Josie gets a bellhop, Kramer gets a girl and some yadda yadda yadda

Kramer adopts a little girl and finds his forever home!

Kramer was one of three cherry eye puppies that were brought in to a shelter in January (by their backyard breeder who couldn't make money selling them). Kramer, Brady and Eli had to spend a scary night in a shelter but thank goodness Camp Cocker arrived as soon as the shelter opened the next day and got them the heck on out of there. Kramer came down with pneumonia a few weeks later and we were so worried about him, he was so little and delicate and everyone rallied around to send Kramer positive healing wishes. Camp Cocker volunteer Pauline brought over home cooked meals and volunteer Nancy came over to give Kramer sub-q fluids. He pulled through to everyone's great relief. Here is a video that features Kramer and his brothers. A nice family came along who wanted to adopt a different dog from us. Monica and Camp Cocker Ambassador, Stuart, did the home safety check in Piedmont in early April. And then as we began to discuss finding the right dog for a home with small children, we decided that their first choice dog might not have been the best match for their home. So Jane took a trip down to Los Angeles to meet some of our other dogs and she was immediately drawn in by sweet gentle Kramer who just loves to be held and to be close to you. It was love at first sight. On Monday, Jane and Kramer flew back to the bay area where Kramer got to meet his new "girl" for the first time. The pictures in the bottom row are of Samantha, holding Kramer for the very first time, on their car ride home from the airport. Kramer is getting his cherry eye surgery tomorrow at the eye care specialist in San Francisco. Good luck with your big surgery little boy, we know you are going to do great! We will all miss you here at Camp Cocker but we know you have found your meant-to-be family to love you and cherish you forever. Welcome home little Kramer . . . welcome home!

Josie's long journey to find her new mommy!

Camp Cocker rescued Josie in October from a shelter that had several cockers that week. We were paralyzed with indecision and couldn't decide whom to leave behind so we ended up rescuing them all. Oh boy, was that a hectic time! Here is a link to the first video that featured Josie getting out of the shelter. We knew when we met her in the shelter that she had a cherry eye in her right eye, but it wasn't until later we learned she also had a cataract in that right eye. Here is another video that features Josie while we set out to fundraise for her to get her eye surgery (along with two other dogs who also needed cataract surgery at that time). In January, we had raised the funds and Josie got her cataract surgery and cherry eye surgery done at the same time. We were so disappointed when in February, the cherry eye popped back out again. We discovered that Josie excels in the art of fence climbing and she can scale a four foot chain link fence . . . we called her Josie the spider-doggie! Then along came a lovely adopter named Susan who said she didn't mind and would get Josie's cherry eye surgery redone at her own vet. Susan lives up in the bay area and Camp Cocker volunteers Monica and four-legged Stuart, did the home safety check in April. Then we made arrangements to meet and Susan drove all the way down to Santa Barbara where she got a fancy dog friendly hotel room for Josie and her to spend their first night together. It was a big day for Josie and you can see in the bottom pictures that she could barely keep her eyes open and layed down for a much needed nap. Have sweet dreams little Josie, because when you wake up and realize you've landed a home you've only seen in your dreams, you are not going to believe it! We love you little girl and don't go climbing any more fences!

and now for something completely different . . .

Someone inquired today about why Camp Cocker does not support shock collars on dogs. Electric fences, underground fences, electronic collars, bark collars, they are all electric shock collars with less shocking names for marketing purposes. There are many reasons not to use a shock collar, one is that you are sending electric shock waves to the neurological system that is going to have some type of long term affect on the brain. Yes, seizures can develop. Yes, the dog's throat and skin can begin to burn or get infected from the skin getting raw. Yes, the dog will feel pain but it is "only for a second" and will teach them a lesson. Yes, using a shock collar on a nice friendly dog can actually change that dog's entire personality and turn him into a fearful or aggressive dog. But let's forget all of those reasons . . . disregard them, perhaps Camp Cocker is just being silly about the whole gosh darn thing. How about just taking pause and doing a little test of the collar first before putting it on your dog? Put the shock collar around your throat and then shock yourself and see what happens. Will it hurt? Will it make you dizzy? Will it make you nauseous? Will it make you blind for a few minutes, a few hours? Now imagine how much stronger that shock collar is going to feel on a twenty five or thirty pound dog that is a fraction of your weight? Here is an article that delves into the shock collar question a bit more. What is interesting, is that the manufacturers who profit off of the sales of shock collars, all make claims that they are safe to use. Yet there have been no long term studies done, there is no knowing how many dogs have developed seizures or have had strokes as a result of having their neurological systems shocked. No telling how many dogs have become aggressive as a result and have been put to sleep. All things to consider and take great pause, before deciding to put a shock collar on your dog.