Grissom

I had been visiting my local shelter (MSPCA Nevins Farm in Methuen, MA) for a couple months looking for my new canine companion when I saw Grissom who is an approximately 8 month old mixed breed (def some chow as he has a fantastic pink and black speckled tongue). At that time I was told he wasn’t so great at sharing with other dogs and I had planned on having my future dog hang out with my friend and her two goldens a few days a week. So while I was already a little smitten, I didn’t want to end up having to crate him for extended periods of time and decided it was best if he went to a home that could accommodate his needs. A couple weeks later I went back and he was still there, which I found hard to believe given his high levels of adorableness and affection, so I took him for another walk and decided we just had to make it work somehow. So far he’s done amazingly well with my friend’s dogs, we started with short visits and he just wants to play, play, play!! There is an ongoing debate as to whether he was named for the astronaut or the CSI character, either way it seems to suit him so I decided not to change it. He’s been a fabulous addition to the family and I feel very fortunate that he stayed around long enough for me to see the light!

Cody

If it hadn’t been for RAGOM’s (Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota) tremendous rescue effort at a puppy mill in North Dakota, Cody 07-149 would not have come into our lives. Nor would we have experienced the love affair that began that first day he greeted us with his foster dog brothers, and his foster mom and dad, Marie and Jim.

He was such a waif. Eight weeks old but with none of the usual features that make golden retriever pups one of the cutest things God ever invented. When I think of golden puppies, I think of caramel colored fuzz balls, with bright brown button eyes and butterball bodies. Cody was the antithesis of that vision. Thin fur, mangy ears and elbows, and soulful eyes that looked up at Molly and I as if to ask, “will you love me”? We sat down on the floor of the family room and he walked into Molly’s lap as if he was always meant to be there. He may not have had the typical golden puppy look, but he already had the great golden personality – and that gave us all the warm fuzzies we needed.

Cody was Marie and Jim’s first foster pup. They opened their home to him despite the risk of exposing their other two dogs to potential parasites and other problems that Cody inherited from the filthy kennel conditions at the puppy mill. They loved him, gave him his meds on time, and started him on the best diet they could possibly give him to help him fight off the bugs that were bothering him. They bathed him and brushed him and by the time we first saw him he was 100% improved from the little urchin they first took in. Love does that.

Now, four months after we adopted Cody, he’s growing and turning into a typical teenager. Growling and acting fierce as the neighbors pass by our house, only to melt into a wagging puddle of puppy if they pay any attention to him. At 50 pounds, he’s the same weight as our full grown golden retriever, but skinny as only a teenage male can be. He still struggles with intestinal issues from his rough start, but we have a great vet, terrific support from the volunteers at RAGOM, and most of all our love. With time, I’m sure we will figure out what is best for this pup’s gut.

He’s smart and as easy to train as our other dog has been. Like every golden I’ve ever known, he wants only to please. He loves to dig, loves the water, and loves his treats. He was an ace pupil at puppy class and Obedience Training. And man, he walks a mean loose leash.

Thank-you, RAGOM for rescuing Cody and his 82 kennel mates. Because of all the volunteers, transporters, vets, and terrific organizers, we were given a wonderful chance to make a difference in this very special dog’s life.

Postscript: I am now a RAGOM volunteer – transporting dogs from their sad former lives to the foster home and golden life that awaits them. What a joy and privilege it is to help these precious animals.

Lu

Ruby

Ruby babysits the foster kittens.

I know this is a photo contest, but I want to tell you the story behind the photo, it's a good one!

Ruby is a rescue dog. I had her for only one week when a sackful of day old kittens were left at my door. I bottle fed and raised them with the help and support of our local shelter, and Ruby.

Ruby, a golden retriever, had been abandoned with a litter of puppies and weighed only 35 lbs. when I brought her home.
Maybe it was fate, maybe it was karma, I don't know, but I believe this picture proves that what happened here was all part of a bigger plan.

I must have looked at 30 dogs when I began my search, and although they were all beautiful, none of them spoke to my heart. Until I met Ruby. It was love at first sight.

At present, Ruby weighs in at 55 pounds, and the kittens are leaving for their forever homes tomorrow.

It's a joy filled story with a happy ending. I also have two more dogs and four cats of my own. My house is a happy, happy place!

Lori Thuestad & Ruby Thuestad
(the 'H' is silent)

Muddy

Muddy came to us through Rescue Animal Placement(RAP) in Pennsylvania. As a 6-week old puppy he was delivered, with 5 of his siblings, to a high-kill shelter in West Virginia. RAP found out about the puppies, a member of the group drove to West Virginia, back to Pennsylvania, and found foster homes for them.

Muddy appears to be a beagle/terrier cross. This picture was taken in a rare quiet moment when Muddy was enjoying the Nova Scotia sun this past summer. He will be 6 in December.

Caroline Loose

Collie pups

This photo is of collie pups included in a recent transport through our animal welfare organization, Clean Slate Animal Rescue. The pups were ten weeks old at the time; all seven brothers and sisters along with their lovely collie mom were pulled from a high-kill shelter in Kentucky in May of this year and transported to a collie rescue in Virginia, where I'm pleased to report that all eight dogs soon found loving forever homes. Before that time, however, we were happy to house the tired family for twenty-four hours before taking them on the first leg of their journey.

As a Maine native, I have been familiar with Planet Dog (located in Portland) for some time, and would love to see these pups grace the pages of your wonderful online photo album. Thank you for all that you do for dogs, rescues, and dog lovers everywhere - your organization is truly an inspiration!

Jen Blood, Adoption Coordinator

Nala

We adopted Nala from the MidWest Border Collie Rescue (MWBCR). I worked with several rescues (and even fostered a MinPin) while searching for our next forever dog. I have fancied Border Collies for so long and I worked with the MWBCR for the better part of a year trying to find the right one for our family. Believe me, every person in that organization knows my name whether they've met me or not. They've put me through heartache and also given me tears of joy.

So, introducing Nala. She came from kill shelter in Oklahoma with four sisters. Two of them had parvo, all of them had several types of worms, coccidia, and were malnourished. After some TLC at her foster home we picked her up on June 19th (who knew Iowa could be so pretty). Kiss her, she's adopted.

Samit (and the two lovebugs)