Perfectly Imperfect

Posted: September 18th, 2011

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, the sun was shining and the air was a bit crisp as I set out to pick some apples at a local orchard. With my basket in hand I began to make my way around to the various apple trees happily picking the little red beauties! There were lots of families with small children very excited to grab hold of the apples. The parents would assist and remind their children to make certain there were no imperfections before picking the apple. I heard more than one parent advise a child of this before it hit me, no imperfections, wow, surely this was asking a lot of a child. There were so many apples with slight imperfections that  could be cut away and they’d  be just fine. The apple was right from the tree not the supermarket. I began thinking to myself, is this what we strive for? Is this what we are teaching our children? Does everything always have to be without flaws? Maybe the child thought he was picking a perfect apple. If this is how people think, then we are in trouble. ABR has so many dogs with some imperfections, maybe a bruise, or evidence of a worm, but we clean them up in hopes that they will some day be the apple of someones eye! I’d like to talk about a sweet girl that has been named Pumpy’nut! This dear girl is battling some health problems and could sure use lots of love and prayers sent her way. With the help of people who care, we can get her on the way to being a wonderful dog for someone! She needs someone to believe that despite some minor imperfections, she is worthy of a loving home. With some money raised specifically for this little lady we will have her ripe for the picking! Oh, and she will be delicious!   Thank you,Trish

“Almost all wild apples are handsome. They cannot be too gnarly and crabbed and rusty to look at. The gnarliest will have some redeeming traits even to the eye.” — Henry David Thoreau, Wild Apples


Please contribute to Plumpy’Nut‘s Medical Bills

Donations: Sam Craley • Buster + Jim Whitehead • Andrew Holtz • The Cornacchias
Justin Tappero on behalf or KSmith • Kim Edwards • Sharon Long
Barberry Custom Cabinets and more !
THANK YOU!!!


Custom dog bowl stands and dog beds to benefit American Bulldog Rescue

We Need Foster Homes:

Florida: Begging : Pugslie needs a foster home! Pugslie is about 6 years old. He is a lovable boy who prefers to be the only pet. He does not like cats and small children scare him. He has only 6 teeth, but eats very well. He has skin allergies, but is on medication. He is now HW-. He is neutered and up to date on his vaccines. His foster parents are moving and he has no where to go. He gets very depressed when he is alone as he loves people and will become very attached to whoever gives him love and attention. Won’t you please help him
Pennsylvania: Marley Mae is a beautiful little love bug. She is almost 11 months old, female, American Bull Dog. She is very playful and affectionate. She loves to cuddle up with her people or rest her head in your lap while you pet her. Marley Mae knows shake, sit and lay down. She loves children, other dogs and cats. She also loves to play fetch. Marley Mae is spayed and up to date on her vaccines. Because she’s a puppy she has lots of energy. She’s looking for someone to give her lots of love, attention and exercise. She loves the dog park and long walks. She’s very easy to please and even more eager to please you. If you want unconditional love and attention then Marley Mae is the perfect girl for you!
Pennsylvania: Tahnee‘s life did not get off to the best start.
Living in a fenced in cow pasture with her mom and brother for the first 6 months of her life is not how we picture the idyllic life of a cute little puppy. She missed all the fun things to do and see that most puppies get to experience. When you meet most dogs, you are greeted with a wiggly tail and probably some big sloppy kisses. When you meet this beautiful girl, you’ll be looking at her from across the room. She is slow to trust new people, but let me tell you. Once she does, she is the most amazing dog you’ll ever meet. She is warm and snuggly, playful, and full of life. She will go for walks with her tail held high and do play bows with you with abandon. If you have the time and love to give, please consider making your home Tahnee’s forever home.
Maryland: Mima ia a laid back beautiful princess. She is just a lovely soul who needs a forever or foster home. She does know some tricks and seems to be house trained. We are so so full and Mima is just sitting in a boarding kennel waiting for her turn to get into a family environment and get to show a lucky family what it is like to be loved by a Bulldog! Mima is in the DE/MD area.
Pennsylvania: SPECIAL NEEDS: Poor Tulip was confiscated from a hoarding situation. She is not in the best shape. She was living in a filthy home with 8 other dogs and a lot of reptiles. Tulip has some eye issues and was seen by a regular vet, has been getting drops which have not been enough. She will be heading to the Opthomologist as soon as we can get her an appointment. She could really use a foster home. She is in boarding where is getting her drops but she needs alot of loving. She is like a little stuffed animal, very snuggly and rather calm. She is located in Bucks County, PA.

Pennsylvania: Zodiac is a 4 year old ANGEL who was surrendered with his “partner” Lexi they were a breeding pair. Zodiac’s “owner brought them both to a shelter on a very hot day. He brought Zodiac into the shelter and left Lexi in the car, they literally had to bring Lxi back to life. Zodiac is one of the sweetest laid back guys around.
Florida: Doesn’t Tango look wonderful? He’s had his eyes fixed and been neutered and now the only thing he’s waiting for is his very own home! Tango is approx. 2-3 years old and is such a fantastic boy! He definitely had a Guardian Angel watching over him when his GREAT (not good-GREAT) samaritan literally saved his life.
She witnessed him falling into a canal in Florida at midnight. She convinced 2 guys to jump in and save him. This was the first miracle in this sweet boys life. He was very lucky that an alligator didn’t snatch him. He’s also very lucky Patty was there because most American Bulldogs don’t swim and will sink like a rock. His second miracle is Patty herself. Patty has taken great care of Tango and got him all fixed up and delivered to our boarding facility until a foster home opens up for this wonderful guy. Tango is going to be a big boy and now weighs a skinny 80+ lbs. I expect him to reach 90-100 easily. He pays no attention to other dogs or cats and just wants to be with people and LOVED. Tango is located in Hawthorne, FL.

STILL WAITING:

Florida: Sweet and wonderful Daisy has waited a very, very long time and hasn’t had one single person interested in making her a part of their home forever. I had the pleasure of spending the entire day with her yesterday (her foster family has to move out of state) while bringing her to a new foster home and shopping at Petsmart for a new bed and manicure and then lunch at a wonderful Mexican restaurant. She greeted her new foster family with wiggles and smiles and lots and lots of hugs and kisses. They are absolutely smitten with Daisy as is every person that stopped to tell her how beautiful and well behaved she was. Daisy truly is an easy going and fabulous dog. I don’t understand why no one wants to adopt her.
She’ll never be anyone’s jogging partner but seeing her greet you at the door with a huge smile and lots of wiggles is so much better in
my eyes. She really is the perfect dog.
Florida: Little Gifford was an owner surrender to a kill shelter by a breeder!!!! He was only 5 weeks old when dropped off in very bad shape. The shelter originally thought he had water on his brain (hydrocephalis) and was going to euthanize him. As it turns out, this little cutie appeared to have been attacked by a large dog and the attack left him with a large abscess that,(as you can see), disappeared with good medical care and antibiotics. Unfortunately, one of Gifford’s beautiful green eyes was too badly damaged and will have to be removed. But this doesn’t stop this little guy from wanting to hang out with the ‘big dogs’! He wants nothing to do with playing with the other little tykes at his foster home….no, not Gifford. He goes charging out the door to play and run with all of the adult dogs. Gifford is located in S. Florida
Pennsylvania: Chubba is the biggest clown around. He is great with chickens, dogs, cats, pigs you name it! Chubba is 18 months old and is great on a leash and funny funny funny! 

Florida: Vinnie is doing fabulous! His foster family says he couldn’t be more perfect! He’s house trained, crated trained and will sit and give paw. He has an appointment on Thursday to remove his stitches and he can be adopted or moved to another foster home to await his forever family!Sweet and wonderful Vinnie was rescued from a kill shelter in Florida. He was found as a stray and sat at Animal Control for one week without any medical attention, pain meds or antibiotics until we rescued him and took him directly to a vet. It appears Vinnie had his face slashed by a knife, machete or some other thin and sharp object. The sad part is that Vinnie is the sweetest and most docile dog and the vet said he probably just sat there looking up at his abuser and was just smacked in the face! Everyone that’s met this little guy falls instantly in love with him.
Pennsylvania: Sierra loves other dogs, she loves cats and she is calm and low-key. Sierra had a really rough life and really needs a foster family to show her what love is all about! “a beauty queen in training”. She is just lovely!
Pennsylvania: You have no idea what you are missing! Chopper is a 1 year old who is the life of the party! He loves people and other dogs and is just so so so ready to be a part of a family.


the kids playing

Florida: Jefferson is PERFECT with dogs, cats, PERFECT in the house and all this after coming from a living HELL. He was saved at the last second from euthanasia in a Louisiana shelter. Emaciated and battling against all of the emotional damage this level of longstanding abuse can cause. Some, like Jefferson, instead completely shut down as their way to cope. We know for certain that Jefferson’s case was one of the very worst. As his wounds slowly healed, we (Jefferson and a huge crew of dedicated staff) worked very hard with an incredible trainer to help Jefferson reintegrate or maybe even just integrate for the first time, into what would be his new life. He would stand emotionless as you pet, touched, talked to him. I’m very happy to say that this is no longer the case…at ALL!!! He likes to be in the company of other dogs, walks spectacularly on lead, has been a wonderful house guest at his fabulous foster home- he has made us so very proud! . If you think you are worthy of this incredible, beautiful, majestic, kind, gentle, smooshy, drooly love muffin please send in an application. Jeff has fought so very hard, now he just needs his “happy tail”! Jefferson and the kids playing video

LQQK there are no more bones! Roxy is gaining lots of weight!
Florida: Roxy Meet Roxy! She was living with a homeless gentleman after an area tire shop closed the doors and no longer wanted her. Roxy is adjusting well in her new foster home. At just 1 ½ years old, Roxy was Heartworm Positive and about 20 lbs underweight, but is getting stronger each day. Though she’s had a rough patch, you would never know from her gentle and loving personality. She loves to play fetch, knows simple commands, and is friendly with other dogs. Roxy has had a long recovery from pneumonia and starvation but was finally healthy enough (after weeks of antibiotics and homeopathic remedy) to start her heartworm treatment! Roxy is looking better each day. She now has a healthy appetite and is gaining weight. From her foster mom: I’m being more careful with leaving food on the table or the counter. If an unsupervised opportunity should present itself (meaning your sausage sandwich), she is happy to take it. She will also wash it down with a fresh cool drink from the toilet, so now all lids must be closed (lol).
Pennsylvania: Topper is a WHOPPER a BIG baby 4 year old American Bulldog, who has lived with three other dogs and is good with them, does not like cats. Friendly, good with kids, does not like scented sprays, loves to
play in the water. He loves to eat, barks when he doesn’t get his way. He is 15 – 20 lbs underweight and should end up at about 85-90 pounds. Topper needs a foster home, he is in our MD kennel.
 

Percilla is overcoming her fears with the help of
Blitz Pet Pros and is making great progress. She needs to go into a home with a male K9 companion.

Pennsylvania: PERCELLA SILLA is ready or her new home. She is fantastic, not perfect but sweet, and as good as they come. She would be great with a older (3 – up), calm male dog and older children. Make an appointment to meet this sweetheart. UPDATE: PERSILLA (aka SILLA) IS BEING PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED BY: BLITZ PET PROFESSIONALS, www.blitzpetpros.com located in BUCKS COUNTY PA. SILLA is doing great as you can see by her pictures, she going through intense training in Neutralization, Socialization, & Desensitization training and she will continue to Basic & Advance Obedience, thus creating a stable dog,( not perfect) but she will be rehabilitated to her best instincts. SHE MUST BE ADOPTED TO A HOME WITH ANOTHER NEUTERED MALE CALM DOG SINCE SHE JUST LOVES THE COMPANIONSHIP OF A FRIEND. If interested in her and the wait, (if approved you can visit her) please copy and paste: https://americanbulldogrescue.org
Florida: Remember the 4 beauties that came in together as “strays” but were amazingly bonded….hmmm. Well Rainbow and Sheriff went to Texas and Duke and Rambo remained in Florida. Duke and Rambo were finally sprung from boarding and have a wonderful foster mamma that couldn’t believe the ease of introducing 2 more dogs to their 2 other dogs. They are that good and well behaved. Bo came to us from a high kill shelter, as part of a group of 4. He’s a stunning bulldog who has wonderful AB physical traits (extremely muscular- large build) as well as a lot of the typical personality traits…he is VERY proud and quite stubborn when he wants to be. He is very loving and sweet though and likes to be the center of attention. Bo seems to be happiest as an only dog. I am hanging out in Tamarac, FL


New Arrivals:

Mississippi: PorkChop is a big beautiful bully boy, approximately 3 years old and super friendly. He is a very big guy at around 100 lbs – and he wiggles all hundred pounds when he gets excited. He does fine with other dogs and is very sweet with everyone that he meets. He is heartworm negative, and ready for adoption. You will absolutely love this boy. PorkChop is so deserving of a second chance at a happy life with a wonderful family who will love him forever. He is so worthy of lots of love, because he surely has lots to give to a loving family lucky enough to have him in their life.

 

Please contribute to Plumpy’Nut‘s Medical Bills

Pennsylvania: Poor Plumpy’nut was found as a stray very early one morning in the Philadelphia suburbs, She resembles a 3 month old puppy at weight weighing in at only 44 pounds and she is between 9 and 18 months old, she should weigh at least 75-80 pounds.
She had demodex mange, fleas and cherry eye, ear infections coccidia and can barely walk her feet are so swollen.
More problematic is her grade 3 heart murmur and a tennis ball size mass hanging under her neck.
She has allready spent 3 days at the Vet, we have done blood work which revealed she has major skin and other infections,  skin scrapes, fecals which reveal many parasites. She is on Baytril (a very strong antibiotic), Metronidazole (parasites) , Rymadyl for pain, Albon  (parasites) and will start Ivermectin for her skin. She will need to be bathed 3x a week with special medicated shampoo. She will need to see a ardiologist, have her cherry eye fixed, eventually be spayed, and have lots of follow up bloodwork. Please send her good vibes. She has suffered more than any dog could endure and we can’t believe she is alive today.
Pennsylvania: OK…we know that Bridgett is not a Bulldog.But she might as well be, she is bad to the bone and tough as nails. She is a little ole’ lady who was pulled off of an urgent list from a PA shelter. We just couldn’t stand to see this perfect lil lady die.  Bridgett was turned into the shelter because she was getting old, it was time for a newer model.  Bridgett is great with EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. Her eyes are not as great as they used to be, and she will not race around your house but boy is she a great companion!
Texas: If you are wanting a friend, a love, a dog who will love you no matter what, it will be Drako. He loves to ride in the car with his jowels hanging out of the window and bit of American bulldog slobber flying in the wind… People in the lanes next to him take a double take as he’s so large and looks a bit on the grumpy side. But believe me, he is sweet as can be. I told him it is ok, someone will see through his large size and see his brown eyes (looks like a masked robber)… I told Drako that he is a head turner for sure. He does walk on a leash.. and sit… he can learn more he as he is a young guy only about 2 years young.
Drako is kid, people, dog, and cat friendly. He has no idea he was dropped off at a high kill shelter just because he needed to eat more than the other dogs… So please never tell him he was almost put to sleep all because he needs to eat. Drako hasn’t missed a beat. He is happy and loving and caring… He just deserves a home that matches what he has to give… What this guy gives is unconditional love and a lifetime of happy moments with his family…
Florida: SWEET and wonderful Charlotte is 3 years old and just a scared little girl. Her prior owners must have been mean to her but she’s quickly learning that her life is going to be as beautiful as she is. Her owner was a breeder that apparently lost his home and was taking her to the kill shelter when someone stepped up to save her. Unfortunately the only place they could offer her was sleeping outside in the hot sun and horrible thunderstorms. She literally came combat crawling into my house. She’s had a nice bath and is settling in nicely. She will never be left outside again. She will snuggle close to you and give you gentle kisses. She had no problems with my cats either. She was nose to nose and just as gentle as she could be. I love this sweet girl and so will you. She needs to gain about 15 lbs and I expect her to reach approximately 95 lbs. She also will need some leash training but I would like her to relax and realize that she’ll never be hit again before officially starting any training. She literally hits the ground when you say ‘heel’. We’ll work on leash training later sweet Charlotte!

 

 

 

Pennsylvania: Apollo Our Apollo is not the God of the Sun; he is the God of Fun!! This puppy spent the first 9 months of his life in a crate only being let out on a leash to go to the bathroom on a patch of grass between the concrete.  He was treated like a fish in bowl being looked at through the wire crate. He sometimes ducks his head when you reach to pet him or touch him which leads us to believe that Apollo was disciplined with the hand. How could someone look at those beautiful eyes and not want to give him the life he deserves.
A wonderful couple in Maryland saved Apollo from this horrible start in life and put him on the path to a better future through AB Rescue.
Today Apollo is like a butterfly being released from a cocoon. Everything is new and exciting, there are things like mud, sticks, grass, and toys that he had no idea existed. He also discovered that a leash has many uses, like walks and car rides. Water just isn’t in a bowl; it is in puddles, ponds, pools, and his all time favorite, hoses. The coolest discovery is that if you are brave enough, there is a thing called a dog door that lets you go outside whenever the idea hits you. You can also chase your foster brother and sisters in and out and in and out and in until your foster Mom says enough.
We are building up Apollo’s stamina since he spent so much time in a crate, his legs and feet are getting used to activity. He has had a few sore days when his legs hurt and his feet would swell up. He also tires out very quickly. Apollo is a very sweet boy who is learning to enjoy being hugged and loved. He wants to be with you and follows you where ever you go. A typical large breed puppy, Apollo doesn’t understand what an OOMPA-LOOMPA he is, one of his most endearing qualities. He is house trained, learning how to walk on a leash and learning appropriate behavior for living free inside a home. He gets along well with other dogs both male and female.  The son of Zeus is a good and gentle puppy that now has a great future!
Florida: Meet Chunk the Hunk, a 1 year old neutered male American Bulldog. We believe he was a stray and found by someone who could not keep him but wanted to find him a good home. He is very friendly towards all people he has met so far. He plays well with most dogs. He enjoys his walks with our two girls and is learning to walk on a loose leash. He still sees cats as a live furry play toy, so at the moment he would not do well with cats, but we are working on what is appropriate dog-cat behavior, so this may change. He is doing very well with house training and learning that a kennel is a good thing and is his space. He loves to play with soft squeaky toys; throwing them in the air, pushing them with his nose to get them to squeak, and doing a happy squeal himself in the process. He does not food or toy guard with us, humans, but he is a bit protective of his toys with other dogs so far. He is a very sweet guy and loves a good scritch. He seems to be a “leaner” and likes to come up and just lean against you or come up from behind and stand between your legs, kind of just to say “hey, I’m here…” Please help Chunk the Hunk from Miami find his furever home soon.
Pennsylvania: Ooooooo sexy Lopez, you know how cute you are. You are everyone’s best friend! Lopez is outgoing, confident, dog friendly and living with a trainer so will know a lot of tricks to impress his friends and family! Oh, check out his brothers Chubba and Gus..but come back and look at Lopez…he is the coolest!
Pennsylvania: Poor Lexi was surrendered to a shelter with Zodiac. Their “owner brought them both to a shelter on a very hot day. He brought Zodiac into the shelter and left Lexi in the car, they literally had to bring Lexi back to life. Lexi is shy at first but comes to life when she has a confident male dog to show her that everything will be OK.
Pennsylvania: Mercy’s pups are 6 weeks old not and will be ready to go home in a few weeks. There are 9 of them! Please fill out an application if you are interested. We do not know who their dad was but we can tell you that their mom is the smartest, sweetest most wonderful girl around.

Pennsylvania: It’s hard to believe but 3 more pups showed up at the same shelter, in the same overnight drop box as our last 4 Waldorf pups. Jack and Jill are 12 weeks old so they are a few weeks younger and most likely half brothers and sisters to the Waldorf pups. There are 2 girls and a boy. They too have demodex mange. Not pictured is their sister Pearl who is equally adorable.
Pennsylvania: Tugg and his brother Mush love other dogs, almost completely house trained, They are located in Bucks County, PA. They have been socialized like crazy they even adore cats!

Florida: Here is the big goofball. He is a lover boy and all he wants is attention. That’s not surprising for this very loving breed. They love their people! He is sleeping in a crate at night and did really well so I think he has been crated before. He needs to gain about 10lbs. He has been neutered and vaccinated and gets along with all his foster dog family at the farm. Tater did test a low heart worm positive and is undergoing the slow kill (safer) treatment and should test negative in a few months.Tater is located in Sebring, FL. Please fill out an adoption application if you’re interested in making Tater a permanent member of your family. You can contact me at hhicarey@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Pennsylvania: Pearl is the 3rd new Waldorf pup who is as sweet and quiet as they come. She loves her foster brother Dewey and her skin is healing slowly but surely

Happy Tails:

Way to go Piper!
Mojo is a super outgoing 18 month old little man who was found in an abandoned building in Harlem, NY. He is everyone’s best friend and craves attention. He is great on a leash, crate trained and working on housebreaking. He weight 63 pounds and will probably end up gaining about 10. He did well on his dog test but will not be placed with another male.
Valentine has a new family including a cool K9 brother!
We are so jealous of Otis’ new family!
Pennsylvania: Guster is everyone’s best buddy, he is Chubba’s brother. he is great with other dogs, fine with chickens, crate trained, shares food, bones, toys, both Gus and Chubba are crate trained, never bark, never met a person who wasn’t their bestest friend. He is is Bucks County, PA

Tribute to Augie adopted in 2003:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6zz9HZ0xo8Y


IN THE NEWS:
http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/newsletter/2010-09/bully.htm

Awesome pics of the week

clara waldorf


morgan, jack, jill and isis


mercy, sydney and a babe.

Buckus (adopted in 2009)is famous!
http://www.compartmentlife.com/2011/08/compartment-visit-beth/