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Ruby and Sasha, BFF's for life! (July 2010)
We are sending this belated THANK YOU to C.A.R.E. for our April 2009 adoption of two 3-month-old sister puppies, Ruby (formerly Rosalee) and Sasha (formerly Alice). We can't imagine life without these two bundles of joy anymore. My husband, who has had dogs his whole life says that Ruby is "the dog love of his life." Our daughter has that same special bond with Sasha, and it is priceless to watch.
Though it wasn't easy to train two dogs at the same time, we appreciate and respect C.A.R.E. for letting us adopt both dogs at the same time. Not only do both dogs know all of their basic commands, they also can also jump, stand, and get the newspaper for us in the morning (the best one of all when you're sleepy)! One of the best parts of having sisters Ruby and Sasha is their interaction together. The LOVE each other and are best buddies. There is never any fighting for alpha dog as we are alpha, so they are free to play, which they do endlessly. They have a bond being sisters that is so fun to watch and we feel privileged being able to see it day to day. We've enclosed a photo that captures just how close Ruby and Sasha are (we didn't pose it, this is just how they are; and, check out the tail wag). Though they've grown a bit since the photo, they are still best buddies and will be forever thanks to C.A.R.E.
Kathleen, Steve, and Tesia |
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Two kittens are tons of fun, two are better than one! (July 2010)
After Maxwelhouse my Maine Coon male cat of 14 years passed due to kidney disease I was so lonesome I could hardly stand it. Never in my lfe had I gone that long without kitties in my home and now my best friend and conversationalist was gone.It was just way too quiet and empty. That lasted for 2 months hefore I met Fluffer and Skeeter (not their original names)who were CARE kittens waiting patiently for their forever home. Fluffer came right up to me and with his very special cute face similar to Maxwelhouse's meowed at me. He looked like he was asking me to pick him up. So, I did just that and gave him lots of kisses and hugs. He picked me out and I think we both knew right away that he would be my special kitty friend. Fluffer is a brown patched mackeral tabby Maine Coon mix and I know he understands every word I say to him.
That same day I had met Skeeter at Pet Smart during one of CARE's adoption events. He was about 4 weeks younger than Fluffer and tiny with geay and white soft fur that looked to be medium length. He had a skinny little tail which became fluffed out several months later. In fact, ALL of his fur fluffed out and now he is double coated with fur. Both of these boys hit it off immediately at their first meeting. They are bonded together as if they were true brothers. They sleep together, play together and eat together. Yet, each is his own little man with his own special qualities and sweetnesses. These are fabulous loving and funny kitties that make every day worth getting up just to kiss and hug. Maxwelhouse would have loved them too. |
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Sophie, this shy gal is coming around! (July 2010)
Attached are a few of my favorite photos of Sophie. She continues to enjoy her new home and continues to show progress. She has begun to come up to me on an occasion and let me reach down and pet her. We have added Bueller to our pack and I think that has helped. He is a very outgoing and loving Chihuahua mix. He loves affection and I think Sophie is now seeing that it is indeed a good thing.
The pictures show her doing what she loves best….gigging for frogs in our small pond. She occasionally takes a dip by accident but climbs out and is back at it without missing a beat. She has also discovered turtles and thinks they are a delicacy.
Sophie completed her Basic Obedience Class. She did real well. She came to want to have her leash put on at the gate so she could go out and explore beyond the fence. She also tolerates riding in the car now. She knows the basic commands but generally only cooperates when on a leash or waiting for treats. By the end of class she had stopped having her tail tucked between her legs but had it relaxed by her back legs. Hopefully with the next class she will raise her tail and enjoy it even more.
Michael and I took the 3 small dogs to Yorktown on Sunday afternoon. They all 3 walked well on their leashes and Sophie stayed close to my side but she willingly let my husband Michael pet her when we stopped to rest in the shade on the grass. |
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Gertie is living the good life! (July 2010)
I thought you might like an update on how Gertie is doing. She is spending the summer with me on Lake Michigan and loves the beach and even is learning to swim! (with a doggy life jacket, of course.) She is so happy and is a joy have as a companion. She runs with me every morning. Jim and I swear she can laugh. I have sent along a picture taken last weekend. Hope all is well with you.
Becky |
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Aidan has found his playful palace! (July 2010)
Aidan (formerly Mickey) is such a sweet and cuddly little thing! We are so honored to have him be a part of our family and love that he loves to follow us around the house wherever we go! Even though he is as gentle as he can be, he can definitely play with his toys like no other! See a picture attached of Aidan after he has had a long play session and found a cluster of pillows to fall asleep in! |
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Sweet Dreams Eli! (July 2010)
Boy! Have I got it made!! I came to my "forever home" after being found all skinny and starved. Now I run the house. I'm "top dog" (or at least I think I am). Look at me...........I'm fat and lazy sleeping on the couch at the beach house. |
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Ozzy & Miley, a CARE pair! :) (July 2010)
All is well here! OzMan and Miley are HOT HOT HOT but are getting along fine in the heat. We shaved OzMan about a month ago and will do it again soon. He is so much cooler that way. He loves to go in the back yard and jump in his little pool. Miley avoids it at all costs... silly girl. She should learn a lesson from OzMan on staying cool. OzMan remains calm and has gotten very very good about being around people. We had a Fourth of July party and he let my friend hold him most of the evening. He was very happy. He is usually not content when anyone outside the family tries to hold him, but he did well. He's more easy going every day that he's here. We are the luckiest family on earth to have such wonderful doggies :) |
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Dog missing 7 months reunites with family (July 2010)
Some say it’s a miracle. Others label it a great stroke of good fortune. Whatever else the curious case of Katie may be, Chatham Animal Rescue and Education (CARE) in Chatham County said the little dog’s return to its owners after a long absence is unprecedented in the agency’s 20-year history.
Katie, a Chihuahua/Feist mix, was reunited with her family after disappearing almost seven months ago. The fiancé of the family’s son was looking to adopt a dog and was conducting a search on Petfinder.com when she ran across a picture of Katie posted by CARE under the name of Sasha. She had her fiance take a look at the picture and called his mom to share his suspicions that this could be long-lost Katie. Mom, Pam Ard, immediately contacted CARE.
Katie disappeared from the Ard family home on Christmas night 2009. The family searched for Katie around the many acres of farm and forest around their home to no avail. Due to Katie’s age they thought maybe she had wandered off to die. But the family was haunted by thoughts of what could have happened to Katie.
Meanwhile, in early January, CARE volunteer Melissa Taylor, a foster caregiver, was called by Chatham County Animal Shelter’s personnel. It was the last day the shelter could hold an older Chihuahua mix that had been turned into them as a stray. They knew Taylor had a soft spot for fostering older dogs. Taylor picked up Katie from the shelter and has fostered her in her home ever since.
Katie was examined by a veterinarian and estimated to be about 9 years old. Additionally, she had an irregular heartbeat. Potential adopters were interested in Katie, but ultimately the people didn’t want to take on the commitment of adopting a dog with health issues. Taylor and her family were prepared to keep Katie in the event she was never adopted.
After getting home from work and receiving Pam Ard’s message, Taylor arranged to meet with the Ard family first thing the next morning. It was the moment of truth. Was Sasha indeed Katie?
Katie didn’t offer a lot of emotion at the reunion, so there were a few minutes of comparing pictures the Ards brought, and scars and bumps on Katie. The family also had Katie’s littermate, Missy, with them. It didn’t take long to determine that Sasha was indeed Katie. And the biggest shocker, Katie is 20 years old. The reunion was emotional to say the least — everyone was in tears. Pam Ard called her son to let him know Katie was found.
The family is thrilled to have Katie back and is extremely appreciative for all CARE — and especially Taylor — did for her. “Melissa was truly Katie’s guardian angel,” Pam Ard said. “I have no doubt that divine intervention brought Katie back home to us. Katie isn’t our pet; she and Missy are our family. A lot of love and joy has been received from those two little four-legged blessings during their twenty years!”
Once they were back home, Katie immediately visited each of her favorite places to lie down and then she and Missy snuggled up in the dog bed together and sniffed and licked each other. They were a little slow to recognize each other when first reunited, but it was all coming back now.
CARE had Katie micro-chipped, as is routine with fosters. The Ard family plans to have all of their pets micro-chipped and will no longer allow the dogs to go outside unattended.
Karen Sirls of Chatham Animal Rescue Education contributed to this story.
By Valerie Broadway |
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Topper is tons of fun! (July 2010)
I thought I'd send you a quick email to let you know how Topper isadjusting. He is doing really great, and just a bundle of energy! He issuch a sweet little guy, and is constantly happy. He absolutely lovesDottie and Odie. There has been a little adjusting with them having to getused to him being here and staying, but they all are adjusting quite well.Yesterday morning it took them a little bit to warm up to each other.Topper was ready to play immediately, but Dottie and Odie weren't quitesure, but it didn't take long for them to go right back to play mode. Theypretty much play non-stop, except for the occasional rest break. Thismorning, they were all excited to get out of bed and started playing withoutany hesitation. We've taken him on a few walks and trying to build up his energy/stamina,and he does great. He is right up front with Dottie and Odie and ready toexplore the new area and take it all in. As you can see from the pictures,he quickly found the toy basket with all the dog toys and loves to toss themaround, squeak them and play tug of war with Odie. He definitely holds hisown as he has won the tug of war match a few times! We absolutely love him and so glad to have he's home with us and a part ofour family. We have an appointment with our vet this Friday for him just to get them tomeet him and update their records with his info, and get him on a schedulefor all his puppy needs. We've been able to bandage his front paw, and he'sbeen doing great with keeping it on so we hope it'll heal soon. Thank you so much for all you did for him and we know you took such goodcare of him. We'll send you more updates later, but wanted to let you knowthat he is doing wonderfully and adjusting very well. ~Amy
The volunteers at CARE and the foster parent of Topper (formerly Blocker), would like to send a special thanks to Dr. Tysor, of Tysor Vet, in Siler City, who amputated Topper's leg. Dr. Tysor did a wonderful job, we can't thank her enough! |
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Cooper is a camper! (July 2010)
Our family is so grateful to CARE for connecting us with our sweet puppy, Cooper. He is a wonderful companion and enjoys being a part of everything we do. The attached picture is from our spring camping trip, and of course, Cooper came along with us. He was happy to go on hikes with us, relax with us by the campfire, and sleep in the tent with us! He is a fast learner, eager to please, and always happy to see us. It is a wonderful thing to be greeted so enthusiastically by him when you return home. Everyone loves him and we can't picture life without him now! |
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Fun, fabulous Phoebe! (July 2010)
Phoebe has completed our family in so many ways. She is a loyal companion to our entire family, but especially our seven-year old dog, Owen. They enjoy playing together in the backyard, at our local dog park, and on trips to our family farm. Phoebe is 100% good-hearted and wants nothing more than to love and be loved. She is truly a blessing to us, and we can't imagine life without her! |
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Callie is quite the catch! (July 2010)
My family adopted Callie in February of 2010 and we were immediately inseparable. My best friend, Sandy, had passed away at the end of 2009 and I spent most of my time miserably bored. My puppyhood was filled with bad experiences and it left me terrified to everyone except my family. I needed another dog around for camaraderie and safety, and Callie came to us with some nervous tendencies. Together, we can now brave the world. I sit with her during scary thunderstorms and she’s taught me that people are an excellent source of liver treats. When we’re not conquering our fears, we love to chase our house cats, hunt for pens and dirty socks, and chew on each other’s ears. We have fun on even the most mundane of days and I know Callie is very happy in her new home. I’m so grateful to have made such a loving and energetic forever friend, and I know we’ll grow even closer as we grow into adulthood side by side. Coltrane Butters (I am on the right and Ms. Callie is on the left. Aren't we pretty!!) |
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Stephon (AKA MJ) is adored by all! (July 2010)
We just got back from a long vacation at the beach and I have included some pics of MJ (now Stephon). We adore him and feel so lucky he is a part of our family. Hope you are well!
-The Brown Family |
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Roo (AKA April) is the right fit! (July 2010)
Our sweet Roo (formerly April) settled into her new home with us immediately. She loves playtime, and lots of it, and gets along well with our other cat (a girl we had adopted at another shelter and who is about six months older than Roo). Roo is very socialable and always wants to be with us. She greets us at the door, and sleeps with us at night. She enjoys bird-watching, getting brushed, and our company in the kitchen when she is having a bite. Roo, like our other girl, Cricket, brings us much pleasure. And we in turn enjoy making sure that our sweet girls are as happy as can be. Thank you Chatham County CARE and Karen (Roo’s foster mom) for bringing the Roo into our lives! |
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Cassie is oh so happy! (July 2010)
We adopted Cassie, or as we like to call her "Little Casanova", about 2 years ago. Cassie came from a litter of 2 other kittens and I had the pleasure of meeting Cassie and her siblings before they were available for adoption. I fell in love with all 3 of them instantly. Quite the little characters I must say. But we already had a cat and a dog in addition to fostering Golden Retrievers, so we were not even sure we could take on another fulltime pet. But once my husband met the 3 little critters, he too fell in love. Cassie was ours!!! Cassie has brought a great balance to our home especially when it comes to our other foster animals. The foster dogs come to us very scared and often abused, and the first thing they meet is Cassie. This past December we fostered a blind dog (James) who was not born blind, a recent infection had taken his sight only allowing him to see a small amount of light and shadows. Needless to say, he was very curious about the cats. At the time, we were not sure James would be able to adjust to a home with cats. Their sudden bursts of energy and chasing each other around the house greatly confused him. But slowly over time, James would follow Cassie to find his way around the house. And to my excitement, he would find Cassie sleeping on the couch and snuggle up with her. They would stay there for hours. It was amazing! I truly believe Cassie does more to help the dogs adjust to their new environment than my husband or I could ever do for them. She is a gem in our eyes. Our latest adventure is fostering two kittens for C.A.R.E. We knew how affectionate Cassie is with our foster dogs, but cats? Hmmm, this could be tricky. The first few days were as we expected, a lot of hissing. But the past two weeks she has been amazing with them. She cleans them, plays with them, sleeps with them and watches over them to make sure they stay out of trouble. I guess her motherly instincts kicked in. We are so blessed to have such a rock star of a kitty in Cassie and can't thank C.A.R.E. enough for bringing her into our lives! |
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Henry is a happy boy! (July 2010)
Henry is doing great! We have been running and hiking with him to get him exercise and trying to teach him some new tricks (he's halfway to rolling over, and we're trying to get him interested in playing fetch but maybe his surroundings are still too new). He has been eating and drinking and sleeping well, and our cat seems to be warming up to him..she's only testy with him if she doesn't expect to see him when she turns around. He hasn't shown interest in rawhides, but he also hasn't been chewing anything he isn't supposed to chew. Mostly he seems to just be interested in what we are doing and once we sit down, he'll put his head in our laps and his whole body wiggles when we pet him and give him love.
He has some anxiety when it comes to the elevator, but he is getting better. We've spent some time just riding up and down so he gets used to staying calm when the doors open instead of trying to get out at every floor!
I've also brushed his teeth a few times, which he's not a huge fan of, but he tolerates it. We're looking into obedience classes in the area so we can learn how to keep training him.
We are very happy with him and he seems to be happy with us, as far as we can tell. I've attached a few pictures of Henry in his new home. Henry and Ani do sniff noses sometimes, but I couldn't catch it on camera (though I've tried because it's so cute)-- I included the picture of my mom reading in the chair so at least you can see our cat and Henry coexisting peacefully.
I think our trial period isn't quite up yet (2 days left?), but we already consider Henry to be a permanent addition to our family. Please do call if you're in Durham- we'd love for you to see how Henry is doing!
-Jayna (& Louis) |
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Hera is in Heaven! (June 2010)
I just wanted to say thank you to Melissa for chosing us for Hera's forever home. She is doing so well and has really bonded with our other dog, Ruff. Hera is a wonderful dog. She has done very well with potty training and loves to go for her walks every day. When she is not playing with Ruff, she loves to snuggle with one of us (especially our 7 year old son).
Thank you so much for completing our family. She is loved very much.
The LeBrun Family |
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Cooper got his Summer cut! (June 2010)
I just took some new pictures of Cooper (previously Emmett) I wanted to share with you. I took him to the groomers the other day and got him a short haircut for the summer. I think for Cooper it must be liberating to not have all that hair. It is even better for him to have shorter hair during the summer because it will keep him cooler. It is a bonus for me because I can care for his hair much better with it short than long. I know he loves it because he plays more like a puppy now. I love it because he feels so nice, soft and cuddly. He also looks quite handsome in his new hairdo. He seems like a totally new dog. I really like it. I think I will keep his hair short. He is such a joy to have. We are at a good place now. Thanks again for saving his life. He gives so much happiness to everyone he meets. Everyone loves him. For me he is a definite keeper. I love him so much. The joy he gives me is immeasurable. We love to play fetch. He has this one squeaky bone that my mother gave him that is his favorite toy. We could play fetch with that for hours. He has a good assortment of toys to play with. They keep us quite busy. After he plays hard he finds a comfy spot curls up and goes to sleep. If I am up late I will find him already sleeping in his crate. I've made his crate very comfortable for him so he enjoys sleeping there. The one surprising thing I have found out about him is the fact that he likes to sleep late in the morning. If I didn't wake him up at 9 am he would sleep later. When I open the crate door I have to sit and wait for him to get ready to come out. He has to do his grooming and stretching. Then he perks up and comes out and is ready to go out. It still surprises me every day.
Thank you for all your hard work. Always know that what you do matters and is appreciated by me and I know countless others who have been on the receiving end of your good work. Take good care.
Lauren |
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Vegas, a star on the stage of life! (June 2010)
Vegas is a Winner!
Vegas is the happiest pup you have ever seen! We are so grateful to have her in our lives...she came into our hearts when we lost our sweet Cowboy in April. Every day is a new adventure with little Vegas..she's one of a kind!
The Kulick Family |
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Lola is a lovely pup! (June 2010)
When my husband and I first met Lola, a 4 month old black lab mix, back in February 2010, we knew she would be the perfect addition to our family. Lola quickly adjusted to her new home and is now a very playful and lovable 9 month old puppy. Lola just loves people and other dogs, and thrives on being the center of attention. She likes to snuggle next to her mommy and daddy after playing with her toys, and won't miss an opportunity to take a car ride. We have found that Lola loves water and playing in her baby pool has become her favorite activity on a hot day. This summer, Lola will be going to the beach with us for the first time, and we know that she will just love taking walks on the beach and playing in the surf. Lola has brought us so much joy, and we are very blessed to have her.
-Kristin and Cassidy |
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