Letters!!
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
I
read you rescue page quite often and only wish I lived
near enough to adopt one of these beautiful animals. I've
tried to locate a rescue close to us but have been unsuccessful.
Our closest is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and that is
still a long distance. We had to put down our GSD in October
and miss her terribly. Keep up the good work. There are
many of us out here who appreciate it. -- Pat
These are letters
from some of our rescued dogs and their new homes:
(Click on
link to view photo, if any)
From Judy, Mark, Kody
McMurphy & Remo ...
Dear
Marianne,
Thank you for our delightful new pal, Remo, and for your
helpful suggestions on assisting him with his behavior
problems. We just finished week #3 and there has been
much improvement. He is calmer, less prone to tail chasing,
and is responding well to our training efforts. We will
start classes soon. His tail is starting to really heal,
but until a few days ago, he was still able to get at
while his e-collar was off if he got upset enough. We
are fighting against the infection and it looks like we
are winning. Remo also has a new friend at the park, a
Boxer named Murphy. They run, run play, and run some more.
Again, Thanks! for your help.
From Miriam Heilizer &
Stella Luna (Hannah) ...
Dear
Ermone, Steve and Marianne,
Thank you for the pictures of Hannah, who is now called
Stella Luna. After a day of watching her, I was reminded
of a character in a children's book called Stella Luna,
about a fruit bat. Stella's large ears, and her tendency
to chase bugs, made me think of the fruit bat in the story.
She knows her name now, and is learning how to sit, down
and come. Stella has gained 8 pounds and is eating well.
She has round worms, but is getting treated for them.
I found a terrific vet who thinks Stella might have some
Husky or Malamute in her. She is a wonderful dog and is
making many human and canine (and feline) friends. She
barks "Hi" to you.
From Pam, Britt, Zach,
& our GSD's Shaker, Shadow &
"Res-q" (Sparkle) ...
Marianne,
I would like to thank you and those of you who helped
us to adopt the beautiful new addition to our GSD family.
We picked up the adorable three month old puppy on 7/5/00,
the day after my birthday. We waited almost a week from
start to finish to finally bring her home. I am completely
appalled that someone could abandon such a delightful
bundle of joy. She is the perfect new addition to our
GSD family! I would also like to thank Marianne for making
sure I was called as soon as the puppy was available.
We LOVE her and she has been a nonstop joy for us. We
are allowing her to create her own space with our other
GSD's. They are getting along so well that we are so glad
that GSD rescue exists and that we could adopt the new
love of our lives. We will definitely be ready to adopt
another GSD puppy if one becomes available. The GSD internet
site has been a wonderful place to acquire knowledge and
respect for the man's best friend.
From Jennifer and Jim
Watson & Gretchen ...
Marianne,
It has been almost a year since our girl has joined our
family. She is doing wonderful and has adjusted nicely.
If you remember, she was the dog that attacked your ceramic
shepherd statue; well, she is now socialized with our
neighbor dogs and can play with them. We are very proud
parents. Jim and I have some items that we don't need
for Gretchen. We would like to send them to you. Please
let us know and e-mail us the address to send them to
GSD Rescue. Jim and I will keep passing on GSD information
to all our friends and family.
From Carol Krullberg and
Barry ...
Hi
Marianne,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Barry is adapting quite
well. I am so happy with him. He is a very smart cookie.
Mandy, my Golden, is accepting him, but on her terms.
One fight was over a bone that Mandy was not even playing
with. Boy, Kids! We all walk together at one time and
there are no problems. He is so wonderful. I talked with
Connie F. She is happy for Barry and gave me a couple
of other training kennels in case there is a conflict
with schedules. We will be signing up as soon as new classes
start in the Fall. In the meantime, I am working on obedience
refreshers. He know a lot!
From Sherri Grandidier,
from Arkansas & Max ...
Hello,
just a note to let you know that Max is the love of our
life!! We had a little bit of a rough start at first but
now things are great. He loves all the other animals and
the cats and he are starting to get along to some extent.
He was very well worth driving that far to get him!
From the home of Lulu
(Marijo) ...
Lulu
(who used to be Marijo) is just wonderful. It has been
almost a year that I have had her and I wanted to say
thank you for introducing us. Yesterday we met Frannie
in the park. Her owner said that she adopted Frannie from
you. Well, after Lulu was a rescue dog, she has decided
to be a foster sister to pitbulls that I have been fostering
and she has been very supportive of them. She is the greatest
dog (although she does have her special toys that she
will not let them play with). I would have to say, Lulu
is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and
together we have saved 30 lives and 17 of them have found
great homes already. Of course, everyone always asks if
Lulu is for adoption, too. Well, Lulu and I just want
to say hello and thank you. Lulu even went to New York
already for Christmas and had a wonderful time. If you
ever need a follow up check done, please let me know,
I would be happy to help out.
From Kathy McCrea &
Heidi (Winnie) ...
Dear
Marianne,
Winnie (now Heidi) is doing great and is a lovely addition
to our family. She has bonded with "Hawk", our
Rottweiler, and "Millie", our Sheltie mix. She
is not too thrilled with "Annie" who is our
Maltese-poodle mix, but will tolerate her. She likes the
cats and one even sleeps with her in her crate. She is
truly bonded with Steven, my 11 year old son. Heidi is
a wonderful example of a true and proud GSD. My son and
I are volunteering at "Chicago Community Humane Center"
located at 2406 West Lunt by Western Avenue, every other
Sunday. Would you have any room in GSD Rescue for us to
volunteer with your organization as well? I would love
to hear from you regarding this. We are going to start
some obedience work this summer at "Tail Waggers"
which is a couple of blocks from our house. I am looking
forward to that.
From
Robin & Ed O'Hara with Sally &
Riley (Nick) ...
"Photo
was taken at Petmart in Northbrook on 12-12-99.
Both dogs were adopted from GSR."
From
Michelle Herro & Bear ...
"Merry
Christmas to all at German Shepherd Rescue,
I am happy to say that Bear is doing very well
in his new home. He & his sister, Misty, are becoming
the best of friends. She never lets him rest! He is
living life to the fullest with many walks, running
in the yard and has even learned to run along with Misty
while I roller blade! He is doing well on his eye medication
& his eyes seem to be pretty clear.
Here is our Christmas family picture, we hope
it find everyone well. Please let me know if I can help
with anything in Wisconsin."
From
John & Pam Meehan & Jopa (Arbi)
...
"Dear
Marianne,
Jopa is doing quite well here, and we thank
you again for allowing us to adopt him.
He has the run of the fenced in back yard and the house
too. He is quite lovable and protective. A quality we
really like about him.
We wish you much success as you continue to find good
homes for these wonderful dogs."
From
Tom Muir & Daisy ...
"Dear
Marianne,
Enclosed is the rescue tag for Daisy we have
been meaning to return to you along with a recent photograph
of Daisy with one of her favorite toys, The Big Mean
Kitty. As I told you on the phone, Daisy is doing extremely
well and won the 1st place trophy in her obedience class;
a copy of her class diploma and score sheet is also
included. She initially had a severe separation anxiety
which took a month or two for her to get over but she
has since adjusted very comfortably. Daisy loves to
meet new people and other dogs and continues to try
making friends with our cat even though she is subjected
to the rudest cat behavior in return. Within the next
few weeks, we plan on enrolling her in the advanced
training class and to get another rescue dog for Daisy
to spend time and energy with. The addition of Daisy
to the Family has far exceeded anything we could have
imagined and her comical personality keeps us laughing
all the time. You are performing an extraordinarily
valuable service to people and dogs alike. Keep up the
great work."
From
The Bata Family & Sheeba
...
"Dear
Marianne & GSD Rescue,
Here is a recent photo of Sheeba, current Wt.
86 lbs., age 2, adopted 11/98. She is a wonderful
dog. We love her very much. She is protective and obedient
most of the time. She is pictured here with Mom &
Dad & brother Jackson, age 1 1/2 and 110 lbs.
They get along great.
Please
relay this to John & Lynn Callan. I don't have that
address. Thanks again and continued success in your
work with GSD's."
From
Kathy and Ginger ...
"Dear
Marianne,
Ginger is doing quite well in her new home.
She and Gracie have adapted to each other and each knows
their boundaries. Ginger is submissive to everybody
that comes over and lick everyone to death if they didn't
stop her! She has had some obedience work and I started
her refresher work on Monday. We walk in the mornings
before work. She's a little out of shape, so she's tired
after two miles. After work, I take her out for 20-30
minutes of obedience work. She pay attention despite
some of the neighborhood distractions. However, there
are some exceptions: Our cat and the little girls across
the street. I will make this work to my advantage! She
has also stopped messing in the house, (thank goodness!)
Thank you so much for allowing me to take Ginger home.
I am grateful."
From
The Wallace Family and Tasha (Wendy) ...
"Dear
German Shepherd Rescue,
Just a note to let you know that Tasha (Wendy)
is doing very well. She and our other dog Haley are
becoming best friends. Her favorite place to sleep is
on the sofa during the day or in the hallway between
the bedrooms at night! She's becoming more protective
and barks at strangers now that she is more adjusted.
We are so glad that we adopted her! She is so beautiful
now that coat is getting healthier. I hope many more
dogs will be given a second chance like Tasha had to
be adopted through German Shepherd Rescue."
From
Ken and Roseann and Mactavish (Mac)
...
"Hello
German Shepherd Rescue,
Here are some current pictures of Mactavish
(Mac). As you can see he has adapted very well. He is
almost totally off the leash and loves to just hang
in the yard. There is a wetland behind the house and
Mac went swimming twice. He wasn't suppose to!
He usually spend most of the day
under my desk. I am an artist, this card was my drawing.
Thanks again for allowing us to include Mac in our home
and become one of our family. We love him! "
From
Jim & Jennifer Watson & Gretchen ...
"Dear
Marianne,
Thank you for loaning us this collar & leash.
Gretchen has fit into our little family great! We can't
thank you enough for your help. We will be taking her
to Narnia in a few weeks for classes."
From
Karen Francese and Calgary ...
"Dear
Marianne,
Here is a picture of Calgary who I adopted in
April. He is a little over six months now. He is such
a great puppy and companion for both my daughter and
me. We just love him. Calgary's mom is Montreal.
We are looking forward to attending
the German Shepherd Picnic next year!!"
From
Martha and Ken Pautz and Ariel ...
"Dear
Marianne,
Hello there, got your
newsletter and wanted to say that someone is doing a
super job with the printing and content.
We wanted to let you know that
we are so pleased with Ariel. She is one of the best
dogs we have ever had and we've had a number of them.
Even though our yard is not
completely fenced, she knows her boundaries. She lays
at the back corner of our house and guards against "Taco
Bell Yapper" from next door. He's the only thing
that upsets her and I'm sure she'd like him for a snack!
Our four grandsons come over, ages
10, 5, 4, and just turned terrible two! If she gets
tired of the attention, she just goes in the other room.
Ken took her with him in the
RV to Illinois Beach Park a number of times this summer.
She loved going for walks and smelling all those new,
unfamiliar smells. She also talks, tells us when she
wants to out or come in. I was reading and she came
over to me. I said "go tell Ken" and I'll
be darned she didn't go over to the computer and tell
him. Scary, isn't it?
Thank you and keep up the good work."
From
The Winston Family and Luna (Stormy)
...
"Dear
Marianne,
Jack and I adopted Luna (Stormy) on August 12, 1998.
We just want to let you know how she is doing. Luna
is a wonderful, smart dog. She loves to go camping and
swimming with us. She likes running on the beach and
digging big holes in the sand. She sleeps on her back
not her belly. We haven't figured that one out yet.
Luna talks to you, she doesn't bark. Our kids David
and Amanda lover her very much. They feed her and play
with her everyday. We jus adopted a kitten and Luna
considers it her own. We named the kitten "Meowzer".
They play together all the time. Luna gives him a bath
every morning. Luna also gets along so will with other
dogs. My family and I would like to say thank you so
much for wonderful Luna. We could not have asked for
a better German Shepherd Dog."
From
David and Linda Butler and Rob Roy (Bob) ...
"Dear
Marianne,
Just a little note to let you know how well Rob Roy
(formerly BOB) is doing. It's been over two weeks
and our other shepherd has finally accepted him even
though she still insists on being alpha for ALL the
pets, Rob included. He seems to think it's OK.
Rob went to the vet and was negative for heartworm,
so I started him on pills right away. Also, thanks
for the rabies shot verification. We took him
to be groomed on Saturday morning and he came back even
more beautiful! We are so lucky to have him come
to live at our house and be a part of our family!
Our heartfelt thanks go out to you and the other wonderful
people of the German Shepherd Breed Rescue."
From
Patricia B. Harding & Kip (Stormy) ...
"Dear
Marianne,
The shepherd your called stormy, that I renamed Kip
is doing nicely. She is well behaved and likes
her new surroundings. She has become glued to
me! She is a bit aggressive with people who come
to the door, but that makes her a good watchdog.
I am glad to have her."
From
Denise Deluca & Cheyenne ...
"Dear
Marianne,
I thought you might enjoy some pictures of Cheyenne
(& Caileigh). I also sent them to Diane &
Andrea (per their request). Cheyenne is doing
well considering all she has been through. Caileigh
is an excellent mentor because she is so sweet, sociable,
calm & listens well. Cheyenne takes all of
her cues from Caileigh so it works out well. She's
coming along slowly but surely in the 'trust' department.
Otherwise, she's working out well. She's
house trained (follows Caileigh's example), doesn't
excessively bark (only when Caileigh does), & isn't
destructive. We're working on getting her to
play with toys since she doesn't understand what to
do with them (so sad). Hope you enjoy the update
on & pictures of Cheyenne!"
Cheyenne
was a brood bitch at a puppy mill. She was extremely
shy, submissive and fearful when she came to our group.
Through the efforts of her foster home and now her new
family, Cheyenne is learning that not all people are
bad and that there is more to life than a crate and
producing puppies - life can be fun!
From
Gretta (Poohbear)...
"Christmas
1998...
Dear Maribeth and Friends at German Shepherd Rescue,
I'm sorry this card's so late, but I've been so busy,
enjoying my new house and getting ready for Christmas.
I've already started holiday eating and am pushing 70
lbs. But I keep fit with long walks at least
twice a day. I really enjoy taking rides in the
car (see enclosed photo). I figure I'll be ready
for the driver's test in spring. Last week, we
went to Scrubbers, the local dog wash, for my holiday
hair-do. I got a new Christmas scarf to wear home.
My favorite holiday toy is a red rubber stocking that
squeaks. I take it everywhere with me and will
gladly chase it - or a ball or my teddy - whenever they
are thrown. Don't tell Mary Ann or Elaine, but
sometimes when they're not home, I climb on the couch
or the bed and relax in comfort. They think I'm
good because I never get on the furniture when they're
home. The only clue I've left so far was the
pecan pie I stole from the kitchen counter and brought
up to the bedroom to eat in bed. But they got
home before I could finish it! They think I'm
so cute, tho, I think I'll get lots of Christmas presents.
And speaking of presents, here's one for my friends
at GSR - just to say thanks for finding me this great
home. Love, Gretta"
From
Victoria Mackay and Tova ...
"This
letter is to personally thank you for finding Tova (Blitzen)
for me. She is an absolutely outstanding German
Shepherd. It is obvious to me that her previous
owners did not understand that she is a working dog.
She responds quickly to enthusiasm and praise.
She has become a very happy dog, excelling in both obedience
and agility, indoors and out. I will be testing
her herding instinct and trying tracking and flyball
when we find the time. (She loves those tennis
balls!) ... I don't think I could ever by a puppy.
It is far too gratifying to see the transformation in
rescue dogs who learn to trust people and life again.
The first time I told Tova she was a good dog, there
was a flash of delight in her eyes that can never be
repeated or duplicated. She is a truly wonderful
companion to me and my other Shepherd, Shayna."
Tova
, Shayna, and Victoria are currently members of the
Classic K-9 Performers and recently performed at the
Windy City Pet Expo this past October at the Odeum in
Villa Park. Both dogs took FIRST
PLACE in their divisions in the agility races!!
Way to go!!
From
Alicia Stansfield and Zoro ...
"Just
a note to let you know how much we love "Bubba",
who now answers to Zoro because of his beautiful mask
... Zoro is an especially kind, affectionate and curious
dog and we love him very much. He can't wait to
show you his new home!"
We
thank Alicia for her generous donations to GSD Breed
Rescue, Inc. as well.
From
Liz Marcisz and Midnite ...
"Midnite
is doing quite well. He is up to 80 pounds and
he looks and acts very healthy. He seems to be
very well adjusted to his new environment ... I think
he is enjoying us too. He smiles a lot."
From
Jeff Klesky and Shamus ...
"I
want to thank you for my new pooch, Shamus. We
are getting along great ... He is a very smart dog.
That is why I love this breed."
From
Sandy and Peter ...
"Peter
and I thank you for the great "match making".
There absolutely coundn't be a better dog for me.
Peter also seems very happy and content ... The cats
are also accepting him."
|