All about Wally - bad start but winning finish

Wally at the shelter - redlisted for behavior

Wally was pulled by Reunion Rescue back in September 2023. The shelter in Modesto had him red-listed as a pit bull soon to be exterminated due to fearful reaction. To their credit, a Stanislaus ACC employee brought Wally - he was known by another name in the shelter - into her office where he came alive and blossomed, so thankful for a little kindness and to be away from the noisiest clangiest part of the facility where animals were brought to their death nearly every hour.
I saw his TikTok created by a shelter volunteer with the story and couldn't get this little man out of my head. I knew he could flourish by using the Reunion Rescue resources we've trusted for years to save animals like Wally. First thing I did was contact Patti to get an animal communication reading. These conversations would go on over the next few months. Into the fray would pop other spirits from the afterworld who've helped Reunion pets over the years.
I had a big surprise this time. Various dogs would pop up from time to time. Pip from Bakersfield is a longtime guide who helps the new kid learn about Reunion and how they will be safe and never ever feel pain or cruelty again. Peanut from Alvin, Texas who'd wound up at the horror house Spindletop and ended up living his life with us until last year when he passed gently into the night from old age. But, the biggest surprise was Penny. Penny was my mother's dog who'd lived to be 23 years old. Even though he'd passed away

back in the 50's before I was born, the stories my mother would tell my sister and I about Penny were the bright spots in a dark dismal past. Penny told Patti that he'd been with me my whole life, watching over me. He told her about a tree I'd climb and sit after school, where he'd "be with me..." his words. These communications with Penny have opened up a whole new realm for me and I'm writing another book about Penny and all the rescues and animal communication that have saved me and a lot of animals. I have little Wally to thank for that.
So when Wally's time was up at the shelter, I was frantic. What could I do? There was no money in the Reunion bank account as usual. So like our Found a Pit Bull page suggests, I created a Gofundme and stayed up all night contacting anyone and everyone who'd ever donated to Reunion for the past two plus decades. That was a lot of bounced emails, but I was able to raise $775. With that amount, I was able to place a hold on Wally.
The volunteer who'd been so adamant about helping Wally had given me misinformation about how to collect the pledges. I'd been told the donations could not be accessed until a freedom photo of Wally in front of the Stanislaus shelter was taken and posted. I had nobody to pick Wally up and move him to the boarding facility, his only option. A last minute contact of that volunteer was good enough to retrieve Wally, but that's where the buck stopped. When I asked for a photo, no answer from the dude and a sound rebuff from the volunteer. When it came time to make good on the pledges, the volunteer only posted the Gofundme I'd set up rather than our Paypal, Venmo and website donation links as was the policy with all of the other rescue groups and last minute pulls from this shelter. What that translated to was Wally's funds only amounted to the $775 I'd collected on my own as the pledge donors saw the amount and figured that was plenty and their money was needed elsewhere for another dog in need.

Life is a carnival - only good things for Wally

What most people don't realize is upkeep for an animal is expensive. How costly you ask? The boarding and food was $850 a month. Wally was boarded for over four months along with pricey neutering.
And, he had no options. I finally in all that time had one longtime adopter willing to foster Wally. She had a pet rabbit and lived hours away from Modesto. We had to rabbit test Wally first. I posted on that same volunteer/pledge Facebook page and was shocked at the response. The same crowd who'd championed pulling Wally at the last minute were first to slam the request asking for someone who had a pet rabbit to agree to a very supervised intro with an experienced handler. Everybody seemed to have an opinion and none of them helpful. I was shocked to say the least.
My only option at this point was to transport Wally here to Texas. I'd just brought the Bakersfield 4 here and was over-full with pitties and dogs, not to mention cats and the birds. A full house but not in the poker hand sense. Like most things I do in rescue, it was a leap of faith. I'd deal with it when Wally got here.
The $500 transport put Wally at almost $5,000. Most people who don't get rescue would balk at this amount, but I knew I had to get Wally to me. I knew he needed me, but I had no idea just how much. The communications with Patti began to illuminate his awful past. Wally had a problem with men. First, the boarding facility owner, a guy, had to warm him up and that took some work. Then the transport driver, another guy, had some issues with Wally. When he got to us, he was not receptive to Scott, to say the least. It was growling, fear-based lunging and most of the reactive behavior seemed to be associated with his crate. I'd first had Wally in a plastic kennel, my crate of choice, but not being able to see everything around him seemed to activate his fearfulness. I changed him to a wire kennel and while not perfect, the adjustment seemed to improve matters somewhat. I addressed this with Patti and that was when I found out Wally had been horribly abused. When he got to the shelter, he weighed 33 pounds at a year and half. Someone, a man, had inflicted great cruelty upon Wally. I still don't know exactly what happened and really don't want to. Patti added, "and it was severe." That was enough. We did not want Wally to have to relive his past. It was time for him to have a new life and that's where me and Reunion went to work.

First, I was amazed when Scott pulled me aside and told me I could keep Wally here even though it put us way over the top

Scott refused to give up on Wally...check out the payoff!

with dogs. This when Wally was still barking, growling and reacting to Scott. This was big. I'd already begun the work to help him move past his trauma. Use of Animal Relief, the flower essences which help move past a horrible experience(s) 

For any abandoned animal, whether feral or residing in a relief shelter

• Any animal being adopted into a new home, or being given a new guardian or caretaker
• For loss of the primary caretaker due to death, divorce or changes in the family system
• During any time of significant travel or re-location to a new home or living space
• For any animal with a prior history of physical abuse, torture or abandonment
• For performance or work animals who are exploited, or valued only for monetary worth or reproduction value
• During times of prolonged illness, or extensive surgery; can be used in tandem or alternation with Magenta Self-Healer
• For any time of pronounced stress in the animal - such as the prolonged absence of the primary caretaker or environmental disruption due to any natural disaster. Can be used in alternation or in tandem with Post-Trauma Stabilizer

Emergency stock Australian Bush Flower Essence for medical help, this essence will provide comfort until treatment is available. Administer this remedy every hour or more frequently if necessary until the person feels better. It can also be used topically or mixed into a cream.

These items are listed on the Reunion Rescue Health Page published to help others - shelters, pet owners, fellow rescuers - or any animal lover who might be facing issues.
It wasn't overnight, but Wally began to show marked improvement. Another factor - also on the Health Page - is a great diet. The more raw meat that can be added to the diet, the better. There are some great dog trainers out there who refuse to train a dog not eating a raw diet. It's amazing what eating the food intended to maintain the body can do for the behavior, the peace of mind.
The icing on the cake was a big surprise. Wally was a ball dog and a half. He loves it. He's learned to fetch and retrieve from all the way up to the top deck down two flights of stairs to the backyard. Not since Peanut have I seen such a great ball dog. Wally could go for it all day. Since he was so proficient on the ball, I tried him on Frisbee and he took to it like a champ. By the first day he was jumping up into the air to catch it. Wally has the makings of a real Frisbee champ.
He is very treat oriented and wasn't too fond of raw chicken at first, but I began chopping up some raw thighs minus skin and bone and covered it in a gravy of high quality canned and some premium almost raw kibble. He snarfed it up. By the third or fourth try, he was eating bone and all like the other dogs. And you could see the marked improvement. I've fed enough abused dogs to notice the difference in a kibble-fed pet and a well-fed dog. The food choices are a solid element in our E.A.T.S. Empty All the Shelters program. If you want to help us launch this incredible plan, please subscribe to the Reunion Rescue newsletter.

Check out Wally first day with his Frisbee -

Always late with your kisses...

I love my weekly visits to hug and kiss on Paolo, Rza, Sza and Cardi. Each week they get more and more adorable and share a bigger place in my heart. They've inspired my new Reunion Rescue newsletter to try and help dogs like the Bakersfield 4. Their story is so important. See, rescues like Reunion Rescue should be helping dogs like these four who needed trauma rehab with good people and experts who know what they're doing like Angela and Ruben. There are so many dogs in shelters right now who are there for no reason other than their owners dumping them. Those are adoptable dogs who can go straight into someone's forever home. Lots and lots of information and resources on the Reunion Rescue website to help pet owners and even more on the new newsletter. These four dogs are responsible for this effort. They are truly an inspiration. 

So, selfishly, I am anticipating the day when they will come to live with me and Scott here at Reunion Rescue. I daydream about walking them in the Greenbelt and showing them all the magic and wonders that make my world such a wonderful place. Like the two black-throated hummingbirds that were playing and flying above me the other day deep into the trail. Or the wild lantana that blooms in all the colors of the rainbow. There are spots that remind me of Golden Gate Park complete with the same smells. I can close my eyes and almost feel the ocean on my face, air conditioned by God like they say out there. 

But until then, each week it gets better and better. I can tell they're as happy to see me as I am to see them. I get out the pick axe and go to work on the weeds. It's easy to work up a sweat while doing so. And then I whip out my fur-a-lator and go to work on Paolo. Take a look at him! What a beauty he is. I don't think anybody's every brushed his coat. And he is so pleased, he struts around and lets me photograph him like he's posing for the cover of Dog Magazine. He is truly a superstar.

The little girls are so full of kisses, it reminded me of the old Lefty Frizzell song, so I'm including the video at the end of this blog post sung by Dwight Yoakam..the Bakersfield sound of course. I love them so much and think of them all during the week until it's time for another visit, daydreaming of them while I'm hiking the trail. 

                                                           Soundtrack Dwight Yoakam singing Always Late

Willie, pitties, cookies and a house party

Rza, Sza, Cardi B and Paolo moved into their own cabin last week and are just lovin' it. They've got their own little house and a yard, almost like a real home. Everybody's doing good past their spay/neuter surgeries. I was worried about the girls, but they're tuff. It was Paolo who threw us for a scare. His incision came loose and had to be re-stitched. What he needed was a little Neosporin, Colloidal Silver and a few doses of Hypericum homeopathy.
I spent the whole day driving there listening to Willie Nelson..it's his 90th birthday and the station we listen to at Reunion Rescue 24/7 for the pit bulls is KUTX. Each year they play all Willie on the weekend to celebrate his birthday. So it was real extra special this year. What other artist does country, folk, rock 'n roll, gospel, soul, rhythm and blues and reggae...and all pretty dang good. So it was real spiritual driving to spend my regular Saturday with the Bakersfield 4. Willie really put me in the mood. I have a lot to be thankful for and plan on following Mr. Nelson right on up to nonagenarian country. I'm about to cross on over to septuagenarian-ville next year, so all's good.
I have two more chapters and the introduction to record for the Pit Bull Nation audiobook and it's pretty good if I say so myself. I wrote an afterward for this new special edition on sale tomorrow April 30. It features the Bakersfield 4 and how I have come to know them. The audiobook will follow soon, but has to go through the screening process first. Please stay tuned because I'm going to sell these books to pay for the Bakersfield 4 boarding. Feel free to share with a friend. This book has so much good information valuable dog stuff, from training to holistic health, how to feed raw and never go to the vet. Also how to get those dogs out of high kill shelters. It's a great book for not only pet owners but also new adopters, for shelters, for rescuers both old and new.
So here's to on the road again with Willie and blue skies...and listening to what the blues are saying..only my blues are pocket pittes and they are always, always on my mind. Enjoy the photos of their new house.

And please sign up for the new Reunion Rescue newsletter - organizing to #savelives just like the Bakersfield 4. 

Do you have a problem dog?

If you are a dog lover, then sometime in your life you've run into an issue or two. While I am no trainer past sit - stay - leash and house. For some reason all of the dogs here immediately know what 'house' means. It's a good thing. A Reunion Rescue thing. Whether it's coming in from outdoors or going for some crate time and I've been known to use 'house' to get them to jump into the car for a ride. But, this is about dog aggression or behavior issues that might have you pulling your hair out.

I've been in rescue a good number of years and have seen my side of problem dogs, most especially from abuse cases and coming from high kill death row shelters. I've accumulated a number of supplements I'd like to share with you.

#1 is Robert MacDowell behavior modification tincture. It’s kinda pricey but worth every penny. Just a squirt into each dog’s food daily.
 Robert McDowell Herbal Remedies You will order the Animal Botanical Relax for dogs. They have even more for the more difficult cases and in fact the company treats dogs, cats, horses and even people. They support tons of various cancers and other illnesses of the body. 

#2 is Emergency Australian Bush Flower Essence. I get the stock option..it’s something like Rescue Remedy, but this product is much better. Get a couple of mixing bottles like the one the Emergency comes in and make your own. One bottle of the stock will last you a year or more. You put one dropperful of the stock into the empty mixing bottle, fill with purified water and a couple of drops of some kind of liquor - I use brandy - to preserve. Shake it and/or pound on palm each time you use to energize. One squirt into the water bowl daily and each time they drink, they re-energize the tincture and calm the body.

And a little CBD oil always helps. I hope these suggestions help you as much as they've helped me and the Reunion Rescue dogs over the years.

All under one rooftop....Reunion No Kill finally a reality!

Amber getting down on Kong

It's been a long, long time since I was able to wake up in the morning with a song in my heart. I am very grateful for all the Reunion Rescue dogs living great lives and the ones who haven't found their homes yet, living a good life at Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge, the only raw feeding holistic no kill pit bull shelter in the world.

It ain't perfect yet, but it's a hell of a lot better than it was. For years, we've boarded our Texas and California dogs while thinking we just were not set up to be a shelter. The Texas dogs were boarded at Spindletop which was raided last summer. We made four trips to Conroe to get some of our dogs back, but Stella was killed with 37 others in the Morgan Building. Many other dogs are still missing and presumed dead.


Just as the dust was settling over the Spindletop tragedy, we began making plans to bring our three remaining California dogs which were being boarded in Lodi. What's three more, right? Once you've set your mind to run a sanctuary, it's really not that hard.

BeBe at the lake

We are set up here on the river outside Austin, Texas to comfortably house these animals. Each of these dogs came from nasty beginnings.

Amber and Stella were butchered and noosed in a hot Houston vacant lot. Stella still had blood running down her head when she was found and we raised money to board them at Spindletop.

BeBe doing some Christmas shopping

BeBe burying her Kong

BeBe, formerly known as Batgirl, was beaten severely with a baseball bat and scheduled to die in Austin.

Merry Christmas from Nolan

Nolan was starved nearly to death outside Dallas and on his way to Spindletop when news of the raid and seizure hit. Luckily, his transporter turned the car around, but not before Leah Purcell pocketed over a thousand dollars which had been raised for his care. Heartworm positive and down to 70 pounds, this beautiful Great Dane/American Bulldog mix is thriving at Reunion on a raw diet and lots of sunshine and exercise. He's even well enough to finally be neutered for Christmas.

Peanut and Scott

Peanut was named 'Feo' and pulled illegally by Purcell from city of Alvin shelter last December. It's anyone's guess how much money she made off this dog. Since The American Pit Bull Examiner covered his story in the first place, Reunion felt a kinship with Peanut, so here he is. Peanut had a lot of fearful problems he's working on and goes to work with Scott these days. Along with his herbal remedy and raw diet, Peanut's 'job' has turned out to be the very best medicine.

Peanut and Scott..just a job

Angel overcame his abuse from Spindletop so quickly, he was able to join Murmur and Barbara in Minnesota where he's now called Hub and enjoying a Dickinson life in a small quaint town.

Our sweet brave William

William was one of the three left boarding in California. There was a lot of rumor and innuendo about William, but he is proving them all wrong. He came from the hellhole Stockton shelter after being burned, starved and drug behind a truck.

He was transported all the way to Texas with Guido and Kingston, a.k.a. King James/Spuds, and is thriving in a fab foster home. He is living the high life in a doggy day care Disneyland, eating a raw diet and happy for the first time in his whole life.

Guido Sarducci on the trail

Guido, from Wasco, and Kingston from Marin Humane, who is blind, arrived quite obese. They've been under-exercised and over-crated. Although Reunion is all about the crate as it provides a safe and confidence inspiring environment, mimicking the wild instinct, the crate is certainly not intended to be utilized 24/7. Kingston's muzzle was scarred and covered in dried bloodied marks which look as if he'd been stressed from over-crating.

Guido and Kingston were a very hard sell on the raw. Who knows what these two have been eating? We've tried just about everything from raw ground chicken blend to ground beef blend, chicken livers, yes...even kibble...but nada. I tried boiled chicken spiked with cottage cheese and even some cheddar flavored 'Easy Cheese' to no avail.

Kingston hoofing it the natural way

This morning we had a major breakthrough. Green tripe is the daily blue plate special for these two persnickety customers. First, I filled a couple of empty marrow bones with tripe and when that was snarfed down, filled a couple of big Kongs. It was a winner! Finally, getting some raw meat into these two boys. From experience, I know it's all gonna be easy pickings from here on in. Kingston's face is healing with new pink skin growth. Both these boys have relaxed and begun to settle in very nicely.

I've not had the time to sit down and write an update on these guys. Each day, I try to get each dog a nice nature hike. It's amazing to see these precious dogs doing what dogs are supposed to do. They are enjoying good healthy diets filled with ingredients their bodies were created to eat. They are exercising and learning to love the sounds of wild birds and lizards scurrying through the brush, the smells of browning leaves and sound of flowing fresh water creeks. They feel the freedom of warm sunshine on their happy faces and are slowly learning that tomorrow is another day and holds something new and fresh, an adventure. We are learning this together, that this sad old world can really be a happy place if we just put one foot in front of the other and believe.