Courtney

Courtney joined our family a few weeks ago and we couldn't be happier! She is an absolute doll and we have all fallen in love with her. (Even our 120 pound black lab, Gus). She is sweet, fun, outgoing, smart, and loving. The foster family that had her took such good care of her...and did a wonderful job potty training her! She has had a few accidents, and missed her potty pad a few times, but we expect that from any baby.
We are so happy to have her in our family...she is VERY loved! We are looking forward to spending the next 15 or more years loving and enjoying her. Thank you so much for everyone involved for bringing us together. Thank you for all of your hard work and selfless giving in taking care of all of these beautiful animals!
Thank you so much!
The Bliss's
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Fuego

The DPS team was superb and it has been a wonderful experience.  Fuego is doing GREAT! - and his name is still Fuego! we are getting very close and going for lots of hikes around our mountain. this weekend we hiked around the lake and Fuego discovered a natural spring. he went swimming in there among the pollywogs.  He's eating well and seems to be growing, and we are doing some good training in house.  I'm attaching some pics I took last night, so you can see him. I will also put up a post on the DPS site.  This week on our agenda is to get him settled with a good doctor.  if DPS has any background information that would be useful in that process, I'd be most grateful to receive it.  Let's stay in touch.

Cheers,
Katie

Nelson

Hi Donna & Teresa,
Just wanted to give you an update on the Nelson/Nellie situation since we've had 24 hours to settle in.  We are IN LOVE with this little guy.  He has such an awesome personality.  Right now he is curled up next to me on the couch snoozing. He is extremely smart and has picked up a lot of things already.  We have already seen his escape artist talents. We left him in a canvas crate while we went grocery shopping and when we got back home he was looking at us out the window. We expected to find the crate torn to shreds, but no...he just unzipped it!  Nellie is not 100% sure about him but she is warming up. They have had a couple squabbles because he gets growly when he plays and she doesn't speak the same language, plus she is protecting the cat from his interested sniffing...but it has only been one day so we have high hopes for their future friendship. He is a model  citizen and we're lucky to have him living in our home. Thanks again and we'll be sure to keep you updated.

Best wishes,
Hillary

Barnes

We are very happy with our adoption!  The foster home where he was did an excellent job with potty training him.  He is playful and loves the attention we give him.  Thank you for following up.  I attached a picture of Barnes at home and one with of him with me for you to share.  

- Tania

Chewy's Tale

I had the opportunity to foster for DPS in 2001, when I lived in Riverside County, CA. During that time, I was asked to foster Chewy, a little Chow pup who had lost his home when his owners lost theirs. Chewy was only supposed to stay with me for a short time, while his family relocated, but when a vet visit confirmed that he was suffering from hip dysplasia and a condition called panosteitis, and that he possibly had food allergies that would require him to be on a special diet the rest of his life, his family decided that they could not financially shoulder the cost of the meds and potential surgeries forecast for Chewy's future. Meanwhile, I had totally fallen in love with him, so I adopted him.

Fast forward to the present, and Chewy is still with me. Through a strict discipline of natural diet and exercise, he has managed to make it through his ninth birthday without the need for painkillers or surgery. He now lives with me, his "brother" Riley (lab-pit mix), and his most recently adopted little brother, Crash (chocolate lab) on ten acres in El Dorado County, and he is the most wonderful, happy dog ever. I have even joked about cloning him, just because I can't imagine ever having a dog as sweet as Chewy without making a carbon copy!

I will always be thankful to DPS for introducing Chewy into my life. He greets me daily with a smile and a gently wagging tail. And when I see him hanging out under the shade of an oak tree, watching "his" goats grazing, I can't help but hope that he is as happy with the turns his life took as I am.

The Unlikeliest of Ambassadors

At the shelter he was an over-grown mess of black fur that hid his face and helped conceal him from anyone who looked in his cage. But when we saw him, we instantly were drawn to him. It wasn’t because he was jumping around at the front of the cage, because for sure he wasn’t! Rather, he was withdrawn and scared and clearly he wasn’t getting out of the shelter alive if it wasn’t through a rescue. Well, then let it be our rescue.

There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with Luke. He didn’t have significant behavioral challenges, no medical issues, he got along with other dogs, he was young and small. However, he was shy. His new home would have to be willing to let him acclimate and be patient with him. We’re learning that finding the Bernie and Cindy’s of the world who will let a shy dog adjust, isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. They were the needle in the proverbial haystack. Cindy says she wishes she could go back and tell herself that he would come around and that time does really make a difference. They’d resigned themselves to having a dog who wasn’t Mr. Social and who didn’t jump all over them greeting them with kisses and affection. Heck, they’d resigned themselves to having a dog who they weren’t sure liked them. Ha!

But little did they know that with time he clearly did like them, wow, even loves them. His world revolves around his mom and dad and don’t try to tell them now that he’s not everything they wanted in a pooch. Perfect? Nope, doesn’t exist. Perfect for them? Yep. And you know what? Not having a dog that jumps on you is a bonus when it comes to the parents (Luke’s Grandparents that is!) who aren’t too sure about this dog stuff. They now compete to see who gets to watch Luke when he comes to town. So much for not being dog people. I guess not having a dog who acts like a Golden Retriever has its advantages.

Over a year later, Luke is our ambassador at adoptions and if you make it to the back table where we finish the paperwork, you’ll get to meet him. If you have food in your hands, pockets or anywhere he can sniff out, well, you’ll even get to see him sit on his hunches begging for food. He went from the dog who no one wanted, alone in a shelter to now there’s not a weekend that goes by that someone doesn’t inquire if he’s available.

Nope, he’s not available folks. He found his fur-ever home. And he found it with people who were willing to have the patience and love for him to break out of his shell. So when you’re reading about our dogs who are on the shy side, or you meet a dog at adoptions that doesn’t necessarily jump all over you, remember that sometimes they’re the ones who end up giving the most love. If you can handle a dog who doesn't appear to "bond" instantly, then you may find yourself falling in love with the unlikeliest of ambassadors of love, like Luke. Sometimes they’re the “most” perfect ones after all…

bunker

Two weeks ago we adopted Bunker(aka charlie brown) He has grown so much since then. Our older dog loves him and we can not believe how much he has learned in such a short time. He comes when called, is potty train, is great on a leash. He has made our home even happier.
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Happy Tale: Peppermint Patty now China Bear

Hi Anna,

I got your voice message and wanted to let you know that things are going great with "Peppermint Patty" !  My boyfriend and I fell hard for her the moment we met her :)  She is getting along great with our other dogs and isso loving and sweet with us. She is somewhat scared about new people and dogs so we are working with her and also plan to take her to puppy classes. She has the most wonderful personality and is so mellow! I'll be intouch and will send pictures as well.

Take Care,
Marylin

PS-- we renamed her China Bear

Carmichael our new love

Hi Everyone,

I cannot thank you enough for all the work you do, and for putting up with my many many questions and inquires.  I spoke to so many rescue places and shelters on this journey of finding the right dog for us.  Yours  spoke to my heart.   When Carmichael (formally known as Henry) left we did not get too far into our 2 hour drive before he had an accident in his brand new crate, on the brand new bed.   Theres the reason I bought the washable bed.   I pulled over at a rest stop.  Washed up as best we could, and he rode the rest of the way on some towels in the front seat.  He settled down real good. 

The next morning when the boys got up and saw him in the kitchen, they went crazy.  Although they knew we were getting a dog, they did not know when.  Because I thought I was going to be getting an adult dog,  I was a little behind the 8 ball on new puppy training techniques.  In my spare time (when he is asleep) Im reading like crazy to try and both learn the right way, and hopefully not screw him up while I figure it out..  

He is doing great.  Has slept both nights through great.  No accidents in the house (she said while knocking on wood) Im keeping him on a pretty tight schedule for now.  He is always on the leash or in his "playpen"  He eats, pees, poops, plays, sleeps and then repeats the process. We are all learning a lot.  We have been out on walks downtown, for rides in the car,  picked up the kids from school, and went to a little league game tonight.   So far he has only shied a little at the school.  There were lots of kids and it was a good lesson for me to take it easy and go slow.  

In other words,  we are in love!  He is a great little guy.     

 Thank you again,

Hope you enjoy the pictures,

Love,

Chris D.,  Now the mother of 3 (all pictured below)

Life is good.

It has been 7 months since I brought Kenny home. The first couple of weeks were anxious weeks for Kenny. He had to learn to live in N.Ca. Adapt to another person. He accepted everything without a problem.

As the weeks and months went by he kept changing. When I first took him on walks he had to learn how to behave on a leash. He was afraid of the other dogs that we would meet. He went through a short phase where he became aggressive towards other dogs. Now he is fine with most dogs as long as they behave themselves. Kenny has no tolerance for a bully.

As he becomes more comfortable his personality has come out. He talks to me when it is meal time. When he sees I'm getting ready to take him for a walk, he runs around and howls.

His day involves keeping the backyard free of birds, cats, and squirrels. We don't have a buddy relationship. We have more of I'm his person as long as I do what he needs and wants. Training him is challenging. Food motivated helps. But want he has learned goes out the window if it is not to his advantage.

He is great little guy, considering what he went through it is amazing he has any room in his heart to trust another person.