Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network

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Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network

Volunteers working to make life better for dogs and the humans who love them. Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network is based at Windsong Ranch in Whitewright, Texas.

We specialize in working livestock guardian dogs, including breeds such as Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, Akbash, and mixes of these and other LGD breeds. We are not breed-specific, but our experience and expertise is limited to a few breeds who have a centuries-long history of living and working on farms and ranches, in fields and mountains. We rescue many Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds

, Akbash, and mixes of these with other breeds. We have rescued a few Australian Shepherds, and are open to rescuing any dog that we think might be a good addition to life on a farm, ranch, or homestead. We test our foster dogs with our livestock, and place them in homes according to the things we learn about each dog through our testing. We work hard to evaluate a dog's temperament and behavior, and try to discern the kind of life each dog would prefer, whether that's living in the house as a pampered pet, in the pasture as a noble working dog, or some combination. You can find information about our adoption procedures on our website at www.bluebonnetrescue.org.

24/08/2024

In the last 4 weeks, we have had 14 appointments with 4 different veterinary clinics, for 18 different dogs and puppies. Today's appointment was the SIXTH trip to the vet just this week. So you won't be surprised to learn that year-to-date, we've spent over $38,750 on veterinary expenses. Bluebonnet is a small rescue. We rely on adoption fees and donations to keep us afloat. Adoptions are slow this year, so that means less income from adoption fees. We have many wonderful dogs who have been with us for more than a year, which means more veterinary expenses, more dog food, and more monthly preventives for heartworm, fleas, and ticks. It all adds up.

These photos are some of the dogs who have been to the vet this year, whether for an annual checkup or surgery or something else. As soon as I post this, I'll go in and put captions under each photo to identify what kind of veterinary expense we had for each dog. Keep in mind, this is just a small sampling of dogs for whom we have incurred veterinary expenses.

If you are able to make a donation to support our work, we would be very grateful.

Visit our LinkTree (link in our bio) for links to donate on various platforms, or send a check to:

Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network
P. O. Box 964
Whitewright TX 75491

Thank you for your support!

24/08/2024

Today we took Tracer and Hobbes to the vet for their annual checkup and vaccinations. These boys were pretty healthy when we pulled them from the shelter, but they were thin after having been running stray for a while. They aren't thin any more! Tracer weighed in at 108.8 lbs -- he was 85.2 lbs last year. Hobbes weighed 102.4 lbs today, compared to 71 lbs last year. They are SOLID boys now -- like me, Tracer could stand to get a little more exercise to make sure he doesn't get FAT since he's a couch potato. Hobbes is very fit even with the weight gain -- he is a working livestock guardian dog and gets plenty of exercise walking the perimeter and running across the pasture to bark at perceived threats.

Both boys are very sweet and loving with people, and they both get along well with other dogs regardless of gender. Tracer is a house dog who gets along with cats. He can go over 6' tall privacy fence so he needs supervised visits in the yard. Hobbes protects our goats, tolerates the cattle, and is good with our barn cat, but he is not good with chickens. Both boys are on our adoption website -- link in our bio.

Located in Whitewright TX about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.
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24/08/2024

Our parvo puppies Sugar Pie (sitting upright) and Honey Bunch are getting better every day! They are filling out thanks to three good meals every day. And they compete for my attention, which is such an improvement compared to the way they arrived— terrified to be touched. They have learned to appreciate the cushy bed inside the crate and spend time in there every day. We don’t yet close the crate door because we don’t want to frighten them, make them feel trapped. But they go into the crate on their own.

They will stay quarantined in our infirmary (formerly a guest bedroom in our home) for a few more weeks until we’re sure they’re no longer shedding the parvovirus. That will give us plenty of time to help them understand that we are their friends.

23/08/2024

This has been a busy week and it's not over yet! Today I took two more dogs to the vet for their annual checkup and vaccinations. Paul Drake and Della Street both got a clean bill of health, though we did schedule a dental appointment for Della. Paul Drake weighed in at just over 100 lbs but is still lean. Della was at just over 82 lbs and she also still looks lean. Both dogs tested negative for heartworms which is always a relief.

Paul Drake and Della Street live in different pastures with goats and other livestock guardian dogs. Both dogs get along well with other dogs regardless of gender, and they don't bother our barn cats. They have each been into our chicken yard (separately) and they have each done fine with our chickens. Learn more on our website -- link in our bio.

Located in Whitewright TX about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.
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23/08/2024

22/08/2024

It was Trapper's turn for his annual check-up and vaccinations today. He is an Akbash dog, estimated to be about 3.5 years old and weighed in at 115 lbs. He was such a good boy, greeting everyone to ask for pets, ignoring the clinic cats, and thankfully not deciding he needs to lift a leg anywhere. 😬 Trapper has been neutered, vaccinated, and tested negative for heartworms, so he is ready to find his forever home. Trapper is NOT a livestock guardian dog — he could be a great family/home/property guardian, but he wants to chase goats, not guard them.

See more photos and read more about him on our website -- link in our bio.

Located in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.
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21/08/2024

Well at least Margarita is not hogging the 🌬️AC vent today. 😁

Margarita is good with other dogs, has good manners in the house (except for hogging the AC), and is even good with our chickens. She is ready to find her forever family. Visit our website to apply to adopt. Link in our bio.

Located in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.
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21/08/2024

I wasn’t quick enough to catch Vader rolling around on his back, but it was pretty clear that he likes the new artificial turf we had installed recently. We still have work to do on the landscaping, but the turf is definitely a step in the right direction.

Vader is estimated to be about 3.5 years old and weighs about 100 lbs. He gets along with other dogs and has never bothered our barn cats. He loves the sofa and AC but also enjoys time in the yard. Vader is good with chickens so he would be a great choice for a home with a backyard flock. You can see more photos and info on his adoption page on our website. Link to our website is in our bio — sadly I can’t include the link in a post because Facebook’s AI thinks it’s spam. 😠😡🤬

Located in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.

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One final note:

Just to be clear, while we have made many improvements to our property for the benefit of the dogs, this is our home, so all improvements and maintenance are done at our personal expense. Donor funds are used for veterinary care and dog food and other things needed for the dogs — dog beds, collars, leashes, dog toys, etc.

21/08/2024

Yesterday, I shared a couple of videos to start telling you the story of the situation we are working on in Gatesville. In case you missed those posts, please be sure to visit our page to learn more. Short version of the story is that a senior citizen who we'll call Mr. D didn't his livestock guardian dogs, and within a couple of years, he was dealing with a population explosion. He has dozens of dogs on his property, protecting his goats, and he reached out for help. We are working with our rescue friends Twyla, Dory, Katie, and Karrie, trying to help Mr. D get the situation under control.

The first order of business was to remove a litter of puppies. The Gatesville 8 had their initial vaccinations and deworming, and were transported to an LGD rescue in California. Before we could trap any more dogs or puppies, Spring rains hit, and Mr. D's property was too muddy for safe trapping. Recently, as summer heat dried things up, he was able to round up a few more puppies. He took them to his home, which is in town, a short drive from his ranch, where the goats and dogs live. He also confined a pair of adult dogs in a small pen where he has been feeding them. Last week, Dory and Twyla went back to Mr. D's ranch and removed 5 animals -- 3 puppies and 2 adults. The adults went to a ranch home arranged by Dory, and I picked up the puppies. While the Gatesville 8 puppies were reasonably healthy, just unsocialized and filled with a variety worms and other intestinal parasites, these latest puppies were extremely thin and had very pale gums, which is usually an indication of a heavy worm load. Last Thursday night, I got the 3 pups settled in one of our barn kennels, gave them food and water, and gave each puppy their first dose of dewormer. When I went to check on them Friday morning, I expected to find some very nasty p**p. Instead, I found that one puppy had died. I was in shock -- these puppies didn't look healthy, but they looked malnourished and wormy, not deathly ill. I put the deceased pup in a body bag for cremation and put her siblings in a crate in the van and rushed to the emergency vet. A parvo test was positive. Both puppies received monoclonal antibodies and intensive, supportive care. After three days of round-the-clock care at the ER, I was able to bring Honey Bunch home on Sunday night, but Sugar Pie still needed continuous care. After two more days of hospitalization, I was finally able to bring Sugar Pie home tonight. She is still desperately thin, but she is eating, drinking, and eliminating. We think both girls have turned the corner and will (we hope) make a full recovery, but it will be several WEEKS before we can say they are healthy.

The fact that Mr. D now has parvo at his home and in his yard makes our rescue mission even more challenging. There is another litter of 5 puppies on the ranch, and Mr. D had been planning to catch them and bring them to his house to start socializing them, just as he was trying to do with this last group of puppies. But none of the dogs or puppies on the ranch have ever been vaccinated, so bringing puppies to his place is just not an option now. Even the adult dogs could be at risk since they've never been vaccinated. As adults, their immune systems might be strong enough to fight off parvo, but it's still more of a risk than we want to take. Plus, we don't want ANY dogs picking up parvo from Mr. D's yard and carrying it to a foster home. Based on the timing, we're pretty sure that the puppies got infected at his home, not at the ranch, so our hope is that as long as he doesn't take any more animals to his home, we can steer clear of more parvo cases.

Mr. D has offered to take the next litter of puppies straight to his vet as soon as he is able to catch them. We have a volunteer on standby to pick them up from the vet and take them to a foster home. But of course, the whole plan hinges on Mr. D being able to catch the puppies.

After the puppies are in a foster home, we will start trapping adults, probably 2 or 3 at a time, depending on how many will go into the kennel for feeding. We believe there are at least 20 more adults on the property, so this is going to be a long project. There are several ways you can help, and I’ll make another post about that tomorrow. For now, if you would like to make a donation to support this rescue mission, we ask that you choose PayPal or Venmo, or send us a check. We like the ease of Facebook donations, and we will always accept those, but there’s a lag time between the day money comes out of your account and when it lands in ours. (It can be 30-45 days.) Our bio includes a link to our LinkTree, which includes links to PayPal, Venmo, and more. Stay tuned for our post tomorrow, when I’ll tell you about more ways you can donate to this effort.

Located in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas.

21/08/2024

‼️REPOST‼️

‼️PLEASE READ NOTE AT THE END.‼️

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Today's adventure in dog wrangling!

This is one of the realities we face because we have taken in many unsocialized/feral dogs. With the dogs who are MOST feral, we sometimes need to herd the dog into a crate and then carry the crate from barn or pasture to van, and from van to vet clinic. With dogs who are at least a LITTLE bit socialized, we try to walk them on a slip lead, but with some dogs, that's like wrangling a wild animal -- they may stand and fight the leash or drop to the ground and do an alligator roll. It’s truly an adventure, and also an upper body/cardio workout. 💪🏼

Today was the second annual visit for Brigitta and Liesl of the Von Trapp Family of Akbash dogs. Mom and dad are very tame and friendly, but the whole family seems to have been dumped before the puppies were ever properly socialized. So even though they have lived with us for 2 years, Brigitta, Liesl, and their sister Gretl are still somewhat feral, and walking them on a leash is a major challenge.

Once we got the girls loaded in crates in the van, they were excellent passengers -- quiet and still. But once we arrived at All Heart, getting out of the van was another adventure. Thankfully, the staff is patient and helpful, and we managed to get the girls inside, one at a time. Brigitta weighed in at a little over 98 lbs, and Liesl was a little over 90.
Once inside the exam room, the girls were again still and quiet -- they are fairly easy patients because they don't resist much at all and don't show any aggression. Both girls tested negative for heartworms and tickborne diseases, which is always a good thing. Today they got their nails trimmed and their ears cleaned before we loaded them back up to head home. Thankfully, they are easy to manage at home.

The Von Trapp Family Akbash dogs are not good with livestock, so they are available for adoption only as family pets, but most people prefer a pet that they can more easily love on. These girls have lived inside the house and did fine, but they are currently living outside in one of our paddocks where they have more room to run and play. They seem content either way. If you would like to meet one of these girls, please complete the application on our website -- link in our bio.

Located in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Once again, Facebook removed my post. A post made by a rescue group about rescued dogs going to the vet. I had thought I would try putting the link to each dog's bio in the CAPTION under photos. Not part of the main post, but in captions. I'm not even sure how many people READ the dadgum captions. But apparently Facebook's AI does. So they removed my post. I'm re-posting WITHOUT the links. Clearly, until Facebook's AI meets the Wizard of Oz to get a freaking brain, we won't be able to include links to our own damn website without Facebook taking our posts down. This is just so absurd.
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20/08/2024

R***r enjoys an early morning outing. It’s supposed to be a walk, but he prefers just lounging in the shade, drinking cold water, crunching ice cubes and getting his tummy rubbed. Our friend Sherry is happy to accommodate his preferences. 💕

You can find more photos and information about R***r on our website— link in our bio.

Located in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.

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19/08/2024

If you've been following our page for very long, you may recall seeing posts about "The Gatesville 8" puppies. This is the first litter of puppies that we removed from the property that's the subject of the post I made earlier today. Thanks to Chris and Molly Kalinowski stepping up to foster, these puppies were removed from the property, vaccinated and dewormed. Their elderly owner did the best he could, but the puppies were not well socialized, so they were very frightened at first and would just scream when Chris and Molly tried to handle them. But with time, they came around -- you can see in this short video that they quickly learned that humans brought good things -- food, treats, LOVE. Thankfully, these puppies were rescued at a young enough age that they were able to overcome their rough start in life.

After a few weeks with Chris and Molly, The Gatesville 8 puppies came to our place for a few days, and then I drove them to Oklahoma to meet the transporter who took them to our friends at Serenity LGD Rescue in California. There, Michelle has continued to train them as future livestock guardians. Since these puppies were born among goats, they should end up being truly excellent LGDs.

These were just the first of many dogs and puppies that we hope to move off the Gatesville property and on to a better life. I'll make another post soon about the next round of pups that we have rescued.

It truly takes a village of caring people to make this kind of large-scale rescue possible -- from folks who volunteer to transport, to people who foster, to people who donate for the ongoing care of the dogs at the owner's property AND those in foster care. If you can help, please send a PM to the page or send email to [email protected] and tell us how you can help. If you want to donate, please stay tuned for my next post which will tell you about a variety of options.

19/08/2024

Even inside with the AC going full blast, Simon says it’s too hot to move more than just a little tail wag. It’s 103 outside today so it’s no wonder that dogs who typically prefer being outdoors are napping in the house.

Simon is a tripod Anatolian Shepherd; he lost his leg after being shot. At least one large bullet fragment lodged deep in the bone, with a lot of other fragments in the surrounding tissue. He just could not regain full use of the leg due to pain, so amputation was the best option. Simon has very nice manners in the house and gets along well with other dogs. He has not bothered our barn cats or the clinic cats who greet us every time we go to see the vet. You can see lots more photos on our website— link in our profile.

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PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option.
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19/08/2024

Starting this past March, we have been working with our friends Dory Ann Cox, Katie Evans, Karrie Elaine, and Twyla Pyles of Texas All Creatures Rescue to help a senior citizen deal with the proliferation of dogs on his property. The problem is a direct result of the failure to his original livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). When you don't spay/neuter, the natural result is that they breed, and LGDs tend to have large litters of puppies. So it didn't take long before the number of dogs and puppies grew to the point that he simply couldn't take care of them all. He is in his late 70s and has health challenges which have not made the situation any easier for him.

Over the course of this week, I will try to make more posts about this case. But for today, I wanted to share this video with you so you can see what happens when you don't spay/neuter your dogs. This is a real world example of the posts I've been making every week for a year now -- I've posted several graphics showing how many dogs can be produced by one breeding pair. Maybe you will be able to count the number of dogs in this video. We haven't been able to get an accurate head-count, but we believe there are 20-30 adults and at least one litter of puppies. We have already removed a total of 11 puppies (from 2 different litters) and 2 adults. The dogs are NOT socialized, so they have to be trapped in order to be removed. This project will take a long time to complete, and we worry that until we can remove all the adults and get them to the vet, more breeding will take place and more puppies will be born.

I can't say this emphatically enough -- . Rescues and shelters simply can not keep up, and yet at least once a week, we learn about situations like this one, all over the USA. This is not a unique problem -- many rescuers are dealing with similar situations in their own area.

If you can, please offer to foster for your local shelter or rescue. If you can't foster, consider volunteering or donating. At a minimum, share posts like this one, and posts about dogs available for adoption.

19/08/2024

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19/08/2024

$5 New Member Shopping Bonus! Join now, when you make your first purchase within 30 days, we'll give you an extra $5 bonus for Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network. https://www.iGive.com/BluebonnetAnimalRescueNetwork/?p=19992&jltest=1

18/08/2024

Birdee spent a little time in the pasture today and it wore her out! She spent MORE time in the barn, alternately working on a chew treat, getting some attention from humans, and napping. This girl may not be cut out for life as a working dog, but she has potential as a great family pet or maybe a farm/homestead dog who gets to spend more time with her people rather than with farm animals. Birdee is on our adoption website— link in our bio.

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Videos

If you've been following our page for very long, you may recall seeing posts about "The Gatesville 8" puppies. This is the first litter of puppies that we removed from the property that's the subject of the post I made earlier today. Thanks to Chris and Molly Kalinowski stepping up to foster, these puppies were removed from the property, vaccinated and dewormed. Their elderly owner did the best he could, but the puppies were not well socialized, so they were very frightened at first and would just scream when Chris and Molly tried to handle them. But with time, they came around -- you can see in this short video that they quickly learned that humans brought good things -- food, treats, LOVE. Thankfully, these puppies were rescued at a young enough age that they were able to overcome their rough start in life. After a few weeks with Chris and Molly, The Gatesville 8 puppies came to our place for a few days, and then I drove them to Oklahoma to meet the transporter who took them to our friends at Serenity LGD Rescue in California. There, Michelle has continued to train them as future livestock guardians. Since these puppies were born among goats, they should end up being truly excellent LGDs. These were just the first of many dogs and puppies that we hope to move off the Gatesville property and on to a better life. I'll make another post soon about the next round of pups that we have rescued. It truly takes a village of caring people to make this kind of large-scale rescue possible -- from folks who volunteer to transport, to people who foster, to people who donate for the ongoing care of the dogs at the owner's property AND those in foster care. If you can help, please send a PM to the page or send email to [email protected] and tell us how you can help. If you want to donate, please stay tuned for my next post which will tell you about a variety of options. #rescuepuppiesofinstagram #instapuppy #rescuepup #instapup #bluebonnetrescue #texasacr #akbashdog

Even inside with the AC going full blast, Simon says it’s too hot to move more than just a little tail wag. It’s 103 outside today so it’s no wonder that dogs who typically prefer being outdoors are napping in the house. Simon is a tripod Anatolian Shepherd; he lost his leg after being shot. At least one large bullet fragment lodged deep in the bone, with a lot of other fragments in the surrounding tissue. He just could not regain full use of the leg due to pain, so amputation was the best option. Simon has very nice manners in the house and gets along well with other dogs. He has not bothered our barn cats or the clinic cats who greet us every time we go to see the vet. You can see lots more photos on our website— link in our profile. *********************************************** PLEASE NOTE: Facebook's AI is generally more Artificial than Intelligence, and as a result, they have recently been removing a lot of posts that include links of any kind. This is very frustrating because it means that if we put a link to the adoption bio for one of our dogs, Facebook may remove the post. We try to always refer you to the links in our bio. If you click on the link to our website, you'll see a Quick Links menu on the left. If you choose Browse Available Animals, you'll see a list of dogs available for adoption, in alphabetical order. We're sorry we can't just put the link to make it easy, but until Facebook's AI gets a lot smarter, we really don't have another good option. *********************************************** #adoptme #availableforadoption #takemehome #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #animalrescue #rescuedogsrock #bluebonnetrescue #asd #anatolianshepherdsofinstagram #anatolianshepherddog #anatoliansofinstagram #anatolianshepherd #tripod #tripoddog #tripawed #tripaweddog

Starting this past March, we have been working with our friends Dory Ann Cox, Katie Evans, Karrie Elaine, and Twyla Pyles of Texas All Creatures Rescue to help a senior citizen deal with the proliferation of dogs on his property. The problem is a direct result of the failure to #spayneuter his original livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). When you don't spay/neuter, the natural result is that they breed, and LGDs tend to have large litters of puppies. So it didn't take long before the number of dogs and puppies grew to the point that he simply couldn't take care of them all. He is in his late 70s and has health challenges which have not made the situation any easier for him. Over the course of this week, I will try to make more posts about this case. But for today, I wanted to share this video with you so you can see what happens when you don't spay/neuter your dogs. This is a real world example of the posts I've been making every week for a year now -- I've posted several graphics showing how many dogs can be produced by one breeding pair. Maybe you will be able to count the number of dogs in this video. We haven't been able to get an accurate head-count, but we believe there are 20-30 adults and at least one litter of puppies. We have already removed a total of 11 puppies (from 2 different litters) and 2 adults. The dogs are NOT socialized, so they have to be trapped in order to be removed. This project will take a long time to complete, and we worry that until we can remove all the adults and get them to the vet, more breeding will take place and more puppies will be born. I can't say this emphatically enough -- #spayneuteryourpets. Rescues and shelters simply can not keep up, and yet at least once a week, we learn about situations like this one, all over the USA. This is not a unique problem -- many rescuers are dealing with similar situations in their own area. If you can, please offer to foster for your local shelter or rescue. If you can't foster, consider

Margarita is just trying to keep cool on these hot summer days.

Welcome to your new life, Puppies!!! Follow along for more photos and news as we get acquainted with this brother and sister. #rescuepuppiesofinstagram #instapuppy #rescuepup #instapup #bluebonnetrescue

The Anatolian Shepherd puppies we pulled from the Bastrop Shelter are getting BIG! And they are DEFINITELY finding ways to have fun and stay cool at their foster home. They'll be heading to Windsong Ranch soon so expect to see more photos. We'll get them added to our adoption website soon, but in the meantime, if you're looking for a giant puppy, submit your application and mention the Bastrop puppies. https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/forms/form?verify=abc123&formid=3796 #rescuepuppiesofinstagram #instapuppy #rescuepup #availableforadoption #instapup #bluebonnetrescue #puppiesofinstagram #puppiesofinsta #instapuppies #rescuepuppiesoftexas #puppiesofFacebook #puppylife #puppiesmakemehappy #fosteringsaveslives #fosterpuppies #anatolianshepherdpuppy #rescuepuppy #puppies #anatolianpuppy #anatolianshepherdpuppies

Why yes, in fact we ARE tired of all this rain. 😑 We had almost 15” at Windsong Ranch in May. And so far in June, we’ve had rain every day. The ground is saturated so water stands longer after each rain. The longhorns don’t seem to mind the rain, but the goats stay inside when it’s raining then try to find a dry path for walking when they graze. Most of the working dogs are oblivious to the mess, as evidenced by Paul Drake and Coach. Meanwhile the humans feel like WE are the ones who’ll be getting hoof-rot if we’re not careful. #rainydaysandmondays #mudpuddles #muddymess #greatpyranatolian #anapyr #anatolianpyr #pyratolian #greatpyranatolianmix #anatolianpyrenees #anatolianpyreneesmix #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #animalrescue #rescuedogsrock #bluebonnetrescue #workingdog #lgdsofinstagram #livestockguardiandog #workingdogsofinstagram #lgd #livestockguardiansofinstagram #livestockguardian #komondormix

Vader wishes everyone a Happy Star Wars Day! Check out his adoption bio here: https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=17952153 #StarWarsDay #MayThe4thBeWithYou #instapyr #greatpyrenees #greatpyreneesoftheday #greatpyreneeslovers #greatpyreneesrescue #rescuedog #bluebonnetrescue #availableforadoption #greatpyreneesofinstagram #bigwhitedog

When people ask me about Ruger, I tell them he’s VOCAL! And spoiled. ☺️ “Spoiled” is not a bad thing for a puppy, and hopefully he’ll get past the stage of barking nonstop when he’s not being held. I didn’t get any photos while we were inside the clinic today because I was so busy trying to keep him quiet. He got his second round of vaccinations today, and we scheduled entropion surgery for later this month. BTW in case you notice those giant paws, you might be interested to know that he weighed in at 31 lbs. He's 10-12 weeks old, so he's likely to be a BIG dog when he grows up! Ruger and two puppies believed to be his siblings were dumped in a rural area near the border between Oklahoma and Arkansas. The finder took all three puppies to the vet for their first vaccinations and found homes for the other two. But Ruger needed surgery for his eyes and for people who don’t have experience with entropion, that diagnosis can be a worrisome prospect. The finder reached out to one of our rescue friends who reached out to me. Since we have plenty of experience and a vet who does excellent entropion correction, we were glad to bring this future LGD into Bluebonnet. He has a good start already, having been exposed to goats and other livestock in his temporary home. Once he recovers from surgery, we’ll start his LGD training, but for now, he just gets to be a puppy -- playing, getting lots of belly rubs, and having no responsibilities other than to enjoy life. #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #animalrescue #rescuedogsrock #bluebonnetrescue #greatpyranatolian #anapyr #anatolianpyr #pyratolian #greatpyranatolianmix #anatolianpyrenees #anatolianpyreneesmix #workingdog #lgdsofinstagram #livestockguardiandog #workingdogsofinstagram #lgd #livestockguardiansofinstagram #livestockguardian #lgdintraining #futurelivestockguardian #instapuppy #rescuepup #instapup

I think we’re going to have to update Margarita’s profile on the website and add an additional skill. This video really illustrates well the kind of personality Margarita has: she is playful, adventurous, and not timid or afraid of new things or people. We have been here over 10 years now, and only two dogs have ever been in our pool (by choice, that is): Duncan and Margarita. And Duncan only stood on the steps, never swam like Margarita does. There is something about the pool that scares off and intimidates most dogs who otherwise love the water. But it obviously doesn’t scare Margarita! She loves it! Margarita is a great dog, easy to have around, loves attention, and is even safe with our chickens! And she’s a good swimmer. Margarita is available or for adoption. Check out her profile on our website. https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=20101082

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Bringing Margarita into the chicken yard for the first time. Margarita apparently grew up with chickens because she had zero interest in them, and was nonreactive when the roosters crowed. She was much more interested in their food and poop! And more interested in me than anything. It was hard to keep her in the video because she wanted to be right next to me. Margarita is house/potty-trained and gets along well with other dogs. She has had some introduction to cats in her first foster home but would need proper introductions to live in a home with cats. She will sleep in a crate but really prefers free run of the house. She is sometimes a counter-surfer so if she is allowed free run, you need to clear your counters of food and medication for safety. Adoption bio: https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=20101082 #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #animalrescue #rescuedogsrock #bluebonnetrescue #greatpyr #greatpyrenees #bigwhitedog #greatpyreneesofinstagram #instapyr #gentlegiant #chickensofinstagram #chickens

If you have followed us for long, you probably know that we test many of our foster dogs with our livestock. Some of the dogs we rescue are clearly not LGD material, but many ARE. Some owner-surrendered dogs are known to have some experience with goats, chickens, or some other type of livestock. Dogs coming from the shelter typically have a completely unknown history. So we test. In addition to testing dogs with our livestock, we test them with other LGDs, because in most cases, we think that livestock guardians work best in pairs or teams with three or more dogs. So understanding how a dog gets along with other working dogs is an important part of our testing and analysis. Nemo is a Great Pyrenees who was born in the pasture with Boer goats. His parents were both working livestock guardians. Nemo and his siblings were not handled as puppies -- they weren't socialized with humans at all. It took a few months to trap them to bring them into rescue, and working with them takes more effort than working with a friendly dog. But Nemo, Bruce, and Crush are really good LGDs, so they are worth the effort. They are ALSO good for testing other dogs with, because they focus on the DOG, not on ME. Chico was also raised with Boer goats, but he was well-socialized with humans. His family lost the lease on their farm, so Chico (Anatolian Shepherd/Central Asian Shepherd cross according to his former owner) came to live at Windsong Ranch. He was raised as a solo LGD, and he was neutered just days before coming here. Add that to his young age, and you have a dog who needed time just getting used to living in a place with so many dogs that he can't be the boss of. 🙂 For the last several months, Chico has gone from staying in a paddock by himself -- just getting used to having other LGDs on the other side of the fence -- to staying in a paddock with one or more LGDs. This week-end is the first time, and Nemo is the first LGD that Chico has managed to stay with for more than 24 h

Depending on how old you are and your musical tastes, you might be singing the Brooks & Dunn song 🎵 "My Maria" in your head right about now. Or maybe your head is filled with 🎼 "Maria -- I just met a girl named Maria" from West Side Story. Or maybe you're hearing all sorts of songs 🎶 sung by (or about) Maria in The Sound of Music. Then there's 🙏 "Ave Maria" -- there are just so many wonderful songs you can sing to and about our beautiful Akbash girl Maria. If you have followed our page very long, you may remember her story -- she suffered catastrophic injuries when she was hit by a car, and we weren't sure she would survive, much less walk again. But our Maria is a fighter, and she would not be defeated. It took her a few months and a couple of surgeries, but she mended and now runs so fast that you could forget she's a tripod. Maria is estimated to be about 3 years old and weighs 94 lbs. She has good manners in the house, but truly LOVES having freedom to run and play in a BIG (well-fenced) yard. She is NOT a working LGD. Maria gets along well with other dogs but hasn't been tested with cats. She does bark at the barn cats when she sees them on the other side of the fence that separates the yard from the pasture. Please share our post so the right family will see Maria and want to sing all the Maria songs to her for the rest of her days! 💘💕💝 https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=19000774 You can always find a link to our website in our bio, and there's a link on the website/left side menu to "Browse Available Animals." There's also a link under the banner photo on the website -- "Animals/Available Dogs." #lookingforlove #adoptme #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #animalrescue #rescuedogsrock #bluebonnetrescue #availableforadoption #akbashdog #akbash #akbashdogsofinstagram #bigwhitedog #akbaş Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network is based at Windsong Ranch in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of D

Paul Drake makes me think of that old song that starts out "I am a lo-ong ta-all Texan." He is definitely a TALL boy, and he's as handsome as he is tall. Paul Drake gets along with other dogs, is OK with our barn cats, and early testing says he's OK with goats and chickens. But it's PEOPLE that he likes best of all, so we think Paul Drake could make an excellent pet/companion dog, or maybe he would be the perfect dog for a small homestead where he could help to protect the animals AND the family. Please share our post so the right family will see Paul Drake and fall in love! 💘💕💝 https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=19736033 Leading up to Valentine's Day, we're going to try to show you a different dog each day who is lookin' for love! We'll include a link to each dog's adoption page, but we hope you'll take a look at ALL the great dogs listed on our website. You can always find a link to our website in our bio, and there's a link on the website/left side menu to "Browse Available Animals." There's also a link under the banner photo on the website -- "Animals/Available Dogs." #lookingforlove #adoptme #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #animalrescue #rescuedogsrock #bluebonnetrescue #availableforadoption #greatpyranatolian #anapyr #anatolianpyr #pyratolian #greatpyranatolianmix #anatolianpyrenees #anatolianpyreneesmix #instapyr Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network is based at Windsong Ranch in Whitewright TX, about an hour north of Dallas, 45 minutes south of Durant OK.

LGD Training in Session, The Honorable Miss Rennie Presiding

MacIntosh is one of the Komondor/Anatolian Shepherd puppies that we took in this past October. He is the largest pup in his litter, and early indications are that he has good guardian instincts. So in addition to plenty of play time with his siblings and other puppies, we're also giving him time in the pasture under the supervision of our best LGD Miss Rennie, along with her team of LGD fosters. Currently, Facebook doesn't allow me to publish a post with both video and photos, so I can't show you the photo I snapped just before I started the video. (I'm going to try editing the post after it's published, because I think I can add a photo THEN.) Moments before I started the video, Rennie was lying down, enjoying the sunshine on a cold day. But she clearly was paying more attention to young Mac than I realized, because the minute he headed in the direction of the goats, Rennie stood up to watch, ready to offer correction if needed. But no correction was needed because Mac simply ran in the general direction of the goats, but then turned away. He never chased the goats. Rennie watched, saw that he behaved, and didn't find any need to intervene. This kind of vigilant supervision and mentoring of our foster dogs and puppies is one of the things that makes Rennie such an important partner in our rescue work. She's not only our best LGD, but she's also absolutely critical to our ability to take the leap of faith we take with each foster and puppy when they reach the point in our testing that I they can be trusted in the pasture without my supervision. I know that I can count on Rennie to intervene if any foster misbehaves. She will keep our livestock safe while teaching the newcomer how to behave in her pasture. Truly, Rennie has made a world of difference in our ability to test our foster as working LGDs and then adopt them out with confidence. By our best estimate, Rennie will be 11 years old in April. She shows no interest in retiring, but we're glad that she

This is so cute! Rachael sent me this video of Duke and Bruno in her SUV on the way to meet the transport yesterday.

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Making life better for dogs and the people who love them

Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network is based at Windsong Ranch in Whitewright, Texas. We are not breed-specific, but our experience and expertise is limited to a few breeds who have a centuries-long history of living and working on farms and ranches, in fields and mountains. We rescue many Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, Akbash, and mixes of these with other breeds. We have rescued a few Australian Shepherds, and are open to rescuing any dog that we think might be a good addition to life on a farm, ranch, or homestead. We test our foster dogs with our livestock, and place them in homes according to the things we learn about each dog through our testing. We work hard to evaluate a dog's temperament and behavior, and try to discern the kind of life each dog would prefer, whether that's living in the house as a pampered pet, in the pasture as a noble working dog, or some combination. Our adoption fees vary according to the age and type of dog. We try to list the fee for each dog on his or her profile on our Adopt-a-Pet page, but in general, this is our fee structure: $100 for Senior Dogs $200 for "Regular" Dogs who are wonderful house pets $300 for Adult Dogs who have been tested and proven safe with our livestock $300 for Puppies and Young Adults 2 years old and younger You can find more information about our adoption procedures on our website at www.bluebonnetrescue.org.

In addition to dogs, we rescue farm animals on a case-by-case basis, as space allows. Farm animals find sanctuary here for the rest of their lives, and are not made available for adoption.

We invite you to visit us at our monthly open house -- “2nd Saturday at the Ranch.” You can find details, including our address, on our Facebook event each month.

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LGD Training in Session, The Honorable Miss Rennie Presiding

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Making life better for dogs and the people who love them