Foster Needed for Gracie

Posted on April 5, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

Gracie’s Story

*Warning: This posts contains an image that may be disturbing to some readers*

TBAR received a desperate request for help when a dog was taken to a Houston shelter. This sweet girl, later named Gracie, was found wandering around Lily’s new work and animal control officers were called because they knew this poor dog needed medical attention. She was covered in sarcoptic mange and you could see the desperation in her eyes crying out for help. Despite her discomfort, she was very loving and gentle and she touched Lily’s heart. She needed a vet’s care and Lily was determined to find a rescue who would give this dog a chance at life. The shelter she was sent to does not allow adoptions of bully breeds (to protect the dogs from possibly being used for breeding, fighting or as a bait dogs in a fighting ring). For many who send very loving and sweet dogs to these shelter’s thinking they are helping the animal not aware that the dog’s fate is likely euthanasia, it’s very heartbreaking knowing that the animal will end up put to sleep because it’s not safe for them to be adopted out. Shelters have a very high intake of animals constantly coming and going so they are not able to follow up with adoptions the way rescues can. So adopting out these dogs who are often targeted by people with less than humane intentions without being able to check in and see how the animal is doing could be very dangerous and irresponsible. These shelters may not allow public adoptions for these breeds, but they do allow rescues to pull them to give them a chance at a safe and loving home.

True Blue Animal Rescue responded to Lily’s desperate request and was willing to help this sweet dog. Gracie was pulled from the Houston shelter and immediately taken to the vet office to receive treatment. This is when we learned that not only did Gracie have sarcoptic mange, but she was also diagnosed with heartworms which required immediate treatment.

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Gracie has been doing well at the vet and Lily visits her often. Once Gracie’s mange is under control, she will desperately need a foster home where she can continue her heartworm treatment until she is healthy enough to be listed for adoption. Please consider opening up your heart and home to this beautiful girl. She has been given a second chance at life and you can see how grateful she is to have people who love and care for her. Now all she needs is a foster home where she can blossom into the amazing companion she was meant to be!

If you are interested in fostering or adopting Gracie, please email [email protected] or call (936)878-2349. If you can’t foster or adopt, please share her story with friends and family or donate for her medical care. If you can donate $1, $5, or even $15, every little bit helps and goes towards her necessary medical care.

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!

March Horse Rescue

Posted on March 11, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

True Blue Animal Rescue officers, Dale and Melanie DeAeth, preformed a rescue in Brenham, Texas on March 2, 2014. Two horses that were classified as strays were placed under T-bar care and had to be transported by Dale and Melanie.

The morning started off in the low seventies, but once reaching the location of the animals the temperature had dropped almost twenty degrees in less than half an hour. The rescuers worked in frigid weather with the horses, which are believed to be mustangs. Stray horse cases mean walking up to a horse that could have had very little human interaction in the past. Melanie DeAeath spoke calmly to the pair of horses as the temperature dropped. She made sure the animals heard her voice before she stepped into the pen where they were being held.

The two horses appeared to be mother and daughter and wanted to remain close together. Thankfully the older of the two horses already had a halter placed on her, while the younger one did not want any one near her. After observing the two for a while Dale and Melanie decided it would be easier to lead out the mother on a lead line and see if the youngster would follow. The younger horse was very nervous and Melanie knew she would not be able to touch her.

At this point in the rescue the skies opened up and the cold grew even worse. Leading the mother horse out Melanie and Dale cautioned Jason and I to back up because if the horses decided to flee we needed to be safe. The mother came out and thought about running, but seemed to slip on the now slippery ground. Her daughter came out, and also attempted to run but slid and changed her mind. Both stood for a few moments while Melanie and Dale put themselves between the horses and their option to run. Arms wide, the T-bar couple slowly walked toward the horses and forced the horses, just using their bodies, up the ramp to the trailer. The youngest paused, unsure about going inside. Dale simply clapped his hands at the little female horse and she finished her way into the trailer.

All during the trip back to True Blue Animal Rescue the rain got harder and the weather got windy. To help the horses adjust to their new setting, they were placed in a separate area away from the other T-bar animals. This would also help the current horse residents get used to the new ones. Both horses were somewhat thin, with protruding hips and bald spots, which suggest malnutrition. Dale made sure that they got some hay right away as they got settled in. The horses were then given the names Jessi, for the mother horse, and Starlet, for the daughter, due to a small white spot on her forehead.

Thanks to T-bar the horses now have people to keep them safe and work with them. Their training and rehabilitation will start with having them getting used to humans and seeing the vet. To follow the progress of Jessi and Starlet, keep watching the T-bar site or like them on Facebook. Look for them at True Blue Animal Rescue.

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!

Three Donkeys Found Wandering Burleson Co. Neighborhoods

Posted on March 9, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

True Blue Animal Rescue is again helping with the vetting and re-homing of more donkeys. T-Bar President, Melanie DeAeth, received a call about three homeless donkeys that were wandering the streets of Burleson County, Texas. After contacting the Sheriff’s Department, T-Bar agreed to assist in getting these skinny little guys to the vet and then helping them find their forever homes. Once their time on “stray hold” is up, T-Bar volunteers will be headed out to pick these three up and then will be taking them straight to the vet. They will be gelded, vaccinated, wormed and will also receive hoof care.

All they will need are families who will take them home, love them, feed them and make sure they never have to live the homeless life again! If you are able to foster or adopt any of these three, please email us or call (936) 878-2349 for more information!