Sometimes you just have to wonder — is there some magic going on, or are we just incredibly lucky? Let me explain.

I met Lady Zabora at MCHS about a month ago, when I went by to photograph all of the adoptable pit bulls. Although I met and spent time with more than 30 dogs that day, something about this girl stuck with me. I couldn’t get her out of my head.

I sent her photo to a few fellow pittie advocates / foster friends, expecting the usual “poor girl, what a sweet face” type emails. This is where the lucky stars began to appear:

1. Our friend A at Two Pitties in the City sent us an email that really made us realize that we didn’t have to stop at “poor girl, sweet face” thinking. We might be able to actually do something for this girl:

Something about the elderbull you posted today was really touching . . . would we be able to ‘sponsor’ her? Not sure how much that would cost, but I think it would also be a cool way to raise momentum and continue the positive awareness. Just a random pushy thought as I’m out to dinner.

2. After this initial inspiration and a few more conversations with A, we were lucky to have the help of Bobbi, our tireless rescue coordinator at MCHS, who worked overtime to make sure Zabora was safe at the shelter while we were trying to coordinate a rescue strategy, and helped us arrange a low-cost spay by a kind vet who offered a very affordable price even though we had not yet secured an official rescue for Lady Z.

3. Once we had emotionally committed and launched our fundraiser hoping to raise the funds to support what we had started, we were starstruck by our incredibly generous and supportive community of dog-lovers, blog readers, and facebook fans, who pooled together to create a rescue fund that we can hardly even wrap our brains around. We had hoped for enough to cover Z’s spay, ear and eye meds, routine shots, and a modest amount to offer her future adopters toward vet care. Even with her recent complications sending her to the vet hospital for five extra days, another procedure, and some intensive monitoring, we can cover all of her costs and should still have some funds left over for future needs. Lady Z is still in the vet’s care and recovering, but she has never been more surrounded by lucky stars.

photo courtesy of temp foster mom Juliana

4. While all this was going on, Lady Z was being quietly cared for in the background by Juliana, her temporary foster mom. Juliana also works tirelessly at MCHS and has been one of our insider sources on the status of our various favorite shelter dogs. She was the first to tell us about Lady Z’s stellar evaluation and the one who volunteered to care for Z during her convalescent period. And it didn’t take long for her to become wrapped around Lady Z’s little paw:

It’s a weird feeling when you miss an animal you’ve only had for a short time and that you know isn’t even yours. It also reveals how special that animal is, and how lucky you are to have her in your life at all.

photo courtesy temp foster Juliana

In those first few days, Juliana woke up at night to take Z outside in case she needed to go out. She snuggled and played with her, dressed her in cute “adopt me” bandanas, and sent us lots of photos to keep us updated. When Lady Z suffered a very scary ruptured blood clot that sent her back to the hospital, not only did Juliana drop everything to drive her there, but she went back and visited over the weekend so little Z didn’t have to be alone at the hospital. She did this all with no public recognition. No claim to fame. What a star.

So in this quiet period before Lady Z comes home to finish her recovery, we are thanking our lucky stars. We could never have dreamed that there would be so much support and enthusiasm out there for saving one poor little elderbull, and we are truly humbled to be among such kind and giving spirits.

Have Lady Zabora, Foster Dad, Chick, and I just stumbled upon a field of lucky stars, or is there something else going on here?

And speaking of luck, please remember to email us your selections for the raffle if you have donated toward Lady Zabora’s rescue and medical care. You can look at the raffle prizes here, email us at DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com, and donate here if you have not yet but would like to. Deadline is Monday, September 5th.

Yesterday mom made our big announcement – that we had committed to rescuing a sweet lady elderbull that caught her eye at our county shelter (and my eye once I saw her photo, hubba hubba), and were raising money for her treatment and care. If you missed her story, you can catch it here. Poor dear is going through some tough medical stuff– eye and ear infections, surgical complications from her spay, a massive blood clot that ruptured and sent her back to the emergency vet where she will be staying for observation for a couple of days — she really needs our help.

Mom was really moved by this girl because she’s the same age as me, and mom got to thinking about how different my life could have been if I’d just ended up in different hands. This girl drew the short straw (and I drew a really long, crazy, colorful, fun, curly straw), but we got our heads together and decided: we can lengthen and curl her straw if we all work together!

When mom said it was going to take a village to save this elderbull, we had no idea how many people would come together to change the path of Lady Zabora’s life. As an Elderbull myself, I’m really proud to know that you guys care so deeply about us mature adult dogs. When our friend A at Two Pitties in the City suggested the idea of raising money, mom was not sure it would be a success. A few days ago, my Eldercrush was all but doomed. Today, her forecast looks much sunnier. I can’t wait to hang out with her after she’s healed up a little more. Is she a total dreamboat or what?

But we’ve got more news: the fun’s not over yet! A bunch of my blog friends are pitching in their arts, talents, and other goodies for a little raffle to thank our donors. Think of it as donating to a good cause and getting a free raffle ticket to win something fun for yourself or your pooches! It’s like when I’m sniffing around in the grass like a good dog does and I stumble upon a delicious bit of cat poo as a bonus. Yum!

Everyone who donated already – as well as new folks – are eligible to play. Here are the rules:

• For every $20 donation, you get one raffle ticket. Simply email my recordkeeper at DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com, and let her know which item you would like to be entered for. If you donated a multiple of $20, you get that many raffle tickets. So a $60 donation wins you three tickets, which you can throw in for three different items. I won mom five tickets by winning the Paco dog modeling contest, but mom says I can’t play. Pootie!
• If you donated less than $20 already, you can add the rest to get a ticket if you wish. Same goes for those who donated an off number like $30 – you can add $10 and get two tickets, or just use your one ticket.
• Winners will be drawn at random (by computer or by me, we’re not sure yet) after Labor Day weekend, and mom and I will announce here on the blog.
• Times are tough, so if you are donating what you can but can’t spare $20, don’t worry! I will send you a pawtographed photo card of myself as a token of my appreciation. It’s the small acts by the big village that make magic happen for elderbulls!
• Haven’t donated yet but want to join in on the fun? Here is Lady Zabora’s Chipin. Remember, multiples of $20 for lottery tickets!

Now for the fun part. Grab a can of that bubbly, malty stuff mom is always drinking or some dog biscuits or something, because this is a big list of fun to get through. Here are your neat raffle items!

Your favorite Animal Farm Foundation t-shirt – this is where my hero Sarge the Elderbull worked on behalf of all pit bull type dogs. These American Apparel shirts are soft, high-quality, and made with love in the USA. They fit humans better than dogs, but I still love them. And look at those handsome dogs on those shirts! You pick your own style, color, and size. Two winners. Thank you Animal Farm Foundation!

click to go to AFF merch page, where you can see the shirts in more detail

A handmade pit bull silhouette pendant made from solid copper and treated with brown patina. Available plain or customized with a “collar” on each side. The “collar” can be colored beads of your choice or a stamped name up to 7 letters. You also choose cropped or natural ears! Doesn’t that one on the left look just like me?? Thank you Nina!

Obviously these are the coolest: a set of ten 4×5.5 inch folded photo greeting cards (of ME!!) with matching envelopes, printed on fine art watercolor paper. Blank inside. Your choice of me as the lush that I am or me as the businessman that I aspire to be, or five of each. Two winners. Awesome!

An 8×12 inch matted, ready-to-frame pawtographed print of my buddy, Vicktory dog Handsome Dan, wearing his very own Paco Collar – photographed by my mom, pawtographed by the famous, devastatingly dapper Handsome Dan himself. These are very rare, the Danimal has only pawtographed a pawful of these. Seriously, this guy is so handsome he even gives ME a run for my money. Your choice of print. Serious Danimal or smiling Danimal? So hard to choose! Thanks Handsome Dan!

Hand knitted, custom doggie turtlenecks – set of two. These are basically the cutest thing I’ve ever worn – knitted by the grandmother of Turk and Rufus and grand fostermother of lovely fostered pittie Ginger Rogers (hubba hubba) of Our Waldo Bungie. Stevie and I tried these on and we loved them so much that we didn’t want to ever give them back! They are not only fashion forward (a must for me), but also keep us warm on those slightly chilly nights. And you know what’s really cool? You can’t buy these anywhere yet — be the first to have them! Your choice of style, color, and buttons, and you get two different ones, so you can match all of your moods! Thanks Our Waldo Bungie!

Hey! Finally something not dog-specific! Gorgeous handcrafted layered copper rings with custom stamping. Can include 3 or 4 ring layers. Each layer can include up to 20 characters (commonly pet’s names, children’s names, and phrases like don’t.bully.my.breed or adopt.rescue.love.forever).  This can be made as a pendant or a keyring. We’re thinking of a keyring for my mom: chick.elderbull.supreme. Thanks again Nina!

A custom, mini, modern painted portrait of your favorite pet or pets (or of me, obviously). This is an incredible, adorable, four by four inch acrylic painting on canvas and wood panel. It’s protected with a matte varnish and ready to hang. Mom and I don’t think this could be any sweeter. The artists has her own handsome pittie, but she will paint your dog, bird, chinchilla, hamster, cat, whatever. These are amazing. Enough said. Thanks to the Pet Shop at Yellow Brick Home!

For those of you who have been wanting to make your own art and have supposable thumbs (is that what they’re called?), here is a brand new, never-been-used, honest-to-goodness, film Holga camera. You know those nostalgic, vignetted, funky photos you’ve been seeing? Yep, they’re taken with this puppy. This camera takes special film, and our generous donors are throwing in your first roll. Thank you, Two Pitties in the City!

Two Pitties' Mr. B and Ms. M show off their donated Holga

Made-to-order, hand-knit doggie sweaters. Need I say more? Personally I LOVE sweaters because my gorgeous, designer furs get chilly in the wintertime! You pick the size, the colors, and your preferred style – regular or Elderbull (with buttons for easier on and off for arthritic limbs). Obviously I loves these sweaters. I would never wear unfashionable clothing! Mom says this is a really special raffle item because these have never been sold before. Our dear friend Emily and her mom plan to start using these for fundraisers, but we are the first ones to show them off. Amazing? Yes. Thank you, Our Waldo Bungie!

And last but certainly not least, a beautiful, handcrafted martingdale collar made of cotton fabric, nylon webbing, and metal hardware. I have been begging mom for one of these for five squillion years, but she usually says I’m being a spoiled brat and sometimes the fosters get cooler things than me. Lame! Anyway, Sirius Republic has dozens of fabrics to choose from, and these babies are super sturdy. Stevie Wonder loves her “chirpy” style collar in a size medium. My new crush, Elderbull Zabora, is about to start rocking the “rhianna” in a size large. And not that it needs to get any better, but Sirius is a big supporter of dog rescue and regularly donates a portion of proceeds to various causes. Two winners. Thank you Sirius Republic!

So? What’s it gonna be??

Elderbulls have been on our mind this month, so when our Chick won a free Paco Collar (a $100 value) in a dog modeling contest, we decided to put our money where our mind is. Had we not won, we likely would have bought Chick the collar anyway. Yep, that’s right. A $100, custom, handmade collar for a dog. But since we did win, we were thinking . . . what could we do with our $100 that can really make an impact? Oh, we have an idea! We think we’ll save an Elderbull.

Turns out it’s not so easy. Saving an Elderbull takes a whole lot more than our $100, especially if our Elderbull of choice has some arthritis, conjunctivitis, and a mysterious neurological issue that gets her off balance from time to time and sends her teetering to the side while she happily and waggily trots toward us to give us a big hug. On top of that, our Elderbull needs to be spayed, vaccinated, tested for routine issues, microchipped, and have full bloodwork done. And on top of that, she is an Elderbull, which means that she will be passed over by many adopters who prefer a younger dog. And on top of that, we can only co-foster her at best, because of a crazy fall travel schedule and a looming move.

But are all those reasons going to deter us? No way!! Especially when our Elderbull has liquid almond-colored eyes, perfectly cupped ears, a stellar evaluation, and that look of wisdom that dogs acquire with age. Plus, our Elderbull otherwise has little-to-no chance of being adopted from the shelter or pulled by a rescue in the traditional way.

And so, we are pleased to introduce everyone to Lady Zabora, our Village Elderbull!

But as we mentioned before, it takes a village to save an Elderbull – we can’t do this alone. We urgently need to raise the funds for her vet care and find her a stable foster home in the greater DC/Baltimore area. We are also hoping to set aside a small “trust fund” as an incentive for her future adopter – the balance will go to her adopter’s vet as a credit against future routine medical care.

So friends, today we turn to you. Have you been wanting to donate $20 or $40 to a good cause, but were waiting for something specific and personal that you could get behind? Have you experienced first-hand the amazing things that can happen when people band together to save a dog against all odds? Has your own dog found redemption and love in your arms as a result of the kindness and generosity of others? This is your chance to pay it forward. With a lot of small contributions on top of our bigger chunk of start-up money, we can turn things around for Lady Z. There is no question that your contribution will be helping to save this worthy life.

Here’s how to help:

1) Donate toward Lady Zabora’s rescue and medical needs via PayPal on her ChipIn fundraising page here. Any amount helps.

2) Track our updates on Lady Zabora’s fundraiser and the girl’s progress on our Facebook page here.

3) Spread the word about Lady Zabora by forwarding this blog post, adding Zabora’s ChipIn widget to your own webpage, or sharing of our Facebook updates with your dog-loving friends.

4) Check among your DC/Baltimore area friends to see if you know anyone who might like to foster or adopt Zabora.

Tomorrow we will announce some fun prizes that you could win by donating. But if you donate today, you will receive an additional prize: a personally pawtographed photo card of Sir Chick, as a token of his appreciation!

Thanks for being part of our village. We are so lucky to have you.