Does Your Dog Chew?!

A guest written blog from two of our Mostly Mutts experts!  

Chewing is a perfectly acceptable and natural behavior for dogs. The problem arises when they chew on inappropriate, dangerous or expensive items.

Just like babies putting everything in their mouth, puppies and young adults will chew on anything.  Your job is to teach them what is appropriate to chew on and what is not.  This is an important job for you to curb your frustrations, the safety of the dog and to prevent a dog from losing their home

Reasons dogs chew: Boredom and frustration, Teething, Attention, Anticipation (some dogs chew just before their owner is due to arrive home), Separation anxiety (occurs if you work long hours)

Make Prevention the Priority:

Temptation: Puppy proof your home.  Pick up the remote controls, your shoes, and hide rechargers and computer wires.

Toy box: Fill a toy box with a variety of toys such as a stuffed animal, a tennis ball, a squeaky toy, a Nylabone, etc.  When you purchase a new toy, instead of giving it directly to the dog, place it in the toy box first.  

Chew toys: Replace an inappropriate item with a dog toy.  Provide your dog with a few tasty chew toys. Make it perfectly clear to your dog that if he/she needs to chew, it must be on the chew toys. It's a good idea to toss a dog toy stuffed with some tasty treats as you leave for work each morning.

Keep your dog in a safe and confined area while you are away from home. This could be a dog crate, kennel run or any secure room in your house. Of course you should provide a few chew toys in this area and ensure that there are no dangerous objects present.

Increase exercise:  For aggressive chewers, increase the amount of exercise (physical and mental), especially prior to your leaving.

Deterents:  Use a foul tasting substance (non toxic) such as bitter apple, cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce.

Put some tasty treats in the area, the chewing behavior will hopefully shift straight over to these.

Corrections: When you catch your dog in the act of chewing, give a firm "No!" and replace the inappropriate chewing object with a tasty chew toy. Give your dog praise when he starts chewing the toy. Never ever reprimand your dog if you don't actually catch him in the act of chewing.

TWO SECOND RULE:  You wouldn't reward a dog a minute after he/she did something good, so don't correct your dog if you missed your opportunity.  In dog training, you have two seconds to reward or correct a dog.  Supervise the dog better if you keep missing his/her bad behaviors. Leash a dog to you indoors if they 'sneak off to chew'.

Emily Shervin, CPDT

The Gratefull Dog

www.thegratefulldog.com  

Ain't Too Proud to Beg!

It's tax time!  Don't forget your contributions. 

For this year, please consider joining our

Ain't Too Proud to Beg campaign (ATPB).  

Mostly Mutts has developed an impressive reputation  for rescuing homeless pets with extreme orthopedic injuries. If we don't step in to help, the only other choice is euthanasia.  We want to continue to help, but without financial support from the community, we will have to start saying "no" to these unfortunate dogs.  Here are a few special orthopedic cases in just the past few months (all surgically performed by specialists):

Bolo - Rear leg amputation

Joe - Femur fractured - Surgically repaired

  Rocky - Two Ulna and Radial fractures - Surgically repaired (both front legs)

Cassidy - Ulna and Radial fractures - Surgically repaired

Cookie - Femur fracture - Non-surgically repaired (casted)

 Doug - Front leg amputation

Pending:  Puppy with fractured femur at an emergency clinic and a Cocker mix at an animal control with a suspected fractured hip.

Our ATPB campaign allows us to pay for these extremely expensive surgeries.  Join this today and at the end of the year you will have a nice tax-deductible donation.  Every one of you reading this can afford to be a Happy Hound :)

A contribution to this campaign makes a wonderful gift for your animal-loving friends and family member. 

Become a:  

Happy Hound ($10.00 a month),

Furry Friend ($25.00)

Tail Wagger ($50)

Best Friend ($100),

True Companion ($500)

and we know you are out there and we

would love to find you...our

Leader of the Pack ($1000.00 a month)

Thanks to those of you who are already participating. 

We challenge you to find one friend to match you!

Everyone from Mostly Mutts appreciates your support, but special thanks comes from the dogs themselves!  

Contact intownadoptions@mostlymutts.org for more information on the Ain't Too Proud to Beg campaign.

From Puppy Mill to Mostly Mutts to....Your Home?

5 yrs, 15 lbs. If you've heard about me before, I'm going to sound like a completely different dog! I spent my whole young life in a puppy mill.   There is no socialization in puppy mills so I'm a little behind with those skills.  Each day I learn more and get more comfortable being a house dog and a companion.  My teeth look like a 10 year old dogs teeth because they were damaged by years of chewing on metal cages.  My tongue permanently sticks out because of my bad teeth.  But the vets agree that I'm not older than 5 because my eyes are so young looking.  My new home MUST have other dogs because I enjoy the company of other dogs. I know there is someone out there who will provide me with a loving home and allow me to work at my pace. My foster mom is so excited about my improvements and you will be too. 

Dog of the Week-Miss Maddie!

We love our Miss Maddie but are sad for her because she has been looking for her forever home since 2010. Her wonderful foster mom brings her to Petsmart adoptions every weekend but Maddie consistently gets overlooked.  Maddie is such a good girl and she would be great with a family who works during the day and wants to come home to a dog that hasn't destroyed the house.  Or, a retired couple who are home most of the day and would love the companionship of a four legged friend.  Maddie can live with other dogs, cats and older kids.  She has an old break in her tail so she is sensitive in that area (so no young children).  Let's all find her a home by spreading the word.  Mostly Mutts will rejoice!

When Mostly Mutts Loses a Pet

Sadly, not all rescue dogs find loving homes.  Some come to us too late to save, too old to handle the stress of being abandoned, too diseased to survive and some are just taken too soon.  When a Mostly Mutts dog passes away, we have a few options as to what to do with the bodies.  One option is to leave them at the vet clinic for the county to pick up and incinerate.  Mostly Mutts believes this is not how a homeless dog should be treated.  Another choice is to take them to a place where they cremate the bodies, however the cost is too expensive for a rescue group.  This is where we feel extremely blessed to have the love and support of Dreamland Pet Memorial and Cremation Services.  Dreamland has allowed MM to forever keep our dog’s spirit with us.   

Kevin Marcy and family started Dream Land Pet Memorial and Cremation Services five years ago because of a passion Kevin’s family had for pets.  Being a licensed funeral director, he wanted a business that duplicated the human death care services for pets.  “After some research, I found out that there wasn’t a pet crematory in the state of Georgia that cared for pet parents after the loss of a pet nor was there a pet crematory in the State that cared for pets like they were human.   Every pet crematory requires the vet clinics to place the pets into a freezer until their driver comes around to pick up all the pets.   Dreamland tries hard to arrive the same day as called to pick up a pet, so they do not have to be placed in a freezer.  We saw the need for compassionate, same day service, where the families are cared for like they have lost a child, Because that is what it is like”. 

Mostly Mutts founder, Paige O’Neill, called Kevin a few years ago to ask if they would handle the cremation of one of the rescue dogs.   Because MM is local and Dreamland wanted to help as much as possible, Kevin graciously agreed to handle all the MM cremations then and in the future as a way of giving back and helping our cause.  “After meeting with Paige, Dreamland has been passionately supporting MM, due primarily to Paige’s fresh energy and a passion I hadn’t seen duplicated in many rescue group founders and that’s what it takes to make any rescue effort successful.”  Dreamland has taken care of over 50 dogs to date.  

Dreamland Pet Cremations and Mostly Mutts have one huge thing in common.  They love and support the homeless animals in the community and when it’s time to say good bye, they deserve the same care and respect as dog’s in loving homes.  Paige states:  “It’s a great feeling to know that when we lose a dog in our program we have Dreamland to take care of their bodies, while we take care of their souls.  Their ashes are spread on to our scatter garden that was designed by a Girl Scout a few years ago.  Our dogs can now rest in peace in a beautiful area near the shelter and are visited by deer, rabbits and lots of squirrels. “

We want to give a special thanks to Kevin Marcy for taking time to answer our questions about his work with Mostly Mutts as well as the services his company offers to pet owners when they lose a beloved pet. 

   

Mostly Mutts lovingly remembers all the animals who have passed through our shelter and spent their last days being loved by our volunteers.  We wish them peace and joy as the play on the other side. 

Volunteer of the Week-Tammy Turley

The Turley family is deeply involved with Mostly Mutts.  They foster dogs in their homes (including our special needs dogs), they close the shelter every Tuesday night and Tammy comes to adoptions to approve applications, etc.  Tammy also helps with interviewing applicants during the week, she runs our BFF (best friend finder) program and she coordinates the shelter committee. Without volunteers like Tammy and her family, Mostly Mutts would just be an average rescue group. She makes MM exceptional.

Thank You For an Awesome 2011!

Here is a video thank you from the Mutts to all our supporters, volunteers, foster and adoptive families.  This video says it all!  We hope you will see the lives we have touched and want to be a part of our work in 2012!

http://youtu.be/_owmjar3QcA

Be a Part of the Mutts in 2012!

Mostly Mutts is proud of our success each weekend at pet adoptions held at the Kennesaw PetSmart and the Pet Supermaket at AnsleyMall.  We get excited when our furry friends find loving homes.   We also use this time to promote Mostly Mutts…what we do and why it’s so important.  We take every opportunity to  raise awareness about spay/neuter and how this alone will save the lives of so many animals.  We receive generous donations which allows us to continue with our mission.  With the start of a new year, we will take a deep breath and find the energy to continue rescuing and adopting.    

The many Mostly Mutts volunteers donate a lot of love!  They also donate their time and energy.  Working with MM is fun and meeting new friends is a highlight.  After reading our post you'll want to be a part of Saturday and Sunday and share in our success of finding homes for the sweet animals that come through Mostly Mutts.

As soon as Sunday adoptions are over, we start working on the next weekend.  Volunteers monitor our phone lines and our many emails with inquiries about our dogs.  Potential "parents" are referred to our website where they can find profiles and photos of every dog and kitten available for adoption.  Applications that are submitted during the week are approved (hopefully) so these families can come to our adoptions events one step ahead of others.  Applicants are interviewed, counseled and references (including vets) are checked prior to approving apps.  We offer advice on dogs we feel would fit well into the family.  Matchmaking is our specialty!!

As dogs get adopted during the weekend, new rescues come in during the week.  Their intake involves baths, health checks, vaccinations, intake paperwork, housing them (either in the shelter or in a foster home) and offering them lots of love and attention.  Once they are spay/neutered, a volunteer will write a profile on each dog's personality to post on the web site. Volunteers are crucial for making these dogs happy during their stay with Mostly Mutts. 

On Saturdays, approximately 40-50 dogs come to the Kennesaw PetSmart to attend the adoption event.  At least 35-40 people take action every Saturday helping with shelter work, transportation, set-up, and walking the dogs throughout the day.  About 30 foster families drop their dogs (and kittens) off at 11:30 and then pick them up at 4:30 if not adopted.  Some take new dogs home to foster if theirs were adopted. 

All of this has be have one coordinator.  She sets up shelter transporters, ‘senior’ and ‘junior’ volunteers to help with the set up, volunteers to help with break down at the end of the day.  She has to train the ‘junior’ volunteers each week as these are often college kids who need college credit.  This person supervises the set up, gets profiles on the kennels, bedding in each kennel/playpen, supervises the dog walkers, etc., etc., etc.  It’s HARD work but it goes so smoothly week to week.  Often we have PetSmart customers watch us and comment about how we work like a ‘fine oiled machine’.  This is a nice compliment. 

Sundays are adoption days too and need coordinating.  Dogs available from the shelter are loaded on the van to travel to Ansley Mall’s Pet Supermarket.  Along the way, the transporter stops and picks up some of the foster dogs that will be going to adoptions.  Our “Intown” adoption team is waiting with kennels already set up and things ready to go when the van pulls up.  At the end of the day, foster families meet the van (if their dog is not adopted) and the others come back to the shelter until the next adoption event.  

Our volunteer coordinator is one busy girl!  She coordinates everything above and her work is rarely ever done!  She also monitors and updates our remarkable FaceBook Page.  This includes updating profiles, photos, etc.  Each week a newsletter is created to send by email, called our “Flea-mail”.  She prepares this by adding photos, comments and updates the volunteer’s names for the next issue.  She has too many jobs to mention but it’s a full time job with no pay.  

 Mostly Mutts had a successful  2011 due in part to our volunteers.  By our count, we adopted out roughly 550 animals for the year.  How awesome is that?!

If you would like more information  about how you can help volunteer, foster or be involved with Mostly Mutts, please visit our website at MostlyMutts.org or email us at volunteer@mostlymutts.org

Tough Decisions

Being in animal rescue has it’s emotional ups and downs.  Working with Mostly Mutts is mostly ‘up’ because we don’t deal with the families who abuse and neglect the dogs we rescue.  Unlike animal control officers, we don’t meet the families who surrender personal animals because they are an ‘inconvenience’.  We meet the dogs when they come to us, many scared and nervous, but most of them greet us with wagging tails and kisses.  They don’t know us but they accept our help and trust us to do the best for them.  Most of these dogs recover from their emotional or physical issues while with Mostly Mutts and then go on to live happily ever after in their new adopted homes. 

Not all dogs find forever homes though.  Mostly Mutts contract reads that we adopt dogs known to have no aggression toward people, food or other animals, or we disclose the behaviors.   We cannot, and will not,  place a dog into a home if we consider it to be “dangerous”.    

Take the story of Tucker, a Border Collie mix.  Tucker was adopted as a puppy and was returned after one year by his family because he was snapping at people and showing aggressive behaviors. Tucker was about 60 pounds, so when returned he was immediately taken to a trainer who assesses dogs for Mostly Mutts and she agreed that Tucker should be put to sleep after he bit her (fortunately on her boot).  Tucker was picked up from her facility by Mostly Mutts and brought back to the MM shelter.  He was to be taken to a vet clinic to be put down.  However, as he met each volunteer, he showed no aggressive behaviors and actually was a fun, happy and highly likable dog.  We made an assumption that he was not treated well by his former family and now was relaxed and happy.  We gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Even though he now had one ‘bite case’ Tucker went to adoptions every weekend and some of the volunteers grew very close to him.   He did well at the shelter and then found a foster home with a young college kid who adored Tucker.  He told us what a great dog Tucker was and even though Tucker was cautious around strangers, the foster dad had not witnessed any aggressive behaviors. 

As weeks passed and he was not adopted, he started to get a little unpredictable and did bite three people at adoptions.  None of these bites were serious and none needed medical attention, but they were unprovoked and unexpected.  A volunteer was assigned to him at adoptions to supervise him. 

One night the foster dad called me in a panic and told me that Tucker got out the front door and ran over to a lady talking on her phone and bit her on the leg.  At first the woman panicked but once she knew she was okay, she calmed down.  She was extremely frightened, the foster dad was very upset, and I knew MM had to make a very tough decision about Tucker.  That was his 5^th bite case and this one was totally unprovoked. 

In order for a Mostly Mutts dog to be put down, two board members and a veterinarian must agree.  In Tucker’s case, it was unanimous for many reasons.  He’s a large dog, he was unpredictable, he certainly would have bitten again and MM could be held liable if anyone was to get hurt.  If he were a Chihuahua, things would have been different.   We had no choice but to put him down.    

Euthanizing a physically healthy dog hurts deep, deep inside.  Even though the volunteers agreed, it didn’t make it any easier for anyone.  Tucker won his way into many hearts and he is missed very much. 

Mostly Mutts has its highs and lows, and losing Tucker was certainly a low point.  

Help Mostly Mutts During the Holidays!

Holidays are ahead

Please start thinking about your holiday

donations and keep our Mutts in mind!!

Your support is their biggest gift.  

  

Here is a Free and Easy way to raise funds for Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue:

This is going to be the easiest thing we've ever asked you to do!  Especially with the holiday shopping season around the corner, and of course year round, every time you shop online or search the internet, a donation will be made to Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue (Kennesaw-GA) by usingGoodSearch.com .

  

 GoodShop.com works with more than 2,500 stores (including Target, Apple, Petsmart etc) and every time you purchase something, up to 30% will be donated to us!  And, even more exciting, GoodShop also offers over 100,000 of the most up-to-date coupons and free shipping offers so you can save money at the same  time.  It's win win.

 GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo powered search engine which makes a donation to us each time you do a search

Join our community in using these sites to help us easily raise money for our mission.  Get started by clicking the "Become a Supporter" button on our profile page  here !

Melody-A New Lease on Life!

Melody 

 It's hard to forget the courageous story of Melody Victoria, the sweet pit bull mix whose owner abused her by sticking her in an oven.  This blog carried two stories on her fight and progress as she healed.  Melody has since found a wonderful home and is happy, content and loving life!  Mostly Mutts recently spoke with Melody's new owners and wanted to bring our readers an update on where things are with this amazing little doggie!

Melody at her favorite spot, Bark Station!

It's great to hear that Melody is adjusting to her new home and did so very quickly.  She is on a schedule that she enjoys and her and her older sister love to play together.

Her "dad," Nick, says that her favorite thing to do is go for car rides....especially to the place she loves to play, Bark Station!  Melody also likes to chew on her bones and nurse her blanket.

The good news is that Melody is completely healed and needs no further care for the injuries she so cruelly sustained.  She has gone to the vet for her checkup and received her bordetella shot.  She almost earned the nickname "tee tee terrorist" but a quick visit to the vet discovered that she has a urinary tract infection.  After a round of antibiotics she is doing much better!  Nick says that she is almost completely healed from her injuries.  Although her pads are healed, she limps somewhat  due to the fussed toes on her rear paw.  She is scratching a lot right now because of the hair growing back over her scars.

We asked Nick if Melody ever seems frightened or if it appears that she remembers what she went through.  Nick says that at first she would have loud dreams, whimpering and twitching but that those are happening fewer and fewer these days.  She does barks at strangers and takes time to warm up to new people.

Melody does plays well with other dogs.  She loves going to doggie day care at Bark Station!

Best thing about Melody?  She is very much a love bug, loving to cuddle and sleep all over her new family who she always seems to want to be touching.  Nick also says they discovered the reason for her name being Melody; she actually will sing to you to get your attention.

We asked Nick why he and his wife specifically chose Melody to adopt.  He says that they were looking for a companion for Issa, their other dog,  when they read the story about Melody. "We knew she would be a dog that would need a lot of love and we had a lot of love to give. We were just drawn to her -  we knew that she was the dog that we had been searching for.  I told my wife months before meeting Melody that I wanted a blue pit with the light colored eyes."

Nick adds that Melody has taken to training well and has already learned sit, stay, lay down, come here, leave it, etc.  Melody has a new lease on life and finally has a home that loves and adores her.  Mostly Mutts loves this happy ending!

 

Daisy's Story

She was a 4 month old sweet chocolate Labrador that should have been with a loving family and enjoying her puppy hood. Instead, she was dumped at a shelter where she was scared and wondering what she had done to deserve this. Daisy had done nothing except being born and that wasn’t her fault! As each day passed, she kept thinking they would come back for her, so the emotions of confusion, sadness and fear stressed her young body. With this, her body was invaded by a dreaded disease that can be deadly to unvaccinated dogs, mostly young ones. If treated early, the survival rate is higher. A volunteer with Mostly Mutts found out about her and remembered a couple that was looking for a Lab puppy. They were contacted and signed-up to foster and possibly adopt. Once they saw her shelter picture, they named her Daisy and were almost positive they were going to keep her. When the volunteer saw her, she knew she was very sick, so she called the couple and ask if they were still interested with her being sick. Without hesitation, they were on board and ready to meet the volunteer and Daisy at the closest vet since she needed immediate medical attention. While she was in the exam room, the couple patiently waited to meet their new puppy and take her home. That did not happen. Their first meeting was while Daisy’s lifeless body was laying on the exam table. She was now wrapped in a blanket and had a name for the first time in her short life. She never got to meet the family that wanted to give her love and comfort.  Please do not let Daisy’s death be in vain. Spay/neuter and vaccinate!  Donate to rescue groups, so they can save more lives and pay their overwhelming vet bills. Rest in Peace sweet Angel!

Tips From the Pros

Mostly Mutts is blessed to have scores of volunteers  who generously give of their time to help our organization.  As you can imagine, working with the many dogs and kitties that come our way, we’ve gathered some pretty valuable learning experiences between us all.  So who better to pass along helpful hints to our blogosphere?  Some of these we’ve learned through trial and error, bad experiences, common sense or just because we had to.  What about you?  Do you have a helpful hint you can share?  Be sure to leave it at the bottom of the post in the comments section.  Thanks to all our tireless volunteers, foster parents, adoptive families and staff who took the time to pass along these great ideas!  (below is the opinion of non-professionals)

TOY BOX:  The one thing we can guarantee from that new puppy of yours is that it will chew.  NEVER correct a puppy for chewing…just teach it what he/she is allowed to chew on.  Find a box that can be used as a ‘toy box’ (wicker baskets not recommened J) and then purchase several different types of toys.  Add to this box a ball, a squeaky toy, a rope, a Nylabone type chewy, and several other types of toys.  When you purchase a new toy, always place it in the toy box instead of giving it directly to your dog.  It won’t be long before your dog learns that everything in that box is his/hers!  Pick up each toy before going to bed and they will all be like new the next day.  Or…rotate the toys in the toy box ever few days.  Adult dogs also like to chew, so make sure they have a toy box!  Toys are important in kennels too so leave your dog with a chew toy or a Kong. 

POTTY TRAINING:  Stay on a good routine, keep your dog confined to an area, and leash walk them to a particular area where you want them to potty.  It may take a week or two but the more consistent you are, the more consistent they will be.  Always bring a very special food reward to give to them after they potty.  Save this special reward for potty only and don’t give it to them any other time. 

FOOD AND BOWLS:

When it comes to pet food, you do “get what you pay for’.  Feed the best food you can afford and look at the first five ingredients.  The first should be food and the others should be healthy. 

Dogs:   Use a huge water bowl so you don’t have to keep refilling it.  Use a very small food bowl so you don’t overfeed.

Cats:  Plastic bowls may cause "kitty acne."  Typically cats do not like to have their water bowl next to their food bowl.

TRAINING:

The number one reason for bad behaviors is a lack of exercise.  For many dogs, a walk is just not enough.  They need to RUN!!   

Wear your dog out with a game of fetch BEFORE you go on your walk.  This is especially important for dogs that pull hard. 

The second reason dogs develop bad behaviors is because they are bored.  Dogs are pack animals and can be destructive if left alone.  They need another dog to play with or their family with them.  Use a doggy day care if your dog does not do well alone while you are working all day.  That will make them very happy (well, at least most dogs). 

Dogs that live in fenced yards may get exercise, but they may still get bored.  WALK your dog a minimum of once a day.

Dogs repeat behaviors that are rewarded.  Therefore, focus on your dog’s good behaviors and reward them when they do something you like . 

TREATS:  We don’t recommend pig ears or cow hooves as they may not be pasteurized and there have been reports of dogs getting sick. 

We recommend COMPRESSED bones over RAWHIDE bones (ask the store assistance to show you the difference). 

COLLARS/LEASHES:  Invest in is a good quality 6’ leather or nylon leash.  Retractable leashes are not used for training.  Nylon or leather collars are best. You should never use a choke chain unless you are trained to use one…they are for training only and not to be used as a collar.  TRAIN your dog to not pull when on a leash (sign up for a training class to learn how).  However, if your dog pulls and you must have more control immediately, here are some suggestions.  Prong collars (or pinch collars) may look bad but they offer the most control when walking a dog that pulls.  Halti and Gentle Leaders are great ways to walk a dog that pulls but the dog must get used to the head halter first.  No-pull harnesses are also successful. 

MISCELLANEOUS: 

A tablespoon of yogurt will stop ear yeast infections and stop diarrhea due to antibiotics.

Turn on a radio or TV when your pet stays home alone. 

Bathing a dog in Dawn Dish Soap is an effective and inexpensive way to kill fleas.  It is safe for animals and kills fleas on contact.

Prescriptions are available for your pets at Target, Publix, Wal-Mart etc.  From one dog owner:  My dog has congestive heart failure and is on Lasix and Enalapril.  I can get both filled for $12 each (for a 100 for him).  Target periodically runs a coupon that if you bring in a new scrip you get a $10 gift card.  The pills by themselves are a great deal but coupled with the coupon, it’s incredible.

Remove a tick safely by applying a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball.  Cover  the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball  and swab it for a few seconds (15-20), the  tick will come out on its own and be stuck  to the cotton ball when you lift it away.

A Dog's Last Will

Miss Mavis at Mostly Mutts Too Long!

Mavis is a beautiful little Corgi who has been at Mostly Mutts for almost a year. We love her but want her to find her forever family as she is the perfect companion dog for anyone with an empty place in their heart and home.  She has a cute little grin as well as a mind of her own but any experienced dog owner will be able to get her to do what they want her to do.  Mavis has chronic dry eye and needs drops administered twice daily.

Mavis may be wary of you at first but once she knows she can trust you, she will welcome all the play you can give her, especially playing "rough" and flipping her onto her back to give her a belly rub. She'll still growl but it's her special way of saying "this is great!"  She loves to chase a Frisbee, provided it's thrown only about three feet and upside down so she can pick it up and she is thrilled with stuffed animals that squeak.

Other lovable things about Mavis?  She enjoys going for car rides, especially if she gets to ride shot gun!  She relishes her kennel and sometimes prefers to stay in than go out; she has a comfy bed and is quite happy snuggling for hours.  Although Mavis can be with other dogs she is not a player and would probably be best in a home where she is the only one getting all the attention.  She does not like cats so if you have those, she would not be a good fit.  Mavis can easily be your best friend and offers lots of love.  We think Mavis is at least eight years old but she is truly a puppy at heart.

Do you have a place in your family for Mavis? If so, come see her Saturday's at the Pet Smart on Barrett Parkway.  You'll be glad you did!

A Beautiful Rescue Video

This why rescues do what they do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7PZyHluEbE

George and Gracie

George

Gracie

Have we got a pair of sweethearts to blog about today!

Ladies and gentlemen, meet two of the cutest dogs ever....our very own George and Gracie!

These two precious babies were turned in at animal control as a pair and lucky for them, were rescued by the kind people at Mostly Mutts.  Their foster mommy says you can easily tell that they are a couple...siblings if not "married."  She goes on to say they exemplify the best thing about older dogs....they are EASY!  Calm, house broken, lovers of routine and best of all, they loved to be loved on!  Gracie is quite the ball player and is thrilled to play ball...in fact, it's almost impossible to get one past her if you're playing outside (as both this blogger and this video can attest too!)  Their foster mom has fallen in love with them and says they will be a perfect addition to any home.

George and Gracie appear to be full blooded Dachshunds and are roughly eight years old.  They get along well with other dogs and humans, although maybe not toddlers.  They love to burrow under bedding and Mostly Mutts has paid to have extensive dental work done.  We would love for these two best friends to stay together in a new forever home so they are both available for only one adoption fee; two fabulous dogs for the price of one!  If you're looking for sweet, low maintenance pets that ask only for love in return, contact us today about George and Gracie.  They will give you happiness many times over. Plus, you'll pick up a great little ball player!

Mangy Mutts are Manageable!

Hats off to yet another volunteer/foster parent with Mostly Mutts! Amanda Smitherman, a Kennesaw resident, takes dogs that come into our system that sometimes aren't the most pretty dogs.  Mandy fosters some those who have bad cases of mange and she has a special place in her heart for these specific babies.


Mandy relates that there are two kinds of mange that any pet lover needs to be aware of.  The first is non contagious and is referred to as demodectic mange.  This type of mange is caused by a sensitivity to the Demodex mite; the pet's immune system is unable, for whatever reason, to keep the mites under control.  Healthy dogs will rarely exhibit symptoms but dogs who are stressed, malnourished,  or immuno-comprised will show the signs of such mange with inflamed skin and hair loss.  Obviously, any dog that is a stray will be stressed and most likely malnourished so this is why a lot of Mostly Mutts dogs are often treated for mange.  Dogs with the non contagious mange do not have to be isolated, can be around other pets and humans and are often treated with Ivermectin, a liquid that is usually squirted into their morning meal.  It takes several months for their hair to fill back in, sometimes longer than those with the contagious form of mange.

The other form of mange, know as Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious to animals and humans.  This is caused by a burrowing mite that digs into and through the skin causing intense itching and crusting that can quickly become infected.  Hair loss and skin damage occur from the dog's constant scratching and biting.  Any dog with sarcoptic mange needs to be isolated and handled with gloves.  They are treated with the same medication and after about three weeks can be around other pets and touched.  Hair from this kind of mange fills in quickly.

Mandy has fostered dogs with both types of mange and says that they are not a lot of trouble.  The medicine is administered in the morning and occasionally she will need to give the dog a medicated bath, depending upon their condition.  When she has kept a sarcoptic dog, she used old bedding that could be thrown away and cleaned the kennel with a 10% beach solution.  She also recommends that you take them out to a different area than your other pet for at least three weeks. 

Mandy has fostered Hugo, Ebert and Dusty, all with mange although Dusty had the more severe form.  Mandy says the best thing is how much they appreciate being loved on after being isolated and miserable.  Thanks Mandy for your special love for these needy dogs!

What about you?  Are you interested in being a Mostly Mutts foster?  For more info visit our website...you'll be glad you're making a difference! 

Fostering Dogs-Not your Typical Day at the Office!

Jan and her family

Jan's typical view when walking!

Mostly Mutts is always looking for families or individuals who can foster dogs, whether they be puppies, ones recovering from surgery or that just need a quiet, in between place before adoptions.  We are spotlighting in this post one of our foster mom's whose love, attention and time greatly make a difference not only to the dogs she fosters and our program but in her own life as well. Jan Rhodes, a Cobb county resident, got involved with Mostly Mutts when her son, Jonathon, volunteered with his ROTC program.  Their Giant Schnauzer had died and the very next day they brought home their first foster, a white German Shepard named Beau.  Soon after, they got Gabby, a white Husky mix.  Jan says that even though they fostered her and brought her to an adoption, they were officially "foster failures" because they fell in love with Gabby and ended up adopting her.  By this time they had added a third "foster to the roster" and ended up adopting Brownie also.  So three dogs found a great home because of Jan's love for them through fostering!   So far, Jan and her family have fostered 34 dogs in the Mostly Mutts foster program!

Amazingly, the most dogs she has ever had at one time has been 11; nine puppies with two adult dogs plus her own two in addition to her two rescue cats.

Jan has a great outlook on the task she does; when asked what her favorite type of dog is to foster (puppies? those recovering from surgery? a certain breed?) she simply states, "I think the perfect dog is one that is at the shelter and needs the most help or the one that needs peace and quiet after surgery."  Jan has lovingly fostered dogs going through heart worm treatment, broken legs and currently has Gail, a sweet dog whose front leg had to be amputated.  She does love to foster puppies and says that having a variety of foster dogs at one time certainly keeps life interesting!

How does she devote all the time and love to so many needy dogs?  She says she doesn't have a real job, that fostering is her job and calling.  She still finds time to volunteer at the shelter and weekend adoptions and thinks the key to her success is that she thinks of the dogs as her children.They take not only a lot of time but commitment, which Jan is doing so perfectly!

Her favorite thing about fostering? The rewarding feeling when they find a forever home. Everyone who wants to help should seriously consider fostering; it's rewarding to get the dog out of the shelter and make room for another dog to be saved from a horrible situation.  There are just too many dogs without homes.

Has Jan suffered through an occasional chewed leash, broken lamp, busted cell phone or punctured furniture? Yes, but she takes it all in stride knowing that she is making a difference in the life of a dog. Thanks, Jan...Mostly Mutts appreciates you and the work you do!

We Need Dog Walkers!

Our Mostly Mutts shelter, located in Kennesaw, is in dire need of dog walkers!  It's a win/win for all involved; you get exercise and a great walking companion while a sweet dog gets some time out of his/her kennel and enjoys the beautiful weather!  Do you have an extra thirty minutes to an hour each day?  Do you walk anyway? Need an excuse to start walking?!  Help us out!  If you're interested, please contact us at MostlyMutts@comcast.net.  You must be at least sixteen years old to volunteer at the shelter, your own pets should be spayed or neutered and a background check may be required.  Great way to spend a night with your teenager and help our four legged friends all at the same time!  We would love to encourage you to work at pet adoptions prior to working at the shelter so you can get to know the dogs but if we'll use you for walking just the same!

Want to get more involved?  We can always use foster families for our animals.  You can foster in the following ways:

• TEMPORARY FOSTER- Want to help but travel a lot?  Many times we need a foster home for a short period of time, for instance, when a dog's foster family goes away for a few days. 
• LONG TERM FOSTER- At times we have a dog that needs a quiet home to recover from heartworm treatment or orthopedic surgery. These are dogs not quite ready to come to adoptions yet. 
• PUPPY FOSTER- We are always in needs of puppy foster families.  This is a great way to get your "puppy" fix!

Anyone who is interested in fostering a dog, please contact Foster@MostlyMutts.org or come to the Barrett Parkway (Kennesaw) PetSmart any Saturday at around 3:30 to choose the shelter dog you wish to foster.   There is no cost involved in fostering and we can lend you most of the supplies you might need.