This is why I rescue the old ones...

ONE BY ONE
Written by Leslie Whalen in honor of her dog, Tray, and all senior dogs who await a new home and deserve a second chance at life and happiness.

"One by one, they pass my cage . . . too old, too worn, too broken, no way. Way past his time, he can't run and play. Then they shake their heads slowly and go on their way. A little old man, arthritic and sore. It seems I am not wanted anymore. I once had a home, I once had a bed, a place that was warm, and where I was fed. Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail. Who wants a dog so old and frail? My family decided I didn't belong, I got in their way, my attitude was wrong. Whatever excuse they made in their head, can't justify how they left me for dead. Now I sit in this cage, where day after day, the younger dogs get adopted away. When I had almost come to the end of my rope, you saw my face and I finally had hope. You saw thru the grey and the legs bent with age, and felt I still had life beyond this cage. You took me home, gave me food and a bed, and shared your own pillow with my poor tired head. We snuggle and play and you talk to me low, you talk to me dearly, you want me to know. I may have lived most of my life with another, but you outshine them with a love so much stronger. I may be with you for a week or for years, we will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears. And when the time comes that God deems I must leave, I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve. And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new, my thoughts and my heart will still be with you. And I will brag to all who will hear, of the person who made my last days so dear."

Green dog biz

It's pretty hard to run a boarding and day care without damaging the environment. To begin with there is the impact upon the water supply from the cleaning that has to happen round the clock. There is the waste generated from the dogs themselves and the high energy use to launder all those beds and blankets.

Here's what we decided to do about it:

(Note: This is a process that can only improve, it's not perfect. We would love to have solar power and gray water but this is not our building. So there are limits.)

We drive hybrid cars to run our playgroups.

No chemicals are used to clean our facility, just biodegradable soap and

water.

We use biodegradable plastic bags to pick up litter.

All paper products are from recycled paper.

No new products are purchased unless absolutely necessary. See http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/

We get donated used stuff all the time (like beds and blankets...hint, hint) and we can get great things at SCRAP.:http://www.scrap-sf.org/

Obviously, we recycle...duh.

And we make it a point to leave the park with more dog waste than we came in with.

Yay! we just got 2 new trees courtesy of Friends of the Urban Forest:

http://www.fuf.net/about_us/index.html



Yes, we can do more and we will. We just want you all to know we are aware of our impact on the earth. :http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/02/what_you_need_t.html

About our Foster dogs

Our foster dogs come from many sources with many stories. We work closely with rescue groups. All of our foster dogs were at one time considered unadoptable and put on a euthanasia list. Many are old and their health is compromised. We take these dogs because we can manage their care more easily than other foster homes. Our staff gives their time and energy to restore the broken lives these dogs have lived and give them as much love and comfort that they can in their last years. Here are some points to consider:

75% of animals found within a shelter were original placed in homes by their owners;
40% of animals within shelters are purebred;
2 million dogs are stolen from their own yards, in broad daylight each year ;
6-8 million dogs/cats will visit an animal shelter each year;
4.6 million dogs/cats are euthanized each year;
Only 15% of dogs within shelters are ever reclaimed by their owners;
Each day 10,000 humans and 70,000 puppies and kittens are born.
For every puppy that you "buy", you are supporting a market where animals are treated as a product - a commodity to be bred and sold for profit. Only 1 out of 10 puppies born, will live to see a full life. Maybe you are that one responsible person who will make a life long commitment to your pet store puppy, but you may not realize that 9 other dogs will have to suffer because of your purchase. You will never see them or know them or hear of their fate - but it is the reality of animal breeding. If you live in California, PLEASE support AB1634 - a groundbreaking law that if passed, could change the fate of future animals.
Each time you patronize a store that sells live animals, you support the trade of animals as commodities. Tell Petco and other stores that profit from the suffering of animals that you won't shop there until they stop selling living beings.

Molly & Daisy

Molly & Daisy are two lovely ladies that are inseparable so they will need a home together. The only thing better than a pug is two pugs! They are sweet as the day is long. Molly is 6-8 yrs. old. She is in good health, though she does require insulin injections daily which she tolerates with grace. Daisy is 12-13 yrs. old. She is in very good health. Both girls are happiest with minimal exercise and would be excellent housepets with backyard access. Sniffing flowers and soaking up the sun are their favorite things to do when not getting a good scratch. They like other dogs and cats and would be good with children. can they come snuggle up at your house?

Update: Daisy passed away recently. We all miss her, but none more than her sister Molly.

Super-Fly Hand-made Coats for your Dog

Tina ( one of our employees ) is branching out and producing hand-made, custom sized coats for dogs.  Below is the flyer with all the information, simply click on it to get the large version.  It's been really cold lately, and soon it'll be cold and wet.  So have a chat with Tina if you're interested.  You can email her (rudolf15@earthlink.net), or try reaching her at Pooches' where she takes care of the dogs most mornings (phone and address to the right on this blog).