Benjamin Ranger, otherwise known as the one-eyed wonder dog, was adopted today by Tracey Aleman and her family of San Antonio, TX. Benjamin will be the newest member of the Aleman family, joining their 7 year old cocker spaniel. The Alemans are repeat adopters. Seven years ago they adopted Buddy, who recently passed away of old age. Attached are a few snap shots of a very happy Benjamin and the Aleman’s  son, Nicholi. I’m so excited for Benjamin and am glad he was able to find his “furever” home.

CLICK HERE to read Benjamin’s original story.  It’s quite remarkable.

This is what he looked like when we first got him into Lone Star.

We can only do this because of our wonderful supporters.

Please consider a small donation to our LSSTLAR Veterinary fund!

To help us continue our mission to save those that others have passed by, please use THIS LINK for paypal, or THIS LINK to send a check.  Download the credit card form HERE and fax it to 713-583-7816. You guys are the GREATEST!!

I’m sure you remember Princess Pei Pei.  She came into our rescue severely underweight, heart worm positive, sick with kennel cough, and with a cherry eye.  She was a mess!  It took us over a month to get her over the cold and some weight on her before we were ready to spay her and have her cherry eye surgery when she came down sick again with kennel cough! It appears to have been a relapse.  She finally got well and had her spay and cherry eye surgery.  We had thought this poor little underweight girl was pregnant when we got her, but it was luckily determined to be a false pregnancy.  After the spay and her hormones going crazy, she developed a full blown false pregnancy!  Her belly swelled and she had lots of milk.   It took a few weeks for her to dry up!  She has been through so much and now she faces having to undergo heart worm treatment.  She seems to be healthy now and although still on the slender side, she is eating well and at a much healthier weight now.   She needs your help to raise the funds for her final treatment so she can finally find her forever home.

If you can donate, please use Paypal HERE or send a check HERE or use a credit card HERE.

With all the overwhelming load of dogs we have, of course, we get yet another email about a few breeder dogs that need somewhere to go.  An independent rescuer in Baton Rouge, LA, took several little dogs from a local breeder (one breeding “toys” and “imperial shih tzu,” etc so obviously one of the worst kind).  Four of the little females were in HORRIBLE shape.  She took them to the vet for basic shots and a quick exam.  I must say the vet’s notes were amazing.  “terribly emaciated,” “3-4 pounds underweight,” “punctured eye,” etc. 

Cute little Aliana had a HUGE hernia on her belly and if there’s one thing our vet worries about, it’s large hernias in puppymill survivors.  So she went to see him immedidately after arriving.

Lucky thing she did, too.  When he went in to fix the hernia and spay her, he found that she had a huge pyometria.  He said her uterus looked like a yellow hot dog – completely full of pus.

She also had a punctured eye that he removed while she was under.

Her total bill was just over $450.

If you can help, please use PAYPAL HERE or send a check HERE or use a credit card HERE.

Little Mae may have caught a lucky break.  Our vet suspected a nasal tumor because of the resistance her infection showed to all antibiotics.  We sent her to Gulf Coast to see what the situation was.

Dr. Heidi Hottinger, probably the best soft tissue surgeon in the state, took her case since we thought we would have to remove a tumor.

We went forward with the CT scan because of the urgency of her condition.  I told everyone that all of you would not want us to wait and that we would find a way to pay for her scan.

Dr. Hottinger found a place in her nasal cavity that looked bad, but not necessarily a tumor.  She obtained several samples and sent them off to the lab for biopsy and we’ll know for certain on Wednesday or Thursday.

In the mean time, we still need funds to pay for her procedure.  As a matter of fact, the bill was quite a bit higher than anticipated since they took all the tissue samples and sent them for biopsy.  The total was $2130.

To date, Tuesday 5:30 am CST, we have raised $305 for her.  Mae sends thanks to Pat Heitman, Valerie Newman (HI!!), Janet Bello, Anna Dee Lastick, Tom Propst in memory of Little Bear, Anon in honor of Catharine Harper.

If you can possibly help little Mae, please GO HERE to use paypal, or send a check HERE or use a credit card HERE.

Yes, that’s right, little Mae Davis has yet another problem we need to diagnose.  And, right now is NOT a good time.  We’re still way behind on Darden’s fundraising and have more and more and more requests to take in dogs.  Just this weekend, I got requests to take in six dogs, three shih tzu and three lhasas, all from different unrelated people.  These dogs are strays that the finders suspect were dumped.  In fact, the three lhasas were dumped – they have tags on and the owners don’t want them back.

So, I’m freaking right now, but all else in on the back burner for Mae right now.  Darden can hold tight until we have the funds for his second surgery.

On to Mae’s problem….

As you probably recall (and if you don’t CLICK HERE), Mae came to us from the Houston SPCA and has been featured on Animal Planet’s series Animal Cops Houston. 

Mae came from a horrible shih tzu breeder north of Houston.  She was very ill with heartworms and her eyes had severe kerojunctivitius, otherwise commonly known as dry eye.  She started with a horrible case of kennel cough and had green snot coming out of her nose for months.  After a LOT of antibiotics and many, many immune-boosting supplements, she pulled herself out of it and then we started heartworm treatment.  She did poorly through the treatment and had to be on prednisone the entire time to keep the worms from scaring her lungs.

Once she got through her heartworm treatment, we found several tumors, one black in color, on her rump and front leg.  Those had to be removed and thankfully, were found to be benign.

Soon after that, her left eye began to swell and her glaucoma got out of control.  After many, many months and several visits to the opthalmology clinic, we had to remove her eye.  That was done last February. 

Then, last summer, we thought she was getting healthy when Hurricane Ike hit.  Although it didn’t affect Mae, other than make her walk through the house in the dark for 17 days, it did affect me personally and the rescue because of all that happened.

Once we got things back on track, we realized that Mae’s right eye was now swelling.  We tried to control the swelling aggressively with timolol and methazolamide, two meds prescribed for glaucoma, but the nasty disease won the battle and early this year, we had a procedure done to Mae to kill the tissue causing the swelling.  She is now completely 100% blind. 

Early this year, Mae came down with an upper respiratory infection – kennel cough.  It was not a worry to me because dogs get kennel cough all the time and typically get over it within three weeks.  We put Mae on antibiotics but after a few weeks, she wasn’t getting better so we switched to a different spectrum antibiotic.  We did this yet again a few weeks later.  Nothing was working and now our vet was getting concerned.  An infection should not last this long with antibiotics. 

So he recommended that we contact a specialist to see what could possibly be happening to her.  We took her to Dr. Heidi Hottinger at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists.  Dr. Hottinger saved the life of another of our Lone Star dogs, Amigo, when he developed a chronic oozing infection after surgery to remove a leg.

Dr. Hottinger suggested that our first step is a CT scan of her head to see if there is anything abnormal.  The cost for that is $1500-$1800.  We need to do this asap now and it is tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 7, 2009.

Please help us help little Mae.  We’re certain that once we get all of her medical problems under control, we can find someone who will nurture and love her like she should be loved.

If you can possibly help little Mae, please GO HERE to use paypal, or send a check HERE or use a credit card HERE.. 

beautiful, adorable Darden had surgery last week to fix ONE of his two necrotic hip joints.  It was touch and go during the surgery and after.  First, because of the narrowing of the leg bone (you can see it on the x-ray), the surgeon was unsure whether he could get the stem of the appliance into the bone.  He said it was a total mess.  In a normal dog, there would be the channel with soft bone marrow into which they place the stem, but in Darden’s case, the bone marrow was hardened which made it much more difficult to implant the appliance.  In fact, Dr. Liska said had this been four years earlier, he probably couldn’t have done it.

But, he did get this one done.  Here are Darden’s pre- and post-surgical x-rays.

Darden came home on Thursday but we had a lot of trouble with him.  He wouldn’t stand at all to go to the bathroom.  I was on the verge of checking him back into the hospital on Saturday, when he finally relented and went.  WHEW!!  We were carrying him outside every hour or two for two days to no avail.

Today, Sunday, he is happy and not reluctant to stand on his leg at all. 

He will have surgery on his second leg on approx April 25, if we can raise the funds by then.

We were still very short on the fundraising for this leg so please help us get whole so we can schedule his second surgery.  He needs and wants to be running!!

Each leg is estimated at $4500 plus or minus 10%.  We were able to get Darden out of the hospital early so the first leg only cost $4000.  But, to date, we’ve only raised around $1800.  We desperately need the additional $2200, and we absolutely need the funds for the second leg before we schedule the surgery.

 Please please let us help get this boy out of pain!

If you can donate, please use Paypal HERE or send a check HERE or use a credit card HERE.

Thank you for whatever you can do!!  

I was so hesitant to take in yet another dog right now, much less one that now needs two major surgeries.  The Katy 34 has definitely taken it’s toll on our funds and our emotions.

This little boy was presented to us by his next door neighbor.  He’s basically lived outdoors for the past year.  He was purchased for the little boy who had no interest in having a dog, so outside he went.  The neighbor had noticed that the little dog had been limping and wondered if he had been hit by car or suffered some sort of abusive kick.

As I said, we are so overwhelmed with dogs right now, we certainly didn’t need another one, but when I heard his story, I could absolutely not let him sit there in pain.  I know you would not want him to suffer.

So, the neighbor convinced the owner to surrender him to us. 

One of our volunteers picked him up and held him for a couple of days.  A trip to the groomer was in order.  This is what we found underneath all of the mats.  This is one gorgeous little dog!!

When he got here, I took him to our vet for an x-ray, expecting to see a broken bone or luxated hip, like Weise had.  What we saw was not even recognizable as a dog’s hip joint.

Here is a comparison of a good hip and Darden’s hip joints.  Please click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see what we’re talking about.

Do you see how horribly “mangled” his hip joints are.  Especially the right one.  I don’t know if any of you have arthritis, but that is exactly what has happened to the necrotic bone.

As it turns out, Darden, a one-year old little boy, has a disease called Legg-Perthe disease.  This is suspected to be a genetic disease that causes something to go wrong in the vascular system in the leg bones and the tops of the bones become necrotic.  It’s not that common in Lhasas, but very common in poodles and yorkies.

Darden has a very, very severe case in his right leg – and is in severe, severe pain.  The muscles in both of his legs have atrophied and he often does not put that leg down at all when walking. 

He desperately needs surgery.  In both legs.  The best option is the total hip replacement, which is exactly what Weise got.  The surgeon basically replaces the ball and socket in order to stablize the joint.  This is the BEST option for Darden.  But, because of the severity of the condition on the right leg, the surgeon is not even sure he can do a hip replacement – he may have to try an FHO, which is not an ideal solution for a long-bodied lhasa, but is better than the pain he is in now.

Although not a life or death emergency, we need to get this surgery scheduled THIS WEEK – this boy in in excruciating pain.

We can only do one leg at a time – we have to see how the surgery takes before we can proceed.  The surgeon wants to do the worst leg first and the cost is estimated at $4500 plus or minus 10%.  Please please let us help get this boy out of pain!

If you can donate, please use Paypal HERE or send a check HERE or use a credit card HERE.

Thank you for whatever you can do!!

Little Chon Wang Harris was a last minute save from a local shelter.  He was on death row because of his heartworms and we now need to treat them.  He is an adorable, friendly, loving little shih tzu and deserves a chance at life.

His treatment should cost around $350. 

If you can help with his heartworm treatment bill, please CLICK HERE to contribute via paypal or HERE to tell me you’re sending a check.   If you’d like to use a credit card, email me (teresa@shihtzu-rescue.com) and I’ll send you the form.

This adorable little guy, Pocket, was the only non-shih tzu in the Katy breeder’s bunch.  She was starting to breed shih tzu/poodle mixes, commonly called “shi-poos.”  Amazingly, he has numerous health problems, including severe luxating patella and retained testicles.  It’s sad that with all of these health problems, he was one of the “studs” creating more dogs with the same problems.

We won’t fix the patellas simply because at five pounds, he probably can deal with them with no major problems.  But, we do need to get him neutered. 

With diagnostics and surgery, his bill will total around $700.  If you can help with his vet bills, please CLICK HERE to contribute via paypal or HERE to tell me you’re sending a check.   If you’d like to use a credit card, email me (teresa@shihtzu-rescue.com) and I’ll send you the form.

Toward the end of 2008, we took in this adorable little girl from one of the local shelters.  Pei Pei was unbelievably thin – emaciated to an extreme and very “tired.”  When she was diagnosed with heartworms, we weren’t sure she’d make it.  She also had a suspicious tumor on her back and a small cherry eye.

We knew we had to fatten her up before she could have any procedures. 

Her foster mom, Sherry, nurtured her for months – often feeding her by hand to make sure she ate.  Slowly, she gained weight.

Once she was healthy, we did the cherry eye surgery and removed the tumor while she was getting spayed.  She made it through.  Now we are going to put the heartworm treatment on the schedule.

We need about $625to cover her expenses, including the heartworm treatment she needs.  If you can help with her vet bills, please CLICK HERE to contribute via paypal or HERE to tell me you’re sending a check.   If you’d like to use a credit card, email me (teresa@shihtzu-rescue.com) and I’ll send you the form.

The farthest back that I can remember was about 2 years ago when I was 2 years old and was rescued. I don’t remember my life before that. I can’t remember where I lived or who I lived with. I guess I chose to block that out since they were not happy memories for me.
I lived in Oklahoma and was rescued by some nice people but because I was Nippy and aggressive with everyone, they contacted another rescue group in Texas to see if they can take me and help me through my little problem.

So from Ohio I went to Dallas and was taken in by Lone Star Shih Tzu & Lhasa Apso Rescue. They were ever so kind to me but I still was so scared and out of fear and confusion I would act out and nip at anyone that I felt was a threat to me. I knew deep down in my heart they just wanted to help me but I couldn’t help myself. I think it has something to do with when I was very little but I can’t remember what could have made me be this way. It must not have been anything good and honestly I’m glad I don’t remember.

Well from Dallas I went to live in Houston with my foster mom named Teresa. I was told that Teresa would take good care of me and that she has experience with little nippy dogs like me. I was anxious to live with her and have her help me through my aggression issues. I lived with Teresa for about a year and a half and boy did I learn a lot. She really did show me love and understanding. I learned that I didn’t have to protect people ’cause they were strong enough.  Then I went to live at a great doggie daycare, Deogi, for several months and did very, very well with all of the people that worked there and also all of the new clients.  Ms Teresa thought that I had graduated enough to go live in another home.  One day, another foster mom with Lone Star, Sherry, decided that I needed to go home and live with her.  She also has experience in dealing with little nippy dogs like me. I really loved Sherry. I would follow her around and want to be with her everywhere she went but I had a bit of a problem with everyone else at the house. They were always so nice to me but I felt that I had to protect my new mom and would bark at everyone all of the time and even trying to nip a few of them on the toes. I know I know… I was not a very nice doggie. I had a lot to learn about sharing and being a polite little dog. Despite all my little issues Sherry continued to work with me and I soon started to get close to her husband. I started to see that I didn’t have to protect Sherry all of the time even though it was an automatic reaction for me. I just loved her so very much.

I was with Lone Star Rescue for about two years before someone finally showed interest in adopting me. I know that’s a long time and I don’t blame anyone for that except myself. I know I wasn’t very friendly with most people and my aggressiveness was a big issue in me getting a new home so when I heard the news that someone was interested in me I was excited but I was also nervous that my “issues” would come back to haunt me. I wanted to try and be on my best behavior!

So off me and Sherry went to Bizbee Arizona to meet my new mom, Lise. Yes in my short life I have lived in 3 different states! That’s more than some humans, what a lucky boy I am! I did pretty good on my trip except for when we made a stop in San Antonio to meet with some Lone Star Volunteers. Don’t ask me why I did it but I jumped out and nipped one of them on the feet! I think I could see how nervous Sherry was after that. She was probably wondering if I would act out like that and blow my chances with my new mom when I met her. I think in my mind I was protecting Sherry from these strangers. That is why Sherry calls me the “Stranger Eater!” I didn’t care for strangers at all. It took time for me to trust strangers.

When we finally got to Arizona I got to meet my new mom, Lise. She seemed very excited to meet me but I was a little nervous. Sherry and mom took me for a long walk right away. I think they thought it would relax me some. I enjoyed my walks with Sherry. I loved being right by her side. I did good too as long as Sherry was there holding the leash and I guess I was so happy on my walk that I didn’t even realize that sometime during my walk, Sherry had left and it was just me and my new mom and she was holding the leash, taking me for walk… just me and her and I was okay with it. I wasn’t scared or nervous anymore. I realized that everything was going to be okay and that although I love Sherry very much and would miss her terribly, that my new mom was going to treat me just as wonderful as Sherry did.

It has been two months since I have been with my new mom, Lise and everything has been just wonderful! My mom has a friend that also deals with little nippy dogs like me and she has helped me through my little problems. I have met a lot of new people and have had to learn to control my aggression. I am getting better slowly. I have a cat sister, a doggie brother named Willie and I did have a doggie sister named Zilla until she passed away a couple of weeks ago. Mom has been taking that pretty hard but she says that me and Willie help her through this hard time. I miss Zilla too. It makes me sad not to see her everyday. Me and Willie get along just fine and I love to chase the cat even though mom has to get on to me because I can be rough at times. My favorite thing that mom does is when she picks me up and holds me close and gives me tons of kisses. I love to wrap my legs around her neck and give her big hugs. I want her to know how much I really love her. Mom is always telling me how much she loves me and she says that I am her sweet little boy! That makes me feel good because I know some of the things I have done in the past have been anything but sweet.

So this is my story. I have been through some rough times as you can see and yes, I know I’m wasn’t the nicest doggie around but despite my little problems some people made it their mission to help me and not give up on me. There are so many dogs that end up in shelters every year for being nippy and I could have been one of them but thanks to the rescue in Oklahoma, the Lone Star Rescue, Teresa, Sherry and my mom.… I was given many chances and now I have a wonderful life! I’m just a prime example that even the grouchiest or nippiest dog should have a second chance. With a lot of love and patience we do come around and can become well adjusted.

So please don’t be afraid to give us a chance. If you give your love, patience & understanding to just one nippy dog, I guarantee that nippy dog will come around and will return the love with years of total devotion, hundreds of tail wags, thousands of doggies hugs and millions and millions of wet kisses!

Good morning everyone.  Another great day for rescued shih tzu and lhasas.

As of this morning, March 2, we have $1360 toward the wonderful $2,000 donation challenge.  ONLY $660 to go!!!!

Huge thanks to Lorna Van De Wiele, Rosemary Cody, Susan Lewis in honor of Buffy and Lily, Barbara Grabell, Cynthia Datoni in memory of Lucy, Davis and Mary Arnette in honor of Hunter, Diane Richer in memory of Meiling and Sugar Bear, Fur Kids, Christine Apple, Jean Dick, Andrea Larsen, Wendy Barnum, Marilyn Radler, Gloria Parrent, Pat Heitmann, Doub and Sally Cameron, Lorrine Bucklan, D Kanon, Cheryl Oyaski, Ginger and Doug Warnick, Ann Ervin, Stephanie Price, Eugene Bonos, Elaine O’Gorman.

But, we still have a way to go!! We can extend this challenge for another two days, but desperately need your help taking advantage of this wonderful challenge.  Each dollar of your donations, count as TWO.

These little guys NEED YOU!!  If you can help with their funding, please CLICK HERE to contribute via paypal or HERE to tell me you’re sending a check.   If you’d like to use a credit card, email me (teresa@shihtzu-rescue.com) and I’ll send you the form.

I just cannot believe all of you!  IN just two short days, we’ve met the Rescue Bank Challenge and MORE!! 

And now, drum roll, please, one of our long-time supporters has issued a second challenge – up to $2000!!!  She does this often but always wants to be anonymous.  So, starting right now 11:30 am CST on Saturday, this challenge is ON!!  These babies are going to be well cared for with all the help we’re getting!

Huge thanks to Lorna H Van De Wiele, Anna Dee Lastick, Cheryl McDonald, Nancy Croft , Patricia Havis, Amy C wheeler, LORRAINE BUCKLAN, Anne Laquidara, Leanne Little , Byron Leger, Mary Hailey, Amanda Miller, Larina Campbell, Jacquelyn Johnston, Barbara J Moran, Fur Kids, Melissa Lombard, Jody Kovaski, In memory of Sterling, Kathy Brooks, Deborah Bettes, Carol McBride, In memory of Brandy McBride, Cheryl Oyaski, In honor of Sammy & Belle, P Terry Poole for the generous donations in the past two days!!

But, we still have a way to go!! 

These little guys NEED YOU!!  If you can help with their funding, please CLICK HERE to contribute via paypal or HERE to tell me you’re sending a check.   If you’d like to use a credit card, email me (teresa@shihtzu-rescue.com) and I’ll send you the form.

Are fluffy puppies not just the cutest things alive???

The breeder in Katy had two tiny litters when we were asked to take in her dogs.  The puppies are now nine weeks old and getting their second round of shots.  They’ll get the third in three weeks and then be spayed/neutered soon after that.

The adults are just as cute as these puppies… 

These little dogs have adapted well to pet life.

Watching these little dogs, both the adults and the puppies, blossom into adorable, loving little dogs is an unbelievably rewarding experience.  Little Omari, the little black boy above, had a massive ulcer on his right eye when we first picked him up.  So bad, in fact, I thought it looked like there was a little stick poking out of his eye.  Thankfully, after putting a special medicine from the opthalmologist into his eye about every two hours, we were able to save the eye.  This tiny boy was about four pounds when we first got him, but has put on quite a bit and is now right at six pounds.  He runs and plays with everyone.  He just has a huge zest for life.

So far, with the funds we have, including a very generous $600 donation from the American Shih Tzu Club (thanks Loree and Barbara!!) we’ve been able to get 14 of the adults completely vetted.

We, thankfully have had no extraordinary problems with these guys.  Most had to have antibiotics for some kind of infection, several had eye ulcers, but thankfully no broken bones.

Little Hasani is totally blind – genetic bi-lateral detached retinas.  But, don’t tell him.  He has no idea he’s blind.

Isn’t he just a DOLL!  We’ve nicknamed him Sonny and he is a true “liver” shih tzu with a cute little brown nose.  He is the daddy of many of the little puppies.  This little boy must have an internal radar because even being 100% blind, he can find us the minute we walk into the room.  It’s just so cute.  Sonny was also the one that had severe urine scalding all over his belly from a very old, very wet belly band.

I just wonder what goes through the minds of these little dogs when they are in transition.  I truly believe that they only live “in the moment” and don’t even remember their past.  I’m glad.

We are now trying to raise the funds to vet the remainder of these little pups.  And, as you would all expect, with tough times, we’re in a world of hurt. 

These little guys NEED YOU!!  If you can help with their funding, please CLICK HERE to contribute via paypal or HERE to tell me you’re sending a check.   If you’d like to use a credit card, email me (teresa@shihtzu-rescue.com) and I’ll send you the form.

You guys all rock!!  So many dogs would not be alive today if not for you!