My friend sent a group email, Do you know of anyone who has lost a cream colored puppy? I didn’t, closed my computer & went to bed. Checked email in the morning & saw that after my friend sent out a picture of the pup, someone said they thought it might be a Shiba Inu. My friend needed someone to take the pup that day or she was going to have to bring it to the shelter, as she had an unvaccinated foster pup at home. I know Shibas & they are amazing creatures. Wouldn’t do well in a shelter as their often odd catlike behavior can be misunderstood. Despite the fact that my husband had just had surgery, we took her in. We just knew we would find her owners. How could you not be searching for a purebred Shiba? Days turned into weeks as we posted flyers, did daily searches of & posted her info on every lost pet site & contacted Shiba groups. Shibas are somewhat rare & expensive. Not a single inquiry! By now, we had named her Zen, and holding my hands over my
Lab’s ears, I would tell her & everyone who would listen that I didn’t think I’d ever had a dog that I was so in love with. Then, we almost lost her. One evening we let her out into our walled in back yard in the middle of a development in metropolitan Phoenix, right into the jaws of a coyote that grabbed her by the neck & shook her, according to the vet. We had seen nothing. The bite was a quarter of an inch from her jugular. $800 later, she was recovering very well, so I took her for a walk. My neighbor, who had not seen her before, kept looking at her as we chatted. Finally,he said, “I’ve seen that dog before. She came right up into our yard about 6 weeks ago when we were having a yard sale the weekend you were out of town.” She had tags on then & he called the owners. He said they really pissed him off as their reply was, “Oh, she always gets out & comes back home.” He was even more annoyed that they came for her & left without evn a thank you. My cul de sac is not easy to get into. I know somehow that Zen was looking for me, that owner who would be head over heels in love with her! So, as I type this, she is curled up at my feet, my canine love of my life. Good thing my Lab can’t read!

Awww I’m so glad to see Buddy is doing so well in the video. We also recently adopted a Pit/Lab mix which we named Roxy. We really should have named her Healer and here’s why…
We already had another Pit named Oakley who has had strange allergy problems for the last 5 yrs. He would get multiple ear infections and his skin was always red. Our house is so small so my hubby and I were feeling reluctant about bringing in another big dog. But there was something in her eyes that just spoke to me right from the beginning. I knew I was meant to take her. She’s been in a few different foster homes, had trust issues (would not let us touch her paws.) She was however super sweet and got along really well with Oakley. Anyway, after a week Oakley’s allergies got better. And soon after a few weeks his allergies were completely gone. It was weird! They play together every day and perhaps that might have something to do with improving his immune system. We are so grateful to have her in our life and I know Oakley loves having a new companion as well. Roxy is now trusting and actually cuddles up to us. Adopting her was the best decision we made. -Kim

Deaf Kris, my friend Kim Gonzales who has energyfitgirl.com a blog on nutrition promotes your books and work and she loves your stuff. I dont know if you will get this, but I am so glad Kim Gonzales shared your page with me..sounds funny but when I read about this doggy it so touched my heart strings..we adopted a cocker a few yrs back who we gave a lot of love to after our three cockers had passed the oldest was 16′, his name was COCKIE he was so cute..we even first paid for him to be boarded and taken care of you because our dog Sam was still alive at the time for few more weeks (little did we know we would have to put Sam to sleep within a few weeks of rescuing COCKIE from the middle of our street ( I visited Cockie every day during that time), he had had a bad ear infection and was deaf at the time(at 16 Sam was blind and deaf then). We paid our vet to take Cockie in and I visited him every day, then his staff member called me three days later and had a rescue so she took his care on, and while within a few days it was apparent we would have to put our beloved Sam down and was so hard for us (my friend a surgical nurse went with me and gave me a card where she traced his paw before he passed and was so precious to us and her husband helped burry him, shortly after I kept going and visiting COCKIE and we decided to Foster/adopt him until he passed..he was such a sweet and loving and comforting doggie..we only had him a short time, but was so thankful we took a dog that was so hurting with bad ear infections when we found him to give him love for the time we had him. Every animal deserves a chance at a Forever second home!

We know you have been through a lot personally (us too) and i know you have been an inspiration to many in lots of ways..Kim and I both have two dogs, me two Cockers, Lilly and Beau(Lilly had a neck fracture we nursed after we only had her a short time ( we think a contractor hurt her while i was gone from home for an hr.) And she is our walking miracle..Kim has two gorgeous white doggies, Samoan and Alaskan Eskimo I think..we are both dog lovers like you big time..the reason I said all that is because I believe the dogs bring just as much healing to our hearts as we do theirs.. When I first got our doggies i put them in the back yard on the grass and the strangest thing came to me..it was a thought that I felt God was sharing with me..the statement was so bold..it was, “They will BRING you great comfort in the days to come!”! Who would have known in the three yrs we had them we would loose my husband’s mom, my step dad, my step mom also to a Massive heart attack shoveling snow a month to the day we buried our mother in law and then my daddy going to heaven 8 months later , then inherit the care of my aunt with the beginnings of Alzheimer’s and move her 3 times in a yr period, then my hubby diagnosed with leukemia all in the matter of 2 yrs..To say that our furry kids have brought us great comfort in the days that followed is an understatement..I believe you have been such a blessing to your new furry buddy and equally Buddy is being a great love and comfort to your family too. Thanks for not passing him by and giving him such a new quality of life that he never would have had without your family and as he is healing will bring you and your family great companionship and love in the days to come..perhaps we may gather together and pool all of our resources and come up with something cool for dogs in the days to come..bless you and your families holiday….tomorrow keep me in your prayers going for my breast exam..haven’t had one in two and half yrs since parents died..will be looking forward to more updates on Your furry kids…

Our family has 3 rescue dogs, and the one that is my girl came to us in an unusual way. One morning about 4 years ago, my spiritual teacher said out of the blue that we needed to find another dog that looked like the first rescue dog we had, a brown hound dog.

My first thought was that it was the last thing we needed – our house was torn up by a unscrupulous contractor, and we had no back door into the yard.

That day, some people we met told us of a dog that was living in the yard of an empty house. The woman who owned the house barely cared for the dog; coming by once a week or so to leave some food and water. The dog suffered so that the neighbors repeatedly approached the woman & she’d been verbally abusive; they tried calling the Humane Society, who said they could do nothing because there was a bowl there, even though it was empty. The neighbors took it into their own hands to find a new home for the dog, and asked us if we could take her. We peeked over the fence, and sure enough, she looked like our brown dog!

Some friends spirited her over the fence & into our care. Lots of love, good food and a thorough wash later, we discovered that she was in fact a black & white dog once the dust was gone! (Though her shape was just like our other one.) She was so bony and traumatized, the first time her tail wagged, she turned to stare at it as if it had never wagged before. We called her Gracie, because with her long gangly legs, she needed a name that would bring out her grace.

Gracie hit the doggie lottery – with a houseful of people to love her, organic chicken, rice & apples to eat everyday, and a soft bed to sleep on. She comes to work with me every day, and reminds me that I hit the doggie lottery, too – she’s opened my heart in a way I couldn’t have predicted, and kept me to an exercise program that I’ll do for her, but wouldn’t have done for myself.

I adopted my cats Nefertiti and Sophie in August. They are sisters, and were given to a local animal sanctuary by an elderly lady who was forced to give them up when she went into an assisted living facility. Both cats quickly declined – Sophie became so depressed that they had to tube feed her for two months and Nefertiti scratched anyone who came near her. I’m so thankful they were given to a no-kill shelter! They both would have been euthanized otherwise.

My cats had been at the sanctuary for more than six months when I adopted them. I thought that they would be very fearful and hide when I got them home, but they completely surprised me – they both came right out of their carriers. Nefertiti walked around the whole apartment purring loudly, and then followed me around for a couple of hours rubbing on me, purring the whole time. Sophie jumped up on my bed and stretched out, also purring. And finally they slept, curled up together. It made me cry, that just bringing them home could make them so much happier and relaxed, that it could make such a big difference in their lives. And it made me cry that I couldn’t do that for all of the other animals at the shelter. Which is why I volunteer there now, to help find loving homes for each of those animals, and to share with other people the amazing experience of adopting!

Oh Kris, you touch my heart. Thank you for sharing your experiences with adoption and rescue – this will encourage others to do the same.

My first adopted rescue was a very sick, very old Westie who had been abandoned and roaming the streets for years. He was severely malnourished, had multiple infections, was blind, had rotten teeth, was arthritic to the point of needing to be carried up and down the stairs and was just so very tired from life as a street dog. Like you, I said – I don’t have time for this! But my “Little Man” Ashley was the sweetest, most precious little Soul and I couldn’t walk away from him. I knew somehow I would nurse him back to health. Sadly, I was never able to do that. At least I gave him 3 years of love, care and devotion that he may have never had. I even dedicated a blog to him. http://lovingashley.blogspot.com/

My second adopted rescue was another Westie who had been taken to the vet to be put down because of aggressive behavior. Thank goodness the vet worked with a rescue group and saved him. All this boy needed was lots of exercise, love, patience and consistent leadership. He turned out to be quite the athlete and comedian.

My third adopted rescue was a female Westie (yes, I’m crazy for Westies!) who had been rescued from an Amish puppymill. For 4 1/2 years she had lived in filthy conditions in a cage having puppies. She was paralyzed with fear when I got her – and that was after 6 months recovering in a foster home! She had never been around humans except when they were mistreating her in the mill – and she knew nothing of life as a free being. Now she’s my best friend and curls up with me like we were always together, loves her walks outside, hunts for squirrels and chipmunks, and runs circles around me in the living room. She is my little Princess and she knows it!

Finally, my fourth adoption – yes, a Westie – was another situation where aggressive behavior made my little boy’s previous home untenable. He is now happy, content, calm and sweet as can be. He and his sister (the puppymill rescue) and two sweet peas in a pod. What a happy little family we are.

When I’m able to buy land, I’m going to have a sanctuary for those who can’t be adopted out. This vision was inspired by my Ashley, who some said should have been put down. Instead, he got to spend the last 3 years of his life being loved and cared for.

I believe that kids and dogs make us better people. (It’s probably true of cats and pigs and other animals but my experience is with kids and dogs). Kids and dogs make us try harder, do more and extend ourselves on occasions when we’d rather do less or nothing at all. They make us go outside and get exercise and fresh air and they bring attention to the small joys in life that often get over looked or missed as we become habituated to our busy lives.

For most of my adult life (and my childhood) I have had the company of a dog. That means the responsibility of caring for that dog and a 5km a day minimum walking schedule that I take seriously. Before Hank, there was Angus and both these boys have dragged me off the couch on rainy days when I’d rather stay inside, they’ve marched me up hills and down hills and made me stop and play when I thought I was in a hurry. I’ve seen and experienced so much more with their guidance and friendship than I ever would have on my own. Having a dog beside me all day and every day has defined who I am . I’m simply don’t feel complete without my dog.

Congratulations on your new family member. I hope you enjoy many happy moments together. xo

Our story starts in June 2006, my son Bennett and I wanted to adopt a dog for my husband for Fathers day. We already had a golden retriever and 2 yorkies. I searched the rescue sites and nothing came up in our area. June passed and July was here and the phone rings and a dog had been left at the vet and no one had come back to get him. I was told someone was going to be by for me to see the dog. It was love at first sight, he was so scared and looked so sick and he would void from fear. My husband came home, not knowing about our idea…he saw the dog and the dog wagged his tail immediately and walked over to my husband…he layed his head down on his knee and I knew he was ours! We took him to the vet and he was so scared that we would leave him that we stayed holding his paws…we still do this today! guess what, we named him…BUDDY! He is our Buddy and he and my husband are best friends! They even look alike, haha…! His eyes show his love for us but, he knows we love him too!

I have four rescued fur babies! Two cats and two dogs. The oldest cat, Pretty, was rescued from a house where she had been locked in with her mom and the rest of the litter when the humans were evicted. She’s now 12 and is truly the most beautiful cat I’ve ever seen. Then there is Tom who is 7. He was about to be taken to the shelter when he came to live with us. He was taken from his mom too young and started to suckle on my shirt which he still does to this day, it’s quite a sight since he now weighs 27lbs! Arya is a 5 year old Papillon and he was born in a puppy mill and spent the first few months of his life in a pet store (don’t shop. Adopt!) before he was rescued and eventually became my soul mate! He was so timid when he first came into my life he would shake uncontrollably when I took him outside to potty and he was terrified of the stairs because he didn’t even understand what they were. I was advised that the first couple of nights he might be more comfortable sleeping in a crate, that lasted all of five minutes. His whining broke my heart so I let him out and he jumped into bed and curled up by my head and he’s been sleeping there every night since. He’s now happy and healthy and I’m so thankful I could help him heal. Then there is Baur (named after Gene Baur founder of Farm Sanctuary) he’s a min pin chihuahua mix and he’s almost two. I found him in the middle of a busy highway on a road trip. It was raining and he was scared, cold and soaked. Before I even thought about what I was doing the car was in park and I was half way out of it. I bent down and asked him to come to me he did and when I lifted my arm over him he backed away. So I asked again and waited until he was closer and grabbed him quick. When I got him in the car and wrapped in a sweater he looked up at me and licked my face and I was hooked! I sent my husband a photo and said say hello to your new baby. He was a little frustrated that I didn’t consult with him before brining him home (what else was I supposed to do?

Kris,

Reading about Buddy fills my heart with pure joy. I truly believe that animals come into our lives for specific reasons….we don’t chose them, they chose us.

Our cats, Tikka and Grover, came into our lives about 8 years ago after our cat Trooper died unexpectedly. About 4 years ago, Tikka became very sick. She stopped eating, was drinking constantly and losing weight rapidly. She was diagnosed with kidney disease (rare for a young cat), was placed on IV at the vet for 4 days and we weren’t sure she was going to make it. She did (barely), and the vet told us to feed her a special kidney diet from a large pet food manufacturer that was low in protein so as to be easy on the kidneys. Something didn’t feel right about that, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

About a week later, I was speaking with a colleague of mine about Tikka. She asked me if I’d ever consider feeding her raw food. I hadn’t even heard of that, but what my colleague was saying made sense to me. Cats are obligate carnivores. They have evolved to eat a meat-based diet, not some dried, processed kibble low in protein.

I set out to educate myself on everything about raw feeding – I read books, searched online and found a holistic pet food store where I picked the owner’s brain for a good couple of hours. At this point, I figured I had nothing to lose since Tikka was already so sick – we was going to lose her anyway. So, I made the switch from “kitty crack” (kibble) to cooked meat and then eventually a transition into raw. The transformation was incredible in both my cats.

Tikka went through a healing crisis, pulled through and started to heal. Today, other than a little bit of kidney damage, she thrives and is healthy. Grover’s fur became soft and he lost his Garfield-like pudge.

What I learned from my wonderful adopted animals was a great lesson. I learned that the same principles of consuming good, nutritious food that we apply to our human bodies also apply to our animals. We can all stay alive by consuming processed, unhealthy food, but we cannot thrive unless we give our bodies the proper fuel to do so.

Tikka got sick so that she could live and thrive….so that we all could. She has been one of my greatest teachers.