Digby’s Glamour Shoot photo.

In spite of being what his foster mom calls “esthetically challenged,” Digby’s cheerful personality won him many friends at the shelter, where he quickly became a staff and volunteer favorite. Always ready with a smile and a kiss, Digby was the ultimate shelter underdog: as a mangy pit bull, his chances of adoption directly out of the shelter were basically zero, in spite of best efforts by Animal Control Officer Isha Willits and her colleagues to encourage adopters to look at Digby. Luckily for Digby, UHA director Laura Knighten and several volunteers saw his potential, and decided to rescue this happy, hairless fellow.

Digby went from the shelter straight to the vet. The prognosis for puppies with generalized demodectic mange is very good, but for adult dogs like Digby, the likelihood of a full recovery is lower. All dogs have demodex mites on their skin, and in most cases, these mites never cause problems. However, for some dogs, especially those with immune system dysregulation or those who have experienced stress or malnutrition, the mites can reproduce rapidly. When this happens, dogs develop symptoms ranging from hair loss in just a small patch to widespread baldness and skin inflammation. In severe cases, secondary bacterial and yeast infections also develop, and in rare instances, demodectic mange can even be a life-threatening. Digby’s mange is generalized, which means he has it all over his body; he also has a secondary bacterial infection. The only truly furry parts of Digby right now are his ears and tail!

To give Digby the best chance at getting better, UHA is using a holistic approach to treat his condition. In addition to pharmaceutical treatments that kill the bacteria and demodex mites, Digby is taking supplements and eating a grain-free diet to support a healthy immune system. In just a few days out of the shelter, Digby’s skin stopped oozing and became less inflamed — and, best of all from his point of view, he is scratching a lot less.

Watching Ebert and Orla play.

Digby is beginning his recovery in a foster home, where he enjoys romping with the resident dogs. He also is polite with cats. He is housebroken and walks nicely on leash. He loves meeting new people and new dogs. Digby follows a “free love” philosophy, and cheerfully kisses everyone he meets – human and canine!

Digby’s recovery will continue for two to four months; he can be adopted at any stage during this time provided his new parent(s) continue treatment. He is hoping to be part of a family that will love him with our without fur! An adoption application is available online at http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/adopt/adoption-application/.

To follow Digby’s progress, please “like” his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DigDigby. Donations to the UHA Angel Fund, which helps  rescue and care for Digby and other shelter animals who have medical needs, can be made at https://donation.towercare.com/support-united-hope-animals.

What are the requirements?

Adoption Coordinators should be over 18 and be within easy driving distance of either the Downey or Carson Shelter, and be available during some daytime hours during the week and/or weekends. This person’s job is to field phone calls from potential adopters and arrange for them to fill out an application and then do a phone interview and meet them at the shelter to do a “meet & greet” with the dog they are interested in. 

It’s very important that Adoption Coordinators be able to respond to all calls, even if it’s just to say you will get back with them at a particular time. Adoption coordinators are an extremely important part of the our rescue efforts. The sooner we can help the dogs we photograph get adopted, the faster we can focus on and help the next dog that is in danger. 

 Online Listing Managers Needed

If you are only able to work from home, UHA also needs someone who is able to add listings of available dogs to Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet and other areas, and to keep them updated when the dogs get adopted. For this volunteer position, you just need availability on a Sunday and/or Monday after each photoshoot to post the new dogs or cats online. This person should also be comfortable uploading photos and logging in and out of a website. This is a regular, ongoing commitment that requires someone to be organized and responsible to keep the information current without regular oversight. 

If you are interested in becoming an Adoption Coordinator for the Downey or Carson shelter, or an Online Listing Manager, please fill out a Volunteer Application. If you are already a UHA volunteers, email . 

The Glamour Shoot Days at both the Baldwin Park Shelter and the Downey Shelter have produced adoption rates in excess of 96% for the animals we photographed. We have also trained volunteers with the Carson and North Central Shelters in the Los Angeles County Shelter system to do their own Glamour Shoot Days to help with adoption. 

Shelter Support Program Video

To learn more about our Shelter Support Program, you can watch this video that was recently made about us through one of our dedicated volunteers, Marissa de la Torre. Thanks, Marissa! 

So when we’re able to intervene to save even one life, it helps ease the pain. Take the story of Daisy, for instance.

One day, Menna, one of our volunteers, was at Southern California Animal Hospital and noticed a strange energy in the office surrounding a woman and her Jack Russell Terrier, Daisy. It turned out that the woman’s husband was ill and they were remodeling their yard and, because she felt she could not longer take care of the dog, she’d taken her in to be euthanized. Apparently, she just wasn’t aware that there were other options for Daisy.

Not surprisingly, the staff didn’t want to put down a perfectly healthy, seemingly well-socialized pet, but they needed an alternative. Menna was able to intervene and boarded the dog for a few days while UHA looked for a foster or adopter for Daisy.

Around this time, one of our beloved rescue dogs, Lancelot, passed away and another of our volunteers, Amanda, decided to foster Daisy in his memory. Although she hadn’t felt quite ready, when she saw Menna’s plea along with the photo of Daisy, she knew she couldn’t resist.

Amanda explains, “Thankfully, I was able to step in straight away so that Daisy wouldn’t have to enter into the shelter system and be exposed to cold, stress and communicable diseases. I took photos of her at once and within two weeks we had two interested adopters.

The man who adopted her, Tom, fell madly in love with her. Even though initially his home situation wasn’t ideal (Daisy was a “bolter” and he didn’t have a front yard), he was willing to do whatever modifications were needed to make his home suitable for Daisy.

He ended up getting two doggie gates so that Daisy wouldn’t be able to shoot out the door into the street when they opened the door.

Daisy is Tom’s princess. He takes her everywhere he goes, and I think she’s probably got a rhinestone collar and matching leash!”

Indeed, it has been a fairy-tale ending for Daisy. As Tom puts it, “Daisy is a wonderful member of our family. We can we can hardly recall a time when she wasn’t a part of our daily lives. She goes everywhere with us. Whether it is uptown to get doggie snacks, off to have lunch or even a cross-country drive to visit friends and family, she is joyfully always there with her little tail wagging.

Her curiosity is unquenchable as is her lack of fear. She is so eager to see new things and meet as many dogs as she can. We have a wonderful vet whom she adores visiting! It’s so cute to watch her get excited about going into the office there when we go in there.

You can often find us at the Sierra Madre dog park in the mornings or venturing out and about through our neighborhood. She loves going for truck rides, so we’ll often take a little trip to new places for her to explore.

She is so happy.

Thank you again to you and your folks at United Hope for Animals for having the compassion and care to save her from destruction and bringing such joy and happiness to our lives.”

Amanda sums up, “Dog rescue is often heartbreaking when you see what some of these kind, innocent souls have been through, being neglected and mistreated, but when you are able to save a life, and give a dog that has plenty of years left a new happy home, it makes it all worthwhile. It really is a matter of just getting their sweet little faces out there in front of the public, and finding people who are willing to spend some of their free time helping these dogs get photographed and listed online to make a difference. Sometimes all you need to do is get a great photo and tell people a little about its personality and the before you know it the perfect person will come along.”

Check out these photos of Daisy in her new home – we think you’ll agree she’s content!

UHA receives many inquiries from anxious dog owners who have realized they won’t be able to take care of their pet for much longer but who don’t know how to go about finding a new home for it.

The number of calls and emails hits a peak in summer, when shelters are already rammed. Terrified dogs escape from their yards during the Fourth of July fireworks, people drop off their dogs when they go on vacation – either not knowing or not caring that their safety isn’t guaranteed – others move and make no provisions for their animals… the list is endless.

If you find yourself in the difficult position of having to look for a new home for your dog, the important thing is to be proactive. We’ve put together a plan of action you can follow.

I am attentive!

1. Above all, be aware that leaving your dog at a shelter should be a last resort, not a first port of call. Not everyone knows this, partly because the word ‘shelter’ implies a refuge, a place of safety, where an animal will be secure for as long as necessary, until a new owner comes forward.

Some people even think shelters can house a limitless number of animals and that they actually make money from taking them in and adopting them out. This couldn’t be further from the truth: most shelters are severely underfunded, adoption rates vary wildly from shelter to shelter and even most of the so-called no-kill shelters are full and have to turn away animals.

2. Start early. You can give your dog a much better chance if you begin looking for a new home as soon as possible. You might not want to give up your pet, but allowing yourself enough time to take the necessary action can make a huge difference in keeping your dog out of the shelter.

I love cuddles!

3. Ask a rescue group for a “courtesy listing” on their website and/or Facebook page. Even if a rescue is full and can’t take your dog it may well agree do this, by posting an ad on Petfinder or Adopt-A-Pet that includes a description and photos and/or video, as well as your contact details. In return, consider making a donation to the rescue group as a thank you.

4. Make some good-quality marketing materials. Do not underestimate the importance of this. Whether you’re creating a flier, soliciting the help of a rescue group, or posting an ad on Craigslist, the quality of the description – and, in particular, the photos – makes a huge difference. Videos, which can be taken with most mobile phones, are also really helpful and can be published for free on YouTube, Facebook and the like. 

For the description, people will want to know:

•    Profile: what’s the dog’s breed, sex, age, weight, general personality and temperament?
•    Is it good/not good with: dogs, cats, kids?
•    Is it housetrained? Leash trained?
•    Medical information: Does it have any health issues? Is it up-to-date on vaccinations? Altered? Microchipped?

Include information on the dog’s personality – does the dog have any endearing habits? What kind of home would he/she do well in? You know your dog best, so the more intimate the description, the better. While people will want to know why you are rehoming your pet, the majority of the description should focus on the dog. Keep it positive.

In addition, when compiling a description, it helps to visualize the perfect adopter for your pet, and to write the description to appeal to that person.

For photos, people will want to see:

•    Multiple images – a good face shot and shots that show the body/size of the dog.
•    A happy, relaxed expression and body language.
•    An outside setting, with natural light, preferably on green grass.
•    For small dogs – show them in someone’s arms to help give an idea of their size.
•    Photos that show all of the elements the dog works well with – especially children and other dogs.
•    Avoid: dark photos, the dog tied up (get someone to hold the leash – it looks friendlier anyway), the dog looking down (it distorts its face/expression).

For videos, people will want to see:

•    How the dog interacts with people, other dogs, etc.
•    How the dog walks on a leash.

Take as many of these steps as you can and your dog will stand a much better chance of finding a great new home.

I am great with kids!

I was absolutely not ready for another foster.

I had good reason: I was allergic to my last foster and had just finished spending nearly three weeks suffering from sneezes, a runny nose, and watery, itchy eyes.

But this particular kind of stubbornness means nothing in the world of animal rescue. All it took was one picture to force me to open my home to a third dog.

In all honesty, my choice of foster wasn’t that surprising. Freya was part border terrier – a double threat since I love terriers and have my very own border terrier mix. She was on red alert at the Downey shelter and animal advocate, Ruth Silny, had been tirelessly networking her through Facebook and emails.

The day I pulled Freya from Downey, she immediately displayed the typical rescue pup gratitude. She trotted along beside me with her slip leash and when I sat, she placed her front paws in my lap and nuzzled and licked me for attention.

Freya tells me immediately how thankful she is to be saved!

Fast forward three months later. I was exhausted. Freya and one of my pups were having jealousy issues. Freya’s chewing stage had damaged more than one household item. And so far, I had only had one interested party without an adoption application that had lost interest at some point. I prepared myself to revamp Freya’s profile, take more pictures, and make some videos.

But miraculously, some holiday karma hit me just in time. I was suddenly hit with three separate emails from interested parties. The first one gave me a great feeling (something else rescue advocates understand very well) although I was worried when I realized they lived almost 400 miles away. I’d done out of state adoptions before with great success, but that success always depended on the adopter and my intuition.

As it turned out, my gut was right. I had nothing to worry about. Freya’s new parents were in love with her from the first sight of her picture. A meeting at the park only sealed the deal!

Now, the former red alert shelter dog is living it up in her new home for the holidays with her new name: Darla! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Darla! We hope you enjoy your gift: a forever home!

Darla is living it up!

It’s a match made in heaven!

As anyone who as been doing animal rescue for any length of time can tell you, everywhere you look an animal is in need of rescue. Certain areas, just south of the Mexican border, have so many homeless dogs, that people stop paying attention. When there are so many, only the most desperate stand out, and, fortunately for one little Chihuahua, someone finally paid attention to her suffering.

A woman living in an apartment building in Ensenada called 4 PAWS, an area animal rescue, to report an abandoned dog. She told 4 Paws that the people who had owned the dog (and who used to live in the building) moved away and left this dog behind, and the dog had been outside wandering around the area fending for herself for a very long time.

Little Tica had barely survived this long by eating any bit of food scrap that fell from trashcans around the apartment building, or what she found on the street. However, the woman caller told 4 PAWS that she did not think the little dog would last much longer. 4 Paws immediately drove to the address, found the dog outside the building, wrapped her in a blanket, and took her to a foster home for treatment.

Tica had a broken leg, a very painful eye infection, and mange so extensive that in some areas her skin was gone and her flesh exposed. Although she was only 2 years old when she was rescued, it was clear that she had already had many puppies, and, had recently given birth. Although the rescue volunteers searched for the puppies, sadly they were never found. It took months of treatment and care before little Tica would even lift her head.

She was not only near death due to the neglect and injures, but she was depressed and withdrawn. Tica eventually responded to her care, was ready to be spayed, and was taken to the spay and neuter clinic preformed by 4 PAWS, sponsored by UHA and a few other individual donors. She was then taken to Julie Meager in San Diego to complete her fostering, and post her for adoption.

Julie Meagher who has, over the years, fostered many rescued pups for both UHA and AAUS, decided that little Tica had in fact found her forever home. After many months of caring for her, Julie and her family decided that they wanted to adopt Tica. Julie said, “we want to make it up to her, to erase all the suffering she had to endure by giving her love and comfort each and every day.

“She may look like just another ordinary, little brown Chihuahua, but she is special,” Meagher said. “Tica is so very grateful; she is one of the most loving dogs we have met. All she want is to give and receive love, she fills our home with joy, and we feel lucky to have her.”

Although Tica’s condition was extreme, in Mexico, this is the typical condition of the homeless dogs, and sadly there are many thousands of dogs like her struggling to survive.

Every month, United Hope for Animals, (UHA), teams up with Animal Advocates of the United States, (AAUS), 4 Paws, and other individual sponsors, to hold a spay and neuter clinic in Tijuana, Ensenada and other areas in Baja, California. As well as offering this much needed service to pets owners that would otherwise not be able to afford it, the long standing relationship between UHA, AAUS and 4 PAWS also enables us to help owners find lost or stolen dogs, rescue abandon dogs, and ensure that they are spayed, neutered, and find safe, loving, permanent homes.

These clinics provide this very important service to the public, who would not otherwise be able to afford it, and as well, to local rescue groups working to help the abandon street dogs. Please help us get the abandon dogs and cats off the street, and into loving homes, and help us ensure that each pet is safely spayed and neutered. Together, with your help, we can end this tragic cycle of suffering.

Tica was one of the many fortunate recipients of the critical link between UHA, AAUS and 4 PAWS. 

One little senior dog found herself advocated for by a team of United Hope for Animals volunteers when she needed it most.  She was abandoned at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center, and she was weak and ill.  A typical Friday evening turned into a team effort to rescue this sweet pup, who would soon be named Maggie. While volunteer Claudia Angel phoned vets for a last-minute appointment, Director Laura Knighten coordinated with the shelter and with volunteer Janette Cooksey to transport her away from the shelter and to the life-saving medical care she required.  As it turns out, Janette not only gave that helpless elderly terrier a ride, she gave her a home.

Maggie

Janette so beautifully writes of the joy she found in adopting a senior dog:

In July 2011, I was asked to pick up a Wire Fox Terrier from the Baldwin Park Shelter.  The Abandoned Terrier Rescue Association would then take the dog in to their rescue. 

I will never forget when I saw her in that kennel. We were told that she was a 1 year old pregnant female. Instead she was an elderly dog in very poor health.

With the help of Claudia Angel and Laura Knighten, I was able to adopt her that day.  Unfortunately, she was so sick I had to rush her to the vet.  Dr. Mitchell at Montrose Pet Hospital kept this poor little girl for a week.  She had pneumonia, along with many other health problems.  We weren’t sure she would make it.  But, she was a tough little girl and survived.  I picked her up from the vet a week later and brought her home.  The Rescue still wanted to take her in (no matter how old she was), but I felt so sorry for her.  I decided to keep her.

I have always adopted adult dogs (5 or 6 years old).  I have never adopted an elderly dog before.  The vet estimated her age between 15 – 17 years old or older.

 

She had many physical health problems.  She could not hear, had limited eyesight, she had no voice (she had been debarked), Cushings Disease, Liver Tumor, concave back and very bad teeth.  When the vet cleaned her teeth she told me that she had never seen such bad teeth in a dog.  Not only did teeth have to be pulled, but there was a foxtail wedged in the root of her tooth.

I could tell by looking at her that this sweet girl had a horrible life.  I believe she spent her entire life as a backyard breeding dog in a kennel having puppies. 

As I drove home from the vet with her, I heard myself saying “what am I going to do with this dog?”  She’s old and sickly.  And I shamefully admit I didn’t want to adopt her.  Little did I know the amount of love and joy this elderly dog would bring in to my life.  I named her….Maggie.

 

When I first brought her home she would cringe when I would try to pet her. She had no social skills. She was afraid of humans.  As time went on she let me pet her, hold her and she would give me little kisses.

Her greatest pleasure was meal time.  I don’t think I have ever seen a dog so excited about her meals.  Maggie had a joy for life.  She enjoyed the simple things….meal time and a soft bed.  She seemed so appreciative of everything I did for her.   Every time I looked at her, she would make me smile.

Maggie in her bed

I have loved every one of my dogs, but Maggie was special.

Only a dog….only Maggie could have the forgiveness in her heart to love people again. After being treated so badly her entire life she was capable of loving people.

I learned more from this little girl than I ever thought I could. People would say that she was lucky that I took her in.  But I was the lucky one. She gave me so much.  Friends told me how kind I was that I took in this elderly, sickly dog, but it was Maggie that showed me how wonderful an elderly dog can be.

Although I only had her for a short time….I had to put her to sleep in July 2012, she taught me so much.

 

Maggie gave me an appreciation for the elderly dog. I would not hesitate to take another one in.  The senior dog that no one wanted became one of the sweetest dogs I have ever had. 

I miss her so much.  It was Maggie….this elderly, sickly Wire Fox Terrier that showed me how wonderful an older pet can be.

I am honored to have had Maggie in my life.  That elderly, sweet girl that I will never forget.  It is for her that I continue to rescue / adopt senior dogs.

Because of Maggie I recently adopted Buddy (aka Washington), a 17 year old Miniature Poodle who was surrendered by his owner to the same shelter.  He is such a sweetheart.

 

Buddy

Thank you,  Maggie.  Thank you for showing me how wonderful an elderly dog can be.