It's Raining Dogs and Snakes!

Apollo and Chocolate Thunder found loving homes, yay! As did Bashful! Her mother and sister, Lucky and Rosie are still up for adoption! If you love black lab/ pitt mixes, these girls are incredible. Lucky has a very laid back disposition and is great with other dogs, young children, and just about anyone she meets. 


Rosie is a lovely, ~2yr old, Pit-Lab mix that was a stray up until about a year ago. She is spayed and up-to-date on all of her shots. She loves to give kisses and play-wrestle! She is also a very smart girl! Rosie is crate-trained. She is not a submissive dog and would not get along well with another dominant dog without a lot of work. She loves going for long walks and jogs! If she could, she would sleep next to you at night but, she has been trained to not be on the bed or couch. She can get a little 'mouthy' when she plays (but she never bites; she's very submissive to humans), so I would suggest a household with older children. Rosie is very at home in the woods, and would make an amazing hiking/camping buddy. Rosie knows how to "sit", lie "down", get "off", and "come". I've been working on "stay" and "heel". I am also hoping to be able to get her to stay near me without using her lease. She will love you unconditionally so long as you give her attention. She will follow you around the house and wonder what you are doing and keep you company wherever you go. She is such a joy to have around! I would keep her myself, but my apartment is very small and between work and school, I only have so much time to devote to her. Rosie is available, to a loving home, for a small donation to the Conservators' Center Inc, and comes with some dog food, treats, and a slightly demolished monkey-buddy. The Conservators' Center Inc will require that the new owner sign a contract that states that, should anything happen and the owner can no longer care for Rosie, that she will be returned to the Conservators' Center Inc where a new home will be found for her.


 If you are interested in either Lucky or Rosie, please contact me.

My newest addition through the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas is Big Bertha, a 9 foot long boa who is 20 years old and blind in one eye. She is very cuddly and enjoys giving back massages and just mellowing out in her old age.

If you have a big heart and are considering adopting Bertha, please contact Zach D'Alessio with the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas.

A 7-month old male mutt was abandoned at an animal hospital in Warsaw county, NC. Not knowing what to do with him, they were going to put him to sleep. Presented with this news, I took him in. Decided to give him the name of Huckleberry Finn since he seems to enjoy getting into adventures around the house. Huck is up-to-date on vaccines and vet care, still needs to be neutered. He has a very mild disposition and seems to be doing great with Lester (just got him this evening). The two of them have been wrestling for hours, but I think it's time for bed for all of us to go to bed now.

If you would like more information on Huckleberry Finn, don't hesitate to email me. 

(Please excuse the picture quality. It is challenging to shoot a moving target)


A special thank-you shout out to my neighbors for supporting me in all of my efforts. And all my buddies at the Conservators' Center for inspiring me to be a better person every day.

The Foster Frenzy: Bobby Fargo “Adoption,” Bashful Foster, and Some Snakes

Hello, animal lovers!

Treat feeding Bobby Fargo Bobcat

As of Sunday, August 28, 2011, I decided to officially Lifetime Adopt Bobby Fargo Bobcat at the Conservators’ Center, Inc. in Mebane, NC. No, I did not bring him home (Lester would not appreciate a bobcat living in the townhouse). However, this entails a financial sponsorship to him and the organization for the rest of his life. In addition to the tangible donation, I have the exciting opportunity to give him toys, treats, scents, and love. Bobby Fargo has two extremes - he either relishes in the disgusting scent of meat/fish or the fruity scent of Bath and Body Works “raspberry body splash” (yes, the smell of a 12-year-old girl). Nothing is more rewarding than calling out his name, watching him stretch from his nap and gracefully bounce from platform to platform to come greet me.

Back in Raleigh, my most recent fosters are a Eastern-Western Fox snake hybrid we named “Chocolate Thunder,"Jungle redtail boa morph named “Apollo,” and a black lab mix, Bashful.

"Chocolate Thunder"

Chocolate Thunder and Apollo are being fostered through the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas. Chocolate Thunder is a yearling fox snake hybrid who has quite the personality. With some socialization and handling, he would be great for someone with a lot of patience. He gets a little uneasy when being taken out of the tank, but once out does very well with people. He has no negative medical history and is also a fantastic eater. Anyone with mild snake experience and interested in a more unique companion, please contact me for more details.

"Apollo"

Apollo, the handsome redtail boa morph, is a bit larger, about 3.5 feet long, and very easy to handle. Apollo is currently being treated for mites but they should hopefully clear up soon. He is an excellent companion for an experienced snake handler. For more information on Apollo, don’t hesitate to email me.

"Bashful"

Bashful, a 10-month-old black lab mix came to the Conservators’ Center, Inc. a few months ago with Rosie (her mom), Lucky (her sister), and Shadow (a male who was already adopted). Her mom and sister have been picking on her so I decided to temporarily take her in. Rosie and Lucky are also up for adoption and phenomenal around people. Bashful is extremely submissive to other dogs (both males and females) and wonderful around people. She is a bit shy at first but warms up to you very quickly. She is fully up-to-date on vet care, is spayed, and has no medical issues. She is also being very good about crate training and on her way to being fully housebroken. She is ABSOLUTELY FREE, although I’d love for you to donate a little something to the Conservators’ Center, Inc. in honor of a happy life with her. J If interested in fostering or adopting Bashful, contact me ASAP.

"Bashful" being goofy

King Snakes for Adoption

Hello, internet! I hope you enjoyed my first post.

There are two king snakes currently up for adoption. Both came from a large confiscation where over 40 snakes were removed from a drug addict's home.

(A Note from Cait: If you are as humored by the concept of 40 snakes being removed from a crack house as I am, feel free to laugh a little bit.)

This is "Jafar," named by my roommate, Stacey whose birthday is tomorrow.
She would really love for you to adopt a snake in honor of her 20th birthday.
Jafar is a yearling, very sweet, and full of tons of energy.

This is "Whopper Junior," a baby king snake.
I strongly encourage you to change his name.

If interested in "Whopper Junior" or "Jafar" please contact me or Zach D'Alessio from the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas. Thanks!

Stuck in Paradise, From Wags to Riches: The Saga of Lester Gustavo Cartago Joseph

It was March 9, 2011. I was on a service trip in Costa Rica, performing veterinary care on local pets. At our makeshift clinic in Cartago, where surgery tables were folding tables, lights were based on windows, and sterile drapes were garbage bags, a small dog had entered the scene. He was tan, about 20 pounds, around five-years-old, and begged everyone for love and attention. Many of the natives just shooed him away, but the volunteers gave him the time of day. My friend Sarah fed him some of her beef jerky, I scratched him behind the ears, and Brittany decided to love on him as well. We thought nothing of it and finished up the day.

Then, on March 10, he returned to our clinic. I cannot imagine why. All of his friends were getting spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and the dreaded nail clip, and yet he still insisted on hanging around with us. He then sat in my lap, looked up at me with his big brown eyes, and said, “Please, can I come back with you?” I picked him up, held him like a baby in my arms, and said, “Yes, you can come with me.” I learned a very valuable life lesson that day: You never find your animals - they find you.

Sarah decided to name the dog “Lester” after our trip leader Lester, who was integral in arranging the dog’s affairs. Continental Airlines explained the $125 fee for carry-on and that everything was all set for my flight on Sunday, March 13.

They lied.

After paying my exit tax and being escorted by one of the airport staff members, I learned quickly that the dog was NOT allowed on carry-on. He and his carrier were too large. Although not ideal, I reluctantly agreed to check him into cargo. (I later found out the $125 for carry-on became over $500 for cargo.) We then ran into two problems: Cargo was not open on the weekends and in order to transport an animal, this airport required 24 hours to process paperwork.

After hearing the news, I pondered my situation. I knew I could not just let this dog back into the streets. We had gone from Cartago to San Jose, he would be lost and confused. Lester was not merely "good with people," he craved human contact. Kicking him out into the real world would be doing a disservice to him. The only other option was to re-book my flight for first thing Tuesday morning. For the next two days, I would live at the San Jose airport alone with this dog.

The same man that had escorted us through the exit tax saw me holding the dog like a baby in my arms. He told me, “Don’t worry. I’ll find you a place to stay. A young girl like you should not be staying alone in this airport. It’s dangerous.” This man’s name was Luis Gustavo Alfaro, or Gus for short. Gus was the operations manager of the San Jose airport and put me in touch with his boss, Tom, the head honco. I realized that I had to blindly trust the kindness of strangers and just have faith that these were good people. Tom, his lovely wife Terri, their cat Cheddar, and their yorkie Lily took us in and treated us like royalty.

Upon entering Tom and Terri’s home, I noticed that every room in their house had a dog/cat bed and their animals had been beyond spoiled. From that moment on, I knew that Lester and I were in good hands. We were “stuck” in paradise for two days. During these days, we celebrated Gus’s 36^th birthday. I have never seen a man so appreciative of a simple cake before. Gus said that nobody had made him a birthday cake in 20 years! I overlooked the skyline of San Jose at night. (I also got a glimpse at Chuck Norris’s mom’s house which was in the area.) Lester contently basked in the sun a majority of the day, and would sleep on the floor at night.

I don’t think he ever knew what a bed was until then. Just by the way he stared at me with those big brown eyes, I could feel the presence of his eternal gratitude. I thank Lester every day for entering my life; he has enhanced it tremendously. Lester greets all the neighbors, friends, and family with open arms and says “I love you” to everyone. Today, I reside in Lester Gustavo Cartago Joseph’s humble abode. He relishes in gourmet dog food, owns a beautiful raincoat, and even allows me to curl up in his bed.