Last Christmas

I just realize that I didn't post our annual Christmas doggie portrait last year. That's probably because I was almost finished crocheting Christmas scarves for the annual photo when I learned Declan was coming back to us - I had to make one more at the last minute. So, better late than never.

2017 has been a tough year for so many people that I know. We had to make the ultimate decision for both Declan and Diamond this year. We are hoping that 2018 is a kinder, gentler year.

Keeko Has Gone To His Furever Home

Amidst all the sadness of Marge's passing, we did have one very happy event. Keeko found his forever home! He will be living nearby so I will be able to see him and watch him grow up. Here's a little collage I did of him - the photo in the center is his new parents.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Lately all of our time has been centered around work, taking care of the dogs, and Marge. Long story short, she is in rehab probably until October 28th. Oh! And I flew to Atlanta last Friday so my mom could buy a new car! We drove it home last weekend.

This weekend is cousin Sarah's 8th birthday so I'll go to her party tomorrow. Today, however, was for crafting. One I will share.

I bought this baroque frame from Michael's (on sale for 40% off), a white double mat, rhinestone stickers and fancy paper from the scrapbooking area, ribbon, and paper flowers with "pearl" centers. I found a place online where you can insert your pedigree information and then print it off for free. So I created a pedigree chart for Sarah, added the corner decos to the mat, then hot glued ribbon and flowers to the outside of the frame. I don't know if she will appreciate her family tree at 8 years old but I do believe she will like the frame.

Earlier this week I got a good start on a fund-raiser wreath for Ratbone. I like to take my time and think about what will look good and what will look overdone. I found this cool red burlap ribbon with buttons on it at Hobby Lobby. My first time in one of those stores and I got there as they were making the "we are closing in 5 minutes" announcements. I was determined to find something in 5 minutes.

Jake Will Be Going To His FURever Home Soon!

After a few applications Jake finally has an approval! Once the contract is signed and the fee paid he will be traveling to his new home in Jacksonville, FL. CongRATulations Jakey Boy! We will miss him terribly. I so wish his Missy could have been adopted along with him but I guess the important thing is that they both find good homes (she is not yet adoptable due to a skin issue).

Daisey was quite annoyed witht he boys this morning. She wanted to sleep in (with her mama in the bed) but the boys were wide awake, active, and hunry for their breakfast. You can see her bad mood inthis photo where they are barking at the window behind her.

Got them to quiet down for a couple minutes with a new Kong brand toy. I bought this one last week. It has a squeaky ball on one end, an animal head on the other, and a bungie in the middle. Jake likes it and he doesn't like all toys - that's one picky rat terrier. Eddie, on the other hand, believes ALL toys belong to him.

Jake is so hard to photo. He turns his head at the last second, bulges his eyes, or stands his ears straight up. He usually looks like he has just seen a scary movie scene. Add to all that the world's worst photographer ;)

The boys watching the activity in the neighborhood. Foxy Roxy, our last foster, bit the blinds and Eddie has fallen into them a few times so they are a mess. I want to replace that window with one where the blinds are on the inside. Good idea?

Even little Miss Daisey couldn't stay upset for too long. A rat terrier has got to do what a rat terrier was bred to do - be ont he lookout for possible vermin.

Finally got a shot of them playing with the new toy. It's a total set up of course because Eddie can rip that away in seconds. The first shot Jake dropped it when he heard my camera open. Then Eddie pulled him across the room (the ottomon is on rollers) as I tried to take a second shot. But as they say, third time is a charm :)

Eddie finally ran off with the other toy. Jake is enjoying playing alone with an unstuffed Christmas toy from Aunt Michelle.

Finally! A good shot - except for the green eyes of course.

Quilts, Quilts, Everywhere!

Suddenly, there are three quilts in my life...................

This is the memory quilt I am working on for my Dad. I am going to Arkansas on Wednesday (to see him for his 81st birthday) and I am wishing I had started this a month ago so that I could give it to him then. The center blocks are all assembled. I am waiting on fabric to come in the mail to do the photo transfer blocks - so far I have just printed them on the photo transfer paper. There is also a person or two missing that I would like to include. I have a dark purple for an inner border and the binding but not sewing it on until the other fabrics arrive just in case I change my mind.;)

This is one of two quilts that Ratbone Rescuesis auctioning off this year. They received enough blocks to make two quilts! This one has the four blocks I made. To see more photos or learn more about the raffle, click HERE. I am a volunteer for Ratbone and I got my Eddie through the organization.

And finally, I bought raffle tickets for the quilt shown above. It is from the web page of Rat Terrier ResQ. It is a beautiful quilt and has photos of a couple of my friend's dogs. If I were to win it (I never win anything except jury duty) I believe I would give it to that friend. To learn more about this raffle, click HERE.

Don't Forget To Vote!

Ratbone is getting close to a $1,000 grant so PLEASE vote for Ratbone. It costs you nothing. Here's the link: http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3 Just type in Ratbone Rescues and choose Florida as the state and after you "search" Ratbone should populate in the area below where you typed and you select it. It will take you to a page to weed out computer programs and you'll need to identify the aniaml in the photo and click on the button to actually place your vote. No charge, no registraiton no fuss!

Ratbone Has A Blog!

Click here to access Ratbone's new blog! We are just getting started so be sure to choose the "follow" feature to watch it grow. Of course you can always visit Ratbone's web page - it is very extensive and explains all aspects of rat terrier rescue.

Anxious For The News

I am sick of political and financial news - I am ready to hear news of the Ratbone Rescues raffle drawing instead! And a special "good luck" to the folks who bought tickets after seeing my blog - thank you for your support!

**UPDATE** And the winners are:
Harry Campbell - quilt and pillows
Marilyn Young - wall hanging

My Eddie Ratbone As A Rooster

No text needed.

Ratbone Rescue Dogs

These dogs are all in the foster care of Ratbone Rescues. Click here to go to the web site for more information on these and other Rat Terriers in need.

Sugar
4-month-old Sugar was dropped off by her owners in a California shelter with a note saying to please put her to sleep because her leg was broken and cost too much to fix. With the shelter full and no money for vet care, Ratbone stepped in and got Sugar seen by a vet and flown to an open fosterhome in Washington. She has had a X-ray of the shattered leg and is wearing a brace and being carefully monitored. She currently has has good blood flow to her toes and no pain, and she is walking and running happily. Sugar has long legs but is very tiny, at just 6 lbs



Joker
Joker is 100% a total goofball! He is capable of surprising you and making you laugh on a daily basis. He came to Ratbone after four years with his former adoptive family, who became too busy for him and could no longer provide the attention he craves. Joker is house trained and crate trained. He is about 5 years old and a muscular boy at 15 pounds. He loves to sit on your lap, go for walks, play outside, play with squeak toys, and he even likes baths! He just adores attention and laps it right up. Joker is being fostered in Maryland.


Mae West
May West is an affectionate, smart, and quirky Rattie girl who knows many obedience commands. She is about 5 years old and weighs 17 lbs. She prefers to be in a small dog pack—just one other calm dog or else an "only child." May doesn’t like to be without her human and will call out for you to come back. She does well being crated while her folks are at work and keeps a clean crate. She's an expert doggie door user or would do fine without one if kept on a schedule. May has learned many obedience commands: sit, down, stay, leave it, spin, reverse, and catch, as well as how to jump agility jumps! She is very food motivated and has an amazing desire to always learn more, so she would do well with someone who'd like to continue her training in obedience or agility. Mae West is fostered in Georgia.


Sorley
Sorley’s name is Old Norse for “the summer traveler” and that’s exactly what he is. He had been found as a stray near the Georgia/Tennessee border. A shelter worker contacted Ratbone, who brought him to his foster home in southeast Georgia. He is a 1-year-old, tri-colored mini Rat Terrier weighing 14 lbs. He is good with children and ignores the foster family’s cat. Sorley is being fostered in Georgia.


Gidge
Gidge is a wee little 10-lb., 5-year-old Rattie with lots of personality and affections to share. She is mostly housetrained with only an occasional accident, and crate trained. She knows several basic verbal commands, but needs some practice walking on a leash. This active girl loves the outdoors and enjoys runs and walks, but indoors is content to nap or snuggle on a lap. Gidge resides in Massachuettes.

Ratbone Rescue Dogs

Ratbone Rescues

Got some updated photos of Ratbone dogs that I thought I would share. This first one is Holly in California. Ain't she purdy?


The second is Dito in Florida. Isn't he sweet in his "adopt me" bandana?

Ratbone Dogs

Chloe recently moved to a foster home in Arizona. She's a 2 year old with a strong personality who loves walks.
Storm's fosterhome is in Oregon. He's a good boy with a sweet disposition. His interests include other dogs, playing, and the dog park.

Kelby is a sweet spirited young girl. She's a lower energy terrier that seldom barks. She likes to snuggle and sit in your lap - she will even let you carry her like the little Princess that she is!

Miss Pearl is living in Oregon. She is 5 years old and deaf. She knows some hand signals. She's very sweet and is good at greeting new people. She even enjoys getting a bath! Because she is deaf, she is not sensitive to noises. Pearl cannot be placed in a home with a cat.

Spike was recently relocated to Arizona with his foster sister Chloe (1st photo). Spikey lost his home when his humans had to move. Spikey likes to snuggle in bed and will bury in blankets. He has a funny habit of barking at dogs on TV. Spikey is crate trained.

Looking For My Forever Home

Midnight is 3 1/2 yrs old, 14 lbs, 10" tall at shoulder Rat Terrier/Chihuahua mix. She is housebroken and crate trained. She's an active girl but also likes lap time and attention. She enjoys laying in the sun and swimming. She's said to be good with older children and cats but needs a home where she is the only dog. She is being fostered in Florida.

I think Holly is beautiful! She's only 9 months old (how does a 9 month old end up in a shelter anyway?) but likely about as big as she will get. She weighs 15 pounds and is very sweet. Sounds like she came to rescue untrained so her foster mom is training her on leash walking, basic commands, crate sleeping, and housebreaking. Holly is currently a California girl :)

NOTE:
Ratbone has been inundated with rescue requests this week and several for senior dogs. This is particuarily disturbing when an owner has a dog for 10 or 12 years and then decides the dog is "too old" and takes them to a shelter. Or, an elderly owner dies and the kids don't want to take on the responsibility. The poor dog is accustomed to the quiet company of their owner and now they are thrust into a noisy, chaotic, cold environment. These senior dogs have very little chance of adoption - most will be euthanized because they are not what adopters are looking for. Additionally, they don't "show" well due to fear and disorientation of their new environment. Rat Terriers in general are not good in shelters as they tend to get depressed and cower in the corner instead of coming to the front of the cage, licking, and other behaviors that get the adopters attention. This weke we tried to rescue one but it was too late - the shelter did the deed before we could find an available foster home. It's sad to see a 12 year old, with another 5 years or so of life, put down simply because the owner died. This has prompted me to think about my estate planning and how to ensure my furbabies will be cared for if something happened to me/us.

Sometimes I Think It's Raining Ratties!

Sometimes it seems as though it rains ratties in the summer. These four were rescued by Ratbone recently and now appear on the webpage.

Holly Golightly is a happy, friendly, and gorgeous girl. About 1 yr old and 16 lbs, rides well in a car and walks good on a leash. She would love to live with a family where she would have another canine companion. She's a hunter so no cats.

Tiny 7 lb girl named for her short legs - Lucy Low Rider! Lucky was rescued from a puppymill life having spent the first 3 years having puppies. Won't you help Lucy find a normal family life?

Minnie Mouse is a 5 year old, 15 lbs girl. She is unique in that she is a "blue" rattie (blues are actually grey). She is good with other dogs and loves people. Travels well and housebroken. Rarely barks, is good with nail trimming and baths. She's also a fast learner.

Sienna is an exceptionally sweet girl. She's about 2 years old and a slender 13 pounds. Walks well on leash, is friendly to people, and loves to play although she is a mellow dog.

New Ratbone Dogs

I know that some of you who see my blog are touched by the homeless dogs I sometimes feature on this page but you are not in a position to adopt, foster, or volunteer. There is a way to help them get much needed medical care so they can be rehomed quickly to a forever family. Consider using GoodSearch (http://www.goodsearch.com/) as your search engine! GoodSearch is a search engine developed by Yahoo where you select a non-profit and they give the non-profit a penny each time you use the search enginge under the non-profit's name. It's simple, costs nothing, and takes almost no time. I have my Internet Explorer icon set to use GoodSearch as my home page. The name of the organizatin is "Ratbone Rescues".

Captain Patch in Indiana

Edward in Ohio


Gavin in Georgia


Quizno in Georgia


Texas Terry in Ontario