Shorty...

I am so happy for one of my favorite boys at the shelter, Shorty.  Shorty left the shelter on Saturday to stay with one of our volunteers, Elizabeth.  He is the latest dog to join the ranks of Shelter Link's foster dogs.  Elizabeth loves Shorty as much as I do, and decided she had to foster him.  It was a nerve wracking morning waiting to see how Shorty would get along with Elizabeth's two dogs, but in true Shorty fashion, mellow, calm,  and happy-go-lucky, the dogs did great together.  I watched Shorty happily get into Jack's truck to go off and get groomed before arriving at his new home.  It was a very sweet moment to witness.  He looked very curious as he sat and waited for Jack.  Take a look at my boy now that he is all cleaned up!

I have never seen his coat so white!  I can only imagine how good it must have felt to get all cleaned up. He looks amazing!  Shorty is super special to me.  I have been taking him out at the shelter since August when I started volunteering.  Not only is he the most gentle, happy soul, he also just happens to be deaf.  You would think that being deaf would make this boy nervous, but it has quite the opposite effect for him.  He is so calm and well balanced.  He's just a big mush, happy to give you a kiss or play with a toy.  And that one ear up, matches his silly personality.

Shorty is doing awesome at Elizabeth's house.  He is throughly enjoying sleeping in a warm dog bed, and playing with his toys.  He loves going for walks too with his new best bud.

Shorty will be meeting my two dogs this weekend to see how they get along.  I am crossing my fingers! We'll be watching Shorty in a few weeks for Elizabeth, and it will be a trial of some sorts to see how he does here.  If all goes well, we may be adding this gentle giant to our pack.  I can't wait to see him this Sunday outside of the shelter enjoying life!

For those of you deterred from adopting a deaf dog, think twice about it.  Sometimes not being able to hear is a beautiful thing for a dog.  No loud stimuli to make them nervous or crazy.  I have found that a large part of what makes Shorty such an amazing mellow guy, is his lack of hearing.  And training is easier than you think, Shorty knows a lot of basic commands with the use of hand signals.  I'll keep you updated on Shorty's progress.

Thanks for reading!

I Don't Know How You Do It...

I often hear these words spoken when I tell people I volunteer at the Islip Animal Shelter and foster dogs.  If I had a $1 for every time I heard someone say that, I would be rich.  It is just sad.  It is very easy for people to live blissfully unaware of the trials and tribulations of the dogs here in our community and beyond, but I choose not to be blissfully unaware.  I am painfully aware of the tragedies that occur, and the many homeless animals and their sad stories, as are the other members of Shelter Link and the staff at animal shelters across the country.  I have seen horrific images of animals beaten and battered, starved, scarred and worse.  I often wonder what kind of world we live in, that these acts so freely occur with little to no repercussions.  For example, take a look at the darling Hope, who is at the Islip Animal Shelter.

This darling, beautiful girl, not only sports an atrocious crop job to her ears, which I am sure was not professionally done and was very painful for her, but she also bears many scars, perhaps the result of people trying to profit from fighting her.  DISGUSTING.  Yet, her kind spirit and love of humans remains, despite their heinous acts towards her.  Truly, these dogs ability to forgive our race amazes me daily. 

So you say I don't know how you do it.  This is how I do it.  I go to the shelter and give love to dogs that may never have known any.  I throw them a ball.  I teach them how to sit and stay.  I give them treats.  I welcome dogs into my home that have no other chance, and give them hope, and find them a  family who will give them everything they deserve and more.  I get emotional, sad at times, but joyous most others.  I choose not to turn a blind eye to the outrageous epidemic of homeless animals and cruelty towards them.  And I get so much more in return.  That's how I do it.  

So ask yourself this, how do you not do it?

'Tis the Season...

Can't believe Christmas is less than one month away!  While brave people went out at 4 am this morning to fight for sales, my pups were snuggled all safe in their beds.  Sadly, too many pups I know were not.  Shelter Link invites you to foster with us this holiday season, and make a big impact on the lives of those who didn't ask for they life they were given.  Shelter Link sponsors all the dogs we have in foster care, and covers all expenses.  We are always fund raising to cover these expenses and to fund our other programs, like our spay/neuter program.  If you are unable to foster, perhaps you could donate to our cause.  Any amount is greatly appreciated, and no amount is too small.  We are growing, and appreciate your support.

Also, come down and see us in the Annual Sayville Holiday Parade this Saturday morning at 9 am.  It's sure to be fun for the kids, and will put you in the holiday spirit!  Skye and Sammy will be marching in this year's parade.  Maybe you would like to meet them too!

Thanks for reading, Happy Black Friday!

Peanut...

There she is!  Check out that smile!  Peanut is really enjoying her new foster home and family.  They think she is just beautiful, and are already smitten with her.  She really loves baking in the sun, looking out their front door.

Is there anything better than seeing that?!  This girl has been laying on cold cement for quite some time in the shelter, so I am sure this is heaven to her.  It is precious to see her this way, enjoying such a simple thing like looking out the door.  Her foster family, good friends of mine, tell me, this is one of her favorite things to do.

And there she is enjoying her new back yard.  Her foster mama tells me she loves to run around the back yard, and even buried one of her treats yesterday.  Too cute!  For those of us at the shelter, there is nothing sweeter than seeing one of our favorite dogs finally get the life she deserves.  She is adjusting very well to her new home, and loves playing with her toys, laying on her comfy bed and being loved by her family.

She is particularly fond of her foster Daddy, and I am pretty sure, he with her. ;)  There is nothing like seeing a 6 foot man reduced to mush by a 70 lb dog.  Look at her snuggling up, while he is petting her.

I am going to see Peanut today, and can't wait to see her out of the shelter environment!  Shelter Link member and dog trainer, Jack, has spent lots of time at Peanut's new home, and has given Peanut what I like to call "Jack" days.  These are special days for any dog.  Jack loves to take the dogs for long bike rides, and just spend quality time with them, letting them experience the world.  Every dog should have a Jack day.  Francey, Peanuts foster mommy, tells me they have learned so much already from Jack.  He has given them the knowledge and tools to use with not only Peanut, but their own pooch, Max.  Francey and her family are so grateful for this experience and are so happy to give Peanut a loving home.

Peanut thanks you for reading, and thinks everyone should foster a loving dog like her.  It will be an amazing journey for you!  Shelter Link is so happy to have 3 dogs in foster care, 2 of them Pits.  Kringle and Precious still need foster families.  Please consider coming down and meeting them.  You would be giving them a chance at a new life.  Click here to see more about Kringle and Precious.

Food for Thought...

This was written by a woman about fostering shelter dogs...really put things into perspective for me.

Where my dogs came from isn't as important as where they are going. With rescues, sometimes we know. Often we don't.

Every dog was once a puppy. Any number of things could be factors in getting them to where they were the day before they came here but those were yesterday. Now we concentrate on today with an eye towards tomorrow.

We're not going to repeat history because WE don't have a history. Yet. Eventually our todays will combine and we will have a history but it will be OUR history. Our history will provide a predictability that we can build upon. A trust.

What happened when a dog was 6 weeks old, 8 months old, or 2 years old impacted him - has an affect on who is standing before me, but what's important is where we go from here.

~author unknown

Isabel, a beautiful Weimaraner mix at the Islip Animal Shelter

Please consider fostering with us, and making a positive history with one of our beautiful loving dogs...

We Need Your Help ASAP!

We have two beautiful dogs we need to find foster homes for asap.  If you can't foster, please spread the word for us, and help us get these two amazing dogs on their way to their forever home.

Meet the very handsome Kringle.  Kringle sadly has spent most of his life in a shelter.  When I adopted Cleo last November, he was the puppy next to her, so imagine my surprise and sadness to see he was still there when I started to volunteer in August.  All of us at Shelter Link just adore him.  He has the most beautiful unique eyes you will ever see.  When you look into them, they will steal your heart.  He is a great guy who deserves a chance at being in a real home, a foster home on his way to his forever family.  Maybe you can open your heart to foster or adopt him.  Kringle is around 1 1/2 years old.  He loves to play with other dogs and is good with children.  If interested please contact us asap.  Read more on Kringle here.

Look at Little Miss Precious!  She reminds me so much of my dog, Cleo.  Precious is such a great girl who loves people.  She loves to play ball, is super curious and just plain silly.  If you love to cuddle, she is your girl!  She is quite the princess and needs to be the only animal in your home.  She is a beautiful brindle terrier mix, who will only put smiles on your face.  Your life will truly be enriched by her.  Contact us asap if you can help Precious.  See more about her here. 

I can tell you from first hand experience, this will be an amazing journey for you,these are both great dogs, and you will have unlimited support from Shelter Link.  All you need to do, is open your home and your heart.

If you want to really rescue a dog, save a life, and make a difference in this world, please foster a dog with us.

The 1st Day of a New Life...

There she is, Miss Skye.  Last night was an emotional night for my oldest daughter and me, as we sat with Skye, petting her, getting her to relax and drift off to sleep.  We talked about how we saved Skye, how today there were so many firsts for her...it may well have been her first time in a home.  We don't know. We could see the reality set in that she was no longer bound to a cage, as we walked her and my dogs with 3 of the volunteers at Shelter Link around my block.  She became a different dog, one who was more sure of herself, peppy and definitely happy.  She mastered the stairs relatively quickly, considering she may never have climbed stairs before, and was afraid at first of them.  But patience and love always win out.

I turned the TV on in my bedroom where Skye was, and she got so scared, backing away from it.  I can only imagine how big of a day yesterday was for her, how overwhelming it must have felt.  A new home, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 kids and 2 adults as housemates.  A big yard with lots of new smells, noises that are normal to any household, but foreign to her.  A lot to take in when you have spent the past 2 months of your life in a kennel in a shelter, and before that, who knows.  It was beautiful to watch her finally settle in on a spot on the rug in my bedroom, and close her eyes, breathing a big sigh, ready to relax.  She spent the night sleeping on the floor next to my bed on the side I lay, and never moved.  My one dog, Coco, right beside her.  I bet berber carpeting never felt so good!

This morning, she was a bit nervous, and had an accident in the house, but who cares, that's why there are paper towels and Clorox wipes.  She will find her way here, slowly but surely, I am positive of that.  It's new to Skye, and us, and we will all learn together.

You might be wondering what is wrong with her eyes.  Skye had eye surgery to correct a common eye condition in dogs, called Entropion.  She is still healing up, and should be all better soon with the help of an antibiotic cream.

So there you have it, Skye's 1st day, I'm sure it ranks up there as one of her best, it certainly is one of ours.  Skye is off to the beauty parlor soon for her first spa treatment, thanks to the fabulous ladies at Lad & Lassie Groomer in Islip.

A reader forwarded me this video which shows how one person doing one thing, makes such a difference.  Maybe it will inspire you to do one thing.  I warn you now, you will need tissues.  {Don't forget to scroll down and turn off our music player.}

As always, thanks for reading...

A Great Day...

It is 6:30 am, and my 6 year old daughter just asked me, Is today Wednesday?  Smiling, I tell her it is, and she excitedly says, Skye's coming!  Today is a great day for Shelter Link, and for me in particular.  We will be fostering one of the beautiful Pitbull babies, well she's not a baby, she's around 2 ;), here at my home.  She'll arrive this afternoon, and we can't wait!  She is such a sweet girl, who will thrive being out of the shelter environment.  She's a special dog, afraid, but coming out of her shell.  It became apparent to us that whoever had her before she ended up at the shelter, wasn't very nice to her.  But that is all behind her now.  The volunteers worked with her at the shelter, coaxing her to learn to trust again, and you would be amazed how quickly she did.  Dogs have an amazing capacity to forgive and live in the now.

Look at Skye and Valentino, another mush at the shelter waiting for his family, having some fun this past Saturday. {She's the gray beauty on the right.}

I will be posting lots about Skye's time with us, her progress and photos.  My daughter's are so excited we get to help her, and find her a forever home.  They helped pick out a new collar and dog bowl for her yesterday.  As a parent, I am thrilled to give them this experience, as there as so many lessons they will learn and take with them the rest of their life.

Skye is Shelter Link's 3rd foster dog in the past 2 months.  Hopefully, that number will grow quickly, as we have more fosters in place.  Shelter Link's first foster dog, Winnie, is already at her forever home, being spoiled and loved on.  Her family is very smitten with her.  I will be posting more about Winnie's love story soon.  If you would like to see our dogs being fostered, click here.

Fostering a dog is no doubt going to be an amazing and joyous experience for myself and my family.  I know tears will be shed when we turn over her leash to her new forever family.  But we'll think about the impact we had on her life, and how we loved her like she was our own.  And that will make it all worth it!

Providing a temporary home for a dog in need is very important.  Here are 10 reasons why you should consider taking a foster into your home to become a part of your family.  In animal rescue, a foster home is a necessary ingredient for moving a dog out of a shelter and on the way to a good forever home.

1.  Some dogs don’t do at all well in a shelter environment. They may be elderly or frightened of the smells and sounds. These dogs have a much greater chance of being adopted if they’re placed in a home environment and are given some TLC.

2.  If a foster dog needs veterinary care, the shelter organization takes care of that.

3.  Fostering a dog can be a rewarding experience for anyone of any age. You can enjoy the companionship of a dog that needs a temporary home.

4.  As you spend time with your foster dog, you can learn about canine behavior, grooming, and social interactions.

5.  You’ll learn the finer points about the dog’s personality. This is a wonderful gift you can give to people looking to adopt the dog. You’ll be able to inform them of all the strong points, as well as areas that need to be focused on if they are considering adopting your foster dog.

6.  If you already have a dog, fostering can provide your pup with a companion and playmate.

7.  Fostering a dog teaches children about compassion and generosity.

8.  Fostering means that you save a life. You are making room for another dog at the shelter. One more open run or kennel.

9.  Having a foster dog lets you actively participate in the rehabilitation of a traumatized or needy dog. Due to the attention and security you give him in your home, your foster can become a different dog, less timid and less emotionally or physically injured.

10.  Most of all, fostering is incredibly satisfying. The day your foster dog finds his perfect forever home might be a sad one for you, but know that he wouldn’t be where he is without all of your efforts and affection!

To foster with us, click here for more information.

We need you... they need you.