Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Hi everyone! It seems like we always have these long periods of time when we don't blog! Mama has been so busy with school... the end of the semester is coming up and she had to write TWO entire unit plans, plus all the usual concept maps, reflections, observations, chapter outlines, etc, that teachers love to pile on at the end of the semester. But now we all have the day off so Mama said she'd help us post some pics!


You may know that we three animals don't always get along. Especially Lily and Sammy-Joe! Usually Sammy-Joe won't even come into the room while Lily is there! And when Sammy-Joe hisses, Lily freaks out! But they've really been working on their friendship. Just look at the evidence here. 


Well this is kind of an odd angle, isn't it! We really weren't defying physics. Mama tried rotating the picture on Picnik.com to make it look right, but on Blogger it just keeps ending up like this! But as you can see (if you slant your head to the left as far as you can) is that Sammy-Joe and Lily are sharing a couch together! Nobody is hissing or freaking out. Awwww!

Then, later that day...

Soon, Trixie decided to join them.

Hey, that is kinda like our profile picture, isn't it? Look at this picture Mama took, at around this same time in 2010!

In both pics you can kinda see our order of friendship. Sammy-Joe and Trixie like each other, Trixie and Lily like each other, but Sammy-Joe and Lily keep their distance. Oh well, at least they're progressing!

Sammy will always like his alone time, though...

And Lily will always be very protective of her possessions! 

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We ate LOTS of turkey... how about you?

Trixie Is Not Allowed To Read This!

Hi everyone! Its me, Sammy-Joe, with a quick question for all my friends who are dogs!

But first, a story.

Today Mama was cleaning her room, and she found an unopened Zhu-Zhu pet from a few Christmases ago. Mama used to have another blog about taking care of kids, and someone sent her a whole box of Zhu Zhu pets to review. She gave most of them to her little cousins for Christmas that year but there was one left over, and when Mama found it she thought I would like it! Because it is kind of like a mouse. And I am kind of like a cat.

Well, it was interesting enough. I stayed in my box and watched it carefully. It kind of freaked me out, to tell you the truth. I am smart enough to know it didn't smell like a living animal of any kind, so I didn't bother to chase it.
So then Mama took it upstairs to show Gramma, because she was amused that it kept making farting noises. She put it on the kitchen floor. And guess who went crazy for it? Trixie! She kept running up to it, picking it up, and throwing it! She was really happy and excited! Unfortunately it only took Trixie about two minutes to break the ZhuZhu pet. Now it just makes noise but doesn't move. I think Trixie feels guilty because every time she sees it now she gets up and walks away with her head down!

Mama had an idea. She wanted to find a more durable toy... maybe even a toy actually meant for dogs... that makes noise and moves around by itself! Trixie usually just gets bones or stuffies for Christmas, but if Mama could get her something she'd really play with, it would be awesome!

My question is, do you know of any toys like this? The only ones we could find on the Internet were the Zany Ball, the Bumble Ball, and the Weazel Ball.

If anyone has any of these toys, or knows of any others that are similar to Zhu Zhu pets but not so breakable, let us know so Mama can order them for Trixie!

Thanks friends!!! And whatever you do, don't tell Trixie what we're doing. In fact, don't tell Lily either. That dog cannot keep a secret!

Love, Sammy-Joe

Hi everyone! We're back for ONE MORE DAY of Mayzie's Rescue Me Week! This has been a great week, hasn't it?
Now we want to introduce you to one more dog, who is really hoping for a home. Strangely, he is named after a cartoon cat. Can you guess what his name is? Heathcliff! LOL!
Heathcliff is a two year old standard poodle. He was found as a stray dog, and nobody claimed him. Whoever his previous owners are must have had some real problems, because they gave up a great dog! He's such a smart dog, who adjusted to living in a house right away and understood all the rules like "Don't pee on the floor" and "Don't chew anything that isn't your own." He even knows how to do tricks, like "sit" and "shake." And he loves humans! He is so eager for love and attention, as you can see from the picture here. Heathcliff is even good with children, and other dogs!
One thing Heathcliff is working on is taking walks and "heeling." He doesn't think he ever got to take walks on a leash before he got to his new foster home. He gets really excited to go outside with his humans, but he's not sure what the leash is for, so he runs and pulls and yells, "Come on, lets go, lets go, lets go!" With regular walks and maybe some training, he'll get the hang of it.
Heathcliff's foster mom says he's just the perfect dog, an "easy foster." In fact, he doesn't even shed! So who wouldn't want this cutie pie to join their family?
If you feel like Heathcliff was meant to be your dog, he can't wait to meet you. You should call 847-212-6701 or email robertamecklenburg@att.net for more information about him.

Well, that wraps up Rescue Me Week for us! But here's the good news! Way back in the day, we used to write about a different Almost Home dog each week, and we sort of gave it up. We don't even remember why. But thanks to Mayzie, we've been inspired to start it up again! So, next weekend, look forward to reading about yet another doggie who needs a home! Thanks again, Mayzie!

Rescue Coco and Brandy!

Hi everyone! We are angry at Blogger all over again... once again we wrote a whole post and Blogger swallowed it! We are thinking of moving to Wordpress or Typepad. DO YOU HEAR THAT, BLOGGER?

Anyways, here we go again... This is our fourth day pawticipating in Mayzie's Rescue Me Week. We wanted to tell you  a story.

Once upon a time there was a lady who worked in a pet store. Lots of us know that pet stores buy puppy mill dogs, but do you know what happens to those puppies if they don't get bought within a few weeks? They go to the pound, and often get put to sleep! One more reason to stay out of pet stores and visit pet shelters instead, right? Anyway, this lady felt sad for the puppies who weren't bought by anyone, so she started taking some of them home to her house. That was a nice idea, we guess, except then the lady started breeding them so she could sell them! If some puppies didn't get sold, she would keep them and breed them with other dogs when they got older. BAD IDEA, LADY! She kept getting more and more dogs!

The lady had some dogs she really liked. She would let them walk around the house like normal pets, and she'd play with them and everything. Other dogs, she didn't like as much. She thought they were funny looking or got into to much trouble, or whatever. These dogs, she kept in a cage and rarely took out. She didn't pet them or play with them. They grew to love each other, but they were all very fearful of people because they just didn't know what it felt like to be petted or played with!

As you probably guessed, the lady had turned into a hoarder. She had fifty dogs! A neighbor called the police, who told her she had one month to find homes for the dogs. The lady called Almost Home Foundation fo rhelp. She didn't really want to give up any dogs, but Almost Home Foundation convinced her to give them twenty-five. After she gave up those dogs, she got anxious and angry and wouldn't return any of their phone calls about the other twenty-five dogs. But at least the first twenty-five were safe, and many have already been adopted!
There are still a few who haven't. Coco and Brandy are two of them. They may even be siblings or cousins, because of all the breeding the lady was doing, but they are not very much alike!

This is Brandy. She's a three year old Griffon/Brussels/Schnauzer mix. She was one of the lady's favored dogs, so she was allowed to run around the house and have plenty of contact with humans. As a result, Brandy is a friendly dog who loves human attention! She follows her foster mom all around the house, and loves to play with her nine-year-old human foster sister. When she meets new people, she is eager to get petted by them, will sit in their lap, and will lick their faces! She loves to play, and she also enjoys napping. If you think Brandy would fit in great with your family, you should email her foster mom at sheldn8@aol.com right away, or call 847-312-9908.

And here is Coco. Coco is also a Griffon/Brussel/Schnauzer mix, but he is five years old. Coco was one of the dogs the lady didn't particularly like. We think maybe its because of his funny, smushy face, although we think that face is super cute! Coco was one of the dogs who had to stay in the cage all the time. He didn't even get to go outside often enough to learn to be housetrained! So that is one of the things he's working on in his new foster home. Coco is very timid and afraid of people. He doesn't bite or anything... but if you call him to you, he will be too scared to come. It takes him a while to warm up to people. He doesn't understand what people are or what they want from him. It would be like if some giant monkeys on TV suddenly walked out of the TV and wanted to pick you up and talk to you! You'd be like, "AAAAAHHHH! I don't know if these things are friendly or what! What exactly is going on! Help!" But once Coco realizes you're a nice person, he'll be your best friend. He likes to snuggle on his foster mom's lap. He likes other dogs, cats, and children. He is really hoping for a family who will be willing to prove to him that humans are trustworthy and loveable! If you want to add Coco to your home, you should call 630-290-3384 for more info.

We usually only tell the story of one dog per day, but since these two have a very similar story, we thought we'd share them both! We hope both of these sweet doggies find wonderful forever homes soon.

Happy Rescue Me Week! We will be back tomorrow for the final day! We are so happy that all of these pets are having their stories told. Thanks again, Mayzie!

Rescue Prince Pom!

OMD, we are so salty with Blogger right now! We wrote a whole entire post about Prince Pom, only to have Blogger totally blank out and delete it. None of it was even saved as a draft, or anything! We are so mad! We almost didn't have the energy to start all over, but we decided Prince Pom  deserves his chance to be written about as part of Mayzie's Rescue Me Week. So... here we go again! (By the way, he's called Prince Pom because he's part Pomeranian, but you can call him Prince!)
Prince Pom is the perfect dog in many ways! He keeps getting so close to being adopted, but then it falls through. People change their minds because they think they want a younger dog, their husband or wife won't agree to let them get the dog (Mama says she'd totally get divorced if she had a husband who wouldn't let her get someone!) or their kids can't agree on a dog, they want a girl dog, they're not sure their dog wants them to have another dog, etc, etc, etc. Geesh! Give this cute guy a chance!
Prince Pom was given up by his owner. He is not sure why, but he thinks it was probably due to financial reasons. That is happening a lot lately! He is six years old, and in great shape. When people meet him, they often mistake him for a puppy!
Here is  list of Prince's virtues.
*He loves humans, including kids.
*He is friendly with other dogs... big, little, and in between! He used to have a foster sister, a tiny black chihuahua, who he loved so much! She got adopted, and Prince still misses her.
*He may or may not be friendly with cats. We don't know because Prince doesn't live with a cat. But Mama says once at the adoption show someone was walking a cat on a leash. Prince stood up on his hind legs to get a better look! He didn't growl, bark, or try to chase the cat, so we think thats a good sign.
*He's potty trained.
*He DOESN'T SHED!
*He's a nice, manageable size, about 20 pounds or so, for those who don't feel comfortable with large dogs.
*He has a great smile.
*Yes, you heard us right! Prince has a great smile! See for yourself!

If you live in the Chicago area and think Prince is an awesome dog, you should get in touch with Almost Home Foundation right away. Phone them at 630-582-3738   or email them at dogs@almosthomefoundation.org.
   .
We hope our friend Prince gets a great home soon!

Rescue Mar Lee!

Hi everyone! This is our second day of participating in our sweet friend Mayzie's Rescue Me Week! We love Mayzie so much, and Mama said when she met Mar Lee, she thought of Mayzie right away!
Can you guess why?
Here's a hint!
Look at Mayzie...

and now look at Mar Lee!

Now Mayzie...

Now Mar Lee!

Talk about two beautiful brindle girls, right?

Mar Lee is a puppy, three months old, and we're hoping that will mean she'll get adopted quickly. But puppies are sometimes actually harder to find homes for than adult dogs, because they need a lot of training, and because their sizes and personalities haven't fully developed yet. Added to that is the fact that Mar Lee is part American Staffordshire Terrier, a breed sometimes better known as pit bull. Many people are afraid of pit bulls, or feel that they can "turn" on someone at any time! The truth is, a puppy like Mar Lee who has never been abused, or exposed to dog fights, and who is already in the process of being trained to be an obedient doggie, would make a wonderful family member for someone out there! (She's also part labrador, so we think she might turn out to be a big dog... so she'll need someone who won't  mind that!)

Mar Lee is definitely a friendly doggie who is happy to meet anyone, human or dog alike. She loves to be petted and cuddled, loves to play, and loves to wrestle around with other dogs. At the last adoption show, she was spotted napping with her head on the foot of a brand new human friend!

If you live in the Chicago area and you think Mar Lee might be your new best buddy, you should contact Almost Home Foundation right away! You could email them at Puppyfoster101@aol.com, or call them at 630-775-1819. We're sure Mar Lee will be excited to meet you!

Happy Rescue Me Week, everyone! We'll see you tomorrow!

Rescue Bermuda!

 Hi everyone! We learned last week that our very good brindle friend Mayzie is hosting a Rescue Me Week! This week, everyone who writes in their blog about one pet who needs a furever home, will be entered to win $100 for the rescue organization of their choice! This is in honor of Mayzie's Grandpa, who went to the Rainbow Bridge back in May. Isn't Mayzie a good doggie?

Anyways,  the rescue organization we want to talk about, of course, is Almost Home Foundation. Thats the one that rescued Trixie from her impending doom at a high kill shelter when she was nine months old, and also the one that our Mama volunteers with.

And the dog Mama thought we should introduce you to is Bermuda! Bermuda is a very special dog who Mama takes care of almost every week at the adoption shows. She's a 3 1/2 year old chihuahua, who was found as a stray dog and rescued by AHF.

Most of the dogs at Almost Home Foundation get adopted after a few months. Bermuda has been at AHF for a year and a half. She is lucky enough to be living in a wonderful foster home with a foster dad who cherishes her for who she is... but she still would love to move to a home that will be hers forever!

Why has it taken Bermuda so long to get adopted, you ask? Well, part of it may be that, when Bermuda first meets people, she growls at them. Sometimes she even tries to bite them! When her foster dad first picked her up from the kennel as his new foster, Bermuda growled and snarled and had a huge temper tantrum because she didn't want him to take her. But by the end of the day, she was cuddling in his lap! Can you guess why Bermuda snarls and growls at new people? Its because she's very scared of them. She doesn't remember the details, but she's pretty sure some people hurt her in her past. So when she she's strangers bending over and reaching for her, her first thought is, "HELP!" As you can imagine, this discourages most people from trying to get to know her. (When she growls at people, and Mama yells at her, she'll climb into Mama's lap and look up at her sorrowfully, as if to say, "I just couldn't help it!")

But when someone does take the time to get to know Bermuda, as her foster dad, Mama, and some of the other volunteers, have, she will be their best friend forever! She will let them hold her, she will gaze at them with her giant brown eyes, she will lick their face, she will play with them, she will cuddle in their beds with them at night, the whole deal! This is why the people who really know her love her so much. All it takes is a little bit of patience, and maybe some treats. (Treats, by the way, will really help Bermuda get to know you better... she absolutely loves treats! Bring her something that smells and tastes delicious, and she will be eating out of your hand... literally!)

Here's the deal about Bermuda. Because she startles so easily and doesn't like to be handled roughly, she cannot live in a home where small children are present. We all know that little kids love dogs, and when they see a small dog like Bermuda (or Lily, for that matter... Lily totally agrees with Bermuda on this...) they are likely to reach down and grab her, or pet her too roughly. We don't want to take the chance that Bermuda might nip a small child. So her furever family has to consist of parents, and maybe older kids who really understand how to be patient with a scared little dog. She also can be a little overwhelmed by other dogs. She lives with three other dogs right now in her foster home. She gets along with two of them. Ideally, Bermuda could have a home where she is the only dog, or with a really mellow dog who won't be too rough with her. She would not make a good match for someone who is specifically looking for a playmate for their other dog.

If you live in the Chicago area and are interested in this sweetie girl, you should contact her foster dad by emailing him at c22036@email.mot.com, or calling him at 224-715-2526. He'll be glad to tell you anything you need to know!

Just look at this face! We really hope someone out there will be willing to sit down and talk with our friend Bermuda. 

Meet us back here tomorrow to learn about another Almost Home Foundation pet who needs a home! 

And again, thank you so much Mayzie, for hosting this great week!