Bully Bash

“I might pick her up after work for a sleep over,” I said to Jessica. “That’s fine, just text me if you decide to, I’ll be here.” Then after work, I texted her, “I forgot I have to pick up Julius, I guess Tora will have to stay in the kennels tonight.”
Her response was simple and yet I still felt crushed. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
I couldn’t let it go and since traffic was light, and I picked up Julius easily, I called our long suffering Shelter Director yet again. “If you’re going to be there for a little longer, we’re on our way.”

She and Tora met me and Julius at the door and we decided to do a brief interaction out front and when it became apparent that the combined 160+ pounds of dog were going to get along, we let them play out in the yard for a few minutes where 8 year old Tora became a bouncy happy spring chicken (or perhaps a cougar with her platonic interest in that young stud gelding).

Familiar pose, different bully.

Satisfied that the Pitty Van would survive the boundless joy of these two, we loaded them up and I headed for home where Asia was already preparing the house with gates and closing Ray off for a while before any introductions could occur. Julius and Tora bounced about the yard and after a bit we decided to do some brief intros with Ray. I put Julius in the garage for a while and Asia and I did some leashed brief meets with the two American Bulldogs. Ray, who has way fewer social skills, seemed eager to meet this buxom beauty, but was somewhat over stimulated (though not nearly to previous degrees) and he did snap at her a couple of times. Tora, in her eternally sunny manner, just ignored Ray’s rudeness. We decided to let Ray decompress for awhile upstairs and after about an hour, he was happy to be downstairs with the rest of us, though behind a gate.

Asia, who is obsessed with Miss M, loves, loves, loves Tora.

So, how did our Bully Bash go? Well, Tora (or Big Girl, Big Mama, Mama as she responds to) was probably the worlds most perfect and appreciative guest. She wore a huge smile on her face the entire evening, and was eager to do anything we asked of her, which mostly consisted of receiving treats and lovings.

Please do not notice the poor condition of our yard.

So if you don’t want an affectionate dog, don’t adopt her. She settled on her mat and helped cook dinner without being a beggar-face, so if you want a rude dog, don’t adopt her. She got along really, really well with Julius (my rock star) and did really well with Ray, so if you aren’t looking for a friendly, mature dog with lots of life to live and lots of love to give, don’t adopt her.



Sweet houseguest

I love how she just found a cozy spot in the kitchen to settle in for the night, but upon learning she would be sleeping with the girls, she just grinned from ear to ear and settled in like the perfect dog she is.

American Bulldogs-Johnson type and Scott type.  Oh, and the AmStaff.

When you first meet this Big Mama, and move to pet her, she lays low on the floor and wiggles her tail, but after about an hour, she was confident and readily accepting of attention and even nudged Julius out of the way (nicely) to get her share of lovings. She is not a resource guarder as well as we can figure, because she and Julius were taking treats together, and he even stuck his big head in her breakfast bowl and she just backed up to let him have a taste. She did really well with the baby and with friends who stopped by and although she is 8, she has so much life and love yet to give. People often say they won the jackpot with certain dogs, but with Tora, you’d be winning the Powerball Mega Millions. So if you don’t want to win the Powerball Mega Millions, don’t adopt her.

Shared Success

Have you ever wished you had gotten in on the ground floor of something?  Maybe like Forrest Gump and his orchard investment?  Well, the Allen County SPCA has been around for a very long time.  They've been around for over 60 years and if you're counting or being catty, that's longer than I've been around.  (smile) 

The thing about this shelter, though, is that I do feel like I got in on the ground floor of something awesome and life-changing.  One day I drove down there on my lunch hour but that isn't even the beginning.  I clicked on their website nearly every day for several months, just checking on their adoptable animals and then I finally wandered in.  I remember grilling the kind woman at the front desk about their stance on Pit bulls and was this a kill-shelter, etc.  Satisfied with the answers, I decided to fill out a volunteer application and after orientation began my journey of falling in love with the various temporary residents.



Orientation was actually on two different days, one for cats and one for dogs and on dog day, I actually met the new Director of the SPCA who was also just starting.  Little did I know at the time that although the initial answers were what I wanted to hear, the practice was slighly different.  Still a no-kill shelter but with a limited intake system, though Pit Bulls weren't banned they didn't appear very often on the kennel floor.  There were several lab mixes and several boxer mixes, all with blocky heads, but not until King was there truly a Pit Bull.

Ground floor, people.  The new Director not only has expanded the intake program to allow Pit Bulls, but now elder dogs are eligible to enter the SPCA's program.  Little blind Boo entered the program and was adopted.  No longer was the application a tome that asked for the blood of your first-born, but a real application for real people.  In 2012, 819 animals found their forever home with the help of the SPCA.  This past year, 2013, the number shot up to 1274.  The average stay for a healthy dog is about 7 days now which allows for so many more deserving animals to find their forever homes, but less time for us volunteers to fall in love. 

King was at the shelter for over a month.  During that time, not only did I fall in love with him but Kevin did as well and we were that close to committing to him, although at the time, Ray was kind of a wild card. 

Seven days.  In less than seven days, I met, fell in love with and bade farewell to Poppy and this post was meant to be about her,  but there is always another waiting in the wings to fill that little space in my heart.  It's time to look forward and not backward so with that in mind, I'd like to introduce you to Herschel. 

Every time I pass him by, I remind him that he has  a funny face and in return he wags his tail at me.  Herschel is 8 years young and ready to share his funny little face with you.

Adopt a Senior

As we close out November, which was Adopt a Senior month, I'd like to highlight these two sweet treats who are currently at the Allen County SPCA. They are a bonded pair, which I can certainly attest to. I walked each of them the other day and was told by other volunteers that they each were quite upset when the other was gone. The other thing I can attest to? They are puppies in senior clothing. They were both eager are ready to chase squirrels, leaves, air, etc. and had a wonderful time on their walk.

Because they are an older bonded pair, the shelter staff hope they can stay together and have listed them with a single adoption fee.

Please share.


Chocolate and Vanilla, seniors in age, pups in spirit.



I leave you with this poem that is making it's way around Blogville:


One by One, they pass by my cage. Too old, too worn, too broken, no way.
Way past his time, he can’t run and play.
Then they shake their heads slowly and go on their way.

A little old man, arthritic and sore, It seems I am not wanted anymore.
I once had a home, I once had a bed, A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail. Who wants a dog so old and so frail? My family decided I didn’t belong, I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head, Can’t justify how they left me for dead. Now I sit in this cage, where day after day, The younger dogs get adopted and driven away.
When I had almost come to the end of my rope, You saw my face, and I finally had hope. You saw thru the grey, and the legs bent with age, And felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed, And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head. We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low, You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another, But you outshine them with a love so much stronger. And I promise to return all the love I can give, To you, my dear person, as long as I live.
I may be with you for a week, or for years, We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears. And when the time comes that God deems I must leave, I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new, My thoughts and my heart will still be with you. And I will brag to all who will hear, Of the person who made my last days so dear.
- Author Unknown

Gray Muzzles

I didn't even give her picture a second glance.  Typically, before I head to the shelter, I look at their website to see who is currently available.  Being that  I go on my lunch, it kind of helps me plan my visit.  I usually pick out a few that I want to visit with (and yeah, it's usually some type of Pit bull or "bully" breed).  Sometimes it's a puppy or one who needs a little TLC due to stress in the environment.  This day was no different.  I saw a few Pit Bull mixes that I wanted to visit with.  I saw a familiar face attached to an unfamiliar name and my eyes wandered right over her.  In fact when I saw her, I didn't even know she was a "her."

I visited with some puppies, threw a ball in the yard with my Lily-Rumor bug for a while, took another sweet faced gal out for a pottie break and then I saw her.  In fact, I had walked by her kennel at least six times already before casting a glance her way.  Her silver muzzle was striking below her kind brown eyes.  I read her kennel card:  Eight years young and unable to move with her family, so she was surrendered.  I immediately burst into tears and took her out for a walk. 

Who does that?  I know that plenty of people do, but who does that?  Ten years ago we moved to this general area and although we had a list of requirements for the house, our nearly top priority was the ablilty to fence the yard for our Chow-Chow.  We discarded many viable options based on that single criteria.  I know  not everyone has that option and sometimes circumstances are beyond our control but who does that? 

Jazz is calm, happy, loving and gentle.  She is smart and agreeable and has many good great years left. 

With November being adopt a senior month, I am going to ask that you share her or any other senior that you know of who is presently in a shelter waiting for their final forever home.