AWESOME blog posting "Shelter Dog Smiles"

You gotta check out this blog posting on Ashley Owen Hill's "Lucky Dog Rescue Blog." She is one of my inspirations. What an amazing woman!

Lucky Dog Rescue Blog: Shelter Dog Smiles

Handsome 1 year old yellow lab - please crosspost widely

A friend of mine needs to find a home for a pup that he welcomed into his home a few months ago. The pup is actually doing great...but the dog that already lived in my friend's house wasn't as welcoming as they thought he would be. "Dakota" is a handsome 1 year old labrador pup, about 70 lbs now. My friend says he is good with kids and other dogs. I don't believe Dakota has any experience with cats. He is FREE to a good home. Call Bryan if you are interested in meeting Dakota for adoption, 540-526-4613. Please do not hesitate to cross-post.

"Muffin" the foster pup & Muffins for Dogs

If you've followed my blog or Liked the FosterDogz Facebook page for any length of time, you know that our family members rotate the coveted responsibility ofr naming our foster dogs.

My 5 year old, Alexander, named our new little sweetie "Muffin." He didn't offer up an explanation, and we didn't ask. She's sweet, and she has chocolate chip spots all over. She looks remarkably like our last foster dog, "Oreo," but I don't think they are related.

Muffin

Muffin has a cast on her foot. I wonder sometimes what happened to her little foot. Since she is temporarily in need of "Get Well" wishes and treats, I have decided to pamper her with some homemade goodies. Tomorrow I will be making the Banana and Oat "Mutt-fins" (see link below) for my little Muffin.

I found lots of links to share for pampering your pups with muffin goodies.

Find great doggie muffin recipes here:
Thepoop.com
Dog Treat Kitchen
All-Natural-Dog-Treat.com
Pumpkin muffins
Banana and Oats "Mutt-fins"

Our "Oreo" has blossomed into a "Lilly"

I am so happy today to report that I found out that our little hound mix, "Oreo," has been adopted by a sweet lady named Michelle and her family. "Oreo" has been named "Lilly," which is ironically a name we considered for her in the first place.

Congratulations to Michelle for scoring such a beautiful new "Lilly" for her life.

Look at those eyes! Foster needed in Roanoke area

Repost from Roanoke Valley SPCA:

This little guy is about 3-4 months old, pit mix and under 20 lbs. He was seized... as part of a neglect case and to top it off the little guy had parvo. He was treated and as you can see, recovering nicely. He is shedding parvo and a home without other dogs or a home that has had parvo is ideal. He is shy, well mannered and needs some TLC. He is currently at animal control and needs a 2 week foster. If you can help, please call (540)339-9505 or email asweeney@rvspca.org. The foster coordinator doesn't always get on FB to check responses but does check vm and email.

Please call my beautiful friend, the angel Ann Marie Sweeney at Roanoke Valley SPCA, if you would like to learn more about fostering opportunities. (540) 339-9505

FosterDogz featured in The Roanoke Times SwoCo this morning

FosterDogz Blog was featured today in the SwoCo section of The Roanoke Times!

Anyone who knows me knows that I eat, sleep, drink, and breathe marketing. I am so happy that this article came out today! My wish is that at least one person in this area will read the article and be inspired to make the decision to become a pet foster parent for Roanoke Valley SPCA or his/her local shelter.

Titan needs a home!

A friend of a friend needs to find a home for Titan, this gorgeous German Shepherd.

From www.dogbreedinfo.com:

Often used as working dogs, German Shepherds are courageous, keen, alert and fearless. Cheerful, obedient and eager to learn. Tranquil, confident, serious and clever. GSDs are extremely faithful, and brave. They will not think twice about giving their lives for their human pack. They have a high learning ability.

Have you been waiting to find the perfect best friend? Email me for more information, Joanna22va@aol.com.

A Market for Puppies

I had heard of puppy mills before I started fostering dogs. Who hasn't heard of puppy mills? I had heard the chance story about inhumane conditions. I admit, though, that I have gone to pet stores and asked to play with the little cuties. They are still so sweet, right? Puppies, from whatever source, are cute and cuddly.

A puppy mill, by ASPCA's definition, is a "large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs." Consideration is generally not given to genetic quality of dogs, hence there are often hereditary defects.

I've noticed especially that when people come home from the pet store with their new puppies, they are very excited. "I just paid $1,500 for this purebred Lab," they announce proudly. "The pet store let me have a payment plan."

Right.

As I have become more and more involved with the shelter puppies I have fostered, I have to question the problem with puppies and dogs in our country today. We clearly have the means to rescue all of the dogs. People are paying $500-$2,000 in pet stores every day to purchase puppies.

I know of two lab puppies in Dry Fork, Virginia, that have a limited number of days left. I wonder if I can bring them to a little table outside the overpriced pet store and sell them each for $1,500. Obviously I am being facetious. Surely I won't sit outside said pet store...or would I?

The sweet puppies in this picture are the 8-10 week old pups that find themselves with numbered days at the pound in Dry Fork, Virginia:

Are both of these pups not worth every bit of $500 to $2,000?

Why fight puppy mills? What is the big deal? I'll tell you why. Dogs are kept in horrible conditions, in small wire cages (to minimize cleanup). The cages hurt their legs and little paws. Little thought is given to comfort of any of the dogs. Often it is too hot, with too little water, not enough food, and zero socialization. And the poor breeder dogs are harnessed, then they are raped and raped over and over again to produce as many "cash crop" offspring as possible in the shortest possible amount of time. Frequently overused, spent females are put to death early when they are no longer able to reproduce. This is what we are supporting when we buy a sweet little "Storefront" puppy.

Please share information about puppy mills with your friends. If you know of anyone looking for a sweet puppy worth about a grand or two, send them over to the local SPCA. They'll get one heck of a deal.

The Humane Society: Support Puppy-Friendly Pet Stores

Hip to Snip

Why Spay or Neuter your Pet? Because it is totally Hip to Snip!

Grab a seat on the "Hip to Snip Trip" on July 20!

From the RVSPCA website, information on the upcoming "Hip to Snip" trip:

Is your cat's howling driving you crazy? Does your dog use any opportunity to escape the yard and run the neighborhood? Take advantage of this low cost alternative to irritating behaviors, possible health issues, and unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.

Your pet may not be broken, but he or she does need to be fixed! Jump aboard the Hip to Snip Trip and protect your dog or cat from unwanted offspring and certain types of illness. The most important thing to know about spaying and neutering is that it saves lives!

Mountain View Humane is offering transport services to its low cost spay/neuter clinic in Christiansburg from Roanoke on the third Wednesday of each month. Transport vehicle leaves from the parking lot of the RVSPCA.

Appointments are being accepted for the next transport. Call 540-339-9523 or email hiptosnip@rvspca.org for more information and/or an appointment.

The Humane Society of The United States: Why Spay/Neuter Your Pet


Roanoke Valley SPCA is on Facebook!

Now's the Time to Foster! Roanoke, Virginia

Fostering pets is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, right up there with having children and antagonizing my husband.

The pound is full of puppies and kittens that need a 2 week home. Do you have 2 weeks to spare? RVSPCA gives you everything you need; this is only a time commitment. Call 540-339-9505 to speak to Ann Marie for more information.

www.rvspca.org

Teeny Tiny Puppies

I go on vacation in a few weeks, so I was eager to get another two week foster puppy in before I leave. (Addicted? I think so.) To my relief, a call came in from Franklin County Humane Society. They needed a foster mommy to come to the rescue for three sweet foster puppies: Rikki, Rose, and Rita.

I happily agreed to foster the little sweeties.

Wow! I am such a lucky foster mom!

Introducing my three little ladies:

Rikki is a tan brindle baby with awesome dark blue eyes. She is a silly girl, the largest of the three, and the most "puppyish." She is a blast!

Rita is a tan and white little lovie. She wants to be held all the time. She is constantly under my feet. I have tripped on her seventeen times since we got her on Saturday. What a little blessing!

Rose looks nothing like her sisters (maybe a different daddy?) She is the tiniest of all, and she can easily fit in my two hands if I cup them together. She is my most vocal puppy, singing to me about everything! She looks like a beagle puppy.

To find out more about adopting one of these puppies, please call:

Franklin County Humane Society Inc.
Planned Pethood Clinic & Adoption Center
(540)489-3491
http://plannedpethoodrockymount.com/

You've thought about it... Do It! Polly needs a foster home

You've been thinking about fostering a dog. You've read some of my posts. Your next two weeks are available, with no vacation plans. Do it! Sign up today to foster the beautiful "Polly," who needs a foster home and some TLC.

Call the lovely Ann Marie Sweeney at 540-339-9505 if you are interested in fostering this sweet little girl.