I’m thinking good thoughts about Reba because I absolutely adore this Redbone Coonhound and want her to find the perfect home. She’s the dog who was found by the side of the road after apparently being hit by a car. It took her a week to get on her feet. Now she runs, leaps, plays and shows no signs of injury. And she is such a perfect, loving dog. Visit our website to see pictures and learn more about our adoptable pets. See below for update on Ladybug, my last "good thoughts" dog.
Ellen’s Notes:
Brenda is a dog on a mission. We found this out last week when we took her to visit a nursing home.
This brindle-coated lab/retriever mix may seem ordinary to you, but she knew just how to lift the spirits of the elderly she visited. In each room, Brenda sidled up to the resident and sat calmly and quietly. Gently, she nudged her head against any nearby hand. The result: smiles.
We knew Brenda would behave herself and not jump up on anyone. But we didn’t know she had such a gift. A few weeks ago, Brenda was on death row in the St. Louis City Pound. Staff there told us about her, and we were lucky enough to have room to take her into our program. Her gentleness makes her wonderful around the elderly but also around small children. Her grey face gives her the look of a wise senior although she’s probably not much more than 5 years old. On any nice day, she enjoys playing outdoors with other dogs.
Someone will be so lucky to adopt Brenda.
While at the nursing home, we visited Crackers, a little terrier we placed there before Christmas. He comes to “work” there 5 days a week, racing from car to front door so he can get started with a first round of room visits. Crackers' former owner abandoned him at a shelter because they were moving.
“Everyone loves Crackers,” a staff member told us. “He’s the perfect dog for us.”
This week we heard from people who adopted a Lab/Rottweiller mix from us a few years ago. The dog now has cancer in her mouth. For now, they’re just keeping her as comfortable as possible. They said, “The short time we’ve had her has been worth a whole lifetime of love from most dogs.”
Another adopter emailed about the two shih tzus (Gigi and Momo) they adopted from us a few months ago. “They are doing great. We absolutely love them, and they love us.”
Imagine. These two came from a home where their former owner thought they were too much trouble and left them outdoors, dirty and matted, most of the time. Now they are kept constantly spiffy in short puppy cuts. “We take walks with them when the weather is warm, and everyone who has met them thinks they are darling. We feel so blessed to have them in our home.”
Those are the stories that keep us going.
Slim the Whippet still talks to me constantly, but he will soon leave to live out his life (probably numbered in months since his diagnosis with bladder cancer) with other whippets. I’ll miss him, but I’m betting he’ll enjoy those other skinny canines.
People are always asking where we find our dogs. Looking around me, I see Zelli, a sheltie mix who lived several weeks in a cramped cage in the City Pound. This was after authorities removed her from a neglectful home. She might be deaf, but she is so sweet and easy. Someday maybe we’ll receive a note about how much she has meant to someone.
Mandy is a Lhasa Apso who was found as a stray. The person who found her placed ads in newspapers, put up signs and called shelters to see if anyone had reported losing her. When no one responded, she called us. Mandy will find a new home easily.
Poochini is a black and tan Pomeranian. He’s a puppymill survivor about 7 years old. He’s a little too scared, a little too noisy, and way too cute for his own good. He’ll find a home with people who will love him for the charmer he is.
Irene is a tiny old schnauzer turned in to a shelter when her owner died. We think she’s had a rough life. She peeks at me around corners but runs when I approach her. Once I catch her, she settles in, but she still – as we often say – needs some work and a lot of tlc.
Minnie Cloud is an American Eskimo picked up as a stray and locked up in St. Louis County Animal Control for a couple weeks. No one came for her. After a few hours of nervous behavior after we bailed her out, she settled in and became an angel dog.
And then there’s Trent He missed the Academy Awards, but he should have been a contender. He’s only 4 to 5 months old and probably an Airedale mix. When we first saw him in a nearby shelter, he belted out cries of distress and limped around his cage. We figured he was injured and needed immediate vet care. So, although we don’t often take puppies, we rescued him and soon found out his legs were fine and so was he. He sometimes demonstrates his distress cry for us, but thankfully not too often. Had we left him behind, he could have been euthanized the following day. For knowing how to take advantage of his big break, he deserves some sort of award…and a good new home.
Poor Ladybug. I was concentrating on this little Tibetan Spaniel or Beagle/Pug mix in my last blog, hoping to find her a home. She almost found a good home not once but twice in the past week. In the first home, she scared off a visiting dog with her little dog attitude. In the second home, her problem was the hamster. Rather, she was the hamster’s problem. Ladybug is about 10 years old, loving to all people, pushy with other dogs and Not a friend to hamsters. She needs the right home.
Going into another adoption weekend, I’m hoping to see many dogs go on to new homes. We’ve got a long list of other dogs in need of rescue, including several that were among 70 animals taken from one home in a humane society raid.
Ellen Ellick
President/Founder
St. Louis Senior Dog Project