Category Archives: Foster Feature

Foster Feature: Piper

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This weeks foster feature is Piper. Here is his story written by his Foster Mom, Diane Holt, who didn’t give up on this little guy. Please like and share his story until he finds a home!
Melanie

 

Piper’s Story:

My husband and I were traveling down FM 1155, in Washington, Texas on Sunday afternoon July 20th, 2014. I see this little thing on the side of the road. I wasn’t sure what it was at first so I tell my husband, STOP. I jump out and see that it’s a tiny emaciated dog on the side of the road. He starts to run from me and he goes under the road into sewer pipes ones about 3-4’ big with 4 in a row. I follow trying to help him; he was in the worst shape of any animal I have ever seen alive. My husband and I try for over 2 hours to get him with no luck at all.

We leave very frustrated, upset, and sad. This little guy didn’t have a chance in the heat. It appeared he might be living on a sticky smelly dead deer by the road and hiding in the pipes for safety. It was getting dark so we had no options but to give up for now. I vowed that we were stopping just for now because we certainly were NOT giving up on this little life that desperately needed help. I kept wondering how he had come to be tossed out on the side of the road and left there like garbage.

I didn’t sleep all night thinking about him being out there. The next morning I asked my husband to call me on his way past there to let me know if he saw him. He didn’t see him. So I headed back down there around 1pm with food-hot dogs, ice water and towels to try to find him again and if nothing else leave the food and water for him to find. When I got there I see that there was another good hearted couple that also saw him and had stopped because he and his wife had been seeing him for weeks. He wouldn’t let them help him either. The man said he ran behind him this time and he didn’t see where he went. We spent about an hour looking for him but couldn’t find him. His wife called Tbar rescue from the road. I put out the food and water for him so at least maybe he can get something to eat and drink and I’ll check back.

I came back later that day and see him. He ran when I got really close to him and he started screaming because he’s so frightened. He ends up escaping into a 14” culvert pipe at the bottom of someone’s driveway on FM1155. I try everything I can think of to get him to come out. I offered him hot dogs and water and use soft talking but nothing I did would coax him to come out.

This culvert is maybe 14” wide and about 30’ long so it’s a lot better to deal with than the underground sewer pipes. I work with him for hours in 98 degree temps; it had to be well over a 100 inside that pipe. Folks passed by and out of the driveway. No one stopped to help or even ask anything. I tossed him hot dog pieces. He loved getting them and came for water but would never allow me to get close enough to help him.

I decided the ONLY way this little guy was going to get saved is if we can trap him. I was about 4 miles from home, so I try to block both ends of the pipe off with towels and stones to hold him in there. Leaving the food and water for him I head back to a neighbors to get a live trap and a long PVC pipe to reach down the pipe to guide him into the live trap. I return to find he had escaped.

Now I am unbelievably frustrated because I knew this little guy did not have much time to survive these temps. He is very thin, weak and had almost no hair left due to mange. He was in need of rescue badly and now it was late in the day and I couldn’t find him.

Next morning I have my husband look for him on his way to the office and he didn’t see him. I head back down there around 11:30 with troops from Tbar to meet up because I was going to get this little guy today and get him the help he so badly needed. I get there and don’t see him but I’m going to set the trap up by the culvert pipe with food and water and just check it throughout the day.

I get down on my knees to set the trap up and look in the pipe and I see him looking back at me!!! I was so happy to see him. I wasn’t taking any chances this time so I set the trap up and locked it in place and put hot dogs up at the other end with water. Now I’m on one side with a PVC pipe and the trap is at the other end. Just in time Lauren from Tbar Rescue pulls up, I motion to her to get to the other end of the pipe. We toss him hot dogs but he wasn’t coming to us so we had to trap him.

With Lauren on one end and me on the other end Lauren starts to put the PVC pipe in the culvert pipe to chase him the other direction into the trap where I waited for him. Within 10 minutes we had him!!! Lauren and I hugged and thanked GOD for helping us get him as Melanie, another Tbar member, pulls up. Tears of relief after 3 days of trying to get him, it was a joyful event. Lauren says to me, ‘since you’re going to Foster him you get to name him!’ I said, what about PIPE….she replied how about Piper!!! How perfect. So now little Piper is my foster dog. Melanie loaded him up and off to the vets for help.

I will mention that I found out that he had been seen on this road in this condition by many folks over the last month or more. Some stopped and tried some just ignored him as it was someone else’s problem as if he was garbage. Yes, it took time to get him but his life was worth the effort.

Even the day I think I spent at total of six hours at the bottom of that driveway, folks actually drove in and out of that drive way and never even ask me if I needed help or what was wrong as they saw me at the bottom of their driveway in 98 degree weather crawling on the ground they just kept driving by vehicle after vehicle.

So I wonder about where the compassion has gone? If people do this to people no wonder they do it to animals. But if you just try, and keep trying or at least try to figure it out and not give up you might save a life. You won’t stop the problem, you won’t solve the grand issue but if you stop and try to help or at least report it to someone that can you’ll save at least that one life. Doing something is better than nothing, show some compassion and try, DO SOMETHING!

As it turns out Piper is a sweet, gentle and friendly 7 month old puppy who loves to sit in your lap. He also enjoys going for rides in the car, loves kids and gets along with other animals. Most surprisingly he’s completely housebroken too. He must have lived in someone’s house before they tossed him aside like garbage. Now he is mange free, vaccinated, neutered and ready for his forever home. He’s gone from being only 8 pounds to a healthy 14 pounds and he won’t get much bigger than that. He’s perfect for any family! Email [email protected] or call 936-878-2349 if you’d like to adopt Piper!

TBAR Foster Feature: Kassy Part 2

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TBAR Foster Feature Dog Kassy (3)

On day three I was outside with the dogs because I wanted to make sure Kassy used the potty so she could be loose for an hour before crating her again. I admit I was sleepy; it was 7:30 and too hot for coffee. I heard Jack make a funny noise. I looked to see Jack and Kassy playing with each other. It was amazing! What was even more shocking was she was instigating the play. She happily bounced over to Jack, raised a front leg, smacked him in the face and then began to run around him. Her tail wagging, she then bowed with her front legs stretched out and her hind quarters still up. This is the classic body language that my dogs use with each other meaning, “Let’s play!” Jack, who for some time I always have thought of as a puppy, looked at her like she was crazy. He barked once at her and I sat up and took notice. But Jack’s bark did not stop Kassy from her quest to play.

TBAR Foster Feature Dog Kassy (1)

In fact she wanted Jack to bark. His bark triggered in her the desire to run in circles around him and then come back and smack him again. Jack had a new best friend and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He acted like a gentleman and played as long as he could stand, but once done he headed for the back door and then sat down.  Still, watching Kassy play was huge. Seeing a dog that was so full of fear when I first got her that she messed herself twice, now have a big doggy smile on her face was staggering. I began to understand that Kassy had no clue how to be a dog and now more than ever I was going to be relying on my pack to help this dog in need. I just wasn’t sure they were up to helping sort out such a backward little girl.

Day seven I was in for a surprise yet again. Kassy at this point still wanted to only be in her kennel. It was her safety spot. The cat’s basket that was in the same room as her crate also became a “safe zone.” Kassy enjoyed cramming herself into the beautiful Garden Ridge Pottery basket my mother had gotten the cats. For days our foster dog would transfer herself from the kennel to the basket, non-stop. Almost like she had no control over her actions. Then day seven happened.

TBAR Foster Feature Dog Kassy (2)

I should point out that at this time we also took in another Corgi mix named Bacon, from a rescue group in Nixon, Texas. Call me crazy, but when I saw her picture and plea for an adoption for a special needs dog I just had a hard time saying no!  My dogs before this have always been solid colors. I am not sure if that was by choice or fate. But Bacon was a black and white Corgi mix and she looks a lot like Kassy, only a bit shorter. But back to day seven. On the seventh day, I was on the couch and I saw a dog sleeping in the middle of the room I was in. At first glance I thought it was Bacon, who came to us a very socialized dog that slid into our home with ease, now asleep. I then looked at my feet and saw Bacon napping there. (She is like my shadow and I love it!) Kassy was sleeping in the middle of the room. Not under something, or in something, but in the middle of the room with nothing to shield her from me! Not only was she napping but she seemed to be at peace. I was so excited I started to cry a little. I didn’t think the dog would grow this fast but things were looking up. Her accidents when we touched her had started to disappear. Everything seemed to be going so well.  But then week two knocked us for a loop and we had major steps backwards.

To Be Continued…

We hope our “Foster Features” help to inspire others to open their homes to animals in need. If you are interested in becoming a foster home for a Texas animal rescue, please visit our info page, email [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349. It is because of foster homes like Casie that TBAR is able to save more lives!

TBAR Foster Feature: Cricket

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Today’s Foster Feature comes from one of our wonderful True Blue Animal Rescue Foster Homes: Casie Cooper! 

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We picked Cricket up from TBAR on Valentines day a few years ago. She was part
of a group siezure at a breeding facility.

I knew she was going to be a challenge from the moment we met her. She was in
the working pens ready to be loaded when we walked up. I reached through the
fence to pet her. She froze and started shaking like a tiny chihuahua! I figured
it was best not to mess with her much in the chute. We loaded her up.

Once we unloaded her into the round pen at home, things got a little better. It
was obvious that she had not had much interaction with people. But through all
of her fear and insecurity, she was never aggressive or mean. Never offered to
kick, bite or even paw. She was legitimately scared, but seemed to know we
weren’t going to hurt her.

After about 2 weeks of good progress in the round pen, she was able to be
touched, haltered, led and moved her hips when asked. At that point, we thought
it a good idea to try some transitioning to working in a larger area. Boy were
we wrong! Hah!

We opened the gate to the round pen and stepped to the edge. She stretched and
sniffed. I waited. Then walked through. Well, she bolted! Ran like crazy!! Got
loose from me and jumped the fence into the back pasture. Then the front
pasture. Then the front yard. Then the back pasture. Then the front again and
finally the back again and ran like crazy. All I could think, after “Please
don’t break your neck”, was “What the heck was that”!? “I must have done
something wrong? Too fast?” I decided I was out of my league! We called a
friend who trains horses.

Our trainer friend came over once we got her back in the pen. A week later, he
felt confident he could transition her. Same scenario. Less dramatic, but the
same outcome nonetheless.

We felt hopeless. Figured we would have to keep her forever and just have a
really pretty yard ornament and no space to foster a more adoptable horse. Then
we realized that if she ever needed medical attention, minor or emergent, we
would have no way to care for her. Unacceptable in an animal lover’s eyes.

In comes Juan Vendrell. We took Cricket over and unloaded her into his working
pens. Within a week, he could lead her through an opening from one pen to
another! She still rushed, but absolutely traveled through an opening into
another area with lead still in hand!! At the end of the month, Juan had her in
the pasture doing lunge line work with ease. Anyone who has hit a roadblock with
a horse understands the happiness this brings!

We now have a horse who was almost unhandleable who now has true adoption
potential. She has gained confidence in new situations and continues to learn
with every interaction we have. No matter how sparse they be lately. Seems like
whatever lessons he gave her, are solid enough that I don’t feel like I have to
rush home from work every day to reinforce. His help has made my job as a foster
much less stressful and even rewarding again! Thanks Juan! 🙂

Thank you Casie for sharing your story, for being a TBAR foster home, and for not giving up on Cricket! For anyone interested in becoming a Foster Home for True Blue Animal Rescue in Texas, please visit our info page, email [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349. It is because of foster homes like Casie that TBAR is able to save more lives!

Foster Blog: Kassy

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Kassy1 As you know, dear readers, Jason and I took in our first foster dog on St. Patrick’s Day this year (and we even named him Patrick)! He was with us for three months, and when he left Jason and I felt like the house was a little quieter. It had been four years since we had worked with a puppy and our dogs are now at that blissful stage in life where sleeping is the main goal for about sixty five percent of the day (unless there is a yard man near by!)

Another Tbar member, Casie Cooper, brought to my attention a group of dogs that needed to be saved or they faced certain doom. Rescued from a hoarding situation, these dogs were moved into the Sealy pound. Casie shared pictures of the dogs in need and my heart strings were tugged on by the image of a dog cowering in the corner with a hand holding up her little face. I was nervous about taking on another dog as I remembered how bringing Patrick home caused a stir (to say the least) with my corgi mix, Jack. It took about a month until all was well and my dogs became a happy pack. Did I want to do that again? And so soon? I confess when Patrick left I had a good cry but that feeling of helping a dog and a family find each other was such a good feeling it overpowered the sadness. In the end Jason and I knew we wanted to do that again, so I decided to take Kassy.

Kassy was only 30 lbs, smaller than Jack, but by height only, and being female I knew Jack would have less of an issue with her since she was not any competition. Casie and her wonderful husband Cody went to give Kassy her freedom ride. The dog smelled terrible and was so scared she was messing herself and the crate she was in. I have never seen a dog so full of fear. I would liken her fear state to that of a spooked horse. To be safe we carried her in the crate from the truck into our back yard. I could see this new dog bolting and since she didn’t know us the chances of us catching her if she got loose were slim. That alone made me a tad nervous, but  we got her into the yard and gave her a bath. It was hard for her to be bathed, and believe me it was for Jason and myself as well, but it had to be done. Not to be too graphic, but she was covered in her own messes. Once inside the house our dogs smelled the cage (now cleaned) that Kassy was in, but they were pretty bored about her arrival into the house. Lucia, our oldest, really could have cared less. Chloe, our middle dog, once again behaved the way she did when Patrick came into the house (Kassy could be a table for all she noticed). Jack, after his experience with Patrick, did so well; no growling, no sizing up, he just smelled her and moved on. I was impressed and so proud of him (I may have sprouted off a few tears). Kassy3 Kassy’s first days with us were surprising calm. At first the new dog made no sounds at all and always wanted to be in her crate. Making her go outside to potty was hard and often resulted in accidents when we would touch her. No eye contact was ever made and she even refused to point her nose in our direction. If we walked near her kennel she would shake uncontrollably and ram herself into the corner as far away from us as possible. All the while Kassy was too afraid to point her body or head at us. I started to sing around the house to get her used to my voice and Jason would talk to her non stop once he got home. Kassy2 Still things were tense, and basic things that many take for granted were hard. Feeding time was a nightmare because she would pee as soon as I went to put her food into the crate. Not wanting her to get used to the smell I would have to get her out of the crate and get her a new towel and wash the crate floor out. Then the struggle of putting her back in the crate started. All the while my other dogs are starting to unravel while waiting for their food. Getting her outside was a chore and I am sure each time I went to let her out I was grinding my teeth. She started to pee the moment I opened her kennel and peed all the way to the door. We had to move all the furniture around in the kitchen to get her cage right by the back door. Success! The new system worked for her and made her feel more in control of her movements but most of all she seemed to feel safe. I started to get a little tense when it was potty time for the pack. Once outside she ran around non stop. I mean she was always moving. Only when she was exhausted would she finally go potty and then she would lay down far away. My dog seemed to sense she was scared and gave her space but I wanted her to have more of a life. I fretted as I watched her on the third day. She held herself differently something had changed. Jason and I were in for a surprise…. To Be Continued!

Foster Feature: Family Circle Chis

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Chifamily_4wks

 

A few weeks ago we introduced you to our Charlie Brown family of Chihuahua pups – now meet our Family Circle bunch!

*UPDATE*  We now have folks wanting three of these puppies — PJ, Dolly, and Jeffrey are pending adoption but Billy and mom Tina are still available!

I wanted to say how exciting it can be to foster a litter of puppies!   Watching their eyes begin to open and when they begin to focus on the world around them.    One key is preparation.   We used an inexpensive child’s swimming pool for our whelping box.   This is easy to find this time of year and allows the mother to get away from her puppies while leaving them safe and confined.   Combined with puppy pads for the floor, the surface is easy to keep clean.  These pups were big enough to climb out at about 4 weeks when they started trying to eat soft, moist kibble.   We put two doggie exercise  pens together to make  a 6 x 3  pen for them to learn to run and play in.   It will be still be several weeks before these pups are completely weaned.   During that time,  it is important to socialize and handle all the puppies.    Get them used to different types of surfaces beneath their feet, different noises, different types of toys.  Also, rub their toes, rub their ears, turn them over — establish a human-dog trust.     This will help your puppies to develop into well socialized,  outgoing puppies at an early age and keep them from being shy or fearsome.   Thanks TBAR for the opportunity to raise this cute litter!   Linda and James

TBAR depends on foster homes to help us save animals, as we do not have a shelter location. We hope this story has inspired you to consider becoming a TBAR foster home. If so, please email us at [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349 and help us save more lives!

Foster Feature: Sage

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Sage1

Late in May True Blue Animal Rescue received a call that a dog was living at a rest area in Washington County. Melanie, the founder and president of T-bar, went to pick the dog up. What she found was upsetting. The Staffordshire Terrier mix was a senior dog in poor health and in need of food. More upsetting was the lack of concern people nearby seemed to have to an animal in need.

Melanie had to load the dog by herself and it wasn’t hard because the dog, later named Sage, was eager to leave her harsh surroundings. Once at True Blue Animal Rescue the dog was given shots and a dewormer pill to set her on the path to being sound. However, on closer inspection, poor Sage was missing hair, had skin growths, had many small cuts and had a serious eye infection that needs antibiotics.

Sage’s case is one that is sad because she is a senior pet, close to ten years old, that must have had a family at one point, but they decided to let her go. Melanie stated the dog had a lot of health issues but the answer is never throwing an animal away. Aside from the eye infection it is obvious that somehow Sage had injured her hip or her leg and it healed incorrectly. When standing in front of her looking her head on her right leg sticks out farther than her left. Surprisingly, Sage tested negative for heartworms.

Sage is a very shy dog and in dire need of a lot of TLC. Her recovery will be long and costly. If you would like to help Sage out with a donation, no matter what size please visit the T-bar web site at www.T-bar.org and hit the “Donate Now” button. No matter how big or small your donation will mean everything to this older dog’s recovery.

(Warning, images below may be too graphic for some viewers)

 

Foster Feature: Lucy and Pups!

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Lucy Co

On May 12 TBAR officers mobilized to save a mother Chihuahua and her 6 puppies (that were only days old) from a high-kill-rate shelter. We were alerted to their situation thanks to a Facebook group called Houston, Save Lives is our Mission. It was important to move fast because the shelter was giving them only three days, the babies were too young to be separated from their mothers (so they were unadoptable), and they were so young (un-vaccinated) and susceptible to illness. TBAR volunteers, Linda and James Taylor, were able to pick them up and temporarily foster them, and quickly we had a foster volunteer, Michelle Marburger, that offered to take in the family until they could be adopted.

When the family was removed from the shelter the babies were covered in fleas so they all got dawn baths, but they thankfully they weren’t terribly anemic, probably because they were so young. The family of Mom, 3 boys and 3 girls, were named after Charlie Brown characters: Lucy (Mom), Patty, Sally, Marcie, Charlie, Shermy and Linus. Lucy settled in with her babies quickly, knowing she was safe now.


From her temporary foster home (Linda and James):
Wanted to say that Lucy checked the box and counted her little family every time we took them away from her. She is a great mom and very trusting. She is a loving little girl and we fell in love with her from the start.


From the foster family:

Mama is adjusting great. She is very smart and well potty trained. She loves to play in the yard a few minutes when she goes out to potty but then she ready to come back in and count her babies.

This first picture is funny… She was yawning showing how hard of work it is to feed all of these babies. The second one I finally got her to sit still and look.

I have had her out in the living room quite a bit with us today because she seems to want to be a social butterfly when she hears us.

Another update:

Ms. Lucy is REALLY doing great (as are her pups). She is very smart! Potty trained, knows sit, and lay. She warmed up to me and my older son really well initially and she has slowly warmed up to my husband and our 6 year old. She even left her room this afternoon when my husband stopped by the house to let her out to potty… yesterday she just sat there and growled at him when he tried to let her out… lol. So today he gave her a treat when she finished.

When we get home from work we let her out of her room and bring the puppies into the living room where we are. She is still counts them and she doesn’t leave their side much then. However, I have found if we go put her puppies back in the her room and we leave the doors open then she runs and plays and wags her tail and jumps on the couch beside us. She loves attention and she is so sweet! She is much different when it’s just her in the room.

Most recent update (yesterday, May 24):
Here is a basket full of love! Lucy and her 6 chi puppies… The basket was originally to transport the puppies from their room to the living room with us at night but this morning when I put them in there little Ms Lucy decided to crawl in and take a cat nap

One of the puppies has it’s eyes open but the others are still closed for now. Lucy is SO sweet!!!

Lucy Co

These puppies will be available for adoption once they turn 8 weeks and they will be listed for adoption once they are 4 weeks.

This family owes their second chance to the group, Houston, Save Lives is our Mission (this situation being social networking at it’s finest!), the TBAR volunteers, and most importantly, to the Marburgers who quickly stepped up and offered their home, love, and care to these animals in need. TBAR depends on foster homes to help us save animals, as we do not have a shelter location. We hope this story has inspired you to consider becoming a TBAR foster home. If so, please email us at [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349

Foster Feature: Clint

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This week we have another Foster feature from Linda and James!

Clint

 

“We are a TBAR foster home.”

Achilles was renamed Clint when he came to our home.   He only stayed a few weeks.   During that time, James taught him not to jump up on people during meet and greet.   Spending just a little time to teach Clint to calmly meet people made a difference in getting him adopted.   Clint loved to go for rides and he was a great foster dog.

Linda and James Taylor—June 2010

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

Foster Feature: Grayheart

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Greyheart

This week we have another post from Linda and James Taylor!

Last weekend we transported another mare, Grayheart, to her new adopted home.  We had Grayheart for two years as she grew from a young foal into a beautiful, confident mare.

Yes, fostering is an emotional job.  The hardest part about fostering is letting go…letting them move on to the next leg of that animals journey in life.

As you say goodbye , there are always tears.   Each tear contains an equal mixture of joy and sorrow.  But in the end,  there is this deep feeling of satisfaction that you have done something good… something that matters  .

And then,  you turn toward the next animal, the next story, the next special one in need of a resting place ….in need of a foster.

We are proud to say:

“We are a tbar foster home.  “

James & Linda Taylor

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

Foster Feature: Image

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Image Collage1

 

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