Lucky Dog (and others)

Summer Time and the living is well, I wouldn't say easy, more like exciting or hmm, let me think..

2010-04-25T16:27:00.001-07:00

Hey hey hey
We are in AMERICAN DOG MAGAZINE which is the coolest and I happened to write the article so it's double cool
http://content.theamericandogmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=408:hope-for-paws&catid=49:non-profit&Itemid=105

This past couple of weeks, Bonnie from the chicken fighter house nursed a dying kitten back to health, I faced my camera fear and did my first rescue video so people actually know who i am AND I may actually post it. We had a shelter Chi fostered here named FREDDIE NEWMAN. MARS, the dog I "captured" in Vernon, (he did try to bite me and hated me for two seconds) was fixed and came here to recover and had a great time for 24 hours and then went home to live with his family (the sister of the broker who told us about him living in the factory in Vernon)

How cool are people to adopt a stray and trust him with their young child and baby? AND they gave us a generous donation. He adores the children. Mars is a black spaniel mix and for some reason I kept referring to him as a "her" and I when I think of him I still think "What a good girl!"

Chase is passed out next to me and is being a little freaky with her eyes half open. OH, and we rescued another dog. (its been a very busy week) LACY was dumped as a matted mess and Eldad brought her here and shaved her and she was so happy to stretch her legs.

A woman called for help about Lacy-she knew this dog was a good dog underneath her snapping and shivering. She was a real Edie/Chase case but he wasnt allowed to tape her at the shelter for some reason-so you cant see the transformation.

They called her "mean and crazy" and all those horrible names and said she was unfit for adoption and needed to be killed right away and of course she was just TERRIFIED and had been abused and became a sweetheart-never lived inside and just was so happy to be on the bed, it was fun to watch her discover the joy of sleeping on something soft.

She was adopted by the woman who called about her. She lives in luxury. Happy ending for some. So many more out there. (Ill post pics asap)

Edie-on blogs I never knew existed (on Jezebel today, Bonnie Hunt last week-its viral not bacterial..(ps call me Jack Gray I heart you)

2010-04-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

MamaPop Sparkle Motion: Edie the Shelter Dog rescued an hour before she wa...

The Depths

2010-03-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

Wile E looks like a coyote. People asked Hope for Paws to help this poor dog that was so hungry that they witnessed him eating rocks just to fill his stomach.

Eldad found him in the middle of the desert (it's always the desert) sitting on an abandoned couch.

The dog was so happy to eat but there was something wrong and right away. He didn't walk right, his bodily functions were all messed up. He ate and ate and ate but still something was off. He was xrayed and then they saw it.

The bowel was impacted-unbelievable impacted from rocks and who knows what he had to do to survive. But there was something else. Pellets. Gun Pellets. He had been shot at and they were lodged in his chest and gut.

I like to think that someone mistook him for a coyote. I like to imagine that they had livestock and they thought he was a coyote and they shot him with the gun by accident. I don't even want to think that someone would shoot a coyote.

The problem is that I've seen too much violence towards animals. I've seen what bored people like to do for fun in the desert and it kills me to know the depths of human depravity.

Wile E was treated for his stomach issues and stayed at the hospital for a while. The pellets became encapsulated in his skin and will always be there. His pelvis is broken and they are figuring out the best solution but meanwhile he is actually happy. He is being fostered and knows the kindness of strangers.

Please donate to Hope for Paws. There are so many more to save. www.hopeforpaws.org

Brown Gardens

2010-03-18T21:28:00.001-07:00

We went to an animal hoarder's house with the hoarder still in it!

Eldad has come home before with disturbing stories of hoarder's houses he has entered AFTER they have been arrested or disappeared out of town. Truly horrible accounts of the grossest environments and the saddest stories of animals who had lived in disgusting conditions. The hoarders were reported to have been completely insane. An example is the scary man who is thankfully dead now but went to jail after chainsawing off his horse's head and feeding it to his starving dogs.

So I was so scared to go to this house of horrors, yet the hoarder seemed unhoarder like in the fact that she was willing to let us a. come inside her dwelling and b. take away some of her animals. I have learned since then that this hoarder is the best kind of hoarder-"the overwhelmed caretaker" who is more accepting of help and less likely to reoffend.

Four of us headed out to middle of nowhere aka the desert of San Bernadino and right before we got to the hoarder's street we encountered a man on a horse with a cowboy hat who gave us a dirty look. The man on the horse continued on the the same road as ourselves and then the horse stopped and began to eat out of a dumpster.

We had brought dog and cat food along with all sorts of pet supplies because we had no idea what we were going to encounter. We were ready to take animals with us but we also needed to document what was going on inside this place for other people to save the animals.

We made a video but what the video cannot relate is THE SMELL. The combination of cigarette smoke, dog crap scattered on the floor on wee wee pads placed randomly from a pack of chihuahuas and pomeranians, and the multiple "bathroom cats'" unchanged litter box in the bathroom. (the video doesn't also show things like the DOLL COLLECTION which of course completes the scenario of a spooky hoarder house)

To top this all off though was the dark and horrid maze of garbage and cats that occupied the garage. THE GARAGE CATS totaled about 20 and had ONE LITTER BOX that had not been changed in MONTHS. I have never seen a litter box full of LIQUID.

The get to the garage, one had to open a door from the kitchen. Just standing at the edge of the kitchen with my turtleneck pulled over my face, I was assaulted by the odor from hell.

We were going to return to save the animals but we couldnt just let the garage cats go free outside because the hoarders big "Outside dogs" would have attacked and killed them in seconds. And the coyotes would have finished them off.

Eldad and our friend Arik cleaned the best they could and added new boxes w litter we brought and we brought. Our friend Jaime and I put the new wee wee pads we bought down and we were able to take 4 dogs home with us. One was paralyzed and the other was blind. The hoarder was crying and said she never got them treatment because she thought they'd be put to sleep. We wanted to take two more dogs but the hoarder was hysterical. She told us a very sad story about being injured in an accident and her husband dying as a result. (Jaime; being kind and BRAVE gave her a hug. I patted her arm really nicely)

All the "inside dogs" had dental disease. Two others had been saved before we got there and we heard that at the vet's office, that when they shook their heads, their teeth fell out.

I jumped from disgust to empathy to anger and back again several times. This woman loved her animals and they were not starved or beaten or chained like so many are. It was not a good situation and animal control would have come and euthanized all of them. One wonders where is the community to help out. How does it get this way. Where is the family? She received phone calls and showed us pictures of the kids and grandkids. Was this her or the husband's doing? I mean, she wasn't playing with a full deck, but still....

SINCE OUR VISIT-Most of the animals have been rescued and the rest are going to be saved. When Eldad returned to save the garage cats, The Hoarder was waiting for him and dressed for the occasion in a leopard print robe and hat. The Edith Beale of San Bernadino..

Chase and Ace today

2010-03-17T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, I know I KNOW I haven't blogged since what January? So much has happened including Cock Fighting-who knew? We are still excited from placing in the Chase Community Giving Competition SEMIFINALS along with only 100 other nonprofits out of more than 500,000 in the US and Hope for Paws is only two years old! Who could have guessed?

So we placed 10th in the Chase Community Giving 1 million Dollar competition which is awesome because we are amongst the top ten and as Eldad says "if you say you are among the top eleven, it's obvious that you are eleventh" (Israeli Wisdom)

So we did it (we didn't get any cash but we made a statement that animal rescue is RELEVANT)and we are so grateful to those who helped us and rooted for us and Hope for Paws sits in the company of non profits with 8 million dollar budgets and huge mailings lists and employees and we are, well, we are us.

So, I've been receiving questions about Ace, the Pit/Bully in a famous "Eldad Video" who was hit by a car and attacked had drains and eventually became normal? Well, he was adopted and has the best life and friends and is very popular at the dog park and wears lovely outfits. We get photos from time to time and there is one posted on Hope for Paws on Facebook w his girlfriend, an English Bulldog-they are not exclusive.

EVERYONE wants to know about CHASE, named for the competition. She was a serious abuse case who was dumped ill, filthy, and almost hairless from malnutrition at the pound. She was a fear biter and an emotional wreck who did not trust humans. Eldad took her home the day she was to be euthanized. In three days she went from a being a biter to a licker.
It just took a little kindness.

Today, Chase uses me as a stool, a bed, a chair, a chaise. She has alot of confidence and sass. She plays all day long with our rescue Heidi. She has a lovely, spikey white coat.
She gives attitude to visitors which is the only leftover sign of abuse but when they pet her, she becomes their friend. She is a puppy in many ways and likes to chew on toys and fingers-and vocalizes like-- I don't know- some weird hyena. Chase went from being a biter to a licker.She tries to drink coffee and is obsessed with food. (like me)

Chase

2010-01-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

We need your help (click and it will take you to vote)

Chase is a tiny, 6 pound Chihuahua/Maltese mix. She was red listed-about to be euthanized. Her papers say she was dumbed by her owner and was "dirty and flea ridden." She was in such bad condition that the shelter vet ordered that she undergo treatment for a skin and a respiratory infection. Her personality was "unsocialized" and "did not want to be handled/bites"

Chase was placed in a cage in the back of the shelter where the public could not view her because she would only be allowed to be adopted by a rescue since she was deemed dangerous and vicious. She was about to die after living a life of neglect and abuse.

Eldad found Chase matted and covered with some sort of ink; a remnant of her former life. Sadly,we have seen dogs whose owners allowed their children to draw or paint on them. Who knows what kind ofterror this little dog experienced?

Chase was not happy;she snarled and backed away at any attempt of human contact. She was so tiny and so vulnerable. She had only known suffering at a person's hand and was going to fight to her dying breath.

Most people backed off when Chase growled and drooled with ferocious fear and anger, but Eldad prevalied. He knew she was good dog. We had rescued another dog in the same situation, in the same cage, facing the same fate only last year and she is a happy, loving creature. We know how to look past the immediate fear.

Chase finally allowed Eldad to put a leash on her and she knew right away that she was in safe hands. She was still frightened, but she was so exhausted from her ordeal at the shelter and really, her life of horror, that she was finally able to relax and sleep at our home.

Within a couple days, Chase blossomed into a dog who was not a quivering, snapping mess, but a fun loving, and HAPPY dog. She felt safe for maybe the first time she could ever remember and it is a joy to see her embrace life every day. It's only been four days!

All it took was love. She was lucky. She will find a good home and live a long life. Her knees are in bad shape and she will need surgery, which we will pay for and Chase will recover here as long as she needs to until she is fit to find her forever home. (she still is running around the house and her new thing is SPRINGING into the air to say hello)

There are thousands of Chases out there who won't get the second chances at a happy life, at knowing that people care. It's so unfair. These pets are our responsibility as a society to care for and ensure that they are not neglected, not abused, and of course, not tossed on the streets or into overcrowded shelters where they have very little chance of survival just because there are so many of them.

Together we can save more Chases. It takes funds and it takes EDUCATION. People need to learn that these animals are not throw aways. A family pet is just that, a member of the family. We need to change perceptions about our furry friends, our feathered friends.

We will fight to rescue, foster, and rehabilitate but the cycle needs to stop. We all can spread the word, change how so many in society treat these poor creatures who depend on us.

We all can help an animal not suffer, to know kindness and love and HOPE.
It just takes your Vote

Here is CHASE from Shelter to our home-please watch

Kiwi For Christmas

2010-01-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

Kiwi for Christmas (from Pet Friendly Magazine)
By
Audrey Hagar
What would you do if your family moved away and left you alone on the street? What if you didn’t speak the language of the big animals who moved around you? How would you find food? Who would you trust? Where would you sleep? What if you were cold and hungry right now and you didn’t know where you were and danger was everywhere?
I don’t remember my family that well. I remember we had shelter together and there were a lot of them and they gave me things to eat and when a bell rang, more people came inside. Sometimes hands would grab at me and scared me a little, but at least I was safe. I knew I could go to sleep and wake up without being afraid.
I don’t know what happened to my family. They moved all of their things out of our shelter and before all the people left they kept the door open.
On the day that everybody left our shelter, I went out the door and sat in the sun. When I came back to the door to be let in, nobody opened it. I waited and waited, It became dark and I was cold. I thought that maybe they could hear me if I cried really loudly. Nobody opened the door. I started barking because it was so dark and I thought that maybe they couldn’t see me. I barked and I barked and then I heard voices.
I wagged my tail and ran over to the voices but they were not the family I knew. Their voices were rough and mean and they threw something at me. I ran away, but came back, thinking maybe they didn’t mean to throw something at me. The people with the voices started chasing me. I ran and I ran. I smelled all sorts of new people and foods and my stomach hurt but I kept running in the dark.
I heard other dogs barking. Maybe they were asking their families to come home and not leave them alone in the dark. I heard terrible noises and felt roughness on my paws. I wondered why so many bad things were happening to me. I was a good dog.
The creatures who had chased me had stopped. I found a wrapper with a few tiny crumbs stuck to it that I licked off the sidewalk. I could see new creatures; animals of all kinds. Two skinny dogs ran by me and I wanted to join them but they were bigger I didn’t know if they would be nice to me. They were so skinny; they might want to fight me if they knew I had any food. I still thought it would be nice to find out where they were sleeping. They had nicer coats than I did. I was shivering and thought maybe they would like to snuggle with me.
More humans were yelling and horrible lights shone in my eyes, I had to run again but I was so tired and so thirsty, I shut my eyes and just ran and ran until the noises of the street became softer. I was chilly but at least I was now surrounded by plants and trees. There was a big building with a light coming out of it. I nervously trotted over and snuck in. I fell asleep inside the building under a bench.
I woke up to the sound of feet echoing by my head. I curled up into the smallest ball I could. I heard voices coming towards me and I opened my eyes quickly to see a man and a lady sitting across from me holding out some food. I wouldn’t move. The lady put a piece of the food down on the floor near me and I wanted to eat it very badly. I swallowed it and ran back under the bench. Again, the lady put another piece of food down. I went to swallow it but the man tried to grab me and I was too fast for him I ran and I ran and I hid in the garden under the bushes. That’s where I stayed. I wasn’t falling for the food trick again. They were going to hurt me just like the people who chased me in the night.
The man and the lady brought me food almost everyday. When a lot of people would come into my garden I hid for hours and didn’t dare even eat my food for fear of them trying to get me. I don’t know if people wanted to hurt me or kill me, but I knew to stay away. I was still very sad and didn’t know what I did to make my family hate me so much to make me live in the cold. My body itched a lot. I was all alone.
One day, I saw a new man in the garden. He threw a piece of hotdog at me and I ate it. He threw another piece, but I wouldn’t eat it. I started running. The man tried to block me. I was panicking. I ran the other way and a woman was blocking my other escape route. I ran under a fence and thought I could keep going but I was trapped. I didn’t know what to do. They were gaining on me. The man jumped over the fence and walked towards me so I tried to get back to the opening I came in through, The man blocked me with his big hands, they were bigger than my head.
The man tried to touch me so I of course tried to bite his fingers but he was quick. Then, the man offered me another hotdog and I was too nervous to trust him. I don’t know why he was doing this. Then, the man started talking to me in a soft voice. Nobody had ever spoken so nicely to me before. I still tried to trick him and escape, but it was too late, something pink was around my neck and the man was trying to touch me nicely, not like those other mean people and I realized, I might as well trust him.
A bath, a bath! I’d never had a bath before! I was warm and I was clean and the man and his wife gave me food and I stopped itching and there were other dogs and cat creatures and they wanted to play. Toys! Chewies! I couldn’t stop jumping for joy. I got food every day! I slept in a BED! I even had clothes and my life was better than I could ever remember.
When I thought everything couldn’t get even more perfect, a family came to visit me in my new place with their dog. I felt like he was my long lost brother. We chased each other right away. He was a really good runner and jumper too, Later that night, the man who found me in the garden (who I feel bad about biting because he was actually really cool) took me to my new permanent family. I had to look out of the window of the car (I became a very experienced dog and learned about “cars” and “microchips” and “leashes are on at all times outside the house”) and I saw trees that were singing in the rain. There were colored lights all over the house. When I went inside, my new brother was in an outfit too! It turns out I’m a Chihuahua mix and need to protect myself from cold temperatures. My name is Kiwi and I am the happiest girl in the world. You may say I’m a miracle
check out my video of my actual rescue below

A new year, a new contest, renewed HOPE

2010-01-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

HOORAH! We won the Chase first round. We all won. I mean we as in the voters and those who care about animal welfare in this country.

Who would have believed? Now, we are gearing up for the big one, voting on Jan 15, 2010. I love our supporters. Really not OUR supporters, animal supporters. Everyone came together from every where and banded together for selfless rescue sake and it WORKED. Best end of the year gift and hopefully a new year will start on the same foot/paw/claw.

Amazing amazing amazing. Ace the Pit has a great home , Lucy the Shih-Tzu has a great home. Kiwi the Chi has a great home. I started writing monthly for PET FRIENDLY MAGAZINE and Ace and Lucy and Kiwi are in the Dec and Jan issues.

More to rescue, it never ends. We plan on changing perceptions, stopping the cycle of abuse. Once people change their perception of the animals and understand their importance then we wont have to say "Clean water everyday, spay and neuter, bring them inside, don't dump, treat like a family member etc." It will be a no brainer.

We can hope

We need your help by friday dec 11!!

2009-12-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

Chase bank is giving 25 thousand bucks to legit charities on facebook whith the most votes.

We need this money to save so many of the helpless animals who are dumped at the overcrowded shelters waiting to die, never knowing kindness. There are strays on the streets facing starvation. Most of these dumped dogs and cats have been victims of neglect and abuse.

We need the money to pay for surgeries, food, supplies,toys. Just to bail them out. We dont cage anyone. WE keep them as long as they need. we screen homes and only allow exemplary pet owners to adopt them.

it just comes down to funds. How sad. the shelters are scary. We see horrible things everyday. We also use our book to educate people on how to treat your pet-some people are abusers while others are ignorant. That's why the book is important, to teach children especially that our pets are part of our family. They are not trash, they have feelings thoughts and emotions. We as a society cannot allow the horrendous treatment of these innocent creatures to endure.

So we are asking for votes. Anyone you know on facebook-please get them to vote for us. We have alot, but we need more and the deadline is Dec 11, this friday

We think some people of facebook are afraid to add the "application" that CHASE requires in order to vote, however nobody needs to fear as it is a legit application from CHASE bank, its a reliable institution with duties and obligations which include not spamming, and are answerable to federal law. This is not an anonymous application by a hacker quizzing you on what shoe you would be or what your favorite martini is.

or else people think "its a bank!"-no they cant access your account or credit and if you want to, you can delete the application after voting. Banking is a business, they just want you to give them your business, period and get their name out. Its not big brother or government.

Please spread the word. Its vital. Here is the link http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/1227836

Thank you

oy vavoy (that's how they say it in Israel)

2009-11-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

So much so much so much
A Pit a Shih tzum the Pit gets a home, the Shih Tzu has to go to VANCOUVER to get adopted-one of those puppy mill dogs that they sell for over a grand at those horrid petstores and still a puppy, anyways...

Eldad is making the journey, I have a deadline, Ive been a blog slacker, a blocker, a blacker? Oh goodness. We went to the BIg Apple got sick, met our collaborator (love her) got sick, came home, got sick.

Now, writing in an Israeli restaurant over hummus. The clock is ticking. What time is it in Idaho? I think I have less time than I thought. Oy VAVOY...

Ace of Our Hearts

2009-10-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

A Pitbull/American Bulldog named in honor of Kari Whitman's beloved Ace was hit by a car in South LA and that was the least of his problems. The call came in that a Pit was a hit and run victim in the heart of a bad neighborhood. It was the weekend and the streets were crawling with partiers, dealers, ladies of the night..lots of activity which meant more danger.

Eldad scoured the area where the dog was reportedly sighted. He shone his flashlight, as he hurried along the sidewalks, careful not to upset anyone;it made some people jittery thinking maybe he was a cop. Some scurried away but any minute they could turn on him.

He finally found the Pitbull. The dog was afraid and ran into a backyard and Eldad followed him. He thought he had the Pit cornered, but there was a hole in the fence and the dog crawled through in the NEIGHBORS yard which held three ANGRY dogs, upset at the intruder. Eldad tried to get them to quiet down, who knew what would happen if the owner of the house found him in their yard? The three dogs circled the Pit alpha dog tore into the Pit who was already suffering from injuries.

Eldad knew they would kill him and the Pit if they had the chance. He left the scene and bought burgers to placate the angry dogs in hopes they would let him get to the Pit who he returned to and was now in shock, bleeding. The dogs took the burgers but were primed to attack.

The Pit finally collapsed under a parked car. That's where Eldad was able to catch him. The dog had lost alot of blood and was in shock. Eldad took him in the car and drove him out of the neighborhood to the vet. It was now two in the morning.

We named him Ace. He went into surgery the following morning and when we called, they said he wasn't doing well.

UPDATE following day
He came home TODAY!!! We are waiting and hoping but he wagged and he is walking a little and he is safe and he is CUTE. I just want to smush his face. Ace is tough. (of course he is already friends with the kitties and the little dogs) Pits get such a bad rap. Unfair. He will make the best pet. He already gave kisses.

To Life

2009-10-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hope for Wheels

2009-09-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

Eldad met a dog missing two front legs and we are getting him a wheelchair for the front. He gets around well and is happy. He was born that way so he is adjusted but with wheels, he will be a champ.

Meanwhile, Jamie Downey, the coolest owner of the best dog magazine AMERICAN DOG MAGAZINE put us in the October Holiday issue and recommends that our book Our Lives Have gone to the Dogs, be purchased as a GREAT holiday gift.

The magazine comes out quarterly so BUY IT and buy the book at our website www.hopeforpaws.org.

Lots of animals in need, at the shelters, on the streets, and at the HOARDERS.

We all need to stop the puppy mills. First step, dont buy at pet stores. They dont get customers, then they dont buy from the mills, the mills dont get business, they stop the disgusting and abusive practices of caging the mothers 24/7 as breeding machines, only used for litters and then tossing them out after they dont produce. Puppies and moms living in filth, diseased, separated too early, shipped in trunks, horrid conditions. And your animal will be SICK! Think of the mothers, think of who is buying these dogs, they dont check credentials, they are used as more breeding machines, from young ages to the day they are killed off.

A painful life of suffering and sadness, dont contribute. You want a puppy or a purebred go to petfinder.com. or contact us. We will find it for you . 1/3 of all shelters are filled with purebreds.

Animal Hoarders;incarcerate, medicate, and probate for ever

2009-09-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Animal hoarding is so sick and twisted.

If you've seen the show, "Im a Hoarder" then you may be familiar with the scenario;

some gross person living in a shitbox has piles of trash and clothing, old christmas trees, and doll heads pouring out over into their sinks, covering their floors, and forcing them to sleep on a twin mattress with a slash mark they couldn't resist picking up in the alley. Professionals are called in and try to unload the house.

Yet the hoarder still dumpster dives and brings home goodies like a giant broken lamp shaped like a chicken and some dead batteries. Then they are about to get evicted due to the odor of rotten meat clogging the bathtub.

And they cry pitifully cause their kid tries to toss some broken glass along with \ a vat of yogurt that expired in 1982 which holds sentimental value.

Imagine that, then add sick and dying animals to the equation.

Oh an think if you will of literally crap all over the floor and nonstop breeding in this hellhole and yet they LOOOVE their pets so much. And for some reason they always live in a desert town and have an inbred and or mentally handicapped renter on the property as well.

I will go into further detail with pics of one such hellhole later, but with jehovah as my witness, these people are REPEAT offenders. They are collectors.

Ceramic clowns, pizza boxes, or pets. They keep on truck'n. Let them collect yarn and shock treathments at Bellevue for the next 80 years and stop the cruelty. Intentional or not, they are inflicting suffering, pain, abuse, torture and death.

here is Eldad in the gorgeous city of Mojave at the house AFTER animal control raided it. You can almost feel the heat and the smell..look for yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldad75/3893166787/

The laws must be stricter. The laws must be changed. Animals considered mere property, not cool. And fu puppy/kitty mills. Gross gross sick sick.

we are in dire need of donations to save more, please help the poor animals and go to www.hopeforpaws.org and make a tax deductible donation.

Big Dogs and Bigger Birds

2009-08-22T14:54:00.001-07:00

This is the photo of BLANCO The white pit who was living on a factory property for 6 months who Eldad saved. ( you can see her befores and afters)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldad75/3832415120/

Trixie the pony, I mean Doberman found her new home! She has gone from the hood to the plushest home in San Diego. Even her doggie door is automatic.

We still need homes for Ally the Chi from Alvarado and Kelly from the pound and well, Twitter is still here and the joke is on me because yes, she stopped eating only meal worms like I hoped..

However, she is now eating wax worms and earth worms and CRICKETS. I should have been more specific in my prayer.

We thought that Twitter was some sort of Jay but she is actually a Mocking Bird which means she eats all the bugs and is going to be a big bird. and so I was trying to teach her lots of words until Eldad caught me and said "They can't speak, they can only imitate other BIRDS!."

She is still a baby but she has alot of Sass and attitude and she still cannot fly but she managed to get out of her cage, hop off the desk down to the floor, walk down the hall, and come and scream at me in the kitchen with a pack of dogs and cats trailing behind her.

She wanted her worms dammit.

Twitter also makes a noise that sounds like a whining dog and I kept thinking it was Kelly until I realized that Kelly was asleep next to me with the rest of the pack and it was the Mocking Bird mocking me. (I think she has a vendetta because of my non worm feeding position)

Here are some videos of past and present dogs who we have fostered. Enjoy the madness
vicariously..

ps. our book is available at www.hopeforpaws.org and our new thing is to get celebrities to pose with it. So imagine my excitement to be at Jerry's Deli see that outside was sitting a Mr. Tommy Chong! But then it turned out it wasn't Tommy Chong but rather a homeless and quite possibly schizophrenic gentleman.

Bone appetite!

2009-08-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Eldad just walked into the bedroom with a bird, not the bird who lives here, but a pidgeon. She flew inside and hit the wall. He put some neosporin on her head and she was good to go,

Trixie the Dobie is a snorer, Ally harrasses Dolly by kissing her too much and then Dolly growls at her, then Heidi growls at the Dobie cause she looks at her bone, Omar the cat is always yelling at me for new cans of food and Twitter (the bird) tweets all the time for worms.

Latest rescue: a white pitbull living 6 months on concrete in a factory in Sylmar. He was GRATEFUL to be captured. A white smushy beautiful dog who charmed everyone at the vet.

Worst story of the day: At the shelter, a woman brings in her poodle saying her "21 year old son doesnt like her cause he wants a bigger dog so he kicks her around." WTF? Best part, the woman is goint to tell the shelter she is dumping the dog because "it bites" meaning when the son kicks it, the dog nips him.

If I was new at this I would say obviously the son was retarded, but no, he's a lovely 21 year old MAN attacking a dog who lives with his mother.

GOOD NEWS, this poor poodle who will need medical care, is going to a foster home and Eldad is picking him up right now from the shelter, along with another dog. Thanks JAMIE RAY

Wait, i hear silence, I must go revel in it..

Patients Pet..

2009-08-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Heidi (our permanent rescue maltipoo) had her teeth cleaned and came home high.

Kelly got a teeth cleaning, and was spayed AND they found an inguinal hernia to fix as well. She just came home and is watching RHOA for it's healing powers.

The jaybird, Twitter, cannot fly but she can WALK herself around quite well and she sasses the the larger animals who do not dare mess with her.

Hopefully Kelly, Ally, and Trixie the Dobie will find homes soon! (and Twitter will graduate from worms to seeds asap)

to take a look at all of the animals go to www.eldadhagar.com and to donate or buy our book go to www.hopeforpaws.org

xo, snort, lick

Stranger in the Night

2009-08-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

The call: A Lab was left behind in the yard in Compton when the owners moved, with no food, water, shelter.

The reality: It was big, it was mad, it was two toned, and she was a DOBERMAN.

The result: SO SWEET, the nicest girl and Smart. Got the doggy door in two seconds.

Trixie is the horse I always wanted. She is the best friend of Ally our little Chi rescue. (Ally has a thing for the big ones, remember Andy) the cat food has had to move as high up as possible as Trixie likes to reach up high for snacks.

Yesterday, I witnessed Trixie get on the ottoman nest to the bed, loom over an unsuspecting Ally, grab her with her long Dobie arms and pull Ally down to the ground. Ally loves the attention.

We also have a shelter girl, a malti-poo named Kelly here, who is I think the skinniest dog we have ever seen. An owner turn in no less so its not like she was starving on the streets. The owners KNEW what they were doing.

She was matted beyond recognition. And of course she just wants to be a lap dog and loves people so much.

Tomorrow, kelly gets spayed and teeth cleaned (Trixie was fixed last week but Kelly was too skinny) Trixie needs to gain a few pounds but Kelly was not just thin but so anemic that her gums were white and that meant she got LIVER stinkin' up the place. She's fine now.

OH yeah, i thought we were worm free and now THEYRE BACK. A blue jay in the house. Fell out of her nest with her sibling who died. Serious serious worm addiction this one has. Oy gevalt.

Did I mention Eldad saved two dogs off the streets last night, just a typical heroic Eldad act. Sometimes, I have to stand back. Even if Im helping, its as his soldier. He just has instincts along with the speed, strength, and smarts. Im more of the..mouth

I have to remove myself becaue I get too upset. Especially at the shelters when you see the people dumping their dogs and it's an instant death sentence I get a little riled up. My blood boils red. Eldad is the young godfather who knows when to say something and when to hold back and Im more like Sunny Corleone with the blinding emotion. I met a Freddo the other day who pretends to be prorescue but gets kickbacks when he recommends breeders to people and lied about it.

On that note, check out Trixie and Ally the musical..

for more music videos and pics of these two and THE BIRD and the latest captures
go to www.eldadhagar.com

Until next time mon amours

Empty Nest

2009-07-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Tiny Toni, our Sparrow is now FREE to be wild and that means no more worms in the house.

Andy went to his new home and has a new sister/girlfriend? named Louise who is a Border Collie Mix with a Pit face. He will have to have surgery in one year to remove the SCREWS in his leg.

In our house, there is cross species behavior occurring. The dogs are using their forearms like the cats, the cats are resopnsive and socialize like dogs, the dogs walk on the edge of the couch with the cats, we find ourselves acting like dogs, the whole world is upside down.

Meanwhile, I went on a CrAzy adventure in dog capturing. Eldad was the commander of our platoon. Snares and nets and rope, I felt like we were in war and I guess we are; we are fighting against animal cruelty and homelessness. The trouble is that the dogs we are trying to save many times only know humans to be abusive and they use all of their speed and intelligence to outrun and outsmart us.

stay tuned for that story coming soon..

For photos of our animals go to www.eldadhagar.com
to visit our website go to www.hopeforpaws.org
You can also buy our book OUR LIVES HAVE GONE TO THE DOGS(all the money goes to rescuing and medical expenses)

On August 5th we will be at a singles animal lovers "PAWTY"
with the book. Should be soooo fun...

Veggie Dog

2009-07-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ok here's the sitch,

Thus far, a Greyhound mix in the industrial area of Vernon has an injured leg and is eluding us. Eldad got close enough to him to throw him a burger. The dog picked up the burger in his mouth, went "Yech" and then then spit it out and ran away.

So the next night, Eldad bought the fattiest piece of meat, cooked it and took it to the dog who showed up, sniffed it, snorted, and RAN away.

My dogs who actually get FED on a regular basis things such as Chicken and rice and other good things were DYING for the meat that this stray is dissing.

So, we set a trap and filled it with different types of treats and Eldad checked it at 4am and again at 8am and inside were... COCKROACHES.

The only thing we can thing of is that possibly this dog is ill and has no appetite. Ive seen dogs who are so smart and skillful as to maneuever into a trap, steal the food, and not set off the trapping mechanism.

Meanwhile there are feral dogs in San Bernadino that nobody has been able to catch and Eldad caught the male this morning and now in the 100 degree weather, is hiding in the bushes trying to lure the female who is known to have several litters a year, all who die.

I digress. The G2 gallery which hosted the PAWS exhibition, that is still going on (go there, it's cool and it's free) had an event on Sunday where lots of dogs and cats from the shelter were ADOPTED.

These were straight from South LA pound, not fostered and if not adopted, going to the West LA shelter (which is a better place to be if you are in a pound, but still not comfortable and the clock is always ticking)

We also had our book there and Eldad has a photo still for auction which has the highest bid so far of all the silent auction items.

My mom and grandfather came which was great and my grandfather took a quick look around, went to the bathroom and said, "Well. I've seen enough"

We met some very cool people but best of all, alot of animals were saved from death.

As for Izzy our landfill dog...PERFECT home with two little girls and a boxer and a lab. Harvey? BEST home (no dogs cause though he loooves them, he has sharing issues) but they have two birds and two kids who he ADORES.

So it was a good week. Now Andy, our beautiful white, wolf/lion and his best friend Ally, our tiny black chi mix, need a home and we are WISHING they can go together cause they love each other and play and play and go crazy and Ally needs her Andy as her protector.

The three younges birds went to the Malibu wildlife station where the youngest went into an incubator.

Tiny Toni is still here, learning how to fly and best of all...will eat things besides WORMS like fruit and seeds.

Though the worms are her guilty pleasure, children really should have only one junk food a day.

Thank you and good day. And if you have ten bucks to spare, please buy our book, "Our Lives Have Gone to the Dogs" All the money goes to hope for paws and helps us help more animals have happy lives and forever homes.

The trap has been set again for the veggie dog or pescaterian dog. I hope he is not sick.

ps. Tiny Toni is a SPARROW not a Finch. Eldad swears that he never told me she was a house finch but I wouldn't even know the term "house finch" Whatever, he also referred to my grandfather as "her" the other day.

...to the birds

2009-07-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

So we have one, two, three FOUR house finches in the house. All orphans. All wormaholics. We cannot leave for more than an HOUR because eating like a bird means eating ALL the time.

Eldad is brave and is the worm handler. The younger finches enjoy their worms without a head. The eldest finch will take it live and the youngest, well she likes something we refer to as "worm juice"

Did you know that meal worms come in different sizes and can bite? Did you know that you can train a worm to love you, and to walk on a leash made of string? That last sentence is a lie.

We, (Eldad, myself, and the birds,) will be at G2 gallery on sunday again but we will be signing books and dogs and cats will be there for adoption from the shelter AND its from 12 to 4 www.theg2gallery.com AND ELDAD HAS A PHOTO FOR SILENT AUCTION

ps. We think we found homes for IZZY and HARVEY AND ANDY!
check out www.eldadhagar.com for photos

and Ally

2009-07-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

In continuation of the day Eldad went into gangland, we went out to dinner to celebrate him not getting killed (we have a dark sense of humor) which was awesome cause we were staying home most of the time saving money so it was exciting BUT ...

We got a call from someone looking for "Edgar" and that means Eldad. Nobody understands what his name is unless it is spelled out. If someone calls for "Elden and Andrea" I just go with it.

Anyways, the woman on the phone had contacted us earlier about a chi mix she had seen in her neighborhood and now she saw it again, So, another search and it was dark.

Eldad says that he can "grab ten strays a day" but the problem is that there is nowhere for them to stay and that is why FOSTERS are so important.

The dog in question was not around BUT Eldad managed to help ANOTHER lost dog. This was another scary neighborhood in downtown LA. It was not easy to see anything.

She was a tough one because she was scared and fast and faded into the darkness.

He had to corner her and she had no idea that he was there to save her. She finally surrendered but the expression on her face was "please don't hurt me". Who knows what kind of people this young dog had already encountered that made her this way.

She was still only a puppy and black with patches of thinning hair from malnutrition and so many fleas. Even at home that night, she was in shock, We gave her a bath and took a picture...

That first night, she was exhausted and terrified and seemed like a much older dog. We have no idea how she survived on the streets.

It's been a few days and Ally is becoming more outgoing with us. She is afraid if we approach her, but she will come to us, wagging like crazy and lick our hands. She now sleeps in between our pillows. The girl can EAT.

She LOVES the other dogs and has no fear of them. They play nonstop. She has adopted our last two rescues (Izzy who was dumped at a landfill and Andy who was run over by a car) as her parents.

It is so sad to think of poor little Ally sleeping on the streets and how many more tonight are cold and frightened and sleeping outside, scavenging for food and water. Again, fosters can make the difference.

Stay tuned. Meanwhile, Andy, who looks like a white wolf/lion and is the BEST dog is coming with us to the opening of Paws, an animal photo exhibit at the G2 gallery in Venice on Abbot Kinney, this friday the 3rd. We will be back there on the 12th from 12-4 for an adoption day of LA Animal shelter pets. This will be there last chance.

For all the info about the gallery (hours, directions etc), click here: http://www.hopeforpaws.org/g2.html

This is how Andy looked like BEFORE he had his surgery:

and this is Andy yesterday:

I hope to see you there,

Audrey

Lucky Dog

2009-06-27T00:24:00.000-07:00

It was a regular day in L.A when Eldad got an urgent email from the rescue “underground” as I refer to it. “Dog ABOUT TO BE MURDERED BY GANG” was the message.

The email was begging for someone, anyone to do something. The story was that a woman posted an ad on Craig’s List pleading for help. This anonymous woman claimed she lived in the neighborhood where a notorious gang gathered at a specific house where a stray dog had burrowed underneath for shelter.

The woman wrote, “I have heard them talking about how they are going to murder this dog and I know they have done this before.” She claimed that recently, another dog had been found by gang under the house and that they had attached a knife to a wooden stake and repeatedly stabbed the other dog until it stopped moving. The bleeding dog did not actually die immediately and had languished under the house, for three days before finally expiring. The neighbors knew what was happening, but did absolutely NOTHING to help.

Now, this new dog was about to endure the same fate if nobody did anything. Animal Control came and left without really trying to capture the dog.

The anonymous woman claimed that there were stretches of time when the gang left the house and Eldad seized upon this information to go rescue the dog who was unknowingly awaiting a horrible, bloody death.

Eldad’s friend and fellow rescuer George, came to help him on this most dangerous of missions. The two had been in bad areas before, saving the abandoned and cast off pets of the city who had made their homes among the crack dens and homeless, but nothing compared to this situation.

Eldad, ready and waiting for the tip that the gang members had left the house, got the call and he and George sprang into action.

It was rush hour. Fortunately Eldad was familiar with all the roads and shortcuts all over Los Angeles from rescuing animals from every crevice and underpass.

The two men found the abandoned house. Eldad and George both had flashlights. They parked the car facing the quickest way out of the neighborhood. Eldad secured all possible exits that the dog could use to escape from under the house.

The dog had used a small entrance to get underneath. No human would fit through. Eldad’s training in the Israeli military kicked in when he broke part of the area open and then crawled on his elbows, grasping a flashlight, and shimmied underneath into the darkness.

It was hard to see and filthy with dirt and spider webs. George held a flashlight and tried to help Eldad see in this makeshift tunnel. George caught a glimpse of the dog and Eldad went for it.

Eldad was on his stomach, entering the unknown with barely any room. The only weapon he had was his snare (catch pole) that he was hoping he could use to catch the dog. He was an easy target from behind.

He and George shone their flashlights and Eldad crawled deeper into the blackness and then he saw a pair of eyes glowing.

The gang could return at any minute and Eldad’s adrenaline kicked in. A nervous and large stubborn dog was not an issue compared to what could happen if they stuck around too much longer. Eldad spoke softly to the dog and explained to him that he was there to save him and he had to go with him. The dog calmed down but when it came to getting him to allow being pulled, he became fearful.

Eldad grabbed the eighty pound dog, got the snare around his neck and pulled. The dog fought at first, but Eldad held on and pulled the thrashing dog as he inched back along the dirt out through the makeshift crawlspace.

In the light, Eldad and the dog were out.

The dog, a Mastiff, though large was skinny and scared. The dog immediately calmed down when Eldad began to pet him. George was there waiting to help. Since there was no time to lose, Eldad picked up the dog in his arms and got him into the backseat of the car. As he slammed the door, they heard a sound coming from the sky. Suddenly, there was “meow” and a kitten fell from a tree and landed on a trash bin right next to him. It’s as if the kitten knew that Eldad and George were the good guys and he wanted out as well.
“He’s coming with us too,” Eldad told George. George grabbed the kitten and the two humans and the two saved animals out of the neighborhood and away from the danger.

George brought the kitten and the dog to his house where they are now being fed and cared for. They will need permanent homes but for now they are safe and I think they must have a sense of how lucky they were to be saved by their two new heroes.

Please help us help more animals who are facing suffering and death. Visit our website http://www.hopeforpaws.org/book.htm where you can make a tax-deductable donation or buy our full color photo book, Our Lives Have Gone to the Dogs for only $10.00

Read about our personal rescue stories of amazing animals who we rescued and fostered in our home. The photos are amazing and it makes a great coffee table or gift. All proceeds go to our non profit rescue Hope For Paws which saves animals from the streets and pounds so they can go on and be adopted into loving and permanent homes.

Thank you,

Audrey Spilker Hagar

ps For updates on Dallas the lucky dog and others go to www.eldadhagar.com for photos and info
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