Happy Tails - Stories of Successful Adoptions

Do you have a happy tail that you would like to share? Send us your story along with a photo to DenaE@k-9lifesavers.org and we will add it here.

Dewey enjoys TLC for a year!

Hello!

This month marks a year since “Baby Richardson,” now Dewey, came into our lives and we wouldn’t trade it for anything!  When we rescued him, he was a 4-month-old, malnourished, 30 lb. weim that needed some TLC.  Now, he is a 90 lb. “big boy” that is the friendliest, most loving dog in the world!  Being a weim, he enjoys his daily 4-5 mile walks and loves chewing on his bones (also, mommy and daddy’s comforter…but we are working on that).  He has brought so many smiles and happy moments into our lives…we cannot believe how lucky we were to find such an awesome dog.

Thank you K-9 for all of the work you do …and for continuing to create happy moments in so many other homes.

Jenna and Jon

Diamond (formerly Tilly)

Update on Diamond (Tilly). Here she is showing what a true champion she is becoming!! Love her to pieces! After only two AKC trials, she has only one leg remaining on her novice standard title and a couple legs for jumpers. Then she’ll move to the next level.

More importantly, she brings joy to everyone she meets. I will be forever grateful to you all for saving her, especially Patty Derecola who kept her safe until we could find each other.
– Lisa Signorelli

Truman

We adopted Truman when my daughter was a baby. He snuggles her now as sweetly as he did six years ago. He has been the best companion and we are so grateful he came to us through a pet rescue. Some of the most loving animals are out there waiting for their soulmate. Truman is definitely ours.

BrinLee

A few months ago my wife and I attended an event you had a local PetSmart.  We had seen BrinLee on your web site and was attracted to her beauty.

We arrived a little before it began and as we waited we saw this dog come bounding ouf a car in the parking lot and knew instantly it was BrinLee.  Well, we had another dog wanted to possibly get a second but was not real sure how it would be accepted.  Well, the short story is that from that day on they have been the best of friends.  They have never had one single angry growl, they play constantly, and will aggravate each other until one finally says “OK i guess it’s play time,” and although we don’t allow them to, at the dog park they drink out of the same container and it’s never a problem.  We love these girls.

Recently I saw a bumper sticker that I thought said it all to dog lovers “Life is short, play with your dogs” and boy do we ever.

Thanks for what you do.
– Bob Chase

Tater Tot

On May 25, 2009, a pup came unto us. He was rescued from a dumpster at a gas station in South Carolina. Our lives are infinitely happier with this vocal, inquisitive, saucy, rakish beast.

My husband, Dr. Robert Mackey, grew up in Arkansas on a farm with dogs. While I lived in Oklahoma, my brother was allergic to them. I had only had one.

After getting married, I was loaded for bear (or dog) to get a pup — whether it was a puppy, middle-aged or a senior (don’t forget those).

I found K9 Lifesavers, the best and biggest-bang-for-the-buck (fee for spaying and neutering, transport, etc) you could ever want. And, oh, the dedication of these folks.

Tater Tot rescued me. I donate as much as I can to K9 and ASPCA. I guess I am a little bit of a helicopter owner, but do know that K9 will deliver unto you the best, most loyal and true friend you will ever have — a dog that will make your heart sing.

Adopt today. You will never, ever be sorry. Maybe frustrated, but hey, aren’t we all sometimes?

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”
― Will Rogers

Thanks, Melissa, Bob, Connor and Kirsten (and Jimmy and Peanut)

Joplin (formerly “Wilma” from the ‘W’ litter)

Dear K-9 Lifesavers,

We adopted Joplin (formerly “Wilma” from the ‘W’ litter) a little over 2 months ago. Our meeting her was definitely fate. Needless to say, she is our little angel. Joplin had a very obvious underbite; one look at her adorable face and we knew it was meant to be. When I picked her up, she held onto my shoulders like a baby…it just felt right and I couldn’t put her down! Joplin has been doing great at our home and loves every person and dog that she meets. She is such a smart, loving girl. She adds countless smiles and laughs to our days. We joke around sometimes about how Joplin is the “dog I never wanted”…when searching for a dog to adopt, I had said over again that I only wanted a short-haired dog, possibly a pit bull mix. Joplin is a long-haired (aussie shepherd?) mix. She is nothing I thought I wanted, but everything I needed. So many people have criteria of what makes a perfect dog. Learn from my experience- forget your criteria. Attend adoption events with an open mind. Trust me, when you find the right one you will know it 

Thank you K-9 Lifesavers for bringing Joplin into our lives. Without you, she would have left this world without having felt what it was to be loved. I work at a foster-based dog rescue in NJ now (Joplin is able to come to work with me some days, which she loves!) so I know first hand what you do for these dogs and I really appreciate it. Thank you for giving Joplin a second chance.

Jackie and Jesse

Bella ( formerly Justine)

Hello K9 Lifesavers!

We adopted our furry baby back in September of 2011 at about 5 months of age. She was a stubborn little girl at first to train which is completely normal for the beagle breed but with time and patience she grew out of it, it was all worth it! She is quite the character! She is a very smart dog and keeps us well entertained, always has us guessing at what she will do next. Very loving, affectionate dog (as you can see in the picture) she is a momma’s girl for sure! We both love her very. very much and could not imagine life without her! We talk about adopting another all the time but will have to wait until we move to a house. I refer K9 lifesavers to anyone I hear of contemplating on getting a dog, adoption is the way to go!

Thank you K9 Lifesavers for saving the Bella’s life along with every other dog adopted and waiting to be adopted!

Sam and Frank Robichaud

Theodore “Theo” Maximus (formerly Teddy)

Hi, K-9 Lifesavers ~

I am finally sending along my Happy Tails story! I can’t believe it’s already been two years since I adopted my dog. When I met him, his name was Teddy, but my very close friends have a black lab named Teddi, so I decided to change it so it wouldn’t get confusing. His new name is Theodore “Theo” Maximus. At the time I thought, he’s a little dog so he should have a big name, but I’ve now realized what he lacks in physical size he more than makes up for in personality!
When I went to the Pet Fiesta in Reston, I wasn’t sure I was ready for a dog as I’d never owned one, so I’d planned just to check things out. But then I met Teddy (now Theo), took him for a walk and then held him. I melted and even cried a little. Yes, I’m a bit of a dork. Dork or not, in that moment, I knew he was my dog. I paid the fee and took him home after stopping at PetSmart to get supplies. Thank goodness my friend, John was with me as I had no idea what I needed to buy! When I adopted him we lived in a condo, but last May I bought a house with a fabulous back yard that my friends now call, Theo’s Backyard Paradise. Technically, his paradise is not limited to the yard as he basically runs the show and I just live there to feed him and take him on walks. In his defense, he’s been a great dog and I’ve been completely spoiled, too. He makes me laugh every day and is the sweetest dog ever. If you don’t count the first bed I bought him, he’s never chewed up anything that wasn’t his to chew. Even though he’s now a celebrity (he’s in the Passionately Pets 2013 calendar), he has stayed grounded with only a few diva tendencies, but he had those before his calendar fame.

While I’m still not always sure I know what I’m doing, I do know that adopting Theo was the best decision I’ve ever made and he’s the best dog I could have ever hoped for. Thank you for saving him so that I could adopt him!

Jen

K-dur, formerly Cinnamon

This is K-dur, formerly Cinnamon. She was seven months old when she came to live with Keppra and me. She was very skittish when I first got her. She’s slowly learning to trust. She likes people but is still hesitant around objects. K-dur has been more than a handful at times. Early on, her favorite chew toys were shoes, remote controls, and any power cord.

She makes up for all her naughtiness with her sweetness. I’ve never met a more affectionate dog. She loves to snuggle and is my 60 pound lap dog. I’m pretty sure she thinks people are only here to pet her.

She is full of energy. She loves being chased by her “sister” in the backyard and exploring every inch of the dog park. K-dur is a natural born swimmer and won’t ever pass up a chance to go swimming. However, she refuses to go out in the rain.

K-dur can occasionally be a bit of a challenge sometimes but I wouldn’t change anything. She makes me laugh every day. I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She keeps Keppra on her toes by acting like a true little sister.

Thank you so much for letting her be part my family.

Max (formerly Dash)

Hello,

I wanted to give you an update on Max, formerly Dash – which is more of a warning than a name 

I adopted Max 5 months ago (Nov.2012) when he was 9 months old, he is the sweetest happiest dog I’ve ever known. He walks around with a big smile all the time, everyone adores him the moment they meet him. He is great with people, children of all ages, and other dogs of all ages. He has everyone at Petco wrapped around his paw, he walks around there like the Mayor. I take him to the park a lot for exercise and to burn energy, he loves to chase a ball and he is FAST.

I had DNA testing done on him and found he is 50% Australian Koolie and the other 50% is a mix of Golden Retriever and Chow. Translation: smart, friendly, energetic, willful and very loyal 

I am so thankful he chose me that chilly day in November….he has filled my heart and home with so much joy I couldn’t love him more.

Thank you K-9 for rescuing him  I could’t imagine my life without him!

Margaret

Miss Charlee Mae (formerly Mink)

We adopted Mink in March of 2013 and couldn’t be happier with our choice! Miss Charlee Mae, formerly Mink, has become a special member of our family. Her and her older sister, Sophie Marie, love to play together and at the end of the day they snuggle next to each other and fall sleep. Charlee thinks nothing of walking right up to Sophie and sitting on her. We decided to adopt a dog after the death of our 12 year old Golden Brandi. We wanted Sophie to have another sister and we could not have found a better match.

Charlee is in obedience classes with Sophie and her cousin Lucy the chiuahua and Charlee is the best dog of the three. I am amazed at how smart and eager to please she is.

We recently signed up for a membership at the Robert E Lee Dog Park where they will be able to run and swim in the pond with other dogs. Charlee, Sophie and Chesapeake (formerly Minnie from the same litter) will be meeting at the park for play dates.

A big thanks to K-9 Lifesavers for allowing us to bring this sweet girl into our lives. We tell her all the time that she is a “lucky” dog though I feel like we are the lucky ones. Thank you to all the volunteers at K-9 lifesavers for saving the lives of so many animals and the countless hours you spend placing these loving animals with loving families. We love our Charlee Mae and will always get our future dogs from a rescue.

Cindi, Shelby and Carly Cannon

Aja (formerly Benji)

I adopted Benji..now named Aja..in early March after I had to put down my 11 year old Brady. He died of cancer. Aja’s(Benji) counselor was Barbara..and his “foster dad ” was Gary. They made the process easy..they were so supportive and a great resource. Aja was very people shy and needed a lot of socialization before he came to me.

He is such a JOY!! He is still people shy if he is approached head on.. but if you let him come to you..he is getting better. We are totally bonded..he is affectionate..loves to play with other dogs..especially his best new bud Nora.. a shepard puppy. He stands on the bench of his new deck surveying the neighboring yard for squirrels and bunnies..his passion. He loves walks and meeting the neighborhood dogs. He is endlessly amusing with his exploits.

I am so happy I found him after the loss of Brady. Thank you so much for bringing him to me. Ronni

Chrylser (formerly Rover)

Hi – I just wanted to share our adoption stories and send some updated pictures. I always promised Chrylser’s (Rover’s) former foster mom I would, but never got around to it. She wanted to know how big he grew. He stopped growing at 52 pounds and is much smaller than anyone anticipated which turned out to be a good thing. J

We adopted Cody in March of 2011 when he was a year old. After meeting him at the Petco in Rockville I later drove to a lovely kennel in VA to pick him up. Cody has brought our family nothing but happiness! Although at first he did bring nothing but chaos….he was young and crazy and liked to run up behind us and bite us on the butt! He also used to be very timid and not like to be pet if he was laying down. However it only took him a few weeks to become king of the house and realize we were his forever family. He is now the fastest dog at the dog park and gets to visit some of his friends on a daily basis. He enjoys our weekend house in WV and loves playing in the river and hiking in the woods. It is very hard to take a picture of him because he still has two fears – thunderstorms and camera phones! I have luckily tricked him because he doesn’t know that my Ipad takes pictures yet…

We later adopted Chrysler (formerly Rover) in June of 2012 when he was 4 months old. We met him at adoption show and took him home on the spot. Cody was a bit confused why we brought him home in the car with us, but they immediately became brothers when we got home. We have no idea what Chrysler is…sometimes he acts like a lab and plays fetch and swims, but sometimes he acts like a beagle and howls at any creature he can find. He is the perfect combination of cuteness. Strangely enough he loves to squish bugs even tiny little ants! My husband and I moved out of my parents house when we got married recently and took Chrysler with us, but we only live down the street and he gets to see his big brother almost every day. His favorite thing to do now is to go kayaking with us!

We could not be happier with the pups k-9 lifesavers have brought into our lives and for that we are forever grateful. Thank you k-9 lifesavers for everything you do.

Leyla

When we adopted Leyla in march she was 12 weeks old. She was the cutest little thing! But there was a patch on her back with no hair growing. We took her to the vet, to find out that it was a scar from a fight with another dog. Which must’ve happened before k9 lifesavers rescued her. We were worried about her, that she would be scared of other dogs. But shortly after we adopted her, we found that was not the case. She gets so excited whenever she sees another dog. She loves to play with them. She even tries to play with our cats (but so far unsuccessfully) She is such a sweet, joyful girl, and I’m so glad, at the end of the day, she curls up with us in her special spot on the couch, with her perfect, loving, new home!

Sandy

A little over a year ago, my family had the sad chore of saying good bye to our beloved black lab, Casey, a member of our family for over 11 years. Shortly thereafter, we contacted your organization, the stars aligned, and during a pet adoption event in Alexandria, my husband spotted a sweet yellow lab. She was not the one we went to the event to see, but he was so drawn to her, it was like he just knew she was our dog. I couldn’t say no to either of them! So Sandy came into our lives that Sunday afternoon. Over the past year, we have watched her come out of her shell, leaving behind her “shelter” personality and letting her real “Sandy” personality shine through.

The first few days, she was sweet and loving, but somewhat timid. And since she was a stray, she didn’t know how to go up and down stairs. But she is very smart, and it didn’t take her long to acclimate to our home. As time went by, she has grown quite accustomed to us and our home, and in recent months, more protective, barking when the door bell rings and such. We commented in the beginning that she was so quiet, never seemed to bark, well, now, she has decided that she is truly home and shares that sentiment with whoever knocks on our door.

Sandy spends several days a week at Doggie’s Den Day Care where she can play with her pals and get a good amount of exercise, which she truly needs. Apparently, our hearts were so touched by the skinny little stray that our vet has scolded us more than once on her weight gain! So we put her on an exercise program and are helping her keep her lovely girlish figure. We also take her to one of local dog parks on the weekends, so that she can romp and play ball with us to her heart’s content.

I have attached some pictures of her taken throughout the year. Thank you so much for the good work you are doing. We just LOVE her, and are so appreciative that she came into our lives, at a time when our hearts were just so broken, she really brought joy and love back into our home, and helped us work through our grief. When we saw her at the adoption event, I was concerned that it was too soon. My ever-wise husband said to me, “Why wait? She needs a home and we…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew what he meant. We need her. As much, if not more, than she needed us. Thank you so much!

Enjoy the pictures!

best,

Maria Clements

Meeko (formerly Okra)

We wanted to send a message to K9 Lifesavers regarding the puppy my wife Michelle, and I adopted about 9 months ago. He was called Okra at the time, but now his name is Meeko. Meeko is doing very well at home and is very playful. He loves fetch and wrestling with our cat to keep himself entertained. He has been great with our niece, which is fun because they are around the same size. He recently began learning how to swim, which is a big step considering before he didn’t even want to walk on grass that was wet.

Since we adopted Meeko, he has more than doubled in weight, going from 20 to 45 pounds, although he is still very tall and lean. He learned several tricks pretty easily, and now we compelted a puppy obedience class to work on some difficult behaviors, like jumping and leash pulling. Meeko is very food motivated, so it certainly helps with the training.

We wanted to thank K-9 Lifesavers for making adopting Meeko a great experience. When we were looking for him, we had just lost our 11 year old dog to cancer, so the process was very emotional. K-9 Lifesavers made us feel valued and trusted. We had gone to many different adoption events, but most ended with us leaving more sad than happy. When we met Meeko, it was truly love at first sight and he was the first dog to make my wife smile. We cannot imagine our life without him and recommend your rescue to everyone who asks!

Sumter (formerly Hickory)

We rescued a dog in January 2009 – Hickory (now known as Sumter). His journey has been incredible. He was skin and bones, scared, and one-day out of a South Carolina pound when we met him in an alley in Georgetown. We named his Sumter after a town near where he was found.

He spoke to our hearts and we took him home, not sure what dog would emerge when he was healed and whole again. He has been all we hoped and more. He is incredible with our 9 month old baby and the best friend to us all. Not only that but we had his DNA tested and he is such an interesting mix: mostly German Shorthair Pointer, some Australian Shepherd, a tad bit Doberman, and a sprinkle of Corgi. Most unique and perfect dog ever!

Willie

It was 5 yrs ago today our family adopted Willie from you. I saw his picture on petfinder.com, and it was love at first sight. He was pictured in a kennel in an animal shelter in NC. Thanks to your networking, he made it to us in MD. We have now moved to VA, and with each move he adjusts quite nicely. He is a wonderful dog in every way. Thank you so much for your hard work.

Dixie (formerly Joanie)

Hi guys! This is Dixie (formerly Joanie). I adopted her through K-9 Lifesavers in February of this year. She was just a baby when we got her, but she is just about fully grown! She is doing great. I ended up getting her a little brother, so she could have a playmate all the time! She is doing great on the leash and listens very well. As you can see, she has made herself very comfortable here! She gets to go to the dog park just about every week! So far I have found that she enjoys hiking, playing in the snow, and traveling to the beach! She shares well with other dogs. However, she is not a fan of swimming or going to the groomer! Thank you so much for helping me to find this precious baby! She is absolutely spoiled rotten! I’m hoping that I can bring her to one of your events sometime in the near future so everyone can see her all grown up! Take care guys and thanks again!!

Tank

Thank you for Tank,He is a Great addition to our family. One Happy boy at his Furever Home !!!

Sesame (formerly Sandy)

This is Sesame (formerly Sandy) – enjoying summer and life. We just celebrated her third year at home. Thanks K9!

Watson (formerly Rio)

We adopted Watson, now Rio, on 12/9/12. He is so happy with us and loves his fur sister and brother. He lives in a wonderful, loving home and goes running through the woods with his little brother every morning for about an hour. He’s cuddling with us on the sofa as I write this. Rio is such a perfectly behaved dog and we are very lucky to have him. Thank you for taking good care of him until he could find his way to us.

Harvey

Harvey with his sister Daisy, in the background…..he bonded with her immediately. He has a mini schnauzer brother, Chops,who isn’t in the picture here. Daisy is the boss and she wants to thank K9 Lifesavers as well..Harvey is an awesome addition to our family and is slowly coming out of his shell.

Lilly

“We adopted Lilly in February and we are all happy as can be! This is a picture from our long walk today. Thank you so much for all you do!”

Farley (formerly Wuppie)

“This is Farley (formerly Wuppie). We adopted him in March 2012 when he was just a pup. Now he’s going to be 2 in November and is about 50 pounds. His favorite activity is chasing a ball but indoors he likes to play with his big Kong toy, covering it with his bed or a mat and then digging it out.

He doesn’t like to stop, but if you wait him out long enough, he’ll tire himself out…”

Emma (formerly Midori)

Emma (formerly Midori) and I visiting Nat Geo and Cesar Milan’s team (Dog Whisperer) about doing some things to help the Pitbulls! Can’t say what yet but Emma and I are hoping to make some big moves!

Happy

Hey there, just wanted to send you a picture of happy! As you can see he’s quite happy and living the good life 

~Christen

Dandelion

I just wanted to share an update with everyone. We adopted Baby Dandelion in March at 8 weeks old. She has quickly become the highlight of our lives! She is very smart, sociable, and super sweet. I wanted to thank you for all that you do. I cannot imagine life without our Baby Dandelion. We love our “furchild” and have loved getting to know K-9 lifesavers. Every year for Dandy’s birthday, we plan on donating to this awesome organization!

Omar (formerly Baby Razz)

Thank you Luci and Kate! Rooney is adorable!

Omar (Baby Razz) has a similar temperament. He is very playful at the
dog park, but he is also really submissive with other dogs when
they’re playing. He has gotten huge! He is about 45 pounds already.

Rooney (formerly Curly Carl)

Hi, Kate. Hope all is well with you. I’m forwarding a couple of photos of Rooney (formerly known as Curly Carl). He is an absolutely wonderful puppy; very smart, funny, and eager to please. He’s also incredibly good-natured, and surprisingly chill for a puppy. We love him to pieces. Even our wire fox terrier, Holly, likes him. He’s bigger than her now, but they play together and wrestle a lot and she acts almost maternal toward the little knucklehead – which is not something we’ve seen before.

We couldn’t resist getting Rooney DNA-tested. This will be a good one for your guess-the-breed contest. No one will guess his ancestry; we sure didn’t! First of all, he’s a true mutt. Both parents were mixed breeds: Chow Chow, Brittany Spaniel, and German Shepherd on one side of the family; and Chow Chow and Australian Cattle Dog on the other. So, he’s got Chow Chow on both sides of his family tree. Grandparents were also mutts. You have to go to his great grand-parents to find the purebreds, and three of his great-grandparents were mutts. The results also say that there could be traces of: Lakeland Terrier, Boxer, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Cesky Terrier, and Basset Hound in him! Can you believe that? And he still doesn’t shed.

If the photos below work for you, feel free to use them on the K9 Lifesavers site. Also, if you have email addresses for the people who adopted Rooney’s litter mates, feel free to forward this to them. I’d be happy to share our DNA report, and would love to know if anyone else has done a DNA test.

Have a wonderful 4th of July. And thanks for helping us find Rooney. We feel so lucky to have him as part of our pack.

Luci

Stone

Barbara,

Just wanted to drop you a line and say that we absolutely love Baby Stone! He’s an amazing dog, thanks in large part I’m sure because of the thoughtful care he got from K-9. In fact, lots of people have asked us about where we found him.

Thank you so much!

Aditi & Dalmar

Kellie (formerly Annie)

Hi, Katie:
We adopted Kellie (now named Annie) at your January pet event in Annapolis –
she’s doing great and we really love her.

We convinced our friend and neighbor, the Falcone’s, to adopt Kenny (now
named Guiness) – he was adopted last week and is also adjusting well to his
new family.

They live about a mile from each other, have now been reunited, and are
getting to know each other again (Guiness is on the left and Annie is on the
right).

We are planning to be at the wine event on May 18th with Annie and are
hoping the Falcone’s will be able to also make it and bring Guiness. Please
feel free to share this photo as a true success story!!

Thanks,
Carol and Cris Clore

PS Annie is being certified as a therapy dog and also graduated “doggie cum
laude” from obedience school – she’s the best!!

Rodger (formerly Alexander of the A pups)

Hello! I wanted to send you all this picture of Rodger (formerly Alexander of the A pups) and wish the rest of the A pups a very happy 1st birthday! Rodger is no doubt my very best friend and I can’t thank you enough for bringing us together! Despite looking less than thrilled with his birthday outfit, Rodger is spoiled rotten and loved by many. His close friends in the neighborhood are even coming over tonight to celebrate his big day…and yes- there will be a puppy birthday cake! Thank you so much again!

Larissa and Rodger the Dog =)

Max (formerly Jefferson)

Hi Sandy,

Thanks SO MUCH for everything you did to help us bring Max (formerly known as Jefferson) home. He is growing like a beanstalk – already almost 50 pounds! Luckily, he is a total love bug. As I’m typing this, he and his sister Lola are curled up with me, snoozing away. He’s brilliant, affectionate, funny, calm, friendly, curious… everything we hoped for!!!

He is just the most wonderful pup – we adore him, and really can’t thank you enough. 

Cheers,
Rebekah, Xander, Lola, Bojangles, and Max Hart

Toby

Happy Holidays. We thought we would give you an update on our adoption of Toby. We know you like to hear from the families!!

Toby is doing really well and is loved by everyone in our immediate and extended families. He loves everyone he meets and every animal he encounters. Even the neighborhood kids all love him. It is not unusual to have the next door neighbor Sara, 6yrs old (and previously terrified of ALL dogs), knock on our door and ask to walk him. He is a snuggler and wants nothing but to follow you everywhere you go. His only “quirk” which we are working on is separation anxiety. He gets very anxious and destructive if left alone. He was so frantic the first time we left him that he attacked the blinds throughout the house. Now we know better and crate him.

But we are confident that with time he will adjust. He is already feeling like this is his home. His best friend is a min pinscher named Ollie who lives across the street. They spend almost everyday together taking walks or wrestling.

Thank you K9 Lifesavers for the work you do each and every day to help these homeless animals.

The Gonzalez Family

Shadow

Hi Jessica and Danielle.

Today is Shadow’s first birthday, according the papers I got from K9 Lifesavers! As you may recall, we had a rocky start, but months later, she’s really getting into her groove. She’s still a bit timid around strange men, but people she’s gotten to know she loves, and she’s no longer the submissive pup she used to be. She’s a quick learner most of the time, she plays in true doggie fashion with other dogs, and even will swim, with some reluctance. She is extremely playful, and even at a year old is a very exuberant puppy. When I brought her home, she was around 35 pounds, and today, she’s almost 70! I wanna thank you two again for your support in the first few weeks, and I’ll be posting on the K9 Lifesavers Facebook page. I’m so grateful to have Shadow.

Millie

We’ve had our sweet Millie for two weeks now & there is a mutual lovefest going on. She fits our family perfectly and is so sweet. She is getting over some health issues from being a stray, but generally a happy, energetic, friendly pup. Thank you so much!!!!!!!

Mack

Barbara,

Here is Mack yesterday when we were getting ready to take him home. Also took him to the Vet this morning and he was very pleased at how healthy he is and what great care everyone took to get him like that. He even mentioned he was surprised when he knew his background. He use to be involved with rescues from the South and was pleasantly surprised with Mack’s condition.

Gregg and I would like to thank you and all of other volunteers at K-9 Life Savers! Mack couldn’t be a nicer dog!! Now it’s time to let the spoiling beginJ, we’ve hit Petco and loaded up on lots of fun stuff, explored his new 5 acre yard and dog park this weekend!

Thanks again,

Rebecca

Beatrice

Hello K-9 Lifesavers,

I thought everyone would like to hear and see how wonderful Beatrice is doing with her Fur-ever family. I can’t thank Yvonne and K-9 Lifesaver”s enough for our sweet Beatrice. We are coming up on a year since we adopted her and we could not imagine our life before Bea. She made has made many new furry friends and has worked very hard at being less nervous on leash. To work on her leash reactivity, she attends group training, and often is the star of the class. She has become quite the traveler…….. camping, boating, hiking and even at trip to Disney World.

Although, Beatrice has some limitations in social situations, we know her limits and make sure to keep her safe and happy. What terriffc girl we have!!!

Thank you

Kim, Frank, Lauren and Tommy

Dunkin (formerly Mace)

Dunkin celebrates his third birthday today!!!
We’re so glad he found his forever home with us!

Noah

We adopted our dog Noah through your organization four years ago. Since it is his “birthday” with us we wanted to take a moment and say thank you. Noah is the best dog and we could not have asked for a better addition to our family! We honestly do not know what life was like before him. We both came from families that grew up with dogs from breeders. This was our first experience rescuing an animal and once you rescue a dog you just cannot imagine anything else!

Thank you so much!

Caleb and Amy Mooney

Maggie

Thought you might like to see a video of Maggie (formerly Roxy), the yellow Lab I adopted from K-9 Lifesavers in 2009, playing in the snow this morning. She was heartworm positive, supposedly 11 (which I didn’t even believe at the time), having seizures and had a lick granuloma on her paw. She’s now been treated for heartworm, hasn’t had a seizure (that I know of) for almost 3 years, her lick granuloma disappeared (without medication), and she runs and plays like a much younger dog. And she’s extremely sweet and obedient (except when it comes to garbage can with food in them). I love her dearly.

Just water to say thank you and let you know that she is doing well.
Elizabeth

Stella (formerly Sara of the S puppies)

Hello K9 Lifesavers,

I just wanted to let you know that Stella is doing well in her new home.

At first, we were disappointed to learn that she wasn’t going to grow to be a big dog, but we quickly got over that disappointment when we got to know Stella.

What she lacks in size, she makes up for in personality and intelligence.  Stella is, without a doubt, the most intelligent dog I have ever had the pleasure of adopting.

We adopted her at 8 weeks, and by the end of the first week with her she had already mastered a number of commands, including: sit, lie down, sit pretty, come, look, and roll-over.  By the second week, she was housebroken (except for one or two accidents).  She hits a little bell that we hung on the front door to alert us when she needs to go outside.

We started puppy kindergarten with her yesterday, and she is leaps and bounds ahead of the other puppies in her class.  We have discussed training her for agility competitions because of how eager she is to work, and because of how quickly she absorbs commands.

She is sweet and cuddly, and absolutely adores small children and other dogs.  She is already best buddies with my other dog (a 5 year old Saluki-mix).   I honestly don’t think we could have picked a better dog if we tried.

Thanks K9 Lifesavers!

Audrie

Tessie

Hi Patty-

Thought you might like to see a picture of Tessie! Yes- she has put on 18 lbs since we got her from you! But the vet says all is well and she is healthy!!

We absolutely adore her and she is my constant companion!

Hope all is well with you! I am sure you are surrounded by many four legged friends!!

Carol and Tim

Lucy (formally Mindy)

I met Lucy in Annapolis last August 25th.  Her foster mother Patty D. delivered her and it was love at first sight.  Patty had trust and faith in me by delivering Lucy to me before I got back into my home.  My house was destroyed in a fire on April 17, 2011.  In that fire my dog Dusty a very handsome schnauzer was killed along with my friend’s two adorable miniature dachshunds.  It was absolutely devastating.  I cannot describe in words the pain I felt about losing those most precious puppies.  Everything in the house was replaced except the lives of the dogs.  I was so distraught, sad, and needed the strength to get my life and house back together.  I mourned from April to August when I knew I could accept another puppy in my life.  Being in a rental property, I knew it would be difficult to meet the requirements of adopting.  Somehow I got onto K9 lifesavers website and saw Lucy’s (Mindy’s) picture.  She was perfect…the right size and weight.  I called her foster mother Patty and immediately started to cry on the phone when telling my story.  We both ended up crying together.  I gave her references and I guess something in her knew Lucy and I would be a good match.

Jump ahead a year and we are back home.  She is spoiled.  She uses every bed, sofa, and comfy chair as hers.  I don’t care…I love her so much.  She is so wonderful.  Every morning she wakes me up with kisses and hugs.   She has helped me heal in so many ways.  We are both grateful for finding each other.

Sincerely,
Joan Glass and Lucy(I named her Lucy because she has red hair like Lucille Ball.)

Pogo (formerly Snoop)

Hi Yvonne,

I adopted Pogo (now Snoop) about 1 year ago from K-9 Lifesavers. I also encouraged a co-worker to adopt a dog from K-9 Lifesavers and he did as well. He adopted his dog about 2 months ago and his name is Winston.

I wanted to give you an update on Snoop and let you know how great he’s been doing. He is really good in the house and doesn’t really destroy anything and I leave him loose all day while I am at work. He tries to be friends with my two older Chihuahuas, but the two of them want nothing to do with him. I have had a few dogs over at the house that I have dog sat and he just wants to be everyone’s friend, whether they want to be his friend or not! Most dogs don’t really care for him, but he never acts aggressive towards them so that is refreshing. He runs around the yard, throwing his toys in the air and playing catch by himself and sometimes with me. He has mastered the fetch part, but is still struggling with the return to me part! He also loves to bask in the sun on the deck (see attached picture).

When I have people over at the house, he gets so excited and loves to shower them with kisses and jump all over them (another issue we are working with J). He was even friendly to the A/C repair man who came who was shocked that a pit bull type dog could be so friendly.

I have attached two videos of Snoop and Winston playing together in my backyard from this past Memorial Day weekend when I was dogsitting Winston. The two became best friends and Snoop was gentle enough with Winston when playing that neither got hurt or too rough with one another (Winston is 25 lbs and Snoop is 100 lbs). It was nice to see Snoop actually be friends with another dog that wanted to be his friend too! He has also become friends with a friend’s corgi oddly enough. I guess he just really likes smaller dogs!

Overall he has been a really good dog and everyone who gets to know him loves him!

Thanks for volunteering your time so that I could adopt Snoop into my family!

Diana

Maggie (formerly Buttercup)

Hi K9 Lifesavers,

We adopted Maggie (formerly Buttercup) 10 months ago. She is happy and healthy. She looks forward to the dog park, taking long walks and snuggling in bed. Maggie has brought so much joy to our lives as well as others! We are currently living in northern Virginia but preparing to move down south to Atlanta, GA. Maggie will have a lot of new territory to explore and sniff! Thank you for all the work you do to save these awesome animals!

Ashley and Tony

Mindy

My husband and I moved to the area two years ago to continue our education however when we moved to the area we both decided to leave behind our respective furry children.  We were both very saddened by this decision but we couldn’t bear to separate either of our dogs from our families.  For me I knew that my mother and Dooney (a cocker spaniel) were completely accustomed to being together every moment of the day and I just couldn’t bear to part them. My husband felt the same way about his dog Penny (a collie) and his father.  So we decided the best thing to do was to leave them in Texas.

However as time began to pass we couldn’t stand to come home from school to an empty apartment, we both missed going out on hikes and walks with our dogs.  So we decided to begin looking for a puppy that would be our first dog together as a couple.

Finally while looking online I came across K-9 lifesavers and a picture of Mindy she was a cute and spunky daschund cocker spaniel mix and we decided to try to become her forever home.  She was older than we had originally planned on but when we met her in person it was love at first sight and we just couldn’t picture our lives without her.  We both knew that this wasn’t just going to be a trial period but the start of a new life with a new addition to our family.

It’s now almost been a year since we adopted her and we’ve never been happier.  We both constantly say how lucky we are to have found Mindy and how much we love her.  She’s the perfect dog for us.  She loves to go and play and doesn’t mind when we just feel like watching tv.  Both of our families love her too and say that they’ve never seen such a happy dog.

We love our furry little baby and feel so happy that we found her.

Marcie and Vivek

Shoney (formerly TJ)

Hi Yvonne,

It’s been a week since we adopted Shoney (now known as TJ) and we couldn’t be happier! He’s the perfect addition to our family and we are so grateful to K9 Lifesavers that he was rescued. We instantly fell in love with him when we met him at adoption day and we’ve continued to be impressed since we me took him home. He gets compliments everywhere he goes. We took him to the vet on Thursday and she was amazed by his story. TJ is in good health and adjusted to living with us.

Thank you for sending the letter. We wonder what he’s been through in the past, and we’re so appreciative that this woman found him and gave him a temporary home. If you have the opportunity to contact her, please tell her thank you on our behalf.

Also, thank you and K9 Lifesavers for giving all of these dogs another chance. I am so happy that we were able to rescue such an amazing dog. I’ve attached a few photos of the day we brought TJ home. Please tell everyone thank you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie, Bevan and TJ Mace

Teddy (formerly Tyson)

Chris, Teddy, and I wanted to celebrate our one year anniversary together by sending you an update on how well he’s doing!

We brought Teddy home from Chateaux Animaux a year ago tomorrow and have been head over heels in love with him ever since.

He kept me company all summer while Chris was away for work, and now he keeps Chris company every day while I’m at work.  We love hiking with him all over Rock Creek and cuddling with him at home.  He is spoiled to bits, but gives us so much joy and love that he deserves it all.  And on Thanksgiving morning, he even rescued a dog of his own – finding a lost, scared dog hidden in the bushes of the park, who we were able to get back to his owners!

Thank you so much to K-9 Lifesavers.  Teddy has brought us so much happiness and we couldn’t love him more.

Alais, Chris, and Teddy

Logan (formerly Craven)

Marika,

I thought I would write to give you an update on Craven. Shortly after we adopted him (back in July) we changed his name to Logan. Craven seemed too “tough” for his sweet personality ;). He is doing great!! He has come a long ways since we adopted him; he even likes going for car rides now! We love his company and couldn’t have asked for a better dog! Attached are a couple photos that you might enjoy. I also wanted to let you know that we will be moving from the DC area in June. My husband is in the Air Force and has just gotten an assignment to New Mexico. Hopefully Logan likes mexican food and adobe houses ;).
I hope all is well!!

Thanks so much for helping us find the perfect pup!

Meghan Ball

Benny

Dear K-9 Lifesavers,

We have been thoroughly enjoying the newest member of our family, Benny!  We adopted him several years ago when he was a shy but friendly 2 year old.  He was a beautiful dog but his white fur had been stained red from a bandana that had been tied around his neck for too long.  Even after 6 baths and a trip to the groomer, he was permanently stained red!  But we loved him just the same, and in time, the red grew out.  Now his beautiful tan and white fur shows through!  But the biggest change is Benny’s personality!  He was shy, constantly wanting to please, and nervous much of the time.  He didn’t know how to play with us or other dogs.  But now, every time we call his name, a huge grin appears on his face and he happily trots over!  He has learned how to play catch, and his favorite toys are stuffed animals!  He looks forward to his long walks everyday, belly rubs, and being surrounded by our 3 boys who shower him with love, pets, and (too many!) treats.  We are so thankful to K9 Lifesavers for matching us up with an amazing dog who we love so much!  Our boys will grow up with the best companion we could have asked for.  Thank you!!!

Rebecca

Lucy (formerly Gilda)

My fiance and I adopted Lucy four months ago today. I can’t even begin to tell you the joy that she has brought to our lives – she’s the sweetest dog that I’ve ever known. When we first picked her up, she was very lethargic and quiet, but boy has she come into her own! She’s so happy, and we love playing with her and taking her to dog parks. She’s recently experimented with swimming, and now she loves it! It’s only been a short time, but now we can’t imagine our lives without her – we always say that she’s the dog that all of our future dogs will have to look up to  Thank you so much for taking care of Lucy until we found her, we love her so much!

-Laura

Reggie (formerly Snuggles)

I adopted Snuggles almost three years ago, back in November of 2008. I just thought I should send you a little update.  He and I have been doing quite well.  I renamed him
“Admiral Reginald S. Fourpaws III” for starters, but he usually just goes by “Reggie.”  We moved, and he now has a nice backyard to run around, much to the chagrin of our
neighbors’ Jack Russell and Dachshund.  He is quite happy and enjoys a lifestyle filled with belly rubs and gazing out the window at “his” yard.  I’ve attached 2 of my favorite photos.  I hope k9lifesavers is doing well, and I am very appreciative for your part in connecting me with my best friend.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

George C. Sprowls

Dudley

I adopted Dudley in January 2011.  As I was leaving the adoption event, he came up to me to say hello; the volunteer holding him asked me to take over for a few minutes while she helped out with something else.  I never did let go; within minutes, I knew that he was going to be my dog.  So glad he picked me – he has been an absolutely wonderful companion!!

Thank you so much for helping me find him!

Belle (formerly Mary)

We adopted “Mary,” now known as Belle about two months ago and she is doing amazing! She is the cutest little thing and she is so full of life. She loves her new home and loves snuggling up in bed, playing, and hiding under the bed and table. It’s impossible to wake up in the morning without knowing it will be a great day because Belle will kiss your face all over and nudge her head into you until you get up. Belle loves running and playing with all of her toys and always finds new ways to entertain herself. She is also great in the car and comes on many road trips with us to visit family.

We could not imagine life with out this little bundle of joy, we are so lucky!

Timo (formerly Tiny)

We adopted Timo (formerly Tiny) in March of 2010.  He was a dog in search of a boy. He found his and now resides happily with his boy and a poodle named Bunny.  Timo is sweet loving dog, happy to spend his days sleeping on the nearest lap. He has learned to play, loves walks and car rides, and has proved the adage, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” to be just plain wrong.

The house would be so empty without him. Thank you for allowing him to adopt us.

Diana M. Luan, PhD

Bentley (formerly Society)

We adopted Bentley in January 2010.  Arrived home just in time for 2 huge snow storms! Turns out Bentley loves to run and jump through the snow- digging and eating it! He has been a wonderful addition to our family and is a loving companion! He loves to run around his fenced yard, wrestle with his neighborhood dog buddies and always wants you to throw the tennis ball- but only when you can pry it out of his mouth! We recently had a baby- and Bentley loves to kiss her, lick her feet and grab one of her toys when we are not looking. He is also pretty good at bringing the dirty laundry upstairs if the door is left open by mistake! Bentley is full of energy and personality- and thinks he is a 60 lb lap dog who loves to snuggle! His loud yawns, crazy frizzy hair and goofball personality has made our family complete. Thank you for rescuing Bentley and providing us the opportunity to give him  a loving home that he so deserves!

Brian and Katy Boone

Maximus

We adopted Max, who was being fostered by Heather, in 2009.  He has been the greatest addition to our family and we couldn’t love him more.  He went to doggie school, and although he was the loudest and the troublemaker of the class, he learned the quickest and even learned a couple of fun tricks.  We moved into a brand new house last summer and Max now has a big fenced in back yard that he can run around in, but spends most of his time sun bathing (his favorite past time).  He has two best friends that he visits regularly, a min pin Luna, who is his “cousin” that he likes to wrestle with and Leo, a jack Russell terrier, who he likes to chase kitties with.  At night he loves snuggling in our laps or wrapped up in the blankets on the couch.  We just got back from our first big beach trip with him to the Outer Banks, NC. Max had a blast playing in the sand, and laying on the beach or by the pool.  And he even got to ride in the bike “chariot” with us when we went on bike rides.

Thank you so much for rescuing him, I can’t imagine our lives without him!

Penny (formerly Shawna)

I recently adopted Penny from you guys, she was rescued from the Virgin Islands. We are happier than ever to have her as family. Penny is very sweet & calm. She was shy at first but is now acting more like a dog. She learned to use the stairs, loves going out for walks and is learning to play ‘fetch’. Her other hobbies include stealing socks from the laundry basket, meeting new people and being a lazy butt. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her. Penny loves her new life in DC with her mommy & daddy, she can sleep all day if she wanted to but would gladly go for a run, We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thank you  Greg & Vanessa

JAX (formerly Ajax)

We adopted this lovable little beagle/jack russell mix in April of 2010, he is now 19 months old. He has been the love our lives ever since, he travels everywhere we go, he especially enjoys car rides! When we arrived at the adoption event and Barb put him in our arms we knew that moment that he was the dog for us!We instantly fell in love with this little guy, he was adorable, his head was big and his body was little!! How could u not be in awe of him? He was sick when we got him and k-9 lifesavers helped us get him better every step of the way!! We appreciate everything you guys did for us to help this guy, he is now healthy, very active and happy. We recommend k-9 lifesavers to everyone looking to adopt a pet! Thanks so much!!

Much love,
Jax, heather and lee

Miley

Miley has been with us two months and it we can’t remember life without her.  She has brought pure joy and unconditional love to us.  We thank you everyday for blessing us with her.
Pat and Sue

Io (formerly Georgia)

Patty, I wanted to let you know that Io, formerly “Georgia” is doing wonderfully and is the perfect addition to our family. Shortly after we brought her home, a tiny sickly stray cat came to us. After proper Vet care and shots for all, the two of them have become great friends. They play and sleep together. We are so pleased with her, housebroken and in obedience class now she’s grown into a leggy, sweetheart with lots of personality quirks to keep us laughing. It’s just been a joy loving her everyday. I can’t thank you enough for letting us adopt her.

Howie (formerly Chuckles)

Attached please find a picture of Howie (formerly known as Chuckles) and his buddy, Bebel.

We adopted Howie in February after seeing his picture on Petfinder.  My husband and I have always had our three pups together and were crushed when our youngest named Max passed away suddenly in December. Our girls, a boxer named Bebel and pit mix named Renarde are 10 and 11, so we wanted to find a young friend to get them running around and off the couch.

Howie loves to race around the yard and dig holes with Renarde, especially if there is mud anywhere! He adores snuggling with Bebel who is blind. He and Renarde help her get around the house, which is heart-warming to watch.

Thank you for helping us find an amazing friend and family member.  We love our crazy Howie and he is a perfect addition to our family.

Thanks,
Amy Weldner

Copper

Hi my name is Copper. I was adopted 3/13/11. First of all I would like to thank K-9 Lifesavers for saving my life and Brittany for finding me a great forever home. I really love it here and they really love me.  They keep telling me how handsome I am and what a good boy I am! Lots of petting, treats, and belly rubs. I have a new best friend. His name is Zorro. Zorro is a cat! He is a real laid back guy like me. We like to lay in the warm sunshine by the glass front door together. We also like to sit at the back door and watch birds together. There are two other cats here. They stay to themselves and don’t bother us. They are not like my buddy Zorro. The second day here my new Mom took me to meet my new doctor. She was very nice to me, gave me a shot, and something called a microchip. I heard her thank my Mom for getting a “rescue” because she works with a rescue group and said us guys/girls really deserve a good home. I heard her also say what a good boy I was and handsome too! I love the walks around the neighborhood and my new Dad likes to play in the yard with me. There is also a little girl dog, named Natty, who comes over once or twice a week and we run and bark a lot in my big back yard. I just love to play. They got me a big comfy bed, but I prefer the lounge chair in the family room! I am one lucky dog thanks to K-9 Lifesavers. I hope all the other guys and girls get good homes as soon as they can. All my thanks and all my love, Copper.

Autumn (formerly Maddie)

Just wanted to thank you for connecting our family with Autumn (formerly Maddie) at the Dog Days of Silver Spring in October 2010. She has made our senior dog, Voodoo, act like a teenager again-it’s
love!  Our cat, Chili, adores her too-and it goes both ways!  My husband, son and I adore her as well-she is a snuggly, playful, funloving sweetheart.  We feel privileged to have given her a forever
home because she has given us so much more….

Dale

My boyfriend and I adopted Dale in November of last year and he has brought nothing but complete joy to our lives! He is a wonderful companion to our other dog, Olga- they are best friends! The two of them do EVERYTHING together. They “people watch” on the patio together, they play together, they even cuddle together! He never fails to make us smile! He loves attention and he loves to rest his head in my lap while I’m petting him! He’s everything I could have asked for! When we first adopted Dale, he was 9 months and 58 pounds- he is now full grown and 76 pounds! His foster mom, Katy did an amazing job helping him adjust to “home life” before he was adopted! We are truly blessed for everything she has done for him, and for the great opportunity that your rescue has given him!

Love,
Katie, Mark, Olga, and Dale

Rosie (formerly Hope)

Hey Heather!
Long time no talk to – it’s been 6 months since we got our little Rosalita and you would be so proud!  She walks on her leash like a good girl and plays and romps and runs and chases like the big dogs now!  She makes me laugh so hard sometimes my stomach hurts but I thought you might enjoy some pics of her and her sissie.  Just so you know that SHE is happy healthy and getting smarter by the day!  She actually knows how to sit, stay, down, and come on command and she potty’s OUTSIDE!!! WOO HOO!!!  Just another one of your success stories!!!

She should be put in the “BEST DOG EVER” album!

Thanks for everything and thanks for all you do!!!!

PS: She LOVES the BEACH too!  We let her off the leash and she runs and plays with Sophia and runs right back to her daddy and I – making sure all is ok!  She is an awesome dog and we both love her so, but she’s a daddy’s girl and he’ll be the first to tell ya she loves him the most!!

Sonny (formerly Joe)

Sonny has been the love and light of our lives. Sonny is a gorgeous, American Staffordshire with an awing brindle coat of darker chocolate and caramel colors. We found Sonny, formerly known as “Joe”, on K-9lifesavers.org via Pet Finder. We saw his thumbnail among many on the website and he caught both of our eyes immediately. The initial visit made it so easy for us to fall in love with HIM, not just his photo. His foster dad, Dave, had us come over and walk with Joe, see him go in his crate on command, hang out with Dave’s other pit Peyton, who was visibly a great influence on Sonny. We’ve had Sonny for a year and a half now and we both remind each other everyday how much we lucked out with him. He is SUCH a good and happy dog, something we feel is a reflection of the people that rescued and fostered him and took the time to make a good impact on him as a young pup. Bringing Sonny into our lives has been the most rewarding thing we’ve done, and once we get a house with a big yard–we can’t wait to get more!

Izzy (formerly Wuzzy)

I adopted “Wuzzy” in August. He was 14 weeks old then and had been rescued from a high kill shelter in Georgia. He was adorable despite a little mange. I didn’t want to change his name too drastically, so Wuzzy became Izzy (I just changed the tense–was became is!) He is now (at about 9 months) a healthy 50-pound dog with a beautiful copper colored coat. He lives with me in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where he romps off leash in Prospect Park every morning for at least an hour. He gets along with all other dogs and is a wonderfully sweet companion. He also gets to spend a lot of time romping on my sister’s 12 acres of land in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York. Izzy and his canine “cousins” — both of my sisters have dogs–have a great time together walking in the woods and playing tug-of-war with toys. I thought Izzy might be a Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix when I adopted him, but now I think he’s probably a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mix. Thank you for introducing me to Izzy. He will be my best friend for years to come.

Best,
Elliott Holt

Sarah (formerly Skittles)

In an instant. That’s how quickly we fell in love with Sarah, one of K-9’s finest (in our opinion). Decided on adopting her, we visited her caring foster family, who were both thrilled to see her go to a “forever home” and yet, sad to see her leave them.

Two weeks later, the bundle of fur, love and mischief know as Sarah was introduced to her forever home, settled in almost right away, and made quick friends with all the neighbors and their canine companions.

To this day, she continues to eat much too fast for her own good and enjoys her favorite past-times, tag with our cat and chasing squirrels up trees.

A big, big thank you to both K-9 Lifesavers for their continuing work and foster families everywhere, who give their time and open their homes to animals in desperate need.

Finn (formerly Honeysmacks)

We adopted Finn in September of 2010 and he is the sweetest addition to our family.  Finn has been an absolute joy for all of us but especially for my 11 year old daughter and our 1 year old black lab Bella.  Finn is a total cuddlebug and loves to play with his big sisters.  He is growing like a weed and more loveable every day.  We fenced in our backyard in October so now Finn and Bella have their own puppy playground!  They love to race around the yard playing soccer, wrestling and even digging holes under the deck (a puppy favorite at our house).  Muddy paws are our specialty 

We just wanted to thank K-9 Lifesavers for saving Finn.  He is such a loving dog and I am so happy we were able to take him out of the shelter for good.  He loves the soft couch, warm blankets, and loving laps to sleep on and we make sure he has all of the love we can give him.  Thank you again for all the animals but especially for our Finn!

Lots of K-9 Love,
Erin, Luis, Kayley, Bella and Finn

Nate

In Feb. 2010 my sister and I fell upon Nate’s story on-line and fell in love instantly.  We knew early on that he was abandoned and malnourished, but wasn’t prepared for the scared, timid, battered puppy we finally met.  Nate’s first several months with us was heartbreaking because he didn’t like to be left alone for fear we wouldn’t come back. We kept the name he was given because it fit him so well!

Now…Nate’s the life of the house and the neighborhood!  Everyone who meets him love him and he’s been the top dog in both of his obedience classes.  His health issues have cleared, his coat is beautiful and he has gained weight!  Nate lives for playing tug-a-war, chasing squirrels and long walks. I couldn’t imagine my life without my shadow and protector!  Thank you K-9 Lifesavers for all you do and for bringing my baby into my life!

Topaz (formerly Athena)

Hello – just back from the beauty salon, so figured this was the best time to show you how fabulous I grew up to be. I’ve lived with Mommy and Mr. Man and my Uncle Champ, the beagle, for a little over a year now.  I love it!  I have a big backyard to run around in. It’s full of trees and birds and squirrels.  When I’m not busy tormenting old Uncle Champ (my favorite chew toy – beagle ears are yummo!), I’ve become quite adept at tormenting the birds and squirrels. Mr. Man saw me snatch a bird right out of the air, and I’ve brought my humans birds, moles, squirrels and when I was just a baby, I brought Mommy a snake.   I don’t think she liked it much.  Just showing her how fearless I am!

Thank you K-9 Lifesavers for saving me from the shelter and helping me find my humans!  I’ve trained them well and they’ve littered the house with squeaky toys just for me. Their friends can’t stop gushing about how beautiful and sweet I am, and I’ve even got an admirer in the U.K. who keeps my picture next to his crate.  Yeah, I’m pretty darned special. Mommy and Mr. Man are SOOOOOO lucky they found me!

Cheers!
Rhonda and Jon Lehtinen

Sophie (formerly Hershey)

Sophie (formerly known as Hershey) has gotten so comfortable in hernew condo and has met lots of other 4-legged friends in the neighborhood! Her mommy takes her out on lots of walks and she knows that when she gets home- a treat will be waiting. She has a big bin full of toys and loves to take them all out, look at them, and then select the one she wants to play with (usually the soft, squeaky ones). Since her mommy likes to babysit a lot, Sophie has become great friends with all the little kids. She is so gentle and sweet with them and lets them pet her, chase her, and give her big hugs. Usually, the kids have something yummy on their hands that Sophie likes to lick!

I just wanted to say a belated thank you to K-9 Lifesavers and Yvonne Manzo for introducing me to the most wonderful, caring, and loving being that I’ve ever known.

Love,
Rielle & Sophie

Ben Olsen (formerly Jasper)

When we brought Ben home from DC, my husband and I were so excited! Ben Olsen (named after my husband’s favorite DC United soccer player) loves squirrels, ducks, cats, birds and the dog park. My parents have a dog the same age and they play together for hours and then take naps side by side. He has the qualities of both a Jack Russell Terrier (he loves to jump) and a Basset Hound (he is often content to sit next to you on the couch.) He has so much love to give and is such a joy to be around everyday! His recent accomplishments include learning how to hop through 12+ inches of snow, learning how to put down the window in my car and when we play music, he likes to squek his toys to accompany the song.

Ben Olsen is the PRIDE and JOY of our lives! We will never be able to thank you enough!
Lindsay and Josh

Sumter (formerly Hickory)

We rescued our dog in January of 2009 and his journey has been incredible. He was skin and bones, scared, and one-day out of a South Carolina pound when we met him in an alley in Georgetown. He spoke to our hearts and we took him home, not sure what dog would emerge when he was healed and whole again. He has been all we hoped and more. He is incredible with our 9 month old baby and the best friend to us all.

Sincerely,
Brooke

Harper (formerly Ebony)

Harper recently turned a year old and she’s been my dream dog. Originally thought to be a lab spaniel, she’s looking more like a flat coated retriever with a beautiful soft coat. She loves beef marrow bones, watching television (especially cartoons), naps, and taking daily trips to her favorite dog parks. She’s a total cuddlebug who loves to play with other dogs, is intensely curious about cats, and adores people (especially my landlord’s little girls who slip her treats from their dinner table). I can’t thank K-9 lifesavers enough for sending me such a perfect puppy. I get compliments every day on how beautiful, smart, and friendly Harper is and I totally agree! She’s my perfect match!

Sincerely,
Diana Metzger

Loki (formerly Carol)

Just writing to say a big “thank you!” for Loki, formerly Carol. She was adopted by my roommate and me a couple of years ago, and she’s been nothing but a furry wonderdog since. Her favorite things to do are play with her multiple stuffed squirrels and stare you down while you’re eating.

Every day we’re greeted with the funniest combination of whines and barks and an immediate need for belly rubs. Thank you again for what you do, we’ve definitely ended up with the best dog!

Coby (formerly Twitch)

This is very belated, but I just wanted to write and say thank you for giving us the opportunity to meet our darling little Coby (formerly Twitch). He is the love of my life and his dad, although not a dog lover and skeptical about getting Coby, may love him more than I do! I can’t imagine life without our little cuddle bug. Thank you so much for making it possible.

Sincerely,
Dana Litowitz

Penny (formerly Peaches)

I’ve honestly never met a better natured dog who was so snuggly and kind. She’s so well behaved and easy going! Thank you so much!

Sorry for gushing, we are just so excited. We bicker over whose turn it is to hold her lease when we take her for walks!
Thanks again for letting us bring Penny into our lives, we are totally smitten!

Katharine

Sonny (formerly Timber)

Thank you so much for bringing this wonderful little guy into my life. “Sonny” now “Timber” (my mom named him!) is a bundle of love and is adjusting very well to my home. He has an amazing temperament; he is gentle, loyal, loving, obedient, and one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met. He follows me around everywhere I go and continually demonstrates how much he just wants simple attention and love, and wants to return it unconditionally to everyone he meets. I am SO appreciative to have him around, I can hardly wait to get home to see him every time I leave the house! He appears so happy and thankful to have a good home to live in and, mostly, to be smothered with love! After only a week, he already sits and waits for his food, is learning to walk on his leash and is almost house trained- what a smart little guy!

Everyone who he meets immediately loves him, can’t believe he is so “good” and asks me where I got him! He thoroughly enjoys playing outside in the backyard, fetching his favorite toy- a green fuzzy snake, running through the leaves, smiling and wagging his tail in glee. Once his tummy/ cough are better, we will start to meet/greet other doggies and begin to socialize some more since he appears to love other dogs.

Thanks again for all the wonderful services your rescue provides, and for helping all the incredible animals like “Timber” find happy homes. I will continue to send photos and notes about Timber’s development as he grows more secure, confident, and “bigger”(!) over time.

Warm regards,
Lindsay & Timber

Riely (formerly Hank)

When we first got Riley in April, we brought him home as a Foster, to see how it would work! Well the moment we had to take him to an adoption event, turned out we were failed fosters, especially when other people wanted to pet him! The moment he walked in the house and refused to go up stairs or walk on the hardwood! Well that only lasted so long, he quickly learned to run up and down (even hobbling on three legs, when we adopted him he just had his surgery). We hadn’t yet integrated him with the cat Raven, she was good with my roommates dog, but Riley didn’t really like her so much…he always tried to eat her :(. Well months later, they can sit in the same room together. We have won the battle, but have yet to win the war, because after an hour they get sick of each other!

Riley learned how to swim over the summer and absolutely loved it! At first he was mad at Mom and Dad, but then realized it was fun to be in the water! When we first adopted him, Riley didn’t like toys, sticking his head out the car window or treats, felt like we had to re-teach him to be a dog. To this day his face is planted against the window looking out waiting for the window to come down, and he loves his plush toys and tennis ball. He use to not like playing around other dogs (taking him to the dog park still has some work, he would rather sniff everyone then play  ), but when he has his friends come out to play with him, he loves running and jumping around!

He unfortunately had to get another surgery in August for his leg (THANK YOU K-9 Lifesavers), and 12 weeks later and a pulled groin, he is doing great! Walking and sitting like a dog that didn’t have any issues with leg. I still remember the day when we pulled his picture up on Craigslist and knew we would love him. It was a huge adjustment to our lives, but we wouldn’t change it! We thank you K-9 Lifesavers for everything you have done, especially putting Riley in his Furever home!

Thank you,
Erin and Matty

Binky

I previously had owned a dog (“LUCKY”) who I took for his evening walks. While walking that evening I ended up stepping in a hole and breaking my ankle. After I had surgery to put my ankle together again, “LUCKY” got really sick and had to be euthanized, so here I sat with a big cast, unable to walk and lying in bed checking out Petfinder.com for my next four legged companion. After searching for months – I had to give myself time to heal so that I could walk again (wouldn’t be fair to not be able to walk the new dog) – I finally saw a picture of “BINKY” from K-9 Lifesavers. There was just something about his face that said, will you please pay me a visit? After passing the home inspection, off I went to visit “BINKY” at his foster mom’s house and it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

He came home with me that day and he has helped me tremendously with making me get up and walk him. I barely have a limp anymore and the two of us have bonded fora lifetime. We have helped each other out in our time of need.

Jennifer Cooey

Derby (formerly Peaches)

It’s been almost two months since we adopted Derby from K-9 Lifesavers and I just wanted to check in and let you know she is most definitely a success story. Nigel and I are completely in love with her and already can’t imagine life without her in our home. We made it through five weeks of cage rest after heart-worm treatment with no real problem since Derby is pretty low energy most of the time. But now that she’s allowed to play she’s been introduced to a few family dogs and has really enjoyed playing with them so we can’t wait to schedule some regular play dates.

During Thanksgiving she was surrounded by about 20 adults and 5 children under age 6 and she could not have been sweeter. She rolled over whenever the kids wanted to pet her and was generally just as gentle as can be. And, best of all, she’s doing great with our three cats. She and Chewy (in the attached picture) are good friends and have even started sharing her bed mostly because Chewy refuses to move when she comes to bed. She is still working it out with one of our cats but 99.9% of the time they are just fine together.

I just want to thank you again for bringing Derby into our lives. We can’t believe how such an amazing dog could end up in need of a home but we are so thankful that she did.

Thanks again,
Christine and Nigel

Kiah (formerly Kennedy)

Kiah was adopted from K-9 Lifesavers in February of this year. We just wanted to let you know that Kiah has adjusted nicely to the Aurili household. She gets along well with her three feline siblings. Kiah brings us so much unconditional love and joy! We just wanted to thank K-9 Lifesavers for saving Kiah amongst many other furry friends.

Bailey (formerly Marco)

Hi there. I just want to let you know that Marco, we actually named him Bailey, is doing fantastic. He is growing very fast and I swear he has almost doubled in size and is now at 25 lbs. Everyone we meet absolutely loves him and he loves everyone (humans and dogs) as well. He has a lot of doggie friends that he gets to play with almost daily and has recently discovered digging in the dirt and splashing in the water. He even taught his friend Remy (a baby corgi) how to play in mud and get really really dirty for her owners. He is getting use to having a shower pretty much every other day. We are so glad that he has become a part of our family. Thanks for doing what you do.

Sincerely,
Becca Rodgers

Maddie

HI! My name is Maddie! I was brought to a Rockville PETCO adoption event from a high-kill shelter in South Carolina. I was adopted by a nice couple that lives in Clarksburg, MD that also has a jack russell named Sammy. The first few days, I was pretty scared. I was in this new place…and did not know if I was going to be staying. But as the week went on, we all fell into a routine. Within 3 weeks, I had learned sit, stay, lay down, and shake…and now I know my new name, too!

Sammy and I are the best of friends and are always running around. One of my favorite things to do is laze around in all of Sammy’s beds…which is funny because he is half of my size. Another thing I do, is “talk” to my mommy and daddy when they come home from work! I really do like it in my new home and am so glad to have found my new perfect family! Thank you k9-lifesavers!

Thank you so much for your help in finding us the perfect addition

Charlie (formerly Mini-Mickey)

Hello! I’ve been meaning to write for a while now and let you all know that Charlie (formerly Mini-Mickey) has settled in amazingly well here at home! He was a remarkably well-adjusted, confident pup, which I must attribute to your volunteers, particularly to his foster family, who we met at the adoption event last January. They were incredibly informative and helpful and a HUGE part of why we took home the dog we did.

Charlie leads a spoiled life now, filled with almost daily trips to the dog park, occasional outings to the winery or hiking or even swimming, and, more recently, trips to doggy daycare, since I now work for one! He loves every minute of it. He was a star in obedience classes and he’s so well-behaved, I’ve had people ask where I got him so they can have one like him! I’m sure to tell them he’s just a perfect mutt that I got from a wonderful rescue! He even leaves the cat alone now, though it took months and months of reinforcement.

Thank you, to all the volunteers. I can’t imagine how stressful and difficult it must be to do what you all do, but without you, our family would be incomplete! Our experience with your rescue, from the initial email contact with the application to the home visit to the adoption itself was a complete joy.

Lucy (formerly Jill)

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to give a little update on our girl, Lucy (formerly known as “Jill”). We adopted her about 8 months ago, and she just turned 1 year old this year. I’m pleased to report that she is a healthy, outgoing, exuberant, and happy adolescent shepherd.  She gets along wonderfully with her brother, our other adopted dog, Charlie. They play ALL the time. She is a sweetheart to everyone she meets – people, dogs, and kids. She’s also progressing really well in her obedience classes. She learns so quickly! We can’t imagine our life without her. Thank you again for helping us bring her into our family!

Best,
Megan

Taylor (formerly Jett)

Simon and I got married August 14 on a beach in North Carolina. Taylor came with us and thoroughly enjoyed all the attention from all of our friends and family and she couldn’t get enough digging in the sand and playing in the water.

Here are some pictures. She is parvo free, and parasite free, almost done with all her shots, and still a little fire cracker! She still gets car sick. We love her and are so thankful that you do what you do. I’m also attaching the e-mail we sent out to our friends and family when we got her. Enjoy, and 

Thanks again,
Becca and Simon

Taylor

After many heartbreaking attempts to try and get a puppy, many trips to shelters and walking away empty handed because we weren’t the first to see the babies, after a few applications, we finally found the perfect sweetheart to join our family. She is thought to be a retriever Sheppard mix and is about 10 weeks old. We met her as Jetta, and now she is happily getting situated and quickly learning the rules of her new Forever home at Farragut as Taylor. We quickly found out that our baby does not like car rides – 3 pukes, 1 pee, and an hour an a half later we arrived home from Fredericksburg, VA. Here she is sporting her new Redskins collar. Taylor with her new toys her bone and newspaper are thanks to her grandparents, Gammy Jo and Grandpop Larry. See Taylor with her Gramps! How Cute!

Taylor was a puppy born in a high kill shelter in North Carolina that kills up to 40 puppies a week! Barbara – her rescuer from K9 Lifesavers- saved her and her brothers and sisters from being put down. She and her siblings all had the Parvo Virus – which is deadly to puppies/dogs that have not had their vaccinations. Thousands of dollars later (which is why these puppies are usually put down)((not our thousands of dollars!))- she is gaining weight and on her last week and a half of meds. We have to be careful for the next few weeks while she’s still getting that nasty virus completely out of her system. We have to spray the yard with bleach where she poops so that no other doggie will pick up her virus. I think we’ve found our ring bearer! Keep your fingers crossed as she has not yet had an accident in the house! WooHoo!

Yes, we are crate training, but no-she did not sleep in the crate last night. Where did she sleep you ask? Well, none other than snuggled up right in the middle of Simon and I. We awoke bright and early at 5:30 this morning so we could take care of her – but who was the last one to get up – that’s right, sleepy Taylor whimpered, yawned, stretched out, and laid her head on Simon’s pillow – looking at us with those sad puppy eyes, “Do I really have to get up out of this warm comfy bed?!” Taylor would love to meet you. We love visits!

Much Love, xoxoxox Proud and Ecstatic Parents,
Becca & Simon

Peanut (formerly Rose)

We adopted Peanut from K-9 Lifesavers in August and we could not be happier. She’s the best first dog we could have asked for, and she’s doing a great job training us to be good dog owners. Peanut loves going for jogs, chasing squirrels, and wrestling with friends at the dog park. It took her a few weeks to get settled in with us, but now, she rolls over for belly rubs, comes over to give kisses and nuzzle us when we get home, and runs up to sit down in front of just about everyone she meets for a pat on the head.

Everyone at K-9 Lifesavers was great, we would absolutely recommend working with them to find the right pet for you!
The Edelmans

Cali (formerly Annie)

Just wanted to pass along a picture of Cali (and Frederik, our other rescue dog) I took a week ago. We adopted Cali (an Australian shepherd mix, previously known as Annie) about two months ago thanks to your work; and we could not be more in love with her! She really opened up. Just two months later, she is a whole different dog. She is back to a healthy weight, with a beautiful new coat. She loves to nap, cuddle, loves to play with Frederik (they cannot live without each other!), she loves kisses, and she really loves treats.

We just wanted to say thanks you guys for a wonderful addition to our family. We love Cali so much and have you to thank for bringing her to us!
Conchi & Rikard