Letter from a Foster Doxie: “Can I please adopt my foster moms?”

Dear Ms Perkins (Boss lady):

I would like to apply for the adoption of my 2 foster mommies Carmen & Sandi.

My name is Salma Hayek (formerly known as Raven, but I aint no bird!)

 I am about 3 years old & I heard about DRSF when dis nice lady called Regina came to bust me outa da shelter. I don’t know why I was there; I was a bit confused & a bit scared.

 Regina took me to da vet where I met my foster mommies. I heard da words “heartworm” & “voluptuous” I think dat they were suggesting I was a lardy butt but I’m all womanly dachshund!

I really really love my foster home. When I first arrived there was a very sweet senior doxie called Dr Cusamano who didn’t mind me sleeping in da big bed with her & she would rest her frosty chin on my back. She is at da rainbow bridge now & is watching over me & my foster mommies.

There are 3 other doxies & we all get along…I get along with all doggies although my foster mommies have caught me a couple of times chasing da 2 kitties…I wouldn’t hurt them, just showing them we doxies are in charge!

There is a huge yard with a 6 foot wooden fence. My mommies say when I’m heartworm negative I’ll be able to run like the wind with my ears flapping but for now I am strictly supervised & walked with a leash as I have to get completely better first. I have to stay calm, cool & stress free.

The only stairs in da house are steps up to da big bed but I don’t use them. My foster mommies are my elevator & I wait patiently to be put up & I let them know when I want to get down. I’ve got them trained!

When my foster mommies go out I get to stay in da bedroom wiv my own comfy bed, blankies & 2 chihuahuas for company. We get along just fine. I will hang out in a crate too, but I like it much better in the bedroom I get to move my mommies shoes around the room & if I’m lucky I’ll pull a t-shirt off da bed to snuggle with. I like to collect things & take them to my bed!

I’m eating a special low calorie food now which I love & I get low calorie treats. I was 18 pounds when I came out of da shelter. Now I’m down to 15 pounds 4 oz, I have a little bit to go but I’m already feeling more energetic & I love to bounce up & down! Later on, my vet mommy says she will spay me, whatever dat is, & my nurse mommy will clean my teef.

My mommies say they have fallen in love with me & I’m a perfect fit! I love them too & now when they call my name “Salma” I wags my tail. When they come home after going out I can’t help it, I get real excited & go a bit goofy. I heard them say that maybe I was meant to come into their lives to help them through the loss of their beloved Cusamano. I tried so hard to help & make them smile. I think it worked!

My mommies have even promised to take me to doxie get togethers wiv my new cute brother Hamlet to meet all the lovely DRSF peeps & doxies. Dear Ms Perkins, please oh please can I adopt my foster mommies & stay & have this as my forever home??

 Yours truly,
Salma Hayek xxx

Our winning weiners have been announced for our 2011 calendar!

We need foster homes! 2-week fosters needed!!!

We make a serious commitment to each and every dog who comes through the county shelters and we take that commitment very seriously even when we do not have the foster space.

Jack came to us as a stray from MDAS. Without our rescue, he would have been put down.  The problem is that we only have two short-term, quarantine foster homes to cover ALL the dogs that come to us. Anyone who follows our web page and Facebook page will know that two is not enough.  Because we didn’t have a quarantine foster spot for Jack, he went from spending 5 days alone in a crate at MDAS to being alone in a crate again for 14 more days at Alton Road Animal Hospital.

This is a multiple-faceted and prolonged problem in that not only does DRSF have to pay nearly $200 for the quarantine, but Jack was becoming cage aggressive at MDAS; don’t you get a little stir crazy when you are stuck at home for too long? Well imagine if you were stuck in a single small room for 5 days!!  Prolonged exposure to confinement will only worsen his problem, possibly leading to more funds needed with to cover time with a trainer. Because of the additional cost and the stress this will put on this poor pup, this is clearly not something that we can do on any sort of regular basis.  

Please, if you have ever considered opening your home to fostering, we would love to speak with you.  Consider becoming a short-term, quarantine foster for the rescue. The dogs will stay in your home for two weeks. It’s okay if you have other pets, but we ask that you keep your animals separate. During this two-week period, you will feed, walk, and snuggle the pup while DRSF covers the cost of their medical care. We ask that you keep an eye for any health issues that pop up; the most common issues are minor, treatable conditions, but ones that we don’t want to pass on to perfectly healthy pets. Probably the most common ailment is kennel cough (bordatella), a type of puppy cold that there is a vaccine for; if you have other pets, you can vaccinate them for bordatella at a low-cost vaccine clinic (check Pet Supermarket or your vet’s office) before becoming a quarantine foster. Parasites are also common, but most pets are on parasite prevention; normally for your new rescue this will mean that you have to mix a powder into the dog’s food for 3 days.  MDAS is similar to a school–if one dog gets sick, it spreads quickly. We need our new rescues to go to a short-term home for two weeks, separate from other animals, while we make sure that they are happy, healthy, and ready to be placed in a long-term foster home.

We are happy to put you in touch with either of our quarantine families to share pointers of how they do it with their own dogs. Quarantine fostering is ideal for anyone who may travel, loves dogs but is worried about the cost, or seniors who might not otherwise be able to have a dog. It’s also perfect for those new to fostering and not sure if you are ready for a longer-term foster commitment.  DRSF pays for everything you need to help a doxie start a new life. All you need to provide is food, love, and belly rubs. 

For more information, please visit our web site’s fostering page here or feel free to drop us an email or comment.

Only one more week to go in the Calendar Contest!

There were some huge shakeups in the calendar contest this week!!

Voting closes on October 31st at 11:59 p.m. Please get all of your votes in by 11:30 p.m. so that you don’t have a bunch of votes pending when the booth closes (it is automated, so if there are any pending checkouts they will be cancelled). 

Keep those votes coming!! Winners will be announced on November 1st! 

Take me to the DRSF Voting Booth so I can make my final votes!

I love that new puppy smell.

Check out Alex, the adorable doxie rescued from MDAS today!

Upcoming Events

Am I the only one who is wondering where September went?  Well, October is well underway and with that comes a whole bunch of DRSF events:

• On October 21, DRSF will be hosting a Yappy Hour at Tijuana Taxi in Davie, Florida.  The event runs from 7 to 9pm and will feature all sorts of doxie fun, including a junk auction, raffles, a cupcake bar, and drink specials. Come out to support DRSF! Clear out some clutter and participate in the junk auction—bring your gently used (in working condition) items to the event and we will auction them off to the highest bidder.  We will only be able to accept cash at this event. (Please note that this event is humans only.)
• Not to be left out, we have an all-dogs friendly Wiener Spooktacular on October 23 from 11am-3pm! All breeds are welcome for a Halloween costume contest. Categories include: Scariest, Cutest, Most Original, Best Dressed, TV/Movie Character, Cutest Couple, Most Original Themed Group, and Best Wiener in Costumer (this particular category is for doxies only).  Meet us at Pappas Deli. Humans not required to dress up.
• On October 31 at midnight, our Calendar Contest entrants turn back into pumpkins! Not really, but voting will end for our annual calendar contest. There have been some big shake-ups this week, so make sure you get to the voting booth and get your votes in for all of your favorites!

Our incredible event planning team is working to coordinate a series of other events through the end of the year, so be sure to check back for updates.

You can download the flyers for any of these events, check for more events, and get your monthly DRSF desktop wallpaper on the DRSF Events  page.

Bentley goes for a swim

Remember Bentley, the little guy with three legs whose family gave him up? Not only was he lucky enough to find his forever family in record time, but he is living the high life in the Keys with his new Forever Family. If anyone ever doubted the abilities o…f a “differently abled doxie” check this out and prepare to be amazed!!! Hugs to Cindy who saw the diamond in the rough 🙂

Cuddles posing as Audrey Hepburn

I think she’s ready for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Our gorgeous girl’s fur is growing back.  Thanks to FM Sandra for continuing to update everyone on Cuddles’ progress on her Facebook page, and most of all for doing an incredible job of caring for our little star.

DRSF Calendar Contest: 1 Month Results!!!

Cast your vote at the DRSF Calendar Contest Voting Booth!  We are one month in and the competition is getting heated. 🙂

DRSF Calendar Contest: Week 1 Results

Cast your vote at the DRSF Calendar Contest Voting Booth!  We have 136 amazing entries!