A "Vicious" Dog???

She came to the Animal Shelter described as "vicious."  We learned that she had been dumped because she "wouldn't fight ." Apparently, she had been used as a "lure" in dog fights. Her neck festered with deep bites, and she cowered in her corner when anyone approached her pen. Mind you, this was a Rottweiler, a breed associated in everyone's mind with "vicious."

It took a long time for her wounds to heal; even longer for her to trust anyone...except a volunteer board member/handler. Every day, the two of them would walk through the adjacent woods and get to know each other. Pretty soon, "Paine," as she was called then, became accustomed to a gentler life. It was also noted that she adored kittens. Cautiously, we let her pass from cage to cage and give the curious little felines a good lick. But no one wanted to adopt her, most believing the stories connected with her breed.

At long last, Julie (feebly renamed for Pasha's story), took her home. The rest, indeed, is doggy-history. Today, Tootsie greets visitors, chases squirrels, and lords over her basket-full of adopted cats. She proudly rides the four-wheeler with her 'daddy,' suitably garbed in a camouflage coat.

Happy days, indeed, for dog and rescuer alike...



Now, here is another "vicious" breed...The Pitbull. True, his jaws are bone-crushing, and his impresisve size and weight are fear-inspiring--to those who have a reason to fear.

But it is not the dog that is naturally mean--it's the mean people who get a dog like his, and then train him to be like them.

Take Rudoph here--smiling, happy and content. But (yes, very true) don't mess with the ones he loves and protects...

Celebrate the Small Things - Our Weekly Blog Hop

Time for our Weekly Blog-Hop--and for celebrating the small things...

This is our Valentines-Day--Week hop and celebration.

Well, there will be not much hopping here. Still, I celebrate these small blessings:

1) That I haven't retreated into my shell completely (yet);

2) That I am not as wrinkled (yet); and

3) That I still know which end is up and which is down, hopefully meaning that I am not totally confused (yet).

Blog Hop Participants

This is a Blog Hop!

---

1. Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh	2. Suzanne Furness The Word is. . .	3. Julie Flanders
4. tara tyler	5. J. A. Ward Writes	6. Lara Lacombe - Romance With an Edge
7. Leave it to Livia	8. Life, yoga and other adventures	9. Charity Pence
10. Ink in the Book	11. My Baffling Brain	12. Scribbles From Jenn
13. Tyreans Writing Spot	14. Writing Off the Edge	15. Father Dragon Writes
16. Christi Corbetts Blog	17. Lexa Cain	18. Alys B. Cohen ~ Author, reader, dreamer
19. Michelle @ Writer~In~Transit	20. Breakthrough Blogs	21. One Magic Bean Buyer
22. Swagger Writers	23. The Write Game	24. Writers Mark
25. City Muse Country Muse	26. Entertaining Interests	27. Cassiopeia Rises Two
28. Tizzy @ Creative Therapy	29. Clare Dugmore Writes	30. Reading, Writing and Everything in Between
31. Effectively Human	32. Jen Naumann Author	33. Mary Pax
34. Beauty By Shaq	35. that girl from around the bay	36. Diana Wilder - About myself, by myself. . .
37. Heres The Story	38. Pasha, From Animal Shelter to A Sheltered Life	39. S. K. Anthony
40. Agenthood and Submissionville	41. Defending The Pen	42. Queendsheena

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* * *

This was last week:

I often wonder if we are really grateful enough for what in our daily lives appears to be “no big deal."

So, I am celebrating:

1)   Running Water (hot and cold to boot)

2)   Indoor Plumbing (you laugh)

3)   Weekly Garbage Collection

To most, this must seem silly (or at least, an unfounded celebration). But to someone who grew up in war-ravaged Europe where the infrastructure lay in ruins, this was a big deal for many years. Somehow, that deep-down feeling that these "little things" are not an entitlement, but a luxury, stayed with me. I really enjoy having them. Really!

I am glad this struck a chord in many of you--but now, I would like to add to my list for celebrating small things:
This morning, I slipped into my shoes...My toe struck something squooshy...well, there was nothing but to reach in and fish out whatever it was...Pasha's favorite fuzz-ball!!!! Talk about being happy and celebrating that sweet cat's adherance to human sensibilities...

“ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL” (borrowed from one of my favorite authors, James Herriott)

Never mind that this started out mainly as Pasha’s blog, featuring his shelter cat and dog buddies. A lot of other animals are being loved and cared for by their owners; and sometimes, they too need rescuing. Unfortunately, most shelters are not set up for large and/or exotic animals. Thus, my interaction with them is limited.

So, I asked friends over at my Goodreads group "All About Animals" to contribute to our pleasure (and education) about these “other species”— in this case, horses (although we can never forget about our good friends, the cat and the dog).

 

 

 

Janet Foster, the horses' owner, 

is the author of "The Weeping Rose"

with photos by her sister, Barb Foley. 

Spot and Merlin live in great splendor

on a farm where their roomy barn keeps them cool in the summer and sheltered during inclement weather. Right outside, a large corral allows Janet, their owner, and her two grown children, grandchildren and their friends to help with exercising them. Of course, having practically grown up around them, the kids are fearless and know just how to approach these magnificent animals. They definitely have their likes and dislikes (the horses—but I am sure, the kids do, too).

Merlin for instance, loves to play with a large ball. He’ll toss it this way and that and if you stand in the way, he throws it at your feet expecting you to toss it back. You want proof?  Here is a brief clip http://youtu.be/G4riaQv66Jg

All this frivolity is watched over by Snowball, the enigmatic cat, 

while Barb's puggle Rufus looks on.

But don't mess with his bones 

Bear, Janet's dog,  can't look on--he is blind--yet much loved and looked after.

Check us out on the Goodreads Group called "All About Animals," and join the group free for fun, education, loads of great book suggestions and making new friends.

Slight Miscalculation

I used to live in Boston--and their snow emergency this weekend reminded me why I had moved to San Diego; like Scarlett (Gone with the Wind) I had vowed, "By God, I shall never be 'cold' again...." (By the way, never say never.)

I moved to Arkansas. My research had shown an average temperature of 56 degrees...No problem; I could handle that. But I was never good in math; thus, I didn't realize that this average was obtained by 110 degrees in summer and 16 degrees in winter...a slight miscalculation on my part.

To my surprise, the foothills of the Arkansas Ozarks do get snow. Hence, these visitors to my birdfeeder...

Buffy-The Lawnmower-Kid Revisited

As I told in the book, Buffy was found as a tiny kitten, hiding out in the housing of a lawnmower (not a good idea). Pasha and I took him in as (it turned out) our last foster kitten until he was old enough to be returned to the shelter--ready for adoption. But he was a sly fellow .... read how that little squirt contrived his way into the home (and the heart) of another shelter volunteer by misbehaving at the shelter (it worked for him).

Then, he was Buffy, named by his Savior...who still inquires about his well-being.

  

He was renamed by his "forever"-Savior to Spunky,

and it is no misnomer.

I just visited him in his forever home (the same belonging to Tootsie, the sweet Rottweiler). There he was, fat (or should I say corpulent?), and sassy, happily watching the goings-on outside--from the safety of his couch. Oh, did I ever mention we was supposed to be an outside cat? Yeah, right. Think again. Not this smart little guy. He decided from the get-go that he liked 'the good life--inside.'

Spunky's all-time favorite place, though, is here--especially on hot summer days.

 



All About Animals

This is, of course, what this blog is all about (with the exception of my cameo appearances once in a while).

It is also the name of a wonderful group of animal lovers at the popular Goodreads website—visit us there. We’d like to invite you to become a member; it’s free, it’s fun, and it’s informative. Besides, you’ll meet the nicest people, all of whom are passionate readers (as the writers there are as well).

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/74638-all-about-animals

Some of the group’s members are graciously furnishing me with pictures and stories about the animals in their lives, in their care, and in their hearts. Not all of those animals are lap-sitting or snoozing pampered pets inside their homes. Some work, sprint, race and even carry the owners for their daily portion of affection. They are doing it proudly, giving it their best.

Here are pictures furnished by Mary-Anne as she rides her horse Delta O Lena Lady better known as Lucky in a mock-up train robbery. It’s something they do in Canada—must be comforting not having to deal with the real thing!

In the following two pictures, Mary-Anne and her stallion Smokes Remedy give it their all barrel racing. You really have to be firm in the saddle to do this sort of thing.

Simply amazing!

Mary-Anne has a lot of other pets, I understand--and here are two of them.

Hansel and Gretel

Hansel wonders what might be around that corner,

while Gretel enjoys a romp in fresh snow.

JUST JOINED THIS BLOG HOP

Celebrating to have overcome as yet another technical hurdle --

JOINING THIS BLOG - and making it work!

My friend and co-author Diana Wilder made me spill my coffee all over my screen with her last entry! So I decided to come back with a vengence and add some of my own animal stories. Hope this works....(I don't mean for someone else to spill their cup!)

I am Inge H. Borg, another scribbler among the multitudes. Like many of us, I started out by putting my dreams and hopes into poems (oh well). Then I sat down to some 'serious' historical fiction about Ancient Egypt and managed to follow that with a present-day thriller. Add to these books stories about a charming conman, and you've got something for every taste.
Read more about them at my other blog:
http://devilwinds.blogspot.com/

or go to my author page:

http://www.amazon.com/Inge-H.-Borg/e/B006QYQKUS

Lastly, I looked at my cat (he, too, is charming--a little con in his own right), and my first non-fiction book took shape.

Fair warning: More novels are in the making--although it will take a while for them to translate from head to paper/screen.

Glad to be here and read all these great stories.
(Just click on the PAGE and find everyone who is participating in this hop)

Little Ladies

The two little kittens were found in someone's garage where the mama-cat must have sought refuge from the cold. She had stashed first one there and after two days, the second appeared. Mama, however, was never sighted again. They were about six days old when I was called upon to raise them. Pasha and I went to work.

As they grew, I realized that they started to look like perfect miniature cats--they never had that round kitten-look about them. From the get-go, they were also perfectly behaved and I never had to send Pasha around to hunt for one or the other hiding somewhere.

Bandy and Sophie - The Little Ladies

It was hard to give those up, too. But eventually, I had to return them to the shelter for them to have a chance to get adopted. Another lucky home welcomed them into their family. Best of all, they were able to stay together.

Never Give Up!

Foster Kitten Puffin

Modified excerpt from Inge H. Borg’s Book: Pasha, From Animal Shelter to A Sheltered Life

*

The lifeless gray featherweight that shelter personnel placed into the palm of my hand looked more like a dead mole than the kitten they insisted it was. With eyes firmly shut, ears still located flat against the back of the head, it could not have been more than ten days old. I quickly took mental inventory of my pantry and, remembering that I still had a can of goat milk from previous fosters, bundled its little body into a large washcloth to take it home where I placed it into my cat carrier lined with heating cushion and padded with soft towels. The name Puffin popped into my head for the chilled little gray lump I had just added to my clan.

The next few days were as painful for me as, I am sure, they were for the lethargic little animal. The only two things not lax about that kitten were its gums which it clamped firmly shut every time I tried to drip warm milk into its mouth; with its most unclenched part being its sphincter. It functioned the opposite way from the gums. The result was increasing and worrisome dehydration.

I simply could not bear to see this tiny kitten suffer any more days. With a permission slip from the shelter, I drove it over to the nearby vet to be released from its miserable young existence before it had to endure more pain.

“Well, little fella,” the vet said after he had established that he was dealing with a male. Completely ignoring what I had made that specific appointment for, he sunk a small syringe into a can and suctioned bits of soft kitten food into it. Then he pumped minute amounts carefully into the tiny mouth. Sure enough, the little tom swallowed a little, and a little more.

“He’ll be just fine.” The vet handed me the kitten and the can. “Mash a little of this into his bottle.”

I slunk out of the office, embarrassed and chastened by my lack of faith. My euphoria did not last long and after another week of the same struggle, I discussed the problem with the shelter manager and begged him for another permission slip. I planned to take the kitten to a second vet. Except on that morning, the busy doc had left due to some emergency on a farm. I would have to wait until Monday. Meantime, the kitten seemed to grow even smaller and weaker. I stroked and cradled him most of the weekend, and tried for him to take some nourishment.

First thing that following Monday, I drove down the winding hill much slower than I usually do. After examining the little form, he prescribed what I would henceforth call his ‘miracle elixir,’ as it brought relief and restored health to many sickly shelter kittens.

I kept that infamous permission slip buried in my glove compartment for a long time as a reminder that there is always hope—and a good vet. I still shudder when I think of how close I came to having that little life snuffed out.

Puffin not only turned into a lively kitten, but he is today a gorgeous and most interesting cat. I have seen natural sheared mink only once. His coat looks exactly like that. It is a dense dark gray with a brown shimmer in a certain light. With a head that stayed small, an almost angular face, his golden eyes, and a tail ‘that never sleeps,’ he reminds me of a lemur. I like lemurs. I loved Puffin—I still do.

Today, his name is Smokey; and he visits often when his mama travels out of town. He and Pasha are still the best of buddies.

 

He was tiny Puffin then ...          

... He is intriguing Smokey now--posing with another of my passions: Ancient Egyptian Fiction

(Don't you just love those ears?)

Read more about Pasha and his shelter buddies at the following

author profile pages for Inge H. Borg:

http://www.amazon.com/Inge-H.-Borg/e/B006QYQKUS – Amazon

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/505050 -  Smashwords

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/inge-h.-borg - Barnes & Noble



Romancing the Dog

My new friend and another animal-lover, Marion Zola, shared this delightful story with me:

 

"I recently found a letter from my dog Chips to his fans, meant as an intro to

my Amazon best-selling book Romancing the Dog. 

 

The letter reads:

“First, let me say hello to all of my fans.  I was asked to contribute to this book quite some time ago.   While I love the concept, I simply do not have the time to commit to such a project.  As many of you know, I split my time between Beverly Hills and Carmel.  Everything I do is in high style, whether it’s flying first class, eating  gourmet meals, or being walked shadowed by both a stroller and a European sedan.  So many dogs have asked, ‘Chips, how do you do it?  How do you maintain such a high standard of living?’

Well, reader, allow me to share my secret.  Unbeknownst to most, I retain a full time staff of two.  They are a live-in couple whose lives are devoted to my care and upkeep.  There is no end to the ways in which they are indispensable, serving as cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, fitness trainer and personal assistant.  I’m hoping that one of them will get a pilot’s license soon so that I can stop flying commercial.  You know how it it. 

The craziest part of the arrangement?  I don’t even pay them.  In fact, one of them works as a writer, while the other serves on corporate boards just to that they can maintain the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed.  A few licks, a few tail wags and they’re happy.  I love them, but you know what they say about humans — ‘devoted, lovable, but not too bright.’   Well, I’m off to the beach.  Remember my motto — ‘The best is barely good enough.’ “

                             

       Chips

Surely you want to know more; I am glad Marion shared this with me.
Just go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Romancing-Dog-Struggle-Beverly-ebook/dp/B0094A14LG/

How can you resist a face like that?  

You can look at him--and you can read about him--but you can't have him, I am certain of that.