AZ Mastiff Rescue

This past weekend was a good weekend for a lot of dogs.  Nine dogs went to homes.  We posted this message on our Facebook page:

A recount! so that’s 9 dogs this weekend! Remi, Lola, Desi, Teddy, Minnie, Lucy, Chato, Jetta, and Daisy! Wow! Thanks to all of the volunteers, adopters, fosters, Facebook friends who share our dogs in need, friends who spread the word about rescuing, and Delta Airlines for making sure Chato got on a plane and made it to his forever home.

It was also a great week because we got updates on two awesome dogs, Jetta and Edgar.

Jetta came to rescue and was depressed and feeling under the weather.  Carol, Volunteer Extraordinaire, took Jetta home and nursed her back to health (literally…she saved Jetta’s life) and helped her rediscover her joy and will to live.  She is in a great foster to adopt home, and we got the following picture:

“Hi Jetta. I love you.”

There were several people shedding tears of joy that things are going great for Jetta.

The other update was about a sweet boy, Edgar.  He is now called Desi, and he is being spoiled and loved and cared for, just like he deserves.  Edgar was a heart breaker with everyone that met him.  He loved to give kisses to all his walking buddies.   We got the following photos and update from Desi/Edgar’s family, and again, a lot of people cried tears of joy that he is such a loved member of a family.

Edgar hanging out with his sister, wrapped in his towel after a spa day, and hanging out in his forever home.

I just wanted to give you an update on Desi (Edgar). First I want to thank you and ALL the wonderful volunteers who rescue and help these gentle giants. Second Desi has been AMAZING!! To say the least. He and Lucy are hanging out and just loving each other’s company. His new life, sleeping in a king size bed, a bath twice a week (which he loves)his coat is looking awesome and I am putting scar medicine on his scars and utter cream on his feet and callouses which will slowly look better overtime, his teeth get brushed twice a day (which he also loves) his teeth the ones he has left (as you know they were a mess) are looking so much better. He loves car rides and his morning peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He gets along GREAT with the family cat—I will find them both in the living room by the French doors catching some sun sleeping. Lucy and Desi chew on rawhide bones in the same room with no upsets they even eat though out the day and take turns at the food & water “dishes” again with no upset. This was definitely meant to be and I would do it again in the future as Desi has sooooo much love he wants to give. I also took him to our family vet and he was given a good bill of health. I just thought you would like to know and also send an update to the persons in Pasadena who found him first.

And on top of all the happy news, there are four new dogs that Darlene picked up on Wednesday.  Vinny, Frank, Sammie, and Sheeba.  We also saved Baxter and Bella, a bonded pair that are best friends and looking for a home together.  So, 9 dogs found homes, and 6 more arrived, on top of others that are on their way as well.  So, we celebrate each and every dog that finds a family that will love them and care for them forever.  It is truly one of the greatest feelings to see families so happy together.  And we also know that there are so many more dogs out there that need to find homes.  See, we will never have zero dogs looking for a home, so we celebrate and revel in all the really great updates from families, and we keep looking for homes for all the other dogs waiting.

This week had a huge sad note when a sweet boy named Bueller crossed the rainbow bridge after suffering from parvo.  Bueller was pulled from the shelter and immediately taken to the vet to see if he could be saved.  He snuggled up on the soft dog beds and had the best time getting attention and love.  He had been sick for so long all because his former family didn’t spend $ 10 to get his parvo vaccine.  He passed away with three people surrounding him and letting him know he was loved.  It was a senseless and heartbreaking loss, but in the end Bueller wasn’t alone.

Rest in Peace Bueller

So, the days ahead will have great moments and sad.  We have a visiting volunteer who flew all the way here to have a great time playing with all the dogs and joining our regular dog walking volunteers for some fun with the giants.  We also have our first golf tournament fundraiser for every loving, squishy, drooly, adorable monster that we can save.  So, even if you don’t play golf, please come by and say hi and meet some of the volunteers.  We will be at Arizona Golf Resort in Mesa on Saturday, May 11.

Come by and see us!

Thank you to everyone that volunteers, adopts, fosters, spreads the word about our dogs, shares photos, and donates.  It wouldn’t be possible without all of you.

This picture was taken in early January.  This is Sophy.  Actually, this is Sophy before we knew she would be Sophy.

Seeing pictures of Sophy for the first time

We’ve posted her story from her AZ foster and from her forever family.  This post is the beginning of Sophy’s story.  It’s kind of nice to already know there is a happy ending for her and a home that loves her very much.  It wasn’t always that way for Sophy.

She was in the Orange County Shelter, and in early January Madi and Dawna McNaughton, Erica Hong, and Brady Garcia were in high gear to save her, looking for a puller to get her out and to a temporary foster home.

Sophy was freed on the day before she was supposed to be euthanized, and we knew nothing about her except that she needed help and that the shelter had labelled her as an aggressive dog.

Madi, Dawn, Erica, and Brady are like a dream team of rescue super heroes, so Sophy had that on her side.  A special word about Madi…. Madi is a tireless rescue maven who helps all kinds of dogs, especially those that are mis-labeled as aggressive or un-adoptable by shelters.  Madi has saved many mastiffs that are sweet, loving, and now have forever homes but that were labelled as aggressive by the shelter system.  She has saved many dogs because she doesn’t give up on a dog in need.

Once Sophy was saved from Orange County, she went to her temporary foster home with the Amazing Garcia’s and we mean AMAZING Garcia’s!

From Brady Garcia:  “She was with us a short while but from the moment we met her we were in love. We picked her up at the shelter in Orange County. She was so tiny, you could see every bone in her body. I mean every bone. The shelter had named her aggressive so only rescue could take her.

I can tell you that she NEVER did show any aggression at all with us. We brought her home and I snuggled with her for a few hours. She was so filthy my hands and clothes were seriously black.

It’s good to be free.

I took her into the bath with me and gave her a nice bath and then a massage. She then ate dinner and snuggled more on the couch with all of us. The baby, our teenage daughter and our other fur babies. She couldn’t get close enough. She was sitting in my lap and snuggled her face in my neck.

That first night she spooned under the blankets on the couch with my husband. The following nights she slept in bed with me.

Sophy the Beautiful

She is so gentle and loving. She was always so well mannered. The second day with us she wanted to play. She would bring a toy to the baby (15 months) and lay it at her feet. She would chase the toy if you threw it but she just didn’t have much energy so she didn’t play long.

I just can’t express how much love this little girl gave us in the short while she was with us. She is beyond loving and gentle and just wanted to love and be loved. I swear she just wanted to sit in my lap and give hugs and snuggle.

She will always hold such a special place in our hearts.

I cried and cried when she was leaving. I just wanted to keep her and nurse her back to health, but we knew she needed more attention than we could give her at that time.

She was so calm and never aggressive. It never really seemed like she was abused, maybe just neglected or just got out and lost one day. As she had no chip maybe the owners just couldn’t find her.

As I would sit and cuddle her and pet her incredibly super soft fur she would lick my hand and nuzzle me as if to say thank you.

It broke my heart to see this amazing dog so sad. I promised her that I would help her find a better life and that she was on her way to finding her forever family and that she would never be alone and scared again. I knew in my heart that Canine Rescue Coalition/AZ Mastiff Rescue and all of the amazing folks who volunteer were her saving grace. We love her and will always be here for our Sophy.

Hi. My name is Sophy.

Btw….she got her name because she was so soft we were calling her softy… but we knew that wasn’t a suitable name….so it morphed into Sophy”

That is Sophy’s story as we know it, from her days at the shelter until she found a home that loves her to the moon and back again.  Sophy’s story is the story of so many dogs that have been abandoned at a shelter and find themselves in need of a few helpful angels to find a family that will love them forever.

We love Sophy’s story because it is a story of how something so sad turns into something so great in the end.  We love Sophy’s story and the story of all our giants that have forever homes, that are waiting on forever homes, and the ones we haven’t met yet.

We wish Sophy and her forever family many happy days together!

Sophy meets her forever family!

When you are looking for your next furry family member, please adopt! A lot of deserving dogs are looking for families to call their own.

This is a story about a very sweet guy and a really awesome volunteer, Karen. She has logged hundreds of miles and thousands of dog walks over the year, and she and our other volunteers would always like another walking buddy.  If you are interested in volunteering, visit our website at www.azmastiffrescue.com.

Moose and Karen

Moose looking terrifically handsome.

I had been volunteering for Canine Rescue Coalition for about 6 months at Second Home Pet Resort when we were asked if we could help out at Canine County Club. That is where I met Moose. He was an older guy, about 4 and just so loving. He was rescued by us from a California shelter where he sat for over a month and then his owners decided they no longer wanted him.

I saw him weekly and knew he was a special dog. I guess some dogs just touch your heart. When he came to Second Home, I was able to spend more time with him and walked him 3 days a week. He kept getting overlooked, and I think people could not get beyond his age and a few scars he had and were not seeing what I saw.

Look how lovable and squeezy he is!

At last, he got adopted, only to be returned 2 weeks later because he was to big to get in and out of the owners truck.I was heartbroken to see him back in boarding. Moose took it in stride, and we continued our walks and long talks about how he was going to find his forever home soon.

Terra, one of our awesome fosters took him to her house where he was loved and got along great with her 2 female dogs and little son, A.J. Finally, another family wanted him, but it did not work out since he did not like their cat.  At this point, I was trying to figure out if I could make it work at my house. However, I have a big bossy English male, Charlie, a French mastiff.Lab mix, who I thought would be accepting, and a female Neo, Betsy that I adopted from our rescue.

I was ready to try it when another family came for him and fell in love with the Moose. He has a female sister and they even have a pool made for the dogs.

Moose hanging out with his new family.

Maybe Moose had to wait a while for his forever home, but he found it. The family even sent updates and showed Moose living large and laying on the couch. I was beyond happy for him, and I hope one day we will meet again and I can tell him “I told you you would find a great home because you are a special guy.”

Moose always wanted his very own family to cuddle with.

I continue to volunteer and looking to meet another Moose, although I love all the dogs.

Sophy, The Adoption Journey : Please don’t rush…They are Worth the Wait!

Carol Writes about Helping a Forever Home Find Their Perfect New Family Member.

And a forever family talks about their experiences adopting Sophy!

From Carol:  My experience with Sophy. I got the adoption application from Darlene for Pam & Bret Stahnke on February 2nd. They were interested in Oliver, or another male. I had only done a few calls for adoption at that point, so I nervously called and spoke to Bret. We talked a little about what they wanted in a new dog. They have 4 yorkies, 3 cats, and 2 older children still at home.

We agreed that it might take some time to find a dog that would fit with yorkies because really, not all big dogs care much for little dogs. He said they were willing to wait and could come with the yorkies anytime from NM to meet a dog if we were to find someone we thought would fit. After I hung up I thought, “Oh boy. This could take some time.” Then my worries set in. What if they drive all this way with their dogs, for a dog we think might fit and it does not work out? Darlene said not to worry, that we will find one eventually, if they will wait.

Thanks to Kristin and her family for fostering, we were able to find a dog very quickly for them. Kristin was fostering Sophy. Kristin has 2 children and 2 dogs and chickens. When Kristin posted pictures of Sophy with the chickens and Sophy with Kristin’s daughter Addie holding Sophy’s leash by herself on February 6th, I knew right away we had a fit. Darlene agreed. I sent those pictures to Pam & Bret, and they agreed also that yes, this could be their dog. Kristin sent pictures regularly for them, and they wanted to come to see Sophy.

a fortunate photo that helped Sophy find her home

such a sweet girl! and she is so great on her leash.

They had one very important thing keeping them from coming right away. Their son was graduating from the Air Force Basic Training, and they could not miss it. They did not want to bring Sophy home, then have to off and leave her for fear she would get stressed out. Already they were worried about her and wanted her to be safe and happy. So they decided to trust us that Sophy was the right fit and put a deposit down on her without meeting her. We promised to hold her and continue to keep her in foster, so they could drive to their son’s Air Force Graduation that was 2 weeks out.

They arrived in Arizona on March 9, and she was /is perfect for them. Sophy has been in her new home now a month. All of the updates we get from them is total happiness.

Sophy meets her forever family!

I am so proud and happy things turn out so great for everyone.

My very own bed!

This is what Sophy’s new family writes:

It is amazing to think about how far Sophy has come. You probably wouldn’t recognize her. LOL A couple of days ago our neighbor had some workers in their backyard. Sophy decided she didn’t like having those strangers so close to us. She would patrol the back & side walls and bark at them. It was funny to watch. She has become quite protective of her home.

I like this family! they like to play.

Sometimes I think Kristin and I were communicating telepathically. Sophy has the same bed pillow here that she had at Kristin’s. We feed her fresh chicken (it is still her favorite), and she gets her rice and ground beef regularly.

Sophy loves her toys and she shares with the little guys. The other day, Joey took her big bully chewy. Sophy came right up to the shelf where all of the doggie treats are and started nosing the Oinkies. She has lost her shyness and has no problems letting us know what she wants.

Tug of love!

I have become familiar with the soft, timid Sophy kisses. She is such a sweetie pie. Kristin, I can’t begin to thank you enough for the wonderful gift you have given us. Sophy is truly a treasure and we love her dearly.

It is amazing to read and hear about how tragic some of these rescue stories are. Sophy is anything but aggressive or mean or scary. She is a giant love bug. It just breaks my heart to think about her walking around alone, or searching for food, or lying in the back of a kennel at the City or County Shelter.

Sophy is such a kind and gentle soul, who only wants to love and be loved back. I am so glad that Carol and Kristin recognized that she would be a good fit for our family. Every morning as I get ready for work, Sophy lies on the bed and rolls on her back so I can scratch her belly and give her kisses. It is so cute to watch her stretch and wiggle and burrow in the blankets and pillows. She stays in bed as long as she can and then gets up and follows me out to get my coffee, where she gets her “cookie” and goes outside to do her business.

Relaxing with my family

Sophy is loving and generous, even with the little Yorkies. She shares her cookies, treats and big giant chewies. It is fun to watch her play fetch with Lola. Lola is a 4lb Yorkie that can play fetch for hours. She loves to chase Sophy’s giant tuggy and run with it as Sophy chases her.

We are so honored that you asked us to love and adopt Sophy. Thank you everyone for allowing us to become part of AZ Mastiff Rescue.

Pam & Bret

Sophy with her kitty sibling

This is one part of Sophy’s story.  This is about her life with her Arizona foster family.  Stay tuned for more of Sophy’s story, from when she was rescued at the shelter and when she was adopted to her amazing forever family.

Sophy was rescued from a shelter in California.  Lots of really awesome people came together to make sure that Sophy was pulled from the shelter to find a new life with a loving family.  From the shelter pictures of Sophy and some reports from volunteers visiting, no one was sure what kind of personality she had.  Shelters are often the worst place to be able to fully know if a dog is friendly and sweet.  It is a stressful place to be!

AZ Mastiff Rescue/Canine Rescue Coalition made plans for Sophy to cover all possibilities.  Is she aggressive? Friendly?  Friends on our page posted comments to help with any eventuality.

Turns out, all that planning and discussing was for nothing because Sophy was the sweetest girl on the planet.

She stayed with a wonderful foster home in California for five days until we could pick her up and bring her to Arizona. (stay tuned on our blog, because THAT adventure will be its own blog post)

Once Sophy arrived in Arizona, she quickly found a foster home with a wonderful family.  She had a foster brother, Sylvio, and two foster kids….foster chickens….and lots and lots of love.

About Sophy: From Her Foster Mom, Kristin.

I actually met Sophy a couple weeks before I started fostering her. I heard she was on her last day at the shelter in California and was very close to being euthanized. The day I met her, she was timid, shy and so skinny! I had just finished fostering a Mastiff Great Dane mix that had been living in the desert and I was able to nurse her back to health. I knew that I could help Sophy too! I loaded Sophy up into my minivan, and my heart was beating so fast. I couldn’t wait to get her home and feed her and love her and snuggle with her!! She has the softest fur ever and her wrinkles were so soft and scrunchy.

Sophy gets ready for her foster home!

Sophy was really shy. I allowed her some time to get her bearings, but she seemed most comfortable lying on the dog bed in my bedroom or in the family room. She enjoyed watching all of us but really didn’t want to participate in the fun. She wasn’t scared and there were no signs of previous abuse. She was just kind of introverted and content relaxing on the cushy beds, which was ok with us as we didn’t want to overwhelm her.

She was very happy to eat dinner as she couldn’t resist boiled chicken, potatoes and brown rice! Yummy!! I really wanted to put some healthy weight on her. She was kinda picky about what she’d eat. (My previous skinny foster girl would eat everything from peanut butter sandwiches to ground beef) It took a while, but Sophy started to gain some weight.

After a couple weeks she started to come out of her shell and she started bonding with my chicken Lolita (yes, my CHICKEN). My chicken Lolita would follow Sophy around everywhere like she was the “Mama Chicken.” They were quite bonded. Often I would find Lolita just pecking at Sophy, and she didn’t mind…she’d just inch over and then again and it seemed to be a little thing they had going together.

Is that a chicken?

Sophy didn’t give me any grief. She never chewed anything, she never barked, she was just this quiet sweet girl who liked to play but was constant just lying on my feet as I worked from my computer. Our volunteer coordinator from the rescue called me and told me that she had a great family looking for a mastiff that would get along with their 4 yorkies. I figured if Sophy can hang out with a chicken pecking at her, she certainly could handle 4 yorkies! The family was from New Mexico, and with a leap of faith, they trusted our opinion of making the match for them. With that, they committed to adopting her sight unseen! We sent a few pictures and some videos, and it was love at first sight.

Sophy and Lola taking a nap

We needed to keep Sophy for a few extra weeks because her adoptive family had some previous engagements, which was fine with me. It was during this time that Sophy really came out of her shell and opened up! She became so loving, and after weeks of being in my care, she finally looked up at me one night lying on the couch and gently gave me a kiss. It brings tears to my eyes just remembering the moment because it took her so long to feel that bond with me and trust me. There was no better way for her to communicate with me and in her own way, say thank you, I am safe and happy!

foster family fun time

As the days passed, we got closer to her adoption day. I started getting nervous, wondering if they were going to show up, if they were going to even like her. Would they treat her well? Would they be kind and gentle? Would they be understanding? Sophy was so shy, what if she hides between my legs and they don’t get “that feeling”. These thoughts consumed me. They kept me up at night, and I started to feel a bit depressed. One minute I would be so positive and think how great she’s going to a forever home, then the next minute I’d think “Am I doing the right thing?…Does she belong here with us?”

Anyways, that day was here, and I woke up that morning wondering if they were on their way, were they running late?…I was counting the hours. I tried to keep busy with other tasks, but I just couldn’t get over my nerves. That afternoon I took Sophy to the self-dog wash place for her final bath together. I wanted her to smell really beautiful and shine! I scrubbed forever and must have washed her 10 times!! There were lots of people washing their dogs that day. I knew I was taking up a lot of time, but I was ok selfishly hogging the station!

such a sweet girl! and she is so great on her leash.

I started looking at her pretty wet face and gave her a little farewell speech. It went something like this. “You are a beautiful, sweet angel at has touched my heart. You deserve to give love and be loved back. You deserve kindness, love and a warm bed to rest your head. I was so lucky to have known you, and I promise you that you will be safe and loved just as much, if not more in your new home. You are a good girl, and I am so happy for you. Thank you for touching my heart and allowing me the chance to love you. I will think of you often and will certainly miss your happy face.”

I was sobbing like crazy, like a baby without his blanket. Tears were streaming down my face…uncontrollable tears. I was using the towels to dry my face. People were noticing, and the manager who knew me and Sophy well came over to console me. I told the folks around me her story and how she was such a good dog, and the whole place was choked up!

I came back home with Sophy, went right to my husband, and couldn’t control my tears. I was just a mess!! He tried to offer me comfort, but like a taking off a band-aid, I just wanted to get it over with. In the meantime, I got a phone call that they were about 20 minutes away, and my heart started beating. I thought I was gonna have a panic attack! They finally arrived, and I don’t know if anyone could tell but I was trembling. I shook Pam and Brett’s hand, met their son, and the nerves all went away. I was at peace. They were the RIGHT family!

Sophy meets her forever family!

The introductions went great, and it wasn’t long until they were back on the road with a 7 hour drive back home to New Mexico. I had been worrying all along if she was going to be scared or sad, but she jumped right in their car, looked at me, and I didn’t see any fear in her eyes!

Sophy is a sweet, angel girl, and I feel everything worked out the way it was meant to be. It was a long journey for Sophy to find her way into the hearts and the home of her new family, but it was worth the wait. I certainly miss her. I don’t think my house will ever quite be the same. I keep a picture of her in a frame with my other dogs’ photographs. That way I am reminded every day of her wonderful presence and the impact she made in my life.

I have found that fostering a dog can be very rewarding. It’s doing good work for a good cause, and it truly makes a difference in the lives of others. It is this unselfish giving that has again taught me another lesson about life. Sometimes we have to let go of the ones we love!

A Great P.S. from Darlene of AZ Mastiff Rescue: Wow, I had no idea Kristen. But I can tell you I foster and LOVE fostering. I feel the same way many times with some of my foster dogs. I normally foster 2 to 4 dogs at a time. I get so nervous when I know they may be leaving. I get a little pushy with adopters and what their intentions are with this dog that I have nurtured and crate trained and spent time with and just loved and bonded with.

I can say that most people have no idea at all how wonderful of a gift they are giving when they foster. They are helping this dog to transition into a new home, and before they go they gain house manners, sometimes need to be house trained, and they gain confidence. For most of our rescues, that is something many have never felt or had before. We use Second Home Pet Resort, and they are wonderful and the best you could use in boarding. Nothing takes the place of a dog that is in a home with a family, though.

Thank you for sharing Kristen, sometimes I forget how hard it is to let go of them when they go to new families. We have an amazing group of caring, compassionate people that really care for these dogs, and I feel grateful every day to have others that share my passion for these big guys.

A list borrowed from another rescue site.  We were wisely informed that the list needed a #13.  

**HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE READY FOR A MASTIFF**
1) Lift a hundred pound bag of wet sand up and down the stairs

2) Push a hundred pound bag of wet sand into your car

3) Smear hair gel all over your walls and throw it on the ceiling and TV, while you’re at it, smear the lower half of all windows, curtains and glass

4) Rub fur and gel into the roof of your vehicle

5) At least twice daily, drop that bag of wet sand on your bare foot

6) Shake balls of fur, mulch, and a bucket of dirt all over your house daily (add water for rainy days)

7) Practice repeating “English mastiff, about 200 pounds…8-10 cups a day…”no, I don’t have a saddle” over and over with a smile

8) Volunteer at the zoo to help wash the large animals and clean up their poop

9) Invite your friends over and have them all try to get in the bathroom while you are using it

10) Practice telling people that your husband does NOT beat you, that those bruises are from your dog!

11) Take a nice long piece of rubber hose and go around smacking all the coffee mugs off the end-tables and hit any close male where he doesn’t like to be hit and smack your own legs a few times too

12) Have someone operate a chain saw at the foot of your bed all night…record this and play it every night close to your ear.

13) Invite friends over and feed them lots of gas-inducing foods.  Sit in a room together and let em rip.   

This is  wonderful story from Carol, a really loving, dedicated and fun volunteer for AZ Mastiff Rescue. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Carol in their life:

Poor Scared Emmie.

Emmie was an owner surrender. The owner stated that she was very protective of her and the new baby, and that she lived with another dog. Darlene went to pick Emmie up. They tried walking with her outside to see if Emmie could get used to Darlene, enough to go with her. That was not gonna happen. Emmie got so scared and then got loose and ran. The owner was able to get her back, but Darlene could not take her at that time. She was too afraid and didn’t want to leave the only family she had known.  Darlene did go back and ended up having to sedate Emmie to get her to one of our boarding facilities.

I’m not so sure about people.

I met Emmie the day after she came in. She was so scared, she would not let anyone go near her or in her kennel. It was so sad.  I have never really experienced a dog like her, so sad and so scared. We knew it was gonna take time with her. I usually only go to the boarding facility she was at 2 days a week.  I had the free time, and I asked if I could go everyday to work with her.

At first I sat outside her kennel just trying to get her used to me. She wanted nothing to do with me for 2 days.  On the third day I brought a stool with me and moved inside and sat with her.

She lets Carol get a little closer.

She let me pet her face twice. She was starting to trust me, just a little. On the forth day I brought Debbie, another volunteer, with me to see Emmie. We spent 4 hours with her, and we got her out.

Emmie’s natural curiosity wins out over being afraid.

Oh we were so relieved, and I think Emmie was also!

Hi Carol. Thanks for hanging out with me for 4 hours to help me trust you

Emmy decide Debbie was trustworthy also. It was the most rewarding thing I have ever done. To see a dog go from un-trusting and so scared she wouldn’t let anyone near her, to now trusting a few.

You’re pretty nice too, Debbie.

Running with Amy, another volunteer, she was quickly starting to realize we were okay, and she was safe.

Ok. This play thing is pretty good.

She even let a staff member at the boarding place love on her. She was getting better every day. The time came to move her to our other facility where she could get used to having more people handle her. Sadly for me it was time for her to move on, so she could start to trust everyone she met.

I could get used to liking people.

We moved her to Second Home where she was a little scared at first, but she did alright. She quickly realized it was Tim she wanted to trust the most there. Tim was able to get her out and spend time with her. She was getting loved on and walked regularly by other volunteers. I normally do not go to Second Home during the week, because it is farther away from my house, but I felt like I had deserted her.  I felt she needed more help to be ready for adoption. So I started going over to Second Home when I could, walking her around where people were coming and going, and we started sitting out in front of Walgreens.

Emmie watching people come and go at busy places.

She did great!  She got used to having people walk by, and she even liked people stopping to pet her. She was getting better everyday. We really felt she was ready for a forever home.  She needed someone to love on her all the time to let her be the great dog she learned she could be. The first weekend in March she found her forever home. They were just what Emmie was looking for, a young couple full of energy, who were looking for a big beautiful girl that needed her own family to love.

Emmie and her forever family.

I was lucky to be there when they adopted Emmie. I cried, of course. I cry every time one of our dogs gets adopted, but the tears that day were special, because all the hard work was for something.  It was for Emmie. I’ve done lots of important things in my life, but working with Emmie, she made my heart grow bigger, and I’m forever thankful to her for that. Volunteering with AZ Mastiff has changed my life for the better.