Pez: AKA Scout

Pez has a new name - Scout. Scout is a joy to live with. I had to put my "boy" to sleep last month, and who knew that such a loss could bring such a gain. When my daughter and I brought her home she was shy and wanted to sleep all the time - she even refused to eat for two days.

Needless to say, Scout has made herself at home. She has been in places in the house my other dog didn't know existed, and unearthed chewies and bones left behind by him the I was totally unaware of. She loves to take walks and hang out on the patio and on me when we nap on the sofa together. Her most favorite thing to do is play with Wrigley, a 79lb Rhodesian Ridgeback, at his house or at the dog park behind our house.

Scout is a wonderful addition to our family and distraction from the loss of Chase. (He was with us for 14 years.) She is so easy to love and keeps us laughing and smiling all the time. Thank you to all at APRA for taking care of Pez/Scout until I could find her. I am the luckiest mommy in the world - I have two of the best girls ever.
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Earl (Now "Bux")

It's been exactly a week since I adopted Earl, who is now "Bux." Bux is doing so well and has made so much progess in a week. He's gotten comfortable with the leash and he's like a little prancer when we go on our walks in the park. Bux loves the small dog park and plays well with the other kiddies. He's made lots of new friends!
He brings me so much joy, and I love that I can see the happy little guy first thing every morning. Bux loves to jump up and down and wag his tail when he's happy (and he's always happy!). Bux and I love to cuddle on the couch together, and we also love playtime with all his new toys! He's one of the greatest things to ever happen to me and I'm so excited to share with him many years of joy! Thank you, Naomi

Velvet

Hi! It's me, Velvet. I wanted to let you know that I'm doing great. Mom says I'm the best and she even takes me to school! I go to Pint Size Class and Mom just keeps giving me treats while she acts silly and claps when I do somethng she likes. But I just humor her and eat the treat. I have lots of new friends too. I like Dezi and Pooh the best. When we come home I get to teach my sister Maesey how to do things so she can get treats too. She's too big to go to Pint Size Class.

Sometimes we visit family in Florida. That's my most favorite thing to do. My Aunt thinks I'm a cutie and she sneaks me nibbles of whatever she's cooking. I stay right in front of the stove so she doesn't have to look for me.

I miss my Foster Mom and I hope I can see her again. Tell everyone I said "Paws Up!"

Holly

Dear Atlanta Pet Rescue and Randy Veal,

I always wanted a large dog, and then I went to Atlanta Pet Rescue's web and saw Holly. I was skeptical at first when I read from her profile that she had limited vision, but eventually I decided to take a chance and go see her. All that I had to say afterwards was that Holly had been a dream come true. She was a little nervous when I first brought her home. My first dog was also not use to a second dog in the home. There was a lot for all three of us to get used to.
Now, it's been over six months since I adopted Holly in October and she has been a blessing. Holly's impaired vision doesn't slow her down the least bit, even beating me up the stairs many times. She and Gucci, my first dog, get along wonderfully now and enjoy one another's company in our backyard and inside the house while I'm away from home.

Holly loves to go jogging with me and run off leash at the grass field in our community. The joy on her face as she looks over at me with her tongue hanging to the side and one ear flopped over after rolling around in the grass always brings a smile to my face. At home, Holly wants nothing more than to be with me, whether it's knowing that I'm in the same room with her or leaning right next to me with her head in my lap.

I love Holly so much! What she lacks in sight, she makes up in love. I could not have found a better dog. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring her home. I hope that all the pets at Atlanta Pet Rescue will find a forever home and be as happy as Holly is.

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Bento (aka Denver), the Happiest Tri-Pawd on the Planet!

I have been a frequent visitor to the Atlanta Pet Rescue website for years- seeing all the precious faces and sponsoring special pets have always lifted my spirits. However, the moment I saw Bento on the site, I was in love. Like everyone, I was heartbroken when news came that Bento's broken leg could not be fixed and that his back leg would have to be amputated. The first day he was available for adoption, I made my way to APR to meet the little guy. There he was, in the corner of the playpen, lying down and facing the wall with his 'cone of shame.' The volunteers put us in the meeting space together and Bento slowly hopped over to my lap and timidly accepted a belly rub. Before long, Bento was in the passenger seat on his way to his forever home.

Our first week together, Bento slept all day and was disinterested in toys or even walks. Everything seemed new to him, and ordinary things like printers and paper bags, or even people standing at bus stops, were a source of fear for him. However, we were patient with him and gave him all the patience and love he needed. Slowly, Bento began to warm up. He learned that squeaky toys are incredibly fun, that bones are great to chew, and that greeting us at the door by jumping up and down on his back leg like a pogo stick never fails to make us laugh! On walks, he also realized how easy it is to mark without having to lift a leg! In the two short months we have been together, Bento has blossomed into a strong, bouncy, happy little boy who charms everyone he meets. In our daily walks in Piedmont Park, he impresses passer-bys with how fast and easily he can trot along on three legs. He has even learned to sit, lay down, and roll for treats! He is willing to shake hands too, but unf
ortunately, he has a little trouble balancing on two paws :)

In short, Bento is the love of our lives. Our sincere thanks to all of you who supported Bento during his surgery and recovery. Bento is an inspiration that life goes on, and goes on joyfully, after difficult times!

Barney and Trixie (Formerly Starbuck and Jane)

Our relationship with APRA began a year ago today when we walked through the doors of the shelter, hoping to find a furry friend to fill the void in our house. You see, we lost all three of our cherished dogs within eight weeks of one another and the silence in the house had become unbearable. I had been checking out the website daily for several weeks and finally on April 10, 2010, we loaded up the kids and drove to the shelter. We had our eye on this gorgeous Weimaraner named Starbuck. I knew the minute I saw him that he was the one I wanted to join our family. He had these soulful eyes and the sweetest temperment. He even tolerated the up close and personal attention of two young children with gentleness and patience. Starbuck's foster, Randy, shared the inside scoop on Starbuck's favorite toys, feeding habits and severe dislike of his crate. After discussing this new arrangement with Starbuck, he agreed to give us a chance. On the ride home, we battered around sever
al names, but the moment we arrived home and allowed our new pet to race around his new backyard, the name Barney was, hands down, the winner. I will never forget that first image of Barney running around in his new home, gigantic ears flopping in the wind. Barney has been an absolute joy since that first day he joined our family. His size does not deter him from wedging himselft into the smallest space if it means a chance to snuggle in someone's lap. His fierce passion for his Nylabones is evident throughout the house as you are lucky to take a step without finding one underfoot!
As much joy as Barney brings to our family, we knew that we needed to find him a sibling. We spent several months on the APRA website looking for the perfect addition. One day I saw a photograph taken by the amazing Leesia Teh and I knew that we had to meet this sweet puppy named Jane. Jane was a bit frightened by the amount of attention coming her way, and she was content to nestle in my arms while the children and Barney gave her the once over. After initial meetings were all positive, we brought her home on January 8, 2011, hoping she would acclimate into our family routine, and on the ride home, she became Trixie. Trixie has grown so much since joining our family. She was very timid initially, but is far less skiddish now and enjoys playing with everyone in the family. While she is no snuggle bunny, Trixie does like to stay close and is never a few feet away from her brother, Barney.
It's now been three months with both of our dogs and we couldn't be happier with the results. Barney and Trixie are inseperable and enjoy playing and napping together. Despite the size difference (Barney is 55 pounds larger than Trixie), Trixie is able to keep up with Barney and even outsmarts him from time to time. Barney is extremely gentle with Trixie and it is not uncommon to see the two rolling around on the floor. We joke that Trixie spends much of her time inside Barney's mouth as she often has a damp head after their wrestling matches.
We sincerely thank everyone who works so tirelessly to give these dogs a second chance at life. For all of the foster families that open their homes and hearts to care for these animals and then willingly let them go to forever families, thank you. For the many volunteers that show up at the shelter to do all of thankless jobs that keep these pets healthy and safe, thank you. For the entire staff at APRA that have devoted their lives to caring for neglected animals, thank you. Your passion for rescue helps families become complete. I can't thank APRA enough for making it possible for Barney and Trixie to find us. They are finally forever home.

The Brumback Family

Form Submission from: www.healthypawsfoundation.org

Riggs (formerly Gregory)

We adopted "Gregory" back in December. At the time, he had just been treated for heartworms, neutered and treated for worms. Poor little guy had no idea what to think of all this. When we put a leash on him to take him home, he had no idea what to do and just looked at us. We had to coax him out the door and into the car with treats. He was a statue the whole way home, and we ended up having to carry him in the house. The minute we put him down, he took off and ran and jumped and played, like he knew he was home!! His new name is "Riggs!" He took some warming up to family life, but he is loving it now! He snuggles with us and LOVES to play. He will run and run and run until he about falls over. He enjoys our fenced in backyard, the trail near our house, and he is even getting used to the other dogs in the dog park, now that he realizes that other dogs can be nice and fun. He is a precious friend, a loyal companion, a good watch dog, and our favorite four-legged family me
mber. Life has been so nice with him, and we can't imagine not having him.

Alexander The Great Dane

Dear Atlanta Pet Rescue Team,

We just want to say thanks for helping us to adopt such a gentle giant. Alex (or as we affectionately call him, "Grande") is so much fun and he brings so many smiles to our house. It is amazing how he has integrated so well into our home and doesn't even mind being "bossed around" by his smaller sibling, Maco (the Pug).

Most importantly, we want you to know that Alex no longer cowers or puts his tail between his legs...he has become very comfortable in our home.

Thanks again for sharing Alex with us.

Paula, Mike and Mateo (Maco too!)

Tazzy

I just wanted to thank everyone at Atlanta Pet Rescue for helping in adopting Tazzy.

We brought him home yesterday, and we could not have asked for a better addition to our family. He is a total joy, and seems perfect-I can't imagine how someone gave him up.

Since he had not been fostered, I just wanted to let you know he seemed right at home from the moment we got him in the car-curled up right next to my mom, got him home and he scoped out the backyard, then came in and ate a little something, and found the stash of squeeky toys before we both laid down for a nap:)

He's adorable, and so sweet....he's a perfect fit and we couldn't be happier to have him.

I had been on your site for several weeks, and was just able to get out to to you yesterday because of my irregular scheduling at work. Although the original dog we were interested in was not yet available, we decided to come out anyway which I encourage everyone to do!!! There were several dogs we were then interested in, but until you meet them one-on-one, you really can't decide which one is best for you....and the dog.

I want to commend you on your site-I like how it is constantly updated, and the photography of the animals are OUTSTANDING...you can tell everyone at your facility really cares about the animals and getting them with the right families.

Thank you again so much-we'll be back with some updates and donations.

Sharon Grupe

Sissy (formerly Misty)

Here are some pictures of Sissy (formerly Misty). It took some patience, but she has really come a long way. Sissy now goes out through the doggie door like a rocket when she thinks she hears something. She loves to chase the birds when they gather at the bird feeder. She sits in my lap and loves to watch Animal Cops on TV, she is just glued to the TV. She sleeps in our bed and in the morning, she gets up and goes outside to do her business before we can ask. She has gained some weight and looks so much better. She gets kisses from our Westie, but I am not sure if she really appreciates that LOL. All in all, Sissy has a wonderful life.
Thank you
Stephanie and Lynn B.

Ichabod

We recently adopted Ichabod, (formerly Alvin), one of the adorable little chihuahua/terrier puppies found in a dumpster. We were looking for a playmate for our rescue chihuahua, who lost his best buddy this past September. Ichabod instantly became an integral part of our family from the second we brought him home; in fact we can't imagine life without him. We call him our "little blonde ninja" because he's managed to jump over our doggie baby gates, push open doors, and grab our socks or shoes before we even know he's stolen them. He's so full of love and life and energy, and has filled our life with so much joy it's overwhelming! Our chihuahua loves him, too, although I think he's a little jealous that Ichabod appears to be smarter than he is. Thank you, Atlanta Pet Rescue, for saving little souls like our precious Ichabod. We love him so much!