Several cuties available on this page.
Petfinder, looking for an Aussie (or Aussie mix), had very specific search parameters as far as ok with cats/size/age/etc., ended up with a 1 year old pittie mix because her picture caught my eye. Saw her on Monday or Tuesday, called Wednesday, and met her/took her home on Friday.
Can’t believe that was already a year and a half ago…
Here’s our story about our humane society adoptee: http://sahumane.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=497&Itemid=113. Click on “Gaby.”
After I submitted that story, the humane society called and asked us to be one of their adopter ambassadors for one of their behind the scenes tours. Gabby was a little nervous, but she warmed up to everyone and they all loved her. Plus we were able to talk about the benefits of adopting an adult dog rather than a puppy, and spread the word that heartworm is treatable and then preventable. The volunteer we worked with when we first saw her said that she had been passed over several times because she was heartworm positive, and people are just not educated about the condition.
Our other dog, Zazou, was sort of a rescue as well: her litter had been left on a church doorstep on a Sunday morning, at probably 24-48 hours old. Some friends who go to that church called us because they knew we were looking for a dog, to see if we would help foster them, since they were too young for the humane society to hand-raise. They took 4 and we took 4, and we raised them all to adulthood and found them all great homes. I can’t even explain why or how I picked Zaz out of the bunch when they were tiny and barely had their eyes open or had real personalities, but DH came home one day and saw that I had put a (tiny) collar on her and that she was going to stay with us.
Once my husband decided he could consider a dog again (he couldn’t deal with it for a few years after his heart dog died), he decided he wanted a male yellow lab.
So we ended up with a female, black, lab/hound cross. We had looked at several shelters, he walked by this dog and she was skinny and pathetic. When he went to pet her, she flopped on her back and clearly said 'Pet my belly!" When he did, she wiggled and licked his hand and he was stuck.
My dog jumped out at me. I was giving a talk to animal control at a shelter and got a shelter tour. They took me past the dogs awaiting euthanasia, and there was a gorgeous GSD who looked so sad. I was smitten. Originally they said he was HW+. Then the reason he was waiting on euthanasia was that he wasn’t friendly enough to be adoptable. They let me adopt him - and originally I was going to get him into GSD rescue. But first I needed to put weight on him. And he wormed his way in. He’s NOT withdrawn here. He’s turned into one of the best dogs I’ve shared my life with. I’m so glad he jumped out and grabbed me.
As far as strays are concerned, out of the 5 we have had show up we kept 2. The others were nice but didn’t work due to how they got along with livestock. The rest of our dogs have been shelter dogs. One ( who is now 6) locked eyes with me and I knew I had to take her. She is my constant companion and faithful to the end. My son chose our 3 year old ( with our approval) and she is a gem. Usually I just “know” but I never go off a picture. I must see/ meet the dog in person. We have never had a dog not work out.
Shelter volunteer knew I was grieving for my pit bull/terrier x, and called one Sunday morning. A starving, wounded pit female had just beem taken for abuse, and volunteer said that she would be put down immediately if she weren’t gotten away. So I got her. She’s a joy, and my cat has done a good job of training her.
Other dog came in through the dog door and never left. I knew he’d been a neighborhood stray for several months.
Every one of our current dogs has been a failed foster except for one, so we had them living in our house for a few months already! (originally pulled from AC or surrendered to us, we chose them initially because of the diamond in T rough potential.)
So the other dog also originally came from animal control, before I had any experience with fostering. I was moving into a studio with a 25lb limit and grew up with standard poodles so I preferred non shedding.
I checked the website of the animal control habitually for weeks and saw one that fit the size and poodley description.
When I got there, I noted that he wasn’t barking or leaping at the gate to his run, which was good. He did fine on leash and wasn’t crazy hyper when he was in the interaction pen. I played with his ears, lifted his cheeks to check his teeth, played with his paws and tugged his tail. I also picked him up to see his reaction. He basically ignored everything I did and was friendly and calm, so I adopted him!
I’ve had him now for seven years. He did turn out to be more insecure and reactive than I expected, but totally manageable. He gets growly with his nails being trimmed, snarky with other dogs in his space (but even puppies know he’s powerless haha). He’s one of those that has to live by the nothing in life is free approach.
But I love him dearly and he’s my bubba. We half joke (lovingly!) if he had been a foster NOW we wouldn’t have kept him, but he’s here for life!
The others, a golden mix was adopted out and returned to us (with new issues, of course), the lab was a breed I always wanted and oh so loving. The Aussie had behavioral issues and by the time we got him good and sociable we didn’t want to risk him being ‘ruined’ and returned… We were discussing whether or not to keep him and he jumped up, trotted to my chair and put his paws on my lap, the first truly spontaneously affectionate move he made! The schnoodle had been attacked by another dog and after nursing her through it I was too attached 
finally the weimaraner was a hellion, but the most adoring kind with the biggest personality. He’s a great combo of cuddly and athletic, and I might always need to own a weimaraner because of him
I had some specific requirements for my new dog. I wanted a small dog, because I did not want to have to exercises it a lot and we lived in an apartment. I grew up with labs and my parents would take them on 2 to 3 mile walks about 3 or more time a week. I knew I would not have the dedication to do that.
Also because of my allergies and dealing with the Lab’s hair, I wanted a dog that did not shed or had very short hair. My husband did not want a fufu dog, so I ended up with a Min Pin Mutt. At the time I was volunteering at a local shelter and he just caught my eye. What drew me was how quiet he was and the fact that he looked more masculine for my husband.
He does have his problems, but I would not trade him for the world. He is leash reactive and he has turned into a one person dog. He does sometimes drive my husband nuts whining when I am gone, however my husband just kennels him.
Foster Family Failure
This thread has made me cry, but in a good way. Love reading the stories. I came across Percy through Erin Harty, who used to be a COTH moderator. I am friends with her on Facebook and of course she is very much into Baltimore area animal rescue. In January 2013, she posted Percy (former name Muscles) on her FB page and noted that he only had about an hour left before he was euthanized, as BARCS was out of room. I jumped on it in about two seconds. I had been wanting a pitty-bull as my family has always had them. Percy is the absolute best dog ever, and gets along with humans, cats and other dogs (when they are off leash).
I didn’t exactly choose between dogs. My friend’s coworker just decided that after 8 years she didn’t want her dog anymore, and the fact that she just had a baby wasn’t helping. So instead of him going to the shelter I went and picked him up.
I was going to buy a dog, and talked to a few breeders but then stopped by the pound and walked through. I found our newest beast he just seemed to look at me like “please get me out of here!”
He is the big brown one, and the beagle was given to me when she didn’t hunt early enough in life. She hunts a mean biscuit though!
We didn’t. She chose us.
We were out shopping for a new curling iron, and the hunting supply store next to Sallys had a local beagle rescue showcasing some dogs. “Lets just go pet the dogs” we said. “We just need our puppy fix” we said. Well the tiny ticked beagle who was pulled from death row in a kill shelter days before crawled on me…and she was home with us a few days later
Also we never did buy a new curling iron.
Hanging out at the barn after my ride, two other lady boarders talking about their dogs and I piped up that I would like a dog.
They asked what kind and I listed my usual favs: Greahound, Whippet, … and for some reason threw Beagle in there. Wha…?
[to be fair my fathers family always had beagles… to hunt with]
And it turns out that lady #1 was an LVT and had taken in a HBC/stray who was going to be put to sleep… who drove her nuts so she gave him to lady #2 who had a kennel.
I went to see him the Friday before Easter, and picked him up the Monday after.
His name was Joey and because of the Easter connection I did toy with changing his name to [spanish] Jesus… lil did I know what a real devil he was.
Surely that name change would have sealed my fate…
Smartest dog EVER. Hands down. He could ID all his toys by name… he played hide/seek with me… if you taught him a trick it took like 2 tries and he had it.
SO smart!
I had him for 13 years. He was my first [EVER] dog, and the dog of a lifetime and there will never be another like him [and I don’t mean that in a ‘Thank God’ way either].
I had to put him down when his back went out and after a few days of treatment we just could not get it to resolve.
Hardest things I have ever had to do was say goodbye to that lil’ booger.
The next morning I woke up and I swear I heard him bark from the cadaver bag in the back of my car… He’s buried under the oak tree out back with Hannah Banana [his favorite cat to hump] and the 800 year old Yorkie [that is a whole 'nother LONG story].
I miss him Every. Single. Day.
[QUOTE=skipollo;7429691]
We didn’t. She chose us.
We were out shopping for a new curling iron, and the hunting supply store next to Sallys had a local beagle rescue showcasing some dogs. “Lets just go pet the dogs” we said. “We just need our puppy fix” we said. Well the tiny ticked beagle who was pulled from death row in a kill shelter days before crawled on me…and she was home with us a few days later
Also we never did buy a new curling iron.
Best curling iron ever[/QUOTE]
Oh Skipollo she sure is the best curling iron ever!
[QUOTE=MMacallister;7429681]
I was going to buy a dog, and talked to a few breeders but then stopped by the pound and walked through. I found our newest beast he just seemed to look at me like “please get me out of here!”
He is the big brown one, and the beagle was given to me when she didn’t hunt early enough in life. She hunts a mean biscuit though![/QUOTE]
My ‘new’ Beagle was dumped in a cemetery when she wouldn’t hunt.
She is the sweetest little dog you ever want to know… I don’t know how anyone could be so cruel to such a sweet dog… But I guess I’m glad they dumped her so she can live with us instead.
I got my first standard poodle from a breeder and my boyfriend actually picked him out. The second came to me through a real estate listing I took - the people had standards and we talked poodles. I listed their house for a week and they decided to not sell because the market tanked…however, during our talks, they had asked if I wanted another standard and my reply was yes, but not if I had to pay for it as they are expensive. A week after I took it off the market, they called and told me about an abandoned white standard - did I want him? I went and picked him up and he’s my bodyguard! haha…no one is going to touch me - he’s super protective and my dog.
My next dog came to me after my first standard died. A month after Cooper was gone, I started thinking about a smaller dog as my remaining dog was very depressed. I posted online in a forum, someone PM’d me about a dog near me who was being turned into rescue. She was another standard poodle and not small. But I applied and picked her up and was really nervous about getting another dog. the m inute she met me, she did a Cooper move that was his signature greeting. It was like he was there telling me she was the one. She has never done that signature move again, but she is my special girl.
The cats were all rescues of some sort - 3 kittens born in my boarding barn that i rescued, two from an spca…one of which I had bypassed but my friend picked him up for me telling me he was special…so I ended up with both cats. I now have 5 cats and am at capacit!
Chadwick was a puppy found at a murder scene in a neighborhood in atlanta. He was not a witness to, nor involved in the murder of the 91 yr old woman. My homicide detective would not take him, he had a dobe, so I brought Chad home to my 2 aussies and he fit in well.
Quincy was a puppy run over in the swamps of south GA, as I was on my way to court, so I took him home with me and he fit in really well with my aussies and rescued dogs. 110 pound dog.
Raleigh was a puppy who was on death row over in the Cobb pound, west of Atlanta, after I’d been hit by an 18 wheeler which killed 2 of my aussies. Raleigh had been hit by a guy in Cobb at night, and the guy had taken him to the emergency vet hospital over there where he was unclaimed. i brought Raleigh home and after 5 operations and an orthotic device, his foreleg was saved and he fit in well with my aussies and Chad and then Quincy. 100 pound dog.
so while sometimes I scraped them up off the the road, sometimes I have found them at pounds on death row. And every rescued dog had the same food and vet care as my las rocosa aussies.
Well my first arrived by a neighbor who knew the breeder (had him in a crate, 24/7 - on her front porch). He was my heart dog - and perfect. He picked me - I guess by circumstance.
My second I interviewed via e-mail. : ) Asked all sorts of questions - got pictures, etc - and then drove 4 hours to meet her with my other dog in-tow. Interacted in a vet’s parking lot for an hour or so - threw her in the back - and we left. Sadly, despite the extensive “interview” process (I had select criteria, asked all the questions) she had unexpected behavioral problems. I don’t fault the rescue for this. They had her for a month at a vet-clinic: how could they really know what she’d be like in a home environment?
Then I fostered, extensively, for a local rescue’s “experienced dog-person only” dogs.
My latest - I send a short list to the rescue - this time with more emphasis on my daily life. I wanted 4-6 years old, male, Beta-Type personality okay but not required/preferred, some-age related orthopedic issues okay, etc. Rescue called references, had me take pictures of my life, and then met me - for a 6 month old male. In other words, we had an “arranged marriage.” There have certainly been problems - but, to the rescue’s credit, I think they did the best they could with the limited information they had about the dog.
Angela,
Your beagle is adorable! Mine wasn’t dumped, I knew the breeder and when all the other pups started hunting but this one didn’t, he talked me into giving her a home. He wanted her out of his breeding program (any breeding program really) and beagle puppies are so dang cute! She is a good dog, and cuddles up with me on the couch all the time. The brown dog still has the pathetic look, but now he will put his head on your knee and give you the puppy eyes when you stop petting him.
