If you have adopted a shelter dog recently: Congratulations! You have opened your home to an animal that had lost theirs; I personally think they usually sense your kindness and are forever grateful.

But shelter dogs may need a little extra patience adjusting to you and their new home, given what they have been through. And you may know little about their background or past experiences. Robin Edwards, a dog trainer from Weston helps pet parents through her Bark Busters business, wrote in to offer these suggestions:

* Hold a family meeting to discuss how the dog will be cared for and what he will be allowed to do in the house. Can he sleep on the bed and couch? Who will walk him? Be consistent or the dog will become confused.

* Dogs like a “den,” where they can sleep and get away from the commotion, so set up a roomy crate for him in the house. But limit the amount of time he spends in it.

* Get everything in advance for your dog before the big move: ID tags and collar, leash, feeding bowls, toys, grooming tools, a crate and bedding.

* Bring your dog home on a weekend or when you will be home for several days. But before he steps through your door for the first time, give him a long walk to tire him out a little.

* Make sure your dog sees a veterinarian within a week after his adoption for a health checkup.

* Limit visitors for the first few days, while your dog adjusts to his new family. And when you do have guests, tell them they can help train your pooch by ignoring him when they first arrive until he calms down.

* Dogs need a pack leader, or they’ll try to become the leader themselves. That leader should be you, and the humans in your home over age 12. Learn obedience skills and your dog will see you as the leader – and be happier, and better behaved, for it.

Here’s more from the Humane Society of the United States on easing your shelter dog’s transition to his new home.

Rescue. Raise. Love!

PS: Want to see if your pup's behavior makes the grade? Take this Bark Buster quiz and find out if he's an A student or in danger of flunking out.

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Wanted: Small dogs and their two-legged friends want to meet the same for conversation, nose-touching and a nice run at the park.

If this sounds good to you: Join the South Florida Small Dog Social MeetUp group. Pet boutique owner Kim, petsitter Tracy and Get A Life Pet Rescue volunteer Stacy organized this community of more than 200 pet parents who discuss things online, as well as get together at various dog parks and events.

Members were out in force for the big Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie release party in Pembroke Pines on Sept. 27. The blinged-out pooches dazzled the pup-arazzi -- and Stacy and Chiquita were interviewed on the red carpet by the Deco Drive television show.

Want to make the next meetup? Go here to sign up and get on the mailing list. The next meeting is at 4 pm, Nov. 2 at Gary B. Jones Parks for Pups and People, 8101 Southgate Blvd., Margate. But you must register in advance.

The site also has links to rescue dog meetups -- and even cat meetups!

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October is National Adopt a Shelter Dog month.

And I would like to encourage anyone interested in sharing their life with a pooch not to only consider giving a forever home to an animal that has lost theirs, and truly needs a new one. Why not also consider a mature dog?

Puppies aren't for everyone, and especially not for those who aren't home a lot or who don't have the patience and energy to train a young dog. Older dogs, on the other hand, usually are already housebroken and well-behaved. They are mature enough to have slowed down some, but still full of fun and life -- and ready for a game of fetch. Yet shelter workers and rescue groups will tell you that any dog beyond 1 or 2 years old has the odds stacked against him or her.

But there are people out there who recognize the virtues of the older dogs, and for that I say: thanks to all of you. Here are two recent success stories involving mature rescued dogs featured in SSS! And in both cases, they were pair adoptions -- not an easy task.

First are Rosie and Sunshine, two 3 year old longhaired dachshunds that were turned over to Florida Dachshund Rescue (FLDR) when their owner lost her home. Both dogs had been well-loved but had bladder stones and urinary tract infections.

The pair was bonded, so FLDR was insisting they stay together. A couple weeks ago, FLDR volunteer and foster dad Mack told me the girls had found a home with a wonderful couple who is paying lots of attention to them.

Then there are Sami and Danni. I met these two sweet-faced Spaniel-mix sisters when I did a story earlier this year on pets left behind when their families lost their homes in foreclosures. Sami and Danni, both 7, were found in the back yard by a Relator; their owners had left the name of their veterinarian and their shot records. Tri-County Humane Society in Boca Raton took them and every now and then, I would check up on them by phone.

"A lot of people have looked at them but they're still here," society founder Jeanette Christos would tell me when I called. "People are worried that they can't afford two dogs." Plus they were 7, hardly puppies. It got to the point I hated to ask.
But I did again, about three weeks ago.
"They're gone!" Christos cheered. Sami and Danni were adopted together, as the shelter insisted. Someone looked into those lovely brown eyes and saw the potential, undimmed by years.

So please, let's not turn our backs on our older animal friends -- who still are as loving and worthy of our love as the day they were born. Mack and other rescue group volunteers have told me they are seeing quite a few older dogs these days. Maybe the bad economy is making people worried about the extra care senior pets may need.

But doesn't the saying go: In sickness and in health?

If you need someone to talk you into giving older pets a chance: Check out this discussion board and support group at HandicappedPets.com.
This one is specifically for senior pets, but there also are boards for blind pets, those with serious medical conditions or amputations, and others.

Washington Post writer (and former Miami Herald editor) Gene Weingarten has just come out with a book called "Old Dogs Are the Best Dogs," that documents canine senior citizens. Let's make our older pets years their best years.

And blessings on the people who adopted Sami and Danni, and Rosie and Sunshine, and to everyone who opens their heart to any shelter cat or dog.

Have any good stories to share about old dogs and cats? Please speak!

> Discuss this entry

Some desk relocation issues here at work have kept me from posting this morning. So until I can sit down to the computer, here is a story from the Los Angeles Daily News on pet detectives who use dogs to search for dogs in the land of the celebutants.
(photo by Evan Yee. Landa Coldiron and Glory are on the right)

MISSING PETS HAVE A LOCAL CHAMPION

By Brandon Lowrey
c. 2008 Los Angeles Daily News

LOS ANGELES - Landa Coldiron and her crew showed up early at the suburban Glendale home in a pair of SUVs big enough to hold her two bloodhounds and three other search-and-rescue dogs.

They wanted to get there while the scent of the missing was still lingering in the crisp Saturday-morning air. Dressed in military-style camouflage with her red hair tucked under a matching cap, Coldiron pulled a restless hound from the back of one SUV while friends and family of the disappeared drew up "missing" posters on the front lawn.

A few minutes later, the hunt began with the seriousness and urgency befitting the search for a missing child. But Coldiron and her Valley team weren't looking for a toddler who'd wandered off in the wee morning hours.
They were looking for Chloe, a 2-pound teacup poodle.

In a region where puppy-philes spend as much money and attention on their pets as others do on their children, Coldiron has few clients balking at her $800-a-day fee.
The price was was well worth it to Chloe's owner, 23-year-old Catalina Gracia.

Gracia was on a European vacation with her boyfriend and left Chloe at home with her friends and family. But the adventurous Chloe, left alone in the backyard for just a few moments, squeezed through a tiny hole in the fence and ran off into the neighborhood.
When Gracia found out, she said her vacation was ruined. She just couldn't enjoy the streets of Paris or the canals of Venice while imagining Chloe being run over by a car or devoured by a coyote. The tiny dog slept in Gracia's bed, snuggling up along her shoulder.

She was more than a pet.
"She's like my child," Gracia said. "She's everything to me. She goes to work with me every day. She goes in the bathtub with me. Even the shower. We're as close as even two people could be."

So with Gracia an ocean away, her friends contacted Coldiron and Annalisa Berns, who are among the only pet detectives in Southern California to use search dogs to find missing pets and one of only 15 to 20 nationwide. A couple of days later, she and her hounds were on the case.

Kicking off the hunt that Saturday morning last month, Coldiron took Chloe's tiny pink Juicy Couture T-shirt out of a zipped plastic bag and let her bloodhound, Ellie Mae, have a whiff.
Coldiron commanded, "Search!"

The droopy dog bolted off, nose to the ground, dragging Coldiron through bushes and across front lawns. Some neighbors watched, bemused, from their porches - potential witnesses the pet detective would interview later, Coldiron noted.
Berns trailed behind, watching the ground for a collar, blood droplets or tufts of fur.

Ellie Mae circled the neighborhood twice, paused at a few homes, and then crossed a major street and abruptly stopped, sniffing a bit, then looking up expectantly for a treat - signaling that her searching work was done and that Chloe was probably picked up in a car by a well-meaning rescuer. Unfortunately, Chloe had no tag or other identification.
"It would be the equivalent to a woman losing a diamond ring on the sidewalk," Berns said.

Even with the inconclusive results, the prospects still seemed good with the pet detectives on the case.
Over the past month, Coldiron said her dogs found 15 out of 17 pets they searched for. The dogs led her and Berns directly to seven of the lost pets, though five were dead.

Even if the dogs don't lead directly to the pet, she calls all the nearby veterinarians and pet shops and teaches her clients the finer points of launching a flier-and-poster campaign - hundreds of fliers and bright, fluorescent posters that loudly promise generous rewards to whomever finds the lost pet.
But with coyotes prowling Glendale's busy streets, could tiny Chloe have possibly survived?

A rare breed
Coldiron, a former apartment manager who hated her old job, learned her skill from pet detective pioneer Kat Albrecht, executive director of the Seattle-based National Center for Missing Pets.

Albrecht came up with the idea to track lost pets with scent dogs when she was a police detective in Santa Cruz County. One of her trained search-and-rescue dogs got loose and went missing in the woods, so she used another scent-trailing dog to find it.
It worked, and she eventually went into business for herself.

She's written two books - a guide book and a memoir, titled "The Lost Pet Chronicles."
And Albrecht said she's had her share of odd requests: A documentarian asked her to use her dogs to find Bigfoot, and another man asked her to track down the dog who constantly defiled his lawn.
She turned them both down.

But now, she focuses her efforts on training other pet detectives. The intensive process takes months, and sometimes years.
"One of the problems is we don't have enough people trained up in this industry," Albrecht said. "So it's becoming a service that only people with enough money can afford."

> Discuss this entry

Ratchet is here!

This is just one of many blogs that has been following the story of the dog befriended by an Army sergeant in Iraq who was determined to bring him back to the states. Although Ratchet initially was confiscated by military officials when he was on his way to the Baghdad Airport, he finally received permission to go.

SSS! reader Tara alerted me a few hours ago that Ratchet had arrived in Washington. He got off the airplane sporting a red, white and blue bandana, tail wagging. He's already had his veterinarian check-up and is in great health. So he soon should be in Minnesota, waiting for Sgt. Gwen Beberg to join him after she is deployed.

I couldn't manage to snag television footage of Ratchet's arrival. But I did find this very moving video from Operation Baghdad Pups, which facilitated the rescue of Ratchet and many other dogs and cats adopted by our service men and women in Iraq. Look closely and you will spot Beberg, Ratchet and Nubs, another famous war dog who followed his soldier to a new outpost after the man had been forced to leave Nubs behind.

Welcome to your new home, Ratchet.
And thanks, Tara.

> Discuss this entry

If all went well, Iraqi War dog Ratchet should be on American soil today.
CNN is reporting that Operation Baghdad Pups received permission to pick up a dog adopted by Army Sgt, Gweb Beberg on Sunday and fly the animal to the United States.

Here's the story from CNN. And go here if you want to see a photo gallery of other war dogs that have been rescued by American soldiers.

(Oct. 19) - An animal rescue group on Sunday picked up a U.S. soldier's adopted dog from Iraq, ending the soldier's weeks-long struggle to send the animal to her Minnesota home.

Operation Baghdad Pups, which said the U.S. military prevented its first attempt to take Ratchet the dog on October 1, picked up the animal in Baghdad with military clearance and flew it to Kuwait on Sunday.

The dog is expected to be flown to Washington on Monday, and if a veterinarian determines it is healthy, sent to Sgt. Gwen Beberg's home state on Wednesday, Baghdad Pups publicist Larry Garrison said.

Beberg, who adopted the dog after soldiers rescued it from a burning trash pile in May, tried to have the group fly Ratchet to the United States on October 1 as her deployment neared an end.

But the military, which prohibits soldiers from adopting pets abroad and bringing them to the United States, confiscated the animal after Beberg put it on a convoy bound for Baghdad Airport, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which runs OBP.
Ratchet and Beberg, 28, drew the attention of thousands of people who signed two online petitions -- linked through the SPCA's Web site -- urging the military to let Ratchet go to the United States.

> Discuss this entry

What a touching story – an Alabama woman, who apparently was dying of cancer, anonymously dropped off her 32 cats at five different veterinarians. She wrote notes, begging that they not be euthanized.Fortunately, almost all already have been adopted. From the Associated Press.

OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — Five veterinary clinics in eastern Alabama received 32 surprises in the last week: Healthy cats in containers and carriers, along with notes from an anonymous donor saying she is dying from cancer.

The notes signed by “Miss R” beg the vets to find her pets new homes. “My time is very, very short,” the donor wrote. “There is not enough time to find homes for my children another way. I beg you not to let them die because I have to, please!”

“Please do not kill!” was written in capital letters on each of the containers. Veterinarian Kim Bond said she found three plastic containers poked with holes sitting at her clinic’s front door when she got to work at 7 a.m. a week ago.

Each cat’s name, age, description and medical summary was written on its container. At least four other clinics received cats in Lee County, about 50 miles northeast of Montgomery.

“These cats were dearly loved,” Bond told the Opelika-Auburn News. “They’re not feral cats or neglected cats.”

Most have new homes already. Veterinarian Buddy Bruce at Animal Health Center still has the six males dropped off Thursday at his clinic and he is offering discounts on all vet services, such as shots and neutering, to anyone who adopts one of the cats.

The identity and location of the donor is unknown. “Other vets that I’ve talked to say the same thing, ’Let’s do what we can to find these kitties homes,’” Bruce said. “These are her children. She took care of the situation the best way she could.”

Photo: Furby and Jinx explore the table at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Auburn, Ala. (Vasha Hunt/Opelika-Auburn News)

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RESCUE ME PETS: Spencer
RESCUE GROUP: Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRRoF)
BASICS: Chocolate lab, male, 8 years old

HIS STORY: Spencer was found lying on the side of the road about a year ago. He could hardly stand, his eyes and ears were swollen shut from infections, and he had very little hair. He had to spend almost two weeks being fed intravenously, but his tail still wagged.

PERSONALITY: Spencer is easy-going, very polite and well-mannered. His foster family, in Pompano Beach, says he seems grateful to be alive. He loves to swim and fetch squeaky balls.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Spencer is on a restricted diet with no wheats and flours.

TO ADOPT: If you are interested in adopting this special dog, click here for the LRRoF Web site and go to "online adoption application."

You will be asked to pay a non-refundable $25 application fee, which is applied toward the adoption fee. The nearest LRRoF volunteer then will contact you and ask you more about your history with animals and your expectations of the new dog. There is a home visit.
You can find more details, and fees, on the organization’s Web site. LRRoF dogs are spayed or neutered and microchipped.

LRRoF is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to placing purebred Labrador retrievers in loving permanent homes, and is run entirely by volunteers. The group has placed over 2,400 dogs since 2000.

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RESCUE GROUP FYI: Most rescue organizations, including Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, have fees and specific requirements for adoptions.

Many rescue groups and shelters do family screenings before placing an animal and some require home visits. Some retain the right to reclaim the animal if certain conditions agreed to are not followed. Please make sure you understand all of an organization's requirements, its screening process, and the conditions under which an animal may be reclaimed or returned by the new owner before entering into any adoption.

Sit, Stay, Speak! is proud of the many rescue groups in our area, and the dedicated members who work hard to find good homes for abandonned, abused and neglected pets. If you are a rescue group or nonprofit shelter: Send an e-mail to dlade@sun-sentinel.com and we will feature one of your adoptable pets on Rescue Me.

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Animal lovers in Texas are collecting donations to help bury a Florida man who was killed trying to rescue three dogs during Hurricane Ike cleanup. Robert Emery, who came from the Florida Keys to help clear debris after the storm, dashed onto a Houston-area interstate to save three dogs, who were stranded in the middle of the roadway, hugging the median.

The dogs all made it but Emery was killed when he was hit by a motorcycle.

Alaina Emery and son

No one knew much about Emery and Texas coroners, unable to locate relatives, were going to bury him as a pauper. But animal lovers were determined to do more and eventually, they tracked down his long-estranged daughter in Pittsburgh through the Internet.

"Girl, he died a hero with tons of people loving him," Kellye Nagata
eventually wrote to daughter Alaina Emery.

Nonprofit No Paws Left Behind, in Houston, is continuing to collect money for Emery’s burial. Here are the details for how to donate.

And here is the very moving story about efforts to locate Robert Emery's family from the Houston Chronicle yesterday.
Thanks, Tara.

WEB TRACKS DOWN DAUGHTER OF MAN KILLED WHILE SAVING DOGS
By DANE SCHILLER
Oct. 7, 2998 The Houston Chronicle

The e-mail from a stranger in Clear Lake was to the point, and an
improbable end to a Pittsburgh woman's 13 years of searching for the
father she hadn't spoken to since she was a kid.

"Is your father's name Robert Emery? The whole city of Houston is
looking for any relatives," read the message.

Alaina Emery was startled as she stared at a computer screen while in
the library at paralegal school.

Trembling and swept with emotion, she misunderstood the reason for the
question.

"Why is the entire city of Houston looking for him?" she typed back.

The exchange would quickly lead to Alaina, now 25, realizing her
long-lost father was Robert "Bob" Emery, the mysterious Hurricane Ike
relief worker killed the night of Sept. 27 as he dashed onto the East
Freeway to rescue three dogs stranded in the emergency lane hugging the
median.

> Discuss this entry

Some irresponsible pet owners have found a new place to dump their unwanted animals:
Craigslist.

Rescue groups are starting to monitor the popular site, which allows people in 450 cities to post classified advertisements for merchandise and jobs, as they’ve been noticing ads for “free” dogs, often purebreds.

Then it turns out these animals are very old, or very sick, or both.

“It’s really sad for these senior dogs,” said Stacy Narcisse, a Fort Lauderdale volunteer with Get A Life Pet Rescue, which specializes in small dogs. “Sometimes, we call about them and whoever posted the ad won’t call us back. You wonder whatever happened to the poor dog.”

Mack, a volunteer with Florida Dachshund Rescue, a few weeks ago told SSS! about Mollie, a “free” dachshund he found on Craigslist. When he went to see her, Mack discovered Mollie had a golf ball-sized cancerous tumor on her face, plus a heart condition.

Here is an update on Mollie from Mack:

Mollie is doing fairly well. After consultation with an oncologist and a cardiologist at the Animal Medical Center Cooper City, we have determined that Mollie will not be a candidate for surgery. Her heart is too badly damaged to allow for anesthesia and surgery on tumor.

Mollie is a very happy girl most of the time and so friendly -- housebroken -- everything you'd want in a family pet. But realistically she doesn't have many months to live. The meds initially made her sick, so we are watching that and made some adjustments. As long as she is happy and free of pain, we will keep Mollie as a permanent foster and take care of her needs. She will not be adopted out.

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Ay carumba!

Hit dog movie often equals people scrambling to buy their own version of the star. That in turn leads to a big upswing, a few months later, of that breed ending up at animal shelters when families figure out a canine's on-screen performance doesn't translate into real life. Just ask animal welfare agencies what happened after the "101 Dalmatians" flick.

Now comes "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" set to open in theaters Oct. 3. As if Paris Hilton hadn't made life tough enough for these dogs.

Producer Disney Enterprises, however, apparently wants to head things off at the pass. The company is inviting rescue groups to advance screenings to tell potential pet parents about the breed's pros and cons, and to promote adoptions.

Get A Life Pet Rescue, which specializes in small dogs, is headlining the Chihuahua in Paradise event from 10 am to 2 pm, this Saturday (Sept. 27) at Muvico Paradise 24, 15601 Sheridan St., Davie.

Chihuahuas and their two-legged posse are invited. A prize will be given to the most dressed-up, blinged-out Gucci poochie: a $650 gift package that includes a stay at the Fur Seasons pet resort and a private portrait sitting. This canine Project Runway competition begins at 1 pm. You can find more details here.

Muvico also will be giving out free passes to a "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" screening on Tuesday.
The event is co-sponsored by HaveDog.com , a clearinghouse for South Florida doggy events and meet-ups.

The Get A Life folks will be there to answer questions and "with plenty of adorable chihuahaus and chihuahua mixes," said volunteer Stacy Narcisse. But there will be no on-the-spot adoptions: Prospective adopters must fill out an application and go through a home visit.

Narcisse hopes careful screening will stem the growing numbers of chihuahuas being surrendered at shelters.
"Unfortuantely, Paris Hilton has single-handedly caused a big problem. And she doesn't even support rescue. She just buys dogs for her friends," said Narcisse, who lives in Fort Lauderdale.

"A lot of people get chihuahuas and don't know how to care for them," Narcisse said. "Then the dog doo-doos in the Louis Vuitton handbag and the new owner says, 'No way.'."

Chihuahuas are not a family-friendly breed, according to Narcisse, and Get A Life usually will not adopt them into homes with children under age 13. Some dogs are nippers and they can become very protective, bonding with one person.

The dog's current popularity and high selling price also has lead to some over-breeding, Narcisse said, resulting in kneecap disorders and snappy temperaments. Get A Life foster home volunteers work with difficult dogs to socialize them.

"But we will have plenty of nice dogs on Saturday," she said.
So come with your own chihuahua superstar. Or think about adopting one of your own, if you and this breed are a match.

> Discuss this entry

The Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRRoF) calendar for 2009 is out!

So click here and see if your favorite Lab photo made the cut.
You may remember that LRRoF ran a "calendar search" contest, and the public was invited to vote for their favorite.

All of the dogs are rescues. And I loved the two representing August. But honest, all of them are winners.

The calendar is $20, with proceeds going to LRRoF.

And: LRRoF is a regular on the SSS! Rescue Me series. So check back here at the blog for beautiful Labs of all ages and colors, looking for a forever home.

> Discuss this entry

Veterinarians are concerned that ongoing difficulties with the economy may mean pet owners will cut back on preventive care for their animals, according to an Aug. 15 article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. (click here to read it)

Here's Mack's e-mail to me earlier this week about poor Mollie:

"I picked up another little sweetheart on Thursday of last week. The owner was listing her free to a good home on Craigslist. Dog has a cancerous tumor as big as golf ball on her face.

"She saw a specialist today, who believes he can remove it but it will be costly. The owners let that mass sit on her face for a YEAR and now the surgery is very tricky because the only way to remove it safely is to also remove her perfectly healthy right eye."

I understand how it is to feel overwhelmed by the cost of an animal's medical emergency. I once had to borrow some money from a boyfriend in order to pay for my cat's kidney surgery. But these people advertised their sick dog on Craigslist??

Here is an update on Mollie from Mack today:

"Just heard from the surgeon this morning. He is not going forward with surgery. They detected a heart murmur that was quite severe. As a result, they took X-rays which found an enlarged heart. She would most likely gone into heart failure had they put her under anesthesia.

"So, we have to determine if the heart can be improved just so she can have the cancer surgery. Doesn't look good."

Will keep you posted. At least Mollie is with people now who will try to help her.

> Discuss this entry

Here’s your chance to help seriously ill or injured homeless animals and pick up a lovely original piece of artwork at the same time.

Miami artist Darek Pala is auctioning ten of his paintings, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to start Karmela’s Fund. The fund will finance surgeries and medical treatments for seriously ill pets in the custody of four Miami-area rescue groups: Buddies Thru Bullies, Humane Society of Greater Miami, Miami-Dade Animal Services, and Paws 4 You Rescue.

The care will be provided by Miami Veterinary Specialists, a regional critical care and emergency center that treats animal patients needing advanced surgeries or procedures.

The fund is named for Pala’s dog, Karmela, who has three legs. Pala adopted Karmela from a Miami animal shelter where she had been surrendered by her owners, who were unable to pay for Karmela’s treatments.

According to the center, thousands of dogs and cats, like Karmela, are taken to animal shelters because they have conditions their owners can’t afford to treat or don’t want to bother dealing with. People often shy away from adopting such animals, so the majority are euthanized.

“We have close relationships with the shelters and rescue groups in Miami, and they are short on funds as well,” said Dr. Juan Sardinas, a surgeron at Miami Veterinary Specialists. “We see broken legs, tumors. Maybe Karmela could have kept her leg if her owners had gotten her treatment earlier.”

Bidding for the paintings, which all feature dogs, starts at $1,000 a piece. The auction continues today and through tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 15.

You can see the paintings in person at Miami Veterinary Specialists, 8601 Sunset Drive, Miami, during business hours. You also can view them online by clicking here.

To place a bid, call Robbie at 305-665-2820. You also can make a donation to Karmela’s Fund at that number.

> Discuss this entry

OK, I know I’m biased, given that I formerly shared my home with two Labs. But Labrador retrievers are sooooo cute/handsome/beautiful, you would need a 100 months in a year to do them justice in a calendar.

But, sigh, only 12 lucky dogs can be calendar pups for Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida’s annual project. And you can help choose them.

Click here to see the 114 entries already received. Then vote by e-mailing the NUMBERS next to the photos of your two favorites to: LabRescuePhotos@yahoo.com.

Here is Number 14, possibly the next Miss June. (Editors note: Publication of this photo is not the reflection of the opinion of the management and should not be construed as an endorsement of this Lab).

But hurry, hurry! The deadline to vote is this Sunday, Aug. 10.

LRRoF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to placing purebred Labrador retrievers in loving permanent homes, and is run entirely by volunteers. The group has placed over 2,400 dogs since 2000.

Their adoptable dogs regularly appear on Rescue Me, a SSS! feature that profiles animals available through our nonprofit South Florida rescue groups. So check back here from time to time if you are on the hunt for a Lab.

And if you are a local rescue group that would like to be featured on Rescue Me, just email: dlade@sun-sentinel.com.

> Discuss this entry

Last week, we started asking for "shelter stories:" tales from those of you who have volunteered with animal rescue groups. We wanted to know about the good times, the bad, and what inspired you to do this work.

Our first submission, from Mack, sets the bar high. It made my day and I hope it does the same for yours.

I volunteer for Florida Dachshund Rescue and serve primarily as "intake coordinator.'' My role is to find foster homes for dachshunds that wind up in shelters or are given up by their owners. My interest started merely by being an enthusiast of the breed. I wanted to help. Soon I became a foster home. Who knew I'd gain a family as well?

I received an email in March of 2006 from a young woman who had spotted a black and tan doxie named Rascal at the Santa Rosa County Animal Services shelter in Milton. She was there to pick up a basset hound for her basset rescue group. I was lucky Rascal caught her eye.

She went home and Googled "dachshund rescue'' and up popped my group. Her note was like so many of the 4-5 a week I receive. I responded that I would try to help, but at that moment had no foster home for Rascal.

She told me later that she had about given up when I hadn't gotten back in touch in more than a day. But then we got a break -- a foster home for Rascal. The lady pulled Rascal for me and got him into our rescue.

Rascal is now in his forever home in Auburndale, near Lakeland, one of hundreds we've placed since FLDR's inception in 2003.

The young woman who emailed me that day from Santa Rosa kept emailing -- and calling. There were 11 more dogs taken from shelters in the Panhandle -- all in a course of a couple days a few weeks later.

There was also a personal connection there, a bond that grew stronger. By September, we were married, that lovely young woman and I making our home in South Florida, merging a family of furkids that now consists of eight dogs -- four dachshunds (one from among the group of 11), three basset hounds and a clumber spaniel. And a 13-month-old daughter.

And rescue is still very much a part of us. Without it, our lives would be very different.

> Discuss this entry

Ariel, a kitten born in the Bradenton area three months ago, came into the world with her umbilical cord wrapped around her legs. She immediately lost both of her hind feet and was so seriously deformed that her veterinarian recommended she be euthanized.

But the Humane Society of Manatee County fought to save Ariel, even after a severe infection required them to amputate all of one hind leg and much of another. Now she has adjusted to her new life and can do anything a four-legged cat can do -- except use a litter box. The society is looking for a special forever home for Ariel, and trying to get her a wheelchair so she can scoot around on her own.

You can see a video about Ariel by going to the "Bradenton Herald" Web site by clicking here.

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It’s hard to miss the pet news of the day. It’s at the top of our Sun-Sentinel Web site, with video and all:

“Lines out the door for puppy mill adoptions.”

Hundreds are lining up at the Humane Society of Broward County, in Dania Beach, eager to adopt one of the 130 dogs rescued from a Tennessee puppy mill. (You can click here for today’s story). In some cases, there were as many as six people wanting the same dog.

“Oh, I guess I’m going to cry,” said Alison Lindy, of Pembroke Pines, when she learned there were four families ahead of her for her top choice.

Don’t cry, Alison.
Go see Sami and Danni.

I met these sweet sisters, Sheltie-spaniel mixes, at the Tri-County Humane Society shelter in Boca Raton. They ended up there through no fault of their own. Their family left them behind, with a note and their vet records, saying they had lost their house in foreclosure and could not take them. A real estate broker found the dogs in the back yard.

Here is their picture. It was taken when I went to see them at the shelter in April, as part of a story I was doing on the growing number of companion animals being surrendered by their owners as the housing crisis gets worse. Sami watched me carefully but Danni, determined to make a good impression, immediately rushed forward and licked my hand through the kennel’s chain link gate.

“Hey,” her eyes said. “What the heck are me and my sister doing here? Get us out of here!”

That was three months ago. They are still there.

Jeannette Christos, Tri-County’s executive director, thinks it may be because the shelter is insisting the two sisters, who are litter mates, be adopted together. Or maybe it’s because they are 7 years old, “although most dogs have many years of life left after 7,” Christos said. The dogs are well-behaved and in good health, and many people have come to look at them, Christos said – have looked into their hopeful, dark eyes.

But no one has opened their heart and taken them home.

There are thousands of stories like this in our animal shelters, and with our rescue groups, right now. There probably will be more, as the number of South Florida foreclosures is predicted to grow. And it isn’t just here. A recent New York Times story talked about how shelters around the country are seeing record numbers of surrenders.

There could be any number of reasons that people are coming out of the woodwork to adopt the puppy mill dogs imported from Tennessee, if you read the comments piling up on our message boards.

They just want a purebred at a discount price, some say.
They just are responding to the publicity deliberately generated by the Humane Society (And we need to bring more dogs here when we are euthanizing hundreds daily?), wrote others.
And: Why don’t they spend their time and money helping people instead of pets, say others.

I guess we could debate these points. Me, I think anything that sheds light on the horror of puppy mills, and that finds good homes for neglected animals, is a good thing.

But I hope when the news cameras shut off, people will remember that dogs and cats are suffering in this bad economy, too – and some will pay with their lives.
If you, like Alison, are disappointed that you didn’t get one of the puppy mill rescues, go see Sami and Danni. Or the thousands like them. You’ll have plenty of good choices.

All of our animal companions, not just the ones in the spotlight, deserve a forever home.

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Hi, SSS! readers. Did you miss me? I am back from my family vacation and a work trip to Washington D.C. Frances Jeanne and Dolan had a good time with their favorite pet sitter, Uncle Ed, who spoils them with extra playtime with their tickle sticks and toys.

Thanks for your patience if you posted comments while I was away. Sit, Stay, Speak! temporarily is requiring approval before publishing comments while we try to eliminate a spam problem. And since I wasn’t around to monitor my postings, a few approvals were delayed. But everything is up now so take a look. And I’ll continue to have new stuff every day, so check back.

While away, I read this interesting article in the Washington Post on Monday. Apparently, adopting a pet in the Washington area is getting as tough as finding a good parking spot near the Smithsonian on weekends. Some shelters and groups are requiring home visits, training courses, lots of references – and keep a blacklist of people who returned animals that did not work out.

Some prospective pet parents are complaining the process is too strict, leaving dogs and cats stuck in crowded shelters, and families disappointed. One woman talked about seeing the bodies of euthanized strays behind a facility as she walked away, her application for a dog denied. “I thought about plopping one of those on their desk and saying, ’What about this one? Can I have this one?’ ” she told reporter Steve Hendrix.

So: What do you think?
Are South Florida rescue groups and shelters too restrictive? Or are careful screening processes necessary to keep animals safe and put them in good hands? Have you had a good (or bad) experience adopting a pet this way?

Click here to read the entire Washington Post article.

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Bruce and I were e-chatting earlier this week about my earlier post, regarding people leaving behind their pets when walking away from their foreclosed homes. Bruce wanted to remind folks that if you find a dumped animal, you can try to find its owner through a free Sun-Sentinel classified ad. Click here for the details. However, you'll need to pay if you are seeking a new home for your own pet.

Bruce was speaking from experience, as he recently stumbled across a "lost" stray himself. Bruce did find the cat a home — although not the one he originally anticipated. Here's his story:

Mr. T, and eyes that would melt a heart of stone

Was about a month ago when I ended up with cute black kitten left at a local restaurant - the Georgia Pig.

I advertised on Craig's List for someone to take him but no luck. I just realized yesterday that animal ads in the Sun Sentinel are free and run for a few days. I should have thought about that...
In any case, the black kitten -- "Mr. T" -- seems to like us and we love him. Our other two cats took about a month to get along with him.

I just mention this ... so that the "free ad"