IT'S A BOY!!! Just Rescued... Before his first haircut! FROM SUNNY ARRUDA: (South Bay Purebred Rescue) I would like you to meet Dusty just exactly as I met him.  He came in to my foster care today at 3:00pm.  He is 2 years old, 16" tall and weighs about 28 pounds.  He is natural eared and color is salt & pepper.  Even though I included a picture, I thought I might still have to explain and I think you'll understand why once you see the picture.  Dusty was the only name that came to mind. He comes from the Oakland shelter were he has been in protective custody since March 29th.  Today was his release from custody and his euthanasia date.  See why they figured no one would adopt him? So far he has kissed me a gazillion times and runs to me from the farthest corner of my large yard in a flash.  He likes Stanzee but she thinks he stinks (and right now, she's right, poor boy)  He tried to mark the couch in my garage (rescue dog room which is all set up like a doggie livingroom with furniture, pens, crates, toys, rugs plus a phone so I can do my dog work while spending time with them).  He's quiet in a crate and he stinks to high heaven.  His beard is matted to the lips. He will be stripped naked tomorrow and if we are very lucky he will have a little eyebrow left but precious little else.  And Friday we'll cut something else off (he'll be neutered) and I will place him in the lovingest home I can find for this great big mini with a great big heart.   Why was he in protective custody?  Look at the picture.  This is neglect.  Look at his size.  This is not a breeding of a responsible breeder.  Look really close because this is what I see when people breed their Fluffy, without experience or breed knowledge and sell those pups to anyone with the cash who seems nice.  Statistics prove this is what happens to fully 50% of Fluffies pups within 2 years of birth.  Dusty is 2 years old.  This is the really good home his breeders were sure they sold him to.  Why do I think all pet dogs should be spayed or neutered?  Look at Dusty. After his first haircut... What a difference!!! First I am overwhelmed by the wonderful amount of mail I have received, privately and through the list wishing Dusty well.  He is doing great.  He is funny and friendly.  He is somewhat obedience trained or just very willing to please. He was stripped today (which means he was shaved completely naked) and he took it like a trooper.  He weighed 27.5 lbs before the strip and 20.3lbs after.  That's 7.2lbs of matts!  His ears were completely blocked with matted hair.  His fleas had fleas and his rump is sore, itchy and somewhat raw. When a dog is stripped, the groomer will shave off all the must they can, then wash the dog (several times, in Dusty's case) then after the dog is dry, they finish.  With Dusty, he really seemed afraid of the dryer and we decided to let him airdry at home so he hasn't been finished yet.  His coat is nice and thick and except for the raw spots on the rump, you can see down to the skin anywhere. He will have his feet, ears and stray hairs trimmed tomorrow morning at 7:00 then he gets neutered at 7:30.  After that, who knows - but he's going to make someone an enthusiastic friend. Sunny ert4dogz@aol.com Dusty (I look dorky, where's my beard?) Stanzee (At least you smell better) Buckwheat (What did you think of dinner, Dude?) There really was a schnauzer under that hair! This special little guy manages to look distinguished even shaved!    Dear (schnauzer) list friends, I know dog's aren't supposed to write to the list but as I was telling his story, It just sounded better to be put in the form of a letter from Dusty. Actually both Tina & Shadow Marie had written privately to Dusty and that's how the story got started. It's a little long but I hope you like it. Sunny (In San Jose) ert4dogz@aol.com www.americanpetpro.com (grooming supplies) www.sbprdogs.org (Dog Rescue)   4/18/00 Dear Tina & Shadow Marie, It was very nice of you to write to me. I used to be very lonely and stinky and I didn't have any friends. Then I got taken out of that place and brought to dog jail but I wasn't a criminal, I was in protective custody which means the police didn't like my old people either. But then I heard them say that no one would want to take me because I was so messy so maybe I would have to go to sleep. Man, I'm not sure what that meant but it didn't sound very good! Then this nice lady came along and stopped in front of my kennel and asked the officer if anybody had called Sunny yet and they said no because I was still on hold but I could be released the next day. The next day the nice lady came back and said I was going to Sunny's house and she put me in a crate in her car and fed me small pieces of boiled chicken that she made just for me! I went to Sunny's work and she came out and she called me sweetie and beautiful. She even kissed me and hugged me even though I was all tangly and really stinky. Then I got in the crate in her car and she gave me some more of the nice lady's chicken pieces. We drove for an hour and I was so excited to get to Sunny's house. She has really neat rocks and plants in front and she let me pee on all of them! Sunny said it was too late to do much about cleaning me up right then or I would get too cold so she made me a nice bed in a big crate (for German Shepherds!) and she put lots of blankies in it and let me sleep there and guess what, I got to sleep in the house for the first time in my whole life! Then I got to meet Stanzee the next day. She sure is pretty. She let me sniff her butt and didn't even get mad! So we hung out together in the yard but Stanzee said I was stinky and not to kiss her or try anything so I didn't. I just kept looking at her. I never saw anything so pretty. She was a schnauzer just like me but she had really soft and clean fur and a super cool looking hair cut! I never saw anything like that before! Then Sunny came home from work and said it was time to go for a ride and she took me to Aimee's grooming shop. Aimee is Sunny's daughter and she lives with Sunny, too. So they shaved all my dirty fur off and washed me with really good smelling stuff that made my skin feel better and killed all the bugs on me. Then Stanzee played with me and said I was okay now. She told me about how dogs come here and after a while they get really nice people who come and take them home and love them forever. Stanzee said that she was in dog jail too once but Sunny came and got her out and then she got to stay with Sunny because she sucked up really good but for me not to try it because there were too many people waiting for mini schnauzers and it wouldn't be fair for Sunny to keep us all! Then the next day Aimee took me to work with her again and trimmed around my ears and feet then brought me to meet the other people who worked there. There was a nice Vet who examined me and gave me a shot and I got sleepy. When I work up I was "fixed" and I didn't even know I was broken! One day I went to a pet fair where all kinds of people came and petted me and played with me and talked about me but Sunny said they weren't right for me and to be patient for the right people to come. Every day I got to sleep in the house in my warm comfy crate (Oh yeah, Sunny even cleaned it after I was washed and gave me better blankets, sheesh I only slept on the other blankets one night, they weren't that bad but Sunny said they were too dirty for a clean dog like me). Every day I got to play in the clean yard with Sunny and Stanzee and I learned how to chase a squeaky ball. That's fun. Stanzee even let me be the one to get it! I got to watch TV and cuddle on the couch with Sunny, me on one side and Stanzee on the other. It's pretty cool. I think I could work that remote thing if I saw it a few more times. Then today Sunny took me to a cool place called Springdale Kennels and there was a huge grassy place all fenced and 2 people were there and they were very happy to see me. They are Mark and Marilyn and they cuddled me and held me and threw the ball for me. They laughed at all my funny stuff and talked to Sunny for a long time. They said they drove 7 hours to come see me and they were going all the way back tonight too! I really liked them a lot and then Mark left the yard and went to his car and I didn't like that. I thought he was going away and I just met him and I really liked him and wanted him to be my special "right for me" person. So I whined and barked and ran to the fence to see why Mark was leaving and guess what? He came right back!! And he had a brand new leather leash and a beautiful new collar and he said it was mine! Then they put it on me and Marilyn talked to Sunny some more and said "Who do I make the check out to?" and Sunny petted me some more and told me Mark and Marilyn were the right people for me and I could go home with them now. So I kissed Sunny good-bye and we all got in the Car (It's a cool new Riviera) and there was a crate just for me. I got in and we drove off. Right now I am riding to my new home. It's gonna be a long ride but I'll be very good and then I'll get to my new house and there I have an older brother named Kaiser waiting for me. He's a mini schnauzer too! It's really cool to be a rescue dog! I hope that Marilyn and Mark join the list like Sunny told them to and then we can write again. I like having friends! This is a picture of Me and Mark & Marilyn, they are my parents! Woo Woo Dusty (now known as Gustav) CLICK HERE to see MORE pictures of the continuing saga of GUSTAV!!!   Return to BEST FRIENDS Main Page   TOP OF PAGE