Sisters and ex-puppy mill dogs Sugar (left) and Sassy (right). Photos courtesy of Wayside Waifs.
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Seeing as Carter was a repeat visitor to our featured adoptable column, I decided to blog about double the animals this week. It’s only fair, right?

Actually, make that triple the animals: meet Sugar and Sassy, a pair of miniature poodles (siblings, at that!). Rescued from a puppy mill, these older ladies spent most of their lives confined to small cages, kept perpetually pregnant, producing litter after litter of pups (”products”) for their “owners.” Now retired, these girls need a safe and loving home in which to live out their golden years - together, of course!

Currently staying in Wayside Waifs volunteer foster homes, they are both listed on Petango.com (here is Sugar, and Sassy). The listings are basically the same (though Sassy is a few years younger than her big sis); so instead of excerpting each description, I’ll just highlight Sugar’s:

Name: Sugar
Animal ID: 9445431
Breed: Poodle, Miniature
Age: 10 years
Gender: Female
Color: White / White
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Size: Small

Memo

Meet Sassy and Sugar! These adorable little girls were brought to Wayside from another shelter after they were sprung from a puppy mill. They spent their entire lives so far being mill mamas - in a cage, producing litter after litter of puppies to be sold in pet stores with little human contact or love.

Because of their horrendous conditions in their lives, they are not well socialized yet or housebroken. They will need someone with patience and time to gain their confidence, show them love and work on their potty training. With the right humans these gals will just blossom! After coming out of a mill, dogs will require a lot of work but usually are just normal dogs after a few months. They’re ready to go home (together!) and be spoiled and pampered - they deserve it!

Be sure to ask about our senior-to-senior discount if you’re 60 or over!

Sugar is currently in a foster home. If you are interested in meeting her, please contact Wayside Waifs to arrange a time to meet.

If you’d like to open your heart and home to these lovely ladies, please visit or call Wayside Waifs today!

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Carter, a yellow, wrinkly, smiley Shar Pei dog. Photo courtesy Best Friends and Shar Pei Rescue.
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Best Friends Animal Society recently sent out an adoption notice for Carter, this here Cream Dilute Shar Pei dog, on behalf of his foster angels, Chinese Shar Pei Rescue of Kansas City, Missouri. If Carter looks familiar, it’s because he is (or should be!) - we featured him on the KC Freecycle blog back in August! Carter is still available adoption; and, since this “differently-abled” guy needs a little extra help finding a family to call his own, this is the least I can do.

Well, wait. Not exactly. Best Friends has put together a cute little flyer that you can hang around town, on community billboards and such, in order to help Carter find his forever home. Please print out a few copies and hang them wherever dog lovers congregate!

Breed: Shar Pei

Location: Kansas City, MO

Sex: Male

Age: 1+ Year Old

Description: Carter is a purebred cream Shar Pei. He is a calm dog and very congenial. He likes other dogs and cats; he loves to play, chew bones and mimic the other dogs. The beautiful dog has neurological problems likely caused from brain damage at birth. He has been shuffled from home to home because of the care he needs which is mainly the need to be physically carried outside and carried inside. He can walk but it takes a while for him to get up and then his balance is shaky and awkward. He is best on carpet and rugs; loves to be outside on nice days. He is housetrained and will crawl to the door if he needs to go out. He deserves a loving home! A small rescue in Kansas City got him off Craigslist and hasn’t been able to find him a home. His foster mom can no longer keep him because of upcoming surgery and the difficulty she is having in carrying him. Please give this wonderful dog a chance at a good life. The love Carter will give someone will be the reward for caring for him. He is a sweetie.

Also, please bookmark and/or share dear Carter’s Petfinder listing.

Carter frolics in the green spring grass. Photo courtesy Shar Pei Rescue.
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Pippy the white, beige and gray dilute calico cat. Photo courtesy Furry Kids.
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Furry Friends Rescue must have a volunteer amateur photographer on hand, because their foster fur-kids’ photos all look like they were pulled from the pages of Cat Fancy or something. So many photogenic animals, so hard to choose!

But choose I must; Pippy it is!:

Pippy was rescued in the country where she was left to fend for herself. She is shy but very sweet and would love a patient person who has the time to give her all the love she deserves. She will make a wonderful, loyal companion. She has a very beautiful coat!

Pippy is about 4 years old and is spayed, vaccinated, tested, dewormed, microchipped and her $85 adoption fee includes a 2 week trial adoption period to ensure everyone’s happiness! If you’d like to give Pippy a great home, please fill out our application via our website at www.furrykidsrefuge.org, click on ‘Adopt A Cat’. Once we receive that, we will be in touch as quickly as possible. Thank you for your interest in Pippy!

If you’re interested in meeting Pippy, stop by the Petco in Lee’s Summit (at 50 Hwy and Chipman Rd. in the shopping center next to Target) between 12pm and 5pm this Saturday. Furry Kids holds an adoption day there every Saturday. Come armed with a stack of newspapers for the kittens!

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Sherman the snow-dog. Photo courtesy Animal Haven.
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This week’s featured adoptable is a tank. Errr, Yeti. Errr, Abominable Snowman. Retriever Mix? All of the above?

Whichever breed/species Sherman hails from, one thing is certain: he’s five stones+ of pure bliss. Or is that boulders? Meh, who cares. He’s a big hunk of adorable, and that’s all you need to know!

Here’s what the good folks at Animal Haven to say about ol’ Sherman:

Sherman is a BIG boy (he may have been named after the tank!). He is a happy-go-lucky fellow who loves to meet new people. His needs are simple: food & water, a nice cozy bed, an outdoor spot to potty, and a family who loves him. He does well with dogs and cats, as long as he has a chance to get to know them. His favorite toy is a chew bone, so be sure to have plenty of those handy. This guy is house trained and will do great with just about any family (though any kids in the house should be at least 8 years old). Sherman is ready to move into his new lifelong caring home, so come meet him today!

To get in touch with Sherman’s temporary guardians, visit his Petfinder listing or go straight to Animal Haven’s website.
 
 

One of many stray/feral Haitian dogs.
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By the way, I’ve been wanting to say a little something about the recent earthquake in Haiti, but…words escape me. Really, there’s not much to say. Instead, I encourage you to give what you can to help the millions of people who have seen their homes destroyed, their families torn apart, and their lives uprooted by this natural disaster (which was/is being exacerbated by centuries of oppression and exploitation resulting in crippling poverty).

For a list of nonprofit organizations providing assistance in Haiti, see:

CNN: Impact Your World

Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help at the Huffington Post

Charity Navigator: Help Survivors of the Earthquake in Haiti

InterAction: InterAction Members Respond to the Earthquake in Haiti

Also, Kansas City @ About.com has an ongoing list of local events, activities and fundraisers to assist with the relief efforts in Haiti.

Finally, the many nonhuman inhabitants of Haiti and the Dominican Republic will need aid in the upcoming weeks, months and years as well. While not much has yet been written of anticipated future animal rescue efforts, you can find an excellent summery here. A number of animal welfare groups have joined together to form the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH). Spearheaded by The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), at the time of this writing, the following animal advocacy groups have joined ARCH: American Humane Association (AHA), American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Best Friends Animal Society, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI), In Defense of Animals (IDA), Kinship Circle, and the United Animal Nations (UAN).

Of course, I encourage you to research any and all organizations before making a donation; check that is legit, will use your money wisely, and is consistent with your beliefs. A few good resources in this regard are Charity Navigator, the American Institute of Philanthropy, and the Better Business Bureau. Be wary of email and telephone solicitations.

Thanks much - and stay shiny, people.

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The Lawrence Humane Society always seems to house the cutest small and furry rescue animals!

Case in point: Clyde, one of seven rabbits currently up for adoption at the Lawrence HS.

Clyde is a very sweet bunny who was found abandoned by his owners and brought to the Lawrence Humane Society by a caring citizen. He’s a very strong-willed bunny and is a little shy, so he may need a patient owner to take time to get him used to being loved and handled by people.

There is a $15 adoption fee for this bunny.

While spaying/neutering of pet rabbits upon adoption is not legally required in Kansas, the Lawrence Humane Society strongly advocates spaying and neutering all pets.

Spaying/neutering can have a number of benefits for pet rabbits - improving health and temperament, reducing problem behaviors, and ultimately helping to reduce the rabbit overpopulation problem. Read more about the benefits of spaying and neutering here. Since well-cared for rabbits live anywhere from 8 to 12 years, spaying/neutering is an excellent investment best discussed with your veterinarian.

This is just one of many rabbits at the Lawrence Humane Society who are looking for a home right now. Come visit this bunny and many others in the handheld pets room!

To learn more about Clyde and his friends, check out the Lawrence Humane Society at www.lawrencehumane.org

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Poor Macadamia! His little sister Almond found her forever home more than a week ago, and left Mac stranded at the Leavenworth Animal Welfare Society. Not that they aren’t good people and all that jazz, but a guy’s got to have a bed of his own to snuggle into at night, especially with all these blizzards we’ve been getting. Know what I mean?!

10.20.09

Macadamia and Almond

10 weeks old

Mac and Allie are beautifully marked orange tabby kittens. They have the gorgeous large swirl pattern. They have wonderful personalities and love to be loved on.

They have been spayed and neutered and are current on vaccinations for their ages.

Please consider one or both of these kittens.

11.16.09

These two wonderful kittens have developed their own very unique personalities. Allie (Almond) is the most social. Her favorite place is on your shoulder. She will jump to any place high enough to then leap to you. She craves attention and always wants to be where the action is!.

Mac is very friendly as well, but he is more laid back. He enjoys being held and petted, but is not as pushy about it as his sister.

Both get along well with other cats and are not bothered by dogs.

12.28.09

UPDATE: Allie has been adopted. Mac is still waiting for his forever home.

If you can help a kitten out, hop, skip or jump on over to the Leavenworth Animal Welfare Society’s Petfinder page and inquire about Mac today!

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Seeing as I’ve developed an awful habit of posting Wednesday’s Featured Adoptable on a Thursday or Friday - and sometimes forgetting to highlight a wonderful furred or feathered Kansas City adoptable altogether (!) - I thought I’d hedge my bets and post a little early this week. And, because I missed out last week, you’ll get a two-for-one deal this week, folks!

Both (okay, all!) of this week’s animals hail from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City, Missouri.

First up is Harvey, a black, senior cat.

Meet Harvey! He is a sweet, senior kitty looking for a home to call his own. He came into Wayside when his owner could no longer keep him. Harvey was fearful of the children in his home, and his owner felt like a home without children would be more ideal for Harvey! When Harvey is in his kennel and wants out, he’ll meow, and you’d swear he was saying “helllooooo” in a low voice. It is hard to resist, so he usually gets his way and gets to come out to play. Harvey enjoys the company of most people, but he is still a little frightened of children because they tend to be loud and quick moving. He would prefer a calm, quiet home with a family wanting a loving cat to snuggle and love. Harvey’s adoption fee would be half price for an adopter over the age of 60. Ask an adoption counselor about our senior-to-senior discount!

Now, I was going to pick a black dog to pair up with Harvey - that is, until I found Marsha and Speedy the terrier mixes, who frakkin’ melted my normally grinch-like heart!

Hi! I’m Marsha, an 8-year-old Rat Terrier mix. I was brought to Wayside as a transfer from another shelter, so my Wayside family doesn’t know too much about my past. It’s been a rough journey for me. When I was first brought to Wayside a few months ago my boyfriend, Speedy (A08554062) was very sick with pneumonia and the staff weren’t sure if he was going to make it through alright. But with my care and affection (and ya, I guess the medicine helped too) he wow-ed them all with his quick recovery and now we’re back and ready to find our forever home. There is one catch though- I need to go home with my boyfriend Speedy (A08554062). We are attached at the hip and don’t want to be separated! There’s good news though! Not only are we small apartment size dogs but when you adopt me, Speedy will be half priced! What a steal! We are very well behaved and love to be loved on. I know it’s a lot to ask for you to just love one animal, but do you have room in your heart to love two?

Hi! I’m Speedy, a 2-year-old Boston Terrier mix. I was brought to Wayside as a transfer from another shelter, so my Wayside family doesn’t know too much about my past. It’s been a rough journey for me. When I was first brought to Wayside a few months ago I was very sick with pnemonia and the staff weren’t sure if I was going to make it through alright. But I wow-ed them all with my quick recovery and now I’m back and ready to find my forever home. There is one catch though - I need to go home with my girlfriend Marsha (A08554114). We are attached at the hip and don’t want to be separated! There’s good news though! Not only are we small apartment size dogs but when you adopt me, Marsha will be half priced! What a steal! We are very well behaved and love to be loved on. I know it’s a lot to ask for you to just love one animal, but do you have room in your heart to love two?

Oh, the cuteness! If you’d like to adopt Harvey, Marsha and/or Speedy, get in touch with Wayside Waifs today. You can learn more about the adoption process here, and view all their available cats and dogs on Petfinder.

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Oh, the cuteness! Waffles and Blackie, this week’s featured adoptables, are a ridiculously adorable pair of dogs friends (she, a lab; he, a Newfie; ah, mixed marriages!), with an equally sweet (and at turns sad) back story. But I’ll let their rescue angels at Autumn Acres take it away:

It is not frequent that dogs choose their owner, rather than vice versa, but that’s exactly what Blackie and Waffles did. After straying as a pair onto their former owners’ 15 acre property, they decided for themselves to call it home and quickly became a most cherished part of the family, in addition to the two Jack Russells [who] already lived there. Then their owner died.

Blackie is a 6-year-old Newfie male, altered, and up to date on all shots. He does have signs of a little arthritis in one back leg. Waffles is a 6-year-old lab mix female, also altered, and up to date on all shots. As a pair, these two are inseparable, and quite comedic. Despite his large size, Blackie is submissive to Waffles and is more laid back in general. Waffles is an alpha-female when around other animals, but absolutely melts when in the presence of humans, closing her sweet little eyes, pressing against you, and begging to be loved on. Blackie is equally as sweet, thinking he is much smaller than he actually is, and would love to be a lap dog if he could. Both are wonderful with children, extremely obedient, and very eager to please.

Blackie’s favorite past times include carrying around branches larger than his body, playing keep away with balls, and being brushed. Waffles is happy playing most any game as long as Blackie is nearby. Overall, Blackie is good with most other animals, although Waffles would most likely need to be in a home with no small animals other than dogs (i.e. cats or hamsters…). She would likely prefer a home that would allow her to remain in charge of the pack, as well.

Please consider the adoption of this wonderful pair. With them comes their amazing history and an unbelievable capacity for love and dedication. Because this is an unusual pairing, the adoption fee would be greatly reduced. They are adoptable ONLY AS A PAIR.

I do so hope that Waffle’s and Blackie’s Christmas angel is reading this, and will swoop in and bring these babies home in time for the holidays. For every dog, a home - that’s my wish this year. Realistically, though, I’ll settle for a home for these two pups. Next year, we’ll work on building a no-kill nation. (I have much loftier goals for 2010, I tell you what.)

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Today I bring you Wednesday adoptables on a Friday! (That’s what happens when you’re faced with a busy week, I guess.)

Anyhow, it’s been almost a year since I last featured a ferret in these here pages. There aren’t nearly as many adoptable ferrets who have been orphaned in the Kansas City area (or anywhere in the U.S., for that matter) as there are dogs and cats. Don’t get me wrong; this is definitely a good thing, as it means that ferrets aren’t euthanized to the tune of 3-4 million per year. What it does mean is that, if you’re looking to adopt a ferret, you have to be patient and diligent. Probably you’ll want to get in touch with the Kansas City Ferret Hotline Association and Shelter.

The KC Ferret Hotline currently has seven individual, pairs and (in one case) trios of ferrets in need of homes. Zorro and Teddy are two of these cute lil’ rascals:

Zorro is a 2-3 year old sable female and Teddy is a 2-3 year old male silver mit. They are a bonded pair. Would prefer an experienced ferret person with these two

I know, I know; not much of a description, right? Another reason I’ve shied away from highlighting ferrets - I like to offer a nice, lengthy writeup and animal bio, and the KC Ferret Hotline’s listings are usually pretty brief and to-the-point. Plus, ferrets don’t seem to photograph well (probably ’cause they’re always on the move!).

Either way, whether you’re a long-time ferret parent, or are toying with the idea of adopting your first, the Kansas City Ferret Hotline Association and Shelter is the place to start. The group holds regular meetings on the second Saturday of every month. Attendees can bring their ferret pals along, visit with other members’ ferret kids, learn about ferret care, and discuss issues pertaining to ferret fostering and rescue. Check ‘em out!

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