Annie 13-316

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Sponsored by:

John C.
In Memory of Annie "Lucky Paw."
"You have been given a wonderful name by a wonderful person.You are loved very much by many people and all of them hope you get to fully experience the Golden Life to its fullest!"

Chelsea 02-208
   "Enjoy your Happily Ever After, Annie!"

 
With love from your former foster siblings, Belle, Bear, and Nugget.
" May the upcoming year bring you continued peace, love, and your very own forever home!"

 

Annie - Happy Valentines Day!! Love, Nicole 13-351   Annie - Happy Valentines Day!! Love, Nicole 13-351

 

Annie - Keep smiling gorgeous girl! Happy Valentine's Day Love from Cindy, Krae and Lilly Roy   Annie - Keep smiling gorgeous girl! Happy Valentine's Day Love from Cindy, Krae and Lilly Roy

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
10/16/2013  Physical Age 10+   Required Not tested 
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

10/16/2013:

As a bit of background: On 7/16/13, law enforcement officials seized 133 dogs from a breeder in Pine River, MN. Pending disposition of the legal proceedings, these dogs were transferred to the Animal Humane Society, and over the course of the next several weeks, nearly 80 puppies were born. On 10/10/13, all 200 dogs were awarded to the Animal Humane Society. At RAGOM, we were honored to be asked to provide socialization and foster care for a number of golden retrievers. At the end of the proceedings, a number of these dogs were signed over to RAGOM, and we were beyond grateful to accept them into our ranks.

I am honored to introduce the grand dame of the Pine River mill, Annie 13-316. Annie didn't have a name before. Annie didn't know that humans could be kind, or that she was entitled to the things that all of our dogs take for granted: warm, safe places to live, nutritious food, and clean water. Annie was only a scrawny, terrified means to an end - producing more puppies. And produce puppies she did. My sweet Annie is 10 years old, and unbelievably, she delivered another litter of pups shortly after coming into the AHS. These will be her last - it's time for Annie to retire.

That all is Annie's past. Annie has been residing with me for the past few weeks, and slowly but surely, she has started to accept living in a home. Though baths were fairly terrifying for her, she now has all traces of her past removed from her. She did not eat or drink for numerous long days (thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful volunteers who provided support and suggestions during this timeframe), but that slowly changed: boiled chicken was the first thing that appealed to her, followed by bacon, hot dogs, hamburger and rice, canned food, and now - healthy kibble with chicken broth. She resides primarily in her crate, but it is warm, clean, and full of cozy blankets - and she knows it is her safe spot.

Annie has been to the AHS vet as well as the wonderful RAGOM vet I use. She is UTD on all vaccines and preventatives, is heartworm negative, and has been microchipped. She has a double ear infection (surprise) that will be treated with ear ointment for two weeks. At the end of October, she will be spayed, ending her puppy bearing days forever - thank goodness. She will also have several severely infected teeth removed, and have a "cherry eye" repaired. Thank you, RAGOM, for approving these procedures for her. Though I normally don't tend to ask for help, if you've ever considered sponsoring one of our dogs before, Annie could certainly use your help in defraying her upcoming expenses. Other than these issues, Annie is fairly healthy - her brave heart is strong, and her senior bloodwork panel looked good.

Annie doesn't interact with resident dogs Bear, Belle and Nugget, but her eyes follow them wherever they go. She has ventured bravely out of her crate a few times, when she sees them gathering around for attention, and someday, it is my deepest hope that she too will be in the center of things, demanding her own piece of the action. My dogs have been amazingly intuitive with Annie - they are incredibly gentle with her, and there always seems to be someone monitoring her in her crate. (I know - they're probably trying to get at all the nummy food in there - but just let me be delusional for a bit longer...) Annie has also found a true early joy in this new life - she loves rawhides and hard bones and will chew contentedly for hours.

She was the dog with no name for 10 long years. As a way to identify this mass of dogs when they came in, she was given a pink band with the #3 on it. The day I learned she was formally a RAGOM dog, this band was thrown into the trash, and replaced with a shiny new RAGOM collar and RAGOM tag. Annie - I have learned so much from her, and I love her beyond belief. And now we get to the hard part of the story for this foster mom. Annie has a very long way to go, and has needs that I am unable to meet. One is fairly simple - she truly needs a fence to be safe, and that is something that isn't allowed in my neighborhood. But she also needs a foster that is more skilled than I in teaching Annie all she needs to know to grow and thrive. As of yesterday, I moved my beautiful girl to a foster dad that I consider one of the absolute best in the business. With him, I have no doubt she will become all the dog she can be. A huge thank you and hug to Kelly for taking in my girl, for promising that I can come to visit anytime, and for bringing her home rotisserie chicken on her very first night with him.

Baby steps, Annie - you're loved and have the whole world ahead of you!

At a Glance #13-316

Golden Retriever Born: July 2003
Female 45 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:

John C.
In Memory of Annie "Lucky Paw."
"You have been given a wonderful name by a wonderful person.You are loved very much by many people and all of them hope you get to fully experience the Golden Life to its fullest!"

Chelsea 02-208
   "Enjoy your Happily Ever After, Annie!"

 
With love from your former foster siblings, Belle, Bear, and Nugget.
" May the upcoming year bring you continued peace, love, and your very own forever home!"

 

Annie - Happy Valentines Day!! Love, Nicole 13-351   Annie - Happy Valentines Day!! Love, Nicole 13-351

 

Annie - Keep smiling gorgeous girl! Happy Valentine's Day Love from Cindy, Krae and Lilly Roy   Annie - Keep smiling gorgeous girl! Happy Valentine's Day Love from Cindy, Krae and Lilly Roy

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
10/16/2013  Physical Age 10+   Required Not tested 
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

10/16/2013:

As a bit of background: On 7/16/13, law enforcement officials seized 133 dogs from a breeder in Pine River, MN. Pending disposition of the legal proceedings, these dogs were transferred to the Animal Humane Society, and over the course of the next several weeks, nearly 80 puppies were born. On 10/10/13, all 200 dogs were awarded to the Animal Humane Society. At RAGOM, we were honored to be asked to provide socialization and foster care for a number of golden retrievers. At the end of the proceedings, a number of these dogs were signed over to RAGOM, and we were beyond grateful to accept them into our ranks.

I am honored to introduce the grand dame of the Pine River mill, Annie 13-316. Annie didn't have a name before. Annie didn't know that humans could be kind, or that she was entitled to the things that all of our dogs take for granted: warm, safe places to live, nutritious food, and clean water. Annie was only a scrawny, terrified means to an end - producing more puppies. And produce puppies she did. My sweet Annie is 10 years old, and unbelievably, she delivered another litter of pups shortly after coming into the AHS. These will be her last - it's time for Annie to retire.

That all is Annie's past. Annie has been residing with me for the past few weeks, and slowly but surely, she has started to accept living in a home. Though baths were fairly terrifying for her, she now has all traces of her past removed from her. She did not eat or drink for numerous long days (thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful volunteers who provided support and suggestions during this timeframe), but that slowly changed: boiled chicken was the first thing that appealed to her, followed by bacon, hot dogs, hamburger and rice, canned food, and now - healthy kibble with chicken broth. She resides primarily in her crate, but it is warm, clean, and full of cozy blankets - and she knows it is her safe spot.

Annie has been to the AHS vet as well as the wonderful RAGOM vet I use. She is UTD on all vaccines and preventatives, is heartworm negative, and has been microchipped. She has a double ear infection (surprise) that will be treated with ear ointment for two weeks. At the end of October, she will be spayed, ending her puppy bearing days forever - thank goodness. She will also have several severely infected teeth removed, and have a "cherry eye" repaired. Thank you, RAGOM, for approving these procedures for her. Though I normally don't tend to ask for help, if you've ever considered sponsoring one of our dogs before, Annie could certainly use your help in defraying her upcoming expenses. Other than these issues, Annie is fairly healthy - her brave heart is strong, and her senior bloodwork panel looked good.

Annie doesn't interact with resident dogs Bear, Belle and Nugget, but her eyes follow them wherever they go. She has ventured bravely out of her crate a few times, when she sees them gathering around for attention, and someday, it is my deepest hope that she too will be in the center of things, demanding her own piece of the action. My dogs have been amazingly intuitive with Annie - they are incredibly gentle with her, and there always seems to be someone monitoring her in her crate. (I know - they're probably trying to get at all the nummy food in there - but just let me be delusional for a bit longer...) Annie has also found a true early joy in this new life - she loves rawhides and hard bones and will chew contentedly for hours.

She was the dog with no name for 10 long years. As a way to identify this mass of dogs when they came in, she was given a pink band with the #3 on it. The day I learned she was formally a RAGOM dog, this band was thrown into the trash, and replaced with a shiny new RAGOM collar and RAGOM tag. Annie - I have learned so much from her, and I love her beyond belief. And now we get to the hard part of the story for this foster mom. Annie has a very long way to go, and has needs that I am unable to meet. One is fairly simple - she truly needs a fence to be safe, and that is something that isn't allowed in my neighborhood. But she also needs a foster that is more skilled than I in teaching Annie all she needs to know to grow and thrive. As of yesterday, I moved my beautiful girl to a foster dad that I consider one of the absolute best in the business. With him, I have no doubt she will become all the dog she can be. A huge thank you and hug to Kelly for taking in my girl, for promising that I can come to visit anytime, and for bringing her home rotisserie chicken on her very first night with him.

Baby steps, Annie - you're loved and have the whole world ahead of you!

Updates

Sunday, June 26, 2016

 

Annie 13-316 was one of 133 dogs seized by the Animal Humane Society on July 16, 2013 from deplorable conditions in Pine River, MN. She was pregnant with what would be her last litter of puppies and turned 10 years old on July 23, 2013. She had 6 healthy puppies shortly after her rescue. Annie and several of her puppies became temporary foster dogs placed in RAGOM foster homes in September 2013 while a court battle dragged on. Annie first moved in with her first fabulous foster family of Kris N. She likely would have stayed there had they had a physical fence.

Ten years of living in deplorable conditions and having little human interaction left our Annie girl with lots of insecurities and deep emotional scars. So Annie transitioned to my home with a physical fence in October 2013 after the court case was settled with a paltry misdemeanor fine. She officially became a RAGOM dog named Annie 13-316 and was no longer known as Pink Band #3. After fostering Annie for over 17 months and having had only 2 or 3 families inquire about her I adopted her and made her a permanent family member. Annie’s insecurities and previous traumas made her by far the most shut down of all of my nearly 30 previous foster dogs. Slowly over time we did get Annie to trust enough to let her guard down and enjoy more “normal dog activities”. It was over 4 months later and a good a January snowstorm before we had enough courage to attempt our first walk outside of our fenced in yard. She made lots of walks down to the beach and boat landing of Prior Lake and our winter walks on the frozen lake too. Annie really had no clue what toys were about and why her golden sisters loved to wrestle and mouth each other. She preferred the quiet safe haven of her crate or pet bed. Occasionally she would drag a fleece toy or bone to her safe spots. Annie loved our trips to our cabin up north where we could walk down a quiet country road followed by a cool dip in the lake with her pal Indy (see picture). Annie also learned the wonderful morning ritual of her Dad sharing some tasty peanut butter toast (see picture).

My dear sweet Annie was helped to the Rainbow Bridge on Friday June 24. She had some health issues recently. She likely had a cancer all too common in our golden retrievers and when her quality of life changed with difficulty in breathing and fluid in her abdomen we let her go. Holding her paw and kissing her head she went peacefully. Her health has been restored and all of her earthly fears and insecurities have been permanently erased. She is reunited with her sister Indy who passed 7 weeks earlier. RIP my sweet Annie girl and run like the wind!

XOXO

Foster Dad/Forever Dad Kelly

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Annie (Pine River AHS rescue July 2013) wanted me to send in an update to let those who followed her story how she is doing.  It has been slow but steady progress in becoming more of a normal dog living in a home rather than a barn or shed.  

The pictures show Annie enjoying the creature comforts of living in a nice warm home with a big comfy pet bed that was an early Christmas gift.  The day the new bed arrived we came home to find one of the old pet beds completely destroyed with fluff and fill everywhere.  No one admitted to the pet bed's demise so it had to be spontaneous explosion.

The other picture is of Annie showing off her bravery with the early morning ritual of coming into the kitchen for breakfast.  I always make peanut butter toast for the 5 resident dogs and Annie is now brave enough to lick a little peanut butter from my finger tip before eating several bites of peanut butter toast.  That's Annie saying "Rescue life is GReat"!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Annie wants to give a huge shout out to Nicole 13-351 and her Mom, Marsha, and to Krae and Lily and their Mom, Cindy, for the Valentine's icons that you bought for her page and other lucky RAGOM dogs too. Thank you for your love!

Rescues like RAGOM take in all kinds of dogs. From puppies all the way up to seniors and everything in between. Some dogs are healthy while others need extreme amounts of care. One thing that is universal to all our foster dogs is the amount of love we, their foster parents, give them.

Pink Band #3 was the name assigned to Annie 13-316 when the Animal Humane Society seized her along with 132 dogs on July 16, 2013. Just a few days after their freedom rescue, Annie gave birth to her last litter of puppies. She had 6 puppies, Bridget 13-325 , Brady 13-326, Baxter 13-327, Brody 13-328 and two other puppies. Annie and four of her puppies were turned over to RAGOM in mid September to help provide temporary care while a protracted court case drug on between the Pine River owner and the Animal Humane Society. On October 9, 2013 the dogs were officially awarded custody of the Animal Humane Society.

Annie was first fostered with Kris N. while her puppies had been sent in pairs to Judy P and Patty L. for foster care. On October 14, 2013 Annie came to live with me and my resident dogs. This was a very agonizing decision that Kris made for Annie because she realized Annie really needed a foster home with a physical fence. The scars of living in substandard conditions with little human interaction took a very deep toll on our Annie girl.

Fast forward almost 600 days from Annie's liberation from Pine River and you have Annie 13-316 who accepts her Dad for his faults and his quirks. She tolerates me pressing my face to her snout while I rub her ears and give her kisses, plus I tell her what a beautiful girl she is. She greets me when I come home from work with her tail wagging and I gently extend my hand to her so she can sniff me. I think she checks to make sure I am not cheating with other dogs but actually did go to the office and work. She comes into the kitchen every morning to make sure that I am saving her some bites of peanut butter toast. And while I am filling the water bowls with fresh water and getting the other bowls filled with kibble, Annie watches from the doorway of the den to make sure that her bowls are being filled too.

I hope that you carefully read the last paragraph and noticed that I have transitioned from Foster Dad to Dad. That's right Happy Gotcha Day to Annie 2/28/2015!

Annie hopes her story resonates with someone too. You see RAGOM needs more volunteers to open their homes as Foster Parents. Her Dad had zero foster experience nearly 8 years ago. But with RAGOM's training and support all you need to provide is love and a roof. Rescue Matters!

XOXO Annie & Kelly

 

Saturday, January 31, 2015

 

BYRON,LARRY,BRODY AND BETSY BRUHN  Merry Christmas from: Byron, Larry, Brody and Betsy Bruhn

Merry Christmas from Santa to the Golden Seniors! Merry Christmas from Santa to the Golden Seniors!

Saturday, December 27, 2014

First off Annie says a huge Thank You to Byron, Larry, Brody, and Betsy Bruhn and also to Santa to the Golden Senoiors (C J) for the Holiday Icons you adorned her page with!  Your donations help RAGOM to provide care for so many foster dogs.  Thank You and Bless You!

Annie attended last weekend's Meet and Greet in Shakopee.  True to form she found a quiet little space next to the empty kitty cage.  She did eat a treat from volunteer Karen which is a huge thing for Annie.  As you can see from Annie's picture she is very shy.  Her eyes tell you what a scared little girl she is.

Annie wishes her fans a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Festivus which ever one you may celebrate!

XOXO

Annie

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Annie wants to give a big Thank You to Kathy & Hailie Wellcome and Oscar, Chester, and Bernie for buying a Paw Print for the Foster Fan Board at Goldzilla! She also says Thank You to an Anonymous Fan for the other paw print at Goldzilla!

In addition Annie has to say Thank You to Mark M. and RAGOM boy Jack 04-360 for your Goldzilla Walk Pledge that helped Annie meet her goal!  She is humbled by her fans and their love and support for RAGOM.

Foster Dad was busy at the Foster Dog Showcase at Goldzilla. It was amazing to see the large turn out and to share information about RAGOM to the many visitors. I think many of the visitors to the Foster Dog area were not aware that Annie was quietly hunkered down on the back side of the table and display area. We thank those fans that quietly came around the back and offered Annie some gentle pets and love.

The end of September and early October Miss Annie was busy with road trips to the cabin and a visit to Grandma in southern MN. Annie loved our trips to the cabin but we have closed it for the season. It was actually snowing at the cabin on October 3 and for a brief time was enough to cover the grass and deck and dock.

Annie is still a very shy girl when new people are around. She loves her walks with the three resident dogs. It is great to see her come to the kitchen when she hears me getting the Gentle Leaders/Harnesses and the leashes all ready for the four dogs. When we encounter anyone else (person or dog) on our walk Annie will slow down and move behind me. Attached is a picture (thanks Cindy G.) of Miss Annie taken a few weeks ago when Annie went and visited Nicole 13-351 and some other RAGOM dogs and volunteers.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Annie is sending out her public service message that Goldzilla is a mere three weeks away on September 14. She knows that Foster Dad is a little worried as his role as Finance Manager in paying all of the bills for the RAGOM dogs. Annie's fundraising link can be found at:

https://ragom.z2systems.com/campaign.jsp?campaign=7490&fundraiser=22368&team=38&

We hope to see you at Goldzilla on the 14!

Enjoy the new pictures of Annie and her pals on one of their many walks to Sand Point beach on Prior Lake.  The other picture is Annie and the sacrifice she made while Foster Dad and several other volunteers made a road trip to pick up more RAGOM dogs from Iowa.  Don't worry Annie had her full size crate back in less than 12 hours.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

One year ago on July 16, 2013 133 dogs were rescued by the Animal Humane Society (AHS) from terrible living conditions.  One of those dogs was an almost 10 year old girl.  She went from being a dog with no name to being known as Pink Band #3.  In September the Animal Humane Society asked RAGOM to help care for some of the now more than 200 plus dogs they were caring for as the legal case against the Pine River owners stalled.  Pink Band #3 finally was given a name, Annie.  Plus she had given birth to her last litter of 6 puppies days after the AHS rescue.  For Annie and many of the other rescued dogs their lives changed for the better on July 16. 

Annie has faced many new challenges in this year.  Some of the long term damages will never be erased for Annie.  She is very slow to warm up to new people and rarely seeks out attention from her Foster Dad.  For her it is best to stick to a routine schedule.  She knows when the morning and evening meals should be served.  She has warmed up to going for walks with the rest of the pack.  The two times a day I can get Annie to come to the kitchen are when I first get home from work and mention the command "potty outside".  The other time is when I mention "walk".  And her tail is wagging at these times.

The things that do stress Annie are visitors to my house.  Annie will hide in her crate if guests are present.  To get her to go outside I have to go to her crate and attach her leash to her collar.  Then I can coax her to go outside but only if the other guests are not in our path to the outdoors.

The Fourth of July and all of the fireworks that we have had (before and after the holiday) were very upsetting to Annie.  Annie would hide in a corner near me when she heard the fireworks blasts as well as during thunderstorms.  Last week she refused to go outside to potty after dark because of all of the fireworks noise.  She also had a number of accidents from the stress of the noise.

The past can not be erased but the future for Annie will always include lots of love and praise for the beautiful soul that she is.

Thank You RAGOM for partnering with the Animal Humane Society in helping Annie/Pink Band #3 and the Pine River dogs!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Annie wants her loyal fans to know that she is still here in foster land and doing well.  May was a very busy month for Annie.  Foster Dad was away for three days and two nights for a business trip.  Annie and the resident dogs were well taken care of by fellow RAGOM volunteer, Denise A.  Thanks Denise for the great care!

The 17th and 18th of May Annie went on a road trip to Grandma's house for a graduation celebration.  And then just a few days later Annie took a nice long Memorial Day weekend trip from the 21st through 26th up to Foster Dad's cabin.  Annie did very well in the long car rides ( 3 to 4.5 hours).  Annie also did well at both locations with being on the longer 50 foot trailing lead and short leashes to go outside to do her business.

At the cabin I led Annie down to the lake with her pal Indy (see picture).  I can truly say Miss Annie loves water.  She would wade in and get a nice drink and she also sat down in the shallow water to cool off after our walk Friday morning.  I think Annie knew it was going to get warm that day in the 80's.

The biggest challenge Annie faced at the cabin was all of the commotion that came with having 10 other humans coming and going out of the main cabin.  When Annie thought the noise and stirrings were too much she crawled completely under my bed.  So to get her out Foster Dad would have to crawl under the bed and hook her leash and gently coax her outside.  After everyone went to bed Annie would come out from under the bed and sleep on her pet bed.  She was so brave through everything at the busy cabin.

I do also have to let the Annie fans know that she does not care for thunderstorms.  Annie will actually come out of her crate and into the room that I am in when the roar of the thunder is really loud.  She pants a little but usually puts herself in a corner very close by to Foster Dad.  For those storms that have occurred during the night she has actually come close to jumping up on the bed.  I think she stops because she thinks it is full with two other goldens and one cocker spaniel.  So sometimes I have laid down on the floor with Annie to help calm her down and assure her all is okay.

Annie also attended the RAGOM volunteer meeting this Saturday afternoon without any of her pals.  She did crawl underneath the picnic table and benches to have a quiet secure spot.  She kept her eyes peeled for any movement too close to her comfort zone.  She did eat some treats off of her paws that MJ and another volunteer had given her.  The second picture is how Annie chose to hunker down on the floor of the car for the ride home.  After the meeting we picked up some food and Annie actually ate several french fries directly from my hand.  I think it helped that I was not looking directly at Annie and maybe she was really tired from being so good at the meeting for nearly three hours.

Foster Dad still has to get a picture of Annie and her tail wagging.  Thanks for being an Annie fan!

XOXO

Annie

Monday, May 5, 2014

Annie wants to give a huge shout out to M J Brookes and RaeLynne 13-338 and her parents, the M Family, for decorating her page with two more Spring Egg icons.  This will help RAGOM care for the many foster dogs like Annie.  So Thank You for your generous donation and support of RAGOM!

Now that the skies have cleared from last week's unending rains Annie is back in to her routine of going for walks with her pals.  When we come up to other walkers or kids playing Annie always moves away and steps behind Foster Dad as a buffer.  It takes time to help build her confidence in trusting other human beings.  I would believe that life in the Pine River puppy mill and their handling of the dogs was not kind and gentle.

Annie ventured to this Saturday's Meet and Greet in Shakopee.  She buddied up with Hannah 13-349.  We met some very nice people that have been at previous Meet and Greets.  We also met some new people and were amazed that they recognized Annie from her pictures and knew her story.  Thank You for coming out and meeting Annie and the other RAGOM foster dogs!

Here are a couple of new pictures of Annie.  The first one is Annie and Nicole 13-351 from an Edina Meet and Greet in March.  Nicole just was adopted and moved to her forever home this weekend.  The second picture is Annie checking out her backyard making sure the coast is clear before running down the hill to her quiet corner.  And the last picture is Annie sharing her safety zone of her crate with her pal Lauren.  That's Annie in the rear and Lauren up front like two peas in a pod.

This week Annie will have a fellow RAGOM volunteer extraordinaire taking care of her and the resident dogs while Foster Dad is out of town on a business trip.  We hope that the resident dogs behave themselves as we are not worried about Annie misbehaving.  Foster Dad will let you know how Annie does in his next update.  Maybe by then he will also have captured a picture of Annie wagging her tail.

XOXO

Annie

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Sorry for the long delay in sending an update on our Annie girl.  She wants to give a huge Thank You to Jessie 13-324 and her Forever Moms for the Valentine's Anniversary token on her page!  She would also like to Thank the Tyler family for stopping to see her at the Edina Chuck and Don's store on February 16 and for the other Valentine's Heart icon!  Your generosity enables RAGOM to help Annie and many other foster dogs like her.

It has been a bit harsh lately in terms of getting our walks in.  Our streets and pathways have been iced over for the past two weeks so we have not been getting many walks in.  Now that it is March and warmer weather must surely be coming our way we hope to get back into our walking routine.

Attached are some new pictures of Miss Annie.  She is very hard to get pictures of outside as she paces when we move in too close.  So we usually have to wait for her to take a break and then snap a picture or two when she isn't moving.  She loves the snow and will bury her face in it and search for creatures below.  And if it is dark out I have seen her roll on her back and wiggle.

Not much else has changed for Annie's status.  She still needs another confident medium/large dog, a physical fence, and no small children in her forever home.

Annie plans to make another appearance at this Saturday's Chuck and Don's store in Edina.  Just look for the shy girl towards a quiet corner or wall.

XOXO

Annie

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Annie has told me I need to get an update on the site to show off her new beautiful eyes. Annie had surgery to correct the cherry eye on January 29. Attached are two pictures taken by Devon TT just days before her surgery while Annie was at the Burnsville PetCo Meet and Greet. The other pictures are close ups to show off how beautiful her eye looks after the surgery. Thanks to Dr. O. and his staff for the great work and care they gave Annie.

*******************
Before
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*******************
After
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Annie has been an ideal patient with taking medicated ointment in her eye for the past 10 days with no issues at all. She of course is rewarded with tasty treats like peanut butter toast and cod skin sticks.

On the weekends Foster Dad has been getting Annie out for walks of 45 minutes to an hour. Annie walks really nice and does not pull at all. She follows her pal Lauren and every so often decides to circle around Lauren and tangle her leash a little.

Last weekend Foster Dad took a different route for our walk. At first Annie and the resident dogs all paused to give me the look of "where are we going and what are you thinking?" We actually walked out on Prior Lake. We followed both snowmobile trails and car tracks for the most part. We all used more energy while walking through deeper snow on the lake so everyone was tired when we got home. Our home visit notes question regarding "Does your dog chase motorcycles" should be revised to include snowmobiles. Annie and my golden retrievers were just fine but my crazy cocker spaniel, Jorja aka Wiggles, thought she could chase the snowmobiles down on the lake.

Annie hopes you are all staying warm. Look for us at some future meet and greet events!

XOXO

Annie

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Annie has a lot of news to share with her RAGOM fans.  First she has to send a huge shout out to her first Foster Mom and Family (Kris & Rick N and Belle, Bear, & Nugget) for the generous dog sponsorship!  She also has to send a big Thank You to John C and his Annie "Lucky Paw" for the scrumptious Cod Skin treats!  Annie was trying to enjoy one of her tasty Cod Skins when my resident cocker spaniel (Jorja aka Wiggles) attempted to steal the treat.  I can now say that Annie does have a voice though she uses it extremely rare but when she does it is effective.  She growled and Jorja retreated without a Cod Skin treat.  YAY for Annie and her voice!

Now for the really big news.  Yes Annie has been brave enough to venture outside of her safe and secure fenced in yard.  On Saturday morning Foster Dad decided with the new snow as deep as it was it made for the perfect time to try our first walk.  We went early before the plows were out and most neighbors were not out shoveling or plowing their driveways and sidewalks.  Surprisingly Annie followed alongside Lauren on my left while Jorja and Indy were on the right.  We stopped at the Prior Lake Beach for this photo to prove we were out for a walk.

Then to top things off Annie went to her first ever meet and greet at the Edina Chuck and Don's store.  Thank You to Cindy G. for capturing these great pictures of Annie.   The Meet and Greet was very busy and Annie was shy and found a quiet spot next to some chairs and a pet bed.  She only put her head on the pet bed for a short while.  Annie even got to see one of her very last puppies at the event (Brady 13-326 and his parents).  Brady gave Annie a quick kiss and some sniffs and then rolled on the pet bed for some tummy rubs.  What a cute boy Brady is!  If only Brady to could teach his Mom how to do the same we would all be very happy.

Annie's other news is that she saw Dr. O. last Wednesday for her cherry eye that she has in her right eye.  She is a very good candidate for the corrective surgery.  So we hope to schedule an appointment to have this fixed as soon as we can.

Now that Annie has been gently nudged from her comfort zone look for her to make an appearance at the upcoming event at PetCo in Burnsville on January 25.  She will plan to be there from 11 AM to 1 PM

XOXO

Annie

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

We (Annie's former foster family) had the great pleasure of taking care of sweet Annie for a few days over the holidays, while foster dad went to spend time with his family. I can't even put into words my complete joy in having this beautiful soul in my house again, especially at Christmas time!

I am extremely proud of Annie, and was impressed with the small but definite differences that I saw in her. In the beginning if you recall, she wouldn't eat and she wouldn't drink. Not so with Miss Annie this time around! Time after time, we simply placed her bowl in front of her, and sat quietly at our kitchen table, and presto - the food was gone. Now that might not seem like a big thing to those of you who have dogs that pretty much gobble up everything, including their bowls (yes Belle, Bear, and Nugget, I am talking about you), but for Annie, this level of trust is huge.

She still isn't taking treats directly from a person's hand, but we are getting so very close. I thought I had her when she carefully sniffed a piece of beef tenderloin without backing away, but maybe next time. She does, however, gobble whatever treat you give her, as soon as your back begins to turn. The day she takes a treat directly from a human hand - oh the complete joy that many of us will feel!

She no longer needs a full crate, but still is enjoying the bottom half of a crate for safety. However, our brave girl slowly ventured out of it several times while we were in the room with her, to either explore the living space around her, or to spend a few minutes on the dog bed that we placed right next to it. Again, baby steps - but oh so very big for Miss Annie!

Finally, I am including a few of my favorite pictures that were taken during this visit. Since we still struggle a bit with my unfenced yard, I just let Annie outside on the safety of my enclosed deck with the resident pups.  She enjoyed being out there, enjoyed burrowing her head in the snow, and as you can see....she definitely let us know when she was ready to come back inside!

   

Thanks so much to Foster Dad for all that he has done for her, and thanks for letting us take care of her over the holidays. I love this girl with my heart and soul, and am thankful that I can continue to  be a part of her life. She is a brave, strong girl, and I think she is beginning to know that the rest of her life will be truly golden.  Bring on 2014!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Annie sends a big Thank You to Connie J. for the Mitten icon for her page! Thank You Connie for all of the mittens that you bought for the many other RAGOM dogs!

I wish I could say that Annie has come out of her shell but there has really been little change with her in the full 2 months that she has been in our foster care. Her life must have been really hard in the puppy mill that she lived. She pretty much stays in the crate bottom when I am home. I do hear her venture out to get a quick drink of water after everyone else has gone to bed and the house is dark.

During the day while I am at work I do know that she ventures out of the crate. The tell tale sign is finding different chew toys in her crate when I come home. I have also quietly sneaked back in the house and found her outside of her crate bottom. When she hears the other dogs react to my presence she quickly comes and hops back in her crate.

We are taking baby steps in trying to get her used to other areas of the house. I have carried her to other rooms and then set her down but have blocked her from retreating immediately. On a couple of occasions she has actually fallen asleep with the resident dogs lying next to her. Before she fell asleep I was gently petting her and telling her what a good girl she is.

We have been using a 50 foot trailing lead with her outside. This will hopefully help her be prepared for a visit to her first Foster Mom, Kris, for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day while Foster Dad ventures to his family. Annie gets a little nervous when the trailing lead gets taut. Annie is more relaxed and moves about more when it is dark outside. I think she likes to put her face in the snow when I can not see her. Here is a picture of Annie and her snow face.

One break through that I have had is that she awaits her peanut butter toast treat while Foster Dad has his daily breakfast. She will eat her treat without me having to leave the room or look the other way. It is going to take quite a while for Annie to relax and enjoy life a little more than where she is at currently.

Annie wishes her RAGOM fans a safe and joyous holiday!

XOXO

Annie

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Annie needs to give a couple more big Thank Yous to some big fans.  She says Thank You to Maria H. and Chelsea 02-208 for the dog sponsorship they made on Give To The Max Day on November 14!  Annie also sends a Thank You to Lisa L. for donating money to help cover her vet expenses!  And Annie Thanks John C. for the many gifts he has sent and for the new name tag that Annie is wearing in this picture.

Annie has been busy these past three weeks.  She went in for some big surgeries on Oct. 30.  Dr. J. performed Annie's spay surgery, she had three teeth removed, and cherry eye surgery (excess tissue under the eyelid).  They kept Annie overnight so Foster Dad was able to bring her home the afternoon of Halloween.  I took some time off from work so that I could be home with Annie and make sure she was doing well.  Annie was a model patient and let me do her eye drops twice daily for 2 weeks.

When Dr. J. was doing the spay she noticed a tumor on one of her ovaries.  A tissue sample was sent in for biopsy and we are happy to report that the findings were benign.  YAY for Annie!

The cherry eye procedure unfortunately did not work. Annie has an appointment with any eye specialist after the first of the year to take a look at her eye.  Let's all hope that this time the procedure will fix the cherry eye and give Annie something to smile about!

Last weekend Foster Dad's family was in town to celebrate Thanksgiving early.  Annie handled all of the commotion of the extra people in the house rather well.  She hunkered down in her crate and watched intently as anyone passed by her.  I wish I could say that she approached my family for some pets and rubs but we are no where near that stage yet.  I did actually get Annie to walk into the clinic on Nov 15 for her 2 week followup from surgery.  That was huge for Annie.  Granted she was on both a leash and a very secure slip lead.  We still have not attempted to walk Annie along with the resident dogs.  Annie is extremely nervous and paces in the securely fenced yard.  She is less nervous at night in the dark of the yard.  So for the time being we will continue to give Annie lots of praise and treats as we build her confidence and help her to relax.

XOXO

Annie  

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Annie wants to give a huge shout out to a special fan named John C. who not only is her sponsor but he just sent a huge care package to Annie's first Foster Kris N. Annie says Thank You so much for all of the treats, coat, picture frame, bones and biscuits and so much more! Annie was named after John's "Lucky Paw Annie" who was a RAGOM girl that passed away earlier this year. Annie cannot thank you enough for your big heart and generous gifts that you have sent her!

Annie also sends some big thanks out to Ben C. and Kristin N. for their generation donations to help with Annie's medical care! It is so amazing how Annie, like many RAGOM dogs, have fans that she has not even met.

Tomorrow is Annie's big day for surgery. She will have her spay procedure done along with some dental work and also the cherry eye surgery too. We hope that all goes well for Annie and the wonderful care from our friends at ACH Richfield.

Annie is still incredibly shy. She will go outside with my resident dogs to do her chores. But once she is done she really does not know what to do so she paces back and forth along the rear fence wall. The glimmer of hope that I have for Annie occurred this past weekend. I brought a temp foster dog (Kaitlyn) home on Saturday night and let's just say she needed a good bath. Sunday morning when we had Annie and Kaitlyn outside, our neighbor's dog Barley came to the fence and barked. Kaitlyn walked over to the fence where Barley was to see what the commotion was and Annie followed her. For a split second I saw Annie's tail wag ever so slightly for the first time that she has been here. Annie really liked to follow Kaitlyn around in the yard. This is something she has not done with my two goldens or two cocker spaniels. I think Annie understood the bond that she had with Kaitlyn.

We will see about taking Annie to meet some other younger RAGOM dogs after she recovers from her big surgery. Send some prayers and good thoughts that all goes well for Annie tomorrow! We will keep you posted on her progress.

XOXO

Annie


Annie and her care package