MEET “LULU PUMPKIN” (submission from thecreepingphlox). Thank you and Happy Birthday!
Lulu Pumpkin will be celebrating her first birthday next month!
STUDENT TRAINS GUIDE DOG AT HIGH SCHOOL - “It takes a lot of maturity and compassion to do what Annika’s doing…A lot of people her age wouldn’t spend their time training a guide dog, but she is.”
Annika Jasek-Rysdahl, a student at Pitman High School in California, is training a Black Labrador puppy named Chevelle to become a guide dog. Jasek-Rysdahl went through an evaluation process before she could become a trainer. She is a member of the Stanislaus County Guide Dog organization. After obtaining permission from school officials, she is also able to bring Chevelle to school for training. Here’s more from The Modesto Bee:
“You have to go to meetings for at least three months, then puppy-sit five days, and get a house inspection,” she said. “The inspection is there to make sure you have a safe house, back yard, and no aggressive animals.”
The final step was acquiring permission from the school to bring Chevelle. Annika says every one of her teachers and the school principal were extremely supportive and even excited. She says she’d urge anyone interested to look into guide dog training.
“It is an amazing program,” she said.
Annika now is part of the Stanislaus Guide Dog Club. She has built a strong friendship with Chevelle, but she’s not the only one. Pitman High students and teachers alike have taken a deep liking to the beautiful black dog in his spiffy vest.
“Of course, he doesn’t mind the attention. All of my friends love him and always ask where he is when I don’t take him to school with me,” she said. “Even my teachers look forward to seeing his face and wagging tail walk into class.”
MEET “CHANGA” THE BORDER COLLIE (Submission from camiherran). Thank you! Keep those submissions coming!
My Border Collie named ‘Changa’
HUMANE SOCIETY RELEASES LIST OF 100 WORST PUPPY MILLS IN THE U.S. - “[T]here remain an estimated 10,000 puppy mills across the United States, and many of them are legal”
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has released a report entitled “A Horrible Hundred: Problem Puppy Mills in the United States” which lists 100 of the most concerning puppy mills in the U.S. The report lists puppy mills located across 20 states and includes a description of each location. Here’s more from the HSUS report:
In recent years The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has assisted in rescuing almost 10,000 dogs from more than 50 different puppy mills across the country. While The HSUS stands ready to assist law enforcement with closing down illegal puppy mills whenever feasible, there remain an estimated 10,000 puppy mills across the United States, and many of them are legal. Although most of the dogs at these mass-breeding facilities have no real quality of life, living continually in small wire cages with little or no personal attention, exercise or veterinary care, there are very few laws to protect them as long as they are being provided with food, water, and shelter
While many puppy mill dogs have been rescued so far, it seems that there is still much more work to be done. Click here to read the full report and here to learn more about the HSUS.
MEET “ARYA STARK” AND “TOKI WARTOOTH” (submission via whatifthewolvescome). Thank you!
Answering your request for submissions! These are my dog: Arya Stark and Toki Wartooth (Not a Bumble Bee). Arya is a Yorkshire/Scottish Terrier mix and Toki is a German Shepard/Shiba Inu mix.
I adopted Toki from a program here in Colorado that rescued dogs from kill shelters around the US about 3 years ago. I didn’t think I’d ever have more dogs in my life since the ones I had growing up had all died pretty traumatically, with the last one having to be euthanized four years prior. But I was going through a really tough time and it was suggested that having a dog again would help me get my bipolar disorder back under control. That week, I started looking for adoption events, saw his picture for one that was happening that weekend, and I was lucky enough to have him come home with me at the end of the day. Six months after that, we added Arya to our family. She was from a litter of puppies my brother’s friend were selling. She’s from a farm family and spent her time before us growing up with her brothers and sisters and a calf named Angus.
Both are complete opposites of each other. Toki is extremely neat, almost like he has doggie OCD, is wary of people he doesn’t know, and is unbelievably well behaved and quiet (until he feels like letting out that Shiba yodel). Arya is pretty much exactly like her namesake: she’s my little wild wolf girl who loves to be covered in dirt, being loud, making people fall in love with her, and going on adventures around my parents’ property. He loves to pose for the camera, she hates it. We go everywhere we can together.
DOG DISCOVERED ALIVE IN RUBBLE DURING INTERVIEW WITH TORNADO SURVIVOR
(Skip to about 1:35 for the moment of discovery)
A woman named Barbara Garcia was being interviewed by CBS and was telling the reporter how she survived the tornado. However, she said her dog was lost in the rubble. Just then, someone spotted the dog buried under some debris and Garcia was reunited with her beloved pet. Some good news on a dark day.
FANS RAISE MONEY FOR BASSIST’S INJURED DOG WITHIN A SPAN OF HOURS
Bassist David Flinn from the band Chelsea Grin recently appealed for help because his dog, Solo, suffered an injury. Solo broke three fingers and his growth plate and required surgery costing about $2,300. Word spread, and fans of the band raised more than what was needed for Solo’s treatment in just a few hours. Here’s Flinn’s response:
You are the best fans in the world and I promise with every ounce of my being that I will make it up to you all. I love you all and cant wait to see you at a show. I will update you with videos and pictures od how solo is doing. Once again thank you soooo sooooo sooooo sooooo soooo soooo soooo sooo much!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad to hear everything went well. (Photo from the Chelsea Grin Facebook page)
PUPPY WHO SURVIVED DOG-FIGHTING RING IS MISSING #FINDMISTY
EDIT: Misty has been found.
Please see this previous story about a Pit Bull puppy named Misty who was rescued from life as a bait dog and helped by a group of students. It appears that Misty got away from her new owner and is missing. Check out Misty’s Facebook page for latest updates on the search.
Please share, especially if you live in the Riverdale, New Jersey area.
HOCKEY PLAYER MAKES PLANE TRIP TO SAVE SHELTER DOGS - “He is a center for the St. Louis Blues and has two passions off the ice … aviation and helping neglected animals find homes.”
Professional ice hockey player David Backes and his wife Kelly recently piloted a plane to transport three dogs in danger of being euthanized from Iowa to a no-kill dog shelter in Illinois. Backes is the center for the St. Louis Blues but is also very active with charity work through The David & Kelly Backes Foundation. In this instance, he assisted the West Hancock Canine Rescue and Five Acres Animal Shelter with the transport. Here’s more from KHQA:
Backes and his wife Kelly and a friend flew into the Keokuk Municipal Airport to help the West Hancock Canine Rescue find new homes for three dogs. One of them was Meaty the Rottweiler, who cozied up to Kelly in the back of the plane in anticipation of the flight.
The West Hancock Canine Rescue woks with no-kill rescues like The David & Kelly Backes Foundation to transport dogs to safe shelters and foster locations.
Back in St. Louis, the foundation and their partner the Five Acres Animal Shelter (formerly the St. Charles Humane Society) will help find the dogs loving forever homes.
Hopefully these dogs all find wonderful homes. Click here for the full story, here for more about West Hancock Canine Rescue, and here for more about Five Acres Animal Shelter. You can learn more about The David & Kelly Backes Foundation here. (Photo from Five Acres Animal Shelter Facebook page)
MEET “LUMP” THE MINIATURE DACHSHUND (submission from thehighandlow) Thank you!
This is my super tiny (15 year old?) miniature dachshund, Lump. He’s named after Picasso’s dachshund, of course. Lump came into my life over 2 years ago from the Pasadena Humane Society where I volunteer taking photos for their website. He had been severely neglected most of his long life. Lump was underweight, had terrible fly stike on both ears and was in the process of losing most of his rotten teeth. He had also been hit by a car prior to being picked up by the shelter so his pelvis was messed up and his front paw was broken. We also found out later that he had a raging kidney infection. Poor little man!
Today, Lump is very healthy and is the love of my life. He’s finally living the life he was supposed to live along side my other rescue mutts.
BRITISH WOMAN ADOPTS MAIMED STREET DOG FROM ROMANIA - “Caroline Sugrue agreed to provide a home for nine-month-old Roxy, who lost the whole of her front left leg and half of her back left leg six months ago when she was hit by a car in the Eastern European country.”
A stray dog in Romania named Roxy was hit by a car and lost her front leg and part of her back leg. Fortunately, Roxy was rescued by an organization called Blind Dog Rescue UK and transported to England to a new home. Here’s more from stratford-herald.com:
“The woman who was looking after her couldn’t afford to save her and nobody else wanted her,” Caroline told the Herald. “She was going to be put down.”
The dog charity sent Caroline a photo of Roxy and asked her if she could help. She said: “I looked at her face and that was it, I loved her.”
The pair met on Saturday night and Roxy, shy around everyone else, immediately took to her new owner.
Stuck on the sofa unable to walk far on two paws, Caroline will have to take Roxy to the vet to have a prosthetic boot fitted on her back left leg to help her get around.
“She does quite well though, I had visions of her standing there and toppling over,” said the Tiddington woman who runs a cleaning business in Stratford.
Having temporarily fostered 17 dogs over the past four years, she already has three others waiting for new homes at her house on Knight’s Lane.
However, having only been in the country for a few days after such a traumatic experience in Romania, it’s taking time for Roxy to make friends, and because of her unique situation and timid personality, Caroline does not expect her to be rehomed. “She’s probably going to have to stay here,” she said.
Despite her traumatic past, Roxy now has a chance at a wonderful life with her new owner. Click here for the full story and here to learn more about Blind Dog Rescue UK.
MEET “LUNA” THE THERAPY CORGI (submission from moonstarcorgis)
Luna is a therapy dog who comforts residents at the Phoenix House Academy of San Diego. Here’s more from the Phoenix House website:
Meet Luna, the Therapy Corgi. Luna is a 2.5 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi who has started at Phoenix House Academy of San Diego as a therapy dog late December 2012. In her role as a therapy dog, Luna helps comfort residents during individual therapy sessions and when they are simply having a bad day. She comes to the facility 1-2 times a week.
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She has volunteered at the VA Hospital, Rady’s Children’s Hospital Celebration of Champions, Camp Reach for the Sky, convalescent homes, senior living communities, library reading programs, universities during their midterms and finals, and more. She was also a volunteer with San Diego Hospice and their Pawsitive Pals program where she visited patients of all ages who were on hospice care. Her favorite visits are with children and those that get to play with her. She is currently on working on her hours to get the official AKC title of Therapy Dog.
Thank you for the submission! Click here to learn more about Phoenix House Academy of San Diego, and here for Luna’s Facebook page!
