Featured rescue pet: Bailey, my pit/retriever mix (with updates, video)

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(Note: please allow the slideshow a moment to get started – and click here for a PDF of Bailey’s poster March 2012)

This featured pup looking for a home resonates a little too close to home for me – literally. It’s my pup. (Scroll to the end for video of this snuggle pup)

Bailey is a year-old retriever/pit mix who came to live with us as a 6-week-old foster pup and decided to stay. But sharing her family with two active Border collies (one who is terminally ill* and one who is very, very, very bossy) proved to be too much for this perky pup with personality to spare. She doesn’t want to share her space with other dogs because she wants to be the only mutt in your life!

Bailey’s easy to please – want to play fetch? She’s ready with her favorite football! Want to romp in the woods? Get the leash! Want to just snuggle on the couch and watch TV? Leave room for Bailey! She just wants to be with you, wherever you are.

She loves going to puppy school and is a smart, eager student who learns quickly. So if you’ve got the hot dogs, she’s ready for class!

And why limit yourself to obedience? How about a tracking class? She’s got talents still waiting to be discovered. If there’s a kitty in mix, he needs to be a feline who likes to chill and let his canine companion be the leader of the pack.

You also MUST be committed to continuing her formal training to help Bailey be the best pup she can be.

If you’re willing to give this sassy pup a second chance, you’ll have a best friend for life!

To meet this snuggly, fun-loving girl, email me at joanne@joannebrokaw.com or call me at 585-734-2209. An adoption fee will be charged and potential adopters will be vetted fully to ensure that Bailey and her new family are a great match.

 

UPDATE May 2012: Bailey finished her Puppy Superstar class with Ada Simms! Ta da! Good girl, Bailey!

Bailey at Puppy Superstar class with Ada Simms.

The newly minted “puppy superstar” watches Daddy pump gas.

 

*UPDATE: On January 6th, Scout went to live on God’s Farm in the Sky, and after an appropriate period of mouring, Bailey and Bandit have decided they really, really, really don’t want to live together in the same house. After several evaluations by trainers, it’s agreed that the problem in our house is Bailey and Bandit, not necessarily Bailey and another dog. While I do believe the very best situation is a home where Bailey is the only dog, she is more than capable of having doggie friends and playmates. Besides, once you meet her you’re going to want to shower all of your love on her alone!!!

UPDATE MARCH 2012: Bailey had her annual check up and she’s super duper! She weighs 44# but she’s smaller in stature than that weight implies. I can’t stress enough how great a dog she’s become and how heartbroken we are that she and Bandit can’t seem to work out their problem.

VIDEO OF BAILEY:

Featured Shelter Pet: Rodney, the 4-year-old Pit Bull mix

Rodney is a 4-year-old pit mix looking for a new forever home.

Rodney is a four-year-old Pit bull terrier mix who weighs a solid 77 pounds.  He was brought to Lollypop Farm because his family felt that they no longer had time to care for a dog.

This handsome boy has been waiting a long time now for his forever home and has his paws crossed that you will be the person to to give him one. Lollypop’s volunteer dogwalkers say that he is good on the leash. He enjoys a good game fetch and will bring back the ball and drop it right in front of you! 

Rodney would do best in a home without young children and should meet any dogs in your household just to make sure that everyone will get along. He will need to be signed up for training classes as a condition of his adoption.  Approved adopters get a discount on the first six-week session at Lollypop Farm. 

You can visit with Rodney and other dogs looking for  home at Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Rd., Fairport, NY 14450. You can also call 585-223-1330 or visit their website for more information.

A little puppy love looking for a home

I’m not keeping the puppy. I promise. She needs to find a forever home, and mine isn’t it. But I’m happy to foster the little snuggle pup.

Yesterday, a woman came into the shelter and asked, “What do you do when you have more dogs than you can take care of?”

Turns out her dog had  a litter of pups and she’d been able to get rid of some, but not all, and she was looking for a place to dump them … er, I mean , she was looking for homes for them.

Because the pups are a pit bull mix, and one looked very much like a pit bull, if the shelter took the pups they’d be euthanized. The woman didn’t know what that meant, and when Pam said “put to sleep” the woman said she didn’t want that.

Obviously, we didn’t either.

Long story short, we gave the woman some alternatives. I gave her a list of local animal rescues and called Pitty Love. I knew they’d take the pups, and I told her I’d take them until Pitty Love could get them.

Here’s where things got a little confusing. There were some folks from a non profit using the conference room at the shelter, and as soon as they heard the words “put down”, they assured the woman they’d take the pups and find them homes.

There was never a moment when Pam or I were going to have the shelter take the pups and put them down. But I’ve also learned that I have to take every opportunity to teach dog owners how to be responsible. (See, Pam, I was listening!) And in this case, I thought it might help the woman to make a few phone calls and ponder the worst case scenerio before we saved her from it.

But before we could really finish that conversation, the pups were in the arms of the other volunteers and the woman was happily out the door. Pam managed to get a Low Income Spay/Neuter application into her hands, with the suggestion “Let’s get the mom spayed so we don’t have this problem again.” But I suspect that it went in one ear and out the other. She had a problem, it was solved very easily, and I doubt very much if we’d see her again. Unless she has more puppies she doesn’t want.

Don’t get me wrong; I love that the other folks stepped in to help. It’s just that people come in with the same story day and it’s easy to want to step in and save the day without considering the bigger picture. It’s emotional. Trust me, my emotions get in the way a lot. A LOT. I call it naive; Jonelle jokingly told me once I’m a sucker. Either word works. My husband says it’s a miracle I haven’t brought home a hundred dogs already.

In the end, it all worked out great. One of the volunteers found a home for one pup right away; her brother had been wanting a pit bull puppy. Perfect! I took the other one home and will keep her until Pitty finds her a home, which they expect to be fairly soon. I’d been considering doing some fostering, and this is a great way to see if it’s something I can do.

Bandit checks out the puppy

So if you’re looking for a puppy, let me know! She’s a 6 week old pit bull/German Shepherd mix. She’s staying here with my two Border collies and my cat, and she seems to be enjoying herself, especially when someone is holding her. She’s definitely a snuggle puppy.

Foster home needed for pit bull pup named Bruce

Our friends at Pitty Love Rescue are looking for a foster home for Bruce, an 11-month-old pit bull pup.

Our pals at Pitty Love Rescue are looking for a foster home (or even a temporary home until foster care can be arranged) for a pit bull pup named Bruce.

Bruce is 11 months old, and has spent all of that time either chained in a yard or in a crate in the attic.

Yup, you read that right.

Despite an entire life of neglect, he’s a sweet dog but desperately in need of a loving home, guidance, and training. The folks at Pitty Love are eager to start working with him and will work with the foster family to help train Bruce at no charge.

If you can help, email the folks at Pitty Love Rescue (pittyloverescue@gmail.com) or call Gwen at (585)-727-2819.



Featured Shelter Pet: Sophie, the American pit bull terrier

Sophie was rescued from a hoarding bust in Ohio, and she's looking for a family to call her own!

Poor Sophie! From about one year of age, she’s spent the bulk of her life in a hoarding situation with no family to call her own. She came to Pitty Love Rescue from a huge hoarding bust that took place in Ohio in the beginning of 2010. She has had a rough, sad life to say the least. 

Featured Shelter Pet: Bubba the pit bull mix

Bubba is a 6-year-old pit bull mix looking for a forever home.

** UPDATE OCTOBER 6: BUBBA FOUND A FOREVER HOME!! **

Bubba (##11423522) is a 70-pound, 6-year-old pit bull mix who was brought to Lollypop Farm because his owner was having personal problems that left him unable to care for him any longer.

Bubba walks well on the leash, loves treats, is friendly and has a great doggie smile. He has lived with dogs and kids before and needs to meet any in the household before he’s adopted. He’d do best with kids over 12. Bubba is eligible for our Seniors-for-Seniors program, which means adopters age 60 and older can take him home free of charge!

If you’d like to meet Bubba, head on out to Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Rd, Fairport NY or visit Lollypop’s website.

And you can check out all of the Featured Shelter Pets on the Bark Around Town blog to see who’s looking for a home!