A Sad Milestone

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"... or in our case, the saving of eight hundred dogs (so far) begins with a single pup.

At the end of February 2006, Aida had completed the paperwork and preparation to launch Pawfect Match Rescue. We had the tax number, articles, letters, logos - all we needed was a dog. Spot became PMR #001.

One look at this pup and it was clear that his name had to be Spot. He was eager, he was happy, and he had no real reason to be. He was suffering from sarcoptic mange, and itched like crazy, and he was on death row.

Well, PMR took him in, and took him on. It took quite a while for us to conquer his mange. We constantly stopped him from scratching so that he could heal, and not get skin infections. He would low-crawl through the grass to scratch his belly without really scratching, and we would laugh out loud.

What a face! He was so happy, so playful. Especially once the mange was gone, the skin was healthy and the hair grew back.

Spot watched as dog after dog, and pup after pup, got adopted, while he waited for his forever home. Of course, Aida was picky - not just anyone was going to get to have this sweet special boy!

But someone special did come along. A wonderful family passed our tests and convinced us they were the right home. He had a huge yard to run in, and lots of kids to play with. We were sad to see him go, but thrilled that he had a new home.

We got a few pictures over the years, and we happy to know he was healthy and happy.

But a few days ago we received an email that broke our hearts. Spot had hurt himself doing his favorite thing - chasing a squirrel. He ruptured a disc in his spine, and was paralyzed. The emergency vet was certain that even with surgery he would be in pain, if he even ever walked again. The family, with very heavy heart, decided to end his pain.

Four years old. Not long enough to share all the love he had, but he loved with all he had every day. Spot, PMR #001, is chasing squirrels on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Play well, little Spot. We miss you.

A different kind of Rescue

Friday, after lunch, working hard - well, my brain was anyway. A co-worker from the previous contract popped his head in and said he had a need for my skills. Odd - he is an information security specialist, and a damn good one too - I cannot image what help I could be.

Turns out he and another co-worker have a new friend - a dog followed them into the back entrance, and they want my help. Sure, no problem.

He is a Yellow Lab, obviously full blooded. Check teeth - pearly white. I am guessing no more than 1 year old. Neutered, no collar, but obviously well taken care of. This is someone's pet. Poor boy is lost. Very friendly. We get him some water, and I head to my car for the leashes I always carry.

Right. No leash in the car. Figures. Well, he follows us anyway, and hops right in. I crack the window, pop upstairs to grab my PC for the weekend. I figure I can take him home, crate him, take pics and send to the co-workers so they can place Found Dog ads, and we can notify the local shelters. Oh, and I can scan for a microchip at home, too.

But, I know there is a housing area nearby, so I swing by there first. Driving around slowly, looking for someone looking for a dog, or perhaps an open gate. Spot the USPS delivery van - she is sure she has seen him in the next neighborhood up. So, I head that way.

Then I see it. One of those huge Sandicast statues of a yellow lab sitting on the sidewalk - that must be the house. Oh, wait, it moved. That is a dog! Another yellow lab on the loose. Great.

I put on the brake and open the car door. He comes running over, sniffing the air. He sees the other lab and jumps right in. They lick each other in a way that makes it clear that they know each other. Great, two lost dogs.

The new boy is older, maybe 4-5 by the teeth, also neutered. This one has a collar, but zero tags. Yay.

OK, I am not taking TWO dogs home. Regroup.

I pop out the iPhone, start Where! and type in veterinarian. There are few in the area. I know the closest one, on 55, but I keep getting drawn to one on 54 towards Durham. I call. The message says they are closed for 1/2 hour for training. No problem, I can drive there and wait.

It is only a ten minute drive, but they are open. I explain that I am with a rescue group, and have two strays in the car. Can they scan for chips, please? Sure no problem. They lend me two temp leashes.

The poor tech had never used a scanner before. No numbers coming up. Oh wait, do I have to hold the button down? LOL!! Yes, there is a chip. And yes, there is another. I recognize the prefix codes as 24PetWatch. The friendly attendant calls, and they have them in the system. Both are owned by the same person - yay!!

Even better, this is their vet! They agree to take them and hold them for the owner. Those boys will be home before sunset, I am thinking.

Now THAT is a good reason to get microchips in your dog, if there ever was one.

Not exactly adoptions, but mark up two more rescued by PMR. :-)

Score!

We just got the news that PMR pups will once again be participating in the Animal Planet PuppyBowl(r) this year!!

They selected Punkin and Carson this time around. Both have lots of play energy. Of course, that is what we said about Schroeder and Charlie Brown last year, just before Schroeder decided to nap his way through the bowl...

Aida and an unspecified vict... er, volunteer will head up to Silver Spring MD next weekend for the filming.

Tune in on Superbowl Sunday to watch Punkin and Carson FTW!!!

It Is the Right Time to Adopt a Dog!

With the economy on the mend there are a lot of statistics being tossed around these days. Here is one for you: over two million dogs were euthanized in shelters across America last year. The fear is that the number will grow, a lot, this year. The reason? Well, the economy.

In the past, recessions have not had much of an impact on pet ownership or animal shelter populations. The rationale is that folks will continue to spend on their children and their pets through thick and thin. But this recession is different. This time millions are losing their homes because the major underlying cause of this downturn is tied to mortgages. As people lose their homes, they are turning to apartments or relatives. In many of these situations, they are not able to take their beloved pets with them, so they turn to shelters and rescues.

Most animal shelters are full most of the time, if not all of the time. Now they are overflowing. This is especially true for “No-Kill” shelters, because pet owners are desperate to have their pets rehomed and not put down. Rescues are getting multiple calls every day from people begging them to take their pets to rehome.

The good news for you is that now the majority of animals in the shelters are not the matted, dirty, flea and tick bitten, unsocialized strays – they are loved, well cared-for, clean, socialized pets ready for a new home. Of course, these are course generalizations, but in general, this is the trend we are seeing.

If you are thinking about bringing a four-footed member into your family, the time is right to adopt. Please visit your local shelter or rescue group today to see if they have your next cuddle-buddy waiting for you!

It's Time for Dogtoberfest! Prossit!

The leaves are starting to turn. The evenings are cool, almost chilly, and the days are layered with warm sun on the skin and a cool breeze drifting over it. That means it must be... Time for Dogtoberfest!

Pawfect Match Rescue continues our tradition of the big fall party to celebrate our volunteers, our sponsors, our friends, our pooches, and the spirit of rescue with our annual fall event called Dogtoberfest. Last year we discovered how unbelievably beautiful Harris Park is in early October, so we are holding Dogtoberfest there again this year. A link to the map to Harris Park in on our website, front page.

Food. Dogs. Drink. Rescues. Food. Vendors. Dogs. Demonstrations. Face Painting. More Food and Drink. Puppies. Microchip clinic. Music. Contests. More dogs. A Raffle!

Come get a fall photograph of you and your dogs, or just your dogs, or even just you! Printed right there for you to take with you.

We will have hot dogs, chips, sodas, and lots of home-baked goodies.

There will be several contests throughout the day, and some games. There will be demonstrations. And lots of shopping with vendors who love dogs.

Come on out - bring your pups! Have a wonderful day celebrating dogs with us at the annual Pawfect Match Dogtoberfest!

When the right one comes along

Most pet rescues have them. The lifers, and the ones who despite all the right looks and personality just never get picked for that new home.

Annie is our lifer. She requires just the right home, and for her, so far, that combination just has not arrived. It will, we have faith. But this post is not about Annie.

It is about Phoebe. Phoebe is drop-dead gorgeous. A black and white Siberian Husky (yes, I am biased) with big deep brown eyes. She is tall and lanky, like the supermodel of Huskies. Sweet, sweet personality. And always the girl sitting by the dance floor watching the other girls get invited to the ball. But not Phoebe.

Well, to be fair, she was chosen once. Turned out to be premature, the poor fellow ended up having to take three jobs to pay the rent. He wisely asked us to find her a new home, since she could not get the attention she deserved with him.

She was not always gorgeous. She came to us with a bad case of demodex mange, and skin infections. Poor thing looked like an overused toy, and she itched constantly. Months of treatment, it seemed like endless months. Finally, the right meds did the job, and her lustrous coat grew in. She was ready for the ball.

The application was quite unlikely. An older couple. WAY older couple. No fenced yard. And cats. We set it aside, and politely declined it, explaining that an 18 month old Sibe needs LOTS of exercise, and a previous foster said she was hell on cats. Sigh... next, please.

Well, they were on a mission. They had looked at her many times, and passed her over because it said No Cats. But they kept coming back. They asked for earthly and heavenly guidance, and the answers came back: ask once more. Accept the answer.

They wrote us a wonderful, well-reasoned, and detailed two-page, single spaced letter explaining why they were the right home for Phoebe. It was moving and convincing. We tested her with cats - turns out she could care less, unless they want to play. Play is good. We talked with the Board. It seemed clear that we should give them a try.

Still one obstacle. They live in Yorktown, VA. That is a trip. And, they made it clear, they were willing to make that trip. Problem was, we needed to see her interaction with the cats. Well, as it turns out, we were planning a trip to Maryland, and Yorktown is not that far off the path. The plan was set.

Oh. My. Goodness. This is truly a match made in Heaven, and they will tell you. Phoebe gets to walk 4-5 hours a day in historic Yorktown, on the river, meeting and greeting and playing with her human and canine friends. The cats have quickly moved from curiosity to best pals. The two grey parrots - yeah, they did not mention those - established their boss status the first time Phoebe stuck her nose between the bars. Dem beaks is sharp!

Phoebe is Queen of the Ball now. The right one came along. After almost two weeks we are still getting daily pictures and stories. That is one happy girl!

Congratulations, Phoebe.

Dog Prog Rocking with Chimp...

OK, this one is weird, but bear with me. It is just too odd for me to pass up.

I am working from home today, developing some requirements for a Business Intelligence dashboard for my client. Got the goods, now I am just building the document and preparing for the next steps. I need some music, to motivate. Hmmmm, what to play. Scanning the iTunes list - yes, Kansas will be just perfect. How about a total Kansas day - just play every Kansas album in order until I am done.

The Huskies are all sleeping in the bedroom (ON the bed, of course), or on the tile floor in the living room. The foster Shar-Pei/Boxer pups (Shoxer? Sharxer? Boxpei? Chinese Boxers ala Saturday Morning Kung-Fu Theater?) are recharging their batteries in the X-pen. Tilde, the Chi, is curled up in her little fleece cave. Phoebe, the young Siberian Husky, is in my office because I have vowed to housebreak her this week, curled up under my work table to the left.

The scene is set.

Singing along with Kansas is one of my favorite things. I no longer have the range of a young Steve Walsh, but it's fun to try. Belexes comes on, one of the best tracks Kansas ever wrote. Energy level is building up ... wait, what was that? Did I just hear something in Belexes that I have missed for more than 30 years? Yes, there it is again, something like a chimp squawking perfectly in rhythm with the beat Ehart is laying down. Eeeyoop Eeeyoop Eeeyoop Squaaaaaaa Squaaaaaaa. No way.

I drag the volume bar up to get a clear sound from the Bose 901s. They don't lie. Nope, can't hear it now. Hmmmm. OK, rewind it back to the beginning of that phrase. There! There it is again! I dragged the pointer back again - wait. The chimp is still sqawking, but the music is not playing.

I look down to my left, whence the sound is clearly coming. Phoebe looks up at me with those big comic book brown eyes, with the chimp doggie chew toy between her teeth. She is looking at me like "What did I do now? It wasn't me!"

I swear she was chewing that chimp RIGHT on beat with the Kansas tune. Heck, I knew drummers that couldn't keep a Kansas beat. Darn talented dogs, those Sibes...