Adopt Piglet Marketing Campaign

Piglet has been having a blast here at the house! A few quick updates...

• Piglet does NOT get along with other dogs. She should go to a home with no pets. We are working on it, but for the time being no other dogs. She is iffy with cats.
• She met a couple who was interested in her, but she was not a good match since they have friends with other dogs. 
• We have been taking long walks in Fairmount Park using the Gentle Leader and that works wonders! She walks like such a lady when she has it on. 

Unfortunately, Piglet is now on a deadline. I am getting surgery May 16th and she needs to be out of the house by the 15th at the latest. After surgery I will be unable to care for her while I am recovering.

So I introduce the Piglet Adoption Marketing Campaign. Please share with anyone you know who might want to bring home this loving, rambunctious girl.

Anyone interested can contact me at somedoggyshero@gmail.com

Spring Break 2012: Pig and Ken Vacation in West Philly and an update

Piglet is staying with me for Spring Break for the next couple weeks. A lot has happened since she was fostered by Deb and Regina. She was doing well with them, but Regina had severe allergies to Piglet so staying there long term is no longer an option. They tried finding her a home before Spring Break, but no leads followed through. So Pig moved in for the break and we are going to work on her manners and training and finding her a permanent home. A big thanks to Deb and Regina for trying with Piglet! Only wish the circumstances would have been better.

UPenn spayed her and discovered that Piglet does NOT have mammary tumors! It turns out that her lymph nodes are just enlarged. She went into heat before the surgery and had to wear a diaper around the house. The surgery went well and she is about a week into her two week recovery. She has to take it easy for these two weeks, so no jumping, running, or excessive activity.

That does not appear to be a problem at all for Pig.












I was on my futon this morning and she stepped up and nudged herself on the little bit she had and got comfortable.

                                                                                                           We haven't left the futon since.

No matter what position I move into, she manages to have some part of our bodies touching at all times. I think she is a big fan of country music.

Last night I brought her home and she explored our big house while I got the crate set up. She instantly made herself home in my room. She didn't try to get into or chew any thing, but since she still is healing she needs to sleep in her cage at night with the Elizabethan collar on.

More pictures and stories to follow.

To adopt Piglet, contact me: somedoggyshero@gmail.com

Piglet Moves to West Philly

The foster worked out and Piglet is now living in West Philly. She's the newest Drexel Dragon!

Deb and Piglet!

She is doing well in her new home so far. She has only had a few accidents and she loves her new crate. The ball only lasted a few minutes, so Pig needs heavy duty toys.



Piglet's new friend, Travis, took her on a run Friday morning to get some of all that energy out. They went running by the art museum and she tired him out.

Today Piglet got a bath!! Deb and I washed her in the bathtub and she was so well-behaved!!

It seemed like she was somewhat nervous about it, but she stayed in the tub.

All dried off and looking like a pretty Pig. Look how shiny her coat is!!

Pig is such a ham!! See her new toy in the corner? She already took a chunk out of the toe; a Kong is what she really needs.










They are indestructible (hopefully!)

Deb and Piglet dancing =)

Piglet started working on clicker training. We worked on associating the clicker with treats. It's a great method for a dog like Pig who is all over the place with her attention. The basic idea is that when the dog does something good, you "click" to let them know they did something good and that a reward is coming. So we started off with "look" to get Piglet to learn to look you in the eye and focus her attention only on you. This is helpful for all types of situations where diverting attention to yourself is important. She was catching on very quickly. Deb noticed that it helped with her nipping because it gives her an outlet for her energy and an activity to do.

After the bath and training, she was all pooped out. She took a little nap while we watched a movie.

Piglet is adjusting to life in a house really well!! She still needs a forever home, so if you are interested, contact me at SomeDoggysHero@gmail.com.

Piglet Finds a Foster??

Last week Piglet went for a walk in the neighborhood around the shelter. Using a harness, she is learning to walk very well on leash. When we got back from the walk we worked on "sit" and Piglet got it down. She can get distracted at times, especially when other dogs are walking by, but overall she has mastered "sit."

We ran around the parking lot to get some extra energy out and then went to hang out on the lawn. Piglet really likes belly rubs, but she is still learning to not be so rough and mouthy when you get down to play with her. She sat on my lap and watched the other dogs coming and going. Since she had sit mastered, I tried to work on "down" with her. She learned it so quickly; she's a very smart girl! She only does it when you have a treat in hand, but pretty soon she'll have that down pat too.

On Saturday, Piglet got out of ACCT again. I took her to Drexel University to meet a friend interested in fostering her.







She met the neighbors cat, Fluff, but he was scared by Piglet. She was very curious about him and stared at him, but did not seems aggressive towards him. After Fluff went away she kept trying to climb the steps, refusing to believe her leash could stop her.

We went on a walk around campus so Deb could handle Piglet a bit and see how she behaves. Piglet got her picture taken with Mario the Drexel Dragon!

On our way back to Deb's house, Piglet met a cat on the street. The cat did not like her, but when we tried to walk around it, it stalked Piglet! It followed us up the street, cutting across lawns and jumping out from behind cars. Piglet never barked or growled at it, just stared with her inquisitive look on her face.

When we got back, Piglet got into the house and rested her head on the couch and just froze and stared for a few minutes.

When she was done playing freeze, she started exploring. She wasn't too sure of the hardwood floors are first and it took enticing her with some treats to get her to go down the hall. There is a backyard with a long run for Piglet to run around in, so we took her out back to explore. She had so much energy to get out!

It was time to wrap up the visit, so we took Piglet in and she cuddled with Deb and me on the living room floor for a bit before we went back to ACCT.

On the ride back, Piglet and Munkin hung out together in the back.

Deb really enjoyed the meet with Piglet and she wants to foster her!!! Her roommate was out of town, so hopefully their meet will go just as well and Piglet will be out of the shelter before the week is through!

Getting Out of the Shelter

On Saturday, Piglet went on a trip to Penns Landing/South Street. She was excellent in the car and sat in the back quietly the entire time.

We walked around the Penns Landing area, but there weren't too many people out and about. Piglet saw her first horse; a horse farm probably is not the home for her! She barked at it until we could distract her.

Eventually, we made it to South Street and wandered our way up and down. Piglet is well-behaved in crowds and is very friendly with everyone she meets. She was super curious about all the stores and tried going in a few. There was a mirror outside a store and she enjoyed admiring herself.

She is learning to sit, so at every red light we tried to get Piglet to sit before we crossed. There was a lot going on, but she was starting to understand. She has so much energy and curiosity that sitting is not her top priority.

The day winded down and Piglet headed back to the shelter. She sat in the back again and got comfortable, finally tired out.

Piglet is still looking for a foster home. The ideal foster will be free to take her to UPENN for treatment of her mammary tumors. If you are interested in fostering Piglet, email somedoggyshero@gmail.com or head down to ACCT at 111 W. Hunting Park Ave.

New Pen Pal: Piglet...needs urgent foster!

It's been a while since I've had a Pen Pal, or even been to ACCT. I recently got back into it and picked a new Pen Pal. Her name is Piglet and she is a 1-2 year old Staffordshire Terrier mix, roughly 30 pounds, and it looks like she has already had a litter of puppies.



She is a very wiggly, friendly dog and is always moving. She needs some work on her leash manners and how to sit, but we will be working on that. She has no food issues and seemed okay with cats.She shows some interest in toys, but usually just runs after it and then doesn't pick it up. She showed more interest in running back and forth with you.

Just today I got some news about Piglet. She was chosen to be spayed, but upon checking her, doctors believe she has mammary tumors. Fortunately, she may be admitted to a special program at UPENN that removes, biopsies, and treates qualifying mammary tumors free of charge for the entirety of her life. To qualify to be evaluated, she MUST go to a foster home ASAP. Thos foster will need to be available to take her to appointments at UPENN as often as once a month for follow up treatment.

If you or someone you know sounds like a good match to foster this little girl, please contact me ASAP at somedoggyshero@gmail.com or go to ACCT at 111 W. Hunting Park Avenue, Phila., PA and ask for Piglet.



**For more information on the UPENN program, copy and paste the link below.
http://www.vet.upenn.edu/PennVet/PennVetConnects/ShelterMedicineProgram/ShelterCanineMammaryTumorProgram/ForSheltersandRescueOrgs/tabid/1491/Default.aspx