Interesting -and Sometimes Wacky- Dog Related Sidetracks

Nothing new on the foster front (Well, Chula got spayed, and Ren has an upcoming full-out adoption), but I haven't posted in over a week, so I thought it was high-time I posted something!

So here some dog-related sidetracks :)

My favourite recent quote, stolen from someone I don't know.
"The world is full of armchair rescuers who think they can do a better job than everyone else yet they never get off their duffs in order to do so. Instead, they hide behind the safety of their laptops and criticize everyone else who is actually trying to make a difference."

Been slowly compiling a list of neat dog-related sidetracks. Some that make your head spin, some very inspiring, and a few that might come in handy down the road.

First up, this very interesting group that saves only rescue dogs and trains them into companion/service animals for veterans or people with disabilities. SO COOL! You could spend a lot of time drifting through this site, so if you're going in, be prepared for a couple of hour adventure.
http://www.freedomservicedogs.org/about-service-dog-rescue/

Second, something everyone should know about. PET INSURANCE. Even if you've got some really heavy pockets, pet insurance should be a top priority. Along with the daycare, I've looked through quite a few different pet insurance places, and the cheapest/most coverage combination I've come across is from Don Cherry. http://www.cherryblue.ca/

For just over $10 a month ($120 a year), you have up to $10,000 of coverage, and 80% of injury is covered by insurance. So, if you get a wasp sting slaying your bank account for $600 or so, you're only going to pay about $200 (there's a deductible for small stuff). If you have an accident prone dog (or PUPPY), that can rack up fast!

For any of you with deeper pockets, how about getting the insurance, and donating the extra money from any accidents to your favourite rescue. And if you know anyone on fixed income or lower income, please, please, please, tell them about pet insurance. If you don't have at least a grand tucked aside for an emergency, you should have pet insurance!

Thirdly, although its not altogether a 'sidetrack', is the TUAPA site.
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-TW&u=http://www.tuapa.org.tw/&ei=zf1aToTLHq_ZiAL0mISoCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtuapa%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1249%26bih%3D592%26prmd%3Divns
Evee and Ren are both from Taiwan, and from this group that helps out the most helpless cases. With over a thousand dogs here -and thousands more in the local pounds-, the volunteers work tirelessly to try to bring these dogs up to North American homes because the reality is dogs in Taiwan are targets for severe abuse. Evee had a wire tired around her as a young pup. Ren was saved because she was too friendly with people, which would have ended up getting her killed.

And despite all the rescue politics of "imports" all TUAPA wants is for their dogs to live good lives. And why do they deserve less than the dogs in our own backyard? Because they got the short end of the stick and got born in a country that doesn't have any respect for animal life?

One of my favourite recent tidbits comes from Turtle Gardens, my first and foremost rescue, who rescues whoever ends up at their door in need of assistance. And unfortunately as they get SO many dogs they would never dreamof  -or even look online- for dogs over the border that need assistance. Their backyard is overflowing :(.

Yet, when a cry for help went out from Pawsitive Match in Calgary about Sasito, a Mexican dog who was saved and brought into rescue and was too feral to be placed in a home, who stepped up to turn him around but Yvette and Dave. Regardless that he's from Mexico, he had a place in their special group foster home set-up where he could learn (and is still learning) to be a good pet.

The initial TG blog entry can be found here: http://www.turtlegardens.org/2011/04/30/new-arrivals-at-turtle-gardens-5

Oh, and if you're in the mood for another good TG post, try this one out: http://www.turtlegardens.org/2011/02/02/who-says-sled-dogs-dont-make-good-pets-steve-jude-jim
Sled-dogs do make AWESOME pets for active homes. For the record, I haven't met a sled dog that isn't AWESOME, but I definitely have met a ton of ridiculously overbearing purebred huskies. To lump them in the same category is kind of like looking at a fruit basket.

Every day when I see a new blog post at TG, I have a quiver in my spine -and that unreasonably stupid hope- that a sled-dog, with that greyhound kind of frame, and mostly husky markings, shows up for me. How I crave to have a second sled-dog. Whether they show up before I fall in love with somebody else remains to be unclear! One rarely ever gets what they want, but they usually end up with what they need.

For some fun insight (and the beginnings) on Beckett, see this post: http://www.turtlegardens.org/2007/10/07/turtle-gardens-rescues I'm pretty sure he's in picture #2 and he's down in the mix there -he's the only one with real husky style markings. A true Greyhound/Siberian Sled dog (which is little different from an Alaskan Husky who is a mix of the best sledders, regardless what they are). He was also Dog #32!

BEFORE: Rescued in October 2007                   AFTER: August 2011

P.S. How could a dude this HANDSOME hang around TG for 7 months!