# Dog Adoption Stories



## flynbyu2 (Apr 29, 2012)

Recently, a dog food company had a contest for the best pet adoption story. It made me think this would be a great topic for this site.

Have you ever had an adopted or rescue dog? Share your story. Here's mine;

My wife and I have had German Shepherds since we were married in 1985. Our most recent German Shepherd “Maddie” developed a brain tumor and we lost her at just 7 years old. My family and our other dog, “Dora” were heartbroken.

About a week later, we read about a nearby German Shepherd Rescue event. My wife and I agreed that we would go there just to satisfy our German Shepherd craving, but that it was too soon to replace our beloved Maddie.

The rescue had roughly 25 dogs, mostly purebred German Shepherds, of all ages, sizes and colors. The dogs were all pacing in their kennels and barking at each other. We came across one dog that was just lying in her kennel with her front paws crossed. She wasn't barking at all, but when she looked at my wife and I, her tail began a soft flop, flop, flop. 

I looked at the name tag on the kennel and it stated this dog’s name was “Maddie”. My wife made an audible “gasp” as we looked at each other in disbelief. I asked her handler if he could pull Maddie out of the kennel. This particular Maddie was taller and longer with much more red than our previous girl, but she was just as friendly.

I asked the handler for more details about Maddie. He explained that Maddie was found wandering the streets of Merced and her owner could not be located. After several weeks at the animal shelter, she was facing euthanasia the following day. That’s when the German Shepherd Rescue of Sacramento Valley stepped in. Maddie must have been a very particular eater on the streets as she was down to a mere 49 pounds.

My wife and I instantly fell in love with this skinny, lovable girl. We filled out the paperwork and paid the adoption fee to take her home with us that same day.

One year later, “Heidi” as we now call her, has filled out to a very fit 68 pounds. Although we could never expect her to fully replace our Maddie, she has filled the house with so much love and laughter that our loss has become more bearable.

Every time Heidi lies down next to me and rests her head on my leg, it makes me wonder, who rescued whom.


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

what a lovely story, i think it was just meant to be, thanks for sharing.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

That's a great story. 

All of my dogs and cats are rescues. The latest was Leontine, my GSD. It's a simple story, really. My washing machine was broken, so I went to the Laundromat with dirty clothes. I came home with clean clothes. And the half starved GSD puppy that was wandering around the parking lot.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Awww, I swear it is always meant to be. So cool that there is a GSD rescue with so many to choose from, but very sad as well that there are so many in rescue(and shelters) The local GSD rescue has only been going for about 6 months and has adopted out so many with success in matching it is more than I can understand. There have to be angels watching over all these great dogs for sure! https://www.facebook.com/SouthwestMichiganGermanShepherdRescue?fref=ts

My story:
I had an older golden/border and she had a couple old age warts. One on her eyelid that my 6 mos old GSD pup Onyx kept breaking open when they played. I had to have it removed.
Instead of being placed on hold for several minutes, I decided to pop into my vets to set up an appt for removal as I was passing by the clinic. When I was there, there was a client talking really loud about her dog....I couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

She found a dog(Kacie) and cat at one of their rental properties after the renter moved out. This was after at least 5 days of the renter leaving. Kacie was a chained out dog at a trailer deep into the woods. 
She had the dog at the vet for a spay(she had her for a few weeks and couldn't keep her due to her other dogs bad hip issues, they played too hard) and a rescue was trying to help her place the dog.
The dog was a long coat and as they brought her out, I instantly fell in love. She was groggy from the anesthesia and come to find out, when they shaved her for the spay, they found a spay scar, so she didn't need to be spayed after all. 
I gave the landlord my contact info and asked her to let me know if I could be on an adoption list(come to find out the landlord was partially deaf, but could read lips so that is why she was talking so loud ) 
She came over later in that same day with Kacie, and Onyx & Clover met her. I ended up adopting her a few days later, because two of the other potential adopters were too intimidated by her? 
She came to me on Friday, April 13, 2007 my lucky day!!! The landlord and I stayed in contact for a year, she came to visit Kacie and house sat for me, she was a great dog advocate, and I think it was fate that I walked into that vet when I did. Instead of just using my cellphone to make an appointment.
Here is a photo of the first visit, and then the first day 'home'
















Kacie's one year Gotcha Day:








Onyx really grew!

And now at 7.5 yrs old: 









I was lucky she had a chip, so I was able to get her actual name, whelpdate and her vet info until she turned 6 mos...dead end after that, the owner never registered her, so the vet could only give me the info they had(and owner spayed her at 6 mos, skipped out on paying, that was the last they heard from her)


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Kaiser
I has been fostering for a few years and was seriously considering adding a permanent male. I drove 3 hours to evaluate and potentially foster a male GSD and got a phone call on my way there that 3 more had been dumped at this very rural shelter over night. I pulled up and parked outside an outdoor pen where a very skinny, sable GSD was pacing and my mouth literally dropped. He, however, was not the dog I was there to originally evaluate. The other dog did not do well meeting Raven and so I evaluated Kaiser and was very impressed with him and he got along well with Raven so I took him home to foster although myself and the two other volunteers at the shelter that day knew he wouldn't be going anywhere. He was so, so skinny and filthy but he fit in right away. I still waited a couple of months to officially decide he was staying and it's the best thing I ever did. 

Holly
Holly was surrendered to a rescue at around 4.5-5 months of age because she had been labeled "red zone" by a vet and the elderly couple that had purchased her could not handle her and was considering euthanizing her. I was called by this rescue (who I had not previously worked with but knew one of their board members) and asked to foster her so I said, yes. I met with her twice and loved her spirit but she was very fearful, people reactive and had tried to bite everyone she met except me. She was definitely going to be a challenge. I was told she was good with dogs but that was not the case when I took her home and introduced her to Raven and Kaiser - she tried to go after both of them. It took me over a month to get her to be able to be near them and not lunge at them but she was still very fearful of them. She also was continued to be very fearful and reactive of people and would growl if you touched her face/head and near her food. After about 6 months of work, we tried to find her an adopter and after two failed adoptions she went back into the rescue until my foster that I took on in the mean time was adopted and my husband and I adopted her. She has taught me s much and always makes me smile. Raven is not good with other females but she loves Holly. Holly belongs here and always has. She is also the reason I met my husband as he was involved with her rescue organization.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

Our GSD x Rott, Sebastian had lived to a ripe 16. He was a wonderful dog and he didn't have a bad bone in his body. Mother's Day, 2001, I went outside to feed him before school and he was laying in the corner of his outside run. He had been diagnosed with Lymphoma about a month prior and we knew this day was coming. I went in quietly and I laid my hand on his belly. He took one last, shuddering breath and was gone. We were all heart broken, even my dad who didn't particularly like dogs. 

My Dad brought home a seven month old Rottie that someone at his work was trying to get rid of. The dog hadn't been in the house for three minutes before he tried to bite me. Needless to say, the dog went back to his original owner the next morning. We waited several long months before deciding that the house was too quiet. My Dad woke me up early one Saturday morning and we set out for the area animal shelters. We looked high and low for a dog; all of the dogs were older or had known aggression issues. At the last shelter we went to, there was a large Malamute that I fell in love with. The dog had no 'issues' and we signed the papers to take him home. As we were walking out the door, a shelter worker asked us if the outdoor run fence had been sunk in the ground. My Dad said it was only sunk a foot. They told us that we couldn't adopt the dog because he had dug out of his owners' yard with no problem, and the fence was sunk 18".

Back inside we went. I sat in the run area and shed a few tears. I had really latched onto the Malamute, but he wasn't on the table anymore. Next to the Malamute was a little black bundle that was in the rear corner of the kennel. Bright brown eyes stared at me from under his tail. I asked a kennel worker about him. They said his name was Leif and he was found wandering the streets. The worker said I wouldn't want him, as he was very shy and scared. They figured he was abused as he would submissively pee, cower, and shake if you moved too fast or stood over him. He had a few healed rib fractures and he was very skinny. I asked if I could see him and they unlocked the kennel so I could go in. I barely got in the kennel door before he came running up to me, leaning on my leg.

Twenty minutes later, we took him home. He's now a happy, healthy Chow x Husky mix who has never known another moment of fear or anxiety. I love him to pieces and I wouldn't have had it any other way.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My oldest dog Misty a Samoyed mix is from the shelter and when I went to the shelter that day I never intended to bring home a dog. Rewind..two years prior to this I lost my job and everything I owned including a couple of my dogs. It was heart breaking, I cried every day and just hated myself Fast forward to what lead me to the shelter..I was in the forest preserves watching the deer and I found a white rabbit, it was formerly a house pet so I saved it. I had it for a couple weeks and I figured out the hard way why it was probably dumped...it was the devil in disguise, that rabbit literally jumped at my face and attached itself to my lip and wouldn't let go, that was painful and blood everywhere. I decided to take him to the shelter because I couldn't bear to put him back in the woods. While we were there I decided to look at what they had. Josie(Now Misty) was in a room where the injured dogs were kept. She had just had surgery and had about 10 staples in her leg. When I walked in that room she looked at me like she could see my soul and did not make a peep..all the other dogs were going crazy barking. I watched her for a few minutes and she gave me kisses through the cage, then I went to look at the other dogs. As I was walking through I looked at my son and said I have to go back to that other dog. We got her out of the cage and walked her. I knew as soon as she got out of that cage that I couldn't leave her. 45 minutes later I was in my car with my new dog. 8 years later we are still a happy family and she is my girl. It turned out that she was 10 months at the time and was returned a couple times before I got her. She was brought in at 8 weeks with her litter mates, adopted out, brought back in like February, adopted out in March/April and brought back in August with an injury. I'm still not sure why two different people brought her back, she is a great dog and I'm happy that the rabbit decided to bite me, because if he didn't I would not have my dog


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## flynbyu2 (Apr 29, 2012)

Geeze, this is turning into a "feel good" thread.

I want more stories!


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## Midnight12 (Jan 6, 2012)

I got my Rosie a little over a year ago at Christmas time, from a rescue. I had just lost my female gsd of 12 years. We had said we would not get another dog as it gets costly in their old age. I t did not take long though, and we could not stand our empty house. I have six grown kids and 8 grandkids but just my hubby and I at home now. I knew the lady who runs the rescue as she was also my trainer. She had a female gsd that was about 2. She was given up by her owner and my trainer said she would be better in a home with no small dogs. Perfect I only wanted 1 dog. Took my 5 year old grandson with me to meet her and they were playing and having a great time. When we went out to my car she jumped in as soon as I opened it. I have now been in touch with her former owner and found out she only had her for 6 months and she had two other homes before that. So with homes and shelters she had been 6 places and she was only two. She has her forever home now. I really think a lot of people don't understand gsds because a lot of them end up in shelters. She is a very nice dog, and loves people.


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## AngelaA6 (Jan 20, 2013)

We got Gunther at the humane society where my sister volunteers at. My husband always wanted a gsd and i said okay to it. We originally were going to go with a gsd rescue but all the puppies were pending. He asked me to text my sister to see if there were any rescues available. She texted back immediately telling me there was a lost dog that the owners were refusing exclaim and was going to be put up for adoption the day after he got neutered. She sent me the lost dog posting the humane society posted with a pic and we fell in love with this tiny under fed four month black gsd. We ended up taking a day off work the day he became available and got to the humane society as soon as they opened.
I had his ID number all ready and they sent us back to check him out. When we were in his kennel he just laid up against us and gave us kisses. They said he was a really calm pup and just like to lay on his bed all day. Which when we brought him home (all drugged from his neutering) he was definitely calm. Fast forward three weeks later when his incision (one didnt drop so the procedure was more invasive) he was a zooming hyper machine. He was four month and twenty six pounds with ribs that showed  he is now nine months and 62 pounds and healthy and happy as ever. He has his forever home for sure.

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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I grew up with dogs since before I can remember, so when I was planning on moving out from my parents I knew I wanted a dog of my own. I found a apartment and had one week from signing the papers to move in day so I knew I had to move fast. My move in day with Saturday so I went on Thursday to the local humane society, I had been browsing their website and had my eye on two particular dogs. The first was a young lab mix puppy, the other was a two year old lab.

They don't allow you to roam and see the dogs, you fill out paperwork explaining what you're looking for and they try and match you. The people in front of me were looking to adopt the puppy but they were in a apartment and the shelter employee explained that the puppy was very vocal and would likely get them evicted. I knew that he was off my list so when it came to my turn I asked about the two year old lab, the employee was happy chatting about her and her backstory until she got to the part of the application asking about house training. I had written that house training was important as I was living in a rental apartment and didn't want to pay for a lot of damage if at all possible. She told me the lab was a outside dog for her entire life and therefore was not housebroken, so I was left with no options.

The day before I had browsed the site and there was a new listing for a 8 year old cocker spaniel that had popped up. His picture was heartbreaking but I was a little worried with his age and not really having the finances to deal with a senior dogs problems. The moment I asked about him her face just lit up, "he's such a sweetheart" and she told me his backstory as he was dropped off by a breeder with another cocker spaniel. He was one of their stud dogs but his health issues became too much so they dropped these two dogs off and left without a backwards glance. He had a botched cherry eye surgery so his tear ducts on one eye were damaged, a hernia, skin issues, and ear issues.

Reluctantly I agreed to meet him so they took me to a back room and I sat on the floor in a corner and waited until they brought him in. He ran in circles around the room sniffing and then ran right into my lap and snuggled in. The shelter employee laughed and explained that his nickname with them was "cuddle bug." One look in those big eyes and I knew I wasn't leaving him. My original plan was to pick him up on Saturday but they only allowed a 24 hour hold before he would be placed back up for adoption again. So I ran to the store after leaving and picked up everything I would need and was back at the shelter after work the next day. He spent the night with me at my parents and my mom watched him as we moved and then we moved into the apartment together. He was a true companion and a great help with the stress of living alone for the first time

He did have many medical issues but the love and devotion he gave me for the short three years he was in my life more then made up for the problems. I still really miss him, I had locks of his hair saved and they're in my bedside table. He's buried at my parents farm with a beautiful headstone and I love I can still visit him


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

I need a Kleenex ...such great stories


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

My boyfriend and I had moved home to Montana and we were planning our wedding. We were also flat broke from a cross country move and we weren't getting a paycheck for a couple of weeks. We gathered up all of our coin jars and took them to the bank to get some grocery money. 

There was a flyer from the Lewis and Clark Humane Society on the bank door. It was at least a month old. It listed six German Shepherd pups as available. We decided to run down to the society and see if there were any left. We got there and we were directed down to the last cage. In it there were two GSD pups and a hound pup. I picked up the plump, little,black puppy. She was a little scared and shook a bit but quickly relaxed. I turned to my boyfriend to ask if we could get her. While he was looking at her, the pup that was on the ground started untying his shoe laces.

My than boyfriend was a sensible. patient man who was good with money so when he said, "We can't separate these pups." I went to put the pup that I was holding down. I was so surprised when he picked up the puppy that was on his shoes and took both pups up to the front desk. We adopted them that day. We had just enough cash from our spare change to pay the fee.

Our wedding took a back seat to the needs of our new pups. We had 14 and a half great years with them. I have never loved anyone as much as I loved my husband when he adopted both of them. I still fee sad about their little hound friend and hope that he got an awesome home.


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

well i guess you could call Max a rescue or he rescued me

8 years ago in Sept, i had to put my GSD boy down Bo Joli due to complications from bloat, I have had GSD`s for almost 50 years, always had at least 1, everyone said to wait a few months after Bo passed, after a couple of weeks I decided it was time, so i shopped around found a reputable breeder North of me, so my daughter and i went for a ride, we talked to the breeder for awhile put a non refundable deposit on a pup that wasent born yet, it was Oct, she said in January, they would be ready

so on the way home we stopped at a gas station for something to drink, we were gone from the kennel about 15 minutes, a friend called and said so and so had some GSD pups for sale, I chuckled and said no thanks, just put a deposit on one

couple weeks later he called again, saying the so and so had to go retrive one of the pups, because the lady bounced a check on him, he asked again if i would be interested, I said no thanks

week goes by and the phone rings, come to find out the breeder was an old friend of my sons, he told me he had to go retrive the pup again because the guy lied to him said the pup would be living in a house, come to find out he was in an apartment, I told Ely I put a deposit on a pup and couldn't take his, he asked if I would at least please come look at him.

so one evening my daughter and i went to see him, i was looking for the traditional black and tan, like the 50`s Rin Tin Tin, so here he was was racing around the yard, 4 month old, bi color, when i knelt down he was the only one to come up to me and start licking my face, i knew right then and there he was the one

after 6 weeks into training class, the instructor pulled me aside and said, "you have once in a lifetime GSD" and that "I was doing an excellent job with him" and would be having many many happy moments with him" I had no idea at the time what the instructor was talking about

fast forward having Max has been somewhat of a life changing experience for me, because of him, i became involved with therapy dogs, and Therapy Dogs Inc, became a tester/observer for them, and even was asked to be on the board of directors not once but twice

I`m glad I went to look at him after the 3rd phone call, I`m a firm believer in that they pick you


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Lilah has a story too! 
Zooming her way back to you:


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

LOL, yes, shes a gal that travels to the beat of her own drum, i`m planning on getting some pics of her tomorrow, she still has that same look on her face, just older LOL, shes very beautiful


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Love these stories. One of my stories is on a thread Two sisters from Baltimore.The girls are currently downstairs sleeping and watching tV and trying to convince my 18 year old that they should get more treats. Lucky's story is one I ve told a few times . He was found on the streets of Canton ,Ohio weighing about 46 lbs.and he was at least 26 intall at the time. Someone who lived in canton took him in,then someone else had him in Tuscawaras county and then a GSD Breeder in Mahoning Cty got him . she got vaccinations for him and was like all the other people who had helped save him, doing it out of her own pocket. The trainer I was working w/ in the prison dog program who also helped w/ Daisy temperment tested him and said she thought he would be a great dog . We met Lucky who they thought was a year and a half at the training center.He spent two weeks w/ us on a trial but I was in love. We took him to the vet,Dr. Igoe and found out he was H/W positive. We adopted cause A) I was in love ,B). There was no organization at the time to help the breeder who took him in pay for treatment so Lucky became ours and he sucessfully completed his H/W treatment.When our vet looked at him she said she would be surprised if he was a year old . He grew another two inches in the next year and discovered toys and balls. There was no going back from that discovery. Lucky is here with us today because dog people care not just about their own dogs but all dogs . That is the greatest thing about dog lovers.


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## Sasha86 (Sep 8, 2012)

I just rescued this little boy mason from a shelter, he was dirty crying and feet covered in feces. Although I have my own spoiled rotten GSD mix, I couldn't help thinking about him. He is 5 months old and about 30 lbs. owners neglected him and left him in the yard, left him at shelter because he dug holes in their yards. I know that I can not keep him, my girl gets jealous and I live in a apt right now. I thought I would foster him until I found him a home. Well I found out my co worker who is retiring in a couple weeks really clicked with him. She is going to adopt him. I am going to be quite sad because he is such an amazing little guy. And if I owned my own home, I wouldn't even hesitate on keeping him. I know that I found him a great home, but I can't help wondering what if I kept him.














The first pic is Mason
2nd pic. My GS mix Sasha 


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## Oberan's Dad (Feb 20, 2013)

Its funny how some things in life are meant to be. After years of focusing her energy at home my wife decided to go back to work. She is an event planner and needed to build her reputation again so she started volunteering at charity events. This led her to a local company that was putting on a benefit. My wife hit it off and was given a space to work from in the company's office building. 

The owner of the company always seems to be working on his next gimmick and is known for publicity stunts. One night we went to the office after being gone for a few weeks. We were overcome by the strong unmistakable smell of dog waste. We quickly found the attention starved 2 month old GSD puppy who had been left unattended for far too long. Malnourished, dehydrated, and weeks behind on development. We knew instantly we had to save him and took him home. Turns out he came from a backyard breeder and had a bad case of parasites and no vaccinations. 

Although we still had two dogs after my prized lab died last year I swore I'd never have another one. As a couple with teenagers we were starting to think about vacationing and getting away more. Not creating situations that tie us to our home i.e. more animals. Our plan was to nurse him back to health, foster, and find the puppy a good home while making sure the company's owner never got his hands on him again. The interaction with him is a story in itself. 

It didn't take long for me to grow attached and now I can't let him go.





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## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

I didn't rescue mine, but hoping to rescue a GSD one day. 

P.S. this is officially my favorite thread. Everyone who adopted is a hero in my eyes!


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## dogsnkiddos (Jul 22, 2008)

Five of our six Shepherds were rescue/shelter dogs. We got Old Bitch when she was 8 weeks old. We acquired an older male when she was about a year old from the city shelter. I'd actually gone to see another dog who turns out had been adopted that very day. The told me they only had an old shepherd as if I would not be interested- sounded like perfect balance to the insanity of a puppy. Poor guy turned out to be HW+ (we went right from the shelter to my vet and found out). He nearly died from the treatment. We were very lucky to not only reside blocks from Angell Memorial but to have two of their er vets as neighbors (they not only came in my house and saw him, but loaded him in their car, rushed him into the er, and got him immediate care!). We were a happy family of two dogs. Our weekends were spent hiking, going to training, etc. They went to doggie daycare when I was at work (the male had aggression displacement issues so we were working on him). I took them back to Angell for chipping. I was referred round to the shelter side for this service. While standing in the lobby signing in at the desk, a shepherd passed by to go to the play yard. My dog aggressive male did not respond....and when the dog came back through (we were there a while as he was being scheduled for his blood donations while we were there) he actually loved at her. I had to pay attention! After a trip to the play yard for all I realized I was about to have a third dog!
The girl was about a year or two old. She had been seized as part of an abuse case. She had a bend in her muzzle and a mass in the roof of the mouth. The shelter vets told me her face had been beaten in and no medical attention obtained- the mass was from the bone healing incorrectly. She had other permanent scars from this life. Despite her rough start...and transition to our home that required intensity I had no idea we possessed she became nearly the best dog we ever shared a home with (she even bit our vet neighbor the first day we had her- talk about a major change in her lifetime). Shortly after she joined our home I found out I was pregnant with our first child. She died suddenly, and far too young from hemangiosarcoma. Though our wise old male passed 3 weeks before her, her death was the first to really impact the kids. They were used to cuddling up with her for story time or singing with her. They had a big hole in their lives. 
Crazy White was a forgotten rescue transport. We agreed to drive her over 300 miles when we were moving from the city to NJ as leg 2 of her transport. We were also to hold her for a few days as her intended foster home had just adopted out their charge and wanted a little time to prepare for the new dog. After a few days in our home we realized CW was not necessarily cat friendly- not only was she too interested, but the cat we used for dog testing let us know she was not an ok dog at that point. We let the rescue know (we sent daily updates on the dog). The intended foster had cats- and had recently had one killed by a foster dog. They were not willing to foster this dog. I told them I did not feel this dog was a cat killer-just in need of live with a cat training. They asked me to hold her while they found a new placement. I took her to the vet and had her spayed-I told the rescue I was happy to pay for this as gift to their cause. She'd been with me about a week at this point. Her shelter records told a horror story. She was 3, an owner surrender. They had her at the shelter for a month and had gotten her weight up to 34 pounds. She was afraid of men. She had cigarette burns all over her skin. I was told later (when I called the shelter) that their training had been to starve her and then lure her with food to beat her for doing something "wrong". It was so very sad. The holidays were now upon us and the rescue was panicking. I told them we were ok to hold her until after the holidays if that made it easier for them to get their foster homes in line. We told the rescue we would do what we could while she was here to help make her adoptable. Right after the new year, we enrolled her in a basic obedience class and concurrently an agility class. I had my father go with us to help work on her man issues (I was also 7 months pregnant and trying to lift her in the car was too hard for me). I updated the rescue daily on her progress. After her 2 classes we took her herding with Old Bitch. She was such a trooper-she would try to do ANYTHING i asked of her. Her recall was perfection. Her obedience was impeccable. I was so amazed by this dog. I mentioned to the rescue that despite still being timid to an extreme she had made a lot of progress toward being a family member- so much so that someone was interested in adopting her- my father! I asked for paperwork. It was at that point that the rescue told me they thought i already HAD adopted her and had stopped seeking a foster home some time ago. I guess they knew something I didn't I offered to pay the adoption fee but they declined. They asked that I consider fostering in the future and I have always kept that in the back on my mind.

When the Class Clown died so suddenly of hemangio the house seemed very empty. Wise Old Man died days before Thanksgiving and Class Clown a week before Christmas. Even the girls (Old Bitch and Crazy White) seemed more quiet. Every night I looked at photos here to help heal my broken heart. I also at the time was looking to adopt a mouse for Boy. While on petfinder for a mouse, I found Beast. He was listed as 6 months old- I really only liked older dogs so I am not even sure why I was looking at him. He was at a local rescue and their PF ad was about raising money for surgery he needed. For reasons I do not know, I emailed the rescue and offered to foster post surgery. Old Bitch had a similar surgery at the same age and I was familiar with recovery and rehab. I told them her history and said I would be happy to provide a healing diet and the trips to rehab as my donation (including swim therapy at a local place with a pool just for this). They were not asking for a foster...or for help of any kind with this dog except funds for his surgery...yet they emailed back and asked me to come meet him the next day. I dropped my 4 year old at school and took my near 2 year old to the shelter to meet the Beast. He was already nearly 100 pounds. He was so tall his head would skim a dining room table. I was told he was born in May (they had his papers from the breeder) and it was now January- so he was maybe 8 months old. He was absolutely the craziest, most intense dog I had ever met. When I brought husband, boy and the dogs to meet him I knew he would come home. My husband was leaving on a business trip- he said not to bring the dog home. Beast was in bed with me when Husband returned  People here helped me get him training (the company offered it for his life to whoever adopted him to help with his placement). Some people here contacted me about his lineage (and their propensity for handler aggression). He was more dog than I could handle- but all the adopters being sent for him would have made it worse. He was not a pet home dog. We made the decision we were going to have to change who we were as a family and be who this dog needed until such time as who he needed found him. In a pet home he would end up dead. We made the adoption final in May. Life with Beast was never anything less than an adventure as we shared here. His death from ALL February 2012 was something we may never overcome.

Mace, the cuddle bug, joined our home last April. Jax08 poked me enough to go look at him. I was sure we were not ready for a dog. We met him- the kids were in LOVE and Crazy White was indifferent. I went home to think about it.... and was congratulated by Michelle. She said she saw the adoption notice on his pen. I told the kids I guess we had adopted a dog-and they were over the moon. He is the sweetest dog I have ever met. After such an intense Beast, with that aggression that was just over the top, to have a dog that has almost NO aggression, is so lovable and willing.....who will not challenge every little thing and will not try to out think or outsmart me has been a weird adjustment. He is a true joy in a different way than Beast and our family is better for him being here.


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## flynbyu2 (Apr 29, 2012)

I need more rescue/adoption stories!

Remember, every dog you rescue, in reality saves two; the dog you adopt and the open space at the shelter for another dog in need.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Great thread! Inspiring stories.


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## Valerae (Jun 13, 2011)

My husband and I knew we wanted to adopt a rescue after we got married. Leading up to the wedding we started researching local rescues and found one we really liked. We visited their weekly clinic a couple of times leading up to our wedding and found a dog we really loved, Oreo. We were heartbroken when he was adopted the week of our wedding but happy he found a home. While we were on our honeymoon I was checking the rescue's FB page and saw they had a 2yo GSD mama coming up from Tennessee along with her litter of puppies (who were GSD/yellow lab mixes - adorable!). We knew we wanted an adult dog so I showed my new hubby the picture of mama and couldn't stop blabbing about her for the rest of our honeymoon. When we returned home I made sure we arrived early for that week's clinic. When we walked in I actually jumped up and down to see her there. We both fell in love with her immediately. She won over the husband with her signature move - where she paws your leg if you stop petting. She was underweight, stinky and exhausted from the transport, but the most beautiful dog in the world. We went through the interview process immediately. The entire time we were there, people were coming in and asking about her. We are SO lucky to have her in our lives. I love the snot out of my girl, she is my best friend.

On a more bittersweet note, Oreo, the dog we originally wanted to adopt was returned a week after we rescued Wrigley. His foster mom called me, knowing we were previously interested, but she didn't realize we had just adopted Wriggles. Because this was our first time owning a dog as adults we didn't think we could handle two right away. It took four or five months before Oreo finally found his real forever home (was rescued once again and returned in between). Apparently he is finally in a loving and wonderful home...makes me so happy. It also makes me grateful for our rescue, they work so hard to find each dog the perfect forever home.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Smitty’s life began like many puppy lives begin. He was a commodity, born to make money for a back yard breeder. Being a German Shepherd his early fate followed that of many of the protective or ‘tough’ breeds , a family bought him to breed and to be ‘mean’. 

As Smitty grew he did not develop into what his masters wanted him to be, aggressive and fear inspiring. Instead his little ears flipped over at the tips, not standing up fully as they should for his breed, giving him a comical look to go with his sweet goofy personality. His ‘people’, disgusted with the happy floppy eared adolescent put him outside, tied him to a run down dog house with a leaky roof. They called him ugly and stupid and turned their backs on him. Giving him food and water was an after thought. 


Smitty was a brave and independent soul though. He wasn’t going to spend his life tied to a dog house. Being a very clever and determined fellow he learned how to escape from his chain, his collar and his sad life tied to the dog house. He would wander his neighborhood where neighbors would take pity on him and give him some food. Eventually animal control would be called and everyone knew where Smitty’s dilapidated dog house was, back to the end of his chain he would go. Not a dog to stay put Smitty would escape again and learned to fend for himself and to not depend on anyone. His time on the street taught him many important lessons. He learned how to defend read and socialize with other dogs and defend himself from aggressive dogs. He learned how to recognize kind people and unkind people.


As time passed animal control warned Smitty’s owners that they must provide for him and keep him from wandering the neighborhood loose. “Take him”, they told the Animal Control officer, “he’s stupid and ugly”. The officer, who had handled the case had grown fond of Smitty, she opened the door of her truck and he jumped happily in. 

The county shelter Smitty was taken to has a high kill rate. They try very hard to rehome dogs but often are overwhelmed by the number of unwanted dogs. Smitty stayed In his cage for days then weeks. The officer who had taken a liking to him tried extra hard to find someone to rescue Smitty. No one wanted him, those tipped over little ears were not the mark of a purebred German Shepherd. 

The normally happy-go-lucky Smitty started to suffer from anxiety and fear in this caged environment. He developed a behavior known as cage aggression. He started to lash out by growling and barking at anyone who approached his cage. Smitty’s fate was sealed and he was scheduled to be euthanized. 

On his last day a women from a German Shepherd rescue went to the shelter to rescue another shepherd. The animal control officer knew this women and asked her to please look at Smitty and consider giving him a chance, rescue him. Smitty was so very luck that this lady was an experience trainer and she saw through his cage aggression for what it was and agreed to take him with her.

The lack of proper vaccinations, stress and strain of being caged in the animal shelter for several weeks had taken it’s toll on the still young dog’s health. After rescue he struggled to overcome a severe case of Parvo and almost died. With the care of his foster mom, Smitty recovered slowly. His sweet happy personality started to shine through. He soon became the favorite of his foster mom.

Smitty’s battle was not over yet. No one wanted to adopt him because his ears did not stand up all the way as a German Shepherd's ears should. His foster mom would not give up on him. She kept placing ads and putting the word out that this wonderful boy deserved a forever home.

The first time I met Smitty he laid his head on my lap and looked up. Those little tipped over ears and soft almond shaped, brown sugar eyes gazing up into mine. Then his foster mom said, ‘Meet Smitty’, the name given to him by her. Smitty was a name I remembered from my childhood, a special stuffed toy dog my favorite Aunt had and let me play with had been named 'Smitty'. The deal was sealed. It was karma, kismet and love at first sight all rolled into one.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Wow Smitty's story brought tears to my eyes and the story of wiggles and oreo made wish we could do more. Dog and Kiddos the stories of CW and Old Bithch as well as one of my favorite dogs Beast makes me think how could people not want these fantastic dogs. BTW tell Smitty I think soft eared GSDs rule!


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Thank you so much! I will tell him. 

I've posted that story in conjunction with some other sites to help educate people about what happens to a lot of dogs, especially those from BYBs or puppy mills.

I've read every story in this thread and they all are touching and even though these rescues may not be super-duper examples of the breed, we still love them.

Ilda has a story too, she's what I call a semi-rescue. I'll post it up later.





Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> Wow Smitty's story brought tears to my eyes and the story of wiggles and oreo made wish we could do more. Dog and Kiddos the stories of CW and Old Bithch as well as one of my favorite dogs Beast makes me think how could people not want these fantastic dogs. BTW tell Smitty I think soft eared GSDs rule!


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## Valerae (Jun 13, 2011)

I'll second the tears on Smitty's story. I always wonder who gets the better end of a good rescue story. Wrigley looks at me with in a way I can't even begin to describe and she has brought SO much happiness to my life. We're both lucky. Dang, I need to get home and hug the dogs.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I would love to see a picture of Smitty. Thank you for giving him a home


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

llombardo said:


> I would love to see a picture of Smitty. Thank you for giving him a home


Thanks guys..(and thank you, seriously, for helping me keep the faith in this breed and the people who love them...)

My avatar is Smitty, he LOVES to swim and was able to, while swimming, feet not touching the ground bite and retreive that basketball.

I called him a German Shephedor Retreiver......

If you click on my screen name you'll see some pics of him in my photo album and here's a couple more. One is after I first got him - after a good swim session, he love boats too! Sailor Smitty! The other is Smitty modeling his new 'bling' from California Collar company. From 'ugly and stupid' to smart, athletic and a super model too! LOL!!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> Thanks guys..(and thank you, seriously, for helping me keep the faith in this breed and the people who love them...)
> 
> My avatar is Smitty, he LOVES to swim and was able to, while swimming, feet not touching the ground bite and retreive that basketball.
> 
> ...



He is handsome and I bet that he doesn't try running away anymore.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Thank you. 

He's an independent guy, since he didn't have much handling as a youngster (and who knows, may have some hound blood in him) he likes to wander if not otherwise occupied with a good game of fetch!

I don't let him out of my sight because he is a determined escape artist, however his goal isn't to find food and run away but visit the neighbor dogs and say "HI, how ya' doin'?"

He's just friendly that way.

One cool thing about these 'street dogs' is (if they haven't been abused) is they are street smart. He is an absolute pro at meeting, greeting, sending out just the right signals to other dogs he meets. He knows how to be calming and when there is a real threat, he'd rather be friends but if a dog presents a threat his foster mom said he can protect himself very well. 

I've learned a lot just by watching him.

BTW- I hope we'll get some more stories. I don't want to take too much space on this thread. 







llombardo said:


> He is handsome and I bet that he doesn't try running away anymore.


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