Mystic: The Face that Makes No Sense

Mystic has been here a week and although there have been a few tense moments, so far it seems to be going fairly well.  She really is a sweet dog– Honestly, you couldn’t ask for a better personality from a newbie.  She’s desperate to please everyone and she hasn’t caused any trouble.

She makes no sense as a dog.  She’s squat, short-legged, Husky-tailed, Lab-colored and a head that’s twice as big as any I’ve seen.  And yet I think she’s one of the sweetest faces, ever.

She was hoping to get this:

ow.

She’s been here a week and most days I wonder if she ever wasn’t:

Like she’s always been here:

And she’s a loyal friend already.

She’s going to be a good dog.  I can tell.

I Haz a Happy!

For anyone following the blog– you may remember this post.  About a week ago, we discovered that Paisley’s mom, Mystic had found her way back to a shelter after being adopted, returned and lost many times in the last almost 2 years.  This last family had discovered too late that she is an energetic, intense dog and rather than returning her to the shelter (which they will ALL happily do, no questions asked), they listed her on Craigslist and gave her away.  Which explains how they “don’t remember” who they gave her to.

Because of her connection to us and the fact her life has sucked this far, I took it upon myself to convince my Dad she needed to come live with us.  He was resistant, as usual, but “Operation: Save Paisley’s Mom” was in full force.  I am perfectly comfortable stooping to begging when it comes to saving lives.  When it appeared Dad was immovable to her sad story, I stepped up my game.  This included a kidnapped phone, a quick contact edit and a personalized ringtone, concluding in a phone call that lead to Mystic finally finding her way home with us.

Today, Mom and I traveled back to PAWS & More (she had been transferred back a few days ago), where she met Faith and Luka.  We waited with bated breath, hoping that she would get along with them both enough to come home.  Luckily, she did!  It was heartwarming to see that, despite being shipped off and returned and dumped so many times, she still appears to be in good spirits and very loving.  She does look like she wasn’t treated very well and she’s trying to please everyone, even though our expectations are simply for her to listen as best she can.

It amazes me how much of Paisley I see in her.  From her tail, soft fur, to the way her tongue lolls out of her mouth.  I look in her eyes and I see Paisley.  I know she isn’t Paisley, and that was never the point of me wanting to adopt her.  I wanted to give her a home that was stable and loving, where she would never have to worry about someone kicking her out, or leaving her behind.  We at least understand what kind of personality and energy level she’s bound to have.  In fact, we discovered pretty quickly what kind of energy level she has, as she figured out how to get the front door open almost 20 minutes after she got here.  Running after someone for the first time in a very long time, definitely brought back memories.

I’m really glad she has a microchip.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing that again.

I’m happy she’s happy now :0)

I have a car!!!

I'm so glad I have a car!!!

Oddly familiar...

I took a picture of Paisley, Christmas before last that looks just like this... Clearly she's family...

She was actually a very good car rider.  She was quiet and kept to herself in the back seat.  She wagged the whole way home and stared into passing cars as though she were telling them she had her own and was going home.  She really is a sweet girl, even if she does need to work on her manners.

She handled all of this really well, even if she doesn't understand why we're doing it... AGAIN.

He likes the scratching...

And then he fell asleep against my pop bottle...

I really hope they get along.  It’ll be good if they do.

Hopefully I’ll have time to get real pictures of her soon.  I’m just happy she’s here now.

Until then!

~Jaina

I Haz the Sadz

So last night, my Mom and I were looking through the adoptable pets list of some of the shelters in the area.  I’m not sure why we do that as often as we do, but I suppose we just like to look at the little fuzzy faces and wish that we could do more for them.  Typically when we find a sweet face, we try it on Dad and he says no and we’re back to just looking.  But last night was a little different:

Does that look like anyone we know?

(My beautiful Paisley)

That’s because it’s Paisley’s mom.

When we were perusing the lists we saw a Husky/Lab mix adult female up for adoption– We thought it was a little strange to see that particular breed combo again, but didn’t think anything of it until I saw the dog’s name is Mystic.  Which was the name of the Husky/Lab female that had given birth to Paisley and her brothers and sisters back in July of 2010 at PAWS & more.  I told Mom it was too much of a coincidence that this dog was the same breed mix, the same name and was almost a carbon copy (albeit, older version) of Paisley.  When we read the description, all it told us was that Mystic had been brought to the shelter and a microchip had been found but the owner had not.  The way it was worded, it sounded like they had not been able to get any information about the owner that had been attached to the chip.

I’ve heard of stories where the dogs have gotten too far away from the area they were chipped in and the information has been partitioned to THAT area, making identification difficult.  So I thought maybe I could help if that was the case and sent an e-mail to what I’m assuming is the director of the shelter Mystic is currently at:

Hello!

My name is Jaina– I was looking at your adoptable pet list when I noticed a somewhat familiar face.  In September of 2010, my family adopted a Husky/Lab puppy from PAWS & More Animal Shelter in Washington Iowa.  She had been born at the shelter to two Husky/Lab mixes, one of which was a female named Mystic.  Mystic had been adopted just a few days before we brought Paisley (our puppy) home.  I noticed that your description of her included her having a microchip (something PAWS & More offers with every adoption) but that you were having trouble locating the owner.  Although I cannot be completely sure, since I never met her in person and only saw her from afar, I am almost positive it’s the same dog.  She looks like a carbon copy of my Paisley.  I don’t know if this will help you, but I know that when we adopted Paisley, PAWS & More recorded all of our information, including her microchip number.  Perhaps you could contact them to see if they can reunite her with her family.

Unfortunately, our Paisley passed away this passed November due to an undiagnosed heart condition.  She was a joy in our household and we miss her dearly; it would make us so happy to see her mother reunited with her forever home if it is indeed the same Mystic.  If you have the time to let us know if this is the case, we would be delighted to hear from you.  We know how much happiness our fuzzy family members bring us, I can only imagine Mystic’s family is feeling great sadness at her being missing.

Thank you for your time,

Jaina

I honestly didn’t know if it was going to help or if  it would make a difference.  In fact I wasn’t expecting an answer at all this morning, since the shelter is closed on Sundays and they don’t open till noon on Monday (shelters always have such odd hours) but I got a response that they wanted my phone number.  At first I wasn’t sure if they thought I was Mystic’s owner pulling a fast one or what, but when I got on the phone, the heartbreak just kept getting stronger.

According to the woman I spoke to, Mystic had been found in the area and the microchip had sent them to get information from PAWS & More (confirming it was Paisley’s mom) but the owners that had been attached to the chip, had stated they had “given her away to a new family, but couldn’t remember who they gave her to”.

I don’t know about you– but if I was “giving away” one of my fuzzy babies, I would KNOW every detail about who I was giving them to.  And the only way I would be doing that is if I was TOTALLY incapable of taking of care of them myself.  Anyone who knows me or has seen this blog knows I have many animals and although I work two jobs, they’re only part time and I’m not exactly making the big bucks; but I think it’s pretty clear my pets aren’t exactly suffering for anything.  But if it did come to that, I wouldn’t just give them to some joe-schmo who said they wanted them.  That kind of story makes my Gibbs-Gut go off and tells me that this family didn’t give Mystic away, they dumped her and now they don’t want to take responsibility for it.

Regardless of your situation, surrendering a dog to a shelter isn’t difficult to do.  They’re happy to help those animals that need it and it’s far more humane than just letting a dog rot on a street corner.  Granted I don’t know the real story, but I know people and this is what happens: They walk into a shelter, see pretty blue eyes and striking pointed ears and that’s it– they’re in love.  They don’t take into account that this particular dog is not only Labrador (so FULL of energy) but is also Husky (so FULL of energy and a deep desire to RUN) and that although they’re sweet, loyal, loving dogs, they honestly have been built to run and leap and escape and cost you hundreds in shelter fees.  If you don’t understand that– don’t get a Husky, or a Labrador– or for that matter any dog, because you don’t get it.

So now Mystic is right back where she started, just in a different shelter.  They had had trouble getting her adopted at PAWS and only just got her a “forever home” a few days before we adopted Paisley.

Hasn’t she been through enough?  She’s a sweet dog, according to the woman I spoke to today and at first she cringes like she’s been beaten, but apparently her temperament and attitude is similar to that of Paisley and it just breaks my heart.  I don’t understand how people can so senselessly throw their pets away, not when they don’t do anything to deserve it– they don’t know anything more than what’s in their hearts and souls to do, that’s why we as human beings, the supposedly ‘master species’ are supposed to care for them and keep them healthy and safe.

So here’s my warning people– when you adopt a pet, it’s for life.  You can’t get it and say “just kidding” and if you decide that’s what’s going to happen, be a grown up about it– take it back to the shelter so someone who’s able to take care of them can.  Don’t let them suffer because of your failings or any honest hardships that may befall you.  That’s not fair.

I’m sorry about your mommy, little one.  I wish there was something I could do.  Miss you.

~Jaina

Dog Biscuits: Trial & Error

So, my Mom came up with this idea to help support PAWS & More Shelter (and for anyone that’s new, that’s where Paisley was born and lived until we adopted her)– As of late, the shelter has not been doing well and has sent out several e-mails in attempt to gather donations and interest in charity events for them.  It’s unfortunate that things are not going so well financially– They’ve been having trouble buying supplies for the animals and payroll is dangerously close to not being available.

So, if you happen to have a few spare dollars, maybe click their link and find the PayPal donation button?

My Mom and I are both sad to hear this and wish we could do more and in an attempt to do so, Mom and I are opening an Etsy shop devoted to PAWS & More.  My Mom will be making purses with a “Paisley Theme” and I will be making felties that look like a few of Paisley’s favorite toys.  In addition, we will be selling a variety of gourmet dog biscuits.  100% of the proceeds will be sent to PAWS & More and hopefully it will help a little.

In any case, Mom and I have never made anything like dog biscuits before, so we’ve been doing a little testing and have made some progress.  We baked up a storm this past weekend and then yesterday Dad made some comment cards for the treats for people to fill out.  We had some of Mom’s work friends test our experiments out on their own poochies and it appears no one has died.

Yet.

It was an interesting experience.  Hopefully we’ll find out soon which ones we should focus on or try again or maaaybe, we’re just so awesome all the cookies are awesome now and we just need to mix up more.  Chyeah.  Anyway, we’re waiting on some cookie cutters, so the following photos are just of the testers.  They’re all generally the same shape, but in the future they’ll be bones, hydrants and other dog related things.  So enjoy!  It was funnnnn!

The ingreeediantttttts!

Cheesy Cookies, coming up.

Before being baked...

Baked.

Yes... He did indeed try one. See how shocked the furry kids were?

He said and I quote: “You know– With a little gravy…”

"Dwop it wight hewe Dad!!!"

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies before baking

Baked

It was only after this photo was taken that Jaina realized she had been misspelling "biscuit" all day...

We took notes.

Banana Biscotti... Before it was baked.

So I guess we’ll see how it’s going to turn out.  We’ve heard a few good things so far.  We can only hope folks will have a kind heart and buy lots of things so we can help PAWS & More out.

Until then,

~Jaina

Uno De Gerbil V. Wheel

So, as anyone who actually reads this blog (I’m assuming just people I’m related to, thus this post may be pointless) has probably figured out, I have new pet.  I wasn’t really intending to get another pet, since changing jobs and now working one on one with animals every time I go to work.  Also, I promised my parents I wouldn’t bring home anymore fuzzy things…  Err… Sorry about that?

But, when I met my latest addition, it was kind of a given she needed to come home with me.  You see, the littlest Gerbil had an accident and in the process ended up losing part or all of her eye.  It’s kind of hard to tell looking at her, but it is very obvious she can only see clearly out of her remaining good eye.  Because of her injury, she couldn’t really be sold so she was up for adoption and since I’ve been taking care of her for the last few weeks, I figured who better to take her home and give her a good and guaranteed spoiled life than someone who already knows how she works?  Also, in the process of telling my boyfriend about her, I ended up naming her andthenitwasalloverbecauseIstartedcallingherbynameeverytimeIsawhernoI’mnotsorry!

Why yes, I did just justify bringing home a new pet despite my parents direct orders.

Hey, I am an adult– even if I don’t really own the house…

Although she’s a wee bit skiddish (I think just because she has trouble seeing), she’s very sweet and rarely do I get the impression her visual impairment slows her down.  Even the parents have decided they like her, as they helped me figure out her two story condo when I got home with her and discovered just how pathetically weak I am when I couldn’t get two pieces of plastic snapped over part of the cage.  Good thing I have an awesome Dad who actually has, I don’t know, muscle, or the Gerbil would have been living out of her box for a while.  Even with all of that, the unveiling led to everyone “awwing” over the new baby.  She just about leaped out of the box she was so happy to see daylight again and everyone immediately gasped and put their hands out to catch her, because no, I don’t need her to loose her other eye within 30 minutes of coming home with me.

So everyone welcome:

Uuuunn... Um... Hello?

Let’s try this again–

Sonofa... SERIOUSLY?!?!!

*grumble* Try this AGAIN…

Of course I would adopt a ninja, so you can't see her...

OOOOOne more TIMMMMMEEE:

Oh no! Human can see me, must throw Gerbil throwing stars!

All this tells me… Is either I need to put tranquilizers in her water or I need a faster camera…  REGARDLESS, may I introduce you to, Uno.  Yes, I named her based on her only having one good eye, but after seeing these photos, I’ve decided it’s a good gang name– You know, The Ninja Gerbils and whatnot.  Seeing as I spent 20 minutes snapping as many photos as I could and I couldn’t get a really awesome one…

I should also add, that she’s lived up to the age old knowledge that Gerbils like to chew things– and often not the things you’d like them to chew, like the munchee sticks or the toilet paper tubes or their FOOD… No.  They chew the things you’d rather them not– Like the built-in plastic wheel that comes with their cages… I mean, who honestly spends $20+ on a cage with a starter kit because they think the wheel is going to last longer than 48 hours?  Honestly?

Me.  That’s who.  I’m the idiot that thought since she was enjoying running in it, she would let it be and chew on the two or three toys I had put in there to deter her from chewing on the cage.  Yes, I am a fool.  How dare I think I could outwit a one-eyed Gerbil with her mind set on the total destruction of all things fun.

48 hours later and the wheel is a no-go

She must have sat there all day today, working on that.  And it’s like her mind wandered while she was doing it because she destroyed the nub that keeps the wheel on the stick part and thus, spinning and then all of sudden she’s chewed off a whole side.  Really?  How bored was she?

I don’t get it.  So now I get to add one more thing to the list of stuff I have to replace.  Gerbil proof wheel, new ball for Uno to run in when I clean her cage and a new water bottle, as the one that came with the set is the same kind I bought Ianto when I first got him– absolute crap.  If you ever think about buying a “Kritter Canteen” don’t.  Dwarf hamsters aren’t big enough to get enough pressure on the ball so the water will come out and apparently Gerbils don’t fare any better as I spent about 5 minutes squeezing the bottle for Uno because she wasn’t getting any water otherwise.  I suppose critter being spelled with a k should have been a clue, but alas, this one came with the cage too.

I did however learn something from this experience:

Destroyer of Plastic

+

48 hours later and the wheel is a no-go

=

Uno's long lost cousin

Good night all!  Until next time!

~Jaina, Faith, Paisley, Yuri, Ianto AND Uno (who better stop gnawing on that plastic ladder in her cage or she’s GROUNDED FOREVER!!!)

VOTE FOR PAISLEY PUPPY!!!

Paisley Puppy is trying become famous and with your help she might do just that!  Paisley is currently entered into the Bissel Vacuum: Most Valuable Pet contest.  Her voting period started on the 15th and runs until the 21st.  As of now she only has 20 votes and she’s way behind several other pets!

If Paisley wins the contest she wins a $500 shopping spree (You can get wots of squeakies wit dat!) and PAWS & More Shelter gets $10,000 for whatever they need!  AND as if that weren’t enough, Paisley’s face will end up on a Bissel vacuum box!  What could be better than that?  She sheds so much, she should be a shoe in!

So get crackin’  Here’s her link:

How coowd you say no to dis?

In case you forgot who you were voting for

We’ll let you know how it turns out!

Much love!

Jaina, Faith & Paisley

Featured Kitties

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

Paisley Claws

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

Introducing… Paisley!

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.

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

: What do you think of her?

: 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.

: I think that means she likes you.

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

: 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

Paisley is a good little baby

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

Really.

And to pose for the camera

While Faith pouts (sort of)

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

But it all just makes her sleepy

Until she gets home

Exploring new appliances

And stealing Faithee's toys

: I want dat back in de mowning.

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

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

: Thanks.  I definitely would not be the same.

Until then!

Jaina & Faith

The Doggy and her Bloggy

Bark, Buhbark, Barkity, Bark…

Translation: Hi, where are my cookies?

If it isn’t obvious, this blog revolves entirely around a 10-year-old, 65 lb, atrociously mannered mutt named Faith.

“And squeakies, Mom!  Do NOT forget my squeakies!!!!”

Oh, and she loves squeaky toys.

(It seems we have a back seat blogger here.)

“I’m still sitting here you know.”

I can’t say that I’m very out of the ordinary, writing about a pet, there are plenty of pet owners that also think the world would be a better place if introduced to their special fuzzy pals (or feathered ones as seen in one of my favorite blogs: http://www.mrflapper.com/blog/)

In any case, I doubt anyone will really benefit from reading Faith’s blog…

“That’s what you think!”

But, perhaps her daily encounters and child-like (emphasis on child-like) nature will bring a smile to your face, like it does mine.

So let me introduce you to the star of this blog.

“Finally.”

This is Faith.

Faith is… Well, Faith is a lot of things.  Breed-wise, no one really knows  (A genetic catastrophe I’m sure) but by the light of day, she looks more on the side of a Yellow Lab (With ears too small for her head, spots on her paws that don’t make sense and a serious hatred for water).  I guess its up to you, dear reader, to decide what you think she is and if it ever strikes me to shell out the cash, I might get some testing done to see what the Wolf-Woman is really made of.

“I’d say perfection.”

I’d say… Well, I better not.  Kids might read this.

But I digress.

“That’ll happen a lot.”

Faith also has the extraordinary ability to talk.  Usually this phenomenon only occurs when she and several other people are in the room to translate, but yes, she talks.

Anyway, her story is actually a lot cooler than her attitude right now.  About ten years ago (I was actually in middle school, can you believe it?)– My mom and I were heading out to pick up some dinner, my dad having to work late.  I think, though I feel sick for it, we were heading to Long John Silver’s, but that’s beside the point.  Our destination lead us down a dark, poorly lit back road, one that lead passed (at the time) an open area for anything to gallop through.

Including Faith.

Mom and I were cruising along, talking and doing the mother-daughter thing, when all of a sudden, this flash of white-yellow comes out of nowhere and right in front of our Van.  Despite her speed, it was obvious it was a dog and although there was no telltale thud to indicate we had hit her, my mom was afraid we had.  Seeing as she and our big softies and had a zoo of animals at home, it’s not hard to figure out that hitting a dog would be heartbreaking.  So, mom cautiously opened the door and stepped out into the summer heat, the light of our headlights barely scratching the surface of the evening dark.

“Puppy?” My mom asked quietly, for about a millisecond it was still and then all of sudden I was face to face with dog I’d never met.

Typically, I’m not afraid of animals, I love just about all of them and if I had a bigger house, a lot of money and a hired hand to feed them all, I would probably have a collection of animals that would make the Arc look like a petting zoo.  However, when you’re like, 11 and there’s this rather hungry looking, very smelly, very muddy dog that wasn’t in your car previously, suddenly standing well within your “bubble”, you really reconsider your idea that all fuzzy things are nice.  For all I know, she wanted to eat my face off.  So as I lunged for the door, my mom leans into the car and yells:

“Puppy!  SIT!”

I swear to you, I’ve never seen a dog’s butt hit the ground so fast in my life.  As soon as she heard mom’s no nonsense command, her behind discovered the now muddy, gray carpet of the van in a jiffy.  Looking at her for a moment, I realized just how on her own she had been.  Now that I knew she was not, in fact, going to tear my face off, I saw that she was severely emaciated, ribs sticking out all across her sides, heaving from the run she had just taken, her fur was caked with days, if not weeks worth of mud.  And yet, just looking at her, you could see she wasn’t a vicious dog.  She was just very tired of running.  After further inspection, we found she had an old green collar (also caked in mud) around her neck, that was missing any identification, but did discover a length of nylon rope, still attached to the leash ring… It appeared to have been chewed through, which I can only imagine meant she was tired of wherever she was before.

I’m a genius, I know.

Well, seeing as we’re softies, mom and I didn’t have the heart to kick her out of the van and go on without her.  So, despite stinking to high heaven and dripping mud every which way, we carried on with our quest, with an extra passenger.  By this time we had to change venues and bought some KFC– Which was fine, until the dog realized we were actually bringing food within inches of her very hungry nose.  She was inhaling so hard, I thought for sure a chicken wing was going to come punching through the container.  We also discovered that night, that the dog liked Pepsi; seeing as the one cup that passed her face had just little bit spilled on the lid…  That didn’t last a second as she slurped it right off.

Mom was sure to hand that one to me, like I was EVEN going to drink it after that.

By the time we got home, we had found out that she could sit, stay and shake.  When we got home, we also discovered she doesn’t share.  Having put down food for our two dogs and herself, we found that, because of her extended stay in the wild, she had forgotten that although no one was taking it away and she could eat it at a leisurely pace, she wanted to make sure she got it all in one sitting.  So, she slurped hers down and then made a break for everyone elses’… Which funny, because at the time we had two fairly dominate males and neither one of them was OK with sharing their food with a stranger.

Mom ended up scrubbing her clean for what seemed like hours.  Several refillings of the tub later and the newcomer finally looked like a dog again.  Though, mom also spent quite a bit of time trying to scrub spots off her feet that didn’t seem to be budging– Took a minute to realize they were permanent– Add that to the list of possible breeds.  When she was finally clean and no longer reeked of months of gross, mom let her run around in the house, getting to know our two boys (Yuri and Ozzie) and letting her play with their toys.  Before The Great Bath incident, mom had called my dad at work, beginning her story with “Now don’t get mad…” Seeing as dad had made it clear we were not in need of any more fuzzy friends.  When mom finally finished explaning dad wasn’t that thrilled with the thought of another dog staying at the house, even if it was for a short while.  His tune changed when he got home early in the morning and mom and the newbie were waiting up for him.

The dog, apparently never having seen a tug toy before was gleefully rolling around, playing with the toy, the thing shoved so far back in her mouth she could barely breathe (or so I’ve heard, I was in bed at this point).  She heard the car door slam and knew that someone was there, but of course, didn’t know that he belonged.  Whipping up to stare at the door, she waited for whatever it was.  When my dad popped through the door, the dog was so torn between protecting the house and her toy, she couldn’t decide between barking or continuing with the toy.

So she did both.

“Boofk.” Escaped her full lips and dad, who as I’ve said wasn’t thrilled about her staying with us said, to which my mom swears to this day he said:

“I think I’m in love.”

The next day my parents called the animal shelter to report her being found.  There weren’t any reports matching her description and since she was already so skinny and muddy, it was likely that even if there had been one, it had since been forgotten.  That’s when we found out that after 5 days, if no one had come to claim her and we decided she was welcome, she was legally ours.  Seeing as there are so many dogs being housed in shelters anyway and the fact that I couldn’t bear to think she’d be euthanized, my parents gave her the go ahead to stay if an owner wasn’t found.

Almost 11 years later.  She’s still here.  And what a joy.

“You better believe it.”

Shh, I’m telling your story right now.  In any case, since five days obviously came and went, we knew we couldn’t continue to call her puppy. After a vet check-up that gave her a surprisingly clean bill of health, we discovered she was probably around a year old when she hitched a ride, so in reality, she wasn’t really a puppy.  So we tried to think of cool names, stupid names, old names and significant names.  And so we came up with

Leapa Faith.

Because if she hadn’t of thrown herself in front of our van and leaped into our lives, she probably would have died somewhere along the road, with no one to love her,

“And no squeakies… That would have been terrible!”

And no squeakies, you’re absolutely right, Faith.

Now she has a family that loves her:

My girl! I luvz her!

Afenced backyard to play in, plenty of Kibble–

“And Ol’ Roys!  I LOVE Ol’ Roys!”

If I were a dog, Faith, I’m sure I’d love them too.

Two big brothers:

My stupid brother, Yuri

The better brother, Ozzie

An overflowing box full of squeaky toys:

MY SQUEAKY!!!

So, now you know how Faith came to be and why, maybe her story will be significant to you.  I know taking care of a dog can be difficult, but sometimes the rewards are worth it.  Faith can be a pain (especially when she gets into the garbage),

“I have NEVER done such a thing… That was always Yuri.  Every time… Even if he wasn’t in the house…”

but she can also be a God-send in tough times.  I know for a fact if she hadn’t of been around when I moved into my first apartment and schleped through two years at a terrible university, I wouldn’t have made it. So I sincerely suggest, if you think about getting a dog, don’t go straight for the designer dogs (What in hell is a PuggaDoodle?) but check out your local animal shelter.  I’d say the majority of the time, mutts can look just as good as a purebred and they certainly appreciate life a lot more, especially if they’ve had it tough all their life.  Think about it.

Until tomorrow or whenever we figure out what to write next!

~Jaina & Faith