Month: July 2011

BHRR's Broker is doing FANTASTIC! What a social boy he is….his obedience is going well and he is quite the affectionate goofy boy. We have had no more marking incidents and he understands the rule about going outside FIRST before anything else when he gets up from a nap or rest or overnight sleepie or play or drinking etc.

I still crate him to sleep occasionally, just so that he is used to a crate in case if it is ever needed ie- hurt, surgery recovery, having to spend the day at the Vet in a run etc.

He has no issues going in and settles down great at night.

His best friend is now BHRR's Holden!!!

He has healed wonderfully from his neuter and I microchipped him last night. Not even a peep and he did not notice a thing. He felt he was just getting a treatie just 'because' LOL

Within the next week; he shall be placed up for adoption as his obedience manners can be continued on in his new home per the obedience clause in our adoption contract.

His chest booboo has also healed wonderfully and to him, he did not want anything slowing him down and we had to make sure he took things easy!

He is gentle about taking treats, you can handle his food bowl without issue, does not resource over water or other items and even is not a big drooler! LOL He does like to make a bit of a mess when drinking though…typical Saint B. cheeky

Below is a photo that I took of him with my iPhone last night. GOOFY!

We would be seeking a home – previous Saint experience is not necessary even previous Giant Dog experience is not necessary; a home that has another dog that is a right matched personality fit would be ideal yet AS long as the home has a good social network in place with other dogs via friends, that would be ok; a home that works full or part-time; one that is retired; semi-retired; it does not matter. HE is a very versatile boy! He loves kids and all people plus other animals and I will be taking him back to work with me one day next week so that I can get a new weight on him and see how he now is with everyone.

My intent is to do this on Tuesday next week and if all goes well, he will then be placed up for adoption! I find it so hard to believe that he has been with us since July 3rd and we are already July 29th…time has flown by…he has been an absolute pleasure!


BHRR's Broker (on his back) with BHRR's Beau – July 28th, 2011

BHRR's Apollo went to his temp foster home on Friday July 15th and here are some updates from his temp foster mom:

UPDATE: Sent Sunday July 17th from BHRR's Apollo's Temp Foster Mom –

"Another great night. He is all ours now. lol. If this is him unadjusted WOW!!!!! He is testing boundaries to see what he can get away with. The look on his face is priceless when he gets caught or told no way mister that is soooo not allowed. 🙂 He has the "who me" look down pat. He and Temple have gelled so nicely."

UPDATE: Sent Sunday July 27th from BHRR's Apollo's Temp Foster Mom –

"Thought it was time for an update on your “little” man Apollo.  I did have to laugh out loud today as I read his papers ect. 95% of it with the exception of outsourced obedience we are already doing. WHEW! 😀   He has settled in so well.  He does test as all kids do. Wink, wink. 

I have not had any issues with food at all. In fact both dogs leave some food maybe half a cup  in the dishes and nibble for about 15 minutes if I am not in the room I remove it just in case. But honestly they both respect each other’s space. They have traded bowls on occasion when I turned my back to load the dishwasher but I redirected them back with no fuss or muss.  

We have a bit of grumbling over footballs as they were a fav here before Apollo and he wanted to try to claim them as his own. We had a firm discussion about “manners and sharing”  gentle reminders keep things on track.  He has been exposed to tiny 7 pound terriers with no issues but reminded to be gentle. He plays well with our senior neighbours dog and it would seem we have the communal back yard this year with people, kids and dogs coming and going when we are home and he takes this all in stride.  He does look to me for confirmation that all is ok and being non reactional with him I have found is key. As long as you are relaxed so is he. 

We did a walk about and he and Temple did fab on the split lead.  We practiced in the yard first. LOL.  Hot pavement and sidewalks cut our  walk short as I am now more aware of Birch Haven pads 🙂 I have kept him in a room with Temple when I am not home. He will come for Gray before me. LOL.  He is doing so well and such a sweet treat. Everyone that comes over for a visit can’t believe he has not found his forever home yet. 

Never thought a “blond” would take over part of my heart but this boy sure is something special."


BHRR's Apollo with Temple – HE has a *thing* for those Harle females! – July 2011 & his football! HE loves soccer balls/footballs
*photos courtesy of T. Vaive
 

IF there had been a ramp at the Take The Plunge this past weekend, I would have brought BHRR's Apollo to compete! He will not do those many stairs. While there was a ramp in the pool for dogs to use to get out and some used it to get in; there were quite a few stairs to actually get up on the dock. BHRR's Apollo would have had no issues launching himself into that pool! There was one 'dock dane' there that competed last year as well and we would have loved to have been the second Dane yet those stairs did not make it possible.

AND to have brought him and for him to have heard, seen and smelt the water and not to have been able to swim; would have been hard on him. So, he remained at his temp foster home.

ANOTHER blog post for BHRR's Lincoln for today as the other one was becoming WAY too long of a Gwennie Novel. cheeky

This way, I can add two more photos of him below from July 24th too! 😉

BHRR's Apollo is going to need some dog beds to call his own – preferably the rectangular ones from Costco or an XL Kuranda Bed. He needs lots of soft surfaces to lay upon and as such a big boy(emaciated yet still big); we have to ensure that he is not laying upon hard surfaces. If you want to be a BHRR Buddy to BHRR's Lincoln, I know that he would be very appreciative and grateful for the 'helping hands'. I have once again gone to the two Costco locations near me with no luck on finding any dog beds at those locales and will try to hit up the one in the Innes area when I can. I have been told that they seem to have plenty!

At the Take The Plunge Event; BHRR's Lincoln truly did not understand the concept of a nice comfy bed and it took some time and some persuading before he figured it all out! WTG! Then he used one for his body and one for his head! LOL

On Tuesday, we also gave him a Mirtazapine as an appetite stimulant to try and get him to show more interest in eating. He is eating about 4 cups of food total per day right now and he needs to be eating close to 12. Small, frequent meals.

I am currently in touch with Louise Peterson – and those in the Great Dane world well know who she is. 🙂 I am purchasing 4 pieces of her amazing talented work and she has offered to donate another piece or two plus pay for s&h so that we can raise some much needed funds.

Thank you to Mary for the collar and leash for BHRR's Lincoln!


BHRR's Lincoln  – July 24th, 2011 – Take The Plunge – His ears…..his poor sweet ears….

 

BHRR's Lincoln was picked up last Friday by BHRR BOD member M. Leung, temp fostered overnight and then they met Sean on their way in to assist myself at Take the Plunge last weekend. Below are two photos from Take the Plunge on July 24th as BHRR's Broker attended on the Sunday with us.

He learnt that being outdoors can be a good experience and that the hands that touch him can be helping and loving ones, not hurting ones. He was a BIG hit and did awesome! He was only slightly nervous of one person, a large man from another rescue who approached him very head on. The next time they met, all was fine and the man said 'looks like he is more comfortable' to which I replied 'it was how you approached him, he has been fine with everyone and every dog.' Goes to show that even those in Rescue do not always do the 'right' thing when it comes to some situations. No one is perfect!

He was on 1/2 tablet of Pred 50 mg SID for three days and then was suppose to go to Pred 50 Mg 1/2 tablet EOD for 5 days and so on yet in attempting to do that by the time it was evening on Tuesday; he was clearly shaking and scratching. The Vet that we saw recommended giving him a 5 mg Pred to get him through the night and we are back up to 1/2 tablet  SID for the next 20 days or so.

He is on 1500 mg of Cephalexin 500 mg BID and though his face, elbows, legs and eyes are still swollen, it is SOOOOOOOOO much better and as of Sunday, he could actually see again.

He was on Surolan for his ears yet the inside of them are looking really good at this time.

He is washed with an oatmeal based shampoo and THANK you to M. Leung for taking him to her groomer for a shampoo plus to have the tips of his nails trimmed. He was towel dried due to how thin he is and how thin his hair is, what little he has and all the bald raw areas on his body.

He did not like the Hypo Dry that was tried and barely touched the Hypo Wet
He DOES NOT like the Z/D wet or dry
He is now eating the D/D Salmon Wet & Dry and has tried the D/D and does not appear to mind that as well.

We are waiting for some tripe to come in and also possibly to start him on RAW.

He is resting better and is a lot more comfortable. He has been fully integrated with everyone and what a SWEET boy!

His weight at the Vet Hospital was an emaciated 63 KGs( 138.60 pounds) AND it is all relative as his bone structure is massive and he is about 36" at the whithers. He should be weighing 175 if not more with weight and muscle tone.

It is believed by my own Vet that he does have food allergies that were left untreated and he developed lesions, ear infections and as he was not treated for fleas; developed FAD and also due to being fed Ol Roy dog food; clearly was not getting enough to meet his nutritional needs. His body is so painful and hot to the touch. The weight and heaviness of his ears due to his condition is brutal. They are drying up those and the deep scabs are forming. He sometimes opens a few of the lesions up on his ears and body from scratching, rubbing or shaking….but, better and better!

This was not something that happened overnight and it breaks my heart to see the clear neglect of this boy.

In addition to the food allergies, my Vet believes he could also have some seasonal allergies yet one step at a time and one day at a time.

He is being fed 4-5 small meals a day and much prefers to eat at night when it is cooler. A/C or not in our home, it is hot out there!

The skin scrapings taken have indicated that there are not any demodectic mange and the bw that we did has come back showing results indicative of what he is going through with food allergies. His HWT was negative and he is on Revolution at this time and will receive another dose next week – 2 weeks after the first dose and from there we shall go monthly to Sentinel, our preferred method for heartworm preventative and that it protects against hook worms of which Revolution does not.

NOTICE: Gentle Reminder: HELP Crystal Foschia HELP BHRR & in particular BHRR's Lincoln!

She has entered the "The Dog No One Wanted's Photos – CAPTION CONTEST FOR ANIMAL CHARITY" – AND she is NOW in 1st place due to your help! If her caption wins: she has chosen BHRR as her charity & $500 comes to BHRR – see below for more details on how to help her and BHRR! CONTEST ends July 31st!

Crystal is NOW in first place – 80 votes up from 11 votes; second place has 37 votes yet do not rule them out yet – their Fan Page is over 600 strong!!

Just a few clicks from you can help Crystal win monies for BHRR and all FUNDS would be used towards our newest addition BHRR's Lincoln – the severely neglected Saint Bernard!

FOR those that met him on Sunday; YOU will agree with me that though his rehab is going to be a long and expensive one; he is deserving of it!

Step 1: Go to 'THE DOG NO ONE WANTED FB Fan Page – http://www.facebook.com/pa?ges/The-Dog-No-One-Wanted/?203926342981247?sk=wall
Step 2: 'Like' their page
Step 3: GO to this link: "The Dog No One Wanted's Photos – CAPTION CONTEST FOR ANIMAL CHARITY"
*This is the actual contest link on their FB FAN PAGE
Step 4: Find Crystal Foschia's comment – Hers is number 38 on the list – Crystal Foschia A dog's LOVE can take you anywhere!!!
Step 5: Click on the "LIKE' button to like her comment

Everyone at worked LOVED him on Tuesday and he hung out up at reception! I have some photos I will post soon. I even brought his own drool towel for he makes BHRR's Lily Belle look dainty when he drinks! LOL


BHRR's Lincoln – July 24th, 2011 – Take The Plunge Event – see his poor ears….
*Photos courtesy of C. Desjardins

With BHRR's Hailey scheduled to go to her temp foster home now on Friday July 29th, we can now move on bringing in BHRR's Barbed Wire(Barbie). We are looking at Sunday August 7th at this time.

Update from her amazing temp Foster Mom in KY, USA sent July 26th, 2011:

Barbie seems to be feeling better all the time.  She was skipping around the yard today, acting like a puppy.  It was very cute.  She is a little over a month post-HW treatment, so I gave her the first preventive on Sunday.  She had no issues with it, so I think she's in good shape. 

Update from her amazing temp Foster Mom in KY, USA sent July 18th, 2011:

Barbie seems to be feeling better every day.  She never even coughed, with the HW treatment, so I think she was extremely low antigen positive.  She is totally devoted to me and follows me everywhere.  She loves to put her paws on my shoulders so I can hug her.  She is such an affectionate girl. 

She and the hound mix, Buddy, get along famously.  She lets him jump all over her and doesn't mind a bit.  She is not protective against other dogs unless she feels that her person is being threatened.  She is otherwise rather indifferent to other dogs, but she may be inclined to play, as she starts feeling better and better.

Barbie is a really funny girl.  She does not like the grass, especially if it's wet.  She will only potty on dirt — or the deck or patio.  When she walks in the grass, she acts like she's walking on hot coals.  It's too funny.

 

BHRR's Maggie May attended our 4th Annual BHRR/KAH Microchip/Nail Trim & BBQ Fundraiser on July 17th and what a smash hit she was!!!

She then came with myself to attend the TAKE THE PLUNGE Event at the R/C Raceway on July 23rd and when I was getting ready to leave for the second day, July 24th; she was waiting right at the gate, determined to come back for the second day! SO, she came. She was the 'lady of the hour' and thanks being extended once again to BHRR BOD member M. Leung for putting together a $200 basket to help raise funds. For a minimum donation of $5, ballots were handed out for supporters to win the basket. Congratulations extended again to Laura of Adopt-A-Greyhound for being having the winning donation ballot!

BHRR's Maggie May was sooooooooooo happy during these events and though she might be older, she was a sprite thing as she went out and about. She taught many a person how 'normal' a dog can be with only three legs and that one should not feel sorry for her. She won over many hearts and this was her final test(social, training and also for her strength) before being placed up for adoption since she first came into Rescue and then had her leg amputated on May 10th, 2011.

It is hard to believe that this we are at this point in our journey together and once again, I am full of mixed feelings. SOOOOOOOOOO happy and thrilled that she survived and is thriving and having the best quality filled life ever and sad as I am quite smitten by her and she has been one of the best ever dogs to have had here. She is a Pyr through and through and she is smart and loyal and as with any of our dogs, she shall ONLY go to a right matched personality fit home. One that is going to be patient, understanding that she is older, that it was a front leg that was amputated and that understands her breed traits.

I do not want to see her pushed beyond her comfort or ability limits. She is so much stronger than she was yet we are not talking about a 1 year old dog here. She is older than 2, 3, 4 and possibly even 5 YET her teeth indicate a younger dog – less than 4, life has been so hard on her before she came into Rescue……

We want her a home to NOT feel sorry for her, overfeed her and 'baby' her either.

She will do well in a home that works from home, works part-time, semi-retired, retired. One that is not going to expect her to hike a km 5 times daily. One that will give her plenty of soft beds to lay upon, a home that is not going to have lots of stairs – a few is ok and as long as they are not steep. She likes the Kuranda beds too which will be great on her joints and bones as she ages.

Someone that is going to take care of her coat as it continues to grow in. We do not want to see her continually shaved as this will toughen up that undercoat of hers.

Yes, we have our usual high expectations and standards yet that home is out there! One that is seeking a loyal, affectionate(give her time, she is all Pyr and when she warms up and trusts you, this dog will give you all of her heart and soul), kind, gentle, low maintenance BEST tripod female Pyr ever! A home with a fully fenced in backyard that is going to ensure that she does not stay out too long, has some freedom to explore and a home that is moderately active yet not going to expect too much out of her re: exercise.

Her best friend her is my daughters almsot 160 pound female English Mastiff and as long as her future adoptive home has a right matched personality fit, this would be good for her mental and even for some added physicall stimulation. She likes to play a bit, rest, play some more and then snooze.

She does great in cars and enjoys looking out the window before laying down comfortably.

Below are two photos taken of her from July 24th at the TAKE THE PLUNGE EVENT at the R/C Raceway this past weekend.


BHRR's Maggie May – Take The Plunge Event – July 24th, 2011
*photos courtesy of C. Desjardins

Two Wonderful Days Beside this Terrific Family

Hi Birch Haven Family

Warren and I (from Pet-errific) are amazed at such a caring family. We spent 2 glorious days beside your rescue booth this past weekend. Pet-errific has now found a cause to make our own as we build our business.

You are such a warm and caring family. It’s wonderful to see that the large breed doggies of any type have a haven but more important a warm & caring family to love them once again.

You are all amazing and we wish you all the best.
Lana & Warren
Pet-errific Services & Gifts

BHRR's Rain did so well at KAH last Tuesday -July 19th – for her spay. She did not do any barking and was so social and accepting. While she was under sedation, it was amazing how much hair was able to be taken of her and she had a nice manicure/pedicure!

Her weight was 30.5 KGs(67.10 pounds). She is gaining very slowly yet as with BHRR's Beau, the amount of hair that has come off her was quite heavy in poundage. She also tends to not eat as well as her brother.

She is my little dynamo of energy and loving affection.

The sad news is that yes, she does have a fracture of the P3 on her right front foot – one toe. X-Ray photo below. We tried to splint it with the expectation that it most likely would be futile and yup, by the time I took her home that night; as she stretched in the car; off came the splint…sigh…I tried to put it on again at home and that was an exercise in futility. She was very proud and content once she had it off.

She is on 50 mg of Deramaxx as needed and we are going to see if we can get this to heal – it is a relatively clean break, not like BHRR's Dana's smashed bone fragments in her own toe that we had to amputate. We are going to 'try' to remain hopeful that we can get her toe to heal, yet broken toes are brutal things……

As she is never going to be your 'average' female Saint Bernard size, that is in her favour to heal this toe. We have to work on keeping her quiet due to her spay and this toe. This little girl just wants to get up and go she is so bursting with the joy of life yet when it is bed time, she settles down beautifully.

In fact, both her and brother are now only crated to eat – no resourcing issues whatsoever and man, do they both love kids! They sleep out of their crates at night and if we have to go out; they are not crated either. IMPRESSIVE, fast learners these two are. They are both bombing along their path of rehab and I am very proud of them!

I even took BHRR's Rain to the Take The Plunge Event for the Sunday and she has gone from taking a long time with lots of treats to feel 'safe' with people; to now sometimes wanting to bark, lunge and wag that tail furiously *if* she does not get her way to greet other dogs and people. She was Miss Social Butterfly and now needs to learn that we see and greet dogs and people on 'our' terms not hers! LOL

This is one stunning wee Saint Baby Female! HOLY! Her body is in great propotion and I call her my 'pocket Saint'. Her face is so softly feminine and I have the best photo to post and shall do on another blog as the two photos I wish to post here are off her after her spay plus her toe bobo. The Vet that helped me splint her foot; put a lightening bolt patch on her splint as I had a bit of a scare being electrocuted on July 17th when the whole storm came in that evening and ended spending some time having my heart monitored. She also put an 'ouchie' patch on her splint. LOVE my Vets! It was nice having it so quiet so that I could be proactively active in her plus BHRR's Beau care that day and not having to multi split my time. 🙂

We are still looking for some more dates with approved Volunteers for both of them yet at the rate she is now going with her own rehab; I would say in another month; she is going to be able to be placed up for adoption.

We are not seeking to adopt her and her brother together yet both will do best in a home with at least one other right matched personality fit canine. Both are good with dogs of all sizes and cats and now that BHRR's Rain is here; she has learnt gentle and not playing so rough and her true inner beauty is coming out….if allowed, she can be a bit of a bossy bit of goods yet in the right leadership home with the right guidance between other dogs and humans; she is a genteel lady! Most of the time! She is going to need a 'job' – obedience, agility etc. for her mind is very sharp and she has such a soul that burns like a bright flame. 🙂 She just crams all she can into each day and appears to almost be always 'smiling' – yes, humanizing her! 😀

Each night, I can do more and more time grooming her and she is no longer so scared and has not done a submissive pee in quite some time. I do not push her boundaries but I test them plus slowly am increasing them and she loves those treats! I want to see another 10 pounds on her at this age yet this is one Saint B. that is never going to make it to 100 and NEVER should. I can only keep stressing enough to our adoptive homes and foster homes; DO not overfeed these Giants. You are only creating problems that we have worked so hard to prevent. It really distresses me to see them overweight and some even brought to the obese state and to see this happening really does 'gets' to Sean & I.

We are still working on her leash manners too…. 😉


BHRR's Rain – July 19th, 2011 – 8 months of age & X-Ray of right front foot – second toe on end P3 fracture

2 more updates on BHRR's Lincoln's overnight/temp foster home on Friday July 22nd:

First Update:

Lincoln is a lovebug, very friendly and inquisitive.  He walks really nicely on a leash, but I'm not sure whether it's because he's just been in unfamiliar environments with me and wants to stick close.  He squeaks when he's anxious and has barked a few times in the yard with X and Y.  All three barked at the muscial ice cream truck when it circled the court, and no, I did not buy them any LOL!

That's the one thing that I noticed is that he sleeps alot.  It could be just because of his poor condition and he lacks energy, but I remember you also said that it was a way for them to deal with stress.  I brought Lincoln back in first, put him in the crate with his water bowl and food before letting the boys in to be fed.  When all were done, I put up the food bowls and let Lincoln out.  He explored a bit with X following him then he went to sleep and the other two followed suit.

Second Update:

Forgot the most important part. Except for his terrible, terrible ears, Lincoln's head is huge and oh so gorgeous and sweet now that he's clean.  He'sshaken his head a couple of timesand started the raw patches bleeding.

His body condition is poor and his fur is very thin -you can see through to his skin in some places.  Body is very thin with no muscle tonei the hind end.

Large bald patches on his elbowsprobably from lyingon hard surfaces.

And no surprise, he;s a drooler.

Can't wait for you to meet him – you'll fall in love in an instant.  I sure did, and so did a lot of other people today. 

A couple even wanted to adopt him.  I told them it would be a while before he would be available and gave them the BHRR site info to read up on the adoption procedures and invited them to fill in an application if they felt they met the qualifications.

Picture below is from his arrival to BHRR on Saturday July 23rd. Sean took a photo and sent it to me as I was at the TAKE THE PLUNGE Event that day. Everyone at our booth had to have a looksy at the boy that stole the hearts of many as we tried so hard to save him!


BHRR's Lincoln – July 23rd, 2011 – DAY of arrival to BHRR – 2.5 years of age
 

BHRR's Beau's neuter went well. His weight was 37.10 KGs(81.62 pounds), so a slight gain. He most likely actually has put on more yet with all the hair and matts that were taken off him while he was under; that added up to quite the poundage! HE looks so much better and every night, I am able to groom him a bit to pull more and more out of him.

He had a really great mani/pedi while he was under too. 😀

He is doing so well! He was calm, accepting and quite open to the attention given to him at the Hospital. YAY!

After only one accident in the house, he has been completely fine and also proven to be 100% trustworthy. I crate him at night still as he is learning that his own company is ok and that he does not need to rely on his sister to be there and stand up for him. They still like to flop and drop together yet both happily go into separate crates at night and settle down beautifully. I have not heard a bark or peep out of this boy since that first 48 hours. He is the 'strong silent' type now! 🙂

HE LOVES kids and all the dogs here and is a great car traveller. We are working on leash manners and his 'sit' is quite solid now.

We did not go on our 'date' last Thursday as the temps were close to 115 and we shall still have our date on Monday with Volunteers.

I would say that within a month, this fast becoming outwardly happy boy is going to be ready for adoption! Fast flightly movements make him unsure and loud noises but HUGE progress in such a short time!!!

He is healthy, becoming so much more comfortable and confident in his own skin and SOOOOOOOOOOO handsome underneathe all the hair, matts and dirt he had!


BHRR's Beau – July 20th, 2011 – 8 months of age

UPDATE just sent on BHRR's Lincoln from his temp/overnight Foster Home:

"He was an excellent traveller and spent most of the tirip sleeping or looking out the windows. There was nary a peep out of him except for a bit of anxious squeaking at the beginning, but he settled down well as I continued to reassure him that he was good boy and that he was safe. I told him my Lincoln was squeaking and needed to be oiled.

He has been to my boys' groomer, X, who made a special trip back to the store with her husband to bathe him, work out the mats on his poor ears, clean them and do his nails. X said they gave Lincoln a second bath as the rinse water ran off him like a river of mud. They did not blow dry him because of his skin condition, but vigorously towel dried him instead. It took four towels :-). His white parts are now snowy. On our way out eight people commented on what a nice boy he was and asked about his background story.

He has been fully integrated with X and Y. Of course, I had to tell X that Lincoln was a "puppy".

Lincoln has been given his meds and is eating some dinner at this moment. He has drunk a bowl and a half of water, peed three times and had a small bowel movement.

Gwen – I will email you separately about tomorrow."

BHRR's Lincoln – Almost 3 years of age, Saint Bernard, Male, neutered, family surrendered to the SPCA that they had adopted him from about 1-1.5 years ago previously. Terrible ear infections, hair loss and painful lesions on body. O. was actually an animal welfare employee at one time themselves. This continues to prove my position that it MATTERS not one bit what ones career, race, colour, age, sex is etc.; animal cruelty/neglect crosses all over! 🙁

Family was being evicted and going 'camping' was reason for surrender. Family had been advised back in May of 2011 to do a food trial to determine if Lincoln had food allergies yet continued to feed him Ol' Roy.

After seeing two Vets plus a skin specialist; BHRR's Lincoln is now on Prednisone, an allergy food , antibiotics – Cephalexin, given Revolution. In addition to his chronic ear infections, he has demodectic mange as his auto-immune system had been so weakened.

BHRR was contacted to see if we could step up to assist as no other place had to date. After a stressful almost 24 hours, we have had an approved home step up to temp foster – They are going to temp foster BHRR's Benjamin for BHRR. This enable us to commit to assisting BHRR's Lincoln.

He will be picked up from the SPCA later today, temp fostered overnight and met by Sean on Saturday for him to bring back to BHRR. I have an appointment set up with one of my Vets on Tuesday to evaluate him again – do a HWT if needed etc.

The SPCA Branch Manager sent us the following on BHRR's Lincoln:

"Lincoln is a wonderfully nice dog. Gets a long with kids of all ages and other dogs. "

NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!!!


BHRR's Lincoln – left ear & swollen face – July 2011

BHRR's Broker did not end up attending our 4th Annual Microchip/Nail Trim & BBQ Fundraiser. He had been playing in the 2+ acre fenced in yard on the Friday and ended up putting a stick into the side of his chest. MAJOR antibiotics, tons of love and lots of rest on his agend for the next bit. AND to him, he was not fazed and just wanted to keep playing! Happy boy he is!

I will see how he is later this week and might bring him to one of the days of TAKE THE PLUNGE on either Jluly 23rd or July 24th. If not then, then most likley the GD Walk/Hike as this will be his last 'test' before being placed up for adoption.

He has healed well from his neuter and his obedience is flowing along nicely. Typical Saint in many ways yet such a goober nut(just as BHRR's Frank became before he was adopted!) as he is such a social butterfly! LOL

HUGE milestone reached tonight!!!! I was able to not only run a soft bristle brush over their coats YET also a fine needle grooming comb! NOT for very long yet talk about HUGE progress and HUGE HUGE HUGE success! Both were really good!

They started off a bit unsure, then became curious and as I 'played' it up and gave lots of praise, they became excited and even more happy(AND believe me when you meet BHRR's Rain and 'win' her over; her tail is NONstop wagging and BHRR's Beau's tail is not all that far behind!) and allowed me to do a couple of minutes each on them.

SOOOOOOOOOO, I was able to pull out tons of dead hair and a few matts and though, we have a long ways to go, progress!!! YAY! Lots of treats afterwards!

They are in tomorrow for their alters and they are heading in with tons of treats in hand!

I am also going to have their Vet take a peek at one of BHRR's Rain's front feet/legs. As the dogs were running, she tripped and went down hard the poor thing…..she has been limping a bit since then.

LOVING my 'Saint Babies' as I call them.

Their first 'date' is this Thursday and looking foward to it. That will give me a better idea if both should/could possibly head out one day to TAKE THE PLUNGE this upcoming weekend or better off holding until our next GD & Honourary GD Walk/Hike or even later.

Thanks so much for trusting me my babies! 🙂

BHRR's Rain & BHRR's Beau are doing well. I am able to touch and do more and more with them each day.

BHRR's Beau has had just one accident in the house and both have settled into BHRR life beautifully. For those that have been asking, no, I shall not be bringing them to our upcoming 4th Annual Microchip/Nail Trim & BBQ Fundraiser on Sunday July 17th at Kanata Animal Hospital.

They still require a lot of rehab and I still have not been able to handle them enough to take those matts out or do those brutally long nails. That shall be done at their alters on Tuesday while under anaesthetic. I am now able to brush them more and they are very treat motivated. They still act like they have not eaten in ages when you feed them yet it is much better than it was. I am looking forward in seeing what their new weights are! AND still not one bit of resourcing EVER being done by either one!

Their coats are better than they were yet no where near where they should be but we shall get there! With their puppy coats shedding, being kept outside etc.; they have a lot to get rid off.

BHRR's Rain barely barks now. She is more calm and confident and in turn, that make BHRR's Beau not 'feed' off any of her high energy. She does not try to 'rule' BHRR's Beau and step up to take care of him as much and that shall continue to change as time goes on. She is visibly more relaxed and happy. That tail of hers goes a mile a minute and even BHRR's tail is wagging more and more and higher too! AND with tons of exercise daily here; both are no longer 'rangy'. Each night, they happily go to their crates and sleep really well! 😉

They are still close, very close yet each are making their own circle of friends and BOTH love BHRR's Holden.

AND for those that were also wondering, no, we never did receive that donation that we were informed we would be receiving last Thursday. As indicated, we were still going to assist them, regardless as that is what a r/q Rescue does and the monies will come out of our own pockets and from support sent their way by their fans! Both could use a BHRR Buddy; and both could use their own dog beds. Currently, I have piles of comfy blankets for them to sleep upon. I do not want to 'tempt' them with possible shredding as they exit their honeymoon period and become more comfortable and confident without worry of any negative repercussions. They have a lot to learn as of yet and they will get there….baby steps.

Their deworming protocol has brought out quite the explosive diarrhea as their bodies rid themselves of parasites. They are both on Sentinel as well right now.

As we are into the final countdown for our Fundraiser this Sunday; blogs and photos are going to have to wait. SORRY!

I also have two dates now lined up for the BHRR Saint Babies and myself to visit two different BHRR Volunteer Homes! YAY! First date is next Thursday and the next one is on Monday July 25th.

Still looking for more dates for us to visit some friends and Volunteers for an hour or so; hand out treats to them and socialize plus train them more. It would be too easy for us to just keep them here on our 148 acre property yet that is not in their best interest NOR what we do at BHRR. As we do with all of the animals, they, too; shall be giving proper training and social opportunities. We want them assets to their future adoptive homes AND to their communities. AND there is no reason given enough rehab that both of these Saints will not make excellent additions to home and community. The more time I spent with them and work with them; the more amazing they both get! Each has their own 'work' to be done and each has the same 'work' to be done in some areas.

AND to answer the question many have been asking; we do not think we shall be adopting them out together. This is for their best interest and for their future adoptive homes. We have had two successful adoptions of a pair of Great Danes to two separate homes at the same time YET that was a rare exception and those Danes complimented each other. Furthermore, in BHRR's Cletus's case; BHRR's Samari had to be adopted with him. They are great dogs together absolutely; yet; they will be great dogs in homes of their own with their own new families. We do know that we would prefer them to be adopted to homes that have at least one right personality fit canine for them too.

Both are great with dogs of all sizes and with cats.

If they continue to bloom the way they are right now; I am thinking of bringing both to our next GD & Honourary GD Walk/Hike on July 31st! Local Media L. Bradley of the Ottawa Dog Blog shall be in attendance to do a story on the largest group of its kind in the area plus how we promote responsible dog ownership awareness to the community during our fun walks/hikes. If interested in being added to our almost 125 member list; please email.

 

JUST two SLEEPIES until the 4th ANNUAL KAH/BHRR Microchip/Nail Trim & BBQ Fundraiser being held at Kanata Animal Hospital – 440 Hazeldean Road in Kanata, Ontario on Sunday July 17th, 2011

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

NO APPOINTMENTS NECESSARY & RAIN OR SHINE!

There will also be Pet Photos, Caricatures, Face Painting, Free Draws, Human Bake Table, Doggie Treats, Leashes, Collars, BHRR Bracelets, Tug Ropes and more!

Microchips – $40 – For Cats & Dogs
Nail Trims – $10 – For Cats, Dogs, Guinea Pigs & Rabbits

The Rogers Community Cruiser shall be on hand from 10:00 AM – Noon with free timbits & coffee

Complimentary Behavoural/Training Consult Sessions to be had with the Founder of BHRR & Animal Behavoural Student G. Boers

The microchips are from 24PetWatch and they meet the requirements of the revised Canadian standard for electronic identification of companion animals. These microchips are also accepted by the CKC. Animal microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are typically implanted just beneath the skin between the shoulder blades.

Every year millions of lost and abandoned animals are taken in by shelters, pounds, humane societies, SPCA's and rescue organizations. Of these animals only about 15% of dogs and 5% of the cats (estimated numbers) are ever returned to their homes. The primary reason that the statistics are so low is, because the pets are unidentifiable. Microchipping provides the only truly permanent method of identifying your pet(dogs and cats-especially outdoor one's!) and networking the animal back to their owners. If you want to improve your cat or dog's chances of getting home; microchipping is your best option.

Out of 20 dogs gone missing in our area, only 7 have been found to date; of which 4 were microchipped.

This is the largest Mircochip Fundraiser in CANADA!

Below is a photo of BHRR's Maggie May from our June 25th BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House! SHE is so adorable in her 'peach fuzz' fashion! I just love her eyes….

She is doing really well and as time goes on, it becomes more and more apparent that she is much older than 2 or 3. She has had a tough life for sure, this doll. 🙁

It is our intent to bring her to our upcoming KAH/BHRR 4th Annual Microchip/Nail Trim & BBQ Fundraiser on Sunday July 17th. To all that are intending to come out; your support means that we can continue to give amazing dogs like BHRR's Maggie May a better future. AND thank you so much in advance for that support!

She remains just terrified of storms and this summer has seen its share. 🙁 We continue to work on a calming touch/word and passively ignoring. She is better than she was in that she is no longer launching herself over furniture to hide and will now lay down in a corner and enjoy Kinsley wrapping her up in a blanket.

Our next BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House shall not be until September and to date, we only have 6 spaces left. Please email if you would like to register to attend.


BHRR's Maggie May – June 25th, 2011 @ our BHRR "EXPERIENCE" Mini Open House
*Photo courtesy of J. Rheome DeSantis

BHRR's Beau & BHRR's Rain had a good first night. I am typing this update at almost 2 AM on Tuesday the 12th! I worked on their manners and both have a nice solid sit for sure! Treats help…. 😉 I brought both of them to work with me and when I walked into the door; I told everyone to just passively ignore them and gave out bits of hotdog for people to hand out. BHRR's Rain had a bit of barking yet settled down and it was not long before both were quite comfortable and settled.

They were AWESOME in the back run and BHRR's Rain had some submissive peeing when I was trying to weigh her or when a few people were giving her treats.

The only other time that she barked and then got BHRR's Beau to bark was one time that I took them outside and they saw strangers walking by on the sidewalk and then one person who was arriving at KAH with their own Beagle pup. They really wanted to play with the pup.

With every new person they met after that, there was no barking, more confident and comfortable body posture and tons of happy tail wagging, especially from BHRR's Rain. BHRR's Beau 'feeds' of her and she is more high strung and energy filled. He is much more relaxed and accepting yet when she is on 'alert', he goes on alert and with his 'stand back and size up the situation' comfort zone, a treat is all that is needed to make him relax.

The 360 these two have taken in less than 24 hours is AWESOME! They traveled great in the car and they were a bit unsure when I took them out of the car and loud noises make them slink a bit yet I passively ignored, gave them a calming word and we moved forward as if it was no big deal.

ALL the staff at KAH was AMAZING! As I fed treats, we were able to give both their Rabies and DAPP shots plus microchip them. The Vet was able to listen to their hearts and lungs and she and I were even able to look at teeth plus BHRR's Beau's eyes; one eye more than the other was quite red and as of this AM, lots of discharge, more than last night. Between the two of us, we were even able to get the ointment into his eyes! WOOHOO!

LOTS of treats, praise and passing of the puppies to all!

I have posted on our BHRR FaceBook FAN Page; a request to our BHRR Volunteers and friends re: some dates and times for them to consider so that I could perhaps drop by for an hour with them and have more people meet them, give them treats and learn that stranger danger is nothing to fret about and that the hands that touch them are kind. Please email!

They were very respectful when others asked them to sit and everything they did that was appropriate was filled with praise and treats and anything inappropriate was corrected with a matter-of-fact tone of authority and then passively ignored.

They have not had an accident in the house and tonight, I shall move them to a colossal crate for this sleep for more space and room and then as of tonight's sleepie, separate crates.

BHRR's Beau is actually more adventurous than BHRR's Rain and she is very rough in her play; I witnessed that first hand when I went to pick them up and so, she needs to learn manners. She needs to be corrected with such rough play yet interesting to note, that when she wants to get in on the play, especially between BHRR's Broker and Caffrey, she is not happy that they get rough back with her. She does not like getting her own medicine back and having others call the shots yet she is much calmer already with myself and Sean stepping up to take control of the leader roles here.

Both love kids and all dogs and both have huge diluted pees when they do go and we shall monitor.

Both were given a tube of Revolution and I have Panacur to de-worm them.

We shall do their bw(we wanted to ensure this visit was all positive for them and no restraining or situation where they might panic was created); nails and to shave those matts when they are under sedation for their altering on the 19th of July. I will continue to work on being able to handle them to brush out what dead hair that I can until then. They are blowing a ton of hair and have puppy coats that are trying to shed, winter coat and just that being kept outside tough coat that we need to now shed. With their hair type, they need regular grooming to stay on top of it.

I am very tempted to bring both to the Microchip Clinic with how much forward direction both have taken YET I might wait until TAKE THE PLUNGE to give them another 6 days.

BHRR's Rain's weight was a thin 30.2 KGs(66.44 pounds)
BHRR's Beau's weight was a thin 35.9 KGs(78.98 pounds)

With the leaps and bounds they have made in less than 24 hours; I am still very confident about BHRR's Rain's progress and as I have begun some separation from her with BHRR's Beau's; feeling so much more comfortable about his own rehab. She truly 'feeds' him and both need to learn to be calm and confident in their own right and she needs direction and manners with affection and he needs direction and time to get some attention on his own terms. 🙂

Will update more and take more pictures as I can. This week is a busy one with our upcoming 4th ANNUAL BHRR Microchip/Nail Trim & BBQ Fundraiser on Sunday July 17th! Anytime between 8 AM – 4 PM and RAIN OR SHINE! This is the largest Microchip Fundraiser in Canada!!!

After some more discussion with this one temp foster home, we are going to place BHRR's Apollo with them instead of BHRR's Benjamin. For a variety of reasons, including that BHRR's Apollo has had more training as he has been here at BHRR longer plus he no longer requires a crate.

We both believe that the age plus energy level of BHRR's Benjamin would be a better fit for their curent Dane in some ways yet with BHRR's Ava Marie having been adopted, BHRR's Apollo has been a bit lonely(I KNOW! Hard to believe at BHRR) and he is just now starting to become super fast friends with BHRR's Holden. Perhaps, while he will be providing amazing company and exercise to their current Dane; in turn, perhaps; she might make his step become a bit lighter again AND for sure; she is going to exercise him in turn.

AND BHRR's Apollo is much more settled with cats than BHRR's Benjamin. He is good with them yet can still be a bit curious.

BHRR's Apollo has been up for adoption longer and moving to a bigger place will give him more exposure to the public as well. 😉 We know that right matched home is out there for him….they just have not found him yet. 🙂

BHRR's Benjamin has many fast friends here and has not been going through an adjustment with one of his beds buds having been adopted and we are going to see how it works out. BHRR's Apollo shall go to his temp foster home on Friday July 15th! 🙂

 

 

They are HERE! I feel like I am forever on the roads of late making drives to pick up animals in need. 🙁

They are full of matts, need extensive grooming, she is more thin than he and their lack of socialization is extensive. One was tied up to a bumper of a truck during the day and one to a nearby tree during the day. They were brought in at night and shared this crate. NOT much room for two in there….

I changed their names……they are now 'Rain' & 'Beau'. For their new beginning….very rarely do we do that….

Ever since that one beer commercial came out about a year ago, the run on Saints has been brutal. 🙁

They shall not be placed up for adoption for a long time…. 🙁 That will depend on their rehab progress. She has a lot of potential. I am more cautiously optimistic about him at this time yet I am going to give it my all to make the world 'right' for them both. Once they are separated…the true hard rehab work shall begin…she is stepping up to 'take care' of him just as Lexi did with BHRR's Hailey. That is not her role, it is ours as the human leaders and she is going to be fine in time….he needs to be given the opportunity to see if he can fully blossom. They are now also entering into 'stranger danger' stage.

Everything frightens them….

It was quite some time before I could touch when I went to get them either yet now they are WELCOMED TO BHRR and one step at a time.

I have known about them for almost 3 weeks and finally I got the call from the O. directly asking us to assist. The one O. who contacted me directly, did the right thing. She surrendered them. She wanted better for them. I have talked to her extensively. Sometimes when one loves, they truly do have to let something go.

I have added one photo to their slideshow right after their arrival. They have now been fully integrated with everyone without issue.

The O. also donated their crate and gave me their two leashes. She said that she would make a donation to their care after her pay day on Thursday. Regardless if she is going to do this or not, BHRR still took them in. They need assistance and a lot of socialization. They need a nail trim and their coats are going to take some time to get normal. They are both rough coat Saints.

Additionally, Sean and I are looking at them and they are byb Saints indeed in looks. Both are very small for their Breed and quite 'snipey'. I will post weights after their Vet Visit. YET regardless of their history and pedigree(lack thereof); we know that we are going to LOVE them!!!

I had Sean feed them as I did the drive by myself and they had already gotten to 'know' me a bit on the almost 5 hour drive. Sean's word when he fed them were 'ravenous'.  They did not resource over their bowls with each other and ate in the same crate and had no issues with humans also handling their bowls. I can handfed them treats without any issue.

She is such a wee ham and going to keep me on my toes for sure! BHRR's Beau is more reserved and we shall see what time brings his way in self-confidence, comfort zoning and acceptance.

WELCOME TO BHRR you two wee beauties!


BHRR's Beau(standing) & BHRR's Rain – July 10th, 2011 – Day of Arrival to BHRR

 

 

Here is what BHRR's Broker's Temp Foster home had to say about him as we waited to transport him to BHRR:

Broker had a good night.  He got restless around 3AM, so we went outside for a bit, and then he finally ate.  He settled fairly well after that until X got us all up for his breakfast a couple of hours later.

He and X did play together this morning for a bit as well.  He and Y are now close.  They both seem to like the game they are playing, where she gets to correct him over and over for humping or trying too.  They will do this for a bit then both go lie down together. 

Broker ate some lunch – he much preferred Y's food and she his so it all worked out 🙂 He is a huge drinker as well.  He was getting wet and dry mixed, but I don’t think he likes the wet/canned food much at all.

He is asking for attention form both 'of us' at every opportunity now too.

He knows some basic commands and is respectful of 'us'.

The moment he walked into our own home; he had marked three times. He made some attempts to hump. Since he has been neutered, he has not tried to hump one dog yet he continues to have some marking moments; yesterday none; today; two. We will continue to nip that in the bud. Until he stops marking and is solid in his obedience, he shall not go up for adoption.

He is fully crate trained now and his best bud remains Bleach!

He bonds fast to humans this boy!

Added two photos from his post-op recovery of his neuter and putting one below. LOVE the tongue! Ignore the one shaved leg, the vein was not easy to hit on this boy, so we had to use the other front leg.


BHRR's Broker – post-op recovery from neuter – July 4th, 2011

BHRR's 'Rain' & 'Beau' shall be arriving to BHRR on Sunday. I will go to pick them up after an event ends that has been planned at my house. They are 2 x 8 month old Saint Bernard puppies – littermates – female and male – and are being surrendered due to a dissolve in a marriage plus the home has 4 children. They are crated at night in the house and spend their days outside.

In talking to the one O.(lovely woman!) she mentioned that at the time we were conversing, they were tied up to a bumper of a truck.

The will be altered and apparently require one booster still at this time.

Their names have been changed and what we know about them are:

1) Rain – more dominant, more outgoing

2) Beau – more shy, takes time to warm up to people yet is an affectionate boy once he does

They both require obedience training.

Will update as I learn more.

BHRR's Broker's weight was 53.5 KGs(117.70 pounds) today. He is still very young and once he acquires a lot more muscle tone/mass; he is going to better match that big gorgeous head/mug of his!

We did a HWT, bw(normal) and he was neutered today.

LOVED by all that met him today! 😉 I took a couple of post-op recovery photos and shall post soon.

His Vet Bills today was just under $300 and this does not include his Heartworm preventative.

If anyone would like to sponsor or virtually foster BHRR's Broker to be his BHRR Buddy:

You can donate by email transfer to gwen@birchhaven.org or by PayPal(account is gwen@birchhaven.org) OR you can write a check/MO or Bank Draft out to ‘Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services’ OR to ‘Gwendilin & Sean Boers’ for her Vet Bills with BHRR’s Maggie May in the memo section and mail to:

Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services
C/O Gwendilin Boers
2425 Totem Ranch Road West
RR#1 Oxford Station, Ontario
K0G 1T0

You can also call Kanata Animal Hospital directly at (613) 836-2848 and pay a donation by M/C, Visa or AMEX.

More later BUT I just had to say so excitedly that BHRR's Maggie May TOOK her very first treat today and ate it!!!! WOOHOOOO! I have been offering her treats yet she was not comfortable and today, when I offered her one as she was laying in her open crate; she took it and ate it and YAY! YAY! YAY! 🙂

UPDATE: At this time, BHRR's Hailey is still at BHRR and has not yet gone to the temp foster home. The same goes for BHRR's Benjamin. This greatly hinders us in our plans to have brought in BHRR's Barbed Wire at the end of June from KY, USA yet circumstances are what they are and it is what it is!

BHRR's Broker – 11 months(born July 8th, 2010), smooth coat male Saint Bernard. Utd on Vaccines and shall be having a HWT and neutered on Monday July 4th, 2011. Surrendered due to a dissolve of marriage and Owner moving. Good with dogs and all humans to date. Will get a weight on him tomorrow as well. THANKS to everyone who pulled together to make this rescue happen.

BHRR's Broker has been integrated already with 6 dogs to date without issue and he reminds me a bit of BHRR's Bean – large gorgeous head, smaller body and needing some muscle tone. He is quite straight in the hind end, especially left knee/hip and we shall have the examined. He moves well and does not appear to be in any discomfort. He is playful!

THANKS so much to his temp foster home who gave him a manicure/pedicure plus bath. Will update as I can.


BHRR's Broker  – July 3rd, 2011 – Day of Arrival to BHRR