Pet of the week: Elmer

Posted on March 31, 2014August 23, 2021 by Loretta

Elmer was born shortly after his mother, Mamma-Lynne, was rescued along with 26 other horses. They were all starved and Elmer is one of the miracles! Elmer is a really neat horse. He is odd, in a good way. He seems to prefer human company over horses. He leaves the herd to follow people. He even comes up for petting and to be the center of your attention. He has been started under saddle. He would be someone’s best friend, loyal and faithful, like a big dog! Elmer would do well with a younger rider or someone who would make this amazing boy their world. He would certainly return the favor! Elmer is absolutely beautiful as well as unique and very regal in posture. He has a very fluid, graceful movement about him and makes you catch your breath when he is in motion.

If you are interested in Elmer email [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. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Feature Foster: Olivia and Patrick

Posted on March 30, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

I didn’t make the decision to become foster Mom to a TBAR foster dog lightly. I had been thinking and praying about it for some time now. While my dogs are a wonderful pack, I do have a corgi mix that seems to live with a lot of fear. But when Melanie informed me that T-bar was taking in two puppies that had been found on the side of the road starving I felt the pull grow. What sealed the deal was a picture of the two puppies side by side looking very thin and scared. Since My corgi mix is mostly scared of anything bigger than him I figured a puppy would be easy for him to get used to.

Our foster dog Patrick came into T-bar care on St. Patrick’s Day, hence his name. I could not help but notice his long legs and soulful eyes when Melanie and Teresa came by with him. Thankfully T-bar provided a crate for me to use for him. His ribs were showing and so were his hip bones. Knowing my dogs, I was right about their reaction to the newcomer. Lucia, my oldest, wanted to check on him non-stop, Chloe our middle dog, could have cared less (Patrick could be a new chair for all she noticed), and of course Jack, the corgi mix, was the biggest hurtle.

Patrick made it clear that his experience on the streets had given him encounters with bigger dogs already. Jack growled once and Patrick bowed his little head and hunched his shoulders. The puppy was going into a submissive stance to try and let Jack know things are ok. This dance has been repeated a lot in just our first week with Patrick, through no fault of the new arrival. Jack has trust issues and Patrick is responding very well. He gives Jack space, he knows not to try and play with Jack unless Jack invites him, which has so far only happened once.

Patrick picked up crate training pretty fast and had only one accident in the house which was mostly my fault because I stopped watching him when a friend came over for a visit. Since I work from home I have my dogs on a set schedule. Having three other dogs to model his behavior after has made things pretty smooth for us in adding Patrick into our pack. If Patrick were an over-eager dog, or insistent on jumping on Jack or our cats this would have required more work on our part. Thankfully Patrick seems to be one of those dogs that is Heaven-sent. He already knows to nap on a dog bed, or sit there and play. If I catch him chewing on something I firmly tell him no and then make sure to give him a toy that is okay to chew on. He is still a pup and is teething. All puppies like to chew but, it is up to those watching them to teach them the do and don’ts of what they can chew on. So far he has left shoes and socks that my cute husband leaves around untouched (which is more than I can say for Lucia, who loves socks).

It’s an honor to train Patrick and house him for T-bar. Many people have asked me questions about him so I will try and answer them now.

How is he with cats? Like all puppies Patrick wants to play. We have only had to get after him twice about the cats and his “chasing” efforts were fainthearted. He took two bouncy steps and then stopped.

Is he hyper? He is a puppy and has the desire to interaction and love. We make it a point to not pet him when he jumps on us, but to show affection when he is being calm or laying down chewing on a toy. This helps him not feel the need to jump on us seeking attention and love. Since he is a puppy I put time aside to run around with him outside and get him to move. Even so, he is a pretty low-energy dog. As I write this he is blissfully snoring on his favorite blue dog bed.

Does he bark a lot? He is not much of a barker. For now other dogs barking scare him a little. But this is a huge improvement from when we first got him. Dogs would bark and he would whine and want inside. He is getting braver day by day.

Is he good with kids? I always want people to understand that kids are high energy beings. They are young and they want to run, play and make noise. That will have an effect on any dog’s behavior, especially a puppy. Patrick is a gentle dog so if a family with kids wants to adopt him he will be safe, but always keep in mind it is up to you and your kids to help a dog remain calm and happy.

Fostering Patrick is something I am so excited to be doing and when a family comes along for him and he has a forever home I know that the amount of pride and happiness I will feel will be huge. Helping an animal get healthy and then find a forever home that fits him will give me joy beyond words. For now though, I am enjoying this new ride. Patrick has been so sweet that I am already thinking about doing fostering again! But I have to ask my corgi mix first!

We hope this story has inspired you to join in our wonderful group of TBAR Foster Homes. TBAR is a 501(c)3 non-profit animal rescue made up of only foster homes. We have no public funding for a central shelter location, so every person that can take in just one foster animal is a big help to our mission of saving lives. Read about fostering, or write to us at [email protected] to find out more!

April Horse Clinic

Posted on March 29, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

Juan Vendrell of TC Ranch Horsemanship is offering a Horse Clinic at one of our TBAR Foster homes on April 26, 2014. This is a great opportunity for some of the TBAR horses and volunteers to receive training and gain experience. Juan’s horse clinics focus on both groundwork and riding and are customized to allow horses and trainers of all levels to participate and benefit. Attendees can expect to gain skills in natural horsemanship including problem solving and confidence building through roundpenning, desensitizing, haltering and saddling horses.

This clinic is allowing for trainer/horse participation as well as auditing. Please bring lawn chairs for sitting. Clean coggins required for all horses attending

Participants (with Horse): $100
TBAR Members (with Horse): $80
Auditors: $25
Purchase tickets at: www.TBARClinic.eventbrite.com

Juan Vendrell is an experienced horse trainer who holds clinics in Europe and the United States and is a featured trainer at The Horseman’s Reunion.

PDF Flyer for Printing and Distribution

Success Stories: Scooter

Posted on March 26, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

Meet T-Bar’s Scooter

Last week, we listed Luna as our Success Story of the week. This week, we have the privilege of posting Luna’s brother Scooter as our Success Story!

Scooter was abandoned on the side of the road with Prissy (aka Munchkin) and her sister Luna (PeeWee). This little group of dumped dogs remained where they were – thinking their owner would be back for them and would take them home again. Instead, these three were lucky enough to be spotted by a T-Bar foster who stopped to see if they could be coerced into a crate. Scooter and the girls were very shy and nervous at first, but after a little time and patience, they warmed up to be loving little lap dogs who would do anything for pets and attention.

Here’s what his adoptive mom has to say about him:

“He is great. He loves the babies, my son is connected at his hip. He slept with us in our bed all night long…yes we allow animals in our bed. 🙂 He is great with our other dog and the cat and him don’t really care that each other exist…no issues and very happy momma!!!”

Thank you for giving Scooter a wonderful, loving forever home!

Pyr Story

Posted on March 25, 2014August 23, 2021 by Melanie DeAeth

In February Olivia shared the story of the Pyrenees Dog rescue. We are pleased to follow that up with the happy success story ending for these dogs!

vet1

Vet3

On March 12, 2012, after their final round of vet care, True Blue Animal Rescue sent Delia and Porthos, two Pyrenees rescue dogs, to New Jersey to be placed in forever homes through Eleventh Hour Rescue. In doing this we learned that northern states have done such a great job of eliminating their overpopulation problem that they currently have a shortage of rescue animals. With this demand for rescue animals in the north the southern states are now shipping hundreds there on a regular basis.

Delia transport

Porthos transport

Delia During Transport

We linked up with PETS, LLC., one of the transport companies that brings dogs all over the country to their new homes. We met with this transport team in Houston, TX where there were another 40 dogs loaded into an air conditioned semi truck by compassionate people who were knowledgable about dogs and how to care for them in a transport situation. We were comforted and happy to receive updates and pictures of our dogs during this three day trip. Then when they arrived in New Jersey we were notified and sent pictures to assure us that they made it safely.

Porthos in New Home

Porthos during Transport

Porthos and Delia in NJ

Delia in New home

Since it means saving more lives we plan to try and place more dogs in homes in states that have less rescue dogs than we do but we also know that this is not the answer to ending our overpopulation problem. Thirty years ago these states had the same overpopulation problems that we see in the south. I worked in an SPCA in New York State and experienced this first hand. Since then They enforced licensing laws, developed spay / neuter programs and educated the public in order to become no kill states. Knowing this gives me the assurance that we can do the same thing here in Texas, and other states who are still working to decrease and then eliminate their euthanasia rates.

Zeus

Posted on March 24, 2014August 23, 2021 by Loretta

Zeus is a sweet, loving little 1 year old kitty who is looking for his forever family. He loves play time almost as much as he loves dinner time and would prefer to stay cuddled up with his foster all day if he could. He even tolerates when his human sister dresses him up or takes him on a walk around the house in his very own baby stroller. Zeus got his name because he was the biggest out of a litter of 8 and he felt like he was the big man in town – though his sisters often corrected this misguided thought. Zeus is available for adoption through T-Bar! Please consider adding this adorable boy to your family and he will show you the joy your life was missing. Contact True Blue Animal Rescue to inquire about adopting! Email: [email protected] Phone:(936) 878-2349

T-Bar is Looking for Additions to our Volunteer Staff Team

Posted on March 23, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

During 2013, True Blue Animal Rescue underwent many changes in our structure and policies, and our administrative volunteer staff have worked very hard to ensure that all animals who come through our doors are met with a loving family and outstanding veterinary care. In order to continue improving T-Bar, we need help from our loyal supporters. We are looking for dedicated individuals who are able to donate some of their time to the T-Bar mission through volunteering. T-Bar is in need of additional administrative staff in the following committees: Adoption, Spay Assistance, Medical, and Intake and Processing.

Adoption Coordinator:
As one of T-Bar’s Adoption Coordinators, you would be reviewing a portion of adoption applications received, performing vet and personal reference checks on applicants using a pre-made form, filing applications and completed reference forms in T-Bar’s online filing system, recording adoptions in T-Bar’s files, and conducting, tracking and reporting follow-ups with adopters.

Approximate time needed per week: 5-10 hours

Medical Coordinator:
As one of T-Bar’s Medical Coordinators, you would be maintaining T-Bar’s medical spreadsheets to track the dates of vaccinations, worming, deworming, coggins, etc. to help fosters know when it’s time to take their animals to the vet for their annual exam and vaccinations. You will also request updated vet records from all foster homes annually and work with other T-Bar staff in adding new vet clinics as partners in different areas as our foster homes increase.

Approximate time needed per week: 5-10 hours

Spay Assistance Coordinator:
As one of T-Bar’s Spay Assistance Coordinators, you will track T-Bar’s available spay assistance funds and spays T-Bar is assisting with, sending follow up emails to assure the animal was spayed and is doing well after surgery, and provide information for T-Bar’s networking assistance for spayed animals who are now looking for an adoptive home.

Approximate time needed per week: 1-5 hours

Equine Listing Coordinator:
T-Bar was accepted into Equine.com’s A Home For Every Horse Rescue Program this past year and we need a volunteer who is able to post our adoptable horses to the website and maintain the ads.

Approximate time needed per week: 1-5 hours

If you are interested in taking on the responsibilities of any of these positions, please email [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349.

Friday Fluff: Cats

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

“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” – Hippolyte Taine

Success Stories: Luna (aka Pee Wee)

Posted on March 19, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

This little girl was abandoned on the side of the road with her sister, Munchkin, and another small black dog named Scooter. This little group of dumped dogs remained where they were – thinking their owner would be back for them and would take them home again.

Instead, these three were lucky to be spotted by a T-Bar foster who stopped to see if they could be coerced into a crate. Pee Wee, now named Luna, was very timid, but had nowhere to go, so she let the kind soul who found her come near. Even though she didn’t want to be picked up, this hungry little girl and her companions couldn’t resist the canned dog food they were offered, and they ran into a crate when they smelled it. Luna, Munchkin and Scooter were then brought to T-Bar to get the vetting and care that they needed. Luna was spayed, vaccinated, de-wormed and began her search for her forever family.

With a face as cute as Luna’s, it didn’t take long for a family to fall head-over-heels for this sweet girl. After filling out their adoption application, the Allen family got to meet Luna and decided they could not let her go. Now our little Luna has a wonderful forever family and two other fur-kids, Ike and Tucker, to play with and love!

T-Bar would like to thank the Allen Family for giving Luna a loving, forever home

Dog Rescue: Summer

Posted on March 18, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

*WARNING: SOME PICTURES BELOW ARE OF A GRAPHIC NATURE AND MAY BE UNSETTLING FOR SOME VIEWERS*

On March 8, 2014, True Blue Animal Rescue was asked to step in and take custody of a dog in Somerville, Texas. T-bar founders Dale and Melanie DeAeth were accompanied by Somerville police to respond to reports that a dog was being severely neglected. Thankfully the dog, later named Summer, was not completely emaciated since a kindly neighbor had been attempting to give the dog food.

On approaching the house they saw that the dog was living in a fenced off area that was about four by three feet, and surrounded by debris. Before going into the cage Melanie and Dale looked Summer over and decided she was most likely a Staffordshire Terrier mix, but the dog was friendly and extremely happy to see people. Summer was not wearing a collar, so Dale made a makeshift one so that he could get her to the car safely.

While waiting on Melanie and the Somerville police officer, Chris Ruttrell, to exchange paper work, Dale DeAeth spoke calmingly to Summer. Summer loved the attention and responded with kisses. Summer twice attempted to make the jump into the DeAeth’s vehicle, but was too weak to make it inside. So Dale picked Summer up and placed her in a kennel to transport her back to T-bar.

Once at the T-bar rescue center, Melanie gave Summer a treat with worming medicine inside. The dog began rolling in the green grass and Dale held her on the leash waiting for Melanie to get more medicine. While waiting Dale notice she had sores on her rump from being forced to be in a sitting position almost non-stop. She also has a cyst or some other type of growth on her hip and cuts on her front legs. Next Melanie gave Summer a shot for Distemper, Parvo and Lepto before leading Summer to her new home near the other T-bar dogs.

Summer settled into her new home nicely and was treated to a new toy along with her new dog house and fresh food and water.

**Update on Summer. March the 11 Dr. Lee Panko of the Brenham Veterinary Hospital came out to T-bar to give shots to a few horses and dogs. Dr. Panko also gave Summer a check-up and took some blood samples. Summer tested positive for heart worms and he noted that she is heart worm heavy. He also pointed out that Summer was missing most of her teeth and he believed it was because she was gnawing at anything she could reach trying to get nutrients to survive. Since Summer is close to five years old these teeth will not grow back. Aside from her malnutrition, Summer’s biggest hurdle is the heart worms. Treatment will be expensive, but her case is so bad that her other surgeries will need to wait until the heart worms are taken care of. If you would like to donate to Summer’s rehab please click on the “Donate” button. Your donation, no matter what size, can make a difference in her life.