A Leg Up Rescue

Buster has been adopted!

His story:
If you are looking for a mature dog with loads of personality, look no further than Buster. He appears to be mostly Chihuahua, but also has the distinctive body and nose of a Boston Terrier, so likely has a little of that in him as well. He certainly has all the personality characteristics of both breeds. He weighs in at about 5 pounds, and is approximately 7 years old. He is very active and loves to play with toys -- especially those twice his size -- but like all mature folks, enjoys a power nap. He loves attention, and will literally hop straight up on his very long legs to get it (we call it Buster's patented "busta move"), but once a scratch or two is extracted, he loves to snuggle and chill as well. He gets along fine with the other small dogs in his current foster home pack, but tends to play with only one other dog at a time -- and mostly prefers to play with his human pack-mates. He is house broken, and while exercise is always welcome, he will not need much room to run around/play, making him perfect for someone in a condo or apartment. Every now and then he will guard his resources with a growl -- mostly when he is startled, but sometimes when he just does not feel like giving up his spot -- this seems to be just part of his feisty personality, but his foster parents have been working with him on minding his manners. He will bark at the door like all dogs (especially like those in his current foster home pack), but quiets down quickly and appears very trainable. He loves walks, car rides, and being carried by his foster mom (and graciously accepts kisses, but is a little embarrassed to kiss back). He is a very well-adjusted and fun little boy, and will make someone a perfect companion. If you are interested in meeting Buster, please contact info@aleguprescue.com. He is being fostered in San Francisco, but arrangements can be made for anyone outside of that area.

Papi has been adopted by his wonderful foster care provider. After having him in her home and helping him recover from his major eye surgery, and seeing him displaced (yet again) after his adopters split up, she decided that the best home for Papi was the one he was already living in. We couldn't agree more!

Update: Papi was adopted and through no fault of his own, his home did not work out. He was settled in and enjoying his new family when the partners decided to split up. Neither could commit to providing him with a good home, so they returned him to A Leg Up. Once a dog becomes a part of the A Leg Up family, we promise to be there for him no matter what. So, now we are back to searching for the perfect home for Papi. He is more than ready to settle into your heart, but please make sure you are ready for the commitment.

January Update: Thankfully, Papi's story ends well - he has made a wonderful recovery and is feeling great. However, there is one final chapter left to be written. Papi still needs an adoptive home. If you feel you can help bring a truly happy ending to this story by adopting Papi, please consider filling out the adoption application. Living with a blind dog is not as difficult as it might sound at first. We are more than happy to help you through the transition while you and Papi get used to the new arrangements. He's a great little companion, so loving and sweet, and we're sure the right person is out there just waiting to be united with him.

Update: We are pleased to report Papi had surgery and is doing great! His latest follow up visit to the veterinarian was a success, and it is very apparent to his foster care provider that Papi is feeling much better without his painful eyes. The glaucoma was causing pain in his head, but now that the constance source of pain has been eliminated, Papi's delightful personality is able to shine through. He has made a wonderful recovery and a fabulous transformation. Papi is ready to start his life with an adoptive family. If you are interested in learning more about living with a blind dog, please check the resources on the following sites:
http://www.blinddogs.com/tips.htm
http://www.eyevet.info/blind.html
http://www.blinddogs.net/
Or email info@aLegUpRescue.org for more information. We are determined to help his adopter/s have the resources necessary to provide Papi with a delightful life.

Previous Update: With your generous support, we have raised the money necessary to fund Papi's surgery. He is scheduled for Thursday, November 28th, and we are all going to be eagerly awaiting the positive results. We will continue to update his friends and supporters as information is available. Please consider sharing his story - there's nothing he'd like more this holiday season than to find his forever home.

His Story: A Leg Up Rescue regularly receives calls about special needs animals at shelters. PAPI IS OUR LATEST CASE. Papi's eyes are causing him pain. He was given up by his family who couldn't afford his costly glaucoma treatments. Sadly, they waited too long to give him to the shelter, so now his eyes are diseased. We tried medication, but the pressure is too great. Papi's head hurts and now his eyes must be removed.

We have a team of expert vets ready to assist, but we need your support. Papi can lead a normal, pain-free life after surgery. You can see from the picture, he is adventurous and wants to do things that other dogs can do - here he is pictured on the beach with his foster care provider. Papi's surgery will cost approximately $600. It's a small price to pay to relieve the pain he is now forced to endure.
Once Papi's surgery is complete, he'll be looking for a loving adoptive family to share the holidays with. Papi won't be able to see the yummy holiday treats on the table, but he will certainly be able to smell them!

Won't you please consider making a donation toward his care, or sharing his story with friends?

Miss Bulger has been adopted!

Meet Miss Bulger, the Dachshund puppy with amazing coloring. She was born on August 5th into a litter of 5 puppies. Two of her littermates were adopted, but her brother, Little Man, and sister, Daisy Mae, are also available for adoption. At 8 weeks of age, she is a wiggly little thing with nothing but short of a spunky personality. She is often found initiating play with the other puppies, and she is so energetic that she just loves to run and jump and play. But when she gets tired, you can bet that she will find your lap to cuddle in and nap when she is ready. Like most puppies, she gets along well with other dogs, but because she is a puppy we will require that she attend puppy training classes. This helps everyone in the family communicate and helps to ensure you're all on the same page when it comes to training. If you are interested in Miss Bulger, please fill out the adoption application on this site.

Maggie has been adopted. Here is her story:

Adorable little Maggie has spent a week with a trainer who has been working with Maggie night and day. We feel we misrepresented her, and that is why she was not getting the exposure she needed to get adopted. Our trainer has introduced her to at least ten dogs each day, worked with her on leash and off leash at the dog park, and has great things to say about Maggie.

He tells us that Maggie is very good with people and seems to like everyone human. She does well with other dogs she knows either in her home or out and about, but she has trouble when meeting new dogs because she is fearful. Because she can be scared when meeting new dogs, she will try to bully them and bark. That being said, she has done well with the trainer and continues to show signs of improvement.

Maggie loves cats - she plays with them and even snuggles up to nap with one in foster care. She does not need huge, long walks or lots of time at the dog park. Because of her small size (she's only 12 pounds), she is perfectly fine to go on short walks in her neighborhood and have play time (she loves to fetch) in her secure back yard.

In Maggie's ideal home she would hang out all day with or without other resident dogs or cats in the home. She would be great in a house where people are home, yet she can also handle a family with a work schedule - she really is good in either situation. Maggie has a lot of love to offer and we can't wait for her to get the chance to be in a permanent home. We will continue to make training available with the trainer she is working with so that her new adopters can continue to help Maggie make great strides.

Please contact info@aLegUpRescue.org if you are interested in meeting Maggie.

Peanut has been adopted. Read his pre-adoption story:

Tiny little Peanut is a Chihuahua who is only about five months old and weighs four pounds (as of June). His foster mom reports he is SO sweet and just a delight to have around. He is a tiny guy, great in the house, good with other smalls dogs and cats, and wonderful with everyone he meets. He came to A Leg Up Rescue because he was having seizures at the shelter. After many comprehensive tests to rule out other possible problems, our veterinarian prescribed phenobarbitol to control his seizures. At this point, it is working and Peanut is seizure-free on the meds. There is a strong possibility that Peanut can outgrow the seizures as he gets older since seizures are fairly common to the breed. We will keep our fingers crossed that he will outgrow them, however, his adopter needs to keep him on the medication until it is known for certain.

We believe he will find a perfect home in spite of the seizures because he is so delightful. We are prepared to have his adopter meet with our veterinarian for a checkup so his adopter gets a chance to have all concerns addressed. Someone is going to be so happy with Peanut as the newest member of the family! If you are interested in adopting or contributing to his care, please email Jenn@aLegUpRescue.org. A Leg Up Rescue has spent a lot of funding to get to the bottom of his condition, so any donation in his honor is much needed and will be greatly appreciated.