Who Rescued Whom?...............by Lisa of OBXPuparazzi

Stormy was a dog I rescued from a horrible living situation.  Her owner neglected her terribly and kept her tied outside, with an extension cord that was plugged in and was wrapped several times around a post, to keep her from escaping.  The owner fed it whenever he remembered to, which was apparently not often, and never groomed her.

When my favorite dog, Navajo, had to be put down, I was devastated at his loss.  Stormy's owner offered her to me, and I couldn't say no to her.  She was supposed to be a Golden Retriever and Collie mix, but she was muddy, matted and emaciated.

She patiently tolerated being bathed and clipped nearly bald to release her from a felted mass of fur that encased her like armor.  I nursed her through a very tough heartworm treatment that I wasn't sure she would survive.  Stormy slowly recovered from the treatment, and filled out from a scrawny 46 pounds to a healthy 75-pound dog with flowing golden fur.  You could see both the Golden Retriever and Collie in her then.  She learned how to play with dog toys and developed a sly sense of humor.

Nearly two years later, she returned the favor when I found out I had cancer.  It was found late, totally by accident, and the doctors were concerned that it might not be treatable.  Stormy stuck to me like Velcro while I cried my way through the first few days after the diagnosis.

After my surgery, which was successful, she stayed next to the recliner or laid next to me on the bed as I slowly recovered.  She grew to hate Wednesdays, which were my chemo days.  She would pace and huff when I was getting ready to go, and glare sternly at my husband.

When I returned home, with often barely enough energy to crawl off to bed and sleep until the next day, she would give my husband the most disgusted looks, as if to say, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to keep her safe!" and she would curl up next to me, giving Dave "The Look" every time he came to check on me.  If I was restless at night, she was up to follow me around the house.  She took to laying on top of my slippers, to make sure I didn't sneak off without her knowing.  Several times, when I woke up feeling very ill, she would wake my husband.  He and I both appreciated her attentiveness and her good nurse instincts.

Having Stormy's company made a tough time in my life a lot easier to bear, and I like to think she was paying me back for rescuing her from hell on earth.  Stormy had been 9 years old when she was rescued, and lived to the surprising age of 19.  I've always thought that the Lord gave her a whole other life to make up for the first part that was so awful.

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Written by Lisa of OBXPuparazzi on ArtFire where you will find many handmade dog bandanas sewn by Lisa (the crazy dog lady!) and delightful wooden toys made by Dave who is a self-taught woodworker whose intarsia pieces are sought out by galleries in their local area. Be sure to check out these items and more in Lisa's studio and contact her with any questions.

Fun at Work!!..................by Lindsey of CardstockEquine

Have you ever seen an Elvis Impersonator? I have, but never in my town. In fact, it never crossed my mind to think of an impersonator even being in town, let alone would I come across one while at the vet clinic where I work. I figured they were most common in Las Vegas, and in big, tourist attraction areas. That people in this kind of work were at least in big cities, bigger that is than 51,000 people made up of high numbers of retirees and college students. I guess you learn something new every day, even in unexpected ways. 

Saturday was a pretty slow day at the clinic as far as business is concerned, but very high in the entertainment value- probably one of the most entertaining days I have had while at work! 

About lunch time, or shortly thereafter, an older couple walks in with their dog. They put the dog, who is very well behaved, on the scale and then mention that they are here to pick up flea medications. This is a very, very normal conversation as far as client education goes, but the interesting part is that the man has died black hair that is oozing styling products. He also sounds like Elvis. Now I am too young to have actually seen or heard Elvis live, but this guy could have been pulled out of any Hollywood portrayal of Elvis I have ever seen! It was then that I realized he is wearing a big, bling-y ring, and white leather, or faux leather pants. He is wearing aviator sunglasses. He never tells me the dog's name, but refers to him as "Mister". "Mister" also sounded more like "Missoo" the way he said it. 

"Mister" was a black dog, an Irish Setter cross, and certainly had a trick or two up his sleeve! He counts, and his barks of 1-3 actually sound kind of like the numbers. When his owner holds both his front feet in his hand, he will tell the dog "now bow in prayer" and the dog sticks his head between his legs. "Mister" plays dead both to a hand gesture and the command "BANG!". Dog bows, shakes, dances, fetches all sorts of items, and is apparently trained to get cans of beer out of the refrigerator at home. 

As the couple leaves, the man, whose name I do not know, says "thank you, thank you very much - we'll be here all week" and then tells me how his dog is part of his comedy Elvis act, and that neither of them are in full costume because the lighting at their house is not good for stage make-up. They stopped by on their way to a local gig. 

What a day! These people only come to my clinic to get over-the-counter flea products and to monitor their dog's weight. They are not established clients with us, but I had a wonderful time getting to know them, and their dog! I honestly hope that I am working the reception counter the next time they need anything, because it was truly entertaining. 

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Written by Lindsey of CardstockEquine, an online studio full of handmade greeting cards featuring horses, as well as other interesting and whimsical designs. Lindsey's motto is "For the love of everything horse, for the joy of crafting." She is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild and works in a vet clinic where her love of animals can be expressed in so many ways, in addition to her many volunteer activities to help abused and neglected animals. Be sure to check out her ArtFire studio!

Nanaversary..............by Cherilynn of CherilynnFineArt

No that isn't spelled wrong, it truly is a Nanaversary. Nanaversary is what my husband and I call the anniversary of the day that we adopted our dog, Nana. It was two years ago, on the 13th of February, we walked into Mutt Hutt on Grand Ave. in Chicago and adopted Nana from the ArfHouse Chicago Organization. That day changed not only the life of one little dog, it changed my husband's and my life too. I really don't think that we knew just what we were getting into on that day.

This photo is the one that was on the ArfHouse website when she was up for adoption. It was the photo that we fell in love with and got us to pick up the phone and fill out the paperwork. Just look at that adorable little girl.

Nana truly is a special little girl. She is a Boston Terrier, Chihuahua mixed, filled with affection, energy, and fun. She loves to go to the park and play ball, and with her other dog friends. She loves to cuddle in your lap, and fill your face with kisses.

But she is also a girl who was filled with many fears. Right from the moment we adopted her, I noticed she was timid and fearful. We would go on walks and everything scared her, noises, strange items, people, etc. Something as simple as a bag blowing in the breeze would cause her to cower and head home. Everything was a battle to overcome.

And so our journey began, I have worked really hard with her and two years later, she has come a very long way. She has grown, matured, and conquered so many of her fears. I can say, it wasn't always an easy road but it was totally worth it. As I can say, I am so proud of the girl she is today.

She has come a long way in her separation anxiety, her fear of noise, fast movement, and even her fear of people. I have learned a lot in the process too, from reading as many dog training, behavior, and psychology books I could get my hands on.

It has really enhanced my relationship with Nana as we worked through the exercises, and training programs. I love learning better ways to communicate with an animal that is so precious and dear to my heart yet speaks an entirely different language than I do.

And so, this weekend, we celebrate the Nanaversary. And I have to say, I truly love this little girl. Yes, it is true, these two years have been filled with a lot of time spent training, but she is totally worth each and every moment of that. I think that I grew just as much as she grew in this time. I learned just as much about myself as Nana learned about the world and how to be a good dog. And it is true, my husband and I had no idea what we were getting into the day we adopted Nana, but we also were missing a big part of our family until that day. For Nana is truly family and a blessing each and every day that we get to spend with her.

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Written by Cheri of CherylynnFineArt featuring watercolor pet portraits and paintings/prints of all types of animals, focusing on the fun characters of the animals she paints. Cheri is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild and avid animal supporter locally and nationally. Please contact her at her ArtFire studio or her website regarding custom paintings of your pets or purchasing prints, cards, and originals.

New CFA Guild Collection by Pam of bagsandmorebypam

A Potpourri of Creativity from Crafting ...

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Heroes on Four Legs ..........by Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs

I always enjoy reading articles about dogs or other animals that help humans in so many different ways. Some even do things that are quite heroic!

And that is exactly what guide dog Roselle did for her owner during the horrible attack on the World Trade Centers on 9/11/01. This dog guided her pet owner, Michael, down 1463 steps and out of the building and into a subway,  saving his life.

Photo from www.prweb.com

Recently, 10 years later, Roselle was given the 2011 American Humane Association Hero Dog Award posthumously for her efforts. Roselle died earlier this year,  but she will never be forgotten by Michael or anyone else who knew her, I'm sure.

Inspiring stories like this make all of us animal lovers appreciate the pets in our own lives and spur us on to do what we can for other animals who may not be so fortunate.

You may read more about this story at these links:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8608483.htm
http://www.herodogawards.org/
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44615382/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/#


Written by Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs and Sew Bizzy Gifts, small variety shops on ArtFire where you can find all sorts of unique, affordable and handcrafted items for pets and their people. Debra is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire, a group of animal loving artisans who make things for animals and to support animals the world over.

Make a Difference - Foster an Animal in Need....by Lisa of OBXPuparazzi

Fostering an animal is a fantastic way to help special needs animals find their forever home.  The process of fostering, which is usually done through a shelter or rescue organization, buys time for an adoptable animal that needs a little help becoming a better companion.  Some dogs also need to be away from the stress of living with so many other animals at a shelter, and they are happier and more ready to meet their forever family outside of the hectic shelter environment.

I have fostered several animals over the years and have enjoyed having them in my home.  I tend to work with special needs animals as we seem to have a good environment to assist them.  In addition to our foster dogs, we have a very stable pack of our own dogs, which helps in working with dogs that are not used to people or have been mistreated by and fear people.

At one time, including fosters, we had nine dogs in the house - all lab mixes of some variety!  My current pack consists of four dogs. Scamp is a white Labrador mix rescued at age 3 weeks with a broken leg. Five weeks later, we adopted her sister, Corky, a black lab mix who was in danger of being abandoned Dusty is my handsome red merle lab/Aussie mix adopted from my son - the Army told him he could only take one of his dogs to his new duty station!  Finally, there is Occy, a lab/Husky mix who is all white, whose owner had health problems and could no longer keep her and her sister. Occy’s sister Xena passed away unexpectedly this summer.

Scamp is the “momma dog” who takes fosters under her wing and teaches them the rules of the house.  She will show them how to use the dog door and how to sit for a treat!  The other dogs let them see that behaving earns rewards, that they can trust people to be gentle, and how to play with toys.

Some of our foster dogs have needed some work on basic skills like asking to go outside when they need to go do business, others have needed to learn the basics of living indoors with people, and a couple have come from abusive homes, and have needed extra time to learn how to trust people again.

Missy

Missy was a memorable foster who had been abused.  A kind-hearted person rescued her from the situation, but couldn’t keep her.  Over the course of 6 weeks, she blossomed into a very playful girl.  She found her forever family on the Outer Banks, where she lives with an active young couple and another dog to play with on the beach.

Mercy

Mercy was a pit bull/Boston terrier mix who was thought to have been used as a bait dog for dog fighting.  Once she settled in, her personality blossomed into a character with a sly sense of humor.  If you told her to sit, she would - on the sofa!  She liked to be busy, and she found a forever home to live out the remainder of her days with a family with a young son.  True to her pit bull roots, she was a self-appointed “nanny dog” to the child and was happiest following him around, cleaning up the Cheerios he dropped.  Sadly, she died 6 months later from complications from the treatment for heartworms.

If you would like to make a difference in an animal’s life, fostering is a way to make a big difference. If you have room in your home and heart to help, the best way to start is checking with your local shelter or rescue groups.

Submitted by Lisa of OBXPuparazzi, her online studio full of wonderful products she has made especially for dogs and the people who are crazy for them! Lisa is also an active volunteer with the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire.

Nominate Favorite Vet and Film/Show/Song............by Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs

Most of us like to share feedback about great experiences we have had with people and businesses or express our feelings on a favorite movie, TV show or song, especially regarding animals and pets.

To help with this, I found these two opportunities to make our feelings and preferences known in a recent issues of a newsletter published online by www.GoPetPlan.com which I receive every month via email. Thought I'd share these in case others would like to nominate their favorites before the deadlines:

1 - PetPlan is seeking America's favorite vet. Anyone can nominate their favorite vet, from pet parents and veterinary office staff to friends and family. So, if you love the way your vet takes care of your four-legged family members, nominate them for a 2012 Petplan "Vet of the Year" Award. You could win a $500 PetSmart gift card, and your vet could win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Petplan UK Vet Awards!

Hurry - your chance to nominate your vet and win ends January 1, 2012! To nominate your outstanding vet, go to www.GoPetplan.com/VetAwards or call 1.866.467.3875 by Jan. 1, 2012.

2 - Do you have a favorite film, TV show, song or article that touches upon animal protection issues? Then show your thanks by nominating it for a Genesis Award! The Humane Society of the United States is now accepting nominations for the 26th annual Genesis Awards, which honors outstanding works in news and media who have increased the public's understanding of animal protection issues.

The submission deadline is December 30, 2011. Visit The HSUS website to submit your nomination:  http://www.humanesociety.org/forms/genesis_award_submission.html


Written by: Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs where you will find custom handmade cat safety collars in lots of cute fabric designs and many other useful and affordable accessories for people who love cats, too. Debra is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire and encourages everyone to do what they can day by day to support and help animals in need, while giving loving homes to homeless animals whenever possible.

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Great Gifts by Active Crafting for Anima...

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Comfort in Time of Need....by Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs

Losing a loved one (human or animal) can be devastating on so many levels, as we all know. And comfort from other loved ones is essential for recovery. Our pets often are among those loved ones who provide comfort and support during grief and sadness. I learned this well from a painful personal experience.

Carmen and Jonathan (top row)
Dave, Kathy and Preston (bottom row)

On March 9, 1997, my sister, her husband, my niece, and my two nephews were all killed in a horrible accident when a train collided with their van in Ohio. I have no other siblings and my sister’s children were loved by me as if they were my own, and we were very close, especially because I have no children myself. Needless to say, this tragedy cannot be described well in terms of how devastating it was to me. I was alone when I received the news as far as human companionship; I had two cats at that time, Twinkles and Chelsea.

Twinkles (left) and Chelsea

My cat, Twinkles, who was 4 years old at this time, had never in his entire life slept next to me on the bed at any time since I rescued him at the age of 4 weeks. He always wanted to jump on the bed and sleep near my feet but never near enough to me so that I could pet him and never up close to any part of my body while sleeping.

But in the early morning hours after the police came to inform me of this horrific tragedy, something almost miraculous happened. I was lying on my bed crying, sobbing to be exact. I could not process this loss in a calm way. The grief was enormously overwhelming, and my tears and sobs continued off and on for several hours.

Within a few minutes of me lying down, Twinkles jumped up on the bed and immediately and unhesitatingly came to my side and smelled my face and licked a few tears off my cheek. He then turned around several times in a circle and finally settled down right up close to my tummy and chest, as close as he could get. And he let me pet him and hold him snuggled up tightly while I sobbed and moaned. He never tried to move away or get away from my grasp. And he purred constantly. We stayed like that for at least 3 hours. I was finally able to calm down somewhat, in part due to his loud purring and rhythmic breathing. And eventually I was able to get up and start facing the new day, going through the motions of daily life as I started to deal with things related to this life-altering news.

I was so glad my cats were there, now demanding food and a clean litter box. Those little chores kept me sane during an insane time. I kept thinking of what Twinkles had done for me. I cannot describe the comfort and love I felt coming from that warm little body and the soothing nature of his loud, rhythmic purrs. Amazingly, he really knew what to do in order to help me cope and endure the beginning nightmare of dealing with such a severe loss in my life.

Taking a break from play time!

Twinkles lived another 7 years, dying at age 11 of cancer. He was the most special pet I’ve ever had in many ways, and he gave me countless hours of joy and happiness because he was a funny cat, very unique and endearing. He was my little clown, always doing something to make me laugh, seemingly on purpose! He loved chocolate pudding and would fight me for it! And he was truly a Southern kitty (we lived in Georgia), because he liked sweet tea, too!

Drinking sweet tea on my desk!

I already knew how smart and special he was, but on that occasion, he proved it in such an astonishing way, providing just what I needed so desperately at just the right time in a specific situation. Somehow he knew that he had to help me, and he did it, even though it was not something he would normally do. And he never did anything like that ever again.

But that is okay. My Twinkles was there exactly when I needed him the most. And I'll be forever grateful.

Self-explanatory!

Written by: Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs where she sells her original handmade cat safety collars made out of all sorts of cute cotton fabrics. Her love of cats and all animals inspires her to create many types of useful and affordable creations for people and their pets. She also works as a volunteer with the Crafting for Animals Guild along with many other talented animal-loving artisans from ArtFire.

HOWL-O-Ween Pawty…………by Deb of Howlin' Hounds

Over the years, beginning in 1993 till now, I've been "Mom" to nine rescued Basset Hounds.

Each one that now resides at the Bridge, has left their paw print on my heart, and taken a piece of it with them. They've also left behind a wealth of funny stories.  This is one of my favorites.  Sophie and Mabel are both gone now, but will never be forgotten.

It was several years ago, a few days after Halloween. We had a bowlful of hard candy left over from Trick or Treaters....lollipops, tootsie pops, blow pops, jolly ranchers...that sort of thing.

Hubby and I went out for dinner thinking the candy bowl was far enough back on the counter that neither Sophie nor Mabel could get it.

Wrong! When we returned home, my jaw dropped, and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, when both dogs greeted us at the door completely covered in candy bits, wagging their tails proudly!  It was all over their faces, their ears, paws, bellies, and even in their armpits.  Wrappers and lollipop sticks were scattered from one end of the house to the other.

Then, as I stood there in a total state of shock, Mabel waddled off to the living room, then soon returned, and placed one absolutely pristine Charms Blow Pop at my feet, then looked up at me as only Mabel could, with an expression that said, "I saved one for you, Mom." All I could do was cry and give her a great big hug!

Mabel

Submitted by Deb of Howlin’ Hounds, an online studio on ArtFire where she specializes in making fabric snoods for dogs, as well as useful accessories for people. Deb is a life-long dog lover and loves to sew, a great combo for expressing her creative talents. Deb is also an active member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire which works together to help homeless and abused animals everywhere.

FOSTER FAILURE...........by Rosamond of RJM Creations

I came to adopt my first two rescued Australian Shepherds through a very long and complicated process. The owner was a former friend who went from being a successful and productive member of the community to a man serving a prison sentence. During his decline he had two beautiful and sweet Australian Shepherds, near the end they were very neglected and I just happen to have been at his house when the police raided the place and left me alone in his house with his dogs. Panic set in, I have never been in trouble of any sort and found myself in a relative stranger’s house with his animals.

Long story very short, I took the dogs and after 3 court cases, prevailed and retained the dogs. They went from neglect to the loves of my life. When my daughter grew up and left home they were my “empty nest” dogs.

I had them for 14 years. They had seen me through thick and thin, good and bad times. It is truly like a rescued dog knows you save them.

Of course, saving an animal does not automatically make you an excellent adoptive parent. I studied up on the breed and quickly learned that this is a very active and intelligent breed. One that will do anything you ask of it except be ignored. We almost immediately began long runs in the early morning hours before I would leave for work. The dogs could rest at home after and I got in the best shape of my life.

We made it through Flyball lessons, Frisbee games and sheep herding, and many cross country road trips. My “boys” Jackson and Montana are remembered in the name of my shop: RJM Creations.



Jackson and Montana

Jackson passed first at 17; one day he was jumping at the end of his leash with great abandon as we headed for the park and the next morning had a massive stroke. He lived every day with me as a happy and fun boy. His brother, Montana, was the clown of the two and I worried about him after his brother passed. I debated all of 2 weeks before putting out a note to the local Aussie Rescue (SoCal Aussie Rescue) group. I had decided to go for a deaf Aussie. Jackson was always the super high energy one of the two and as he matured and calmed down (at 13 years of age he began to calm down) I found that as his hearing went, so did a lot of his anxiety.

I waited two months and no word from the rescue people. Through the website I saw a cute girl who was being given up by her owners. We went to visit and Montana and I came home with Schmna (formerly Pepper) a roly-poly little girl with a big attitude.

About a month after this I received a call that there was a pair of Aussies, deaf sisters, that needed a home. I apologized and said that I could not have 4 dogs. The rescue lady, Diana did not understand; she had just two days ago received my first note from two months prior asking for a deaf dog.  So technology had interfered with me getting a deaf dog. Well, Diana, being the devoted rescue lady that she is, called me when she had an emergency rescue of a deaf and mostly blind Aussie (Lethal White – due to poor breeding) dumped at a high kill shelter. She asked if I would be willing to do a temporary foster for Prancer (Once known as Spot).

I am sure there are many out there who have failed fostering too but this was my first and I went into it with every intention of giving Prancer a good temporary home.  He came to me scared, on medication for Giardia, very ill.  He had no idea what stairs were and ate his food like he was starving. Poor thing didn’t even know how to play or what toys were. He is one of the most beautiful dogs I have ever seen, and within one week of the calming influence of Montana (now 16 years old) and the strength of Schmna, he blossomed.

My precious Montana passed away this past year just 2 days before Christmas. I have never had overwhelming sadness for the loss of either of my two original Aussies because I knew they had the best life possible and did not suffer. Their love and devotion has left me with such wonderful memories.



Prancer and Schmna



So Prancer is now a permanent member of the family with Schmna. He is calm and the most loving dog ever. I encourage anyone considering a rescue to even go a little further and consider a deaf or blind dog. You will be amazed when it finally clicks that no one has told them they are handicapped and they are as happy if not more so than any other dog.

Want a reason to get up and smile when life hands you a difficult obstacle? It is as close as a cold nose and loving heart.

Written by Rosamond of RJM Creations on ArtFire where you will find many wonderful handmade products showing Rosamond’s love of sewing and a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to check out her studio and contact her with any questions.

Rosamond is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild which is celebrating National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month by raising funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group which you can read about HERE or click on the box below.

Fostering Homeless Pets - A Beautiful Thing........by Laura of Funky Luke

A few years ago I was a foster mom for an animal shelter in New Jersey. On a cold winter day, the shelter called me for help. Without asking any questions, I said yes.

When I  got there, I had two cages to pick up…a mother cat and her babies in each cage. Two cats and fourteen kittens...lol…and I have four boys!

When kittens are under 6 weeks old, the shelter staff do not like to leave them there due to kennel cough. So, off we go home to a warm house with cages of kittens and cats.

At the time they were not on solid food yet or litter box trained. This was a job for Super Woman! On with the cape, and off I went, feeding every two hours.

The cages were in the study and the food in the kitchen. When the doors were opened, fourteen of the cutest kittens came a-running like wind-up toys…lol! It was the highlight of the kids’ day to see them all run towards the food. 

Having four boys who love animals made this easy. The kittens were held and played with all the time. As weeks went by and people came to visit, the kittens found homes. We ended up keeping the mommy cats. The boys named each kitten…ahhhh the names!

The shelter did call each person who took home a kitten and then called me to tell me everyone was so surprised how playful the kittens were, and she asked me what did we do different. Lots of love, and each of my boys had three or four kittens sleeping in their bed every night. It was so rewarding that I did it again!  We still have the cats and frogs and fish and other furry little pets. I would so tell everyone to give it a try...it's a beautiful thing!

Some of our gang:

Fero

Rosie

Mars

Submitted by Laura of Funky Luke on ArtFire where you can find a wonderful collection of eclectic and colorful handcrafted original items that show Laura's love of animals and our environment as expressed through her many creative talents. Laura has been involved with animal rescue, fostering, and adoption for many years and has a houseful of finned and furry friends and is a new member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire which is raising funds in October for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group as part of our support of National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month; get all the info by clicking on the box below.

Sophie - Who Rescued Who?...........................by Mona of 3 Peeps Designs

I used to be one of those people that believed the negative press about pit bulls. That changed about 4 years ago when I helped convince my mom to rescue and keep a pit bull. This beautiful dog showed up at the empty lot across the street from my parents’ house about a week after they had to put their beloved Phantom (a beautiful Akita) to sleep. She's now called Sophie, and she is an amazing brindle pit bull with the deep, soulful eyes of a survivor and the playful temperament of a kid.

Having heard all of the negative stereotypes in the media about pit bulls, we were all a bit scared of her, well, everyone except for my dad (he’s never met a dog he didn’t like.) Anyway, we had no problem feeding her, but the thought of bringing her into our homes was a little scary. For me, it was because I had 2 kids, 3 cats, and a dog and I didn't want anything happening to them. My mother was against it because of the media’s negative hype about this breed and because of the recent loss of her dog. Well, after 2 days of feeding this little girl I started doing my research into the breed because I wanted to save her. I passed along every scrap of information to my mother in order to convince her to accept this girl into her home.

I wondered how this pitiful dog, who was so thin and hungry could be the mean, man-killing dog that the press portrayed. She was too shy and too scared. She didn't give off “bad or scary” vibes. Watching her sit and cry while she waited for me to put the food down and walk away, I just never got the impression that she would jump me and try to have me for dinner.  I've encountered some dogs that were like that and I've learned to trust my instincts. So, I did my best to convince my mom that Sophie wasn't a killer dog, in fact, she had more love and affection to share than most dogs that we have ever known.

(Miss Sophie Nov. 2007 about a month before giving birth)

I think it took about a week to get Sophie to cross the street and come to my parents fenced-in yard. During that time, we spent fed her several times a day, put water out for her, and spent extra time in the front yard so that she could get used to seeing us and get used to our voices and the noise we made. Anyway, my parents really didn’t have much choice in bringing her over because the owners of the empty lot were set to start building and my mom didn’t want anything happening to this dog (she was already getting attached to this homeless pup :-) during construction. My dad welcomed her with open arms, but I knew it was my mom that we had to convince to accept her because she was the one who was home all day.

When Sophie first came to live with them, she was scared of everything! She loved the kids and trusted us women, the guys had to work harder to win her trust. She would eat most of her food and then bury the rest in case she didn’t get more food. For quite a while my mom would find surprises in her garden that belonged to Sophie. When they were able to get her to go into the house, well, it didn’t last long. She ended up running through the sliding screen door (luckily the glass slider was open) when she heard the toilet flush! It was obvious she had never been inside of a house before. She really needed to get used to the normal sounds that go on inside of a house. We tried to get her to use a crate, but she seemed to be a bit claustrophobic and wouldn't use it. Eventually, though, she decided she liked the house and started spending more and more time inside.

She quickly put on weight and started looking healthy and then she kept gaining weight. Yup, you guessed it, she was pregnant! While she was getting used to all of us and living indoors, my husband and I put up signs to try to find her owners. I have to admit, we didn’t try too hard because of how scared and timid she was, combined with some suspicious old scarring on her body. Luckily for us, no one claimed her.

While preparing for the birth of the puppies we did a lot of research – what to expect when your dog is expecting! We'd only ever experienced the birth of kittens and judging by the size of Sophie, these were going to be considerably larger than the kittens. We stocked up on supplies: blankets (lots and lots of blankets,) toys, pee pads, and food. My mother introduced vitamins and other nutritious food into her diet to improve her health and get her ready for the impending birth of her puppies.

Our Christmas gift that year was ten beautiful puppies! Sophie had no problem accepting our help with the deliveries. Nine of the puppies were big and healthy and one was a lot smaller and in need of some extra help. My husband and I ended up at Walmart at 3am buying puppy formula and bottles. My parents wrote down the birth time of every puppy, printed up a plan for their development and learning, and my mother became a gourmet cook for the puppies once they were old enough to eat food. They even charted the weight of every puppy on a weekly basis!

(The perfect litter of 10)

The puppies took over the garage: my dad built a huge wooden playpen to keep them in when they weren’t in the house or outside playing. My kids and I were there everyday to help with playtime, feedings (including bottle feeding the runt until she was big enough to want to eat with the rest of the litter,) and cleanup. My sister visited and ended up staying for a few weeks to help out as well. It seemed we were constantly buying dog food, vegetables, baby rice, goat’s milk (to supplement the runt’s feedings) and pee pads. It was a great time, but a lot of work. And as it turns out, it was the best way to pick out a puppy!

We really hadn’t planned on getting another dog, but how could we not? I fell in love with Sophie and all of her puppies. Being there every day enabled me to learn all of their different personalities and pick out the perfect little boy for us - my Charlie! My parents kept the runt, Piper. My sister and her husband ended up adopting a head-strong little girl and named her Pebbles. And we found wonderful homes for the remaining 7 puppies, even keeping in touch with a couple of the adopters.  We were very lucky to have a relatively easy time in finding these pit bull mixes good homes (even though we cried every time one left the pack.)  I really believe it had a lot to do with my parents raising them like they were top of the line, pure bred puppies.

(Charlie, Pebbles, and Piper – Sophie's kids Nov. 2010)

A few weeks after the puppies went to their new homes, Sophie finally allowed my dad to put her into the car and took her first ride. Shortly after that, he took her to the vet and the vet checked for a micro-chip and didn’t find one. The vet gave her a full check-up, she received her vaccinations, and had blood work done. The blood work ended up showing that she had heartworms. That was really scary news, but thank goodness the treatment worked. She was also spayed.

I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years since she came into our lives! Sophie has come a long way. She only has a few quirks now and we figure it’s from her life on the streets and the way people treated her. She now lives a safe and comfortably spoiled life with her daughter, Piper. How many dogs do you know that get their own tiny bowl of ice cream every night? 

(5 dogs taking over the living room)

Submitted by Mona of 3 Peeps Designs where her love of animals is clearly seen in the intricate and lovely beaded jewelry designs she makes by hand. Mona is one of many CFA Guild artisans participating in the promotion this week where 10% of each purchase using the coupon found here will be donated to the Close to Home Animal Rescue Group in Ohio/Pennsylvania. Read all about it by clicking on the box below as well.