Gizmo

In honor of all the senior dogs, here's our Gizmo g-man! We adopted him after having fostered him in the spring of 2010. He was 8 yrs old at the time, and is looking forward to his tenth b-day coming up in February. He's quite a clown and a very good companion to his rather neurotic little sister, Meena! The picture was taken after a walk along the MN River this summer - and as you can see, they were both ready for a drive! This month has been an interesting one for Gizmo, since he's just started to show some interest in toys, and has discovered that his new favorite game is chasing me around the main floor of our house - and he's in way better shape than I am! He's a delightful little dog with some truly quirky habits, and we love him for it!

Lacey Lou

Back in July of 2010, we adopted little Lacey into our family. She was 11 yrs old at the time, and full of personality! She was sad to see her foster mom go that afternoon, but by the next day she was making herself at home! She has become the head cheerleader of our 6 furbabies. She supervises them all and keeps them in line! She loves all people and greets them all at the top of the stairs. We could tell when we first got her that she was given attention, but probably wasn't hugged or cuddled during her younger years. Over time she has come to like being held and cuddled and has become quite the daddy's girl. She has become very attached to him, but still is very friendly with anyone she meets. She is missing many teeth, so her adorable little tongue hangs out most of the time-so sweet! She is very good about letting mommy play dress-up with sundresses, Halloween and Christmas outfits. She just sits there with that look on her face like, "really mommy, again?" She
loves naps in her little bed but isn't shy about asking for treats and dancing around for them. She has some old disc issues with her back now and again, but with some temporary meds she's fine after a few days. I believe when she came to SDR she was very ill, and it sounded like her previous owners didn't want to deal with an older, sick dog, but they were definitely the losers in this case. Lacey is a treasure to us and we will love and care for her in her golden years the way we want to be taken care of later on in ours. Lacey is funny, sweet and spunky and she has been a blessing to our family. Three of our six dogs are seniors, and we feel very lucky to spend their final years with them. Please, please don't let older ages of animals deter you from adopting. They are a true blessing and just want to be loved like everyone else.

Our Little Buddy

Just over a year ago I rode along to Rochester with my daughter who volunteers with SDR, to pick up a 12 yr old hearing impaired Maltese mix named Buddy. She was going to foster him until he was adopted. Buddy sat on my lap on the way home and I think we started bonding then!! I kiddingly said that I should maybe take him home with me (we'd always been a one dog household). To make a long story short, he did go home with my daughter that day, however he was back at our house to stay 3 days later on October 16, 2011. It didn't take him long to adjust to us and his new surroundings. He follows me all over and he and our 10 yr old Westie, Ernie, are great pals and have their daily play chases. Buddy will be 14 yrs old on December 1st, and he's doing so well. He's very active, and loves to go for walks and explore our big yard. He is good with our small grandchildren, is well trained and has been a great addition to our household. We just love him! His previous adoptive
family was thinking about putting him to sleep because of some minor behavior issues, but thanks to SDR he wound up with us instead! With the help of our vet and some medication for his "getting older" condition, he is doing wonderful! He is a very happy little guy and loves to drag treat bags from the pantry to a nice soft spot for him and Ernie to eat! He has a lot of personalty! Don't let age be a factor in adopting-senior dogs are wonderful and we can't imagine our family without him!

Our Little Buddy

Just over a year ago I rode along to Rochester with my daughter who volunteers with SDR, to pick up a 12 yr old hearing impaired Maltese mix named Buddy. She was going to foster him until he was adopted. Buddy sat on my lap on the way home and I think we started bonding then!! I kiddingly said that I should maybe take him home with me (we'd always been a one dog household). To make a long story short, he did go home with my daughter that day, however he was back at our house to stay 3 days later on October 16, 2011. It didn't take him long to adjust to us and his new surroundings. He follows me all over and he and our 10 yr old Westie, Ernie, are great pals and have their daily play chases. Buddy will be 14 yrs old on December 1st, and he's doing so well. He's very active, and loves to go for walks and explore our big yard. He is good with our small grandchildren, is well trained and has been a great addition to our household. We just love him! His previous adoptive
family was thinking about putting him to sleep because of some minor behavior issues, but thanks to SDR he wound up with us instead! With the help of our vet and some medication for his "getting older" condition, he is doing wonderful! He is a very happy little guy and loves to drag treat bags from the pantry to a nice soft spot for him and Ernie to eat! He has a lot of personalty! Don't let age be a factor in adopting-senior dogs are wonderful and we can't imagine our family without him!

Annie

Meet Annie. She is a 10 yr old female shih tzu with hearing loss and a heart murmur. Annie was kept outside for the first part of her life by a family in Southeastern Missouri. They finally dumped her at the local animal shelter because they thought she was too old and not worth keeping around any longer. An independent rescuer saw Annie at the shelter and stepped in, pulling Annie out of her cage and into the woman's home. She reached out to many rescues, including SDR, to find help placing Annie in foster care. No other rescue would take Annie in due to her age, health issues, and appearance. Being kept outdoors her whole life, Annie was severely matted and incredibly dirty, so much so that she was unable to see through her hair. She had to be shaved down completely once she was pulled from the shelter in order to get her cleaned up and able to see again. SDR took one look at the photo of Annie when she was found, and agreed right away to take her in.

So Annie made her way on a volunteer transport from SE Missouri to Rochester, MN. Her first foster family fell in love with Annie the minute they met her. But the family barely had a chance to enjoy Annie's company when she started acting very lethargic after her arrival. Annie ended up being hospitalized due to extremely irregular blood work results from unknown causes. But Annie had a full recovery and went to stay in a new foster home that was closer to the vet clinic in case any other issues arose. Her second foster home was full of children and other dogs, and Annie made herself right at home amongst them all, stealing everyone's hearts in the process.

Next comes the best part of all. After everything that Annie survived in the first part of her life, her unique forever home was found. An adoption application for Annie was submitted for an elderly man named Harold on behalf of his family. Harold has assisted living staff in his home around the clock, along with constant visits from family members. Harold wanted to help a senior like himself out and give Annie a forever home. In return, Annie has given Harold's entire household the joy of having a dog. Below is an update from Harold's daughter on how everyone is adjusting to their new life…


"Things are going even better than I had hoped!!! She has brought such joy to not only Harold, but all of us. I truly feel as though Harold and her were meant to be together. He is so protective of her and has fallen in love with her. She loves to play and we all love to play with her - staff are always on the floor playing with her with her toys. We have two beds for her and she has always preferred to sleep in the livingroom but last night she slept in the one next to Harold's bed:) She has us all wrapped around her little paw. She loves her head, cheeks and under her chin scratched and makes little grunts while we do this. She now owns us, the house and the block (at least she thinks she does)!! She is the best and we are soooo blessed to have her. Thank you so very much for helping make this happen:)
She got a bath, haircut, nail cut, etc. Tuesday. She was an absolute angel. I was so proud of her. While we were there we picked out an adorable raincoat, winter coat, nametag, and a new collar since she doesn't like the halter. Harold insisted on staying up until she returned he was so excited and worried about her and how she would do. She is sooo funny. She digs her head in any bag or purse left on the floor looking for treats, tries to play tug of war with Harold's lap blanket, and comes running in from outside right to her treat canister. She was helping me fold clothes the other night - I was trying to fold as she was trying to unfold and play! Of course she won, she always does:) The other night Harold was having fish for supper and Annie was waiting for some. He gave her a few little bites and then the caregiver told him he needed to eat the rest that Annie had her own food. He grins at her with his eyes sparkling and moves his fork with a piece of fish on it to
the end of the table ready to give Annie more. The caregiver said, 'Harold, you need to eat that." He just continued grinning as he dropped the piece of fish onto the floor for Annie. A few of us were talking tonight about how we miss her so much when we go home and can't wait to return to see her again. Having her around has brought staff closer together as well. It is amazing! She has to have all of her toys in her basket when she lays down. I try to tell her there isn't room for her and all her toys but she insists:) Since she got her haircut she likes to have one of her blankets covering her now too when she sleeps. I could go on and on and on. I am so proud of her I feel like I'm finally a 'grandma.' And Harold continues bragging about her, even if you've heard it all before. What a blessing she is! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!"


SDR is thrilled to be a part of this touching success story, and will continue to work to help more dogs like Annie find the forever homes they deserve too. Thank you to everyone who helps make this work possible.

Volunteer. Foster. Adopt. Donate.
www.smalldogsminnesota.org

Velvet

I adopted Velvet in August 2012 after her elderly owner passed away. She is the sweetest dog I have ever met. I love her.

Photo #1: The photo that earned Velvet hundreds of views on Petfinder
Photo #2: Adoption day
Photo #3: Everyone is convinced Velvet's part kitty

The Love of my Life

Looley(aka Alexi) was kept in a tiny cage for the first 10 years of his life and used as a breeding dog. I adopted Looley when he was 11, and he is the love of my life, the center of my world. He spends his days following me around and sitting at my feet. He is always there no matter what and I can't imagine life without him.

Ruby's Favorite Holiday

Ruby (formerly Alli) dressed up at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic where she had surgery on her mouth. Life at the puppy mill was tougher than I thought. X-rays revealed evidence of a broken nose that was never set. Her severe periodontal disease had wasted away half of her lower right jaw and even more on the left side. Lack of bone structure caused the left jowl to hang and accumulate pools of noxious bacteria-ridden saliva. She lived with painful sores for years. Thankfully, Dr. Knutson was able to help Ruby with a face-lift!

Happy Tail

Hi, This isn't a story, but a request for more t-shirts that say, "My dog is a rescue". I purchased one from SDR a few years back for my husband, and it has finally worn out. It was a really nice design, not too loud, with the statement just in a small patch off -center, on the front of the shirt. He says that he has never worn a shirt that has gotten more comments and friendly remarks. While your other shirts at cafe press are cute, this shirt was a winner, and I am hoping you will consider "bringing it back" for purchase.

p.s. Single people should know that this shirt was real "chick magnet" or conversation initiator, not unlike walking around a lake with an adorable puppy or "small dog rescue".

Thanks for ALL you do!

Fly Free Little Prancy

I became a foster to Ablaze in 2009. She was an eight year old Papillon resuce from a Nebraska Mill. She had not been out of her crate, had weak muscles in her back legs and a tattoo of 315 in her ear. She never considered herself a foster because she instantly found "her person" in me and that was it. We renamed her Prancy becasue she had this little prancy dance she would do when she saw me or food or it was time for bed.
Prancy crossed the Rainbow Bridge this morning in my arms at 9:00. She had developed congestive heart failure and last night was a difficult one.
She had two months shy of three years of being loved, pampered. Out little dog Winston was her great teacher in learning to do the things dogs do and enjoy. We laughed until we had tears streaming when she first tried rolling on her back to copy Winston. She got to go on vacations, sleep on anything she thought would be comfortable, eat soft dog food (no teeth) and her favorite treat was rotisserie chicken from Sam's Club.
We are so sad but so grateful that we could give her what she had never had. She knew she was loved and she loved with her whole little self.
Be happy little one
Lynette Martin

A Closer Look

It's no secret that Small Dog Rescue of MN (SDR) prides itself on taking in any and all dogs in need that are 20 lbs and under. Most other rescues turn dogs away due to behavioral issues, age, or increased veterinary needs. SDR does not. It is not only important to give the best care possible to the dogs in SDR foster care, but to educate our followers on what we do and why we do it. As a way to understand what exactly SDR takes on when accepting these dogs, here's a closer look at a dog currently being fostered…

Meet Dori. She is an 8lb, 8 year old, red min pin. The first years of her life were spent being used by a backyard breeder to produce puppies for profit. In addition to putting Dori through excessive breeding, the breeder also had Dori "debarked". By the age of 7, the breeder decided Dori was no longer of use to her, and chose to have Dori euthanized. A kind and concerned neighbor caught wind of Dori's fate and intervened by offering to take Dori into her own home. This Good Samaritan reached out to SDR for help with finding Dori a suitable home. After almost a year on the intake waiting list, Dori was finally able to be placed in a foster home with SDR.

Once Dori arrived at SDR, she was seen by a veterinarian for a general health exam and routine dental cleaning. There were immediate complications with trying to place an endotracheal tube for anesthesia in order to perform the dental cleaning, creating a very touch and go procedure. Upon further examination by a veterinary specialist, it was determined that Dori's trachea had suffered major trauma from the debarking procedure that the backyard breeder had chosen to have done. The fibrous tissue that grew from the scarring had webbed across Dori's trachea, blocking her airway. She had a raspy sound when breathing and also choked a little when eating and drinking. Because of the blockage in the trachea, her oxygen intake was restricted, causing her heart to compensate by working harder to pump more blood. Because of this, her heart had increased in size and was very stressed.

Debarking is a heated topic in the dog world. It is an extremely risky surgery with no health benefits, and many health risks. It is solely performed for behavior modification, nothing else. Many breeders or hoarders will have this procedure performed on dogs in an effort to keep the noise of such a large number of animals contained in one place to a minimum. Families will also choose to have a dog debarked simply because they don't want to hear it. To go to the lengths of performing a surgical procedure on a dog for behavioral modification purposes only is simply inhumane. Surgical specialists that work with SDR agree that debarking is cruel and dangerous. The long list of side effects include compromised airway, dysphagia (problems swallowing), adhesions, formation of granulation tissue, stenosis (hardening) of the windpipe, infection, cutaneous fistula (hole in the windpipe), bleeding, aspiration pneumonia, gastrostomy tube dependence (relying on a feeding tube), tracheotomy
dependence (relying on a breathing tube, cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart), and even death.

Dori was experiencing many of the common risks of debarking, and was referred to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center to have surgery to help alleviate the suffering she was going through. The surgeon working with Dori was able to remove excessive amounts of scar tissue from her trachea with the use of a laser. Because of all the trauma her throat had suffered, a large amount of swelling occurred, and a tracheotomy tube was placed to assist Dori in breathing while she recovered. Dori was kept in intensive care overnight and woke up very panicky. The staff at the U of M helped to keep her calm by taking turns holding her while she recovered as this is how Dori felt most comfortable in her unfamiliar environment, a measure that was very appreciated by SDR.

Thankfully, Dori is now back in the loving arms of her foster mother and recovering very well from her surgery. Dori's medical costs are currently totaling $2,200.00, and she is worth every penny. Her adoption fee is a mere $300. This fully-vetted, house-trained, sweetheart of a dog deserves so much to find her forever family where she can continue enjoying the safe, happy and loving lifestyle that SDR has been able to introduce her to. For more information on Dori or other dogs currently needing homes, please visit www.smalldogsminnesota.org.

Happy Tail

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Ruby's continued progress

More on Ruby ...
Photo 1: Ruby enjoying a day at the apple orchard.
Photo 2: Ruby trick or treating on Halloween!
Photo 3: Ruby hanging out with friends.
Look for more Ruby adventures in the near future!

Ruby's Progress

I adopted Ruby August 2009. Here are pics of some of her experiences.
Photo 1: Ruby on the day of her adoption.
Photo 2: Ruby in the unemployment line.
Photo 3: Ruby at her new job!