Muffin

Hi! I wanted to give you all an update on the wonderful furbaby we adopted from you. This is the probably a story you have heard from me before. I lost my best friend, my mom, on September 30, 2006. In October, I began the search for a female shih tzu on whom I could lavish all my excess attention and love and also to be a little girlfriend to our our shih tzu, Princess Mighty Dog. In February 2007, I saw Muffin's adorable face in my email (I was registered through Petfinder) and it spoke to me. I immediately went through your process for adoption and thankfully I was approved. I picked up Muffin on March 19, 2007! I have to tell you, had it not been for Muffin and Princess Mighty Dog, I might still be in "mourning". I thank God everyday for these beautiful babies. Muffin (nicknamed lovingly Muffy Vanderdog (sounds very royal don't you think) is such a joy to be around. She is my little velcro dog and has also brought out so many of the qualities in Princess Mighty Dog that we enjoy. I have attached some pictures you are welcome to use and if you need any information concerning Muffin for your site, just let me know. I think she was a co-listing for Angel of the Hills if memory serves me correctly. Muffin is the black and white one. The images which are 4 on a page were all taken on the days immediately after we got her from you. thank you again for this little darling (who is now 16lbs) and will be celebrating her 5th birthday in September. With love and gratitude Sharon McDowell & family

Jake - Cell Dog

Peg and Allen were looking for a young Lab mix dog as a companion for them and their dog, Molly, in late December 2008. After applying to Tails of Hope, the dog that they had hope to adopt, had already found a home. During the process of trying to find them another dog, they learned that Tails of Hope rescued dogs in Ohio that went through a cell program to learn basic obedience skills. Peg and Allen were very interested in this program and decided that they wanted to adopt a 'cell' dog. Libby spoked to Peg about 'Jake' who arrived at a shelter in Ohio as a puppy in August 2008, but had not yet been to the cell program. Peg was put in touch with the shelter administrator to see whether Jake could enter the program and was delighted to hear that he could. After graduating from the program at the end of February 2009, Jake arrived in Maryland on March 1st and was adopted by Peg and Allen on March 3rd. Peg and Allen (add their feedback below) Hi, Everyone, I just wanted to tell you all that we haven't had Jake 24 hours yet and he is just the best little man. He is so well mannered and easy to handle. We have been on many walks, long and short, and he is excellent on the leash. He loves to cuddle and watch TV. We are allowing him on the couch in the family room because we have always allowed that with our dogs. He slept in his crate last night without a single peep out of him. Once we have figured out his bathroom habits we will not crate him and he can sleep wherever he wants. Allen and I want to thank everyone who helped in bringing Jake into our lives. If there is anyway you can thank the person who was instrumental in training Jake I wish you would. God bless the shelter Jake came from, Tails of Hope, the cell dog program, and all the volunteers at each. Sincerely, Peg

Blessing

It's been almost seven months since you all blessed me with the sweetest, most beautiful dog. I wanted to write and update you on things--and thank you again from the bottom of my heart for a creature that really, truly has been a blessing to our home. Last time I contacted you, "Blessing", who now goes by Lina, was adjusting well, enjoying her rawhide, mixing well with the other pets, and having a blast hiking! She is one happy, exceptionally obedient dog! We go hiking just about every weekend, something Lina looks forward to all week. She can leap over fallen trees like a horse and boulder better than I can sometimes! She's such a trooper! Now that I have a full time job, she travels with me to Richmond during the week for training and loves the hotel life. It means lots of time at daycare, the dog park, and walks all day long, it seems. I'm up hours before I have to be there playing with her and taking her for walks, back for lunch to do the same, and then again after work! Best part? I don't mind it a bit. She's worth all the time and effort in the world. I'm writing primarily to share a story with you. It might start out a little gray, but I promise it's got a happy ending! Shortly after Lina came into our home, the whole demeanor here changed. My father, who up to this point in his life, has never really been a fan of pets, warmed right up to her and welcomed her as a new friend. She gave him a scare or two, even a rough time now and again, but they have a very positive relationship that makes everyone here smile. Well... a little while after we got Lina, dad had another stroke. He was having a real hard time walking and getting around in general. He fell several times, and we were very worried to leave him alone. Would you believe that Lina would come over to his chair when he was feeling unwell and simply refuse to leave his side? If he got up to walk, she went with him. If he went outside, she escorted him around, never straying too far. I really think the only thing that was getting him through the pain and frustration he felt was Lina. While I was at work, he made it his job to walk her, to play with her, and to make sure she was "properly loved." Of course, now that he is well, the loving is still taking place. Thank you, Tails of Hope and K9 Lifesavers! You and I may have saved the life of a wonderful dog... but she, I'm willing to bet, saved the life of my father by helping him deal with his second and more debilitating stroke. And no need to worry -- dad's doing so much better now. Ah -- and Lina is stuck to me like glue once again, which I prefer... :D Thank you all again for my wonderful dog. I love her so much! I've attached a few pictures for you to see how beautiful and talented she is! Best wishes in all, Katie White

Mystic

Hi guys! Just wanted to write and let you know Bo is doing GREAT. We love this dog more than we could have ever imagined. He is smart, sweet, goofy, playful and wonderfully mannered. He’s fattened up just a bit at our vet’s suggestion. He gets yogurt on his food which helps with the dry Shepherd skin and he loves the taste. The yard is his play land and when we go out to throw the ball and play with the kids he’ll sometimes look at me and then take off at full speed and run around the yard as fast as he can jumping the wagons, and climbing gyms in the process. It’s like he is joyfully running. He has learned to play fetch and will do it for hours on end. I walk him twice a day and it’s our “alone time.” We get moving pretty fast and sometimes part of the walk is my run for the day so he is getting plenty of exercise. He’s perfect on the leash and walks right at my side. We have also ventured into a dog park nearby but so many of the dog owners in those places are clueless so we go and if there are un-monitored dogs acting out we leave. Bo, of course, is a total gentleman and comes back every time I call him. His best friends at the dog park are a Beagle named T-Rex and a Golden Retriever named Bella. They play really well together. We spend a lot of time outside as a family and he comes everywhere with us. They kids bike or use their scooters and Bo and I walk behind. We go on a nature walk by our house and that is awesome. We get to see a lot of other dogs and sometimes deer and fox and snakes (yuck). Bo is not fond of snakes…he barks at them! He has become best friends with the dog next door, Charlie, and we frequently do play dates in each other’s yards. Also he has stopped counter surfing! We trained him to sit while we make his food and then when we say “ok” after the dish is put down he can come and eat. I have even left butter on the table and he didn’t touch it! When he first came to live with us several innocent sticks of butter were lost to his appetite J He sits in the front seat when we pick up Catherine at school and all the kids waiting for pick up yell “Hi Bo!” He’s practically the school mascot. Most of all he is just incredible with our kids. He plays and has fun but rolls over to show his belly if they want to take a toy away to throw it for him and he is really gentle around them. We have worked hard to ensure they always treat him with respect, never tease and give him lots of love and affection. We simply love, love, love this dog. My favorite thing about him is his desire to be close and petted and connected. At night he and my husband and I sit on the couch and watch movies and he’s sprawled out between us getting a full on tummy rub for hours on end. And Terri, you were so right on about him being lazy in the morning. He totally likes to sleep in. I love it. I’m attaching some pictures of him. He’s laying on the floor at my feet right now with his head on his blue fuzzy squeaky toy. Thank you so much for rescuing him. He is so much a part of our family now and we realized that the year we went without a dog after Willie died was really empty. We are just a family that is not complete without a dog and Bo was that missing link. I feel very blessed to have been able to welcome two wonderful dogs into my life. Take care and thanks again for bringing Bo into our lives! We love him! Best, SB

Max

My name is Max, I’m a German shepherd and I believe in Tails of Hope. I was abandoned in a shelter feeling very, very sorry for myself. I wouldn’t socialize, I just kept to my cage like you do when you’re scared and sad. I didn’t know why I was there. I used to have a family but one day they just up and left me. No explanation. No goodbye. No thanks for the memory, just going, going, gone. I thought maybe it was because I had no tail. I don’t remember why it’s missing but I’m scared of anything that makes a grinding sound. Tail-less makes you look kind of silly when you’re a shepherd. I mean, you never see a K9 with no tail getting bad guys on Animal Planet, do ya? Well I kept getting passed over even after I was obedience trained and certified. Everyone at the shelter loved me but I was feeling pretty hopeless. I had lots of heart but looked, well frankly, a bit weird with this little waggily stump. Then I heard a rumor; “Max No-Tail is going!” I feared the worst and went further back in my cage to be invisible so no one would find me but then a dog in the shelter said a group called “Tails of Hope” was interested in putting me on their website. Yeah, right I thought, “Tails of Hope” huh? Me, Max No Tail? “Tails of Hope” had a couple who had seen me on their site. There had been other dogs they’d liked but they were really, really interested in me. They said that their older dog had died and they had another dog that was grieving for her friend. I heard she was a beautiful but huge Malamute Shepherd named Laika and that they had a tortoiseshell cat with the strange name of Mousey Tongue. I didn’t chase cats and I knew I could get along with anyone if they liked me first. They filled out the application and after a little routine checking around they got approved. I missed the first trip to Maryland and I thought maybe they’d changed their minds, but it was just a mix up in travel dates. By the following weekend, the countdown began, Me, Max No Tail, relayed from a shelter in Ohio to Tails of Hope in Maryland and then off to my new home near the Chesapeake Bay. I changed cars seven times on the relay trek to Maryland and at the end of the journey there was my new home. My new big sister Laika met me outside the door and we walked towards my new home together. I had my security moose in my mouth (a gift from my last driver) and after a long drink and a few hello treats we all went for a walk on the beach. It was awesome! I went nuts…never had I seen so much space. A few days later I had my first special grooming in a van that came to the house, Me, Max No Tail, getting clean teeth, ears, nails, special skin conditioning and a massage. I came out feeling handsome and no one even laughed when my tail stump was brushed. I learned to sing with Laika for supper. (It’s a family thing; you have to be there), and because I’m still scared of other dogs in multiples, I’m getting special training from a dog whisperer kind of trainer (and boy does she like me!), and my new vet thinks I’m a wonderful guy. I’ve even learned to like the six grandchildren who visit us sometimes. Me, Max No Tail! And everybody loves my little stump’cos they say it wiggles when I’m happy and it doesn’t knock anything over on their big coffee table when I turn around. Every night, we all snuggle up and read, listen to Harry Potter books on CD (I just love underdog stories) or watch movies, and when I wake up it’s straight to the beach for a run after breakfast. In the day time I sit with my new Mom while she writes her latest novel, (I’m even going to be on the picture of her new book), but my favorite time is when my new Dad plays the drums and I’m there right beside him. I’ve got rhythm, you know. He couldn’t do it without me. He says “Max, let’s do it” and I just inspire him. I’m so cool. I’m still learning the rules and it will take time but my Mom and Dad love me and they’ll get me through the parts where I really have to concentrate and not lose confidence. They tell me that practice makes perfect. For the first time I can be Relaxed Max, instead of Max No Tail because I’ve found that love, even for guys like me is without conditions and even a dog’s life has infinite possibilities. Thanks Tails of Hope, Libby, Becki and everyone who transported me here and of course Anna Rawlings who bought my toy moose to calm me down on the last leg of the journey. Now I have a family, a cat that snuggles me, and a big sister as well. Move over Marley and Beethoven, make room for Max, one lucky dog!