Puppy Power!

The theme of today's post is...PUPPIES!  Because who doesn't love puppies?  :)  There are tons of puppies available in area shelters right now - if you're looking to add a furry little bundle of joy to your family, check these guys & gals out...and be sure to visit the shelter websites because there are more where these cuties came from!

These two sweet little gals are Shepherd/Lab mixes available for adoption at the Darke County Animal Shelter.  (The shelter site doesn't know an exact age, but says they are under a year old and they estimate they will be around 50 lbs. when full grown.)  They are current on all their vaccinations and, according to shelter staff, are very playful!  If you'd like to give one of these sweethearts a forever home, contact the Darke County Animal Shelter at (937) 547-1645! Their ID number is #03071107abcdef!  (I'm guessing there are six of them--all girls!--and these two were chosen to represent them!)

Next up is Barney!  He's one of a litter of Lab/Rottweiler mixes dropped off at the Miami County Animal Shelter!  He and his littermates are about three months old and are very shy--they're not aggressive at all and just need to be socialized and learn how to be loved.  (Update 4/9/11 - The shelter gave them baths this morning and let them stay up front to socialize--they're still shy at first but if you sit on the ground and wait, in under a minute you have a lap full of puppies!  They're already coming out of their shells!)  Definitely check out the Miami County Animal Shelter's site - Barney's siblings are just as cute as he is!  If you're interested in adopting Barney or one of his siblings, call the Miami County Animal Shelter at (937) 332-6919! 

Last but not least, we have Marmaduke, a ten-week-old Great Dane Mix!  (Yes, he's only ten weeks old--someone's going to be a big boy!)  In addition to having incredibly adorable ears, he is super sweet and very playful!  If you want to give Marmaduke a home, contact the Shelby County Animal Shelter at (937) 498-7201!

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."
~ Bern Williams

Adorable dog alert!

Hello again! 

There are so many adorable dogs in our local shelters right now, it's hard to choose who to feature here!  I encourage you to check out the shelter website links listed on the right side of this page to check out all the wonderful pups waiting for good homes...but in the meantime, here are the three I've chosen to feature!

This gorgeous guy is Memphis, a 1-year-old Siberian Husky mix currently available at the Darke County Animal Shelter.  (They say he's a mix, but he looks 90% Husky to me, right down to that distinctive tail!)  The shelter staff say he's very friendly and is just waiting for a family to come give him a home!  Contact the Darke Co. Shelter at (937) 547-1645 if you want to give him a home!  His ID number is #03171123.

This statuesque beauty is Harley, a Shepherd mix currently available at the Miami County Animal Shelter.  (Seriously, look at that posture!)  According to the shelter staff, she was released to them by a friend of her owner, who was no longer able to care for her.  She's a little shy & hesitant, and is very mild-mannered--she doesn't jump up on people.  I'm sure Harley just wants to find a safe home again--if you can give her that home, please contact the Miami County Animal Shelter at (937) 332-6919!  Her ID number is #303d!

Last but not least, meet Duncan, a ridiculously adorable Cairn Terrier!  (Who could resist that face!?)  He's just a baby--only 9 or 11 weeks old--and he's waiting at the Shelby County Animal Shelter to find a great home.  According to the shelter staff, he has personality in abundance and is a very smart little boy!  He also has a voice & isn't afraid to use it.  If you want to add Duncan to your family, contact the Shelby County Animal Shelter at (937) 498-7201!

"Happiness is a warm puppy."

~ Charles M. Schulz

Big Black Dog Day!

**UPDATE 4/8/11 - Jake from the Miami County Shelter was adopted today!  Onyx & Ralphie are still in need of homes, though!**

When I volunteered with the dogs who were saved from the One More Chance Rescue and Adoption Center in Piqua, there were dogs there of all breeds & sizes.  However there seemed to be an unusually high number of big black dogs there.  As the days passed and more and more dogs found their forever homes, I couldn't help but notice that the big black dogs were being left behind.  I learned that this is very common--it's known amongst shelter groups & rescue organizations as "Black Dog Syndrome"--they are very hard to adopt out.  So today I want to feature three big black dogs currently available in area shelters, all deserving of great homes!

Meet Onyx!  She's a one-year-old black lab/boxer mix who's already spayed.  She already knows some obedience commands and is good with kids--she just needs to find a family to give her a good home!  If you're interested in giving Onyx her forever home, contact the Darke County Animal Shelter at (937) 547-1645!  Her ID number is #03181112.

Next up is Jake, a 4 or 5-year-old black lab/retriever mix -- sure, he's going gray but he's still got lots of love left to give!  He is very mild mannered and well behaved.  He even knows some commands and loves showing them off for you!  He's waiting to be adopted at the Miami County Animal Shelter - you can contact them at (937) 332-6919.  Ask for Dog #0299d!

Last but not least, meet Ralphie, a Newfoundland available at the Shelby County Animal Shelter.  Here's what the staff had to say about him: "Ralphie is a super sweet dog. He is well mannered on lead and he has the biggest, brownest, round eyes and he knows how to use them... Watch out girls, he will melt your heart!!! He will just gaze into your face with those eyes like he wants to tell you something.. And most likely he would like to communicate that he is much too nice of a dog to end up in a kill shelter with no one to love him. He was dragging a cable attached to his neck when found and brought in..no owner has come in to claim him--how sad to be a throw away pet chained in the back yard."  Contact the Shelby County Shelter at (937) 498-7201 if  you want to give Ralphie the home he deserves!

Don't let these sweethearts become victims of the black dog bias--consider giving one of them a home today!  If these guys haven't stolen your heart, know that Sprocket is still available at the Darke County Animal Shelter and Diesel is still available at the Miami County Animal Shelter!

Updates, media, and meetings, oh my!

Hi! If you're new here and are reading this because you saw my letter to the editor in the Sidney Daily News, welcome! Please bookmark your site and visit often - I'll be profiling as many dogs as I can! The sweetheart on the left is a female 6-month-old lab mix currently available at the Miami County Animal Shelter. Contact them at (937) 332-6919 if you want to give this adorable little girl the home she deserves! (Her ID number is #0308d!)

Now I'd like to update you on the two dogs who, have for the most part, been the main focus of this blog so far--Mandy and Sprocket! I'm happy to report that Mandy was adopted into a great home this past Tuesday! Sprocket was, at last check, still available at the Darke County Animal Shelter--though he's become quite the local celebrity over the past two days! Yesterday he was featured in articles in the Piqua Daily Call and Greenville Daily Advocate, and today the Sidney Daily News published my letter to the editor about him. Also yesterday, WHIO TV (Channel 7) sent a camera crew to Darke County to visit him--he got a two-minute segment on the evening news all to himself! Hopefully his fifteen minutes of fame will pay off and he'll find a wonderful home! (I also want to thank all three newspapers and WHIO TV for helping me bring attention to him!)

In other dog-related news, last night I went to my very first D.R.E.A.M. meeting - that stands for Dedicated Rescue Efforts for Animals in Miami County. It's a group of folks like me who want to do whatever they can to help animals in our area. They ultimately want to open a no-kill shelter, but for now are focusing on developing a spay/neuter program and fostering as many animals as they can. I'm definitely going to be volunteering at their events and doing what I can to help the group achieve their goals! You should definitely visit the group's site at http://www.dream4pets.org/ - it's full of lots of good information and also has a schedule of the group's upcoming events!

Well, I'm going to sign off for now--thanks for reading, and visit again soon!

~Jenn

Hello, new readers!

If you're reading this because you read about my blog in the Piqua Daily Call and Greenville Daily Advocate, welcome! Thank you for taking an interest in the plight of Mandy and Sprocket, and for being interested in learning about more adoptable dogs in the Miami Valley area! Obviously I hope Mandy and Sprocket get adopted quickly, so if you call to inquire about them and they've already found happy homes, please consider adopting a different dog from one of our area shelters--there are so many wonderful dogs in search of good homes! Links for our area shelters are on the right hand side of this page, and below are just a few of the cuties who are currently available!

This is Sascha, a sweet 6-month-old Shepherd mix available at the Darke County Animal Shelter. I think her floppy ear makes it look like she could be Mandy's long lost pup!

This little gal is a 10-week-old Spitz/Heeler mix is currently available for adoption at the Miami County Animal Shelter!

Last but not least, here's "Yearly 158," a female Shepherd/Rottweiler mix who apparently has amazing manners & is very obedient! She's currently available for adoption at the Shelby County Animal Shelter! Please bookmark this site and visit often--I plan to update frequently with profiles of other Piqua dogs rescued from "One More Chance" who are being cared for by rescue groups & in foster homes, as well as other dogs available in nearby shelters!

Save Mandy & Sprocket! **UPDATED**

**UPDATED 4/11/11 - Both Sprocket & Mandy have found their forever homes!**

***UPDATED 3/28/11** I had a nice conversation with the man in charge at Darke County Animal Shelter - he said that Mandy and Sprocket are not in immediate danger of being euthanized (i.e. there is no specific deadline in mind), but that obviously the longer they are there the the more that danger rises. He chose the dogs personally as ones that stood out to him from the 108 at the Clark Ave. facility--he thought they were good looking dogs that had great personalities and was sure they would have no trouble finding homes. Unfortunately, the right families just haven't found them yet! He's been promoting the dogs on the radio and REALLY wants to keep his promise to the dogs--he's been telling them daily, "I'm trying to find you homes!" So, anyone reading this--let's help him keep that promise and find these dogs the great homes they deserve!"***
A local rescue organization (Dogs Deserve Better) have brought it to the attention of the Piqua dog rescue volunteers that two of our dogs are at risk of being euthanized by the Darke County Animal Shelter for having been there too long. (When they were initally placed in traditional "kill shelters," we volunteers were told that the dogs would be kept until they were adopted, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.)
This is Mandy, a sweet 5-year-old German Shepherd. I remember her from when I volunteered at the Clark Ave. facility because she never failed to greet us with a big doggy smile and a wagging tail! She's microchipped, current on all her vaccinations, and available NOW! Her ID number at the Darke County Animal Shelter is 02231115.

Even though I featured him in my first dog post, I'm going to feature him again - this is Sprocket! He's a 4-year-old English Pointer mix who is very friendly and loves to give hugs! He, like Mandy, is microchipped and current on his vaccinations - he just needs a good home & a family who will appreciate how awesome he is! His Darke County Animal Shelter ID number is #02231119.

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing these dogs are, to have survived what they went through at the hands of Jeff Burgess at his One More Chance Rescue & Adoption center. For God only knows how long, they were kept in a dark, cold warehouse, with no heat or utilities in the middle of a frigid Ohio winter. They were kept in dirty pens that were rarely (if ever) cleaned, surrounded by their own waste and desperate for a soft, clean place to lay down. They weren't fed regularly and rarely had clean drinking water. Despite the neglect they suffered, they came through it with their spirits intact--they love humans and only want to find homes where they are treated well!

If you are interested in adopting (or even fostering) Mandy or Sprocket, contact the Darke County Animal Shelter at (937) 547-1645. You can also visit the shelter at 5066 County Home Rd. in Greenville, OH - they are open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 12:00. The adoption fee is $50.00, $30.00 of which comes back to you in the form of a certificate to have the dog spayed or neutered.

$50.00 is a small price to pay for a new best friend - if you're interested in saving either of these dogs, PLEASE contact the Darke County Animal Shelter!

"Buy a pup and your money will by love unflinching." ~ Rudyard Kipling

Meet Sprocket!

**UPDATED 4/11/11 - Sprocket has been adopted!!**

This is Sprocket, a 4-year-old English Pointer Mix currently available at the Darke County Animal Shelter!

Sprocket is a survivor of One More Chance Rescue & Adoption - God only knows how long he was stuck living in deplorable conditions with no utilities, little food & water, and no clean place to lay down. Despite what he's been through, Sprocket has a wonderful personality--any volunteer who spent time with him can attest to the fact that he gives GREAT hugs! He's a very sweet & energetic boy - he weighs about 70 lbs.

If you've fallen in love with Sprocket's smiling face, contact the Darke County Animal Shelter at (937) 547-1645. Sprocket's ID number is #02231119 and he would love to join your family!