Pet Rescue

Sophie Update!

by Adam L Silverman| July 1, 20207:47 pm| 75 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Furry Friends, Healthcare, Nature & Respite, Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

AWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone know the hospital code for cuteness overload?

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, and then a last minute push from a donor who has a rescued Boston terrier from the local Boston terrier rescue to push the funding over the top, Sophie had her eye surgery yesterday. Her human sent this yesterday:

Surgery went well.She’s home but pretty groggy as they had to put her under general anesthesia.She ate a little, drank a little, and has been mostly sleeping on my lap – she’s like a little furnace!She still has an IV in her leg.I’ll take her back tomorrow for a 24 hr check and they’ll take it out then.

And today’s update:

Sacked out again after going under anesthesia today again to repair stitches in her left eye that were leaking. Poor little girl!

So that little complication aside, everything seems to have gone well and she’s at home resting comfortably.

Thank you all for your generosity and helping Sophie afford her surgery!

Open thread!

Sophie Update!Post + Comments (75)

For Sophie! A Request For Some Pet Assistance

by Adam L Silverman| June 14, 20209:28 pm| 89 Comments

This post is in: Bleg, Dog Blogging, Nature, Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

Allow me to introduce my next door neighbor Sophie!

As you can see, she’s thrilled to meet you…

Sophie moved in at the end of this past winter. She was originally a foster pup from the local Boston Terrier rescue. Her human’s yellow lab had passed away several months before after a long and good life. The great news is that next door is Sophie’s forever home! The bad news is that Sophie, who is two, has really bad canine cataracts and is blind. The good news is there is surgery that can correct this. The not so good news is that while it isn’t cost prohibitive, it isn’t cheap either. Back when Sophie’s human told me that the vet who specializes in doing these types of surgery examined her and said she’d be a good candidate, I told her that when they were ready to do it that I’d put a request for donations up here. Because you all are kind, big hearted folks. While the surgery had been delayed for several weeks because of Florida’s sort of safer at home orders, they are now ready to get it scheduled and done.

Here’s what Jeanne, Sophie’s human, sent over this morning:

HELP! Sophie Marie came into our rescue 5 months ago with little to no sight and needs surgery! Sophie hadn’t seen a vet since she was 4 months old, had not had shots/vaccinations, or had her cataracts diagnosed/treated. Sophie was only about 16 pounds and her ribs and spine were obvious. But despite this neglect, Sophie had the ability to trust and bond with a new human. She is a sweet and funny girl that likes nothing better than to be curled up on your lap or at least touching you. Sophie has gotten much more comfortable meeting new people over the months and it has been wonderful to see her gain more confidence. We can’t wait to see the dog she becomes with vision! As you can imagine, juvenile bilateral cataract surgery is a big deal, and a big expense. We hope that you will join us in our fight to save Sophie’s sight by donating any amount you can.
https://www.paypal.me/btrfl.
They can also use the email address with Paypal or Google Pay: [email protected]
If they would prefer to send a check, they can send it to our lockbox at:
Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida
4300 W. Lake Mary Blvd. #1010-358
Lake Mary, FL 32746
We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 80-0020296
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF CH14503 MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY VISiTING www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com OR CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Any funds collected in excess of the amount needed to pay for the vet bills for Sophie Marie will be applied to the vet care of other foster dogs in BTRFL’s care.

The announcement is also on the Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida website and Facebook page.

Anything you all can do will be greatly appreciated! And as part of thanking you all in advance, here’s a bonus picture of Sophie rocking one of her sweaters out in the side yard between our properties.

You all know what to do!

Open thread!

For Sophie! A Request For Some Pet AssistancePost + Comments (89)

New Friends for Tough Times

by WaterGirl| March 30, 20202:09 pm| 159 Comments

This post is in: Nature & Respite, Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

A couple of Jackals have new additions to their families his month. Welcome Finch and Bear!

RedDirtGirl gets a new friend!
I wanted to share some photos of the sweet pupper that is staying with me for the time being. Her name is Finch. At some point I’ll find my forever dog, but I’m lucky to have her company right now, when things are so bleak.
Here she is back in early March checking out my neighborhood.
Here she is snoozling on my bed.
This is her favorite spot in the apartment.

And another new friend, of the permanent variety, for:

BGinCHI and family!
Well, we adopted a puppy today. He’s energetic and then bam, down for a nap. He’s a sweet dog: playful but also a little shy and reserved. We all have some getting to know each other time coming.
Does he know he’s “home” yet? I think he’s getting it. We got him from a herding dogs rescue shelter. He’s 3+ months. Mother an American cattle dog (blue heeler). Father unknown, but his litter mates all have white and gray marl. He’s the only black one.
Here’s Bear this morning, settling in on his red blanket.
And here he is yesterday, all tuckered out after the big move.
Yesterday, again, scoping things out.
Not quite napping, but definitely resting.

Is anyone else making new friends, furry or otherwise?

New Friends for Tough TimesPost + Comments (159)

Cat Rescue REBOOT: Shakespeare (NYC) Still Needs A New Home

by Anne Laurie| February 26, 20201:33 pm| 36 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Pet Rescue

Update from Deb S:

Still need a home for Shakespeare. He got sick over the weekend, and the timing was good because we found out after an ultrasound and before the planned adoption that he has two chronic conditions. The first is a slow-growing benign liver tumor that will only become a health issue if it gets large enough to put pressure on something important.
The other condition is either inflammatory bowel disease or a slow-growing bowel cancer. Treatment for both is the same: monitor for symptoms and treat as necessary.
All of this makes the adoption more difficult as he must now be considered a special-needs cat. The jackal who had planned to take him has no means of transportation and has reluctantly backed out. I would still like to get him adopted out of NYC if possible rather than take him to Maine with me where I think I’ll have a harder time finding a home. So if anyone is interested he is still available. Thanks.

Hello Juicers. I’m a long-time lurker, from the days when B-J was on the Dkos blog-roll and John was still a republican.
My mom is in home hospice in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, and neither my brother nor I can take Shakespeare, her part Russian Blue mix. He is the best cat to ever own her. Typical Russian Blue personality, his goal in life is to be on a person. Vocal and loving, if he’s complaining either his food dish is empty or you need to SIT DOWN THIS MINUTE so he can jump into your lap. The picture is of him homing in on my lap like a heat-seeking missile.
My mom got Shakespeare about 10 years ago from a rescue connected with her vet’s office, after losing her prior cat to old age. He is at least 13, and maybe older.
He has a tilt to his head and is a bit asymmetrical, we think he might have been hit by a car or suffered some other traumatic injury before my mom got him. And he has a nervous habit of over-grooming and pulling out his own fur that has gotten worse as my mom’s condition worsened and she could no longer give him the attention he was used to.
He needs a lot of love and would probably do best with another shut-in, or a family with one or more older children who can dote on him and give him the affection he craves. He loved visits from the children who used to live next door. I don’t know how he would do with other pets but safest would be a home with none.

Steeplejack would probably attest — for someone who works from home, a senior cat can be the perfect pet.

If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, leave a comment or contact me via the link in the blogroll.

Deb S:It’s hard to get a good picture – if he’s awake and you’re near him he’s heading for your lap. In this pic he’s reaching for my hand because I’m not petting him as I should be.

Cat Rescue REBOOT: Shakespeare (NYC) Still Needs A New HomePost + Comments (36)

Cat Rescue Bleg Update: Shakespeare Needs A Ride, NYC – Baltimore

by Anne Laurie| February 21, 20205:23 pm| 31 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Pet Rescue

Commentor Luciamia has offered Shakespeare a home — but she doesn’t have transport. Update from Deb S:

My mom has only a week or two to live, Luciamia is in Baltimore… If a volunteer can make the trip, that will make my life easier. I can pay expenses. I also got medication to calm him during the trip that I can administer in advance…
I’m trying to run back home to Maine for a day to get one of my own cats boarded, the one who vanishes and can’t be found to be pilled. By the time I get home she’ll have been off her meds for over a week. I would like to send Shakespeare on his way first. We need to keep him locked away from my mother because she’s on oxygen and we can’t risk him disturbing anything, I’ll feel better knowing he’s out of the apartment before I leave.

Anyone got some spare time this weekend? Big ask, I know. Best would be if people could do shifts, swapping Shakespeare off at service stops between NYC and Baltimore.

I don’t know if public transit would be possible, if someone were willing to ride down & back with his crate under the seat. Does Amtrak permit pets? Is there an intercity bus route that would work?

Other city-to-city pet transport services under short notice? (I’d donate towards costs here… )

Anybody wants to volunteer, or has information that would help, leave a comment below. Or contact me via email and I’ll forward your message to Deb.

Cat Rescue Bleg Update: Shakespeare Needs A Ride, NYC – BaltimorePost + Comments (31)

Cat Rescue Bleg – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

by Anne Laurie| February 19, 20202:00 pm| 22 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Pet Rescue

From “mostly lurker” Big R:

I am currently in the process of rescuing a stray cat that has taken to coming around my apartment. I would rather he go to a home where we know he will be loved, but will take him to a reputable rescue if needed.
If the jackals can crowd-fund to pay for caring for him until he’s socialized and for transport, I’ll do a BJ rescue (and do the driving myself). If nobody’s interested or we can’t raise the scratch, I’ll find him a place at a good rescue. Either way, I’ll keep feeding him and trying to gain his trust until I have his destination sorted out…
With those preliminaries said, meet Strayertes. Available to a good home upon request and approval of BJ staff. He’s located in West Alabama (I’m in Tuscaloosa.)
ETA: This whole thing just became newly urgent. He came inside, so I really need to move him along before my current cats kill him.

If you have any suggestions, for re-homing or fostering or trustworthy shelters in the area, leave a comment. If you want to donate towards Strayerte’s vet checkup / transport, email me; I’ll send you Big R’s PayPal addy. (Any leftover funds will be donated to the West Alabama Humane Society.)

And, since I know you’re all curious… Shakespeare *may* have a new home waiting; the prospective adopter has contacted Deb S. I’ll update as things develop.

Cat Rescue Bleg – Tuscaloosa, AlabamaPost + Comments (22)

Cat Rescue Bleg – NYC

by Anne Laurie| February 17, 20204:27 pm| 36 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Pet Rescue

From long-time lurker Deb S:

Hello Juicers. I’m a long-time lurker, from the days when B-J was on the Dkos blog-roll and John was still a republican.
My mom is in home hospice in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, and neither my brother nor I can take Shakespeare, her part Russian Blue mix. He is the best cat to ever own her. Typical Russian Blue personality, his goal in life is to be on a person. Vocal and loving, if he’s complaining either his food dish is empty or you need to SIT DOWN THIS MINUTE so he can jump into your lap. The picture is of him homing in on my lap like a heat-seeking missile.
My mom got Shakespeare about 10 years ago from a rescue connected with her vet’s office, after losing her prior cat to old age. He is at least 13, and maybe older.
He has a tilt to his head and is a bit asymmetrical, we think he might have been hit by a car or suffered some other traumatic injury before my mom got him. And he has a nervous habit of over-grooming and pulling out his own fur that has gotten worse as my mom’s condition worsened and she could no longer give him the attention he was used to.
He needs a lot of love and would probably do best with another shut-in, or a family with one or more older children who can dote on him and give him the affection he craves. He loved visits from the children who used to live next door. I don’t know how he would do with other pets but safest would be a home with none.
I will take him to the vet and get him caught up on his vaccinations before he is re-homed.

Steeplejack would probably attest — for someone who works from home, a senior cat can be the perfect pet.

If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, leave a comment or contact me via the link in the blogroll.

Deb S:It’s hard to get a good picture – if he’s awake and you’re near him he’s heading for your lap. In this pic he’s reaching for my hand because I’m not petting him as I should be.

Cat Rescue Bleg – NYCPost + Comments (36)

Kitten Rescue Bleg – San Francisco Area

by Anne Laurie| February 3, 20205:18 pm| 23 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Pet Rescue

Emergency plea from commentor Tulip:

From Starry in the R barn at Hossmoor. As many know, in November, 3 tiny kittens were found with their mom living by the covered arena at Hossmoor. Boarders caught two of the kittens who were distressed and hungry.
We contacted “Community Concern for Cats” (a non profit) for help. We were able to catch the mom and third (orange) kitten. CC4C has been great and handled spay, neuter and shots for all 3 (normally $400- $600 per cat at a vets office). They are all tested for FIV/LEUK and are negative. Perfect Kitties!
The person fostering can no longer keep them. The grey and white female and the orange male kitten need permanent homes very soon. They are healthy beautiful little kitties and ready to go. They have been living /w other cats and do great with other cats.
The tri colored female kitty has a hind leg injury (tho she is not aware of her handicap and is actually the boss of the three kittens). This kitty however needs surgery that CC4C vets will handle in the near future. She is also available.
Please get the word out about these wonderful kittens. They can’t stay with the foster any longer and need homes soon.

If you’re interested, know someone who might be interested, or have suggestions for another foster, leave a comment below. Or contact me directly ([email protected]) and I’ll pass your message on to Tulip.

Kitten Rescue Bleg – San Francisco AreaPost + Comments (23)

Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 Calendars – Ready to Order: Repost

by WaterGirl| January 28, 20209:10 pm| 66 Comments

This post is in: Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

Order Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 Calendars at this link

Click on Our Store at the top of the site and choose the 2020 calendar on the left.

If your previous calendar order was cancelled, you will need to place an order again.

Why were many of the weekend orders cancelled? The answer from Cafe Press went something like this: we’re not sure, broken image… mumble mumble, no we don’t know why… mumble mumble, or how that happened, and no, no one actually fixed anything… mumble mumble, but orders seem to be going through okay now so mumble mumble it should be fine now.

That didn’t inspire confidence, and in the end, Beth recreated the calendar on the Balloon Juice store on Cafe Press.

If you hadn’t already checked the calendar for your pets and pet names, please send email to WaterGirl and include the names of your pets, or share that information in the thread below. Either way, I can check for you and let you know.

It’s a really special calendar this year, with the inclusion of an In Memoriam feature, honoring jackals who have gone on before us. You can read more about that at the link to the original announcement on Saturday.

Link to the original Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 announcement from Saturday.

Update: First 40 comments were from earlier today, before it got buried.

Update 2: 10:00 pm. Someone asked for a direct link to MARC:

Marion Animal Resource Connection

Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 Calendars – Ready to Order: RepostPost + Comments (66)

Cafe Press Balloon Juice Calendar Hiccup (Temporarily)

by WaterGirl| January 26, 202012:51 pm| 24 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

It seems that Cafe Press, in its infinite wisdom, had cancelled all the Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 calendar orders and has issued refunds.

We have no idea why that would have happened. We will be contacting Customer (dis) Service first thing in the morning and will provide an update as soon as we know anything.

Please keep an eye on the Blue Box just below the Balloon guy for Calendar updates. If you’re on a mobile device, the calendar information is item #3 in the Hamburger.

Thanks to mistermix for being the canary in the coal mine, and alerting us to his un-asked-for refund.

Cafe Press Balloon Juice Calendar Hiccup (Temporarily)Post + Comments (24)

Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 Calendar

by WaterGirl| January 25, 20205:27 pm| 53 Comments

This post is in: Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

~~Please hold off on ordering the 2020 Balloon Juice calendars.~~

~~There has been some sort of hiccup with Cafe Press, and it appears that all calendar orders have been cancelled and refunds issued.~~

~~We will update tomorrow after we have talked to Cafe Press customer service.~~

The 2020 version of the Pets of Balloon Juice calendar is available!

Beth took John’s idea of including an In Memoriam component this year and made the calendar something truly special.

We have memories of General Stuck, efgoldman, Schlemezel, greennotGreen, and Scotian.

There’s even a picture of Charlie, along with the comment where the General first announced his new companion. Check out January online, and I think you’ll be hooked. Who knows, you might even find a fuckem from efgoldman, if you look hard enough.

Some of you will even find your own nym somewhere in the calendar, in conversation with some of the beloved jackals who have gone on ahead.

You can find the link to order the calendar – and all the ordering details – in the blue box, upper right, just underneath the balloon guy. On mobile devices, the calendar link is the third item in the hamburger.

If you’re like me and you didn’t get your pet photos in (curses!) I think you’re still gonna want to have this calendar. I’m getting one for myself, for sure.

I am also ordering calendars for Wolvesvalley, satby, Something Fabulous, Maze Dancer, Albatrossity, and Anne Laurie – as a small token of my thanks to each of you for your contributions to the new site. You all know what you did. (So please send me your addresses so I can order your calendars.)

Beth really outdid herself with this one, and kudos to John for such a lovely idea.

Update: If you discover a problem with your pet’s photo or name, please speak up in the thread and wait to order – if there was an error on our part, it can be fixed and THEN you can order your calendar.

Pets of Balloon Juice 2020 CalendarPost + Comments (53)

Respite Open Thread: COLE BAIT!

by Anne Laurie| January 15, 20202:06 am| 10 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Nature & Respite, Pet Rescue

13-year-old Sir Darius Brown's bow ties for dogs have helped around 200 dogs across the US get adopted faster. ❤️ @BBC pic.twitter.com/APTXzpQlu9
— FierceWarriorNStilettos (@InactionNever) January 14, 2020

‘Choice fatigue’ is a very real problem at shelters. I can see how having that little extra marketing detail, where one of two dozen brown-and-white pit mixes becomes ‘that one with the sparkly bow tie’, might make all the difference…

Respite Open Thread: COLE BAIT!Post + Comments (10)

Pet Calendar Pics: Deadline Midnight tonight (Friday)

by WaterGirl| December 13, 20191:39 pm| 33 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

Just a reminder for anyone who hasn’t already sent in their pet photos for the calendar:

Please send your photos by midnight on Friday. You can find all the details in the upper right hand corner under the button that’s called PET PHOTOS BY 12/13. On phones and on tablets, you will find the same information with the same title under the three bars at the upper right (aka the hamburger).

Fine print: If it’s past midnight and you’re still getting your pictures together, I’m pretty sure that Beth will do everything to fit yours photos in. But if you send your photos after 6am on Saturday, there’s no guarantee that your pictures will make it into the calendar. After that, you can send your pictures and ask Beth if there’s a chance, but if the design is completely done, the answer might be ‘no’.

We would still love to have you guys share favorite comments from efgoldman, Schlemazel, greennotGreen, General Stuck and Scotian, so if you have any stories or comments to share, please share them on this thread or send email to WaterGirl at balloon-juice.com by end of day Saturday.

Pet Calendar Pics: Deadline Midnight tonight (Friday)Post + Comments (33)

Pet Calendar: General Stuck, greennotGreen, efgoldman, Schlemazel… We Need Your Stories, Memories, Quotes

by WaterGirl| December 7, 20195:03 pm| 72 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

Speaking of the pet calendar, please get your entries in! The first deadline was yesterday.

Look for Pet Calendar Info in the upper right, just under the balloon man; that’s where you’ll find the info if you’re on a computer or a tablet in landscape mode. If you’re on a phone, or on a tablet in portrait mode, look for it in the hamburger; that’s what some people call the 3 horizontal lines (top right) on a mobile device.

John is planning a couple of In Memoriam pages at the front of the 2020 BJ Pet Calendar, and we need your help.

Do you have a favorite comment by General Stuck or Schlemazel? Stories from a meetup with efgoldman? Something you learned from greennotGreen or Scotian?

Was there an epic fight between the General and Cornerstone? You know, more than the usual. A favorite Charlie story? Words of wisdom from Schlemazel? Something that greennotGreen shared that particularly touched you?

Do you know some charming thing about one of our beloved commenters that we would all love to hear about? Something that would make us laugh, or wipe our eyes?

I searched for each person, and there are 461 pages of threads that match with efgoldman, 67 for greennotGreen, 217 for Schlemazel, 1302 for General Stuck, and 12 pages for Scotian.

There may be more for pages for General Stuck, but he changed his nym fairly frequently and I don’t remember all the nyms he used. Searching for “stuck” gave the best results and found a couple of his nyms. Do you guys remember any nyms for Stuck besides General Stuck and General Winfield Stuck? (edit: Stuck in the Funhouse, supplied by Librarian.)

~~Do you remember the spelling of the other nym was that was close to Schlemazel, but not exactly that? Or what his original nym was before he switched it to one of those?~~ Satby did some sleuthing, and it was Schlemizel in 2012. That gives us a few more years of his comments.

I know he and I had a long conversation about why he changed his nym, but to find that one I need to know the original spelling before it became Schlemazel. If I could find that conversation, I think we could find what his first nym had been.

Reminder: all of efgoldman’s original comments were somehow corrupted on the old site and were no longer there in the old database when we checked about year ago. Any comments that efgoldman REPLIED to are in there. So if EF wrote a comment about the awesome watermelon he found at the farmer’s market, that comment is not in the wordpress database. But if YOU wrote a comment about the awesome watermelon you found, and efgoldman replied to your comment, his reply will be in there.

We have at least a couple of folks with great Google Fu – Steeplejack and Another Scott. They did some efgoldman sleuthing last year, and I believe Steep is making a last ditch effort with a 2-year old backup to see if any of efgoldman’s comments can be found. If there’s something that was important that you haven’t been able to find, maybe they can help us out? Subaru Diane, I hope you see this, too!

In the meantime, if you have stories, memories, or quotes to share, jump right in!

Let’s take this great idea of John’s and turn it into something special. Are you guys up for that?

Update: We want everyone to have the opportunity to contribute ideas for the In Memoriam section, if you so desire. Since the deadline is so short, if you think you might be proposing something over the next few days, please pipe up in the comments IN THIS THREAD to let us know that so we can plan for more input. Or not. Thank You!

Update 12/10: If you would like to contribute further to the In Memoriam portion of the calendar, please send email to WaterGirl at the balloon-juice address.

Pet Calendar: General Stuck, greennotGreen, efgoldman, Schlemazel… We Need Your Stories, Memories, QuotesPost + Comments (72)

Pet Calendar and In Memoriam

by John Cole| December 6, 20194:31 pm| 87 Comments

This post is in: Absent Friends, Pet Blogging, Pet Rescue

Just a reminder to submit your pet pictures for the Balloon Juice Pet Calendar 2020. You can click the link to the upper right that says “Pet Calendar Info” and get the full rundown on how to submit. Get them in soon so we can get cracking!

Also, I thought that this year, in the pages prior to the start of the calendar, we would have an In Memoriam for those we have lost. So if you have a favorite comment or memory about General Stuck, efgoldman, greennotGreen, Scotian, schlemazel, or any others, please place them or link them in the comments below. I will then go through and pick out a few and we will include them in the calendar so that when you get it you can look back fondly on their memories. As a bonus I can spend the next six months dealing with angry emails from people whose memory was not chosen because that’s how we roll on this shit website where no good deed goes unpunished you insufferable pricks.

Update: On a computer or a tablet in landscape mode, you can click the link in the upper right that says “Pet Calendar Info” and get the full rundown on how to submit. On a phone or on a tablet in portrait mode, you can find “Pet Calendar Info” under the 3 horizontal lines, aka the hamburger.

Pet Calendar and In MemoriamPost + Comments (87)