Update: August 21- 29, 2012

Notes by: Dulce Garcia, Lynn Rodriguez, Tauna Ready and Gloria Medina Zenteno

There are new dogs and new  volunteers in the A Home for All program at AC Boarding. In addition, some of the rescued dogs have either gone into foster care or found their forever home.

Amos at the dog wash

Amos- Thanks to Lisa First for continuing to foster Amos. Over the weekend, Amos participated in the "Dog Days of Summer" dog wash at Firkin and Phoenix . Since he is a rock star, his photograph was featured in the the Houston Chronicle! You can see the story at this link.
 

Darla (left) and her new family

Darla- Has found her forever family and even has a furry sibling. She was also at the dog wash last weekend and someone fell in love with her and decided to adopt her. We wish her and her new family the best.

Derek

Derek- Also attended the dog wash but unfortunately didn't get adopted. On a brighter note, he was able to spend the day out of the kennel and enjoyed the extra attention. He also made it in the Houston Chronicle in this picture where he is being walked by one of our volunteers.

Daisy

Daisy- Was brought to AC Boarding to get groomed and unfortunately, her owners never came back.  AC made many attempts to contact her owners but was unsuccessful. Darla had been boarding for several weeks and is stressed and afraid in the kennels but fortunately just found a foster home. She's very sweet, weighs less than ten pounds, has been vetted and will be spayed soon.

Hoover and Molly

 
Hoover and Molly- These sibling puppies were also abandoned at AC Boarding and need a foster or adopter. They are about four months old, weigh around 25-27 pounds, have received their first set of puppy vaccinations and have puppy mange (non contagious) and hookworms which they are being treated for. They will be receiving their next set of shots on 9/19/12 and will be spayed/neutered when their skin improves.

Markee is no long wearing his collar and is ready to go swimming!

 Markee- Is on the road to recovery. His stitches are out and he is ready to go swimming! The swimming will be great therapy for him so if anyone has a pool and can take him, please contact gloria@barriodogs.org or lynn@barriodogs.org.

Izzy- Is now in the Friends for Live adoption program. We wish her luck in this new venture. You can view her FFL profile at here.

Kiddo- Is still being fostered by Marjorie Jackson a few days a week and is slowly gaining confidence.  We are very thankful that Marjorie has been spending time socializing and caring for Kiddo.

Bruno

Bruno - Was rescued by an independent rescuer and has been living at AC for several weeks. We are working with him since living in a kennel is so difficult for an animal and we want to make his life a little better.

Wallis- Wallis went into foster care last week and in a split second, escaped and got away. Our efforts to catch him have not been successful.

We will begin a basic manners training for the A Home for All Dogs soon; the classes will be conducted by our trainer Dulce Garcia; we will need volunteers to assist with dog handling. The class start date will be announced soon.

A Home for All Volunteer Orientation

Markee's Physical Therapy

We found Markee recently when one of Gloria’s family members was fishing near LaMarque in a very isolated area and from out in the middle of nowhere, a dog swam up to his boat. Fortunately he was able to rescue the dog, who we named Markee. Markee had a hurt hip and leg and needed surgery. He was operated at Gulfgate on August 9, 2012 and has been staying at AC ever since. A few days after the surgery Markee tore out his stitches and had to be resewn. He has since been wearing a cone so he can heal and now needs therapy so he can regain full use of his hip and leg.

We are asking AHFA volunteers to work with Markee daily if they can since the next few weeks of therapy will be very important to help him regain full use of his leg. Also, in a week or two swimming will be great therapy for him so if anyone can take him swimming, please notify lynn@barriodogs.org.

There was a training session for volunteers who want to work with Markee at AC on 8/19/12. Here are the highlights:

Start out by getting the blue heating pad which is on the shelf above the sign in book along with the vet’s instructions. Heat it 90 seconds in the microwave in the room next door with the fridge (there is a microwave in the front room but it doesn’t work).





  



After you warm up the heating pad, get Markee to sit next down next to you in a quiet place. He’s a sweet boy and only weighs about 30 pounds. Put the warm patch on the stitches and let it sit about five minutes. Just talk to him and pet him while you’re doing this.

Once he’s nice and relaxed, very gently move his leg back and forth like he is walking. He may lay down with his head in your lap and will not complain or try to stop you. You will be able to feel the muscles moving; you are working to strengthen the muscles. .

Do this 5-10 minutes. If it starts to bother him, he will let you know and it will be time to stop.













After that, just replace the hot pad and put Markee back in his kennel. If you want more information, just check the vet's instructions.

It is probably best to do this with another person. Tauna Ready is normally in the east side of town around 6 p.m. daily and can meet you at AC; please contact her at tauna.ready@ipaper.com.

Update: August 7, 2012

Visit to AC; notes by Dulce Garcia and Lynn Rodriguez

Remember to watch your head when near the outdoor fans

 AC was full today so Derek, Darla, Raven and Cooper were outside. Thank goodness the fans are installed in the outdoor kennels; hopefully they help the dogs stay a little cooler. Ernie had watered the kennels down in the morning and given everyone potty breaks. Later, some of the student interns visited and helped walk the dogs.

Darla

While the other dogs were getting walked, Derek, Darla, Raven and Cooper got a stuffed Kong with a small treat inside. This helped keep them quiet. Darla tore up the Kong a little and will probably do better with the stuffed bones we can buy at Natural Pawz.

Markee

There is a new dog at AC we are calling Markee. A Barrio Dogs’ family member was fishing on Saturday in LaMarque, Texas in a very isolated area and from the middle of nowhere a dog swims up to his boat. Fortunately the dog was not too far off from land and was lured to safety. He had a hurt leg and twigs all around his legs; we just couldn’t leave him behind. When Markee was taken to Gulfgate Animal Hospital, we were told he was dehydrated, undernourished and had an old injury, possibly hit by a car. He will need surgery on his leg and can’t do much activity until he’s feeling better.

Bruno

Bruno is also new at AC. He is not a Barrio Dog but belongs to an independent rescuer. Nevertheless, Bruno is part of the A Home for All program although he can go only go out for potty breaks, not walks, since he is not neutered and recovering from a skin condition.

Zoe

Zoe is also not a Barrio Dog; she belongs to the owners of AC and has been living there for a long time. We are including her in our program so she can get out of the kennel and get some exercise. We recently took her for her check up and she needs to lose weight.

Cooper

Cooper also needs to lose a little weight and will be attending his first adoption event at Rover Oaks Katy on 8/12/12.

Izzy

Izzy was her usual adorable self. Her best friend  Kiddo is out visiting volunteer Marjorie’s home.

Dulce updated the board with all information about the dogs in the program. Please be sure and consult and update the board whenever you go visit the dogs. Thank you!

Summer Interns for AHFA

Adelayda, Kassandra, Yvette and Jackie with Dulce Garcia, coordinator of the AHFA program

Barrio Dogs would like to say thank you to Adelayda, Kassandra, Yvette, Iliana, Nancy and Jackie, senior students from Yes Prep - Southeast who have been volunteering this summer in our A Home for All program. They have been going to the AC Boarding regularly to walk, socialize, play with and groom our rescued dogs.

The students were asked as a school project to choose a place where they could offer their volunteer services for the summer. They chose Barrio Dogs because they love and care about homeless animals. This has been a win-win situation for both the dogs and students; the dogs obtained much needed socialization and exercise time while the students learned about proper animal care, training and how to address the overpopulation problem in their communities. Each day they come in they not only help enrich the lives of the kenneled dogs but learn about the importance of spaying and neutering pets. The students have really enjoyed spending time with the dogs, have fallen in love with  them all and wish they could take each one home. Barrio Dogs’ mission is to educate, empower and transform; we believe these young students have taken this mission to heart and are future leaders in the making.

Adelayda with Derek

Kassandra with Derek

Kassandra and Adelayda with Darla

Update: July 20-29, 2012

Notes by Gloria Zenteno, Buffy Martines, Wendy Theissen, Tauna Ready, Marjorie Jackson, Eva Belendez and Dulce Garcia,

Great news: thanks to volunteer Wendy Theissen, fans have been placed over the outdoor kennels at AC! They will provide relief to our dogs while they are kenneled outside.However, we need to warn all volunteers, particularly the TALL ONES to watch their heads in the outdoor kennels. Because the ceiling is not very high, the fans are hung somewhat low and just clear the walls between kennels. If you’re under 6’ you are probably okay but duck anyway. A sign on the door has been posted to alert and remind people. There is a covered outlet above the AC that works when the fans are turned on and the switch by the door is marked but be careful.The fans at AC have made a big difference the dogs seem much more comfortable. Thank you Wendy!

On to more good news, some of the rescues will be sporting the new Barrio Dogs collars. Soon they will also have id tags to go along with them to help identify Barrio Dog rescues. Collars will be placed in the drawer so we always have some collars and tags for our rescues.

Derek: Was at the Natural Pawz adoption event at Bellaire last Saturday. He’s a good boy and really loves toys; his favorite are the tug kind. He will soon be enrolled in a training class. He is great boy and with improved manners from training, he is bound to find a home. Dulce will keep us posted on his upcoming classes.

Darla:  Got to attend her first adoption event at Natural Pawz Bellaire on Saturday. She’s very social and has put on some necessary weight compared to how she looked when she was found. She loves when volunteers take her out in the yard and play with her. She enjoys being sprayed with the sprinkler on hot days and doesn’t mind splashing in the water.

Kiddo: Has been away from AC because he is spending some time at volunteer Marjorie's home! Marjorie plans to take Kiddo home occasionally for a few days at a time to give her more social time in a home environment. Marjorie is really enjoying the experience and is helping Kiddo become more confident. Kiddo is doing well although still very timid. She is walking better on leash (left side); she still sits down but gets up and walks again with a gentle pull on the harness leash. Kiddo is showing marked improvement; she's been sleeping on a dog bed at the foot of Marjorie's bed and all had a good night's sleep. Marjorie has also been working on her interactions, interactive play and being comfortable with new people. It will take a lot of work to combat Kiddo's shyness but she is an affectionate, very worthwhile dog and Marjorie is confident that the effort will pay off.

Zoe:  Likes to go out in the yard and being brushed. Her coat is looking much better. She went to the vet for her check up and needs to lose some weight. Please help her by taking her for a walk when possible.

Izzy: Does well on her play times and knows how to “sit” on command. She is very responsive to training so we encourage volunteers to remind her to sit to minimize her jumping. 

Cooper: Is a bright boy and becomes very excited when he sees people. He is good on leash when taken out for a walk. He knows how to sit on command so we encourage anyone who takes him out to practice asking him for sits so that he minimizes his jumping behavior.

Wallis: Slowly but surely making progress. He comes out of his kennel more easily for Ernie, who he’s used to seeing daily. Volunteers should feel free to offer him treats when they pass by his kennel; he takes treats from Tauna and Marjorie at times. If anyone is interested in working with Wallis, please ask Tauna or Marjorie for tips.

Amos: Still in foster care at Lisa First's home. We are certain he is enjoying himself immensely.