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I wanted to start a thread for those of us who adopted a rescue dog/s & our stories.
I'll start. I was a cat only person for my whole life up until just less than a year ago. Our home was broken into in our nice, quiet 'hood for the 2nd time in 4 years. I said yes to a dog. We fostered & adopted a black Border Collie, we think at least a bit mixed w/ Black Lab. Sweet, stubborn, non barking Sasha is our 'guesstimated' almost 2 yo dog. =) She was just left in a foreclosed home. =*(
Our 2nd dog, a male sheltie, was found wondering the streets of the county to our north, w/ a few other males of his same breed. Suspected breeders just turned the males loose when they no longer served a $$$ purpose. =*( We adopted him, & our daughter gave him the name of Bolt, after the movie. lol Bolt is the most sweet dog, & so gentle. W/ either, I cannot understand why anyone would not want either of our dogs.
I admit, I'm way too much a softie. I wish I could adopt them all. My kiddos toughen the animals up. lol We also have a 14 1/2 yo black cat who is the best, sweetest cat ever. =) Kiki. =) Our 13 1/2 yo long haired calico female is a bit more tempermental. lol Her new collar w/ 'cat' scent is working for Puddykins for now. Hope, for awhile. We try it all. lol
Three years ago I was asked to "foster" a Pit Bull. I have experience with bullies but was not sure if I was ready to take on another dog. After putting down my Am Staff (also a rescue) I just wasn't sure. She and I had 12+ wonderful years together...but I agreed to at least talk with the gal.
He had been left behind when his original owners moved out of their rental. A rescue took him, adopted him out, this gal was losing her home but promised it would only be for a month or two...(famous last words).
I asked to see a picture and just knew immediately, this boy had character! What a handsome dog...except, he didn't look pit, he looked like an American Bulldog.
I sent her pictures and kept her updated on how well he was adjusting to his new pack. We had a schedule for walks, he has his own backpack and he's very well adjusted.
Long story short, the rescue group found out I had him and how well he was doing and as a formality, had me fill out adoption papers. I was told by them she could not have him back as she was in breech of contract. (She was suppose to give him back to them to re-home and she didn't.)
A couple of weeks ago I went to the shelter to get my dog license. After getting my paperwork done, I decided to walk through the kennels. I was not really looking for a dog. (I had just put my old white shepherd mix down, due to the effects of Carprofen.) ((She was another rescue.))
I get to cage 46 and this large red dog with amber eyes looks at me and my heart begins to melt. Any resolve I had to not get another dog was quickly leaving. I let him sniff my hand and he gave me a lick through the chain-link. Then turned his massive body against the fencing to be scratched. I was ready to crawl in there with him and just hang out for a while.
I finished going through the kennel. When I got back to the front, I asked how long had 46 been there? They said, "January." I asked was his "d-day" approaching? They just said well, he's been here a while... I asked if they would be willing to foster him? ((BTW, did I mention they have him classified as a Red-nose pitbull?)) She looked at me with amazement and said, "you would be willing to find him a home?" I said, "No, I will just adopt him myself. I just cannot see him be put-down." I told her, "It is not that I have to have him, I want him to have a good home and if he's getting close to his d-day, I would at least foster him." I must have answered their questionnaire correctly because...
Long story short...he's the newest member of our pack. Except, he's a Dogue de Bordeaux / bulldog mix. I am not saying he's does not have some pit mix but you can see the French mastiff in him (Hooch from Turned & Hooch) not as much drool...but he does drool, lol!!!
So, my last four dogs have all been rescue / adopted. I love my boys, without question...and I miss my girls beyond words!!!
Went to the shelter to give the cute dogs attention with some freinds. Was planning to adopt, potentially buy, a golden puppy eventually. Fell in love with a little brown lab mix, fuzzy little girl, hiding in the back of the cage. Held her in my arms before letting her on the ground. All the other dogs flipped a ****, barked like crazy, and she decided to make a run for it under the cages.
Knew I had to have her, especially after I put her back all her brothers gathered around and laid their heads on her. It was pretty adorable.
She's been a little scaredy cat since we've got her: terrified of opening trash bags, the AC outside coming on-- make that pretty much any loud noise, and anything "new", such as a piece of trash outside in the yard. Thankfully she's also scared of traffic, so she'll run up to the end of our driveway and get the paper without worry of her getting ran over (she checks for traffic before even going near, not that she goes in street).
Now she's my spoiled little princess who went from rags to riches. My only regret is not knowing what happened to her brothers; wish I could've adopted one of them too.
We lost our female Mastiff last Sept. Her brother was sulking as much as we were it seemed. We had not planned on getting another dog for quite a long time and would have probably found a Mastiff someplace as we are very much Mastiff people. I saw this little border collie/ austrailian sheppard mix in the adoption page of our local rescue group. He haunted me for a day or so and so I thought I would call and see if he had found a good home at the Pet Smart adoption event. He was still available. Ivan is with us now and what a charmer and is by far the smartest thing in the house. Our mastiff likes him and thinks he is a great chew toy. I would go through a shelter next time around as well.
I would love to post pics of my boys...and will when I get on my PC. I typed my rescue story from my iPhone. Although I am a little techie (geeky) I haven't figured out how to post pics directly from my phone. I will say out of the 1000+ pics on my phone, they are mostly my dogs. (lol) will share them soon!
Moved to a very remote area although close to work. But I travel a lot and my neighbor (caretaker for large abused animals seized by the sheriff) suggested I get a dog to be around. She said she would care for it when I travel. Went tot he pund and saw a dog that nobody could figure out what it was. The card simply said MUTT. The dog wasn't a big wreak but stank to high heavan and I mean really stinky. They told me if I was interested I needed to act now because it's scheduled to be put down anytime that day. I grabbed the card and apodted it. After many baths and grooming, I have a really nice mutt that only stinks sometimes. Never was able to figure out why the stink but bet thats why it was given up.
One day came home from work and that night the dog was acting weird. The next day I asked the neighbor if anything strange was going n and told her why. She told me to come and take a look at one of the seized animals. In the quarantine pen was this thing that looked like werewolf. She told me it was seized from some criminals and is belived to be a wolf & wolf/dog hybrid. Unfortunetely, it was going to be put down at the end of the trial. After a god two months of working with the Sheriff, animal control, wildlife management agnets and the state vet, an agreement was worked out for me to take guardianship of this animal. Although the rules are strict (muzzel when off my property, has to wear a special identification collar, etc) its been worthwhile.
Now I have a stinky love bunny mutt and a mangy looking beadie eye convict. and none of these supported a puppy mill or BYB. Nothing like saving a dogs who's only crime was being owned by the wrong person!
First rescue was a dog named Missy from the Columbia SC spca. Had heartworms and I was a broke college student. However, she survived and lived to be 18 years old. Simon was an Urgent rescue as his owner was not taking care of him but did turn him over to a rescue. He was a 5-year old border collie mix and very smart. He died of cancer several years ago. Our latest is from the Delaware Humane and while we have only had Darcy for two years, she is probably 8 or 9 years old. Darcy has survived at least 3 shelters, two of which I know were kill shelters. However, she has such a wonderful personality, someone saw that in her and got her to Delaware. We got lucky.
I adopted my oldest dog off an ad in Craigslist, the lady who owned her was going to move in with her son and his landlord would not allow animals under any circumstances. She was a lab mix and she's now 9 years old and has very bad hip displaysia so she takes Rimadyl twice a day to control the pain.
My other dog is adopted when I transported her on a rescue run from Oklahoma to Ohio, for some reason she just spoke to me and said I'm the dog you've been looking for. Sweet, sweet personality. She a flat coated retriever now three years old and finally out of the stage where she must destroy everything.
All but one of the dogs I've owned, and one of my cats, has been a rescue. Currently,our American Pit Bull Terrier came into the shelter where I volunteer as a stray. I think she must have been dumped. She has never, ever tried to get out of our yard, or out or front door as you open it, no matter what interesting thing (squirrel, dog) is out there. I don't know what led her to be out wandering the streets, but I'm glad that AC found her. She spent a month and a half in the shelter, always looking for love from whoever stopped by her kennel.
My other dog, a pit mix, was seized by humane investigators. She and another dog were chained in a backyard where someone tipped us off people were stealing dogs for bait dogs. She was unscarred but emaciated, as was the other dog. The other dog was too weak and malnourished and died despite treatment. My plucky little girl was held for 2 months for legal reasons before she could be put up for adoption. Then for 3 months, I walked her every week and requested her for adoption events. I loved her affectionate nature and her spirit. I knew my bossy female pittie at home had a knack for annoying other female dogs, and she was the same. I really didn't think it would work between them, so I kept working my butt off to find her a home. It was looking pretty bleak though. I talked my husband into us fostering her, warning him it might be difficult. Imagine my surprise when I brought her home, and the 2 dogs became best of friends within a couple of minutes. I could kick myself for leaving her stuck in the shelter so long, but we signed the adoption papers a couple of days later and we've never looked back. Now she's 25 pounds heavier, housebroken (something I think she knew before but had forgotten) and seems to have forgotten the very rough time that she had.
All of our shelter animals have been a joy to us. I can't imagine my life without them.
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