Saturday, September 19, 2015

Rescue Terriers

[If you're looking to rescue or rehome a real fox terrier in the USA, I recommend the Wire Fox Terrier Rescue Midwest.]
 
I wish I'd taken before-and-after photos of this stuffed-animal rescue project of mine. 
Both of these stuffed dogs were thrift-store rejects: 
so beat up no one had bought them, and they were due to be thrown out.

 I brought them home and, first thing, washed them.

The smaller dog on the right was supposed to be a bulldog, but with an ugly bulbous nose. It looked like it'd rather be a fox terrier (a smooth-coated one). 
I performed rhinoplasty, sewed on a black felt saddle marking, tied on a bow tie, . . . and it's a dapper terrier, eh?



The dog on the left was definitely a wire-haired fox terrier, but with a most unterrier-like downhearted look. 
The addition of a pink felt tongue, a perked-up ear [with the help of a pipe cleaner], and a sweater vest [made from a cuff + buttons] restored its natural cheer.

I get a lot of comfort from doing this, being a little downhearted myself just lately, but if I keep it up, I don't know what I'm going to do with the toy animals I rescue. 
It might be fun to attach tags explaining their make-overs, and give them back to the Thrift Store to sell? Maybe for double their normal asking price of 25 cents?

This pair, though, I might just know of a terrier-loving home for.

5 comments:

Zhoen said...

I can only think a (hand picked) child who has been homeless, or in foster care, would appreciate how a discarded fluffy critter could become so lovable and appealing.

We all feel sometimes useless, dirty, undesirable. Underneath, the real us is still there, ready to emerge and grow.

Lady Chardonnay said...

I LOVE makeover stories. If you took before-and-after pictures and wrote up a little text about the transformation (basically, exactly what you've done here), and then put it on a card attached to the animal, I think it would be irresistible (back at the Thrift Store, or wherever else takes clean-but-used stuffed animals).

And I agree with Zhoen - there's something therapeutic about each animal's journey as well. Certainly it's helping with your own hurty heart, yes?

Sending lots of love and light to you as you help each animal find and display its true self.

Fresca said...

ZHOEN & LADY C: Yes, not sure how to do the "rehoming" of the animals, but I'm just going to trust that when I made a few more animals, the right place or people will appear for them.
Or maybe sell them as Rescue Friends with tags and tales.
At any rate, yes they're comforting to work with, and I think I and a lot of other people would relate to the before-and-after aspects.

ArtSparker said...

Have you contacted your local SPCA? I know there are animal rescue organizations that have auctions/raffles as fundraisers. Or, there may be online places that would wlecome these - or you could start something which gave proceeds to a charity. Of course, it's a lot easier if something exists already. If I were you, I'd check around for awhile and find the right place for these guys. I suspect there are more possibilities than you know.


Fresca said...

ARTS: I did think of the humane society, actually.
And you are surely right, there must be lots of possibilities.
I will just keep making the outfits and at the rate I'm going (SLOW), it will take a long time before I have a problem of what to do with them.
So far, I've only finished... five. And three already have a home.