Beautiful Shaggy

For more information and updates, please visit Shaggy's Facebook page.

Barrio Dogs Celebration!

Life+Dog Magazine Profiles Barrio Dogs - Part 2

Houston's Life+Dog magazine has published Part 2 of its three-part series about Barrio Dogs; you can see it here.  To see Part 1, click here.

Barrio Dogs: CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!

Barrio Dogs is a very small organization. To meet the commitments we’ve made in our community, we need your help. Donating just a few hours a month is the perfect way for you to support our neediest furry friends and educate the community. We encourage family participation as a great way to demonstrate charity, teach compassion and even impress college admissions boards.

Here are some of the ways you can join our mission:

Education Volunteers – assisting the Education Coordinator and taking photos/video on school visits. These visits typically occur during school hours and last approximately 2 hours. Currently, this is one of the areas with greatest need for volunteers.

Rescue Therapy Volunteers – assisting the Therapy Coordinator on hospital, nursing or children visits. As needed, these visits may be arranged during weekend or evenings to best suit the schedule of our volunteers.

Rescue Administration – registering microchips, maintaining the rescue spreadsheet. This volunteer position may be done from the convenience of your home.

Foster Recruiters & Coordinators – advertising, encouraging, interviewing and following up with fosters. Aspects of this volunteer position may be done from home, although personal encouragement of new fosters may require travel with the East End. Bilingual skills are a bonus but not necessary.

Pet Adoption Coordinators – setting up and tearing down tables, chairs and banners at adoption events. These events typically occur during the weekends. Currently, this is one of the areas with greatest need for volunteers as we move from animal rescue to placement. Bilingual skills are a bonus but not necessary.

Obedience/Behavioral Trainers – donated hours from experienced trainers to help our rescues that need new homes. Currently, this is one of the areas with greatest need for volunteers.

Dog Walking/Social Time – donated hours to get our doggy’s exercised and socialized.

Fundraising Coordinators – scheduling, marketing and coordinating periodic events. This volunteer position may be done from the convenience of home.

Social Media Specialists – improving/maintaining our social media platform, FB, YouTube & Twitter. This volunteer position may be done from the convenience of home.

Barrio Watch Dogs Dispatcher – reporting neglect, abuse and crimes against animals. This volunteer position may be done from home and requires interaction within our support community and the appropriate City of Houston agencies. We also encourage the community to become intolerant of animal abuse and neglect by reporting potential cases to Barrio Dogs

Transporters – transporting rescues to an adoption day or vet visit. This volunteer position requires familiarity with dogs. Scheduling may be arranged as suits volunteer needs. Dog carriers will be provided.

Marketing Coordinators – researching and setting up sponsor accounts with IGive, Good Search, Kroger, and Randall’s. Position could be expanded to include soliciting in-kind donations and finding collaborative partners. Opportunities exist for market research, the development of promotional aids, or conducting focus groups or surveys assessing attitudes towards dog ownership.

Bookkeeper – setting up spreadsheets and reports for donations and expenses. Knowledge of Quicken software a plus.

Bilingual Volunteers – Spanish translation with phone or home visits to families on proper animal care.

Donations – monetary donations are always welcome. Currently, Barrio Dogs is spending nearly all its available budget on veterinary and boarding costs, leaving only a portion of funds available for the educational programs at the heart of Barrio Dogs’ mission. Additionally, dog food/treats, dog kennels, bedding, toys, leashes, and other accessories are greatly appreciated. Remember we are a 501 (c)(3), your donations are tax deductible.

Thank you!

Update on Shaggy

Shaggy is settling in at the boarding facility and quietly recuperating from her surgery (she was spayed) and vetting. She is making progress every day. She likes to sit in an enclosed area at the boarding facility that is quiet and cooler in the morning. She seems to be feeling better and likes to investigate her new surroundings. She doesn't seem to mind people around her and is timid approaching people but will let people pet her. It is important not to overwhelm her or have too many expectations. Today when a visitor she knew came to see her she wagged her tail and approached her for a nice pat on the head! She must have remembered all the good food and kind words, which is a wow factor considering she has avoided direct contact with people all these months! One day at a time Shaggy girl, that's how we will take it, one day at a time. Thank you to Ernie Zenteno for all his help and please keep those donations coming in for her! Also, for more frequent updates, please check out Shaggy's Facebook page here.

Shaggy is Rescued!

Shaggy was rescued on Sunday, April 17, 2011, from her temporary home, a vacant lot in the Galleria area near Post Oak Blvd. and San Felipe. The caring residents of the area first noticed Shaggy several months ago and fed and watered her but she refused to be rescued. Because of the many caring people, from the bus riders to the local businesses, Shaggy was able to survive out in the open for many months. Many hours were spent trying to rescue Shaggy; because of the difficulty of trapping her, a professional trapper, Lone Star Animal Recovery, was brought in to assist. We thank Douglas Worthy for his expertise and service. 

Shaggy will be visiting Gulfgate Animal Hospital first thing in the morning. After her vet visit, we should know more about her breed, age and health. Some people have guessed that she is a Tibetan Mastiff. What we do know is she has been living outside in the elements in an open field on the corner of Post Oak & San Felipe in the Galleria area for close to nine months. 

Please help us get Shaggy to her better life. To donate to her care, you can use PayPal or Google, go to our website or mail checks payable to Barrio Dogs of Houston, P.O. Box 230677, Houston, TX 77223-0677. Also, you can visit Shaggy's page on Facebook here.

Meet Dusty

Dusty was rescued from an abandoned home by a very caring person. He is approximately six months old, and a lab/hound mix. Dusty is up-to-date on his vaccines and has been neutered. This beautiful pup has been on the streets since birth so he is still in his formative, learning months.  He waits for his forever home at AC Boarding & Grooming. Please help us share Dusty’s story. This little guy needs to move out of boarding and into his own home. If you cannot give him a home, please consider donating money for his upkeep.  Thank you!

Barrio Dogs Grand Kickoff - Thank You!

Barrio Dogs Grand Kickoff on April 10, 2011 was a great success because of your support. We would like to thank Gwen Juarez Photography for these photos and many more in the slideshow on the sidebar to the right.

 

Special thanks to SNAP (Spay-Neuter Assistance Program), Natural Pawz, Life+Dog, Houston PetTalk Magazine, Dogtopia Houston, Pet Paradise - JFK, Councilman James Rodriquez, Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino, Rescue Education Ambassador Dog Chloe, Students from Browning Elementary, Sancho featuring Artie Villasenor, Miltonio Decoronado with Lords of Kool, Norma Zenteno Band, and to all of our fabulous volunteers, friends, family and everyone that donated towards our cause. Our sincere thanks! 

Amos (now Laila) - Puppy Living In A Valve

UPDATE:  Initially, this pup was called Amos; however, after further investigation, we realized he is a she and have changed her name. She is now called Laila.

Barrio Dogs was contacted about a puppy that has been living in a valve in the Mason Park area of Houston, TX 77023. This community has a large issue with homeless animals. The rescuer asked for our help but we are only able to sponsor the vetting.
She was taken to Gulfgate Animal Hospital and given her first round of puppy shots. She is only 2 months old and has been surviving alone in this big valve. She is probably going to be a small dog, terrier mix. Can someone please find it in their heart to help with this rescue? If you are able to help Laila, please contact Barrio Dogs. 

Life+Dog Magazine Profiles Barrio Dogs

Barrio Dogs and its founder, Gloria Zenteno, are profiled in the April 2011 issue of Life+Dog magazine. Check out the first part of this three-part series here.

Meet Molly

Molly was found in April 2011 at the exit of the 610 Freeway and Irvington in Greater Northside, Houston. She was walking in the middle of traffic when a caring person stopped to help her. Molly is a Shar-Pei female that was probably used for breeding; her ears have been cropped and she is thin but gaining weight. She was taken to Gulfgate Animal Hospital and was found to be heartworm positive, have a serious case of demodec and intestinal worms. As of today, she has received all of her vaccines, even her bordatella, along with some medication and medicated shampoo for her skin. Even with all this bad news, there is lots of hope for her transformation. She is a super sweet, loving girl who loves children, dogs and even cats. She is crate trained and loves her crate.

 

Barrio Dogs was blessed by a sponsor who will cover all of Molly's vetting but Barrio Dogs cannot take Molly into our program. We are over capacity but doing a courtesy post and coordinating her vetting since she received total sponsorship for her vetting. Can anyone take her with complete vetting and a donation towards her new life? Please help us network Molly’s story. God bless Tracey Scharff with Natural Pawz that saved this girl. If you are able to foster or adopt or a rescue group can step up, please contact: Tracey @ 909 952-5234. Thank you!

Barrio Dogs Youth and Canine Interventions Photo Book

A Barrio Dog volunteer has prepared a wonderful  photo book documenting the activities of the Barrio Dogs community education projects, in particular, those working with children.  

The book contains pictures of the great work that Barrio Dogs Education Coordinator, Jennifer Washam, is doing with Rescue Education Ambassador Dogs (R*E*A*D*) Chloe and Serenity in some of the local schools in Houston's East End.

Photo book Part 1
Photo book Part 2

Tales to Tails Reading Program at Browning Elementary

Jennifer Washam, Barrio Dogs Education & Therapy Coordinator, and Rescue Education Ambassador Dog (R*E*A*D*), Chloe, have been working with four 3rd grade Browning Elementary students in the organization’s "Tales to Tails" program once a week since March. This program works with students on a one-to-one basis where they read to a therapy canine in a comfortable environment free from criticism and stress. The program's mission is to empower the students to gain confidence, self-esteem and fluency in their reading skills by being given the chance to read at their own pace while being comforted by an unconditional loving and critical-free companion canine. After only three sessions with these 3rd grade students a great improvement has already been observed.