Back toMINNIE (CHIQUITA) 12/04/02
Pictures
Adopted
1/26/03
Pertinent Information
8 year old Graying Fawn Female
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
58 lb. Shelter Surrender
UTD
Being Fostered near Suffern, NY
1/12/03 - Adoption Donation $100 + $20 Microchipping
5/23/03 - Sorry for the delay in updating. Things here are hectic to say the least. Miss C has definitely settled into our family life - she gets up early with the girls (@ 5am) and hangs out with them (being fed treats that I am not supposed to know about) until I wander out around 6. Then we are off and running. She still comes to work with me a few days a week - I am not sure which she prefers, spending the day with me or having the bed to herself when I'm out? She has been doing very well with all of the others in the house. The cats she is fascinated by and wants to play so bad - the kittens will play with her but not the old man - and of course that's the one she most wants to play with! The girls still fight over what her name is - I have taken to calling her Miss - she responds to pretty much anything if said in the tone she likes - definitely a smart girl who knows what she wants and how she will get it. She runs Winston ragged in the evening. Our last walk of the evening is usually about 12:30 and she is always ready to walk a bit more - there is always something else to sniff at - but he is usually pooped out by then. She has really enjoyed the hikes at Harriman. So far it has just been her and I but eventually Winston will join us also. Our Miss Chiquita is doing well, and keeping busy running the house. Her only problem is her very bad "counter surfing" addiction and the problem is I don't leave enough on the counter! Seriously, she's a great girl and we love having her here with us. She has become my steady companion and the girls adore her. She is family now and we couldn't be happier with her.
3/21/03 - Sorry for the delay in getting an update posted. Miss Chiquita/Minnie has decided to keep us - at least for now. She has claimed my oldest daughters bed as the afternoon napping spot and my bed as the evening sleeping spot. (She is a bit of a bed hog too.) The girls love her and get such a thrill out of seeing her and Winston shred some toys in a manner of minutes. She and Winston have a great friendship - she is definitely in charge but also so tolerant of him when he gets his fits (little bursts of excessive energy that cause him to run around like a loon leaping on furniture, fellow dogs and - of course - the human that feeds him) and you can almost see the motherly "oh no not again" look. She still sings daily - we can even get her going when we start with Old MacDonald - she joins right in (not that we admit to having horrible singing voices). We have been working on an exercise routine - she grabs something I need and I run around after her - just kidding - sort of - she has been joining me on nice walks in Harriman State Park once a week - we walk about one mile to a small waterfall - she seems to enjoy it. When it warms up I'll let her go wading and see if that gets included in our must do list. Then we come home and must have a few treats as she has been so good. Miss Chiquita is a dignified lady - my girls and I plan to keep making her as happy as she makes us.
2/7/03 - Well, a few weeks into our house and Chiquita has taken over. She has become family and the girls won't go to bed without her. She and Winston are getting on just fine, but as for Psbtt Psbtt the cat, well Chiquita hasn't decided if he is good or not yet. It is entertaining to watch them try to intimidate each other when neither one will back down but the best part is that neither one has a mean bone on their body. Chiquita has taught Winston to bark - if you want to call it that. She has the rest of us on our way to being trained also. My girls and I are grateful the BAR let us bring her into our family. She has added to it in ways that only she can.
1/27/03 - Hello to all - especially to those who helped with Miss Chiquita's adoption. The girls LOVE her - there was fighting over who's bed she was to sleep in - and of course many treats to bribe a smart dog - Chiquita was loving the attention. she already barks at me when she wants something which my girls find funny because until yesterday Winston did not bark - note the past tense. I think he has a crush. My daughter keeps telling him that Chiquita is his girlfirend and I think he's happy to go along with that. We will of course keep in touch and let everyone know how things are going - as things are today - not only does she want to run the house - but she wants to take over at the office too. She is a sweetheart and I think a wonderful addition to our little family.
1/26/03 - Chiquita
was adopted today by a warm and lovely Mom and her two young daughters.
The boys gave Chiquita a day of beauty yesterday, from head to toe, so she
was looking her best for HER FAMILY today.
I think that Chiquita knew that she was going home since all of us had
been telling her all week that she was getting a family of her very own!
But she really acted it! She was sticking close to us last night and
this morning, and was kind of sad too. She had her good-byes with
Emma, Bruno and Gizzie before the family arrived--not sure that my guys
got it.
She said her good-byes to us by licking our faces, one by one, making the
rounds a few times and looking at us as if to say, thanks for everything,
it was wonderful here, I love you guys, but I gotta go now. My sons
were crying and I felt sad, especially when she was kissing me and looking
at me with those mournful eyes of her. Michael is going to miss her
too.
She's off to a good life where she will have a 6 month old Boxer brother
named Winston, who sounds like a doll, a couple of cats and will go to
work everyday with Mom. She will also get to spend a lot of time
around horse since her new Mom keeps horses and rides. Also, it
sounds as if the family bought out the pet store last night gathering
toys, treats, a new bed, sets of bowls and anything else that they could
carry.
When we changed her collar to the pretty red and black striped one that
they had bought for C., she seemed to know that the time to go had come.
I gave her Mom the list of Spanish commands that Adam had printed out in
the beginning, what was left of her favorite toys and the leftover special
diet. A few pictures, a nostalgic and kind look back at us, and off
she trotted with HER two little girls in tow.
I've never done this before but I think that today went as well as I could
have expected, better in some ways. It was a long haul with Chiquita
with some dicey health issues at first, so I was gratified to see her go
off healthy, happily, at a good weight and to what looks like a good
family.
Just before she went out, I had whispered to Chiquita to have a good life
and I think that she will.
Berti
1/20/03 - Chiquita is pending adoption!!
1/12/03 - CHIQUITA SINGS, DANCES A LITTLE. The story goes that that’s what was written about Fred Astaire after his first Hollywood audition, “Acts okay, sings, dances a little….” Well, Senora C. is no Fred Astaire OR Ginger Rogers for that matter, but she can be very light on her feet and has a few fancy steps! The singing you have already heard about. The other day, I also noticed that she has a nice, deep, throaty Boxer bark that was missing when she first came to us. It cracked me up because as much as she’s gained since being here (SEVEN POUNDS!), she is still small for a Boxer, so when I heard this booming Boxer bark from her, I was shocked and started laughing with her. Whoever is lucky enough to adopt this interesting, bilingual lady will not only be getting a loving, cute Boxer companion; they will ALSO receive the FULL ENTERTAINMENT BONUS PACKAGE that comes with her! Singing, dancing and who knows what other talents are hidden behind that adorable face of hers—she’s not talking, YET!
1/5/02 - CHIQUITA SINGS FOR HER SUPPER! Even though she gets plenty of dog food, which she gobbles up, Senora Chiquita loves to beg at the table. And when she does, she sings! This usually adds to the dinnertime laughter at our house. I must say that since her teeth have been tended to, she is eating much, much better and it shows. She looks great and is much more active than when we first brought her home. Chiquita is not too fond of the cold weather and snow, but at least she goes out without a fuss, unlike my older female whom we have to shove out the door in any kind of foul weather. I'm with her, give me a warm sunny day over this winter stuff any day. Hasta luego!
12/31/02 - CHIQUITA IS NOW BILINGUAL! Yes! Senora C. is now following commands in English as well as she does in Spanish! That is to say, some of the time, or at least, more than half of the time, she obeys in either language. She knows: sit, stay, down, come, out, and “no,” only when she wants to, like most Boxers I’ve known and loved. Her appetite is robust now that her painful and loose teeth have been removed, and you can’t see her ribs anymore. Her energy level has also been revived and she dances a cute little, twirling, spinning, jumping dance when she is excited. She is doing magnificently and is looking forward to happy and healthy New Year and wishes all of you the same!!! FELIZ ANNO NUEVO!
12/25/02 - "FELIZ NAVIDAD" from Senora Chiquita and a "Merry Christmas" to all of you from the rest of us here at her foster home! Chiquita is doing very well after her surgery and has regained her Boxer bounce. She is running and playing with my other three dogs so that there is constant motion here. I think that she may even feel a bit better than before the procedure. She is eating very well and has gained back the weight she lost. We are happy to say that our little lady is looking and feeling very well! Her unique personality is back in full force too. She has wonderfully expressive and beautiful eyes that communicate her wishes perfectly. She sings too! Rather than whine for something she wants, Chiquita does this high pitched, soprano thing with her lips rounded that sounds and looks like singing. She puts her whole body into it like an opera singer does. It's not unpleasant either, although a night at the Met it's not! But it does crack all of us up. Have a great Holiday--we got our wish for Chiquita!
12/22/02 - THE BEST NEWS POSSIBLE! Chiquita has received a clean bill of health! All of her biopsies came back negative, cancer free. Everyone here, dogs and people alike, is ecstatic and I think that the rest of BAR is thrilled too. In less than 3 weeks this little lady has gone from a worrisome, sad, skinny shelter dog with limited prospects to a healthy, filled out, sociable--with other dogs and people, playful and happy pet with wonderful hopes of many more years in a loving forever home. The changes have been amazing to behold for this first time foster Mom and my family. This little lady is something else and her story is especially heartwarming coming at this time of year. I am so grateful to be a part of it--thank you everyone at Bar Angels Rescue for helping to make Chiquita's story possible, and so many others like hers come true!
12/20/02 - Senora Chiquita has come through her spay and all of her other surgical procedures just fine. She is understandably knocked out, but doing very well. C. is resting and happily enjoying the company of her canine buddies: Emma (YES! they have made their peace!), Bruno and Gizzie, who have been very sweet to her with gentle kisses and, of course, sniffing. She was also very happy to see all of her human foster family and managed to give us some kisses and some tail wagging her first day home from the vet's hospital. We are VERY HAPPY to have her back with us as a regular foster since she has come to an understanding with Emma. We love this little lady, and are thrilled to nurse her back to her old self. The day after coming home, she ate very, very well. Good thing too, she needs to put some more weight back on. As I've said before, she is a trooper and full of spirit; I expect that she will be back to full speed in no time! Last night she was playing a little and counter surfing. Luckily, the pain medication is keeping her pretty quiet most of the time so she can get the rest she needs to mend. Right now she resembles a patchwork quilt! But that's only temporary!!
12/15/02 - Chiquita has had to spend a bit more time in her crate these days since she decided to challenge our top dog here, Emma. Luckily, no damage was done since I was right there, but we did have a few scary moments. Chiquita is a dog that wants to be in charge, and as she became more accustomed to her life here, she all of a sudden let us know that. The cooling off period in her crate has done a great deal of good but she will be moving on to a different, more experienced, foster home after her surgery next week. We will miss her soft coat and her quirky ways. In the meantime, we are are still enjoying her, keeping her happy and building her up for her operation. She is definitely an indoor dog and only likes to go out long enough to do her business and come right back in. Her favorite places are curled up on the couch or on our bed.
12/12/02 - Chiquita is very bouncy in the morning after a good night's sleep. She can jump quite high doing this corkscrew move midair and then land kidney beaning around--rather like Olympic Diving, although I think that she missed the tryouts. She is now running with the rest of the pack in the house: sending the boys off to school in the morning and standing ready to greet them with the first sound of the school bus on our street; she also manages to "scare off" the mailman daily; and, "terrorizes" the men who collect the garbage! She is feeling very proud of herself these days keeping our house safe from all of these perilous invaders. Typical for a Boxer, Chiquita, is loving, adores the kids, plays with her dog mates and toys, loves attention and responds to it a hundredfold, finds the comfiest spot in the house, follows me around, and is pretty funny herself. Not as rowdy as my younger guys, she still takes her naps often, but IS PLAYING MORE THESE DAYS! She is a delightful and loving companion who has adapted very quickly and well to a busy house with kids and dogs all over the place.
12/11/02 - Senora Chiquita has been totally at home here for days now. She and Gizzie have made their peace--sort of--she wants to dominate him--but at least they are not fighting with each other. We now have a complete pack of four dogs and I have less of shadow as she has bonded more with the wild ones. But not to worry, I still get more than my share of Boxer kisses and Gizzie kisses--a treat you must experience for yourself! Chiquita was checked from head to all of her toes by our rescue friendly vet, and, after extensive blood work came back, was declared healthy enough for a multi-procedure operation scheduled for next Tuesday, 12/17. C. will be spayed, have a couple of tumors, large and small skin tags, a tooth & "horny" growths between her toes removed, and her teeth cleaned. She will then spend the night at the vet's and return to our home for what we hope will be an uneventful recuperation. Then we will keep our fingers crossed while waiting for her biopsy results. Please send your prayers and good thoughts this way for "our" little lady. Given Chiquita's spirit and her amazing rebound from the condition we found her in, by providing her with just the basics of good food, cleanliness, warmth, companionship and TLC we are all optimistic for her. We all hope that she does well because we have come to love her and her interesting personality--it's full of spunk, fun and constant appreciation for her new foster family! She's quite the Boxer lady!
12/04/02 - My husband and I picked up Chiquita, a Spanish "speaking" lady, yesterday from a NYC shelter. She shyly wagged her tail at us when she first came out, but as soon as we got outside the building, she perked up: smelling the air, the sidewalk, the nearby tree and soil around it, and then promptly pooped on the sidewalk right in front of the door. I laughed my head off as my poor husband went in search of something to clean it up with. I did not need to understand a foreign language to understand what SHE was saying just then. Chiquita is a small, 8 year old, friendly Boxer with some health issues, but she is also strong for her size. She walked with exuberance to our car. This girl has grit and spirit! On the ride home she had no interest in the toys or treats we had for her. Instead, she gave me kisses in between looking out of the window and sniffing the fresh air as we headed off to the 'burbs. Once at our home, she could not get into the house fast enough. C. settled in quickly, checking out all of the rooms and the backyard. She liked our two Boxers, Emma, who is also 8 and top dog around the house, and Bruno, our 1 1/2 year old handsome guy, and they loved her--loads of sniffing, tail wagging and Boxer bouncing & beaming! Chiquita and Gizzie, our 1 year old mixed breed, will need a bit more time to become friends, but I am confident that they will, as our newcomer settles in more. She has already made remarkable progress since yesterday afternoon. She looks and seems to feel much better after her bath yesterday and the very gentle pedicure that our son, Adam, gave her. She is walking better and had already come "up on her pads" by this morning. Adam may be busy getting her nails into good shape. He is also our resident photographer and pictures will be sent in shortly. C. plays is short spurts but needs a great deal of rest right now, good nutrition and tons of TLC, which she is getting from all of us. She has bonded with me and I now have an extra shadow to follow me around. I am very proud of how she has adapted to us, which is extremely well; of my two boys, Adam and Ian, who are pitching in with the extra work; and, of Emma and Bruno, who are usually very jealous of me. Both Boxers have given her a clear path to me, they clearly sense that she needs me more than they do now. This is extraordinary for Bruno, whom we adopted nine months ago and has been epoxyed to me since. This big clumsy moose has been a total gentleman with this little Spanish lady. And she returns the kindness with appreciative looks, kisses and a wagging tail. Walking out of the shelter with Chiquita yesterday was one of the best feelings I have ever had in my life! It is the first time I've pulled a dog from a shelter, the first time I've fostered and this baby is a special case, with special needs--can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy about taking her home. Gotta love her--we do. Please wish us luck at the vet's tomorrow!!