I adopted Lady from PAWS Adoption Center in Middletown, OH in April of 2010. I had seen her picture on Save a Dog every day for almost a year and felt like I already knew her before we met. When I first came to see Lady at the shelter she was so shy. She kept as far away from me as she could in the small enclosure where the staff placed us for our bonding sessions. The people at PAWS were very careful in placing Lady and asked me to return several times before taking her home. I drove out to Middletown about once a week to see Lady over the course of a couple of months. By the end of our acquaintance sessions she was still very fearful, although she did allow me a few cautious pets and the opportunity to be drug around the larger fenced in yard behind the shelter.

Not discouraged, I brought Lady home to join our pack of two older Labs and one young, uppity hound dog and two cats. It has been quite a menagerie. But I love it. Lady immediately bonded with all the other members of the pack, except me. I am human after all. She learned all kinds of new stuff from my senior citizens and youngster. She also took immediate likings to the couch and the bed, of course. Even though I usually don't let my dogs sleep on the bed with me, I made an exception for her because it gave us the chance to snuggle. She seemed to forget how scarey I was when we were sleeping cozily together. At first, Lady would make me chase her down with the food bowl. Her two favorite places to eat: the couch and the bed of course. Then after a few months she would linger in the stair well next to the kitchen when I fed them and let me place her bowl on the landing of the stairs. She gradually started creeping down the stairs to get to the dinner ritual until now when she's right up front ready to start eating from the bowl before I even get it set on the floor. :)

Well, to make a long story short. Lady's doing awesomely now! She follows me around the house wherever I go. She's at my feet now while I type this story on the computer. We're going to obedience school together. We're just in the beginner class so far, but planning to further our education. Lady's scared of new people and she doesn't like to be caught. For both of these reasons I decided we needed to go to school. She definitely needs to come when called. She's also a very accomplished fence climber. It's lovely to watch but concerning since we live in the city and there are cars going by most of the time. For now, sadly, I have to keep her on the leash to take her out in the yard. 

I love the Lady Blue, as I call her. It's been such a thrill to watch her come out of her shell. Oh, and by the way, she loves water and getting her feet wet. I look forward to overcoming many more risky and scarey experiences with Lady. Her courage to change and grow is an inspiration to me. Next thing you know we'll be swimming together!

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In February, I adopted my sweet 10 year old Jack Russell through the pictures I found on Save a Dog from Pets Come First!!  This little guy had been in fosters for a long time - and was having a hard time getting adopted. 

It took a couple of weeks to get everything set up to get Ben home, but the second I met him, I knew he was my dog!! Deb at Pets Come First was such a huge help - thanks to her and Ben's foster mom, Jess - we were able to get him all settled in really quickly!

He is our first family dog, although I have had lots of dogs before - Ben has a place in our hearts!!  He gets along wonderfully with all 3 cats, although they tell him what to do a lot. . My daughter and Benben, as I like to call him, are constant playmates.  Ben is a dog that just craves human attention - so I feel sad thinking of all the time he spent alone.

He was not given a lot of time or companionship is his old home - so he has needed a lot of training for even small things, like asking to go outside.  But he is a smart dog and a fast learner!!  He loves baths,giving kisses, and going for a walk in the woods with his "daddy", my hubby Jim!!

Ben doesn't like having his picture taken at ALL, so it has been hard to get pictures to show how great he does here!!  One camera flash, and he goes into hiding - but that is okay!!  Ben is a special dog, and ONE GREAT reason to adopt a senior today!!  Older pets make the best friends!!!  And Ben is a healthy guy, with lots of years in him to love!! We love him so much!! 

Thanks so much to Save a dog for letting me meet Benben!!!

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My name is Sarah. My new Mommy said she saw me on Save A Dog and was petting me eveyday. She told my new Daddy she wanted to go pet me for real so a new family showed up to bring me home with them. It is realy nice because I used to run off in my other homes but they have this really tall wall all the way around my new yard! We figured out I like to chase Cats out of my new yard (it is mine now afterall).

They have a very strange toy that they call a Ferrett. They will not let me chase him though. I love to ride in the car and the truck. My Mom thinks it is a little strange that I would rather lay in the rocks in the sun. She will figure out I am a desert dog eventually. They bought me these things they call Duck treats I do not know what that means but I know I will sit pretty everytime they have one.

I have an 11 year old brother now that likes to walk me around the block when he gets home from School. I never make any messes in the house and sleep wherever I want at night. They are telling me we are going out on the boat this weekend and maybe even camping. I will let you know how that goes. :)

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After losing my Pomeranian Gizmo unexpectedly, I swore to never have another pet. I started fostering Dinky, a senior Pomeranian from C.A.R.E. in Springfield, Mo, on Save a Dog. Every day I would look at his little picture and feel so bad for him, knowing he had no home.

One day I decided to put an application in for him. I live in Indiana, 6-7 hours from him. I talk to them on the phone in an interview. They said they would let me know in the next couple weeks. I was on pins and needles. I got the call that I was accepted to adopt him!! I was soooo glad.

My grand-daughter and I drove on the weekend to get him. The first time I held him, I was so happy again. It was love at first sight for both of us.

It’s now been going on 2 yrs and Dinky is going strong, so loving, sweet, and yes, a bit spoiled. He is so much company and companionship for me, always at the door waiting when I come home, tail wagging and jumping up and down.

We weren’t sure of his actual age, he was estimated at 10 or more when I adopted him, so we made July 4 his birthday, since it is Independence Day, so this year he will be 12!!!

TY for Save a Dog, because without you, we would not have found one another!! He saved me as much as I saved him!! 

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We lost our dog to cancer two years ago in july. A few weeks later we found a puppy that looked just like him on Save a Dog. We decided to foster this dog, which I believe was a part of a group called the "H Pups."  

We called the shelter to get more information on him and they told us he had been adopted already. About two weeks later we found him listed again. We called the shelter and they said he had been returned the day after he was adopted, which also happened to the dog we just lost. We thought about it and figured that we had to get this puppy.

A few weeks passed and we went to Petsmart to see him. When we got there we went to the desk to fill out adoption papers but got news that we couldnt take him home that day. He had been attacked by a larger dog at the shelter and was hurt. We filled out the papers none the less and went to the shelter about a week later to get our new puppy. His name is now Malkin and is very healthy and happy at two years of age.

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SaDie was known as Ruby, About to Die, on Save A Dog. She is deformed from birth, with one front claw foot and one front stub leg, but you'd never know it to see her move about and run after squirrels with zooming speed! I don't know exactly what drew me to her, but I had to save her, so a friend and I drove from Florida to North Carolina to rescue her in March, 2010.

We found a skinny, muddy white German Shepherd with foreleg deformities, tied to a short chain outside in freezing weather, unable to reach the too-small dog house placed teasingly near but too far for her to reach or fit into. The neighborhood was dangerous and scary, and her owner, who lived in a slummy house, appeared to be a crack addict. Her owner was preparing to take her to be "euthanized" that very morning, so we got there in the nick of time.

My Save A Dog friends, especially Misty Stevens (a wonderful person and dog lover), remained in contact and gave us support throughout the rescue, sending messages of support to me and me sending updates and pictures throughout the rescue road trip. Because of the support from SaD friends, I renamed her SaDie in honor of her Save A Dog (SaD) family.

It turned out that she was malnourished (no surprise there) and heartworm positive, so my husband and I set about bringing her back to full health, giving her nourishment, love, obedience training, socialization, and heartworm treatment (we chose the slow method of heartworm treatment since she is such an energetic dog, so we are still treating her).

She is a wonderful canine daughter for my husband and me, especially helpful to me when Nikki, my Shiba Inu companion of over 12 years, died of cancer at Christmas, 2010. Sadie is a loving, happy, friendly, energetic, and wonderful dog.  We are so blessed to have her, and we know that Save A Dog and SaD supporters played a huge role in Sadie's rescue.  Thank you, Save A Dog!

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I have been a “Save a Dog” member for almost a year now, and often spent hours poring over all of the dogs in the shelters and foster homes across the country. My family has always had a spot for the “big dogs,” and one of our favorite Rescues has always been “Big Dogs Huge Paws” located in Boulder, Colorado.  Most of my foster dogs on "Save a Dog" have always come from that shelter.

In late September of 2010, our world fell apart when we lost our 8-year-old male Mastiff, Orion.  Our family was so lost and we all grieved very deeply.  My husband Mark, me, and especially our 6-year-old female mastiff, Chione, were all devastated after Orion left us.

In January of this year, I was on “Save a Dog” for my nightly point gathering activities, and I came across the beautiful “Ethel,” a senior Apricot Mastiff living with a wonderful foster family in Colorado.  I fostered her immediately, and watched her progress week after week. During that time, I became involved in fundraising and volunteering with Big Dogs Huge Paws, and got to know the wonderful people who run it.  I heard from them about Ethel’s life. 

She was most likely raised in a puppy mill in Missouri, where she was found as a stray along with her mate “Fred,” who has since passed over the Rainbow Bridge as a direct result of the abuse and neglect he suffered at the hands of those who raised him. Ethel is an elder dog, who has borne many, many litters.  It was thought that once she could no longer breed, she was turned loose and kicked out with Fred. It is thought she is somewhere between 7-9 years old.

After watching and dreaming about her for over a month, my husband and I made the best decision of our lives, we submitted an adoption application to Big Dogs Huge Paws specifically to adopt the dog who captured our hearts, Ethel.

We were quickly approved and Ethel was OURS!  Pure JOY!  But then came the hard part.  How do you get a 120-pound dog from Colorado to Massachusetts where we live?  The answer?  PET AIRWAYS!  We immediately booked passage for Ethel (who we soon learned had a new name, Gretchen!) to fly from Colorado into Long Island, New York.  On February 23, 2011, my husband and I drove the four hours from our home in Massachusetts to Long Island, New York and met our new family member at the Pet Airways terminal.  We found out then that Gretchen made it by ONE POUND. Anything larger and she would have not been able to fly.

Then we brought her to her new forever home! What a gift Gretchen is! She and Chione immediately hit it off; they snuggle together at night, and have truly bonded like sisters. Gretchen now spends her days sleeping on the many dog beds she seems to love so much, coming up to us for as much love as we will give her (which is A LOT!) and exploring her new yard, and especially her daily walks to the park and river right next to our house (on leash).  

While initially somewhat fearful, Gretchen now understands that we will never leave her alone outside, we will be there when she needs us, and she is showered with cookies and love. She is the sweetest dog imaginable, and her capacity to love amazes us every day, especially after the life of abuse and neglect we know she suffered.

For all of you out there considering adopting a dog, won't you consider adopting a SENIOR dog?  They have SO much left to give, and each one deserves to live the rest of their lives in peace and security.

Thank you, “Save a Dog”, you didn’t just save a dog, you saved OUR FAMILY! 

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I found Fluffy on SAD one night. I couldn't sleep and I found Fluffy at a high kill shelter.  I picked Fluffy up on Christmas Eve so he wouldn't be put to sleep. He was put in the middle of a busy highway by his former owners.

I wound up adopting him. He was the best dog I've ever had but he also had a bad case of heart worms. He was at the vet 3 days, and then I brought him home. He was coughing all weekend and by Sunday it was awful. 

I had been up with him 3 nights but Sunday I fell asleep. He laid against my back and died. 

There isn't a day I don't cry for this beautiful rescue dog I found on SAD. He was a wonderful gift from God but I wish he didn't need him back so soon.  

 There will never be another Fluffy Bear....but I now have adopted 2 more and one acts a great deal like Fluffy Bear.  His name is Bear. 

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I have a friend that volunteers at the Green Hills Animal Shelter. She had been posting pics from the shelter's website of dogs coming in. I thought I'd just take a look.

I'd seen Vern. I knew we didn't need a dog but I kept looking at his picture. I don't know how I happened across the Save a Dog app, but I thought, I can help here. I virtually fosterd Vern for a month. I couldn't get him out of my head!!! My kids were even looking at Vern every day!

So, I thought, we will go to the shelter and visit. This way I can see all the reasons why we shouldn't get him and that will be that. He was perfect!!! Vern had been at the no kill shelter for one year and one month! He was approximatelya year old when he was taken off the street. He was well mannered, happy and wonderful! We took him gifts too.

I went back a week later for a visit thinking, maybe he won't be what we wanted... BUT HE WAS! He was more perfect. When they brought him out, he saw me and ran to me like an old friend. I filled out the adoption paperwork when I got home. Two weeks later I went to get him. He played with me and my daughter for almost an hour at the shelter. He helped fill out the final papers. He is perfect! He was  God sent!!

I am still fostering dogs on the Save a Dog and posting them to my profile in hopes of someone doing like I did. 

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I found Kirby on Save A Dog while playing the game. He is an Affenpinscher that was being fostered in Kentucky through Critter Calvary Rescue. I kept searching every day and looking at his little face. He had been in a situation where he was not being fed and weighed 7 lbs when he went into rescue in September 2010 (his optimal weights is 14 lbs.) I adopted him in October, 2010 and he weighed 9 lbs. At our last vet appointment in December 2010 he weighed 15 lbs. The picture was taken about one month after I got him.
 
He is an absolute velcro dog who is with me all the time and he is a complete joy.

Did you find the dog or cat you adopted in real life on Save a Dog or Save a Cat? We'd like to hear from you! Send your story with any pictures to Email