Rufus the Righteous ( aka Ruufie!) Has his First Anniversary in his Forever Home!

Remember Ruufie?  Popstand Petey's right hand man & primo consigliare?  Well, Ruufie's one year anniversary of being in his forever home came & went & we missed it!  In honor of his very first year in an amazing loving forever home, we would like to update you on his adventures. We got these adora-bull pics & update from Ruufie's forever mom...

"This has been a fun packed year for Rufus McGillicutty Schoen DaSilva!!!  Ruufie has learned how to stay and is attempting to learn paw (might take a while) but is eager to please anyone who is willing to give him a nice belly rub or a treat.  Through out the year he has been on a boat to different islands off of Old Saybrook and has tried to swim but he has some trouble moving those muscular legs so we are going to have to try that again next summer!  He has also gone on many hikes all around CT - some of honorable mention are  Devil's Hopyard, Nehantic State Park, Gillette's Castle, and Cockaponset State Forest. His favorite thing to do has always has been and will always be playing tug of war, he will work every muscle in your arm and he NEVER gives up.  He is the worst fetch player ever, he will just try to run inside to chew on the toy.  After about 3 Frisbees and a few balls his parents decided that fetch is just not his strong suit... at all.  We just moved... so Rufus is also in the new house, which he absolutely loves!  He has a patio and a little yard that he lies in...  basking in the sun whenever he gets the chance.  There are plenty of friendly dogs in the neighborhood and he is very playful with his next door neighbor Moxy, she is an older beagle that just loves Ruufie.  Although he enjoys his occasional play dates with other dogs, Ruufie is truly a people-dog & he cannot get enough of his parents' friends who come to visit and will always cuddle with anyone brave enough to sleep in the house."

& Well... here is Ruufie's favorite sport of all time... TUG!  Be good Ruufie!  We love hearing about your adventures from your mom.  Tell your mom to give you a big smooch from all of us here at Green Fur Kidz!!!

Meli Jo's New Role!

Remember sweet Meli Jo rescued from the euth list in Brooklyn?

Meli Jo... you are the truest example of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed... you are loyal, loving, kind, nurturing, child-oriented, family-oriented, playful & athletic. You are what every dog yearns to be... a steadfast & stoic companion to all members of the family, whether 2-legged or 4-legged!

Meli Jo had a new & very important job recently. She helped to raise an orphaned puppy, named Molly, left to die in a box by a dumpster in a school parking lot with the rest of her four siblings. Meli Jo welcomed Molly with an open heart... nurturing & teaching her all about being a dog in a loving home. She helped her with potty training, manners at food times & how to nap with your furry four-legged family members amongst other things. Meli Jo did all this because she possesses the kindest of spirits, giving to all who will accept. Meli Jo's little orphaned puppy, Molly, has since been adopted... but we know she will never forget the love & acceptance she received from Meli Jo!

Meli Jo, we are so very proud of you sweet girl! You are the epitome of what your breed is meant for... being a family dog. We love you & want you to know that we are honored to have had you in our rescue. Keep doing what you do best... being a loving & nurturing soul to all!

Jerry's Fund For 2012 ~ Helping Victims of Dog Fighting

Jerry's Fund has now officially started for 2012 & will run until 11:59 am on January 15th (which is Jerry's birthday). This year's recipient of Jerry's Fund is Best Friends & our goal is to raise $1,000 in memory of Jerry. Best Friends is one of the groups that rescued 23 of the Vick dogs for rehabilitation & rehoming. We have spoken to one of the directors & they have a fund known as the "Cambuly Fund", which is set up specifically to help Pit Bulls who have been victimized either for bait or as fighters in underground rings. This is specifically where the money donated to Jerry's Fund will go. It is only fitting that Jerry's Fund be donated to this rescue for 2012 since Jerry was against the brutality that Vick inflicted & the bad reputation he created for a breed that Jerry loved best.

Please read more about Jerry's Fund at:

http://jerrysfund.blogspot.com/

You can also send Jerry some birthday wishes on his 41st blog:

http://jerrys41stbirthday.blogspot.com

G o i n g H o m e: Opie Taylor Has Been Adopted!

Our sweet & goofy 10 month old pup, Opie Taylor, now has a new last name since he has been adopted by his Army dad!  Opie's new dad is a veteran who served our country for about a year in Afghanistan.  He comes from a family that has lots of love for dogs & knows how to get around bigger dogs - like Opie is going to be once he is fully grown.  Opie's new dad also has lots of friends that have dogs so Mr. Social Butterfly Himself, Opie, will have lots of 4-legged friends to hang around with.  On the day that Opie went home, his foster parents let him run around for one last time with his fellow GFK foster buddy, Popstand Petey, since the two were fast friends.  Of course, he left in his new dad's very clean car with very muddy pawz... but we can say that when he left his fostercare, he didn't even look back... so we know he is home.  Be good Opie!  No annoying your new dad with endless requests to play fetch & always remember to smell & make sure you are on grass & not carpet.  We are looking forward to seeing happy pics of Opie in his new home but in the meantime, we are sharing these   G o i n g  H o m e   pics of Opie with his new dad.

Jumping up to give kisses!

This is their serious face... but if you look closely, you can see both Opie & his new dad are smiling!

Opie giving another kiss to his new dad!

"I'm already looking up to you, Dad!" ~ Opie

As tough as any soldier is, there is always a tender side... Be a good boy, Opie!

All photos above are courtesy of MeliMoon  ~ melimoon.smugmug.com

Merry Christmas from Green Fur Kidz!

Green Fur Kidz foster dog, Popstand Petey, & one of his "mascots", Miss Libi - a puppymill survivor, would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

All photos above are courtesy of MeliMoon  ~ melimoon.smugmug.com

Then... & Now: Helloooo Opie Taylor!!!

Opie Taylor came into rescue as a puppy that was surrendered to a kill shelter in NYC by a teenager because his mother would no longer allow the family to keep him. He is such a great puppy, we can not even imagine why they wouldn't want him??? It makes no sense. He is house trained, knows basic commands & fetches & retrieves like a world-class agility champion & first class hunting dog. Opie is amazing! Not only that, he loves to show his belly & get lots of belly rubs from his foster family. Opie loves all dogs, he's a bit overly zealous & vocal at first but for the most part, he just wants to run & play with fellow 4-leggerz. Opie loves kids & people of all ages... he would make a perfect addition to any family. One funny thing about Opie is that he sounds like a hound dog when he barks... but he has no hound in him at all!

Opie came in to rescue as a scrawny, awkward puppy with a slight case of demodex, which has now resided. We wanted to share a before & after... because Opie Taylor is one hunka, hunka handsome hot diggity-dog!!!

Opie the day he arrived into fostercare - taken with a phone by his foster family...

Opie today... approximately 20 pounds heavier, very healthy, full of life & happiness!!!

Photocredit: MeliMoon

Do you know anyone who would like to open their hearts & home to adopt Opie Taylor? If so, send them to www.greenfurkidz.com for more info.

Joey Meatballz & One Of His Guys!

It's been a while since we have last blogged... it was a very busy end of summer & the fall was truly exciting with two monumental storms hitting the northeast that took out power in most of our state for over a week in all parts. Now that winter is upon us & we have colder weather approaching - forcing us to stay in doors, we are trying to catch up with some updates from our current fosters & our graduates.

That being said, here are some heart-melting photographs of None Other Than Joey Meatballz Himself*... the Green Fur Kidz Graduate with the mushey-jowley boxer boy face that is undeniably smooch-a-licious who broke lotsa ladies hearts!

Joey Meatballz, a small staffie-boxer mix who was euth-listed for kennel cough at a kill shelter in Brooklyn, New York, has been settling in to his forever home for the past few months. He has been a little mischevious with his random "presents" dropped lovingly on his Forever Mom's white rug (OH Meatballz!!!) & he had taken a little "road trip" within his neighborhood by himself but was immediately picked up & returned to his family... we knew he loved the car, but roadtrips?

"Meatballz" as he was referred to around his foster home for his mama's boy antics that got him lotsa love from the ladies, was a pretty lucky fella because he was on his last hour before he was to be euthanized when he was, at last, rescued. Kennel cough is rarely fatal - however, it is highly contagious & passes on to other dogs. Even though a common cold by human standards - & rendered harmless by a $4 script purchased at your local Walmart, it is what is considered to be reasonable cause for being euth-listed within shelter systems across the United States.

Joey's Forever Dad took these gorgeous pics of Joey Meatballz & one of his sons, with whom Joey has bonded to, & sent them to us here at Green Fur Kidz. None Other Than Joey Meatballz Himself* is truly loved... thank you to his family for opening their home & their hearts!

It is images like these that keep all of us volunteers pushing forward when the going gets "ruff" in rescue.

*At GFK, we say "None Other Than [insert dog's name] Himself/Herself" when one of our foster dogs have shown distinguished refinement in some form... whether it be in manners or naughtiness, it is all much deserved of distinction.