Helping the black and tan where we can

I am closing the blog

2011-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

There simply is not enough time to keep this blog going as well as the website, the facebook page, fundraising and caring for the dogs.
Please come to facebook and join the group. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/15919704537/

updates

2011-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

God I wish I was better with this but I am going to be honest and tell you that I'm not going to do this perfectly. Often you can find out info on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/home.php?sk=group_15919704537

We do not have any adoptable dogs available right now. What we do have is the old and sick and dying. These are dogs that we brought into care and promised that we would make their life better for as long as they were comfortable.
Clyde is such a funny funny boy. He is not about to give up what he has by dying. He eats and gets up to greet us, and sometimes even plays. That is about all we can ask of him. He is still strong enough to get up on the couch, he still comes to the door with toys in his mouth, and still loves Sashka. Clydes' tail continues to wag none stop. He may have cancer but he is certainly not giving up anytime soon. We have him on both Tramadol and Deramex and while he is getting the maximum dose, he is still doing very well. We see things like he is having a harder time breathing, he sleeps all the time and now shows signs of trouble getting up and this morning his poor old legs were shaking by the time we finished our 15 minute walk. It has been a full year that this boy has graced our home and I grateful that he has stayed as long as he has.

Cola is a worry for all of us. I have been in touch with her vet and things do not look hopeful for her. We did a ton of testing and things have shown up that lead us to believe that Cola has cancer. There are nodules on her spleen and in her lungs. While they could have tried to biopsy this, because her platelets are so low the vet was worried that they would do more damage then good. And really there is nothing to do at this stage to change anything for Cola. She is an 11 yr Rottweiler. She is at the end of her life and anything that we would do to extend it would be selfish on our part. Cola has had a wonderful life and has been loved for all of it. Even when she came into our care it was because someone loved and cared enough to surrender her. Peggy has been her caretaker since Cola arrived and I can only imagine how hard this is for her. But I do know that Peggy has done a wonderful job of loving and caring for this old girl.

We were contacted last week about a young boy in a shelter in the Fraser Valley. Barley is a great dog that is in foster care but he has a lump on his foot that has shown to be cancerous. We do not have a place for Barley to go to but the foster home is willing to look after him. What West Coast Rottweiler Rescue is going to do is take care of his vet bills and have the lump removed. He can then become adoptable.

All of this is worrying. Clydes bills are high, Cola's has come in at around $1500.00 Barley will be about $1000.00. This will more then likely completely delete our bank account. The board of directors istrying to raise funds. We are having a raffle, will be going to the Blueberry Festival in Cloverdale in Aug, and needs to plan more events to raise more monies. I am always in awe of how they all step up and do so much.
Donations are greatfully accepted. We do not have our charity status which makes it impossible to give out tax receipts.

Peggy & Cola update

2011-04-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

a couple of months ago, we were contacted by a shelter to help an 11 yr old dog by the name of Cola. Cola had been a very loved dog but her owner was ill and could not keep her. After the usual plea for help, a wonderful family stepped up and took Cola on as a foster dog. Cola lives with a wonderful senior by the name of Peggy. Peggy's daughter sent me this update

There is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. The sun always shines on this dog, who now seems to be rather fond of the cat, loves to go for car rides for coffee and to visit her two new best friends ( golden labs, huggyslobberywiggleyfun), they play a little ball ( mostly just chewing on it!), she LOVES gardening with Mom, oh my that is awesome, likes her food just fine but is keeping a very fine slender profile, hates rain (?), loves naps and really really loves Peggy.

Ya, work is insane, I keep forgetting that God/Dog only gives us 24 hours in a day. Census season will come and go and i will be ok ok ok ok...ooops. I feel like my left ear is surgically attached to my phone, and I swear that my right hand has been stuck to the mouse for so long that I will be right-click-scroll-left-click....long after I die.

BUT, the joy over at the Hobbitt House is beyond all hope that I even imagined when I stuck my face into things and called you.

Cola is an incredible faithful friendly guardian to a wonderful woman. She truly truly stands on guard for Mom. NEVER aggressive, just gently asserting the fact that she is doing her job , she quietly lays down between anyone, even me, and Mom, dozes happily, and then gets up to escort us out the door. She is that way with all of Moms friends, and all of our neighbours who have come to meet her ( even the Saturday Morning religious travellers). Methinks that is what the grand Rottie was bred for in the first place, yes?

Cola and Mom now can have wonderful slow off-leash walks around the property, she responds right away to verbal commands. They stroll about in their yard, Cola lays in the grass and makes sure that Mom gets the spinach planted just right, they stop often so Mom can rest, and Cola just lays down beside her walker, and waits for the word to go again.

Sometimes the "young upstart " lab-cross next door tries to yap at Cola, she just turns her nose up and wanders by. Mom can go to Dr appointments in town,leaves Cola at home on the deck with gate closed and front door open of course, Cola barks a bit for a minute or 5, then wanders off to the couch for a nap time.

They go to Yahtzee date every Wednesday at Lang Bay, that is where Jesse and Keora (new bffs) live with Moms best pal Phoebe, and the dog-girls waddle about the huge grass yard, up and down on the deck, eat, nap, tug-a-ball...and sometimes pretend to chase a cat..and on Sundays Jesse and Keora come to visit at Cola's house!

AND, the biggie, Mom took Cola for a wander at the Equestrian Park ( a lovely wooded area with beautiful trails, very senior dog and person friendly) in town. Just the two of them, got in the van drove down the road with the walker and everything....I know I sound like a silly over-proud Mummie, but my dearest Peggy faces such monsterous physical pain everyday, and it will never get better, so to see her out and about and ...

Sometimes, at 10 pm, I can see their flashlight as they do their "bedtime walkabout", and often call "hello" at 8 am and they are doing the quickie morning pee..when Mom has a "bad pain day" Cola is very content to go out into the yard on her own to pee and pooh while Mom watches from the deck, and then just gently crawls back up on the couch with Peggy, and stays on watch until, well, until whenever.
I couldnt just call you to tell you how things are. I would just cry myself stupid. with all the "things" that I can do or give for my Mom, the best thing by far is the love and friendship that Cola shares with her.

My Mother is from a country of strong, noble, loyal and hardworking people, with great sense of purpose, pride in a job well done, and love of good food, good friends,...hmmmmm, Peggy's dear Rottie, Cola, (genetically) comes from the same place.

Life goes on

2011-04-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter what happens with the people, the dogs are the ones I concern myself with. And if we all focus on that then things are good.   The petty people stuff drives me crazy. Be an adult and move on.

Louie came to Macdonald Beach on Sunday while we promoted the Petnership Project. http://www.petnerships.com/The-Petnership-Project   I can't speak for the rest of our board and volunteers, but I had a gas.   Imagine spending the day with people that love their animals, talking about the animals and watching the animals. yup. it was fun. Poor Louie really wanted to run and play and just be free, but he is still not safe off leash and this park is not fenced. I was not willing to allow him to get away.
Lucy and Evony got to get together and play and be puppies. Evony is going to stay with her foster mom cause Farrah and her pack love the little monster. We are going back to MacDonald Beach on April 17th for another day meeting and greeting great folks and their dogs.

The following week we are suppose to be at the Tisol store in Burnaby for an adoption day. Again, Lucy and Louie will be there to see if they can't find their new person.   And after that is the Petnership Project on April 30th and May 1st.

And then it is the Garage Sale of the Century. Yes. Our third annual WCRR garage sale. For anyone that has never come, it is worth the trip out here just to see what a zoo it is. Our board and supporters gather stuff all year long and then we sell like crazy at really low prices to what seems like hundreds of people. Occasionally I have to be removed from the area so I don't loose my temper with that one person that has to grind the price down till I am either going to give it to them free or refuse to sell to the at any price. (its usually the later) This is one of the largest fundraisers we do every year.   Its not unusual for us to make a couple of grand over the weekend. And with the bills we have had lately, we are going to need it.

And here is where I have to apologize to those that post replies on the blog. I love to hear from all of you. But......... there is always someone being an idiot and now I have to approve all the posts. If they are respectful of course they will be posted. If you are just trying to stir the pot, well, go find another pot cause it ain't happening here.

whats been going on.

2011-03-29T10:23:00.001-07:00

I have no way of knowing how many people got an angry email from a former supporter about my "conduct" and so I really have no other way to perhaps put a different perspective on the happenings around this expect to post it here. I am a difficult person to deal with. I make no apologies for that. I am what I am. I'm in my late 50's and I'm not likely to change a whole lot now. I let every single person that gets close to me know that I am blunt, I speak my mind and I often offend. But those that know me, know that each and every one of them also has a voice and can also be blunt right back at me. WCRR is not perfect. I am not perfect. We don't run this perfectly. I make mistakes. I am human. I really do try my best but I do know that I fail sometimes. People Lie; People change their minds, they are not always honest when you ask questions. And sometimes they go to great lengths to hide the truth. I am not always able to ensure everything is perfect because I don't always get the truth. One example is Louie. Louie is a dog we adopted out that has come back to us. "I" placed Louie. Other people were involved but ultimately it is my responsibility. And so when we found Louie on a farm being tethered, we took him right back. The people that adopted Louie did not tell us they were giving him away. It clearly stated on the contract that he needed to come back to us. But...................... that didn't happen. Within a year of hearing how much Louie loved being on the boat, he was given away to someone else. And I accept responsibility for failing to provide Louie with the perfect home. Jake is another example. We (I) placed Jake in what we thought was a great home. We provided training support, we were in contact alot, I got regular updates saying he was settling in alright. But, then I got the email asking if they could return him as he was just too much dog for them. Jake had to come back to WCRR. He had only been in that home 4 months. And again, I will take responsibility for not finding the right home. Jake soon went to the Island to what should have been his first home because they are Perfect. Jake's new owners have done absolutely everything they needed to do and he has settled in and is now a part of a family. I have never been one to run away from my part in failing. Never. But because I do own my part, I somehow expect others to own theirs. And that doesn't always happen. WCRR is growing. And we go thru growing pains just like any organization. I don't do everything right. I am awful at paperwork. Small details drive me crazy. There are many things I have to learn to do better. Many ways that we could run this better. But it won't happen overnight. Change (or at least good change) takes time. I went to see one of our adopters the other day. As Sasha the dog was coming out of the house to greet me, her owner said something that stuck with me. He said "Here is the lady that saved you". LOL That is not true. There are many involved in saving dogs. In Sasha's case, the shelter cared enough not to euth her before we could find her a place to go. People in the rescue community worked together to find her a foster home. Her foster home held her long enough for her new owners to find her. And the new owners cared enough to take her on regardless of her issues. All I really did was pay a couple of bills for her. That is how running a rescue is. There are many many many people involved in saving an animal. But the reality is, while everyone gets to share the glory, when there is a problem it is MY RESPONSIBILITY

The Good, The Bad, The Good again

2011-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

First and foremost is Clyde. He is doing great and has been doing great for a while. (over a week). He went thru a period that actually made me quite nervous. He snapped a couple of time and then actually bit me, but he seems to be doing way better now. He is not the first rottie to bite me and most likely won't be the last. But he does owe me a pair of jeans.
The bad.................. I need more foster homes. We have a very sweet boy waiting patiently to come down here from Lytton. We just need a place for him to go. He is staying at Gladwin Boarding Kennels and is doing fine, but how can "I" find him that special home if I don't know all there is to know about him. And last but not least, he NEEDS to be neutered at our vets. I am so looking forward to getting my hands on this sweet looking boy.
and the good again, the puppies are all doing so well. (and they are not at my house). I am just waiting for the last bunch of pictures and I can get them all on petfinder and start the adoption process. I will be thrilled when it is done and they are settled in their home.
Ohhhh and more good. Lexi, the pups mom is in her own foster to adopt home. She can't be adopted until she is spayed and our vet wants to wait for at least 2 months after she finished weaning the babies. But Lexi has landed with some amazing people that really seem to like her. And even the resident dog Tonko seems ok with her being there. for those of you waiting for pictures, etc of the puppies, 5 of the 8 are there.

Incoming

2011-01-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well if you have looked on the website you will see we have puppies. Lots and lots of puppies. And before you go and say....................... yeahhhhhhhhhhh puppies, you should know they are nothing more then screaming, pooing, peeing, chewing machines. And as of today they are less then 4 weeks old and are no where near ready for adoption. You need to know we will have to assess the pups to see what kind of homes THEY need, not what kinds of homes YOU want to give them. I had only put 1 picture on the website and already I have people applying. That's good but you have to know just because you apply does not mean you will get one. They will go according to their needs.

We also have their mother for adoption. And she is a lovely lovely girl. Lexi is pretty much a baby herself. At only a yr old she found herself pregnant and homeless. She certainly does not want to be tied down to these pups. What Lexi wants and should have is time to play and run and swim and just be a dog. But she is sticking by the pups much longer then we had thought she would. And everyday that she gives them is a good day.

Rufus the goofus is going to meet a family tomorrow. Chanone and I are beyond thrilled for this boy. He deserves a place to grow old and a family that will love him. so keep your fingers crossed for him. If all goes well, he is going to stay on a foster to adopt contract for alittle while.

There is a young male rottie in the Lytton area that was found lost or abandoned on a dirt road 18 miles from town. The wonderful people that he found were understandably nervous to find a rottweiler in their yard. If your not familiar with the breed, they can be reason to take a deep breath. And that is just what the woman that called me about him did. LOL

And because she took that chance she got to see how sweet a rottie can be. He went right to her, leaned in like they love to do and gave her a chance to touch her first Rottweiler. I will be forever grateful to this woman. She put aside everything that she thought she knew about this breed and took a chance. And because she did, this dog is safe. We are trying to find his owners, but if they don't show up he can come into our care.

Jake has done amazingly well. All the things that he did that drove others to distraction are things that Leasa and Brandon can work on. He plays hard and is having the time of his life with his girl. The two of them have similar play styles and are a good match. Because of this I have said, enough fostering, we will make the adoption final. So Jake has left our care and we wish him luck and love with the new family.

I really don't know what to say about Clyde. Today I got home and he was funny and goofey. This morning he was growly and cranky and threw up all his breakfast. He is happy some time. He is spending lots of time sleeping or resting away from us. The only thing he really is interested in is food. But he is becoming harder to handle on walks. If he sees another dog now, he becomes almost crazed and I worry about what could happen. His frustration at not getting to the other animals is getting worse. Is this his way of showing pain? Or are the meds too strong and he is anxious? We will have to make hard decisions soon.

These are very busy days in rescue but for some reason I have a lighter load then ever before. Lexi and her pups are with a new foster family, Rufus has been hanging out at Canine Harmony http://www.canineharmony.com/ and the new boy is safe where he is for now. Molly at Saints may have a family of her own. All is good at West Coast Rottweiler Rescue

Incoming and outgoing

2011-01-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

I think today WCRR has more dogs available for adoption or at least in care then we have ever had before.

Clyde is still hanging in there, driving me crazy, being a bonehead. He had a wonderful time at the lake. We gave him his own blanket so he wasn't on the snow and a big bully stick that lasted him all of 1/2 hr. He is a rottweiler and he does love to chew.

The last couple of nights he has been very restless. He is either licking his legs or licking air. And he is getting more and more grumpy sometimes. But, what will be will be. I do love the old bugger.

And we have had Jake come back to us. He was the young male that was found in Lytton last summer. I thought we had a great home for him but they were not able to keep up with his energy level. He was returned just before Xmas. But................ a dear friend contacted me about him and he has gone to live with a young couple on the island. He has a sweet pittie mix girl to play with. He is getting lots of attention, and will be getting the kind of training and leadership he needs to be a good dog. We will give Jake a month to settle in before we finalize the adoption just to be on the safe side.

And then there is Rufus the Goofus. He is a 5 yr old stray found in Abbotsford. We picked him up and Canine Harmony is boarding him until I can find the perfect foster home. I think we have one and we will be meeting on the weekend. Rufus is going to learn to live inside.
When I met Rufus he was standoffish and completely uninterested in people. That has totally changed and Rufus is wanting to be with you all the time. He does not have a mean bone in his body when it comes to people but he may not be suited for little dogs or cats. Or small children for that matter, only because he is a big boy that doesn't know his own strength.

Molly is staying with S.A.I.N.T.S. for now. She was signed over to Saints when her owner ended up in the hospital. We do know a few things about Molly. One is she LOVES people and will need a calm home because she gets over excited easily She will do well with another calm dog to hang out with and she is also good with cats. We think Molly is about 5 -6 yrs old

Next in line is Lexi: She and her 8 pups are coming into care tomorrow. And we will have more to tell you as we get to know her.

Pictures of the pub night

2010-12-23T19:44:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time

2010-12-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

I wish I knew how to post a bunch of pictures here but I don't'. Our first pub night was held at Boston Pizza in Cloverdale. If your looking for a place to hold a small pub night, they were great. We could only seat about 75 people and even then it was full. We took over the patio, and had the whole length of the bar for silent auction items. We raised quite a bit of money and I need to thank everyone that came. You were all so generous and you made the night very special for me.
While I may be the person that the shelters talk to, the person that does most of the vetting and alot of the day to day stuff, I am only one person in WCRR. There are 7 board members. All of them are invaluable in their own way. We all worked so very hard in gathering stuff for the pub night. . Sharon did an amazing job and allowed us to store stuff in her garage. hell we literally took it over for almost 2 months. But one person really shined thru this. And that was Deb our treasurer. Every single basket was her handiwork. She nagged me to no end about making lists and checking them twice. She went out and bought ribbon and baskets, paper and boxes, labels and god only knows what. I kept telling her to keep track of the money but she always just shrugged her shoulders and said she loved doing this stuff. Everything was pretty and well presented. I/We could not have done it without you girl. Thank you.
So, to all those that said it was well run and organized. It had nothing to do with me. I only do the fur stuff.
Clyde has been motoring along quite well this week. He is getting very bold about counter surfing and I finally found out how he does it. He can't stand on those back legs, but he tries. As he gets his front paws up on the counter he has a few seconds to grab whatever he is after before he sinks down into almost a "sit pretty" position. and from there I think he just falls over. I'm not sure cause when I saw him stealing off the counter I yelled . So does he fall over because he can't hold the postion or because I scared him. Either way it made me laugh. For an old dying crippled dog he does pretty darn good some days.

I'm tired

2010-11-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy 8 weeks.
First and foremost, poor Clyde. He is truly going down hill. For almost 2 weeks we suffered right along side of him as he struggled with pain and loose bowels. Having the runs when you have bowel cancer can never be a good sigh. We took him to see Kevin and decided to try stronger drugs. And it has been a short term solution. But again, Clyde is showing pain, limping quite alot, refusing to sit and only seeming comfortable when he is completely down on the ground. The last couple of days he is withdrawn again, only moving to follow me from room to room. Palliative care is so freaking hard. I don't want him to suffer and I don't want to let go.
I stopped at the gas station today to just grab some milk, and while there the girls asked me how he was. Seems the dogs from WCRR are more well known then I had thought. Clyde had only been in the station once for cookies but they remembered him and his story months later. The girl behind the counter kept saying what a nice boy he was. I couldn't agree more.

We are in the mist of preparing for the pub night fundraiser. Its our first and we have sold out quickly. There have been so many donations from so many places that we had to finally say, thanks but no thanks. It is going to prove to be a fun night. Not only is there the silent auction, toonie toss and Numbers pull, but we are going to do a live auction for the wine fridge and also for what is turning out to be a headline event. In a moment of weakness I agreed to allow SOMEONE to throw a pie in my face. So, whomever can come forward with the most money, gets the privilege. Seems some of the guys (and gals) in my life are quite excited about this one.
The dogs should really know how much I love them. Cause they are the reason I am doing this.

I think the reason I am tired is because I realized that I can not always trust those close to me.
We all make mistakes. We all say and do things that we regret. But the measure of what kind of person you are is how you own what you do and say.
I have in my lifetime done some terrible things. I have hurt people, ruined relationships and destroyed trust. But I always have tried to own my own shit. When I hurt someone, I try to apologize. When I have broken trust , I try to mend it.
There are many things I can forgive. But in order for that you happen, you have to admit to it.

Deceit is rampant in rescue these days. for a long time I have managed to avoid it. And that is because I have kept WCRR small. For the longest time it was just Jim and I fostering dogs one at a time. And we did pretty darn good. But then we reached out and opened up to others. And when you do that, you sometimes run the risk of being damaged. Not only has it happened with WCRR it has happened to another rescue as well. I have decided to pull back and rethink this.

One of the problems with running a rescue is what to do when you are too tired to go any further. That is going to happen one day. I worry that there is no one on board that can take over. Our doors will always be open for our dogs. But I worry about the ones needing help in the future.

Things just keep trudging along

2010-10-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

I am home and happy to be with my little family again. I live a pretty blessed life most times. I love my husband and I am spoiled. For the most part I love where we live although I'm getting tired of co-op living. and while I don't love my job anymore, it pays the bills.
Poor poor Clyde. As I said earlier in a post, I tried walking him with the halti. it worked but every once in awhile he would fight it. Somehow he scratched his muzzle. I didn't think too much about it. We rubbed some lotion on it to help it heal and I thought we were good to go. But his immune system is weak I think because the sore has not healed. And he scratches it sometimes. Now, there is a large patch of raw skin on one side of his poor sweet muzzle. I am putting calamine lotion on it now in the hopes that it clears up. But I think this is just a sign of how weak his system is. And last night Jim lied there listening to him cough. We know there is cancer in his lungs. You can see it clearly in the x-rays. But the old boy isn't ready to leave yet.
I had to delete some people from my facebook page. I hate doing this. It seems silly and childish but I can't stand by and watch all the postings about dogs in danger in places like LA. We have lots of dogs in danger right here in BC. Up north there are literally hundreds waiting for some place to go. And even here, there are young healthy dogs piling up at our local animal controls and if the numbers keep going up there are going to be dogs euthanized right under our noses.
If I had foster homes, I could easily pull 2 or 3 really nice dogs from the shelters.

House Sitting

2010-09-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have been away from home for almost 2 weeks while I house sit for my dear friend who has adopted Belle. I miss Clyde and Sashka and most of all my partner in life, Jim. One more sleep and then I am back where I belong.
It has been wonderful to spend time with Belle. And Sharon's is the perfect home for her. Things are calm, relaxed and it shows in Belle's manner. She is such a loving dog and is still playful and active enough to enjoy a good game of tug
Just when I thought the season of pet fairs was done I find I still have 2 more to go to. Thats ok, one of them is inside so I don't have to worry about the weather or a tent or any of the great stuff. It was a busy summer and I am more then a little burnt out.

Rescue for me is serious stuff. I take offence quickly when I think that people involved are passing the buck, doing it to make money, not caring for the animals properly, etc. And as anyone will tell you, I am quick to speak my mind. Once you have crossed the line with me, there is rarely ever a chance to go back again.
Last week I was involved in a conversation about a small middle aged dog that needed some care. I don't usually concern myself with these ones, there are lots of dog rescues that take the small ones and can provide great care for them. But................................ the rescue that was working for him posted that if no funds could be found or no one else would take him, he would be put to sleep. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just because a dog is going to cost money isn't the reason we kill them. (I hate the term "put to sleep") We work harder, longer and with more dedication but we don't kill them cause they are going to cost a couple of hundred or even a couple o f grand. "WE" are the ones that save them from that. "WE" are the ones that help them recover and find them homes. "WE" never use that card. Thats just freaking wrong. Those are the things that shelters do. Those are just the things that we fight so hard against.
I guess I don't have to tell you that I had a meltdown. LOL Or that I let me opinion be known loud and clear.
Ive said it before and I guess it should be said again. Rescue is not for the faint of heart. It is hard work, it is expensive, its heartbreaking. Its not about saving the easy, the young the well adjusted. Its about saving the ones that no one wants.
As for the post on the forum, somehow it got deleted. Thats pretty convenient for the person. I don't know how much of it I saved but I do know that I have the most important parts. I will keep it cause somewhere down the road, people are going to need to know about the ethics around rescues.

Rhonda

2010-09-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

Our hearts go out to Alison and Damon. Rhonda passed away in their arms last Sat. Thank you both for loving her.

Rhonda was only the 2nd dog that WCRR brought in. She came from a northern shelter that said she wasn't doing well and was becoming incontinent. Rhonda was overweight The shelter ran on reduced hours and I think that maybe Rhonda just had trouble getting up off her bed and would have small accidents. Regardless, we took her cause she needed someone.

Rhonda had been a farm dog. And when each new tenant moved onto the farm they got Rhonda. As you can imagine, some folks cared for her but many did not. From what I could find out, Rhonda spent lots of time either tied up or left to wander the area looking for food. When the last tenant passed away his kids took Rhonda to the local spca. Thank god they did.

Rhonda stayed a couple of months with us and we loved her. she was calm and kind and affectionate. She was good with the resident little dog. She didn't hate the neighbours cat. She was just a good girl.

As so often happens in the rescue world someone mentioned to someone else that there was this very nice older female rottie needing a home. We took Rhonda out to meet Alison and Damon and their pack. Rhonda growled at all the dogs. I think she was just asking for some space. And she wandered over to Damon and he fell for her right away. I was worried about the other animals as there were cats and horses on the property, but Rhonda seemed to do well everywhere she went. And this home was the kind of home you want for all your animals. These folks were kind and totally devoted to the companion animals in their care. Everyone was vetted whenever anything was needed and I never worried about Rhonda at all.

Several months ago, I found out that Rhonda had cancer and they were amputating a leg. I went out to see her shortly after that and thats when this picture was taken.

Rhonda, Alison and Damon fought tooth and nail trying to beat the cancer but as is so often the case, the disease won out in the end.

Rest easy my girl. We will meet again at the bridge

What the hell is it about old dogs

2010-08-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Almost every big old dog we have had come into our home refuses to walk in the rain. All of them do it. Stop at the door and refuse to walk outside. Today was by far the worst. Clyde is learning to walk with a halti. I am insisting that he do it cause he has almost pulled me into the street a couple of times. Clyde hates the halti. He is sure it is a devil device that is killing him. So this morning not only do I have to drag 110 lbs of dog out the door, he is also on the end of the leash doing the crocodile roll. To the idiot that thought he should honk his horn and shake his finger at me this morning, BUGGER OFF. I was not killing him, I am not abusing the poor old thing, we are simply out for our morning walk.

It amazes me how quickly our dogs become spoiled. Less then 2 months ago, Clyde was a homeless dog tied to a post. Now, I not only can't get the old fart to walk in the rain, but he is getting really spoiled with food.

I made the mistake of feeling sorry for him. I don't know when I will learn that this is never a good idea. I get sucked in all the time. Clyde wasn't feeling well when he came into care and in an effort to get him to eat enough for us to give him pain meds, I started supplementing his food with really yummy stuff. Stuff like canned pheasant, rabbit and salmon. Not only was I giving him this, I was warming it up for him. Like I said, I get sucked in.

One morning I am running late for work (and I need to work to pay for the freaking dog food) and I didn't add the warm water to the pheasant before I poured it on his kibble. How simple awful of me. Cause this old homeless stray dog ran to his food dish, took a big bite out of it, whipped his head around, looked directly at me, and spit his food out. The horrified look on his face spoke volumes How dare I feed him cold pheasant for breakfast. I knew in that moment that I had lost all chance of maintaining any illusion on my part that I am the leader in my house.

I'm sure Cesar Milan and Brad Patterson would be so disappointed in me. LOL

I'm Back

2010-08-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well I never really left but I needed a break from the responsibility of updating the blog. Sometimes it is quite difficult to keep my personal opinions to myself. I originally started this blog as a way of venting and letting others see how simply childish rescue can get sometimes. It evolved to keep people updated on the dogs of West Coast Rottweiler Rescue and I find it hard to keep things upbeat and positive when I just want to scream some of the time. So, I may scream and yell and even curse. LOL this is not a family site. If you are going to be offended by the odd bad language don't read this blog But if you do read it feel free to comment cause otherwise I think I am simply talking to myself again.

Now for the updates

Carson has passed away. Waverly gave him a wonderful last few weeks. Homemade food, lots of love, short walk, and medications to keep him comfortable. That is all we can do for dogs like Carson. He was dying when he came to us. We have no magical thing that we can do other then keep them pain free until it is time to let them go. Then we hold them softly in our arms so that their last moments are gentle and loving. Palliative care is not for the faint of heart. It can be messy, it is always expensive, and most of all it is hard on your heart. Old dogs are easy only in that they don't want much. What they need can be costly.

All the pups have been adopted. This wasn't final until they had all be spayed and done obedience classes. Finding homes for pups is easy. Finding good homes for pups is harder. Finding great homes for pups is really hard but that's what I seem to have done this time. All the girls have been placed in homes where I have no doubt that they are loved and cared for and trained so that they will be great examples of what well behaved Rottweilers should be.

Sadie and Belle are also adopted. Both of them were adopted by their foster homes. Belle wasn't officially adopted until we knew exactly what was going on with her health wise. We found (after a series of tests) that she had tumors on her spleen and on her adrenal gland. While it is fairly routine to remove a spleen, the adrenal gland was a whole different story. I know I have said it before but it needs to be said again. Without our very kind and generous vet we would not be able to do what we do. With the help and guidance from Kevin, the surgery was done successfully and at a great discount to us. Testing showed cancerous cells but the margins were clear and no further vet care was recommended. Belle is now living with a Golden Retriever brother Jackson whom she loves to boss around.

Sadie is now Mera. She lives with Cricket and her pack. Mera will never be a show dog and she will most likely always have some sort of issue going on, but Cricket works very hard at keeping her comfortable, and she know that WCRR will always be there to help if needed.

And now on to new stuff

In May we got a call from the Vancouver Animal Shelter. They had a young male there that would benefit from some one on one training. We pulled him and quickly took him to Canine Harmony http://www.canineharmony.com/index.php Our friend and long time supporter (and past adopter) Chanone taught Mack what he needed to be a part of a family. Simple things like not grabbing people with your mouth and not jumping on people or humping them Things that a good owner would teach a puppy. Mack was around 2 and at an age that if something wasn't done pretty quickly he would have become a problem dog. But we managed to avoid that and found Mack a home quite quickly. Lots of folks wanted Mack. He is a very good looking boy, but Mack needed someone that was strong enough to handle him and yet had enough sense not to think he had to use force on him. There is a fine line sometimes when dealing with large dogs with big personalities and not everyone gets what is needed.

In June Gus came to stay with us. God I loved that boy. And no he was not a rottweiler. Gus was Lab. but, he was a big black old dog that needed a home. Gus was goofy and loving. He was sweet and gentle. When Gus came to us he showed no real signs of any illness. He was a little lame from arthritis and could get a little cranky sometimes but he was wonderful. After about a month of living with us Gus had a seizure. And a couple of days later he had another one. Even with medication there were signs of small ones happening. I came home one day to find he had passed away. It is heartbreaking to lose a dog. It is even more heartbreaking to find a dog has died alone. I have always been there for all the passings and I felt (and still feel) awful that I failed Gus. I am so very very sorry my man.

there is no rest in rescue. No time that you think ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I can stop for a moment. Jake was next in line. Jake came via Gladwin Kennels. They are just outside of Lytton, B.C. He was picked up by the bylaw officer. In Lytton, all strays are taken there. They are held for 72 hrs and if no one claims them the owner of the kennel can dispose of them as she sees fit. Lots of times she finds homes for them herself. But Genny didn't want Jake to go to just any home. So she called us and we went out to pick him up. As is usual, Sashka hated him. But Jake was very dog social and very submissive. We got him neutered and up to date on his shots and found him a wonderful home in West Vancouver. From being a stray that no one wanted to living in the lap of luxury. LOL Not bad for a stray from the humble little town of Lytton.

And then came Clyde. This is why the human race so often disgusts me. Clyde is a very old 9 years. What I mean is that he is in rough shape for a dog of 9 yrs old. We think that he has had a hard life. And it shouldn't have been. But Clyde is one of those dogs people let down. Clyde was found in July, in the middle of a heat wave, tied to a post here is Surrey. Clyde had no collar, no micro chip and an old tattoo that could not be traced. He was dirty and smelly and his coat was a mess. His nails were long and his teeth yellow. An angel found Clyde tied to that post with nothing more than a short piece of yellow rope. When I say an angel found Clyde that's exactly what I mean. Most people would have just "called someone" rather then put their hands on this old dirty dog. But this angel took him to her home. She took him into her house with her own dogs and made sure he had food and water. The angel tried to take him to the local shelter but she was told that if no one claimed him his outlook wasn't good. You dear reader can take that anyway you want. I know how I took it. Clyde's angel wouldn't leave him there knowing that he might not make it out of the shelter. She took him back to her home and started searching for someone to help Clyde. She contacted us and I went and picked him up. I will always be grateful to that angel. Because Clyde is a sweetheart. Clyde is most likely a shepherd/rottie cross. It doesn't really matter at this stage of the game. Clyde is in our home and will stay there. As we always with any dogs coming into our care, we took Clyde to the vet for a checkup. My old boy has many many lumps. After some discussion we decided to x-ray to make sure what we were thinking was a fact. Clyde has hip displacia. He has a torn criciate and of course he has arthritis. But worst of all the x-rays showed tumors on his bowels. Another x-ray was taken of his chest and there are tumors on his chest. Clyde has advanced cancer.
Was this the reason Clyde was left tied to that post all alone. Did someone know and just didn't want or couldn't afford to care for him any longer. Whatever the reason, shame on them. To leave a family member to strangers to care for is horrible. We know Clyde belonged to someone. He has wonderful house manners. We know he was neutered and was part of another rescue. We know someone should have cared enough for Clyde to stand by him for his entire life, not just the easy parts. WCRR will care for Clyde the same way we care for all our palliative dogs. We will manage his pain. Right now Clyde has wonderful days and them some very quiet days. Some days he runs and jumps and rolls around. Other days he walks very slowly. I doubt it will be long. And Jim and I will be heartbroken once again. Because none of us can bring a dog home and not love it.

Now I want to talk about rescue. Rescue is becoming quite fashionable these days. There are rescues popping up all over the place. Please check them out carefully. Not all of them run the rescues ethically. So please be aware when adopting. Check them out. Are the dogs actually living in foster homes right now, or are they in shelters in other countries just waiting for an order. One of the problems with rescues is being able to stand for the dog you adopt. Do they stay in touch with the adopters. Not all of them do apparently. Clyde was from a long established rescue in the fraser valley. They have left the area and there is no one from that rescue willing to take Clyde or even help with the cost of medicine. So for the newer rescues, make sure you have a plan in place for when a dog needs you again. Because sooner or later a dog you adopt out will need to come back to you. Don't leave it for strangers to figure out.

Another week of dogs

2010-02-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

I need to be barred from the rescue forums. Too much drama. I need to focus my energy on the dogs. So here goes the updates

Carson:
What a wonderful old man he is. He is proving to be gentle, and loving. He has stolen the hearts of so very many people in his short time with us. While Carson has a marvelous character, he is also a very very old boy. And he comes with some serious health issues. Not the least of them being pain management.
As painful as it was to watch Carson try to move the day I met him, both vets that have seem him say the very same thing. He does not feel any pain in his back end. He actually feels nothing there. There is no bowel control really and he does leak a little. But Carson does feel pain in his front leg and we will try to get this under control for him. Carson seems to suffer from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. We are going to try him on some meds to see if it helps him at all. But for the mean time, Carson is having good days, he is happy, he is eating, he is getting up to say hello. We are taking him day by day. Cause that’s the way he lives.

Belle:
Months go by and no one even seems to look at Belle’s petfinder profile. And then all of a sudden, people are asking about her. But I think we need to keep Belle in our care a little longer. Ms. Belle has some stuff going on healthwise and because of that we can not adopt her to anyone right now. She isn’t in any pain, hasn’t had an accident in quite awhile and is having the time of her life in her new foster home with her buddy Jackson and her new foster family, Sharon and Steve. She adjusted to the move like to trooper she is.

Sadie:
LOL What a girl!. She goes goes goes. Most of the scratching has subsided. Not completely, but certainly a lot. She does still lick and has some scabbing but she is cleaning up nicely. Sadie will be a project job for someone. She is spoiled and without her routine, becomes very agitated. Not in bad way, but rather she just doesn’t know what to do with herself. Sadie likes to eat at a certain time. And if it isn’t ready or if it isn’t served fast enough, she keeps running back and forth whining and growling and complaining and explaining to you that she MUST have food. And that is when the scratching and chewing start. Its almost like she has no control. Food is her life. It is what brings her the most comfort. Exercise is not what she wants (or really needs).
And Sadie is the kind of dog that also can refuse to go for walks. Take this morning for example. It was misty out. Not a heavy rain. Just wet. Sadie made it as far as the sidewalk before she said, Nope, I’m not going anywhere.
If you have ever met me, you realize that this doesn’t cut it. I got up early, got dressed for the weather, rushed thru my coffee just so we could get your walk in before I leave for work, so, you know what, YOUR WALKING. Hehehehe Yes we cut the walk short but really I won cause we did walk

Puppies:
Dammmmmm puppies. Ok, yeah, cute, even cuddly. But, still pooping, peeing machines. Please pity the poor foster mom. Cause she has them more than I do
Dixie will be going to the Island to live with another rottie. Faith is moving to her new home just around the corner from me. Emma, well she is still looking for that special home. I’m not sure why everyone has passed her over. She is becoming so freaking cute and now wants to cuddle. She does have a slight heart murmur but our vets are sure she will grow out of it. It is hard to find and is only a grade 1. The girls will be ready to leave their foster home by the end of Feb. Good riddance. (just joking)

What a week it has been. Dogs moving to new foster homes, emergencies, and puppies.

2010-01-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

All of it a total drain on my poor little brain.

First up will be the puppies: They are amazing, but oh my god, what a lot of work. They have finally received their first set of vaccination. They have all gained weight and I was told that soon I won’t be able to carry them around and they need to learn about collars and leashes. But in my mind they are still sweet little babies and need so much. LOL But next weekend we will start the collars and leashes. Cause they might as well get used to it now
We have of course had a ton of applications for them. But as I have tried to explain to everyone, the pups will be place according to what THEY need. Not according to who comes first or who thinks they need a dog quickly. As hard as it is to make these decisions, it is about the dogs and not about the people. The more I get to know the pups the better I am able to wade thru the applications and find homes that will be appropriate. Many may disagree but the reality is, these dogs are the responsibility of West Coast Rottweiler Rescue. And some of the applications are really not what these dogs need. It doesn’t mean that the families aren’t good, or they wouldn’t make great rottie owners, it simply means that these particular pups need a certain environment to thrive. And it’s our job to make sure they get just that. Pups take a lot of work. Some pups are not suitable for homes with babies, or older couples just looking for someone to hang out with. I have found in the past that people want what they want when they want it and they are not willing to look at the bigger picture. But it is our job to stand firm. And we will
Next up is our girls. Belle has moved over to a home with one of our directors. Poor Belle must be getting confused about what is going on. But she adjusts pretty darn easily and is resilient enough to handle this. Sadie is also ready to move on to bigger things. Sadie bonds very quickly and very deeply and to move her from Wendy’s home is going to be hard on both of them. But Sadie needs to learn not to be anxious and we are hoping that a move to my home where there are more rules and structure will benefit her recovery. Wendy and her husband have done an amazing job. They have stood by this girl when she was going thru some of the worst of her recovery and she has blossomed there. I will personally be forever grateful to both of them for opening their home and their hearts to her. And I promise, I will try to keep her as well as they have.
And now a story about the hard part of rescue. We were informed about an old dog in a local municipal shelter. I was told he needed out of there and quickly. But I hear this often. And I can’t save all of them. But I wanted the shelter to know that we would help in any way we could. It’s no secret that the senior dogs are where my heart lies. So I took the drive out to the valley to visit and take pictures and ask the shelter to give us some time so that I could again plea to those that can help.
When they brought the old boy out to me, my heart broke and I couldn’t believe a dog could live in that condition. He was dirty and smelly and was very weak. His back legs could not support him. And his eyes showed pain and sorrow. I usually try to take pictures right away, but I literally fell to my knees in front of him, to hold his head in my hands and let him know I was there and would try to help. As I looked at him, he leaned forward and graced me with a sweet gentle kiss. That’s when the tears started.
Carson as we have decided to call him was found living under a school trailer. The children are the ones that most likely saved his life. It’s clear he loves them as he loves everyone that shows him kindness. The staff at the school took him into the office, gave him a warm place to rest, with food and treats while they waited for animal control to come and pick him up. He was held until his stray period was up but no one claimed him.
Carson must have lived with someone once upon a time. He has great house manners. Is gentle and sweet. And only wants to be near you. We traced his tattoo and we learned that Carson was neutered in Oct of 1998. That makes this boy 12 yrs old. That is an old age for this breed. Especially considering the life he has led lately. Cause while he must have been loved once, it has been a long time since he was shown that love. As I said, he coat was matted and filthy. You could actually feel the grit on his skin. And because he has such trouble moving around, the odor of urine was strong on him. He can’t stand well enough to eliminate properly.
Many would say the kindness act would have been to put him down right away. And maybe it would have been. But Carson shows such love for others. I could not bear the thought of him passing away in a cold wet shelter. Better that we bring him into our care, feed him good food, shower him with love and make his last days better.
I don’t know how long Carson will be with us. We won’t put him thru a lot of tests. We won’t do any surgery on him. We won’t make him uncomfortable. Because there are those that I have been blessed to meet on this road of rescue, we were able to get Carson out of the shelter later that same day. He came to my house to rest for a bit, went to another home to spend the night. Came back to my place the next day so we could transport him to a home on an island. There he will spend whatever time he has. He will be spoiled and loved and respected.
I can’t say thank you enough to those that have opened their homes, hearts and wallets so that this special dog could be saved. You all know who you are. And know that YOU are my heroes.

Yes we have puppies

2010-01-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

I'm almost sorry I agreed to take them on. Its never easy having puppies in care. Everyone wants one. And we get tons of applications from all over the place. But there are only 3 and we need to remember that we place the dogs according to what THEY need, not what the humans want.
The pups are loud, and nippy, and active, and need so very much. They need someone that is home more often then not so they can be properly potty trained. They can't do that if you are at work 14 hrs a day. They need socialization. They need training. They need structure. They need leadership. And its our job to make sure they get all that.
The pups are only about 7 weeks old. They are not ready to leave what is left of the litter. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue wants to make sure that they are placed with families that KNOW what they are getting into. Because the last thing we want is for any dog to have to be returned.
Puppies are cute, there is no denying that. But they are a ton of work and whomever gets them had better be prepared for that.
We will make sure they are all spayed before the adoption is final. We do that so that we never have to worry about our pups having pups. It doesn't matter if you agree with our policy. It is what it is.
Training is mandatory. Yes this means even you. And when I say training, I mean that you must take your dog/puppy to obedience classes. And no, it can't be Petsmart. It must be with a trainer whose methods we approve of. Rottweilers don't just need one set of classes. They are an intelligent breed and they need ongoing training or being involved in some sort of dog sport.
They need a job.
Our dogs must live inside your home. They can not be left outside to guard your property. I don't care is someone steals your lawn. Everything that I value is safe inside my home. And that's where the dog is.
If your still interested after all of this, then please, yes, ask for an application. I would be glad to send one. But that doesn't mean that you will be able to adopt one of these puppies. Sorry. There are only 3. We have not even begun to advertise them on petfinder or with our local breed contacts. As I said before, we will place these pups the same way we place all our dogs. In the very best home we can find for that dogs special needs.

Musical Beds

2010-01-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

We have lots of beds in our home. Most of them big dog beds from costco like this one.
Please notice that it is empty

Sashka got a new bed recently. It was in a basket that someone won in the latest raffle but Sandy wanted us to keep it. We have put $30.00 into the rescue fund for it.

here is Sashka's old bed that was too small even for her. But Belle thought it was just right

Nothing like a 73 lb rottie fitting into a bed made for a multi-poo

But this almost made me spit out my tea.

Someone needs to adopt this girl and provide her with something suitable

Taking a stand

2010-01-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot going on lately and not all of it really good news. But let’s do the good news first.
Belle did so well at the vets on Friday. We are waiting for the results of her blood test and urine test but so far she is in great shape. LOL Well, not great shape but pretty good considering where she is coming from.
Belle has 2 torn curitates that must have been damaged at least a couple of years ago. There really isn’t any surgery that would help her but there are things we can do to lessen the affects of the arthritis and strengthen her muscles. Once we have all the test results back we will start her on cartophen injections and I’m hoping that we can raise some funds to get her swimming. Her condition has been left so long that all the muscles in her hind end and atrophied. She really needs this kind of gentle exercise to build up that muscle tone. And we will be keeping a very close eye on her weight.
Poor Belle almost looks deformed. Her chest and front legs are strong but her hind end is very narrow and if I hadn’t heard from our vet that this was because of having no muscle tone, I would have thought she was starving to death. But she is a good weight and we can change the state of her muscles. She will never win a trophy for best in show, but she is a winner in our eyes.
Mr. Herbie is such a goof ball and is having a great time with his new foster family. I miss having his energy here. He has a very large presence. Herbie wants to try everything now that he isn’t afraid of everything. He is still a cautious boy, will never be thought of as lion hearted, but he certainly has a zest for life.
And Sadie is Sadie. Up and down. Good days and bad days. It is hard on everyone to watch this girl. It takes patience and time for her problems to heal. And it’s only when we look at what kind of condition she was in that we realized how good she is getting.
There is always going to be conflict in the rescue community. We are a passionate bunch with strong opinions. And we don’t always agree. But I am again amazed that because I have chosen to take a stand on importing dogs from other countries that people I considered if not friends at least supporters have turned their backs on me. And since there is really no other place for me to explain myself, I am going to do it here again. :)
I personally don’t agree with importing dogs from other countries. There are hundreds if not thousands of dog’s right here that need our help. Our culture is different from the cultures in Asia. We value our companion animals in a different way. Is our way the only way? I don’t think so. North American’s don’t value cows in the same way that India does. Is our way right or wrong? Horses are used a food in some countries. Are they wrong or are we right? I don’t know that answer to these questions. I don't live in those other places. I only know that I want to make a difference here at home before I tackle the rest of the world.
But I need to be clear about something. Just because I don’t agree with importing dogs from other countries doesn’t mean that I would not support a single dog coming into another rescue once in awhile. There are always going to be exceptions to the rules. And one sweet pitty has made his way into the hearts and minds of many in the rescue community here. And I am glad for him. A little surprised that no one in the whole United States could have helped this boy, but thrilled that he is safe and will be cared for.
This is so different from bringing dogs up from Mexico or Asia on a regular basis. Or at least it is in my little brain. If importing dogs from another country is about all your going to do, then YES I will continue to speak out about it. This is a free country and we are allowed to disagree. I can’t stop it. But I don’t need to support it. That is my choice. And if it makes me a bad, uncaring, heartless person then so be it. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue was formed to help the dogs in the shelter system in British Columbia. Does that mean if there was a huge seizure in Washington State that we wouldn’t try to help one or two dogs. Not at all. If we were able to do so then of course we would. Washington helped a couple of years ago with a large seizure here in British Columbia. One or two dogs needing help isn’t what this is about. This is about the ethics of those that turn their backs on the dogs in our own country to bring dogs from other places. There are many that want you to believe we don’t kill dogs here. But we do. And it happens because there aren’t enough homes for these dogs. So why is it there are homes for dogs from Asia?

The dogs update

2010-01-07T11:58:00.001-08:00

Sometimes for the good of the dogs we do things that break our hearts. Moving Herbie was one of them. He and I are too close. And my home is really a quiet place with not much going on other than my running in and out all the time. So Herbie has moved to different home that still understands his needsbut can expose him to more situations and experiences.
So, Belle has come to stay with us for awhile. And now that I know her better I should be able to place her better. And she is a doll. Other than the intial stress period when a dog changes homes, she has been great. She is coming out of her shell with us and is showing her fun side.
This girl loves to play tug. She is quick to offer you the toys when she wants to play and knows to give it up when you say so. She really trys to be gentle but you still have to be careful with fingers. Belle not a purebred dog but in true rottie fashion she loves her food and lives for meal times. We have her weight down to a nice place and are keeping treats to a minimum. But Belle knows to go to her “place” before we put her food down and if reminded, she is gentle taking treats.
Belle would be perfect in almost any home. She is great with everyone and though we have not really tested her with cats, she doesn’t try to chase anything while on walks. She is a mature girl and needs to be let outside more often for pee breaks and would really rather curl up next to you rather than go for a long hike. Because Belle is so anxious to get to food we think that a home without small children would be best, but she would be fine with older dog savey children.
And now for Ms Sadie. She continues to improve under Wendy’s care. She is a nice weight now and is eating turkey as well as buffalo. We now have her off all medication but are adding a holistic remedy to her food in the hopes that she will turn the corner on her recovery soon. The good news is she can now go for a couple of weeks without needing a bath. When she first came in she had to be bathed every 2 days. Her care has been a huge commitment on her foster families part and we are so every grateful to them. She has just come out of heat so we will give her more time to recover before putting her under the stress of a spay operation. Sadie has good and bad days. She has times when she is comfortable and then times when she is itchy. It seems when one area starts to clear up and other area breaks out. All of it has all the vets confused and no one has really been able to give a definite diagnostic answer to the puzzle. But she is improving just a little every day. Two steps forward, one step back. We are all under the impression that it will be another 6 months before she is ready to leave her foster home.
And finally, thank you to everyone that helped with the raffle. We have been able to raise a little over $1300.00. This will go a long way to helping cover Sadies ongoing care. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue will continue to do fundraising to cover whatever medical needs any of the dogs in our care have

2010-01-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

It’s been a long time since I voiced my not so humble experience on the blog. I may say some things that get people going but I usually tone it down because this now belongs to the rescue. Today I am going to change that for one day. Today I am going to say what I want. For those of you looking for updates on the dogs, that will be tomorrow. Today is mine.
When I started in rescue, I really wanted to make a difference in the dogs I could see and touch. Over the years I have bitten my tongue more than I like but I have done it to maintain certain relationships. Some of us in the rescue community feel strongly about certain issues. Most of us are on the same page when it comes to basics such as spay/neuter, decent homes, treating animals as valued members of our family.
Over the last couple of years, we hear less and less about the atrocities that dogs in our own country suffer. Canada, and BC in particular are not NO KILL areas. The shelters kill all the time for various reasons. The organization BCSPCA will tell you they euthanize for aggression, behavior and illness. What they don’t tell you is what kind of aggression they kill for. Cause there are lots of reasons a dog acts out. Most of the time, it can be fixed with proper training and treatment. Ton’s of dogs go stir crazy in shelters. They don’t have enough to do, they are in small kennels with people walking by staring at them, they become fearful and try to scare people away. When they get to that point, they are killed. Some SPCA shelters kill for things as simple as parasites or kennel cough. Other shelters work their hardest to help the dogs and train and love and rehab the dogs in their care. Not all SPCA shelters are the same. But to say that dogs here in BC don’t get euthanized for space is a lie. It happens all the time. The stats won’t show it because the shelters don’t want to lose the support of the public.
And now there are those rescues that are importing dogs from other countries. Yes those dogs need help. I will not deny any of that. But so do the animals here. The ones I see as I walk thru shelters. The ones I touch. The ones that touch me. The ones that haunt me at night. Those are the ones I fear for.
I can’t stop people from doing what their heart tells them to. I don’t even want to try. But I do have the right to have an opinion on it. And I have the right to voice that opinion. And voice it I will. Until BC and Canada no longer kill dogs for little or no reason, then MY feeling is we should help at home.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. Hell, I don’t expect much anymore from the human race. But if what you want to do is bring dogs from other countries here and this is something you feel strongly about then don’t take offense when someone doesn’t agree with you. Don’t’ expect for everyone to stand and applaud. Don’t expect all of us to support you.
I choose to work with Rottweiler’s. I choose them because I love the breed. I choose them because I couldn’t find anyone else that was actively doing it. I choose them because they choose me. If it comes down to helping a dog in my neighborhood or helping a dog overseas, I have to choose the one here. The one that stands in front of me. The one that looks me in the eye asking for help. The one whose face I see at night. Many people advised against it. Rottweiler’s they said, were a dangerous breed. One that had no place in our society. But I stood firm in what I believed. I didn’t whine and cry and beat my chest. I just did what I thought needing doing.
So folks. Quit your whining, crying and back stabbing. Stop calling names, stop gossiping, stop slamming people if they don’t agree. We have the right to our own beliefs. I never said you couldn’t do it. I simply said I had a different view of things.

2009-12-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

What a year this has been. There has been amazing moments that brought tears to my eyes, and there have been such sad moments that I have not been able to do anything but put my head in my hands and weep.One of the very best moments was finding that one in a million home for Sasha. Since she was pulled from the shelter she has changed so very very much. And now she is with the most amazing people that are determined to give her the life she deserves. They are working with our favorite trainer at Canine Harmony to get her used to being around other dogs. Recently she actually showed signs of wanting to play with a dog. What a huge difference from when she came to us. Listed as dog aggressive but really just not knowing how to behave around other dogs. She will never be the dog park dog but with work she will be safe. Here is Carol, Colin and Sasha on their adoption day. This is one girl that really is very lucky.
Sadie………………………… LOL What can we say about Sadie. She is getting better slowly. We have a vet that is now donating her time to Sadie’s care. Because of her condition we were not able to spay her before she went into heat. And this of course has set her back a little. But with some amazing care from her foster mom and some new herbal remedies she seems to be turning the corner. We still won’t put her on petfinder as she just isn’t adoptable yet. But soon she will be well enough to post once she is feeling better and has been spayed. My hat is off to the most wonderful foster home. Sadie has been getting the very best of care not only from her vets but also from the family she lives with.
The raffle held to help with her vet bills and care was a success. We not only raised $1300.00, it also brought in some great donations. I am so very grateful to those that stepped up to the plate to gather donations for prizes, sold tickets, BOUGHT tickets and did lots of running around. Without your help, we would not be able to do what we do.
Belle has settled into her foster home as if she had always been there. She has lost the weight she needed to lose and is now fit and ready to go. The little devil has been feeling so good that she has even counter surfed a couple of times. LOL I find this totally funny because the day I picked her up, her back legs were so weak. Now she is feeling well enough to hoist herself up on her hind legs to steal food. That’s always a good sign.
And my boy Herbie. Over 7 months now and still no word on when everything will be settled. Enough said.

It is the last day of the year and for 2010, I hope that West Coast Rottweiler Rescue won’t be needed. I hope that dogs everywhere will find safe warm houses with loving families. That is MY hope. But if we are needed I pray that we can continue to reach out to at least a few dogs.

Are there too many

2009-11-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

We have so many dogs. Maybe not by others standards, but more than we have ever had before.

The longest staying on is Sasha. What an amazing girl she has turned out to be. She really just needed someone to stand up and take a leadership role. She is loving her new foster home and they apparently really like her. She needs very little really. Some gentle walks some play time and some love. All of it easy to provide.
The most expensive of course is Sadie. I really have to get Sadie’s stuff update on the website. She has all of us kinda worried. Nothing seems to be showing up with the tests we have done on her skin. She is still itchy, is still scratching herself raw if she is allowed to. Her vet care just keeps rising and we won’t even talk about how much it costs to feed a dog raw buffalo meat. But she is so worth it. Her foster family really enjoys her personality, the fact that there are really no negative behavioral problems. I pray that the raffle brings in some much needed money. We would never allow a dog to go without because of cost, but it is still very very worrying.
Our newest one is Belle. Again an older girl. But again, so very very deserving. She was adopted from the Vancouver Animal Shelter in the spring of this year. But for reasons that I certainly don’t understand her new owners just didn’t want her any longer. Yes, without a consistent schedule, she does leak a little when she stands up. But having a couple of short extra walks a day certainly helps that. And if she needs it, there is medication that is pretty darn cheap. Her knees are shot. The ligaments are torn and really there isn’t much to do at this point other than make sure her weight stays good, her exercise is gentle and she gets regular supplements to help.
And in the wings is Herbie. Still after all these months, no decision is made on his case. He stays in limbo, not belonging to the rescue, not belonging to us, not being able to be placed in a proper forever home. Herbie has bonded so deeply with us that I fear that his heart will be broken when the time comes for him to move. He will need that very special home. One that can understand his fears and help him to adjust. He has come such a long way. He loves when we have visitors now. He loves when others stop to pet him. And he is now comfortable enough to allow people to do just that.
And then there is good and bad news. The good news is that I got to see Rhonda again. She has lost her leg to cancer but has made an amazing recovery. And what was more amazing was that she actually remembered me. When I walked into the house, she gave that whoo, whoo that said, “I remember you Treat Lady”. Ok, maybe she was just hoping for some liver brownies but whatever. I was thrilled to see her. And the bad news. WCRR is broke. When we only did one dog at a time, the money we raised was enough. But, we are now getting know, and more dogs are coming into care. But the economy is bad. People don’t have the money to donate that they used to have. We don’t owe any money, but there is very little in the bank these days. Without help from others, I’m not sure how long we can go on this way

We have been so busy

2009-11-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

that there literally has been no time to post here or anywhere for that matter.
Sadie is doing well. she is still very very thin but we think its because her diet is now made up of raw buffalo. Its horribly expensive, and a very lean meat. Hence the weight problem. she is still having outbreaks but is looking amazing. Her coat is coming back and it is glossy and beautiful. A huge thank you to her foster mom for taking such good care of this dog. Baths every couple of days, the special diet, the vet visits. None of it is easy. And I am forever grateful for her and her wonderful husband stepping up to the plate for the girl.
And then there is Sasha. Her foster mom has been managing to keep Sasha and her own dogs apart. Sasha is not an easy girl to foster. the fact that she won't tolerate other pets makes it a full time job to foster her. She has been living with her foster mom for months now and I had almost given up hope of every finding just that right home. But there is a home for every dog and Sasha is meeting 2 very nice people that are looking to foster her and maybe she will win their hearts over.
Zeke has been adopted. When he went into foster care, I promised that the folks taking care of him that they could not adopt. LOL Well, I lied. Chanone and Scott fell in love with the little bugger and he is now part of their pack. And what a change he has gone thru. He is a loving happy boy that gets along with everyone. He no longer tries to bite or throw temper tantrums when he doesn't get his own way. Every puppy, especially rottweiler puppies need that structure and guideline to live by.
Herbie the love bug still lives in limbo. The court cases just keep going on and on. Its hard for all of us. He has bonded so deeply and is now so comfortable in our home that it will be hard on him to move to another place. But move he must. And I'm torn. Do I place him in another foster home or do I keep him here. The court cases may go on for another year. And who knows how it will all turn out.
There are dogs waiting in the wings to come in. It seems there are always dogs waiting. And I have to make decisions on who I can take and who I can't. Its like deciding who lives and who dies. I hate being the one to make that decision. And it doesn't help when there are other rescues emailing me saying I "should" take this dog and not that one. But they aren't the ones living in my skin. They aren't the ones that have to listen to the voice of my heart.

2009-09-23T20:26:00.001-07:00

Its been over a month since I posted. the time has flown so quickly, the summer is over, the nights get colder and rescue continues on.
there has been alot going on in WCRR. First up is Sadie.
This girl lived with someone. They say they found her as a stray. maybe they did. Maybe they didn't. We won't ever know for sure. But Sadies CURRENT owners, the ones she lived with for over 7 months, the ones she thought she belonged to, couldn't/wouldn't take care of her. I heard about Sadie in an email way back in March of this year. Her owner called me to ask some advice. I told her what I thought might be going on, explained that we had no room in rescue for another dog but this woman swore that she already loved her and would care for her the best she could.
Then she emailed me again a few weeks later. Sadie was still very thin, wasn't eating properly and was very itchy. I explained that we still couldn't take her in but because she was a stray I would try to help with some vet bills. So I set up a time to go to Chilliwack to meet Sadie. I got there at the agreed time but no one was there. I waited outside the address she had given me for over an hour. But still no luck so home I went. The woman called again, apologized said something came up and could we try again. Yup, if the dog needs help, we are going to at least give it a try. So another appointment was made, another trip to Chilliwack and again, no one home. I admit, I was a little pee'd off. I wouldn't answer emails or phone calls. I figured the whole thing was a scam. Then in early Aug I got another email saying Sadie was now very sick and could I please help her. I had someone that lived in Chilliwack go meet her and it was heartbreaking. Sadie had lost so much of her fur, she was painfully thin, but still maintained that wonderful temperament we see in rotties. Arrangements were made for her owner to take Sadie into our vet right away. Kevin as per usual stepped up to the plate. A full exam, showed Sadie had long term skin lesions, most likely from either food or flea allergies. she was treated for fleas, given antibiotics, shampoo's and more flea meds. Another appointment was made for Sept to see if there was much improvement. But before that appointment happened, Sadies owner phoned to say she was much worse and had stopped eating. She said that she thought Sadie needed to be put down. That it wasn't fair for her to suffer like that. After much discussion with Kevin, we asked if Sadie could spend 1 night at the clinic to see if we could get her turned around again. the owner agreed and left poor Sadie with Kevin. As soon as she left Kevin got Sadie to eat some canned food and then she gobbled down a bunch of kibble. There was nothing wrong with this girls appetite.
The next day I called the woman to tell her Sadie could come home. But she said she was busy and couldn't make it that day. I thought there was something funny going on and tried to call her later. I couldn't reach her so I sent her an email. When there was no answer to the email on the second day, I tried phoning again and then tracked down her boyfriends phone number. The bottom line is this woman had gone to Las Vegas and didn't want Sadie back. How absolutely heartbreaking for this dog.
it has been a couple of weeks that Sadie has been with us. Her foster home is taking such good care of this sweet girl. She is eating, being bathed on a regular basis. She lives in a home free of fleas and is no longer full of scabs or has greasy, smelly fur. Sadie will take time to recover but she will be fine. And I know we will locate the home for her she so much deserves.
And then there is Herbie
His name used to be Surby, then the shelter called him Curby but we named him Herbie cause he's a love bug. We have been fostering for the spca while there was a cruelty case going on. I got the call today that the case has been settled and the spca now has custody of all the animals. And then I was asked if I wanted to adopt Herbie. I had always assumed that they would release him to rescue once the case was over. I would LOVE to adopt this boy. But I can't. My life isn't my own. Our lives are dedicated to West Coast Rottweiler Rescue and we can't adopt another dog without putting the whole rescue in jeopardy. There is a limit on how many dogs can live in this home. But I want Herbie to be a part of WCRR. I want us to always be there for him. I want to know where he lives, that he is happy and safe and warm and loved. I'll admit, "I" need that.
So much of our hearts are put into the dogs we house. We not only give them food and shelter we give them a piece of our souls. To do less than that would be unfair. And yes our hearts break when they leave. But while they may move on to a different location, they are always apart of our rescue. Please SPCA, let Herbie/Curby/Surby, whatever you want to call him, stay with us. please

Death row dogs and puppies

2009-08-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes they have lots in common. In the last couple of weeks we have taken in both.
I got the call about Sasha months ago. She was in a shelter but we thought she was safe. Like so many poor dogs, Sasha was going crazy in the shelter. It doesn’t matter how good the shelter is, no dog should be there for that long. Sasha started to act out and I got the call ever rescue dreads. Sasha was in desperate need of getting out of there. She had growled and snapped at people and it was decided that she could not be adopted if she was displaying those traits. I tried and tried but I couldn’t find a foster home for her. While I was in Kelowna they told me she was going to be euthanized. I sat on the steps of the Noah’s Wish shelter crying in frustration. Days later when I returned things were no better. But as sometimes happens an angel appeared. Not one with wings or a glowing face, but a tiny lady that had opened her heart to tough dogs before and was more than willing to give this girl a chance. And it was only because of other angels in the background that we found her.
Sasha has been in her foster home for awhile now and while she is still settling in, she is showing that she can be a lovable dog. She goes to people quickly for pets and is one of those rottie (crosses) that is a leaner. She would do better in a hope with no other pets but rather someone that can show leadership and fairness. Someone that loves the older ones and has some knowledge about living with this breed.
And then there was the pup. If you know me at all you know I don’t really care for pups. And this one had had the worst start of any of them. No, he wasn’t beaten, starved, or abused. But worse for him, he was allowed to act out in any way that he wanted to. No one would or could stand up to him and he had started to bite. Not your cute little puppy manner, but as a bully intent on showing the world how tough he was. Zeke was 5 months old and hell bent on gaining his desires anyway that he could. And again, another angel appeared. This time in the shape of an friend that had the training, patience and ability to show Zeke that life as a pack member instead of the head dog was a better way to live. Zeke is a work in progress. But progressing he is. And like Sasha, he needs a firm leader who will stand their ground and not allow him to fall back into his old ways.
Both these dogs have the same problem. Whoever owned them failed them. Both these dogs could have lost their lives had angels not stepped into help. Sasha only had a short while. Zeke, well he may be a puppy right now, but he is quickly growing and a dog that has no boundaries is a dangerous animal.
I will be forever in the debt of the angels that have helped us help them.

2009-07-12T22:32:00.001-07:00

We have a 5 yr old male staying with us. I can’t tell you about his circumstances, his name, or show you pictures cause right now, he doesn’t belong to us. But I will share what life is like with a frightened 90 lb Rottweiler.
It’s sad most days. Things that we usually take for granted scare this boy. He isn’t aggressive at all, but rather trys to run and hide. Sounds like a dishwasher or washing machine used to make him either hit the floor, or become so stressed that he would pant and pace for the longest time. Flags waving, things blowing in the wind, all of these startle and stress this boy. And he doesn’t recover quickly.
After being with us for over a month, I still can’t bath him. His fear takes over and he needs to run away. He came to us with very little training and I’m finding it hard to get him to co-operate some days. Its like the fear is a transit thing. One day he will be somewhat ok, the next he is scared out of his mind. Even simple things like opening the plastic containers for our cookies makes him run out of the room
Jim and I were doing some little reno’s in the back yard on the weekend and this poor boy couldn’t stand and watch. It’s like he has never experienced life. Hammering makes him run, cleaning house makes him want to hide, pulling weeds is enough to make him run upstairs and not want to come down again. We will most likely never know this sweet boys history. And it doesn’t really matter I guess. What matters is that he is here and safe for now. And we are going to do everything in our power to make him more confident.
He is a magnificent animal. He is loving to the point of being a pest, always wanting to have your hands on him. We have taught him that his crate is a safe place and he goes there willingly when we have to work but when we are home, he is right by our sides.
I’m hoping that soon he will become part of West Coast Rottweiler Rescue. I pray that the right family will step up for him. He needs so very much to be loved and to be made to feel safe.

No we haven’t gone away

2009-06-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

We are still around and still active.

But I will say losing Bear took the wind out of my sails. And there was another loss right around the same time. Too be very honest, my heart just wasn’t into posting on the blog.
Anyways, back to the dogs. A young boy came into care the same day we lost Bear. I put out a call for a foster home and one showed up right away for him. Usually I would have preferred to have him in our home, but with everything going on, it wasn’t the right time or place.
Laurie took little Harley into her home and kept him till we found just the right placement for him. There were lots of people wanting to adopt him but he needed that special family that would give him everything he deserved. And they did show up. What a wonderful thing to place a young dog in a young family and know they will do everything they can to make him the best dog ever.
We were asked by a local shelter to take in a special case. We have done just that but until all the facts around this dog are settled, I won’t post about him. Suffice to say that the mystery man will be seen around pretty soon I hope.
Earlier this month we celebrated a very special day. Our little min am esk/pap cross turned 10 yrs old. Jim thought we should post about her because without her, there would be no Rottweiler Rescue.

Sashka came to us when she was about 1 ½. I knew nothing about rescue, I only knew that I wanted a dog and Jim said it had to be small. LOL. Sashka was advertised in the buy and sell. The ad said she was a lovely young dog with great manners, well socialized, good with kids, yada, yada, yada. The only reason they were looking for a home for her was allergies. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. The woman said she would bring the dog down on her next trip to the coast and we meet in a MacDonald’s parking lot. My first sight of Sash was her being dragged out of a crate that she had spent 10 hrs in with a very large Bassett hound. She was so very dirty and scared out of her mind. She cowered and shook and would not look at anyone. If I had been smart I would have turned around and walked away. But………………… I loaded her in the car and took her home.
Sashka was frightened by everything and everyone. She was of course, not housetrained at all. Traffic scared her, a leash was clearly not something she had ever experienced, and people made her run in the opposite direction. Strange dogs were even worse. Either she charged at them barking or she tried to run. The only way to comfort her seemed to be to sit and pet her. And only I could do that. She would not go to him willingly for almost 6 months.

Sashka could also not stand to be by herself for any length of time. I have the most wonderful neighbors but even they became tired of listening to her bark all day long. We tried more exercise but that didn’t seem to help. I took her to a daycare but she kept getting loose. She was just too fearful to be anywhere that I wasn’t. After talking to a dear friend, we decided to try fostering. We went to our local spca and told them we would like to help an older calm dog. I was very upfront with them about what I could and couldn’t manage. LOL
They first introduced us to a Dalmatian. That introduction didn’t go very well. LOL Both dogs charged at each other trying to kill one another. Next came a sweet older German shepherd cross. Nope, that didn’t go well either. Seems Sashka kept charging and barking and certainly not showing her best side. The shelter staff asked if they could try one more and I said sure. What did I have to loose.
Out came one of the largest and oldest Rottweiler’s I had ever seen. This was not a breed I knew anything about nor was it a breed I really wanted to learn about. I had bought into all the hype about how viscous they were and how they would turn on us one day. I was shaking my head no even before they got up to the playground. But Sash had a different idea. The barking and charging weren’t as intense. And this old boy just ignored her. She settled quickly and the shelter attendant convinced me we should put them in the same run.
While I watched closely, Sashka approached this old smelly boy, sniffed him quickly and walked away. He followed her, gave her one sniff and then went and lied down. Sashka went to him again and after a moment she licked his grey muzzle and lied down next to him.
And so began our journey. Old Man Luke was a wonderful example of a well tempered Rottweiler. He was patient, loving with those he knew, stoic, and a clown. We knew his age was 12 because he had been in so many shelters and we could trace his tattoo. While his journey with us only lasted about 18 months, he showed me what it was to be loved by a rottie.
Sashka is still my little princess. I love her to bits. And I will be forever grateful that she introduced me to this wonderful breed.
In honor of her 10th birthday we have decided that when people ask what breed she is we are going to tell people she is a “rare northern miniature longhaired bi-colored Rottweiler. Her heart is certainly big enough

Mr. Bear:

2009-04-03T13:59:00.001-07:00

You were the saddest looking dog that I had ever seen. The shelter was no place for you and they couldn’t let you stay there. I had promised Jim at least a couple of weeks off before the next foster was to come in, but you couldn’t wait. And I couldn’t let you. So home you came with me.

Right from the start we knew our hearts were in big trouble. You didn’t care about much except food and being warm. You were hesitant to come for attention, almost as if you didn’t trust that it was all real. But once you knew it was real, you were an absolute love bug, always looking for attention, playing the clown and looking at us with such sweet old eyes.
We tried to find out exactly what was wrong with you but both Kevin and the neurologist both said that whatever it was, it most likely couldn’t be fixed. We didn’t want to keep putting you thru test after test and you weren’t in pain so we left you alone. Instead we tried to make your life as much fun as possible. It took trying a couple of things but swimming was your fav. Every week as we drove out to the pool, you would get more and more excited the closer we got.
I miss you already. I miss you welcoming me at the door with that silly dirty yellow duck, I miss stumbling over you in the kitchen at dinner time, I miss that sweet look on your face. I miss the little nibbles on my ear. I even miss having to wipe the food off your nose after you had eaten.
5 months was not long enough. Rest sweetly old man.

What a month we have had.

2009-03-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

First a Bear update. I really wish this boy could talk. We need to know what it is that he needs. He continues to eat well. Sometimes too well. And I’m not sure but I think that Bear and Sashka are in cahoots. Bear has started to become a thief. First it was the treats in a closet. Not once, not twice but 4 times. All the treats are in boxes hidden away but somehow he has managed to dig around till he finds them. And in the process he usually chews up something else. Then it was the bacon bits. How he managed to get them off the centre of the table is beyond me. He shouldn’t be able to reach that far. And finally, the eggs. I came home to find the destroyed egg carton and 2 tiny tiny pieces of shell. No mess from the yolk, no stickiness, just the destruction. “Someone” left the carton with 4 eggs on the kitchen counter. I tried to get Bear to take some cheese off the counter but he couldn’t reach it. So how did he get the eggs? Personally I think Sashka is helping him. So his appetite is good. But his health continues to mystify me. Some days I can get that slow old dog to actually run. But other days, it seems like he almost can’t stand. I really wish the old guy would let me know exactly what he wants. We would do almost anything to help him.

And West Coast Rottweiler Rescue welcomes in George. He is a sweet 2 yr old boy from a reserve on Vancouver Island. He is so unsure of city life. All the activity makes him kinda nervous but he is quick to recover. George is with our new foster family and they are already in love with this boy. He is very good with the resident female rottie and even plays nicely with the resident chihuahua. He has been to the local dog park and had a blast. George is paying way too much attention to the cat but is starting to learn not to chase. Our wish for George would be to find a family with another dog that will show George all he needs to know. George would be suited to an active lifestyle and even though he knows some commands, obedience classes are needed to guide him to be the best that he can be.

So that’s the good news. Now I am going to rant.

WCRR now has a policy that we will NOT take owner surrender dogs. And now it is written in stone. And here are the reasons why.
Ruby. He owners contacted us asking that we take her. I said no, I don’t have the room. After talking to them and listening to Ruby’s owner cry about how they so wanted to keep her but couldn’t find a place to live, I said I would post her on a rescue site to see if anyone else could help. And someone did. Waverlea stepped up to the plate and offered to take Ruby in until her family could change their living conditions. And WCRR agreed to help with any vet bills should we be needed. We told Ruby’s owners that we needed paperwork stating we had permission to care for her. A plan was set out, and soon folks had leads on homes for Ruby’s owners. But suddenly they wouldn’t return our calls or answer our emails. It was like they had forgotten all about this sweet old girl. Finally after several weeks I sent them an email informing them that because we had no paperwork saying we were caring for Ruby we would have to take Ruby to the spca and declare her an abandoned animal. Finally they sent us a surrender form and Ruby became a member of West Coast Rottweiler Rescue. And no sooner had that been done, then Ruby started to show signs of illness. Waverlea was wonderful and continued to care for Ruby. There really isn’t much in life that is harder than giving your heart to a dog that you know will die soon. Just a few short months after Waverlea promised to care for Ruby she had to let her go. Today our hearts break as Waverlea did the right thing and held Ruby one last time. They say that dogs live in the now and I hope that is true. I hope that Ruby didn’t remember that those other people ran away when she needed them the most. I pray that the only thing she knew was Waverlea loved her.

And then there was Bailey. Bailey was a young girl. Her owner told me that she was moving to South America and couldn’t take her girl. It was a sad sad story and again, I fell for it and tried to help. I knew of a nice man that had lost his rottie boy and was looking to bring another dog into his life. Geoff was patient and wanted to wait for just the right dog. He wasn’t up for adopting an older dog, only because his heart truly broke when he lost his boy. So this seemed like a good match. Bailey was young (3 yrs old) and her owner said there were no health problems. But there must have been something. 2 weeks after coming to Geoff and his wife, Bailey stopped eating. She was taken to the vets, tests were done, but no one could pinpoint anything. Just a short 8 weeks after stealing Geoff’s heart, Bailey started to hemorrhage and had to be put down. Again, a wonderful dog, abandoned by those she trusted and left with strangers who opened their hearts only to have it broken.

These dogs deserved to be with their families. The ones they lived with and loved for years. The ones that they trusted. But instead, both these dogs were left behind. Both with medical problems that were not disclosed.

When we started West Coast Rottweiler Rescue we decided that we would focus on shelter dogs. Those dogs that, without our help, would most likely lose their lives. Those are the ones that need our help. Dogs like Ruby and Bailey had owners. Those owners wouldn’t take their dogs to a shelter. Oh noooooooooooo, they apparently loved those dogs too much for that. But instead they dumped those dogs trusting that someone else would do the right thing. Well folks, I’m sorry but shame on you. You should have been the ones to help them. You should have been the ones to hold them as they passed. And you should have been honest with us. Next time please get yourself a stuff animal.
Rant finished

All About Bear

2009-01-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss in updating this blog about Bear. He continues to do really well and while he isn’t getting any stronger, he doesn’t seem to be getting any weaker.
Bear loves people. And he has bonded very strongly to both Jim and I. He insists on following me everywhere and does show signs of separation anxiety when I leave. It only consists of whining for a short time but it is something to watch for.
Mr. Bear got his first visit to a dog park. For the most part it went well. When he was in the main area he greeted all the dogs well. It was only once he had been there awhile and was walking thru the trails that he ran into problems. Both times it was with young unneutered males. Perhaps he didn’t appreciate them coming up to him in such a bouncy manner. Perhaps he was tired from all the exercise (20 minutes). Perhaps he will never like unneutered males. But the dog park is not a place to bring Bear on a regular basis. He simply can not keep up to the other dogs and becomes tired quickly.
Bear’s health continues to be a mystery to us. While there are tests we could do, no matter what the results are, the outlook is dim. None of what we “think” is going on could be changed. And sedating him again worries me. He had a hard time recovering from the sedation last time we x-rayed his hips.
This boy proves time and time again that he has a wonderful temperament. With all the tests we have done, all the poking and prodding by strangers, he has always just stood by and let us do what we had to. He is great with Sashka and she is clearly taken with him. He is calm when people come over, greets them at the door and quickly settles with no problems. He certainly isn’t a guard dog but few people would chance walking in unannounced simply because of his size. Bear would do well in almost any type of home. But his new family would need to be aware of his limitations. Stairs will soon become a problem, slippery floors are a hazard for him and his weight must be watched. And Bear must be surrounded by plush squeaky toys. While he loves us, adores Sashka, really likes visitors, his favorite thing in the whole world is his toys. Bear will surround his dog bed with the toys he loves the most. He doesn’t destroy them, but rather, chews gently on them, making them his own.
We feed our animals a raw diet and because he is doing so well on this, I would like to see it continue. Bear is on supplements such as Salmon Oil and glucosamine. Treats are kept to a minimum in order to control his weight and short walks a couple of times a day is all this boy wants. As much as we love having Bear with us, he can certainly go into an adoption or foster home. If having a gentle quiet senior spending his time lying at your feet and enjoying your company is what you are looking for please let us know.

A sad anniversary

2009-01-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

January 4, 2001 was the day we lost our first Rottweiler. Old Man Luke was the first Rottweiler that ever lived with us. And here is his story.
Sashka had lived with us for about 6 months. Every time we left the house, Sashka barked, howled, cried, pee’d and pooped in the house. Nothing helped her. I contacted the shelter in Delta about fostering a dog and they said, bring Sash out and let her meet a couple of the older dogs they had in care.
The first one was a Dalmatian. This guy was spun out and Sashka hated him. Then came out a shepherd. We couldn’t even get them in the same run. Then they brought out this big old Rottweiler. My first reaction was NO WAY!!!! I was scared of rotties. All I had ever heard about them was the bad stuff. They were people eaters. They would kill my little dog. Rottweilers would turn on you with no notice. They could not be trusted.
The shelter girls told me to trust them. Luke was calm and good natured. We let the dogs sniff thru the runs and for once Sashka was pretty calm. Then we put them in the runs together. After only a moment of sniffing, Luke went and lay down. Sashka went to him, gently licked his face and sat next to him. The bond was that quick. And we brought him home to foster.
Old Man Luke was 12 when we brought him home. He had been thru 5 homes that we were able to trace thru his tattoo. He certainly wasn’t the prettiest example of a Rottweiler. And he wasn’t always the nicest dog but he showed me a side of rottweilers that I had never imagined. Luke loved unconditionally. He loved Jim and I and he adored Sashka. He was protective but was willing to stand back and let us handle any situation. He was amazing with children but standoffish with adults. Some dogs he liked and some he didn’t but he was always appropriate when telling them off.
We eventually adopted Old Man Luke so we could provide the kind of care we thought he needed. Lots of love, good food and gentle exercise and he started to bloom. There was nothing he liked better than a good game of tug. And of course, food. He would eat anything anytime. There were things he didn’t like. He hated walking in the rain and would actually just lie down so you couldn’t get him to go any further unless you were turning towards home.
Luke lived with us for a year and a half before he let me know that he had had enough. On January 4, 2001, we held him gently while our vet helped him pass.
Old Man Luke taught me so much about this wonderful breed. And since that time there has never been another breed that we have wanted to share our life with. To this day, Sashka tends to dislike most dogs but bring a well mannered Rottweiler into our home and she thrives. We have always looked for the rotties that would have a hard time finding a home. The older ones, the ones with physical challenges, the ones no one wanted. Old Man Luke was the first and without him teaching me about this breed, WCRR would most likely not exist.
Run free my dear friend. We will meet again

Why training is so important.

2009-01-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

We all love our animals. We all trust them. We all want what is best for them. But love and trust is never enough.
Dogs are hunters. It is in their genes. Even my sweet little diva dog Sashka has the urge to hunt. Last summer when we were at the lake and sitting around the camp fire, Sashka spotted a mouse. She chased it, cornered it, and was going to kill it if I hadn’t stepped in. But Sashka and I have gone thru training and when I say “Leave It!” you better believe she understands. But like any dog, if I don’t watch she is likely to try again.
So one of our adopters called this morning quite upset. The dog she adopted had killed a chicken and she wanted to know what she could do to make sure it never happened again. Training, training, training. I can’t impress enough that ALL dogs need training. Not just one set of puppy classes, but ongoing training. They are never too young or too old. And until you can be sure that that dog is not going to harm another animal, please supervise. No. Let me rephrase that. YOU MUST SUPERVISE.
This wasn’t the dog’s fault. This was the fault of humans. When you adopt a young animal, you are getting a clean slate. YOU get to decide how that dog will live, what experiences it will have and how its life will unfold. This isn’t an undertaking that anyone should take lightly. You are responsible for a life. And when something like this happens, when a young dog kills another animal, be it a mouse, a chicken, a cat, dog or human, WE as pet owners are responsible.

Why we say no

2008-12-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

There has been much discussion lately about who deserves to be rescued and where we should be doing it. WCRR has a mandate. That mandate says we work with dogs in the shelter system in British Columbia. That is “OUR” mandate. This doesn’t mean that we don’t care about all animals everywhere. We do care, and very deeply. But because of resources our focus has to be our local dogs.
I recently received an email about a young rottie girl in California. She had been starved and neglected and was in desperate need of help. She would die if someone didn’t step forward to help. And this was an extreme case. We (along with many others) were asked if we could take her. I looked at that picture a long time and my heart broke for her. But WCRR could not help. There is several rottweilers’ right here in British Columba that need our help. How can I tell those dogs, sorry, this one’s need is greater, this one’s need has touched me more, this story is sadder. I couldn’t. Does that mean I don’t care what happened to her? Of course it doesn’t. It means that I have to take care of the problems here first. If I hadn’t stayed the course then dogs like Rhonda, Bolt, Louie, and Bella would have died. Those dogs deserved to be saved.
Do I agree with bringing dogs in from other countries to find them homes here? No. Not at all. Yes there are extreme cases. Yes there are exceptions to every rule. But for the most part, Canada or British Columbia for that matter has thousands of dogs in need. And hundreds will lose their life if homes aren’t found for them. How can I possibly agree that dogs from other countries should come here until the dogs in our own country have homes? Its not that I don’t care about the dogs in California, Maryland or Mexico. I do care. But I also care about the dogs that I am asked to help. The ones that I put my hands on. The ones whose faces I hold and promise I will do what I can to get them out of the shelter. And my heart breaks every single time I get that email that says that dog has died because no one here could or would help. So when I hear about people importing dogs from other countries on a regular basis, yes I get angry and lash out. And yes I step on toes. Am I sorry I do that. Maybe. Am I sorry I take a stand. Not in your life.
If there is a breed that you can’t find in the shelter system in BC or Canada, then perhaps go look at shelters elsewhere. If there is a dog that steals your heart, then yes, adopt that dog. But let’s not bring in truck loads of animals with no place to go and no one to take care of them and then cry because they are in desperate need.
That sweet rottie girl that needed a home. Well, she found one. She will be loved back to health. And in the country that failed her in the first place. Meanwhile I still search for the foster homes that will help WCRR pull a deserving dog from a shelter here before it loses its life.
We can't save them all, but WCRR will continue to work to save rottweilers and rottweiler crosses in British Columbia.

Success

2008-12-02T12:22:00.001-08:00

WCRR was at the petfair in Cloverdale this past weekend and our booth was wonderful. There were a ton of people coming by, buying stuff, asking questions, giving us feedback and expressing their pleasure at finding a rescue dedicated to Rottweilers and Rottweiler crosses. Some of them expressed surprise at the range of kinds that we have helped but sometimes it’s not so much about the breed, but about who is in need.
I will confess to not doing well at organizing this fair. Actually I did very little but rather handed over the work to our wonderful board of directors. They all stepped up to the plate and made sure that this was a great success. I am proud of them and humbled by their actions. While I may be the only one of us that can handle the fur portion of the rescue, without them doing everything else, we wouldn’t be able to do anything. Thank you so very very much.
We had wonderful donations from many different areas.
Sue from Tandy Leather on King George Hwy again sent in some spectacular items for sale. This time she included belts with matching collars, collars and leashes and the most wonderful key fobs.
There were homemade Xmas decorations made by Sandy up in Smithers, B.C., a beautiful wreath by a great young lady named Bailey, bag holders and bottle covers made by a woman in Cloverdale . All great stuff donated to help the dogs in need.
There were tons of gift bags, stockings and baskets filled to the brim with dog items that were donated. Lots of times we hear about rescues not working together. And yes, sometimes there is bickering among us but most times we work together. When a local rescue received a large donation from Anipet they shared with others. We were so blessed to be part of that. Thank you so much German Shepherd Rescue for sharing.

There is no stopping the big old boy.

2008-11-28T11:03:00.001-08:00

I really have tried hard to keep Bear from travelling up the stairs when we aren’t home. We tried putting up the x-pen in the kitchen for him, but somehow that got tossed aside. It is now quite bent. Bear is a big boy. LOL
We have tried to block him in the kitchen but he pushed aside everything we put in his way. Did I mention he is a big boy. I did try to keep him in a crate, but it’s not really big enough for him to stretch out. And besides, he bangs it around till the doors pop open. He is a big boy. So, we decided to allow him access to the whole main floor. Bear and Sashka get along quite well and we thought that would work. But he wants to go upstairs where it is dark and warm. We blocked the stairs with several types of barriers but he either knocks them over, pulls them down or pushes them aside. And to be quite frank, there isn’t much I can do about it anymore. The walls are damaged and he is upstairs where he wants to be. J Do I mind? Not much. Bear is well behaved and as long as he doesn’t make a mess, he is welcome to whatever bed he feels more comfortable in.
We are on the search for treatment that will help him with his mobility. Sometimes he is just fine (or at least appears that way). But once the excitement is over and he relaxes, you can tell he is uncomfortable. His feet drag, his movement is slow and he becomes out of breath quickly. So far we haven’t seen much improvement with the acupuncture but I don’t know if I am ready to give up on it yet. Next would be Cartrophen injections. And swimming. I bet he will love swimming.
Many people ask why we bother to do this. Surely he is an old dog and just about done with his life and wouldn’t our resources be better spent helping someone younger?? Yeah, he is older and yeah, there are young ones needing our help, but Bear isn’t “done” with life yet. There is still too much Joy in his eyes, there is still a bounce in his step once in awhile and he loves his squeaky toys and continues to play with those. So how can I stop helping him. LOL Well, of course I can’t.

Bear Updated:

2008-11-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

What a funny boy he has become. Nothing like I had expected.
We have slowly changed his food to raw and while he isn’t thrilled with it yet, he now does have a very healthy appetite. He is even eating hard treats now, something that he had refused up until now.
Sashka and Bear have now figured out what is appropriate and what isn’t. Sashka can now make it across the room without Bear thinking he should mount her. LOL they aren’t playing together but Sashka isn’t a big fan of play. I have found her giving his old muzzle a lick or him nudging her with that huge head of his. Both these actions make me smile.
Bear’s favorite thing in the whole wide world is his toys. He does get rather upset when you put them away even thought the “toy box” is on the floor and he can get to them anytime. He would rather have them where he left them, either by one of his favorite sleeping places or on his bed. The problem is that all his favorite sleeping places are right in everyone’s path. Bear also has some very annoying habits. One of them is that when he wants to go to bed, I must go with him.
Ours is a small home and the 2 rooms upstairs are quite close together. This isn’t good enough for Mr. Bear. He would prefer that I not work on the computer at night, but rather go to bed about 7:30 pm. While I am growing to love this boy more and more, I’m not that old that I have to call it a night that early. Last night was a good example. At 7:30 pm I went upstairs to get some much needed work done on the computer. For about 5 minutes everything was fine. Bear seemed comfortable enough on the carpet. But then he started to pace. And whine. And pace more. We have been going thru this for a couple of days so I knew what was next. As I’m sitting at the computer with the mouse in my hand, this huge drooly head starts nudging me. Go away I tell him. Nope, Nudge, nudge, nudge. Enough I thought. I’m just putting you to bed and you can figure it out yourself. So I take him down a VERY short hallway to his bed in the master bedroom, get him to lie down, give him a short cuddle and its back to the computer room and my work. 2 minutes later, there he is. Nudge, nudge, nudge. NOOOOOOOOOOO I tell him, go away. This is not working well and I need to get stuff done. So back to the bedroom with him and then I close the door to the computer room, thinking that he will just have to settle down.
Roflmao. Nope, that’s not going to happen. The howling starts…… it’s loud and long and soulful. Lights in the complex start coming on, people on the street are looking at our house, other dogs in the neighborhood are joining in. I give up. Bear wins again. I go to bed at 8:15 pm. Thank god there is a TV in our bedroom.

The kindness of strangers

2008-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

West Coast Rottweiler Rescue has been blessed with some wonderful supporters, both in the doggie world, and those that just believe what we are doing is wonderful. We were helped recently by German Shepherd Rescue of BC (http://www.gsrbc.com/) by a donation of lots of toys and things to sell at the Xmas Pet Fair. And then there were the wonderful folks at Maple Springs Saddlery (http://www.maplespringssaddlery.com/). Not only did they adopt one of our first dogs, they also have donated part of the proceeds of their annual used tack sale to WCRR. Never to be forgotten is Canine Harmony http://www.canineharmony.com/ and the fundraisers they have had for us. And then there are the 2 wonderful ladies at the Tandy Leather Factory on King George Hwy that donated some absolutely beautiful collars and leashes that they made especially for us.
All of these people have found a special place in my heart. Some of them I have known for years but some I had never even met and yet they found us and our webpage and much to my surprise have watched our work. Some days I think that there is no one to help us help the dogs and then I find angels have been watching.
So for those that want an update on Bear, here is it. He is a goofy boy. He’s not really healthy, is in some discomfort but is really not ready to give up yet. Bear looks like a different dog than the sad crippled old thing we brought home a week ago. Those first days worried me so much. He wouldn’t eat, could barely walk, showed very little interest in anything other than trying to mount Sashka. But a trip to the vets, a change of food, some rest and a bath and we have a new dog. Bear is thrilled to see toys lying around the house. He picks his favorite squeaky up and greets everyone at the door with it. He tried to get people to play and would rather you chase him and then of course he will try to scare you with a growl. But if you stop, he almost cries and runs back to you with the toy.
Bear I’m sure would like a home of his own. One where he could have someone to let him out often during the day as he has some bladder issues. He would need a special diet, one that is low in fat. Bear may not have years left, but he has such a joy in life that makes us smile every single day. He is affectionate, loving, easy to care for. We would be willing to have Bear go to a foster placement if the right one turned up, if not he will stay with us until the right home comes along for him. Mr. Big Bear is now safe, warm and we hope happy.

The puppies are leaving soon

2008-11-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

So we have worked really hard to find them good homes, keep them socialized, vetted, healthy, and housetrained. And for the most part the evil ones have been doing really well. There is much praise and sweet talk going on in our back yard and the neighbors have found it very amusing. For some reason the sight of me in my housecoat, disheveled hair and slippers in the early morning or late night, saying Good Puppy, Good Pee, Good Poo, has them all in stitches. The pups will be leaving for their new homes as soon as they are altered and we can go back to looking at dogs in shelters. There has seemed to be no time to get out and about to see who needs us the most.
West Coast Rottweiler Rescue does have a senior dog in care right now by the name of Ruby. At this point I don’t think that placing Ruby in another home is in her best interest and I think that we will just keep her in the foster home as long as they will keep her. It is far too hard on these old ones to move them around. Right now Ruby is healthy enough but how long we can manage her is up to her. As with all rott’s of her age, it is a day by day thing.
We are trying to gear up for the Cloverdale Christmas Pet & Craft fair later this month. Right now we are hoping that people can help us with donations of items that we can sell or offer at prizes. Anything is good. Gift certificates are popular as are small items. Things that we can bring people to our booth for. This fair is traditionally a great fundraiser and a chance for us to get our name out there. We are still so new that many don’t know we even exist. If you can help in any way, please let us know. We can pickup items anywhere in the lower mainland area and every little bit helps.

another week

2008-10-25T23:34:00.001-07:00

It's been a long hard week here at West Coast Rottweiler Rescue. We have 4 puppies in our care. And no they aren't Rottweilers. But they were dogs in need. They need good loving homes, with families that will always stand by them no matter what.
They are cute active, normal puppies that drive me crazy, keep me up at night and melt my old tired heart. And for the most part we have found them homes and they will leave once they are altered.
Bolt's adoption was finalized today. He is such a happy funny boy and his mom is totally taken with him. His older sister Bella, well, having Bolt around has put a spring in the old girls step. And from what we could see, Bolt is willing to bow to the queen. And that is how it should be.
Doesn't it sound like a good week? Well, as much as some of it was good, some of it just stinks. Yesterday we lost Kysha.
Kysha came to us when her owners decided to move out of province. I guess you don't want to take a 13 yr old Rottweiler to your new home. I really don't know the true answer. I think it was they said they couldn't find a place that would take her. But whatever the reason it wasn't good enough. 13 yrs old for a rottie is a very old age. Kysha deserved to be with the family that had had her for years, not with people that barely knew her.
Danielle loved having Kysha and she worked hard to make her new life as wonderful as she could. But Kysha was an old dog and old dogs will always break your heart. Her back end wouldn't work anymore, she had so much trouble getting up and then couldn't stay up. Maybe there was more that we could do, but really, who are we keeping her here for? Should we risk having her live in pain so that "we" could love her for another day, week, or month. Is that fair to the dog. Not in this case. So I stood by and watched while Danielle's heart broke again. All I could offer was a hug because there is nothing to say. At that moment, I hated what we do in rescue. I hated the decisions we have to make that really are for the original dogs owners to do. But damm it, they weren't around and while they said they were sad, they were the ones that left Kysha behind with strangers.
And I keep hearing about puppies in need on reservations. I have emails from people wanting to rehome their dogs, I have wonderful dogs sitting in rescue cause I can't help them. I'm tired

Some days rescue just doesn’t seem worth it.

2008-10-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

There seems to be a never ending supply of dogs needing help and never enough money, resources, etc to do it all. We don’t take owner surrenders but sometimes you have to look beyond the owner to the dog. And that’s what is happening right now. We are going to take care of the dog because the owners really and truly can not.
I am tired and stressed and not really looking forward to the puppies arriving on Sunday. The responsibility of caring for them, finding them the perfect home and being able to cut thru the crap to do that boggles this old girls mind. LOL But then I remember I’m not in this alone, I have a host of people helping. Our vet Kevin Harris from Trenant Park Pet Hospital has always been kind and now has agreed to discount the cost of spaying these girls. This means I have the peace of mind of knowing that they will get the best care available and at a cost that would kill us. I have folks promising to do what they can for us and that means the world to me.
If it was only the dogs I had to deal with my little world would be pretty content. I do have the best Board of Directors supporting my decisions and a circle of friends and mentors that help guide me. Without them, I surely would be a basket case. Cause its people that drive me crazy. Those that want a puppy today and no they will not wait until they are assessed or vetted. There are those in the rescue community that have opinions about how we do things and if we don’t do them their way then it must be wrong. Then there are those rescues that need to say, “I” saved this dog and “I” saved that dog and if it wasn’t for “me”, this or that dog would be dead and” I’m better than everyone else for saving it”. And most times there are 2 sides to something, but god forbid we actually talk about that. Lets instead talk about how WE did something. It seems I get slammed if I voice my opinion, or not, so maybe for awhile I will do just that. I will let those that care (and even those that don’t) know that they aren’t the only ones in the world pissed off.

Sometimes Love isn't enough

2008-09-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a day that every rescue dreads. It was the day that we have to put one of our dogs down. Not because they are too old or too sick or even too out of control. It was because they weren't safe.
I really wanted to believe that all Kay needed was time and love. And I thought we could give her that. But Kayla had been allowed to make decisions on her own for too long and those decisions weren't healthy ones. When Kay came to us, she had such a hard look about her. She wasn't trusting, she wasn't friendly, she wasn't afraid either. Kay wanted what she wanted and there was no changing that.
That hard untrusting look changed quickly. She became confident almost overnight and I missed the signs of trouble. When she went after Sashka, I blamed it on my not paying close enough attention to what signs I though she was giving. When she growled at people, I thought "Oh she just doesn't like them standing over her". She allowed me to do all sorts of things to her, but I realize now, they were on her terms, not mine.
Kayla I don't think ever really trusted anyone. She would allow you to pet her, she would even encourage it, but then she would growl and give people that hard stare. Not to Jim or I, but to everyone else.
I so wanted her to find that one person that would make her safe. Someone that would understand her, give her time and space and allow her to become the dog "I" wanted her to be. But as she settled more in our home, I started to see a side of Kay that worried me.
Last week Kay backed one of our board members up, growling and barking at her. All this woman was doing was showing her affection. Affection that Kay had asked for.
The next day on a walk, Kay bit someone. Again, they had been petting her, had stopped before she wanted them to, and as he tried to walk away Kay nailed him. The bite was bad enough to require 4 stitches.
I still thought that we could give Kay another chance. I booked an appointment with a behaviorist, thinking I just need some help and then I can change her behavior. That appointment was for tomorrow morning.
Friday as we were coming home from a walk Kay made another bad decision. She didn't want to come in the house. I got behind her to give her a little nudge, just as I had done many times before. Kay turned and tried to bite me. She didn't try to nip me, or just scare me, she meant to do damage.
After a talk with those that knew Kay in the shelter, her vet and Jim, we decided that Kay could never safely be homed. For whatever reason, love this time would not be enough.
One of the hardest things about rehoming a Rottweiler is that you have to be sure that whomever takes the dog can manage that dog. And that the dog will not bite unprovoked. I take the responsibility of owning this breed very seriously. Without careful management, the Rottweiler will suffer the same fate that Pit bulls suffer.
My heart is broken. I wanted so badly to do what was right for this dog and all the dogs we care for. I can't fix them all. I can't help them all. I can't change what others have done to them. I did do the only thing I knew at that point to do. That was to hold this girl in my arms while we released her.
There are going to be those that say I have no right to be rescuing these dogs. Maybe I don’t' have enough experience. Maybe I don't have the right training, or resources, or the right facilitates. But until someone else steps up to the plate to help them I will continue to bring dogs out of shelters and offer them whatever I can.
Kayla, my girl, I am so very very sorry.

Is it always about money?

2008-09-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

I don't think that it can be when it comes to adoptions.
I recently met a man that so desperately wanted a dog to share his life with. He didn't have a fancy home, nor did he have lots of money, but he did have a heart of gold. This kind man takes a handy dart bus 5 days a week to walk dogs at his local shelter. He falls hard for all the dogs there but has an extra soft place in his heart for the big dogs. But coming up with the whole adoption fee all at once would be a hardship.

He asked about adopting several of the dogs he walked and played with. But on his fixed income paying high fees just wasn't going to happen for him. He offered to make payments on the adoption fee but was denied. And so month after month he showed up at the shelter, loving those dogs but going home to an empty basement apartment day after day after day.

And then he found us. And for awhile we thought perhaps we had found the perfect home for one of are harder to adopt dogs. But as circumstance would have it, it wasn't a match. And this mans heart was broken again.
This got me thinking about whom we adopt to. Yes we have adoption fees. And yes I believe that they are important. But I also believe that sometimes you have to look past money and look at what someone has to offer.
A couple of months ago, we were asked to take a dog from a shelter. She growled at everyone there and everyone was afraid of her. But her only problem really, was that she was so scared that she just couldn't trust. At the time, we had no space for her. And I knew that if we didn't pull her, she would lose her life. And this dog deserved a chance.

I got a call from a friend that knew someone that could take her. This woman really had nothing. She lived in a very small apartment, was unemployed and was just making ends meet. But she was willing to try to help the dog. And for me that was enough. We pulled the dog, paid her vet bills, and watched the miracle happen. This dog that growled at everyone changed. She became a happy well adjusted being again. She trusted and she loved and she was safe and she knew it.
When the young lady that took her in decided to move back to her home province, she called broken hearted because she knew that she either had to adopt this dog or give her back. But she had very little money and a long trip ahead of her. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue allowed her to take the dog and we would keep that adoption fee on file until she was able to pay it. And she did.

I know there are many that would not agree with that decision. But I have to say, no matter what happens in the future; this dog is loved and cared for. And if she needs help with medical issues, well, we will find away.

I am hoping beyond hope that the shelter that this kind man I talked about will see the light. I know they are a big organization and they have rules and protocols they must see to, but I also know that sometimes, if we look at the bigger picture, we can see that adoption fees are not the issue and the welfare of the animal is.

Someday it just doesn’t pay

2008-09-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

To come home from holidays
We pulled in Sat night at around 9:30. It was a long trip home and I was tired and certainly wasn’t going to check the rescue email until morning. Sometimes you just need to take a break.
But I always check the home voice mail and that’s when I heard the message about the young Rottweiler that had been shot in the head in Chilliwack. My heart sunk. I knew we had to help this boy but dam it I had no space and no place to put him. But, sometimes you just have to work a little harder to get things together.
I called Trina right away and found out that this dog had been shot with buckshot, had already had some surgery but needed more and then he needed a place to go. Bolt as he was called, had been on the run long enough for the flesh around his wounds to start to rot away. His care would be expensive and the recovery would take time and a shelter was not the place for any of that to happen. I rarely send out group emails cause, well, they seldom work, but I had no other ideas late on a Sat night. So I sent out the plea for help.
Jim and I slept little that night, thinking about this poor dog. He must be afraid and in pain. Would he be the kind of dog that would never trust again? I had no idea about any of it. I hadn’t seen him yet, nor had he been assessed nor had I been able to talk to the vet caring for him. All of this was a worry, but the most worrisome of all was where could we put him?
Late Sunday afternoon, I got the call that every rescue prays for. The perfect foster home had stepped forward and offered to help. They had medical training, had owned Rottweilers and understood how afraid Bolt might be. Monday morning I was on the phone to the vet asking for information. Bolt could leave the vets office Monday evening.
I didn’t get to meet Bolt until Tues night. By then he settled in to the home and was learning about playing with other dogs. He was also learning about homes, and stairs, and love. Perhaps for the first time. I tried to do some of the usual assessment stuff but it’s hard to assess a dog when all it wants to do is give you kisses. J So we do know that Bolt is about 1 yr old and still has some growing to do. He has the most beautiful coat, both a deep dark black and a warm mahogany color. Bolt still has a full tail that wags and wags and wags. He is pretty quick to learn but will need further socialization with other dogs so that he can be taught what correct play is all about. He will need someone that is able to provide him with leadership and love, someone that will ensure that Bolt gets the training that he needs, someone that will continue to teach Bolt that not all humans are out to kill you.
To the person that used to own Bolt, shame on you. This is a wonderful young boy with a ton of potential that only needs a chance to prove himself. And to the person that shot Bolt (who knows if it’s the same person or not), shame on you. You let this boy run away and live in pain. But to all those that have helped Bolt, Thank You. We will make sure that no one ever hurts this dog again.

Kay and the bull;

2008-09-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

I wished I had been able to take a picture but I was still sort of asleep.
I was lying in the tent trailer, just in that place between awake and asleep. I could hear Jim and Kay outside chopping wood and wandering around but I just wasn’t ready to get up to face the day yet. Until I heard Jim yell; “Kay get away from that bull”.
BULL??? I think?? What Bull??? I peek out the trailer window and there is Kay with her feet planted firmly on the ground stopping a huge bull from coming on our property. She wouldn’t come back to us until that big beast had moved on. What a good girl. Even though we had only been at camp a few days, she knew the property line and was ready to guard us against danger.
Now, the little diva dog, well, she’s not quite as smart. As I opened the trailer door, she rushed out barking. She charged up to the bull ready to take on anything until this monster lifted its head and looked at her. Poor little white dog. LOL She couldn’t get back to camp quick enough and stayed close by for the rest of the morning.
The moral of the story: If your 20 lbs of fluffy dog, leave the big bulls to the Rottweiler.

It gets harder and harder to write the blog

2008-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Its not the writing but rather the time. Working 40 +hours a week, the hour there and and the hour back, the dogs stuff, and then finding time for the spouse. All of it make for keeping the blog up to date hard. So for those that watch the blog, I apologize.

Kay has settled in nicely. but there are certain traits that make handling her somewhat worrisome.
Kay loves her food. She loves her food so much that when the food comes out, she can think of nothing else. She knows she has to sit to get her bowl, but other than that, she is impossible to train with food. I am so used to training with this method, that finding other things that motivate her is difficult. But she loves affection as so that's what we are working on.
Kay does sit nicely. She also came with the command to shake a paw. But either she doesn't know down very well or she is choosing not to do it. LOL. We are continuing to work with that one.
Kay also does not care for other dogs. Its not that she is dog aggressive, but she prefers to be the only one in your life. Her and Sashka have had a couple of instances of pushing over water dishes and food. And Sash now is cautious about how she approaches those areas of the house. But all in all things have been fine.
Kay is also wary of strangers. She will allow a quick pet but nothing more. New people must be careful of bending over her or we do see some lip lifting. This isn't out and out aggression but rather a warning to be respectful of her. But once she knows you, she is your typical rottie. she loves "her" people and is always looking for an ear scratch or a belly rub. But again, these must be limited because she is a dominate dog and will quickly start to demand attention.
The other thing that has kept us busy is the amount of emails and calls we get regarding owner surrenders. As much as we would like to help, we can't and won't. Our focus is shelter dogs. They are the ones that stand to lose if they aren't helped. but it is difficult sometimes to tell someone that we won't take their dog. I believe that most want what is best, but that is little help. And some of the dogs lately have been purebreed rottweilers coming from respectable breeders. And those breeders need to know what is happening with their dogs. I have pleaded with people to contact the dogs breeder and if they won't, then I will. sorry folks, that's just how it is.

How can she lie there looking so innocent

2008-07-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Kay is such a faker. She waddles when she walks. She makes like she is too big and old to jump much, but I found out tonight that Little Miss Fat Girl is a food theif.
We feed raw here. So, sometimes for the new dogs, the amount of food their getting may seem small. But we are careful about feeding and Kay is on a weight loss program. Or at least I try.
And Kay is what I lovingly refer to as very food motivated.

Tonight I made dinner so that means the loving and adoring husband cleans up afterwards. He went out right after dinner and I had to get on the computer to do some much needed stuff and Kay stayed downstairs waiting by the door (or so I thought).

When Jim came home, he asked if I had put the leftover meat away........................................... Nope, that wasn't my job, that was suppose to be his. I guess because Kay loves him so much, she thought she would help. Long story short, there is no more leftovers. Good news, she never broke a plate or made a mess or disturbed anything other than to clean that plate right up.

Bad Jim and bad Bev. Its our fault she got it. LOL but as I was looking at her with disapproval on my face and my hands on my hips, all she did was burp. When I told her how unlady like that was she burped again. My only payback will be that Jim will have to walk her in the morning and he gets to clean up her deposits.

Kay continues to show us a wonderful side. She came in with a hard look in her eyes that made me wonder. But as time goes by, that look softens, she becomes more relaxed and I think we are ready to start taking her in more public places. The sooner we know how she reacts in different settings, the sooner we can find what kind of home she needs

new dog and long day

2008-07-19T19:24:00.001-07:00

Kay has landed on our doorstep. And what a nice girl. She's going to need some work, some weight loss and some leadership. She seems to think that her job is to bark and scare away people. But she is going to learn that "I" have that job and I won't give it up. I would prefer she took the role of lady of leisure cause it would suit her more. She's a nice middle aged girl that can live with other dogs if she has to but I'm sure would be happier on her own.

Today was the Richmond Animal Wellness Expo. Lots of people and lots of wonderful dogs. Most of them well behaved but whenever you get that many people and dogs together it can be a little tense.
One of my pet peeves has always been ex tenable leashes. Yes they are great for the dogs, way more freedom but a much bigger chance of someone getting hurt. And today was no different. Little dogs, big dogs, people shopping and not really seeing what was up at the end of the leash. Thank goodness no one got hurt, but I'm glad I didn't bring the new girl. Way too much going on and she wouldn't have taken to it all very well.
We will soon have Kay up on the website and will tell you more about her as time goes on. While she isn't ready for adoption just yet, feel free to let us know if what you are looking for is a calmer, more mature girl to curl up with at night.

Incoming

2008-07-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

It seems like some days it just rains rottweilers. We have agreed to take in a middle aged girl from the island and there will be lots more about her later. But once we agreed to help her, I got "the" call. there is an old boy in one of the local shelters. He came in as a stray and his hold period is almost up and they are looking for a placement for him. This poor old thing has many lumps and most likely cancer. So we are asking, if you have any room, please please let us know. No dog should spend his last days in a cold kennel. It breaks my heart and so I am sending out this plea. this boy will not be for adoption, but rather is looking for palliative care. We will know more in the next couple of days when he has some of the tumors looked at, but if it is cancer, and he is as old as he seems, no extreme measure will be taken. But a warm bed and loving heart would go a long way to helping make this boys last days comfortable.
stay tuned for pictures and further updates If you can help, please please email me at wcrr.info@gmail.com
Bev

Things have been pretty quite lately

2008-07-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

And I miss having the big dogs around. since Louie's adoption, I have been in contact with some of the shelters we work with but as of tonight, there are no dogs that need WCRR's help. That changes so very quickly.
I have been baking the worlds smelliest dog treats. The house is hot from the weather but even hotter having the oven on, and now it just plain smells. YUCK
But it is one of the many ways we try to raise some much needed funds. And to be really honest, the dogs everywhere love them.
I am going to take this slow time to remind people why WCRR does not take in owner surrenders. Our funds are low. Our mandate is rottweilers in shelters. Every single day I get an email from someone that has to get rid of their dog for one reason or another. And I tell these people no. Not because I don't care about these dogs, because I do care deeply. But these dogs have someone. The dogs in shelters don't. Yes they have the staff and the volunteers if there are any, but they have no one to speak for them directly. And if owners work hard enough I really believe they can either find a way to keep their dog or at the very least, find a suitable home.
But the dogs in shelters suffer in ways that dogs with owners don't. They get stressed because of the noise. They can start to act out and when that happens, no one can see past their behaviour. And they get sick. Often shelters can't afford to treat the dogs the way that private rescues can. So, to all the angry people out there that complain that I won't help them, I'm sorry. But the spots we have available are for those that are in danger. And to the shelters, let us know how we can help. Because we are there for the rottweilers in need.

King Louie

2008-06-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Thats what his new family calls him. I told them his name was screwy louie but thats not what they see in him. Louie was one of those dogs that comes into rescue that truly breaks your heart. He had parvo, he had mange, he was dehydrated, thin, scabby and smelt so bad it made you want to throw up. Louie had absolutely no training. He was mouthy, he jumped up on people and he tried to hump absolutely everyone. He was unmanagable most of the time and tried my patience to no end.He chewed and destroyed everything he came into contact with. But as has been the case so often, Louie settled down at least somewhat.Louie has been with his new family for almost 2 weeks to see how he would adjust. They have an old dog that just wasn't too sure he wanted to have that young whipper snapper on his property but Louie won him over in no time.Louie's favorite thing is to lie in the sun on the deck, watching over his domain. Good Boy Louie. Show them what you are made of.

Things going on with West Coast Rottweiler Rescue

2008-06-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

First and most important (to us anyways) is that Louie is gone on a foster to adopt contract. Quite a lot depends on if he can win over the heart of the old dog on the property. When Sam and Louie met, Sam barked and growled at Louie while Louie just tried to lick his face. Personally I think Sam was just trying to ensure that Louie was aware of who was in charge. Be good Louie and get Sam to settle down.
We have been run off our feet lately with requests to take dogs in, requests for dogs, fundraisers, and information booths. As is usual, there isn’t enough time to get it all done. With Louie gone, I have to make a decision on which dog to bring in. And this part of rescue just sucks. Because when I say no to a dog, quite often that means the end for that animal. Not because they are bad dogs, but because they just aren’t doing well in the shelter. We so need foster homes. Without them, I have to say no far more often than I can say yes. WCRR will supply everything you need if you can supply a safe temporary home for a dog in need. It may be a puppy or youngster that ends up in a shelter because no one bothered to do any training, or it could be an older dog, one that someone just threw away because it wasn’t a puppy anymore. Sometimes the dogs are with you for only a couple of weeks, other times they may be there for a couple of months. We can never really tell and we always want to wait for the perfect home.
I am in the mist of making liver brownies again. One of our fundraisers is a raffle, and one of the prizes is liver brownies. Man oh man doe these things smell. But the dogs will do just about anything for them. If your interested in entering the raffle, please go to our website and check it out. Tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. All payments can be made either in cash or by paypal. http://www.westcoastrottweilerrescue.com/

There is a reason I work with the dogs

2008-06-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

and not with paper. Some days I really do lose my mind.

I have been wondering why there have been absolutely no applications for Louie. Yes I tell you about all the bad things that he does, but I also tell you about all the good qualities of this boy. I see no reason to lie to anyone about what kind of dog he is. He is high energy. End of story.

But..... Louie is posted on petfinder and I haven't had an application for him at all from there. So I figured I better check and make sure that everything was ok. Well it wasn't. The email address we were using was too long and it didn't work. So, if you have sent us an email about Louie and are wondering why we haven't answered, that is the reason. We didn't get it.

Louie's petfinder page has been updated once again and we now have a new WORKING email address. Please send us a note and let us know if Louie is the boy for you

Lots going on with WCRR

2008-06-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

First of all Louie still needs a home. This boy has comes miles since coming into care. People that saw him when he first came in are always amazed at how wonderful he looks (and smells). We have found an outlet for all that puppy energy. Doggie daycare. While you have to be very careful about where your dog attends daycare, for those living in apts and townhouses, it gives the dog a chance to really let loose. So the good news is Louie is going once a week to a daycare. The bad news is he should go more LOL Or he should get to the doggie park at least once a day. This boy needs to play!

Our next big event is a chocolate and doggie treat sale. We will be in Fort Langley on Sat June 7th from 10 am to 2 pm. Drop by and see us. http://www.maplespringssaddlery.com/

July will bring the Richmond Animal Wellness Expo at Garry Point Park on July 19th. We will be there from 11 am till 3 pm. Drop by and see our booth

Louie's Report Card

2008-05-28T09:31:00.001-07:00

Louie boarded with me for 10 days this May. He is just getting over his mange and he looked fabulous! There are just a few spots on his face where the hair is thinner, but other than that he is fuzzy and healthy!

Louie is a very active dog who loves all people; everybody is his best friend and possible playmate. Louie has some good manners when it comes to dinner time; he sits nice and proper at a distance of up to 10 feet and waits patiently for his food dish to be put down. He looks at you and doesn’t rush for the food until he is released from his “sit”. He also sits very nicely for cookies and other treats and takes them nicely from your hand without snatching or biting your hand in any way. He walks right into his crate when told to and sleeps through the night, chewing on a bone to keep himself occupied when not sleeping. He is potty trained and goes to the bathroom outside.

Louie needs a little more work on his manners as he still gets very excited and jumpy when he sees people; his love of people makes him so excited that he forgets his manners. He is still young and therefore a bit mouthy, but with some practice and training he will grow out of that shortly. It helps to give him a toy so he has something to occupy his mouth with. He may be a little too enthusiastic for young children or senior citizens and may knock them down in his excitement to see them. That could change as he grows up and learns more manners. Louie will try to learn anything you can teach him, as long as the training methods are positive and engaging. Forceful techniques will cause him to use his strong will against his trainer and find ways out of the training. Food or toy reward works very well with Louie!

Louie’s favourite game is Tug. He loves to tug on his rope while you hold the other end. It is a great stress-reliever for him and tires him out faster than other games. Due to his high energy and active nature, you must win your games of Tug with him and keep the toy after you play so that his confidence doesn’t build to a level that is beyond managing. Louie likes to play Fetch, but he doesn’t always bring the ball back. Sometimes a bird or a blade of grass will distract him and you have to go fetch the toy yourself.

Louie likes to play with other dogs, but is still learning his dog communication skills. Again, because of his enthusiastic nature, while chasing and playing with another dog, he sometimes forgets his boundaries and gets a bit too close to another dog. This causes some dogs to try to correct this behavior in him by letting him know he has over-stepped his bounds. He quickly forgives and forgets this act and continues playing like nothing has happened. A few play sessions with dogs that are patient and understanding will help him learn how to interact with other dogs without getting too excited.

Louie would do best in an active home where he could exercise his body as well as his mind. While he is still a bit clumsy because he is not fully grown yet, his mind is quite sharp and needs activity to keep him out of trouble. Left to his own devices, he makes up his own games, which generally involve the destruction of an object (usually something you don’t want him to have) to see how it works. Stimulating games such as Tug, Fetch, Find the Cookie and long walks and/or runs are a must for this active boy! He is happy wandering around the yard for a while, but craves attention and interaction. Left alone, Louie would become frustrated, lonely and destructive. He needs a loving, patient family who is committed to helping him grow up to be the balanced, well-adjusted adult dog that he almost is. He loves to see you each and every time you appear, even if you have only been out of sight for a few minutes. He loves to make you happy and he loves to make you laugh. Louie’s zest for life will make his active adoptive family very happy.

Chanone Sanders
Canine Harmony Dog Training Academy

Louie wins everyone over

2008-05-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Louie has spent quite a bit of time getting to know the team at our favorite vet office. First when he got out of the shelter and was so sick, then for a checkup and treatment for mange and now today again for his neuter, dewclaw removal, hernia repair chip x-rays and tattoo. Every time he goes in he makes friends. First Nadia, the newest vet at Trenant Park Pet Clinic, then our very favorite vet, Dr. Harris and of course all the tech's and staff. All of them are amazed at what a wonderfully tempered dog he is. Never a growl or a raised lip while they poke and prod and make him uncomfortable.
And today again he won over complete strangers. While walking him in the strip mall this morning a couple of the staff from a local fish store remarked about how nice he was. And after I picked him up we went by there and they were kind enough to give him some salmon treats just because he had had a hard day.
While Louie can be a handful at times and has more energy than is good for him, he loves everyone.
Now that he is ready to go, here is what the perfect family would look like. They would be people that will continue to feed him a high quality diet, take him for obedience classes and find time to exercise both that body and brain. What would be even more perfect is to find a furry friend to spend his days with. While Louie shows no aggression, he does prefer the ladies. This may change because he has now been neutered but only time will tell. He has had a couple of run in with the boys but backs down quickly when he is put in his place.
Louie needs a home of his own. He does bond very quickly and the move from foster to forever home will be stressful for him. It may even mean that the mange may come back but with the diet he is on, this should clear up quickly again.

A new picture of Louie

2008-04-30T14:38:00.001-07:00

You must excuse the mess. This picture was taken the night before the big garage sale and the house was filled to the rafters with wonderful stuff. The sale was a huge success and we would love to thank all those that donated to it and all those that came out and supported us. All the monies raised will go to health care for our dogs, both those in foster care right now and those needing to come in.
The ever busy Mr. Louie will soon be ready to take applications for his forever home. He is due to have all his dangly bits removed and as long as the family that takes him is prepared to manage the mange I am confident he will do well. Louie has not met anyone that he doesn’t love. He still isn’t sure about the neighbor’s cat but I can’t tell if it’s because he wants to play or eat it.

Louie’s heath is steadily getting better. His mange is somewhat under control. He needs to be fed a high quality diet, preferably a raw food diet, supplements and weekly baths to keep the mange at bay. Some of his balder spots are coming back but there are a few areas that still need to heal
Louie needs an owner that can keep up with him. One that will go to obedience classes and show Louie what is expected of him. Louie does not respond well to unfair or harsh treatment and only requires fair, consistent positive leadership. He would do well with another dog to keep him out of mischief, because left to his own devices, well, he is a puppy still and gets into anything he can. We really want Louie to find his place in his own home. He has been pushed around enough and deserves the chance to bond deeply with someone he can trust.

$ 893.26

2008-04-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

That’s what we have spent on Louie to date. That’s just what the vet bills are. Of course that doesn't cover food, dog walker, supplements, etc. Thank goodness when I got there I was told that Care Collars had sent in a donation for his vet care. http://www.carecollars.com Thank you so much Cora, without support, we could never manage to do what we do. Mangy cute bone heads just don't come cheap anymore. But this is what true rescue is all about. Getting dogs that really do need our help, making them well and whole, treating them with the best care we can provide and then finding them the absolute perfect home for their needs. And that’s what I want to provide Mr. Louie, aka Mr. Destructor, with.
My front yard looks like we are already selling stuff. Articles for the garage sale are starting to pile up. Right now I feel like I am living in a junk yard. But its all good and we will clear things up after the sale.
Louie poopie was such a gentleman at the vets. Well, other than trying to mouth everyone, he was great. That’s just his way of showing affection, but he is learning that we don't allow that sort of behaviour and if he is good, good things happen. Even our beloved vet was taken by him. If only I could talk Kevin into adopting him. But then I would have to leave town and find another vet because Kevin would find out what a goof ball this dog really is.Louie is the kind of dog that loves to play. I only wish I could video him sometimes. Watching him toss his toys in the air, or swinging his rope toy around always makes me laugh. He is a happy playful normal dog in so many ways. All he needs is time to recover from the mange and he will make someone a perfect companion.

Louie gets a new name

2008-04-17T20:33:00.001-07:00

No pup that gets into as much as this one does deserves a name as dignified as Louie. So, I have decided to rename the little darling Mr. Destructor.

Why you may ask?? Simple. This boy loves to get into mischief.

Wednesday night: I am loading the dishwasher. The phone rings. I have to run upstairs to the computer. I'm up there maybe 5 minutes. What does Mr. Destructor do? He decides to UNLOAD the dishwasher.

Now, when I unload it, I take out a couple of dishes at a time and put them right in the cupboards. But not Mr. Destructor. Oh no. He takes out the whole rack. And drags it out of the kitchen and into the living room, all the while dragging broken dishes with him. I can only assume that he had plans to clean the dishes himself.

So, I hear all this crashing and I run downstairs to see what the devil dog is doing. And there he is sitting among the mess. I can't really yell at him because in all fairness I did leave the dishwasher door open. But I do tell him he is a bad dog.

Louie looks at me, sighs, and goes to his crate. Good thing I really like this dog.

On the up side of Louie, his training is coming along very nicely. He has learned not to pull a lot on the leash, he quickly sits (sometimes) when he is told and will now go directly to his bed to wait for dinner to be put down. He is even learning that when I say down, it means if he does it, he gets a treat. Louie really is a smart boy and will do well in obedience classes as long as you know that he is food motivated and wants to please. Using harsh corrections on this guy just doesn't work.
Whomever decides to make Louie a part of their family will be very lucky. He is a sensitive, loving dog that deserves his own home soon.

Now here are the boys

2008-04-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Abbotsford Animal Shelter called about 2 dogs that have been with them for far too long. These guys were found running loose again and again and then the owner never came to get them. They are a very bonded pair and should be adopted together. The rottie boy is deaf and relies on his friend to help him. If anyone is looking to add 2 dogs to their family, please please please look at these two. They are still very young and deserve a chance at a life filled with love and care. If you are the one they have been waiting for give the shelter a call at 604-856-7505

When it rains it pours

2008-04-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Its not been a great start to the week. I now have 3 dogs that are in urgent need of rescue. And WCRR really has no where to put them.

the first is a sweet YOUNG girl about to lose her life because she has become incontinent. Here is the email. If you can help please let us know. Onyx is far too young to be destroyed. Onyx is the dog in the background

My name is Ashley, and I need some help. I have a friend who has a Berner X (looks like a Berner x Rotti) and she needs help fast, if its possible. Here is a bit about her:Her name is Onyx she is under 2yrs old, she is the sweetest girl ever! The sad part is she was hit by a car under a year ago, it cost over $1000 in vet bills and problems with some vets who didn't want to help unless they had the money asap and just wanted to put her down. This hit had left her paralyzed from the waist down. She had no control of her back legs and had to drag her herself around to move. But now she is fully able to walk and run, but she doesn't always have the coordination and trips over her own legs every once in a while. The other sad and extremely hard part is that with the hit also did some nerve damage and she is incontinent, she is showing more progress with getting better she knows when she's going and moves to go but if she's excited and she's running some times she leaks some pee out. The new vet said this can take up to 18 months to fully heal. So now she is and has been outside the whole time as an outside dog, so she's use to it. Another problem with that is that with all the hair and her leaking that it would hold the urine and now she has an infection.

Sorry its been awhile

2008-04-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

but things have been busy.
First of all, about our loving Louie. He is a bone head. LOL
Louie is your typical busy puppy. Yes he is almost 10 months old but I doubt if he has had any training before coming here. He can't be trusted long alone out of his crate. Paper is one of his favorite toys and he will destroy it if he gets the chance. Perhaps I should start a recycling depot here as he can shred magazines and newspapers in no time at all. And mail, well, it just doesn't stand a chance. Too bad he can't tell the difference between junk mail and that donation check.
He got to play on the weekend with other big dogs and its just what he needs. He has great manners with strange dogs and plays very well. It would be my hope that whomever adopts him gives him the chance to do this on a regular basis. Poor little Sashka just does not allow that kind of fun behaviour in her home.
I spoke to the vet about having Mr. Louie neutered and we both agree that within the next month we are going to take care of that. The mange will most likely have a breakout but because he is doing so well without any meds we will go forward. So Mr. Louie will be available soon for adoption. We will have him fixed, have those floppy rear dew claws taken care of and get him all up to date with shots and a spiffy new tattoo. All of this on top of the expensive medication and vets bills will put us in the hole financially but thats just what happens in rescue.
Donations for the garage sale are flowing in and we should have some great stuff available. This sale will hopefully help with the vet bills.
I had an interesting weekend in Victoria training for Noah's Wish. This is for preparation for any kind of disaster. I loved meeting all those new people, seeing old friends and making new ones. And what I got to learn was amazing. Being prepared for a disaster is everyones' responsibility. Having things in place for both yourself and your animals for at least 72 hours will make it possible for you to wait for help to arrive. Please please please make sure you have a disaster kit ready. If you need help finding out how to do this, then just let me know and I will be happy to help.

Bailey needs a home

2008-04-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight I found this in my email. This sweet girl really needs a chance to shine. She needs a place to call home, and people that will value and love her. Yes she may be a diamond in the rough but she has the potential to become a star. Here is what the shelter has to say about Bailey

SPCA in Dawson Creek, BC. We are contacting you in regards to a wonderful rotti, named Bailey. She is a four years old and already spayed. One morning when we came to work she was tied to the fence of our yard with a very large tow rope and a blanket to lay on. She was very thin and had a bad infestation of tape worm. She has been with us since March 3. We managed to track down an owner thanks to a tag on her collar. However, the lady said they had given her away two years ago to some guy who owns a tow truck business. Bailey is extremely affectionate with all of the staff and volunteers here at the shelter, but she does display barrier aggression when she is in her kennel or in our yard and a stranger approaches. So far if we introduce people to her without a fence in between she is always a super happy girl! She also loves to play with other dogs, but can have issues with other females as she is a more dominant dog. We haven’t had a lot of interest in Bailey up here, and when we do it’s not the best home for her. We were hoping to get her into foster or out to a rescue that could find her the right home. Right now we don’t have any foster homes that would know how to work with her so she becomes a better trained pooch. The staff works with her(mostly myself and one other woman) every day at the shelter and she is coming along very well. So, even if we could just post her on your website that would be very much appreciated. We love Bailey and know that with the right home she’ll have the life she deserves instead of being a tow yard dog. Anything you can do to help would be terrific. Thanks for your time.

Bailey deserves a chance away from the shelter to show everyone how wonderful she can be. Please, if you can help, contact the South Peace SPCA. sp_spca@pris.bc.ca I know they would love to talk to you about her.

Louie drives Sashka crazy

2008-04-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I knew it would happen. I left Louie out of his crate today just to test the waters. And he didn't disappoint me at all.
Nothing serious was killed. Just one more stuffie destuffed, some mail chewed, but poor Sashka. Louie has something against her having a blanket in her crate. Leave him alone for an hour and its in the middle of the floor. We have scolded him, I have yelled at him, I have even sprayed him with a water bottle, but he insists on doing it the minute he is left alone. Sashka, the poor misunderstood diva dog has had to sleep on either the chair or the couch. Life is hard here.
Mr. Louie is proving to be a challenge getting on raw food. I know its the best option for him but he only spits it out. He does love his kibble and will eat almost any type I'm sure, but what about that raw diet that is so good for him. How can a dog from a shelter be so picky about his food.
And before anyone starts on me about how if I just don't give him anything else he will have to eat the raw, Louie is still very underweight. I can still feel his backbone and all his ribs. His little chest bones stick so far out it bothers me. So, until the evil one puts on some much needed fat, he can stay on a HIGH GRADE kibble for now.
All signs of the previous illness is now gone. He is full of piss and vinegar and wants nothing more than to play, jump on people, use his mouth to torture us and rip up any unsuspecting toys that he finds. Awww life with a puppy. Can someone please poke my eyes out next time I think this is a good idea.

How bad am I

2008-03-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

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

Puppies Yuck

2008-03-16T09:23:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-03-07T23:20:00.001-08:00

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

2008-03-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

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.

WCRR goes to the fair

2008-02-28T16:55:00.000-08:00

West Coast Rottweiler Rescue is going to be at the Surrey Museum for their annual Easter Fair on March 22nd, 2008 in Cloverdale B.C. Thanks so much to TnT Shar Pei Rescue for sharing their table. http://www.tntsharpeirescue.com
While we are limited in space as to what we can show and what we can sell, I do know this. For those that love them (actually I mean those that have dogs that love them) I will be selling my almost world famous liver brownies. We will also have some brochures available about who we are and what we can do. And with any luck, I hope we can get a basket or two donated for a small raffle.
So once again, I come begging, collar in hand, for donations for a raffle basket or two. Coffees, teas, etc, always do well as do bath products and of course some stuff for the children. If anyone has any ideas for this sort of fundraising let me know. We are all still pretty new to this type of thing and can use all the suggestions and help offered.

We need an experienced foster home

2008-02-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

WCRR has been asked to take in a 5 yr old rottie female. She is currently in a shelter here in the lower mainland. Poor Bella is frightened and not showing well in the kennel. She will need someone that has rottie experience, has the time to show her that humans will not hurt her and that we can be trusted. Bella will require a quiet home with no children, and although she has lived with another dog, can be reactive when meeting them. We have no idea how she is with cats. The foster home must be able to keep her until she settles and this may take a couple of months.
Of course WCRR will pay for any vet bills, all her food and we will be there to help you with the transition. If you can give Bella a safe place to land, please let us know as soon as possible.

Rhonda is testing out a new home

2008-02-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

The big girl is gone on a foster to adopt contract. We are really really hoping that she plays nice with all the other dogs there cause this home is just right for her. It is the kind of home that every senior dog deserves. Filled with love, care, and in Rhonda's case, some great exercise.
Senior dogs can be hard to place only because most people are afraid of losing their heart to a dog that could leave them soon. But for those lucky people that understand the love of a senior animal, well, nothing is quite like it.
Rhonda's new home has almost no stairs, other dogs to keep her company, humans that will care for her no matter what comes along, and even horses and cats. We will know in a couple of weeks if this works out for her but until then, her foster spot must remain empty.
To her new family, I'm sorry if she gets up really early. I may have forgotten to mention that. Me, I got to sleep in today and all is good. But I do miss the old girl and once again, there is that small wound on my heart as another dog leaves this home.

Rhonda is settling in nicely

2008-02-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

So Big Rhonda seems to be finding her place in our family. She was restless the first couple of days, not seeming to know where to be, especially at night. She would come upstairs, but then go back down. We have dog beds all over the house and it was up to her to figure out where she was most comfortable. Well, the bedroom seems to be the place. As soon as I tell her its bedtime, off she goes.
Rhonda is also starting to take her direction from Sashka. This isn't always a good thing. Sash has plenty of pretty bad habits and Rhonda (I'm assuming) figures thats how we act in this family. Case in point. Sashka is pretty reactive on leash. If she sees another dog, she can charge and bark and act like an idiot. Well, yesterday Rhonda decided thats how we do things and became an idiot like Sash. As soon as she saw the neighbours dog, she started barking and growling.
Poor Rhonda. LOL. She is so eager to please that when she is corrected she looks at you like you have broken her old heart. But this isn't who she is and I have to nip this in the bud right away. Perhaps I will have to walk the dogs separately for the next little while.
And tomorrow will be another big day for Rhonda. First thing in the morning we are off to see Dr. Harris at Trenant Park Pet Clinic for a checkup and some blood work. Then Rhonda has to help me do a homevisit for another rescue, and finally we are going to meet some new wonderful people. By the time she gets home in the evening, she will be one tired old puppy.

things we have learned about Rhonda

2008-02-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

I got a call a couple of days ago from a nice man that knew Rhonda and what her life was like for the last 5 or so years.
Rhonda lived on a farm and her owner died of a heart attack. she hadn't always lived with him, but she had spent a good portion of her life on the same farm. As the farm changed owners, so did Rhonda. And this girl has seen it all
Rhonda has known kindness and love. She has lived inside and outside. She has known what is it to be petted and to be kicked. She has known the luxury of a bed and the hardship of sleeping outside with no shelter.
It really amazes me how after all these different kinds of treatments, Rhonda still loves people. She is eager to greet them on the street, loves to go to the local gas station for pets and treats, and even greets other dogs like old friends.
Rhonda got a much needed bath today. I don't like to push the dogs too much at first so we waited until we could get her out in the sun and hooked the hose up to the kitchen sink. I don't think many people have bathed this girl cause she kept trying to get away, but it was way over due and she was getting a good scrubbing.
It took 3 shampoo's before she was clean. It also took over an hour of just scrubbing her back legs to get all the mats out. She is now like a new shiny penny. All pretty and clean and smelling sweet.
One of the things this nice man told me about Rhonda is that she is the gentlest dog he has ever known. She wouldn't hurt any thing or anyone. And she is now coming forward to ask for attention.
When new dogs come into our home, it can be stressful for everyone. I like to try all sorts of stuff with them. Usually, I get a couple of growls or something to let me know that I have gone far enough. But Rhonda has never told me this. She will quietly let me touch all her feet, run my hands over every part of her body and clean her ears no problem. there are no issues around food, toys or anything else.
Even little Sashka is starting to look towards Rhonda with affection. As we walked this morning Sash leaned over and gave her a quick little kiss.

Life with Rhonda

2008-02-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

What a sweet old gal she is. Rhonda is a dream to walk, she knows her basic commands and wants to please. And she really likes to just be near her people.
Poor old Rhonda gets her feelings hurt quickly if you raise your voice to her. Her head goes down and she tries to make that huge body into a small round thing. So far the only time I have had to correct her behaviour was at feeding time. Sashka doesn't eat as fast as those big bad rott's do, so Rhonda thought she would help her. But a quick word is all it takes to get her to turn away.
Rhonda has very good house manners so far. She doesn't get on the furniture. I think she may be a little pudgy for that just yet. She moves when asked to, will let you cut her nails, look in her mouth, play with her feet and clean her ears. Nothing seems to faze her much.
Well, that is until you decide to scratch her chest. Then her head goes wayyyyyyyyyyy back and you get to see what heaven is. LOL
As far as her little pee problem, well, I think its just a weak bladder. As beings get older, those sort of things start to wear out. And Rhonda is no exception. She can hold it for several hours but sometimes wakes up in the night to go.
Rhonda is a love. For anyone that has a heart for the senior dogs, she is everything you have always wanted. She is quiet, affectionate without being pushy and is more than happy to just lie around beside you with that adoring look on her face.

Introducing Big Rhonda!!!!!

2008-02-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is one of those old girls that just steals your heart away. At the age of 8 (or 10) she finds herself in a shelter. She did nothing wrong but her owner passed away and no one could care for her. The folks at the shelter contacted WCRR and asked if we could take her in. I love the old ones and said yes almost right away Rhonda arrived last night. She was unsure of herself but once I opened the car door, in she jumped. Well, maybe not jumped cause she's kinda big, lol, but in she got
On the ride home she only barked at a couple of other dogs and growled at a large truck but other than that was pretty calm. When we got home I brought her in the house right away. Well Poor Little Sashka. You would have thought I had brought home a monster from the look on her face. But she is learning that dogs now come and go in our house and she has to deal with it. Rhonda was gentle with her, they sniffed each other and then decided it was no big deal
Rhonda needs to lose some weight. Well, she needs to lose a lot of weight. She also needs some medication for incontinence. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue will get this girl into the vet and have everything checked out.
Rhonda would like a home where someone is around most of the time. She does not want to spend her days outside. A soft bed or a comfy couch would suit her better. Another dog would be fine as long as they don’t want to play too much. For that matter, she hasn’t shown any interest in the neighbour’s cat either. Children would be fine, but this sweet gentle girl needs a quiet place to call her own.
Please mention Rhonda far and wide. She deserves a home of her own, she would be an easy dog for a first time owner that doesn’t need a jogging partner but rather a big beautiful foot warmer.

Lana and Ranger

2008-02-10T19:32:00.001-08:00

Well, pictures have arrived and I can stop worring about how she is. Seems the little darling is already fitting in to her new home.

They have decided that they not only need to play together, but they also sleep together.

Job well done, Vicki and Martyn. Thanks

Lana Banana has left the building.

2008-02-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

and is on her way to her new home. Vicki and her daughter just pulled out with the evil one. Poor Little Lana did look a little worried but I'm sure that once she gets home and gets to play with Ranger, she will have forgotten all about us. But we won't ever forget about her.

I think I have said it before. I don't "do" puppies. Lana ran till she dropped every single day. She explored, rearranged, relocated and destoyed. But now she is on her way to the new adventure that life has presented her. And I can feel the stress of puppysitting leaving my body. But there is this little part of me that already misses her. Lana, my girl, be good, show that big brother of yours who is boss, and show your new owners how truely wonderful you are.
You've come a long way baby. Never again will you have to worry about someone putting you in a rubber tote and leaving you by the river.

Lana is now ready

2008-02-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy week and no time to do the blog stuff. But the good news is that Lana has found her forever home and will be leaving this weekend. We are all very excited about this new family.
Lana got to go one the homevisit with me and right away took to Martyn and Vicki. But best of all she also loved the big goofball called Ranger. Ranger is a beautiful 18 month old rottie boy with all the energy and smarts that Lana will need. While Ranger is much bigger than Lana Banana, she did manage to get him on his back for a moment.
In order for Lana to be ready for her new home she had to go to the vet to be spayed. So Monday she was off for her adventure and when I went to pick her up, what a difference!! She was quiet, well behaved, and affectionate. LOL Ok, I know she was drugged but for those few hours, she was wonderful to have around.

West Coast Rottweiler Rescue will need more foster homes to step forward to help. In particular, more foster homes for young dogs. LOL Me, personally, I think I want to stay with the old one.

Lana Banana we are going to miss you (just a little)

The adventures of Lana

2008-02-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

Poor baby Lana. She really needs her own home. LOL
Because I work (someone has to pay for dog food), Lana is put in a large wire crate during the day. My wonderful neighbours come by and let both dogs out for a pee break twice during the day. Lana likes her crate. Thats where she gets to have bones, bully sticks, sleep, etc. So her spending some time there isn't such a hardship. But yesterday she must have decided that she had had enough rest and she managed to break out.
Now yes, this is an old crate and the welds were getting loose and I should have checked it better, but it seemed pretty secure. And she has never tried to escape before.
Yesterday as I came home from a long hard day at the office, I was greeted at the door by both Lana and Sashka. Sashka looked kinda worried but Lana was her cheerful self. As I slowly opened the door to look, all I could see was paper everywhere. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I needed to hook up the girls and off we went for a walk while I processed what had happened in my house.
Seems the first thing she did was sort thru some magazines and decided that they were all old issues and I should just let go of them. I guess she wasn't aware that I had been saving some of these for awhile. Lana must have also decided that the living room floor was a much better place for my laundry than the upstairs bedroom........................
And then it dawned on me that she had also been UPSTAIRS. She's not allowed upstairs unsupervised!!! Up I ran to find out what had been destroyed. Whata good girl Lana was. An old artifical plant that I didn't like anyways had had stuff taken out. So what if it ended up in the bed, the end tables, the hallway. And she had also emptied all the garbage cans upstairs for me.

Things could have been much worse and I am grateful for Lana's help in deciding what is important to keep and whats not. There must be a family out there that wants to teach (or be taught) this little one. Anyone that wants an app, feel free to contact us at information@westcoastrottweierrescue.com

Why I can't post more pictures of Lana

2008-01-31T12:13:00.001-08:00

Its because she won't stand still long enough for that to happen.
Here is my wish list for her.............. a stay at home owner with another young dog. Lana so needs to play play play and learn learn learn. She needs someone that loves to do obedience, she would be great at flyball, or agilty. She certainly is a dog that needs a job besides being so cute you can't stand her.
She (as with every dog we adopt out) is to be kept inside and not left outside to fend for herself. This would be a sure way for her to get in trouble. Because she's so smart and independant, I'm pretty sure she could become an escape artist easily. She also needs supervision and someone to show her leadership as well as love. Lana is not for the faint of heart.

Several people have read the blog and informed me that this is no way to get Lana adopted. Telling how she loves to help do laundry, drag things in and out, and chewing. But the reality is, anyone that wants a puppy should know about this behaviour. This is typical puppy behaviour and while I laugh alot at her, it would be easy to lose it because she just never stops moving.
Lana Banana has an appointment at the vets on Monday and then she will be ready for a new exciting adventure called a forever home.

Why puppies will help you keep your house clean

2008-01-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

Yup, its true!
I have always thought that I was pretty good about picking up stuff, but clearly I was wrong.
Miss Lana Banana finds everything. And if I'm lucky, she brings it to me. If not, she eats it.

Usually the weekends are dedicated to cleaning this house. But with the little evil one here, I am vaccuming at least twice a day. There are leaves from the back yard that need to come in, trash cans that need to be emptied, toys that need to be hidden. Floors now need to be washed everyday cause, the little devil brings in snow from outside.
And she loves being out in the snow. She scratches at the door quite often and because I want her to know that that is where she goes to do the "business" I always open it for her.

Lana is also very good at helping do the laundry. Sorting it is her job. Moving clothes from pile to pile or even making piles or for that matter, taking the laundry to another floor completely is her doing. And when transferring clothes from the dryer into the hamper, well, she's pretty darn good at that too.

Me, I go from loving this little one to being so tired of chasing her that I could crawl in a hole. She is far too smart for her own good. Last night as I told her to get off the couch, she put her front paws on the floor, left her back ones up on the couch and tried to sleep that way. She really is a comedian.

having a puppy in the house

2008-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me, knows I don't do puppies. I like the seniors, calm, quiet, relaxed. Personally I think puppies are evil evil little things. And I have one living with me right now.

Lana is a sweetheart but she is 12 weeks old. That means she is into everything. She chews everything, she jumps on everything and she needs to explore everything. Sashka and I are both tired today. Lana on the other hand is having the time of her life exploring the new world. She is never still unless she is asleep, she runs and jumps and plays with toys like a whirlwind. This puppy will need a home that can keep up with her. Someone that is home most of the time to supervise what she finds. Because she finds everything. Old bones that got stuffed under the couch, balls that found their way into the corner, she now (after 1 day) has learned how to open the cupboards.
I can't believe how smart she is though. She knows if she jumps up on you, she gets pushed away, but if she sits, she gets praise. She knows that if she brings her toy to you, you'll throw it or play with her, but if she doesn't let go right away, you turn your back on her. And meals, well, they are pretty exciting. And excitment means jumping. This morning it took her 15 minutes to figure out that I wasn't going to put down her bowl until she sat. But she finally did. I love having her here but I will be far happier when we find her the right home.

We need foster homes

2008-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well, we aren’t even officially open, but already I’m getting calls about dogs in need. And in rescue there isn’t any greater need than a place for dogs to lie their head down. Somewhere that they will fee safe and warm and loved, sometimes for the first time in their lives. And rottie’s can be hard dogs to find places for. They are big and black and very few people really understand their nature.
Rotties are for the most part, people dogs. They want to be in the house or where ever you are at the moment. They are also a dog that needs leadership. Without it, they will try to take that role on themselves. With firm, loving direction they can make the most wonderful house guest.
So what do we need from our foster homes……. A warm safe place that will feed appropriate food, a rug or a bed inside, the ability to show fair leadership, and most of all, a place where the dog is part of the family.
We will supply the vet care, home support, and encouragement. We will work our hardest to find the right home for every dog. We will provide training if necessary to make the adjustments. In short we will do everything we can to help you.
If you think that you might be able to help us help a rott in need, please contact me at
snooksbc@hotmail.com. Lives depend on us all doing our part.
Bev

Meet 2 very sweet dogs

2008-01-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

Lovely Lola has found her home!!!!!!!

And then there is Mang. He also was picked up as a stray in the city of Delta. Again, a wonderful young boy that is now up for adoption. Mang will need an experienced owner as he can be on the shy side but is certainly coming out of his shell now that he realizes he is safe.

Nope, Mang is not a purebred rottie, but has all the wonderful traits in his mix. He loves to go for long walks,is a lover of humans and seems ok with other dogs but would need to meet them first. He has a very soft mouth and takes treats gently. Mang would benefit greatly from some obedience classes with his new family so that everyone can learn the rules. If Mang is the one for you, please call the Delta Community Animal Shelter to visit him
http://www.corp.delta.bc.ca/EN/main/residents/272/animal_services.html

Who we are

2008-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

We are a small group of Rottweiler lovers that will try to assist Rottweilers in shelters throughout British Columbia. While these are early days for us, we hope that those that love this breed as we do will come forward to help in any way they can.
As of this date, we are available to help with home visits and transport for shelters, cross posting dogs in need, referrals for training and support for newly adopted dogs. As we grow in numbers we will also be able to offer foster homes for those dogs currently without a safe place to be. If at any time you think that you might be interested in joining us place Rotties in loving indoor homes, feel free to contact Bev @ snooksbc@hotmail.com. Stay tuned for bio's of dogs currently in need of a home.