The Doggy Bloggy

The life of a 12-year-old puppy, in love with squeakies and Ol' Roys

Archive for the ‘Forever Homes’ Category

Fuzzy Bake Sales

Posted by faiththemutt on May 20, 2010

Last weekend, PAWS & More had a few bake sales to raise funds for the shelter.  They held one at Theisen’s (a farm supply store) in Cedar Rapids and as we were looking to finish up taking photos of a few more treat selections for Paisley’s shop, we figured we would donate to the cause.

So a few days before the sale, Mom and I got things together and baked up the treats we have available for sale and got them ready.  I had to be at work at 6am, and Mom had to be at work by 8, so neither of us was able to drop the treats off once they were done– So.  Dad got to do it.  Which he did with a smile on his face.

In any case, when Mom and Dad went to check it out after work, half the bags were gone and there were plans to send anything that was left to the other bake sale.  As far as we know, the majority, if not all of them were sold.  We’re hoping to get more sales from any exposure we got at the sale– Along with Dad’s cute little tags, we also included a “Bounce Back” sale tag with a special code for people to use when they buy more from us.  We’ll see if we get any back.

While we were preparing the cookies, we had a little help:

Mouf is down hewe, cookee is nawt down hewe.

She got a little intense...

Well-- it does have her name on it, she should approve it.

Overall, I think the cookies turned out well, even if Paisley attempted to taste test them all.

Even if it made a mess.

Check us out, I'm sure your dogs will love them-- Paisley does.

Posted in Adoption, Faith, Forever Homes, Love, Paisley, Puppies | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Featured Kitties

Posted by faiththemutt on December 27, 2009

After visiting PAWS & More Shelter and speaking with some of the volunteers we found out that they have some kitties there that have been with them since 2008.  That’s far too long for a kitty to be without a family, so I’m featuring some of these kiddies (heee) and maybe someone will fall in love… Maybe it’ll be you– So take a look:

Mary

There is ‘Something About Mary’ that is just great! We so think she deserves a loving home. We are reducing her adoption fee $20 (Till Dec. 31st)! Mary is both a talker and a lover. She’s affectionate and likes attention from people, and she doesn’t hesitate to let you know when she’s ready for more. She was found at a local trailer court under some bushes, alone and pregnant. Most of her kittens have now found forever homes. Mary will share her space and her human family with other cats, but she wouldn’t mind being an only cat either. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites and bathed. They will be microchipped at adoption, and come with bragging rights.

Mary is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Paul

Paul was born at the shelter. His mother, Mary, was found pregnant and alone in a local trailer park. Paul is the last of the litter remaining at PAWS & More; all of his littermates have found forever homes. Just like Iowa corn, Paul is super sweet! He loves to run and play and can even be a bit corny at times when he finds a toy. When he’s tired, he’ll look for a warm place to snuggle up and sleep—your lap would be the perfect spot! Wouldn’t you like to take this cute little guy home and let him share his sweetness with you? All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites and bathed. They will be microchipped at adoption, and come with bragging rights.

Paul is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Gigi

Gigi is a Domestic Short Hair with gray and white fur. She is just a big sweetheart! She is very laid back and keeps to herself, unless she wants your attention. Then she will make you laugh with her vocal noises. Gigi would be a great lap cat for you. She loves to sit and look out the window. She would be fine living with other cats, and would do fine with a calm dog who is used to cats. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.

Gigi is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Blinky

Blinky has been staying with PAWS way too long! We are offering $20 off her adoption fee!!!! Sometimes there’s just no gray area … That’s the case here as there’s no question, once you meet Blinky, you’ll fall in love with her. This sweet girl will rub up against you and purr her way into your heart. Her crisp black and white coat is very striking and her golden/green eyes contrast nicely against her coat. Lap time would be very much appreciated. Blinky would like to be your only fuzzy love.  All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites and bathed. Microchipping and transfer of bragging rights will take place at the time of adoption.

**Blinky*$20 off** is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Melinda

Melinda’s eyes are what will get you! They are a gorgeous green, big and round. She has a sweet demeanor, ready for a lap to curl up in. She’ll express her gratitude by a soft purr and an arching back to your petting hand. What could be more relaxing than hanging out, watching a good movie, with a pal like Melinda? She’s not all reserved though, this girl also knows how to play. Squeaky mice or extra catnip-filled toy around the house? Watch out! Melinda will put a smile on your face day after day. Her friendship will be something you’ll cherish if you let her into your home … And your heart.  All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.

Melinda is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Bobby

Bobby is long and tall and full of spirit!  The brother of Tommy, his gray stripes and golden eyes make for one handsome kitty. He’s a curious kitty — always batting toys around with an expression on his face that is so adorable. Bobby is adaptable and can make friends with anyone. He loves people and is ready to call you a friend from the minute go. Chillin’ is this boys’ game after a bit of play. He’d love to hang out and catch a nap on your lap. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.

Bobby is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Tommy

Tommy is amazing! The brother of Bobby, he’s a beautiful soft gray color with stripes galore. His golden eyes speak to you with kindness. He’s a love of a boy, just craving attention. He enjoys the company of other cats and dogs would be cool friends too! He loves hanging out in his hammock for some leisure time in the sun. Toys and catnip are make for fun times as he’s full of spunk when fully rested. Meet Tommy and you’ll have the carrier ready to take home a new pal. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.

Tommy is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

See, how cute are they?  Really cute.  And how bad do they need a home?  Really bad.  So seriously, check them out!

They’re even on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Washington-IA/PAWS-More-Animal-Shelter/50831215837?ref=ts

Posted in Adoption, Faith, Forever Homes, Love, Paisley, Puppies | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Paisley Claws

Posted by faiththemutt on December 27, 2009

Paisley went to PAWS & More Shelter last Tuesday to drop off  toys to those puppies and kitties that have yet to find a home, for Christmas.  She was very excited to get going:

Kay, I’m dwiving– Wet’s get dere aweady!

Dey’re going to be sooo excited to see me!

She was pretty excited about the car ride and despite being waaaay too big to sit on my lap anymore… She found a way anyway.  I still have a bruise from her pointy little elbows.  Mom thought it was pretty funny, but, I did not.  While we were in the car, she found some nature:

I tawt pine needles wewe edible…

It was nice seeing the place again, our experience was really quite exceptional as compared to some of the horror stories we’ve heard of in the past.  So thank you, to all of you at PAWS & More for your exceptional service to your animals and to your adopting families.

It’s not a very big shelter, but it I don’t believe they’ve ever turned an animal away and they take very good care of the animals they have.

And look who’s on their wall!

When we arrived, a few of the volunteers/employees recognized Paisley and were happy to see her.  They were also happy to report that her mom, Mystic had finally been adopted after having a few possible adoptions fall through.  Now the entire family has been adopted out, which is great to hear.  Happy puppies and less mouths to feed at the shelter.

While we were there, the volunteers decided to dole out the toys we had brought and the cats were more than happy to test out our donations for us:

It’s really quite sad to see all of these animals still needing homes.  As someone who has the full-spectrum of pets, from store-bought to stray to adoption I feel like I’ve gotten an idea of how things go.  At PAWS & More and I know Faith, Paisley and I have mentioned this on the blog before, the shelter is overwhelmed with cats.  They have so many that it’s pretty much an ASPCA commercial waiting to happen.

See what I mean?

This is in no way meaning the shelter provides subpar care.  Absolutely not, even with the sheer number of animals they have, they still find a way to care for them all and love them, even when it seems like there’s no end to the number of animals (the cats, oh the cats especially) who need to find a home.  I’ll just leave you to the photos:

They even take in bunnies… He, however, was adopted, so he’s good :0)

In the next post, I’ll feature some specific kitties, who sadly, have been waiting since 2008 to find a home.  If I had the room and the boyfriend wasn’t allergic, I would be adopting them all, because it’s far too sad.  Keep an eye out for them, maybe you’ll find a friend!

Until then!

Jaina, Faith & Paisley

Posted in Adoption, Faith, Forever Homes, Love, Paisley, Puppies, The Girl | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

And it’s Fall

Posted by faiththemutt on October 21, 2009

JainaIcon: I’ve discovered that the tree in our backyard has forgotten that fall is a sort of  slow process.  You know, the leaves change, things are pretty for a while and even though it’s getting colder, you get a sort of calm before the snow, as it were.  Since we all complain the minute the weather isn’t a balmy 80*, we at least get to enjoy the pretty colors before it becomes snowy and cold– Or arctic if you happen to live in the midwest.  Like me.  Buuuut.  As I said, the tree out back– forgot.

Yesterday morning, I let the dogs out to do their thing and I could see the yard.  The grass was still pretty green, it was at least nice out and I didn’t think anything of it.  I went to class, came home, let the dogs out again… I could barely find the back deck.  It was like a reanactment of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree…  It just dropped everything it had, all at once and now it’s naked.

Bet it’s embarrassed about that.

Well, thanks to that, Paisley was able to enjoy her first pile-jumping day.  The leaves are stacked so high that in some areas that it almost reached her chest.  Since I was elated to have completed my finals today AND receiving an A on an IEP (if you’re a teacher you know what this is) development I had been ripping my hair out over, I thought it would be nice to enjoy the day with my puppies.  Paisley was doing belly flops into the leaves, Faith was worrying as usual and Yuri was just trying to stay out of it.

FaithIcon: De weaves awe so high!  I was afwaid she would get wost!

JainaIcon: Some days, I wish she would get lost out there, but that’s only when she’s acting like a maniac… Because, people– I’m tired.  We all are, I don’t know if it’s because we’re out of practice or because she’s a mix of two really energetic breeds– or both.  I don’t know.  I’m just tired.  I can’t keep up with her.

FaithIcon: I can.

JainaIcon: Not by much.  You’re not a puppy anymore you know.

FaithIcon: Why do you say dese huwtful tings?

JainaIcon: Sorry– you’re very energetic and all, but you’re a… Mature dog, she’s got a ridiculous amount of energy.

FaithIcon: Yeah… Dat is twue… I’m always tiwed when we go to bed.

JainaIcon: Exactly.

Spending time with them this afternoon was fun though and I’m glad I had the time to do it.  It was really nice out, the sun was shining and my puppies were having a good day.  And now that I don’t have 600 hundred papers due all at the same time, I’m able to enjoy it.  And take pictures.

:0)

:0)

Baby's first leaves.

Baby's first leaves.

Dat squirrel is gonna getz it.

Dat squirrel is gonna getz it.

I wuv you!

I wuv you!

My pretty girl!

My pretty girl!

I feel wike SINGING!

I feel wike SINGING!

FaithIcon: Oh my gawd… You said you wouwdn’t put dis one up!

JainaIcon: Oh, it’s cute, don’t worry.

*Faceplant*

*Faceplant*

I wuv weaves!

I wuv weaves!

WEAAAAAAAVEESS!

WEAAAAAAAVEESS!

DON'TYOUWUVWEAVESDONCHYADONCHYA!!??

DON'TYOUWUVWEAVESDONCHYADONCHYA!!??

I'm not in a Leaf kind of mood.

I'm not in a Leaf kind of mood.

I don't understand women.

I don't understand women.

Hope everyone’s having a good week so far and is enjoying the fall.  Pretty soon I’ll be reporting Paisley’s reaction to a good snowstorm so enjoy it while you can.

FaithIcon: Yeah, I’m weally gwad I got a new coat fow de winter!  I have no fuw, I fweeze in de winter!

P1080943Until then!

Jaina & Faith

Posted in Faith, Forever Homes, Love, Paisley, Puppies, The Girl, Yuri | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

With a Feather in her… Nose…

Posted by faiththemutt on October 19, 2009

Jaina Icon 2: Ok… So, I’m a really terrible blogger.  For whatever reason (*cough* I’m lazy *cough*) I have a hard time getting my act together.  I’m sorry.  Also, not a lot has been going on, other than me losing my mind in my current college course.  Believe me, it shouldn’t be this hard, but apparently it has to be.

FaithIcon: Appawentwee, educmuhcation is mowe impowtant den puppies and squeakies, but down’t twy tewwing hew dat.

Jaina Icon 2: Let’s not start on that again.  In any case, it’s been kind of on the low-down around here.  Paisley is settling in pretty well, she already knows how to sit, lay down, roll over, shake and is working on sitting pretty.  But, she’s still definitely got baby fat, so she’s got a serious case of puppy butt.  Meaning she gets about half way up and then rolls backwards.  It’s cute in a sad little way.   The potty training is slow, but she’s done pretty well the last few days.  As far as I can tell, no new messes, but I haven’t been home 100% of the time.

FaithIcon: She steaws my towys…  And she bites me.  I dunno why.

Jaina Icon 2: I’m sure it’s a sign of affection.

FaithIcon: Yeah… I kinda wike hew too… It’s wike a mini-me!

Jaina Icon 2: I know and I’m exhausted.

Anyway, the shelter we adopted Paisley from has a board at the front desk called “Happy Tails”, where they post photos of the animals who have been adopted and are now living, hopefully, happy lives.  they asked me a few weeks ago if I would send them a photo of Paisley for the board since it looks like she’s going to be sticking around.  I have a lot of photos of her already but I wanted to get a family photo of her with Faith and Yuri.  You know, since they’ll be living together for a while.

How’d it turn out?

CHEEEEEEESEEEEE!

CHEEEEEEESEEEEE!

I’d like to say that my dog’s are perfect.  They sit when I tell them to, they smile when I tell them to– in fact, no command is too much…

Nevermind...

Nevermind...

… to ignore…  I really hate it when they do that.  Well, before they scattered and tried to drag my poor boyfriend off the deck, just for being a sport and helping me do this, as I’ve been saying for days now that I wanted to do this photo (maybe just to shut me up?) and the weather had not been cooperating.  We live in Iowa, the first day of winter isn’t complete without a snowstorm and power outages.  It was finally sunny out and I had a weekend off for a change, it was going to happen eventually.

Clearly I overworked my furry friends because about ten minutes later they were passed out on my bed:

Sooooo tired

Sooooo tired-- Note the puppy butt

For the record, I just realized in most of my photos my sheets are the same…  I promise, they’ve been washed, in fact a week before this photo they were pink sheets.  Just in case anyone thought I had issues with that.

Awww.  Still sooo sweepy...

Awww. Still sooo sweepy...

And this just killed me.  As I was taking photos of Paisley sleeping, I realized there was a feather sticking up her nose that apparently wasn’t interrupting her sleep.

See what I mean?

See what I mean?

*snorebeepdebeepbedebeeepde* *tickletickletickle* *snorebeepdebeepbedebeeepde*

After telling my mom, she said she wished I had caught it on video.  Now I do too…  Because it would have been hilarious.

I know.  I’m lame.

Anyway, just wanted to share that.  I entered a photo contest a few days ago and I’m hoping, if I win (fat chance) I’ll get a Nikon D90…. Most excellent.  We’ll see what happens, it’ll be a while before I find out, like January or something.  I’ve entered a few photos of Paisley, Yuri and myself and some flower photos.  I had a few others I wanted to add, but I missed the regular entry date and the fees went up.  Depends on if I want to spend more money on it.  I have no idea how well it’ll improve my chances.

I’ll try to keep y’all up to date.

Until then!

Jaina & Faith (oh and Yuri & Paisley too)


Posted in Faith, Forever Homes, Love, Paisley, Puppies, The Girl | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Paisley’s Day Out

Posted by faiththemutt on September 25, 2009

So a few days ago, my Mom called me to run a few errands for her.  We were happy to do so for her and I figured it  would be a nice get away for everyone.  I’ve been feeling poorly, so doing things to get my mind off of it was ok with me and get the dogs out of the house.  So.  We did.

It was a clown car.

Let me outta Heeeeewwwweee!

Let me outta Heeeeewwwweee!

He likes her... Really.

He likes her... Really.

Whoa.

Whoa.

I promise… Yuri likes her– or at least tolerates her.  When we first had them meet, I think Yuri was excited to meet her, he just didn’t realize she was coming home with us.  Once he realized she was– He became slightly more cynical about the whole thing.  We’ve also discovered as he’s become the alpha male in our little pack, he’s sort of forgotten what it is to play and be puppy like.  Seeing as Paisley is both a puppy and intent on playing, Yuri is at a loss.  He doesn’t get it and it frustrates him.  So rather than loosening up, he becomes as I like to call him Senor Crankypants about it.  He doesn’t really flip out on her, he just reasserts that he’s in charge, which Paisley often forgets– she’s got that “no fear” attitude puppies have.

See what I mean?

See what I mean?

P1080790

I wiww eat dis camwa stwap if it's de last ting I doooo!

I wiww eat dis camwa stwap if it's de last ting I doooo!

Oh sure, *now* she's sleepy

Oh sure, *now* she's sleepy

My favorite photo ever!

My favorite photo ever! ©Jaina

She really does love riding in the car, but Yuri didn’t feel like sharing the front seat with her.

Yeeeahhhh.

Yeeeahhhh.

Can we go aweady?

Can we go aweady?

Definitely sleepy

Definitely sleepy

We got our errands done pretty quickly.  Mom needed me to pick up a birthday cake for one of her coworkers– That went in the trunk, because when you have three dogs in the car– one of which is a baby… No.  At least she’s a cute baby.

I have no idea how she does this

I have no idea how she does this

See what I mean?  She’s super bendy and she loves to lay like this.  Faith does too, but not quite as bendily.  It’s weird.  But, she’s decided she really likes beds, mine in particular.

It might as well be hers.

It might as well be hers.

I wish I could get myself to post these faster, but I’ve been feeling pretty badly the last two weeks.  It wasn’t until Thursday I actually broke down and went to the doctor.  2 1/2 hours of waiting and I found out I might either have Strep Throat or Mono… Which, let’s face it, I’m in college, I could live in a bubble and still be ill.  Got some tests done, both came back negative, but I have a virus, no one could tell me a name and apparently either test could come back with a false negative.  I’m currently taking meds (since there aren’t really meds for viruses) that are supposed to deal with the symptoms.  Thus far, it doesn’t really feel like it, but I have no idea when it’s supposed kick in or what it’s supposed to do really.  I’m just hoping I can wake up feeling energized for a change and not in the middle of the night coughing with some serious chest pain.

Enough whining– aren’t my puppies beautiful?

Until then,

Jaina & Faith

Posted in Adoption, Faith, Forever Homes, Grandma, Grandpa, Love, Paisley, Puppies, Yuri | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Introducing… Paisley!

Posted by faiththemutt on September 15, 2009

So this particular post may be short as I am absolutely exhausted from today’s events and really just want to sleep.  Whatever I’m sick with has only left on a semi-permanent basis and keeps reminding me it’s around by causing me to cough uncontrollably for several minutes.  So I’m thinking sleep is a good idea.

However, Faith and I had to share the news that Paisley has officially joined our family as of 7pm this evening.

FaithIcon: Yeah.  We gotta new bebe.  Onwee, dis one doesn’t squeak…


Jaina Icon 2: What do you think of her?

FaithIcon: I dunno yet.  She is cute wike my squeakies… But I can’t actuwee squeak her– and she copies me a wot.  Can’t do nuffing wifout her following me.

Jaina Icon 2: I think that means she likes you.

FaithIcon: It’s a wittle cweepy.  But, I guess dats ok… If she tinks I’m cool…

Jaina Icon 2: Of course.

This morning, after reassuring my professor, a fellow dog-lover, that I would let her know if we indeed adopted a puppy tonight, I sat through class and suddenly realized how anxious I was for the day to be near an end.  Seeing as then I would actually be able to meet Paisley and see if she could come home with us.  Class broke relatively early and I headed home to grab lunch, finish up some work and get Faith and Yuri prepared for their vaccination.  Which really consisted of me putting on leashes and getting them into the car.

I left a half hour early so I wouldn’t be late, seeing as the office we had to go to was a different branch of our vet’s office and I had never been there.  I should also mention I’m directionally challenged.  So, yes, it’s a good thing, or I would have been more than the 3 or 4 minutes late I was.  Found out they weren’t going be getting shots but nasal sprays, much to Faith’s relief and after that, got to head home to meet up with Mom so we could head to the shelter, an hour away from our house.

It felt like the trip would take forever.  Like, forrrreeevvver and we had already expressed some concern that for whatever reason, they might deny us an adoption or Paisley would turn out to be a bad fit for us, so this was torture.  Faith and Yuri were fine with it though, as long as they got a breeze from the open window and a bit of water from the bottle we bought them before leaving.

When we finally got there (on the first try no less) we nervously asked to see Paisley at which we were guided to an outdoor kennel where Paisley, her mother (so sad to have to separate them) and her father were waiting.  I hadn’t had any idea that the entire family had been brought to the shelter, I just assumed that the puppies were accidents (they happen) and that someone had brought them in.  Apparently they didn’t want any of them.  We didn’t really get a chance to see Paisley’s parents as there was a cacophony of barking and the girl helping us was  a bit overwhelmed with excited dogs.

And there she was.  Absolutely lovely.  She is clearly of Lab and Husky descent (obviously) and never before have I seen so many of my own dogs’ traits in one single animal.  My Mom and I were tickled to see that many of the quirks, looks and mannerisms Faith and Yuri have all on their own could be seen in Paisley.  She truly is remarkable to handle all of that.  In any case, I think it’s clear we had to bring her home.  A picture sent to my Dad via text had him leaving a message telling us that despite him being leery of adopting another dog, her cuteness had prevailed.  During the meet and greet with our dogs, Paisley handled herself amazingly and so did Faith and Yuri.  They all seemed to get along just fine and although Faith was worried she was meeting her replacement, she appears to be channeling motherhood and gets more upset with me if the puppy cries about something than me actually enjoying the company of a new puppy.  I’m ok with that.  So in the end, she definitely seems to be a good fit for us.  She’s beautiful, she’s clearly smart (more on that later) and she is loved by all.

Now if we can get that potty training out of the way pretty quick, we’ll be good!  I’ll leave you with some photos!  She’s a pretty girl and in case anyone notices, she has two eye colors, in an odd way.  One eye is entirely blue and the other is bi-color, both blue and brown.  It’s very cool, very odd, but very cool.

She goes in for her first check up this week, sometime, whenever I can actually make it to an appointment with her and hopefully the little concerns we’ve managed to find in the first few hours are nothing and she’s healthy as a horse— er, puppy and we can all just move on and have a good time.

Meet Paisley

Meet Paisley

Paisley is a good little baby

Paisley is a good little baby

Paisley has decided she loves the feel of wind in her fur

Paisley has decided she loves the feel of wind in her fur

Really.

Really.

And to pose for the camera

And to pose for the camera

While Faith pouts (sort of)

While Faith pouts (sort of)

And Yuri asks Mom "But, what do you do with it?"

And Yuri asks Mom "But, what do you do with it?"

But it all just makes her sleepy

But it all just makes her sleepy

Until she gets home

Until she gets home

Exploring new appliances

Exploring new appliances

And stealing Faithee's toys

And stealing Faithee's toys

FaithIcon: I want dat back in de mowning.

Jaina Icon 2: Oh, Faith.  What would I do without you?

FaithIcon: Pwobabwee die, mommy.  You’d nevew make it.

Jaina Icon 2: Thanks.  I definitely would not be the same.

Until then!

Jaina & Faith

Posted in Adoption, Faith, Forever Homes, Grandma, Grandpa, Love, Paisley, Puppies, Squeakies, The Girl | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Little Possibilities…

Posted by faiththemutt on September 14, 2009

Jaina Icon 2: Well… We still don’t have any interesting photos to post today… Faith had to stop at the vet this afternoon–

FaithIcon: Against my wiww… I tawt it was gonna be a fun caw wide… But noooooo, I got a shot in de butt.  My BUTT!

Jaina Icon 2: It was only a little pinch and you’re better off for it anyway, I mean, our very nice vet gave you cookies, I gave you cookies and hey, you’re protected from Rabies for the next 3 years.  I’m not seeing a downside.

FaithIcon: It was a shot.

Jaina Icon 2: A teeny, tiny, insignificant little–

FaithIcon: IN MY BUTT!

Jaina Icon 2: Could you stop saying that?

FaithIcon: Saying what?  Butt?  Buttbuttbuttbuttbuttbuttbuttbuttbutt–

Jaina Icon 2: I’m glad I can call you my mature dog, oh wait!  No I can’t.

FaithIcon: Mommy, it huwt.  What is dis Wabies anyway?  I mean, is it like an evil Ninja dat only attacks butts?

Jaina Icon 2: Er.  No.  Have you seen Ol’ Yeller?

FaithIconIs it a cookie?

Jaina Icon 2: No… Actually.

FaithIcon: A squeaky?

Jaina Icon 2: Nooo.

FaithIcon: Den it isn’t worf seeing.

Jaina Icon 2: Ok, you know what, never mind… Rabies is bad.  Let’s leave it at that.

As you’ve probably gathered, Faith got her Rabies booster today and she wasn’t pleased.  She was very good, but as it is, she’s hijacked my bed and isn’t planning on returning it anytime soon– That and I gave she and Yuri a bath this evening.  That might also have something to do with her not speaking to me.  But hey, at least she smells better.

FaithIcon: I put de diwt dere fow a weason, mommy.  You distuwbed de diwt.

Jaina Icon 2: Faith, my love– It was gross.  You were gross.

And even after all of that torture, she has even more to endure tomorrow.  She and Yuri are going in to get Bordetella (I have no idea if that’s spelled right) vaccine or Kennel Cough, for those laymen like me that aren’t into all the highfalutin’ specialty words.

There’s a reason for this, actually.

We’re havin’ a baby!

Maybe.

See, on Sunday afternoon, when I was at work, the parents were out and about, doing stuff that despite not interesting me terribly, would have interested me a lot more than work.  At the time.  One of their stops happened to be PetSmart so they could pick up some treats for the dogs and a few surprises for Ianto– Who my mother, lovingly albeit a little annoyingly calls “Squeaky”–  Well, apparently while they were there, they realized it was National “Second Chance at Love” Day or something on that lines and the store was full of fuzzy faces looking for a home.

Since we’ve had a lot of heartbreak in the last year and a half, we weren’t really looking for a new family member, but these things have an odd way of happening.  And although nothing is set in stone, yet, we may have had one of those things, happen :)

While they were there, they happened upon a few puppies, probably 12 weeks or a little older, who were apparently the cutest little things ever.  Why so special to us?

They’re a Lab/Husky mix.  It’s like Faith and Yuri had a love child (FaithIcon: ew!  NO WAY!!!!) but in a completely not gross way, because in our world, Faith and Yuri our brother and sister.  So.  Whatever.  But it’s true.  Yuri is a Husky, Faith is a Lab (well, the majority of her) and it’s like these puppies were the best of both worlds.  Well, because we weren’t really looking, they came home without any fuzzy faces, but mom was determined to show me.  She found their photos online and we immediately fell in love with one of the boys of the litter.  His name was Bentley and he had big green eyes and very familiar Husky smile.

He had to be ours.  However, since Ozzie’s passing in June, it’s been very hard on Dad to even think about another dog.  He and Ozzie were close and as with any family, the loss was painful.  But he should know, this dog isn’t a replacement, no one could ever replace Ozzie, but Mom says “If you’ve ever had such a good friend, it’s not that you’re replacing them when you lose them, you want to have more good friends, just like them.” Also, since Yuri is getting up in years, Mom wants to make sure he has a friend, since Faith and I will most likely move out in about two years into our own home.  Seeing as Yuri is a Husky and Huskies are very social, being alone isn’t ideal.  So, Mom thinks finding someone to keep him company is a good idea and getting them at a time where life isn’t like it was when Ozzie reached his time.  I agree, but I couldn’t help feel excited when Dad agreed.

He’s been wonderfully patient with Mom and I.  I know it’s probably not easy for him and he’s leery about getting another dog, to join us and grow old, but I’m sure he’ll like them regardless.  Even if it isn’t right away.

I digress.

Bentley– Well, I called about Bentley, I e-mailed about Bentley and impatiently waited for a reply.  Trust me, I went to the movies with Blake and although I loved the movie, I was really hoping there would be a reply in my box saying he was available for us to adopt.

Seriously, how could you not WANT him?!

Seriously, how could you NOT want him?!

Unfortunately.  For us anyway.  He wasn’t.  Bentley had found a forever home and although I’m very happy that he’ll have a home and hopefully a very loving family, I couldn’t help but feel sad and a wee bit jealous of them when I received the call.  There was still some light at the end of the “Trying this Adoption thing Tunnel” when the woman (very nice lady) told me that they had one more puppy left.  A little girl.  Her name is Paisley.  She has a gold eye and a blue eye and although they had thought she was going to be adopted and didn’t post any photos of her on the website, the adoption had fallen through.

And were we interested?

Well duh!

Since we originally had our hearts set on Bentley, the thought that there might be another of the litter available was wonderful.  Because they’re closed on Mondays, we weren’t able to see her or even get a photo, so we don’t know for sure what she looks like (apparently she’s a bit bigger than Bentley, see above, he’s pretty big for a baby)– but they’ve said she looks like her brothers/sister With a mix of both eye colors.  Very cool as Yuri has blue eyes and Faith has brown.  That would make it even more perfect.  She is also, per the nice lady’s opinion, very sweet.  So I have high hopes, she’d be the first girl dog in this house as Faith acts like a boy 99.9% of the time.

FaithIcon: Hey!  What is dis, pick on Faifee day?

So, now we wait.  After an absolutely insane day!  I had class till 11:30, went to have a violin lesson that was canceled because I have a cough (long story, no time) and then playing a form of phone-tag with mom to figure out how to get the paperwork they sent us done, Faith’s Rabies shot updated and who knows what else in a matter of hours.  I surprised my vet into letting us have an appointment out of nowhere, rushed to C.R. to get the forms to scan and send, get money for Faith’s shot and then actually pick up Faith to get the shot.  All before I had to return to school for my symphony rehearsal… Oh, did I mention that even though I got the forms scanned, I forgot they were too big and it sent it back to me twice?  Yeah, can’t save anything on the desktop at school, so I had to bother Dad to fix it and send it for me so the director of the shelter wouldn’t think we’d blown her off.

Joy!

But, that part’s taken care of.  For now.  Now we wait till tomorrow– I have a short class day and have to take the two brats, I mean, lovelies to the vet so we can protect them from Kennel Cough, just in case this little girl has it.  I don’t think they’re the type of place to let their dogs get sick, but you never know where some of them have been, who they’ve seen, etc.  If Faith and Yuri got Kennel Cough at their age, I’m pretty sure it could be disastrous.  I would not want that.  Ever.  I would like to bring this puppy home and call her mine, but not at the risk of my own baby, Faith.  She means too much to me.  So, off to vetland we go and she’ll hate me for about 5 seconds and then cookies and kisses will be exchanged and then we’re off to see baby.

We’re taking them with us, just to be sure they’ll get along.  Yuri’s pretty laid back, so I don’t foresee trouble, but Faith might think I’m trying to replace her and not feel so generous.  But, then again, she has that wonderful maternal instinct, maybe she’ll surprise me.  She did today at the vet’s, so I’m not overlooking anything.

Here’s to hoping we have a new baby tomorrow!  They can still deny the adoption for whatever reason (we have a fence, experience, food, love, trained dogs, the desire for a new dog… Why they would?) I don’t know.  So we’re definitely crossing our fingers that whatever kind of interview we have, it goes well and that we can bring Paisley home… At some point, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, I don’t know how that works.  If there’s anything I’ve realized, it’s that at least in our neck of the woods, it’s much more time consuming and difficult to adopt than it is to simply buy a pet at the store.  Which is why I’ve realized people don’t adopt as much.  I get that the shelter is trying to make sure already traumatized and forgotten pets are placed in good homes, but the process certainly scares people away, I’m sure.  If I didn’t love the idea of Paisley so much, I might not have put as much effort into getting the paperwork done and sent and made arrangements to meet her.  But, I think in the end, it’ll be worth it.  I hope my heart melts tomorrow, because then it definitely would be.  Here’s to wishing!

Until then!

Jaina & Faith

P.S. If considering adoption, please be sure to consider older animals.  I feel like a double-standard.  For us, a puppy is better, since we’ve had so much heart-break with our older pets recently.  Just keep in mind, older pets are sometimes better pets.  Sometimes they come trained and certainly full of just as much love if not more for you.  They deserve a second chance just as much as puppies or kittens and it’s depressing and unnecessary to see them wither away at shelters or be euthanized because everyone wants the glamor of a baby animal (Again, I’m a hypocrite, I know, but at least I’m being honest).  Just please, don’t forget the older pets.  4 or 5 years old isn’t old, it’s just the beginning.  Don’t forget them!

Posted in Adoption, Faith, Forever Homes, Grandma, Grandpa, Ianto, Love, Paisley, Puppies, The Girl, Yuri | Leave a Comment »

 
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