Hi Amy!

I thought I would send along a little note to let you know how I've been doing since you last saw me.  I had a rough start in life but now I'm happier than ever.  On Memorial Day weekend my brother and I were found in a ditch on the side of the road by a very nice lady who wanted to help us.  She brought me to one of ADAR's foster homes who brought me to Amy where I lived until my new Mom & Dad adopted me!  I had a lot of fun there and very soon I found a forever home in Massachussetts.  I was adopted by Matt & Sara in June and was named "Tobey".  The 3 of us have a lot of fun together.

Every morning I wake up around 5 am to go outside.  My mom tells me how proud she is of me because I rarely have accidents inside the house.  After breakfast, we play for a while and go on a walk around the block.  I still have so much energy so I leap around the house chasing my favorite toy, a quacking duck.  I'm usually ready for a nap after my Mom goes to work and while I wait for my Dad to come home.  I've even gone to visit my Dad at work a few times which is really fun because I got to explore the entire police station.  After my Dad gets home, we play and go for a walk.  He takes me down to the little league field and I run around like crazy.  We usually hang out on our deck for a bit and then walk to the train station to meet my Mom when she gets off the train.  I'm not sure what to think of the train but I love when the people get off because everyone tells me how handsome I am.  Then, after all three of us have dinner, we sit in the living room and watch TV.  I usually fall asleep because I have two very comfortable beds to chose from, but I'll stay up if we watch the "Dog Whisperer".  That's pretty much my average day.

The weekends are especially fun.  I love taking my weekly trip to the pet store because I love riding in the car, everyone wants to meet me, and my parents buy basically every toy in sight.  We practice obedience a lot on the weekends and I love hearing how smart I am.  I've already learned how to sit, lie down, paw, stay, and come. I'm going to go to doggy day camp twice a week in August for basic training.  My favorite camper is an 8 month old Golden Retriever named Bug. For now though, I will go for walks at camp with a pair of 9 year old female Goldens until I'm a little bit bigger.  I am meeting so many new people, including my 3 year old neighbors who love to pet me and buy me new toys.  I have had a few puppy play dates with a Puggle named Oz.  She's fun, we run around until we're both exhausted!

Overall, I lead a very happy life.  I want to thank Amy so much for all the work they did to find me such a loving home.  My Mom & Dad tell me everyday what a good puppy I am and are constantly, and I mean constantly, giving me hugs & kisses!

Love,
Tobey

Hi Amy,

I thought you might like to see a picture of Cooper (we still call him our miracle puppy since he survived Parvo) and a column I wrote for my paper (I write for a few local papers). I put ADAR's name in the column as some free publicity for you.

We are still madly in love with our little boy!
Paula Vogler

We have a dog.  While I understand that may not be newsworthy information to most reading this column, it is for those who know I swore off of ever owning a dog again after we put our last one to sleep in 2000 and my oldest daughter became allergic to them.

Cooper came into our lives on March 1.  His ignominious beginning started when his very pregnant and emaciated black lab mother was found chained in a backyard in Alabama.  After the good folks at ADAR Animal Rescue/Alabama and New England took over, Cooper and his siblings were born into a blissful life free from worry.

All black lab looking pups, the siblings were quickly adopted.  And then there was Cooper.  To look at him is to gaze in wonder at what sits in front of you.

The four-inch wide unruly swath of reddish hair down his back (yes, those are cowlicks and yes, we do try to brush them, to no avail), the crimped wavy hairdo on top of his head (it is natural, we do not waste our time styling it), and the cow-like spots on his belly, roof of his mouth, and even pads on his feet make us wonder how he came from the same litter.

To be sure his other black fluff ball of a sister that we also took at least was black in keeping with her lineage but our tri-color little boy came complete with the white side of his face having white whiskers and the black side having black ones.

He is hypoallergenic and is partial to eating pansies, dandelions, or fiddlehead ferns; in a word, he is a mutt.

Cooper, as well as our family, had a life changing experience when he arrived as a wiggly 9-week-old.  Ten days after we got him and his sister, Chloe, Chloe died while spending half her short life with us at the hospital fighting Parvo.

Cooper seemed lost without his sister whom he constantly played with and snuggled with to sleep. A stuffed bunny helped to soothe him at night.

Then came the day shortly after Chloe’s death that Cooper also got Parvo.  It was another sad, tear-filled moment dropping him off at the vet’s thinking we would not see him again.

Even after he miraculously came home we were still waiting for what we thought was the inevitable.  He slept a lot-did that mean he was sick again?

He stayed close by-he must not feel well because whoever heard of a 12-week old puppy running off his leash and coming when called?

He snuggled and cuddled with whoever would hold him and there were plenty of willing arms.

We have finally relaxed and realized there is something about Cooper that makes him different, something people find very endearing when they see him even without knowing his background.

It most likely is not his intellect; the dog never makes a sound so the only way we ever knew he had to go out was when viewing the aftermath of a full bladder.

We ended up installing a bell for him to ring to let us know when he is at the door.  Of course he also rings it when he wants to play or just to see us come running; it makes you wonder who has actually trained whom.

It is not that he totally and excitedly loves all people although now that he understands how to work his tail, greetings to newcomers are a little better.  He is more apt to sit and stare at you when he meets you or worse, ignore you.

It is not his laid-back ways (you can find him sleeping on his back in any number of places) although his gentleness extends to all things furry and human.

With a little Chihuahua he rolls on his back and tries to calmly play while with a curious toddler, he quietly lays down to try to lick his new playmate and accept whatever poking or prodding comes his way.

His playtime with his best friend Eddie, a little Yorkshire Terrier, has gone from Cooper staring as Eddie runs circles around him to actually being able to outrun his friend now that he is starting to grow into his long legs.

I think Cooper is just grateful for what he has, a family that loves him, friends to play with, a roof over his head, and food in his bowl.  His contentment and love shine through and people are attracted to that.

Perhaps Cooper has a lesson to teach us all.

Paula Vogler is an Easton resident and correspondent who continues to be amazed at the blessings and lessons a little fur ball can teach her.

Hi,

I have been meaning to write this letter for a long time but now one year later I can't put it off. We adopted one of your dogs from a foster home in Main (Loyal Hearts Puppies). We knew we were looking to adopt a rescue dog but my boys of 7, 6, and 5 at the time, were thinking of a Jack Russell.  As I scanned the petfinder site I happened upon this picture of the cutest dog.  I called the shelter to inquire about her and from there things happened so fast.  My husband thought I was crazy- he had been living in Davidson, NC without the boys and I for 10 months, so I was trying to sell the house in Maine, keep our three boys organized, work full-time as a nurse practitioner, pack the house and look for a house in Davidson but the picture of the puppy kept coming back to me.  I showed everyone who would look a picture of her-- ther was just something about her. I'm not sure who I first spoke with but the person had many concerns about moving her back down to North Carolina ( I guess she was concerned with pet rights and responsibilities down here- I'm not quite sure).  I assured her that I believed in spaying & neutering dogs and that she would be well cared for.  A long story short, we picked her up on Memorial Day 2007 and we haven't stopped loving her yet.  She is the most easy going dog- she never gets on the furniture (except our bed), she walks well with a leash and without a leash (she never leaves our side), she sits at the corner of every street before crossing, she comes to my clap no matter where she is (I can't whistle), she NEVER barks (we've heard it exactly five times), she loves all animals and has daily play dates with the Golden two doors down, and she sits endlessly at ballgames to let the younger children pet and love on her.  I can honestly say "we did absolutely nothing" to train her.  She just knows what to do and how to act.

We adore her more than words can say and I look forward to our morning belly rubbing on the bed as much as she does.  So, what I mean to say is thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for connecting us to the best dog, friend and companion our family could ever have.

Thank you again,
Elena Bell Wagner & Family

Dear Nana,

We know we haven’t been in touch, but we wanted you to know that life is truly great!

(Lua) I was a timid and skittish girl when I arrived, but my mom showed me lots of love and gentleness I still have my moments... Then in August of 2007 my sister Hazel arrived with lots of gusto! She really helped me come out of my shell. Now we are sisters til the end!

(Hazel) We have two brothers Mo Kitty and Roy Cat. Roy has learned to stand up to me, (and sometimes gets feisty with me), but I still like to torture my brother Mo Kitty! He thinks I’m a big scary monster! I love my sister Lua, but all she wants to do is play! I’m lazy and would rather be on the couch or bed!

We receive many comments of how cute and “different looking” we are. Our mom is very proud to tell anyone who will listen that we are mixed breeds who came all the way from Alabama ! She calls us The United Nations since all four of us are from shelters.

We are both healthy, (if not a little overweight), and living the “Life of Reilly”.

We can’t thank you enough for help us on our journey.

Luv
Lua & Hazel
P.S. Mom keeps checking your website to see if there is a sister in our future. However, we keep telling her 4 is enough!!!

Dear Amy,

I wanted to write you on my first birthday and let you know how I am doing. You will remember me as "Bubbles" one of six puppies born in the back of a pick-up truck on May 27, 2007. I was adopted by a family from Montgomery and now live on Bankhead Avenue in a really swell place! I have been re-named Tallulah Bankhead but everyone calls me "Lula B" for short. As you can see from my picture I am doing great! I have graduated from puppy and beginner class at the Montgomery Area Dog Obedience Club. Actually I only went to train my Mom…she needs lots of it! I am also happy to report I get along well with my cat sister and we all sleep in bed together with Mom and Dad. And, I wanted you to know my Grandma lives two doors down and she thinks I can do no wrong. Well, I just wanted to say hi and thank you for all you did for me and my brothers and sisters. You found a really happy home for me and it might not have happened without you. I hope you are doing well.

Many doggy kisses to you!
Lula B

Dear Amy,

After recently losing our beloved 13 year old Jack Russell, life was very sad for my husband and me.

One Saturday, on my way to Lowes to buy gardening supplies, something made me stop at a local adoption clinic held at a nearby pet store. My husband was camping that weekend and it was there that I met the marvelous “Woodstock”. He came right to me while I was holding another dog who really wasn’t very interested in me. As I set the other dog back down, Woody gave me quite a greeting.

I left the clinic thinking that I knew my husband would not want another pet, but could not get Woody out of my mind. When I got home, I filled out an Adoption Application and the next day someone came to inspect the house. Still my husband was unaware until he came home and I told him about him.

It took 3 days to convince my husband to meet Woody. When he did, it was love at first sight. I could just tell. Woody touched his heart exactly as he had touched mine.

I thank the people who were involved in Woody’s rescue. They are all angels, and if it were not for them I would not be the happy person I am today. When Woody walked into our life on his 3 legs, he touched our souls.

Woody has a comfortable home with a huge back yard now with people that adore him. Woody also goes to Camp in the Adirondacks where he takes long walks with his new Mom and Dad in the country. Woody has toys galore and plays with every single one of them daily. He loves to run free in his yard to play and dig holes and chase anything in sight…He runs very fast. He is very smart and learns quickly. He is extremely agile too. He takes stairs 3 at a time. He shows no disability that we can see.

If you ever second guess adopting a dog with 3 legs…..don’t. Our Vet told us that Dogs only need 3 legs…..the fourth is an “extra”.

We plan on many days filled with hiking and canoeing and camping with our new little sweetie.

Thank you ADAR Rescue, Amy, and Homeward Bound of NY!

Fran Shattuck

Hello,
My name is Jill Rogers. I adopted Vasco, who we have named Bandit, back in October. (He is one of the border collie/lab mixes, he has the one blue and one brown eye) I just wanted to give an update on him... we absolutely love him and he is the best dog we could have asked for! He is so loving (and our 12 year old cat gets along with him too!) and affectionate and playful and everything we could have wanted in a dog :) he just turned 8 months old today and weighs around 65-70 pounds, he's a big boy who's going to keep getting bigger! He is very spoiled and all of our family members love him, I have attached a few pictures of him so you can see what a big, beautiful boy he is becoming!

                  Jill Rogers
                 Cheshire, NH