Strays in the hood: The Belly Rub

Rocky

While Rocky is still pretty much a rebel, we have found at least one weakness.   The belly rub.

He will just plop down and assume the position.  

Not quite ready for the backyard yet.  We discovered he'd been helping Deuce dig a hole under the fence.

Each had done a pretty stellar job.  :) 

Rocky wants to be free to roam and wants free belly rubs.   For now, he has both.

Strays in the hood

Hey Pals,

My Humom has been caring for and feeding a few neighborhood strays.  The story is a bit comical and a sad state of animal welfare at the same time.

A few months ago, my grand humom's newspaper was missing.  (not a good thing for the newspaper guy)  When she called to gripe, the newspaper guy assured her that he had delivered her beloved news paper, and suggested that the two pit bulls sleeping outside her patio might have taken it.

Pit bulls?!  We don't have any pit bulls.  (or so we thought)

The guy who cuts the grass came by a few weeks later and said.  Did you know you have two pit bulls hanging out at your house?

By this time we had figured it all out.  A while back, a neighbor's dog got out of the yard and was missing for a while.  It turns out, he connected with a pack of stray dogs and now that he is back home (and tied up in the backyard YUK), the strays just come to him.  

Via a series of broken fences, low traffic side streets, and a wooded trail and park near by.  These dogs know the neighborhood better than the humans who live here.

After seeing a neighbor throwing rocks at one of the strays, humom decided to call him Rocky and start feeding him.   It turns out, Rocky is much like the character in the movie.  Hard on the outside, but a big softy on the inside.

Rocky July 2012

Rocky was very leery of humans (rightly so)  but would eat a treat from humom's hand, and wouldn't even bark when he saw me through the fence.   As you can see, Rocky was pretty thin.

We tried to contact the pet rescue services in the area to see if someone could come to get Rocky as we knew he would be a good adoption candidate.

No one could really help until he could be corralled.

Eventually, Rocky brought his girlfriend to meet us.   We call her Nala because she looks like the female lion from the Lion King.

We tried to corral them to allow someone to come pick them up.  Rocky jumped the fence before we could complete the phone call.  He didn't want to be corralled.   Nala is a sweetheart.  She closes her eyes when you pet her.  She loves attention.

Rocky and Nala September 2012

Two weeks ago, the stray dynamic changed completely.... Nala was in heat.  Other stray dogs were hanging out around here, and one was not nice.  He would growl at us and jump our fence if we tried to get Nala in our yard.   Our yard was now a canine house of ill repute.  Yikes!

We had no choice but to call the city's animal control and open a case.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) we've not heard back from the city.    Where we live there are a lot of strays.  People just don't understand that they should spay and neuter their dogs and there are just too many dogs tied up in backyards with little to no attention and care.  So I'm sure the city doesn't see stray dogs in this area as a priority. 

Now that her cycle is over, we're afraid Nala will soon be pregnant.  We're hoping to get her to the spay clinic before it happens, but while we can get her close she's still very suspicious to get too close for too long.

  aaaand  now we have another regular.

Limpy  (grand humom hates that name). Started coming around just before Nala went into heat, but Rocky is obviously the alpha dog and Limpy (named because he had a limp when all of the heat bruhaha was going on.  We now call him Deuce) 

Deuce 2012

Limpy Deuce looks to be an American Mastiff. Pitt Bull He has a collar on and has been watching the other dogs come to our house and now he comes in to eat and play.  (He likes the ball)  I have posted Limpy  Deuce to the Tulsa Humane Society's lost and found page and on humom's Facebook profile since he was found in the neighborhood.  Hopefully his owner has been looking for him.   He's starting to outgrow that collar though.  So he's been in the streets for some time.

Nala September 2012

Well, they've all been fed twice today and have had human time and attention.  Limpy  Deuce, Nala, and Rocky all need good homes with people who will treat them well.  Rocky may need to be kept in a garage or a yard with a high fence for a while until he gets used to being someone's dog.  But he will get used to it.  Nala and Deuce are ready for loving homes now.  They have all come a long way in trusting humans.    They just need a little love. 

If you or if you  know someone who can help.  Please email me Imajackrussell@gmail .com

Update: Click on Newer Posts to see the rest of their journey.  They are strays no more.

March 15-18 @NaturalBalance is Feeding Tulsa's Homeless Pets with new “likes” to #TillmanTV

During Social Media Tulsa Conference March 15-16 (and through the weekend) Natural Balance Pet Foods will donate one meal to Tulsa Humane Society for every new LIKE on Tillman the skate boarding dog's Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TillmanSkates

Join @Imajackrussell  @TillmanSkates @TulsaPets  Saturday mornings while we live tweet the show.  You can win lots of Tillman goodies #TilllmanTV hashtag

The 12 Days of Tillman #RosePets

Our friend Tillman and The Natural Balance team are at it again. 

They are building the world's longest and heaviest float for the 123rd Rose Bowl Parade.

To help Tillman prepare, we'll be sharing updates during the "12 Days of Tillman."

Keep up with all of the news and details over on the Natural Balance Facebook Page.
For every new "Like" on their page, Natural Balance is feeding homeless pets.

How can you get involved?

Tweet This: 
Natural Balance is feeding homeless pets this holiday season with new “likes” to their FB Page http://on.fb.me/txOJ6b #Rosepets

Happy 9th Birthday Precious (Video)

Precious celebrated her 9th birthday on September 22, 2011. Every year Precious get's to do all of her favorite things on her birthday. This year was no different. First we started at one of her new favorite parks for squirrel chasing. Next stop The Dog Dish, Then a quick trip to doggie daycare at Pooches Tulsa, Last but certainly not least. Petco. Best birthday ever?! Perhaps. Here is a video montage of her special day. Set to a unique version of the birthday song.

Imajackrussell On Face Book

Hi Anipals,

I'm not doing such a great job as a blogger. BOL I much Prefer Twitter.. It's short and sweet just like me!

You can still catch up with me here with my daily adventures, or you can join my FaceBook Page and I will keep you posted on the status of my book, and of course my daily adventures.

Click here to to join me on Facebook

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See you there!

Precious