Thank You for Loving me Charlie!

My brother in law got Charlie for me as a late Christmas gift in 2008. He was so small and cute. My brother in law asked if I wanted him and i said YES! The man that he got the puppy from said he could not afford to feed him and his daddy. I gave the little puppy some TLC and taught him some tricks. He is such a good dog and loves to go for rides. He is my world and I will do anything for him. I know pit bulls have that reputation of being mean and aggresive, but not all are that way. If you could ask anyone who knows him they all say he is a big baby and tries to be a lap dog. He loves to play fetch with me and my sister-in-law. Why I chose the title Thank You for Loving me, is because if it was not for the love and attention I gave him he might not be here. Charlie is thanking me for loving him and showing him the care he needs. I LOVE YOU CHARLIE!!!!

Alisha A

Tifton, GA

Courtesy of The Animal Rescue Site

Chuck

This is Chuck and he's been with us 10 weeks, and he is still quite the scared little guy. Ellen, the trainer, told me "everyday is a Monday with a mill dog". Chuck does go the bathroom outside and he pee's in the house only when he's excited or nervous. We have to pick him up to get him on the couch for us to pet him. Otherwise he's in a corner in the kitchen, or dining room.

He loves other dogs and even the cat. He's starting to do much better on a leash. My daughter even takes him for runs and he loves it. At night he knows when it is time to go to his kennel to sleep. The most upsetting part for us has been that he still just won't come to us and let us pet him.

Outside in the yard he's the same way. He's trying to learn to play with a tennis ball, and chew toys. There's just so much this little guy has missed out on and he doesn't know what a normal dog feels and does. I see little changes at a time, but the next morning it might have changed to something else he doesn't want to do. It's Monday again!

Courtesy of National Mill Dog Rescue

I found my sweetheart at a rescue in Missouri through petfinder.com.

When I saw Chuckie's picture I knew we were meant for each other. Chuckie had been surrendered by a breeder at 1 year old, probably because he was "big" for the Maltese breed. I'm glad they at least cared enough to give him up. The day I got him I met the generous soul running the rescue in St. Louis which was a 3 hour drive one way for us both.

My little guy was skinny as a rail, his hair was over his eyes and he was absolutely petrified. Our Blue Heeler/Australian Shepard adopted Chuckie immediately. I know he could sense how scared the little guy was and appointed himself as his guardian angel until Chuckie learned he was loved, safe and at home.

Chuckie's been the baby for 1 1/2 yrs.now and is such a different guy, but it has taken almost the whole time for him to come around. In the beginning, he was especially afraid of men and children. He didn't wag his tail, give kisses, or play (except with another dog)...it was heart breaking. Chuckie's a farm dog now who's constantly getting cuckle burrs in his beautiful, cottony white hair and thinks he's as big as the cattle he likes to bark at.

I'll never forget receiving his first kiss after probably 6-8 months. Toys...watch out...he plays and plays, flinging them in the air, chasing after them and running big circles in the yard.

There's so much love in those big beautiful black eyes. He told me he's always wanted to be a farm dog too.


Laura
Morganfield, KY

Courtesy of The Animal Rescue Site

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

To My Dear Dogs:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, howl, or try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine attendance is not required.

And finally, a very important item - The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

With all my love,

Dorothy (aka mom)

Thanks to my sister, Sharon

Good Lord! Let's shut down ALL Puppy Mills!

When I first saw Mojo (a yellow lab), the women from National Mill Dog Rescue were helping him out of the car - not because he wasn’t strong enough but because he didn’t know how. He had spent his whole life (4 or 5 years) in a 10 x 10 foot cage with 3 females as a breeder in a puppy mill. He had never been on a walk or felt grass under his feet. He had barely been touched by humans and who knows what he was fed. As a puppy, a heat lamp fell on him in a cage so small he couldn’t get away from it and it burned half his tail off and most of his back paw.

When I first saw him he was spiritually broken - tail between his legs and head down- but very gentle and mellow. I took him from them initially as a foster dog but I knew right away I would keep him. He had never been in a house before so stairs as well as doors were pretty daunting. I took him on his first walk on the golf course behind our house. He didn’t need a leash and wouldn’t let me out of his sight. He stopped short when he saw the river - he had never seen water like this!

The owner of the puppy mill where Mojo came from was going to put him down because he stopped breeding and was no longer worth anything to him. If it hadn’t been for Theresa (founder of National Mill Dog Rescue) he wouldn’t have made it out of there alive. There are thousands of other dogs who don’t. The puppy mill business is a $40,000,000 industry in Missouri. Most pet stores and many on-line sites get their dogs from puppy mills - usually these dogs are malnourished and sick. Puppy mills usually house dogs in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, without adequate veterinary care, food, water and socialization.

Puppy mill dogs do not get to experience treats, toys, exercise or basic grooming. To minimize waste cleanup, dogs are often kept in cages with wire flooring that injures their paws and legs—and it is not unusual for cages to be stacked up in columns. Breeder dogs at mills might spend their entire lives outdoors, exposed to the elements—or crammed inside filthy structures where they never get the chance to feel the sun or a gust of fresh air on their faces. Recently one owner set his whole place on fire after learning he was going to be visited by the Dept. of Agriculture. Many dogs were burned alive.

Two dogs were rescued by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, found under a burning truck, and given to National Mill Dog Rescue. These, among many other dogs are ready to be fostered or adopted. Many of these rescued dogs need surgery, even amputations, because of the deplorable conditions they were forced to endure for so many years.I’ve had Mojo for about 3 months now and he is a changed dog! He can now go up and down stairs, get in and out of the car, is housebroken, is learning how to run (he had never run before) and knows what a treat is and is even learning how to play with my other dog. It’s a very gratifying experience to see the benefits of a little TLC.

Courtesy of National Mill Dog Rescue

A dog's loyalty and devotion knows no bounds

Amazing Grace

Such a wonderful story that further reinforces the incredulous forgiving souls dogs possess...plus just look at little face.

Grace was 14 weeks old when the Weimaraner Rescue of North Texas pulled her from an animal shelter in Houston. She weighed 10 pounds and was blind. She was infested with hookworms, severely anemic and dehydrated as well as emaciated to the point that she could barely stand on her own. She was also missing a chunk of her upper lip on both sides. We thought it was only by God's Grace that she was still alive and so she was named Amazing Grace.

We took her in as a foster and immediately fell in love with her. We had a couple of medical scares early on because she was so sick but she proved to have a strong spirit and fought her way to health. As she regained her strength, her personality began to shine through. She loves to cuddle and be near you when she sleeps. Everything we read and heard from others about blindness stated clearly not to coddle them. Well, Gracie took care of that on her own. She was independent and adventurous from the start and did not want to be held unless it was on her terms. She mapped out our house and backyard in no time at all.

Gracie has been an ambassa-dog for WRNT and whenever we take her to a rescue event, she draws a crowd. She has the sweetest nature and just seems grateful for everything. Soon into fostering her, our family knew she wasn't going anywhere...she had found her forever home. We are learning as we go about having a blind dog. Mostly, we are learning how to appreciate the little miracles in life. She has proven again that dogs have the ability to forgive and forget the wrongs done to them by humans and love us anyway.

Kelly Walker
Frisco, TX