It's been a litle while since the last Mojo update, and I know she's everyone's favorite three-legged mutt puppy, so sorry to keep you waiting!

Last weekend I was up at the cabin again on a 2-day software retreat (thanks for letting us use it Steve and Karen!). On Saturday, the weather was hot, but the cabin stayed nice and cool (it's very shaded) - still, I thought a hike with Mojo would be nice, so we hiked a trail along the Salmon Creek.

We've never really attempted to see what her endurance is, so I was fully prepared to carry her back if I had to. We brought plenty of water and snacks, and she did pretty well for the first half-mile. The next half-mile she slowed down considerably, and needed a few breaks. The third half mile was really pushing it... we had to stop every 100 yards or so to take a break, she'd lay down in the shade and recover.

But then... the river! When we got there, she flopped down in the sand along the bank, totally exhausted, and the sand (a little wet and shaded) was nice and cool. Then I tried to get her interested in the water... at first she was nervous and skeptical, but then suddenly she remembered (from the treadmill at Back on Track, I think) that she LOVES water, and she FREAKED OUT. I've never seen her go so completely crazy, it was insanity. She was snapping at the water, jumping in then out, then sprinting away from it, then sprinting back at it. She would stop at the shore, dig into the sand with her paw, and when the water started to fill up the hole she'd smash her paw down on it and bite it. At one point she was running on the sand and she sort of flipped over on her side, but like a bug her legs just kept cranking in the air like she was still running.

When she finally calmed down, I found a good spot with some shallow water she could stand in, with a sharp drop-off. I waded out into the deep part (brrr that stuff was SNOW just a few hours earlier) and held onto her harness to pull her out towards me, and she started swimming! Even with just the one front paw (going double-time) and her lean build, she was keeping her head up. Okay I was giving her a *little* bit of lift occasionally, but not much!

Next time we're headed out, we'll have some flotation for her (a little doggy PFD!) to help keep her front end up higher, and I think she'll REALLY love the water.

Unfortunately, I had my hands full, so between her, the water, and the sand, I couldn't really get the camera out for any "crazy dog" shots. Maybe next time.

Oh, and the sad pathetic puppy coming down the trail needing a rest, was magically transformed into a ball of energy on the way back. She was going so fast I was jogging with her, uphill, for about half a mile!
 

I recently wrote the story of Mojo (our 3-legged puppy) for the Animal Rescue and Care Fund Newsletter. I seemed to keep mentioning how much everybody loves Mojo. People stop on the street to pet her. They smile at her while she licks their toes. There is something so resilient and amazing in her demeanor but it turns out she isn't the only one with an amazing story of triumph! A few weeks ago I met Dottie when she came into the clinic with her kitty brother, Pullo for wellness care. She is such a sweet dog - a pit bull no less - and so very happy. She, like Mojo, brings out the best in people as they find this great desire to help her. It's no wonder she wags her tail so much - check out this story written by her mom, Amie:

Dottie

According to the 'Must Love Dogs NW', the rescue group Dottie came from, she had a pretty rough start in life. Apparently she was on her way to the Vancouver H.S. after her family became homeless. For some reason, the family stopped at a used tire yard, where the owner offered to take Dottie to avoid going to the H.S. ( A much worse fate!). For the next 2 and a half years, the owner of the tire lot chained her to a tire with no shelter and very little food. The only shelter Dottie had was to crawl amongst (and in) the tires. In the summer time, she would burn the pads of her paws due to the heat and in the winter time, she would make a bed out of rat carcasses. (I assume she was hunting them)

Dottie in the Tire Yard - what a fierce watch dog!

Eventually, an elderly gentleman took a liking to her and made it his mission to be her caretaker. (It is unclear exactly how he came to know her).  Everyday, the man would take Dottie off of her chain and walk her around the neighborhood and to the local elementary school. Before long he had the entire community rallying around her. People chipped in to buy her a harness, the pizza parlor nearby would give her pizza scraps and the elderly man would scrap together enough money to buy her dog food. (I've been told that she was eating 'Ol Roy'. Yuck!)  Eventually the elderly man, who apparently had beginning alzheimers or dementia, was forced to go into assisted living and could no longer care for Dottie. That is when 'Must Love Dogs NW' became involved and talked the tire lot owner into letting them take Dottie.

Before we got Dottie she spent 3 months in a fabulous foster home with 4 other dogs. The first time we met her at an outreach event, we knelt down and she was so sweet, she just melted right into us. Even though we had another dog to see that day, we pretty much knew that Dottie was our girl right then.

Dottie relaxing with her dad

 

 

Dottie now lives in a loving home with Amie and Mark (who are getting married next week!) and her kitty brother, Pullo. She loves to snuggle under the covers when it's cold and eagerly awaits her regular run with her mom. She loves cats, kids and most dogs. Dottie's favorite things include running long distances or curling up and watching t.v., as long as it includes hanging out with her people.