Olive Girl!

by Dan the Fireman and Catherine the Nurse.



More later... but know everyone is happy.

Two are serious; anotehr one was fishing around for a "free dog," which is always a nightmare, and the last one ended up not calling back when I answered honestly that she might shed a little. That one didn't thrill me because it was an 19 year old living with his parents and I needed to hear if the parents were fully bought into his getting another dog (he did have pit experience and their other dog died of old age). I didn't know how the parents felt and the kid didn't call back.

Flyers are being posted everywhere we would like Olive to live!

Tomorrow morning I pick her up and bring her to a friend's house who has a small yard with a high fence. Since Olive has a cone on her head (so she cannot get to the spay stitches,) she is going to struggle with the park, I think. She really just wants to sit in the grass, so that's what we'll do!

I picked Miss Olive at the vet's at about 5:00pm yesterday, so she was observed by them all day. She has a completely clean bill of health, beautiful white teeth, a cone-head, and she was tutored! (...my weird Far Side humor is coming out).

I appreciate all that has been doanted so far. Thank you for your concern. Olive thanks you too.

I wish I could post pictures here but you can go to my blog, Shelter Tails, to see some I took yesterday.

Miss Olive had a busy day. I picked her up at 8:30am and we headed right to the vet. I was nervous to bring her in the office with the other dogs in there (seven!!), but she was cool as a cucumber. At the shelter, Olive was thought to be dog aggressive, but since being out has shown no signs of this. I think - and so do some others - that she felt threatened in some way and so would act aggressively first to ward off trouble.

She had her teeth done, got a microchip, her ear hematoma drained and checked, her nails clipped, full blood work, and was spayed. She will need to wear a cone (oh no!) for ten days. The doc threw in a free heartworm test. All tests came back negative! Olive is healthy.

They wanted to keep her overnight and I had not anticipated that. I should have, but also I wasn't sure if the spay was going to happen. As of Saturday is was not going to take place till next time. I visited her at the end of the day and she was groggy and wobbly so I am thrilled she is being observed overnight.

The kennel where I am keeping her recommended a transport for me to use, as I cannot take another day off from work for this. I left a message and will see. If they don't work out, I will search for someone else, or need to ask to leave early.

I took the time off to post about 30 signs in the neighborhood of the vet, which was nice.

Olive has had two visitors htis week and from today through Monday will have someone each day. I'm taking her to the Big Park again. I have my little bag of chicken ready, and some home made carrot treats from The Barkery (of Cloud Nine Rescue Flights), and a bottle of water, all ready to go. I'll get some new pics, too, but I am having trouble posting them here.

More later...

hehe.

I was worried Olive would be lonely but so far I hav sent directions to get to Olive to FIVE people!! With me, that's SIX! Now we just need one more for a royal flush and Miss Olive will wonder what's going on that she's getting walked seven days a week!

Seriously, someone is leaving their job early tomorrow to go and see her! I am so happy about this, I cannot tell you.

That same volunteer made a beautiful flyer for Olive and now we can start posting it. A whole team of people signed up to do that.

Olive has many people who love her!

Thanks to all!!

Yesterday was a busy day!

Olive was sprung from the shelter and everyone was happy for her, and sad, to see her go. And, to be honest, many of us are worried about her getting adopted.

A friend went with me to the first kennel where I thought we'd be leaving her. But the guy - who was technically closed on Sunday and had agreed to take Olive - rushed to take her from me, instead of my taking a moment to introduce her, and she growled at him and lunged. He immediately said he couldn't board her. My heart sank but I wasn't without a plan. I had a backup place already lined up, just in case. So I called and said we were headed over.

Now the first place was in the country, in a nice town, with a nice looking place. The volunteers were all so excited she would be nearby and would be in the nicer place. The second place is in the Bronx -- the South Bronx. In an industrial area. But I have to tell you, the guy who runs it inspires confidence quickly and he knew exactly how to handle Miss Olive.

That is to say, he didn't at first. I got there, we chatted, we walked (I had Olive on a leash), then he took the leash, we continued walking, and then he sat down on the curb, and called her over. She wagged her tail and went right over. Mission accomplished. Later on when it was time to go in for the night, she trotted off with him and didn't look back at me.

This morning I called to check on her and he said she had a great night, and he learned she's housetrained (no poop in the kennel!) They figured it out by walking her. I knew it but I guess they had to see it to believe it. So later today I went to see her and took her for a ride to my neighborhood, where here is a large park with a track. I wanted to be familiar with the area.

Olive did great! We walked 1.5 miles, and we passed about 100 people running, jogging, walking riding bikes, two horses, thirty kids in some program, and various vehicles nearby -- all things that she hasn't seen in about five years.

She did great. Afterwards, we went and layed down in the lush grass and she leaned into me, which is one of her lovely habits. She is a really sweet dog.

I will take her out again on Saturday morning. Sunday another volunteer will go to take her, and Monday she is getting vetted. I didn't want to do it today; I just wanted her to get acclimated to her new surroundings.

Oh! and I got a kiddie pool for the kennel so Olive can play in it! They were happy and so was Olive!

I left several new toys in her new pen, and I tried giving her a bed but she was going to eat it so I thought of better ways to spend that 25 bucks.

Thanks for staying tuned! And thanks for your support! (Contributions go towards her boarding cost, to carry us through to the time she is adopted. I pay all other costs. I want people to know what they are giving to).

Adele

I found a new great kennel today, nearby so the volunteers who Olive has known the past five years can visit her, and while it's a little more money, everyone is relieved she will be well cared for. It's got more grass, she will have play time outside. It came highly recommended and I have a good feeling after discussing Olive with the manager. He is excited to be helping a rescue and offered us a half off price!

I scheduled another day off so I can take her in for vetting one of the Mondays coming up, and the other will be spent walking her in the little town where she is staying, and getting her used to not being a shelter dog anymore.

She will have her own run! Till now, Olive has been in a cage during the night and during half the day, and is left into a 4 foot pen twice a day for an hour or two. She is moving up in life! The shelter where she has been offers a lot of love and good care, but it is old and rickety, and duct taped together.

I have collected a bit more than the chip in shows, due to pledges made by friends and fellow volunteers. Still, the boarding is 100 dollars more a month to have her in the better place and to have her nearer to where people she has known mostly live.

I hope you will join me and others and make a gift to support this very sweet dog, who is about to have the new beginnings of a life.

Next step: getting her used to being handled more, and making her ready for prime time.

I'm away for one day so I will post again on Sunday night, after she is settled.

Wish us luck. Thanks so much for your support thus far. Olive thanks you too.

Adele

:)

... and to the vet on Monday "to get tutored. "

haha. No, not really, since she's a girl. She'll be spayed, and get a good dental, and have her ear checked out.

Fellow volunteer Leslie got some great new pics today of Olive playing in the pool at the shelter. I just have to figure out how to post them here and I will.

Thanks to all those who have made gifts (and a couple of friends and fellow volunteers taht have pleded and will give in check form). You are making Olive's rescue possible.

I thought I layed eyes on her for the last time this past Sunday when I was at the shelter on my regular day to walk the dogs. She must've wondered why I was fussing over her, was weepy (she liked my face and nose), and why I walked her twice, something I've never done so as not to cheat another dog out of their walk.

Thanks again for your help.