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Happy Beginnings

 

Larry is a big, lovable boy who had much chaos in his life. He was first in a home that abused him, then in a home that tied him outside and neglected him, then finally got a wonderful home to live out his days, or, so he thought. He became an issue in an estate dispute and was displaced once again.

Larry's new Mom writes: Well, I was not looking another Sheltie, but I felt I needed to help out the organization that had helped me in the past. I should start by telling you that my first "baby" Bailey was a wonderful Sheltie and I loved him with all my heart. Unfortunately when my real child was born, Bailey did not understand and he became very aggressive towards her (Chloe). I work for a Vet's office and believe me I tried everything to keep him, but
it didn't work. NVSR helped me place him with what I understand is a wonderful woman who loves him very much and can offer him the life he was used to living. I thank her with all my heart even though I have never met her. So when they needed help for a 13 year old Sheltie who had some medical problems I thought I could help. Larry has touched our lives and we love him so much. He loves my 3 year old and we love him. I can offer him the best medical care and give him the best life for however many years he has left.

Thank you NVSR for helping Bailey find his wonderful new home and for sending Larry to us to help us cope. We love him very much!!!

 

Casey's family writes: We are still crazy about our Casey. It's hard to believe that it's been six and a half months already. It's hard to remember what it was like having just Sassy. They are having a blast!! They play hard every day, and sometimes he even starts it! It's too funny! Everybody that meets him loves him. He is just too sweet. Thanks again!

The picture that I'm sending was taken a few weeks ago at a friend's house in NC. He is with my daughter (L) and her best friend (R).

Sammie's new family writes: On September 15, 2001 we adopted a beautiful dog from your organization named Sammie. He has brought us so much joy, and has adapted to his new lifestyle very quickly. Sammie just lights up my entire family's faces overtime he walks into the room. :)

Just a quick note to share this picture of Cody and Riley in their Christmas best. Riley is doing well (it was one year ago today that I drove up to Debbie's in WV to bring him back to Arlington). Riley enjoys his routine romps at the dog park, along with constant games of Frisbee and fetch, and his all-time favorite game of "shred the papers in dad's briefcase"!!! He is so smart and learns so quickly (only fun stuff, not obedience) that he knows how to fetch the paper, find lost articles for us, and take Cody for walks on the leash. If only he would apply his intelligence to his obedience training!!!

Wendy came to us as a very shy, sad, and scared girl. She cowered from quick moves and shied away from everyone. Wendy has found her forever home where she is loved and spoiled, and enjoys outings to PetSmart and visits with a grandchild.

Her new Mom writes: My husband and I picked up Missy (formerly Nightengale ) on December 22. We had lost our 16 year old Sheltie in July, and the anniversary of my Mom passing away was on Christmas Day. I just couldn't imagine how Christmas would be. So when we applied to the NVSR in November, Elaine worked very hard to find us a Sheltie by Christmas. Missy is the best Christmas present we could have received. She is so sweet, and we love her so much. She loves to take walks, so we are getting much needed exercise. She is very sensitive, loves to play with her toys, and especially likes to play with other dogs.

Many thanks to Elaine and NVSR for everything you have done for us, and all the other Shelties and families that you bring together.

Sammy's new family writes:

Sammy came to the Greenwood household on July 13th, 2001. We already had one gorgeous sable and white Sheltie boy named Tyler, who was in need of a companion. Well, the two took to each other right away; Sammy's intense energy and exuberance brought out the very best in Tyler, a somewhat shy and introspective fellow. They act like true brothers and they are inseparable. Sammy and Tyler have both graduated top of their classes in basic obedience. Always the first one to express his feelings, Sammy's joyful barking is music to our ears - and walking the dog has new meaning with this energetic furball at the end of your leash! There couldn't be too many more successful rescue stories than our darling Sammy. We truly love our Sheltie boys!

His new family writes: Logan came into our lives the day after Valentine's Day 2002. This story started after our best ever oversized Sheltie, Laddie, went to doggie heaven in January.

I was having a miserable time coping with the loss of my best buddy for over 11 years. So, one day with eyes full of tears, I found myself surfing the Internet to see if there was such a thing as Sheltie Rescue. It didn't take long for me to find Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue, and right there was an oversized Sheltie pup that was in need of a home. I filled out the online adoption form, then I asked my husband if he would mind if we adopted another Sheltie. His response was, "I wondered how long it would be before you wanted another dog." That meant, sure, ok.

We first met Logan in Manassas at the Pet Connection. Dana brought Logan so we could meet him. Poor baby, he was rather damp from his drool, riding in a car was not his thing! We seemed to have had some sort of bond that started that day. Next thing we knew Susan was coming with her Sheltie, Jenny, to visit our home. Jenny approved. The date was set for the exchange of paperwork for Logan. Of all places, we met at the McDonalds in Falmouth. Strange location, but it worked out great for the three of us ladies! Again, poor Logan was soaked with drool from his ride with Dana and his ride with me home to Amissville. (He's much better at riding now.)

It's been over a month now, and Logan seems to have mellowed out from a shy boy to very content and relaxed in his new home. His job is to bark at morning doves and squirrels and to play ball and tug with us. Most of all to keep me company and bring joy into our lives.

Thanks again to Susan and NVSR and Dana for being Logan's foster Mom.

Jessie's new Mom writes:

I just wanted to let you know what a honey of a dog Jessie is. She was very reserved in the beginning, though extremely polite. But you could tell that she was reserving judgment until she was completely sure of us! I think now she is - she no longer seems to be looking for her other family. She fits into our routine like a kid glove - loves to play with the Frisbee or take walks and is becoming quite affectionate - always ready for a hug. She has adapted to being left alone for awhile. She even lets us sleep an hour past her usual breakfast time when we sleep in on weekends. What a dog! She's a real sweetheart and we consider ourselves profoundly lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to be able to claim her. Timing is everything! I know she would have been snapped up in a minute by anyone else you offered her to. She is very obedient - does whatever we ask of her. Her only problem so far was that she wanted to sit in my lap when we were having a big thunderstorm. I was happy to accommodate her. Thank you so much for helping us adopt this dear little dog. She couldn't be more perfect.

Todd came to us as a sweet, slightly sad boy who was frightened of men. Read his letter and see pictures of this happy boy.

Scout came into NVSR originally as a stray. After spending over 6 months at our house as a foster we adopted him out to a lady in MD. Well a week later he was back. He did not like her and let it be known. So we tried again a couple of months later with another lady in VA, he decided to pull the leash out of her hand and took off. A stray once again, only this time he had a taste for the pleasures in life. He ran for 3 weeks (in the same vicinity) but no one could get close enough to him to get him. He ended up getting hit by a car and a wonderful man took him to a local vet where we were able to pick him up. No permanent damage, just bruised and sore.

After that it was decided that Scout's heart was in Martinsburg, WV and that is where he now resides PERMANENTLY. Scout is as happy as can be, confident once again and walks around with his head and tail high. He is learning to play bow and run playing tag. He barks up a storm when he gets excited. I guess it is true that "dogs" know best.

Jax family writes: Jax is still a very sweet boy! He waited a while to show us his bad habits which seem to peak at sitting on the furniture, and eating the cats food and anything else he can get his paws on, and oh yes he sheds. WOW, normal dog behaviors. The girls love him, especially our youngest one Meghan. Jax and Tiger the cat have become friends, so much so that I hear myself saying, "boys, knock it off, no wrestling in the living room!". I just wanted you to know that we really do enjoy him and he has been a very good match for us. Oh and my friend brought her greyhound and Sheltie mix to our house weeks ago. Jax caught up with the greyhound until he was side-swiped by the Sheltie mix. He can run fast and for long periods.

Shelby's Mom writes: I took a trip to the local animal shelter in Martinsburg, WV to pick up a Sheltie for my Mom who helps NVSR. I brought home this pathetic looking little Tri girl. She was missing patches of hair, was basically a total mess. I took her to the vets where I worked at the time and shaved her down so that her coat could start anew. We kept Shelby in sweaters and T-shirts to keep her warm and prevent sunburn. After several months I could not think of parting with her and when I turned 18, I adopted her for my very own. I have since moved into my own apartment and have Shelby, her bigger brother Storm, and 2 little kittens. Shelby is a sweet girl who can be temperamental at times. When she gets mad at me she will go lay on my bed and ignore me. She is spry for her age (guessing 10+) and loves to run and play with the kittens - they play chase all over the apartment until they wear themselves out. As you can see from the picture of Shelby and Storm, Shelby's coat has come in beautifully. It is long and silky and extremely full. She has made an amazing turn-around in the year that I have had her.

Shelby and Storm's favorite pastime is to put on the seat belt harnesses and go for a ride in my Jeep Wrangler with the top down.

His family writes: When Alex first arrived at his new home he was so confused that his tail didn't come out from between his legs and it was thought he had been de-barked since he didn't utter a sound. It took only two days of being with a family who loved him and gave him lots of attention for Alex to start barking, wagging his tail and showing that he felt very much at home. He is a terrific watchdog and a wonderful companion. Alex loves car rides, romping in the yard, being with his family and most of all getting lots of TLC.

Thank you NVSR for making a perfect match!

Of the 12 Shelties we have fostered this year for NVSR, Liam is the one who is staying on. We first fostered him in May, but he had to go through heartworm treatment. It wasn't until we got him back for the third time that we decided to make sure he wasn't going to get away again. We adopted Liam in late September, in time to take him to Vermont for a hiking and camping vacation. Other than the rain, he said he'd like to do that some more. (We have to keep reminding ourselves that life-so-far for Liam, age 5 or 7, had consisted of competing for food and for room under a small shed roof, penned in a yard as a breeding male, barely out of the elements year-round.) Now he's an agility dog au natural—on the trail, where he leaps trail obstructions, scales rock cliffs, crosses ravines on fallen trees, and swims across creeks. We're going to keep on fostering too. Liam liked his first foster roommate, Tillie, who is off at heartworm-treatment camp, and he now shares his affections with our current foster Sheltie, Maddie. We hope Liam won't mind that his Sheltie friends will only be staying with us for a while till they find their own new homes and families, but we think he won't mind once he's sure that he's going to be the Sheltie who stays for good.

Her family writes: Just last week we celebrated our first anniversary with Tika. What a great year!

She came to us rather spun up after being given up, then two foster homes. Anyone who came to the house was a threat as they might take her away. She has certainly gotten over that and now welcomes friends with greeting barks, which are much different than her "this is my house and my people and I'm going to protect them" barks. She used to bark at most things that moved, but now takes out her hostility only on planes and birds which remain obvious threats to her. What a hoot!

We are very objective, and it is obvious to us that she is the prettiest Sheltie about. She gets endless compliments and she loves it. She is the ultimate princess and expects to be treated like one.

We thank you for all that you did for her, and others.

His family writes: Nicky has been a happy addition to our household. He's very sweet and loving. Our teen-aged son and Nicky bonded over the summer and have been great companions. Playing ball is one of Nicky's favorite things and he's quite a catcher. When he first came to use he was a little shy, but now he is blossoming.

Thank you NVSR for uniting us with this wonderful dog.

Her family writes: Tresi (pronounced "Tracey") is our third Sheltie. In fact we derived her name from the Spanish "Tres" for three and then added the i to feminize it. Our first Sheltie, Freddie, was a stray that we adopted in 1992 and lived with us until September of 2001 when we finally had to put her to sleep. She was both our first dog (after several cats) and our first Sheltie. She won our hearts and turned us into Sheltie people forever. A month after she died, we adopted a second Sheltie, whom we renamed "Shellie." Shellie was a wonderful dog and we looked forward to many happy years with her but alas, it was not to be because it turned out that she had cancer and after only six months, she too had to be put to sleep. At that point we felt that we'd have to go dogless for a while so we could pay back our savings account for the several thousands of dollars that we spent trying to diagnose and cure Shellie's illness. By November of last year we were ready once again and I contacted the wonderful folks at NVSR. Claire and I spent a miserable, rainy Saturday afternoon riding around Northern Virginia meeting several sweet Shelties, all of whom won our hearts. Tresi was most like our previous two, also sable females, and we decided upon her. Kathy Kelly who was fostering her, felt that the affection was mutual and we agreed to pick her up the following Friday. A little unplanned event occurred that Sunday night when a very wet little one-year old cat showed up wanting refuge from the storm which had lingered all weekend. Suddenly we had a cat as well as the impending arrival of our new canine friend. It all worked out though and after some initial misgivings by the cat who did her best impression of a Halloween cat upon Tresi's arrival, she and Tresi not only came to tolerate each other but appear to have become friends. Life is good. Once again, many thanks to Kathy, Linda, and Susan, and all the others at NVSR.

From Tammy's Mom -- Here are two pictures of Tammy (with tennis ball) and with her sheltie brother Chase. It has been six months since Tammy came to live with me and she has adjusted very well. She loves to play with Chase and the tennis ball and playing frisbee are two of her favorite activities. And active she is. But that was just what I was looking for. We finally got to start agility classes and she is doing very well. She looks at me like, "I love this Mom". and I am having a great time teaching her. She has also started flyball training and with the running and tennis ball, it seems like she'll be a natural. She has been a busy girl going to dog shows with her brother Chase, attending classes, and keeping her brain occupied with learning all kinds of new stuff. She's very enthusiastic with learning her new activities and it has been a great outlet and confidence builder for her. That sweet little face, combined with her energy and enthusiasm has won her a special place in my heart. We will keep you posted with her agility and flyball progress and how she does when she starts her show career.

 

Thor's family writes: In June of 2002 our family decided that three years without a furry family member was harder to live with than the knowledge that someday we would have to face the loss once again. So we started surfing the web at petfinders.com. We didn't want to get another sheltie for fear we might end up comparing the new dog to our beloved 14 year old sheltie, Laddie who died of cancer December 20, 1999. But we kept returning to the NVSR web site and finally realized we were just sheltie people and filled out the adoption form. On the home visit the volunteers brought Thor, a 6 year old mahogany sable who was given up because of housebreaking issues and Missy. We thought we were picking a dog but soon discovered that Thor was the one in charge and he picked us. He patted my husband to let him know that he wanted to be petted more. Then at the close of the visit we stepped out on the porch to walk our guests to their car and Thor went back into the house. The volunteers did an excellent job of reading our family's personality and matching us to Thor. He has a loving temperament and the same lower energy level as his new all adult family. He is a shy dog that rarely barks. We are hoping to teach him to bark (know it's hard to believe that anyone would want a sheltie to bark more!). We are looking forward to obedience training in the spring. We'll have to wait and see who gets trained the most!

From her family: Sillie (Tillie, aka Sissy) has decided to keep us! She is such a joy to have and if I'd filled out the "new dog" order form, I don't think I could have found one nicer. She's polite and well mannered, doesn't get into mischief if left alone for a few hours and has learned that old men can roll around on the floor and wrestle just like dogs do. She loves the grandkids and is very gentle with them. All of you did an excellent job protecting and caring for her, and we hope that she will have a long and healthy life here.

(Note: Tillie came to NVSR with heartworm, so she was with us for a few months. We were so glad the timing worked out so that she was ready when her new family's new-dog order form came in.)

Lucky came to NVSR as a good-natured, late-middle-aged gentleman. He quickly came to enjoy the good life in his foster home after being tied outside most of his life.

His new family writes: Lucky is doing GREAT! We built a ramp for our dog door and he is using it with no problems in only a matter of days. (He is so smart.) He chases Riley and me around the house barking at us wagging his tail. He is just starting to get the idea of a pull-toy and is surprisingly playful. He is also getting stronger everyday. He ran up the stairs of our home for the first time yesterday! Thank you again for such a sweet, loving dog! He has added so much to our lives!

From Peanut Butter: Six months ago, my parents moved into a house with a fenced back yard just for me! I have lots of space to run and bark. I prefer to be outside most of the time, as long as it isn't raining. I have three cats I like to herd and lots of toys to play with. My favorite toys are a "stick" made out of tennis ball material and a rope toy. Herding cats is my favorite past time, though.

As far as my training goes, I am an Obedience School drop out :( I barked so much in class that my parents quit taking me. I am highly motivated by treats and know sit, down, stay, quiet, and rollover very well when I see a treat. Both my parents continue to work with me to perform these things even when I don't see a treat.

Flash, who was adopted by an NVSR volunteer, writes: I'm doing Grrrrrreat! My mom and dad love me so much. I have a sister dog, two sister cats and two sister parrots. Booger, one of the parrots,
sings O'l McDonald Had a Farm and I'm her backup singer/howler.

We live in the country and life is good.

 

Happy Beginnings Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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