LinusLucyFOB


	Breed: Pugs


UTD: Yes


	Sex: Male & Female


Other Dogs: Yes Cats: Unknown


	Age: `Linus 7-8, Lucy 9-10`


Children under 5: Yes


	Weight: 17 lbs. & 22 lbs.


Children over 5: Yes


	Color: Black


Mandatory Professional Training: No


	Spayed/Neutered: No


Microchipped: No


	Shelter Surrender


Location: Nassau County, LI, NY

Adoption Donation $150 each

12/16/06 - Well, it's been a month now since the new members of the gang arrived. There has been a lot ofchanging and tweaking, but I think we've finally got our routine down. I have to carry all 4 outside to do their business. Winston and Lucy can't. I have to chase Goldie down and Linus does the old Bozley "roll on your side" when I try to pick him up. Linus, who we've knicknamed "the peanut" is quite the character. He decided he was going to be the leader of the gang. He barks non stop whenever anyone comes to the house, and it wasn't till my friend Debbie (who has 4 pugs) came, that we figured out why. He wants you to pick him up to give you kisses. Although, my ex-wife dropped my daughter off a couple of weeks ago and he did the same with her. Twice she tried to pick him up & he snapped at her. I scolded him, but after she left, I gave him a big hug and an extra cookie. He lit into Winston one night for no apparent reason, and I called Gary, the dog expert, for counseling. He assured me, I handled the situation correctly. The next day, he went after Lucy when I didn't get Winston's bowl up fast enough and they fought over it. He went after Winny again when he bumped into him. I corrected him each time, and I think he's finally gotten the message that the leader of the gang position has been filled. By me! Lucy, who we call "big mama" is our mother hen. In addition to constantly grooming Linus, has taken it upon herself to take care of Winny as well. The problem is, Winston hates it! She's constantly licking his ears, face, and top of his head and he can't get away. The initial thought was Linus would always be by my side. But while all three new arrivals give kisses, Lucy is always by my side, inside and outside. They all follow me around, but she initiates it. As for Goldie, she was very distant when she first got here. She slept on the love seat, then the other end of the couch, and now has to be pressed up against me, with lots of kisses. Our last 2 Friday night TV-a-thons, She even came down and snuggled on the floor with everybody else. Did I mention how tough these are on my back! We had a food aggression issue developing as she would wander from bowl to bowl. One day, I pulled her away and three times she growled and snapped at me. The third time, she grabbed my hand. We've since corrected this by eating in shifts, her and Linus ravenously first, and Lucy and Winston, much more relaxed, second. The only fitting nickname for her we've come up with so far is "let's eat". Winston, who will forever be the "lovebug" certainly has taken to his new family. He still misses the Boz man, and this is a different pace for him, but he tries to keep up. His motor skills keep dwindling, but "that" heart is always there! I want to thank Gary for all his advice and council, he is truly the patron saint for these babies. As for a "special" person in Binghamton, it's really my next door neighbor, Carol. She was here the moment Winny, Boz, and Lacey arrived and said she'd tend to them during the day the first week. But her heart dragged her in and she's been tending to them, cleaning up after them (and me), checking up on, them ever since. As for me, I couldn't be happier! I don't have anybody waiting at the door for me these days with it being dark out, but I have a new challenge. I come home and see how close I can get to the light switch before Linus starts barking and sounds the alarm that Daddy's home. So far, Linus has won every time. Life is good! -the over the hill gang-

11/20/06 - This past weekend was one of those that kinda stick with you for a loooong time. This past weekend, I said goodbye, in the BEST way to Linus, Lucy and Goldie, my three senior pugs.
For those of you who follow the pugs, 3 months ago, I made a long trip from Long Island to Binghamton so Winston, Bozley and Lacy could go to their forever home. I had made a promise to Winston and Boz, who had been with me for 1 1/2 yrs, that I would never separate them, and would only place them together. Near the end of there stay with me, old Lacy joined the "over the hill gang". A very special man wanted Winston and Boz, and was more then happy to have Lacy join his family.
Sadly, Lacy took ill while in her new home only 3 weeks, and the tough decision, upon a diagnosis of advanced cancer that has invaded her throat, was to let her go. Sadness grew, when after 3 months in his home, Boz had a sudden heart attack, and was gone in no time.
Will, their new daddy had unbearable grief. These babies meant everything to him. He had such joy when he came home from work and the 3 of them would greet him at the door. They were everything to him, meant so much to him in such a short time.
Winny looked lost, and Will was heartbroken. He follows our site religiously, and got in contact with me to see if I thought Linus and Lucy would be happy in his home, and if I thought they would make good friends with Winny. They have been with me for 3 months, and i know what great, gentle souls they are. They welcome all dogs that come and go in my home with open arms. I told Will that I thought they would be a great addition to him, as well as Winny. In addition, Goldie, who had been placed in her new home was a bit too laid back for their liking (they wanted an easy going girl, but she was "too" easygoing for them), and I certainly did not want her to be where she was not totally loved. I mentioned to Will, who likes the easy laid back babies, if he would like i could pick her up in her home in NYC and take her up with Linus and Lucy. She has been with Linus and Lucy in my home for 2 months, and got along great with them. Well...he says sure, bring her up too. I told him he did not have to take her, that maybe 4 sr's would be a bit too much...he assured me that it would be fine.
So, Saturday morning, we combine a transport of 2 owner surrender boxers with the 3 pugs....yup, 5 wonderful BAR babies spending some time together. The 2 boxers went as far as Newburgh, where they met up with another transport and on to their foster and Foster to adopt homes. And then we were off to Binghamton.
The trip was long, but I knew it was going to be worth it. And sure enough, after 6 hrs on the road (a bad NYC traffic day) we all arrived at their new forever home. Will and his daughter were waiting outside, they instantly loved the 3 of them, we all went into the yard and out came my old buddy Winny. Everyone was great together, and Will was one happy man. We spend a couple of hours together, and everything was great, and it was time for me to leave. My job was done. Needless to say, I drove home alone, with the warmest feeling one can have.
I had made the same promise to Linus and Lucy (as I did for Winston and Bozley) when I pulled them from that sad shelter 3 months ago. I promised them they would never be separated. I kept my promise. They now have their very own forever home, and as an added bonus, their buddy Goldie has the same great home for her to live out her Sr yrs being loved and cherished.
Will is one of those "special" people, and some of you had the pleasure of meeting him the other week as he did his very 1st BAR transport. Special indeed, opening his home to a total of 6 Sr's in the last 3 months. Special indeed....thank you Will, and all those who follow our babies on to their forever homes, I wanted you to know how well loved Linus, Lucy and Goldie are going to be.

9/22/06 - Linus and Lucy came into rescue on 8/17/06. We delayed posting about them because we were not sure if Linus was going to make it. He came into rescue with severe congestion, and he was going down hill. Some quick treatment by the vet and a bit of luck, Linus has made it all the way back, his pneumonia is gone and he is doing great. And I could not be happier, because this boy is the one of the greatest boys I have had the honor to foster (more on that soon)

It appears that these 2, who came into rescue together, were used as a breeding pair. Neither was fixed, and both showed signs of not being very well cared for or maintained. Both were found together on 5th Ave on upper NYC, just wondering. Apparently, they were no longer useful, and just let loose to wander and make it on their own. How cruel, how could 2 older pugs be expected to survive on their own? PEOPLE!!!! UGH!!!

We were called by the shelter to see if we had room for them, as the likely hood of them being adopted in their current state and age were next to none. Well, you look at them and you know what the answer was :o))The best we are able to tell, Linus is either Lucy's mate or son, we don’t know. We do know that they care very much for each other, and will not be separated because of that. They sleep together, she is very attentive to him, licking his ears often, and he looks for her, and vice versa. When he was ill and at the vet, she often was crying downstairs, even though she had the company of quite a few other dogs.

Linus, now that he is better, has shown that he is one of the sweetest, gentlest souls you will meet. Always looking to give affection, if you sit on the floor, he will zip over to you, lift his paws up on you and kiss you for as long as you will let him. Being pint sized, he is no problem to put him in your lap and let him just hang out. His breath is fine, so there is actual "pleasure" in letting him lick your face :o)) He has a great appetite, in fact we put a kong in his bowl to slow him up, as he was eating so fast he threw up a few times. the kong in his bowl has worked just
fine now, no more incidences of throwing up. His vet check, once his pneumonia cleared up, showed he is in good health, with a strong heart. His ears are thickened with hematomas, nothing serious, just neglect. Apparently, when he had infections in the past, they were not addressed, so he would develop blood clots, and this lead to a thickening of the cartilage in the ears. Again, it is not a condition that has any effect on him, he hears fine, but his ears, instead of being floppy like most pugs, are a bit thicker.

Lucy's eyes were not in great shape when she 1st came in, and we had her looked at by a specialist. The news was quite good for her. When I 1st saw her, I thought that her left eye might be in bad shape and was expecting the worse. The specialist said the way the eye socket is, the eye does not sit in the socket like a normal eye, and said that she has no vision in that eye (also has a very dark pigmentation, blocking out the light from entering the eye, not uncommon in pugs), but it is healthy and with some special drops, there should be no problem with it. He right eye is fine and she has vision in that eye. She does get around just fine, so her lack of vision in her left eye is not a problem and doesn’t slow her down. You might notice in the pic's her left eye does sit a little different in the eye socket, but that is strictly cosmetic. As we said, it is a healthy eye.

Lucy is a sweet older girl. The vets exam said one of her knees was not very well developed, and you can see when she walks, the leg kind of "floats out" a bit. It doesn’t seem to effect her mobility, she gets around just fine.

She and Linus are what I call low maintenance dogs, they just go with the flow. Not demanding at all. She is less affectionate then him, although, like I said, she does love him, that is for sure. Her appetite is great, and most of the day she just snoozes and hangs out. She does enjoy a pig ear to nibble on, but one pig ear could probably last her 6 months or more.