Joey Goes to Denver

The last week has been a whirlwind of activity!. Joey is officially in Denver at Orthopets. I miss her already! I will be posting about the trip and everything that has happened, but first I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the people who made Joeys journey possible. This is a long list so bear with me!

Thank you to Georgann of Cats on the River for putting to word out about Joey needing to be rescued. It is because of you that Joey has a new life.
Thank you to Natomas Animal Hospital for being willing to ask for rescue before euthanizing the sweetest puppy I have ever met.
Thank you to Sue for putting the request for rescue out on the SAAC list, and thank you to the Sacramento Area Animal  Coalition for having a list serve to network rescuers in the Sacramento Area for reasons like this.
Thank you to Kim and the Yolo County SPCA for induldging my need to rescue the 'special' ones, and for understanding that I often act before asking.
Thank you to Josh and Bre for getting to word out to the producers at CBS 13 and Fox 40 so we could let the community know about Joey and her needs.
Thank you to Lori Wallace, CBS 13, Good Day Sacramento, Adam Krolfifer, and  Fox 40 for reporting Joeys story.

Thank you to UC Davis neurology for examining Joey to prepare her for her trip.
Thank you to Lettie Neuhauser-MacLachlan DVM CCRT CVA for donating Joeys physical therapy to getting her strong enough to start to use her mobility device.
Thank you to my mom and dad for helping me get ready for this amazing experience, and for understanding my need to rescue, even when I promise I will take a break. 
Thank you to Dixies Paws and Claws for always being willing to help, and for having Joey size clothing so she could look beautiful for her trip.
Thank you to Rich and Stacia and The Pomegranate Salon for helping get me ready for our trip.
Thank you to Evelyn for letting the Davis community know about Joey and always making us 'Paws for thought'.
Thank you to Southwest airlines, especially the Social Media team.
Thank you to On the Fly and TLC for making this an amazing adventure.
Thank you to everyone at Orthopets for giving Joey the chance at a life that will be better than anything I could have ever hoped for.
And finally thank you so much to all of my support system, especially Jenn, Stacy, Megan, Vanessa, and everyone I work with. 

December 2011 Donations

Right before the first of December I received an email from our local shelter about a sweet 7 month old Cockapoo who was horribly thin, and was also having trouble using her back legs, and would need rescue so she could get xrays and whatever follow up care she might need. Of course another face I could not say no to!!
Right now her name is Cutie McCute Pants. She will need a nickname at some point but for now I am calling her Cutie. This sweetheart is such a loving and affectionate little girl!! She loves to cuddle so we get along very well. She has had xrays now, which show that she actually has a vertebral fracture in her spinal cord!!  Poor little girl.
Monday morning we were off to UC Davis neuro surgery to evaluate her. At first the best scenario seemed like surgery. We planned for surgery (with a $5000 estimate!!!) and I left her at the hospital. Later they called to tell me that because we had no history on her injury, and she seemed to have stabilized (she is able to put some weight on her back legs) surgery may do more harm than good. The ultimate decision was to put her on strict crate rest for 6 to 8 weeks and hope her body is able to heal on its own since she is so young and otherwise healthy. So Keep positive thoughts for Cutie, and I will be sure to stock up on bully sticks and peanut butter so her time in the crate is not too horrible.

Getting Ready to go!

Joey has been very busy getting ready to go to Denver. We leave in 1 week and I have no idea how I will let this little one go! I just keep thinking of the amazing opportunities going to Ortho Pets will bring to her!

Oh and Joey has her own Facebook page! Make sure you like her page- Joey the Two legged chihuahua

Joeys Next big Adventure!

Today Joey came to work with me on campus, so I could take her to UCD VMTH for a neuro exam just to make sure everything was fine. She was such a celebrity! Before I even walked in someone asked about her and wanted to know when she would be ready for adoption. Then we went to check in and we met some of Joeys fans! They had heard all about her and were very excited to meet her. Its pretty amazing getting to hang out with a celebrity like Joey! Then the staff came out and told us they wanted to help Joey too, and that they were going to waive her exam fee!
Joey had her neurology exam and did very well. She does need to do some physical therapy to learn to use her legs the right way, which I will get started ASAP.

Everyone at VMTH was amazing and we really appreciate all the positive thoughts!

Joeys temporary cart

Joey got a temporary cart donated to her this weekend. Its big for her cause she is soo tiny, but I was able to make a harness for her to hold her in the cart to start learning about using her legs the way they were meant to be used.
Here is the link for the CBS 13 follow up:
Help For Two-Legged Chihuahua Floods: A two-legged Chihuahua is getting a lot of attention and a lot of much-needed help. Lori Wallace reports.
Here is the link for the Live Good Day Sacramento segment:
Joey the 2 Legged Chihuahua: Joey the 2 Legged Chihuahua

Joeys Plans

ok its official. Joey will be traveling to Denver to work with a fantastic group of people at orthopets, the same people who created Kandu the JRTs wheels. They will be taking her in, fostering her and screening applications to help her find her new home. Im going to miss her a ton but I feel a lot better knowing a group with experience with this specific special need will be caring for her and screening potential applicants. and if her new home is anything like Kandus she will be the luckiest dog on earth!

Ortho pets has done some great things for animals in need- they are truly an amazing facility and they make sure they give back as much as possible! 

Andre was found caught in a trap in Alaska and had chewed his feet off- and they helped him and found him a new home! 

They helped Kandu and her new sister Loosey! 

They also helped Nakio The FOUR Legged Prosthetic PUP!

 

Update on Joey

Joey has created quite a stir! We have received tons of calls, emails, and applications. She has made enough to pay for her front wheel cart. Now I am researching the different companies that can accommodate her to see what will work best. She is really as cute as she seems. She is starting to play more, and today she even tried to play with Lily.
There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to Joey. She may have medical issues that come up as she grows up because she is such a small size. She may develop back problems because of her disability. She also may live a long happy and healthy life. All of these things make it important the right home is found for her.

November 2011

Joey is a baby Chihuahua puppy who was born with no front limbs. She now needs a front wheel cart to help her learn to get around, and a new home to call her own. Joey is healthy other than her deformity, and is a very sweet playful puppy. Her parents only weighed about 3 lbs, so she is going to be a tiny little girl. Donations towards her front wheel cart will help this little girl live a happy life.  She is not yet ready for her new home, but will be in a few weeks!

Joey needs some wheels!  To chip in, please click HERE.

See some news stories about her:
CBS 13:
Two-Legged Chihuahua Looking For New Home « CBS Sacramento/ 
Fox 40:
http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-yolo-spca-saves-disabled-chihuahua-20111030,0,6492658.story

Joey!

Windy the Amazing

Windy’s Amazing Transformation 

Windy is truly an amazing creature. She has absolutely beautiful big shining eyes, a huggable fluffy body, and at 35 lbs is the perfect size. No dog I have met has had the amazing impact of Windy. It was impossible to meet her and not feel something for her. People often ask why I choose Windy. I think Windy needed me the most. All homeless animals need something, but Windy needed me.

When I meet Windy her name was Wind Talker, and she had just come to 'Camp Reno' from her previous home in Gabbs, NV. She had completely shut down, and only moved when she was forced. She laid in the bottom of an open crate allowing her kennel mate to sit on top of her to appear as invisible as possible. Windy hid from everyone at the Reno Shelter. She had been raised by her canine friends with no human contact. She was Feral.

Windy came from a hoarding situation that I volunteered to help with through the Emergency Animal Rescue Service of United Animal Nations. She was just 1 of 150 dogs that had accumulated in the Nevada desert when an animal rescuer got overwhelmed. Windy was likely born in the dessert and never even knew human companionship.
 Because of Windys history she never had the time to learn to trust people. She was scared of the unknown, but not fearful of being hurt.

She lived in my bathtub for 2 weeks when she arrived. Slowly she moved out into the household, and into her new life.   I was able to see the real, happy Windy for the first time when I started taking her for walks. Windy loved the park. She would run around having a great time, but never wondering to far from me. Windy had formed an unbreakable bond with me, and I with her.
Windy was originally just a foster dog for me. She was adopted to a wonderful couple in the East Bay. Within a week she jumped a 5 foot fence and ran into a large park where she hid for two weeks. I traveled to the park a few times in those two weeks to find her, and finally late one night with the help of LJ and a few hot dogs she was safely back in my care. She ran away from the adoptive home one more time, and after finally finding her again they decided they were not able to keep her safe and brought her back to Davis. The day she came back she escaped during transport. She was missing for 4 weeks. This was the most stressful time of my life. I would see her regularly, but always so far away that it was impossible to catch her. Finally one night very late after sitting on the ground for about an hour I was able to coax her to come to me. I had already decided at that point that she would never leave my care.
She remains one of my most important rescues, and is now the newest member of my family.She loves agility, especially tunnels, and going for rides in the car. She is a typical Border Collie who loves to talk all the time. She never ventures far from me, and I am able to have her off leash regularly. I am still amazed each day at how far Windy has come.

September 2011

A portion of the proceeds of Rescue Bows sales went to help Lily, the most lovable Dachshund you could ever meet.
Two days after Buster was adopted I received an email about Lily, a 2 year old Dachshund who had tested heart worm positive. This little 10lbs bundle of love is impossible not to love! Unfortunately for Lily treating heartworms can be very expensive, and to make matters worse the company that produces the drug that treats this disease recently had to temporarily stop production of the drug.
I immediately started sending urgent requests to fellow rescuers about Lilys need and asked that anyone knowing of a clinic with the necessary drug inform me immediately. As luck would have it the clinic the SPCA uses frequently actually had some!
Lily started her treatment the next day, which is followed by 30 days of crate rest, another treatment and an additional 30 days of crate rest. Through it all Lily has remained as sweet and happy as the day she arrived. Her favorite activities are cuddling on the couch and doing a happy dance for a treat.

Lilys collar is a special order just for her! It is a black collar with ribbon that has little Dachshunds on it!

August 2011

A portion of the proceeds of Rescue Bows sales went to help Lucky, a very lucky but very sick Pit Bull.
In July a fellow animal rescuer found a gorgeous teenage male pit bull that looked emaciated, and was limping. After 2 xrays and 3 different opinions he was scheduled for surgery to have a suspected forgien body removed from his stomach. Only problem is that when he was opened up there was nothing there. Lucky was quite the mystery dog! After he was stitched back up he did seem to hold food down better. Now he just needed to put on weight so he could have his dislocated hip repaired. He also had a problem with his eye that needed to be repaired surgically.

Through all this Lucky is the happiest dog you could ever meet. He goes through life with a big smile and just wiggles his way into everyones heart! He is a typical goofy teenager who loves to play with his other canine friends, and give big slobbery kisses to everyone he meets! 

Lucky's Collar  has shamrocks because he is such a lucky boy!

July Rescue Bows Donation

July seemed to come and go very quickly! Busters leg has healed extremely well. Unfortunatley in the interim he developed Demodex, which often happens with puppies that have compromised immune systems. He is currently being treated and will be good as new soon. This little guy is over 30 lbs now! He is a total love and gets lots of attention everywhere he goes!

In honor of Buster I also have a new collar up for sale- a baseball collar!

Buster the puppy with a broken leg

Not long after Sophie arrived in New Hampshire, I recieved an email about a puppy needing a foster home and a medical evaluation for an injured leg. When the picture came it was impossible to say no to this guy!

Xrays confirmed he has a fractured right rear Tibia. The fracture is lined up very well and was already starting to calicify, so the vet felt that splinting the leg for a few weeks would be better and let him heal without major surgery. His splint needs to be changed weekly but other than that he just needs a place to hang out and recover before finding his new home. Its a hard job but someone has to do it, and with Lexi the golden retrievers help Im sure we will muttle through.

June 2011 Rescue Bows Donation

A portion of the proceeds of Rescue Bows Sales for June 2011 went to help Sophie get ready to travel to New Hampshire.

A little over a month ago I recieved an email from the Yolo County Shelter that Sophie, a blind 5 year old Doxie, was in need of rescue or at risk of euthanasia. Blind animals can often be hard to rehome because of the basic fact that it is harder to own a blind animal. It is by no means impossible, just more difficult. Because Sophie is blind she could not be put up for adoption at the shelter. In the past I have been fortunate enough to work with an amazing disabled animal sanctuary called Rolling Dog Farm, so I contacted them to see if they might have room for this sweet little girl. I was thrilled when they said yes! Transport was arranged, but she would need somewhere to stay until her transport could take her to New Hampshire, and she would need a health check and a dental before she travelled across state lines. I was happy to keep Sophie for the month, and was glad Rescue Bows could donate money towards Sophies care. I also emailed some fantastic animal loveing people that I am fortunate enough to know, and was able to get donations together to put towards Sophies medical expenses. While its only a drop in the bucket compared to what Rolling Dog Farm is doing for Sophie, it will help her get to the new home she deserves.

Sophie arrived Safely on Thursday and is settling in to her new home . I enjoyed the time I was able to spend with her, and learned a lot about how amazing animals are. Sophie would spend her first few hours in any new setting circling the area to learn the 'lay of the land'. She was an outside only dog in her previous home, but once she was familiar with her enviornment she quickly learned to be house trained, where her food dish was (this one she was really good at) where the couch was, and where her crate was. If you didnt know she was blind it became hard to tell once she was in a place she knew. She quickly learned that at night she should come over to my bed and wait while I picked her up and settled her in under the covers. She loves to go for car rides, and is always happy to go for walks too! This is one fantastic little girl who really deserves her new start in life and I am just glad I was able to play a small part in that!