Lighthouse Animal Rescue

2-15-12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-15T08:46:00.002-08:00

JORAY'S HERE!!! My human sister!!!! We're all REAL happy to see her!!! And today's her birthday!!!
We'll make some pics later and send them maybe in the next reminder.

Pogo and Misty are goin' home today but they're comin' back in a few weeks to stay for a couple of months!!! They're cuties. We always enjoy havin' them here!!

Bunny had another seizure this morning but it wasn't real bad and she sees ok once it was over. Not like the other times when she was so disoriented for such a long time. Aunt Sloane sent us some medicine for her so we're going to start her on that and see if that will help. Mom says Aunt Sloane is an angel!! We all agree!!!

You folks are doin' SOOOOOOO good!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Some friends sent us a pic of Mom singin' at the benefit so we're adding it to this reminder.

Thank you ALL for all the votes!!!
Y'all have a great Wednesday!!!
Tailwags,
BudBud

2-12-12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

You folks are doin' SOOOOO GOOD!!!! Thank you!!!! Be sure to vote again today.
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

It's gonna be a short reminder today. Mom and Dad have to load everything and get out to the recreation area for the Chili Cook Off!! It's a benefit to help the orphanage here in Atenas! You can go here to read about it! If you live in Costa Rica why not come join 'em!! It's gonna be FUN!!! http://www.atenaschilicookoff.com/

Maggie and Emma spent the night last night and brought their Mom and Dad with 'em!! We all had a good time!! Uncle Ray got started playin' Angry Birds on Moms computer thingy and he made HIGH SCORE on a LOT of it!!

Mom's gotta take off so y'all say a prayer that they raise LOTS of money for the kids at the orphanage.

OH!! And here's another Costa Rica Roads photo for ya!!

TAILWAGS!!!
BudBud

2-11-12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

It's gonna be REAL busy for the next few days!! Today Maggie and Emma are coming to stay the night with us and they're bringing their humans!!! Their humans are gonna help set up the recreation area for the benefit/chili cook off and, since they live in another town they need to be closer so they can be there in time!! They've gotta start setting everything up at 5:00 IN THE MORNING!!! YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway they're all just gonna bunk in here with us so it's handier for them.
Then Mom and Dad have to take all Moms sound equipment over there and set it up for Mom to sing. She's been rehearsin' a LOT.

Then on Tuesday my human sister, Joray, gets here!!! WE'RE ALL REAL EXCITED ABOUT THAT!!!! She's gonna stay for EIGHT DAYS!!!!

Our milk man came yesterday. Mom doesn't like "store bought" milk. She was raised on a farm and she likes it straight from the cow. So this guy delivers fresh milk that hasn't been fooled around with. Mom says it tastes SO much better than the other stuff.

We're still climbing in percentage of votes!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Y'all have a great Saturday and pleas don't forget to vote!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

2/9/12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

Mom's still rehearsin' for the benefit!! It's not Saturday though. Mom made a mistake. It's SUNDAY!! Here's a link to the info!! http://www.atenaschilicookoff.com/
If you live in Costa Rica BE SURE TO COME!!!
It's gonna be fun. Mom says it's a contest to see who cooks the best chili. They have judges but they also let the people vote too!! People get to taste the chili and vote...JUST LIKE WE DO FOR THE CHALLENGE!!!

Us perros don't get to go though cause Mom says she'll be real busy singin' and wouldn't have time to be with us. So we have to stay home.
Mom doesn't let us eat chili anyway though so I guess it would be kinda boring for us.
Besides, we're still on our "diet" thing and we'd probably be grabbing hot dogs and hamburgers out of kids hands if they were low enough to the ground!!! Heck!!! I bet I've probably already lost a hundred pounds!!!

Maggie and Emma, our furbuddys that Mom and Dad baby sit for, are coming Saturday night. They're really nice furkids and we always enjoy having them. For some reason their humans are coming with them this time and staying over night!! I guess Mom and Dad are baby sitting with them too!!!
Mom says it's because they live far away and it's a long way for them to drive on the day of the benefit. That's why they're stayin' with us the night before. Us Lighthouse kids will have to see if we can get them to sneak us some treats!!

Y'all have a great Thursday and don't forget to vote!!

Tailwags,
BudBud

Hungry At Lighthouse

2012-02-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

Everything is goin' pretty good here 'cept for this "diet" thing. All us perros are thinkin' about goin' to visit Dr. Sharon and explainin' to her that we need MORE FOOD!!! AND TREATS!!! She skinny like Mom so she probably doesn't understand.
Mom weighed us all and found out we're gainin' weight on her home cooked stuff so she cut down on portion size. BUMMER!!!!
She also cut down on portions for the other dogs now so all of us are walkin' around mumblin' about it. And we're getting NO TREATS unless it has medicine in it!!!

Oh well....I guess Mom and Dad are just doin' what's best for us. sigh.....................

Thanks for all the votes!!! Maybe if our shelter wins Mom will let us celebrate with a COOKIE!!!!!! Our new slogan is VOTE FOR COOKIES!!!
You folks are the BEST!!!

Tailwags,
BudBud

Lighthouse Kids 2-6-12

2012-02-06T09:17:00.001-08:00

We can't seem to log into the vote site this morning. Mom says if you're having problems too just please keep trying. Their site always has a lot of issues.
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

We all had a talk with Mom and told her to stop worrying so much. We'd rather just be happy and enjoy our time. We're feeling ok. We're just getting older and when you do that you slow down a lot and have some health problems. So Mom promised us she's gonna try to relax.

You folks just keep praying for us and sending healing thoughts ok? We love all of you!!!!

We did a little video for you folks. Hope you enjoy it!! You can see it here!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDClTbxP5Eg
Tailwags!!!
BudBud

2-5-12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

HAPPY SUNDAY Y'ALL!!! Mom says today's gonna be a good day!! Thanks for all the votes!! Please keep voting!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Mom says we all have to go on a diet 'cause Dr. Sharon says we're too fat and it's hard on our hearts. You know what that means........NO TREATS!!! BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bunny is the only one who's not fat. She's still got her schoolgirl figure!!
Mom's busy cookin' up some more rice and chicken for us. She's puttin' green beans in it this time too along with the carrots and potatoes.

We just got done singin' to Mom. It always cheers her up when we do that. We try to sing to her at least once or twice a day.

We should get Delilahs test results back on Monday to see if her kidneys have a problem. We all feel pretty good today. Yesterday Bunny had a couple of seizures but they weren't real bad ones. Mom rocks her and sings to her when it happens and all us other furkids just wait and watch to make sure she's ok. We're a pretty tight knit group and we look out for one another!!

You guys have a great Sunday and please don't forget to vote!!
Tailwags!!!
BudBud

2/4/12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry we're late with the reminder today. Mom's been really busy with vet stuff. You folks are doin' GREAT!! Thanks so much for all the votes.
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Six of us went with Dr. Sharon yesterday to the vet university. We had some tests to see what was wrong. Just like Mom promised...the tests didn't hurt and we didn't have to get stuck with any needles or anything.
6 of us had ultrasounds and three of us had ex-rays.
Dr. Sharon says we all need to go on a diet to lose some weight.
Mieko, Milana and Delilah all got ultrasounds and checked out pretty perfect except Delilah maybe has a kidney problem. Dr. Sharon did a blood test and we should hear something about that on Monday.

Andre checked out pretty good too except for the collapsed trachea. His heart looks good!!

Juliettes heart problem has not gotten any worse but Dr. Sharon did prescribe something new since she's been coughing more lately. She says I need to take it too.

Dr. Sharon said my heart looked pretty bad. Mom typed in the report and translated it on google translate. Here it is.
"In longitudinal views are observed atrial and right ventricular chamber of normal appearance, while the cameras have left a slight dilatation. Atrioventricular valves with slight thickening and increased echogenicity. Close deficient mitral valve with mild reflux (determined by color Doppler study). The relationship interventricular septum (IVS) and left ventricular free wall (PLVI) shows slightly increased (by dilatation of the ventricular wall)
In the transverse view, there is a good ventricular contraction, the relationship is observed aorta increased pulmonary artery (Ao: PA) and left atrial enlargement and relation aorta: pulmonary artery (AO: AP) preserved. No alterations observed in semilunar valves (AO and AP)
Conclusions:
Degenerative valve disease (with slight dilitacion mainly left atrial chamber)"

Mom's pretty upset. She thinks we should all stay healthy forever. We're all sayin' prayers. Y'all please say some too!! And send healing thoughts.

We'll try to send a happier reminder tomorrow!!

Tailwags and thanks for all the votes.
BudBud

2/3/12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

No baths yesterday. It was pretty chilly and REAL windy!!! Mom says maybe today. We did get our HeartGuard and Frontline stuff though so we're good for another month!!

The lady that wanted us to baby sit brought her dogs over yesterday to see if we'd get along. The shepard seemed to be fine but the black dog didn't seem to be the type who would enjoy it here. She lunged pretty hard at Laika through the fence so we just told the lady we didn't think it would work out. 'Course we were ALL barking but that's just the way we greet each other!! So we told her about another lady who baby sits. With all us older furkids. Mom and Dad don't want to take any chances on anybody gettin' hurt.

Mom called Dr. Sharon yesterday to make us an appointment. She's still not happy with how we're all doin' so we gotta get some more tests. Mom promises they won't hurt. Y'all please say some prayers and send healing energy. We're all sayin' doggy prayers too. We all really want to get better.

THANK YOU ALL!!!! You folks are GREAT!!! We can do this!!! And in the next challenge we can help the other shelter to win!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

2/2/12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

We've got a lady coming this morning to see if her dogs can get along with us!! She wants us to baby sit them while she goes out of the country. We're lookin' forward to meeting them. Y'all keep your fingers crossed that they're nice to us!!

We're all still feeling better 'cept me and Juliette are coughing a lot and Mom's worried about that. It looks like we'll be seeing Dr. Sharon again to get checked out. And Laikas eye has a problem. A pink thing keeps popping out in the inside corner of one of her eyes. It's done it before but it always goes away. Now it's doing it real often and stayin' out longer so we gotta get that checked out.
I'm tellin' ya folks, this "getting old" is not like it should be. Mom says it would be more fair if we just got to feelin' better and better as we get older and then one day just "happy out" like a light bulb!!

We're still looking for someone in or near Nashville Tennessee to introduce my human sister to!! She's gonna be moving there and we want her to have a friend waiting!!!

We're hangin' onto 2nd place!! Y'all are doin' GREAT!!! THANKS!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

2/1/12 At Lighthouse

2012-02-01T07:55:00.001-08:00

THANKS FOR ALL THE VOTES!!! We're in 2nd place thanks to you!!! Please keep voting!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

GREAT NEWS!!! We got news from the other shelter yesterday that they have been accepted as members of Petfinder!!! That means that in the next shelter challenge we can all vote for them!!!! WHOOOO HOOOO!!!! We're SOOOO happy for them!!! We'll be even happier if we can help them win the next challenge!!!

Two more baths yesterday!!! Dad was gone so Mom had to do them by herself. Lluvia got hers first cause she doesn't have to get blown dry. Then Mieko got hers!! She REALLY enjoys her bath and she LOVES getting blow dried!! Her fur is long and silky!! So she looks like a million bucks!!! She stands out in the wind just to show off!!! It's still pretty windy here!!
Milana, Andre, Laika, and Delilah still need their baths so Mom says we'll probably do two or three more baths today!!
We're all lookin' pretty spiffy!! Especially me!!! Mom says I'm the HANDSOMEST boy in the world!!!

My human sister, Joray, is coming down this month!!! YAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! She's gonna get here on the 14th!! We can't wait to see her!!
She's gonna be moving to Nashville soon so if any of you live near there let us know!!! We'd love to hook her up with a friend so she'll at least know SOMEBODY there!!!

Do any of you know of a King Charles Spaniel rescue group in or near Atlanta? A friend of Moms posted her that he has a friend who needs to find a home for her 7 year old. Mom emailed her and explained the dangers of giving the dog away and she has asked us to help her find a rescue group. Mom didn't ask the circumstances of why she has to re-home her. If you know of a rescue group or would like to adopt, just let Mom know please!!

Joy is still coughing a lot so y'all please keep saying prayers and sending healing thoughts for all of us.
Bunny is doing pretty good 'cept she pees on herself sometimes when she's sleeping or when she wakes up suddenly. She hasn't had any more seizures though and that's a GOOD thing!! Mom's still adding Taurine to her food. We don't know if that's what's helping or not...but she hasn't had any seizures since we started using it!!!

Y'all have a GREAT DAY and please don't forget to vote!!!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

1/30/12 At Lighthouse

2012-01-30T07:49:00.001-08:00

Hola Y'all!!!

Mom can't get the vote site to come up this morning so we're not sure what our status is! If you're having the same problem please keep trying and please keep voting!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

None of us have had baths in a while cause we've been so sick. But now that we're feelin' better Mom and Dad think it's time to clean us all up!!

Joy got her bath yesterday!! A very gentle, warm, massaging bath and a warm blow dry!!! She sure looks pretty!! I bet she feels better too!!!
Most of us furkids always feel better when we're clean. We don't tell you humans about it though 'cause you'd want to bathe us WAY too much!!! We'd get used to it and then it wouldn't be so special!!!

It's been REAL windy for the past few days!! It was so windy last night it made Laika scared!! She kept waking Mom up and getting in bed with the other 7 of us. It sounded like the house was gonna blow away!!

More baths today. Mom promised me I can be first!!!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

1/29/12 At Lighthouse

2012-01-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

We're still moving up a little each day in the challenge!! THANK YOU!!!! Help us win this one and then we can try to help the other shelter win the next one!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Mom and Aunt Nancy had a GREAT time yesterday. Mom found the perfect lamps for the bedroom!! They'll hang from the ceiling so none of us furkids can knock them over!!! YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! That means all us furkds can party hearty and not have to be careful!!!
And they're really pretty too!! Bright colored flowers are painted on them!!!
Me and Mom love bright colors. They cheer us up!!!
Mom still has to find some for the living room.

They went to the Pequeño Mundo store too. Pequeño Mundo means small world. It's kind of like a Big Lotts!! Mom gets the diapers there for Juliette and Joy. She just buys regular baby diapers and cuts a place for the tail. Juliette and Joy don't mind wearin' them a bit!! And it saves lots of accidents.

It's been kinda chilly here the past couple of nights. Mom says it's a GOOD thing to have 7 dogs in bed with you on cold nights.

Please don't forget to vote today and ask your friends to vote!!

Tailwags!!
BudBud

1/28/12 At Lighthouse

2012-01-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

HOLA Y'ALL!!!

We climbed a little more yesterday in percentage!! We can do this, folks!!! THANK YOU!!!! Please keep voting!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

We're all still feeling better!!! YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! And we're LOVIN' the home cooked food!!!

Mom's goin' shoppin' with Aunt Nancy today. Mom usually stays home with us and Dad does the shoppin' but he says Mom needs to get out more. She's startin' to growl a lot. hehehe

She wants to go look at some lamps for the living room and bedroom. The lamps we had have all been broken by overly exuberant rescue kids. Mom says that's ok though. They broke them cause they were happy and jumping with joy.
She says this time she thinks she will try to find hanging lights to hang from the ceiling. That way the furkids can't bump into them!!!

Thanks again for voting and please keep it up!!

Let's win this thing

2012-01-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Me and Mom have been trying REALLY hard to get another Costa Rica shelter listed with Petfinder so they could be included in the challenge. We were going to ask all of you to vote for them this time. They work out of their pocket too, just like we do. And they don't get any outside funding. That's the kind of shelter we would like to see win this challenge.

They have been trying to become members of Petfinder for some time but, for some reason, they have not been able to complete their membership. Now Petfinder tells us that "new" members cannot be included in the challenge. Seems kinda unfair since they've BEEN trying to become members before the challenge started but I guess rules are rules.

The Bahamas shelter is way ahead, as usual, and they will probably win a weekly prize, so the shelter in 2nd place will win the international.

All the international shelters in the top ten seem to have funding other than the grants, except us. (Yep, we're still in the top ten) So me and Mom can't decide who to vote for.
Some have annual budgets of over $100,000.00!!
Some have MONTHLY budgets of $20,000.00 plus!!!
Mom went into shock when she read that. LOL!!
They already have money coming in and have lots of "assets." (whatever those are) so we want to help a shelter that is not so well funded by other means.
Others are kill shelters. (:-[
Several of them ship plane loads of dogs to shelters in the US. That seems kind of unfair to the other US shelter dogs who are waiting for homes.

It's just really hard to know who to vote for. That's why Mom and me were gonna try to help this other Costa Rica shelter. We KNOW how badly they need funds. We KNOW they aren't funded by other sources and $1,000.00 would mean as much to them as it does to us!! It wouldn't be just a drop in the bucket like it would for some of the other shelters.

Mom even thought about having you vote for us again and just donating the money to the other Costa Rica shelter, but, according to the new rules, if we win this challenge then we can't win the next one. And by then our SURPRISE donation, ($1,000.00) from the fund raiser in Canada, will be running out and our funds will be low again.

We're kinda between a rock and a hard place. (:-[
Here's the only plan we can come up with.....
If we all went ahead and voted for Lighthouse this time, move into 2nd place and Bahamas wins a weekly prize, we could win the international division again. That would put another $1,000.00 in our shelter funds and hold us over through the challenge we are not allowed to win.
THEN....in the next challenge, since WE wouldn't be allowed to win it...we could all vote for the other Costa Rica shelter!! The one we KNOW doesn't have outside funding. HOPEFULLY by then they will be able to be in the challenge.
Does any of that make any sense?

We're grasping at straws here to help the other shelter AND keep our own doors open, so if anybody has a better idea we'd sure love to hear it!!
MEANWHILE!!! Please go ahead and start voting for Lighthouse again. We need to get started as soon as possible if we're gonna move into 2nd place to try and win again.
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com. Click on the "Shelter Challenge" tab. Then choose Costa Rica for the country and click "search." That should bring up Lighthouse. Click "vote" and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.
Once you have voted, the next time you log onto the vote site there should be a spot just below the search box that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." or something similar. All you have to do is click on vote. You won't have to search for Lighthouse anymore.

Some of us furkids have been really sick over the past few weeks and Mom and Dad have been really worried and working hard to make us better.
Me and Milana got REALLY sick and had bloody diarrhea all day and all night.
ALL of us felt really bad and were real lethargic but me and Milana were the only two who had the terrible diarrhea.

We think it was some new food Mom mixed in with our regular food. Maybe it was just a bad batch that had some ingredient in it that was bad. We don't really know but that is the only thing that ALL of us ate so Mom says it just about had to be the food. So we had to throw out all that food and start over with new.

Bunny had another seizure and possible stroke and was really sick for several days. She was real disoriented and seemed to go into sort of a daze several times a day. She'd just stand and stare. Not moving and seeming not to hear when Mom and Dad spoke to her. Mom started putting Taurine on her food and, for the past three days, it seems to be helping.

Joy's congestive heart failure is worse and she is coughing a lot more. Mom has changed her medicine and it seems to be helping a little.

Me, Joy and Bunny are all on home cooked food now. Rice, chicken, potatoes, carrots and broccoli.
It's GOOD!!! And Mom just mixes in some vitamins and stuff too.

Anyway, y'all let us know what you think we should do to help the other Costa Rica shelter. PLEASE!!
Hope to hear from lots of you!! We've missed sending out the reminders every day.

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

News fron Lighthouse 1-16-12

2012-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

HOLA Y'ALL!!!

Me and Mom are trying to help another Costa Rica shelter get listed on Petfinder so they can be in the challenge. If we can get them listed then maybe we can help them win the grant this time!! Would that be great or WHAT!?!?

Novi, (now Chloe) came to visit the other day. Novi is the orphaned kitten that Nadine fostered for us and then decided to adopt!! She's doin' GREAT!!!

We have company right now from the states!! A high school classmate of Dads is here with her husband!! They're really nice folks and they brought us LOTS of goodies!! And their vet sent us a lot of stuff too!! YAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom's not letting us have a lot of the treats they brought yet 'cause all of us dogs here at Lighthouse have been sick for the past week. Mom thinks it might have been a new food she had mixed with our regular food. Me and Milana had one night of constant bloody diarrhea and all the other dogs were really feeling bad too.
Bunny got sick too and we think she may have had another stroke.
Joys congestive heart failure is worse and she is coughing a lot.
Whatever made us all so sick has caused complications for us older furkids. The younger ones are feeling fine now. Us seniors are better but still not great.

You folks say some prayers for us and send healing thoughts too please!!

Tailwags!!
BudBud

Announcement about the current shelter challenge

2012-01-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

Our Joy is not feeling well. She has congestive heart failure and though she's been dealing with it pretty well and taking her medications, recently she is coughing a LOT!! Please say some prayers and send healing thoughts for her ok? She's SUCH a sweetie.

Me and Mom have been talkin' about the new challenge.

Although the rules have changed this time around we are still eligible to compete in this round of voting. BUT!!!!! We think it's time to give another shelter a chance. Hopefully a small shelter like us who is not being funded by other sources.

Usually we could not afford to do this but we got a surprise donation from Tarla and Jill!! They found an abandoned puppy while they were vacationing in Costa Rica, brought it to Mom and then decided to adopt. They did a fund raiser for us at their doggie day care place (The Beloved Dog) in Canada and they raised $1,000.00!!!!!!!! THANK YOU TARLA, JILL and THE BELOVED DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another thing is, we have not had a lot of rescue kids for this past couple of months so our expenses haven't been so high. There's only 15 of us furkids here right now!!!!!

So we are thinking maybe we should sit this challenge out and give another small, international shelter a chance to win this time.

Mom's reading up on all the shelters in the running and trying to figure out which one to vote for. She says it's hard to know which ones are really in need and which ones are already getting lots of donations from other sources.

We wish there was some way they could let the "funded" shelters run in one contest and the "non-funded" shelters run in another. It seems like it would be more fair for the other small shelters like us.

We DO plan to participate in the next challenge though and hopefully you folks will help us win that one!! We'll probably be running out of funds by then.

Me and the other furkids have been really sick for a few days. Me and little Milana had a horrible day and night of bloody diarrhea and we both got pretty weak. Mom slept on a twin mattress on the floor with all of us for three nights 'cause we were so weak and she was afraid we'd try to get off the big bed and hurt ourselves. All the others were sickly too but not as bad as me and Milana. Some others were throwing up but it wasn't bloody. But we ALL felt real bad. We're all still on medication. We're feeling better now and our appetite is coming back.

Dra. Sharon says it was something called toxoplasmosis. That's a pretty long name. She says we could catch it from bad soy in our dog food, eating bird or cat poop, eating hot dogs or sausages, and lots of other ways.

Mom is almost sure it was a bad batch of food.
The food was NutriSource and it's supposed to be a high quality food but Mom says it may have had bad soy in it.
Now Mom is feeding us cooked rice with chicken and some veggies in it!! WOW!!!!!!!! We LIKE IT!!!! We're all feeling better now. She says she may just try to stop using any of the commercial foods. She says you can't trust what's in it or know where the ingredients came from. Some ingredients comes from China and it's POISON!!!
Mom says they have stopped labeling WHERE stuff is manufactured. They say where it is "distributed" but not where it is made.
Also, even if it's labeled "Made in the US" they still buy their ingredients from places like China. YUCK!!!!!!!!!!

Mom has been sick too. She had pneumonia last week. She's feeling lots better but she still coughs a LOT!!!

We had a really unique sunset the other day. There were clouds between us and the setting sun and it shined through and lit up one cloud right below us!! It turned the cloud pink!!! Then the cloud drifted away and it all turned into a BEAUTIFUL sunset.

Anyway, we want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you for helping us to win the last challenge and we hope you will vote for us in the next challenge when it rolls around.

BIG, HAPPY, FEELING BETTER TAILWAGS!!!
BudBud and the whole Lighthouse crew.

Christmas 2011 was GREAT!!

2011-12-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

WOW!!!!!!!!! It's been a busy Christmas!!! WE WON THE SHELTER CHALLENGE!!! Our shelter doors can stay open a while longer!! YAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!
We had a GREAT Christmas with good friends and family. Our Christmas eve sunset was spectacular!!!

We had some BEAUTIFUL visitors a few days before Christmas!! They gave us lots of belly rubs!!

We all got treats wrapped in Christmas paper and we got STUFFED TOYS to tear into shreds!!
Laika crawled back under the tree and ate the cat treats!! What a sneak!!
Aunt Nancy and Uncle Mark came for dinner and brought us some presents and food to go with the turkey dinner!! They're great folks!! Bro and his girlfriend, Mailene, came and brought Mailenes little girls. Those two youngsters REALLY like us furkids!! Hope your Christmas was as great as ours!!
Here's a link to our 2011 Christmas Video!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WTpBukAOWI

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Tailwags!! BudBud

Two more days to vote!!

2011-12-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE!!! WHOOOO HOOOO!!!!!
And we're still in winning position thanks to you folks!!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Mom still hasn't found Santa. sigh................ All us perros and gatos are lookin' EVERYWHERE for him. He can't have just disappeared. Uncle Brad is supposed to look for him in Alajuela. Maybe he'll find him and remind him about us!!
My girlfriend saw him in Savannah Georgia and she said she told him not to forget about us, but her sister growled at him so he might forget anyway.

There's a new guy coming in tomorrow to stay with us for a couple of days. We sure hope he likes to give belly rubs!!! That's our favorite kind of guest and we're always happy to oblige!! Especially Lluvia and Laika. Mom calls 'em "belly tramps."

Mom made a "Christmas Reason" reminder last night. We thought you folks might like it so we're attaching it to this post. I know some of you guys don't celebrate Christmas but please enjoy our holiday anyway.

If you guys see Santa PLEASE tell him we're lookin' for him!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

Christmas photo shoot for the GOOFY cats!!

2011-12-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad tried to do Christmas pics of the cats last night!! MAN!!!!!! Cats sure don't know how to follow directions!! Even with Dad standing there offering them treats ...they STILL wouldn't sit still!!! Goofy cats!!!! Mom took LOTS of pics and most of them ended up looking like the ones attached here!!! We did get SOME good ones though and you'll get to see those later!!

FOUR MORE DAYS!!!!!! Thank you ALL!!!!! We can do this!!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Mom and Uncle Brad went to see Santa yesterday and he wasn't there!!! Mom says he must have moved 'cause there were NO toys at ALL at his house!!! We're gettin' a little worried!!! Where's he go????? We just GOTTA have toys for Christmas!!!!

OH!! And here's a video Mom found on-line that made her real happy!!! We thought you might like it too!! http://www.godvine.com/Police-Officer-Stops-Traffic-to-Help-Trapped-Ducks-802.html

Don't forget to look at our calendars and book!! You're gonna need a new calendar for 2012 anyway!!! You can see 'em at these two links. http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mrbudbud http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/lighthouse-2012/17264892

Y'all have a great day and check around and see if maybe Santa moved to your town!! Tell him we're lookin' for him!!
Tailwags!!!!!!!!!!
BudBud

Another Christmas Favorite

2011-12-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas At The Gas Station
Author unknown

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.
He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh.

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.

"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.
"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."
George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."
The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."
George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."
George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.
"None for me," said the officer.
"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."
He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."
George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."
George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.
Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."
George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.
"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"
Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."
George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."
"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."
George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.
"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."
The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.
The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."
The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.
"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."
George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"
Merry Christmas!!

The Christmas Ladder

2011-12-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Ladder

by: David C. Fantone

A CHRISTMAS TREE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. CERTAIN RELIGIONS DON'T RECOGNIZE THE

BEAUTY AND SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE. SOME CAT OWNERS DO,BUT HAVE TO STIFFLE THEIR PASSION FOR SAID TREE. I HAD ALWAYS GROWN UP AROUND THE FULL-BLOWN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS - TREE, TURKEY, PRESENTS, AND THE LIKE. BUT I KNEW THAT THIS WOULD ALL CHANGE, ONCE ON MY OWN.

IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT I WAS TO SPEND CHRISTMAS ALONE. I HAD MOVE AWAY FROM MY PARENTS AND WAS IN THE BIG WORLD ALL BY MYSELF. BUT I WASN'T REALLY ALL BY MYSELF. I HAD ADOPTED A FEW FRIENDS TO SHARE MY NEW HOME WITH.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, I HAD RESCUED SEVERAL CATS FROM THE LOCAL SHELTER AND FROM THE ROAD WAY. IT SEEMED THAT ONE KITTY JUST WANDERED UP AND INTO MY LIFE FROM OUT OF NOWHERE. I HAD THE ROOM, AND THE FINANCES, AND THE LOVE IN MY HEART TO MAINTAIN THIS LITTLE MENAGERIE. SO ALL WAS O.K. WITH ME AND IT SEEMED LIKE, ALL WAS O.K WITH THE RESIDENTS. EVERYONE GOT ALONG JUST SPLENDIDLY. WHICH SURPRISED ME,

AFTER READING DIFFERENT ARTICLES, IN DIFFERENT MAGAZINES ABOUT " INTRODUCING A NEW CAT TO AN EXISTING GROUP."

IN ONE OF THOSE MAGAZINES THAT I WAS NOW A SUBSCRIBER TO, I HAD READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT CATS AND CHRISTMAS TREES. I WAS AMAZED AT ALL THE DANGERS THAT A CAT COULD FALL VICTIM TO DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. THE CHRISTMAS TREE. WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT PROVIDED THE MOST HAZARD TO MY KITTIES AND CATS. "SO,THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE NO TREE" I SAID TO MYSELF. " NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANTED ONE OR WOULD MISS ONE, I WOULD NOT PUT ANYONE IN JEOPARDY".

IT WAS DECEMBER 23 AND IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS. NO TREE? HOW COULD IT BE CHRISTMAS? THERE WERE PRESENTS IN THE CORNER, AND MOM SENT A MIXED BATCH OF HER FAMOUS CHRISTMAS COOKIES. BUT WITH OUT A TREE, IT JUST WASN'T CHRISTMAS. I SAT WITH MY ADOPTED FAMILY OF CATS WATCHING THE T.V., WITH ALL IT WONDERFUL COMMERCIALS WITH BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS TREES IN THEM. I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF " AT LEAST NO ONE WILL GET HURT FROM ANY BROKEN ORNAMENTS, OR CHOKE ON ANY ICICLES."

BUT STILL I MISSED THE TRADITION, BEAUTY, AND THE EFFECT OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

I DIDN'T WANT THIS TO JUST PASS BY WITHOUT TRYING TO FIND SOME KIND OF SOLUTION. IT HIT ME ALL AT ONCE. I'LL MAKE A CAT SAFE CHRISTMAS TREE. THAT'S IT. I'LL DO IT MY SELF.

I'LL JUST THINK A WHILE AND I'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING. AND IT DID COME TO ME. I'LL TAKE MY SIX FOOT LADDER AND PAINT IT GREEN. THAT WILL BE MY TREE. THEN A FEW APPLES AND ORANGES WILL BE THE LIGHTS, A COUPLE OF POPCORN GARLANDS AND A LOT OF COLORFUL STICKERS WILL TAKE THE PLACE OF THE ORNAMENTS.

BY DECEMBER 24TH THE PAINT ON THE LADDER WAS ALL DRY AND THE TREE WAS TRIMMED. I PUT THE PRESENTS SENT FROM HOME UNDER IT AND I WAS HAPPY. THE CATS WERE VERY INQUISITIVE ABOUT THE NEW AND COLORFUL STRUCTURE THAT WAS ERECTED IN THE CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM. THEY LOOKED AND LOOKED AND, WHEN THEY GOT BRAVE ENOUGH, THEY SNIFFED AND SNIFFED, AND THEY SNIFFED SOME MORE. AFTER A WHILE, EVERYONE WAS BACK ON THE COUCH WATCHING T.V. TO THEM IT WAS NO BIG DEAL.

EVERYONE HAD THEIR TIME EXPLORING AND THEN IT WAS JUST ACCEPTED AS ANOTHER PIECE OF THE FURNITURE. BUT TO ME, IT WAS MY FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE AND A CAT SAFE ONE TOO. IT HELPED WITH THE FEELING OF LONELINESS AND THE LACK OF REAL FAMILY.

I SAT THERE HOLDING ONE CAT AND RUBBING ANOTHER. I HAD ONE BEHIND MY HEAD ON THE BACK OF THE COUCH AND ONE IN MY LAP. BUT STILL THE FEELING OF BEING ALONE CAME OVER ME. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD NEVER BECOME HOMESICK, BUT IN FINAL ANALYSIS, I WAS. THE NEWLY-MADE TREE HELPED, BUT IT ALSO HINDERED. IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE AND I WAS WISHING IT WAS ALL OVER.

SLEEP COULD BE THE SOLUTION TO THIS DILEMMA. YES, IT WAS EITHER GO TO BED AND

SLEEP OR STAY UP AND BROOD OVER THE FACT THAT I WAS ALONE. BESIDE, IT WAS GETTING LATE AND SANTA WAS COMING. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS LAYING THERE TRYING TO SLEEP, ALL THAT I COULD THINK OF WAS WAKING UP, ALONE. THERE WOULD BE NO BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NO MOTHER AND FATHER, NO PRESENTS, NO TURKEY. " WOE IS ME" I THOUGHT.

TOSSING AND TURNING, SLEEP WOULD NOT COME TO ME. FIFTEEN MINUTES PASSED, THEN A HALF AN HOUR DRAGGED ON. LOOKING AT THE CLOCK THIS TIME, I COULD SEE THAT IT WAS FIFTY FIVE MINUTES SINCE I HAD LAID DOWN. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY, NOT JUST TONIGHT, BUT TOMORROW, WHAT WILL THAT BRING? THEN IN THE SILENCE OF THE NIGHT I HEARD SOMETHING. "MEOW," A STRANGE MEOW. I KNEW THE VOICES OF ALL MY CATS AND THIS WAS NOT ONLY A STRANGE VOICE BUT IT SOUNDED DIFFERENT, IN DISTRESS. IT WENT ON A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES AND NOW I COULD TELL THAT IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE.

THIS WAS A GOOD REASON TO ESCAPE FROM THE DARK ROOM THAT WOULD NOT LET ME SLEEP. I RACED DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE FRONT DOOR. LOOKING OUT, I COULD SEE THE GOLDEN REFLECTIONS OF A PAIR OF EYES STARING BACK AT ME FROM UNDER THE

NEIGHBORS CAR. I KNEW THAT THEY HAD NO PETS, SO IT WASN'T THEIRS. I SLOWLY MOVED FROM THE THRESHOLD TO THE FIRST STEP. "HEAR, KITTY, KITTY" I CALLED. TO MY SURPRISE THE CAT CAME RUNNING TO ME.

SHE HAD TINY DROPLETS OF FROZEN WATER ON HER WHISKERS AND HER BODY TEMPERATURE WAS DROPPING TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. IT WAS ALL THAT I COULD DO TO KEEP FROM BREAKING INTO TEARS. A QUICK INTRODUCTION AND WE WERE BACK IN THE HOUSE. ALL THE OTHER CATS WATCHED ME AND A STRANGE CAT WHIZZING PAST. TO MY SURPRISE, EVERYONE WAITED QUIETLY IN THE OTHER ROOM.

AFTER A WARM BOWL OF MILK AND A DISH OF HOLIDAY FARE, A QUICK INSPECTION WAS IN ORDER. TO MAKE IT EASIER ON HER, I HELD HER IN MY ARMS AND LOOKED HERE AND THERE.

" NO EARMITES, NO SIGN OF TAPE WORMS, AND NO CUTS. GOOD. BUT WHAT A BELLY. YOU’RE A BIG KITTY AREN'T YOU?" I WAS REALLY HESITANT ABOUT BRINGING A NEW CAT IN TO THE FOLD WITH OUT A COMPLETE AND PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION. WHAT WAS WORSE, THERE WAS NO WAY TO QUARANTINE HER. I JUST HAD TO TAKE MY CHANCES AND HOPE THAT SHE WAS FREE OF ANY FELINE DISEASE. I THEN PUT HER DOWN AND SET HER FREE TO EXPLORE. IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL SHE HAD FOUND EVERY CORNER OF THE SMALL AREA THAT I CALLED HOME. SHE ALSO SEEMED TO GO TO EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE AND ALLOWED HERSELF TO BE INTRODUCED WITH THE USUAL SNIFF SNIFF. " IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS, FOR EVERYONE TO GET ALONG SO WELL" I THOUGHT TO MYSELF. ALL THE INTRODUCTIONS WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT. EVERYONE ACCEPTED HER WITHOUT A SPIT, HISS, OR A GROWL.

IT WAS GETTING LATE AND ALL I COULD DO WAS DONE. I TOLD HER THE RULES OF THE

HOUSE AND MADE HER A BED NEAR MINE. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE I WAS FAST ASLEEP. I RECALLED THE NEXT DAY, THAT IT WAS A GOOD SLEEP. IF I DREAMED, I COULDN'T

REMEMBER. UPON WAKING, I LOOKED FOR MY NEWLY FOUND FRIEND IN THE BED THAT I HAD MADE FOR HER, BUT SHE WASN'T THERE. I CLIMBED OUT FROM UNDER THE WARMTH AND HEADED FOR THE COFFEE POT AND REALIZED THE IT'S CHRISTMAS MORNING. I CHANGED THE DIRECTION THAT I WAS HEADING, TO THE CENTERPIECE OF THE HOLIDAYS, THE CHRISTMAS TREE. MY TREE. MY CAT-PROOF CHRISTMAS TREE.

ROUNDING THE CORNER, A SMILE CAME UPON MY FACE. I COULD SEE THAT ON EVERY RUNG OF THE LADDER, ONE OF MY CATS WERE SITTING. THEY ALL LOOKED AT ME AT THE SAME TIME, ALMOST AS IF IT WAS REHEARSED. THEN THEY ALL LOOKED AWAY. I COULD SEE THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT SOMETHING UNDER THE TREE. SLOWLY I WALKED CLOSER TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT. AMONG THE PRESENTS WAS MY NEW FRIEND AND SHE WASN'T ALONE. SHE WAS CLEANING HER NEWLY BORN KITTENS.

THERE WAS NO WAY OF RETRIEVING ANY PACKAGE FROM UNDER MY CHRISTMAS LADDER WITHOUT DISTURBING HER. BUT THAT WAS OK. I HAD TWO PRESENTS THAT WERE VERY SPECIAL TO ME. THE KITTENS WERE NAMED SANTA AND CLAWS, AND I BLESSED MY NEWLY FOUND FRIEND WITH THE NAME OF NOEL.

Thursday 12-8-11

2011-12-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hola Y'all!!!

Last night Mom heard the downstairs dogs barking late at night so she ran downstairs to see what was going on. The terriers, who HATE cats, were down at the bottom of the property jumping and barking!! Mom made her way down the steep hill and there was a cat sitting on top of our wall!!! IT"S LUCY!!! The little cat who disappeared a few weeks back!!

Mom and Dad have never stopped looking for her. Mom just KNEW she was somewhere nearby. Mom always called her when she would go outside and was always searching the garage and property. We don't know why Lucy didn't answer and come but NOW SHE'S BACK!!! Mom says at least ONE good thing has happened this week!!!

Mom grabbed her off the wall and climbed back up the hill with her. She got her back up to the clinic room and Lucy was ALL OVER MOM wanting love and FOOD!!! She's really skinny but she seems in good health otherwise. Mom is SOOOOO happy!! Mom keeps going out to the clinic room to love on her. And Lucy just can't GET enough lovin'!!! She must have missed all the snuggling she used to get when she was here.

Laika still hates the little sofa and Mom is trying to figure out a way to make her like it.

All us furkids are doing real good. Playing and running and gettin' loved on. We have toucans in the trees today and it's 72 degrees with a nice breeze. Life is good here.

Please don't forget to vote!! YOU ROCK!!!

Tailwags,
BudBud

Another sad day

2011-12-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

Thank you all so much for all the votes. Please keep voting until the 18th. Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Yesterday was a sad day. We lost all the puppies. They just weren't strong enough and all of them had been injured when the pregnant mama was hit by that car. The mama gave birth to the puppies after she was hit. If she had not been dumped by an un-caring owner they would all have been strong, fat, healthy puppies. Mom did everything she could to save them. At least they knew love and warmth before they went to meet their mama.

Mom dedicated a sunset to each of them. She says they deserve recognition as much as anybody even though they were only on this earth for a few hours. To us they are still special.

I know this is not our usual reminder with funny pictures but Mom wants to make sure the puppies are remembered....just like someones much treasured pet.

Please don't forget to vote today. We couldn't do what we do without you.

Sad news today

2011-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

Sad news today,

The neighbors brought in 4 puppies on Sunday afternoon. They said the mama dog had been dumped and then hit by a car. Mom thinks the puppies were probably born AFTER the mama dog was hit. She must have had the puppies, cleaned them up and then died.

They were very weak and were ice cold when they got here. Their urine was VERY dark so Mom thinks they must have been injured internally when the mama dog got hit. We lost one last night and two more today. Only one is still alive.

Mom gave them all names. Pancho, Ernie, Micky and Morrie. Mom dedicated a sunset to each of them. She says they deserve memorial dedication and at least one good thing in their very short lives.

Mom is really sad. She hates to lose a battle. These puppies would not be dead if the owner had not thrown the mama dog away. They were fat little guys, all boys, and would have been wonderful furkids had not some non-caring human murdered them along with their mama.

Mom says she believes God is watching and humans will be punished for all the evil things they do.

Please say some prayers for little Micky. He's the darkest tan one in the photo. Mom is doing everything she can to save him.

2011-12-04T08:33:00.001-08:00

You folks rock!! Your votes have kept us in position to win and NOW WE CAN DO IT!!!! Just keep voting please, until the 18th of this month!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

All is well here. Mom got an email last night from a lady who is vacationing here in Costa Rica. She has rescued a dog and wants to take it back to the states. Mom told her to come here and we will help her get all the paperwork she needs. She and the little dog will probably be staying a few days with us.
I sure hope the little dog likes us!!

All the cats are doin' good and Mr. Spanky has taken on the roll of mama cast to Sophia. He cleans her and loves on her all the time. She runs across the yard, on her three legs, and leaps on him. He LOVES it!!! She hasn't let the loss of her leg slow her down at all. When visitors come she leaps up on the hood of their car and meows "HELLO" at them!! What a sweetie she is. And she still loves to snuggle with humans too.

Mom gave Duke his toy back yesterday and he squeaked it all day!!!!!! The only time he turned it loose was to wiggle his jaw!! Mom LAUGHED!!! She says he's gonna have stronger jaws than a pit bull if he keeps it up!!
We take it away from him at night though SO WE CAN SLEEP!!!!

We're supposed to get our test results back Monday from our blood tests. Y'all say some prayers please and send positive energy, that everything comes back GOOD!!!

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

Saturday 12/3/11

2011-12-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

Duke found an old squeaky toy two days ago and he's obsessed with it!!! He was driving us all crazy with it!! It's REALLY LOUD and he loves to make it squeak!! He played with it for two days and Mom finally was able to get it and hide it!! THANK GOODNESS!!! We were all gettin' headaches!!!

The Christmas winds are really kickin' up right now. They blow HARD!!! We hear them howling all night long and all day long. It dries the clothes real fast and us perros just LOVE standing in it and letting it ruffle our fur!!!

We all got blood sucked out of us night before last. I HATE needles!!! I'm really scared of them. I remember the shots I have gotten in the arm make me go to sleep and I have a really hard time waking up. So I'm really scared of needles in my arm.

Me and Mom did a video yesterday. Hope you folks enjoy it!! You can see it here!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLx_A6vIuW8 Please don't forget to vote!! TAILWAGS!!!!!!!!!!! BudBud

Friday and we're having a BLAST!!!

2011-12-02T21:46:00.001-08:00

All we've gotta do is stay ahead of the other shelters!! Bahamas won a weekly so that means WE can win the international!!! WHOOO HOOO!! THANKS!!! KEEP VOTING FOLKS!! All we have to do now is stay in 2nd place!!!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Our sunsets are back!!! YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!! They're REALLY pretty!! Mom's been taking pics of us furkids in the sunset. Out of about 20 shots she might get one really good one. Us perros don't always cooperate. Mom says if we move it messes up the pic so I try to be REAL still...but the others just don't get it. Sigh............

Sarge and Spicy are back!! We're babysitting them!! Spicy got adopted from us a while back and then they took in another street dog for her to have a playmate!! They're two of the SWEETEST furkids we ever met!!!

Mom took pics of the moon last night. It was shining down really pretty on the water in the Gulf Of Nicoya!! She loves how we get to see things like that. The moon isn't even a full moon but it really makes a pretty light on the water.

You folks are the BEST!! You've kept us ahead of the other shelters and now that Bahamas has won a weekly that means we will win if we just stay in 2nd place!! THANK YOU!!! Please keep voting!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

Choices (Pet loss)

2011-12-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

CHOICES

The little white dog stopped. Behind him, doggies were playing,

chasing each other and wrestling in the warm sunshine. It looked

like so much fun, but in front of him, through the clear stillness of the

pond's water, he could see his mommy. And she was crying.

He pawed at the water, trying to get at her, and when that didn't

work, he jumped into the shallow water. All that got him was wet and Mommy's

image danced away in the ripples. "Mommy!" he cried. "Is something

wrong?"

The little white dog turned around. A lady was standing at the edge

of the pond, her eyes sad but filled with love. The little white dog

sighed and walked out of the water. "There's been a mistake," he said. "I'm

not supposed to be here." He looked back at the water. It was starting

to still again and his mommy's image was coming back. "I'm just a baby.

Mommy said it had to be a mistake. She said I wasn't supposed to come here

yet."

The kind lady sighed and sat down on the grass. The little white dog climbed into her lap. It wasn't Mommy's lap, but it was almost as

good. When she started to pet him and scratch under his chin like he liked, he

wagged his tail. He hadn't wanted to, but he couldn't help it. "I'm afraid

there is no mistake. You are supposed to be here and your mommy knows it deep

down in her heart," the lady said.

The little white dog sighed and laid his head on the lady's leg.

"But she's so sad. It hurts me to see her cry. And Daddy too."

"But they knew right from the beginning this would happen."

"That I was sick?" That surprised the little white dog. No one

had ever said anything and he had listened when they thought he was sleeping.

All he had heard them talk about was how cute he was or how fast he was or

how big he was getting.

"No, not that you were sick," the lady said. "But you see, they

chose tears."

"No, they didn't," the little white dog argued. Who would choose to

cry?

The lady gently brushed the top of his head with a kiss. It made him

feel safe and loved and warm--but he still worried about his mommy. "Let

me tell you a story," the lady said.

The little white dog looked up and saw other animals gathering

around.

Dogs --Sally and Baby and Morgan and Rocky and Belle. Even a

lizard named Clyde and some rats named Saffron and Becky and a hamster named

Odo.

Cats too--Big Boy and Snowball and Shamus and Abby and little Cleo and

Robin. Merlin and Toby and Iggy and Zachary. Sweetie and Kamatte and

Obie.

They all lay down near the kind lady and looked up at her, waiting.

She smiled at them and began:

A long long time ago, the Loving Ones went to the Angel in Charge.

They were lonesome and asked the angel to help them.

The angel took them to a wall of windows and let them look out the

first window at all sorts of things--dolls and stuffed animals and cars and

toys and sporting events. "Here are things you can love," the angel said.

"They will keep you from being lonesome."

"Oh, thank you," the Loving Ones said. "These are just what we

need."

"You have chosen Pleasure," the angel told them.

But after a time the Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge.

"Things are okay to love," they said. "But they don't care that we love

them."

The Angel in Charge led them over to the second window. It looked

out at all sorts of wild animals. "Here are animals to love," he said. "They

will know you love them."

So the Loving Ones hurried out to care for the wild animals. "You

have chosen Satisfaction," the angel said.

Some of the Loving Ones worked at zoos and wild animal preserves,

some just had bird feeders in their yards, but after a time they all came

back to the Angel in Charge.

"They know we love them," they told the angel. "But they don't love

us back.

We want to be loved in return."

So the angel took them to the third window and showed them lots of

people walking around, hurrying places. "Here are people for you to love,"

the angel told them. So the Loving Ones hurried off to find other people

to love. "You have chosen Commitment," the angel said.

But after a time a lot of Loving Ones came back to the Angel in

Charge.

"People were okay to love," they said. "But sometimes they stopped

loving us and left. They broke our hearts."

The angel just shook his head. "I cannot help you," he said. "You

will have to be satisfied with the choices I gave you."

As the Loving Ones were leaving, someone saw a window off to one

side and hurried to look out. Through it, they could see puppies and

kittens and dogs and cats and lizards and hamsters and ferrets. The other Loving

Ones hurried over. "What about these?" they asked.

But the angel just tried to shoo them away. "Those are Personal

Empathy Trainers," he said. "But there's a problem with their system

operations."

"Would they know that we love them?" someone asked.

"Yes," the angel said.

"Would they love us back?" another asked.

"Yes," the angel said.

"Will they stop loving us?" someone else asked.

"No," the angel admitted. "They will love you forever."

"Then these are what we want," the Loving Ones said.

But the angel was very upset. "You don't understand," he told them.

"You will have to feed these animals."

"That's all right," the Loving Ones said.

"You will have to clean up after them and take care of them

forever."

"We don't care."

The Loving Ones did not listen. They went down to where the Pets

were and picked them up, seeing the love in their own hearts reflected in the

animals' eyes.

"They were not programmed right," the angel said. "We can't offer a

warranty. We don't know how durable they are. Some of their systems

malfunction very quickly, others last a long time."

But the Loving Ones did not care. They were holding the warm little

bodies and finding their hearts so filled with love that they thought they

would burst. "We will take our chances," they said.

"You do not understand." The angel tried one more time. "They are so

dependent on you that even the most well-made of them is not designed

to outlive you. You are destined to suffer their loss."

The Loving Ones looked at the sweetness in their arms and nodded.

"That is how it should be. It is a fair trade for the love they offer."

The angel just watched them all go, shaking his head. "You have

chosen Tears," he whispered.

********************************************

"So it is," the kind lady told the animals. "And so each mommy and

daddy knows. When they take a baby into their heart, they know that one

day it will leave them and they will cry."

The little white dog sat up. "So why do they take us in?" he asked.

"Because even a moment of your love is worth years of pain later."

"Oh." The little white dog got off the lady's lap and went back to

the edge of the pond. His mommy was still there, and still crying. "Will she

ever stop crying?" he asked the kind lady.

She nodded. "You see, the Angel felt sorry for the Loving Ones,

knowing how much they would suffer. He couldn't take the tears away but he made

them special."

She dipped her hand into the pond and let the water trickle off her

fingers.

"He made them healing tears, formed from the special water here.

Each tear holds bits of all the happy times of purring and petting and shared

love.

And the promise of love once again. As your mommy cries, she is

healing.

"In time, she will be less sad and she will smile when she thinks of

you.

And then she will open her heart again to another little baby." "But

then she will cry again one day," the little white dog said.

The lady just smiled at him as she got to her feet. "No, she will

love again. That is all she will think about." She picked up Big Boy and

Snowball and gave them hugs, then scratched Morgan's ear just how she

liked.

"Look," she said. "The butterflies have come. Shall we go over to

play?"

The other animals all ran ahead, but the little white dog wasn't

ready to leave his mommy. "Will I ever get to be with her again?"

The kind lady nodded. "You'll be in the eyes of every kitty she

looks at.

You'll be in the tail wag of every dog she pets. And late at night, when

she's fast asleep, your spirit will snuggle up close to her and you both

will feel at peace. One day soon, you can even send her a rainbow to tell her

you're safe and waiting here for when it's her turn to come."

"I would like that," the little white dog said and took one long

look at his mommy. He saw her smile slightly through her tears and he knew she

had remembered the time he almost fell into the bathtub.

"I love you, Mommy," he whispered. "It's okay if you cry." He

glanced over at the others, running and playing and laughing with the butterflies.

"Uh, Mommy? I gotta go play now, okay? But I'll be around, I promise."

Then he turned and raced after the others.

(Author unknown)

Thursday KEEP ON VOTING PLEASE!!

2011-12-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

KEEP VOTING FOLKS!! All we have to do now is stay in 2nd place!!!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Check this out!!!! From the vote site!!
"Week 8: Humane Society of Grand Bahama, located in Freeport, the Bahamas."
THE BAHAMAS SHELTER WON A WEEKLY VOTE for week #8!!!!! That means they aren't allowed to win the regional vote!!! That puts us in position to win it if we just stay ahead of the other shelters!!!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All is well here.... except the vet is supposed to be here to suck blood out of us for those dumb, Ehrlichia tests. Mom's gonna go ahead and have her do full blood work-ups on all of us so she can see if there's anything that needs attention.
Cooper and Ashley went home yesterday and their mom and dad brought us some NEATO treats!! It's kinda like cheese popcorn!! We all like it a lot!!!

Mom almost picked up a little dog at a restaurant last night. It came running to their table and hid under Dads chair. He wasn't skinny or anything but he seemed scared. He was shaking. Mom fed him some of her food but after about three french fries he started putting them on the floor. He wasn't hungry.
He stayed there for half the meal and then he started running around some. Then a cat ran by and Mom figured out that the cat is what had scared him. He belongs to some people behind the restaurant and comes over there for hand-outs. Okay...that one doesn't need rescuing!!

Uncle Brad is coming to see us!!!! YAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! He'll be here on the 10th and he's bringing us some goodies and some meds!!! He's really good at belly rubs too!!

Please keep on voting!! If we can stay in 2nd place we will win this!!!!! WAGWAGWAG!!!

EXCITED TAILWAGS!!
BudBud

Tuesday Sad day today

2011-12-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Sitka and Sammy go home today!!! I bet Sitka will be glad to see her mom and dad!! We think she had a false pregnancy! She has a "puppy" now (It's really a stuffed whale toy.) She carries with her and she guards it closely. NOBODY is allowed to touch it!! She and Mom snuggle on the porch, then she goes potty and comes right back to her baby. She takes it out of her room and lays on the porch with it and then carries it back to her room.

Today we're all getting blood sucked out of us to test for ehrlichia. Mom says we need to do it. I REALLY don't like needles. I wish they could just maybe look at us and tell. But Mom says that won't work. sigh.................... Anyway, y'all say some prayers that we all test negative, ok?
Yesterday was a very sad day. Splash, the big dog who was so terribly ill, went to the bridge. His family is brokenhearted. Mom was with them and when she got home she had a message saying our Sophia Loren, (one of our Florida rescues) had also gone to the bridge.
Splash had gotten so weak that he could not raise himself up. His liver and kidneys had stopped working. We, and his family, thank you for all the prayers and healing thoughts. It was just not meant to be. He's now running with the angels!!!

Sophia Loren was one of our rescues when we lived in Florida. Mom rescued her from a kill shelter. She had the worlds most beautiful eyes so Mom named her Sophia Loren. She was just as sweet as she was beautiful. She got adopted by a FABULOUS family and lived a wonderful life. She became ill recently and the vets said she would not get better. Yesterday her mom decided to let her go to the bridge.
Mom says they are both running and playing and the angels are chasing them all around the bridge trying to pet them!!! They aren't sick or weak anymore.

Our sunset yesterday evening was breathtaking. Mom says it was a sign from Sophia and Splash telling us they are well and happy again.

Thanks again for all the votes. Please keep voting!!

Tailwags,
BudBud

Monday at Lighthouse

2011-11-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for all the votes!! We can still win this!! We just gotta KEEP ON VOTING and getting all our friends to vote too!!!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Splash, the GREAT BIG DOG who is SOOOO sick with ehrlichia, is doing a LITTLE better. He is still extremely weak though and he's not out of the woods yet. His folks are terribly worried. He can't get up and walk around on his own so he is peeing on himself a lot and getting a rash. Mom is taking them some lambswool pads today. Mom has learned that when sick furkid is having that problem, the lambswool will let the pee pass through to towels or pads beneath and the dog doesn't actually "lay" in pee.

We're sending some pics of Splash before he got sick and one of him on his I.V. You can see what a BIG guy he is!!
Please keep saying prayers for him and sending healing energy.

All is well here at Lighthouse. I made my "personal appearance" at the party yesterday at Casa Dellio. There was LOTS of food and lots of fun people!!! We had a REAL good time!!! We're attaching apic of that too!! That's our beautiful hostess sitting there at the table to the right!!

Please don't forget to vote today and EVERY day til Dec. 18th!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBUd

Lighthouse 11-26-11

2011-11-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

You folks are the BEST!!! PLEASE keep voting!! We can still win this!!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

SPLASH IS BETTER!!!!!! He's up this morning and moving around some. He has no fever and is no longer dehydrated!!! The prayers and healing energy are working folks!!! Please keep praying!! He's MUCH better but not out of the woods yet. He's on an I.V. drip so his mom and dad stayed up with him all last night so he couldn't move around too much and mess up the I.V.
Bro took Poas, (his dobie) to the vet Thanksgiving day to give blood for Splash. They took a LOT of her blood cause Splash is a BIG BIG dog!!!
The vet had to anesthetize Poas to get her blood cause she wouldn't be still for them. When she got home her little lab brother, Henry, was real upset and worried over her all that night. He stayed right with her.
She's fine now though and now SPLASH IS BETTER!!!! WAGWAGWAGWAGWAG!!!!!

Perla went home yesterday. I'll bet she sure is lonesome!!! She sure loves to play and she's an only dog right now.

I fell out of bed this morning!! It scared Mom REAL bad!! She's even thinking about cutting the legs off her bed so it will be lower. I'm ok but it hurt my leg when I fell. Mom's lovin' on me a lot and makin' a fuss over me.

Sitka LOVES the sunsets!! She sits out on the corner and watches them. She's such a sweetie when she wants to be. But other times she acts kinda ugly. So none of us are allowed to be out when she's out. Her little partner, Sammy, gets to be out with her but the rest of us have to stay inside.

Don't forget to check out our calendars and book at the links below!! They'll make neat Christmas presents and you're gonna need a new calendar anyway cause it's almost 2012!!!

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mrbudbud

http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/lighthouse-2012/17264892

Thanks again for all the votes!!! Please vote again today!!!
TAILWAGS!!!!
BudBud

Happy Friday!!!

2011-11-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

Thank you ALL for all the votes!!! Please keep voting!! For the past week we've dropped quite a few percentage points. We really need to start moving back up if possible. Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

GUESS WHAT!!! A few months back a couple of girls from Canada were vacationing here in Costa Rica and they found an abandoned lab puppy. They brought her here and we kept her while the girls vacationed. THEN they decided to take her back to Canada with them!! We helped them get it all organized and they left here as one big happy family!!
Well they emailed Mom last night and said their doggy day care center, The Beloved Dog, (we THINK it's in Vancouver) is having a Christmas party and they're gonna have a silent auction!! And the proceeds from the auction are gonna be donated to LIGHTHOUSE!!!! WOW!!!! What a nice thing to do!!! THANKS TARLA AND JILL and thanks to THE BELOVED DOG Day care center too!!!!

We had a real quiet Thanksgiving day. Mom baked a turkey breast and some dressing and she and Dad just did turkey sandwiches. They couldn't find any cranberry sauce though. All the stores were sold out.
The first year we lived here the stores didn't even SELL cranberry sauce!! Us perros all got our bite of turkey so we were all happy about that.

Perla, Laikas' daughter, is going home today!! Her dad and her NEW MOM are coming for her!! They just got married and have been on their honeymoon. Perla sure is gonna be lonesome when she goes home. She's had a ball here playing with all the other furkids!! Maybe they need to adopt a playmate for her!!! (hint hint)

Me and Mom are both feeling much better!! Thank you for saying prayers and sending healing energy!! IT WORKED!!! WAGWAGWAGWAG!!!!

Be sure to vote today and forward this reminder to all your buddies so they can vote too please!!

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-25T09:26:00.001-08:00

HOLA Y'ALL!!!!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

We are THANKFUL, today, for all of you who have been voting so faithfully!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Mom's gotta get busy cookin' our Thanksgiving dinner so I'm gonna keep this short. Besides, I'm sure you folks are probably really busy today too!!

Everybody here is doing good and we hope you all are too!! Enjoy your family and friends today and remember all the things you have to be thankful for.

All us furkids here at Lighthouse are thankful for Mom and Dad and for good people like you who help animals. Whether you help a thousand or just one, you are SPECIAL!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Now GO EAT SOME THANKSGIVING DINNER!!!!!....and be sure to give some turkey to the furkids!!!
Hope you like our card!!!
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE PLEASE!!!

Grateful tailwags,
BudBud

Wednesday 11-23-11

2011-11-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

We're gettin' ready for Thanksgiving here. Mom and Dad and us fuzzbutts are celebratin' here at the house. Dad's gone to buy a turkey breast and stuff. Us perros and gatos are gonna get TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAGWAGWAGWAGWAG!!!!

I got sick last night so Mom was up with me most all night. She looks after me real good when I feel bad. We don't know what made me sick. I just started hacking and gagging and then threw up some. Then Mom let me lay on the cool floor for a little while and I got to feeling a little better. But then I had something Mom calls "reflux" and I didn't actually throw up but all of a sudden liquid would just POP OUT of my mouth!! It happened a few times and Mom ran downstairs and got some medicine she used to give Crystal for reflux. It must have worked cause I got to feeling better finally and me and Mom got back on our pillow and got a little sleep. It was probably 4:00 by then so we did get about 4 hours sleep.
You folks say some prayers ans send some healing thoughts for me please.

Everybody else is doing fine!! Mom feels better too!!

HEY!!! It's almost Christmas and almost a new year!!! You're gonna need gifts for your friends and family and of course you'll need new calendars!!! Don't forget we've got 2012 calendars and a funny book somebody might like for a Christmas present!!!

You can review them and order them at
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mrbudbud

and Uncle Brad made one for us at
http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/lighthouse-2012/17264892

We get a little bit from each one that sells!! Mom uses all the money to help us furkids!!

If you folks in Costa Rica want one Mom has a few here for sale. Aunt Kay has some at her place too!! Shipping from the states to Costa Rica is WAY high!!

Thanks again for all the votes and have a GREAT THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

TAILWAGS!!!!!!
BudBud

Tuesday 11-23-11

2011-11-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the votes Y'all!! We still have a chance to win this!! It CAN HAPPEN!! Please keep voting!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

All us furkids are doin' good!! We're having a BALL with this many fuzzbutts around!! It's like a BIG FUR PARTY!!!

Mom's feelin' a little better today. She slept late again so maybe the sleep will help make her better.
Of course I always sleep in with her. I have to look after her y'know. That's my job!!
She's been trying to sew up all the holes in our beds but Dama just keeps makin' new holes!! What a little devil she is!!!!

Be sure to keep voting please and getting your friends to vote too!!!

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

Monday 11-21-11

2011-11-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

You folks are the best friends anyone could have!! Thanks for keeping on voting! We can still win this!!! wagwagwag!!!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Paco and Bingo are now OFFICIALLY brothers!!! We got a photo yesterday the shows them celebrating with a hug!!! WE ARE SOOOOOO happy!!! Looks like they are too!!!!

Mom doesn't feel good today. She got to feeling really bad last night and we were all in bed by about 8:30!!! That just isn't like Mom at ALL!!
Then she woke up at about 2:00, really sick, and took a dose of Nyquil. She thinks it might just be a cold. She slept til 9:30!!!!!!!
Dad was REAL good and did all the feeding and everything!!! He's the BEST!!!!!
Y'all say some prayers for her to feel better fast, ok?

Yesterday we did a short video. Hope you enjoy it!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G2CL_poJME

We had a little emergency last night. A friend called and said a puppy she is baby sitting for, at his own home, had bitten into a tube of caulk. They cleaned him off and watched him closely and he seemed to be ok. Then they let him out to go potty and he came back in pawing at his face. It scared them really bad. She could not get in touch with a vet, (Sunday night y'know) so Mom told them to bring him here. They rushed right over and Mom took a look at him. He seemed fine except he still had a little caulk stuck to his upper lip.
Mom had already researched caulk before they arrived and the only thing she found to really be concerned about is if the caulk had ethelyn glycol in it. It didn't so they just pulled the rest of the caulk off.
Mom thinks maybe he got a bug bite on his eye while he was out and that is why he was pawing at it. But being scared already you automatically just assume the worst!!
While they were here one of the vets called back. The lady told her she had rushed the puppy to Mom and the vet said, "Good!."
Anyway, the pup was fine, not weak, not staggery, not in any pain, not vomiting, breathing fine, gums looked good and he was playing and wanting to be loved so the vet said to just watch him and bring him in today for a look see.

Remember folks, when ya got puppies in the house ya gotta "puppy proof" your house!! Those little scamps will chew into ANYTHING!!!

Please don't forget to vote today!!! We need all the votes we can get!!!

TAILWAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BudBud

Sunday 11-20-11 at our place

2011-11-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

PLEASE KEEP VOTING!! WE CAN WIN THIS!!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country.That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

MAN!!!!!!!!! There's LOTS of us here right now!!! It's a good thing I'm such a good supervisor huh?
Me and Mom did a video yesterday of most of us canine type furkids. Two more came in after we did this though so we did a photo at breakfast this morning.
Mom says walking around in our house is like wading through a lumpy, fur river. You can see the video here!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cx4rSZIwzs

All 10 of us permanent Lighthouse perros have to get some of our blood sucked out so they can test us all for ehrlichia!!! Mom says it's better to catch it early!! Costa Rica is having a real problem with ticks this year and Mom found one on ME!!!!! We also found 'em on Bunny and Delilah!!! We just DON'T allow ticks here!!! So Dad is gonna spray the yard tomorrow to get rid of them. That means we have to stay in all day til it all dries real good. Then he'll spray inside the house Monday and we all have to stay outside!!!

One of our guest dogs is eating our beds!!!! Dahma, a terrier thinks she is supposed to pull all the stuffing out of the beds!! What a goofy girl she is!!
Mom keeps stuffing it back in the holes Dahma chewed.

GUESS WHAT!!!! Novi is using the litterbox!!!! ON HER OWN!!!!! WAGWAGWAGWAG!!!! Nadine texted us early yesterday morning and told us about it!!!
You GO Novi!!!
Our little Novi is growing up thanks to Nadine!!!

Y'all have a GREAT day and have as much fun as us Lighthouse kids!! You deserve it!!!

TAILWAGS!!!!!!!!!
BudBud

MORE VOLUNTEERS!!!

2011-11-18T05:42:00.000-08:00

We're still hoping to win this challenge!!! You folks can make the difference!! PLEASE KEEP VOTING!!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

We had a GREAT time yesterday!!! Some of us got baths (fortunately I kept a low profile and escaped all that sudsy stuff) and ALL of us got loved on a LOT!!!!!!! Our volunteers were fantastic and we think they all enjoyed it too!!! They are all GREAT!!! And they're CUTE TOO!!! I've even got a crush on a few of them!!! And of course they think I'm just TOTALLY special!!

We've got four more volunteers coming today!!! I'm just betting you I'll get caught up in all that bath stuff and end up in the sink!! That's ok though cause I like being clean!!!

Dudley is learning not to jump off the couch. It must hurt the poor little guy pretty bad cause now he will stay on the couch and cry for Mom to come get him down!! MAN!!!!!!! Two broken front legs must be a REAL bad thing!!!

We didn't hear from Nadine yesterday but we know she is taking GOOD care of little Novi!! Nadine is the BEST!!!!!

AND GOOD GOOD NEWS!!!!!!! Bingo is now a PERMANENT brother to Paco!!!!!!!!! Rudy and Fuz ADOPTED HIM!!!!!!!
They fell in love with him and don't want him to have to do all the traveling and adjusting to get back to us here in Costa Rica!!
HE'S LOVED AND WANTED!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! You GO Bingo!!!!!!!
OK....almost time for the volunteers to get here!!! Please don't forget to vote again today!!!!

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

WE GOT VOLUNTEERS!!!

2011-11-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

HOLA Y'all!!!!!

We're still hoping to win this challenge!!! Thank you ALL for all the votes!!!!!!! Please keep on voting and get your friends to vote!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

We had four GREAT volunteers yesterday!!!! Delilah, Mieko, Juliette, Laika, Perla, and Lluvia all got baths!!!! They are all teenagers from the states and are down here doing volunteer work!!!
Tomorrow we have 4 more coming.....IF the girls that were here today can't talk them into switching with them. The ones who were here yesterday REALLY want to come back today!!
I'm sure it's because I was such a charmer!!! WAGWAGWAG!!!!
One of them wanted to adopt ALL of us!! WMFWB!!! (waggin' my fuzzy white butt.)

Novi went to the vet today and got worm medicine!! The vet said Nadine can start adding a little soft cat food to her formula cause she's getting TEETH!!!!!
YOU GO NOVI!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU NADINE!!!!!

Dudley (originally Johnny) is back to be baby sitted along with his sister and brother Dahma and Duke!! His casts are off and he is doing really good. It still hurts him when he jumps down off anything. And there is NO way to keep him off things. HE'S A TERRIER after all!!! Mom and Dad are trying to keep him on the floor but there's NO WAY!!!!
He came here as a REALLY tiny puppy with his sister Rosemary. They both got adopted by PERFECT families!!

The valley was full of clouds a couple days ago and it looked like a BIG, SOFT pillow!!! Mom had to take pics of course.

Well....it's almost time for the new volunteers to get here!! PLEASE don't forget to vote!! We can still win this!!!!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

We Made a BOOK and CALENDARS!!!

2011-11-15T19:13:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to go to http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mrbudbud and look at our calendars and books!! Us furkids are the stars in all of them!!

There are two 2012 calendars available and a book that would make a perfect Christmas gift for ANY animal lover!!!

You single ladies will LOVE "Real Men Love Animals" and the kids would love the "Furkids Are Funny" calendar and book!!

You can check them all out at this link!!

Proud tailwags!!!
BudBud

Tuesday at Lighthouse

2011-11-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

We're still hoping for a win!! Thank you ALL for the votes!! Please keep voting!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Then click on Costa Rica for the country. That should bring up Lighthouse. Just click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Aunt Crystal and Uncle Matthew left today!! WE MISS THEM ALREADY!!!! We really enjoyed having them here and they had a GOOD TIME!! Us furkids made sure of that!!
Lluvia slept with them every night and we all snuggled them every chance we got!!! We're pretty good hosts and hostesses!!!

Novi is doing GREAT!!! Nadine tells us she loves to lay on her back and get her belly tickled. Nadine is SUCH a good foster mom!!!! We wish we could find a million ore like her!!!

Moms bed is getting smaller and smaller. Us furkids like to stretch out when we sleep so Mom just has to kind of worm her way in.

We've got volunteers coming tomorrow!! WHOOO HOOOO!!! Maybe we can all get some baths now!! Mom and Dad cut all our toenails last week and Mom trimmed our feet. If we get too much fur on the bottom of our feet we slip and slide on the tile!! So Mom has to keep that cut!!!

Please keep voting!! We can still win!! We've got til midnight on Dec. 18th to vote so VOTE EVERY DAY PLEASE!! wagwagwag!!!!

OK...time to serenade Mom and she can't type while we're doin' it!!
AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tailwags!!!!!!
BudBud

Saturday 11-12-11

2011-11-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Uncle Matthew and Aunt Crystal are off again to see some more of Costa Rica!! They're headed for the beaches this time!! They brought back lots of great pics from seeing the volcano and swimming in water falls!!! We're SOOOOO glad they came to Costa Rica!!! We're really enjoying them!!!!

Aunt Nadine says little Novi is doin' GREAT!! She's eating, pooping and learnin' to love. Mom says that's what it's all about. Makin' life better for something or someone weaker than ourselves.

Our Delilah got a little chilly last night. She actually slept in our big bed with us!! Mom moved over and made some room for her and she just snuggled right in amongst the 8 of us. She's always been the independent type and would only get on the bed for lovin' but then jump back down to sleep in the chair. She seems really happy with her haircut though and is bouncing around like a puppy in the daytime!!

We're still playn' musical dogs with Sitka. She seems happy with her inside porch space and she gets to run in the yard with Sammy most of the day. Turley is coming back tomorrow for a couple of days so Sitka will have TWO playmates!!

The sun is shinin' and we're only getting rain in the afternoon now!! It's GREAT!!! Mom makes Delilah stay out of the sun though cause she's afraid she'll get a sunburn.

Sunshiny tailwags!!
BudBud

Friday 11/11/11 at Lighthouse

2011-11-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Aunt Crystal and Uncle Matthew will be back today!! WAGWAGWAGWAG!!! They've been out seeing some of Costa Rica!!! We sure hope they like it!!! When they got here the other day Aunt Crystal had almost a WHOLE SUITCASE full of furkid stuff for us!! Treats, toys, kerchiefs, and all kinds of neat stuff!!!!

Perla, Laikas daughter, is staying with us again. Her dad went to the states to get married!!! He's bringing his bride back here in a couple of weeks. She LOVES Perla!!! So now Perla is gonna have a dad AND a mom!!!

We don't have any water this morning. That happens sometimes. The water lines here sometimes break and they have to shut it off to fix it. The lines are usually just plastic and they lay on top of the ground in most places. Now and then they get broke.

Mom just can't believe it's almost Christmas!!! She says this year has gone by really fast. Us perros hadn't noticed that but if Mom says it it must be true. If you're looking for the perfect Christmas presents for an animal over be sure to check out our stuff at
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mrbudbud We've got two calendars and a book on there and of course us furkids are the stars!!!

And there's another calendar at
http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/lighthouse-2012/17264892. Our friend Brad did that one for us!! Mom uses all the money to take care of Lighthouse kids. We might even get extra TREATS!!!!!

You folks have a GREAT Friday!! Wag more than you bark and don't bite anybody unless they really need it!!

TAILWAGS!!! BudBud

Thursday happenings

2011-11-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

Well we got LOTS of guesses about who the shaved furkid is!! Four people guessed right!!!!! So we're attaching an "after and before" pic so you guys can see!!!
It's DEMON DOG DELILAH!!!
Mom says she would NEVER have thought a poms ears were that big!!! 'Course we don't tell Delilah that. We just keep telling her it makes her eyes look bigger!!
But we're all wonderin' if OUR ears are that big too!!!
Mom says next time she's gonna get Alejandro to leave it a little longer and to not trim her face. WMFWB!!!

Little Novi, the orphaned kitten is doin' GOOD!!! Nadine says she is eating real good and is pooping good too. Nadine told us yesterday that, after she fed Novi with the bottle, she held her up close to her face. Novi looked her right in the eye and purred!!! Nadines' heart melted and she said, "My other kitty just might be getting a new sister." When she said that Novi reached out one tiny paw and touched Nadines face.

THOSE are the great moments, Y'all. That's when you realize what rescue is all about. That first, trusting touch.
It makes it all worthwhile.
Careful Nadine, it's addictive!!

Aunt Crystal and Uncle Matthew are out cruisin' around Costa Rica!! We think they are at Volcano Arenal right now!! Yesterday was Aunt Crystals birthday and she posted that Uncle Matthew got a group of Ticos to sing happy birthday to her!!! In Costa Rica they sing "Cumpleaños feliz" instead of "Happy birthday."

You guys have a great Thursday and don't forget to vote!!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

WOW!! It's Been A While!!

2011-11-04T19:21:00.001-07:00

Hola Y'all!!!

MAN!!! Things have been so crazy around here we haven't had a chance to update my blog in FOREVER!!!! Now we've got a little breather so I'm gonna get Mom to type this up for me while we can!!

We've had lots of furkids in residence this past few weeks. Some were rescues and some are just being baby sat.

We had some sad things happen this past week. Our Dondi, a beautiful eskie we rescued many years ago, went to the bridge. Dondi was rescued from a puppy mill in Camdenton Missouri. He was the most scared eskie Mom had ever rescued. It took him weeks to come out of his crate on his own. He fell in love with Mom but he never could get over his fear of Dad. Dad must have looked or sounded like the people who abused him in the puppy mill. So Mom found the worlds best mom for him and he's been happy ever since!! But he got really old and he couldn't walk anymore.

We've rescued a few in the past few weeks and then there was a kitten we couldn't save. She was hit by a car. Mom took her to the vet but she was broken too badly. We were all pretty sad about that. Mom named her Liela and told her she loved her. Then she and Dr. Sharon helped her go to the bridge.

We're baby sitting for a beautiful Husky girl who doesn't really get along with us so Mom and Dad are having to play "musical dogs." When we go out, Sitka, the husky, has to go in her room. Then we come back in and Sitka gets to be out. But today!!!! Bro brought Henry to visit!! Henry is a lab/retriever mix and he's BIG!!
We let Sitka out with him and they PLAYED!!!!!!
Henry really likes it here 'cause he gets to run loose in our big ol' yard!!
Mom told Bro it's time to get Henry "fixed" so they're gonna make an appointment for him.
Mom did a video and pics of all of us!!

Turley, a crazy little street dog came to stay with us for awhile and she REALLY livened things up around here!! We called her "WILD CHILD!!"

We're in another shelter challenge and hoping to win it but we're pretty far behind the Bahamas shelter which is in 1st place. All our buddies are voting though so we're hoping to gain some ground.
We won the last shelter challenge!! YAAAYYY!! Thanks to all who voted!!!

The Bahamas shelter has students in the U.S. colleges voting in their computer labs so they are getting LOTS of votes. If you guys know of any colleges who could do the same thing for us that would be GREAT!!!

It's rainy season here so none of us have had baths for a while. We'd never get dry!!! Mom says as soon as we have a few sunny days we're all gonna get baths!!!
Most of us love our baths so we're all looking forward to it!!

That's the update for now!! We'll try to do better and post more often!!

You can see our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0K9iL0CH3E

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

Titos' Socks

2011-07-26T22:40:00.001-07:00

Hola Y'all!!!

We're still waiting to hear about the weekly prize. Sure hope we win it!! Just in case we didn't though, KEEP ON VOTING PLEASE!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Choose Costa Rica for the country, click search and that should bring up our name. Click "vote" and then type in the letters and numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Mom bought some baby pajamas for Tito, to try to jeep his foot bandages from coming off, but they were too small. She also bought some baby socks so that is what he's wearing now over his foot bandages. Say a prayer that they stay on and keep him from scratching his neck.

She decided to try the baby pajamas on Milana. They were a little tight though so Milana was not real happy about them. But she looked really cute in them though!! WMFWB!! (waggin' my fuzzy white butt)

Our volunteer, Mary, is spending the night with us tonight!! Storm is getting to sleep with her!! Did we tell you Storm has decided to adopt Mary and will be going back to the states with her? We're all THRILLED and Marys' mom and dad are real happy too!! They can't wait to meet Storm!!

Please keep voting and please say some prayers for Tito. We're doin' the best we can!!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

Flacas Bath

2011-07-26T08:30:00.001-07:00

We're pulling some old photos of previous Lighthouse kids for the "funny photos" this week. Todays' funny photo is our Flaca. She lives in Buenos Aires now and is treated like a queen!! YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You GO Flaca!!

Tito the cat

2011-07-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

We still don't know if we won the weekly so KEEP ON VOTING PLEASE!!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Choose Costa Rica for the country, click search and that should bring up our name. Click "vote" and then type in the letters and numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

Last night Tito had both back feet AND his neck bandaged. This morning he still had on the feet bandages but his neck bandage was off all except for the tape.???
We don't know how he did that but at least the wound was not savaged again. Mom and Dad just medicated it and left the neck bandage off so it can get some air and we'll have to check on him every few minutes, all day, to make sure he hasn't gotten one of the foot bandages off. It only takes him seconds to tear his neck up when he starts scratching it.
Y'all say some prayers and send healing thoughts please.

Tailwags!!!!!
BudBud

Tito the cat

2011-07-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Mom is really upset today. Tito got one of his foot bandages off last night and tore his neck open again. It's a holiday here so all the vets are closed.

He came into the shelter with a horrible neck injury from something that had embedded itself into his neck. Mom has photos but they're pretty gross.

We doctored him for about a month and he was healing real nice. Then the vet told us to stop the honey bandages we were using and let the wound form a scab. To allow the neck to get some air we had to leave the bandage off.

Tito started scratching at his neck and ripped open the wound. We had to do the honey bandages again for a couple of days and then Mom put bandages on his back paws so he could not scratch at his neck.

That worked for a couple of days and then he happened to get one of the foot bandages off and did it again.

Mom says she just doesn't know what else to do. She's tried everything and he still manages to mess it up again. He's been here over a month and we've used up LOYS of medical supplies on him. When he does this it just breaks Mom and Dads hearts. They want him to heal. Not to mention he's breaking our shelter account.

Y'all say some prayers and send healing thoughts for him ok?

Tailwags,
BudBud

Just a quick update

2011-07-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Our volunteers were here yesterday and worked with Storm and Honey on their manners!!! They're both learning real quick and the volunteers are doing GREAT jobs!!

Me and Mom and Dad went to the big store yesterday to buy beer and wine for tonights spaghetti dinner at Aunt Kays!! If you live in Costa Rica be sure to be there!! It starts at 5:00 and Mom and Dad will be selling the beer and wine to raise money for the shelter.

Tito, the neck injury cat, is doing good. He got checked by the vet on Thursday and she is very happy with the way he is healing. He finally kicked off his "boots" last night and so far he is not scratching at his neck. Mom is letting him run loose in the clinic all the time now cause he's been cooped up for so long.

Milana, the four and a half pound pom filed a complaint with Mom yesterday. Don't miss the video!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXRlFeIiHvc

Gotta go!! Our volunteers are coming again today. You guys are SOOO super!!!! Please keep voting and forwarding/sharing these reminders.

Tailwags!!!!
BudBud

Back by Popular Demand

2011-07-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand!!!

"The Perils of Juliette"

Miss Juliette cannot pay the mortgage on her lil' ol' ranch and the evil banker, BudBud the Villain, is determined to have her hand in marriage or he'll tie her to the railroad tracks!!
Who will save her??

WE WON!!! YAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!! THANKS!!!

2011-07-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

Honey

Bingo

WE WON THE LAST SHELTER CHALLENGE!! It was a miracle!! We were in 2nd place the whole time but the 1st place shelter won a weekly vote and that disqualified them from winning the 1st place prize!! Both awards are $1,000.00 so they did alright too!!! YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

BINGO GOT ADOPTED!!! He's gone to live in the US and will be neighbors with Paco!!! They'll get to see each other now and then!! Is that great or what!!!

We've had some fantastic volunteers last month and they're coming back again tomorrow!! We'll all get baths!! And Bingos new mom and dad, Jessica and Evan, are both vet techs in the states and they did all kinds of stuff to us while they were here!!! Cleaned our ears real good, cleaned our anal glands, trimmed our toenails, and helped Mom with doctoring the cat who has the neck injury. It's been a great June!!

We're posting some photos of the new kid that came in yesterday. Mom named her Honey. She was thrown out of a car window. The man tossed her out and drove away. She ran back out to the middle of the street and watched as he drove away leaving her behind. A really nice woman saw it happen and stopped. She got Honey and brought her to her vet. The vet called Mom and Mom brought Honey home. Honey had been starved for quite some time. She is doing really good though since she is getting good food, clean water and lovin' from Mom and Dad. She's a real sweetheart and loves everybody. We think she might have had puppies recently and since she has no milk we are guessing they probably didn't survive.

Another shelter challenge has started so please vote for us!! The grants we have won have helped to keep our shelter doors open!!
Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the "shelter challenge" tab. Choose Costa Rica for the country and that should bring up our name. Click "vote" and then type in the letters and numbers that appear to confirm your vote.

If you want to be added to our daily reminder list just send us an email!! We'll be happy to add you!!

Tailwags til next time!!!
BudBud

WE JUST MIGHT WIN!!!!!!

2011-06-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

HOLA Y'ALL!!!!
ONLY THREE MORE DAYS TO VOTE!!!!! Sunday, June 19th is the last day for voting!!
Things were looking pretty grim for a while there and we thought we weren't going to win!! Mom and me and lots of people started asking for a miracle AND WE GOT ONE!! The 1st place shelter won a weekly prize and that makes us the 1st place shelter in the international category!!
We just GOTTA win the weekly prize this time!! If we do then the 3rd place shelter can win the international prize!! That would mean THREE INTERNATIONAL SHELTERS could win prizes in the shelter challenge!! Wouldn't that be GREAT??? All ya gotta do is go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on the shelter challenge tab. Then choose Costa Rica from the drop down menu for country. That should bring up our shelter name, Lighthouse Animal Rescue." Click on vote and then type in the letters and numbers that appear to confirm your vote!!

GUESS WHAT!!! Paco and Maracita got ADOPTED!!!!! And the new dumped puppies all got adopted too!!!
Paco went to live in California!!! Maybe he'll be a movie star!!

Maracita went to live with the only person she ever loved. The woman who rescued her and brought her to our shelter!! She is SOOOOOO happy!!!

The puppies went down to Dr. Cs' office and he found homes for all of them!!

Sophia, the little three legged kitten is doing GREAT!! She doesn't even KNOW she's missing a leg!! She teases Larry and Spanky all the time and they adore her!!!

We've had some great guests here the past few weeks!! We LOVE having company cause we get LOTS of extra petting!!! We're renting out our guest room to raise money for the shelter!! You folks need to come for a visit too!! Just look for our place at http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/37923
You'd LOVE it here!!!

Gotta go!! Mom says it's almost bedtime and us perros are getting sleepy anyway.
Don't forget to vote for the next three days!!!!
TAILWAGS!!!
BudBud

We're still in the running!!

2011-05-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hola Y'all!!!!

It's been a while since we had time to write in my blog!! We've had a lot going on!! We had LOTS of abandoned puppies come into the shelter and that keeps us real busy.

We've also got a member of our fur family who is very very old and is nearing the end of her life. We're all just trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. She gets really good smelling food, whenever she wants it. And she gets lots of extra lovin'.

And GUESS WHAT!! We had an earthquake on Friday the 13th!!! It was really scary and shook the house HARD!!!! It started out slow, then shook a little harder. Then it stopped!! Then, all of a sudden it started shaking and the whole house started bouncing!!!!!
It made one of the big sliding glass doors jump right off it's runner and one of the screens came off completely and slammed to the floor!! Lots of stuff fell off the shelves and broke.
There was broken glass, busted plastic and pottery shards everywhere!!

We're all ok though and there haven't been any reports of injuries or deaths!! Mom says that is a MIRACLE!!!

We're still trying to win the shelter challenge. Our plan to win a weekly and then help another shelter to win something didn't work out but we still are trying!!

Lots of our friends entered photos in the photo contest too!! Maybe one of them will get chosen as a finalist and we can all vote for it!!! Here's the one Mom entered!! It's called "Happy Reflections"

If you would vote for us we'd really appreciate it!! Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com,
click on the "shelter challenge" tab, click on Costa Rica for the country, click search, and that should bring our name up!! Then just click "VOTE" and type in the letters that appear to confirm your vote!!!
Vote every day and get your friends to vote for us too!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

VOTE LIKE CRAZY THIS WEEK!!!

2011-04-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hola Y'all!!!
OK...our last try for a weekly prize didn't work out so we're gonna try again!! If we can win a weekly prize then we can pool our votes and maybe help another small shelter to win a weekly!!! Wouldn't it be great to help LOTS MORE ANIMALS???

Just go to www.animalrescuesite.com and click on Costa Rica for the country. That SHOULD bring up our name since we're the only Costa Rica shelter in the challenge. Click VOTE and then type in the letters that appear to confirm your vote!! Starting Sunday, May 1st VOTE EVERY DAY AND GET ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE TOO!!! If enough people will vote EVERY DAY for one week we might be able to win the weekly prize!!

Little Sophia, the amputee kitten, is doing GREAT!!! And all the new, throw away puppies got ADOPTED!!! YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!! We still have some adults that need homes too though!! Maracita (pictued above) really needs someone of her own.

Here's a little video of Sophia having fun out front!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw4xkm8IRvo
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

Tailwags!!! BudBud

Still Trying For A Weekly Prize!!

2011-04-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hola Y'all!!
Well we're still tryin' for a weekly prize in the shelter challenge!! We figure if we can win a weekly prize, (we need it to keep our doors open) then we can all pitch in and maybe help some other shelter win a weekly prize!!! Wouldn't it be great to be able to help even MORE animals???

We really need your votes and your friends votes!!! Please send your friends a link to this blog post and ask them to vote for us!!!
http://mrbudbud.blogspot.com/2011/04/still-trying-for-weekly-prize.html

Here's the instructions!!!
Go to www.animalrescuesite.com. and click on the vertical tab on the right that says "Shelter Challenge."
The first time you vote you will have to type in "Lighthouse" for the shelter name and click on Costa Rica for the country. If it asks for a city, type in "Atenas." That should bring up our shelter name and you just click on "Vote." Then you will see some letters and you have to type those in to confirm your vote. After your first vote our name should come up automatically at the bottom of that box and you just click vote and confirm your vote.

Little Sophia, the three legged kitten is doing GREAT!! She's running, playing, climbing and jumping just like she had all four legs!! What a trooper!!! And she is SOOOOO cute!!!

And all the throw away pups are now spayed and neutered and HEALTHY!!! They're ready for new homes!! Check out the video of them and Paco!! He LOVES puppies!!

Here's the video!! Click on it!

TAILWAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!
BudBud

GREAT IDEA TO HELP LOTS OF SHELTERS!!!

2011-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hola Y'all!!! We're in another shelter challenge and me and Mom had a great idea!! The "weekly" prize is the same amount as the 1st place prize for International shelters.
If we can win a weekly prize, then we could maybe get all our voters to vote for another international shelter and help THEM win a weekly prize or maybe the International prize!!
Mom says that way we'd be helping animals all over the world!!!!!

Starting tomorrow!! Sunday, April 10th, we are asking you to get everyone you know to vote for just 1 week for our shelter. We have to have TONS of votes to win a weekly prize. If we can win it then the next week we can all vote for ANOTHER shelter!! If we really work at it this can mean SO much for so many animals!!!
Ask your friends to ask THEIR friends. Ask your kids to ask all of THEIR friends. Ask your co-workers, bowling team, church group, sewing circle, grandkids, to ALL TELL ALL THEIR FRIENDS and we can DO THIS!!!!!!

Go to www.animalrescuesite.com. and click on the vertical tab on the right that says "Shelter Challenge."
The first time you vote you will have to type in "Lighthouse" for the shelter name and click on Costa Rica for the country. If it asks for a city, type in "Atenas." That should bring up our shelter name and you just click on "Vote." Then you will see some letters and you have to type those in to confirm your vote. After your first vote our name should come up automatically at the bottom of that box and you just click vote and confirm your vote.
WHOOO HOOO!!! This could be GREAT!!!!!

The little three legged kitten, Sophia, is doing GREAT and all the thrown away puppies will get spayed/neutered Tuesday!! Moms dog bite is healing up and she's gonna have a nice scar to show for it!!! Tailwags!!! BudBud

WOW!!! There's LOTS of us here!!

2011-03-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hola Y'all!!

WE WON THE SHELTER CHALLENGE!!! $1,000.00!!!! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED!! That's gonna help a LOT with all the furkids we have right now!!

We've got a full house!!! There's 30 of us furkids here! After Johnny and Rosemary came in and the little kitten who had to have her leg amputated we got four more thrown away puppies. :-(

They're really cute but they were in pretty bad shape when they got here. They're feelin' better now though and actin' like puppies!!

We've got a greyhound here too. Her dad was visiting in Costa Rica and had a heart attack!! He's in the hospital so Diane came here to stay til he's better.

We've still got the mama dachshund too. All the puppies got forever homes but Terez is still waitin' for hers. Storm and Maracita are still waiting too.

Bingo and Paco have got forever homes to go to!! YAAAAAYYYY!!!!!! They're going to the states!! And I can't remember if I told y'all about Lisa!! She got a forever home and she LOVES it!!! They call her Freckles!!

Mom had to go to court for Paco!! The spay/neuter group in Atenas sued the woman who tried to have him killed. Mom had to be there with all her records and photos of Paco before and after. The judge ordered the woman to pay for some of Pacos vet bills.
While her mother was in the court room Mom got to talk to the daughter who had rescued Paco from the school yard. Mom had made a pretty certificate to give her for being a heroine for animals. She wanted this girl to know she had done something good. Mom says that's important!! We always need to let young people know they are doing something good when they try to help animals.

We're babysitting for a few dogs too. Diane, (the greyhound) Sprockett, a beagle friend of ours and Pebbles, a feisty little Jack Russell terrier!!

Here's a link to a video we did the other day!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuxDC5q313w

We're all havin' fun but me and Mom are REALLY tired!!!

Thanks for voting for us in the shelter challenge!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

Another Wonderful Day At Lighthouse

2011-03-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hola Y'all!!

Well things are beginning to settle down a little bit. All the dachshund mix puppies got adopted. The mama dog is still here though. People always want puppies!! Mom says that's crazy!! Puppies are a lot of trouble!!!
Rosemary and Johnny, the two tiny, terrier/chihuahua mix puppies are doing well and beginning to act more lively!! One is adopted and going to the states to live. Our Aunt Nancy is adopting her and another Aunt Nancy is taking her back to the states in the cabin with her. YAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!
You can see video of them meeting all of the Lighthouse Crew. And there's video of little Sophia too!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAbBIjt5gFo

Sophia, the tiny kitten who had to have her leg amputated, is doing GREAT!! She is getting to be out of her cage and spend this afternoon out in the screened room and run and play!! She sure is a cutie.

Mom says to please pray and send positive energy for all the humans and animal in Japan. She almost cries every time she reads the news about it.

Hope your life is as sweet as ours!! Us perros know how to stop worrying and relax!! We're trying to teach Mom and Dad how to do that too!!

Tailwags!!!
BudBud

The Throw Away Kids Are Doing FINE!!!

2011-03-02T21:22:00.001-08:00

Just click on the pics to make them bigger!!

Hola Y'all!!!!

Well, the throw away kids are all doing fine. Growing like weeds and being cute!!
Betty, Eddie, Tonya and Tyler, (the dachshund mix puppies) got to meet Storm today!! She LOVES puppies. She's one of the adults Mom rescued out of the flash flood with all the puppies.
And tiny little Rosemary and John (the chihuahua terrier mix puppies) are coming along nicely too!! They got to meet Bunny, Storm, Paco and some of the other Lighthouse kids. When they first get out in the morning they run like crazy, then conk out in one of the dog beds.
Rosemary and John each have pending adoptions with GREAT families!!!
Enjoy the pics and don't forget to vote for us every day until the 20th of March!!
Go to www.animalrescuesite.com. Click on the vertical tab on the right that says "Shelter Challenge." Type in "lighthouse" for shelter name. Click on Cost a Rica for country. Click search. When our name comes up vote for us and wait for the vote confirmation question.
Tailwags!!
BudBud

Aunt Kays' Chili Cook-Off

2011-02-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Aunt Kay is doing another chili cook-off!!! We always have a real good time at those!!! Mom is gonna be singin' some and we're gonna have a booth set up for the shelter!!! Mom's plannin' to maybe take a few of the puppies for people to see if they'll let her. If not, then she'll take some photos for them to see. Maybe we can find some homes for the new kids!!! If you live in Costa Rica, Y'ALL COME!!!!! Here's the link to read about it!!! www.kayschilicookoff.com Tailwags!! BudBud

New Kids At Lighthouse

2011-02-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

We've got new kids at Lighthouse!! A mama and four puppies got dumped out and some girls from Canada found a little lab puppy running down a busy road. The little lab pup is going home with the girls from Canada!! YAAAAAYYY!!!
We're still trying to win the grant from Petfinder and animalrescuesite so y'all be sure and vote every day until March 20th. That's the last day for votes and we really need to win it!!
www.animalrescuesite.com. Click on the vertical tab on the right that says "Shelter Challenge." Type in "lighthouse" for shelter name. Click on Cost a Rica for country. Click search. When our name comes up vote for us and wait for the vote confirmation question.