Apollo/Cooper: Another of the nine orphaned pups from RLRR

Foster mom Linda received this update on Apollo, now Cooper, another of the nine orphaned pups from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue that went to All Dog Rescue and is now happily settled in his home.

ADOPTER UPDATE:
I just wanted to send you an update on Cooper (Apollo). As cliche' as this may sound, he has really made our apartment feel much more like a home. It took a few days for him to adjust into his new environment, but he settled in quickly and seems to be very comfortable with both Ray and I. 

Potty training is going great! Rarely any accidents inside. He's definitely going through a teething phase but understandably so.

We have him signed up for "Puppy Kindergarden" starting the second week in December. This is at our local pet resort in Mankato. They bring in multiple trainers and teach them the basic puppy lessons such as socialization with other dogs, potty training, standard commands and teething.

We are more than happy with our decision to make Cooper a part of our home. He has such a vibrant personality and is filled with love. 

Every day is a new adventure with him and we are so incredibly happy to have him here with us.

Sincerely,

R & R

Louie: Look out for that tail!

During the October spay/neuter clinic two Golden mix dogs came in with hard-luck stories, Louie and Rufus (see post from yesterday). Poor Louie has lived on the streets of one of the villages. We tried to catch him on many occasions. When we park to shuttle animals to the clinic, we leave kibble for the dogs. He would come to every shuttle pickup site to hungrily eat, but he would run off. Finally, Heather and Jayson were able to catch him and RAGOM (Retrieve A Golden Of Minnesota) took him into foster care!

RAGOM FOSTER WRITES:
We have had Louie for over two weeks now, and have come to know him better. For one thing, he is not good with cats. He chases cats and squirrels, and loves to spend his day sitting in the backyard looking in the trees for squirrels. 

He lets me know he needs to go out by coming to me and doing a happy dance while panting. He is just starting to learn his name and usually comes when asked, unless he is preoccupied with something else, like a squirrel. 

Initially, Louie was unsure about getting in the car, but now he knows it means a walk, so he is happy to oblige. He has started playing with our resident dog. Did well with the people at RAGOM's Meet and Greet in Duluth Petco, and spent quite a bit of time enjoying pets from two little girls, then started following them when they got up to leave.

Louie never jumps on people; he is a calm dog. Louie really charmed the vet -- he sat waiting for the vet to emerge from the back room to the exam room, and happily greeted him even though Louie had never met the vet before. 

Louie absolutely loves tummy rubs. Cocks his head when he is trying to understand something he hears or sees. Louie has been described as having the fastest wagging tail this side of the Mississippi, just check out the photos! Loves to be petted and brushed. Sleeps on a dog bed, but enjoys coming up on our bed in the evenings to relax and be petted.

Content sitting in the house and also enjoys walks. Not food motivated. Vet identified many broken and missing teeth (recommended extracting 3 teeth in the future), and previous cut to the side of his tongue indicating Louie sustained a severe trauma to the mouth at least 6 months ago or more; the molar teeth are all intact and look good. Vet commented on how Louie is trusting and very friendly.

11/22/2013:
Louie was adopted today! He is going to have a mom and dad all to himself, a deck to sit on and watch squirrels, and an official title of 'King Louie!" Lucky dog!

Rufus: Hungry no more

Rufus came to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue as a malnourished surrender during the October clinic. We were able to get a placement for both Rufus and Louis, another golden mix, with RAGOM (Retrieve A Golden Of Minnesota). Dennis transported them on October 26th. We were so pleased to receive a great update from Rufus's foster and to see Rufus posted for adoption on RAGOM's website.

Karen

RUFUS AT CLINIC

UPDATE FROM FOSTER HOME:

I am currently fostering a gorgeous male Golden retriever/Lab mix named Rufus through RAGOM. I know he was originally being taken care of through your rescue organization in October, if not longer. (He came in to RAGOM with Louis who was RLRR also).

RUFUS AT RLRR

He just went to the vet today and they said he is looking and doing great. He could still stand to gain about 5-10 pounds but has made great progress. Rufus seems to have been taught some manners at some point. He knows how to sit and stay. Maybe you worked on this with him or maybe he had memory of it from another home?

Rufus is very food motivated as you know, so we are working hard on "wait"! Although my vet told me today, he can't be completely blamed for his craziness towards food and treats as he was starving at some point.

He is making good progress on the leash, knowing his name and recall. He is very frightened of the stairs in my home, but oddly not the stairs on my decks and patio. Other than that we have witnessed no anxiety or fears. 

RUFUS IS HAPPY NOW

He is just a great guy, friendly to our dog and cat and all people he has encountered, who has a lot of energy and loves his toys and butt scratches! I just am trying to fill in a few of the puzzle pieces. I also wanted to thank you so much for all you have done for him to start him on this path to a beautiful, loving life!

RAGOM UPDATE:
Rufus is available for adoption!

Please welcome Rufus who came to us ten days ago through the Red Lake Rosie's Rescue organization which was just too overcrowded after the October clinic. They knew RAGOM would get him into a foster home and on his way to a new life. He is a young, neutered male Golden Retriever/Lab mix (?) and is likely less than two years old. He came in with very little background info, but was quite malnourished and dehydrated.

 He was recently given a clean bill of health at the vet and is UTD on vaccinations. The vet said he could stand to gain another 10 pounds as he is only 60 pounds right now. His ribs are still visible. We have him on a three-meal-a-day feeding schedule. Rufus LOVES food and treats. I do not say this lightly. He is learning to be more patient, but it is a work in progress. He just has the hardest time waiting and bounces up and down when he knows it's time to eat. It's incredibly cute the look he gets when told to wait. He sits and wiggles and tap dances and looks at FM as if to say, "I'm trying soooooo hard!" 

I am happy to report he has no resource guarding issues. We have pet him all over his body and head, and put our hands in his bowl and taken it away from him as he is eating to no reaction. Our smaller resident dog has even walked under him while he is eating with no problem. Rufus does inhale his food and we are working on slowing him down by putting his food in muffin tins.When giving treats, you must know that as gentle as he tries to be, it is very common for him to get fingers and hands in his mouth with the treat. We are working on a human's definition of "gentle" versus Rufus' definition and starting to see a little progress, but I would still be wary of young children with him. Also, Rufus is big, tall, and very, very strong. Even my 16-year-old son, at 6'1", finds him to be quite the handful. 

Obedience classes would be a great thing for Rufus! He likes going for walks, but pulls hard on the flat collar/leash. He is slowly being trained on the Gentle Leader. He does know his name and has very good recall. He needs an active family dedicated to giving him tons of exercise. Rufus is a go, go, go type of dog and, at less than two years, still has some of that extra energy associated with pups.

He has a hard time settling down and just cuddling. This is hard on FM since he is so darn cute!

Rufus does however sleep beautifully in his crate at night in the dining room (away from the rest of the family because he is terrified of the stairs which lead up to the bedrooms). We hear not so much as a peep until we open the crate door the next morning. I do give him free roam during the day since I work from home. I check in on him every few hours. He will occasionally chew on things he shouldn't if they are within reach (like socks and pens). Like I said, he is terrified of our stairs, and no matter how much bribing we do, he will not ascend or descend them. We thought it was just the tile set at first, but he won't do the carpeted ones either. Strangely, the stairs outside on the decks (wooden and cement) he has no issues with. This appears to be his only fear.

Rufus loves toys, but will destroy them within minutes! The only toy that has survived is his extra large Kong and a Nylabone. Stuffed toys are dismembered in seconds, rope toys shredded in minutes, rubber toys with squeakers end up in a hundred pieces, tennis balls and sticks, no chance!

If Rufus - who we lovingly refer to as Dufus on occasion when he looks at us with his head tilted as to say, "What? me?" - seems like the Active dog for your family, please contact your placement advisor. If you have seen Marley and Me, this should give an idea of what he is like. He is a great dog!

Foxy finds his smile

A Red Lake policeman picked up a little red fluffy dog because he had strayed into a yard in Redby and the people wanted him removed. Polly took him in and Dan brought him to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue where we called him Foxy. Within one week he was transferred to AHS and now has found a great home!

Karen

FOXY AT RLRR

MARILOU EXPLAINS:
We ran into Foxy (now Tyrion/Teddy) at AHS when we were meeting the rescues for the transport today. Foxy is here with his new dad, Jeff, who is the Director of Communications at AHS. Jeff had just adopted him and was on his way home. Here is what he just sent to me:

FOXY'S SMILE

ADOPTER UPDATE:
His new name is Tyrion but we're also calling him Teddy. So who knows what will stick! :)

He truly is a sweet, affectionate boy who is very well-behaved...More than you could expect one day one. He's a real snuggler and very laid back. Seems pretty well house-trained. And I think happy to have a loving family. Thanks for bringing him to us!

FOXY AND HIS NEW DAD

 We miss our Molly that we lost in July after 16 years (she's the memorial story in AHS Animal Tracks) but it felt time for a new dog.

Pebbles & BamBam: Update from adopters

Pebbles and BamBam are doing great!! They are still best friends, and for the most part play well together.

They both earned their AKC Star Puppy award. Pebbles finished Basic Obedience I and starts Obedience II on Thursday. I work with both puppies on the skills learned.

They are the perfect size, and since they are nine months old, I assume they are pretty nearly full grown.

We love them and are so glad they are both part of our family.

Paula

Atticus/Argo: Another of the nine RLRR orphans in his new home

UPDATE FROM ALL DOG RESCUE WEBSITE:
November 2013

Thank you so much for bringing Argo (aka Atticus) into our lives. 

We love him so much and are having so much fun with him! 

We stuck with the literary theme and named him Argo from the Odyssey. It means faithful companion/loyal guardian. 

His crate training is excellent and his potty training is too. Right now, he is out enjoying the snow with his boys.

 Thanks again, we are all adjusting quite well! 

Lola, formerly Christa

I was able to get a surrender on Christa and Carley/Cora only because Christa was walking with a limp. The other pups were kept and they were dehydrated and malnourished- very tiny and walking on the road. We are happy that we were able to save the lives of Christa and Cora out of the litter at least. See original blog post.  As you can see Christa, now Lola, has a wonderful life! 

We want to thank All Dog and the great foster care they got from Linda.

Karen

UPDATE:
Hello, I wanted to give you an update on Christa - Lola! She has been the most wonderful addition to my home and office! She is growing so fast and boy is she smart! It took the first week to potty train, no accidents since then, she signals when she wants to go out and being food motivated sure helps her to learn more things every day. Trips to the dog park are her favorite and she loves to play with the big dogs! Thanks so much for all of the wonderful work you do.

Lola, napping after a hard day at work!

One of nine orphaned pups from RLRR, Manny

UPDATE FROM ADOPTER TO FORMER FOSTER MOM LINDA:
The vet appointment went really well. The only thing he didn't really like was having his ears cleaned so we'll keep on working with him so he gets more comfortable with it. He didn't even notice his shot. He weighed in at 14.5 pounds!! We have another apt coming up this Friday so it should be exciting to see how much more weight he's gained because Ryan and I both swear that he gets bigger every minute. 

We're just filling out the paperwork now for obedience classes which Ryan and I are both super excited about and know he'll enjoy too :) We're currently working at home on: sit, stay, come and down and, of course, he does well with all of them. It still amazes me how smart and good he is (although I've always known that Shepherds are smart)! 

It's just funny to hear people say well they're just puppies and wait to try and start training. I really think that working on commands is one of his favorite things to do and he already amazes so many people with how good he listens and what he already knows :) 

Pretty much everyone in our neighborhood is dog friendly, so he gets as much attention out and about as he does at home. Our neighbors down the street (who I had not met until this point) literally stopped on the wrong side of the street just to hop out to say hello to him the other day. I found out that they foster adult Golden Retrievers but as we were talking about obedience training I told them that I'm sure he's going to be the smartest pup there (although my opinion might be a little biased). 

He's still working on his bite inhibition but does fairly well for a teething pup! And although he likes to vocalize his excitement while playing with our friend's and family's pups (of all sizes) does really well and makes his mama proud. We'll keep you updated...but I've attached a few recent pics of our little Manny for you to enjoy!

Have a great rest of the day and thank you so much again for giving us this wonderful blessing :)

Kaliga adopted

Remember poor Kaliga, the little pup that came in from Ponemah with severe demodex and starvation? Read his original blog post. At first he screamed in terror when I put my hand toward him, then turned out to be a total lovebug!

Thanks for to Jean and Carver Scott Humane Society for taking him into foster care and now he has found his forever home. Isn't he beautiful?

Thank you all! Karen

KALIGA AND HIS NEW FAMILY

UPDATE FROM JEAN:
Hi Karen, Kaliga was adopted by a wonderful couple today. The woman's grandmother also lives with them, and fell in love with Kaliga right away. I'll miss him, but, am soo happy that he'll have a family of his own now.

Thanks,
Jean

Daisy: Puppy with rickets

Daisy has suffered all her life. Not only after being born, but also before she was born! Daisy is a bull mastiff puppy that is about 4 months old but you would never guess her to be that old. She weighs a mere 8 pounds and her frail legs are afflicted with severe rickets and bent beneath her as she waddles to move from place to place.

Rickets is caused by calcium and vitamin D deficiency and begins in their mother’s womb. Daisy continued to suffer starvation after she was born.

CLOSE-UP OF HER LEGS WITH RICKETS

This precious puppy was surrendered on November 18th. It was after dark when she arrived in the back of a pickup truck shivering cold. Daisy, a heap of bones with runny eyes then inhaled her first bowl of puppy kibble and canned food. In the past 2 days she has eaten many small meals and never seems to get enough.

LOOK AT HER SPINE AND RIBS

We have met other puppies from her litter and they also suffer this malady. Unfortunately, none others were surrendered.

It is common for people breed these "bully breed" dogs to sell the puppies without giving the mother the nutrition and medical attention she needs. So they are all losers, the mom and the poor puppies that are born into this world. Many are born with demodectic mange as well. Fortunately Daisy does not have demodex!

STARTING TO COVER THOSE BONES

This is why Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue focuses on neuter and spay programs. We want to stop the needless breeding of animals. It is more difficult to get breeders to stop when they are making money off these poor frail and starved animals. We are hoping to someday end the practice.

In the meantime Daisy is one of the lucky ones who is leaving for Minnesota Pit-bull Rescue on Friday where she will never have to starve again. Daisy’s legs will be straight in about 4-6 weeks with the proper nutrition and care.

DAISY LOVES HER BLANKETS

Thank you for your financial support of neuter/spay programs at Red Lake and elsewhere. Thank you for the people who send food here to help many starving animals. Thank you to Mn Pit-bull Rescue for helping Daisy and the many volunteer transporters helping her get there!

Sincerely, Karen Good RLRR

Journey to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue

Our Journey to RLRR October 17-20, 2013

Our connection to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue began about 5 years ago, when we adopted McKinley, the German Shepherd mix on the left. Last June, Aurelia and I volunteered at the clinic and brought home Denali, the lab mix on the right. Denali quickly adopted McKinley as his tried and true friend. At the time Denali joined our pack we also had Schatzie, a German Shepherd mix (who passed away from cancer late in August) and Beau a very large Jack Russell mix who is 12 years old. Denali fit right into our family and won our hearts. We decided to spend MEA break at RLRR helping Karen and the animals in an effort to give back to an organization that has brought so much joy to our lives.

MCKINLEY & DENALI

Here is Denali with McKenzie, Aurelia’s friend from school and McKinley with Aurelia the night before we headed up to RLRR. As you can see, they are living in the lap of luxury—quite literally. Kenzie joined us in our trip up to RLRR. 

 Our time at RLRR was an amazing gift, to be able to serve the animals there and assist Karen was our chance to give back. We arrived Thursday evening, got a few things done and Karen treated us to a wonderful dinner of homemade vegetable stew with home grown veggies. We spent the next 2 days covering kennels with tarps to keep the harsh winter winds out. We assembled kennels in preparation for the October clinic, washed dishes, did laundry, helped care for the dogs and cats. We even had some time to get to know some of the animals better and to reacquaint ourselves with old friends like Wolfman, who seemed to remember Aurelia from the June clinic.

Aurelia and Wolfman taking a sun break, with Nana close by. We enjoyed the constant companionship of so many loving dogs as well as getting to care for the 2 litters of puppies!

The weather was brisk, but for the most part sunny and a great time to be outside. The girls were so dedicated and never complained once about the intensive work or the long hours we put in. They did enjoy soaking in the pool and hot tub at the hotel in the evening. My aching bones relished time in the hot tub, enabling me to keep going each day.

Our time at RLRR can only be described as guided. It was a time to allow the wonderful dogs to help heal the loss of our Schatzie girl and to start creating space in our hearts for another RLRR dog. We had the privilege of the dogs allowing us to be their friend and the joy of loving them fully while we were there. Looking forward to our next venture to RLRR, not sure when, but we will most definitely be back.

Nana gets one final hug from Aurelia before we headed for home.

To close, we want to thank Karen for her tireless work, for not only does she save the lives of hundreds of dogs and cats each year; she enriches all the lives of those of us who are blessed to adopt a RLRR animal. 

The animals are wonderful teachers of how to forgive for past transgressions and to love in the moment, for in looking into the eyes of these beautiful animals I am filled with the loving presence of God.

Thank you Karen, Wolfman, Nana, Faith, and all the other dogs at RLRR our lives are better for know each of you.

Kim & Aurelia, and McKenzie