Critter Chronicles

2009-09-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

I am freaking out.

I've done what might be a questionable move and secretly adopted a cat, which will no doubt horrify my mother once she's found out (and she will find out; I plan on telling her in a day or so). Not only have I adopted a cat, I adopted a cat that has FIV, which is like HIV but for cats. Before you start having grotesque images of cats doing the dirty with each other and passing on this virus, it doesn't work like that (although it probably could); most cats are infected when they get into fights with another FIV positive cat and there is a deep bite wound or scratch involved.

Anyways, I'm not even freaking out about that. I saw Tybalt (or Tibbs for short) on Petfinder and was immediately drawn to his cute little face. I was even more smitten when I watched the videos of him posted and saw how he head-butted peoples hands for attention. The fact that he had a terminal illness was of some concern, but since I don't live with another cat (although my boyfriend has one, there's no chance of passing on the virus just from contact) my main concern was the possible vet bill accumulation. But because he had FIV, the shelter that had him has an adoption agreement that's more like a "permanent foster home" agreement: it means that technically, he is still the property of the shelter, if at any time I can't care for him he must go back there, but all vet checks will be covered by them if I can take them to their vets in Maple Ridge (and with the new Golden Ears Bridge, the drive is actually pretty quick). With that, Tybalt was now in my care.

I had designated one of my rooms for Tybalt before I brought him home. Since then, he has adjusted very well and very quickly, having no problems eating the food I brought him and using the new cat litter I bought (even though I personally don't like the smell :( I might change again once I'm done with this bag). He was very affectionate and didn't hesitate to headbutt my hands for attention.

Here's the freaking out part. I feel like a new mother who is not sure she can take her of her baby and fulfill all its needs...and it's seriously causing me a lot of stress! For one thing, because my first cat love was my boyfriend's cat (who I am officially "godmother" to...don't ask) I feel worried that I won't love my new cat as much. Also, he is quite vocal at times; I looked up a few things on the internet and it's most likely attributed to settling in to new surroundings, because he wasn't vocal at all at the shelter, but when he does meow it drives me crazy! It's not even insistent, constant meowing, but when he does make noise it can be kind of loud! And lastly, perhaps the thing I feel most guilty about, is that although I liked that he was very affectionate and enjoys pats, he enjoys them so much, I feel that he's a little needy. I'm sure, as an abandoned cat, he's starved for affection, which makes it all even more horrible, but I feel like there's only so many times I can scratch his ears at once!

I'm so afraid that I won't be able to handle it and I'll end up bringing him back to the shelter, which will be very upsetting for me and, even more so, Tibbs. I also worry about him when I'm not home; I work full time and also attend a night class twice a week. With him being a little needy, I wonder if I'm the right home for him?

Dear Cat Owners...

2009-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

...please stop letting your cat outdoors to roam around, even if:

a) they have a habit of coming back after a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks

b) they were outdoor or feral cats before

c) you believe that it's natural for cats to run around outside, and keeping them inside only is

detrimental to their natural instinct.

At the shelter today, four people came in looking for their lost cats. One person even came in saying they had lost both their cats at once! All their stories were the same: "We usually let (insert pet name here) out and she/he comes back after a few hours, but it's been a few days and she/he hasn't come home yet." One girl said her Siamese cross usually goes out and comes back within THREE WEEKS (you aren't worried that you haven't seen your cat in almost a month??!!) but it's been longer than that and now she's looking for him; after we gave her the usual info on how to go about searching for her pet, she simply said, "Well, it's been gone for a while now...I'll probably just get another cat." WTF???!

Only one family today who lost their cat was lucky enough to be reunited with it; it had just come in a few days ago and was still on stray hold. So cat owners, if you don't want your pet to get catnapped, run over by a car, maimed by some wild animal, eaten by a coyote, or you don't want your cat to come home with some terminal disease such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (something that's similar to HIV, but for cats) because it got into a scrap with some feral cat then please...keep your cats indoors!

If you feel that you MUST let your cat outdoors for some fresh air, then at least get a leash and harness and supervise them!

Purrecious, a cat with FIV

(From Katies Place, http://petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid12950133)

Adventures in Dogwalking: Teeko and J.J.

2009-08-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the shelter today with the hope of walking Frankie, that sweet Border Collie I had last week, but he was already on his walk with someone else. I heard Teeko (also a dog I walked last week) barking piteously in his kennel, and since he is housetrained I figured he needed to go...badly. So I took him out for his walk again.

This time, Teeko really warmed up to me. If you refer to my previous week's post, he was pretty aloof with me and didn't take any treats, but today was completely different! Maybe he didn't like the hard treats they had last week and that's why he didn't eat any, but I gave him some soft treats today and he gobbled them up! He was also pretty affectionate with me: I would offer my hand towards him slightly and he would nudge it with his nose, and after I gave him some pets his tail started wagging, which I took to be a good sign. I think he just needed to trust that I wasn't going to hurt him. He knows some commands, and with his new fondness for soft treats we practiced 'sit,' and 'down.' I tried to start teaching him to come when called, but since he doesn't know his name is "Teeko" (he was found a stray and the staff named him), he hasn't quite picked up on it yet.

Teeko is, sadly, fearful at times and I blame whoever his previous owners were for this. He doesn't do well with strangers, which was evident when we came across some men who were surveying the forest; he started barking and getting a little growly, but I shushed him and kept walking like normal. The next time we walked by he completely ignored them, so I guess it all comes down to who's holding the leash! Today he reacted a little aggresively to the other dogs around, except for sweet Frankie, who he seems to like but is not sure how to go about being friends. But when all things were quiet and we were in the pens, he just rolled over onto his back and let me rub his chest and tummy, and when I stopped he got up, looked at me, and did it all over again. :)

He also likes to pee mark his territory a lot, but he's not neutered yet so I guess it's inevitable.

The second dog I had out was a wheat colored Pittbull mix named J.J. Even though I am against the stigma and breed specific banning of Pittbulls, I have to admit that I am wary of them. J.J., however, was the sweetest Pittie I've ever met, which goes to show that it's not the breed, but the owners that are responsible for bad behavior. J.J. came in as a stray that showed signs of having recently given birth, but her litter was not with her when they found her. The coordinator noted that sometimes she gets anxious and looks to be searching for her babies, which is one of the saddest things I've heard of.

At first, she was really excited to be out of her kennel and was pulling on her leash and trying to jump up on me. After a few corrections, she walked perfectly by my side, except when there was another dog around that she wanted to meet or a bird that she wanted to chase...then she got a little tuggy with her leash. She was also a little uncertain of things sometimes (like the surveyors) and would stop in her tracks if there was something unfamiliar up ahead. I just kept walking, and she followed me without resistance, and that was the end of that.

J.J. also loved to fetch: seeing her run after the ball and trot back with it in her mouth was the cutest thing. She didn't have any problems giving the ball up to me, and after I threw it for her a few times she got tired and stopped mid-fetch. Her obedience was really good and she knew a lot of commands, but she did have a stubborn streak where once in a while, she would ignore what I said and just stand there, waiting for her treat. Well, I have a stubborn streak too, and when I say 'sit,' I expect a 'sit!' J.J was also really affectionate, and she liked having pets; after we played for a while, I sat down on a bench, and she actually crawled under my legs and sprawled out there on her belly, resting with me in the sunshine. Very sweet.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Teeko and Frankie

2009-08-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

There are so many dogs at the Surrey SPCA right now, and usually not enough walkers. This morning, I had the pleasure of taking out two dogs for their walk.

The first dog I had was a little German Shepherd/Shar Pei mix named Teeko. He was really small for his breed background; his body came up just past the height of my knee. The coordinator informed me that he was a little fearful, and certain hand movements freaked him out. The poor guy was still a young pup at only a year old, so someone must've been very harsh when disciplining him. Walking with Teeko was pretty easy: he pulled a little at times, but walked right beside me at other times. He definitely took some time to warm up to me, but let me pet him, and when we were walking he would glance back at me and push his nose into my hand a give me a little lick. He didn't take any treats, though; not sure if he just didn't like them or he didn't trust me enough to take them from me yet.

I let him off leash in one of the pens, and he just meandered around, smelling things and marking his territory here and there. He showed some interest in one of the tug toys, even taking it into his mouth and playing with me for a second, but dropped it when one of the other dogs walked by. Teeko seemed to like other dogs; when Frankie (who I walked next) walked by they had a brief but positive meeting, and while Frankie continued walking Teeko got very excited and tried to follow him. When Frankie walked beyond the fence, Teeko started whining and tried to dig his way out. That's when I took him out again and he seemed happy just to be exploring everything around him.

I only had Teeko out for a short time, then the coordinator switched me over to Frankie, who is a nine year old Border Collie mix. As soon as she handed the leash to me, Frankie came right up and rested his head on my stomach, and looked up at me with his soft, brown eyes.

Yes, I melted.

And I continued to melt into a big, gooey puddle the longer I spent with Frankie: he was the sweetest, most adoring dog I've ever met! Even though he was an older dog, he still had a bit of energy in him to keep us walking around the trails more than once. He was very food motivated, and had good obedience (even though it took me some time to figure out which hand signal he knew for 'sit'), but the very best thing I loved about him was that he loved cuddles! I would lower my hand to my side and he would instantly nuzzle his head against it, and then press right up against me for more. He was a dog that knew what a hug meant, and when I hugged him he just burrowed himself into my arms. We took a little break at one point and just rested in the shade; after practicing some commands with Frankie I had him lay down and just petted him and gave him little massages. After a while, he rolled over onto his side and literally into my lap. With the breezy sunshine around us, it was very relaxing.

One possible downside to all this attention, as mentioned by the coordinator, is that Frankie might not do so well with other pets or children, because he definitely loves the attention and might not be so keen on sharing it with other people or animals. While we don't know 100% that's how he would react, all I can say is when he's with people he is very, very sweet and gentle.

Sidenote: with all the animals at the SPCA at the moment, there are sadly quite a few animals in their senior years. One such animal is such a lovable dog named Snoop, who is fifteen years old. Snoop was found a stray, but had proper ID that they were able to track down his owner. His owner, who said she had had Snoop since he was a puppy, said she was going to come pick him up, but she never did. When they called her again to follow up, they found that she had changed her number!! Wtf?

Look At My Puppy Face..

2009-08-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

from http://petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=14417514

Don't I look adorable?

Don't you want to cuddle with me and play with me? I'm only a puppy, so cuddling and playing is what I do best!

But...

"Abused and Broken"

No puppy should suffer at the hands of another like Baby Bella has.

Sadly, then hands that abused and broke this little body belong to a child, a child who focused anger and rage on an innocent soul.

Bella was rushed into the arms of Big Heart Rescue and underwent surgery yesterday for massive internal injuries. Her bladder was found to be protruding into her abdominal wall and she also has a broken pelvis.

Update: July 29th

Bella has now had her second set of x-rays and so far her bladder is holding in place which is a very positive sign. There is less blood in her urine and she is attempting to squat when she has to do her "business." Squatting is a challenge when you have a broken pelvis but this little warrior is proving to everyone that she has the will and determination to make it.

Further x-rays will be done on Monday to see how her damaged pelvis is doing and if the bladder is remaining attached. At this time Bella remains on crate rest for most of the day but does get some gentle play time with her big beautiful fur sister who is teaching her excellent social skills.

Additional updates to come as we progress, day by day. Please send your healing thoughts out to Baby Bella as she struggles to survive.

(from Big Heart Rescue, http://petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14417514).

Click on the link above to read the rest of Bella's story (don't worry, there's happier news there).

Adventures in Dogwalking: Extra Thunder Tidbits

2009-08-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yes! They finally posted a photo of Thunder on the SPCA webpage: just look at his cute little face!

Apparently he's not a German Shepherd/Husky cross, he's a Border Collie/Husky mix; those two dog breeds on their own have enough energy to run a eight hour marathon! No wonder he's so wired up!

And lastly, as a testament to what happens when you don't train your pets or dedicate your time to them, Thunder's background info says: "Thunder comes from a home where he was allowed to run the show and do so on a grand scale in an orchard setting," hence all the nipping and the jumping up in your face.

Great job, previous owners.

*Update: Thunder was transferred to the Burnaby SPCA, where it looks like he has found a forever home.*

Adventures in Dogwalking: Thunder

2009-08-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

Fresh from his appearance on Global Tv, Thunder was raring to go for his walk today. After surviving his many, many excitable episodes on Monday, I was determined to start teaching him to calm down and focus his energy on other activities.
As before, when the coordinator brought him out for me, he was already trying to jump up all over everyone. Immediately, we defended ourselves while repeating what is becoming a mantra when walking with Thunder: "Off!" "Noo!" "Oww!" My foundation for his "training" (I use this term loosely because, hell, let's face it I'm amateur at best) was to offset his sparky energy with my own calm energy, plus focus on obedience basics with clicker training (another way to focus his energy while teaching and tiring him out; remember, a tired dog is a happy dog!).
One of the SPCA officers gave me a little tip for dealing with Thunder: if he gets overly rambunctious, pull his leash up a little to get him to sit. Although I preferred not to use this method, especially as it seemed like Thunder already knew how to sit on his own, when he got into his little frenzies his attention was really hard to divert, so this method worked well to divert his energy in those situations. (Note: this is not yanking or jerking the leash up really hard, just gently pulling the leash straight up so the dog has to lower its rear to regain it's balance).
Early in our walk, Thunder started jumping on my for no reason again, but each time he started I would stop walking and push him down firmly while saying "No!" only once or twice, then put him into a 'sit.' After he sat there looking calmly at me, I would give him a gentle neck massage, or start walking again, hopefully to get him to associate being calm with being rewarded (or at the very least, being in a 'sit' with getting rewarded). I'm happy to say that it seemed to work, because for the next two hours his excitable episodes were more sporadic than Mondays' walk. That's not to say he didn't jump up on me still (including the time I was crouched down next to him while he was drinking from his water dish, and while I was conversing with another volunteer he took the opportunity to jump on my head), but the episodes seemed shorter and not as frequent as last time.
I was also very pleased when I took him into one of the pens to play: on Monday, I was concerned about him running in really fast circles around the perimeter of the pen. Today, he circled around two or three times, but after I enticed his attention with a frisbee, he calmed down so much! Of course, he didn't know how to fetch so he would just run after the frisbee, and when it stopped rolling, he lost interest, but once in a while he would just sit down and look at me as if saying, "What now?" He also wanted to meet all the dogs that passed by: no aggression, some fence running (boo), but at the very least he only wanted to play with everyone, and it showed most of the time in his body language. He was also very nice in meeting some of the dogs face to face, and there was a lot of nose licking that happened.
And finally, FINALLY, he started accepting treats! Treats are a major stepping stone to starting clicker training (although they aren't the only reward that will work, and really, they shouldn't be the only reward for clicker training to work). I brushed up on 'sit' with him, and started teaching him 'down.' When he lays down, he kind of curls himself into a little circle; need I tell you it was very cute? Plus he is very cuddly: a few times he would come over and nuzzle himself into my arms. But then he'd get all excited and happy and then try to jump all over me again.
My next goal for him is to try to teach him some games; all the more fun things to do to burn off some of that energy! And of course, keep trying to re-enforce the whole "jumping on people and nipping them is bad" thing!

Showcasing Ginger and Thunder from the Surrey SPCA

2009-08-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Watch this video: it's so cute! Thunder is the dog I walked on Monday, he's the one on the right with the SPCA officer. He's still super adorable but now you can see what I had to put up with!

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globaltvbc.com%2Fvideo%2Findex.html%3FreleasePID%3DAnC3WB33OyCpZmR9u0bePPlUHIaqicr8&h=a1602d43c58704a16a49ba5d3230da4f

Dear Skye

2009-08-10T16:36:00.001-07:00

Dear Skye,

You had only been at the shelter a few days and I hadn't gotten the chance to walk you yet. I remember seeing you lying in your kennel, a big black furry boy who looked up inquisitively at all the people walking by. Someone had left you all by yourself, tied to the shelter door in the darkness of the night; maybe it was your owner, who couldn't or wouldn't take care of you anymore; maybe it was someone who found you, and dropped you off where they thought it would be best for you.

This morning they found you, you had passed away during the night. Even though you weren't with us for very long, I am saddened that you had to die alone and abandoned in your kennel.

Rest in peace, dear Shepherd.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Myra and Thunder

2009-08-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, I was so happy to finally have Myra to walk again! Of course, I had to make sure I was the first one to get there this morning which meant getting up extra early, but I love this dog so much, she's worth it!
As soon as she got the hint that she was going for a walk, Myra got really, really excited and started jumping around in her kennel. I put her in a 'sit' a few times, but she was so excited she just jumped right up afterwards. The coordinator and I finally managed to snap her leash on, and off we went. She seemed to have gained extra strength or something from the last time we walked, because I don't remember her pulling so hard before. But then again, the last time we walked together was when we were having our heatwave, and todays weather was very far from hot and sunny. I tried working with her heeling, but I don't think I really made that much progress...I would say she limited her strength at times while walking with me, but still pulled the leash tight.
I put her in one of the pens to play with her, and boy was she ever happy about that! As soon as I took her leash off, she zoomed around the pen happily, then picked up one of the big balls in her mouth and ran with it some more. I soon learned that she looooved playing fetch, although she needs some work with the 'bringing it back to me' part. Surprisingly, while we were in there, a little pit bull walked by and Myra reacted a little agressively towards her; with almost all the other dogs she's been pretty friendly, she can be pushy with some dogs but never any growling or barking. I think the other dog was also a young female similar in age, so maybe it's some sort of territory or position thing.
I worked on recall with her, which she responded to really well; soon I was able to call her back to me even with the distraction of other dogs around. Yes! We also worked on 'stay' and 'down,' although she always wants to get up to get her treat instead of laying down for it. We'll have to work on that some more.
Later, I took a new dog who had been an owner surrender: a BEE-U-TIFUL German Shepherd/Husky mix. He was sooooooo cute: he looked like a smaller, classic German Shepherd with his markings, except for the traditional curved Husky tail and a streak of pure white across the back of his neck. At first, he was a little shy, but then as all the smells and sounds decended upon him, he got really, really excited. As always, I wonder how people can just give up their dogs like that, but with Thunder, although he was super adorable, I kind of got an idea of why he was surrendered: his excitability was really out of control!
Of course, that's no excuse, but as we were walking I wanted to test his obedience so I asked him to 'sit.' He sat, then promptly when on to jump all over me! I literally had to fend him off because he was jumping up in front of me, jumping up beside me, jumping up behind me, and although I said "Off!" and "No!" sternly and loudly while trying to push him down, he didn't really get it until I was practically chanting it, while trying to ignore him with my body language. To add to the problem, he was very mouthy; obviously his owners before did not enforce this as a big no-no, and not only did he jump up and try to mouth me on my arms while I tried pushing him down, he would try to nip me on the back of my legs too. I know he was only trying to play with me because he would crouch down in the classic "play with me!" position before jumping all over me, but it was still not very pleasant.
To help him burn off some energy, I let him off leash in one of the pens. Once he was free, he started running around the pen at top speed, in gigantic circles. Maybe I'm overreacting a little, but it looked a little neurotic. Sometimes high energy dogs that don't get enough exercise and stimulation find other ways to vent their energy, and then they become fixated on that one thing and repeat it over and over again, kind of like a canine OCD. Well, Thunder kind of fit the bill as a high energy, understimulated dog, so I hope that's not the case. He did slow down to sniff out a few things that interested him though, but didn't know how to play fetch or anything (or maybe he just didn't want to).
We walked around a few more times, where Thunder's excitability would pop up at the most random times: when we were running together, he would keep looking back at me (good) but then would stop and jump all over me (bad). I would ask him to sit and he would comply (good) but when I reached down to pet him he'd get all excited and the frenzy would start again (bad). When I sat down on the bench to rest he'd come over and nuzzle his head into my lap (good) but then he'd jump up all over me again (very bad)!
When I left, I was literally covered in fur and mud from Thunder's frenzies. He is a nice dog, but very puppy-like, and just needs someone to show him the way to good manners!

Adventures in Dogwalking: Sampson

2009-08-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Yet another adorable German Shepherd to walk today! This dog's (re)name was Sampson; I say re-name because he was a human seizure. His owners apparently want him back really badly but the SPCA is holding on to him for now in "protective custody."

The first few minutes of our walk together was spent with an overly hyper Sampson: a big, furry, black and tan blur jumping all over the place, chewing at the leash and trying to play tug of war with it. After a few stern "No!"s and a period of time just standing there waiting for him to calm down, he finally did and off we went. He was a puller at first, no doubt because of all that energy he has in his breed, but after a few corrections he started walking with a slack leash. I found him to be a bit aloof initially; unlike some other dogs, he didn't really invite any affection his way. But towards the end of our time together, he warmed up a little, and I even got some tail wags after I gave him some hugs! Perhaps he just needs to trust you first. With the other dogs, he totally wanted to be friends with all of them; whenever he would meet another dog face to face, after some friendly introductory sniffing he would give them all a nice little lick on the nose and continue on his way. I think he's harbouring a crush on my favorite dog Myra: whenever they passed each other they would slow down and stare, not in an aggressive or defensive way, but in a way that said "Swooooon!" Probably the fact that Myra is in heat and Sampson is not neutered makes things extra, extra lusty for these two!

The only moment I had a teensy, tiny little problem with Sampson is when we were passing the livestock pens. The Surrey SPCA has a little barn area, and they sometimes have chickens, turkeys, pigs, llamas, horses, goats, etc., held there. Today there was an adorably cute little baby goat with a yellow tag on its head. It seemed very intersted in the dogs, and would stand at the edge of the fence just watching all of them walk by. While we were passing, Sampson got very excited, and literally dragged me to the fence, where the goat was still watching. They both started sniffing each other curiously, so I thought everything was all friendly...until Sampson opened his mouth and tried to chomp down on the little goat! Understandably, the goat freaked out and cried in his little baby bleat while running away from us as quick as he could, while I tried to pull back Sampson, a feat very tiring because he was using all his strength to get at the fence. I felt so bad for the little goat afterwards, I'm pretty sure it was just expressing a natural curiousity about Sampson, while Sampson obviously thought the goat would make a pretty good meal for him! Such things are the way of nature, I guess...but we're not out in the wild right now so that was a no-no for Sampson!

May Karma Bite These Mofos in the A**

2009-08-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

Another sickening story of a poor animal that was needlessly hurt by stupid people who should really have their asses kicked. From the Dhana Metta Rescue Society webpage:

http://petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14292231

"This is Lego just 48 hrs after being left outside in a box. I put out a plea to ask the people who left Lego behind to contact us, as we needed more info to be able to help him. They responded. They had a party, got super wasted, one of the guys at the party thought it would be funny to smash Lego into a wall to see what would happen. He died. One of the girls at the party resuscitated him. And the very next day, dropped him off in a box. WTF???"

Click on the link to read Lego's story and to see the video of his condition after being abandoned; it's so terrible and sad but it's things like this that show people what some animals have suffered through.

http://dhanametta.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/lego/

Adventures in Dogwalking: Puppy Love

2009-07-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering, the dog wasn't called Puppy Love. As a stray dog, she didn't have a name yet, but she was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo adorable and sweet (all those extra 'o's are well warranted), and even though she wasn't a puppy anymore she was still very young and very excitable.

The first thing she did when I met her was lick my hand all over. It was instant love; consider her my new favorite dog at the SPCA! Since she was a stray, we were confined to the back pens again; I actually like being back there, as on the regular trail some of the dogs get really distracted with all the other dogs there, and it's difficult to divert their attention when that's the case. With Sweetie (again, not her name but making 'click click' noises with your tongue only gets their attention so many times, and after I started calling her Sweetie she responded more consistently) she was very food motivated, which is great because that meant she was all the more willing to learn! We worked on 'sit,' 'down,' and 'paw,' all of which she did very well. After I gave her the treats, she would nuzzle her entire muzzle into the palm of my hand and give me all these kisses. Then she'd roll over one her back and let me rub her chest and belly: it's the ultimate sign of submission. Yes!

In the pen next to us there was another walker who also had a German Shepherd dog out. Hers was obviously an adult, and male. When they first came out, my dog reacted a little bit fearfully and barked and growled at them. I pulled her away and walked her in a big circle around the pen, getting closer and closer to the pen. Eventually, she just sat down and looked at the other dog, whining once in a while but not barking or lunging. After she calmed down, we walked both dogs to the fence so they could meet and sniff each other and it appears they took an instant liking to each other! They kept licking each others' noses, and following each other up and down the fence, and when I led Sweetie away from the fence to the opposite side, the other dog whined and barked after us, and tried to paw the fence that was keeping them apart. It was so...CUTE!

After being out for a hour it was time for her to go back into her kennel. I actually think she was quite tuckered out by the end; whenever I would stop for even a second she would plop down on her bum and just sit there. She's not up for adoption yet, but when she is she'll probably be scooped up quickly...just look at her face! :)

Adventures in Dogwalking: Alladin and Nelly

2009-07-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

This morning there were only two dogs to walk that were up for adoption: poor Lilo, who's now missing her friend Jenny, and a cute, fluffly English Sheepdog cross named Milo. When I arrived, both were already out on their walks, but that didn't mean I had to miss out on any dogwalking fun: there were at least eight strays out in the back that were waiting for their walk too.

Stray dogs are obviously dogs that were found wandering out in the streets somewhere; when they come into the SPCA they are assessed for temperment and "held" for about a week or so. If their assessment is positive i.e no people aggression, and they haven't been claimed after the week, they officially become the property of the SPCA and can be put up for adoption.

Since some of the strays were still being assessed, they weren't allowed to be walked outside with the other dogs; instead, we had to take them out to the individual fenced areas in the back.

The first dog I had out was a lovely German Shepherd/Husky mix. My two favorite dog breeds in one! When I had my time with her she didn't have a name yet, so I had to resort to getting her attention with various sounds and names (the staff later named her Nelly). At first she was really excitable; she kept lunging towards the next pen where another lovely looking dog was having her time out. Nelly's working dog genes meant that she was really strong, and I had enough of a challenge trying to control her! After I saw her nibbling at some grass I busted out the treats, which she took so gently from my hand. Then she calmed down a lot and followed me around the yard without any problems. With regards to the other dog, it turned out they only wanted to be friends, and after sniffing each others noses both tails were wagging and both of them wanted to keep each other in sight, until we walkers pulled them away to get some more exercise.

The next stray I walked was a tiny little Pomeranian cross who has since been named Alladin. Poor little guy, he was so scared! Apparently when they picked him up they had to use the catchpole on him because he was freaking out and thrashing all over the place. We got to walk on the regular trail, and he walked so well (sometimes almost too well, as he would stay very close to me and I'd be afraid of accidently trodding on him), except the strange thing was on the trail he didn't seem to know how to get over some of the fallen logs; I'd step over them like normal and when I looked back, there he was just standing there as if he wasn't sure what to do. Then he'd try to crawl under it, which was cute and sad all at the same time, like no one's ever taken him to any place with trees on the ground. I encouraged him to take an easy shortcut (which was leading him to higher ground and then going over the log) which worked well for him.

Whenever I would offer my hand to him to sniff, he would do so and give me a little lick afterwards. Sounds promising, but when I slowly and gently started to pet him, his ears would flatten and his tail would stop wagging. He didn't do anything else, but obviously the touch made him anxious and afraid...perhaps someone has hurt this little guy in the past. Towards the end of our time together when I'd give him some little pets his ears would twitch, but they would stay perked up a little more (one of the other volunteers asked if Alladin tried to bite me when I tried to pet him, which is what happened when they initially brought him in). He is a good dog, but very scared. Who can blame him?

2009-07-14T22:38:00.001-07:00

My favorite kitty in the whole wide world:

Lately, she's gotten into the habit of nuzzling her face against my leg, and then rolling around on her back while grabbing my legs with her paws. Last night, she did the same thing while I was kneeling down next to her, and then she suddenly jumped up onto my knee and gave me a nice kiss on my nose.

Nothing beats loving from a cute, furry friend (even if they have fish treat breath). :)

2009-06-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

I made the mistake of staying up all night long and watching "War of the Worlds," starring Tom Cruise; the movie was pretty interesting until the very end, which I thought ended really lamely with one of those 'quick fix' endings (you know, those endings that occur only because the movie has to end...now). After getting two hours of sleep, I rolled out of bed to resume my weekly dog-walking adventures.

The first dog I started out with was a cute-as-a-button white Maltese-Poodle mix (otherwise known as a Maltipoo). He was an owner surrender, and for whatever reason his former owners had decided to bestow the name Elrod on him. He seemed like a sweet dog, walked pretty nicely, got a little nervous when another dog was around, and rejected all the treats I tried giving him (I even went into the barn and came up with three other different types of treats, but all were rejected).

Then I traded dogs with another lady that was having trouble controlling the little Cairn Terrier she was walking. Her name was Charlotte, and for a little dog that barely came up to my knee, she was strong! She kept lunging everywhere, pulling her leash so hard that even I had a little trouble getting her to walk the opposite way I wanted to go: she was THAT strong.

The first thing I wanted to work on with her was her leash pulling; I actually managed some success in that area , once she figured out we weren't going anywhere if she kept pulling, her bursts of spritely energy only happened sporadically. She wasn't as picky as Elrod with her treats; at least she ate them, which makes it easier to train the dog behaviors you do want them to do.

Then I discovered for all her energy, Charlotte only wanted to play with the other dogs. As a firsthand eyewitness, it was very cute! There was a little Min Pin that came our way and, after giving each other a little sniff, Charlotte started bouncing up and down on her hind legs, her tail wagging so fast it was a little blur. The Min Pin reacted similarly, and when it continued on its walk Charlotte tried to chase after it, then started whining quietly when it was gone. Then whenever a dog came nearby, she would try to greet it in acceptable doggie fashion, and then would bow down towards it, her little bum in the air, waving her tail.

Unfortunately, with all the potential dog friends around, that meant her interest in listening to me became non-existent. As we exited one of the off-leash pens, there was a group of dogs gathered nearby with their walkers. Of course, Charlotte wanted to go off in that direction and play. I was more than happy to do so, but first I wanted her to work for it and go around the trail with me one more time. Well, that plainly was not in Charlotte's mind, and as I turned to lead her in the opposite direction, she firmly planted herself down in the middle of the path. When I say firmly, I mean so firmly it was like she was cemented to that spot: I couldn't budge her! Well, I didn't want her to think I would just do whatever she wanted, so since she didn't want to walk in my direction and I didn't want to walk in hers, we ended up standing in one spot for a good ten minutes. Every now and then Charlotte would whimper and walk a few steps towards me, but as soon as I tried to continue our walk...plop. She would cement herself to her spot again.

Eventually I had to give in and move her in the direction of the other dogs, because we became kind of a dangerous obstacle around for the other dog walkers, and it was the only direction she would go in (Charlotte 1, Me 0).

It was very heartwarming to see two dogs playing happily together, as it's usually the opposite reaction we see more often. When I left for the day, I saw Charlotte alone in her kennel, whimpering softly. I think it would be nice if she was adopted into a home with another canine friend for her.

Cat Tails

2009-06-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

The shelter is flooded with cats at the moment, from teeny weeny little kittens to big, plump, senior cats. I often develop favorites during my shifts at the shelter, and when I come back for my next shift they are often not there anymore, either having been adopted or sent to foster care.

That's a good thing.

Unfortunately, there have been a few cats who have still been around for my past few shifts. Considering I only come in every two weeks, it means they've been at the shelter for at least a month or two, which is very stressful for the cat and very sad in general that they haven't found a home yet and are resigned to being in a cage for most of the day.

These are some of the cats:

Thunder:

This big boy has been there the longest, since the beginning of April. Poor guy. It's probably because he's not the kind of cat that will jump to the front of his cage, wanting attention and pets. He is a nice cat, but more on the independent side. He gets along well with other cats and likes to play with them, especially the kittens. He loves his Temptations treats and will follow a trail of them right back into his cage without a fuss.

Annabelle:

At a year and a half old, she's such a tiny girl but has already had a litter of kittens! They've all found homes and now she's waiting for her turn. She's very quiet and like Thunder, doesn't really seek out attention. But once you have her in your arms she's very affectionate, likes to be held and cuddled. Also has been there since April.

Whiskey:

This cat was an owner surrender. All owners have their own reasons for giving up their pets (especially with the economy as it is), but this one? "Didn't want anymore." Just like that! Why they didn't want this cat, I have no idea. She is very sweet but was very scared at first. Now she always sits at the door of her cage, waiting to be let out. Once we do, she's like the cat room ambassador; she lets everyone that comes in pet her, likes to lounge around on the top of the cat tree watching the world go by, and likes to play like a crazy kitten with a stuffed mouse once in a while.

I could go on and on about the cats that haven't found a home yet, but there are just too many.

Lastly, my favorite cat for this shift: Nala, a beautiful white Turkish Angora cat.

Such a sweetheart! She was very timid and didn't want to venture too far out of her box, but at the same time wanted to be petted so badly that she just rolled around on her back, rubbing her face against your hand and drooling a little while you stroked her soft fur. If only I could take her home...

At the very end of my day, a young fellow who came in with his girlfriend to look at kittens said to me, "Thank you for your time, and thank you for your help. And thank you for taking care of the animals."

Aww.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Cookie and Trooper

2009-06-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Now that my favorite dog Hendrix is gone from the Surrey location (he was transferred) I have no preference to which dog to walk as they are all new to me. This morning I scanned the kennels to see which dogs were available to walk and saw a handsome, yellow Lab Retriever named Trooper barking eagerly to go on his walk. When I said I would take him out, the coordinator said skeptically, "Are you sure? He's pretty big and strong...did you look at him?" As I am always super confident about my strength, I said I had and would give him a try.
Well, my confidence was quickly shattered about two seconds after I started walking him. Trooper was not only big and strong, he was REALLY, REALLY STRONG. Usually if the dogs pull on their leash at the beginning, I stop and stand there until they get the idea that we aren't going to move until they stop pulling. With Trooper, I didn't even get the chance to do that because I couldn't control him at all! He just kept pulling forward, and even as I tried to dig my heels into the ground and use my weight to counter him, he was strong enough to pull me forward, which meant I had to jog along or end up with my face in the dirt.
I managed to get a little control over Trooper as I utilized my arm muscles, and walked him over to a grassy part of the SPCA to try to get him to calm down. At this point, I would be proud to say I got him to walk about half a meter without pulling before he got bored and reverted back to his excitable behaviour. Then a few dogs walked by and he got all worked up and tried lunging towards them, so I quickly let him drag me onto the wooded trail to divert his attention.
On the trail, he became so excited by all the new things that his strength knew no boundaries. I couldn't even stop myself in one place to tie my shoe because I was afraid that he'd take off suddenly and I'd be pulled along for the ride, but on my face (it's happened to someone else there). Karen, the coordinator, was behind me on the trail, and she called out, "Are you ok?" I was getting very sweaty, my arm was tired, and it had only been fifteen minutes into our walk. "I think I need to change dogs!" was what I managed to gasp out as Trooper kept bounding all over the place.
We walked him over to one of the pens so we could safely trade dogs without any incidents taking place. The dog I ended up with was ten times tinier, a really cute Tzu Shih mix named Cookie. It's too bad the SPCA hasn't updated their page with either of these dogs' photos: they are so cute! Cookie has this little black and white fringe that covers her eyes a little, so when you look at her all you can see is her little pink tongue hanging out.
Needless to say, Cookie didn't give me any problems. She was as sweet as her name; when walking, if she found herself ahead of you she would stop and look back, waiting for me to catch up. It was so hot this morning, so I took her to shaded area and we sat together, me on a bench and her sprawled out on her belly. She was very nice and affectionate.
Since the heat was really coming down, we didn't have the dogs out too long; one of them, an overweight Pitt Bull, was having trouble breathing, and then vomited due to the heat. The hot weather even slowed Trooper down: I saw him plodding along with Karen later, still pulling, but to the point where it was still manageable.
P.S-Hendrix is still at the Langlely SPCA. Someone adopt him!!

In Memorium

2009-06-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was not a happy one at the Surrey SPCA: three dogs were put down, three dogs that had been there a while, had not shown any aggression towards people, but unfortunately had not been guided positively with other dogs. They paid the price for their owners neglect and ignorance.

Mocha: she was a chocolate Chesapeake Bay cross who was surrendered by her previous owners because she attacked the other dog in their home. Everyone loved her; she was such an enthusiast of playing fetch and would often pick up a ball and walk around with it in her mouth. She was really smart and knew a lot of commands, and was just happy to be out of her kennel and around people. Sadly, the dog aggression she showed with her previous owner's dog reared it's ugly head again plus the frustration of being at the SPCA had her go after more than one dog; she attacked the dog she was rooming with (that was Viva the dog, who was quite shook up afterwards), and when a family came by with their two beagles and their children, wanting to adopt her, she attacked one of the Beagles and pinned it down. The SPCA felt that a dog that unpredictable couldn't be considered adoptable, and she went to sleep on Saturday.

Zenith: such a beautiful dog. He was a black lab with a glossy coat, and just getting into his adult years. He was found as a stray, and the SPCA's assessment concluded that he had not been socialized properly, and could be fearful and defensive if provoked. According to the people who had a chance to walk him, he was very well potty-trained, very playful, and loved getting affection; he was one of those dogs who liked to lean into you as you petted him.

Ashton: also a beautiful, black lab. Poor Ashton, he was also found as a stray and there was some evidence he had not been treated very nicely in his short life; he had some scars across his muzzle, possibly indicating that he might've been used as a guard dog who was often tied up. He was very sweet with people, but was extremely dog aggressive, the kind of aggression where the dog is going to attack if it gets the chance.

It seems Aston and Zenith had a particular hate for each other: dog walkers reported that whenever they passed each other they'd stare at each other really hard and start getting worked up. On Friday, whoever walked Zenith left him alone in one of the outside pens, accidently leaving the gate unlatched as well. Zenith managed to get out, and when he saw Ashton went right for him. They got into a major dog fight, to the point where they had mauled and torn each other to bits. The dog coordinator apparently tried to break it up, but got hurt as well. After that, they were both euthanized.

All of them never got a chance to experience a true loving home. RIP.

Dog Tidbits

2009-05-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to get Hendrix to start learning the "down" command. YEEESSSSS!!! The past few times I tried with him, he would get out of his sit and try to hunt down the treat in my hand while standing up. This time, he lay down while trying to find the treat I had in my hand, which I let him have immediately. YESSS!

Bruno, a previous favorite dog of mine who was transferred to the Vancouver shelter in hopes that he would have a better chance of finding a home out of that location...is still there!!! He's been at the SPCA since March now, which is much too long for any dog, especially a dog like Bruno who especially hated being put back in his kennel. He's such a warm, loving dog, who used to press up to me for cuddles and also knew a lot of commands. Someone out there want to give him a home?

There's an adorable Pomeranian named Pepper at the Surrey SPCA who came in with only one testicle. How do you only get one? However he ended up that way, the one lone testicle has been neutered. Now he's testes free!

Adventures in Dogwalking: Sosa

2009-05-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

I spent the last night in Bellingham to droff the bf off at the airport early this morning, so he could go to Vegas while I stayed home! This meant I arrived at the shelter a little later than usual for dogwalking, and that my favorite dog Hendrix was already on his walk.
The dog I took out was named Sosa; he's a biiiiiiiggg German Shepherd/Rottie mix of some sort. He has a cute face, where it always looks like he's smiling at you.

He definietly lived up to his size as he pulled a lot on his leash, and if there was something ahead that he wanted to get to, i.e food or a bird/bunny, he'd get these huge jolts of energy and lunge towards whatever got his attention. More than once he almost yanked me off my feet trying to get to someone who had bread treats, and in his eagerness to get to the wooded trail he pulled me so hard I slipped on some grass and fell into the mud.
Sosa seemed like a very nice dog; he responded well to food (of course) and was quite obedient when it came to doing things for them (sit, down). He waited to be released from the command before moving, and when it came to other dogs he didn't appeared not to be fazed by them: while in the pens another dog came up to the fence and they both had a sniff of each other, but the other dog growled and bared its teeth...Sosa merely looked politely puzzled.
I tried training him not to pull so hard on his leash, but I can safely say my attempts failed...miserably. The times when he'd pull, I would stop in my tracks, waiting for the leash to slacken a little so I could praise him at the right time and start walking again. It never happened. I would stop and become a tree, and Sosa would sniff around and look at the other dogs and try to lunge forward when he realized we weren't moving. When nothing happened, he would just sit down and wait, which is NOT what I wanted!
On the SPCA page, it says his owners gave him up because they didn't have enough space and fencing for him at their home. If that's the case, why would you adopt a dog that's a German Shepherd/Rottie mix then? Surely you can't expect a dog to be, at full grown size the size of a poodle? Another example of people who don't do their research before getting a pet!

May Cause Nausea

2009-05-20T00:40:00.000-07:00

How?

Why?

Atrocious. Dispicable. Disgusting.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6324489.ece

Adventures in Dogwalking: Hendrix

2009-05-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

I love big, fuzzy dog breeds (no bully breeds for me!) and some smaller, fuzzy breeds as well, but I have a special soft spot for German Shepherds and Siberian Huskies. That's why when my favorite dog Viva (who I mistakenly referred to as Vivi in my last blog) was away at the vet for her spay appointment today, I chose to take Hendrix out for his walk.

At the beginning of our walk, he seemed very uneasy. He kept walking here and there, smelling things and then randomly pulling ahead with a burst of energy (he's an older dog, so he wasn't super powerful, but still a little strong). He also kept whining and barking, even though there was nothing ahead of us. After I corrected him a few times, he seemed to calm down, and walked a little better (even though he still needed reminding not to pull on his leash). After going around the trail a few times, I rewarded him with a treat and some cuddles, and he seemed to calm down even more.

That is, until the other dogs started being brought out. Then I realized that poor Hendrix was afraid of them.

Actually, it would seem like he became more shy and insecure around other dogs; when another one was nearby, he would start whining, which would escalate into barking and lunging, combined with whining. He would also try to hide behind me, which sounds kind of cute, but really, it's not good for the dogs' emotional and mental well being. I'm sure there's a little fear there, maybe something stemming from puppyhood (might've been very submissive, picked on a little by other dogs, etc).

Anyways, it was my goal to try to help him get used to other dogs as much as I could. Whenever another dog would pass by and he started getting antsy, I would stop and say "hush!" until he calmed down. As soon as he didn't show any signs of anxiousness/fear, I would immediately say "good dog!" and give him a quick hug. It kind of worked and kind of didn't...towards the end of our time together he could ignore certain dogs, but other dogs (mainly big, male dogs) still got him worked up.

I have to say, I fell in love with this dog. He's so smart and cuddly! He already knew sit, and (give your) paw. Once he associated an open hand with cuddles, he would duck under and lean against you. Whenever I left him alone in the pens while I went to get him some more water or treats, upon returning he was always waiting for me at the gate with his tail wagging, and wouldn't even try to get out (unlike some of the other dogs) when I opened the door to get in. He knows fetch, but when I throw the ball he sloooowly trots after it, picks it up, and drops it near you. I think he gets tired of it easily.

Of course, it's my hope that he gets adopted soon, as it's always sad when older dogs are at the shelter. Until then, I'm going to stick with him and try teaching him new things, because he is a smarty pants! He's got quite the nose (he was able to sniff out a treat buried in gravel in a pen when we were walking by on the outside) and I plan on letting him use it!

The Saddest Doggie Face I've Ever Seen

2009-05-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Luna the Samoyed. (http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=9627246)

From Petfinder:

At 11 years of age, Luna was abandoned by her family at a local shelter. She was a mess--filthy, with multiple infections, and not being treated for medical issues she has. We got Luna's infections cleared up and we started her on medication for epilepsy and for hypothyroidism. Luna is now stable on her medications and doing beautifully! She takes her pills very easily, eating them with her meals, without a fuss. The cost of her medications is about $40 a month.Luna has a wonderful, easy-going temperament. She loves people and is good with other dogs. She is ok with cats too and is good with kids. Luna rides well in the car, is house trained, and walks well on leash. She enjoys slow walks in the neighborhood and laying on or near your feet.

Aww.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Seko

2009-04-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

My week got off to a great start; I overslept and rushed to get to work, arrived fifteen minutes late, only to realize that I had previously switched shifts with a coworker and wasn't even scheduled.

At least that meant I had the day off! Since I was now awake and ready to go at 8am, I decided to go for the Monday dogwalking session.

The first dog I walked was an adorable puppy named Seko. Yes, a puppy! He was only about four months old, and so cute. He had that kind of face that made me want to kiss his nose. Due to the fact that he was still a baby, he hadn't learned certain behaviors yet, which I took upon myself to try to start introducing him to. That meant every time he tried jumping up on me, he was met with a stern "Off!" Every time he was distracted by something, whether it was stopping to look at the grass, to roll around in the grass, to eat the grass, or to look at another dog, I would say "Let's go!" in my firm teacher voice and gently pull on the leash while walking forward so he would realize to follow me, and not let his attention get diverted by other things.

Of course, as with almost all the dogs at the SPCA, Seko had the issue of pulling on his leash when walking. Because he's still a baby, it seems like it's not a big deal now, but he will grow into a larger, stronger dog, and then it's a big problem to avoid being pulled off your feet. Therefore I wanted to try to squash that right out of him and teach him not to pull. I tried my two researched methods: the changing direction so he has to follow you and praise method, and the become a statue everytime he pulls until he comes back to you and praise method. The first method, even though he was forced to follow behind me when I changed direction, I have a feeling it didn't really click what the whole point was. The second method seemed to have a success rating of zero; when he pulled, I would stop and pretend to ignore him by looking up at the sky. When I still felt him pulling on the leash a minute later, I glanced at him and found him pretty much entertaining himself, alternating with trying to leap forward while still leashed and exploring all the plants around him. Since that also equals loss of control, I reverted back to going forward with him. I'll have to fine tune that somehow.

What I really enjoyed was our time in the pens together. I like trying to teach the dogs new commands; it's so much fun when you see them do it! Whether or not I actually taught them or they knew it before and just needed the right motivation is questionable, but I don't care. Seko seemed to kind of know the idea of 'sit,' after a few repetitions and rewarding with the revered squeaky hamburger toy he responded quicker to it. I worked on getting him to drop his toy into my hand on command; when I tried to take the toy from his mouth I kept saying "drop it," until he let go, and when he did I immediately gave him a cookie, acting like he just won the Nobel prize so he would associate the two things together positively. I found if I ran around the pen, he would get excited and happy and would run around with me. He took a break at one point and lay down, and when I started petting him he rolled over onto his back, which I took as sign of success in my activities with him!

After being out with Seko for about a hour and a half, I switched dogs as they were short walkers. I took out Nikki, the sweet Pomeranian cross from last week. She was still as well behaved as ever and even cuter since she went to the groomers. During our time in the pens together, I practiced some basic commands with her, which she knew right off the bat. I also started teaching her to jump over the hurdles they have there for agility exercises; I would run around and she would follow me, and after I jumped over one hurdle she would follow, her tiny legs flying over the wood. She still chose cuddles over treats, and every time I placed my hand near her head, she would nuzzle under it, just like a cat does!

When it came time for her to go back into her kennel, I took her in myself. There were quite a few kennels with large dogs already in them before hers, so I had to walk her past them. As soon as we started all the dogs started barking loudly and making a huge fuss. When I reached her kennel, I saw that she was rooming with an ANNOYING yappy small dog. He kept barking and growling at me in his high pitched voice, and I didn't want to go in there and deal with him so I had to go around to the back, let down the baricade so that he would be stuck on one side, and then I could go in and put Nikki back.

On the back side of the kennels, there's one side for the dogs that are currently not adoptable, as they are classified as "dangerous dogs." When I walked Niki back there, the commotion started again, this time with the other aggressive dogs barking and snarling. As I walked her down the walkway I could literally feel little Nikki's fear; she was terrified! Even though she didn't react in any way, I saw that her little body was shaking all over. I got the baricade down in her kennel with that other dog in it, and went back the way we came.

At first, she didn't want to go into the kennel, but when I went in first she followed me. Nikki was a good girl right up until I had to leave her; when I got ready to open the door I had her sit and stay, which she did without even hesitating. As soon as I closed the door, she started whimpering and trying to poke her nose through the wire, and trying to follow me as I walked away. It broke my heart to leave her in there; I actually burst into tears when I got in my car because I was so sad. Here is this adorable, small, well trained dog who loves to cuddle and be near you, but she's languishing away without a home, and since she's already close to being ten years old and most dogs live about thirteen to sixteen years, she'll probably be overlooked as too old. :(

By the way, that annoying yappy dog that was sharing her kennel had some aggression issues, in my opinion: after the baricade was down and I was spending some last minutes with Nikki, he kept barking from the other side and was actually banging on the baricade so hard it was shaking! He was a small, Maltese-Poodle mix that didn't even come up to my knee! This is what happens when you don't train your dog properly!

Re: Nikki

2009-04-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

It turns out Nikki was surrendered because her owner was in the hospital with a really serious injury. At least she wasn't surrendered for some lame reason (like the owners didn't want her anymore).

Still, it's a sad ending for both owner and dog.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Nikki

2009-04-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

The night before my weekly dogwalking gig, I check the SPCA website to give me an idea of what pooches are going to be there to walk the next day. I realized that my number one favorite, Bruno, was no longer listed at the Surrey location, nor did a search involving other locations turn up his profile. I hoped that meant he had finally found a deserving home.

Unfortunately, upon enquiry this morning, it only meant he had been transfered to the Vancouver location. I hope someone can give him a home there!

The dog I walked today was named Nikki. In contrast to the usual big dogs I walk, Nikki was a small little Pomeranian/Eskimo dog cross. Usually I find these kinds of dogs yappy and annoying, but Nikki completely won me over. She didn't bark even once during our walk, quickly learned that she was to walk behind me instead of in front of me, and for once I didn't have to deal with any challenges to or from other dogs. It was the easiest walk I've had in a long time.

Of course, one of the most rewarding things about dogwalking is playtime with the dogs! Nikki was no exception. I quickly found out she knew sit, off, how to come when called, and stay (it seems staying in one place until told to come is difficult for dogs to comprehend, but Nikki stayed still even as I walked alllllll the way to the other side of the pen. And when I finally called her to me, she eagerly jumped up and ran to me and rubbed up against my legs). Even better, instead of taking the treats I offered for her good behavior (call it bribery if you will, but most dogs need something to motivate them to follow you, and food is universally accepted) she always chose to snuggle against me for hugs as a reward. On the rare time she did take the treat, she just held it in her mouth for a while, and then dropped it on the ground and left it there. She knew what the word 'up' meant, and when I said it while tapping on one of the benches, she backed up, wiggled her bum and jumped up onto the bench, where we would sit together and she would press against me and I would pet her soft fur (she was like a big, fluffy pillow).

Our walk was cut short because she had to go to the groomers, but after finding out that she was an owner surrender, I ask myself, "Why?" Everyone has their reasons, but after all the other dogs that I've walked, Nikki seemed like a piece of cake to take care of.

Even so, with her sweet disposition and her cute little face, I'm sure she'll be adopted soon.

Dog Desires

2009-04-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Since I started volunteering at the SPCA and walking the dogs there, it's been no secret that I've been hankering for a dog of my own. Unfortunately, due to the pet aversion my landlords (a.k.a my parents) possess, it seems there will be no chance of me owning a pet until I actually move out.
Therefore, the solution seems to be: move out.
If only it were so simple.
After doing my research, the breed I've settled on owning is the fabulously cute, beautiful, and intelligent Siberian Husky. They are friendly, usually non-aggressive, and have I mentioned they are super adorable? Yes, I've read the information and they can be very stubborn to train and they are high energy, which means they need extra exercise to prevent them from becoming bored and destructive. I'm prepared for the challenges, and have immersed myself in dog literature (Hooray for the Dog Whisperer and the internet!) to broaden my knowledge of dog handling.
Unfortunately, I have an attraction to big dog breeds, and as I troll through Craigslist looking for a place to rent in my budget, 99% of the ads that are pet friendly are only friendly to small pets. Unless your idea of small is comparable to the size of lion, that means my dreams of having a husky or other mixed breed big dog are going to remain just that...dreams.
My other concern is that huskies require a yard for sure, as they can't be trusted off leash outside (unless they are very well trained to come back...but I'm not sure I could pull that off) and require a fenced yard where they can run around safely. They also have a predisposition to dig holes, which is simply a part of their natural instinct; it's just something they do. Even if a landlord was not opposed to big dogs, they might be against having their landscaped backyard full of holes in the span of a few weeks.
So, in conclusion, unless I can convince my parental units that I can completely take care of a dog (Bribery? Begging? Temper tantrums?) it appears the day that I have a dog to call my own will be a day very far in the future.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Mimi (Again!)

2009-04-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Usually when I arrive at the SPCA, there's a coordinator there to assign a dog to you to walk. Well, when I got there, no one was waiting outside the kennels, there was no list of which dogs to walk, and since I saw other people out walking dogs already, I decided to take one out on my own. Of course, I checked to see if my favorite dog Bruno was still waiting to go out, but alas, someone had beat me to him. My next favorite, Mimi, was still waiting anxiously in her kennel, so I opted to take her out. (Later, it turns out the coordinator was in a panic because I didn't tell her I had taken Mimi; she thought she might've escaped or *gasp!* been dognapped).

As expected, when I approached her kennel with the leash in my hand, she got really excited and started bouncing up and down and off the walls. I was determined to give her some kind of structure, so I said, "Sit, Mimi!" in my bestest authority voice. More bouncing. It took a few tries, but finally she sat her butt down and looked up at me with her long tongue hanging out. At this point I entered her kennel, but she started jumping up again so I had to make her sit again before I clipped on her leash.

Out the door we went, with Mimi doing what she does best; pulling me towards the trail. I tried to work on her pulling a little; one tip I read about is if a dog pulls forward on their leash, you can redirect their energy by changing directions constantly so the dog has no choice but to follow you. As soon as they pick up that they have to go with you, you're supposed to praise them immediately so they associate following you= praise and reward. Well, this worked as long as I was constantly changing direction, but as soon as I started going towards the trail again, Mimi would bolt ahead of me again and it'd be the same thing all over again.

The other thing I read is if a dog keeps pulling, you're supposed to just stop in place and "become a statue," i.e stand still and ignore the dog. Once they realize they aren't going anywhere, they'll usually come back towards you, slacking the leash. Once again, as soon as they do this, you praise, and start walking again. Soon they'll associate pulling= no walking, loose leash= walks. This actually elicited a more successful response with Mimi; everytime she pulled and I stopped, looking around everywhere else but her, she immediately came back and stood by my side. With this method you have to be really consistent, meaning everytime they pull you should stop so they get the idea. Unfortunately, the two hours each day the dogs have to go out are their only time for exercise, so the SPCA doesn't want you to just stand there the whole time trying to correct the dog, otherwise they'll be even more underexcercised. Underexercised dogs= frustrated, destructive, bored dogs. So even though Mimi responded the way I wanted, I couldn't do it often enough so she got it into her head not to pull on her leash.

Aside from her leash pulling problems, Mimi seemed to be escalating in her dog aggression. I don't know if it's a fear thing or a dominance thing; it mostly happens when we're in the pens together, and when a dog passes by on the other side, Mimi immediately growls and barks at them, chasing them up and down the fence. Today, while we were walking on her leash, she lunged at one dog, and just walking by another dog made her stop and bare her teeth. The only dog she wasn't aggressive to was Ace, the beautiful husky that she was kenneled with briefly. Perhaps it was because they had spent some time together already, but when Ace came along and she started to get fiesty, he barked sharply and she shut up right away. The next time she tried to challenge Ace, she growled at him through the fence when he was passing by, and I saw her get into position to start a frienzied barking scene when Ace lifted his leg and peed on a fern in front of her, nearly getting her in the face. After that, she didn't even squeak when he walked by!

Mimi is also a very smart dog. The smarter they are, the more firm you have to be because they will challenge your authority, which is exactly what Mimi did from time to time. There was an episode on the trail that had me standing there for ten minutes, telling Mimi over and over to drop the stick she had randomly picked up before we could move on with our walk. When it was time to put her back into her kennel, Mimi magically stuck by my side like glue, not trying to pull forward. But I wasn't fooled; even though she wasn't pulling forward, I figured out that what she was trying to do was literally herd me away from the kennels. By staying by my side, she was subtly trying to block the way so I would have to go in the opposite direction. Well, as soon as she figured out it wasn't working, she went back to her old standby: crazily pulling in the direction that she wanted to go instead.

After I was done walking Mimi, I went home feeling a lot of pity for her. She's an unbalanced dog; when we're alone in the pens together she's such a sweetie, she likes to play fetch, likes to be petted, and is mostly obedient when you ask her to sit, go down, etc. But when we're out on her leash or there are other dogs around, she's so out of control. She has a lot of potential to be a really great dog, but when I see her she doesn't really seem to be improving, which means her chances for finding a good home are not that high.

And that makes me kind of sad.

(After I wrote this note, I found out that Mimi has been sent into foster, a doggie training home. The woman who owns the home is a dog trainer, and only works on two dogs at a time. Mimi is there with another dog that was a problem case, and reports note they are playing together fabulously. Hopefully, Mimi gets the attention and training she needs there. Godspeed, Mimi).

Adventures in Dogwalking: Easter

2009-04-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Eleven dogs. Two dogwalkers. That's how it went down at the SPCA today.The SPCA is closed to the public on stat holidays, but an email was sent out previously saying that it was open to staff and volunteers and that dog walking was still going to take place. After walking my new favorite dog Bruno yesterday (who I absolutely fell in love with...I'm starting to have fantasies of adopting him and taking him home with me) I was determined to go in today and walk him again.
Only myself and another volunteer, Jodi, arrived. We formulated a plan to get as many as the dogs out between the two of us: we would each take turns taking various dogs out, the dogs that were really high strung and energetic we could leave for a bit to roam and run around in the outside pens, while we'd walk another dog around the trails at the same time. Then we'd put those dogs back in, walk the dogs that were in the outside pens already, and rotate in another set of dogs we could leave in the pens for while. (Multi-tasking at it's best!)

The dogs:
Camille and Damian: Jodi took these two adorable Rottweiler crosses out. They came in together and love each other, but Damian is documented as being somewhat aggressive towards other dogs. Camille is shyer but seems uncertain about other dogs. Yesterday when I was walking Bruno Camille was in her pen alone, and gave Bruno a kiss on the nose. Today when we walked by they were both barking at Bruno; I think Camille follows Damian's lead.

Bruno: OMG, can I just say how much I love this dog? He's lost weight since I last walked him, but he's still a big, pudgy, lovable teddy bear. He walks nicely by your side with you, listens to you when you tell him something, and love cookies (probably why he's overweight now...but if you met him you'd want to feed him cookies all the time too!) He's not interested in the other dogs (unless they are really aggressive to him, then I guess he feels he has to represent) and not really interested in playing fetch, but he loved our game of hide and seek. Once he finds you, he gets really excited and plasters himself against you for cuddles. I love him!

Ace: Ace is a beautiful, Siberian husky with only one bright, blue eye. Because of that, it always looks like he's winking at you. I've never walked Ace, but everyone says he's a lovely dog, much like Bruno, who doesn't pull when walking and doesn't get all riled up with other dogs. He's rooming with Mimi right now, who is his bi-polar opposite. When i was trying to get Mimi back inside her kennel, Ace was perfectly calm, sat down right in front of me and rested his chin on my tummy, looking up at me with his winky expression. So cute! Plus his fur was so soft.

Saber and Roxy: Jodi took Saber while I took Roxy. These two scary looking dogs are both bull breeds, but are rooming together with seemingly no issues. Usually I see the same guy walking Saber, and all reports say that despite her intimidating appearance, she is a sweet dog who likes to play. Roxy is the same, although she was really energetic and pulled a lot. Since they room together, we thought it would be ok to put them in a pen together for a while. At first, it seemed like they both wanted to play; they romped off together jumping all over each other. Jodi and I went to attend to the other dogs, but when we went back the two of them were going at it...intensely, I might add. Saber had the upper hand and and had snapped onto Roxy's ear. Poor Roxy was twisting her head around, trying to get away. Jodi managed to break up the dogs and hold Saber back while I rushed to get Roxy away. Her ear was bleeding badly, and they had to take her to the vet because the bleeding wasn't stopping. We don't know what started the fight.

Mimi: I've walked Mimi before and although I liked her, I knew she was a handful. Today was no exception. As soon as we approached her and Ace in their kennel, she started whining loudly, which escalated to near screaming as she was so anxious to get out. She started scrambling around wildly in her kennel, which may I add hadn't been cleaned yet so poo was spread all over the place. When I got her leash on, she instantlly dashed off, dragging me everywhere, same as last time. Jodi and I thought it would be best to put them into a pen first, since Mimi obviously had extra energy to burn off. When I came back afterwards to take Mimi, her and Ace were both waiting anxiously by the door to go on their walk. While Ace waited calmly with a minor bark here and there, Mimi was poking her nose outside, jumping up, trying to dig her way out. I managed to grab both of them and kick the gate closed so I could leash them up, except the gate has a kind of latch on it that swings out, and although the gate closed the protruding latch stopped it from closing all the way. Before I knew it, Mimi had run outside and was galloping up and down alongside the fences. F**k!! I checked to make sure Ace was secure and chased after Mimi. Luckily (or maybe unluckily) Saber was in the next pen, and Mimi, being the drama queen she is, decided to taunt the other dog by growling at her and chasing her up and down the pen. This meant that she did not run far, and we managed to grab her. After that, I walked her with some mild success in teaching her not to pull to hard, and we played a game of fetch. I think that she has the potential to be a great dog, she just needs a very firm handler and a lot of training. She is smart and knows some commands, but whatever her upbringing was, they probably didn't pay too much attention to her and didn't set any boundaries, so sometimes she chooses to ignore you.

Also, both Mimi and Bruno ate grass on their walk. What the heck?

Adventures in Dogwalking: Mimi

2009-04-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

My hand is all red and swollen, the result from walking Mimi the year old German Shepherd. A beautiful black dog with a brown undercoat, she was still a puppy at heart and dragged me all over the SPCA while on her leash.

Most dogs pull initially because of all the pent up energy they have from spending in their kennels, but as it wears off they calm down afterwards. Not Mimi. For one and a half hours, I tried to encourage her to walk by my side by changing directions, bribing her with pets and treats whenever she did stay by my side for more than ten seconds, even just stopping completely and waiting until she figured it out and came to my side. Mostly, the walk was spent with me trying to control her pulling, which meant each time she pulled the nylon leash dug into my hand, leaving me with red welts as a souvenir.

Mimi was really excitable, like most dogs her age. Even bouts of fetch didn't seem to tire her out. She was really sweet and enjoyed her pets and cuddles. She was also a very clever girl and understood a lot of commands; the problem was she sometimes chose when she wanted to obey and when she wanted to ignore you. She was distracted by dogs easily, and some she wanted to run up to and play with. Conversely, some she was afraid of, and then she would bark and growl in what seemed to me like fear-agressive behaviour (I read her write up on the SPCA website later which said she was good with dogs, so maybe she was having an off day). Once she was on the leash, she was easier to guide when it came to those kind of situations, but off leash it was hard to get her attention once she was all worked up.

When the time came for her to go back to her kennel, Mimi knew immediately what was up and started whining and trying to get away. It's always so sad to have to bring the dogs back to their kennels, with all these other unfamiliar dogs barking and banging around them; it must be really upsetting for them. I managed to get Mimi into her kennel by going in with her. Once inside, Mimi again demonstrated how clever she was and promptly sat down in front of the door, blocking my exit. I stayed with her for a few minutes, trying to soothe her a little, but every time I moved, she jumped back to blocking the way out. While I was trying to shuffle around the kennel with her so I could leave, I accidently stepped on her paw, which of course made her yelp and made me feel even more guilty. As if she knew I was close to getting out, she lay down and stretched herself out in front of the door, and looked up at me with her adorable brown eyes. Even though by now I was tempted to stay in there all day with her, I managed to get the door open and hold her back until I shut it. She looked at me from the other side with a defeated expression, and watched me as I walked away.

How is it that people can give up their pets to shelters and turn their backs on them, never thinking another thought about them? I will say that not everyone that gives up their pets to places like the SPCA mean badly; sometimes the owners are hit with something unexpected, like terminal illness or financial difficulties, leaving them unable to care for their pets. If all other possible options are exhausted, then it probably is best for their animals to find homes that can provide them with all their necessities. But some background stories I've read regarding owner surrenders are: the family surrendered their nine year old dog because of "allergies," the family decided to take a three week vacation to Vegas and surrendered their dogs so they wouldn't have to worry about them (true story), or simply put, the owners didn't want the pet anymore. I spend maybe two hours at the most with each dog I walk, and I want to take all of them home with me (well, maybe not all of them...Pirate the dog)! I know that two hours is not the same as taking care of a pet 24/7, but even the challenges I could see in Mimi would be well worth overcoming to have a sweet dog like her as a companion.

Anyways...my rant for today.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Chewy

2009-03-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I have weekends off, I've decided to fill in my Saturday mornings with what else...dog walking!

Today, I took out Hanna again, the dog I walked on Thursday. She seemed more nervous today; she basically kept her nose planted to the ground the whole time we walked, and as soon as she saw another dog or came near another dog, she started whimpering and crying. I didn't have her out too long as everytime we came near the kennels, it seemed that she wanted to go back. But once I put her back, she would stand on her hind legs and look at me with her sad eyes; I think she wanted company in there. Poor baby...

Next up: Chewy! Chewy is an adorable, young, pudgy Lab mix. At first, he kept barking because he wanted to go out. Once I had him on his leash, he nearly pulled my arm off as soon as we got outside! Definitely a very strong, excitable dog. I kept trying to keep him by my side in an attempt to train him to walk better, which was successful for about ten seconds before he took off and dragged me along behind him.

Apart from the pulling, Chewy was a great, affectionate dog. When I played fetch with him, he eagerly retrieved the ball and brought it back to me, dropping it at my feet with his tail wagging the whole time. One time, after returning to me, he dropped the ball and lay down. As soon as I started petting him he rolled over onto his back and growled playfully as I rubbed his belly.He also responded well to direction. He's the only dog there I've ever gotten to sit on command when there wasn't a treat dangling from my hand. He lives up to his name, though; when I tried to introduce him to a brush so I could groom him, he instantly thought it was a new toy and grabbed it in his mouth. I had to tell him to drop it multiple times before he let go. Even so, as soon as I walked away to get something else, I saw him jump up and try to grab the brush again from the place I left it. Sneaky!

Blaaahhh....I really want my own dog!

Adventures in Dogwalking: Hana and Bruno

2009-03-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is not one of the dogs I walked. This was, however, the dog named Bear that was so excited and so horny that he kept jumping onto the back of the other dog in his kennel to try to hump it. The other dog did not appreciate this, and kept running around all over the kennel in an attempt to avoid Bear. The attempt was unsuccessful, as Bear would jump onto the other dog and hump while clinging onto it, creating a double decker dog combo zooming all over the cage.Did I mention the other dog was also a male? This is what happens when you don't spay or neuter your dog!

Izzy, the dog I coveted last week, came down with a cold, so he was put in Isolation so the other dogs couldn't get infected. I wanted to visit him, but couldn't. Boo! There's also a pending application on him, so I probably won't be able to see him again. (Big unsmiley face here!)

This is Hana, the dog I did walk. Isn't she pretty? She's probably the closest thing to a puppy I've gotten to walk, and was very well-behaved on her leash. She's still afraid of a lot of things, so when something started to scare her, she would start to whine. She had the softest fur, though, and she was the most popular dog there, as all the other dogs wanted to play with her. One dog even snuck in a kiss while they were nuzzling their noses together. So cute!!

The other dog was named Bruno. He was a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix, and the biggest, widest dog I've ever seen. I'm not even exagerating here, he was as wide as my coffee table; literally like a big cardboard box with four legs and a head and a tail attached to it.Naturally, I was slightly wary of taking such a big dog out, but it turned out my fears were unfounded. He was such a big cuddly teddy bear, he would have his tail wagging the whole time if you lavished all the attention and pets in the world on him.

He also knew exactly what to do to get a treat...I probably fed him about 6 treats before I realized there were special "diet" treats to give out. I fed him one, which he ate, but the next one I gave him he spat right out onto the ground and didn't touch it. Whoops, I've tainted him now!

Neither of the dogs I walked wanted to play fetch. Is that something they learn? Some of it might depend on the breed I suppose (Retrievers retrieve, shepherds...herd?). I tried try to pique both Hanna's and Bruno's curiosity by waving the ball in front of them, and then giddily throwing it while shouting, "Fetch!" No reaction. They just continued prancing around the pen as if I had just stood there and done nothing.

Until next week!

Adventures in Dogwalking: Izzy

2009-03-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

What a wet morning! Even so, I trooped on over to the SPCA for my weekly dog-walking outing. The dog I walked was the smallest dog I've ever walked so far, but was soooooo cute! Look at his face! His name is Izzy.

Unfortunately for poor Izzy, the rain and the mud did not combine well with his white fur. Pretty soon, he looked like he had been dipped in chocolate from the legs up to his tummy. One other volunteer said, "What happened to your dog? He's all wet." Well, of course he is, it's raining! I don't have the power to not be rained on because the dog I'm walking is white!

Anyways, it was a very uneventful walk. Izzy got anxious when the bigger dogs came nearby and barked at them. I think once he got used to me, though, he seemed less anxious and didn't bark so much afterwards. When I took him back into his kennel, I managed to dry some of him off with a towel, an act he was happy to contribute towards by shaking himself all over the place. Sadly, as soon as I left the kennel, he ran right up to the fence and started whining really loudly. It took all my willpower not to run right in there again to cuddle him...because that would've started some really bad habits for him.

Yes, a very uneventful morning. Which is why this is a very uneventful blog.

Woot.

How Do You Surrender Something Like This?

2009-03-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

This is Spike, an adorable one year old kitty at the SPCA. She's cute, she loves cuddles, she's not aggressive or mean. She used to have a home and a family.

A family that decided to give her up to the SPCA because they were having a baby.

Is that fair?

Adventures in Dogwalking: Shadow

2009-03-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

First off, my sweet dog from last week was adopted. Huzzah (but I'll miss her)! Pirate, that dog I thought was trying to eat my hand had his owner pick him up (After a month of being missing?? That's suspicious owner behavior!) And the beautiful white Malamute I wanted to walk was not there (Boo-urns!)

The dog I walked today was a Rottweiler mix just recently named Shadow. There's something about the appearance of these kinds of dogs that immediately give me a "Will it try to bite my arm off?" kind of twitch. Shadow turned out to be a pretty good dog, except for the fact that he was really strong and initially pulled on the leash A LOT. He's probably the only dog that came close to pulling me off my feet, but being the female Hercules I am (mwahah!) I managed to hang in there.

Things were going well...until I tried to beat him at his own game. Since he kept pulling, I thought I could match him by jogging along with him (besides, I have some sushi rolls that have yet to be burned off from my tummy!). There I was, leisurely jogging and working up a sweat while Shadow jogged ahead of me, until I realized that somehow, the leash loop had slipped off my hand, and was dragging on the ground farther and farther ahead of me as Shadow caught on that I wasn't holding him back any longer. "Shadow!" I shrieked, trying to pick up my speed, but if there's anything I'm slow at, it's running, and dogs in general can hoof it pretty fast. Luckily, another girl managed to grab him before he could make an escape. Unluckily for me, this is the second time I've accidently dropped the leash! Gah! I fear I'm developing a reputation for losing dogs. Perhaps I'll be the first volunteer fired from the SPCA for not being able to walk a dog properly :(

Lastly, something for all pet appreciators and owners: The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm. For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required. The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door: TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS: (1) They live here. You don't. (2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture. (3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people. (4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly. Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hang out with drug-using people; (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ..

Adventures in Dogwalking: Missey

2009-03-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

I arrived nice and early at the SPCA this morning. By this time, I had come to a realization that I do not like pitt bulls or any kind of pitt bull mixes, therefore Pirate (the dog I walked last time) was forever on my "I ain't walking that dog!" list. During my previous shift with the cats, I passed this beautiful, white Husky Malamute, and made a mental note to try to claim him to walk.

Unfortunately, he was away on a vet visit, and after scanning the list of dogs to walk, it didn't seem like there were any cute and fuzzy ones left (What? I'm entitled to like cute and fuzzy animals!).Then the gate banged open and out came this nice looking Collie mix, dragging behind her this poor older lady who was obviously having a bit of trouble controlling the dog. The co-ordinator looked at me and said, "You're pretty strong, right? Do you want to take Missey instead? I think (insert name here) will have a hard time with her, as she pulls a lot." We both looked at the lady who was being pulled and twirled all over the place as Missey the dog went this way and that way. I agreed, and went to take over.

Missey turned out to be such a sweetheart, much like my beloved Ruby (the first dog I walked). She did pull a lot on her leash, and I had to pull her back a few times. Most of the pulling was probably pent up energy from being in her kennel all the time; once we did a few walks around the trail, she calmed down and didn't pull as much. She also LOVED to play fetch! The SPCA has fenced in areas to let the dogs off their leash so they can run around freely. Once Missey was in there, she immediately picked up a ball and brought it to me so I could throw it for her. She was really picky with what kind of toy she wanted to fetch; the ball she initially got, she decided it wasn't good enough and dumped it onto the ground , then went sniffing all over the place until she found a toy she liked better. After that, I spent the next ten minutes or so throwing it for her, and she would grab it in her mouth and bring it back. Instead of bringing right to me though, she would go and drop it into a corner near me, which meant I would have to walk over there to get it so I could throw it for her again. But towards the end of our time together, she actually started bringing it right back to me and tried dropping it into my hands (the toy kept bouncing off my hands and onto the ground, so on a few occassions it seemed like Missey was giving me these exasperated looks because I couldn't catch it properly. Whoops!)

At one time, while I stood chatting with another volunteer, Missey simply lay down and waited for me to finish. As soon as I was done, she jumped up with the ball in her mouth, and ran over to give it to me so we could keep playing. Such a good girl!

The only thing I thought was a little strange was she didn't seem to like those Milkbone treats that they have to give the dogs. The first few times I tempted her with them, she followed through on my command, but when presented the treat, she merely licked it and turned her head away. Further attempts to have her eat it went ignored, so I just put it back into the container (yes, even though she licked it already. It's still good!) Perhaps it was because we had just started our walk, and she wanted to run around instead of have treats. She ate some later, but she didn't gobble it down like the other dogs. If anything, it was more of a placatory gesture, like "Ok, you keep trying to give me these treats, so to appease you I'll eat some...but I don't like it." I guess it's not really so strange that she didn't like them, if she was picky while choosing her toy she'll probably be picky elsewhere too.

I left today a whole lot happier than last time. I also left with a curtain of dog hair all over my clothes; maybe someone will be good enough to give Missey a nice brushing.

Paris Hilton, This is All Your Fault

2009-02-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Since the Tinkerbell days, I've seen more little doggies riding in purses or being tucked under an arm while their owners walk about. This annoys me as I think it fuels the "trend" that small dogs are accessories instead of animals that have been bred over centuries with specific working purposes, ergo they were designed for activity, not as clothing coordinates.

This morning I watched an episode of Judge Joe Brown (it happened to be on, don't judge me!). Two sisters were suing the dog breeder they got their dogs from because...the dogs grew too big and were not considered "teacup" anymore! According to the sisters, they bought two Maltipoo dogs from this breeder and she assured them they were "teacup" dogs. So they paid $2000 for the dogs, and bought all these tiny little outfits for their new puppies. However, the dogs kept growing, and as the sisters laid out all the tiny clothes in front of the judge they angrily cried that the dogs won't fit into them anymore. They claimed the breeder assured them they were getting teacup dogs, and that she ripped them off because instead of being under 5lbs like most teacups are, their full grown dogs ended up being almost twice that weight. They were suing the breeder for their money back.

The breeder contended that she had sold them teacup dogs, and asserted that the term "teacup" can only apply to puppies, as a full grown dog by those standards usually mean an unhealthy dog (Actually, according to the official registry of dog breeds, there is no such thing as a "teacup" dog. This term applies to toy dog breeds of certain sizes, but there is no official category). Judge Joe Brown seemed slightly amused by the whole thing, but brought in a court animal expert to assess the dogs. Her verdict? The dogs were overweight! No doubt because their shallow-minded owners didn't walk them enough and probably fed them table scraps. She also stated that the Maltipoo, as a breed, is a combination of two breeds and therefore size will vary and can't be predicted due to genetics. Judge Joe Brown agreed, calling it an example of buyers remorse, and dismissed the case.

Similar to the Maltipoos the sisters had.

In the context of the case, I thought the whole thing was stupid and a prime example of why people need to do their research when thinking about getting a dog. I also wanted to smack those two girls upside the head for their superficial arguments, especially as those dogs were so cute and friendly, and the breeder stated earlier that they wanted to give up the dogs for their money back. They don't deserve idiot people like that as owners. However, I think they were ripped off by the breeder, not because she told them the dogs were teacup dogs and they weren't or whatever, but because paying $2000 for a pet is way too much, especially as there are so many dogs at shelters that need a good home for less. If they had the intention of getting a purebred and showing it a dog shows, then I could understand the price tag, but since the Maltipoo isn't even a purebred breed, what's the point?

I don't blame the breeder, though, I blame the idiocy of those two dummies.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Pirate

2009-02-20T23:08:00.000-08:00

You know that kind of dog I dreaded getting on my first day of dogwalking? Well, that's the kind of dog I got on my weekly Thursday duty at the SPCA. .

His name is Pirate. He's supposedly a Pitt Bull Terrier cross. As soon as he came out of his kennel, he immediately relieved himself to the side, then crazily dashed here and there smelling everything and pulling at his leash. The pulling was interspersed with a lot of stopping abruptly so he could go to the bathroom again and again. He went so often i suspected it was more of a territorial marking thing, but I'm not 100% sure since he would cover his waste with dirt afterwards. Later on, I thought he might've had a problem because he kept stopping and going, but only little dribbles came out. (Good times).

The real trouble started about ten minutes into our walk. At the SPCA, they have you walk on this little trail that goes in one direction so the dogs don't meet face to face, in case they hate each other and fight. Well, as we were plodding along, there was another dog that was walking a little ways behind us. I guess Pirate caught it's scent or something because he suddenly stopped and turned around. Without warning, he started barking at the other dog, and THEN, he turned around and began jumping up on me while growling and barking and trying to bite at my hand! I panicked and dropped the leash, which is not a very good thing to do with shelter dogs as most likely, they will try to run away! And run away Pirate did, except he ran to the other dog and began to sniff him out. Luckily, the lady that was walking that dog managed to grab him as I dashed after him. There was no dog fight, although Pirate started getting really growly before they walked away.

It became apparent that Pirate liked to assert his dominance, as the whiff of another dog was enough to set off the barking/jumping up/biting response. I figured out that he wasn't actually trying to bite me each time, he was trying to bite at the leash. Even with the relief that my hand was not the target, each episode became more and more irritating. I felt like those mothers you see at the mall that either try to scold their shrieking toddlers or comfort them, yet each attempt only results in louder shrieking. I definitely wasn't trying to comfort the dog, but I could hear my sharp commands of "Down! Off! No!" becoming shriller and shriller each time. (This was probably exacerbated by the fact that I was grumpy due to "hormonal fluctuations.")

After these episodes, I found myself bitterly wishing for a fuzzy German Shepard to coddle. On the other hand, once Pirate was away from the other dogs he was actually quite nice. He had the softest, silkiest coat, and seemed to be happiest being petted and getting a lot of attention from people (which he did). I had him out for a long time, so towards the end he was a lot calmer, having got all that pent up energy out of him. Plus whenever you told him to stop, he usually did and would look up at you as if waiting for your next command (Except during the "episodes," grrr!).

After today, my desire to own a dog waned slightly...but then it popped up again. Yay for dogs!

Doggie Craving Update: Bat

2009-02-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I posted a mini-blurb about a dog I saw on Petfinder. His name is Bat, and he is soooo cute! I wanted to see if someone had stepped up to adopt him, but his listing is still there, so I guess not :( If I could, I would totally adopt that dog!

Photo from Dhana Metta Rescue Society (http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12534031)

I swear, one of my stuffed animals looks just like him. Awww...

Adventures in Dogwalking: ?

2009-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

I arrived at the SPCA this morning around 9:50am, only to find that there were no more dogs left to walk! Note to self: arrive at 9:30 next time!

On a sad note, all the volunteers found out that Betty, the sweet old dog I walked last week, was put down yesterday. The vet discovered she was full of cancer and that it had spread all over her body. :(

R.I.P Betty.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Betty

2009-02-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

I got to the SPCA shelter at 9:50am, hoping to walk my new favorite pick of dogs, Bowe (another cute, fuzzy German Shepard). Despite my early arrival, it seems there were others that arrived even earlier than I as Bowe was already out on his walk. I was a little dismayed, but there will be other walks!
So I got Betty. Betty was in stark contrast to Ruby, the dog I walked last time. She was some kind of pittbull-mastiff mix, and was clearly a very, very oooollld dog. There was some speculation that she might've been raised and kept in a puppy mill, as her teats protruded and sagged beneath her belly as if she had too many puppies in her lifetime. She also had scabbing around her elbows.
Perhaps it was due to her age, or perhaps she had some foot injuries, but Betty was very slow and seemed to not want to walk too much. She would take a few steps, and then suddenly stop and not want to move. My gentle tugs and calls of "Let's go, Betty!" would eventually elicit a response and she would slowly trod beside me, but then she would stop once more. I admit I was somewhat disappointed; I expected a brisk walk around the forest like last time. Plus, I was worried that because she wasn't walking, I was wasting her precious time outside of her kennel.
From other volunteers, it appears Betty has been at the SPCA for a while now. A gentleman told me that his wife walks Betty, and often she doesn't want to walk and just sits there. That was reassuring, so instead of trying to make her walk all the way around the trail, I settled for walking her back and forth in a little "U" shaped trail around the front of the fenced in area (Also the area where the treats were kept. Coincidence? I think not!) She seemed more comfortable in this area, as it was easier to encourage her to walk this route.
Regardless of her hinderances, Betty was a very sweet, laid back dog. When the other dogs would come nearby, she would either sit back on her haunches and wait patiently for them to pass, or she would want to go and meet them and sniff them. Due to her breed, she also drooled alot. And when I say drool, I don't mean drool like a baby drools. Betty's drool was comparable to a long, thick, slimy booger that you might get when you have the worst flu ever and can't stop your nose from running. There was an incident where Betty and a new friend were nuzzling each other, and the other dog literally got covered in drool (they had to towel him off afterwards).
Because she wasn't so much of a walker, I got to just massaging and petting her during those long minutes of sitting around. I was probably enabling her aversion to walking (although it's probably not so much an aversion as to she just has trouble doing it) but she seemed to really enjoy it. After I would massage her for a bit and take my hand away, she would immediately look up at me with her big brown eyes as if to say, "Why are you stopping?" During the last ten minutes of her time out, I let her off her leash and gave her a brushing. As soon as I started massaging her again, she slowly lay down on her side and just stayed that way until it was time to go back. When I got the leash again and said, "Time to go back!" she didn't even need spurring, she immediately raised herself up and let me clip on the leash and trotted back with me.
Even though I had initially wanted a big bouncy, energetic dog to walk today, there's something to be said about spending a quiet morning out in the sunshine, massaging a big gentle Grandma who just wants to lay at your feet. Kudos to Betty!

P.S-to all the single girls out there, there was a really cute, buff volunteer heaving all the giant bags of dog food into storage. He seemed friendly, said "Hi" to me when Betty was sniffing around the bags, and we had a laugh together at a joke I made (Wahahahaha!). Come voluteer at the SPCA!

Random Bits from the SPCA

2009-01-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

Before my shift in the cat adoption shelter on Sunday, I tried sneaking in early to take a picture of Ruby. Sadly (for me anyways, but much better for her) she was no longer at the SPCA. I hope she's in a happier home.

The dog I want to walk next: Bowie! Also a German Shepard, he seems like a very excitable dog (last week, as soon as all the volunteers starting getting the dogs out for their walk, he was jumping around and whining and barking impatiently). When I left on Sunday, I walked by his kennel. He was whimpering a little, so I gave him a few pets. He immediately lay down and smooshed himself against the fencing, so I stayed and petted him some more. Poor boy.

A cat in the adoption room made me realize how sweet and nice my little Zina is (even is she is afraid of being touched and cuddled sometimes!) Early in the afternoon this kitten was content to hide out in her box, but after a few hours and some attention she came out and let herself be petted. When it was quiet, I thought she'd like to get out and walk around the room for a bit. I let her out, but people started coming in so I needed to get her back in her kennel. As soon as I reached down to scoop her up, she let out a creepy "HIISSSSSSS" that made me freeze in my tracks. From then on, she was on to me as I tried luring her back in with treats and distracting her with toys, but to no avail. Furthermore, she hissed at all the other cats that were in their kennels for no reason! When my colleague finally was able to scoop her up, she was quiet for about a second until she let out this unearthly shriek, combined with the hissing and the protraction of every claw on her paws. I kid you not, it was like something out of the Exorcist. Creepy...

One more sad story about how pets can sometimes end up being neglected. The woman who ran the volunteer orientation told us how she had gotten one of her dogs from a rescue shelter. Apparently, the dog was from a backyard breeder who had adopted her out to an elderly woman. The woman had Alzheimers, and eventually, forgot that she owned a dog! As you can probably deduce, that meant that she also forgot to feed the dog, clean up the dog, etc. When they found her, she was literally close to death (the dog, not the woman), the hair had fallen off her tail so that it resembled a rats tail, and she was essentially skin and bones. She was nursed back to health, and is now lives with three other dogs in a better home.

For Leo

2009-01-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

My recent post about my dog walking experience brought back memories of my first and only dog, Leo, so I thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to him in my Facebook way.

My parents had gotten Leo a few years before I was born, but my earliest remembrance of him occured when I was about six years old. It was a summer evening, and my sister (who was about four at the time), myself and my dad were all out in the backyard playing with Leo.I was running around the lawn, and Leo was running with me, but at one point it seemed that he began chasing me. He caught up to me and jumped on me, knocking me off my feet and onto the grass. Of course now I realize that he was just trying to play with me, but at that time my six year old mind was convinced he was trying to eat me or something. So for the next five years or so, I was very nervous and frightened around my poor Leo.

Besides the knocking me over incident, Leo was well socialized with people. The way I see it, he would've made a useless guard dog as every stranger was a new friend! Unfortunately, my parents failed to socialize him to other dogs, so the sight of another dog would cause him to go into an aggressive-fearful frenzy. We used to walk him through a forest down near our house, and would usually let him off the leash there. It was the site of a few dog fights, all initiated by him (I remember he had to get a few stitches in the aftermath of one, courtesy of a pair of little terriers).

Around the time I turned eleven, my fear of Leo had subsided to the point where I would actually take him on little walks on my own, and eventually it vanished altogether when I would hug him and he would sit there and happily accept it.

Sadly, by this time Leo was already pushing thirteen years, which made him a sexagenarian in human years. He began to develop arthritis in his bones and in his joints. The vet gave us pills to give to him to ease the pain, but Leo was suspicious and it became a huge ordeal to try to get him to take them (My idea of trying to sneak the pill in under a treat failed miserably as Leo would nip the treat and leave the pill). As with many diseases, his arthritis got worse and worse until it was basically crippling him.Then came the summer day when my aunt arrived to take Leo to the vet, for the very last time. I remember my dad lifting him into the back of my aunts' hatchback, which was always lined with blankets for Leo. My sister and I each gave him one last hug goodbye, while my aunt was close to bursting into tears (out of all of us, she was the most attached to Leo). She didn't come back that day.

Looking back, I can see that Leo was a fantastic dog. Sure, he had his shortcomings when it came to other dogs, but when he was around us he was the nicest, most loyal dog. I wish I had known before what I know now about dogs, and had engaged in playing with him, training him, and keeping him more company.Which leads me to this. I now know that my family were awful owners, and we neglected Leo in providing him with constant companionship and care. Yes, we did feed him and change his water and clean up after him everyday. No, we never ever abused him or anything like that. But we kept him outside in a fenced portion of the backyard all the time, which meant the time he spent with us was limited to whenever we felt like taking him for a walk. Over the years, even the time we spent walking him dwindled to the once a week my aunt would faithfully drive all the way out from Vancouver just to walk him and spend a few hours with him. I think the only time he was allowed inside the house was when he was a puppy, and as soon as he was big enough he was shunted outdoors. When I mentioned this to my mother a few months ago, she said, "Well, their type like being outdoors." Leo was a Husky mix, so technically yes, they like and can tolerate the outdoors, but they also need constant constant company, otherwise they get lonely and depressed. Which is how I think Leo felt towards the end of his life.

My parents didn't intentionally mean to raise our dog badly; they just did not educate themselves properly about all the details about owning a dog (plus, I have a feeling my father wanted a dog and my mom did not, but she consented to having one anyways). At least I know well enough now that raising a dog entails research, dedication, but most of all, it becomes a part of your family. In memory of Leo, I hope I have a dog someday that I can take joy in raising, but until then I hope everyone that considers getting a pet of any kind will acknowledge every aspect of love and care that animals require.

Adventures in Dogwalking: Ruby

2009-01-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me well, I have become a pet enthusiast in the last few years, thanks to my wonderful yet sometimes aloof god-daughter cat, Zina (see photo albums "Zina Boboshinski" and "Technically Not my Cat..."). My enthusiasm drew me to the local SPCA branch, where I've decided to volunteer my time as a Cat Adoption Counsellor and a Dog Walker once a week (yes, those are official titles. Woot!). Today was my first shift as a Dog Walker.

I was a little nervous as to what dog I would be paired with as I waited outside the kennels while the Volunteer Co-ordinator assigned the dogs to everyone. What if I got a dog that jumped all over me and attempted to run in a million directions while I fought in vain to take it around the 5 min trail behind the SPCA? What if I got a dog who hated the way I smelled (I'm not insinuating I smell, but dogs have a million times the sense of smell than people)? What if it hated women (actually, there was a dog there that supposedly hated men). Luckily, I got the bestest, nicest dog I could've had for my first day of dog walking: Ruby.

Ruby is a German Shepard. According to her tag, she was a Humane Society seizure, so I assume she was being neglected by her previous owners (jerks!). The co-ordinator asked me if I thought I could handle her as she was very strong, and as I am always egotistically confident of my own strength, I assured her I could. And I did. Woot woot! But Ruby was very strong, and although she wasn't one of those dogs that constantly struggle against their leash, she did have a very strong lead. But after the first few times around the trail, she seemed to relax a little, especially after I petted/massaged her back a couple of times. She didn't bark once, not even at the other dogs nearby. In fact, she seemed much more interested in becoming friends with them than asserting herself, which makes me think, in my uncertified, non-expert amateur opinion, that she would be considered a submissive dog. She was very curious about EVERYTHING (every tree, spot of grass, and coil of poo was qualified for closer inspection) but not very interested in toys (my many thrown balls and calls of "Fetch, Ruby!" went unheeded, and therefore unfetched). But my most exciting moment was my attempt to teach her the command, "Sit." I walked her up to the treat table, grabbed a treat, and held it in my hand. Holding her steady, I raised my hand with the treat in it and said, loudly and firmly, "Sit, Ruby! Sit!" while bringing my hand down slightly each time I said it. After a few repeats, she sat! The second time around, she sat down much quicker! Yaaaayy! (Ok, someone probably taught her the command before, but it was still exciting to see it executed :P)

After a hour or so of walking and playing, it was time for her to go back into her kennel. This is the sad part for a lot of dogs, as many of them start getting anxious again and don't want to go back. Ruby went in without incident, but not before some whining and mild attempts to get away from the shelter. After she was back in, I gave her a little pet through the fence and said "Bye, Ruby!" She turned around in her kennel and quietly watched us walk away.

I hope I get to walk her again next week (unless someone adopts her, but I don't think she's available for adoption yet).