Rita's Ally adopted!

Rita's Ally came to us over a year ago. Rita and MJ rescued her in Taiwan. They estimated that she was 3 years old, had had a litter of puppies, and was diagnosed with a luxating hip. When she came to the U.S., Dr. Bory, at Culver Palms Animal Hospital fixed her hip and she was able to go to Deanna's for some recovery time. After a week, Ally became very sick and returned to Culver Palms to discover she was allergic to her microchip.  Dr. Bory surgically remove the microchip and replaced it with a different one. Unfortunately, Ally was allergic to that one, too, so she had to go under, yet again, to remove the new chip.

Ally then went to the H. house to recuperate. During her stay, she proved to be a very sweet and loving girl who got along with the other canines in the house. After a month at the H. house, Ally's resource guarding surfaced. She became a HOPE dog and received professional training. After consulting with Sandy, Barbara D. and a session with Terry Long, foster mom, Kriss, started working with her. She is a quick learner and would do anything for a treat. Her recall is excellent and her favorite command is now 'give'. She started bringing everything to Kriss, waited expectantly for the 'give' command so she could receive her treat. She was finally ready for adoption!  However, Ally fit in so well at the H. house and had become such good buds with her canine sister, Cali, so a vote was taken and it was decided she should stay right where she was!

Thank you to MJ and Rita for rescuing her in Taiwan and sending her over to us. Thanks, also, to Deanna and family for taking Ally in so she could heal faster from her hip; to Culver Palms staff and Dr. Bory, who gave her amazing care and continue to keep up with her care (Tony affectionately calls her "Scarback"); and finally, to Sandy for trusting and helping Kriss and Ally in their journey together.

Congratulations Ally!

Update from Gunner (formerly Rita's Genki)

So sorry that I have taken so long to send an updated photo. Attached is one from Thanksgiving, with Gunner (Genki) and my 15 yr old son, Christopher. You can't really see from the picture, but since we got him, his coat has grown in long and beautiful. He gets many compliments on his beautiful coat and manners. Please let the team in Taiwan know how much we love and appreciate our new dog!

Thanks,
Sharon

Rita's Xiang Xiang Runs Ahead

I am so sorry to tell you that Rita's Xiang Xiang has crossed the bridge.

XiangXiang arrived back in May from Taiwan, where he had been found in a shelter by Rita and MJ. He had a growth removed from his hip, which was diagnosed as a hemangiosarcoma. X-rays didn't show any spread to his organs, so he made the trip to the US. After spending some time at BP, where he was adored by the vet staff and our dog walking volunteers, he went to stay with new foster family, the Klemanns. He was soooo happy to be in a home and the Klemanns and their other pup adored him. Not long after he arrived at their home they noticed a growth on the top of his head that was getting bigger. We had it removed and it turned out to be another hemangiosarcoma. He did great after his surgery and was having lots of fun with his foster family. I told them that it would be difficult to adopt him out with his health history, and the family said he was welcome to stay for as long as he needed to. Several weeks ago they noticed he wasn't doing well, and after seeing the vet it was thought he may have kidney failure. He responded well to medication and diet at first, but two weeks later his symptoms reappeared, and at that point the vet determined the hemangio had spread to his organs. Sadly, we had to let this sweet boy go.

I am happy he had the opportunity to come here, and to have such a loving foster home in the Klemanns for his last few months. RIP XiangXiang.

Coming soon...Maggie's Hero

Hero was found in a fishing village, where he had been abandoned. A family was trying to take care of him, but he needed more help than they could provide. Maggie and Joseph, ARTT, took him in and got him healthy. He'll be arriving here soon!

Update from Rita's Shadow, now called Spencer

Thought I would send you some pictures of our wonderful boy. Spencer has filled our hearts with love. He can be a little stubborn at times but thats just part of his charm. When we go on our walks in the neighborhood he needs to go say hello to everyone he sees. We are so happy to have him in our lives. Please thank everyone in rescue who helped get him to his forever home.

Rita's Shadow adopted!

Congratulations to Rita's Shadow, who found his forever home with the Hildens.

Shadow arrived earlier this year from Taiwan. When he was found by Rita and MJ, he was emaciated and was suffering from a large ear hematoma, skin problems and digestive problems. They helped him to get healthy and he made his trip to us at the end of March. He went to stay with foster mom, Janet, who adopted Euphoria, a while back, and she helped him with his chronic ear infections and gave him lots of love while he waited for his forever home.

Shadow had three opportunities which all fell through due to the families deciding they weren't ready for another dog. It was fate that he would meet the Hildens who'd recently lost their elderly Shepherd mix, and were missing having pups around the home. They were so excited to hear about Shadow and made arrangements as soon as possible to pick him up (no doubt in their minds - he was theirs before they even met him!) And of course no one was disappointed - Shadow acquired a new name and a new home. He's settling in great and the Hildens absolutely adore him. His new name is Spencer.

Shadow would like to thank Rita and MJ for all they did to get him healthy and to the US. He thanks the Welcome Waggin' for meeting him at LAX, and the CP Dog Walkers who got him out during his stay there. He's so grateful to his foster mom Janet for providing a wonderful temporary home. He thanks Sanya for doing the home visit for his new family and the placement team and PA Eva for making a wonderful match.

Update from Rita's Kobe

Kobe's doing just great. We've been working with a dog trainer and Kobe's now going through the doggie door and even going outside (yeah!) on his own a little bit. He's a pretty happy guy these days. He LOVES playing with our son, Hank. It's so much fun to watch.

Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN – Lost dog 'reports itself' to police

A yet-to-be identified golden retriever suspected of being lost commands the attention of police officers in southern Taiwan.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, August 27, 2012

Police officers received a surprise days earlier when a dog casually walked into their station in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City.

The four-year-old male golden retriever, whom police suspect is lost, wandered into Daliao District's Zhongyi police station and started barking at the officer on duty. "It was as if the dog was reporting itself missing!" recalled the police officer. "After this, it then went to the car park next door and laid down in a corner to rest."

Police said they suspected the dog had been out on the streets for days, judging from its untidy appearance. "We all felt sorry for the poor fellow and wanted to help it find its way home, so we notified the local animal rescue group for help," said an officer.

Friendly dog makes for easy rescue mission

Animal Rescue Team Taiwan (ARTT) team leader Joseph Nee and a group of volunteers immediately rushed to the scene upon notification. "Fortunately, the golden retriever has a very warm and friendly disposition," said Nee. "When it saw us coming, it was as if it knew it was finally saved – wagging its tail and even playfully rolling on the floor with its belly exposed!"

"It was so comical and cute," recalled one volunteer. "It certainly made the rescue mission an easy and fun one!"

ARTT veterinarians who treated the dog at a nearby animal hospital in Sanmin District said that blood tests revealed it suffered from heartworm disease, for which they will place it on an injection therapy as soon as possible.

Owner's identity still unclear

"The bad news is that we are yet to identify the owner of this dog since we were unable to find a microchip on its body, so we remain unclear on whether it is indeed lost or if it was sadly abandoned," said a veterinarian.

"Without a pet chip, there is very little chance for us to find out who the owner of the dog is," said Nee. "Regardless, we will make sure that once this happy fellow has recovered its health, it goes to a loving new family and never goes back to living on the streets again."

Rita's Panda, Jumper & Benny have arrived!

It was a wonderful day at LAX welcoming these pups. Two things we all love about Rescue - foremost all the pups but, also, how volunteers always rally to the moments at hand - be it booth work, walking the pups, work behind the scenes or days like today with the Welcome Waggin'. Always feels so good. Thanks go to Paul, Tom, Gary, Libby, Sheila, Jan and Gretel as the welcoming gang, and Sandy for getting things all lined up so everything could go so smoothly. All the pups went home with foster families. They are SO CUTE!

Coming soon...Rita's Jumper

Coming soon...Rita's Panda

Update from Henry (Rita's Tim)

I have attached a few photos of Henry (Rita's Tim) from our last field trip to a local shopping center that's dog friendly, Dos Lagos in Corona. Henry is doing very well and is very healthy. Henry has a healthy coat of fur and loves to chase ducks. Our cats like him, and Henry's siblings, Sophie and Wendell, love him. Henry is very happy and gets out everyday for the dog park, long walks, jogs with us, and he especially loves to run along side us when we ride our bicycles. Henry is an indoor dog and is very good in the house. He loves to take naps and snores like a bear! Henry has the typical friendly Golden spirit and loves everyone he meets. We are very fortunate to have Henry in our family. Please send Rita our best.

Jason and Brandi

Riley's life (formerly Rita's Schnappi)

Update from Travis (Rita's Elvis) & Rita's Lily

We love Travis! He and Lily are my two other kids. Travis has a very unique personality. He is full of life and tennis ball chasing energy. He still is very much a lap dog. He a Lily get along great, although Lily is the alpha dog in house. About a year ago we went on a two-week 3,000 mile motor home trip to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Parks, and Mount Rushmore. Travis and Lily got to bark at Deer, Elk, Buffalo, Horses, and Sheep. One of the attached pictures is from a pass in Wyoming. The other is more recent in the house kitchen. Julie is very good at working around the dogs.

Both Travis and Lily go camping and hiking. They are great traveling buddies. We have a lot of stories about Travis and many many pictures of both dogs.

Thank-you so much for making life with Travis possible, and for all you do to help dogs and getting them together with families.

Terry

Here are a few pictures of Bella with Jason. Bella is loving as ever, healthy, yes, of course she gained a few pounds since she joined our family. Bella gets along with our black labrador well and loves hanging out with us. She's a big sweet heart!

Thank you and have a blessed day!
Dorothy, Paul & Jason

Rita's Polly adopted!

Rita's Polly was rescued in Taiwan by Rita and MJ in July, 2011, and made her way to the United States in January, 2012. She had hip problems and we were able to correct her one hip soon after she arrived. Polly's progress was slow at the veterinary hospital. I had an opening at my house and, once in a home environment, Polly healed more quickly and proved to be a very sweet, playful and easygoing gal.

Wendy and Kaz were familiar with Polly since they are regular walkers at Culver Palms and then began fostering after my pestering. As most foster parents know, the first foster is pretty hard to let go and their memory always stays with you so I gave them a bit of time after their first foster was adopted to a new family before I asked them to take in another.

Wendy and Kaz offered to take Polly in and free up some space at my house and Polly got along famously with their resident canines. Her hip healing progressed even faster at their home with their walking regimen. Polly also won the heart of Wendy and Kaz's daughter, Emily, and son, Ben. The tipping point came when I called Wendy and asked her and Polly to join me on KTLA morning weekly dog adoption segment. Emily decided that there would be too many people who would want Polly after seeing her on TV and decided that she needed to stay where she was.

Thank you to our amazing partners in Taiwan, Rita and MJ, for rescuing this sweet girl. Thank you, Sandy, for arranging her transfer, taking her in and giving her the medical treatment she needed for her hip provided by the wonderful doctors and staff at Culver Palms Animal Hospital.

Update from Rita's Marvin

It's been 8 months since Marvin came to us and I can honestly say he's settled in nicely. He used to be afraid of water and of the night time and I think the California lifestyle has broken him of those fears. He started liking swimming pools in the last few weeks. He still doesn't retrieve as much as I'd like but he loves to do tricks (Speak, sit, crawl, shake, lie down, sit up, etc). The next one we're working on is back up and wave. Marvin has such a mellow disposition that many people think he's still a puppy. But is typical California fashion, the women love him and he loves women.

Marvin has been quite the joy in our lives for the past 8 months and we are looking forward to many more years ahead. Hopefully these picture will give you a sense of what a California Boy he is now.

Many thanks, Rita. Also, thanks for connecting with me on FB as well. Hopefully, you will be able to come to California sometime and see the wonderful legacy you have started here.

Regards,
Gary and Dao

Update from Charlie (Rita's Rudy)

Our darling Charlie is happy, loves his brother Sam to pieces and they enjoy each other so much. The unfortunate beginning proved worthless as they have grown close as brothers and we are so delighted to have him in our family.

We think Charlie has grown a lot--in height as well as girth. He is now getting less to eat as a diet is in order. He loves to play ball better known as fetch and then immediately finds himself on the top step of the pool trying to cool off. It is adorable to see but the pool man is not too happy with that whole thing.

One strange thing about him is that he does not like to have the underside of his body nor the back of his hind legs brushed. Wonder what might be the cause of that? Volumes of hair are removed from him daily but it does not help the endless shedding.

Regardless, we would not trade him in for anything. We all love our Charlie to bits and now he even crosses the threshold without being coaxed. We thank the good Lord for him daily.

Ursula

Many thanks for rescuing Finnegan (Rita's Pudding)

He is one happy guy as you can see by the photos. He loves his new family and all the extended family, especially when they come to swim.

Finnegan is on medication for his skin allergies and just had surgery on his foot for a growth between the pads on his left foot. Stitches come out in a few weeks. - and then it is back to his routine of having fun, fun, fun.

There is nothing that keeps this guy down - he loves to walk and run, swim with the family, loves riding in cars with his head out the window, checking out the neighborhood. He couldn't be a more sweet. We should have called him Peanut Butter - for he loves his pills with peanut butter.

Again, many thanks for making it possible to be Mom and Dad to our sweet boy. We are blessed to have him in our family.

Update from Rita's Chi Chi

She is the love of our life. She is perhaps the best behaved dog we’ve ever had. She is so good all the time, and honestly she just has a happy attack after every meal. She rolls around, chases the other dogs, and just is a happy girl. Believe it or not, we wanted a bigger back yard for her, so we put the house up for sale. We actually couldn’t find anything comparable to what we had size and view wise (without a pool), so we decided to stay in the house, and now we’re going thru a backyard makeover.

She is an important part of our family though, and we adore every moment we have with her. She’s just the best girl ever! Tell Rita thank you for saving her…now we are spoiling her rotten, and she seems really very happy. If we just look at her, her tail goes a waggin! .

Thank you,
Patty

Update from Rita's Becca

We are just so in love with Becca. Since we've had her she has really come into her own. She is our little social butterfly who just wants to meet everyone! She has made so many friends in the neighborhood, and gets told everyday how beautiful she is. She was a little timid at first but has truly shown her personality, which is so wonderful to watch.

Unfortunately Becca has had a lot of issues with allergies and her ears. We have still not fully resolved her itching issues or fully cleared her ears of all infection or inflammation, but the vet is working very hard with us at trying to make her problem free once and for all. She had to have surgery about 6 weeks ago for an ear hematoma caused by all her scratching and she's on daily allergy medications. Fingers crossed that we can get this resolved once and for all!

I've sent some pictures so everyone can enjoy her smiling face as much as we do. Her favorite things are car rides (!!!), her friends Mystic, Buddy and Rex, naps, treats, sniffing, snuggling and squirrels. Her least favorite things are dogs that don't play, ear cleanings...and squirrels.  We're happy to report that her favorites outweigh the others. She went in the ocean the other day for the first time, only up to her chest, but she had fun running and playing with the other dogs. She's not quite sure about the waves but liked the water. I had to include a picture of that because she was just too cute, hiding behind momma's legs at first.

We owe Rita so much for this wonderful dog. She is truly the best.

Utmost thanks and love,
Kate, Rob and Becca

Update from Rita's Chance

Chance is doing really well - now.

The most amazing story about Chance is when we took him to see his new Vet Dr. Y. about one week after getting Chance. This was our first visit ever with Dr. Y but she came highly recommended. Chance weighed in at a sad 47 pounds - his coat was less than healthy. Dr. Y took a look at Chance - asked us how old we thought he was - at which point we said we thought he was 3-4 years old. Dr. Y checked him thoroughly, looked at his teeth and gums - and said based on how he looks, he is likely to be closer to 8 years old. My son Michael burst into tears - turned to me and said I cannot fall in love with Chance and lose him in only a few years. Michael and I had a lot to talk about - and consider.

We talked about it for the next couple of days - and agreed that we had already fallen in love with Chance - and with lots more love, exercise and good food - he would be able to live a happier life by being with us. We fed Chance puppy food for 4-6 weeks, had him groomed, and gave him lots and lots of love and attention. We took Chance back to Dr. Y for a wellness check up and to have his teeth cleaned. When Dr. Y walked into the exam room - she saw my son, looked at Chance and said - "so you did not keep the other dog?" - Michael said - yes we did - this is Chance. Dr. Y was absolutely blown away how different Chance looked from 2 months earlier - he was happy, his coat was beautiful and his weight had gone from 47 to 60. NOW Dr. Y and the girls in her office ask about Chance if we don't bring him in with our other pup (corgy/terrier mix girl named Brodie). The Vet office refers to Chance as the miracle boy from Taiwan! Chance is a big love.

I am attaching three photos - one of just Chance, one with his sister Brodie, one with his number one buddy, my son Michael.

Cindy

Photo from Sunny (formerly Rita's Ju-zi)

Photo update from Rita's Bear