Happy St. Patrick's Day

An Irish Blessing

Thanks to Tina Fras for this photo.

New Foster Monkey

Please welcome new foster MONKEY! I brought Monkey to Ann Marie Gatto on Tuesday. He is 3 years old, neutered, healthy and very playful! I have attached a few pictures from when I dropped him off. I look forward to getting updates on his progress from Ann Marie. Thank you Ann Marie! Jerrilyn Walter

Foster Celeste

This little Celeste is a real snuggler. She likes nothing betteer than to wedge herself in. She is definitely a lover. Benny Stone

Sassy Has a Forever Home

Sassy left for her forever home today. Linda Wichlac was so excited with her and has many plans for them both. Her Mom is looking forward to having a companion during the day and having someone to care for. Linda will be taking Sassy to CGC and TDI training so she can take her to work with her as a therapy dog. Sassy just loves people so I'm sure that will make her very happy also. Linda promised to send me pictures as my camera is broken.

Elly Monfett

And here is Linda's report to Elly of their first days together: "Sassy did very well on her trip to her forever home with us. She was a little nervous at first but settled down nicely. When we arrived, she had to check out everything in her new home. In less than two hours, she had already claimed the couch. She is a wonderful little girl. My Mom and I can see why you and your husband loved her so much. She has already stolen our hearts too. Thank you and NEBTR for bringing us together. Sassy will always have a forever home with us. We may be her fifth home but we will be her last. I'll let you know how she is doing. It was a pleasure meeting you and your husband. We have the greatest respect for you and all the NEBTR foster parents!

Sincerely,
Linda and Helen Wichlac

Most Popular Puppy Names of 2011

Classy at Crufts

For all our British fans, or fannies as the case may be.....

Chops Update

His foster mom writes "Chops is doing super. Its amazing how TLC and vet care can fix an
abused boy in no time. Chops surgery was a success. His femor was shaved so it would sit
in his hip socket. Chops now gets physical therapy and swims 2xs per week.

The best news of all is Chops got his forever home this weekend. Chops will stay in foster for 2 more
weeks so we can keep PT going.
Then it is off to Brooklyn to live with his new family which includes a Boston Brother - Billy.

We love Happy Endings:)"

Thanks Carolyn for all you do.

New Foster Nitro

I just picked up Nitro from the sons of the woman who wanted to put him to sleep. Nitro is 14 and they have had him his entire life. The woman couldn't care for Nitro anymore and thought it was time to put him down.

Her sons intervened and just drove 4 hours from MA to bring him to me so he could be saved. They said he still has life in him and its not his time to go yet. They were very tearful saying good bye to Nitro tonight. I told them Nitro would be in great hands because tomorrow I will bring him to Lisa Vaughn - foster Mom extraordinaire! : )

So Nitro is currently smelling his way around my house - I believe he is about 90% blind - he does not take his nose off the floor and bumps into almost everything. The sons told me he is pretty lively...so far he is calm in my house and putting up with Vivi in his face. She is relentless. Here are some pics...he is a sweet old guy!!

Jerrilyn Walter

And here is Nitro at Lisa's house, being served breakfast in bed!   Lisa is another of our very special volunteers who open their homes to these seniors. So many come our way, and we always have room for them somewhere. Thank you and Lou too, and all who make their lives safe and warm, for however long they have.

Best Friends Always

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.



The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities. They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim.



Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.



They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.














Long Live Friendship!!!

Lisa's Gang

Here's a great video of Foster Mom Extraordinaire Lisa Vaughan's whole gang, including fosters Quincy and Betsy.

Update on Muno

I just wanted to take a minute to give an update on little Muno. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since we adopted him and he is doing great. He is such a little sweetheart, we are completely in love. The first day he came home he was scared to even go outside. Now he's cruising around the backyard, climbing stairs, playing tug-o-war with our other Boston Walter, and sleeping in bed with us at night.

He went for a check over and meet and greet with his new vet this week, Dr. Scott Polo and his wonderful staff. He's met a few of our neighbors, including a retired Marine Colonel next door who has a soft spot for BT's and an endless supply of doggie treats! I want to say thank you to Megan Sanchez and her family for fostering him, I know it wasn't easy to give him up. I also want to thank Chris Schezzini for making us lunch and opening her home to my family in order to make the adoption possible. We are so lucky to have this little guy and I am so glad to be a part of this wonderful organization!

 Pam Hess

Why Adopt a Rescue Dog

Why Adopt a Rescue Dog?

My parents always advised me never to buy a used car, because I would just be buying “somebody else’s problems.” Unfortunately, that’s how some people view rescue dogs-as dogs that weren’t wanted because they had problems and didn’t make good pets.

In the vast majority of cases, that’s just not true! Most dogs who come into rescue were not given up because they were “bad dogs” or had behavioral problems. Unfortunately, many people buy dogs without thinking about the time, effort, and expense involved in keeping a dog. These dogs end up in shelters, or along the side of the road, or, if they’re lucky, in rescue. In fact, the most common reasons a dog ends up with a rescue organization include the following:

The owners don’t have time for the dog.

The owners find that they can’t afford either basic vet care or the expense involved in treating an illness or injury.

The owner dies or goes into a nursing home.

The owners divorce and neither party can keep the dog. (You would be amazed at how many dogs we get as a result of divorces!)

A young couple has a child and no longer has time for the dog, or the dog no longer fits into their “lifestyle.”

The owner is moving to an apartment building that doesn’t allow dogs.

We also get dogs from kill shelters, where they have ended up because they were lost, and from puppy mills, where uncaring owners have used the dogs as breeding machines and don’t need them any more. Some dogs who have been prisoners of puppy mills turn out to be the most loving and affectionate dogs we see; it’s as if they know they have left their miserable pasts behind forever.

This is not to say that all of our rescue dogs come to you with perfect manners and are perfectly socialized and housebroken. Dogs who have been neglected and abandoned need training and gentle discipline to become good canine citizens. But so do the puppies people buy! And a rescue dog usually needs much less training than a pup. Almost Home dachshunds always spend time in a foster home, with an experienced dachshund owner, before they are placed in an adoptive home. During that time, they are evaluated (in terms of their personalities-how well they deal with other dogs, with children, and so on) and trained (housebroken, socialized) if necessary.

Another myth is that rescue dogs are, by definition, inferior to dogs bought from a breeder or pet store. Dogs who are rescued came originally from show breeders, pet stores, and hobby breeders-they run the gamut when it comes to origin. They are a cross-section of the dog population, and, as such, are no more or less likely to have genetic problems than any other dog.



Reasons to Choose a Rescue Dog

Those of us who volunteer in rescue all have at least one rescue dog, and we know what terrific pets they can be! Here are some reasons to consider a rescue dog, rather than buying a puppy, if you are ready to add a dog to your family.

You’re not starting from scratch. When you buy a puppy, you’re essentially bringing an infant into your home…a completely untrained, unsocialized little critter who thinks the crate you bought for him is a jail (and who cries to get out…at 3 AM!), the newspaper you put down for him to squat on is a wonderful toy to be shredded, your new shoes are much tastier than rawhide, and your best carpet is an excellent substitute for grass when nature calls! Because rescue dogs spend time in foster homes before they are adopted, they come to you with at least some social skills and some degree of housebreaking!

Training is easier. Whatever additional training needs to be done with a rescue dog will be much easier than training a puppy. It’s like the difference between training a one-year-old child and an eight-year-old. Dogs who have been around for a while just “get it” faster than puppies-especially housebreaking!

The bond is strong. Dogs who have not gotten off to the best possible start in life-who have been neglected or even abused-tend to be very loyal and affectionate. Remember that dogs are pack animals, and they take their treatment by the “pack”-their owners and families-very much to heart. A dog that has been neglected or abandoned once is usually eager to become part of a loving pack, where she feels safe and secure, and is likely to act accordingly. We find that rescue dogs are generally eager to please their new owners. Puppy mill rescues often want to be in your lap at all times and will follow you from room to room, just to be near you.

Fewer vet fees. Rescue dogs have had physical examinations, have been spayed or neutered, have been tested for heartworm, and are up to date on shots. When you buy a puppy, you pay for the dog AND for puppy shots, spaying or neutering, and any other basic medical expenses.

What you see is what you get. When you buy a puppy, you can never really be sure what type of dog you’re going to get. All puppies are cute and playful, but their adult personalities aren’t visible until they’re about two years old. So you don’t know whether you’re getting a dog who wants to play all the time (ALL the time!) or a couch potato. When you rescue a dog, you know what the dog’s personality is like and whether it fits with what you want in a dog companion. You also know, in advance, about any problem areas the new owner will have to address.

It teaches your children good values. Face it-we live in an extremely materialistic society, in which TV teaches kids that everything can be bought, that they should get their parents to buy them everything, and that anything worth having costs a lot of money. Adopting a rescue dog for your family presents a wonderful opportunity to teach your children basic values of compassion and caring, and also about the value of second chances.



Why Aren’t Rescue Dogs Free?

We are asked this question frequently. Some people think that, since they are willing to take a homeless dog off our hands, we should give them the dog without an adoption fee.

Well, that would be nice, and in a perfect world, it would be possible. But vet care for our rescue dogs costs money, which we must recover, at least in part, in order to go on rescuing. Each dog must have a physical examination, receive any required vaccinations (for rabies, parvo virus, etc.) and other medical care, be tested for heartworms, and be spayed or neutered. The rescuers pays for these procedures from the fees and donations received or out of the rescuers own pockets.

(Thanks to Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society for this excellent write-up about adoption)

Stained Glass Tribute

Look at this beautiful stained glass piece that was made for Joy Riley, featuring her Forever Foster Beadoe. Joy writes, "I know several of us also are owned by greyhounds. My friend, Bec Maier (who also has greyhounds and bostons) is making this panel for me. It will have Paige, who I lost to osteosarcoma over a year ago :-( and Beadoe, my little deaf fear biter that Paige so helped making him feel safe and secure." What a beautiful tribute to two special pups!