Cody was found near a dumpster on Valentine's Day, 2001. It was cold and snowy and luckily it appeared that he had not been left there too long. A rescue group near Lancaster, OH (Forgotten 4-paws), sponsored him as the daughter-in-law of the lady that found him fostered him. I got him when he was 3 months old. Now, at six+ years, and 135 pounds, he is a truly wonderful, gentle giant. He is still very much a "puppy face" boy and gets his feelings hurt if you yell at him!

I saw Ally on the internet. She is a duplicate of one of my past dogs (a true friend), Tuxedo. When I phoned the shelter I was told she was found as a stray (had been roaming about 5 months near some farms and one farmer phoned her in because it was getting so cold outside) and was due to be euthanized in 4 days. So, I set out on a 3 hour drive to go spring her. Note that the first photo was from the shelter, the second photo taken one month after she was with me. She's a smart girl, but still has issues with being alone.

Rita was a breeder dog at a puppy mill. She was kept in a cat carrier in an inside bedroom (with about 35 other dogs). She was in horrible shape when I got her. Internal cysts, her teeth were the worst that I have ever seen. She had parts of her gums literally eaten away by infection. She was in a false pregnancy. It took her nearly 3 months to be able to stand to go outside due to the tenderness of her eyes - never having seen daylight! It's truly pitiful how people can treat living, breathing creatures in such ways simply to make money. But Rita is a rehabilitated miracle. Truly it took about 3 years for her to recover from such a horrible fate. It has been one of the most rewarding feelings in my life to see her go from where she began to where she is now emotionally and physically.

Chico was born in a puppy mill in Missouri (he has papers). A lady purchased him from a Petland and a few months later purchased a female LHC (Long Haired Chihuahua) as well, with the intent of breeding them. When they wouldn't breed, she took them back to the pet store (this was 2 years later). The pet store took them back and reduced the price to $100 for the pair. Luckily a friend of mine puchased them in fear that a backyard breeder would get ahold of them and make money off of their misery. So I placed the female dog with a loving elderly couple (Raina, and she's doing wonderfully 3 years later). I ended up keeping Chico as he was the first dog that Margarita (see her profile separately) had ever initiated play. Now Chico and Rita are the best of buds. He is one of the most social dogs I have ever met. He loves people! But amazingly, we travel to pet stores all over and he loves to go in, except the one from where he came. I don't frequent Petland, as I don't like to spend my money where they house puppy mill dogs for sale. However, every once in a great while they will have a coupon for a free item. Being a rescuer, I take advantage of anything free, so I took Chico in there twice and both times he has literally "freaked out". I don't know if he actually remembers the place, or if it just has a smell of the other dogs being in distress. Who knows????