Doggie Protective Services (DPS Rescue)

Learning to Say Goodbye

2011-07-15T00:46:00.001-07:00

His collar hangs on the shelf that I put it on since returning from the vet without him. For 12 years it hung around his neck and now it hangs on a shelf as a stark reminder that he’s no longer here. The emptiness in the house is overwhelming. The deafening silence echoes so much louder than his once obnoxious bark. Oh what I would give to hear that barking again…

Choosing to give our hearts and lives to those whose life expectancy is so much less than ours is a guarantee of pain and emptiness. And yet we do it because the years filled with their love and antics far outweigh any grief that we may feel. Is it worth it you ask in the midst of your grief? Ask him. Ask him as he stood in that line waiting to be admitted to the animal shelter after spending 5 years in a home and being a loving, devoted pet. Ask him if it’s worth the past 7 years he gave absolutely devoted to you and your family. Or would it have been better if he’d died a scary, lonely death at the hands of an Animal Control Officer who didn’t know him, didn’t love him? We know the answer even in our pain. Yes, it’s worth it. He’s worth it. He’d be worth it again.

As a rescuer we sign on for the grief part of this work. We know for every high of highs when rescuing animals from impossible situations, from horrid conditions, the bars of the shelter, we know there will be the lowest of lows in not being able to save them all, not being able to mend their broken bodies and having to say goodbye way too early because of someone’s neglect, abuse or inattention. As a rescuer we sign on for making the hard decisions and yet, when it comes to our own animals and those last days, we’re all the same. No amount of death, life, pain, joy, anguish will prepare you to say goodbye to your beloved pet. But what makes it worth it is knowing that you were allowed the opportunity to love another unconditionally.

Yes, death is an inevitable part of this joy we call pet guardianship. Their unconditional love makes the pain of saying goodbye worth it. So the collar may temporarily be a searing reminder of a loss but at some time that pain will subside and the memories of a life worth sharing will prevail.

Gianni Versace a Year Later

2011-06-08T13:49:00.001-07:00

Hey Dudes,

It been a year since I have been adopted well actually I am 14 months old now but who is counting. I have been doing really great I know because my daddy continues to spoil me. I get to ride in his new car a blue mercedes and it is so luxurious. Daddy is thinking about using all my fur that he collects once a week in the vacuum canister, to make Gianni Versace pillows. I think that is so he can afford me and the car. I go to doggie day care during the week and this is not cheap. I get to play all day with my friends and then when I get home daddy feeds me walks me and I sleep all through the night. I love to travel with daddy to Palm Springs and wine country but my favorite thing that I like to do the best is roll in the grass. Oh did I tell you I have become quite the connoiseur of fine food. I only eat what and when I want to eat. Daddy has been going through every kid of cookie and food to see what I like. He does not get it. I will eat anything that daddy has on his plate
. I dont beg I just given him a look with my dreamy maybeline golden eyes and he gives in. I also know that daddy is so proud of me because I am well behaved and am gentle with children and babies. Put me in a dog park with a group of dogs and I am in doggie heaven. I dont like the water though and as you can see from the attached pictures I hate to take a bath. Well its been a wonderful year with lots of love from my daddy and I am so glad he decided to adopt me.

Till next year dudes
Hang ten
Love Gianni Versace Born March 1 2010
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Our Puppy Kona

2011-06-04T10:19:00.001-07:00

We adopted Kona from DPS at the end of Feb. 2011 at the Bay Area Pet Expo.
Kona was 8 weeks old and we fell in love at first sight when we met him in person!
He is now 5 months old and is doing so well. He's such a wonderful addition to our family and is such a HAPPY DOG!!!
Still sleeps in his crate and really is such a good puppy.
He starts doggy training in 2 weeks and I know he is going to do so well.....he's very smart and already knows some basic commands (sit, stay, down, paw shake).
I've recommended DPS to many folks that inquire where we got Kona. I always encourage people to adopt from a rescue org vs paying a breeder!
Enjoy the pics!

Serena, Roger, Sarah and Kona!

Alfie/AIden

2011-05-24T22:25:00.001-07:00

Here is Alfie enjoying wine country. He has been ours - and we have been his - for two years . He has become a real San Francisco dog -- except when he is on a day trip to Napa ... Marian

Happy Tail

2011-05-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

AFAICT you've corveed all the bases with this answer!

Form Submission from: www.healthypawsfoundation.org

2011-05-05T15:09:00.001-07:00

Form Submission from: www.healthypawsfoundation.org

2011-05-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Zoey and her family

2011-05-04T13:13:00.001-07:00

My mom came to adopt my sister, but really wanted me and had to wait to see if the other people would take me but yeah they didn't and I got to go home with my mommy. My name used to be Zamora but mom liked the name Zoey (which was my sisters) so that is how I got my name.
I have a wonderful mom, auntie, and four legged cousin whom I plau with all the time. I also have lots of friends that come over and play and I go to their houses to play.
I am a very lucky doggie and I am in heaven here. I have lots of toys to play with and I get to go almost everywhere with my mom. I am learning to be a service dog and help her out as well. Guess I am still learning my obedience training, but I am doing better or so she says. When I hear Good Girl I know I've done good.
Mom wanted to send some pictures of me now and back when she first got me, so everyone could see how happy I am.
Hopoe you enjouy them. Let me know.
Joyce Salinas and Zoey
PS Mom wanted to know if you knew where my sister was. She thought it might be fun to get us together. Could you let her know please. Thank you for reading all about me.

Extreme Makeover

2011-04-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

He sat in the back of the cage of the shelter, barely even willing to look up. He was matted literally from head to toe. Even the worst behaved dogs or the meanest dogs wouldn't deserve to be left in the condition this little guy was left in. He had a couple of days left of misery and he realized thankfully it would all be over with because in this state, even death is a welcome relief. As if to add insult to injury, this little guy wasn't a spring chicken. No, he wasn't old by any means but he wasn't a year or two old and for many that's all they will consider. He really didn't have much of a chance. Who's going to save a dog like that?

One of our volunteers was sheltering shopping and writing down all of the dogs whose time was near when she came across this filthy mess at the back of the cage. He looked up with rootbeer colored eyes, almost pleading for help and then he decided better and ducked his head under the blankets. No sooner had she stopped than an officer behind her said, "What a mess...there's some others on the next aisle that don't look or smell as bad..." And somehow it was in those words that she realized she wasn't leaving without him. When no one else steps up, let it be us. And so she asked for him to be taken out and she held him in her arms and fed him the little treats she had in her pocket. He clung to her for dear life and she assured him, he wasn't going back in that cage.

Fast forward several weeks and this little stuffed animal with a heartbeat is the best dog we have in the rescue...well, second to a certain blind dog...but Magoo is really a one in a million dog. He's been groomed and to the vet and his extreme makeover didn't require an entire team and a week of effort. Rather, it required someone to care. It required someone not to turn a blind eye to his plight and to say they would make a difference in the life of one dog. And in it's complete essence, that is what rescue is all about...making a difference in the life of one dog at a time.

More than meets the Eye

2011-04-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

He's blind. And for some, that's all they will ever see. They'll never look beyond his missing eyes and see his spunky, fiery, fiesty, loving, cuddly playful personality. They'll miss out on how excited he gets when there is food around and he knows he's getting some. They'll miss out on how he dances on his hind legs begging for snacks. They'll never get to see him run and jump into any open car, van or truck door because he knows the minute a door opens and that means he is going for a ride -- even if he's not! They'll never get to see him figure out his way up on the tall bed to snuggle up in the middle of the night and never move. They'll turn away because he's "disabled" and having a disabled dog doesn't fit in their lifestyle. Well, we haven't told Winston yet that he's disabled and we're hoping no one else does either.

From the first day he fit in so well into our home. He came in, roamed around, smelled everything and everyone and found an open bed and went to sleep. He greeted my 9 year old daughter at the door when she came in. She was less than impressed. "Seriously, do we need another blind dog? And a Shih Tzu at that?" Well, let's just say she's had a little bit of a change of heart. Now, she comes running in the house yelling, "WINNNIEEEEE!" And he can't wait to jump in her arms. She loves to give him a bath and he's a willing participant. She loves to tell how even though he doesn't have eyes, he still can see. "You can tell he can see Mom. He just doesn't have eyes. He sees through other things instead." And in so many ways, she's right. She jumps him over the agility course in the yard, she pulls him in the wagon and she takes him to the dog park and dog beach just like her dogs. Rarely does anyone even realize he's blind. He runs, plays and barks like the rest of the "seeing" dogs here. He let's you know when he wants to go outside (which is more than we get sometimes from the seeing Shih Tzus!) and he best of all, he's the most incredibly loving dog. He is the best that the breed has to offer and when we say, "Stuffed animal with a heart-beat" that's Winston.

We know that at some point we'll have to say goodbye as we see him off to his new home. But for now, we're glad that Winston isn't the only "blind" one...

Wonder pup Vino (Dazzler) is a true gift to me from DPS.

2011-04-01T09:40:00.002-07:00

Hello,
One fabulous fine sunny day last May, I was volunteering with a meet up group from the Campbell area, the non moms club. I had volunteered that day to walk dogs that were up for adoption. Jen from the meetup welcomed me that day and said, here, take this dog, he likes to be held. So I walked him and several dogs throughout the day, and well, he was just too sweet and cute. So I fostered him for a night and he was truly crate trained, potty trained, sweet and just a great dog. So I had to keep him!

What a wonderful addition he has been to me and in my life. Now I cant imagine my life without Vino Tinto (italian for red wine, I love italian, wine, and wanted a distinct name for the dog park). He loves to go shopping with me at Santana Row, sit outside in various places in Los Gatos, likes to road trip to Capitola and Santa Cruz and loves the dog park. Hes so cute that even Ikea lets him in. He now has a fan club at the macys furniture and nordstrom store at the Westfield mall. All my neighbors tell me how lucky I am as he has a big personality and just loves people and always wags his tail at them and smiles. He loved being a pirate for Halloween.

DPS was great because I didnt think I was ready yet to have a dog in a condo that I had just bought. They explained what he needed, his medical history, etc. I am very grateful to have Vino. He is doing great, he sleeps now in the bed each night, no crate for him, and I can leave him during the day in the house to himself and he is fine.

Thank you DPS! Id love another one if the condo association allowed 2 dogs, but they only allow 1, bummer! (maybe Ill move, who knows?)

Cheers,
Teresa
Campbell

Wonder pup Vino (Dazzler) is a true gift to me from DPS.

2011-04-01T09:40:00.001-07:00

Thank you DPS! Id love another one if the condo association allowed 2 dogs, but they only allow 1, bummer! (maybe Ill move, who knows?)

Princess Rinty! aka: Jane Deere

2011-03-30T17:28:00.001-07:00

We love our little princess!!!!

Before Rinty was turned in, we've no doubt she was very well taken care of. She has a perfect 'pug' disposition, is extremely well mannered in the house, although just paper-trained, became potty trained immediately and naturally (thanks to her housemate, Ricky!), loves to snuggle, is a fabulous guard-pug, and has brought great light and joy to a home morning the death of our 15-yr-old pug, YoYo.

Thank you so much for taking such good care of her, and for carting her to Las Vegas so that her forever home could be with our family in Henderson, Nevada!!

Form Submission from: www.healthypawsfoundation.org

2011-03-29T12:25:00.001-07:00

Winnie the Pooh

2011-03-27T21:26:00.001-07:00

We adopted Winnie from DPS last Oct 16. We were told she was a Minii-Schnauzer/Poodle Mix. Not so. Turns out she is a Havanese. What a great surprise and what a great dog. She is the love of our lives. We are so grateful that she had added so much life to our lives. We've taken her to the Humane Society's Family Dog I training program and she was a star. When she arrived our house with our three somewhat spoiled cats, she had a little adjustment but learned quckly and now all four of them snooze on the couch with us while we watch TV. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. John and Judy Sanford, Tiburon, CA

Iggy Pup, Rocker Diva

2011-03-27T19:56:00.001-07:00

We had been wanting a dog for years, but never seemed to be able to decide on which breed would be good for us. Our home office basically turned into a library, filled to bursting with books on tons of breeds: Basenjis, French Bulldogs, Vislas, Shiba Inus, Siberian Huskies, and so on. It was nuts. Truly. But then, during a random Web search, Cheryl stumbled onto Doggie Protective Services last April (2010), and fell in love with "Raspberry" -- one of the "Berry Family" Basenji mixes from Taiwan. We went to the adoption event at the Palo Alto Pet Food Express with some trepidation, as "Raspberry" was booked for four appointments before we could see her. Four chances for her to be snatched up before we'd even have a chance to see her in person! Unfortunately, we arrived before any of the other appointments, and were therefore able to see how adorable she was, while being powerless to do anything about adopting her at that time. It was tremendously difficult knowing that our cha
nces of bringing her home were likely nil, given that Raspberry was such a cutey -- who could refuse those eyes?? But it was meant to happen, because none of the other appointments resulted in an adoption, and we had our opportunity to get to know her. It took seconds to fall deeply in love with Raspberry, and we made her a part of our family -- after renaming her "Iggy Pup" (we're musicians and, trust me, the name is apt, as Iggy is lovably crazy, animated, and charismatic with a HUGE personality). She is a fabulous "rocker" dog who loves music, hangs out at rehearsals, lives to run faster than a speeding bullet, and cuddles with us every night. Thanks so much to DPS for finding her, bringing her to the States, and making it possible for us to be together as a family. Cheers, Mike, Cheryl, and Iggy...San Francisco Bay Area.

Tanner aka Penn

2011-03-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

We love him

Peaches from the streets!

2011-03-23T13:57:00.001-07:00

Our family adopted peaches in feb. She is the sweetest dog I have ever meet! She loves to play and sunbath in the yard. She tends to eat random things from the yard, so we have to keep a close eye on her. I did tons of research on puppy training before I got her so, despite the label of chihuaha's having reputation of being difficult to potty train, she had it down in a week. I love my puppy! We recently unexpectedly taken in a 3 yr old chihuaha, so my sweet peaches has really blossomed into a very social puppy.

Bogey

2011-03-17T12:57:00.001-07:00

In January 2008 we adopted Bogey (formerly Adam) a Shiz Tsu and Poodle mix at an adoption event in Mt. View, CA. Bogey is amazing - he loves everybody and eveything -- even cats! All who meet Bogey fall for his big brown eyes and teddy bear look. I take Bogey most everywhere; many of the local restaurants and shops are dog friendly and Bogey loves meeting new people and other dogs. Bogey loves to take a ride sitting in his car seat in my convertible. I am so grateful for the work that DPS does -- you could not have a better pooch than Bogey. He is shown in the pix below with his cousin Joe and at home.

Thank you!
Betty
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Project Runway turns 2!

2011-03-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Hi, DPS!

We adopted "Armani" (now Oliver) nearly two years ago and have LOVED raising him with our family.

We recently got a few of the dogs from the litter together to celebrate their second birthdays. We had lots of treats, fetch, and fun! They absolutely love to play together and brother "Giorgio" (now Okie) taught his siblings how to slide down the slide at the park!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for our wonderful doggies!

java now josie

2011-03-15T20:14:00.001-07:00

It was a happy day when I decided to look for our next dog on DPS website. Josie has been with us about 8 weeks now and she is an AWSOME dog - all around. She has a very chill personality and then can suddenly bust a move that makes you laugh out loud. DPS was lovely and easy to work with.Teri her foster mom has also been great. Extremely positive experience with DPS and we just love our little gal so much. THANK YOU!

Josie aka Java

2011-02-25T20:30:00.001-08:00

Josie ( Java ) is Cup o' Joes mommy!
We adopted her about 5 weeks ago. Her story and her photo just " spoke " to me as I looked for our next dog on the DPS website. We lost our dog of 14 years on Christmas Eve. We've never had a rescue dog before and I have to say that Josie is just the best little dog. She is AWESOME and healthy and a love bug. Her foster mom Teri did a wonderful job. I work from home and Josie and I go for walks all the time. Lots of social activities and training. She actually doesn't need much training. She came potty trained and leash trained. She's a bright spot in our lives. We just did our first road trip to visit our daughter in college. The highlight of the trip was seeing this little dog laying on the bed in my daughter's dorm room with five girls loving her up. DPS - you guys are the best! We love our girl and can't imagine life without her.

Rosalie - Twilight Litter

2011-02-17T21:33:00.001-08:00

We adopted Rosalie in September, 2010. Yes we kept her Twilight Litter name. We are so thrilled to have her in our lives. We are a homeschooling family, so she is rarely left alone. She loves going for walks, wrestling with other dogs at our local doggie park, and playing ball in the house. She also loves chewing socks, which has broken my children of the habit of leaving them on the floor -- you leave um' you loose um' we say. I was amazed that, when we brought her home at 14 weeks, she was housebroken in one day. She was already comfortable with a crate and didn't even whimper her first night at home. She is one of the most well-adjusted and loving puppies I've ever had. Her foster family must have provided a ton of love until she could be adopted. Thank you DPS and her wonderful foster family.

Dexter AKA Corky

2011-02-15T16:46:00.001-08:00

Hello, DPS!

We just wanted to send a quick note to give you an update on Corky (now named Dexter) and to thank you for everything!

The last six months have flown by and he was absolutely the missing piece to our little family. He loves to cuddle and has a heart-melting smile. When we walk him, we get stopped every few minutes by people who can't help but bend down and pet him. And he gets more compliments on his adorable underbite than anything else!

He's so easy-going that we have family and friends regularly volunteering to pet-sit. And you've never met a friendlier dog. He just can't seem to understand it when another animal (say, a cat with an attitude) doesn't want to play with him. He will sit patiently and wag his tail as if to say, "Please be my friend! Look how cute I am!"

We have unapologetically become "that couple" who is completely and totally obsessed with their dog. But, look at these pictures and it's no surprise why!

We are so incredibly happy to have found Dexter and we'd like to thank DPS for the role you played in bringing us together.

Thanks again,
Brett and Tanya

Shylie (Katie)

2011-02-10T15:44:00.001-08:00

I went to an adoption event to check out the possibility of adopting a dog - I have an 11 1/2 year old rottweiler and was playing with the idea of adopting another dog, but didn't know how Nikita would take to that idea. We saw Katie in a crate all by her self and Nikita seemed to like her right away. I spoke to one of the DPS reps and we talked about fostering Katie as she was really timid and Nikita could definitely teach her some confidence. Turned out that Katie was timid because she was deaf. I decided to take on the challenge to adopt her and teach her sign language. Katie and Nikita get along really well. I've renamed Katie so she is now Shylie. The girls play togher, eat together and sleep together. Shylie is not so timid and her tail is no longer stuck between her legs. Last week, I was happy to see her dreaming (her legs were twitching like she was running) and her tail was wagging super fast. Training has been pretty easy as Shylie will do whatever Nikita
does. I've also had to make up some of my own sign language - Shylie tends to cower if I raise my arms - I think she may have been abused and expects me to hit her if my arms are outstretched. So now, I will live my left leg and she sits (!). Not exactly what I had in mind, by she gets it and it works.

Here's picture of Nikita and Shylie napping on the couch - not the best picture as it was taken on my cell phone - I will try to go to another adoption event with the girls. Thank you DPS for brining Shylie into my life and for giving Nikita another chance at being a puppy.

Lily Blog Photos

2011-02-10T13:20:00.001-08:00

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Lily- Our Love

2011-02-08T16:48:00.001-08:00

We adopted Lily, a cocker mix, in January from DPS after losing our 13 year old beagle in 2010. Lily is now the love of our lives. She is sweet, loving, and has actually gottten my husband off the couch and on a long walk every morning. We are still marveling at all the cute ways she makes us smile and laugh and I am now convinced that our pets do far more for us than we do for them. Thank you DPS for letting us adopt Lily. Her warmth and unconditional love makes a huge positive impact on our lives!

Cup o' Joe

2011-01-22T22:21:00.001-08:00

We adopted Joe on Thanksgiving weekend, and he is now 4 months old. We are so in love with this little guy! He takes turns falling asleep on the kids' beds each night before we put him in his crate. He loves to dig, and we've given him a special digging area where we bury tennis balls, treats, and pieces of wood. He still needs more socializing with other dogs, but he's getting a little better each time. Joe had his first trip to the snow over Christmas, and did so well in the car - he spent more time on our laps than in his crate, but was so content. We have finally limited the potty accidents in the house by hanging a bell on the back door. He caught on so quickly! (The only drawback is that he now also rings the bell when he wants to go bark at the neighbor's dog :-) We love taking him on a daily walk, and he's getting very good at walking with a loose leash. We are so blessed to have him. My 10-year-old daughter said, "I never imagined having a puppy would be this nice."
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Jackson (aka Garland)

2011-01-17T23:08:00.001-08:00

Hi DPS,

Just wanted to let you know that the Jackson (Garland) is happy and doing well. We're all very happy to have him in the family and he is such the furball of love. Thanks for helping us find our new family member!

~ The Gaddis Family

Koko

2011-01-14T01:52:00.001-08:00

Hi,
I cannot tell you how much we love Kekoa (Koko)! We adopted her in Sept of 2009. She was part of Hawaii's litter. She is 1 1/2 years old and is such a great dog. She is a little ball of energy but loves to cuddle at the same time. Thank you so much for helping Koko become part of our family!
-Jordan

-"The Love-Muffin"-Sophie-

2011-01-11T10:39:00.001-08:00

We adopted Sophie here at DPS over 3 1/2 yrs ago-Now!!!She is- Definitely-The Love Muffin-of Our Lives!!!We had a 2 yr void without a Dog since we had lost our other one to having an enlarged left side of her heart!!!Sophie took away the pain from losing our other Dog and filled Our Hearts with-Love-again!!!!She is such-A Blessing-to us-couldn't live without her!!!She does many tricks-Sit-down-wait-roll-over-give paw-crawl-give kiss-spin around-Ask her for her-Tongue-and she keeps Putting it out there!!!LOL-She Loves Cuddlin and Kissin that's for Sure- and We Love it!!!She loves her walks-too,-three times a day-and loves Kids every kid in our neighborhood absolutely-Loves-her and the adults-too!!!She also loves to chase lizards or anything that moves-She is a Major sniffer of-everything-too!!! I swear-She could be a-Sniffer-Police Dog-but-She is-Only-A Cocker Spaniel-Maltese Shih-Tzu-Terrier Mix!!!
But She is-A BIG-Combo-I know!!!And to Let-You-All-know-We Love her-So!!!-Love Lori,Joe and Joshua Sirard-Sophie-Kisses too!!!

Hi Cheryl and Carolyn!!!Hope-You-two-are doing well-too!!!
Hope-You-had-A Merry Christmas and-A Happy Healthy-New Year!!!

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Maiden Taiwan

2011-01-10T19:01:00.001-08:00

We adopted Maiden (formerly known as Milania but also listed as Suzanna on your website) in Sept. of last year. All three of our past dogs have been rescued in some fashion or another. She was said to be the shyest of the puppies you had at the time. She certainly was. Although she very quickly learned many tricks, she continues to work on playing with other dogs and accepting affection from strangers. She still even suddenly reverts back to her flight pattern if my husband walks too swiftly towards her to give her a pat on the head. We are curious if there were any others in her litter and if they have similar problems with socializing. She has a quirky way of snapping when she plays with people or dogs, she makes cute noises when she yawns, she likes to snuggle on the bed or couch and she is a good little guard dog without being a barker. She goes with us everywhere and has adopted our daughter's five year old Husky as her best friend/mother. She is a challenge but
we can't imagine living without her! Thanks for allowing us to bring her into our family.

Ratchet and Louise

2011-01-06T07:16:00.001-08:00

We love our two little rescue dogs. We adopted Ratchet a little over a year ago and then his best friend, Louise (aka Wilma) on Valentines Day this past year. As I type, they are curled up beside me. Words to describe: gentle, loyal, friendly, intelligent, and positively cute! When we lost our lab of 13 years, we never imagined another dog could steal our hearts as he had, but these two have more than met the challenge. They make us smile every day with their playful antics. They enjoy playing tug of war, chase and just curling up together in our laps. We imagined they would have some bad habits since they ended up in a shelter, but no.....no barking, gentle with children, good with other dogs, easy to train. We love them so much!

Thank you DPS

2011-01-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

We love Barney (Formerly Alpine) so much! It was love at first sight for Eva. We had actually come to the event to adopt another dog, but Barney was walking outside in the parking lot and caught Eva's eye. It was over after that.

I was a little hesitant about Barney since he was bigger (30 lbs) than I had planned on. I was worried that his size could be a problem for Eva. It was of no concern. Barney is one of the most gentle creatures. He is so kind and gentle especially with children. My nephews and niece love him. He sits patiently as they pet and play with him. Brooklyn, the youngest, used to pull his tail; Barney was gentle as can be and didn't mind.

I had him DNA tested for fun. He ended up being 25% Shihtzu, 25% Chow, and the other 50% was not able to be quantifiable (I think that he is either part tibetan terrier or part dandy terrier)

He is the quite the runner. I take him for 6-8 miles a day. He has no problem keeping up even though he doesn't have the runner's build. He loves to explore new places, walk downtown with us to get coffee or pizza and snuggle up by Eva's feet when she watches TV. We love him so much. He is such an integral part of our family all ready!

I've included pictures of our new family portrait, Barney mugging for the camera near the Golden Gate, and our recent foray to Lake Tahoe for the snow!

- Eva and Jon

Prima & Cooper (aka Dylan)

2010-12-28T08:00:00.001-08:00

We adopted Prima in May of 2010 and Cooper on December 18, 2010. We had a hole in our family after and our hearts after we lost our older, female schnauzer to heart failure in Feb of 2010. After looking at tons of available dogs we found a puppy on the DPS site. We were told of a new female schnauzer that had come into the "system" and knew we had to meet her. A week later she was in our house and has been an absolute joy ever since. (One of the best dogs I've ever had and I've had many in my life).
We have an older male who really had a tough time when we lost the female so we decided to get another male to make the grieving process easier when we loose Dexter (who is 13.5 but very healthy now) so we brought Cooper into our home. He was SO timid at first but, after three days of extreme loving he made himself at home. Cooper follows Prima everywhere in the yard and she's teaching him the ropes. I don't think he ever saw a leash before so we still have some work to do but that's ok - he is a total love and has lots of personality.
Prima now is the queen with her three man/slaves and is in the position she was brought into this world for - to rule the roost!
I am so glad that DPS makes it their mission to get dogs out of bad environments and carefully places them in the right homes - our house is a happy house full of furry friends that continue to make us laugh and give us lots of love.
Rescue dogs are so happy to have a good place to live they return the love they receive 10-fold to their families.

Bacon

2010-12-20T16:52:00.001-08:00

Almost 2 years ago our German Shepherd, Magnum, was headed into Petsmart for a bath and took a detour outside the store. He wanted to "talk" to a little chihuahua named Bacon. Magnum had always loved small animals and children, however, there seemed to be something very special to him about Bacon.
After much thought, the next day we returned to Petsmart with Magnum to see if Bacon was still available for adoption. He was !

Sadly, our Magnum recently passed away. We will always be grateful that Bacon was picked by him to be a part of our family. Bacon has been a great joy to have in our home. Such a sweet and loving little guy.

Thank you DPS, espcially to his foster Mom---- for rescuing Bacon, and driving him all the way from SoCal to Las Vegas for an adoption event.

Courage

2010-11-14T15:03:00.001-08:00

We adopted Courage on November 2. He is our second pup from DPS. In the almost two weeks that he joined our family, he has learned to sit and is working on his down command. He is getting the house training down. He is quite the personality. He follows our wonderful Ranger all around. Believe me, Ranger is training him well. They play constantly and both love their toys. Courage is quite active, but he can calm down and cuddle. We love him already and tell him, he will always be with us. Thanks, again, DPS for a wonderful, sweet, and loving addition to our family. We now have four beautiful canines to grace our household. We are truly blessed to have these angels in our lives!

Jerri & Jim

Bella Gets a Home

2010-11-13T20:49:00.001-08:00

We adopted Bella, aka, Nike Shoes puppy, about a month ago from the Pet Food Express in Redwood City. Our previous dog, Charlie, had died only 2 weeks before, and his sudden death left us with a hole in our hearts. I knew that we needed to have a puppy to have our lives go on again. When I was surfing online, I saw the picture of Bella, and sent an email to DPS, and got an immediate reply, that she was available. Upon arriving we filled out the necessary forms in order to hold her. There was someone else interested in adopting her, but in the end my husband and I were chosen to be her new owners.
I just wanted you to know how much we love and appreciate her. Little Bella is having such a great time with us. We live in Almaden Valley, right along the trails, and I probably love walking as much as Bella does. She's doing so well meeting with the other dogs and their owners, and she really looks forward to her 2 walks a day.
I am fortunate not to have to go to work, and can spend most of my time training her, and caring for her. Bella is so smart! She learned her name after only a week, along with the potty training. They said part of her breed doesn't bark, and it was expected that she wouldn't bark---but, she does! At just the right moments, like when she's excited, or, when my husband comes home from work. She's just the most darling little puppy! Thanks so much for all that you do there in your organization!!

Linda and Brian York
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Murphy aka Big Toes

2010-11-13T02:52:00.001-08:00

After searching high and low in rescues, shelters and online for a dog that would provide protection and companionship, I found "Big Toes" at DPS via Petfinder. I looked at his scruffy face and fell in love. Watching a video of him being nice with a kitty was also a huge selling point as well! I sent in an application and received an e-mail the next day. I spoke with his foster mom over the phone the next day and he sounded perfect! I arranged to "foster to adopt" him, to see if we were a good match. The following weekend I drove to Pet Express in Campbell (an awesome pet supply store I might add), it was about a 2.5-3 hour drive. It was worth it! One of the volunteers brought out "Big Toes" and I almost cried when I saw him, it was love at first sight. He and I wandered around the store and checked each other out. I then loaded up the pet supplies that I needed and "Big Toes" and we headed back home. Upon getting back, I changed "Big Toes" name to "Murphy", as I thought it
suited him better. I decided within about 2 days that Murphy was here to stay. DPS sent me the adoption paperwork and let me mail it in, so that I would not have to make the 3 hour trek back to the bay area. I have had Murphy for almost 2.5 months and he is such a love! He keeps me company and is very protective. He and the resident kitty (who is 16 lbs himself) are pals (most of the time) and will snuggle next to each other on the bed or couch. He has won over everyone that he meets, and gets along with kids and adults alike. He is a sweetheart and I am so happy to have found him and that DPS helped me make such a great match! Thank you to Donna for her assistance and giving Murphy love and a home until he and I found each other!

Sake aka cream whip

2010-11-02T23:43:00.001-07:00

we only have had Saki for 3 nights so far. My buddy got tired out by this young fellow. he on the go all day long. but they are having fun together,, I think we made a good match. Buddy almost 9 and needed some spunk in his life and Sake will surely give it to him. DPS you the best saving these puppies. just think I almost went to go buy one from the pet store. But those poor pups come from a puppy mill and they should outlawed. Also I wish people would just get there pet fix. to many unwanted pets in this world. I love my Sake and my Buddy.

Scampi Leigh

2010-10-27T12:37:00.001-07:00

I had been volunteering with DPS for a few months when I decided to try fostering. I fostered 3 different dogs but my third, Leigh, was so special. I was going to foster her for 2 weeks. I had been in the pens with Leigh many times and didn't notice she was so special. I chose her to come home with me because I could see that she could hold her own when playing with other dogs and my fox terrier is pretty rough and tumble.

The first couple of days she and my fox terrier, Preston, struggled for the beta position in the pack. My beagle Piper is the alpha and doesn't need to struggle for her status. Preston and Leigh finally worked out their differences and became morning wrestling buddies.

Another thing was happening too…I was falling deeply in love with my little terror, er, I mean terrier. Even my stoic husband was falling hard. We renamed her "Scampi" because she is like a little street scamp. She is the snuggliest, sweetest little dog I've ever known. I am the luckiest dog mommy in the world.

She babysits my friend's DPS puppy and has taught him how to play appropriately. She is a natural mommy with the puppy and exhibits more patience than I have ever seen from a dog!

Mopsy aka Shiloh

2010-10-26T18:31:00.001-07:00

I adopted Shiloh the first part of August 2010. I went looking for a black lab, but he had already been adopted, then I saw Mopsy. He was inside a wire fence, standing up on his hind legs trying to get my attention. He was so cute, the attendant asked me if I wanted to take him for a short walk, and I said yes. We walked outside of the PetFood Xpress, for a few minutes, it was quite hot out, and I felt he was better off in the AC.

I then took him in, and was told I could take him home to Foster him overnight, which I did. That's all it took. I fell for him, and made up my mind that I wanted to adopt him. The next day, I took him back to the DPS and proceeded with the adoption.

I felt that Mopsy was a cute name, but sounded more like a girl's name. So I changed his name to Shiloh. A name I have always loved, ever since a good friend of mine many years ago, had a black lab named Shiloh. Shiloh has since learned his new name, and has been a joyful addition to my life.

I had recently lost two beloved pets. A beautiful Yellow Lab Mix named "Rebel" passed away in Dec. 09 of old age, he was 18 years old, then in July of 2010 I lost my beautiful 'Kitty' also to old age, she was 19,

Shiloh has been a welcome addition to my life. He filled the empty spaces in my heart where my beloved pets I had lost had been. He is so sweet, I have taken him to Beginning Dog Training at PetSmart, and have had very good results. He has many puppy ways about him, so we had some issues that needed working on. He's a quick learner, and is a joy to have in my life.

When I adopted him, he had a problem with many Foxtails in his coat, DPS had several removed before I adopted him. However, there were several more: in his ears, throughout his body, etc. My Veterinarian removed the remaining foxtails, and did a thorough examination on him, claining that he was in good health, there was one problem though, Shiloh had a nagging cough. He had been on antibiotics for it, but it was not helping. My Vet administered another type of antibiotics, and we started him on that, but the cough persisted. Finally, Dr. Paul decided it might be an allergy, so he was put on a cortisone, which seems to have helped the problem.

He has lots of energy, loves his walks, going to the Dog Park, and is very playful. I will keep him, and enjoy him for the rest of his life. I truly love him, and will be by his side for as long as I am blessed with him. This little boy has brought so much happiness into my life, He truly is a Blessing.

Lola and Rudy

2010-10-22T14:59:00.001-07:00

The family adopted Lola and Rudy (formerly known as Bristol and Warner from DWTS) just last Sunday, Oct 17). As you can see they have adapted beautifully and we already love them very much.

Adopting Dancer

2010-10-19T19:24:00.001-07:00

I have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember. I went to look at DPS that was hosting a doggie adoption fair at Pet Food Express. I looked around at the numerous amounts of dogs and puppies looking for a home. I wanted to take each and every dog home but I had a few requirements. I wanted a full grown dog that was house trained and good with cats. As I was reading the profiles of the dogs, one dog in particular caught my eye. Her name was Dancer. Dancer is a 4 year old Chihuahua-Papillon mix that came to DPS pregnant. She was good with cats, crate trained, and was full grown. I asked to hold her and as soon as she was placed in my arms, I said "I'll take her", and so I did. DPS warned me that Dancer wasn't good with the leash but let me tell you, as of now, she's excellent. Always frisky and ready to go for walks. Dancer is such a wonderful addition to our family, I don't know how I lived without her!

Cooper/Tivo

2010-10-19T08:01:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I was also very lucky to adopt from the Silicon Valley litter. I adopted the only boy in the litter and we named him Cooper. He is extremely smart and very sweet. We just love him! I'm so glad to hear how great his litter mate is doing. I often think about how his three sisters are doing and how big they are getting. I live in San Jose but maybe sometime we could have a play date.

Thanks again DPS for my great puppy and keeping us all connected!

Axel/Google is home in Oakland

2010-10-18T10:21:00.001-07:00

We were the lucky family who adopted Google, now Axel, from the Silicon Valley litter. Axel is a Great Dane/Weimaraner cross. She's loving, loyal, aced obedience class (part 1), and will be starting a second class soon. She is an amazing addition to our family and we're constantly surprised by her. Axel has started letting out a single bark when someone comes to the door. It's just her way of saying, "I'm here and this is my pack." We've taken Axel to school picnics where kids of all ages pet her, get gentle kisses, and are able to have a very positive first "dog experience."

We're so grateful. And we'd love to see how Google/Axel's littermates are doing. Thank you DPS!
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Gianni Versace

2010-09-23T15:23:00.001-07:00

Its my 7 month Birthday.

Hi Everyone Gianni Here

Today I am turning 7 months old. This picture was taken on the weekend when my daddy took me out for my morning poop. I am such a handsome boy and smart. I now have figured out how to get my daddy to give me treats. These are the rules that I follow.

A) I never have peed in the house- This gets me lots of treats
B) I never have pooped in the house-This gets me special treats and daddy is thrilled
C) I let daddy know when its time to go potty and he gives me treats.
D) I no longer chase other dogs this gets me a pat down and treats.
E) I never bark- Daddy gets me toys and goodies
F) I no longer eat Duck Geese Poop.This gets me special trips to the park and to the city
G) I no longer tear the plaster off the kitchen wall-this gets daddy a savings in his migraine meds
H) I give my daddy unconditional love and let him sleep all night- This gets me lots of treats and morning hugs
I) I am one lucky boy.

Love Gianni

Murphy

2010-09-11T15:10:00.001-07:00

Hi DPS!
I got Murphy, then "Big Toes" from DPS 2 weeks ago, and he is the best dog! He went with me today to a carwash for a local elementary school, where I helped. He was so patient being pet by the children (ages 2-12) and was so mellow! He is a real sweetheart and super mellow! Thank you DPS for helping me find a wonderful dog!

Erin
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We love Lulu

2010-09-11T09:19:00.001-07:00

We adopted Lulu just over a month now and we couldn't be happier. She is a super sweet dog. Her favorite thing to do is curl up next to us on the couch (a real couch potato :)).

She is a bit shy, but she is growing more playful each day. Today she even started to run with the other dogs at the dog park! She still wants to stay close to daddy though.

We are really happy to have Lulu in our family now. Thanks DPS!

Scott and Min

My baby mushu

2010-08-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

I adopted mushu at the palo alto express store on Sunday august 22nd. She has bonded with me really well.she couldnothavebeen more perfect. I love her she is an angel. We go for walks everyday and spend time together.

Thank you DPS. I have a new best friend for life.

Axel is home in Oakland

2010-08-20T09:45:00.001-07:00

We were fortunate enough to adopt Axel, a Great Dane/Weimaraner mix, on July 24, 2010. She was born in Southern California and traveled all the way here to meet and greet all of her suitors. After a great deal of deliberation, we chose her because she felt like the right fit for our family. She was the only black pup of the litter; the rest were all silver or copper.

She has enormous paws, big floppy ears, and everyone who meets her smiles. My favorite introduction was to a very formal, serious police officer who was in uniform. When Axel wants to introduce herself, she sits directly in front of the person and looks up. The officer tried to keep a straight face, and finally burst into laughter, got down and gave her a good, long pet.

She's sweet and affectionate, very calm, and loves to climb onto our laps. Axel has certainly changed our lives for the better. No more lounging around. She gets at least two hours of walks a day.

We start puppy obedience school next week. My five year old son will be accompanying me because within a couple of months, this large pup will definitely outweigh him. Linc is adjusting; he still gets a bit overwhelmed by the kissing attacks. We only let that go on for a few seconds and then we calm her down. Puppy school will be good for all of us; I think Lincoln will benefit the most.

Kota Adoption Update

2010-08-16T10:52:00.001-07:00

8/7/10:

I just thought I'd drop you guys a note on how Kota (adopted in Palo Alto, CA on 9/26) is doing. Kota is a grey and white Siberian Husky with matching ice-blue eyes. Per the story we heard at his adoption, he was rescued and fostered somewhere in Southern California before being brought up to Palo Alto for adoption. He's a GREAT dog! I would love it if you could pass this email (and photos) on to his foster parents and anyone else involved in connecting dogs like Kota with people.

Here's some photos of Kota's adventures over the past year:

He's a natural mountain dog!

Best wishes and thanks for all you do.

Doug F.

10/1/09:

Teresa,

Here's a few photos of Kota. He's doing GREAT in his new home!!!

Howdy,

We just wanted to email you and let you know how wonderful it is to have Kota in our lives. He's doing GREAT. He's taken to his new home very well and is such a happy puppy! We're continuing his training and he's doing great. He's moving beyond his sit, down, stay, come comands and is rapidly catching onto 'place' and 'leave it'. He's already been to the beach, the forest, the city, Golden Gate Park and many, many more fun places.

Thanks again for connecting us to Kota. He's wonderful.

Liz and Doug

Welcome to America!

2010-08-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I love big furry dogs. If you ask most folks they can tell you about my passion for Chows or Shih Tzu's but I have a secret love. I can't tell you when it developed or how but somewhere along the animal journey I fell in love with Old English Sheepdogs (OES). It took me several years to find just the right one to fit into my home and once I found him I didn't let him go. His name is Pub and he's almost 9 years old now and 92lbs. He's the love of my life. (Ok, one of several 4 legged loves of my life but he's definitely one of them!)

Recently we received an email from our friends in Taiwan that they had an OES that needed to be sent over to the States. Let's just say I don't remember reading the end of that email because I was already sending them an email begging them to send him to me. Turns out he was potentially going elsewhere. Well, I had to explain this passion to them and that's all it took. It's love and you just have to respect that. So, then our contact in Taiwan sent us an email and told us how the OES had an injured leg that their vet felt was an old injury and not much to be done about it. Our vet often is fond of saying, "If they're not in pain now, don't fix something that will cause them pain!" It didn't matter to me what kind of pieces he was in, I wanted him. I told them to send him to me whether he was lame or not. Well, apparently that was the right answer.

Arthur can be found most days lounging on my bed. I keep the dooor open so he can jump off the bed periodically and come check and make sure I'm still in my office. As long as I don't acknowledge him during these check-ins he goes back to watching TV and hanging out on a very plush bed. (Otherwise when acknowledged, he sometimes likes to jump on my desk which isn't conducive to getting work done!) He also has another love besides me. He loves to ride in the car. In fact, so much so that once he's in, good luck getting him out. If he's in the front seat and trying to get him out one door, he just runs to the other side of the car. It's almost comical until you're the one trying to get him out!

As far as Arthur's bum leg. Yeah. Right. He runs, jumps, leaps, plays as long as I will leave him outside. In fact, I often have to bring him in because he wears all the other dogs out, even the 6 month old puppy. It's quite funny. If there's something wrong with that leg, obviously no one told Arthur. So, we'll enjoy him for a few weeks. He reminds me of Pub in his younger days. I am saddened as I realize Pub is heading into his sunset years and his time with us is probably limited. Arthur reminds me once again why I passionately love this breed.

Newest Taiwan Dogs

2010-08-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. Greetings from Taiwan! We've had a few months where we didn't take in Taiwan dogs as we were working on placing some of our long term Taiwan adults. But now that we've cried and said our goodbye's to Tony, Margret and Jasmine we are ready to take on more Taiwan friends.

Donna with Dugan 5 year old Mini Schnauzer

Welcome to the USA Kimo!

They arrived at 11pm on Monday July 26th. We were returning from a wonderfully successful adoption weekend up North and delayed our drive home for a few hours and stopped off at LAX to meet and greet our latest arrivals! There's nothing quite like the excitement as we see the crates coming up the walkway. There's always a few goosebumps as we untie each crate, cut away all of the zip ties that keep our friends in their crates secure (no escapees for us on the tarmack!)and then as they emerge the overwhelming feeling of knowing that their journey has just begun but their life has drastically improved just by virtue of a 17 hour trip.

Puppies + kids = GRINS!

If you haven't had the privilege of adopting a Taiwan puppy, one of the greatest attributes we hear is that they are so easily trainable and though many of them look Lab like they don't have that 2-3 year puppy stage. Most of our Taiwan pups are mature and settled in by a year. They are generally a truly medium size dog and rarely become as large as traditional Labs. So if you like a mellower, smaller version of the Lab with the same great personality, check out our Taiwan puppies!

We welcomed 5 puppies and 3 adults.

New arrivals from Taiwan!

Foster Mom Arthi and her newest foster, Lucy

2010-08-02T09:43:00.001-07:00

We are a blessed rescue to have some of the greatest foster homes. Foster Mom Arthi fostered Barnes and Noble and well, we found a home for Barnes and Noble became Spark and stayed behind. But that wasn't the end of fostering for Arthi. Like many of us, as time permits and as Spark needs a playmate, she jumps in to help save a life. Right now she has our beautiful Lucy who she says gets along fabulously with Spark. Arthi is thrilled with how well Lucy does on and off the leash outside, how well housetrained she is, how loving and sweet she is and because Arthi lives in close quarters she needs a dog who isn't a barker and Lucy fits the bill! Now Arthi and family, because like any good foster family it does becomes a family and friend affair where everyone jumps in to help, are working with Lucy on learning to love men. Lucy previously lived with a senior woman so now she's getting to meet lots of males, young and old and learning she can love them too! Thanks Arthi once again for helping us save a life!

Dogs for Adoption

2010-08-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

There's lots of little munchkins who are searching for their forever home. So we thought we'd highlight some of the ones who are still seeking thier forever home.

Jupiter:
He's a 4-5 month old Border Collie-Lab mix who stole the hearts of all the volunteers as soon as they met him. He's high energy and would make an excellent companion to go on hikes, bike riding, jogging, playing with toys, going to the dog park. He currently lives in a foster home where is he crate trained, doggy door trained, learning sit and stay, lives with kids who are dog savvy as he is very puppy like and will jump or grab you to get your attention. In his foster home with a stern foster mom who enjoys his playful nature but also is teaching him how not to jump, how to sit patiently and to wait. He is incredibly trainable and loveable.

Tucker:

Tucker is a 3-4 year old Shih Tzu. He is full of personality and character. Most of our regulars at adoptions make a bee-line for him and can't wait to greet him. He has a friendly spunky outgoing personality. We like to say he "purrs" because he has this low grumble which isn't a grumble or a growl but is most definitely his way of communicating his greeting. He would rather die than try to snap at someone. He's very typically Shih Tzu in that sense. He's definitely a lap dog as well. He gets along with dogs, cats and older kids.

Though you might not be able to tell, he is missing an eye. As a puppy he was left in a backyard with a Shepherd who probably played too hard and his eye became a casualty. He spent the next 3-4 years in that backyard until he was advertised as needing a new home and we agreed to take him in and not only introduce him to the inside of the house (also promised he never has to live outside again!) but got him groomed and all ready for his new home!

Mousey:

If you're looking for character and personality then look no further. Want a lap dog or a purse dog? Yup, she's it. Mousey can play with the "big boys" at the dog park or sit on your lap for hours. She lives with big and small dogs, kids and is only about 7lbs. She's 8 months old and pretty much full grown at this point. She was completely intrigued with the cats. She ran up to them, backed away, ran around the corner and barked at them, stuck her head back around the corner to see if they went away and darn it! they did not. If there are cats in the house, she won't hurt them but it will take a few days to acclimate everyone and probably will require a dog savvy cat who isn't intimiated by a little pipsqueak!

McQueen

2010-07-26T16:15:00.001-07:00

McQueen is home and we adore him!!! But his name is Tug now. Tug is 12 weeks old and sharing home with the Duncans in Jamestwon, California. He is great on a lead, sleeping in his crate without a single whimper and playing with his new family of people, cats and dogs as if he has been here forever. Thank you DPS for allowing us to adopt Tug and provding a service to animal and people alike.
Betsy & Marty Duncan

Shelby

2010-07-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

Hi ! I wanted to give you another update for Shelby (Mochie) it's been almost 2 years since I adopted her and since then she has grown into a beautiful dog. She's currently being trained as my service dog to help with stress and has come along way. she loves working ! everytime she puts her vest on she prances around like she's the queen of the world. Again thank you so much for letting me adopt her !

love
Ashley and Shelby
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Tiny Bits

2010-07-10T21:50:00.001-07:00

Hi Teresa. Hi Donna. Tiny has been with us now for almost 2 months and I thought I would give you an update on how he is doing. We kept his name as Tiny hoping not to disrupt him any more than being lost, rescued, neutered, and subsequently adopted had already done. And the name is a natural for him now.

He has become quite the lap dog (all 60 pounds of him). I think if he could sit directly on my lap, he would prefer to do so....but since my lap is a bit smaller than his is, he curls up as close as he can get instead. Fortunately we have a big couch since touch is everything to this guy.

And, you may recall that he was a couch potato, not much into exercise. Well, he is now doing a 2 mile walk/run each morning with his doggie sisters, Jada and Gizzy, and of course me. We had to work up to the 2 miles, which initially was a chore for Tiny, but he actually has become the pace setter now and definitely keeps us moving at a gallop. I think it had been so long since he felt well, now that he does he loves the feeling of motion and the freedom of moving without pain.

The abcess on his rear took a couple of weeks to completely heal but once done, there is no lingering discomfort. The only remaining health issue for him is the loose tooth which has refused to resolve itself. So we have scheduled Tiny for dental surgery next Wednesday. Hopefully we can save the tooth or, barring that, remove the tooth and end his discomfort. But once that is taken care of, he will be the picture of health (particularly since he has added a few needed pounds).

Gary and I laugh when we watch this guy trot around the yard which he knows now is his. He just has the 'I'm a good dog, I'm loved, and this is Heaven' look about him!! He is so good with the other doggies and is even content (most of the time) to wait his turn when treats are handed out. And he knows that he is feed each morning and evening. When the clock nears feeding time, he is right there with the other two asking me when I intend to get around to giving them their dinner. And he sits without my asking to wait his turn. What a great dog!!

I think Tiny is a poster boy for why older dogs are wonderful companions and adefinite 'yes' when it comes to adoption. Even though he had a few health issues, all of which were treatable, he is so grateful for a safe and loving home, that his every movement conveys joy.

He is our little guy now and has transitioned completely into our family. What a blessing he is!

Lola - Happy Tale

2010-07-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Donna,

Lola is great (Lola is the Pug) and well incorporated into the family. Here
is a picture of her today with Beamer and Rosie!

Julie

Echo aka Grammy

2010-06-21T21:42:00.001-07:00

We adopted Echo in March of 2009. We loved her from the moment we saw her picture on your website! My daughter carried and held her all the way home that day and Echo has been in our hearts ever since. Over a year later and Echo is now a whopping 20 lbs and is the smartest dog we've ever encountered! She loves to learn new tricks and has even learned a few on her own, like opening the bedroom doors for herself LOL. Everyone she meets admires how smart and beautiful she is. She loves to go for walks and play catch. At home she has her favorite spot on the sofa just like the rest of the family. She is so sweet and loves to snuggle up with whomever is near by. Even my 2 year old niece and 6 year old nephew love her so much that they co-own her with us! They love to show off OUR dog Echo! Thank you so much for choosing us for her, we are greatful every day to have her in our lives.
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Theodore Diablo Kramerson - Birthday Party

2010-06-07T21:53:00.001-07:00

It's been a year since I took on my very first foster dog from DPS, "Branco" (now Theodore/Ted/Teddy). When Teddy first came to my house, a family was returning him, and found him so awful that they refused to allow him to stay in their home and had him boarded until other arrangements could be made. But, being that rescue was not new to me, and I had dealt with my fair share of neurotic adopters, I thought what the heck, I'll take him. Teddy was very hard to get used to. He had all the issues I could have dreamed of....peeing everywhere, biting, resource aggression, etc....In 30 seconds he could double both me and my partners blood pressure. Just as an example, we had just remodeled our kitchen and I would often find Teddy chewing on the edges of my brand new cabinets...LOL....I had never seen anything like it! He is a Maltese poodle mix - but for being only 8 pounds he can sure inflict some damage. We nick named him "Diablo" because he was such a little monster. T
here were days when we both were not sure we could stand to put up with him another week, but we did, because he needed it. After a few months of working with him, his "issues" seemed to be under control, and Teddy was adopted by a nice family who I just knew was going to be the most amazing home! Thank goodness they fell in love with Teddy, I thought to myself. After only a few days I got the call...Teddy was causing them too much stress and they needed to return him. I think that is when I knew that he was going to be mine, although I get the feeling Teddy new it all along - he was home. When I look back at those first few months of having Teddy it makes me realize what a horrible life he must have had, because after months and months of good old fashioned TLC, he has turned out to be the most amazing dog. He has learned enough boundaries to not drive me completely crazy, but still definitely has his spunk. He is the only dog that my other dog Max has accepted into
his pack. I guess, in some weird way, Teddy was meant to b!
e here.
Cesar Millan always says "You don't get the dog you want, you get the dog you need". Teddy has taught me patience and he shows me the rewards of that every day when he gives me, Max and Richie all his love and devotion.

Yesterday we celebrated his 4th birthday (6/6/06 :-)). He had a party with a cake just for him! Although we made him share with Max and his foster sister Margret.

Attached are some pictures of Teddy, his first Christmas with us and his Birthday Party.

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Gianni Versace

2010-06-02T18:58:00.001-07:00

Hi Gianni here

I was adopted on May 22 2010 and my daddy lives in a nice area of Northen California. I like the weather here alot. I have mostly been a good boy and only have made 2 mistakes which I know did not make daddy very happy. But he has been well trained. He has gotten me so many toys, a new bed and he lets me sleep on his bed at night instead of my crate. So i mostly eat pee poop and sleep but sometimes I will let daddy play with me if he behaves. Daddy thinks I like girls more than boys cause I tried to follow the plant lady and her wheelbarrow but daddy keeps me close to home because I am not yet have all my shots. I did have my boy parts removed I like to think of myself as a metrosexual.

Today I had my first set of manicures done by my trainer and daddy was very nervous. I also had a bath last night because I like to roll in the dirt and daddy tokd me if I wanted to sleep in the bedroom on his bed i had to be clean so now I am certain to only sleep and play in the yard where I am allowed to play. I love my new trainer Kellie she is so sweet and has taught me how to sit lie down stay and surprisingly daddy figured out that I had already been trained to kiss and to give my paw by my foster family. I think my new digs are great daddy lets me have full run of the house when he is home and my favorite place is on the living room sofa on the nice throw sitting with my daddy and watching tv. I cant wait til i get my final booster and rabies shot as I know that daddy is anxious to take me to the park and the beach. So until that time I have to hang 10 in the house and the back yard.

Anyway time for my supper but hang 10 later dudes

Love Gianni Versace

Sophia aka Maggie May

2010-06-01T23:03:00.001-07:00

We saw her little face on the website, and when we heard her story we wanted her. Even though she had a rough start to her little life, we could see love
in her and her eyes. It has been a little over a year and "Baby Sophia" is the love of our lives. She goes everywhere with us and is a fixture in the office where I volunteer. She is happy, friendly and very sweet. She loves to do tricks, and she snuggles with us everynight. She even flies with us on airplanes under our seat.
She loves her walks around the lagoon and has made many friends wherever she goes. She jumps waves and runs the beach at the Doggie Beach in Huntington Beach. We recommend DPS and Love the Work and Effort You have done for all
of us. We thank you and God for bringing her into our lives.

Courtney

2010-05-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-27T09:14:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-27T08:42:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-27T08:41:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-18T20:38:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-11T16:02:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-11T08:14:00.001-07:00

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.

2010-05-07T21:23:00.001-07:00

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.

From Izzy to Zoe

2010-04-26T20:42:00.001-07:00

On March 27th we found our precious Zoe through DPS. Her name on the web site was Izzy, but she quickly adjusted to her new name. Poor Zoe had been abandoned not once but twice. She also had not had the best of care. When we took her to the vet, the vet said she was in basic good health, but her teeth were in need of immediate cleaning. Unfortunately, while the vet was cleaning her teeth, she discovered three that had to be pulled; One was abscessed. No wonder the poor dog did not want us to touch her face. After that she had a canine cold. Now recovered from her tooth ache and her cold, she is settling in to her life of luxury. Neighbors brought her gifts of toys, and each toy seems to be a new thrill. She loves rolling in our grass. She loves my sons,26 an 22 years old, and my husband, and snuggles up to John, my husband each night in bed. She also loves her walks around the neighborhood, and is getting used to the many dogs she meets. She is helping me get out a
gain after a broken ankle. She is making good progress on her dog manners, as in sit, and stay. She is quickly becoming a member of the family: Her forever family.

We Love Our Boys!

2010-04-17T22:43:00.001-07:00

My husband and I have no children, and lost our sweet girl Molly, a dachshund/beagle pound puppy of fourteen years, just last month. We've owned our home for fourteen and a half years, and Molly had been in it for fourteen of those years!
Needless to say, we were completely destroyed, but we had no idea how empty the house would feel and how lost we would be. We love each other very much, but there's something that a dog brings into a family that humans simply cannot replace. We knew we had to have another dog in our lives, and this time, we wanted two. Teresa didnt' miss a beat! She shared with us several sets of dogs that had bonded, and when we saw "Brooks and Dunn", now Tino and Rooney, we knew they were the boys for us.
Yes, it's been a while since we've thougth about trianing a dog, let alone two, but these boys are so sweet and want so badly to be good that they've made it easy for us! We haven't had one accident in the house, and they are doing wonderfully on leash despite the fact that they both have kennel cough and can't socialize with anyone yet!
Tino, a beagle/chihuahua mix, will be doing agility with me after we learn the basics, as he was able to jump onto our kitchen coutner from a stand-still! Yes, at first we were scared, now we're excited!
We want to thank DPS from the bottom of our collective hearts for all of their support! We've had questions and issues that the DPS crew have been wonderful in answering and offering personalized help for!
We are gong to have a wonderful life together! THANK YOU!
Katy, Ian, Rooney, and Tino Bimpson

It's not always about saving dogs

2010-04-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Today a dog died. He didn't die because he wasn't loved. He didn't die because he didn't have medical attention. He died because we were too late. We were too late to educate his owners, too late to educate a community about the hazards around our houses and too late to educate humanity that our dogs are not disposable.

Caesar was a 1 year old Poodle-Shih Tzu who came into the shelter matted to the bone, completely pink from what we thought was a sun-burn after being left in a box in the desert and wounds all over him. The hot summer desert didn't kill him. Nope, he survived that. What ended up killing our little boy was lungs that had been damaged by some type of chemical before we got him. We thought it was kennel cough because most dogs have kennel cough when they come out of the shelter and he was hacking away. When he didn't get better after a few weeks, off to the vet to get some super-duper good meds and get him on the mend. His home was already lined up because he was such a special boy, I had to find the best home for him and I had it! Never did we expect the answer we got..."His lungs are beyond repair. He doesn't have much time..."

I remember the words reverberating around in my head and not connecting. Not this sweet, little boy who was fun spirited, loving, great with other animals. No! He just had kennel cough and it was a bad strain. Right? Right? Oh no. It can't be...

So he came home and got daily shots that allowed him to breathe easier. For awhile he did better and then slowly we began to see a decline. As one month after another passed, I deluded myself into believing that he could survive like this and just live here. Then slowly he wasn't getting up to run outside. Slowly he was dragging himself from one bed to another when I would leave the room and he wanted to follow. I saw the signs but I just believed we needed better medicine. And heck, we needed a better vet. After all, 9 years with one vet, we need to go elsewhere and get a second opinion. But I didn't get a different opinion. I just got confirmation what my soul knew all along...we were losing him quickly.

Today he didn't get up. Today he was gasping and today he looked at me with those beautiful saucer brown eyes and begged me to let him go. I laid on the floor next to his favorite bed and cried. I begged him to forgive me for not finding him somehow sooner. I asked for forgiveness for the person who dumped him at the shelter. I promised him we'd hold him as we said goodbye. I told him about the rainbow bridge and told him he'd be able to run free and fast as the wind through the meadows and he'd be greeted by others who had gone before him from our rescue.

I laid with his empty pillow tonight with a heart screaming with pain. I realize in these painful moments, rescue isn't always about saving dogs. Sometimes it's about giving them love for the time they are with us and then ultimately knowing when it's time to say goodbye.

Run free little man...we'll see you at the Bridge.....

A Foster Mom in Mourning

2010-04-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

I said goodbye to him with tears in my eyes and a heart that was aching. I shuffled away knowing that he was going to a great home but that didn't stop the pain that was seizing my heart and the tears that were building in my throat. Some foster dogs just grab your heart and never let go. Tibet was one of those fosters...

As a foster home for many dogs over the past 8+ years, I'm accustomed to the ebb and flow of dogs coming and going in my household. Some enter and just as quickly move onto their permanent home. Some linger and you wish they'd find their own home and then there are those who you just wish would never leave. Tibet was one who could have stayed...With a few adjustments in my home, he fit right in. Of course it helped that he fit our color pattern. He joined a duo of black and white Lhasa-Shih Tzu's already here. It was kind of cute and particularly funny when they were all three in the yard and people would stop to stare. And even funnier when friends would have to ask, "Now, which is that Tibet or Tabasco?"

Tibet became my co-pilot on the road trips to No. CA for adoptions. He sat on the console on his pillow and to Donna's credit, she never once complained. He would warm our seats when we'd stop along the way but he never tried to get out of the van. Nope, he was there just patiently waiting for our return. Tibet never did manage to stay in the x-pens at adoptions because the minute I walked away he was up and over and chasing after me. Yeah. I kind of liked that. One time I found him wandering in the store and I scooped him up really without even thinking about why he was loose and then I saw the trail of volunteers chasing after him. I realized then maybe he needed be in back with me. Another time I tied him to the cart that had about 30 folding chairs. He could sit on my feet while I did adoptions but I could also get up when I needed without a shadow. Or so I thought. Little did I know that little Lhasa was a sled dog and if I was getting up, so was he and he was perfectly happy to drag that cart of chairs where ever I was going...

So just when I was beginning to believe he wouldn't be going to another home anytime soon, a wonderful woman came into adoptions. She was initially interested in another dog and described what she was looking for and I quickly realized who she was really describing was Tibet, not the other dog. Oh the panic in my heart. I had to be fair to him. He needed his own home and he needed a home where he didn't have to share. He'd get to be King of the Castle and that's what he deserved. I had to let him go. And just as quickly as we introduced her to him, he climbed in the boyfriend's lap and I realized he wouldn't be returning home with me.

It was hard to read in a follow up email that he sat at the door as if waiting for me to come back and get him for the first day or so. That broke my heart. But I knew by day two or three he'd slowly begin to adjust. He may never understand where I went or why but I know I did what was best for him. It's what we do as foster parents. We say goodbye.

So, I'll miss my little buddy. I have another foster already who I've sworn I'll keep my heart a safe distance. But he's already edging his way in there...

Happy Tail

2010-04-12T10:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Jack was one of the Taiwanese pups from the 4th of July Litter 2009. His original name was Revere and his litter mates were Justice and Liberty. I had intended to adopt an older dog but instead, fell in love with Happy Jack. He was 4 months old when we brought him home and learned sit, stay, lay down, high 5 and shake with either paw his first two weeks. He struggled a little with passing cars and bicycles, which I attributed to him being a street dog in Taiwan. He did not like being "captured" to put on his walking harness at first but now his tail wags when he sees his harness and leash and doesn't protest when I put it on him. Prudence, our red heeler/chihuahua mix, had been abused prior to our ownership and she has blossomed from his love and companionship. They both to fetch and catch love their spiny squeaky balls. Happy Jack also loves our tuxedo litter mates, Gizmo and Bandit, but when my elderly Mom adopted Shasta, he fell instantly in love with her. He
hasn't met another pet that he didn't love. His favorite activity is going to the dog park at the Los Gatos Creek Park. He gets along well with every dog he's met but his favorite is my friend's 10 lb poodle, Destiny. Happy Jack has been such a loving addition to our home. I just couldn't imagine life without him.

I highly recommend the Basenji mix dogs based on our experience with Happy Jack. He was a bit skittish at first but through love and building trust with his owners, he has more than overcome his fear of the unknown.

Successful Adoption - Duke

2010-04-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to write to you for awhile now about our wonderful dog and experience with your group. It was almost a year ago now (May 16) that we adopted Duke (black golden doodle) from you. He is an absolutely wonderful dog and we couldn't love him more. He's been through obdenience training (more for us than him) and he is so smart, playful and loving we can't believe it. He loves all the other dogs at the local dog park and will chase (or run from) anyone who will play with him. He is also the fastest dog we've ever had. He is gentle with our 3 year old and loves wrestling and playing with our 6 year old.

In the beginning he had a few bad and interesting habits. He would eat my then 2 year old daughter's under wear and socks she left around and swallow them whole. Lucikly he seemed to out grow that on his own and never got very sick from it. He knows which toysare his and which are the kids and has been so good we just can't believe it. One of these days I need to record him because he is very sensitive and in tune with my children's emotions. Anytime one of them starts crying (because they are hurt or more likely having a temper tantrum) he runs over to them and starts howling. It is very sweet and hysterical at the same time. He does it until the kid stops crying. It makes a temper tantrum
tolerable :) Anyway, I wanted to let you know we couldn't be happier with the way your
organization handled his adoption and my initial inquiries. We especially couldn't be happier with Duke. He is amazing and my husband and I keep saying adopting him was one of the best things we did.
I wanted you to know that we love him very much and he went to a very good home. He also seems to be as happy as we are. Attached are a couple of fairly recent pictures we thought you might enjoy.
Ashley

Happy Tail - Ranger

2010-04-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Teresa,

Ranger is over 19 months old now. I started him in pre-agility this last summer and now he is in agility one. He loves it. He is such a great dog. I am so lucky to have him. He has such a great personality. He is so handsome inside and out. Thanks, again, to DPS for this amazing pup.

Jerri C.

It's almost a year with Ruby!

2010-04-03T12:31:00.001-07:00

I adopted Ruby (Foxy) from DPS on April 28th 2009. I've had her for almost a year now and were going to be celebrate her Birthday on the 28th of April.

Ruby has been the funniest & smartest dog I have ever known. We took her to doggy classes where she excelled, and she has learned many commands and tricks. She currently has 13 tricks/commands under her belt, and were learning more tricks as we go. The one thing that makes me laugh is the way she snorts when we play tug with her toys.

Ruby has gone to many dog parks, & has been very approprite at all of them with all size dogs. She was bullied once (attacked), but the dog that bullied her no longer goes to that park, so it's all good :) Ruby loves puddles! I have never known a dog to really like water, esspecially a shiba mix! We took her to Fort Funsten and she ran around off leash, I was very impressed at how she stayed close by me, but still sniffed around and greeted other dogs, she really is a treasure.

I take Ruby to work with me everyday. She spends the day with her friends, Mummers (pug), Cutter (Chuwenie), Breezie (Pitty), Romeo (Staffy), Cheezpa(Dobi), and Scoopy( Shi-tzu)! Its can get full sometimes, but they all get along. At home Ruby likes to spend her time cuddled up in her beds or chewing bully stixs. She tries to convince the cats that she's a friend and only wants to play, but they don't understand. :) When it's bed time She will cuddle on Manuels side of the bed, and walke me up in the morning to go potty.

There is so much more to share, but how can one sum up a wonderfull year? Thank you so much for Ruby (Foxy) She has been a joy and truly a treasure, a "Ruby in the ruff". :)

Thanks Doggie Rescue!

2010-04-02T06:39:00.001-07:00

Our story of Bode (now named Bodie Bob) is a love story. After our family dog died 4 years ago…we were finally ready for a new dog to love. We adopted Bodie about 5 weeks ago, and he is already a member of our household. Well, actually, I think he runs the household! He has brought a tremendous amount of love into our home, and we can't imagine life without him. We have two little boys, and Bodie is GREAT with them. I took Bodie to the park last week….and I got so many compliments "that he one good looking dog!" I also promote how we adopted him, because I'm so proud that we made the choice to adopt a dog rather than go to a breeder. Thank you for finding Bodie for us. God knew when he was born that he would one day be coming to our house hold. Thanks DPS!!
Love,
The Franks Family.

Alusia has stollen our hearts

2010-03-30T21:57:00.001-07:00

What can I say? We couldn't be more thrilled to have Alusia as part of our family. We were going to change her name. After trying a few out, none seemed to fit her as well as Alusia, we call her "Lusha" for short. She has been with us for 4 weeks now and she is an amazingly, gentle, sweet, (and a little mischevious) girl. Everyone comments on how sweet and beautiful she is. Another family at our school saw her and had actually gone to the adoption fair to try and adopt her. She had a few problems the first week with potty training; turned out she had Giardia. Once we got her on medication for that, all was good. She has been great with my three kids, ages 12, 7, & 5. My 7 year old adores her. He is learning so much from having a furever friend. Thank you DPS for all that you do and allowing us to be so lucky to have such an amazing puppy in our lives.

Adoption--Dapper Dan UPDATE

2010-03-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hi Teresa and DPS--

I just wanted to give you an update on Dapper Dan. I'm thrilled to report that he has thrived with us and we love him very much. If you'll recall, I could not get him to respond to the name Dapper Dan--or Dan or Danny or Babaloo--or anything. The homeless man who does odd jobs for us suggested the name "Spot". Dan looked up and barked when he heard that name so Spot it was. It's a perfect name for him and very retro cool.

Spot has such a great personality and is very, very clever. He's learned to sit, stay, get down and come when he's called. We are working on his barking issues but he gets steadily better. He hates walking with his collar but gets very excited when I take out his harness for a walk. He is popular in the neighborhood because he's such a handsome guy. No one can believe he's not a breed because he's so unusual-looking. He does very well with other dogs but does not trust human men at all. We're careful with strangers but I don't mind that he's a bit protective of me. He keeps us active and truly has revitalized our 18 yr old dog, Odie. They snuggle in the same bed!

We love having Spot in our lives. He's a very good boy.

Peace
Francine

Lucy (Cowgirl Annie previously)

2010-03-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Hi There,

The link below for sharing our adoption story wouldn't work, but I wanted to let you know that Cowgirl Annie (aka Lucy) is doing great. She has settled right into her new family, getting tons of attention and more playmates than even we anticipated, as our children and all their friends play with her at every opportunity. She is a favorite at my daughter's school at pick up time. The whole class took turns petting her today and she seemed to enjoy all the attention, showering the kids with licks and nibbles. We are still working on the potty training but she's coming along and, at 10 weeks, she knows "sit" and "stay" ...pretty impressive for a young pup. We have enrolled her in puppy training classes and her instructor thinks she is very intelligent and confident. Our 10 year old heeler mix, Kylie, gets annoyed with Lucy's energy at times, but has begrudgingly accepted her into the pack. We've caught her playing with Lucy a few times and her tail wags when Lucy comes her way so I think she is getting over some of her initial grumpiness and likes the little munchkin more than she is wiling to admit. We just love Lucy and are very grateful DPS brought her into our lives. Here are some pictures of Lucy and her new pack. - Jennifer

Sparkle now Honey Success Story

2010-03-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Lorna and Teresa.

Thank you so much for everything! I just want to pass along how Sparkle (now named Honey) is doing. Happy and Healthy. She is absolutely the best dog in the world. It took a few weeks to get her to come out of her shell and to trust me. I'm happy to report that she loves her daily walks with my other dogs They all walk along together very happly. I've since got married and addopted two more doggies. All the dogs get along great. One happy "pak" that's for sure. Here is a picture of our little girl we adopted from you. She loves to climb on the wood pile and catch some sun rays.

Thanks again!

Greg

No one believes us!

2010-01-26T15:37:00.001-08:00

We adopted Oliver in March '09 from Doggie Protective Services. The research and application process involved in rescuing a dog is a bit like getting your high school senior enrolled in a university! I remember getting an email from DPS that Oliver (his name was Germone at that time) would be available for adoption later than morning – it was a mad dash to get there and see him first. I think we arrived a hour before the rescue volunteers.

We expected a period of emotional transition with a rescue dog – plus his new life in a high rise building would clearly be an adjustment too! Nope. Nada. None! Oliver has entered our home as if he had been living with us his whole life. He had some brief and minor issues with separation anxiety – but that was quickly conquered.

When friends, family and strangers meet Oliver – most can't believe he was a rescue dog. He is so smart, full of unconditional love and is a huge snuggler. We often speculate what his life was like pre-adoption… but now Oliver knows he his home forever!

This Princess Isn't High Maintenance!

2010-01-16T08:42:00.001-08:00

Princess' wonderful foster Mom took these lovely photos of Princess the other day. Isn't she a gorgeous Lab?!! Here's what she told us about a recent walk with Princess:

"Princess and I just returned from a nice walk around our neighborhood park. Now that I'm using a Gentle Leader head halter on her, she is no longer pulling me
and in fact, I think she makes an excellent walking companion! She has taken to
climbing into bed with me at night and is an excellent cuddler. She also has a
very funny way of laying on the bed with her head hanging off so she can view
the world upside down - what a silly girl, hey?"

This Princess doesn't take much to make her happy. While she requires regular daily exercise and would be a great match for an active family, she settles down nicely in the house and only wants to be near you. Don't let her age fool you - she acts more like a three year old than an almost six year old dog.

Princess has many of the qualities Lab lovers look for in a Lab. If Princess sounds like the right dog for you, please contact DPS so we can arrange a meeting!

Rika aka Ellie

2010-01-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

We adopted Rika in December 2009 through DPS Project Taiwan. She came from a huge litter of Labrador Basenji puppies and we immediately fell in love with her because she looked so sweet and friendly.

Rika loves playing with other dogs, and her favorite activities are attending puppy socials and interacting with her fellow puppies in class.

Thank you to everyone at DPS for being so great and helping us adopt Rika!

Charlie

2010-01-12T19:38:00.001-08:00

Almost two years ago, I was transferred out to California from the east coast for my job. I lived alone and knew very few people. I was lonely and knew I needed a true companion. Well, I found one through DPS. As soon as I saw Marshall (new name Charlie) on the website and viewed his video, I felt an instant connection to the little blondie! I filled out my application and got a call 10 minutes later telling me DPS was bringing up a bunch of dogs to Palo Alto the next day and they would bring Charlie for me to meet. It all happened so quick I didn't have time to think about it. I just followed my gut and made the 2 hour drive from Sacramento.

8 months later Charlie and I are best friends! He comes everywhere with me and just loves the car, dogpark and walks. Everyone who meets him instantly falls in love with his charming personality, He can be fiesty at times and very stubborn but it is a part of his spunky personality. Charlie can officially say hes a jet setter as well! We went home for the holidays 3000 miles away to New Hampshire and he was so great on the plane. I am so glad I have him in my life. He brings me so much joy and I never feel alone. I couldn't imagine life without him!

Marla

2010-01-07T12:43:00.002-08:00

A year ago January we adopted Marla from Palo Alto DPS in Mountain View. She was descriped on the website as "Happy Go Lucky" and indeed she is. Marla is the love of our lives and actually smiles!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to the good people of DPS.

Lani, Colby, and Kristy

Waldo

2010-01-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

Ever since adopting Waldo in October we have been so happy. Our little "Waldy," has fit in so nicely. He is a cuddle bug who gets lots of attention from both mom and dad. Waldo LOVES going for several walks a day around the neighborhood. He sniffs his way along. His favorite past time is catching his ball with mom and dad. He is a bit stubborn in his obedience classes and he enjoys barking at other dogs and asserting himself so he's not allowed off the leash in public yet. However, he is making progress with his commands and has had zero accidents in the house since his first week at home. We just love him. He is the sweetest most loving dog we've ever known. He loves to stare longingly into his mom and dad's eyes. We call it the "love stare." He also loves to give kisses to just about anyone who pets him. Good news from the vet is that his heart murmur is even more mild than once thought. Adopting Waldo has been one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences we have ever had. Thank you so much for introducing us to our little guy. We can't imagine life without him!

Super Duper Cooper

2009-12-18T22:32:00.001-08:00

12.18.09

Cooper (Vanilla) came to live with us about 5 months ago. Sadly, he had kennel cough turned pneumonia when we got him and, boy, was it hard to kick! Still, that never slowed him down. He's been 100% puppy since the day we met--he plays hard and then he sleeps hard. His tail never stops wagging.

Cooper transitioned well, finding that our home could be his home without a problem. He loves visitors, especially his doggy play dates. Recently, he concluded a beginner training course and now he's a pro at "sit," "down," "wait" and "stay"--food is a good incentive for just about anything. He's also learning "shake," "bow" and "roll over" just for kicks. He's a smart little guy!

He's been a wonderful addition to our family, full of energy and happy tales.

Super Duper Cooper

2009-12-18T22:30:00.001-08:00

12.18.09

He's been a wonderful addition to our family, full of energy and happy tales.
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Adoptions This Weekend!

2009-12-10T09:38:00.001-08:00

We have Syrup, Sausage, Pancake and Tiffany from Breakfast At Tiffany's Litter still searching for a home and Oats from Granola's litter. How can we still have 2 beautiful girlie girl puppies?! Because they are waiting for you!

We will be doing adoptions at the Campbell Pet Food Express on Friday, 11th from 5:30-8pm and Sat., 12th from 11-4pm. We will have the above puppies as well as some to die for medium size puppies from Taiwan. Come meet Eddie who is the cutest little puppy in the world. He's all spunk, all attitude, so full of himself! He is a Corgi-mix (link to video of Mom Sebrena: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rVimOhpCSo) with short stubby legs and a swagger that let's you know he knows who he is!

Mom, Sebrena, is a 25lbs Corgi mix who is also looking for her new home. She's a quiet, sweet, loving gal. If you are looking for a golden lab but concerned about the normal size of a Lab, look no further. We have 2 beautiful golden Lab mix girls who are about 35lbs, playful, energetic, loving, sweet and looking for a wonderful home. Porsche and Mercedes (link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wZDT8VU9UQ) will also be at adoptions this weekend. Porsche and Mercedes are looking for separate homes so they can each get the love and attention they deserve!

Laya is looking for a new home

2009-12-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

2009-11-24T20:45:00.000-08:00

Mom was a Lhasa Apso mix and Dad was a Chi-Weenie (Dachshund-Chihuahua). Our litter is 8 weeks old and ready to head out the doors to the next step in their adventurous life! They have been well socialized. They are in a foster home with dogs, cats and kids. They love to play non-stop. They are warm, cuddly, friendly and outgoing.

Tiffany: The lone girl in the litter and don’t try to tell her she can’t handle herself. She is delicate like a blooming flower but boy, oh boy, does she let the boys know when they are getting out of hand. She’s definitely a “mother” figure. She loves attention and she loves to play the victim if she thinks it will get her onto your lap. She’s not above telling you that she needs to be ‘saved’ by whining and crying and singing the blues about being the only girl in the litter…

Black Chi/Dachshund, Syrup: This little guy is one of the smallest in the litter but like his chocolate counter-part he too has the airplane ears that fly large and in charge! He is the darling of the group. He has the sweet, calm, mellow demeanor and is as quiet as a church mouse. He loves to sit on your lap for hours and keep you company. Syrup is a sweet kind little guy who will probably be in the 10-12lbs range when full grown. He’ll have the Chihuahua looking apple-head and the longer Dachshund body, much like his Daddy!

Brown Chi/Dachshund, Sausage: He’s in the mix of whatever is going on. He may be one of the smallest of the litter (with the biggest of ears!) but just call him MIGHTY in spirit. He is fun loving, energetic, playful, fearless and at a moment’s notice he’s more than ready to cuddle-snuggle and warm your lap. He will be a wonderful option for kids. He absolutely adores the 8 year old in his foster home and he follows her all over the place. We suspect he will be in the 10-12lbs range when full grown and most of that may be ears…

Black Fluffy Lhasa, Pancake
He’s fluffy like a great pancake at your favorite restaurant. When the others have decided to crash out, he’s usually the last one standing. He likes to make sure that everyone is safe and sound and then he heads in to dive bomb on top of the litter. He’s usually found sprawled out on top of the litter, feet in the air. What a site! He’s one of the most loving of the litter. He loves to sit in your lap and give lots of lovin’. He can never get enough of your love and attention and if you want one that is going to warm your heart, well, look no further…

Tan smoother coat Lhasa Toasty: With a twinkle in his eye, he is always ready for a round of fun. He won’t start things and before Mom comes in to stop the trouble he’ll be sitting with an innocent look on his face. You’d never suspect him. Oh, but do watch out. He’ll grab your heart and steal it. You won’t even know what has happened and suddenly you’re whispering sweet nothings to him and he’s soaking it up. Our little thief in the night is playful and energetic with his siblings and won’t pass up a chance to play in a wrestle-mania match!

Tan/white Lhasa, Eggo: Let go of my Eggo! Our beautiful little boy is a snuggler who cuddles and just as you’re dozing off he’s leaping to the floor to go exploring! He loves to play with others and he loves to check in with his foster mom to see what she is up to as he’s always keeping tabs on everyone. We call it the “nice hall monitor” syndrome. He makes sure everyone is where he left them and then he can relax or go back to playing. He definitely has more of the Lhasa look that if you didn’t know better, you might even think there’s a touch of Terrier in there but alas there is not. He has a soft flowing coat that will be predominantly non-shedding.

Tan/white Lhasa fluffiest, Waffle: If this face doesn’t capture a million hearts, then who knows what will! He is an absolute lover boy. He is definitely on the side of mellow in the litter. Of course that doesn’t mean calm in puppy terms, it just doesn’t mean full throttle all day long. He still enjoys playing with others and he found a little buddy who is about 6lbs that he loves to play with at his foster home. They have a romping good time. He has the longest fur in the litter and it’s soft and you can just lose yourself in his dreamy face and he has the quintessential sweet demeanor to go along with it. He’s a winner!

Kota, Happy Tails!

2009-11-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a few photos of Kota. He's doing GREAT in his new home!!!

Thanks,

Doug

OCT. 1^st:

Howdy,

We just wanted to email you and let you know how wonderful it is to have Kota in our lives. He's doing GREAT. He's taken to his new home very well and is such a happy puppy! We're continuing his training and he's doing great. He's moving beyond his sit, down, stay, come comands and is rapidly catching onto 'place' and 'leave it'. He's already been to the beach, the forest, the city, Golden Gate Park and many, many more fun places.

Thanks again for connecting us to Kota. He's wonderful.

Liz and Doug

Cowboy -- Home on the Range at last!

2009-11-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give you an update on Cowboy whose new name is Nike (sounds like Mikey)). I loved the name Cowboy, but it was pretty close to our pup named Cody so wanted to make sure the dogs could distinguish their names when called. Nike is finally coming more readily when we call his name.

We have been having mini-breakthroughs all along with Nike. He still doesn't like loud noises much and runs and hides in his crate. He still is unsure about how he is going to be treated if he thinks someone is throwing stuff at him or raising their hand that he is going to get hurt and he cringes a little bit. But he is definitely a lot better. When I throw the ball for Cody, or the frisbee, Nike sort of gets that I am not throwing anything at him and he is chasing some balls and the frisbee sometimes, and/or wrestling them away from Cody.

He was terrible on the leash and very fearful, but we have been sticking with it. And then I started taking him along with my bike and he did surprisingly well with that. He only nearly caused me to catapult off my bike a few times, but all turned out well. He was enjoying that exercise quite a bit. He wasn't very good at coming to me when called, but that is improving. We have a large open space near where I live and finally I am able to let him run with my other dog and he is coming back to me now - and he seems to be smiling now when running around.

He loves cuddles, and wants to be a lap dog. He gets on great with Cody and they play chasings around the house and wrestle and chew things together.

The only thing he still needs a lot of work on is 'herding' too much. He bites Cody on the backside, or his tail and has bitten the children on their rear ends a couple of times when they have been running in the front yard. He seems to go into 'working' mode and doesn't like it if Cody is chasing water, or a ball or something - he waits, and then ambushes him and bites him. Not sure why, but we are working on it.

Here are a couple of photos of him if you want to pass them onto the foster mom. He seems really happy now and spends less time in his crate now - and is out playing or watching the world go by.

thanks,

Petra