Austin Dog Rescue

We've been meaning to send these photos forever now, but here are a few shots of the pup formerly named Gilligan -- now Ampersand.  It includes a few with his big sister Omelet. We adopted Ampersand last June.  In August the pups and us drove up to Minnesota, stopping at 5 dog parks during the 2 day trip.  Ampersand and Omelet spent a month living lakeside, getting to know their cousins Leeloo (small boxer) and Brody (enormous poodle). Ampersand and Omelet get along great, although they are opposites in all respects.  While Omelet is toy obsessive, Ampersand prefers to play with other pups.  Omelet won't play with anyone except her brother, and Ampersand would probably abandon us for a random chihuahua.   Ampersand gets the most excited around water.  He created an unfortunate game where he splashes in our backyard puppy pool, then dives under the stairs and starts digging.  And repeat.  We've included a photo that does not do justice to the extent of his muddiness. Ampersand is now about 55 pounds and experts (i.e. our vet) predict he'll reach 75. So far he sits and lays down really well.  He's pretty good at dropping foreign objects when directed (although for the first few months he immediately swallowed any and all contraband when told to drop).  We've been working on coming when called at the dog parks and with the right incentive (beef lung treats) he is great. We hope everything is going well with the Austin Dog Rescue.  Thanks for raising such a great pup.

Michael & Amanda Enz

Here are a couple of pictures of Baxter (Jess). He and I are doing well together. I really do love him to death. He’s got a great personality and he so smart. Sometimes a little too smart.

Take care.
Alan Masters

Hi, just wanted to share this amazing photo with you guys, and thank you so much for rescuing our Bowie!  She is so smart and learns things very very quickly, and loves EVERYONE.  We love her so incredibly much, she is a constant source of comfort and hilarity.  I can't imagine not coming home to her happy face and wagging tail.  Here is a picture of her with our cat, Ripley, who graciously tolerates Bowie's overenthusiastic adoration of her.  Thanks again for all the work you do in rescuing so many dogs--and so many people from dogless lives 

--  Melissa

I can't express our gratitude for allowing Cassie to come live with us. She is a joyful addition to our family. I have many pictures of Belle & Cassie playing. They do this constantly. Chuy joins in also.

Thank you so much,  Nan Gibson

I wanted you to see how big Corey (now Custer) is.  We really are greatful that you rescued him.  He has such personality and notices everything.  He is strong, happy, loving and smart.  He can sit, bring in the paper and shake hands.  He is also house trained.  He actually wakes me up at 3 every morning because he need to go but then he wants to get right back in bed with us.  We have him confined to our bedroom at night because he loves to chew on things, and drag rugs or furniture around.  He loves to go for a walks and he loves Bud my other lab our son adopted but couldn’t keep so he is now ours too.  Bud and Custer loves to play, and Bud who is 5 years old put Custer in his place if he gets to rough.  Custer want to be the Alfa dog and we think he is going to be big.  He weighs 60 pounds now and he is almost 6 months old.  He has a real long tail so we are not sure what Lab mix he is.  We sure love him and want you to know you are welcome any time to come and see us.

Again I can’t thank you enough for saving him so he could become our dog.  Our grandchildren love him too because he loves to jump on the trampoline with them.

Thanks again,
Ilse Nielsen

I wanted to give you an update on Fausto (Polo). He is the greatest little guy, we absolutely love him, and so does Lucy. He is such a cuddlebug and so smart- doesn't need to be told "no" more than twice, will go to the door when he needs to go out, doesn't bark or whine, and will even fetch already! He is completely intrigued by what goes on in the bathroom, it's pretty funny, and he will just sit and stare at me while I get ready in the morning. Mike and I are so happy to have him as an addition to our family, and he really fits in perfectly. Thank you!

-Jessica

My fiancé and I wanted to write to tell you how wonderful George, (formally Wilbur of Claire's Pups) is doing. He is a beautiful and extremely intelligent boy.(he was fully potty trained @ 3months old!! He is sooo smart!) He has really made our lives and home complete. He is a big boy as you can tell from the attached photo of him and his daddy! He will be a year old on May 23rd! I can't believe it. We feel as if he has been with us all of our lives! Thank you so much for bringing Georgie into our lives. We truly cannot thank you enough..

Kenny, Cari, and George Hodges

I meant to e-mail you awhile ago, but I wanted to let you know that Loki and Sheba now have a new friend – one of the 13 puppies from Mary’s litter (born in Dec 2008). Though I fostered and adopted the little puppy through Austin Humane Society, I know Austin Dog Rescue had a big part in taking care of Mary and her pups. I just thought you’d like knowing that one of the puppies joined the family of another Austin Dog Rescue dog. Sheba and Grover (his foster name was Scrappy) and Loki all love each other and play together like crazy. I’m sending you a couple of pictures of Grover (one with a bone he found at Pedernales Falls and carried around for some 20 minutes) and of all three at Walnut Creek.

I missed the e-mail about the BEGG hunt. I would have been there! I’m not sure how it slipped me by, but I see now that I did receive it. My guess is that we were swamped dealing with all our house projects, especially after the hail damage from a few weeks ago. So next year, for sure!

Hanz is doing great!  We had to take him for a visit to the vet.  He apparently chipped one of his teeth (possibly eating ice) and was stung by a bee, continued to scratch that spot until it became raw.  It looks worse than it really is.  It's right by his ear.  He keeps chasing bees and trying to eat them.  He is such a big baby!  We do our two mile walk 3-4 times a week, play ball and go for a car rides.  He loves to go!  We take him to the country where we have our own football team.  (My sister has a total of 8 dogs).  Anyway, I bring my three and that's our football team.  We all take turns throwing the football.  They play and have a good time; by the time we're ready to go home everybody is sacked-out for our journey home.  The next day Hanz is ready to go again!  His weight dropped to 85.6 pounds.  He eats twice a day.  He just developed a new habit, which is jumping on people.  We're working on that, because he startles people a bit because he's so big.  He's still learning but doing great!  He's getting better everyday!  He loves his toy, Coyote.  He jumped into the fish pond and splashed around in the water!  It's worked out for me to come home at lunch everyday and let them out for a bit and that seems to have helped him adjust.  In the beginning, he tried SO HARD to fit in.  He and Bevo get in to it on a daily basis, but he has pretty much learned to just go the other way, away from her.  The two of them will play one minute and the next minute they're raising their hair and getting after each other.  Then I have to intervene and put one of them in time-out.  They take turns.  At night he usually sleeps on my side of the bed.  Gregg and I are enjoying him a lot.  He loves to cuddle!

Take care,
Andrea

I hope this message finds you well!  I wanted to send you a quick update and a little story on our Action Jackson.  Over the past 5+ months, he has settled himself right in and become a vital member of our family.  He's actually impacted our social circle quite a bit because now we spend most of our time with other dog owners.  He has two "best friends" in our neighborhood, and one of them is Elvis!

I took Jackson for a walk through the park in our neighborhood a couple of weeks ago.  We met up with Brian MacCleery, who was out for a run with Elvis and was going in the opposite direction.  We all stopped so Brian and I could chat for a minute.  When we started to walk away (and Brian picked up the pace to run again with Elvis), Jackson started crying that his friend was leaving.  You should have heard him!  I was worried the SPCA would jump out of a bush and arrest me for abusing my dog...  :o)  It has been really great for all of us - the dogs play very well together in both yards and it's fun to see how the dynamics change.  If they are at our house, Jackson and Elvis will roughhouse and tumble and they play a lot of games together...  If we're at the MacCleery's house, they tend to "patrol" the yard together - Elvis in front and Jackson in tow.  Either way, they wear each other out!

I have been unemployed for the last month, so Jackson and I have had lots of time for walks, tug, and fetch during the days.  It's been great fun for both of us!  I start back to work next week, so it'll be back to the crate for Jackson.  I'm working close to home, however, so my goal is to have lunch at home with Jackson most days.

Todd and I still tell everyone we meet about how we got Jackson.  We try to steer people in your direction so they can have wonderful dogs like Jackson and Elvis, too.  Thanks for all of your hard work on such a great program!

~ Heather

Jake is doing great.  He's had a busy summer.  We've hiked on a nearby greenbelt a few times which he really seemed to enjoy.  He's also gone to the lake (Travis) several times.  He looooves swimming! I've attached a couple of pictures of the little guy.  We're so happy to have him as a part of our family!

Thanks,
Sylvia

I adopted my dog, Maddie, in February from Austin Dog Rescue. Y'all had named her Angie.  Just wanted to let you know how Maddie (Angie) is doing in her new home. She loves to chew her bones, eat Pupperoni treats, and she has all kinds of toys to keep her busy. She is a curious dog who sniffs at just about anything! She loves to give kisses and snuggle!  She has made new dog friends, and we are going to reunite her with her sister soon!

This is sweet Harriet She was listed as one of our “Gonzales shelter dog” on the ADR website back in December of 2008 and her name was Wendy.   Angie had adopted Ozzie from ADR a few months before and he had come from Gonzales as well.

Wendy/Harriet is a special needs dog and we were so very proud to have been a part of bringing Ozzie, Harriet and Angie together as a family!

Because of Harriet’s very blue eyes and the fissures she has in her pupils which allow too much sunlight into her optic nerves, she must wear goggles when she’s in the sunlight.  She has a few other medical issues, but Harriet is getting the best medical care and we are so thankful for all Angie is doing for Ozzie and Harriet.

Thought I would give you an update on Poème. She is doing amazingly well. She just completed her puppy training program at Taurus and they say she is super smart, will be able to learn anything. She is quite shy so we're working on lots of socialization with people, dogs, kids, etc. I can't believe that at her age she has learned as much as she has, she is so polite with sits and downs, she is great on the leash, great at chasing tennis balls, and has never had another accident in the house after the very first one.

We are moving to the DC area where I have an aunt who has MS who I will be helping for a while. My boyfriend is also there for two years. I was there last week to get everything organized for Poème. Below my boyfriend's apartment is Rock Creek Park, a huge wooded area with trails and a great creek where tons of dogs were playing when I walked through there. There are a few dog parks in the area too. My boyfriend had already gotten her a crate, a bed, a pen and fun toys. And my aunt lives near a park with trails and a bike path to the river, plus she has a nice fenced in yard, she has always had German Shepherds. So I was happy to make sure that Poème and I will have a great life there together. She will have a great environment there with family, friends, doggie playdates and some water to jump into. She still wants to jump into any water she sees!

I still feel so lucky to have found her, she is definitely the dog for me, I appreciate her so much. I attach some recent photos of her, you will be surprised to see how much she has grown, it amazes me how quickly she changes. She is becoming such a beautiful dog and her sweet personality wins everyone over. I take her to lots of restaurants and to Town Lake and both adults and children alike just fall in love with her, they can't get enough of her. I have been in touch with Laurie at Austin Dog Rescue about my move so that she has all my forwarding information. Email and phone will be the same and I'll send you some pictures once we are there are settled!

I hope all of Poème's brothers and sisters are enjoying their new lives too and that you have had a nice experience with this litter.

All the best,
Daphne

As you can see, things are going well! rose marie quickly took over the big basket for her bed. she can run out in the back yard @ work and is thinking about herding the 3 goats... if only she could get behind the fence. i am going to take her into the goat yard next week after the rain and see what she does. i will let you know how that goes. she is doing really well, still very shy, but everyday she comes more and more out of her shell. hope you all are doing well.

best,
lizanne

I just wrote a $50 check for Maybelline, and wish it could be more. It's not from me, it's from Rosebud, our wonderful Austin Dog Rescue pup -- well, now Rosebud is about 11 months -- who has brought incredible love and warmth into our house in the few short weeks we've had her as part of our family. As your description read, Rosebud is perhaps the sweetest dog ever. 

-- Max

Just wanted to give you an update on Rosey.

Rosey has been doing great here and seems to enjoy her new home. She's been eating regularly, and her coat is looking better, although not completely well.  Rosey LOVES going for walks, going in the car,  and also loves people (mostly because she knows she's adorable and will get pet haha). Rosey is literally the perfect dog....she's so calm and sweet, and has really brightened my life!

I've included a couple of pictures of her (they were taken on my phone so please excuse the quality!) Most of them are of her lounging, and one of them was taken when she spontaneously jumped atop my couch haha!

Thank you both so much for your very large hearts! Another satisfied customer to add to your list :) Melissa

This is Jason Fellows and I adopted "Mindy" (now named Samantha/Sam).  She was the playful, white and fluffy Great Pyrenees.  She loved your little blue pool at that time.  Just wanted to tell you thank you again for providing me with an unbelievable gentle giant.  She is now weighing in over 100 lbs. and is smart as a whip.  She loves everyone she meets and plays like a child.  Great with children and knows when to be gentle.  She would love to be a lapdog and acts as if, but her size is her only obstacle.  She is a great and cherished part of my home and family and will be a future owner of this breed for years to come. 

Thanks again for Sam... she is my little/big girl...

Sincerely,
Jason Fellows

Sorry it has been so long. I wanted to send you some recent pictures of Scooter from this past weekend. I took him home to my parents in Dallas! Attached are some pictures of Scooter (I think he's grown, and my parents and I think he has some greyhound in him, he runs so fast!) including a few of him playing with my parents' dog Etta, a german shepherd, they get along wonderfully. Hope you enjoy these! Best, Kristina and Scooter

I just thought you might like to see a few recent pictures of Shasta!  She is doing wonderfully and always wants to give everyone kisses!  Shasta was so well-behaved already when I got her, and has learned tons of tricks!  We go to the dog park about twice a week, and she especially loves it when I take her out for a long walk on the Shoal Creek Trail so that she can jump into the creek to cool off.

A couple months ago, I took her on a road trip to see my parents in Florida, where she had a great time playing on the doggie beach.  Here are some pictures from her first beach vacation :) Thank you so much for everything you do!  I wouldn't have been able to find Shasta without you!

Love,
Prinda

We are having a blast with Olivia...now Sophie as you saw from the subject line. :) Both Sophie and Sadie are loving the play time! Sophie has done well both nights...and no accidents in the house. She still isn't eating that much, but hopefully she will come back around as she gets used to her new home. So, I guess this tells you that we think Sophie is a good fit for our family and we have decided to keep her.

We went to the vet this morning for an over-all check and to get some more of her puppy boosters and kennel cough. She checked out ok with everything, but they did a fecal exam and she tested positive for toxcitia. They have her medicine ready and I am going to go by and pick it up this afternoon.
We also went to the dog park (Redbud Isle) after the vet visit and she had a blast! She took off running and jumped in the water frolicking in and out of the water with all the other dogs. I think she will be a swimmer!

Just wanted to let you know that Sophie has a new home. Thank you for the info on her spay. Let us know if you need anything else. Will you pass the info on (username and password) for the Home Again so I can access her account?

Thank you Joyce! See the attached pics. :)

~Amy

I just wanted to thank you and Joyce so much for all the time and effort you put into making sure that Stevie Ray (formerly Chili) would find a forever home. I am absolutely thrilled with his marvelous manners, his happy nature, and his ease with finding his own way among three furry siblings!

He has conquered up and down stairs, in and out the doggy door, Pet Smart, the vet, walking on a leash as a foursome, and the dogs-next-door-through-the-fence. He's a marvel at crate training while I'm at work, and as soon as I get home, the other dogs barely greet me, then rush upstairs to cry and bark at the door so Stevie can come out and play! He's sleeping in a doggie bed at night and has already gone 7 hours without a peep. No accidents in the house and only one close-call with a rubber-boot-as-potential-chew-toy.

I'm sending a picture of Stevie Ray surveying his land. He and big brother do perimeter checks and then they sit quietly and gaze out into the distance. A wonderful family portrait...

Thank you
Melissa

I just wanted to update you on Tia. She is doing extremely well, she is very settled and comfortable here! Her spaying went well. She doesn't even lick her stitches, so she hasn't needed the big collar. The infection was not as bad as they had feared, maybe because she was on antibiotics for several days beforehand. They did say that her internal organs do not look very healthy--maybe she went too long without nutritious food, poor thing. But they are confident that with her new diet, lifestyle, and lots of love, she will be just perfect.

I already consider her to be just perfect, and I could not be happier that she is here with me. We are best buddies. She loves every single person and dog she sees, she loves my son--and he loves her so much! She has already taken naps on every bed in the house, but when it's bedtime, she knows it's time to hop on my bed.
Thanks again to everyone there. She is a little dream dog! Here are some photos--but I am a terrible photographer! I hope they are ok!

Luann and Tia (or Little Sweet Tea, as we sometimes call her)

I just wanted to give you all an update on Tyler. I adopted him from you all in November of 2006. He is a very smart dog and is doing wonderful! Here are a couple of pictures of him and his sister.

-Andi