Shamrock Newsletter

Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2019 Issue

Pictured: Longtime Shamrock resident Marley who finally found his forever home in May 2019.

Your Donations At Work Thank you for supporting our mission to give second chances to those who need them most. The support of our generous donors has allowed us to save dogs who are in dire situations and provide medical treatments, food, and shelter until forever homes are found. Since our last newsletter, we have successfully placed over 20 dogs, rescued 15, and cared for over 40. We also had to say tearful goodbyes to several Shamrock dogs, whose stories you can read more about in this issue.

As a rescue, we are often indundated with heartbreaking stories of neglect and abuse, which can be overwhelming. While we are unable to save them all, we are grateful for your support that allows us to save those that we can and help them find the love of the happy home that they are deserving of.

Pictured: Max, a young Tibetan Spaniel Mix, currently looking for his forever home.

A heartfelt thank you.

Charice King Vice President

Second chances for those who need them most 2 | Shamrock Rescue Foundation

Recent Rescues Name: Milo

Name: Pippi

Age: 8 years

Age: 2

Breed: Chow

Breed: Pekingese

Gender: Male (Neutered)

Gender: Female (Spayed)

Milo has had a very rough go of things. He was brought into the Orange County Animal Care facility in October 2018. He was a very unhappy, hard-to-handle boy because he had severe skin issues. The shelter did its best, but it was obvious that he needed to get out of there and get more medical care than it could provide. Shamrock took him in in December, and his skin issues continued to plague him. Our vets finally were able to diagnose a serious skin infection. It has been tough to battle but we are winning. As he has gotten better, Milo has changed from a grumpy man to a delightful, friendly guy.

He’s a little shy -- he’s probably never had much love, given his terrible condition -- but he loves walks, being outside and hanging with his friends. He would do best in a calm environment without children. He needs a patient family who will let him get used to his new surroundings at his pace.

Name: Chico Age: 6 years Breed: Chow & Pekingese Mix Gender: Male (Neutered)

Pippi is one of the cutest Pekingese we’ve ever seen, and part of that is her unusual tail.

Unlike most Pekes, Pippi has a 2-inch-long nubbin of a tail. Before she was found by animal control, she appears to have been hit by a car. Her tail was run over and severely injured. The shelter veterinarians removed most of her tail, leaving her with her nub. She was in great pain and in danger of being euthanized because she was very grumpy and growly to shelter personnel. But she was saved and is fully recovered and doing great.

She’s a happy little girl who loves her stuffed animals, treats and belly rubs. Pippi is only 2 years old and ready for love!

We think Chico is a combination of two of Maryanne’s favorite breeds: chow and Pekingese. He looks like a Peke, but he weighs about 30 pounds, and he has the purple tongue of a chow. He can be a little standoffish at first, but once he knows you he adores you. Food is the key to his heart.

He likes to explore the yard and chase the occasional ball. He’s pretty low-maintenance but he does require a dog-experienced home without children.

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In Loving Memory of Curtis By: Maryanne Dell, Rescue Coordinator and Adoption Counselor

One of Shamrock’s goals is to save dogs who wouldn’t have a chance without us – dogs who are old, sick, fractious or otherwise far less than “perfect” and unlikely to find a home. We give them life and a chance at normalcy. Curtis was one such dog.

All animals are special. But some are even more so. Curtis was one of those.

Curtis came to Shamrock in January 2014. I had been put in touch with the woman who had him because he was acting up: snarling, growling, generally being a not-so-solid canine citizen. She told me he had been locked in a room for the first two years of his life, with his only interaction being someone tossing food into the room. (That would certainly explain his reluctance to play nicely with others.)

She said she had taken him from the people who did that to him. He was full of “Pekitude,” that independent, don’t-get-too-close attitude we associate with the breed, and I had agreed to work with her to try to help him become more comfortable with the world.

The night before I was to come to her house, she called me. He had bitten her son, and she was going to take him to be euthanized the next day. She was done with him. I asked her to bring him to me instead. She did.

One of the reasons I am so attached to and rescue so many Pekingese is a part of me feels so badly about what my species has done to them. Dogs weren’t meant to have flat faces, bulging eyes, and bad hearts and skin. But because we create dogs to be what we want, not necessarily what they are naturally destined to be, we have breeds with more physical ailments than others. That said, I adore smushy faces and would fill my home with them if I could. So, Curtis biting someone? That wasn’t about to stop me from saving him.

For about a year Curtis pretty much wanted to bite – he probably had stronger thoughts than “injure” – anyone who came near him. But we – my friend Anette, dog lover extraordinaire and a real dog whisperer, and I – sat with him, fed him treats and tried to explain that the world really wasn’t that bad.

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He took a lot of convincing, but finally he started to mellow. He made his life at Crossroads, the board and train facility where some of our dogs stay while awaiting their new, forever homes. But Curtis was a “lifer” – one of the dogs who started there and stayed there.

After settling in – and he did; after that first year he turned a corner – Crossroads became his one and only comfort zone. He got used to Anette and the other folks there who took care of him: feeding him (oh, happiest of happy time of day!), putting him to bed, playing with him and helping him learn that love was a possibility. The world turned out to be not so terrible.

Curtis adored Anette. She has a way of making all dogs feel loved and safe, and Curtis was no exception. When he had to go to the vet for one thing or another, I made her come with me. I might have saved his life, but Curtis never fell for me the way he did for Anette.

At one of those vet visits, we were told that Curtis had a very bad heart murmur. “A 6,” my vet said. “I can feel it through his chest.” On the 1-6 scale for heart murmurs, 6 is the worst.

That was about two years ago and began a long relationship with a veterinary cardiologist. Curtis wound up taking nearly every heart medication known to veterinary medicine. As time progressed, he wound up needing higher and higher doses.

The good news: The medications helped. Those drugs helped him continue his happy life.

The bad news: The medications wreaked havoc with his kidneys. And that meant, inevitably, his body would give up.

And so it did. On Dec. 22, Curtis woke up struggling to breathe, lethargic and uncomfortable. I rushed him to an ER, where I was told he would have to stay on oxygen to survive.

Curtis, in a cage in a strange room with sick and stressed animals – plus strange people – all around?

That would send him right back to where he was when we met in 2014. That wasn’t going to happen.

And he was done. I knew it because he let me kiss and hug him as I said goodbye from all of us who had grown to love him over the years. I told him how sorry I was that we were here, but that he should fly free, free of any fear he had had during his life, free of any bad heart or bad kidneys – free to await those who love him at the Rainbow Bridge.

Standing outside that night, I looked up and saw a bright, bright star in the sky. Curtis was home.

And my heart was left with a very special hole, carved there by a very special little dog.

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A Tale of Two Pups By: Maryanne Dell, Rescue Coordinator and Adoption Counselor

Matthew Bertolucci with Dave and Caroline Blanchard with Buster

The road to home was pretty long for Dave and Buster.

The red Tibetan spaniel – or something similar – mixes came to OC Animal Care in 2016. They were bonded, providing security and company for each other. As such, they were eligible to be adopted with the fee for one of them paid by OC Shelter Partners, a nonprofit group that works to keep animals in good homes and that we love.

A young couple scooped up the cute pair, taking them home one day - and bringing them back the next. You see, they barked. They jumped. They were 2 years old and untrained.

The word went out for a rescue to take them, and Shamrock came forward. We took them in, learning that, yes, they barked. Yes, they jumped. They could jump up to my face, and I’m 5-feet-6-inches tall.

But they were cute, and friendly, and with some time and training they calmed down.

We also learned that they weren’t really bonded. We discovered they were calmer when not together. They listened better. They didn’t jump or bark as much. So, we considered placing them separately.

Sara, a longtime Shamrock resident, had recently gone to her forever home, and her foster family, the Blanchards, wanted to take in another dog. They met a few Shamrock dogs and decided that Buster would do well in their home.

Once there, Buster turned out to be very shy. He tolerated Steve and Mary and their son, Gregory.

But he adored their daughter, Caroline. He followed her everywhere, slept in her bedroom (and, eventually, her bed) and sat next to her on the couch. When she left for school, he moped. When she came home, he wagged with joy.

Shortly, the Blanchards decided that Buster needed to be a permanent part of their family. The little red dog was home.

But Dave was still looking. He met a few people, but no one clicked with him. Then, one day, Matthew 6 | Shamrock Rescue Foundation

Bertolucci met him, and it was love at first sight. Matthew had met another Shamrock dog, but they hadn’t connected. But Dave delighted him from the get-go. And now both little red dogs were home.

We had a Dave and Buster reunion awhile back, and everyone got together. The humans were delighted to see the two together. Dave and Buster? Well, they proved that we were right when we figured they weren’t really bonded. They acknowledged one another, and Buster went straight to Caroline, while Dave – who had not become shy after leaving Shamrock’s care – trotted around, greeting everyone with tail wags.

Sometimes, you have to wait awhile for things to work out. But love is worth the wait. As the Blanchards and Bertolucci know.

Dave

Buster

Our Fosters Shamrock Rescue couldn’t do the work we do without our fosters. We have several who have been instrumental in helping us save dogs.

Fosters let our dogs live in real homes, enjoying the atmosphere and comfort that brings. We place our neediest – the sickest, oldest and most shy, along with some who for some reason touch a chord with someone – in our foster homes, and there they receive love and, if needed, medical support until they find their forever homes. A few have even found their forever homes with fosters, like Red, the cute little Pomeranian a shelter asked us to take. Of course, we couldn’t say no.

Red

So thank you so much to our foster families, including those who have become “foster failures,” who go above and beyond to ensure that needy dogs get the care and love they need.

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An Update From Cocker Meadows By: Charice King, Vice President Jingles

I have always wanted a house with a name. Years ago, my husband, Ron, dubbed our home “Cocker Meadows,” the retirement home for old cocker spaniels.

After heartbreaking goodbyes to Coco, Danny Boy, Rohan and Nat King Cole (all cockers), we said hello to a great little Lhasa Apso/something/ something mix named Jingle Bells. His owner had passed away and the family could not keep him, so the folks at our wonderful veterinary hospital, who provide great care to our Shamrock dogs, introduced us. The rest is history, as they say.

Jingle Bells stayed for about two years, but his heart was just too big for his little body, and sadly he said goodbye also.

Honey

While Jingle Bells was still with us, the Chihuahuas came along. Lucy and Sophie had been dropped off at our veterinary hospital to be groomed, and their owner never came back. The hospital generously kenneled them for months before they arrived at Cocker Meadows. Definitely seniors at 16 and 17 years, they were, nonetheless, pretty active.

Surprisingly, considering their advanced ages, Sophie lived with us for a year before she passed from “old age,” and Lucy lived to be 19!

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Rocket J. King

Even though we didn’t have them long, Jingles, Sophie, and Lucy brought so much joy to Cocker Meadows and left a big void.

Life at Cocker Meadows was sad without our friends, and then Maryanne, our wonderful director at Shamrock, found Roc and Huni. Now known as “Rocket J. King” and “Honey,” they were used as backyard breeders, totally neglected, and on their way to the local “kill shelter,” but, thanks to the internet, Maryanne and Shamrock picked them up on the “rescue radar.”

The internet has positives and negatives, but in the world of rescuing animals, it is wonderful. Shelters put out messages and network with breedfocused rescue organizations, and many others, to give animals their best chances at getting forever homes. We are so thankful for this powerful tool that helps save so many lives!

Sophie

So now the stars are in alignment again, as we once again have cocker spaniels at Cocker Meadows, and even though Rocket J. King gets insulin daily for his diabetes, we believe we will be blessed with them for a long time to come.

Thank you to all of our Shamrock contributors. It wouldn’t be possible to do our wonderful work without your support!

Lucy

Left to Right: Danny, Jingles, Rohan, Nat & Coco

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Currently Seeking Forever Homes ... Click the picture (if viewing the di

Cody (Adoption Pending)

Dio

Max

Yogi

Goofy (Adoption Pending)

Stewie

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igital version) or visit www.shamrockrescue.org to learn more

Shadow

Jasper

Amos

Peanut

Chico

Harley Shamrock Rescue Foundation | 11

Remembering Nala By: Maryanne Dell, Rescue Coordinator and Adoption Counselor Nala wound up at a Los Angeles shelter with splashes of green paint on her body. Who knows how they got there? Not that they mattered. She was a lovely girl, and Shamrock had a permanent foster offer from a couple of our longtime friends in Las Vegas.

One of our volunteers drove to L.A. to get her, and after she was checked out by the wonderful staff at Tustana Animal Hospital, she was on her way with Maryanne to Barstow, where we met Joyce, her foster mom.

Nala fit right in with her new foster family – Joyce and Anthony Damiano, their son and their other pups. She was a joy to all and liked to play with toys and the other dogs – not too much play, of course, as she was a gentle, older gal.

The green paint long gone, Nala settled in and became a part of the family. But early in May, she became ill. “She hasn’t been her normal self for days,” Joyce said. A trip to the vet uncovered very sad news: Nala had lung cancer. Joyce

Nala’s Shelter Picture

Nala 2019

and Anthony decided they wanted to provide palliative care, keeping her comfortable as long as possible, until her time came.

That time, sadly, came very quickly. A vet came to her home and helped Nala cross the Rainbow Bridge with her loving family surrounding her.

She had been with them less than a year and a half.

Sometimes, people wonder why we save older dogs. Why not save puppies, who are so easy to adopt? This is one of the reasons. Puppies are easy to find homes for; everyone, it seems, wants a pup. Or, if they want an “older” dog, they mean 3, 4 or maybe 5 years old. Once a dog gets near to or hits double digits, it seems they don’t warrant consideration.

But not everyone thinks that way. We are ever grateful for people like the Damianos who open their hearts to older dogs and provide love and a home at the end of their lives.

How to Help Thank you for your support! Without our donors, fosters, and adopters, we wouldn’t be able to continue to save dogs that are facing death in area shelters. We are so grateful to each and everyone of you. We have no paid employees. All rescues, adoptions, animal transports, media, administration and other work is completed by volunteers. 100 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to the rescue and care of the animals. All other expenses are absorbed by caring people.

To donate, please visit:

Or Mail a Check to:

www.shamrockrescue.org/info/donate

Shamrock Rescue Foundation 13882 Hewes Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705

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