What Can You Do With A Rescue Dog?

Dog sports have become all the rage lately. People are joining sporting groups in higher numbers then ever before. There is dock diving, for those that love the water and to fetch. Fly ball for those that love to fetch but prefer to stay on the ground. Frisbee, doggie dancing, Rally-O, agility, etc. The list goes on and on. And with so many options, it’s easier then ever to find something that both you and your dog like to do.

One of the best things about these sports is that you don’t have to have a pure bred dog to do them – or to compete. In fact, some of the best dogs for these sports are found in your local animal shelter/rescue. They are the “throw-away” dogs. The dogs that are too energetic for the family. The dogs that are “ball obsessed”. The ones that jump the fence and bother the neighbors with their barking. These are the dogs that excel at sports because they are the ones that need them most – the ones that need a job to do.

But if a drive-y Border collie mix isn’t your idea of a great companion, have no fear – you can do these sports with the couch potato types too. All you really need is good relationship with your pet and some extra time. Don’t believe me?


Meet mole: Mole is an 11 year old Chihuahua mix who started agility training earlier this year. Yes, an 11 year old Chihuahua. I had been looking for a sport to do with one of my younger dogs, and while searching, I found out that my little old man had an interest in agility obstacles. Who would have thought that I would be doing tunnels, dog walks, and teeters, with this dog? But he loves it, so we do it. But due to his age, we have to make some adjustments in order to ensure that we continue our working relationship for years to come.



Meet Mac: Mac is a 7 year old pit bull mix who enjoys dancing – but not late into the evening. Mac is a true couch potato and bed hog. He would rather be sleeping then fetching, and eating then swimming. But Mac has just the right amount of energy for the one hour class each week and 15 minutes of training most nights. And Fred Astaire has nothing on this sweetie when he is doing his thing to the music on the dance floor.



Meet Q-Tip: Q is a 2 ½ year old poodle/lab mix wonder dog! She enjoys agility and obedience but her favorite sport is Rally-O. Rally obedience is very similar to the stricter obedience that most of us have seen at dog shows, but rally-o has a bit of a twist – you and your dog follow signs directing you around the ring by doing different behaviors (sit, down, turn), and the best part, is that you get to talk to your dog while you do it! This is why Q loves this sport best! Her mom can encourage her throughout the mix breed dog club trials they attend making them even more fun. And when they aren’t training together, Q is pretty easy going and shares her mom with two other dog siblings.

A Halloween Warning

"It's not just an urban myth black cats if left outside can be prey to animal abusers particularly around Halloween time. I know this because of a small kitten, named Rowan, who was rescued shortly after Halloween. I was volunteering at the Hopalong office 3 years ago when a call came in from an employee at the Pet Food Express store in San Leandro. The employee stated that a woman had rescued a kitten from some boys who were abusing him in the parking lot. I volunteered to go and pick him up and bring him back to the office. When I picked him up another store employee mentioned that he was missing hair on his back legs.

Back at the office Andy checked him out and diagnosed that his back legs had been burned. I volunteered to foster him and give him lots of love and TLC. Hoping that I could help him to heal physically and emotionally. When I brought him home he allowed me to put aloe vera gel on his hind legs and to cuddle him, but he seemed to be in shock. When I let him down on the carpet he ran under my bed and I rarely saw him for the next 6 months. He still came out to eat and to use the litter box but then would run back under the bed. With time and patience he ventured out into the living room but would run whenever I got near him. He also avoided my cats. But one day things changed and I found him cuddled up with my senior cat, Hannibal, in one of the cat beds in the bedroom. It' has been three years and he's come a long way. He enjoys playing with the many kittens I've fostered and comes up to me occasionally to be petted. He also likes to smell whatever food I'm eating. Recently he's let me brush him a little bit. But he's still easily startled and at times still runs from me. I don't know if he'll ever feel totally safe but that's my wish for him."

Many people have heard anecdotal stories like these around this time of year. But this one is true. And this little kitten was lucky enough to survive and to find a loving home where he will never suffer from abuse again.

Lemon - Remember this Little One?

Despite facilitating the adoptions of over 1000 animals each year, we somehow find ourselves falling in love with each and every one of them. A particularly special bunch was Remy and her puppies. Remy came to us back in April from the Oakland Animal Shelter with 8 puppies - and they were all just as cute as can be. Naturally we were thrilled when we got this email from her fosters earlier this month:

When our dog of 11 years died, we were devastated. We went back and forth whether we wanted to get another dog for three years. We began to look on the Internet at the rescues and shelters. We found so many animals needed homes, and decided we would get a puppy from a shelter/rescue. We looked for a long time, and finally saw a litter of puppies on Hopalong, and knew that we wanted one. We applied, and they called us back right away. After reviewing our application, checking with our vet, we were approved to adopt. They recommended a certain puppy out of the litter for us (Lemon), one they thought would fit in with our family. We went to meet the puppies, and fell in love with Lemon right away. She was the runt, and very timid. We've had her six months now, and she is better than we ever hoped for. We get so many compliments on her, and on how Hopalong did a great job matching her up with us. She was clean, well-taken care of, and very sweet. We could tell her foster family also did a great job with her. We can't say enough good things about Hopalong and the people who work there!

We were even more thrilled when we got this picture to go with it

Lemon (now Cali) and her big brother taz!

You CAN move with your pet

“we ‘re moving”

Is the number one reason people give when they relinquish a pet. However, with a little time and effort, you can move with your pet. And when all they give us is their time and their love, we owe it to them to consider their needs when we move. After all, pets are a part of the family. And you wouldn’t leave grandma behind when you move, would you?

Even though moving with pets can be difficult, it can still be done. In the past, I have moved with both cats and dogs – one time I moved with 3 small dogs, and one pit bull – I KNOW it can be done! And here are a few things that you can do to make it easier to find housing that allows dogs/cats:

Check on-line for housing: there are many agencies on-line that make it easy to find pet friendly housing. There is a box for it right next to items such as one bedroom or two; or walk in closest; or washer/dryer in unit. These are basic necessities when looking for a new place – just like our pets should be.

Make sure that your pet is up to date medically. This means that you should make sure that all necessary vaccines are up to date. That your pet is spayed/neutered, microchiped, and licensed with the city. It is also a good idea to have your vet write a letter of recommendation saying what a wonderful pet you have and what a responsible owner you are for making sure that you pet’s medical needs are always taken care of in a timely manner.

Make sure that your pet has good manners: landlords are more willing to accept pets if the pet is friendly and well-behaved. Obedience classes are not only fun for you and your pet, but they also ensure basic manners. If you can, you should look into getting a canine good citizen certificate for your dog. It does require more training, but helps to show the dedication that you have for your dog.

Clean up after your pet: many landlords are afraid that dogs and cats will soil the carpet and will chew on the walls. Ideally your pet will be housetrained before moving into your new place. If not, you should look into crate training your pet. This will not only help reduce accidents, but will also keep your pet from committing any other destructive behaviors. Also, talk to your landlord about paying a pet deposit, and also offer to have the carpets cleaned every 6-12 months. And this goes without saying: clean up after your pet outside too. Landlords do not want to hear complaints from other tenants about your pet’s potty habits. If you have rented before with your pet, ask your previous landlord if he will write a letter of recommendation stating how your previous house/apartment was cared for.

Keep your cat indoors: If you have a cat, keep him or her indoors. Not only is it safer for your pet and the local wild life, but it also keeps neighbors from complaining to your landlord about your cat wandering.

Be honest: be honest with future landlords about what kinds and how many pets you have. Also, if your landlord does not allow pets, do not get them, or try to sneak them onto the property. This makes it difficult for them to trust you later on.

FUR BALL

Great Adoptions!

Since our last blog post we have adopted out 10 (TEN!) Black / Black and white kittens!

Here they are (in no particular order)

Vigilence

patience

curiosity

marley

milton

alice

sammy

ricky

leon

chuckie

Our total September adoption numbers (so far. . .)

dogs/puppies : 12

cats/kittens: 26

and that is in the middle of a move!!!! A big thanks to our fosters and volunteers who help us make all this happen! You guys rock!

Get Lucky - Adopt a Black Cat

Studies show that black cats are about half as likely to be adopted as other cats. On average, they stay several months longer in shelters than any other cats. Black cats are frequently left waiting in shelters hoping to find a home only to be euthanized when their time is up.

Black cats are routinely overlooked by potential adopters for a variety of reasons – superstition, they don’t photograph well, they aren’t distinctive, and there are so many of them in the shelters that they just don’t stand out like the colorful calico or orange tabby.

Black cats have a common characteristic of being easy-going and good-natured. They have so much love to offer and ask for so little in return. Black cats do not all look alike and if you look closely you will see that they are truly gorgeous and regal creatures. The glossy satin sheen of a black cat is unlike any other. When their fur catches the light, it shimmers. There are many different kinds of black cats and all are beautiful – auburn shaded black, blue black, black with tiny white highlights, sleek black, fluffy black and colorful eyes – green, yellow, copper and gray. Some black cats even have tabby markings.

Nevertheless, many black cats never get the opportunity to show people how perfectly they would fit into the family’s household. Shelters and rescue groups encourage potential adopters to give a black cat a chance – their playful, easygoing attitude will charm you into making them a permanent part of your family.