Austin Dog Rescue

Thanks so much for including the story about Max the Border Collie,  I met Max shortly before finding my forever dog, Amigo, in August...Max was such a sweet and handsome dog, and still has a special place in my heart.  I knew at the time, however, I wouldn't be able to give Max all that he needed to grow to be the wonderful dog he's become.  I've thought of him often over the months (and emailed Laurie to see how he was doing)...and it really makes my day knowing that Max has ended up in the perfect home.

Amigo, by the way, is doing WONDERFULLY!  We adore him so much, and he's such a joy to have around.  He loves his morning walks (esp in cold weather!).  We've been taking him to a "tricks" class, to help keep his mind stimulated...despite the fact that most of the dogs in the class are 7 years his junior, he can still keep up!  We took him to a party the other day, and overheard an acquaintance tell a friend that Amigo is now her "new favorite dog".  

Both my boyfriend and I have been doing a lot of word-of-mouth advertising for ADR...we had such a great experience with y'all...and asked our families to make donations to ADR for Xmas in lieu of gifts for us.  Thanks again for all that you do...for the update on Max...and allowing us the privilege of adopting Amigo.

Best,
Seanna Crosbie

Hi Joyce!  I know you loved Apollo very much, so I want you to know that he is doing awesome and he has been a great dog (everyone loves him!). We're working on his manners since he gets really excited and jumps on me sometimes, but he's learned to sit and shake (which comes after sit)! We're also working on brushing his teeth; I brush them every day, but he doesn't like it too much, since he often tries to run off when he sees the toothbrush. I guess that means the next step is the 'stay' command. When he hears my alarm go off, he wakes me up with plenty of wet kisses and I think he's starting to really enjoy car rides! Yesterday, he ran three miles with me with only his potty breaks. He was exhausted when we came back, but he did perfectly well. It's incredible how fast he is and how much he loves to be outside, so I try to take him out as much as possible. The vet took out a couple of pieces of bullet, but the patches of missing fur don't seem to bother him too much (his fur has been growing back pretty quickly).

Enjoy!
Natalia

As you can see, she's really getting BIG!   I've never dressed one of our dogs before, but she was just shivering in the cold weather we've had.  I have to say, she looks good in pink!  :) 

We've been working with a trainer, and so far she has sit, down, leave it, fetch, and release down pretty well.  She's working on touch & learning to catch a frisbee in short distances.  Come is still a toughie.  Oh, and she's housebroken!  All in all, we're very proud parents!

Marquette Maresh Reddam

Carly was very sad to leave her foster home.She knew how much she was loved there and didn't want to leave her mommy sad.She napped a little and felt much better by the time we got home.She loved following the cats and marking the place as her own.She is such a good little girl.She knows sit really well thanks to her incredible foster family and she has already started  picking up off and down.She slept well on our bed along with the cats and my son.I guess everyone just needed cuddles and to bond.Thank you for saving this special little soul and for bringing her into our lives!I can not put into words how much she already means to us.

Thank You, The Skiles Family

Chase has been a very busy boy on the farm, and herded in two bucket / baby calves this morning, when Gary had not latched the gate well, and they were wondering out of their pen. Since Lily sees these calves as 'buddies' she won't work them like he does the big ones.  Chase got almost level with the ground, and I kept calling him to 'round up.. bring em in' and he followed my lead and the calves went back in their pen.

He was 100% focused on his 'job'.  He also came bounding through to the bathroom last night and leaped into the tub with me when I was trying to relax after working outside all day. so much for relaxation - I finally got out, and let him bite all the bubbles and play.

Here are some new pictures of Chase. He had a FUN day of playing in the mud and stock tanks! And one of him after he got cleaned up. He has a new thing of where he has to sleep on his food and water bowls like some one might come and take them from him.

We just adore him!

Lindsey

Just wanted to drop you gals a line and let you know how things are going with the former Lexie (who has been renamed "Clover"). She's nearing a year old and is weighing in at 55lbs now. Despite some expected puppy-ness (the usual - chewing,digging, jumping up), she's an absolute joy. Her most insanely cute feature: EARS! They're never really sure what they want to do. It's like her mom gives her crooked pigtails every day. Kills me!

Thank you so much for the care you both provided our little goofball until she could find us!

Much love,
Amy and Gary

It's been over a year since we adopted Copper (formerly Haley) and I thought I'd drop you an update.  She has been wonderful - so sweet and gentle with ALL kids.  She's a little more suspicious about adults (who can blame her?), but she warms up. Copper IS helping me out with a special project right now and I thought you'd like to see a picture.  Like I said, she LOVES kids and babies...from all species!. Thank you so much!

-The Polin Family

I wanted to keep in touch with you and thanks you for our puppy.  This is what he looks like now.  He has really grown and has the cutest personaltily.  Of course he is spoiled, but very smart.  He has learned to sit, shake hands and he now brings in the paper.  He was taught by my son's dog Bud. We were taking care of my son's dog for a while because they just had a new baby and he fit in so well and loves the puppy that I son decided he has more attention here than he had at his home so now Custer has a 5 year old lab brother.  They are really cute together. 

Every morning at 4:45 the (boys) wake me up and are ready to go for an hour walk.  We haven't missed one morning.  It is so much fun.  I will forward you a picture of the two boys.

Our Vet said that Custer is in wonderful health 

Thanks again for what you do.

- Ilse Nielsen

Daci's temperament is wonderful.  She seems interested in things and very intelligent, but calm and shy about anything new.  She looks to those she's comfortable with for approval for anything she does.  I think that's a great place for our beginning, because we'll have to build a bond in order for her to come out of her shell.  I look at her now and see a stunningly gorgeous animal.  I think ahead and see a wonderful companion. 

Thank you so much for this opportunity.  Attached is a picture of us - you can see how happy I am.  I know Daci will feel the same very soon.

Charles

I just wanted to let you know that Cora/ Denver is doing great.  She is easily and naturally becoming part of our family.  You were right- she is so sweet-natured.  She is really good with our baby, Guerin (he has already fed her a couple of Cheerios:)  She is eating and sleeping fine and really started to play yesterday.  She met one of my parents' dogs and did really well with her.

We will introduce her to the other one soon (we didn't want to overwhelm her with both of them at once).  We've already taken her for a couple walks. and she got to meet one of the neighbor dogs who is a lab.  They seemed to like each other a lot.  The only problem she has had so far is that she was scared by the sound of the treadmill when my husband started running on it this morning.  We tried to take her upstairs so she could see it, but she is still scared of the stairs.  I think she will get used to everything in time...luckily my husband runs outside most mornings:)

Thanks again so much for saving her and sharing her with us.  I promise that we will take care of her and give her a wonderful life.

Jenny

We are just so happy to have them in our family! They are EXCELLENT companions and fantastic temperaments. We’ve found our perfect matches – that’s for sure.  Duke & Duchess are having lots of fun with the family. We absolutely ADORE them and wanted to share a few pictures.

Thank y’all so much!

Jenny

Once upon at time a helpless little dog crossed the street suck up a bit of water.  Torn apart inside and out, she still came to you with a wagging tail as if she knew you were going to pet her sweet.  Little did she know that she would spend the next 5 months in rehabilitation, just to be adopted by a family that loved her just as much.  She didn't know that she would would not be killed...or beaten...or starved...or neglected. 

She came to me broken, but rehabilitated.  She was scared, still managed, still hating men.  She was brought into a house with a big brother, a momma, a watch sister (my roommate), good food, and plenty of attention. 

Now I take her back to the Vets that saw her before, and they are amazed.  I, her new momma, am amazed.  She is a confident, feminine, pretty little dog that makes everyone jealous that they don't have a dog that wags their hind end all the time :)  She obeys all commands, and is now potty trained...which we never thought was possible :)

My fiance and I are not going to have children.  I have to give you a special thank you because, as you see, this is our child now.  Thank you Kelly (and husband) for giving me the child that I had been looking for.  She is quite, happy, and bring joy to our lives every day.

If this makes you feel better at all--you have given us a better life!

-Kristin

Just wanted to let you know that Fritz (AKA Kobe) is doing great in his new home!!!  He and Mathilda are like two peas in a pod, even though it took about five days to get to that point.  Mathilda was really snippy with him at first.  Then, I guess around Tuesday they started to really play and have fun with each other.

They sleep so well at night b/c they have exhausted each other out...it is so damn cute!!!  Fritz is making himself quite at home here.  He is eating well, playing outside in the yard and learning his name.  Now we have to work on the leash and "sit".  I sent some pics of the three of us and one of he and his sister, Dottie.

He is a wonderful dog...so loving and very gentle...I am so proud to be his momma!!!!  Like I said...it was just meant to be!!!  Thank you so much and Fritz thanks you with a big kiss!!!

Take care, Naomi

It’s hard to believe that our sweet Gabby is almost 10 months old.  Seems like yesterday that you delivered this tiny puppy into our lives. 

As I promised many times, I wanted to send you a picture so that you could see what a beautiful dog she has grown into.  She is 30lbs and simply beautiful.  As I am training for the Susan G. Komen 3 day, 60 mile walk in November, Gabby makes a great walking companion.  You know….a tired dog is a well behaved dog!  She loves to play catch with her Frisbee and has recently learned how to swim (although she prefers to just wade).  She is smart, loves all dogs and people.  She is one of a kind.

Thanks again for all you and your organization do. 

Amy Kane

Sorry it has taken me a few days to email you about the beautiful, sweet, and perfect in every way "Passion," who we have renamed "Greta." I took her to work that Thursday and she did beautifully. Fortunately, I have been off of work Friday and Monday so we have had a lot of bonding time.

True to her reputation, she has been great in her interactions with other dogs and very loving towards every friendly human she encounters. We purchased a crate, and she enters it of her own volition. She and the cats have come to an understanding. She now bounds up the stairs without hesitation. We're still working on acclimating her to car rides and walking on the sidewalk while loud busses roar by. All is well in our world. 

Thank you for everything! I will recommend your organization to everyone!

We are having so much fun with Hondo.  He is our sweet little boy.  He is very active and curious.  He loves to play chase with my son, Ely.  He loves being around people and taking naps in my lap.

Gina

Hurley is a love.  He and Sadie are getting along fine.  They wrestle, chase, swim together and steel bones from each other!  Hurley slept in his crate the 1st two nights, without a peep.  Since then, he sleeps in our room.  He has been crated during the day while at work.  Yesterday I left him loose in the house for 1 ½ hours and he was good.  Today he was left out all day.  Cross your fingers, all will be in order when I get home!

Laurie & Gary

Hello, I'd like to share another success story from Austin Dog Rescue. Her name is Izze and she's a golden retriever mix. A year ago, she was a stray and picked up by Town Lake Animal Shelter. She was underweight and in need of a good home. The wonderful people at Austin Dog rescued her from the shelter and gave her a good foster home with Dawn Vogler until I saw her beautiful face on your website. Izze is sweet and calm and has come a long way in the few months that I've had her. Because she was a stray, she's terrified of losing me. But she's calming down and gaining confidence every day. We've been in obedience school the past few weeks and she has done extremely well with it. She learns quickly. All in all, she's a delightful companion. Thank you, Austin Dog Rescue for bringing Izze and me together.

Sheila Allee

I just wanted to drop you a line on Juno, T.P.F.K.A.M. (The puppy formerly known as Mika)  I honestly couldn't be happier... she's been a wonderful dog.  A few weeks in, we've had quite a few adventures.... we went to South Padre Island for 4th of July (which, by the way, she wanted me to let you know that she did very well with the fireworks,) she was GREAT in the car for the 6 hour drive each way... just laid right on floor board and slept.  We've been to Bull Creek (did you know she's part fish?  That dog LOVES to swim....) Many outings to PetSmart, and we've found pretty much every dog friendly restaurant in town... (Opal Divines, Freddie's, etc) where she is always the hit of the party.  Tonight, we're starting our basic obedience classes (she knows when I'm calling her to come, she's just fairly fickle about whether she wants to listen to me or not...) And we have built up a great basket of toys for her to play with, both in the house, as well as the backyard (she checks out of fetch pretty quick, but w're getting better.)  She's had the chance to meet and play with quite a few dogs as well.... Shadow and Duckett have been her favorite, but she's always up for meeting any four legged friends that are near (as long as they're not cats :) )

She has truly embraced her new monikor.  Juno was the queen of the Roman goddesses, and my Juno is the queen of everywhere she goes (and you can't tell her any different.)  She basically just walks around from person to person with a look on her face of "Who wants to pet the pretty dog next."  She's also quick to assert who's boss with the other dogs too (ESPECIALLY when there's food around....)

Anyways, I just wanted to drop y'all a quick line, and let you know how well it's going!

Thanks for everything!

Tom

We are having so much fun with Bijou!  She is very sweet and affectionate, and loves to play fetch with her ball (or a leaf).  She's been feeling more comfortable here and so has been trying to play with our kitty, but is still gentle and respectful.  All in all, the transition is going great!  We are thinking of changing her name to Kona, but will let you know for sure! 

Thanks so much, and we'll stay in touch!

So Lola has a new "thing." When she fights with Owen, she always limps afterward. The other day, when we took the pictures, she was limping around after a little play fight escalated. Of course I babied her because she was limping and seemed like she hurt her right paw. I got on to Owen for hurting her too. However, suddenly she was limping around like it was her left paw that hurt.

Then this morning, they were wrestling around. As soon as Lola saw me watching, she started limping like her left paw hurt. Again, I babied her and I got upset with Owen (who never really cares when he's in trouble anyway). So I take them outside for their walk, and poor Lola is still limping. Well, as soon as I turn around, she stops limping. Then when she notices I'm watching again, and she limps. Can you believe what a turkey she is? - SPOILED ROTTEN little dogs.

Melissa

We adopted our other dog Rowdy earlier this year and noticed that he was overly submissive and felt that another dog would be a great source for companionship and confidence. We found Claire's pups after searching local rescue sites for a few days. I spotted Maeby immediately out of the group and loved her but I wanted to keep my options open, if she wasn't the best fit. I went to the foster mom's house and met the litter and she happened to be the sweetest one, following Scott and I around the whole time. It was a no brainer! ADR was great with everything, accommodating a house visit to make sure she was going to a safe forever home! We hope to continue a relationship with Maeby's foster mom & ADR.

Since the day Maeby was dropped off, Rowdy has a new best friend. At first we were nervous he'd be too rough with her fragile size but she has a feisty way about her and can handle her own. They "mouth" at each other for hours and while they need to know the others whereabouts at ALL times, they are still able to relax separately. We have taken both of them every Sunday to Red Bud Isle and after 5 trips, they LOVE water. Rowdy's confidence has sky rocketed and both puppies are amazing additions to our family. We are a young couple with our first home and back yard and we have always wanted dogs... we are so blessed by these two amazing "mutts"...

My husband and I grew up with pure breeds and had negative experiences with health problems. I feel so much more informed than my parents were about canine overpopulation, puppy mills and spaying our pets. I will ONLY buy from rescues, PERIOD. Thank you for all that you do. Maeby couldn't have gone to a more loving & appreciative home! THANK YOU ADR FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART!

P.S. Maeby was named after a character on the TV series Arrested Development

Sincerely,
Scott & Annie Roach

Wanted to share this newest photo of Parker. He's sitting on command, and we are working on "down" and "off." Have I told you that he's starting to learn the names of his toys? He knows "ball" and "rope". We ask him where his rope is and he'll bring it to us. Such a sweetie!  He is big now--about 20 pounds. He was somewhere around 7 pounds when we first got him. And, he's learning all sorts of new things like how to lie down on command--and that if you hang out in the kitchen while someone's cooking, there's a chance they might mess up and drop some food on the floor.

Thanks again for bringing this sweetheart into our lives.

Jen

We adopted Penny Lane back in March 2008 and I just wanted to write and tell you how much we love her.  She is the perfect addition to our family and we liked the name you gave her so much that we kept it for her.  She is so well behaved, loving, loyal and funny, too.  It is obvious that someone trained her as a puppy and so hard to imagine how she could have ever ended up in a shelter.  We are glad that she did, so that she could come to live with us.  As you can see from the attached photo, she still knows how to work it for the camera.

Thank you for your website and for the work that you do.

-Stephanie McCollum

Here are some more pics of Austin's hottest couple.   They are doing really, really well together!!  We had a wonderful weekend with our newest family member.  He is fitting in just beautifully.   He & Sophie roll around on the living room floor constantly & we wonder what we ever did without him.  We do feel a bit sorry for him though - the smallest of our cats, Lucy (the 6.5/7 pounder), has taken to picking on & chasing poor Percy.  I can't decide if she's being plain bitchy or if it's her way of playing, but she'll hide on one side of the couch & when Percy walks around the corner, she jumps out all puffy & hissy.  Percy usually yelps & runs away.  It's a pretty sad thing to see - a 60lb Rottie being chased by a 7lb cat. :o(  However, he does go looking for her, so I'm starting to think they have a big brother/little sister thing going on.

He is sleeping wonderfully through the night in his crate, he shares his toys like a gentleman, & always lets us know when he needs to go outside.  Sophie, Percy & Eric went for their first walk yesterday while I was away at a baby shower.  Eric said that it was unbelievable how well they did!!  Yay!!  One bad habit we're working on is the begging while we're eating thing - any pointers would be great!  I think he'd rest his big ol' head on my plate if I'd let him!!

Thank you SO much for this big lover boy!  We really couldn't have found a better match.

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Joanna

She is a little timid around people she doesn't know but she LOVES any and all other dogs.  She was incredibly easy to house train and had very few accidents inside.  She can sit, lay down, rollover and shake.  She'll start puppy training classes next month after her rabies shot, we can't wait.  We just love her and can't imagine our lives without her!! 

Trista

I know that I promised you some pictures of Quinn a while back, but with Thanksgiving and Christmas and everything it slipped my mind, my apologies. Quinn is doing wonderfully and he has been such an asset to our home I can't even do it justice in words.

We ended up not needing to board him over the holidays as my best friend was staying in town and stayed here at our place with Quinn the whole time and took great care of him. He may be the most loved dog in Austin! (I'm sure every dog owner thinks that).

Zeke

Well, we can't really recall when Reggie was not a member of the family - certainly the smartest, cutest and most agile! - so I hope you don't miss him too much.  

Reggie is doing so well. He is super-bonded to Cope but will also listen to Jim and I. He sits, fetches a number of items (taught himself how to carry a light-weight ring frisbee and not wear it like a hula hoop), comes and at least considers staying... He's had only one accident - when there was thunder! - and has earned the right to hang out with us in the living room and not stay in crate after dinner time. The transition back to school has gone well. Cope & Reg are a great match for one another and we are seeing a whole new side of Cope who is not only compassionate and patient but filling the huge shoes of admiration that Reggie shines his way. Conversely, Reggie is working hard to please his master with such fine points as dropping the fetched object right at your feet!

We took Reggie for his first outing last weekend to Barton Creek where he was wowwed by the world of dogs, water, and birds. His fav spot was sitting on top of Cope's back - like Cope was a rock - in the water. He had apparently never seen a flight of stairs before...but figured them out.

Let us know if there is anything else you need from us. Oh, here's a pic from about a week ago. I swear he's bigger and even cuter now...You can tell he's looking to Cope in the picture for his next assignment!

Thank you!

- Robin, Jim & Cope

Dear Joyce, Laurie, Austin Dog Team,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and guidance during the adoption process.  With your help we found our second amazing dog Sadie Fu.

It was not easy with her, but we love her very much! She seems to be a dog who would have fit better in a home where she is the only dog. Or Wrigley has to put up with a lot of action from her but he does not want to miss her anymore. The main thing is that she is very dominant, especially when it comes to food. She is also barking a lot and after having Wrigley, who never barks (really, never: just for protecting the house and when he is very, very excited we hear one bark), the house got a little louder. We are working with her every day and keep her busy.

Thank you for everything!!

Eric, Bettina, Wrigley & Sadie Fu

I wanted to give you an update on Sassy.  She is doing great!  She loves to play with Scout, she is eating and drinking more normally now.  Still drinks a bit more water…..but now so is Scout so I think they wear each other out!  Her peeing is doing good.  She only piddles when excited and spoken to in a high pitch voice…..so we try to avoid that .

Her leash walking skills still leave something to be desired…..so I decided to try her as my jogging partner and she loves it. I can’t keep up!  She has an abundance of energy and stamina.  have attached a picture of her ‘relaxing’ on the couch….

Thanks,
Kimm

Dear Joyce, Just a quick note to let you know how our little guy is doing. We are totally in love, and I think Scout is too! He has adjusted so well to our routine, he fits like a glove. He loves our daily walks, the outings at the park and his big back yard, and of course his big sister Terra Miss Sue.

We never imagined a boy dog in our household, but he is a perfect match. He has enough stamina for our active lifestyle, yet he can play by him self in our quiet times, and he loves to snuggle up. Since we have broken hearts after loosing our two dogs, his sweet nature has brought us a lot of joy. (after Scout came here, our old cat died too) He is truly a blessing. We have two neighbors with young male dogs and Scout really enjoys the play dates we arrange with them, he can rough house with boys. Our vetrinary clinic LOVES him and was very glad for us that we found such a great dog.

Thank you for the important work you do, we deeply appreciate having Scout in our lives.

Sincerely,
BJ and Paige

I just wanted to let you know that Sheba is a very, very happy dog. She and Loki continue to be the best of buds. Loki is a completely different dog with Sheba -- she wears him out!  They take turns playing dominant -- it's hilarious to see Loki pinned on his back by Sheba and him happy as a clam. And Sheba would swim all day in the pond if we'd let her. She's a riot around water, and she's been awesome off-leash,  always staying near enough and coming when called. She loves to chase tennis balls, she's become a great jogging partner, and she never pulls on the leash on a walk, so the kids have an easy time walking her. I still haven't managed to send that collar, but I will, I promise! I've just been swamped, and add to that my husband broke his arm a week ago while mountain biking at Walnut Creek Park! He's having surgery on Tuesday to get a pin put in.

I'll send a picture someday soon of Sheba at the pond or with Loki. I want you to see how completely bouncy and eager and confident she's become. But unfortunately, about the only time she ever gets shy these days is when someone has a camera. We're pretty sure that someone with her previous family, or perhaps a neighbor, shot at her with a b-b gun or something -- Sheba gets nervous when someone holds something like a camera. One day my husband and I were reupholstering our kitchen chairs using the staple gun, and Sheba took off to the back of the house until we were done. The other dogs, of course, were under our feet. So I suspect that someone was not very nice to her in the past with something along the lines of a b-b gun. Awful to imagine what she went 
through.   :(       I'm so glad she's with us now.

So Happy New Year to you, your family, and all your dogs. Thank you for all that you do to help rescue dogs find good homes and happy lives!

Meredith

I want you to know that I love Sugar with all of my heart.  I find that I'm outraged when anyone looks unfavorably at her lack of hair on her tail or her moles and skin tags.  I think about her all day while I'm at work and all I want to do is to get back home because I know how much she looks forward to her evening walks.  We are a perfect match and I am so thankful to you for being such a wonderful foster parent, keeping her safe and loved, waiting for me to find her.

Thank you.

- Shelli

Good news.  I think Tina finally got the idea of potty outside only!  I am so happy because she is such a sweetie and I hated having to think she was not going to become a permanent part of our household.  But of course she did, and I would have kept trying and trying until she got it.  so I'm happy to report that using treats (lots of them) whenever she pottied, and keeping a very close eye on her and using the crate, made it all work.

The Little Dog Training book was a help too because it explained why the little ones don't house train so easily.  and she's even learning Come command, then it's on to walking nicely on a leash instead of twirling like a ballerina!

Thanks so much for saving her from euthanasia, and for having faith in me to adopt her.

Linda Farin, Tina and Gingi

Wallace is doing fine - although we've had a trip to the vet.  Poor guy started limping a day or so after he got here.  At first I put it down to the unusual exercise on the stairs, but it wasn't getting any better so on Friday we took him in.  The xray showed a possible chip off his left knee.  The only thing we can think of is that he did it falling into the pool when you were here and it started to bother him as it swelled.  Anyway he's on painkiller/anti -inflams and is improving day by day.   It really didn't slow him down but we've blocked the stairs with a baby gate as vet said to keep him as calm as possible - easier said than done.

It seems like he's  been with us forever.  He fits in with our family so well.  We love him dearly and are often amused by his quirky ways.   I'm attaching some photos we took on Sunday - it was Simon's ( our daughter Nicola's dog)  birthday.   Wallace enjoys his friends coming over.

I'll keep you posted on how he goes on.

Tricia