Mutts and Mittens Manor Rescue and Transport

Whats that saying about the best laid plans. ..something about God laughing?

Transport volunteer Carol W was set to welcome her new grandson into the world on Tuesday. But babies come when they will and Tuesday turned into late Thursday and the new grandma needed some rest instead of driving Aurora at 6:30 am.

And this was well and good. Aurora and I made it to the meeting location and hand off with no issues.

But i was hungry and craving Huddle House, which is in a town i pass through on the way home. So Huddle House, here I come...

Except its closed.

Driven by a powerful rumbly in my tumbly, i ended up at a McDonalds drive thru with a number 10 breakfast.

But the hashbrowns were overcooked and a bit too dark and greasy for my liking.

But as I drove the backroads home, i stumbled upon a dog, badly limping, in the middle of the road, with no nearby homes.

I fished that burnt hashbrown out the bag and used it to make friends with our new dog: Hashbrown. A few nibbles and he was happy to ride home with me.

Hes now resting on a large comforter with a full belly and some flea meds on board.

Please give a warm, MMM welcome to Hashbrown. He might not have been part of my plans...but im glad events conspired to make us meet!

Mea Culpa! Mea Culpa! I had not realized it was so long since we did any updates!

As many of you know, we have slowed down immensely in order to focus on our feral dogs. On June 24, 2022, we had 21 Feral Dogs in our program...and because of the volume we were doing, they were not getting the attention or work or socializing they needed in order to get the Furever Homes they, too, deserve.

Today, we have just 5 feral dogs left as the rest have moved on to their Happy Ever Afters. Over the last couple of months, we have been focusing on Dottie, anticipating that she would be the next one out.

Dottie came to us several years ago. She was always super scared but absolutely NEVER aggressive. This girl is all flight, no bite. And I've always been completely in love with her sweet smooshy face and her sorrowful eyes.

Dottie is now walking on leash, has become more independent in the house and occasionally even dares to explore. Dottie does best with other social dogs...even ones who visit her by surprise (we recently had an overnight escape in which Pancake left his room and climbed into her room, landing on her when he jumped in. After the initial startled yelp, they quickly started to play and I had my hands full separating them! :) ).

We are continuing to work with her by challenging her routine and expectations. Things like strange noises as she passes by on leash, trying to get her used to "life sounds". We also continue to expand her human horizons/interactions. Mostly, we are still working on building her confidence, which is happening in millimeters,, not even inches. But she is a lovely lovely dog and I know someone out there will love her!

In the meantime, our pantry is once again empty: we need dog food and lots of yummy treats to motivate Dottie (and others) to learn! Your tax-deductible gift will be greatly appreciated by the hungry pups and by us as we try to win them over!

Venmo
Paypal: www.paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor

So....i pulled blind cat Helen not realizing how extremely low we are on cat supplies. We need wet and dry cat food, litter, disposable litter pans (prevents reinfection with coccidia as bleach does not kill it), litter...it would also be nice to pick up a second bed for her so we can wash it.

Helen is an absolute sweetheart and didnt get the blind memo. She is playful and affectionate and greets me every time i am near.

You can help us help Helen via venmo or paypal at www.paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor

HELP! I pulled several puppies at the shelter the other day....but i have no puppy food! I need to pick up a few bags today.

While puppies may be small, their growing bodies require a massive amount of nutrients and calories in order to grow. To ensure they get enough, and to ensure they never see food as a limited resource that needs to be guarded, we free feed all our puppies. This means we go through puppy food much much faster than adult food.

The food we feed puppies is currently $65 per bag. It has a tiny kibble small enough for the mouths of the tiniest puppies and is calorically and nutritionally dense.

Please pitch in to feed the puppies!

Venmo
Www.paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor

I was at the shelter picking up a beagle and a blind cat and found this little guy hunkered down in the back of his shoreline, quivering in fear.

All of 5 pounds and maybe 6 weeks old, he is far too young to be without his mama and littermates...but alone he was.

He is still quivering a little bit. But he is sitting in my lap helping me eat my lunch and having the occasional nibble on my nose.

Please give a warm, MMM Welcome to Tigger. Im pretty sure he is going to live up to that name when he is past his fear and has some good nutrition.

Keeley, of the Gibson Street Gang, is checking in from happily-ever-after! As you can see, she has a big comfy human bed, fuzzy blankets, Lambie, and a human to smile at. What more could a spoiled pup want?

This girl came to us naked with mange, with a broken hip, pregnant, and feral as hell. She was scared, hormonal, and in pain and that made her mean. But we stuck it out with her...and this joyful, sweet, affectionate, silly dog is what emerged when given time, space, understanding...

She was with us for a few years...but she was worth it! I think her family agrees.

The OB Wyndham, Debbie Young (for some reason I cant tag anyone), and staff did it again!

A few weeks back, the hotel had donated some 20 bins of imperfect linens to area rescues. And last week, they donated 50 more bins! Below are just a couple of the bins so you can see just how MUCH 50 "bins" is!

Once again, there were reps from several local orgs. Once again there was cooperation, joking, laughing....and a whole lotta sweating!

We are getting the system honed more. The parking is better. The stacking and packing is improving. We are more familiar with who prefers which linen.

And this time, there was even a group lunch after...which I had to miss due to other commitments. But next time, ladies, count me in!!

I cannot express how kind and helpful all the staff are, how much we appreciate the linens and the work that goes into coordinating this effort! And most of all, how much we appreciate being included!

I forgot to take pics of the van full, but i remembered to take some once it was half empty!

Many many thanks from us and from the dogs and cats who benefit from your generosity!

I got this beautiful girl in my inbox last Friday. This is Paris from many many years ago. She was young then, and infinitely naughty. Now she is old and still infinitely naughty!

She was never actually ours...but because no good deed goes unpunished, she was here for rather a long time.

Angela at Peace, Love and Paws, Inc. reached out about an owner surrender boxer who was pregnant. The dog had rescue in Delaware but needed help getting ready for transport, which takes a few days. She didnt have any fosters available.

So off I went to pick up this very pregnant boxer. The plan was she was staying the night with me, and the next day I was taking her to the vet for shots and health certificate. The day after, she was hopping a paid transport.

So day two, I load Paris' pregnant butt into the back of the minivan and off we went to see Dr. O at Saint Frances Animal Center . I ran in to get Dr O and when we came out and opened the back of the van, Paris was sitting there, proudly showing us her first born. Dr O cracked up laughing and said, "No health certificate for you" and we roared with laughter. Paris gave birth to 7 puppies in the back of the minivan😂😂😂

This girl became one of my all time favorites as she was chock FULL of boxer personality. She took over the Manor and left no piece of furniture unturned. Literally. She turned it ALL upside down.

Her foster mama at Doggone Happy Animal Rescue Inc became her furever mama...and went on to help us with Wheelie the Boxer later.

SOS!!! I need to do a supply run today.

The food pictured here is ALL the food we have.

Im out of dog bribes...aka biscuits.

I have 3 containers of wet food used to administer meds.

I have 2 rolls of paper towels, 4 garbage bags, and 6 laundry pads.

The van is on empty...and so is the bank account!

I need $300 just to pick up basic supplies and food. I have $27.03

HELP!

Venmo

Www.paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor.

Thank you!!!

This beautiful bracelet is available through a friend's etsy shops. The proceeds of this bracelet are being donated to us...but her shop has other cool items, and some that support other rescues, as well! Check it out!

UPDATE ~ SOLD!

WOOF! This one of a kind bracelet is available in my shop and 100% of the purchase price will be donated to Mutts and Mittens Manor Rescue and Transport. This amazing rescue takes in dogs that most people would describe as hopeless, but there is always hope. The many dogs that have been saved, prove it!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1716671969/typewriter-key-bracelet-woof-vintage?click_key=16642c78ab8469a2fd50dfbc65b117436d1c2a53%3A1716671969&click_sum=0d44d827&ref=shop_home_active_1

My semi-feral residents often remind me of the Rainman. There is a scene where he has a complete meltdown because his brother tried to make him buy underwear at the wrong kmart. He only buys his underwear at the Kmart on 99 Valentine Street. No other kmart will do.

The semi-ferals are also that rigid about their structure and the way we do things. And this morning, I had a brain fart that caused Paprika to lose her mind.

Our fence is divided into 2 sections. Pancake goes out the side door and Paprika goes out the front door. Not thinking, I opened the side door and let Paprika out of her crate.

She knew i wanted her to go out. But there was NO WAY she was going out the wrong door. The grass is NOT greener over there! No amount of coaxing, bribes with treats, or herding with my big arms spread, was going to shoo her out the wrong door.

Instead she took up a defensive position behind Pancake's crate, thus drawing him into the melee. His barking ramped up her anxiety and she became even less reasonable.

45 minutes later, i finally resorted to tossing a treat in her crate. She was happy to go in there.

And now i cant get her to go out the front door either.

Its going to be a LOOOOONNNNNGGG day!

😂😂😂

This does not look like much but its actually an EPIC VICTORY. You see, it is Pancake. At the vet. To get his balls off. It has taken 3 years, 10 appointments, 9 vicious battles that ended in blood shed--my blood, not his. But THIS time, the 10th try, we got it done! He is now a ball-less wonder!

Pancake was found living out of a dumpster in Hemingway, feral af. In fact, he is one of the "meanest" dogs I had ever had here. Most feral dogs run and hide from strangers...but not Pancake. Nope. Not him.

Pancake would hunker down and bunch up his muscles, then spring forward and charge me like an enraged bull. It was scary enough to inspire me, a chunky middle aged woman, to vault a 6 foot fence like an Olympic Gold-winning gymnast.

It took a long time to earn his trust. He is now a really funny, playful boy who is very skittish around the unknown and unfamiliar, but has enough trust to inch closer and investigate. He is smart, and curious, and silly...and now ball-less and closet to his happy ever after.

Welcome to the no-ball club, Caker Baker! You are now an elite. 😉😂

One of our local shelter partners utilizes a private facebook group page to post all their new intakes to rescues. The hope is to have a place for them to go as soon as their stray hold expires if they have not been reclaimed.

Two minutes after this little girl was posted, i messaged the director: she is mine!

Director: i know. I already put a rescue tag on her for you.

A week later, this little lover was ours. I have no idea why someone wasnt looking for her as she had obviously been loved and cared for. She was actually heartworm negative.

Lydia was only with us for a week. She is now with our friends at Pope Memorial Humane Society looking for her forever home!

Recently, our friends at Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary traveled to the Bahamas to participate in a large spay/neuter event in which hundreds of island dogs are rounded up and fixed. Naturally, while there, they fell in love with several of the dogs, none of whom could immediately travel due to health issues and international importation laws. But with the help of several Bahamian rescuers and a rescue, temporary housing was found for the dogs.

It took several weeks, but the dogs were finally cleared to come to the states. On Saturday morning, they flew in to Florida where Krissie, of Rescue Ranch, NC had flown in to meet them. She loaded the 6 potcakes up in her rented suburban and drove them up to us.

On Saturday night, I met them on I-95 and brought them here to the manor for a couple day respite while they waited for the next transport connection.

Last night, Shelter Mom, from Humane Society of Marlboro County came to pick them up. They had several dogs going to HVARs (and other rescues, too) and had agreed to bring the potcakes, too.

I had agreed to keep them, sight unseen. The first time I saw them, it was a picture that Krissie sent from the suburban and I cracked up laughing. I immediately texted back, "of course Samantha pulls two black pit bulls and a nakey baby!"😂

Mama, a black pitty mom to 3 hooligans, doesnt walk anywhere. She belly crawls sweetly, tail up in the air wagging furiously. Punch was naked as a jaybird when Samantha met him...but he is the happiest little guy in the world...no cares, no expectations.

And then there is Pig. Pig was about as emaciated as a dog can be and still be alive. She had recently given birth, but with no nutrients to supply milk, she could not feed them and they were all dead. Samantha knew they could not simply spay her and put her back on the streets. Luckily, a woman from Connecticut who now lives in the Bahamas, offered to personally foster Pig and bring her back to life. Pig is super shy, and is tentative and cautious in her approach...but she WANTS love so bad that it breaks your heart a bit.

Im grateful to be a small part of the massive effort that saved these 6 sweet pups. It is a pleasure to work with like minded rescues and rescuers who commit so readily to the most unwanted, least desirable animals.

Here are some pictures of them as they were found in the Bahamas, as they traveled, and some now. (Im not choking Pig. She loves chin scratches so i was giving her a scratch!)

Look for them soon on HVARS website! These Potcakes are gonna go like Hotcakes!

PATOOTIE THE FLYING POTATO NEEDS YOUR HELP!

She is convinced that she is starving to death! She tried to fill her tummy with a cardboard box, but i took that away. So she tried to eat a roll of toilet paper. I took that away, too. She resorted to gnawing on the dresser leg.

Built like a potato, i was not expecting her to launch at my slice of pizza...but launch she did...flying through the air like a cannon ball with teeth. Mid-air, she nabbed my pizza slice out of my hands, and had swallowed it whole by the time her feet touched ground again.

Patootie the Flying Potato is HUNGRY. She is literally eating me out of house and home. And we are out of food. And our food coffers are empty again.

Food is $50 a bag and we go through several bags a week. Patootie Potato is not the only hungry hippo here.

Please help. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to:

Venmo

Www.Paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor.

Or via the donation link at our website.

Dear friends and ,

Over the last 24 hours we have had 4 different people tagging people who have commented on our posts and directing them to a "muttsandmittensmanor" merchandise store.

Please be aware that WE DO NOT HAVE A MERCHANDISE STORE and if we did, it would be on our own website, not a 3rd party site.

Please do not purchase items through these links. Your purchase will not support our lifesaving work.

Im so sorry for the spam you are receiving. We are reporting and blocking as soon as they crop up.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Tootie Mae's human mama gor her dna tested. It came back exactly as what we expected: genu-wine pure bread GDF (genetic dumpster fire). 😂😂😂

Woot Woot!!!

Way back in September, i received a frantic phone call one night from a local shelter director who had just gotten in a mange pup with its throat ripped out. Could we help?

When animals enter the shelters with wounds of unknown origin, state law requires they be held in strict isolation for 6 months to ensure they do not have rabies. Most shelters can not hold animals for 6 months and the isolation requirements can be onerous.

We agreed to take the little tyke. We named her Louie in honor of Louis Pasteur, inventor of the rabies vaccine.

The other day, Louie was, at long last, released from her quarantine!

She is a joyful, wiggly, cuddly pup who has waited patiently to get her own happy ever after. Its nearly her turn...right after she is spayed!

HELP!

Recently, a cat owner reached out to us for help. A single mom, she and her family lost their home and were living in a motel. With nowhere for her cats to go, she had them living in a camper with no heat or ac and it is getting HOT in there. She had hoped to find a place to live and keep her beloved boys, but that is not happening as fast as she hoped. She tried rehoming them herself...but that also did not work. And she refused to take them to her high kill local shelter.

She also knew that these Butterballs, hand raised in a loving home, were no match for the mean streets. She refused to just "put them out" as so many others do.

That is where we came in!

Smokey and Bandit, whom i affectionately call Turkey and Stuffing because they are as fat as me after a Thanksgiving meal, are sweet, curious, patient, loving big-boned kitties.

They will be heading out on transport this Saturday...but due to their rubenesque proportions, they need a larger sized crate for safe and comfortable travel. Unfortunately, we are out of the size they need.

I can pick up 2 at my local Tractor Supply (the one we need is pictured below). There is no time to order and have them shipped. I just need to go get them. But, as you can see, they are $65 + tax, each. But...we do not have that money available.

Will you please help Smokey and Bandit go home by helping with their crate costs? Your gift is tax-deductible and will be used immediately to help two sweet kitties live the pampered life they are used to!

Venmo

Or www.paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor

Check out our feral little Fallon! He is the Big Spoon, cuddling with his foster sister, whom he clearly adores.

Monday, Fallon had his annual exam....something of a test when dealing with feral little dudes that turn into Godzilla when touched. In order to get his heartworm test, vaccines, nail trim, exam, etc, he requires sedation.

Because he can't be touched, he is not a candidate for fast kill treatment so we had him on slow kill for a year. Unfortunately, he still tested positive for heartworms. Because he also has a beagle nose, we know he sometimes spits out his pills, so we opted to get him a pro-heart 6 heartworm preventative injection. Our vet also advised us to give him another 30 days of doxycycline.

We also bought him a year supply of Bravecto.

The bill for maintaining and improving his health is just under $400.

We can not provide care without your help. Please make a tax-deductible donation for Fallon's bill!

Venmo

Https://www.paypal.me/muttsandmittensmanor

Or visit our website and donate directly through the link there!

And whether you can donate or not...please interact with this post! Hit the emoji button (Fallon would love a little heart for his cuteness!). Comment below. And hit the share button! Post interactions increase our viewership via "the algorithm".

Little baby Soot celebrates her first birthday this week! She has a family with a hooman mom, dad, and skin kids, as well as a fur-sibling. And she made it to a year old!

You may remember that when she was born addicted to steroids, we didnt know if she would survive. None of her littermates even developed properly in utero. Every benchmark that she met and exceeded felt like a miracle.

I carried her around in my bra for a week, then transferred her to a basket. She opened her eyes on schedule. Her ears opened on time. Her teeth broke through when they should. She started eating mush as every other puppy. She learned to walk and tumble and tip over just as any puppy does.

I spent weeks on tenterhooks. Every morning i steeled myself to look at her, thinking this was the night she had passed. And every morning she wiggled a good morning to me.

She made it. A feat made possible because of your unwavering support! This was a major win and we needed all the help you gave! Thank you!

Happy Birthday, Soot!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!

Anarchy reigns at the Manor due to Nabisco's shenanigans!

This little girl was found running down the four lane in the middle of the night. The finder couldnt keep her so we agreed to foster her for stray hold.

Im honestly really shocked that no one responded to our posts on the lost and found pages. She was in good shape--clean, well-fed, well-mannered as though someone has already spent time training her. But it has been 2 weeks, well over the mandatory stray hold period and no one has come forward.

While she is a good girl, mostly, she is also a puppy and she is likely a border collie mix, meaning she is SMART. So, when she wants attention, she just climbs the x-pen, jumps the baby gates, and comes find me. Even when it is 3 am and a puppy launching onto my bed and tackling my sleeping butt, is terrifying....

Suffice it to say, she started a riot amongst the other inmates who all decided they, too, want to sleep with me. Unfortunately, my bed isnt big enough for ALL OF THEM! 😅 Its not even big enough to avoid razor sharp puppy nibbles!

Please give a warm, MMM welcome to Nabisco!

This little girl showed up as a stray at the right home...the home of a vet tech and good Samaritan who took her in, got her shots, and who found her a rescue.

For some reason, someone told the rescue that this dog is "feral". That rescue, not having the resources to help a feral dog then backed out on her.

That's where we came in. And we would like to set the record straight.

1) This dog is NOT FERAL.

2) This dog is shy and undersocialized. But that is NOT the same thing as FERAL.

3) The interests of this dog were NOT best served by exaggerating her issues. In fact, that exaggeration could have cost her her life.

4) The only interests served by exaggerating this dogs issues were human egos settling petty human "scores".

This dog got lucky and didn't pay for human hero complexes and drama queen bs with her life.

We got lucky and get to hang out with this very smart, very sweet, divine-eared girl while we work on socializing her. As it happens, she is easily won over with chicken nuggies.

She also loves a cushy bed and lots of toys and soft ear scratches and sweet nothings whispered in her ears.

Everyone please give a warm, MMM welcome to Taylor Swift.

Little Brad has, at long last, flown the coop, leaving behind...a vet bill.

In order to get her license to travel to the land of happy-ever-after, she needed one last vet visit. She got "the works" that day....

And while she is now well on her way, we are left holding the bag full of BILLS OWED.

So what does happy-ever-after cost? In Brad's case...$500. Can you help us to help her?

https://givebutter.com/ATCs8O

Carol Wallauer instructed me to show up at a specific warehouse at 1030 am yesterday with an empty van.

OB Wyndham had 20 bins of linens to donate. These bins are about 8 feet tall, 3 feet long and 3 feet wide, and packed full of machine folded linens. Linens includes flat and fitted sheets, duvets, pillow cases, towels, hand towels, wash clothes, kitchen towels, mattress pads, and even pillows.

Local animal advocate, Debbie Young coordinates with Sharon and other managers at OB Wyndham and with local rescue organizations. They plan a date and time and then we all show up to divvy up the haul.

The hotel warehouse workers spend weeks accumulating imperfect linens and having to work around all the collecting bins. This represents an inconvenience for them as more and more bins accumulate...and yet...they were helpful, kind, and even excited to help us rolling these giant bins up and down the road to waiting vehicles.

The bins aren't linen specific; rather as an imperfect item is found, it is placed in the current bin. When that bin is full, it is pushed aside and a new bin is started. Different rescues prefer or need currently different linens. Ie the cat rescue was desperate for pillow cases. The wildlife sanctuary relies heavily on the wash clothes, hand towels, and kitchen towels. One of the shelters uses the mattress pads for kiddie pools with nursing mamas. I love the duvets.

So in the beginning, we each rolled a bin to our car and started loading our preferences. When the bin had stuff we don't use, we started swapping bins around. This created camaraderie as we worked together to best allocate the donated linens. There was laughter as we hit pot holes and splashed through puddles.

I helped Candy fill her car for St. Frances Animal Center. I rolled a bin to Sophie who was loading up for HCACC. I had a blast helping and joking with the volunteers for All 4 Paws as they had a hell of a stacking system. And in the end, the A4P folks helped me squeeze the last of the bins into my van. A total stranger handed me a bottle of water.

After 2 1/2 hours, I was the last to pull out (the parking lot is small and the tetris game to fit everyone's large vehicles in left me cornered). I was a hot, stinky, sweaty, hungry wildebeest with a s**t eating grin on my face. It was FUN. It was chaotic and messy and FUN.

Spending a few hours with reps from multiple local animal welfare organizations, seeing the teamwork as we allocated supplies, recognizing the enormity and generosity of the donation, and the immense amount of work that goes into coordinating the effort, serves as a reminder that ... there are a lot of really great people out there!

(PS, OB Wyndham also donates linens and other supplies to some local organizations that serve humans as well. The condition of animals is directly related to the condition of humans; if you can't feed your kids, you can't feed your pets)

PPS Ocean Beach Wyndham is an ocean front property with great amenities. A vacation with them will feed your soul...and who knows...the bedding you sleep in might be the very first blanket a rescued dog ever gets to sleep on!

Meet old man Sam.

Two weeks ago, one of our New Jersey volunteers reached out about this guy. A friends brother-in-law was Sam's person. But he is 78, had been hospitalized for 6 weeks, and would never be coming back to his brick and mortar home.

Sam had been living alone all that time, with kindly neighbors taking care of him. But Sam is used to having a person to boss around 24-7 and loneliness was taking a toll.

Last week, i took a trip up to Washington, NC to get this loud-mouthed, demanding, crotchety old guy...and it was love at first sight! Well...for me.

Sam has made it abundantly clear that I simply do not suit. By all accounts his person was a curmudgeonly old so and so and i have not yet mastered my curmudgeon technique (nothing a few more years of practice wont sort out). And Sam is running roughshod all over me.

Okay. I let him. Grumpy old beagles ARE my kryptonite!

Sam is in good shape (a few extra pounds), but there is plenty of pep in his step and we dont expect he will be with us long at all.

Please give a warm, MMM welcome to Sam!