More on Ella

Sorry to inundate you with e-mails, but adding Miss Ella to our family has been such an exciting experience for us. :). She doesn't just have three new dogs and five new people in her life. She has the whole extended family community through work and clients. We have amazing clients that we know very well and love. They were all looking forward to meeting her too. Ella loves meeting new people. If a new friend kneels or sits on the ground with her she instantly lays her head in their laps and wins their hearts.

We can't convince her to let us do things for her. She wants to climb stairs, get in the car, and get on the furniture by herself. We require her to accept help if it's hazardous for her to do something without it, but otherwise she does what she wants to. :)

Cheers,
LeAnn

This is how she prefers to spend her time: laying across my lap.  It appears she's happy to do this all day long if offered. :)

Clint has been adopted

Here's our first update:

"The hound dog is doing great, he fit in here like he was born here! We need to keep in touch we sure enjoyed our visit!" 


We look forward to hearing more about Clint's new life on the ranch!

Quinn has been adopted and is now named Sterling

Laurie,

Just wanted to keep you posted on Sterling's (formerly Quinn) first night in his new home.  :)  He behaved very well on the car ride back, though he was definitely a bit scared since we were going so far.  He was very happy when we ran into Sharon at the McDonald's parking lot in Socorro!  The Petsmart visit was yet another new, scary thing, but again he behaved well and is now all kitted out with new collar, harness, leash, sleeping crate, toys, and jacket.  The bath wasn't his favorite thing, either, but apart from a bit of flailing and splashing as he was placed into the tub, he tolerated it very well and got lots of treats for doing so!

The introduction to the cat went about as expected.  Sterling was fascinated, Hobbes postured, Sterling chased him about 10 feet into another room . . . and now all is fine.  Hobbes walked calmly on the floor about two feet away from the dog bed where he was chilling, and he didn't move at all. I have loved cats all my life and I swear I will never understand them.

Tessie enjoys having a buddy to smell all the smells with on long walks.  She understands that he is a member of her pack, and went so far as to get in between him and the posturing Hobbes to keep him safe from the Big Plotting Cat.

Sterling slept soundly in his new crate all through the night after everyone got a peanut butter Kong as a reward for getting through a long, tiring day.  We have only had one in-house "accident" when we first got home, and he is now getting used to pottying outside while on a leash.  And you're right, he has a bladder of iron!

We will be going to the vet on Saturday to see about getting him some tags for the vaccinations that he already has, and to see what the vet recommends as preventative care against further injury to his leg.

Thanks again for all of the time you took over the past week to help us find a good fit.  Because of all of your hard work we have been blessed with a very special boy, and we will always be grateful.

Pictures to follow!

Mandee is Adopted & Updates

Mandee, our last pup, has been adopted and moved to El Paso, Texas.

1st Update:

I can't remember if you asked me to call or to send you an email when we got home, but we're here.

Mandee did well - she was car sick at first, pretty severely until Magdalena, but over that by the time we got to T or C.

By the time we reached Socorro she was laying down on the floor of the car with her muzzle on my foot, completely relaxed between bouts of car sickness. By the time we got to Cruces she was sitting up, facing me with her nose in my lap and her soulful little eyes staring at me. Emmy had fallen asleep and Mandee and I discussed her goodness, beauty, potential for empathy, and other job related responsibilities while my sister drove and accompanied Bonnie Raitt on a CD.

We tried stopping in T or C, and at a couple of rest stops to let Mandee potty, but she was too afraid, she just wanted to get back into the car. When we got home and took the leash off of her, though, Emmy opened the back door and called her and the little scamp trotted out to the yard, circled it a couple of times, piddled in Hershey's old spot under the cedar trees then turned around and marched back into the house with her tail finally untucked and about at half mast.

I put food and water down for her in the utility room, but she was more interested in exploring the house at a rather frantic pace, possibly looking for either an escape route or a hiding place. Emmy kept trying to show her the food, and she'd grab one mouthful and trail it through the kitchen, but she just wouldn't focus on eating. However, the tail was up and sometimes wagging, she is looking us in the eye, cocking her head when we talk to her - - - we have made significant progress.

An hour ago Emmy took her into her bedroom to introduce her to her dog bed, which is right next to the head of Emmy's bed - and Emmy shut the bedroom door. For just a couple of minutes I heard Mandee whimpers and Emmy soothings - then nothing.

I returned a couple of phone calls, then got curious and peeked.

Noooo - I did not see both of them sound asleep on Emmy's bed - dogs on the furniture are against the rules in this house.

That can be tomorrow's issue. Emmy is sleeping in her clothes tonight, and Mandee is at least starting the night on Emmy's bed.

Right now, I just need you to know that this is almost certainly going to be fine. She may wake up in the middle of the night starving, but I'm pretty sure she and Emmy are going to bond, and that was my highest priority. And frankly, when that leash came off and she still responded to Emmy calling her name, then came marching right back into the house like it (we) belonged to her, she became my dog.

Thank you

2nd Update:
She followed me from room to room all day yesterday - tail up and almost always wagging. She took an interest in the string mop I was using on the kitchen floor and expended quite a bit on energy trying to corral it or get it to be still so she could sniff. She took a stab at correcting the neighbor's barking pit bull - would run over to his side of the yard, bark once or twice then run back to me to show that she could be brave but was not foolhardy. She discovered that although cropping grass is fun and very interesting she does not appreciate collards - they are to be avoided in the garden after only having tried one bite.

And I discovered that she BAYS!!!! What's with that??

I had taken her out to the back yard to potty but came back into the house to answer the telephone. When she was through sniffing and eating grass and whatever she stood at the back screen door and first whined a bit, then tried a couple of experimental barks. When I did not arrive to be her doorman she turned loose with a coon dog imitation that had me in stitches!

She's doing fine. Penny

ELLA ADOPTED FEB 9, 2013

 A few days ago when we got an inquiry about Ella we were very excited .  This couple are veterinarians in Flagstaff.  They have three other dogs and wanted to adopt a special needs dog knowing that they are equipped to give her the best life she can have. 

Ella is over 12 years old.  She has one leg amputated and another one that was severely injured when she was hit by a vehicle. Because she would have been left with only one front and one rear leg the surgeons did their best for her.  She had physical therapy.  At first she barely used it to balance and now she actually puts weight on it.  When she first arrived at FFAA she wasn’t very friendly with people.  I was one of those that saw through her barking and made friends with her.  After that she would come meet me when I arrived and I always gave her a tummy rub for a few seconds.  Then she was satisfied and went about her business.  She is now friendly with visitors.  She has trouble getting around but goes wherever she wants.  You can see by the update that she is adjusting very well to her new home.  She now has a new mom and dad and a boy of her own as well as three other furry friends.

 Here is the first update: 

We are deciding about name. It will stay for now. In our house nicknames are constantly evolving and if one comes up that really fits her it may stick. You wouldn't believe how well she's getting around. She climbed a set of four stairs to go from the (flat) living room up into the kitchen twice this morning. Our backyard is flat at the bottom then has a big sloping hill up to the back fence. She went out a couple times and explored the whole yard today. :)

She's having a spa day at the groomer right now. She tried to follow the groomer back even before they needed her to, so I guess she's not worried about being left anywhere. Pit bull puppy keeps trying to get her to play and she's putting up with him valiantly. :).   One of the pictures is her after day at the spa.

 

She ate breakfast well this morning. Wasn't hungry last night. Tomorrow she has another big adventure. She'll go to work with me to meet everyone, get her formal physical exam and have blood work checked. Today I just want to be a dog owner, not the vet. We celebrate today and get to work seeing what she needs from us tomorrow. In the meantime she is getting joint supplements and safe pain meds.

Husband is really appreciating her today. It hit him hard yesterday how much she looks like a dog we recently lost. That was hard on him. The longer she's with us, the more we'll see her uniqueness.   She hasn't stopped smiling since she got here. :)

Darla (now Fader) is adopted

Darla has been adopted and moved to Albuquerque. Here's her 1st update:

Thanks, I did change her name to Fader.  She's doing better today, eating, running, barking, napping....

Thanks again
Marlin

WEBER ADOPTED FEB 3, 2013

He is such a delight! We were a little nervous at first because he didn't make a sound. He finally started being vocal this morning. He's eating and drinking well. He does not get up at night to go, yeah!!! He loves to sit in our arms, and lay his head on our laps. He enjoys car rides. Thanks so much, Nicole

BESS (the mamma of the puppies) Update

 No new pictures of her yet.

Being with Bess has its ups and downs, mostly ups. She is very healthy and sweet, but hasn't quite got the hang of indoor play yet. Does not chase balls, nor spend much time with her stuffed animals. She hasn't quite figured out that lying on her back facilitates tummy rubs, which she adores. But Bess is all ears for going outside and is a veritable gazelle when running and leaping. She loves chewy bully sticks and has usurped a sofa. Her fur is better and we think she knows she's got a family.She is learning, I think, to sit. She knows where she lives.

We are using treats to train her to come when called outside. Sometimes she doesn't , but always finds her way back. Since there is very little traffic where we live, and she is mostly in the arroyos, we don't fear for her well being if she's romping for a few minutes out of sight. 

Sherman has been Adopted

The young couple that adopted Sherman are changing his name to Zeus. The husband is in the Air Force here in Albuquerque. They also have a small red-nosed pit bull that looks like Nugget.

  Here's our first 2 updates:  

Zeus this morning. Seems to like it just fine and made it through the night sleeping in bedroom beside bed no problem.

 Hi Laurie yes Zues is very good and hasn't tried to tear up anything. He has been very protective and watches after me Matt and Sadie He has been to the dog park and gets along with most dogs but there's been a cpl male dogs he hasn't cared for. But other than that he's great and minds very well. Sunday after we got home n I left for a cpl mins Matt said he started whining. 

A Special Visit

 On 3 Feb 2013, Loretta Myers, Melissa Myers, Susan Lovell, Carol Latham, and Stacey Van Pelt, volunteers from Albuquerque Animal Welfare took the drive to FFAA, bringing many donations. The weather was warm and we had a nice visit with all of them. A special "Thank You" goes out to them for taking a day out of their busy lives to bring us the donations and visit. They are truly very Special people. Thanks again.

Monroe is adopted: 1st & 2nd Updates

1st Update:

He got home and we let him roam around the yard to check out his new place. He didn't want to go too far from us and hid under the car a few times but he started to warm up after a while a look around a bit. The kids got to spend some time with him. I really appreciate his quiet nature. He was very calm which allowed the kids to pet him and feel comfortable with him. They can't wait to play outside with him tomorrow. The weather was nice so we tried to put him in his outdoor kennel for the night but he cried a lot. I know he was probably missing his brother and sisters and felt alone so I brought him in the house and he has spent the last hour sleeping on my lap. He is now fast asleep on the living room floor.

He is absolutely precious and we are thrilled to have him.

Thanks again for all your help and we will keep you updated and send some pictures with him and the kids.

2nd Update:

Hi Laurie,

I started writing you yesterday to give you an update but I got side tracked. He is doing great. Bob decided to name him Von, after Von Miller of the Denver Broncos (He's a huge Denver fan). He already responds to his name. He had a little bit of a rough time adjusting at first. He was very clingy and would cry if I or Bob left the room. He likes the crate we brought him home in and uses it as his "safe place" when he gets scared. He was very reluctant to come out of it at first. He has since felt comfortable to roam around the house and has been checking out the yard although he stays pretty close to us.

He is very cautious and observant and does things in his own time, but he is warming up to his new environment just fine. He didn't eat much the first few days I'm assuming because he felt a little stressed out and scared. I did take him over to the water bowl often and he drank some. Yesterday he started to have an appetite again and he ate and drank well. Today he is eating and drinking normally.

He has been excellent at house training. He hasn't had a single accident since he has been here which is great because he has spent most of the time in the house with us. 

Von and Beau (our little Bichon Frise) are getting along well. Beau was a little jealous at first but he is warming up to Von and they were even playing together in the yard this morning.

Overall he is a great dog and a great fit for our family. 

That's great news about his brother Weber getting potentially adopted. He is a really sweet dog too....they all are. Hope the rest get adopted soon. I will spread the word about the Rescue and hopefully some other dogs can find a home too.

I am attaching a few pictures. One of Bob and Von, A couple of Von and our daughter Isabella, One of his new friend Beau, and one handsome shot of him checking out his new yard.

I will continue to send updates and pictures. Thanks for checking with us.