November 2009 Archives

Join Wild Heir and Lowcountry Golden Retriever Rescue at the Mt. Pleasant Holiday Farmers Market on Saturday, December 12th from 11:00 am to 3 pm. Come meet Retrievers of all ages and colors who are looking for their forever home for the holidays!

The Festival is a combination of locally grown fresh produce, baked goods, hot food and homemade preserves. Hand crafted gifts by more than 100 local artisans will include Christmas ornaments, glass work, lighthouses, whimsical holiday crafts, doll clothing, and original art by locally recognized potters, painters and photographers. Live entertainment with a holiday twist will flow through the market. Children activities will include face painting, a jump castle and a visit with Santa Claus. Santa will visit the market, listen to Christmas wishes and hand out candy canes.

Saturday, December 12, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 3:00pm
Location: The Mount Pleasant Farmers Market, Moultrie Middle School, Coleman Blvd.

Grab your BFF (best fur friend) and join Wild Heir at Petsmart in Mt. Pleasant on Sunday, December 6th from 10 am to 3 pm for photos with Santa Paws! Photos are free with purchase of an adorable Christmas keepsake picture frame complete with a green bow and paw prints for only $9.95. Half of the proceeds from Sunday's sales only benefit Wild Heir. Hope to see you at Petsmart. 'tis the season!

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month and Wild Heir is celebrating our one year anniversary of Daisy's Place - a special program dedicated to saving and finding loving homes for Labs and Lab mixes six years and older. Daisy's Place was officially founded on November 5th of last year in honor of Daisy who brought so much love to my life and taught me the joy of adopting an older dog. When the shelter called just six days after she went to the rainbow bridge and told me that there was a senior Lab mix scheduled to be euthanized (because of her age - approximately 9 years old), Daisy's Place was born. Magnolia was our first Daisy dog, and she is happy and thriving and continues to remind me each and every day of all the joys of adopting an older dog! Since then, we have found loving homes for nearly 30 Daisy dogs.

As Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, wrote, "I can't think of a better way to honor a dog's life than to give it a balanced and loving home in its twilight years. I've spoken before about the benefits of adopting a senior dog: they have a much calmer energy, require less strenuous exercise and less often, and are most often already housebroken. They can also be invaluable tools for attempting to balance other dogs in your pack. Nothing beats a senior dog when it comes to showing younger dogs how it's done! Daddy has filled that role for me for many years, and I hope that I can expect many more."

We currently have 12 Daisy dogs in foster homes hoping to find their forever home for the holidays. Opening your heart and home to an older experienced Lab is one of the greatest gifts you'll ever give yourself!

Many blessings,
Melissa
Founder of Daisy's Place
WHLR Acting President

To help Wild Heir continue to save and find loving homes for older Labs and Lab mixes, click here to make a donation to Daisy's Place. Thank you!

Hi! I'm Sabrina and I am a 3.5 year old Lab mix. I am such a sweetheart who has so much love to give. I may come off a little shy when you first meet me but when that goes away, I am a fun and goofy girl that loves to run and play. When I'm having a really great time and get really excited, I flatten completely out on my tummy and pull myself forward with my front paws with a huge smile on my face. It's quite a sight to see! At night when things calm down, I am just as content laying on my bed or next to my foster mom with my bone. I am great with kids, dogs, and cats. I even like to sit on my foster mom's balcony with the cat and watch the squirrels with her!

If you are interested in meeting or adopting Sabrina, or any of our other dogs, please fill out an adoption application.

Can you say personality plus??! Cain is a very sweet and engaging boy who was sadly owner surrendered because he liked to be top dog with the other male (intact) dog in the family. Go figure...He is very respectful with humans and gets along with most dogs-females and less dominant males especially, and doesn't mind little pups either. He's fine with the cats in the house but wants to chase them in the yard, but does respond well to verbal cues like "NO". He loves jumping into his big wire crate and is also trustworthy in the house. Cain is a very bright, alert dog who is very eager to please. He really wants a person of his own to play with and hang out with. He does not jump, dig, chew destructively or nuisance bark. He loves hanging out in the yard or the house with a chewie. He's good with children and would do well as either an only pet or with a playmate.

If you are interested in meeting or adopting Cain, or any of our other dogs, please fill out an adoption application.

Addey is a lovely female black Lab Mix with a great personality! She is very sweet and is a extremely fast learner. She has been working with a trainer for the past month and is a terrific student. Addey would make a fantastic companion for someone who is very active and wants a friend to go running, hiking, and for long walks. If you like outdoor activities and want a loyal companion, then Addey is the girl for you! Addey is ready and waiting for her forever home!

If you are interested in meeting or adopting Addey, or any of our other dogs, please fill out an adoption application.

This is a courtesy listing. If you are interested in adopting Window, please see the contact information at the bottom of the post.

Hello! My name is Window and I have a story behind my name! I was once abandoned by my family who I THOUGHT loved me, at least that is what they told me when I was a cute puppy, but once I grew up they just abandoned me. They actually left me alone in the house. They moved out all their belongings but left me inside. They even took all my food with them! I just knew they would come back though. I sat waiting and waiting and waiting for days on end ! But I got SO hungry and thirsty that I jumped through a sliding glass door to get out. I just HAD to find some food and water. I was just SO skinny! The neighbors saw me and grabbed me up. They took me to the local SPCA where they stitched up and fixed my legs and face all up. They called my foster mom, Danielle for her help. She took me in and fed me some GREAT food. She babied me until my legs felt all better! She fattened me up really quickly! I loved it! She kept me for about eight months to make sure that I would be okay in a home. I then found what I THOUGHT would be my forever home but he has since called Danielle and told her that he can no longer keep me. He is not able to feed me. Since I was uncared for to begin with I have heart worms which the vet has me on what they call the slow kill method- she can explain it later! I HATE cats! So I have to be placed in a home with NO possibility for me to get a hold of those pesky things! Other than that I am a lover and snuggler! PLEASE help find me a forever home that I can finally relax in. I am prob.. between 3-4 years old and still have PLENTY of puppy in me!!!

Please call Danielle at 843.377.5380 or email at Danielle_Robb26@yahoo.com if you can give this sweet girl the loving forever (or foster) home she deserves!

If you are interested in meeting or adopting Window, or any of our other dogs, please fill out an adoption application.

Personality: Sadie is a sweet, cuddly, loyal dog who listens very well. Her favorite hobbies include going for walks, supervising cooking, and sitting devotedly by your side. She's very pretty and feminine and gets lots of compliments on her looks and lovely eyes. She loves to play with you and gets very silly and goofy, especially when she's trying to make you laugh. She's definitely a velcro-dog, following her favorite person from room to room, but will settle down in the house. One thing that she insists upon is sleeping in the same room with you - preferably on your bed, right on your feet or by your side. She prefers women over men but she'll accept men after getting to know them. She does get frightened of strange and/or rough men.

Energy level: She needs her daily walks/runs, but she's wonderfully mellow in the house as long as she gets some exercise. I do one 20 minute walk in the morning, plus a run in the afternoon. She gets antsy if not walked. Even if she's adopted to a house with a yard she should be given walks because she's not interested in more than 2-3 rounds of fetch and won't exercise herself alone in the yard.

Strangers: For a dog that loves people so much, she can be a little wary around strangers in the house and possessive over her home territory. I'm taking her to the park a lot and she is doing SO much better with strangers! She will still bark when people come into the house but is doing much better with welcoming them once she has been introduced. She's better with woman than men and is pretty good with children at the home and dog park, though probably would not be good for a home with small children.

Training: Sadie is SO eager to please and is naturally obedient. After the first few minutes of excitement, she's got good leash manners (except around squirrels). She knows the following commands: Sit, lie down, give me your paw, give me your other paw, stay, wait, come, spin right, spin left, and crawl! She LOVES training time, it's the best part of her day because she gets lots of praise, encouragement, and treats. We're working on not jumping on people (improving, though she still jumps when overexcited). She's got the typical lab mouthiness and loves to use her mouth in playing. Rather than correct her for this, I simply get a toy and redirect her to put her mouth on the toy, not my hand!

Other animals: She is fine around cats that won't run from her and actually has a kitten friend, but she will chase anything that runs from her, including cats, squirrels, small dogs, and children. She likes other dogs but is not good at reading their body language, so she annoys them easily. She also has some resource-guarding issues with food, toys, and affection. While she's fine with dogs in the vast majority of supervised circumstances, she has started a few fights and it's probably best she stay an only dog unless the owner is experienced and dog-savvy. If she does go to a home with another dog, the best dog match for Sadie would be a large, rambunctious, cheerful male dog.

If you are interested in meeting or adopting Sadie, or any of our other dogs, please fill out an adoption application.

Prince Frederick is a very distinguished 6 year old porky pig Lab/Rottie mix who LOVES to eat and will do anything for a treat! Prince knows basic obedience such as sit, down, shake, in your bed, etc..He is great with children small and large and is a real people dog, but also gets along well with other dogs. He likes to go for rides, nap in his big dogbed, go for walks and chew on rawhides. Prince is a perfect gentleman in the house, but also enjoys hanging out in the backyard. He really just wants to be where the people are! Prince Frederick is a suitable companion for almost anyone who has the love and time to give him.

If you are interested in meeting or adopting Prince Frederick, or any of our other dogs, please fill out an adoption application.

Update: Star has been adopted.

Star is a gorgeous, BIG (75+ lbs ), 7 to 8 year old girl who has really turned into a fine companion and baby dog. Star passed her temperament test at the shelter with flying colors but was not dealing with the stress and noise of a shelter setting very well. Coming from an isolated household, she had been completely bonded to her doggie housemates and did not know how to properly meet and socialize with new dogs. After only a week and a half of slow introductions and boundary setting in rescue, Star has become a star at making friends, hanging out with a new pack, and being a super house dog!

She adores attention, but also likes to play with other dogs and collect toys. This gorgeous gal also enjoys sleeping in the people bed (only when invited!) on her back with all four feet up in the air and her head on the pillow ;-)

Wild Heir is proud to be a part of PetSmart's Holiday National Adoption Weekend on Sunday, November 15th from 11am to 4 pm. PetSmart's goal is to find homes for more than 15,000 pets in need and we are honored that our Labby's will be in the spotlight on Sunday. Come out and join us at the Mount Pleasant PetSmart off of Long Point Rd and meet our wonderful Labs and Lab Mixes that are looking for their "Furever" home!

Another Happy Tail ... Nezzy was a Wild Heir Lab puppy who found her forever home during Southeastern Wildlife Weekend back in February. Many of our volunteers might remember her as little "Ella". Her forever family calls her Nezzy and tells us that she has is sooooo sweet!

From Bella's forever mom, Sharon Haumschild:

Bella was my first foster with Daisy's Place/ Wild Heir and is now a happy member of my family and loving life in her forever home! She's doing well after beginning thyroid medication and has lost 16 pounds!! We celebrated with a Doggy Party complete with treats and snacks for all. Bella sported her feather Boa playing with her best friend Hans. She's an energetic and a happy, happy girl. You only have to make eye contact with her and her tail just starts thumping the floor. She's my doggy soul mate and my rescuer! She absolutely loves to lie on the floor and cuddle and lives to go for her two daily walks.

Even though Sharon was a 'foster failure' on her first try - she continues to be a valued member of our foster team. She and Bella have opened their hearts and home to five other 'Daisy' dogs (Wild Heir Labs six years and older) and have given them a safe and loving haven until they found their forever home!

Sam and his brother Seth celebrated their 13th birthday with homemade frosty paws and new loofa dogs!

A year ago, they were dumped in a high kill shelter and then taken into Wild Heir's program, Daisy's Place, dedicated to saving and finding loving homes for Labs (and Lab mixes) six years and older. The sweet old boys were formally adopted by their loving foster parents, Lauren and Jack Holthaus, and recently moved with their new family to Virginia.

Sadly, soon after their birthday celebration, Sam became ill and went to the rainbow bridge. Both Lauren and Jack were with their beloved old boy when he passed away peacefully. Lauren told Daisy's Place founder, Melissa Gray, "even though Sam was with us for only 6 months, he was a treasured member of our family. We were blessed to have him for the time that we did and were blessed to be able to be with him at the end. There is something so sacred about being with a treasured soul when they pass. As hard as it is, I am so thankful that he was with us, his humans, at the end. He was quite the curmudgeon, but that boy did love me unconditionally! What a gift he was to us! "

Adopting an older dog can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. They bring so much love and joy and teach us to live in the moment. Whether they are with us for months or years, each day with them is a gift to be treasured.