new girl on the block

Meet Perxais, the sweetest, cutest, golden pit bull you could imagine! This photo doesn't begin to do justice, especially to her green eyes.
Perxais came to us just a week ago; a situation had arisen in her home that meant she had to leave asap - and being a pit bull, the chances of a good outcome in a pound in the Phoenix area were not high. The brother of her owner has volunteered here, and called late Friday night, asking if we could take her. We had no empty kennels - though plenty of vacant space - so he very generously offered to buy our FIRST EVER proper modular kennel system. To date, we are still using the somewhat dilapidated panels kindly donated to us when we hurriedly created a facility to house the Katrina rescues. We get by, but we need better.
So Monday morning, he drove to PHX and picked this baby girl up - she is just over a year old. She loved the ride in the car!! He met Norbu, who is helping out for a couple of weeks, in Payson - and they arrived together: dog, panels - a complete do-it-yourself set!! The modular panels are a joy - so easy to configure, the kennel was ready in no time. Perxais had her new (temporary) home!!
Settling in is never easy for a pup used to a family and home, but we hope she will find a new one soon. She went to the vet this week and was spayed, so now she is ready to move on. In the meantime, we will all love her and enjoy her beautiful face and sweet disposition.

Changes, large and small

Rose

Working with the feral dogs is so rewarding because the changes you witness, and have been part of the process in bringing about, are tiny and monumental all at once. I mean, we love all the dogs, but the ferals offer us a precious opportunity to transform their lives from entirely fear-based, to ones based on trust.

Some milestones, from my view:

Rose is a smaller medium dog, very timid and shy; perhaps a little non-descript in some ways, could be the painfully shy wallflower whose presence does not even register on on your mind. Nothing flashy or flamboyant about her.

Some months ago - perhaps Thanksgiving or Christmas, we had turkey - I decided to try and get her to hand feed. Until that point she would feed with you sitting a foot or two away, but anything closer would send her scurrying off behind her house. It took quite a few days. I would offer the food in my hand, she would come forward a step or two, then retreat. Each day I tried it again and again, although allowing her to eat from the bowl after she had made some attempts to overcome her fear. Little by little, her panic receded, until she began to eat from my hand.

Some weeks later I upped the ante, holding out my empty hand for her to touch with her nose, before she got the food in my other hand. The lesson was more quickly learned, this time, although she would still run back and forth between mouthfuls. Next, I began moving my free hand while she ate, which startled her every time, her eyes round and worried, ready to bolt, and again sometimes retreating. One time I managed to touch her ear, fleetingly.

Well, yesterday, I began with her ear and by the end of the feed, I was able to stroke her head down past her collar while she kept feeding. This was such a joyful moment for me; this is the first time she has been petted in over a year, perhaps much much longer, given we know nothing of these dog's histories.I am so proud of her, because it is very hard to shed that deep-seated fear, and she tries every day, again and again.

Today there was a lot of building commotion going on - backhoe, people - so even to have her feed from my hand was a miracle, as normally such a big change in her environment would send her hiding. The entire time, she was looking, listening, jumping back, coming forward - but although it took longer, she ate it all.

Timmy is another one making great progress. He is a striking black and white pit/dalmation mix, who has spent almost the entire year - day and night - hiding in his igloo; we would hand feed him in there, his brown eyes big and uncertain. Scars on his face suggest he may have been a bait dog used to train fighters: his fear of people and dogs is enormous.

Well, some weeks ago, we began to leash walk him: took some chasing around his yard the first couple of times, but now much less so.A couple of days ago, while handing out treats, he ran to the fence and took one from me - right out in the open, straight from my hand. And several times now, when he has seen me coming at dinner time , he has come outside of his own volition, to greet me. He then retreats to safety, but will now hand feed with his entire body, bar his back legs, out side his igloo - stretched out like a spring ready to recoil, yet mustering his confidence and trust in us.

These dogs are remarkable, I cannot do justice to the efforts they put in to overcome months - a lifetime - of terror, and learn to feel safe with us. I appreciate every moment, every change, every time they hesitate for one second less. We teach each other so much, this is definitely a reciprocal relationship of patience, trust and developing love.

On another note, Raven unexpectedly decided to leave here, so I will be the sole writer, at least for a while. Karen, who also lives here, and I are caring for the troops right now - such a rowdy, loving bunch they can be, en masse - and soon some familiar faces will probably be back here, to continue caring for Tara's Babies.

Springtime

It has been a longtime since I have written on the blog. It has been a busy winter so much has happened. My spring resolution is to write a blog a month. Even though we are still technically in winter til next week. Spring is in full force here at the valley. The weather has been warm and pleasant the air is full of bird song and pollen from the juniper trees float like clouds of smoke on the spring breeze. Flower and grass are starting to grow. And so has the trust of a lot of the feral here. All of the feral dogs with the exception of Hope our most feral will now trust us enough to be hand fed. Timmy a wonderful and timid Pit bull mix is starting to take walks daily with me and my pack. This is a major achievement for him as when he first came he was totally afraid of other dogs and would spend all of his time in his dog house. Over the last 6 months or so he has started coming out more. 2 weeks ago I started walking with him with Gwena, Wong Chong and my extended house guest Philly. He has taken a shine to them. Once we get far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the dog compound. He relaxes enough with us to sniff and romp like any dog. Philly has come along way also after about 4 months of living with me and the pirate pack she has learned to trust humans again. She walks well on a leash and will sit for her food. In the mornings she wakes me up with excited wags and kisses. She still is a little timid a times but has progressed enough that we can now find her a foster home or a forever home of her own. More wonderful stories are yet to come.
POSTED BY RAVEN MARCH 07

mud-puddling

The weather has definitely been winter: snow, rain, sleet. And underfoot: mud! thick, oozing, slippery. Mud!And one of our boys, Khen, seems to love it. The first of our two Lethal Aussie residents (white, and almost completely blind and deaf), he splashes and digs and roams in his run, to the extent that from paw to underbelly, white quickly transforms to black. But his huge smile never diminishes!Khen has transformed in himself since his arrival a couple of months ago. He is large, maybe 90lbs, and strong, and walking him was very difficult, as he pulled, sightless, here and there. He also escaped , what - 6 times? - from his run in the first day, by chewing through the wire. For his safety, we covered the lower half with thick plywood and the gate with tin, making his presence almost invisible, except when he stood on his long back legs, his beautiful snout sniffing through the wire, trying to detect your precise location. But the plywood also kept the sun from effectively drying the ground out.When you enter his run, his sniffer seeks you out and he leaps with joy - his paws reach almost to my shoulders (I am 5ft 9"). And whatever was on his paws (mud, and you know what else it could be) smears on your coat, but with such exuberant joy, its almost OK!Well, even though he still leaps - too much happiness to contain - now, if you firmly stroke his long body, he will sit before going out the gate, and on his walks, with leash correctly on his neck, he stays gently right by your side, the entire way. He has obviously settled in and learned to trust, becoming less anxious.After the recent weather, his smallish run was one of the worst - black mud and puddles - from his constant playing and running, and searching/digging/pouncing for his toys when he misplaces them.We decided to move him to a larger, drier run. We re-shuffled the field a little - causing great interest amongst all the residents - and placed a thick layer of straw on the ground of his new home. And we decided to see how he went with exposed wire, no plywood defence.Well, I walked him today - clear blue skies - and how joyful he is. The sun was streaming in the whole huge yard, his paws were light brown only to short-sock length, and he was roaming back and forth, tail wagging. Still mud-puddling where he could, but it is so very different: the space so open and large. He has not tried to escape, and now he doesn't have to jump up to sniff out what is going on. He is part of the visible family.I love this dog! Admittedly, his eyes, 3/4 sheathed with white inner lids, opaque eyeballs visible only in the very corners, are at first a little odd to behold. But his smile, and the way he tilts his magnificent head when he knows you are there, and pokes his broad pink-tipped nose to the fence, wagging his tail! And even the leaps of joy, mud and all. He is so exuberant, it is infectious. With a little more training, he will make someone the perfect, loving, playful friend; when that time comes, I will be a little bit saddened to see him go

wishing you all the best!

Well, technically this is called a dog blog, but in fact when Tara's Babies began post- Katrina, we were also the home for 7 rescued cats; in the future we will again be a feline sanctuary, so it seems only fair to let Katie feature here.
Katie was one of the 6 that spent time at Dakini Valley (the seventh went straight to a new home). A smoochy, purring beauty, whenever i went into "The Cat Room", she would always look for loving attention; her compatriots were more varied in their responses - the wildeyed tabby would just as likely leap onto your shoulder, or race up a cat tree, the big white old tom, Casper, would walk in a deliberate and regal manner down the stairs. It was not a very big room, but had a loft and access to an enclosed outside run, and we had lots of fun building a myriad of contraptions to keep them occupied, so that no fights ever erupted.
Two of the cats became re-unites - the tabby, and a short-haired calico - the very last one to leave, to whom I had grown most attached. Reminded me somewhat of my precious old cat, Texas, still living in Australia.
Katie - then known as Mama Kitty - was fortunate to be fostered by Jenny, a kind and generous woman from Phoenix, who also took Honey, an old yellowlab with special needs. Mama Kitty was so named because her vet check post rescue identified her as pregnant, but kittens never transpired, so it may be the trauma of the Hurricane meant she lost them. Jenny cared for the two for some months, but eventually needed to find a more permanent home for the cuddly cat. Enter Tooky, one of our resilient volunteers who had spent several weeks here in the bitter cold last year, when we had many many more dogs than now, and work days were very long and tiring. A resident of Utah, with the softest heart for animals, I knew her senior cat had recently passed away, and suggested she might like to consider taking in our Hurricane baby.
Without much delay, Tooky and Howard agreed, so the soon-to-be-named-as Katie made her last journey across a state border, into her new, forever home. There she is spoiled and loved and very content, as this photo proves.
At this season of holidays, the closing of the year, the time of family and reflection, Katie, plump and playful under the Xmas tree, reminds me of all the connections we have made with people and animals over the last year. Transcending geography, and sometimes only brief, they represent the harmony and loving-kindness of so many. Animals seem to open our hearts, to touch a chord, to become a language we all understand. This is the great gift they offer and we can share. So, we at Tara's Babies thank everyone who has ever helped an animal in need; with your support, we will continue to grow in strength and kindness.
Have a wonderful holiday season, and a joyful, bountiful new year!

a bicycle built for two!

Raven cannot drive, so has been trekking the road - perhaps a quarter mile each way? - from the main base of Tara's Babies to the residence where the computer is located, and where I also live. This, at least once every day. Not that he ever complained - it is a beautiful walk, and he is resilient, but it also takes time, and on days where the back and forth is repeated several times, I am sure it got tedious.The Sommerville family, friends of Tara's Babies, just donated a fabulous 10-speed mountain bike, and our 2 stalwart volunteers, Tom and Mary, delivered it yesterday. Raven is stoked, it makes life just that little bit easier. But here's the even better news - he told me he is using it to walk the highly energetic pitbulls!It takes a bit of manouvering, as they haven't learned the road rules of not weaving to and fro in front of the tires. And Grendel thinks biting them could be a good game, almost as much fun as his blue ball (he is our soccer player extraordinare!). But Princess, our pogo dog who bounces endlessly with joy when you go to her gate, was tuckered out after several runs up and down the road. What a great and fun way to use up that dynamic get-up-and-go they all display, every day. Not to mention teaching them new skills, always a plus.Of course, if it continues to snow we may have to re-think the plan - perhaps they could pull a sled?! - but on mornings like today, chilly but clear, what a wonderful method for everyone to have fun!

a few bales of straw

Winter's icy tendrils have begun to curl through the valley. The nights are usually well below freezing, the days can still be sunny, although interspersed with brisk, gusty winds that seem to spin the very thoughts within your mind. Snow or sleet has been forecast, the sky becomes heavy, but as yet the ground remains clear.The dogs have plastic igloos to sleep in, padded on the outside by bales of hay, as extra insulation. But we have had no clean fresh straw to create a warm insulated nest for them inside. Their homes looked so bare and barren.Today that changed! Ani Miranda kindly organised Eric, someone she knows in Sedona, to haul out 20 bales of fresh straw. Karen, Raven and I spent some hours in the morning wheeling the old straw (now heavy beyond measure!), and dispersing it on an unused field littered with tumbleweed. We then set up palletes and unloaded the clean, cream coloured straw. What a delight!This afternoon Raven went door-to-door, kennel-to-kennel, refurbishing their homes. And afterwards we witnessed the most touching and joyful moment I have felt in some days - almost all the dogs were snuggled inside the homes, sometimes their head just barely visible through the mountain of straw. The atmosphere was one of peaceful contentment, each one happily in his or her nest. Safe, warm, at rest.Nine bales of straw, that is all it took to make these dogs' day. How simple it can be to change a life and bring such joy!

Philly

Philly is a shy and sweet dog who is one of our feral dogs here. With her reddish golden long fur coat,high forehead and pointed ears she looks a lot like a fox. I have been working with her for a while and she has progressed from hand feeding to being able to be walked. Once I get a feral dog to the stage where I can walk them the next step I take is to put them into the house for total immersion training.This allows them to get comfortable with me and other dogs so they can be adopted into a loving home. Philly has now taken that step. She was a little overwhelmed at the sudden change at first. Over the last few days she is starting to relax into her new role. First I introduced her to my pack starting with Wong the lower dog in my pack once I am assured that they get along fine then I introduce the Alpha Gwena.Both of them are really good with other dogs and don't mind sharing their home with newcomers. Gwena loves to play one of the first thing she like to do with the new dogs is to take their leash and walk them so they know who is in charge besides me. I have learned it is better to let the dog approach me at there own pace. Most of the dogs I work with are good with the other dogs but not sure of humans. I let the trust build by letting them watch me interact with my pack. The also learn to come to me this way. I am always around when the dogs interact to check any aggression if I have to go away I keep them apart. Last night Philly slept at the foot of my bed curled up with Wong. Today while I was petting Wong Phillyy came up to me sniffed my hand and let me pet her. My heat soared at this one her frist steps to becoming a compaion dog. Over the next couple of months as she learns to trust me and other humans I will start to work with her on basic training. Of course my dogs will help show her the ropes, after that she will be ready for a lovinig forever home of her own.
WRITTEN BY RAVEN NOV 06

The Ferals

Some of my greatest rewards and challenges come from working with the feral dogs here. About half of the dogs here are feral. Most of them were rescued from hurricane Katrina. Some had homes before the hurricane and reverted to feral after the owners left. Other were strays that had little to no contact with humans. There are five basic strategies that that we use to help re socialize them. Each case is different and requires adaption to each dogs behavior. 1. Food as the main training tool, we require the dogs to earn there food by socializing. Ex. hand feeding them to get them to associate humans with food. 1b. Gently pushing there boundaries once they learn a new behavior. Ex. Once they hand feed we then touch train to get them used to thinking and petting 2. Spending time with them often, there are two types of time the first is where we try to engage the feral dogs by interaction using treats, other social dogs, play etc. The other type is just being in there pen with them while reading or other actives to get them used to and curious about humans. 3 We use social well trained dogs to interact with and serve as role models to the feral dogs . 4. Getting them used to the sight and feel of a leash, this can be a long process depending on the dog's prior experience with one. 5. Once the dog is walking and interacting with us we take them in the main house where they learn to live and get used to humans again. Since I have been working here I have had the pleasure of watching these dogs transform from shy creatures to friendly tail wagging dogs. Some are well on there way to new homes where they will be loved and cared for others are just learning to trust us enough to eat with us in there pens. Whatever the case I learn from them as much as they learn from me. On a latter post I'll talk more about each feral and how they are progressing.
WRITTEN BY RAVEN Nov 06

A typical day

I thought I share with you a typical day here at Tara's Babies. Dawn is cold this time of year. I arise and light my heater, and am greeted by the fluffy ball of doggy energy that is my Chow, Wong Chong. Gwena stirs slowly on the bed to my left after some snuggling I let them out and start my morning prayers and mediation. After this is done with a clear mind, I leash up my pack and head to the ranch house for a good cup of strong coffee. On the way I am greeted by various barks and howls as I pass the dog compound. Fully caffeinated I head out to the dog yard. Here once again I am greeted by friendly barks and wagging tails as I start my morning chores. Sometimes if I head out before the other volunteers I am greeted by the sight of Hailey wagging her tail. Normally this feral pit mix rescued from Hurricane Katrina is very scared of people and will bark aggressively at them. Over my time here her and I have come to a truce and she has learned to partly trust me. So when I am by myself she will respond happily to my presence. When she gets freaked out by anthor person usually a reassuring word from me will stop her barking. I grab the water hose and start to fill their pails with fresh water after this is done and the poop is all cleaned from the pens the real fun begins. Walking time, the dogs are full of energy ready to sniff run and romp either underneath the tall Sycamores that line Gordon Creek or along the road side. Entering their cage I tell them to sit while I get on the leash. Then sit them again before we leave the compound, then heeling them to my left we are off once past the bustle of the compound I relax my hold on them and let them explore more freely. We usually walk about 7 dogs each in the morning. Once this is done we take some time to eat. Then do odd cores until lunch time. Then when the sun is high overhead the air warm and the birds are singing in the oaks we head back out to train and socialize the dogs. Our walkers we take into the old coral and let them romp and teaching them to come sit and stay. Our friendly dogs are allowed to play together under supervision at this time. Then we go into the pens with the feral dogs to get them used to interacting with us. Most days I take either Gwena or Wong with me. This is their work time they play and socialize with the ferals while I am in the cage. Usually this allows me to get closer and even sometimes touch the feral dogs which seem to trust me more when I interact with my pack. Next it is dinner time for all the dogs. I take my pack back home and feed them. Then go out to prepare the food for all the dogs. We feed the walkers first making them earn their food by sitting. For the ferals we go into their cages and hand feed them,this is one of the main tools we have to help socialize them. After everyone one is done and clean up is done. I grab my dog pack and head off into the woods and hills for our evening family time. Then supper for me then a bath a good book followed by mediation before turning in for the night. I am tried at the end of the day mostly but always happy about being able to help and work with these wonderful dogs.
WRITTEN BY RAVEN Nov 06

Gwena

Here at the sanctuary we have quite a few pit bull and pit bull mixes that were rescued from hurricane Katrina. These high energy and lovable dogs have a bad rap as breed due to unfortunate occurrences between ill trained and aggressive pit bulls and humans. I believe that most of these incidents occur due to the negligence of the pit bulls primary care giver. I believe that as a pit bull caregiver/owner that it is our responsibility to educate ourselves about the breed and their special needs and to ensure that our dogs get the proper training exercise and care they need. Though Pit bulls were breed to fight other dogs and have some natural aggression towards other animals and the tendency to get caught in "battle rage", with proper training and socialization they can learn to co exist with other dogs. This best started when they are young.Case in point is my pit bull companion Gwena. Rescued as a puppy from Hurricane Katrina, she is a golden red nose pit bull with cute pointed upright ears. Naturally playful with other dogs she has an alpha type personality though she is not normally aggressive to other dogs. Because of her personality and high energy it was and is crucial for me to establish myself as pack leader with clear boundaries. She is highly intelligent and eager to learn as is most pit bulls are . Pit bulls and other high energy breeds need plenty of exercise, mental stimulation, and training. Giving them a job helps this breed to channel their energy. After lots of training and socialization with other friendly dogs,I decided to give Gwena the job as ambassador dog to the feral dogs we have here. What that means is that through interaction with Gwena and I the feral dogs learn by example to behave as a pack and respond to care and training from their human caregivers. Gwena and I have had a lot of success with this process most notably with a feral chow who bonded with us so much he became one of our pack. (see Wong Chong's story on this blog) . I take many special steps to ensure that this process is safe for all and to check and stop any aggression between the dogs. Gwena may be a special pit bull but I believe that through proper training and care pit bulls can learn to co exist with other dogs. In closing I urge all pit bull caregiver/owners and those considering a pit bull as part of their life to educate themselves about the breed and to ensure that their dogs get the proper training exercise and care they need.
WRITTEN BY RAVEN NOV 06

Wong Chong

About half of the dogs here are feral or strays. Thur loving care training and patience we are able to help these dogs re socialize with humans and one day find them a home. This is the story of one such dog that touched my heart and found a home with me. Wong Chong is a golden cream colored rough haired Chow Chow.With his long shaggy coat,short muzzle and small pointed ears he looks more like a lion and teddy bear cross than your typical dog. Wong Chong was a victim of Hurricane Katrina. Like the waters risen by natures fury his past is dark and murky. Left by his human companions to fend for himself he did turning feral in the process. Living in the now of survival he hunted and scavenged to stay alive. Rescued by animal rescuers he was crated and flown thousands of miles away from the world he had known. Eventually arriving here at the sanctuary by cattle car. Here he was fed, loved ,and cared for and so began his slow journey back into the world of a companion animal. Shy and leery of his handlers, unsure of our intentions at first he would bark at you and hide when you came in the pen. Slowly he came around to being able to be hand fed though he still wouldn't accept physical attention like petting. 10 months passed and the summer monsoons came down in full force here in Dakini Valley . The hot and humid weather provided the perfect breeding ground for stable flies. Wong Chong proved a favorite fest for these insect vampires, soon his ear tips and nose were raw and bloodied. One day the vet and I decided to treat his ears instead of using the dog pole we usually use on the ferals we used a leash to restrain him. To our surprise with very little chasing he allowed us to put a leash on him and even allowed to pet and massage him after we were done . At about the same time I started introducing him to Gwena my companion dog, whose job is to help socialize the dogs. At first she was a little intimated of this fuzzy ball of doggy energy that would ponce at her from the roof of his dog house. For Wong how ever it was a case of love at first sight. He even offered her one of his favorite chew toys to break the ice . After about three visits Gwena warmed to him and they began to play and chase each other until they both collapsed with tails wagging and tongues dripping. Emboldened by this success I started to leash train him. After a small hesitation his part he really got into it. My guess was that it was like riding a bike to him it all came back. Soon he was walking to heel better than some of the dogs we walk everyday. As part of our training program we take dogs into the ranch house with us. This allows the dogs to get used to humans and their ways.Slowly he overcame his shyness and blossomed into a friendly and ever curious dog. One day watching him play with Gwena I realized that not only had this canine Teddy bear won her heart he had won mine and truly had become one of our pack.
WRITTEN BY RAVEN NOV 06

Khen

I wanted to start this blog with the story of our newest dog here at the sanctuary. His name is Khen. Khen a large all white Lethal Aussie lab mix is mostly blind and deaf. He was abandoned on private property bordering on National forest land. The locals that found him a first took him to the local humane society where they were told that the only option for a blind dog was euthanasia. Having big hearts and not wishing to send him to that fate they asked a neighbor who had heard of us if they thought we could take him. Towards sunset after a trying day at work for me a red pick up pulled into our driveway not getting many visitors out here I was curious. I was greeted by a young man and his father who quickly filled me in on the details and asked if we had room for a dog. My answer was yes we could and we quickly created room for him. I was greeted by a very frightened and wounded dog. He had gotten into a fight with another dog and had wounds all over his body including a large infected one on his neck. We worked into the night, gladly giving first aid water and food to him. Once fed and a little more comfortable he relaxed and showed his true lovable self. After many belly pats and words of love and praise to him , weary but elated at having helped save his life and provide him with a safe place we turned in for the night. Khen slept exhausted from his ordeal. The next morning we found out though blind he was a very good escape artist. Afraid of being left alone and frightend by the barks of all the other dogs in the compound he managed to escape 6 times the first day. Realizing that this fellow needed the special care that an indoor home could provide. I deiced to introduce him to my pack of dogs, Gwena my lovable female pit and Wong Chong my once feral chow. I will tell you Wong and Gwenas' stories on a latter posting. After seeing that he was non -aggressive I deiced to foster him until we can find him a loving home. Since them he has fit rather well into my pack after a few minor scuffles with Wong. This lovable boy is looking for a loving and understanding home where he can get the care and love he needs if you are interested please contact the Tara's Babies web site for further info.The website is www.tarasbabies.org.
POST WRITTEN BY RAVEN NOV 06.