It's been awhile/Update

I started this blog when I was unemployed and had a lot more time on my hands. I'd just started to get my feet wet with fostering, getting involved in Indy Pit Crew and volunteering my time to animal welfare.

I've been employed for almost 6 months, and it looks like that was about the last time I updated this! And yes, Bella has become a permanent member of our pack, our 5th dog. Are we a little crazy? Probably. But Bella is such a special dog. Her love for us, our other dogs, and everyone she meets (dogs and humans) is contagious and inspiring. She's definitely "earning her keep" around here as our go to for foster dog socialization (especially the puppies. Bella loooooves the puppies).

In the meantime, I've continued my work with Indy Pit Crew, and in fact have taken a role as one of the Community Outreach Coordinators. I reach out to venues about holding our low cost vaccine clincs, how we can be part of other community events, such as Pet Expo, and Speck's Pet Supplies Customer Appreciation days.

One of my self imposed "projects" has been finding pit bull friendly apartment/home rentals. Likely our biggest hurdle is finding housing for our volunteers/supporters who have pit bull type dogs, as many management companies have breed restrictions, against "aggressive breeds." I decided to grab the bull by its horns and reach out to every property management company in the city and see what their policies are, and if we could work with them on amending them. Thankfully, JC Hart had been thinking along similar lines, and we're working with them to roll out a new pet policy in 2011 that does not have any breed restrictions! This is especially huge, because they have about a dozen properties throughout the city and surrounding areas.

In addition, one of my best friends, Nichole, (who is an Indy Pit Crew board member, and who I have Ms. Bella Blue to thank for bringing her into my life- more on that later) recently started a rescue: Mended Hearts Indy (http://mendedheartsindy.org/). She named me Adoption coordinator, which I love, and keeps me very busy. To date, and I believe she started the rescue around 8/15/10, we've had about 15 successful adoptions. And we have 2 solid potential adopters this weekend, so we hope to add to that number!

Being involved in MHI is very special to me. We pull dogs from Gary, IN (at the kill shelter, who Bella was pulled from), whose only chance is a rescue pulling them, as they don't adopt out animals (they don't have the resources to do so), dogs who our behaviorist (Nina- also an IPC board member, who volunteers her time doing temperament assessments at Indianapolis Animal Care & Control) recommends as outstanding candidates, (who may or may not get to see the adoption floor at IACC, because they are forced to euthanize for space reasons), and dogs who are brought to our attention, that are in dire need of rescue (usually I'm the one bringing it to Nichole's attention- which she loves and hates me for!), i.e are living outside in horribly cold conditions, or whose family just lost their house and have to move to a homeless shelter. "Mended Hearts" is an appropriate name, for sure.

I will update with our former and current fosters next.

***note- I will not post about anymore fosters who were only with us for a short time, because they did not pass their temperament assessment and were not stable, and thus would have been irresponsible to adopt out into society. Ammo and Brian were hard, as they were literally our first fosters, and had to be euthanized for these reasons. This is not to say I've forgotten them, because I haven't. But I choose to focus on the great examples of the breed (pit bull) or species (dog)- the ones we can help and who do make outstanding family pets. RIP Ammo, Brian, Newton.