Spring 2008 Salem Rescue Progress Report

Mama Joan, Barbara Jean and Baby Kelly have been with us since September 2007. Their progress has been amazing. Mama Joan has put much needed weight on, although she does need a bit more. Her feet are a work in progress. Our vet, Dr. Bill Bridges, who by the way is outstanding, took x-rays of her front feet so we could see how much damage was done during her previous years of absolutely no hoof care. Sure enough, as suspected, her coffin bone rotated and there is coffin bone deterioration. She will never have normal feet again. They will always be angled for the rest of her life. She is on a trimming schedule being done by our wonderful farrier Joe Jordahl. Mama Joan has come a long way since September. She halters, leads, picks up all four feet, loves to be brushed and is such a sweet loving girl. When she is getting trimmed, she puts her head into my arms so I can hold her. She feels safe. Her coat is beginning to feel smooth. She answers with one of the best brays I have heard when her name is called.

Barbara Jean has been a bit of a challenge. Not in a bad way. She was very scared when she came here. It took a long time for her to trust us enough just to let us stand close to her. Day after day, week after week, we have made progress with her. She now comes up to us all on her own. We can touch her, rub her ears, and run our hands down her legs. About a month ago she let me hold her head and kiss her muzzle. At first she wasn't too sure about the kissing, but she realized, " Hey, that's nice". I knew we had made a huge step forward. Another big milestone happened just the other day: I was brushing Mama Joan and Barbara Jean walked up to check out what we were doing. So, I very slowly started rubbing on her neck with my hand, then I picked up a brush and started brushing her. That was the very first time she allowed anything other than our hands to touch her. Let's say that she has become a "brush me" hound. She also knows her name and when we call her, she looks until she finds us.

Baby Kelly. What can I say about Baby Kelly? She has grown so much both physically and emotionally. She has gone through her bratty stage where she thought she could push us around. She still has her baby fuzzy coat, which is slowly started to go away with Spring arriving. Even though she is as cute as cute can be, we knew that allowing her to think she could push us around was not a good thing. So when she would pin her ears and turn her little butt towards, we would tell her, "No", and move her butt away from us. After awhile she learned that that behavior was unacceptable. She doesn't do that much anymore. Just when she is feeling a bit bratty. She loves to be brushed and have her baby butt rubbed. We do play hide and seek with her! We hide behind trees and she comes looking for us. When she finds us it is almost like she smiles as if to say, " Hey, I found you!". Two weeks ago she got her very first hoof trimming. I was a little worried with it being her first time, but she was such a champ about it. I held her while our farrier trimmed her. He was so gentle with her, which let her know that getting your hooves all pretty isn't a bad thing. There were a few times that she started to get a little scared and she put her head inside my coat ( which was not zipped). I guess she felt safe having her little head against me. I was so proud of her for being so brave and behaving like a champion. Proud as any 'mom' could be.

Mama Joan, Barbara Jean and Baby Kelly are not ready to be put on the Adoptable list. Not yet. Baby Kelly is still nursing. Barbara Jean still has some bridges to cross. Mama Joan still needs hoof care. When the time does come, and one day it will come, we will be saddened by their leaving. But you can bet, when that time does come, their new adoptive parents will be very special and very lucky to have three beautiful ladies in their lives.