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January 2012
Sandy
“Sandy was found by the Sierra Family 11 years ago. We think she is a Sheperd Lab mix?
Maybe some Chow? Someone had dropped her off on the side of the road very ill. We took her in, nursed her back to health and
have loved her ever since. She in turn has been forever grateful and a loyal pet.
She loves children, going to
Nana and Popo's and, back in the day, chasing squirrels. She is known for her loving personality and her ability to give you
a double high five. She loves to have her belly rubbed.
Our daughter recently moved out to her own apartment......often
you can find Sandy sitting at the picture window waiting for her sister to come for a visit. :) We love her very much.” Lorraine S.
December 2011
Noel Joy
“I came home from work one December afternoon
to be greeted by my husband grinning from ear to ear. He handed me a very small warm bundle. As I unwrapped the
little bundle, I realized it was a very small sleeping puppy. It was just a warm furry brown spot. As I snuggled
this little furry puppy, I said, "You are Noel Joy because you have made my heart so happy." I later found
out that the 'blanket' was a piece of the cloth that Noel's mother would lay on when she would nurse the puppies.
Noel was so little that I would carry her around in the front pocket of my bib overalls. She would love it when company
would come as they wanted to just sit and hold her. Now that is not to say she was a docile little thing. No,
she had a squeaky mouse that she loved to chase and sling all over the house. She still has a 'blanket' that we call
a woobie that she plays with. Once she gets tired, she will suck on a corner until she goes to sleep.
Noel has trained Jerry to have 1/2 of a banana sliced every morning for her. She also thinks that any company that
comes to the house is for her and sometimes she will even share her toys with them. She is not very fond of other
dogs but then, I am not sure if she knows that she is a dog.” Ruth E.
November 2011
Prissy
“Prissy
is a four year old yellow lab. She is a champion show dog, and has had a litter of puppies. She recently
moved to Florida from North Carolina. She has three grandchildren that she loves to play with.
As a puppy she learned to walk on the treadmill for exercise. She walks 4 miles a day on the treadmill."
Kim H.
October 2011
Rupert- The
Squire of Squirrels
“Rupert's main job in life
is to keep the squirrels in the back yard in check. Along with being Squire of Squirrels, he is also Director of Lizard Control
and Lord of Leg Licking. Rupert hails from the Kingdom Goofus. Part of his amazing charm is his humble personality, and lack
of awareness that he weighs 75lbs and actually reigns as King over all the Goofs in the Kingdom of Goofus. Loves the
dog park and is man enough to cross dress. He's a dog's dog.
Rupert found his way into my life
after a visit to the February 2010 Pet-A-Palooza adoption event. It was my first time attending an adoption event and
I hadn’t had a dog since the 7th grade. I had done my research on breed and knew going in that I wanted a Standard
Poodle….more specifically, a male, apricot and not a chance that I would take home a white poodle. Well, funny
how rescue events change your “requirements.” As soon as I walked in, there were two standard poodles at
the first booth. A black male and a white female. I immediately fell in love and asked many questions of the volunteers.
I found out that Aristotle the black male Standard had aggression problems and Callie the white female was laid back.
That was it. I didn’t care about my requirements any longer, these were rescue dogs and I wanted Callie.
My boyfriend at the time encouraged me not to adopt the first dog I saw and to walk the entire event. I was hesitant
to do so for fear that Callie would be adopted when I returned. He kindly said, “If that’s the case, then
it wasn’t meant to be.” It took us about fifteen minutes to walk the floor. Much to my horror, upon our
return Callie was in the process of being adopted. Needless to say, I was devastated. Aristotle and Callie were
the only two Standards at the event and I couldn’t adopt the aggressive Aristotle. I stood next to the Florida
Little Dog Rescue booth and cried my eyes out like a child who couldn’t have what she wanted. The volunteers were
so kind. They comforted me, handed me a business card telling me to fill out an application online spelling out what
I was looking for in a furbaby. I went home and immediately went to their website which had me mesmerized. It
was far nicer than any other rescue website I had been to in preparation for the event. I filled out my application
and made a donation to the “Death Row Dogs” page. Two hours later, on a Sunday night at 9pm, I received
a phone call from the director of the rescue saying that she had just gotten off the phone with a man who needed to surrender
his 6 month old, male apricot Standard Poodle. I burst into tears for the second time that day. The director warned
me not to get my hopes up, because often “owner surrenders” change their mind. She told me that she
would know for sure by Wednesday. Wednesday I received word that indeed the owner surrendered, and the dog was now in
foster care with the rescue. Thursday morning the foster mom emailed me pictures. I took one look and knew before
I met him, that he was meant for me and his name HAD to be Rupert (which was not remotely on my list). The rest is history.
My experience with Florida Little
Dog Rescue left me so impressed that I asked to get involved. Rupert and I are now a foster home for other dogs that
are looking to find their “forever home.” Rupert takes his job very seriously. He is the Welcome Wagon,
Playtime Coordinator and fun loving oversized foster brother to all of the pups who come to stay. Turns out my boyfriend
was right, Callie wasn’t meant to be. I cannot imagine my life without this amazing, sweet-souled, goofy four-legged
child. Rupert has never met a human or dog he didn't like. The world is his playground, and we are just here for his
entertainment. All hail King Rupert.” Melissa M.
September 11, 2011
Cody
I usually feature "one of our own" as Petsburgh's Dog of the Month. But
on the ten year anniversary of the tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001, I thought I would honor one of the many
heroic rescue dogs that did so much during the search, rescue and recovery at Ground Zero. While researching on the internet
I found names of hundreds of rescue heroes and their owners. I wish I could tell you about all of them. However, with permission
to share, I found the following letter written on Monday, September 24, 2001 and would like to share it with you.
Letter
from a World Trade Center
Rescuer & his Dog
Editor's Note: For the last two weeks we've brought you a dog's-eye-view of
the magnitude and magnanimity of the search-and-rescue efforts at the World Trade Center. The photographs and testimonials
have been stirring but none so candid and eloquent as the following letter we received from rescuers Paul Morgan and Cody.
When asked: "Give me three reasons why you went in there", he replied: "Duty, Honor, Country!"
My buddy, Hal Wilson, and I went into the "pile" at the World Trade Center with our search
dogs, Cody and Sue, at 11 AM on Wednesday, September 12th, 2001. You wouldn't believe the teamwork and the silence with hundreds
of firefighters stumbling through the mess.
Hal was a US Marine in Vietnam while I served with the airborne. I
never thought a paratrooper and a marine would get along so well together. In our camouflage battle dress we were the first
military personnel on site since the airports, the tunnels and many other roads to New York City were closed.
On
the way in through the rubble we walked past deserted restaurants with white and checkered table cloths, fully stacked bars,
wine on tables and menus in hallways which had survived the blast. Then the realization hit us head on as we entered a court
yard and we saw the "pile" of debris several stories high.
We linked up with four state police K-9 teams
which were the dirtiest, filthiest men and dogs we had ever seen. They were covered with gray dust and mud. All of the troopers
had that thousand meter stare which all combat veterans have after they have been on the line too long.
The troopers
and their dirty dogs were being pulled out as Hal and I were deployed with Cody and Sue on to the "pile" stacked
several stories high with fire rigs, police cars, twisted I beams, shards of glass, aluminum, wood and chunks of metal and
concrete sticking out of the ground. The metal rods I stumbled through reminded me of punji stakes in Vietnam.
The
fire lieutenant in charge led Hal and I and our dogs to a fire rig which has been a hose truck. It was gray, completely burned
out...no seats, dash, steering wheel...nothing. "Get down there, please, and tell me if you can detect anybody in there!"
the officer requested. Cody and I climbed down ten feet and I called into the truck, "If you can hear me, say ONE, if
you can hear me, say TWO, if you can hear me, say THREE!" There was no response. Then I repeated myself and said, "If
you can hear me, but can't talk, bang the wall with your foot ONCE...TWICE...THREE TIMES!" Still no response. Cody, my
golden retriever, began scratching and I told the fire fighters above me, "We have a body down here!"
They
pulled Cody and me out of the pit and began cutting the truck open with an electric saw. Several minutes later I heard the
fire fighters below call out, "Body Bag!"
As an orange plastic roll was passed down the line into the
pit next to the burned out rig, another officer asked me, "How good is your dog?" We were standing on a hose line
and Cody was scratching again. I didn't have to answer the officer when Cody's paws suddenly were covered with blood. "Body
Bag!" was heard again and another roll of orange plastic was passed down the line.
The remains of the first
fire fighter were carefully lifted to the surface in a basket and eight of his brothers carried the remains to the morgue
truck. Soon the second fire fighter's remains Cody had discovered were placed into another body bag and we were asked to step
aside as another crew removed them.
Another officer grabbed my arm and directed me to a concrete slab which had
been a wall the day before. Under the slab was another fire rig. "Can you get down there and tell us if...." He
didn't have to finish the request. A hole had been punched into the wall of debris below the slab. "What's down there?"
somebody asked.
Cody and I climbed down into this pit and I stuck my nose into the hole, smelling gas. Then Cody
passed by me digging into the debris under the slab. We smelled burnt flesh again and I signalled the officer behind me. "Body
Bag!" was heard again.
I couldn't believe Cody had discovered three sets of remains in thirty minutes. It
was more than I had ever expected from that dog.
As I tried to get out from under the slab and clear the way for
another crew to remove remains, I found myself in a great deal of trouble. I was wedged into a pit and couldn't move. It was
like being under a staircase in a dark basement and there was no way to get out.
Cody was still in front of me
however and in a dash for his safety, gasping for air, he jumped over my left shoulder and turned me around. I crawled toward
the light and was lifted to the surface by a squad of fire fighters which began to dismantle the slab under which we were
trapped.
I was exhausted this time so Cody and I returned to the top of the "pile" watching a body bag
with remains being removed from the scene every twenty minutes or so.
Soon a wind picked up and we began dodging
shrapnel flying off buildings about the pile. I thought I had seen it all in two years of Vietnam combat. I hadn't!
I couldn't find my helmet which was buried in my back pack under three days of rations I had loaded for Cody. "Helmets!"
was the order so I stumbled away to the relative safety of another structure....one which collapsed later in the day.....where
two nurses gave us water and another provided us a cup of orange juice.
Then I got rattled, starting to look for
my partner, Hal, and his dog. He was right behind me...and so was Sue..."Hey Marine...let's get the hell out of here!"
I shouted. "Yes, sir!" he responded and we followed a crew of fire fighters carrying remains from the "pile"
through the building with the bar and restaurants out to the morgue truck.
We were exhausted and hurting. Cody
was sneezing and coughing so we headed for the Suffolk County SPCA van. But before we left the scene, Hal procured a metal
tray from a garbage pile and we gave our dogs all the water we had.....and as we did.....a squad of fire fighters behind us
poured out all their water into the tray for the dogs. Nobody said a word.
After the dogs were checked out by volunteer
vets and vet techs at the Suffolk County SPCA, had their noses and eyes washed, paws cleaned and received shots, we were ordered
to rest for an hour at Stuyvesant High School. We followed orders.
About 4 PM we started home, walking towards
Penn Station on 34th Street. Sue was close to heat exhaustion and Cody was having a hard time breathing. Then we spotted
a Franciscan priest who blessed the animals, Hal and me. We felt better and started on our way again. Cody stopped in his
tracks on 23rd Street and 6th Avenue, unable to walk any longer.
We watered both dogs, taking a break on a sidewalk,
leaning against an office building. Passersby said "Thanks!" and after a few minutes we were on our way again.
When we arrived at Penn Station, twenty minutes before our train was due to depart for Long Island, more people said,
"Thanks!", providing us food, water and a couple of beers. On the train ride home Cody slept under my feet with
his back to the a/c.
Thanks New Yorkers for giving us the chance to help!
Paul Morgan and
Cody
Hal Wilson and Sue
By permission: www.DogsInTheNews.com
August 2011
Suzy Q
“I fell
in love with Suzy Q on my birthday in 2003. Her big brown eyes and playful spirit captured my heart--I
was just "looking" at puppies and ended up taking her home with me. Within 2 days, Suzy and I
were constant companions. In 2003, I lived in both Tampa and Indianapolis, IN. Every
3 weeks I would drive for 2 days (17 hours) and stay in each location for that timeframe. Suzy became my
traveling companion. I put her in her carrier, took her out every 3 hours while on the road (had to sneak
her into the rest stop restrooms with me), then she and I boarded in a pet-friendly hotel at night (usually in Chattanooga,
TN in a cute motel on a hill near the big FIREWORKS sign).
I no longer travel back and forth from Tampa to
Indianapolis. My travels are limited to the airport to occasionally compete in amateur country/western
dance events. Suzy is not an airline flyer. I was almost removed from a flight once
when I took her out of her carrier because she was hyperventilating. Suzy doesn't do well in confinement!
In the 8 years Suzy and I have
been constant companions, she has traveled long distances with me, helped me through grief several times (she is great at
licking the tears away), shared happy times, frustrating times, sad times, and naps! In the past couple
of years, she has had to adapt to the loss of her big brothers, Mack and Benji, and has accepted (reluctantly) that she is
no longer the baby of the pack, but now the leader. Spirit and Charley Caroline are now Suzy's baby brothers,
and she makes no "bones" about letting them know who the boss is in the pack!
Suzy adores her time with Julie. Every
time Suzy is scheduled to be groomed by Julie, all I have to do is say "Julie" and Suzy cocks her head to the side
and begins smiling. She always greets Julie with butterfly kisses, and lavishes those kisses on her before
Julie moves on to her next lucky dog for grooming.
O Suzy Q--My Suzy Q--I love you--My Suzy Q.” Suzanne
E.
July 2011
Flute
“Flute is a soon to be 4 year old chocolate and tan miniature pincher. She was born on August 14, 2007
in a litter of 5 brothers and sisters. Several of her siblings were solid red and a few black and tan, but Flute was
the only chocolate & tan pup. It was love at first sight for Bob and Jennifer especially when they found out that
Flute had been born the day Bob’s mom Mimi has passed away. Flute lives with her brother and sister both black
and tan min-pins Buca (almost 13) and Bacchus (almost 9).
Since day 1, Flute goes to work daily with Bob and Jennifer who own and operated Jenn’s Wine Shop
located in Carrollwood in the MainStreet Shopping Plaza. Flute was a star pupil in 2 levels of puppy training classes that
she attended. She loves just about everyone and is crazy about little kids (as long as they don’t scream).
Regular customers always look forward to seeing Flute and her 3ft. vertical leaps behind the counter. A customer once
told Bob and Jennifer that they should have named Flute piccolo because she was so small. They laughed and said she
wasn’t named after a musical instrument, she works in a wine shop and was named after a slender tiny champagne glass
with a lot of character and finesse; and her mother has a very bad champagne habit.
Being self employed, Bob and Jennifer spend a great deal of time at their shop and after closing
at night they usually go out to a local restaurant for dinner. Flute generally joins them traveling in her house where she
stays at their feet. The other patrons, restaurant owners and managers don't even know she is there because she is so
good.
Flute and her brother and sister loving riding
in the car and one of their favorite destinations are the dog park and beach at Fort DeSoto during the cooler months.
This past January Flute was fortunate enough to run loose and play in the fallen leaves in the north Georgia Mountains and
on her last day experienced her first snow fall. Being a Florida native she didn’t seem to care for it too much!
She will stick to the sandy Florida beaches. But she is game to try the Georgia mountains again this 4th of July –
her next big trip. In the meantime, you can meet Flute anytime at Jenn’s Wine Shop!” Jenn C.
June 2011
Lucky
“Lucky came to us in July 2006. He
was 7 months old when we got him. He had been brought into a veterinarian's office in Lake County. My daughter
was working there and told them I might be interested in him. A few days later we got him, and he has been a lot of fun and
very loving and devoted to us. And of course he looks good because he has a great groomer...”
Arnold
and Judi W.
May 2011
Pooh Bear
“Pooh Bear
is a 6 1/2 year old golden retriever. She was born Oct 29, 2004 and came to her home Dec 23, 2004. She
was a Christmas puppy! Pooh Bear was a very difficult puppy. She is highly intelligent
and therefore, she had a mind of her own when trying to train her. When she was a little puppy, she used to chew up my arms.
I couldn't get her to transfer her biting over to a toy. When we started training at a nearby pet store,
she was one of the favorites in her class. She loves people. She has always loved people. She was more interested in seeing
the owners than playing with the other dogs. During the actual training in the class, she quickly learned
the basics: sit, stay, down. Pooh Bear then moved up to intermediate training. To this day, she still does
not come when she is called. Julie can attest to this fact. Several times when Pooh Bear has come to Julie's
house, she has slipped out of the front door and then run through the neighborhood. It usually takes two adults to corner
her. She always does this with a big smile on her face. Pooh Bear's intermediate trainer saw something
special in her. She offered to train Pooh Bear for free if she could borrow Pooh Bear during some of her
private lessons. She needed to use Pooh with some of the dogs she trained that were skittish around other
dogs or too wild. Apparently, Pooh Bear has some quality that other dogs listen to. She was very successful
in training these other pups.
Her trainer encouraged us to train Pooh Bear to be a therapy dog. She did
really well in her training. Every now and then you could tell she was laughing at us when she decided not to do a particular
task. She'd get that big smile on her face and just sit there. Eventually, she got it and took the AKC
Canine Good Citizen test. Thankfully, there was no come when called task during the test so she passed
that with flying colors.
Pooh Bear joined a local therapy dog group called Paws for Friendship. They
visit nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Last year, after the two officers from Tampa PD were killed, I took
Pooh Bear downtown to the police memorial where a lot of officers gather. She seemed to bring comfort to
a lot of people during this difficult time. It's her big smile everybody loves.
Pooh Bear lives with 4 cats
and 1 other dog, Piglet. As her trainer once said, "Pooh Bear's favorite food is kids."
That is certainly true. She may weigh 95 lbs, but she is so gentle when she is around little people.
She loves to play with my 3 year old niece and never gets angry if her tail is pulled. Pooh Bear
has even taught Piglet to like children. At first, Piglet couldn't stand little people and would growl
at them. After she saw how much fun Pooh Bear has with children, she now loves to play with my niece.
Pooh Bear is recovering now from a recent operation. She had a large tumor growing out in the left
shoulder area. This tumor got to be 3 inches in diameter and it was time to be taken out. When
her vet got in there, he actually found a much larger tumor underneath the original one. This new one was
10 inches long. Pooh Bear came through the surgery like a trooper. When I picked her up at the vet, I know
she was still groggy and hurting but she gave me her famous Pooh Bear smile. She has healed up quickly
and just needs to grow her hair back in. She seems even more perky after her big tumor was taken out.
We were all pleased to hear that neither tumor was cancer.” Amanda W.
April 2011
Bree - Illinois “Snowbird” and All-Round Traveler
“Bree is a “snowbird” dog.
She has been coming to Florida since 2003. In fact, we began camping again because of Bree.
You see, we retired and wanted to spend time where it was warm in the winter, and we did not want to leave Bree back
in Illinois.
Over the years, we have been in Florida during the winters, and made trips out west for extended
time twice. Bree always makes our trip enjoyable. Bill made her a special place in the
backseat of our 1996 Dodge 3500, having a bed made thick enough to be level to the console between the front seats.
It is so much fun to slowly drive anywhere and see people smiling and pointing at our pretty pup sitting between us.
The
story I want to tell you that will make her forever remembered by the people who have been our neighbors at Bay Bayou RV Resort,
Tampa FL, will make you say. UGH! And. hopefully, gives you a LAUGH, too.
Bree has always had a fascination with paper money.
Especially, if she thought it would make us upset! Her first big ‘deal’ was with a $20.00
bill .. I had left the envelope with $20’s on the dash of the truck while we went into a restaurant. When
we got back, she had eaten most of one of them. Bette found it, and hid it from Bill .. well .. you know
WHY!
Then, several years ago, Bette was selling Cookbooks at the Bayou, so she had books, money in an envelope, all in a
plastic bag. WE were extremely busy that week, and gone from the RV a lot. The plastic
bag had been put under the table, clear to the back wall. When we returned, Bree had crawled under the
table, opened the envelope and tore the money up and ate it. Three days later, while walking Bree, Bette
saw pieces of money in ‘you know what’! Arriving back to the RV, she excitedly said, “EUREKA!"
YES!
We did wash; bleach, clean, over many days. US money is made of very good stuff! Finally,
Bette spent several hours piecing and scotch taping it back together again. In all, $39.00.
The finished product was taken to a bank in Illinois and turned in as ‘mutilated money’, salvaging $37.00.
Now,
we are sure that you think we had learned a very good lesson about our pup. When you love a dog, you seem
to think they actually heard what you said when you were SO upset with their behavior. A couple of years
later, Bree took our Bank Envelope with $200.00 in off the coffee table.
We can picture her .. One foot
on the envelope, while she tore off one-half of each bill off .. YES! She ate IT! The procedure we used
before was reinstated. We were able to salvage all $200.00.
Bree has many adventures to tell, this is just one
that always leaves our friends gagging and laughing. Bree is 12 ½ years old and has problems that
we are recognizing as serious. Although we have had other dogs throughout our lives, Bree is our forever
dog. We love her so much.” Bette S.
March 2011
Princess Poochie
“’Our worship is over
and our service begins’ intoned Rev. Jim as he dismissed the congregation on Easter Sunday’s final service.
The clouds were parting and rays of sun broke through casting a single ray of bright light on the stone floor just
outside the door. I looked down to see a very small grey mass of hair with large dark eyes poking through
long bangs. The little dog, holding one paw up and emitting sighing sounds from her throat, touched my
skirt. What else! I bent and picked up a very damp dog whose small body was somewhere
deep in the abundant hair. Many soulful sounds and a few pats on the little grey head came from a quickly
disappearing crowd. There was no objection as I opened the car door and placed her on the seat beside me.
“Let’s see if we can find your people”, I told her as we drove the short distance to my condo.
Ed was in his chair mostly listening to the news on his big TV angled so he could see it with his peripheral vision
due to Macular Degeneration. Without a word I sat the grey one on his lap. “Not
an Easter Egg”, I remarked as I attempted some lame explanation for my companion. Within the hour,
after due deliberation and advice from nearby daughter, with the still damp rather limp scared grey creature, we arrived at
the Florida Veterinary Services just around the corner. After determining that our little friend had neither
microchip nor had she been spayed, we were provided with one of two lists provided for folks arriving with one of two problems.
Our list was entitled “FOUND” and with instructions from the staff and a bag of kibbles for small dogs
plus any “thanks” and “thumbs up” from all within earshot we left to consider our options.
Having promised daughter to come over for Easter dinner, the grey one enjoyed our holiday along with daughter’s
family including two dogs.
The following week was spent either on the computer designing flyers for posting a pet shops, veterinary clinics, ATM
machines, my church and wherever we could post one. The local Sheriff’s office gladly accepted one.
The internet sites provided me numerous messages but none from her owner. Some even offered to adopt
her. That changed when our daughter’s vet discovered heart worm. We were advised
to have her spayed first then treated with medication to eliminate those life threatening parasites. Since
those little short legs were busy jumping with joy and running around energetically chasing Malcolm, the grand dog, that was
more difficult than we thought. Some medication caused her to be put on an IV involving a hospital stay.
To keep her calm I spent some weeks tethered to her who became Princess Poochie. Success! She lived
and I felt that all those sleep deprived nights holding her leash while she slept in our bed was worth it. The
next trip to our vet found she tested for hookworm which compared to the other problems was solved with little frustration.
We resumed our early morning walks building up
energy for us both (I was recovering from hip replacement) One morning a large dog bounded across the street,
butted me out of the way as I stooped to pick up screaming Poochie, and caused me to crash over backward on the sidewalk.
Several weeks later I was happy to have a first time visit with Ed and Poochie on the bed of my rehabilitation facility.
Our daughter had cared for her father and our Poochie as best she could after I was scraped off the sidewalk by paramedics
and taken to the hospital for five days. Ed and our daughter, who had issues that damaged their relationship
for years, had somehow come together with their mutual concerns due to the dog attack. I felt that the
double fracture of my pubic bone that morning was somehow worth all the pain. Poochie, the Easter dog,
crawled across my bed, curled beneath my arm and seemed to say “oh here’s what happened to you”, sighing
several times. Some months later my arrival home was celebrated by signs and barks of happiness that resurrected
my own, almost lost, joy of life!” Marjorie T.
February 2011
Miss Sparkleberry
Sparkles is yet another one of
my very special Shih Tzus I have groomed since she was a baby. Again, she is one of the many reasons that
I love the breed so much!
“Miss Sparkleberry, alias “Sparkles”, is a 4 ½ year old shih tzu. She joined our
family when she was 12 weeks old. My husband, Bob, and I first met her, at her breeder’s home, when she was 5
weeks old. She fit in the palm of my hand. It was New Year’s Eve afternoon (thus, the name “Sparkles”).
We fell in puppy love, paid the deposit and made weekly trips to see and hold her until she was old enough for us to safely
bring home. What a joy she has been! She is a great dog, with a little personality that keeps us chuckling all
the time. We call her our “diva dog”. She is spoiled rotten and has trained us well.
Sparkles’ favorite toy is her little yellow stuffed ball.
She could run and chase it for hours. We live in fear that we will lose that precious little yellow ball and not be
able to easily replace it. It goes in the washing machine once a week and Sparkles patiently waits by the machine for
it to come out. She rubs it against my leg while I am getting ready to go to work in the morning … in hopes of
just one more throw. She carries it around in her mouth, just waiting for someone to try and steal it. Once, it
was hiding behind the sofa for a few days and little Sparkles went through withdrawal. It was a happy moment for all
of us when we finally found it! Ironically, that ball was part of a $50 Doggy IQ Test that I bought on-line. Miss
Sparkles didn’t do so well with the IQ test, unfortunately … but, that little yellow ball was worth every penny
spent – ha!
Julie has been grooming
Sparkles since Sparkles was about 4 months old. We started with the first puppy clip at Julie’s previous place
of employment. My husband and I were just sick about leaving her there, for the first time. But, Julie made the
experience as pleasant as possible and Sparkles quickly became very fond of her. I still have the lock of hair that
Julie saved for me that day. But, Sparkles never “loved” being around all of the other dogs in the area.
It was a given that we would follow Julie to her new mobile grooming business. Now, when Julie shows up at the door,
Sparkles gets all excited – running around, wagging her tail, barking – it is so rewarding to see. She can’t
wait to get out to the van. A perfect fit for our beloved diva dog!” Debbie M.
January 2011
Sparky
Sparky is one of my very special
Shih Tzus that I have been grooming for many years. His wonderful personality is the exact reason that
I love the breed so much!
“Sparky was 11 months old when
he was given to me by a friend at work who could no longer care for him. He has become my best doggy friend and the
best of the 3 Shih Tzus we have raised and loved over the years. Sparky LOVES people and because of that wonderful trait
he now works as a therapy dog at assisted living homes in the Carrollwood area. All of the people are very excited
when we visit because he is so spunky and has a gorgeous long tail flipped over his back. He is also a smart little
guy who didn't know how to play or fetch when we got him but he learned very quickly to sit, roll over, shake, fetch a toy
and drop it when asked. What a guy!!
Julie has been Sparky's groomer and care taker when we are out of town since the day we got him (July '08).
She is the best and Sparky gets so excited when she comes in to get him for his bath and haircut. He looks the
most handsome in a "puppy" cut and it is much easier for me to care for him with shorter hair. I love
the mobile grooming service because it saves me so much time and sometimes Sparky is even done by the time I get home
from work. I also know he is well cared for and loved during his grooming. I have referred many friends
and neighbors to Julie and everyone is very happy that their pets are happy, healthy and perfectly groomed! Thank
you, Julie!" Michelle
F.
November/December 2010
Bogey
Bogey is one of my favorite old yellow dogs. And she must like me too, because she actually walks herself
out to the grooming van, without a leash, and gets right in!!! Even if I'm still at the door talking to her family,
she heads towards the van. She and one of my other dogs, Dempsey, are my only two dogs that do this!!
“We are so thankful to have the best family dog
in the world! Bogey is a 12 year old yellow lab who loves to swim, hang out with the kids, and fetch the paper every morning
for us. From the time we brought her home at 5 months old, she taught herself to go out and retrieve the morning paper. It
is the first thing she wants to do when someone gets up in the house. She runs right out there, grabs the paper and brings
it back to us for the treat afterwards. She learned this trick the first day and saw how pleased we were that she won't have
it any other way now. If you do not let her get the paper, she will fight it out of your hand so she can be the one to carry
in the house. She learned many tricks very quickly, but this is the only one that she continues to do day in and day out."
Mardee P.
October 2010
Chase
World of Westchase is a community magazine distributed to many of Petsburgh Mobile Pet Salon's clients. One of
our dogs was selected to be their Pet of the Month in the September 2010 issue. We wanted to officially congratulate
Chase by honoring her as our October Dog of the Month.
“Chase
is a 5 year old purebred AKC Papillion living in Saville Rowe with her parents, The Turners. Everyone
knows her as "Chase of Westchase" and she loves to go after all the golf balls that land in her back yard.
She enjoys long walks around the golf course and playing with other dogs in the neighborhood. Chase
loves to take rides in the car, especially to Philippe Park in Safety Harbor! When we go there, we have
a picnic and she sits right on the blanket and waits until we give her a milk-bone dog biscuit. We are
always amazed at how well-behaved she is. Everyone comes up to talk to her and she is super friendly.
She loves to go to a park in the Van Dyke Farms
area so she can watch all the kids in the playground. She is energetic and playful.
One of her favorite pastimes is soaking up the sun outside in the backyard. Sometimes she
turns over on her back and lets the sun warm her tummy! She has a funny side too - if I hide
around the corner in the kitchen, she hides around the corner in the laundry room and peeks out with her little face.
She's just too funny! I think she knows at least 30 phrases in the English language.
Her favorite toy is a little pink stuffed elephant, and if you ask her to get a toy, she always chooses that one first!
She brings so much joy to our family, and every day is a blessing having her around us.” Denise
T.
September 2010
Kibbles
Five years ago, in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina, thousands of pets were tragically displaced from their homes. Kibbles is one of the
lucky pets that was able to find a new family and live happily ever after.
“Kibbles, fondly called "Mr. Kibbles", is a 6 year old Yorkie Terrier
who was rescued 5 years ago from Hurricane Katrina. Upon adoption, his name and age were unknown. Like many of the other
rescues, he was called "Hurc" (short for hurricane). Of course he did not respond when called by that name.
He was taken to 4 veterinarians in hopes of determining his real age. The ages ranged from a couple of months to about
5 years old. It took his 2 Dads 5 months to obtain his real name and actual age from his previous vet in New Orleans.
Today Kibbles enjoys living in Citrus Park
and playing with his many, many toys. He spends his spare time chasing birds, squirrels and lizards.” Nolan and Daryl
"Sophia is just happy to be here! She still exhibits
puppy-like excitement towards life (even though she is approaching 8 years). Her oldest and best friend, Lucky (a Dalmatian
from Mississippi), showed her everything about being a dog when she came to live with his family six years ago.
A
year or so prior to that, Sophia was enduring a very different life; a prison-like existence called a puppy mill (complete
with an ear tattoo #5). She grew up with basically no socialization or contact with other dogs, and where she entertained
herself by pacing in circles within the confines of a small wire cage. Even today, Sophia continues to be quite adept
at "spinning"--something rarely seen among larger dogs. She taught Lucky a little of the technique, but he
has only mastered about 1 1/2 turns--she can go on like a spinning top! Although she is a Standard Poodle, she's definitely
not the prissy type--she loves to run all around the yard (and she's fast); cool down her feet by dancing in the "baby"
pool; patrol for squirrels in the trees; and, basically do anything that Lucky wants to do.
Julie is someone that Sophia especially loves and trusts (she's like her dog whisperer)--And
she likes that Julie regularly gives her an "extreme makeover" where she blossoms into a beautiful white poodle,
even rivaling those portrayed in the magazines! Then she is back to playing, looking for the next adventure and loving
life!" Sandra B.
July 2010 Kora --
Diabetic Medical Alert Service Dog
"Where do I start!!! With a heart full of love, I'm alive and can be more
at ease thanks to my Diabetic Medical Alert Service Dog, KORA!! Kora is a German Shepard and she was scent trained to help
me detect my low and high blood sugar levels before they get into dangerous levels. Kora can detect my level changes even
before my blood sugar meter can tell me! Kora alerts me 100% of the time throughout the day and we are still working with
her and training with her to get to that level during the night, right now she has hits and misses. Kora alerts me by panting,
licking and nudging me. If I don't pay her attention, then she'll "tattle" on me to my husband or daughter, or anyone
else who might be around us. My lab work has shown the difference and I not only owe my life to KORA, but I can't imagine
my life without her!!!!!" Barbara V.
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