The nice girl I met last weekend adopted me! I went to a park with my foster parents today to meet the girl and her mom again. They brought my new sister, Emma, who my foster parents called a Bichon Frise. Emma was a little frightened of me, so I let her know I was friendly by pawing at her head. Then I gave my new girl big hugs and bounced around. My foster parents took me back to their house to get my toys and other stuff and say goodbye to my foster siblings who have been so nice to me. Then we were off to my new house. I wandered all around the house, which is much bigger than my foster house, and even checked out the yard. Emma pouted on top the couch because she was a little concerned that I would take attention away from her, but she’ll warm up to me because I am so sweet and handsome. Who wouldn’t love me? I’m going to get to take walks with my new family and long car rides with my new girl while she travels. I’m really happy that I finally found a family who will keep me and I want to thank everyone who helped me get here. I hope every dog can be this lucky.

Hello, my name’s Meeko and I’m a two-year-old Rott-n-Sibe. That means I’m half Siberian Husky and half Rottweiler. I came to live in my foster home a few weeks ago and I really like my foster parents and canine siblings. Last weekend my foster parents took me to a pet rescue fair in Lansdale where I sat and shook paws with a lot of nice people. I played with a few other Siberian Huskies, a Keeshond, and a Rottweiler. I even met a Mastiff. Whoa, he was big! He was elderly and didn’t want to play, so I was respectful. Later a Cocker Spaniel snapped at me, which I thought was terribly rude, so I left to go hang out with the Huskies again. In the afternoon my foster dad entered me in a competition called The Mutt Strut. I won a box of pretty treats in a category called Happiest Ears. My foster mom said Most Strikingly Handsome wasn’t a category or I certainly would have won that. Then my foster dad and I showed off how well I know Heel, Sit, Down, Paw, and Come. He says I would do well in competitive obedience because I’m so smart and willing to work. In the afternoon I met a girl who spent a long time petting me while here mom talked to my foster dad. She was quiet and very nice so I hope she asks to adopt me like my foster dad said she might.

After a good night’s sleep my foster parents took me and my three foster siblings to visit a friend of theirs who has three Siberian Huskies of his own. We played in their yard for a while and then in their basement. Their friend had something called a spiral staircase that two of my foster siblings had trouble maneuvering, but I liked running up, barking at the top for everyone else to follow, and then running back down. I like inventing games like that to keep everyone entertained. What a great weekend! I wish I could play that much everyday.

>From the puppies caregiver and foster mom…

October 1, 2006

Kashmir & Sauki are still fighting this horrible illness. The yuck stuff that was coming out of the noses is starting to slow down. They both still have a very bad cough and shortness of breath. They are sleeping more. We are keeping a very close eye on them and doing everything we can to make them comfortable. They are still on medications. I am pushing the water to keep the girls hydrated. I have tons of newspapers and I change the crate several times a day & after nap times. I clean everything with bleach and water. The girls like to spend alot of time in the kitchen playing or sleeping on the floor.

Even though the girls are so sick, we have had the pleasure of seeing the different personalities emerging from them both.

Sauki is 17 lbs. and is still growing. Her coat is short and thin, but is filling in nicely with feeding her quality food. Sauki loves to play with tennis balls, soccer balls, bugs, squeaky toys, Kong bone,sticks and any shoe she can find. We put the shoes away or she will run off with them any chance she gets. She is a spunky girl and loves to be near you and will climb up on your lap to be held and give you kisses. As her personality emerges she will talk to you occasionally. She loves to play with you and likes to play fetch with tennis balls, sticks, etc. But
can easily be distracted by a blowing leaf or a bug. On the warmer days she likes to lay in the sun under a tree watching the cars go.

Kashmir has a beautiful full coat of fur that is thick like typical husky fur. Kashmir is a petite little girl(only 15 lbs. and still growing) who absolutely loves to tell you what she thinks. If you ask her something she will usually answer you back. If you are not paying enough attention to her she will scold you to get your attention. She moves her head and body as she talks to you. She has discovered that playing with bugs, like her sister is fun. She loves sticks, bugs, soccer balls, squeaky toys, Kong bone and anything she can put in her mouth. She will climb up on you to give kisses and to be held. She loves to lay under a tree and sneak attack her sister.

Both girls love belly rubs and to be snuggled and held. They know how to climb baby gates. They are master escape artist and learn very quickly and watch you when you are doing things. They are very intelligent and thinkers. These pups are highly motivated and we are introducing them how to sit, stay, no, leave it, walking on a leash and they are doing very well. We use these basic commands during our usual daily routine with the pups. Feeding time, going out for potty breaks, sitting for treats, sit/stay for food, sitting for medications. Short walks out of the car into the vets on a leash. They ride well in the car for short periods at this time.

They both are typical fun loving pups who just love to be with you and having a great adventure and discovering anything they can. I strongly recommend that when they are adopted that they go to a house that has a tall strong fence and constant supervision while they are outside. Since they like to climb and may escape if left unattended, even for a short period of time. We have them under constant supervision since they are so smart and never leave them unattended in the fenced in yard.

Even though these girls have been so sick they have been a pleasure to be with. We will miss them when they go.

MaPaw’s two newest puppies are having a rough time right now and showing signs of the Dog Flu. Sauki and Kashmir (shown above) are only 11 weeks old, but they are fighting this infection as best as they can. They are receiving the best vet care available and are under constant supervision. They are on numerous medications and fluid management; we will take whatever steps necessary to bring them back to good health. The little girls are troopers and though they feel terrible and have labored breathing, they still want to give kisses. Please say a prayer for our girls until they are out of the woods. Donations are tax deductible and appreciated as the vet bills are quickly mounting.

One Saturday Carrie and I got a call about picking up a Sibe at the Perkiomenville SPCA, so we settled our dogs down, got in the car, and headed out. When we arrived at the SPCA, we signed some paper work, and the volunteers brought Rickee around the corner. “Holy Sausage!” Rickee was a normal height for a Sibe but twice as wide. As we tired to load him into the car, we were overwhelmed by a foul odor of stinky feet mixed with old moldy wood. This smell was so bad Rickee’s first stop was at the pet store to get a bath before he came home with us. During Rickee’s bath we noticed large hard masses, one on his chest and two down below his belly. We thought the worst about the masses, and after the bath he still had a funk about him, so again we thought there must be a veterinary problem causing the smell.

Later we learned that Rickee’s funk did not come from the kennel because he had only been there for a few hours, so it must have come from a life spent outside. Also, we learned that Rickee’s previous owner dropped Rickee at the SPCA with full knowledge that Rickee would be euthanized because of his age, nine years, and because of the extremely over crowded kennel. Rickee’s previous owner told the people at the SPCA that he was moving and couldn’t keep Rickee where he was going. We later found out he was moving just down the street to a new home on nine acres of land.

Rickee drinks and pees a lots, he smells, and has some large masses on his body; what will the vet be able to tell us about Rickee? Are there some underlying problems that caused his previous owner to give him up? NO, there is no medical problem with Rickee, he is just overweight. The smell must have come from his life as an outdoor dog who had to find a place to sleep on the dirt. His large masses were nothing more than large pockets of fat. Being a senior, he must not be able to hold his bladder very long, or maybe because he was an outside dog he never had to learn to hold it and he just went whenever he needed.

Poor, confused Rickee didn’t open up to us right away; he didn’t like hugs and didn’t give out kisses. He found a spot on our kitchen floor that we termed Rickee’s Property, because Rickee would bark at the other dogs if they would come near him, like an old man yelling at the young kids to stay off his property. Rickee also had a little food aggression that we worked on by constructing an assessment arm out of a Halloween arm and a stick with a grabbing mechanism. Eventually Rickee allowed us to give him big hugs, kisses, and even a belly rub every now and again. He lost weight while he was with us, reducing those hard masses of fat and increasing his energy for walks.

Rickee went to his new family on September 16th. As we pulled onto the street of Rickee’s new home we could tell which house we were going to by the balloons on the mailbox. When we stepped inside their house we saw a large banner that read “Welcome Home Rickee.” The family had purchased a giant bed, a food dish, and toys as soon as they got the news that they were approved. Rickee met his new friend, Thumper, without incident and seemed to relish in all the attention provided by the seven members of his new multi-generational family. He immediately made himself at home by peeing on the carpet and pooping on the kitchen floor, but the family took it in stride and started training right away that going to the door meant going outside. Rickee, who didn’t want to be touched by us when he first came to MaPaw a couple months ago, rolled onto his back for a belly rub from the toddlers. He was patient with them as they followed him all over the house and clearly understood that he needed to have more tolerance for the little ones. Since Rickee’s new mom is a veterinary technician, we can be sure that Rickee will get whatever veterinary care he needs throughout his golden years. Rickee was clearly happy to be the center of attention and the only dog.

-Mike

Brandy was the star of the show at the Green Lane Scottish Irish festival meet and greet! She even got hugs from two little girls who thought she was the sweetest doggy around!

Brandy came to MaPaw the victim of serious neglect. We are working on putting some weight on her and giving her as much love as she can stand. She is a forever foster as she is 16 years old. We will love and spoil her as much as possible for the time she has left…so far she seems to be very happy with her new situation!

This hansome and comical fellow is Cosmos. Cosmos was in a shelter in Philly for over a month – and boy was he stinky!!! Not anymore. He’s a gorgeous lite red & cream husky with those fabulous baby blues. He’s a talker and he’ll tell you all about everything, especially when you come home from work. He’s only about 1 year old and needs to put on weight, but he’s otherwise healthy. We think he was most likely someone’s pet and wanderlust got the better of him.

He’s been with us for about a month now. We’ve learned that he knows to sit when told and down. He’s now going to obedience school to keep him busy and learn excellent manners. One week and I can tell he’s incredibly smart but does things on his terms.

He’s crate trained but hates being in the crate with the door shut. He does go into the crate for naps & time outs. He’s housebroken – though we’ve had a few accidents to tell us how much he hates being in the crate. He is good with kids and extremely playful – a home with another young dog who likes to wrestle would be ideal. He loves attention but is not overtly affectionate.

Cosmos needs to put on about 10 pounds, but he is a very picky eater, so it hasn’t been easy. He will counter surf if things are available. We also need to find treats he’s in love with – not even hot dogs are getting his attention at school. Cheese is next on the list.

He gets on fabulously with our 6 yr old GSD & 2 Yr old husky. He is very noisy and slightly aggressive when meeting a new dog, but works it out & turns to play quickly. Cosmos has not even tried to jump our 4 foot fence, but he has broken through a weak spot to wonder the neighborhood, So Cosmos, like most huskeys, must be under observation when outside.

Cosmos is a great dog and will be a great addition to the perfect family willing to give him love and attention.

Please meet the many sibes who have come to us looking for loving homes. Click here to visit our website

Mapaw Siberian Husky Rescue is an organization dedicated to the caring and placement of Siberian Husky dogs into loving, permanent homes through adoption and referral services. Most of these dogs find themselves homeless through no fault of their own. Many were simply more work than their humans expected. Some were given up due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Some of the saddest cases were given up due to death or illness…and then there are the few who were mistreated and came to us for healing. All are brought into our homes and loved as our own until it is time to send them to begin their new life. This is never easy and never done without a great deal of care. We invest more than just money into these dogs, each one moves on with a little piece of our heart.