New life on the Third Hill

It has been awhile since I have updated our blog.  The good weather hit and I got our garden ready and as soon as I had that set I went for back surgery.  After that I was starting to get back on my feet when canning season hit and I got really busy with that.  we did over 200 cans of tomatoes, salsa, pickles, spaghetti sauce  and beans then right into Peaches, pears and apple sauce.

When that was done I had to have a bunion on my foot operated on.  I am now recovering from the foot surgery and in between times we have been spending tons of time getting out online store ready for Christmas.  During all of this as fall set in several things happened that were sad, uplifting and joyful.

I will update you on them in the following entries.

We keep a small flock of laying hens and a few Bantams on the hill for farm fresh eggs and the bantams keep the ticks down around the yard.  Our laying hens have their fenced yard to stay in for their safety.  The Bantams on the other hand are small enough to fly into the chicken yard and out of the fence to hunt and peck in the rest of the yard.  

As fall was setting in a couple months ago and I had to get the hen house ready for winter.

I was out in the garage this morning looking for some plastic to put over the chicken coop door and I kept hearing one the the chicks squawking in its little high pitched peep. 

I went over to the brooder where we have a mom with two chicks on the top floor and  on the first floor where we have 5 little chicks that our dear friend Ilene hatched for us.  I am standing there looking into the two layers trying to see what chick is making a loud peeping.  I could not see anything wrong with any of the chicks so went back to looking for the plastic. 
I no sooner got back to work and there it is was again.  It sounded like a chick was unhappy or in distress and letting the world know about it.  I went back over to the brooder and was standing looking in and still could not see any chick in trouble.  While I was standing there it sounded off again and this time it was coming from between my feet. 

I had forgotten about the little bantam hen that laid her eggs on top the the plastic bag of pine shavings that I was standing over. She had been silently sitting on this nest for 21 days and it paid off.  When I looked down I saw mama hen and one little black chick behind her tail that could not figure out how to get back under his warm mothers feathers.  I gently lifted her tail and shoved him under and all was quite again. 


There is a tiny black head sticking out of mama's feathers next to her head.

I lifted mama hen while my partner took a picture of the little ones.

Mama was soon back on nest and kids were happy again.  They they discovered their food in the dish and started eating for the first time a couple of minutes later.  It is cool here today so they had their first meal and scooted back under mama with their little bellies full.

The brooder is full and all the other chicks are feathered out now I have to find a way to keep mama and these guys warm and safe as winter moves in.  It is supposed to be a low of 39 degrees but mama is well insulated and her body runs a 100 degrees so even though it is cold they are safe in their pine shavings under their 100 degree heater.  I even hung a light over them so they can sneak out for a snack when they want to. 

Hope you all have good warm night.
Roy and the Third Hill Gang.

We Never Thought We Would Be a Failure at Our Age But Some Nice Folks Pointed It Out to Us!

So much as happened since the first of the year.  About 40-50 more dogs and puppies were saved from death in our Southern Shelters and shipped to new homes in the North East.

Tereasa had me pull a young boxer mix from the local shelter where he was scheduled to be put down.  She wanted me to find him a foster until she could get him scheduled for a transport north.  Everyone was busy or "dogged out" so we decided to keep him ourselves it would only be a couple of weeks.  Well we called him Bensen.  He was a really beautiful and active 1 year old boxer mix.  He settled into the pack okay but within two days had gotten out of the yard and killed 2 of my little chickens that run around our yard outside of the dog yard.  He was fast, smart and powerful.  I have one chicken yard that is up against the dog yard fence at the end of the yard. Our dogs could care less about the chickens but Bensen was totally consumed with scaring them by jumping against the gate.  I used to have an electric fence that around the perimeter of the dog yard to discourage digging out from under the fence and it worked real well. We have not had to use it in years but to keep our chickens safe from Bensen, I set up a short piece along the side of the chicken fence and actually wrapped it around the gate where he liked to jump up against.

It did not take long to convince him that the chickens were really not that much fun.  After the second run in with the electric fence he actually lost interest in the chickens the other side of the fence.

He was much easier to get along with after that.  His transport day came and we entertained Tereasa and a van load of dogs and puppies on the road to new forever homes in the north.  Early the next morning We loaded the last of the ones we had collected and I followed her to the Shelter where Alice was waiting with a couple last minute puppies that needed to go north also.

We had about a month and a half  to enjoy the return to normal here on the Third Hill.  As the fates would have it we received a call from Tereasa in Michigan.  She had heard from Alice, (the Patron Saint of Dogs and Cats), at our local shelter and she had a really wonderful boxer mix that had been there too long and was going to be put down unless she could find a rescue to take her.  She had grown very close to this dog as it would stay with her in the office when she worked and was a great ambassador of good will.

I again tried all my friends but "there was no room at the inn".   Lexis was six years old and surrendered  by her owner.  They claimed she was a fence jumper and could not keep her home.  While at the shelter Alice had her tested for Heart Worm and she was positive for them.

We had our dogs on Heart Worm preventative and were not worried about them so we took Miss Lexis home to meet our pack.  She fit in almost immediately and within 24 hours had picked out her favorite spot on the couch.

We knew we had a month to wait for the transport so decided to talk with Tereasa about having her heart worm condition treated while she was with us.  It would make it easier to place her if she traveled as a healthy dog and not in need of treatment.

Tereasa is part of an online group that I have come to learn helps out dogs with financial donations to get treatment for dogs in need with no sponsorship.  This group of wonderful souls came together and came up with the funds for Lexis's treatment.

Tereasa and the group thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and treat her for heart worms before she went on the transport.

We took her to the vets and got an xray to see how far advanced her heart worms had progressed.  We found that she had not become "Clinical" yet but there was some enlarging of the heart and arteries that these worms infest.

By not being "Clinical" she likely would respond to a single treatment of the meds and not have to do a second shot.

We put her on Doxycycline which keeps the adult female worms from being able to give off more eggs and to fight secondary infections.

Two days later we took Miss Lexis in to the vets for her treatment.  This is the same vets that had saved the lives of the two Parvo puppies from back in the winter.  We left her overnight and I called early next morning to see how she was doing.  The response was positive and she was doing well.

We brought her home that afternoon with instructions to keep her quite and on a leash for the next 30 days.
Also that the next few days would be critical as this is when they will be dying and things could go wrong.  We kept her on a leash for 30 days but at the beginning it was a learning experience.  I was with her 24/7 and Dave would help out on the weekends.  The first time I took her into the back yard at night, it was in the wee hours of he morning.  All the dogs  wanted to go out so I put Lexis on her leash and we walked out into the early morning mist and very dark back yard.  Lexis has that wonderful nose to help guide her and all I had was an uneasy feeling that I would run afoul of some of the bushes in the back yard.

We proceeded into the dark yard with Lexis in the  lead and me following like a sightless man on the end of the tether that bound us together.

Lexis was doing good as she searched for the perfect place to go to the bathroom, I on the other hand was trying to do my best to not trip over something and fall flat on my face or a pile of dog poop.  Lexis walks very good on my left side and she guided me through the dark and foggy back yard.  All of a sudden I was attacked by the cold, wet hanging branches of our Butterfly Bush.  Lexis never missed a step as she passed to the left of it and just dragged me straight though the cold, wet limbs of the vicious Butterfly Bush in the dark.  The only good thing with getting dragged though a cold and wet Butterfly Bush is that I was now sure where we were in the layout of the back yard.

She  stopped right after the Butterfly Bush and did her business and made a U turn and led me back to the the safety of the motion light at the end of the porch which turned on right in my face  blinding me.

Once back in the warmth of our living room, Lexis hopped back up on her end of he couch, settled down and resumed her nap.

I, on the other hand, had to go and get a towel and get the wet Butterfly Bush off of my shirt and head.

About the second week into her treatment Lexis had made herself part of the pack and was doing really wonderful.  She had settled in with all 5 of the other dogs and even the cats gave their approval by ignoring her.

One evening Dave and I were at the sink doing dishes and Lexis was setting on the rug behind us watching to see if we dropped any crumbs.  I looked down at her sweet face and said to him, "are we going to be able to give her up when it comes time for her transport?"  He said, "I don;'t think so."

That was all it took and we started the wheels rolling to adopt her.  I called Tereasa and told her of our decision and she said Great!! She was happy as she still did not have a rescue committed to her up there and she was a free agent.

Tereasa posted on the group that had paid for her treatment and fees to get her out of jail and asked if they would mind if Dave and I adopt her.  We had been giving them updates on her and they were more than happy to see her adopted by us.  One person actually told us that we have become Foster Failures by falling in love with this wonderful animal and adopting her.  Well if that is a failure, I am proud to own it.  She has been a real treat to have as part of our family and loves being here.  She even has no interest in the chickens which is a relief.  She does want to be with you as long as you are home and prefers following us around rather than being with the pack on the porch.

We are so lucky to have this sweet girl come into our lives and take up residence.

Here are a few shots of her.

Lexis and Lucy Sharing the couch.

How could you not love a face like this. 

 Oh good, another pillow I can sleep on.

I have received so many emails in the last few days and the need for homes and fosters is at a real high.  Dogs and cats everywhere are flooding the shelters and ending up dead.  We are so thankful we could save this girl and all the others that we have had a hand in sending North.  I am so in awe of the number of people so committed to saving these wonderful animals in fostering, transporting, rescuing or just looking after them in the shelters.

It really does take a pack to save a dog and we are really proud to be  Foster Failures and  members of our pack.

Roy and Dave
From the third hill pack.

A Tail of Christmas Love and New Life for Molly, Maxine and 23 Others

When we last talked about the Parvo Puppies, Molly and Maxine, they were back at the stable with Tom and Peggy, enjoying the freedom of a large stall and great walks on the Horse trails with Tom and Peggy.
These are the two puppies home from the vets and recovering rapidly.

Christmas is closing in on us as it does every year at this time. This year, I am acutely aware there are a lot of dogs that will not make it to enjoy this Christmas or any other unless some miracles happen and in a hurry.

We were down to about a week before the transport to a new life in the North.  As time drew closer for them to leave I suspected that there would be some additions to the transport knowing that Tereasa liked to rescue as many as possible when setting these trips up.

As the fates would have it, on that quiet afternoon I got a phone call.  Low and behold Tereasa is on the other end from Michigan, breathlessly telling me "we have a situation".  I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I am learning that when she calls and says "we have a situation", What it really means is "I have been on the phone for hours talking dog rescue, funding for the transport and vetting".  All of that now translates to a simple list of "things that need doing in an expedited manor and guess who the local expediter is??

The "new situation" started with a hurried call to Tereasa from one of the Angels of Mercy at the local kill shelter.  They had several small dogs whose time had run out and the weather and shelter are getting dangerously cold. If she cannot get them on transport to LDDR, they will be destroyed.  Tereasa had contacted LDDR and they have put plans into action to take 3 more of our local dogs who are freezing at the shelter.  She then put out feelers for funding for the trip while making arrangements for the local shelter to get the dogs vetted and ready for transport.  The last item on the list is to find local fosters for the 3 little dogs that need to come out now or freeze in the shelter in the next two very cold nights.

At this point, Tereasa called me to explain what "the situation was that WE had."  The 3 dogs were small, had short hair, were freezing and needed to come out ASAP.  The smallest was Tiny Tim a tiny Chihuahua who was scared to death and was not fairing well in the freezing cell that he was in.  There was also an adorable Beagle/Terrier mix Tagged Jingles and her cell mate a tiny puppy of the Chihuahua mix called Prancer.  The first priority was to evaluate little Tiny Tim to see if his fear was going to preclude him from being adoptable.

I decided to take the Hamburger Approach.   We stopped at the local Hardees and purchased a hamburger with nothing on it.  Tiny Tim had a cell mate and I figured that a warm hamburger in a cold cell would lift the spirits of both dogs and hopefully win Tiny's confidence.  Tiny's cell mate was a really cute terrier mix who wanted nothing more than to be held and loved.  Tiny on the other hand was so scared he would only cower in the corner by the freezing doorway to the outside.

I slipped into the cell and sat down on the floor Sleigh, as she was later called, bounced right up on my lap and wanted that hamburger.  I unwrapped it and tore it in small pieces feeding Sleigh while Tiny watched very intently.  Finally he could not stand it anymore and eased up to get his bite and then fear be damned he wanted more of that hamburger.  I scooped him up when the hamburger was gone and once on the leash he was ready to go anywhere that was warm and safe. I held him the 20 miles to his foster moms place and within minutes riding on my lap in front of the heater I could feel him relax and start to take interest in what was going past the window.

Once there he walked around the yard for a few  moments, watched their dog in the back yard and decided that this place and person was okay.  When his foster turned to walk into her house he fell in right behind her and went right in like he lived there.  He made a quick inspection of the home, barked once at the cat who promptly ignored him and settled in with these loving folks for a very happy week prior to transport.


While we were in route I placed a call to Tereasa and informed her of the loving dog that was sharing the cell with Tiny and how it would be a real loss not to take her also.  By time we had Tiny settled at his foster we got a call from Tereasa to tell us they would take Sleigh also.  We went back to the shelter to retrieve jingles and her cell mate Prancer as we had another foster set up for the two of them.  They loved the idea of someone taking them out of there and really did not seem to care as long as they did not have to go back.  I was surprised at how quick these dogs accepted the foster homes with great enthusiasm.  Prancer saw the fosters Daughter on the couch covered with a blanket and went flying across the room, leaped into he air and landed right on her lap with Jingles right behind.

With 3 settled and one more to go, I went to our local "Big Box Home Repair Store to talk with some of the people who work there to see if any of these kind souls would share their homes with little Sleigh who was in need of a loving foster.

The first person I ran into was an acquaintance from my years of working there.  I was amazed when she listened to my tail of doggies in need and she told me she would foster Sleigh.  She wanted me to meet her at five when she got off work and she would take Sleigh home and introduce her to her dog.
Sleigh getting some loving while waiting for her new foster to get off work.

The four dogs had warm and loving homes for the week prior to their trip North for a happy doggy Holiday.

We had to round up all the dogs for the trip to their new fosters at LDDR and meet the Transport at Lebanon, Tennessee.  Tereasa did not waste any time either.  LDDR at her urging, took 6 Dogs from Georgia, over 14 emergency rescues from Lebanon, TN and our six dogs from Athens.   Tereasa and all dogs arrived safely in Michigan after a long trip and a lot of hours.

We received some feed back from one of the fosters who is taking care of Tiny Tim and Sleigh.  The foster is really taken with Tiny Tim and may keep him and become his forever mom.  She also informed me that Sleigh had a meet and greet with a prospective new family and by now may already be enjoying her new forever home and family. Hopefully we will hear more on the other wonderful dogs we had sent on their way to a new life. 
Sleigh, with new friend and Tiny on couch at new foster getting a nap.

Dropping our six dogs off was hard as the fosters and I have become very emotionally attached to them.  Knowing that this Christmas transfer means a new and better life with new and loving families makes it easier to see them off.  Especially, knowing that if they stayed here they would never have seen Christmas.  Thanks to the efforts of a lot of folks here and in Michigan and all that Tereasa has done, these dogs & puppies are receiving the most wonderful gift they could receive for Christmas.  Life, Love and a Forever Human Pack of their own.  What more could a dog want other than maybe a hot Hardees Hamburger and hold the onions.
Merry Christmas to you all From the Third Hill
Roy and Gang

A Christmas note from a Brittany Rescue/Transport person

This just in as a reminder of why we do what we do for the wonderful dogs in our lives.  The Brittany Rescue group is one of the rescues I have had the pleasure to transport for.   Everyone I have meant in this incredible network has been some wonderful folks.  Thank you Connie and Happy Holidays to you all and safe transports for the New Year.

 Roy and fur babies From the Third Hill

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Happy Holidays and Thank You from the Brittany Transport Team!

The Holiday season traditionally is a time for giving to others and reflecting on life’s blessings.  In the spirit of the season, we send a heartfelt THANK YOU, for freely giving your TLC, time (and gas dollar) to transport & overnight rescued brittany dogs.  With your compassionate help, many brittanys were rescued in 2010.  (At last count, NBRAN & NEBR were on pace to adopt out 500+ brittanys in 2010!)
We are grateful to the many transporters who have made it an astoundingly successful year for rescuing & transporting … we could not be so successful without your compassionate help.

We’ve started a blog about some of the Happy Tales of the brittanys we’ve transported at http://brittanytransporttales.blogspot.com
Below is a special story from the blog … shared by Connie, who fostered Peyton.

Wishing you all the best in 2011,
Nancy Walker,  Kathy Boje,  Jan Skrocki

NBRAN / NEBR Brittany Transport Team
www.nbran.org          www.nebrittanyrescue.org
_________________________________________________________
"To the people who foster, transport, donate, campaign or look out for dogs in need, thanks to all of you. To the people who are thinking about how they might make a bit of difference, go for it."

NOTE:  Peyton was pulled by Connie from a WV shelter, fostered by her and then went on transport to the northeast in November.  Peyton now has a "fur-ever" family of his own.
  This is Connie's story ... 

This is my story, I would encourage anyone in the least bit interested to give fostering or transporting a try.  Please feel free to edit, I know I tend to get windy!!

A year ago I lost my Gypsy, a little liver and white "Brittney" girl. About that time I started looking at Petfinder, and the rescues, NBRAN included. I heard a lot about "other peoples problem dogs, something wrong with them for them to be at a shelter, you don't want to get involved."

Within 2 weeks we bought a little Britt boy, different color, different sex, from a breeder, great pedigree, champion stock.

I started transporting a few months later, got questioned about WHY are you spending your time and money to drive dogs when you have a farm full of your own animals and not enough time for yourself?

I didn't know WHY, but it made me feel good. I did it because I could, I guess.

Not long ago I got approached by NBRAN / NEBR, could I pick up a lost Britt from a shelter near my home and take him to boarding? It was Thanksgiving week, but the shelter wanted him out, but he didn't have a foster home yet. I picked him up, and he came home with me for the week. He was skinny, he jumped at every noise, cowered all the time and if he had a tail it would have been between his legs.

My two boys (the hunter, our Britt boy and the herder, our shelter Border Collie mix) welcomed him, shared their toys and home, and a couple days later he was not so scared, he was playful and getting confident. He had some accidents in the house, but learned quickly to be a good house dog.

A week later he had a foster home, and I transported him on his first leg of his journey. My husband was so attached to him by this time he couldn't go. I cried a lot that day.

Just two weeks later I learned his fur-ever family found him. I'm glad now to have been a part of his life, even though it was sad to let him go.

My point?

There are a lot of dogs out there that are not problems, or trouble, just down on their luck. Or their first people didn't know how to care for them. Or couldn't afford the chow any more.

In just one week I watched a dog change, saw him start to bloom. He is every bit as special and good as our pedigreed champion, actually perhaps better behaved!

This kind of thing wouldn't happen without the network of ordinary people who help out here and there when they can.

So to the people who foster, transport, donate, campaign or look out for dogs in need, thanks to all of you.

To the people who are thinking about how they might make a bit of difference, go for it.

You won't be sorry.

If I knew then what I know now, I don't think I would have agreed to buying our little champion. Not that he isn't a great boy, but he would have gotten a great home.

I would have jumped right into fostering the ones that got lost in the shuffle of life, and would now have a bunch of tearful days behind me, but would have also helped others find their best friends.

And along the way I think I would have been found by mine. 

CONNIE

A Tail of Christmas Love and New Life

About 3 weeks ago I received a call from Tereasa in Michigan.  She is a dog transporter/rescuer I had met during my short span of dog transfers and had made a couple of transports for her.  She had arranged for the Last Day Dog Rescue of Michigan to pull and Foster 17 Puppies and Dogs from our local Kill Shelter here in East Tennessee.

Once these dogs are vetted, Spayed or Neutered, they would be put on transport to a New Life in Michigan with the Last Day Dog Rescue and their new foster parents.  Once the puppies arrive at the fosters they evaluate each  dogs/Puppy's behavior, temperament and other characteristics to help matching individual dogs with the best possible adopters available.

When Tereasa called she related the tale that was unfolding around us.  Last Day Dog Rescue had committed to take the 17 puppies and a few of the smaller dogs.  They would go on transport in about two weeks.  The local pound wanted 3 puppies out ASAP as they were over crowded and these three had been there too long.  They were on Death Row and scheduled for extermination on Saturday morning only two days hence. She was "wondering" if I could possibly help get them out and find them a safe foster home until they could go on transport??

I once had tried to tell Tereasa that I was a  transporter but not a rescuer per say.  I have learned working with Tereasa, that, in her book, if you like dogs then you PASS!!  It is really difficult to say "no" to this demure woman with the heart of a Mastiff.  When it comes to rescuing dogs etc. she is driven and I have never heard her to say "I can't", only "how do I do this??".

So saying I couldn't was not in the cards, besides, I had been to our pound and I know how bad the conditions are.  It is like a WWII Concrete Bunker for Dogs.  It is hard and cold. 

I have to say, like in most shelters around the South there are a lot of very dedicated people trying to do a gargantuan humane job with limited to no government resources other than the gas chamber.  Ours is no different.  There are some real angels working tirelessly to get dogs adopted locally or move the excess pups and dogs on transports to rescue/homes in the North or West.  I found out that these Angels of Merci have the cell phone number of a certain Michigan Resident by the name of Tereasa. 


I quickly ran down a short list of folks in my head that would be likely to say yes that they would take these 3 puppies into their homes for a week or so.  I was surprised to find that the two folks I thought of both said yes!

Since Tom had a stable set up with some very comfy stalls he quickly made one over and I went in search of three wonderful puppies to rescue.  The volunteers at the shelter were very happy to see we were coming to get them as they all loved these dogs and did not want to see anything happen to them.  I picked them up directly from the vet were they had been sent to be spayed and neutered for LDDR.  The puppies were still groggy but glad to see anyone that looked friendly and would give them some attention.  

I drove them over to Tom and Peggy's stable and we installed them into their stall with dog house bedding and heat lamps "just in case".  They loved their new home and being free from cages.  They recovered from their surgery rapidly and soon were into puppy playing and having the fun you would expect from young puppies.

By the end of Day 5 they were full of play and love for all that came to visit them.  On the morning of the sixth day little Molly, the real little live wire, was not feeling well.  By noon it was evident that she was going down fast.  We took her to the Vets to have her checked out and at that time I learned a new phase, "She broke with Parvo."  The Vet covered the scenario of what we could expect and it was not a real pretty picture.

When we left Molly at the vets office Tom and I both had a heavy heart that we had seen our little Molly for the last time.

Now came the worry of would the other 2 break with Parvo also??

I called the Vets office first thing next morning and was informed that she was still alive but very sick.  A check later that day showed there was no noticeable change.  Next morning was a bit of good news.  She was a live and her temperature had come down, but she still could not eat or drink. When she was able to keep down food and water she would be well on her way. For the next few days it was just wait while she was slowly improved each day.
 
On the second day that Molly was at the Vets, I got a call from Tom telling me that Maxine was very lethargic and had diarrhea.  Once you see how fast Parvo can take a health puppy down to near death you don't waste any time and we rushed her right in.  Maxine went through the same routine and three days later when her temp broke we were so relieved.  Five days after going into the Vets Molly come home to our heated basement.  She was so weak and emaciated that I was still afraid that she would not survive. 

We went through the next few days with small feedings every few hours to ease her bowel back into working.  Short walks outside to potty and then back in for some one on one play time on the floor of the basement. I would find myself setting on the floor with her on my lap while she chewed on a chewy at 12 or 2 in the morning drifting off only to wake when every time she would move.  I would then try to convince her she needed to go back in her cage until the next feeding and I would crash in my recliner chair until such a time arrived in 2 or 3 hours.

On the weekend my partner helped with their care and feeding on a regular basis.  Handling these two recovering "wild child's" was a real handful and he really helped me out with the feedings and outings at all hours. 

Two days later Maxine came home to join her sister.  Molly was improving by leaps and bounds daily and wanted to play with her sister very badly.  Maxine however was in no shape to encourage any such nonsense.

This kept up for a week while they recovered to prime puppy form again.  How I survived their recovery week with them learning to bark every time they wanted to go out or play is still unknown to me.  But to see them gain so much strength, become happy and active, did I say they become very active?  Their daily transformation in health and happiness was totally rewarding. 

While all of this was going on Tom had kept their litter mate Butch by himself until the transport was ready to go.  He never Broke with Parvo and made the trip with the 16 other dogs to Michigan to the rescue in great shape.  Butch stayed with Tereasa and her husband for another week just be be sure he was not going to "break with Parvo" before going to his foster home. 

Tom took Molly and Maxine back to the stable to foster them until another transport could be set up.  They are now enjoying long walks in the woods with Tom and his Family and the company of the horses and barn cats.  Molly thinks it is her duty to spot the cats before they sneak up on her and sound a loud bark.

Little Molly proves to be a leader.  She thinks she is Alpha Female of her little pack and may very will grow into that role.  She did lead the way into a horrible, life taking, disease.  She fought valiantly for her little life for days and finally lead the way back home to us.  Her sister Maxine had no less a trial but at least had her sisters lead to follow and two days after Molly come home, she also returned to us also.

Due to the wonderful professional medical services of our clinic and the love and care of us who have had the privilege to meet these two tough little girls they have survived and will soon be receiving their ultimate Christmas gift of love and care from their new forever families somewhere in their future up North. 
 
God speed and fair sailing little Molly and Maxine.  Your future awaits.

Roy

Butch taking a drink break

 Butch hiding from his sisters

 Maxine checking out new home

 Molly approving of the new housing.

 Molly and Maxine in  back yard fully recovered and ready for their future.
 

Little Max survives severe burns at 6 weeks of age.

A few days ago, a person my partner works with asked him about our rescue work with dogs.  He explained that his wife had rescued a puppy a month earlier and was wondering if we could find a home for this little guy.  The puppy was a 6 week old pit bull that had been burned with oil to the point of almost death.  

The Story bellow was written by his wife who spent endless hours nursing this little guy back from the brink of death.     I will list some photos that she had taken on her phone.  They are not clear but you get the idea of his early condition.  I will end with some photos we took a  month later when we first got to meet Little Max. 

She wrote Maxes story from his his perspective.

 Hello, my name is Max and this is my story.

A few weeks ago I was found in this nice ladies front yard. I was very close to Death and she seemed to know what to do. I could not stand up, I was very week and in really bad pain from burns all over my back and sides. The Lady who found me picked me up and wrapped me in a towel. We went straight to the vets office and he stayed extra hours working on my injuries to help me.

He told the lady I had hot grease burns on my back and sides. He gave me strong medicine and sent me home with the nice Lady. She bought some Lanacaine to put on my burns.

The family worked together holding and comforting me for the next 36 hours. The Lady put Lanacaine on my wounds and I would shiver with pain. I would hide my face under her arm when she did this. Late one night on about the 37th hour, I was able to look up at the nice Lady. I crawled up to her face and gave her a great big kiss.

It has been about a month and my wounds are healed up. I let the Lady know when I need to go to the bathroom. The lady says I am Smart and Cute as a Button!! She is very busy with all her other pets and the people who live here and I get to visit with them for some play time each day.

The lady says she will find me a wonderful forever home. She says there is someone special who will love me and take super good care of me.

Please help me never to hurt that bad again. Max

This is Max and his foster mom. His back may never have hair on these scars.

Little Max meeting some new friends.

 Ain't I cute!!

We found little Max in surprising good shape for all he had been through.  He was turning into a healthy and happy puppy with a need to chew everything whether it moves or not.   He is recovering really well thanks to LaCrecia's loving care.  

Max was small for his age and would appear to be he runt of the litter.  It is believed that he would have been used as a bait dog to teach other pits to kill.  

On a brighter note he will soon be ready to go to a wonderful home where he will make a loving member of a family.

About 8 years ago I was lucky enough to pick up a little black dog trotting down the middle of our local road with logging trucks rolling by.  The temp was in the high 90's and her little red tongue was hanging almost to the hot pavement.  

She came right to me and soon was enjoying the air conditioning in my car.  We learned that she was not a 3-4 month old black lab as I had thought but a 5-6 month old Black Lab and American Pit Bull.

Lucy soon became the little princess of the pack.  She did things at her pace and when she wanted to do them.  My mom passed on a few years ago and had a recliner chair that she liked to use when she was staying with us.  Lucy decided that Gram had left her that chair for her own personal use.     

Here is Lucy Lu enjoying her afternoon nap in her chair.

 Max will soon be on the road to a new life and we will keep you updated here if you are interested.  

Health and Happiness for you all and your furry friends from 

The Third Hill

Another cute Email

This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed.  It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.         

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant.  I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play.  I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire.  Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand.  I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me...  Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Annie, I'll be waiting.....

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Over 150 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society.