It takes a community of dedicated humans to save one little Black and Tan
Olivia
In the summer of 2006, we adopted our Black and Tan Coonhound, Olivia Rose, from Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) and began our friendship with Jerry Dunham.
Jerry Walking the Kennels at TLAC
Jerry lives in Austin and is a familiar face to the staff at Town Lake. As a Placement Partner, he volunteers his time at TLAC looking for dogs that he have not been claimed and ones that he can pull out of the center and place in foster care. Walking the cages is an unenviable task; many dogs only had a few days to find a home. Today¹s ³live out² rate for TLAC is stellar. Our little B&T was pulled and fostered by Lynn McConnell who traditionally fosters Malamutes but generously gave up some her precious space for our skinny little girl. Lynn took the extra time to nurse Olivia back to health after a scary infection set in. We stayed in touch with Jerry and had a chance to visit TLAC a couple of years later. There we met Kathryn Sharp, the Rescue Coordinator for TLAC. I wanted her to get a chance to meet one of the dogs that had come through her program full circle and was now a healthy family pet, living in her forever home.
We are happy to see TLAC doing well and saving more dogs than ever and can¹t
Angela Faeth CoonhoundCompanions.com
wait to visit again when the improvements are completed, and visit our
It was June, 1997, the day after a devastating F-5 tornado, when a dazed, bedraggled, and disoriented Rottweiler stumbled toward me out of the woods. Having recently purchased a new house, my friends all encouraged me to take this wonderful girl home. Instead, however, I imagined some desperate child searching for his lost companion and contacted Town Lake to pick her up. This sweet and trusting creature had quickly found a place in my heart and later the same day I submitted an application to our shelter to adopt her, should her owner not come forward. Every day I visited her, waiting until I would be able to take her home. On the last day before she would be available for adoption her owner did appear, and told the shelter staff her name, Katy, and promised to return with the funds to spring her from her kennel prison. Four more days the shelter staff and I waited anxiously for his return. He did not come; he did not return telephone calls. On the fifth day, I became the proud owner of my very first Rottweiler, and my first dog in 20 years. I became involved with rescue shortly thereafter, realizing for the first time the plight of companion animals, particularly Rottweilers, in our society, the incredible perception of disposability of life and was appalled. In Katy's honor, Katy's Promise Rottweiler Rescue began, promising a future of love and uncompromising commitment to abandoned, neglected and abused Rottweilers.
Our rescue focuses on young dogs and puppies, often dumped in shelters and on the streets, unwanted by their indiscriminate breeders. Often very ill, these new lives are nurtured in a home setting, provided extensive medical care and socialization with other animals and people of all ages. Only when they are physically and emotionally prepared for their new lives, fully vaccinated and altered, are they offered for placement with exceptional families.
In Katy's name we give highly individualized care to a small number of Rottweilers in an effort to change lives and change public perception just one Rottweiler at a time.
Beloved Katy
In September, 2008, just a few months shy of her 15th birthday, Katy lost her battle with liver failure. Rest easy my sweet Kate. You changed my life and taught me how to be a better person. You are forever in my heart.
--
Toni Liguori
KPRR
Austin, Texaswww.kprr.rescuegroups.org
That’s it, that is all I really wanted to do. I was lucky at the time there was a program called In House Fostering (IHF) so with little training and not a lot of effort I got to spend time with kittens (and sometimes their moms) playing and cuddling in different staff offices at the shelter.
I managed to eke out the required 6 hours a month, but I rarely volunteered for more than 6. Unfortunately, for me, there were not always kittens in IHF and since ‘kitten season’ was coming to an end I was left with no idea what I was going to do. Should or could I find something else or just give up on volunteering at TLAC?
Enter a very dedicated and hard working volunteer named Maggie. She let me (and everyone else) know that the cats in ISO-1 would love to have someone come and give them attention. ISO-1 is where the cats with upper respiratory infections are - they have colds. So I slowly started going over to ISO-1. I still didn’t have to work all that hard and there really wasn’t any special training for what I was doing. I just had to love on the cats in ISO.
The more time I spent in ISO-1 and saw what the volunteers were doing the more I thought “I think I can do that. I think I want to do that.” You see the volunteers that work in ISO-1 are called nebbers. Twice a day a volunteer will put the cat/kitten (sometimes even a puppy) in a special box where they can breath in medicine that will help their congestion so they can get better. They also make sure that they are eating and generally improving.
So I signed up and trained to be a ‘nebber.’ I worked with other nebbers before I took my own shift, but it didn’t take long. I have weighed, fed, nebbed and loved the ISO-1 cats. I have cleaned their kennels and even them. I even learned how to special feed the ones that are so sick they have stopped eating. I feel like I am making a difference in their lives and helping these wonderful cats make it to their forever homes.
After being a nebber for a while I started getting involved in other TLAC programs like Desperate House Cats .
There have been a few bumps in the road, but as my volunteer experience has grown so have I and that is the second best part of being a volunteer at TLAC. The best part is helping these wonderful animals in whatever small way I can.
Jake is a handsome 2-year-old Australian Kelpie. His life had been a series of tough breaks. In 2010, he was found wandering the neighborhood after his family moved and left him behind. He was adopted, but was brought back to TLAC when his new owner couldn't keep him.
On August 12, he was taking his final walk on his way to be euthanized, when a supervisor's change of heart spared him. Countless volunteers have fallen in love with this dog for his easy nature, good looks and great spirit.
A Good Samaritan and a few volunteers pulled together and arranged for Jake to get training at The Canine Center. Volunteers worked constantly with Jake at TLAC to help turn him into a model dog, and the results are already apparent. Jake made huge progress with his hard work in learning leash manners and responding to verbal and physical commands.
Jake was the first of ten dogs listed on our new volunteer-maintained Hard Luck Hounds website . Check out Hard Luck Hands!
A couple asked a Hard Luck Hound volunteer what dog had been at TLAC the longest and was told that Jake was the longest stay. The volunteer leading Jake’s training met with the couple to talk about Jake and went to an exercise pen with them.
The result all of Jake’s and the volunteers’ hard work paid off. Jake is now at his "forever home" with his new parents who recently moved to Austin from Oklahoma.
One volunteer said, “It is bittersweet...that dog had me wrapped right around all four paws! I will certainly miss him, but I am so happy he was adopted.” I think all volunteers share this thought.
There have not been many blog posts lately - with the recent wild fires, increased intake of dogs, cats, and the occassional bunny, rooster, racoon and baby fox, our entite staff has been working over time to care for the animals, accomodate our customers to the best of our ability and mainatain over a 90% live out come for all of the animals who come into our shelter.
The stories will be rolling out again ASAP - thanks for your patience!
On June 6th, I embarked on a new adventure, and brought home my first foster cats: a mom and her two tiny 3-week old kittens. Today is the 100th day of my adventure.
I am finding this work richly rewarding. It’s not a huge, overwhelming kind of emotion, but it goes deep, deep into my heart. To see the kittens eat their first solid meal, and learn to clean themselves; to see mama cat finally regain her appetite and eat; to see Charlie’s first tentative playful jumps and Bravo’s bravery at climbing anything and everything: it all makes me feel like I’m really making a difference, and doing some incontrovertible good in this world. It’s worth all the trouble, all the messes to clean up, all the worry and inconvenience, the schedule disruptions… all that melts away in the pure joy of helping a little creature who needs your love. Please consider fostering pets. You won’t regret it, and it’s food for your soul.
It was difficult coming to terms with the reality that these guys really go to their forever homes. It’s a heartwarming and heartbreaking moment for sure. I just have to keep reminding myself: I’m not ready for pet ownership myself right now, and when I let these guys go, that will make room for me to help my next set of fosters—and that, along with doing the Hokey Pokey, is what it’s all about.
Wherever my fosters end up, my love will follow them for all of their days. May they be long, prosperous, and full of joy.
Why Not Me?
The best way to describe why I volunteer is to borrow the lyrics to the Judds’ song Why Not Me:
Why not me on a rainy day
Why not me to love all your cares away
Why not me
Why not me when the nights get cold
Why not me when you’re going old
Why not me
Why not me?
I have room in my heart and my schedule to provide the companionship that these “pets-in-progress” are craving. I have a voice that can speak out to share with others the animals' history, attributes and what makes them deserving of a forever home. So, why not me?
I encourage others to ask the same question. Become involved. VOLUNTEER TODAY!!
On February 14, 1995 I left the East Valley Shelter in Los Angeles with what turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made – adopting Murphy a 2 year old Border Collie mix.Murphy was the best dog I’ve ever had and was loved by everyone who met him.In February 2006, he made the big move with me to Austin along with Tess, the Papillon and Josie the pussycat (yes, you can move out of state and take your pets…just saying)!At the age of 17, he left me to cross the Rainbow Bridge and my heart was broken.
Murphy and Tess
I wondered what I might do to honor Murphy and I decided to become a TLAC volunteer to help other shelter dogs like Murphy find their furever homes.Shortly after completing orientation I received an email from someone named Sarah.She told the story of Trixie, a terrier mix that had come into the shelter as a stray on September 11, 2010 and gave birth to 7 puppies on September 12th. Sarah said these puppies need to get outta here!I thought, I have a spare room, I can do this.So the next thing you know I’ve got a momma and seven pups riding home in the car.
Trixie, Momma to my forst foster litter
Since then, I’ve had a Chi-mix and her tiny baby, 2 shepherd pups, a litter of 9 shepherd mixes and 4 Kittens – just to change things up a bit. I currently am fostering Gus, a 10 year old Basset Hound.He’s available if anyone is looking for some adorableness to add to their lives.
PUPPIES!
Kitten!
Puppies!!
Louie the Chi Puppy!
In between litters, I walk the dogs at the shelter and help customers find their new family members.I recently had the opportunity to work with Rafael (along with many other awesome volunteers) a terrified Rottweiler.Because of the dedicated work of the volunteers and the TLAC staff, Rafael is now in a wonderful home with a female Rottie as his new best friend.
I can’t think of a better way to honor the life of one very special shelter dog.Rest in Peace my friend.
Don't look me in the eye. Don't make loud noises. Don't move too fast. All of those things still frighten me but I've come a long way since I arrived at Town Lake Animal Center in August of 2010. I was found in a ditch, virtually comatose, covered in burrs. Those first days were a blur but I liked the mornings the best, the lights would go up and the bustle of the day would start. I started to recognize some people, who came to see me every day. To please them, I would try to lick at the canned food they put in front of me, it seemed to make them happy. They would examine me daily, poking, prodding, running their hands over my limbs, across my ribs, looking for some injury that was causing me such weakness. After four or five days of this, towards the end of the day one of the doctors came to look at me again, for the third time that day. Her brow was furrowed and she wore a frown instead of the usual open sweet face she usually shared.
"I'm sorry buddy, but I don't know what else we can do for you. I hoped someone would come looking for you, or you would show some improvement. But it doesn't make any sense to keep you here when you aren't really getting any better. There so many more animals we can help, ones we can fix. But since I don't know what happened you you, I don't know how to help you."
Why was she so sad? It worried me. She stepped away from me, toward the room to the left where I’d seen cats and dogs go in but not come out. I heard metal cabinets open, the vacuum suck of a needle going into a vial. She came back in front of my cage, she looked so tortured it made my heart hurt. In her hand, she held a syringe with a blue liquid in it. She said she was sorry again, as she opened my kennel door. I didn't want her to be sad, so I raised up my head and licked her hand. As weak as I was, I managed to wag my tail which I had not done in so long.
The blue syringe went from posed at my arm to fall to her side and she smiled - I'd done it! She shook her head and said "OK Eskimo Dog, let's hold off on this for now."
The next day a lady came to look at me. She had a clip board and a camera and seemed nice. She talked to the vet a little bit about me and then said she would take me home “just to see what we are dealing with”. I was still very weak and had to be carried to the car where I shook mightily all the way to her house. Things looked promising so when she opened the car door, I hopped out and followed her to the front door. Inside I was immediately greeted by a big yellow lab who said hello and welcomed me into the living room.
A couple of cats came in to check me out and the lady who had brought me home looked really nervous as the black one came right up to me and rubbed on my chest. But I didn’t mind, things were starting to look up for me.
I tried to be good, I didn’t make any noise and I never left the living room. I just don’t like close spaces and the hallway was scary. Sometimes I forgot to go potty outside but it was hard for me to talk to these new people. Things were still kind of fuzzy in my head.
My front left leg never woke up like the rest of me and after a few weeks I went back to the shelter and had it removed. I was really glad it was gone, it had been getting in the way. I recovered really well and my fake mom said it was time to find me a forever home. Whatever that was supposed to mean. I went to offsite adoption events (stress!) and even a TV station to try to find a new home. Gizmo as Pet of the Week
I even had my own Facebook Page! Project Gizmo You can "like" it, I am still very active on Facebook!
Fast forward a little over a year. I tried living in 3 different places but I didn’t like any of them as much as that first house I lived in. I was sad and scared anywhere but there and each time my fake mom would come get me and bring me home. After the third time, when I hopped out of the car and ran excitedly to the front door, tail wagging and face open and happy, they finally decided that I WAS home and my fake mom is now my real mom. Took her long enough.
For those that don’t know Jerry Garcia, he is over 8 years old and is a handsome pit bull mix with a great disposition. He’d been at TLAC for a little over a month.
I was at TLAC Thursday evening and a customer was walking Jerry Garcia back to his kennel. I greeted the customer and Jerry Garcia. I told the customer that Jerry was one of my favorite dogs and described some of his wonderful traits. The customer indicated he was looking for a male pit bull that he could take to his office to keep him company.
I told him that I thought Jerry was an excellent fit and that Jerry also liked to plan fetch – he said great!
I knew he was interested in Jerry and had hope for Jerry getting his forever home. A while later, I was with another dog in pen #3 on the street side. A van approached leaving TLAC it was the customer interested in Jerry. He stopped and said, “I have Jerry” – he adopted Jerry! The next thing I saw was Jerry popping his head out of the passenger side window with a huge happy pit bull smile. I was so excited for Jerry. I will miss seeing Jerry at TLAC but I’m very happy the he has found his forever home.
This is one of the many rewards we receive for all our efforts at TLAC.
Hi.My name is Camilla.My A number is A601007.That might be important to someone out there.You’ll see why in a minute.
I’m a foster cat, but not just any foster cat. I’m a long-stay foster.You see, most foster cats are cute little kittens that just need to get old enough to get adopted, and then they’re outta there.But some of us need a little more help.That’s like me.
I came to TLAC on May 14 as a stray.I don’t really like to talk about that, though, so nobody really knows anything about my life before then.They guess I’m about 5 years old, but a lady never tells her age, so that’s a guess.I hear that TLAC is a wonderful place that does great things for kitties, but I hated it!I was so terrified that I stopped eating.Everyone got scared for me, and a nice lady (now I call her Aunt Maggie) took me home for a month while I relaxed and started eating again.
Once that happened, Aunt Maggie thought it would be better for me to live at TLAC so people could see me and I could get adopted faster.But I was still so scared that I wouldn’t eat.That’s when my current foster mom took me to live at her house.
My new situation is pretty sweet.I have two foster siblings that keep me company, but leave me alone, which is what I like.I don’t get in their business, and they don’t get in mine.We’re all friends, but we’re not BFFS.It’s quiet and calm (loud noises scare me), and my foster mom feeds me off a plate in the kitchen, which is perfect for a delicate cat like me.At night I sit on the back of the sofa beside my foster mom, and she pets me when I give her headbutts.
Once a month, I do have to go to somethingat TLAC called http://www.desperatehousecats.info/, where long stay foster cats like me have a chance to be seen.I don’t love it, but it’s the tradeoff I have to make to live at a nice, safe home.So far, nobody has decided that I’m the right cat for them.Aunt Maggie says it might be because I’m so unusual looking but my foster mom says that it’s okay that I’m different.She says that it’s easy to be a brown tabby domestic shorthair, but it takes someone special to be an exotic Muppet-looking cat like me.
I love my foster mom because she says I can live with her as long as it takes to find my forever home and I’ll never have to live at the loud, scary shelter again.Without fosters who like to help long-stay cats, I don’t know what would have happened to me!But I want to get out as soon as I can, because as long as I’m living here, there’s not room for another cat that also needs to live in foster, and there are always more cats than foster homes for them.If you think I could live with you forever, talk to the nice staff at TLAC and tell them my A number (see, I told you it might be important!).
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Camilla
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
I adopted my first dog from TLAC in 1978 - a black lab/chow mix who loved to sleep in window sills ... even though she weighed 45 lbs. She was black, sleek, and nimble like a cat ... I named her "Panther". She was with me through college, marriage and 2 children until she passed away in 1994 at the age of 17.
Panther was joined by Chelsea, a white shepherd who I adopted from TLAC in 1984. They were best friends ... and Chelsea lived a long happy life for a large dog ... 13 years.
After a few adoptions of one puppy and a variety of "grown" dogs from owners who could no longer keep them - a St. Bernard/chow/lab mix, a chow, 3 small Pyrenees and 2 huge Pyrenees (140 & 180 lbs) ... we returned to TLAC in 2006 and adopted "Henry".
Henry at the Shelter
Henry arrived at TLAC sometime after 4th of July in 2006 and was described as "wiggly, doesn't know his doggie boundaries, but very friendly." Henry was at TLAC for over 3 months and was the "dog who had been up for adoption the longest" when we arrived. Henry was about 60+ lbs and very excitable ... a boxer, ridgeback, hound mix. When he wouldn't let my daughter leave his kennel ... he grabbed her feet with his feet and kept gnawing at her ankles. Henry soon joined our 3 Pyrenees and his name became "Vegas" ... because he was so lucky to leave TLAC. And by the way ... he is still wiggly and doesn't know his doggie boundaries ... but it works for us. He is also a big talker and always HAPPY!
When our huge Pyrenees (brother and sister) passed away at the age of 9.5 yrs in 2009, we needed someone else to join Dakota (our 85-lb Pyrenees) and Vegas.
Dirty Dakota
We went to TLAC again. After lots of looking ... we found the biggest dog up for adoption. His name was Colby. He is a golden retriever, St. Bernard mix ... and at that time he was weighing about 60 lbs at 9 months. He was shy and cowering in his corner and wanted nothing to do with socializing.
Reno at the Shelter
Funny ... you wouldn't know that now. Colby became "Reno" and he joined Dakota and Vegas in July 2009. Reno is the biggest baby and he loves to climb the fence (he's mastered a 4-ft chainlink and once climbed a 10-ft chain link). He now weighs about 120 lbs ... and he is still able to climb a small fence. He doesn't escape ... he just hangs out in our gated front yard. Sometimes it's just a nice change of scenery.
In August 2009, I was browsing the TLAC website and found Montana. She was a 50 lb smooth collie mix with one upright pointy ear and one that "breaks" and never stands upright. She had the same colors as Reno, and matched the solid colors of Vegas (golden brown) and Dakota (white). So, I knew she would fit right in ... and she had the perfect name - what goes better with Reno and Vegas, than Dakota and Montana?
Montana at the shelter
We have 4 great dogs ... and 3 of them came from TLAC. They are the best of pals and entertain themselves so well ... we just love to watch them play tug-of-war, chase and tackle, and let's dig to China. They have 3 fenced acres to play in and lots of trees ... so they have a never-ending game of "let's go exploring and maybe chase some squirrels".
And ... Reno the Wonderdog is on Facebook! Reno's Facebook Page is updated on a daily basis!
He shares stories about his daily thoughts and fun with his buddies Dakota (aka Boss Dog - and Mr. Thunderwuss), Vegas (Mr. Happy), and Montana (aka Lady Barks-a-lot).
TLAC ... thanks for all the memories you have created for me and my family since 1978. Best wishes for your new home in the near future!!
When I adopted my 5 year old female long-haired chihuahua , she
was sore and groggy from her operation just that very morning. She was tired and
scared (she doesn't mix with other dogs well), she had an eye infection
going and to top it all off, her name at that time was "Princess".
In short, she was having a miserable time.
When my friend (who had picked her up for me) gave her to me,
she lay in my lap and I didn't expect her to even want to move, but she did:
she lifted her head to look at me, and then her tail gave a few wags!
I think we both knew right then that Fuzzy (yeah, SOMETHING had to be
done about her name!) was home.
Over the following days I used the eyedrops the rescue had
given me to clear up Fuzzy's infection (it is a lot of fun trying to get
drops into a squirmy little chihuahua's eye!), fixed her name problem, and
made sure she got plenty of healing rest curled up next to me on the
couch. She has been with me for nearly a year now here in Fairbanks,
Alaska (where her long, thick coat comes in handy!) and goes everywhere
with me....
John C
Fairbanks AK
The shelter named him 'Doogie" . . . not sure why. He came in as a stray in pretty rough shape. The shelter was not sure WHAT could be done with a senior chihuahua with no teeth . . . .
Bbut then, a miracle happened! He was adotped! And the adopter just sent in an update:
"You may remember him as the 10y/o Chi with no teeth … and you called him ‘Doogie.’ It’s been 2 weeks since I brought him home and he’s doing great. His separation anxiety is getting less and less every day and he is learning commands very quickly (remembering?)! For fun, we’ve been riding my bike over to Daily Juice to visit with people and learn to socialize and trust. My bike’s basket is complete with a harness and a sunshade and he loves it! In fact, whenever I get my bike, he runs up excited to go for a ride!
He is a serious cuddle bug and his wonderful personality is making itself known more each day.
We’re going to the groomer and the vet this week and are looking forward to many more adventures together. Thank you so much for this little guy!!
Pippi was picked up off the streets by Animal Services and brought to the Town Lake Animal Center in May. She arrived terrified and confused. Volunteers quickly noticed her, and started spending extra time to help her learn that people are good. She made progress - eventually walking on her own on a leash and allowing others to pet her. But that only lasted so long. Shelter life was particularly hard on her, and Pippi started to shut down. She was lethargic, no longer interested in food, and just plain depressed.
One particular volunteer took a special interest in her, and started to take her home in the evenings so that she could have a break. As luck would have it, someone else noticed Pippi too and adopted her that weekend. Unfortunately, there was an altercation with the family cat, and Pippi was promptly returned. Upon hearing that Pippi was now on the “at-risk” list, the same volunteer decided to officially foster Pippi until the right home came along.
During her foster time, Pippi befriended her foster cat siblings, went on many adventures, and slowly started to build her confidence back. She ate more, put on weight, and really came out of her shell. It was wonderful. In a home, Pippi was calm, house trained and loved to cuddle more than anything else. Other than a little separation anxiety, she really is the perfect pet!
Over the course of a few weeks, several potential adopters expressed interest in Pippi, and even took her home for the weekend. Things just didn’t work out though. But the foster mom wasn’t willing to give up. She made a video of Pippi, and asked for help from everyone she knew to spread the word about this great dog.
Thanks to the help of the most awesome foster coordinator around, Pippi was also given that chance to make her TV debut on KVUE.
That Saturday morning, as Pippi was the picture of perfect behavior, a rather special couple just happened to be watching. They had previously owned a boxer mix, and had recently thought about getting a new one. They saw her sweet face on TV, and fell in love. They were already waiting at the shelter to meet her when Pippi arrived. When all 3 first met, it was instant love at first sight!
Pippi is often shy when first meeting people, and usually holds her head down. That was not the case with this sweet couple. There were exuberant tail wags and lots of face kissing. It’s as if Pippi just knew that these were the people for her. After talking more with them and filling the couple in on her long history, the foster mom decided it was a perfect match!
Pippi rode off with her new family, riding front and center between them, with a big smile on her face. Her new parents have already sent several updates and Pippi is just thriving. Her parents work from home, so she gets lots of time and attention. She gets to ride on errands with them, has met the neighbors, and even survived her first couple of hours alone with nary an accident in the house. She spends her evenings cuddled on her dad’s lap, watching TV. A little bit of patience went a long way, and Pippi found her happy ending!
