Fostering A Dog....Is It For You?

I have been involved in small dog rescue since the late Spring of 2008. In retrospect, I am amazed at how much it has changed me, as a person.  I have become more observant, and gained much more patience.  I have learned a lot from these four-legged furry creatures.  What I have found, is something I think I have known all along....I love dogs! This has been a wonderful way for me to help and express that adoration to these smart, beautiful animals. Truly, I was born with paw prints on my heart...this is my niche, my passion.  I want to share it with others so that perhaps they too might realize it is their calling.

So many of these precious babies that come through rescue have 'baggage'.  They aren't 'perfect', and many times I'm sure that is why they ended up in such a predicament, which is absolutely no fault of their own.  It is sad, and it breaks my heart.  It is overwhelming.  The need is so great, and the workers are so few.  When I talk to others about rescue, and mention this need, I hear a lot of, 'oh, I could never do that, I'd want to keep the dog'.  Hmmm....ok....that's not a valid reason, but whatever.  I and others who have chosen to do this are passionate about it and typically have very strong feelings regarding fostering.  Granted, it is not for everyone.  But I do believe there are those who could do it, and are not. I think everyone can do something, and they are not.  That's what is frustrating.  It's not 'just a dog'....they all matter, and they all deserve a chance.

It takes dedication to the cause.  Time, energy and financial resources come in to play every day.  It is often a thankless job, and it's volunteer.  I do not get paid for doing this, and I personally don't know of anyone who is.  Each rescue is different, but most will reimburse you for medical expenses....spay, neutering, shots, heartworm, etc.  Many times dental work, which is often needed, especially for smaller dogs, doesn't get done because of cost. There are ones that are 'special needs', many with skin issues and allergies...problems from neglect and abuse. Others with dire medical issues, cancer, cleft palates, missing limbs, all manner of maladies. Doggies from puppy mills who have never experienced being a beloved pet.  So many of them are just strays from the street...abandoned.  It is very heartbreaking to someone like me who has such a passion of care and concern for all of them. I have no tolerance for abuse or neglect.  These are innocent, living, breathing lives that have emotions and feel pain.  It is our responsibility to care for them, yet so many times we fall short and fail them...I shed many tears over this...it is that close to my heart.

My hope in writing this is that perhaps you will consider what you could do to help a rescue...there are thousands of them across the U.S.  Finding a local one is as easy as calling your city animal shelter.  You can also research it on the Internet.  Good fosters are in high demand.  By speaking to someone who is involved in it, you can determine what area would be best for you.  If you don't want to or cannot have a dog in your home, consider volunteering at any of your local shelters....you can play with dogs, walk them, bathe them...help clean the kennels....feed them...there is always something that can be done.  Donations are always needed and appreciated.  There is no such thing as a 'free' dog.  Food, collars, leashes, beds, pottie pads and many other items are necessities.

If you think you would like to foster a dog in your home, determine what breed, as size needs to be a consideration for what would be appropriate for you to safely provide.  Can you handle multiple dogs...such as a new mom with pups? Do the senior dogs tug at your heart? Maybe an adult dog.  Male? Female? Both?  Do you have a fenced yard? Many rescues require one.  How long are you away from home? Do you have other pets in your home? Children...young, teenage? I started with fostering one dog.  For me at that point, that was a lot, as I had one of my own.  I would never have thought I could get to a point where I would care for multiple dogs in my home.  It's up to you as to what you can do....but please, I ask...do something!  And if fate should have its way, you may end up being what is called a 'foster failure'....which means you fall so in love with the dog you are fostering, you adopt him/her...giving one deserving dog a forever home. There's no shame in that! I've 'failed' over and over again in that area!  Sometimes though, I believe they rescued me!

If you don't know where to start....email me...(TalkToThePawInIndy@aol.com) I will help you get involved.  I know there are many of my blog readers out there who love dogs, and want to do more....make 2014 the year that you do it! I think you will find once you are in it...you'll want to continue it as long as you physically can.  The unconditional love you receive in return is so rewarding.  I could go on and on talking about this...but I would like for you to experience it yourself.  It's not glamorous...it's down-to-earth, meeting a need.  It might mean restless nights, hours at the vet, dealing with diarrhea, worms, kennel cough...maybe even one passing to the Rainbow Bridge in death...I've experienced  all this and more...but I would not trade it for anything.  It will be a path, an experience, a journey that you will treasure in your heart.  If you have young kids, this is a great way to teach them to respect and care for all God's critters, and help them understand the responsibility of pet parenting.  You will not...you cannot remain untouched or unaffected with fostering...what you will notice is the paw print left on your heart forever.  Yes, it can be difficult, and many times exhausting, but I would rather have loved and lost and helped, than never to have experienced this special love at all.  <3

The Raw Feeding Advantage

I've been feeding my dogs a raw diet (combined with home-cooked) for about eight months.  Even with what I had read about it and learned about it in my advanced canine nutrition course, I was still somewhat leery.  Would my dogs really like it? I think sometimes I forget my dogs are....well....dogs! (don't tell them otherwise!)  I'm sure that's because to me they are family.  When I had them on a home-cooked (with a little kibble) diet, I purchased meat at the grocery store, which was intended for human consumption, but I thoroughly cooked it...so raw, that's a different story!  I'm not squeamish about handling raw meat or working with it, but would they eat it? Really? And like it?

So, instead of jumping in feet first, or going cold turkey on them (ha!) I waded in...almost felt like I was being sneaky...using a mixture of cooked and raw meats, masked by some veggies....yeah....they won't notice that! They ate it, and continued to eat it even as the cooked meat became less, and the raw meat more over the weeks! Then, one day...surprise! You have successfully changed them over to a raw meat diet! Whew! That wasn't so hard.


So, fast forward all these months, and they are bonkers over it!  Needless to say, in our multi-dog home, the noise at times is deafening when I'm preparing a meal.  They know what's coming, and on occasion they're tripping over each other to get to their eating spot. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :-)  What you feed your dog is his/her first line of defense in the nutritional battle for good health.

Some of the switch has been trial and error, and that is to be expected.  Most of mine did not like the ground pork, and several of them didn't stomach the young beef, probably because it is so rich.  But that's ok, I believe dogs have preferences just like people.  And the supplier I use (My Pet Carnivore - www.mypetcarnivore.com) has a nice variety of meats to choose from, so I never need worry that I won't have enough selection.  There will be plenty for their palate to like.

I suppose one of the most important factors to consider when 'going raw' for your dogs, is, know your supplier AND know your supplier's sources. You do not want inferior meats, and you certainly don't want your precious babies getting sick.  You are making a healthy and proper choice for them.  That's a big benefit of raw feeding.

Ok, so first off, you need to find a reputable supplier, hopefully close to where you live so you can pick up the food and avoid shipping charges which adds to the expense.  You could surf the overwhelming Internet sources, or hopefully you know someone personally who already feeds their dog (or cat) raw.  Make sure the meat  your supplier sells to you has not been denatured.  In short, this is meat the U.S. law states is 'not fit for human consumption'.  It is a process that involves the use of charcoal, and even though this is somewhat a 'natural' product, I do not believe it is safe for use in food, not for humans or pets.  Charcoal has numerous beneficial uses, but this isn't and shouldn't be one of them.

What I like about raw meat for dogs is you get not only the muscle meat, you also get the benefit of bone and organs.  Also, your supplier should have tripe product available for you to purchase.  This is definitely part of the diet of wild dogs and wolves. What is tripe? The stomach of ruminant animals (ox, sheep, goats, etc), and it contains very important nutrients that go beyond bones and organs. You will also notice your dog's bowel to be smaller, and less smelly (personally, there's no such thing as good smelling poop in my book!)  Cleaner teeth, a healthier coat, all advantages of raw feeding that you won't get with the junk commercial dry stuff!

Raw meat is truly what dogs need, it is how they are intended to eat.  In the wild, they would derive about 14% carbohydrate from their diet...not the 50% plus domesticated dogs in a home environment eat on a daily basis.  This is why disease is so rampant in dogs, as an improper diet, over time, will bring on cancer, diabetes and a plethora of debilitating maladies, many which I am encountering that I have never heard of.

I hope you will consider this option for your dog. I don't believe you will be disappointed, and your pooch will be delighted! I have several raw recipes posted on this blog, be sure to check them out.  If you know of a reputable source for raw, let me know so I can share it with other blog readers....and by all means, feel free to use My Pet Carnivore as a supplier for all your raw feeding needs. Isn't it time you made the switch to better canine health?

Raw Chicken Veggie Soup (Recipe)

Bringing to you another 'Chaplin Doggie Diner' original recipe for your doggie's dining pleasure:

32 oz. Organic Chicken Broth (low-sodium)
1/2 lb. organic baby carrots
1/2 small organic yellow squash (partly peeled)
1/4 cup organic green pepper
1/4 cup organic celery
3 medium organic potatoes (peeled)
1/2 cup organic broccoli
1 Tablespoon dried parsley

Cut up squash, green pepper, celery, potatoes and broccoli.  Put in pan with broth and cook until vegetables are soft.  Add parsley toward end of cooking.


Note: I have dogs that only have a few teeth (and one that doesn't have any), so I mash up the vegetables for them before adding the meat

Spoon veggies with broth into a bowl...allow to cool slightly, then add 1/4 cup to 1 cup raw ground chicken to top, depending on size of dog.  (Note: I only use raw meat that is for dogs, not bought from the grocery that is intended for human consumption)

Talk To The Paw In Indy - Now Accepting Canine Clients

The reason I started this dog blog a year and a half ago, was to help pet parents make better informed decisions for their furry companions.  I have learned a lot about caring for dogs over the last five plus years.  Being involved in small dog rescue has brought a lot of different needs literally to my doorstep...most people would not have the number of pets in a lifetime that I have and care for in my home.  It is a tremendous responsibility.

 

Feeding time in the Chaplin household is not a simple 'pour a bowl of kibble'.  It is a thought-out plan for healthier doggies.  It's something I have spent countless hours in study and research on...increasing my knowledge, working through the hype, and utilizing my nutritional background that spans nearly three decades, to bring no-nonsense nutritional awareness to those who want to do what is best for their family member with fur.  In doing this, I can pass along to my blog readers, straight-forward, useable information.  There is a lot out there...where do you begin? It can be frustrating, confusing and sometimes down right misleading.  I have made it my job to eliminate that. 

 

I’m not perfect, and I certainly don’t know everything.  I am here to help, and I am extending an invitation to my blog readers that I am now accepting canine clients.  Here’s how it will work…you have a health issue with your dog.  You can’t seem to get the problem cleared up with what you are currently doing, or you don’t like what you are currently doing regarding it, and would like to use a natural/herbal/nutritional approach.  Send me an email with your issue to TalkToThePawInIndy@aol.com.  Be as detailed as possible regarding symptoms, diagnosis (if your vet has given one).  Tell me your dog’s health history, including current meds, what foods you are feeding, and basic things such as breed, age, weight, etc.  Any information that would help me to give conclusive findings…the more the better.  I will research and conclude my results and provide a personalized, detailed report to you, which will include a nutritional outline for your dog’s specific needs.

My initial consultation fee is $25 (U.S. Funds).  I will invoice you through my PayPal account, and once you have paid the invoice, I will send you your report as an attachment via email.  It is not necessary for you to have a PayPal account, as credit cards are accepted.  It’s fast and simple.  I try to turn around all information within seven (7) days.  90-day follow-up is at no charge to you.  That’s really getting a lot for your money!  I certainly have a lot more to blog about…granted, I’m kept very busy with my own dogs and other responsibilities.  I love dogs…my dogs, your dogs, everypawdy’s dogs! I want what is best for mine nutritionally…isn’t that what you want for your own too?

I look forward to servicing your needs and hope you will continue to read and share my blog with friends and family members who are canine pet parents as well.  Thank you.

 

 

Dust Doggies - Shedding Light On A Hairy Issue

Chances are you are a pet parent of a dog that sheds, as there are few breeds that do not.  So, since it comes with the territory, it's necessary to deal with it...I'm going to offer some helpful information that I hope you will find useful. I have small dogs, but they do shed...I have friends who have big dogs that shed really big....it stands to reason, more dog, more flying fur. Ugh! When I broom sweep, I refer to the hair as dust doggies. (instead of dust bunnies!)  I have found some solutions that help very much.

Bissell has this nice hand-held 'Pet Hair Eraser'.  It works very well for homes with small dogs due to its compact size.  I love it...my mom bought one for me several years ago....cleans the upholstered furniture very well.  The pink end on it is rubbery, so it grabs the hair. (Note: Bissell also carries a full-size upright vacuum for pet hair.)

I purchased this black rubber brush in the pet section at Meijer.  I think I paid about $6 for it....I use it to clean the hair off the doggie beds.  It does very well.  I clean the bed on the outside, and turn it inside out and clean the hair out there too. Of course from time to time the bed goes into the washer and dryer...but you need to make sure you have the doggie hair off first!

After I clean the beds with the rubber brush, I spray them with Caldrea Linen and Room Spray.  You can get it at the Vitamin Shoppe (www.vitaminshoppe.com)  This particular scent is Basil Blue Sage...what a delightful natural smell!  These are made with essential oils, and can me used on linens, garments and in the air.  It contains plant-derived ingredients, no artificial color, and is not tested on animals! I always use the natural stuff.  Please don't use Febreeze, it not a safe product to use around your pets.

 Keeping your dog's environment clean is important to having a healthy companion, and it doesn't need to be time consuming, but it certainly should be done using safe products that are not only environmentally friendly, but Fido-friendly too! 

Raw Green Duck (Recipe)

1 lb. ground raw duck meat
2 cups organic broccoli florets
1 Tablespoon organic butter
1 Tablespoon organic parsley flakes

Lightly steam broccoli (this helps it to be more digestible for your dog), then chop in food processor (this also aids digestion).  Add 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon parsley flakes and stir together.  Add a heaping Tablespoon to raw meat in dog food bowl and stir.

Raw Green Duck

 

Make it 'greener' by adding other green veges your dog can eat, such as zucchini, green pepper and/or celery (organic is best, and lightly steam the vegetables.)  You can also use other raw meats.  See below, ground chicken without giblets.

Raw Green Chicken

Note: You can also warm some organic, low-fat chicken or beef broth and drizzle over the food.  Be creative!

Small Paws Senior Canine Sanctuary

Over the years I have grown to love senior dogs.  I have volunteered in small dog rescue for a little over five years.  In November of last year, I decided I wanted to do something more for these precious little creatures.  I decided to transform a room of my home into a senior sanctuary.  Small Paws Senior Canine Sanctuary was born!  The room was one that was more of an office/computer room....so that got moved to the spare bedroom, and that room is no more...a small sacrifice! I began tearing out carpet, pad and tack strip....repainting walls and decorating with a doggie theme.  It took months of work, as I was doing this all myself, in between every other responsibility I had.

 

I did not have to go far for my inspiration.  My little Clarisse, a Maltese, then 17 years old, whom I’d had since she was eight weeks and three days old, had certainly placed a permanent paw print on my heart.  Blind from cataracts, she needed a safe place to be away from the other ‘younger’ siblings.  This was a perfect accommodation for her, but one I was hoping to share with other senior dogs in need.  I have commented over the years that I don’t remember my life B.C. (before Clarisse), and how I couldn’t imagine my life A.D. (after dog).  Unfortunately, my sweet baby was diagnosed with kidney disease in May, and at the end of August, five weeks and one day short of turning 18 years old, she passed to the Rainbow Bridge.  I certainly want to honor her….she was a good girl.  I do not want her memory to die…she has a legacy now that needs to live on so other senior dogs can live out their golden years in a loving environment. 

 

By the time Spring of 2013 rolled around, I had managed to complete the room.  On May 5th, we were guests at a local t.v. station WISH-TV Channel 8, to promote the Senior Sanctuary.  I had gotten my first two 'residents' at the end of April.  Taegan, a 9 year old Chihuahua, and Tobie, a 10 year old Pomeranian, both from Ohio....both 'Craig's List' dogs.  Each one had their own sad story.  Then by May, we brought in Otis, a 19-year old Chihuahua.  He was an owner surrender.  He had been brought to a shelter as a stray with another dog.  When the family came in to pick them up, they said to ‘put Otis down’, they didn’t want to take him back…he was ‘too old’.   I have the surrender paperwork, that’s the words the owner used! Can you imagine? Being abandoned by someone you’d spent a decade of your life with to have them throw you away?  It is sad…it makes me angry, and it is far more common than most people would think.

 

Of course, there is no ‘free dog’.  Dogs are a daily expense, beyond the monthly heartworm meds, and yearly shots, they eat every day…and from time to time require extra medical attention for things that pop up.  Especially these older ones, you just never know, but they deserve to live out their lives, not have it callously extinguished before his/her time.  These are precious lives, they have emotion, they feel pain, but they are also very loyal and capable of unconditional love.  Would you please consider helping me to help them? I need financial assistance to care for them…to pay for their food, vetting and such….as I said, there is no free dog.  I want these babies to have the best I can offer, they deserve that.  I am limited financially…it’s just me doing this, and it is a tremendous responsibility personally and financially.  I am hoping to raise enough funds to apply for 501(c)3 status, which would make Small Paws Senior Canine Sanctuary not-for-profit, and those donating could make tax-deductible donations.  The cost of that is $450.  There are other fees that go along with that as well.  If you could donate to support this cause and help Clarisse’s memory live on to help other senior doggies, it would be so appreciated.  There is a donation button at the top left of this blog.  You do not have to have a PayPal account to donate.  Even $5 helps.  Thank you so much.

Clarisse when she was about 2-1/2 years old

 

 

Taegan - Small Paws Senior Canine Sanctuary resident

Tobie - Small Paws Senior Canine Sanctuary Resident

 

Otis - Small Paws Senior Canine Sanctuary Resident