Marley's Mutts

March 27, 2010 – Summing up the Month

Another successful month of dog rescue is coming to an end.  Agonizing memories of puppies suffering from Parvo are expeditiously being replaced with heartwarming adoption successes and miraculous tales of survival.  As many of you know, and some of you saw reported on the news (abc23), we reunited a family with their dog after nearly 4 months apart.  Marley (a very coincidental name) was found in Bear Valley very weak and suffering from a number of ailments, including Lupus.  We made some “found doggy” posters in hopes of finding his owners- and find them we did.  It turns out that Marley is a 15-year old mutt who had been struggling to stay alive out in the treacherous back-country of Bear Valley for 3-½ months.  He survived on deer food and natural spring water and found shelter where he could until he was found by a terrific couple named Rick and Jenny.  There is a surplus of negative dog rescue stories in the media and we couldn’t be happier to participate in a truly positive story.

March saw the adoption of Julius, our first Great Dane, and the departure of Johnny to his home and loving owner. Johnny (our Schnauzer mix) was here for nearly five months and served in the capacity of my right-hand doggy. Johnny came to us when his owner and my best friend went into treatment.  Johnny became the Doc Holliday to my Wyatt Earp almost immediately.  There is nothing that I did, for nearly five months, without Johnny and I will miss him dearly.  I am very proud of Johnny’s owner ( and my aforementioned best friend) and wish him continued sobriety as we trudge this road of happy destiny.

Jeanie (our new German Shepherd) and Monty(our new Bichon) have integrated marvelously into our pack and have added some intangible wellness to life at the Rescue.  We are not used to such “fancy” breeds as the Bichon Frise, but Monty fits right in nevertheless.  I must say,  however, that Monty’s presence is quite distracting as some of our other male dogs find him absolutely irresistable.  It must be his poofy white coat and the way he “floats” around the grounds of our rescue that makes him so desirable.  Murphy and Buddy have come a long way in their development and, because of their improvement, have been integrated into the main pack.  Murphy is a wonderful dog but he has two characteristics working against him 1) he is a Pit mix and 2) he is all black.  For whatever reason, there is noticeable discrimination against black dogs and more obviously against Pit bulls.  I am confident though that the right family will stumble onto Murphy and realize what a special little guy he is.  Some folks find it very difficult to look passed visual impressions and for that reason, we may have Murphy for some time yet  (which is just fine by us).

That’s all, for now.  Thanks for all the support.

“All creeds, all breeds”

Z

 March 12, 2010 – The Rollercoaster Ride 

Howdy do friends of  Marley’s Mutts!  So far, 2010 has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride. We have had many great successes which have been unfortunately paralleled with much strife.  PARVO virus is the operative curse word for 2010.  We have had four cases of parvo resulting in the death of Frankie and the lengthy hospitalization of Marie, Elli and Dee.  I am overjoyed to report that all three of our parvo-puppy-girls survived the deadly virus and have since been adopted by loving families that are equipped to care for puppies with medical needs.  Hospitalizing four puppies has been very taxing to (decimated) our medical budget which only means that we have to buckle down and get to fund-raising.  In order to achieve our fundraising goals in 2010, it is essential that we pursue attaining non-profit status.  In order to gain 501c-3, non-profit status we need to simply get our butts in gear and get the ball rolling. Once the proper paperwork is filled out, a lengthy, in-depth IRS background check is required.  We do not anticipate any dilemmas, but let’s face it- we are dealing with the IRS.  Non-profit status will drastically increase our fundraising capability and make it much easier for our supporters to donate and contribute.

We have had some remarkable doggies come through our doors this month, the most unique being Julius.  Julius was a 140 lbs. stray from Compton, CS who left an indelible mark at Marley’s Mutts.  He provided a warm, inviting attitude that really contributed to the overall symbiotic harmony at the rescue.  Dee, our most recent parvo stricken puppy, has injected some much needed vigor to the somewhat sullen atmosphere that was looming over the rescue.

So long Sponge Bob! Sponge Bob, a 4 ½ month resident at Marley’s Mutts, finally found a forever home. It was not easy to say goodbye to him, but he is in good hands and we hope to stay updated on his new life-path.

Overall, the environment and outlook at Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue is copacetic indeed. We look forward to continuing business as usual but also adding to our dimensions.  We are going kick-off our canine CPR, first-aid and rescue breathing classes, which we hope people will find interesting and intriguing.  We are also working on a comprehensive foster program that hopes to utilize the goodwill and sense of community that is so particular to Tehachapi. Thanks for your support and motivation.

Zach and the Mutts.

February 22, 2010 – More Than 100 Doggies Find New Homes!

We are happy to report that in our first year of rescuing, we have met and surpassed the 100 dogs adopted mark. With your help and support we have been able to rescue, socialize and find homes for over 100 dogs in a year’s time. Our purpose is to help abandoned, stray, unwanted or otherwise unfortunate and needy doggies find loving, permanent homes. We have been able to successfully address our purpose because we work hard, stay positive, and associate with like-minded people and organizations in our community. Organizations like the Tehachapi Veterinary Hospital, Pet Lodge and Canine Creek have been instrumental in aiding our efforts to help as many dogs as we can. Their assistance has been paramount to our success and we will work to enhance our relationship in order to better serve needy dogs and families in our community.