No more homeless pets!

Hi everyone!

Well, a few months ago I got the dreaded surgery that for some reason people dont like to do to their pets. Why I will never know so many pets die each day cause there is not enough homes! I hope all your pets are! If there not PLEASE DO SO! It was not bad at all actually I was good to go the next day, but mom said I had to rest! Yeah Right!
Thank you to Catalina Pet Hospital and Dr. Cohen for taking such good care of me, he is the very best vet ever!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some reasons to have your pets spayed or neutered, pass it along and get it done

Love you!
River

Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

1. Your female dog or cat will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying—the removal of the ovaries and uterus—is a veterinary procedure performed under general anesthesia that usually requires minimal hospitalization. Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and in 90 percent of female cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.

2. There are major health benefits for your male animal companion, too.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male dog or cat—the surgical removal of the testicles—prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.

3. Your spayed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary greatly, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house. Unspayed female dogs generally have a bloody discharge for about a week, and can conceive for another week or so.

4. YouR male dog won't need to roam away from home…
An intact male in search of a mate will do just about anything to get one! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.

5. …and he will be much better behaved to boot!
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Indoors, male dogs may embarrass you by mounting on furniture and human legs when stimulated. And FYI, a neutered dog protects his home and family just as well as unneutered dog--and many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
It's no use to use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

7. Spaying or neutering is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay or neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with neighborhood strays…or the cost of cleaning the carpet that your unspayed female keeps mistaking for her litter box, or the cost of…well, you get the idea!

8. It's good for the community.
Stray animals pose real problems in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause vehicular accidents, damage the local fauna and scare children.

9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to witness the miracle of birth.
We've heard this one a lot. But you know what? Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping teaches your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the trust behind this dangerous myth. There are countless books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner.

10. It packs a powerful punch in the fight against pet overpopulation.
Millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

Help my boyfriend find a home!,

He's a good looking, in shape guy with a charming smile--A man's man who loves the ladies. Is it Mike "the Situation" from Jersey Shore...no, it's Chewy! Chewy is a GREAT foster dog and he deserves to find his forever home soon. He is super smart, he has a big smiley face, he thinks he's a lap dog and he loves children. He is good at the dog park, good with other dogs, He needs playtime, either at the dog park, a good run every day, or another active dog to play with. He is also sometimes overcome with wanderlust, so he needs a tall secure fence. If he is allowed to lounge around inside during the day, he doesn't care to go out much except to potty. He is housetrained and uses a dog door. He was rescued with his friend Beau from the desert south of Tucson in March by Angels for Animals. He had been shot by a small caliber gun. He has healed from his wound, and has been neutered and is up to date on all vaccinations. He really is awesome and I'm anxious for him to have real forever home with someone who adores him as much as I do. If you would like to meet him, call Lisa @440-8844. Thanks for considering adoption of a rescue dog!

Love River

Happy Memorial Day!

I know we are a little late but, this is breaking news people! Did you know in this big black box there is "meat" yup its true....it was a glorious day, and a wonderful find, I got to share a peice or two, it was yummy!!!!!!!!!! I love that black box!!!
Hope you all got to eat out of the black box!!

Happy Mothers Day!

To all the fur moms out there.....this is poem and flower is for you!
Love, River

Before I was a Dog Mom: I made and ate hot meals unmolested; I had unstained, unfurred clothes; I had quiet conversations on the phone, even if the doorbell rang.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got to bed . . . or if I could get into my bed.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I cleaned my house everyday, I never tripped over toys, stuffies, chewies, or invited the neighbor's dog over to play.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I didn't worry if my plants, cleansers, plastic bags, toilet paper, soap or deodorant were poisonous or dangerous.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had never been peed on, pooped on, drooled on, chewed on, or pinched by puppy teeth.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had complete control of my thoughts, my body and my mind. I slept all night without sharing the covers or pillow.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I never looked into big, soulful eyes and cried. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop a hurt. I never knew something so furry and four-legged could affect my heart so deeply.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had never held a sleeping puppy just because I couldn't put it down. I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was well. I didn't know how warm it feels inside to feed a hungry puppy. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being

Rivers Rescue

This is Duet....Rivers BFF!

Although so many people helped cared for and tried to help River. Daniele, and Duet were the two that were ultimately responsible for bringing River home, This is their story........


I usually walk all along the Rillito anywhere from Oracle to Sabino
Canyon. I had walked in this area of Columbus for about 12 years. I used
to walk my other dog Tosha before she passed away. I now have a dog
named Duet. Duet and I walk often in the area at different times of the
day (usually during the cooler weather months) usually on the path and
occasionally going into the wash area from the dirt road. The day I
first met River we cut through an area we usually didn't walk through
towards the wash to play in the running stream. On the way I was a bit
startled to see River jump up suddenly to see who were were. I am always
very cautious of stray or unsupervised dogs. I saw the contraption
nearby and thought it was a homeless persons camp. I felt bad for both
of them and decided to talk to her a moment before leaving. Then we went
on our way.

The next day I decided to go down there again and I saw River. I had
brought treats with me in case I saw her again. I decided to find out
about the contraption and discovered it was a trap to catch her. I was
relieved someone was trying to help her. I never saw her on the news and
I don't recall seeing any fliers about her specifically, but I see so
many. I may have and didn't remember. But I thought I would use the
treats to try to befriend her. Duet (always on a leash) and I always
approached her very slowly until she looked like she was about to leave
and then I would sit down immediately. Duet is usually very eager to
visit with dogs but she behaved differently this time( I think she
sensed River's nervousness). Duet had her back to River and was smelling
out the area as though River wasn't there. I threw some treats in
River's direction. She started getting more and more curious and came in
to meet Duet or at least smell her behind. She got close enough for me
to see that she had a collar on hidden in her coat. No tags though. She
took a treat from me and I didn't try to move suddenly or try to pet
her. I let her be in charge. She was very skittish and I knew better
than to try anything that may make her uncomfortable. This was our first
real meeting. If Duet or I moved too suddenly she would leap back and
far away. It wasn't going to be easy. I'd rescued another dog that was
living in a vacant lot across from my house for 2 months before I could
help her. I used some of the lessons I learned with her.

I decided not to go on our normal varied walking routines and just
focus on River and play in the wash with Duet. I called the people who
listed their names and phone numbers on the trap. I first called Marc.
He seems surprised at how close I had gotten to River and I told him I
would keep trying. I called Kelly and she filled me in on River's
history. I was shocked. I asked if anyone was interested in adopting her
if I was able to catch her. The three of us kept in close contact. So
that was how things got started.

For two weeks (minus three days I wasn't able to go see her) I visited
River. Right away I gained her trust by never forcibly approaching her.
I let her approach us. It was always on her terms. I would talk to her
and say her name and feed her treats. By about the third or forth day
she was eating treats out of my hand and I was moving my hand around
gently and slowly to desensitize her with more sudden movements. I was
eventually able to touch her on the side of her face while giving her
treats. This got easier over time as I was able to pet her later. At the
same time she got more use to her name, as when I would go to visit her
I would softly call out her name. She started coming out to play with
us. She would usually already be down in the wash and we would play with
sticks, hide and seek, and eat treats. People started to notice and some
started to feed her with treats the way I had started. I was pleased as
it was helping River to be more socialized. I figured the more people
who tried to help her this way the better. For me it was not a race. I
knew that I had to gain her trust on her terms only and I needed to take
the time. I needed to make sure I was able to catch her with 100%
certainty.

I started to get her to follow me. One visit I threw treats down while
we were walking and she followed. I thought I would try to get her to my
car and start training her to get use to my car, hoping I could
eventually get her in. She didn't like me trying (as she never let the
leash get close enough anyways) to put a leash on and so I stopped that
so she would continue to trust me. I felt the only way to catch her
successfully was to get her into a small area. The wash was too huge of
an area to control the situation. Then it dawned on me that after only
three times she had started to follow me without treats. So, I had my
eye on the park across the wash. It had fenced-in areas. So the last
three days I was visiting her, I chose a dug out cage on a batters
field. The first time Duet and I just sat in the cage, Duet eating
treats. River just stared at us from a distance and wouldn't come
anywhere near. I thought it was hopeless but I didn't give up. The next
day I tried again. I brought treats and canned food. Duet and I went in
and with much hesitation River joined us. She was very nervous, but I
let her come in and out as she wished. The third time she was inside
with us and very comfortable and I knew it was time to catch her. I
called and made arrangements with Marc who would help me after I caught
her.I would only have one chance. I was very nervous.So on the fourth
visit to the dugout was the morning I caught her at about 6am.

I couldn't sleep at all that night and at about 5:45 a.m. I went to find
her. She was sleeping near the bridge by the park to the east. I could
barely see but I had my flashlight. I called for her and I heard her
whimper. Then she joined us playing with Duet. We walked over to the
cage on the field. I got her in and I locked it up. It was about 6am if
I remember correctly. I called Marc and he was on his way. River was
calm the whole time eating and hanging out with us. Marc came about 6:45
. He came in with a crate. River was calm all the way up till he caught
her and put her in the crate. She hid behind my legs. My dog Duet , who
is usually scared and timid, seemed to be protecting River! But as soon
as River was in the crate River was calm again. The rest is history! It
couldn't have gone any better. River acted like she had been through it
before. She was so unexpectedly calm.

The reason I never forced her in a leash was I felt she wouldn't take it
well. What would I have done after I got her on the leash. I felt
strongly that she was going to fight it, which meant I was going to have
to drag her, only upsetting her more. Then what? Would I have to force
her into my car? I was not comfortable with that option. I trusted my
instincts and I did a lot of slow meticulous steps in order to catch her
and gain her trust. I tried to give her as much control as I could. I
let her think she had all the control . I gave her choices. I let her
decide whether to approach us or not etc. And it paid off. I was very
honored to have gained her trust and through her I met many wonderful
people, some of whom I hope will remain friends, all thanks to River. It
was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Happy Easter!

What a great day...great weather..... great food, River had a blast with all the excitment and smaells in the air, she does love food!

Got lots of goodies, from Grammy and mom! Even a special bit of ham! Loved the new toys too!

After all the excitment....

BATHTIME..... I did not like that to much, but no one did, but I sure do clean up nice and smell great!

Happy Spring everyone....Enjoy!

Happy April!

Well River is doing well, still loving life in a home, she has come from a quiet dog out in the wash hardly ever making a peep to a quite a verbal dog, she loves to bark and make some bear noises when playing!

Little Miss River had her own little April Fools day joke to play on me! Well after planning her appointment to be fixed, right along with my spring break vacation so I could be here to take care of her, lots of pre surgery worry, she goes into heat one day before surgery!!! So for now its on hold. Is much simpler and safer to wait till she is done! She will be kept safe...no worries!

So on that note..don't forget to spay and neuter your pets! Pass the word, help someone in need!

Easter is a few days away, so check back for the holiday fun pictures!!

Also....Patches the three legged dog still needs a home! She is amazing ...her story is below!

Rivers Special Hero.

Rest In Peace Daddy.

1st Dog Park Trip..!

River met her hero Duet at the dog park.....well a little much for her, she ventured out a few times, went up to a few dogs, ran for a minute...again, was much happier to lay around and watch the others! Baby Steps!I think she will like it someday! She got a lots of compiments how pretty she is! Her head swelled, and we had to go! Thanks for the invite Danielle and Duet!

Update on Shaggy our inspiration!

ADOPTION PENDING!!!!!! Yeah Shaggy!
Read his updates here.

http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=6B44CBC3-F6B1-3A80-0F17CA9DEB6AA17D

http://video.bestfriends.org/media/p/1480.aspx

River wants to help her friends!

River is offereing up space on her blog to find homes for "special" dogs just like her dogs that have special stories, not always good, but hopefully with happy endings!
So meet Patches!

She needs a foster or forever home, she was dumped and at some ppoint probably hit by aa car.She has four legs but does not use one of her back legs, she also has a bum front paw. BUT she manages just fine, she can run with the best of them, she is a adorable girl that needs a shot at a new life!

If you want to meet Patches contact me at angelboo@aol.com, I will have someone contact you!

Celebrating River!

First if we missed anyone sorry, Applebees couldn't seem to accommodate us so we had to move next door, so if you came and we missed you, sorry!

We had a wonderful time! It was nice to finally get to sit down, and get together without talking plans on how to rescue River! We were able to share stories about our days in the wash. There are some funny ones!

Thanks to Jen, we were able to thank Danielle in a very special way, she was given the most beautiful tile, with a special thank you from River! Tanks you Danielle again, we would still be out there if it wasn't for you and Duet! Jen also got Doctor Cohen a beautiful cup for all he did! I will get it to him soon! The gifts were beautiful!! River also sent along a special picture for everyone, she was bummed she couldn't go! But sent her love and thanks!

We plan to get together again, next time we will do it somewhere where we can bring the babies!

The best part of all of this besides saving River, is all the wonderful people we have all met, we all came together for a purpose, strangers, and now we are leaving this adventure with new friendships! So Thanks River! River will also have alot of Aunties and Uncles, forever!

3/11/10

Hi Everyone, hope there are people still out there following Rivers Story! She has settled in nicely and ENJOYS her new life! She has been such a great dog, we really thought she would have some kind of issues to over come, but she really hasn't had any! She is such a good dog! She is loving and curious! She has become very attached to her new friends, and follows me everywhere. I was afraid she would try to escape, but never once has tried, nor does she want too! Like I said she would rather lay on the couch, she will engage in some wrestling and tug a war, likes to steal the stuffies and run away with them and make everyone chase her! She has gone a a bunch of walks, but surprisingly she really doesn't get all that excited about them! I think she has done enough exercising!
She will going in to get spayed this month, and also during that time will have her back end x rayed, she still has a limp once in awhile. We will see what that shows.
otherwise the last set of blood work came back a okay!
She will be staying here forever! So please check back often, we love the holidays around here, so we will have all the holiday pics to show! LOL

Ps...We always thought some mean person was emptying out her water bucket in the wash but I now have confirmation it was her! She just tried tipping it over! Cnt wait for waem weather so we can get a pool!

Dear fellow River friends,

Let's get together to celebrate River and each other.

I did a bit of research and Applebee's has a decent appetizer menu. Monday-Sunday, from 3-7 is happy hour, with some menu items 1/2 off.

I say let's plan for Saturday, March 13th 4:30ish

Please pass the word on to Mark and Eric and anyone else who would like to join us!


Applebee's
5870 E Broadway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85711
(520) 750-9780

THANKS JEN FOR SETTING THIS UP!

COUCH POTATO

Well River came home with me this weekend since I had four days off to work with her, I got a kennel, prepared the back yard, etc Well, River had her own plans and followed my dogs right in the house, (before that she had not want to enter a house) well with in a a few more minutes after that, she had found "the couch" and pretty much has taken it over! She is truly a couch potato, thought she would be a very active dog, after all the running she has done, but she really just enjoys being a big ole slug! She seems to be so comfy and sleeps so soundly even snores sometimes. I think she is finally getting some well needed sleep. She loves playing with her new friends. Once she came inside, leaving her in a kennel was never a options, she hated it and spent a total of a 15 minutes in it! She just wanted to be with everyone. She has gone on a few walks, a little afraid of passing cars, but loves her walks, she loves tug a war with the stuffies with people or dogs! She is very curious follows everyone around, not to afraid of things, very interested in the shower and toilet! She has been a good girl when left in the house, and now joins in with the others, with a wagging tail, to great you! She still likes to bark at new people, or people she doesn't know well, but is getting more and more comfortable and trusting. Pictures coming soon....Thanks to all of you....she is a happy girl now!

Vet Day!

River has been given a clean bill of health! She still has a couple things to do still, but so far so good! She has been given the age of 2, and weighs 60 pounds! She did well at the vet, hard to explain to people that just a week and half ago she wouldn't come to you! She went through the poking and all the fun vet stuff like a trooper! She took the ride there and back like a big brave girl too!

Thank you to Mark for all the help!

AND HUGE THANK YOU TO DR COHEN, AND CATALINA PET HOSPITAL STAFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As usual they were awesome and donated her care today! THANK YOU!!

River Happy Girl Video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDd1UmfU710


This River 6 days afer being rescued! She is a happy Girl!
Thanks Lisa!

Another River Story! Thanks!

http://fortheloveofthedogblog.com/news-updates/river%E2%80%99s-rescue

Hello!

Well River is doing well, she is in fostered being visited by a few of her "people" She is doing well, making daily strides, due to the level of stress that River was under and the amount of time needed to truly assess her needs both short term and long term that River will be taking some time to become who "River" really is, we are excited that she is coming along well, but still has some firsts to do! She has a great support system, and has been meeting some more doggie friends, we are taking this slow...we want her to become who she wants to be on her own time.
BUT she does seem to love life better than wash life.

Kvoa News update! Thanks Channel 4

http://www.kvoa.com/news/river-the-stray-dog-rescued/

Happy happy girl!

HAPPY VALENTINES WEEKEND!

What a perfect time, to say.....RIVER IS FINALLY SAFE!!! A big thank you to Danielle and Mark!!!!!! We are so happy, she is currently with Mark in a very safe place, she is doing REALLY well, relaxed, and very calm, she is has already been showered with gifts and food!

She will be seeing the vet sometime this week, for a complete check up! Thank you Catalina Pet Hospital!

She seems very healthy, we got her tight little collar off, and now we will start getting used to her having a harness on and learning to walk on a leash! There is lots of things she needs to learn!

I will update with some pictures soon!
Thank you to everyone!

All the spotters/Callers
Her friends in the wash
Danielle
Lisa
Jen
Mark
Senja
Nancy
Eric

And for all the people have supported us through this! With your good thoughts and encouragement!

2/11/10

Well, it looks like this chapter of the story may be coming to a end, very very soon, so please keep a eye on this post over the next few days for updates! We have found a wonderful vet that has been willing to see River, but we will also be asking for donations to help pay for any medical care she may need. We want her to have the best and most thorough care!

Upon her rescue we will be setting up a account at the vets office, any little thing will help! I will post all the info on here as soon as she is rescued!

Thank you to Dr. Cohen and the Catalina Pet Hospital for offering to help!

Also, as for Rivers future, we are taking this one day at a time, we want to make sure she is healthy, and we also need too see what she will need in a family. We will also update that as well. but first things first!

2/9/10

River is becoming quite the social butterfly, after gaining trust with one person, she seems to be trusting others as well! We have received a few calls saying she us taking food from others and playing with more dogs, or at least getting close to them, the more people we can get that she likes the better! Hopefully, with some more time, she will become more trusting, and then move on to the next step.

Thanks everyone!

2/7/10

Well, we do have some promising news, River has become friendly with one human and one dog! For some reason, she loves these two, and they are having the best luck with her, she has been able to share some great pictures, has been able to actually hand feed her and get her to follow them around.

The rest of us are taking a big step back and watching from far away, its been absolutely amazing! As long as this continues who knows maybe she will jump right in her car one day, BUT its important we get the word out not to try this yourself, unless you have the right dog. Also for those of you out there, and you see this happening, feel free to watch from a distance, and help her out by letting others know whats going on, sometimes a off leash dog or something else will scare her off, any moment lost, makes it a longer wait!

Thank you for continuing to ask about her!

2/3/10

Well thanks to a wonderful person, Danielle, and her dog Duet, we have been able to add some new pictures to the blog! It is nice to have new pictures and some cute ones too! Luckily, River seems to feel very comfortable around them both, which is great news! We are all stepping back a bit and see what happens with this, we don't want to ruin anything she has going with her right now! We appreciate all the time she is putting into this! We are hoping the relationship they are building will be the key, it may take a while and we are moving very slowly! Duet, is the perfect dog for this! Who knows we might owe her a big juicy steak sometime!

Keep them in your thoughts!

PS- We found out about Shaggy the Grand Canyon dog ( video link on this page) and how he was rescued, he wondered into someones yard and they were able to give him pills, he is now up for adoption at Best Friends, his story was on last weeks Dog Town, he has come a real long way, in trusting and learning to know us two legged people, really aren't that bad! We will be watching for his happy ending too!

1/31/10

Hello

Well I have been contacted by a few people letting me know River has come very close to them, and the key to that seems to be their dogs, this is wonderful news, we even have some great Pictures coming soon!

River also it seemed like she had a little friend running with her one morning!

River seems to choose who she will play with or be around, it is on her terms. I did get to meet one of the dogs she played with yesterday, and this dog is very calm. I have also heard that some people have let their dogs go to River and she just runs away. The people having the contact aren't even letting their dogs off leash, they have very calm dogs, that let River approach them without getting all excited. It is very promising!

So to help the people out who are having luck, please spread the word to people you may see out there, that if their dogs is not very calm and submissive, its best not to even try to approach her. Cant wait to get the pictures and share them ........it will be nice to have some new pictures...And they are CUTE!

1/20/10

Well as we come to the end of the month, month 4 begins! Happily we all all hanging on to hope, and a few new people offering help! Thank you! There is really not alot to update on except she was spotted this morning and twice this evening! She seems to be doing okay!

1/26

All is well, we didn't see her for day, one day she didn't eat, but we have had two spottings yesterday and then today too, she is loving the toys, has a special place she plays with them. She really is a pretty dog! Have a possible plan for this coming weekend, Stay tuned!

1/23/10

Ever see a dog go in a trap and eat the goodies inside and not set it off????
I did today! What a smart girl! Maybe a little bratty lol ....
We got a new plan...I believe plan....12,754,378
Stay tuned!

1/22/10 Whew!

Thank you to all of you who have asked about River! Just to let you know, she is okay and was spotted at Dinner Time! It was a nerve wracking night and day, to wake up and see the wash flowing, but hey we should have known, she would be okay! One more night of bad weather, but a little less worry!

Still working on trapping her, and we really feel, we are going succeed soon!

1/19/10

I was told about another legendary dog Richmond's Legendary Black Dog, who lived decades, on the street, cared for by the town, and he even had his own bank account! Sadly, he passed away this past year, but is a legend! Below is link to other dogs, including River and Black Dog!

http://fortheloveofthedogblog.com/news-updates/river-a-vagabond-dog-and-some-stories-of-others

Read more about "Richmond's Legendary Black Dog" what a character!

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/site_elements/tags/tag/black+dog/

1/18/10

Hello..
I have received a lot of great emails from people, with a lot of great questions, so I thought I would answer a few! It seems crazy that after almost 3 months, we haven't been able to catch a dog! I know I am surprised myself! Seems easy, but boy we were wrong! The first problem we have is the area. when you think about a wash you think its a clear open area full of sand, well nope, its like a regular desert down there, its been so long since we had a good rain, nothing has been cleaned out. There is so many place to hide, she has been known to be 20 feet away and you don't see her, besides the fact her coloring matches most of the vegetation in the wash. She has been known to be miles away from her feeding tree, the wash goes on forever, and she knows her way around it well! Or we get something all set up and people walk by or a dog runs up, and she is gone!
As for the things we have tried, well lets see, two different traps, a snare, homemade snares, nets underground, and above ground, and numerous other things brought in by a professional. We have had people out there from dawn to dusk. Waiting for her to step into one of these things. We have been there in the dark with flash lights! We have had someone even dug down in hole a covered in trees! We have had a catch pole, and even animal control came out, and pretty much wished us luck!
This girl is so smart, I am now thinking we need to really look closer on how smart dogs really are! I have seen her investigate every little new thing in the area, or anything moved, I have seen her go back and check places we were at weeks ago to make sure we aren't there! She knows some of our voices and our smells.
Tranquilizer guns and pills prescribed by a vet are a option, but if we loose her after she is under the influence of these, we risk the chance of her going down, in the cold or amongst the coyotes, its a dangerous option, but one we will look at it again.
I have also had people say well just leave her alone, she obviously does not want to be caught, well maybe, but when we first started this she was in bad shape, she has gotten healthier. We really don't think she would be alive today if we hadn't stepped in.
When we do something big, and try something to catch her and it fails, we step back, we don't want to be in catch mode everyday, we risk her just leaving the area altogether. I am sure we have made some mistakes along the way, but hey we are trying! There has been a lot of people come and go, but there is a handful of us still left. We always got a new plan up our sleeve!
We really would like to see her out of there, before it heats up and the rest of the dangerous critters come out!
Again, thank you all for all your support and continuing to ask about her!
We will continue to update!

1/17/09

Hello

River is alive and well, she seems okay! She waits patiently in the area, for dinner, and the dinner server to leave before she eats. We have left her a stuffed toy for the past few days, the first one was found chewed all up, stuffing everywhere. We weren't sure if it was her who played with it, but tonight she was spotted taking the toy before the dinner! This little girl, loves her toys and has obviously had them in her past, hope someday soon she is laying in a home chewing up a stuffed toy!

Keep her in your thoughts, during this next week of yucky weather!

11-15-10

Thanks Jennifer for the new water bucket
Love, River

"Through Lost Eyes"

Come see the world through the "Eyes of the Lost",Come feel the pain, come pay the cost.You see them in alleyways, hiding in doors,They shiver in winter, they're soaked when it pours.Some may have once known a better life.Then abandoned alone to this world of strife.
Their food's from the dumpsters, or off of the street,Their throats grow parched in the summer heat.In their fear and confusion, they quietly cry.While still others must watch their little ones die.Coats filled with fleas, mats and tatters.They soon find out how little things matter.
Their bellies are empty, their spirits are torn,Still they search on till their paws are worn,My friend, I challenge you If you dare.I ask, if you say you truly care.Don't close your ears to the little ones cries,See life...just this once.."Through Lost Eyes".

1-14-10

Hello!

Well no sighting calls today...but most of our fliers are down, so we will be putting more up this weekend, and attempt to try to set the dog trap as well. We are having some weird things happening....one...someone keeps taking her bucket, moving it a few feet and emptying it out? Not sure why? Its a job carrying a bucket of water down there, so we will try to post a sign on the bucket to stop it! So if your ever in the area and want to pick up some water duty, feel free to fill it up, there is a spicket under the sink by the bathroom! Thanks everyone!

Anyone needing directions to the area, let me know, still looking for people to hang out in the area, throw a few treats, to get her used to people! Who knows you might be the person she feels most comfortable with! She does seem to like some better than others! Maybe we can use you in a future attempt!

Well wish her well hope someone sees her soon!

11/13/10

Hello! Well we left the dog trap set last night with yummy food, and low and behold, the trap was closed, food was gone, but no animal of any kind! Not sure how that happened, but that's been our luck!
I received a call from a very nice man who has become a fan of River, he just wanted to check to see how she was doing, because he hadn't seen her, I let him know she is still out there and was seen this morning, he was relieved. It is nice to know she has people on her side. Again, we cant thank the people enough who still call daily, either to check on her,see how she is or know where she is!

I also talked with Jamie from Seize the Leash today, what a great lady, I encourage anyone who is having behavior problems with their babies to call her she really knows her stuff! She will see if she can make contact with River, and maybe give us some more ideas on how to approach a dog like her.

We encourage people, if they want to or see River, not to try and "catch" her but kind of be in her area, befriend her if you will, or at least get her used to people being around her, not approaching her, or looking at her, just sitting in her area, toss a few treats or something. There are some people and dogs that she seems okay with ,being around her, as long as they keep their distance, this might seem silly, but it maybe helpful ,if we had a few people she isn't bothered to much by for future attempts. If you feel like you get somewhere with her and she doesn't mind you so much let me know!

Update 1/11/10

The months have flown by and here we are with still no happy ending but still with hope! This site is dedicated to everyone who has helped from all the spotters who call daily, to theones out there every day! Special thanks to Lisa, Mark, Eric, Senja, Jen, and Nancy!

As of yesterday we had a call that she was laying in one of her spots, enjoying the sunshine! She is still getting her evening dinner, but it sure is hard to know sometimes if she gets to it first, there is lots of off leash dogs out there!

We plan to get together to make a plan for another attempt! We have had Eric out there almost daily trying different things but that girl sure does know how to have fun with us! Right now he weather is beautiful for a dog, but we need to think ahead to the hotter months, bottom line we need to get her out of there, its really no place for a dog!

Thank you for all your support!

Saga of dog named River by Ryn Gargulinski

No one is sure how long the dog has been living in the Rillito riverbed.

Nor does anyone know where she came from or how she’s surviving the coyotes and cold.
What a bunch of folks do know is they want to help her.
The dog, dubbed River, has been the focus of a group of animal-loving volunteers for some time now.
The folks have posted signs asking people to immediately report sightings of the dog. They have also been in and around the riverbed, constructing a little dog shelter and leaving water and foodstuff like Vienna sausages.
Sawyer and Phoebe tried to eat the sausages.
We saw the signs a couple months back. We see the volunteers pretty much daily. And we finally saw the dog this week.
Unlike what you would expect from a dog that’s been living her life in a dusty riverbed, River appeared hearty and healthy. Must be all those Vienna sausages.
As you would expect, however, River also appeared very wary.
That’s probably why it’s taking so long to catch her. Traps have been set that intend to catch her alive and bring her to a cozy home. She’s apparently not biting.


Volunteers are also regularly on the scene to monitor her movement and progress – but none have gotten close enough for capture.
River does have a collar, indicating she may have once had a happy home. We can only speculate on what happened to that home or why no owner has come forward looking for the lost dog.
Regular updates on River the river dog appear on Craigslist.com, with the most recent entry dated Jan. 5. It thanks everyone who has been helping and lets folks know River is A-OK. An earlier entry also noted that some other dogs who frequent the riverbed have been trying to eat River’s food. Shame on them.
Of course the post also mentions that River is still living out in the riverbed.
Anyone who wants to help with the quest for River can search “River” in the Tucson pet section of Craigslist.com for info on how they can volunteer.
Even if you cannot help rescue River, another post notes there are many ways to help Tucson’s homeless pets.
“Let us all send out good happy thoughts for all these dumped, abused and abandoned pets out there…. Please, in honor of all the ones lost and all the ones saved and all the ones still out there, do something today…. Foster, adopt, join a patch group (that helps animals), donate, walk a dog at PACC! There is so much you can do, to make a difference in their lives! And for those who already do, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

http://tucsoncitizen.com/sawyer/2010/01/07/the-saga-of-a-dog-named-river/

Rivers News Story!

Volunteers try to rescue a dog named River
Posted - 12/11/2009 at 6:03PM
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Tucson - In this Holiday season, even our 4-legged friends need a hand. River the dog was first spotted along the Rillito River in early November. Now, well into December, animal rescue volunteers are trying to bring River to safety."It's a God given gift inside, you just get attached to this animal," says Marc Hammond a Wildlife Rescue Expert."At night time you think about it. Before you go to bed you think, does this animal have shelter? Is it going to be warm?"Hammond was called in by animal rescue groups to help find River, a medium sized female Shepard Huskey mix."I got a new one I was just showing." At his van, he demonstrates to some concerned volunteers a new humane trap he hopes will catch River."Once she pulls on that, it's going to activate the trap. And then it's going to shoot a cable over her neck."Hammond thinks River chose this river because it gives her shelter. "There's a lot of different places right in the river bank there where the dog can get into," he explains.Lisa Judge first saw River back in November."It appeared to me she may have been dumped by someone. She has a collar on. She seems to want to be near people but she's very un-trusting and afraid of people right now."Lisa has been putting up flyers, bringing out food each day, and organizing other volunteers on Craig'slist. She worries because River is injured. A rear leg and front right paw are causing her to limp a lot.Marc is worried about coyotes getting her. It's a harsh environment for any domesticated animal."There's hundreds if not thousands of stray animals out there. Why River?" News 4 asks Hammond. He laughs and says,"I knew you were gonna say that. And you know, I promised myself I wasn't gonna get attached to this dog but it happens."So Lisa's hope this season for River is, "getting her in somewhere out of the elements into a safe and good environment for a dog would be the end game we're looking for."Go to Tucson Craigslist -- in the Pets section -- type "River the Dog" for volunteer information