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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Willow

I first met Willow two years ago, when she arrived at the BHS as a wiggly little 15-lb. puppy.  She was adopted, but then returned after a few months because the other dog in the home had attacked her.  Willow was adopted again and her new owners loved her very much, but unfortunately there were still issues between her and the other pets in the house, so now she is once again looking for her forever home.  Willow is super sweet and absolutely adores people, but she would like to be the only pet.  She is a “special needs” dog because she has Addison’s disease, meaning there is a deficiency of a corticosteroid hormone that manages how her body handles stress.  The disease is manageable, but a stressful shelter environment is not good for Willow and it would be wonderful if she could find a foster home to relax in while she waits for her forever family to come along.  Please consider stepping up to foster her to give her the best possible chance of finding a home soon!  For more information on Addison’s disease, visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=608.  If you’re interested in fostering, please contact Melissa at mmcclelland@bmorehumane.org.

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Penelope

Penelope arrived at the BHS two years ago, in Sept. 2010, from a rescue in Virginia that had run out of space for her.  She was transferred with several other Coonhounds, and shared a kennel with her sister Margaret.  They all found homes quickly, including Penelope, but she was returned a couple of months later because she was escaping her yard.  She was adopted again, but was returned a second time in Sept. 2011.  This time it was because her owners had sent her away to a boarding kennel for “training”, where they used inhumane methods including a shock collar on her.  Not surprisingly, this so-called training was not effective and just scared her. Instead of trying to work with her using positive reinforcement methods, her owners dumped her back at the shelter.  Penelope has been through so much that she’s a little wary of new people, and sudden movements scare her.  Despite all this, she’s still a very sweet and shy girl who loves to be with people that will treat her with kindness.  She’s looking for a home with adults only, someone who can give her lots of love to make up for all that she’s missed.  Please stop by the BHS to take her for a walk and give her a belly rub… you’ll fall in love!

(UPDATE:  I’m very sad to report that Penelope has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  RIP, sweet girl.)

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Recycled Love adoptables

A couple of weeks ago I got the chance to meet up with a few foster families from Recycled Love rescue. What a fun morning! All of the dogs I met with that day happened to be seniors, so naturally all of them were tugging at my heartstrings. Meet Daisy, Frank, and Fred!

Daisy is an adorable 10 year old Silky Terrier mix. She’s blind and hard of hearing, but she doesn’t let that slow her down!  She was so curious and sweet.  (Update:  I’m sad to report that Daisy’s health took a turn for the worse, and she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge recently.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her foster family who loved her so much and gave her a wonderful home.)

Next up was Frank, an 8 year old Dachshund. Isn’t he the cutest? Frank is great with other dogs, cats, and kids. He also loves to join in if you howl at him!  (UPDATE: Frank has been adopted!)

Last but never least was Fred, an 8 year old pittie mix. He has the BEST smile and he just loves to give kisses! Fred would like to have a fairly quiet home where he can be the only dog.

If you’re interested in meeting any of these dogs, please contact Recycled Love rescue!   www.recycledlove.org

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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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Brutus

Brutus is looking for a foster or forever home! He’s been at the shelter for over a year now, and living in a kennel for so long has stressed him out. He’s a big boy who loves people and other dogs, and is a favorite among BHS staff and volunteers. He has even earned the title of “ladies’ man” because he has a few doggie girlfriends that he loves to play with at the shelter. He’s such a charmer! Not to mention handsome… he has the most striking brindle coat, and I love the way he carries his tail in a little curl over his back. Brutus would love to live with an active family who will take him hiking and play games like tug-o-war with him. The BHS is full of wonderful dogs right now, many of which are long-time residents like Brutus, and are in desperate need of foster homes. Fostering a pet is an incredibly rewarding experience… please consider giving Brutus or another pet a chance to live in a home environment while they wait for their forever home to come along! By doing so, you open up a space at the shelter so that another life can be saved. Contact the BHS if you can help!

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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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Shadow

Meet Shadow, a 5 year old pit bull mix that has been at the shelter for far too long! Shadow’s previous owners surrendered him to the BHS over a year ago because of issues with their landlord. Trust me when I say that he’s a really cool dog… don’t be intimidated by his barking if you visit him in the kennel! He’s one of those dogs that doesn’t really “show” well in his run, but once you take him out, he really shows his happy goofy side. He was so excited to go for a walk with us the other day… he barked at us at first (like he does every week) but then started to wiggle when he saw that we had a leash in hand. We tried taking him into the play yards first, but he wasn’t really interested in toys and kept running to the gate as if to say “Let’s go for a hike together instead!”. So we did, and he seemed to love every second of it. If anyone out there is looking for a hiking buddy, this is your guy! Please visit him at the BHS!



Shadow has a sense of humor when it comes to modeling for the camera.

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