 Delilah, a whirling a bundle of energy, came to us in December as a foster, housebroken but untrained, a work in progress. She is reported to be black lab smooth collie cross but she could put a greyhound to shame in a race.
Delilah immediately made friends with Buttons, our daughter’s cat, and learned to stay out of Fairway’s reach. She took Duke, the Ridgeback under her wing, herding him around by the collar, inside and out. In January we were approached by someone interested in adopting her but we just couldn’t do it. She had wormed her way into our hearts. Knowing the effort and patience that would be required to train her she just had to stay. So she became our Della, buddy and tormenter of long suffering Duke, also a rescue, saved from a puppy farm. So we worked our way through puppygarten, bribed with treats all the way, and now we are working on social skills. We live for the day when she doesn’t greet all visits with front paws outstretched and grasps the concept of four on the floor. I am sure the neighbours will also be delighted when she finally learns that all comers do not have to be serenaded and warmly welcomed to the neighbourhood.
She has joined a pack for daily visits to the off leash area and quite a pack it is, a Roddy, a Jack Russell, a Papillon and a Ridgeback, definitely a motley crew. She does well with the herd, running up and down the hills, burning off what appears to be endless energy. At least until some unsuspecting owner tosses a ball. Then the race is on. You see Della has not yet grasped the concept of share the ball or bring it back. Having been a stray for at least part of the first year of her life Della decided that any and all food is up for grabs. When she first came to us, she would gather up all the toys, bones and food scraps she could get and keep them between her paws. Her motto, if I see it, smell it and can reach it, it’s mine. But she has learned to share the bones and toys and we have adjusted with the people food. No food gets left on the counter, which is great for cleanup and there are never crumbs left lying around. The garbage bag never gets left available or a second will be required. All that being said, there is nothing like a bouncing bundle of energy, who greets you first thing in the morning, the second you open your eyes. Without her unbridled passion for life and endless affection for all who enter our door, it would be strangely quiet in our house. She loves the world and everyone one in it and she is a blessing in our lives. |
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Willie
As you probably know, my wife and I adopted a dog from hart. I cannot express the joy that Willie brings to our family everyday. When we had to put one of our dogs down, it was a very sad time for my wife and I. Kristi was my favorite girl and there was an empty spot left in my heart. The main reason that we decided to get another dog was that loosing Kristi caused our other female, Kira, to become depressed. In the past we have always bought pure bred dogs from breeders. This time we felt that we should provide a forever home to a dog in need of a home. We found Willie on hart’s website and made contact. They were some of the finest people we had ever met and we were very impressed with their procedures for placing animals in need so that the animals would go to a good home. We love Willie very much and he is happy living the country. He gets love and attention and the respect that we all deserve. I wish you success in bringing this problem of stray and abandoned dogs to the awareness of more people. Thank you, Jerry |
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Chiclet and Eukey |
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Chiclet and Euclid
I just saw a happy tail about Polar, the brother of the 2 little ladies we adopted in the fall of 2005, and though I should send an update and photo. We were thrilled to see the info about Polar as he was the one we “left behind” the day we went to adopt 2 pup from Suzie Q’s litter (nevermind how we ended up taking 2—it was just meant to be!). We’ve spent many hours talking about him and wishing we’d been able to take him too!
Chiclet and Euclid (Chicky and Eukey) are the cutest dogs of all time. Did I also mention sweet, smart and full of personality too? Their sisterly love is incredibly touching and they are as different as night and day and love to tease on another.
They have made us incredibly happy and we cannot thank hart enough for their incredible work in rescuing dogs and caring for them so well afterwards—leading to many happy stories for both the dogs and the people in the long run.
Attached are a few photos from puppyhood to present (they are lucky enough to now spend several weeks a year out on the coast and they LOVE the beach as well as our home in the mountains). You may notice they are QUITE photogenic! :) Enjoy, Lisa and Travis |
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 Just thought you would like to know that Lola is doing great.
We couldn’t have asked for a better dog. She certainly keeps us amused with her playfulness. She has turned into a TV addict. She is constantly watching and of course if a dog appears on the screen, she wants to play with it or get it; not sure which one. Our 27” has already landed on the floor, so now we have some green people in the upper corner of the TV. It was so funny the day she pounced on the TV. She does a good job of protecting the house during the day. I’m sure a stranger wouldn’t dare to venture in. Her bark is quite fierce but what they don’t know is how affectionate she is! Hope all is well with you! |
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  We had recently lost one of our beloved dogs and were not sure we were ready for another one but found ourselves looking at rescue dogs on the Internet. That is how we ended up at Wayne and Carol’s.
They had a dog who wasn’t available for adoption due to some medical issues, but this small skinny dog literally bowled me over and covered me in kisses as soon as he saw me. Diego, now Dylan was really happy to meet us and we knew he had picked us to look after him. With Wayne and Carol’s approval he came to our house for a day visit, he instantly made himself at home and never left. We had been told that Dylan was quite sickly with the exact problem being unknown. He was anaemic and just not thriving as he should, we were told he might have lifelong problems. Obviously this saddened us, but we wanted to love him for the rest of his life anyway. Over the following months his weight went from 38 lbs to 52 lbs and his stamina increased along with his mischievousness. He is now an absolute terror around the house, nothing is safe and he wants to run off with everything we put down. He constantly nags our other dog to play and loves to look at us with his ‘but I’m so cute’ face’ if we tell him off. He has been through 2 training courses and has excelled, he is extremely smart and very happy to please, he loves everyone he meets and everyone loves him. His whole back end wobbles when he wags his tail and it is such a joy to see. We love Dylan very much and cannot imagine life without him, we are so glad he chose us and look forward to a long happy life with him. |
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  Hi there! Just wanted to drop HART a line to say hello and show you a picture of Jilly-Bean. Jeff and I saw a picture in this last newsletter that is of her brother and sister and thought we would send along a picture of Jilly-Bean! She is two in August and is a veeerrrry friendly and happy dog! Thanks HART for the newest member of our family since October 2005! |
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  Wayne and Carol called last summer asking if Laurel and I would foster a three legged dog. They had rescued a collie cross named Joe with a badly broken hind leg that they were sure couldn’t be saved. We took Echo, our one year old border collie, over to meet Joe and the two dogs got along famously. Joe was even trying to play with his rear legs held together. Through the special efforts of Dr. Lloyd Abbey at General Veterinary Hospital, Joe’s leg was saved. We started fostering Joe in late fall and knew right away that Joe had found his forever home. We adopted him in January 2007. Today Joe has become an integral part of our family pack. Joe has been a great companion and calming influence on Echo. He really loves his walks at off leash and around the neighborhood. And most of all he loves to be brushed. If you have room in your home and your heart please foster or adopt a rescued animal from hart. It will add a wonderful new dimension to your life. |
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  I just wanted to take some time and fill you in on what a huge and happy addition Tukk has been to our family. We adopted him in August/06 and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy we are. The experience has been so rewarding - we did have some challenges at the beginning, nothing that some paint and replacement baseboards couldn’t fix! But he has come a long way in the last 4 months. Tukk had a lot of issues with separation and kennel training but we worked through them and now he is able to be left alone AND confined without breaking through his crate (yes, he did that with a metal lock on the door as well!) and this is a huge step for him. He is my son’s best friend and is so patient and tolerant with other kids and our other dog Yoshi. I can’t imagine why someone would have considered him “disposable”.We thank you everyday hart for doing what you do, for saving and fostering and allowing these dogs to be given the life they deserve – especially our Tukk. |
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Ginger or Red #155 was brought into our world in May of 2006. She joined our growing family of one daughter at 5 years old, our current dog who was 11/2 years and a baby on the way. We chose Ginger because she was the smallestof the girls and she was the odd looking one. When we brought her home to our other dog, the two were a match instantly! It was so much fun to watch another puppy grow and learn along side an older dog, even if by a year. Tehya became Ginger's mom and companion at the same time. The two are now the best of friends. Ginger has now been with us for almost a year and we love her to bits! She's become a "country" dog, as we've moved out of the city. There is nothing better for a pair of dogs than to be able to have the space to run and play and be what they are; dogs. We give much thanks to hart for bringing us all together and for simply being able to offer the wonderful service that they do! |
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A Cinderella Story |
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Her rescuers knew from the start that she was going to have a Cinderella story, so she was named Cindy. The first order of business for this new rescue was to deal with her extremely matted coat and shaving her was the only way to offer relief from the mats that were causing hot spots and infections. When looking her worst Cindy was still able to charm the neighbors of her foster parents. They saw her beauty instantly and arranged to adopt her. She was renamed Yogi and now spends her time patrolling her yard with canine-sister Amy, and quite likes when the mailman brings them treats! Yogi’s coat has grown back and she looks better than ever – you can tell by her expression how happy she is with her own fairy tale ending. |
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Polar Then and Now |
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  Meet Polar. One of ten pups that came to HART at only three days old, along with their mom, Suzy Q. Polar is doing exceptionally well, and is growing into a handsome little man. Polar loves to be outside and will spend hours taking in nature when given the opportunity. He is quite curious playing with his friends at the dog park and turns himself insideout with excitement when he visits the doggie daycare. He has found his soul mate in his big brother Maverick, proving that two is better than one. All in all, Polar has no idea how lucky he is to be a HART rescue! |
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Just wanted to send you one more update of our handsome boy. He’s such a delight, we’re so thrilled to have in our family and he's adored by everyone who meets him. He’s starting puppy daycare this week and he’s very excited about it. Bacchus is now 7months old and has grown to be quite tall and weighs about 65 lbs. He wanted me to say hello to you and to thank you for taking such good care of him. Have a wonderful week. |
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Scotty Then and Now |
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Scotty is one of the friendliest dogs you'll ever meet. He loves to be around people and he definitely loves attention. His favorite hobbies include hanging at Terwillegar dog park, playing fetch, sticking his head under the fence to spy on the neighbors, and digging large holes everywhere in our back yard. Scotty is one of those dogs who is always on the go - his energy is endless and he lets you know it. When we first got him, in January, he was three months old and only 20 pounds. We weren't really sure how big he was going to get. Now he's grown to be a whopping 70 pounds. He is an awesome addition to our family and we couldn't be happier with him! Thank you for sharing such a great dog with us. |
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