Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network

10/10/2025

Fezzik may be wondering if we'll let a week go by without taking him to the vet! He went for a whole year between visits, but has been three times in the last three weeks! First he had his annual check-up and vaccinations -- no big deal -- he took the 💉shots and 🩸blood draw (for a heartworm test) all in stride. Then he had some 🦷 dental work done, and while he was under anesthesia, the vet checked his a**l glands. 😳 She found a small growth that was concerning, so today, Fezzik went back for a follow-up. His teeth and gums look 🌟 good after his gingivectomy, and we were very happy to hear that the small growth has decreased in size and shouldn't cause any problems for him. 👏👏👏 Fezzik was definitely glad to be back home today, and I think he'll be very happy NOT to be going back any time soon for more poking and prodding.☺️

10/09/2025

I would guess that most people who have working livestock guardian dogs (LGDs), or who are thinking about GETTING one or more LGDs, are generally thinking only about the welfare of their own animals -- chickens, goats, sheep, etc. who are vulnerable to predation. But did you know that by keeping LGDs, we are ALSO helping many OTHER animals, including predators? Ideally, our LGDs should never actually engage with predators -- the mere presence of working LGDs, together with secure fencing, is often enough to do the job. So working LGDs, as fierce as they can be, allow farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders to live in peace with coyotes, hawks, foxes, owls, bobcats, and other predators that would otherwise pose a threat to our livestock.

Ranchers who don't use LGDs often choose lethal methods for dealing with predators -- they hunt and shoot them; they set traps for them; some even set out poison. Studies have shown, however, that NON-LETHAL methods actually provide better results in terms of reducing livestock predation. For the size of small ranch and homestead we deal with, secure fencing is literally the first line of defense. I understand that if you have hundreds or thousands of acres, or if you graze your stock on government lands, fencing is not a practical option. But LGDs are an option in almost any size operation.

Don't get me wrong -- I support the idea of killing predators when necessary. But with good fencing and good LGDs, killing predators is usually NOT necessary. Except in drought years when small game is less abundant, predators can usually find plenty to eat without going after our stock. They may have to work harder -- literally hunting for every meal, when livestock in fixed pastures may seem like an easy target. But the combination of secure fencing and good LGDs means that no animal (or human, for that matter) should be an easy target for a predator.

Even if you're not concerned about whether predators live or die, it's worth considering their role in the ecosystem. Without coyotes, hawks, owls, and other predators, smaller animals that we consider PESTS can flourish and cause major problems. Mice, rats, and other rodents cause BILLIONS of dollars in damages to homes, farms, and businesses across the US every year. Plus, they carry diseases that can infect humans as well as other animals. So we NEED predators to keep their population in check. That's just one example of the importance of choosing humane, non-lethal predator control.

10/08/2025

Sophie the White Shepherd was adopted yesterday and we couldn’t be happier! Her story shows how much good can come from ordinary people working together to do amazing things. Sophie was rescued by a Good Samaritan who took her to the emergency vet to meet her immediate needs. Luckily, the Samaritan lives near Bluebonnet fosters Judy & Mike Shamp, and they reached out to see if we could help. Our role was very small — the Good Samaritan and the Shamps did all the hard work. They got Sophie to our vet for spay and vaccinations, and Mike put his expertise as a Bark Busters professional to work, giving Sophie leash-training and basic obedience skills. Another one of their neighbors saw their post about Sophie and asked to meet her, so they arranged a meet-up. The two dogs got along well, so after a few days of deliberations to be sure this was the right decision, they adopted Sophie! Judy & Mike have promised to stay in touch and offer any training help or guidance they need as Sophie settles in with her new family. We’re grateful to everyone involved — the Good Samaritan who first stepped up to help Sophie and who continued to foster her, Judy & Mike who trained Sophie to make her more adoptable, and of course their neighbor who chose adoption! Happy Tails, Sophie!

Bark Busters Home Dog Training Dallas Judy Shamp

10/08/2025

Toys galore!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPkGViUjnJG/?igsh=dTRhcDljejQxcGJj

10/08/2025

I left the barn door open while I ran inside to get something, and sanctuary donkeys Dakota, Molly, and Tex all were hoping I might be getting treats for them. Not that they’re spoiled or anything! Lucky for them, we keep carrots in the barn fridge. 😊🥕🧡🫏🧡🥕

10/07/2025

Today has been a marathon day, and I need to make a few posts, but I've run out of time, and right now, I need to get outside and make my evening rounds -- feeding dogs and picking up p**p. But tomorrow, look for posts about recent activities --

✅ One adoption - YAY!
✅ Three new intakes
✅ Two spays

As you might imagine, new intakes and spay surgery mean 💲 money going out the door, and with just one adoption bringing in an adoption fee, that means as usual, we're spending more than we're generating. I will probably add the DONATE button to tomorrow's posts so hopefully some of you will be able to help us out now, before the 🎄holiday 🎁 season takes all your disposable income. 😊

Photo of sweet boy Fergus recuperating from last week’s neuter surgery for algorithm tax. 💕

Stay tuned!

10/07/2025

Product testing on animals was born from the belief that animals respond the same way that humans do when exposed to certain substances, which we now know to be false. Most animal tests on cosmetics and personal care and household products today are conducted at the ingredient level, not on finished products. These tests cause unnecessary pain and suffering for animals -- unnecessary because there are alternatives that don't involve animals and that tend to be more accurate in determining product safety.

One way you can make a difference for animals is by choosing products that have taken the pledge NOT to test on animals or to use ingredients that others have tested on animals. In the US, there are no government regulations that a manufacturer/business must follow before putting "cruelty free" or "animal friendly" labeling on their products. Eight national animal protection groups banded together to form the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) specifically to address this issue of inconsistency. The CCIC promotes a single comprehensive standard, and companies that pass muster with them can use their internationally recognized Leaping Bunny logo.

Their website has a wealth of information, including a list of more than 2,300 Leaping Bunny Certified companies whose products you can trust are free of animal testing at all stages of product development. They also provide information about the most common (and cruel) animal testing currently in use, as well as information about all the latest types of tests that can lead to safer products without relying on animal cruelty. Visit https://www.leapingbunny.org/ and check out their "Shop Cruelty-Free" menu as well as "Resources" to learn more.

10/06/2025

Animal Welfare Week is about treating ALL kinds of animals humanely, whether those are our pets, our livestock, native wildlife, or any other kind of animals. In addition to our primary focus on dogs, Bluebonnet has rescued several species of livestock including chickens, goats, sheep, and donkeys. We have also rescued more than a dozen feral cats. All of these animals find sanctuary at our home base Ranch, where they live for the rest of their lives.

Every home is not the right place for the kind of menagerie that we have here, but every human can do their part, even if that's just being kind to the animals you encounter in your daily life. If you have children or grandchildren, teach them to respect animals. Better yet, get them involved in volunteering at a young age. Talk to your local shelter, rescue, or wildlife rehabilitation center about educational and volunteer opportunities. Maybe you can walk a dog to give them a break from the noisy kennels at the shelter. Or volunteer to clean the litter boxes for shelter cats. Offer to take a dog for a "doggy day out" -- take a walk, get a pup cup, visit a dog park or -- just enjoy time away from the shelter. Offer to give a dog a bath or if you can visit regularly, start obedience training. There are so many ways that you can help your local shelter or rescue group -- just ask.

The Adopt-a-Pet website has numerous articles about fostering and volunteering -- scroll through to see what catches your interest. https://www.adoptapet.com/blog/foster-volunteer

Most animal welfare groups are nonprofit organizations, so we always appreciate donations from people whose schedules are so packed that they can't make time to volunteer. Truly, there are ways for everyone to make a difference in the life of animals. It all starts with being kind.

10/06/2025

Belladonna met me at the gate to the goat kid nursery this morning so I let her out into the adjacent pasture. She greeted the dogs in that pasture (Sasha, SugarPlum, and Mouse King shown here, plus Ebony Jo, one of the two JRTs who accompany me as I do chores. (The other JRT Ty was busy — he had already found and dispatched one rodent and was on the hunt for others.) After taking a walk around the pasture and leaving her mark, Belladonna went back to the gate, clearly ready to go back to nursery duty. 💕

10/05/2025

I think Belladonna is OK with being moved into the goat kid nursery. 💕

10/05/2025

10/05/2025

When it comes to dogs, we have what you might call "an embarrassment of riches" -- so many dogs to talk about that it can be tough to decide who to showcase in any given post. If we had a volunteer to manage our social media, they could post a different dog every day for 2.5 months before they had to start over again. Except by the time they cycled through all the dogs CURRENTLY in our care, we would probably have brought in some new dogs, so they wouldn't need to ♻️ recycle right away.

With so many great dogs, some get overlooked in our posts, and Jan Brady is one such dog. 🩷 She's estimated to be about 3 years old and weighed 54 lbs at her last visit to the vet. She has the unusual combination of double dew claws and what appears to be a naturally bobbed tail. Based on the mixed group of (intact) dogs she was found with on an abandoned ranch in Texoma, our best guess is that Jan’s family tree may include Aussie, Anatolian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees. But that’s just a guess.

Jan needs a home where she can spend plenty of time in the back yard rather than confined to the house. Her house manners are much better now than when she first arrived, but she can still be destructive (mainly shredding her beds) if she's stuck in the house too long. I actually think she would be perfectly happy to live outside with a nice sheltered patio and occasional house privileges, especially during bad weather.

Jan can be dog-selective, so in an abundance of caution, we would prefer to place her as an only dog. During her 2+ years with us, Jan has shared living space and a play yard with several other dogs, but we stay vigilant and change her roommates from time to time as needed to keep peace in our pack. If you're looking for a solo dog who isn't needy and demanding, Jan might be exactly right for you. Although she's picky about her canine friends, she has been very sweet with all the people she has met, including on trips to the vet's office.

Submit your application on our website (link in page bio) or send email to [email protected] to start a conversation.