Austin Pets Alive and the ASPCA $100,000 Challenge.

We're down to the last three days of the ASPCA Challenge and thanks to your help, we're a main contender for the $100,000 prize for the most adoptions AND the $25,000 prize for community engagement.

$125,000 would save a lot more animals in Central Texas! We will use the money to continue pulling more and more animals from euthanasia lists from Central Texas animal shelters to spread no-kill from Austin to all of Central Texas.

But we still need your help to ensure we take home the grand prize:

First, we are offering $25 adoption fees for these last three days (October 29-31) for dogs and cats over 3 months old. And at our headquarters on Manchaca and our S. Congress location, all dogs and cats - including puppies and kittens under 3 months old - will be $25. We need to adopt out 150 dogs and cats over the next few days to reach our goal - please share our adoption special with your friends and family!

Second, we need your vote in the $25,000 Community Engagement contest. Please vote today, tomorrow, and Monday. The top three vote-getters will advance to the final round where the ASPCA will evaluate how well we engaged our community, which leads to the third way you can help:

If you adopted a pet from us during the Challenge, please upload your adoption story to the ASPCA website by Monday. These stories will be a part of the winning criteria for the last round of the Community Engagement contest.

Thank you so much for all of the help you've given to the animals of Central Texas! The ASPCA will announce the winners of the Challenge contests on November 30th, and we hope to be among them.

PS. Our Fall Petsival is tomorrow (October 30th). Come join us for games, music, and a free showing of Cats and Dogs from the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow.

Life with Adonis, Canine Mental Illness

Over the past few weeks I've watched my friend go from being un-trusting to faithful, but there is a question in my mind.  If humans can have mental illness, can dogs?  The discovery of him not having ear drums, which explained him not responding to voice helped and now I'm working with him through doggie sign language.  He and I both have to learn it.

One on one with me Adonis does great, but when other pets are introduced he becomes aggressive again, like today when I brought home the two new Beagle/Terrier puppies.  He acted the same way almost two weeks ago when he and I came to house and dog sit for some friends.  Adonis became friends with Shadow within a few days and have played well ever since.  I've had my companion on Pet-Eze, a natural combination of herbs to help keep him calm.  It seemed to be working until today.

Now as I sit here, I watch my poor dog growl at something unseen as he stares into nothing.  He still occasionally growls and snips at me, but I've learned to growl right back and jump in his face to let him know he's on my turf.  He calms down for a bit, except tonight.  Is it the introduction of the 2 new puppies?  Is it something more serious?

I decided to foster the puppies after I saw how much Adonis enjoyed having another canine playmate, but now I'm not so sure it was a good idea.  I'll give him a few more days and hopefully he'll adjust like he did with Shadow.

But the thought still remains.  Is it possible that he has a mental illness, brain damage, or something else that causes his unfriendly behavior?  My heart weakens as I watch him stare into nothing and growl, my mind wonders what he sees.

I knew that he would require a special home, so I adopted him after fostering him for 2 weeks.  Patience and understanding I have with animals, there are times I wish I had such with humans.
Next week he and I will visit the vet to follow up with his ear infection, but I'm also going to be talking to the vet about heart worm treatments, and maybe finding him doggie Valium.  My friends all say that a dog is like their owner, so it's no wonder he's here with me - both almost deaf, both with mental disorders, and both with social stigmas.  I'm working on mine, through my therapist, my doctor and my psychologist.  Now to find a way to help my little companion.

Knowing that this next month is going to generate a great deal of medical bills for Adonis, I'm asking the universe to bring me some work to cover the extra costs, just like it did this month.  My only desire is to see him happy, healthy, and able to socialize well with others, human and animal.  For now, I enjoy the quiet as he has fallen asleep, but he's on my bed, so I'm sleeping on the floor.

I'll research as much as I can, learn, and find ways of helping him, as in between the episodes I see a loving, sweet, affectionate dog.  Adonis, you're safe with me and together we'll find a way.

Fanta and Squirt

Early this afternoon I met some adorable pups named after various brands of soda.  These two are Fanta and Squirt, a brother and sister.  They are a Beagle and Terrier mix and about 8 weeks old.  As with all pups, they love to run and play.  Originally, when I first met these two, Squirt (the boy and biggest of the two) was the first one to come to me, so naturally I thought Fanta was a bit shy.  Fanta isn't shy.  They both are enjoying chasing me in the grass, something I found they enjoy doing, but now I'll have to run and run fast, as Fanta can keep up to my slow pace.

As part of the Austin Pets Alive fostering program, I'll have these two playful companions for a bit.  House breaking, leash training, and hopefully getting my newly adopted dog, Adonis, to play nice will all be part of the routine.  

I'll admit, I haven't house trained a dog in quite sometime, so this will keep me on my toes for sure.  The joy in playing with these two is tremendous.  Today is the first day I've had them, so there isn't much to write about yet, but wanted to share the photos and a video of them playing.

Have you ever tried videoing two active puppies?  What fun!

Adonis out for a walk.

Adonis, who wasn't feeling very good just over a week ago, nor very trusting of people, is now getting belly rubs, taking walks, and is starting to be friendly to people.  He's a great companion, especially if you're able to build trust with him.  He's not your usual dog, but he is sweet, loving, and a great protector.  He even likes to play with his favorite blanket by pulling it around the apartment.

There are many dogs and cats available for adoption through Austin Pets Alive, and Adonis will one day want a home.

Adonis loves being outside and walking.

Having often times been called slow, different, or any other number of names, all because I was different than other people.  It seems I know a bit more about Adonis, my foster pet through Austin Pets Alive, as each day passes, I begin to see signs of just how different he is and ponder if those differences were what caused him to be abandoned and hurt.

I'll watch him put his nose in the corner and stand there, as if he has been scolded.  I laugh when he pulls his blanket (an old towel) through the apartment only to sit down and just hold it in his mouth for hours.  He only once has laid back and exposed his belly for a scratch and that was after some rough housing we were doing  and when he started to snip again, I growled back, so he submitted.  He loves to be petted now, but only while he is standing up.  Behind the ears are his favorite spot, but I can see that the belly rub is going to soon take over.  Now that there isn't much pain in his back, he lets me scratch his back.

Although he is allowing me to pick him up, I do so carefully, because there is something that still causes him fear or pain, but he doesn't bite as before, only does a little high pitched whine and snip.

His diarrhea is gone, along with the horrible flatualance smell, since I've changed his food over to an organic type.  His new doggie treats are vitamins for hip and joints, so I can see that they are helping him.  He'll spend an hour going over one of the small meaty bone treats.  Being close is something he is doing more and more.  He moves his blanket to either beside my bed or under the bed, and every now and then I'll awake with him sleeping beside me.

I think I would like to take him to a doggie psychic and a vet, to see if we can pinpoint some of the issues he has and what he has gone through before now.

Tonight, after several walks, he started to crouch to relieve himself, I had to yell, "NO!", jumped up, grabed the leash, opened the door, and held the leash for him to run through on the way out the door.  We made it.  He's been so good about going to the door and scratching on it to let me know he wants to go outside.

Perhaps him coming to stay with me was for good reason, as I think we understand each other and we both have to learn to trust again.  He's a great dog and hasn't been barking at people during our walks and is showing more curiousity about the things, animals and people around.

The movie "Forest Gump" comes to mind every time I play with him, something we do every night on the floor.  He's special, so hopefully there will be someone equally special who knows how to love and appreciate this handsome little man.  It's only been a week now, but we've come a long way together, so I'm excited to see how much further we can go.

Austin Pets Alive needs other foster parents, and every time I see a request, I want to say, 'Yes', but then I don't because I'm not sure how Adonis will react just yet.  So soon, I'll say 'Yes' to another foster so Adonis will learn to be around other animals.

If you are looking to adopt a pet, then check out many of the dogs and cats available at Austin Pets Alive.  If you're special, like Adonis and me, then you might be great with some of the foster pets (you'd only have them for a short period, care for them, give them medications, and train them, and then help them find adoptive homes.)  I'm glad my friend Shannon insisted that I do this, as the rewards are numerous.  I'm loving again, I'm not alone, and I have love coming back in funny ways.

Companionship, Pets, and HIV & AIDS

Pain can cause many of us to not respond well to those around us, to not be very socially minded, and to snip at others around us.  Such is the case with Adonis, the loving Chihuahua I'm fostering at the moment.  Since his arrival on Saturday, he has become more relaxed.  The one-on-one environment seems to be good for him, as he is becoming more trusting, loving, and affectionate.

During our walks, you can tell that he so wants to run about and be the 2 year old that he is, but his hurt back limits that fun.  His curiosity is amazing and no sound or smell escapes his attention.  Laughter breaks out when I see him get excited and start to run.  He skips with his hind legs and runs with his front ones.  I know it is because of his back issue, but I hope one day he'll be free of the pain and able to run like he wants to.  He enjoys his walks and isn't barking at everyone now, like he did when he first arrived.



Our first night together didn't provide much sleep because he barked at every sound or movement in the window (my apartment has a floor to ceiling window so he can see everything).  Last night was different, we both slept.  Probably because he was more relaxed in his new home.  I awoke to find he had moved the towel he's been sleeping on over to beside my bed to be closer to me.  Slowly looking over at him, he smiled and began wagging his little curled tail.  It is such a joy to be greeted with such warmth and excitement.



As he begins to trust me, I've discovered that he loves to have his ears scratched.  He is so funny and acts like a cat by doing little head butts into my side for me to pet him.  Both of our affections for the other are growing.  He's a great companion and his small size makes him perfect for the small apartment.  Having him around helps me as well.  His loving, affectionate, and charismatic nature (it really shows when he's not in pain) provides the love this apartment, and I, have needed.

There are many of us living with HIV and AIDS and the ones I know that have a pet seem to have a bit of purpose and are enlivened by the company and love of their pets.  Over the last few days I've pondered the idea of how to help Austin Pets Alive, the organization I'm fostering for, and those living with HIV and AIDS by developing some sort of companionship program to allow no or extremely low fee adoptions and placements of the dogs and cats at APA to those with HIV and AIDS.  It could be a great way to provide some love to people who really need it and a home to many of the pets temporarily residing at APA.  Thee may be such a program, but I couldn't find one while searching the Internet, but I did find programs to assist those with HIV/AIDS keep their pets, such as PAWS.

I may live on a limited income, but thankfully I am able to work from home, but I'll spend my last bit of money to make sure Adonis has food, fun, and a comfortable place to live.  It was lonesome here before he arrived, and now, I smile every day and have someone to converse with, to walk with, and to curl up with.  A big smile emerges as I see his protector side exposed, as he will do a little bark towards anyone walking by the window (I keep the blinds pulled up so he can see outside).  He may be small in stature, but he is big in heart.  Adonis is a great pet.




Thought for Now:
Resources for low or limited income assistance for people with pets.
Animal Trustees of Austin
EmanciPET
Pet Food Bank of Austin