Foster Feature: Grayheart

Posted on May 4, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

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

Horse Clinic Recap

Posted on May 3, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

Juan Vendrell of TC Ranch Ventures joined forces with True Blue Animal Rescue to hold a horse clinic for people that wanted to further their knowledge in horse training. The focus on Juan’s training is to take the horse’s instincts and make them work for you.

The Saturday was overcast with a cool breeze which made the day easier for those that attended Juan’s class. The range of skilled horse men and women went from low experience to those that have had horses all their lives. The horses themselves included those that had not been formally trained at all, to those that just needed to learn more (much like their owners). The first horse handled by Juan on this day was a TBAR horse named Indy who hadn’t had much training yet. Indy is not a fan of even being touched, but after only a few purposeful minutes in the ring Juan was able to touch him. This amazed pretty much everyone in attendance. Just watching Juan work with Indy was a learning experience for those of us in the crowd.

Juan gave a small lecture on his training style but he also stressed that not all horses are the same. There is not one foolproof way to get a horse to do something. He stressed that the handlers have to clearly communicate to their steed what they are asking the horse to do. According to Mr. Vendrell, the horse wants to do what they are asked and if they fail to execute tasks or exercises, it is always the human’s fault.

After the lecture came the fun part. When registering, people had the option of auditing the class or bringing a horse to work with. If you brought a horse to work with the day would be a bit longer for you! It was explained that when we ask a horse to do something we do so by using a part of their body. A horse owner should be able to tell a horse to move using any part of their body. The day of the clinic we mostly focused on using the shoulders and head of the horse.

For me personally I can say it was super exciting working with our True Blue sponsor horse, Athena. I have never had my own horse and the only horse I had contact with as a child was a wonderful Welsh pony, that was neck-reigned, that I took care of after school for one blissful year before her owners noticed that I played with the pony more than her kids did and it was sold off. Still one year with a pony hardly goes a long way, and it was so long ago. Poor Juan had to show me basic things, like how to swing a lead line, put on a halter and not to allow Athena to get too close to me. But he was kind about my lack of knowledge!

The exercises we did that day with our horses were basic and hard at the same time. Not to mention they really can make you dizzy. I asked Juan for a tip on keeping the dizziness at bay and he said to focus on only one part of your horse when you are asking them to run around you in a circle. So I picked Athena’s shoulder since that was the body part I was asking her to move with. It did help but being so new I was also trying to watch my feet, my hands and then watch Athena. So I got pretty dizzy, but with more practice this issue for me should go away. Especially when I get my hands working better.

If people had trouble with an exercise given to them Juan had time to go to that person and give them more tips and pointers. I myself asked a ton of questions to make sure I had a handle on what he had told us. Naturally, since a few of the horses were visitors and were meeting new horses, it was hard to get the attention of a few of them. Juan would have to work with the horses himself to get them to settle down, but he also shared the tip that we had to make sure that the horse was paying attention to us and was standing in the right position; not too close, with their heads up and looking at you.

True Blue Animal Rescue provided a lunch of BBQ sandwiches, chips, and drinks. Guests even had their pick of dessert. As everyone sat down and ate, people were excited about what they had learned so far. In between exercises people shared tips and encouraged everyone on their work. Being with other animal lovers made the class feel comfortable. The exercises in the afternoon built off of those that had been taught in the morning. They asked more of the handler’s lead lines, while the horses were still being asked to turn. Attending the class was beneficial to anyone that was there, whether you had a horse with you or were just auditing.

If you missed this clinic, don’t worry, because another one is in the works for the fall. Thank you again to True Blue Animal Rescue and Juan Vendrell!

#TBT: Taffy!

Posted on May 1, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

Our Throwback Thursday picture is of Taffy. She was seized with a large group of horses that were being starved. The after picture is in her new home where she is now loved and spoiled!

Success Stories: Lucy

Posted on April 30, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

Found in Bellville, TX with a serious case of demodex mange, you would never believe that the dog in the picture above is the same dog in the “before” picture below. We can only imagine what kind of life this sweet girl experienced before coming to True Blue Animal Rescue and she was very lucky to be given a chance by a wonderful foster family.

lucy

Lucy was rescued and brought to TBAR to receive the medical care she desperately needed to become healthy again. After months of rehab, Lucy’s foster family decided she had become an important part of their family and that she belonged with them forever. Lucy will always have a lifelong battle of skin issues, but she now has a family who is happy to do and provide what is necessary to make her as comfortable as possible.

True Blue Animal Rescue wants to thank Lucy’s family for stepping up and giving her a chance at a wonderful life. Animal rescues are nothing without foster families who are willing to open their home to an animal with an unknown past and accept whatever challenges he or she may face.

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!

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!

Pet of the Week: Gracie

Posted on April 28, 2014August 23, 2021 by Loretta

Gracie was found at a business office as a recently pregnant stray, but when no babies could be found. She showed signs of needing immediate medical attention so she was taken to the local Houston shelter by an animal control officer. One of the ladies who worked at the business office wanted to help Gracie get medical attention and find her a home, but since her apartment doesn’t allow “bully breeds” they would not allow her to pull Gracie to be boarded at the vet for medical care while she searched for a foster or adoptive home.

Lily was touched by Gracie’s gentle, loving and trusting personality and couldn’t see this sweet dog be put to sleep. So she reached out to every animal rescue she could find on the internet for help pulling Gracie from the shelter so that she could get medical care and find a loving home. TBAR responded and helped pull Gracie from the shelter and Lily took her to the vet. Gracie had sarcoptic mange as well as a low positive heartworm result. She was treated for the mange and heartworms while being boarded by the vet and has been spayed. She has done well with the other dogs at the kennel she’s been moved to while an adoptive or foster home can be found for her.

If you are interested in fostering or adopting this sweet girl, please contact True Blue Animal Rescue by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at(936)878-2349 and we will return your call as soon as possible.

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.

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!

Pet of the Week: Joey

Posted on April 21, 2014August 23, 2021 by Loretta

TBAR’s Pet of the Week is a very sweet and lovable guy named Joey. Joey is a very socialized kitty who likes other cats and even dogs! All he wants is a family who will let him cuddle on their laps and give him some toys to play with in between catnaps. Joey has sadly been overlooked by many adopters and is asking one family to give him a shot at a forever home.

Joey has three strikes against him, but that shouldn’t mean a life sentence without a forever home! All Joey needs is a really special person to look past his shortcomings and see Joey with all of their heart. After all, Joey’s heart is still open, loving and willing, even after all he’s been through. His life started out on the street, fending for himself, which is where his eye got infected. Fortunately, Joey was rescued, but it was too late to save his eye. He doesn’t mind at all, hopefully you won’t either. That’s one strike against him. Joey is also an adult cat now, not a kitten any more. Strike two. The final strike against Joey is he is FIV+. Strike three. Most people read that without any knowledge of FIV and lose interest in this sweet and deserving guy. FIV is typically only transmitted by fighting tomcats and Joey’s possibility of transmitting FIV is next to nothing since he has been neutered and has absolutely no aggressive tendencies. Joey should live out a happy, normal life just like any other healthy cat and would be so happy to spend his life with a family of his own – he wouldn’t mind a puppy or kitty friend either!

Joey has been waiting a long time for someone with a heart of gold. Are you that special someone that can see his beauty, his strong heart ready to love, and give him a chance to be your special cat? He will love you in return, with purrs & kisses!

If you are looking for or would like more information on Joey, or another TBAR animal, please call 936-878-2349 or email, [email protected]