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Doggy Stopgap continues

November 21, 2015

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I just can’t say no…

Meet Kinzer

He is a 2 year old Dachshund mix.  A great dog!  He is so low key and quiet.  He is already off leash on the farm.  Just sticks around and comes when he is called.  He gets along great with Piper and Riley; in fact he has already been found sharing a doggy bed with them.

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Spec went to a great family on Thursday evening.  They are loving every min of him.  He is never leaves the little girl’s side.

Friday night I got the call the Kinzer’s adoption fell through but he was already on the transport van.  So Candace called, email and texted me.  Yes she got a hold of me and I went to the transport van meeting spot at 8:15 am.

Please share this to find this handsome boy a forever home.

Oops I did it again!

November 10, 2015

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I just can’t say no to helping out Critter Calvary Rescue.  I have a new foster dog looking for a forever home.

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Meet Speck!

This is his write up from the rescue: “This fabulously handsome boy is called Speck and is  sweet as he is beautiful.   This year old boy is a good medium energy level and only 38 pounds.    His adorable smile and his Dog talk to the humans is just charming as can be.   Those delicious freckles are addictive. When you meet this boy.  Everyone that meets him is quite impressed with his temperament and easy going way.   He is cat tested and has done well with them.  We know he is wonderful with people, children and other dogs.”

He is a big love.  The crawl up in your lap and bury his face in you kind of puppy love.  He is still very much a puppy, but a good boy.  He is the kind of dog that just wants “his human”.  He doesn’t want to run off when we walk around the pastures, he sticks close by and makes sure he knows what I am doing at all times.  He is going to make a wonderful companion!  Please share this post to find this fur baby a great home.

Jett’s Off

October 14, 2015

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It was a beautiful fall day at the park, Jett and I had been to just last week.

IMG_0072She thought it was just another walk in the park but actually we were there to meet her new forever family.

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Critter Calvary said the name change was brilliant.  I had no idea it made that much of a difference but they said as soon as they published the updated bio and her real name on the adopt a pet websites they started getting hits.  I spoke to this lovely couple over the weekend, they rescued their first dog (Codie I think). He is a very shy and timid boy that spent most of his life in shelters with out much socialization.

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They sounded like the perfect dog owners… They take him for 4 one mile walks a day and are working with an animal behaviorist.  They decided they wanted anther dog to help him adjust to pack life and play with him.

We met at this near by park and Jett seemed the perfect match.  The right size and temperament (excited but not over-baring).  I think it may have been love a t first sight.  So I suggested they take them both for a walk. They came back smiling. I told them a little more about her and they decided to adopt her.

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As they drove away my heart felt heavy.

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I have had her for 6 months.  She followed me around every room of the house since April 1st.  She ate my flip flops and tops of my boots.  She slept at the foot of my bed every night and gave me cuddles and kisses every morning.  Fostering dogs is not easy but to think she is now doing those things with her forever family makes it all worth while.

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Confessions of a Canine Foster Mom

September 30, 2015

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I have had Jett for 7 months now which is a long time for a foster dog.  It maybe because because of the color of her fur.
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Black dog syndrome or big black dog syndrome is a disputed phenomenon in which black dogs are passed over for adoption in favor of lighter-colored animals.

But… I have another theory on why she is still with me

Jett’s rescue group Critter Calvary Rescue emailed me the other day to “write up a new and improved bio on this girl so we can Make a full court effort to find her a home SOON!”

This is my reply email to them:

“So I have figured it out… Why Cecelia has not found her forever home yet is because her name is not Cecelia.
I have a confession… I couldn’t call her Cecelia, she doesn’t look or act like a Cecelia.  (I think a King Charles Spaniel would be a good Cecelia.) Also my Aunt and Godmother’s name was Celia. I just couldn’t call her her that.
I kept her first adopters name Jett.  It suits her because of her beautiful jet black shiny coat and she jets off whenever she is free in the fields.  Jett is also a lot easier to say and call her back to me.
So if it is not too much trouble may I suggest a name change in her write up.
Jett is a true bundle of joy in the perfect 40 pound package.  She loves giving kisses, especially when you are not expecting it she will plant a big wet dog kiss on you. She is great with kids.  When the one year old comes over to visit she will let him crawl all over her and pull on her fur.  Never a growl or even an attempt to move away.
She loves the great outdoors.We took her on a hike at the near by the bolder park. She was a steady as a mountain lion jumping from rock to rock.  She followed us across ravine walking on the downed tree.  When given the chance she out runs all of the other dogs and always wins the game of chase.  She is great with all dogs of all shapes and sizes.  She currently lives on a horse farm and is respectful of all the animals here.  However she loves the barn cats so much that when they run she has to chase them.
In the house she is my shadow, she follows me around and is always near by. She does not need to be crated when no one is home.  She knows her manners and will sit and wait for her dinner.
Jett is a great dog waiting for the active family that will make her part of their lives.”

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

July 29, 2015

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Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

~William Shakespeare

Take pains. Be perfect.

~William Shakespeare

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Though she be but little, she is fierce!

~William Shakespeare

The course of true love never did run smooth.

~William Shakespeare

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Lord, what fools these mortals be!

~William Shakespeare

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And yet,to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.

~William Shakespeare

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My soul is in the sky.

~William Shakespeare

Riley the happiest dog on the planet

May 20, 2015

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Riley is the official ‘welcome wagging’ of the farm.  He greets everyone with the same enthusiasm and love.  He runs up to them, starts the happy whining, flops on his back and doesn’t want the attention to stop.

Usually he stays at the farm during my trail rides.  Last week I brought him along.  He loved it!  Now I have to admit he wasn’t the best trail dog.  He wandered off too far into the woods, then when he went to find and catch up with us he took a wrong turn.  I told him to use your nose buddy.  Shadow my previous trial dog would always find me.  But I digress…  all was well with Riley we saw him running the wrong way and he came right back to us when we shouted to him.  “Wrong way Riley we are over here!”

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The next trial ride he didn’t want to go through the gate right away but I could hear him barking as we were leaving “what about mee?”.  So we went on the trial ride. About 3/4 of the way through he come bound up behind us.  I guess his nose worked this time.  He was so overheated from this run around the field that he jumped into the horses water trough when we got back.

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I entered one of these photos into the dirty dog contest.  If you get a chance click on this link and like his photo so he can win.  Click here to like Riley’s photo! It should open with this picture in a pop up window and all you have to do is click like and share if you are so inclined.

Thanks!

Welcome Cecilia

April 2, 2015

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Cecilia, she’s taking your heart,
She’s shaking with confidence daily.
Oh Cecilia, she’s down on her knees,
She’s begging you please take her home.

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Looks like the farm is rehabilitating another lost soul.  Cecilia is an owner surrender that we picked up from the SPCA yesterday.

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Here is the write up from her previous foster mom.

Cecelia is a very pretty, active dog.  She loves to play and can jump, but has stayed in her pen.  She will dig under the gate to get to play with the other dogs.  She did OK with cats in the house, but wants to chase them when outdoors with them.  She seems very tolerant and easy-going, but again, on the hyper side.  She needs leash-training as was apparently kept in a pen most of her life. 

Cecelia appears to have had at least one litter of pups.  She was OK when she was in a crate, but does not like to get in it.  She has been outdoors in her foster home

Cecelia and I are still in the getting used to each other phase.  She doesn’t appear to have lived with many rules, boundaries or limitations, but she is quickly learning them here at the farm.  Today we worked on sit for 15 min, she is a smart dog and after we pushed through her stubborn streak she sat!  More work to be done but it was a great break through for us.

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At a little under 40lbs, this 2 year old girl is a petite lab mix (with maybe Whippet?).  We will be working on manners, basic commands, and gaining some weight. Please share her if you  know of anyone looking for a loving friendly dog.

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My First Foster Pup – Missy Mudpie

January 15, 2015

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My next venture in helping the animal world is becoming a foster mom.  I contacted Critter Cavalry Rescue where I got Riley my flat coat retriever and have since become their first ever PA foster mom!

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We went to pick up Missy a couple of Sunday’s ago not knowing much about her except she’s a lab mix who starts off shy but warms up nicely.

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I later learned out that the rescue group found her whole litter in a filthy and muddy outside run.  The puppies had no socialization and thus issues with confidence and accepting human attention.  She was very shy and didn’t even get out from underneath the bed for the first few weeks, in her first foster home in TN.   She has really come a long way from that with me now she is much more confident, social, playful and sleeps right next to me on top of the bed.  She had turned in to a complete love wanting pets and attention.  She follows me around the house and doesn’t wander off on the farm.

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We now have her schedule down which unfortunately has messed up my sleeping patterns. I forgot what it is like to have a puppy.  She has me up around 3 or 4 every morning to go to the bathroom.  I shouldn’t complain we haven’t had an accident in over a week.  She is also very good about chewing.  So far, knock on wood, she hasn’t destroyed anything except the toys I gave her.

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I was asked to write her bio and this is what I came up with:

Meet Missy Mudpie!

She is adorably cute, a great companion, and a very cleaver girl. She had it a little ‘ruff’ growing up but thanks to her foster mom and canine companions she is gaining confidence every day. She loves her stuffed animal toys and tends to horde them all on her pet bed.  The other day she had collected more than 7 toys!

A perfect day for Missy includes learning a new trick, sleeping at your feet and helping out on the farm.  At her foster farm, she is getting learning all about horses, goats and cats.  At this stage cats and goats are still fun to chase if they run but for those who are brave enough to stay put she just wants to say Hi!

Missy prefers not to be left home alone all day and would be best suited to share her home with a confident adult dog.  At her foster home Missy is learning to lay down and to sit patiently for things like dinner and going outside.  She is a love bug who enjoys chest and belly scratches. She follows the other dogs around and is quickly learning from them that not everything is as scary as it first appears to be. 

If your family loves the outdoors, enjoys quiet time, is looking for a good watch dog and a lifelong companion then you might be the perfect match for Missy.

Please share this post to get the word out and find Missy a forever home.

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This is her post on pet finder: https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31107819/

Welcome Riley!

October 4, 2014

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On Saturday we adopted Riley a Flat-coated Retriever from Critter Cavalery Rescue.  V__A918

These are the pictures from when we picked him up. We were with several other adoption families who meet at the drop off point.  The dogs were transported from Tennessee to just outside Allentown, PA.

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He is 3 years old and 70 lbs.  Riley has spent the last 2 years of his life in foster care.  He was living on a horse farm so he was already used to horses, sheep, cats and good with kids. We thought he would be the perfect fit for our farm and are thrilled his foster mom thought the same about us!  This was this life before he came to us.

He is such a good boy! With in a few hours of being on the farm we were able to trust him to stay around and not have to use the leash any more.  He comes when he is called.  He loves his ears, chest and belly scratched.  He is polite and has manners.  He does not beg for food while we are eating. He gets along well with Piper. Here are his pics of his first few days with us.

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It’s a beautiful morning

April 24, 2013

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This morning when I walked out the front door I found Bilbo and Frodo standing on the mound in their pasture. They were looking intently at something. My first thought was they saw a fox. As their instinct is to protect their herd of goats. (This is why they don’t like and chase the dogs.) Instead they were staring at a turkey who was pacing back and forth in the pasture.

Not wanting to miss out on the photo shoot Mugsy, Patches & Elvis came to visit me on the deck rail. Then I look down to see Forrest rubbing against my leg. And of course Piper and Shadow was right there telling me it was time to go feed the horses.

When I tell everyone the number of animals I have on the farm they are usually astounded. But to me they are my life, my dream come true and I couldn’t imagine life without them.

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