"Properly trained, a man can be a dog's best friend." - Corey Ford

Starved/chained dog (later rescued)

RUFF TIP  

If you observe an animal being neglected, here are a few things you might do.....


1. PHOTOGRAPH the animal. Document its body, living conditions, food/water pan or untreated injuries. Pictures are legal proof!


2. Call the authorities with an address/detailed description of the animal. Ask for follow up with the officer once he's answered the call. If you don't get resolution, don't give up. Call a supervisor. Document it all.


3. Research your local/State animal laws. Knowing the laws will help you insist on proper enforcement.


4. Politely knock on the owner's door and ask if you can provide food or vet services for the animal. If you make friends with this person, he may give you the animal.

5. Send pictures and a short factual story to local news agencies. Ask them to help you seek justice for the animal.


6. If the animal strays onto a road or public property, pick it up and take it to a shelter. It will have a chance of adoption or rescue. Send pictures of the stray to your friends and give them a kennel number and shelter location.

"If you consider that 'we can't save them all', what difference does one make? You should know the joy of the one saved!"  -   Anonymous

"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar."  -Bradley Miller

Unspayed Shepherd

RUFF TIP

If you live near a dog that barks frequently, it may be lonely. Dogs are pack animals and need companionship and socialization. Many people acquire pets that don't get proper care and attention. 


You might knock on the owner's door and introduce yourself. Inquire about the barking dog. Ask to say “hello” to the pet(s). This way, you move the conversation to the vicinity of the pet, making it easier to ask questions related to the dog. Ask what the dog's name is and if she's friendly (bring a treat for the dog.) Be polite and respectful to the owner. If you're able, volunteer to walk the dog daily. 


If the dog is unfixed and you have the resources, ask to take the dog to be fixed for free. Make it easy. If the owner says "yes," volunteer to drive the dog into the vet. Have the owner pick her up after surgery. (Transportation to the vet eliminates excuses and guarantees arrival.) 


Ask the owner to make a donation or pay for vaccinations/ heartworm prevention for their pet. This creates an investment in the animal and models better future pet care.

"I tremble for my species, when I consider that God is just." - - Thomas Jefferson

Herman

Herman - Boston Terriers are an old fashioned breed and a big deal in a small package. My family grew up with Bostons, they have the heart of a lion and energy of a power plant. 


A police detective was investigating a case in Dallas, Texas, when she noticed a 4-week old Boston Terrier whimpering in a box. The puppy was too tiny to be away from its momma, but it had just been bought from a breeder. Once home, the woman buyer noticed a lump on the puppy's stomach. The breeder refused to take the puppy back and the woman didn't have money to go to a vet. She didn't want the puppy anymore, so the detective took the pup before it died. 


The pup found its way into our care and was taken to a vet, where it was diagnosed with an intestinal hernia; part of its bladder and intestine were hanging through a large hole in its abdominal wall. The pup was whisked into surgery that day. He did fine. We named the pup Herman, after the Adam's Family character. Herman looked like he was dressed in a little black and white tuxedo, very proper!

Herman recovered quickly from his surgery and was a hot item on the rescue website. We screened out people shopping for a bargain, or because Herman was cute. We eventually found a lovely woman, familiar with the breed, who wanted to adopt, rather than buy a purebreed.

Farley

Ferret and Farley - Tiny puppies are cute and cuddly but too common in the world of rescue. Most underage pups are euthanized at shelters because they’re too young to survive on their own. Mandated spay/neuter are practical solutions to the problem, but some in our society resist such action. Luckily, pups are easy to foster because they don't have aggression issues, heartworms or behavior issues!  

We were shopping at our local shelter, in the isolation area where underage pups are kept and noticed 2 puppies curled on a blanket. Big dogs were barking, but the puppies were asleep, oblivious to it all. When we called to them, they woke and waddled to the front of the kennel. They were Collie mixes, about 5 weeks old. They were from an unwanted litter and their momma had been killed by a car. 

One pup had a severe overbite and was thinner than his chunky brother. The skinny pup had difficulty eating, so we pulled the 2 brothers for rescue. The tiny overbite pup was named Ferret, since he looked like one with his long nose and beady eyes. He was absolutely the sweetest pup. Due to his protruding jaw, he had trouble lapping food, but the veterinarian said Ferret would be fine. 

His brother, a handsome fat Lab mix, was named Farley. Both pups were smart and easy to train. They were adopted by owners who knew the responsibility of time-consuming puppies. Ferret found his lifetime home in Katy, Texas and Farley's owner lives in Austin.

Festus and Chai

Festus and Chai - Junkyards harbor wrecked skeletons of transportation maladies. Rusty metal giants consume acres of once pristine land, and the land is tainted by the giant's lifebloods: motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze, and hazardous liquids from the modern day engine.

One day I stopped at a local yard and saw a tiny black pit bull puppy. A little yellow cat trailed happily behind it. The kitten was only about 6-7 weeks old, very straggly, dehydrated, dirty and amazingly friendly. As I approached, a child came out of nowhere and reached down, grabbed the skinny kitten and stashed it into an 5 gallon orange bucket. I walked up to the nearest adult man, who was working on a broken engine and asked who owned the kitten. He said in broken English, that the puppy was his, and he would like shots for it and it to be "snipped." My reputation as a spay/neuter advocate had preceded me. I explained I couldn’t take the puppy now to the vet, but I could take the kitten. He gave me the orange bucket and said someone had dumped the kitten last week.

Festus was about a pound in weight, but the little guy ate like a draft horse! At the junkyard, Festus hadn’t eaten anything but tortillas, so when it was finally available, he feasted on entire cans of food. Soon, Festus discovered the water bowl and proceeded to drink its entire contents.

I had a tiny Shepherd mix puppy named Chai from the shelter kill list, and Festus and Chai became best friends. They bounded up to each another like two clumsy jousting partners—the kitten rearing onto its hind legs and the puppy running with careless abandon. For the two orphans, the game was irresistible.


Festus was placed into a home where he was an only cat. Chai, the tea colored puppy, was placed into a good home with a resident cat to keep her company. 

Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn - This is the story of Gwendolyn, a bait dog dumped in impoverished Bastrop County. One morning, a woman found a young Pit Bull curled on her trailer porch, covered in blood. The dog was too weak to stand. She was a bait dog, unwilling to fight, so she was used to train other dogs to kill. If bait dogs don't immediately die, they're discarded to die, no longer useful to their evil handlers. This tenacious dog clung to life until her bad luck changed to good.


We carried Gwen to our car and took her to the vet, where her tear wounds were cleaned and stitched. Although  bruised and in great pain, Gwen's calm demeanor was obvious. She didn't have a protest bone in her entire body.


Gwen was a short, stout dog, more accurately an American Staffordshire Terrier breed (AmStaff for short) than a Pit Bull. She was sweet as apple pie and packed with personality. She would do a charming "happy dance" when exiting her kennel and then sit for attention. We were apprehensive when introducing Gwen to other dogs, fearful that she might be dog reactive due to her brutal experience. Instead, she was friendly and calm.


Gwen was adopted by a nice woman living in Austin. People who meet Gwen are constantly impressed by this former bait dog's melancholy, sweet nature.

Cecily

Cecily - Beautiful and affordable land is one of the advantages of living in a poor rural county in Texas. Unfortunately, the poorest counties seem to have the highest numbers of abandoned animals.

Driving home one evening, I noticed something dart across the gravel pavement in front of me. A skinny Sheltie mix ran into a barren ditch and stared apprehensively. When I pulled over, she disappeared. She'd probably just been abandoned and was staying on the road, waiting for her useless owner to return. 


I went home and brought back a dog trap baited with tuna fish. The dog promptly went in the trap and began eating. I waited for the trap door to spring, but it didn't. I kept waiting and she kept eating. The old metal trap was rusty. The Sheltie finished her small meal, turned and walked out. Not discouraged, I borrowed oil from a  neighbor, lubed the trap and caught the dog. 


The Sheltie was shy but not unfriendly. She was taken to our vet where they found two deep burns on the dog's back, possibly made by a cattle prod. Fur was imbedded on her spinal cord. The burns may have been intentional, but dogs remain loyal to their owners and keep their cruel secrets. The dog wore an unusual clothesline harness, one obviously handmade and not commercially purchased, so we assumed she had also been tied.

Cecily blossomed into an outgoing, playful dog. An older couple adopted Cecily, sweetly stating "that they wanted to protect her from the harsh cruel world." The couple had just euthanized their beloved old dog and they were terribly lonely without a best friend.

Ferrari - Sometimes, treasures are found in the most unlikely places. Salvage yards are a retirement ground for wrecked cars and used animals. No one knows where junkyard dogs come from, but apparently they come from the same nameless places cars come from.

While walking in a junkyard in East Austin, I noticed an emaciated purebred German Shepherd momma lying under a rusty car. There were 3 tiny puppies who looked like walking skeletons, milling about, desperate for food. I also noticed 2 red male Shepherd mixes, with ribs protruding, too shy to approach. Since it appeared the dogs were improperly cared for, I asked the yard owner if I could have the dogs. He agreed, since he apparently didn't have the money to feed or fix them.

I took the mom and pups to the shelter. I contacted the German Shepherd rescuers, who take purebreds into their "breed rescue" program. The four dogs were placed with people who didn't want to buy from breeders (since purebreds are available at every shelter in America).

I rushed back to the salvage yard to catch the remaining 2 dogs. Both dogs crowded into the trap to eat and the cage door snapped shut. The dogs sat down in the trap and patiently waited for their next meal. 

Once at the shelter, the Red Shepherd mixes were easy to socialize. One brother couldn't put weight on his rear leg - apparently he'd been hit by a car. The other brother was healthy. They were mixes, so there was no rescue from the purebred group. We had only one foster space, so the healthy brother got out. The other brother didn't.  Fortunately, humane euthanasia is a more acceptable option than dying in a roadway ditch.

We named the handsome red dog, Ferarri. He went places fast, especially when he was playfully being chased by other dogs. He was a gentle, calm dog that enjoyed sunbaths and butterflies. He found a great home in Austin and now has a rescued brother to chase.

Mac (Tom T) and Cass

Tom Thayer –  One day a little girl spotted a puppy wandering along an isolated stretch of highway near Thrall, Texas. The girl asked her grandma to stop the car to pick up the pup, since temperatures would be freezing that night. The girl’s mother sent an email plea to the universe, requesting rescue since she didn’t want to take the pup to a shelter.

I read and forwarded the email plea to friends. No one offered to take the pup. Curious, I emailed the woman, asking details about the pup. The woman couldn’t give me breed information, just that it was male, the size of a cat and spotted grey. I asked if she could transport the unidentified puppy to me. 

That night, a woman arrived at my gate and unloaded a tiny cat carrier. Inside the carrier was a gorgeous, carsick 10-week old Blue Heeler puppy. He exited the crate drunkenly and wagged his tail as he promptly ran to me. The pup had striking coloration—a soft light grey coat and tall dark grey socks on all of his legs. He was healthy and in good shape. I had fears of the pup being a sick, grey pitbull (always difficult to adopt).

We named him Tom Thayer, a name reminiscent of Thrall, where the pup was found. The puppy was delightful, attractive and good-natured. He liked to cuddle with my big malamute mix, Dasher, on their favorite cedar bed. 

 

Heelers aren't a dog for everyone. The breed is extremely smart, athletic and persistent. But people who like the the breed really like it, and we had a prospect in mind. A friend named "Spring" adopted a red heeler from us two years ago. We thought Thayer might be a good addition to Spring's family and she agreed. We packed Thayer's overnight bag and traveled to Spring's home, where Cass, our former heeler, greeted us excitedly at the door. Spring adopted Thayer and renamed him “Mac.”

Bodie playing tug with 2 foster pups

Bodie -  Walking through the Austin shelter, we noticed a brindle pup tightly curled up, trying to stay warm. His hairless legs bowed at odd angles. He was skinny, mangy and smelled bad due to his skin condition. He had an adorable, sweet expression on his worn face. He was found one morning in a church parking lot, curled up in a cardboard box, after a hard freeze. The pup's legs were bent, due to poor nutrition and lack of exercise. He may have grown up in the cardboard box, since neglect and abuse assume many original forms. 


Within an hour, Bodie was enroute to our foster home with a warm cedar bed and a hearty meal. Bodie was about 4 months old and weighed a mere 12 pounds, while he should have weighed 25. With a healthy regiment of exercise and good food, Bodie made a full recovery. His favorite game was hiding stuffed animals from the big dogs. Bodie was a grateful dog, who cherished small favors. His new owner made sure he had ample toys and love for the rest of his sweet life.

Axel

Axel - There is a mile-long series of junkyards east of Austin on Highway 71. The yards are homes to owned and abandoned animals. In 3 years, we removed about 60 abandoned dogs and cats from these junkyards. During that time we developed a rapport with several of the yard owners.

One day, Amado, a junkyard owner, called to ask if I could help his dog. I knew the dog was in dire circumstances for Amado to call. I picked up my 7-year-old niece Madison (she wants to be an animal cop when she grows up.) Together, we rushed to the junkyard. Upon arrival, Amado walked us to a sweltering tin building, where a black German Shepherd puppy was curled on the gravel. The dog's rear leg was bleeding and swollen 3 times its normal size. The leg looked like a black balloon with toes. A heavy metal chain lay in a heap next to the puppy. Amado explained that he'd chained the dog for the weekend and returned to find the dog tangled. The chain kinked around the dog's right rear leg. I asked Amado if he had the money to fix the dog. “No,” he said regrettably. I told him I would take the dog, but unless he could pay the medical bills, the puppy was mine. Amado agreed and I took the pup to a vet. We expected that tissue and nerve damage would force the vet to amputate the leg. But the sweet-natured pup kept his leg and we named him Axel.

Axel was about 5 months old—a pensive, smart boy with radar-like ears, a silky black coat and long legs. He quickly learned to run, jump and play. Exercise was part of his therapy and he loved it, especially when it involved fetching his favorite raccoon toy! Axel soon found a permanent home with a family who owned another rescued black German Shepherd.