NEW VOLUNTEER AREA

So the move to Tehachapi is coming along. The beautiful forest and weather up there is something out of a dream. I never could've imagined that we would be so lucky as to find a place like this. It is truly a miracle that the dogs will now officially live in "paradise". But of course we also want to give our volunteers a beautiful place to hang out. So this is the area from our new place that we have picked to create the new volunteer area. When complete not only will the canopy of the 200 year old oak trees and tall pine surround everyone, but we will also have indoor seating complete with pot belly stoves keeping everyone toasty roasty in the winter months. Though this project will take a few months to complete, the new volunteer area will be one of the first that we construct. Our dogs can't live without our WONDERFUL and DEDICATED volunteers! So stay tuned here for all the updates on the big move to "T-town"!!!

TEXAS FUNDRAISER

BIG THANKS TO TODD!!!!

Getting emails like this one makes our day :)


Todd’s birthday is on September 4th, however we celebrated on the 11th. We asked everyone in advance to bring anything they were able to, knowing that times are a little tough, to donate to your program.

Todd was so happy that we had so many guests that were willing to donate to your program. All of the children got “Doggie” bags, which included your brochure, as well as doggie themed party favors such as noses and ears, puppy tattoos, bone shaped candies, and more. We also played party games to help teach the kids how to respectfully approach a new dog, as well as a game of “trainer says” (a sort of spin off of Simon says).

We love Pit Bulls, and believe that every dog, no matter what breed, should be loved and respected. Thank you for all that you do.





Todd with his best friend Moose- the inspiration for this party.


Before we donated the dishes, we challenged the kids to eat the birthday cake- PUPPY STYLE- no hands! This was probably the highlight of the party!!

Puppy Candles!

The cake

(from left) Ethan, Todd (birthday boy), Emily, Mackenzie, AJ, Lily, Collin, and Nathan with dog noses & ears- there are some in the box for you and your staff J

MOVING RIGHT ALONG!

We are now beginning to lay out where the new kennels will be built in our "magical forest". This is a big experience for us being that we have never lived anywhere else but we are taking all that we have learned at our current location and putting it to good use at our new ranch. Right now we are just "mapping out" where the kennels are going but mid-late September we will finally be ready for volunteers to help. So many of you have been emailing asking to help so be careful what you wish for! This is going to be alot of work but we will enjoy every second of it. Here Billy "stakes our claim!"

MAN'S BEST FRIEND, DOG'S WORST ENEMY

For the past couple of days, I kept getting messages from various "animal loving" neighbors saying that they had being seeing two stray dogs on our lonely dirt road. So of course my first question was always the same to each neighbor..."why the hell are you calling me? You claim to be a dog lover, why didn't you take them into your home? Geezus, its been 110 degrees here. You couldn't give them water??!!" I was furious. So today our volunteer dog walkers spotted the dogs down the road and we went and picked them up. Well furious didn't describe what we saw. One of the dogs, an old female Pit Bull, had been attacked by a coyote, her face swollen, puncture wounds under her neck and ear. I just shook my head. I live in a town that claims to be "upper class, educated, country living, animal friendly" What a joke. My entire neighborhood turned their backs on these dogs, chased them out of their yards and left them to die. My neighbors consist of: a former LAPD officer, a horse trainer and a dog groomer. Unreal, eh? So they are safe now and resting comfortably and will be added to our pack of beasts looking for someone who will love them as much as we do already.

LOSING AN OLD FRIEND

She came to us August 2001. She was one of my first abuse cases. I noticed her when I was doing a routine walk thru the South Los Angeles animal shelter. She was a skeleton draped in black skin laying on the concrete floor, barely able to lift her head up, not able to walk. She had been brought in that day, confiscated from someone's yard, starved almost to the point of death. I knew she didn't stand a chance at the shelter so I decided to take her. We had to carry her to the car because she was literally too weak to stand. On the way home, we shared a burger at Burger King and made the trek up to the rescue. She was very un-trusting at first but it didn't take long for her to realize that I was here to help....especially after seeing that she was now sleeping in my bedroom. Her crate became her safe haven and she reluctantly came out to stretch her legs and do her business. It took years for her to trust anyone besides me. She finally discovered that being a part of our volunteer program meant going out for walks and laying in the sunshine. This is where she met Connie. Connie would sit with Shavar for hours just to let her relax and get belly rubs. This is what Shavar lived for. She now began to enjoy life. But all good things must come to an end. And this past week, I noticed that Shavar was having a hard time walking and when we rushed her to the vet, he said that she was having neurological problems due to tumors on her spine, probably cancer. And because she was now very old, any type of surgery or even trying to fight the cancer would be too hard on her. So we made the very difficult decision to let her go. Jessica was there by her side making the journey to the life beyond, just a little easier. But the pain still lingers with us all. Another great friend is gone.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

VILLALOBOS IS MOVING!!! Yeah we're still in shock too but it was just an offer we couldn't refuse. We're leaving the desert and moving up to paradise. We've just started the moving process this week but we will keep you posted here on this blog with each moving detail. At this time we're going to keep the new location a "secret" because we want to save the surprise for the big Grand Opening! But it's not much further than where we are now. The new facility will have better weather for the dogs to live in, better weather for the volunteers to walk dogs, a beautiful setting within the forest and mountains, bigger facilities....shall I continue? We are so happy that words cannot begin to express how we truly feel. This is a dream come true. Stay tuned for updates as we take you through one of the biggest journeys Villalobos has ever gone on.