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15 Jan 2013

Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking…B4TC

HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEWS WITH SAVANNAH

A Bi-Monthly Series Featuring Adult Rescue Dogs and Cats

Oh Dog! Do I have another fine canine furriend to introduce you to today. And I know today is our B4TC post day. And this is my contribution…hope you approve…

You already know his little brother because he has been my interview guest before. In fact, his fur bro’ was my very first canine interview!

Remember who that was???…huh???…Do you???…Know whose home we are going to visit again??

Well, first let’s give a warm welcome to my interview guest for today…he has been so very brave to step forward because, well, he is just a bit shy…but he just luvluvluvs company…

PURRLEASE HELP ME WELCOME

BABY BOY!!

He is Chancy’s big brother, from over at Chancy The Gardner!!

APAWS!!! APAWS!!! APAWS!!!

Savannah: Hiya Baby Boy!…Meowsie, seems pretty silly when I say that ‘cuz you are certainly not a ‘baby’ doggie! Thank you for coming over to have a bark and meow with me.

Baby Boy: Hey, Savannah! Wow! I was so excited when Mumsy told me you were going to interview me. I know Chancy was tickled to be asked as your very first ever Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking interview. So now I get to come and tell my story. You can tell that our Mumsy and Popsy are softies really kind peeps!

Savannah: Baby Boy, would you share with all of us how you arrived in your furrever home?

Baby Boy: Well, Savannah, the family I lived with before Mumsy and Popsy moved away and they didn’t take me with them.

Our nice Vet said I am a chocolate Lab (I look black unless I am in the sun though) and that I was around 18 to 20 months old when I was left behind. My other daddy came back and gave me food for a while after they moved but stopped after a week or so.

I lived across the road from Mumsy and Popsy but I did not know them. Mumsy watched me look for my family and I wanted so much for them to come back and get me. I would run after every pickup I saw thinking it was my family and they would stop and pick me up. Mumsy cried every day when she saw me do that. I would run a long way behind every pickup and then I would turn around and go back to the carport when the pickup never stopped. I looked sad and I moaned and cried a lot.

My family had left lots of things in the trashcan. After my daddy stopped coming to feed me I looked in the trash can for food. I licked every can and paper, I was so hungry. That is when Mumsy knew I was not getting fed.

I pulled some toys out of the trash can and a big blanket. I slept on the blanket on the ground near the toys. I had a dog house but I didn’t get in it very much. I just kept laying and sleeping on the blanket by the toys and trashcan.

Savannah:…Yeowsie Meowsies! Baby Boy! I cannot believe someone would just leave you all alone after you were such a good family member…(Savvy reaches over to give Baby Boy a soft nose touch…then stops)…ummmm…Baby Boy, would you mind if I give you a little nose touch just to let you know I “SEE” you and know you deserve better than that…is it ok??

Baby Boy: Oh sure Savvy…I really have always been a good dog…I don’t know why I was abandoned like that…I was very depressed…(gives a little soft snuff of appreciation when Savvy touches noses)…

Ahem…Ok, now where were we…oh yes…

Mumsy and Popsy tried to get me to come to them but I was afraid and I wouldn’t go near them. Popsy put water under the carport where I stayed and left me food every day. Mumsy would call me to their fence each afternoon and give me a milk bone. It took her several minutes each day to get me to the fence. I would not let her touch me but I grabbed the bone from her hand through the fence and then took the milk bone and run back across the road.

Three weeks passed and Mumsy had an idea. She and Popsy asked the man who owned the house if they could have my doghouse. The man was happy that they wanted me and gladly gave them my house. They moved the dog house over to their place and placed it outside their fence. They didn’t know how I would do with their dog, Angel (bows head in sadness…Angel ran OTRB just a short while back)…so they didn’t want to take me to the backyard yet.

They put food and water beside the dog house and my blanket inside. They watched to see if I would come across the road and get in the dog house. I did not go until late that afternoon but I finally felt it was safe to go and I started sleeping in my dog house. I wanted to be where my blanket was because it smelled like my family.

Savannah: Mouses! Baby Boy, that was so clever of your Mumsy to do that! Having your family smells was something familiar you could keep in your memory and it must have made you feel safer…

Baby Boy: It did Savvy, really, it did.

After a few days Mumsy tried to get me to go in the yard but I would not go. She did not force me so I kept sleeping in my house outside the yard. On the following weekend she and Popsy again opened the gate and called to see if I would come in. I still did not want to go inside. Mumsy got my blanket and took it in the yard and then she and Popsy took my house inside the fence. I stood next to the road and watched what they were doing.

After they left my house near the back fence and put my blanket inside it they called me. I slowly went to my house and got on my blanket. A few days later they put me and my house in the backyard. Angel and I had been getting along okay through the fence so Mumsy felt it was safe to put us together. I have been here with Mumsy and Popsy now about 9 years.

Savannah: Baby Boy, What has the toughest part for you when you first tried to settle in with Mumsy and Popsy? I think what our readers would like to know is what kept you from showing your REAL SELF right away?

Baby Boy: I did not know how Mumsy and Popsy were going to treat me, I only knew my other family and I cried and howled for my other family. I would growl and threaten to bite if anyone got near me while I was eating. Angel and I would fight over any little morsel of food.

I didn’t want anybody to touch me or get too close to me. I stood back away from everyone so they couldn’t hurt me. Mumsy thinks that was because someone was mean to me when I walked the neighborhood and ran behind the pickups looking for my family. I had a sore leg and hip so she knew something had happened to me shortly after my family moved away.

Savannah: Baby Boy, I just want you to know, you never ever did anything to deserve having peeps treat you badly. If it isn’t too hard, can you describe some of the ways you and Mumsy and Popsy worked together to help get you into your recovery and try to overcome your issues or challenges.

Baby Boy: Feeding me and Angel became a problem that had to be taken care of immediately. You see, I have always been an outdoor dog. I never lived in the house and I am really very happy living outside, with my house and my special, special blanket.

Of course, Mumsy didn’t want us to fight so she told Popsy they would have to separate us when we ate. I got to go in the front yard when we ate our dinner and when we got our milk bones. That plan worked out very well.

Savannah: I know some cats who don’t like to have other cats near when they eat…that was a wise plan Mumsy and Popsy had.

Baby Boy: For many weeks after I came to live with Mumsy and Popsy I would look across the road to my other home and cry and howl. If someone drove up in the driveway I would cry and bark to let them know I wanted to get out so I could go over and see if my family had come back for me. Mumsy and Popsy would talk to me and comfort me as best they could. It was not until after I felt safe enough to let them start patting me that I finally stopped crying and howling for my other family.

I was very afraid of anything with a long handle like brooms, rakes and shovels. Mumsy and Popsy showed me that they will not hurt me with any of these things so I am not so afraid now. Sometimes though if they are raking near the fence I growl and back away. Mumsy talks to me softly while holding the rake and assures me it is okay but I still stand back from the fence until they are finished raking. One day not long ago I let her pat me while she held the rake. She told me she was proud of me and that was great progress. And Savannah, remember, I have been here for over 5 years, I am nine years old…and I am still learning new things!

I didn’t do much for the first month or so after coming to live with Mumsy and Popsy. Angel kept trying to get me to play with her toys and ball but I was not interested. I loved my blanket and I didn’t want anything to do with toys or balls. After a while I started running and tussling with Angel and we had a lot of good times after that. Angel was a good buddy to me and she helped me a lot to know I was safe and would have a good home with Mumsy and Popsy. I would not let Mumsy and Popsy pat me or touch me for a long time. They just kept talking to me in soft, assuring voices and eventually I learned to trust them. Now I can’t get enough pats and rubs. Mumsy says I am just a big ole teddy bear.

Savannah: Baby Boy…you are most fortunate doggie to have Mumsy and Popsy take time to let you feel safe. Bark a little more about some of the success, like letting Mumsy and Popsy pet you, you have had in adjusting.

Baby Boy: I no longer gobble my food and I am not as protective over it as I was. I trust people a lot more and love to be patted and my ears rubbed. I even love it when Mumsy puts on my flea treatment and I stand real still for her. I no longer cry and howl for my other family. My recovery has been very successful. Mumsy says it is because I am so good and such a sweet dog. She also says that having my dog house and blanket helped tons and that was a big plus in helping with my rescue and recovery. I want to please Mumsy and Popsy and I love being with them now.

Savannah: Baby Boy, Last question, can you offer any advice to our readers to help them support their adult rescue dog, or one they may be thinkin’ about bringing into their home, through its recovery process?

Baby Boy: Don’t give up no matter how long it takes. Some of us have been through unimaginable things and it will just take time. Be patient, kind and loving. Mumsy says a little stubbornness even helps. It is okay to cry too, Mumsy cried with me and she thinks that helped me. Be willing to make sacrifices and do things you may not have done before to make it all better for your rescue dog or cat.

Savannah: Baby Boy, This was great! Any last thought or words of wisdom you want to share?

Baby Boy: You go one mile for us dogs and we will go twenty for you. We will be your best friend and protect you with all that’s in us for the rest of our life. You rescuing us, loving us and caring for us will be rewarded more than you could ever imagine.

Thank you and bless all of you who have rescued a dog or cat. Thank you for reading my story and big hugs and nose kisses Savannah for interviewing me.

Savannah:…Oh Baby Boy…wait a sec’…(turns away to wipe leaky eyes, to wipe dripping nose)…Ok, thanks…I want to say a proper ‘thank you’ to you for being so brave to come woof and meow with me…peeps think we dogs and cats don’t share a common language…but we do. We share the language of furramily furriendship…thank you so much Baby Boy…

Oh, be sure to give my pal Chancy some nose rubs!! And give Mumsy and Popsy some head bonks, I know they like those! MOL

That’s my January Life Changing Interview with Savannah: Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking. I hope you found encouragement, tips for helping your adult rescue dog and especially, I hope you found joy in hearing Baby Boy’s happy ending interview.

This is my B4TC post…please click on the badge below for more information…BE THE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS THE WORLD OVER…

Paw Pats, Savannah
peeESS: DON’T FORGET TO VISIT MY FURRIEND TEXAS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE ALPHABET LETTERS ARE TRYING TO TELL US…GO NOW!! GO TODAY!!…TEXAS

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Posted in Mental Recovery, Savannah's Life Experiences, Uncategorized and tagged adopt adult cat, cat recovery, dog rescue, real rescue stories, shelter rescue cat, trust

01 Jan 2013

65 Comments

Reals Rescue Cats Are Talking…

HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEWS WITH SAVANNAH

A Bi-Monthly Series Featuring Adult Rescue Dogs and Cats

I have two great cats joining me today. What you are going to be reading is really about TWO RESCUE CAT STORIES AND AN ADDED BONUS:

…how they and there huFamily are managing their lives together…

You will know them right away, so without any more hoopla…let’s give them a warm hearty welcome!

My first 2013 Life Changing Interview with Savannah …

STAR AND LEO from…

The Celestial Kitties!!

APAWS!!! APAWS!!! APAWS!!!

Here’s the Mancat Leo…

…and the Ladycat of the house…Star…

Savannah: Hiya Leo and Star! I am so purrleased you agreed to come by and have a meow with me.

Leo: Hey, Hi Savannah!! Wow I feel so honored to be included in your rescue cats talking thing! ‘Cause I’m a rescue and I am talking!! Whew!!
Star: Hello Savannah. I’m glad to be here, even though my story is not what you’re looking for.

Savannah: OMC! Star!! (Savvy gives Star a soft paw pat)…I know a bit about you and you are “spot on” for what I am trying to do!!!

Can you meow a bit about your life before you found Mommy Andrea and Daddy for your furrever home???

Leo: Ok…Savvy…let me start…ahem…In October, 2011, I was out in the cold with my mom and five sisters.
It was AWFUL! We didn’t know where we were going to eat or live or even IF we were going to live!

…My Mom…

Then this one lady started to feed us regularly and we got into her garage. That was a little warmer, but still outside in October! This lady knew another lady, Miss Chrystal, who rescues kitties and she came over to see us.

Well, when we first met her, we HATED her! She tried to capture us! On her first try, all she got was me and my sister Glitter. We hissed at her like mad, but all she did was feed us. What’s with that??? Eventually she got all six of us, and our mom, who was TNRed because she HATED people, but is being cared for still.

…me and my sisters…

Anyway, we grew up in Chrystal’s office for a long time. Then she moved us over to the cat house. But I didn’t do well there so she put me and one sister back in the office. My other sisters didn’t have a problem with the cat house, so Chrystal finally decided that it wasn’t fair to take them out of it when I was the scaredy cat. But I kinda got over it and settled in to wait for my forever home.

And wow, it took a long time! My sister Tuxie/Trixie got adopted, but the rest of us…nothing. Until I turned nine months old! Then my furrever Mommy couldn’t take it anymore and talked my daddy into the eight hour drive to meet Miss Chrystal so she could adopt me! You see, my Mom started watching Miss Chrystal’s blog just before I was rescued, and she fell in love with my face *blush* cause she loves grey kitties and because I had a great name that was really meaningful for Mommy. I’m two years old now, so I’ve been in my forever home over a year and a half!

…Leo’s baby pic…

Star: My story is a little different. I was saved just BEFORE I was made homeless. I had a home. I had a sister kitty. I had a family. But that family broke apart. All that was left was the man and he was going to put me, my sister, and our kittens outside. Just…ahem…dump us out before he moved.

Savvy, can you believe that?!

Savannah: Seriously???!! (raises paws to mouth in shock) Of course that is hard to believe …sigh…

Star: I just don’t know Savvy…(shakes head)…My sister and I had kittens because a mancat broke into the house through a screen window. I still have scars on my neck from that eventful day.

The man put up a sign for free kittens and my ‘now’ Mom saw it. She saw a little pretty grey kitty sitting on the front porch, facing away from the house, meowing over and over. She thought, “Wow! I want that kitten!”

She went to see if anyone was home. Nope. She tried several times—until one day, the man was there, throwing his wife’s furniture out the front door. My mom asked if that grey kitten was still there and still looking for a home. He said he didn’t have “no grey kittens”—that’s the Mom cat!—then he said “But you can have her because I’m just going to let her out when I am done moving.”

Again, can you believe that?!

Savannah: Yes, Star…(Savvy reaches over and hold Star’s paw)…of course I believe you…and they are the ones who lost…Go on…meow some more when you are ready…(Savvy purrrrrrrs softly for Star)

Star: So Mom took me right that minute, no carrier, nothing ready at home, and three other kitties at home who were NOT expecting company! She looked over her shoulder and asked what my name was. “Star” he said. Then he shut the door. I was two years old then. I’m thirteen now.

…Star having an upside down moment…

And I’m happy that I was saved from being tossed aside like an old shoe. I quickly let the other cats know that I was top cat. They accepted it. I was not going to be in the position of getting attacked again, and that’s that!

And I’m happy that I was saved from being tossed aside like an old shoe. I also have a fused bone or two in the end of my tail. It looks like someone slammed it in a door. When I was new here, I would spin in circles; like something was wrong. They thought it was my leg but nothing was wrong with my leg. By the time anyone realized it was my tail, it was already fused.

Savannah: If it is not too hard, can you meow some more about some of the toughest things you had to learn or overcome so you could trust Miss Andrea?

Star: I was already used to humans. But I still hid under the couch for days. Once my Mom got me out from under there, she put me in the cat room and spent time with me, petting me and showing me that I could trust her. I don’t know what caused it, but I cannot be picked up. If my mom tries to pick me up, I splay out all my claws and flail for maximum scratches. With my Dad, I protest, but I don’t splay out my claws.

Only on occasion, with recent arthritis, have I let Mom pick me up to the bathroom counter to drink from my special glass without attempting to rip her arm apart.

Leo: Well, I had issues…still do, I guess. At first, I couldn’t be out of the cat room without knowing where my new Mommy was. I’d call her if I couldn’t see her and she’d answer me and I’d come running! Just knowing that she was always going to be there helped me stop being scared of not having her in sight.

I was scared of lots of stuff. TV was a big one! I had never seen one before! The first time it got turned on, I crouched down low and slunk out of the room! Mommy thought it was funny, but she showed me that the talking box was ok by holding me and petting me when she turned it on. And she always made sure the volume was down when she shut if off so next time she turned it on, it wouldn’t be a big loud noise!

I do not like belly rubs! Not at all! Sometimes I try to bite Mommy because she says my tummy is irresistible. Daddy and she are trying to teach me that it’s ok by catching me when I’m sleeping or just about asleep. I’m almost always sleeping on my back so they lightly touch my tummy and rub it. It might actually be working because they, I mean mostly Daddy, can rub my belly for quite a while now before I wake up. Mommy can pick me up, but I don’t like to stay there if it’s not my idea

I guess I still have feral issues…but Mommy and Daddy are patient.

Savannah: You have both had many challenges—and Leo you were less than a year old, but you already had memories of bad times that you are still trying to manage. And my gurl furriend Star, you had kittens when you were so young and then you were tossed aside…I am so sorry.

If you can, meow a bit about some of the ways you both worked with Mommy and Daddy to try to overcome your issues or challenges so you could show them more and more of your REAL SELF?

Star: Eleven years ago, Mom didn’t really know anything about introducing cats to each other or integrating different personalities. She’d always just kind of brought in the new kitty and let them work it out. But with me, she did have to win my trust first, so she used the separate kitty room. I could see the other kitties; we got to know each other through the door.

Leo: Mommy had been reading cat blogs for a while before she got me. So she kinda had an idea of how to introduce me and Star. Still…it didn’t really work because my biggest problem here…’IS’ Star! (Leo looks over at Star nervously)

She hates me! Mommy separates us at night now. It keeps us from fighting and keeps me from jumping in the middle of her back while she’s sleeping when Star chases me back to the bedroom.

I admit it, I am a scaredy cat. The doorbell scares me. Visitors scare me (even the loud girl who lives here when she’s in town scares me!) But Mommy and Daddy have patience with me; they make sure I can get away from the door and visitors and the girl. If they think it will still be too much, they block off the upstairs so I KNOW no one can get to me and I don’t have to go near them.

…this is me hugging Mommy’s shoulder…sigh…

Savannah: Do you show your REAL SELF now?

Star: I don’t think “I” have any challenges now, other than having to deal with the ~~barbarian~~…”Leo” I mean. I think I totally express my REAL SELF, and if “certain cats” don’t like it…well he can lump it!

Leo: My biggest problem in showing my REAL SELF is…”No, no…I can’t say it…she’ll kill me..!!!

Star: “Oh say it you baby!”

Leo: “It’s Star!” She scares me! She chases me and tries to whap me! Ok, so sometimes when I know she doesn’t see me, I will quietly poke her in the butt…but come on! She wants to have me and her kibble too!

…”sigh” That’s my biggest issue…and the “scared of new people” thing. Mommy and Daddy are always trying to figure out how to get us to tolerate each other and get along. Mommy says she’s given up on her dream of having two grey kitties snuggled up together…so, so not gonna happen, nope. Not unless “you know who” suddenly chills out…(Leo points his paw toward Star)

Star: “Right–Never! They protect me too, from your sneak butt attacks!”

Leo: “Well…I wanna play!”

Star: “Haaruumpfff…”

Savannah: Awwww…you two!! Come on…I know you are starting to play a bit together, right?

Anyways…just one last question, can you offer any advice to our readers to help them support their adult rescue cat, or one they may be thinking about bringing into their home, through its recovery process?

Star: Don’t just dump them into the general population! Even if there aren’t other cats, give them a safe, smallish place to claim at first.

Leo: Be patient! Sometimes it takes a long time for a kitty to come out of its shell. Sometimes he needs someone on his side, be “that” someone. Love your new buddy, even if he or she may not be very lovable… while he or she is settling into his or her new home. Ya’ gotta give them time to blossom!

Savannah: Oh My Cat!!! You two have such incredible stories; you make really good points about the joy, as well as challenges, introducing the new feline. Any last thought or words of wisdom you want to meow about?

Leo: I got a last thought!…wait for it, wait for it…OK..HERE IT IS…

Three, count them THREE, of my sisters got adopted!! They got forever homes just before Christmas! How totally awesome is that?!?! Woo Hoo!!! That means only my sister Spritz is still in the cat house waiting on her forever family. Spritz is sweet, a bit shy, she needs a family to give her time to show how great she can be!

There are lots of younger kittens there now. They all need homes, so please, please look at them, share their story and help find perfect homes…just like the one I got! Then they’ll be as lucky as me…and Princess Hissy Face. Thank you!! Click here to visit Miss Chrystal of “Dogs and Cats blog and Winnie’s Wish”.

Star: “Oh yeah, like begging is the way to go…”

Leo: “How would you get people to look at the adoptable kitties, Miss Star???”

Star: Like this—“Alright! Listen up, you human people! There are kitties over there in need! YOU can do something about it! YOU NEED to do something about it! No one should be homeless!

Leo: Thank you, Savannah, for letting us tell our stories!

Star: Yes, thank you. We love you, Savvy!

Savannah: Oh Cat! You two are the best to come by and spend so much time with me. And Star, your rescue story is really impawtant and I am so purrleased you agreed to join Leo in this meow session with me!

(Savvy reaches over and gives Star a reassuring little paw hug)

That’s my first 2013 Life Changing Interviews with Savannah: Real Rescue Cats Are Talking. And I think Leo and Star got us off to a great start!!

One more round of APAWS!!!

Now I have an URGENT request…I will not be able to continue this series for Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking after January. I do not have any other dogs who have stepped forward to woof to me that they want to share their rescue story. I was kind’a hoping I could do 7 more dogs and cats so I would have 12 of each.

Mom and I want to make a booklet from a year of interviews and then donate it to shelters to hand out to families adopting adult cats and dogs.

I have lots of cats that I will continue to interview, but if you know of any dog out there who will woof with me…please send them my way. It makes me sad to think I can’t meow with the dogs to share their stories too.

Another reminder—don’t forget to hop over to Sammy’s today…it’s his 13^th birthday pawty!!

And finally…purrlease stop by my blog again on January 3^rd for my first GOTCHA DAY pawty…Mom said I could do a commentathon…$.50 for each comment will be donated to Contra Costa Humane Society (they run my former cat shelter) for their vet care budget for adult dogs and cats they rescue from the local county kill shelter. So make Mom write a great big check!

Paw pats, Savannah

Posted in Savannah's Life Experiences and tagged real rescue stories

18 Dec 2012

71 Comments

Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking…

HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEWS WITH SAVANNAH

A Bi-Monthly Series Featuring Adult Rescue Dogs and Cats

Oh Cat!!! Do I have a couple of great canine furriends here with me today!!! You are so going to luvluvluv them both!!

Now you probably already know them by their blog, but you may not know all about how they came to be together…I know they have been paw bloggers since 2006 and if you have been following them, then you may already know their rescue stories…but rescue stories are always worth telling again… and so without waiting…

Purrlease help me give a warm welcome to Dave and Zim from The Army of Four!!

APAWS!!! APAWS!!!! APAWS!!!!

Savannah: Arrrwooo Zim and Dave!! Thanks so much for stopping by to have a woof with me. And I see Dave is kind of over there behind you…is he napping??? Anyways, you two decide who barks and when, ok?

Zim/Dave: Ha roo, Savannah! Wowzers, is this cool! Dave and I really appreciate you taking the time to interview us. I’ll do most of the answering, if that’s OK. And umm… yeah… that’s Dave. He’s umm… on Guard Duty behind me. A-hem.

Savannah: Now, Zim, I think maybe you found your furrever home before Dave, is that right?

Zim: That’s right, Sav-a-dab-a-do. I got here in July of ’01 and Davy adopted us in January of ’02 — just 6 months later.

Savannah: Can you fill us in on how you, Zim, and then Dave, ended up in the same furrever home?

Zim: Well, to make a long story short, it was just meant to be. What’s that, Dave?…(Zim leans over to whisper with Dave…woo-woo-rroo—arwoo—woo)

OK, I got it Dave…(turns back to Savadabado)…Dave said maybe that’s too short.

So here’s how it went…through a series of events that certainly weren’t my fault, I landed at the local shelter when I was about a year and a half old. Mom and Dad had met me in the neighborhood after a Good Samaritan took me in (then gave up on me).

They found out about my unfortunate incarceration and tried to spring me the very day I got there. Unfortunately, since the guy who turned me in wasn’t my “owner”, they had to wait 5 days (shelter rules).

Mom came and hung out with me and read to me every day—and brought smells of my future sisters with her—until I could go home! (Mom and Dad had two incredible girl Sibes at home just waiting to adopt me into the fold—Stormy and Amber!)

Six months later, a Siberian Husky rescue group in Oklahoma contacted Mom about a Sibe in our shelter. Would she be willing to go see if he was adoptable? If he was, would Mom be willing to do a short-time foster, then help transport him down there into a foster home? (We live in Kansas)

Mom ran with it, pegged Dave as a snuggle-bunny right from the get-go, and Mom and Dad brought him home the next day. They thought Stormy, our alpha, wouldn’t really accept an adult into her home (Dave was about 4 years old at the time), but they figured they could keep them separated until it was time to head to OK.

Dave knew he was home from the instant he walked through the door! Me and Ammy loved him right away, and Stormy…well, it was interesting! Dave didn’t really understand pack dynamics and wouldn’t do what Stormy told him to like us redheads did…but he was so nice, she was OK with it.

He captured Mom and Dad’s hearts, and when the time came to take him on his journey South (I think it was like two days later), they made the decision: Foster Failure. Mom called the folks in Oklahoma and told them Dave had already found his forever home. The Army of Four was born!

Savannah: That’s some story Zim. What a pawsome furramily!

Zim, I know you have been in your home a long time now, but when you first came, could you arwoo woo a bit about how you and Dave adjusted to your new home and learned to trust your Mom and Dad?…and of course…you had to fit in with Amber and Stormy too! Some challenges, huh Zim?

Zim: Ahem…koff, koff…Savvy, I don’t like to dwell on it too much, but yeah, problems adjusting for me…(Zim looks off into the distance…quiet…thoughtful ears)…Yeah…(turns back to Savvy)

Well, Savvy, I basically had given up on life. See, what Mom, Dad, and the vets pieced together was that I had been chained to a tree for the first year and a half of my life. I’d never been trained, socialized, and walked… never been in a house, in a car, on an adventure…nothing! I was afraid of most people (especially women).

Much of my bleached-out coat had been cut or shaved, and I was clinically anorexic. It was a major accomplishment if I could eat 5 pieces of kibble at meal time because my tummy was so shrunken. And you know what? I just didn’t care…errrr…ummm…Savvy, do you mind if I take a minute and let Dave answer? Then I’ll get back to how I coped with it all!

Savannah: Oh Zim, no problem. You just sit there…Savannah turns to Dave…Hey Dave, come a bit closer…there, that’s good…why don’t you pick up here for a bit, OK?

Dave: Sure Savvy, no problem. Thanks, Zim. I was at the shelter screaming this high-pitched Siberian Death Scream for a month or more! In fact, they named me “Yodel” there because of the scream. (Sibe furramilies all know what that sound is like…high pitched and ear splitting!!)

As soon as I laid eyes on my mom, though, I let out a soft, gentle “woooo”. The lady at the shelter said she would have given me more time if she’d heard that sound sooner. Yeah. “More time”. … I had already been scanned a second time to check for a microchip and was scheduled to be put down that very day.

Mom asked the lady if PLEASE she could give her enough time to fill my Dad in on the plan to “foster” me (har woo!) and she promised she was going to spring me. The nice, nice lady remembered Mom from when she read to Zimmie every day, and cut us some slack. God was very busy helping me out that day!!!

Anyway – because I’d been in the shelter so long, and because of conditions before that, I have a real problem with being crated…or even kept in the bedroom with the kiddie gate up. Basically…I can’t stand being away from my Mom. I still haven’t gotten over any of that. I can’t help it…(hangs head slightly, softly woos)…Ok…I think that’s enough from me…Zim?…you ready to woo some more with Savvy?

Zim: Thanks, Dave. Sav, basically everything was a challenge to me—from trusting to learning the rules to even eating!

Savannah: Zimmerz, you and Dave had pretty different challenge from each other, huh? If it’s not too personal, can you bark and woo about stuff you each tried out to learn to show your Mom and Dad more of your REAL SELVES??

Zim: Mom tried all kinds of stuff to help Dave over his fear of being crated and stuff, but …he just can’t get past it. She let me and the girls show him that it’s a great place to hang out, she gave him treats in there, she only put him in for 5 seconds at a time and praised the daylights out of him—but no. He FREAKED!

It’s funny, though—she took the door off one of our carriers, and once she did that, Dave thought it was a great place to nap. Just—not with the door on!!! It’s his one thing, and Mom and Dad just don’t ever crate him or kennel him. (Or me.)

With me, as you can imagine, I needed a LOT of training! I was a wild man. I mean—think of it from my perspective! For instance, what was the difference between the dining room table and a hill? Nothing! So why not jump up there and lift my leg on the flowers up there – right? Apparently not a right thing to do.

Mom didn’t want to discipline me, though, because of how afraid I was of people. She knew I was in a fragile state, so she just praised the daylights out of me when I did good stuff! (I learned what to do by watching my sisters!)

So who DID discipline me? Stormy…our alpha pack leader! She could reach me in a way Mom couldn’t When I did jump up on the table, Mom saw, but didn’t want to react. Stormy did, though. She waited for me to jump down, then grabbed me by the neck and explained to me as only a Siber-mom could…that we do not use the centerpiece or anything else in the house as a “marking post”. Who knew? Storm took care of me like that, correcting me when I messed up.

Zim meeting Ammy and Stormy

She took care of me in another way, too…as did Amber. As I said, I really didn’t want to and couldn’t eat. Stormy got drinks of water, then came over to me and had me lick her muzzle. And Ammy…my sweet sister Ammy! At meal times, she would take kibble out of her own bowl and bring it to me! Is that the kindest thing you’ve ever heard? She was incredible! She taught me about love, showed me there are some people you can trust, and that there really IS good in the world.

I was able to trust my sisters in ways I just couldn’t trust Mom and Dad. I mean…not at that point. But Mom and Dad were patient and let the girls help me…I studied everything and saw how they treated them…and that helped!

Once I got stronger, Dave came along! Guess who taught me how to play?!!? That’s right, my big brother Dave! What a guy!

Savannah: Oh Zim, hang on a sec’ ‘kay?? (Savvy turns to paw away little tear with her hankie…sniff, sniff…turns back to Zimmerz) Oh, thanks for waiting Zimmerz, sorry about that…it’s just that I can’t believe how much Stormy and Ammy showed their love for you and how much they wanted you to be a member of their furramily…nice.

So, after some training with your big sisters, how were you able to start showing your REAL SELF and how did you do that…I mean, like what did you do that was different from before this home?

Zim: It took several months for me, Savannah. A long, gradual process! Mom and Dad were patient and kind (but with consistent training), and Dave and the girls were a huge help to me. Everything about my real home was different from the place I came from. Everything!

And now, I can’t wait to go on adventures with Mom…I get to ride shotgun and help her with traffic and stuff. Remember, I had a problem with women at first, and now, Mom is like my best friend! Oh yeah, and, ahhhh…ummm…I haven’t done that ‘hike the leg’ thingy for years in our house…and food is definitely a lot more interesting to me than in my early days…woo wooo!

For Dave, it was pretty immediate. Ha roo roo roo – what a fun guy right from the get-go!

Savannah: This has been just great. Now Zim, last question for you guys. Can you offer any advice to our readers to help them support their adult rescue dog, or one they may be thinkin’ about bringing into their home, through its transition into a new and loving home?

Zim: I would say don’t hesitate to adopt an adult pet! We CAN change, we CAN learn, and oh, do we have a lot of loving to give! Just be patient with us; we want to please, we just have to figure out how to do it. And don’t hesitate to ‘think outside the box’…like my Mom and Dad letting my sisters handle a lot of my training and mentoring. I was so much more trusting of other pups than of people!

Dave: Yeah. And some of us come pretty well-trained already…and CAN win over alpha dogs! Stormy and I became really great friends!

Savannah: Zim and Dave, you have been just pawsome! I learned so much about you I never knew and how you both have overcome so much to be able to live as your REAL SELF! Any last thought or words of wisdom you want to share?

Zim: We both advise everyone to live life to its fullest! There are so many great adventures out there waiting for you—give a shelter pet a second chance at sharing them with you!

Savvy, thanks again for doing this! We appreciate you taking the time to do the interview…and especially appreciate your readers taking the time to check us out!

Dave: I agree! And thanks, Savannah! It’s mighty nice of you to do this!

ummmm…yeah sure guys…although sometimes it’s hard to tell if you really “agree” on things…MOL…

Give them more APAWS!!! Weren’t they pawsome!!…sometimes I wish I was a Siberian…sigh…but I don’t think I am brave enough yet…

That’s my last Real Rescue Dogs and Cats Are Talking Interview for 2012! I am honored to have had TEN courageous adult rescue dogs and cats bark and meow with me…and I hope I can encourage SEVEN more dogs and SEVEN more cats to share their stories with me. I want to run my series for one year and I am almost half way there.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS AND REFERRAL FOR PAWTICIPATING IN “LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEWS WITH SAVANNAH: REAL RESCUE CATS AND DOGS ARE TALKING”.

Thanks for coming by, Paw pats, Savannah