Ziggy
This is Ziggy Stardust - a blue merle Collie-Australian Shepherd mix. I know it's hard to believe, but I found Ziggy at the SEAACA shelter in Downey, California. Poor guy - he was so depressed he wouldn't even lift his head when I visited him. Herding dogs are incredibly sensitive creatures and tend to shut down in shelters. Ziggy was no exception. Something about him got to me, and I took a chance. At SEAACA, like at many over-crowded shelters, dogs are given JUST ONE DAY to be adopted before being euthanized to make room for more incoming strays. I am so thankful I made that leap of faith and adopted him. He is such an incredible dog - sensitive, smart, cuddly, and a real clown too! (and yes, I named him after David Bowie because of his marbled blue/brown eyes.)
Zazu
This is Zazu. Her recent DNA test says that she is a Retriever + Chow + Husky mix. I adopted her from a no-kill shelter in Santa Barbara called D.A.W.G. I fell in love with her photo on the D.A.W.G. website, and drove up to Santa Barbara to bail her out. Zazu is beautiful inside and out. She charms every human and dog she meets with her sweet personality, and has patiently taught all of my foster dogs how to play. True to her Retriever genes, she REALLY loves water, and can happily hang out in a lake or a pool for hours at a time. Zazu is also really fond of plush toys, often greeting people with one in her mouth.




 

Foxy
Foxy is likely a Chow-Shiba Inu mix. She was at the North Central shelter, in a cage with a gaggle of rowdy puppies, pregnant and extremely miserable. Scheduled to be euthanized simply because there was no available space in the over-crowded shelter for a mama dog to care for a litter of pups, I rescued her. Foxy is as smart as they come and an incredible athlete, too. She excels in Agility - people audibly gasp when they see her jump - it's as if she was spring-loaded! Although pint-sized, she's a confident little hunter, and always ready for adventure.


 

Grommet
At 7 months old Grommet was dumped on me by an irresponsible neighbor. Her reason was that her 9 year-old son had promised to take care of him and wasn't doing a good job... This little guy was a mess! Forced to live outside (because they were too lazy to housetrain him), Grommet was covered in ticks and fleas. He also had worms and mange. He is a typical terrier - silly and confident! He and Snorkel are like bookends.







Ling Ling R.I.P.
Ling Ling had been given a death sentence at the North Central shelter. Being a Chow, they had automatically marked her kennel card "USE CAUTION". She had blood in her urine and they had jumped to the worst case scenario of cancer without running a single test. Her coat was sparse and gray and her front teeth were all missing due to neglect. Still, her sweet spirit was undeniable, and I fell in love with her instantly. I rescued Ling Ling to foster and rehabilitate her and find her a great, new home. Getting her health back on track has been challenging after so many years of neglect - her knees were terribly arthritic and required surgery. She was extremely shy when she first arrived, and it has taken a while for her to develop trust of stangers. She has improved enormously, and continues to gain confidence. Foxy found a new girlfriend in Ling Ling. Following an ancient tradition, these Chow girls hunt (lizards) as a team, sometimes for hours!

 

Snorkel
Snorkel is an irrepressible little terrier mix rescued from idiot neighbors who claimed he was "too hyper". He is Grommet's bookend and best friend. You'd never believe two mixed-breed non-siblings could look or be so much alike. Same long body, same ridiculous underbite, they even make the same funny, little gremlin sounds. This guy is pure comic relief 24/7. Every day Snorkel initiates terrier wrestlemania and races laps around the house and yard. He greets everyone with a tennis ball or toy, as if to say, "Okay, you're here, let's play!". Snorkel also has a soft side and is ultra-sweet and loving. He likes being held like a baby and will just lean in and place his cheek against your cheek - a "Hollywood Kiss"!








Peanut
Peanut is my muse. I rescued this utterly adorable senior Pomeranian from the high-kill Baldwin Park shelter in September 2006. His owner had dumped him without giving any reason, basically leaving him there to die. Peanut was huddled in the corner of his over-crowded cage and I didn't think he could walk because he didn't move, likley because he was so depressed and confused. Fast forward to present day, and Peanut is doing well, no, make that fantastic! Even as the oldest (my vet thinks he's 12+) and smallest (8 lbs.) resident of Devil Dog Ranch, he fits right in and takes everything in stride. After clearing up a number of minor health issues his confident, silly and spunky personality fully emerged. This guy has been through so much, but is always happy and smiling! Considering his uber-cuteness, I'm sure it's no surprise to learn that Peanut is treated like a rockstar everywhere he goes - I call him my little Cocoa Puff Daddy. Here he is at a 4th of July festival with his idol, Smokey the Bear, sporting his fashionable summer haircut.
Senior Dogs Rule!








View former residents of Devil Dog Ranch

Copyright Devil Dog Ranch 2010. All rights reserved. Contents may not be copied or used without permission.