Wigglin' Home Boxer Rescue

I think I woulda named her Pinky, but alas, her name is Joey and she is a WHBR alum, along with her siblings. It went like this... we saved her Mum, Olive, from an uncertain future and while in her foster-to-adopt home we realized she came with a surprise(s). A few months later Joey and her siblings arrived. All have been adopted and are snug as little bugs in their new homes.      Keep these tootsies in mind as you read further.   

In preparation for this report, I searched for data on how many dogs are euthanized a day. I know! What a somber, bummer way to start out a report, Stacy!    56%    56% of dogs entering shelters are euthanized

Well gezzz, as we approach Black Friday all I can think of is how many dogs will die on Black Friday. Their day will be forever black, their last walk will be to their death. We might as well say it, we know it happens and ignoring it will NOT help. (Stay with me, I’ll lighten up in a minute.) CNBC reported America spent $59.6 billion dollars on Black Friday in 2018.

Approximately 52% of people have purchased something on sale that they later regretted.

I just caught myself shaking my head. Yaya I have gifts to buy, I like to find a good deal, but I also know we, WHBR, have to work hard to raise donations. Rescues and shelters across the nation are working with nearly empty accounts while Americans will no doubt spend nearly $87 billion dollars on Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone this year. How many of those purchases will be followed with regret by the buyer?

I CAN’T IMAGINE A SINGLE ONE OF YOU, or your friends WOULD REGRET SAVING A PUP FROM IT’S LAST WALK OR HELPING WITH THE MEDICAL CARE OF ONE WHO HAS SUFFERED ABUSE.

(Boy am I on a roll or what? Come on, stick with me. You want to know about EmmyLou and Danica, don’t you?) 

Gosh, we have the voice, and the ever necessary thumbs, to help abused and neglected pups. They don’t have either! (I know, I know, I didn’t need to tell you that but I did because I’m on a roll!) Spread the word of rescue, of adopting and STOP buying from backyard breeders! Use those thumbs to write a check, send off an online donation, share information re rescue in letters and on line. Try out assisting with a transport of a pup to its foster home. The list goes on, you will be shocked what your thumbs can do for a pup!

When we work together we can elevate society in a number of ways from laws regarding animal rights to creating joyful memories for many a person and family. You can be a part of this by donating, volunteering, sharing posts of pups needing homes, or educating your family and friends about rescue.

So, I guess I’m thinking I’d like to turn Black Friday into a different kinda day. Maybe folks can think along the lines of … giving 10% of their total Black Friday spending to rescue. 20%? Consider it? OR! OR! If you're going to go hog wild do it with Amazon Smile and make us your charity of choice. BOOM fun for you and funds for the pups! I know donating doesn't result in something shiny and new for you to admire/use but what it will do is help prevent a last walk. A day that goes forever dark. Think of saving more pink tootsies.

Ok, Right here is where I’m going to lighten up! < < < <

Who are EmmyLou-Who and Danica? A couple of sad gals who, although we do not know their history, their body language and scars don’t speak to a life of cushy beds and soft pats on their heads.

EmmyLou arrived clearly having just had pups and no one knows where they are but they were taken too soon. She is also missing most of a rear paw and although a sweet, lovey gal she is terrified of people and new experiences. We got her a pretty new boot to help her walk and feel girly again. What gal doesn’t like a new shoe? EmmyLou is in the capable hands of loving and experienced foster parents who are giving her the time she needs to decompress. (I wish I could put her picture here with her write up but alas the system doesn’t work that way. Photos below)

Danica, also with experienced foster parents, has shown the same behavior. She has many a fur foster sib to keep her company as she adjusts to a new life of regular food, baths, and returning health. (Photo below)

Looking at their intake pictures, how many people do you think would have walked through a shelter and given either of them a chance? Most people want a bright-eyed, ‘pretty’, dog. These were hard looking gals but they are coming into their own thanks to our volunteers and supporters. The next report will show you how they have blossomed and tell you a bit about their path to a new life.

We have celebrated a lot of adoptions in the last several weeks and are thrilled to see our Adoptive family group grow. Lots of adoptions mean pups saved and room for more to come in. Woo Hooo

As always, we are so glad you have chosen to support us in the past. We hope you have continued faith in our Organization to continue that support. I am including a link to Shelter Animals Count where you can find our statistics as well that of other organizations, state, and National. I am proud our organization finds it important and participates. This means keeping tight records on all of our intakes. Along with being dedicated to honest handling of donations we believe in being a part of the bigger picture. 

I normally sign off by saying Hank and I are headed out the door for a walk or such but alas, I lost my Hank almost a month ago. I started to say a couple of weeks ago because I guess that’s how it feels, but then I looked at today’s date. It’s still raw and I’m sure many of you know the feeling. He might have barked ten times in his 14 years so that’s not what’s missing that makes the house so deafeningly quiet. It's when I get my keys and he doesn’t jump up. When I wake in the morning to find him eagerly awaiting my eyes to open. Or when I go down the road and roll the back window down for him only to realize he isn’t there. Gulk. Hank was my third boxer and a rescue. He was a big boy who was thought to be Boxer/Dane but a couple of DNA tests a few months ago returned with Boxer/Pit/Irish Wolfhound. Boxer explains his playful, happy, giddy self. Pit his head shape and Wolfhound his size and nose. Boy did he have a nose. I was lucky my vet would come to my home allowing me to lay with him in his bed. A part of us goes with each of them. doesn't it.

Time to go, can’t see the screen

Hello one and all,

I’d like to open this report by sharing with you a time-sensitive exciting announcement. Each year MudBay hosts their annual FUTY (From Us To You) Festival celebrating animal welfare volunteers in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the celebration party, each rescue organization is invited to nominate one volunteer for the award of excellence. The three nominees with the most votes will receive $1000 cash prize and the nominating organization will receive $1000 also!    SO, we nominated our puppy whisperer. Andrea Saso who fosters our puppies! 48 puppies to be exact! Many times, more than one at a time along with medically fragile puppies! You can read her nomination on MudBay's website under FUTY awards- and we would be thrilled if you would consider casting your vote for her. A $1000 would give our Earl's Bank and SERIOUS boost. Go ahead, the link will pull up in another window, we'll wait for you to vote before we continue on. Go ahead.

Now, what about this dog days of summer nonsense, and a star?

Yep, that’s what National Geographic says. It’s all about an ancient Greek belief about a star and then it seems some Joe Schmoe didn’t know what it meant thus made something up about dogs being so hot they just lay around. Way to botch a super cool, ancient story. And there you have it. Well, sort of. Here is the WHOLE STORY

Today I took a peek at our president’s Facebook page, the WHBR president DeAnn King’s Facebook page that is. I guess I’ve become used to checking her page now and then and forgot that long ago I stopped following it. Why? It was just too hard on my ol heart. So many people flood her page with pleas and pictures of dogs that need saving. I just can’t deal with all of their sweet faces, tucked tails, and I’m beyond thankful that she can and does what she does. Working fulltime, caring for a family, several of her kids are deployed in the service, AND running a rescue. No idea, no idea howwww she does it. 

In thinking of her strength and dedication to rescue it reminds me of a recent failure in strength that I had. Failure in critical thinking? Several weeks ago I saw a FB post of a pup in Riverside Animal Shelter, he wasn’t even a boxer but his eyes looked into mine. I wanted to get in my car and race south through the night and into the morning to get him but, there are things happening in my life. My Hank is 14 and getting weak, I’m getting ready to move and will probably be staying with friends for a while- it’s not wise to adopt another dog right now. So, I pushed on with my day and that day turned to the next when a few days later the same post came up in my FB feed with EUTHANIZED across the top of his picture. My heart dropped to my stomach, all the sudden my reasons weren’t enough, they were ridiculous. Riverside Animal Shelter has one of the highest euthanasia rates how could I not see what would happen?! Why was this hitting me so hard? He was old, I probably wouldn’t have had him that long but they would have been good days for him. This was about a month ago and clearrrrly I can’t get him out of my mind. Then I think of the wonddderful souls who adopt our senior pups and give them an ever so loving home for their remaining time. They didn’t make excuses. They know the senior pups are the hardest to place, the pups that have the least chance. There are so, so many pups that need our help and a lot of people would say “you/we can’t save them all”, but I should have saved the Riverside pup. I’m immersed in rescue; I know the statistics and I should have acted immediately when I saw one that touched my soul. My excuses for not doing so were minuscule compared to EUTHANIZED over his picture being his last place on earth. His name was Elliot.

• Just as we ask people to weigh out their reasons for getting a dog, we should look just as hard at why we aren’t and are those reasons really valid?

Gee, what a way to bring us down eh? Me too, I finished that paragraph, dropped my hands into my lap and sighed. 

Swinging our mood up, one of our adopters recently posted a picture of their sweet girl Bunny. Some of you might remember her. Bunny and her babies from the Korean meat market.  This adopter really stepped up. We had no info on Bunny's background and wow was this young momma pup packed full of energy. Her adopters didn’t hesitate, didn’t worry, didn’t make excuses.

A month or so ago we took in a medically fragile momma and her four little girls. She was named Darla (no idea) so I called her Darla and her Darlings. Found as a stray, but clearly had been held captive without food and then released, she was taken to a shelter where someone called to ask us to save them. In dire shape, Darla went to a foster home that cares for medically fragile dogs. Her healthy, bouncing, baby girls stayed with her for a bit and then split up to their own foster homes. Today Darla’s girls are snug as lil bugs in their new homes. Darla, an ever so dainty, sweet, deaf girl has a forever home waiting for her while she heals from her spay.

Wilbur came to us via an owner surrender. What a sad pup he was all the way from Montana to the southwest corner of Washington. Little did he know he was headed for ‘Camp Colvin’. The Colvin household has rescued 90+ boxers and counting. They have four of their own (two are foster fails) who welcome each rescue through the door and show them the way ‘this is where we eat oh and over here is where Crabby Bob likes to sleep so don’t lay down there and around 5:30 pm he becomes a freak about the food bowls so stay clear there too and we go out this door to go outside…..’                                                      Here you see Les at the end of a long day with his pups and Wilber taking a break. Wilbur is in good hands as his fur sibs show him the ways of the house and play for long hours with him. Soon this boy will be in his forever home.   

• If you know someone who needs to find a new home for their pup, ask them to check out all-breed rescues or rescues dedicated to their breed of dog. It is the safest and most responsible avenue. Craigslist is the most dangerous and shelters fall in between the two.

I’ve talked before about our volunteers and the many hours they put in to keep us in front of the public, sharing our organization’s mission, and raising funds. It takes a strong volunteer family and support system to do what we do.  We thank you greatly. 

A closing note and hopefully a date for your calendar. February 22^nd, 2020 will be our third annual Wags to Riches silent auction and dinner fundraiser. Held in Portland Oregon we would love to have you there if you can make it. Mark Yer calendar.

A donor sent us feedback on our last report which was wonderful to receive, I thank you for your kind words. You had also asked if we could put pictures in the letter along with the writing. I had previously looked for a way to do that and couldn't find it, then I received your feedback and again looked. It appears Global Giving does not have that feature. We are allowed a photo at the top and photos below our letter. It would be nice though, wouldn't it? Again, it was great getting feedback and would like to hear from more of you!   Comments, questions you name it.  

So, across the miles near and far we hope you are well and the summer has been good to you. 

Remember folks, your support is how we can do what we do. When you see our success stories I want you to know they are your success stories as well.

Thanks everyone