house to use the bathroom. It can get quite icy but not so this morning - it was non-slippery. And with the walls almost done and the gap covered with a tarp and an electric heater on to keep the pipes from freezing up it was a balmy 65 degrees in there today!
Sweetpea and  I enjoyed our sojourn into  the warmer house. Soon, very soon we will all live together in a safe secure dog house.

All the pups ate well today. The speutered dogs are all recovering well. The floors were cleaned, the food and water dishes filled up, my duvets and pillows picked up so wet dogs wouldn’t lay on them. And there were a lot of very wet dogs coming in from outside. They sure like to play in new snow!!

The last wall should be in today and the backhoe brought in to backfill - we need to be the high point in flood season! The weather is co-operating - it is going above zero for a couple of days. We have been very fortunate that the weather has stayed within reasonable limits. It must be the right thing to do!! Karma, Fate or whatever you call it. 

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

It feels so much colder in early cold weather than later on. It was -15 this morning and it was darn cold! sit is supposed to warm up to freezing rain within a couple of days. I think I prefer cold. It looks like a TG Bus trip soon. I would really like the weather to co-operate. Even with the new tires (thank you to our special donor who donated money FOR the tires specifically) It will be a much safer drive not to deal with freezing rain.

The weather has created beautiful images in the sky. This is the jet streams over the kennel.

And a picture of how I feed the puppies to make sure only they get the special food!!
The red pup and the small grey pup are smaller than the blond  or the black pup but the Robbie look-a-like is twice as big as all the rest.

And now updates from happy adopters.

Thought everyone would like to see both of my new babies,Kingston the dog and
my grandson Cedric. Also Mike my son and Laura my daughter in law.Love
Marilyn
P.S. Kingston is on a pile of leaves

And Beautiful Holly!!

Hi Yvette, Well we finally got some pics of Holly for you. She has
adjusted fantastically, and has turned into quite the family member.
Her personality has come through and she is great with everyone,
including all other dogs. She is quite the socialite in our
neighbourhood. She still has a thing for the squirrels in the area,
and wants to chase them all the time. She loves her trips to Stanley
Park, no wonder with all the squirrels there. She is now a spoiled
city Dog…LOL…and has no less than 3 beds in the house now, and
thinks she rules the House. We’ll keep you updated about her. Thanks
to you both for all you do up there, you’re truely a blessing for all
those wonderful animals you rescue, and to us for helping us find new
members of our families. All the Best Melinda and Keith (Vancouver)

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