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!
A few months ago my husband and I decided that we were ready to introduce a new family member into our home. Nothing traumatic ha happened that they felt this way, we just knew that the timing was right. I was looking into every rescue possible between Austin and Dallas looking for the right pup to come home with us. We currently have a 12 year old Pit Bull, Ruccus, who is very attached to us and has a little jealous side, so I knew which ever dog we adopted, had to be the right fit so that he would not be upset with us.
We did try an amazing pit bull/dogo argentino mix from Love-A-Bull, for a night at our house, but right away I could tell that Ruccus was not happy. He really likes being the alpha male and she was just too big and strong for our senior. I knew that Ruccus was okay with smaller dogs because when we lived in Florida he lived with me and my family and our 2 little shih tzu rescues, so I went back to the drawing board and start hunting for the right little breed.
After about 3 weeks, I started to question if adopting was the right thing to do with Ruccus being so old and not knowing how he would be if I brought home a puppy. But one afternoon, I jumped onto the Town Lake website and saw this little 10 month old Shih Tzu/Affenpinscher mix, with no name at the time, just staring through the fence in his photo. He looked like a little ewok in the photo.
I didn't want to get attached to the image in case anyone had a hold on him, so I decided to call first before driving over there. Long behold, he had 2 holds on him already, which meant, I couldn't be a back up unless for some reason one of the applicants fell through. My friend urged me to go to the shelter to see him in person, but I was hesitant, I really did not want to fall in love with this little guy unless I knew there was a possibility of adopting him. I pretty much stalked Town Lake over the phone for the next 24 hours monitoring if any of the applicants with drew their application because I did fall in love with his crazy little under bite and soft demeanor. I knew when I saw him that he was going to the perfect choice for us.
And then something strange happened 2 days later after seeing him.
I called to check on the status of his applicants and found out that his meet and greet he had earlier did not go so well since the lady thought he was too hyper with her Jack Russell, and that the back up was me! I don't know how I got on the list, but I did! Once I heard that, I threw on some clothes and ran right over there. I couldn't bring him home that day, but I was able to get the paperwork done because he still had to get neutered. Which was a good thing, since I had nothing prepared for him, so gave me some time to go to Petsmart and get everything I needed. When I picked him up 3 days later, that was the first time I was able to actually hold him and he just looked at me with those sweet little bug eyes and wicked under bite and I was in love! It took me about 2 weeks to name, but I eventually named him Horton because he looked like a character from the Dr. Seuss movie, "Horton Hears a Who".
He blended into our family immediately. He is so loving and so well behaved, and Ruccus loves just rolling on the floor with him and playing. I think Horton has brought back that little bit of spunk in Ruccus that was hibernating for a while.
Thank you Town Lake for being patient with me while I was in my adoption process, but all the commotion and nerves was well worth it! He even had a little photo shoot with a local photographer here in Austin, Angela Lozano, and I cannot wait to paint his portrait through My Paw Portriat!
Thank you again, Love, Dyanna, Rafal, Ruccus, and Horton!
When I turned 30 years old, I deemed myself mature enough to be a cat owner, and so I set out in search of a feline friend. I don't recall what led me to the Town Lake Animal Center, perhaps it was just closer to my apartment. When I got there, I was told that January really wasn't the "season" for kittens, that I would have more luck in March and April. "But I want a cat NOW!" I was saying to myself, so I asked to have a look anyway. When I got to the quarantine area, I saw a small orange ball at the back of a cage, and I don't think it took me more than a few minutes to decide. I promptly submitted an adoption application.
Truth be told, I lied on my application. Instead of a house, I lived in a 400 sq. foot apartment that didn't allow pets. I even asked my references to bend the truth for me! They did and I got a call that I could adopt the cat. When I took him out of his cage, he simply put his head against my chest and purred. As it turned out, Jackson was a terror with sharp claws and teeth. If he wasn't sending litter flying across our little studio apartment or jumping into the trashcan or hurling himself onto my back from the bed (his claws poised to sink into my flesh), Jackson was biting and scratching his way through each day. So, I decided he needed a friend.
Enter Lucy.
Again I went to TLAC and again I lied (and had others lie for me) and again I adopted a cat. Lucy sat in her top row cage and looked down on me as if to say, "Take me or not. I don't care." I took her, and after some protests from Jackson, she settled in. While Jackson was tearing up the screen door, getting lodged in wheel wells and refusing to stay off the counter, Lucy just watched. She was a good jumper and loved to play, but really she just liked to hang out with me. Fire and ice; ying and yang; Jackson and Lucy.
Jackson will be 13 years old in November and Lucy follows suit in March 2012. Since leaving TLAC and Austin, they've lived a cosmopolitan life in Chicago, braved the snows of Upstate New York and basked in the heat of an Atlanta summer. Countless adventures were had along the way. Jackson once stood paw to hoof with a white-tailed deer and didn't budge; he cheated Death even after a vet tech gave him an overdose of medication; and his veterinary folder is several inches thick. Lucy meanwhile has eaten her way to 18 lbs. and then back down to 14 lbs; she got Jackson blamed for tearing up the toilet paper; and she fearlessly welcomed a dog into her life (Jackson still protests the arrangement). They are old now and their bodies and lives are winding down, and I'm not quite sure what I'll do with myself when I don't have to worry about them anymore.
Forgive me, TLAC, for lying on my adoption applications; it wasn't the right thing to do. I did, however, keep my promise to give these cats the best life possible, and I know there's not a soul out there who could have given them more or better. I love them with all my being, and I thank you for bringing us together.
Bob arrived at the shelter as a stray in the midst of what would soon become the hottest Central Texas summer in recorded history. Defying easy breed identification, Bob soon captured the attention of staff and volunteers as he had such a hard time adapting to life in the shelter. His early days at the shelter were difficult – he would cower in his kennel. He refused to eat. He would not engage in any interaction. He showed little interest in dogs or humans, only resignation and wanting to hide from so many things that scared and confused him. Bob was shutting down completely and needed special attention. After several days of trying, several dedicated, patient volunteers (are there any other kind?!) were finally able to get him out for walks, during which he would frequently "pancake" flat down on the ground when anything frightened him.
To help with socialization, staff would bring Bob into their offices during the day. Bob hid under every available piece of furniture. He flinched and ran for cover at every loud noise. In time, he started coming out of his shell a little and would approach people, if they didn't come on too strong. But due to his lack of socialization and lack of interest in food and people, Bob was not thriving at the shelter and needed a foster home – quick!
A wonderful volunteer (is there any other kind?!) came forward and agreed to foster him. He got along with her dogs and they helped bring him out of his shell even more during Bob's time with them; he began to eat more and was starting to relax and enjoy watching the other dogs play and herding them. Though still anxious about being confined and left alone, Bob learned daily what it meant to be a treasured pet – not a stray on the street.
After several days in foster care Bob visited the shelter and was adopted into a new family – but the happiness soon turned to worry and frustration when Bob escaped from his new home within an hour after leaving the shelter.He jumped from their balcony, disappeared into the nearby woods, and would not come back.
Bob's foster mom swooped into action – putting up flyers, setting out food & water, and canvassing the area daily. And other volunteers joined in the search. Several witnesses called with Bob sightings, first on one side of MoPac, then on the other, then back again! For nearly 2 weeks people were seeing him, but no one was able to catch Bob. One person even had an outline of Bob in his grass from where Bob had slept that morning. And his situation was dire – he was alone, crossing MoPac and surrounded by busy streets, enduring 100+ degree temperatures every day, and without reliable food and water resources.
With help from Austin Dog Rescue, a team of volunteers devised a plan to set out a humane trap to capture Bob. Key to the plan was a devoted team checking the location at least 8 times per day, so he would never go too long if trapped in the heat. And when Bob was spotted coming from the woods and eating fallen birdseed underneath a feeder, we knew we'd found a reliable spot. It took only 2 nights, and some rotisserie chicken to catch Bob in the trap. Thankfully nothing "not Bob" ended up in the trap!!
A very dirty, very emaciated Bob was none too pleased to be caught, but he was patient and calm with everyone helping him. He did enjoy some more chicken and a nice cool bath, before returning to the foster home where he has now resumed his progress towards becoming a healthy, happy, well-adjusted household pet.
He is still in the home of the original foster but we she does not have the time to fully support this dog and his needs long term. He needs a home who can commit the time and energy to a full scale re-socialization program in which we can help become the dog he was meant to be. This will take time, patience and the ability to work very closely with a trained dog behaviorist.
So we are asking YOU Austin - What about Bob?
If you can help Bob, either though fostering him or adopting him, please contact sarah.hammond@austintexas.gov ASAP.
In January of 2007 I was starting my second semester as a doctoral student at UT. I had struggled with the first semester and friends and family had encouraged me to adopt a cat (something I had long wanted to do) as bit of self-care. I needed something to love and take care of that would also help me have some focus outside of school.
I looked the TLAC website and finally decided that I wanted to adopt a slightly older cat. Being a grad student, I didn’t have a lot of time for training, so I wanted a roommate that was a little seasoned. I checked the website over and over and decided that other than “not a kitten” I didn’t have any thoughts about the kind of cat I wanted. I figured the best thing to do would be to see who’d been at the shelter the longest. At that time, there were only 2 “long stay” residents and they had each been there almost a month, but one cat kept jumping out at me. His name was “Nero” and he was about 3 years old. He was a Russian Blue with that gorgeous blue/gray coat and big yellow eyes, but what I loved most was how regally he sat for his photo! He was ready for his close up.
My friends Taylor, Krystin and I went to TLAC to meet Nero-soon-to-be-Misha. He was in a huge cage with 1 other cat – an orange tabby teenager that clearly wanted to play and Mish was having none of it! He was chilling on a shelf near the top of the cage and looking disdainfully down at his roommate. Taylor lifted Mish off the shelf and Mish immediately began pushing away. My first thought was, “Oh, he’s not very friendly.” Then Mish climbed out of Taylor’s hands, directly into my arms and looked at me expectantly as if to say, “What took you so long and when are we going home?”
I spent that night spending way too much money at Petco and I had to leave work early the next day because I couldn’t wait any longer to go pick up my new furry friend. I decided that a regal Russian Blue deserved a good Russian name and Misha is Russian for “Mike.” It’s the shortened version of Mikhail and it’s what Baryshnikov goes by, so he’s in good company! It took Mish about 15 minutes to decide he was comfortable at my apartment (with his roughly 700 toys) and on day 2, when I came home from school I found him sleeping in the center of the pillows on my bed. He’d found his place and his cuddly nature and soft, soft fur quickly earned him the nickname “Misha the Muffin.”
Mish is the best! He’s super friendly, loves people and other animals and so enjoys belly rubs that someone once told me, “This cat should be in a petting zoo!” When I picked him up I asked the TLAC staff where they found him and the answer was an apartment parking lot. Based on his personality and trusting nature I just know he was someone’s pet and my heart breaks a little for the person who lost him. But he was at TLAC for almost a month without being claimed and that has been my gain.
Mish is 7 now. He’s still regal and quite feisty and he’s sure that anyone who comes to our home is there to see him and mostly to pet him – please don’t forget the belly! We survived 5 years in PhD coursework and we’re currently in Pennsylvania for a 1-year internship which will complete the program. In just a few months, they’ll have to call us doctor and I’m convinced Mish deserves a shout out in my dissertation dedication because he definitely helped me stay sane during this process!
“Shouldn’t you be writing your dissertation? Get back to work.”
I’m so grateful to the staff at TLAC for taking such good care of my furry child before I found him. He sleeps on my head, wakes me up way too early to eat breakfast by pawing my lips and my eyes, plops on my very expensive laptop keyboard to get attention, and gently swats or bites my ankles when he feels ignored. Getting him is the best decision I ever made.
