Grace (our foreclosure poster child) has moved in with Emma and her caretaker, Kathleen Gutierrez. This news was met with a sigh of relief from everyone who helped get Grace back to good health. She is still a little timid at first but has made wonderful progress. I think it won't be long before she really blossoms into a confident and outgoing little girl.

I will admit that I will miss her dearly, but the point of fostering is to give dogs (and cats) the opportunity to live with a family and learn important social skills.

Grace did hit the owner jackpot with Kathleen. She is a wonderful, caring pet owner; exactly what Grace needs. Hopefully we will be able to get a family portrait and post it here. I just love happy endings!

It's been awhile since I did an update on Grace, our foreclosure dog. Grace had her eye surgery and now sees the world in all of it's glory. Despite a few medical setbacks, she has been making steady progress and is getting more social every day. She will be going on her second play date with a potential adopter and her dog. If all goes well, Grace will have hit the adoption jackpot. I'm hoping to get her to stand still long enough to photograph and post.

Grace got her stitches out today and she looks great! Her eyes are open, curious and pain-free. She is so pretty now and she weighed in at 39.5 pounds. Just about perfect!

She is still very timid out in public, but she's a play monster at home. I tried to take a nap one day and every few minutes she would bound in, give me a sloppy face wash and take off again to play. She has also developed a passion for dragging laundry into the backyard. The clean stuff, no less. This morning, I stepped out of the shower onto cold tile and discovered she had swiped the bathmat. I found it in the living room being used as a tug toy.

She had her first puppy class this past weekend and managed some very effective takedown moves on a black Lab boy. Poor guy never knew what hit him. He spent most of class on his back as Grace showed him the mighty power of the female Shar Pei (mix.)

I just love this little monster but she definitely needs a family of her own to torture. One with dogs that can play at the Olympic athlete level. And in this Eco-crazed society she also doubles as an organic paper shredder. What more could could you want in a girl?

I finally figured out how to get the pictures off of my phone. So, without further ado, I present Grace, and her pillow, Regan:



Grace is the tiny black speck on top of Regan. That's so cute and sweet it's gives me a cavity!

I was finally able to get a photo of Grace's cute little face. Sort of. She tries to kiss the camera anytime it is aimed at her.



What a face! She's actually a pretty small dog. Starvation will have stunted her growth somewhat and she had a urinary tract infection caused by E. Coli. She is only about 8 months to a year old. The good news is she has put on a couple of pounds. She eats constantly (and poops to prove it!) She met some of our Board and members yesterday. Despite her shyness, she did very well (OK, there were a couple of fragrant poops on the linoleum. P-U!)

Her rapid progress is to her advantage; the sooner she is healthy, the sooner her eyes can be fixed. Right now they are making her pretty miserable. For more information about how you can help Grace and other dogs and cats affected by the economy, call us directly at (209) 345-5967 or use our contact form on this site.

Last month I attended the Stanislaus County Animal Advisory Board Meeting. One of the people from the "shelter" informed the audience that the they have not seen an increase in animals surrendered due to foreclosure. SCAS also maintains that the abandonment of animals by homeowners isn't happening. Wednesday night I brought home living proof of the foreclosure crisis.

Meet Grace:



The picture doesn't accurately show how thin she really is. She should weigh approximately 40 to 45 pounds, but at the vet, with a full tummy, she weighed 29 pounds.I had them run some tests to rule out any underlying health conditions, but we are pretty sure she is thin due to starvation. She will need eye surgery to fix a painful condition called entropion. Unfortunately, she has to be at a normal weight before we can fix the problem. I expect her to fatten up quickly; she's been eating like a girl on a mission.

Not surprisingly, Grace was pretty terrified to go outside. She got over it to some extent and I managed to coax her out to the backyard this afternoon. She doesn't know how to walk on a leash and cowers when I put it on. Leash training will have to wait until she gains some confidence and learns to trust me. She's already met the herd and she seems happy to see other dogs.

Grace has a very sweet personality and has pretty much glued herself to me. I will foster her until she is healthy and ready to find a forever home. I plan on being very, very picky about who adopts her. She will never have to go through this again.

I will be regularly updating about her progress. If you would like to donate to help with the cost of Grace's veterinary care, we would appreciate it. I can't wait for a photo where she looks healthy and happy. I hope it comes soon.