Autumn Lush: Our Take on "Apple Pie Moonshine"

Phew! What a weekend! Believe me when I say that it is utterly exhausting working a full-time job, a part-time job, and trying to maintain the calendar of a pretty social young couple. I'm knackered 24/7 and feel like I never have time for anything! So you can imagine that every once in awhile I want to just let my hair down and get slightly obliterated.

During the last week of September, my hometown hosts its annual Fall Festival. My parents still live downtown where the atmosphere is lively with people enjoying the arts and crafts for sale, food vendors, and activities. There's usually a slight crispness to the air but it's generally still warm from the summer and just a lovely weekend.

Personally, I love the weekend mostly because it brings us kids together. In relation to where we grew up, my brother and his wife live several hours north, my sister is in college about an hour northwest, and I live 45 minutes northeast. With my brother's crazily-scheduled job in the oil industry, my sister not having a car on campus until this year, and my busy schedule of extra jobs, volunteering, or social events, it's difficult for all of us to get together. Fall Fest weekend is one of those times when we can almost guarantee we'll all be out at Mom and Dad's.

Because of the location of my parents' house, people are coming and going all weekend long. We park our vehicles on the street in front of the house so friends from out of town can park in our driveway, visit all of the vendors, and hang out with us for a little while without having to drive all around town looking for parking. People from all over the state (and sometimes even further) come to the little town, and there's just a buzzing, lively, warm feeling all weekend. I absolutely love it. Sometimes I don't even visit the booths - I like to just sit out on the patio with the dog (and now Mike) and listen to the sounds, watch people walk by, and enjoy being outside.

A couple years ago we began having a cookout/bonfire on the Saturday evening of the Fall Fest. Friends come early, walk around downtown, then in the evening we eat, enjoy each other's company, and have a bonfire. It's really a good time! This year, along with making a dish to pass, I spent my short culinary attention span on making a version of what's known as...

Apple Pie Moonshine

Just an FYI - this recipe is half of what they usually are. My stockpot just isn't large enough for two+ gallons!

• 1 cups Everclear (calls for 190 proof but I used 151 and it came out great)
• 0.5 gal. apple juice
• 0.5 gal. apple cider
• 3.5 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups sugar

Technically it's not a "moonshine" unless you follow the traditional recipe of using a liter of 190 proof moonshine, but I am completely unfamiliar with moonshine and wouldn't even begin to know where to get it, or how much to even add because apparently most are now 80 proof. So anyway... call it a moonshine, don't call it a moonshine. I don't think it matters! Maybe I'll start calling it "Autumn Lush" after my headline :)

1. In a stockpot, combine apple juice, apple cider, sugar, and cinnamon sticks.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Take off heat when cinnamon sticks lose flavor (about 3-5 minutes).
4. Allow to cool completely (or else the alcohol will evaporate! nooooooo!).
5. Add Everclear; stir; refrigerate.

Be sure to keep an eye on things... it could boil over and you'll have this mess to deal with!

I later realized I had no way to get the drink from the stock pot to the jug, so I sent Mike out for a funnel. This'll do!

It's lovely in a small glass over ice, as shots, and even warmed up! Actually, seeing as it tastes just like apple pie, it tastes delicious no matter which way you consume it! It definitely was the cherry on top of an amazing weekend :)

*WARNING* This drink is strong! It is super smooth and yummy and will sneak up on you! Please exercise caution! Do not drink if there is any chance you will be driving, and do not allow other possible drivers to drink. If you make this and take it to a party, make sure people are aware of its strength and are responsible enough to know not to drive or to call a cab. Driving drunk or even buzzed is dangerous!

Mini Quiches

Love, love, love this recipe! I've tried many other complicated ones, but this has to be the quickest and easiest ever!

These are so perfect to make at the beginning of the week - a quick re-heat in the morning and you've got a delicious breakfast! I love having an egg or two in the morning, as the protein really helps sustain me and keep me motivated during all of my early-morning computer work! 

The other great thing about these is that they are insanely customizable! Pretty much anything you'd put in an omelet would be great. I totally would have thrown in some bacon had I had any left! Sausage, peppers, onions, salsa... whatever you want! Or nothing at all! I did ham and cheddar simply because that's what was in my fridge!

Ham & Cheddar Mini Quiches

• Approx. 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Cubes of ham
• Cheddar cheese

Again, you can use whatever you want and however much of it you want, so besides the eggs-to-milk ratio, everything else is up to you!

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Chop ham into tiny pieces appropriate for muffin-sized portions
3. Whisk eggs and milk together
4. Divide evenly in a lightly greased muffin tin
5. Add ham
6. Sprinkle cheese on top
7. Bake on middle rack for 25 minutes, or until tops begin to golden (fork should come out clean)

They'll sink a little once they've cooled

 

If you're planning to pack them up for later in the week...

1. Allow to cool completely (doesn't take long for an egg to get cold, amiright??)
2. Wrap individually in plastic wrap
3. I like to eat them two at a time so I then pair them up in freezer bags
4. Refrigerate for up to three days or...
5. Freeze up to one month

To reheat...

1.  Take plastic wrap off!!
2. Wrap in a napkin or paper towel
3. Microwave on HIGH for 30-50 seconds

bad times :'(

Nutella Crescent Rolls & Queso Blanco Dip

Did a couple pins this past weekend! Mike and I had a BBQ to go to so who do I consult for some delish grub to bring? Why, my buddy Pinterest of course.

I'll start out with the one that could have used some improvement. The BBQ hostess and I are Nutella fanatics, so of course I had to bring something Nutella related! And what's easier thaaaaan...

Nutella Crescent Rolls (original Pin)

• 1 8ct. pkg of crescent rolls
• Jar of Nutella
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar

Omg easy.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Open the crescent rolls (idk why but the *pop* always startles me!), separate them, and roll them out on a flat surface.
2. Spread them generously with Nutella.
3. Roll crescents per package directions, starting at the wide area and ending at the point.
4. Place on lightly-greased baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, checking often after about 8 minutes.
6. Done baking when golden brown; remove from oven and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

Super, super simple to make, but in the original recipe when she says to lather the Nutella on, she means it! I didn't bother checking our jar before grocery shopping so I wasn't working with a whole lot of Nutella. I didn't "lather" so much as I just "spread." They ended up being pretty tastey, but the bread-to-Nutella ratio was off... definitely needed more Nutella. They were kind of powdered sugar-topped crescent rolls with a hint of Nutella. Good to know for next time!!

My pride and joy of the weekend was an amazing dip. Mike and I frequent a particular Mexican restaurant in Ann Arbor and we always get queso blanco to have with the complimentary chips and salsa. We love it so much that we usually order the same small meal each time - what we've dubbed the "Mike & Sabrina Special." Mike will get one hard shell beef taco and one soft shell beef taco, and I'll get the same thing just without lettuce. Oooh the warm, soft shell... the freshly shredded cheese... along with our queso blanco, it's absolute bliss!

So you know I've been searching for a queso dip recipe that wasn't too complicated! A little search on Pinterest and BAM! Up pops this one!

Crock-Pot Queso Blanco (original pin)

Let me start off by saying that the only crock-pot I have is a teeny tiny one that just plugs into the wall. Seriously. It only holds 16 ounces. No temperature gauge, nothing. I ended up halving the recipe because there was no way all of that cheese was going to fit!

• 1 lb white American cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbs pickled jalapeño juice

1. Cut cheese into chunks, put in crock-pot (the smaller the chunks, the quicker it'll melt).
2. Add milk and jalapeño juice.
3. Simmer until melted.

Source

I ended up forgetting to take any sort of photo but the one above basically looks exactly like how my dip turned out.

I'm sure you fellow domestic disasters are loving me right now, yeah? Seriously, how could this dip get any easier? It sounded too good to be true so I was sure it wasn't going to taste like the kind from the restaurant. But to my surprise (and excitement), I was wrong! It was uh-mazing!

I made it the night before the BBQ so I transferred it into some tupperware and refrigerated it. It was a solid block of cheese when I put it back in my little crock-pot after arriving at the party, so I added a tiny bit of extra milk, a little more jalapeño juice, and even cut up 2-3 slices of pickled jalapeños to give it a little more kick. It was fantastic. I'm soooo glad I purchased enough ingredients for a whole batch because the half batch was devoured at the BBQ. The following day I used the rest of the cheese and made a little pot for just my hunny and I ;)

BBQ View

Mike and I on the patio

Orange Dream Layered Squares

Ugh, I've got a major pinover this morning! Or pinterestover? Ok, how about we just call it a Pinterest hangover and be done with it! You know how that goes... it's almost bedtime, you're a little bored, you don't want to start a new episode of something or put a movie in because you know you need to snooze soon.

So what do you do? Get on the computer. Maybe surf Facebook or Imgur. The Cheezeburger Network? You can haz! Next thing you know it's a good couple hours past your bedtime and you've got a zillion Pinterest tabs open of things you want to check out before you commit to pinning!

Don't deny it - this happens to you, too! And now here we sit the next morning, ready to nod off because we got to bed too late. Oooh Pinterest, what have you done to us?!

If there's one thing you should know about me, you should know that nothing ever goes right for me. Every time I attempt practically anything new, there are all sorts of hiccups. I've flooded glass-top stoves with Hamburger Helper boil over, dented metal pan lids by running cold water over hot pans, creating a vacuum. I've tried to improvise when I didn't have any mixing bowls by using the biggest Pyrex dish I had, resulting in whipped cream and cream cheese all over the counter backsplash and my own chest. I've tried to split up room temperature crescent rolls, pour Yorkshire pudding mix into a too full muffin tin of boiling oil, and even managed to somehow ruin pre-made sugar cookie mix.

So, as you can imagine, I get pretty excited and proud of myself when something goes according to plans! I've made the following dessert a couple times and it's been a hit! It's easy peasy (perfect for ME!), quick, and scrumptious! Who doesn't like orange creamsicles?!

Orange Dream Layered Squares (original pin)

• 6 graham crackers (I prefer honey), finely crushed
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 3oz pkg orange flavor Jell-O
• 1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened and divided
• 1 8oz tub thawed whipped cream, divided
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1 3.4oz pkg vanilla instant pudding
• 1 tsp orange zest (I did not include)

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan. Refrigerate while preparing rest of recipe.
2. Microwave orange juice in a microwavable measuring cup on HIGH 1 min. Add to orange Jell-O mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved.
3. Gradually add juice/Jell-O mix to half the cream cheese in medium bowl, beating with mixer after each addition until blended.
4. Whisk in 1 cup whipped cream; spread over crust. Freeze while preparing next layer.
5. Beat remaining cream cheese and milk in separate medium bowl until blended. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Stir in remaining whipped cream and zest; spread over gelatin layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Theirs

Mine

Not as gorgeous, of course, but when does it ever work out that way? I thought it was quite presentable for not being done by a professional and not perfected for photos! What's even better is that there were only four of us at dinner that night and I only went home with three pieces left!

The best thing about nailing a new recipe on the first try? My boyfriend exclaiming, "Call the Food Network and get this girl a show!!" ♥

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

Gah! Sorry! I know, I know... WHERE HAVE I BEEN?! WHERE ARE THE CUTE PUPPIIIIEEEEESSS?!?! I apologize for not updating in so long. I figured I'd explain myself seeing as I'm still getting a bit of traffic.

I'm no longer volunteering at the animal rescue. It's a wonderful and honorable thing that every single person at the Friends of Michigan Animal Rescue does and I can't begin to describe how selfless these people are. It was a great privilege to work with them but I, unlike them, am not completely selfless. Eventually it became too difficult for me so I decided to stop.

I completely understand the point of the place - take in animals that are in need and find them loving homes. So it makes sense and is a great thing that FMAR has a pretty steady turnover rate. These animals are being cared for and adopted into homes where they will be loved and happy and never have to worry about being abandoned again. That's what we want!

It was such a blessing of a coincidence that I started volunteering right before FMAR received those eight puppies from the horrible breeding operation in Allegan County. They needed so much work and love that they were there for such a long time. Every time I went to the rescue I could count on my little Randy, Skeeter, Junior, Jasper, Mopsy, Cindi, Buttercup, and Greta being there. I'm a small dog kind of person so I grew so attached to all of them. I was with them from the very beginning, through their flea treatments, socialization, experiencing outside, and learning to walk on leashes. It was the best thing ever to see these little babies grow and learn and open up. It just makes your heart overflow.

But then they started finding homes. Such wonderful news for each and every one of them... but bad news for Sabrina. One by one they'd disappear each time I visited. In their place there would be a new cutie that I fell in love with, but then they would be gone in just a couple visits. Not many need the work the Allegan puppies needed, so they have no problems getting adopted right away. Going in to find my love from the last visit gone became too much for my heart to handle. I wanted to keep all of them! I wanted them all to come home with me so I could be the lucky one to love them forever!

Eventually it became too much, so I had to stop. Major kudos to the many people who can do that every day. You are amazing people bringing so much joy into the lives of many animals and people. Thank you!

But don't despair... this isn't the end of Yes, This is Dog! I plan on keeping up with this blog, so make sure to check back. It won't be completely centered around dogs, but I think it'll still be a good time ;)

Scratch a Dog and You'll Find a Permanent Job

Oh my, a lot sure has happened recently! We've taken in a few more dogs, a few of our bigger dogs have found forever homes (including a long-term resident Blondie), and the best news of all: our little Allegan County dogs are starting to find homes, too!

Jasper was the first to go, having been the model student and all! Then not long after him, Randy found himself cuddled up with his new family after being taken to an adoption event at the Pet Emporium.

Such great news for our little buggers! But also a little sad for selfish Sabrina. It's so difficult to not want to take them all home and keep them for myself!

I have a feeling Buttercup will be the next to go. Every time I go to the rescue she wags her long, hairy tail and waits for me to come in and snuggle her. She's not a hyper, excitable little thing like a lot of small dogs, but she is just as affectionate, made obvious by her not wanting you to put her down or leave her kennel. A little more socialization and learning how to walk on a leash and she'll be ready for an awesome family!

Skeeter, Randy (back), Jasper, and Junior's belly

I also have a little bit of other good news! We were getting pretty worried about Mopsy as she still sits in the corner shaking all day. We were worried that the stress of everything would affect the development of her puppies, so an ultrasound was scheduled to make sure things were alright and I think a foster was lined up so she could get out of the kennel and spend one-on-one time in a home. Well, come to find out, Mopsy isn't pregnant! She must have gotten mixed up with another one of the 350+ dogs seized from the house in Allegan County (which I'm sure is easy to do with that much chaos!). This is very good news, as it was looking like any puppies she may have been carrying weren't going to make it. Oooh I'm so happy for our little girl! She's got a long way to go but at least she's healthy!

Now that Jasper and Randy are gone, the kennel arrangements have switched around a bit so that some of the shyer dogs are with more outgoing dogs to hopefully help them become as comfortable with people as their kennel mate.

Skeeter, who was alone, is now paired up with Junior, who was the shy one when he was with Randy. It's so funny to see how Junior has now taken on Randy's personality with Skeeter and is more dominant, trying to get shy Skeeter to play with him. It's adorably hilarious the way Junior will nip Skeeter's ear and jump back, antagonizing him into a bout of puppy bitey-face! Junior is still shy of people, but if you can nab him he'll willingly go into a harness and leash for a walk. He doesn't walk walk very much yet - he's still exploring his surroundings - but he's doing very well outside the walls and fences of the rescue.

Kind of shy Cindi is now paired up with super shy Mopsy, seeing as we now know she isn't pregnant. Cindi was with Greta, who is super shy and growly, so hopefully beeing with meek little Mopsy will keep Cindi calm and receptive to human interaction (Mopsy is receptive, but she just sits there and lets you pet her).

Mike & I

And finally, shy and growly Greta is paired up with happy and snuggly Buttercup (formerly by herself). It's so funny because they look almost identical. I think being with Buttercup is really warming Greta up, as when I go into their kennel and am greeted by Buttercup, Greta will maybe growl a little growl but she'll sniff my hand on and off. And she no longer poos when we try to nab her to give her her ear drops, which is good.

I've found that I definitely lean more toward the smaller dogs and medium sized dogs that have a gentler nature. I think a lot of it has to do with growing up with a little Maltese. All of these white and tan puppies are just tugging at my heartstrings!

On a side note, I'd like to extend a very large, and very heartfelt "thank you" to my amazing boyfriend, Mike. Not only has he been a good sport in giving up some of our Saturday morning snuggle time, but he hasn't complained once when I slide back into bed with him, spending the next hour telling him everything that went on that morning with every single dog. I am so, so lucky to be with someone who is so concerned with the things that make me happy!

And Then There Were Six...

Very few things are more rewarding than watching these dogs progress. Once scared, timid, and confused, they are now blossoming into happy, playful puppies ready to smother their new families with love and kisses. All rescued from the same deplorable conditions, it's very interesting to watch them progress in different ways and at different rates.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, we took in eight dogs from the puppymill seizure in Allegan County - Mopsy (a.k.a. "Mama" because she is pregnant), Buttercup, Cindi, Greta, Jasper, Skeeter, Junior, and Randy. After arriving at FMAR, they were all named by volunteers, spayed/neutered (except Mopsy, of course), and brought up-to-date on all of their vaccinations. There were a couple little snags along the way with fleas and a virus, but they're all doing well health-wise and our main goal now is to socialize them.

Jasper

Jasper is our shining star! He has adjusted so well and has come out of his shell so quickly that he may be adopted as I type this! He went home with a fabulous couple for an over-night on Saturday, and if everything went well, their intentions were to adopt him permanently. He is definitely the most energetic and personable of the eight!

Randy (middle)

Next in line as far as comfortability would have to be Randy. I'm not sure who named him or if it was a coincidence, but he was surely the randiest of them all! But since being neutered, his sexual energy has turned playful and you'd be hard pressed to find him doing something other than jumping around with his kennel mate Junior or playing with a soft toy. He's still learning how to play with people, though, as he likes to nibble at your hands like he does with the other pups. Being as small as he is and with his wonky teeth, his playful bites don't hurt, but it's definitely something we want to work out of him before sending him home with someone. It's so funny to sit and play with him - all he wants to do is climb up onto you and be as close to you as possible!

Buttercup

Buttercup is an absolute doll! Dressed in a pink knitted sweater with pearl accents, she's the girliest of girls! She's slowly blossoming into the most personable girls of the four, and I even saw her wag her tail for the first time on Saturday! She's still not much for a lot of snuggling or touching, but she loves some gentle petting as she snuggles up in her blankets.

Junior

Skeeter

Both Junior and Skeeter are at a similar stage in their rehabilitation. They'll put their paws up on their kennel doors and lick your fingers while you're outside, but when you enter, they're extremely reserved and back away from any attempt to pet them. Right now, Junior is being housed with energetic Randy, so I think once they're split up Junior will warm up a bit more. Randy is so animated that I think it overwhelms Junior.

Cindi

Greta

Cindi and Greta are both extremely shy. They stay snuggled up with each other but if their outside door is open and you come up to the front of the kennel, they'll skeedaddle out the door and just sit there staring at you. Cindi has the biggest eyes I've ever seen on a dog. She's shy but calm, so she'll let you sit there and pet her. Greta, on the other hand, is still very wary of people. She growls if you get too close and bites when you try to pick her up, so a muzzle is needed when she gets her ear drops.

Mopsy

Mopsy is in the worst condition of them all. She doesn't bite, she doesn't growl, and she doesn't whine... but she doesn't leave the very corner of her bed and rarely stops shaking. She is so scared and so stressed... it's heartbreaking. She has to be held when her kennel is cleaned so I usually snuggle her up in a towel and just talk to her, caressing her. She'll stop shaking after a little while but is back at it if you move her too much or put her back in her kennel. She has a very long way to go.

They're all so precious and in need of love... it's saddening to think that they'll all be gone eventually, but they deserve to be in happy, loving homes.

Saying Goodbye

In my short time at the rescue, I've already encountered what I believe will be the most difficult part - saying goodbye. It's difficult to be too sad, seeing as you know they're going to a loving home where they will be happy and cared for, but there's still a little tinge of sadness when you arrive at the rescue after a few days away and see their kennel empty, realizing you didn't get to properly say goodbye.

Chico the Chihuahua and I bonded over a morning outfit change before he left for an adoption event at the local Pet Emporium. It was quite a hilarious endeavor as I crouched on his kennel floor and tried sweater after sweater. He was obviously annoyed so after the second or third, I had to scratch his head and tell him what a good boy he was after every step.

Over the head - *scratch scratch* "What a good boy, Chico!"

One arm through - *scratch scratch* "Oh Cheeks*, you're so cute!"

Second arm through - *belly rub* "That's a good boy, Cheeks! But it looks like this one's a liiiiittle too snug!"

Chico - adopted!

Funnily enough, most of the little sweaters I tried to get on him were too tight! It was chilly out so he needed something, so eventually we settled on this little fleece jacket that was a little too big. The way it strapped around his belly caused him to pee on it if he didn't lift his leg high enough, but we decided we'd take that chance for the sake of him being warm!

Later on in the week I had the pleasure of taking him for a short walk - or what would be considered a lengthy walk when your legs are only two inches long. It made my heart melt to watch him bounce and leap like a little Spring lamb! Eventually, though, he tired out and didn't want to go any further. A fellow volunteer was walking a bigger dog, and we didn't want to have to stop, so I picked Chico up and carried him a little ways. He looked around with a straight neck and erect ears like he was a little god who should be carried all the time! We won't tell him that we realized he was afraid of his shadow as the sun started to shift and cast it on the ground right in front of him ;)

I'm definitely going to miss his tiny little whines when he wanted some attention and his excitable, loving nature, but I am so so happy that he's found the loving family he deserves!

Click here to see all of our animals currently available for adoption!

*My nickname for him

One Day at a Time...

It's all over the news here in Michigan. A simple Google search of keywords like "Kalamazoo," "Allegan County," "350 dogs," and "puppy mill" will yield dozens of results. Over 350 dogs were seized from a small two-bedroom home in the Kalamazoo, MI area last week (the number has since risen with several pregnant dogs giving birth). It's claimed to be a small breeding operation gone bad, but when you really think about it, it appears to be much, much worse.

Source - Kalamazoo Gazette

Most local shelters can't appropriately accommodate that many dogs, let alone a two-bedroom house! People who saw the home first-hand have told me that kennels were stacked from ceiling to floor. The mostly Shih-Tzu mixes were soaked to the bone in urine and their fur was matted with feces. Out of all of the animals in the home, only one had been spayed/neutered to prevent over-breeding.

Just thinking about the deplorable conditions makes me sick to my stomach and makes my heart ache. For this to be all those poor babies know? It's heartbreaking! It's maddening! It's cruel and selfish and ignorant on the part of the owners!

The dogs are being dispersed around Michigan and we've been blessed to have been able to take in eight of them - four boys and four girls (one of whom is pregnant). A fellow volunteer went to the shelter they were being temporarily housed at and said that when you walked inside the huge facility full of the hundreds of dogs that were seized, it was completely silent. That's how scared all of these dogs were. They didn't make a peep the entire way back to Wayne County. Thursday afternoon was their first time walking on grass.

Some of them have already shown signs of improvement since they got here. The four boys are housed together while three of the girls are together and the pregnant one has her own pen. The boys seem to be enjoying their freedom between their large space indoors and their equally large space outdoors (when the weather is nice). They're learning how to play with toys and play with each other. I think the smallest one is the most frisky... the other boys will be tugging on toys with each other and the tiny one will do whatever he can to jump on their backs and start going! Once they're rehabilitated, though, they'll all be spayed and neutered and adopted out.

Source - Kalamazoo Gazette

The three girls housed together are extremely shy. They tend to just snuggle up with each other on their bed. One of them, known for being quite bitey, will just sit slouched over as close to the kennel door as she can, watching everything that's going on.

The pregnant one, who we named Mopsey but call Mama, is so very scared. It's saddening. I cuddled her in my arms the entire time her kennel was being washed out on Saturday morning. I truly believe that they are very sensitive creatures and that a little love can make all the difference in their rehabilitation and upbringing, so I held her, petting her slowly, telling her how good of a girl she was and how much we love her. She shook the entire time, and when her kennel was finally clean, she scuttled into the dog carrier in the back of her kennel and wouldn't leave the corner.

Most of the babies would eat, but Mama wouldn't. Later on we wrapped the bitey girl up in a towel and I held her for awhile. It was heartbreaking to feel the little rumbles in her tummy. At first I thought she may have been so scared that she was soiling herself in the towel, but come to find out it was hunger pains.

They're all in rough shape but we have high hopes for them. They all have issues with their teeth, had really bad fleas, and of course, their behavioral issues. They aren't potty trained, socialized, and aren't used to human interaction. Some of them seem to walk a little funny so we'll see if that develops into anything. I know one of the boys runs with his butt sideways so he looks like a backwards L shape. I have a feeling it might have something to do with chronic fleas, as though he bit toward his hind end so much that his hips just naturally turn that way now.

BUT! A little work and they'll be ready for loving families!

Want to help, too? Here's how! You can also call the Allegan County Animal Shelter at (269) 686-5112 or check out this Facebook page that has been set up to help. Every little bit makes a difference :)

Herro ;)

Quincy - my mom's adorable Cocker Spaniel

Welcome to my shiny new blog! I'm so excited to be a new member here at Blogspot! I recently began volunteering at a local no-kill open-admission animal rescue here in southeastern Michigan, where we take in dogs of all breeds, sizes, and age from an array of sources. We rescue dogs that have been abandoned, dogs from owners who can no longer care for them, and dogs that are facing the threat of euthanasia at other local animal shelters. We care for, socialize, and train all of our dogs with one goal in mind - that they may find a "forever home," living a long and happy life with a caring family.

After my first day there, I realized I was going to have a lot of stories to tell! So, as to relieve my boyfriend and friends from the burden of listening to all of them, I decided to start this blog. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to help needy animals in your own way :)

♥ Sabrina Ioana