January 2011 update

We celebrated O's one year of Freedom from the puppymill on January 18th.  We can't believe how quickly time has gone by and how much she has changed.  Her coat is beautiful, she loves to play and she is the cutest little snuggler.  She and Moo have taught each other so much.  I love watching the 2 of them snuggle and relax on the couch or a bed together.  I have such a hard time even attempting to comprehend how people can do what they do to dogs in a mill...I shudder at the conditions O was in last year especially during this cold snap that we've been having.


To celebrate Ori's 1 year of freedom, I think it's appropriate to come up with a Top 10 Favorites list for both O and Moo.

Ori's Top 10 Favorites:

10- slinky across the floor on her belly looking all cute and playful
9-  dive bombing Moo while Moo's still peeing
8- playing tug of war
7- strategically resting her nubby to snuggle as close as possible
6- snuggly with her mommy!
5- standing as tall as she can to try and grab things off the kitchen table
4- Stealing Molly's kong as soon as they get out of their crates
3- staring at Molly in hopes of distracting her to grab whatever Molly is chewing on
2- sleeping in the big bed
1- Squeakie toys!!!


And dear Miss Moo's Top 10 Favorites

10- Food
9- peanut butter filled kongs
8- Cookies
7- Zuke's Z-ridges
6- trash picking
5-bully sticks
4- snuggling on the couch
3- liver
2- burying her nose under covers
1- Food!

Ori's Spay

Ori went in for her spay today.  It ended up being a longer ordeal than expected, but she is doing well and will recover just fine.  I brought her in this morning and the techs fell in love with her right away.  Ori cantered around the clinic with them and even tried to get a hold of a grinch stuffy that was behind the desk : )  All her preop blood work came back fine and early afternoon I received a call saying she was out of surgery. 
We knew she had 1 mammary tumor that needed to be removed.  In addition to that tumor a second one was found when she was opened up.  I guess it was pretty rough on the inside of Ori.  Lots of adhesions and scar tissue from previous surgeries (C- sections presumably.)  It looks like she popped out litter after litter of puppies in her 4 short years.  As if that wasn't enough, there was a hernia that the doctor was able to repair as well.  So in addition to losing a leg, O is now short a nipple too : )  Good thing she doesn't need it any more!!!
I was listening to the vet tech on the phone and I am so grateful that O is going to do just fine.  I hate how a puppy mill is run.  My poor little girl suffered so someone could make money off her and her puppies.  People can be so sick and twisted...

I was able to pick O up earlier than expected and as they brought her out to me, she looked so out of it!  Her jowls were extra droopy and when the tech finally let me hold her she fell asleep again in my arms.  She couldn't quite seem to get comfy on the car ride home.  She wobbled enough in the grass to pee and then before she would settle on the couch for me she peed on the carpet.  I let her finish there so she could rest again!  She was and is still so drowsy that she hasn't eaten or drank anything yet today.  I was able to give her just a tiny bit of water when she perked up just a few minutes ago and now she is back to snoozin' on the couch.

As I was getting ready last night for her ride over this morning, I pulled out Tink's "snow puppy princess blanket" as Nick and I like to call it.  It is a handmade fleece blanket that a dear friend and Woofer made for Tink as a beautiful gift several years ago.  I stood in the doorway of the linen closet last night and stared at the blanket that I haven't been able to pull out for 6 months.  While I was standing there thinking of all the occasions Tink used this blanket, I decided that Ori needed that special blanket on her surgery day.  So I took the snow puppy princess blanket out of hiding.  Ori had it with her in the car and all day at the vets and now she's snuggled up on it on the couch.  It seemed fitting and beautifully sad...

So here we are, ready to recover.  We will do our best to keep her quiet for the next week or so, but we all know how that goes with Miss O... : )

Ori day 2

So many thoughts and emotions with and about this little girl!  She appears to be crating very well.  A small bark/whine at the beginning, but we've been firm with "QUIET" and she settles after that.  It's not an anxious cry/bark but more of a "hey! I'm in here!" kinda thing.  She tries the same type of thing when she wants to follow Molly back into the apartment but she hasn't peed yet.  I correct her and we move along and she is fine.  The last thing I want to do is create an opportunity for separation anxiety.   The neighbors said they didn't hear anything this morning/afternoon when she and Molly were home alone.  (YAY!)

We're working on the housebreaking.  Poor Nick.  I took her out this morning to pee before I left at 7 and between 7 and 7:20 she peed 3 more times (that's even with being taken out twice.)  I do think she has a UTI so we're trying to keep all that in mind too. (vet appt is scheduled, but of course not as soon as I want it to be!)  We figure if we use the same key words and don't let her back inside until after she pees she'll get it pretty quickly.  She appears to be a fast learner at everything else.  We're taking her out every hour and treating with hotdog and lots of praise.  Molly's a good model too : )

Already she's walking on a leash so much more nicely.   She loves to watch the cars go by when we're out back (usually waiting for her to PEE!) The 4 of us went around the apartments again this evening.  She works so hard to move.  We figure her leg was lopped off and since she lived in a cage she never figured out how to balance and move her body quite right.  She does fine on it, but we are convinced that over time it will become more "natural."  These dogs never cease to amaze me.

She's taken to laying on the couch.  She won't lay on the umteen dog beds on the floor, but she paws up at the couch.  Of course Moo lays on the couch so if we're using her as the model it's ok for Ori to be on the couch too.  She snuggles with Molly and every time I turn around she has her head resting on Nick's leg and they both look as pleased as punch.

You can't tell from the pictures, but I do think she's a tad on the thick side.  I can't find her ribs which is weird, but true.  She hasn't been eating all of the food we've been feeding her and we haven't been pushing the issue.  Ori has started drinking from a water bowl which is fabulous!  No food aggression from either girls (Ori shared a bite from Molly's dish tonight....)  She does have a mammary tumor which I'm hoping we can have removed when she gets spayed.  She looks like she's been bred and bred and bred though...poor girl still rolls over for a belly rub though.  Her teeth don't look bad either.

I've already learned a few things about a 3-legged dog.  1) You can't lift up the front leg to move the leash or she falls on her face.  (oops!) 2)  Chewing on a bone becomes much more complicated that it is for a 4 legged dog, but it is possible!  3) laying down appears to be more comfortable than sitting.

Nick has already started teaching her sit and while I was getting dinner ready tonight for the girls I turn around and sure enough Ori's sitting!  She's a smart little girl.  Smart, smart, smart.  She makes little noises like Tink did and she had me looking a few times for my little heart dog last night.  Her sighs and exhales sound the same if that makes any sense.

I can't believe how much has happened, how much we've all learned, and how far things have come in 1 day.  Is it possible?  Can it stay like this?  I'm currently here with Ori in my lap as I type this.  Somehow it seems like she knows that's what it's here for...and that's where she belongs....

Ori the Mill Mama is here

Meet Ori, our temporary foster.  I picked her up from Sparky's Project who literally pulled her from the mill 1/2 hr before I got her.   After a minor anxiety attack with her barking, we pulled it together and got our acts together.  (God is soooo good, let me tell you!) Elly listened to me and gave some good advice as did Jodi and Sandy and here we are everyone quiet and settled.  Ori (short for Oreals) is an almost 4 year old puppy mill girl which means she's done nothing but push out puppies her entire life.  The miller was afraid she would get fined for having a dog with 3 legs and needed her out ASAP which is where Sparky's Project and NEBTR stepped in.

 

As you can see she's missing her front right leg.  It doesn't slow her down very much.  She supposedly injured it in a dog fight and it was amputated as a result.

 

She's slightly front heave which does cause her to fall onto her front leg more often.

She has a really beautiful face, if should would hold still long enough for me to get a picture of it!

She's here for the week and then is being transported to another volunteer in NY.

I did give her a bath when we first got here just cause she was so dirty and I wanted to get any bugs out of her.  She's still kinda stinky but much better.  She has a bit of shine to her coat.  She is quiet in her crate and we will use that to our advantage at night and when we're not home.  She has a real zest for life and for exploring and likes that there is another dog around.  She's doing better on a leash already and actually walked around the block with me, Nick and Molly tonight (hot dog helped...)  She seems to relish the warm weather and grass and I think her original darting was actually a bit of excitement.  She did well following Molly and I know that she will be a good model for Ori.   She's peed a total of 3 times outside (big praise : ) and 2x's in the kitchen and twice in the living room... after our walk...  She's eaten 2 small meals of turkey and rice.  After speaking with Sandy this evening, we did let Molly and Ori officially meet and have allowed Ori to explore the house a bit.  She romps around and has even sniffed at the toy box and attempted to chew on a bone. Molly could actually care less that she is here.

She's a real sweetie and I think once she figures out the routine she'll be less confused/anxious and will do just fine for the week. We'll see how it goes tomorrow when she and Moo are left alone for a few hours.... : )

Never a dull moment around here!  But man am I tired....

Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2009

So PMAD 2009 arrived today!! Nick, Tink, Molly, and I arrived right around 9am to meet Jodi at the Intercourse Park. It wasn't until Joy arrived that we actually got the table set up and rolling! Tiff and Lilo were there too: Lilo was our BT kissing machine : ) Lara and Jill both made treats and they sold wonderfully! They were all human grade ingredients, so human members of the group decided to give the treats a try!

Kyla Duffy was also there, she is the author of the Happy Tails book series. Kyla was a treat to speak with and spend time with today! She was able to meet miss Tink who was in her book. She brought books and bumper stickers and allowed the group to keep all of the profits from those items! Kyla is an amazingly talented, yet totally down to earth kind of girl. The second book in the series, Golden Retrievers, with Labs, Daschunds, and Pitt Bulls coming soon! It's not too late to order your BT book or any one of the others. What a great way to support rescue, raise awareness, and get a great read! (bring your tissues!)

Here are a few pics from the day. Nick was the camera man and if feeling under the weather so he was fairly stationary for most of the day....

Lilo

Lilo looking pretty!

chit chatting!

The BT at the booth next to us : )

Molly's nose

Molly chillin' on the chair. So glad we brought the chair for you moo!
No, in all seriousness, Molly was AWESOME today!

Snoozin'.... she was easy going, laid back, polite. She slept for a good part of the day,
yet walked around with us like a complete angel when we needed her to be : )

Can you tell Nick loves this dog?!?

Lilo was borrowing Molly's blanket, so Molly was borrowing her bed : )

Lilo and Molly begging for food. Look at how good Moo's silhouette is!

The Frechie's were there again this year is large numbers,
but this little guy stole our hearts! He was such a character!

Look at those face and ears!!
What's not to love?!?!?

It was such a pleasure to meet and spend time with Joy, Lara, and Jill! And as usual, it was great to catch up with Tiff and Jodi! The weather was beautiful--perfect for being outside.
Victoria Stillwell spoke (it was cool to see her in person!), many many people marched in protest past some known mills. It was great to see how much this event has grown since last year! And on top of all the festivities, NEBTR successfully raised over $200!!! Go group!

Despite the lack of photographic evidence, Tink was indeed at this event. She was either in my arms or in my lap! If I wasn't careful, Joy was going to take her home! (She's in some Joy's pics, I'll post them when we get them!) What a fabulous day! Now all four of us are snuggled up in bed... Nick is sick and the pups are tired! Actually, i'm exhausted too, now that I think of it!

Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2009

Puppy Mill Awareness Day is set to take place this coming Saturday at the intercourse park in intercourse PA. The day begins at 10am and is filled with speakers, lots of great rescues, a free vegan meal, and a time to raise awareness about the horrors of these mills.

Check out www.awarenessday.org for more information! Don't miss this event!

Puppymill Awareness Day

Yesterday was Lancaster's Puppymill Awareness Day at the Intercourse Community Park. It was a PERFECT day for an outside event--clear blue skies, cool with a light breeze and the beautiful sun shining down on the day. Nick, Tink, and I went to help with the NEBTR table which Amy and Mike from the Rescue headed up. It was wonderful to finally meet them and Gracie and Amanda and Tom as well as their Starla and Rascal. A few other members stopped by including Tiff and Janice and some others who i can't recall by name.

Gracie and Rascal

Amy created paws forever kits that create a permanent clay impression of your pups foot. I believe they will be available on the NEBTR website at some point. Tink and I did some baking (ok, i baked and Tinker taste tested.) Peanutbutter treats, banana biscuits, and dehydrated sweet potatoes were on the list. We also had some cooling collars that another member, Victoria makes.
creating a paws forever print : )

There was quite the turnout to the event with lots of rescues present including the Frenchie rescue network, coast to coast daschunds, 2 boxers groups, bassets, a transport crew, the Lancaster Humane League, a Schiztu rescue among others. Whole foods provided a free organic and vegan lunch that was quite tasty.

Gracie giving love to Tinker

Part of the awareness day was a march through intercourse protesting and raising awareness about the cruelty and reality of puppymills. There are so many Amish run mills in the area. People need to become aware of the fact that if you buy a dog from a petstore you are supporting a mill and all the atrocities associated with a mill. There is legislation that is in the house and senate right now trying to change rules and regulations concerning the overall housing conditions of the dogs, but nothing is going to change unless people voice their concern and do something about it. Animals are not a crop and should not be treated as a product.

Anyways, it was a great day for networking, meeting some neat people, hearing amazing stories of great dogs, enjoying the beautiful weather, working to raise awareness of the mills, and taking steps to stop the ways mills currently function. I certainly learned a bit through the entire day and am very greatful that we were able to attend.

Tink would have slept all day on my lap if we let her! She was a great sleepy spokesdog for the Boston Terrier! She actually did fantastic yesterday (no surpise there.) I would also like to point out that I have an amazing husband. Not only did he come along, but he worked hard at the table selling the available items and he enjoyed it. Hopefully there will be a time when we won't need a day like yesterday, but until then we will plan on attending and helping out in any capacity we can.

Here is the link to the awareness day for those of you who would like more information.