Adopt a Cat Month

Posted on June 17, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

June is “Adopt a Cat Month”! Our pet of the week this week was Sable, and we have other cats ready for their adoptive home as well!

Have you thought about getting a cat? You can get great pets from animal rescues and shelters. The kittens we have right now were raised by loving foster homes and will be wonderful additions to anyone’s family!

“TOP TEN” CHECKLIST FOR ADOPTING A CAT (from the American Humane Society)

If you’re thinking about adopting a cat, consider taking home two. Cats require exercise, mental stimulation, and social interaction. Two cats can provide this for each other. Plus they’ll provide more benefits to you. Cats’ purring has been shown to soothe humans as well as themselves – and they have an uncanny ability to just make you smile. A great place to start your search is online. Sites like petfinder.com let you search numerous shelters in your area simultaneously to help narrow your search and more quickly find the match that’s right for you and your new feline friend.
Find a cat whose personality meshes with yours. Just as we each have our own personality, so do cats. In general, cats with long hair and round heads and bodies are more easygoing than lean cats with narrow heads and short hair, who are typically more active. Adoption counselors can offer advice to help you match the cat’s personality with your own.
Pick out a veterinarian ahead of time and schedule a visit within the first few days following the adoption. You’ll want to take any medical records you received from the adoption center on your first visit. Kittens in particular should accompany you to make the appointment – even before the exam itself – so staff can pet the cat and tell you that you’ve chosen the most beautiful one ever.
Make sure everyone in the house is prepared to have a cat before it comes home. Visiting the shelter or animal control facility should be a family affair. When adopting a new cat with existing pets at home, discuss with the adoption facility how to make a proper introduction.
Budget for the short- and long-term costs of a cat. Understand any pet is a responsibility and there’s a cost associated with that. A cat adopted from a shelter is a bargain; many facilities will have already provided spaying or neutering, initial vaccines, and a microchip for permanent identification.
Stock up on supplies before the cat arrives. Be prepared so your new cat can start feeling at home right away. Your cat will need a litter box, cat litter, food and water bowls, food, scratching posts, safe and stimulating toys, a cushy bed, a brush for grooming, a toothbrush and nail clippers.
Cat-proof your home. A new cat will quickly teach you not to leave things lying out. Food left on the kitchen counter will serve to teach your new friend to jump on counters for a possible lunch. Get rid of loose items your cat might chew on, watch to ensure the kitten isn’t chewing on electric cords, and pick up random items like paper clips (which kittens may swallow).
Go slowly when introducing your cat to new friends and family. It can take several weeks for a cat to relax in a new environment. It’s a great idea to keep the new addition secluded to a single room (with a litter box, food and water, toys, and the cat carrier left out and open with bedding inside) until the cat is used to the new surroundings; this is particularly important if you have other pets. If you’ve adopted a kitten, socialization is very important. But remember – take it slow.
Be sure to include your new pet in your family’s emergency plan. You probably have a plan in place for getting your family to safety in case of an emergency. Adjust this plan to include your pets. Add phone numbers for your veterinarian and closest 24-hour animal hospital to your “in-case-of-emergency” call list.
If you’re considering giving a cat as a gift, make sure the recipient is an active participant in the adoption process. Though well-meaning, the surprise kitty gift doesn’t allow for a “get-to know-one-another” period. Remember, adopting a cat isn’t like purchasing a household appliance or a piece of jewelry – this is a real living, breathing, and emotional being.

If you are interested in adopting a cat from True Blue Animal Rescue, check out our list of adoptable cats, download our adoption form, and contact [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349 for more information!

Infographic: TBAR Animal Adoption Process

Posted on May 27, 2014August 23, 2021 by Jess

At TBAR our mission is to save animals and educate the public to increase compassion and empathy towards animals (and decrease abuse and neglect and general mistreatment).

Our volunteers often donate their services to us, and today we are pleased to share an infographic that our friends at YOURinfoGRAPHIC made for us! This road map takes you right through the animal adoption process, from intake to happily-ever-after!

If you are a service professional and would like to donate your services to True Blue Animal Rescue you can contact us at [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349

TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill animal rescue organization. If you would like to help animals such as this one, please consider donating to TBAR, volunteering, fostering, or adopting. Donations go directly toward care, feed, and veterinary care of the rescued animals and every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Rescue a pet: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Colonel

Posted on May 26, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

This month law enforcement officers were informed about a donkey alone and wandering around. After being held to see if anyone would step forward for the male donkey he was classified as a stray and placed into the care of True Blue Animal Rescue. The donkey, named Colonel in honor of the up coming Memorial day, was fixed and given a stall while he recovers.

Colonel is what is known as a Jerusalem Donkey. So called due to the dark cross on it’s back. The story of the Jerusalem donkey is that it was the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and also followed him to Calvary out of pure love. Appalled by the sight of Jesus on the cross, the donkey turned away but could not leave his master. The shadow of the cross fell upon his shoulders and back, forever marking him and all of his descendants.

Colonel is a very friendly donkey, and not only is he halter broken, but he leads well! Everyone so far that has come into contact with him is taken with his gentle eyes and kind nature. For those not familiar with donkeys they make great guard creatures and companion animals for cattle, horses and even sheep. Donkeys are very brave and bray loudly when someone or something new is nearby that they feel does not belong, much like a guard dog.

Many people with herds will tell you a donkey will protect their animals from things like stray dogs or coyotes. This past “horse day” Colonel took his job of braying seriously, announcing two cars pulling up to the T-bar barn. Once Colonel has recovered from his surgery he will be up for adoption to a good home.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted on May 11, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

TBAR would like to say Happy Mother’s Day to all those that care for others, fur-babies or otherwise! We hope you have a special day!

TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill animal rescue organization. Consider donating today to honor a mother you love, and we will list them on our website!

Be Kind to Animals Week 2014

Posted on May 6, 2014August 23, 2021 by Linda Taylor

I would venture to guess that everyone reading this is kind to animals.

We all love pictures of cute animals, happy tail photos of adopted animals, and the warm fuzzies that come with happy endings.

As members of an animal rescue, we all see bad things happen to animals, but it is the happy side of rescue keeps us going. Let us spread the word far and wide about animal welfare!

I did some research and the American Humane Association created Be Kind to Animals Week in 1915 to encourage compassion toward animals. During this week they encourage everyone to be more than compassionate. Let us ask ourselves how we can influence more good outcomes? How can we spread more warm fuzzies and make more animals feel loved?

Here are a few tips from the American Humane Association:

• Report any suspected animal abuse or neglect to animal control in your county

• Commit to adopting your next pet from an animal shelter

• Donate to or volunteer at your local animal shelter or for a local rescue group

• Spay or neuter your pets and encourage friends and family to do the same

• Spend quality time with your pet

• Make sure your pet has an ID tag or microchip

• Drive cautiously through areas populated by wild animals such as deer

• Plant flowers in your yard that will attract butterflies or hummingbirds

• Speak out in your community about the importance of respecting animals

TBAR Volunteers invite you to choose one of the above activities or come up with one of your own to celebrate “Be Kind to Animals” week.

We also invite everyone to make a donation to True Blue Animal Rescue, and then post a special message on our Facebook page. You can use this message to honor the memory of a beloved pet. Tell us what special thing you will do this week to honor that pet’s memory in conjunction with Be Kind to Animals Week. Please keep all comments family appropriate.

Here, let me get us started:

In memory of Zach, the cocker spaniel who passed over the rainbow bridge way to early in his life. His short life touched many hearts. In his memory, I will donate $20 to TBAR.

TBAR Receives Training Grant from ASPCA

Posted on April 29, 2014August 23, 2021 by Jess

TBAR Receives Training Grant from ASPCA

$4000 toward training horses to increase adoptions

Washington, Texas — True Blue Animal Rescue (TBAR) announced today the award of a $4000 grant from the ASPCA to assist with training costs.

“This grant will train five horses that are currently in TBAR waiting for forever homes.” said Melanie DeAeth, TBAR President. “This grant is the start of a new training fund, and the adoption fees from the trained horses will go toward training the next ones.”

For ten years TBAR has been saving animals from abuse and neglect, and often the animals return to full health. There are many cases when the horses are candidates for socialization and training (particularly those born after their mothers come into the rescue), and this training fund will benefit them. In the past the only training the horses have received is from volunteers that come out when they have the time, but this program will ensure consistency and better turnover.

About True Blue Animal Rescue: TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is a no-kill rescue operating in the Brenham, Texas area. If you would like to help their cause please consider donating, fostering or adopting. Every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Foster Feature: Image

Posted on April 27, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

This post is courtesy of Linda and James Taylor!

“We are a TBAR foster home.”

Litters of kittens, cats, dogs, a litter of puppies, a string of miniature donkeys, and all sizes and shapes of horses have all crossed between the gate to our five acres… Each animal has a very special story to tell of how they arrived at the door step of a TBAR foster home.

The one that touched not only my heart, but literally my soul, was Image.

A walking pile of bones who literally pushed her way into our trailer that day, Image somehow knew we had come to help her.

An older mare with a will to live like no other animal I had met before. She taught us how precious life is and how we should cherish it.

She fought to live and she won.

And we had the honor to be on that journey with her.

Thank you, Linda and James, for opening your homes and hearts to an animal in need! If this story has inspired you or anyone you know to become a foster family to a TBAR animal, please read the information on our foster page and then email [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349

RAIN Success: Echo!

Posted on April 26, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

RAIN Success: Because of the networking efforts of our community on the RAIN page, we were able to help this Catahoula find a great loving home before being taken to a shelter. Her new family has named her Echo and they are all in love!

From Stacey (her adopter):

Oh my goodness… She is absolutely a dream. She’s soooo good. Knows how to play fetch and brings the ball right back! She’s actually pretty calm for a puppy, we are so impressed and grateful to have her as a part of our family. She’s happy and very loving and fits right in. She likes to gather her toys and keep them surrounding her bed but drags this little fox we got her around in her mouth wherever she goes, so adorable. We have given her a name that seems to fit her, she even answers to it already! “Echo” is her name! I totally believe she was meant to find us, and I’m thankful everything happened the way it did.

She is so smart she even figured out how the iphone works to take her first “selfie” hahaha here she is with my daughter… They are inseparable. 🙂

Rescue Animals In Need (RAIN) is a referral animal networking group run by volunteers of True Blue Animal Rescue for animals in the community who have been rescued and are now looking for a forever home.

True Blue Animal Rescue gets more calls, emails and Facebook requests to take more animals than we can help. The RAIN Facebook page was created as a way to network those animals to the public in search of foster or forever homes.

What is Rescue Work Like?

Posted on April 22, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

What is it like working with rescue animals?

I gather it is a little like working with people that have also been abused, neglected or even abandoned. You can see that they have things on their mind and troubles in their hearts. I think the thing that hurts the worst while being at T-bar is meeting the dogs that no longer want any human contact with people. After the rescue of Summer, the neglected and abused dog, I have seen first-hand how dogs can go through so much and still trust humans.

To see dogs that just have no interest in people is gut wrenching because it makes me wonder what happened to them that they gave up on those things that walk on just two legs. When meeting animals at T-bar I confess that some I feel closer too than others. It’s hard to explain. When I first met Seven, the rescue horse, he had just come back from Juan’s and Melanie was working with him in the barn. Melanie said he was a bit rough around the edges and didn’t really like to meet people. But when it was time to take his picture he nuzzled me gently and posed for me as if on cue. Melanie beamed at me and was glad that Seven trusted me, but the feeling really went both ways. Often I meet an animal at T-bar and I feel like I know them already, as if perhaps we met before in passing. Those animals I often drift to when I visit and chat with them, since they all are such great listeners.

When they are adopted out or find a new foster home it is always a little sad, but you have to be better than that, and think that they will be happier with more one and one attention. I think that is what keeps me going back and bonding still with animals that I know could be adopted tomorrow. Sometimes an animal will zero in on you. I have to say that it is an honor when they decided that you are worth the time of day. Certainly I feel like a million bucks when a shy creature decides that I am trustworthy.

What is rescue work like? It will change your view on things. I confess that I have at times passed a field of horses and looked at them closely to make sure they were not starving, once on a roadtrip I saw donkeys in a small field and there were also three new babies and my first thought was, “I hope they plan to keep those donkeys.” My next thought was, “Is that land big enough for so many?” Only my last thoughts were that the babies were adorable. This could do with the fact that donkeys are always dumped on my Aunt Karen’s land! Being the person she is she has them fixed and keeps them as pets. But really she is up to eight donkeys now and she didn’t have to buy them!

What is rescue work like? Like any cause close to your heart, if you are not careful it can devour you. Instead of seeing beauty or being light hearted you can start to go negative. I have worked hard to not let that happen to me. I let the victories stay in my heart and head and let the cases that I just couldn’t get to go. If you do not take care of yourself first you cannot take care of anyone else. It’s just a simple fact. We are only human. We require rest, food and love to keep going. Sure there are tons of sad stories and photos all over the place. But you cannot bask in them day in and out. You have to remember that even if you only save one dog it means everything to that little guy. You cannot beat yourself up about the five others that you were unable to get to. You have to have faith that someone else stepped in because it does happen. Don’t think all of the problems are just on your shoulders because there are so many wonderful people just like you, who are trying to fix things.

What is rescue work like? So rewarding. Seeing an animal come in bad shape and then watching them slowly recover is awesome. You cheer them on in your mind as they gain weight, start to trust people or just heal from abuse. The best moment in your minds recorded history of time in their life is when they find a forever home that fits them and their needs. For some animals it is a long wait, while others find their match right away. But the day feels no different no matter how long of a wait it has been. It’s like watching a touched down when a family smiles a knowing smile at an animal and has that same feeling I get while at T-bar. “I know you.” And they take them home.

How can I help I live in an apartment? I cannot foster. I do not have the finances to help.
If you cannot help with money then please know just sharing and commenting on the T-bar Facebook page is a huge help. It gets the word out and helps gain T-bar views, which in turn helps the animals get exposure. It may seem small but it makes a difference. If you cannot foster, a donation of any size can help. Yes one dollar helps, because it was a dollar we did not have before. A lot of small donations go so far in the animals lives. Never think your donation is not enough.

TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill animal rescue organization. If you would like to help animals such as this one please consider donating to TBAR, volunteering, fostering, or adopting. Donations go directly toward care, feed, and veterinary care of the rescued animals and every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Happy Easter!

Posted on April 20, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue