After visiting one of the Petsmart adoption fairs, our family thought we had found the right dog. A year old mini pincher. We drove to Leesburg the next day only to find out he was adopted just minutes before. We were quite upset, especially my daughter. One of the wonderful Lost Dog volunteers told us about another mini pincher that was outside so we went out to see him. He stood there sad and staring at the ground. He looked lost. We ended up spending the next 2 hours getting to know him and decided to take him home and call him Jack. We have now had Jack for 4 weeks and he is amazing. He is 6 years old and going strong. We took Jack to the Vet and our Vet loved him. All he needed was joint medication and we began it that night. Everyday Jack becomes more and more at home. We are convinced he is part human, because he seems to understand everything we say. He is totally house broken and does a "dance" at the back door when he needs to go outside. He loves to go in the car and travels everywhere we can take him. Jack also loves to sing. We were singing a funny song one night, and Jack began howling along with us.

He loves to wear doggie clothes because he gets cold very easy. We have bought him a snow suit and several sweaters to wear around the house on really cold days. On a trip up north, we went sledding and in his snowsuit, Jack rode down a hill with my daughter on her sled. He loved it and ran up the hill to go again. Our favorite thing about Jack is his cuddle factor. He sleeps under the covers with my daughter every night. We he is not under the covers, he is sleeping under one of the blankets in our family room, on the furniture of course. We wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes when I see Jack looking at me he seems to be saying "thank you" with his eyes. As I write this happy tails story, Jack is sound asleep under the covers beside me, happy, warm, extremely loved, and content. We are Jack's forever family.

Lost Dog and Cat Foundation,

I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate everything you have done for the Goebels family. We adopted Buttons (formerly Mambo) over four years ago and Jordan almost three. They are a big part of our happy family and go everywhere with us! They love hiking with us in the mountains, and Buttons loves to swim in the Lake. We also have a big back yard which they love to chase each other in. They really do give us unconditional love!

Our tortie of nearly 13 years Arfur, whom we had raised since she was 1 day old, died the day after Christmas. We had already adopted two dogs from LDCRF and decided to add another cat into the family. It was a tricky adoption to find a cat that would be compatible with our 2 senior cats, 6 year old daughter and three spirited hound mixes. After several weeks of holding many cats and playing with many kittens, we found Annie.

Annie is a year old, 6#, long haired dilute tortie. She has a low key disposition, loves to play, loves to be held and LOVES dogs. In fact she loves the dogs so much she acts like a dog. She greats us at the door, often with a slipper. She sleeps with the dogs.

She eats the dogs food, drinks the dogs water and rough houses until they (the dogs) are exhausted. She does not scratch at furniture, takes naps with our daughter and most importantly leaves the old tom cats alone. She is a delight to our family and a content little kitty. Thank you so much for rescuing this beautiful little feline.

Some of you might remember Libby, we adopted her one year ago on 1-18-07. She was the littlest Beagle, all 20 lbs of her shaking like a leaf in the Falls Church Petsmart last January. It took days before she would sleep anywhere other than beside the front door, weeks before she would walk without her tail from under her, and months before she would wag her tail. Now she won't stop!

Our little Libby has made great strides in only a year! It sounds funny but we can still remember the day and time when we first saw her run, yep, it took her months to come out of her shell... whatever life she had prior to LDCR, it wasn't a good one. She's still scared of people but she loves her mom and dad and her new home in Ohio (she even loves to play in all of the snow there is in her new home, sometimes it's taller than she is!!). She's finally filling her Beagle shoes taking lots of naps, snuggling, chasing squirrels and really loves hotdogs! It's hard to think about what life was like before we met our Libby!

Thank you Lost Dog Rescue and her foster parents for introducing us to our new best friend!

Just to let you know, we adopted Daisy (Crystal) on November 11, 2004 and I'm happy to tell you that she is healthy and adorable. Everybody in our neighborhood thinks that she is the cutest and friendliest dog they have ever seen. She is a joy and has made our life much more enjoyable. Thank you lost dog rescue!!

I had been looking for a new addition to our dog family for some time. I had adopted my last rescue dog almost 4 years ago.

I knew to trust my instincts and that I would know when I found the right dog. In December I drove to the Petsmart in Falls Church to look at Comet (a Doodle- Dachshund/Poodle mix), Dancer's brother.

When I arrived and saw Dancer I knew she was the one for me and my family. She has been such a delight and has acclimated well to our home. Our Pit Bull mix is acting like her 'Momma' being so gentle and playful with her. Our older doxie is showing her who is boss!! We now call Dancer "Bella" and are so thrilled she is part of our lives. Thank you Lost Dog and Cat Rescue!

Dear LDCRF,

My fiance and I adopted Marnie (now known as Lily) only 3 months ago, in mid October 2007. I can't believe it's been such a short amount of time! She has been the perfect addition to our lives and I feel so blessed that we were able to find her.

Each morning she wakes us up with lots of kisses and she loves to play and go on walks and to the dog park. She's getting rather spoiled I'm afraid, with plenty of toys and even a stylish new coat! :) We love her so much, as do all our friends, family, and her new doggy friends in the neighborhood!

Lily is the best dog I could ever imagine having; incredibly sweet and cuddly, friendly to everyone (except that dastardly vacuum that she thinks is trying to steal her toys), and smart as a whip to boot! She's almost graduated basic obedience classes and I'm sure will go through her intermediate classes with flying colors.

Thank you so much for our beautiful girl! She's doing great!!

Hi all of you, my friends at Lost Dog Rescue. It is a little over 4 years since you let me come to live with my mom. I saw the update about my sister Cinder, isn't she beautiful? We look alike, by the way and I guess I weigh about 145 lbs now cause everyone calls me 'big dog'. I have included a couple of pictures so you can see me lounging around, my favorite position to be in. One of them has my little sister Lili in it too. It was very late on Christmas night at my human brothers house and Lili and I were really tired and just wanted to go home.

I was a very eventful summer because I learned how to be a hunter, no kidding! Now, I'm the big brave beautiful dog. I caught lots and lots of those big bumble bee things that make loud noise and my mom got all horrified because she said they are carpenter and that they bite. Well, they don't bit that hard. Then one day, going into the yard, I spied a bird and quickly got it and carried it all over till she made me give it up and she threw it away .. I really wanted to keep it. I didn't kill it! It was already dead when I found it but, still, she took it away and I just wanted to keep it for a pet.

By the way, Cinder, you are so lucky to have caught that big beautiful boat, I've never been on one before and it looks like fun. Of course, you have to be careful, you could fall off.

I still thank you for the way my life has turned out. It's good to be home and to be the big dog.

Ozzie

It was a little over a year ago that we brought Dumaine (Dacey was his Lost Dog name) into our lives, and by now he and brother Tchoupitoulas, the golden retriever, are fast friends. Even though Dumaine was a bit scared of people at first, having been born in the wild to a couple of strays in Spottsylvania County, he warmed up pretty quickly and turned out to be a super-friendly and easy-to-train little dog. He loves to chew on his brother's heels or on any indestructible toys, but his favorite activity is to find mom's slippers and bring them to her whining softly ... Strange behavior ...

Dumaine would love to know where his birth brothers went; he was up for adoption with two of them in December 2006, and supposedly two more siblings were still out in the woods. Here's to seeing them at an Arlington dog park soon! We'll continue to be on the lookout ...

Thanks!

We adopted David "Copper" Carter in July of 2006. Since then, he has become the biggest and best part of our lives; we can't imagine how things would be without him! When Copper first came home with us, it was clear he never lived in a house-he would slip and slide all over the tile floor and didn't even know the words "go for a walk" or "do you want to eat?" My how things have changed! Copper is a very smart boy and has caught on quickly to living in a house and being a loving part of a family.

He has even learned a whole set of tricks and will do them for food or even just because you asked (but only when he feels like it, of course). Though he still loves his outdoor time chasing squirrels and playing fetch, he is happy to come back inside, play with his many toys, and nap on his favorite green chair. Copper has traveled all up and down the east coast to visit our families and no matter where we go people always stop us to say what a cute and wonderful dog he is! Copper has even been gracious enough to welcome Lost Dog Foster Brothers and Sisters into his home. Thank you Lost Dog and Cat Rescue for bringing Copper and so much more into our lives!

Hi there.remember me? When my mommy adopted me five months ago, you may have known me as Jack but now I am D.J. (Dolce Jack). I am so happy at my new home. I recently graduated puppy kindergarten with honors and now I am the best puppy for my mommy.

My favorite trick is to shake but sometimes I get so excited it turns into a high five! I really enjoy cuddling under the covers, especially when it is cold out. Speaking of cold, I just experienced my first snow. I loved it.the flakes on my face, hopping in and out of the snow piles, and of course the taste! With Christmas right around the corner I am trying my best to be a good little boy so I can get lots of toys. My favorites are balls for fetching, raw hid for chewing, and anything that squeaks. Well mommy is calling me for dinner so I gotta go but thanks Lost Dog and Cat Foundation for giving me such a great home!

Dear LDCRF,

Hello and Happy Holidays to all of you and to all the families who have adopted a new family member from your amazing foundation...we adopted Abigail at the beginning of December last year after losing our beloved Black Lab/Golden mix Buddy - our loving companion for 11 years, to cancer in September. My daughter sent me the link to your website thinking I would "wait awhile" before getting another dog...I think I waited about a week after that email. I'm writing to give you a long overdue update - what can I say...who has time for emails with a puppy in the house?

Abby has blossomed into a beautiful 1 year old - and her true breed "makeup" is still somewhat of a mystery. Described as a Lab/Pointer mix on your website, it took one trip to our Vet to add Chow to the list...possibly something else. We are considering the DNA test sometime this year just to help us with her training and we have been wondering if any of her littermates have been called "Chow Chow" blends as well!

She is amazingly smart, well behaved and loving and, despite her fondness for chewing and eating things we never even thought would be appealing (CD's, Christmas village trees, eyeglasses, carpeting) we eventually adjusted and all 7 of us (yes 5 children ranging from 25 to 7) are now "quick responders" to Abby's adventures in eating! Although she prefers to come to you for love and is often tentative around of new people and sounds, she is wonderfully loyal and a true companion even after only one year with us. We have finally figured out that she is really a "lab impersonator" - maybe we needed to know that all along!

We wanted to let you know how she was doing and to thank you all again for all the work you do to find homes for all the wonderful "lovebugs" out there like Abby. We are truly blessed and hope that in the next year or two we can come to you again for a friend for Abigail.

I wanted to update you on Radar (aka Garin) and Skylar (aka Glynis).The second I saw Radar, the little boy, I fell in love! Once I went to get him, I didn't realize I had to get 2, but then I saw Skylar and held her in my arms, she won over my heart as well. These two love to wrestle with each other, will play with toy mice for hours, romp around and love our "cat jungle gym" we got them.

But when they are worn out from playing, they get in our laps and cuddle close to us and each other. They even want to be with us while we're sleeping and will lay on our chests or stomachs. They are the sweetest kittens I have ever had. They even will kiss you and greet you when you get home. We can tell that the truly love us and trust us. I'm so thankful I found these two because they bring so much laughter in our lives. My husband loves them so much too and he has always had dogs growing up. We can't even imagine any other 2 cats that could make us this happy. They are doing wonderful and we love them to pieces! Thank you so much!!!!

Just wanted to give you an update on Droopy - now Buckeye!

When we first met "Droopy" at the adoption event in August, he was pressed against the wall, shaking like crazy. We were a little worried that our energetic Beagle mix, would overwhelm him, but we decided to give it a try. The adoption staff was so helpful - they warned us it might take awhile for him to warm up to us, and his foster mom gave us tips to help make him comfortable. After only a couple days, he was right by my side 24/7- cuddling on the couch while I watched TV and laying at my feet while I read. Even though he was visibly afraid of any man we encountered, just two weeks later, I found him napping on the couch with my husband!

We re-named him "Buckeye" so he could cheer on Ohio football with his sister, Brownie. He loves going to the dog park and playing in the creek. Buckeye is so sweet and eager to please - he will sit, shake and dance for his treats, and unlike his sister, he has never chewed on anything that he wasn't supposed to. He still takes a few days to warm up to new people, but everyone that met him early on has remarked that he has made so much progress since then. Last week, for example, he wore a Santa hat and endured a "photo shoot" for the front of our Christmas cards! We couldn't be happier with our decision to adopt Buckeye - we never could have imagined the positive impact he has had on our family!!

There are no way that I can possibly thank you for bringing Izabella (aka Pixy) into my life. She is not only my pet but she is my baby. I adopted her from you in February 2007. She has grown in leaps and bounds. I ask myself every day why someone would give her up. You can always find her cuddled up with either me or her sister Moet.

She is doing GREAT! I hope that you can keep helping others find the same perfect, loving, and wonderful companion that I have. THANK YOU!

This is to show you how spoiled I am. My parents had to get a bigger boat so I could go out with them and get off and on easier since I weigh in at 148 lbs. I have lost 20 lbs since my TPLO surgery and am doing ok. I still have days when it is hard to get up (usually after I have chased bunnies or my older sister too much!) My mom wants to thank you all for letting me find a home with them 4 years ago this week and all the good work you do for all lost dogs!

Hi!

Last Friday I came to an adoption event to look at one dog, but another one was handed to me and became my best friend in a matter of hours. His name was Buddy, but now it's Toby. He's a 16 pound chihuahua mix (he has Italian Greyhound ears....), and I was worried about how he would adapt to my home and my persnickety cat. But he's perfect. He turns out to be housebroken, crate trained, not food aggressive, ignores the cat, comes when called, walks on a leash, quiet, and cuddly. I have lived alone for years, and he is just the perfect little companion! I never thought I would find a dog this perfectly behaved in a rescue situation, but obviously he was loved and cared for earlier in his life. THANKS LDLC for my new best friend!

Dear LDCRF,

I wanted to give you an update on how Tux (aka Luna) and Cubby (aka Dusty Jr) are doing. Its hard to believe I have had them for a month now! They are now 12 weeks old and growing up so fast! I never would have imagined how much happiness they have added to my life! They love to run around the house chasing and wrestling with each other! My roommate jokes it sounds like we are at a racetrack when they get going! They are both very good climbers (including curtains) and I put together a 4 foot tall playground to satisfy their climbing needs.

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation,

It has been two months since we adopted Ella, we kept the name because my girls thought of Ella Enchanted, she has now become Ella "Cool Bean" or Ella Bean.

When she first came we could count her ribs just by looking at her, now she lean but 10 lbs heavier and a few inches taller. The vet says she is "a beautiful dog"..we knew that.

She has stolen our hearts in a short time, she never bothered our cat even once, a laid back kinda girl. She loves to go for walks and run in the back yard. She enjoys laying on her bed in front of the fireplace just chillin out with her toys or a bone..but her favorite place is up on the couch in between my two daughters.

We just wanted to say Thank you to everyone there that gives all the wonderful dogs like Ella a second chance to find that forever home. We cannot imagine our house without Ella in it.

Dear Lost Dog Rescue, We would like to thank you for helping us find our new perfect puppy. She is a great addition to our family. Her name was Victoria, but we changed it to Abby. She loves to snuggle and chew! She gets along great with our other animals and is almost house trained! Very smart girl. Thanks again.