Shiba Love

   My friend David questioned where HIS drawing was, after he saw the one I did for Zoey this week (David adopted Scooter from me over a year ago, and I hadn't started surprising people with these standees yet). So I mailed this to him today... Can't wait 'til he gets it!!!
   And on a side note, if you type "surprising" on an iPhone, you get... this. I could do without your creativity, Autocorrect!!!

Prancer

   A tribute to the lil' dog who prances with her front paws when she wants your attention! Here is Zo-chan on MSIR's page, looking happy as ever!

   She loved hanging out on the deck with my pups. They really helped her adjust to being a normal dog. When she first arrived, I wasn't able to get photos of her, as she was nervous if you focused your attention on her. But look at her now, relaxed and happy!

   And speaking of "relaxed and happy", here she is in her brand-new home! Dianne reported that she was settling in very well in the first 24 hours. Sure looks like it... 9 months in a St. Louis puppy mill, 15 months in foster care, and 5 surgeries later, nothing can stop her. GO ZOEY!!!

Matane, Zoey!

   Zoey just headed off with her new family, & I couldn't be happier. The best day of fostering is always the day you get to see them ride off into the sunset with wonderful people who adore them. I always strive to place them with people who will care for them as well or better than I could myself, so it's never sad to see them go. It's not さようなら (sayonara—good-bye), it's  またね (matane—see you later)!

Congratulations, Zoey-chan!!!

Meet New Kitty

   We arrived early to meet Jenna, and spent some time exploring Petsmart, meeting up with 10 month old Buddy (a soft-coated wheaten terrier) and his family. I'll tell you, if wheaties looked like this when they were full grown (extra shaggy with dark markings & puppy proportions), I'd have one by now—CUTE!!!

   She came with the name Francine, after having originally been named Fancy; cute, but not suitable for this girl. So far the suggestions have been Apricot, Momo ("peach" in Japanese), and Kismet ("Kizzy" for short). Maybe Joanie, after my favorite red head on Mad Men? Send me ideas. We shall see what fits, once I've lived with her for a few days.

Check. Out. This. Face.

I was allowed to let her out of her cage, to get to know her better...

Taylor didn't even notice her!

Aki is not sure about this "kitty" thing. She gives a lil' protest:

And in response, Kitty smacks her on the nose...

And Aki tries to eat her face. Uh-oh... But at least Kitty isn't scared!

And finally, Taylor notices!

Gorgeous coat...

   Honorable mentions to Paisley and Hope, two other dear kitties. It was a very, very difficult decision! I couldn't take you all, but I'm sure you will find your perfect home soon!

Kenobi Needs a Home!

    MSIR is helping to facilitate the adoption of a really big, really nice boy named Kenobi. The listing is officially through National Shiba Rescue, but I performed the evaluation on him a few weeks ago, and found him to be a gorgeous, friendly dog. With an experienced owner willing to spend some time training him, I do not believe other dogs would be an issue. (Heck, he didn't mind Aki & Taylor when he met them... not one bit!) Follow the link if you're interested!

MSIR Raven, My Current Foster

   Raven is a happy, fun, energetic girl who aims to please. (When you ask her to sit, she gets SO EXCITED to show you that she can do it, that she prances with her front feet and wags her tail!) She would like a family who has time to play and romp with her, and she'll pay you back with kisses and snuggling in your lap. She's furrier and lankier than most Shibas, but I think you'll agree, equally cute!

Meet Raven

   Raven is a 4-year-old girl I'm fostering for MSIR (Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue). She's sweet and friendly and loves to snuggle on your lap. She has a very soft, fluffy coat and big, beautiful tail and dark, soulful brown eyes. She's tall for a Shiba, but only 24 lbs. Rather than the fox-like look that most Shibas have, I'd say she has a wolf-like appearance due to her longer coat, gray undercoat and more streamlined features.

   She's cheerful even with strangers, eager to please, and knows some basic commands. When you ask her to sit, she gets so excited and wags her tail so hard that she can hardly keep her butt on the ground. She has a huge, happy smile. She'd prefer to be an only dog, or paired with an easygoing dog (she and my dominant female, Aki, are not big fans of each other). Seems fine with cats, untested with kids.
   If you're interested in Raven, please visit shibarescue.org and fill out an application, and feel free to email me with any questions. After your application is approved one of our volunteers (maybe myself) will contact you to schedule a home evaluation.

 Look Raven in the eyes & tell her that you're NOT going to adopt her. I dare you.

Smiles all around

   I saw this guy on Petfinder tonight (through a friend's Facebook page; believe me, I'm smart enough to stay away from Petfinder!), and loved his smile. And then I noticed that he's wearing one of the leashes that I donated to HSGKC! And that made ME smile ear to ear.
   And then there's my Tay, who never fails to bring a smile to my face. We ran a 5k last night, and he celebrated afterwards with his usual wildman roll in the backyard, grunting and snorting, teeth bared. I love this idiot.

   I mean "idiot" in a playful, goofball way. He's actually pretty smart. I noticed something when we ran last night. We started out fast—too fast for me—I could barely keep up with him. We ran down to the little park with all the Canada geese that the dogs want to snatch. There's a nice paved path that we circle a few times. Halfway through our run, he started to tire, and he slowed down. I had to keep talking to him to encourage him to keep going.

   We completed our last trip around the park and headed up the street toward home. About a mile away, Tay suddenly realized where we were and he TOOK OFF again, running toward home at top speed. I could pinpoint the exact moment when he knew where he was. I don't know how he knew, because we took a different route home and we don't do this route often. But he knew. I always test him and act like I'm going to run past our street or past the house to see what he'll do, but he always steers us on course. So I guess I won't have to worry too much if he ever gets away. He'll be back by dinnertime, I'm sure.

Swifty + Scooter

VIDEOS: playing inside  /  playing outside

Random Hallmark Moments: Another Match Made in Heaven!

   I don't know why it took so long to dawn on me, but this week I realized that Scooter wasn't the only mini Shiba I'd ever seen... I bumped into a fellow Hallmark employee last fall at Hallmarket, and he had the adorable Swifty with him (that's her, above). So I emailed a mutual friend, Tina, to get his name and fired off an email to David with my favorite Scooter photo and crossed my fingers...

   So we met to talk, and it sounded like an absolutely perfect match, since both girls are petite, young, active and friendly. Not to mention, both look like adorable stuffed toys conceived by a Japanese designer, rather than real life animals. If you need proof, just check out Swifty's baby photo:

   David seemed really excited, so of course I was as well. I had decided from Day 1 that Scooter would go to only the most perfect of homes, and I'd keep her until I found the right one, no matter how long it took. Well, it didn't take long! David came over with Swifty today, and as we suspected, they were fast friends. Scooter had a chance to stretch her legs and the two of them wrestled and played in the dining room, then in the backyard.

   David will most likely adopt Scooter next weekend. I'm really going to enjoy the next few days with her, knowing that she's going to a perfect home with a good buddy and an owner who will adore her as much as I do. (And from the looks of it, maybe even more.) THIS is why I volunteer!