Dogs Can Climb Trees

I’ve spent time the last couple of weeks with two amazing dogs at Austin Pets Alive! Gracie and Olive.

Gracie can be a bit mouthy, but she’s eager to learn and making great progress. She can destroy a stuffie toy in less than 10 seconds, and she doesn’t know that dogs aren’t supposed to climb trees.

Olive is a petite pittie princess. She walks well on her leash, loves cheesy duck crackers and is happy to chase birds out of the yard.

Sometimes I get attached to the dogs that I meet and get to volunteer with. There are awesome animals waiting to be adopted, and I wish I could take them all. Since I can’t take one of these two, I think you should.

George Oscar Bleuth

This is George Oscar Bleuth. This handsome 3-year-old was rescued by Austin Pets Alive! three months ago, quite literally off of the euthanasia table. His spine was fractured after being hit by a car, but with some TLC and physical therapy, he is now doing well and continues to progress. He gets around great with his walker and is surprisingly very fast! See him in action:

Meet Annie

A Smile From Annie

I can’t believe I haven’t posted a photo of Annie yet. Annie is my current little sister with the Big Brother/Sister program at Austin Pets Alive!

She’s a shy beauty. Better on leash than any other dog at APA! right now (but maybe I’m biased). She’s very curious, always keeping her eyes and nose open to what’s around her. And she’s good with other dogs, at least those a bit smaller than her. I visited with her a few days ago, and she was sharing a pool and a pen with two scrappy little male dogs.

Annie is also good at reading your signals when you’re walking with her. If you stop, she’ll stop. If you sit, she’ll sit by your feet.

She’s going to make a great companion for someone.

A Plea for Candy

Sweet, Sweet Candy

This is a personal plea. I hope you’ll share it with your dog-loving friends.

Candy isn’t doing well in the shelter environment. In fact, she’s been diagnosed by two specialists as having extreme predatory drive, pushing her to bite a couple of dogs. If she doesn’t find a home — a special home at that — her future holds a huge question mark.

I love Candy. I would take her home in a heartbeat if I wasn’t worried about my two dogs and two cats, as well as our neighbors’ dogs and cats. I don’t know Candy’s full history, and I don’t know how far her killer instinct will allow her to take her drive for prey.

What I do know is this: She has a beautiful coat. She is a cuddler and a lover to the people that she knows and trusts. She loves a belly rub. She loves peanut butter treats. She has the cutest, most expressive ears. If I could paint a perfect picture of a future for Candy, it would be on a 30-acre farm with people who are there with her a good portion of the day, where she could take care of their pesky varmint problem to be paid only in love and a warm, cozy bed.

A regular neighborhood isn’t going to be ideal for Candy. She needs the space to roam and hunt, two good meals a day and someone who will work with her, and manage her predatory drive. According to the specialists, it can’t be trained out of her. But with the right home and the right person, she can thrive.

If you know of anyone with that 30-acre farm, a small-varmint problem and love to give, I hope you’ll point them in Candy’s direction.

Who Are You Calling Old?!

This is Gramps. He’s new to Austin Pets Alive! and is looking for a great home. I’m kind of in love with him.

Don’t let the name fool you, though. This boy has lots of life left in him. He’s a happy and spunky old man, and who can resist that crooked smile?

Gramps

Sam Likes to Laugh

So, a dog walks into a bar…

Sam: He's fun!

Sam is a sweet, playful pup. He’s available for adoption from Austin Pets Alive!

Next up for Spoiling: Louie

First it was Vixen. I fell in love with her as my first “little sister” in the Austin Pets Alive! Big Brother, Big Sister program. I spoiled her and kept my fingers crossed for her, and she was adopted into a great family just in time for Christmas. Then I met Karma, loved on her with treats and kisses, and she was adopted in just a couple of short days.

Now, there’s Louie. Ohhhh, Louie. His handsome face makes me smile, and he’s my new “little brother.” He’s what we call a good dog in training. He’s got so much puppy energy that he can hardly contain it. He’s a nibbler, but not an aggressive one. He just wants to play, play, play, run, and then play some more. He’s responding well to training, learning to redirect that energy and earn treats as he does.

If you have room in your heart and home for an energetic, playful bundle of love and kisses, you really should meet Louie. I’ll be spoiling him until you get there!

Handsome Louie

Home for the Holidays

Sweet Vixen was adopted this week!

I’m so excited for her and her new family. I know they’ll have a great long life together. I’ll miss spoiling her, but I know her new family is already doing that.

So… that means I needed a new little sister dog to spoil. Enter Karma. I met Karma last night. We spent lots of time running around in the yard and getting to know each other. She’s a sweet dog with a beautifully soft coat. I hope to get some great pictures of her this weekend so you can meet her too.

Spoiling Vixen

Relaxing With Vixen

I spent some time with my “little sis” Vixen this week, spoiling her with a couple new toys, a new bed, a thorough brushing, some playtime in the yard and lots of walking. She continues to come out of her shell, gaining confidence and showing more and more curiosity for the world around her. If you’re looking for a sweet girl, you really should meet her.

I’m a Big Sister… to a Dog

We have a full house. With three dogs, two cats and two adult humans, it’d be hard to add another set of four legs to our house. We always joke about being “at capacity.”

But taking pictures and walking all the great dogs in the Austin Pets Alive! system makes it hard to not just open the car door and invite them all in to come home with me. Since we don’t have the room to foster or adopt them all (or even just one right now), I’m always thrilled to learn about new ways that I can help the adoptable cuties until they find their forever home. So, today I became a “big sister” to sweet black beauty Vixen.

With the new big/little brother/sister program with APA!, I can spoil Vixen rotten — getting her a new collar, special treats, walks at the park, a warm blanket, spending time on training, the whole nine yards — until her perfect human comes along. I already have a stuffed green bear and a yummy bag of treats just for her in my car. And I’ll get to spend some time rolling in the grass with her this evening.

We’re all animal lovers, but sometimes a dog comes along that you just can’t shake. Vixen is one of those dogs. She is something special, and I’m gonna love her all she can take until she finds her forever home.