A surprising resource for an old dog rescuer

I recently attempted to apply for a Petfinder Foundation grant to repair our sadly dilapidated dog play yard. Reunion Rescue fits the requirements to a T. 

"This grant program is part of our commitment to enhancing shelter dogs’ quality of life by allowing them to engage in natural social behaviors. Play Yard Renovation Grant are available to active Petfinder members that have completed a play-group training seminar. Grant funds must be used to construct or improve play yards to bring them into compliance with current safety recommendations."

One of the specifications was to complete two Maddie's University courses. The first course Canine Body Language in the Shelter focuses on understanding how dogs communicate what they are experiencing. The course includes a video followed by interactive materials to reinforce the learning. I immediately liked the instructor Sara L. Bennett, DVM. She was calm, spoke clearly and was very easy to listen to. Unlike many 'dog professionals' she didn't come off with a didactic 'leader of the pack' attitude. It was surprisingly refreshing and her approach compelled you to come to the class with a desire to learn what she had to impart.

Without giving away the whole class, she covered body language and signs of arousal. Despite all of the dog training classes I've attended and tons of speeches, many highlighted in my book Pit Bull Nation: Special Edition, I found Dr. Bennett's class to be informative and enlightening. I have used her teachings already in my dealings with the dogs here at Reunion Rescue refuge. It is fun to observe the dogs in your care and ask yourself what are they thinking? What does that wrinkle mean on the forehead? What does the growl mean? It's not always aggression. It gave me a deeper dive into the goings on with the dogs in my care. The class is designed toward shelters, but I feel any pet owner will benefit from this resource-packed session.

The classes offered at Maddie's University are free to the public.

All fixed up..the Bakersfield 4

It was a fun day yesterday. One of those rare beautiful spring days tipping out at 70 degrees, sunshine everywhere and some happy faces. Saturday is my day with the Bakersfield 4. The three girls Rza, Sza and Cardi B got fixed Wednesday - thank you and a big huge shout out to Pit Bull Rescue Central - and are recuperating just fine. I think they know nobody is going to try and breed them ever again! That's got to feel good. Apollo a.k.a. Paolo got done the week before and he's definitely got a spring in his step. Here are some of the photos I took. It feels so good to see them happy and feeling good. Happy dogs. It makes me happy to see a happy dog .. or four!! Please help keep the Bakersfield 4 in boarding by making a small donation on the Reunion Rescue website...read all the stories and also check out the resources for raising a healthy holistic pet on our sit.

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

Benny is coming to Texas...

When the whole world seems sad and crazy, it helps me to hold on to one good thought. This week, I'm thinking about Benny coming to Texas. Benny has been with Reunion Rescue for three weeks. He has had quite a struggle, but luckily, he found Patti and Raven. Patti has been fostering Benny and continuing his curriculum with homeopathic treatment and raw diet.

Benny in Bakersfield, CA

It's really difficult to convince people to try raw and homeopathy when we've been so brainwashed by the pet industry to vaccinate, feed kibble processed food and kill every single disease symptom with toxic pharmaceutical medications.

My good friend Kasie who founded SF Raw Feeders and a longtime advocate for raw diet and holistic care read me the label on a bottle of cleaning fluid once. I remember Kasie reading the warnings to me and asking why anyone would want this product around their family and animals considering the list of dangers.

Every day is a learning experience for me. Not only with animals like Benny who is teaching me a whole new way of looking at life, but how to live life more healthfully and happily. I think of that old Adele Davis saying, 'you are what you eat.' That is so true. When I eat lots of brown rice and greens, I feel so clean and remember my meals throughout the day. It's also true you are what you think. When I think good happy thoughts, even with all of the bad animal stories I see and hear each day, I am stronger and able to help more animals. I am able to fulfill my purpose here on earth and get so much work done. I am able to serve the greater good and live the good life.

Benny is a good part of that newfound way of living for me. Here is a dog, really more than a dog, a being, who was so mistreated and hurt. When I saw that little photograph of him at Turlock Animal Control, I was blown away. I couldn't believe a dog could wind up in that condition and still be alive. The people who began to network the photo actually listed him as a shar pei puppy. You could not even tell he was an adult.

I am so looking forward to watching Benny evolve and change to be the dog he was born to be. He is on his way now to Texas. Patti is driving him all the way here. He was supposed to have a ride from Arizona, but the person was afraid for her own dog who has a suppressed immune system. Imagine that. Probably a dog who eats kibble and takes all of the shots and medications to ward off non-existent diseases and the result is a dog who is challenged and unhealthy. Yet another lesson from Benny. Benny is going to help the world be a better place. In fact, he already has begun. He is bringing the message right now, but stopped off long enough to smell the roses in Bakersfield.

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More than 4,000 dogs saved thanks to one death row dog

Murmur leaving Bakersfield

Murmur was at the high kill shelter KCAC in Bakersfield, California. It was four years ago and the situation involving our nation's extreme killing was as bad then as it is now. According to some animal figure crunchers, the shelter euthanasia has diminished, but to those of us who are involved in rescue work, it's a bloodbath. It was a bloodbath four years ago and it's a bloodbath now.

Streets of Bakersfield group

Murmur was spotted by then kennel manager at KCAC and posted on a group email. When I saw her photo, something clicked. Reunion Rescue was full at the time as we always are, but I started scrambling to see what I could do to save this one dog. Besides being an adult in a very high kill shelter with intake of over 500 dogs per week.

Streets of Bakersfield: Driving to save dogs

Murmur had a heart murmur. I started posting to try and find her a foster and my post was answered by Barbara, a woman from Oakland, California. What began that day was a small effort between two people which has resulted in a volunteer transport group responsible for saving over 4,000 dogs up and down the state of California. I met a few solid transport and rescue people who dedicate their lives to rescue and transport.

One of the dear members of Streets of Bakersfield left us this past Memorial Day, John McCauley. John helped found Streets of Bakersfield and was one of Murmur's transport legs the day she was driven to Barbara four years ago.

Goodbye John McCauley: rescue dogs lose one of our own

Hub on his way to Minnesota

One year ago, Barbara adopted a 'brother' for Murmur. One of our Spindletop dogs pulled from the high kill Garland Shelter was transported to Barbara and Murmur who have since relocated to Minnesota.

Labor Day Labor of Love: 23 legs to happiness

Barbara has created a Strut Your Mutt page for Murmur and Hub to represent Reunion Rescue this year
in San Francisco and to raise awareness for homeless pets everywhere.

Please take a minute to visit Murmur and Hub's page and contribute a dollar or two so that we can help that next homeless pet in some high kill shelter.

Murmur, Hub and Barbara's Strut Your Mutt page

Visit Reunion Rescue online to see some of the many other wonderful dogs in our refuge which came from terrible abuse and shelter situations.

Happy Valentine's Day to Pip...

and to all the rescuers everywhere. Pip was saved from high kill Delano, California animal control four years ago. She had quite a story. Her story is detailed in Pit Bull Nation along with other special dogs who've touched Reunion's heart over the years.

But this is about Pip. By chance, Pip made it in and out of three California high kill shelters. She rated her own chapter in the book not only to tell the story of a special dog, but also to share with other rescuers the power of believing.

In rescue work, you hear of the 'lifers.' Good rescues have 'lifers.' These are dogs which for some reason or other just haven't found that perfect home yet. Pip and I had resigned ourselves to perhaps that perfect home might not show up. That was ok. She had refuge at Reunion Rescue for life. On cool days, she went to work with Scott.

Pip is home

Last fall, I received an inquiry about a dog, a great Pyrenees, I'd placed for Spindletop. Journey was still on my website, but happy in her new home with friends of one of our raw feeding co-op members. The gentleman and I emailed back and forth and by chance, I suggested he meet Pip.

What ended up happening was one of those special miracles. He and his partner were just beginning their search. His partner was undergoing some serious treatment and they really weren't ready to adopt. However, they did come out and meet Pip. Pip seemed to know healing was needed and everyone in the room felt it.

On a funny note, Pip goes to work with her new dad now. He is also in the landscape biz. One day, he and Pip's mom dropped into Vivero Growers, a small organic nursery in Austin. Katherine, the owner hollered out, "Pip-a-li-cious!"

It wasn't Pip's first visit to Vivero. She'd been to Vivero a bunch with Scott....it's a small world in our world.

These little 'coincidences' are really not a coincidence. Those of us who share their paths with these beautiful creatures are no strangers to serendipity. It's nature's way of telling us we're doing our job.

Pip is their family now. I dropped off some food the other day and visited with Pip, a happy house dog, a necessary part of their lives. I must say, there is nothing more beautiful than a 'wanted' pet. Pip is truly their companion. My job is done.

Lowball rescue...$100 bucks a day

Reunion Rescue is out there panhandling again. It costs us a lowball $100 bucks a day to keep our heads afloat. Boarding alone is $250 a month and until we can make some adoptions here in Texas, we must keep our California dogs in boarding.

Once a couple of adoptions happen here, we can move some of the Cali dogs to our sanctuary here and get them ready to place. Until then, it's $100 bucks a day.

Where do we get the money? Well, mostly from the generosity of our donators, selling a couple of books and a tee shirt, but between juggling the dogs here, exercising, feeding and training, fundraising is difficult to say the least.

BeBe and Peanut need herbal tinctures to help them move past the issues incurred at Spindletop. We'll get there, but $65 a bottle is expensive.

We took a big hit at the vet for Nolan which could have been bypassed, but wound up at the wrong vet....ch-ch-ch-ch-ching...went the cash register and emptied out Reunion's reserve. They did leave us a big fat tick on his chest....was that a tip?

We took another hit on one of our sanctuary cats to the tune of $1K at the conventional vet. The homeopathic treatment is trying to undo the damage done at the regular vet, but no guarantees. Amber, Pip and the rest of the dogs need to be fed which along with sanctuary cats and birds adds up to about $10 a day on a slow day.

Crates, kennels, collars, leashes, toys, Kongs, chews....all these things cost money. We got a wonderful donation of dog beds from our good friend Kathi, but still need tarps for the deck and would love to have some raised beds for the outdoor day kennels.

The sanctuary cats have chewed their furniture to the bare bones and are down to one halfway decent kitty condo. Please consider a donation to help our kitties. We have two chip-in's going..one for the kitties:

http://reunionrescue.chipin.com/cat-sanctuary-condos

And another chip-in for Nolan:

http://reunionrescue.chipin.com/nolans-chip-in-fund

We also need volunteer help.

• We need photographers in the bay area who might be willing to take a photo or two of our wonderful California dogs. 
• We need help with our networking on the internet. 
• We need help in Austin at some local events.

Please help Reunion Rescue help our current animals until they find those forever homes. We just know they're out there.

Here are our Texas dogs:

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=TX1054&preview=1

And our precious California dogs:

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=CA303

Guido...Mr. Perfect looking for a home

Guido and friends

William looking for a great home

Spuds is still looking for a home...he's blind