www.Straydog.org UPDATE posted SATURDAY 11/1/03 at ~8:47 p.m. CT

Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1 2003

Jack and Jill went to Adoption Day at PetSmart today for an introduction to a perspective
adopter, and the two puppy dogs along with the volunteers had a great time. Soon after this
photo was taken, we moved them into the same crate for the ride to Dallas (and Plano).

These two nearly blind and totally deaf siblings are more comfortable when they're together. Smell, touch and a little bit of sight do not give one much of a "picture" of what's going on in one's environment, but these fellas somethow get along like regular puppy dogs their age, especially once they know their environment.

 

Erin's Adoption Day Report ...

     First a big thanks to Susan D., Sue K., Shari, Nina, Cathy, Erin H., Angela, Consuelo, Chris and Scott for helping us so much today at our PetsMart Adoption Day.

Sadie's adoption

     Puppy Sadie went to a very nice young lady named Kristie who has a young but full-grown German Shepard and also a young, white Siberian Husky. Both her dogs were friendly to puppy Sadie, but because they are so much bigger, the introductions off the leash will be done later on in a slow fashion. New guardian mom Kristie and Kristie's sister took little Sadie to a ball game this afternoon, as they didn't want to leave her in a crate by herself so soon. We are imagining that Sadie slept all through the ball game on her new guardians' laps since she had played hard during the first part of the day at PetsMart! Kristi works just five minutes from her home, and her sister lives only three miles away, so Sadie will be able to have outdoor potty breaks during the day and will have her big doggie friends to play with as soon as the she grows up a little bit.

     Sadie will be a pampered house pet with a big fenced-in back yard to play in when her guardian mom or guardian aunt are watching her. There was a swimming pool for Kristi's dogs in the back yard (just like our little ones at Straydog), and Kristi apologized for her long grass, but she said the dogs really love to jump around in the high grass, so she lets it get pretty tall before cutting it. Congratulations little Sadie!

Little Sadie and her new guardian aunt

(See link to more Adoption Day photos below.)

Amigo's adoption

     Volunteer Claire decided that Amigo just couldn't be passed up. She's been volunteering weekly and has been drawn to Amigo while trying to find him a home for a long time. While Erin H. and I were doing Sadie's home visit, Susan Deevers helped see if Amigo got along with Claire's other dog (or dogs), and things must have gone well because Amigo is at his new forever home this evening! Thank you, Claire!!

Puppy Madison's home visit--no adoption

     Puppy Madison also went on a home visit, but the lady only wanted Madison if she could take her today. The lady's fence wasn't finished, and her other, older dog, who she said was very intelligent and knows not to run away, runs loose outside sometimes ("but not for hours at a time"). We were willing to work with her, and come back very soon to check on the fence situation, but she didn't seem to want to put the adoption on hold. She had promised her kids that she would bring a dog home today. So we suggested that if she needed a dog today, she could go to a kill shelter where many dogs are on death row waiting to be euthanized because of the overpopulation problem. We told her not to worry about Madison, because Madison gets three meals a day (being a little puppy) and gets lots of attention every day from the caregivers, including walks to play in the big play yard, etc. She'll never be lost and will never be put to sleep while living at our shelter while seek to find her the right home.

Potential adopter comes to visit Jack and Jill

     Jack and Jill's possible future guardian mom came in to Petsmart today too. I was busy with Sadie's visit, but had talked to this lady Friday night. Her husband has lived with Aussies his whole life, and she's had many labrador retrievers. Mary and Randy have two kids, one at age 11 wants to be a vet and one who's five and also loves dogs. They have a half acre fenced-in on their land, where the dogs go to dry off after a swim in their pool (which they bought specifically for their lab). (Jack and Jill would never be outside alone, so we don't have to worry about them falling into the pool.) The dogs are all inside, sleep-on-the-bed dogs. Currently they have one Aussie and one Lab. They just lost an Aussie due to heart cancer. They were willing to take the dog to a cardiologist vet in Santa Fe, the only vet they could find to help
them, but their beloved eight-year-old Aussie died last week of a stroke.

     I just called Mary to see if she enjoyed meeting Jack and Jill, and she is in love! She is concerned that their labrador might be too rough for Jack or Jill though but would love for the process to continue in order to see if their home would be the right home for our two blind and deaf Aussie pups. "If you get up from a chair, you'll have to move the chair back under the table," Mary was telling her kids. They will make a visit to the shelter on Friday, her husband's day off, with their 11 year old, to watch and play with Jack and Jill in the big play yard.

     Erin Hensley, our Adoption Day volunteer, teaches 3rd grade at Urban Park School in Pleasant Grove. Mrs. Hensley is teaching her kids about giving. Last week they gave $30 from their allowances to Straydog. This week one little boy gave $10.00 and the rest of the class gave $5.00. Mrs. Hensley said that Monday is her birthday and she didn't want any gifts from the kids. She wants them to give towards the animals in need. How nice!!!! They also check this website a lot, so they'll will be tickled to see their donations mentioned!

     Norma Norman and Barbara Sucher made halloween lollipops and donated all proceeds to Straydog! How nice this is!!!

More photos from Adoption Day