After just 24 hours in her new foster home, Adopt-A-Bull Pocket Petunia was already feeling like a new dog. But sometimes first-hand is the best way to tell it– so here’s her new foster mama’s update on how the littlest girl of all is faring:

“We are doing great. I’ve never seen a dog smile so much.  Her little body is going to lift off when she gets going wagging and flashing that humongous grin.  The integration is done.  We took our first walk this morning.  I had a couple of friends help me walk her and my two youngsters.  We walked 2 miles on this great nature trail and by the end, I was walking all 3 of them with grins and wags.  No growling, no aggression of any kind.  They respectfully smelled, ran circles and then got into the walk.  Eventually, I let my two off leash to splash in the creek and even with just Petunia still on the leash, no issues at all. She had a great time and loved the water.  All 3 rode in the back of the car together and since then, they have been a threesome.  

Oh!!! AND, she has only gone to the bathroom outside today.  I have her on a schedule and if I stay out there long enough, she will smell around, find the right spot and when I start praising her little tail wags so hopefully we are making new connections.

She continues to eat like a horse.  I got one of those training meat logs and we just had a session.  No big training, just a little sit and focus on the treat.  We do this with all three dogs and they all line up and sit still to get a reward.  I like this because it showed me that even with high value treats, she does not have food aggression in close proximity to the other dogs.  I’m still trying to help adjust her tolerance.  You can see that she is still trying to figure out what she should react to but it is coming along wonderfully.  

I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful support system you guys have.”

For info on adopting Petunia, click here.

Tagged: advocacy, dog fighting, love, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls, Rescue

We love sharing good news, and boy do we have some today. Four of the five dogs who came in last weekend from the East Coast have found bliss in wonderful foster homes with other dogs. Only little Buster Brown is waiting, but we have high hopes of placing him with a foster family this weekend.

Little Callie, the largest of the three Florida dogs, was sweet enough to take a break from playing and send us some photos of herself and a little update. Check out this sweet thing:

“Hi Love-A-Bull!

Who knew that life could be full of soft, warm, coziness and fun, friendly, safe people and dogs to play with? I am having a blast in my foster home! My aussie mix foster-sibling is SO MUCH FUN to play with — I really tucker myself out running and playing all day. Good thing I have nice cozy beds to sleep on and even some nice cozy people, too. I’m proud to report that I haven’t gone potty inside at all, and I’m doing well in my crate, too!

I’m ready to leave the past behind, only my little happy tail — which I wag so hard that it bleeds sometimes — keeps chasing me, and sometimes I cry in my sleep. But with all this fun and love surrounding me, I’m feeling like a brand new dog!

Love, Callie-dog”

Tagged: advocacy, dog fighting, love, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls, Rescue

Our boy River has been through a lot. In the week before we got our hands on him, he had been pulled out of the Colorado River after having been likely hit by a car. He had a fractured hip, a broken toe, a chest full of BB pellets, a side covered in painful, deep abrasions, and an incredible will to wiggle.

Unfortunately, wiggling is not good for this guy’s slowly healing hip, and it turns out he has a severe allergy to the sedatives our vet had prescribed him to keep him calm. This means that he can’t go for walks or play, he can’t breakdance and wiggle, and he can’t take meds to keep him feeling snoozy. So what’s a guy to do?

Start a donations drive for himself, of course.

River has already received generous donations of this adorable monkey sweater, a couple of t-shirts, and a beautiful collar from Dress-A-Bull. But now he needs toys!

Dogs like River — who are on a regimen of strict crate rest — can benefit enormously from what we call “busy toys” — the kind that dispense food and treats and keep a dog busy and exhaust him mentally while he works. River has one busy toy to play with already, but he would do much better with a variety to keep his brain active and help him relax in his kennel.

If you’ve been looking for a small way to help out or love the satisfying feeling of donating something concrete, here’s a great opportunity to help a dog who’s down on his luck. The following toys are recommended by our trainer:

• Starmark Everlasting Fun Ball (size Large)
• Starmark Everlasting Fire Plug (size Large)
• Starmark Everlasting Bento/Beanie Ball (size Large)
• Starmark Bob-A-Lot
• Tug-A-Jug (size Large)
• Kong Extreme (size Large) and fillers (peanut buter, kong treats)
• Kong Wobbler

Donations can be brought or mailed to him at:

River has had a hard few weeks, and there’s nothing like opening up a couple of boxes with presents to lift a dog’s spirits. Thanks for your help!

Tagged: adoption, love, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls, Rescue

Over the past few days, we’ve welcomed five new dogs into our Adopt-A-Bulls program — all survivors of cruelty, all transplants from the East Coast and all sweet, sweet, sweet and cute, cute, cute.

Our die-hard volunteers spent a bleary-eyed weekend greeting these lovelies when they came in, easing those road-jitters, helping them feel welcome, and learning as much as we could about their personalities and needs. We got three of these darlings into foster homes where they’re doing great with families and other dogs, and the two remaining dears are boarding at our vet’s office while they wait and hope.

We can’t wait to share their journey as it develops, but for now, some photos from the weekend:

Tagged: advocacy, dog fighting, rescueFiled under: Rescue

We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Fostering dogs through Love-A-Bull is not only a good way to save lives, but it’s also a great way to make new friends, become a stronger dog handler, and learn a lot about yourself.

With River still waiting patiently for a foster home at our vet’s office and five dogs coming from the East Coast this weekend, we’re thinking this is a great time for those who are fostering-curious to come out of the shadows and announce themselves. We’re waiting with open arms!

Not sure if fostering is for you? Read on.

Foster families provide a much-needed soft spot to land on for dogs who have usually just endured a long and difficult journey. Most dogs who join our program have spent the last weeks living in a kennel with little human touch. Some of them need to learn to be dogs again.

We evaluate our dogs carefully, and only select ones who are great with people. Most of our dogs are also fantastic with other dogs, and some even like cats. While the Adopt-A-Bulls join us with varying degrees of that understanding-how-to-be-a-house-pet quality, they tend to be extraordinarily willing to work, and pick up new skills very quickly.

If you choose to join our program, we will take the time to talk with you about your unique needs and capabilities. We wouldn’t put a dog with a too-keen interest in cats into a home where a kitty rules the roost, nor would we place a young pup with somebody who works 12 hours per day.

We love when foster families have some experience with basic dog training, but beginners are welcome too! Our foster families have access to Love-A-Bull’s own four-week basic obedience course, which is held in two locations in Austin. We also have good relationships with a couple of experienced trainers, who are always willing to lend a hand in helping foster families work through little hiccups or puzzling behaviors.

Love-A-Bull takes care of all vet care for the animals, and if needed, will provide collars, leashes, tags, and crate. Most of our fosters provide their own food, beds, and toys, but we’ll gladly acquire those for a foster family in need.

Most of our dogs are adopted through our website and petfinder, which means that the more cute photos and stories you can tell us about your Adopt-A-Bull, the better a chance it will have. We also hold adoption events every few weeks — these events are a great way to meet our community and show off your foster!

Most of all, foster families are the foundation upon which our rescue branch depends to save lives. Without the generous families who open their hearts and homes to dogs in need, we wouldn’t be able to change these dogs’ world.

To submit a foster application, click here.

Tagged: adoption, foster, friendly, love, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls, Rescue

River is in critical need of a foster home and of funding to support his ongoing medical care. Please click here to donate, or click here for a foster/adoption application!

We know for sure that River’s life was saved by the kind soul who rescued him from the Colorado River last week. What we don’t know is how many times his life had been saved before, and how many more times it will take before River can breathe easy.

The poor guy is sweet as they come, but just can’t seem to catch a break.

River was found last weekend, barely clinging to a rock in the Colorado River. He was emaciated, heartworm positive, suffering from hypothermia, and one side of his body was covered in deep, gritty wounds and scratches. Nobody saw him fall in to the river — or the events leading up to it — but his injuries suggest that he may have been hit by a car before his tumble.

After being pulled by Love-A-Bull and moved to a partner vet’s office a few days ago, River’s deep wounds and infections were cleaned up, and Xrays were taken to determine the extent of his injuries. It was at that time that the vet discovered that River had a fractured hip, a broken toe, and had BB pellets embedded deep in his chest from where he had been shot at some point in his prior life.

But River is a brave, strong boy who just won’t give up. He won over everybody at the vet’s office with his sweet personality and his courage, and we are amazed at how loving, optimistic, and happy he seems despite the suffering he has endured.

A few days ago he began daily hydrotherapy for his necrotic hip wound. He has taken to the treatment very well, and his wounds — though still dramatic — look much better than just a few days ago. In addition to the therapy that River is already receiving, he will likely need surgery to repair his fractured hip and heartworm treatment.

But in the case of River, when it rains, it pours. During a routine examination last night, River collapsed, went pale, and stopped breathing. He came back on his own without CPR, but the incident led to the discovery that River suffers from a heart condition called an atrioventricular block (or AV block), which impairs the conduction between the chambers of the heart. Although it is unclear what causes this condition in River’s case, we know that it can be exacerbated in any incidence of high stress or excitement, which can potentially lead to another collapse. River will be seeing a cardiologist to determine the cause of the AV block, which may be resolvable with treatment of the underlying issue.

What River needs right now is lots of TLC and a steady, quiet foster home where he can be kept calm and given the peace and comfort he needs to rest and recuperate.

If you may be able to provide a foster home for sweet River, click here. To donate toward his rapidly expanding medical needs, click here.

Tagged: adoption, dog, foster, friendly, fundraiser, love, photos, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls

Since 2009, the City of Austin has taken heroic measures to boost adoptions of homeless dogs and cats, thereby reducing the euthanasia rate of animals that come through the shelter from about 30 percent in 2009 to about 8 percent in 2011. A huge victory, right?

The city has achieved this incredible reduction in euthanasia through a set of initiatives that include free microchipping of pets, free ID tags, new reduced cost and free spay/neuter programs, free adoptions on critical days, and partnerships with local rescues and animal advocacy organizations that are working hard to make adoption more “cool.” In 2011, Austin opened a sparkling new state-of-the-art adoption facility that is both attractive and user-friendly for adopters and more comfortable for animals.

These changes haven’t been easy, but they sure payed off: in 2011, Austin achieved the elite and sought-after status of “no-kill city” — a well-deserved honor for a city whose leadership and animal care staff and volunteers work so hard.

And yet, even though Austin has achieved this well-earned recognition, 2011 saw the euthanasia of more than 2,200 cats and 900 dogs — including more than 400 pit bull type dogs — at the city shelter.

How does this happen?

Undoubtedly, some of these 3,000+ animals were too sick to save or had irreconcilable behavioral issues. But many were just regular, adoptable cats and dogs. The problem comes down to one of math. With limited kennel space, limited resources, and limited adopters, a publicly-funded shelter like the Austin Animal Center is required to take in any animal that is brought to its doors. When the kennel runs out of space, some hard decisions have to be made.

Because of the short straw that many pit bull type dogs are dealt in life and the still-lingering sentiment among some people that pit bull dogs are somehow different than others, a disproportionate number of these hard decisions affect our lovable block-headed friends. 400 pit bull type dogs under the needle is a huge improvement from 902 just the year before, but it’s still a lot of dead dogs.

So at the same time that we are celebrating the remarkable work being done by the city to make Austin a friendlier, safer place for homeless animals, let’s not forget that while “no-kill” is an aspirational phrase, our work is far from done.

Do your part — check out Love-A-Bull’s own adoptable dogs here.

Tagged: adopt, adoption, city council, community, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls, Breed-Specific Legislation, Press Releases, Rescue

We are so excited to be presenting at Austin’s American Pets Alive No-Kill Seminar on Saturday, February 25! Speaking will be Love-A-Bull’s Meghan Turner, Aleksandra Gajdeczka and Jessica Anisman.

The subject of our session will be — naturally — pittie power! The presentation will include the challenging issues that pit bull type dogs face in shelters, and the damage suffered due to misguided media and myths. We will tackle some of these issues, discuss creative solutions, and host a constructive dialogue about ways to boost adoptions, support owners, educate the public, and build partnerships, to better serve dogs that often, and unfairly, get a “bad rap.”

We hope to see everybody there! Here are the details:

American Pets Alive No-Kill Seminar 2012

• Location: Radisson Hotel & Suites, 111 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX
• Dates of the seminar: Saturday (2/25) 9am-6pm, Sunday (2/26) 9am-6pm, and Monday (2/27) 9am-1pm
• Lunch will be provided on Saturday and Sunday

Hotel accommodations: Attendees can get a room at the Radisson for $119 per night by calling 512-478-9611 or 800-333-3333 and mention the American Pets Alive! Seminar. Or go to www.radisson.com/austintx and use the promotional code PALIVE.

Details for registration can be found at http://americanpetsalive.eventbrite.com. For any questions regarding the conference, please email info@americanpetsalive.org.

Tagged: adopt, adoption, advocacy, community, education, event, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Events