I put a new Craigslist ad up today for our little foster dog Annie. She has been doing great here, and I think she could do well any time now in the right 'forever home'...

Annie is a very shy but loving and adorable adult (maybe 2-4 years old) Australian Shepherd mix who was rescued from an out-of-state high-kill shelter in an undernourished state, with a litter of puppies. When her puppies were weaned, another litter of two-week-old puppies was rescued after losing their mother, and Annie accepted and nursed them too. Now they are also weaned, and Annie is in a new foster home to prepare for her turn at adoption.

It seems obvious that Annie didn't have a very secure life until now - she was at first extremely shy and fearful of new people and situations. This has always been demonstrated by very submissive behavior, and we have never seen her show any aggression toward her rescue or foster folks. Fortunately, we have also seen Annie learn very rapidly that there are good people she can trust, and she is making wonderful progress in foster care, gaining confidence every day. She is learning how enjoyable it can be to be walked on a leash, and she is going on several walks a day, experiencing all sorts of new things while learning there isn't much to be afraid of. Her health appears to be good, and she is up to date with her vaccinations. Her current weight of around 40 pounds is probably close to her nominal weight - she is not a very large girl, although we're not sure we want to encourage her tryouts as a lap dog!

Annie has been observed to be energetic and playful, and has done well with other dogs, although she did show a little guarding behavior toword other dogs when fed with them nearby. We haven't observed her yet with many children, but except for being a little mouthy at times while playing, she has been very gentle with people in general. She is untested with cats so far, but hasn't shown anuy interest in the squirrels that share her foster home yard. Annie is housetrained, and behaves well in her foster home. She does occasionally 'counter surf', so we are careful not to tempt her with things left out until she learns this is not OK. She has not chewed anything except the big rolled rawhides she enjoys. Annie seems quite intelligent and eager to please. She has a delightful personality and as she has learned quickly that her foster people are not to be feared, she spends much of her time offering and seeking affection. If you are a patient, gentle, and compassionate dog lover, Annie could be a wonderful companion for you. After only a few days, her new foster people know they will really miss her when she finds her forever home.

If you would like more information on Annie, or if you would like to meet her to see if you might be a good match for a long-term foster or forever home for this sweet little girl, please call/text Ashley at 973-452-5127 or email apuppysvoicefc@gmail.com. A Puppy's Voice has a website at http://apuppysvoice.org. You can learn about adopting at the web site, and even download and complete the foster or adoption application.

Thanks for taking an interest in little Annie!

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As the Occupy Wall Street folks step up their ideological (so far) assault on the oligarchy, our esteemed fellow citizens on the right seem to be scornfully submissive of this effort. I would have thought they would see some common ground with the TP'ers, but then the 1%ers have always been fabulously successful in motivating a bunch of the other 99% to work feverishly against their own self-interest.

I will just submit the following multi-purpose thought from dear Albert Einstein...""The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."

I also wonder if it is time to franchise my idea of a chain of Pitchforks n' Torches retail stores...

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After the last foster dog Riley, I thought we would decline any further responsibilities for some time, as she was a difficult case and I feared we would not see her successfully adopted out - the outcome we always strive for. Fortunately, she was adopted by a great family in Denver, and reports are that things are going well there.

Well, after a few weeks we received an inquiry from the rescue director about a timid Australian shepherd mix named Annie that was momma to two litters. Her own litter was just weaned, when they rescued another two-week old litter from a kennel where the momma was put down. Annie accepted them and nursed them to the point where they too were weaned, and now it is time for her to be socialized and made ready for adoption.

We accepted the responsibility, and arranged for Annie to be brought to our house today. When she arrived with the rescue director, I was surprised to see how extremely timid she was.

She stayed glued to her rescue lady (who fostered her with the puppies) in our yard, and avoided any contact with us. After a while, the rescue lady had to leave, and she was in the yard with us trying to make friends. For now, it was the best we could do to get her to creep up and snatch a bit of cheese from our outstretched hand.

It will be an interesting week (the length of our original commitment), seeing if we can win her over a bit, and gain her confidence...

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