Atsila Wolfdog Project

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:

#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.

#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---

#3: We do not climb on the dog.

#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.

#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.

#6: We do not touch the dog's food.

#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

I will share this every year.

Quick PSA: During the Fourth of July holiday, and the days leading it up to it when folks start celebrating with noisy fireworks, scores of pets run away from the sights and sounds, making the day after Independence Day the busiest of the year for animal hospitals and shelters. Please do your due diligence. And if you feel as though your pet may need medication to help them relax during firework season, now is the time to speak with your veterinarian!

*** UPDATE: Sky is safe with a foster***

CALLING ALL GSD LOVERS!!!

Meet this beautiful girl who is shelter bound and we have been asked to intervene and save her.

She has done nothing to be in this situation, but her person has had a stroke and the family can't care for the owner and this sweet girl so difficult choices are having to be made. They don't know where to turn and are looking to take her to a shelter if we can't step in.

Please help us save her!

PLEASE SHARE!

A little about Sky. She's 4 years young, purebred GSD, spayed, housebroken, she has always been an indoor pet, good with other dogs & cats. Due to her size we would like her to be in a home with older children (12+) but given that her situation is desperate we will consider a GSD savvy home.

Please message asap if you can help this girl. We will get her utd on vaccines.

**Charlotte, NC area** Adopters/Fosters need to be in or surrounding area.

FYI: I know the people who really need to hear this will probably never see this post. But I have to say it as an animal shelter volunteer for more than 5 years.

This is for people who want to surrender their dogs to a shelter because they work long hours or otherwise “can’t give him the time he deserves.” Let me preface this by saying there are shelters doing heroic work at trying to get as many dogs out alive via foster, adoption and rescue. This post in no way maligns shelters.

The shelters across the South are all DROWNING in homeless animals.

So, before you surrender your dog, even if it is a no-kill shelter, there are things you need to know.

• No-kill is not zero-kill. It means 90% of animals leave alive. So up to 10% die or are euthanized. Shelters that euthanize for space will often kill owner surrenders first since a stray hold is not required.

• Dogs in county shelters typically do not get outdoors unless a volunteer takes them out. It is not uncommon for a dog to go days at a time without ever leaving its kennel.

• A lucky shelter dog will spend only 23.5 hours in its kennel because it got outside.
So, if you think that your dog having to spend 10-12 hours in your home while you’re at work is cruel, think about your dog spending more than double that in a 3’ x 6’ kennel. Or if it’s a smaller dog, in a steel stacking kennel half that size.

While you’re at work, your dog is sleeping. I can promise you he’d rather be asleep in your empty home, even a crate in your empty home, than in a loud shelter that smells like fear—no matter how nice the shelter staff is.

So, if you think your dog deserves a better owner than you, don’t dump him on an already overwhelmed shelter. Do the work to find a new owner. Thanks to social media and adoption websites, it is easier than ever before.

Your dog has given you unconditional love and companionship. The least you can do is make some effort to find him a forever home.

"I died today.

I was found by a kind, sweet woman who does wildlife rescue.
I was so sick, I could barely open my eyes.
She took me inside, cradling me in her warm arms, and made me warm and comfortable.
I opened my eyes and looked at her and thanked her for making my last few minutes as comfortable as possible.
But I was too sick to keep fighting anymore.
I had eaten a mouse that was poisoned, and it made me very sick.
I closed my yellow eyes for the last time and went somewhere else.
Please, all I ask is never use poison to kill the mice.
Poison kills owls, like me.
All I wanted was a mouse for dinner.

Stop the use of poison for rats or mice.
Live traps are the best to use. Catch and release.
It only takes one share to spread the word."

Looking for a cool treat for your pup? Here you go!

Dog Ice Cream🐶🍦

Ingredients:
1 banana
4 tablespoons peanut butter (Xylitol free)
12 ounces plain or vanilla yogurt

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Spoon the mixture into mold, and freeze for about two hours before popping out of the mold and serving.

Keep any treats that are not immediately eaten in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container for up to three weeks.

***Available for Adoption***

SHARE FOR ADOPTION

Gio’s in da house! He’s 3 and a Husky cross, but honestly, he looks like a pointy-eared supermodel.

He loves everyone, and we mean everyone - dogs, cats, squirrels, you name it! He’ll be your ultimate hiking buddy, unless you want to Netflix and chill, then he’s your couch potato soulmate. Gio is here to bring the laughs! This guy is a real-life Scooby-Doo, and he’s ready to solve some mysteries with you. He loves everyone, even the ghosts!

Do you have a pool? Gio loves water, and he’ll jump in with his floaties on! Grab a hose and sprinkler, and let’s have a water fight with this goofy guy. Need a running buddy or hiking partner? Gio is your man, and he’ll make sure you have a fun and playful workout.

Are you a fan of road trips? Gio loves them, and he’s a great car passenger. If you work from home, that’s even better because Gio wants to be your office buddy!

Gio’s got leash walking on lock and is absolutely acing it! He’s all about exploring outside, but only if you’re there to join in on the fun. This husky guy is all about fenced yards, no surprises there! When it comes to playtime, rope toys are his jam, and he’ll give you a killer arm workout. And don’t worry, Nylabones and femur bones will keep him nice and quiet for hours.

Since leaving the shelter, Gio’s blossomed into quite the pup socialite, with some serious self-assurance. We think he’d be best suited for a home with fellow dogs and older kids, given his size.

So, are you ready to get in on some adventures with Gio?

*Located in Charlotte, NC area*

Sad but the truth.

Simple Analogy—Why we can’t save them all…

Every time rescue is asked to take an owner surrender- we have to somehow make room on our little raft for that dog.

When an owner says stuff like “I don’t have time to give them the best life” or “I have to move” or “they have too much anxiety” it really falls flat because that means if we bring them on the raft, another dog out there in the freezing water gets to die.

Every day rescues adjudicate life and death by gate keeping who can get on the boat.

Rescues and shelters are the tiny Rescue Boats.
The Ship is our community at large.

The iceberg is comprised of puppy mills, careless owners, backyard breeders, and a$$hats who won’t spay/neuter.

This is why rescue is important.

From the depths of despair to the pinnacle of hope, this is the remarkable journey of a little soul who found salvation in the arms of kindness.

In the 'before,' a world of neglect and hardship weighed heavily upon those innocent eyes, but in the 'after,' a radiant transformation unfolds.

Witness the power of compassion as this once downtrodden pup blossoms into a beacon of joy and resilience. Each glance reveals a testament to the unwavering dedication of those who refuse to turn a blind eye to suffering, reminding us all that every life, no matter how small, is worth saving.

This is more than just a rescue; it's a tale of redemption, love, and the indomitable spirit of the canine heart.

I would like to remind you it’s the time of year to see turtles crossing our roads.

Please give them a brake and if possible help move them along. I'm not asking you to jeopardize your safety but if you can, please help. Make sure you nudge them in the direction they were headed or your help could have been in vain.

Turtles are everywhere thank you. 🐢💚

A poem from a pound dog….

Today is the day that I shall die
My life was short and I don't know why

I don't yet know that this will be my fate
the humans just stood there at my gate

And in their eyes I saw their sorrow
They told me I had no more time to borrow

My 7 days have been and gone
I'm yet to know what I've done wrong

I greeted the humans with a waggling tail
But with their resolved seemed to fail

I did not understand why they cried
They told me again that they had tried

But rescues are full and I'm on death row
and this meant that I had nowhere to go

Except from that room at the end of the block
It was only then that I took stock

I've seen others go in and never come out
And it was at this point that I had no doubt

Today was the day that I would die
And yet I still did not understand why

As they lead me kindly into that room
I knew my life would be over soon

The needle comes out and the drugs take effect
The humans hold me kindly with respect

This is the end I'm going to die
and then suddenly I understood why

I was bred without a care, without thought or reason
Only because my mum came into season

I was bred to be sold, bred for money
At first my new family thought my antics were funny

but as the days past by and the bigger I grew
Left home alone all day I began to chew

Soon they said this is not the place for me
so up went my ad onto Gumtree

Family dog free to a good home
Five months old and no fault of her own

Next the place was even less fun
Kept in a cage with no hope of a run

soon came the day of my first season
And now I was the one bred without reason

My pups were soon sold and I was alone
I really hope they have all found a loving home

Shut up in a cage alone and in the dark
For hours on end, I would just bark

Once again I became too much trouble
so up went my ad on gumtree

the double work commitments forces sale
Only 10months old its a familiar tale

The next people seemed nice at first
But it was not long before the bubble burst

In this place I was trained to fight
But they gave up on that as I refused to bite

They spoke to me as I was taken back to the crate
If you won't fight we'll use you as bait

I was chained to a post by my collar
When other dogs attacked I would holler

this life went on like this for quite some time
But I was soon told I was past my prime

I thought we might have been going for a walk
Yet in the car was no talk
​
And slowly the car came to a halt
I was thrown out the door with a jolt

I stood and watch as the car speed away
It was cold and dark and I had nowhere to stay

It was by this road that I was eventually found
And was taken away by the local pound

And here I lie as I take my last breath
I have one thing to ask as I accept my death

Stop breeding. Spay and neuter pets. Adopt don’t shop.

**ALERT** Unpopular opinion post.

Can we please stop expecting that EVERY dog wants to go to dog parks, daycares, patio parties and have birthday parties with other dogs!

Nobody loves dogs more than me, but I’m here to tell you that dogs aren’t human children. They don’t want to do everything a human child does. Breed can matter when deciding what is fun for your best friend.

Your Husky may have the energy to run, your Retriever may want to retrieve and your terrier may want to chase and grab. So yes, raising them with kindness is paramount, but paying attention to their needs is too. I said it.

This mentality that every dog has to be “social” with other people and dogs is keeping the shelters full, drowning rescues, my days long and my heart broken, because I see the best dogs passed over, because they wouldn’t do well at a dog park or daycare.

Not every dog needs to like your friends. I keep one of the dogs in his room when people come over, because he isn’t comfortable around everyone, and I don’t want to set him up for failure. Love your dog enough to respect their boundaries.

Your dog doesn’t want to meet every dog. The reality show you watched about dog training and dog adoption is fake, this storyline is edited to create a good story, not necessarily a real story. Let’s stop these narratives on dog ownership that are SOLD to us and based on making money. Dogs aren’t a business they are our best friends. Remember that.

Your dog can be perfectly safe and happy without overstimulating daycare or doggy birthday parties. Those things are fun for some dogs, but not for all. I want to take my dog everywhere, I want to give my dog the things I would want, but for the love of dogs in shelters everywhere, let’s ask dogs what do they REALLY want?

Dogs want more sniffs, waterlogged sticks, a quiet place to decompress, a space to stretch their legs and you to respect their body language and boundaries.

They are talking to you…listen.

We might be allergic but we love our bees and they’re very important for the environment.

[ Bees feeding on Watermelons. ]

"Bees will take their nutrients from anything which has sugar and moisture.

Feeding them watermelon if conditions are tough is a good idea because it’s got plenty of fructose and moisture!

The photo and information is from Heather Harvey, a park ranger with the National Park Service."

Hi, I'm a crane fly, commonly known as a giant mosquito. Due to the ignorance of many people, they took my life without me posing any danger.

I don't suck blood, I'm not a vampire. Feeding on the nectar of flowers and helping with pollination, just doing my natural duty.

Now that you know me, please don't kill me.

Some pretty rotten wolfers in their natural environment! lol 😁

If only we all respected this credo & taught our young the same.

Educational Post:

These baby foxes were orphaned when their mom was shot for eating free range chickens. The saddest part about this situation is that it could have been avoided. The facts of the situation are, the babies are orphans, the mother is dead, the chickens are dead, and the remaining chickens aren’t any safer now then they were before the momma was shot. Killing one, or even a handful of predators will give any chicken owner a false sense of security, when in reality, the inevitable additional losses will happen when the next predator comes along.

Regardless of how anyone feels about this particular subject, I think one thing we can all agree on, is that chickens are pretty low on the food chain, and even more so if they’re tossed out into Mother Nature’s food chain. We can talk about other predators later, but for now, let’s talk about foxes.

While foxes are primarily nocturnal, most hunting is done during dawn and dusk. During baby season, it’s not abnormal to see foxes out during the day when squirrels and other rodents are active. If you understand that losses are inevitable but still want to free range your chickens, there are some things you can do to minimize the risk of predation.

1. Be unpredictable. Foxes are smart and will scope out the situation to learn your patterns. Keep your chickens in secure coops, and only let them out mid morning or early afternoon, and put back in the coop before sunset. Training your chickens to go into the coop for food will make this task much easier. You don’t have to let your chickens out every day, and can change the times of day that they are let out. The goal of this behavior is to make it so that your chickens are not the easiest target.

2. Remove other attractants. Do not overfeed your chickens. Tossing excessive amounts of food on the ground or in the coop will attract rodents, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. All of these animals will attract hungry foxes. Keep your yard neat and mowed, removing hiding places so chickens won’t be ambushed.

3. Try Guardian animals. Livestock Guardian Dogs can be great guardian animals to keep foxes away. Just make sure your dog is trained to protect poultry and doesn’t have a high prey drive. Sometimes even the best dogs can get overly excited from squawking and wings flapping. I’ve even read that llama’s make great guardian animals.

4. Use fences and runs. A good fence with two rows of hot wire is an excellent deterrent. Or create a portable chicken yard using rolled wire fencing and t-posts. If you want something a little sturdier, there are tons of ideas online for low cost DIY portable chicken tractors with runs.

5. Employ scare devices. Motion activated sprinklers are effective, inexpensive, and easy to use. Flashing lights may work for a short time, but would need to be moved frequently. I don’t know of any repellent that is effective.

All of these options would still require that your chickens be locked up at night in a predator proof coop.

While all of these things can minimize the risk of losing your chickens to foxes, there is no comparison to a well built predator proof coop and run. A predator proof enclosure and run will use a sturdy hardware cloth or heavy gauge wire with openings no larger than 1”. This will ensure that hands and paws can’t reach through the wire. The coop will have a solid floor and secure roof. The run will have wire on all sides, top and bottom. This will keep foxes from climbing or digging into the enclosure.

We recommend that every chicken owner get themselves a copy of “What’s Killing My Chickens? The Poultry Predator Detective Manual” by Gail Damerow. It’s packed full of real life scenarios and solutions and is a must have for anyone having predator issues.

There are better ways to deal with wildlife conflict than killing. Compassion and co-existence is possible. After all, we are all on this planet just trying to survive.