Zeta is a 3 year old black and white male who entered the rescue program April 1st, 2008.  Zeta showed signs of neglect and was apparently kept as an outdoor dog and was used for breeding.

Zeta is VERY timid with people and he will only approach people he knows occasionally.  Even when he approaches you, Zeta tends to stay ‘out of reach’.  Zeta will however, let someone he knows and trusts ‘catch him’.  Once Zeta knows you, he does enjoy cuddle time under the covers for short period of time with petting and massages—he generally does not like to sleep with humans because he overheats.

Zeta walks well on a leash and is happy to go for walks.  Zeta needs a home to give him plenty of socialization and gentle, patient attention.  Without actively working to engage Zeta, he will live happily in your home but he may not interact much with you.  Zeta does well with his house training if he is confined to a small part of the house with a dog door or crated but he needs supervision and a schedule when he has access to the rest of the house or he still has accidents, especially if there are new and stressful things happening around the house or his routine is upset.  Once settled, Zeta likes to entertain himself by tossing around plush toys and running around the house when everyone has gone to bed and its ‘safe’.

Zeta will do best in a home with at least one other dog to help him adapt to a new set of humans. Zeta will sometimes ‘play’ with other dogs but ‘play’ is new to him.  Zeta is more likely to ‘follow the pack’ around and watch the activity from the side lines.  Because of his very high level of timidity and the risk of his safety if he should accidently get out of the house, homes with children will not be considered.

Zeta has been neutered, had a dental, is up to date on his shots, and is ready for his new home.  If you are interested in Zeta, please follow the link back to our main page and fill out an application.  Please write clearly at the top of the application that you are interested in ‘ZETA’.  Though prior experience with timid dogs or mill rescues is not required, please include as much detail as possible about any prior experience you do have living with or working with timid dogs or animals not used to human contact.  You can follow up on the status of your application with Lacy at lacyravencraft@yahoo.com

Mo - August 2009

Mo - July 2008

Mo is an adorable 9 year old red and white neutered male who was brought in to rescue July 11^th 2008. Mo was brought in to rescue when his owner felt her lifestyle was incompatible with Mo’s needs.  Mo is a VERY friendly and outgoing boy who meets new people with a smile, happy eyes and a wiggling hind end!  Mo will definitely keep your hand busy petting him and he loves to go for car rides, short walks and to snuggle up in bed with you!  Mo also gets along very well with other dogs.  Mo is likely deaf but you may not realize it right away because he follows people and other dogs around in the house and watches what’s going on closely so he can be included and not miss out on dinner or attention time!

Mo is Special Needs. Recent lab work shows that Mo likely has Cushing’s disease.  Although Cushing’s disease cannot be cured, it is not an automatic death sentence and it is usually not a difficult disease for an owner to manage.  Some dogs can live with this disease with an excellent quality of life for years.  Like many diseases, there are several treatment options for Cushing’s.  Some are very expensive.  Others are not.  Mo is not looking for someone to spend money they cannot afford on his medical care.  Mo is looking for a forever home that will show him he is loved and appreciated each day in spite of his disease.  Mo’s immediate needs are simple:  proper diet, moderate exercise, and ready access to a proper potty area.

Mo is approx 16” at the shoulder.  He is overweight.  This is partly due to Cushing’s and partly due to simple over-feeding.  We suspect Mo will lose some weight [and feel better] on a high quality diet with appropriate daily servings though he will not likely achieve a normal weight or appearance without successful Cushing’s treatment.  Mo enjoys short walks and the regular exercise will help him lose weight.  However, Cushing’s dogs generally cannot tolerate heavy exercise so care should be taken that he doesn’t over do it.   Mo drinks a lot of water because of Cushing’s and as a result, he has to potty more often than other dogs.  Because of this, Mo either needs a home with dog door where he can let himself out, a home where someone is WILLING and ABLE to let him out frequently [including NIGHT time], or a home that can give Mo an appropriate indoor potty solution and train him to use it [pee pads].  Mo IS HOUSE TRAINED and has not had many accidents in foster care even though he does not have a dog door there because he will wake you up to ask to go out to potty.

Mo was not treated for this condition prior to coming in to rescue and he is not in pain or discomfort from Cushing’s at this time.  We have started Mo on medicine [Ketaconazole] to see if he will respond to it to reduce his symptoms [frequency of urination, weight, etc.].  It is possible this medicine might not work for Mo. This medicine costs approximately $30 per month.   IF Mo responds to this medicine, we are hoping to find a home for him that can afford to continue the prescription.

There are many terrific websites that offer information about Canine Cushing’s including this one http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html .  There is also a Canine Cushing’s Yahoo Group for support.

Update 08/08/09:  Mo has lost 6 pounds since he has been in rescue!  Mo will always have a ‘Cushings Figure’ with a little extra weight and a more barrel shape to his body but he looks great and he feels better for not carrying around so many extra pounds! He now weighs 19 pounds.

Mo is up to date on his shots and he’s recently had his teeth cleaned and they are in very good shape!  Look past the Special Needs and take another look Mo’s picture…..  Wouldn’t you like to share your life with this happy boy?  To become Mo’s forever home, please fill out an application by following the links on our main page and write to Lacy at lacyravencraft@yahoo.com to find out where to mail your application locally to expedite it.

Top photo provided courtesy of RedFeather Photography, Mesa [THANK YOU!!].

Paolo is a handsome 8.5 year old blue and white male.  Paolo first came into rescue with his littermate Isabelle in Oct 2008 after they were turned in together to a shelter.  Isabelle and Paolo were adopted together in Jan 2009 but were returned to the rescue program on June 9th, 2009 when a younger Whippet in their new home bit Isabelle.

Paolo is a mega velcro dog and would love to be petted 24/7.  If you enjoy a dog under your hand every time you sit down, Paolo might be the guy for you!  Paolo is not shy about sliding up and under other dogs getting attention so he can get a second helping.  Paolo is friendly with everyone and he he would likely do ok in a home with children. Paulo walks well on a leash and knows how to use a dog door.  His previous home reported that he had occasional potty accidents but he has done well in his foster home having a dog door and a restricted area of the house.

Paolo is nuetered and had a dental in October 2009.  Like many IGs his age, Paolo has receding bums due to dental neglect before he came into rescue and he will likely need to loose a canine tooth the next time he has a dental. Paolo has his Rabies vaccination and ready for his new home. If you are interested in Paolo, please follow the links on our main page to fill out an application. Please write PAOLO at the top! You can contact Lacy at lacyravencraft@yahoo.com for a status on your application.

IGCA RESCUE IS ALL VOLUNTEER.  DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF DOGS IN OUR PROGRAM, YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  THE APPLICATION PROCESS CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS.  IF YOU DO NOT HEAR FROM US WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF SUMITTING YOUR APPLICATION, WE WELCOME YOU TO FOLLOW UP TO BE SURE YOU HAVEN’T BEEN MISTAKENLY OVERLOOKED!

Smokey is an absolutely stunning 6 year old blue fawn male who came into rescue on July 31st.  Smokey has had several owners in his life but hasn’t found quite the right match for himself yet.

Smokey is LARGE and ENERGETIC [Approx 18” at the shoulder and 20-22 lbs is a good weight for him].  Smokey needs a home where he can have plenty of ATTENTION and EXERCISE.  Without attention, exercise, and a home willing to reinforce his manners training as part of a regular routine, Smokey can be a handful.  Smokey will do best in a home with a GENTLE but FIRM OWNER.  Smokey does best with structured exercise.  One of his previous owners reported in difficulty catching him to go home when they would visit the dog park.

Smokey is very affectionate and outgoing.  He loves everybody [big, small, men, women, & children] and is happy to curl up under the covers with you if you enjoy that.  Smokey gets along great with other dogs and will do best in a home with at least one other playful active dog.  Smokey would not be a suitable companion for a frail or tiny dog who might be injured by playing with a large IG like Smokey.  Smokey would rather not be crated but he settles down in one if that is part of his routine.

SMOKEY IS AN ESCAPE ARTIST and cannot be left unattended in the yard even if people are home.   Smokey CAN and WILL easily JUMP OVER a 5’ FENCE.  Smokey might easily escape a 6’ fence if he is motivated to do so and trying to follow you when you leave the house might be motivation enough for Smokey!  He has been known to escape backyard fence to keep his caregiver company in the front yard! We will be evaluating Smokey’s ‘escape behavior’ and update his bio as there is progress in his training.

Smokey will not be available for adoption for several weeks.  However, if you are interested in giving this terrific dog a forever home, please fill out an application now! There is a link to our application on our main page.  Once you’ve submitted your application, you can followup on it with Lacy at lacyravencraft@yahoo.com.

Photos provided courtesy of RedFeather Photography, Mesa [THANK YOU!!].

**Smokey's Adoption is Pending!!**

Bebop is a 7 year old black and white female who came into rescue on October 3rd.

Bebop is not used to being a house pet but she likes it very much! Bebop is a curious and happy little dog who likes to follow her person around when she is not relaxing in her favorite spot. Bebop is very shy with people and she prefers women to men. Bebop may take a while to let you approach her and will crouch/cower when you do. Slow, quiet movements help her feel more comfortable being approached and picked up. Although she might be a little nervous, Bebop will sit next to a person she trusts in order to soak up all the petting and belly rubs she can get. Bebop takes courage from other dogs and she will bravely jostle her way up front to get attention and pets if there are other dogs clamoring for attention.

Prior to coming into rescue, Bebop slept in a crate at night and her previous owner reported that she would regularly have accidents in it. There were periods in Bebop’s life where she was over-crated and she learned to soil her crate because there were no other options for pottying. In rescue, Bebop LOVES to sleep near her foster mom in the bed and she sleeps the night through without potty accidents. Bebop is doing well in her house training with a schedule but she prefers her human go outside with her even though she knows how to use a dog door. Without the reminder to go out and the company, Bebop has had accidents.

Though Bebop crates quietly, she would do best in a home where she does not need to be crated for long periods. Bebop can take a while to warm up to other dogs but she enjoys their company once she gets to know them. Bebop rides well in a car. Bebop has diminished eyesight, especially when it is dim or dark and she can panic if she is in a new place and can’t find her way so she will do best in a home where obstacles like furniture aren’t moved around a lot and where pathways remain predictably clear. It is possible that Bebop will gradually become blind.

If you are interested in this very sweet IG, please return to our main page and fill out an application. Write BEBOP at the top! You can follow up on the status of your application with Lacy at lacyravencraft@yahoo.com.

These dogs are being fostered apart and will be adopted separately.

Buster and Jack were found as strays. We don't know if they are siblings or father/son but they are both sweet, loving, joyful dogs despite the neglectful situation they came from. They are ready to meet you and start their new life with someone who appreciates their happy faces and sweet demeanors. They are both content right next to you, wherever you are. You just can't NOT love these dogs!

For more information on Buster and Jack and to obtain adoption application information on these two cuties, go to:
http://www.silverhounds.org/Senior_Dogs.html
and read their story.

Please do not contact IGCA Rescue about these dogs, but rather visit:
http://www.silverhounds.org/Senior_Dogs.html