Trudy is looking for her forever home and Baby Goats Arrive!

Trudy is looking for her forever home

Our guest blogger this week is Deb Fraker, potter, farmer, and wine expert.
She and her partner, Joan Sherwood, live on Corn Creek Farm outside of Atlanta

We had our first birth at Corn Creek Farm on Friday, February 28 at 2:30 am with the temperature in the low 30s.  I hope I never forget the experience because it was amazing. Two nights in a row I set my alarm for 2 am to get up and check on the soon-to-be mama, Dena, because I knew she was close. A friend asked, "is that the magic hour for birth?' It was just the time I picked between checking on her just before bed and again at day break. The second night she was in labor when I got to her. I sat with her and talked to her, petting her as she groaned and pushed and rested long enough to start again. I don't know if it helped her any, but I felt better for it.

I felt privileged to get there in time to go through the experience with her. My Dena has gone from being completely afraid for anyone to touch her (when we got her at 6 weeks old) to allowing me to pet her sometimes and even scratch her neck and head from time to time. She still doesn't like for me to grab her collar, because it usually means being led to do something she isn't ready to do (it might even be something she usually likes, but she hates to forced to do anything and I can relate). This night she seemed comfortable having me there, looking up at me when she was resting between contractions. She lay still and never resisted my attention.

Joan was still sleeping. Our arrangement was that she would keep her phone beside her so I could wake her if something happened. I waited until the first little body came sliding out before I sent her a text saying "we've got one". I had one towel that I'd taken with me and the birthing emergency kit I'd left in Dena's kidding stall. I wrapped the mucus covered baby in a towel and moved him close to Dena's head so she and I could work on cleaning him up. She did her part, and I helped as I could with the towel. Joan brought more towels and some hot tea (for me) and water. She got there in time to see the first kid all cleaned up and cute. Interestingly, both Joan and I instinctively referred to the first kid as "he" even though we'd hoped for 2 doelings. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't stop using the male pronoun. Our lack of experience with new born goats made it difficult for us to confidently discern gender, so it wasn't until the next day when I saw him pee that I knew he was a boy, and that our instincts had been right from the beginning.

We cooed and cuddled the new life in our arms, passing him back and forth to clean towels. When Dena began to push again, Joan went back to the house for more towels and my camera. As was her preference, she missed the messiest parts. When the second slimy life slid out of Dena's hind end, I did the same thing over again. Putting the first on a towel next to his mama, I wrapped newcomer in a fresh towel and moved her to where Dena could reach to clean her up. Again Dena was up to the task and licked her baby clean as I toweled her dry where I could. Joan got back in time to admire the second tiny, delicate life mostly wiped clean. We recognized the afterbirth when it emerged and knew there only two. She sat with me for a while because it's hard to leave so much cuteness, even in the middle of the night in sub-freezing conditions.

I wanted to make sure they were all going to be okay on such a cold night so, when Joan went back to bed, I stayed long enough to make sure the babies were dry and Dena was strong enough to keep them warm. She stood, with the blood ball hanging from her rear, to let the babies nurse, and I dutifully snapped pictures. I knew they would all be okay when I saw the babies nursing and standing up on their own. It takes a surprisingly short period of time for them to be able to stand and move around. When I went back to bed myself, they were all lying down, huddled together to keep warm. Walking back to the house, I was surprised that I had not really felt cold the whole time I was there.

The next morning I had to do my usual morning chores for the chickens, ducks and guineas as well as milking Daisy and feeding all the goats. Afterward I spent as much time as I could allow myself sitting with the babies to watch them walk and run and jump as they got used to their legs and figured out what they could do. I couldn't resist picking them up to hold them, but I put them down again, because watching them was fascinating.

I had to go to my part time job the day the babies were born. But I went in late and everyone understood. Leaving them at home was one of the hardest things I've done. I made sure Joan sent me a text when she got home to assure me they were all still doing well. I felt like a new mom, excited and worried all at the same time.

That was 4 weeks ago and they have grown incredibly fast. The girl can't seem to be still, and some time soon we will have to teach her not to jump on our backs since, so far, we've been encouraging it. I already have an appointment to have the boy neutered next week because we can't have him knocking up his sister or his mother, and we are keeping him. We knew we would be keeping the first babies born here.

We hoped we would have two girls to put into the milking rotation Luckily one was a girl. She will be old enough to breed in a year. His only other option is to be sold for meat (yes, there's a chance someone would buy him to be a pet, but most likely he would be meat), so we are keeping him as a pet. She is Quinta, because she is our 5th goat and because she has Spock eyebrows (named for Zachary Quinto who played the younger Spock). He is Paco, because I think it suits him and it keeps the theme of Spanish names going.  

You can follow more of Deb's experiences at  City Girl seeks Farm 

Trudy is looking to you for her new home1

You couldn’t ask for a more pleasant personality than Trudy. She is very low key when not playing – and she does play! She loves to play catch and tug a war with you. Loves to sit on the couch with you all day if that’s what you want you do – she’d be a great computer companion, homework companion, TV companion! She gives kisses making you feel how happy she is to be with you. She also uses her voice in a way that sounds like she is talking to you when she wants something – especially when she wants a bite of your sandwich! She makes a very unusual, personable sound.

She is an awesome companion – a true best friend. Trudy is small at approximately 20 pounds and is a mature girl, possibly a senior but as with all rescues, her true age isn’t known. To meet her, please email info@FORrescue.net or complete our application at www.FORrescue.net. Trudy is located in Huntsville, AL

Trudy in action!

If you would like to contribute a story to the FOR blog, please mail the contents along with an image or two to blog@forrescue.net.

 At the end of 2014 individuals who submitted content for the FOR blog will be entered in a drawing for a free pet portrait. 


You can make a donation or sponsor an animal by clicking here

Tutu is looking for her forever home and Buddy is just a Counter Surfing Dog...

Tutu is looking for her forever home!

Joe Sanford, engineer and animal lover, is our guest blogger today.  Here is Buddy, Joe, and Buddy's best dog friend Beau.

Labs Love Carrabba’s Too!

It was a typical Wednesday morning, get up feed the dog, take the dog out to do his business, shower, get ready for work, take the dog out again and head out for the day…if you are a dog parent you know the routine!  Well that is where this daily routine stopped…As I headed to work for some reason I decided to stop in at the local Wally World to get snacks for my office, so I was still not far from home.  As I was headed back to my car, snacks in tow, my cell phone rings and I see it is my neighbor.  I answered, “Hey Frank!, what’s up?”…he said well not to alarm you but we walked by your front door this morning and we smelled smoke and it sounds like your smoke alarm is “going off” but don’t see any smoke and certainly no flames!!  But they knew my dog Buddy stays at home during the day and they were worried about him J  So I hurried home, ran up the 4 flights of stairs and rushed to my front door.  I too smelled smoke but the door was not hot so I just opened it right up.  Then as if the fog was rolling in across the Golden Gate Bridge smoke came rolling out into the hall way and Buddy came slinking out through the “fog” not thinking that I was just happy he was okay but rather knowing he had done something really bad…

Buddy - with that "who could resist me" expression

You see Buddy has a serious illness known as CSS (Counter Surfer Syndrome) and today he had stepped up his game.  You see the night before I had dined at Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant and is customary I came home with some fresh baked bread to snack on.  As it was late when I came in I put my “to go” sack with bread and condiments on the stove top for safe keeping.  Apparently, the aroma was more than Buddy could take and he decided he needed a mid-morning snack!  You see Buddy the black lab weighs in at about 100 lbs. and can easily reach the back of the counter if he decides to put his paws up there. Well that day he did just that but instead of the counter he proceeded to put his paws up on the stove which he accidentally turned ON….high, as he was going for the Carrabba’s booty!  It just took a moment for the stove top to get red hot and when the stove top gets red hot it tends to burn/melt anything left sitting on it.  As it turns out there was a plastic container AND my bag of bread on the eye that Buddy turned on.  The plastic container became a sticky blob of goo, which eventually charred to a tough as iron baked on plastic, the bag caught fire and toasted the bread AND the wall behind my stove and the cabinets above to boot!!  Luckily for my hungry puppy the bag fire was not hot enough to actually fully ignite the cabinets and wall, just hot enough to create a smoky smoldering mess and get him a free ride to work with his Daddy…

Tutu

Tutu came from the Scottsboro Animal Control.  She is about 20 lbs and 8 years.  In great shape for her age.  Tutu is incredibly calm and sweet!  She follows  her foster mom everywhere and really loves nothing more than curling up on the couch next to her.  She is sleeping a lot.  The first night she was very scared and slept in the bed.  The second night she slept all night in her bed on the floor.  She was scared of stairs at first but within a couple days she was going up and down them! She is a bit slow on stairs - she may have some arthritis in her hips.  

She is pretty good at being house trained.  She has had a few accidents but if she is scooped up quickly first thing in the morning and gets outside she is fine.  She is not very good on a leash - she just kind of stands still in the yard for a while.  She is great with other d ogsand she ignores the cats.  She is eating and drinking great.  She is really one of the sweetest dogs.  Tuti would be great for a retired person because she loves being around people.  She whines when her foster mom is out of sight.

If you would like to contribute a story to the FOR blog, please mail the contents along with an image or two to blog@forrescue.net.

 At the end of 2014 individuals who submitted content for the FOR blog will be entered in a drawing for a free pet portrait. 


You can make a donation or sponsor an animal by clicking here.

Flame the cat who need to take the high road and Holly Berri who is looking for her forever home

Holly Berri is looking for her forever home!

Flame
Our guest blogger today is Joan Funk, artist, engineer and animal lover

The women in my family all have a soft spot for big, beautiful, blue eyes.  My Mom married a man with wonderful blue eyes (my Dad).  My sister married a man with great blue eyes and her first cat also had big blue eyes.  A few of the guys I've  dated have had big blue eyes but I hadn't brought one home for good.

I saw a post on Facebook about a cat that needed a home.  Gorgeous blue eyes…  But I had two cats and didn't need any more.  Time went by…  About six months later I saw a post again with the same picture.  Well I couldn't believe that he hadn't found a home.  So I called about him.  There was a rather lengthy conversation.  Flame was  very shy.  He came from a hoarder's house.  He had been adopted and spent several months under the couch at his new home.  Eventually he was returned to the shelter.  When people came to the shelter he would hide under a cabinet.  Hearing this story I just had to meet him.  We agreed that they would catch him and then let me know that I could come meet him.

When I got to the shelter, Flame was in a big cage and not looking happy about it.  However, I could pet him through the cage.  I asked for the worker to open the door.  She told me that he would run and hide under the cabinet.  Sure enough he did but he paused long enough for him to pet him just for a few seconds.  I took that has a good sign!  I agreed that he would come to my house.  I was advised not to expect that he would let me pet him and just realize it would take along time.

Flame spent the first few weeks in the office which at the time had a cat tree that he could climb.  I couldn't pick him up.  However, I could pet him and he would stretch out and let me scratch his tummy.  He and the other cats where getting to know each other.  Things were going well.

So I let him out into the rest of the house.  And he went under the bed.   And stayed under the bed.  He would come out to eat and use the litter box but that was about it.

Well no animal in my house is going to spend their whole lives being afraid and hiding.  I thought about it and thought about it.  I realized that he needed high places to go, like the cat tree, but one that he would roam - places to be safe.

And so that's how I  came to have a cat highway in my house.  It runs between three rooms and has boxes in the corners for cats to nap and bath in.  A great contractor, Dustin Hoopengardner,  who although thinking I was crazy, got into the spirit of things made it happen.    Flame at first spent all his time on the highway.  Now he is up there several times a day but he is also napping on the back of the chair, lounging in the window, and hanging out on the screened in porch.  (Still not up for getting picked up and hides when strangers come to visit.)

Holly is blossoming into a great dog.  She is still shy and a bit nervous in new situations, but has come a long way from cowering in the back of her kennel at the Athens Pound.  She was out of time, and with her shyness, had no hope of being adopted.

She's a medium sized dog at around 48 lbs.  She's reddish brown with a white chest.  She's very strong, fast, and agile!  She loves to run and is learning to fetch, sit, and shake.  She is learning her leash skills.   She rides well in a vehicle, whether loose or in a crate.  She's great with cats and has done well with children at events and when they come to visit.

Holly is a funny girl too.  She's invented a game called "Get me! Get me!"  She comes up to you, drops down on her front legs, rear end in the air, tail wagging like crazy.  She taunts you into taking a step toward her and when you do, she spins around, tail tucked low, and runs away with an OMG! look on her face!  Then she runs back and starts it all over again.  It is so funny because she's having a ball and so into it!  She also chases her tail from time to time.  That's funny too, because you see her see it out of the corner of her eye and then the twirling begins!  She doesn't do it for long.  Again, it's just her being silly.  

She's a good watch dog.  She hears everything and alerts you to someone pulling into the driveway or kids cutting across the back of the property.  She will stand guard and keep strangers at bay.  She gives warning barks and is just big enough to keep people in place until you let her know they are OK, then she's fine.  

Holly is great with cats and has done very well with children.  She gets along well with other dogs, but does tend to dominate them.  For that reason, I'd recommend she be an only dog or go to someone experienced with introducing a new dog to a house with an existing dog.  

All of a sudden one of Holly Berri's eyes developed cloudiness.  She has a juvenile cataract and needs immediate surgery.

To contribute to Holly Berri's surgery click here  

If you would like to contribute a story to the FOR blog, please mail the contents along with an image or two to blog@forrescue.net.

 At the end of 2014 individuals who submitted content for the FOR blog will be entered in a drawing for a free pet portrait. 


You can make a donation or sponsor an animal by clicking here.

Tangina is looking for her forever home and Wrigley wiggled his way to a forever home!

Tangina

Our guest blogger is Rachel Beard, a dedicated animal rescuer.

He was just another foster.  Just another dog that my sister called me about needing a foster spot to land in.  We'd wanted to bring him into the program for awhile and were desperately trying to find a spot for him.  This was the second dog my sister had requested me to take that had been shot and hit by a car.  The first was Buck who stayed at my house for 4 months before his heart failure got the best of him.  Wrigley was a chance to redeem myself and rehome a dog that had been dealt such a crappy hand.

I agreed as my weakness for the difficult ones made me an easy target.  I had met Wrigley once at an adoption event on the mountain.  He seemed cute but didn’t make that big of an impression on me.  When I brought him back to the house I was amazed at how low key he was.  Much different from Buck who demanded almost every moment of my time.  He played with my dog Belle so much and could run like the wind! You NEVER would have thought he'd been hit by a car and shot, causing him to walk different on his back legs.  He kept one leg straight when he sat down.  Definitely not something I'd seen in my 4 years of rescue. 

Slowly he seemed to chip away at my heart and pry his way in.  I was forced to shuffle some dogs around when I absorbed an unexpected foster dog from one of my foster homes I managed.  My sister agreed to keep Wrigley while I adopted out the other dog.  I took him to her house and I could feel him right behind me everywhere I walked.  It was a new environment for him and he clung to me, his security blanket.  I finally walked to the door to leave and sure enough, Wrigley was right behind me.  "No Wrigley, you stay here".  He's sad eyes broke my heart but never the less I shook it off and went home.  

Thirty minutes later my sister sent me a picture text of Wrigley still sitting at the door waiting for me to come back.  That was it.  The final chip that allowed Wrigley to break the barrier of typical foster dog to potential pet for me! 

I've fostered close to 60 dogs over the past few years and only a hand full can really get to me and leave me in tears when I adopt them out.  Wrigley is definitely one of those few and I know adopting him out isn’t an option anymore.  I can't leave those sad eyes again to wait at the door for me to return.

Tangina

Tangina is a very loving kitty, at around 8 months old. She was picked up from the side of the road by a kind lady and taken to a vet's office. It turns out that Tangina is blind, but it definitely doesn't slow her down. Tangina has juvenile cataracts and we think she can see large objects, shadows, and light changes.  Depth perception- none but she bounces back after a missed jump or fall of the furniture.  She LOVES toys and loves to play with other kitties. She is also a lap girl and loves to cuddle and be petted while you relax. 

She has recently discovered just how wonderful laundry baskets are to nap in. She uses her senses to find her way around. She learned the layout of her foster home in about two days by walking along walls and learning the smells of each area . Tangina currently lives with two dogs and kind of likes both of them – although the big quiet one is more her style rather than the little yappy one.  Tangina is a favorite in our rescue and we can't wait to find a home for her where she will be loved unconditionally. 

Tangina is so special she has her own Facebook page  

Tangina's Facebook page

To meet Tangina, email info@FORrescue.net: She is located in Huntsville, AL. She is spayed, up to date on all vaccinations, dewormed, microchipped, and FIV negative.

To meet Tangina, email info@FORrescue.net: She is located in Huntsville, AL. She is spayed, up to date on all vaccinations, dewormed, microchipped, and FIV negative.

If you would like to contribute a story to the FOR blog, please mail the contents along with an image or two to blog@forrescue.net.

 At the end of 2014 individuals who submitted content for the FOR blog will be entered in a drawing for a free pet portrait. 


You can make a donation or sponsor an animal by clicking here.