Adopting a Dog: Testimonials #8 Marie L.

Today's story is about an angel's arrival to a home to brighten the hearts of a family. After loosing two beautiful dogs, they found a light with the new member. Read Marie's story:

"All of our dogs have been rescues including the two we have now. We had just lost two dogs within weeks of each other. Our male had cancer and was in great distress so we chose to help him pass. His littler mate and constant companion for 12 years died of a broken heart shortly after.

Before she died, I had started looking for a companion for her. I didn't find one until a couple of days after she died. I found the photo of an 11 week old ball of fluff on Petfinders and immediately called the rescue service. Luckily we were able to adopt her.

She wasn't totally white but had several very light blotches of cream along her back. What I didn't notice immediately was a small cream-colored heart on the top of her head. I am convinced this little angel was sent to rescue us from the heartbreak of our double loss." –Marie L., Whitefield, New Hampshire

The Illustrated Book of the Dog

This is a great finding! A book from 1881, "The Illustrated Book of the Dog". If you love dogs and old books, you will enjoy this one. More than 700 pages of text and illustrations with the history and descriptions of many breeds, how to make a kennel, general management of dogs, grooming, feeding, medicine and much more. I haven't read the whole book, but browsing through the pages I found beautiful illustrations in color and black and white. I also love the old yellow tone of the paper. This book was scanned from the original.

It is interesting to read about dog's life in 1881. The book is focused more on show dogs and what characteristics were important to the judges to consider in a competition.

This is a sample of dog clothing.

St. Bernard's in color.

Another page with the description and history of a breed.

A Scotch dog beautifully illustrated.

And the Spaniels at an 1881 home.

If you want to read the book, click here. The page gives you options to read online, download a pdf, read on your Kindle and some more.

Enjoy the book!

Adopting a Dog: Testimonials #7

It is awesome when you have a pack that get along so well. This is the case of Pat, who adopted more than one dog and they love each other. I can imagine how much fun when they go all together on the car. Read her story:

"Niko, my most recent rescue, was crossing a busy street when I first met him. He is a full- blooded Akita and was 7 at the time but he was so malnourished that he looked 14! He weighted 90 lbs. when I found him. Now, at 11 years old, he weighs 130 lbs. and looks and acts like a much younger dog. He had been used as a stud dog by a backyard breeder and was fed very little food and kept in an outdoor filthy enclosure before he escaped. Now he sleeps on my couch (and sometimes on my bed) and loves to play tug of war with his 'sister,' my 9-year old Lab/Golden mix.

Lily, my female, was 6-weeks old when I rescued her from her mom who was trying to kill her because she was the runt. She is one of the smartest dogs I've ever had and extremely loyal and a great watch dog. She is half Lab and half Golden.

Mojo, my other male, was at the pound in his last days. He is half Golden and half Chow. He is one of the sweetest dogs - always wanting to be loved or cuddled. Fortunately, he gets a lot of that in my household. My three dogs have all come to accept each other and they frequently go for rides in the back of my car whenever I have local errands to do. I have a great 'pack' at present and will probably be adding to it sometime in the future." –Pat Kramer, Los Angeles.

Adopting a Dog: Testimonials #6

This testimonial is an example of how a dog can steal your heart. Albert wasn't planning to adopt a dog, and there she was... beautiful Cupcake waiting for him!  Read his nice story:

"Well my story started about 3 years ago, I was just on FB kind of looking around and I noticed on WCHS page a story about a mixed breed dog named April that had puppies but she had a disease that kept her from feed her babies. She had 8 and they were all just adorable. The Humane Society was bottle feeding them all and had also named them all. I didn't want a dog at all but decided that I would look at the pictures just to be looking. Then there she was!! One little brindle and white baby girl who just captured my heart, her name was Cupcake and was so fitting a name. By the time we decided to go take a look she was 6 weeks old and just full of personality. I instantly fell in love and as well so did my wife and two sons. We discussed the options and decided we would foster for a while just to see how it worked out. 

Well the day came that we had to take her back and it was the hardest thing I had ever done. I bawled like a bay when we got there couldn't even go in with her. My wife was crying but we had to do what was right. We had purchased toys and a bed and she loved them so we took them back with her. One week later we received a phone call that the adoption for Cupcake had fallen through and were asked if we were interested. Needless to say Cupcake is 3 now and weighs 80 lbs, she is a boxer/pit bull mix and the most loving dog any person could have, she now has a puppy of her own, Sophie a beagle/shepherd mix that is just a great dog and a loving sister. They have 5 (2 boys and 3 girls) cat siblings Yoda, Peebles, Bunny, Miranda and Peanut and though the don't get along all the time do live in harmony"–Albert, Winchester, Virginia

Book: The New York Dog

Capturing the smile of a dog in a photograph is something that dog lovers do all the time. I often carry a camera with me to photograph my dog Winnie and other dogs I see at the park or the neighborhood. Some weeks ago I watched a video class at Creative Live with photographer Rachael Hale McKenna and I was hooked. The patience and the kindness she has to create photographs with animals is amazing.

Her new book "The New York Dog" is on bookstores now. I just ordered mine and I can't wait to read it. This is a description of the book:

"Following in the paw prints of The French Cat and The French Dog, The New York Dog showcases Rachael Hale McKenna’s signature photographic style in the Big Apple. Capturing both the atmosphere of the city and the personalities of its canine residents, Hale explores the life of the New York dog from many angles, showing dogs taking walks, riding in taxis, lounging in extravagant apartments, shopping in boutiques, visiting spas, dining in restaurants, and much more. From purebreds on the Upper East Side to loveable mutts in Queens, The New York Dog celebrates the wide variety of dogs that live throughout all five boroughs of this great city."

If you want to see Rachael in action, enjoy her video.

To get awesome tips for photographing your dog, read this post from the Design Sponge blog about Rachael and then... get those wonderful pictures!

Adopting a Dog: Testimonials #5

We have 7 beautiful stories from one happy home. I can imagine all those angels barking and running around, but most of all, they have a family now! Read their amazing stories from Lauren:

"Theo is our long-haired Chihuahua. He was surrendered by his abusive owners to the local humane society. He would not allow anyone to come near him and was labeled as "Unadoptable." One day, a foster mom from a nearby rescue group came to the humane society and asked about Theo's story. She proceeded to stay with Theo for 2 hours until he finally allowed her to pet him. The woman knew that Theo's time at the shelter was almost up. He was scheduled to be euthanized in two days!

This fantastic lady took Theo home with her and her 17 foster Pugs! Theo soon learned to love again and was placed on Petfinder.com for adoption. We had lost our very first dog, Spots, the year before. As luck would have it, my mom found out about Petfinder.com from her beautician. We saw his picture and fell in love! Theo is now loving his new life as the alpha male of our pack.

Adriel is our short-haired Chihuahua. She was rescued from a backyard breeder, where she had been kept in a cage all her life. Adriel does have an interesting feature. Her tongue is longer than her head so it always sticks out! She is the most caring member of our pack and is also a certified Therapy Dog with Therapy Dogs International. Adriel also passed her AKC Canine Good Citizen test.

Domino is our Blue Merle Chihuahua. His former owner was an older woman who had two other dogs. She lived inside a tiny apartment and never let them go outside. She dropped him off at a shelter in Missouri and didn't give the staff a reason why. Because Domino was forced to live in a confined spaces, he will "circle" (run around in tight circles) when he is nervous. Thanks to Chihuahua Rescue Midwest, we were able to adopt this sweet angel. He loves to cuddle and circles less and less every day.

Cole is our big baby. He is a 21 pound Min Pin/Chihuahua mix. Cole and his brother were found wandering the streets of St. Louis, MO. He actually had ticks embedded in his fur. They were so bad that he had to have them surgically removed! Thanks to the amazing people at St. Louis Senior Dog Project, we now on the happiest dog on the planet! His tail is always wagging and he loves to meet new people and animals.

Penny is one of our "special" babies. She was found as a stray in California and taken to a high kill shelter. No one wanted to adopt her because she has a severe overbite and a deformed front paw that looks like a stump with two "toes" on it. Essentially this makes her a tripod dog. Luckily, a friend of 2nd Chance Animal Rescue saw this little cutie and asked if they would help save her. Then, Penny was driven by Flying "B" Animal Transportation to Springfield, IL where she was fostered until my husband and I saw her on Petfinder.com and fell in love. Penny is such an inspiration to those that she meets. She doesn't let her disabilities stop her from living her best life. And she can even scale our 4 foot pet gate! Check out the video on www.pricelesspennyp.com.

Hope is our second "special" baby. She is a double dapple Dachshund. Unfortunately, she was the product of a backyard breeder. She was born without eyes and is deaf. The "owner" surrendered her to Dachshund Rescue North America (with a choke collar on). I saw her picture and knew that she was meant to be a part of our furry family. My husband and I are constantly amazed at Hope's resilience. She is able to jump onto chairs and navigates through our house as if she has lived there forever.

We feel so blessed to have these wonderful creatures in our lives! I am so thankful for all of the rescue groups that decided to help give these dogs the second chance at life that they so rightly deserve." -Lauren, Freeburg, Illinois