Hey you guys, meet Pops(updated with pic)

Here is the latest addition to our zoo.
For 8 or 9 months I have been feeding the stray dogs in the arroyo between my house and San Jose. After a whole group of 6 or 7 mysteriously disappeared, I decided that I had to take some action so I got in touch with CARE, the local humane society. Their van met me in the arroyo and we got three of the mutts into the van. One had just shown up a few days before, was in good shape, got neutered and was adopted within 2 weeks. The other two were problems. Chocolate was shy and did not play well with others. A friend has taken her to try to socialize her and get her ready for another friend who will adopt her as soon as he returns from a trip to the states.
BUT Pops was the problem. The vet said that he was not adoptable and was dragging his feet on fixing him. I went out to give him a bath and while I had control of him looked at his teeth....there were none. So I talked to the vet and he said that he thought that he should be sent to heaven.
I came home and told my husband that when I had slipped the collar over Pops' head I had told him that he was going to be just fine, not to worry.
My husband reminded me that we had promised no more than 2 dogs. I thought about it a minute and said. Ok we will call him a cat. We were going to rename him El Gato but Pops just fits even though he is probably only 5 or 6 years old. He seems much older than my other two dogs who are 8 and 9. So Pops it is. He has fit right in with our little menagerie and rides in the crowded car to the beach with us every day. He has so many battle scars that he looks like he fought a thrasher and lost but he is very sweet, not the least bit aggressive.
If he tugs at anyone's heart strings, he is available to a good home. If not, he will remain.....cat.



[Edited on 3-3-2009 by bajajudy]

[Edited on 3-18-2009 by bajajudy]

Pops?

'Pops' is a Baja Nomad already... is the avatar what he makes a cat look like when being chased?

Heartfelt thanks to you Judy... way to go!!
I wish I could learn how to post pics... actually probably a good thing I can't.

We are in the process of trying to recover a lovely male we found. Thought he was dying out on the curb in front of Hotel California. The workers said he had been hanging around for a week and gradually lost his strength and they could not get him to drink or eat. We thought we would just sit with him during his last moments. That dragged on to a half hour so we put him in the Explorer and took him home. He has now been with us for 4 weeks and we think he is on the road to good health. He has recovered from distemper and a horrific bronchitis. Now we need to get him neutered and immunized and hopefully on a plane to Seattle by the 15th!!!!
He is a fabulous looking dog and we also decided 2 was enough. Our old Blue Heeler (16yrs) hates him!!! Our Mexican rescue paloma would gladly keep him though!!!

NOMADS RULE

While I was out today, a Nomad couple stopped by to meet Pops. They were kind enough to leave me some money for dog food for the arroyo mutts. Please U2U me so I can thank you personally but
THANKS

Is Pops a good house guest

Judy you have a good story to tell about his night in upstairs bedroom. Your hubby let it slip out!!

Pops at the B&B

Two nights ago as I was cleaning up after dinner, I kept hearing the gate to the upstairs bedroom rattle. We have a friend living on his boat who occasionally falls in upstairs for a shower and a sleep on land so I assumed that he was crawling back after a night of partying and had forgotten something in the yard...well several somethings in the yard. I gave it no more thought.
The next morning when I woke up, I went into the yard and whistled for Pops. (That is how the dogs know that I am in the arroyo...my whistling) Not a sign of him. I went in and woke Jim up and told him to get dressed that we were going to have to look for Pops.
As I passed the locked gate on the way out, I looked up and there was Pops stretching at the top of the stairs and making his slow tortured way down the stairs. I was so happy to see him that I just grabbed him and hugged him and put him on his lead. Since I had thought that our friend was upstairs, I tiptoed up to see if he was here.........nope. BUT the pillow had a cute little indentation with some hair and dirt in it.
We finally figured out that Pops can fit through the bars on the gate.
Now we just leave the gate open for him....hey, a guys got to have a place to relax!
Also, we hope that after a few more weeks with us, he will not fit through the bars and we can close the gate again. I dont want to wake up to him half in and half out of the gate.

Here is another shot of him in the arroyo
Hopefully I can post an after here soon with him all chubby and shiny and healthy.

You did good, Judy. I learned something from you that may come in handy for me when I find the next Husky cat that needs rescuing.

Here is a picture of four cats I have rescued:

Anyone who loves animals should read the James Herriot books. They're sickeningly sweet, but so are all the animal lovers I know

Pops Update

Aside from a small food fight this morning, Pops has fit right in here. He has gained weight and his coat is all shiny. I hope that this small photo shows his shine. If not, it will surely show that he is quite at home here. He is such a sweetie and I would swear that he has always been here.