An Award!

Waiting in our inbox the other day was this very kind email:

Dear Joa's Arc,

We at DogBreedsInfo.org are pleased to present you with a Dog Rescue Award for excellence in providing underprivileged dogs a much valued resource. We take pride in acknowledging the best organizations around the country with our special award emblem, recognizing them for their outstanding work – Joa's Arc certainly qualifies as one of them.

Thank you for all the work you and your organization provides for dogs in need. We wish you the best in continuing your highly valued service.

Best Regards,
Evan
Senior Editor
http://dogbreedsinfo.org

We are honored and proud to be sporting the new award on our page, which you can see in the right box below our email address and PayPal donation link.

Thank you, Evan, and every at DogBreedsInfo.org!
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A Note From Holly

Holly, our beloved Phil's mom, wrote us a message a little while ago after losing Phil. I wanted to share it during this special week though to kind of leave off on a good note.

So, finally, here it is - sweetness prevailing...

Hi Joyce,

Mom and I picked up Phillip’s ashes on Thursday, so he’s back home where he belongs. He was very loved, and I still cry every time I think about him...

I don’t ever want this sweet, brave, high-spirited little cat to ever be forgotten, so I have decided to do something in his memory. I wish I had deep pockets to start a foundation, but unfortunately, like most of us, my resources are limited, so I have set aside {what I could} in an account that I will add to as I can.

I think Phillip would be pleased if this money were used to help defray medical expenses for other cats with eye problems for whom medical or surgical intervention would relieve discomfort and/or prevent vision impairment, such as the procedure that both Phil and Wil underwent to remove their eyelashes that were abrading their corneas. Possibly with treatment costs not an issue, these beautiful, innocent creatures would be considered more adoptable...

I’m crying again and can’t see what I’m typing, so I must go. We’ll talk soon I hope. Thank you for all you are doing to help the animals.

Holly

Thank you, Holly. Thank you for loving Phil and thank you for making such a wonderful difference with your offer in memory of him. Tweet This

Kittens!

You wouldn't think kittens would be hard to place, but sometimes, in mass, they can be... especially these kittens, but we'll get to that.

In summer, kittens are everywhere - you may find them in your backyard, outside your office, crying on your front porch, at a friend of a friend's and especially at shelters and rescues. These kittens were found in a house though, a house with a lot of cats...

This house had so many cats in it, that some of our first steps to help them was by attempting to fix as many cats as possible while also moving kittens out in order to begin socializing them. A super, sweet, local teacher, Kelly T, was nice enough to take on as many kittens as she possibly could. She ended up taking home 10 very smelly, nervous kittens to foster and, in her care, they have grown into beautiful sweethearts over the last few weeks!

These kittens had a special start and so we'd really like to see them have their own families to show them the love, care and one-on-one attention that they truly deserve. They are special for other reasons too. All of these kittens should be adopted as soon as possible for their medication to actually work. They've been repeatedly treated for some "tummy troubles" (diarrhea), but because there are so many, even under Kelly's watchful eye and in her clean home, they are passing this back and forth to one another. Homes of their own and medication should clear up any left over stomach issues quite quickly.

One of the kittens, Hope, also happened to suffer some unknown injury when she was younger. X-rays show that she had a fracture at one point, which went untreated. One of two bones in her little leg is growing faster than the other now because of this old injury and it is slightly rotated. Kelly's been keeping a close watch on Hope and right now, the plan is x-rays in two more months to see how she's grown into the old injury.

All of the kittens are already spayed/neutered, vaccinated and finishing up some medication now (which they could probably go to their new homes with). They're special, that's for sure, but each and every one deserves a good, new home. If you are interested in any of them, please email Kelly

Here they are, one by one, for your own viewing delight...

Abby, 3.5 month old little lady

Blake, 4 months old - look at the eyes on this boy!!

Callie is a girl and just 3.5 months old

Duke, the 4.5 month old, sad eyed boy

Hope, 4 month old injured leg girl

Holly, 4.5 month old cuddlebug girl

Jasper, 3.5 month old boy

Tango, 4 month old male

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3 Blind Mice

Ok, it is really just one blind mouse and two friends, but still. I just can't seem to refer to just one blind mice mouse.

Earlier this week, I was at Petsmart and noticed a very unique rodent. In with two little black mice was a beige/gray mouse with one closed eye. He never opened his eye while he was running around and spinning on the wheel, so I asked about him and was told he was missing an eye and probably blind in the other.

You can guess my reaction: "Awww!"

I snapped a photo (this is the side of his "good" eye, it's just closed here because he's sleeping) and then I went home to post this photo on Facebook. I asked if anyone wanted a special mouse and there were lots of people that inquired or posted that they wished they could help. I'm sure one of my friends would have been off to get this little mouse if rats and mice lived well together (she already has two rats). There were also a couple other friends who would have gone too, I'm sure. Only one headed off on her lunch break today to bring this little guy home though ... my Aunt Dianne.

My aunt ended up leaving Petsmart today with the little blind mouse, all the accessories for being a mouse mom ... and the two other mice the little blind one was in a cage with apparently. They're now all living in a big, fancy pen together, which of course has a wheel since these three mice love running on - sometimes all at the same time. I think they're all quite lucky and as happy as mice can be.

Definitely special, definitely in a great home ... and so this little mouse, now named Stevie, is getting the spotlight for today during Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week.

Although I don't advocate buying animals, at least this special little mouse (and his two friends) are now in a safe, new home. There are lots of pets, not just dogs or cats, that are extra ordinary and in need of someone to take them in and love them too. Stevie's a perfect example of just that! Tweet This

Hello from Mia

This beautiful girl is Mia. Mia is a 2 year old female Pomeranian, maybe Schipperke mix that was saved from a local shelter after being found as a stray.

Mia has a severe flea allergy, so it'd be best to keep her on a reliable flea preventative. She also should be kept on a grain-free diet, which can be purchased at many local pet stores these days. 

Mia had a home of her own for awhile, with another little dog, some larger parrots and a few kitty friends too. However, Mia's former owner could no longer care for her pets anymore when she got sick. She reluctantly turned most of her pets, including Mia, over to Joa's Arc. Being that Mia is a special girl, requiring special care, Mia suffered quite a bit in between coming to Joa's Arc and when her former owner could no longer properly care for her anymore. She has just recently started to have her hair regrow on her legs and rump. You can kind of see the thin, new hair growing back at the base of her tail in this first photo.

Mia & Gabe

Little Mia is full of love, pep and "momma dog" behaviors - this long spayed lady has been known to let kittens nurse off of her (even while she's standing up!). She loves time with other dogs (like her best bud Gabe who is also looking for a forever home), people and her foster home has cats too.

Aside from some preventative measures (keeping fleas away and a grain-free diet), Mia's special needs are minimal. She's a fabulous little girl that would fit well into any home and she'd make a great companion for kids or other dogs (of any size). Please consider adopting this great girl! Tweet This

Say Hello to Faulk

This beautiful boy is Faulk and he's a special boy, so we're mentioning him now on our blog since Petfinder has deemed Sept. 17-25, 2011, as "Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week."

Faulk was saved from a local kill shelter and said to have a "defective eye". Joa's Arc's founder, Joyce, had gone to the shelter to save one kitten (with no eyes!) and ended up saving two kittens, bringing Faulk home too!

Joyce is extra great like that. :)

Dr. John and Faulk

Faulk is safe in foster care and he is about 10 weeks old now.

We believe that Faulk must have had a horrible eye infection some time in his first few weeks of life, which has left him with some eye scarring. Lucky for him, we just recently had it confirmed by our good friend, Dr. John, that Faulk does still have vision and he is healing quite well now.

Faulk is looking for a home of his own. This sweet boy would be a great addition to any family. He is super affectionate! In fact, Faulk's foster mom, Joyce, had these great characteristics to mention about him - "[Faulk] is a shoulder sitter, gives kisses and has to sleep with you, sometimes on your head." Now what home wouldn't he fit in to purrfectly with a describtion like that?!

Faulk is just a great example of a pet that is a little bit different, but doesn't lack a bit of the personality, confidence or love of any other pet. Consider adopting Faulk! Tweet This

Checking in on Nickel

Last year we did a special post about Nickel, a very special cat.

Well, Miss Nickel is still for adoption.

If you remember, Nickel was found last winter in a shed by new home owners. She was starving and attempting to chew her way out - her unique lips are the result of a lot of hard work trying to free herself. With a lot of time and love, Nancy has brought Nickel back to health. 

Nickel is doing great now (especially compared to where she was found), but a forever home would be the cherry on top for this girl who has already been through so much.

If interested in adopting Nickel, visit Almost Home Animal Shelter in Pennsauken, NJ. It won't be hard to miss her as Nickel can usually be found napping on Nancy's desk. Tweet This

Adopt A Less Adoptable: Shirl Girl

This adorable kitty cat is Shirley, AKA Shirl-Girl.

Shirley along with her sister, Laverne, were saved from the outside as kittens when they were humane trapped. Since they were so young, the two kittens were taken to a more than qualified foster mom, Joa's Arc's Jen S, so that they could be socialized. They didn't know how to trust people, let alone live in a home or ask for the affection they so very much deserved.

At first, the two kittens were kept in a large crate with all they would need: comfy blankets to sleep on, a litterbox, fresh food & water and a toy or two. Confining unsocialized kittens like this ensures they are safe (not trying to hide under the sofa, behind the washing machine, in the ceiling or holes around the house - you'd be amazed what they can squeeze themselves into) and keeps them in a small space where they are forced to interact with you, even if that just means watching you fill their food dish at first. Jen S also made sure their crate was set up in the middle of her home, so the kittens would be exposed to every day life. Confining the kittens like this makes socializing them go much faster!

Shirley was the first of the two kittens to really come around and trust her foster family. For that, she was released into the home - allowing her to interact with the other pets and people. 

I can't see them...
They can't see me. Right??

Shirley, although she has been available for adoption since she was a kitten, is now a young cat still in foster car. You see, not only is Shirl a black cat (a color of cat sadly avoided due to silly superstitions), but she's also a little shy (see second photo). Even after being socialized really well, new things sometime startle Shirley and she'll go into hiding. Her young life living outside and having to hide to stay alive isn't something she's forgotten.

Those things aside, Shirley is one super special girl that would make an excellent pet if someone gave her a shot and some time to adjust. Shirley really enjoys other cats (Scooter was one of Shirley's best buds before he passed away) and her foster home has dogs of various sizes in it, so she's used to being with dogs too. In her home, she likes to play, snuggle on the sofa and run around with the other cats, including her sister who still is still a little behind Shirley in the social department. Tweet This

Update on Wil

Some of you might remember that as 2010 was drawing to a close, we added this post to the blog. Well, time has passed and, as it turns out, Lil is actually a Will :)

Gender confusion aside (we got Will when he was teeny tiny - it can be confusing then!), Will is absolutely a special guy. That's why we are highlighting him this week during Petfinder's "Adopt A Less Adoptable" Pet Week. Will is actually the first of several pets we are going to write about in posts that Joa's Arc will be adding over the next few days.

Like his brother, Phil, Will went through the surgery to have his eye issues corrected as much as possible to make him more comfortable (and more adoptable).

Recently, Will was back to visit Dr. John to get a re-check after his surgery and, sadly, it turns out that this poor guy needs surgery again! The first time does not always work unfortunately and sometimes repeat surgeries are required to make more corrections or to make sure his eyes heal properly.

Phil's adopter was kind enough to donate the funds for her cat's brother's (Will') surgery the first time he needed it. Now, we are hoping some donations like that from others will allow us to cover/pay for the further medical attention Will requires.

Will is a great boy. We're just trying to make sure we do the best for him. There's lots of ways you can help too! Click on one of the links to the right to donate, for more information or to inquire about adopting some of the great pets we have available and looking for new families. Tweet This

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet Week is coming up starting on the 17th - this weekend!

Big, black dogs, FIV+ cats, senior pets, special needs ... many factors can make a pet seem "less adoptable." To promote these unusual (or, in some cases, too common) animals, Petfinder has designated Sept. 17-25, 2011, as "Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week."

Obviously, that's right up our alley, so we wanted to give you a heads up - there's going to be some great posts coming your way! Our adoptable pets don't seem to have a clue there's anything "different" about them and we find them all uniquely wonderful. Even if you don't find the pet you're looking for through Joa's Arc, consider adopting an extra special one all the same.


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Checking In On Gabe

Gabriel is still in foster care and doing well.

Gabe has come a long way from his rough start which brought him to us. There was been a long transport, surgery to fix his leg, lots of rest, x-rays, sututre removal, doggie playdates ... and time being a total goofball!

Gabe dressed for a Spring  fundraiser

Since being medically cleared, Gabe's been hanging out in his foster home, which has kids, cats, a bird and other dogs (though they're all cat-size compared to Gabe) - he gets along with all of them swimmingly! He's warmly welcomed a few new fosters, like Mia and Kissy's kittens. Through all of this, Gabe has kept his same silly antics up.

Gabriel and his pal, Mia, resting after wrestling

Although he's happy in his foster home, Gabe would really like his own home. We'd prefer Gabe go to a home with another dog and maybe a kid or two as well. We feel this would be best for him because Gabe loves other dogs (especially his pal, Mia). He's goofy as well and yet quite gentle, so we think gabe would be a great pal for a kid to grow up with.

Although he has made a full medical recovery, a home is still needed to make this guy's fairy tale have a happy ending. Please consider adopting this happy hound boy! Tweet This