Whew, what a 1st week of the new year!!  OKYR took in 11 Puppymill surrenders.  6 of them were Yorkies (Louie, Addy, Bennie, Mazie, Sadie, & Libby), 2 Morkies (Timone & Buddy) and 3 were Pomeranian’s (Bambi, Simba and Callie).  We  took in 1 owner surrender (Corky), his owner was sick and could not care for him anymore.   Last but certainly not least, we took in one stray(Bridget)

Each of these little furbabies have already been to see our vets to get their medical needs assessed.  Foster Moms and Dads are working on the social, and emotional needs.  As soon as everyone is evaluated they get posted to the web site.  Check out our facebook page as the foster Moms and Dads post on how they are doing.

Last week also saw a one of our dogs getting released by the vet and 2 going to their forever home.  Allie had mange and yeast infections when she came to us.  She is now ready for her forever home.  Both Oscar and Fonzie found forever homes.

Unfortunately, finalizing our records for 2010, we have come to the sad decision to increase our adoption fees.  They will increase $20.00 per dog.  Any one getting one of our rescues is still financially ahead.  They all come spayed or neutered, have all of their shots, any medical issues are taken care of, and are micro chipped.

OKYR relies on your donations,  loving foster homes and people willing to adopt  a rescue.   Can you help out in 2011?  It already shows signs of being our biggest year ever.

The older dogs that come to us have either been dumped at shelters, doomed to wait until they’re euthanized,or they’ve found themselves without home and family because their human companions couldn’t or didn’t want to keep them, or they’ve spent their entire lives as breeders and are finally in a position to live the sweet life every dog deserves.

Regardless of how they got here, dogs require the same sense of belonging and need for love that humans do. They’re social animals and want to feel connected in some way.  Suddenly life as they knew it has forever changed and they’re adrift in a world that often has no room for them.

Why don’t older dogs get adopted? The most sought after characteristics amongst rescues are those less than 2 years of age.  As a result, there are very few of these animals in rescue for very long and the wait for one can be substantial, often discouraging people from adopting a rescue at all.

But why must the dog be so young? This seems to be a psychological thing more than anything else. At two years old, it can be assumed that a dog will have a good, long time ahead of it.  At three years old, most people assume that the animal has fewer than 10 years left and don’t want to think of the heartbreak of losing it so quickly.

The ultimate barrier is at age five. Once an animal turns five, it’s nearly impossible to place quickly. If turned into a shelter, it is almost certainly guaranteed a quick euthanization. Most shelters are overcrowded and the only practical solution for them is to destroy the ‘unadoptable’ animals. How many animals were destroyed last year for the crime of being over five years old? Last month? Last week? How many will it be today? You can change this heartbreaking statistic.  If you have room in your home and heart for an older dog, consider the following reasons to adopt an older dog:

What You See Is What You Get

From the start, you’ll know important things like their full-grown size, personality and grooming requirements. All this information makes it easier to pick the right dog and forge that instant love connection that will last a lifetime. If you’re not into surprises, an older dog is for you! Rescues are full of adult dogs who were once puppies that became the wrong match as they got older.

Easy to Train

Old dogs can absolutely learn new tricks! Older dogs are great at focusing on you and on the task at hand because they’re calmer than youngsters. And, all those years of experience reading humans can help them quickly figure out how to do what you’re asking.

Seniors are Super-Loving
Older dogs are often more than ready and willing to bond with you and your family. They’re very grateful for the second chance they’ve been given and are very good at giving and receiving love.

They’re Not a 24-7 Job
Grownup dogs don’t require the constant monitoring puppies do, leaving you with more freedom to do your own thing. If you have young children, or just value your ‘me time’, this is definitely a bonus.

They Settle in Quickly
Older dogs have been around the block and already learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack. They’ll be part of the family in no time.

Fewer Messes

Your floors, shoes and furniture will thank you. Unlike puppies, older dogs have the physical and mental abilities to pick up on house training really fast. With their teething years far behind them, seniors also are much less likely to be destructive chewers.

You Won’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

There are those who yearn for a doggie friend of their own but hold back because they worry what might happen in their lives in the years to come. They are wise to do so. A puppy or young dog can be anywhere from an 8-year to 20-year responsibility, which is not appropriate for the very elderly or those with certain long-term future plans. Providing a loving home for a dog in her golden years is not a less serious commitment, but it can be a shorter one.

They Enjoy Easy Living
Please consider a canine retiree rather than a high-energy young dog that will run you ragged. Older dogs are looking for human companions who will value their wisdom and their slow pace.

Save a Life, Be a Hero
At shelters, older dogs are often the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized.  And when you adopt older dogs, you can erase any unpleasant past experiences that they’ve had by loving them and caring for them.

They’re CUTE!
Need we say more?

by Caryn Franson

OKYR -Foster, Adopter,

Meet Peanut!  A sweet and happy old boy who used to live in the puppy mill and is now looking for his forever home!

When Peanut first came to OK Yorkie, he was in bad shape.  His years spend in the puppy mill took a toll on him – especially his teeth!  They were all rotten and hurt so bad that he could hardly eat.  Luckily, the first thing our wonderful volunteers did was get that taken care of.  After some encouragement, and a lot less teeth, Peanut learned that it was no longer painful to eat his food.

That wasn’t the end of things by far!  The poor guy had hair loss and a bad eye too.  His health was pretty shaky for a while and he was definitely considered an emergency case.  But with the help of our vets and a little button to help his eye heal, Peanut was on his way.

With his eye all better and a fancy new haircut, Peanut began to settle in to his new life.  Now he loves to spend his days laying beside you on the couch, and his nights in his very own doggy bed on the floor. But if his own bed isn’t available, he will graciously share yours with you! He’s a tough little guy who has been through a lot and deserves all the rest he wants.

Peanut is an older gentleman, about 8 to 10 years old by the vet’s best estimate.  He weighs about 7 pounds and is looking for a very special home without any cats or small children.  Read more about this guy on our Available Dogs page, or take a look at our other dogs needing homes.  You may just find the little boy or girl of your dreams!

Do you ever wonder… Can puppy mill dogs really ever recover?  Can they learn what it’s like to play, be a real dog?    Just look at Annie and Mia.  They discovered toys and Foster Mom Donna, caught it all on video!!!  It looks like Annie and Mia are well on their to recovery.

Bree is progressing by leaps and bounds in just the short time she has been with us.

Yesterday, her foster Mom (Annette) took her to  church with fur brother Samson and they walked about 4 or 5 laps (her church is awesome and allowed their to walk Samson while temperature’s are uncomfortable) and this is not  a small church (WCC).

She placed the leash on Bree to get use to and dropped it and she followed Samson the entire time.  After a well earned  power nap  we all went to the back yard and both Bree and Samson were running around.   She is so eager to learn!  and her foster Mom was already able to get her to sit about 3 times yesterday. We are on to clicker training soon.  Did we say this girl is an Angel!!!   Her forever family is going to be lucky!

Next it was a trip  to Petsmart where she got  a new PINK leash and to off to look at beds.  Foster Mom let her check them all out. Bree finally crawled up into a bed and laid down and she gave that look of I am never getting up from this spot. It was adorable! Then she heard Samson bark (he was with his Daddy) and she jumped up and took off to find him.

When we met back up she started nudging him to play and her little tail was going 90 to nothing.  He is constantly with her and today he had been nudging her more to play, it is pretty cool to watch Samson teach her something.

Potty training is going very good. She has been excellent she tinkled in the house day within the first 10 minutes and then while we went to dinner she had to go. Wood floors you got to love them.

She really is too cute she will do a stretch with her little hiny in the air and start to wag her tail. It just makes you want to get down on the floor with her and make up for all of the loving she missed in her life up until now!

She has an appointment for next Friday to get  spayed!!  No more babies for Bree!

Jagger is a 4.3 lb survivor..

One can only imagine the life of hell he must have endured.  This special boy, has very little jaw bone left.  In fact, it there is no bone there to hold it in place.  When the vet looked at his one tooth, it came out in her hands..

During his x-rays, they discovered another tooth embedded in his gum’s, there was no bone left so it slipped into the tooth pocket.  That will have to come out.

This little guy has infections in both eyes and is not well enough to have his surgery yet, we will have to wait for the antibiotic’s to clear things up.

His first night with foster Mom Kathy,  he did not have an appetite, so, foster Mom went to see our resident food specialist, Season from Mann’s best friend.  She set him up with Vital food.  Added a little yogurt to it and that was all it took.  Yeah, he is eating.

This little guy has been on a rocky road, but now the road is seeded with green grass and a little easier to walk on… 

Stay tuned for more on Jagger’s journey

Mercy … she’s 7.2 pound Blessing!

In spite of all that she’s suffered, Mercy maintains an indomitable spirit and trust for humans that’s hard to imagine.

Her spine shows scarring from some old trauma; one shudders to think of what happened to her and the pain she must have endured at the time.  At the front of her mouth resides a tumor the size of a gumball.  It completely blocks her ability to eat or drink like a normal dog but the resilient Mercy figured out she can get her food and water by sticking her tongue out of the right side of her mouth.  She also gives kisses from that side, showing her capacity to forgive, even after all the atrocities she must have seen in her lifetime.

She’s all but toothless, making it impossible to determine her age.  She could be six, she could be sixteen.  Puppy mill females like Mercy typically lose their teeth at an early age because producing and feeding litter after litter with every heat cycle robs their bodies of calcium.  Due to lack of good nutrition, they are especially vulnerable to infections and parasites and it’s not uncommon to see sparse, coarse coats with balding spots and sores everywhere.

What little hair she has is severely matted with urine and feces from living in cramped, unclean spaces.  Looking at Mercy, it’s clear to see she has known every bit of this kind of neglect and then some.  And yet she brightens when we enter the room, greets us with a wag of her little stump of a tail, and relishes in the touch of a kind human hand.  If she isn’t giving up, neither are we.  We promise to give Mercy the kind of life she deserves with whatever time she has left.

Stay tuned for more on Mercy’s Journey!

On Friday July 23rd OK Yorkie Rescue received a call from the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter.  There was a puppy mill bust and they needed help!

The OK Yorkie Rescue team got there just as the Animal Welfare workers were pulling up.  In the vehicle were 19 Yorkies, some Maltese and Chihuahua’s.  All of them were in terrible condition.  The OKYR and OKC Animal Shelter teams got to work.

The dogs were assessed by the shelters veterinarian for health issues.  One of them has tumor in her mouth; one is missing the lower part of his jaw.  One of them is heart worm positive.  Most of them have black rotten teeth and staph infections on their skin.

The dogs range in age from about 6 years old to 15 years.  Can you imagine, living in a cramped cage, limited horrible water, sparse food and putting out litter after litter for 15 years.

OKYR right away started cleaning, removing fleas and ticks and mats from all of the dogs.  Some of the mats were so bad, the dogs ears were stuck down on their head and it seemed impossible for them to defecate as there bottoms were blocked with dried feces.  Our team spent 5 days working with the shelter team, cleaning and trimming all of the feces, mats and bugs from the dogs.  Mean while, Ms Snow the owner of the puppy mill spent the weekend in jail (she was released on Monday).

On Tuesday July 28th the dogs were released to OKYR. Sadly, while we were picking up all of our new rescues, the shelter received another call.  There was another mill bust…Lucky for us; there were no yorkies in that one.

If I had one wish, it would be that everyone that goes to a pet store or buys a puppy on the internet, can just get a glimpse of what a life of hell these Mom’s and Dad’s have had until now!!

Stay tuned as we write about each of the rescues and their journey to a better life!

Our House of Representatives worked late tonight and passed the “Black Market Breeding Bill” ( SB 1712).  We have been notorious for Puppy Mills~ second only to Missouri~ and one of the last states to have any kind of regulations.  We are so close and may acutally have this bill become a reality!!  We have never had a bill make it this far before.  All we have left is for the Senate to approve the ammendments made in the house then it’s on to the Govenor!!  We are so very excited for this chance to finally have some improvements in the facilities that mass breed!! 

For more info on the bill, visit www.okpuppymilltruth.org for some great info!!  Keep watching for the announcement of the day the Govenor actually signs the bill!!

Did you hear the news?  Build a Bear is releasing a Yorkie with their Bearemy’s Kennel Pals line.  You know you have to have one of these!! 

OKYR has been invited to the Penn Square Mall location to help welcome this new addition to the Build a Bear family.  We will be raffling off a bear and if you tell us you read our posts on facebook or our blog, we have a coupon for you!!

We will be at the mall on Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-6!  Stop by and get your Yorkie!!