Bart - Age One Hundred and something...

On September 5, 1997 we brought him home. Bart was a 5-year-old rescue dog without a past. A Corgi/Australian Shepherd mix, with the personality of the Aussie, he quickly picked his person...me. 

For 11 years we've been inseparable. He follows me everywhere and has accompanied me through many changes. Incredibly smart, sweet and dedicated, Bart is my Best Friend. Inspiring my efforts to rescue others, Bart is the Poster Dog for ForPaws Corgi Rescue and is responsible for saving literally hundreds of canine lives, and a few human ones, as a result.

Now at age 16, his time draws near. He's old, he's ill and his quality of life is no longer what it should be. I am having terrible trouble saying goodbye. I can't imagine what it will be like when my shadow is no longer always present. This weekend has been heart wrenching. Bart has slept through most of it. 

Today he stopped eating. It is time and I won't let him suffer. I will miss him more than words can convey and his soft, wise spirit will forever be with me. 

I never thought I could love a dog this much, but I do.

It's a true Thanksgiving for Corky and Simon!

Corky and Simon have a lot to be thankful for this year! 

Corky and Simon, two corgi-border collie mixes, lived in the country in Arkansas from the time they were puppies. Recently, at the age of about 6-7 years, the kids in the family no longer had time for the dogs and the owner was going to put them down. Fortunately a rescuer learned of this and managed to find a foster home for them before they could come to any harm.

But the rescuer in Arkansas wasn't really familiar with corgis and had no avenue by which to find homes with "corgi lovers" who would truly appreciate their sweet personalities and forgive the fact that they don't have a classic corgi look because they're mixes.  She found the ForPaws Corgi Rescue website and asked us for help. We posted Corky and Simon to give them some publicity and their new owners saw the posting!

In order to save these dogs, Lori and Brian drove quite a distance to get them. They brought them home to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where life is substantially improved for these lucky pooches!

This link takes you to a recent newspaper article about Lori and Brian. It gives a bit of history about their former corgi and how they named one of their retail stores in his honor, Bungalow Bailey's.

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/593642.html?RSS=local

Now Corky and Simon spend their days with their new family and are official doggie ambassadors, greeting patrons and sporting attractive new Bungalow Bailey's apparel! We are sure that the original Bailey would approve of the new canine additions and we can't thank Lori and Brian enough for going far more than the extra mile to provide a wonderful home for two dogs that were seriously in need!

It's a VERY happy Thanksgiving for Corky and Simon!

HELP!!! California Governor wants to impose a Significant Tax on Veterinary Services!

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has proposed the addition of a tax on veterinary services in the State of California. This tax could add as much as 9% to the cost of veterinary services and is strongly opposed by the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).

It is critical that animal Rescuers, and those who support them, make their voices heard on this issue. High veterinary costs already preclude many rescue efforts. Adding the proposed tax, particularly at this time of economic downturn, would seriously impact rescue efforts and mean the loss of many more animals that might otherwise be saved.

This link takes you to a list of items providing more information on this issue

http://www.cvma.net/Default.asp

Be sure to click on these items, contained within the link above, to get more information and find out how to send letters opposing this tax to the various government officials who have the ability to impact this decision.

Action Alert

Fact Sheet

Contact Sheet (note Governor’s new fax number)

CVMA Letter to Governor

Client Information Letter

Below is an exerpt from a letter sent to the Governor by the CVMA president.

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is strongly opposed to the sales and use tax proposal contained in your “Governor’s Budget: Special Session 2008-09” document, pertaining to “veterinarian services.” This proposed tax will significantly affect the health and welfare of California pets.

Your “Special Session” proposal recommends that on February 1, 2009 the sales and use tax be broadened to include services, such as “appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf, and veterinarian services.” Governor, we know that you have held veterinary medical professionals in high esteem during your time in office. Therefore, it is confusing and disappointing to our association that you would subject complicated veterinary medical procedures and treatments for taxation, and further compare them with the likes of furniture repair, and recreational activities such as golf. Animal surgical procedures and treatments are no different than human medical procedures, and taxing veterinary services is tantamount to taxing human surgery and treatments.

Your proposal, if implemented, will serve as a significant disincentive for individuals seeking veterinary care for their animals, particularly during this sizeable economic downturn. Veterinary clients will not be able to afford treatments for their animals which will be detrimental to animal health and to the health of the public at large. The result will be that many animals won’t get the medical care they need and they will be abandoned or euthanized...

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Please don't delay - please send a letter(s) TODAY, letting it be known that this tax would seriously hinder animal Rescuers in their efforts.

Even if you're not a California resident, if you're working with, or support the efforts of a Rescuer who is located in California, this does affect you too. Please help us ensure that this tax does not get approved by sending your letter to our Govenor.

**If anyone has difficulty accessing the information, let me know and I will send you .pdf formats.

Kathy@Forpaws.org

Herding Trials for some of the CastAway Boyz!!

Accompanied by their Pembroke Pal, Miss Ghillie, and their foster mom, K.D., CastAways, Nolan, Wilson and Charlie all had a taste of what it is to do the job for which you were bred - herding! 

Time to meet the sheep, kindly made available by their owner, JoAnna, and Steve, their trainer, who graciously provided herding instinct testing for our Rescues. - Thanks Joanna and Steve!

What's your guess? Who had the herding genes in the group? Check out the photos below and see!

Getting one-on-one attention is never a bad thing for a Corgi.  Steve shares some herding advice before the sheep enter the scene. Dog and shepherd must be in synch for this to work well!

Foster mom, K.D. shows Nolan and Wilson how it's done.

Whoa...Nolan is a natural!

Perfect Nolan, round 'em up!

Hey, wait a minute!

Nolan takes a moment to inspect the perimeter 

and savor the beautiful day.

Meanwhile, Wilson has work to do, with the help of Steve's corgi, Sammo.

OK Wilson...these are the sheep, it's up to you now!

You've got it Wilson, that's the way to get those sheep in line.

Thanks Sammo...and you're a great teacher!

Good job Wilson!

Run Wilson, run!

Watch carefully Wilson!

Go get 'em Sammo!

Someone looks like a tired Corgi.  Showing your new buddy what it takes to be a real herding dog takes its own kind of energy!

Oh, and for the record...no photos of Charlie wasn't a coincidence. He and Ghillie are like-minded on this one, showing no real interest in the sheep. Much more fun to play with the humans! 

And thanks again to Steve for giving us an absolutely gorgeous November morning, complete with show dusting in the air, and the opportunity to see which of the Boys possesses natural herding talent!

How Could you NOT Want to Take Me Home? Oops, Someone Already DID!

Corgi puppies in Rescue come along once in a Blue Moon. This sweet little girl, Kiwi, was just 10-12 weeks old when we got her.  She needed some serious attention to get her back in good physical shape. But now she's well on her way and went to her new home about a week ago.

 You're one lucky girl Kiwi!

There isn't much that's cuter than a Corgi puppy, and this one sure knows how to work the camera!

The gleam in her eye tells you what you're in store for when this girl hits the "teen years" in a few months!

Nothing if not playful, Kiwi finds many toys in her foster home to keep her busy! Better those than the furniture legs!

Hard to believe this sweet girl was in a shelter....sigh!

Contrast her unhappy face when we first saw her in the shelter with those above. 

Kiwi is indeed, a very lucky girl!

Ziggy - Time for a Life Change!

Not so long ago Ziggy (left) and his friend, Maggie, were living in absolutely reprehensible conditions. They were living outside 24/7 and were in very real danger. This is the photo of the day that changed their lives: The day they went home with their new foster mom, D.T.

Ziggy is a purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He's a pretty tri-color, with a Fluff Coat. He thinks it's pretty, and so do we!

Now that Ziggy has been receiving good care, his overall health has vastly improved, as has the quality of his coat. 

And he has even more reason to celebrate, as he'll be headed to his new home in New York very soon. Ziggy's new parents are very excited and we're thrilled for Ziggy. You're going to a great home little guy! Have a wonderful life!

California Sky

View from my driveway, Santa Clara, CA

November 3, 2008

Fall Flowers