DDR DOG SPOTLIGHT – Page 2 – Downtown Dog Rescue

DDR DOG SPOTLIGHT: COCO!

COCO PUFF!

Coco Puff is about 5 years old, and spent most of his life chained up in a pallet yard in Pomona before his horrible owners went out of business and left him there on his chain to die. Lori remembers the first time that she met Coco at the pallet yard, he was wagging his tail like a wild out of control dog, so happy to see someone new, then the chain jerked his neck as he tried to move out more than 4 ft from where he was chained to. A pole, a heavy chain that you could tow a boat to was about all that he knew of the world.

We suspect that Coco was fought, street style dog fighting, because of all the scars on his face and legs. To look at Coco’s face is like looking at a map of abuse. Somehow, he has learned to forgive and amazingly forget the past. When he first came into our rescue, he would walk 3-4 ft forwards to the side and back, as if he was still chained to the post. This went on for months.

Eventually, by watching the other dogs, he learned how to play. He has mastered play with female dogs only and the rougher the play the better for Coco. In fact, he can play with a whole pack of female pit bulls, no issues. NO male dogs please. He enjoys his simple of life at our kennel, two play times, two meals a day, a nice dog igloo to sleep in, always being able to access fresh water while living in clean run, all things that he never had at his old place.

We are not sure if we will ever be able to find Coco a forever home. He has been in our rescue for the past two years and we have set no time limit to how long he can stay but he sure would benefit from a real home.

If you are an experience pit bull owner looking for one special dog that will be quiet, is not hyper, Coco will probably be the most appreciative dog you will ever meet if you adopt him.

So far, not one application or e-mail for this big boy in 2009, maybe 2010 will be Coco’s lucky year! We are optimistic since Coco is counting on us!

[…]

WHERE ARE THEY NOW DDR Dog Alum Spotlight : STELLA!

Stella, formerly known as Betsy Ross was rescued on the 4th of July in Downtown LA. Lori took her to the shelter because she thought she was someone’s lost dog but ended up adopting her because no one claimed her and she was set to be euthanized.

STELLA
by Leigh Spader

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Stella more than anything. In my eyes she’s the perfect dog and more importantly the perfect dog for me.

When I moved to Los Angeles, I decided to rescue a dog in hopes that it would help me cope with missing my friends and family back east. I’ve always liked bully breeds so I was set on adopting a boxer, bulldog, or pitbull mix of some sort. When I saw Stella on Petfinder I emailed Lori and got the quickest most enthusiastic response. I could tell right away how passionate she was about these dogs. To make a long story short, I met Lori and she introduced me to Stella. She told me all about Stella’s personality and how my home sounded perfect for her. I knew right then that it would be a good match. I brought Stella home with me and it’s been wonderful ever since! Everything Lori said about Stella’s personality was dead on. I’ve now known Lori for a couple years and I am blown away with how well she knows each of her dogs and how great she is at finding their forever homes. She’s kind of a doggie matchmaker of some sorts.

Stella is the most affectionate, playful, happy, silly dog I have ever known! As her mom, of course I’m biased, but everyone she meets just adores her. Even my mother who always says, “Leigh, why can’t you like nice dogs!” fell in love with her. All it took was Stella curling up on the couch and resting her head in my mom’s lap and she was sold! She could not believe a dog that looked like Stella could be so friendly, calm and loving.

I work in the creative field and always have some personal project swirling around in my head. One of them was a crazy idea for a t-shirt. This crazy idea kept coming up in conversations with my friend, so I finally said, “Let’s do it.” We brainstormed names but nothing seemed to sound right. As we continued […]

LORI’S CORNER: BRUNO

I get lots of e-mails and phone calls from people who have adopted Pit bull Terriers from a shelter. The main challenge for most of these new dog owners is dog on dog aggression. The message usually starts out something like this, “When my dog was in the shelter, he was in a run with other dogs, and wasn’t fighting, so why is he aggressive when he meets a new dog now?” No one adopting a shelter dog should assume that just because a dog is OK in a run with other dogs at the shelter, it’s going to be a breeze to introduce and allow your new pit bull to play with dogs. Sometimes, it works out this way, especially if you have a trusted shelter volunteer as we do, Debbie Fan at West LA shelter and Andrea Franks at the South LA shelter, but no one is perfect, no me, not Billy and especially not the dogs that we rescue!

This was the case for our boy Bruno, a beautiful young Pit bull Terrier, who was red listed at the South LA shelter. He was in a run with a couple other intact male dogs and did fine day after day. No fights. No aggression. When Andrea sent me his plea, Billy and I decided to check him out. At the shelter, Billy took him out of the run, walked him in front of lots of barking dogs. He saw no leash aggression, and no aggression towards the dogs going back into the run. In fact, he seemed submissive. We rescued him. Then everything changed when Billy entered our Vet’s waiting room. Not only did Bruno growl, he snapped, challenged on leash and went crazy at every dog in the waiting room. The staff was even concerned. Billy called his change in behavior a “180” meaning he went from being a scared submissive shelter dog to a scared out of control rescue dog in less than an hour.

The first day at our kennel was also not good. He literally barked for an entire day. He didn’t connect with me and wouldn’t listen. I could tell that he was fearful and very leash aggressive when walking past all of the dogs in their runs. Billy started running him on his bike, taking him on correction walks and dominating him until one day he was ready to meet some dogs out in the yard. The big day that we had all been waiting […]

WHERE ARE THEY NOW DDR Dog Alum Spotlight : CHOWDER

CHOWDER..aka..Benny

by Theresa Meyers Fraser

I adopted Chowder from DowntownDog Rescue in August of 2008. Chowder is what they call an “American Bully”. A new trend of shorter and wider Pit Bulls. Sought after by irresponsible people, our shelters are now filled with this hot new trend of Bullies. He was purchased for the sole purpose of breeding and making money for his thug owner. Chowder had been left in a yard with other dogs but had little to no human socialization. His owner went to jail before Chowder was even old enough to breed and was almost thrown out on the street by the other family members who did not want him. Luckily DowntownDog Rescue stepped in to save him from certain death.

He was a sweet but timid puppy who was a little unsure of himself and very unsure of people. However, Chowder had one thing going for him…he was “superb” with other dogs and loved being a part of a pack. Since I already had 2 other dogs I knew Chowder would be a good fit for us, regardless of how he felt about humans. At the time I had no idea that Chowder would one day play an important role in helping me to save other dogs.

Right away I noticed that Chowder seemed to have a special way with other dogs. We used to go to the dog park on a regular basis and several different people approached me on different occasions telling me things like “My dog never plays with other dogs, but he seems to love your dog” or “This is the first time I have seen my dog play, he is usually nervous at the dog park”. And of course I was proud to have the great tempered Pit Bull. Sadly, there were those occasions where I saw people “flee” the park when they saw Chowder coming in.

Over the last year I started to foster dogs. I completely rely on Chower’s ability to give an honest insight into a dog’s temperment. So much so that […]

WHERE ARE THEY NOW DDR Dog Alum Spotlight : DOZER

Dozer (Formerly Known As Mikey):
An Adoption Story
By Tammy and Kevin Weaver

West Hollywood, circa 2008.

Newly engaged couple with lively exuberant red-nosed pocket pit were happily planning their wedding when they received tragic news — their beloved pit bull was diagnosed with a rare smooth-muscle cancer.

Compton, circa 2008.

A big white pup — part American bulldog and part pit — refuses to be a fighter and is tossed in a pallet yard with a broken leg. He is rescued by Downtown Dog Rescue, where he is known as Mikey.

This is Mikey (before he became Dozer), photographed by Douglas Hill
for the Downtown Dogs book and the Downtown Dog Rescue 2009 Calendar

*****

We lost our pit bull Deuce to cancer a few months before our wedding in June 2009, and we were devastated. We thought that it would be a long, long time before we were ready to adopt another dog, but our downtown loft started to feel awfully empty without a tail-wagging occupant. So, we began the search for our new pup. We both knew we wanted another pit bull — any stereotypes, preconceptions, or fears we previously had regarding pits had been entirely dispelled by Deuce’s fierce loyalty, playfulness, and affection. Tammy, however, adamantly wanted another pocket pit (Deuce had only been 40 lbs), one that she would have no problem walking on a leash and that could sit in her lap like Deuce had.

We found a listing for Bradley, a three year-old medium-sized red-nosed pit, at Downtown Dog Rescue, contacted Lori, and set up a meeting, only one week before our wedding. Bradley was friendly enough, and at about 40 to 50 lbs, just the right size. “Bradley’s great with other dogs,” Lori told us, “Let me bring his buddy Mikey out to show you!” Out comes Big Mike, bounding up to us with puppy enthusiasm, and Mikey promptly attempts to lay his 75-pound self upside down onto Kevin’s lap. Done.

At the park and the beach shortly after being adopted

Posing for Kevin

Now, 8 months later, Dozer is happily settled into his new home. He sleeps like no other dog we’ve ever seen (on his back with his four paws in the air), hangs out with Kevin every day (Kevin is a photographer who works out of the loft), loves car rides, trips […]

WHERE ARE THEY NOW DDR Dog Alum Spotlight : MAGGIE & TRIXIE

MAGGIE & TRIXIE
by Dorene E. Perkins

I got my first dog in 1980 when I was 14 years old. He was a beautiful stray American Eskimo Spitz/Samoyed mix, and my brother was outside on a beautiful summer day in the suburbs of Chicago, and along came this dog. My brother lured him into the house, unbeknownst to our mother who was at work. When she came home later that evening she heard barking. Then she saw this streak of white bounding towards her. The she asked (or rather shouted) “whose dog is this and where did it come from!” My brother sheepishly replied “I just opened the door and he came right in”. I was officially hooked.

Snow was the first dog I ever really came into contact with in my young life. The vet thought he was around 1-1/2 years old. We had a lot of fun with him for 12 years, on the day my sister got married, August 8, 1992, Snow had a massive stroke. My boyfriend (now my husband Mark) raced over and we took him to the vet and they stabilized him, but by Monday he was in worse shape than when we brought him in, so I called my family (minus my sister who was on her honeymoon in Hawaii) to let them know that he had to be put down, and ask if anyone would like to see him prior to that. I called the vet and gave them the okay, and my first beloved dog was gone.

My husband and I were married on October 9, 1993 and when we bought our first home in January 1994 I announced very tearfully that I had to have another dog, I couldn’t handle being without one any longer. In April, a litter of black Labrador Retrievers was born, and the weekend of July 4, 1994 we brought home Smokie Bear. He was a bundle of trouble!!! One year later, we adopted a sweet Rhodesian Ridgeback we named Daisy Mae, and I felt that our family was complete. I was wrong. Our neighbors’ cat had just had kittens and I fell in love with a sweet black kitty who I named Boris. Boris was raised with the dogs; therefore he was the most awesome cat ever. He would come when I called him, he loved to be around people, and he loved his two huge cousins. We acquired Rascal in 1999 from a friend of my mom who fell on hard times and had to move in with a friend who was highly allergic to cats. She asked if we could keep him for a year, and she thought she would be back on her feet.

We have had Rascal now for 11 years, and he is still […]

DDR DOG SPOTLIGHT(s): COME SAY HELLO TO US AT ADOPTION THIS SATURDAY! 2/27/10

Hi everyone! This is Rickie Lee and Travis — we’re both DDR dogs asked to introduce and push our co-DDR buddies to the PITStop public! We will ALL be at adoption this Saturday at the PETCO Pasadena.

Please come visit us! We love to get pets and hugs and we’ll give you great kisses in return!

RICKIE LEE

TRAVIS (I’m Deb’s Dog of the Week!)

Here we go!

AMANDA

Amanda is 4-5 year old and is about 35 lbs. She is spayed and current on all vaccinations. She is a very petite and friendly pit bull terrier. She has had a very hard life. Her original owner, a taxi driver, lost his home, and he had no choice but to keep her in his taxi and drive her around with the passengers he picked up. This worked until someone complained to the cab company. He found a neighbor in Compton with a yard who already had 15 dogs on her property. This was ok for a few weeks until Animal Control mandated that she get rid of 12 dogs, Amanda being one of the dogs. Off she went to a poorly run kennel where she was warehoused in a tiny crate with hardly any food and dirty water. She was attacked by other dogs at this facility and as a result, suffered bite wounds to her face and muzzle. She is definitely not a fighter but had to fight for food and water at this kennel. But don’t worry, Amanda is sweet sweet sweet and she did not let this bad place change the lovely personality that she has. Animal Control began investigate the kennel and they were mandated to reduce their numbers; this is where Downtown Dog Rescue came in. Amanda was rescued because she had no chance of a good life if we didn’t take her. Emaciated, full of fleas, a bad eye that is still being treated, she is so grateful to have food, water, a blanket and a dog house every night to sleep in. Slowly, we are teaching her to walk on a leash and allowing her to enjoy her time with our dog pack. Please consider adopting or even fostering to adopt sweet Amanda who has been to hell and back.

Amanda is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

ASKIM

DDR DOG SPOTLIGHT: NERO!

NERO

Life in the 61st Street Kennels

Meet Nero, a 4-5 year old Spaniel mix who weighs approximately 45lbs. He is a wonderful dog, so deserving of a good home considering where he came from. When we first met Nero, he was living in a kennel with 80+ other dogs, crowded on to a property where there was very little good for the dogs. Yes, they were fed and had water, but that’s about it. He was in a run, in the dark, 24/7 with two very dog aggressive dogs on both sides of his run. He was beyond nervous and very traumatized by the constant barking. While living at this kennel, he was never walked, no one petted him, bathed him, or really cared about him, he was just another dog on the property. In fact, no one there even took the time to give him a name. He was picked up by the kennel owner, off the street in South Central LA. We are guessing he was a stray because he is a jumper.

Life with Downtown Dog Rescue

If you are considering adopting Nero, we ask that you either crate him when you are not home, or have an adequately fenced yard, otherwise, he is a really good boy who has been neutered and vaccinated. He was in a foster home but the person can’t keep him anymore and doesn’t have time to work with him. Right now, he is living back in a kennel and needs a forever home or a foster who cares enough to understand what he has been through.

SMILING ABOUT MY NEW LIFE

IN SOMEONE’S HOME

Nero is housetrained, loves riding in the car and is ready now to be adopted.

Nero is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

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