| Harley |
| This special boy came to us on Dec 5 2009--he is just the best thing ever, he just loves everyone, people, other dogs and cats AND CHILDREN. He is 7 yrs old and so smart, what a joy to have him in our life, this week, we are camping with him for the first time, he has taken over the fifth wheel and insists on going for a walk 4 or 5 times a day, he must check out all the campsites and has several furry friends throughout the campground--this dog LOVES TO RIDE IN A CAR OR TRUCK, does not care where we are going--just loves the ride!
We are so pleased with the foster family that had him--Lois Armstrong is THE BEST. Harley LIVES TO EAT--he surely loves people food, but that is a no no in our house, he was about 30 pounds when he came into the system, when we got him he had trimmed down to 19--he is now down to 18--the vet is very pleased with him. His bio certainly was NOT as trajic as many in the rescue system, but we just wanted to let everyone know that Harley has also had a happy ending, hopefully we will have many more memories with this special pet--we are truely thankful that the previous owner got him out of harm's way. |
| Patricia Caudel |
| contributed July 2010 |
| Heidi |
 I just received Heidi (the artist formerly known as Sapphire) on Sunday after her long trip to Minnesota. I just wanted to say thanks to the vet that took care of her in Tell City, IN and to all the volunteers that helped to get her here. Luckily it is not too cold here yet...the poor dear will be in for a shock when she has to go out to potty and its 50 below! But I have had dachshunds for about 20 years and they do adapt. They are not outside much anyway. She has a big brother Sam here who is a small red standard and 14 years old. She is a mini (very tiny and sweet and adorable) black and tan. She is a tad thin but otherwise my vet said she is a-ok. She is guessed to be between 2 and 3 but she acts like a 2 month old pup. Loves to play, wrestle, attack me like she's a cat, barks at herself in the mirror, and gives everyone kisses. She loves everyone even kids. But NOT cats. She's all tough when my cats are ten feet away but if I put her close she goes limp. When she is kind of scared or overwhelmed she gets limp like she is going to pass out. Such a goofy girl. I forget that everything is new to her so she ran her head into a glass door yesterday. Maybe she needs a helmet. LOL She is being very spoiled with new clothes and toys and sleeps curled up next to me. She wakes up a couple times in the night to chew my face and see if I am awake (I'M NOT) and then goes back to sleep. We are working on potty training.
Obviously I am very happy with her and I strongly recommend adopting an adult dachshund. When I buy a house I will be getting another one! |
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| Heidi Loses Weight, Gains Love |
In September 2003, DRNA had an adoption listing for a very, very fat dachshund named Heidi (photo left). It read in part ..."Heidi is a tragic case of what happens to a dachshund when the owners thinks food = love. She is so overweight that her belly drags the ground and her rear legs struggle to walk even 3 or 4 feet. If she doesn't lose the weight, she will die an early death. If you can help this sad, pathetic girl, please complete an application." Jill from DRNA told us that when she first saw Heidi, she thought 'We're going to have this one for a very long time.'
After discussing it for a while my wife and I decided to adopt Heidi. We had learned a lesson with our own first dachshund, Odie, who had gotten fat (but nothing like this!) and whom we had been able to slim down. With that experience, and having three other dogs to keep her busy, we thought we could help Heidi and arranged to adopt her. She was even fatter than she'd looked in the picture, and every bit as sad. It was difficult to pick her up because she was like a giant ball of dough. She was so fat that DRNA couldn't tell us for sure if she'd been spayed. When we got her she weighed 31 1/2 pounds, and when she lumbered from one room to the next it was an event because you weren't sure if she'd make it. A few weeks after we got her home we learned that she has occasional epileptic seizures. The first time it happened we'd never seen such a thing and thought she was dying but it turned out to be a seizure. She now gets a tiny phenobarbitol pill in the morning and one at night (with her food) and the seizures have dropped from two a week to maybe one every two or three weeks, and are not as severe. It's not a big thing; we hadn't had a dog with epilepsy before but apparently it's not that uncommon. It took us only a few months of healthy feeding (quality dry dogfood with lowered calories, very few table scraps - just an occasional taste) to get Heidi losing weight. From 33 pounds at time of rescue, 31 1/2 pounds shortly after we got her, she has reduced to about 20 1/2 pounds now. She not only walks, she runs. (Maybe somewhat like a cow but she runs!) She's alert and happy, she likes attention and she's enjoying life, perhaps more this way than just living to be fed constantly. See the pictures of her before and after her dramatic weight loss. Heidi loves to lay out in the yard on sunny days, something I don't think she was ever able to do when she was too fat to walk. She lays in the sun and sniffs the air and she's content to do that for an hour at a time. My wife and I hoped we could contact Heidi's former 'person' to send her a couple of pictures and to let her know her girl is happy and healthy, but apparently it's not been possible to locate the woman, who is in a nursing home if she's even still alive. We know she'd be relieved to see how well Heidi is doing. Heidi is a very sweet and gentle girl, she doesn't have the greatest eyesight (though she can see), and she's got a voice like a saxophone blast - she uses it to wake us up at 5 or 6:00 am most days, demanding to be fed and to go "out". We're very lucky to have her and we hope she stays healthy as she is now, for a long time to come. Update July 23, 2006: We've had Heidi for almost three years now and I thought I'd send a progress note. 
She's still fine! Her weight, which was 33 when DRNA got her and 31 when we adopted her, is holding steady about 21 pounds. Her health is good. She does apparently have epilepsy and has occasional seizures, so we keep her on phenobarbitol which cuts the seizures by about 3/4. Her eyesight was probably never too good in the time we've had her but I'd say it has gotten worse. We are fairly sure she can see, but not well at all. She knows her way around and does fine.
Today she wanted to go outside (as usual) and relax in the yard, taking in the smells and possibly the sights. One thing for sure, this girl has a sense of smell that is acute! So all is well, Heidi is having a very happy life and doing fine. Here are a couple pictures which I just took this afternoon. That is a little fatty tumor on her back, I think, nothing that has ever caused her any problems. Her face is getting a little white, as you'd expect when a dog gets to be about 13 or so. Hopefully she'll be with us a long time yet. |
| Russell and Janet Spreeman
La Porte, IN |
| Contributed January 2005, Updated July 2006 |
| Heidi Ho Ho |
 Heidi Ho Ho has come a lot further than from South Carolina to Toronto, Canada.
Abandoned on a lonely country road, cold, hungry, feet bleeding from dragging herself over the rough ground, today Heidi Ho Ho rides in style in her "Pink Cadillac". Her story is a true Cinderella tail with a DRNA fairy godmother, a pink coach to ride in and a doxie Prince Charming to love and protect her. Heidi's back injury pre-dates her rescue story. When she was not claimed, the shelter wanted to kill her: after all, no one would want a paralyzed dog. Enter a DRNA fairy godmother who recognized that Heidi was a special girl, not just a special needs girl. She fostered Heidi, knowing it could take up to a year to find the right home for her. Seven months later, volunteers helped to transport Heidi to her forever home where she met and immediately bonded with her Prince Charming, Valentin, another rescued doxie. Heidi Ho Ho, Valentin and I cannot thank DRNA and their supporters enough for all that went into bringing this darling girl into our family. And they all lived happily ever after... |
| Sincerely, Margaret Blackman |
| contributed June 2006 |
| Heidi and Chloe |
 Heidi came to me in Nov 1999 as a companion for my older (rescued from a pound) dachshund Sam who is now 16. But she soon proved too energetic for someone well into retirement , so I decided to get another girl Heidi's age. Chloe came to me in Nov of 2000. This photo was taken in Dec 2001 and they are both about 5 now. They are puppy mill rescues and very happy to never have to be in a cage again. I bought a house with a huge back yard that is wooded so they have room to hunt and run. Of course when it's cold they won't go more than 2 feet from the house.
They have both learned to respect Sam (the old man) and my two cats ( that are bigger than they are) and have adjusted to my life style very well. When I want to relax they sit with me. When I want to walk they love that too. They also enjoy boating, fishing and camping. Chloe is still very over protective of her toys but I just make sure she has plenty. Squeakers are their favorite. They all snuggle with me at night and will never have to spend a minute in a cage or a kennel the rest of their lives. They were both older dogs (3 and 4) when I got them but I MUCH prefer that to trying to deal with a small chewing, peeing puppy. Heidi and Chloe are the best! I will probably be adopting again some day. Thanks to all the volunteers that helped get them to me from other states. |
| Wanda Zodrow |
| Heidi and Max |
 I just wanted to say thanks to DRNA for rescuing these two sweeties. Heidi is the red dachs/jack russell mix (or "Jack-in-the-dox" as I call her), and Max is the black and tan. In the pic they are enjoying a sunny spot on the carpet.
Heidi had a day left in a high kill shelter south of Atlanta, GA when I picked her up on behalf of DRNA and adopted her in July of 2001. She was a skinny, frightened 9-month-old pup, but quickly came out of her shell to become the feisty, playful girl we love so much. It's almost like she knows she got a second chance and plans on living every second of it with joy! Max came along a year later from DRNA as a companion for Heidi, who is full of life and needed a doggie pal. Max had been in a shelter in south GA, I was told, and has a crooked tail and a couple of scars. We can't imagine what happened to him in his previous life, but he is a pampered pet now. Heidi and Max are like peas and carrots, even though I was told DRNA had a hard time placing Max because he didn't "play well with others". But he loves his Heidi, and is my little cuddlebug. These two are about 5 years old now and the joy of my husband's and my life. They are very different personalities; Heidi is crazy and Max is very laid back. But they balance each other out...Max calms Heidi down, and she stirs him up! They are always doing something crazy and giving us a good laugh. I can't imagine life without them. |
| Thanks again, DRNA, for all the good work you do... Elisabeth Eickhoff Sugar Hill, GA |
| contributed December 2006 |
| Hellmann |
 Hi there - my Hellmann is a double dapple, born we think on April 1st, 2004. It was April Fool's for him because he is certainly special needs - has very small eyes that the opthamologist thinks don't work too well - he also has some hearing impairment. I rescued him on Aug 2nd last year and it has been a fabulous experience. What a precious pup - but strong willed??!! Although I think there's some Jack Russell in there somewhere, he's got a 100% pure doxie temperment! The photo was taken at the CDR doxie picnic last summer.
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| Cathy Pearson Richmond Hill, Canada |
| contributed January 2005 |
| Henry |
 My name is Henry.....I came to live with my forever home after having a pretty hard life. As most of you read on my adoption ad, I lived with a hoarder until the county and my foster parents moved me and five other dogs to their house in Columbia, SC. I was in pretty bad shape......malnutritioned, had heart worms, some bad teeth, and my ears had been chewed on and looked like puzzle pieces. Luckily, the DRNA and my foster parents found me a forever home. I am now officially Henry J. Brady but sometimes my forever parents call me Henrycakes, Dancin' Henry, GOOEY, the goo, and angel dog. Life here is good....I've gained weight, I'm officially heartworm free, and I'm actually growing.
My new vet friend says this is very normal for dogs who have been malnutrioned in the past. I have a new brother, Ted, who is about the same age as me and who was here long before I came. He was very nice to me from the start and shared all of his toys with me. We love each other very much and spend a lot of our spare time surveying the yard for squirrels, butterflies, and lizards. We also like to play a game where we steal the stuffed squirrel from one another and run! Another thing that I get to do at my new forever home is to take naps in the bed every morning after I get up and every evening before I have to go to crate - my mom rubs my tummy and it feels so good. I like the laid back atmosphere here and I spend a lot of time napping in the sun. My forever parents think its neat that I can wrap up into such a small ball. I've noticed too that I like to dance and smile a lot. My forever parents sing for me and I just can't help but to start dancing.....Thank you DRNA from all of us! |
| Henry J. Brady along with Jon, Cindy, and Ted |
| contributed Sept. 2005 |
| Henry, Teddy and Stanley |
 It’s My Three Sons all over again! What handsome and happy hundies they are now, but it wasn’t always this way for them. We decided to adopt Henry, the red smooth Yankees fan (formerly known as Elf) because he was one hard luck little dog looking for a break…from back injury, to surgery, to months of crating and then heart worm, this spunky little guy had been there and done it all in his three short years. Still a wobbly dog, we welcomed him and haven’t looked back. Within weeks, we realized he needed another guy his own size as a partner in his hundie high jinx…and that was Teddy, (formerly Sam), the black smooth Knicks fanatic with the stylish mustache and cool, calm unruffled demeanor to offset Henry the brat. Himself a recovered back injury dog that was shuffled around endlessly, Henry & Teddy bonded instantly, both to us and to each other. They began to lose weight and gain strength with their toy tussles in the backyard and walks through the neighborhood. They learned to use their ramps and not to jump on furniture. That is until that maniac Mets fan, Stanley (aka Kuby) the black/tan dapple with his puppy-like personality and endless kisses came onto the scene to round out this threesome of high-spirited hounds. Henry got his lucky break, Teddy got his forever home and Stanley got two big brothers to nag at and love on. How much happier can you have it?
From the bottom of our hearts and the bottomless pit of doxie kisses, special thanks to Aunties Pam and Peg without whom none of this would have happened and to all of you in DRNA, thank you for our beautiful boys!! |
| Sincerely, Kathryn and Steven |
| contributed June 2008 |
| Hercules |
 Sorry that it's taken me so long to answer, but I've been busy with Sir Hercules. We've been to the vet, gotten our stitches out, and been bonding. First off, we spent the first three days and nights throwing up the most godawful things you can imagine. I'm not sure how or where, but he had eaten garbage (most things weren't identifiable, and the ones that were were horrible!) So I slept on the floor with him so he wouldn't get upset and try to hide every time he made a mess. We're past that, he's eaten chicken and rice to try to finish calming down his tummy. The poor little guy, he's had quite a time. Of course, all the throwing up did nasty things to his stitches. That is completely healed now.
I have to say, he is the perfect gentleman. He is completely housetrained, sleeps on my feet in the bed under the covers, does everything that Princess tells him to do and chases chipmunks and squirrels in the yard. He obviously had a very loving home at some time in his life. He was sent to me I'm sure as we are best buddies now. Thank you so much for the work that you do with the dogs and saving him for me. I'll write every so often and keep you updated. By the way, he is extremely intelligent also. |
| Sincerely, Vicki |
| contributed September 2004 |
| Hildie |
 Hi all! Hildie here(with some help from my Daddy).
I was on the DRNA and petfinder sites since November, and now I realize the wait was worth it! My Forever Home Daddy drove over 300 miles to meet my Foster Mama, Lisa, and take me home. It's only been a few days and nights, but it's really nice to have the complete and total attention of a Mommy and Daddy ALL FOR ME! They love when I give them kisses, so I don't stop until they put their hands up over their mouths and make a raspberry sound! If they are petting me and they dare to stop, I nudge their arms to remind them that I'm still here and am so soft that they should never stop stroking my fur! I have this HUGE pink comforter that takes up the entire living room couch, which I sleep on everynight so far with my Daddy, and nap on during the afternoons with my Mommy. I also have this pretty pink "Princess" bed in the kitchen that I nap in whenever anyone is eating or not home. They say that we'll be moving soon, and that I'll have more space to run around and play inside, but a smaller yard outside, which is okay with me, because I really don't like to spend more time outside than I have to to "do my business". And even though Daddy will be living somewhere else, he has promised to come and spend time with me EVERYDAY at Mommy's new house. Oh, and he gets kindof weird with me referring to him as my Daddy, since my Mommy is also his Mommy, but he laughs it off once I give him my "Please Daddy?" look! 
I want to thank my Foster Mama, Lisa, for taking such good care of me for those months that I was at Wein Acres, and thank Pablo for loaning me his harness/coat for the ride to meet my Daddy. I miss you all, but am very happy and very loved in my Forever Home. Whenever I look at my Mommy or Daddy, they are always smiling at me and praising me! I am truly spoiled, but in that REALLY good way that EVERY Dachsie deserves to be! |
| Hildie Anderson (with typing assistant Rob Nimmo) |
| contributed March 2007 |
| Hoagie |
| My name is Hoagie(it was Zeus before I was adopted) and I sure look like a Hoagie. Guess I hit the jackpot with a cocker spaniel named Lil Miss and two cats, Hummer and Snoopy. My Mom and all her friends think I am about the cutest thing around and some of them think Mom has spoiled me. Of course I only think I am getting my due since I had a rough life earlier. Mom has bought me several chew toys and I love to sleep with them - under the covers on Mom's bed of course. Snoopy sleeps on top of the covers so that doesn't bother me. One thing I don't like is thunder. I sit on Mom's lap and shake during the storms. I just don't like the nosie. By the way, my Mom is a pet sitter so she goes out and gives other guys love each day but she always has lots left for me and my siblings when she gets home. I'm lucky to have found such a good home and hope the rest of those guys get the same.
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| contributed July 2005 |
| Holly |
 My husband and I adopted Holly in July 2005. We had just lost our 2 mini doxie sisters to illness in May and were trying to come to terms with an empty house and no doggies to love. By chance I found the DRNA web page and was amazed as I knew nothing about it. Needless to say, it didn't take long to find a black tweenie doxie who needed a home and was currently living with foster Mom Libby in NC. We corresponded and I learned a lot more about Holly and she sounded wonderful. She had had a rough start in life until she ended up at a Georgia animal shelter - they contacted DRNA and Holly got a second chance in life. We made up our mind to adopt her & started the procedure in motion. I filled out all the papers, gave references, had a home inspection and then got the magic phone call saying Holly would be brought to Fredericksburg on a Saturday in July and would we meer her there. Would we!! We flew down there, excited and nervous about mee ting the newest member of our family and had dinner and waited for THE phone call to say she was there. Finally, Louise called us & I was a bundle of nerves as we drove to meet her. Then Yolanda drove up & we met her too as well as Louise and Miss Holly made her appearance - we fell in love with her immediately and posed for a picture all together & then we took her home. She was very nervous and jumpy for a few months & wary of my husband (perhaps she had a bad experience with a male), but eventually he won her over with loads of love, belly rubs, biscuits and walks every day. It's almost a year now and we love her so much - she has made our house her home and taken over of course, including my husband's recliner which she allows him to share. She is such a loving affectionate little girl and like other DRNA adoptive parents, we can't imagine anyone giving her up. Holly has definitely found her forever home and we've found a loving happy little girl. |
| Thank you a thousand times DRNA volunteers. Pamela & Frank Rollins Centreville, VA |
| contributed July 2007 |
| Hope |
 Hope was in an Atlanta area shelter and when she was taken out she was so weak she couldn't walk under her own power. It took several weeks of intensive care to bring her back literally from the brink of death with a combination of traditional vet care and holistic methods. The transformation is amazing. She has all of her hair back and she runs! This is a dog that surely would have been put down. This email was written by David Fairley in February of 1999 to DRNA President, Jill Blasdel. David had just adopted Hope. I've had her about 6 months now, and I have to say that I would never give her up at this point. She has turned out to be the best, friendliest dog (my first one), and a real handful.
My vet says that she is at least 10 years old, has been well cared for most of her life until she was out on the streets before she came to the shelter, and is obviously paper and crate trained. She is at her ideal weight of 11 1/2 pounds, her fur has grown back, and she looks in general a completely different dog fron the one I took in. While her exact age can't be told accurately, she has a tremendous amount of energy, and demands constant attention. She is a LOUD barker, too much sometimes, but she does well when I am home enough. She has her own room to stay in while I am at work, my study, but loves to explore the house when I let her out. She tries all the time to go down the stairs, so I have had to put a gate there to prevent her, since I have looked for here more than once upstairs, and looked downstairs to see a little red flash go by! Hope has taken over the house. I already had two cats. Maggie has always been very good with dogs, and is a very calm cat. When she sees Hope, she will just try to give her a wide berth, since Hope will try to play with her by snapping at her tail! In fun, of course. Buster my cat who is very good and outweighs Hope by at least 8 pounds, will avoid her by staying out of a room she is in, or staying on a tall piece of furniture. 
Overall, they get along well enough, though I have noticed that while she does very well with people, she will try to snap at most other dogs she comes in contact with, which includes Trish's Barney and Thelma Lou. I don't think she is being nasty, but she wants to be the dominant one. Other things about her include the fact that she has had puppies, has been fixed, but has only 3 nipples, not as a result of surgery as far as we have been able to tell. If she lies on her back, her front legs start to vibrate very fast. She is truly obnoxious and aggressive about begging for food, so I just have to make sure she is in another room when I eat, but she does get leftovers. She walks with a stiff gait in her back legs, but can she run! As I said, she knows what the newspaper is for, but I'm grateful I have wood floors. Overall she is healthy. There is a lump behind her right front leg the vet is keeping an eye on, but it has not changed, and he says it may just be a fatty deposit. There are a couple of minor things which are results of age, but nothing she cannot live perfectly well with. She is still eating the seameal when she gets canned food. I believe that that stuff has made a huge difference (what's in it, amphetamines?), and I want to get her started on that glucosamine stuff a lot of people use for their pet's joints.
Hope has turned out to be really neat little dog, and everybody who has seen her says the same. I feel like she has been with me for a longer time than she has, and look forward to living with her for years. |
