Montana

July 18, 2010

This sweet little girl came to us today from some folks who were traveling through.
She had been dumped at the ranch that they work at, and were told that the ranch owner was going to shoot her.

So they brought her to St George with them hoping that they could find her a home over the weekend while they were visiting here. They had no luck, so at the end of the weekend, they called us.

After telling us her story, we couldn't let them take her back up to the ranch where her fate would have been death.

She is only about 4 months old, and has the sweetest personality. She is fun and happy, and LOVES the other dogs. She's very attached to us already, and likes to be the center of everything. LOL.

July 27, 2010

This is probably the most difficult entry I've ever had to write.

Monday night, Montana was in a lot of pain, her belly was extended and she was crying and unable to get comfortable. Wade and I took her into the emergency vet, where they did X-rays, but couldn't find anything wrong other than a lot of gas build up. There was no blockage (which is what we were worried about) and no twisting that they could see.
She was drooling, and lethargic, but didn't seem to be in as much pain as she had been in earlier.

Doc sent us home with her X-rays with instructions to keep an eye on her and take her into our vet in the morning if she didn't seem any better.

When we got home, I laid with her on the couch and massaged her swollen belly. She liked that, and stopped whining and fell asleep on my lap. I loved on her all evening, trying to make her comfortable, and massaging her to get rid of the gas buildup.

When we went to bed, she slept on Amos' dog bed right next to me. She seemed comfortable, and the swelling had gone down quite a bit. She slept peacefully for a few hours.

We kept checking on her, and Wade took her outside to go potty at about 4:00 in the morning.
I woke up at 5:00 and saw that she was sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to wake her up by checking on her.
I guess I should have though, because my sweet baby girl wasn't sleeping. She had slipped away sometime between 4 and 5.

Wade is the one that realized she had left us when he checked on her at 7. I was sleeping, completely unaware that my husband was going through one of the most difficult tasks ever... wrapping her wee body up in a blanket and then having to wake me up and tell me what had happened.
I completely lost it. It was such a shock... we had no idea that her life was in danger. We had even been teasing her earlier calling her gassy girl, and saying how funny it was that we took a dog to the emergency vet for gas.

The pain is indescribable. Doesn't matter that we'd only had her for about 2 weeks. We loved this little gal as if we'd had her all our lives. She was very much a part of our family, and her passing was painful beyond belief.

Wade and I took her body in to our vet, and he couldn't see anything on the x-rays either. He asked us if he could do an autopsy, because we needed to know if whatever killed her was dangerous or contagious to the other dogs.
We agreed, said our goodbyes, and left Montana with our vet.

He called me later and said that Montana had a small twist right where her large and small intestines met. That twist had apparently been there for quite some time, and had died off. It eventually broke away, causing lots of nastiness to flood her abdomen. That is what happened the night before, and what killed her.

Doc said that it was unpreventable and untreatable, even if we had caught it in time.
He said that he was amazed that she had been living a normal life, doing normal puppy things. She should have been acting sick for quite some time.
But not our little Montana... she was happy and fun loving, and never complained about anything.

We brought her ashes home, and will place them in the garden with a memorial stone.

RIP my sweet girl. Have fun with Cara romping over those green hills. We'll miss you till we meet again. *skritch*

This video was taken before we knew she was sick. She was such a happy sweet puppy!

Cameron

July 16, 2010- July 17, 2010

We pulled Cameron from the shelter on Friday, brought him home, bathed him, played with him, and loved him.
He went to our event Saturday and was adopted!

He was such a chill, relaxed dog! Very calm, very sweet, tolerant of the other dogs. Good with the cats too.
I was so impressed by his mellowness!

I would have loved to have had him here for longer, but I'm happy that he found his forever home!

Crockett

6-15-10 to 6-24-10

Crockett was here before at the beginning of June, and then went to Apple Valley for a little while. He's been through a lot in the time that he's been a H.A.R.T. dog.
We pulled him from the shelter, and brought him here. He was supposed to go to HWAC, but the first day that he was here, he decided to try and get into my garden and got stuck in the fence, bruising some ribs.
Then he got some serious bug bites in his ears while at Apple Valley, and missed his NEXT chance at HWAC as well.
Third time is the charm though, right? Nope. After this last trip to HWAC, Crockett failed his temperament test because he is a little mouthy. He needs to learn that it's not ok to use his teeth when playing.
So we brought him back to our house so that we can work with him on that.

He's been doing SO great. He is very smart, and learns quickly. He's already MUCH better, and I have no doubt that he will make an excellent family pet when someone is ready to adopt him. :)

Crockett and Lucy were great on the trip back from HWAC. They were awesome hotel dogs, and traveled really well in the van too. Best travelers we've ever had.

He is getting along great with the other dogs here too, and seems to be settling in quite nicely.

July 24, 2010

Our Crockett was adopted today! YAY! A lovely couple from Vegas drove up to see him, and he was a great fit for their family. :) YAY for Crockett! He deserves the best. :)

Ava and Harmony

July 6- July 14 2010

Ava and Harmony are sisters that we pulled from the Iron Co Shelter the same time that we got Morgan.
They are SO sweet! I really really adore them.
They were a bit shy at first, and it took Harmony a little while to warm up to Wade, but once they got comfortable, their real personalities just SHONE. These girls are going to make wonderful family pets.

Their personalities are totally different, but they compliment each other perfectly. Ava is a bit more outgoing, but can be a little dominant (never mean though), and Harmony is super shy, and oh so passive.

Both girls are unbelievably loving.

They went to HWAC and both got accepted. I am SO happy for them, but I was sad to see them go. I had gotten so attached to them, so quickly.

Morgan

July 6- July 14 2010

What a sweet sweet boy is Morgan! He's a big pup, and just a lover!
We got him from the Iron County shelter. Can't believe he was there for as long as he was!

He's so adorable. Look at that face! I called him 'Goober'. LOL.

He was a HOOT to watch with the other dogs. What a great personality!
Morgan stayed here until our run to HWAC, where he was accepted! YAY!

I really enjoyed having him here, and was sad to see him go.

Cricket

6-28-10

Got Cricket from the shelter the same day we got Buck.
She's about 6 months old, not sure of her breed though. Beagle Terrier mix of some sort most likely.

She has the CUTEST personality! She is happy and friendly, and just loves to play.

She also loves to lick. Everything. All the time. We call her 'licky Crickee'. LOL!

She has the funniest little bark, kind of a cross between a bark and a roo. She's a great little dog, and we are having so much fun with her here. She definitely adds to the energy level in the house! LOL. She and Buck play almost non-stop.

6-14-10

LOVE CRICKET!
We decided that she is a cross between a Beagle and an Otter! This girl loved the water. SHe loved it. LOL!

She was accepted at HWAC today. I'll miss her! I know that they will find her a perfect forever family!

Buck

6-28-10

We pulled Buck from the shelter. He'd been there for 3 weeks, and no one would give him a chance because his previous owner had written on his kennel card that "he can break out of a wire crate, and needs a high fence".
He is a young Boxer with a lot of energy, and being penned up in the shelter kennel wasn't helping him at all.

So we brought him home. He ran around like a nutcase for the first several hours, but once he started settling in, boy did his true personality start to shine.
This boy is amazing.
He is attentive, well behaved, knows basic commands, gets along with the other dogs, is good with the cats, loves people, listens extremely well, and it's just amazing to watch him.

Not one thing about this dog would I change. Every so often there is a dog that comes along that instantly captures my entire heart, and I fall desperately in love. Buck is one of them. I adore him.

My translation of the comments on his kennel card from his previous owner?
"can break out of a wire crate" means that he was left crated for hours and not exercised.
"Needs high fence" means that he was left alone in the backyard with no supervision or interaction.

I can see that he's got separation anxiety. I can see how that would be bad if he was crated or ignored. But we crated him at night the first few days we had him, and he never once complained. However, the first day I crated him while I showered, and when I got out of the shower he was sitting by the bathroom door waiting for me when I got out, LOL.

We haven't crated him since. He sleeps all night, has never had an accident, and he is SO well behaved we don't have to worry about him at all. I don't think he ever feels alone because we've got the other dogs here, and with it being summer time, the kids are usually home as well.

He is scheduled to go to a Boxer rescue next week. We're hanging on to him for awhile to make sure he doesn't have kennel cough before sending him up. I'm sure going to miss him when he goes!

7-16-10

Looks like we might be keeping Buck for a while. We weren't sure if he had kennel cough or not, but after 2 trips to the vet and almost 3 weeks on antibiotics, his raspy cough-like thing persists. We think it may be a damaged trachea from being tied up all the time before.

Who knows what is in store for Buck? He is doing GREAT here, and we love him! Hopefully we can find him a fantastic home where he will be loved like he deserves!



7-31-10

Buck got adopted today at our anniversary adoption event!
The family who adopted Onyx last year came by to say hi, and fell in love with our Buck!
He's off to a great new adventure with his forever family.

I'm so happy for him, but I'm going to miss him terrible! Loved this boy. What an amazing dog.

Yoshi

6-24-10

This adorable little pup was owner released to the shelter. He had just shown up there a couple hours before Wade and I went to take photos of the shelter dogs, and we decided he needed to come home with us rather than wait out his days there.

He is a hoot! He's only 12 weeks old, has a fantastic little personality, and is loving playing with the other dogs. He's using the dog door already, but we're still working on housebreaking. :)

We've already had a couple people interested in adopting him, so I'm sure that we won't have this little guy for long. :)

6-29-10

Yoshi is adopted! YAY! I knew that he'd find his forever home quickly. He went to a great home, and has a great adventure ahead of him!

Athena

6-15-10

Athena was one of the Dolan dogs.
She's our newest foster.

When we got her last month, she was almost feral. Scared of everything. She's been at AV for a few weeks, and we just brought her to our house to see if we could work with her on a more intimate level.

I can't even describe to you the difference in this dog now...

She is completely housebroken, though she'd never been in a house before. Uses the dog door.

She hangs out on the couch. Perfectly content.

Fairly calm personality, very attentive, but laid back.

She has completely transformed.
My brother came over to visit tonight, and she ran up to him to say hi, and accepted love, with no fear at all.

She played tonight.
She's never even SEEN a toy before, never been played with, and she FETCHED.
She jumped on the yellow ring like a kitten with a cat toy. It was hilarious, and emotional all at the same time.

She brought it back to me every time, and got serious bendy wiggles when I took it from her.

She is so unbelievably sweet and such a great house dog.

I'm speechless. That she could transform SO quickly in just a short time is unbelievable, and says a LOT about her character.

We were thinking that we were going to have her here for weeks, rehabilitating her, but we're going to take her to the adoption event tomorrow to see how she does amidst chaos. I hope that someone sees her there and falls in love with her like I have.

6-25-10
Athena is on a sleepover! Oh I hope that this works out... I think this will be the perfect home for her. :)

6-30-10
Athena's adoption was final today after she was spayed. YAY! I'm so happy for this little gal. She deserves the best, and she found her perfect match.

Tiki

6-10-10

We got Tiki the same time as Chloe and Katie the Chihuahuas, from the elderly woman who was sent to the hospital so she was unable to care for her dogs.


Tiki has been at a different foster home for awhile, and she went to HWAC with us on this last run, but she wasn't accepted. We decided that she needed a bit more socialization, so we are keeping her here with us rather than send her back to her last foster home, as she'll have more chances to be socialized here.

She is SO freaking sweet. What a doll. I adore her. Everything about her is sweet and loving.

6-30-10

This girl is just adorable. She has the greatest personality. She is calm and sweet and fun. She loves attention, and I love how she will just sit in front of you with the wiggle bottom and smile at you till you pet her. LOL!

She will be meeting a family over 4th of July weekend and hopefully they will fall in love with her like we have!

7-6-10

And Tiki is adopted! It couldn't have been any more perfect for our Tiki, and I am SO SO happy for her! She now lives a wonderful life in Arizona, with a GREAT family who will give her the life that she deserves. They said that she is a treasure, and I agree!

Rebel

6-7-10

Rebel was one of the dogs we pulled from the shelter to go to HWAC, but he wasn't accepted there, so he came back here.

He is only 8 months old, and has a great personality. He's a sweet boy, eager to please, and he tries SO hard to fit in. He loves to play with Luna, to the point where I have to separate them if I want any kind of peace at all during the day, LOL!

He has great manners and has the MOST expressive face! He was a hoot in the hotel room in California (though he did have an accident, or 2, or 5).

He's doing great here, and fits in with our pack nicely. He's going to our adoption event this weekend, and I have high hopes for him!

6-12-10

Rebel was adopted today at our adoption event! He's going to a really great home, where he will get all the love and attention that he needs!

Moose

6-7-10

Moose was an owner release to us.
His family didn't realize he was going to be as big as he is, and they lived in a small house with no yard, so he wasn't happy there.
We set up everything on the phone, and let me tell you... I was NOT expecting to see what I saw when we pulled up to their house, LOL! I was expecting a 5 1/2 month old PUPPY. What I saw was a ginormous dog with a puppy personality. HAHA!

What a goof this dog is. He's so lurpy... doesn't know his boundaries at all.
He's SO much fun, and really loves the other dogs here. He is a sweetheart and VERY loving.

I have no doubt that we'll find him a home quickly, though I'm going to be very thorough on the screening. Whoever adopts Moose will have to be ready for the size of his body AND the size of his personality!

6-13-10

Moose is off on his grand adventure! He left this morning for his life with his new family. His first day with them will be spent driving to California to their new home.
What a great dog... he'll be missed! I loved having him here.

October:
Moose was returned to us by his adopters for various reasons, none of which were his fault. We only had him back for about a week or so before he was adopted by a fantastic local family. They've got lots of young boys who he gets to play with, and is loving the active life!

Miller, Brenna, Dancer, Davey, Crockett, and Taz

6-7-10 to 6-9-10

These 6 sweet dogs were all temporary stays just the few days before our HWAC run.
Miller and Brenna had been in a different foster home, and Dancer and Taz had been at our AV location for awhile. Davey and Crockett came from the shelter.

Everyone was really really great! They fit into our pack with no issues whatsoever. Everyone got along great!

Miller was such a sweet boy, loved everyone, and had such a gentle soul.


Brenna was SO happy to be here with the other dogs. She is quite the social butterfly, and had a great heart!


Taz was a little pistol! The first thing he did was attack Ginger's kneecap. LOL! He realized after 15 minutes of being here that he didnt' need to prove himself to anyone, and he settled in nicely. What a funny little guy.. so fun!


Dancer was such a great dog! He was great for his bath, and had a fantastic personality. Gentle and loving, and very very well behaved!


Davey was such a pretty little dog. He LOVED Ginger! He made the cutest facial expressions! LOL!


Crockett was supposed to go to HWAC, but decided it would be fun to get stuck in my fence. He bruised himself, so we decided to give him time to feel better and not put him through the trials of the transport. He went to Apple Valley to get some R&R.



Everyone got accepted at HWAC! (well... not Crockett, but it's cause we didnt' send him, LOL)

Millie

6-1-10

Millie was one of the dogs that came from Dolan Springs, AZ. She'd been at Apple Valley for a little while, then was taken into the vet to treat a cat bite that she had on her side.
After treatment, she needed to be in a home, so she went to one of our other foster homes for a few days, until they went out of town, then she came here.

She is a sweet sweet girl, only about 4 months old, with HEEUGE feet. LOL. Of all the Dolan dogs, she socialized the quickest. She really has come a long way since we first brought her to H.A.R.T.

She loves the other dogs, and loves to play. She listens well, and is doing great so far learning what is expected of her.

She'll be going to a different foster home while we go out of town for my sister's wedding, and then hopefully she'll be off to HWAC next week!

6-9-10
Millie was accepted at HWAC! YAY! I'll miss the little gal, she was SO sweet!

Updates!

June 1, 2010

It's been awhile since I've written anything, and thought it was about time to update!

Vikki and Misty both got accepted at HWAC last week. :)
Paxton had surgery to remove the infected foxtail in his throat, and he was adopted!

Amos spent a few days with Paxton's family while we were on our road trip, and Joey went back to his previous foster home while we were gone as well.

We have Amos back now, and will get Joey back the start of next week. And we'll be ready then to get a few new fosters as well! Get ready for more stories and photos then!

Jenni and Nellie

5-18-10

A couple of overnighters. :)

Jenni is a Puggle that we pulled from the shelter last week. She was in a different foster home, and then she was adopted on Saturday! YAY. We picked her up for the night so that I could take her in to her spay appt this morning. She'll go back to her new home when I pick her up from the vet this evening.

EDIT 6-19-10
Jenni was returned to us. The family who adopted her felt that she wasn't the right fit for their young family.
She's been hanging with us here, being her quirky little self, and will be going to HWAC the end of the month. :)

6-30-10
Jenni has been staying at our house, and enjoying the life of a pack dog, LOL. She was rejected from HWAC because she tested badly after her long trip to CA. We had already taken in a few more dogs while she was gone, so when she came back, she went to AV for a little while. It will most likely just be for the weekend, then we'll go get her and bring her back here. :)

7-27-10
Jenni is adopted! Great family, and they LOVE her! She's going to have a great life with them. YAY! It's about time for miss Jenni girl!

Nellie is one of the Dolan Dogs. She is one of the few that we couldn't find a foster home for, so she came to our house last night, and will go to Apple Valley today until a foster home can be found, or until a few of my fosters get adopted. :)

She is very very scared and shy, and we had to keep her in the side yard. My gang was just too much for her.
Hopefully she'll do well at AV, where she'll be with 2 of the other Dolan Dogs. We'll bring her back here once we've got some space.

Amos

5-17-10

Amos is a shelter rescue.
The first time that we tried to take him to the play yard from his kennel, he was so terrified. I've actually never in my life seen a dog as scared as he was. We couldn't get him to walk on his leash, and he fought against it so badly that we couldn't control him at all. He pooped all over out of fear, and snapped at me (not out of aggression, but out of terror).

We had a trainer come to the shelter to help us assess him, and when the trainer came, Amos had been at the shelter for about a week or so, and was doing a LOT better on leash, thanks to a couple very dedicated volunteers.
The trainer said that Amos had some anxiety (normal for an abandoned dog) and that his fear was definitely workable.

So we brought him home. :)
Underneath that anxiety, he is SUCH an awesome dog. He's got a great, loving personality, and it is there, just under the surface, waiting for the fear to go away.

He loves to play fetch, and when there's a toy involved, his fear is gone, and he is SO happy.

Look at this boy. He's so gorgeous, and really a great dog. I hope that we'll be able to make him confident in himself and his surroundings again, and be able to find him a home where he will be loved like he deserves.


5-21-10

Amos and I just went for a relaxing leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. I used a harness on him, so there was no pressure around his neck, and BINGO. That was the trick! He was the best dog on a leash that I have ever walked! Absolutely amazing.

I'm so happy for Amos that I'm sitting here blubbering like a baby. LOL.

The change in this dog between the first time we saw him at the shelter, and just now when he and I went for a lovely walk, is unbelievable. I can't even begin to describe it.

Right now, he's sitting with his head on my lap, comfortable and relaxed.
To think that he would have been killed at the shelter is unimaginable to me now. What an amazing dog this is.

6-1-10
Amos went to spend the long weekend with Paxton's family while we were gone on our road trip. He went there Thursday, and we just picked him back up today. It was SO good to see him, and he was happy to see us as well.
He settled right back in once we got home, and was so so happy to see the girls. LOL.
He's such a great dog.
I'm. In. Love.
He has completely captured my heart.

7-16-10

Amos has improved dramatically over the last month or so. We don't use the harness on him anymore, he walks perfectly with just his collar and leash.
He is doing better on tile floors, though he still has a bit of an issue there.
He will jump into the car now on his own. YAY!

He doesn't seem to have any issues at all at home now, though he'll still get a bit anxious when we are in new places with him. Working on that.

He's going to make someone SUCH a wonderful pet! I love him to pieces, but I can't wait for him to find his forever home!

9-11-10

And it finally happened. Amos went home.
It's been a long time coming, and it's the home that he's been waiting his whole life for. It's perfect for him.
He will be loved and understood, and allowed to adjust at his own pace.
Couldn't have asked for anything better for my Moski!

4-11

Unfortunately, sometimes what seems perfect, isn't.
But even bad things can end well. See the end of Amos' story HERE.