Due to the terrible weather forecasts for our area over the next few days we’ll be taking the Simpsons pups to the Champaign County Humane Society later today. So far Maggie, Maude, and Bart have holds. Our last visitor is deciding between Ned and Lisa (leaning toward Ned).
The puppies’ surgeries are scheduled for tomorrow and they should be available for adoption on Wednesday.
Contact the Champaign County Humane Society for information on the puppies or to fill out an application.
Bailey will be going to her new home today. There’s been a family waiting for her for a couple of weeks who will welcome her into their family later today. They’re getting an incredibly friendly, playful little girl who’s a real joy to be around. There’s a lot of positive things to say about Bailey. We like her a lot.
In the three weeks we’ve had Bailey she’s gained seven pounds. She’s made progress on almost every major issue, though she still has a long way to go. Her new family will have to closely monitor her weight, letting her gain more weight without letting her go too far and getting heavy. The Champaign County Humane Society has arranged with a local veterinarian to remover her extra canine tooth, but that surgery will have to wait for a couple of months until she gains more weight to make the anesthesia safer. And finally, there’s an ongoing, unresolved issue of why she drinks twice as much water as a dog of her size should. It’s impossible to know if there are any “hidden” problems. Malnutrition can cause damage that won’t be apparent for some time.
I thought it would be interesting to look at before and after pictures so we did a set of photos to match the ones from my first blog post about Bailey. The pictures on the left show Bailey on the day she arrived here, the ones on the right are from this morning.
| Bailey has gained seven pounds in the last three weeks. Her score on the body condition scale has gone from a 1.5/9 to about a 3/9. Her ribs are still visible, but much less so. |   |   |
| We were worried about Bailey’s feet. They were splayed out from lack of exercise. Notice how her toes are now together rather than spread out. |  |  |
| Check out those knuckles! She had flat feet from lack of muscle tone, but not any more! Instead of hearing her feet slapping on the floor we now hear a nice pit-pat noise of a normal dog. |  |  |
| The infected wounds on her legs and feet are either healed or healing. |  |  |
| The infection on her spay surgery site has healed leaving her with a smooth, pink belly. |  |  |
| An arrangement has been made for a local veterinarian to remove Bailey’s extra canine tooth, but look at how much cleaner her teeth are. That’s from eating dry food and chewing on bones and other toys. |  |  |
Chihuahua Pups (l-r): Ralph, Peter, Stewie (front), Alice, Lois
The Chihuahua pups had a very busy weekend. On Saturday they had a visit from Nancy (aka Cyber Auntie Cindypup) and her husband, Gus. David, Janelle, Logan, and Sean, the family that has adopted Alice and Ralph, also stopped by.
A visit from Nancy and Gus wouldn’t be complete without a picture of the puppies in a basket. Nancy brought an extra small basket for this group.
And Sunday evening we had a visit from Patricia and Ronald, a couple that has applied to adopt Lois. Lois spent nearly their entire visit snuggled in Ronald’s arms. When Lois goes home with them she will have a big sister, a 4-year old, long-haired, black Chihuahua.
Peter and Stewie are available for adoption. You can apply to adopt a puppy by going to the Champaign County Humane Society in Urbana and talking to the adoption staff.
Remember Josie? Adopted as a puppy, she was relinquished to the Champaign County Humane Society in April. Her owners had her for two years and told CCHS she could not be housebroken or trained. We found Josie to be a delightful little dog. I posted a bit of a rant about people giving dogs a bad rap by not telling the truth when they relinquish their pets. Here’s a note we received from Josie’s new family in May, soon after she was adopted:
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Hello Harriett and Tom,
I should have gotten this Email out to you much quicker, however, time has just been speeding by the past few weeks! No question Josie IS home and here to stay for good!
As I sit here typing to you Josie is on my lap with her curled tail over my left arm and her head on my right leg. What a sight we must be, but how I love it and how we love her.
Our first night of bringing her home must have been very different and I am sure unsettling for her. That night she did soil her crate both ways. We looked upon that as adjusting to our times and routines. She is such a good dog when meeting other animals! Both our parents love her and Tom and I adore her. When someone is sitting down, there is Josie up on our lap or by our side in the chair. She remains reserved about meeting people at first giving a soft growl, however, once she is use to someone she becomes a friendly tail wagger wanting attention.
When I am crocheting she is curled up in the chair with me and has even gotten use to having yarn tickle her ears once in a while....as well as learning it isn't to chew on. What a character she is. She loves to get out and run, wow can that little dog run! She has made fast friends with the two Basset Hounds,cat and children next door as well as with dogs at Tom's parents. We hope to have her meet both our brothers dogs soon and see how they all get along.
She has taken quite well to being walked on a leash, though she pulls sometimes she is really picking it up quickly. She is very good around doors and not running out. She has only had one accident in the house the first week here and though we are not sure when it occurred she has had no more since then. We are still keeping her limited to 3 or 4 rooms until we know for sure she is on a routine schedule and will not have any more accidents. We continue to crate her at night.
Our only major issue with Josie is while she knows her name and reacts whenever it is used, she does not want to come at all, she often runs up, teases and runs quickly away. This has caused some issues and is something we need to work on getting resolved. We want to look into some obedience classes (any recommendations would be very welcome) and continue working with her on it. She sits beautifully, shakes hands (um paws), will "give you five" with a paw and we are working on "sitting pretty" and staying.
She is eating well and our Vet at Meadows Animal Clinic says she is all clear of the worms she had. For the 1st time she is caught up on all her vaccinations and is a very healthy little girl. The staff there just love her and were so happy to see we had adopted another dog after loosing our 13 year old Black Lab in January of this year.
Josie is a happy little dog and we are very happy to be her owners now. I have included a few photos of her, though not the best as I am not much of a photographer I think you will enjoy them. She enjoys the "puff" dog bed here too! Josie is indeed home....and very loved.
With Appreciation and Thanks,
Tom and Mary Beth
We received another update last week:
She continues to learn tricks and to settle in. She now has the run of the back yard as we have it all secure. Tom and I still enjoy walking her and she does excellent on a leash. Since that first week no issues at all with going in the house or her night crate.
She is standing here whinnying at me with a toy in her mouth wanting to play which I am attempting to explain I will do in a few more lines! It is the only time she is fussy with me, she hates it when I am on the computer! Our compromise is that I let her lay on my lap while I type and she seems happy and I can use the computer in silence!
Each evening she still enjoys sleeping on one of our laps, however, come time for that last walk before bedtime and there is NO holding her back!
Earlier today Harriett took Gertie back to the Champaign County Humane Society for the last time. A forever home has been waiting for her for a week and by now Gertie should be in her new home.
Gertie has been a great dog to have around. She’s one of the best mothers we’ve had in foster care. Not only did she take excellent care of her own puppies, she also took on Ingrid as though she was her own daughter.
Josie continues to amaze us with her transformation. In less than a week she’s gone from being scared and shy to outgoing and playful. She jumps into our laps for hugs and kisses at the mere hint of an invitation. She loves toys, is very playful, and has discovered the joys of romping around with another dog. And although her previous owners reported that she constantly soiled in the house, she has not had one single accident since she’s been here.
Josie wasn’t abused, but she was neglected. It won’t take a lot of work to turn Josie into a first rate companion. Some life experiences with patient guidance and a couple of training classes and she’s going to be an awesome dog for someone.
The main thing I have learned from nearly 20 years of fostering dogs is that they are incredibly resilient individuals. No matter what neglect or abuse is in their background, they focus not on the horror or hardship of the past, but on the joys of the present. “Love the one you’re with.” is surely their motto. We can learn a lot from shelter dogs.
But why the heck does Josie have to be in the situation she finds herself in, where her future, quite literally, depends on a couple of strangers she’s never met determining if she can be safely adopted out to another home? There are a lot of reasons why people have to relinquish their dog to a shelter. But tell the truth, damn it!
People don’t realize that when they cover their embarrassment by spinning the story to make relinquishment the dog’s fault---saying the dog’s a biter or can’t be housebroken or whatever---that they’re putting the animal’s life at stake. A shelter or rescue can not adopt out a dog with those problems and many won’t make a determination for themselves and just take the owner’s word for it.
No rescue group would take our foster dog Jack, for example, because the owner called him a biter. He wasn’t, but he got tagged as one anyhow. Rescue groups should know better, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Thankfully CCHS has people who can recognize the story doesn’t match the animal’s behavior. 
They also have the skills and resources to make their own determination. In just the last four months we’ve had three foster dogs that supposedly had behavior problems (Sam, Jack, and Josie) when, in fact, they were very nice dogs who had owner problems. That’s why it’s important to give these dogs an objective evaluation and chance to show their true personality.
Gertie’s puppies are seven weeks old and will be with us for one more week. Sometime next week we’ll be taking them back to the Champaign County Humane Society. The exact date has not been set, but I will post a notice here when we know when they will be available for adoption. If you are interested in adopting one of these puppies go out to the Shelter and fill out an application.
Gertie’s available for adoption, too, though she will be with us for a few more weeks. She’s a really good dog--housebroken, friendly, gets along well with other dogs, and generally easy to live with. Gertie, a Brussels Griffon mix, weighs about 12 pounds. If you’re interested in Gertie the adoption staff at CCHS can arrange for you to visit with her.
Teslin (m)
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Martha (f)
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| Gus (m) |  | ||
| Barbara (f) |  | ||
| Michelle (f) |
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Remember Geo, the Staffordshire Terrier mix we had in late January? She’s available for adoption from the Champaign County Humane Society. Geo is a wonderful dog and will make a great companion. She’s currently in foster care, but needs to move to a permanent home. Call CCHS for information on adopting Geo..
Sam’s neutering surgery went well. Harriett picked him up late yesterday afternoon and he will spend Christmas Day with us. Sam has been adopted and is moving to Springfield. Tomorrow afternoon we’ll take him to the Shelter and he’ll be picked up by his new owners. In the mean time he’s enjoying the day with his Uncle Russell.
To everyone who follows our foster animals through this blog, we wish you a Happy Holiday. We’re grateful that so many people have taken an interest in these animals and provided support in so many ways. Merry Christmas!
Scout (formerly known as Donald) looks very happy with his new family. Thanks to Rebecca, his new mom, for sending these photos and allowing me to publish them. We wish them all the best.
If you’ve been following the story of the Redbones since the beginning, check out Scout’s legs/feet in the first photo! His carpal joints are in the right place and his toenails are pointing down. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see that progress continues.
Good luck, Scout and family!
Donald, the last of the Redbone Coonhounds, has been adopted. We hope his new family enjoys having him as much as we did.
The Shelter has been open for less than an hour and we just got a call telling us that Pluto has a hold and should be going home tomorrow!
Congratulations to Pluto’s new family. We know he’s going to be a wonderful addition to the household. Drop me a note and I will send you a set of pictures.
One thing I forgot to mention before is that Pluto loves his kennel. Normally he stood at my feet as I was filling the food bowls and then would run down the hall ahead of me to get in the crate for his meal. Last night, though, I noticed he wasn’t standing in his usual spot. When I went to put the bowl in the crate I found that he was already in it waiting for me.
We usually watch TV for a while before we go to bed, and Pluto always curled up on the bed before lights-out. Last night, as soon as I turned the TV off, he jumped off the bed and went into his crate. He’s such a smart little guy and a lot of fun to live with.
I just got back from taking Pluto to the Champaign County Humane Society. He will be up for adoption when the Shelter opens later today.
Pluto turned out to be a highly intelligent pup. He’s a fast learner and very eager to please. Active and playful, Pluto also loves to cuddle and will crawl into your lap, curl up, and have a nap. He’s a real pleasure to have around. We hope the very best for him.
We’d love to know the adopters and get updates as he grows up. If you or someone you know adopts Pluto, please drop me a note.
We had Donald and Daisy out playing in the yard yesterday and Daisy hurt herself chasing Donald. She’s limping and it looks like she may have a soft tissue strain. We’ve wrapped her legs and put the splints back on to give her some support. That and a little pain medication ought to have her going again in a couple of days.
Daisy is going to CCHS to be spayed on Thursday and Donald will be neutered on Friday. Both pups will come back here to recover. The current plan is for them to return to the Shelter and be available for adoption sometime next week. We hope Pluto will be gone by then so there is less competition.
Pluto will be going to the Shelter on Monday to be neutered and then return to spend Tuesday with us (the Shelter’s closed on Tuesdays). He will be available for adoption when the Shelter opens on Wednesday, December 2.
Pluto Needs a Home from Tom Schaefges on Vimeo.
Tess, Pluto’s mom, has been adopted. Minnie’s foster family has decided to keep her. That leaves Daisy, Donald, and Pluto. Pluto is ready now, but Daisy and Donald will be with us a little longer.
I sent a Tweet earlier this week but forgot to post here that Sally and Shiloh were adopted early in the week and have gone to their new homes.
If you or someone you know adopted one of these two pups we’d like to know. We enjoy hearing updates and getting pictures as our foster pups grow up. Adopters, if you’re out there, keep in touch.
This morning we took Sally and Shiloh back to CCHS. They’re on the surgery schedule today, Shiloh will be neutered and Sally will be spayed, have a small hernia repaired, and have her rear dew claws removed. They should be up for adoption when the Shelter opens on Friday.
These are two great pups. If you’re looking for a medium to large size dog they would be worth checking out. They are both very friendly, playful, and enjoy company. They’re quick learners, too.
Our PuppyCam show on ustream has a loyal following of “cyber Aunties.” Shippmom, who watches from her home in Massachusetts, sent the pups an interactive toy. Luckily it arrived in time for Sally and Shiloh to play with it during their last broadcast. To say it was a hit is an understatement. The pups loved it! They played with it for at least a half hour and spent some more time with it later in the evening when we were off the air.
We had 206 viewers stop by to see the last appearance of Sally and Shiloh on PuppyCam. That was a new record for us.
Harriett and I are very grateful to everyone who takes an interest in our foster animals and to those of you who have sent toys and donations to CCHS. We’re only the tip of the iceberg—the people you see with the pups, but there’s an organization behind us to provide medical and other support. Your support of CCHS is very important and worthwhile. We want you to know that 100% of your support and gifts goes toward helping not only our foster animals, but all of the animals at the Shelter. Thank you all. We quite literally couldn’t do this work without you.
Lucille’s new owner picked her up this afternoon. She’ll be living in a small town about 30 miles south of here. Although Lucille had met Gary only once before, she immediately ran to greet him. I think she was trying to sit in his lap as they drive away. We’re pretty confident this is going to be a great match all around.
Harriett took Lucille for one last walk before Gary arrived and they stopped to pose for a photo.
Lucille’s been adopted and will be going home on Friday afternoon. The moms stay with us longer than the pups and it’s hard not to get too attached. We’re very fond of Lucille, but it’s time for her to move on to a forever home.
She’s been adopted by a nice couple from Harriett’s home town. Harriett’s in contact with them via Facebook, so we hope to have periodic updates.
We still have Lucille. Her spay surgery has been scheduled for Thursday, August 27. If there’s a run open at the shelter she’ll go back there and be put up for adoption.
I don’t think it’s possible to see what a nice dog she is by reading about her and looking at a few photos. Harriett and I decided we needed to show what a good dog she is, so we made a video of her. You’ll see that she’s a really easy dog to live with and is very trainable. How could you not want a dog like this?
Ok, I know, she looks like a pit bull, but you have to look past appearance. She’s a very laid back dog that’s great with people of all kinds as well as other dogs. This is an excellent family pet.
She will be with us for at least another week, but if anyone is interested in her they can come out here to visit. Call the Champaign County Humane Society and tell them you want to arrange to visit with Lucille and they will put you in touch with us.
We hope Lucille finds a good home. If you know anyone who’s looking for a dog, you can help us out by telling them about Lucille and this video.
