Diamond

Diamond is one of my absolute FAVORITE girls at the humane society right now!  She’s been there since March 2011, and I am completely baffled that she hasn’t found a home yet.  She’s so loving and adorable, and she always has a smile on her face.  If you walk up to her door in the dog kennel, she’ll lean up against it and beg to be petted through the bars.  Diamond is a spirited girl with lots of energy, and would love to have an active family.  She was thrilled to play with the squeaky toy that I had and it was hilarious to watch her kick it around and pounce on it over and over again.  (I really wish I had some video of it.)  Once she tired herself out a bit, she was happy to come lean up against us for some affection and then made herself comfortable in Brian’s lap.  She would be such an amazing companion for someone!  Diamond is about 2 1/2 years old and she’s a petite 45 lbs. (not too big, not too small!).  Somebody please adopt this gorgeous little girl!  You can visit her at the Baltimore Humane Society in Reisterstown, Tues-Sun, 12-6 pm.

(UPDATE: After a very long 2 years and 6 months, Diamond has finally found her forever home!)

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Layla

On Sunday I had the pleasure of meeting Layla, a beautiful little Min Pin available for adoption through AARF.  I met her foster mom at a local park in Baltimore and we had a very quick mini-session… poor Layla was freezing!  The camera made her nervous too, but despite all that, she was a great model.

Layla was originally found on the side of the road a couple of years ago but never found her forever home, so she was recently rescued by her foster mom.  Suddenly last week she had to be rushed to the emergency vet and it was discovered that she has diabetes.  The rescue didn’t have the funds to pay her $1300 vet bill, so her foster mom is paying it out of her own pocket.  A ChipIn has been set up to help her out with the medical expenses… if you’d like to donate a few dollars, you can do so here!  http://fundsforlayla.chipin.com/jana-deoliveira-and-layla-the-pup

Layla is doing much better now with her daily insulin.  If anyone is interested in adopting this sweet and energetic little girl, please contact AARF at info@animalalliesrescue.org.

(UPDATE: Layla has been adopted!)

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Oscar & Jelly Bean

I’m finally getting around to posting these two handsome brothers that I photographed almost a month ago… say hello to Oscar and Jelly Bean!  We met at beautiful Cromwell Valley Park for their shoot (a favorite location of mine and many of my clients), and even though it was hot outside, the boys modeled like pros and enjoyed cooling off in the creek.  These two were very lucky to survive a nasty case of parvo when they were younger, thanks to their rescuer who would not give up on them and covered much of their extensive vet bills out of her own pocket.  They are now completely healthy and in a fabulous foster home, where their foster mom spoils them rotten and loves them as her own. Oscar and Jelly are about 7 months old now, still very much puppies, but so well behaved!  Oscar is the more social and outgoing one, while Jelly is a little more shy.  Both of them are incredibly sweet.  If you’re interested in meeting one or both of these handsome guys, please email dara@tabbytime.net for adoption information!  (UPDATE:  Both Oscar and Jelly have been adopted!)

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Boris

Boris is a very sweet guy who is down on his luck.  He originally came to BHS about a year ago, when he was just a kitten… he was adopted, but was brought back recently because he has since lost his sight, some of his hearing, and wasn’t using his litterbox.  It’s heartbreaking to think about how scared and confused he must be right now.  Normally I like to take the cats out of their cages for blog post pictures whenever possible, but I didn’t want to scare Boris, so I let him stay in the comfort and familiarity of his own cage.  He stayed still most of the time, very unsure of what was going on, but seemed curious.  Boris would probably be most comfortable in a calm and quiet home without a lot of activity.  It would also be best if he could have his own little personal space rather than the full run of the house, so that he always knows exactly where his litterbox is.  Please don’t overlook him because of his blindness… he’s a wonderful boy and deserves a great home!  (UPDATE: Boris has been adopted!)

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Queen Frostine

Here’s another long-time resident of the BHS… meet Queen Frostine! I love this girl… not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but she’s very affectionate and playful. She came to the BHS in April 2011, after someone found her in a box with her 1-day-old kittens on the side of the road. I will never, ever understand how someone can so heartlessly dump an animal like that. All of the kittens have been adopted, but Queen Frostine has been waiting patiently for over a year for someone to take her home. She was a good mama to her babies, but now it’s her turn to be someone’s baby! She’s still fairly young, about 3 years old, and she gets along well with other cats. Please visit her at the shelter if you think she could be the girl for you!

(UPDATE:  After nearly 2 years of waiting for her forever home, Queen Frostine has finally been adopted!)

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Dylan

A few days ago I had the pleasure of meeting Dylan, a sweet and handsome boy available through Jasmine’s House.  He’s a 2 year old mixed breed who was found walking along the side of the road, was taken to a local shelter but never claimed or adopted, and then rescued from there just in the nick of time.  Dylan LOVES people and makes friends instantly with everyone he meets!  He’s playful but gentle, knows several commands, and is already housebroken.  He also gets along great with his canine foster sister, and would probably love to go to a home that has another dog he can play with.  Dylan was such a lovebug and such a ham for the camera, I wish I could have spent more time with him!  Whoever adopts this boy will be very lucky.  For adoption information please contact Jasmine’s House, www.jasmineshouse.org.

(UPDATE:  Dylan has been adopted!)

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Loki

Almost every week for 11 months, my husband and I would walk through the kennels at BHS and stop at Loki’s run as we greeted all the dogs in turn, only to encounter a snarling and growling little 10-lb. dog who seemed determined to give us a nasty bite if we gave him half a chance.  Normally a dog as small and cute as he is would be adopted quickly, but Loki wasn’t exactly showing his best side to potential adopters.  Nobody wants a dog that will bite.  So when the time came for us to foster another dog, we knew which one it had to be.

I don’t know the full details of Loki’s past, but what I do know is that he was neglected by his former owners.  They’d had him for five years, pretty much his whole life, but they kept him chained up outdoors (how long, I don’t know).  When they surrendered him to BHS, he arrived at the shelter with his skin in bad condition and his collar painfully embedded in his neck.  Loki was anxious, hypersensitive, and completely insecure… he was untrusting of most people and didn’t like to be touched, he was food aggressive, and he was reactive around other dogs.  The shelter staff was wonderfully patient with him and took great care of him for an entire year, but still he seemed practically unadoptable. We thought we must be crazy to take on a dog with such issues and wondered if we would ever even be able to touch him!  However, within the first 48 hours of having him in our home, all of his stress and anxiety seemed to melt away.  I was amazed at what a quick transformation it was.  He LOVES attention and is a champion snuggler, always wants to be petted and picked up, there have been no signs of food aggression that we’ve seen so far, and he loves our other dog!  He also seems to be surprisingly well housetrained for a dog who spent so much time living outside and then in a kennel.  I had been bracing myself for a real challenge after we made the decision to bring him home, but as it turns out, he’s not such a challenge after all.  (whew!)  He just needed a quiet home environment where he could relax and be a normal dog. These photos don’t fully convey what a happy goofy boy he is, so check out his video here!

For more information on adopting Loki, please contact me or the BHS.  And the next time you see a dog with behavior issues in the shelter, give them the benefit of the doubt!  They may just surprise you.

UPDATE 9/2012:  Loki was adopted a few months ago but unfortunately he was returned recently, because the number of frequent visitors in his new home proved to be too stressful for him.  He is now back in foster care with us and continuing the search for his forever home!  Loki would like to have a calm and quiet home, where he can bond with his owners and settle into a daily routine.  Please contact me or BHS if you’re interested in him!

(UPDATE:  Loki has been adopted!!)





Here’s Loki in the shelter, and then again just a few days later.

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Cudo & Lady Heather

Cudo and Lady Heather came to the BHS after they were found all alone in a flood area, in August 2011. At first, they were both extremely fearful and could not be handled (Cudo was originally named “Cujo”, yikes!). After a few months at the shelter, though, they are now completely different cats! Walk into the communal cat room where they reside together and Cudo will come running to greet you, rubbing against your legs and asking to be petted. He’ll be especially happy if you toss a ball for him or shine a light on the wall for him to chase. Lady Heather has become sweet and friendly as well, though she’s a bit more reserved and will wait patiently for you to approach her, rather than demand attention. I think these two have become favorites of some of the staff and volunteers, myself included. Cudo and Lady Heather are both between 2-3 years old, and are already fixed and housetrained. They would love to go home together!  (UPDATE: Cudo and Lady Heather have been adopted!)

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Shamu

Anybody looking for a young, energetic, happy-go-lucky girl who will keep you entertained with her antics?  Shamu just might be the one for you.  She’s been waiting at the BHS since last September for someone to come along and fall in love with her, but no luck yet.  I’m not sure how that’s possible, because she’s such a fun dog!  She loves to run around in the play yards at the shelter, and has no problem keeping herself entertained with toys.  She spent most of our shoot enthusiastically tossing a chew toy around the yard, although she did take plenty of breaks to come over and say hi to us so she could get a treat or two.  Shamu is about 1 1/2 years old and still has lots of puppy energy, so she needs someone who can give her an outlet for all that energy… whether it’s playing in the yard, going for long walks or runs, or even learning fun new things like agility!  Please visit Shamu at the Baltimore Humane Society and fill out an application if you can give her a good home. (UPDATE:  Shamu has been adopted!)

Pibble zoomies!

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Moe

UPDATE:  Moe has been adopted!

Moe is, without a doubt, one of my favorite kitties at the BHS right now. He’s such a stunningly handsome boy, and for some reason I just melt every time he looks at me with those big green eyes. He has also been one of my toughest subjects at the shelter. Moe was surrendered in April 2011 because his owner had allergies, and he was absolutely terrified in his new surroundings. He hid under his blanket for weeks, and no matter how hard I tried to get a decent photo of him, I just couldn’t do it without stressing him out. I tried week after week, only to be growled and hissed at every time, and every photo I got made him look aggressive. Finally after four or five weeks, I managed to get this shot:

It was enough to show people what he looked like, but it certainly wasn’t going to make anyone want to adopt him. Finally, after another five or six weeks, Moe was relaxed enough to lift his head and look straight at the camera. He didn’t look particularly happy, but at last I had a shot where he didn’t look angry or upset! Fast forward to a couple of months ago, and Moe had adjusted well enough to move into one of the communal cat rooms where he could hang out with several other kitties. I decided it would be a good opportunity to get some more photos of him… just look how happy and relaxed he is now! He’s come such a long way! He loves to play with toys now and enjoys being petted. Moe is still a quiet gentleman, but he’s really come out of his shell and would make a wonderful pet for someone. Please go visit him at the BHS!

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