Due to financial hardship, our dog rescue is forced to close

It's been 10 years and I need to end my rescue efforts because of debt.

As the economy worsened and owners couldn't afford to care for pets, I got as many dogs as I could out of Southern California shelters before they were put to sleep.

I also scooped up many dogs that other rescuers wouldn't take. They didn't want to spend extra money for procedures such as: tumor removals, cherry eyes, hernias, foxtails, ticks, complicated spays or neuters, etc.

The surgeries, daily medical care, kenneling and transporting costs for over 1300 dogs from Southern to Northern California every weekend added up on my own personal credit cards.

I still have very high five figure debt.

I couldn't stand to see so many dogs get put to sleep when I knew that people in other locations wanted them. So I just keep going and going for as long as I could.

I was separated from my cocker spaniels and family every Friday through Sunday while I drove almost a thousand miles from Southern to Northern California.

I did this because the Southern California shelters had thousands of dogs getting put to sleep, while the Northern California shelters didn't have the breeds of dogs that potential adopters wanted.

From Monday through Thursday, I drove to several kill shelters every week and carted dogs to vets, groomers, eye specialists and potential adopters. I put over 150,000 miles on my cargo van in the last two years.

I started my rescue group with my own personal dog named Banjo (see his picture at the bottom of the right-hand column). And I ended my rescue efforts on Saturday in San Mateo when I was visited by another dog I had named Banjo (pictured above). He looked just like my first Banjo who still lives with me.

It was wonderful to see so many of our adopted dogs at the Pet Club this past weekend when they visited us before we closed.

WE STILL HAVE THREE DOGS THAT WE NEED TO FIND HOMES FOR.

They are: Hobo, Pippin and Sheba.

People interested in adopting a dog must first send an e-mail.

We'll ask you to fill out an application.

Please send your request to: dogsneedhomes@aol.com

You can also call us at 408-390-3160 or 408-835-4264.

To read more about our dogs, click on the following link: http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/CA1508.html

HE NEEDS A HOME - Pippin is a happy and lively guy

Three year old apricot and white cockapoo Pippin is a young and curious pet who wants to be a part of your daily routine.

He's attractive and ready for anything.

His weight is 13 pounds.

To receive an application to adopt a handsome guy, send an e-mail to: dogsneedhomes@aol.com

HE NEEDS A HOME - Hobo was a mess when he came to the shelter

Four year old tan lhasa apso Hobo couldn't walk, see or stand without falling over.  He had so much fur stuck to his body. He's gotten a haircut and is ready for action!

Hobo is a lively boy who wants to play, run and chase toys.

His weight is 16 pounds.

To receive an application to adopt a nice family pet, send an e-mail to: dogsneedhomes@aol.com

SHE NEEDS A HOME - Sheba wants to hang out with you

Strong and cute 4 year old tan and white beagle and shiba inu mix Sheba waited for weeks in the shelter, but nobody adopted her.

She's full of life and playful.

Her weight is 15 pounds.

The best home for Sheba will be as an only dog.

To receive an application to adopt this precious gal, send an e-mail to: dogsneedhomes@aol.com

Please send us pictures of your adopted dog

Everybody would love to know how your dog is doing and to see pictures of them.

Tell us how your pet has impacted your life.

This is precious Bijou -a loving doggie who turned into a beauty!

Our dogs for adoption come from high kill shelters in Southern CA

All of our dogs were originally household pets.

They somehow became stray and the animal shelters couldn't locate their owners.

Some were turned into the shelter because their owners couldn't afford them due to the loss of a job or house.

Because they didn't have an ID tag or microchip, the shelters couldn't return them to their homes.

Each dog was going to be put to sleep since the Southern California shelters are very overcrowded. They usually only get 1-2 weeks before they are put to sleep.

Pictured above is Binky. He was adopted a few months ago, so he's not available.

The picture on the left is what he looked like at the kill shelter.The picture on the right is Binky after he received a well needed haircut and several medicines which cleared up his eye and ear infections.

Our adoption fee includes: a spay or neuter operation, 5 in 1 shot (DHLPP), bordatella and rabies shots, de-worming, microchip implantation and a flea and tick treatment.

We almost always have to pay for other procedures before adoption such as: ear infections, hernias, tumor or growth removal and cherry eye surgery.

The dogs cost us much more than the adoption fee because of the above mentioned items, the fees for someone to take care of our dogs every day until they are adopted and the need to drive the dogs from Southern to Northern California so they can obtain a new home.

If you see the dog's listing below, they are still available for adoption.

To read more about each dog, please click on this link:
http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/CA1508.html

If you can't adopt a dog, but want to donate money to help an animal in a kill shelter, please send your donation to our PayPal account at:

dogsneedhomes@aol.com

LEO - Formerly Wishbone

His mother Tova says, "Two years ago, I met Leo at your adoption event.

He's the best dog I could have asked for: smart, playful and always ready to do a trick for a treat or toy.

He loves to meet new people, snuggle and play fetch. He gets compliments and smiles every time we go out.

Thank you so much for doing what you do. It has really changed both of our lives!"

KNIGHTLEY - Formerly Pookie

His mother Michelle says, "It's been a rough year, and there is no doubt that adopting Knightley was the best decision we could have made.

He is the most loving and playful dog we had hoped for. 

We will always be grateful that you rescued him. It is hard for us to imagine how he ever could have been abandoned."

LITTLE BEAR - Formerly Butch

His mother Debbie says, "I wanted to share my story about finding this little angel.

I was devastated after losing my forever Sheltie dog Beau and my heart was so broken. I had a dream the night before I went to the Pet Club in San Mateo. I was holding a puppy and was with my Dad and Beau, who are both deceased.  I woke up and was crying because I missed them both so much.

That afternoon, I went to the store to pick up food for our dog Jenny, who was also missing her best friend. It was a week before Father's Day.

When I walked in, I saw all of your dogs for adoption. I was looking at all of the babies and got so emotional. I turned and saw these big brown eyes and happy smile! He was warm and furry and some thing just grabbed my heart.

I was sitting on the floor and scooted over to him and was so drawn to his kind eyes. I stood up and that was when I read his name tag - "My name is Butch." Oh my goodness! I could barely stop myself from crying. You see, that was my Dad's nickname as a young boy. I knew from that moment on he was meant to be mine. I brought him home the following week on Father's Day.

He gives us such love. He is just like a little teddy bear and cuddles with us every chance he gets! He kisses our other dog Jenny endlessly.  I can't begin to tell you how lucky I am to have him. I can't imagine anyone giving him up, but I guess it was meant to be so he would find his way to us!

Keep doing your great work! It brings happiness and love to many. I am grateful."

SMOKEY

His mother Chantelle says, "My boyfriend Brendan and I came to the adoption event in July ‘just to look’ - his words, not mine. I had already seen a picture of Smokey online and even though he was a scraggly looking guy, he melted my heart.

When I first laid eyes on him, I knew that he was coming home with us. I think Smokey realized right away that he had me sold and that he needed to work on Brendan to seal the deal. My boyfriend now calls him the ‘little closer’ because he sat back and looked up at him with those big brown eyes - that was it. He was part of our family.

We love every day with Smokey, but particularly the weekends when we can take him to Fort Funston or go hiking in Marin. He is a speed demon and his favorite thing in the world is to chase birds. One of these days he's going to catch one and not know what to do with it!

He is also a very spoiled pup. In addition to his dog walks with Mom, he has daily pack runs with his walker and gets lots of treats and toys. The stuffed ones don't last too long though.

If that wasn't enough, his grandparents send him gift packages full of antlers and bones (quite literally -- not sure what the mailman must think)!

We can't imagine life without our little guy. We're so grateful for him and the work that you do every day to ensure that dogs like Smokey find their forever parents and that we find them!"

ABBY - Formerly Tess

Her mother Dori says, "She's the sweetest little girl who loves everyone and they love her back.

It's taken her some time to be totally trusting, but she now rolls over on her back to have her belly rubbed.  During the first 2 weeks, she wouldn't even consider doing that without cringing. Now she just wants to be snuggled and held.

What a joy! She's getting along well with our other dogs and our cat.

We've found a winner!  We are very happy that we picked her and she picked us."

FOLLY, RUSTY AND WHIMSY - Formerly Darla, Skittles and Whimsy

Their mother Pam says, "Darla (Now Folly) fit into the pack and we call our little group 'a tangle of terriers.'

They romp, wrestle and play.

Skittles (Now Rusty) acts like a referee when the 2 girls tussle, barking orders when it gets too rough!

Whimsy is our sweet little bundle of love from the Oakland shelter."

CAPTAIN - Formerly Pal

Captain says, "Thank you for rescuing me from the kill shelter in August. What did you see in a matted and tick infested dog? In the space of 4 days, you rescued me and had me shaved and de-ticked, neutered and immunized. Then, you traveled a long way to Northern CA so I could be adopted.

I was very scared at first in my new fur-ever home.  I growled, barked and became defensive if anybody came too close to me. I was also very hungry and would eat anything I saw.  I gained 2 pounds in a couple of weeks. After 2 months, my life is now so much better.

My Dad took me to a doggy shrink and I have a doggy trainer too.  He comes to my home to help train me and my humans. He is really fun and believes in positive re-inforcement.  If I goof, we just try again.  When I do the job correctly, I get a treat. Hitting, choke collars and/or yelling are not allowed. He says that I’m a smart dog and am learning quickly.

I get to go to the dog wash at Fluff & Puff next to the Pet Club where I was adopted. I love it when people say that I’m a beautiful dog.

My humans can be a little lazy in the mornings, so I need to get them going with big licks at about 6:00 am. I spend most of my mornings at my sisters’ home.  I get to play with them while my retired Dad putters around at their house. We love to go in the backyard and play, and boy can we make a lot of noise barking at the squirrels and falling leaves.  My 'sisters' Jenny (formerly Ginny) and Molly were both rescued by you and I know that they thank you too.

I love the dog parks where I have lots of friends. Fetching the tennis ball is a lot of fun and I’m about the fastest runner in Foster City.

When Mom practices her clarinet, I get to sit next to her and sing while she plays. They call it howling, but they say that I have a nice voice anyway.

My doggy trainer says that when dogs lick their lips and yawn, they are happy. I do a lot of that. I’m clean, comfy, fed, loved and happy.

Lots of licks to you. Thank you for giving me a second chance at life!"

TRUDY

Her mother Julee says, "We're huge fans of the San Francisco Giants, so we thought you'd get a kick out of seeing Trudy in her special sweater.

It's hard to believe that we adopted her two and a half years ago from you. 

We often talk about how thankful we are that you saved her life.

She's a precious little dog who's brought so much joy into our lives."

MADI - Formerly Lulu

Her mother and father flew from Massachusetts to adopt one of our dogs.

Their relatives previously adopted a girl dog from us and a few months later, they adopted a boy puppy.

Her new mother Eva says,"She is doing wonderfully and is such a joy.

We love her to death!"

MILLIE - Formerly Lizzie

Her mother Anne says,"She's gained weight and loves to lay in the sun and enjoy the outdoors.

Our family runs and bikes with her each day and she keeps us healthy.

She likes to cuddle and her favorite place is in our laps.

She does her dance on her back legs when she realizes that we're going for a walk or giving her a treat.

It breaks our heart to think about what our little girl has been through, but she's safe and happy with us now."

BB - Formerly Dotty

Her mother Yang says, "BB is such a beautiful, intelligent and loving pet. Wherever I take her, she attracts people's attention. They always say what a cute and lovely dog she is and then pat her head.

BB learns tricks quickly. As soon as she arrived home, we found out that she was familiar with the word 'no.' Shortly afterwards, she learned 'sit, down, up, stay, come, crawl and shake hand.'

She also learned to 'play dead' and to hold a treat with her nose. Since we speak Chinese most of the time, BB is bilingual.   She understands some sentences in Chinese!

She even plays tricks on me.  Some times when I throw a ball to her, she will get it. Without returning the ball to me, she hides it somewhere and then asks me to go look for it.

BB loves car rides. She remembers where we park, even in a place that she has never been to before. When I pick up my husband from work, she insists on riding with me.  She jumps to the other front seat as soon as I open the door on the driver's side.  She'll stay there quietly or watch the traffic - never distracting me during drive time.

Three days after we adopted BB, I found out that I was pregnant. BB kept me exercising since I took her out for two walks per day. My husband lost 7 pounds in one month because he joined us on our walks after dinner.

I can't write enough to describe how much love BB gives to us. She follows me as a shadow at home. When she hears that I am done with showering, she waits outside the bathroom and gives kisses.

After my baby was born, BB would always cuddle by my side when I fed him, even in the middle of the night. If I don't let her follow me to his bedroom and leave her with my husband, she waits behind the door until I get back.

She loves my baby so much and is protective of him. If strangers make big movements such as waving arms in front of him, she warns them by barking.

When my baby plays on his mat, BB always stays by his side. She even brings her toys to my baby! They have walks together every day. BB walks so well with the stroller that I wonder if her former owner had a baby too.

Life is full of happiness and laughter with BB as a member of our family."

OLIVER TWIST - Formerly Otis

His mother Lynne says, "He is happy and well with his curly grown-out hair.

Many thanks forever to you for saving his life and bringing him to us.

He is a true joy as he continues to dance in ecstasy on his back legs."

RILEY - Formerly Muppet

The picture on the right is what Riley looked like 4 years ago after he got a haircut. In the shelter, he had so many matts that his long hair was all stuck together.

The picture on the left is what he looks like now.

His mother Mary says," He has come a long way. 

Riley is the 'Master Fetch Champ' at day care.

He would play fetch 24/7 if he could."

CHIP

The picture on the right is what Chip looked like in the shelter 4 years ago.

The picture on the left is what he looks like now.

His mother Linelle says, "Chip is still doing very well in our home 4 years later.

He's learned quite a number of tricks such as: sit, lay down, touch, bark and he's even learned how to scratch our backs!

We are impressed by how intelligent this little guy is. Despite all of the tricks, we often find ourselves just watching and enjoying all of the 'Chip' behaviors such as working so hard to paw the one little piece of kibble out from behind his bowl.  He does this despite having a bowlful of food right in front of him.

He never fails to make us all smile and laugh everyday.

Thank you for being able to look past the unruly ball of hair at the shelter and seeing the little heart of gold inside. He is really one amazing pup."

DANIELA - Formerly April

Her mother Cherrie says, "Thank you so much for introducing us.

Six months ago, I lost my nephew Brandon to brain cancer.  On top of that, I was still grieving over the lost of my mom. 

Then I met Daniela at your adoption event. 

Since that day, she has brought much love and joy into my saddened eyes. 

We met a wonderful man.  They are both in love.  

The three of us participated in a 5k walk.  Normally, she walks 1.5k.  Then we jog or stroll with her downhill.

She has a beautiful sport trike jogger. She can have her sun dome opened or closed.   She also has a matching umbrella. 

We all have such a wonderful time every day."

SHANE - Formerly Big Banjo

His mother Margaret says, "I couldn't resist sending you another picture of Mr. Perfect.

You told us many years ago how you rushed up to the South Central L.A. shelter to rescue him right before his time was up.

How could anyone resist the beautiful smile of this attractive Chow Chow and Brittany spaniel?

I'm glad that you couldn't!

My husband promised Shane 'no bad days.'  He certainly has given us much joy.

Whenever I get home from work, he shows how happy he is to see me by grabbing a toy and prancing around the backyard."

DAISY - Formerly Birdie

Her mother Lisa says, "Daisy was a shy little gal and very afraid of people and other dogs.

Over time, she has built some confidence to be willing to meet people and smaller dogs.

She is a very sweet dog who is so happy whenever she see us - it brings such joy seeing her tail wag so fiercely when she greets us.   We take her everywhere with us. 

I can't imagine why anyone would have thought of giving up this beauty!

Thanks for giving all the dogs you rescued a second chance in life."

CHARLIE - Formerly Pip Squeak

His mother Debra says, "I can't thank you enough for rescuing my Charlie so I could adopt him and give him a new home.

He has brought so much joy to my house and I couldn’t image life without him. He is happy and loved by everyone who meets him. Even his two cat sisters Lily and Lacey have grown to love him.

I was concerned the day I adopted him how he would get along with the cats, but we are one big happy family.

He has the best personality and wears a smile on his face when he gets his favorite belly rubs.

I so appreciate the love and dedication you provided over the years to these shelter dogs who never would have gotten an opportunity to live."

 

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