A Favorite Rescue

This has got to come in as one of my favorite photos of an adopted dog EVER.

WHY??

Because this dog was rescued from certain death at a housing project that was being demolished after Katrina. 

The workers were afraid of the dogs that had packed up, and began to poison them.

Used Dogs rescued 7 litters and 5 adult dogs. 

Ophelia, now Lily, was one of the adults.

She was always shy. I wondered if she would ever find a forever home that would know her like I did and appreciate her gentle nature. Ophelia/Lily is another example of how just reading canine body language "by the book" is not always accurate. There are always variations and exceptions to the rules. Sure, to the inexperienced or certainly for children you always want to be safe and cautious, but Ophelia's body language did NOT express the GEM she truly was!!

But thanks to an AWESOME woman Ophelia/Lily went from the photos below to the photo you see above!

THANK YOU Kathy!!!

Lily's sister OLIVIA is still here and would make a wonderfully friend. She is not like Lily, she is very outgoing and BOLD. She is charming and vivacious. She did great with the kids at Kid's Camp. She is smart and great with basic manners. Crate trained and does a really sweet roll over! 

She is  red heeler shepherd mix and is the very LAST dog from the BW Coopers rescues that is still here. All of the other puppies and adults have found their forever homes.

Olivia

Off the CHAIN!!

GEORGE is OFF THE CHAIN

Bear is off the chain also AND he is adopted!

Bear look for a home of his home.

Bear in his new family yard.

Bear with his Human Baby family member!

And it all started with Willis!

Willis came to us with the most severe case of demodex we had ever seen!

Found on a city street, right after a Tropical Storm. Willis presented as such a PARIAH, so hideous looking, that we are certain that this sweet boy was shunned over and over again while just looking for a  friendly word or snack...Not ever even thinking that a home would EVER be in the cards for him!


But after MANY months of TLC and treatment, Willis found a home.

Funny thing was, when bringing Willis to his new home we met Bear.

Bear on the chain saying hi to his neighbor.

Bear was Willis' neighborbor's dog. 

In the yard neighboring Willis' new home, Bear was on a chain. We soon came to find that Bear 's owner was AWOL. In prison. So Bear was released to Used Dogs. He was heartworm positive. After 6 months of rehab, Bear found a home of his own. he has been treated for heartworm and is officially clear and healthy!

And what do you know!!??

Bears's neighbor had yet another dog on a chain!!!

In comes George.

A few months of seeing how happy Bear was OFF THE CHAIN, George's family relinquished George to Used Dogs.

George had been on a chain for his WHOLE life. 

THREE YEARS!!  

He had about lost his voice AND was so used to living in his own excrement that he still does not realize that he does not have to. George is improving every single day. And soon he will have a home of his own also!!!

Surrender Intervention- What is it?

Under construction. Revisit later.

KID'S CAMP

Festus had a great time at Kids camp.

festus before Kid's Camp

Used Dogs had our first Kid's camp this year and it went really well.

We got amazing groups of kids who are going to no doubt grow up to be fantastic advocates for animals

Our goal for the summer was to get our shyest dog, Festus confident enough for an outing!  We made our goal and Festus is doing great!!





We also we worked with basic obedience, some agility and socialization.

ROMAN

Roman

The most wonderful dog who taught me oh so much!

Roman died this year of bone cancer. He was diagnosed and gone in all of 2 months.

We loved  him as much as we could and gave him acupuncture to ease his pain.

Roman taught ME so much about dogs and how dogs communicate. 

An AMAZINGLY balanced and unique dog.

It was as though he knew what his job was here.

He certainly knew it,

before I realized it.

The Used Dogs dog yard and play groups have never been the same.

DOG to DOG intros will probably never be so easy for me ever again.

I am still waiting to see who will step up to take his place.

Check back as I will write much more about what he taught me soon.

WILLIS and Harvy

WILLIS and Harvey were found on the streets of New Orleans.

Willis came to us with the most severe case of demodex we had ever seen!

Found on a city street, right after a Tropical Storm,
Willis presented as a PARIAH, 

He was SO hideous looking, that we are certain that this sweet boy was shunned over and over again while just looking for a  friendly word or snack...Not even thinking that a home would EVER be in the cards for him!

Willis found and awesome Foster mom and after MANY months of TLC and treatment with his Foster family, Willis found a home.

And as it so often goes in rescue, as SOON as a home for Willis was found along came Harvey!

Poor Harvey seemed SO sad and was terribly matted. Years of matted fur and dirt.

Now Harvey calls himself a New Yorker and his new family adores him. We know that Harvey once had a home because from the very beginning, even when he was so so sad, he perked up whenever anyone picked up a leash!

Makes you really wonder what happened.

SASSY AND EIGHT PUPS

Under construction. Please revisit later.

Festus' FESTIVUS!

Festus came to us years ago. He survived Hurricane Katrina as a young puppy, outside, alone and under a house. He was living in a really bad situation . He was getting food and water, but no love. For about 2 years, I would pass by and ask if they were ready to get him neutered. The answer was always no. Finally I passed by and asked again, with a smile of my face as usual. They said "Just take him!"

Festus had been living under a house, mostly being used as a doorbell and getting yelled at a lot.

He's has come a long way. He is still fearful but not nearly as bad a when he came to us. He enjoys his playgroup and he has a favorite volunteer who comes by to brush him and talk to him most every week.

For Christmas, USED DOGS got a little donation from England and there was a note with the donation that said "please can Festus have a little something nice for Christmas out of this , thank you"

So Festus got a special meal and a lovely lady that does healing energy work, came by to spend some time with Festus. She looked into his Akashic records.

I know people have a lot of different opinions about energy healing, but let me tell you, it really had a profound effect on Festus. AND the other dogs that were nearby!!

I never really liked the name Festus. He came to us with that name. But I could never really think of anything else, which is odd for me. But usually when I speak to him, I call him Festivus.

So this is the very sweet tale of Festus' Festivus!

He is still a very shy boy, but his confidence has grown a lot. He will be receiving more of the healing energy work. He is available for adoption.

Just a case of extreme neglect

Penelope came from a VERY unfortunate situation. The conditions in the yard were filthy. No one was taking care of her AT ALL...not even just a little bit!! She, quite obviously, was NEVER being fed.


She was DYING!!







AND she had puppies!

She really put our USED DOGS motto to the test.

Rescue efficiently, not emotionally.

Getting really angry, rude and sad would not have done much for Penelope. SO, we just changed her life in the most immediate way we could.

We focused on WHAT could be done for her, HOW it could be done for her and the very important part about HOW WE COULD MAKE IT AFFORDABLE!

We did not waste time on who to blame. Although of course people should be held accountable, holding this person accountable would NOT have helped Penelope!! The laws are a little weak and take a really long time to pursue. The property where Penelope and her puppies were, has already had ALL their dogs removed by authorities SEVERAL times!!! So to me, that is another issue that needs to be dealt with, but not at the expense of Penelope. Perhaps when I have a minute, I will look into what the actual laws are for habitual offenders, if ,in fact, there are any.

This was "JUST" a case of extreme neglect. I think time prosecuting is better spent on bigger cases of abuse. Although, of course for Penelope, this case is as important as a case can be. That's why we didn't want her to be "evidence". We wanted to make her life better! And it is.

She is no longer the skeleton of a dog that she was, in the filthy yard she was stuck in. Her body is no longer riddled with necrotic tissue.

She is a happy dog. She enjoys her days. She loves visitors. She is almost done with her pet meds. USED DOGS is getting her stronger everyday so that she can be treated for heartworms. She WILL find a home.

BUT, WE MUST GET HER BILL PAID!!!

In order to be able to rescue another dog on another day, we CAN'T owe our vets. USED DOGS appreciates our vets SO MUCH. One way we show our appreciation, is by paying them in a timely manner.

Our vet did all of this for Penelope for an incredible rate! Easily $1000.00 less than is should have cost. The whole veterinary team at Algiers Animal Hospital really gave of themselves for this girl!! Quote from the vet "Penelope is an awesome dog!"

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contribute to the cost of her care if you can!

PLEASE consider making a donation to her care. You can donate on thru PayPal on our facebook page. Or you can donate directly to the vet. If you would like to donate directly to the vet call me at 504-442-3647. Or call Algiers Animal Hospital directly at 504-364-1556. If you do call the Vet, please be considerate and remember that they are a very busy practice. All donation are very much appreciated, but it would be best if the smaller ones were mailed to us or sent thru PayPal. You can also mail a donation to: USED DOGS PO Box 741163, New Orleans, LA 70174

THANK YOU!

Update on the Family of RED DOGS that taught me a great lesson

ELLA was just adopted. This is her lovely new family. She has moved to Connecticut. And not a moment too soon. Hurricane season has just started and it is record-breaking BOILING HOT today here in New Orleans.

Remember Ella? She was one of the puppies from the previous post. "TRAPPED: A RAGS TO RICHES LOVE STORY" .

Here is a photo of ELLA on her first day here:

I personally learned so much from these three little red dogs.

Because they had no real contact with humans before we trapped them, we knew that it would be a bit of a challenge to get them comfortable with people. Having raised and prepared dozens of litters of puppies for adoption, I figured that when I started seeing certain signs, things were going to be A-OK.

And as I had kind of predicted and hoped for, they began to show those signs. They went from not even wanting to make eye contact with anyone to running up to greet me and see whether I had brought treats when visiting their kennel.

However these little guys fooled me. Their mix of breeds probably played a significant role. Being a mix of Chow and Akita, they were only like this when completely in their comfort zone around other dogs. I found this out when I brought one into my home to see how crate and potty training was going to go. The first one immediately panicked and tried to jump out a second floor window. Once the window was closed she continued to try, hitting the glass.

The second one growled at me.

My heart sank. I was going to have problems. Finding adoptive homes for puppies that growl and try to jump out windows is not an easy task. perhaps not even a prudent one. I called the person who had adopted their brother many weeks ago. To my relief, things were going well. Django had bonded well with her.

We had to redefine their comfort zone and fast! A new routine was devised and with patience and consistency, they began adjusting really well. And now Ella is adopted and Miles is in a great foster home!

TRAPPED A rags to Riches LOve Story

USED DOGS has a whole litter of red-haired, fluffy residents to introduce to you …

We got them just in time. They were very timid at first, hiding their heads and looking away. But they have made steady progress and now come running up to us when they see us coming. They are ready for homes of their own. And MOM is just super! We named her Nina ; she is not feral at all. She licked our hands from inside the trap! She prefers affection to food! When she wags her tail, (which is whenever you call her name) her tail vibrates and her ears wiggle along with it! It is SO CUTE ! ! She is a little ragged, but she is (gasp) HEARTWORM NEGATIVE!!!!

Here's the story of how this little family was rescued:

For about a year we had seen and heard about a potentially feral dog roaming the streets in our neighborhood. USED DOGS decided to step in when we heard that the large field where she made her home, was being prepped for construction. It could have been very dangerous for her to be put in a situation where construction workers would decide her fate. They could scare her, accidentally injure her or call a group that would not have given her a second chance. So USED DOGS decided it was definitely time to catch this girl. USED DOGS has experience in trapping and that was clearly the best option to get a hold of her. The situation was also becoming more urgent because recent sightings of her were telling us that she had just had a litter of puppies and it is very important to get the pups as early as possible to give them the best chance at socialization. USED DOGS was relying on intel from the neighborhood to keep track of her whereabouts. We heard about some puppies under an unoccupied house. We were hoping that these were hers, but when we went to the house there were no puppies in sight. We were reassured that the puppies were absolutely there, so after surveying the location we set the trap the next day and within twenty minutes we had a momma and a pup!

And it was indeed our girl!

Neighbor sources told us that there were definitely more babies under the house. It was going to possibly be much more difficult to get these babies, because they had seen their mom and siblings get caught by the trap and might understandably be a little wary of the trap. Any experienced trapper knows that the key to overcoming this problem is some very enticing bait! So enticing that even though the dogs are scared, they simply just cannot help themselves, but go towards the very fragrant and delicious food. Thanks to some foolproof bait and a little patience we had two more puppies in two hours!

**A word of caution- trapping should not be undertaken by just anyone. We were trained in safe trapping by some really great professional trappers during Katrina.

We are beyond thrilled to tell you that mama dog is not at all feral. Shortly after rescuing her, we got a lick on the hand and then a lick on the nose! She seemed very relieved to be rescued by us, which tells us that at one point she must have had a home.

Her puppies were much more timid, but they are coming around with the help of treats and attention. It did not take long for them to start following visitors up the kennel gate to check out what kind of goodies they had. Unfortunately, one of the male puppies is shyer than the rest, but it is understandable because he has definitely been through the most. When we found him he had several wounds on one leg. Luckily we got him just in time because his infection was on the verge of becoming extremely serious. Every day his injury is getting better and better. It is sad to think about what would have happened to him if we weren’t able to get him the medicine he needed.

We are just thrilled at how successful this whole mission has been and we could not have done it without the help of the neighborhood. The momma and her puppies have a great chance at finding homes because they are comfortable with people and we got them in time to socialize them. Although Mom is petite, these pups are probably going to be around fifty to maybe 60 pounds of fluffy love.







We decided to name them after jazz singers. Momma is Nina, the two males are Miles and Django and the little girl is Ella. We would love to find them each their perfect family match because they deserve it!

LAST Chance for a GOBBLE GIVE AWAY!

Hurry Guys! The Gobble Giveaway ends Tomorrow, Monday.

Gobble Giveaway!

Big Paw Designs has all kinds of cool gifts for pet lovers.

And they a portion of some of their gift sales goes to USED DOGS!

Check them out!

A Rescuer's Rainbow Bridge

Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.

It wasn't long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often.

He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But, alas, as he approached The Bridge his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge.

With no place else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the soft green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for awhile to explain it to him.

"You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge."

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted.

Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person and among the older animals, a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life.

"Watch, and see.", said the second animal. A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed him towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together.

"What happened?"

"That was a rescuer. The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of her work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn't place on earth across The Rainbow Bridge."

"I think I like rescuers", said the first animal.

"So does GOD", was the reply.

~ Compliments of our sister rescue, The Dog Liberator of central Florida. The dogs shown in the video all passed away while in their love and care, before they could find their forever home.

Woof Fleur De Lis

Those of us who live in New Orleans take great pride in our city and jump at every chance to celebrate its unique history and culture. Well, here is a great opportunity to benefit our rescue while doing your jumping!!!

Big Paw Designs has created a pewter collar charm that embodies the spirit of New Orleans and the love of pets. A portion of the profits goes directly to help Used Dogs Rescue! At only $10, this charm makes a lovely gift for any Mardi Gras or New Orleans loving pet or pet owner.

Click on the photo or on the link in our side bar for more information!

To remember the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina - we are doing a Buy one Give one for Used Dogs Rescue. Buy one of the five items that benefit Used Dogs and in addition to the portion we normally donate, we will GIVE an additional dollar for each "Used Dogs" item sold in September.

What Katrina Meant to USED DOGS

Today, September 6, 2010, was a peaceful, lovely and almost cool day. So very different from 5 years ago. No helicopters all over the sky like the Vietnam War. No shiny new stolen trucks cruising the streets at night full of kid with guns looting. They slowed down in front of my house one night, the dogs began to bark and I heard the kids step on the gas and disappear.

I started rescuing before the winds had died down all the way. So many fences came down and I saw everyone's dirty dog laundry. It was heartbreaking, but at the time there was no time to be sad. I was jumping fences and avoiding the live wires from downed power lines. I was assaulted by what I realize in hindsight were probably desperate drug addicts.

5 years ago I had been on my own for days. It was about this time that the army came with rifles. They told me I had to leave. There were dogs, mostly pit bulls, running ALL OVER the streets. I told the soldiers that I would handle the dogs. After conferring amongst themselves, they told me I could stay. Soon after, 3 awesome women from Nebraska found me and came bearing supplies. I had a lot of supplies. I was prepared, but wow was it nice to see them. I sent my first few loads of dogs out with them.

The Military started showing up at my house at the end of each day with a list of addresses where there were pets in need of food and water or rescue. As they did their house to house checks, it was obviously hard for them to see these pets and not be able to help. Often I saw soldiers with groups of dogs following them. They were not allowed to interact with the animals. They started bringing me water, ice and military rations.

USED DOGS' Katrina rescue #1

This guy spent the WHOLE storm on a chain with no shelter. No food or water.

There were many, many more. Hundreds upon hundreds.

USED DOGS' yard post storm:

With help from some great volunteers from Pennsylvania, we kept rescuing from dusk until dawn for around 35 days. More supplies arrived. I didn't stop until the animals I was finding were starting to all be dead.

My route continued to grow as I fed dogs in place that were safe in yards. For me this wasn't a time to judge. I knew some of these dogs had families that loved them, because I had driven past their houses for years.

I argued with a guy over local Jazz legend Clarence Frogman Henry's dog . This kid wanted to ship him off to Washington state. Frogman was in New York doing a fundraiser. He didn't realize there was a part of his fence loose and "Boomer" got out. Several firemen came to my assistance and helped me retain possession of the Great Dane. "Boomer had been injured. Dr. Gutter was around and he made a house call. Boomer and Mr Henry were very happily reunited.

But I am not writing this to dwell on the sorrow. I am writing this, hoping that in someway it will be part of the cathartic process that with time will help my heart to heal.

This dog I actually named. Most of the dogs that I sent thru LaMar Dixon had numbers. There were SO MANY. But this guy I named and he really stole my heart. I never found out what happened to him. I tried. I sent him off to Nebraska with some very fine people before before there was any "system" for the dogs to be processed thru. I so hope he found happiness and love in a home.

65% of all the dogs that were rescued out of Katrina were pit bull or pit bull mixes. 95% of all the dogs were NOT spay/neutered. Those statistics spelled out a part of my post storm mission. USED DOGS had the first Low to No cost Pit bull spay/neuter program available after the storm!