Success Stories

About four years ago, Yakima Valley Pet Rescue received Gracie May from the Humane Society and she went into one of our foster homes. Unfortunately, she was attacked by three dogs and injured badly. She was transported to the ER vets where she was treated for several wounds. Once she was released, she was given time to heal and was worked with to help her overcome the trauma from the attack. Gracie May is now in her forever home. She is very active, loving and full of life. You can’t tell she’s been through all that she has, thanks to the dedicated YVPR volunteers that make these wonderful success stories possible and for those special adopters willing to give dogs like Gracie May a second chance and home. Special thanks go to Tambra, Mike & Marian and Gracie May's new mom and dad, Mike & Cathy.

Gracie May ~ Before

Dear Momma Bev,

Things are great here at Island Camp! I'm not really scared anymore...there was a strange dog living inside their wood stove that was freaking me out...but the man showed me it was just my reflexion...he took me to a funny piece of glass that has someone that looks just like me and him living in it. We bark at each other...but I think I will leave them alone. The man is with me everyday and showed me how to sit and stay and is always telling me how good I am and giving me pieces of bacon and cheese! He made me walk with him every day going a little further each day...I didn't like the strange places at first...but now it's no problem and we do a 7 mile loop. I can tell when we are getting close to home and love it! Strangers give me food all the time...I take it but wish they would just leave me alone. We go for rides in the mans truck every day. I didn't like it at first, but now its fun! I recognize lots of the places we go now. They have a HUGE lake here...but the water taste kinda salty and lots of funny smelling weeds on the beach that taste terrible....but are fun to roll in! The lady doesn't think I should. They have tons of toys here..but the wiener dog, skunk and bear I came with are still my favorite...although someone must have snuck in at night and pulled out all their stuffing! I have a cat friend who is really nice to me...even though sometimes I can't help myself and just have to chase her! She doesn't mind and knows I just want to play...she follows me everywhere. I can go outside by myself now..As long as I come right back...if I take too long he has a cat toy that sounds just like a mouse and drives me crazy and I race home for it! One day I'm going to get it and tear it to shreds...if I ever find it! I'm 32 lbs. now...I'd be more...if I could get some of that yummy smelling cat food that's too high for me to reach! They are having a party for me next week! They say I will get 'alternated'..I don't know what that means....but the man says it will save me from a lot of problems in the future..."trust me" he says...

Ok that's all for now! Say Hi to everyone! I miss you and hope to see you if we pass through on visits to the east!
A cat!! Gotta go!!

Love Calvin

Shelby has brought so much joy and laughter to our lives. She loves to dig and hunt moles. We are sure glad they picked a spot that’s not part of the yard or garden. Shelby has doubled in size!  Nutro Max Large Breed Puppy Food is perfect for her. Her coat is now beautiful, smooth, shiny and very soft. She does however bolt her food, can tell she had to fight for any food before, never seen a puppy eat so fast. Made me cry the first time I saw it. The neighbor has 6 kids and they all come and play with her. Shelby will never be hungry, cold or lonely again.

THANK YOU~

Shelby update:

Tilly continues to make strides and has truly become a part of our family--everyone ADORES her. Every weekend George and Tilly go out to Michael's Dad's farm property and run around like crazy. They sometimes spend the night with their "Grandpa" and then come home the next day. These sleepovers really seem to be helping her get more social and trusting with others. Our parents now refer to George and Tilly as their grandchildren, and our brothers and sisters call them their niece and nephew. Tilly now officially jumps on the bed all by herself and we LOVE having cuddle time with both of them every night. Tilly and George send their love.

Hi to the great people at YVPR!

Almost two years ago, you helped us adopt our adorable Chihuahua sisters,
Chloe and Pepper. It's been a love match since the first moment we met. They are sweet, affectionate and totally inseparable. They spend hours wrestling and playing with their adopted Chihuahua brother, Skippyjon. You do wonderful work!

Thank you again!
Lynn Hicks
Victoria, BC

I wanted to let you know how Bear and Beethoven are doing. They were adopted last September about a week apart. They are both doing very well. We started taking both puppies to a sheep herding farm close to our home (called Ewe-topia) and they have a 2 acre dog park attached, which both puppies love. We finished our fence and they love going out to play in the yard. I have attached some photos. Both Bear and Beethoven are happy and healthy. I hope all is well for your organization. Thanks again for helping us welcome Bear and Beethoven into our family.

Sincerely,
Dan and Patricia Broome

Hi,
Scout and Willow are 4 months old. They joined our family yesterday and have already adjusted to life with us. They love playing outdoors, going for walks, and cuddling. They are very attentive during their lessons. Although we miss Misty and Dixie, we are already in love with these two sweethearts.

Bob and Debbie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are two of our "10 Pups of Christmas" pups! We just love happy endings..... YVPR

Everything is new for Molly but she sure is taking to the ranch and us very quickly. She is eating wonderfully and is already putting on a tiny bit of weight. Though shy at first, Molly took in running after Koko and they ran and played for nearly 1/2 hr. You could sure see the Border Collie in Molly as she nipped at Koko's feet as Koko ran past her and then Koko would nip at Molly's feet as she ran past. Those two are a "hoot". It warms our heart so much to see Molly enjoying her new family and home.  She sure is a sweetheart!!!

Warmly,
Janette

Lilly changes every day to the best.  This morning she let me pet her belly did a little wiggle of pleasure and gave me little love bites on my arm.  She is settling in nicely.  She is following me everywhere and has learned how to climb the stairs to the loft.  Lilly figured out where to sit on the stairs so she can look out the window.  She is a sweet little thing who now accepts hugs and pets.  Loves her walks in the forest and smells everything.  Her little nose and ears are always active.  She is now allowing Mike to pet her.  She is showing her little sense of humor.  Her personality is changing with every new day.  She is my little Chow girl companion.  Love to all.  Nancy and Mike

Happy New Year,

Truman is still doing well. I play ball with him every day and we go to the dog park. He is living the dream. I bought him lots of toys and he hasn't torn any of them.. We exercise him alot.

He has lots of toys for Xmas and is doing better on the leash. He loves to run at Marymoor Park in Redmond,WA and also loves too swim.

Truman Loves his new Home!

Kristen and Eric

Happy New Year! I just wanted to thank you again for fostering our little girl Dolly. She is turning in to an amazing young adult dog. She stays close to me when we take walks in the woods. She comes when called and obeys commands. And she gets along great with her doggy sister. She is gentle with the kid goats. I can take her into the barn with them and don't have to worry about her chasing or nipping them. She continues to be nice to our cats and has made friends with one in particular. She loves the rain and playing in her kiddy pool, but likes coming in and being toasty near the fireplace too. She is a wonderful companion. We'll continue to keep you updated. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Michelle Becker

Update on George. He has grown from being smaller than Cali to being bigger in just 2 months! He is a very fast learner, very loving and a comical guy! He is a great addition to our family! We have found out that he loves the laser pointer and loves to play tug-a-war with Cali (when she allows it!). Each morning he greets everyone with the same bursts of happiness and he always gets excited when the kids come home from school! He is such a goofy boy and always keeps us laughing! We want to thank you for helping us find a perfect new addition!         

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!!

Cyndi Chung (Chung Family)

I’m still grinnin’ ear to ear!  Just gave Tucker a bath and he just got done playing “find the treat” around the house.  He’s taken to my place very fast.  If I’m sitting watching TV or on the computer, he’ll just go to his bed and nap.

I think he has a sense that “all is good”.  One of the neighbor dogs, Cooper came into the yard when I was out there talking to my mom and he started barking, saying, “Hey!!! Who are you!!!???  This is my pad!!!”  Then Cooper finally came up and they both were licking each other’s faces.  He’s great with all the dogs he’s met so far and everyone here just loves him…

It’s like I’m a proud father! J He’s pretty much glued to me.  Where I go, he goes… I really appreciate you for allowing him to adopt me.  This is going to be a great Christmas!!!

Thanks and Happy Holidays!!!

Gerwin, Tucker’s new roommate…

We are so pleased with Luna. She has been a delight from our first contact at PAWS in Fife. She had her first vet visit today and is just fine, except for a little conjunctivitis in one eye. She's gotten her boosters and deworming. Because of our rural environment, she also was vaccinated for leptospirosis. She is a very happy little dog and wishes the cat would calm down.  She has met the horses and doesn't seem afraid of them at all. When they figured out that she wasn't a carrot, they just snorted on her. Thanks so much for your help in our adoption.
John Thompson

This is the montage of Beau. My work moved to Lower Queen Anne, so I did, too. I entered this in the Pet Photo Contest and we WON. We sent the proceeds to YVPR. The caption read "Beau leaves Puppydom for Lower Queen Anne. Owner follows him with her smart phone". Show to Bev; she'll probably remember him as he lived with her 8/2011. He's a little more spoiled now but I feel considering his former life, he' deserving of it. I used to share custody of him with my 23 year daughter but now she's living in Bellingham going to Western. She kidnaps him for outings when she's in town and he's so excited to see her. He's grown up to be an urban dog now. Before he was afraid of his own shadow inside as he lived tied to a tree his first year. He's still afraid of the vacuum.
Kiki Bridges

I wanted to send a picture of Yahoo who is now Little Joey. He has brought me great joy this Christmas. He is already going on a pee pad and loves his little ball. He plays ball with me. Joey is very smart but likes me to be with him all the time. He slept with me in his bed and did not wet or soil. I know he misses his brother Google. I will send more pics and updates about him.
Thanks for everything,

Patty

Stella and Kati

Layla and Taylor

I wanted to let you know that little Tulla is doing really well. She has settled in like she has been here forever. We sure love her! She is the sweetest little girl. She sleeps under the covers in my bed every night. We take her with us in the car when we go out and about; she graciously lets the boys tag along too! ;o) Please let her foster mom know that Tulla is doing fine.

Thanks for doing the rescue work.

Sally

I just wanted to send a little note to let all of you know Minion (formerly Lilly) is doing very well. 
She has settled in beautifully and has been a total doll. Im in love with her. In the week that I have had her 
she has learned how to sit, lay down, walk on her leash and play fetch. She's just a peach. I feel so lucky 
to have her. I would thank all of you for helping me along the way of getting my puppy. 

Merry Christmas!

Sincerely, 
Morgan 

My name is Jenn Zeutenhorst and a few weeks ago, I adopted a black puppy from you guys. You all had named him Jack but he is now called Sam!  I thought I would send a quick note to let you all know that Sam is doing great! He is almost 100% housetrained, has been to the vet where we found he had an intestinal parasite that we are treating but otherwise received a clean bill of health. He is a typical puppy, playing a ton and getting to know the layout of our house. He is picking up on the game of fetch but really loves just being with us where ever we are!  Everyone who has met lil’ Sam has absolutely loved him and he has loved every one of them. He is a handsome lil’ pup and has brought a lot of light in to our home again.

I'm attaching a few pics just in case you forgot how cute he is :)

Happy Holidays, Jenn Z

Ok...here is the big news Bev...I have renamed sweet Rambo and am calling him Cesar (or Little Cesar for now!)  I am so grateful for the joy and love he has already added to my home and I feel so thankful that his foster care was with you.  I am inspired and grateful for the good work you all do helping to rescue and re-home these amazing dogs.  I certainly feel like he is the right dog for me and both of our lives will be enhanced because of it!
Thank You again; I couldn't be happier.
Kristen

Wanted to send an update on Aspen (formerly Ulu). She's doing really well and adjusting nicely. She's done well with the crate and is getting a lot better at potty training. She loves our other dog Ferris and we've taken it slowly with them so she doesn't overwhelm him. But they get play time and walks together every day.

While I'm at work, she gets play time with our neighbors around lunchtime and then a dog walker comes around 3pm, so she seems to be fine while we're away. And then I work from home on Fridays, so I get extra time with her then.

Also, we had a DNA test done when she had her last set of shots. Thought it would be fun to know what she was. And it was not what we expected! Apparently, one parent is a Shiba Inu/Australian Shepherd mix and the other parent is an Australian Cattle Dog mix. So she probably won't be that big, but will be very energetic and smart.

Our kids also love her - they are always asking about her and it's really cute to see them together. All in all, I think she'll be a great fit for our family.

Best,
Liz & Paul

Aspen and Ferris

After being abandoned just after having a litter of puppies, Daisy has found a loving home with Mattie Rae and family.  The two are an inseparable match! Not only has Daisy found a home to be loved and cared for, Mattie Rae has found a forever friend to love and care for her back!

These are some seriously happy kids. We adopted Alexa, now Alexia/ Lexi, this afternoon. She's 10 weeks old, and sweet as can be. My 4 year old is delighted by her puppy kisses. :)

Just wanted to pass along that Ben is doing FANTASTIC. He is the most wonderful companion I could’ve asked for, and I feel blessed to have him as part of our family. He’s growing everyday – and him and our Collie, Mali get along like they’ve never been apart. I feel so lucky to have met him and that’s because of you and all the hard work you did with Barbara.

Ben’s intelligent to the point where one word training sessions aren’t interesting to him anymore...give him a sentence and that dog will figure out what you want. SUPER intelligent.

He is a pleasure and a fabulous dog. Thank you thank you thank YOU!

Regards,
Dara, Tood, Mali and Ben

Regarding Isabella, white Persian, adopted in June 2012:

Over time she has really mellowed out, she has gained weight and has assimilated nicely into our family. She gets along well with our other cat and dog. She loves wet cat food and her favorite toy is a straw. She has taken over a wing-back chair in our living room but likes to sleep in our bed at night (when she's not running up and down the hallway chasing her straw). She has adopted us and her own personality has emerged. Thank you for rescuing her and helping us heal from the kitty we lost. Here’s a photo of Isabella “kickin it” in her newly claimed wing back chair!!! As you can see, she has become part of the family in only 3 short months. Thanks again for bringing us together.

Jane and Ron Moe
Port Orchard Washington

Kodiak...Rise of the Phoenix

Kodiak, the hero of this story, was not in such a heroic state when brought in to the Yakima Emergency Vet Clinic. This eight week old pup was in a state of continual seizures and non responsive as a result of suspected brain trauma. After seizure control was implemented he lay in his kennel in a semi-coma state, blind, and unable to sit up or walk. Since he was a Good Samaritan case with no known owners, the clinic staff was considering ending his miseries after a couple of days of semi-conscious behavior, but one alert staff member saw him moving his eyes, following her as she walked across the room. Kodiak was making his last ditch effort to provide him a chance to live, as he followed her movements across the room with the only means he had of reaching her heart, his previously blind eyes. Thus begins the miracle of Kodiak's retreat from the grip of death, and the beginning of a new life.

This new life was not without its challenges, since Kodiak was hardly able to stand up, much less walk. With his increasing interest in the blossoming world about him, the clinic staff decided to send him off to a foster home, so that he would have more opportunity to develop his physical and social skills necessary for his entry into a balanced human world. At this time I became the very fortunate foster dad of Kodiak. As he entered a new world of people and animals, he quickly became friends with my pack, Hobo, a border collie, Shiloh, a Rottweiler, and Molly my Jackapoo. Though unable to make but a few steps forward before falling down due to brain trauma and cerebral injury, Kodiak was as determined as any pup could possibly be, and with the help of Molly in particular, he became increasingly motivated to try to keep up.

As time went by, his falls diminished to an occasional episode, and he looked less and less like the drunken sailor he had appeared to be, and more like a goose stepping parade veteran. He was such a pleasure to be around, to watch his ceaseless determination and increasing ability to walk. With his absolute appreciation of life and his total lack of concern regarding his limitations, there was not a moment that I was with him, that I didn't share his happiness. Few, if any people, could provide this sense of joy and happiness just by their presence under such trying conditions.

After about seven weeks of intensive rehab, Kodiak was ready to be adopted into his Forever home with special needs consideration as. And without fail, the first application which came in was as perfect as one could anticipate, seemingly resulting from the magic which surrounds Kodiak. His inner spirit knew where he belonged in this world, and I followed his lead. Following a visitation by his new adopting family, they were totally taken in with his unrelenting appeal, and Ross, the 13 y.o. son became the new 'pack leader' , who Kodiak was totally willing and devoted to follow. Ross had spend many hours over the prior weeks looking through Petfinder's listings, in an attempt to find the perfect puppy when he came across Kodiak's new listing and accompanying video. Immediately Ross knew that Kodiak was meant to be with him. With this transition, Kodiak entered into a new state of happiness and satisfaction, and with a new 'pack leader' he could devote his life. This is just the beginning of his story. The future will surely bring him everything which he deserves. Just the chance to have a happy, comfortable life with a family he can love without conditions.  

Kodiak


Kodiak and Ross

Click here to see Kodiak’s rehabilitation progress…..

Mousse sleeping on one of her favorite blankies!

I just wanted to let you know how much we love the newest member of our family! Mousse (as in chocolate mousse) formerly known as Sox has settled in very nicely. She's hilarious, very smart and so sweet. She's learning how to walk on leash (in the backyard, until after her next vaccination). She's learned how to sit, lie down, leave it and drop it!

She thinks that she's a ROCKSTAR, because she taught herself how to go up and down our curved staircase. LOL She had her first vet visit last week, when she got another de-worming treatment, shots and micro-chipped.

We just wanted to thank you for letting us have Mousse! She has brought us so much joy.

Very best regards,
The Ford Family :o)

Thanks for the opportunity to adopt a puppy from your shelter.  Leo is doing great and is up-to-date on his vaccinations etc.

Here is a message from my son, Shubhankar:  The Singh family has had a nice experience with acquainting the new member of the family, Leo. Our family loves to pet him, play fetch and experiment in teaching him new tricks. So far he has learned how to sit, lie down, stay, up and he is close to being housebroken.  Not only does he know his basic obedience but he can fetch and is almost able to spin on queue.  With a dog comes responsibility, but in return you get a loving companion.  All in all, Leo is a wonderful addition to the family. Thanks!

I’ve been meaning to write to you! Dolly is our little sweetie. She still has a mohawk. Her favorite thing to do is race around the yard with our other dog, her second favorite thing to do is get pets from us, and her third favorite is to splash around in her kiddy pool. She is a little whirling dervish but we enjoy her puppy ways since we never had our other dog as a puppy. She does tend to get car sick, if we take her on drives longer than 20 minutes. We did get her potty trained too.  
Sincerely,
Michelle Becker

Stella has just celebrated her first birthday! We had a big party for her!!!
Katy

Puss is so happy now !

A tale of woe for one feline family in Yakima. A stray mother cat had a litter under the pool furniture storage shed in our condo complex last fall. My indoor cat, Puss, would go ballistic every time she saw them playing in the courtyard. The neighbors kept saying we needed to do something, but through the fall and winter and early spring, no one did. Two of the kittens and the mother cat didn’t survive, but one hardy cat did. I called the Pet Rescue for HELP and Tambra helped us to get a feral cat trap and the cat food to bait it, and showed me how to use it. Cindy found a home for the stray cat as a barn cat and we paid for the $40 discounted neuter fee which the Selah Animal Clinic generously accepts through YVPR to help reduce the unwanted cat population in our valley. Thanks so much to the Yakima Valley Pet Rescue for your gracious volunteers and your assistance to so many in our community who want to take care of our cat population, loved and unloved as well. Danielle

Just letting you know that all is well with our little Calli (formerly Lily). I think we were her second adoption. First to Olympia and then all the way over to Clarkston. She and our dog, Daisy, are the best of friends. Calli just plopped down on daisy's bed and declared herself a buddy and Daisy thought that would be fine. We also foster dogs and Calli is our resident playmate. She loves to play with all the new dogs. My husband takes her bird hunting and after a slow start she turned in to a real pro by the end of last season. Quite remarkable, actually! She's a real snuggle bug and has convinced my husband to allow her on his lap while he watches TV. We love her and daisy does too!

Calli

Thank you so much for holding Honey for me! That really was not expected and I truly appreciate it!!! The volunteers at the event were super helpful and knew exactly who I was and what to do .... She is a DOLL ... So eager to please and very responsive to corrections :) Her name is now Roxy (the fiance was a little weirded out that he would need to call out Honey at the dog park lol). Check out how this little lady fell asleep while I was watching a training video :) so CUTE! I just can't get enough of her! Thank you for everything that you do for these animals!

Chantal Stevens

We were so happy when we brought Whiskey home from YVPR the last weekend of January and we didn't think life could get much better-until we adopted Rye just in time for St. Paddy's Day. We weren't planning on bringing another dog home so soon but, when we saw him he instantly melted our hearts and we knew he would be the perfect addition to our little family. Luckily, when Whiskey met him she sealed the deal with love at first sight. They snuggled together in the backseat and shared a bone as we drove back to Seattle. Rye and Whiskey get a long marvelously, it seemed as though they were old friends and so excited to be able to run and play together. They know that they are so stinkin' cute and enjoy getting lots of love and attention from everyone when we go out. When they aren't busy romping around in the backyard or making strangers swoon they can be found piled on top of each other enjoying a quick nap on the couch.

We are so thankful to YVPR for rescuing these two amazing fur babies and bringing them into our lives. They are best buddies and completely inseparable. We couldn't be happier. Thank you for everything!

Andi, Richard, Whiskey and Rye

Andrew(candidate for congress) and Heidi Hughs did!
A section of a letter written to Angus's former owners: "From the bottom of our hearts we cannot thank you enough for the blessing of Angus now in our life. Having grown up with big dogs since I was born - and having loved them all dearly - we have never known a more amazing dog than Angus. I know you must have loved him so incredibly much and we promise to continue to do so."

Andrew and Heidi Hughs

Recent photo of Rocky - he loves his kitten!

Mike and Linda

I just wanted to send a little update on Moxie (now known as Whiskey).
She's very friendly, extremely well mannered and a really fast learner! We have only had her for a few days but she has already learned her name and found her cozy spot on the couch :) Her favorite toys right now are a stuffed duck and a cheeseburger. She loves to follow us everywhere and if we leave the room for too long she starts to cry a little bit. She sleeps in the bed with us and is such a great snuggler. We are so happy to have her in our lives, she's absolutely perfect for us- we are like the three musketeers. We are looking forward to lots of laughs and adventures together.

Shes so funny, she really enjoys people and furry friends of all variety. Even when little bitty chihuahuas get a little feisty, growl and snap at her she just looks at them with her head cocked to one side, still wagging her tail like "what's the matter, don't you wanna play with me??"

We are so happy to have her and are hoping to maybe get a second rescue pup this summer so she will have a playmate. We look forward to adopting from you guys again in the future!

We loooove Whiskey! Shes just a sweetheart, she's so mellow when we are inside and just wants to snuggle up together all day but then once we are outside shes super energetic and playful and can play fetch for hours. I think it's so funny how she can go from mellow to wild so easily and knows how to stay calm in the house. She's already learned how to ring the bells hanging on the back door when she wants to go out- she loves to drag her stuffed duck outside and proudly shows it to the boy next door thru the fence. She loves children, our friends son Max came over the other day- hes 5 years old and was eating a donut. He was very impressed that Whiskey didn't try to snatch it away from him but instead kept dropping her ball at his feet and pushing it towards him with her nose- wanting him to play. So cute!

We will keep an eye out for any more big dogs that you may have available for adoption this late spring/summer. We would like something as big as her or bigger and with short hair because I am a leukemia survivor- as little dust/pet hair/irritants as possible is best for my immune system.

We are so thankful for you guys and the guy who found her! Thanks again for everything you do! Love and puppy kisses, Andi, Richard and Whiskey

Since we've had Knickers (renamed to Miles) just over a week, I thought I'd send you a quick update to let you know how he's doing. Miles has been fabulous so far! He was perfect in the car on the 3.5 hour drive home, and with the exception of getting carsick once, he slept quietly the entire drive home. He met our cat and though our cat (Martin) was a little unsure of the rambunctious puppy at first, they quickly made friends and are constantly chasing each other around the house.

Miles has met all of our (vaccinated) extended families dogs and has done really well. All of them have been much bigger than him, and he would get nervous at first but settles down quickly and just wants to play. I will make an appointment to have his third set of shots given next week, and then we'll be able to take him out to meet other strange dogs and I'll sign him up for a puppy obedience class. He already knows "sit," "off," and "come," and is working on others. He's very smart and learns very quickly. Being food motivated helps a bit too :)

I'm very happy with him, and am so glad that you let us adopt him! Thank you, Chelsea

Bandit is doing great! Although I changed his name to Suds (something I've wanted to name my dog for some time)

He's very well behaved and he is the best puppy I could imagine. I don't kennel him so he's chewed some stuff here and there in my house...no big deal, he's still learning what he can and can't do. Aside from that he's great. He walks really well on the leash, I take him to dog parks almost every day. He plays well with other dogs. He's not a barker. He's a bit shy around new people but nothing to extreme. I've been commended on how calm he is quite a bit.

He's getting pretty big too, he's already just about 70lbs! I wanna say he's a Shepherd/Lab mix with maybe some Sharpei in there as well, just because he's got that wrinkley face and lots of extra skin around his neck still.

Thanks again, he's made everyone very happy!

Happy Holidays,
Joe

As we come up on her first birthday, I want you all to now what a great dog Ursula is. She loves every living thing and most of the inanimate ones as well. Happy Holidays to all of you and all the animals too. Don

We wanted to send you an update on our little success story, Olive. We picked her up at eight tiny weeks in November, 2010, when she was still called Bess by her foster mom, Claire. We had lost our beloved boy five months prior, and our surviving dog, Indigo, would lie on her bed and moan all day, every day for those five months. And then came Olive.

Olive and Indigo became fast friends, cuddling together as soon as Olive came home. She’s a hilarious ball of energy. She turned out to be a Jack Russell mix—not what we expected, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Her 29 lbs. just make her more pick-up-able and cuddle-able. She’s incredibly smart, agile, and loyal. Her funniest trick is the “Oprah”, an enthusiastic two-pawed handshake. We absolutely love our little Olive, and we think she’s happy with us, too. We still aren’t sure who rescued whom. Thank you for all you do, and thank you for bringing Olive into our lives.

Rod, Lisa, and Indigo

Just wanted to let you all know Teddie has settled in well and has finally quit peeing on the carpet-takes herself out to the back yard through the doggy door. Bought her a set of doggy steps so she can climb on the sofa by herself, and it didn't take long for her to figure those out.

Teddie follows me around all of the time, and doesn't like me to get out of her sight. She comes to work with me the three days I work and she is such a good little girl while in the office. Also, bought her a doggy car-seat so she can see out as we roll down the roads. So glad I am able to provide her with a warm, loving home. Happy holidays! Nancy Sjoberg

We adopted Ozzie (formerly George) at Woofstock this year, 2011. When we adopted him the paperwork said he was 5 years old, but when I took him to his first vet appt. they said he couldn't be more than 2 at the most! So lucky us, we have a lot more time with him:)

He is just the cutest, best little guy. His favorite things are peanut butter, the dog park, bananas, and curling up on the couch. His least favorite things are being left alone (he won't have it), water, and having his feet touched (eww feet, right).

We really feel like we couldn't have gotten a better little dog for us. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. Emma, Barry & Ozzie

I wanted to update Stella's foster mom on how she's doing. She had just recently had her spayed, so she's been extra babied! She is doing very well and we can’t wait until she can get her stitches out. She has such an "I'm the boss" attitude, that she doesn’t enjoy her stitches very much lol! Here are some new pix of her. She is currently 6 months old.

This is Me, Stella (making a silly face), my boyfriend Sylvester, and my grandma's dog Snoop. He and Stella are best friends! The bottom one is her first snow fall. She loves the snow!

Just wanted to share with you and your team, that Bear is good, happy and healthy! and has become a family member 100% - he has many friends human and lot's of four legged ones too!

And honestly, I love this boy to pieces!!! I was given a birthday gift from my 'crew' for photos of Bear! and I had to share :): thanks Pennie

We adopted one of the 6 older puppies you had that were Bassett/Airedale mixes. I promised I would send you an email to let you know how he was doing, so here it is!

We named him Grizzly, or more commonly Grizzly Bear. This turned out to be a fitting name as he grows older. He now weighs about 65 pounds, is 26" to the top of his shoulders and 35" long, but in a full stretch he is 65" from paws to the end of his tail. His hair never fully grew back on his nose but it all adds to his character and overwhelming cuteness. When we tell people his name is Grizzly, everyone says, "that makes sense." :) His beard is bright red and he's got more white hairs every day. We aren't quite sure what he'll look like at the end of each week.

He has impressed us over and over from the minute we got him home. He had a hard task in front of him with an 8 story elevator ride to the nearest patch of grass but within a week, he never again had any accidents. He's never chewed on anything but his toys and he even waits patiently until his food is all ready. He is super friendly to everyone and every dog, no matter what size. He gets extra excited around little kids. He graduated obedience class with flying colors and was even invited back for agility classes because he was such a quick learner! He loves hiking, though we haven't been able to convince him to jump in any water yet.

How is the rest of his pack? We hope you were able to adopt all of them out. Grizzly has been an amazing addition to the family in all ways. Thanks again so much,

Zane and Jessica

Rescue Community Comes Together to
Save Multiple Dogs, Cats and Horses

This past June, 2011, Yakima Valley Pet Rescue received a desperate call requesting help to save 8 Alaskan Malamutes, 2 mixed breed dogs, several cats and 3 horses in imminent danger of being shot by an irate and frustrated neighbor. On a Wednesday, a homeowner’s nephew contacted YVPR and told a volunteer that his uncle had recently been diagnosed with cancer and left for Seattle to seek immediate treatment leaving his pets behind with limited resources. Evidently the dogs had a history of barking which was an irritant to this neighbor, but his solution was to dig a large hole with a backhoe (which he had already done) and dump them in it while the owner was away. The frantic family member stated “The neighbor has given us until Friday to find a place for the animals or he is going to shoot them.”

Phone calls and emails started flying and the next day Board Members Shelley Cort and Bev Mitchell, along with longtime YVPR volunteers, Mike and Marian Flory arrived to evaluate the animals as well as assess the situation to see how best to go about getting help for these animals…quickly. All 10 dogs were living outside in separate pens, the cats had overrun the house and the horses were in a neglected pasture. It was apparent that the owner cared deeply for his animals, but had obviously become overwhelmed with his own health issues, the living conditions had deteriorated badly in recent weeks for these loved but neglected animals.

Assessment of the Malamutes was daunting as these 8 dogs rarely came into contact with strangers nor had they ever interacted with each other, therefore some were very territorial. Only the mixed breed dogs, a very old looking Rottweiler mix and a white shepherd mix, were kenneled together. The largest male was over 100 pounds, none of the dogs were spayed or neutered and the ones who weren’t territorial displayed fear of strangers, hiding in their dog houses. These factors made assessments of these dogs potentially dangerous to the YVPR volunteers.

Photographs were taken to email in order to send to other rescue groups as part of the effort to locate available foster homes. Assessment of the disposition of each dog began starting with the most timid. Dog houses were upended so they couldn’t hide, and one by one each dog was leashed and handled until the volunteers got to the last three, the largest male and the two mixed breed dogs. Initial assessment of these three didn’t look promising, they were frightened and confused at their recent abandonment as well as nervous of all the activity and attention from strangers. The last three dogs showed territorial dominance and what appeared to be fear aggression; the volunteers would have to move slow and be patient in gaining their trust. After a few hours, the volunteers were rewarded for their patience, and gained the trust of the last three dogs proving them to be salvageable and deserving of rescue.

An agreement was made with the neighbor to give YVPR at least a week to find a place for the animals.
Then calls and emails went out to the rescue community with the subject line: “URGENT dogs are to be shot if not rescued!”. The response was amazing, besides Mike and Marian Flory taking two malamutes to their home that night, by Friday, Lynn Paquette of Pacific Northwest Border Collie Rescue arrived to transport 3 dogs to the Seattle area. She took on one of the dogs until an appropriate Malamute foster home could be found and drove two others to Puget Sound Rescue.

On Saturday, WAMAL (Washington Alaskan Malamute Adoption League) had several people drive to the Yakima area to meet YVPR volunteers at the property to further assess and evaluate the Malamutes. WAMAL agreed to pay for kennel services if the remaining dogs could be in Kent, WA by 6:00 PM that same evening. So began a race with the clock. At 1:00 PM, Mike Flory arrived with his horse trailer, and Marian and Bev met him shortly after that, bringing extra-large crates from the YVPR office to transport the dogs in. With a deadline of 6:00 PM, Mike took off with assurances from Marion that she would get directions to the kennel and send them to him while on the road. Lynn Paquette helped out once again, meeting Mike in Kent to help unload the Malamutes.

The owner, his daughter and her husband as well as the nephew, all assisted with preparing the animals for transport. It was extremely hard for the owner to let go of his pets, especially his Malamutes, but he agreed, knowing it was the best thing for all of concerned. After meeting all the rescue folks, he was reassured that his dogs would be well cared for and they would be transported safely. On Sunday, Mike drove his tractor to the property and filled the hole the neighbor had dug. Marian and Mike brought home the remaining two mixed breed dogs to be fostered. This left only the three horses to be rescued. A local horse rescuer was contacted and came daily to work with the horses, getting them gentled and prepared to transport. Several local cat rescuers also arrived and began gathering the cats and kittens.

During one brief weekend in June, many hands came together to save these animals. A person was prevented from unnecessarily shooting the animals and we hope has a better understanding of what animal rescue can accomplish. An owner can now focus on his health, cancer treatments and family. And all of the animals have been adopted or are safe in foster homes. The old Rottweiler mix was accepted into Old Dog Haven Rescue and was adopted by 2 wonderful people from Rottweiler Rescue. The white shepherd mix was transferred to K9 Rescue and Rehabilitation in Redmond and found a forever home with a loving couple in Seattle.

The rescue community is an amazing group of dedicated volunteers who unselfishly spend their hard earned money and time saving animals. The family of the owner wishes to extend their sincere and heartfelt thanks to all the people who helped in this rescue effort.

We recently adopted Juno, and wanted to thank you for bringing her into our lives. She has quickly integrated into our family and lives, and we could not be happier with her. She is a real sweet heart and incredibly well adjusted and confident. She loves her new dog pals, the dog park and spent a fun-filled week end at our beach house.

Please forward this message to Juno's foster mom. I lost her email she gave us at the Bellevue Petsmart adoption fair. We would love to keep in touch with her for periodic updates if she is amenable to that. I've included a few recent pics of Juno.

Steve Duniho

Doesn’t he look innocent?

We adopted Tucker from you one year ago today. At that time his name was Diesel. Thank you for choosing us to be his forever family. He has had many adventures during his year with us. He has been to the dog park and met new friends. He has also been camping and loved every minute of it. He goes on daily walks with his sister Talley. We have 40-50 acres behind our house that started out to be a housing development but was never finished. It's a perfect place to walk dogs!! There is one story I would like to share with you on our year with Tucker. One Tuesday night we paid our caregiver $50 for watching our boys. Later that night she called and said she couldn't find her money. She was wondering if she left it on the kitchen table, kitchen counter or did it fall out in the driveway. We looked and looked and no money. On Thursday morning when I was walking Tucker and Talley, Tucker needed to stop and go to the bathroom. While he was doing that I thought I would send my husband a text message. I happened to look up and thought to myself "What just came out of Tucker"!! I walked over after he was finished and saw our caregivers $50!! I started laughing so hard I couldn't stand up. The look on Tuckers face was priceless. I called our caregiver and asked her if she ever found her $50. She said no. I told her I believe Tucker ate it!! We offered her the choice of another repayment of $50 or she could have Tucker. Thankfully she took the repayment of $50. We just couldn't imagine our lives without him. He has brought us so much joy and laughter. Thank you again for choosing us to be his forever family. He is truly a loved and cherished member.

Sincerely, Sean, Shelly, Tate, Tanner, Talley and Tucker Murray

Just wanted to thank you, YVPR and the kind woman who actually rescued "Betty". My mother has now named Betty "Sadie". As you can see, Sadie is well on her way to a long and happy life. Thank You! Meshell

Thank you for such a wonderful dog. I love Mattie so much, he goes everywhere with me, loves being on the go. But sometimes I say let’s go and he will turn around and go outside on the deck and lay down, so that means he wishes to stay home. But it is wonderful to return and Mattie greats me at the door wagging his tail so happily. I bend over to give Mattie a kiss and he licks my cheek.
Thank you so much for my Mattie aka Popeye

Lexie totally loved the coast from the very beginning. I'm only sorry my camera’s not great at capturing her in motion -- most of the time she was moving so quickly trying to smell and investigate everything. She was a little sad to be back home I think but we're trying hard to give her lots of extra walks. This morning she did a fast 4 miles with me & my walking group. They of course loved meeting her. You would not believe how quickly this dog now JUMPS into the back of the car! We just open the back door & don't even get a chance to give her a command; she just jumps in, ready to go on the next adventure!

Thank you YVPR so much for making it possible for Lexie to bring so much joy into our lives!

Edgar (now Bodie-- Edgar seemed to formal for him!) is doing so great! He's only been home less than 24 hours and he has already settled in as one of the family. He immediately bonded with my 3 legged, 9 month old Taiwan Street dog and they are soul mates! They have been running around exploring and playing from the minute he got out of the car.

Bodie is such a love and I'm so happy to have adopted him. I have included some pictures I took of him yesterday. One of him and Ruby playing, another of them taking a hard nap after the playing (with their toys all around them), and another of him making himself right at home! :)

Thank you for all that you do, you do make a difference! Wendy Carpenter

Here is a picture of "Bo" when you put him on Petfinder and then transferred him to Homeward Pet we fostered/adopted him and changed his name to "Baloo." He is calm, well-adjusted (even around active toddlers), and full of love. He loves everyone and everything (well except squirrels he likes chasing those). I wanted to send a before and after picture of him. The 2nd picture he just got done playing at a big dog park on Lake Washington and his happily tired.

Thank you for all of the work that you do. Karin Llyr

Thought you guys would like to see this video uploaded of our precious dog Monkey that we got from YOU guys!!!! (her name was Tiffany when you had her)

The video is also on my blog with a mention and link to Yakima Valley Pet Rescue: http://robinlayton.blogspot.com

We are so in love with her and are so grateful! She is beyond spoiled and we are proud of it!

All my best, Robin