Kiwi Lee
Hello everyone, Kiwi here with some news for everyone. You might have seen be a while back with a family that adopted me. It was a great family and we thought I would be as happy as could be. But, even though we tried and tried and tried I never felt like I was home. You see I had lived with my foster Mom for over a year and I really thought she was my forever home. I didn’t realize her job was to prepare me for my forever home.
And when the day came for me to be adopted I was like not ready. Not ready to go at all. I resorted to going back and living under the bed and hiding a lot. Nothing looked familiar, especially my new home. One day my new family told me they felt guilty for keeping me because they knew I was just plain miserable. And I was miserable. So, my new family called my foster mom Sonja and told her “Kiwi is ready to come home.”
And you know what, my foster mom came and picked me up that next day. It was a grand reunion. She cried when she saw me and I cried too. It was that day my foster mom told me “Kiwi you can live with me forever.” Yep, that’s right I have a forever family now and my foster mom is now my forever mom. I am happy again. I am not scared and me and foster brother Bo are back to being best friends. So everyone I am home to stay. My new job is welcoming other bulldogs into the house and helping them find there forever family. But for me, Kiwi, I am there to stayI
I checked out of Mays Manor and into my furever home!
I heard my new mom telling my foster mom how excited they were to be bringing me into their home and that I would be spoiled beyond anything I could ever imagine. I’m not sure if anyone has ever really wanted me or has ever really been excited to have me but I do now! And it’s one of the greatest feelings. I have my own mom, dad, and a fur brother Ranger. I also have some extended family that I get to visit regularly, I’m really excited about having a big family. I am really excited about my fur brother, he is a big ole shepherd pup and I think he and I are going to be great friends.
I was just getting used to foster mom’s little bitty yard and now I have a yard big enough to fit like thirty, probably more of my old yards into this new yard, which is pretty big for this little girl. I have no doubt that Ranger and my new family will help me explore and I will love every inch of it. I will get to go camping, chase rabbits, oh and watch the deer!
Foster mom says there are movies about a city girl moving to the county and that the city girl always falls in love with the county life. And that people dream of this every day! How lucky am I that I get to live this dream while others just watch it on TV.
Thank Lonestar Bulldog Club Rescue for allowing dreams to come true!
I am 3 years old and a little one ~ I only weigh 24 pounds. Some people look at me and ask if I am really a Bulldog. That’s what my papers say, but sometimes, I am not sure either.
A nice person recently told me a wonderful story about an ugly duckling that everyone laughed at, but then that ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan! I think that’s what is going to happen to me. I’m just a late bloomer! Wait until I fill out a little bit in all the right places. It won’t be me chasing the boys—they will be chasing me!
I love to run, cuddle and smile! I am a very happy dog. I need a little work done at the vet clinic and then I will be off to my new foster home. I can’t wait to blossom into that beautiful Bulldog I know I can be. Just watch me!
7/9/20 Update: Kiwi has been at Mays’ Manor for a week and this girl is stealing my heart! She is just the sweetest little thing.
Kiwi has a bedroom all to herself and I leave the kennel door open, as well as the dog gate into the bedroom when I am home.
From day one, she either uses a potty pad or goes outside like she knows what she is doing. I do have to carry her outside because she is terrified. I only do this a few times a day to keep her as calm as possible.
She is making small strides in the right direction. Let’s go over her “firsts!”
She has started wiggling her tail at the sound of my voice and at the sight of a food bowl. She does relate my hand as the thing that gives her treats. She is coming out of the kennel for treats, but darts back in to eat it! She has even come up to my hand while petting another pup. She will nudge it to see if there is a treat available.
She has started taking toys into her kennel and chewing on them.
Going outside is a bit stressful for her. She darts around the yard looking for a way out, but it helps if another pup is out there.
She picked up on the dog door by day two. I don’t like standing in front of the door, but if I don’t, she will dart back in the house and high tail it back to the kennel before she goes potty. Last night, she ran past me for the first time to go back to her kennel.
And the icing on the cake this week is baby girl ventured out of her room and was peeking around my door to see us! I moved and she darted back into her room. I was so happy for her.
When I am preparing breakfast or dinner, I can hear her excitement. She darts back and forth from the kennel to the doorway, hopping, dancing, and whining with anticipation because she knows she is getting a meal. I get excited and sad at the same time for her.
It may be a little while before Kiwi Lee is ready for a family, but I think she is so worth the wait.
7/12/20 Update: Look what is happening this evening… Kiwi is playing with her foster brother! And she spent almost an hour this morning running from her room to the yard! At full speed, she’d hit the dog door, do a quick lap around the yard and back to her room. She is making huge strides!
7/21/20 Update: I’m still not quite ready for my furever family, but Foster Mom says I show improvements all the time. She says no matter how tiny my improvements are, she is super proud of me.
Unfortunately, I am a little scared of everything! Foster Mom will sit on the floor and call my name and I want to run into her arms so bad. But instead, I dart around whining. Each week, though, I get closer and closer. Just look at that picture with Foster Mom’s hand… I was so close!
I know what the alarm clock is… It goes off really early and every day, I go to Foster Mom’s doorway to let her know I’m ready to go outside. She opens the gate and I’ve started running past her to go outside. See, I know how to use the dog door because, well, I’m smart!
The pups around this place are great. They help me overcome some of my insecurities each day. They let me follow them and they are always trying to get me to play.
7/29/20 Update: My foster mom held me against my will! She made me snuggle with her for, like, 30 minutes. I was pretty uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes, I think I enjoyed it a little bit! Shhh… don’t tell her.
8/2/20 Update: I took Kiwi Lee for her first car ride. I leashed her up and she was not a fan ~ she drags her belly and darts around looking for a place to hide. Poor girl was terrified.
So terrified that when I lifted her into the seat, she pooped in my purse! And I didn’t realize it until I went to pay for my coffee. But this sweet girl loved her first puppuccino!
8/10/20 Update: My foster mom took a trip this past week and I got to visit another really nice family that volunteers with Lone Star Bulldog Club Rescue. I did great with their pups and was the perfect house guest. While I was there, they introduced me to Cheetos! I love Cheetos!
To some, I may seem just as scared and shy as the day I entered rescue… but, I am slowly making strides in the right direction.
8/18/20 Update: Kiwi Lee loves the feel of clean bedding on her belly. Too bad she waded through the pool before nesting into my clean bed! But more importantly, she feels safe enough to get in the bed on her own. She has decided that if she can’t get into her kennel, this is quickly becoming her number two spot. She still doesn’t let me approach her, but if I’m petting another pup, she is starting to want in on the action! If she is in the human bed, she will let me sit next to her and love on her.
8/25/20 Update: I know there is a whole couch to stretch out on but I prefer to be next to my foster brother! I really enjoy playing with my foster brother and I’ve started playing with toys! I’ve even attempted to play with foster mom! I’ll run up to her like I want to be petted then run away when she tries to pet me! It’s a lot of fun juking with her! Sometimes Foster mom plays trick on me too! Like when she disappears into this little gadget, I know she’s in there cause she talks to me! She tells me to smile for the camera and asks me what I’m doing, I think the woman is crazy!
9/20/20 Update: Kiwi Lee is steadily making improvements! She is an absolute sweetheart. Since the weather has been nice, I let her stay out and have access to the dog door. When I come home she has started greeting me with excitement. This was a huge win with me! On hot days she spends her time in the living room with two other pups and is doing great with them. She plays and snuggles with them. She really likes toys and decided she likes wood and really anything just like a puppy would! Everything is going in her mouth so I’ve puppy proofed her areas. She is doing great with her potty training, she is holding it for 4 or 5 hours and will still use a potty pad, if she has access to the dog door she will usually go outside. Sometimes she will get a little lazy and use a pad anyways!
1/5/21 Update: Each week, Kiwi Lee gets a little more comfortable! Last week, she allowed some lovins from the house guests and she allowed me to take a picture before bolting out the door. Anyone notice her little belly? Baby girl is filling out!
2/2/21 Update: Kiwi Lee is making huge strides every week. She is currently running past me, instead of always away from me! She has found another safe spot: under foster mom’s bed.
And lastly, her love for affection is starting to out grow her urge to run and hide! She came in the bathroom for the first time to see what I was doing. It’s hard to not get too excited because she will retreat. However, instead of running away and staying away, she is quickly coming back for a another “looksy!”
2/16/21 Update: I hope everyone is staying as warm as I am! These new snuggle beds Foster Mom bought are perfect on these cold days.
3/8/21 Update: Morning from Kiwi Lee! How would you like to wake up to THIS every morning?
Kiwi is growing more confident everyday! I almost got her belly up for some good belly rubs! She is starting to come when her name is called. She is approaching me more in other parts of the house, not just the couch or human bed! With all these great achievements, she is still a bit fearful, so we take things as slow as we can.
4/13/21 Update: Kiwi Lee’s has several moods during her car ride!
Kiwi doesn’t get much leash time or go on many car rides because it’s similar to leashing a feral cat and she typically has an accident because she gets so scared.
From time to time, I’ll take her out for short car rides to see her progress. They are short outings because I don’t want to stress her too much.
She did better yesterday than she ever has on the leash and she did not have an accident until she was going into the house, I’m super glad it wasn’t during the car ride.
Kiwi has blossomed so much, but still has so many fears to overcome. She doesn’t give many kisses, but when she does, I don’t think there is a greater feeling!
4/20/21 Update: Kiwi enjoys this awesome weather! She loves to roll in the dirt and sunbathe, as long as Foster Mom isn’t looking.
5/4/21 Update: Kiwi continues to get a little more comfortable in her foster home. I’m not sure if she will ever stop bolting from me, but it seems she doesn’t stay away as long. She quickly comes back to watch what I’m doing. Kiwi recently figured out that it’s cool to stalk foster mom in the bathroom.
Kiwi is very good at coming when her name is called and easily goes into whatever room I’m needing her to go in. She has almost learned to come and sit for a treat. She doesn’t really come up to me on her own, but if I’m loving on another pup, she almost always comes up for a good rub down. Kiwi is very affectionate and loves to get loving!
5/10/21 Update: Sunday morning shenanigans with Kiwi Lee, who just so happened to find her voice!
Kiwi is coming up on a year in rescue and she continues to grow and become the Bulldog she deserves to be! A few weeks back, something changed for Kiwi: the urge for affection is outgrowing the urge to run and hide! She isn’t a belly up kind of gal yet, but I can see it in her future!
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