May

May, Amazing Young Mama Dog

UPDATE (March 2017: Wow. That is all we can say. May has transformed into the most fabulous pet.

 

Notes:

• First timers: Read from top to bottom. Otherwise, choose a chapter:

  Part 1: Background and history leading to May looking for a great home

  Part 2: May travels to New Jersey and goes to foster home

  Part 3: May finds her home!

  Part 4: May is loving her new home; will have a huge Christmas stocking (click the link to the left for a couple of photos).

  Part 5: February 2017 update: May continues to be transformed.

• Images with a thick gray border may be clicked on for an enlargement.

Part 1: Background/History: May needs a great home!

Hi, my name is May, and I need a loving forever home. I deserve it, because I have quite a story to tell. Sit back and find out all about it.

Thanksgiving is a special time for me as that’s when angels came to my rescue. I had been living in the back of someone’s yard, and on the street, for over a year on my own. People who lived on the property and nearby and who drove by saw me and no one stopped to help.

Finally at Thanksgiving a wonderful woman and her friend saw me and contacted friends at AARF — and that changed everything.

I was so emaciated I could barely stand up. I was afraid of people but I quickly learned that these ladies were coming by every day, two or three times a day, to feed me.

While I wouldn’t let them get close to me, I watched from the back of the property and soon knew their cars. They didn’t want to trespass so they left food on the side of the road near the entrance to the property. I was too afraid to eat while they were there, but as soon as they left, I eagerly ate the food.

There wasn’t a way for me to let them know that I not only needed the food for myself, but that I had seven new puppies to feed. They couldn’t tell I was nursing from looking at me from a distance, because I had so little milk and you couldn’t see any mammary gland swelling until you got very close to me.

Without these ladies, I don’t think I could have kept my precious puppies alive, and I don’t know how long I could have stayed alive myself.

The ladies tried to find out who owned the property where I was living so that they could learn if I belonged to someone and how they could help me more than leaving food for me. After about ten days, they found one of the guys who lived on the property and he gave them permission to help me. He told them that I had shown up there as a stray and that no one helped me, and he also told them about my puppies. He was happy to have them take the puppies and me, as he didn’t want us around. He did help by letting them come onto the property to feed my puppies as well as me, and he helped when the vet brought a trap one day.

They had to trap me since I wouldn’t let anyone get close to me. I wasn’t angry or threatening or anything like that, I was just afraid and very timid. I wasn’t used to people being nice to me, and I didn’t know what to expect and how to trust. I think by the time they brought the trap I trusted my new friends enough that I knew they would take care of me and my puppies, and I went into the trap that same evening.

Early in the morning, the ladies came to check on me and saw I was in the trap and ready for what they had in mind. They put me on the back seat of one of their cars and my puppies in the other car. Going to the shelter was nerve wracking. I had never been in a car and we went over some speed bumps and I couldn’t relax and sit down. But I was pretty sure it was all going to be okay.

When we got to the shelter, my new friends and some of the shelter staff prepared a large open area in the puppy room for my puppies and me. They put out food for all of us, including special puppy milk replacement for my babies to supplement what I could give them by nursing, and good nutritious food for me. I was a little nervous but saw that this was so much better than where we had been, and somehow knew that now we were safe. We had shelter, food, and people to take care of us. The only shelter we had before was under some stairs, sitting on piles of rubble.

My friends came to the shelter every day, twice a day. The people who take care of the shelter animals were there helping us too. You can imagine cleaning up and feeding seven puppies and me. Oh, and a couple of days later another puppy who was about the same age as mine (around three weeks at that point) was brought to the shelter. Her mother had been hit by a car and died, and the vet thought I could take care of her too!

It was strange the first day or two, I knew she wasn’t one of my own and I kept sniffing her to try to learn her background. But of course I accepted her and she became one of the family.

As it got close to Christmas, one of my angel friends had to leave Anguilla for three weeks. My other special friend offered to take all nine of us to her house! She gave us a bedroom, a doggy door, an outside dog house, and a fenced area. We could go in and out, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air when we wanted to, and we had a safe place to stay inside when we wanted to. Our foster mom was wonderful to us, helping us to trust and spending lots of time cuddling and playing with my babies.

As we were getting all settled, my AARF friends reached out to their rescue friends in the States to find loving forever homes for my puppies. The response was wonderful.

All of my puppies went to great homes in January: two to Chicago, five to New Jersey. A couple who had planned to escort two of my puppies to New Jersey sent photos to the woman’s sister, who fell in love with one of my babies and adopted her as soon as they got to New York. My adopted puppy was the first to go on January 6th and the last two little ones went on January 20th. It was hard to see them all go, one or two at a time, but I knew they were going to have good lives.

During January the woman who first noticed me and started all of this new life for me and my puppies came back from her other home, and my other friend who had gone to visit her family for the holidays came back, so I had all my favorite people around. It took me a long time to let even my special friends pet me and hug me, but they knew from my wagging tail and dancing when I saw them how much I cared about them.

When my puppies had left, it was finally “me time”. My friends took me to Morlens where the nice vet examined me, tested, and gave me my first vaccination. Unfortunately I had just about everything you can imagine: tapeworms, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and heartworm.

My life on my own wasn’t good for my health, that’s for sure. Under the vet’s guidance, we started by getting rid of the worms and the tick fever. That was a three week process. At the end of that time, the vet listened to my heart and examined me again, and felt that since I was pretty strong then, my spay surgery would be next on the agenda.

Coinciding date wise, my foster mom had to go back to her home in California, so after the surgery my other special angel friend and her husband took me to their home. I had another nice fenced yard, my choice of a dog bed or sofa for sleeping in their bedroom at night (guess which one I usually chose!), lots of love and good care.

After a week of resting, I had my heartworm treatment. That was not fun, and I had to stay overnight at the clinic where everyone took good care of me. Then it was back with my foster mom and dad. I was a bit of a challenge to them at times since I like to run and chase chickens sometimes, and after heartworm treatment you’re supposed to stay inactive.

But I was good most of the time, keeping as inactive as I could. I liked to spend my days lounging in the yard, barking with the neighborhood dogs and at the boats that went by on the sea, helping my people work in the yard, and sitting in the office or on the veranda with them.

Look at how much I have blossomed since those horrible earlier days.

A week ago my foster parents had to go off island again, but my first foster mom came back and I’m happily back with her. I love them all and it’s nice to have such good people in my life. My rescuer had to leave again too but she keeps up on my progress through emails, and she is always thinking about me. She is so great that she is paying for all of my expenses to get me healthy and keep me happy and ensure that I get a wonderful forever home.

I am Ready for my Forever Home!

It’s now been six weeks since my heartworm treatment, and now I’m ready to find a forever family. My foster families and my rescue mom would love to keep me but they all travel too much and while they will miss me very much, and I think their hearts will break a bit when they have to say farewell (and mine will too) they know that it will be best for me to have a family that I can be with all the time. The kind lady who found forever homes for five of my puppies wants to help me too. She has invited me to come to New Jersey, to stay in a foster home with a friend of hers, while I’m waiting for my forever family.

Just look at how healthy and happy I am! So you can see I am ready for my forever home.

My Ideal Home

My foster parents say that the ideal forever home for me would be one where I will be a part of the family. I’ll get to be inside with them, sleep inside, and have a nice yard where I can hang out when I want during the day.

They will be very patient with me, knowing I’m still a shy girl when it comes to new people. I’m a very gentle soul and I like gentle people. I enjoy car rides and think I’d probably like little adventures like long walks once I get more used to the idea of walking on a leash. I’ve been spoiled with good food including people food and treats; it’s sure nice to not have to find my own food anymore. I’m actually very gentle when eating out of someone’s hand, and when my food bowl is put out I look at my foster parent and basically ask permission to eat.

I have good manners overall; I don’t jump or bite or anything bad like that. I have gotten so I love to be petted, scratched, hugged and kissed. I even enjoyed my first ever bath! They tell me I’m a very pretty girl, with golden eyes, a healthy coat, long legs, and a sleek body. I weigh 32 pounds. The vet thinks I’m two or so years old.

If you think I might be the girl for you, my friends here can answer any questions you have. Please send an email to:

(email deleted)

Thank you for listening to my story, and thank you to all of the nice people who have helped me these past months, and those who have sent me good wishes from afar.

May

Part Two: May Travels to New Jersey

That day towards my new happy life arrived. I was to go to New Jersey to find a foster home and then, hopefully my final home.

It was very difficult all around to say goodbye to my angels and friends.

Next, it was off to Blowing Point to take the Calypso¹ ferry to Sint Maarten. Everyone at the port and the Calypso crew were great as always (they have helped AARF transport hundreds of animals! We can't say enough great things about them. Check out their web and FaceBook sites), and I was not as freaked out as might be expected, even though I rode in a crate. I was alert during the 25 minute boat ride, which was a bit bumpy. Then I got some water, a short walk and it was time to be checked into American Airlines.

¹Calypso has helped AARF transport hundreds of animals! We can't say enough great things about them. Check out their web and FaceBook sites. We recommend them.

Mark verified with the ground crew, flight crew (including the captain) that I was on board. Then it was off to JFK airport in New York. After awhile, I appeared at the oversize baggage carousel, and Sue of Island Puppy Rescue in New Jersey was there. Off to a new foster home.

There was much sniffing and exploring in New Jersey. This green grass stuff is quite amazing. The carpeting and house had cat and dog smells, and it was like reading a long novel or the Sunday newspaper.

At some point in the evening, I got very tired. I found a great dog bed near the folks and nabbed it.

The next day was another adventure. I went with the two other resident dogs on a long walk in a park with a river, squirrels (!), more greenery and of course many, many fabulous smells. I was great on a leash, which surprised everyone. Just a short time earlier, I completely froze when leashed. Now, I trot happily along!

So I settled right in…

…but now I am in the foster home I was headed for if a last minute adoption did not pan out (last foster home!). I want my next place to be my final home!

And I deserve it. You can't say “Amazing” without saying “May”.

And that’s what I am. Some lucky person’s gonna have this snout to kiss!

Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

Part 3: May gets Her Forever Home

May went to visit Linda, who has a nice yard for May to run in, a greyhound and two dachshunds to have as friends and family.

After only a few days, Linda did what we had all hoped for and fell in love with May. Linda is going to love her like she does her other dogs, and we are more than thrilled!

A long trip, but May now has a perfect home.

Part 4: May Loving her new home; will have a huge Christmas Stocking (with a couple of photos)

Amazing May is absolutely loving her new life and is looking forward to her very first Christmas Day in her forever home, complete with her own personalized stocking. Her mom Heather assures us that May's stocking will be full of goodies.

We are thrilled that her Christmas will be very Merry!

Part 5: Update; May continues to be transformed

Passed on from Island Puppy Rescue, who placed May into this great home:

Anyone who has followed the story of May will not be able to contain a smile, a laugh or even tears of happiness upon seeing this photo of this gorgeous Anguilla girl. Her life has been totally transformed from one of starvation, misery and fear to one of love and total happiness.

Her new mom, Heather Lynne B. shared this recent photo of sweet May absolutely loving life!

May now has weekly visits to Petco and gets to pick out a toy or treat each time. She is no longer fearful or unsure. As you can see in her beautiful yellow eyes, life is now fun and exciting and full of love.

If one photo could sum up our work and the work of our island rescue friends, this is the one!! Hugs to sweet May, we love seeing you loving life.

It would be so much fun to see May at Petco.

And we just got this!

Another wonderful photo of May and her mom, Heather. Heather tells us that May fell sound asleep in this position and was even snoring!

We think sweet May has got it made.

 

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