Another lucky one...

They don their red capes...

Pull up their tights...

(cue super hero music)

Here they come...

The Amazing Aja and her sidekick Puppy Pal Paul!!!

Off to save another Jack Russell!

Today's story takes us to the land of ugly mugs.

 A lonely little guy with one red and itchy disposition.

 Down swoops the Doggy Diva and the Canine Com padre...

Into their arms they scoop up a pup with a face only a mother could love...and the skin to go with it!

Parker is swept off his feet and whisked away into the land of love...

of good food and vets and warmth.

Here he will convalesce and become a real dog again...

going for walks, chasing balls, barking at the mailman...

and of course being snuggled as all dogs should be...

 P.S...here's what my daughter had to say...

I'm not sure of his entire story but here is what we could gather from the vet records that came with him from the shelter. 

 

He is about 2 years old, we gather he was bought as a family pet since he is named after a character from the Disney movie Cars.  At around age 8-9 months his previous owner started taking him to see the vet because he was itching and scratching at his fur and was losing some hair.  The vet prescribed some anti-allergenic food and the next visit was a few month after that.  Condition had worsened and he had lost a lot of fur and was prescribed a course of steroids and topical agents.  The owner took him in a couple times and though condition was getting slightly better, it appears the owner did not want to deal with it anymore, or maybe it was getting too expensive (or maybe he had just lost that cute luster that a new puppy has for some people) and he was surrendered to the shelter.   By the time he reached the shelter he had lost about half the fur on his body and was quite underweight.  The shelter started him on a hypoallergenic diet and a few courses of steroids and by the time he came to us he was "80% better" per the shelter, so I can only imagine what he looked like before he came to us.

 

He is a crazy little snuggle monster and he likes to lay down on the carpet and drag himself around using his arms only with his legs straight out behind him like Superman.  He loves to run at the park and is outrunning every other dog around so far.  He is still a bit timid and shy, especially if you scold him, he just tucks his tail in and curls into a scared little ball, but with time, he is learning to trust us and we are being firm but gentle with his discipline so that he knows we aren't mad at him, only his behaviour.  It has only been a week, but we have him on a grain free diet with some added hemp oil and aloe/cortisone for his skin and he already looks 200% better.  With a bit of stability, love and trust we are hoping his fur will start to come back and he will get back up to healthy weight and be able to relax and find a permanent home.

 

Update on Puppy Love...

Some of you may have read about my daughter, Aja, fostering a rescued Jack Russell from a puppy mill.

(you can read about it here http://farmlass.blogspot.com/2011/01/all-you-need-is-love.html )

Since then, she and her boyfriend Paul have decided to give her a permanent home.

So here's an update on how they're all doing with the new life...

 

Emma is doing really really well.  She basically house trained herself by watching other dogs, so we didn't even really have to do that.  She is super super cuddly  and LOOOOVES going for hikes at High Park and in other off leash areas and she does extremely well off-leash. 

 

We took her hiking last Sunday with Paul's sisters dogs Scout (border collie) and Frasier, another Jack Russell. She gets along really well with Frasier but she is still quite iffy about big dogs.

  Taking her to High Park every weekend helps because most of the dogs in the off leash area really don't care and just give a quick sniff and move on, so she's learning that they won't bother her.

 Amazing that only a little over a month ago we couldn't even get her to sit anywhere near us since now she's such a cuddle monkey with Paul and myself.  

 We've got her doing sit, down, come and stay so now we'll start working on more some difficult stuff.  I'm sure she'll be easy to train since she's quite clever.

 I still think it'll be a long while until she is more like a normal dog.  

She's still quite fearful of any other people that aren't me and Paul, but she is getting better every day and starting to sniff people in the elevator so that's a good sign.

 

All you need is love.

Imagine a dog who has never seen the out of doors...

A dog who has spent her life in a 2 X 4 crate to be bred...

A dog who wasn't even given a name.

Abused on many different levels.

Then you can imagine this girl...

She now has a name.

Emma.

Just over 4 years old.

My daughter and her boyfriend have taken to fostering her after she spent 4 years as a puppy mill.

Emma is part of a group of Jack Russell's in Ontario who are rescued, fostered and then adopted into homes.

She's still quite timid, but with time and patience Emma will one day have a normal life.

The Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario group takes on dogs who have been ...

abandoned (quite literally thrown out into the street),

mistreated and abused.

Sometimes they are relinquished by their owners because of unforeseen tragedies and illness.

Jack Russell's are prime targets of the underworld of puppy mills.

They became quite popular through the media and were a 'trendy' dog to own.

Many people didn't realize what they were taking on and after getting to know the breed, had to give them up.

A lot of people don't realize the energy and intelligence of these dogs.

They do poorly in shelters because they need stimulation and exercise.

Many shelters are underfunded and cannot give these dogs what they need. 

Therefore, a high number of JRs end up going stir crazy,
develop behavioral problems and/or end up being euthanized.

By the JRTO organization, finding foster homes, they learn to be in the real world and socialize better.

Then, their chances of being adopted into a 'forever' home, are much greater.

Aja and Paul are working with Emma to ensure she receives the life she deserves.

I have known a few JRs and know that they are full of love for those willing and ready to receive it...

So, if you know of someone who is considering owning this breed, tell them to research and...

DO THEIR HOMEWORK!!

Also suggest to them to look into fostering or adopting a rescue JR.

For more info and education have a look here...

http://www.russellrescue.org/index.htm

In the meantime...Emma is doing well and winning over the hearts of those around her.

Her 2 other sisters have since been rescued from 4 years, breeding,  in 2 X 4 crates as well.

Modelling the new sweater.

Getting comfy on the couch.