10/21/07 ~ We had a fun weekend with Healy the Lab and her bunnies. Once in a while we are able to accommodate other species at Scooter's. If we can't take care of them here at our place, chances are we can come to your home to care for your other-than-canine pets. That's how I got started in the pet business and we both love to take care of cats, birds, rabbits, reptiles and other small pets. We are also experienced at livestock care. Horses, cattle, sheep, llamas, goats, chickens and whatever else you have on your farm are all within our expertise. Call us about helping you at home while you are away. ~Carol

1/9/08 ~ Whew! That was a hectic holiday season! Thank you to all our clients who entrusted the care of your dogs to us while you were traveling for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. We had so much fun with all our new canine buddies and everyone here had a great holiday. We had snow to play in (a little, anyway) and all the doggies were perfectly well-mannered during their stays with us. Mishka and Blau became fast friends; Roscoe and Chewbacca came for two visits; Laika made the boys go ga-ga; Bo was a gentleman to everyone; Riley and Bogey kept an eye on the younger dogs; ShaSha and Harvey kept us all on our toes; Otis helped us ring in the New Year; Lucky provided security assistance; and Huck made sure we remembered to throw the ball. Plus, Ruby came for a couple of play days. It was a pleasure for both David and me to spend our first holiday in Oregon with these darling dogs.

We are now moving forward with facility improvements. Dave has almost finished the new enclosed and covered play yard in our barn. It will give us an additional area to let the daycare and boarding dogs run without getting so dirty in the rain. We are looking for more daycare dogs, too. Please keep an ear open for any of  your friends who might have doggies who would enjoy playing with other fun and friendly dogs at our house while their people are away from home during the day. We will pick up and deliver dogs for daycare, don't forget!

Stay warm, everyone! ~ Carol

Canine Midwifery
I have a special interest in the whelping and care of newborn puppies. I've helped many dog moms bring their litters into the world safely and then nurtured the little ones through the first eight weeks of life. Our black lab, Velvet, is a breeder for Canine Companions for Independence and her two litters have been the most recent puppies born in our home. As a veterinary technician and foster care provider for shelters and rescue organizations, I have had the honor of assisting more litters of puppies than I can count to be born with no complications from whelping to mother or babies. Due to ethical concerns regarding pet overpopulation in the U.S., I limit the clients I midwife for to those who are working with a veterinarian to ensure the health of the mother; to breeders who are attempting to improve the standard of their breed; and to organizations and individuals who breed to provide service dogs to people with disabilities. A careful whelping is essential to starting puppies off correctly on their journey. Additionally, the care and nurture a puppy receives during the first eight weeks of life is equally important to ensure the skills needed to become a beloved family member, provide assistance to a person with a disability, produce other quality canines, work with a crime-fighting partner, or any number of other activities dogs share with humans. Please let me know if you would like to talk about how my skills could be utilized to assist your canine mom and her babies. My fees are very reasonable and the whelping can be done in our home or yours. ~ Carol