Happy Tails/Tales

[Christie M]

there really is only one reason that people continue to do rescue. That reason is the feedback that you get from the new owners who adore their new dogs.

I am looking back through stuff to find the dates of my favorite story - but share yours!!!

[Christie M]

I got my first official rescue in January 2005. She was at a shelter in Memphis and when it came down to pulling her - it was nothing but resistance. I was really new in the game and needed major help with transport (I lived in MI). But I was able to talk to every person at the shelter that thought she should be iced and convince them that I could handle it. At that point there was no North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue (we only formalized out of need after events like this). But Celis (as I eventually named her) was a horrific resource guarder and the shelter could not, in good conscience, release her. I eventually had to sell myself to the director himself because that was what I did. I was an clinical behavior consultant for a MSU supported veterinary hospital in MI. I played every card.

And when I got Celis....well she was just a mess. She weighed in at 37 pounds. When I adopted her out, she was 59 and still had a few pounds to gain. Her process was a very educational situation for me. The first time I fed her I just wanted to see what they were talking about. I put her in a crate and then set down a food bowl and walked out of the room. When I walked back in, she ignored the food and attached herself to the side of the crate, trying to kill me for my presence.

I spent the next 2-3 weeks sitting with my back against the crate tossing pieces of hot dog over my shoulder. I taught her to trust people and that obedience equated better reward. There was no correction involved, just a better trade off for working with me.

When I finally put Celis up for adoption, I was contacted by some folks in Maine. I was very open about my concerns, but they were very committed to making her work. One Friday, I left my home to drive the 8 hours from my home in MI to Niagra Falls, NY where her wonderful new owners were coming from Maine.

These people loved Celis "Cee" as she became known. When their Rott passed due to osteosarcoma, they adopted another DS via rescue. He had issues too - as would any adult being transplanted. But they are my favorite story. They took my first dog and she was a "what if" dog. They MADE things work. They then took another dog because they loved her so much. And then they made things work.

I love every person who takes in a rescue dog. But Jon and Caren have taken that to a new level - before there was a refined process. They are my super SUCCESS STORY! When I am overwhelmed and pretty cynical about the world, they are the reason I work on. They still have Cee-cee, love her and compare every dog to her. She is the luckiest dog in the world, and I am the luckiest person to have acquired her and learned from her. At 10 months - the rest of the world would have thought her better dead. At coming up on 7 years, she is a happy go-lucky example of the very best possibility. And based on her success, another rescue got a shot at life too!!

[MXCasey]

First of all- let me say I'm not really a rescue-person. However, my girlfriend and I work at the same veterinary clinic (she's a vet, I work part-time as lab-assistant while I finish my Vet. Medicine study) and so we can't help but sometimes rescue some dogs and cats. Most are dumped at the clinic (owners simply never show up anymore) and sometimes we pick up a stray that is just too cute or somehow steels our heart (if we'd pick up all strays in Mexico City we'd have a zillion dogs in adoption now).
Anyway one way or another we'll have an average of 3 to 4 dogs and cats in adoption (at the moment we have 1 cat, a bull terrier, a yellow Labrador puppy and a black Labrador with coxofemoral luxation).
Fortunately, several people tend to help us place these animals so most of them find a home more or less quickly.
This was not true for a lovely mixed breed female called Luna. She was rescued (i.e., stolen) from the 'surgical teaching' department (her future looked extremely grim at that moment, as you might imagine) at the Vet faculty by a former colleague, but this lady never did anything but dumping her in a cage at the clinic. This was the dog with the most heartbreaking character I'd ever seen. She never escaped her fate as being a subject for surgical practice as I (first year student at that time) got to practice spaying her (my second 'victim', but under the watchful eyes of my girlfriend and with highest standard medical care, might be added). I remember that when we were placing the intravenous catheter, she extended her arm for us... incredible.
The big problem with Luna was her huge insecurity. She was dumped in the cage, we spayed her but we really didn't have much time to work with her- after all this is still a clinic, not a professional rescue association. She lived in her cage, and was taken care for, got time to go out for a pee and a poo got her daily ration of kibble- and that was all. Whenever we took her out of the cage, she just wanted 1 thing- get back in as soon as possible. She got adopted a few times, but after a few days the new owners would always bring her back, telling she wouldn't leave her place behind the couch... so what should we do? Living in a crate is no decent, dog-worthy life for a dog. Should we euthanize her? Instead, we decided to take her down into the clinic whenever my girlfriend was working, to get rid of her fear for the outside world.
Around that time, a small Westie puppy was brought to the clinic for day-care service. Leuko (his owner is a pediatric hematologist, hence his name) is the funniest, most self-assured, optimistic and likable dog I know. And he loved Luna. Through Leuko, Luna gained self-confidence. Each day she felt better being outside her cage.
One day a French lady came to the clinic, with her small mixed breed dog Pep (officially: Pepperoni ). She liked Luna a lot. We warned her, even if Luna felt better now she was still extremely shy. Still she wanted to take her. A week later she returned. How it went? Luna indeed was very shy, so she and her boyfriend decided taking her and Pep on a camping trip. That did the trick. She kept working on her, and after being a stray, being picked up by the anti-rabies patrol, being sold to the Faculty to be used for surgical practice, being spayed by a newbie and after living in a cage for two years, she really found a home. Recently her owners came to the clinic for a health certificate as they were moving to France. We will never see Luna again, but we know she has a loving home. I never felt better for a dog then I felt for Luna- she'll be in our minds and hearts forever.

Kees

[vneerland]

Oh you two!! I am almost wanting to grab a box of tissues because of your stories!
AWESOME!

Mine are not that dramatic. I can think of Gargoyle, the ugliest dog (pit mix?) in the world yet a sweet dog, dumped at my kennel. Some obedience training and a lot of attempts to socialize and a lot of trips to the friday night adoption clinic by the local rescue group and she found a home. As did Sally, the shy tervuren girl, who came from the kill shelter. A breed judge and aquaintance of ours took pity on her and helped her adoption along. And Penny, the malinois from the Dallas area, also kill shelter last minute pull, who found a lovely home in the country. There was the pretty ragdoll siamese kitten that walked up to my husband when he was on patrol, that now lives happily with the real esate lady. And Danny, who was roaming the country road where his littermate already decorated the asphalt Danny eventually went home with Ellisa who slapped some better manners on him and found his new home via her and a Dallas rescue group. Malinhound, the 'what on earth kind of breed are you' sweetheart stray found a great home with some horse friends. When I needed some models for my grooming class (shhhhhht! Best kept secret) some friends at the shelter let me borrow a cocker spaniel from death row. He was a horrible mess and I thought I could not get it done. But with the help of a sympathetic teacher, we turned the mats into a good looking dog who as adopted the very next day. The shelther staff repeated the trick with his littermate. And one new hairdo later, he too was out of there, and out of danger.
None too dramatic, but a few lives saved anyway.

[MXCasey]

When I needed some models for my grooming class (shhhhhht! Best kept secret) some friends at the shelter let me borrow a cocker spaniel from death row. He was a horrible mess and I thought I could not get it done. But with the help of a sympathetic teacher, we turned the mats into a good looking dog who as adopted the very next day. The shelther staff repeated the trick with his littermate. And one new hairdo later, he too was out of there, and out of danger.
None too dramatic, but a few lives saved anyway.

YOU???? A dog-groomer! Now I have some news to break on the Dutch list!

Still- the best trick ever. That's why we never give mixed breed dogs up for adoption. We look at the dog, see what breed comes closest, send the dog to the groomer and ask him to do whatever necessary to make the dog look like the breed we've chosen for him
So anything curly is a 'French', anything small without curly hair is a 'Maltese' (did you think a Maltese is always white? We have them in all colours you can imagine, including paint). Floppy ears = Cocker and anything grayish is a Schnauzer. Always works. Also we never offer old dogs. Dogs are 'less then 1 year old' (=no signs of aging) or 'about 2 years old' (=signs of aging, like graying mouth) or 'less then 3 years old' (=all dogs with more then just some gray hairs around the beak). I admit. We lie to find homes for needy dogs

Kees

[leih merigian]

These are the most wonderful stories! Thanks for all the smiles and the very hard work you guys do!

Great thread, Christie!!!

The only thing I ever rescued was a baby squirrel. It's eyes weren't even open when I found it in the alley behind our house. Took it to the vet, raised it in the house, and it was the most wonderful little pet. We'd take Baby's cage outside and let him be free in the backyard during the day, and he'd play and run around and climb trees, and just be a little squirrel. If you went outside, he'd climb up your leg to be with you.

Unfortunately, some of our neighborhood kids got ahold of him one day when we were out shopping with our gram. They terrorized him. We eventually got him back, but he was totally wrecked and terrified of people, even us. So, we let him go forever (he could have left any time he wanted to, but he preferred to stay with us).

It felt great to rescue him and help him become a happy little squirrel, tho.

You guys all rock, that's for sure!

[vneerland]

[OU???? A dog-groomer! Now I have some news to break on the Dutch list!

Don't you DARE! And anyway. It did not stick. I had to keep re-bathing because they kept expressing anal glands
(I react quite instinctive when getting bitten, which happens a lot in grooming, and those dogs have never been corrected in their lives so I ended up with some messes.Letting the behavior slide did not work for me.

Still- the best trick ever. That's why we never give mixed breed dogs up for adoption. We look at the dog, see what breed comes closest, send the dog to the groomer and ask him to do whatever necessary to make the dog look like the breed we've chosen for him
So anything curly is a 'French', anything small without curly hair is a 'Maltese' (did you think a Maltese is always white? We have them in all colours you can imagine, including paint). Floppy ears = Cocker and anything grayish is a Schnauzer. Always works. Also we never offer old dogs. Dogs are 'less then 1 year old' (=no signs of aging) or 'about 2 years old' (=signs of aging, like graying mouth) or 'less then 3 years old' (=all dogs with more then just some gray hairs around the muzzle). I admit. We lie to find homes for needy dogs

I think those lies are permitted, though I will admit that I have seen 'dutch shepherds' on petfinder that do not, in a million years, even come close to resembling one. Considering -now- that that may be their only ticket out of jail, I am beginning to find it more amusing than I did before. I had just assumed that the ones labelling had no clue. But maybe they just adhere to your philosophy.

[Marjolein]

[OU???? A dog-groomer! Now I have some news to break on the Dutch list!

Don't you DARE! And anyway. It did not stick. I had to keep re-bathing because they kept expressing anal glands
(I react quite instinctive when getting bitten, which happens a lot in grooming, and those dogs have never been corrected in their lives so I ended up with some messes.Letting the behavior slide did not work for me.

Aha, Kees, we got some nice info on our hands here!! Judith as a groomer, whaha, I can just picture it This will come in handy one day, I just KNOW it!

[Christie M]

Another one - though not so dramatic. I currently have 3 fosters - 2 DS and a mal. Recently Matt came across a posting on Local Sales Network (kinda like Craig's list, but better) for Dutch Shepherd puppies for $100. I read the post and contacted the poster offering rescue assistance. My biggest concern was puttin three little uteruses out there for people to try to breed and make the big bucks off of - cause that ad itself proved that really isn't how it works.

The woman responded that she was upset that there was no market for these animals and she agreed to surrender them to rescue. I took in all three last Monday (I think that was when Matt decided that I may have to live in a kennel run....but HE told me about them ) and had them fixed on Tuesday - there were 2 brindles and a fawn. All three are going to their new pet homes this weekend: one in WI, one in CT and one in PA. All homes are familiar with working breeds and 2 of the three have DS currently. They are just looking for active companions!

Very big grin right now

[leih merigian]

Very big grin right now

I should say! What a marvelous outcome and so nice that they didn't spend much time with you AND MATT

[chiroone]

About 6 years ago we rescue a small rat terrier named Maize. She apparently came, from what might generously be called a "neglected situation" She was constantly beaten up by the many larger dogs in the house she "lived" with her "pig" of an owner, she had glaucoma and in one eye was blind, and was going blind in the other eye. She was never really walked and just relieved herself in the house as did the many other dogs there. I think she was beaten, or at least kicked a lot as she had many bruises, hematomas and muscle fibrosis. She weighed less then 8 pounds at the time law enforcement came to the home and took her and all the dogs to a local "kill shelter" in northern Florida. Fortunately, rat terrier rescue took her from the pound and fostered her. When we did a "met a greet" of the several adoptable dogs they had, Maize jumped right in to my wife's lap, and she has been there ever since. We feed her a custom made diet I put together of boiled chicken, rice, sweet potatoe, fish oil and some vitamin supplementation, ( any other food causes serious gastric issues) she now weights a still very trim 12 pounds. We had to train her to walk on a leash, to "do her business" outside and to not fear any longer. We took her to a vet opthamologist for her glaucoma, but despite the medication, she did eventually go totally blind. Never the less, she gets along well, thrives on all the love she gets from the entire family and finally can live in peace and security. I would swear she understand what we did for her when she almost "smiles" when we let her sleep in our bed. ( What can I say, I am a real "softie" when it comes to kids and dogs!)

[Christie M]

About 6 years ago we rescue a small rat terrier named Maize. She apparently came, from what might generously be called a "neglected situation" She was constantly beaten up by the many larger dogs in the house she "lived" with her "pig" of an owner, she had glaucoma and in one eye was blind, and was going blind in the other eye. She was never really walked and just relieved herself in the house as did the many other dogs there. I think she was beaten, or at least kicked a lot as she had many bruises, hematomas and muscle fibrosis. She weighed less then 8 pounds at the time law enforcement came to the home and took her and all the dogs to a local "kill shelter" in northern Florida. Fortunately, rat terrier rescue took her from the pound and fostered her. When we did a "met a greet" of the several adoptable dogs they had, Maize jumped right in to my wife's lap, and she has been there ever since. We feed her a custom made diet I put together of boiled chicken, rice, sweet potatoe, fish oil and some vitamin supplementation, ( any other food causes serious gastric issues) she now weights a still very trim 12 pounds. We had to train her to walk on a leash, to "do her business" outside and to not fear any longer. We took her to a vet opthamologist for her glaucoma, but despite the medication, she did eventually go totally blind. Never the less, she gets along well, thrives on all the love she gets from the entire family and finally can live in peace and security. I would swear she understand what we did for her when she almost "smiles" when we let her sleep in our bed. ( What can I say, I am a real "softie" when it comes to kids and dogs!)

That is one of the best Happy Tales I have ever read. I am so very grateful for the adopters that take in dogs. Some have issues, some do not. But those that do - well their issues are almost always human created! Maize is so very lucky to have found herself in your home!! Most would not have invested the heart and finances into a wonderful kid who deserved the chance to dode on a deserving family.

[FG167]

My rescue story isn't a DS, but a Pit. We rescued her from her "breeder" who had been breeding for big, blue bullies. Unfortunately for Kya (then called "Baby Girl"), she came out, small, white and more Pit than Bully. She was chained on a cement pad and had one broken canine and one dead canine when we got her (we had to get all of her shots, spayed and those teeth removed). The paperwork he gave us stated that she was 10 months old. According to the vet, because of the horrible state her teeth were in, they said closer to 3. Whatever, we took her immediately.

She was TERRIFIED. We could put her into a physical position and she would not move a muscle, she was that scared. She didn't know her name, she didn't know good girl or bad dog or come or to potty outside. She didn't know not to mess on herself. She would eat her own feces if given the chance and would also smear it everywhere. She would lay in her own urine, even after just being pottied - creating awful sores on her belly and her chin - her tail was completely yellow that would not wash out. Her nails had almost started to curl under and the area where it went into her feet were red, the vet said from burst blood vessels from hitting the ground. She would NEVER make eye contact, would not eat in front of us, would not potty in front of us and had no idea what to do with the toys we gave her.

I spent hours every single night for weeks, hand-feeding her dinner. First, she had only to come to the kennel door, then she had to step out - eventually I asked for eye contact and asked her to "touch" certain areas - my fingers, my toes etc. We had a kennel in the living room, one in the basement and one in the bedroom - she would scurry from room to room, eventually, and huddle in there - the door was always open (unless we were gone). The boys (my two labs) were wonderful for her. She LOVES other dogs and watched them carefully. One night, I watched her sneak out of her kennel and steal every single toy on the floor, one at a time and bring them back to her kennel. Then she sat on her throne of toys and looked totally bewildered - she knew they were coveted by the other two - but had no idea what to do with them.

I've gone through a lot with that dog. We made it to the point she her personality came through enough for her and I to butt heads lol - she is one stubborn dog! I hope you all don't mind if I share some pics...

The night we brought her home:


Teaching "touch" and eye contact:


These days:

[leih merigian]

Daniel and Falon...such heartwarming, wonderful stories! Both of your dogs won the doggy lotto in life!

[chiroone]

About 6 years ago we rescue a small rat terrier named Maize. She apparently came, from what might generously be called a "neglected situation" She was constantly beaten up by the many larger dogs in the house she "lived" with her "pig" of an owner, she had glaucoma and in one eye was blind, and was going blind in the other eye. She was never really walked and just relieved herself in the house as did the many other dogs there. I think she was beaten, or at least kicked a lot as she had many bruises, hematomas and muscle fibrosis. She weighed less then 8 pounds at the time law enforcement came to the home and took her and all the dogs to a local "kill shelter" in northern Florida. Fortunately, rat terrier rescue took her from the pound and fostered her. When we did a "met a greet" of the several adoptable dogs they had, Maize jumped right in to my wife's lap, and she has been there ever since. We feed her a custom made diet I put together of boiled chicken, rice, sweet potatoe, fish oil and some vitamin supplementation, ( any other food causes serious gastric issues) she now weights a still very trim 12 pounds. We had to train her to walk on a leash, to "do her business" outside and to not fear any longer. We took her to a vet opthamologist for her glaucoma, but despite the medication, she did eventually go totally blind. Never the less, she gets along well, thrives on all the love she gets from the entire family and finally can live in peace and security. I would swear she understand what we did for her when she almost "smiles" when we let her sleep in our bed. ( What can I say, I am a real "softie" when it comes to kids and dogs!)

That is one of the best Happy Tales I have ever read. I am so very grateful for the adopters that take in dogs. Some have issues, some do not. But those that do - well their issues are almost always human created! Maize is so very lucky to have found herself in your home!! Most would not have invested the heart and finances into a wonderful kid who deserved the chance to dode on a deserving family.

Thank you, but I think the greatest praise belongs to the foster people that take in the rescue animals, love on them, evlaute them, assist them with any behavior issues, only to have to say good by to them some day when they are adopted by the family that will take ownership of them. IMHO, they are the ones that deserve the highest praise.

[cake73]

Falon...what an awesome transformation you show in those photos!

[vneerland]

Such wonderful stories about the dogs, and such shameful stories about the people who neglected the dogs in the first place

[sgar-LPC]

Wow! Incredible rescue stories! The pit photos are great. The one where you are teaching 'touch' and eye contact is an amazing and powerful photo.

[Marjolein]

Wow! Incredible rescue stories! The pit photos are great. The one where you are teaching 'touch' and eye contact is an amazing and powerful photo.

I agree! Also like the comparison between the second pic, that sad look, and the last pic, the smiling face

[muttnutty]

Zori was a courtesy posting with NADSR when I found her, couldn't believe I found a Dutch in Tucson! She was in line to be euthanized but the woman just couldn't do it, instead she took her to foster her. I actually spoke to her and she said that she "saw something in her eyes". After she had her for a week she decided she had too much dog and placed her with FAIR here in Tucson for rescue. Zori was found in the desert and after her time with animal control spent a few months at a boarding kennel because no one wanted her~~and when I got her home I found out why!
I think the woman that fostered her just put her in a kennel the next day when she went to work because I have yet to find a kennel that will hold her. She FREAKS out when the door is closed and has literally destroyed 3 metal kennels. As you can imagine, housebreaking was not going well! I even bought an aluminum kennel (Malinois proof they said) and after destroying the interior she learned to run her teeth up and down the bars to the point where I couldn't keep her in it for fear of ruining her teeth.
I was able to confine her to a part of the house but it took 8 months to housebreak her and she was very destructive. I have been through countless sets of sheets because she likes to burrow and anything left out was fair game! She is now an excellent dog, is having her two year "anniversary" of not peeing in the house and (knock on wood!) hasn't chewed up anything (that isn't her's!) for over a year. It seems like it took her a long time to realize that she lived here and for her to find her comfort zone. And while there are some things that I'm sure she'll never get over or adjust to I wouldn't trade her for anything. And I will foster and adopt a dog in need again, afterall, I have all new sheets!

Deanna and Zori