New York, NY – October 14, 2010 – NYC Shiba Rescue, Inc. (NYCSR), a volunteer group dedicated to the rescue of Shiba Inu breed dogs in the NY metropolitan area, today announced the adoption of two of our very special veteran foster furries, Buddy and Luna, on October 3, 2010. After almost 3 years of total time within the NYCSR foster program between the two of them, both Buddy and Luna’s foster families have decided to take the plunge and open up their hearts by providing the forever homes they deserve.

Buddy entered the NYCSR Foster Program in August 2008 with the unique distinction of being the only litter box trained shiba the rescue has seen, along with several other more unfortunate characteristics. With the help of his dedicated fosters Buddy was able to overcome some behavioral issues including difficulties reading behaviors and a strong distrust of strangers. Over two years later Buddy has blossomed into a happier, well-adjusted dog who loves going out with his new mom and spending time playing with his new pack of shiba brothers and sisters.

“Buddy has come a long way and we adore him,” said Buddy’s new mom Jenn. “He’s a serious guy at times and will ignore you and act very, very aloof. Then if there’s something good going on, like a car ride, he’s spunky, wagging his tail, and giving you kisses. He’s quite the shiba and has definitely touched all our hearts.”

Luna came into the foster program almost 2 years ago and has required lots of time and dedicated care from her fosters ever since. A beautiful and loving cream shiba girl, Luna has been treated for a number of ailments during the course of her foster period which stemmed from what was finally diagnosed as Cushing disease. Luckily Luna’s health problems are now completely under control and with her adoption she is on track to live a thankfully healthy and fulfilling life with her new family.

Buddy and Luna are the 77th and 78th dogs that NYCSR has adopted out since the rescue was founded in April 2007.

Luna has been improving in her time with June, her foster mom. She is still has a weight issue but the Cushings seems to be under control.

Personality wise, June has told us she’s learning new things about Luna. For example: if Luna is in a separate room from her, she lets you know she wants to be in the same room as you by doing something mischievous but harmless like pulling a towel off a rack or ripping up a magazine. It’s as if she’s expressing a “How dare you put me in a room alone!” sort of response and it’s comical.

Luna is still extremely sweet and communicative. She lets June know when it’s time to go for a walk and also likes to choose the path by facing a direction or street and standing there until June complies. It’s Luna’s way of asking or saying, “We’re on an adventure! Let’s try this block.”

June let us know that Luna has bonded with the cat in the house even more so and likes meeting new people. She’s also playful but gets tired quickly because of her weight. Luna is a great dog and we can’t wait to find her a forever home.

Luna is a sweet and lovable dog. She’s playful and likes to get hugs, pets, and kisses. This summer weather was too hot for her and she didn’t like to be outside in the heat for long walks. June also told us that since Luna is overweight, the humid days and high temperatures really made Luna pant and shed a lot.

Luna loves squeaky toys but will find the squeaker quickly so she tends to wear them out. She also loves bones and if she doesn’t have enough acceptable things to chew on she sometimes will find something unacceptable such as a table leg or other item. However, Luna is wonderful with other animals and likes cats and dogs. June found out that if she rubs Luna on her shoulders, she can get her to do the ‘Shiba Smile.’

Luna still has a bad habit of begging for food and will bark and bark. Luna has been more active since the weather is cooling down and seems happier with taking long walks and exercising.

To deal with the cushings and urinating problem she has had, June found that if she has Luna wear a ‘tinkle trouser,’ which is basically a diaper garment, that Luna can have an accident without it being an issue or something that Luna may feel guilty about. It also helps keep the house cleaner. June has noticed that Luna will try to wait till it is time for a walk but with the Cushings, it is sometimes beyond her control.

Overall, June says Luna is a beautiful dog and has brought a lot of happiness into her home.

June, Luna’s foster mom, told us that Luna is a wonderful dog and still as sweet as the day she first met her. Luna is a bit more playful now and will get excited if you sit on the floor with her and pretend to be a dog too. She then tries to play with like a dog with some nipping and bouncing around.

Luna does not like summer and finds the humidity to be too much and does not want to walk long distances on really humid days. We understand as none of us want to either, we’d rather be in a air-conditioned house too!

She likes to meet new people and will greet you by licking your hand. She shows some hesitation towards men when first meeting them but loves children and woman. She also likes to chew on bones and it keeps her from being bored and chewing on things like a table leg. Luna likes to have activities even if they are low-key to keep her mind stimulated.

Luna still begs and barks for people food but June is making sure that Luna doesn’t get any as it isn’t good for her since she’s overweight. June told us that Luna is a great dog and very sweet. She adores her and loves having her in her home.

June, Luna’s foster mom, has told us that lately Luna has been making it a habit to chew on her kitchen chair, table legs, and shoes. Luna tends to do this during the day when June is at work. It sounds like Luna may be bored and finding things to do to occupy her time. June has made sure to keep Luna more stimulated with che toys, treats, and other “acceptable” items for Luna to chew on.

Since Luna has been diagnosed and under treatment, her urination problems have gone away. She no longer pees in the house and is doing very very well. Luna loves to eat. She will bark when she sees you eating something. She wont leave you alone and will beg and beg. June is trying to establish that she is the pack leader. It seems like Luna is feeling better and showing some of her “naughty” habits.

Overall, June has told us that Luna is a lovely dog and would be a joy in any house she lives in.

Luna’s foster mom, June, told us that since Luna has started medication for Cushing Disease, that Luna has improved. She is more alert, active, and has begun crate training.

She has a beautiful coat and resembles a polar bear. Everyone asks June what kind of dog Luna is and Luna loves to meet new people. She likes to be pet and given attention. June told us that if someone doesn’t pet Luna, it almost looks like Luna is confused and shocked. She absolutely loves children and loves other animals, such as dogs and cats. Luna has a cat friend and she also has become protective and jealous over the cat. She will nudge you, scream, or gently bite you if you go up to the cats to pet them.

Luna loves to have her belly rubbed and rolls on her back so you don’t miss a spot. She’s just a sweet and lovely dog overall and June has told us she absolutely adores her.

Luna’s foster mom recently took a few movies on her camera phone and sent them to us to share.

We also recently found out that Luna may have Cushings. It’s a disease where the production of too much cortisone affects certain areas of a dog such as their liver and abdomen. Cortisones relax the ligaments of the abdomen and causes enlargement of the liver. It also causes increased thirst and relaxed muscles can equal accidents around the house. It also can cause a dog to look like they have a pot belly.

Luna has started treatment and we will be closely working her foster mom to make sure she’s on the right diet, gets good exercise, and monitor her for improvements.

Keep checking back to see how Luna is doing.

Luna went to the vet and had a bladder infection and was on antibiotics for two weeks. But this has not stopped her from urinating in the house. Her foster Mom (June) tried keeping her in the kitchen but she was unhappy. She also walked her a lot but she still had accidents in the house. June decided to train her the way she trained her two year old cocker spaniel when she got him. June used a panty and he learned that it would stay on until they went out and then back on again until he no longer urinated in the house. June tried this on Luna and so far no accidents. It is working wonderfully – one day she forgot to put it on Luna and she had an accident. Now June doesn’t forget. She is learning well now.

Luna is loveable, sweet but at times stubborn. When she doesn’t want to come in, she will walk very slowly and sometimes you have to pick her up or give her treats to get her to walk faster across the street. Because of her weight, she is a bit lazy, so walking long distance is not the answer as reducing the amount she eats is. She gets along very well with the cats, playing chase with them and never biting them unless she becomes jealous when the cat gets picked up and kissed. That is when she will try to bite his tail or his belly or his ear, but not in a mean way. Maybe this is her way of kissing him too. LOL.

Luna really has no issues, she’s great on a leash, does not bark, is great with people, kids, dogs especially. She has toys to chew on, not aggressive at all, just a wonderful easy dog to care for.

Luna already knew most of her commands when she came into foster care and so far, she is doing great. She is a big licker, licking June’s face and arms, etc. She also licks the cats too. She would be lonely without another pet as she enjoys the interaction she has with the cat. She plays with the cat constantly. She looks for the cat to play with all day and the cat also likes the dog.

Say hi to Luna! She’s about 30 lbs and has a habit of snorting sometimes, maybe it’s how she laughs. Her foster family has told us she’s wonderful, easygoing, and very loving. Luna came to us because they could no longer care for her. She can sometimes still get very excited and play like a puppy. She loves children, dogs, and cats.

Luna is good with getting a bath and being groomed but she’s not a fan of nail clipping. Luna knows a few commands such as sit, stay, come, and speak. She also knows how to give high fives!

Since she’s been with her foster family, she hasn’t jumped up on them or done anything too destructive. She does like to try to get out the front door though and this is something her forever family will have to be aware of, door bolting. We are working with her to learn that she shouldn’t go running out the front door just because it’s opened.

Luna does try to beg for food and also likes to chase some of the animals outside. She tried to chase some geese and growled at them but was not allowed to hunt or run after them. She does like the cat that she’s living with and tries to play but we’re not sure if the cat thinks this is great fun. However, Luna would probably be lonely if she didn’t have another animal to hang out with when her foster mom is out. Her foster mom has told us she’s already fallen in love with Luna and takes her for long walks in the morning and finds her a great addition to their house.

Keep checking back to see when she’s available.