Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota - Rescue and Adoption Blog

Doing What We Can

2011-11-04T11:42:00.000-05:00

Since childhood I have been raised to advocate for what I believe in. My mother's idea of rebelling against her parents was to wear a seatbelt and be a non-smoker, and she let everyone know it. She stood up for what she believed in, and the world followed. I hope to do the same with my passion for animals.

My awareness for animal welfare was instilled at an early age, as my mother also made a point to adopt our family dogs from the local humane society. I think I was the only kid in town who refused to go into the pet store, because it made me sad. And I was sad for more than one reason. I could already comprehend at a young age on my own that the living conditions were awful in the pet store. I could also see that so many of those puppies and kittens would end up at a shelter later on. So giggling about how cute the little furballs were didn't come naturally to me.

Then I grew up. My mother was going to let me take home a pug as a high school graduation present, and even though I wanted the dog, I knew I wasn't ready to take care of it, so I declined. If only I could have been as responsible and wise with so many other decisions in my life!

After several years on my own as an adult, I was finally ready for a dog of my own. I bought dog books and researched the breeds that would best suit my lifestyle. I fell in love with the papillon. I was referred to Petfinder.com by friends to find my new family member, but was having trouble finding a papillon puppy nearby. Finally another friend found a breeder, Bell Kennels in Northfield, MN with a litter of papillon puppies, so I hopped in the car with my dog savvy friend, Tracy, and picked up my new dog, Olivia. I got so caught up in finding the perfect dog that I actually lost sight of the fact that there were so many more dogs out there that needed a home. It is hard for me to admit that, but it is the truth.

I wasn't able to deny what I had done for long at all. The experience at the "breeder" was horrible. Tracy had brought her first dog home from a breeder and the circumstances were nowhere near the same. Her perspective on the different establishments helped to identify what kind of a facility we were in. Tracy's dog Frankie, a boxer from Brewster Boxers in Brewster, MN, was romping happily on the property with his litter mates and parents. Mine was swapped out of the viewing kennel in a dirty concrete building by an unorganized woman smoking cheap cigarettes who had a litter of bichon frise puppies waiting for me instead of the papillons I had asked about. Both litters of puppies were standing in their own waste and in a cramped kennel. There was a heavy metal door with a "Staff Only" sign on it that was opened when the woman switched out the litters, and we caught a glimpse of the rows of kennels with so many more dogs and puppies in the same disgusting conditions.

I bought my dog from a puppy mill. Me, the girl who wouldn't go into a pet store as a child. I bypassed the middle man and went straight to the source. It was a wake-up call that I have refused to ignore since I brought Olivia home.

(http://m.startribune.com/local/?id=131830988)

To counteract what I had done by giving money to that puppy mill operation 3 years ago, I have thrown myself into animal advocacy, as loudly and proudly as I possibly can. I first began by volunteering with the Small Dog Rescue of MN on behalf of my little girl Olivia. We started by bringing rescued dogs to adoption events and volunteering for other miscellaneous tasks. We soon began fostering dogs for the rescue and even adopted our first foster, Boy. He came from a barn in Tennessee that had over a hundred other dogs living in it.

I was also asked by SDR's president at the time, Dallas Rising, to be her administrative assistant. Being involved with the Small Dog Rescue of MN and Dallas Rising opened up a huge network of animal rescue opportunities to me. I said yes to everything I could possibly do. Before I knew it, Tracy and I were taking weekly road trips for Mobile Mutts Rescue Transports hundreds of miles throughout the Midwest to pick up all types of dogs being saved from certain death from all over the country to bring back to Minnesota to different rescues that were ready and willing to do whatever they could to find a forever home for these helpless dogs.

I am proud to live in a state that has so many rescue organizations and so many citizens willing to help. Small Dog Rescue of MN, MN Boxer Rescue, and Secondhand Hounds are just a few of the rescue organizations that Tracy and I have been able to help by transporting their dogs to them. Our experiences with these dogs is all the motivation either of us need to keep getting back on the road to transport, open our homes to fosters, and raise awareness and funding for animals in need.

Every day I ask myself what else I can do for these animals. One answer to that question has led me to my career. I want to be able to help these dogs in any way I possibly can, and therefore I am in school to be a veterinary technician. Another way I help is through community activism. On one of my mother's visits, she and my sister joined me with the Minnesotans Exposing Petland group to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the Petland store in St. Paul. I am also a card carrying member of the ASPCA.

Unlike the dogs that I help rescue, I have a voice that can be heard by other people. I keep doing what I do in the hopes that one day I won't have to anymore. The human race can get ugly, everyone knows this. And in this case, without rules and regulations, the animals suffer because of it. From the community of animal rescue I have found in Minnesota, I know I am not alone in how I feel. The No-Kill rescue movement is sweeping the nation and making major strides for animal welfare. Please help keep the momentum going by educating others on puppy mill practices, and by volunteering, donating, fostering or adopting a homeless dog from a local rescue group.

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Foster Dog Photo Appreciation

2011-09-23T12:23:00.001-05:00

An SDR volunteer found this excellent video about a professional photographer's passion for photographing rescue dogs. We thought it was so in tune to what we try to do with our SDR foster dogs that we wanted to share it with everyone! Please take a few minutes to check it out.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7381500n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

It's wonderful to see that the rescue movement is really taking hold of the entire country. We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all the generous photographers that have volunteered their time and talents to our SDR dogs. Much appreciation goes out to Studio Seven Photography, Emily Griffith Photography, KME Photography, Kloud Cover, Courtney Church Photography, J.A. Photography, all the other photographers that have helped us out through the years, and our own SDR foster moms Leah Scholl and Tracy Turbak. What you are doing really helps make a difference in the lives of our foster dogs. SDR is forever grateful for your help!

Haley Dawn

2011-09-15T08:19:00.001-05:00

My dog Foxie (on the left) is very personable and seemed lonely so I decided to seek out a sister for her. My sister had previously adopted from Small dog rescue and highly recommended the organization. I selected Haley on the website and inquired and submitted an application. I adopted her on the home visit. She has been renamed Gena and after some adjustments in food switching she has settled in to the family unit quite well. She is a very loving and gentle dog and my more active dog and her get along beautifully and have genuine concern for each other. Another major bonus is that they are both housetrained and neither one sheds. I am truly blessed with two wonderful furry companions....Becki Winslow St. Paul, MN

Oliver and Finn Reunion

2011-08-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

I forgot to add that Oliver and Finn are brothers - born from the same litter. Their adoption pictures are on the SDR Happy Tails year 2009 section of the SDR website.

Oliver and Finn Reunion - SDR Adoption Story

2011-08-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Dear SDR and Friends,

Oliver and Finn were rescued the same day from a puppy mill in Milwaukeein 2009. They have been apart for 2 years. I adopted Oliver and always wondered what happened to Finn. SDR led me to the lady that adopted Finn.

Well, Oliver and Finn had their reunion yesterday afternoon at my home. It was the most wonderful, joyous occasion I have ever witnessed. When Finn came in the door, I was holding Oliver and he started squirming in my arms when he saw Finn. Immediately, and I mean immediately, when Lea Taylor and I put the two dogs down on the floor, they ran to each other. I have never seen such a reaction in my life. They frolicked, they jumped on each others backs, they sniffed and licked each other, their tails wagged nonstop. It was so evident that they immediately knew each other. They chased each other and wouldn't leave each other's side. They did not need a few minutes to warm up to each other at all. Like I mentioned, their reaction to each other was instantaneous. Both Lea and I agree 100% they knew each other immediately. Lea said she has never seen Finn act that way and show such emotion nor have I seen Ollie get that excited since he is quite reserved.

Facially they look alike. My Oliver is heavier and a little bigger than Finn, partly due to the fact that Oliver still has his teeth and eats more and gets his share of treats. After they left, my little Oliver seemed almost depressed and down and out and kept going to the door, hopefully I guess to find Finn.

We took pictures of the reunion. We will continue to get the dogs together time and again. We both have fenced in yards so it works well. To think we only live a few miles from each other.

My other yorkie dog Bubba, who is the youngest but the biggest joined in the fun. Bubba is 3 years old and we got him from a home breeder as a pup. Bubba and Oliver get along great and Bubba liked Finn as well. Bubba is the spoiled brat of the family and played hearty with his two brothers. The three babies had a great time. Lea tells me that dogs get along best with other dogs of their own breed. That certainly was the case yesterday.

What a glorious day! Thank you SDR for your help in reuniting these two babies.

Mary Franson!!!!!

Nicole Bodem - Contributing for the Greater Good

2011-06-29T15:33:00.000-05:00

Nicole Bodem‘s volunteer experience is impressive. She has taught conversational English to people new to the U.S., volunteered at orphanages in India, and started a lung cancer walk in honor of her mother-in-law.” For me, personal growth comes from contributing to the greater good,” says Nicole. “I’ve truly become a better person through volunteering”. A lifelong passion for animals led Nicole to seek out a volunteer opportunity at SDR. Her first experience was being a foster guardian for a miniature poodle named “Ty.” “The same name as my son,” she laughs. “It was a fun few months in my house!”

Her next foster, Cody, stole her heart. Her family ended up adopting the dappled Doxie after meeting him at a foster event. Cody’s entry into the family was not problem-free. Cody had experienced a harsh life in a Missouri puppy mill, but once he had a clean bill of health his unique being” began to shine through. “Cody is so loving and loyal. During the day he is best buds with me (I work from home) and at night you can find him sleeping nose to nose with my husband. He has the typical Doxie traits he is very strong-willed and stubborn at times, refuses to go outside if it is raining, windy or too cold as deemed by him etc. but these are also the things we love so much about him. It’s hard to look into his eyes and think about how awful the first 5 years of his life were. I hope Cody knows he is safe now and will be spoiled and loved to pieces for the rest of his life.”

Though Nicole’s volunteer duties have shifted to other areas, she and her family still make time for SDR. She stresses that volunteering doesn’t need to involve a lot of time. "Even if you have 1 hour a month, that 1 hour can change the life of a dog forever. There are so many volunteer activities that require zero commitment: Donate proceeds from your garage sale, knit/crochet something we can sell at a fundraiser, donate a bag of dog food, or just help spread awareness about the importance of adoption.”

We agree, Nicole! Thank you and Cody for helping SDR in so many ways.

Aegina

2011-06-22T13:54:00.001-05:00

My wife and I had been considering adding another dog to our family. We already had Molly, our 8 yr old cocker who we got as a puppy. After reading and hearing of all the dogs needing adoption from programs on the Animal Channel, we decided to look into adoption.
I started cruising all the dog rescue sites and found it pretty exhausting trying to decide where to adopt, what to adopt, how to adopt and so forth. A short time before this we had been visiting a shop in Red Wing where the proprietor had her dog with her in the store and this is the first time we saw a Papillion. My wife immediately fell for the breed. I started looking for Papillion's to adopt. The first search I did brought me to Aegina and SDR.
She looked so cute and her markings were so beautiful. We emailed SDR and got set up for a home visit right away. By coincidence, Aegina's foster mom worked with my wife so Aegina was already in our city. When she arrived, her foster mom told us about Aegina being a rescue from 8 years in a puppy mill and she was starting to house train and re-socialize her. I'm not sure we fully understood what we were getting into. We liked her looks, she got along with Molly and we just figured she would come around and become a family member (a pet). Besides, we knew how to house train a dog…………..
She came to her forever home! It hasn't been the same in our house since…..LOL
Anyone who has taken in a mill survivor will know exactly what we were facing. I'm almost positive it should be a firm rule that there already be a resident dog when getting a mill dog. I won't bore you with all the details of house training, but our resident dog was instrumental in helping. I'll just say it took a while and a lot of hit and miss trials but she is fully house trained now and allowed the run of the house 24 hrs a day.
One and a half years later, she still isn't the pet we thought we would have, but she is our little girl and we couldn't think of being without her. She isn't a lap dog or doesn't seek a lot of attention. Although sometimes she feels the need for petting (for a minute) and wants to be on your lap when its storming but for the most part, just being by you in the same room is enough for her. That's OK though with us. We know she's now in a safe place, a loving place and she will be as happy as she can be for the rest of her days. She has developed a personality and we get a kick out of her.
She loves walks and is great on a leash. She roams all over the yard now after accepting that stepping in grass is not all that bad. Her favorite time of the day is bedtime. She gets up on the bed, makes a nest in her own blanket and settles in for the night. In fact, I think she tolerates us more than we her. We not only adopted her, she adopted us.
I'm not sure we would have adopted Aegina if someone had told us she wouldn't be the PET we were looking for, but I do know we would do it again. The satisfaction we get from seeing her get as far as she has and the feeling we get, knowing we have given her a good safe home is more than we ever expected.

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Transport - A Commitment To Rescue

2011-06-02T19:14:00.000-05:00

In simple terms, transportation can be thought of as taking something from one place to another, but the volunteers that transport Small Dog Rescue’s precious cargo know that it’s so much more than that. Dogs are connected with people at adoption events, which can lead to them finding a forever home, and the dog also may need transportation to that forever home. So until a teleporter is invented, the dogs rely on volunteers to physically take them places. Volunteers like Barb Stiles and Jennifer Schultz who have taken the dogs to local events, on longer trips out of state, and places in between.

  According to Barb, a typical transport involves taking one to four dogs to adoption events. Dogs are also taken to potential adopters’ homes for a visit to assess compatibility. Dogs are also moved from shelters to foster homes which can involve multiple transfers from trucks, trailers, and/or cars.  

Other things that are included in the transport process are the paperwork and vet records that must be exchanged, stops for potty breaks and allowing the dogs to stretch their legs for a bit, and also checking on the dogs. Dogs being transported are kept in kennel crates for their safety during the trip, so breaks made along the way are a necessity for their comfort, especially since many of the dogs are taken long distances to get where they need to be. Most dogs handle the trip well, typically taking a snooze for most of it, but once in a while some dogs, just like people, are sensitive to the movement of the car and may get a little uneasy. To make the trip a little more bearable, Jennifer has a special CD with music made specifically to calm the dogs down. “But on the trip, I couldn’t find that CD, so I ended up finding a light rock radio station, and that worked! It was an adventure!”  

Transporting is an essential part of any committed rescue organization because it opens up opportunities for both dogs and adopters, increasing chances of finding homes where both the family and the dog live happily ever after.  

If you would like to help with transports, you may be interested to know that SDR provides crates for the dogs during the transport. You can also deduct mileage on your taxes. If you'd like to help but can't drive, there may be a gas fund to help out those who are driving.  For more information or to let SDR know you can help, contact info@smalldogsminnesota.org.

Gizmo

2011-05-04T14:50:00.001-05:00

Last spring we lost our cat Peanut Butter suddenly to a virulent illness. She was my husband Patrick's absolute best friend – he always called her the dog he'd always wanted. Her loss left a giant hole in our family, and then she was very quickly followed by our beloved Shih Tzu Snickers. 2010 was a very rough spring for all of us, as our family of six shrunk to a family of four – Patrick, myself and our cats Singe and Cricket.

Now it must be understood that in our house, animals like Patrick, but they adore me. It's just the way it is. After PB's death, Patrick told me he wanted a dog that was HIS, a dog like our cat Peanut. A dog that he took to the vet, and that he cared for and that liked him best. I said OK. We can try. And so our adventure in fostering began!

They say three times the charm, and Gizmo has definitely upheld that old adage! We started fostering when Patrick applied to adopt Leo (once known as Jericho), but it was discovered that Leo was NOT fond of men and so we agreed to foster him in the hopes that we could find him a perfect family. Eventually his fabulous fur-ever home found him and off he went! Our second foster, Mason, passed away suddenly in November. It was exceptionally traumatic because it was so unexpected and so fast, and we said we would not foster again. Well, time passed and we eventually felt ready to foster again, and along came Gizmo!

All we knew about Gizmo was that he was 8 years old, some sort of Papillon mix, and severely overweight. He was apparently afraid of leashes, which made going for walks difficult, and that at one point he had been housetrained but that he no longer was.

When Tracy from SDR first brought Gizmo to our home, he didn't want to leave her side. As we fully expected, coming in to our home was intimidating – three cats and a dog (over the past year we had adopted a dog and a stray cat)??? Are you kidding?? And the tiny little dog resembled a buzz saw more than a dog! Who wouldn't be intimidated? The first thing we did after Tracy left was go for a walk – it had always worked before when acclimating new dogs to Meena, and it did wonders with Gizmo and Meena. They walked like they had always been walking together! Amazing! But that first night really sealed the deal – Gizmo discovered the trick to getting up on the big bed, and the first thing he did was curl up on Patrick's pillow. And that's how they've slept ever since! I remember laughing and telling Patrick – be careful what you wish for!

Gizmo is Patrick's dog through and through – there is NO doubt about that. He falls asleep on Patrick's lap, follows Patrick around the house even when that means going up and down the stairs twenty times in an hour (we're remodeling). He goes bye-bye with Patrick and shopping with Patrick – he knows minutes before the car pulls up in the driveway that Patrick's coming home and is waiting impatiently for him. Gizmo loves going for walks with Patrick, and will probably be going up to the lake with Patrick this summer to visit Grandma and Grandpa B. Gizmo has absolutely flourished in the few weeks we've had him. He knows where he belongs, and I think that helps to give him a sense of stability and confidence. He's not entirely housetrained yet, but every day we get a little closer. Gizmo almost never shies away from the leash – in fact, he'll plant himself right in front of the door and sit and wait for his harness to go on! And he's gone from a whopping 22 lbs, to a mu
ch more svelt 17.7 lbs - that's an incredible achievement! The vet says 3 more lbs to go and he'll be where he should be - yay!

Gizmo entered our lives during the 1st anniversary of Peanut Butter's death, and I've described it as pure poetry that he bonded to Patrick during this time. Our house is fuller than it's ever been – we have our dogs Gizmo and Meena, and our cats Singe, Cricket and Angus. Plus there's the two of us! From six to four to seven! Who ever thought our family would be so big??

Our clan has expanded to the point where we can no longer foster, but that doesn't mean our relationship with SDR is over – we still plan to volunteer like we've been doing over the past year, so don't be surprised to see us at the bigger events or even some of the smaller events! It's easy to talk about volunteering and how important it is to our communities, but it's another thing entirely to actually DO it. It really doesn't take that much time – it can be as little as a couple of hours a month – and you get to meet all kinds of interesting people and dogs and perhaps go places you wouldn't normally consider going! Our lives have been enriched by the experiences of the past year – the good and the bad. Because without the bad, how can one possibly appreciate all the good?

Charlie! (aka Paprika)

2011-04-25T20:44:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderul oppertunity to adopt little Paprika, now Charlie, a 4 month old minature poodle! Charlie has turned out to be one of these best puppies my family has ever had and loves playing with his sisters Abby (toy poodle/american eskimo) & Wilma (min pin). He loves retrieving, keeping the squirrls out of the backyard, walks, and socializing with new friends. He has been a wonderful addition to our family and could have not found a more perfect puppy! Thank you SDR you guys do a wonderful job!
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Tammy Matson - A Volunteer With An Open Heart

2011-04-15T14:31:00.000-05:00

Tammy Matson is used to being a caregiver with an open heart. Tammy is a Nurse living in Blaine with her family and 2 dogs, Corky and Abdullah. Tammy has been volunteering with SDR for nearly three years now, and has been involved in various aspects including fostering, transport, publicity, Board of Directors and supply coordination. Even though a new job has made her life even busier, Tammy stresses the importance of staying involved: “I know firsthand how just a little bit of help goes a long way and is appreciated,” emphasizes Tammy. “To these dogs, (volunteering) is very important. SDR is a non -profit organization and it has no paid employees. It’s a great bunch of people who all work together to save dogs’ lives. I'm very proud to be a part of SDR and it always amazes me how many people have opened their hearts and their homes in order to give these dogs a second chance.” Canine family members Corky and Abdullah came to Tammy from SDR. Abdullah was initially a foster. When Tammy took him in, Abdullah was very sick . ”For the first couple of mornings I thought I would wake up and find out that he died. But he didn't. When you read his story you'll see how he pulled through. When I would get home from work I would call his name and he stayed curled up but he started to wag his tail a little at a time. After all that Abdullah went through to survive, I couldn't let him go.”

Her second dog, Corky, was surrendered reluctantly by his elderly guardian, who left in tears.“On the ride home, Corky wouldn’t even look at me,” says Tammy. Within a week, however, Corky found a permanent home with Tammy. He became such a part of the family she couldn’t give him up. Even Tammy’s Mom has become involved, helping with events and caring for dogs if Tammy is away.

Along with other work for SDR Tammy continues to foster additional dogs, though sometimes parting with them isn’t easy. She does this because she believes she can make a difference. “Even if I would have fostered only one dog and found the perfect home. I've made a difference in that one dog’s life,” says Tammy.” Many may have been put down if SDR did not take them in. Saving one dog at a time is how you have to look at it and saving that ONE dog’s life is worth a lifetime of happiness.” We couldn’t agree more, Tammy, and we want to recognize you for what you have done for SDR, and for all the happiness you have given to so many small dogs.

Juniper

2011-02-12T08:30:00.001-06:00

Eva was our German Shepherd Dog, and she was gorgeous. She was 16 years of age and had hip Dysplasia. We decided we wanted to get a companion dog for her, and for ourselves. So we wandered around looking at animal shelters and rescue dogs.

We happened to see SDR online in Augusts and perused their dogs and mission statement and saw the gorgeous Juniper. And by a funny coincidence SDR had an adoption event in Bloomington. We saw little Juniper and her foster Mom Renae and instantly fell in love with her and she with us.

Next was the home visit where Juniper met Eva and her two daddies in a home environment and it went so well we signed the papers of adoption right there and then. We loved how we became guardians and not owners. This was September 1st 2010.

Juniper was a puppy mill down and has serious flash back episodes to that bad time. Her foster parents had helped enormously. Renae keeps in touch and helps us a lot with Juniper.

When we first got Juniper she spend a lot of time in her house which was her security blanket and would run away at the slightest thing. We eventually by being patient helped Juniper slowly come and lay by the couch with us. And slowly she began to trust us to do little things like brush her hair.

We explained to people when we go on walks that she is a rescue dog and needs to trust people and once she gets to know you she will be o.k. Let little Juniper make the first move.

She enjoyed her first Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas and New Year with us.

When she saw snow she was apprehensive about it but now she just is ambivalent although she did try to climb the snow mountains a few times.

We had problems finding someone to groom her as they all seemed so nervous on the phone when we explained about her. Finally foster Mom Renae to the rescue again as she found a nice place called Premier Pet Salon run by Karen who is awesome.

On her first Spa visit in January Juniper was in her element and Karen was so impressed she gave her an A+ rating and Juniper looked so gorgeous. A big shock seeing her shaved but we got used to it. On her 2nd visit Karen said she amazing again.

She had had a relapse a week before as we took her to the Vet for her rabies shot and she got terrified. But a few days later she calmed down - it must have been a serious case of flash back.

She really is a wonderful and loving fur-daughter and she has grown a long way. Sadly 3 weeks after we got Juniper her sister Eva passed away which was really hard to deal with for all of us. But with Juniper's help we got through it.

I have my own photo page on Picassa Web - https://picasaweb.google.com/TheJohansenFamily/JuniperEvaJohansen#

And my own page on Facebook too - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id0001624475457

photo 1 - after first grooming January 2011
photo 2 - adoption day

Making A Difference - Jan McBride and Rusty Schmidt

2011-02-11T16:51:00.000-06:00

It’s evident when meeting Jan McBride that she is no ordinary volunteer. Her ready smile, sharp wit, and polished style make Jan a force to be reckoned with. Paired with husband, Rusty Schmidt, she has become one of SDR’s most active volunteers.

Jan holds a degree in Mathematics and Electronics and settled in Minnesota 9 years ago as Senior Director of Global Marketing for Digi International, she travels extensively for work. Her husband Rusty is a landscape ecologist with Washington County Conservation District (as well as author and HGTV personality). Jan, Rusty, and daughter Tara live in St. Paul.

Rusty and Jan are enthusiastic Hockey fans and hold season tickets to the MN Wild. Even with full calendars, they both find that volunteering has made a positive difference in their lives.“As a family we are dedicated to Small Dog Rescue. It has become one of the “things” we do on a weekend as we feel we are really making a difference helping dogs like our own.”

Jan and Rusty’s involvement in SDR began when they adopted two rescue dogs.

Small Fry, a Pom Eskimo had been at the Humane Society for 4 months before being a foster dog at Pet Haven. Ruthie Pie (adopted 3 years later) had been in 4 homes in 2 years before Jan and Rusty became her guardians. It wasn’t easy at first—Ruthie was poorly socialized and not potty-trained. “Now it’s a year and a half later,” says Jan,” and we truly believe that Ruthie was meant to join our family. I had been reading about unspoken affects of the economy today-- animals being abandoned, left in shelters or dumped outside the Humane Society. After adopting Ruthie, I wanted to find a way to help other dogs like her, and I found SDR. They specialized in small dogs and their website featured dogs with all sorts of issues like Ruthie’s.”

Jan applied to do home visits, and soon Rusty was involved as well. “My favorite story is about how Rusty became involved with SDR,” says Jan, ”About 3 months after I joined, I saw an e- mail about some dogs needing to be picked up and transported. I had a hair appointment, so I persuaded Rusty—who had not been involved at that point—to pick up Harley and Manny. Rusty called and told me that Manny had run around like a Tasmanian devil and then threw up in his truck, and then he picked up Harley and got a kennel for Manny who rocked it back and forth the entire ride. Rusty had to spray Manny down and ended up spending the day with him.”

Rusty was hooked. Besides the occasional transport, Jan and Rusty help coordinate events in the Twin Cities, do home visits, manage SDR's Google ads and train a number of volunteer staff. “Rusty has become our ’People Whisperer’ at Small Dog Rescue,” says Jan.” He is the guy who will walk into a crowd of strangers with a dog in his arms and chat.” Daughter Tara, age 15, helps at events and speaks with potential adoptive families. Now an animal advocate, she no longer goes into pet stores to see the puppies for sale and wrote a speech about puppy mills for a school project.

So, how does such a busy family make time for volunteering? “I seem to be involved in a lot at onetime, which is great! I love volunteering for SDR—whether it is finding those fur-ever homes for the dogs or seeing our events turn into something professional and cool. Rusty and I believe that it doesn’t matter how busy you are, you can always find a couple of hours a week to volunteer for something you’re passionate about. The volunteers and foster parents I have met are amazing. They totally inspire me! “

We at SDR could say the same of volunteers like Jan, Tara, and Rusty. As we near Valentine’s Day, we want to recognize you as three incredible people who have truly given from the heart.

Adorabelle

2011-01-01T12:16:00.001-06:00

When I was buying my house, I told my mom that one of the things I wanted was a fenced in backyard so I could get a dog some day. I closed on my house in August and the end of November I got in touch with Small Dog Rescue about fostering. Thats when Adorabelle came in to my life. She came from a foster family up past the cities and was having no luck being adopted. So SDR moved her down here to give her a better chance to be adopted. I feel in love with her the minute I met her. I was unsure if I was ready to adopt her so I waited a few months and finally decieded it was the time to give her forever home.

The funny thing about me adopting Adorabelle was I never thought I would have a shedding dog in my house but I loved to her so much so that didn't matter to me anymore.

She loves to give kisses and loves being around people. She must take after me as she is a very social dog and loves it when we have company or when we go to visit family. She has certainly come a long way from the puppy mill where she spent the first few years of her life.
Now I can't imagine my life without my sweet little dog..

Josie (formerly Tiny)

2010-12-29T11:48:00.001-06:00

Back in May, we did our volunteer dog transport and picked up little Tiny (now Josie) in Eau Claire to bring her to her foster mom at Small Dog Rescue. Tiny came from a shelter in Tennessee that got flooded during the spring rains. She's now our little Country Bumpkin!

In the photo we took during the transport (with red harness on), you can see how thin she was, and she was fighting lots of skin infections, and had what looked like a bite mark on her forehead. But despite feeling sick and tired, and coming to the end of her two-day voyage to MN, she was so loving and wagged her tail when she got in our car.

After three months with us, she was fattened up and all her infections were gone! You can see the change in the "After" photo from July (wearing pink collar). She is super-friendly and her tail is always wagging. One of her best little quirks is her patented "trust fall" -- she jumps on your lap, leans over, and just falls over onto your chest for some extreme cuddling! She is a pure joy in our lives and makes a wonderful side-kick for our other terrier, Gidget.

Thank you so much, Small Dog Rescue!

Nancy and Tom

Mr PUNK

2010-12-11T18:48:00.001-06:00

Last year my sister found a half dead chihuahua in the parking lot of her building. She took the little poor dog to the vet and she was told that there was almost no blood left in her body. She was infested with flees and they had sucked most of her blood. Anyway, this poor chihuahua now has a very happy live living with my sister and her cat. She has transformed my sister life and cured her from a very debilitating illness. That story broke my heart and inspired me at the same time. After I met Miss Cici I fall in love and I developped what my husband calls "chihuahua envy". Finally after long months of relflection I filled out an application on the website of the rescue organization and few weeks later we had Punk delivered to our house. Punk is an eleven years old boy and the sweetest thing ever but with an attitude. He is very protective of us and of his little sister, Miss Twiggy, a three pounds chihuahua.
We love Punk and we think EVERYONE should adopt a senior dog. They ate the best !

Mr Wilson

2010-11-29T20:33:00.000-06:00

When i picked him up in MPLS his name was Mac. By the time we drove to Duluth he changed his name to Mr. Wilson. Mr Wilson joined our household of myself, two teens and two cats, and a neighborhood of other dogs and kids who all play together.

It took me a while but I figured out that I had to treat Mr Wilson as if he had a stroke. He had to learn everything, like walking up strairs, the concept of water, pooping and peeing outside and having as much water and food as he needed. I can not imagine his first 2 1/2 years in a puppy mill. The separation anxiety that he had daily.

With help from the vet and the MSDR trainers, and Prozac, Mr Wilson is no longer suffering from the terrible bouts of anxiety.

Its almost a year since he has been in our home. I wanted a walking partner, a dog who liked to hike rain, shine or snow. On on of our hikes this fall he made a point of walking in every mud bog there was. HE LIKEs TO GET DIRTY. He also loves the snow, he and I are well suited, we both prefer to be outdside.

Precious Dexter

2010-11-11T09:09:00.001-06:00

For those of you who haven't yet met him, this is Dexter.

Dexter was brought into my life when Brad & I decided we wanted another dog to add to our family. We wanted to be sure it was a dog that would be a good fit for us, and for Layla - our 6 year-old beagle. We knew we wanted to adopt, so we could give a dog that didn't have a home, one filled with love.

So I started searching...

And in doing so, I came upon a website for Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota. One that rescues dogs that are 20 pounds and under from all over the country and rehabilitates them and finds homes for them. We live in an apartment and cannot have dogs more than 60 pounds, so I thought this would for sure be a great start. I originally found another beagle that I thought was really cute, and applied to adopt her. I received a response from a volunteer within a day saying she thought Millie (the beagle) would not be a good fit for us because she has separation anxiety and would not do well in a crate. And then she suggested 3 other dogs that would probably be a great fit for us. One of which was Precious.

Brad & I looked at his picture, read his bio, and talked it over. He seemed great for our family! So we set a time for a home visit. The foster parent brings the dog to you, so they can be in your environment and see if it's a fit. I thought that was pretty cool.

A wonderful lady named Laura - Precious' foster mom - brought him over. I remember being so excited, and a little nervous at how Layla would react. She brought Precious in and Layla was not too thrilled, to say the least. Layla is very stand-offish to other dogs, but warms up to them with time.

We loved Precious right away and were sure we wanted to keep him. So he got to stay with us.

He started out really jumpy and nervous. He was sad that his foster momma left, and missed her. But he was still full of affection for both of us. He gave us kisses and snuggled as often as possible. He adjusted to his new home, his forever home, pretty quickly.

We changed Precious' name to Dexter, because we thought he should have something a little more masculine. He took on the new identity well. :)

And now I get to wake up to, go home to, and snuggle with 2 adorable dogs. Dogs that have now become buddies. Layla wants to chase him all of the time. She also started kissing him a lot recently. He's not so sure about that but let's her get a few in from time to time.

They sleep next to each other and follow each other around. They truly are family.

Dexter gets so excited for so many small things, it's so cute. He jumps really high when he is excited! He always is the first to greet me at the door, follow me to bed, and give me kisses in the morning. He has a heart full of love for humans and I can't believe we got so lucky to get him. He is my little man and has a place in my heart forever. He is my precious Dexter. ¢¾

For more about Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota, visit their website at :http://smalldogsminnesota.org/index.cfm
I encourage you all to take a look. There are many dogs that needs homes. Who knows - you may be the next person to write about your new addition!

Koby {Suzy}

2010-11-08T13:15:00.001-06:00

It was February and Valentines Day was coming really soon. It was the perfect opportunity for my new husband to get me what I always wanted! A DOG! So I began dropping, what I thought were subtle hints! I began with little comments as we watched T.V. and of course whenever we saw a dog. Then the comments turned into emailing links to him of dogs that needed a home. Let's just say my subtle hints were not working very well! But then it happened. I came across Suzy online at Small Dog Rescue of MN. She was just a little puppy, so sweet, so darling, and in my eyes SO PERFECT! After talking about it we decided to go through the application process with hope that we would be able to adopt her. We met her and fell in love...it truly was love at first sight!

Her name is now Koby and loves being apart of our family! She loves running around the yard, playing with her friends, digging holes, going on walks by the river, and snuggling with us! Koby will be turning 1 year old in December. She has truly changed our lives and we could not love her anymore than we already do!

Koby would like to thank her foster family for taking such great care for her! We would also like to thank everyone from Small Dog Rescue for doing what you do! Thank you for saving Koby and thank you for saving all the other dogs like Koby!

Ruby and Cody at TTouch

2010-11-07T20:48:00.001-06:00

Cody the dappled dachsund is my current foster. I adopted Ruby (formerly Ali) from SDR the summer of 2009. Fostering dogs has helped Ruby venture farther and faster and higher than she's ever gone before. Here we are at the Pet Junction TTouch event with Amy DeLong.

Sweet Pea (Formerly ZuZu)

2010-10-20T11:14:00.001-05:00

This is not an adoption story, since Sweet Pea (a 4-6 year old black & white cocker spaniel) has lived with us for eight months now. It's an update on much a special dog has added another dimension of happiness to our lives:

We sure did find a great dog in Sweet Pea! She is such a dear! She & our 6 yr old grand daughter became best buddies last month and Sweet Pea obviously mourned when Maya went back to NJ. Both the dog & our other grand daughter, 4 yr old Sophie, truly love each other and see each other several times a week. We're going to have another grand daughter in January, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts to a baby. (I'm talking about both Sweet Pea and Sophie in this case!)

Sweet Pea is good about stopping when I holler "No!" when she runs after yard critters - and has yet to run off - or even into the street (thank goodness). She feels compelled to guard us from mice in the basement and spends hours listening & watching. To my knowledge, she has yet to catch any.....

A few weeks ago she was quite naughty... during the night, Sweet Pea stole from the pantry - a package of wild rice-blueberry pancake mix and then ripped it apart in the living room! She must have added water to it, as by morning it was caked on the carpet! She managed to spread the dust everywhere and I have had to "trim" the carpet to get the crusty part off. What a mess! Although we told her she was a bad dog, we couldn't help but laugh! A naughty dog is so much more fun than a boring one! :>)

The July heat & humidity was tough on her, so I had her clipped extremely short. Surprise! Her leg feathering is really SPOTS! Her legs look like a Dalmatian's! Pretty cute. Now that it's getting cold again, I'll let her grow out more. I love that she has so many curly cow-licks on her head - just like me!

Although she is boarded at least once a month, she truly like the people at the kennel - and they like her, so that makes me feel less guilty. Every day I am grateful that she came into our lives. I still cannot fathom how someone could have let her go and will always wonder what happened.

Dianne

Our Sweet Casper

2010-10-17T21:01:00.001-05:00

When I moved from an apartment to a house in the fall of 2005, I immediately starting looking for a dog to adopt from one of the local rescue groups. Casper with SDR caught my eye, and not just because of his cute face. His description said he would "need a home that can give him a little extra love" - I thought, I've got extra love to give! The first time I held him he was shaking with fright and I knew he was the one for me...a little boy who needed to be shown that humans can be kind and loving.

It took him about 3 weeks for his first bark, and then one morning he was rooting around in the sheets of the bed and I knew he was starting to feel comfortable. Leaves blowing across a sidewalk and people approaching him too quickly took a little longer to get over. Over the course of a few months, he really came out of his shell and what a sweet, gentle, loving personality he has! He has fully accepted my husband into his life, though each night Casper first curls up next to me, reminding his Daddy that was in my life first :) He's now living the life all dogs should: snoozes on the couch, belly rubs, walks in the park and of course, lots of yummy treats.

Casper brings so much happiness into our lives, and he also opened my eyes to the horrific world of puppy mills. Though he has made tremendous progress in becoming a "normal" dog, I think some of the horrors from his former life must still haunt him as certain noises and shadows make him tremble. Such awful, awful places puppy mills are!

Casper definitely changed our lives for the better. My husband and I have since adopted another wonderful puppy mill rescue and we are now a doggy foster home. Casper inspired us to raise awareness about puppy mills and I make drives to Iowa, South Dakota etc to pick up recently rescued dogs, just like Casper.

Our Sweet Casper is not about 11 years and I can see that the quickness in his step is slowing but each night when I get home from work, I get a greeting that melts my heart. Thanks you SDR for rescuing Casper and bringing him into my life. He has truly changed my world and I will not stop the fight against puppy mills until they're gone!

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New Life for Old Min-Pins

2010-10-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

My first experience with adopting a dog from a rescue society was so life changing, there was no doubt I would repeat the adventure in the future. My first rescue was Angel, an old min pin who had lived her entire life in a puppy mill. She didn't bark, play with toys, walk up stairs or on a leash. She was the most amazing dog and we were able to provide her with 7 glorious years of non-puppy mill life. She passed away this summer at the age of 16 with all of us by her side. Her passing was very hard but it also taught me a great lesson...this world is full of puppies, happy loveable puppies! The greatest kept secret are older dogs. Not a day goes by that I don't think Angel appreciated her end of life home and family and with a little work she came out of her shell, learned potty training and was a fabulous dog. There was not a doubt in my mind that I would adopt another senior.

Zeus and Zena made my heart sink! Two 11 year old min pins born together and lived throughout their lives together...and separated for fostering. Two dogs is always a lot to handle, but two older dogs is a different story. They don't need to be constantly supplied with toys, exercise and supervision. Older dogs love to nap and cuddle. It took Zeus about 3 weeks to get over his anxiety of a new home (the heavy breathing, panting, etc) He followed me from room to room. He cuddles at night, does his business where he's supposed too and has shed some of his excess weight! He had problems with arthritis and walking, but with a bit of weight loss he's back to perfect health. Zeus was the quite one...Zena was the leader and I couldn't wait to get these two back together. Zena was right at home immediately, but she was very wary of strangers. Like Zeus, she also cuddles at night, does her business where she's supposed to do and has slowly started to lose some weight. In th
e past few weeks we've noticed their amazing little personalities....Zena is the 'guard dog' of the family, never missing a leaf fall or a squirrel run by and Zeus is the trouble maker, into any bag on the floor and even having survived eating two bags of M&M's! They both go for walks in the mornings, they sit for treats and are very patient around the neighborhood kids.

Older dogs are often over looked for being un-trainable and not as much 'fun'. Any dog can be trained and re-trained as long as patience is first on your list. Rescue dogs come from tragic situations and there is nothing quick about getting them 'normal' but it is achievable as I've seen with three dogs now. Small dogs live years longer than larger dogs, even with these two being 11 I know they'll be in our lives for many years to come and what makes it so comforting is knowing they will have had the best years of their little lives being with us.

Miss Tallulah

2010-10-12T12:41:00.001-05:00

Well since adopting Tallulah a few weeks ago, we have surely learned what we have been missing out on by not having a youngster in the house again. She is so full of life, so curious (sometimes overly) and so hilarious (free entertainment for sure!). Our older dog, Casey, a papillon, is a rescue from a hoarding situation and has a lot of issues, some of which he is seeming to overcome with the addition of such a social butterfly like Tallulah. Since she loves people and is so interested in checking everything out (I mean everything!) Casey has become less shy about being approached by strangers when we are out and about, and although they are not yet bosom buddies (he gets irritated when she pounces on him or steals his chewies, and she at him when he cuddles down on her bed) they will look for one another when separated for too long, and they play chase in the back yard. That someone could have given her up after having her a year is something we can't understand, but then w
e would never have been so lucky and gotten to adopt her if they hadn't. She is working hard on learning manners (like not jumping sky high so someone will pay attention to her, and not barking at every noise outside, which is really really hard when it's so nice out and all the windows are open and the sound of a squirrel running through the fallen leaves is soooo tempting!) and finding ways to push Casey's buttons (and ours!). She loves car rides, people on motorcycles and bicycles are worthy of a good growl or bark, especially if they are in the next lane at a stoplight, and everything and anything must be chewed, or at minimum, tasted. If it's on the floor or the ground, it's fair game to Tallulah. Thank you SDR, we are grateful that we found you and that you found us worthy of being her forever home.
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Absque/Biscuit

2010-08-19T16:30:00.001-05:00

Biscuit is my very first foster with SDR and of course I had to adopt her because she fit so well with my team. I have had her for about 11 months and she is doing great. She was afraid of some people and now she loves everyone and I love her and she is in a happy home now and does not ever have to be stuck in a cage.
I now call my three dogs the rehabilitation team. I have also fostered others since and I really think my team helps out a lot. Fostering is great work and want to do more when time allows.

Leo

2010-08-11T16:32:00.001-05:00

We found Leo at the Gay Pride Festival. He was standing with his foster mom very calm somewhat aloof. I don't know what drew us to him but after meeting him we filled out an application & on July 4th Leo found a new home. My partner Kristi & I had been without a dog 11/2 yrs hard to believe but I new when it was time a dog would come to us & he did. He's a good boy follows Kristi everywhere. Kristi works at a Vet clinic so 2-3 times a week Leo goes with her. Every time I see him he makes me smile. Thank you to his foster parents for taking care of Leo we will take good care of him.

Prancy's first year of the good life

2010-08-09T16:36:00.001-05:00

Just a quick follow up to my last post. Prancy(Ablaze) is one year old today. Actually she is now 9 but really only "lived" one year. She is extra dancy today, maybe she understands it's her birthday..or she really likes the chicken and rice treat she got. Live happy little one.

mill rescue "Ablaze" now "Prancy"

2010-07-09T10:27:00.001-05:00

My first foster mom experience! I met Dallas and the dogs in Owatonna in 8/09 and took Prancy, an 8 year old female papillon home with me. She ws practically bent over with her tail between her legs, back curved and head down. Grass was a new experience. Slowly she looked at me more and more and in a couple weeks she had bonded with me so tightly she could hardly stand to have me out of her sight. We tried coming to the adoption events and she vomited all the way to Mlps and shook. In October I couldn't take her to the event so I met Kelly in New Ulm and Prancy went with her. It was a sad terrifying time for Prancy and I vowed she would not have to go through that again. I realized Prancy had picked her home and her person so I went from fostser mom to MOM!
The transformation in this little sweetie has been amazing but there are scars that will never fully heal. She has one bark and that is the fear bark. My other dog Winston has a million different barks, happy ones, excited ones, i need to go out barks, etc. Even after all this time, if a door opens, she gives a little growl and then barks in fear. Bad things happened when doors opened in her past life. But can she dance! She has a dance for the can opener (no teeth, so soft food) a dance that says put me on the bed, her "put me on the couchand pet me" dance and her special "mom, you're home from work" dance! We laugh as she tries to copy some of Winston's behaviors. I have a wooden truck by the front door that Winston always stands on so he can watch for me after work. Somehow she has convinced him to give up that spot and now I see her little face watching for me. We can go for weeks and she is as happy as can be and then for no apparent reason she has a day of PTSD
and if I pick her up, which she normally loves, she just freaks. She retreats back into her shell for a few hours and I sit by her and just talk to her and pretty soon she comes back. Winston will come and lick her face and lay down by her and look at me with these worried eyes..he senses she is a special little girl.
Everyone of her triumphs over her past life is a celebration and she knows she is loved and in return she has given me a love like no other. Dallas when you picked this little one for me to foster, there was a bigger plan in the universe and that was for Prancy to come home. In the picture Prancy is on the left and Winston on the right.
Lynette Martin

Tucker's Forever Home

2010-05-03T12:31:00.001-05:00

I saw Tucker on SDR's website and fell in love with his unique looks. I already had a chihuahua and had no intention of getting another, but his sad little story broke my heart! He was only a year old and had been in FOUR homes. I felt so bad for him!
After my other chihuahua Audrey, and I met him, we were eager to bring him home. He was terrified of ALL men, and very shy. He also peed all over my floors, but they are all wood so I didn't mind too much... plus he learned how to go on pads from watching Audrey. He is now housebroken thanks to her.
Here it is a year later, and Tucker is so happy, confident, and loved. No more problems with men, as he preferrs my boyfriend over me, ha ha, and lets strangers including men pet him. He no longer cowers, and his favorite thing to do is get his belly rubbed or bark at dogs on TV!
It's hard to believe that no one wanted little Tucker, because he is just perfect for us and I can never imagine leaving him. Thanks for your wonderful group, and the great things you do!

Love at first sight is real

2010-04-01T15:32:00.001-05:00

I fostered and adopted absque now biscuit. She is a doll and fits in with our two others

2010-03-02T19:58:00.001-06:00

Danny is a gorgeous, handsome ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who was rescued in late Spring of 2009. He had been ‘selected’ as a breeder cull, no longer useful to a puppy mill in Nebraska. With a mouthful of decayed teeth and a growth on an eyelid, he was vetted in South Dakota. He was neutered and the teeth (except one molar) and eyelid growth were removed. After a short time in a foster home, we met Danny at an Adoption Event sponsored by Small Dog Rescue. We chose the very shy and fearful fellow to join our senior family (two and four-legged) along with our Great Pyrenees, D’Artagnon and two Cavaliers, Marina and Michael and one cat, Tucker.

Now, in Danny’s own words:

I was very shy and scared, but my presumed 10 years in the puppy mill as a breeder precluded any inhibitions over marking any territory in or out of my new home. Soon after I was adopted, my family was excited to foster two more rescued Cavalier girls. I turned up the heat. I peed on furniture, the other dogs’ bowls, their toys and a dog or two. Anything was fair game.

My new mom was happy to have the foster sisters. I had other ideas. With my breeding background, my behavior of marking was in full swing! Plenty of vinegar, paper towels, and doggie odor remover was utilized! My family has a doggie door to the yard. I used that regularly with the others, but the old behavior was very ingrained. If I was caught in the act in the house, my family scooped me up and took me outside to the designated potty spot. After the foster girls were adopted into their new homes, I had less of a need to keep up that job. With all the action, my mom forgot to be thankful I did not have the need to mount any of the others! I still squirt here and there once in a while. I am more content to keep the outside spots freshened up on our daily walks. My mom thinks the exercise is very helpful in venting that energy. Oh yeah, we have no carpeting in the house. Perfect!

At first I was afraid of human hands reaching to touch me. I would splat myself to the ground, trying to look unavailable to whatever doom may be coming. My family learned to approach me by squatting to my level and chucking me under my chin with gentle words. I didn’t find that as intimidating. My dad is a kisser of the family dogs. I have taken a time to think that is an acceptable gesture. I am learning he is just lovin’ on me.

Doorways remain a reason to stand back. I wait for reassurance that the door is not an unexpected weapon in my face. I accompany my family on Pet Therapy outings and trips to the pet store. It is a bit scary sometimes when kids run up to pet me. I try to slide behind Michael or Marina to be sure I am safe. Then I join in to be petted or especially get a treat from the cashier at the checkout.

I want to eat anything Michael and Marina eat. My mom cuts up fruits and vegetables for me because of my toothless mouth. I eat regular dog kibble with water on it. My tongue stays in my mouth unless I am sleeping.

I sleep in the family bed with everyone except D’Artagnon. He remains on the floor on a rug. Sometimes if I am alone in a room, I will ask for someone to join me. In my hoarse voice, “Woof! Woof!” I call for companionship. I will repeat myself as many times as it takes to get attention. I love company and especially enjoy being with Michael. We help D’Artagnon keep the neighborhood safe by barking briefly at passers by. We have very low windows in our home so we have a great view. Our favorite is to have our parents sitting on the couch or the laying on the bed with all of us. Beyond food, side by side is the best.

How can we say, “Thanks?” My family and I say, “Bless you, SDR!”

With love,

Danny

Jack now Jackie

2010-02-24T06:31:00.001-06:00

So I am techno slow, so I have no picture of Jackie. Jackie came to us as a Foster in October. She was our first foster. She is a pickle, likes to run and some other issues. I wasn't sure she would fit, we don't have a fenced yard but we have made it work. She has run a couple of times, thanks to Erin for coming to my house at 5am one morning to look for her in the dark. :) She has only run away a couple of times in the past few months. Little stinker, ends up back at our doorstep when she wants, and looks at me like "aren't you going to open the door" . Jackie has had a rough life but not as bad as many dogs. Surrendered a couple of times to SDR before she came to us. She is a good dog, but had some very undog savy families and a beagle is not a breed for the unsavy. She is a love bug and sleeps under the covers in my arms. She was on several home visits, did some trial overnights, and actually got adopted and then re-returned to us over the last 5 months. So over
the past 5 months she has been in and out of our home. Everyone else had problems with her but she would come back to us and do fine. Everyone who brought her back said as soon as she got close to our home, she would get crazy happy. Well we even had a dog behavior person come to our house to try to see if we could make her "more adoptable". This gal was amazing and gave us some tips and we are taking Jackie to her class starting this week. So after some coaxing and some deep prayer, it was obvious that Jackie kept coming back to us, because she had already picked her forever home and just like a beagle was bound and determined to make it so. Our good friend calls our house Club Med for dogs, so no surprise she wants to stay. We adopted her! I now run her while I ride my bike to burn some of her energy, even in the snow. Pray that we can reign in her desire to run a bit, my heart can't take it.

Agape

2010-02-15T20:38:00.000-06:00

I adopted Agape on 9-11-09, my name is Debbie Mason -2-15-10
Agape is so adorable and such a loving little girl, she has brought alot of joy and love to me and
my 12yr old chiuacha, Ive only had her 5 mos but she is doing well ,loves to go outside and plays all the time. One of her favorite things to do is play dress up, she loves wearing clothes.
Im so thankful for small dog rescue and all they do If it wasnt for all the care and love they
have for rescuing these puppy mill survivors we wouldnt all be together. I totally appreciate them and all they stand for. Thank you. Everyone I meet and know wants to take Agape home, I
tell everyone to go to the smalldog rescue web site and adopt a survivor.
Agape also had a wonderful foster home and all the people who took care of her during the rescue all were and important part in how she is doing today,and everyone alse thank you everyone,We are so happy. Ilove her so much!
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Onyx Athena Scholl

2010-02-05T16:31:00.001-06:00

I first heard about Small Dog Rescue on the news where Mini Mite was the featured dog. I grew up with small dogs, but have not have the chance to have my own dog for 10 years due to living in an apartment. I finally purchased my first home last fall. After settling in, I realized something was missing, a dog!!! I quickly volunteered to be a foster with SDR. My first assignment was Aegina, a puppy mill papillion. Just as I was starting to form a bond with Aegina, she was adopted (by my coworker no less!) Next came Onyx, I've never had a dog bond to me so fast and only me, the first night together, she slept right under my arm. I had heard she had separation anxiety and could become destruction when left alone, so I chose to kennel her during the work day. I came home and she had moved her kennel completely around my kitchen island and down two steps into my living room, I imagine she was running in it like a hamster wheel. The next day, she was allowed free reign of t
he house and I have had no issues with her destroying anything at all. It was about after a week of having Onyx that I knew I would not be able to give her up, she was mine!!! She was the cheese to my macaroni, the ketchup to my fry. She's my mirror image, we both love to nap and eat snacks. Anyway I adopted her and she has been an aboslute joy!!!! Check out our new family pictures.

Randy - He almost didn't make it to SDR!

2010-02-01T22:45:00.000-06:00

We've been a foster home with Small Dog Rescue of MN for almost four years. Two years ago, we were scheduled to foster Randy, a small chihuahua-corgi mix. He was coming on transport from Green Bay, WI. We were told the staff at the Green Bay Humane Society feel in love with him and knew they had to get him out of the shelter before he was euthanized.

We called him our little fox-dog as he looked like a furry little fox. He immediately fell in love with my husband but he didn't trust any other men. Hoping to find out more about him, I called the Green Bay Humane Society and spoke with Nicole. She was so excited to hear Randy was doing OK. She said he was so sweet with the ladies but had not passed his temperment test. He especially hated men in uniform. She said a woman dropped him off and said "it's time for my kids to stop torturing him". So, we knew he had a hard start in life.

Shortly after this conversation, my husband and I decided Randy had adopted us and this was his forever home. We enrolled him in beginning obedience training and he really blossomed. His confidence increased. It took well over a year for him to stop peeing if we said his name too loudly or if he thought he was in trouble.

He loves going for car rides and thinks it's fun to play "boss of the cats".

We love him so much and are so grateful to Small Dog Rescue of MN for bringing him into our lives!

Happy Tail

2010-02-01T12:06:00.001-06:00

Photos that go with RUBY.

Ruby

2010-01-28T11:45:00.001-06:00

I adopted Ruby about 6 months ago after I read her description on SDRofMN. She didn't have a photo posted at the time but I knew just who she was when I went to the adoption event: big eyes, tongue hanging out of a toothless mouth. That was her; she was the one. She was a very shy, timid dog who stayed close to her foster mom. I have been coaxing her out of her shell by exposing her to different situations. I even brought her to work a couple times to show her off. Everybody loves her. I mean EVERYBODY! People always stop when they see her and to her attention. She loves to sit in my lap while I work at the computer. My husband and I even took her to obedience school. That was quite a challenge since she is deaf, but we use hand signals to communicate basic commands. She sits quietly at her food bowl and waits for her food to arrive, she knows which window to run to and look out of when we are coming and going, she knows when it is time to go to bed and wants to gather us in
the bedroom, she is gaining confidence going up and down our open stairway, she has met many dogs in the neighborhood. Ruby is really precious and has grown in spirit. It's such a joy to see her grow and adapt to her new environment. To challenge her even more I am fostering another SDR dog. It has been a good experience for everybody.
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The Love That Is Layla Cont.

2010-01-26T13:17:00.001-06:00

I wanted to let everyone know where I buy these life saving pet diapers. There is a wonderful gal on ebay that makes the cutest diapers and male wraps. She will even let you pick the fabric. Her webstore is located at:

http://stores.ebay.com/pet-diapers-belly-bands?_rdc=1

Thanks again Small Dog!

Emily Rinke, Layla's Mommy
Mayer, MN

The Love That Is Layla

2010-01-26T09:05:00.001-06:00

I'm not a religious person. I am happily content with being an Agnostic. I have no clue what is "up there" and won't even try to guess. But SOMEONE was looking out for our family when they put Layla in our life. Someone knew that we needed her. See, on November 18, 2007 my husband Marcus and I had to put our beloved Maltese, Billie Jane, to sleep. I'm not going to go into how agonizing that decision was, because most of you understand. I will tell you that I was left with a hole. I adopted Billie Jane from a shelter in late 2001. She was from a puppy mill and I have yet to meet a more damaged dog. Her vets considered her autistic. She probably wasn't born like that, but became like that due to the horrible neglect she endured. She had been debarked, was missing a foot, had slivers and splinters up and down her back, had to have all but 5 teeth pulled, and was incontinent. Until she died, every free moment was used to take care of her. She was diapered, had to be
given water as she couldn't usually find it on her own, and had to be carried up and down the stairs. She never once kissed me on the face, learned a trick, played with a toy, or stopped peeing in her diaper. But I was in love with her. Her quiet kindness, the way she always looked for me, the silly way she walked with just three feet…… I was 100% gaga.

Now you all are wondering, well isn't this blog supposed to be about Layla? Well, I am almost there, I promise. As I said, I was consumed with taking care of Billie Jane. And then one day, she was gone. I was lost. Yes, I still had 5 other pets to take care of (including one dog, one cat, two rabbits, and one bitchy lovebird), but I found myself constantly thinking of her. And then January 2008 rolled around and I realized that I wanted to adopt another dog. Not another puppy mill dog, as I just didn't think I could do that again, at least for awhile, but a shelter dog that needed us. So my husband and I started looking. And we came across Small Dog Rescue. Up for adoption was this rather unremarkable looking little black terrier mix named Midnight. It wasn't love at first site. But I felt badly for her and I knew that we would be a great home for her. Even after making the decision to bring her home with us, she still hadn't totally grown on me. But we strapped
her into her seatbelt (NOTE TO ALL! PLEASE put your pets in seatbelts. Think about it, what would happen to them if you were in an accident?! Most pet stores sell them.) and started our journey home. Halfway home, she had chewed through the seatbelt. NOT a good start! So I broke the cardinal rule for once in my life and brought her up into the front to sit on my lap. And then, she looked me in the eye and crawled right into my heart. She snuggled as close to me as she could. And she didn't move the entire drive. That was it. She had me. I was hers forever. We renamed her Layla, as it means "black as night" in Arabic.

Things have not been all hunky-dory. When we got her home, we realized that she was not potty trained. This was not Small Dog's fault. Layla had been sick while in foster care and so spent most of her time in her kennel recuperating. She doesn't pee in her kennel, so that is why we think her foster mom thought she was potty trained. Anyways, we broke out Billie Jane's old diapers and started working with her. It has been two years and she has yet to potty train. She has gotten MUCH better, but the diapers are the only thing keeping our carpets relatively clean (unfortunately they do nothing for cat urp!). And you know what? We could care less about the diapers. They are SOOOO easy to use, plus we were used to them with Billie Jane. This is just another reason why we were meant to be Layla's parents. Heaven knew we could handle an unpotty trained dog.

She is not the sharpest tool in the shed in other ways too. She thinks she is mightier than she is and so often doesn't make jumps, specifically from our bed to her brother's bed located on a trunk across the room. Or occasionally she will just barrel into a wall. There is nothing physically wrong with her, she is just not too smart. And that's OK! It makes her even more adorable to us. The main thing, though, that makes her the best dog is the fact that she is the most loving little thing I have ever met. All she wants to do is be held. Honestly, I can never get too much affection from my hubby because she wants to me sandwiched between us. "GIVE ME LOVE" she says! She is so gentle with all of our other pets. While my other dog, Nephi, wants to occasionally "play" with the rabbits, all Layla does is lick them and lay down next to them to share their lettuce (and some bunny turds!).

All of our pets have full names (first, middle, last) and hers is Layla Yoda Bean Rinke. The Yoda is because when she is in a loving mood, her ears look like Yoda's ears. It is adorable.

As you can see, I am in love. And the reason I am in love is because of Small Dog's relentless rescuing of small dogs. Thank you so much for all that you do. Layla has helped to heal my broken heart. She is actually a little heart herself. She is all love and that is exactly what we needed. Heaven bless you!

Hi Everyone!

2010-01-25T14:30:00.000-06:00

I'm Skittles the Beagle! That's my brother Elvis the Pug using me as a pillow. Can you believe the Vikings game yesterday? Actually, I didn't care about the game. I'm a beagle. I can't count, so how am I supposed to know what the score is? The only reason I paid any attention to the game was because my mom and dad gave me treats whenever the Vikings scored, so that was good.

I hope you can all share stories and pictures of Small Dog Rescue alums like me. Small Dogs Rule!