Volunteering & Tequila

Volunteering makes me happy.  I took Friday off from work in order to volunteer with Cause for Paws Utah at the Spring Super Adoption.  We brought 6 dogs with us:

• Keyni: A 9 year old malamute, our founder's foster dog and our longest resident.
• Emma: A 1 year old bull terrier mix dumped at the shelter pregnant with puppies.
• Lilo: A 2 year old female Chihuahua mix, adorable but she did not love Emma.
• Kaimi: A 2 year old male Chihuahua who was soooo shy and stressed at the event.
• Kitsune: A 4 year old Chihuahua who I fell madly in love with and wanted to keep.
• Freya: A 2-3 year old teeny tiny Australian Shepherd who was timid and sweet.

First thing when we got there, I got this adorable picture of Lilo sitting patiently and waiting for her Furever Home:

Lilo is Hawaiian for "Generous one".

And here's Emma, all she wanted was to come out of the pen and play!

Emma the Bull Terrier Mix

Freya was a little harder to place because she isn't very good with kids.  She was adopted into a home with kids who didn't know how to respect dogs and beat her up a little, and she developed a tendancy to nip.  She never bit, just nipped due to her hearding tendency.  We worried about her, but she was the first to find a loving home that was perfect for her! The couple could not have had better energy!

The next to go was sweet little Kaimi! Good deal too, because he was having a hard time in that environment.

We also got to play with 11 day old kittens that Heidi brought because she was bottle feeding them and couldn't leave them at home.  So cute!

Baby kittens!

I went home from the first day exhausted, dirty, sore, and I had ruined my brand new moccasins, but I had never felt better about myself! It was rewarding!  We volunteers weren't the only ones pooped either, look at little Lilo crashed out!

Sweet Lilo sleeping.

On the second day Kitsune was the first adoption of the day.  I could tell why-I was enamored with him! He hated being the cage and would try to climb out or dig out, but once you picked him up he was the most mild mannered little guy.  All he wanted was to be held-and he didn't even flinch as we got his nails trimmed or tried to microchip him.  As long as he was being held, he was happy.

Erica holding Kitsune.  He was so sweet!

A family had looked at him the night before, and their little girl just cried and cried that they didn't take him home.  So the mom rushed in first thing in the morning to fill out the adoption paperwork, and then they came and picked him up after she got off work.

We kept wondering why sweet Emma hadn't been looked at yet.  Yes, she needed some training because she was still a puppy, but she was cute and small!

Emma and her foster Mom Erica.  Look at those ears!

Luckily a young couple from Park City came and fell in love with her.  I warned them of her training needs, but her new dad was more than happy to take on those responsibilities!

Somewhere in the middle of the day, Shawn and Justin came to visit me and we walked through the cat tent.  Josh and Julie also came by and we walked around and fell in love with animals too!

By the end of the day Keyni and Lilo were our only two left.  Lilo was adopted out and then returned the next day because the family wasn't willing to give it the time needed for her to adjust.  It's so sad, that event was traumatic for them, and a new environment is scary-so all dogs need time to warm up!

They're so cute!

Keyni was gorgeous and sweet, but even though there was interest people were hesitant to adopt due to his age.  Older dogs make great pets, but people are worried about loving them and them dying.  Luckily a couple from Evanston, WY who train seeing eye dogs fell in love with him and took him home on a trial adoption.  His new momma said all of her dogs have lived to be over 15 years old, which is great!  

Beautiful Keyni on our long walk together.

At that point we thought everyone was adopted out, and that was a good and happy feeling!  We packed up and went home a little early and didn't need to go back on the third and last day.  A rest was needed!

I had to take a picture of all their little adopted signs! Rewarding!

I couldn't believe this little beauty didn't find a home.  She was a 6 month old gorgeous grayhound, but she was deaf and people didn't like that idea.  Not that it makes much of a difference.  I heard she was getting adopted right as I left!

She was snoozing away!  Sooooo pretty!

When I got home, Josh and Julie had picked up Tequila and Sombreros and decided we were having a Cinco de Mayo party.  I was exhausted, but I will never turn down Tequila!  Julie and I immediately had a shot!

Julie in her Sombrero with her Spanish Dr. Seuss shirt...

We also went in search of Mexican Food in our Sombreros.  All those Sombreros in Josh's tiny car?  Hilarious!

We were going to go to El Chihuahua but they were packed, so we ended up at Betos.  A great default!

Julie ordering at Betos in a Sombrero?  HILARIOUS!

We then played Telestrations and hung out with friends.  Here's a cute picture of Doug, Julie, and Brutus! 

It was a great weekend full of happy!  Happy that over 475 animals found homes, and that another 90 animals were pulled out of shelters and into Rescues because of it.  Amazing! 

Happy that I have such great friends and we can have an impromptu Cinco de Mayo party with Tequila.  

Happy that my swap package came (pictures soon!) and it is full of FUN stuff from Miss Joanna.

Happy that Beth and I will be announcing the details for our book swap very soon!

What is making you happy these days?