Mission Accomplished!!!

Thanks to all of your generous donations, enough money was raised as of Wednesday, November 17th to cover Belle's dog door install with $3.02 to spare (thanks to a donation made yesterday). I'm continually amazed by the kindness or strangers who found it in their hearts to help save a sweet furry friend they've never even met. Ten fold blessings to all of you!

Below are some pics of the dog door installation and Belle passing the time with a nap while the contractor worked. I still have some minor details to finish such as painting the patched area and buying some latex caulk to seal the dog door inside and out. The contractor also removed the baseboard/shoe molding to make the cutout for the bigger door instead of hand cutting it like the previous contractor did, so I need to re-caulk the top of the baseboard as well to seal it against the wall.

Belle napping during the install!

Install in progress

 

 

 

And the contractor is done!

Belle's first entrance

Thank you again for making this possible. Without you Belle would still be in search of a forever home. Now she can live out her days in comfort and continue to bring joy to the lives of everyone that she encounters.


Much Love,
Selena & Belle

PS: To all of those who donated, watch your mailboxes in the coming weeks for a thank you from both of us.

Belle Does Home Depot

Belle planning her first DIY project

So, my lovely girl Belle headed out with me and the hubs to run some errands this afternoon. We went by Pet Smart first to fit her for a dog door, and needed to stop at Home Depot on the way back for some fence pickets and additional rebar for the kennel that the current doggy door feeds in to. Belle really seemed to take a shine to Home Depot, but then again, she loves doing anything as long as it's with her people. She was very curious about all of the smells, but minded her manners as always and simply surveyed the landscape of do-it-yourself supplies. I think she has a project in mind, but she's not telling...yet. :-)
 

Large Dog Door at Pet Smart - $149.99

I'm glad to report that during our stop at Pet Smart we confirmed that she'll only need a large size dog door (we tested the size by having her walk through it), which is $10 less than what I had priced out for an XL door. I can't wait until Belle has received enough donations to cover the project so that I can purchase her door and begin scheduling contractors for the install! It will make things so much easier for her. I can tell that she use to have a dog door by her curiosity with the small one at our house and the ease with which she walked through the one at Pet Smart. I'm sure she misses the access she had before, but I hope that we can get that for her again soon to help with potty frequency issues.

Again, I want to thank you all again for opening your hearts and pocket books to help me keep this sweet, sweet girl! Also, thank you for spreading the word by sharing via Facebook, email and word of mouth! You all most definitely rock, and your efforts are greatly appreciated! From the bottom of our hearts...Mwah!

Much love,
Selena & Belle

Pedicure Time

Just like most ladies, Belle enjoys a pampering pedicure. Five days ago I decided she was due for a nail trim when I realized all of the nail clippers I own are more suited for my pint size fur babes. I gently clipped just the ends of her nails until I could purchase some larger clippers as I surmised that more aggressive clipping could end up causing more harm than good. She was such a good girl, and didn't mind me handling her feet one bit.

Two years ago I purchased a Dremel to use in lieu of nail clipping for my pooches. Unfortunately, my canine companions weren't as fond of the idea as I was and it ended up being a no-go. However, seeing as Belle was more than cooperative and not a bit apprehensive when I clipped her nails, I figured she might respond well to her nails being groomed with the Dremel.

First, I let her smell the Dremel, then turned it on for her to hear the sound before I began my test of her tolerance for the strange sensation and smell. She seemed completely uninterested and was entirely trusting throughout the entire process. I think she was just so excited about the attention and pampering that she didn't care what I was doing, so long as I was in the floor with her.

What a sweet, sweet girl Belle is. Following her nail sanding, we did a little foot fur trimming/blending. The only thing missing was some pooch polish for her nails. :-)



Much love,

Selena & Belle

She Gives Good Face

How can anyone resist this face, or smile? I surely can't! She's my big girl, and I'm so happy to have her in my life. Now to see if Uncle Chris would be so kind to take some professional portraits of her. I bet they'd make beautiful Christmas cards for all of her kind human friends. :-)

Again, a huge thank you to everyone who has donated. If you can't afford to give or prefer not to, please help Belle by simply spreading the word (via Facebook, Twitter, email, or word of mouth, etc.). She might be an old girl, but she's got a spring in her step and a smile on her face!

Much love,
Selena & Belle

Diapered Darling

When we first took Belle in, she was plagued with urinary incontinence issues. I would wake up in the morning and find her lying on her bed soaking wet, scared and partially oblivious. Extra quilts and comforters were donated to her so that I could swiftly take them up to wash every morning after her accidents. We took her to the vet to make sure it wasn't as the result of a serious health issue (kidney failure, diabetes, tumors, etc.) and after full evaluation it was determined that it simply had to do with her age.

After a couple of weeks in our home, the urinary incontinence mostly subsided. I assumed that it was more the stress of losing her old family and the subsequent shelter experience that followed which had sent her into an emotional tailspin and could explain the period of incontinence she went through. She did have several bouts of not being able to hold her bowls, and a terribly sensitive tummy when she came to live with me (which doesn't blend well with her ferocious appetite for all things food). That too eventually subsided...for the most part.



Unfortunately, three days in a row this week, I have woken up to her lying on her bed soaking wet. I knew my husband and I were getting too much sleep at night, as she's not shy about waking us up two or three times in the wee hours of darkness to go outside when she feels the urge. For some reason, she's stopped waking us, and instead has relieved her bladder while sleeping. Maybe she's having the old toilet dream that use to plague me as a child? Maybe in her dream, she's outside in the back yard, only to wake up and find herself lying on her bed after she used the potty - Oh noes!

I don't know what the cause is, I only hope it resolves again. She's a very, very thirsty girl (another reason why I had her tested), so I have multiple water bowls out and fill them several times through the evening. Maybe I should forgo filling them that one last time after I've had her out to potty right before bed? I'll have to try that to see if it helps. Part of me wonders if she feels bad about waking us up so many times at night. Nah, not Belle! ;-)


Much Love,
Selena & Bell

Install Evaluation Update

This morning a contractor from Mr. Handyman (the company we used before for the small doggy door), came out to assess the proposed site of upgrade. His first words upon seeing the dog door and outlets on either side were "Well...yup. That's pretty much how you described it!" Awesome. I certainly tried! ;-)



Mr. Handyman then measured the area between the outlet and the window, and used the stud finder. He then declared with maximum authority that he just wouldn't know the situation until he "opened it up and get in there." I've heard those words before. The gentleman who installed the first door said the same thing. Fortunately, that install went off without a hitch and everything lined up just perfectly. We have a large 10x10 kennel (for the animals' protection and access while we're not at home) that the dog door feeds into, which - with zero slack - lies just between the outside of the current door and the water spigot (or, as you're looking at the picture, behind the solid wall plate on the right and the dog door frame). To the other side of the dog door is a large window. So, we won't know how involved this project will be until the wall is opened up. It may be a simple shimmy of the outlet to the other side of the stud (highly unlikely considering the proximity of the window), or relocation of the outlet entirely, which will require the use of an electrician.

My fingers are crossed that things will go well and Belle will have a door she can use before the holidays. She desperately wants to have access to the outdoors without the help of humans, as she managed to somehow squeeze her way through on Saturday morning while I was and yoga and got stuck in the kennel. I still can't see how the managed to get herself through with her stiff hips, and think she probably had to pull/drag her hind end through once her front legs were outside. She's a ten pounds of potatoes trying to squeeze herself into a five pound sack. Thank goodness she didn't get stuck in the door. Small.miracles.

Much love,
Selena and Belle

A Big Thank You!!!

To everyone who has donated so far...thank you, thank you, thank you! Santa will have something extra special for you this year. ;-) Without you, keeping Belle would only be a pipe dream.

Now...a little merengue just for you! Mwah!




Much love,
Selena & Belle

Belle Loves Water

I captured this video back in August when temps were blazing here in Texas. Belle was a bit water logged by the time I ran in to grab my phone so that I could video, but still enjoying the wet stuff. Belle simply loves water, and will take it anyway she can get it. ;-)

The Electrician

I have an appointment on Wednesday for an electrician to come out and give me a free estimate for the re-routing of the electrical outlet that is currently in the way of upgrading to a larger size dog door. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be less than what I have estimated based off of service fees. I'm also in contact with another local handyman service in hopes of finding a contractor that can take care of both the door install and electrical to try
and minimize cost.

I'll be adjusting the fundraising goal for Belle accordingly tomorrow evening. Stay tuned!

Much love,
Selena & Belle

The Details...

The race is on! I have until 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 24th to raise money to cover the cost of a bigger doggy door and install (we will need to have an outlet moved) for Belle. If I can raise enough money to cover the aforementioned, Belle can permanently become a member of our family and will have a forever home! If not, I will no longer be able to foster her and must turn her back over to TLAC or another local rescue/shelter.

Any funds raised above the final cost of the door and install will be given to Austin Pets Alive. The current goal is based on the cost of a large dog door, and estimate of installation services and electrician fees for moving an electrical outlet!

Thanks in advance for your help in securing a forever home for Sweet Belle!

Much love,
Selena & Belle