Pretty Girl, Slender, Likes Walks on the Beach - Morgan the Pit

Hi! My name’s Morgan and I love people. Oh sure, a lot of people say that but I REALLY LOVE people! I’m shy too. Silly, huh?

I find being at the shelter and meeting new people everyday, very difficult. It's like speed dating! I dream about having my own home with room to run and my own people to love. I hope to have another dog to play with too someday, but I’m not fussy. No, I'm not.

 

I was found walking the streets looking for my last family, but I never found them. A kind person brought me to Sammie’s Friends for safe keeping.

I dream of walks, Frisbees, and a warm, snuggy bed so I can sleep right next to my new family (when they find me). Of course, if they would like me to sleep in bed with them, I am more than willing to do that too. I've been spayed and I'm up-to-date on all my shots.

Can I fetch your slippers? Bring you the paper? Keep your feet warm?? 

Meet me at Sammie's Friends, Monday thru Saturday, 12-4pm.

Hugs!
Morgan

Dogs and Trucks and Dragging Karma

Why would someone drag a dog behind a car? That's a rhetorical  question. Look at that face. This is a nice dog. He was dragged behind a car until his pads and nails were pulled off, and then was cut loose and left crumpled in the road.

Some folks speculate that he might have fallen from the back of a truck and was dragged by accident. Even so, someone cut him loose and left him to suffer. And die. A kind person found him there. Covered in asphalt and gravel and cleaned him off. They then took him to the vet. That's when animal control and Sammie's Friends got involved.

We named him Karma and we hope that the person who did this to him will experiences the full affects of karma.

Other dogs are in the shelter who have fallen from trucks. It happens often. Tie the dog up, or not, and the dog jumps out, get's strangled, breaks a leg. Fill in the blank.

Two are here right now. Doja had her hip and leg broken the first day the family got her. They put her in the truck and took off. Result: one broken dog. For months, no help was sought for this dog. Then she was turned over to the Sammie's Friends. Nice. After extensive surgery, she's recovering in a foster home. She's a sweetheart too.

The other dog here is Lady. She has three legs now after her truck episode. She's a charming girl, but even after damaging her, they turned her in to the shelter. How sad.

 According to the Humane Society of the United States, 100,000 dogs are killed each year in accidents involving riding in truck beds. Although it is not illegal in Arizona, a number of states have banned this form of pet travel. Read the article.  

Dogs don't belong in the back of your truck. Please don't put your dogs in your trucks---put them in the cab with you, or leave them home.

Karma's case is different from Doja's and Lady's. At least their owners didn't do it on purpose. At least their owners didn't leave them where they fell. To suffer and perhaps die.

A reward has been posted for the person who dragged Karma. We're also accepting donations for his medical care. If you would like to help, you can use the Paypal link on our website (this link will take you there), or you can mail your donations (the old fashioned way) to Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter, 14647 McCourtney Rd., Grass Valley, CA 95949.

To all those who have already sent your good wishes to Karma, a big THANK YOU!

Single White Female Pit Bull Looking For The Love Of Her Life

I'm single and available! Man or woman---makes no difference to me. I love them all. I'm a natural blond (white), with a big beautiful smile. Some folks say I'm the smallest, cutest pit they've ever seen, and I believe them. I'm two years old, and I'm a healthy curvy girl.

I like long walks and evenings by the fire. I like to play ball, fetch and run with you, and prefer to sleep on (or near) your bed.

Are you quirky? I have a few quirks of my own. When I laugh I snort. I don't really like other dogs, but with a proper introduction I can learn how to play nice. And, please forgive me but I simply cannot figure out why cats are on this planet.

If you don't like to cuddle, please don't reply to this ad.

Pet ID: SF 6-7-12 • Spayed/Neutered • Up-to-date with routine shots • House trained • Prefers a home without: cats • Primary color: White or Cream • Coat length: Short  530-471-5041

Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter, 14647 McCourtney Rd., Grass Valley, CA 95949

Michelle McKenzie frequently channels for the animals at the shelter.

Chopper: One Heck of A Dignified Doggy Gentleman

Mommy left me in the car while she ran an errand. It took no time at all before four-year old me began to panic. I thought something happened to mommy and I cried. Should I get out of the car and look for her? It was a big street, and I didn't want to cross it by myself. My gaze was glued to the door of the store, and FINALLY she appeared. Lost in the grocery store, at the fair, add your own 'abandoned' event here. Whatever and wherever it was, it was scary!

Enter Chopper. 

Chopper, an Australian Shepherd/Chow mix, was brought to the shelter as a stray, and because no one came looking for him, we have to figure that he was abandoned. Most dogs adjust to this, but Chopper isn't most dogs. He's a ten-year old gentleman, who has manners, and dignity, and expects the person in his life to be there for him. When his person didn't appear, he got scared. (Remember your own lost-in-the-grocery-store scare, and you'll know how he feels.)

So after Chopper was adopted into a wonderful home, and the family left him to run errands, he became terrified, and tried to escape to find them. It's called separation anxiety. 

Separation anxiety symptoms run from mild to severe and can become a full-on panic attack. Some early signs include:

• following you from room to room, pacing (when he sees you preparing to leave)
• salivating
• howling
• barking
• whining

There are things you can do on your own to help with a mild to moderate case of separation anxiety. Here are a few from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's Sherry Woodard.

"If you have been told that your dog has mild to moderate separation anxiety, there are some strategies you can try to break the cycle of escalating anxiety. First, practice leaving without opening the door. Put on your shoes, pick up your keys, and walk to the door, but don’t leave. You may need to do this 10 times per day for weeks or months to quell your dog’s anxiety.

Another strategy is to walk into closets and close the door behind you. Wait one minute and then reappear. You can also exit via an outside door that you normally don’t leave through. Wait one minute and then walk back in. If your dog doesn’t appear anxious, try two minutes and add time if the dog continues to be comfortable with it. Back off on your time, however, if the dog becomes stressed.

Once your dog is comfortable with you leaving through the back door, you can start working on walking out the main door and returning after a short period of time. Again, gradually increase the time according to how your dog handles it. Practice as many absences as possible that last less than 10 minutes." (continue reading article)

 

Back to Chopper:

Chopper came back to Sammie's Friends and he may just need someone who will be home with him and who can take him wherever they go. With some work, though, he might be able to recover from this fear of abandonment. He's great on a leash. Will just sit in the room, relaxed and happy as can be. Loves to be with other dogs, kids, even cats. You would never know from his calm and dignified demeanor that he needs help recovering from abandonment. Won't you consider meeting him?

Chopper is neutered, up-to-date on all his shots, and house trained.

Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter14647 McCourtney Rd., Grass Valley, CA 530-471-5041

For more information about separation anxiety in dogs, talk with your veterinarian, and find a behaviorist you trust.

• The Humane Society

Do Unto Other (Cats & Dogs) As You Would Have Others Do Unto You

Zorro with her new family

The Golden Rule "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Others Do Unto You" applies to our pets as it does to us humans. When I use this to guide me I do the right thing for my pets. For example: Would I like to sit in a hot car with a fur coat on with the windows rolled up?  The answer is "No." Do I like to go without regular meals?  "No, again."  Do I want to see my dentist when I have an abscessed tooth?  "Yes I'm in pain." If I got a foxtail up my nose would it drive me crazy?  "Yes, it would."  If I got screamed at would I cower in the corner, especially if the screamer was as much bigger than me than I am to my cat? "Yes I would."  I think I'd pretty much answer these  questions like my pet would. Ask yourself and see what answers you come up with.

Pets feel the same emotions we do. They can be happy, sad, lonely, depressed, scared or excited. Watch them and you can quickly determine what they are feeling. Our pets also have the same senses we do. They feel pain when something is hurting them, they're hungry, or they are ill. They like to be petted and loved like we do. 

We humans were given an analytical ability that other species don't have; they were given some things we don't have. We expect our pet to go with the flow when many people (s)he has never seen before come and pet her/him. We don't like everybody touching us—everyone isn't our instant friend. Yet we expect that from our pets and most of them are quite tolerant and patient with all of this. You are way bigger than the animal.   What if some person proportionately bigger than you (as you are to your cat) picked you up in the air and expected you to purr immediately and show gratitude for being picked up by a monster.  I think we'd be the hissers and scratchers, not the lovers and purrers.

BB and her boy Ryan

Animals do need discipline and rules and boundaries, they do not need abuse. For instance, when your child misbehaves it is appropriate to talk to the child, take away a privilege, require some chore be performed to demonstrate "I'm sorry," or incent them with a reward to do better. It is not appropriate to hit, scream or berate your child and tear his/her character down. The same is true for your pet. One of the most effective techniques I used on my very special doggie, Sammie, was a time-out sitting in the corner. A few minutes was enough. He got the picture and altered his behavior and our great relationship remained intact.

Pets are a gift and a treasure just like our children are. Treat them as such and you will have one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.  No human will ever show you the devotion that a well-loved pet will.    Most humans do not have the patience and tolerance that our pets do. Your pets need exercise, discipline and affection—please see that they get it.

Jupiter gets to drive to the dog park

----Cheryl Wicks is the Director and Cofounder of Sammie's Friends

New Novel About The Animal/Human Bond---ALL THE LITTLE GRACES

All The Little Graces, written by local musician and author Eleanore MacDonald, is a novel set in Greece about the complicated beauty of the human-animal relationship, woven around the lives of the strays of Greece's streets. If you purchase a copy of the book here at the shelter, ALL proceeds go directly to Sammie's Friends.  You can also purchase the book online where a percentage of the proceeds will go to benefit Sammie's Friends and the Skiathos Dog Shelter, in Skiathos Greece.

From Amazon.com: "Life is not easy for a stray. Dodging traffic, unfriendly feet and thrown bottles, a frightened and weary little dog scrambles to find nourishment where she can and fights to keep her new litter of vulnerable pups safe from the many perils that linger in Greece's shadows. There is little mercy here. It's a very hard life for a street dog, especially for one who once knew the caring of a human. Fierce and unforgiving, she barks endlessly at the day's many dangers and keens to the empty darkness of the night, but just as she begins to sink into a despair that only a dog can feel, the red haired girl appears and life begins to change.

It is the spring of 1990. The young American family boards a ferry, traversing the vast Aegean blue into the Greek archipelago in pursuit of four months of sun, sea and adventure ... but just as they begin to settle on an idyllic whitewashed island Eleni, Harry and 12 year old Lily come face to face with the loud, scruffy stray who shatters their peace – and their plans. Of course, tender Lily is drawn to the wild little dog boldly protecting three young pups, and it's in the wake of their very first meeting that trust begins to take the place of fear. The dog, Margarita, claims the family as her own and in turning their attentions to her life on the streets, the plight of the island's cast-off animals comes into a finely tuned focus.

Wedged between the welcoming beauty of sun, sea and antiquity and their ignorance of a culture just recently coming up for air after years of oppression, is the family's love for all animals – and it's their caring for the desperate strays that imposes an unexpected turn on their blissful holiday. While Eleni, Harry and Lily come to lasting friendships with locals and an intimacy with the peace and beauty of their island, they also come face to face with some of the country's darker secrets. Both the light and the dark get distilled down into one grand odyssey – several years along a Grecian path cobbled with utter delight, worries and sorrows and ultimately, with redemption. Along the way they fall deeply in love, with little Margarita ... with the sea and it's gorgeous island cloaked in myth and mystery ... with the people and their vibrant and enigmatic culture ... and with a fisherman, Vassili, who shelters his own secrets and a potent sadness. In the end, favored by all of Margarita's little graces, the beautifully revealing and sometimes painful journey leads not only to the rescue of human hearts, but also toward recognizing and rectifying the lives of the homeless animals of Greece’s streets."

Come by Sammie's Friends and buy your copy!

Hot Summer Care To Keep Your Dog Cool

Justice enjoys the shade after playing hard

 
Someone just called the shelter to say there was a dog locked in a car at the grocery store. "Go inside and ask them to make an announcement for the owner," I said, "then call animal control at this number." Another call came in from a man who couldn't find his dog the night before. He called the dog to no avail and looked everywhere. Or nearly everywhere. His dog loved to jump in the car, and when the owner put the screen over his car window, he didn't see his dog jump in. Tragically, he discovered his dog the next morning in the car.

These are horrible stories, and we hope to hear no more of them this summer. But, summer in the Sierra Foothills is HOT and we've outlined a few things to remember about dog safety.

 
 Swimming: Can your dog swim in a fast moving, cold mountain river?  Some dogs don't have enough fat on them (think greyhounds or whippets) to stay afloat or regulate their body temperatures. The rivers and streams can still be quite cold, even with our outside temps being in the 90s.

Some dogs get swept away and drown in fast moving streams or in river areas with strong undertows.

If you enjoy water play with your dog, take a moment to strap on your dog's safety vest.


Hot Pavement: We all know our dogs' feet are tough, but are they tough enough to really walk where we won't?  Asphalt gets unbelievably hot. Pads softened by playing in water are even more vulnerable to burning. Keep and eye on your dogs feet, and if she gets burned pads, flush with cold water and see your vet.



Hot Cars: Not the kind that look cool, but the kind that can make your dog seriously ill or worse. You get into your car and can hardly breath because it's so very hot. Even with the windows down, the inside temperature of your car is simply too hot for survival. Unless your dog will NOT be left in the car, he should stay at home. Period. End of story. 

Share these flyers with local businesses, and print some to leave on cars that have pets in them with the windows down. If the windows are merely cracked a few inches, it is too hot for the dog. Call animal control or find the owner. Don't Wait!

Doug and Justice have some skateboarding fun.

Too Much Play: Can lead to heat stroke. Avoid hard play during the hot time (mid-day) of the day. Some dogs simply don't want to stop playing. You'd think they'd know when they're becoming uncomfortable, but they'd rather keep playing or jogging with you. A panting tongue that's out too far, will be your first clue that it's time for a break. Add a kiddy pool to your play time!

Pool time after play makes Justice a happy boy!

Signs of Heat Stroke include (but are not limited to):

• body temperatures of 104-110F degrees
• excessive panting
• dark or bright red tongue and gums
• sticky or dry tongue and gums
• staggering
• stupor
• seizures
• bloody diarrhea or vomiting
• coma
• death

Seek veterinary attention immediately!

• Get your dog out of the sun!
• Cool your dog with cool water, not ice water. (Very cold water will cause constriction of the blood vessels and impede cooling.)
• Place cool, wet cloths on your dog's feet and around his head.
• If your dog's temperature is under 103 F degrees, do not try to cool---some dogs can actually get HYPOthermic or too cold if they aren't over-heated.
• Offer ice cubes for the animal to lick on until you can reach your veterinarian, but DO NOT force ice or water on your dog.

Learn more about heat stroke by following the link, and stay cool.

Photo credits: swimming dog copyright Matt Barber; dog in life jacket copyright Soggydan; dog using hose copyright Wonderlane, woman on beach copyright WJ Harrison. 

Michelle McKenzie lives in Grass Valley, with her six dogs, two cats and a foster kitty, three horses and two donkeys. And a very understanding husband.