How bad am I

LOL Mr. Louie has been here a whole week and I haven't posted a picture of him. Well here he is. While we are pretty sure that he is part rottie, I'm just not sure about what the other part is. And pictures, well, they don't show this wonderful boy in his best light.

These were taken just after he came to us and he still wasn't very happy. Oh my, how that has changed. Louie is a great boy, loves to play, go for long walks, and finally loves his food. Good thing too cause this boy is on several meds for all his conditions. None of the life threatening but all of them uncomfortable for him.

Louie is easy in many ways. His leash manners are coming along and he knows that he only gets fed if he sits nicely and waits for his food. He has learned the drop it command and knows that if he drops what he has, he is rewarded with something wonderful. Sometimes thats food, but other times its toys and play. All of these are things that motivate Louiel.

He has a wonderful temperment and will allow you to do most things to him without much fuss. This unfortuantely does not include bathing. And thats too bad cause he gets one once a week. Picture 2 grown adults trying to bath 50 lbs of squirming puppy, both humans covered in shampoo and drenched to the bone. But bathe him we do.

Things take a turn for the better

Louie is back home again and we don’t really have a clear idea of what is happening with him. All I know is I got to see a side of this guy that made me laugh out loud.
Last night I told a friend of mine what a calm puppy Louie is. Well, maybe he had me fooled cause this morning on our walk he forgot all his manners. When people went to pet him, he was jumping and mouthy and being a goofey boy. Just the way a 10 month old puppy would be if he had no training. LOL Guess the bone head is feeling better. Wish I was.
Vet care is pretty darn expensive. While I love our vet and yes they do give us as much of a discount as they can, between the tests and the meds, well, it just about wiped us out. But we will continue to go forward and give Louie everything that he needs. As of today he still isn’t in need of med’s for the mange, but I did notice a new small spot and we will have to keep an eye on that. It could just be the stress of being at the vets for 2 days or we may be in for a full relapse, but whatever it is we will manage.
The next fundraiser is the garage sale on April 26th. We will have all sorts of stuff there, new, used, good quality junk. And we also have home made liver brownies for sale. I have yet to meet a dog that doesn’t think that these are the best treats they have ever had. And if your training they are easy to break down to little pieces.

Louie, Louie, Louie

How you have us worried my boy. I knew something wasn't right when he started to really refuse food and then even water. Thank god we have such a wonderful vet that took him in quickly.
Dr. Nadia was very impressed with his temperament. All Louie wanted to do was climb on her lap and cuddle. But we needed to get down to the root of the problem and soon she was all business. Louie is dehydrated. He has been vomit ting and has diarrhea and just isn't his goofey self much. So this wonderful boy has found himself in a isolation kennel at the pet hospital. He is hooked up to iv's, they are going to run tests on him and find out what is going on. Hopefully we will have him home in a day or so.
I absolutely love this boy. He is so well tempered, and almost has house manners now. Other then the first night, there has been no accidents. He knows he's not to be one the furniture (yet) and Sashka has already taught him that she is the boss of everyone. Like any good young man, once she tells him off, he runs for the hills.
Louie will be with us for awhile. He can't be neutered until the mange has cleared up. And he is not for adoption until he is neutered. LOL
Louie's bills will get higher than normal but we hope our supporters will help with them. Every dog deserves the best care we can give them and we will go to the ends of the earth to manage somehow.

Mange

Not a great word. Not a word that has people running to say I want to adopt that dog, you know the yucky smelling one with very little facial fur. But underneath that crappy fur is a heart of gold. And his name is Louie.
Yes, Louie has mange. Yes, he smells. Yes, he doesn't look his best. Not on the outside. But on the inside its a whole different story. Louie seems to love all people and really would like it if they would stop on the street and pet him. But instead, most pull away once they see his disease. And that's a shame. Cause they aren't going to get it and they aren't going to give it to their pets either.
Louie came from a shelter in the Fraser Valley. For the whole hour drive he tried to climb into my lap. We drove all the way with the windows open cause he really was rank. But all he wanted to do was give sloppy kisses. I'm sorry but even I couldn't accept them.
We stopped on the way home and bought some medicated shampoo and before this poor boy even got in the house, he was subjected to a bath. It wasn't an easy task as he was so frightened but it was necessary. As long as I held his head in my hands and spoke softly in his ear he was calm enough to be hosed down. And yes, we used warm water.
He wasn't too sure about the raw food he was offered but it is the best (in our opinion) to aide him in his recovery. Even this morning he wasn't thrilled with it but at least I didn't have to hand feed it. He loves to play with his chew rope, tossing it in the air and swinging it back and forth. I know he wants to play tug, but it is too soon to play a game of that sort. First he has to learn the "drop it" command. All things in good time Mr. Louie.

WCRR at the fair

Lots of people, some great dogs and our first real outing as a rescue group. A big thanks to all our supporters for the gift baskets, cards, etc. Without your help, we couldn't have done it. While we didn't make alot of money, we did sell some great liver brownies and I'm sure those dogs will be happy with them.
We also got to meet Ben. He is a wonderful older boy that has landed with Big Heart Rescue. Now here is a dog that loves absolutely everyone. He allowed each child that stopped to pet him and some of them even got a surprize kiss. And as for that little girl that pulled his tail, well shame on her but Ben never blinked at all. He was the perfect gentleman. While Big Heart Rescue did have their own table, Ben found ours (and our liver brownies) pretty quickly and hung close to us. He is an absolute sweetheart, takes treats so gently, is good with all dogs, cats, kids, all kinds of situations and I'm sure Big Heart would like nothing better than to find him a family of his own. Go to their site and check him out. At 6 - 8 yrs of age he still has lots to offer a family and the one that adopts him will be one very lucky placement. What a gem.

Ace moves on

So we hope we have found the perfect place for Ace. He has gone out on a foster to adopt contract and last we heard was still running around having fun. Steal their hearts Ace. You deserve this home.
As Ace moves out, there is another one waiting in the wings to take his place. This is another young boy from the Chilliwack shelter. He seems like such a goofey boy, full of himself, and ready to rock and roll. But I'm thinking he will need some time with us before he is ready for adoption. This youngester has a case of Demodex mange. While its not life threatening it is painful and he will need lots of love and care and most likely medicine to help him along. Pictures of him should be posted in the next couple of days and you will no doubt fall for this boy if young goofey rotties are your thing.

Ace shows his true colours

And such wonderful colours they are.
He is a funny boy. He would really like to play with the ever dainty fluffy dog but she will have nothing to do with him. For that matter, she has had a snarl on her face since he walked in the door. And when he bugs her to much, she (all 20 lbs) sends this boy running. But Ace has found an outlet for his energy. He loves to play with balls. If you throw it, 9 times out of 10 he will bring it back. The other 1 time he usually runs around with it, throwing it in the air or dropping it on the ground so he can chase it some more. He also would like to bury it but I keep interrupting that process. There is something about all the dirt from the garden all over my patio stones that bothers me. I know, I'm picky. LOL
Ace has not had an accident either in his crate or loose in the house. He always goes to the door to let you know that he wants out. And for that matter, he rarely does his business while on leash, preferring instead to wait till he is home and then rushing outside to deposit it in the yard.
The only real issues Ace seems to have is his tendency to pull on leash. We are working on that but anyone adopting him will need to correct this. The other issue is when you first leave the house. He does bark and whine for a short time. My thoughts are that he is still worried that we are deserting him. If he has something to occupy his time with, like a fresh bone or a kong filled with something yummy, he hardly notices that you are gone.
Ace will leave for his new foster home this weekend. His spot in my home is desperately needed by another pup. This other rottie pup has mange and will need some love and attention to recover from this. Stay tuned for more updates on the dogs in care

Nothing much new today

Just some better pictures of Ace. He really is a nice boy.

Puppies Yuck

Ok Ace isn't as bad as that but he still is a puppy and needs to play play play. He is a very social dog with other dogs but is still unsure of people. If there are treats involved, well, he is the best.
We didn't crate him last night but instead attached him by long leash to the bed. Once he realized that everything was ok, he settled right down for the night.
While Ace needs some leash work, stopping and backing up when he pulls works to some degree. So far he is settling in nicely.
This dog would do best with an active family. Someone that can give him the outlet for all this energy. He has met the neighbours cat and if it would have played with him, everything would have been wonderful. His past owners say he is good with kids and I'm sure once he meets them he would be fine. He really does try very hard to be a good boy and is learning the rules of the house quickly.

Somedays I swear I have no idea what I'm doing

We have some urgency in finding either adoptive homes or at the very least foster care. Ace will be joining WCRR tomorrow. No, he's not really a rottweiler. Well maybe there is a little rottie in him but whatever. Here he comes and we will find him a great home.

From what I understand Ace is about 7 months old, house trained, lives with a small dog, is good with kids and sleeps in a crate. He will need someone to teach him basic manners so obedience will be mandatory for this boy. He is already neutered and up to date on his shot.

While I'm sure we will love having this young boy here, his spot is desperately needed for another young rottie boy that currently has mange and is in a shelter. From all accounts Ace will be an easy fit in almost any home.

Dogs dogs everywhere

And not enough foster homes.
Again I have dogs lined up to come into care but no where to place them. There are young pups and mature dogs just looking for a chance for a new life. And foster homes are the blood that makes rescue works.
A couple of the dogs needing placement are good with other dogs, kids and most likely cats. They would be the perfect house guests for a month or so.
Take Bella for example. Bella had us worried when she was in the shelter. She was growly, hard to get leashed and wouldn't let anyone brush her. She barked and scared everyone away. And because of her behaviour she wasn't getting anyone interested in taking her. Being at the shelter just make it worse.
I got to have a quick visit with Bella this afternoon in her new foster home. She is settling in really nicely. After a few walks down the street, she is managing to be around the traffic. She has found her spot at the foot of Shannons bed and stays there all night. Shannon gave her a really good brushing yesterday and Bella found the joy of toys. Those were perhaps the first time she has gotten to do those things.
Miss Bella is bonding quickly to Shannon. When I walked in she was glad to see me and even happier to see the bully stick I brought. Off she ran with it in her mouth. But every few minutes she would come back to Shannon as if to say, is this really ok? She has gotten to meet some people and found out they aren't all bad. This is a totally different dog then I saw at the shelter and this is exactly what fostering is about. Letting the dog know that it is safe and loved and that it can start to be a dog. Even if Bella isn't the right dog for Shannon, she is the perfect dog for someone. Yes she is still scared. Yes she is still unsure of her surroundings but she is coming out of her shell and we will soon see the beautiful girl that she has the ability to be.
So, if your thinking that you just might like to try this fostering thing, drop us a line. Young dogs, mature dogs, females, males, we have them waiting just for you.

Another busy day in Rescue

Little did I know when I started this just how busy I would get and just how stressful rescue was.
But today was one of those days that makes it all worth while. Big Rhonda's adoption was finalized today. Her family loves her so much. I was excited to see her again, but she only had eyes for Alison and Damon. And that is just the way its suppose to be.
Then it was off to Richmond to pickup Shannon and to get Bella sprung from the Delta Community Animal Shelter. They are a great bunch at the shelter but Bella really really needed to be out of there and in a home.
Bella really didn't want to get in the car. I'm not sure why, but she had to be pushed in. And for the whole drive, she had her head over the barrier needing reassurance that everything was going to be ok. When we finally got her back to Shannon's she was hesitant to go inside but once inside she was eager to check everything out. My last sight of her was her sitting infront of her new foster/adoptive mom begging for more attention. I'm really hoping that Bella steals Shannons heart. Shannon lost her rottie boy 4 months ago and while her heart still hurts from that, she was more then ready to open her little home and her big heart to a rottie girl in need.

WCRR meets Cookie

Have you ever seen a more worried looking dog. This is cookie. And yes she is shy and most likely worried.

Cookie has not had the best life but is currently at Richmond Animal Protection Society and is now safe. But she needs a home. She needs a home where she will be treated like family. One that will show her love, affection, and safety. One that will never tie her up outside again, one that will never hurt her again and one that will give her the time she needs to show how much love she has to give.

I got to spend a little bit of time with Cookie and she loves what she is named for. She will sit, do down, wait (only for a minute though), and shake a paw for a cookie. It didn't really matter to her if it was some dry old thing or one of the valued homemade liver brownies. Its all the same to her.

What I did see though was one scared dog. On our short walk she kept trying to dodge traffic, kept away from people and make sure that no one would go near her. Don't get me wrong, it isn't as if she was jumping out of her skin, but it was very easy to see how frightened she is.

Cookie doesn't need to come to West Coast Rottweiler Rescue. She is safe and loved there, but she does need her own place. She hasn't been socialized much so most likely she should be an only dog. Maybe with some time and work, she could come around but for now a place of her own with her own family would suit this gal just fine. If you think you could offer her all that she needs, please contact RAPS directly. I know they would love to find Cookie a warm bed away from the shelter RAPS.shelter@telus.net

Bella is now safe.

Its been a really stressful time and I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but with a little help we have found the perfect placement for this girl. I begged and pleaded and asked everyone to crosspost her story and a few people stepped up to the plate and offered to help her.
Bella will be going out on a foster to adopt placement on Sunday. Shannon is going to be her new mom and I know she will treat Bella with all the kindness and love that she needs. Many thanks go out to Trojan Rottweiler and Ann for finding Shannon for Bella. This just goes to show me that all I have to do is have faith that we can help find the right home for the right dog.

Bella, Bella, Bella

This poor girl really isn't doing well in the shelter. She needs out fast or things could go wrong for her.

Bella is a 5 - 6 yr old rottie that just needs another chance at life. The past couple of months have not been kind to this sweetie. Her and her family lost absolutely everything in a fire not long ago. As devastating as this was, it then got much worse. One of her owners had a stroke.

It became clear that there was no way for them to handle such a big girl and while they boarded her for awhile in the hopes of finding her a home, the cost just became too much and they had to surrender her to the shelter. This broke both their hearts and Bella's.

Bella is afraid. Her home and family have been taken away from her, she is in a strange place with strange dogs and strange people and she isn't sure how to handle this. And when a dog is afraid, they do growl. And that's what this girl is starting to do.

Once out of the kennel, she settles and becomes calmer but there are still things that frighten her. She doesn't like to have her collar touched, shy's away from people if they try to grab her but as most rottweilers, she is pretty food motivated and the way to her heart and head is thru her stomach. Bella will need someone that understand the breed, that is calm and gentle but firm. In short, she needs what every good rottweiler needs, love and leadership.

West Coast Rottweiler Rescue will pay for her spay, any medical needs she has, food if necessary and help with training and support.

If you can help us help this poor girl, please email us at information@westcoastrottweilerrescue.com and we will send out a foster application right away.