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What is YOUR rescue dobie's story?

4.8K views 34 replies 21 participants last post by  Burbank  
#1 ·
(This thread idea brought to you by kcfilley:) )

I actually know a bit of Ammo's history from his former family as they were people that my husband knew quite well. Ammo was purchased from a BYB who's bitch hemorrhaged and died so he was a bottle baby along with 9-12 others. His (young) military family wanted a puppy, but did not want the responsibilities of owning a dog. He was actually STARVED because they refused to buy dog food. He had to search around the home for any little bit of food, scraps, cat food, cat potty, etc in order to eat. They would buy a big bag of the cheapest dog food once a month on pay day and it had to last until the next month. He learned that the <1 year old baby would drop food from the table, and that the trash can was like heaven. The owners were punished several times for animal abuse, neglect, and filthy living condition. Several people witnessed Ammo physically hit and kicked. When the owners were tired of him getting into the trash and going potty inside, they decided to kick him outside onto the 8x8 fenced area in which no one mowed the grass, gave water, or cleaned the poo from the area. Once too many people complained of a noisey crying puppy, he got to come inside again, but was forced to live in his cage for the majority of every day. My husband and I tried numerous times to try and get the owners to surrender him but "they loved him too much". We did in fact call (twice) animal control and the heirarchy of the military to try and get the problem resolved with no luck. After moving away from the area in which Ammo and his family were stationed, I got a call out of the blue telling me that Ammo was just dumped into the local shelter because the husband was deploying and the wife was going back home and didnt want to bring him along- too expensive. My husband immediately packed his bags and drove nonstop for 14 hours to get this guy on Christmas day! He was very shy and unsure of himself for a while, but I can say that he doesnt ever even think about going near the trashcan and eats very well We had to convince Ammo that it was okay to get on the bed and now he sleeps right between me and my husband (under the covers of course) . He is the exact definition of love. He is always there following and being a loyal companion, his honest face and cute little wagging nub brighten every day. He listens so well and has >95% recall. Ammo is extremely patient and dedicated to giving so much happiness to his family. I dont know what I did without him and hope I never have to know. I know everyone thinks their dog is the best, but Ammo truely is such a wonderful dog that words cannot express how amazing he is. I couldnt have chosed a better dog if he were hand picked from heaven Thank you to everyone who has ever rescued and thanks for listening to this wonderful boy's story!
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#2 · (Edited)
Jade's Story...

It was late Feb 10, 2011 and on DAN's Facebook page there was a plea for anyone to help out a senior girl in GA. From the Page:
"Is there is anyone who can help this sad senior in Cobb County Ga. shelter, all rescues nearby have declined and we are out of options. She was a breeder female, 10 years old and intact. Terrified in the shelter she calms and quits shaking when spoken to softly but does not like having her picture taken. If you know of a reputable rescue that might be able to help her, please share."
Attached was this picture
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She was a thrown away no one wanted her puppy machine... She shelter wasn't even going to put her up, and almost euthanized her on intake. Tricia said it best in this thread
http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/52161-without-further-adieu-intoducing-jade.html
"This one was special, no one wanted her.....not her owners, not the overflowing rescues, and then came Summer and the light finally came through at the end of the tunnel. When she was turned in it was explained that due to her age and condition she would almost certainly be euthanized. The shelter worker decided to make one phone call before that happened. That one phone call set into motion a whirlwind of activity and within 2 hours Jade had the promise of new life......."

I put this in the calendar thread but I will post all our stories here too
http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/53321-jade-red-boy.html
http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/54734-newish-photos-jade-jonesy-even-me.html
http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/55463-florida-snow-may.html
http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/56154-jonesy-jade-update-pic-thread.html

In a very short amount of time she brought me more joy and happiness than any dog has brought me (even my red boy) She was special, and there will never be another dog like her.

A used worthless breeding dog to someone, but my gem of a dog, rock solid and tough as nails. My baby Jade
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#3 · (Edited)
Sparky is a 55 pound dog I found him around 20 pounds...I actually left my car in the middle of the road to chase him down and some nice guy bought a double meat hamburger so I could catch him
without the hamburger he would have just hid-he was living in a wet ditch==the kind that has a tunnel=-=BUT he had no fur==his mange was so bad you could not tell what color he was=not even fur on his face--and so thin =looked like concentration camp
the thing that pissed me off is the neighbors never called animal control or fed him
he was so thin I thought he was a whippet and you could see his thigh bone going straight down...no leg meat
I quaranteed him because we had other animals=did not fully know is medical condition==made him live outside with a giant dog house and porch and basiclly fed him continuously==poached eggs ...oatmeal...etc....
each vet wanted to put him to sleep immediatley but the PETSMART vet cured him for UNDER 100 dollars--he did not have worms or heartworms...and his mange was scarcoptic=-the easier one to get rid of==it only took two vitamin baths and Sparky was as good as new
over time his fur grew in and he looked like this picture-=-VERY CUTE=-SUDDENLY EVERYONE WANTED HIM==this is key cause before EVERYONE WANTED TO PUT HIM TO SLEEP so it was like EFF YOU PEOPLE he is my cute baby now!! hahaha
 
#5 ·
also I never took a "before" picture because his appearance was so bad I thought it best to move on...it really looked scary awfull....best to forget==luckily dogs can bounce back from that stuff pretty quick..
 
#6 ·
Sparky was so used to eating trash when I first got him I saw him take an apple core....hold it in between his paws and nibble apple...now after eating the way a dog should ...he no longer eats apple...maybe a bite here and there but now he gets meat and cheese for treats
 
#7 ·
Stormy was a penny sent from heaven I believe, from my first dobie girl. I had decided I had to have another doberman and asked my vet about breeders. He gave me a name and told me "you know, there are used dobies as well" and winked. It was the first I'd heard of purebreed rescue.

I called the number and gave her the lowdown, she was very surprised that I was so perfect for a dog she was going to check out the very next day.

Stormy was in a shelter in Red Deer, she had been through three owners in her three short years, and was dumped there because her current owner didn't have time for her. She was there three weeks, and deemed likely unadoptable because her separation anxiety was so bad she was a complete freak.

She was actually a lovely girl and stayed with the breeder for three weeks, coming over to visit me and have a sleepover.


And as for Priscilla, she was turned in for euthanasia:

http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-rescue/23110-9-yr-old-girl-alberta-needs-help-asap.html

She got three years in a loving home and I miss her SO much.
 
#8 ·
Jade's story still brings tears to my eyes.

Simon came into Doberman Rescue Minnesota when his owners divorced. Wife didn't want him, husband couldn't find housing. He went into foster care. After a couple of weeks, he came to my house for a visit to be cat tested, since most of our volunteers don't have cats. Shanoa, my reactive dog who mostly dislikes other dogs, really liked him when they met out in the yard. He was a perfect gentleman with the cats. He went back home with his foster mom.

A few days later, I called the rescue president. I kept thinking about how well Shanoa did with him, and how good he was with the cats. I was told he had a meet and greet with an approved adopter that day. I asked for a call if they declined, and asked to be next on the list. That night, the potential adopters said no, and I drove about an hour to pick him up for a test weekend.

When we arrived home, I brought him in the house with some trepidation, as Shanoa has been good with other dogs in our yard but has NEVER tolerated another dog in her home since she was a puppy. We walked in the house, and she came over to him butt wiggling and started giving him kisses. We sat in the living room, and he settled right next to my husband's recliner with his head on the arm. That was it - he was ours, and we knew it.

He wasn't what we were looking for (too old, not black, among other things), but he's everything we needed, and more. I love my red boy.

Who could resist this face?

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#10 ·
at the time for some bizzarre reason I thought I wanted a mini greyhound...the kind that fits in your purse...Sparky was much bigger =he was not what I was looking for as much either but it worked better---I am used to protection type dogs and he helped me on late night walks...love him
and yes your dog is very lovable too
 
#11 ·
Jonesy'sMom, your threads about Jade really touched my heart. What a beautiful old lady she was. Thank you for taking her in & giving her the only love she probably ever knew in her life. The pic of the two of you by the rocks just sums it up perfectly.

Our three dobes came to us from our local doberman rescue. Our first dobe Eddie was five months old & had been handed in as his owners couldn't cope with him. Our second dobe Amber came to us a year later at the age of 3. She was handed in as the owners marriage had broken down.
Our current dobe Homer came to us three years ago at the age of four. In the 3 months before we got him he had been in a rescue centre in Ireland, shipped over to England to another rescue centre who adopted him out to a family. He got into a fight with their neighbours dog so it was back to the rescue centre who patched him up & sent him on way to Doberman Rescue.

Rescue is the only way for me. As much as I'd love a puppy there are so many beautiful unwanted dobes in need of good homes. It's amazing what gems people discard. I just wish I could help more of them.

Eddie

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Amber

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Homer

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#12 · (Edited)
Beautiful stories.
Jade's mom, you made me cry.

We adopted Zack from a foster family. He was 8 months old and we were his 4th home. He is almost 11 months now and 87lbs.

I was told he lived outside for the first part of his life. I saw pics of him at about 6 months old and he was skin & bones. His foster family were very loving, but my husband thinks that they couldn't handle him either.

I don't think he is particularly well bred, still has dew claw, very large, certainly not shaped like a German dog.

I do know that he needed a home and was desperate for love.
When its a little fluffy dog that barks and jumps and acts silly everyone thinks its cute. When its a big black dog people get frustrated.

My husband thinks he kept getting dumped because he was a 'male Doberman'. As we know, they require work, and plenty of homes aren't prepared for that.

We will probably never know the truth.
It doesn't really matter.
He is here to stay.
We love the big galoot and are giving him the safety and structure he needs. There will be no more moves. All he needs is time, patience, a firm hand, and lots of love.....

oh, and toys, a big yard, 2 sisters to torment, room in the big bed, peanut butter, kisses, and lots of food.......
 
#13 ·
I have been "involved" with a local rescue for years, adopted Ro 12 years ago, when it was another rescue before they merged and did some fostering. When Ro died we adopted Leo, who was about one, who was found wandering the streets as a stray. Poor fawn boy was skinny and his coat was just about as bad as a fawn stray can be. I got complacent and hadn't really kept up with things for a few years, until Julian got diagnosed with cancer. At that point I kinda felt a karmic urge to get back into the thick of things. We all hooked back up and I kinda threw myself into it full force to keep busy.

When Julian died I was DEVASTATED. Along came "ditch puppy", from out in the sticks in nowhere Louisiana. I kept getting emails from our rescues president with pictures of this cute fawn baby, with remarks about how "stunning" she would look with a fawn boy (um, again Leo is a fawn). I wanted no part of that. I was perfectly happy to lay on my sofa and keep crying. Our wise and fearless leader somehow knew better. *

I had signed up to do a transport leg, two adult dogs. I meet up with the transport and there is ditch puppy. *She's coming too, of course. *So she rides in my lap, napping with sweet baby puppy breath for over an hour. *We hook up with our rescue prez at the vet,
and I just get this look... "Soooo, what do you think we should do with Ditch? *I can take her, but I just wish a baby like that could get some one on one."

I got tricked. I'm very happy about it :D
 
#14 ·
Several years ago a coworker told me about an old doberman at the shelter. She had been there for over a year as it was a no kill shelter but she was not considered adoptable(??) because she had bitten someone. I decided and I still don't know why to go see her.

Scarlett was 11 yrs old and had been seized when her drug dealer owner was arrested. She had been seriously mauled by his drug dealer roomate's pit bull. Half her lip was gone..the front of her mouth had no teeth and the gum was almost split in half. She had been bitten in her back leg stifle and it was healed rigid unable to bend. She had a sign on her run asking people not to stand and look at her because it made her bark and she had bitten a construction worker who was carrying a stick when he came too close.

I took her for a walk and she ignored me until we were a "safe" distance from the shelter then she came and leaned on me. When we came back she stopped at my car which she must have recognized by scent and refused to come back in the shelter. I decided that I would try to adopt her and if she couldn't live in my home with my dogs and cat as they said she was aggressive to both I would euthanize her rather than see her like that.

Well she marched in and said "Please don't hurt me" to my dogs. She wasn't aggressive she was scared to death and who could blame her with the mauling she took. Within 2 days I had video of her playing with my cat...another misunderstanding? The first time I encouraged her onto the couch I cried to see her satisfied face. The first time she ran loose at my friends property and ran with her awkward gait with a big smile on her face we all cried.

She died 6 mos later of bone cancer but I was able to live up to my promise to her which was she would never go in a cage again. I even took the crate out of the van to give her a place to ride free. We buried her on my friends property because it was the place she was the happiest..other than the couch.

I will try to find a photo of her and see if I can scan it to post. She was so homely and quirky but so rewarding.
 
#15 ·
the thing neat about my pets==all are some kind of rescue story...I can't imagine not knowing them...like I know I could have fallen in love with another dog or cat but I feel so lucky and blessed to know specifically the pets I have ...like I cannot imagine life without Sparky...they each have their own unique personalities....
 
#16 ·
JobeyV--Homer can't possibly be a rescue. He is so frickin cute. What a face.

DobieGal15--When you get tired of Ammo, please call me.

Jonesy's mom, I love the photo of Jade in the grass. I think it's the one where she's practicing being a ninja girl. Her video was so sweet. Made me thoroughly dislike the people who tried to use her up before. Thank goodness you found her and gave her a time of love and kindness.

Meadowcat, I certainly could not resist that sweet loving face. I love your story of Simon.

Ruthie, you're the only other nut (other than me) who I know who would hold up traffic for a dog. I stopped my truck and 37' horse trailer going down an entrance ramp to pick up a stray; stopped in the middle of an intersection in the rain to pick up a stray lab who was jumping on the door of my truck wanting in; stopped and picked up two Akita puppies in the middle of the median about 8 months ago; stopped at another intersection and picked up a bird dog but flagged down a sheriff who took the dog home with him.

When Joe Black finished showing I tried to rescue a young natural ear female from our local rescue. Filled out all the paperwork, references, etc., but never could get them to respond.

I think you guys are all special angels with good hearts and a good soul.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Jonesy'sMom, can I use the photo of you and jade as my desktop background?

it is one of the most touching photos i have seen.

brings back so many memories of my heart dog, Sadie.

thank you.

DT actually brought my attention to the plight of so many doberman in NA.

where i live i had never noticed an issue with so many doberman in need, most breeders bred CKC registered dogs so as we must identify(with chip or tattoo) all puppies before they leave the breeders home it is easy to track down owner, and breeder if the dog is 'lost'.

anyway, after being on DT for a while and seeing how much help these dobes in need.............need, I thought I would keep an eye out for one that I might be able to adopt.

there was this older red and tan female, natural ears, docked tail, posted on DT that needed a home.
Seems her owners could not keep their home anymore and they up and left, there was confusion I guess as to who, and when someone would be picking up the dog.......that lived in a little pen with a big old scungy bucket of water, an igloo dog house with scraps of old foam around it...................
The real estate people got a hold of Valhalla dog rescue in Washington, and they agreed to take the girl into their home. :)

I decided to see if I could adopt dear Koko Puff.

Long story short................I adopted Koko Puff! :)

Had over 2 years with her before the cancer took her from me.

She was just the perfect dog, she just never did a thing wrong, so willing to please and such a smart girl.

Everyone who met her loved her.

Hugz to you Koko Puff! :)

adit to add: It still stings to talk about this boy, I miss him terribly........

soon after I got Koko Puff, I heard of a dog needing a home, and Magic came into my life..............a rehomed and then rehomed again dog in need of being rescued from a life of crate and rotate....................he was with me for over 4 years, he was a great dog and is missed. Hugz to you Magic.

and now........I have Charlie........... :)

he was a dog I saw listed on craigs list................. a few times.............

not at all what I wanted..................

owners said he could not come back to them if it did not work out.............

if they could not find a home for him soon.....................

So, long story short, :) ..............

I adopted Charlie!

....it has been over 2 weeks with this new guy....We have lasted 6 days longer than any other place he was rehomed too. :)

Wish us Luck! heehee
 
#29 ·
Jonesy'sMom, can I use the photo of you and jade as my desktop background?

it is one of the most touching photos i have seen.

brings back so many memories of my heart dog, Sadie.

thank you.
Sorry just saw this,

You may use any photo of Jade that you wish :)
 
#20 ·
#21 ·
Both of my current dogs are from a breeder, but our first Doberman was a rescue.

Winston was found running loose, emaciated (only 40lbs - his ideal weight was 73lbs) and with sores on his chest at nearly 7 years old. Animal Control caught him and contacted his owners. He apparently lived on a cement pad either in the basement or outside (not sure which), and all his owners said was that he ran away all the time and they didn't seem to care. No charges or anything were ever laid for neglect as they decided to surrender him right then and there and be done with the problem. Then somehow my breeder found out about him as she was very involved with rescue at the time in my province. The shelter told her that they felt he should be euthanized but she went to check him out herself. She did all of the regular temperament tests that she always does with a new rescue and he accepted everything in stride and gave her a huge kiss. The shelter deemed him unadoptable because he wouldn't play or interact much, which is just absurd. I wouldn't want to play either if I was almost half my ideal body weight and weak and tired with sores. The breeder took him, set him up in a foster home and then shortly thereafter, we found out about him and adopted him after a series of meets and a sleepover.

We believe he must have had a caring family along the way at some point. he knew a lot of behaviours and tricks already, and was just such a sweet, gentle, well rounded soul. I don't know what happened along the way that landed him in such a horrific situation. Maybe the victim of a bad divorce? Sudden move where they couldn't take the dog? We'll never know. But I am so glad that we were able to provide him a cushy, happy last 4 years of his life.

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#22 ·
#25 ·
Chase was not technically a rescue (I didn't find him at a shelter), but I believe I took him away from a not so nice situation.

A friend noticed Chase advertised, and told me I should take a look at him. I said I would go, just to look and ask questions. I got there and this guy was outside with Chase, who was chunky and had sores on his elbows. He was reserved, quiet, and didn't make eye contact with anyone. The owner said he got him from a breeder up north, paid $2,200 for him :rolleyesww: and kept him outside as a guard dog. As we were walking the guy got more comfortable with me and started to tell me things that made me want to kick him in the *****. He admitted to beating chase up. He said the dog needed a good punch in the head every now and then, he needed a strong owner.

I examined chase, he had deep scars on his back legs and head.still to this day I'm not sure if it was man made or if he got into a scuffle with another dog. The owner told me a man who owns a farm wanted to buy him as a stud dog and outdoor guard dog, and was coming down in half an hour.

So, I lied to the guy. I told him that I was a breeder and that chase is a perfect fit for my program. He was reluctant to give the dog to a girl, but I guess chase was driving him up the wall, because he gave him to me.

Two months later, I neutered, micro chipped, and licensed him. After two really hard years of training him to stop being so reactive towards people, I think he is getting along fine.

If I passed on him, he would be a BYB stud dog right now, producing hypothyroid, weak back, straight stifled, big headed puppies. He would be outside 24/7 with sores on his elbows and stomach, and continuing licking his leg to form infected lick granulomas.

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#26 ·
Chase looks so similar to Ammo, its uncanny (handsome boys!) Ammo also had lick sores on both back legs when I got him :(
 
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#27 ·
My first girl Rosebud was found tied to the fence of the local SPCA in the middle of the night. Someone had tried to drown her, she was soaking wet with salt water, so thin the SPCA said they would have to put her down, she had not eaten in so long that she could not hold food down. She could not even stand. She was approx seven weeks old. They phoned me, I went and retrieved her, fed her with an eye dropper, held her loved her. Within twentyfour hours she was standing. Like a little fawn, weak and scared. She became our Grand Dame of Dobies. The standard all the others have had to live up to. She lived to be thirteen. She was never sick. She was amazing and will remain in our hearts forever. She is why we love Dobermans.
 
#28 ·
OMG =tied up...I watch Animal Cops alot...it truely amazes me how lazy =cruel and inhumane many people are and when they show up in court -here we have pretty strict animal cruelety laws and prosecute--these people are almost always a bunch of lazy fat a$$es ....as in -HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED A MEAL...HELL NO...SO WHY ARE YOU MAKING YOUR ANIMALS SKIP ALL THEIR MEALS ...ROT IN HELL A$$HOLE....I like that show cause many people are suprised to be arrested by a cop after their trial...they think they are just losing custody of the animal but here they go to JAIL HAHAH
if that happened here that dog's previous owner would be in jail...
 
#31 ·
I adopted Bentley in February of this year. He turned a year old mid May. We're his 3rd and final home.

His first owner bought him and his brother, holding to the tough guard dog mentality. He didnt exercise them regularly, and for the most part they spent time in the garage, eating any food that was thrown their way. Occasionally he'd let them inside the house but that was a rare treat. He quickly realized that 2 high energy puppies were too much to handle

Then a woman rescued them, getting them neutered and up to date on all their shots. She started socializing them, and added them to her pack of 5 other dogs. She had a female red dobie, 2 female golden retrievers, a male golden retriever and a female yorkie. After about a month Bentley's brother, Lincoln started instigating fights and beating up Bentley. With 3 male dogs in the house, 2 of them young dobies it was only a matter of time before fighting broke out. Thankfully she took the advice of her vet and chose to rehome both dobermans, even though Bentley was her very special to her and had not shown any aggression towards her male golden or been the one to start fights.

It's been an eventful 3 months so far. As should have been expected, we dealt with and are still dealing with some separation anxiety issues. In the 9 months he'd been alive, he'd never been alone before. He went from being with other dogs all the time, to an only dog.

He absolutely loves other dogs, but on lead he gets so frustrated that he cant go greet them that he barks. We are working on it and he has good days and bad days.

He is the biggest suck in the world. He loves being pet, cuddled and snuggling. I had read they were velcro dogs, but didnt fully understand quite what it meant. lol!

He can be leery of strangers, and if out of the comfort of familiar places, he gets quite anxious if i leave his sight.

He's been more work then I expected, but I wouldnt trade him for the world.
 
#34 ·
Let me introduce you to Kate and how she came to live with us.

Our daughter researched and found a pet doberman puppy for herself. She had graduated from graduate school and was living on her own when she found him. Circumstances changed and she and Remy moved back home with us for a while. We hadn't had a dog in quite some time but he was such a love and my husband and I adored him. Again her circumstances changed and suddenly we were without a dog. I searched petfinder sporadically and thought that would be our best bet on finding a doberman that needed a home. By this time, we were sure that's what we wanted. One day I saw this picture:

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and I wondered if she was our dog. She had been picked up by Animal Control in the next county as a stray. I wondered if she had been traumatized and would be fearful and shy so I emailed them to see if she was still available for adoption. When they emailed me back, I was told she had been picked up by the local Safe Animal Shelter. This helped because the pressure was off that she would soon be euthanized if she wasn't a good fit for us. I went with a friend (my supposed voice of reason) to see her and immediately fell. She was a happy loving sweetheart who it seemed had just been waiting for me to come get her. I wondered if she would get along with horses (barn time is a great time for a dog to play) and with other dogs. We put in our application for her and made a time for my husband to come see her and for my daughter to bring Remy to meet her so we would have some idea that they would get along. She loved him and he was thrilled to have a little playmate so the deal was struck and she came home with us. She moved right in and made herself comfortable. :D

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The shelter thought she might be around 10 months old while the vet the next day thought she might be around a year old. She had a bit of kennel cough and some ear crud but otherwise checked out healthy and with such a loving temperament.

I tried her at the barn but she was not horse friendly so the dog park has become our outlet. We have a nice one close by and so far, (1&1/2 years later) it has been incident free. We live a block from the ocean and she enjoys running on the beach.

This was taken the first time we took her to the dog park a couple of weeks after we brought her home.

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and this was taken a month or so ago

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She loves the water:

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She has mismatched ears that I love:

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She is joyful:

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And she is so bonded to me it's amazing. I've had a lot of dogs in my life but none that has attached themselves to my heart in such a powerful way. Thank goodness we found her.

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She has added so much joy to our lives and it's so rewarding to know that at least one homeless pet had found her proper home. I can't imagine life without her now.