Life With Dogs

Sunday, 29 December 2019

Rescue Is Determined To Get Injured, Abandoned Dog Back On His Feet

A pair of unrestrained canine brothers, 6 month old “Dale” and 5-6 year old “Brennan” (yes, as in “Talladega Nights” best buds,) took a jaunt together one day in December. On their trip, a car struck Brennan, badly injuring him. Dale refused to leave his suffering brother’s side. That’s how Pasco County Animal Services found them, side by side in the road.

Foster organization Maxx And Me Rescue wrote on Facebook about the trauma these dogs suffered together. Brennan especially suffered severe physical injuries.

“PCAS picked up these two wayward souls and brought them to their shelter. Brennan was unable to stand and in a tremendous amount of pain. He suffered various injuries to his leg: Obliterated ligaments on the inside and outside of his knee, his knee cap is completely unrestrained so it’s floating freely in that space… he has abrasions on every limb and his head.”

Dale was unhurt and just wanted to see his best buddy again. Maxx & Me Pet Rescue determined that whatever happened, these two brothers and close friends needed to go home together.

Abandoned In His Time Of Need

Eventually, the people Dale and Brennan belonged to were notified and came to claim the dogs. When they saw Brennan’s condition, they made the decision to bring Dale home and surrender Brennan.

The poor dog, in terrible shape, had now been abandoned by his family and lost his best friend.

“Eight days ago, Brennan was intact. Eight days ago, he had a family and lived the life of a farm dog. Eight days ago Brennan had a best friend so loyal he stayed by his side while Brennan writhed in pain on the side of the road after being struck. Eight days ago all that was taken away from him.”

Brennan suffered inflammation in his spine and zero strength in his rear legs. He became frustrated that he couldn’t move his own body freely and that he had to be confined. The poor guy had to be fully sedated for the vet to obtain X-rays. Still, Brennan remained friendly throughout the whole process. What a saint!

“Through it all – pain, confinement, isolation, abandonment, unfamiliar people and surroundings – he allowed doctors to poke and prod and manipulate his sore and aching body, and yet remained calm.”

No Matter The Cost

Maxx & Me Pet Rescue took Brennan to see several specialists and were even told the costs were too high and Brennan should be euthanized. They refused to let either of those things become obstacles to getting this dog back on all four legs.

“It broke our hearts to hear he was hurting and in need and left behind alone. We committed to Brennan and promised him every effort we had to help him. It was recommended we euthanize him before he ever saw a specialist. We were counseled that the cost associated with helping this old boy was just too much for a single dog. We stayed the course. We hoped. We researched and called around and coordinated efforts to find someone willing and capable to help him. We found that today in Dr Hay.”

Though his knee would need to be basically rebuilt, at last a doctor agreed to take on the challenge. The Rescue repeatedly insisted how worth it all of the money and effort spent on Brennan is.

“Brennan, our boy, you are so loved. You’ve been worth every effort given, every dollar spent, every tear shed. The love and appreciation in your eyes is more than adequate repayment. You are a true testament to our rescue. It mattered to you. You matter to us.”

Brennan’s Recovery

Sweet Brennan is on his way to recovery, Maxx And Me Rescue shared on December 18th. After hours of surgery with Dr. Hay and her team of specialists, he begins a period of rest and rehab.

“Brennan is now on his road to recovery. Being 100 pounds and obviously needing the knee to stand and walk and function, Brennan is sure to have long road to healing and even some ups and downs along the way. But the team behind this brave boy is confident (including Dr Hay!) that Brennan is capable of living a long, happy, high quality of life after this. It’s all we wanted for him.”

The faith and love of these dedicated volunteers and talented specialists saved the life of a dog with everything against him. Hang in there Brennan, you are adored!

H/T: WFTS
Featured Image: @maxxandmerescue/Facebook

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Crying Dog Runs After Cow Who Raised Him

This is the kind of story that makes those “unlikely animal friendship” calendars go flying off the shelves. It’s about a tiny brown dog named Rookie and his best friend in the whole world: a cow. Yes, she’s a dairy cow. She’s also, he seems to believe, his mother.

The two are similar in [brown] color. He’s very tiny and she towers over him, but Rookie often sleeps on top of her back. They even share a water bowl. They’re udderly (yes, that was on purpose) inseparable.

The farmer these animals belonged to had two cows and planned to sell both. Rookie feels safe underneath his cow mom, and without her he felt lost and scared. His worst fear was realized one day when his cow mom was taken away on a truck.

A tearjerking video posted by Kritter Klub on YouTube tells the love and heartbreak these two best pals experienced. It surged to over 2 million views.

From the start, you can see the pure love and trust as the two exchange kisses.

Then the worst happens: the cow is dragged away from their shared enclosure. Rookie is completely bewildered.

You’ve never seen a look so devastatingly sad! Rookie starts crying. Then, he takes off and runs down the street after the cow.

The pup overheard her moos and picked up her scent and was able to track her. His people, who chased after him, had to bring him back. The scrappy little dog is not having it. He wriggles and cries, trying to get back to the cow.

Obviously, this separation just wasn’t meant to be. At least not yet. Rookie refused to eat and became very antisocial. He was too devastated without his protector and friend.

Rookie was then all the more ecstatic when one day the cow appeared at the door of the enclosure once more. She was back! He was so happy to see her again.

The farmer says he ultimately decided to keep the cow for Rookie’s sake. Currently, they are working on getting Rookie more comfortable with other dogs and people. By using the cow’s scent, he’s more comfortable approaching them.

For now, it’s just nice to see Rookie isn’t suffering heartbreak anymore!

You can watch the entire video (in two parts) here! And for the record, yes, I would buy a calendar with this on it.

H/T: Positive Outlooks
Featured Image: @KritterKlub/YouTube

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Incredible Footage Of K9 Apprehending Suspected Domestic Abuser

Duke is a K9 police officer with the Corona Police Department. He recently showed his insane athleticism and apprehension skills when assisting his handler and fellow officers in taking down a suspect. Warning: the video (published by TMZ) is intense and shows a suspect being held down by the K9 officer. Rest assured, Duke was left completely unharmed, without a single scratch on his body.

Image *Screenshot Inside Edition/YouTube*

Police and Suspect in Vehicular Stand Off

Police from Corona and Fontana, California were involved in the vehicular pursuit of a suspect in the wee hours of the morning, which ended with a successful P.I.T. maneuver. Once stopped, the suspect locked himself inside his truck and refused to come out.

The suspect is accused of stalking and attempting to injure his estranged wife. When the human officers could not get him to exit his vehicle safely, they called in K9 Duke and his handler Officer Michael Neff to assist. Officers first shot the window of the suspect’s vehicle and then Duke literally sprang into action. As seen in the video, once commanded he appears in the screen virtually out of nowhere and leaps right through the shattered window and attacks the perp. The man attempts to get the dog off, but it’s not happening. Eventually, the suspect can be seen breathing heavily but not moving a single muscle. Duke had him pinned, just as he is trained to do.

TMZ Followed Up with Duke and Officer Neff

As seen in the video below, TMZ got a hold of Officer Neff and Duke to see how the pair were doing following the exciting apprehension. Incredibly, Duke did not suffer even a minor scratch jumping through the shattered window. He was left completely unscathed. Thank goodness! When asked what Duke will receive as a reward for doing such a fine job, Officer Neff responded that he got a hug and an “atta boy!”

Officer Neff is fairly new to K9 work and thanked his fellow K9 teams for working with him and Duke every day so they are prepared for moments like this event in the field. He said that he and Duke train together every day and he had no doubt that Duke would do the job he set out to accomplish when the time came.

Great work Duke and Officer Neff!

H/T tmz.com
Featured Image Screenshot Inside Edition/YouTube

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Foster Failure With Sad Past Becomes Shelter Helper Dog

Yuri’s story begins like that of so many other shelter dogs. She arrived to the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter in Valley View, Ohio in bad shape. She had pneumonia, scars on her back and legs, was heartworm positive, and pregnant. Deputy Dog Warden Amanda Kopec had a soft spot for Yuri right away. Little did she know that Yuri would bloom into a talented resource for the shelter and would wiggle her way into Kopec’s life for good as a foster failure.

Image Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter/Facebook

Yuri and Her Puppies Failed to Thrive

Yuri gave birth at the shelter, delivering a large litter of puppies. Despite receiving all of the medical attention she and her puppies needed, they failed to thrive. Kopec could see that the shelter life was taking a toll on Yuri. Kopec told Petco Foundation that Yuri was so sad. Kopec would sit with her during meals, coaxing her to eat. When she wasn’t improving, Kopec decided to take her and the puppies home as fosters. They were both devastated when one by one, Yuri’s puppies died of canine herpes. Broken hearted, the pair leaned on each other for support.

Yuri Receives Serious Diagnosese

Kopec noticed that Yuri had some unusual tendencies. While walking, she would often wobble and pace. Kopec also noticed that she would startle when approached from behind. When called, she wouldn’t come unless she was looking at Kopec. After a series of tests, Yuri was diagnosed with neurological abnormalities and deafness. These conditions were permanent and her symptoms would never go away. This worried Kopec. She wondered in Yuri would be accepted by other dogs and felt her adaptability was hindered.

Yuri Turned Out to be a Play Group Rock Star

Kopec started taking Yuri to play groups at the shelter. She was concerned about how other dogs would treat her due to her quirks. She also wondered if her scars were a sign that she tumbled with other dogs in the past. As it turned out, though, Yuri was a rock star! Not only did she play very well with other dogs, she became a leader among them. She taught dog after dog how to behave in play group and so they could be social and compatible with other canines. These skills are tremendously beneficial to all dogs looking for forever homes.

Yuri and Kopec Work as a Team

Over the course of a year, Yuri and Kopec teamed up, helping shelter dogs adjust to play groups and gain the social skills they need to be adoption ready. Naturally, the pair bonded more and more and eventually, they made it official. Kopec adopted Yuri and became a foster failure. Yuri’s perseverance inspired confidence in Kopec, who now feels confident working with dogs who need extra support and patience.

Animal Shelter Awarded $11,000 from Petco Foundation

Kopec shared her story with PetCo Foundation in nomination for the 2019 Holiday Wishes Award.

Each year, the Petco Foundation invites adopters to share the story of how their adopted pet changed their lives during the annual Holiday Wishes campaign, giving the organization that they adopted from a chance to receive a grant award. This story by Amanda won Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter in Valley View, Ohio a 2019 Holiday Wishes award.

H/T Fox8.com
Featured Image Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter/Facebook

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Saturday, 28 December 2019

Artist Turns Old Tires Into Dog Beds For Stray

As important as the environment is, many people won’t go out of their way to reuse and recycle. This was especially clear to artist Amarildo Silva when he noticed how many discarded tires were scattered around Brazil. He also noticed how many stray dogs there were. In fact, the number of abandoned animals in his area greatly outnumbers the amount of homeless people. Luckily, Silva came up with a brilliant way to address both issues.

Whenever Silva walked around the streets, he noticed lots of stray dogs curled up in old tires. That gave him the brilliant idea to repurpose those tires. He realized that he could make them both comfortable and beautiful for these dogs. Plus, it would help eliminate litter on the streets.

The Eco-Friendly Beds

Silva cleans the old tires very thoroughly. Then, he paints them with bright colors and often styles them with bones and paw prints. He adds homemade beds and pillows into the tires to create a unique and adorable bed. He even adds handles on the sides to make them easy to transport.

While the beds were initially made for stray dogs, they soon became far more than just that. Many dog parents also wanted these eco-friendly beds for their own pups. So, Silva began selling the beds to dog lovers in the area as well. He even adds the dogs’ names to personalize the beds.

These colorful beds are loved by dogs of all sizes and even some cats as well. Silva created an Instagram account for his new business, which is where he shares adorable photos of the dogs in their environmentally friendly beds.

A Growing Company

Silva gave his new company the name Caominhas Pets Oficial. The Instagram page now has almost 13,000 followers, including many people outside of Brazil. He dreams of expanding this project worldwide in the future, but right now, he can only sell locally.

“I would like to make an appeal to some company or investor who believes in my work, so that we can have more people buy the sustainable product, and everyone will be doing their part with environmental awareness,” said Silva.

In the meantime, Silva continues to find ways to help the environment. He has worked on other eco-friendly projects with old tires such as flower pots and recycling bins. He truly wants to change the world, and of course, helping animals is a huge part of that.

To see more images of adorable dogs in these beds, check out the Caominhas Pets Oficial Instagram page.

H/T: greenmatters.com
Featured Image: @caominhas_pets2/Instagram

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Chained To Shelter Fence, Dog Saved Just In Time To Give Birth

Dr. Michael White is the director of Harris County Animal Shelter in Texas. He flipped on the morning news and was surprised to see a reporter standing outside of his shelter’s gate. Reporter Janelle Bludau and the KHOU 11 News Team arrived at the shelter that morning to find a Lab Mix chained to the fence. Bludau told the audience that she would stay until someone came to open the shelter. Dr. White sprang from his chair and hit the road!

Smiling and Happy, Despite Her Situation

The friendly dog wiggled and wagged her way towards the news crew as they approached. Proving, once again, that dogs are the greatest, this sweet thing seemed completely nonplussed at her predicament. Maybe she knew in her heart that good things were coming around the bend. She had been been found by caring people who were going to make sure she was okay. What the crew didn’t realize, however, was how much help this pup was going to need. She had a big surprise in store for Bludau, the crew, and Dr. White.

Dr. White Makes a Big Discovery

As soon as Dr. White arrived at the shelter he gave the abandoned dog a routine examination. Everyone was surprised to learn that the dog was very pregnant, with a very large litter that was sure to be coming soon! She was so heavy with the unborn puppies that her big round belly was dragging the ground.

Dr. White decided to bring the expecting mama home with him so that she could deliver under his careful watch. “I decided I wasn’t going to leave her there any longer, and I took her home,” White said. “I didn’t want her to stay up there in that condition. I hate for animals to give birth in a shelter situation.”

Image Houston & Harris County Animal Volunteers/Facebook

Becoming a Mama to 11 Puppies

Dr. White named the dog Janelle in honor of her rescuer. They went home to await the arrival of her litter and Janelle settled right in, loving on her foster parents and climbing up on their laps, big belly and all. As expected, they didn’t have to wait long for Janelle to go into labor. Just a few days after coming home with Dr. White, she showed signs of distress indicative of labor approaching.

She started having contractions around 9 at night. Dr. White and his wife knew they would be in for a long night. “My wife and I stayed up with her all night assisting in each delivery,” White said. “At 3:36 a.m., [puppy] number 10 was born, and we thought that was it, but number 11 was born at 6:05 a.m. It was a long night for me, my wife and Janelle.”

Janelle, the lab mix found tied 2the gate of the Harris Co Animal Shelter by r own @JanelleKHOU & @MikeBadaBing, had 11 healthy puppies this AM! Shelter Director, Dr. Michael White, is fostering the whole fam-another reminder of how crucial fosters are! Mom & pups doin great ❤️ pic.twitter.com/A4tcunGamN

— Lisa Hernandez (@LisaKHOU) June 13, 2018

The Doting Mother and Puppies are Doing Well

Dr. White was happy to report that Janelle is a doting mother. She keeps a clean “den” for her litter, gives the puppies everything they need, and clearly loves each and every puppy. The puppies will stay with Janelle until they are weaned and then all will be available for adoption.

H/T ilovemydogsomuch.tv
Featured Image Houston & Harris County Animal Volunteers/Facebook

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After 7 Years, Shelter Dog Still Needs Loving Home

Scout the Lab mix has spent his entire life at the Humane Society of the Delta in Arkansas. 7 years, to be exact! Scout and his brother arrived at the shelter when they were just puppies. His brother recently got adopted, but Scout is still patiently waiting for that perfect family to come along. The shelter knows that Scout is a lovable pup, and they are hopeful that he will find the perfect home soon.

Recently, Scout has found a foster home to stay at. Andrea Denk and her son, Eddie, saw Scout at the shelter and fell in love with him. They couldn’t adopt him, but they wanted to provide him with a comfortable home, so they fostered him. They wanted to show him what life was like outside of the humane society.

Scout adjusted quickly to his new foster home. He’s such a sweet boy, but the shelter believes he was overlooked simply because he’s a black dog. Now that he’s older, it’s been even more difficult for him to find a family.

“We found out he loves kids, he loves adults, and he loves sitting on the sectional,” Denk said. “He’s been working on his leash manners, but he’s very easy going. He’s just happy.”

While 7 years might sound like a long time, some dogs have been at the shelter even longer than that in the past. It’s a no-kill shelter, so dogs stay there until they can find a home. Sadly, for some dogs, that time is much longer than others.

Help Scout Find a Home!

The humane society is constantly full of animals. Currently, they have about 250 dogs and 50 cats. With so many animals in need of a home, it’s been even harder for Scout to be noticed.

Rita Merritt with the Humane Society of the Delta explained that there are so many animals because no one is willing to spay and neuter. She pointed out that their shelter could desperately use a spay and neuter clinic to put an end to this issue. She also believes that if more people fostered, then that would help immensely.

Every week, the shelter shares a post about Scout. His posts always get many likes, comments, and shares, but no one has come forward to adopt him just yet. He is a sweet boy with lots of love to give. He’s just waiting for someone to reach out and give him a chance.

If you are interested in adopting Scout, please contact the Humane Society of the Delta. Even if you can’t provide him a home, please donate and spread the word to help him find his forever family as quickly as possible. This poor pup shouldn’t have to wait any longer for his happily ever after.

H/T: fox8.com
Featured Image: Screenshot, fox8.com

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