THIS WEEK AT VRC

Greetings VRC Village!

We’re just a couple weeks out from Howl-o-ween and life at the rescue shows no sign of slowing down. To say we had a busy week would be an understatement. Things started off with a rescue out here in my neck of the swamp.

A little dog we ultimately named Boude had gotten tangled up with a nutria. Now nutria may look cute on the outside, but they’re quite a handful. After I was able to get a leash on the dog, we discovered he had several wounds and cuts all over his face and body, some even requiring stitches and staples. He was definitely malnourished after being out in the swamps, but is still super sweet. After getting through medical this gorgeous chocolate lab will be up for adoption.

Once Boude was in good hands, I had to hit the road to transport a wolf dog named Charley from our Texas location up to a Sanctuary partner in Ohio, the Red Riding Hood Rescue Project. With the Texas property at full capacity, Charley was always intended to be a short-term resident with us, until our partners in Ohio could get a proper enclosure ready for her. It was up to me and my trusty hound co-pilot Crowley to bring Charley to her new home in Ohio at Red Riding Hood Rescue’s incredible facility. Click here to check them out on Facebook.

Last, but by no means least, 2 of our bloodhounds are on the way to their forever home in NY! These two bloodhound sisters, Oda Mae and Myrtle Belle, were rescued together as part of a group of hounds we took from a Mississippi shelter. They’ve been with us for a bit now and are still shy in new environments which has made them harder to adopt. We couldn’t be happier they get to go together and finally get their shot at a forever home.

Everyone here at Villalobos is so appreciative of the support you’ve given us with this newsletter. It’s still new to us, so we’re in the process of figuring things out. If there’s something you want to see or hear more about, please feel free to comment below. And, if you love it, share it with a friend or family member using the link at the very bottom.

Enjoy the rest of this week’s Straight Outta Swampton!

Slobbers and Drools,

Tia

THE ADOPTABLES

Meet 7 year-old Boujee! She has really matured since she was one of our more wild pups.😂 She is very toy and food motivated and would do best in a home with adults only or older kids. She is smart and loves to learn! She is fantastic in the car. In fact, she would make a great companion for someone who lives on the road full time driving a truck or in an RV. Boujee enjoys being bathed and loves going out on walks and even does well saying hello on leash to some canine pals.

Meet 4 year-old Ellie Mae! She loves dogs, loves kids and is an overall amazing dog. She loves going in water and would be a perfect addition to most families. She is confident and sweet, loves being around her people, likes car rides and loves laying on the couch! She is such a great girl. Whoever gets this lady will be one lucky family!

To learn more about Boujee, Ellie Mae and all of the other adoptable dogs at Villalobos click below.

VRC SPONSOR PROGRAM

SUGAR PLUM NEEDS A SPONSOR

Sugar Plum isn’t great with other dogs or kids, but she loves people. She moved from one of VRC’s warehouses to a satellite house about 6 months ago. She enjoys being in a home environment, but it’s been an adjustment since she’s spent most of her life in a kennel environment. She sticks to her kennel routine, but has been coming out of her shell more and more everyday. She loves to look for treats her caretakers hide around the yard to help her enjoy yard time more. She’s a sweet girl who loves a good walk around the neighborhood.

To sponsor Sugar Plum, or any of the other dogs in our sponsor program, click below.

VRC dog sponsors get access to a private Facebook group moderated by Tia.

VRC MERCH

Did you know VRC sells its own merch? From t-shirts and hoodies to jewelry and stickers, all profits benefit the dogs of Villalobos. If you see merch anywhere other than right here or the official Facebook pages for VRC and Tia, it’s a scam and doesn’t benefit us. Click the photos above or button below to get some Official VRC Merch.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU…

TEXAS SANCTUARY

From Texas Manager Amy: Here in Texas, the higher security enclosures are getting their corners reinforced. Over time, they started to lean in a bit and just needed a little facelift, so Moe is fixing them up nicely. Ferris, Nymiria and Kymiria enjoy watching him work and appreciate the upgrade.

Dex loves his new routine of a daily walk and dip in the pond. He shares his enclosure with another wolf dog and they take turns rotating out time. He used to play hard to get when it was his turn to be put in the catch pen for Valkyrie to have her time loose in the enclosure. It was a daily challenge until I realized if I invite him into the sally port and reward him with a walk outside his enclosure he loves the swap out time and looks forward to it every day. He no longer minds sharing his enclosure at all and comes straight to me, galloping at lightning speed, when I show up with my leash.

WEST VIRGINIA WAYSTATION

From Prison Dog Program Manager Dani: LOYAL... That is the word that best describes T.J. It is easy to say that he has known heartbreak, disappointment and loneliness. Things have not always gone in his favor, and he definitely has plenty of reasons to not believe that a home of his own will ever be in his future. Does that stop him though?! NOT AT ALL! He has a huge heart and so much love to give, and if you show him even just a little bit of kindness, he is ready to stand by your side for the rest of his life. Having arrived to our prison program in May, T.J. is now our longest participant. He's smart, sweet, absolutely gorgeous, well trained, and a super happy guy...and did I mention that he's also extremely loyal?!

So what's keeping him in the program? He's not exactly the easiest placement. T.J. would do best in a home where someone is there frequently with a fenced in yard (he's got a high prey drive). We're also asking for no other dogs in the home, and absolutely no cats. While he is friendly enough, he really enjoys his quality time with his person. It's tricky to find his perfect person (or people) even though he is so easy to love!

Click here if you’re interested in learning more about adopting T.J.

Also, one of our prison program dogs, Peanuts, has a meet & greet on the NJ/PA border this week. During his time in the prison program, he’s learned all of his basic obedience commands and is ready to go. If things don’t work out at the adoption, he’ll return to the prison program until we find his forever home. Fingers and paws crossed for Peanuts.

LIZZY’S TRAINING TIP OF THE WEEK

ENRICHMENT

This tip is all about enrichment, and less about training. Our dogs need enrichment to thrive and they need to exercise their brains just like their physical bodies. An easy way to provide mental enrichment is to feed your dog out of a puzzle toy.

If you need training help visit https://www.itsforlifedogtraining.com/ to book an online session with Lizzy.

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