Thank you for the information on Theresa. I wasn't aware of all her problems, unfortunately I haven't got the resources to take on that type of expense at this time. I just hope she finds a good home, she is so beautiful. If circumstances change for me Theresa would be # 1 on my list of a dog to adopt.
I have tried to find Frank @ Hermosa's but with no luck. I have used every search I could find, can someone tell me how to access it?
Again thank you all for the response to my questions.
Kathi
Hermosa's doesn't currently have a Group on the Network so there is no Forum to post in. Are there specific questions you would like to ask about Frank? I can pass them on to the caregivers and trainers and see if I can get you some answers.
This is what I know about Frank. He is eight years old and was rescued after Katrina and brought back to Best Friends. He was adopted by a very nice woman who had a lot of experience with Boxers. Unfortunately Frank had some serious biting issues, so for the safety of her other dogs and family she brought him back. He is red collar (staff only) due to his unpredictable nature. Frank like most dogs at Best Friends is considered adoptable, but he needs a home with an experienced owner who can provide the special environment he needs.
Read more about adopting Frank.
Pat
"The road to a Forever Home is paved with Sleepovers."
Hi Kathi, Frank is the dog my son,Greg and his girlfriend, Mary, sponsored in my name last Christmas. It's ironic because I met Frank in Tylertown when I volunteered with Best Friends in December 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. He used to hang out with his adopter around the fire barrel at night and she would bring him to lunch and dinner. He was wonderful there. I felt so sad to read that he had to be returned to BF. I'll be at BF with pattycatty the last week of this month. I'll look up Frank and see if I can get some pictures and post them.
Thank you for telling me what you can about Frank. I have a real soft spot for Boxers and Pitties. To me Frank is just beautiful and it makes me so sad that he has not been adopted. There seems to be so much focus placed on certain dogs and you hear nothing about others, which I think all should be blogged about. I also thought all the areas had a site including Hermosa's. Thank you so much for offering to look up Frank and get some pictures, I am truly looking forward to it. I also sponsor Little Red (vick dog), and rarely hear anything about her. Someday I hope to go to BF and see all of them.
Again I appreciate your answering my post, take care and have a wonderful trip to BF with Pat.
Kathi,
I don't think there is any intent to focus on some dogs more than others. They are all very deserving. The challenge of getting a Group site up and running on the Network that features the animals who reside at Best Friends is a steep one. The true animal experts are the many caregivers and trainers who devote their entire day to their care and then go home to their own animals at night. It's easy to understand why they wouldn't want to devote hours after work posting updates on the Network. We've been lucky that caregivers like Kathy at Amra's, John at Conrad & Leopold's and Jenn at The Fairway have been able to squeeze in some time and keep their Group sites current and interesting. And I know the members really appreciate all their hard work. I try my best from afar and with the help of local volunteer Jeanne, Heidi from Hydro and Tamara the Lodge trainer to post updates on the Lodge residents. But there are still many animal areas that aren't represented on the Network, so their residents don't have a lot written about them. Maybe in the future that will change.
The majority of posts about the dogs come from members like yourself. Volunteers post stories and photos after their visits. Since volunteers can only interact with the green collar and purple collar dogs, they are written about most frequently. The red collar dogs (staff only) don't get as much press because the volunteers can't socialize with them. We depend on staff writers for information on those dogs. The Vicktory dogs are an example of that.
I wasn't meaning to be critical of the staff, so please don't take offense. I just thought there were others at BF who also posted on the dogs etc. I can well understand that the caregivers and trainers have their hands full on a daily basis and are probably hard pressed to go home and take on more obligations. I guess my reasons for wanting more information are really selfish which I do not mean to be. But, I truly appreciate everyone responding to my questions and look forward to hearing more about the dogs you all are able to interact with. I really enjoy all the pictures and stories about sleepovers etc. Thank you for your responses, Have a great day and a wonderful trip to BF. If you do see Theresa give her a big hug for me!!!
dixiesherman: I wasn't meaning to be critical of the staff, so please don't take offense. I just thought there were others at BF who also posted on the dogs etc. I can well understand that the caregivers and trainers have their hands full on a daily basis and are probably hard pressed to go home and take on more obligations. I guess my reasons for wanting more information are really selfish which I do not mean to be. But, I truly appreciate everyone responding to my questions and look forward to hearing more about the dogs you all are able to interact with. I really enjoy all the pictures and stories about sleepovers etc. Thank you for your responses, Have a great day and a wonderful trip to BF. If you do see Theresa give her a big hug for me!!!
I don't think you came off as critical at all, Kathi. Just wanted to explain why ALL the dogs at Best Friends aren't on a Forum. Maybe someday. :-)
I'll be sure to give Ms. T a big hug for you. And Frankie and I will check in on Frank. I'm sure his caregivers will love that someone asked about him.
Kathi, just wanted to let you know that Little Red also lives at Hermosa's and there is no forum for that area. She is one of the very shy Vicktory dogs and in order for them to be adopted, they have to pass the CGC. Most of the remaining Vicktory dogs are shy and it will be hard for them to pass the part of the CGC test where a stranger walks up to pet them. And since they can only be handled by staff per the court order, it's hard for them to get pratice with new people. I have taken Little Red on an outing a couple of weeks ago and she is so very sweet. Hopefully more staff from other areas will be doing the same thing and she will get more used to strangers.
Thank you for telling me about Little Red, I have absolutely fallen in love with her, she has had such a horrible life before BF that it is a wonder to me that she survived. I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask a question but I need some guidance to help out a friend. My friend has a Pittie adopted from the ASPCA and he has torn both ACL's and needs surgery. Each surgery will be $2500.00 which she hasn't got. Does anyone have any suggestions to help raise the money to have this done? Or does anyone know of any rescues etc., who could help out?
I really appreciate all of you responding to my inquires about Frank and Little Red, it is wonderful to have contact with such wonderful caring people.
Just a quick picture that I got of Theresa during my internship (sans ball!!):
My favorite kind of Theresa, no ball and freckly ears at full mast.
She is gorgeous, I just want to hug her.
Just got back (less than an hour ago) and am posting my photos of the trip....we visited Miss T each day...
I must say she looks so much better than when we saw her in June...last time I could see her ribs and I was worried about her. This time tho - she looks GREAT !! She appears to be at a perfect weight and is just as wiggly and happy as always.
Rondawww.betterdaysforpets.comronda@betterdaysforpets.com
Has Theresa ever taken a bad photo? I agree and think Theresa looks better than she has EVER looked. I love that she's still wearing her Halloween bandana.
"Theresa The Muse"
One of my favorite things to do at Best Friends is visiting Theresa. I start looking forward to my next visit with the "Lodge Diva" on my final drive out of Angel Canyon when the clock starts ticking for my return trip. Why does Theresa stand out? Let's just say I find her endlessly inspiring and this year was no exception.
My trips now include a group of women who I met on the BF Network. We come from all over the country and meet up at Vegas airport twice a year, caravaning to Kanab like pilgrims to Mecca. We have a social director who keeps track of an event itinerary that would rival Michelle Obama's. The planning for this year's trip involved a wardrobe consultant since we were going to participate in the BF "Howl-O-Ween" costume contest. Oh, did I mention we are a little competitive? They don't refer to us as the "Crazy Network Ladies" for nothing.
We decided on a group costume with a Network theme since the Network was where we all met. The four Network campaigns were perfect for our little group. We all chose our campaign and oh what a surprise, I was the "Pitbull: Saving America's Dog" campaign. I doubt Theresa would have found any other choice acceptable. Given that we were also portraying the animals associated with the campaigns, what better choice for a pittie than the speckled diva herself?
MartiL and I arrived at the Lodges on Monday for a preliminary planning meeting with Theresa.
Theresa was in "green ball" mode and happy to see us.
"Hey! It's the little round catlady. Long time, no see."
"What's that on your shirt? I may need a closer look. Why.....that's me!"
A short stroll ensued and we made a date for a Thursday sleepover. We knew we would need her help fine-tuning our costumes.
Theresa arrives and slips into some Halloween garb. Gotta feel the "mood".
Hang out for a while and get social.
Theresa settles in for good view of the "dress rehearsal".
"Okay, so you got the spots right, but where's my demure pink ear-blush?"
"Ball???? I see no BALL! I thought you were going to be moi."
"Did you fail to notice my eye-patch? It's heart-shaped."
"Well if the judges squint and it's really dark there may some similarities."
"This "muse" stuff is exhausting."
We worked into the wee hours that night, implementing all of Ms. T's design suggestions. She made it to bed before I could even shed my "Hello Kitty" bathrobe and was snoring away as we dowsed the lights. Did I mention, Theresa also talks in her sleep? About midnight I heard her whimpering, something about " the ball.....where's your ball????"
I'm happy to report that with Theresa's help, our group costume won "Best In Show". Frankly, I don't know how Theresa does it. That ball is REALLY heavy (not to mention it also proves to be a barrier to conversation) and I hope her eye-patch doesn't itch as much as mine did. It's not easy being Theresa.
Crazy Network Ladies win "Best In Show"
L to R: Frankie_paws, Felis_sapien, Joy (Network Fairy), YT, Carrie_fosters.
Theresa, you are truly an inspiration, for costume design, style, tenacious spirit and being a good sport, no matter the human silliness around you. I love you dearly and my life is better for knowing you. You may not have your forever home yet, but in our hearts you at home forever.
If you know of someone who could use a "muse" in their home, please send them Theresa's adoption page.
Group photo taken by Molly Wald, BF staff photographer.
Photos of Theresa graciously provided by Frankie_paws and Felis_sapien. Frankie did a bang-up job on my ears, too!