We wanted to thank you again for all of those who have supported us in our first year as a rescue. It is because of you - your generosity and compassion and shared love for the breed that we have been able to help hundreds of pugs. We look forward to helping much more in 2010!
Happy New Year!!
Sophia would like to thank everyone for their love and support! Her surgery was successful and she is currently at home, resting comfortably.
After not healing properly from an injury, poor little Sophia has to have her foot amputated at the hock joint. She is going in for surgery tomorrow....click on the link below for the full update.
Saving Sophia
Please keep Sophia in your thoughts and prayers! She is such a tough little cookie but has been through so much already in her 1st year of life.
Pumpkin's story is sad but all too common....one we must share with our dedicated followers. We save those who many others can't because of your dedication and support.
Curly Tail received a call about a 'pet store reject'....a 5 mos old gorgeous little pug puppy. She was perfect in every way, as many appear when looking through the pet store window at a bunch of playing little puppies. This little puppy was purchased from the pet store and her owners brought her to the vet for her final vaccinations only to find that she had something very wrong with her leg. Once it was determined that she would need an expensive surgery, that the pet store would not pay for, she was to be returned to the store. This would also mean that another sale was highly unlikely and ultimately returned to the 'breeder/mill' where she came from.
In a case like this, a beautiful puppy like pumpkin probably ended up in a pet store b/c of this defect which may have been congenital or the result of a trauma. At 5 mos old if no one claimed (or purchased) her....going back to the "so called breeder" would have most likely lead to a horrible and untimely death b/c she was now 'damaged goods'. A reputable breeder would never have sent a pug puppy like Pumpkin to a pet store to begin with....
We pulled little Pumpkin and had her xrays confirm that she needed a femoral head ostectomy - FHO is a surgical procedure that removes the femoral head and neck from the femur. FHO surgery is performed to alleviate pain. It is a salvage procedure, reserved for condition where pain cannot be alleviated in any other way.
Her foster parents Renee & Stephen are committed to Pumpkin's safety and care. They have built a wonderful website just for her and Curly Tail is supporting them in every way possible.
Please visit her site and help us all Chip in & Patch up Pumpkin!
Sadly only one puppy was strong enough to survive, little Flannery.
As difficult as it was we must now focus on the positive.
This is still a large expense for a rescue like ours. We are not breeders and do not have the set up, medical know-how or ability to do what most breeders do on their own. We had to rush Clementine & her pups to the ER facility. Even though we lost a lot of the litter, we still have our medical bills from the ER situation, the nursery set-up, clem's care post delivery & her pups care.
As always your donations are greatly appreciated!
Be sure to visit our website for regular updates on Clementine, baby Flannery and all of our rescue pugs.
Yoda is doing great, almost one week post surgery. He is running around pretty good and there is no appearance of any pain and he does not have any issues with his incision. Yoda is feeling pretty strong and he appears to his foster mom and dad that he is feeling better that he did before the surgery - he doesn't stumble nearly as much! We have started to wean him off the liver medications one week after surgery and we are continuing to check his blood work.
Here are some new photos of the handsome little man!
Curly Tail received an emergency call about a scared little pug named Nemo. Nemo had "escaped" from his home and was hit by a car. His owners couldn't find him for 24 hrs. When they finally did, he was scared and shivering under the front porch. He was not able to walk....he was whimpering in pain....his owners couldn't afford to take him to the ER. So they called us.
In the middle of the night, we drove out to LI and brought whimpering little Nemo to our 24 hr vet care facility, Center for Veterinary Care. Nemo would be safe and Curly Tail would fund his ER medical treatment.
Our vets strongly suspect abuse when they examined his current injuries and a past injured eye. As you can see from the images, Nemo's eye is sunken and "pushed/punched" in. It has already healed however, he must have suffered terribly when he 1st suffered the injury and then had to wait out the healing with medical care. They also suspect that Nemo was kicked based on the damages to his pelvis (rather than hit by a car) b/c he does not have any injuries elsewhere on his body and b/c of the nature of his previous injuries.
Initially upon intake, Nemo was whimpering in pain and had not gone to the bathroom in almost 24hrs. We weren't sure of the extent of his injuries. Nemo spent 3 days in our ER facility at CVC under Dr. Solomon's Care. He was cared for around the clock where they had him catheterized and on fluids to stabilize him. His pelvis had been shattered and broken in several places.
He slowly started eliminating outside while in the doctor's care. They patiently carried him out gingerly every 2 hours and Una waited and waited until he went. At 1st he was terrified about eliminating, not realizing he had done something good until Una smothered him with love and affection for his good behavior! Now while in foster care, his foster mom Strummer is doing the same thing and he has fully come to realize that eliminating outside is a good thing.
Our vets had suspected abuse when they examined his current injuries and a past injured eye. As you can see from the images, Nemo's eye is sunken and "pushed" in. It has already healed however, he must have suffered terribly when he 1st suffered the injury and then had to wait out the healing with medical care.
Nemo is healing and even though he has been through so much & suffered tremendous pain, Nemo is one of the sweetest and gentlest pups in our care and everyone absolutely LOVES him.
Please consider even a small donation to help us get little Nemo back on track.
We have partnered again with Karen from GMPR in an effort to rescue over 70 pugs from a puppy mill being shut down in Georgia. This horror show of a facility was being forced to surrender their dogs by the USDA....when that happens, you know the situation is dire and worse than you can ever possibly imagine. The dogs were split up into various rescues and we are all doing our part to get them ready for adoption.
In spite of an overwhelming # of owner surrenders and intense medical cases currently in our care, we managed to make room for 6 more of these desperately needy pugs. We were able to rescue Apple, Clementine, Pear, Blackberry, Honey Dew, and Kiwi. These pups are safe in Curly Care and have begun treatment for their various medical needs. These little pups are the most adorable, loving, GRATEFUL little angels. They are all acclimating amazingly well in Curly Care and want nothing but to be held and given love, affection and of course the healthiest & tastiest meals possible.....we agreed.
General Expenses so far:
* Transport & Basic Vaccinations = $1,475.00
* Foster supplies & food = $985.00
* Vetting cost for spay, CBC, fecal/giarda tests, dewormer and 2 wk injectable Rx - $400 per dog / 6 dogs = $2400
* Rx foods for Kiwi - $90
Running Total for these 6 puppies = $5,850.00
Please consider a contribution of any size (even small donations help!) so we can continue to help these puppy mill pugs have a fresh start at the new life they should have been living all along!
Be sure to catch the season premier of Rescue Ink Unleashed September 25th, at 10:00PM!
We Love these guys!!
Congratulations to Plum who has been adopted by her foster mom!
Plum still has a long way to go but she continues to make excellent progress for the treatment of her ongoing allergy issues!
You all remember Pixie, the emaciated pug we rescued this past winter.
We are happy to share some new photos sent from Pixie's forever family.
These pictures really tell the story of why we do what we do.
As you can see, Pixie is thriving and looking better and better with each and every update. We love you Pixie!!
Pixie Rock Climbing in New Hampshire
Pixie Swimming
Pixie enjoying ear scritches!
Thank you to everyone who helped us fund Bryant's much needed diagnostic testing. The good news is that Bryant is feeling great and the more time he spends with his foster mom, the more comfortable and loving he is. Such a sweet boy who has no idea that he has any health trouble at all. Bryant is just happy to be loved.
The bad news is that the collective data including definitive needle biopsies of all six tumors have diagnosed Bryant with Mast Cell Tumors which are indeed cancerous. To evaluate an option for treatment we took several xrays to determine whether the cancer had metastasized and it has NOT!!! His lungs and chest are completely clear and at the moment, the cancer is completely localized meaning Bryant has a generous amount of quality life time ahead of him!
The one area we were suggested to operate on was the largest of the six tumors on his back right leg. It hinders his walking and poses the greatest growth danger and lymph node involvement so we have scheduled Bryant to have that cancerous tumor removed next week. We couldn't have done this without all of you generous donors and the same will ring true for his surgery next week----anything you can donate is literally helping us offer this guy a happy and healthy life.
Bryant is a 8-10 year old dear boy who was surrendered to Curly Tail by the ACC Shelter in NYC. Bryant was labeled by the shelter as a "stray" and in the rescue world, we quickly translate that to "dumped." We suspect someone realized his condition was overwhelming and probably could not afford the treatment so decided to drop him in a public park somewhere knowing he would most likely end up in a shelter---unfortunately a very common story.
Bryant is very nervous around people, is vision and hearing impaired and is covered in mast cell tumors large and small. The biggest tumor is on his back right leg and is about the size of a baseball. The weight of the tumor hinders his walking and weighs his back end down a bit. Bryant has several other tumors of size and shape variation all over his body. Some are sore, we know this by the way he whimpers when they are touched. You will see in the video below that even after a bath and combing, his hair still comes off in fistfuls.
Bryant is confused about where he is and does not like to be held. He does his best to squirm out of his foster mom's arms when he is being held. We are working on lots of hand feeding and forced holding with gentle touches to create a bond that we know we can establish. We can see in his eyes that he wants to trust and we know we will begin turning that corner soon.
In the meantime, we will be diagnosing Bryant's condition, treatment planning, and hoping for a positive diagnosis. The diagnostic treatment Bryant needs is very costly and this is just the beginning. We will keep you posted on his progress and medical status as the days progress and he meets our vet.
Please help us help Bryant by donating to his care---this little guy truly needs it.
The Beauty of Seniors
Please visit our Curly Tail Golden Pugs page for more information.
Plum's allergies are out of control and she has become so uncomfortable that she is literally tearing into her neck! She had pus and blood oozing from her neck and after some slides of the affected areas the vet has now confirmed her infection & sores on her neck are bacterial, not yeast based.
Poor Plum has to wear a neck sock and Bitenot collar to keep her from further damaging the skin on her neck and feet.
We need to stop the bleeding. We need to switch gears and treat her condition even more aggressively than before.
Plum received 2 injections today: Convenia, an antibiotic that lasts up to two weeks, and Vetalog, a steroid that also lasts up to 2 weeks.
We are confident that the injections should give her the fast relief that she needs as we work to stabilize her under a new aggressive plan of attack:
* Weekly baths of Oxydex - this will more aggressively treat & heal her neck sores and open skin wounds related to her allergies.
* Weekly baths pf Malesab - this will help calm and keep her skin under control while she is being treated and possibly for life.
* She is now on a strict diet of Canine IVD duck and potato wet and dry mixture - we will try this for a period of time and see how she does on it.
* Continue Benadryl every 4 hours - to try and keep her histamine level as under control as possible.
* Switch from salmon oil to flax oil for Omegas (may be allergic to fish) - to keep her skin conditioned from the inside out but from a different source.
* Add Quercetin, a natural antihistamine - every little thing that can help, we will try!
Thank you to all who have contributed to Plum's medical fund. We truly appreciated every donation whether large or small, monetary, or supplies.
We could not help needy pugs like Plum without your help!
Read more...
For those of you who missed it, here are some cute video's of the very feisty Sophia at her first birthday party!
Congratulations to Charlotte our sweet little puppy mill puglet who has found her forever home!
We received the following Facebook post from Charlotte's new Dad's announcing her arrival:
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Please help me welcome our new edition to our home and family—Mamma Biscuit, who we adopted from Curly Tail Pug Rescue on Sunday, July 12th. Mamma B (as we like to call her on the streets of Washington Heights to give her some street cred) is a puppy mill rescue who spent the first 7 years of her life as a baby-making machine against her will and in horrible conditions, so that the disgusting demand for pet store dogs could be fulfilled. Mamma B is an incredibly chill, relaxed and well adjusted pug despite her horrible past which included deprivation of grass, not being able to open her eyes outside after her rescue because she had never seen sunlight, and being completely fearful of human hands as she would assume they would always hurt her.
Mamma B is now recovered, safe and happy and will live out her Golden
years with Tommy and I in New York City. In the two days that we have had her, Mamma B has become the Lady of our home. She really enjoys sleeping and cuddling, although she is quite selective as to whom and when she gives kisses, and like the true lady that she is, she never gives it away for free.
She loves her short walks through Fort Tryon Park, her biscuit treats after potty, her little toy named Mr. Seahorse and perching herself on our sofa to watch The Real Housepugs of New York on Bravo TV while occasionally gazing up at the chandelier that hangs above her. Mamma B is our Queen—I mean Tommy and I are Queens but she dethrowns us by a landslide! If she wasn’t so so stout, I would have her eat kibble from a crystal glass on a pedestal—and I know she would werk it better than that damn Fancy Feast cat despite having only 3 teeth! Mamma B is my inspiration and my Hero and on a daily basis, she is my shadow as she follows me around the apartment no matter where I go. Her smile is infectious, her three teeth and permanently protruding tongue are so endearing that I literally cannot contain myself around her.
Although Mamma B is nothing short of a lady, I suspect that she has a wild side. She has met the very young and svelt Patrick Henry who resides in apartment 2b and I can say that she is very smitten with him. I will do everything in my power to encourage her “cougar” behavior as long as she doesn’t chase after other young female pugs. It would just break my heart if I came home one day and found her in one of my flannel shirts if you catch my drift!
Curly Tail is looking for some volunteers in the NYC area to help with our Puppies Aren't Products campaign, in conjunction with the Best Friends Animal Society as we take a stand against puppy mills.
Please note these are peaceful pet store protests.
Curly Activists are involved in the lobbying for legislation that would regulate large-scale dog breeders and pet stores with the goal of cracking down on abusive puppy mills. We support legislature that proposes the following:
•Create a Dog Breeder License Act, which would prevent breeders from having more than 20 unaltered (not neutered or not spayed) dogs.
•Prohibit people from obtaining a dog-breeding license if they have been convicted of a felony animal-cruelty crime, including dog fighting.
•Require dog breeders to keep dogs in buildings without wire flooring and with sufficient heating, cooling and ventilation.
•Require pet stores and breeders to provide potential pet buyers with the dog’s full medical history, information of spaying and neutering and information about any prior medical care. Humane Society officials said many dogs from puppy mills end up having substantial medical problems because of interbreeding and exposure to disease in cramped environments.
•Establish penalties starting with fines and escalating to having animals seized and breeding operations shut down.
Curly Tail has become apart of the Best Friends Network through the Best Friends Animal Society in order to lobby against pet stores that sell puppy mill puppies.
Best Friends is a grassroots effort stepping up to reduce the number of pets bought and sold, and to increase adoptions from shelters and rescue groups. Together we can help millions of dogs living in breeding facilities around the country.
If you live in the NYC area and would are interested in participating with Curly Tail in the PAP campaign, please contact: jeaniner@curlytailpugrescue.org
1. Senior dogs love to sleep and cuddle the day away. They enjoy a brisk daily walk, but the best part of the day is the nap. They love for you to join them.
2. Senior dogs have a tremendous amount of love to give. When you rescue a senior dog, you have a best friend for life.
3. Senior dogs reward your care with an unwavering devotion. Nothing matches the love of a senior dog for his rescuer.
4. Senior dogs have learned many of life's lessons. They know, for example, that shoes are for walking and bones are for chewing.
5. Senior dogs know that great outdoors is for eliminating and the house is for relaxing. Your carpet will last longer with a senior dog.
6. Senior dogs can learn new tricks and be valuable family and community members. They make excellent therapy dogs.
7. Senior dogs often fit into your household with ease. They find the softest, warmest spot in the house and claim it for their own, but they will share with you, too.
8. Senior dogs make excellent companions for everyone, especially senior people.
9. Senior dogs are often the first to be killed in area shelters. Passed over for cute and cuddly puppies, they often do not have a chance and must go to make space for more puppies.
10. Adopting a senior dog saves a life.
Please consider opening your heart and home to a loving senior companion.
Click here to see the Curly Tail Golden Pugs available for adoption.
Poor little Plum was scared and sickly sitting in the ACC of NYC when we found her. She couldn't imagine what she could have done so terribly wrong to end up there?!
She has been terribly neglected for a very long time and her body shows the painful signs to prove it. Her body is covered in sores, it is painful for her to be picked up by her loving foster mom, she can barely walk on her paws, she flinches in pain if her foster mom tries to put her medicated drops in her ears! Everything just hurts so much!
We don't know the full extent of Plum's illness yet....we know that her surface and most immediate medical needs must be treated 1st and then we can take it from there. As always, we will do what is needed to get Plum to be happy, healthy & pain free!
Please consider helping poor little Plum!
Curly was pulled from an area shelter and was fostered by Curly member Adrienne. It didn't take long for foster mom Adrienne to fall completely in love with Curly.and adopt him! Curly has been renamed Marlon! From the pictures below it is easy to see why. We just love the Froggy pose!!
Congratulations to both Marlon and Adrienne!!! 
Curly Tail was on hand at the Puppies Aren't Products protest at American Kennels on Lexington Ave in New York City last month:
The staff at American Kennels will tell you that their puppies come from breeders they’ve been working with for many years, but in reality, their puppies come from inhumane puppy mills. A reputable breeder would never sell their puppies through a pet store.
The peaceful protest provides information about puppy mills and rescue organizations where puppies are available. The goal of the protest is to educate the public, which will in turn help end the cycle of homeless pets.
Educating the public on what "USDA Licensed" really means:
Signs are posted to make people think that the dogs are purchased from reputable breeders instead of mills:
The Curly gang represents:
People are lined up to make signs viewable to both sidewalk and street traffic:
The littlest protesters stop for a water break:
Click here to learn more about the Puppies Aren't Products campaign.
--> Learn how you can start a peaceful protest in your area
http://puppiesarentproducts.com/startaprotest.cfm
As you can see Tig is doing very well in his new home. His new adoptive family is Still working on his allergy issues but they are getting better. We hear he is getting a lot of outdoor time and loves to eat dandilions. Every day is something new to discover. The girls are loving him and the little neighbor girl looks forward to seeing him every morning at the bus stop.
Congrats to Tiger and his new forever family!
Pixie continues to thrive in her new home, she is really doing great!
We hear that she loves to lay in front of the heating vent soaking up the warmth, and using he new dad's slipper as a pillow! In every picture update we receive Pixie looks happier and healthier. We couldn't be more pleased!
Her new parents even had Pixie's picture turned into a beautiful painting!
All four pugs needed sulfur baths and shaving immediately to rid the bugs including a nest of spiders?!?!?!? found in the groin area of one. 
All dogs have inter-digital cysts on their paws from wrapping around the wire crate bottom for years. 
All pugs have minor scars, bite marks new and old and clearly display signs of being in a pen style mill. 
The three females are being treated for severe urinary tract infections. 
Penelope, has a severe form of jaw displacement and the most extreme form of dental disease we have ever seen which includes a naturally formed drainage sight just under her chin which is the only reason this infection hasn't killed her. 
Romeo has one "dead" eye from untreated infection and as a result, the eye muscles have atrophied leaving nothing to support it in the socket, giving the eye a sunken look. Romeos other eye is also severely ulcerated.
For more updates on the Spring 09 Puppy Mill Pugs - please visit our website www.curlytailpugrescue.org
Rocky was adopted yesterday by a lovely woman from Massachussetts who was completely smitten with Rocky before she even met him. Rocky's new mom just lost her husband to a tragic death and was practically in tears when she looked at Rocky and felt the instantaneous companionship. They are going to be the sweetest pair and will spend their days romping around in her daycare center (Rocky is sooooo gentle with kids) and the nights will be spent relaxing side-by-side.
Congrats to Rocky and his new mom!
Congratulations to Hurly who was adopted by a lovely woman from NYC who drove the whole way up to Boston because she was so excited to get her boy home!
Hurly was a three year old shelter pull that came to us morbidly obese with a severe eye ulcer. Thanks to curly care foster home Keiran for nursing Hurly back to tip top shape.
Congrats to Hurly and his new forever family!
Fiona the little puglet that was diagnosised with Megasophagus has been placed in her new forever home where she will receive all the extra love and care that she needs.
Congratulations to Fiona and family!
Check out the Flip Mino Camcorder now available in the Curly Tail Cafe Press Store!
Help Support Pug Rescue while capturing your favorite videos quickly and conveniently with the Curly Tail Flip Mino Camcorder! We've gussied up the standard white flip with some images of your favorite Curly Tail rescue pugs: Butter, Sophia, Pixie, Gidget, and more!
Making and sharing great video has never been easier. Or more fun. The ultra-thin & pocket-sized Flip Video Mino camcorder has a handy USB arm that flips out and hooks up to your PC or Mac. This charges the battery, plus lets you use its built-in software to easily view, edit, and upload video and photos to favorite sharing sites.
