Bluebonnet Animal Rescue Network

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.

BoB (Big Ol’ Baby) is a pinto Anatolian Shepherd with an estimated birthday of 2/1/2013, and we believe he has been deaf...
11/21/2025

BoB (Big Ol’ Baby) is a pinto Anatolian Shepherd with an estimated birthday of 2/1/2013, and we believe he has been deaf since birth. He joined our family in October 2013 when he was just over 8 months old. He was pulled from the shelter in Lubbock TX by a friend who rescues bully breeds. Being big and deaf, Bob wasn’t fitting in well with her pack. Two separate adoptions didn’t work out, so he was in need of a new home. Our friend posted about him, and we offered to give him a home for life. Cataracts have severely impacted his vision, and he has arthritis, but he still gets around pretty well for his age.

Venus is (believe it or not!!!) a Great Pyrenees/Pointer mix. She and her sister Serena were completely feral when they came here in 2017. The sisters have an estimated birthday of 3/17/2013 so like Bob, they will soon turn 13 years old. Venus seems to have normal vision and hearing in spite of her age, but she does have arthritis.

Your donations to our fundraiser help us give senior dogs the care they need for as long as they are with us.

https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/BluebonnetRescue



OK I confess -- the older I get, the more salty my language becomes. So if I had a "Swear Jar," it might be more full th...
11/21/2025

OK I confess -- the older I get, the more salty my language becomes. So if I had a "Swear Jar," it might be more full than this one. But definitely the other jar would be full to overflowing. How about you?

CURRENTLY FOSTERED NEAR AUSTIN TXFoster family Molly and Chris dedicated this sofa to the dogs -- the pillow makes it cl...
11/20/2025

CURRENTLY FOSTERED NEAR AUSTIN TX

Foster family Molly and Chris dedicated this sofa to the dogs -- the pillow makes it clear "NO HUMANS ALLOWED ON THE COUCH!" Until recently, their foster dog Chickadee tended to claim this sofa as her territory, and the younger Pyr/Akbash pups from the Toy Story litter didn't ever challenge her for that privileged space. But now Chickadee is on a visit with a prospective adopter, so the sofa is fair game, and today, Hammy claimed it as his own! He looks awfully handsome up there, don't you think?

Visit Hammy's adoption page on our website and submit your application to adopt your own mini polar bear in time for the holidays!

https://www.bluebonnetrescue.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=21866149

11/19/2025

I took this short video this morning as an example of one simple type of conditioning that we do with dogs who come to live at Windsong Ranch. Titan came in with an absolutely horrendous ear infection. At the emergency vet, they were using an injection sedative before putting drops in his ears. I don't have that luxury -- I have to put drops in his ears every day and trust that he's not going to snap at me because I'm causing him pain. So every time I go to Titan's suite in our Infirmary (formerly our guest bedroom ☺) I spend just a couple minutes petting his head and gently rubbing his ears. You can see him react when I massage around his left ear -- that's the one with the terrible infection. But doing this multiple times a day, he's learning that he can trust me not to hurt him, and he's beginning to think it feels pretty good. I think he appreciates it when I scratch behind his left ear, because he tries to scratch it with his back foot, but the cone is there specifically to prevent him for scratching and further inflaming his ear.

His ear definitely still looks ugly, but Titan's original rescuer Dory and I were comparing photos earlier today, and it looks much better than it did when he was admitted to the hospital. Today is my third day to put drops in his very tender, painful ear, and so far he's tolerating it with only oral meds (Gabapentin and Trazodone). He has an appointment with our primary vet next week, and he'll be sedated so his ear can be cleaned again and packed with medicated ointment that's compounded with multiple meds including an antibiotic, steroid (as an anti-inflammatory), and anti-fungal. Hopefully we'll get the infection cleared up soon. Between his ear and the infection/inflammation from urine scalding under that heavy, dirty, matted coat, Titan still has a lot of pain and tenderness. But every day, Tim and I are showing him that he can expect kindness here. So far, he seems to be very trusting. Stay tuned to follow .

In order to clear a space for Titan, we had to move a few dogs around. This is something we do fairly often, because we'...
11/19/2025

In order to clear a space for Titan, we had to move a few dogs around. This is something we do fairly often, because we're always testing dogs to see what their temperament is like in different settings. Do they get along with ALL dogs, or just certain dogs? Do they prefer dogs of the same breed, or same color? Does size matter, or s*x? If you haven't experienced this yourself, you might be surprised to hear that many livestock guardian breed dogs can be VERY inclined to dislike dark-colored dogs and dogs with prick ears. That's because most canine predators are darker colors with prick ears -- there's just a natural distrust. We see it here every day. Dogs in general and livestock guardian dogs in particular seem to have a finely tuned understanding of pheromones -- they read each other and size each other up pretty quickly. Because I test dogs in our pasture, with our livestock, I always pay attention to how the experienced LGDs respond to any new dog that I'm bringing into the pasture for the first time. Our best LGDs can sniff a new dog head to toe and know whether it's safe to walk away and trust that dog with our livestock, or whether they need to stay vigilant to be sure that I have control of the newcomer. I don't understand how pheromones can tell dogs so much, but they DO.

In any event, the point is just that I frequently move dogs around and pay attention to how they get along with others. This helps me make better adoption matches, trying to insure that dogs will stay in their new home for the rest of their lives. Needing to clear space for Titan gave me a good reason to move a few dogs. So on Sunday and Monday, we moved a few. Then when one move turned out not to be the right combination of dogs, we moved another dog on Tuesday. Captions under each photo (Facebook only) to tell you who's who.

11/19/2025

Titan had a good first night last night and has had a fairly quiet day today. He took a walk around the small infirmary yard, but didn’t go close enough to the fence to meet any of the other big white dogs who were curious about the new boy. He’s scheduled for a follow-up appointment with our vet next week to have his infected ear packed. Till then, he has meds and ear drops to help kill one of the more nasty bacteria he’s fighting, and to help him feel better. Stay tuned as we chronicle to a better life.

One of our many Chewy autoship orders arrived this afternoon . Any time you’re shopping at chewy, you can check out our ...
11/19/2025

One of our many Chewy autoship orders arrived this afternoon . Any time you’re shopping at chewy, you can check out our Wish List, or send us a gift card. We will put it to good use for dogs like our newest intakes Titan and Benjamin Button, as well as sanctuary dogs like Bobby and Lindsey.

https://www.chewy.com/g/bluebonnet-animal-rescue-network_b72770859 -list&wishlistsortby=DEFAULT

Benjamin Button is getting his jaw repair checked out this morning. ❤️
11/18/2025

Benjamin Button is getting his jaw repair checked out this morning. ❤️


Some of you may have seen posts in various rescue-related groups and pages about a Great Pyrenees living on the streets ...
11/18/2025

Some of you may have seen posts in various rescue-related groups and pages about a Great Pyrenees living on the streets in southern Dallas County. Our friends Dory, Kenzi, and Twyla had been working with local folks to catch him so he could get the veterinary care he so clearly needed. We're borrowing a few of their photos so you can see his condition on the streets, then how he looked after he was sedated and shaved. You can see posts on Dory's page with more graphic photos and videos. His coat was matted, full of urine and dirt, and was causing urine scalding on his skin, as well as infections. Shaving him down to the skin removed an estimated 15-20 lbs based on Titan's weight when he arrived at VEG and when he left -- he started at just under 105 lbs and finished at just over 88 lbs.

Dory checked him out of VEG today and brought him to Windsong Ranch, where he will continue to heal. He has a truly horrible ear infection that may eventually require him to have a TECA (total ear canal ablation). His skin infections should heal with medications. And no surprise -- he tested positive for heartworms. Once he has gotten into better shape, we'll get him scheduled for his neuter and vaccinations. But for now, he's just got time and space to rest and recover.

We're so grateful to Dory, Kenzi and Twyla for stepping up to help this boy get the immediate care he needed, and to everyone who donated to help cover the cost of his emergency care at VEG. Special thanks to one of our adopters who paid the final bill today, which was over $1,500. It truly takes a village, and the rescue village really showed up to help Titan.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get to know him, and as he continues his healing journey.


A day in the life of Benjamin Button. ❤️
11/17/2025

A day in the life of Benjamin Button. ❤️


This is true in general, but it's especially true when it comes to helping animals in need. Dogs and cats, puppies and k...
11/15/2025

This is true in general, but it's especially true when it comes to helping animals in need. Dogs and cats, puppies and kittens are at risk of being killed every day -- in shelters coast to coast, living on the streets, living in a home with an abusive owner, living in a puppy mill, and other places I might not even think about. You can be kind to any animal that crosses your path -- maybe you thought you weren't ready to bring another pet into your life, but that pet needs your kindness. Maybe you take the animal in as a member of your family. Maybe you help reunite the pet with their owner. Maybe you foster the pet until you can find a family for them. Maybe you foster the pet for a rescue or shelter who will find a home for them. Whatever you CAN do, please don't hesitate, because that animal may not live to see another day if you wait.

Address

Whitewright, TX

Website

https://linktr.ee/BluebonnetRescue

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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.