A Shining Pittie Example! October 1, 2011

A couple of years ago, Rachel found a female pittie discarded at a local dump like trash with two pups in tow.  She took them home and began working on finding them homes.   A few days later, Rachel’s son was surprised to find a fresh new litter of pups in Mama’s crate!  This “fertile Myrtle” earned the name Venus, and she graces one of the posters we use at our adoption events.

Because Rachel didn’t feel like she could provide the proper quiet environment for a new mama and a litter of tiny newborn puppies, Shirley Thompson from Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership (ARPO) volunteered to take them on.  She was able to place all the puppies, but Venus still remains in her care as a foster.

I was SO HAPPY to read on Facebook today that Venus has received her Canine Good Citizenship Certification from Indy Pit Crew!!  Here is a dog who was literally discarded like trash, and because someone believed in her and cared for her the way a responsible owner SHOULD, she has become a shining example of what a pit bull CAN BE in the right hands!  Congratulations to Venus and Shirley!!

Shirley Thompson stands proudly beside her foster, Venus, a Certified Canine Good Citizen!

Featured Foster of the Month! September 21, 2011

Check out FLYNN!!!  What a gorgeous boy!  His apricot coloring and striking light eyes make him total leading man material!  Flynn is ready for a forever home where he can soak up LOTS of love and attention!

Flynn is just GORGEOUS!

Flynn is a beautiful, sweet, and loving 2yr old pit bull. He's never met a stranger and loves to meet and greet everyone!! He's good with most other dogs but should not live with cats. He is also crate and house trained. He loves to ride in the car and walks nicely on the leash.

A Little Long Distance Help for a Friend September 17, 2011

This little 3 month old puppy was found by my friend Mary on the stoop of an abandoned house in Savannah, Georgia.  She was extremely emaciated and limping on a broken leg.  Mary brought her food and made friends with her (after sustaining a defensive bite wound) and took her to a vet.  The Humane Society in Savannah will not accept strays, only owner surrenders (kind of the opposite of most places) so Mary wanted to establish ownership by getting her vetted and then take her to the shelter.  But she’s in such rough shape that the vet suggested they keep her there for a few days to heal and get a little healthier.  Mary is really in no position to pay for all of this, but just could not leave this girl on that step.

She's very scared, but in good hands!

Baby Savannah is a small, short-haired black mixed breed — probably some lab in there somewhere.  Her fearfulness leads Mary and the vet caring for her to believe she’s been beaten, or at least never shown any kindness.  When Mary went back to the vet to visit her yesterday, as soon as she saw Mary she started wimpering and wagging her tail.  She’s probably the first person with which this dog has made any positive associations.

Mary and Dr. Marlay, the vet at Eastside Veterinary Clinic, are going to try to spread the word and see if someone can take her, but if any of you know of any rescues that might have room for her, please let me know.  We can arrange transport.

Please email me if you have any questions!  I have set up this ChipIn page if you are able to make any small contributions!  It will all add up!!    http://ironunderdawgs.chipin.com/baby-savannah

Thanks so much!  Please feel free to pass along

Iron Underdawgs, Inc.!! July 29, 2011

Look out!!  We’ve incorporated!  That’s the first step toward getting our 501c3, which will enable us to have fund raisers an accept tax-deductible donations, participate in more rescue events, and become Petsmart and Petco partners.  All of these things will bring greater visibility to our current foster dogs and allow us to help MORE dogs.  We have operated without a 501c3 status for a long, with the expenses of caring for dozens of dogs at any given time coming directly out of pocket, so becoming a non-profit has been a goal for a while.  We are excited to be taking this step!  Keep your eyes on us!  Big things are in store for the Underdawgs! 

Come See Us Saturday, June 11 @ The Island! June 10, 2011

What’s missing from this picture?!  YOU!! 

The Island Muncie is located just behind the Olive Garden, off of McGalliard Rd.! You can also get to it from the bike path!

If you are looking for a pick-me-up this Saturday, come to The Island Muncie from 1 to 4pm  and snuggle some sweet pooches and even a couple kitties while you enjoy The Islands delicious smoothies and soak up some sunshine!  We will have Hercules and Dixie with us, as well as a couple of their buddies!

Dixie is a gorgeous and bright coonhound girl who needs a best friend!

Hercules is a WONDERFULLY behaved pup, and sooooo soft!!

First Adoption Event of the Spring! April 2, 2011

Time:   Saturday, April 9 · 11:00am – 4:00pm

Location:   Speck’s Pet Supplies in Greenfield

Iron Underdawgs will be in attendance to talk with visitors about responsible bully-breed ownership and introduce you to a few of our awesome adoptables! Look for our booth!

Pet Parade at Noon, $10.00 entry fee gets first 25 participants a Paws for the Cure t-shirt and a Pink bandana. Parade will go through Kroger parking lot car show (also a part of the Race for the Cure fundraiser) prizes given for the cutest, chubbiest and most creative use of theme (Think Pink)
Spin to Win wheel! Get a spin on the wheel of prizes with each purchase throughout the event.
Door prizes, give-aways, amazing sale items throughout the day!
Pet photographer will be taking pictures, $5.00 donation to Paws for the Cure will get you a 4 x 6 color photo of your pet!
Speck’s grill be grilling up “dogs” for your enjoyment from 12pm – 4pm.
Hamster & Gerbil races going on from 12:30 – 2:30pm. Bring your own or borrow one of ours and race for prizes!!!
Many more exciting details to be announced!!!

IF you would like to help with our rescue efforts but are not in a position to adopt or foster at this time, please visit our “chip-in” page!  The link is to the right.  Any amount helps!!

Update: Julius Doing Great, and Smalls Finds a New Life! March 6, 2011

As you can see, Julius is doing wonderfully in his foster home!  After being kicked out of Fayette County, Ohio simply for being a pittie, both Julius and his former family found their lives turned upside down.  (See complete story in blog entry below this one).  But Julius has made friends and is an exemplary example of his breed!  Please let us know if you are interested in meeting Julius!

Julius (right) gets along just fine with others!

And then there is Smalls…   He was originally turned over to Rachel by a puppy-miller who couldn’t sell him due to a “cosmetic defect, ” called hypospadia.  Poor Smalls was unable to conceal his… well… “manhood” due to missing skin.  He was placed as a puppy with a foster who decided to keep him, but a couple years later he had to move and could not keep Smalls.  It didn’t take long to place him with our friend Kim, who is a big Boston fan!  Now Smalls has two friends — Olie, a senior Boston, and Marvin, a youngster who has quickly made a wonderful playmate for Smalls.

Olie, Marvin, and Smalls catching some rays.

Kim’s vet thinks he can correct the hypospadia, so Kim and her husband are weighing the pros and cons..  We are impressed that they are compassionate enough to consider it!

An Important Destiny for Julius? February 10, 2011

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me an instant message, very upset.  Another friend of hers in Fayette County, Ohio was being forced to give up her beloved family dog, Julius, simply because he is a pit bull.  Fayette County has breed specific legislation that names pit bulls as vicious dogs.  Even though Julius hadn’t done anything to anyone, and in fact was an extremely well behaved dog with three other doggie friends, animal control said he had to be surrendered an euthanized unless his owner, Aimee, could arrange to get him out of Fayette County.  Aimee’s entire family was so distraught.  The kids love Julius and didn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt him.

Julius doesn't deserve to be euthanized!

I happened to have a childhood friend, Danielle, living nearby in another county, and just as a longshot I asked if she’d be willing to take Julius for a few days until we could arrange transportation to an Indiana shelter.  She has two female pitties of her own, and I knew she’d be sympathetic to Aimee’s plight.  Danielle and her husband agreed without hesitation.  But when the day came to transport him, Danielle asked if they could foster him a little longer and try to help find him a permanent home.  He is so well-behaved and loving with their 3 year old daughter, and they didn’t want him to have to stay in a shelter, even temporarily. We are so grateful to Danielle and her family for providing a safe and loving foster environment for Julius!  Please see his bio on our Available Dogs page!

Safe and ready to snuggle!

Then about a week later…. the unthinkable.  Aimee and her family suffered a horrible tragedy –  a housefire that destroyed their home and took the lives of their other three dogs.  This poor family, already saddened by the loss of Julius, now has lost everything.  They are lucky to have an amazing support system of family and friends, and our hearts go out to them.  Please remember them in your prayers.

Aimee's daughter's room. Thank God at least none of the human family members were hurt.

As strange as it sounds, is there a reason Julius was spared?  Might he have another purpose in life?  Maybe someday he will alert someone to a fire, or keep another person from harm.  For now, he is available to visit with Aimee and her family to help them thru this difficult time.  He is truly an Iron Underdawg.

An Awesome Opportunity! January 22, 2011

HERE’S THE DEAL….

This is pretty cool… our rescue was given a great opportunity by a rescue friend who’s working on the AKC dog show in Indianapolis!  They’ve asked us to work the doors at the show on Feb 11, 12, and 13th, and they will give our rescue $1200! This means we can get someone who knows what they’re doing to help us file for our 501c3, and we’ll still have some left over to purchase more microchips as well as additional flea and heartworm medications for our current dogs and any additional dogs that come to us.

We are EXTREMELY excited about this.  Having a 501c3 will enable us to have our own fundraisers, attend Petsmart adoption events, and apply for grants.  BUT…. we need your help!  Is anyone interested in volunteering with us on those days?

If you are interested in working with us and helping us become a “legit” rescue (in the eyes of the IRS), which will in turn make it possible for us to help more dogs,  please contact us and let us know which day or days you’d like to attend.  I’ll contact you privately with more info!  We would REALLY appreciate it!!! (And please feel free to repost or pass this along to others you think might want to help!) –Dana, Rachel, & Krysha

2011: Back in Action! January 14, 2011

Wow!  2010 was a big year for our Iron Underdawgs family!  Rachel and Dana both welcomed their own new “pups” (haha!).  Dana’s baby girl, Stella Quinn Williams, and Rachel’s baby boy, Jesse Gabriel Kertesz, were both born in May, just 9 days apart!  They are good buddies and are surrounded by plenty of four-legged friends!

Stella in December 2010

Jesse in December 2010

Taking care of babies and our own dogs has been exhausting… but in a good way!  Haha!  Now that life is starting to fall back into some sort of normal schedule and rhythm, we’re excited to start participating in rescue events again!  Rachel’s work as a Humane Officer in Randolph County didn’t take a break even when she was pregnant, and you’ll notice in our available dogs section that there are a few new additions.  We’d like to find these guys some great homes!

Another goal for 2011 is to get our 501c3 (non-profit classification)!  This will enable us to hold fundraisers and take advantage of other resources that at this point are unavailable to us.

Please bookmark our page and check our available dogs section regularly.  You can also find us on Petfinder by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?animal_type=&pet_breed=&location=Farmland%2C+IN&startsearch=Search