Presley

What a story!

Before we go there, let's look at the result: Little Presley, stray for who knows how long? At least months, maybe longer. Well here he is safe, after getting bathed and groomed!!!:

Ok, now, let's go back to the beginning, April 5th just before midnight: Someone took the photo below of this little stray at a Del Taco out in the high desert town of Victorville, and posted for help on Facebook:

You can see the original Facebook post HERE.

It's a small shopping center surrounded by a busy road but also blocks of empty desert. Sort of the worst of both worlds: lots of traffic where a little dog can get hit by a car, but also open land with wild animals like coyotes and even bobcats. This is where he was, look at the area around (click any picture to enlarge it):

This a larger map, Victorville is on the way to Las Vegas from Los Angeles:

The little guy was hiding behind the Fire Station, where there is a drainage ditch, and he would run over to the Jack in the Box to scrounge for food. Our rescuers spent nearly 24 hours observing and then trapping him, and in that time saw other animal prints that look like both coyotes and possibly a bobcat!

Rescuer Faith Easdale placed a trap near the drainage ditch and was observing at about 2AM when she saw pairs of eyes in the desert dark, probably coyotes, sniffing around! She flashed her light and made noises to scare them off, but this also delayed trapping Presley, though he finally entered the trap around 6AM.

The drain:

Trapped!:

Video when finally caught!:

This poor boy had been out here a long time, very dirty but also very matted. Look how bad it was:

But we got him all cleaned up and groomed, feeling so much better!

Little Presley is now with the rescue Friends of Orange County Homeless Pets, FOCHP and will be available for adoption from them soon. They are a great rescue that help us with A LOT of dogs that we save, so please check them out, follow them on Instagram HERE, and support them!

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

The Good about Grass

It’s probably not a problem!

Episode 2: Why does my dog eat grass?

Does your dog eat grass? Here is the good news: It’s probably fine. In our next episode we will discuss when it can be a problem, and plants to avoid. But for now, let’s look at why dogs eat grass. Here are seven of the most common theories, and more than one may be correct!

One: It’s instinct. Wild dogs, including wolves, have been observed eating grass. So, we can probably assume part of the reason is almost certainly instinct.

Two: Your dog is bored! Eating grass can be fun. Dogs interact with the world through their mouth, much like we use our hands. It may be that your dog just finds it a fun thing to do… and maybe isn’t getting enough stimulation. Go walk your dog and play with him!

Three: Upset stomach. There is some evidence that grass may help with an acid in the stomach, and/or help an upset tummy throw-up. A lot of vets like this theory, but there is not 100% consensus.

Four: Maybe your dog is missing a nutrient? Some holistic vets say dogs might be seeking chlorophyl in the grass, but this theory is generally not accepted.

Video of this article:

Five: It might help your dog just feel full. Simple as that.

Six: Your dog could be thirsty! Grass has water in it, and can have dew on it. If your dog eats grass only in the morning or evening, especially on hot days, this might be part of it!

Seven: Some behaviorists say some dogs eat grass to get attention. They eat the grass, you try to stop them, hey, they got attention! Could be, though we are skeptical.

Generally speaking most vets think eating grass is not a problem. But there can be some issues with it, and there are plants to avoid. More on that in our next episode!

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 1 comment

Drinking too fast

It’s probably not a problem!

Episode 1: Drinking water too fast

Does your dog throw up after drinking water? He may be drinking too fast, a common issue with dogs.

Now of course, excessive drinking and throwing the water up after drinking can all indicate more serious issues, but let’s see if we can quickly and easily find a solution!

Your dog may drink too fast for a number of totally normal reasons, but it can cause problems. The most noticeable is that he throws up the water after drinking it, which can be really annoying as well as scary, and it can also cause bloat.

How to stop him from drinking so fast? First try: just put some ice in the bowl!

That’s free and easy! Throw in 3-5 cubes of ice. Your dog will probably lick around the ice, causing him to slow down. The cooler water is no problem either!

Video of this article:

Now that might not always be practical, especially if you are leaving the bowl of water out, so the next step is just to put some objects in the bowl. Easiest is to put a large object in the center of the bowl, like a heavy ball. A rock can work too. You want something big enough that your dog will not choke on it, of course!

If you are ok with spending a little bit of money, you can also buy a water bowl designed to slow down drinking, they work on the same principle. Also, for some dogs an elevated bowl can help.

Finally, and of course, if your dog continues to vomit up water, even after you have slowed his drinking down, it is important to have a veterinary exam.

Example of a "slow drinking" bowl at PetSmart: CLICK HERE

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

Romeo

Update below (the shelter gave us the wrong dog)

Many saw the story of this little guy

During the big winter storm he was found on a tiny scrap of mud and debris in a flood channel in San Bernardino, California. Numerous social media posts went around, and a group of good samaritans managed to rescue him.

You can see him on the ground between the two men in the photo below. They managed to get a rope around him and lift him up. It was a great rescue! They did a good thing... but unfortunately they immediately turned him over to animal control. The shelter in San Bernardino is over-full, and though they posted for a possible owner, after a short time with no response he was put on the list to euthanized.

His shelter card:

A plea was put out to rescues and others to get him, if no owner showed up, but nothing was happening for him. The shelter named him Romeo, but no Juliet was showing until Cathi Perez got together with our rescuer Faith Easdale and went and sprung him from the shelter.

Look how scared he was in the shelter! (video below)

Cathi and Romeo (below)

Update March 4th:

The shelter gave us the wrong dog! They mixed up the ID numbers, and they were both small Terriers. Thankfully Cathi Perez ran down and got the correct dog as soon as we found out. Of course we are going to keep BOTH of them, and both will be getting vet care and then going to foster homes. Oh, and both will be adoptable soon!

So below is the "right" dog, the one that was actually in the canal:

Above: Cathi taking him out of San Bernardino City shelter. Below: In the car, transporting to his foster home.

We will be posting updates on both dogs and at their foster homes later in the week! Stay tuned, and follow us:

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Posted on March 3, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

Pops A1767839

Pops was in the Los Angeles City Animal Shelter. We heard about him Friday, January 27th, from one of our fosters, Holly Green.

He was listed as blind, 14 years old, and shut down, just sleeping all day. Holly has a blind small dog of her own, and felt really bad for him. We contacted the shelter, and with the help of Terri Ferrell, we got him out that afternoon!

Donations are tax deductible, you can make one quick and easy HERE, TAP!

Holly was crying, because of his condition. Big black much all over his eyes, and he would scream if you tried to touch his face, even slightly. So we took him to the vet Saturday morning. Big thanks to Westside Pet Clinic for getting him in right away!!

They did a number of tests, and fixed him up great! Light sedation, and they shaved and cleaned up his face. He has sores from where the matted fur tightens, pulls and literally rips the skin... that was what was so painful!

He also has a slight heart murmur, but his blood tests were all very good. He has a dental infection, and he needs a dental cleaning and possible extractions, that will be in two weeks. For now he is on a round of antibiotics.

All creatures deserve dignity. We, people, are responsible for dogs. We domesticated them, for our use and companionship. Their treatment, their dignity is our responsibility.

Pops now has his. He may get adopted, he may not. But his years will now be lived safely, with companionship, in dignity. We can't do it for all the dogs in the shelter, we do it for the ones we can. If you would like to support that, we would greatly appreciate a donation here:

Or visit our donation page HERE, TAP!

Update from Monday night, January 30th:

Pops got a nice sweater, and is much happier. He is allowing his face to be touched!

Update Feb 1:

Happy! Pops is playing with Willie (foster Holly's other blind dog, you can see him in the background). He has "mapped out" the apartment, and is running around. Appears healthy, now active. Doing really good. We think the antibiotics are also cleaning up the mouth a bit, and that also probably means it hurts less.

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 2 comments

In the rain

Some tips:

Though there is no magic solution, and you still may find it difficult or even not possible after watching through these tips... we hope at least one or two are useful and perhaps give you at least some ideas about what you might do.

Though it rarely rains here in southern California, when it does it creates a problem for dog owners. One reason is precisely because it rains so rarely, our dogs, like us aren't used to it!

Good luck out there, and if you have any tips, leave a comment!

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

Coyote Season is here

SoCal Coyote Warning:

We are now in coyote courting season when more coyotes will be seen in pairs as the courting season ritual begins.

Coyote courting season is January and February, during which time we may see more coyotes in pairs exhibiting playful behavior such as jumping, dancing, and chasing. It is important for dog owners to be particularly attentive to their pets, as coyotes may view dogs as a threat, and may attack, especially puppies and older dogs less able to defend themselves.

Rainfall can also affect coyote activity. Coyotes tend to be less active during storms due to the drop in barometric pressure, which makes them more lethargic. However, after storms pass through and barometric pressure increases, coyotes become hungrier and thirstier, leading to increased activity as they hunt for food and water.

Coyotes have been observed to be most active in months with high precipitation. In addition, juvenile coyotes (less than one year old) may disperse from their families to establish their own home ranges or territories.

To keep pets safe during this time, it is recommended to always accompany them outside and keep them on a leash.

Protection for your dog or cat from coyotes: https://www.coyotevest.com/

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

Crouching Rescuer, Hidden Doggie

This was a scary rescue!

First, we watched her almost get hit by cars as she crossed the street. Then, just when we had her, she ran into a yard with two pitbulls!

We knew about her for a few weeks, but people in the area told us she has been stray over a year. Had multiple litters of puppies too. She's a good hider, but as the puppies get old enough to walk around, come out of the hiding area, and people would take them. We heard stories of people taking a puppy for a friend or as a gift, but we are pretty sure people took them to sell too.

No one every took her though! And we can tell you one reason: she is hard to catch!

But another interesting thing... Faith Easdale of our rescue team noticed something while doing stake-outs for this little dog. There was a man who would come home late at night, at the same time, probably from work. And when he drove up in his driveway and parked, she would come out and run around him and wag her tail. She never approached anyone else, ever. But she would come to this guy, and he would ignore her and then go in his house.

Faith actually went and knocked on his door, asking if he would help catch her, since she seemed to come up to him. He refused. Claimed he had no idea about the dog, and was busy, etc. etc.... so draw from this what you will.

Finally Faith got some help, and a location!

Terri Alvarez and her son, who proved to be a nimble climber, got the little dog cornered in a very narrow area between a house and the wall around the home. As you can see it was very narrow there, a thin person could barely fit. We sealed up all the exits, climbed the roof and were working on catching her from above when something we had not planned on happened!

The next door pitbulls, who are attack dogs, had dug a small hole under the wall between the properties. No one had seen it. The little dog darted through it and was now in the pitbulls' yard!

Fortunately their owners were outside watching, and quickly kenneled them, and let us in their yard. A quick jump down from the roof, and a scoop with the net, and we were running out of there, believe me!!

Now she is safe. No more hiding from big dogs, and abusive people. No more dodging cars while crossing the streets looking for food and water. No more having puppies, raising them alone hiding in backyards, only to have people steal them. There is a rescue to take her, but for now Faith Easdale took her home. There Faith can make sure she doesn't escape, while she decompresses, and learns she is safe and can trust people now. No more hiding!

If you would like to donate to support rescues like this, please go here: Donate

If you prefer to use Venmo, our Venmo is @f-a-d or here is a link: Venmo

Her first night safe, in a warm space:

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

Reunited

Bob is hot, the weather is hot, everything is hot.

TOO MUCH HOT!

So Bob wanted us to bring you the good news of a dog that is no longer hot! Nor lost! Nor scared! Nor in danger..... you get the point. Here is the story of Butler, who was found 30 miles from his home!

The Rescue:

Free Animal Doctor has teamed up with rescuer and master-trapper Faith Easdale to rescue more stray dogs. We got a call, a small poodle/maltese type dog had been seen for a couple days, running around scared at a truck stop off the 15 fwy on the way to Las Vegas!

The little guy seemed to want to approach people, but was also too skittish. He seemed to be looking for his people, but would run off when approached, and there was a busy road, with lots of trucks coming in and off the freeway.

We went out at 2pm and found that other than the truck stop and a McDonalds, there was nothing else around but sand, rocks and strangely enough an encampment of homeless people. We spotted the dog, and began to set traps, but unfortunately some of the campers were roaming around, acting weird, probably on drugs. We noticed at least one car that seemed to be making transactions out the window to people.

So we set our traps, hoped people would eventually move along, and waited. Later in the evening a couple of sheriff's showed up and drove around. This sent people off, and the area got quiet. As the sun set we marveled at the area... there is no water. It is bone dry, dusty, rocky and there are coyotes around. We heard some.

Fortunately, in the dark, under the dim light coming off the truck stop, we heard a magic sound... at about 9PM a trap door had snapped shut, and when we ran out to check, there was the dog, safe in the trap!

Reunited:

We took Butler to quarantine kennel area. We got him water, and food. He was friendly. He slept. And in the morning, we scanned him and he had a chip! We got ahold of his owners, and they told us he had been missing for four days. But here is the thing, they lived over 30 miles away in a different county!! They live in LA county, but we had found Butler far from them in San Bernardino County.

There was no way he had walked there. Had someone stolen him? Maybe they stopped for gas and he escaped the car? Maybe someone had him at the encampment? We don't know. But listen to him in the video above, how happy to be HOME!

We doing more of these rescues, almost daily. Like the Daily Bob! 🙂

You can join us in these efforts. Please consider either a donation below in the red box, or you can Venmo @F-A-D at this link: DONATE with VENMO

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments

Bonus: Kacey Montoya interview

Kacey Montoya

Bonus interview with the founder of Fix'N Fidos!

When Kacey Montoya isn't flashing those fabulous blue eyes on KTLA Channel 5, she is running her non-profit Fix'N Fidos, which supports spay/neuter programs, provides pet food to low income families, and provides resources for getting vet care when people cannot afford it!

They also have a golf tournament coming up to raise money for the cause! Fix'N Fidos has been a huge supporter of Free Animal Doctor, and we were thrilled to have Kacey on for an interview! Check out the interview on this BONUS FADcast, a preview of Episode 8!!!

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Or play it right here (click the play button below)!

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Free Animal Doctor. 0 comments