Annie settles in
Here is an update from our beloved Annie’s new forever family…
We can’t believe it has been nearly a month and a half since we made Annie a part of our pack. She is settling down well in her new home and learning the routine very quickly. Annie is also fitting in so well with our other two dogs. Lebowski loves to run after her as she flies across the yard fetching her Kong or freshly made snowballs that the girls make and throw for her. Even our fifteen year old, Tama has extra spring in her step ever since Annie came. She has brought so much joy to us with her enthusiastic spirit and playfulness.
The only habit of Annie’s that we are still getting use to is what we call her happy, slappy tail. Whenever we come home or let her out of her kennel her tail whips anyone and everyone in the room. Little bruises on our legs are a small price to pay for such a great dog. We thank H.E.L.P. and her wonderful foster family for all the care and hard work they provided to bring Annie and her puppies into their much deserved forever homes.
-Murray, Marsha, Hannah, and Mairin
Sienna bounds like a doe
Here is another update on a puppy from the Sweetie litter we fostered in the summer of 2008. Little Cookie has grown into a fine Sienna! Here is a note and photo from her forever family…
Sienna smiles in 2009
I adopted Sienna a/k/a Cookie several months back. She’s close to 8 months now and doing great. She’s a beautiful teen pup (around 40 lb. now) but much sweeter than a human teenager. Sienna is still the best dog ever. She’s so smart and so good. She only chews her rawhide bones or toys (occasionally a cat toy), but not our shoes or anything else (yet). She knows how to roll over and leave it (leaving her food or anything else until we say okay – save for live animals); she’s been doing these tricks for awhile. I wish I had the time and resources to get her into agility or something fun like that – she would be so good at it. We take her for plenty of walks so she can release some energy and so I can feel like I’m getting a work out. We have a little lake near our house that makes for a good mile or so walk there and back, and she loves chasing the ducks away. She loves making us run after her with a frisbee in her mouth, thus we have yet to teach her to catch a frisbee and bring it back. You should see how fast she is. She leaps and bounds like a doe. Another reason she’d be great at agility. She still goes to my mom’s house once a week for play dates, as my mom is still unemployed and has an older dog (Buddy, purebred white cocker). Sienna’s helped teach him good pack behavior, since he was always a loner dog before meeting her. `Although she has tons of energy, she loves to sleep and cuddle too. She still sleeps in bed with me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Foxhound in Mia shows through
Another pup from Sweetie was little Oreo. Here is an update from her forever family along with a photo…
Mia today
Mia is now almost 8 months old and only 28 pounds – about 20 pounds smaller than we thought she’d be, but really a perfect size! Her foxhound genes are very apparent. She loves to chase the squirrels in our backyard and whines almost as if she’s in pain at the door to be let out to chase them. She loves to ride in the car and is a very good traveler, very alert to see where we’re going, but curling up on the seat to sleep if she realizes it’s going to be a long trip. She’s past chewing things that aren’t hers, but she still likes to “find” socks and carry them around. It’s funny to see the guilty look on her face when she gets caught with them, drops them and comes in close to apologize by rolling over on her back as if to say, “got to love me!”
Adopting Mia was the best decision for us. As my 10-year-old daughter says, “Mia is the perfect puppy for our family”! Her start in a foster home, with a family we think, is a big reason why her transition into our family was so easy.
-Barb K.
Payton loves a good time
Starback July '08
This is from the family that adopted Starback, one Sweetie’s litter we fostered summer of 2008. As a puppy, we named her Starback because of a star-shaped patch of white hair on her upper back contrasted her shiny black coat. The white star has faded and she is Starback no more; meet Payton!
Here’s what her loving mom had to say:
We are big football fans here and she was soooo sweet when we got her we thought we would name her after Walter Payton (sweetness), however, Walter wouldn’t fit for obvious reasons…so we came up with Payton!
Payton in 2009
To give you a quick update on her… She has been such a joy in our family and such a great fit. She has such great respect (and I thank Kristin for that!) for our old girl Sadie (15yr old lab!). Payton has put such spark in Sadie! She has been real easy to train…she is a smartie! She loves to play outside with my boys and loves to fetch! Not always wanting to give up the ball, but is getting the hang of it. The boys love taking her outside when they are playing a game of football…but at times gets under their feet and tackles them!! My husband loves taking her for walks in the forest preserve. At first she seemed nervous but now just loves it! She knows when we say “lets go to the forest preserve!” She is loving the car rides and shopping at Petco! We can’t wait for spring and summer (like everyone else)…but we want to get her adapted to our boat and take her to the lake!! Of course, with a life preserver on!! But she will see lots of other dogs and have a blast!! As you can see…lots of love in these sentences!!
I would like to thank your organization for giving this gift to our family!
Thanks!
-D
Saving Annie
Before we took in pregnant Annie (then named “Martha”) as a foster, she was rescued by the Fulton County Illinois Humane Society. We just received a note from a volunteer who cared for Martha while sheltered at the Humane Society of Fulton County, Pam K. …
Martha (aka Annie)
After reading all about Annie and her puppies I knew I had to let you know how much this story touched me. You see, I knew Annie when she was still “Martha” and so thin you could count every rib on her body. She was so thin but had this big belly. And she was so weak. We were worried she would have strength to deliver the puppies. I am a volunteer at Fulton County and do the Petfinder write ups. I was so thrilled when HELP rescued her. We knew she didn’t have much time before she gave birth and were so happy we were able to get her out of our shelter. A shelter is no place for newborn puppies with all the noise and the germs. We did try to build up her strength and gave her extra food. She did manage to put on a little weight but was still
