Walk Wiv Me! by Jessie

I'z going on mah walk. Wanna come along?

Here we are at the seawalk:



Smell that salt air!



Der's lots of interestin' smells!



And there's sunlight on those logs down there:



I likes to sit and watch the water:



Let's go all the way along the path today:



Lookit all this sand! I think I'm gonna be a Beach Babe!



There's lots of flowers too:



Gotta head home now. More flowers at the top of the stairs:



I like dis one!



And lots of trees in bloom on the road home:





Here's we are, back at my gate. Let's do it again tomorrow!



Luv, Jessie

BREAKTHROUGH! (Well, maybe!)

I swear there is a little switch in a puppy's brain that sometimes gets stuck in the 'off' position and then for no apparent reason **click*** gets flipped on.

That happened yesterday with Jessie. We headed out in the morning on our 'gotta get over your fear of the leash/cars/new smells walk around the neighbourhood - which at last attempt was a twenty minute struggle for both of us around a half block (using a back lane). She didn't want to go. She lay down and pretended to be dead when I put on her harness and leashes.



She cowered at the back yard gate.



She slunk down the side of the house and passed the cars.



She was not a happy camper.



No, I won't 'watch' you!


Then - ZOMG! - she suddenly began trotting along nicely. Right by my side. Head up, tail up. No pulling or weaving or trembling. Just a nice, brisk, happy trot.

Oh! this isn't so bad!

We reached the end of the block, where we have been turning right to return via the back lane, and she wanted to turn left. So we did.

And she trotted right down to the park. And on to the seawalk. Over the metal grid, and along the boards above the sand and sea.



And down to the beach. Where we met some friends and their dogs and chatted for a while. Then she and I sat on a rock under the edge of the wharf and took a few photographs.



Then we returned via the looooong flight of steps, with open spaces and metal grids. No hesitation.



Through a new (to her)neighbourhood and back on home.

And she was happy and proud of herself.





Later in the day, I tried taking her out again, and the switch was back in the 'off position' so that even passing a parked car in front of my neighbour's house was a challenge for her. It didn't help that a bus came down the crossroad (albeit a half block away) shortly after that and totally terrifed her. She was determined to bolt back in the direction we came. I put her into a sit - she has an excellent 'sit'! - waited for it to pass and we continued. She never stopped trembling and yanking and trying to bolt, however, so at the park we sat on a bench for a while and then I walked her home. Once we got back to our block, she eased up and more or less walked nicely back to the house. We shall see how she does today.

Juggling Jessie

Just as Jessie settles into our routine and finds her place in the household (primarily in my office, where I spend a lot of time and where I first set up her crate), we shuffle things around a bit. My sister is here for a week's visit, so that meant converting the office to a bedroom, moving the computer and Jessie's crate to other locations.

Jessie's not sure what to make of this. I moved the crate into my bedroom, Jessie's toys into the living room, and pulled out the futon into a bed. Then I went to the washroom and came out a couple of minutes later to discover Jessie had been very busy - carrying each and every toy back into the office!






Later that evening, I was working at my computer (now in the living room) when I realized Jessie was no longer at my feet. I went in search of her. She was...you guessed it....back in the office. And though she had never jumped up on a bed or a couch in this house before, there she was, sound asleep on the bed:




But she is adjusting. She won't willingly go into the crate in my bedroom, but once in she sleeps just fine. Her toys are back in the living room, though she often carries them outside instead. She took a liking to my sister right away, though if I leave the house without them she spends the time running to the back door, ringing the poochie bells to try to get my sister to let her out! Silly girl!


In other Jessie news, she continues to make progress. We have been gradually exposing her to the neighbourhood - a few hundred feet at a time. She is fine with ground she has covered before, very anxious as we cover new ground. Yesterday, she made it to the end of the block, down a half block to a back lane, up the back lane, and home. She did try to bolt when a truck braked at the stop sign with a squeal, and cringed and trembled when a roofer banged a hammer repeatedly, but she is trembling less when we meet the neighbours and will sit calmly while I chat with them.

I take her out on two leashes, a martingale and a harness. The leash attached to the martingale is clipped around my waist - it is the safety line. The harness is a 'no pull' harness as her on-leash skills are very weak. Unfortunately, even a no-pull harness doesn't help a great deal with a dog who doesn't have the sense of marching forward rather than weaving all over. Even more unfortunately, I am so not skilled at teaching a dog to walk on leash - back and hip problems make it very difficult and painful for me, so this is likely an area that will not improve much at all. It also limits where I will be able to take her - the trip around the block yesterday nearly did me in. Potential adopters are going to have to be prepared to leash-train her themselves.

We have not yet attempted to overcome her fear of riding in a car, though she now walks past my van quite comfortably. I do have a strategy in mind to desensitize her to the van. With the van in the driveway alongside the front yard, and the van sliding door open, Jessie and I will spend some time weeding the front flower bed (Jessie leashed to me). We'll begin at the far side and gradually move closer to the van. When I take a break, I'll sit just inside the van, on the floor where the sliding door opens. Jessie, being leashed to me, will be able to sit on the ground if she wants. Gradually I'll move further into the van until she has to jump up in order to stay with me. Over a series of days, we'll spend time just sitting in there, before beginning a series of very, very short trips around the block in the vehicle. Of course, each successful step will be rewarded with lots of fun, games and treats. She is a dog who loves attention!

Jessie is now solid on her potty training - she paces for a moment in the house then runs to the back door and rings the bell. She also often enjoys a game of fetch in the back yard, and is fairly good at bringing the ball or flying squirrel (a frisbee type toy) back to me. She is excellent about stopping inside the mudroom and sitting to wait for me to wipe her paws. While she does bark loudly at anyone who dares to walk down our street, she is quiet on command (unlike certain big black dogs named Sadie!). She occasionally initiates play with Charley (That's a whole 'nother post!), and although she often chases and corners the cat, she never hurts her and will stop on command.

Oh crap!


Is there an escape hatch on this thing?

My sister is also doing well with training - with the help of the signs I have stuck on the doors to the house, she has consistently remembered that Jessie must be crated or on leash before anyone enters or exits the house, and I don't even have to reward her with treats. Having obedient house guests certainly makes juggling Jessie a lot easier! Thanks Big Sis!

What is a puppy?

A puppy is a certain type of dog. Not necessarily a baby dog. Some bearded collies are apparently still puppies at a year and a half. I know labs who have been puppies until they are at least eight or nine. If puppyhood is not an age in a dog’s life, what is it? What defines a puppy?

A puppy grabs your boot and races out the door with it, causing you to run around the very damp yard in stocking feet trying to get it back at six-thirty in the morning.

A puppy doesn’t walk anywhere – she pounces and leaps. If she is on leash, she pulls – and not in a straight line. She zigs. She zags. She turns around. She twists the leash around the walker’s legs and then heads back the way she came.

A puppy likes to carry stuff around in her mouth. Toys. Shoes. Balls. Underwear. Cats. If she can catch them.


A puppy obsesses over a cat hiding under a sheet or on top of a fridge or behind a cupboard. She will watch the cat (or the spot where the cat is hiding) for hours. It is the only time the puppy is both wide awake and completely still.



A puppy gets bored easily. A toy holds her attention for thirty minutes max before it is discarded forever and the search is on for something new.

A puppy is all wiggles and bounce and flounce and excitement. A human who returns from a two minute trip to the bathroom is greeted just as enthusiastically as one who has been gone from the house for several hours.

A puppy greets strangers and other dogs with tail up and cheerful smile – except when you want her to, in which case she will refuse to have anything to do with them.

I'z not playin' wiv them!!!

A puppy can steal a loaf of bread from the back of the kitchen counter, but cannot pick up a ball lying right at her feet.

A puppy takes indoor toys outdoors and brings outdoor toys indoors and will bring both to you the moment you sit down with a cup of coffee.

Play wiv me, please!

A puppy has big floppy double-jointed paws that are capable of absorbing three gallons of mud each. The puppy is very skilled at then wiping or spraying said mud all over the walls, freezer, floor, cupboards and, of course, the human’s best going-to-the-theatre clothes.

A puppy has much more energy than the human with whom she lives.

But when she finally flakes out and goes to sleep, a puppy is the sweetest animal on earth.

(This post is especially written for Broken Promises Rescue, who knows I don’t foster puppies. If Jessie were sleeping, I would show you how sweet she is. But she's still obsessing over the cat.)

(Sorry for the spacing problems, yet again. Is anyone else with a blogger account having this problem???)

Magical Moments, Beautiful World

While the weather still seems unseasonably cold and wet, the longer hours of daylight and the occasional bursts of sunshine have brought forth the green leaves and brilliant blossoms.

The animals, too are glad of winter’s departure. Within the space of just ten minutes, on this morning’s short drive to the SPCA, I saw so many affirmations of the beauty of life.

I saw a doe emerge from the trees and bound across the road in front of me to enter the brush on the other side.

I saw a heron preening and cleaning his beautiful blue grey feathers in the middle of a verdant field.

I saw an eagle, its white head brilliant in the sun, soar above the treetops in the clear blue sky.

I saw a sleek black cat stalking its prey in a field of short gold stubble, its sinewy body stretching, moving with such fluidity, eyes never leaving its target.

And I saw an old man, hair greyed and body stooped, walking with an equally old black lab along a railway track in a picturesque valley.

Later in the day, walking the block or two to the beach with Charley and Sadie, the pleasure continues – colourful red currant bushes in bloom, yellow daffodils nodding their heads in the breeze at the ferry terminal, flowers and birds and greenery everywhere I look.

The young man who cuts my grass shows up and splashes his way around my soggy yard, trimming the edges and mowing what he can. The smell of newly cut grass fills the air. No fabric softener or air freshner or incense stick can ever come close to capturing the wonderful fragrance of a new mown lawn.

And I sink my face into the soft, soft fur of this muppet-like foster puppy (for she really is still very much a puppy) who today took her first brave steps onto the driveway without so much as a quiver, eager to meet the young man with the noisy lawn mower. And then walked right past the car, on loose leash with head high, to return to the house. What amazing progress for such a scared little girl.

Makes me glad to be alive. Makes me glad to live where I do. Makes me glad to do what I do.

The Drama Queen and the Matriarch

I was sitting at my computer when I sensed a commotion and glanced down to see this: No, she wasn't sleeping - she was tossing herself around with great dramatic flair, trying to get my attention. Why, you ask? Because of this: A closer look: Charley, the matriarch of the household, has seized the newcomer's crate and claimed it for herself. Charley has her own, much larger, crate.... and a raised bed, and a big round bed, and a rubbermaid bed, and two extra-large rectangular cushions - none of which either of the other dogs ever use. But she has to squeeze herself into Jessie's crate, just when Jessie has finally decided the wire crate is a very acceptable and comfortable place to hang out. And I distinctly heard Charley mutter something about 'darn youth today, think they can just take over the world, no respect for their elders....'

What a Difference a Day Makes....

What a difference a day makes ...or in this case three days. On Saturday, Jessie trembled and ran away at the sight of a leash, and did not want to step one single paw into the back yard. On Sunday, she accepted the leash and cautiously went into the yard, but ran quickly back to the house. On Monday, she sat nicely while I put the leash on, pranced happily outside, checked out all the pee spots, sniffed at a slug, nosed at the garbage cans, and then sat on the back porch waiting for Sadie and Charley.

Yesterday afternoon, I let go of her leash in the fenced back yard for the first time and watched in trepidation as she quickly skirted the parameter of the yard, nose pointed toward the top of the fence all the way (Let’s face it, it would be rather embarrassing if, after my ranting about people not keeping dogs safe in new surroundings, she jumped the fence and I had to report her lost!!!!). I was poised to grab the end of the leash if necessary, but as soon as I said her name she came trotting back to me.

Today? Well, today she flew out of the door, tore around the back yard, chased a ball, jumped on Sadie, splashed through the puddles, checked out the brambles and tools behind the shed, and then ran onto the back porch where she sat next to the door with a big happy grin on her face.

Checking out the yard

Saturday, she trembled and drooled and vomited and quaked all the way home in the van. On Sunday, she turned into a quivering mess when I took her onto the driveway. On Monday, she stood with apprehension when I opened the gate on the other side of the house, which leads into a fenced side yard – a yard she has seen through the patio doors but not been into. With coaxing and a leash, she entered it, trembling all the while. Today, she went voluntarily into the side yard on three occasions. Just now, when I took her out for a pee, she ran to the closed side yard gate and pawed to go into that area of the yard.

Hey, what's through here?

Takin' time to smell the flowers

Yesterday morning, when Else stopped by to drop off a crate, Jessie hunkered down on the floor, all timid and scared. This afternoon, when Vonda came over to get some photos for the soon to be published Crofton Cookbook, Jessie greeted her with eagerness, happily sat next to her for scritches, and confidently followed her into the office.

On Saturday, Jessie squatted to pee or poop in the house without a second thought. On Sunday, she began to pace a bit to let me know she might need out, but wasn’t always good about actually doing the job once she was outside. On Monday, she learned to go pee on command. Today, she is learning to nudge the bells when she wants out.

Out, please!

On Saturday, Jessie had to be physically placed in the wire crate. On Sunday, she went in somewhat reluctantly but without assistance when I put food in there for her. Yesterday, she willingly went in numerous times for food, treats, an antler, and comfortably stayed in there when I had to go out for several hours. Today, she raced into the crate as soon as she saw me prepare her meal, and on one occasion even went into the open crate by herself for a nap when I was busy with other things. (Ironically, though she previously loved her plastic crate and resisted the wire one, she wants nothing to do with the plastic one I borrowed, cleaned, put together, and have taking up space in my small living room. Go figure).

Saturday, she was too scared to even look at Charley, Sadie or Allie. Sunday, she sniffed them a few times but essentially ignored them. Monday, she crowded the dogs when it was time to go outside or when we were in the kitchen. Today she is pouncing on the dogs, chasing the cat, stealing the cat's toys, and trying to figure out why none of them want to play with a bouncy, happy, puppy.

And I'm not comin' down 'til she's GONE! Is she still here?

May I take this cat toy outside, please?

One could say she is literally progressing by leaps and bounds. Tomorrow, next week, next month – the world! Way to go, Jessie!!

YAY ME!!!!

We shall continue with her adjustment to the home and yard for several more days before upping the ante and venturing on leash into the front yard, the driveway, and the rest of the block.

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. I seem to be technologically challenged these days. On Saturday, I broke a memory card and the card reader; for the past three days I've had posting problems with my blog (hence the weird spacing of the last few entries); and today the camera seems to have a ridiculously slow response time and most of the photos are blurry. And my stereo died. And yesterday I had a flat tire and couldn’t figure out how to release the spare tire (thank heavens for BCAA), so even my car hates me.

Getting to know you.....

Getting to know you,

Getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you,

Getting to hope you like me too....

(song from The King and I)

That old song was running through my head this weekend as Jessie and I get to know one another. No description from a previous home or shelter or foster is ever completely accurate in a new environment – while it may have been true for that person in that space, substitute another person and another space and the behaviour may be different.

Jessie came from bad beginnings – a puppy mill – and through a couple of very unsuitable homes before landing with Broken Promises Rescue, for whom I am fostering. Jessie is about 1.5 years old, a bearded collie, and very, very timid. My primary task is to gradually expose her to new situations in a way that will increase her confidence.

Her biggest nemesis is a car. She is terrified of cars – especially of going in cars. The trip up island in my van was one of drool and nonstop quivering.

Jessie, soaked with drool

Her greatest ally is her crate. Unfortunately she is a wee bit picky about crates – loves plastic ones but not wire ones. And I only have wire ones. Yesterday, I started asking around for a plastic one to borrow, but after some initial resistance that even liver treats couldn’t overcome, she is finally adjusting to the wire crate with a sheet covering the sides. (As I write this, my friend Else is bringing over a plastic crate for Jessie - a better choice as Charley believes all wire crates are her personal property but won't be caught dead in plastic.)

Settling in

Because she is such a timid dog, it is important for her to have a place she feels safe and secure. As I’ve written before, on the post about crate training, a properly crate trained dog sees a crate as a den, a haven, not a cage or jail. Jessie is one dog who really needs a haven.

Jessie has some other challenges on which we are already working. She doesn’t know how to ask to go outside to go to the bathroom. But she is learning, and a quick “uh uh – outside!” results in her running to the door with me to finish the job on the grass.

She also pulls like a Trojan. While I was told a quick “uhuh” brings her back in line, this hasn’t been my experience so far. Once she has done her business and received her treat, she practically drags me back to the house. That is a problem for me (I have a spinal/hip problem that makes it impossible for me to walk heavy pullers), so I will need to work with her indoors on leash heeling, where the door to the house is not a distraction. And I’m making arrangements to borrow a ‘no pull’ harness for her.

And at the moment, “ Walkies” is not in Jessie's vocabulary. Our one foray outside of the fenced back yard, just onto the driveway - resulted in her having a meltdown - a quivering, shivering, hunkered down, not-going-anywhere sad-little-muppet meltdown. We shall try again in a couple of days, this time leaving through the gate on the other side of the house, away from the car and driveway. Our journey of exposing Jessie to the outside world will be taken with baby steps.

Jessie has a lot of really good traits.

She has a lovely “sit”. She will sit for anything. Because she has a tendency to paw and jump up for attention, the rescue was teaching her she only gets attention or treats when four paws are on the ground. We are continuing with that training – not even a pat on the head unless all paws are down.

She is, so far, a very quiet dog. In the house, she is silent – no barking or whining at all. This morning, for the first time since her arrival on Saturday, she let out a joyous WOOF when we headed for the back yard at six AM. She has a very clear WOOF, not a bark or a yip or an arf - a clearly articulated contralto “WOOF”. There’s nothing more annoying than a yappy dog, so I consider a contralto woof to be a good trait!

I'm quiet, but I know how to WOOF!

She is a quick learner. Initially, she trembled violently each time I picked up the leash to take her into the yard. The very sight or sound of the leash was enough to send her running. I think she was afraid I was going to take her out in that puke-producing metal box on wheels again. So I left the leash clipped to her Martingale collar and let her drag it around for a day, and now she is just fine with it.

She is great with other dogs, cats and people. She is a bit of an attention hog, but that bodes well for her to become attached to a future companion, and also makes training that much easier. She wants to please.

I'm smilin' now!

Jessie will be a work-in-progress. But for the right home, this muppet of a dog will one day soon be a great companion.

Three great things about today

1. Cooper was found, safe and sound, about 5 - 7 km from where he went missing.

FOUND!

2. I got to visit one of Hearts on Noses' recently adopted pigs, Ruby, who is absolutely awesome, and also to cuddle a very young piglet.

Ruby, saying "Hi"!

Piggy cuddles!

3. And I picked up my newest foster - a young Bearded Collie named Jessie!

Hi! I'm Jessie!

Jessie and I are chillin' out, and I'm too tired to fill in the details or edit more photos, so this teaser will have to do.

We'ze all pooped out

Keeping Dogs Safe in new surroundings

These guidelines apply to the first several weeks of the dog’s relocation, and are specific to preventing lost dogs. They do not deal with other dog safety issues such as introductions to other animals, separation anxiety, aggression, or training. These steps are based on my own experience, reading, and reasoning. The timelines are minimum recommendations - very nervous dogs may need the process stretched out more slowly. I am not a dog trainer – just a person who has spent too many hours looking for too many lost dogs, and who feels sick and angry about the recent spate of dogs lost enroute or within a week of arriving at a new home.

In the past few weeks, an alarming number of BC dogs have become lost in unfamiliar areas. They bolted during transport or shortly after arrival at a new foster home, or within a week of being newly adopted.

A change of home or circumstances is stressful for any dog, and even a dog with a wonderfully calm temperament may suddenly bolt. Here are some guidelines that should be drilled into the minds of every potential foster or adoptive home or transporter:

1. Use a Martingale or Silverfoot training collar, or a harness with a double safety connection, properly fitted. Use it for life, not just for a week. Inspect it regularly for signs of damage, especially checking all clips, rings and fasteners. Make sure the leash is attached to the correct ring. Do not use a flat collar – a dog can back out of a flat collar in the blink of an eye. Do not use a metal choke chain as these can damage the trachea of a strong puller. And before you put that collar or harness on for the first time, attach an ID tag with a current phone number.

2. Keep BOTH hands firmly on the leash. While some trainers tell you not to wrap the leash around your wrist in case the dog bolts and breaks your wrist, I would (as another rescuer recently stated) much rather see a person break their wrist than a dog become lost or killed. A wrist mends; a dead dog doesn’t.

3. For at least the first month, assume that the dog IS going to bolt, given the chance - no matter how nicely your new dog walks on leash. Make sure you have both hands on the leash before opening a car door or opening a house door.

4. Do not let children walk the dog for the first several weeks. A dog who tries to bolt is STRONG and QUICK.

5. Make it clear to everybody in the house that they must put the martingale and leash on the dog before they answer a knock at the door or open it to grab the paper from the stoop. Put signs on the doors to remind them, and hang spare collars and leashes near every door. Keep the doors locked to help prevent people from coming in without first having someone inside confine the dog.

6. Spend the first 24-48 hours in your home with the dog. Your dog needs to become familiar with the smells of the house and the people in it. Your dog needs to start to figure out that this is his or her new pack. Take the dog for very short outings at quiet times of the day or evening – first just into your yard (on leash, even if you have a high fence!) or, if you don’t have a yard, just a couple of hundred feet in each direction from your apartment building.*

*Note: While this is a time for you and your dog to bond, you also need to help the dog know you are going to be reliable. From the first day home, begin doing graduated leaves - leaving the dog in the house for five minutes, five times on the first day, then ten minutes five times on the second day, then slowly increasing the time and decreasing the frequency until the dog is comfortable being left alone, secure in the knowledge that you will return. Confine the dog to a secure area (or a crate, if they are already crate trained) during this time – you don’t want them to slip through your legs and bolt when you re-enter the house!

7. Slowly increase the length of the walks over the first week or two, but always within your neighbourhood – first around the block, around two blocks, going the reverse direction, varying the route. You want the dog to become familiar with the sights, sounds, and smells of its own neighbourhood – that way if the dog should escape (because some burglar broke the window or because you had a heart attack and the dog slipped out as the paramedics came in – NOT because of your own carelessness!) he/she may be able to find the way home, or at least may stay in the area. Gradually expand the dog’s horizons and exposure to new situations.


8. As tempting as it is to want to show off your new pet or foster to all your friends, neighbours and relatives – DON’T. At least, not for the first week or so, and then just gradually, slowly, introduce the dog to new people and places. No matter how wonderful your new pet is, he or she has been through a stressful time – losing a family, possibly wandering loose, possibly staying in a shelter or rescue or foster home, and now another new situation and new people. Do not increase the dog's confusion and anxiety – let the dog chill with you, become bonded to you, learn about his new home, and gain confidence before adding more new events to the dog’s life.

9. Don't be lulled into complacency by the dog's good behaviour. A newly placed dog often has a honeymoon period, where he/she seems to have settled in perfectly. Then, after a few weeks or more, the dog may begin testing you, and/or become more challenging in many ways. The dog you have three months from the time of adoption is seldom the dog you saw during the first week or two – don’t get complacent about the doors, leashes, collars, etc.

And always remember – a Martingale collar or harness are useless if there isn’t a firm hand holding onto the other end of the leash!

Keep dogs safe. Let’s not hear of any more recently moved and now lost dogs.


(c) JFB 2011 www.mylifewiththecritters.blogspot.com

The above information may be copied and/or circulated freely as long as this blog is cited as the source.

Same Song, Different Verse.....

How many times have I read this story in the past few weeks? Six? Eight? Ten? Once again a recently transported dog has been lost just shortly after arriving at a new home. This one is in Duncan, here on Vancouver Island.

His name is Cooper and he is a two year old golden retriever/lab cross. Shortly after arrival at his new foster home, he jumped the fence and was gone. The area is semi-rural and has lots of parks and woods in which to hide. Finding Cooper will not be easy.

This was not due to an inexperienced new adopter. This was not a new foster home. This was a person who should have known better than to have a new arrival off leash, even in a fenced yard, before he had time to bond or become familiar with his surroundings. But placing blame won't help. And accidents do happen. And somewhere out there, on this dark rainy night, a scared, lost dog needs your help. And so I ask for every reader in the Duncan area to please look out for Cooper.

Cooper is about 2 years old, recently neutered, and weighs 80 pounds. He is not wearing ID tags. He is recently tattooed: ACE Y25. He is not familiar with the area at all – came over from a rescue group in Vancouver today, I believe, and had just arrived at the foster home.

He went missing from 4159 Cowichan Lake Rd., Duncan. If you can help, or if you spot him, call Shane at 250-715-8667 or Bonnie at 778-885-1867. Here is his picture:

Feel free to forward the above information to anyone who might be of assistance.

I was going to blog tonight about other things. I was going to blog about the fun of seeing for the first time in print the column that my friend Liz and I have committed to writing:





I was going to write about how pleased I am that they used not one, but two of my photos (even if they did forget to give credit for the larger one, which accompanied a story not written by Liz or myself).

I was going to write about how my little village of Crofton is being featured on Global TV tomorrow (Saturday) morning between 7 and 10, in their Small Town BC feature, and how I submitted this photo to them which I hope they might use:

And I was going to write about how sad I am for some very special friends whose beloved animal companions passed away this week - how my thoughts are with Deb, who lost the lovely, sweet Jasper,

Jasper

(Photo by Deb Strong)

and Ron and Vonda, whose old dog Rascal has also left for the Rainbow Bridge. My thoughts are with you, my friends. I was honoured to meet Jasper and Rascal, and I know how deeply they are loved and missed.

Lastly, I was going to write about my plans for tomorrow, when I am doing a follow up visit on Ruby, the piggy Hearts on Noses sanctuary recently placed down island. And how on the way home, I will be picking up..........

But no. I think I'll leave you hanging. I need to finish a post about keeping newly transported dogs safe. Because every time I hear of yet another one lost in unfamiliar territory, I feel sick. And if even one person reads my blog and takes my recommendations to heart, my time will have been well spent.