Ozark Barks What's New

8-24-08:

Hello Everyone,

I have some very big news that I would like to share.  My Biggest Fan is taking this down for me long-distance, as I am, FINALLY, in my Forever Home!!!!!!  I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away, but things have been a bit busy for me in the last week.  I have an entire house and yard and TWO humans to take care of now, and I have been settling in and getting my bearings. 

 

My new family is fantastic, and is taking wonderful care of me.  My Biggest Fan sent them home with some information and suggestions about all the cool stuff I have learned while here at the rescue (I need to be honest here, "some" information was really 3 typed pages, as this boy is SMART and knows LOTS of cool stuff!), and they are practicing with me a lot.  I have all kinds of stuff of my OWN that they keep bringing home for me, and I go on long walks, and have playtime in the fenced yard everyday with my humans.  Always supervised, as they've got my number and know exactly how to keep me safe.  I even have access to KIDS...yippee!...everyone knows how I love kids!!...as my humans have a grandchild for me to visit from time to time.

 

So, it's time for me to step away from my duties as the Official Ambassador for NMAR.  I really loved the job, but there is no way I would trade in being Somebody's Dog in order to keep the position!  Not like anyone at NMAR would have LET me pass up this chance at my Forever Home.  Unfortunately, there will always be another wonderful homeless dog who will be more than happy to take over my old job, getting out there in the public eye, looking for his human.

 

Thank you for all the love and support you have sent to me during my year at NMAR.  I enjoyed seeing all of you out and about.  Maybe I will see you again someday.  My family said they will take me out to events to help support the rescue, and my very misunderstood breed,  whenever they can.

 

Please continue to keep your eyes pealed for Your Dog...you never know when or where you  might stumble upon him---even if you thought you didn't actually need or want a dog (or ANOTHER dog!).  Life can be funny that way.

 

As happy as I have ever been before,

Ozark

The former Official Ambassador for NMAR, and the current love of my humans' lives.

8-1-08:  Guess what I got to do last night?????  I went to the National Whitewater Center and watched all  the humans in rafts and kayaks splash around this river-type-thing.  Wow, it was LOUD!  And there were tons of people there...and a band.  Lots of dogs too.  I was on my very best behavior, and I spent the evening with My Biggest Fan and her sister and brother-in-law and niece and nephew.  How great was THAT????  Two kids of my very own for the WHOLE EVENING!!!!  I even practice my obedience with that little girl, and I did everything she told me to do...My Biggest Fan told me that she was very impressed with me, and very proud of how well I listened.  This little girl is only 10 years old, so I tried my best to help her out.

You know, it was weird though, nobody paid me much attention.  I'm not used to that at all.  I wagged my tail and I smiled at people, but it was like nobody saw me.  I know it was a long-shot, but I was hoping that maybe My Human would be there, and meet me, and fall madly in love with me, and I would FINALLY go home.  But not yet I guess.

 

The other news is that I have a PENPAL!  From the UK!  Holly Dolly wrote me a letter and told me all about her family, and how they would take me home if they lived here.  That made me really happy.  Even though they are far away, they still love me and want me.  Then I got a little frustrated...if that family from so far away found out about me and wrote me a note, where the heck is My Human and why hasn't He heard about me yet??!!  And then I got worried...do you think He's OK...do you think something has happened to him and that is keeping Him from coming to get me??  I would go help him in a heartbeat, but I don't know where he is and I don't know how to get there.   If you know Him, please tell him to email me like Holly Dolly did...just to let me know He's alright...or to tell me where he is so I can go help him!

 

Feeling a little hopeless today,

Ozark

7-26-08: My Biggest Fan made a video about me today. She really hopes it will help me find my forever home. The website-savvy people here at the rescue should have it up soon so everyone can watch it...and then maybe tell people about it, who will tell more people about it, and maybe, just maybe, My Human will see and it realize that I need him.

I sure hope this works!

Trying not to get my hopes too far up,

Ozark

7-7-08:  Today I had the chance to go on a brand new fieldtrip...it was something called "going to get the oil changed" and it happened somewhere called "Meineke".   My Biggest Fan took me along when she volunteered to take one of the rescue's vehicles in for this oil-related experience.  I honestly can't tell you much about it except that I got to lay on a nice, cool, tile floor beside My Biggest Fan and eat treats and drink cool water.  Lots of people commented on how well behaved I was.  A few people even came over to rub my belly---man, I love that.  One of the mechanics let me take a good look at the inside of  something called a "vending machine" while he sat on the floor with me and scratched my ears.  That was fun.  I heard My Biggest Fan give her "Pitbull Education Speech" to two different people, who were very receptive to what she was saying...it really helps when I am on my best behavior while she gives that speech, so I tried really hard to do all the things she has taught me.

My Biggest Fan told someone that she thought the funniest part was when we were actually leaving the Rescue to head over to this Meineke place.  My Aunt Lisa asked me if I was going to School (I used to go there with My Biggest Fan to learn cool tricks, remember?)...My Biggest Fan said "nope, we're going to Meineke".  Apparently, to a lot of people, this would sound odd and they would ask for clarification or more details.  But Aunt Lisa just said "Oh, OK, have fun" like it was an everyday thing.  I guess she is used to hearing about My Biggest Fan taking me all over the place to less-than-expected places...to be fair, you just never know where I may meet My Very Own Human, right?  And I'll go ANYWHERE if it means I get to meet him/her soon...I sure do miss them...and I haven't even met them yet.

 

Til next time, this is Ozark, telling everyone to keep an eye on their oil, or their change, or whatever it is that the people at Meineke check when you go to visit them!

6-25-08: Wow, was Gunny's Meet and Greet ever a success! So many people showed up to meet my buddy Gunny...and Baxter, Ryder, 2 fluffy puppies whose names I didn't catch, and I actually got to meet him face to face for the first time too! It was a bit overwhelming...My Biggest Fan was taking care of Gunny, so she didn't get to spend all of her time with me like she usually does. Instead, I stayed with a few new humans and my Aunt Beth, and tried to give Gunny space to "work the room". To be honest with you, I am really not used to having someone ELSE be the center of attention at public events! Gunny even had TV cameras and newspaper people come to meet him and film him...even I, The Official Ambassador, have only had my picture in the paper once...and have never been on TV. Way to go Gunny!

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out. I heard through the grapevine that the rescue raised a big chunk of money to go towards Gunny's vet bills---that was really nice of the humans! And of course a big thank you to The Wine Vault and its staff for allowing us to have our party at their place...they sure are nice Dog People! I had a lot of fun meeting new people and changing people's minds about dogs like me...I'm still a little sketchy on the details, but apparently some people are afraid of me and dogs that look like me. Odd, huh? I mean, how scary can I be when I spent the majority of my time with my belly primed for belly rubs or licking the faces of anyone who lets me get close enough? I don't know, sometimes humans are just way too confusing.

6-21-08:  Happy First Full Day Of Summer to everyone!  Have you guys been as busy as *I* have been lately???  My Biggest Fan has needed a copilot for her MANY trips out and about to get things (more) ready for Gunny's Meet and Greet...I have  a feeling we still aren't all-the-way ready, so I may be called back into duty at a moment's notice.  A few days ago, we had to drop off pictures of Gunny at The Wine Vault, and My Biggest Fan had totally forgotten that they have bands and radio stations and whatnot on certain days...the shopping center was PACKED. We had to park so far away, it was crazy.  My Biggest Fan thought about coming back another time, but I convinced her that that would be silly, so she and I waded off onto the crowds.  We had to dodge all kinds of crazy drivers just to get through the parking lot!  If I hadn't listened so well to My Biggest Fan, I am quite certain I would have gotten squashed!  But I knew that she'd take care of me, so I just stuck close to her heel and waited for her to tell me what to do.  I wasn't even the slightest bit nervous, even with cars so very close to me.  When we got to the shops, the crowd was crazy.  It was loud and crowded, and people were drinking stuff out of these bottles and glasses that I really think might have been making them act silly...I haven't seen such goofy humans anywhere else, so I am only speculating.  The more crowded and loud it got, the even BETTER behaved I got.  I tried really hard to remember all the  stuff My Biggest Fan had taught me, and it really did end up keeping me safe.  Anytime My Biggest Fan stopped wading through the crowd, I sat right beside her, really close.  One time this BIG man cut us off, never even saw us, and My Biggest Fan had to slam on the brakes and her nose ended up about 2" from the (bottom of!!) the guy's shoulder blades and I slammed on the brakes and sat down really fast and MY nose ended up about an inch from the back of the guy's knee.  We had to stay like that for a good minute before he quit talking to some dude about what was in his bottle, and I never even flinched...didn't sniff his knees or anything!  He didn't even know we were behind him!  Stuff like that happened more times than I could count, and My Biggest Fan said I did a FANTASTIC job, because every time, I listened to her 200%!  I had a great time, and got to show off how well behaved I was to a very cute little girl who is going to be a great dog person when she grows up! 

Today we had to go BACK over there to bring MORE stuff for Gunny, and My Biggest Fan took me for a walk around the pond.  I got to visit with more cute kids (have I mentioned that I *LOVE* kids???), and then the craziest things happened.  My Biggest Fan pointed out something called a "swan" sitting about 1 foot from the edge of the sidewalk.  It was HUGE and My Biggest Fan said they are very strong birds, and she was a little worried if it would get upset with us for walking so close to him.  So, My Biggest Fan was keeping a really close eye on this bird (even though she knows NOTHING about birds or their body language, so we were really flying blind, no pun intended)...I could tell she was nervous, and I kept trying to tell her it was no big deal by how calmly I walked by the swan.  He wasn't mad at all, and it wasn't going to be a problem, but My Biggest Fan just wasn't feeling too safe.  So, after we walked past with no problem, we sat for a second and just watched the swan...those are some cool creatures.  I think My Biggest Fan thought I might get excited or want to chase the swan, but I made a really big point of being good...I was as calm as could be...no difference being near a swan or a bench...it's all the same to me---behave!  But she was still proud of me, and I like to hear her tell me that!  A little further along, we encountered about 20 Canadian Geese all across the sidewalk.  I tried to warn My Biggest Fan by slowing down and pulling back and averting my eyes from the geese, and pulling over off the sidewalk, but she told me "Don't worry Ozark, they will move."  And some DID start  to move, but My Biggest Fan didn't realize that there was an almost-grown baby in the flock, and when we got to the dead center of the group, a few of the geese really started hissing and acted like they would come after us.  THAT was when My Biggest Fan saw the baby and I heard her say "Uh oh!".  So while she started apologizing to the geese, I pulled her over off the sidewalk away from the baby and it turned out fine.  Once we were in the clear, I went right back to my calm self and walked like a gentleman.  Not too much further down the path, we saw four adult ducks nesting under a tree and I got to watch them waddle over to the lake with 6 teeny tiny fuzzy brand-new baby ducks scurrying along behind.  We sat and watched them for a little bit, as they were VERY cute.  I was just as calm as I was with the swan.  Neither the ducks nor the swan wanted to hurt me or My Biggest Fan, and I knew that...I was really just trying to get it through My Biggest Fan's thick skull that the geese were NOT happy to see us.  And when she didn't listen, I did the best I could to get both of us out of that situation.  Like I said earlier, she is clueless about birds...not like me!

So, that's what's new around here.  Between my time with the birds and my good behavior around Thomas The Cat the other night, My Biggest Fan is believing me more and more when I tell her that I can be very good around small animals, as long as I am with someone who knows how to remind me of my manners and who makes smart choices about how to handle introductions.

OK, you'll have to excuse me now please.  I have to go rest up from my busy week.  I need to be ready in case the humans need more help getting ready for Tuesday's big event for Gunny!

Hope to see you at The Wine Vault,

Ozark

6-7-08:  I went on a fieldtrip with My Biggest Fan today!  See, my buddy Gunny needed a few things from Petsmart, and he wasn't quite strong enough to go himself.  I didn't want My Biggest Fan to get lonely, so I offered to go along.  There were also a couple of errands to run, and since everyone knows to NEVER leave a dog in a car on a hot day (and MAN was it HOT today!), My Biggest Fan asked my Aunt Jill to come along.  That way, Aunt Jill and I could stay in the car with it running and the air conditioner BLASTING while My Biggest Fan ran in to all of the No Dogs Allowed stores to get all the things we need for Gunny's Meet and Greet.  On the way home, we stopped for a treat at Sonic.  I've never been there before, but I have decided that I LIKE it!!  We packed everything up and headed back to the rescue to sit in the shade and have a picnic with our snacks.  I had my very first Ice Water Slushie!  I also talked My Biggest Fan into a few French fries and a lick of her cup when her milkshake was all gone.  Not to brag or anything, but I was on my absolute best behavior and even though I didn't get a chance to mingle with the public too much, people were definitely looking at me from afar, and I could tell they were watching to see if any "crazy" stuff happened.  Silly people, why would they possibly think *I* would do any crazy stuff???  Don't they know that I am the Official Ambassador???  How silly to judge any other living thing just by how they LOOK, right?

Well, anyway, it was a blast.  There is no better way to spend your day than with people who love you.  Maybe I'll find My Human soon, so that I can spend ALL day, EVERY day with someone who loves me.

Until next time,

Ozark

6-4-08

Wow, even in this heat wave, my duties never end!  I am not complaining, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job...I am so excited to be able to get out there in the world and DO stuff!   WAY better than sitting here at the rescue day in and day out, waiting for MY Human to finally find me.  They sure are taking their sweet time making their way to discovering that I am Their Dog, even though they don't know it yet!

 

Today, My Biggest Fan needed my help on an errand she had to run.  See, she is the one who is fostering Gunny...you may have heard of him?  I hear he and his story are getting quite famous around these parts.  Anyway, people have shown so much interest and support in Gunny that the rescue really wants to give the public a chance to meet him when he is feeling strong enough.  So, today, My Biggest Fan had to go scout out some sites for a potential Meet and Greet opportunity for Gunny.  She figured that, when approaching management about allowing us to meet at their establishment, it might be nice for them to meet an actual resident of the rescue.  Since Gunny isn't strong enough to go for himself just yet, I was happy to help out.

 

It seems the humans have decided that we will have the gathering at The Wine Vault in the UNC-C part of town.  I think that is a great plan myself, since the people went ga-ga over me as soon as I walked in the door and put my spotted paws up on their counter.  They gave me lots of belly rubs and even some treats, so in my book, they are Good People. 

 

When I hear more details about date and time, I'll let you know.  I try to keep the social side of things running smoothly around here.  Keep checking back for information....we hope to get Gunny out and about sometime in just a few weeks...he is doing really well!

 

Hope you'll be able to make it out to meet Gunny!

Ozark

Candy and Potter's Volunteer Army
5-17-08: Wow, my duties as Official Ambassador just keep getting more
and more exciting and different!  I love this job!!!  Today the rescue
had a really great opportunity...we were visited by Candy and Potter's
Volunteer Army.  Candy and Potter host a daily radio show on 107.9 The
Link, and they are really into getting people out there and
volunteering in their communities.  Not to mention, they are super Dog Parents to
Brooklyn, their very own rescued pup.  So, about every other month,
they organize an opportunity for their listeners to come together as a
group and make a difference.  I was so excited when My Biggest Fan told
me that they had chosen US for their latest visit!  I have to admit, I
was also a little nervous about my latest gig...I was supposed to greet
everybody and show off just how wonderful rescue dogs are, not to
mention point out how wrong the Pitbull stereotype really is.  So, bright
and early, I put on my best "All American Dog" collar, and went with
My Biggest Fan to greet our guests. It was so much fun!  Everyone was
so nice and friendly and gave the best belly rubs!  They asked lots of
questions about me and listened very carefully while My Aunt Beth told
them about the history of North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue, and while My
Biggest Fan told them all about me and my role as Official Ambassador.
  I was very well behaved while she told them what Pitbulls are REALLY
like, as opposed to the stuff they say about us on the news.  I think I
changed a few minds...I always love that.
Every human worked so hard, fixing fences and bleaching out crates,
attacking out-of-control weeds and walking all of the very grateful dogs.
  We were all so happy to see them and so appreciative of their help.
  I really hope I get to see them back sometime...the more volunteers the
merrier...especially for us dogs.  That means extra love and treats
and walks for us!  I REALLY love THAT!
Go check out their website    and look for some
links to their "volunteer army".  They took a lot of pictures and
maybe even some video.  You can get a good look at all my new friends.
  Who knows, maybe one of them will want an experienced Official
Ambassador to come live with them...or maybe they know My Human and will
introduce me soon!!!
Until next time,
Ozark

Ozark's Movie Night

 

Hey everybody!!  Now that Easter is over, my Ambassador duties have changed just a bit.  On Friday night, My Biggest Fan took me to the first Movies In The Park, held  in Harrisburg.  Even though I was there in my official Ambassador capacity, I was still able to watch the movie----Bee Movie---and had a blast.  I highly recommend it to those of you who live nearby.  My Biggest Fan said it was like going to a drive-in movie, without a car.  I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I know I really liked this concept of sitting around outside on a beautiful night, eating snacks and meeting new friends.  And as always, I drew a crowd if I do say so myself.  This movie thing seems to attract a lot of people of all sizes, which suits me fine, as everybody knows I love love love love people.  Just can't get enough of them!  Too bad Chewy wasn't around to go with me this time, but My Biggest Fan told me that Chewy found his Forever Home, so I had to go on my own this time.  I don't mind because I am so happy for my fellow Ambassador...he's a great guy and deserved to catch a break.  Who knows, maybe there will be another family looking for an experienced Ambassador, and it will be MY turn to take that job!!!

4-20-08: Chewy, Ozark, Hooch and Curtis Lowe attended an event up in Mooresville today. Thankfully the weather cooperated, and The Humane Society was able to hold its fundraiser for a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in that area. There were dogs, of all shapes and sizes, participating in a dog walk to raise money, and hoping to be the winners of some great raffle prizes. The NMAR boys all put on a good showing, and spent a good bit of time schmoozing with the public! We heard nothing but compliments about behavior and "cute-ability"! Chewy even had a visit from a local politician, thanking him for getting the word out about dogs in need. Photos were taken, and apparently Chewy and the NMAR info is supposed to end up on some political website! Ozark did his part to try to influence some people's opinions about his breed. Chewy and Ozark were grooming Cutis Lowe and Hooch to be the next generation of Official Ambassadors, as we are all thinking positive thoughts that someday soon, Ozark and Chewy will find their Forever Families and leave NMAR for wonderful homes. The Big Boys feel that the Little Guys have a lot of potential!!