May adoptions

By Sarah Rebernick, Adoption Coordinator

Ash

Handsome Ash, a 12-year-old blue merle smoothie, came into rescue about a year ago when he needed a new home due to divorce. At the time we felt it was best, due to his age and medical needs, for him to become a Permanent Foster so he didn’t have to adjust to another new home. Yesterday his foster mom let us know that she wanted to make him an ‘official’ member of her family, so congratulations on your forever home, Ash!

 

Charlie

Lovable blonde senior collie mix, Charlie, has been adopted and will be living in Wisconsin with a human senior of his own. This sweet boy is thrilled to have a home that will be able to provide plenty of his two favorite things: snuggles and naps :-). Sounds like a perfect match!

 

Paisley

Precious Paisley, a 5-month-old tricolor smoothie was originally adopted out at nine weeks of age but her adopters were not quite ready for all the mischief a puppy can get into, so she found herself in need of a new home. Fortunately there was another adopter just waiting to welcome her in and she will be living in Wisconsin. She will be sharing her new life with her human family and a 2-year-old collie brother to play with. Paisley is such a sweet, smart little girl and her new family is already head over heels for her :-).

May photo wall

From Smokey’s mom: Just wanted to send you an update on Smokey (adopted last summer). He is doing amazing – when we first got him, he was very scared of being leashed. In the first pic, you can see his new reaction whenever you mention the “W” word. He’s great with our cats, and everyone who meets him falls in love. He just passed level 1 obedience a few weeks ago (with flying colors), and we’re headed to level 2 this summer. He’s such a big, sweet goofball and we couldn’t have asked for a better buddy! Thank you for bringing us together!

 

Adoption update from Max & Teddy’s parents: Thought you all would like to see a recent photo of our two boys, Max (left, adopted January, 2013) and Teddy (right, adopted October, 2015). They got off to a rocky start but are getting along just fine now – though if you ask them they’ll deny liking each other! Max is as expressive, loving, and smart as ever. He loves car rides, baseball and tug of war, and helping dad load the dishwasher. Joining a new family after living with another for 10 years, Teddy finally settled into a routine at our house which includes intermittent playfulness and cuddles, but is one happy guy! He loves bananas/apples/carrots, running around in the backyard, and napping in the cool, quiet basement. We love them both so much!

 

 

MWCR alum, Tripper, likes to take himself for a walk. Some may remember Tripper’s story. Kitty and Arnie Hilk’s grandson saw Tripper in a crate at a pet store and he worked out a deal to trade crickets for the price for Tripper. It was thought that Tripper had spinal issues, but as he settled into his foster home and had the freedom to run, any issues straightened out. Tripper now lives in Ontario, Canada.

Laddie, FKA Murdoch.

MWCR alum Wesley made his acting debut in The Spirit of Appleton: In Search of the Stories That Shape Us, a walking theater experience by PlaceBase productions, in Appleton, Minn. Wes starred as the Hobo Dog.  Several people commented on his technique, stating he did the most realistic portrayal of a dog that they had ever seen. He flopped in the grass quite convincingly and presented himself for treats and strokes without missing a cue. His mellow, gentle nature made him quite the hit with the entire cast, especially his hobos and the kids who loved to take turns walking him around the parks we performed in.  He also had an opportunity to thoroughly sniff out the new Appleton dog park.

 

Toby and Jake relaxing in the great weather while on a break from helping landscape the front yard with their dad!

Rainbow Bridge: Lucky

We had to put our beloved dog Lucky, down on Saturday. Lucky turned 15 on May 6th.  We knew it was coming for quite a while but weren’t ready to give up. Lucky has been with us since he was seven years old and he has been a great dog.  He will be in our hearts forever!  – David and Deanna Novotny

Rainbow Bridge: Jake

Friday, I lost the best friend I have ever had. He had been with me for over 12 years. Jake I will miss you! My heart is so full of hurt but also so full of peace and kindness. He always gave me something to smile about. God speed to my velcro boy Jake. Love you Always! – Gloria Gerber

Slideshow tribute

 

Rainbow Bridge: Charlie

My family and I said goodbye to our forever foster tonight, but really a friend. Charlie was with us for four years and lived to be 16. He was a talkative collie and could be the sweetest dog ever.  Till we meet again, love you Charlie.   – Laura 

Sweet Mia

Sweet Mia is still looking for a forever home, so if anyone is interested in adding a nice older lady to their household please let us know. She could also be a possible candidate for ‘forever foster’, ideally near the dermatologist MWCR uses in Minneapolis. Her foster mom, Joan, will be at the Minnesota Frolic, June 5, so we even have transport to the area. Mia’s bio is below – please consider making her a part of your family!

Mia was surrendered to MWCR with her companion Bobbi when their elderly owner could no longer care for them. Bobbi has found her forever home but 10 year old Mia is still looking for the perfect place. She has recently been diagnosed with dermatomyoitis (DM), which has caused her to have some skin issues. Mia had to have emergency surgery for pyometra (uterine infection), and since DM is a hereditary autoimmune disease, we think it may have flared up because her system was fighting that infection. Her foster mom said she’s starting to see new hair growth, so that’s an excellent sign. There’s not a lot of preventative treatment involved with DM, mostly a matter of dealing with any symptoms if they pop us and cause discomfort. We have had several members whose collies have had it and they recommend good food, some supplements and reducing stress as much as possible. Mia was recently at the collie frolic in Milwaukee and was a big hit!

Mia likes to look pretty and enjoys being groomed. Car rides were new and scary at first but now Mia is jumping in and out like a pro. Going for walks was likely also new and she seemed to have no clue what to do at first but is starting to get the hang of it and now enjoys walks, behaving better each time. She gets excited when seeing a person or animal on their walks, but passing traffic does not bother her. Neither does the vacuum cleaner – when it gets too close for their comfort, she will calmly walk away from it.

Mia is out-going and spunky for her age, quick to show affection and really enjoys being around her people. You can’t help but want to pet her as she will come to you to say “Hi” often throughout the day. Do you have room in your heart and home for this lovely lady?

Chance gets a second chance

Today I got a dose of extreme cuteness while helping with the transport of Chance, a handsome 12-week tricolor male collie puppy who came to MWCR all the way from Colorado. Sweet Chance has a heart condition caused by a birth defect known as PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) which is ultimately fatal without surgical intervention. The good news is that with surgical intervention, Chance should recover quickly and have a normal life span.

We want to extend a special ‘thank you’ to Bob and Tamy Galanter who brought Chance to us from Colorado, as well as Chance’s breeder, Sharon Wobick, who surrendered him to MWCR so that he could get the care he needs. Bob and Tamy also made a very generous donation towards the cost of his surgery and other donations would be greatly appreciated. Preliminary estimates indicate the surgery will cost $3,000 – $3,500. If you would like to donate toward Chance’s care, you can do so through the ‘Donate’ button on the website – www.mwcr.org.

Today Chance went to his foster home near the University of Minnesota Veterinary Hospital in St. Paul. Tuesday his foster mom will bring him to the clinic for evaluation, then he will likely have the surgery performed on Wednesday and stay overnight.  Assuming no complications, he will be discharged on Thursday and hopefully have a speedy and uneventful recovery. It should come as no surprise that this beautiful little fellow already has a forever home waiting in the wings. I know you all join me in wishing this little guy a long and happy life!

Here is a link that describes more about PDA:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/hospital/Services/Companion/Cardiology/conditions/PDA.cfm

                                – Sarah Rebernick, MWCR Vice President

Update: Chance had his appointment for surgical assessment Tuesday, May 24, and they felt that his heart defect was very repairable and so he had his surgery on Wednesday. Chance’s cardiologist called earlier to let us know that his procedure went well, he was in recovery, and they didn’t expect any problems. He should be home on Thursday and will need about 2 weeks with no rough-housing. Such wonderful news and we all hope that Chance continues to do well and lives a long, healthy, and happy life. The accompanying photo is of Chance after playing in the sprinkler this weekend – he is such a cutie!

Rainbow Bridge: Barron

It is with a very heavy heart that I am letting you know that Barron has passed away. In Mid-March he suffered a major seizure and we took him to the University of Minnesota Small Animal Hospital to see if they could figure out what was happening.  Of course, he charmed all of the veterinary staff, but after an MRI scan, they diagnosed him with a large brain tumor.  They said given the size and rate of growth, this is something that has been there for a while. The vet was surprised that the tumor had not affected him earlier, due to its size. They had given him a month, maybe two before the growth would overwhelm his motor systems and he will have to be put to sleep.

Barron adapted well to farm life with his sister Bella. He would help in the barn, with mowing the lawn, chasing the 4-wheeler and keeping the cats in their places. His favorite word was “squirrel”. We have a large picture window that faces all of the feeders that we have.  He would whine at the door to go out and show them who the yard boss was.

He was not with us long, but he wiggled his heart into ours. He was loved and will be missed. – Nancy Boecher