Female #113, Lucy

From: Sharon Ponsford <slrponsford@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Tue Apr 4, 2006 12:31:10 PM US/Pacific
To: KERRYBLUES-L@APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Subject: [KBL] Week Two With Lucy (#113)

We have had Lucy two weeks today and I am amazed at her progress. She has a long way to go, but she is doing so well. Her personality is coming though and what a little sweetie she is. Life is beginning to flow into her veins, and she has become much more animated. I now get lots of kisses and that little tail is wagging so much. Housebreaking is going well also. Only two accidents in two weeks. She seems now to be understanding what going outdoors is all about and she likes the praise she gets when she has done her duty. We are having record breaking rain here in Northern California, so staying outdoors to play is not possible at this time.

Lucy had her teeth cleaned last week and what a difference that has made. Her mouth was filthy, but the vet said her blood tests were great and that her mouth was also in good shape after the cleaning. She is now starting to chew--good and bad, I guess--and she is eating much better. I am gradually adding more kibble to her cheese omlette. I am happy to see that she is food motivated--she loves treats, now that she can eat them! She is curious about toys, but hasn't started to play yet. She was walking around with a tennis ball in her mouth.

She still won't walk on a leash. I tried putting a short one on her and letting her wear it in the house, but she chewed right through it! This area needs work, but I'm not worried about it.
To think what this little dog has been through in the past few weeks and how she is adapting to her new life is humbling. Three cheers for Lucy.

Lucy is available for adoption. I am going to try to get a picture of her off to John soon.

Sharon Ponsford
Glen Ellen. CA.

From: Sharon Ponsford <slrponsford@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:42:19 AM US/Pacific
To: KERRYBLUES-L@APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Subject: [KBL] Lucy goes HOME

We have been fostering Lucy (#113) for a little over a month. She has made such progress since we have had her. So, it was with somewhat of a heavy heart that we drove her to her "forever home" yesterday afternoon. You can't help but fall in love with the dog you are fostering. Because of our current lifestyle, we knew that having another dog was not an option right now, so there was never a question of her becoming a permanent member of our family. By the time she left us she was a different dog than the poor little waif that came here just a few weeks ago. Thanks to her clean teeth, she was eating with gusto. Only two accidents in the house the entire time she was here. Her Kerry personality was starting to emerge. She was getting into some mischief. Her tail was wagging so much, and the past few days she had started to play with toys.

I thank my Kerry, Phoebe, for showing Lucy the ropes. Lucy learned so much from observing her. Finian was not too thrilled to have Lucy here, so he mostly ignored her. The last few days Lucy was here, she and Phoebe chased around and around in the yard. It was such a beautiful sight to see.
The good news is that Eileen Andrade found Lucy a wonderful home. She will be living with a family of three in the East Bay, which means that we can visit her from time to time and she can visit us. Maria, the six year old daughter, is so excited about having a dog. She is so good with Lucy. I have encouraged them to sign on to the KerryBlues list, as it is such a valuable resource for them. Lucy still has such a long way to go, but I can relax knowing that she is in such good hands.

It was a wonderful experience for us to foster Lucy and be involved in this great rescue operation. I am proud to be associated with a group that pulled off such a wonderful coup.

Sharon Ponsford
Glen Ellen, CA

From: "Eileen Andrade" <my3kerries@comcast.net>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:04:05 PM US/Pacific
Subject: Pictures of the McCrossan girls

These pictures are of Lucy who has moved to her forever home with David, Francesca and Maria McCrossan. It is a love affair and Lucy is progressing steadily. She will begin an obedience class on May 10th which we are sure will bond her even more closely to her new family.

From: Francesca McCrossan <francescamccrossan@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:05:07 AM US/Pacific
Subject: [KBL] Potty Training and an update on Lucy

Hi all,

I read with interest the posts about potty training. Our Lucy (Shelbina #113, 3 years old) is getting on famously, but is still not 100%. Much like all of you, a regular schedule is invaluable. In the morning, she is up and out the door to the yard for a pee (her crate is in the kitchen right near our back door). Then breakfast, and I set the timer for 10 minutes. During that time she's zoned in the kitchen with me. After 10 minutes we go out to the back yard and she gets the command to "Do her Business". Nature, timing and repetition works wonders and she goes seemingly on command. This wonderful structure was fist put in place by Sharon Ponsford, her foster Mom, and refined by us. I still have the occasional pee patch to clean up, but it seems to coincide with a break in our routine, or our not paying attention or her being miffed at us about something.

Today, we happened to go upstairs before the 10 minutes were up, and I had to quickly shoo her downstairs to keep her from going in our room. But she ran right down the stairs, out the back door and took care of things. We are so proud!

She is such a changed girl, especially in the past few weeks where she seems to have come bounding out of her shell. Still quite suspicious of some men, she has finally come around to my husband. He now gets the bouncy hugs a kisses when he comes home, just as my 6 year old and I do. She tears around the house, up and down the stairs, inside and out, chews on whatever she can find (in spite of an array of chewy toys) and loves her walks. Busy streets and crowds are not her favorite things, but we are slowly desensitizing her. Car rides are grand, no car sickness to far. She just had her summer haircut, so I'll try to send photos to John in the next day or two.

I, too, am constantly amazed that those horrible years in a cage did not diminish her spirit. And I count my family as fortunate to have Eileen Andrade nearby for support, and Sharon Ponsford as her foster Mum to give her such a good start.

Cheers, Francesca McCrossan
Oakland, CA

From: "Francesca McCrossan" <francescamccrossan@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Mon Aug 7, 2006 9:22:57 PM US/Pacific
To: "John Van den Bergh" <johnv@IMPULSE.NET>
Subject: Lucy's trip to Glacier and Yellowstone

[...] Our family, including Lucy, just got back from a 3,000 mile roundtrip to Montana that included stops in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.  This picture was taken in Yellowstone as we were parked by the side of the road looking at a small heard of Bison in the nearby meadow.  Lucy was so funny, she whined and bounced around as if to say, "Wait a minute, those dogs are HUGE, and they don't smell right either."!  She was a champ.  She rode in the back seat next to our daughter, Maria, and they both were excellent travelers.  We stopped every couple of hours for comfort breaks and made sure we always parked in the shade and left her plenty of water when we went out of the car without her. 
 
Eileen Andrade loaned us a portable crate which worked like a dream.  Every night we'd take Lucy into the hotels with us, set up her crate and recreate her routine as if we were at home.  Dinner, walk, play/cuddle and bed.  She was a star.  Occasionally she'd bark at something or someone outside, and when it began to get dark, if someone walked past her car -- especially men -- she'd raise a fuss.  But that's normal for her!
 
She is really coming into her own these days.  She's putting on weight, bounding around, LOVES to play chase with Maria and my husband David (who used to be an "evil man" in her estimation) and is just generally a happy, healthy, funny dog.  We love her to bits.  Thanks goodness those years in the Mill didn't ruin her indomitable spirit.
 
Thanks for all you and the foundation do for our wonderful dogs and owners.  Our family is always grateful.
 
All the best,
Francesca McCrossan
Oakland, CA

On Oct 10, 2006, at 11:27 AM, Eileen Andrade wrote:

Dear John & Jan:

Attached are pictures from the Blessing of the Animals at Hillside Church in El Cerrito last Saturday. The first picture shows Rev. Douglas Moss with David and Maria McCrossan and Lucy (Shelbine #113). 

The second picture shows (from left to right) Richard Olen with Ollie (Great Ohio Rescue), Francesca and Maria McCrossan with Lucy and Helen Read with Lola (Shelbine 104).  In the background you can see the flower arrangement sent by Kent and Georgia Lulewich and their Kerries, Blue and Sheamus.

Eileen