Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Chelsea's Happy Ending

Chelsea is a wonderful girl. She fit right into our family immediately. She really likes her house and only wants to go for short walks. In about two weeks, she was house broken. She really likes her meals and treats. She also likes to go out in the car. She is kiddish around little people and loud noises. Chelsea makes me laugh and I enjoy her company.

- The Pullman Family


Thursday, September 24, 2015

Peanut's Happy Ending

My husband Ron and I adopted Peanut. Peanut is doing very well in our family. Within a few days after coming to our home, Peanut had his first seizure. I thought it could have been brought on from the move into a new situation, but he has had subsequent seizures since then. The seizures are very infrequent and don't last long. He is doing great now that he has settled into our home, and he knows this is his permanent home. Peanut goes to sleep in our bed every night and once asleep barely moves the entire night. Previously we had two cockers (since passed away) who slept with us and Peanut is a very welcome addition.  

Our daughter and her 12 year old son are living with us temporarily. My grandson does have friends in the neighborhood and when they come into the house Peanut must be watched. It seems he might have been mistreated, because he does have a problem with young boys, although he is okay with just my grandson alone. Except for this occasional small problem, Peanut has adjusted well to his new home situation.  

In general, Peanuts adoption has been a very positive experience for our family. I feel very good that we protected Peanut and that he is a very happy and contended dog.

- The Rhodes Family

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

In Memory of Duke...

9 years ago I adopted a deaf cocker named Duke from CSAC. He was quite a handful LOL. He had been in and out of the kennel since being abandoned at I think about 6 months old. He was about 3 when I adopted him.

Duke has spent the last 9 years well loved and beyond spoiled. He battled 4 types of cancer, the most serious being lymphoma which he was treated for and went into remission. In the last few years he also lost his site to glaucoma. None the less, deaf, and blind he still carried on and was a happy boy. Duke finally succumbed to his last battle with cancer last week. He had bilateral lung tumors and we had to make the decision to let him go. In spite of his early troubles in life, illnesses, and behavioral issues, I have never loved anything more than my boy Duke. He was a blessing. My heart is broken, and I am no where near ready, but someday I will be back to CSAC for another blessing.

In loving memory of Duke.


- The Keen Family
Luna's Happy Ending

Luna is doing great and is extremely happy in the Hahn household. She came to us with a huge fear of strangers, so much so that her former owners surrendered her fearing she was aggressive. She still barks, as do her brothers and sisters, when people initially come to the house, but once she sees they are OK, she loves right up to them. She is a very loving dog and extremely agile and smart. Luna LOVES to play ball, and Frisbee. She also likes to chase bees, and she learned the hard way that they sting (and mom keeps Benadryl well stocked). Luna also loves playing with her cocker brother and sister, Ginger (CSAC alum formerly Plum​​) and Harley, and springer brother Lance.

- The Hahn Family

 

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Lula's Happy Ending

We’ve had Lula for about two months now, and she has made herself at home. She’s a mischievous and energetic dog who is always ready for an adventure. As soon as we pick up the leash, she is at the door waiting. She enjoys car rides, grilling out in the evenings, and chasing the cat. She spends many evenings sitting at our french doors, staring at the animals outside. We’ve spoiled her already. She has her own chair and doesn’t sleep well in her crate without her comfy cushion. Other family members love Lula and often take her out to play. It’s been a few years since our last Cocker Spaniel passed, and we are thankful to the CSAC for giving us the opportunity to adopt Lula.

- The Trofimov Family


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Orlean's Happy Ending

There are rescues who walk into your life and it is like they have been a part of the family forever. There are rescues who need to learn how to play with toys, how to snuggle and that having a family is the best thing on earth. There are rescues who are so excited to come with you and ride so beautifully to your home, but have a bit of a meltdown in the days that are following. The dog has been so stressed and all of a sudden the dog knows that he can relax and forgets how. We have rescued three Cocker Spaniels in the course of our marriage. The last one is our Ryder. He was so anxious and stressed out the first week. Being seasoned at rescuing, we pulled out the ammo to help him, but even we need the help of the experts at CSAC. They reminded us of a few extra steps we could take to help this little guy feel safe and secure. It took a few extra days. By the end of week two, we had a different dog. In the six months since we adopted Ryder we have discovered that that he loves to go for car rides. His favorite place to ride is in Mom's lap. He enjoys long walks with dad where he can explore and sniff. He will chase bunnies and other small creatures if given the opportunity while on his leash. At home he absolutely has to have a toy nearby. He shakes them, throws toys himself, squeaks his toys and paws at people to play tug with him. When the weather is cooler, he is a big snuggle bug. He is so snuggly, he will snuggle us right out of bed. Anyone who has a snuggler, knows that if you move, they move and the next thing you know, you are out of room and the dog has the entire bed. Ryder has learned that he can stand at the living room windows and look outside when he hears the neighbor's motorcycle or a hot rod go up the street. He pays close attention to the TV. We have to mute certain commercials or he will bark his head off. Certain music he doesn't like, birds chirping and of course, a dog bark he doesn't know. Ryder loves people. He greets them and vies for attention with our Basset Hound. Our Basset Hound is watching over him just like he did our last rescue. It is good to see that. Our Basset has had to learn that he must do it with his voice. For nine years the basset rarely barked. Now he barks to guide Ryder in the "rules of  the road".

 - The Wise Family

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Sassy's Happy Ending

Sassy came to me back in March – and honestly, as a single man, I wasn’t too sure about a nice little lady-cocker named “Sassy” to show off to all of my friends….just wasn’t sure this was the most “manly” dog I could be adopting, but I did remember my love for Cocker Spaniels and was willing to drive to meet Sassy – even if for just the experience of going through the process.

I ended up falling for Sassy the moment I met her. She was excited to meet me, yet a little timid and unsure as to what was going on. Her back legs quivered as she tried to process all the new people she had been meeting and the new places she had been. I was informed at that time that Sassy had some signs of atrophy and wasn’t as “limber” as she probably once was – she is 11 years old. Her wonderful and loving foster parents informed me of her mild skin condition but also of the love she showed and the bond they formed with her in just 1 week of having her in their home.

Obviously, I fell for her regardless of the mild things we would work through and I took her home that day. She was anxious to sleep on the foot of my bed on the first night in my home. I have two cats that were none too excited to meet their new housemate – but Sassy was friendly and they soon came to accept her as part of the family.

A special part of Sassy’s new life in my home is that I work and live at a Christian Camp in the Woods of Southern PA – we run a summer program for children and also host retreats for folks of all ages throughout the rest of the year. Once Sassy became comfortable with her new home (and feline brothers) it was time to introduce her to the rest of the Camp and the hundreds of folks that come through our facilities each weekend. I picked a slow weekend to take her out on her first walk around the property to greet the retreat groups. I was shocked at how “natural” this was for her. She joyfully goes up to each person she meets – seemingly one by one – and insists on a quick “hello” or a pat on the head – and then she moves on to the next person – she doesn’t leave you alone unless you acknowledge her in some friendly way. She has grown into the most loving & welcoming host that I could ask for. Even folks who are not partial to dogs are open to Sassy, and she soon wins them over. Sometimes people are slightly intimidated by her when she may be barking – and I simply have to ask them to “say hello” and as soon as they do – she quiets down and walks away. Sassy enjoys waking up every morning and preparing for our long walk through the woods – which always ends at the office where she can greet my fellow employees and find her place at the front door to wait for customers or the UPS man. Children and adults of all ages love Sassy and look forward to seeing her every time they come to visit. Sassy has no issues with roaming and insists on staying near people. The only negative issue we’ve had with work is that she HATES to leave the office at the end of each day – I’m sure folks would get a good laugh at seeing me arguing with Sassy at the end of each day about whether or not it’s actually time to go home – she does know who’s boss – but she holds her own and lives up to her name at times.

One inspiring story that came about because of Sassy’s presence at Camp Eder is that – as I mention before – she came to me with atrophy and I wasn’t expecting her to be very athletic; I was prepared to tend to any issues that might arise because of her weakening muscles. When she came to me, she could not run at a full speed, she could not jump onto the sofa or bed, and had a hard time climbing stairs of any size. For the first few weeks, I carried her into and out of the house, I lifted her onto her bed, and helped her on and off of furniture – as she loves to sit with me on the couch. I also didn’t push her too much with our walks and simply allowed her to take the short (but tiring) walk with me to the office each morning and let her stay around the office area throughout each day. I learned also that she loves Golf Cart rides – I tried to make sure she wasn’t exerting too much.

As Sassy become more and more anxious to meet new folks each week, she also began to push herself physically and would walk with me more and more each day. As children began to show up in the summer, Sassy became more and more excited to go outside and play with them in the yard. The children were taught how to play with Sassy – gently- and we would allow the kids to “play fetch” with her (she never chased anything at first – but they would try). Sometimes she would get bursts of energy and run a little with the kids here and there.

Over time, Sassy’s limberness and energy seemed to come back to her. Soon, she was running – full speed – around the yard and through the trails chasing and keeping up with the children as they played. One day, a black lab was visiting Camp and we were playing fetch with a tennis ball with our guest. To the surprise of everyone – Sassy wouldn’t be up-staged and she decided in that moment that she was going to fetch and that she was going to beat the Black Lab – she did – and continues to play fetch to this day.

There is an older couple who volunteers at our Camp and they have shared many times that Sassy has inspired them to keep working hard and staying active. They have an inspiring view of how Sassy’s atrophy and health issues seemed to subside the more she became active and involved in those around her. She has inspired this couple to stay volunteering with us – even after they were considering retiring from their volunteer work. “It’s important to stay active….just look at that dog,” Mr. Druck would say. I love to hear him talk about Sassy and how she has inspired them.

Changing Sassy’s food to a grain-free food, I’m sure, was also a big help to bring her lots of energy and a vibrant spirit. Switching from a corn-meal based food to a chicken-based food has eliminated her skin irritations (no more Benadryl) and has also cured what seemed to be some chronic constipation that she had (and issues with mucous) – or maybe the anxiety of the move added to that. But her digestive issues have also subsided and things seem very healthy in that department.

Sassy sits by me as I type this email and I’m happy to say that I feel very blessed to have her as part of my life. I actually do NOT consider myself a “dog person” and haven’t had a dog for many years; but I am extremely glad that I pursued this option with CSAC and ended up with my sassy dog, Sassy. Thank you for making her presence in our lives possible.

- The Patterson Family





Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Mrs. Beasley's Happy Ending

I adopted Miss Bea (formerly Mrs. Beasley) about 5 months ago, and she is doing very well. She has had to adjust to living with 2 cats (1 young, 1 senior), and she is doing so with flying colors! She pretty much ignores them except when the younger cat taps her on the head when she is sleeping.  That provokes a well-deserved growl, and Chloe takes off!  Doesn’t happen often, but Miss Bea would prefer it didn’t happen at all! The Vet and his staff love her and call her “happy girl,” because she is so wiggly and happy to greet everyone. We take several walks each day, and she enjoys greeting any neighbors and dogs we meet along the way.  Recently, we spent a week at the beach and included my son’s 2 springer spaniels. Miss Bea loved running in the water and taking walks with her cousins. Thank you to CSAC for all the work you do and allowing me to adopt her. She is a joy to have!

- The Forbes Family

Friday, September 4, 2015

Monty's Happy Ending

Monty, aka Monster Mash, was welcomed into our home on May 17th 2015 as our foster dog after driving half way to pick him up in Bedford, PA from Maxine who graciously drove the other half way to meet up with us. From the moment my husband & I met him, we knew he probably wouldn’t be a foster dog for very long. 

I must say that I was very worried that things wouldn’t work out because Monty was blind and we had no experience with a blind dog, but after 24 hours of Monty being in our home, we knew he wasn’t leaving. All the worrying and what-ifs just went away. He adapted to us and we adapted to him. He had found his forever home with us because no other family could possibly love him as much as we already did. He was our boy and we could not let him go!

Monty is a funny dog, with so many quirky ways about him. He LOVES food, treats, his dog beds and of course, he loves all of the attention and love he gets from everyone in our home. We have two teenage daughters that absolutely adore him, and we also have a 13 year old cocker spaniel girl named Jessie that enjoys Monty’s company very much. They get along very well and have become quite the pair! Jessie is completely deaf and Monty is blind, so together they complete each other.  About a year and ½ ago we lost our other cocker, Sammie Jo (CSAC Alum) to cancer. She passed away about 2 weeks before her 14th birthday. Ever since we lost her, our home just wasn’t the same and Jessie really missed the companionship of another dog, so Monty has been a big blessing to our entire family. 

I’d like to thank Judy for alerting me that there was a blind senior boy that needed a foster home.  Judy, Monty has been the perfect addition to our family and we couldn’t be more grateful to you & CSAC. I would also like to thank Maxine and her husband for driving Monty to Bedford to meet us.  And one last thank you to Janni for reassuring me that blind dogs are amazing and adjust well. Janni, blind dogs really do rock! Thanks everyone!

 
- The Wybranowski Family

Coco's Happy Ending

Here are some of the pictures we took of Stella (formerly Coco) on our recent trip to a cottage in Haliburton, Ontario. We travel here every year and are thrilled that Stella loved cottage life.  In the morning she couldn't get down to the lake fast enough to listen and look for the loons. She was a hit with all of our friends who now want to clone her. She's such a good girl!  Stella absolutely loved hanging out by the lake and had her afternoon nap in the boathouse. She has the sweetest most gentle disposition and her playful personality is coming out more and more. Stella loves her stuffies and can often be found prancing around the house showing them off.  She's even stolen a few from her best friend Cadence (our 9 year old daughter) who doesn't mind a bit. As you can tell we just adore her and look forward to spoiling her with attention and belly rubs for the rest of her life. The final pic is of Cadence (wearing my old CSAC sweatshirt from 2000) demonstrating Stella's favourite form of attention, her belly rubs.  Thank you for all of the time and effort you devote to giving these beautiful souls the life they deserve.


 

- The Plaquet Family

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Kasey's Happy Ending

I have Kasey, a puppy mill dog. She is the second dog from CSAC. I had Amber, a sweet and gentle little dog. I was so lonely after I lost her so I started looking on the adoptable dogs. I inquired about Kasey and John and Chris,who were fostering her, brought her for me to see. It will be a year in October that I adopted her. She is a great little dog and good for me. She likes to ride in the car, and we go for a walk 3 times a day. She likes when my daughter brings her dog Toby (he's a CSAC dog too). She did well with house training. I hope more people will adopt these dogs.

- The Edris Family


Precious's Happy Ending

We love her to pieces. She is so smart, she taught us how she likes to play fetch and play tug of war. She has her very special dog puppy (toy) she plays with and licks it & loves it like it is her own. She comes to us when she needs to go out (or when she wants to go out to play). She does rule our home and we love it, she is so much fun. Our home is much happier with her here. She has her own pillow in our bed (king) and sleeps right beside us, sort of above our head.

- The Shawver Family