Something to smile about!

NOTE FROM JOHN
.......today marks the one full year mark for Feather to have lived here with us.  She arrived late on the evening of March 30th of last year.  

She is a happy girl thanks to the efforts of people that believed in making the effort to give her a better life.  I have done the easy stuff.  

She is very thankful Karen to you and Linda and everyone else that made her new life possible.  She has been playing out in the side/back yard continually all day barking and displaying jubilation.

       

Sincerely,  Feather and her family.

ps:  You may have seen this picture before.  This is her best buddy "Ripley" the beagle that I babysit from time to time.  They are both the same age and love to play together and wrestle. 

Formerly feral Feather: Foster finds Forever

UPDATE FROM JOHN:

Feather is doing very well...making little bits of  progress....still won't let me pet her,  but she is coming closer and  taking liberties that show me that she is continuing to progress.  It might be years or never on allowing a person to pet her.....but that is OK. 

Here  is a picture of her laying on my bed while I was showering. She is happy, healthy and content and that is all that really matters. She is a very sweet girl......docile, submissive, peaceful, affectionate, playful.....lots of good qualities.  I would not even consider re-homing her.   She is very much a part of my home. 

As my hounds get older.....at some point I am going to consider adopting a good  playmate for her.  My younger hound is 10 and has permanent immune problems that will keep him on steroids the rest of his life.  The other hound is 12.

Chico is doing great and often can be found sleeping next to Feather. I have let Feather get a bit  chubby......(just like her dad)....so I am trying to very slowly.....taper her  food off gradually....to keep her at a proper weight.  It took me a long time to accept the fact that she was no longer a starving stray. If she hears me open a can of cat/dog food.....she is right there by my side.....hoping for a  treat. I always give her a little bit on the end of my finger and she takes it  very gently.

The Beagle is one of Feather's best friends.....his owner asks me to babysit from time to time. Feather loves having "Ripley" around. Ripley is almost Feather's age...so they play vigorously.

This next picture is rather sweet.  Feather is literally resting near my feet as I read the newspaper.  She seeks my company and wants to be close.

Sincerely,   John, Chico, Feather and the kids

Foster on Feather

ALL SMILES AT A RECENT DECK PARTY:

Hi, Karen. Thank you for letting me know about the Red Lake Rosie's Rescue posts featuring my foster dog, Feather. It was very sweet and my immediate reaction was to want to hug her, as I could hear her out in the backyard with the others dogs barking and playing. Of course, she still won't let me pet her, but she is improving and a very happy girl.

I sent some more photos to further display how far this little girl has come. This picture was taken on her second day at my house. Her underside looked incredibly worse than the top her body.

This was also taken the second day she was here. When we arrived the night before, she was so scared and disoriented that all she wanted to do was hide her head.

Within a few weeks, she started to understand that the routine here was not threatening. She was in a loving, caring, consistent environment and she started to start taking little baby steps.

All the while she never displayed the smallest bit of aggression or any tendency to bite out of fear. She was, from the first day, very docile and sweet, just scared and confused.

She got along wonderfully with all my other dogs and was very patient and gentle with the cats too.

After several days of being confined to this spot outside during the day, she started to recognize the play and friendly atmosphere at the house from me and the other dogs and she would sit up and watch intently.

Slowly, she started exploring more than just her little safe spots inside and outside the house. Each day I would try to challenge her a bit with moving out of her comfort zones to realize she was free to go anywhere in the house with the other dogs and outside to move around and play.

I was able after awhile to bring her down to the TV room so she could enjoy everyone's company there and relax with us rather than staying in her safe spot in the kitchen.

Gradually, her world started to expand. Her confidence has continued to grow little by little.

DENISE SAYS: Check out that SMILE!!

Feather becomes a caregiver

On Thanksgiving we received a very special photo showing Feather and her little feline friend so very comfy as compared to the first time we saw her.

UPDATE FROM FEATHER'S FOSTER CAREGIVER, JOHN:

Back on August 29th, I was asked if I would bottle feed a little 10-day-old kitten that was brought up to a rural home uninjured by the family dog. Here is a picture of the little kitten perhaps a day after I got her.

Since she was ten days old, I gave her the name "Desi" which is similar to the word for ten in spanish. Desi was so tiny and I was concerned for her survival.

I had another foster momma with much larger kittens, so when I could, I placed Desi in the middle of these kittens as they slept so she could feel the warmth and heartbeat of other kittens.

Feather it really seems to me displayed her "mothering" instinct as she was right by my side whenever I bottle fed little Desi. She always wanted to lick the baby kitten and even wanted to "help" stimulate the baby's bottom to pee and poop. She was a great helper.

Desi did very well and blossomed into a lovely little kitten.

On October 12th, I received another 10-day-old orphan kitten that was the only survivor of her litter. This kitten was named L'il Bear before I got her. Feather responded the same way to this little one. I really think this was the mother in Feather coming out. She was always right there for the kittens. It was very cute to watch.

KAREN SAYS: It was a time to give thanks to the creator, and to all the fine people out there who rescue and support animal rescue. Feather is an example of "nothing is impossible" with love and patience.

Thank you, John, for this miraculous transformation.

Feather: Feral to Foster

In early March 2012, RLRR got a call that there was a very starving, mangey stray dog in a yard in Little Rock. Thankfully she was starving or she would never have been caught as she was a very frightened feral.

She became a resident in a kennel at Red Lake Rosie's Rescuse, but it looked like there was very little hope for this girl which we named Feather.

Thanks to a very compassionate person named John, who traveled all the way from the metro to help get her crated and take on the challenge to help Feather overcome her medical issues of demodex mange and her emotional problems which were even more severe.

The photos show Feather's progress over a period of eight months in John's care. She is mange free and is making little steps toward trust.

Because Feather is very social with the other animals, John used this as a bridge to develop trust with her.

I'll share more of Feather's story tomorrow.

The Year of the White Dog

GRACESILAS & SOLOMONIt seems that in rescue, we go in cycles.

ASTRA & NOKOMISLITTER OF 7Some years it is the black dog- some years the brown dog- and this year it happened to be the white dog.

FAWN AND BELLA & BETABETA & BELLAWe had so many white dogs and puppies this year.

MILENAPETRA & PEACHESFortunately, white dogs are very desireable and we moved many to rescues and foster care.

SILVERSTARREnjoy the white dog pictures!

Karen

FEATHERASTRA & FAWN