My Fire Hydrant

This short message from Barbara arrived too late for me to post on March 13, but the message is so precious and the photo so sweet I decided to share it anyway.

Just wanted to let you know that Sammy is 5 years old on March 13 and his brother Biggs will be 6 years old on March 14. Mike and I love them so very much and can never thank Small Paws enough for allowing Sammy to join our family.

Sammy and Biggs

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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Seriously, how can you resist this sweet treat?

Candy Cane Small Paws

This Bichon was rescued from a commercial puppy mill and can only be placed in a home with a socialized dog already living there. The children in the home must be over the age of 10. Candy Cane has spent her whole life in a small cage in a commercial kennel. Candy was born in 2003. She is so sweet all you want to do is hold her and cuddle with her. Her favorite times are cuddle time and meal time. It took only 2 weeks to get her on a potty schedule and she is now housebroken. They love her at the beauty salon / groomer’s where she goes once a month for her beauty treatment. I bathe and comb her in between and she just lays there like a lump of sugar and so easy to care for. Candy shows no interest in playing, but enjoys sniffing around the fenced yard.

Sweet Fluffs are available from Small Paws Rescue!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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I reported Wolfie’s story last year–his foster mom Andrea (God bless her!) is a graduate of the school of Adoption Conversion. Little Wolfie was a puppy mill dog–lack of proper care prior to Small Paws had robbed him of all but one of his teeth, so his tongue often slips out is a “wolfie” kind of grin.

Update on Wolfie! Wolfie is still amazing as ever. He wins over
people where ever we go. He is a great example of how fantastic a
rescue dog is. People think his tongue hanging out is adorable and I
use that as a good opening to explain the horrible conditions of puppy
mills and why such a young dog has only one tooth. I educate people
why they should not buy puppies at pet stores or online.

Wolfie (on his back), Garcon, and Willy

Wolfie has become quite attached to me and will follow me anywhere. He
loves to snuggle and have his chest rubbed. His favorite position is
sleeping on his back with his feet in the air and his tongue hanging
out! He prefers to sleep on the pillow between my husband and I, and
has to scratch a spot out that is just right to sleep in! He loves
his Bichon brothers and we now have a senior female (SPR Gabby) that
he has bonded with. Gabby thinks Wolfie is her puppy and Wolfie is
more than happy to let her lick his face and snuggle with him!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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Birdie is a cutie pie!

Birdie is a female bichon who was born sometime in 2006. She weighs 17 pounds. Birdie is a sweet girl who came into rescue when her elderly owners could no longer care for her. We believe that Birdie spent most of her time outside, so she isn’t well socialized around people but is slowly but surely starting to come around and her cute and funny personality is starting to show through. Birdie gets along very well with her foster brothers and immediately learned how to use the doggie door to a fenced yard. She has had an occasional accident but is doing very well on her house training.

Birdie Small Paws

Since Birdie is working on her socialization she would do best with a fenced yard to ensure her safety. Birdie does very well at home with her foster brothers during the day while Mom is at work. Kids in the home should be 10 and older. All Birdie needs is time, love and patience. Won’t you please give this sweet girl an opportunity to have a loving forever home? Birdie recently had a seizure. She has not had another episode and is fine, but due to that she needs to be adopted by someone within driving distance of Central Arkansas. Birdie is being fostered in Arkansas.

Sweet Fluffs are available from Small Paws Rescue!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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Here’s another story about someone who started out as a foster parent but ended up with a Fluff who brought on an Adoption Conversion!

Hi! I’m Jacki, and I am a Small Paws volunteer in North Carolina. I am going to share the story of my very first foster.

My first foster was right after we stopped our infertility treatments the first time. I just couldn’t take anything else emotionally. Our first Bichon came after I had my first miscarriage. They became my first children.

Lupin Small Paws

Well this little foster was a rescue from a kill shelter. His owners had already came and picked him up twice and had not taken care of the severe needs he had that the shelter had insisted be treated. The shelter wanted someone to come get him the third time–and fast because they didn’t want him to go back to his neglectful owners. And if he stayed there, he wouldn’t last long. He barely weighed in at 7-pounds and the vet estimated him at year and a half old. He had open wounds on his neck and his coat was a mess–with dead flies matted in.

I got to the shelter the moment they opened on September 16, 2005. Actually I got there a half hour early as it was a 2-hour drive away, and happened to see a worker go in which was a blessing as I needed to use the little girls room in the worst kind of way (and I didn’t want to have to do it the Bichonly way).

I saw him from across the foyer, and it was as if he knew already that I had come for him and was his Mommy because he went crazy with his sweet Bichon wave. I must admit, he got a “Happy Meal” on the drive home. We took him immediately to the vet.

The vet found ribs that had previously been broken and healed back on their own, and he had infection in his wounds, but his spirit was fully intact along with his male parts (remedied soon thereafter). Needless to say, we healed him up and he adapted to indoor life very quickly–maybe a little too well!!! He has a “small” bladder due to lack of nutrition as a puppy according to our vet, and he is still on the small side of things weight slightly under 9-pounds. But he is so full of personality and sweet as can be.

And thus, I failed fostering 101. Now in 2012 he’s my little sweetheart and sleeps in the middle of the bed.

When a Fluff finds a new furever home, and a pet parent finds their perfect furbaby, it’s not Foster 101 failure! It’s a graduation to Adoption Conversion!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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This pretty girl was born to snuggle!

Chloe Small Paws

My name is Chloe. I am a female bichon born in 2007 and weigh 17 lbs. My foster mom says I have the sweetest face and am as cute as a button. I am calm, love scratches and belly rubs and will take all I can get. I especially like snuggling up with my foster mom on the couch. I am housetrained, crate trained, and know how to use a doggy door to a fenced yard. I love to go for leashed walks and rides in the car. I am a good watch dog . I get along with other dogs or I can be an only dog. I do not tend to interact with other dogs and mostly ignore them. Children in the home should be at least 10 or older. I have not seen a cat, so I don’t know if I would like them or not.

Sweet Fluffs are available from Small Paws Rescue!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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Little Tommy started life in a puppy mill, and had quite an adventure when he moved into his foster home. Here’s an update on Tommy today:

Tommy Small Paws and his brother, Chewy

Here are some pictures of “Tennessee” Tommy & “bro”. Tommy is a rescue Bichon from Small Paws. In the cold of December 2003, Tommy escaped from his foster home here in Ohio and was lost for several days. To make a long story short, Robin Pressnall (Executive Director of Small Paws) came to Ohio from Oklahoma to help find him (and did!)

Tommy and Chewy

Tommy was adopted by me in January of 2004. He had an excellent socializing doggie teacher, Billy Bob. Unfortunately for all of us, Billy Bob passed away two years ago. At the time, Tommy also had another companion, Jeter. Poor Tommy, because last year little rescue Jeter passed away. In February of 2011 I adopted Chewy (yes, a rescue). He is pictured here with Tommy. Tommy is doing fine and most delighted to have another friend. And… Tommy is now the “teacher”!!!

Sweet friends!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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She’s a sweetheart!

Lacy Small Paws

Lacy is a female Bichon who was born in 2005. She weighs 28 pounds. Lacy is a sweet girl who has had surgery for bladder stones. She has now fully recovered and is looking for her forever home. Lacy gets along great with other dogs and does fine with cats. She would also do well as your only dog. Children in the home should be aged 10 and over. Lacy is low keyed and just loves being around her favorite person (who could be you if you are the lucky one:)) A fenced in yard would be nice and she would love her person to not work full time. She rides great in the car and loves nice walks around the block. Lacy is house trained.

Sweet Fluffs are available from Small Paws Rescue!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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Here is another story of how two wonderful people, Paul & Carole, went from Foster 101 to Adoption Conversion!

During our 49 years of marriage, we always adopted female dogs from the pound. They were always medium size dogs with short brown hair. Pretty much interchangeable. Though we loved them all. In 2003 our last dog, Peaches, passed away. We were on a trip to visit friends in South Carolina and it was a cold, icy weekend. We were concerned about traveling up to North Carolina but everything went OK.

Keeper and Cookie

When I got home, I checked our emails and had one from Small Paws saying there were two little white fluffy dogs that had been turned in and was anyone interested in fostering them. I immediately replied that we would take them. They were in Columbia, South Carolina and we made arrangements with a volunteer to drive them to Gastonia, North Carolina and we would meet her there and pick them up. We did on December 7, 2003. Obviously we didn’t have much information about them. But Keeper (a male) was 1 year old and Cookie (a female) was 6 months. Supposedly they had the same mother. That’s all we knew. They were matted and had fleas, but were adorable anyway. We’d never had two dogs at once, and not a male in a long time. Fostering lasted about 10 minutes and we adopted them. They have been a pleasure. I since learned that they were kept on a back porch and had never been on grass or in a house. They are so sweet and appreciative, and spoiled. We would like to thank Small Paws for 9 wonderful years with our fluffs. Keeper looks like a Terrier and Cookie looks like a Maltese. Thanks to everyone involved with Small Paws, it is a wonderful organization.

 

 

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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Here’s a young Fluff who dances when he sees his humans!

Presley is a male bichon/mix who was born sometime in 2010. He weighs 21 pounds. Presley had to have his tail amputated due to an injury. He is completely healed and doing well. He is a happy boy with lots of energy!

Presley Small Paws

Presley can never be caged or kenneled. not even at the groomer’s. He has to be washed, cut and sent home, never put in a cage to be dried. He needs a home with another dog or someone who is at home at all times, he can never be left alone as he will have anxiety and start to panic. I have found that he loves being with my basset and doesn’t mind being with her while we are at work. He will need a home with another dog. He is completely potty trained and loves long walks, and is wonderful on a leash. Presley is very much a alpha dog and wants to be the boss. He gets along with children aged 4 and over. He will give you more love then you ever had before and will stand on his hind legs and dance with you when he first sees you. No matter if it’s the first thing in the morning or when you get home from work. He doesn’t get along with cats, not that he dislikes them, but he get’s soooooooooo excited when he see’s them, he scares them and they attack.

Sweet Fluffs are available from Small Paws Rescue!

Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!

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