Midwest Schipperke Volunteers Have Been Busy!

 January 6 a search warrant was served in Eagle Point, Oregon for a dog hoarding situation. The police chief contacted Midwest Schipperke Rescue ahead of time for advice and possible help in dealing with a tough situation. Midwest's founder got on the phone and contacted dog people out west, and soon had vets and techs lined up for the police in Eagle Point. Police recovered 58 live Schipperkes and 30 deceased dogs over a three day period. Veterinarians and other volunteers processed the live dogs on the scene before they went to the county animal shelter. The homeowner signed over nine puppies and two adults to MSR at the scene, and those dogs were transferred out of the shelter to volunteers in Oregon six days later. 

Sweet Pea, a very pregnant female gave birth to seven live puppies last week, and six survive. One little boy could not gain weight, and he passed today. Some of the dogs have already been placed in homes that will become permanent. Others have adopters picking them up soon. 

Puppies in a volunteer foster home.

Puppy Pile and Corki

Sweet Pea...

... And some of her puppies. Little Blue Boy is the one who passed today. 

Susan and I have been busy for two weeks with this project. We have had a lot of applications from people wanting to adopt dogs, and we have to screen everyone, then interview, etc. We are not done yet. There will be a court hearing next week to determine the status of the forty-some dogs in the county shelter that came from the hoarding situation. Sweet Pea's pups will also have to be placed in good homes when they are ready to leave their mother.  

Not a grind! We are helping Schipperkes and meeting (Online, On Phone) good people all over the country.

Lira Is Progressing Nicely!

 Lira isn't ready to go to a home yet, but she is improving. She now enjoys sitting on the couch with us and the last couple days she climbs onto my lap. She is still a nervous girl who barks at small disturbances, but the progress is happening. 

Rest In Peace, Rambler

Rambler showed up as a feral Tom in 2011. I soon had him coming to us for chow, and he learned to come running when we called his name. It took a year before we were able to touch him. He had a heated hut on the porch that later became the home of Lightning.  We eventually caught him and took him to the vet for vaccinations and neutering. These photos are from 2012, and he has been a fine pet all these years. We figure he was sixteen years old, and his health failed recently. I buried this old friend today. Susan and I are not taking in any cats now. They would outlive us, and I don't want someone turning pets out of the house when we go toes up. Same with our dogs. We aren't getting any puppies! We are enjoying our old dogs and the fosters that go through our hands. Seeing a homeless dog go to a great new home is a joy and we plan to keep on doing that while we have good health. 

 

Bella And Stella...

 ... are leaving after many months to go to their new home. A generous transporter is taking them to South Carolina tomorrow.  We are going to miss these fun loving little dogs. They have been a joy. 

Tuesday, we will go to Swansea and pick up another homeless Schipperke who is quarantined at a vet's office, and she will take up residence next to Lira, who is still learning how to trust people and be a pet. Back To The Old Grind!

Sophie Has Found Her Forever Home!

 

Sophie has been with us for 1 1/2 years learning how to be a pet and a house dog. She was a hot mess when we got her, and she touched grass for the first time in her life.  

We drove up to St. Louis yesterday to meet her new owner, at a hotel across I-70 from Lambert Field. While we walked into the hotel, an F-15 took off with its afterburners firing and Sophie froze for a moment, but did not try to bolt and run. She has become a well adjusted dog. She is eager to meet new people and shows healthy curiosity in strange circumstances. 

Here we are, leaving for the flight west. Sophie is the third dog to go way west from us this month. Midwest Schipperke Rescue is literally adopting dogs ocean to ocean and border to border. It is a strange, complex thing to have joy and sadness at the same time for a little dog. She is part of our family, but now she has a better life ahead of her. 

Yes, Sophie got into that little crate! Happy Trails, little girl!

Every Morning, Every Evening, Ain't We Got Fun!?

 Lyra lying on my leg, Stella and Bella, all of us enjoying the stove in front of us.  Coffee, wood heat, and Schipperkes!

Schipperke People

Susan and I foster dogs for Midwest Schipperke Rescue, a small non-profit organization based in Illinois. We are constantly amazed at the responses we get from those who want a Schipperke. We have had people drive here from the east coast, southern Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, the Texas gulf coast, Denver, and some from Illinois, of course. Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, a couple from southern California is flying to St. Louis where they will rent a car, then come to adopt a dog, and then drive all the way back to California. Ain't life grand?! People are good!
 

Four Schipperke Pups...

 ...One has gone to Kentucky, one has left for Wisconsin, leaving Cole and Colby needing homes, plus the adults, Bella, Stella, Lyra, Sophie, and Atlas. We are making progress, it just is slow. Back To The Old Grind!

Dogs Coming And Going

We had a busy weekend with the foster Schips. Two adopters came and each took a dog home. This one is Tevin, who has moved to Kentucky. Queenie left Sunday for Indiana. We are sad to have dogs leave, but also happy that they now have good homes. Monday we pick up another Schipperke. She needs to learn the social skills a pet needs, so we will have her for several months at least.

Back To The Old Grind!

 

Bella And Stella Looking For A Home!

 Two of the foster dogs available through Midwest Schipperke Rescue. Find Midwest on Facebook or comment on this blog if you are interested in adopting these two adorable dogs.

A New Rose For Alabama

 

Vanilla (and three more dogs) moved in as fosters in July, and today ( August 7) Vanilla (now Luna) heads for her new home. The adopting family will be here bright and early, and will be taking her to the sunny South. 

Lucky dog, lucky family!

And...Luna has started her journey home!

Update, Sunday, August 10: We are getting glowing reports, photos and videos of Luna in her new home. She seems to have adjusted instantly and is even using a pet door, something she has never had before.

The Latest Schips, Bella and Stella

 Little Bella is a very small 7 + pounds fluff Schipperke. Stella has obvious Chihuahua traits, and may be mixed with Schip. Bella acts like she wants a piece of you until your lap becomes available, then she is all lovey-dovey. These are two delightful little dogs and they need to stay together. They are 9 years or a bit more, and their owner passed away. The veterinary needs are nearly done and they will soon be ready for adoption. Bella has no teeth, and needs a soft diet. Stella lost 11 teeth, so she can still handle some kibble. Request an adoption application from Michele at Schipnut58 (at) yahoo.com.

Foster News! Zahara And Princess Peaches Have Left The Building!

Zahara and Peaches moved in with us at Christmastime last year, and are great little dogs. We finally found the perfect home for them and they left on a twelve hour trip Thursday morning. We have had a couple of good reports from their new home today. Joy!

Zahara and Peaches' new digs!  (Click)

Surfing The Heat Wave, Keep Your Pups Cool!

 

Hop In, Hop Out, Repeat. Back To The Old Grind!

Buster Schipperke, June 21, 2008 – March 27, 2025

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"Why is it that a dog doesn’t get to live too long, but he still has to die,…old.*" Buster came to us as a foster in 2023 because Mary, his owner had a major health crisis.  Giving him up was a painful decision for her.  Buster was 15 years old, blind and deaf, but still active. We made the decision to keep him as a permanent foster, rather than adopt him out, and make him adapt to another new home. Our dogs accepted him, and he liked them. He soon romped with the rest of the pack in spite of his blindness, and would bark with joy. 

Buster had two kennels; one in our living room and the other in our bedroom. He could find both of them and would often retreat to his kennels to rest. He was vocal when he needed out, day or night; a real easy keeper. He always was easy to lead on leash for going in and out, until the last few weeks when his arthritis slowed him down. He loved to stroll in the yard outside the dog yard, where he could explore and sniff new smells. 

Susan threw a birthday party for Buster when he turned 16, and he really enjoyed that. Mary, his former owner, was able to come and visit Buster on a few occasions. Buster would recognize her immediately and become animated. Those visits were special times for all of us. Mary visited us just a few days before Buster had his final downturn in his health, and we are thankful that she was able to see him one more time.

Senior foster dogs can be difficult to adopt out. Most people looking for a dog are reluctant to take on a pet whose days are limited. You never know how long a dog will live. Some die young, and some make it past any expectations. 

We always figure a Schipperke is good for around 16 years. Old Skipper made it to 18. Our first Schip, Merky, lived to 16. That number is no guarantee, though. Old dogs are a joy. They don’t have wild streaks like a pup, and they are usually content to sit and provide company for you. 

You love them just as much as a dog you have had for many years, and of course when their time comes, the hurt and sorrow are the same. They become family, just like a young dog. Rest in Peace, Buster. You have been a great dog and a dear friend. 

*Jim Stafford

 

Still Looking For A Home

 We still have foster Schipperkes waiting for someone to adopt them. I think the rotten winter weather has inhibited people, and we are hoping that some good applications come in soon. 

Bandit, the 14 year old boy has his weight down from 20.2 when he arrived to 17.5. He is getting around much better, and we should be getting another pound off of him. He loves to lie on the couch in front of the stove down in the basement.

Here's Bandit getting a checkup at our Vet this week. He is looking a bit sleeker now. 

Sophie is definitely ready to move on to a permanent home. We have had her and Atlas for nearly a year now, and they will both be good companions for someone. Atlas is not a lap dog, preferring to stay by your feet, but Sophie will gladly get in a chair with you. That is Sophie looking at the camera. Vinnie and Mina are crawling all over Susan, and Teddy is wishing he had the chair to himself.

New Schipperkes To Foster!

 Our blog followers get to see Zahara and Princess Peaches before anybody else. These two Schips were dropped off at an animal shelter in the middle of the night with no information other than their name tags, with birth dates. Zahara appears to have recently raised some puppies, and is heartworm positive, so we will have her for a while to treat her. They made the trip from Iowa in three hitches and are now safe in our basement. Tomorrow we will be getting another Schipperke from here in Illinois. That boy is 10 to 12 years old, and was surrendered due to his owner passing away. 

Not A Grind! It is a Joy!

The Schips Keep Us Busy...

 Buster is a permanent foster with us. He has old age infirmities that would make life difficult for him if he moved to a new home, so he stays with us. We help him out, and then guide him back. He can't see, and can't hear, but he still enjoys his outings.

Sophie and Atlas are nearly ready to adopt out. Sophie was losing weight and we discovered that she has histoplasmosis in her gut. She is taking meds for a month and seems to be improving. We are having Atlas tested, too, just in case he came with that problem. We sent off his specimen yesterday and should hear back this week. If he is clear, we will be talking to possible new owners. 

Sixteen Is A Scary Number For Schip People

 

We had three sixteen year old Schipperkes in the house at the same time recently. Old Buster has been with us for more than a year as a permanent foster, and he is now showing signs of dementia. Sapphire, on Susan's lap recently lost her owner, and friends of the family are fostering her. We had her for twelve days and gave her royal treatment because she was suffering from heart failure. Blayde, also sixteen is suffering from a collapsing trachea, so he requires a gentle touch to keep him going. Two days after we returned Sapphire to her regular foster, she apparently had a stroke and soon passed. Our old Skipper made it to eighteen, and we hear of a few Schips that get past twenty, but sixteen is the number that puts me on edge.

A Little Bit Of Heaven

Here we have Atlas, Poppy, Vinnie, Sophie, Mina, and Buster. Ranger is not in the photo. That is a lot of Schipperkes! Jack passed recently and is no longer with us, though we still feel like he is here. Poppy goes up to the northern Illinois border to her new home next week. Atlas and Sophie have not found their new homes yet, so we need to repost them on Midwest's F-book page.

Here's Atlas getting a pedicure. The dogs accept a grinder much easier than clippers.