SAVING ZIPPO!!! (blog post is not finished yet)

Today was the best day ever! I did my first doggie rescue! This little guy was in danger of being put to sleep at the East Valley Shelter, but was saved by an amazing group of people.

I worried about him all Friday night. When I got up on Saturday, I called the shelter at about 7:15am to see if he was still "there". Someone actually answered the phone at that hour even though they didn't open til 8am. I made sure to be there the minute they opened.

When the officer took me to his kennel. He and two other little chihuahuas came running to the gate as if they just knew someone was there for them. The officer actually got a kick out of it too. We had a little visit in one of the rooms and I was in love. While there, I got the impression that he was a shelter fav. As I was leaving with him, one of the workers saw us and with a big smile called out, "Zippo! I just love Zippo!"

Two Bunnies & a Turtle aka Harmony, Brownie & Templeton

See! I don't just shoot puppy dogs and kitty cats!






Harmony (bunny in wheelchair),
Brownie (the obvious brown bunny), and Templeton (the turtle) are a groovy little family.










Templeton thinks he's dog. He
followed me everywhere I went.
Never knew turtles could have such personality! Fun time!

LOVELY NIKISKA..

This 15-year-old beauty was a joy to photograph. She really worked the camera in spite of having severe hip dysplasia. At six weeks old, she originally caught the eye of her forever human at a sled camp in Canada. Nikiska means "The Meeting Place". Beautiful girl!

SASS...THAT'S MR. SASS TO YOU!

Sass is a lovely little guy who's suffering from renal failure. He also belongs to Sheila. A week after this session, he had to have his right eye removed. Glad to say, he has recovered well. Be strong Sass!

Nacho and Katrina

Nacho and Katrina belong to my friend, Sheila, who is also my training walk leader for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.

SWEET RUSTY!

This adorable little guy belongs to my friend, and amazing actress, Noelle Evangelisti. I love his little bad boy "Our Gang" tooth! What a cutie!

I had a "first" today. Being an avid animal lover, I'd never experienced rescuing a dog. On my way back from picking up some Thai take out from my new fav place, The Pink Elephant, I saw a dog wandering in our neighborhood off leash. This usually means an escapee. At first glance, I thought it was a coyote, but as I got closer, it was a beautiful, tan and white young Husky.

As I slowed down to assess the situation, the pup started crossing dangerously into the street. Luckily, there isn't heavy traffic on this particular street, but it can still be treacherous. As soon as I slowed to a stop, the dog came right up to my car as if he wanted in. Not sure of his temperament, I did baby talk through the window crack. Eventually, I let her in.

Now this pup obviously had ridden in a car before, because she had great manners and laid right down on the back seat.

I drove to my vet to see if they could check for a chip. Hallelujah! She had one!
Turns out, her name was Lanny and her owner showed up, enormously grateful.
I'd say it was a satisfying day. Phew!

And, by the way, I usually take pictures of everything, but didn't even think of taking hers. I guess I was too consumed with getting her back to her home. Doh!