Greatest Dog Video!!!

If this video doesn’t make you smile… there is something wrong with you!

They guy who made this video did so in honor of the Rescue that got him hooked on the Boston Terrier breed. Please check them out at Adoptaboston.com and other local rescues, there are a lot of sweet Bosties out there that need homes.

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Book Trailer

Take a look at the trailer for my new book, The Complete Single’s Guide To Being A Dog Owner!

Pass it on!

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Amazing Low Shed, Friendly Dog Still Needs a Home

Meet Rufus. He’s the kind of dog that the Obama’s should have adopted, but didn’t. But the good news is that you can still can do the right thing and adopt or foster Rufus!!

Rufus is losing his home in 10 days (April 25) because his owner have 5 dogs instead of 3 (don’t you think animal control should spend their time busting real animal offenders) When animal control comes back they will fine the owners and confiscate the dogs. But their loss could be your best friend!

Here is more on Rufus…
Rufus is a great doggy but due to L.A county rules my owner can not keep me. She loves me dearly, But I’m a dog that she knows would be okay and would be at my best with a new family that loves me. I’m awesome with kids, loves to play and play with other Dogs and I love to cuddle….

How good does that sound? And while it’s sad that his owners must give him up, it’s a great opportunity for a someone to adopt a well adjust dog who’s behavioral tendencies are known!

Rufus is 1.5 years old and a mix between a Wheaten Terrier and a Shi Tzu… maybe. But he’s darned cute whatever he is!

Email me at Betsy@lovethydog.com

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News Alert: Obama Dog On The Way

According to news reports the Obama’s long awaited dog is on its way to the White House!

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Dogs from an LA Dog Collector Need Homes

It’s incredibly hard to know about an animal in need and or about to be put down and not do something about it. And some rescuers simply can’t say no. They become unable to create boundaries; venturing into what’s called hoarding or collecting. The distinction between these two scenarios is subtle, but generally hoarders become unable to care for their dogs while collectors maintain adequate hygene and care–but far from what a dog needs.

Schnauzer Poodle Mix at Collector

A rescue group I work with, Lhasa Happy Homes was called to help the nephew of one such collector deal with more than 80 dogs and 120 cats that his ailing aunt has in her “care”. The aunt recently had a stroke, and is now incapcitated leaving the close-to-200 animals in jeopardy.  

There are Labs, Huskies, Poodle mixes, Pomeranians, you name it and they are all in desperate need of homes and or help. They have been relatively well cared for, and most are well socialized and all things considered are pretty healthy.

Click the picture to see some of the cuties and if you’re interested visit Lhasa Happy Homes or email them at lhasahappyhomes@aol.com.

To understand more about collecting, click here.

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Dog Adoption F.A.Q.

In writing The Complete Single’s Guide to Being a Dog Owner, one of my goals is to take at least a tiny step in bridging the gap between rescuers and potential adopters. There are tons of dogs for adoption, tons of rescuers and tons of people wanting dogs, yet the adoption process can be challenging to say the least, and I hear about it from both sides…a lot.

Available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Border's

Potential adopters complain of  difficult rescuers, and frustrating, dead-end, even sometimes demoralizing adoption processes and yet I also know the plight of rescuers. So along with the book, I am starting a series in my blog of  DOG RESCUE FAQs; common questions about rescue answered to help both rescuers and adopters communicate more effectively. Because remember, it’s the rescue dogs who suffer when communications break down.

1. Why do rescues require applications?

Applications serve many functions including creating a record of where the dog goes and to whom. But an equally important function the application process is to weed out less than serious potential adopters. If you’re not willing to put the effort into filling out an application, then what other somewhat-inconvenient things are they not willing to do? Having a dog is wonderful, but it is also a series of responsibilities; the first of which is filling out that application! Now that said, I know applications can be annoying. So if you’re filling out many applications, keep an electronic copy of your previously filled out answers; in case questions are the same from one app to the other, you can cut and paste your responses.

2. Why do they home checks?

Rescuers do home checks not because they are nosy, but rather to make sure your home is dog ready. Many of the dogs we end up with have been runaways in the first place. Rescuers look for potential escape routes regular people probably wouldn’t notice, and they also look for other hazards- poisonous plants and or the precarious placement of precious items a new dog might knock over- dogs are often given back for destroying things. And finally, one big reason they do home checks is because sadly, people lie on their applications… a lot. They say their yard is fenced, it’s not. They say they live in a house; it’s a studio apartment. They say live alone; they live with their parents who are actually allergic and hate dogs. So it’s nothing personal against you; it’s usually a blanket protection policy.

3. How come they ask how old I am?

Rescue applications often ask for your date of birth because, while age is not always a perfect indicator of where you personally are at in life, certain life stages are more condusive to raising a dog than others. Hello I just finished a book dedicated to helping younger, single people care for their dogs. So,  if anyone does, I know young single people can be great dog owners. But it’s not always easy. Rescuers get so many younger people turning in dogs because they can’t handle or afford it. However, by communicating what it is about you that would make you better suited to care for a dog for the long term– you are in a stable job, or have the support of your family, or own your house,  or will get pet insurance, and or you would live in your car rather than give up your dog– you will have a better shot transcending the age bias of some rescuers.

On the other end of the spectrum, rescuers are also a bit reticent to adopt a very young dog to older owners because while older owners can make the commitment and spend lots of a time with a dog now, dogs live 10-15 years and rescuers want to make sure that dog is taken care of for the rest of its life. To deal with this problem, I always encourage older owners to demonstrate what they would do with a dog in case they encounter an unexpected health problem. This can be a simple as providing  contact information for who would take the dog in case of emergency or some dog owners even write out wills!

So that’s the first of my DOG RESCUE FAQs! I hope you find these helpful. I’d love to hear from you if you have a burning dog rescue question!

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It’s A Boy

I took the plunge and I have adopted (from Molly’s Mutt’s And Meows!) the sweetest Labrador boy and his name is Ranger. He is 62 pounds of Lab Love!

Ranger, Me & JoAnn Worley, Loretta Switt, Jamie Farr, Henry Gibson

More details to follow, but I couldn’t not share the news. Here is a picture of us from yesterday’s Woofstock 90210.  His is the squishiest sweetest munchkin ever!

Stay tuned for more pics and deets!

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