Social Media, Facebook and and Dogs

Happy Dog: Caring For Your Dog's Body, Mind and Spirit and Jill's recent foster dog experience are featured in this entry from the blog Legally Social.

Happy Dog Story: Lil' Bit Joins the Family

Meet Lil' Bit, the cute Pit Bull mix pictured above enjoying a snooze on the couch. Lil' Bit's mom Sheri recently shared her story with us and we are pleased to share it with you.

Sheri is an area representative of Dogs Deserve Better, a wonderful non-profit organization that raises awareness about chained and penned dogs and helps rescue and place them in homes.

As a small pup, Lil' Bit and another Pit Bull mix puppy were rescued from being chained outdoors in Nashville, Tennessee. Sheri received an email looking for foster homes for the pups. Sheri, however, already shared her home with two happy senior pooches: Shea, a 10 year old Rottweiler, and Max, her 7 year old son. Being seniors, Shea and Max were set in their ways and were not always pleased to welcome other dogs. Sheri was, therefore, hesitant about offering to foster one of the pups.

After seeing Lil' Bit's photo and visiting her in Nashville, Sheri was hooked. "It was love at first sight!" she reports. Sheri brought Lil' Bit home and introduced her to Shea and Max, slowly and safely. Although Shea and Max "were not overly thrilled at first, now they are best buddies." Lil' Bit has found her forever home!

Max, Shea and Lil' Bit relaxing together

Sheri is overjoyed with Shea and Max's acceptance of their new sister. "Lil' Bit will jump on them and aggravate them, and they snarl and growl, but they have never hurt her." Sheri writes. "They all play so well. Shea and Max are probably not as happy as Lil' Bit, but she is certainly happy to be loved, played with, cared for, and not have to be chained another day in her life!"

Lil' Bit playing with Shea

We are pleased to hear that another homeless pooch has found a wonderful loving home. Sheri thanks for sharing your story with everyone in Happy Dog Land!

We'd love to hear your story too. To share your story, click here.

Meet Shabba, A Lucky Pooch Reunited With His Mom After A Fire

Today, we are pleased to share a lovely story from Beverly, a dedicated dog mom. Meet Shabba, Beverly's beautiful four year old 96 pound Japanese Akita.

In in late November 2008, Beverly's house burned in a fire. Shabba survived the fire by hiding in the back of the yard. On the night of the fire, however, he stepped in a gopher hole and injured his ACL. Tragically, Shabba's pal Sassy, a little red Shiba Inu (pictured below playing with Shabba), passed away after being overcome by smoke.

Unfortunately, Beverly's temporary housing did not allow pets and Shabba lived with a caretaker. Shabba's ACL was recovering quite well until his caretaker moved him into an open dirt lot behind a 12 ft fence. As dogs walked by the fence, Shabba jousted with them, which aggravated his ACL. In addition, Shabba suffered from severe flea bite dermatitis. As Beverly noted, "My dog was simply not in a good place."

Happily, Beverly and Shabba were reunited in May 2009! They now live in a new home with a nice yard and Shabba is no longer living outside. As Beverly reports, Shabba is now once again a happy dog. "He loves looking out the windows with views of three streets and sleeps at my door like he is on sentry duty." In addition, canine aspirin and glucosamine have increased Shabba's mobility.

Beverly and Shabba enjoy two daily 20 minutes walks together. Of course, Beverly does not allow him to taunt any dogs that are locked behind fences. "It's just not a nice or neighborly thing to do," she adds.

We are so pleased that Shabba and Beverly are happy together again! Beverly, thank you for sharing your story with everyone in Happy Dog Land!

We'd love to hear your happy dog story too! Here's how to share your story.

Beloved Pet Helps Abused Woman

Here's a heartwarming story of the human-animal bond.

After suffering years of physical abuse, a Missouri woman took only her pet rabbit Ruby Angel when she escaped her abusive partner. The woman and rabbit lived on the streets for a time. Eventually, the woman found a place in a shelter and the House Rabbit Society of St. Louis began fostering Ruby Angel.

Now, the folks at the House Rabbit Society are not only helping Ruby Angel with cancer surgery, they are helping the homeless shelter and its residents.

You too can help the rabbit and the homeless women. Here's how.

A Really Cool Dog Story from a War Zone

A dog lost during a battle in Afghanistan was found after 14 months alone in the desert--yes you read that correctly--14 MONTHS! His handlers are not sure exactly how Sabi, a NATO bomb sniffing dog, survived but the pooch is safe and sound and back on his base.

Get the full scoop here.

Dog Park Update: Che is returned!

Che the lost pooch we reported on yesterday was reunited with his owner. It turns out, Che probably just wandered off and escaped from the dog beach. We're glad he's safe, but this is a perfect opportunity to remind everyone to watch your dog at all times. Moreover, before letting Fido off leash, verify that all escape routes are closed off.

Scroll down to the comments at the end of the article--the discuss is interesting. Readers are debating whether the people who found the dog would have returned him without the $2500 reward and whether they should have accepted the reward.

Lucy Update: The (Formerly) Neglected Gal Is Doing Great!

Remember the neglected Cocker Spaniel rescued by New Leash on Life in April?

As you can see above, Lucy was in terrible shape, and had been severely neglected for a long, long time. New Leash brought Lucy to Billy and she went from horribly matted and filthy to clean and bouncy in a matter of hours. Not only did she look good, she lost almost 8 pounds of mats. For the first time in a long, long time Lucy was comfortable in her own skin, literally.

The wonderful volunteers at New Leash have attended to Lucy's health and have indeed given her a new leash on life. The photos show that she has a sparkle in her eye and is ready for her close-up -- and a new life filled with love, pampering and proper grooming.

Here at Happy Dog Land, we want to help Lucy -- who suffered so in her former life -- to start her new life in style. So, the lucky person who adopts her will get a gift certificate for a grooming with Billy!

To learn how to foster or adopt Lucy click here. Tell them Billy & Jill sent you!

Happy Tails: Follow Up on Shelter Dog Makeovers

In our March 17th and March 18th posts, we featured before and after shots of some of the dogs Billy and his crew groomed at the shelter. In addition to the two dogs (Shy Guy and Foxy) that were adopted on the spot, we have more good news!

Tina before: a grimy, matted mess!

Tina after: a beautiful pooch worthy of Best in Show and lots of hugs and kisses!

Chicago Animal Care and Control reports that Tina (pictured above with grooming student Jus E.) was adopted by a "really, really nice family" a few days after her makeover and that "the grooming definitely made the difference."

In Happy Dog Land, we received a call from Honey Buns/Harry B's dad. He was ecstatic! The family didn't recognize the pooch when they arrived to pick him up at the shelter because the transformation was so dramatic. Most importantly, they didn't mind that their new dog was a boy--the dog was so matted that everyone had thought he was a she. The family loved how the pooch looked and was so excited to take him home and shower him with love--and lots of grooming!

Sam, pictured above before and after with Billy and Spartan, a cute little black and brown dog, were transferred to PAWS, a Chicago shelter than adopts many, many dogs every week.

All these Happy Tails just goes to show what a difference a little grooming TLC can make in the life of a dog, whether he's in a shelter or your home!

Why Your Dog Needs A Microchip And ID!

You may remember Baker the Beagle from our grooming day at Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) earlier this month. Baker ended up at the pound after he was picked up as a stray. He had no microchip or identification, so the shelter had no way of locating his family. Lady Luck, however, was shining on this dog and his family. Although Baker had been bathed, brushed, massaged, shown off and advertised, no one adopted him.

A few days after his makeover, a volunteer was walking Baker in the shelter's yard just as his "dad" was arriving at the building across the street for a job interview. The next thing the volunteer knew, Baker's dad was dashing toward the fence calling, "Nicky? Nicky?" At the same time, Baker/Nicky was wildly wagging his tail and trying to dig his way under the fence to reach his dad! The man called his wife and son, and they came in that day to reunite with the lost dog they thought they'd never see again. Baker/Nicky's little "brother" burst into tears when a shelter volunteer led him to the dog's cage.

Baker/Nicky's family had been desperately searching for him after he was lost, but they had never heard of CACC and had no idea where to look.

Baker/Nicky's story is a lesson for all dog owners about the importance of canine identification. If the dog had had a microchip or identification tags on his collar, the shelter would have immediately located his family and he would have been home. Because the dog had no chip and no ID, Baker was stuck at the pound and could very easily have ended up with someone else or worse. If your precious pooch hasn't been microchipped, please call your vet ASAP for an appointment! If you're short on cash, many shelters and animal welfare organizations offer microchips at a reduced fee or for free. In addition, your dog should always be wearing his ID tags. The tags must be legible and list current information too.

If your dog is lost, call every single shelter in the area. Look in the phone book and ask around for shelter names and locations. Like Baker/Nicky, your pooch could be waiting at a shelter you've never heard of before. Calling the police and all local veterinary offices is a good idea too. That said, preventing your dog from becoming lost is your dog's first line of defense. Therefore, never allow your dog to run free or leave him unsupervised in your yard.