UPDATE:  August 6, 2005

Shadow is doing wonderfully. She and Smokey are the best of friends. She completed her obedience training and passed with flying colors. She is eager to please and is as sweet as they come.

I am a runner, and we have been getting up early in the morning and going on a run together (Smokey, Shadow and I). She can outlast Smokey and is up to over three miles before pooping out. She is sad when I drop her off at home so I can finish my run but I know she is not quite ready to keep going just yet. As soon as they hear me stir in the morning they are at the bedside nudging me to get out of bed and get my sneakers on. She loves her runs.

Thanks for letting this wonderful girl become a part of our lives,    ~ Andrea

CRISSY
Adopted December 2004

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Crissy is a dream of a dog. All she requires is lots of love. She has not had an accident in the house once. She will not get on the furniture unless invited. She is starting to bark when someone is around the house. Every time we pick up our keys to go somewhere she gets her leash and waits at the door. She was someone's baby, I can't help but wonder what brought her to the place she was. She is one of the family. She is a delight to have in our home I can never thank you enough. I hope all your adoptions this year are as great as this one is.            ~ Thank You, Beverlee

KATERINA
Adopted November 2004

Katerina has acclimated very well with all my other pals, except for Missy, a dominate Aussie.

I think she thinks squeaky toys must be babies. She has nested with squeaky toys, adjusts them to nursing position, will not leave them for very long, and then scurries back to lay with them. If she hears another squeaky toy in the house, she has to go investigate and add it to her brood.

She sleeps with me and two or three others I have rescued, but brings her "babies/toys". She and her "babies/toys" have one side of the bed, me the middle, the other dogs have the other side~~~~and the other dogs, according to Katerina, better not cross the human barrier!               ~  SA, SA  Joel

MORTY (formerly Sophia)
Adopted November 2004

Morty is thinking that perhaps she should sleep on my bed with me. She keeps inching further up on the bed each time I lay down. All she needs to do now is bring up her left rear leg and she will be all in the bed. She woke me up about 2:00 just to be sure I was still there and everything was ok.

Housetraining continues to be easy. She is very good to eat out of her bowl and doesn't touch the three little ones' bowls. Very polite. She has barked once. I am the center of her world right now and she doesn't want me out of her sight. She and the little Chihuahua played chase last night. That was a sight to behold.   ~ Sydney

January 2005:  Morty continues to prove to be a wonderful dog. She can't decide if she is Rottweiler or a Lab. She loves to play in water like a Lab but has a very favorite person (Ro) like a Rott. She is a very good girl, no potty accidents, is learning to eat from her bowl only, does very well with the cat (unlike a Rott), and can play with the teacup Chihuahua without hurting him. He was very afraid of her size and hid from her but last night he climbed on her back and began chewing her ears like he does the other Chihuahua. She was very good, didn't roll on him or jump up which either could have hurt him. She put her head back against him and they played as well as a 50 pound and 5 pound dogs can. They won't let her up on their chair so she lays across the footstool with her back feet on the floor, lays her head down on the chair, and "sleeps" with them. She's sleeping better in the house at night; she sleeps beside me until Ron comes to bed then she moves by him.  
  ~ Thanks, Sydney

JULIET
Adopted October 2004

Things are going great. So much better than I ever would have expected. Little Juliet did so well on her ride home and went right in and made friends with her little cousin dogs.  She slept with me last night, shame on me, but I just had to snuggle to her. She went right in and made friends with our Tucker and they did not growl or bark. They have played and shared toys. She did not eat much until she got home and seemed to know it is her home.She is so darling. They were both waiting at the door for Aunt Laurie to come to see them. She is already using the doggie door and has only had one accident all weekend. I think she is housetrained.

She is so smart. She is precious.  It was pouring down rain earlier and Juliet needed to go out but did not want to get wet. She waited until I took her out under my umbrella; she is such a good girl.  We love her so much. I think I have given her about a million kisses.  Anyhow, you can know she is so loved.  Thank you for all you have done.  I will keep you updated.  Hugs to you all.     ~ Thanks,      ~ Paula

DOT
Adopted October 2004

UPDATE:  May 17, 2005:
Dot is awesome!!!  She is so funny and smart.  She can learn things very quickly. Dot knows all kinds of new commands and if you have a treat she will do all of her tricks in a row without even being asked.  Dot makes us all smile everyday even if you are having the worst kind of day you will laugh when you see her.  Everyone that sees her loves her they can't believe how lucky we are to have such a great dog.  Everyone would love to take her home.  Rachel's friends are all jealous even the ones that have a dog!  Erik and Mitchell really love Dottie too they like to pick her up and hold her and have her sit by them.  She really loves seeing all the birds and squirrels around here she just goes crazy when she sees one out of the window.  I take her along sometimes when I pick up Rachel at school and she knows where we are going she will start to cry and whine just before we get to school.  Like I said she is very smart.  I knew she was the right dog for us the first time I saw her she fits in with our family extremely well and we are so happy to have Dot here in our home.  She was meant to be a member of our family!

The following letter is from Rachael, the 11 year girl who rode
with her parents from Wisconsin to OK to adopt Dot in October 2004

HI!, it's Rachel. I'm pretty sure my mom already e-mailed you about Dot's first day, but I would like to tell you myself.  Dot's ride home was great!  She pretty much slept the whole way home but she got up every once and a while to see what was going on.  It was a 12 hour ride home.  Dot made it a lot more interesting than the ride there.  Everyone we told couldn't believe we were going to drive down to Oklahoma just to get a dog.  But when they see Dot they will know why, because she is soooo cute! 

When we got home it was about 11:00.  We all sat down and played with Dot for about an hour.  My brothers loved her! We all think that Dot is a perfect name for her.  On Sunday we played with Dot pretty much the whole day.  In the afternoon our grandparents came to see Dot and loved her.  I can't believe how perfect Dot is!  Dot is sitting right next to me watching me type.  I think that the drive was way worth it.  How is Annie, does she miss Dot? I think Dot loved her first day!  I wish it was summer so that I could spend every minute of the day with Dot. 

Talk to you soon!    ~ Rachel & Dot

SHEBA (formerly Callie)
Adopted October 2004

Sheba is doing great. The other dogs are starting to play with her & she is feeling right at home. She just learned how to jump (climb up on) our bed last night. She will definitely be one spoiled dog! She is growing like a weed. My husband was commenting last night on how huge her feet are. She also has the softest hair & so far no shedding. She sleeps every night with my oldest son. He calls her his dog. She really is a sweet dog & lots of fun!

RUSTY (formerly Sundance)
Adopted October 2004

Sundance is such a sweetheart! He had us laughing yesterday. He didn't have any accidents yesterday - he was really really good.

He is such a handsome guy! He slept well on the bed with our other boys too. He's already a great snoozer in the bed! It took the dogs a little time to get use to each other but I think they are all going to be great pals. Once we got the other dogs used to him they played like there was no tomorrow! Sundance and the youngest schnauzer mix have really hit it off well. They were chasing each other in the back yard. It is funny.

Thanks for saving such a wonderful boy - he will be spoiled rotten and well taken care of - I can guarantee you that. :o)
 ~ Kellie

AUGUST 2005:
Rusty is absolutely spoiled rotten! He is doing great though. He is definitely a mama’s boy – Mark gets a little upset because he gets soooooo excited when I come home (I think he is jealous) and invariably he’ll knock a bowl of food over or something. He loves to jump into me sort of like a body slam. He is such a sweetheart though. I will take some pictures and send you a clip of him swimming – he is really pretty good – he isn’t crazy about it though. Donkey coaches him and cheers him on. He is really funny – he is quite the hunter of ants. We have those large ants from time to time and he actually tries to play with them I think. Once he gives them one good whack and they don’t move – he starts pawing at them like trying to get it to play with him.

He, along with the other four, still sleep in the bed – he’s a touchy feely boy – he has to at the very least have a paw on me but usually he has to have his head laying on me. He is very sweet and we are crazy about him. I can’t imagine life without him. :o)          ~ Kellie

JAKE (formerly Toby)
Adopted October 2004

Jake is doing very well in his new home. We should have named him "the shadow" for he follows my every step and whimpers when I leave for a few minutes. He went outside a lot today and I think I can train him not to "go" in the house pretty easily. He was slow to investigate the house, never would leave the kitchen and laundry area until late today. He likes the yard, we kept him on a leash until afternoon and then let him free in the yard. He stays near the door or near us and wont' venture off on his own, much. I took him for a walk down the golf course cart path and he loved that. He's easy to walk. I know he misses you greatly, and Toby is actually a perfect name for him. Jake is a little bold and masculine for such an angel baby, but we are going to call him Jake, nonetheless.

He has had our undivided attention all day today and is smiling, wagging his tail, and happy. We love him already. Thank you for keeping him for our adoption. He is the perfect pet for us. We cherish him and almost worship the baby. Be certain he has found a home where he will thrive. We are tickled to death over him. We feel very blessed. Thank you again. We'll keep you posted on our training efforts. JY taught him how to 'shake" hands today. He also had a taste of ice cream and loved it. I am sure he will be spoiled rotten in a week home with Johnny (JY).

~ S.

ROCKY
Adopted September 2004

Rocky is doing wonderful. We are spoiling him; he is now a rotten dog. We take him for walks with our Chihuahua. They get along very well even though the Chihuahua claims the house as his very own. Rocky is a wonderful dog.

~ Thank you, Patty

SPLASH
Adopted September 2004

Splash is great. He loves to swim. He gets on the diving board and jumps in, swims to the other side, goes to the stairs, gets out and does it again. He needs to be on TV. My kids love to play and swim with him. He sits, stays, backs up, and is learning to shake. He has tons of attention all the time, either from me or the kids. Thank you so much for bringing him to us, he is a part of our family forever.

~ Lee Ellen

CHARLEY
Adopted August 2004

We made a quick stop at Mom's so he could meet his new Grandmother! She adored him at first glance also. He is a very polite young man and I am looking forward to our journeys together. The boys are doing really good. Funny to watch Charley's personality come to life. He definitely lets you know when it is time to play and be petted. I need him.

Did I tell you about being afraid of heights? Stairs are a hoot - I end up carrying him up and down stairs - he tries but just cannot do them... he goes down on all fours.

Thursday afternoon, I am not sure he moved from where I had left him that morning. But come Friday afternoon - I found him sawing logs in the middle of the spare bed! I loved it... the cat was curled up with him.

When he eats - he lays down at the bowl! Like I said - his personality is coming out.

~ Thanks!  Joy

FRANKIE
Adopted August 2004

The little dachshund is doing great. He even felt well and safe enough to wrestle with John this morning. He's claimed a chair in the den and a corner of the couch as his own, but likes my lap best--which is just fine with me! He comes when called and seems to understand that his business should be done outside. Just don't have communications down yet, resulting in quite a few non-productive walks outside.  He does enjoy the outdoors. He's becoming a member of the family, more everyday as his personality comes out.

~ Thank you so much for him. Susan

P.S. John just came in with a ball for him and he loves to play catch.

ABBY
Adopted August 2004

Hi again! Our week with Abby has been great. The  picture shows her as a of part of her new family at the park.

She has only had 2 accidents, and that was because I forgot to get her out in time. She can sit and stay, and we are going to work on "come". The kids are doing better with her and call her "my dog". We all love her and are excited to have her be part of our family! We bought her a new toy, a tennis ball with attached rope, and she loves it.

Just wanted to thank you again for the great care you gave her. My husband and I are totally  impressed with her. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to bring her into our home!

~ Kelly

PATCHES
Adopted August 2004

Simi seems to think puppy is hers! We named her Patches, because of that little white patch on her back. She did fine last night in her crate. She is going outside with Simi every time, so I don't think it's going to take too long to housetrain her. No accidents so far ! She is delightful, has great personality, & is already one of the family! 

~ Pat

LEXIE
Adopted July 2004

Lexie is doing fine we are having her bathed and clipped at Marsha's kennel Wednesday. She is extremely quiet and loving. We all love her. 

~ Bill

DUDLEY
Adopted June 2004

July 4, 2004: Tonight was the first time that Dudley got to go trail riding with Mulligan and me. He did great - stayed right by my horse's side. He always seems to watch what Mulligan does and copies him. It was great cantering my horse and having both dogs running along beside us. We crossed a creek a few times and Dudley does like water.

Once the vet gives me the go-ahead, I plan on taking Dudley to a small lake to see if he likes swimming.

When I came home this afternoon from work, I found a large bunch of weeds in the garage on Dudley's bed. Apparently he went out to our back yard where my husband had piled up some weeds and he decided to haul them into the garage.

Dudley loves to play ball and is getting very good at it. Initially Mulligan would always get the ball but it didn't take Dudley long to learn that if he ran with Mulligan that he could block him thereby not allowing Mulligan to get to the ball. Now Dudley has learned to look up in the sky for the ball and usually beats his new pal to the ball. Both dogs seem to enjoy the competition.

Dudley is a great snuggler and always wants to be by your side. I would never guess that he was an outdoor dog prior to coming here for he certainly enjoys the comforts of the house, especially sleeping on the bed. A typical Golden, he always has to carry a doggie toy around the house.

We are so thankful that you rescued Dudley and his brothers from the Shelter and that he is now in our family. He has so much character and always brings a smile to our face.        ~ Sue

Mr. BEAU JANGLES
Adopted June 13, 2004

Mr. Beau Jangles is doing just fine. We are having such a good time with him. Yesterday we took him to a park on the Arkansas River where they have an outdoor restaurant so animals are definitely welcome. He was just great although we found out he is afraid of bicycles. We are going to work on that issue starting tonight along with a lesson on heeling.

He has already acquired 5 new outfits (collars) with coordinating leashes and as with most males does not like trying on clothes (collars). After our training lesson tonight we are going to the park to play.

Beau is quite a table and counter surfer. We thought of naming him Houdini because with just the waive of a wand (nose) he could make the top of your sandwich disappear.
I hope all of his brothers are doing just as well as our new baby. We have not had any accidents in the house and he seems to be adjusting well.      ~ Gretchen

BAXTER
Adopted May 29, 2004

June 9, 2005:  Just wanted to send you a quick note as an update on Baxter. We celebrated our one year anniversary recently (if you see the original adoption date below), and I've been reminiscing a lot about how much better my life has been with him around. Baxter has grown into a beautiful dog! He now weighs just over 100 lbs, but is still a lean dog, he's just really tall and really strong! I check back on your site periodically to see all the animals that are finding great homes. I will always have an enormous amount of gratitude to you and your organization for saving Baxter from a dark life (and almost death). The past year has been my best year, and I'm sure it was his as well. I've attached an updated picture of him playing in the snow this past winter. It's my favorite picture of all times!

Hope all is going well and that your work continues to bless many people and many animals!
~ Natalie

May 30, 2004: Yesterday's trip home was perfectly fine.  Baxter was very good the whole way back.  He was very curious and slobbered a lot because he was panting a lot, but overall he was a great boy!  I was able to get an appointment with my vet right when we got into town, so he got his heartworm shot yesterday and a good checkup.  

After the vet, we went to PetSmart and stocked up on bowls, food, treats, and all kinds of toys and goodies that he needed.  My cats, of course, have not decided what they think about him, but he LOVES them and wants them to play!  We went for our first walk this morning, and everyone that saw him just loved him. I've also noticed that he seems to know the "sit" command, or maybe he's just a good boy, but he's been really obedient playing fetch in the yard and sitting on command. 

I'm sure you can tell I'm so excited to have him!  I have to tell you, when I was backing out of your driveway, I just broke into tears because I was so happy to finally have my dream dog.  He is so loveable and so beautiful...so I thank you so much for rescuing him!  As I said before, I admire you for what you do to save so many animals!  Thanks so much!      ~ Natalie

SAYDEE and BANDIT
Adopted May 2004

The guys are doing great. Ya know, Saydee is just the smartest thing ever. She will sit and lay down and stay. WILL NOT walk on a lease though. Haven't mastered that one. Overall, we love them both so much and are having so much fun with them. They have definitely made their places in our family. We include them and play with them all the time. They go in and out of the house. They don't have accidents in the house, but they have chewed up a window seal. UGG. In fact, in the middle of the night, if they are in the house, they will wake you to let you know they need to go outside to potty. OH...get this, Saydee got into HOT PINK silly putty. She had it in her toes and in her hair and IN THE WHITE CARPET. We tried everything to get that out of the carpet and nothing would work. We called a carpet repair place to just have it cut out and replace with plugs. Then we tried hairspray and it came out. It was amazing. THEN...she went to the groomers and we had her shaved. Had to, to get it out of her hair. She was a mess. We should have gotten a picture. She was so busted. They are growing like weeds. Saydee is up to 23lbs and Bandit is right behind her. Bandit is one big solid chunk of muscle. They both still love to give kisses too! But have learned to be gentle with that and not bite your nose off!!!

I will send pictures when I get some new ones. Again, we can't thank you enough for bringing us together. Saydee and Bandit thank you too.      ~ Vickie

FLORENCE
Adopted May 2004

I thought you might like to see a couple of 
pictures of Florence with her new best friend Helen the Basset Hound. Florence is so happy to have a canine friend in the house, and the two of them just love the new doggie door. They romp and play together in the backyard, and Florence also goes out there by herself several times an hour just to see if anything new is happening. We have all been working together with a dog trainer, and now the two of them go walking with me every morning. Florence won't leave the front yard alone, but with Helen by her side, the world is not the scary place it seems without her! Helen is about two years old, and I adopted her through a Basset rescue group. Florence and her new pal seem to be evenly matched for playing and walking together.      ~ Melissa