Dog rescue and animal rescue stories
Join Dogtime.com editor Leslie Smith as she travels the Road to Rescue , the special series profiling animal shelters around the country and the dedicated humans who run them. It's a chance to read accounts of successful animal rescues and hear interviews with the people behind the remarkable stories. So buckle your seat belt and prepare for a moving adventure like no other.
Pet rescue stories
BAD RAP : Oakland, CA
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary : Kanab, UT
Give a Dog a Bone : San Francisco, CA
Puppy mill rescue : Carroll County, VA
Muttville : San Francisco, CA
Rolling Dog Ranch : Ovando, MT
Second Chance Rescue : Corning, CA
Animal Rescue League of El Paso : El Paso, TX
Heart and Soul Animal Sanctuary : Glorieta, NM
Animal Care Society : Louisville, KY
Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation: Walnut Creek, CA
Animal Farm Foundation : Bangall, NY
Interviews (broadcast on Animal Radio Network)
Pet rescue profiles
Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue
Illinois Doberman Rescue
Tails of Hope
Kindred Spirits
Big Apple Bullies
Rainbow Animal Rescue
Posh Pets Rescue
PAWS Chicago
Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue
Wee Waggin Rescue, Inc.
Friends of Retired Greyhounds
Adopt-A-Dog
A Better Place Rescue
Mike's Dog House
AniMeals
Mississippi Valley German Shepherd Dog Rescue
Blind Cat Rescue
Hope Rescues
Paws in the City
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary
Great Plains Mastiff Rescue
New Mexico shelter dispatches
August 18, 2009
August 21, 2009
August 25, 2009
August 28, 2009
September 1, 2009
September 8, 2009
September 11, 2009
September 15, 2009
September 18, 2009
September 25, 2009
September 29, 2009
October 6, 2009
October 13, 2009
October 23, 2009
November 3, 2009
November 6, 2009
November 17, 2009
December 1, 2009, part I
December 1, 2009, part II
December 8, 2009
December 20, 2009
January 12, 2010
January 26, 2010
February 3, 2010
February 26,2010
March 18, 2010
March 22, 2010
March 26, 2010
March 29, 2010
April 3, 2010
April 14, 2010
April 21, 2010
May 10, 2010
June 2, 2010
June 8, 2010
June 16, 2010
June 30, 2010
July 7, 2010
August 10, 2010
September 15, 2010
October 12, 2010
November 9, 2010
February 8, 2011
March 25, 2011
A Basset Hound, A Belly Rub
Uno and I spent the wee hours of Tuesday morning in the animal ER. He's fine. Well, he has colitis. But compared to the scene at the hospital, he's a very lucky pup. "This must...
A Better Place Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Michigan's A Better Place animal rescue. How did your organization get started? Our founder devoted approximately 20 years undertaking...
A Dobie In The Land Of Adobe
It's no secret I have a thing for Dobermans. This beautiful guy arrived as a stray, a little skinny, a little timid. But after I was ten seconds in his kennel with him, he began...
A Chained Dog Gets A 2nd Chance
From the back, Nicholas seems undeniably jolly, if not downright ecstatic. His tail wags with such rhythm and force, I almost fear he'll take out a chunk of the kennel wall with...
A Dog Named Bailey
The bio outside her kennel describes the five-year-old as sweet, shy, and the victim of a recent accident. I have no details regarding the accident, but the good news is that the quiet...
A Home For Disabled Animals And A Story Of Faith
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Georgia's Hightower Farm and Animal Sanctuary. How did your organization get started? I started bringing home lost and injured animals...
A Lesson In Breed Bias
I'm a little embarrassed. Usually I gravitate toward the larger dogs or the bully breeds. Not that I in any way mind the Bichons, Pugs, and Shih Tzus--I just typically find an...
A Pity, So Many Pitties
Doesn't matter what time of year or what day of the week. On any given afternoon, there all always more dogs in the Intake building than I have time to visit. Today I focus...
A Quality Of Life Question For Shelters
Even with his swollen muzzle and mangled ear, he's a beauty. And as if I wasn't already completely drawn to him, he's got the coloring of my Maybe and the demeanor of my Uno....
A Single Pup And An Abundant Litter
The Santa Fe shelter is full, so I expected to see the Isolation Ward--reserved for dogs with contagious illnesses--packed as well. But when I peeked in, the only pup meeting my...
A Teachable Moment Gone To Waste
Rain can make what's already a tough gig--visiting a municipal shelter--a real downer, but it's hard to stay low with an eight-week-old face gazing up at you. Chica is an owner surrender...
A Plus Pit Bull Deserves A Plus Family
Sancho has been bounced around from family to family. Friendly with both humans and canines, this devoted dog is waiting for loyal humans. He deserves that and more.
Ace Of Hearts Dog Rescue
Dogtime salutes Southern California's Ace of Hearts. How did your organization get started? I founded Ace of Hearts in 2001 after my amazing American Bulldog "Ace" passed away....
Adopt A Dog Animal Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes New York's Adopt-A-Dog animal rescue. How did your organization get started? The organization was started in 1981 by three friends in...
Adoption Is Only Way Out For Shelter Dogs
If you work or volunteer in a shelter, you know: reasons to celebrate ebb and flow. In recent months, it's been hard to stay positive--celebrations are few. While adoptions are...
After Five Years, Home
Tipper, a gentle, sweet Pit Bull mix, has been in need of a home for years. He was adopted from the Maricopa County Animal Control facility in Mesa, Arizona, but shortly...
All About Animals Rescue Organization
DogTime and CatTime are thrilled to support All About Animals, recipient of a DogTime Media donation as chosen by Petties winner Kate Benjamin. How did your organization get...
Ani Meals
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Montana's AniMeals. How did your organization get started? AniMeals was founded by Karyn Moltzen in 2003. She was doing some work with...
Animal Farm Foundation (Where Pit Bulls Are Just Dogs)
Listen to the Road to Rescue interview with AFF's Stacey Coleman and Bernice Clifford on Animal Radio Network. Long before the Michael Vick dogfighting story broke, before...
Animal House Rescue And Grooming
Animal House helps alleviate the burden on open-admissions shelters, and allows deserving dogs to avoid euthanasia, by accepting transfers from the most overcrowded facilities.
Animal House Shelter And Sanctuary
Dogtime salutes Nevada's Animal House Shelter and Sanctuary. How did your organization get started? Animal House was founded when another local rescue group moved. That's right, moved....
Bp Oil Spill: Help Affected Animals
We at Dogtime are deeply distraught by the images and reports of animal suffering caused by the BP oil spill in our nation's Gulf region. As consumers, we all have a...
Basset Hound Surprise
Maybe I'm biased, but I don't think of Basset Hounds as particularly aerobics-seeking dogs. And this one, with her tired, red-rimmed eyes, seemed like she'd just as soon settle...
Beautiful Baby In The High Desert
She's six months old and the color of rich milk chocolate. I wish I knew what New Mexican desert scent had her so enthralled today on our walk, but I'm satisfied just to stare...
Big Apple Bullies
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Big Apple Bullies, New York's "bully breed" advocacy group. How did your organization get started? We love Bull Terriers. We have never...
Big Hope For Tiny Chihuahua
Even notoriously extroverted breeds, like Labs and Golden Retrievers, seem to be arriving shy and skinny this week. The gray days of January are affecting all of us. The...
Bigger Than Michael Vick, It's A Community And A Nation
August 25, 2009 Yesterday Philadelphia Eagles president, Joe Banner, and senior vice president for public affairs, Pamela Browner Crawley, met with representatives from local...
Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue
Dogtime salutes North Carolina's Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue. How did your organization get started? Our organization got started in 2003 when we realized that there was a need for...
Bright Future For Blind Cats
Dogtime salutes North Carolina's Blind Cat Rescue. How did your organization get started? We began as volunteers for another animal shelter. A blind kitten came to us indirectly...
Cara: Community Animal Rescue And Adoption
Dogtime salutes Mississippi's CARA (Community Animal Rescue and Adoption) . How did your organization get started? Three women, Janet Madden, Jerri Bennett, and Pat Sellers were...
Camp Cocker Rescue
DogTime is thrilled to support Camp Cocker Rescue, recipient of a DogTime Media donation as chosen by Petties winner, Carol Bryant. How did your organization get started? Founder, Cathy
Cat Rescue: Angela's Angels
Road to Rescue interviews Angela Townsend of Angela's Angels Cat Rescue, a shelter based in North Carolina that cares for abandoned, unwanted, and other cats that need care.
Cup O' Delicious Pittie, Comin' Up
Welcome to 2013 and and all new shelter dispatches from Berkeley Animal Care Services. First up: Chloe — a delicious Pittie who wriggles with joy and grunts with pleasure.
Elderly Cocker Spaniel Seeking... Answers
She's fifteen years old, slightly overweight, and wears a black harness. Though she's come in as a stray, clearly this dog had an owner. Her tail is docked. She's spayed. No question she...
Erie Shores Humane Society
Dogtime salutes Ohio's Erie Shores Humane Society. How did your organization get started?Erie Shores Humane Society's history began in 1983, when a group of around 30 individuals wanted...
Fayette County Animal Rescue
DogTime salutes Tennessee's Fayette County Animal Rescue. How did your organization get started? In 1998 two women decided to make a difference in the lives of the many animals...
Feline Rescue, Inc.
CatTime is thrilled to support Feline Rescue, Inc., recipient of a DogTime Media donation as chosen by Petties winner Angie Bailey. How did your organization get started? Feline Rescue...
Fighting For The Underdog
Sophie was about as unlikely to find a happy ending as any shelter dog could be. She was 11 years old. She was a Pit Bull, a breed that frightens away many adopters. And she was...
For The Love Of Shar Pei
For some people it's Pugs. For some it's Bulldogs. For me, it's Shar Peis. You know, the breed you just can't explain why you find them so darn adorable. Piggy had even less...
Friends Of Retired Greyhounds
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Colorado's Friends of Retired Greyhounds. How did your organization get started? It was originally founded by a couple nearly a decade...
Friends To The Forlorn
Dogtime salutes Georgia's Friends to the Forlorn, and its founder, Jason Flatt. What is your mission? An all volunteer 501(c)3 rescue group in Georgia, the mission of Friends...
From Death Row To Assistance Dog
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes San Franciso's Pets Unlimited. How did your organization get started? Pets Unlimited was created by a small group of dedicated animal lovers in...
Gentle Giant Seeks Big Hearted Family
Dispatch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society, August, 2011 I first posted about Samoa Joe a little over two months ago. Hard not to notice the big dog with the enormous head lying...
Gentle Souls Pit Bull Rescue
DogTime salutes Arkansas's Gentle Souls Pit Bull Rescue. How did your organization get started? Anne Thomason, the founder, volunteered for kill shelters and fell in love with...
Gentle Souls Sanctuary
DogTime salutes New Mexico's Gentle Souls Sanctuary and founder, Becca Pearson. How did your organization get started? We had been fostering, rescuing, and rehabilitating dogs for a...
Gentle Black Lab Seeks Committed Human
A sweet black Lab was surrendered to the shelter along with the other family dog. But when her owner came back, and only reclaimed her brother, Sombra was left heartbroken.
Great Plains Mastiff Rescue
Dogtime salutes Oklahoma's Great Plains Mastiff Rescue. How did your organization get started? Our organization was started when a small group of Mastiff lovers in Oklahoma...
Gulf Coast Cocker Spaniel Rescue
DogTime is thrilled to support Gulf Coast Cocker Spaniel Rescue, recipient of a DogTime Media donation as chosen by Petties winner Carol Bryant. How did your organization get started? In...
Heart: A Rescue Group With Brains And Muscle
Dogtime salutes Spokane's HEART (Humane Evacuation Animal Rescue Team). How did your organization get started? HEART was created in 2003 as a non-profit organization to work in...
Healing Nicely, Headed For Adoption
Last weekend at the Santa Fe Pet Parade I saw a t-shirt that read: It's only funny 'til someone winds up with a cone on their head. Ah, canine humor. Fortunately, this jolly...
Heart And Soul, Fur And Feathers For This Animal Rescue Organization
The first time I visited New Mexico's Heart and Soul Sanctuary, a home for abused and neglected animals, I was warned I'd be greeted by a pack of fiercely excitable pups. As I...
Homeward Bound Pet Rescue
Dogtime salutes Georgia's Homeward Bound Pet Rescue of Gilmer County. How did your organization get started? Our organization started 10 years ago with three women and $250.00...
Hundreds Rescued In Puppy Mill Raid
In Carroll County, Virginia, more than 500 dogs were spared the fate of spending another harsh winter outdoors. In the fall of 2007, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), along...
Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus, dedicated to saving Dobermans in need in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. How did your...
In Rescue, Happiness Sells (But Other Tactics Work Too)
Only one thing can wipe the smile off Jojo's face, so volunteers and shelter staff are doing everything possible to ensure this dog is eternally grinning.
Karen O'toole's Orphans Of Katrina
Five years ago, Americans watched with heartache and horror as thousands of companion animals were abandoned in a drowning city. Karen O'Toole was moved to do more. In her...
Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Ulla Pedersen, founder of Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary. How did your organization get started?I have done animal rescue for many years and...
Kindred Spirits: Sanctuary, Hospice For Senior Animals
Many were abandoned. Some require round-the-clock care. All are old. But none of the animals, says the Kindred Spirits founder, deserved to be thrown away.
Kitten Associates Rescue
CatTime is thrilled to support Kitten Associates, recipient of a DogTime Media donation as chosen by Petties winner Ingrid King. How did your organization get started? We decided to form...
Labs And Pit Bulls And... Goats?
With me, sweet and shy tends to win the race. This 11-month-old stray Lab mix is both. She's too timid to come out of her kennel for a walk, so we hang out inside, where she...
Lap Dog In The Body Of A Mastiff
He's big and strong and significantly outweighs me, so I figured the problem would be getting flung this way and that as we made our way from his kennel to the shelter's...
Lost Angels Animal Rescue
Dogtime salutes Florida's Lost Angels Animal Rescue. How did your organization get started? Our organization got started about eight or nine years ago by five women who were...
Louisville's Animal Care Society Gets Pet Rescue Right
At 10:45 this particular Saturday morning, Louisville, Kentucky's Animal Care Society (ACS) is still fifteen minutes from opening to the public, but pairs of humans and canines...
Mama Bear: Full Of Life, Out Of Time
Mama Bear couldn't be sweeter or more deserving of a loyal family. She gets along, it seems, with everyone and she's equal parts playful and cuddly. But she's almost out of
Measle's Animal Haven
Dogtime salutes Ohio's Measle's Animal Haven. How did your organization get started? We started in April, 2005. Our director volunteered for an area shelter; she decided that...
Mike's Dog House Animal Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Florida's Mike's Dog House animal rescue. How did your organization get started? Mike's Dog House started when the founder, Michael...
Mississippi Valley German Shepherd Dog Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Mississippi Valley German Shepherd Dog Rescue. How did your organization get started? Our founder, Norma Jewell, was doing volunteer...
Monroe County Humane Association
Monroe County Humane Association has been an animal rescue staple in the southern Indiana region for nearly six decades. Their dedication has earned them a Petties grant.
Muttley Crue Animal Rescue
Dogtime salutes Tennessee's Muttley Crue. How did your organization get started? The two founders of Muttley Crue had been volunteers and foster moms for other Memphis-area...
Nebraska Humane Society
Check out the good work being done at the Nebraska Humane Society — the fifth oldest of its kind in the United States and the winner of a DogTime Media Petties donation!
Neglect Is Abuse
It's been a while since I've seen a dog in as rough shape as the black Lab in the quarantined area of the intake building. Just to visit, I had to don a full-length smock and...
Nevada Humane Society
Nearly two dozen kittens and cats were found abandoned, secured in milk crates, behind the shelter. A typical day for the staff at Nevada Humane Society?
No Animal Deserves The Gas Chamber
<!-- --> I was volunteering with San Francisco's Give a Dog a Bone program when I learned that euthanasia in other shelters wasn't carried out the way it was here. Here, animals...
North Carolina Group Builds Fences, Breaks Chains
Dogtime salutes North Carolina's Coalition to Unchain Dogs. How did your organization get started? About four years ago I moved from Texas to Durham, N.C. I had been involved in...
North Coast Doberman Rescue
Dogtime salutes Ohio's North Coast Doberman Rescue. How did your organization get started? Our organization was founded twelve years ago by Judi Pirozzoli of Rock Creek, Ohio....
Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Georgia's Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue How did your organization get started? It was Labor Day 2005 when Richard and Sue Daniels...
Once Neglected Beagle Seeks Loving Family
Dogtime salutes Georgia's Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends. How did your organization get started? AARF was started in 2002 by two local animal rescuers who wanted to create an...
One Step Forward, Twostep's Right Here!
Waiting for adoption...Check out the story of the sensitive, sweet Terrier mix called Twostep: Dispatch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society in northern New Mexico.
One Eared Pit Bull Steals One Heart
The shelter is packed, as I knew it would be, with strays from what seems like the four corners of the state--and everywhere in between. Many fled the comfort of home to escape...
Oso... Oh So Misleading
Each time I walked past the Great Pyrenees in kennel SD36, his head was down. He barely moved his eyes to track my comings and goings. According to his chart, he'd been...
P.S. Susan Reimer, Here's One Last Thought
Today was a rough one. A beautiful brindle Pit Bull, with whom I'd made a tenuous connection over the past two weeks, was put down. The last thing the dog felt was my hands...
Paws Chicago Animal Rescue
DogTime's Road to Rescue program salutes PAWS Chicago, dedicated to reducing euthanasia and creating a better life the city's homeless animals. How did your organization get...
Paws Of Marion Animal Rescue
Dogtime salutes Arkansas's PAWS of Marion. How did your organization get started? Marion residents, Emily and Buddy Kaiser founded PAWS in 1993. The original focus of PAWS was...
Pc Pound Puppies
Dogtime salutes Indiana's PC Pound Puppies. How did your organization get started? In late 2004, two of our founding members began volunteering with the Posey County/Mt. Vernon Animal...
Peninsula Humane Society & Spca Wildlife Rescue Center
Dogtime salutes Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA's Wildlife Rescue Center. How did this program get started? Our shelter was established as a private non-profit close to 60 years ago. In...
Personality Vs. Looks: Can You Really Find Both?
We all notice those gorgeous, available singles from time to time. But do they have personalities to match? Check it out: Leash-candy there's no shame falling in love with.
Posh Pets Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes New York City's Posh Pets Rescue. How did your organization get started? We started by rescuing one dog, a ten-year-old Chihuahua, from...
Possibly The Sweetest Face Ever
I know, I'm taking the easy way out. The image of the skinny little one-eyed dog doesn't just tug at the heartstrings--it yanks them altogether from their moorings. Not sure if...
Rainbow Animal Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Virginia's Rainbow Animal Rescue. How did your organization get started? We started in April, 2005. We volunteered for several shelters...
Rescue Me! Your Pet Rescue Donation Resource
All over our country, there are rescue shelters who need our help to continue their efforts to house homeless pets and give them a chance for a future filled with love. There...
Rose's Rescue
Dogtime salutes Ohio's Rose's Rescue. How did your organization get started? Founder Rose Sachs had taken in a dog and was having trouble finding him a home. She answered an ad...
S.A.F.E. Animal Haven
Dogtime salutes North Carolina's S.A.F.E. Animal Haven. How did your organization get started? S.A.F.E. Animal Haven started about five years ago when a group of friends who...
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary
Dogtime salutes New Mexico's Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary. How did your organization get started? Juanita Fisher brought Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary into being in 1996. She had...
Safe Haven For Animals Rescue
DogTime and CatTime are thrilled to support Safe Haven for Animals, recipient of a DogTime Media donation as chosen by Petties winner Kate Benjamin. How did your organization...
Saint Francis Animal Rescue
DogTime salutes Florida's St. Francis Animal Rescue. How did your organization get started? St. Francis Animal Rescue (SFAR) was founded in 1992 when a group of women banded together to...
San Francisco Spca's Cinderella Fund
Dasher, a Chihuahua-Spaniel mix, arrived at the San Francisco SPCA in rough shape. He was only a year old, but suffered a severe hip disorder, which meant that even basic...
Save A Cat Is Here!
If you're like many Facebook users, you've gained a lot from your time there: you've learned which Teletubby you most closely resemble and who among your friends is also a fan of Frogger....
Seven Years Outdoors, One Year In A Shelter
DogTime salutes California's City of Alameda Animal Shelter. How did your organization get started? The original City of Alameda "pound" opened in 1882. What is your mission?...
Shameless: Cute Puppy Photos
No time for text, just cute puppy photos. Happy Friday. Love, Dogtime. Read previous Shelter Dispatch Read next Shelter Dispatch Read all Shelter Dispatches
Shelter Dispatch: The Longest Day
My sophomore year in college, I was the first of my roommates to arrive at our new apartment. For some reason, I was there several days ahead of the others (20 years later, I...
Shelter From The Storm
I'm learning that in Santa Fe you have to earn spring - she doesn't simply show up. I'd barely pulled in at the shelter when thunder and lightening struck suddenly, powerfully,...
Sheltering Strays At The Animal Rescue League Of El Paso
On the way to her stepfather's funeral, Loretta Hyde - a grandmother herself - shouted to her mother to stop the car. She had noticed two small puppies in a shallow ravine by...
Skin And Bones And Heart
She wears a wide, dusty collar so she must have a name. But I hope I never learn it. That would mean facing the fact there are real live persons who named her--and who allowed...
Small Enough To Pass For A Lap Dog
When I first passed her kennel, I assumed she was a long-eared Chihuahua mix. So small and delicate. I was stunned, then, to learn she was a Beagle. Completely malnourished and...
Smitten With A Shepherd
I tend to fall for the bigger guys, and as I've said, I love the shy ones. Add sort of a goofball element and it's just all over for me. (I know, I might as well still be in...
Snow Puppies
The snow came in Monday night; Tuesday morning Santa Feans woke to a blanket of white on brown adobe - Christmas card perfection. Once at the shelter, it was too cold to have...
Spotlight On Paws In The City
Dogtime salutes Dallas's Paws in the City. How did your organization get started? Tara Harper and Becky Haisma wanted to make a difference at the Dallas City Shelter. They...
Spotlight On Robin Hood Animal Rescue
Dogtime salutes Arizona's Robin Hood Animal Rescue. How did your organization get started? We started this non-profit animal rescue (501(c)(3)) in March of 2004. After working...
Spotlight On Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue
Dogtime salutes Colorado's Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue. How did your organization get started? Kathryn Glass, one of the founders of Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue, volunteered...
Story Of Strength: Shelter Dispatch, August 18
She is recovering well and will go on to thrive, but I can't imagine what the animal control officer must have thought when he picked up the frightened Pit Bull from the side of...
Tails Of Hope
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Tails of Hope, promoting wellness in the minds, hearts, and bodies of all living things How did your organization get started? Tails of...
Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue
DogTime's Road to Rescue program salutes Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue, dedicated to creating a better life for Beagles and Beagle mixes in need. How did your organization get...
The Boxer, With Apologies To Simon And Garfunkel
When I'd really become serious about volunteering at the shelter, my husband was very supportive: "You can come home and cry all you want, Leslie. But don't bring home any more...
The Buster Foundation Pit Bull Education & Rescue
Dogtime's Road to Rescue program salutes Michigan's Buster Foundation Pit Bull Education & Rescue. How did your organization get started? The Buster Foundation Pit Bull...
The Pits: Life In A Shelter
At any given time in the Stray Dog area of the Santa Fe shelter, there are plenty of Pit Bulls. Today is no exception. Against the back wall in the middle block, a well-fed...
The Bull Some Pits Must Tolerate...
Dispatch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society, August 8, 2011 I keep forgetting to ask shelter staff how Betty Ford got her name. Probably because when Im with her, Im too focused on...
The Five Month Wait, But Who's Counting?
I like to think I was the first person to fall in love with this dog. I wrote about her back in July--her first day in the receiving building at the county shelter--before she'd...
The Perfect Imperfect Dog
Looking for a true companion animal? Ladybug is about as snuggly and sweet as they come. And with her rocky beginnings, she so deserves that loving home.
The Puppy Who Could've Been Mine
I hadn't planned to write about a puppy today. The majority of my afternoon was spent walking the many lovely Bullies currently at the shelter (you can read about them in part...
The Resilient Canine
Her tail wags. Her eyes shine. She moves like a typical adolescent dog, all clumsy legs and a nose that doesn't stop sniffing. The only thing unusual about her is her bandaged head. As...
The Volunteer Gushes, The Dude Abides
Dispatch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society, September 11, 2011 The Dude arrived late last week, his head the typical Shar-Pei tumble of folds and pleats. I love the looks of this...
Thinking Outside The Cage
Dogtime salutes Pittsburgh's Animal Friends How did your organization get started?Sixty-six years ago, at the height of World War II, a small group of Pittsburgh citizens came together in...
This Dog Has 24 Hours To Live
Though scared and was probably abused, this Pit Bull is non-aggressive, gentle, and easy to handle. He deserves to know kindness. He deserves a chance.
Through The Eyes Of A Rottweiler
Down the road from the animal shelter sits Santa Fe's only enclosed dog park. A huge expanse on several acres, it features a small gated holding pen which walkers must pass...
Update: Big Dogs Huge Paws Animal Rescue
Dogtime salutes Kansas's Big Dogs - Huge Paws. <!-- --> How did your organization get started? After 4.5 years of devoted volunteer service to Great Danes, I decided I had...
Union County Humane Society
Dogtime salutes Ohio's Union County Humane Society. How did your organization get started? The Union County Humane Society was originally founded in 1913 by a group of...
Update On Sombra, Heartbroken Lab From Espanola Shelter
Remember Sombra, the dog who'd been surrendered to the animal shelter along with her brother, only to watch him get reclaimed later that day? Check out the update.
Update: The Reality Of Shelter Life
Lovie, as some of the volunteers had come to call him, had been picked up by Animal Control as a stray. And while his week at the shelter was perhaps not ideal, I know it was...
Wags And Walks Dog Rescue
Thirteen years ago, Lesley Brog rescued her first Pit Bull. She was living on her own in New York City and wanted a tough-looking dog at her side a sort of protection against...
Wee Waggin Rescue, Inc.
Dogtime salutes Florida's Wee Waggin Rescue, Inc. How did your organization get started? After volunteering for another rescue, we determined there is a tremendous need for more rescues...
When Bullies Are Sweeties
Hard to believe there are still those who insist that the "bully breeds" are a vicious lot. Today at the shelter was all about them - Pitties, Staffies, and even a Bull Terrier....
When Mange Only Makes 'Em Cuter
I know this sounds weird, but I have a soft spot for Pit Bulls. With Demodex. Canine Demodex is a type of parasite that mother dog passes directly to her offspring. The mites...
Where Are They Now? Shelter Updates...
Wondering what happened to some of the Shelter Dispatch's most memorable dogs? An update on five of our favorites: Maggie, the black Lab pup who came in with a bandaged ear, was...
White Christmas Pups
If it seems like this post is a shameless excuse to show photos of adorable puppies, you may be on to something. But it's Christmas week, and I'm feeling generous. The setting was an...
Yet Another Pit Bull Breaks Stereotypes
As the vet tech who initially examined her said, "Looks like someone left her with 100 pounds of food and then abandoned her for about four years." She's morbidly overweight and...
Zani's Furry Friends Animal Rescue
DogTime salutes New York's Zani's Furry Friends rescue organization. How did your organization get started? We began as volunteers in the local city kill shelter. I was working in...
Shelter Confrontation: Uncomfortable Questions, Answers
I volunteer at an open-admissions shelter; we take every animal that arrives at our door and euthanasia can be a reality. What do I say when someone asks me if I "kill dogs"?
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