From the Shelter to Their New Homes!
Awesome A.J.!
Hi Jim,
How r you? I hope things are going good for you. Today is the day you brought me AJ in 2016. Just wanted you to know he is still here. I have him on a diet and he is not to happy. He loves to eat. I am getting a knee replacement in 2 weeks. My friend is caring for him. He loves being with her. I know he will be well cared for. Take care.
Barb
How r you? I hope things are going good for you. Today is the day you brought me AJ in 2016. Just wanted you to know he is still here. I have him on a diet and he is not to happy. He loves to eat. I am getting a knee replacement in 2 weeks. My friend is caring for him. He loves being with her. I know he will be well cared for. Take care.
Barb
CeCe my playmate....
Shawna,
Here are some photos my mom took of Nina with CeCe and Mac (her dog). CeCe goes to my mom’s house on Fridays with Nina for their weekly sleepover and they all seem to love it (Nina doesn’t like to sleep away from her dog). Sometimes it’s hard to see which dog is which! Everyone gets along great. CeCe gets all excited when we turn the corner onto my mom’s street…playdate!
Suzanne Dell'Orto
Here are some photos my mom took of Nina with CeCe and Mac (her dog). CeCe goes to my mom’s house on Fridays with Nina for their weekly sleepover and they all seem to love it (Nina doesn’t like to sleep away from her dog). Sometimes it’s hard to see which dog is which! Everyone gets along great. CeCe gets all excited when we turn the corner onto my mom’s street…playdate!
Suzanne Dell'Orto
Silly Little Squirt!
Shawna,
Hello!
I have been wanting to send you an update but work/home have been busy so I haven't gotten around to it. Today we received the results of the DNA test we ran and they are attached. We were sure there would be Dachshund but no...
We have changed Lola's name to Squirt since that's what we seemed to be calling her. She is answering to it and all the nicknames which go along with it.
She is doing quite well although still snarky with toys and treats and sometimes laps. She has gotten much better and I think eventually she will get over it.
She has finally agreed to eat most of her meals and wolfs down treats.
As I am sure you know she is very playful and we are having fun playing tug and chasing her around. She still has no real interest in the other dogs and as long as there are not bullie sticks to fight over there are no worries. We leave her out with the other dogs or keep her in the house when they are out on the deck. and we are at work. She has been perfect in the house - no accidents, no chewing.
She is getting used to the hikes in the woods and the snow and does really well in the warmer weather so she should be much happier soon!
She is not crazy about strangers which is no big deal. She is fine with the dog walker we have. Should be interesting to see what happens when she goes to the pet sitters..
So - we are falling in love with her . She is adorable and entertaining and her few neurosis are not a big deal.
Thank you again for being willing to part with her!
Chris
Hello!
I have been wanting to send you an update but work/home have been busy so I haven't gotten around to it. Today we received the results of the DNA test we ran and they are attached. We were sure there would be Dachshund but no...
We have changed Lola's name to Squirt since that's what we seemed to be calling her. She is answering to it and all the nicknames which go along with it.
She is doing quite well although still snarky with toys and treats and sometimes laps. She has gotten much better and I think eventually she will get over it.
She has finally agreed to eat most of her meals and wolfs down treats.
As I am sure you know she is very playful and we are having fun playing tug and chasing her around. She still has no real interest in the other dogs and as long as there are not bullie sticks to fight over there are no worries. We leave her out with the other dogs or keep her in the house when they are out on the deck. and we are at work. She has been perfect in the house - no accidents, no chewing.
She is getting used to the hikes in the woods and the snow and does really well in the warmer weather so she should be much happier soon!
She is not crazy about strangers which is no big deal. She is fine with the dog walker we have. Should be interesting to see what happens when she goes to the pet sitters..
So - we are falling in love with her . She is adorable and entertaining and her few neurosis are not a big deal.
Thank you again for being willing to part with her!
Chris
Incredible Ivy!
HI Paige,
We are very happy with our new addition to the family. She’s all we hoped for and more. You did not tell us that she’s part HUDINI and part mole. ;-) LOL. Jane went out to call her to come in and found her next door having an unplanned play date with the LAB next door – Baxter was not expecting company. Jane went into the house to retrieve her leash to bring her home and when she got next door – she was back in our yard. The next day I found her escape route under the fence. I closed up the hole and put a cinder block to cover the loose ground. The next day again she was next door – she had moved the cinder block and re-opened the tunnel to visit the Lab next door once again.
Two days later there was a bunny in our yard – who got out through an opening in the fence – Ivy not giving up – tunneled under the fence and was running around the other neighbors yard – playing no less with a German Shepherd next door. Friends have brought their dogs over to play with her also – she’s had a busy week as have we. She has the run of the house right now – and only minor counter surfing – which we are trying to stop. She destroys all toys other than hard rubber ones, and even some of those are no more.
She’s a loving companion and extremely affectionate, she however is a bed hog – we place a bed in the room for her on the floor, but she prefers out bed, and having a hard time keeping her In her bed.
Thank you, and a special thanks to you for fostering animals, it takes a special type of person, and glad we met.
We have lots of pictures of Ivy, however she does want to sit still for a picture with Jane and I.
She’s had a vet visit, she has a new dog tag with her name and ours on it. Jane is going next week to get her Manville License – this week was too busy to get it all done.
Cal & Jane Wynn
We are very happy with our new addition to the family. She’s all we hoped for and more. You did not tell us that she’s part HUDINI and part mole. ;-) LOL. Jane went out to call her to come in and found her next door having an unplanned play date with the LAB next door – Baxter was not expecting company. Jane went into the house to retrieve her leash to bring her home and when she got next door – she was back in our yard. The next day I found her escape route under the fence. I closed up the hole and put a cinder block to cover the loose ground. The next day again she was next door – she had moved the cinder block and re-opened the tunnel to visit the Lab next door once again.
Two days later there was a bunny in our yard – who got out through an opening in the fence – Ivy not giving up – tunneled under the fence and was running around the other neighbors yard – playing no less with a German Shepherd next door. Friends have brought their dogs over to play with her also – she’s had a busy week as have we. She has the run of the house right now – and only minor counter surfing – which we are trying to stop. She destroys all toys other than hard rubber ones, and even some of those are no more.
She’s a loving companion and extremely affectionate, she however is a bed hog – we place a bed in the room for her on the floor, but she prefers out bed, and having a hard time keeping her In her bed.
Thank you, and a special thanks to you for fostering animals, it takes a special type of person, and glad we met.
We have lots of pictures of Ivy, however she does want to sit still for a picture with Jane and I.
She’s had a vet visit, she has a new dog tag with her name and ours on it. Jane is going next week to get her Manville License – this week was too busy to get it all done.
Cal & Jane Wynn
Lovable Luke
Hi Paige,
Hope all is well with you. Was thinking it was a good time for a brief Luke update.
As you can tell from the attached photos Luke is not getting any love or attention. Our daughter Jill who now lives in Hoboken, does not come home to see us or her friends, she comes to see Luke, and squeals his name in a high pitch voice the entire time she is with us.
When Jill is not home, Luke spends the day with wife Jane, who works from home. She keeps him well loved and fed, and gives him the run of the yard where the squirrels and bunnies keep him perplexed. When I come home from work he is standing in our front bay window waiting, and as I turn into the driveway he is barreling down the stairs to the garage. When it is not 8 degrees outside we get out for an evening walk. After dinner he is waiting for me to collapse on the bed for a nap, so we can have a snooze-along.
He continues to be a great companion and extremely well behaved. He is a bit leery of strangers, which actually makes him a very qualified watchdog. No house alarm needed. Knowing the Luke I know now, I am amazed that he cozied up to us as quickly as he did. I'm sure it was my wife and daughter who charmed him.
Anyway, thank you again for bringing Luke into our lives. I hope all is going well with you. I meant to do this before the holidays... I did stop by the Shelter Survivors' website to leave a small gift. I'm sure you can put it to good use.
Best Wishes and Happy New Year,
Bill, Jane and Jill
Hope all is well with you. Was thinking it was a good time for a brief Luke update.
As you can tell from the attached photos Luke is not getting any love or attention. Our daughter Jill who now lives in Hoboken, does not come home to see us or her friends, she comes to see Luke, and squeals his name in a high pitch voice the entire time she is with us.
When Jill is not home, Luke spends the day with wife Jane, who works from home. She keeps him well loved and fed, and gives him the run of the yard where the squirrels and bunnies keep him perplexed. When I come home from work he is standing in our front bay window waiting, and as I turn into the driveway he is barreling down the stairs to the garage. When it is not 8 degrees outside we get out for an evening walk. After dinner he is waiting for me to collapse on the bed for a nap, so we can have a snooze-along.
He continues to be a great companion and extremely well behaved. He is a bit leery of strangers, which actually makes him a very qualified watchdog. No house alarm needed. Knowing the Luke I know now, I am amazed that he cozied up to us as quickly as he did. I'm sure it was my wife and daughter who charmed him.
Anyway, thank you again for bringing Luke into our lives. I hope all is going well with you. I meant to do this before the holidays... I did stop by the Shelter Survivors' website to leave a small gift. I'm sure you can put it to good use.
Best Wishes and Happy New Year,
Bill, Jane and Jill
Sweet Mugsy!
Hi Paige and Denise!
Gosh, I think it’s been several years since I last sent you pictures of Mugsy! The old boy is doing well. He’s 11 years old and aside from arthritis of the hips and knees (which he’s dealt with for some time), things are good. Still barking at anyone (human or canine) that passes by outside our fenced-in yard, but relatively sweet to all of those he knows. He sleeps a little more and plays a little less, but I’d say he’s enjoying life to the fullest! Here are a couple ofrecent photos. Hope both of you, along with Shelter Survivors, are doing well!
Best wishes,
Abby and George
Gosh, I think it’s been several years since I last sent you pictures of Mugsy! The old boy is doing well. He’s 11 years old and aside from arthritis of the hips and knees (which he’s dealt with for some time), things are good. Still barking at anyone (human or canine) that passes by outside our fenced-in yard, but relatively sweet to all of those he knows. He sleeps a little more and plays a little less, but I’d say he’s enjoying life to the fullest! Here are a couple ofrecent photos. Hope both of you, along with Shelter Survivors, are doing well!
Best wishes,
Abby and George
Marvelous Mikey!
Hi There-
When I think of people who do rescue I often think they must wonder what happens to their fosters. So I’m sending you another update on Mikey the Mastiff, who Paige had fostered and I had adopted back in 2010 [I think?] –
He continues to do great – The only hiccup was in fall 2013 he ate part of a carpet I [stupidly?] had put in his crate for him to lay on – It caused a bowel obstruction and he got really sick – Huge vet bill later, he lost 6 feet of his bowel and had some digestive upset while his system adjusted – Slowly he gained his weight back and he’s now fit as a fiddle and has no lasting effects other than occasional diarrhea from having a more sensitive digestive system now- we are more careful with what we give him for bedding now because the vet said it absolutely can’t happen again because he doesn’t have any more bowel to lose [not that we would ever want it to happen again anyhow]
We have since had two kids and he’s great with them – and moved to Maine from Connecticut where he now has twice as much land to run on and still has the goats/horse/cats/ducks around and his BFF a little pitbull rescue named Myles. It’s colder up here but he enjoys basking in front of the woodstove. We have had issues finding a pet sitter because is protective of the house when we are gone – Luckily, my friend who he knows well is going to take him for us while we are away for Christmas.
Thank you guys so much for our Mikey – I love his heart and loyalty – He’s such a sweet, sweet soul and he’s so loved.
I will have to take a photo of him to send you –
Thanks again!
-Emily
When I think of people who do rescue I often think they must wonder what happens to their fosters. So I’m sending you another update on Mikey the Mastiff, who Paige had fostered and I had adopted back in 2010 [I think?] –
He continues to do great – The only hiccup was in fall 2013 he ate part of a carpet I [stupidly?] had put in his crate for him to lay on – It caused a bowel obstruction and he got really sick – Huge vet bill later, he lost 6 feet of his bowel and had some digestive upset while his system adjusted – Slowly he gained his weight back and he’s now fit as a fiddle and has no lasting effects other than occasional diarrhea from having a more sensitive digestive system now- we are more careful with what we give him for bedding now because the vet said it absolutely can’t happen again because he doesn’t have any more bowel to lose [not that we would ever want it to happen again anyhow]
We have since had two kids and he’s great with them – and moved to Maine from Connecticut where he now has twice as much land to run on and still has the goats/horse/cats/ducks around and his BFF a little pitbull rescue named Myles. It’s colder up here but he enjoys basking in front of the woodstove. We have had issues finding a pet sitter because is protective of the house when we are gone – Luckily, my friend who he knows well is going to take him for us while we are away for Christmas.
Thank you guys so much for our Mikey – I love his heart and loyalty – He’s such a sweet, sweet soul and he’s so loved.
I will have to take a photo of him to send you –
Thanks again!
-Emily
Loving Our Lucy (formally known as Pixie)
Hey Shawna,
Just wanted to send you a couple photos of Lucy, shes doing great and we couldn't be happier with her.
~Tyler and Melissa
Just wanted to send you a couple photos of Lucy, shes doing great and we couldn't be happier with her.
~Tyler and Melissa
Wonderful Willie!
Hi Lauren!
We took Willie on a 10.5 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail last weekend. He loved it!! He was outdoing us! He loved exploring and was such a good boy off leash! If he went ahead he would wait for us to catch up, and if he and Brian went ahead of me, he ran back to make sure I was coming! So cute. Also met grandma and Spring (the Vizsla)
We love him to death. Cant imagine not having him!!!
Elise
We took Willie on a 10.5 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail last weekend. He loved it!! He was outdoing us! He loved exploring and was such a good boy off leash! If he went ahead he would wait for us to catch up, and if he and Brian went ahead of me, he ran back to make sure I was coming! So cute. Also met grandma and Spring (the Vizsla)
We love him to death. Cant imagine not having him!!!
Elise
Lovable Luna
Good evening Paige,
Just wanted to give you and Shelter Survivors a quick update on Luna in her new home. Luna, Lisa, and I are loving it! She really fits in well here and she’s such a great dog. Whether it’s playing in the house, walking outside, or laying on the couch, she always wants to be right beside us. We are so happy to have such a wonderful and loving addition to our family, and a truly great companion. We’ve found out she’s a great hiker, does exceptionally well off-leash, and warms up quickly to everyone she meets.
Thank you again for making this adoption work and we couldn’t be more happy with the outcome!
Best,
Marc and Lisa
Just wanted to give you and Shelter Survivors a quick update on Luna in her new home. Luna, Lisa, and I are loving it! She really fits in well here and she’s such a great dog. Whether it’s playing in the house, walking outside, or laying on the couch, she always wants to be right beside us. We are so happy to have such a wonderful and loving addition to our family, and a truly great companion. We’ve found out she’s a great hiker, does exceptionally well off-leash, and warms up quickly to everyone she meets.
Thank you again for making this adoption work and we couldn’t be more happy with the outcome!
Best,
Marc and Lisa
Sweet Dakota
Dear Paige,
Our first day with Dakota has been wonderful! She loved her walks in the park, socialized with all of the dogs in the neighborhood, and played fetch in the backyard. I think she is pooped out now because she is sound asleep on the kitchen floor, even as we prepare dinner. She is a wonderful dog. Thank you so much.
Take care,
Clarissa
Our first day with Dakota has been wonderful! She loved her walks in the park, socialized with all of the dogs in the neighborhood, and played fetch in the backyard. I think she is pooped out now because she is sound asleep on the kitchen floor, even as we prepare dinner. She is a wonderful dog. Thank you so much.
Take care,
Clarissa
Wonderful Jonah!
Paige,
As we approach our 1 year anniversary of adopting Jonah, I wanted to send a message and some pictures. We love him, and he is a wonderful addition to our family. He is so sweet and loving. He enjoys sitting by the fire and also found a special treat in the woods, tried to bring a deer leg in. So glad we found your organization and Jonah.
Marion
Luke... We Are Your Family :0)
Hi Paige!
So, I am happy to say that we would love to make Luke a permanent part of our family. He has been very well behaved, and aside from needing non-stop cuddles has been very low maintenance. We can go outside and visit the neighbors and run around like a nut, then come right inside and settle down next to a chair while computer work gets done. Only one bathroom accident on the first night but a "spotless" record since.
Our local vet had a look at him today and said he looks great and is eager to see Luke's records (I assume this is so he can start selling us stuff again). Our elderly Lab was a very good customer.
Attached: Luke and Princess Leia
Thanks again,
Bill
So, I am happy to say that we would love to make Luke a permanent part of our family. He has been very well behaved, and aside from needing non-stop cuddles has been very low maintenance. We can go outside and visit the neighbors and run around like a nut, then come right inside and settle down next to a chair while computer work gets done. Only one bathroom accident on the first night but a "spotless" record since.
Our local vet had a look at him today and said he looks great and is eager to see Luke's records (I assume this is so he can start selling us stuff again). Our elderly Lab was a very good customer.
Attached: Luke and Princess Leia
Thanks again,
Bill
Marvelous Minnie!
Hi Lauren,
Minnie is doing so well. Her follow-up test was negative. She is now 60 lbs. She and Ben are inseperable as you can see in the pictures. She is tolerating the cold and snow. Has a cute sweater to keep her warm when we go on walks, which is getting hard to do with all this snow.
We are so happy she is a part of our family. We can't imagine life without her.
Thanks for checking in. I hope all is well with you. Can't wait for Spring!
Take care,
Joan
Minnie is doing so well. Her follow-up test was negative. She is now 60 lbs. She and Ben are inseperable as you can see in the pictures. She is tolerating the cold and snow. Has a cute sweater to keep her warm when we go on walks, which is getting hard to do with all this snow.
We are so happy she is a part of our family. We can't imagine life without her.
Thanks for checking in. I hope all is well with you. Can't wait for Spring!
Take care,
Joan
Sweet Jonah
Hi Paige,
Jonah is doing great and has fit right in. Having a few accidents, but I think he is marking his territory. He is a wonderful dog and listens very well. Thank you for letting us adopt him, we promise to give him a good home. Here are a few pictures.
Thanks again,
Marion
Jonah is doing great and has fit right in. Having a few accidents, but I think he is marking his territory. He is a wonderful dog and listens very well. Thank you for letting us adopt him, we promise to give him a good home. Here are a few pictures.
Thanks again,
Marion
Greetings From Ginger!
Dear Shelter Survivors,
5 years ago today I arrived at my new home in Harmony, NJ. I just wanted to send you my yearly thank you for saving me and let you know how things are going.
Each year I get a little grayer and my arthritic hips get a little worse but otherwise I am great! I still like to go outside and help Dad work around the property but mostly I just watch. He lets me ride in the pickup truck with him but now he has to lift me in and out. I just can't jump anymore. Mom bought me a brand new orthopedic bed this year which I love. They tell me that they love to lay in bed at night and listen to me snore! I don't chase the deer or cats much anymore and I no longer help round up the chickens at night but I do lay out on the patio when the weather is nice and watch the deer come out of the woods, I woof at them occasionally but they just ignore me now. We still go for long walks now and then around the property but not everyday.
Getting old is not easy but since I have such a wonderful family that loves me I will take it all in stride. Thank you again for saving me. Special thanks to Sonal, my foster Mom.
My Mom says she is sending a donation so you can continue to find loving homes like mine!
Happy New Year!
Ginger
5 years ago today I arrived at my new home in Harmony, NJ. I just wanted to send you my yearly thank you for saving me and let you know how things are going.
Each year I get a little grayer and my arthritic hips get a little worse but otherwise I am great! I still like to go outside and help Dad work around the property but mostly I just watch. He lets me ride in the pickup truck with him but now he has to lift me in and out. I just can't jump anymore. Mom bought me a brand new orthopedic bed this year which I love. They tell me that they love to lay in bed at night and listen to me snore! I don't chase the deer or cats much anymore and I no longer help round up the chickens at night but I do lay out on the patio when the weather is nice and watch the deer come out of the woods, I woof at them occasionally but they just ignore me now. We still go for long walks now and then around the property but not everyday.
Getting old is not easy but since I have such a wonderful family that loves me I will take it all in stride. Thank you again for saving me. Special thanks to Sonal, my foster Mom.
My Mom says she is sending a donation so you can continue to find loving homes like mine!
Happy New Year!
Ginger
Gigi's Doing Great!
Happy New Year Shawna!
I just wanted to tell you how much we love Gigi! We accidentally didn't crate her 3 days ago and all was well. We haven't crated her since. I make sure all bones are collected; they all play and sleep together. She's such a lover girl. Thank you for giving us a chance :0) She's very, very loved! We just adore her. I knew when I saw her, we had to have her!
~Erica
I just wanted to tell you how much we love Gigi! We accidentally didn't crate her 3 days ago and all was well. We haven't crated her since. I make sure all bones are collected; they all play and sleep together. She's such a lover girl. Thank you for giving us a chance :0) She's very, very loved! We just adore her. I knew when I saw her, we had to have her!
~Erica
Marvelous Mugsy!
Hi Paige and Denise,
George and I want to wish you and all of the volunteers at Shelter Survivors a very Happy New Year! We know that Mugsy is currently on your Success Stories page, but figured we'd send a few more recent pictures. He's doing great and enjoying the colder weather. It's hard to believe that it'll soon be five years since we adopted him. He continues to make us smile each and every day!
Abby and George
George and I want to wish you and all of the volunteers at Shelter Survivors a very Happy New Year! We know that Mugsy is currently on your Success Stories page, but figured we'd send a few more recent pictures. He's doing great and enjoying the colder weather. It's hard to believe that it'll soon be five years since we adopted him. He continues to make us smile each and every day!
Abby and George
Minnie Has A Merry Christmas!
Hi Lauren,
Just wanted to update you and share some pics of our children. We chose the first one for our Christmas pic.
Minnie is doing very well...I had her to the vet yest. and everything is perfect! She and Ben are best friends and inseparable. She is a love and already has bonded with us. I am so happy she is a part of our family...she fits right in.
I also wanted to wish you and Jeff Happy Holidays. Enjoy the long school break.
Take care,
Joan
Just wanted to update you and share some pics of our children. We chose the first one for our Christmas pic.
Minnie is doing very well...I had her to the vet yest. and everything is perfect! She and Ben are best friends and inseparable. She is a love and already has bonded with us. I am so happy she is a part of our family...she fits right in.
I also wanted to wish you and Jeff Happy Holidays. Enjoy the long school break.
Take care,
Joan
Rocky Welcomes A New Family Member To His Pack!
Hi Paige,
We just wanted to give you another update on Rocky. He is still doing great and is now super excited we once again have snow. :-)
Last November, Tom and I had our first child, Nathan. Rocky is so patient and tolerable as Nathan climbs all over him and tries to eat his ears. Nathan just turned one a couple of weeks ago and is working on walking so he is all over the place and eager to be near the dogs.
We are so happy to have found Rocky and have him as a part of our family. It is so much fun to watch Nathan play with both Rocky and Michigan and watch them all grow together. Thank you so much!
We hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Tom, Allison, and Nathan
We just wanted to give you another update on Rocky. He is still doing great and is now super excited we once again have snow. :-)
Last November, Tom and I had our first child, Nathan. Rocky is so patient and tolerable as Nathan climbs all over him and tries to eat his ears. Nathan just turned one a couple of weeks ago and is working on walking so he is all over the place and eager to be near the dogs.
We are so happy to have found Rocky and have him as a part of our family. It is so much fun to watch Nathan play with both Rocky and Michigan and watch them all grow together. Thank you so much!
We hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Tom, Allison, and Nathan
Winnie Settles In With Her New Family
Hi Shawna!
I just wanted to give you a quick update on Winnie. She is doing great and settling in nicely! She's staying out of trouble and getting familiar with the house. Winnie has been making her business on schedule and no accidents yet. She tried hopping in the bed at night, but she got comfortable in her own bed on the floor next to our bed and had a good night. She crated well and no barks or whines when we left. We are all enjoying having her so much! Thanks again for everything!
Karl and Payal
I just wanted to give you a quick update on Winnie. She is doing great and settling in nicely! She's staying out of trouble and getting familiar with the house. Winnie has been making her business on schedule and no accidents yet. She tried hopping in the bed at night, but she got comfortable in her own bed on the floor next to our bed and had a good night. She crated well and no barks or whines when we left. We are all enjoying having her so much! Thanks again for everything!
Karl and Payal
Molly Fits Right In!
Paige,
Just wanted to let you know that Molly transitioned better then we could have hoped. She is a ball of energy. She met my mothers dog, (also “Molly") and they rough housed in a friendly way. My mother's dog tried to play with our dog a bunch and then gave up, but loves playing with our Molly. We are very happy as is she as well. Thank you.
Jim
Just wanted to let you know that Molly transitioned better then we could have hoped. She is a ball of energy. She met my mothers dog, (also “Molly") and they rough housed in a friendly way. My mother's dog tried to play with our dog a bunch and then gave up, but loves playing with our Molly. We are very happy as is she as well. Thank you.
Jim
Amazing Mikey!
Hi Paige,
I know we have Mikey a while now (three years? Two? I've lost track), but wanted to let you know he continues to do great with us and is such a good boy! He did nip my neighbor who unexpectedly came into our yard (Mikey doesn't like strange men) but no skin was broken and frankly, an unknown man was on property ... He was doing what he thought was right as a guardian type breed.
Mikey's now not allowed off leash in yard without extremely close supervision, just to avoid any other problems. It wasn't a huge deal in the end but did surprise me.
I've attached some photos of the big guy! He's wonderful and we adore him!!!
I know rescue is hard and maybe you wonder how your guys are doing after they leave. Thanks for this great boy and for what you do!
-Emily
I know we have Mikey a while now (three years? Two? I've lost track), but wanted to let you know he continues to do great with us and is such a good boy! He did nip my neighbor who unexpectedly came into our yard (Mikey doesn't like strange men) but no skin was broken and frankly, an unknown man was on property ... He was doing what he thought was right as a guardian type breed.
Mikey's now not allowed off leash in yard without extremely close supervision, just to avoid any other problems. It wasn't a huge deal in the end but did surprise me.
I've attached some photos of the big guy! He's wonderful and we adore him!!!
I know rescue is hard and maybe you wonder how your guys are doing after they leave. Thanks for this great boy and for what you do!
-Emily
Beautiful Bailey!
Paige,
Just wanted to share... we are so lucky that she chose us to share her birthday with! She is showing off how good her sit/stay is - even with a duck treat peanut butter sandwich waiting for her!! Thanks again for bringing her into our lives!
Colleen
Jasmine (a.k.a. Tasha) Warms Her Family's Heart :0)
Shawna,
Our family has been wanting to send this letter to you, as well as some pictures of Jasmine. It has been a year since we first met you with Jasmine (aka Tasha) in Petco. Jasmine immediately caught our eye and we knew that she was the one who would fill the spot that was missing in our family. We never thought we could replace Angel (our other dog that we had to put to sleep), but Jasmine had found a way to do it. Jasmine has been a blessing to our family and we would not have wanted any other dog than her. She has been such a great dog. Still till this day, we will never understand how someone could just give her up. Everyday she puts smiles on our faces. Once again, we would like to say thank you to you and Shelter Survivors for giving us this great gift.
Thank you!
The Choy Family
(Kevin,Tanya,Allen,Makayla & Kaitlyn)
Our family has been wanting to send this letter to you, as well as some pictures of Jasmine. It has been a year since we first met you with Jasmine (aka Tasha) in Petco. Jasmine immediately caught our eye and we knew that she was the one who would fill the spot that was missing in our family. We never thought we could replace Angel (our other dog that we had to put to sleep), but Jasmine had found a way to do it. Jasmine has been a blessing to our family and we would not have wanted any other dog than her. She has been such a great dog. Still till this day, we will never understand how someone could just give her up. Everyday she puts smiles on our faces. Once again, we would like to say thank you to you and Shelter Survivors for giving us this great gift.
Thank you!
The Choy Family
(Kevin,Tanya,Allen,Makayla & Kaitlyn)
Roscoe All Grown Up!!!
Hi Shawna!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!
Love,
The Patire-McHale family
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!
Love,
The Patire-McHale family
Ursa Happily Settles In At Home :0)
Hi Paige,
I thought I'd send you another update now that we've had Annie (now Ursa!) for about a month.
She's doing really well and we're so happy with her. She's come a really long way with the cats as you can see in the photo I've attached. One day Dan walked into the bedroom (because it was mysteriously quiet!) and found her passed out on the bed with one of the cats alongside her. I'd definitely say that's progress!
We still keep them separated from one another when we aren't home, but we are getting there. I think eventually we'll be able to leave them alone together. The cats made it clear that they can defend themselves and since she's learned they are off-limits, she backs off when they are aggressive and stays out of their territory for the most part. She only barks at them when they get in her way and refuse to move.
She's just a wonderful, sweet dog! She's so appreciative of love and attention and definitely needs and loves her exercise. We're working on her leash pulling and she's caught on quickly. We practice tricks for a little while every day and she's clearly very smart.
She's also become something of a local celebrity in the neighborhood. Everyone is talking about the beautiful husky with two different colored eyes and strangers have come up to me and said, "I've heard about this dog! She's beautiful!" Naturally, she loves the attention.
Here are a couple other pics of her curled up in her bed after running a few miles with me and another one of her relaxing on the couch while we were watching TV. She's quickly become a part of the family.
Thank you again for helping us to adopt her and for encouraging us not to give up on helping her settle in with the cats. She has made us so happy. I've been telling everyone who meets her how great Shelter Survivors is!
Best,
Marissa and Dan
I thought I'd send you another update now that we've had Annie (now Ursa!) for about a month.
She's doing really well and we're so happy with her. She's come a really long way with the cats as you can see in the photo I've attached. One day Dan walked into the bedroom (because it was mysteriously quiet!) and found her passed out on the bed with one of the cats alongside her. I'd definitely say that's progress!
We still keep them separated from one another when we aren't home, but we are getting there. I think eventually we'll be able to leave them alone together. The cats made it clear that they can defend themselves and since she's learned they are off-limits, she backs off when they are aggressive and stays out of their territory for the most part. She only barks at them when they get in her way and refuse to move.
She's just a wonderful, sweet dog! She's so appreciative of love and attention and definitely needs and loves her exercise. We're working on her leash pulling and she's caught on quickly. We practice tricks for a little while every day and she's clearly very smart.
She's also become something of a local celebrity in the neighborhood. Everyone is talking about the beautiful husky with two different colored eyes and strangers have come up to me and said, "I've heard about this dog! She's beautiful!" Naturally, she loves the attention.
Here are a couple other pics of her curled up in her bed after running a few miles with me and another one of her relaxing on the couch while we were watching TV. She's quickly become a part of the family.
Thank you again for helping us to adopt her and for encouraging us not to give up on helping her settle in with the cats. She has made us so happy. I've been telling everyone who meets her how great Shelter Survivors is!
Best,
Marissa and Dan
A Great Life for Bessie!
Hi Ruthie!
Here's Bessie settling into her new home :0)
Here's Bessie settling into her new home :0)
Wonderful Rosie Loves Her Family!
Hi Shawna,
Hope you're doing well. I know you said you'd touch base with us on Wednesday, but I just wanted to give you a quick update on how things are going. In a word: great! :) She picked her spot to sleep at night, right between Kim and I, which I was originally not a fan of, but since Kim is notoriously bad at stealing the covers, having a ~50lb dog/paperweight on top of the blankets keeping the covers in place :). She's getting along well with Sparky. She's licked Sparky's face a few times now, which is a great sign. He's never been one to reciprocate the gesture, but it's a huge thing for me. She's tried to get him to play a few times, and he looks like he may sometime. So no issues to report between the two, however, all of their time together is still highly supervised and they're never alone together.
Rosie didn't eat anything until last night and then chowed down on a a full serving in short order (as per your instructions). That's to be expected so I'm not concerned, when she's hungry and figures out the schedule, she'll eat. We took her to Petco to pick up a new martingale collar since she slips the buckled one too easily. Got a few toys too, and she's been enjoying those as well. It's nice to have a dog that plays with toys but doesn't destroy them in minutes. She did great in the car (very mellow) and pretty well in Petco. Only one issue with a tiny dog yapping incessantly but she lost interest quick enough (love the floors there, dogs can't get traction and really easy to control once they figure out their in the equivalent of an ice skating rink). The kids are still over the moon with her and she's doing well with them, playing fairly gently, not being too mouthy with them. She's still mouthy with me, but we wrestle a lot (can't help it :) ).
She's starting to learn that she actually can run around the yard, and she will for a few short bursts and then she's back to investigating everything. We moved the crate upstairs and only had to crate her once when we went to my parent's house and though she wasn't too sure about the crate at first, she eventually got in. Now we open the door (if it's shut) and she walks right in. We've gone for lots of walks already and now that we have the martingale, I've started to work with her a lot on the pulling, which isn't that bad. She's picked up pretty quickly that when she pulls, I make an about-face and she doesn't get to investigate what's she was pulling me to go see. Usually by the end of our walks, she's walking ahead of me, but with plenty of slack. All in all, things are going wonderfully and not one of my initial worries or concerns has come to pass in the short time she's been with us. We haven't taken many pictures yet, but I'll send some as soon as we do.
Thanks again and talk to you soon.
-Rob
PS. She did find the rats cage and so far she's just layed across the room from the watching, but not much else. If she tries to climb up or pays too much attention to them; I'll move them up to a shelf with nothing below. So far it looks like that won't be necessary. Or maybe, I'll put them in the 40 gallon fish tank i have sitting empty.. that would work too...
Hope you're doing well. I know you said you'd touch base with us on Wednesday, but I just wanted to give you a quick update on how things are going. In a word: great! :) She picked her spot to sleep at night, right between Kim and I, which I was originally not a fan of, but since Kim is notoriously bad at stealing the covers, having a ~50lb dog/paperweight on top of the blankets keeping the covers in place :). She's getting along well with Sparky. She's licked Sparky's face a few times now, which is a great sign. He's never been one to reciprocate the gesture, but it's a huge thing for me. She's tried to get him to play a few times, and he looks like he may sometime. So no issues to report between the two, however, all of their time together is still highly supervised and they're never alone together.
Rosie didn't eat anything until last night and then chowed down on a a full serving in short order (as per your instructions). That's to be expected so I'm not concerned, when she's hungry and figures out the schedule, she'll eat. We took her to Petco to pick up a new martingale collar since she slips the buckled one too easily. Got a few toys too, and she's been enjoying those as well. It's nice to have a dog that plays with toys but doesn't destroy them in minutes. She did great in the car (very mellow) and pretty well in Petco. Only one issue with a tiny dog yapping incessantly but she lost interest quick enough (love the floors there, dogs can't get traction and really easy to control once they figure out their in the equivalent of an ice skating rink). The kids are still over the moon with her and she's doing well with them, playing fairly gently, not being too mouthy with them. She's still mouthy with me, but we wrestle a lot (can't help it :) ).
She's starting to learn that she actually can run around the yard, and she will for a few short bursts and then she's back to investigating everything. We moved the crate upstairs and only had to crate her once when we went to my parent's house and though she wasn't too sure about the crate at first, she eventually got in. Now we open the door (if it's shut) and she walks right in. We've gone for lots of walks already and now that we have the martingale, I've started to work with her a lot on the pulling, which isn't that bad. She's picked up pretty quickly that when she pulls, I make an about-face and she doesn't get to investigate what's she was pulling me to go see. Usually by the end of our walks, she's walking ahead of me, but with plenty of slack. All in all, things are going wonderfully and not one of my initial worries or concerns has come to pass in the short time she's been with us. We haven't taken many pictures yet, but I'll send some as soon as we do.
Thanks again and talk to you soon.
-Rob
PS. She did find the rats cage and so far she's just layed across the room from the watching, but not much else. If she tries to climb up or pays too much attention to them; I'll move them up to a shelf with nothing below. So far it looks like that won't be necessary. Or maybe, I'll put them in the 40 gallon fish tank i have sitting empty.. that would work too...
Ruby (a.k.a Roxanne) Settles in Nicely!
Hi Denise and Phil,
Sara and I wanted to send you an update on how Roxanne is doing. I think we're calling her Ruby, and she's been settling in nicely! She had her vet visit yesterday, and the vet thought she seemed pretty much perfect. Our usual vet was out of town, so we saw Dr. Klein, who we like a lot. He agreed with your vet that the knot on her back was a fatty tumor, but he asked us to watch it for any changes because he thought it was harder than he would have expected. We got her scanned and then microchipped also. She was very good throughout the exam. (Pearl tucked herself into a tiny dog ball behind my chair--she's such a wimp at the vet!) Ruby's been accident-free thus far, which has been great. I've arranged to work from home tomorrow to give her another day to settle in with supervision. She's having a bit of a tough time with street/traffic noise (on Saturday any noise from the open windows would make her bark or cry a bit), but with the a/c units running, she's been totally mellow. She's still giving chase to our cat right now, but she seems pretty correctable--a firm "leave it" gets her to back away pretty quickly. I think Butternut is just being a little oversensitive (understandably, given her past experience), but that they'll end up fine together. Ruby doesn't really go looking for Butternut (thankfully); it's just that Nut has chosen to hide instead of confronting the new dog, I think. If they don't settle it within a day or two, we'll start doing the "cat desensitization" training again to show Butternut that she doesn't have anything to worry about. We got up pretty early this morning and went to the multi-acre Brooklyn Heights dog park--we were the only ones there, which was great! Pearl and Ruby chased tennis balls for a while, but Ruby was hesitant to leave our sides for long with all the street noise. But all these noises used to incapacitate Pearl and she ignores them totally now, so I'm sure Ruby will adjust pretty quickly. She and Pearl have been getting along beautifully--no fussing over food or toys, and they were really cute running together at the park. And Ruby's been really affectionate (almost a velcro dog). She'll curl up for a nap on my feet, or will sit leaning against Sara, and she often asks for belly rubs. That's our news for now! We'll let you know how things are going in the next few days. Hope you've enjoyed the long weekend!
Best, Ann & Sara
Sara and I wanted to send you an update on how Roxanne is doing. I think we're calling her Ruby, and she's been settling in nicely! She had her vet visit yesterday, and the vet thought she seemed pretty much perfect. Our usual vet was out of town, so we saw Dr. Klein, who we like a lot. He agreed with your vet that the knot on her back was a fatty tumor, but he asked us to watch it for any changes because he thought it was harder than he would have expected. We got her scanned and then microchipped also. She was very good throughout the exam. (Pearl tucked herself into a tiny dog ball behind my chair--she's such a wimp at the vet!) Ruby's been accident-free thus far, which has been great. I've arranged to work from home tomorrow to give her another day to settle in with supervision. She's having a bit of a tough time with street/traffic noise (on Saturday any noise from the open windows would make her bark or cry a bit), but with the a/c units running, she's been totally mellow. She's still giving chase to our cat right now, but she seems pretty correctable--a firm "leave it" gets her to back away pretty quickly. I think Butternut is just being a little oversensitive (understandably, given her past experience), but that they'll end up fine together. Ruby doesn't really go looking for Butternut (thankfully); it's just that Nut has chosen to hide instead of confronting the new dog, I think. If they don't settle it within a day or two, we'll start doing the "cat desensitization" training again to show Butternut that she doesn't have anything to worry about. We got up pretty early this morning and went to the multi-acre Brooklyn Heights dog park--we were the only ones there, which was great! Pearl and Ruby chased tennis balls for a while, but Ruby was hesitant to leave our sides for long with all the street noise. But all these noises used to incapacitate Pearl and she ignores them totally now, so I'm sure Ruby will adjust pretty quickly. She and Pearl have been getting along beautifully--no fussing over food or toys, and they were really cute running together at the park. And Ruby's been really affectionate (almost a velcro dog). She'll curl up for a nap on my feet, or will sit leaning against Sara, and she often asks for belly rubs. That's our news for now! We'll let you know how things are going in the next few days. Hope you've enjoyed the long weekend!
Best, Ann & Sara
Our First Shelter Survivor :0)
Hi Paige,
I'm sure you remember your first shelter survivor Lily, aka Ashleigh. She has been a loving dog over the years with some issues. She is now on medication for the rest of her life because she is incontinent. She also has anal gland issues everyday. We are going cross country this summer. Lily has been all over America camping with us, but she is getting up in years and we feel the 2300 mile trip would be too much, especially with her anal gland problems.
Thanks so much, Lee-Ann.
I'm sure you remember your first shelter survivor Lily, aka Ashleigh. She has been a loving dog over the years with some issues. She is now on medication for the rest of her life because she is incontinent. She also has anal gland issues everyday. We are going cross country this summer. Lily has been all over America camping with us, but she is getting up in years and we feel the 2300 mile trip would be too much, especially with her anal gland problems.
Thanks so much, Lee-Ann.
Sweet Ally finds her forever home!
HI Shawna!
Ally's doing great. We got her registered and her tags yesterday. Erik took her to the vet and got her checked out. She was dragging her tush a bit..they said give her a little fiber in her diet ....her anal sacs weren't emptying totally. Other than that and the doc saying she's a little chubby (LOL...) she's doing great. She met my sister today and she said she'd get a dog herself if she knew she would be like Ally! Anyway...all is good...we love her...love her....love her! Thank you again!
Talk soon! Laurie;)
Ally's doing great. We got her registered and her tags yesterday. Erik took her to the vet and got her checked out. She was dragging her tush a bit..they said give her a little fiber in her diet ....her anal sacs weren't emptying totally. Other than that and the doc saying she's a little chubby (LOL...) she's doing great. She met my sister today and she said she'd get a dog herself if she knew she would be like Ally! Anyway...all is good...we love her...love her....love her! Thank you again!
Talk soon! Laurie;)
Princess Meatball Is Queen Of Her Castle!
Dear Cheryl and Shelter Survivors,
We are now complete! Thank you! Thank you all for contributing to Meatball's rescue, safety and well-being over this past year...she has had a heck of a journey and this is what makes it all worth it :) This would not have been possible without each and every one of you!
~Lindsay
We are now complete! Thank you! Thank you all for contributing to Meatball's rescue, safety and well-being over this past year...she has had a heck of a journey and this is what makes it all worth it :) This would not have been possible without each and every one of you!
~Lindsay
Lovable Luna :0)
Shawna-
As winter sets in, we wanted to let you know how much Luna has certainly warmed our hearts over the past few months. It took her some time to get comfortable in a very busy household, but she was quite a sport at every occasion. She dressed up for Halloween, took hand outs from anyone AND everyone at birthday parties and holiday dinners, and helped unwrap presents on Christmas morning. She is a very energetic dog (but not so coordinated) and fills her days playing in the yard, chewing her bones, playing chase with our girls, taking rides in the car to and from preschool, and following Buddy around where ever he goes. Luna has herself a new winter coat and is ready to retrieve snowballs and romp in the snow this winter. She has lots of love to give and snuggles twice as much. Thank you for helping her find her way into our family. Happy New Year!
The Olsen's
As winter sets in, we wanted to let you know how much Luna has certainly warmed our hearts over the past few months. It took her some time to get comfortable in a very busy household, but she was quite a sport at every occasion. She dressed up for Halloween, took hand outs from anyone AND everyone at birthday parties and holiday dinners, and helped unwrap presents on Christmas morning. She is a very energetic dog (but not so coordinated) and fills her days playing in the yard, chewing her bones, playing chase with our girls, taking rides in the car to and from preschool, and following Buddy around where ever he goes. Luna has herself a new winter coat and is ready to retrieve snowballs and romp in the snow this winter. She has lots of love to give and snuggles twice as much. Thank you for helping her find her way into our family. Happy New Year!
The Olsen's
Adorable Dory!!
Dear Shawna,
Dory is doing great! Dr. Werner is very pleased with her. She weighs 18 pounds now and he wants to keep her at that weight. She is a doll and so very obedient-- it's amazing!!!
~Dot Gunther
Dory is doing great! Dr. Werner is very pleased with her. She weighs 18 pounds now and he wants to keep her at that weight. She is a doll and so very obedient-- it's amazing!!!
~Dot Gunther
Rusty Makes Three!!!
Rusty, Vito and Bella happy at home!
Brownie Has A New Brother!!!
Well long time it seems to be! Hi. I'm Karole, Brownie's new Mom. Brownie is still doing fine. He now has a brother, Junior , a real small Beagle we got from St. Huberts. They get along very well and are a joy in our lives. They have their own room now, with a couch and beds - and needless to say - spoiled. We have our friends over in the summers who bring their dogs for a real play date. One couple had 4 dogs the other had 3 with them. At one point while we were on the deck, there were more dogs visible than people! You have to stop by some time to see them. Let me know the next time you will be at PetCo and I can bring Brownie to see you.
Karole
(Attached is a picture of Brownie and his brother Junior)
Karole
(Attached is a picture of Brownie and his brother Junior)
Cute Cassie!
Hi Shawna,
Cassie is doing great! She is such a wonderfully loving little dog. I can't tell you how happy we are that we were able to adopt her! I'll have to send along some pictures of her. We get out to Mountain Park on Martinsville Road a couple of times a week in the evening for walks... good for her and me both. It really is hard to believe that it has been over 2 years! WOW! I hope all is going well for you and BellaTeena.
Gary
Cassie is doing great! She is such a wonderfully loving little dog. I can't tell you how happy we are that we were able to adopt her! I'll have to send along some pictures of her. We get out to Mountain Park on Martinsville Road a couple of times a week in the evening for walks... good for her and me both. It really is hard to believe that it has been over 2 years! WOW! I hope all is going well for you and BellaTeena.
Gary
Buddy Makes A Best Friend!!
Dear Cheryl,
Buddy was back to the vets today to have the ear infection that flared up 5 weeks ago looked at. The visit produced good news and bad news. The ear infection is gone and he will be taking preventive medicine for six weeks. I told the vet that I will bring him back in 6 months just to make sure. Now the bad news. Buddy gained a pound a week since I got him. My bad. He weighed 107 pounds at the last visit. So I put him on a stringent diet and guess what? Today he weighed 102 pounds, a loss of only 5 pounds. I will try again. I will cut his food in half and continue 4 chilled apples a day. If he doesn't eat the furniture I will try for a month and weigh him again. Otherwise all is well with My Best Friend.
Fred
Buddy was back to the vets today to have the ear infection that flared up 5 weeks ago looked at. The visit produced good news and bad news. The ear infection is gone and he will be taking preventive medicine for six weeks. I told the vet that I will bring him back in 6 months just to make sure. Now the bad news. Buddy gained a pound a week since I got him. My bad. He weighed 107 pounds at the last visit. So I put him on a stringent diet and guess what? Today he weighed 102 pounds, a loss of only 5 pounds. I will try again. I will cut his food in half and continue 4 chilled apples a day. If he doesn't eat the furniture I will try for a month and weigh him again. Otherwise all is well with My Best Friend.
Fred
Lucky Leo!!!
Hey Denise,
Just a quick FYI... Vince is doing just great! He has coughed a little but not much. I'm continuing the antibiotics as instructed. He certainly doesn't act like a sick dog! He has gone on 2 walks: one this morning at Thompson Park and did just fantastic on the leash. He went in the pool twice yesterday: the first time he unknowingly walked into the water when Mara called him. He was shocked but quickly paddled to the steps. The second time he jumped in after my husband: He seemed to be concerned when Dean didn't surface right away. Don't worry, we got our eye on him. He slept through the night in the family room, not a peep out of him. He ate well this morning and slept well after our long walk. Our cats are hiding and not complaining quite so much: I'm sure by the end of the week they'll get used to him. Izzie is great with him: he took her bone and she didn't even try to get it back. Very cool. I can't thank you enough for allowing us to adopt him so quickly and easily. We are just tickled pink over him. I'm thinking about changing his name to BINGO! I feel like I hit the jack pot with this perfectly wonderful dog.
Thanks again. Sincerely, Sharyn and Dean
Hey Denise,
I hope you had a great vacation. Leo is doing great! Healthy, not coughing anymore. He walks good on a leash but likes to chase small animals in the park so no off leash for him for now. I take him to the dog park and he's very social. He's learning how to swim and how to use the stairs in the pool, not just 'walk' into the water or fall in. He's just a doll. The cat is finally getting used to him...I'd call it resigned to the fact that he's going to be around. Thank you so much for bringing him to me. As much as he's in doggie heaven, I feel so blessed to have him in the Ross family. I'll be in touch from time to time and would love to help out in your organization. You guys are the best.
Warm regards, Sharyn
Just a quick FYI... Vince is doing just great! He has coughed a little but not much. I'm continuing the antibiotics as instructed. He certainly doesn't act like a sick dog! He has gone on 2 walks: one this morning at Thompson Park and did just fantastic on the leash. He went in the pool twice yesterday: the first time he unknowingly walked into the water when Mara called him. He was shocked but quickly paddled to the steps. The second time he jumped in after my husband: He seemed to be concerned when Dean didn't surface right away. Don't worry, we got our eye on him. He slept through the night in the family room, not a peep out of him. He ate well this morning and slept well after our long walk. Our cats are hiding and not complaining quite so much: I'm sure by the end of the week they'll get used to him. Izzie is great with him: he took her bone and she didn't even try to get it back. Very cool. I can't thank you enough for allowing us to adopt him so quickly and easily. We are just tickled pink over him. I'm thinking about changing his name to BINGO! I feel like I hit the jack pot with this perfectly wonderful dog.
Thanks again. Sincerely, Sharyn and Dean
Hey Denise,
I hope you had a great vacation. Leo is doing great! Healthy, not coughing anymore. He walks good on a leash but likes to chase small animals in the park so no off leash for him for now. I take him to the dog park and he's very social. He's learning how to swim and how to use the stairs in the pool, not just 'walk' into the water or fall in. He's just a doll. The cat is finally getting used to him...I'd call it resigned to the fact that he's going to be around. Thank you so much for bringing him to me. As much as he's in doggie heaven, I feel so blessed to have him in the Ross family. I'll be in touch from time to time and would love to help out in your organization. You guys are the best.
Warm regards, Sharyn
Choo Choo (aka Susie) Has Found Her Forever Home!
Hi Paige,
Choo Choo is beginning to discover self-reliance/independence. Around Easter she was very destructive due to separation anxiety (understandably). She has finally run out of things to destroy. She had actually chewed the ends of the boards of my back porch! She is a gem, and does not have an aggressive bone in her body. And, speaking of bones, they are no longer visible--I wouldn't be surprised if she weighs 80 pounds! I was so discouraged a few months ago, but I can now assure you that she has a forever home.
Thanks, Lisa
Choo Choo is beginning to discover self-reliance/independence. Around Easter she was very destructive due to separation anxiety (understandably). She has finally run out of things to destroy. She had actually chewed the ends of the boards of my back porch! She is a gem, and does not have an aggressive bone in her body. And, speaking of bones, they are no longer visible--I wouldn't be surprised if she weighs 80 pounds! I was so discouraged a few months ago, but I can now assure you that she has a forever home.
Thanks, Lisa
Curtis Grows Up To Be A Good Boy!
Hello Paige,
Curtis is still doing great. He's loving and fun to be with. We did have a knee problem this year. a torn ACL and meniscus that had to be replaced. He did great! Doc did a wonderful job and he said Curtis should have been in lots of pain from what he saw when he opened him up, but he was a good boy. They all loved him! Even his physical therapy people. It's been 3 months since his surgery and all we can hope is that the other knee stays strong. The only hard part was picking him up and taking him outside. After 3 weeks my arms and back were hurting. i will send pics when i get some Thanks for the wonderful dog.
Mike and Marie
Curtis is still doing great. He's loving and fun to be with. We did have a knee problem this year. a torn ACL and meniscus that had to be replaced. He did great! Doc did a wonderful job and he said Curtis should have been in lots of pain from what he saw when he opened him up, but he was a good boy. They all loved him! Even his physical therapy people. It's been 3 months since his surgery and all we can hope is that the other knee stays strong. The only hard part was picking him up and taking him outside. After 3 weeks my arms and back were hurting. i will send pics when i get some Thanks for the wonderful dog.
Mike and Marie
Ziggy Is Happy In His New Home!
Dear Denise,
Just letting you guys know how great Ziggy (Einstein) is doing. He had some aggressive behavior that is now diminishing and he getting to be a much more secure dog. He stopped chasing the cats and stopped marking things inside. He is a picky eater but loves his walks and is very into having a set schedule everyday. We were supposed to move into a house up by Montclair but a spoke model opportunity landed us in North Brunswick so that I could get to Philly and NYC easily. We have been doing renovations and are moving all our stuff in Wednesday. Ziggy came to the house for the first time today and he immediately cuddled up in his bed next to the fireplace. He and our other dog Shiva are friends and love to hang out together and watch the Dog whisperer :) Since we finally have our own house, we have been talking about and praying about getting another dog. We want another big dog (a big teddy bear). Shiva loves large male dogs and we want that companionship for her. We were thinking about Red, but I see he's been adopted which is awesome!!! I just saw Mikey, what do you guys think in terms of a match for us?? He seems like a total sweetie pie. Let us know.
Thanks for everything guys!
Love,
Lea, Gabe, Shiva, Ziggy, and the kitties
Just letting you guys know how great Ziggy (Einstein) is doing. He had some aggressive behavior that is now diminishing and he getting to be a much more secure dog. He stopped chasing the cats and stopped marking things inside. He is a picky eater but loves his walks and is very into having a set schedule everyday. We were supposed to move into a house up by Montclair but a spoke model opportunity landed us in North Brunswick so that I could get to Philly and NYC easily. We have been doing renovations and are moving all our stuff in Wednesday. Ziggy came to the house for the first time today and he immediately cuddled up in his bed next to the fireplace. He and our other dog Shiva are friends and love to hang out together and watch the Dog whisperer :) Since we finally have our own house, we have been talking about and praying about getting another dog. We want another big dog (a big teddy bear). Shiva loves large male dogs and we want that companionship for her. We were thinking about Red, but I see he's been adopted which is awesome!!! I just saw Mikey, what do you guys think in terms of a match for us?? He seems like a total sweetie pie. Let us know.
Thanks for everything guys!
Love,
Lea, Gabe, Shiva, Ziggy, and the kitties
The Mischievous Teddy!
Dear Denise and Phil,
Just wanted to give you an update on Teddy. He is excellent. The way that he and Isabella play together would make you think that they were littermates. They go on walks every day and his leash manners have greatly improved. We are still working on his greeting skills though. He has gotten into some mischief in the house, causing us to buy a locking garbage can, but you can't get mad when he give you those sad eyes. At night, when he is finally tired from playing all day, he snuggles up under a blanket on our chairs with us and goes to sleep. Once again, thank you for another perfect dog.
Dawn and Joe
Just wanted to give you an update on Teddy. He is excellent. The way that he and Isabella play together would make you think that they were littermates. They go on walks every day and his leash manners have greatly improved. We are still working on his greeting skills though. He has gotten into some mischief in the house, causing us to buy a locking garbage can, but you can't get mad when he give you those sad eyes. At night, when he is finally tired from playing all day, he snuggles up under a blanket on our chairs with us and goes to sleep. Once again, thank you for another perfect dog.
Dawn and Joe
Maddie Settles In!!
Hi Paige
Jim will be sending you photos of Maddie shortly...we wanted to wait until she looked REALLY happy and relaxed with us...i think we have some good ones....We do love her!
She weighed 75 lbs last week at the Vet!!...she still has very itchy skin so she received an ivermectin injection for possible scabies and is on a no grain diet Wilderness Blue, antibiotics and daily medrol until her next ivermectin injection...I would say she has reduced scratching....definitely better that she was....her tail is healing very nicely with new hair growth! NO more hot spots!!
I bought her an easy walk harness (pink of course) on the advice of the vet tech and it has made an amazing difference. (Not the type that goes over the muzzle..it wraps around the chest) I can actually walk with her on the canal path and take her to the park. It was an instantanious change.. I highly recommend it for any dog that pulls. My sister in law has a 120 lb rotweiler and she tried it and loves it too. Madeline is happy to be walking more and I'm happier not having a sore shoulder!!. She still loves running out the back door to the chicken coup...All we say is "go see chickens" and she is out like lightening
She loves to tease us and has a very high energy level...diet, weight, comfort improving??
She does seem to be very happy with us...she LOVES rutabagos and apples. some of her favorite treats
Thanks Paige for a sweet doggie ( with us)....still working on how to answer the door politely.. I have followed your advice and it has helped... ..i just tell everyone to ignore her initially until she comes to them.... protective but not as nervous acting, definitely calming down....everyone thinks she is gorgeous!
Shauna and Jim
Jim will be sending you photos of Maddie shortly...we wanted to wait until she looked REALLY happy and relaxed with us...i think we have some good ones....We do love her!
She weighed 75 lbs last week at the Vet!!...she still has very itchy skin so she received an ivermectin injection for possible scabies and is on a no grain diet Wilderness Blue, antibiotics and daily medrol until her next ivermectin injection...I would say she has reduced scratching....definitely better that she was....her tail is healing very nicely with new hair growth! NO more hot spots!!
I bought her an easy walk harness (pink of course) on the advice of the vet tech and it has made an amazing difference. (Not the type that goes over the muzzle..it wraps around the chest) I can actually walk with her on the canal path and take her to the park. It was an instantanious change.. I highly recommend it for any dog that pulls. My sister in law has a 120 lb rotweiler and she tried it and loves it too. Madeline is happy to be walking more and I'm happier not having a sore shoulder!!. She still loves running out the back door to the chicken coup...All we say is "go see chickens" and she is out like lightening
She loves to tease us and has a very high energy level...diet, weight, comfort improving??
She does seem to be very happy with us...she LOVES rutabagos and apples. some of her favorite treats
Thanks Paige for a sweet doggie ( with us)....still working on how to answer the door politely.. I have followed your advice and it has helped... ..i just tell everyone to ignore her initially until she comes to them.... protective but not as nervous acting, definitely calming down....everyone thinks she is gorgeous!
Shauna and Jim
Jenny is a Princess!
Hi Paige!
Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Just wanted to send you a picture of "Princess" Jenny relaxing with Don on couch (notice kitty on the top). She's doing great! It's as if we've always had her.
Thanks. Keep on doing the good work you do.
Diane
Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Just wanted to send you a picture of "Princess" Jenny relaxing with Don on couch (notice kitty on the top). She's doing great! It's as if we've always had her.
Thanks. Keep on doing the good work you do.
Diane
Is It Santa? Nope, It's Sweet Annie!
Hi Denise,
Happy New Year. I hope you and your family had a great holiday. I just went on the new web site. Very nice. I love the picture of you guys with the girl scouts. Looks like they were fun to work with.
Annie and I had a great holiday. I have attached a picture of Annie in her Santa hat. She was so cute about wearing it and would wear it as she greeted friends and family at the door. She is so sweet and I just love her to pieces.
We wish you and all the Shelter Survivor volunteers a happy and healthy 2011.
Warm Regards, Beth
Happy New Year. I hope you and your family had a great holiday. I just went on the new web site. Very nice. I love the picture of you guys with the girl scouts. Looks like they were fun to work with.
Annie and I had a great holiday. I have attached a picture of Annie in her Santa hat. She was so cute about wearing it and would wear it as she greeted friends and family at the door. She is so sweet and I just love her to pieces.
We wish you and all the Shelter Survivor volunteers a happy and healthy 2011.
Warm Regards, Beth
Rocky (aka Zacky) Becomes One of the Family!
Good morning Shawna!
We just took the boys out in their matching skull sweaters (so cute!) And they both had a nice long walk with lots of tagging and a synchronized poop! Max and Rocky were side by side and were inseparable! On the way back Rocky met Lucky, the girl cat, and was super friendly! They're going to be friends too! He kept jumping off the bed last night at bedtime so we put his bed on the floor next to his new mommy and he slept like a rock (pun intended!) All night!! This morning he followed his mommy into the bathroom and his daddy into the basement- so cute!! Today we're going to get a new water bowl and an ID tag for Rocky at petco- we love our new baby boy! He is family now and we wouldn't trade him for anything in this world!
-Gino and Kelli
We just took the boys out in their matching skull sweaters (so cute!) And they both had a nice long walk with lots of tagging and a synchronized poop! Max and Rocky were side by side and were inseparable! On the way back Rocky met Lucky, the girl cat, and was super friendly! They're going to be friends too! He kept jumping off the bed last night at bedtime so we put his bed on the floor next to his new mommy and he slept like a rock (pun intended!) All night!! This morning he followed his mommy into the bathroom and his daddy into the basement- so cute!! Today we're going to get a new water bowl and an ID tag for Rocky at petco- we love our new baby boy! He is family now and we wouldn't trade him for anything in this world!
-Gino and Kelli
Clyde ~ The Gentle Giant
Clyde is truly a loving, gentle giant. He joined his rescued brother and sister about 5 months ago and quickly became part of the family. Clyde loves nothing more than snuggling with both his human and canine family. Even though Clyde weighs over 90 lbs, he is so gentle with our eighteen month old nephew. Clyde loves taking naps with our 21 year old son and giving kisses to everyone in the family. He is very content being a 90 lb lap dog. When we go to the dog park, Clyde is a gentleman. While he gets along with all of the other dogs, he is happiest visiting with the other humans at the dog park. When he says "Hi" to all of the people at the park, he always knows exactly where we are and frequently comes back to us saying "I didn't forget you." He is an absolutely fantastic dog.
Rocky's Owners Prove Commitment Pays Off!
Hi Denise,
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that almost a year and a half ago we adopted Rocky, but I want to thank you for bringing such a wonderful dog into our lives.
Looking back, he required a great deal of attention and comfort. My guess is that he was surrendered for a number of reasons. We discovered that he is highly allergic to all grains and dairy which resulted in his having constant diarrhea. He was so uncomfortable, but also displayed emotional reactions every time he had to go - I believe that he suffered from an owner who did not understand what was happening, and may have abused him as a consequence. It also explains why he was so thin. After several appointments with the vet, and much personal testing, we discovered that the best thing for him is a grain free hard food supplemented by home made grilled chicken and plain mashed potatoes. It took over 6 months, but the "runs" - and all of his discomfort - have completely gone away! (Was that too much information?)
We also moved back to our home in Massachusetts. It is a property with almost 3 acres and he loves it. He and Benny own the yard...and both seem so thrilled to have grass under their feet. They are the best of friends and each day we take them for 2 walks to the state park across the street, where they meet up with many other dogs and also get to see (from a distance) horses - cows - and deer. And, he is now very comfortable with meeting new people and he and Benny greet all of our guests with great enthusiasm.
So, Rocky is a complete pleasure and a wonderful addition to our family. He is the all American dog. Thank you for bringing him into our lives.
Take Care,
Barbara
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that almost a year and a half ago we adopted Rocky, but I want to thank you for bringing such a wonderful dog into our lives.
Looking back, he required a great deal of attention and comfort. My guess is that he was surrendered for a number of reasons. We discovered that he is highly allergic to all grains and dairy which resulted in his having constant diarrhea. He was so uncomfortable, but also displayed emotional reactions every time he had to go - I believe that he suffered from an owner who did not understand what was happening, and may have abused him as a consequence. It also explains why he was so thin. After several appointments with the vet, and much personal testing, we discovered that the best thing for him is a grain free hard food supplemented by home made grilled chicken and plain mashed potatoes. It took over 6 months, but the "runs" - and all of his discomfort - have completely gone away! (Was that too much information?)
We also moved back to our home in Massachusetts. It is a property with almost 3 acres and he loves it. He and Benny own the yard...and both seem so thrilled to have grass under their feet. They are the best of friends and each day we take them for 2 walks to the state park across the street, where they meet up with many other dogs and also get to see (from a distance) horses - cows - and deer. And, he is now very comfortable with meeting new people and he and Benny greet all of our guests with great enthusiasm.
So, Rocky is a complete pleasure and a wonderful addition to our family. He is the all American dog. Thank you for bringing him into our lives.
Take Care,
Barbara
Benny Proves to Everyone How Awesome He Is!
Hi,
Just wanted to give you an update. HE IS AWESOME! He is by far the sweetest, most obedient, darling little dog I have ever owned. My dad and mom absolutely adore him and it has turned their lives around. My mom smiles more and despite our original thoughts, Benny is quite the lapdog. They stare at him for hours, even when he sleeps! Benny sits on all our laps for hours, gives kisses, and then will play with the other dogs, with whom he has quite easily formed a happy pack. He even sits on my mom's chair for hours, and pushes her over so he can get more room! He is so social and just loves to be around everyone. He was more than the best choice and perfect for all of us. He is just the best.
Thanks again for letting us have this gift in our lives. Hope you are doing well.
Amanda
Just wanted to give you an update. HE IS AWESOME! He is by far the sweetest, most obedient, darling little dog I have ever owned. My dad and mom absolutely adore him and it has turned their lives around. My mom smiles more and despite our original thoughts, Benny is quite the lapdog. They stare at him for hours, even when he sleeps! Benny sits on all our laps for hours, gives kisses, and then will play with the other dogs, with whom he has quite easily formed a happy pack. He even sits on my mom's chair for hours, and pushes her over so he can get more room! He is so social and just loves to be around everyone. He was more than the best choice and perfect for all of us. He is just the best.
Thanks again for letting us have this gift in our lives. Hope you are doing well.
Amanda
Blossom Takes a Snooze!
Good morning Shawna:
So far, so excellent. Yesterday we played fetch with Blossom in the front yard when we got home. I put her on the play cable - attached to her new white leather collar. You saw how thick that collar was . . . well, she caught the tennis ball and ran long for a touchdown, the collar snapped off, cable went flying in the air, and Blossom never even slowed down. In fact, she appeared to not notice at all. So, okay, one designer collar now toast, we put on the pink collar you sent us home with. That was toast also within two minutes. Interestingly, when Blossom was "loose" after both collars
broke, she stayed right with us and came when we called. Considering the two heart attacks I almost had - I see a big fenced yard in our future :-O
Second trip to the pet store. The owner of our local pet store has bred pit bulls for years. She helped us fit Blossom with a new collar and a strong body harness for play time (she said less chance of injury for both dog and child). Not that we cared, but this lady did not believe Blossom was a mix but a pure pit, and she kept going on and on about how perfect an animal Blossom is - and we all agreed with that of course :0) The poor dog - she was measured and manhandled by strangers and the girls kept trying clothes on her (she has her own wardrobe now) and "store lady" tried four different harnesses on her and Blossom just licked and wagged through the whole thing.
We played ourselves silly the rest of the afternoon and all six of us were dog tired by the end of the day. The cats come down to look at Blossom through the dog gate we have in the kitchen. The cat growls are less and less the more they watch her - I am sure they will be fine in time. Blossom slept until 8:00 this morning in her dog bed next to ours and hopped up to snuggle for a few minutes when she woke - we loved having her to ourselves for a few quiet minutes (those darn kids are real dog-hogs).
We are all still tired from the excitement yesterday - the attached picture is Blossom and Sophie dozing in the kitchen waiting for breakfast - both dog
and girl were snoring - it had Glenn and me in hysterics. Thank you so much for giving us such a wonderful, loving family member. This house will never be the same. I'll keep you updated.
Melanie and clan
So far, so excellent. Yesterday we played fetch with Blossom in the front yard when we got home. I put her on the play cable - attached to her new white leather collar. You saw how thick that collar was . . . well, she caught the tennis ball and ran long for a touchdown, the collar snapped off, cable went flying in the air, and Blossom never even slowed down. In fact, she appeared to not notice at all. So, okay, one designer collar now toast, we put on the pink collar you sent us home with. That was toast also within two minutes. Interestingly, when Blossom was "loose" after both collars
broke, she stayed right with us and came when we called. Considering the two heart attacks I almost had - I see a big fenced yard in our future :-O
Second trip to the pet store. The owner of our local pet store has bred pit bulls for years. She helped us fit Blossom with a new collar and a strong body harness for play time (she said less chance of injury for both dog and child). Not that we cared, but this lady did not believe Blossom was a mix but a pure pit, and she kept going on and on about how perfect an animal Blossom is - and we all agreed with that of course :0) The poor dog - she was measured and manhandled by strangers and the girls kept trying clothes on her (she has her own wardrobe now) and "store lady" tried four different harnesses on her and Blossom just licked and wagged through the whole thing.
We played ourselves silly the rest of the afternoon and all six of us were dog tired by the end of the day. The cats come down to look at Blossom through the dog gate we have in the kitchen. The cat growls are less and less the more they watch her - I am sure they will be fine in time. Blossom slept until 8:00 this morning in her dog bed next to ours and hopped up to snuggle for a few minutes when she woke - we loved having her to ourselves for a few quiet minutes (those darn kids are real dog-hogs).
We are all still tired from the excitement yesterday - the attached picture is Blossom and Sophie dozing in the kitchen waiting for breakfast - both dog
and girl were snoring - it had Glenn and me in hysterics. Thank you so much for giving us such a wonderful, loving family member. This house will never be the same. I'll keep you updated.
Melanie and clan
Reno is a Charmer!
Hi Denise!
Things couldn't be better! We love him soooo much! Some of the parents of Alicia and Allison's friends want to take Reno home! He is such a good boy - EVERYBODY loves him! We took him to the vet last Tuesday and he got a good report! A little overweight they said! We bought him two beds - one for upstairs and one for downstairs - he chewed on them - I was surprised! He stopped chewing on the upstairs one and now uses it to sleep! The downstairs one is a different story so far! He did not eat much the first few days. Allison ended up putting his food in his frisbee and feeding him by handfuls! Today he ate all his food while lying down with the frisbee on his front legs! Not too spoiled, huh?!?!? So, in summary - all is well! We love him to pieces, and he seems to love us just the same! He is a joy!
Thank you! ~Kathy
P.S. One of our friends is looking for a dog and came to meet Reno yesterday. They wanted to know if he had a brother! I gave them the info on how we came to find Reno. We hope they are as fortunate as we are!
Things couldn't be better! We love him soooo much! Some of the parents of Alicia and Allison's friends want to take Reno home! He is such a good boy - EVERYBODY loves him! We took him to the vet last Tuesday and he got a good report! A little overweight they said! We bought him two beds - one for upstairs and one for downstairs - he chewed on them - I was surprised! He stopped chewing on the upstairs one and now uses it to sleep! The downstairs one is a different story so far! He did not eat much the first few days. Allison ended up putting his food in his frisbee and feeding him by handfuls! Today he ate all his food while lying down with the frisbee on his front legs! Not too spoiled, huh?!?!? So, in summary - all is well! We love him to pieces, and he seems to love us just the same! He is a joy!
Thank you! ~Kathy
P.S. One of our friends is looking for a dog and came to meet Reno yesterday. They wanted to know if he had a brother! I gave them the info on how we came to find Reno. We hope they are as fortunate as we are!