Tucker's Favorite Folks
Rescues and Shelters
The Animal Protectorates (TAPS): Christy Schilling and Shelley Rizzotti started this group that evolved from C.R.O.P.S., (Citizens for Rescue-Only Pet Stores.) Once they accomplished their mission in getting those rescue-onl pet stores in Glendale and Burbank, California, continued animal advocacy and rescue under this new 501(c)3. I proud to be a part of this amazing team that help animals in the court room, at city council meetings, and in the shelters.
It's the Pits Dog Rescue: A few years back, I did a transport for these kind folks. It was supposed to be a simple pick up a black pittie mix from the shelter, get her spayed, and then bring her to San Diego. However, upon picking her up, one of the shelter workers gave her a pet, felt her tummy in passing, went back, and said, "Um... this dog is pregnant." Complications ensued as a spay-abortion was an order because she had been on some hefty drugs for her kennel cough (stuff you don't give pregnant dogs without causing major birth defects.) Due to my worry for the girl, and the rescue's kindness, I drove her to San Diego where she received amazing care at the local clinic. It's a foster-based rescue, and only takes in dogs when fosters are available.
Luvable Dog Rescue: Liesl's life is the ones I'd like if I get to come back in another life. With fifty-five acres in Eugene, Oregon, this lovely lady has built a one-of-kind rescue. Originally Luv-a-Bull, taking in pit mixes, she began also taking the tinniest ones too, with Luv-a-Little. I transported a couple of dogs to her rescue, and if you're a dog that's on death row in the LA shelter that gets placed here, you've hit the jackpot. Liesl built this place from the ground up, every dog room (they're not kennels) and outdoor enclosure.
My Way Home Dog Rescue: I met Cheryl when I transported a supposedly-senior dog through START Rescue (see below.) Cheryl's organization is another foster-home-only rescue, so she only takes dogs when fosters are available or she has extra space on her amazing property outside Portland, Oregon. She focuses on seniors, but takes other hard-to-place homeless canines as well. When I met her, she had two feral dogs that she was fostering. You would never know it unless she told you, but one of them still hadn't allowed her to pet her even after two months. Cheryl is a patient woman, and gives dogs all the time they need to recuperate and get ready for their new lives.
National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network: Patti is transporter-extraordinaire. I've done a few transports for her, and she even did a home check for me for one my fosters. This lady is constantly moving Brittany's, getting them out of the shelter, in vans, on planes, across state borders, all to get them into their forever homes.
Operation Adopt: TAPS storefront (rescue-only pet store!) located at 3318 W. Magnolia Blvd., in Burbank, CA. Here you can meet adoptable in person, get some food and treats and other swag for your canine or feline companion.
Pilots N Paws: Dog rescue is infinitely cooler when it involves a Cessna. These amazing flyboys (and flygirls) donate their time and fuel to transporting dogs from high kill shelter to rescues and rescues to foster and forever homes. Can't get much sexier than a pilot that loves dogs--and who lets the dog ride shotgun at 6000 feet.
San Diego Humane Society: This is the place that proved that Renovating Rover can, and will, happen. I drove Bogey II, my final transport on the cross country adventure in 2007 from Missouri all the way to San Diego, California. Here he got the star treatment, and here I saw in reality what a shelter truly should be.
San Francisco SPCA: Besides being ahead of its time with an adoption center decades before San Diego opened theirs, the fine folks of the SF SPCA accepted me racing into their facility, kittens in arms, tears streaming down my face, pleading for help. Having been turned away at another shelter who told me they would just kill these five day-old kittens who I had found scattered on the side of the road as if someone had tossed them from a moving vehicle, the SPCA brought us right in to see a vet, took care of them, and sent them to a bottle-feeding rescue (see below.)
Saving Grace Rescue Inc.: This is the rescue who took in the kittens that became known as the "Skyline Kids," since I found them on Skyline Blvd., where I was hiking that day. Only two made it through the first month (which is really good odds for motherless kittens!), and Linus and Sky are living out their lives thanks to Saving Grace Rescue who raised them and found their forever homes.
Southern California Dachshund Relief Inc.: I did a transport for them as well, working in conjunction with the fabulous Patti of NBRAN. A great organization, foster-based rescue of a breed close to my heart: the dachshund.
START Rescue: I met Candace when she was putting together a transport headed north with a different organization. She's from Eugene, Oregon and has a lot of contacts up north. She now organizes all START transports that monthly take Los Angeles shelter dogs northward to places like Luvable Rescue and My Way Home. I met Steve through another rescuer before he began START. He was kind enough to look after my almost-foster-failed pit mix Tia while I was pitching Renovating Rover. Once you get involved in rescue, you discover the overlapping circles of folks, and there really is a lot less than six degrees of separation among them all.
The Animal Protectorates (TAPS): Christy Schilling and Shelley Rizzotti started this group that evolved from C.R.O.P.S., (Citizens for Rescue-Only Pet Stores.) Once they accomplished their mission in getting those rescue-onl pet stores in Glendale and Burbank, California, continued animal advocacy and rescue under this new 501(c)3. I proud to be a part of this amazing team that help animals in the court room, at city council meetings, and in the shelters.
It's the Pits Dog Rescue: A few years back, I did a transport for these kind folks. It was supposed to be a simple pick up a black pittie mix from the shelter, get her spayed, and then bring her to San Diego. However, upon picking her up, one of the shelter workers gave her a pet, felt her tummy in passing, went back, and said, "Um... this dog is pregnant." Complications ensued as a spay-abortion was an order because she had been on some hefty drugs for her kennel cough (stuff you don't give pregnant dogs without causing major birth defects.) Due to my worry for the girl, and the rescue's kindness, I drove her to San Diego where she received amazing care at the local clinic. It's a foster-based rescue, and only takes in dogs when fosters are available.
Luvable Dog Rescue: Liesl's life is the ones I'd like if I get to come back in another life. With fifty-five acres in Eugene, Oregon, this lovely lady has built a one-of-kind rescue. Originally Luv-a-Bull, taking in pit mixes, she began also taking the tinniest ones too, with Luv-a-Little. I transported a couple of dogs to her rescue, and if you're a dog that's on death row in the LA shelter that gets placed here, you've hit the jackpot. Liesl built this place from the ground up, every dog room (they're not kennels) and outdoor enclosure.
My Way Home Dog Rescue: I met Cheryl when I transported a supposedly-senior dog through START Rescue (see below.) Cheryl's organization is another foster-home-only rescue, so she only takes dogs when fosters are available or she has extra space on her amazing property outside Portland, Oregon. She focuses on seniors, but takes other hard-to-place homeless canines as well. When I met her, she had two feral dogs that she was fostering. You would never know it unless she told you, but one of them still hadn't allowed her to pet her even after two months. Cheryl is a patient woman, and gives dogs all the time they need to recuperate and get ready for their new lives.
National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network: Patti is transporter-extraordinaire. I've done a few transports for her, and she even did a home check for me for one my fosters. This lady is constantly moving Brittany's, getting them out of the shelter, in vans, on planes, across state borders, all to get them into their forever homes.
Operation Adopt: TAPS storefront (rescue-only pet store!) located at 3318 W. Magnolia Blvd., in Burbank, CA. Here you can meet adoptable in person, get some food and treats and other swag for your canine or feline companion.
Pilots N Paws: Dog rescue is infinitely cooler when it involves a Cessna. These amazing flyboys (and flygirls) donate their time and fuel to transporting dogs from high kill shelter to rescues and rescues to foster and forever homes. Can't get much sexier than a pilot that loves dogs--and who lets the dog ride shotgun at 6000 feet.
San Diego Humane Society: This is the place that proved that Renovating Rover can, and will, happen. I drove Bogey II, my final transport on the cross country adventure in 2007 from Missouri all the way to San Diego, California. Here he got the star treatment, and here I saw in reality what a shelter truly should be.
San Francisco SPCA: Besides being ahead of its time with an adoption center decades before San Diego opened theirs, the fine folks of the SF SPCA accepted me racing into their facility, kittens in arms, tears streaming down my face, pleading for help. Having been turned away at another shelter who told me they would just kill these five day-old kittens who I had found scattered on the side of the road as if someone had tossed them from a moving vehicle, the SPCA brought us right in to see a vet, took care of them, and sent them to a bottle-feeding rescue (see below.)
Saving Grace Rescue Inc.: This is the rescue who took in the kittens that became known as the "Skyline Kids," since I found them on Skyline Blvd., where I was hiking that day. Only two made it through the first month (which is really good odds for motherless kittens!), and Linus and Sky are living out their lives thanks to Saving Grace Rescue who raised them and found their forever homes.
Southern California Dachshund Relief Inc.: I did a transport for them as well, working in conjunction with the fabulous Patti of NBRAN. A great organization, foster-based rescue of a breed close to my heart: the dachshund.
START Rescue: I met Candace when she was putting together a transport headed north with a different organization. She's from Eugene, Oregon and has a lot of contacts up north. She now organizes all START transports that monthly take Los Angeles shelter dogs northward to places like Luvable Rescue and My Way Home. I met Steve through another rescuer before he began START. He was kind enough to look after my almost-foster-failed pit mix Tia while I was pitching Renovating Rover. Once you get involved in rescue, you discover the overlapping circles of folks, and there really is a lot less than six degrees of separation among them all.
Dog Discrimination Information and Advocacy
Beyond Breed: As the name states, it's a group that goes beyond the breed. Kim Wolf is a wicked cool lady, eloquent speaker, and forward thinker. As she says, don't be "pro-pit bull" or "anti-pit bull"; just be "pro-dog."
Bullhorn Podcast: Josh Liddy of Swaylove.org joins with Peace, love, and Pitbulls's Tino for a podcast about pit bulls, shelter systems, BSL, and all things political when it comes to animal care, control, and legislation.
Pit Bulletin Legal News Network: A concise and thorough roundup of all news pit bulls from various sites across the internet.
StopBSL.org: Run by the same folks at Pit Bulletin Legal News, this is the
SwayLove.org: Josh Liddy of Los Angeles is master networker, shelter watchdog, and legislative advocate for the blocky-headed breeds and breed mixes.
Beyond Breed: As the name states, it's a group that goes beyond the breed. Kim Wolf is a wicked cool lady, eloquent speaker, and forward thinker. As she says, don't be "pro-pit bull" or "anti-pit bull"; just be "pro-dog."
Bullhorn Podcast: Josh Liddy of Swaylove.org joins with Peace, love, and Pitbulls's Tino for a podcast about pit bulls, shelter systems, BSL, and all things political when it comes to animal care, control, and legislation.
Pit Bulletin Legal News Network: A concise and thorough roundup of all news pit bulls from various sites across the internet.
StopBSL.org: Run by the same folks at Pit Bulletin Legal News, this is the
SwayLove.org: Josh Liddy of Los Angeles is master networker, shelter watchdog, and legislative advocate for the blocky-headed breeds and breed mixes.
People and Places We Enjoy:
Dogs Playing For Life: Aimee Sadler tours the country, helping shelters create playgroups for dogs. Allowing dogs to spend time being dogs, romping in a play yard together is better for them not only because it gets them out of the kennels for a few minutes every day, but it helps them get out of the shelter for good. Adoptions are on the rise in shelters that implement her program as people walk in and see playful pups wrestling and running--they just have to take one home!
Grand Slam Dog Training: Davd Essex, formerly of Zoom Room, now has his own agility classes that he holds at the fabulous rescue campus of Pet Orphans of Southern California.
Katya Lidsky: I met this lovely, talented dog rescuer during a transport. While our charges were in the vet's office getting their health certificates, she and I built airline kennels for them in the pouring rain outside the strip club next to the vet's office. How could that not be the beginning of a beautiful friendship? She's writer/playwright/actor/animal activist extraordinaire/dog behaviorist/brilliant lady, and I'm proud to know her.
Landfill Dogs: Mary Shannon Johnstone is changing the lives of the shelter dogs at the Wake County Animal Shelter in Raleigh, NC. She takes one dog at a time out to the old landfill, photographing them in beautiful boundless freedom. Her portfolios are astounding. Photographing dogs outside the shelter is starting to build up steam as more photographers do seminars to teach volunteers how to take good photos for online ads. But these photographs go beyond a dog's "dating profile." This is art in motion.
Priscilla's Coffee House: Okay, Tucker might not fully share my enjoyment of this place, as going here means it's time for him to just lie under the table while write. This has been my haunt since I arrived in Los Angeles in 1999 back when I was dogless, but now that I have a canine partner, it is my singular go-to coffee house for any singleton dog guardian. Why? Because you don't need to go inside to order, leaving your dog unattended or with someone else. Order from the walk up window on the side of the building. and then enjoy your complicated caffeine beverage at one of their sidewalk tables without ever leaving your dog's side.
Storybook Dog Training: Tucker and I met Debbie Briggs when she was a trainer at Zoom Room. Hands down, she was my favorite teacher, and Tucker's too (but Tucker's always been a bit of a kiss-ass with his trainers.) Debbie began her own business not too long ago, and although Tucker has graduated beyond her curriculum, we highly recommend her to get you as far as we've come!
Zoom Room: As David Essex, the proprietor of Zoom Room Sherman Oaks, Hollywood, and Culver City states accurately, "Zoom Room is like a YMCA for dogs." If you're like me and can't commit to 6 or 8 or 12 week classes because you're always leaving town for work, this is the place for you. Their classes are come as you can, various times throughout the day and week, and as you prove you've mastered the curriculum for one level of training, you're advanced to the next. Besides obedience training, they also have the fun stuff: Tricks, Agility, Private Gyms, and Play Groups. They even host birthday parties.
Dogs Playing For Life: Aimee Sadler tours the country, helping shelters create playgroups for dogs. Allowing dogs to spend time being dogs, romping in a play yard together is better for them not only because it gets them out of the kennels for a few minutes every day, but it helps them get out of the shelter for good. Adoptions are on the rise in shelters that implement her program as people walk in and see playful pups wrestling and running--they just have to take one home!
Grand Slam Dog Training: Davd Essex, formerly of Zoom Room, now has his own agility classes that he holds at the fabulous rescue campus of Pet Orphans of Southern California.
Katya Lidsky: I met this lovely, talented dog rescuer during a transport. While our charges were in the vet's office getting their health certificates, she and I built airline kennels for them in the pouring rain outside the strip club next to the vet's office. How could that not be the beginning of a beautiful friendship? She's writer/playwright/actor/animal activist extraordinaire/dog behaviorist/brilliant lady, and I'm proud to know her.
Landfill Dogs: Mary Shannon Johnstone is changing the lives of the shelter dogs at the Wake County Animal Shelter in Raleigh, NC. She takes one dog at a time out to the old landfill, photographing them in beautiful boundless freedom. Her portfolios are astounding. Photographing dogs outside the shelter is starting to build up steam as more photographers do seminars to teach volunteers how to take good photos for online ads. But these photographs go beyond a dog's "dating profile." This is art in motion.
Priscilla's Coffee House: Okay, Tucker might not fully share my enjoyment of this place, as going here means it's time for him to just lie under the table while write. This has been my haunt since I arrived in Los Angeles in 1999 back when I was dogless, but now that I have a canine partner, it is my singular go-to coffee house for any singleton dog guardian. Why? Because you don't need to go inside to order, leaving your dog unattended or with someone else. Order from the walk up window on the side of the building. and then enjoy your complicated caffeine beverage at one of their sidewalk tables without ever leaving your dog's side.
Storybook Dog Training: Tucker and I met Debbie Briggs when she was a trainer at Zoom Room. Hands down, she was my favorite teacher, and Tucker's too (but Tucker's always been a bit of a kiss-ass with his trainers.) Debbie began her own business not too long ago, and although Tucker has graduated beyond her curriculum, we highly recommend her to get you as far as we've come!
Zoom Room: As David Essex, the proprietor of Zoom Room Sherman Oaks, Hollywood, and Culver City states accurately, "Zoom Room is like a YMCA for dogs." If you're like me and can't commit to 6 or 8 or 12 week classes because you're always leaving town for work, this is the place for you. Their classes are come as you can, various times throughout the day and week, and as you prove you've mastered the curriculum for one level of training, you're advanced to the next. Besides obedience training, they also have the fun stuff: Tricks, Agility, Private Gyms, and Play Groups. They even host birthday parties.