East Bound and Down!

Like Smokey and The Bandit Kerry and I joined a convoy last weekend and although we weren’t hauling contraband Coors Beer, what we were hauling made us feel just as giddy!

We were hauling puppies!

We have recently joined up with a group that moves dogs around the country from kill-shelters to non-kill shelters and to foster homes. I never even knew that this was going on until speaking with a White Shepherd Rescue that has now approved us to be a foster home.

Kerry and I were both nervous at first not knowing what to expect but everything turned out great. We picked up our load (each dog referred to by weight) at a parking lot in Center Valley where we got them from a convoy of other vehicles who had arrived only minutes earlier from some spot further South.

We had a “40 pounder” and two “20 pounders”. One of the 20 pounders named Roger really caught Kerry’s eye but we were told it was bad transport etiquette to ask to keep one of your transport dogs. We still thought about it though…

At the stop in Pennsylvania we chatted about the dogs with the other drivers, loaded the dogs in our truck that was filled with cages and followed another car with 5 dogs in it North and East.

Not knowing that we needed slip leashes one of the members of the earlier transport team was nice enough to give Kerry and me a dozen new leashes still in their package wishing us good luck as the newest members of the group. We could tell this was a friendly bunch!

Our drive was only an hour or so North and East to Lafayette New Jersey to a very humble shelter named Father John’s Animal House. Everyone was thrilled when we arrived including the dogs and we felt great that our little friends were safe from the kill shelter that they left hopefully far behind.

It has invigorated Kerry and me to do more of this and we have already agreed to make another run next weekend from Basking Ridge New Jersey up to Bloomingdale New Jersey. Just a 30-minute ride for us but what will hopefully turn into a lifetime for a few little dogs in search of a home.

Helping dogs is becoming a true avocation and the feeling that it gives in return is well worth the effort. If anyone would like to get involved, please email me and I’ll let you know when the next run is.

How do people do it?

How do they push their pets, in this case two dogs, out the door and onto the street?

A friend of ours just called and said her friend picked up two dogs in Scotch Plains and took them to a vet only to find out that they were chipped. When she got the owner’s name and address from the chips, she showed up at their house expecting a happy reunion.

Instead, the owner said that they are going through a divorce and “quite frankly I opened up the door and kicked them out”.

Well, I’ll tell you what I feel like doing right now but this is a family oriented site.

So instead of risking possible incarceration, we’re manning the phones and trying to find a place for these dogs to go until we can assess the situation and find them homes.

Unbelievable!

What goes around comes around though…I hope the lawyers take all their money!

Brendan’s Meadows Update

We’re holding our first official fund raisers to collect enough money to hire a lawyer and an accountant to set up our 501(c)3.

To do this we will be doing two things to raise money; selling shirts and dog treats.

Brendan's Meadows Shirt

Our shirts are for sale for $40 a piece and can be ordered on the Brendan’s Meadows website. Notice the incredibly cute mascot!

Our dog treats will be debuted at our upcoming wine and cheese party this October where we hope to celebrate the creation of our non-profit status. (Donations will officially be accepted at that point)

Our classically trained chef, ChefJimbo, will be preparing the treats which will be given out to each attendee as well as to whatever local pet stores we can rally to support us. Chef Jimbo not only cooks with a stove but does equally well with a guitar and keyboard…There might even be an official Brendan’s Meadows Theme Song for the affair as well???

Now that summer is over, its time to get this thing up and running!

Stay tuned for more…

Wrestle Mania!

When Meadow first came to us I have to admit that I was a little timid towards her. She was a large dog, albeit poorly nourished. Her temperament was a big question mark and at times I thought that she had it in her to turn on me. Now, after gaining much more confidence towards her and having had to wrestle her into submission lately, I am amazed that she has never turned on me and I don’t think that she ever will.

Meadow on 8/20/2009

She’s only two I’ve kept telling myself.

When she came to us as Princess, I can definitely see how the previous owners came to give her that name. The dog had absolutely no remorse and very little respect for what anyone wanted.

Catching her in the garbage…nothing.

Catching her with plates and bowls that she lifted from the sink….nothing.

Catching her after laying on the couch….nothing.

No remorse, not even a dropped ear.

However, she does all of this when we are not looking. The only bad thing that she ever does in front of us has to do with how she treats Sam and Gandalf and in particular Gandalf.

Sam does not have it so bad. He is her personal play toy and thank goodness for his sake that he is extremely submissive. I find myself constantly telling Meadow to leave him alone and then try to occupy her attention with something that I am doing but it rarely helps. I usually have to go over to them like a referee and put them in neutral corners if I want it to stop.

I think Sam likes to play some of the time. I have seen him paw at her when she stops knawing on him and he only shows his teeth or cries when he’s fed up. Fortunately, when he cries, she leaves him alone.

Gandalf on the other hand is a totally different issue. She would like to tell him what to do or not to do but when she tries, the fur flies and once again I need to wrestle her into submission.

Even though we just finished 8 weeks of training, she doesn’t do “down” very well and she only “stays” when you keep staring at her. The second you turn away she’s up. As far as “down” goes, it always requires a strong coaxing but she has never nipped or growled. If she did, we would have a serious problem and I think that she knows it.

Gandalf however, is not going to be told what to do and submit to her so I guess we have a problem until she either calms down, learns to listen to me when I tell her to “leave it” or until Gandalf attacks her once and for all and gives it to her really good! The last alternative, I hate to say, is that she breaks the ol’ guy down so badly he finally does submit, or else he dies.

Knowing his personality as well as I do, he would never give her that satisfaction.

I recently had her with my son’s Portuguese water dog Bella who is exactly one year younger than she is. What I learned from watching her with Bella is that Meadow is not a viscous dog because she was so incredibly good with Bella who must be half of her height and weight, if not less.

They jumped on each other, nipped at each other without hurting one another and generally played like they were littermates even though one was a 70 pound white dog with straight fur and the other was a 35 pound dog with black wavy hair.

It was incredibly fun to watch and I have had her with other dogs since then and she is equally fun-loving and playful. I would suggest another puppy to Kerry for the sake of Meadow having a playmate but that would go over like a lead balloon until we have Brendan’s Meadows up and running.

Nevertheless, my 16 year old four legged daughter is giving me as much angst as a two legged version would probably give me.

Thank God that no boys are ringing the doorbell and that she can’t drive a car.

The Princess is here…

Her First Day Home

In case you were wondering why I have not posted in a while, I have been super busy with our new dog Princess Meadow. She has her own blog and needs all of the help that I can give her. You can read her blog here.

She is a rescue dog that we got from Shake-A-Paw on Route 22 in Union NJ. They were so nice to her and to us and we want to thank them for everything!

Her name is Princess Meadow. Her name was Princess but we changed it to Princess Meadow since she is the first official rescue dog of Brendan’s Meadows.

Brendan’s Meadows

Kerry and I have decided that we are going to try and create a 501(c)3 organization to rescue dogs.

We are going to name the organization Brendan’s Meadows in honor of Kerry’s father who loved dogs and who had adopted many a rescue dog.

The stray and her buddy

We are asking those who want to become a founding member to pledge $1 to the fund. Once the organization is up and running, and we can take eligible charitable contributions, we will ask for more support.

The long-term goal of Brendan’s Meadows is to create a farm for dogs to live on while they await adoption or live out their years. We’ll do our best to never destroy any dog. It will also be a place where people who may not want to adopt a dog, can come to and still spend time with dogs in a fun and interactive environment.

It may be a few years before we can create our dream but in the meantime the fund will support local animal rescues and other good causes.

Dog Therapy

For anyone out there that has a dog…and is in need of therapy.

Thanks to Suzanne Shaps for commenting on this picture on Facebook

Dog Therapy

Snow Day!

 

Waking up this morning I looked out of the window and there was a good 5 inches of fluffy white stuff covering everything outside.

I was supposed to drive to Norwalk today to visit a prospective client and was out shoveling my truck from under its wintery coat when my boss called and told me that the meeting was off.

Like a child back in school, my heart lifted and the same feeling came over me that I remember when my mother would come into my room to announce the wonderful news!

Back then, I would jump from my bed and ready myself for a day of fun in the snow. Now, all I want to do is crawl back into bed and get some much needed rest.

Unfortunately, working from home when I’m not traveling, it’s not a day off by any means.

After making a breakfast that more than replaced the calories that I burned while shoveling, I’ve now fired up the Laptop and I am sitting with a cup of coffee reviewing my never ending to-do list.

Perhaps I’ll knock off a few of the lingering items and then go outside and play in the snow with the puppies.

Digger the Dog!

 

“Digger the dog, Digger he goes with you when you explore, just pull his leash and go for a walk, he’s your dog for sure!”

Definition per the Urban Dictionary

n., a dog that is not a dog but a lifeless toy. An imaginary friend created by a corporation. False hope. A sign of your dependency.

Darn I loved that Dog!

Lumpy Limpy…

 

Our old boy, Gandalf, is starting to fall apart!

I too am falling apart, but those dog years really make a difference when you’re on the decline.

Besides having both of his ACLs operated on a few years back and having a periodic limp that comes around each time he tries to act like a puppy, he has now begun to grow lumps all over his body and in particular around the fleshy part of his neck.

Hence his newest nickname….Lumpy Limpy…

Gandalf is in great shape otherwise. His weight is spot on, his hearing is still exceptional and no sign of any cataracts, yet…

He’s still a killer though, which is how I think he might have hurt himself again.

Yesterday, as Kerry and I were looking for a new house to move into, daydreaming in other words, Gandalf was up to his old tricks barking and growling feverishly each time we passed a dog on the road.

At one point during our trip he spotted a German Shepherd sticking its head out of a car behind us and I think that he got a bit confused because the car, and the dog, followed us for a mile or two and didn’t seem the least bit deterred by any of his aggressive warnings.

He certainly loves a car ride though, which is demonstrated when he gets the slightest inkling that we might be contemplating taking him somewhere.

Honestly, he’s almost psychic about it.

God help us if we touch a leash or his travel bag!!! Just walking back and forth from the house to Kerry’s truck, which is our “Dog Truck”, puts a puzzled look on his face and he stares at you trying to read your every gesture.

Sam, who loves a car ride too, but who wants to sit in the drivers lap while he rides, gets noticeably upset when his brother goes on the offensive during a car ride which only makes him try to climb into the front seat even more.

So, even though Gandalf is turning into a lumpy bumpy three legged mess, I suspect that he still has a few more years in him, given his undying enthusiasm and determination to kill any dog that he sees and does not know….

When he gets like that, his other new nickname is Grumpy Lumpy…