Mid-South Cocker Spaniel Rescue

22/09/2023

On Wednesday we said a tearful goodbye to Ruthie, who had been in foster with us since July 2018. Ruthie came to us from the Memphis Animal Shelter thanks to the legwork of volunteer Bonnie M and was named by one of our followers Wendy L. Ruthie was about 8 years old and weighed a mere 13 pounds back then, but she plumped up to a healthy weight quickly since Ruthie never saw food she didn't like. We fought extremely resistant ear infections for years, so Ruthie ended up staying in rescue where we could better manage her unique issues. Ruthie didn't mind though ... she was really happy just to get regular meals and comfy beds to rest on.

20/05/2023

Memphis and Mid-South friends, this is wonderful news that there will finally be an Internal Medicine Specialist practicing in Memphis again starting in August. For the past several years, the best option has been traveling all the way to Starkville. One of our adopters made the trip to Starkville from Little Rock with an emergency a few years ago since there was no one closer to see.

12/03/2023

I’m working on deleting comments and banning the fake profile that made them, but please be aware this is a scammer out to steal your money selling puppies that don’t really exist.

14/02/2023

We've been working in the yard most of the day (because clearly I am avoiding a looming work deadline). I am fighting a losing battle against wild blackberry in my raised beds. These 4 have been supervising me for 4 hours. They are exhausted. Ruthie was sleeping so hard that I had to check her for a pulse. Now she's worried she missed afternoon cookies.

14/02/2023

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope each of you has a Valentine who looks at you the way Graham looks at me.

01/02/2023

Nugget was born in 2016 with both megaesophagus (non-PRAA) and a rare swallowing disorder (cricopharyngeal achalasia). He was diagnosed with ME and aspiration pneumonia at 5.5 months old and surrendered to rescue in lieu of being euthanized by his breeder. Nugget lived with me for almost 6 full years and had the best day of his life almost every day loving everyone who crossed his path and bringing joy to so many people. In late January while already being treated for aspiration pneumonia, he developed cranial nerve paralysis on the left side of his face, which only further complicated feeding. As I discussed different options with the vets who knew Nugget best, it became clear that his quality of life was declining quickly and that the prospects for improvement were slim. On Saturday after the clinic closed for the day, we said our last goodbyes and helped Nugget cross the Rainbow Bridge.

I am so grateful to the numerous vets who have helped me manage Nugget's many health issues over the past 6 years, especially Dr. Steven Buco and Dr. Tanya Mestayer, who brainstormed with me so many times to tweak Nugget's care regimen with each new hurdle.

10/01/2023

UPDATE: The owner has been in contact with MAS!

Found cocker spaniel 1/9/2023 - Eads, TN (near Reid Ho**er & Glen Birnham) - This dog is currently at Memphis Animal Services on stray hold. Please help find the owners of this dog so she can be reunited.

UPDATE: We have made contact with this girl's owner!

‼️FOUND PET ALERT ‼️

We have good reason to believe that this seven-year-old gal, who we're calling Pheobe , is missing a family! Do you recognize her?

Pheobe was found yesterday, 1/8/23, near Reid Ho**er & Glen Birnham in Eads (38028.) She is well-groomed, and very treat motivated. Pheobe is, unfortunately, not microchipped.

If this is your missing pet, please email [email protected] ASAP! You may also come to MAS at 2350 Appling City Cv any day of the week between 12 and 4 pm, but please make it ASAP!

Proof of ownership in the form of vet records and/or photos is required.
You can find more information about reclaiming a pet at memphistn.gov/animal-services/i-lost-my-pet/

01/01/2023

2022 has been a trying year for our forever fosters. Forever fosters are dogs who live out their lives in rescue due to medical or temperament issues that prevent us from placing them in adoptive homes.

Cassie was diagnosed with early stage heart failure back in the spring. We lost CJ to an untreatable cancer in the fall. Ruthie has been battling ear issues again after a couple of years of successful management of her infections. And poor Nugget spent too many months this year fighting aspiration pneumonia (AP - a common complication of both megaesophagus and cricopharyngeal achalasia).

Nugget is a fighter to the core, and I vowed years ago that I would fight with him as long as he is happy and wants to be here. Anyone who has met Nugget knows that he's probably the happiest dog ever even when he feels sick, and he loves visiting people even if it's the vet. Last week when we visited the vet, Nugget's lungs were finally clear of pneumonia after about 3 months of antibiotics. We've spent the year tweaking food, meds, routines ... pretty much everything we could think of to try, and I've still got some reading to do about medications vets are now using to manage chronic coughing in dogs with heart issues or COPD.

But, at my house this week, we are celebrating Nugget beating AP once again. We're also grooming everyone this week before it rains again ... don't anyone tell Nugget he's next in line.

These are some of the photos I've taken of Nugget during 2022. Clearly his favorite activity is lounging.

29/11/2022

Hagrid went to his new home on October 31st and has been renamed Shelby. His new mom sent me this photo last week. I'm pretty sure he was working on mind control at the time and trying to get her to feed him some leftover Thanksgiving turkey or throw his favorite ball, possibly both.

I'm pretty sure that my youngest dog Poppy still misses Shelby, but one of my other dogs has been keeping her distracted. The rest of us are happy to have a little down time while Graham the poodle recovers from his eye surgery and Nugget continues to battle aspiration pneumonia.

29/11/2022

Today is , and once again I am asking each of you to help MSCSR continue our mission to rescue cocker spaniels and the occasional poodle in need. MSCSR operates entirely on donations and volunteers who foster, rehab, or otherwise support the needs of the organization.

For the past few years we’ve cut way back on how many dogs we rescued each year. One reason is that permanent fosters were filling virtually all existing foster dog slots. Sometimes people forget that not every dog we bring into the rescue ends up being adopted. Sometimes our rescues have health issues that can’t be fully resolved. Sometimes there are behavioral issues that would require a very specific type of adopter. Sometimes a dog just gets overlooked because of its age. These dogs live out their lives in the homes of our volunteers blissfully unaware that they are foster dogs.

CJ was one of those dogs. CJ lived with me for a few weeks shy of 9 years, almost twice as long as he lived with his original owner. His first mama surrendered him to Memphis Animal Services when she moved into a care facility where he could not also go. CJ was so terrified in the shelter … he’d spent the first 5 years of his life with his owner and then lost everything he’d ever known in an instant. After a few days in a less noisy area of the shelter and a lot of carne asada steak, I was able to convince CJ to trust me enough that he would let me handle him so that the shelter vet clinic could get his medical stuff done and release him to me.

After about a year, CJ would probably have been ready for adoption if just the right person came along, but he had some other issues that made it unlikely we’d ever find such an adopter. That was just fine with CJ though since he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to stay. Months stretched into years, and he even handled moving to Louisiana in 2019 pretty well. In early October I noticed an issue with his mouth. It turned out to be a cancerous growth that, within a few weeks, grew enough to make eating and drinking difficult.

These photos were taken over the course of CJ’s life with MSCSR. I said goodbye to CJ on October 27th, and I’ve spent the past month trying to find words to tell you all how special he was even in his not-so-appealing moments. Hopefully the photos will tell that story for me, and hopefully you will help MSCSR continue to provide a home for other dogs like CJ whether it’s for a few weeks or for the rest of their lives.

28/11/2022

Just a glimpse into the past few weeks of life here.

When your poodle figures out how to use the e-collar to his advantage ... Graham is so over this eye drop regimen. 🤣 We go back to Mandeville to see Dr. Van Brunt this week.

17/10/2022

iGive is one of the many ways you can help Mid-South Cocker Spaniel Rescue raise much needed funds at no cost to you. Please consider signing up and selecting MSCSR as your charity.

$15 New Member Shopping Bonus! Join now, when you make your first purchase within 45 days, we'll give you an extra $15 bonus for Mid-South Cocker Spaniel Rescue. https://www.iGive.com/nDFOwrl

iGive is a free service where shopping at any of 2060 stores like Travelocity, Macys, Overstock, and many more, means a donation to your favorite cause.

06/10/2022

Update: Hagrid has been adopted.

Hagrid had a spa day on Tuesday and now has a style that is much more fitting for a dog who likes to run and tumble in the dewy grass in the mornings. Now you can get a good look at his merle pattern ... I was surprised to see how much white and gray is in his coat.

Thanks so much to It’s All About Me Grooming Spa not only for making Hagrid look so handsome, but also working on getting him more familiar with the whole grooming process. Hagrid does still need some work in this area, so his adopters will need to have a groomer who is patient and willing to work with him.

03/10/2022

Update: Hagrid has been adopted.

A special message from Mid-South Cocker Rescue's Midwest correspondent: I have mixed feelings about alerting you to this dog's many virtues because I fell in love with him at first sight, and only a houseful of persnickety cats and a senior dog (also a Mid-South alum) have kept me from heading straight to Louisiana to pick him up. I love him. I looked into his eyes (via Facebook) and saw his soul. I know in my heart that he is The Goodest of Boys.

But he can't live with me, and so, if you are a patient and loving person, I want him to live with you.

I'm going to be real: This guy is not only an extra-large Cocker (Hagrid is an apt, if unkind, placeholder name), but he is at an age where there are no limits to his enthusiasm. If you have small dogs or small children, they may get run over occasionally—with the best of intentions, but a torn ACL is a torn ACL, right?

Otherwise, he is the perfect size for full-contact snuggling, sweet-tempered, mostly obedient. (He did eat a prize hibiscus blossom once, but what do dogs know about garden shows?) He loves other dogs. He loves people. He will certainly love you.

And hey, if it doesn't work out, maybe my housemates will change their minds about getting a puppy.
____________________________________________

Hagrid was born 11/7/2021 and currently weighs about 26 pounds. He is housebroken and crate-trained. While he loves other dogs, he probably has too much prey drive for most cats and other small furries.

If you are interested in adopting Hagrid, please complete our online application, which can be found at: http://bit.ly/2c1C6Tp. Our current adoption fee is $300.

At this time we are limiting consideration of applicants to those who live within 2 hours of Lafayette, LA. The home visit will be completed before or during the actual adoption depending on where the selected applicant lives.

Hagrid is an adoptable Dog - Cocker Spaniel searching for a forever family near Lafayette, LA. Use Petfinder to find adoptable pets in your area.

18/09/2022

Cassie is one of our permanent fosters.

I’m not sure what Cassie’s official title in her pack is, but she definitely believes herself to be owner of the bed. You might remember she is also known for her history of nipping visitors’ feet without provocation, which is one reason she never could be placed (plus her pelvis having shifted during healing after her FHO surgery back in 2018 … thankfully Cassie didn’t get the memo that she is supposed to be unable to walk or run normally).

A couple of months ago, our vet noted during a regular exam that Cassie had developed a heart murmur, so we've been tweaking her medication cocktail to keep the symptoms managed as much as possible. Cassie had been treated for heartworms back in 2018, so the heart failure diagnosis was not a complete surprise especially now that she is an estimated 12 years old. Hopefully this feisty old lady will be around to boss the "big" dogs for years to come.

16/09/2022

Available soon in South Louisiana … Hagrid.

06/04/2022

Paisley is a 5.5 year-old cocker spaniel mix whose owner passed away several months ago. She is in Memphis and available for adoption through Woof River Animal Rescue.

If you are interested in adopting Paisley or learning more about her, please contact Woof River directly.

03/04/2022

"Little" has been missing since 1/7/2022 from the Park Ave/Colonial area of Memphis. She is an 11 year old, spayed female, buff cocker spaniel. If you have seen her anywhere in the Memphis area, please contact her owner Stefanie at 901 643 7919.

02/04/2022

Missing from New Iberia, LA since 3/27/22.

Russo Rd, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, LA, US, 70563.
Daspit Road LA 70563 Lost 2022-03-27 Female Cocker Spaniel Tan or Cream

CONTACT (808) 388-5912
Email: [email protected]

Let's get Layla home!

05/01/2022

Both our Petfinder site and the URL that redirects to it are currently down while I work on moving our web hosting to a new provider. Since I would rather do just about anything than work on this web hosting stuff, it will probably be a bit before I've got it all up and running again.

We do not currently have any dogs available for adoption and do not expect any new dogs to come into rescue in the near future.

15/12/2021

Happy early Wednesday morning! This photo is from about 10 years ago ... my first dog Maxie who was quite the diva princess and did not do mornings.

Only 10 more days 'til Christmas! It doesn't feel that way here in South Louisiana ... we've had the air conditioner running most of the past week. (I am NOT complaining at all! 😀)

02/12/2021

Thank you to everyone who donated and shared our Giving Tuesday fundraiser! While we did not make it all the way to our goal, the funds we raised will help us to continue our mission.

For those of you asking, we only have 1 cocker spaniel available for adoption ... Ruthie, who is about 11 years old and has been waiting for her forever home for quite a while. Ruthie is the black and white cocker in this photo ... as you can see, being 11 years old doesn't mean she doesn't have the desire and energy to entertain my young cocker spaniel for hours on end. Ruthie has a long history of ear issues, but we've found that they are best maintained by leaving them alone. I know ... it goes against everything we've all known about managing ears, but her skin is super sensitive to any cleaning solution. Once we got the infection under control, changed her diet, added an antihistamine and moved out of the woods, her ears have been better than we ever expected.

30/11/2021

I said goodbye to precious Loretta in early November. Loretta came to MSCSR over 2 years ago as a hospice foster. We never knew how she ended up in the Memphis shelter as a stray or how old she might be because she didn't have any teeth or clear eyes that could be used to age her. We all guessed she was at least 15. In the end her little body was tired, and she let me know she was ready to go even though I really wasn't ready. But it wasn't about me; it will always be about these precious dogs and what they need.

All of us who knew Loretta could tell you that she had been well loved in her life before we met her. Loretta knew what she wanted whether it was to be held and cuddled while her ears were rubbed or to have her nester bed fluffed just right with an extra blanket to burrow under. And she loved her food, but she wanted you to hold the bowl in front of her while she ate still sitting in her bed.

My sincere thanks to volunteers Christine, Petra and Joe who helped with the logistics of getting Loretta out of the shelter and caring for her temporarily, taking her to our Memphis vet and then all the way to Hammond, Louisiana, so that Loretta could be spoiled in her final months (that joyfully turned into years). And I am forever grateful to our Memphis vet Utopia Animal Hospital for checking her out and getting her on needed meds back in 2019 and to our Lafayette vet Acadiana Veterinary Clinic for helping us make her final years happy and comfortable.

14/11/2021

We need your help! Oakley is still missing!

There have been sightings around Downtown/South Memphis, but she could be anywhere in the area. It's possible that someone has picked her up without realizing she's not just another stray.

Please help spread the word and encourage people in the Memphis area (including our Mississippi and Arkansas suburbs) to be on the lookout for her. If you see a dog that might be Oakley, please call the number on this flyer immediately and try to keep eyes on the dog without chasing or spooking her.

Whether you're out exploring Downtown, Beale Street, Fedex Forum or even the Pinch District, please keep your eyes peeled. I know if you follow this page, you love cocker spaniels and want to help this beauty get back home to her family.

02/11/2021

Memphis!

Oakley is still missing as of 10:45 AM on 11/2/2021 (Tuesday). Please be on the lookout if you are in Memphis, and call the number on the flyer immediately if you see a dog who might be her and keep eyes on her.

There are people searching for Oakley, and what they need most right now is your eyes. Reporting sightings is such an important part in a search like this.

01/11/2021

Memphis friends: Please be on the lookout for this cocker spaniel if you are in or near the area. The other 2 dogs who were in the stolen SUV with her have been located (dumped) near the intersection of Pontotoc and S. Danny Thomas in Memphis, but Oakley is still on the loose.

Please note that Oakley is a field-bred English cocker spaniel, so her coat and bone structure differs somewhat from the American cocker spaniels most of us are accustomed to seeing. Oakley is an athlete, so she will be more muscular than a lot of our dogs. I believe Oakley has a natural (long) tail.

If you see a red dog who looks like she might be Oakley, please call 904-614-9925 right away, and keep the dog in your sight if possible if she doesn't come to you.

23/10/2021

We're back in Louisiana, and Graham has been settling in well. Just like everywhere else we visited last week, he walked in and greeted the other dogs as if he'd been here all along. Even permanent foster Cassie, who is frequently the "fun police" around here, has stopped growling at him for breathing her air. 😂

We'll be visiting my regular vet in Lafayette this week to review all of Graham's records from Memphis and make plans to get his teeth taken care of. I'll also be getting more instruction on testing his blood glucose at home ... this little guy is really stingy with his blood, but my vet hopes we'll figure out a reliable spot to get a sample. Who would have ever thought I'd be giving injections and checking blood glucose levels twice a day when I had such terrible needle phobia for years? Trust me that if I can do this, you would be able to handle it too if you are ever faced with this situation.

Here's a photo of Graham from a couple of days ago when he was helping me change the bed sheets and quilt.

17/10/2021

One more Graham photo. I didn’t realize Linda was doing glamour shots yesterday when we were out in the grass.

17/10/2021

Another test; another photo of Graham. Is he not the most precious little guy? And there could not be an easier dog to learn how to test glucose levels on … except for the part where tiny dogs are so stingy with their blood. 😂 I accidentally poked myself this morning … at least I didn’t give myself his insulin.