Dog Mountain

Eating lunch with the dogs has become a real challenge - what with everyone trying to play 'king of the mountain' on the picnic table during our breaks. And then it dawned on us - A mountain! It's time to create one just for the dogs. Just as we were imagining what Dog Mountain might look like, a wonderful donation from LUSH Charity Pot showed up to help us get there. Woot! Perfectly timed. So the pressure is on: It has to be functional AND beautiful too, to honor our kind donors.

So, Voila! Here arrives our new agility tunnel to replace the old nasty blue one that the dogs loved just a little too much over the years. And just today from the wine country - because every self respecting play structure should be built of recycled goods - a batch of used wine barrels, beautifully stained with the best merlot. Viva Northern California!

So we heaved everything into a circle for now and stood back and stared. How do you make a Dog Mountain? How high should it go? Sassy hopped right up on our first layer and said, "This is good. Keep going." And Corndog smiled up and said, "Will there be food up there? I need steps!"

So we'll stare and heave and rearrange and stare some more, and hopefully we'll have something mountainous to report back on very soon. Suggestions welcome!

Many thanks to LUSH Cosmetics Charity Pot for giving us a way to give some fun to the dogs. We're thrilled!

the senior dating scene

Jimmy stopped by for a visit yesterday and had a good time flirting with Miss Sassy. We're not so sure that they appreciate all the chaperones on their blind date, though. How's a guy ever gonna to steal a kiss with this kind of audience?

Video Time!

Jilly's been working very hard on a little video project so her people can find her. Has she convinced you?

Diamond wonders why....

Last night, Diamond worked soooo hard on the 'leave-it' command but from the look in her eye, I think she was secretly wondering just WHY we were playing this 'game'. 

On the other hand, we find this mastery of this command very helpful in daily life.  How has learning 'leave-it' been helpful to you and your pooch?

hide-n-seek sassy

I lost Sassy for about 10 minutes too long the other day. After a good sized heart attack, Elliot found her new secret fort under the bathtub stairs for me. Jeezus Sassy! I thought you'd levitated over the fence when my back was turned.

Score one for sassy bitches who love themselves a little well-deserved private time.

what's that look?

Monday night at the barn, I was admiring Farnham's heart shaped eye patch.  As we gazed into each other's eyes I wondered......

- is this "the look of love" a la Burt Bacharach? 

- or, is this a "Love love me do" early Beatles look? 

- or something else totally different? 

Waddya think?

One thing's certain, Farnham is ready for Valentine's Day.

Seriously

This guy is constantly acting like a clown. 

How is this going to help my forever people find me, Uba?

I'll just sit here in my crate waiting for someone to love me and make me their baby girl. One day they'll find me, despite Uba messing up my glamour shots.

love,

Jilly

a winter romance

With every new batch of orphans, Boy Wonder seems to choose one special dog to be his special friend. Now that Oscar has left for his new home, it's all about Sassy. And for Sassy, it's allll about Elliot.

Magpie's New Years' Wish Comes True

After spending a few days at sleep away camp, aka the barn, Magpie went home. During our drive she wasn't sure, "where are we going, chauffeur lady?" her worried brown eyes asked. When we arrived on her new street, surrounded by well manicured front yards, she wasn't sure if a little puppy from West Oakland should be in such a nice neighborhood. Then her new mom opened the front door and immediately everything was all better. 

Next, she said hello to her friend Karlee and met big sister Darian. 

Karlee demonstrated her training skills and Magpie and her new big brother, french bulldog-mix Ami, demonstrated their tandem sits.

Home at last for the little pie bald puppy. Mama Etta Bull and daddy Zeus would be so proud to see their last girl with such a lovely family.

Thank you to foster mom Rachel for taking on a little tyke and helping her grow into such a lovely young dog. 

a new year friendship

Could it be true? Magpie seemed to make a quick friend yesterday during class. We couldn't help but notice how much they liked each other. Hmm...

Stay tuned as we check to see if Cupid's arrow has landed.

Santa's magic - Lots of homes for 2012 barn dogs

Have you been keeping track of the dogs who moved through the barn this year? It's been a revolving door and with all the activity, we have a hard time keeping count ourselves. Here's a tally of 2012's part or full time barn residents who are in their new homes as of today. Such a good batch of memories! The (m) denotes dogs who had special medical needs beyond the basics.

Brothers Riley & Ruben (m), Rita Mae, Olive, Blink, Jibboom (m), Talullah, Gris-Gris, Catfish Jones, Congo (m), Dyna Girl, Etta, Elderbull Annie (m), Elderbull Jimmy (m), Astro (m), Diva, Tippy (m), Rosco, Addy, Clive, Danny, Mama Maggie (m), Oscar (m), Rooney (m), Hugo (m), Jondi, Patsy, Bertha, Star, Gurdy (m), Moto (m), Rascal/Clyde, Bean, Possum (m). (Right: Patsy went home with Hannah, who went on to become a valued Barn Crew team member after the adoption.)

Thanks to all of you for your support. I wanted to call out a special thanks to cyber-friend Carla Morgan. Every time we quietly pondered whether it was wise to take on another out of state cruelty case and/or dog with medical needs, a gift from Carla would magically appear in our mailbox as if to say, "Yes! Of course you should help this dog!" We think Carla must have psychic powers, not to mention the biggest of hearts. Thank you Carla!

Our year end report is posted for your review: BADRAP 2012 Year End Review

Below, 'Bean' got her Happy Ending photo taken with new dad, brother-dog Diamond and Santa at the East Bay Rats Clubhouse last weekend. Her new dad takes them everywhere he goes and they enjoy the best of times. If you live in the SF east bay, you're likely to run into this trio jetting about in Byrd's pick-up, and if you do, please wave them a hello. They're bound to wave right back at you with the biggest of smiles.

Jilly Needs You!

Please help me! The lady got a new camera and she won't stop pointing it at me.

When I'm outside looking for squirrels

When I'm inside watching for the mail man

Even while I'm trying to take a nap.

I hope I find my family soon and they whisk me away from this torture. 

Hello?

Meet Donovan.

Can I be your baby boy?

Thursday morning

"Pretty, pretty please with pumpkin on top?"

how do you do?

YumYum, meet Sassy - your elder. Sassy, meet YumYum - the youngin.'

I see you have a lot to talk about, so I'll just get to picking up some poo and let you have yourselves a little get-to-know you wrestle.

Nurse Jilly

Today Uba had x-rays to diagnose his latest limping and soreness. When he got home Jilly gave him plenty of kisses and then snuggled next to him in the sun keeping a watchful eye out for the mail man.  Sleepy, woozy, patients shouldn't have to get up to bark at intruders when there's a friend close by to take over! What a sweet girl.

Uba, don't you worry about a thing. Nurse Jilly's got your back.

Home for the Holidays

Etta Bull went on a very special car ride today.

Where are you taking me, lady? This is boring and making my tummy feel a little weird.

She went along to do her very own home check. A lovely family has asked to take her home for the holidays. She will have a loving mom to keep her in line, a grandma to spoil her and two teenage boys to play fetch with.

Oh, now I understand. I approve of this big green puddly yard. I also approve of the family that comes with it.

Best of all she will have a big, puddly, squirrel-y, back yard all her own.

This dressed up tree inside is kind of weird.
You say Santa Paws will leave presents for me underneath it?
Excellent! I like it.

2012 has been some kind of year for Etta Bull. From too-young, almost homeless mama caring for eight puppies to the good life in a warm, cozy, suburban home with her very own big back yard. What a lucky Bull she is!

furry things among us

When photo diva Lori Fusaro put word out about a Mojave-area rescuer who'd gotten in over her head, she used the magic of her photos to tell rescue friends about the dogs in crisis. Whoever didn't get placed immediately was in danger of being picked up by Kern County Animal Control, where overcrowded conditions routinely push the death toll to unspeakable numbers. Crap! What's worse than a rescue situation gone wrong, with rescued dogs facing certain death?

I perused her heart tugging photos. There was only one pit bull in need in this grouping (whew!)  ----> her --- but we noticed she had a best friend named Corndog ---> her.  It seemed they were a matching set, and it was Thanksgiving and how can you possibly break up family? So we laid out the welcome mat to both and opened our door to our first-ever furry Rescue Barn guest.

I have to say, my first thought after I sent word of our commitment was, "I hope she (the furry one) doesn't bite me." Isn't that terrible? We've been so spoiled by our brave, stoic pit bulls all these years, that it seemed plausible that a deserted desert NON-pit dog would be somewhat scared and nippy. My bad.

Below, Elliot inspects the furry one - a girl named Corndog.

So, just to make me happy, Corndog growled at me the first minute I met her in her crate. "Go away! Quit staring at me! I'm scared!" But that lasted 15 seconds. It was dark, she'd just been trucked up the coast in a loud prop plane and delivered to a strange barn full of dogs in the middle of --- where? It was such a bluff growl that my heart just melted.

"Aw knock it off, little thing. It's all good here." She studied me and we started over with a treat and a butt scratch. All good. (Click photos to enlarge them. Do it - it's worth it!)

What a pair. They're both so lovely and hopeful. At eight years old, they've seen a good chunk of the world and they're like little kids in line at an amusement park - waiting patiently for the next fun ride to pull up so they can hop in. We'll call it the 'Adopted' ride.

Confession: While getting these photos, the girls were SO excited about the Nature's Balance bribe that I was waving in front of them that Sassy - the pit bull - nipped the end of my finger. It was one of those overly enthusiastic, but accidental nips. OW. I yiped then I laughed, really hard. I've been bit!

Sassy studied my face, then put her ears back. "Oops. Sorry."

"S'okay. You've been in the desert for awhile, and I was being dumb." I marked a note on her kennel card for the Barn Crew, "Work on 'Wait' and 'Easy' with treats."

If you're tempted to love on these girls, we would be thrilled to see them get out of the kennel into a foster home. Or better yet, if you are the real home that they've been waiting for, please holler loud. We can't wait to get your holiday cards with these lovelies lounging in silly dog clothes on your very best chair.

Open House Adoption Event THIS Sunday, in case you'd like to meet the girls. DETAILS

Family Reunion

Etta Bull got to spend a little time catching up with two of her babies this weekend. Her daughters Addy and Magpie were so thrilled to see their mama it was impossible to get a proper family portrait. This little family was struggling through some tough times when we met them at our West Oakland community outreach event back in August, but now the family is living the good life and Etta's girls are growing into lovely dogs.

Thats mama Etta Bull with Addy on her head and Magpie giving sweet kisses.

The family was celebrating Addy's big day. She's home for keeps with an older terrier mix brother, a pack of cats, a vet student mom and a dotting papa.

Pretty little Magpie is still waiting for her happy ending. Lets all hope she wows a new family with her impressive repertoire of tricks at the open house next Sunday.

willy and the princess

Today at the office, Willy learned that little 4 year old girls are princesses if they believe it to be so.  And more importantly, he made a new friend, the sweet little princess Megan.  Good thing he was wearing his best holiday coat when the princess stopped by to visit! 

The little princess was smitten with Big Willy's gentle behavior and good manners.

Willy was equally impressed with her and went to visit the little princess as she perched on her napping throne.  They chatted and then wondered for just a moment what the big jolly guy in the red suit might be bringing each of them each this holiday.