A day in the life of Missy

A couple of years ago I was abandoned as a puppy. I heard about bunch of dogs barking and went up a driveway to check it out. Sure enough I saw lots of dogs and cats. So I decided to run in the house and just pretend like I had been there the whole time. The really nice people there(my now grandparents) saw me and took me down the road to another house. They gave me to my dad. He is great and we are best buddies. For awhile I lived with him, my grandpa, another dog and two cats. I love cats. My favorite thing is to give them baths. Fast forward to now-my dad got married and I live with my mom, three sisters and a crazy cat. He does not like for me to give him baths. Trust me I have tried and it didn't work out too well.  I also have some brothers and sisters outside. Occassionally I run out the front door and go see them. Boy dad gets upset when I do that. We used to have this huge bulldog.  I was ticked when they brought him home. Not sure where he went but glad it's just us girls now. And for the record-I am the boss of the house. I am pretty good at bossing my parents around too. I keep everyone in line and if one of my sister's get in trouble I am quick to fuss at them also. I do tell on them too if they are doing something they are not supposed to. Someones gotta keep them in line.

Here is a typical day for me-
I usually wake up really early and I am ready to go. I get real close to my dad's face when he is sleeping and bark at him. That usually does the trick. He gets up first and lets us all out to potty then eat breakfast. Then I go right back outside to see if I can find bugs or rabbits. Reba and I play all morning-that dang puppy drives me nuts. She used to be my size but now she is a giant! I really like to take her toys away from her and run. She is pretty fast but not as fast as me. When mom goes to work my sisters get put up and I get the whole living room to myself. It's great. I snooze all day and when dad gets home I am ready to go play after dinner. I really like Lola but man she won't stop kissing on me in the evenings. She is kinda a pest. Mom thinks it's funny cause I used to drive other dogs crazy..something about payback. I am usually very nice but sometimes I just want to be left alone.

Reba and I play all evening. Sometimes we find bugs and Angel tries to get them from me. I don't like that at all. We squabble but nothing major. I love to hunt rabbits. They are all over our horse pasture but I can't get them because of this stupid fence. They are really lucky I can't. I have been known to catch a rabbit or two in my time. When it's time to go to bed I run and jump on there and snuggle with my dad. He won't let me get under the sheets but I try really hard. Usually sometime during the night that little pipsqueak Lola gets close to me to snuggle and I have to tell her to get somewhere else. My mom and dad get upset because I wake them up but I need my space when I sleep. Sometimes I wish it was still just dad and I but hey what can you do?

Mookie

Mookie is big girl. She is a black lab who is short and stocky. She is in a large area with Duke, another lab mix. Mookie is the boss of that area and loves to get in her water bowl. They have a large dog house, really it is a kid's large wooden playhouse with a porch but in our world those are dog houses. They have heat and air in there. Mookie was rescued by my mother in law when her owners moved and left her in the back yard. Again, can't ever imagine doing this but it's happening all the time as people lose their homes. She is a sweet girl.

Patty

Patty is a very large bloodhound. You really can't tell how big she is until you get in the yard with her. My husband and father in law have had her for awhile. She was the only puppy in her liter to survive. When she was little my father in law would let her sit on his lap..that didn't last too long because she got big in a hurry. But she still thinks she is a lap dog. She loves to sit on your feet when you go see her and you can't move. A few years ago my father in law went in her yard and she knocked him over then sat on him licking him..he couldn't get up for a while. She does really well with male dogs, not so much with female dogs. We don't think she would hurt them but she does use her body and weight to push other dogs around. Her best friend for a long time was a Chihuahua named Shorty. She is over 100 lbs and Shorty was maybe 12. They were the odd couple for sure. Shorty was old and last year he passed in his sleep. When my husband went to get him Patty wouldn't let him near Shorty for awhile. She was devastated. For people who don't think dogs have feelings they should of seen poor Patty that day. Patty is in a large yard and had access to a basement with heating and air. Her buddy is Huffy..will write about him soon.

A day in the life of Lola

Written by Lola Davis

It's been about a year since I found my new family. I was really scared and lonely when my mom drove by and I ran out in front of her. Luckily she didn't hit me and stopped to see what I was. She got out of her car and I ran right to her. I had a good feeling. On the way to the house she called someone to ask him to meet her in the driveway. A short time later we pulled up to a house and guy came out. Boy he was not too happy too see me. Something about a big test he was studying for and a bulldog. My new mom promised it would be okay so she took me to meet my new sisters and brother. I really liked everyone, especially the bulldog Snort. He was so big and handsome and I loved giving him kisses. I miss him a lot. We got Reba shortly after losing Snort and well that's a whole other entry.  A few days later my new dad came home with a little pink collar just for me. I have had him wrapped around my paw ever since.

So here is a typical day for me...
In the mornings my dad gets up first. While my sisters go outside I wait til I hear food bags. Then I take off to eat my breakfast and go potty. When I go back inside I run to get back into bed with mom. My grandparents got me these cool stairs I can run right up and get back into bed. If Missy is the bed first I have to be cautious, not sure what her deal is but she can be cranky. We have a lot of blankets in the bed but my favorite is a horse blanket my mom has had since she was really little. Mom and I sleep for a little while until she has to get up. I go potty again and then go chill out in my green chair-you hear that Missy- it's my green chair. I pretend to sleep but really I am waiting on mom to not pay attention so I can go into Bullet's room to get cat food. When it's time for mom to go to work we all get treats. Angel and I go into the bedroom for the day. We can't be left out with Missy cause well..we think she is bipolar. One minute she is giving me kisses and then she snaps at me. Isn't there medication for that?

During the day Angel and I snooze and watch the food channel. Dad gets home first most days but whoever gets home first lets us out to potty and eat dinner. My sisters go bonkers for dinner but I sit and wait for mine. We have a lot of play time in the evenings. Sometimes my dad doesn't pay attention and I climb over our fence and take off to my grandfather's house. He has lots of treats! Mom gets mad but I just like to do it. I also like to help my dad find stuff in the yard like pieces of plastic from something Reba destroyed. He really likes my help. At bed time we get treats again and my dad puts me in the bed. I always wait for him to get in the bed and then I find a spot to snuggle. It takes me a couple of minutes to get the blankets the way I like them. But then it's snooze time! I love my new home. Here is a picture of my castle...

Horse pics

Horses

Ever since I can remember I have loved horses. I took riding lessons for years thanks to my parents and my grandparents. My grandma would drive from Conyers to Doraville to get me, then back to Conyers then back to Doraville then back to Conyers-she did this weekly and for a long time. Well now we have three..and boy are they a lot of work. We couldn't do it without my in laws help. They have helped us with fencing, hay, vet bills..if it wasn't for them I don't know how we could take care of them. My husband has never been around horses and gets a little nervous with them. They sense that and mess with him on purpose, which is funny to me but not to him. He is getting better with them though.

All three of them were given to me, they weren't abused or neglected really bad but the folks that owned them just let them hang out in the pasture. No maintenance was done as far as wormer, yearly shots, grooming...they had grass but that's it. There were plenty of mornings I woke up and busted frozen water so they could drink during the winter. When I moved they told me to take them. None of us had a clue how much money and time it takes to really take care of them. It's been and continues to be a learning process.

Twinkle Toes-aka the Queen



Twink is the oldest at 25 and the boss. She limps some due to arthritis but don't let that fool you. If one of the other horses gets to close to her food she will buck and kick like a wild Mustang. Usually all she has to do is put her ears back and they  know to back away. She is a great horses but seems to be getting a tad cranky in her old age. Anything you do, feeding them or grooming Twink has to be first. But you don't have to catch her and have her haltered to groom her. She just stands there. 

Savannah-aka Miss Thing

This is her pose when she is waiting on feed. She is the second oldest at 20 and is an Arabian. She was a little girl's show horse for years. But the girl got another horse and Savannah was given to my landlord. She is very smart and very sensitive. True to her breed she is a small horse and fiesty. She is usually pretty good about letting me catch her but sometimes she likes to run around for awhile. Once you catch her, she stands perfectly still and lets you groom her.

Jack-aka Goofball

Jack is the baby at 8 years old and is a Tennessee Walker. I have always wanted a black horse. He is beautiful. I call him my black stallion, my husband calls him the big black sissy because our mares pick on him. He is  very goofy and loves to play. He loves the dogs and will stand by the yard swinging his head up and down while they bark. He will do this for hours. You have to really watch him because he loves to get your stuff and take off running. He takes fly spray, brushes, hats..anything he can snatch and take off with. One day I laid his halter and lead rope down and walked off for a minute..turned around and it was gone. He had picked it up and thrown it in a dog yard. When we feed them in the morning and evenings he always runs over to Savannah's bowl, takes a huge bite of her food and takes off.

People always tell me they want a horse. There are a lot of reasons people can't have them-money, time and land are some of the main ones. If you are one of those people please think about volunteering at a horse rescue. There is a great one in Cumming called Save the Horses. Their website is http://savethehorsesnow.org/savethehorsesnow/Save_the_Horses.html.

They are in desparate need of volunteers. Do you have a few hours each month to spend with these horses? This would be a great thing to do as a family. If you don't have the time but would like to help them monetary donations are always needed. You can even sponsor a horse. It will break your heart reading what these horses have been through but will make you smile knowing that they are safe now. All the information is on their site if you want to check it out. We only have three and it is a lot, can't imagine how much goes into taking care of the horse they have but I am very thankful to have people like them giving horses a second chance.

Play hard, sleep hard

Bullet

So there are lots of women in Patrick's life. Our four girls and myself rule the house lol. Bullet is our only male animal in the house. And boy is he special. I got him from an employee of mine 13 years ago. They had found him in an apartment complex. He was only 11 ounces so I had to bottle feed him. He is solid black and was named Bullet because he used to be really really fast. Him and I have been through a lot together. He has always been nuts though, even as a kitten. Myself and my mom are really the only ones who had hold him.  He LOVES drinking out of a faucet, in the sink or bathtub. When you turn the water on he lets it drip on his head for awhile and then drinks it. Told ya-pretty special. He attacks everyone, especially my Pa Pa. And has attacked me on many occasions.

When I moved out in the country I decided to get a dog and found Angel. Now Bullet was about 18 lbs at the time..Angel was 30 lbs so not a huge difference. When I brought her home Bullet jumped up on my huge TV cabinet. I thought he was mad and would get over it. He stayed on top of the TV cabinet for TWO YEARS. He would only get down at night when her and I were sleeping. I put his food and water up there and his teddy bear he loves. I got to the point where I really thought about contacting a pet psychic. Then one day he got down, they scuffled and that was it. That cat can really hold a dang grudge. Now he has his own guest room with a queen size bed. He ventures out some but he really doesn't like to mingle with the dogs. We have a baby gate to deter them from going his room but Lola discovered there is cat food in there and mice toys so if you aren't looking she climbs the gate. Bullet just looks at her..we don't think he knows what she is.

I always said I would know I found the right guy when he could deal with my cat. On our first date my husband rode his bike 2 hours to come hang out. I didn't want him to have to ride back so he stayed the night in my guest room-yes mom the guest room. I warned him to shut the door and went to bed. Sometime during the night he got up and when he went back in the room he shut the door not realizing Bullet was there also. It was pitch black and he heard this awful noise Bullet makes when he is going to attack. Angel and I were oblivious to all this...it took some time but after the stand off my husband finally got Bullet out of the room. The second time my husband came over he brought a flash light but I didn't know why. I found out months and months later what had happened. It still makes me laugh. Compared to how Bullet would attack other guys I dated he was pretty easy on my husband  and now they coexit peacefully for the most part.

I love Bullet, just sometimes I wish I had a normal cat but heck what fun would that be. Black cats and dogs do not get adopted as much as other animals. There are theories to as why but no one really knows for sure. So if  you ever are looking for a dog or cat think about a black one, they deserve great homes too. And don't worry, none of them can be as crazy as my black cat!!!!!!!!!!!

WIN WIN!

I recently found a great organization that helps shelter dogs find homes while also helping Veterans. It's a win win! Please check out this site and if you can donate to help. Even $10 would be great!
http://p2v.org/


Here is their vision-

P2V seeks healing and support for the 10-12 million men and women who suffer with some form of psychological condition and homes for the four-five million shelter animals who are euthanized every year so that both may live in dignity as they embark on their journey together. P2V will provide our nation’s heroes a choice, while providing cost-effective animal assisted activities (animal companionship) as they pursue rehabilitative and therapeutic care from their healthcare providers across the nation.

A what?????????????

That is what my Grandma said almost a year ago when I told her we were getting an English Bulldog named Snort. Anything red or related to Georgia football is banned in our family so she was a little shocked. To tell you about Snort I have to tell you about his dad Al. You see Snort was never ours, we just had the honor of taking care of him for a friend. Al and I met online through an organization we both volunteered in. He lived in Pennsylvania and would post pictures of Snort. Al and I started emailing because I became very interested in adopting a Bulldog. Al was very honest and told me about their health issues. So I decided I better hold of. I had no way of knowing what would happen just in a few months...

As a baby Snort was bought by a Soldier up North but he had to move and took him to an animal shelter. That particular day Al was there and ending up with him. Pretty fitting since Al did so much for our Veterans and Soldiers. Al and Snort were together 12 years and loved each other very much. Last June Al and two other friends drove down for a service for a good friend who passed away. Al didn't look good..at all. He promised he would go to the doctor when he got home which he did. He was admitted to the hospital Fourth of July weekend of 2010. He passed July 24th 2010. I am very thankful I can say Al was my friend but really sad it was for such a short period of time. The last time we talked on the phone when he was at the hospital I promised him Snort would be okay. Snort was at the Vet's office during all this and being spoiled rotten by the girls there. Really I hoped someone up there would get Snort. I was worried about the drive and the heat down here. But no one could take him..at 85 lbs and 12 years old he did require someplace special. A very good friend of Al's brought Snort to Virginia to meet my in laws. He stayed a night at a hotel and the next day was on his way to Georgia...

I will always remember seeing him get out of the truck in our driveway. He came with his own ramp to help get him in and out. I know he must of been confused and missing his Dad very much. We brought him inside to mixed reviews. Angel didn't really mind him but Missy was not happy. I think she was a little scared of him. We took him in the backyard to explore..he was so big our 3 horses ran from him. Of course being the goofball he is, our Tennessee Walker ran away backwards to keep an eye on him. (Our backyard and part of the pasture are next to each other) We fell in love with him immediately.

Neither my husband or myself have ever had a dog that big in the house. My husband and Father in law built him a huge ramp so he could off on the back porch easily. And it took some time to get everyone used to each other although Missy never got used to him. She gave him so much crap and he would just look at her like "what is your problem?". Grandma, the same lady who is still mad because her Tennesse Football team wore black jersey two years ago ( "White and Orange are our colors..not black..black is Georgia's color) also fell in love with him. She said it wasn't his fault he was a Bulldog. She would call and the first thing she would ask about was him..not me or my husband but Snort. Snort was so curious and had to put his big face on everything. He snored really loud, louder than any human and that is saying a lot because my Stepdad is ridicoulous. He also had bad gas at times. You never got a warning..it would just hit you. He cleared out the Vet's office one day. He LOVED firewood. He would drag it out of the fireplace as my husband put it in there and we would have to wrestle it from him. When we brought the Christmas tree home he curled up around it and took a nap, he thought we brought it home just for him. Snort and my husband were big buddies. They went to guy's nights at a friends house. He loved that. There were two big dogs there and one of Snort's favorite past times was getting underneath them and then using his big head to flip them over.

Snort slept on the couch and many nights I slept on there with him. He loved to cuddle. When he started feeling pretty bad early this year and couldn't get ont he couch we bought an air mattress. We spent many nights on that..me, him and Lola. Lola absolutely loved the big guy(we found her two weeks after getting Snort). In Febuary Snort started going downhill pretty fast. We knew our time was limited with him but it didn't help take away the sadness. On a Friday he refused to eat and that's when we knew it was time. He was in a lot of pain and was at the point he couldn't really walk. So we let Lola give him kisses and took him to the ER vet. That was one of the hardest days ever. We said goodbye and he crossed over the rainbow bridge to join his dad.

It's been 6 months and we still miss him everyday. My husband lost his buddy. The only other male in the house is our cat and well they don't get a long. Angel and Lola were sad for awhile..Missy acted like nothing happened. Angel was probably the worst though, we think because she has seen dogs leave so many times when she was in foster care. One day we will rescue a Bulldog..just not for awhile.

Miss you Al.
Miss you Snort.

One click

Do you know that with one click you can feed an animal in a shelter? It's free, easy and you can sign up for daily email reminders. One click can make a difference. Go to the Animal Rescue Site now.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_home_from_ars_thankyou_sitenav

They also have cool stuff to buy and when you do you provide more food for animals. Great gifts..Christmas is right around the corner.

Reba and Missy want to know what you are waiting for!

Introduction

Hello, I am starting this blog to share stories about our fur kids. They are all rescues. We live on 15 acres and my father in law lives on the property as well. Between us we have 12 dogs, 3 cats and 3 horses.

It is my hope that maybe this blog will inspire someone, even just one person, to adopt an animal from a shelter and save a life. HALF OF ALL ANIMALS DO NOT MAKE IT OUT OF SHELTERS ALIVE.

All of our kids got a second chance and I honestly think they know that. They are each special and different in their own way and we love each of them dearly. My husband and I both work full time and I also have a second job. And our fur kids are a full time job. It takes a lot of time and money to take care of them all but it's worth it. So here you go..here is a little about four of our girls that live in the house with us.

Missy-she is a Jack Russel and my husband's baby. He had her before we met and they are so much alike it is crazy. She ran into my mother in law's house one day a few years ago as a puppy. They took her to my husband and they have been best friends ever since. She is true to her breed-very hyper although she is slowing down some at 2 years old. She is very smart and loves to chase everything..bees, rabbits and deer. She gets cranky when she is tired and is the "boss" of the house. She is great with other dogs and especially protective of our Chihuahua Lola. The only dog she hasn't liked is our English Bulldog Snort. She hated him from the moment he walked in to the very sad moment he left and crossed over the rainbow bridge.

Angel-she is a Pekingese/Spaniel mix that is about 10 years old. Her nickname from  her dad is Big Hungry. She goes crazy at breakfast and dinner times. She actualy herds you with her nose to move you faster to get her food. She was pulled from a shelter and lived with her wonderful foster mom until I adopted her 5 years ago. Her and I lived by ourselves for years(plus a crazy cat) and are very close. I lost my job not long after I adopted her. That was very hard and at times I felt like she was all I had. And there were days I wouldn't want to get out of bed or off the couch but I had to because she wanted to go out. She would get me off my butt and out off my funk. She is very mellow and has a beautiful coat that I trim during the summer. I am not great at it but she feels better and it saves us a lot of money. I think I do okay. She loves eating bugs, especially grasshoppers. She doesn't really like cats but once she gets used to them she is okay.  She has a ton of stuffed animals that she "hides" from us. And she loves her swimming pool. She is a little ticked at her dad right now because her pool got destroyed and he bought her a really tiny one.

Lola-she is our Chihuahua and we think she is 4 or 5. I call her Lola Bean sometimes..not sure why but she is a true DIVA.  I used to drive about 150 miles a day to work and on my way home..about 2 miles from our house this little black blur ran out in front of my car. I stopped and there she was. There were no houses anywhere around and I think someone dumped her which is common where we live because it is so rural. She loves dogs-the bigger the better and I don't think she realizes she is only 7lbs. She doesn't bark and is pretty mellow also. She loves to snuggle in blankets and would be content if her and I never got out of bed. She is terrified of gun shots and thunderstorms. She wasn't scared of storms until we had tornadoes rip through our area early spring. She has a tear in her ear where someone or something got her but she is fine. I can't imagine ever dumping a dog or any animal on the side of the road but especially not one that is only 7lbs. That just floors me. She isn't too fond of car rides and we think it's because she wad dumped.

Reba-she is our newest addition and a Husky/Shepard mix. We also call her Monkey or Goofy. When she wants our attention or Missy's attention she makes these noises like a monkey. Honestly we hope she grows out of that. At 6 months old she is 50lbs and a true puppy. She is really goofy. Must puppies are but we think that is just how she is and will continue to be. She is a great dog and very smart. Her and Missy are best friends. They play all day. She likes playing with Lola and is very gently with her but we still keep a close eye on them. She doesn't mess with Angel. Angel isn't too fond of her and will snap occasionally. Reba wandered into my brother in law's yard and he brought her to us. She loves socks, just my socks, and loves her big rope chew toys we get her. We have had some casualties due to her chewing but nothing too bad. The worst was our spindles on our porch. We built our house a year ago and 50% of the spindles will have to be replaced.

So that's a little snapshot about some our fur kids..