Lucy - BIO

LUCY  (a.k.a "Lucy Goose" or "The Goose")

Age:  between 2 and 3 years old
Gender:  Female
Breed:  Staffie Mix
Weight:  approx. 60lbs.
Spayed:  YES
Chipped: YES (lifetime registration with AVID)
Housebroken: YES
Rescued:  July 2012 - has been with a foster family since

Current Medical Condition:  all medical issues have been resolved - she is perfectly healthy and very fit.  She is cured from Demodex, but her coat is still regrowing in certain patches.

Photo Credit:  MaoMau LaBeet

Personality:  gentle soul, wise, loving, grateful. I find myself hugging and kissing her all the time out of respect for what she's been though, and appreciation for her amazing demeanor.  She is a life-companion dog.  She has eyes that look right into you and communicate with you.  I am a runner, and if I could keep her myself, I would make her my running partner.  She goes with me on errands, goes to work meetings with me...she is a do-everything-with-you kind of pet.  People are always surprised when they find out her age because she is so mellow.

Socialization:  Very good-natured and definitely people-oriented.  She wants nothing more than to be with you.  She is friendly with other dogs - we "meet and greet" lots of other dogs on our walks.  She enjoys the dog park and doggie daycare, and plays best with the big dogs.  I don't know whether she is "cat-compatible" or not - it is untested as I don't have a cat.  Definitely child-friendly - I have a 4-yr old, and she comes with me to the park and on playdates.  She loves going in the car and is a good traveler.

Photo Credit: MaoMau LaBeet

Training:  She knows:  SIT, DOWN, SHAKE, STAY, COME, LEAVE IT, GO TO BED.  She is good on-leash, and while she doesn't know "heel" yet, she doesn't pull and is enjoyable to walk.  She has the run of the garage, and has never gone potty there - she only goes potty on walks, so I consider her housebroken.

Bad habits:  If she is outside and has a bone, she will want to bury it.  She's a good digger, so I don't give her any toys outside she will feel compelled to bury.  She is thankfully NOT a barker, or a chewer!

Background:  I found her and her puppy in July 2012 on the streets near LaBrea/Stocker in Los Angeles, and took them (in exceptionally poor health) to a vet.  They were then transported to a shelter in South Central.  I adopted them from the shelter the day they were scheduled to be euthanized, because I knew that with medical attention and TLC they would make wonderful pets and deserved to be placed in a family.  Her daughter, Charlie, got a terrific home in December.  Though I would LOVE TO, I can't keep Lucy myself because our dog is aggressive toward other dogs on his 'turf'.

Charlie - BIO (Adopted 12/31)

CHARLIE - (status:  no longer available - found a home 12/31)

Age:  approx. 1 year old
Gender:  Female
Breed:  Pitbull Mix - presumed Shar Pei
Weight:  approx. 40 lbs.
Color:  black with white paws and nose
Spayed:  YES
Rescued:  July 2012 - has been with a foster family since then, getting healthy

Current Medical Condition:  all medical issues have been resolved, but still taking Ivermectin as a longer term treatment for (non-contagious) Demodex.  Skin and coat markedly improved and will continue to restore.  

Personality:  goofy, dopey, loving.  I vote her most likely to get bitten on the nose by a snake.  She is fascinated by butterflies, feathers, and will literally levitate when surprised.  She snorts like a pig, likes to carry around my reading glasses when they fall off my head, and chomps ice cubes.  She makes me laugh every day.

Socialization:  Very good-natured and definitely people-oriented.  She wants nothing more than to be with you.  She is friendly with other dogs (though tends to gregariously jump into play before the sniffing ritual is complete).  She is kitty-curious, but since she is always on leash, I don't know whether she is "cat-compatible" or not.  Child-friendly (I have a 4-yr old).

Training:  She knows:  SIT, DOWN, SHAKE, STAY, COME, GO TO BED.  She is good on-leash (I use a Gentle Leader so she doesn't pull), and we sit and stay when other dogs go by to practice impulse control.  She is either outside or crated, so while she is crate-trained (doesn't go potty in her crate), it is untested in house.  I suspect she would do fine in a house if she is let out to potty or taken for walks regularly.

Bad habits:  as every puppy does, she likes to pull stuffing out of her bed, or chew on something.  I make sure she always has chew toys.  She jumps up on you when excited, which can knock over a small child, so she still needs to learn to stay down.

Background:  I found her in July 2012 on the streets near LaBrea/Stocker in Los Angeles, with her mother, and took them (in exceptionally poor health) to a vet.  They were then transported to a shelter in South Central.  I adopted them from the shelter the day they were scheduled to be euthanized, because I knew that with medical attention and TLC they would make wonderful pets and deserved a family.  I have been fostering them since then.  I can't keep them myself because our dog is aggressive toward other dogs on his 'turf'.

Charlie's Surgeries - DONE!

Charlie needed to have two surgeries: 1)  spay 2) eyes, to correct her Entropion.  Thanks to the integrated team at VCA West LA, I was able to have both surgeries done under a single anesthesia, which is often difficult to achieve.  Dr. Jeanine Au did her spay, and Dr. Michael Chang did her eyes.  I had terrific experience with both doctors - professional, caring, and very expert.  Charlie was in good hands!

In order to ensure proper healing I had her medical boarded at VCA for four days after her surgery.  She plays hard with Lucy at home, and I was afraid she would damage her incision areas if I brought her home right away.  This proved to be a very good decision because she had made significant progress with her healing (and was off her pain meds) by the time she returned.  Lucy was a good mother and did not bother her.

Keeping a cone on her at home was another issue entirely.  She is a MONKEY.  Her nickname was Houdini, because she managed to escape 4 cones before I figured out how to keep her in one.  Thankfully she was not too interested in scratching her eyes or licking her incision - she just wanted to be liberated.  Typical woman.  

We see Dr. Chang again this Friday, 12/7 to get her eye sutures removed, and Dr. Au will check her spay incision.