The new year has brought many changes to Hidden Creek Farm.

Let’s get things started with a quick round up of the 4-legged residents. We welcomed not one, not two, but three new additions to the Farm. Mabel, an 8-year-old lab mix, came to us from a hording situation through Old Dog Haven.<<<Our Foster girl Mabel from ODH

She obviously had a rough time prior to meeting us, as she has limited use of her back leg due to an untreated fracture of the hip and pelvis. She is also covered with tumors, one nearly as large as a baseball hanging from her undercarriage. Don’t start feeling sorry for her though. She doesn’t let this slow her down a bit. (Well, hardly a bit.)  Thanks to a steady supply of pain meds and a nice thick orthopedic bed, she is pretty comfortable these days. While the fact is, she may not be with us long, she is making the most of it by getting as much attention as she can.Maggie was the next new arrival.

<<Mabel geared up for cold laser therapy.

A 12-year old English Springer, her lifelong person had to move to a care facility and she was unable to go with him. She was a bit slow to transition to us, after all, she had lived her entire life with one guy who probably knew all her little moods and quirks, and she got stuck with us in a much more chaotic household.  She also has a number of issues, many from old age, such as arthritis, chronic ear infections, nearly deaf and blind. She gets monthly cold laser treatments and daily ear cleanings. After two months, she is settling in nicely.

Last, and certainly not least, we have Moses. This dear sweet boy is only 4 years old and has what the vet called, “the worst case
of hip dysplacia I’ve ever seen.”  The tragedy is compounded by the sheer joy he shows when chasing a ball.

<<Moses the happy dog with a ball.

Due to other as-of-yet unidentified issues, he is emaciated, has the early symptoms of spondylosis,  and has terrible coat and skin issues. His frame is that of an 80 pound dog, but he weighed in at about 45 pounds when he came to Northwest German Shepherd Rescue.

<<Moses at intake.

He is an absolute joy to have in the house, though, as he wants no more than stretch out by you on the couch for a nap and occasionally reach out for some under the chin scratches.  The sad truth about his physical condition is that his time with us is being measured in days, maybe weeks, but definitely not in terms of months. The GSD is by far my favorite breed, but when I see a dog like this, with so many issues that can be traced to the genetics of bad breeding, it makes me furious. So, we get left taking care of the sick, castaway dogs, while there are about a dozen ads from backyard breeders on Craig’s List in my area right now, trying to sell “purebread germin shepards.”  That is a rant blog post for another day.

We are also, finally seeing a little progress at Hidden Creek Farm, itself. While we did not make the Holidays 2013 opening date we had so hoped for, we recently learned that the permit nightmare process is finally moving forward again. Maybe we will aim for Spring Break 2014.

Here is a quick look at the kennel area before, during, and after our floor work. Thanks to Grant at dogkennelfloors.com for all the help and advice to get these done so nicely.