Sugar's foster mom decided that Sugar needed a middle name....:-) So, she is now known as "Sugar Plum".. her name is just as sweet as she is!! Sugar Plum and her puppies are doing great! Here they are just snuggling with one another...
About 4 days ago, their eyes started opening and their ear canals are now open as well. This means they are responding to voices and the sight of their foster mom. Here's a video of the puppies at 20 days old:
Sugar Plum is just a wonderful Mom to her puppies...check out this video of her nursing. So sweet...:-)
Could you help Sugar and her babies by making a donation for their veterinary expenses? Even $5 would help and all donations will go towards the care of Sugar and her babies. Any donation to help with their Vet care is greatly appreciated!
If all goes well, everyone should be ready for adoption around January 31st.
Please keep Sugar and her babes in your thoughts and send them your prayers to stay healthy!
Keep checking back with us…we will keep you posted on their progress!
Thanks for reading about Sugar Plum and her puppies…we appreciate your time.
This is Sugar.....a 5 year old Bichon Frise who lost her home to a fire.
Look at that tummy! :-)
She was about to deliver puppies any day and her family asked if Furry Kids would take her into our program. You know we said YES!!!!!!
Sugar is a total sweetheart and her name completely fits her. We got her on Sunday, 12/5, around 5pm. Within 36 hours, starting at 5am Tuesday December 6th, she started delivering her babes and finished around 11am. She had 8 babes....4 boys and 4 girls! That is a huge litter for a 15 pound dog! All are healthy and have big fat belly's.....Sugar feeds and cares for them wonderfully! She is a fantastic mommy and the puppies are adorable.
p.s. Daddy is a Pug!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meet the rest of the family....When it came to naming the puppies we took a cue from the Sugar's name and thought ...how about using spice names for the puppies! So, here they are....
The girls....
Rosemary
Rosemary
Poppy
Poppy
Cinnamon
Cinnamon
Sage
Sage
The boys....
Basil
Basil
Dill
Dill
Paprika (Pappy)
Cajun
Cajun
Of course, the puppies are not yet ready for adoption ...they will need to be spayed or neutered as well as get all of their puppy shots and vaccinations. (Approximately $100 each) Once she is done feeding, Sugar will need to be spayed and brought up-to-date on her shots as well. (Another $100...ugh!)Could you help Sugar and her babies by making a donation for their veterinary expenses? Even $5 would help and all donations will go towards the care of Sugar and her babies. Any donation to help with their Vet care is greatly appreciated!
If all goes well, everyone should be ready for adoption around January 31st.
Please keep Sugar and her babes in your thoughts and send them your prayers to stay healthy!
Keep checking back with us…we will keep you posted on their progress!
Thanks for reading Sugar's story…we appreciate your time.
Lexington “Lexi’s” story begins along the highway leading into Lexington, MO.Tina Bratcher, a long time member of Furry Kids’ Refuge spotted her in the brush along the highway.Immediately stopping to check on the dog, Tina found a badly injured dog who was terrified and obviously in a lot of pain.Lexi would not let Tina near her…growling as she approached, the dog just would not let Tina get close enough to touch her, let alone, try to pick her up and get her to a Vet.Luckily, another member of Furry Kids, Mike Wing, was driving by and stopped when he saw Tina and the dog.Mike was able to construct a make-shift muzzle and cautiously placed it on the dog.This allowed them to transport Lexi to Crain Veterinary Center.On the drive there, Lexi relaxed enough for the muzzle to be removed and just a little human touch to soothe her seemed to help tremendously.
Once at Crains, the Vets went into action and got her on the X-ray table to see how bad her injuries were.The news was not good…both back legs were broken at the tibia bone (just below the knees), her pelvis was broken in two places, one of her toes had to amputated, she had road rash/burns, severe dehydration, and infection had set-in.The Vet felt that she had probably been on the side of the road for days, or even a week.Before any surgeries could be performed, the Vets gave her IV fluids and high doses of antibiotics to build up her strength for the surgeries ahead.
The surgeries were scheduled and to everyone’s delight, Lexi came through them successfully! The very same afternoon, Lexi was eating small amounts of food from the hands of Vet Tech, Marlene.Her true personality was proving to be sweet, trusting, and very appreciative of her human rescuers and helpers.
Check out this video of Lexi and Doctor Rob explaining Lexi's injuries and her prognosis.
Lexi was sent home with her rescuer, Mike Wing and his wife, Carla, to spend the next 12-16 weeks healing.Lexi had metal rods in her back legs to hold the bones together so they could heal.As a result, she was basically put on bed rest for the entire time and was confined to a 4’ X 4’ pen area.Poor Lexi could not go outside to potty during her rehabilitation.She would pull herself to the potty pads and always made sure to potty away from her bed.Lexi never gave her caretakers any extra work taking care of her…she was truly a wonderful patient!
At 6 weeks, Lexi’s pelvis had healed completely and X-rays of her legs showed healing was going well and on schedule.At her 8 week check-up, the X-rays showed that her left leg had completely healed but her right needed more time. Lexi is handling all the confinement with such a patience and calmness… how many dogs do you know that would handle being in a 4'x4' area for 8 weeks then for the following weeks only being allowed out 3 times daily in a very small area to potty and then back inside to be contained again to let her body continue to heal?She is just a sweetheart!
Lexi does get to lay on her own special blanket in the middle of her foster’s living room with her foster parents giving her body massages, ear scratches and belly rubs at least every other day. She gives her foster siblings nudges with her nose and doesn’t appear to have any dog aggression.We will learn even more about this strong baby girl once her e-collar (that cone looking thing that the Vet put on her head to keep her from bothering stitches, etc.) comes off, and she is able to move freely inside and outside.
It breaks our hearts to think of all the people that drove by this wonderful, loving furry kid as she laid by the side of the road, day after day, after being hit by a vehicle, no one stopping to see if she needed help.From what our Vets have told us, this gentle girl would possibly not of made it another day without help. Thank goodness Lexi's guardian angels Tina Bratcher & Mike Wing were both going along that road, on the same day, on the same afternoon, at the same time…it was a miracle for sure!
Lexi's Veterinary expenses have been well over $1800 so far and we expect to incur at least $500 more. Lexi will need to be sedated to remove the metal rods from her legs and more X-rays will need to be taken to ensure the healing is complete beforehand.
Could you help Lexi? Even $5 would help and all donations will go towards Lexi’s care. Any donation to help with this very deserving girl’s Vet care is greatly appreciated.
Keep checking back with us…we will keep you posted on Lexi’s progress!
Thanks for reading Lexi’s story…we appreciate your time.
Sweet Millie has been placed in a wonderful foster home and is having a great time! As we mentioned in the last update, Millie was in need of a new foster home because she was going to move to our private boarding facility so the foster she had could take care of another dog that needed special medical attention and time to recuperate.
Now that Millie is in a home environment she can continue to get the one-on-one attention and love that she so deserves. Her foster mom tells us that she is doing very well. After a little bout with a urine infection, Millie is now doing great with her housebreaking skills!Her foster mom also says that Millie is such a people pleaser…she so wants to make her people happy!
Amazingly, Millie's horrible life prior to being rescued has not taken a toll on her personality.She is wonderful dog and so deserves an equally wonderful forever home! Millie will be at the Furry Kids’ adoption event tomorrow (10/8/11) at the Lee’s Summit Petco.Even if you’re not interested in adoption, stop by and say hello to Millie.She would love to see you!!
Can you help Millie? Even $5 will help and every dollar raised will go to support Millie!
Thank you for reading Millie's story…we appreciate your time!
Millie is finally all filled out at 80 pounds. Because of being used as a breeding dog all her short life she still carries the baggage of excess nipples hanging. They look better than before and have dried up completely but some people are put off by this and can't deal with it. Millie loves people and absolutely loves other dogs. She has been fostered with a 210 poundmale St.Bernard, 80 pound Boxer/Mastiff female, 30 pound Pug mix, 50 pound Corgi/Spaniel mix and is wonderfulwith all of them. She has had to learn to play because she had no idea of how to do it before. Millie loves squeaky toys! She was also (sometimes still is) leery of people running to her (to fawn over her) and will lay down or hide her head, never has she shown any aggression towards people or even other dogs.
Millie's house breaking skills have been tough due to her living outside to only be a breeder for people to make money off her pups. She will bark to let you know she needs to go out but if you are not there she will not wait. We kennel/crate her to avoid these mishaps when we are gone. She is potty pad trained due to being confined for 6 weeks to recuperate from heart worm treatment. She walks well on a leash but is timid about new things such as getting into a car for a ride. More time & rides out would solve this. Millie is timid about new things happening around her but adjusts when you talk to her gently. She wants to please you and needs a family to keep working with her on all skills.
Millie kennel/crate trained.....meaning no accidents in crate , will bark to be let outside of crate to go potty, only barks in crate for this or if she hears a strange noise outside. Millie also has her tongue sticking out all the time because of her underbite.....it does not slow her down on eating dry food though!
Millie is in need of a new foster home because she is going to our private boarding facility so the foster she has now can take care of another dog that needs time to recuperate. If you are interested, please visit our website for a Foster application.
Can you help Millie? Even $5 will help and every dollar raised will go to support Millie!
Thank you for reading Millie's story…we appreciate your time!
"Millie has lived her life on a chain and has been bred over and over again. Her body is scarred and weathered from inadequate care and a life lived totally outdoors.Pregnant again, with a huge belly, yet Millie is skin and bones and very dehydrated.She needs food, she needs water…she needs someone to care!"
Luckily for Millie, Chain of Hope came across her and was able to take custody of her to get her the care she needed.(Read the full story on Millie and her babies on the Chain of Hope Blog )
Soon after her rescue, Millie gave birth to 10 puppies…only 6 survived.Millie and her puppies were transferred to Furry Kids’ Refuge in hopes that good homes could be found for her babies and eventually, for Millie.Fast forward several months and Millie’s babies have all been adopted …now it’s Millie’s turn!But wait, Millie has been diagnosed as heartworm positive.Can this poor girl catch a break??Geeezzeeee!
Fortunately for Millie,her heartworm disease is not advanced and was caught early so she can be treated successfully. Heartworms in dogs while easy to prevent, can be very costly to cure. The dog is given two or three injections that will kill the adult heartworms in the blood vessels of the heart. The safest way to treat heartworms includes an extensive pre-treatment workup, including X-rays, blood work, and all the tests needed to establish the seriousness of the infection.
With all the prep work, the cost of heartworm treatments can run up to $1,000. Luckily for Furry Kids, our vet, Crain Veterinary Clinic, has discounted the cost to $400.Yippppee!! We are very, very grateful and now we are trying to raise the money to cover the cost of Millie’s treatments.
Millie’s horrible life has not tainted her sweet personality…as she leans into you so you can keep scratching behind her ears, you have to wonder how this precious soul, who has been so mistreated by humans, can now be so loving towards them.Happily, Millie doesn’t hold a grudge and she is a doll!She may not be the best looking dog, but she is a wonderful dog who deserves a chance to be healthy and hopefully soon, find her forever home!
Can you help Millie? Even $5 will help and every dollar raised will go to support Millie!
If you would like to learn more about heartworm prevention, please visit these websites: Sincerely, The Furry Kids’ Refuge team!
If you've been following Jace's story, you know he has gone through a lot in the short time that he has been on this earth! He lost his family, he endured the pain of Hip Dysplasia for months, he was put in a shelter environment and almost euthanized, and then he went through Hip Surgery on both hips at once! And through it all, Jace has been absolutely wonderful! He has a fantastic even temperament and he just loves everybody!
Jace's hips are pretty much healed now, although he will always walk with a "wiggle" :-) He will need to continue to keep up with his physical therapy to strengthen his hips and back legs, but the hard stuff is over.
So, what's next for Jace?? He's looking for a forever home!! Is yours available????????? You can learn more about Jace on his Petfinder Page
Furry Kids’ Refuge would like to sincerely thank everyone who donated to Jace’s fund.Because of your generosity and support, Jace’s Fund totaled $1207….WOOOOHOOO!!!Not only we were able to pay for his surgery, but we were also able to pay for his medication, his follow-up visits, his food, and even a Life Vest for his Water Therapy!!
Jace will now have a much better quality of life THANKS to you!
"Jace is doing great! Here are some videos of him doing his water therapy which he started around July 6th. Jace wasn't crazy about it at first, he tried to get out of the pool...it was pretty funny!"
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
"Jace is doing great! He had a great check-up and is progressing nicely. All of his stitches are now out and he is walking well without a sling. I think his new name should be "Wiggle Butt" :-)"
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
"Jace is doing great! Here he is walking around without his sling! He still has to wear his cone when he's in the house so he doesn't have access to the areas that are healing. We hope to start him on Water therapy as soon as his stiches are completely healed."
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
"Jace had most of his stitches out but one area was not quite right and needed to be stapled. So, you might not want to close your eyes during the stapling part of the video...OUCH!:-) Jace didn't seem to mind it though...he is doing so great handling all of this stuff!"
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
"This is Jace a week and two days after the big hip surgery. He is doing GREAT!! He is tired of being in the kennel but it is for the best. All the nasty drainage from his surgery has come to a stop! YES!!!! It was nasty but normal. As soon as his stitches come out (this week) we are going to get him right into water therapy. Furry Kids will be hosting a Royals Raffle for the "Jace Fund" stay tuned!!"
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
"Don't mind my feet! hehe
oh sorry about the darkness it gets brighter I promise. Jace is doing great. He stood up and walked right out of the kennel this evening! IMPROVEMENTS!!! YES!! he is a wonderful dog."
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
As we told you in our previous Blog about Jace, he needed Hip Dysplasia surgery on both hips. We told you his story and asked for you help...and you responded! While we still don't have all of the funds for Jace's surgery we decided to go ahead with the surgery and get Jace on the road to recovery. Well, Friday June 3 was the big day! Jace had his Hip-Dysplasia surgery...on both hips!! Jace is doing very well after his surgery and is being taken care of by one of our foster families. His main care taker is Jonathan, who is also a Furry Kids Volunteer. Jonathan is going to keep us updated on Jace's recovery and provided this update the day Jace had his surgery...
"Today was the big and LONG day. Jace had surgery... he is doing very well! When the nurses went to get him out of his kennel they said he was ALREADY bearing weight on his back legs...THAT'S AWESOME! Jace goes back in ten days for stitches out. He should be good... he is on A LOT of pain pills. (That Lucky dog) LOL The doctor also said he had real bad arthritis on the hip joint as well which was causing a lot of the pain. She said it was bone on bone in both hips and she also said this is the worst case you can get. Good thing we had this done know and not a year later!! I took lots of videos...Jace before surgery, "Before Surgery" X-Ray explanation, Surgery explanation, and a Surgery room tour."
Here is Jace before surgery..
Click on this link to see more of Jonathan's videos:
"Before Surgery" X-Ray explanation Surgery explanation Surgery room tour
Now that Jace has had his surgery, we are hoping he will get to live a full life and more importantly, be able to find his forever home. But first things first...Jace has 6-8 weeks or rehabilitation ahead of him!!
Jace's surgery cost $950 and then there are also the expenses for his rehabilitation....it'really adds up!! You can see how much we have raised so far in the Chip-in tally below. We've also collected some additional cash donations ($125) so we're getting close! Can you help us reach our goal? If you would like to contribute to Jace's fund, we would really appreciate it. Even $5 will help and every dollar raised will go to support Jace!
Keep checking back with us, and watch for more updates from Jonathan and Jace.
Thank you for reading about Jace…we appreciate your time!
Bugler a.k.a. "Boo" was picked up as a stray by a local shelter and never claimed by the people who almost starved him to death. When Furry Kids took Boo in, he only weighed 37 lbs and was in horrible condition.
Here are Boo's before pictures:
We've had Boo for about 5 months now; he has gained much needed weight and has turned into a gorgeous dog! Look at him now!!!
Boo is a real sweetheart ! He loves people and tries so hard to please. You wonder how he could still trust and admire us humans after being so neglected by one of us. Can you say "unconditional love"?
For more information on Boo or to fill out an adoption application, check out his Petfinder page.
