An animal sanctuary for dogs and cats The Black Canyon Animal Sanctuary page is all about happenings at the sanctuary.
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I report all facets of rescue .... "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Side of Rescue". Our followers feel all the emotions we rescuers go through......pain, happiness, anger, love and frustration. LET THIS POST SERVE AS NOTICE TO THOSE ASKING THE BLACK CANYON ANIMAL SANCTUARY FOR HELP. Please take the time to read through previous posts to better understand what is shared on the BCAS page wh
ich is a public page with over 8000 followers. ALL happenings at BCAS are shared with our network of followers so they can assist in rehoming dogs and cats and to better understand what is asked of the animal rescue organization.
Today Daisy's 7 puppies turn 2 weeks old, and some of their eyes are beginning to open. They are strong, healthy and nursing ferociously. Daisy is taking more and more breaks from them but doesn't stay out long. She's such a good mom and they sure do look a lot like their dad Biko the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Yesterday Barkley had a vet appointment for a wellness exam and his first set of vaccinations. I am now using Montrose Veterinary Clinic due to their wonderful care of Barkley after his littermates died, and he was about to be next.
After a week in their and Desiree's care, the vet tech that took him home with her at night, I decided they would be the sanctuary vet clinic. When I walked in with Barkley Desiree greeted us and could not believe this was the same puppy she cared for!
Laughingly she said, "Well he's definitely not Corgi like we thought he might be!" She said she couldn't wait for the DNA results.
He was put on the scale and weighed......I was shocked that he weighed 14.2 pounds! He's only 9 weeks old! No wonder he's eating so much and so often.
We went into an examining room and the vet came in. She also said, "He sure isn't Corgi like we thought!" He got a clean bill of health, was given wormer and his vaccination. We will go back in 30 days and get the booster.
Everyone is guessing there is some Sharpei in his genes.
While we were in the waiting room everyone that walked in made a comment about what a cute puppy he was. Barkley was so well behaved and sat in my lap enjoying watching all the goings on.
I'm so excited! My daughter Nicole and my 15 year old grandson James are coming Saturday. They live in CA, and I haven't seen them in a year. David's daughter Kristy is also coming on Sunday, and they will all be here for 5 days.
Lots of entertainment here with all these puppies and dogs. Of course, being brought up by a mother like me, Nicole is a huge animal lover.....I guess it could have gone the other direction lol...but it didn't. We always had dogs and kittens that we were fostering for various rescues in Texas while she was growing up.
When we get together we reminisce about all the dogs and cats that came through our home. Like the time we were fostering a litter of kittens. One wall in our dining room was covered with fabric, and those kittens loved climbing all the way to the top. We had to get a ladder to get them down.
Or the time we got home from work and school and thought we had been robbed because in the kitchen every drawer was open and stuff was strewn all over the floor. But it was just that damn Husky we had for a while lol.
And the family from Nebraska that is adopting one of the Old English Sheepdog girls will be here Saturday to pick which one and take her home.
It is really amazing how big Barkley is becoming! He's 9 weeks old today and almost as big as the 4 month old black/white pups.
Thursday he's going in for his first set up puppy vaccinations.
Remember how tiny he looked in his dog bed when I first bought it? He's almost outgrown it now! Doing the DNA test today......
Barkley is growing up so fast and is the smartest puppy I've ever known! He'll be 9 weeks old next week.
He knows his dog food is in the pantry so this morning he went to the pantry door, sat down and cried. I wasn't paying attention to him so he came to me, pawed my leg and went back to the pantry door and whined as if to say, "I'm hungry mommy. Get my breakfast!"
He has also designated a spot underneath a rose bush to side of the patio as his treasure chest. So many things he has taken there....a piece of cardboard, bones, toys, etc. He's also beginning to lift his leg to p*e! I've never seen a boy puppy do that at his age. He's so smart it's scary lol.
Yesterday I was gifted, from a follower, a DNA test for Barkley. Tomorrow I will swab the inside of his cheek and get it in the mail. Should get the results in a couple of weeks. Any guesses?????.
When she got out of the car with her little dog crew it melted my heart, and I had to take a picture of these adorable 5. Look how precious they all are!
It's exhausting to finally chew a hole in a dog bed big enough to remove all that stuffing!
This bird is tiny and has been at the dining room window for several days as if it wants to come inside. Beautiful!
These babies turned one week old yesterday. They are the strongest little things! They've got that Rhodesian Ridgeback strength like their dad.
There are three of the black/white puppies left. Two females and one male and they are now 4 months old. This is Chimi one of the females.......
She is quite a special little girl. Not only is she sweet but she has such a kind and respectful heart. She also has really beautiful markings and will make someone a wonderful dog.
Chimi listens well and gets along with all of the pack. She would make a wonderful playmate to some little girl or boy.
If interested in meeting Chimi please PM me.
We have 5 females and two males. They are incredibly strong and healthy. Daisy is such an awesome mom.
Just look at Olivia who is now named Sydney! She is the Old English Sheepdog pup that was adopted by a groomer. Doesn't she look absolutely gorgeous!
I still have one more female folks!
Apparently my patio isn't just for humans......Dexter is sound asleep on what I dubbed as my chair lol.
A couple of weeks ago I got a message from a hospice nurse. This was the message, “I have a patient who has a last wish of knowing her Shih Tzu will be taken care of. I know you have the silver whiskers program and think this sweet pup would do well in it.”
After receiving a photo and getting more information on the dog I agreed to take the dog because I knew I could find her a home quickly. Her name is Tinkerbell and she’s only four years old.
The nurse’s response was, “I talked with my patient, and she wants to wait until she is very close to death before she relinquishes Tinkerbell. She is very happy to know she will be taken care of. I will keep in touch with you though and set up things as we get closer.”
A couple of days ago I received this message from the nurse, “This patient is ready to let Tinkerbell go.”
I scheduled pickup yesterday, and David and I went to pick her up. When I arrived the nurse and another nurse were there as well as the patient’s son and daughter. It was such a tearful time for them because they knew how much their mother loved Tinkerbell. They knew it was time to give Tinkerbell up, but it also meant it was sign their mother was also about to leave them.
I can’t tell you how sad I felt for them, but I tried to reassure them she was going to a wonderful loving couple that will take such good care of her.
A woman contacted me a couple of months ago about the loss of her little female dog that was her lap dog. She longed for another and asked that I keep her in mind if I come across another. I called her about Tinkerbell, sent her a photo and her response was quick…..”Yes I would love to have her!”
Coincidently this woman is also a retired hospice nurse. When I told the family and the two nurses this yesterday tears welled up in everyone’s eyes. One of the nurses said, “Wow….how perfect is that.”
We said our goodbyes, and I drove directly to Tinkerbell’s new home. Because she had lived in a small apartment with her mom the spaciousness and light seemed to open her up. She began walking around, smelling everything and wagging her tail. Tinkerbell will have a wonderful life even though I know she will miss her mom terribly.
This whole experience was very emotional but very rewarding in a weird sort of way…….
Eight weeks old today and so many new scary things to try......
My patio is almost ready for summer. All I need to do is put the rug down.
Life is good .......... and Barkley is growing up way too fast!
Ok......I'm finding myself getting caught up in the negativity I knew was coming once I shared Daisy's story. That is not what I hoped would happen but knew in my gut it would.
I have too much on my plate to waste my time trying to convince others to accept any decisions I have made so I'm throwing the negative into the trash can.
If you boil it down.......the negative to my letting Daisy have the puppies had the opinion that I should have killed the puppies that were conceived because there are already so many puppies and dogs being euthanized. Does that even make sense? How crazy has our world become?
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the understanding, compassion, love and support that most of you have displayed. There is nothing like divulging the truth.....not being crucified for it....but being supported in my decision making process in spite of whether or not you agree with it.
I'm still committed to telling 100% of the truth of happenings here at BCAS/Rancho Ridiculous.....however good, bad or ugly they are.
I gotta get back to work. I have someone coming to see Jesse one of the black/white puppies. One of the Old English Sheepdog girls is also getting adopted on the 15th by a couple in Nebraska. They are driving to pick her up and they are experienced owners of the breed.
All the years that Black Canyon Animal Sanctuary has been in existence I’ve prided myself on being 100% transparent with you. My promise has to been to share everything that happens at an animal sanctuary with you…..including the good, the bad and the ugly.
Some stories are heartwarming, some are infuriating and some are just down right funny. I’ve tried to take you with me to understand what an animal sanctuary goes through on a day to day basis.
I’m feeling terribly guilty that I’ve been keeping something from you because I’ve not wanted to face backlash that I know I will get from a decision I made. But I’ve come to the conclusion that the guilt of not sharing an important event is weighing on me much more than the criticism I will receive from some.
So……here goes……
A little over a month ago I shared that Daisy, one of the Rez puppy litter that I personally kept, was in heat. I’ve always waited till my personal females were a year old prior to spaying. Daisy was almost a year old when she went into heat.
My friend, Leo’s mom, that owns Biko the purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback, was not neutered because he was a very expensive dog that she still was considering breeding. Biko, like Leo, loved coming over almost daily, but while Daisy was heat we tried to keep Biko from coming.
Biko weighs over 100 lbs and his owner’s 125 acre ranch doesn’t have a fence that can keep him in. Being a large Rhodesian Ridgeback he is extremely determined and amazingly strong. His owner is very petite like me and she was taking him out on leash while Daisy was in heat. He got away from her several times, jumped my fence and well….the rest is history and Daisy was impregnated. Some will ask why I didn't just have her spayed. Here's why I didn't.
Years ago I was helping a vet with a spay and neuter project. When a female was being spayed we found she was pregnant. The vet handed me what she had just removed. It was a string that had individual babies in sacks hanging from it. She gave me a scalpel and told me to cut a slit in each bag which I did. The pressure of the knife caused the babies to begin moving but when the liquid drained they laid still and lifeless.
At that moment I swore I would never ever spay a pregnant dog. It’s been 15 years since that event and it’s still very vivid in my mind. The guilt from killing those pups is a heavy burden I’ve carried. Some will reason there are just too many dogs in this world, and I should have had Daisy spayed even though she was pregnant, but I just could not do it.
Two days ago, friday morning May 31st, I opened David’s bedroom window and heard crying. When I looked out I saw Daisy under a tree with a puppy! Immediately I got all the dogs in the house and closed the dog door. I went out and saw the puppy was very dry and no afterbirth anywhere. It was my belief that she was having trouble delivering the rest of the puppies because Biko is such a huge dog so I called a vet to see if they could see her in case she needed a C-section.
David’s nurse was scheduled to come so I couldn’t leave. I called Biko’s mom. She came right over, and we loaded Daisy and the pup in her car. I put them on a large dog bed and off they went.
On the 30 mile trip to the vet she texted me that it sounded like Daisy had delivered more pups. She said, ‘I think the bumpy ride helped her to deliver.”
By the time they arrived at the vet she had delivered 5 puppies. The vet took her inside and she delivered two more pups. They stayed there for about 5 hours. By mid afternoon they determined, by x-ray, there were no more puppies. They also did bloodwork on Daisy to check her calcium levels which were good. All 7 puppies were also checked and determined to be extremely healthy and strong. I was told that Daisy is resting comfortably and nursing the pups. She was going to be an awesome mom and was ready to go home. Biko's mom picked them back up and brought them home.
I’ve lived 73 years of life and over that time lots of experiences have occurred that leads me to the conclusion that most everything happens for a reason. At the time something happens that feels like a horrible experience it just may be molding your character to better understand what is right for you so that you make better decisions and take the right paths going forward.
In conclusion…….7 beautiful healthy little pups have arrived into this world. Biko’s mom, who owns a neighboring ranch, and I never had met until Leo began coming over. He introduced us and together we formed a tight bond over Leo’s death. We cried and mourned together over that horrible experience. Now it seems our relationship has gone full circle ….experiencing an agonizing death together and now experiencing the glorious miracle of birth together.
We celebrated with a toast of champagne. I said, "You know....some will say we are both irresponsible for letting this happen." She responded with, "But look at those 7 little beautiful babies! We really did try to keep them apart but fate didn't let it happened."
This experience has certainly strengthened the bond between two friends. We are sharing all the expenses and together we are committed to finding these babies awesome loving homes. The adoption process is going to be very thorough.
Ok…..I’m ready for the criticism, but I know you will enjoy my sharing these little babies grow into adorable puppies.
COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Rehoming Required
Meet Zora ……. a 4 year old female that is 65% Great Pyrenees and 35% German Shepherd. She turned 4 yesterday on May 31st.
Her owner is moving to Arizona because of health reasons. Zora has always been an outside dog, and it will be too hot for her there. It’s with a lot of sadness that the owner is rehoming her, but Zora cannot withstand such extreme heat.
Zora weighs over 100 lbs and is a wonderful dog. The owner has small grandchildren, and Zora lets them crawl all over her and even ride on her. Both of Zora’s breed mixes are protectors of family and property. Her style of protecting is barking but only when it is necessary.
The owner purchased Zora as a puppy from a breeder because of her breed mix. She is loyal, loves the outside, loves water and alerts her owner if there is something that she thinks she should know.
For more info on Zora you can contact her owner Dena at 970-739-4746.
Barkley says good morning! I’m telling you….he is the smartest little pup ever! He is now 7 weeks and 4 days old.
Got him out of the puppy pen, put him on the floor, he headed to dog door, went outside, went to the bathroom, came right back in and came to me asking for breakfast (photo).
Barkley is integrating himself into the pack, and his BFF/caretaker Joey is always watching to ensure Barkley's safety.
Joey is the little black dog in the video that goes in to reinforce my words to Roland the red dog playing with Barkley. I said, "Be nice Roland." Joey steps in says, "Did you hear what she said? Be NICE to Barkley!"
Barkley and Joey have become BFF's. Joey is two years old, and he came to the sanctuary with his litter two years ago when he was 6 weeks old. He's a Mini-Aussie/Chihuahua and was the shyest of the litter so he was never adopted.
He bathes Barkley and holds him down to clean his ears and face. It is so cute! Joey lets Barkley tackle him while playing. I wanted to help Barkley get up when he rolled off the dog bed, but he needs to learn how to get himself out of situations.
Barkley can finally reach the big dogs water bucket!
Last week I got a call from the son of a woman who had dementia and was put into a care center. She had two dogs that he said were “13ish” and both female. Because small senior dogs are scarce I’m always open for the Silver Whiskers Program so I agreed to take them. Daize is a Mini-Schnauzer mix and Nikki is a Chihuahua/Poodle mix.
I asked if they had vet records, and he said he had not found any in his mother’s home but thought they were probably current on vaccinations.
When I arrived at their home a neighbor met me there. She had been feeding them and letting them out during the day. She also washed all their belongings (which there were many) and they were ready to go. She had also found the rabies certificate for Daize. She was not 13ish…her birthday said she was born on Jan. 15, 2006. That makes her 18 years old which is too old for the SW program because there’s no way she can live much longer. I have no idea how old Nikki is but I would say at least 12.
Daize’s fur has bald spots and greasy looking. She’s definitely not grooming herself anymore.
I had committed to taking these two dogs so I did. Nikki is adorable and looks like a fluffy little lamb, but she looks to be blind in her right eye. Both dogs are very shy, especially Daize. I put them in the guest apartment with Shug the ancient male chihuahua whose owner died from a drug overdose. The apartment has become the geriatric ward of the sanctuary. What did I get myself into?
I really think Barkley is an American Bulldog. Look at the photo of an American Bulldog puppy. He's got the same body, jowls, wrinkles and even the same black spot on his tail.
We've had an American Bulldog, and she was David's dog. Her name was Buffy, and she came from a small town in Oklahoma with a litter of puppies. Pilots and Paws flew her from Oklahoma to Colorado and that's how she ended up at the sanctuary.
The story was that animal control had seen her rummaging through trash cans but she always escaped before they could catch her. One day the officer didn't confront her but followed her as she was carrying food from a trash can in her mouth.
He saw her jump through a broken window at an abandoned home. Come to find out she belonged to man that had lived there but was in prison. The officer got inside and found her litter of puppies that she was trying to feed because they were weaned.
Buffy was one of the smartest dogs ever and seems that Barkley is pretty intelligent for a 6 week old puppy.
nap time ………
As I'm making coffee this morning Barkley is biting my feet and ankles and it hurt. I instinctively raised my voice and said, "No Barkley!"
This is what he's been doing since scolded. He's a very sensitive little guy lol.
New bed
COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Found Dog
Last evening, 5/21/24, this dog was almost hit by a car on Hwy. 133 outside Paonia CO. The person that almost hit him stopped and put him in her car. He’s now at her home. If you recognize him or know his owner please contact Jessica Losik on Facebook.
“Almost hit this dog last night on highway 133 a couple miles before Paonia can you please help me find his owner I can not keep him here. He is super sweet. He’s a neutered male wearing a green collar.”
I just spent the last half hour playing spam police by going through each of my posts and looking for scammers that comment.....and there were several. I block, report and delete but what a waste of my time!!!!!
42528 Needle Rock Road
Crawford, CO
81415
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It is really amazing how big Barkley is becoming! He's 9 weeks old today and almost as big as the 4 month old black/white pups. Thursday he's going in for his first set up puppy vaccinations. Remember how tiny he looked in his dog bed when I first bought it? He's almost outgrown it now! Doing the DNA test today......
These babies turned one week old yesterday. They are the strongest little things! They've got that Rhodesian Ridgeback strength like their dad.
There are three of the black/white puppies left. Two females and one male and they are now 4 months old. This is Chimi one of the females....... She is quite a special little girl. Not only is she sweet but she has such a kind and respectful heart. She also has really beautiful markings and will make someone a wonderful dog. Chimi listens well and gets along with all of the pack. She would make a wonderful playmate to some little girl or boy. If interested in meeting Chimi please PM me.
We have 5 females and two males. They are incredibly strong and healthy. Daisy is such an awesome mom.
Eight weeks old today and so many new scary things to try......
Life is good .......... and Barkley is growing up way too fast!
Barkley is integrating himself into the pack, and his BFF/caretaker Joey is always watching to ensure Barkley's safety. Joey is the little black dog in the video that goes in to reinforce my words to Roland the red dog playing with Barkley. I said, "Be nice Roland." Joey steps in says, "Did you hear what she said? Be NICE to Barkley!"
Barkley and Joey have become BFF's. Joey is two years old, and he came to the sanctuary with his litter two years ago when he was 6 weeks old. He's a Mini-Aussie/Chihuahua and was the shyest of the litter so he was never adopted. He bathes Barkley and holds him down to clean his ears and face. It is so cute! Joey lets Barkley tackle him while playing. I wanted to help Barkley get up when he rolled off the dog bed, but he needs to learn how to get himself out of situations.
Barkley can finally reach the big dogs water bucket!
As I'm making coffee this morning Barkley is biting my feet and ankles and it hurt. I instinctively raised my voice and said, "No Barkley!" This is what he's been doing since scolded. He's a very sensitive little guy lol.
New bed
Trying to be like the big dogs
Before Kia jumped the fence. The OES girls are so friendly and adorable but so big you forget they are only 4 months old.
Barkley graduated from the play pen to the puppy pen. Now he doesn't like the puppy pen and wants to be out with the pack all the time. As you can see he loves being outside. He has been so easy to house train. He cries when he needs to go out and goes outside every time. He doesn't dirty up his sleeping area at all. He is the cutest thing ever! His eyes look like they will be blue, and he's really filling out. That's not a surprise as he eats 4 meals a day and puppy milk in between. His appetite is ferocious.
Olivia, May and Elenore have arrived. They are very sweet but they aren't sure why they're here. Will take a bit to settle in. Gorgeous dogs that were born January 11, 2024. They are AKC registered too.
Barkley now has his own little dog food bowl. He definitely loves his gruel!
Sammy the Chiweenie is jealous of all the attention I’m giving Baby Barkley.
Barkley is feeling really feisty this morning! Tried to take the string on my hoodie with him. His teeth are getting really sharp.
It's May 12th, and we are still wearing coats here in our part of Colorado. The sanctuary is located at 7000 feet and as you can see it's still snowing on the taller mountains. This morning it is 40 degrees! Very unusual for this time of year. I'm ready for some sunshine and warmth! Wishing all mothers of two legs and four legs a very Happy Mother's Day!!
Breakfast at Barkley's.
OutWest Kennels-Grandview Ranch, LLC
Grandview Mesa Road
