San Diego Poodle Rescue

Zsa Zsa

Zsa Zsa came to us in 2007 from the Gaines Street Animal Shelter in San Diego where she was an unclaimed stray. She was listed as a poodle and was so matted and dirty, we couldn't tell otherwise. After grooming her and taking a second look, we finally figured out she was a Bichon Frise!

Zsa Zsa was determined to be a young girl, highly intelligent with tons of energy! Too much for the average home. She was adopted in March of 2008 by Cynthia and her daughter Taylor. Zsa Zsa is now a part of the family along with dad and older sis, toy poodle Louie, big dog Toto and a couple of kitties.

This little Bichon has now graduated from a beginning obedience class series where she was a star student. Zsa Zsa is currently (as of June 2008) in the next level of obedience AND has started agility classes. What an over-achiever!

Zsa Zsa has also received her PAL/ILP number from the AKC, which officially registers her as a bichon frise. This enables her to compete in certain AKC events like agility, obedience and rally, when or if she ever wants to. To find out more about the AKC PAL/ILP certification, click here http://www.akc.org/reg/ilpex.cfm.

Zsa Zsa
Zsa Zsa when she first came to us and got her first grooming - when we thought she was a poodle!	Zsa Zsa looking like a Bichon - not long before she was adopted.
Graduating from her beginning obedience class.	Taking obedience class where she is a star!
Zsa Zsa

Ava

Ava is a sweet Bichon Frise girl who came to us in June 2008. Ava was a stray with just about the worse matted coat of hair I have ever experienced in my 30 years of grooming. She was clean, no fleas or ticks, but was terribly matted. It took a couple of hours of grooming, using mostly a #40 blade, which is what is used for pre-surgery shaving because it gets about as close as you possibly can. Ava was the best behaved little girl for this ordeal - she must have known that in the end she would feel sooo much better. Well, she didn't look too good in the end - she was quite the naked bichon, but she was clean and comfortable. No more mats pulling her skin. But you could see just how skin and bones she was.

Ava soon went to live with Zsa Zsa and they are all now a happy family!!! Updated photos of Ava coming soon!

Ava photos
This is how Ava looked when she first came to us. Notice her toenails - how long they are making it painful to walk.	Even Ava's topknot had to come off - as you can see it came off in one matted mess, just like the rest of her. You can also see how red she is - this is from the release of pressure from the mats coming off.
This is Ava after her grooming - she is giving me a kiss to thank me. What a sweet girl. Notice how skinny she is and how short I had to clip her to get the mats off.