Success Stories

From the Shelter to Their New Homes!

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.

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;)

Awesome Mikey :0)

Hey Paige ...
I've attached some pix to show you how Mikey is doing, which in short is awesome ... We've been working on the car anxiety ... Thank you again for this awesome boy and for what you guys do!

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

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

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

Rusty Makes Three!!!

Rusty, Vito and Bella happy at home!

Mikey's Merry Christmas!!

Hi Paige,
Just wanted to let you know Mikey continues to do awesome and has become quite popular with everyone who meets him! He's such a doll! We absolutely adore him! He now sleeps in bed with me when Bryne works. My lil old lady dog loves him and has lost some of her chubbiness from running around the yard with him. Oh! And he likes to unwrap xmas presents!!! I think he thinks the paper sounds funny! So we will wait til xmas morning to put out the presents. I'm still wanting to work with him on the car fear come spring time so that maybe he can do therapy dog training or get into one of those children literacy-dog programs. He's so unbelievably kind and mellow ... He would be exceptional at that kind of "job". So thank you again for seeing the potential in this amazing sweet soul ... I know that doing rescue work can be stressful and emotionally taxing ... I hope that success stories like Mikeys fuel your fire because what you do makes a huge difference!
Happy Holidays to you and your family!!!
-Mikey, Emily and Bryne, Norah and Caeli.

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)

Ginger Continues To Bring Happiness To Her Family!

Dear shelter survivors,
I was just outside with my "shelter survivor" Ginger, a dog we adopted from you January 1, 2009, and I was thinking about what a wonderful happy dog she is. I know I thanked you all when I adopted her, but I wanted you all to know how well she is doing. The volunteer that fostered her was Sonal Innella. In the beginning we had cats (7 of them) bouncing off the walls, but now we are one big happy family. Her favorite job is putting our chickens in at night. She chases them right into the coop and searches for the stragglers in the bushes. Her arthritis in her hips is starting to slow her down a little and the vet said she is much older than originally thought but we love her so much. Thank you again for rescuing her.
Joyce Wright
Harmony, NJ

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. Still playing foster doggie mom?
Gary

Amazing Mikey!!

Hi Paige!

Mikey continues to do *amazingly*!!! He's SUCH a happy dog....wags allll the time. He is truly a joy to us and we are so smitten with him. He's gotten better with setting clear boundaries with Norah-which is great! (she can't get enough of him ... She's totally infatuated with him ...). Our old girl is good with him too ... She "parallel plays" with him ... They run side by side. Very cute. We had a comforter "de-stuffing" incident (ha). But could have been Norah as well! Nothing in our house is so precious that if it gets lost/broken, we would freak. It is what it is. Oh AND he started hugging us!!!! We love it. If he does to company maybe we will address. So, that's the update! Paige, this is such a special boy and we are so thankful you and the rescue saw his potential. He is absolutely a joy and we adore him!
Thanks again!
Emily (Bryne and Mikey too!)

Paige - he thinks it (snow) tastes delish!!! Mikey is doing fantastic! Everyone who meets him loves him. (naturally!) and he even sleeps in bed with me!
Hope you're well!
-Emily

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

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

Mugsy The Sweetheart!!

Hi Denise and Paige,

I haven't touched base in a while so wanted to let you know that Mugsy is doing great. He's such a sweetheart. Even though it might be hard to tell by looking at these pictures, he does enjoy running around the yard and the house and going on walks. The pit he ingeniously dug in the yard to keep cool is getting deeper and deeper all the time. It actually takes a little effort for him to climb out of it. We couldn't be happier with him!

Abby and George

Rosco Is All Grown Up!!!

Hi Shawna,
How are you? Everything here is good. Rosco is great! He's 64 pounds now! We didn't know if he could swim so we put a life vest on him when we brought him to our lake. He loves the water! He and Skylar are best buds. Inseparable! They play all the time and sleep right next to each other. I have some pictures of him on my phone I will send you. Have you fostered any more dogs?

Angelo

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

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

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 spokemodel 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

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

King Found a Home Where He Truly Is King!

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

Rocky and Michigan Check In!

Hi Paige -
My husband and I just wanted to send you a few pictures and let you know how Rocky is doing. We have had him for almost a year and he's doing wonderfully!

Rocky is extremely loving -- he loves to cuddle with not only my husband and I, but with Michigan as well (they like to use each other as a pillow). He also loves to play outside especially in the snow (and we've got quite a bit of it right now so he's very happy!)! He chases after snowballs and chunks of snow and will nose around covering his head with snow. Rocky will run after us as we're shoveling and chase the snow we throw off of the shovel. When the sun is out, he wants nothing more than to lay on the porch in the sun and sleep or lay in the sun in the yard and chew on a bone. Rocky and Michigan run circles around the house and play with each other until they wear themselves out. If Michigan is tired out or not around and Rocky wants to play, he'll kick a ball around or toss a toy around for himself to play with. It's very amusing to watch.

He's doing well with commands and is eating well. We're still working on his barking -- when he goes outside, he'll bark at people that walk by or if a car turns down the street that goes along side our house (I think he may think it's someone coming to the house) but it is getting better.

Overall, Rocky is doing VERY well and is having a great time with us and Michigan. We're very happy we had the opportunity to meet you and that we found Rocky. Thanks so much!

Allison and Tom

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

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

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

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

Lily Loves Her New Home!

Hi Shawna,

I'm good and so is Lily! She has not had any accidents since that one time. We seem to be getting on a routine. I have her dog bed in my room with me. She does, like clockwork, get up and pace around at 3. She does not cry just paces but then will lie back down. I brought her to the vet and they checked her incision. It looks soo much better now. They also gave her a heartworm test. I have to bring her back because I noticed that she has little red bumps on her neck and down her tummy. She itches her next which seems to be irritating it. I also gave her a bath. She is so good in the tub! She also loves the yard. She runs around like a crazy girl doing her laps.

Take care and have a merry Christmas!
Jasmine

Moo Moo is Living Large!

Hi Janet!

Just wanted to give you an update on Moo Moo. We are really enjoying her and she is a permanent part of our family. We have become complete dog owning fools. We dress her in sweaters and coats, give her a special rice and dog food mash every day (we actually mix it with a bit of olive oil, water and micro wave til warm...). She gets a 2- 3 mile walk with us every morning and because it is so much part of our routine, she doesn't give us a moment's peace until we are in the car.

We have "cured" her of barking at strangers, trying to be the Alpha dog, and thinking she is an only child when our grand kids show up! We had to get one of those radio collars to do this, because she is such a strong Alpha personality. But the collar provided immediate success for her top dog tendencies. We can take her on walks without a leash and she walks right by other dogs now. We already use the boundary radio collar for when she is outdors and all our neighbors have commented on how well she behaves when she trots outside. Not that she is an outside dog... we have to talk her into going out to do her business after dark and when it rains. Full winter weather should be a challenge! :)
She is loving life and living large! Thanks for all you do to make sure good dogs end up in loving family homes!

Diane and Thayne

Roscoe Becomes A Country Boy!

Hi Shawna,

I just want to let you know Roscoe is doing Great! He and Skyler are getting along so good, like they have been friends for years. Playing, eating together. We took them down to the creek this morning ,a few blocks down from us. Let them run around splashing in the water, they took turns chasing each other. One spot was up to the top of Skylers back and Roscoe started to swim. We're going to make him a "Country Boy". Also, He slept in the crate, with no accidents. 6 hrs. He is an Awesome Dog!

Talk soon , Angelo

Digby Completes the Family!

Chris,

Once again, our heartfelt thanks for bringing us Digby. He is a much welcome addition to our family.

Rob, Lori and Nick

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

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!

Zeke Chills Out!

Hey Shawna,

How are you?! Zeke is doing very well!! We absolutely adore him. He is becoming more chill every day. I think he really adjusting to us being away for work, and I really believe he senses when we are wiped out because he just will relax with us as opposed to being nudgy! We definitely have fun playing with him hard core on the weekends though!

He is also beginning to fill out a little too. He looks great, finished his meds, which of course he is glad for! Our family and friends love him! Still loves to follow us everywhere and he and Arn walk me out every morning to my car before work! He is sitting by my feet now just chewing a bone.

Anyway, we hope all is well with you. Stay well!

Bec and Arn.

Desi and Tinker!

Hi Chris:

Here are a couple of pictures of Desi sharing her bed with Tinker. She still has an issue with one of the cats, but all around she's doing well!

Thanks,

Monica