Bella is nearing her first birthday in September. It was near Christmas 2007 when our girl came to live with us. She has passed puppy kindergarten with flying colors!

We love her so :-) Her housemates Ruby and Nina have almost let her be the Boss!

Dear Lost Dog and Cat friends,

Here I am, Ozzie the beautful and now distinguished big dog. They tell me the white hairs are very distinguished. It's almost 5 years since you all let me come to live with my mom. 3 years ago she brought home my little sis, Lili, who [grrrrroannnnn] never left. I thought she just came for a visit but, anyway, she is kind of fun and very silly. Here's a picture of us lazing away the day lying out in the sun. Mom keeps telling us that big black dogs shouldn't lie in the sun, not sure what she means. We like it!

Well, our lives are still going through changes. Our real house isn't finished yet since the fire in 2007 and now we are living at one of my human brother's houses, which has 1/2 acre of fenced yard for us with lots of beautiful old trees and things to chase like squirrels, birds, butterflies and sometimes rabbits. I keep warning them to stay out but they keep coming back. Remember, I'm the big brave hunter so am sure to catch one ... some day.

The cute little boy lying of the deck is my human brother's baby, Bailey. He is 4 and so little. He stands underneath me to hide .. we love each other lots but have had an argument or two because we both love to be boss. You know what, it's good to be the big dog! Bailey is the best husky in the world even though he never grew so big. He can even go anywhere without a leash on because he listens so well. I wonder if I could trick Mom into doing that with me .. then run for it. Well, she would probably catch me anyway cause I just can't run that fast or that far.

Again, all my friends at Lost Dog and Cat Rescue, thank you for letting me live with my mom and whole big family. I think I am still big and beautiful, what do you think?

Scooter (formerly “Sig”) came into our lives on June 21, 2008 at the Falls Church PetSmart. We couldn’t be happier and can’t imagine our lives without this sweet, playful bundle of joy!

When Scooter first came to us, he was so overwhelmed from leaving his mom and sisters and brothers, and frightened of all the changes that were going on in his little life. He was only 3 months old and not very socialized, so everything made him jump and yelp with fear and anxiety. With some tender loving care, he has formed an impenetrable bond with his daddy and mommy. Slowly but consistently, he has been exposed to many different people, pets, places, car rides, sights, and smells, and each day he grows more and more confident.

We are blessed to live in a very dog-friendly neighborhood, and every night on our long walks we meet new dogs and new faces (as well as some familiar ones, now!), and he loves them all.

In addition to being incredibly playful and curious, he’s definitely an intelligent little guy, and tends to pick up commands quite easily. Everyone who meets him instantly falls in love with him- he’s quite the little charmer!

We can’t thank Lost Dog Rescue enough! Thank you for bringing such an adorable little guy into our lives!

Hi Harry,

How's life? We are doing well. Suzie is a great cat, who is ALWAYS craving attention. Rhett, he is a great cat too, well he has been renamed, Harry (in honor of you :)), Hunny, and now Tigger. He is a cuddly cat. They are both a great addition to our family. Tigger/Hunny/Harry/Rhett is trying to nurse from our older cats, and they are pretty tolerant of him.

Here is a picture of the two:

Take care and we will stop by soon, just to say, "hi"

Keep in touch.

JoJo is a very happy girl, and she gets lots of attention (never enough!) She's eager to make friends with Devo the cat, who remains standoffish but curious. They're often in our bedroom, together, when we're there, but Devo is wary of Jo's flying paws and skedaddles when she approaches.

But he's warming up -- it has only been 6 days, and there's been a lot of progress since last weekend! He's still miffed about the indignity of having his food bowl moved up onto the high counter (of course J went for it when she first arrived, so up it went) -- but I've seen him drink from her water bowl! She doesn't notice or mind that, but if either of us calls or pets him, we have One Jealous Dog on our hands! A double-petting situation, however, is acceptable: either one parent using both hands, two parents each using one or two hands -- or better yet, a parent for each pet! (YEAH, and a chicken in every bowl ... that'll get her elected!)

I brushed her well on Sunday, and with great patience on both our parts untangled a big knot of matted hair under her left front "arm" -- that seems to be the Place, and I'm about to brush her again. What a good girl she is! Only one little whimper when I was working on the knot. She's at my feet as I write this ...

On my sister's recommendation, I got Jo a gentle training harness, and it has made all the difference in the world -- no more pulling (except all bets are off when she spots a squirrel). Don's teaching her to heel, and I'm teaching her "down." We may still sign up for an obedience class; we'll see how she does in the next couple of weeks. She has her vet appointment Monday, and I'll let you know if anything's not perfect (though I'm sure she will pass with an "A+."

She loves her squeaky toys (the multi-colored jack and a new one; a leggy lamb with a soft bleat), but disdains the balls and the dental bone. That's OK -- they're in her toy basket for a rainy day.

After only a few tries, she obeyed "bring Mommy the toy" this afternoon! We'll see if it sticks ... she IS really clever, and so so sweet. We both talk to her (and through her) a lot, and she seems to like that.

Don got home early and is now telling her he's going to teach her to shake. She lunged suddenly on our midday walk today, and by the time I turned to scold she was already sitting down -- before I even told her to! (That's what I make her do when she pulls, along with NO in the "big voice.")

Can you tell we're in love?!

My husband and I adopted Bella and Boscoe (brother and sister) from your organization in March. They have been such a joy to us and have our entire family wrapped around their paws :) We just wanted to send you some pictures and let you know how well they are doing and how much they are loved.

Thank you!

Just a quick note to let you know that "Tigger" who we adopted a few weeks ago is doing great! He and our other cat "Sammy" are getting used to each other and will probably become good friends before long. Tigger loves exploring his new home, especially perching himself up high to check things out. He also loves to be pet by everyone in the house! Thanks so much for arranging the adoption...everyone couldn't be happier!

Barb,

How are you? I was just reading your article and thought that I would send you an update on the dog that we adopted. Her name was originally Petra, but we changed it to Sammie! We love her.........well most of the time! Joking, we have had so much fun with her. Although she does love to chew shoes, cell phones, sponges, whatever she get into her mouth! She is becoming more well behaved and is getting a little better with every day. She loves her huge backyard to run in. Thanks again for everything. I have also attached a picture of her. She is getting huge!!

Hi LDCRF!

I adopted "Squiggy," whom I re-named Riley, last July. He has been a wonderful addition to my family! Since 10 weeks he has been a joy and a real sweetheart. Ever since I've adopted him I've recieved many compliments from "My, he's a beautiful dog!" to "He listens to you so well!" It's a pleasure to know that people recognize him as such a great dog. He has grown like a weed and at a year old this past May he's already at 66 pounds. He enjoys running, swimming, playing, and sleeping with my cat Abby and kitten Sasha.

I also work at a "Doggie Daycare" and bring Riley to work with me frequently. He loves playing with other dogs and is very good with others, too! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to have such a great companion!

Hello Lost Dog!

I am writing to tell you just how much I *LOVE* my new family! I was adopted on February 2, 2008 from the Falls Church PetsMart and that's when my Mama tells me I was born in her heart. I love my new home and especially enjoy all the lovin' that my family gives me. I'm told I was rescued from a shelter in Ohio but those are distant memories. I enjoy going on long hikes, trips to the dog park, trips to my favorite doggy boutique and soaking in *all* the attention from passers by. I am told I am not only the most handsome pup but that I am also very well behaved. I am allowed free roam of the house while my parents are gone and when they return I greet them at the door with lots of kisses and tail wags. I feel so lucky to have found my family and can assure you that they feel lucky to have me… look at me, who wouldn't??

Thanks again for saving me and all my doggy friends. Maybe one day I will get a LDRF sister or brother… Papa says one is enough for now.

Kisses & Tail Wags,

Briscoe (aka Ringo)

Hello, I adopted Mia Sophia from the Fair Lakes Petsmart back in February. Although her name now is Amber Sophea, she is still just as sweet, if not sweeter, from the day I got her. She also has a new brother, along with the dogs we already have, and they get along great. I'll send a picture of the two of them attached to this message. She has made a wonderful addition to our family. She gets all the love and attention she can ask for. Thank you for letting us take her home.

Our boy Duke was called “Reno” when we adopted him from you in October 2007. He had mange, was quite underweight, and a total space cadet. I kept referring to him as a “blonde,” yes, I am blondish, so I can say that. I guess he was a space cadet because he had been loose for so long that he was used to bounding around the fields with no constraints, no focus, no demands. Hmmm, I could live like that!

A few months of treatment and he was up to weight (working on a couple of extra pounds actually,) and all his fur had grown back in. Now he has a magnificent, thick, shiny rust coat that is the envy of all the other Golden’s in the ‘hood! He is an incredibly smart dog – just took having something to focus on to make a turn around. Duke knows all his basic canine commands and jumps thru hoops, plays dead, crawls, begs, high five’s, shakes, etc. Think he will be good at agility some day! Duke parties with his friends when he goes to doggy day care once a week for a full day of playtime – he plays HARD all day and still wants to go for a walk in the evening – I claim mom privilege that day and can skip walking if I want to!

Despite the energy that is there if needed, he can be a complete vegetable in the morning and loves to lie in the sun and toast for hours in the morning. Duke is just the sweetest guy, loves to play with my son and his teen friends, loves to meet and greet in the cul-de-sac with the other dogs and all the humans. He has, just this weekend, discovered the joy of being on the boat and swimming in the river! Wasn’t totally thrilled at first, but had a ball after about 3 minutes! Thank you Lost Dog for working with us to find a new dog after a tenuous experience with our prior pup!

Dear Lost Dog,

6 1/2 years ago I walked into a Petco and met Nemo, a 90 pound 6 year old Swiss Mountain Dog mix who badly needed a home again. My life hasn't been the same since and all for the better. Nemo is now a 12 1/2 year old dog who got his Canine Good Citizenship and Therapy Dog International certificate at the age of almost 12. He will be competing in the next 6 months in his first Rally competition. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him because of his big personality, heart and soulful eyes and of course because he likes to turn upside down and get a belly rub wherever he is. When I first got him I had limited mobility and he adapted his walk to my gait and he often acted as an unofficial service animal. I couldn't have asked for a better companion and am so grateful to Lost Dog for saving dogs like Nemo who make a wonderful addition to any family but often need more time than a shelter can give them to find the right person. I got such wonderful support from Lost Dog during my adoption all those years ago that set Nemo and I up for success.

Thank you for changing my life!

Brittany,

Just wanted to give you an update on Checkers (renamed Maggie). She is doing really great! She and Lola get along really well and are slowly claiming every soft surface in the house for their frequent naps! She's still not 100% sure she completely trusts us, but she gets more cuddly each day. I attached some pictures of her and Lola (who we also got from Lost Dog almost 3 years ago).

Anyways, just thought you might like to see how she is doing!

Five years ago I adopted Watson from LDCRF - or should I say, he and I adopted each other. He's doing well and a joy.

We adopted Clifford (AKA Dusty) from Fairfax almost two years ago. He was shy but immediately warmed up to us and is wonderful with our two children ages 4 and 3. Clifford loves to run, go for walks, play, and hide his bones. He also enjoys trips to the Adirondacks where he can run and go swimming. Clifford has really come a long way and we are so happy and grateful to have him as a member of our family. Thank you so much for helping us find Clifford and helping him to find his forever home.

Hi Lost Dog!!

Just wanted to update you on Henry (aka Ellis) I adopted Henry back in October at the falls chuch petsmart and it has been a wonderful 7 months!! He is about 10 months old now and loves to cuddle more than any dog I've ever known! He is still quite the bundle of energy. He loves every person he meets. Henry loves his roomate Lucy (my roomate's chocolate lab); she is just the love of his life.

His favorite things are long walks, belly rubs, sunbathing, the dog park, hogging the couch and visiting his grandparents at their lake house....you would think he owned the place. We haven't quite convinced him to go swimming but we'll work on it this summer! It was rough, but Henry is now housetrained and we are working on commands. He sits, stays, comes and just learned to shake. He's still being crated when we're gone since he just seems to love eating most things, especially pants and pens, but doesnt seem to mind his crate luckily. We are going to start obedience classes in a few weeks....wish us luck!!!

Thanks again lost dog for everything you do, I love my little man!!

Message from Amy:

Well, I'd just like to tell everyone at Lost Dog and Cat Rescue that I love my new home and my new humans, because they really love me too. We're a perfect match and I especially love my new pink collar!

Much love and doggie kisses,

Amy

Dear Lost Dog Rescue, I am writing on to update you on my wonderful dog, Otis. It has been two years since I found Otis through Lost Dog Rescue. Then he was a scrappy little dog named Carlos. A lot has changed in two years! We have moved several times, but Otis has adjusted very well to all his new surroundings. Each time we have moved he has made new puppy friends in the neighborhood (which in turn has helped me make some new friends as well!). Otis has also become a very well behaved dog. When I got him two years ago, he was a handful and pretty poor doggie etiquette. We have worked very hard hard with him and he knows far more commands than I ever thought he would be able to learn. His favorite trick is giving high fives to all the kids that come up to him. He catches on to new tricks all the time, too! So who knows what will be around the corner. He has also calmed down quite a bit when meeting and greeting other dogs, and I believe that is because he spends some time at doggie day care and is part of a local flyball team.

Speaking of Flyball, Otis has made great progress since I wrote you last. He was in his first tournament over Memorial Day weekend and earned his FD (flyball dog - 20 points) and his FDX (Flyball dog excellent - 100 point) titles. He L-O-V-E-S flyball and thinks there is nothing better to do in his free time! We have been working with the Beltway Bandits flyball team for a year and a half and finally all that practice paid off! Hopefully he will earn his FDCh title within the next few tournaments. Otis is the best dog I have ever owned!! He is so friendly and happy go lucky! He is always happy to see us when we get home, which makes coming home so rewarding. He is truly enjoying his forever home and is spoiled rotten. I am sending along a picture of him posing with his flyball title ribbons. Thank you so much for giving Otis to me, he is a wonderfully entertaining little dog!

Loki (aka Mushu) is a pure bred Shiba Inu that we adopted from LDCR at the Falls Church Pet Smart in 2006. He is AWESOME! Having researched the breed, we expected him to be more aloof, but he has surprised everyone because he is a total people dog. He is a little territorial with other dogs, but with people he is a total lap dog often draping himself over guests if they sit down. He loves to cuddle and sleep late. The photo is from a pet friendly hotel with a "heavenly bed" that he didn't want to leave. He loves to play fetch and soccer, and picked up the trick of reaching for your hand with his paw to get a pet from his cousin Thor, a rescued Siberian Husky. We can't thank LDCR enough for rescuing Loki for us!

It has been over a year since Oliver (formerly Oscar) joined our family. He is, of course, very handsome and very smart. [insert Oliver_Face.jpg] He is respectful of his big sister Michelle (age 11) and has become the best of buddies with his big (20lb!) brother Rupert, another LDCRF cat. Oliver and Rupert frequently wrestle all over the house and Oliver usually wins.

Most of all, Oliver has developed an absolute fascination with water. He can often be found in sinks, shower stalls, and bathtubs, searching for that elusive drip. Toilets with open lids are not safe, either. In fact, I am fairly certain that, if he could, Oliver would marry kitchen sink faucet

Oliver does have a bit of a temper and will make his displeasure known when we have "spa day" (nail trimmings). Otherwise, he's the relaxed and happy and supremely confident cat that Michelle and Rupert and I adore.

Thank you, Lost Dog and especially Oliver's foster mother Dottie! He is just what we needed to complete our family.

We adopted Maggie almost a month ago in Fairfax. Originally we were only going to foster her, however when we arrived at the event, a number of families were interested in her. We were crushed! The kids were SO upset. My husband and I looked at each other (as if to say are we REALLY ready for this) and said, "We want her!" Thank you, Lost Dog, for taking such great care of Maggie (aka Beatrice) for us until we could be her forever home. Maggie has been such a blessed addition to our family. She is exactly the kind of dog that we always dreamed of having, but never thought we would have. She is so wonderful with the kids (Michael - 9 and Morgan - 6) and is ever so patient with them.

I knew the connection that Maggie and I had right off the bat. She follows me around everywhere! At first, she was really hesitant with Miguel and Michael (I'm thinking some past issues with men), but they both worked with her and loved her up! Maggie now willingly accepts love and affection from ALL of us!

Her favorite activity is sleeping on her comfortable doggie bed and getting those tummy rubs. She walks fine on a leash..UNTIL we meet another dog or she sees a bird! Birds are definitely her trigger!!! We are still in the process of potty training her! We are making progress!!! I'm SO thankful that she came crate trained!! We only had one accident in there (and that was the first night with her).

We have taken her to the dog park in Reston twice. She walks around sniffing everything and totally ignoring the other dogs UNTIL a beagle comes into the park. She absolutely goes WILD with excitement. I laugh every time I see it happen. I had no idea how FAST she ran!!! Those little legs are funny to see moving like the wind! Needless to say we are considering adopting another beagle friend for our loving Maggie.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for having the facilities that you do for lost animals. I will always rescue a dog! It has been the best experience for our family!!!

Rachel wanted a kitty so bad and we must have looked at 100 before I saw little Stuey's fluffy mug and his outstretched baby paw reaching for my glasses. We adopted him that very night (August 2006) and he has been with us almost two years now. Stuart (AKA Rocky) has flourished with Rachel as his mommy and he loves it when Grandma (me) sings "In the Jungle". For some strange reason he is also captivated by Neil Young (the early days). He just sits like a royal cat with his ears held high and listen's to every note. We love Stuart and he picked us even though I saw him first. We were so happy with Lost Dog & Cat that I have them as a "Featured Rescue Group" on our Company Website. Check Out More Stuey pics at our Website: http://home.earthlink.net/~okmememe/

We adopted Flash in May of 2007 and we love him so much! In the beginning, he was a bit skittish around men and loud noises. Now, he is much more comfortable with his home and is a wonderful dog with a sweet, easy-going temperament.

I sometimes wonder why anyone would have ever given Flash up in the past...but, I'm so glad he's with us today. Thank you LDCR for taking care of Flash and helping us find him. Here is a picture of Flash on the deck and also one taken around Christmas 2007.

Hi LDCR! We adopted Abby (aka Hillary) back in 2006 and have adored her ever since! She has been such a great addition to our family and we love her to death! Our other dogs love her as much as we do and the three of them are inseparable. Thank you again for everything!

Greetings

Thanks so much