We adopted Jenny 7 weeks ago. She is a Miniature Pinscher and Beagle mix.

Someone says that she has a body of Miniature Pinscher and a face of Beagle with wrinkles on the head. She sniffs like a Beagle and howls like a Beagle. Her long tail, a happiness indicator, is also like a Beagle. She is almost 6 months old and weighs 18 pounds and 10 ounces as of today. She has gained 5 pounds since she joined us. Still, she is stylish, sweet and cute.

Jenny has one more lesson to complete her Puppy Training Class at PetsMart. She is a quick learner, and has mastered many commands like Sit, Leave it, Take it, Down, Stay, and Paw/Shake hands. She loves her instructor and her class mates. We are sure that she will easily pass the tests and graduate from the class with honors.

We are very happy with Jenny. Thanks to LDCRF for giving us the opportunity to adopt Jenny. We would like to thank her foster family, Shelly and her family, for taking good care of Jenny. I am sending you a couple of recent photos that we took at Great Falls National Park.

Adopting Ollie was like coming full circle after a long long journey to find just the right pet for our family. Ollie(originally Paddington) was the very first dog to catch our eye on Petfinder.com, but he was awaiting a very expensive surgery, so we decided to keep looking. After a few months and meeting a few dogs, we still hadn't found one that really clicked with us or our Great Pyrenees, Dinah. We were beginning to think that we were a one dog, two cat family after all, when I decided to check Petfinder.com one last time. Lo and behold, Ollie's profile had been updated and his surgery was a success! I got in touch with his foster mom and we got to meet him. He was sweet and affectionate and both Dinah and our then 5yr old son seemed to like him, but his foster mom warned us that Ollie had a lot of issues he needed to work on. He chewed EVERYTHING in sight, pulled on walks, had a huge prey drive and he'd been through multiple owners. He sounded less than perfect, but there was just something about him. Then our cat got sick and all plans to adopt any pet went out the window. It seemed like the universe was conspiring to keep us apart. Finally, our cat recovered and half a year after first seeing his picture online, we went to pick up Ollie and take him home. On the car ride home his crate started to smell so disgusting, we were convinced he had pooped in it. There was nothing we could do until we got home but hang our heads out the windows gasping for air. Turns out, that's just how bad his farts are. He can clear a room faster than yelling "fire!" and that's just the first of many quirks.

He set about chewing up every toy our son didn't lock up in his room and on the two occasions he forgot to shut his door, Ollie got sick all over his room (The really really bad kind of sick that comes out the other end). Needless to say, we got off to a rocky start. Did I mention he eats books? Not chews, EATS! He also clears dining room tables and kitchen counters of anything left out faster than his gas can clear a room, and that's saying something. He PULLED on walks and yanked me off my feet every time he saw a squirrel or rabbit, which around here is every two seconds. He steals my shoes and hides them in his bed and he loves to eat my son's art projects. He was everything his foster mom warned us about and more and yet we love him and wouldn't give him up for the world. He has the cutest little crooked rear end and his tail curls up one side of his back at a funny angle thanks to his surgery. He makes us laugh everyday and has the biggest "smile" for us every time he sees us, except when he looks guilty which happens a lot too. Both the dogs are in school now to hopefully curb some of the more destructive behavior, but we love his spirit and his good heart. He may not be the smartest dog on the block, but he tries so hard and who can resist his funny tail wagging off to one side. Despite his many quirks, he's definitely a keeper. Thanks to everyone at LDCRF who helped make Ollie a member of our family.

I adopted my very first dog, Ciara (formerly April) in November of 2004 and the kittens Fergus and Flanagan (formerly Tyler and Milo ) in September of 2005, all from your group. Ciara was an adult (5-7 yrs old) and had a bit of an adjustment at first, chasing my other two adult cats. Fergus and Flanagan arrived as kittens, and loved her immediately. Ciara quickly realized that cats can be best friends with dogs, and she no longer chases kitties. Today, you can see that they still love each other. They always “spoon” on the dog bed and I love watching them. Thanks for 3 of the best pets ever!

Now that we have lived together more than 2 weeks with Ripple, we will never let her go. She is so kind and friendly to everybody and every dog, she makes us laugh and brings so much happiness in our life. We cannot imagine how it was without her.

She gets up early in the morning with us, at 6.30, takes a little walk in our yard and then she takes a little nap on her favorite chair. When I have finished my homework we walk for 1 or 2 hours. Then she sleeps again and I can make my computer work. I’m a librarian, but I work at home. Then we have a little lunch break and we walk again in our wood. Or we make a Fox-Hunt, because we are living in Fox Mill Road in Oakton, and Ripple is always very excited, when she sees a Fox. Then she runs on the leach through the wood, with me running behind her. She loves climbing on trees, and so do our children Marie,13 and Julia 10. They come from school at 4 pm, sometimes earlier and go out with Ripple to play. When my husband arrives he takes her for a long walk. Before she goes to bed she walks in our yard, and then she sleeps quiet the whole night in her own basket in our younger daughter’s room.

Only last week she was awake, because she heard some coyotes in our wood. I thought that she had to go outside, but only the noise made her nervous. But outside I met all my other neighbors in PJs with their dogs. So we had a dog event in the middle of the night. From our neighbor’s dog she has a special friend, Malcolm, a male hound. He takes care of her, and when there are other dogs, he always goes ahead to defend her.

Last week I was in the Animal Hospital in Oakton with her, and the veterinarian told me, that she is a fine, healthy dog, and she answered to all my question, so I had a good feeling and know where I can go with Ripple if there are any problems.

Ripple wants to have always the whole family around her, so she is lucky, when everybody is at home. Our children have fall vacation in October for 10 days and for this time we rented a cabin in the Appalachian mountains. So we can make long hiking tours together with Ripple.

She loves to be outside. I belong to a hiking group here in Oakton, and yesterday we made our first hike together. She was so friendly to everybody and all my hiking partners liked her. So we have a new member.

Thank you so much for taking care of all these poor animals, and excuse my mistakes. We are from Germany, and my English is not the very best. But Ripple understands me!

Thank you for following up with us. Zach (Jackson) and Zara (no new name yet) have settled in great. They love to run all over the house chasing each other and have charmed the entire family including my mother the new 'Cat Grandma' who loves to brings them treats.

The staff at LDCRF has been wonderfully responsive when we initially ran into trouble adopting Jello, who it turned out I was unusually allergic to. One of your staff Mary Jon I believe called last week to make sure that we were doing well and see if we needed Zara's medical records. I am sorry to say that with the Holiday I have not yet managed to call her back.

Overall it has been a wonderful experince. Thank you all for our 'little monsters.'

Hi!

Everyone is feeling much better! Both Zoey and Heidi are back to their bouncy selves.

Yes please feel free to use our story for your happy tails stories! I attached a couple more pictures taken with a real camera not just the phone camera which can be a little grainy.

I have already referred friends looking for places to donate to you! If I hear of anyone looking to adopt I will be sure to send them your way.

Sorry we wont be able to attend the Cat Show- have fun and I hope you are able to find good homes for some of your kitties!

OMG -Ziggy is GREAT!! she is part of our family and chose to go by the name of Daizy - yea, with a "z", to match that of her big sister, Maizy. the 2 cats didn't take long to become friends, although Maizy let Daizy know her place with a couple of well placed hisses. after a couple of days in a separate room to relax, she now runs the house and plays til her little heart's content. she got meds for a little respiratory issue she had, meds for ear "gunk" as well as nutritional supplements. she couldn't be doing better.

she's bigger and gaining a fat little tummy cuz she has a good appetite - you'd hardly recognize her! i'm so glad you gave us the opportunity to let you know that she is very happy and loved with her new family - she will be loved and cared for the rest of her life. thank you for letting us adopt our little purrball! she knows she is safe and loved.

Our family went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina this summer with our Shepherd/Mastiff mix dog Sophia, adopted at the tender age of four months from the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation . She exhibits a very friendly, yet calm, self-confident demeanor at home, but is quite active outside, loving to chase tennis balls, trying to catch squirrels, and is adding water sports to her repertoire.

At almost four years of age, she has grown up to be a fine ocean swimmer and, as shown here, recently gained a lot of interest in learning how to use a boogie board.

I adopted Panda (previously known as Christine/Prissy) in April. I had decided I wanted a cat named Panda, and then searched until I found the one that fit the name. She has been a joy ever since! She and I have forged a great friendship; she likes to cuddle up next to me on the couch and in bed at night until she decides it's time for breakfast. When she wants attention, she comes to me, tilts her head, and meows insistently until I respond. She is playful and curious; she jumps up in windows, but her favorite is by the door where she can watch the world go by. She simply stares at most bugs in the apartment, but managed to chase and eat a cricket last week. She loves catnip, playing with feathers and toy mice, and smelling my nose.

There is another cat across the way she has a staring contest with every few days. I have been endlessly entertained as she has come out of her shell and deemed herself the head of the household! I'm glad I found her and that she has a home where she can stay seven days a week. She is less anxious and more trusting than she was even four months ago. I truly believe I have the best cat in the whole world, and love to see her smile when she purrs. Thank you for doing all you to do help these special animals find homes, and for helping me find a companion - we adore each other!

Hi Janet.

I adopted Onyx & Garnet just over three weeks ago and they are doing great. G had some litter box issues at first but I think he was just unsure of his new environment. I started giving him treats as a reward for using the box and he caught on right away. I have two other cats and they have both bonded with the kittens. My other cats are alot more active now that there is kittens in the house. I also have a rabbit that I let run around the house each night and the kittens love it. The rabbit and kittens chase each other and love to play under the couches.

The kittens also made fast friends with my dog. I leave a drag leash on the dog and the kittens chase her around the house. I am so glad that I adopted the pair. I was planning on adopting only one kitten that day but these two belong together and are a perfect fit for my household. Thank you so much for taking such good care of them for their first four months. Let me know if you have any questions. Here are some photos of the kittens settling in.

In February of 2009, after a 6 month search, I finally found the dog I had been searching for at LDCRF. I have three chihuahuas that I love dearly and are as easy as having one medium sized dog (That's the result of the fact that I have been working as a canine behaviorist/ trainer for years and pure luck). I love taking my dogs places and my chihuahuas can easily walk for 5 miles and want to continue on, meanwhile by then, I'm starting to see mirages .... so, you don't need a big dog to have an "exercise partner". I wanted a big dog to take to my local dog parks where my chihuahuas aren't "tall enough to play". Two other benefits of having my big dog have been... feeling safer on walks (since I'm a smaller woman and can't exactly advertise my karate experience while taking a walk) and knowing that my chihuahuas are safer in my yard from the hawks that fly overhead and animals that are bigger than chihuahuas, which is basically every other animal in nature. Seriously, to those of you with small dogs or cats, PLEASE be careful because birds of prey can get them if they aren't properly supervised.

To get to my "big dog search".... On July 4th, 2008 I adopted a sweet big, black mix but he didn't fit in well with the little dogs to say the least, despite the wonderful, initial meeting at Petsmart between him and one of my chihuahuas. It was very difficult bringing him back but he was adopted the next day. Later, I adopted what I felt was "the one" I named her Siva. When I adopted her, she was very sick and four weeks after she started to recover, she went from having a medium energy level to that of one that was similar to a border collie that had consumed 6 espressos. Unfortunately, one of my chihuahuas has seizures and her activity level made his seizure activity and anxiety worse. Bringing Siva back broke my heart into pieces and I still look at photos that I took of her and tear up. I didn't want to go through that heartache again so I waited and did some volunteering which is so satisfying and helpful. I would recommend anyone who can help out in some way to do so because it changes the lives of others, canine and human alike. I helped out at adoption events and fostered a little dog who needed a warm home to sleep at for one night.

In Feb of 2009, yep, that's right, I found my big dog. She is a black lab mix and when I first met her and felt her energy, I just knew. She seemed sick and that concerned me because of what I had been through with Siva but I felt like I had to take the chance and at least be able to help her medically. Paul (who works with LDCRF) was so wonderful. He helped me by getting me the information I needed, despite being so busy that I was in awe of how much he accomplished while still being amazingly polite. He was so helpful to me about Mila's medical issues that if it wasn't for him, I might not have adopted her. Thank you Paul. LDCRF is lucky to have you as a part of it. Right now I am on my sofa with my lab mix next to me and all three chihuahuas are laying on top of her and we wouldn't have it any other way.

We adopted Dundee from Lost Dog Rescue in January 2009 at the Petsmart in Leesburg, Va. On your website, he was described as a "unique looking dog" and he certainly was. He was very much under weight and had very little hair on his frail body, but just as friendly as he could be. We almost passed him over because of his looks. The staff said that he had a rough past and was shuffled around alot, but seemed to make the best of things. We decided to give him a try. Well, it has been a pleasure to add him to our family and has he ever blossomed. He has gained about 15 lbs and is covered in beautiful, black, shiny fur (we wish we had taken a "before" picture of him). We have been very fortunate because somewhere along the line Dundee was "potty" trained and is not a furniture chewer.

Dundee gets along great with our other dog, Molly. They run and play in the back yard constantly. They have a great time telling any birds or squirrels that get in the yard, that they don't belong there. We think that Dundee knows he is in his "forever" home because he seems as happy as he could be and gives us lots of love and we are very happy that we did not pass him over.

Hello Lost Dog,

Things are great with Shannon! So, first of all, we had to rename her because my husband's sister is named Shannon , so we're calling her Zelda ('20s flapper or Nintendo princess, take your pick). She loves both me and my husband and nuzzles up to us constantly. She does appear to be a little unpredictably skittish from time to time -- one minute she'll let her guard down and let you pet her belly while she's lying on her back with her paws up like a dog, but then she'll nip at you and run away. She seems to know not to bite very hard, though -- very effective in terms of sending a warning signal like "okay, I'm done now," though it would be nice if her ears would rear back or something first so we knew that we were overstimulating her. She is very curious about the outside, but we are keeping her in, of course. She's eating well, pooping well, and we're almost sleeping through the night now, which is great after a lot of waking up to rubbing and tail flopping the first night. =) Oh, and we're taking her to the vet for her first preventative appointment on Saturday morning, and next week while we're at the beach we have my mom, my husband's mom, and his sister (Shannon! haha) lined up and eager for a chance to come feed her, scoop the litter, and keep her company.

Anyway, she is a great forever cat and definitely the right match for us. Can't wait to see how she will get along with dogs someday... I'm sure it will be a process, but at least an interesting one, right?

Thanks again for all of your help! Here is a terrible cell phone picture I took of Zelda/Shannon enjoying a head scratch.

I just wanted to send you an update on Owen, who we adopted back in May. He is doing very well, and is a happy, playful, and adorable dog. We are in his fourth week of basic training right now and he is doing well with it. He is such a smart (though stubborn) little guy. He knows basic commands very well and we are working on "stay" and not jumping on people. Owen loves to go on long walks, go to the dog park, and meet new people. He also loves to play with other dog friends that he's met over the past few months. He gets so many compliments on what a handsome dog he is and we have to agree. Owen has a lot of energy, but we keep him occupied with walks, playing fetch, training, and many other activities. My husband and I are very happy to have such a wonderful canine companion in our family. We just love him to pieces.

I have attached a few pictures. He has definitely gotten a little bigger since we first got him. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you so much for giving us a great little dog!

Hello Lost Dog,

We adopted Kasey (formerly "Bessie") from you in February 2009 and wanted to let you know how much she has blossomed in her new home! When we first adopted her, she was a nervous, timid, frightened little dog who always had her tail between her legs and was scared of everything (us, the dishwasher, the washer and dryer, the fan, doors slamming, the neighbors, other dogs, cars, buses, etc.). She wouldn't let anyone go near her - probably because of the abuse and abandonment earlier in her life - and she'd hide in corners and refused to go outside at all.

With time and a lot of patience and work, she's a completely different dog from the one we brought home (although she is still suspicious of buses, and especially FedEx, UPS, and garbage trucks). She frequently bounces and prances around, wiggling her butt and tail as she goes. When she's really excited, she'll race around in a big circle (we call it "streaking"). She loves to go outside on her walks now, and will let us know if we ever forget to take her on one. As a beagle mix, Kasey can sometimes be stubborn and independent, and she can certainly have her own agenda, but she forgets all that when presented with her favorite chicken treats or stuffed animals. She's her mama's shadow at home and will do "perimeter checks" at night, just to make sure everything is okay. Her favorite spot is her big, soft pillow that's right next to our bed, and she enjoys her favorite hiding spot under the bed, where she keeps her stash of treats, toys, and our dirty laundry that she pulls out of the hamper.

Thank you so much for rescuing Kasey and helping us find her. She is such an affectionate sweetheart, and we couldn't imagine our lives without her!

We fostered Kobee aka Spot in March 2008 and after just a few days in our house we knew we could not give him back and so we became foster failures and adopted him. We had gone to an adoption event to look at the dogs and he looked so sad that we decided to take him home that day.. After bringing him home we noticed that he had small amounts of blood coming out of his nose and after bringing him to the vet we learned he had a respiratory infection. We felt so bad for him because all he did was sleep. After taking antibiotics he really started to show his personality and he is the perfect dog for us. He came to us house trained and has never destroyed anything in our house. He always wants to be around us and is a big lap dog.

We love him so much and want to thank you for all the work you do helping all the other animals that you help. We've enclosed a few pictures of Kobee

Hello All- Well the good news is Luna has a permanant home...the bad news is that in an 800 sf condo already with a rescue dog and Luna, I may need to rethink fostering another! But if Brittany calls I can't say no...Luna has adjusted well, She is a cutie, and she loves her new bed on the window sill looking at city traffic? This pic is cute as I panicked looking for her and oh well, she went shopping! Hopefully I'll be back volunteering as my boys are off to college and Joe and I will be 'empty nesters'...well sort of!

I was not thinking of getting another dog when I went to PetSmart that Saturday 3 years ago. But there she was, just looking around with a yellow barrette on the top of her curly white head. I thought I could just ask how she came to be a rescue dog. (Lost a kidney due to neglect while being used to breed puppies to sell. Had a cataract in her left eye). Could be extra vet bills. No problem. I talked to her and petted her back. She rolled over for the belly rub. It was all over; love at first sight. When she came to meet my first dog Lolly, she peed on the carpet. No problem. She is 20lb. of personality-plus and makes us laugh every day. She is The Patty to us. Thank you, Lost Dog and Cat Rescue. We are having a wonderful time!

We adopted Gracie, previously known as Cher, this past January from the Reston Pet Smart. She has been such a joy in our lives. She is such a sweet and gentle dog. She was a bit nervous when we first brought her home but has adjusted to life in the big city quite well. One of her nicknames happens to be Ms. Mayor. She acquired this nickname because she prances around our little urban village here in Arlington, excited to greet fellow dogs and people. It is hard to believe that this sweet girl ended up in some county animal shelter prior to finding her way to Lost Dog. We can't imagine our lives without her in it.

We only wish we could adopt another dog from Lost Dog. Unfortunately our condo association only allows one pet per residence. As soon as we buy a house we will back for another dog!!! Thank you for all that you do.

Hello all,

The funny story starts, My Wife and I went to the local Petsmart to get some extra supply's for our 2 dogs and fish and we end up walking out with this lovely little ball of fur named Yasmin that weighted 11 lbs. After a week with this bundle of fun we renamed her Calaie in honor of all of her 2 legged dancing that she does. At first our other Lost dog Jack (formally bobo) wasn't very keen on having another addition to our house but our resident mother hen (sable) who is another rescue took to her right away.

Calaie loves to run laps on our floor and dig into our large basket of chew toys and squeakers. She has a great time as an ankle biter chasing Sable and Jack around. When you walk in the door there is Calaie jumping up and hopping around on her to back feet trying to give kisses. In the short time we have had her she has grown massively she now is about 2 times the size when we took her home and she weighs about 40 Lbs. She is another great dog that some times in wonder who would have given this pup up!

Thanks a lot to the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue foundation.

Photos attached. Sable is the large black lab laying with calaie, and jack is the dog operating the computer. Thanks a Lot

We adopted Tyler in May and he is doing so well. He has learned to walk on a leash and to obey several commands. He allows the cats to investigate him, but is still a little too energetic for their play. He recently went on vacation to the beach and enjoyed the sun, as you can see. He is working through his issues very nicely and is a joy to have. Thank you for enriching our lives.

We adopted Cooper (formerly Kulee) almost a month ago and he is doing great! He has bonded well with our other dog and they have a blast playing together!. Cooper has brought a great deal of fun and laughter into our lives, and is always ready to play. He has a ton of energy and we have enjoyed running with him, walking him, and playing outside with him. We are grateful that we were able to adopt him and for the work Lost Dog and Cat does!

Dear LDCRF --

I adopted Farrah (formerly Isis) on May 30th at the Falls Church PetSmart at the last minute before the animals were put back into the vans. Since the minute we met, I knew she had picked me as her human companion. Once she entered my townhouse and was let out of her carrier, she made the place hers. She did not hide or was timid at all. She investigated every room then came back to me with a look on her face like "This will do. It's mine." She loves to play with shiny, crinkly toys in front of me to show-off her amazing speed and agility. She also goes bonkers chasing after the lazer pointer. She wakes me up every morning with several long meows, and a lick on the nose. After being flown all the way from Okinawa Japan, I'm glad she and I found each other.

Hi Lost Dog

We were delighted to adopt Doc over three years ago in March 2006. He's definitely got his own personality, and although he may not be the most energetic 9 year old around, he's definitely the world's most adorable couch potato. He loves to lie on anything soft: cushions, pillows, laundry. IHe's an absolute sweetheart and quite affectionate. He would let you massage him all day long if you it were up to him. His personality transforms outdoors and he becomes the walking vacuum cleaner (beagle owners know). We wouldn't change a thing!!! Here's a photo of Doc after a long day -getting his nails done (er.. clipped) and of course, a nice grooming. What a great life he has!! But, we are the lucky ones having Doc in our household. Thanks Lost Dog for completing our happy family!!

Hi there,

A year ago I adopted the incredibly shy, one-eyed beagle, Larry. He was living with a wonderful foster family whom he loved very much. He has now been renamed to Maverich (with an h not a k) after realizing how he overcame all odds and rebelled from ever being called "unadoptable." He is now a bright, funny, lovely dog. Maverich has regained confidence in himself and follows me around in the hopes of a new, fuzzy toy. He has about 10 he stores under the bed as his own private stash! He is now a socialized and happy dog, enjoying long walks, dog parks, curling into a little ball at the foot of my bed and the tons of attention my family and friends lavish on him. I couldn't be happier with him! Best of all, he has a best friend at my parent's house, Reggie, who is about 40 pounds bigger. Maverich plays with him and wins as if HE is the top dog! Thanks LDR for matching me with my doggy soulmate :-)