Trouble

Trouble is doing great! It's like she's always been here. We bought a gentle leader and we've been practicing with it with a lot of success. She is only in her crate when we eat or if she decides to go in there on her own (which she does quite a bit!). I think at times our home is a bit over stimulating but she has really fit right in with our family. The kids are just absolutely smitten with her. She is getting more hugs and petting than she knows what to do with and the kids are doing great about leaving her alone in her crate. Owen keeps saying, Trouble is just right for us, we're going to keep her forever. It's really beautiful, a boy and his dog! I have to set up my camera to load pictures to the computer and when I do I'll be sure to send you some. Thank you for so much for thinking of us when Trouble became available, she is just perfect for us! Nella (this is an old picture of Trouble, we'll post new pics of Trouble with her new family once we get them!)

SweetPea

Wanted to give you an update as today was a very busy day for us! We went to our first Agility class this morning and she did well- wasn't too sure about the a-frame or the tunnel but we did it! :-) Also, this afternoon we passed the CGC & TDI test! :-) So, I hope when we get the tag I can start taking her to work one or two days/week. She passed the test with flying colors and did great! It was soo cool. Right now, she's got her bewitching hour and I need to go preoccupy her! She needs more entertainment- Frisbee wasn't enough! Hope all is well with you guys. Gillian (SweetPea was a dog from Kentucky who's owner brought her into the shelter to have her euthanized. He abused and hit her, and poor Sweet Pea had finally had enough and one day turned to snap at him while he was beating her. The shelter staff pleaded with him to just surrender her rather than euthanize and he finally agreed. She sat in the shelter for two months and didn't do well in that kennel situation, being that she is a super smart dog and high energy. They became crowded and her time was up. We got the email, we love the breed and know it well, and agreed to take her and knew she had tons of potential if given the right opportunity. This is a case where a lot of people would have just given up on this precious dog, but look at the outcome! We worked with her when we got her, we placed her in the right home, and now she is a certified therapy dog and takes agility classes! TRULY AMAZING). Thank you to Gillian, for believing in our rescue enough to know that this was the right dog for her, and for knowing in her heart that SweetPea had it in her to be a good girl, if treated like dogs deserve to be treated. (Now don't you just feel like going back to her original owner and giving him a piece of your mind?!)

Vanilla

Meet Vanilla! Vanilla was one of 8 kittens who came into a local, rural shelter with no mom. He needed nursing, and fast. A mom cat just happened to be nursing a single kitten that was brought into the shelter a day earlier. (Mama Spice) and she quickly accepted Vanilla as one of her own. Vanilla was lucky, but when we came into the shelter to pull some senior dogs on death row, we saw how ill the kittens were so we pulled them, too. (the poor kittens and mom didn't even have so much as a towel or blanket to lay on, and the windows were open in the cold shelter and it was mid November!) They were all shivering and some were sleeping in their litter box to escape the cold metal floor of the crate. We took them all that night, and sadly, lost some kittens due to an upper respiratory infection despite vet interventions and antibiotics. Vanilla was one of the lucky ones. He struggled and made it, and look at how beautiful he is!! He was adopted to the most loving home ever with two other kitty siblings, and their favorite thing to do together is to look out the window and bird watch. It's a match made in heaven and we can't thank Roberta enough for saving him and adopting him from our rescue. Thanks Roberta, and give Vanilla lots of chin scratches for us!!

Abe

Both boys (Abe and Coy) are doing awesome! Thanks for asking. I continue to try to get some pictures to send you guys but they are so active that every time I try to take a picture they move. Every time they see the camera(in general) they are so curious that we can not keep them still. With the cold they love it and hate it at the same time. Certain days they seem like it does not even bother them and they romp around in the yard. Other days they stand there looking at me like "are you ever gonna let us back in". They are so perfect with DJ (my 3 year old son). They allow DJ to do anything to them without even a flinch. I can and will never be able to thank you and your organization enough for finding them for me. I hope that Black Dog can continue to rescue those poor souls from that dreadful shelter that sells them. If I can continue to contribute I will definitely be doing so. Hope all continues to go well for you and the organization and I will keep in touch. I'm currently at work right now but when I get home I will go thru the millions of pictures of the boys and pick the best ones and send them to you. Enjoy! Dan

Ernie

This is Ernie. I hope you are doing well. I am doing great here. It's been a year since I moved in with my new family and we get along great. (they spoil me and let me sleep in their bed - I love it). I really like living in New York. We even got some snow this winter!!! I made a lot of new friends - the entire neighborhood knows me by name! And at the dog runs everyone just loves throwing the ball to me because I run after it like a maniac. I am sending you some pictures of me - they were taken around New Year. I had a great holidays - everyone was home so there were so many hands to pet me! I also got a few tasty treats. Gotta love this time of the year! I hope you had a wonderful holidays as well. My entire family is saying HI. They are saying thank you for everything you did for me.