Princess Pepper T. Lincecum

She's 11 years old and looks it. Greying muzzle, warty, lumpy, wonky hips, but one doesn’t really see all that. One sees that happy tail, that beautiful face reaching up for touch, and the carefree body wiggle when she spots pretty much anyone.

                 She wasn’t that open when she came to live at my house. It’s been a new and wondrous adventure for all of us; myself, my two little guys - Munchie and Mutley, also from Give a Dog a Bone - and her especially. After having led an unbelievably barren life for most of her 11 years, moving into a home with furniture, music, television, other people, doggie beds and water bowls everywhere, and in particular, enough food, she’s well on her way to being a regular dog. All new to her.

                 She eats regularly, something else new, and when she first began to recognize doggie meal preparation indicators, my heart stung at the sight of her drool on the floor. She was so very anxious. After around three months, she still gets a bit worried around meal time, but her progression from high level anxiety to almost mere nervousness is so gratifying.

           She rearranges the dog beds frequently, and curls up in the smallest of beds. She hops in pleasure and heads for the front door when she spies her leash in my hand. She is able to settle now, unlike when she first moved in, unable to relax.       
She loves riding in the car. She loves going on walks.  Her favorite place to go turned out to be Bernal Hill, as soon as she discovered the joy of trolling for gophers. If staring into holes on the hill for long periods of time was an Olympic event, the Princess would win the gold medal hands down.                

            She’s slowed down some, my theory being that she finally feels safe, and I think that if she spoke English, she would now be able to define the word “home”. She IS safe, she is cherished, the boys are comfortable around her, and she with them. I do not allow her to make mistakes with them. We have had, of course, some “faux paws”, not at all unexpected, but our learning curve continually steadies.

            When we go upstairs at night, she hums softly as I kneel and tuck her into her bed, covers up to her neck. Bedtime rituals have developed. Pepper sleeps on two soft beds, with a lovely heavy quilt covering her.                                                                   

         I feel almost compelled to photograph her. I have to document that she has a life, that she is a good weight now. Not just for me, but for her shelter family, who have greatly loved and cared for her. Each of us remembers being stricken by our first sight of her, every rib visible, her bony skull, her graying muzzle.                                                                                                    We’re well aware that Pepper’s life, her life now, is to be recognized and cheered. I don’t need to say why that is so. Soon she’ll just be a regular dog. I can’t think of anything better.

 For more on Pepper and from whence she hailed:                   

 read incorrigible animal lover Eileen Mitchell's column in the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgif=/c/a/2010/12/29/DDAV1GUCSQ.DTL

              "Give a Dog a Bone cares for animals in custody"

  (Please note Pepper’s unique necklace.
     It’s made of 2010 World Series tix.
        The Princess is a diehard SF Giants fan.
            She looooves Orange Fridays in particular)  
 - AND -  from the January 2011 issue of the Bay Woof:
http://baywoof.com/1101.HappyTails.shtml.
    (scroll down Happy Tails for Princess Pepper T. Lincecum )

Underbites and Puppy Love

I've recently returned to volunteering Sunday mornings for Give a Dog a Bone. Boy, did I miss these pups. It's so great to be back. First thing I did: Belly rubs, massages, treats, and genuine affection for Chiqi, the dachshund with an *award winning underbite*. One look at this little man and he will steal your heart for good. THEN...puppy shuttle tour! Yada and Dollar are 3-month-old white pitbull puppies..(yep, puppy smell!).
Give a Dog a Bone works to socialize puppies that are in the custody dog program as much as possible. We tour the shelter with the Puppy Shuttle by introducing them to all kinds of people, environments, sounds, and smells. I was so impressed with how fast these two little ones learn - they aleady know that when they sit, good things happen. Even little Yada who is deaf!

Take a look at this cute overload!

Just Dandy.

Sometimes a dog gets under your skin, and you hold a piece of them in your mind all day. Dandelion is one of those dogs.

She came into the shelter with a different name. And, I won't go into her whole story, but just know that it isn't the happiest story. The first time I went into her kennel, she crawled into my lap, laid her neck on mine, and let me hug her for a long time. I was hooked.

When I found out that Dandy (I call her Dandy. And Princess Dandelion) was not going back to her owner, and was going to foster care, and was going to foster care with friends of mine (!!)...well, let's just say I was ecstatic.

Last week, I went to my friends' house to see Dandy. She had been out of the shelter for a few days. When I walked into their house, she ran up to me, and I swear I could hear her say, "LOOK AT ME. How cool is this? I am SO happy! Thank you!"
In her foster home she is surrounded by two humans, two dogs, a hairless cat, two hairless rats, and a gecko. She likes to lay on the couch, and I hear she likes to sleep under the covers. I can't tell you how much this warms my heart.

Today, my dogs got to meet Dandy. We all took a walk together at McClaren Park. I was a little worried that my big girl would try to boss little Dandy around, but it went really well. From kennel to wooded trails, this little girl has come a long way.

I can't wait to see how happy she will make a very lucky adoptee. I just hope she'll keep in touch with me. I consider her a friend, and I think she might kind of like me too.

Wally invites someone, anyone to play with him.

Hey! You, over here, it's me, Wally.

Ready to toss the ball for me? I will drop this one if you show me that one in your hand - isn't that the game? Then you throw the slobbery ball for me while I run to get the clean one and bring it back to you?

Yeah, that's it. Then both balls get slobbery and I don't know why you have issues with that.

No, please - not the ballchucker! I have to run too far and as you can see, I'm not built for that. Handsome, yes, built like a Mack truck, yes again, but, run-very-far, no, run-very-fast, no way. Long periods of ball play, no, not for me, Sir.

So now that you know how I like to play, are 'ya ready?

Let's play!

Kelsey celebrates the Fourth of July a day early . . . .

Hugalicious ???

Hugalicious !!!!!

Excuse me, miss,

but I can't find your nose.

Come to mama, baby

Hey, this Find the Treats on the Fire Hydant is sure a fun game.

I didn't know my hind feet

worked by themselves!

Thanks to Sylvia Spiro for capturing this glorious day!

xxx Kelsey

Great article about GADAB

Corinne and Give a Dog a Bone capture the attention of a national web site -- hooray! Check out the article:
http://dogtime.com/give-a-dog-a-bone.html

You won't find these little girls in a chi-chi bag in Hollywood

Chihuahuas (chi’s). Coming in a close second to pitties for dogs dumped, at least here in San Francisco, we are seeing more and more of these frightened little dogs. While Give a Dog a Bone's charges are mostly custody dogs, we also take medically challenged dogs under our wing.

"Dumped dog" is not a nice term, but then, neither are the dogs that are found wandering the streets, brought into the shelter by a Good Samaritan (Good Sams, we call them), or just dumped in a box in front of the shelter, the pitties and chi’s are usually in sad shape and go directly to a medical isolation kennel.

Many of these dogs are terribly undersocialized, as well as having severe medical issues. Having been bred to sell as a member of a fad breed for maximum bucks and for all the wrong reasons, care is not taken to ensure their well-being in ways that dogs need to become good healthy (behaviorally and medically) companion animals. We have adults, puppies, adolescents, all shapes, colors, and sizes. We have dogs that come from backyard breeders or puppy mills and they all consider the dogs whom we treasure as a commodity. Perhaps I preach to the choir, but you who read our blog do know that those cute dogs that you see on on-line lists, newspaper ads, and pet stores come from these places? People also surrender these dogs to shelters because they haven't done any breed research and have no idea who the four-legged being is who will be sharing their home.

GADAB starts their lives over. While the vet staff does their part, we treat skin holistically, work on fear issues with slow, soft, gentle approaches, using calming methods recommended by Turid Rugaas. They work. Most recover enough to go to a solid rescue organization, usually Grateful Dogs Rescue, where they go to foster homes until they can be adopted to a forever family. I say most, because sadly, some of these pitties and chi’s cannot recover from earlier traumas, and as much or as long as we try, their lives have become so awful that we are the last to care for them on this earth. Perhaps we have also been the first.

These three little girls went to Grateful Dogs Rescue, where they await their forever homes.


Written by Corinne Dowling.

Response to Vick's plea for leniency

Dear Michael Vick,

That was some letter you wrote.

How nice that a judge permitted you to be home for the birth of your child, but I sincerely hope you don't love your children the way you "love" animals: by drowning them, hanging them, starving them, electrocuting them, and smashing their skulls into the ground.

You say you've "lost everything" including your freedom, and I have to admit that would be difficult -- especially since you were living the life of a super star. But unfortunately you've lost all that the same way murderers, kidnappers, sex offenders, or burglars lose their freedom: through their own actions. You weren't singled out and imprisoned randomly -- you committed heinous crimes. If not you, who should pay? Should we not insist that a child molester serve his sentence, simply because his only other recorded crime is a traffic violation? Your actions were unbelievably cruel. Do you get that?

You seem to think you lost your endorsements unfairly. Was it not you that committed these offenses? Is it actually surprising to you that an endorsement would not be desired by someone who actively causes excruciating pain and suffering to another? The public does not want to buy any product from a brand that represents itself with someone who finds sport in the torture and killing of animals.

As for being exposed to dog fighting when you were growing up, I don't doubt it. Many people are exposed to ugly, horrific things in their lives -- it doesn't mean they grow up to perpetuate that ugliness. At any rate, I would expect a grown man -- who has also been exposed to incredible kindness and generosity -- to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. "Growing up with" is a great excuse to perpetuate bigotry, child abuse, racism, and misogyny. At what point does one start thinking for himself?

And now you want leniency? How much more lenient could we be? In fact, we are showing you the very compassion that you deprived others. We are not torturing you or denying you medical treatment. We are seeing that you have daily meals and a bed to sleep in. We are not forcing you to spend your entire life tied up outside in below freezing temperatures. Why you think you should not have to pay for the crimes you committed is beyond me. You say you found religion? If you believe in an eye for an eye, you've gotten off easy.

I don't doubt that jail is unpleasant. But you will never ever know the kind of pain and suffering you inflicted on others. As for wanting to be there for your kids, you should have thought of that before you decided to torture, maim, and kill other living beings. I believe that your animals, your kids, and even your houseplants are safer with you behind bars.

Sincerely,
Leslie Smith