"Paint Your Pet" Event

This weekend we participated in the "Paint Your Pet" Event at Art on the Brix in Golden, CO.  It was a lot of fun and the pictures turned out pretty good.  We could only do 3 dogs - so we have to return to paint Gracie and Dudley.

getting started

Finished product

So life-like they interest Gracie

"Where's my portrait?"

Sweet Shelly Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

Shelly brought us joy for 7 months after her rescue.  Her kidneys were damaged, so we were fighting a losing battle.  She was happy and exuberant for the majority of her time with us.  She helped Gracie gain confidence and learn how to seek attention.  She would want us to remember her smiling face and silly antics.

Pet Blessing - Oct 2nd

Our church held a Pet Blessing on Sunday. Lots for dogs, a hamster, a couple of snakes, and even some prize winning roosters attended the service. A good time was had by all. The weather was perfect and the animals listened attentively. It was great to see so many loved animals.

All the animals listened attentively.

Gracie and Shelly receive their blessing

Pastor Doug did a great job of emphasizing the importance of pets in our lives and how the relationship mirrors the love God has for all His creation.


Almighty and everlasting God, Creator of all things and giver of all life, let your blessing be upon all these animals. May our relationships with them mirror your love, and our care for them be an example of your bountiful mercy. Grant each of us and the animals we love the health and peace needed to restore wholeness to your creation. Strengthen us to love and care for them as we strive to imitate the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Fun at Pueblo Collie Sheltie Rescue Picnic

I'm not sure what you call a whole lot of collies and shelties in one place - but it was great to see all the sheepherders together at the annual Pueble Collie Sheltie Rescue Picnic!
Gracie touched noses with Faith, who was rescued from the same puppy mill in Nebraska as she was.  They seemed to remember each other.

Faith and Gracie

Here are some more photos of the day.

Gracie and Shelly meet Faith and Rembrandt

Kids and Shelties

Just some of the participants

I found this photo of my first sheltie. This was Duke and he was a wonderful dog.

Shelly likes her yard

Shelly is my yard buddy. Where ever I am, she wants to be. While checking out the sprinklers, we discovered she likes to bounce in the sprinklers. She has a bit of a grey muzzle and some arthritis in her legs - but she doesn't seem 12 when she is playing like this. What joy there is in the exuberance of a dog!



And after the romp, she went inside to dry off.

One month with Shelly

 Shelly has lived with us for one month now. She is fitting in nicely and learning some manners like "sit". She is also seeing how much she can get away with. Tonight she professed her love for ham by trying to place her paws on the table since we were ignoring her pleading eyes.

She is very sweet and wants to be in whatever room we are in. I've yet to figure out how she wants to play. She's tried to engage me a few times but I don't understand the rules of her game. Maybe we'll have to talk to an animal communicator to see if it can be discerned. She has played with a tennis ball twice.

Here she is all groomed up with a bow.
 

Welcome new foster dog, Shelly

This is Shelly (the Sheltie?).  She was picked up as a stray.  Was she an abandoned senior?  Did she get lost on her own?  We’ll never know.  She had another rescuer family for a month before being relinquished to Rocky Mountain Collie Sheltie Rescue. 
Poor girl seems lost again.  She scans our faces, trying to understand why everything familiar keeps disappearing.  She looks expectantly at anyone coming into the house – do I know you?  When I put her leash on, she gets happy.  Is she hoping I’m taking her back to the people she left? She wants to be near by – so we don’t get out of her sight and disappear.
She is fitting into the routine.  She enjoys going for rides and walks.  She can really outpace Gracie.  I’m sure I look silly with a sheltie in the lead and another far behind – the leashes and my arms only stretch so far! 
  She doesn’t seem to hear very well – or maybe it’s selective hearing, but I was able to shoot a number of pictures without her noticing my presence.  Then neither clapping, whistling, or stomping on the floor roused her.  Eventually her eyes fluttered open and she saw me waving to her. 
We are still working on getting all the sticks, dirt and mats worked out of her fur.  She doesn’t bark or wag her tail much yet.  I can’t wait to see her personality emerge when she feels brave enough to share her heart again.

Journey on New Legs our Precious Little Man

Since November 2009, Dudley has brought a happy joy to our house and has been a precious treasure to us.  On March 18th, Dudley crossed over to the rainbow bridge.

There really aren't enough words to say how much we loved him or how much we now miss him.  Whenever we'd go for a walk and get close to the car, he'd hustle his little old legs as if he was afraid of being left behind.  I promised him we'd never leave him but I knew one day all too soon, he'd leave us. 

My dogs seem to come with theme songs and the one that seemed to follow Dudley was  "You'll be in my heart" from Disney's Tarzan.  I'd sing it to him because I wanted him to know that I'd never forget him.

In a "God wink" moment,  the song track in my car cd player the night he passed away was "Back to You" by Mercy Me from the Generous Mr. Lovewell cd and the lyrics were perfect for Dudley.  Come running back to me my little man.

(You can listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HozFRRp9Y)

If I'm down don't count me out
I'll slowly get back on my feet
Stumblin' and fumblin', but I keep on coming
Just as long as you're not giving up on me
... I will hit the ground running back to you

Odor work helps dog that’s blind and deaf

Here's a nice story of Radar, a puppy mill rescue that is enrolled in an “Odor Obedience” class at All Dogs Gym & Inn, a canine activity and training center in New Hampshire. Radar was rescued along with 55 dogs from a puppy mill in Birmingham, Alabama.
Woman adopts dog that’s blind, deaf - NashuaTelegraph.com

Puppy mill dog hits jackpot

Noel has gained a new name.  She now answers to Falcon.  She has been living with her new family for a little over a month and is finding her place in her new world.  It looks like she is settling in just fine and living the good life that should have been hers all along.  Her mom reports, “Falcon is making great strides everyday and her wonderful personality continues to develop and shine.”

  Comfy bed

  Dog pile!

Puppy Mill Dog Flies Out of Denver in Style

  I got this photo from Holly's new mom.  Every person that sees this picture of her flying out of Denver says, "I wonder what was going through her head".   I'm guessing she was taking it in stride and marveling at how her life has gone from a Missouri puppy mill dog auction to Denver and now on to sunny Tucson.  Ain't life grand!

Holly gets adopted

A really great couple applied for Holly and with every conversation, I knew they’d make great parents for her. 
This was my first fostering experience.  It was fun and yet a lot of work.  And then there is the letting go.  I’m going to miss that little nut and while part of me is ready for the house to return to normal – the other part of me is going to find normal so boring.  The dog pen won’t block the front door and all the couches can be uncovered since our older fur kids don’t jump up on them.  There won’t be tangled leashes as we tried to walk 3 dogs.  I won’t have to go see what every thump and crunch is coming from the other room.  We won't be awoken an hour before our alarm.  Still - the parting is bittersweet.  Her new mom pointed me to a nice story with a quote that really resonates with me.
Oh my heart: it is broken today because I miss him unbearably. Yet I continue to remind myself as experience has taught me that soon it will form to be a scar … and now the departure scar on my heart will show that I too belonged and was cared for very deeply otherwise the wound that produced that scar would have never happened. I am so thankful for my scar soon-to-come because it means that we took the time to make that difference to each other and in this I find peace. 
From http://www.blackpearldogs.com/Jakes-passing.html

Holly is non-stop entertainment

I was thinking about how lucky Holly was that the Pueblo Collie Sheltie Rescue saved her (and 3 others) off the Missouri dog auction.  Where would she have ended up?  She was a young female destined for producing litters of puppies but she was saved and managed to make it out undamaged. She made it out with her spirit, her teeth, and her personality.
Now she is getting closer to finding a forever family, showered with love. Who knows whose lives she will touch?  In the meantime, she is keeping us entertained.
I have two videos, one I call “insane mode” where she displays her unique style of chasing a ball and then another of her watching herself in the video at my computer desk. She is a nut.

Happy New Year

December began with the addition of 2 foster dogs.  January begins with the adoption of Noel.  Noel found the perfect forever home.  Now Holly is enjoying all the puppy attention but she hasn’t had any luck in getting Gracie or Dudley to play with her.  She enjoys sleeping on the couch.  She is a nut but we love her.  She went for her 1st walk the other day and enjoyed all the sights and smells.  She walks with a bouncy trademark Sheltie swish.

Here is a fun Jib Jab video I made to say Happy New Year.  Enjoy!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!