new CL post- Chloe

Hello! I'm fostering Chloe, a 3-4 month old pit bull mix that needs a loving forever home. She's the one on the left with the funny ears in the above picture :)

She needs a home with structure and firm guidance. Chloe is very timid and scared at first, but warms up immediately to you. She walks better on the leash, but is scared easily by cars or taller, bigger people. Sometimes she gets brave and barks a few times :). Chloe is not yet potty trained, but is slowly and surely progressing in the right direction! She eats like a cow, but isn't food aggressive. She's been around cats and hasn't paid any attention to them, and she is scared but friendly around children. Chloe should not be placed in a home with a female dog.




To adopt Chloe, you MUST:
- Sign up for obedience classes with Chloe (and obviously go to them).
- Be patient and willing to work through anything with her as she grows up into a fabulous woman dog- ie. if she develops food aggression, dog aggression, toy aggression, separation anxiety, potty training, etc. I have a great list of dog trainers, and I do not want Chloe to go to a home where her new mom/dad will drop her off at a shelter or (god forbid) on the street when she's not a 'cute little puppy' anymore.
- Have previous experience with dogs.
- Have a schedule that is puppy-friendly. She should be let out to go to the bathroom at LEAST every 3 hours.
- Own your house, or have a written letter from your landlord stating you are allowed to have a dog (specifying breed restrictions if possible).

Once again, I stress that when you adopt a puppy, whether it be Chloe or someone else, they WILL not stay a puppy forever. There are many many instances where dogs have been surrendered to the shelter simply because they were not properly trained and their owners claimed their dogs were 'out of control.' Structure and firm guidance are essential when raising a puppy into a wonderful, loving dog.

Chloe is being fostered through PAWS and the adoption fee is $110 for puppies 12mo and younger. This adoption fee includes a 30-day pet insurance trial period, spaying, and all of her shots to date.

If you are interested, please email me with a statement as to how you would be the perfect home for cute little Chloe. I will not return emails that read 'Whn can i git ur puppie?' or 'i am perfect for her, how much is she cost?' or 'I wanna surprise my girlfriend with a puppy, can i pick her up today?'

Also- Chloe's sister Gracie is also up for adoption. She is currently very very sick and needs a lot of TLC, but will soon be a healthy and happy puppy as well.

Thanks for reading :)

past CL post- Twiggy

Twiggy appears to be a 1.5-2 year old English bulldog/pit mix. She's a bit shy when first approached, but warms up to you within the minute. She loves laying at my feet calmly when I'm doing work at my desk, and she hardly barks when someone is at the door- I call it more of a 'cluck.'

She has gone great leaps and bounds with her ability to walk calmly at your side on a leash. When walking through crowds she's a bit nervous and tries to plant herself, but once she's past that she's a happy go-lucky girl and good on the leash. We're working on basic commands like 'sit' and 'stay' currently. She knows 'come,' 'go to your home (her crate, which she loves)' and 'no.' Twiggy is very receptive to positive reinforcement- not a big fan of the negative, given how timid and scared she already is. She's really not sure what to do when you shower her with praise and tell her what a good girl she is- she just stands there and looks embarrassed and comes over to be pet. It's so cute.

Twiggy hasn't shown any aggression whatsoever. I stick my hands in her food while she eats and she doesn't mind, she plays and romps with my feisty resident dog, and she's been to the dog park a few times where she's done wonderfully after a few minutes to get use to the environment. She hasn't been tested with cats, but cats have run by while she's off leash next to me, and she didn't flinch or move a muscle.

She's a little scared of kids- a few have run gung-ho to pet her and she didn't really like that, but all she did was tuck her tail beneath her legs and slowly try to avoid their hands. No growling or lifting the lip, just submission and timidness. Because of this, I would advise that she doesn't be placed in a home with small, easily excited children.

Since she is being fostered through PAWS, the adoption fee is $75 which includes her spaying, microchipping, and her being up-to-date on all of her shots.

This girl is so beautiful, short and rotund She could use 5-8 more pounds, and lots of TLC. Twiggy is definitely coming out of her shell, but is still a little scared in large and noisy social settings. Are you the one for her?

• Location: Philadelphia
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

past CL post- Leela

Meet Leela! She is a beautiful boxer/pit bull puppy being fostered through PAWS.



Leela is a medium-sized dog, around 40lbs and full grown. She is already spayed and is healing quickly! She gets along VERY well with other dogs, and came from a family with children and cats. She is still a puppy, and has puppy energy, but has definitely learned and knows when to calm down. Leela is crate-trained, and doesn't whine, bark, or go to the bathroom when in her crate. Here she is showing you how good and obedient she is in her 'home'- her crate:



She loves to 'sit' on command, and is quickly learning 'stay' and 'back up.' Leela also knows her name, 'off' and 'Leela, come.' She is not toy aggressive, and loves to play fetch. She knows not to be around me when I'm eating, and is fine with me putting my hands in her dish and mouth when she herself is eating. Her leash skills have improved drastically, and she is very good off-leash as well. Leela is definitely a 'dog-park kind of dog' and will frolick and play for hours. She would do best in a home with another doggie companion, or a family with lots of time to spend playing with her. Here she is playing in the backyard with her dog friends:



Leela is a loving girl, quick to snuggle and give wet kisses. If you would like to meet her, please email me with why you think you would make a fantastic new home for her, and we can set up a meet-and-greet! Thanks for reading!

past CL post- Wes

Pit bulls have many stereotypes of being high strung, uncontrollable, and aggressive. Wesley is here to show you that he's the exact opposite of what his wonderful breed is often labeled as! Meet Wesley/Wes!

Wes came into the PSPCA about two months ago, weighing 45lbs and horribly emaciated. He's healthy and strong now and I'm fostering him through the PSPCA. Wesley has one of the greatest temperaments I've seen in a dog, and I would love to keep him in my home as a permanent resident, but that of course would be defeating the main aim of being a 'foster' parent :)



Wesley's demeanor is a very docile one. He is very calm when my house resident Chihuahua yaps at him and jumps all over him. Sometimes they play, but Wes is uninterested most of the time. Wes was potty-trained in a mere two days, and knows the commands- 'sit', 'no', 'kisses', 'come', 'back up', 'leave it', and 'off'. We're working on 'stay' and 'down'. When I first brought him home he had free range of the living room, since the crate I had was too small for him. He never chews on anything he's not supposed to, and immediately goes to the bathroom when I let him outside. His tail is bandaged in this picture due to a minor wound, but it has since healed fabulously!



Wes, watching over the other two dogs that he lives with.


Wes eating peacefully alongside his friends.




Wes is a big boy now, and has definitely put on more weight since that above picture! He weighs in at approximately 80lbs. He's never had an aggressive bone in his body, and I honestly have only heard him bark once. Wesley is definitely a snuggler, and loves to be near you at all times. If I go into the kitchen for a drink of water, he follows and lays down on the tile floor. He knows not to bother me when I'm preparing his food, and will gently take any treats by hand. He is also not toy-aggressive or food aggressive. He lets me put my hands in his mouth and in his food while he eats.



He is good on the leash, although since he's a big boy and not yet neutered, he has a tendency to want to mark everything in sight. I now walk him with a gentle leader which tends to irritate his skin sometimes, so I alternate between that and a choke chain. When he sees other dogs he perks up and wants to go meet them with his tail wagging tall, but we're working on staying calm and by your side when they walk by.

At the shelter he was tested with cats, and it was determined that he should not live with them. He is great with children- will withstand any amount of poking and prodding, and seems to get along with friendly dogs. I've had a few different dogs come and go in my house, and Wes is very responsive when I correct him if he's playing too roughly for the little dogs. His main aim is to please, and will do absolutely anything to make his loving owner happy. I love that about him!

Wesley will be neutered on July 15th (that's today!) at the Erie location, and is also UTD on all of his shots. If you would like to schedule a meet-and-greet, please email me with some reasons why you would be a great match for Wes, and any questions you may have.

Thanks for reading!

Dug up from the PAWS forum: Thu May 28, 2009 10:41 pm

Hey all, I'm Sunshine.

I've fostered two dogs already- Sophie and Emma, and am currently fostering my third- Sam.

Sadly, Sophie had her moments. She was aggressive when irritated, scared, unsure of her surroundings, and even sometimes when unprovoked! She was fine with me, not fine with my jumpy and active Mango- a chi/terrier mix. I adopted her out to a wonderful woman who had had experience with dogs that had tendencies to 'freak out' and get scared and aggressive. She was definitely willing to work with Sophie, and I was thrilled. Unfortunately, she attacked her fiance and that was when Sophie was returned to Paws and put down. I was heartbroken, but like everyone said- she had her chance, but also had her issues.

Sophie!


Emma is a doll. She's also kind of a tyrant when left by herself. A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, one would say. The most she did at my house was tear up some blinds. I couldn't crate her because all she would do was cry and slam her head and body against the crate for hours upon hours on end. I didn't really think her separation anxiety was bad since she was good (minus the blinds) with free roam of the house, and with Mango as company. She was adopted out to a friend of a friend who had grown up with dogs her entire life and promised to stay committed to Emma. That lasted 2 weeks. Apparently she could barrel through two kiddie fences, large heavy tupperware containers, and etc. She would also refuse to go poo until she was left alone. I think part of the problem was that Emma was left completely alone at her new mom's house. She was visited every 3 hours at max during the work day, but still things got worse. When her mom called in tears I got a number from Robin and referred her to a dog trainer, who then told her the only options were to: install doors in the kitchen area, put her on medication, or send her to doggie day care- all of which she couldn't afford. She had seriously tried everything, but was at her wit's end. So, unfortunately Emma was returned to Paws a few days ago.

Did she have any other options? What would have been best for Emma? She's a cute girl, so I'm sure she'll be adopted out quickly, but I don't want the same issues to come up when she's at her new home.

Emma!



And now I have Sam. (Tracy came to meet him on Sunday!) He was quite underweight and had very bad kennel cough, and is still slightly huffing every once in a while. Mango is doing the same huffing- but has been doing it every once in a while for a couple months now. I talked to a vet and he said it's common in small dogs, but should it be a cause for concern? Sam is most likely going to be picked up by his new mom on Monday. She sounds awesome, and is driving three and a half hours to see him from S. Delaware! She owns a dog grooming shop, has a little girl, and a Yorkie named Toby. It sounds perfect, but we'll see. Especially with the last two- Emma and Sophie, I'm skeptical about any situation I place my loved pups into.

Here's Sam!

We made it!

How does she have internet?

I'm in the main city, Malabo.

I was wrong about the email address- it's moabaturtles@gmail.com.. so please don't use the other one. And make sure that when you email me, you include your return email address in the actual email so I can email you back.

Thanks! Bye! Xoxo,

-S

Leaving, on a Jet Plane

I'll be back in March..

Going to study and research sea turtles on the remote southern portion of an island called Bioko off the coast of West Africa. It's for my co-op at Drexel, and I'll be living in tents with five other people. I'll poo in holes I've dug, and shower in one of the three waterfalls within a 5 minute walking distance from camp. During the night I'll be on "turtle watch"- pittagging and taking blood samples, while during the day I'll be adventuring, rock climbing, hiking, and fishing for food. It'll be a long six months, and I already miss some of my favorites from Philly: Mango, Rob, Bea, Em, Diego.. not including the fam in CA, and friends I've neglected to mention.

If you'd like to email me, email me with my name in the subject title at bioko.moaba@gmail.com.. or be my friend on facebook: "Bioko Moaba."

See ya on the flip side!
-S

oh, I'm finally uploading all the Costa Rica photos on flickr.com/photos/sunshinosaur.