Rescued a sweet baby!

[Pamela H in Texas]

She's a shih tzu mix and the sweetest thing on the face of the earth! She's very smart and well-behaved. We might have to keep her! LOL

 

She's supposedly about 5 years old. She weighs almost 13 pounds (though I would have guessed 9-10).

 

She needs a vet (not spayed, no shots, teeth are not good). I'm pretty sure she's had a litter of puppies at some point. Her hair had to be cut pretty short, even on her head so she looks a tad funny, but you can see real potential for cuteness :) However, she has major tear stains (I wonder if that is from the trash she was fed as food?).

 

Anyway, we cannot think of a name for the life of us. Any name ideas for this sweet baby?

 

Edited July 6, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[....]

HA! :D We have a 3-legged Shih Tzu (she was born with a birth defect)! They're so tiny. Ours likes to get into our bed and get lost under the blankets. :lol: You've really gotta watch out for them, though. Ours is about 8 pounds and she'll hang out around your feet and end up getting kicked on accident (no good). Also, the hair is really hard to deal with. They're really good lap dogs, though and they like to be held. They're so cute!! :D:D:D

 

Good luck with your doogie!

[....]

Oh and the tear stains - that's really common for Shih Tzus. Ours gets that too. My mom used to breed them and they would all have that problem. :tongue_smilie:

[Remudamom]

I'd just call her Baby!

[Tap]

I'm not a pet owner but Dds latest name for an animal she just got (she loves Build a Bears) is Penzy. Like Penzy's Spices.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I don't have a name for her, but, she's beautiful! What a sweetie.

 

We have 3 recued animals--a (we think) black lab named Shadow, and full-bred miniature schnauzer named Lola, and a beautiful long hair black and white cat named Mish. They are wonderful and we love them!

[hornblower]

awwww - cuteness!

 

the tear stains usually disappear when you drop all grain from the diet, esp when you switch to raw but even a good no grain commercial food will usually do it. It does take several weeks to months. You'll probably also see purplish staining on her feet, on the fur between her toes - that too will disappear with no grains.

 

I'd name her Merry or Marilyn or Ginger.

[Mom in High Heels]

What a sweetheart! The tear stains should go away if you eliminate wheat. We had a shih tzu/pug mix for 14 years (we just lost her 2 weeks ago) and she could not tolerate any wheat at all. It made her itchy and scaly and made her eyes leak terribly. Once we cut it out we had no more issues with that. I have no suggestions for names though.

[Teachin'Mine]

She is sooooo cute!!!! What a lucky little dog - and new owners too! :)

 

Sweetie Pie

Taffy

Honey

Mocha

Cappuccino (Cappie for short)

 

Okay, I'm noticing a pattern. :lol: She's just so sweet!!!

 

Let us know what name you come up with. :)

 

Pet Smart tends to have pretty good prices as far as vet visits and vaccinations. They even do "clinic days" when they run specials. You can also check with your local shelter and see if they have any free vaccine or free neuter/spay clinics this summer.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Teachin'Mine

[Catwoman]

Sounds like a "Lucky" to me!

 

She's adorable!!!

 

Cat

[hornblower]

 

Pet Smart tends to have pretty good prices as far as vet visits and vaccinations. They even do "clinic days" when they run specials.

 

Yeah but Petsmart sells live animals - one great reason to not support them at all.

[kzdaisy]

Pamela I would go with cutie pie or little bit.We use to have a little bit.They have great personalities. Karin

[lil'red]

She is adorable!

 

How about Molly?

 

I just finished watching "Wives & Daughters." Molly is the main character and has the sweetest, most loyal disposition.

 

We use Bil Jac dog food. It has no wheat and helped our sheltie's skin and coat. It also got rid of her foot odor.

Edited July 6, 2010 by lil'red

[i.love.lucy]

Precious girl!!! Well, since you got her around the 4th of July, what about a patriotic name like Liberty (Libby), Glory, Betsy or Belle?

 

Congrats!!!

[Pamela H in Texas]

I went to the pet store on my lunch break from work. I got her California Naturals Herring and Sweet Potato as I know chicken and grains can be allergens. She has a few signs of allergies, though nothing like my sweet Oz had before he died (and food wasn't a big enough change to help him).

 

Anyway, I also picked her up this fox looking toy and she LOVES it! YAY!

 

As for a name...we still haven't decided. I finished a training assignment early so was searching websites and then took a pictured and texted the page of names to my kids. My daughter found one she liked but ds says no (ds likes another name dd doesn't like...grrr).

 

Anyway, so she's still nameless. Any more ideas?

 

BTW, I love the coffee names. I'm not a coffee drinker (well, unless Fraps at Starbucks count), but I still like coffee names. I also like some of the size names (little bit, etc). Maybe we should try literature names? I don't know...

[hornblower]

Just FYI, proctor & gamble recently bought Natura :-(

 

Innova, Evo, Healthwise, Karma, Mother Nature, and California Natural are the brands affected.

 

P&G & all their brands are boycotted by many as they do animal testing.

 

 

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/breaking-news-proctor--gamble-purchases-natura-pet-products.html

 

 

p.s. did you see the cute beagles I posted about earlier, rescued from a bankrupt animal testing facility? Animal testing seems to be off the radar for many people these days.....

[Pamela H in Texas]

renaming hornblower whistleblower.

 

Wow, I would have chosen one of three of those brands as a first choice due to rating systems previously posted here. Now I'm gonna have to go find the top rated brands again and see if I can find another top rated one which will also fit the bill for us.

[Teachin'Mine]

Yeah but Petsmart sells live animals - one great reason to not support them at all.

 

First reaction was it's better than if they sold dead animals. :lol:

 

No, but seriously, we've gotten two of our cats from Pet Smart. They were both rescues. :) The only dogs and cats they have are up for adoption - not purchase. Are you referring to the fish, rabbits, and birds?

[hornblower]

Are you referring to the fish' date=' rabbits, and birds?[/quote']

 

Yes. Apart from fostering for a dog rescue, I also foster for a rescue which deals with rats, mice, hamsters, chinchillas, hedgehogs etc. They get thrown out in garbage, chucked into ravines or if they're 'lucky', they end up in shelters where there are no facilities for their proper care & socialization. Many shelters just kill them outright.

 

I won't shop anywhere that sells live animals of any type.

 

These little pocket guys deserve good care as much as any other pet - & they're notoriously acquired without much research & sold with a teeny itsy bitsy cage which is completely inadequate for them.

 

And it seems half the time the rats/gerbils/hamsters are pregnant and the purchasers finds themselves in charge of a whole litter of critters.

 

Bunnies - don't get me started. Here they get 'released' into the wild & we have cities struggling to find humane, cost effective ways of getting them off the streets & out of farmer's fields. These were pets which have been abandoned, which now have turned into million dollar problem for taxpayers.... & while we pay with our wallets, they pay with their lives.

 

Petsmart here too is trying to get rescues & shelters to work with them but many refuse to have anything to do with them while they continue to sell animals of any sort.

[OnTheBrink]

I had a dog very similar to her and her name was Mindy. She just looked like a Mindy.

[Murphy101]

July = Julie, indie (For independence day)

 

Summer

 

Name after day she arrived?

[Teachin'Mine]

Hornblower I had no idea. Why are they throwing the animals away instead of just keeping them until they sell? I hate to sound totally ignorant, but I am about this, but where would someone buy gerbils and such if they weren't sold at a pet store? Do you know what I mean? Are there really rescues for these little guys around the country?

 

Thank you for educating me on this. I've just been so thrilled that they don't sell puppy mill pups and all and advocate adoption instead. As few places as there are for unwanted dogs, there are even fewer for unwanted cats, and PetSmart is one place that does give them a "home" until they're adopted.

 

On edit: I wonder if the rescues started working with them if PS wouldn't be happy enough to provide adoptions for these little ones too. Honestly, I don't think they make a lot of money off the actual animals anyway, but of course I may be wrong, but I think it's the other things - cages, food, dishes, toys, etc. that are their main money makers. If they did some of these adoptions in the stores, it would also bring awareness to the problem. This in turn might have more shoppers looking for rescues rather than purchases.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Teachin'Mine

[hornblower]

Hornblower I had no idea. Why are they throwing the animals away instead of just keeping them until they sell?

 

 

I'm not saying the store dumps them (though old stock is not desirable & who pays for vet bills if the animals get sick from being warehoused in close quarters? Does petsmart have a vet on call to treat their $15 hamsters for mites or other skin infections or respiratory infections? When a vet visit for a rat costs the same as for a dog or cat & mite treatment is about $10? The rescues pay this btw' date=' & they also spay/neuter if necessary. I have some ideas about what happens to unsold stock in pet shops but I really & truly don't want to know - I know enough ugly things about how the world works.....)

 

No - the dumpers are the buyers, who buy them & get bored & dump them. Kid is not interested, kid stops cleaning cage, cage stinks, parents say 'you're not responsible enough! you can't keep the pet!' and voila. Good bye pet.

 

I hate to sound totally ignorant, but I am about this, but where would someone buy gerbils and such if they weren't sold at a pet store? Do you know what I mean? Are there really rescues for these little guys around the country?

 

[/unquote]

 

shelters, rescues & reputable breeders (who breed in a club, with a code of ethics etc.) These animals are being milled, just like dogs & cats.

 

I adopted my syrian hamster from the SPCA. I foster fancy rats for a rescue which since Nov 2007 has adopted out over 400 rats.

http://www.littlemischiefrescue.org/ + a bunch of other animals.

There actually is a huge rat fancy network in North America & I've fostered rats which were transported to me from as far away as California & Alberta. People donate their time & gas money & get these guys to safety.

 

PetSmart is one place that does give them a "home" until they're adopted.[/unquote]

 

I'm not sure how they work it in the US but the way the arrangements usually work with stores that agree to highlight rescue animals (& there are some very reputable ones that do this here - ones that don't sell any live animals) is that the animal remains in the ownership & care of the rescue. The rescue makes the decisions about whether the animal will be displayed in the satellite centers or whether it gets pulled back into foster homes etc. The rescues also are in charge of the vet fees etc. & the home visit & pre screening of potential adopters. The store simply provides some square footage of space - I don't want to minimize this, as having exposure like this is very important but I think fundamentally some stores do it because having cuties in brings customers in.

 

 

On edit: I wonder if the rescues started working with them if PS wouldn't be happy enough to provide adoptions for these little ones too.

 

Several rescues here have approached some of our local stores asking just that. They've refused to stop selling the little furries. I'm not sure if it's a manager decision or a corporate decision but they continue to sell the little furries & birds. I think they DO get a lot of traffic from people coming to see the "OH SO CUTE!!!!!" critters, kids using the animals like a petting zoo (they sometimes put bunnies out in x-pens where kids can reach them; there was a incident a while back when a bunny was dropped and had a broken leg. Who will pay for vet bills to set the leg? ) etc.

 

So there ya go. That's the big rant on why not to buy from any store which sells live anything. :D

[Teachin'Mine]

Yes here in the US it's the same way. The store gives them a "home" but the rescue workers care for them and facilitate their adoptions. They get so much more exposure than if they were in separate foster homes, or even in a remote rescue center.

 

A few months ago, when we were buying our cat food, we saw a woman loading up the back of her pickup truck with what looked to be about 20 or so 20 to 40 lb bags of dog food. I had to ask!!! She said it was all donated by the store as she has rescue dogs.

 

But I do understand where you're coming from. :)

 

I had NO idea there were rat fanciers!

 

 

Pamela, I keep looking at that cute little doggie, but I haven't come up with any new names to throw out there. I really like Cutie Pie. :)

[Parrothead]

I vote Kimmy for the dog's name.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Puppy has a name :) It's JOSIE :) It's more "josie posie" than "Josie and the PussyCats."

 

Anyway, so on the dog food. Any ideas on what other brands/foods to look at?

 

BTW, anyone have any idea on how to get a dog to quiet? She is usually fine, but we live in an apartment where there is one main entrance then 8 apartments in the building. She hears people coming in the main door, talking in the "hall" or whatever and barks (either really barks or under her breath). Of course, we don't want her to bother our neighbors, especially as it's 6:30 in the morning when she's doing it right now!

 

Thanks!

[hornblower]

Orijen is what I feed the fosters who are not on raw.

 

Nature's Variety is also excellent. Their Instinct line is grain free.

http://www.naturesvariety.com/

 

I hear good things about Taste of the Wild.

[lil'red]

Hey hornblower,

 

We have two female rats; one hooded and one cream colored. They are very much a part of our family. We got them at Petco and like to think we rescued them from being food for something else. It breaks my heart to think they may have been snake food.

We also got most of the fish in our pond from the feeder tank at petsmart, (same principle as the rats).

[kalanamak]

 

Anyway, we cannot think of a name for the life of us. Any name ideas for this sweet baby?

 

/QUOTE]

 

the first thing that came to my mind was

"Bear-bear".

[hornblower]

like to think we rescued them from being food for something else.

 

I know people who have bought animals from a variety of bad circumstances & I think when you are faced with an animal in front of you, you have to do what you think is right. I just don't go into places like that so I don't have to deal with it.

 

Fundamentally, buying from a shop likes this just supports them financially & encourages them to get more inventory in.

 

I've heard the same argument for 'rescuing' a puppy from a store. Sure that 'rescues' the one pup but it dooms a whole bunch more to life in a puppy mill as the business cycle keeps churning.

 

Many people think the best way to tackle this is to pass municipal bylaws banning sales of live animals & that may be the most successful approach - certainly when faced with an animal in distress in front of us, it's hard to walk away, even though the ethics of it are very murky.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I found a nice little store close to the house. The hours are gonna pose me some trouble, but we'll just have to plan carefully for food. Anyway, she carries all of the top brands so I'll probably go there.

 

The only concern I have from getting it from her is she rescues cats and it's mentioned on the reviews of the store. I like cats for the most part, but have been scared of them for awhile now. I seem to have developed an allergy of them and then my friend's attacked her then me (two separate incidents).

 

Anyway, Josie's eyes already seem better. I wonder if there wasn't some other allergen, other than cruddy food, in her last home. Seems like a food change would take more than a couple days to show a difference.