Update: May 5-21, 2013

Notes by Dulce Garcia and Lynn Rodriguez.

Do you have a little spare time, love dogs and would like to help socialize and exercise some awesome rescued dogs? If so, come on out and meet our rescues that are living in a boarding facility and need a little extra TLC.  Not only will you brighten their day but you will also help prepare them for a forever home.

Meet the rescues:

Kale

Kale loves people and lying in the sun so what's not to love about him? His nickname is "Cookie Monster" because he loves all treats but his favorite treats are peanut butter-flavored ones.  Kale suffered so much while he was living on the streets but he has moved past that and is so happy and grateful to be safe!

Lady

Lady is still living in boarding and could really benefit from a foster or better yet, a forever home. Lady has cancer on one of her hind legs but that doesn't stop her from being the happy dog that she is. Some days her leg may be bothering her so be careful and keep an eye out for that; on those days, keep her activity to a minimum. She loves to hang out in the yard or go for a walk. She is great on a leash and is a good dog to walk for beginners.

Renata

Renata would be very happy if you could do two of her favorite things: the first is spend time with her in the play yard because she loves being there. The second is go out for a walk so that she can relieve some kennel stress. Renata spent most of her life tied to a tree and neglected. No wonder this girl is so thankful when she gets lots of attention from our volunteers.

Rosebud

Rosebud is now safe and off the streets of Sunnyside. This gentle giant girl is a true sweetheart worth getting to know. She has started a new life and like all the rescues, is ready for a forever home. Due to her heartworm condition (which is being treated), her activity level must be kept low per veterinarian's orders. We encourage volunteers to only take Rosebud out for low activity play time in the yard as opposed to a walk.

Tiger

Tiger is such a handsome and happy dog! We're so glad he's off the streets of Denver Harbor. This boy is learning to cope with his new surroundings. Like Rosebud, he is being treated for heartworms so his activities need to be limited to the play yard.

Barkley

Barkley was abandoned at the boarding facility. He has been vetted, fixed and should go into a foster home soon. Since he is smaller than the other dogs, let him play on his own in the yard.

Raven

Raven has been living at the boarding facility for a while. He is not particularly friendly so we ask that none of the volunteers try to walk him or take him out of his run. He gets outside time by himself or with his friend Zoe, who belongs to the boarding facility's owners.

Tita

Mackenzie

Tita and Mackenzie have gone into foster homes although you may see them in boarding from time to time. We are grateful for our fosters who give the dogs a chance to live in a real home, sometimes for the first time ever, while we find them a forever one.

As always, we ask that if you visit the boarding facility, please check the white board for updates on all the dogs before interacting with any of them. Be sure and wear sturdy shoes and as always, keep treats to a minimum since the dogs are on a feeding schedule. There are poop bags and a pooper scooper and we would appreciate it a lot if you could help clean up the play yard after the dogs are out there. If you have questions or comments, please contact dulce@barriodogs.org and lynn@barriodogs.org. Thank you to everyone for all your help!

Update: April 10, 2013

Notes by Lynn Rodriguez

Here are some brief bios of our Barrio Dogs currently living in boarding:

Kale

Kale is an American Pit Bull Terrier, approximately 3 years old and weighs 52 pounds. He was rescued from the Hidalgo Park area in Houston in December 2012. He was starving and suffering from various ailments related to his life on the streets. After his rescue, he was vetted and treated for his medical conditions and he has recovered. He has lived in boarding since his rescue, first with another organization and since last month, with Barrio Dogs. He loves people and loves lying outside in the sun; we do not recommend that he be allowed to go near any cats.

Lady

Lady is a beautiful white and brown Pit mix. She was rescued in October 2012 by a police officer who helps some of the animals she encounters during her patrol in East Houston. She found Lady on the street and took her home but that did not work out so Lady has lived in boarding since then. She is fully vetted and spayed. In December 2012 we learned that a mass on her back leg that we initially thought was a sprang was Mast Cell II cancer. The mass was removed and the specialist we consulted gave us some options, none of which are good: amputation, radiation, or chemotherapy. The plan is to amputate Lady’s leg although a recent check revealed that the cancer has not spread. Lady will have the operation when we can find her a medical foster.
 

Mackenzie

Mackenzie is a beautiful blue Pittie with a sweet disposition. She is 3-4 years old and has been spayed and fully vetted. She was dumped in February 2013 near Broadway/Park Place off I-45 South. When we found her, she was bleeding and full of milk; she’d apparently had a litter of puppies some time recently although the puppies were nowhere to be found. Mackenzie has been in boarding since being rescued. She has an old fracture below her elbow that we initially treated with a cast; she wore the cast for several weeks but it made her arm worse. When she was evaluated by a specialist last month, the doctor removed the cast and recommended amputation. Since there is no medical foster to care for her after surgery, we have delayed it. We are also monitoring her to see if she is improving and able to use the leg.

Tita

Tita is a pit mix with a puppy personality. She is about two years old, weighs 58 pounds and has been fully vetted and spayed. She was rescued from the Hidalgo Park area in October 2012 and has been in boarding ever since. She was in bad shape when rescued with a terrible skin condition and open bleeding sores. She has fully recovered and is a joyful dog. She loves to drop and roll and get belly rubs. She is not very tall but she is compact and strong. For the past few weeks, Tita has been going into a foster home on the weekends.

Renata

Renata is a Boxer/Boston terrier mix, approximately two years old and 45 pounds. She used to be known as Princess and lived in Houston’s East End where she spent her life tied to a tree. During that time, she had many litters of puppies. After her last litter, a caring neighbor signed her up to be spayed by Barrio Dogs’ FixIt project in December 2012; after she was spayed and vetted, we decided that we simply could not return her to life tied to a tree so we asked her owner to surrender her to us which she did. Renata has lived in boarding ever since. She has a sweet disposition and gets along well with other dogs.

Parker was rescued in March 2013 when some volunteers found him in Mason Park. He was crying and appeared to be injured. After some missteps at the vet, he was diagnosed with an ear infection and neck injury. Now that he has received the proper medical treatment, he is doing well. We think he is a Corgi/Chihuahua mix and is about 3 years old and weighs 20 pounds. He's been neutered and fully vetted and is friendly and great with volunteers. We are evaluating his behavior in the event he has issues related to being abandoned or lost at the park.

Parker

  

Hidalgo

Hidalgo been in boarding a short while and is skittish and timid. He was rescued from Hidalgo Park in late March 2013. We are asking our animal behaviorist to evaluate him and will get a professional trainer to work with him. At this point, we ask volunteers to not attempt to walk or interact with him. 

Raven and Zoe are two big black dogs who are similar looking although Raven has no tail. Zoe belongs to the owners of the boarding facility and has lived there for a long time. Raven belonged to an independent rescuer who gave him to Barrio Dogs to find him a home. We agreed to let an out-of-state resident adopt Raven last year and transported him to his new home. Unfortunately, he was returned by the adopter because of behavioral issues. Raven is back in boarding and seems to be content living there. He and Zoe are good friends and keep each other company. Although Zoe can be walked, we ask that volunteers not take Raven out of his run or try to walk him. He is let out at least twice a day by the facility’s owners and by our volunteer Ernie Zenteno.

Raven and Zoe

If you have questions or comments about any of our dogs, please contact dulce@barriodogs.org or lynn@barriodogs.org. 

Spring Break Treat for Our Barrio Dogs

Lady and a new friend

Tita looks like she's in heaven with all the attention she is getting

Students from YES Prep East End recently spent their 2013 spring break helping Barrio Dogs. They had to do service days for their senior project and they chose us. Our trainer and volunteer Dulce Garcia agreed to supervise the students while they worked at the boarding facility where we house our dogs.

In addition to learning about the importance of spaying/neutering and appropriate pet care, the students interacted, played and socialized with our rescued dogs every day. They learned more about each dog and the dog’s background story.  After hearing the dogs’ stories, the students did everything they could to make our rescues happy to make up for the bad life they had before they were rescued and our dogs were overjoyed to have the students' company.

We are so grateful for the time these students spent with our dogs. We also think the students learned a valuable lesson about the conditions for animals in their community and ways to improve the lives of the animals around them.

Mackenzie is much happier now that her cast is off

The students with Parker

Lady with one of the students; we think she is smiling!

Barrio Dogs' volunteer Ernie Zenteno with Tita and the students

The students and some posters they made; we love how Tita managed to get into several pictures

Renata looks like she is having a wonderful time!

Here is Tita with a student and one of her favorite toys

Update: February 10-28, 2013

Notes by: Dulce Garcia, Eva Belendez, Tauna Ready, Wendy Thiessen and Lynn Rodriguez

We can't say it enough; we are so grateful for our volunteers who step up daily to the task of visiting and socializing with our rescues in boarding. Our rescued cats and dogs suffer from less kennel stress and are able to stay healthier. Thank you volunteers for taking time out of your busy schedules to brighten the day of a rescue. You help prepare them for adoption events where if they are lucky, they will find the perfect foster or forever home.

Here's Casey with volunteer Wendy who rescued her

Casey's skin is looking better by the day and she is feeling great. She is beginning to explore the world around her and like a baby, will use her mouth to discover new things. She will jump and mouth to greet you and get your attention. When she does that, redirect her attention by providing her with something positive and mentally stimulating to do. She loves when you throw toys or the frisbee for her to chase. Only give her attention when she is calm or her four paws are on the floor. This happy puppy will thank you for teaching her good manners.

Ellie

Ellie has gone into foster care and we are so happy for her. Thank you to her fosters for giving her a chance and preparing her for a forever home.

Lady enjoying the spring weather

Lady was diagnosed with cancer a few months back and needs a quiet home where she can rest and receive care and attention. She is not particularly tolerant of other dogs around her when she's not feeling well and who can blame her?  However, Lady has become friends with Casey and likes to play with her when she's feeling good.  Lady loves people and going out for walks which makes it hard to believe no one has scooped up this beautiful girl.

Mackenzie

Mackenzie is another of our rescues that needs a foster home because of her injured leg. She has to wear a cast for several weeks and the cast must be always be kept dry. We ask that volunteers put a plastic bag around the cast and secure it with rubber bands before taking her out in the yard; the materials are in a bag hanging outside her kennel. 

Renata

Renata is a unique looking dog with a great disposition. She makes friends easily whether human or four-legged. Her best friends are Tita and Casey; sometimes they can all get play time together with supervised attention. If you can visit her, please make her day by taking her out for a walk or spending play time out in the yard (hint, hint: she loves toys).

Zoe continues to be in the program although she doesn't belong to Barrio Dogs.  Her favorite thing is going out to the yard for potty breaks, going for a walk and getting her coat brushed.

Zoe

Here's Tita checking out the cats at the boarding facility

Tita is one of our strongest girls in rescue which makes us believe that she is feeling better and has recovered from her condition when she was rescued.  If you need a good workout, she's your girl! She will jump and get mouthy when she's excited and we advise that you don't give her attention if she does that. Instead give her attention when she is calm and not jumping on or mouthing you. Giving her toys and petting her when she is sitting or down on her four paws lets her know that she is being appropriate. You can also try giving her toys to chase around; she really loves those but what she loves best is interacting with you.

Feline Friends

Attie has left the building! We are very happy for her and are certain that she is having a great time in her new home.

Edward, Fred, Illeana and Chief

Edward, Fred, Illeana and Chief still need a home. Please share their pictures and help us find them a home. They are growing up quickly in boarding and missing out on a lot. Volunteers help us clean their cages, litter boxes and give them attention. This cheers them up a bit but we know they will be the happiest if they had a home where they can roam free.

Update: January 19-February 9, 2013

 Notes by Dulce Garcia and Lynn Rodriguez

Welcome all new volunteers and thank you for making the lives of our rescues in boarding less stressful. We have new dogs and feline friends in our program that can really benefit from social time so we need your help more than ever! We also want to share great news regarding some of our rescues.

Adopted and Fostered

Cooper is loving life in his new home!

Buffy and Cooper

Love bug Cooper has been adopted by our very own volunteer Buffy after living in boarding for three years. Buffy fell in love with Cooper while working with AHFA and was finally able to bring him into her home. Cooper’s early life was difficult and sad but luckily, he is in a wonderful home with an owner who loves him dearly. He is loving life in his new home and we couldn’t be happier for him.

Caitrin and Derek

Derek was adopted by another AHFA volunteer, Caitrin, and is enjoying being a couch potato in his new home. We are certain it was love at first sight. Good luck Caitrin and Derek!

Chris and Copper

Copper has gone into foster care with a family and he is definitely getting to see the world. His foster dad, Chris, has been taking Cooper out to different places around town and we are sure he is having a ball! Our fosters are essential to our organization and contribute highly to saving the lives of our rescues. Thank you Chris for being such a great foster for Copper.

Corky (left) and his new family

Corky was independently rescued by Beth. He was only in boarding a short time; he has been adopted and has a new sibling that could almost be his twin. We are sure that he is having a great time at his new home and loves being pampered.
  
Barrio Dogs

Casey

Casey is  new to the program and our youngest. Our volunteer Wendy found this young pup suffering in the streets in Greater East End Houston and could not leave her behind. Wendy rescued Casey and got her vetted at Gulfgate Animal Hospital. Unfortunately, since no foster is available, Casey is living in boarding for now but we are looking for a foster or adopter. Thankfully, she is off the streets!

Ellie

Ellie was found roaming in the East End with neck wounds from a chain. After being vetted and treated at Gulfgate, her wounds are healing quickly. She just loves going out in the yard to play with any toy you give her. She would love for a volunteer to stop by and take her out to play!
  

Tita

Tita playing with a volunteer; Tita is one strong girl!

Tita is the typical cuddle bug and is happiest when you’re with her. We want to warn you that she is very strong so if you’re thinking of taking her for a walk, be prepared. We advise you to be extremely careful when taking her out and especially where there are cats nearby; she is not very cat friendly. However, she is very dog and people friendly!

Renata

Renata is happiest when she’s out on a walk or playing in the yard. She was great during a recent visit to a downtown dog park. It breaks our heart to have to take her back to boarding. Renata is great with people and other dogs and it’s hard to believe she hasn’t been adopted yet!

Lady with a volunteer

Lady has cancer and will be having surgery soon. We need many prayers for this girl and would also love a foster home where she could recover.

Mackenzie

Mackenzie just arrived at the boarding facility and we really hope she gets into a foster home right away. She was dumped on 2/8/13 near a small apartment complex close to Broadway/Park Place off I-45 South. She was bleeding and apparently had a litter of puppies some time during the past six weeks. She also has an old fracture below her elbow. The vet said dogs can bleed for up to six weeks after delivery so perhaps the people who dumped her kept her puppies because they were not with her when she was found. She is wearing a splint for now and needs a lot of TLC. 

Not a Barrio Dog but in the program anyway

Zoe can definitely benefit from going out in the yard and getting some fresh air. She’s also very good on leash and loves going out for a short walk.

Zoe

Bruno

Bruno is owned by an independent rescuer and has been in boarding for several months. He has not done well in boarding and we have asked all our please not take Bruno out of his kennel; he has been hard to handle in the past. Fortunately, a trainer, John McDonald, volunteered to help us and has been working regularly with Bruno. We hope that with John’s attention and training, Bruno will be able to start attending adoption events and will eventually make a successful transition into a home.

Feline Friends

Chief

Attie

Illeana

Edward

Attie is very social and loves to play. Like any cat she can bite when she’s tired of someone picking her up. Cats are very sensitive and it’s important to put them down if they are feeling uncomfortable; that is one way to prevent scratches or bites. Chief, Edward and Ileana have also not been able to find homes which is unfortunate since they are young and boarding is no place for them.

Once again, thank you to all our volunteers and supporters. We couldn't do it without you. Most importantly, you're making a big difference in the lives of some very deserving dogs!