Meet Titan Male 5 month old Retriever Lab mix

Hi! My name is Titan! I am an energetic, cuddly 5 month old male Retriever Lab mix. 

I currently live at the animal shelter and am in need of a forever home.  One of the volunteers took me out of my kennel the other day to see what kind of personality I had and she just sat and loved on me.  I could spend hours being pet and loved on and I enjoy laying in people’s laps while they pet me. The volunteer told me I need to learn to stay in my own space so that possible forever owners will enjoy spending time with me since not everyone will want me in their lap all of the time and I am sure she will help me learn to wait to be welcomed!  I have a lot of energy too and it’s really hard for me to be in a kennel all day because I can’t play with the other dogs and I really would love a big yard to run and play in to burn off my energy! While I am in the shelter the volunteer told me she is going to try and help me learn to sit and stay and a few other tricks to impress possible forever owners! I hope I can learn these things so that someone will fall in love with me and take me home!

Progress with Dahlia and her kittens

On Friday March 16th Dahlia and her 3 new born kittens came to stay at our house for the next 8 weeks. The first day was pretty uneventful because I wanted Dahlia and her litter to relax in their new environment with little stress. We set them up in my office and left them alone for the night. 

On Saturday morning NaKoda and I had a date for a hike so we got up early and left Dahlia and her kittens at the house and left the door to the office open so she could go explore if she liked to. Upon our return NaKoda was so worried about what was in the office I decided to go ahead and introduce her to Dahlia and see how they acted together. 

Needless to say Dahlia wasn't sure about Koda that first day but.......... 

Dahlia often comes out of her den to visit with Koda

and after a week even the kittens have started migrating to Koda ! 

and after a week and 5 days Koda and Dahlia can be found eating together! 

Dahlia's kittens are now a week and 5 days old. Their eyes and ears are open and they are starting to wonder out just a bit.  They never go too far from their den but that's all we really want them wondering right now. 

Chalathea

Indigo

   

Mazus

Meet Jessie: 2 yr Female Terrier/American Pit Bull/Mix

Hi! My name is Jesse. I am a 2 year old female Terrier, American Pit Bull/Mix

One of the volunteers at the shelter took me out for a walk and some play time the other day and she told me that I need to be more confident when I am walked on a leash.  I am a little timid but that could just be due to my circumstances of being in the shelter instead of a forever home. 

Once I realized the volunteer only had me out to play and walk I think I did better on the leash.  I still need more practice to have it down but I tried my best to listen to her corrections and walk confidently on the leash! I think in the coming weeks she will be teaching me how to sit and hopefully stay so that my forever owners will enjoy taking me for long walks and lots of play time! 3/15/2012

Meet Thomas 1 1/2 yr old male Retriever Nova Scotia Duck Tolling

1 1/2

Hi! My name is Thomas. I am an 1 1/2 year old Retriever, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Mix

The AKC describes my breed as a Medium sized, powerful and compact, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is the smallest of the retrievers. Developed in the early 19th century to toll, lure, and retrieve waterfowl. The playful action of the Toller retrieving a stick or ball along the shoreline arouses the curiosity of the ducks offshore. This lures them within gunshot range, and then the dog is sent out to retrieve the dead or wounded birds. Their water-repellant double coat is any shade of red, often with white markings.  Highly intelligent, alert and outgoing, the Toller is normally ready for action, desiring a job to do or some kind of activity. He is affectionate and loving with family members and is good with children, showing patience. A natural-looking breed, the Toller does not require much coat maintenance beyond occasional brushing and baths.

A volunteer to me out on a leash into the yard at the shelter the other day and at first I was a little timid about being on the leash and out in the yard.  However, the volunteer quickly noticed I already knew how to sit and stay.  She said I was very smart and that she would keep working with me to find me a forever home.  I really enjoyed the time she spent petting and talking to me because since I am in the shelter I don’t get this kind of attention as often and I need it.  The volunteer said as long as I am in the shelter she will keep working with me to teach me other tricks and commands in order to help me find a forever home! 

Defining myself

What is the one thing that you most identify yourself with (your looks, your job, your family, etc.)? Who would you be if that were to disappear?

Once upon a time I would have said that I identify myself with my looks. I didn't feel very good about myself because I was told as a child I was ugly. After my mother passed away my step mother often told me I was fat (which is ludicrous because I probably weighted 70lbs at the time) and ugly. As I grew into a teenager I still never felt beautiful because kids at school were often mean and picked on me because I didn't wear the most expensive or stylish clothes and my self esteem was disastrously low due to years of verbal abuse. Then there was another time in life when I would have identified myself by my family or should I say the lack of family.  None of my family seemed to care about me or what was happening to me. As a child none of them stepped in and rescued me from the abuse I was suffering, as I grew older they all seem to check out and not be a part of my life. For years and years none of them could even have told you where I lived and I identified this as being unlovable and unworthy of love.  


With these being the things I identified myself with I often felt as if I was non existent. I felt as if I could just disappear from the earth and no one would notice or care.  This was not a good time in my life and I often lashed out in self destructive ways because I didn't know how to handle these feelings. 


As I have learned to heal myself and gained wisdom and knowledge about life, the world and myself I have grown to identify myself by my ability to survive, love, (even when love is not returned), my thirst to continue to learn about myself, the world, those around me, etc.  

Meet Dahlia and her kittens

For years I have volunteered my time and efforts to crisis centers for suicide hotlines, been a domestic abuse advocate and child abuse advocate but I have recently made the personal decision to move in a different direction and volunteer for an animal shelter.

One of the first tasks I have taken on at the shelter is to be a foster parent for a momma cat, Dahlia and her 3 kittens.  I believe these kittens were born on March 15th and came to my home Friday afternoon March 16th.

The first afternoon/night was pretty uneventful.  I decided to have Dahlia and her litter in my office because during the day they will here the television, music, sounds of me working, talking on the phone etc. Also, my Rottweiler can come in and out and she can get use to being around a large dog as well.

I fixed her up a nesting area inside the box she arrived in. I gave her an old blanket to put in the box and there she laid with her kittens the first afternoon/night pretty much not leaving the box at all.  We shall see how the next few days go!

Why is everyone in such a hurry?

For the last few years I have lost the desire to be in a hurry. What was i in such a hurry for in the first place? Was I trying to hurry to the finish line? What finish line? The end of life? What would anyone hurry there for? Was I in a hurry to get to work and be mistreated by employers, co workers, and customers? Well, all that would happen when I got there - why hurry to that? Was I in a hurry to get home to an empty house? Not really.  

Now, I don't own a clock (other than the one's that are on our pc's, cell phones, or applicances & to be honest if I could get rid of those too I would), I try to remain flexible so that if an activity or event comes up I want to participate in comes up I am free to join! I am in no hurry to wake up in the mornings - I will wake up when I wake up! I don't rush through my morning routines anymore - I spend time with my beloved Rottweiler outside having coffee and enjoying whatever season it is. I don't hurry through my work day anymore, the tasks will be accomplished when they are accomplished. I reach out to friends and loved ones to spend quality time with them more. I want the people in my life to know I loved them and treasured the relationships we shared. 

All around me though I see people hurrying from day to day, cramming so many things into a given day that they barely have time to stop and actually enjoy the people they interact with. There seems to be such a disconnect between people and I wonder what are they all in such a hurry for that they can't even stop and enjoy their day to day life? 

Animal Symbolisim

Dragon - Power of Earth, combining bird and serpent as matter and spirit, breath of life, supernatural power, magic, strength, wisdom, knowledge, guardian.

Butterfly - Metamorphosis, carefree, transformer, immortality, rebirth, resurrection. Grace, light, soul.

Dog - Guidance, protection, loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness, watchfulness, the Hunt, Companionship

Dragonfly - Flighty, carefree, swift, activity, shamanistic, supernatural powers.

Horse - Stamina, mobility, strength and power, coping under difficult circumstances, love, devotion,
loyalty, the land, travel. Life and death symbol, intellect, wisdom, power, nobility, energy, freedom,
wildness, divination, prophecy, fertility.

Tiger - Creator, destroyer, strength, ferocity, power, anger, power of Earth.

Turtle - Self contained, creative source, Earth, informed decisions, planning, adaptability.


Which one fits you? 

Life Lessons .........continued

As you get older, it is easier to be positive.

You care less about what other people think.

I don’t question myself anymore…

I’ve even earned the right to be wrong!

So, to answer your question, I like being old.

It has set me free.

I like the person I have become.

I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.

And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).