We just wanted to let you know how Trixie was going. We adopted her after you rang us when we put an expression of interest in about adopting a small dog. She was only with you over night as we fell in love with her as soon as we saw her. She has fitted in here really well. She runs the house; my kids just love her.

She is a real inside girl. She is totally spoilt rotten as you can see. Anyway I just wanted to say thanks for our girl and keep up the good work. Thankyou Nicky and the girls.

You may recall the puppy the family and I collected refered to as Kane, that was until the little people wanted to call him dog which in hebrew is Kaleb so he is now Kaleb. Why I enrolled him in puppy school I have no idea; he has never undertaken a naughty task intently. He is so perfect it is hard to comprehend why he was given. Initially he was extremelly uncomfortable with every aspect of his new environment, from leaving the shelter, to getting in the car, to getting out of the car, to entering the house, to going in the backyard, that has now changed. We all often wander who is in control. He dominates the couch, has full control of the back door, selects with demur which bed he will rest his weary head upon and lies to each of us to maximise his walking opportunities. I do sincerly often question who the leader of the pack is, and I dont ever think he considers this at all.

Health wise he is very good, his little legs are a little too little for his body, based upon his breed mix (not his weight) and he tires quickly if run too fast or walked too long, which for myself being more of a stroller is very suitable.

He seems to comprehend when to interact and when to just smile nicely; he loves to play and has ample toys that are rotated for entertainment sake; his only down fall that we undertake not frequently enough probably is the dreaded bath; somehow we do manage.
Overall I believe Kaleb is very content, we love him dearly and all is happy.

PS we celebrated his birthday in August so he is over 12 months now.

As unbelievable as it is, it's been already over 2 years that we took Rusty home (in July 2005).

He was 9 months back then if I remember well - still a big pup, with no side teeth yet. He was found as a stray and spent a month at AAPS. Someone adopted him before us but he got shipped back to the pound 3 days later. And then came we...

He needed some training initially (he didn't even tolerate the leash very well), but we got help from the Southside Dog School ( http://www.southsidedogschool.org) where we enrolled him straight away, as well as from our groomer Suzie and her dog trainer friend, Alison. So we got through those initial hurdles and then all got settled.

Rusty is a very keen learner, and he loves clicker training (and his treats of course). He is an adult now but still very playful - he would do anything for a ball game. Since then our daughter was born (she's 8 months now), and Rusty's been really good with that big change as well. He's very adaptable, and quickly learned that the baby's room and toys are off limits for him.

I remember how happy he was when we came home from the hospital (my mum was looking after him in the meantime). I was very tired initially and couldn't walk for 2-3 weeks after the birth, and every time I rested he sat next to the bed and kept me company. Although he was (and still can be) a bit wild and very active, he seemed to have turned into a bit of a lapdog these days.

Pets are great, and I hope that all those animals you are looking after will find a caring home eventually. Keep up the good work!

I can't believe it has been nearly 12 months since Max ("Little Vulture") first came to stay with us. He is such a joy and the two boys get on famously. They hate being apart.
I know there were initial concerns about him being with kids but you can rest easy as he is the most gentle little feller and kids love him. We have just been back to Queenscliff and Maxy even ventured into the water this time. He is so trusting of us now and knows that he will never be hurt again. He used to move any time we came near him if he was resting on the floor but now we have to just step over him as to doesn't want to move out of the way.

Here are the long awaited photos and I have included one we took when he first came so you would know which one he was.

Nicky, you guys at Keysborough are doing the best job and we are so grateful because the two boys can't stand to be separated and I can't imagine my life without them both. They kiss each other and play together so much I don't know how I have found the time to send this to you as they keep me busy.

Cheers and keep looking after all of those other little tikes that need a good home.

Thought it was about time I gave you an update on Billy (aka Billychips, Chippy, Chipsicle, Easter bilby)!

It's been almost a year since I adopted the 2 year old big boof head, and I could not imagine my life without him.

It took him around 6 months to adjust to his new life, however he took an instant shine to his new little brother (the feeling wasn't mutual though). He's now realised that being an indoor cat has many more benifits in comparison to being an outdoor cat.

He's always keen on a pat and will quite happily headbutt you til the cows come home. If he wants to get under the doona to snuggle, he'll let you know by waking you up with a single claw in the back, or if you're unlucky enough, up your nose!

He has the grace and co-ordination of a newborn calf, and makes and almighty thump when jumping off things. You can hear him stomp down the hallway so you know he's on his way for a cuddle, but when it's food time ... it's like a roaring stampede.

I'm pretty sure Billy is in some way mentally disturbed. He sees invisible demons and tries to capture and kill the evil dish sponge.... as pictured.

Billy and his little brother are the source of many laughs, snuggles, kisses and dead pot plants. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Thanks for bringing Billy into my life! Beth

My husband was looking at your site this evening for nostalgic reasons and noticed that you are inviting people to send details of successful adoptions.

I would like to tell you about Roxanne, who we adopted on 16 October 1999.

We got her 8 years ago when I was at a particularly dark point.

I was at first resistant to get a dog because I am allergic to nearly every type of animal alive, but the hubby and kids were keen so I agreed that as long as we got a dog that could stay outside then it should be fine.

Peter and the boys went to the local animal shelter and decided to get Roxanne because of the indication on her cage that if she was not adopted soon then her time would be up. They were told that she was a 7-8 year old dog who had lived with an elderly couple who were no longer able to care for her.

She apparently spent the trip home nuzzling and licking them, seeming to be enormously grateful for being rescued.

When they brought her home I am sorry to say that at first I was disappointed. She was an old dog (the week later our vet told us she was definitely 8 because of the state of her teeth) which I took to mean that we'd be lucky to have her with us for just a few years. She was also a bit bigger than I'd hoped for - which I assumed meant that she would not want to be cuddled - and she had bristly fur making stroking and cuddling superficially prickly.

Rox stayed outside for the first few days but spent most of her time at the back door looking at us with sad eyes. As our back room has vinyl flooring I agreed to her coming into that part of the house, but definitely not onto the carpets. On vinyl her fur and skin cells could be easily swept up reducing my allergy risk.

After about a week I discovered that as long as I stopped her from licking me I was actually able to be with her without sneezing or getting wheezy. Somehow I seemed to have developed a tolerance, probably not unlike the dust mite injections I had when I was younger. Right to the end I would break out in hives wherever she licked or nuzzled, but we were able to have her in the house without any other allergic response.

Her personality then took over. She loved to have her ears or back scratched, she loved to chase tennis balls and would always (until the last year or so) bring them back to be thrown again. Eventually we even let her go so far as to jump on the beds and sleep at our feet. I'd actually forgotten until typing this that we even used to let her jump onto the couch. These were things she has been unable to do for the past few years because she was no longer able to jump due to arthritic knees and hips.

She was always incredibly pleased to see us when we got home from work. She would run from one end of the house to the other and back again repeatedly in her joy - on a daily basis! She actually still managed to do this, albeit somewhat slower, up until late last year. She even had little runs like this until a few months ago when she stopped running altogether.

4 years ago we thought that she was declining because she could no longer chase the tennis ball for lengthy periods and was unable to jump. After her first rear knee reconstruction she promptly did the other rear knee and the vet indicated that there was no point having that knee done. She lost about 5kg dropping from 22.5 to 17.5kg.

Around this time our eldest son was making a bid for us to get a pug, and we were telling him that we would not get a pug because of their numerous health problems (particularly in hot climates). We then saw a program in which there was a feature about a breeder who was deliberately creating hybrids to overcome various health problems. One of the examples was the "pugalier" which looked puggish but had a longer snout to overcome breathing problems, and had hips that did not have the congenital problems associated with pugs. It was also more likely that their hearts would be stronger than that of the Cavalier King Charles which is apparently renowned for heart problems.

We succumbed and got Abbey (who will turn 4 in a few weeks).

At first Roxanne did not like her at all. At best she ignored her. At worst, when Abbey tried to snuggle in with her, she would growl and nip at her - never to the point of actually biting but just to tell her to go away. This lasted for about 6 weeks, but Abbey was persistent in her snuggling and Roxanne gradually softened and tolerated the intrusion on her personal space (as in on of the attached photos). I don't know that she ever actually liked it - she never went out of her way to snuggle with an already sleeping Abbey - but she certainly accepted Abbey's wish for closeness. After this they started to get closer and closer with Abbey nipping at her heels to get her to play. Rox accepted this and started being more playful, and eventually got right into the spirit of it and would play with vigour - including at times having Abbey's head entirely within her jaws! This looked a bit scary, as did all the leg nipping and forced rolling onto the back that Rox did to Abbey, but she never once hurt Abbey. She always very carefully judged exactly how much pressure to apply in their play, and Abbey loved every moment of it.

Roxanne thrived with Abbey around. She became more active (although still unable to jump) and was clearly happier. She also regained her lost weight. We thought we might actually have her for another 2 years. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect that she would be with us for almost 4 years more.

The past year has been very tough for her. Her movements have been more restricted, and in the mornings she has struggled to get out of her bed - often soiling without knowing it. She continued to appear to be happy, though, and still played with Abbey (at a more restricted pace) and sought out cuddles and scratches on a regular basis.

In the last week this got worse, until during the last few days she would softly whimper to indicate that she wanted to stand or move. I was getting up a few times each night to take her out for her wee, and to move her from one side to the other. Last Friday morning she couldn't stand at all.

Through all this she still had her appetite and ate voraciously. She was still craving affection and was nuzzling and licking anyone who would go to her. In the last few days my arms were constantly itchy because I was letting her lick at will and cuddling her so closely. She was still completely alert, but she was virtually immobile.

I made her last day as enjoyable as possible, including taking her out to lie in the sun for awhile, giving her lots of treats and lifting her on the bed for a snooze cuddled up with me. My hubby and the boys came home early from where they each had been and spent her last couple of hours patting her. We all went to the vet with her and we were cuddling her right to the end.

I couldn't have been more wrong about what a great addition the the family she would be on that first day. She was absolutely wonderful, and I am missing her enormously. Everyday things remind me of her - like hanging out washing: she would always run out to sit with me while I was doing that (in her younger days bringing the ball to me to kick around for her). Whenever I'm at the sink I remember her - she would always come to see if I was cooking because she wanted the vegetable scraps (especially carrot peel and broccoli stalks).

Roxanne had been with us for 11 days short of 8 of her approximately 16 years and was a wonderful, affectionate giver of unconditional love. She never got in a bad mood with us, she never even snapped at us when we caused her pain. She just lapped up all the love we were willing to give her and gave it back many times over. She is so missed by us all, but we do not regret for one moment having adopted and old dog.

Georgie Girl (Sam)

Tag 26230

 Adopted Through

The Australian Animal Protection Society

Keysborough on September 16 2007

 Georgie Girl’s Story

The first time we laid eyes on Georgie Girl, we fell in love with her.  Meeting my new Mummy [Tanya Lake] & Daddy [Paul Bowman] for the first time was a very happy occasion.  I made myself right at home and enjoyed the cuddles, kisses, belly rubs and of course, lots of treats.  Georgie Girl has brought great joy and happiness into our lives and we are very grateful to AAPS to have given us the opportunity to adopted her 

Hi - I know you have so many animals coming in and out, but I just looked back at the photos of Rosie when we got her with all her bones sticking out, and I wanted you to see a picture of her how she is now.

We're so proud of her - she knows signs for sit, shake, stay, get in the back (of the car), 'out of the kitchen!', no, yes/good, go inside, go outside, dinner, bedtime, and going out/going for a walk. She's so well behaved. Although we have discovered that she has a penchant for leather shoes...
Thanks again

Ellen.

Thank-you so much for introducing me to Charlie (then Jade), she is so beautiful and we are getting along famously.

I was lucky enough to adopt Charlie last Thursday 11th October and it is already hard to remember my home without her there. We are still getting to know each other, but have had a lot of fun going for walks, runs and picnic's as well as having quiet time together with lots of patting and licking (Charlie, not me).

It is so hard to imagine why she was ever given to AAPS as her nature / personality is gorgeous and she is so well behaved, she has been trained extremely well - we will attend more training to fine tune, especialy the who is walking who which seems to change on a regular basis!!

Everyone who has meet Charlie has commented on how well behaved & affectionate she is and how well we get along - folks can't believe it's been such a short time we have known each other.

It is such a joy to wake every morning knowing we will be spending 40 - 60 mins together walking and then I look forward to when I can get home after work for more time together. I'm not sure who is more excited for me to get home, maybe Charlie could be slightly in front judging from the whole body wag!!

A big thanks for looking after her so well, and all the work that you do at AAPS. It's comforting to know that there are a lot of people who love all animals and will do everything within their power to make them happy & healthy.

Attached are a couple of photos of her at home and at a picnic in Fitzroy gardens..

Nic

Just a quick note to let you know how Hope (Tag 26187)is settling in. She has been with us for just under four weeks now.

We decided to look for a companion for our boy following the recent death of our very much loved 12 year Shepherd Sasha. He was so sad and lonely (much like us) that he spent much of his day pining and looking for her. When we adopted Lou, we allowed Sasha to choose him. This time we gave him the same option. We met a number of different dogs but it wasn't until he met Hope that he quickly reverted back to his old happy and playful self and we knew he had found a buddy.

From the trip home from AAPS in the car, Hope and Lou (also 4 years
old) have shared and snoozed together. They spend hours and hours playing and it is such fun watching them. Despite having a bed each, they spend most of their time sleeping side by side. We have a bit further to go with her training but she learns so quickly and is so eager to please that she is a pleasure to train.

Regarding her hind leg injury, we have started her on Sasha's blend and she has finished her course of cartrophin injections. As an added bonus, our Vet is an orthopaedic specialist so we know she is very good hands.
Hope also gets regular massages which she laps up and will start swimming too when the weather warms up. To be honest though, apart from the occasional hopping when she is trying to beat Lou for something, you would hardly know she has an injury.

Hope is such a beautiful dog and has already become a special part of our family. We are so grateful to the staff at AAPS for their willingness to care for dogs like Hope who must need a little more TLC and effort to find them new homes. We have enclosed some photos for you of a standard day for Hope & Lou! They do look alike so if it helps Hope is wearing the red collar and Lou the brown collar.

Thank you again; Tara, Tim, Lou & Hope Bramwell

We picked up Sam (formerly Jude) on the 2nd of July this year. To describe him as devine on your adoption page was an understatement. He has fitted in really well, he and the girls (Romy & Zahli) get along like a house on fire. Sharing has become a big part of his vocabulary and like all Dobe's, acts like a puppy at dinner time. We think that the name "Jude" in a home setting is fully reserved for his much loved former owner as everytime we used his old name he became very depressed. Since we changed it to Sam he has perked up no end. With diet and exercise his is shaping up nicely, his stance has improved and he only rarely gets shaky legs now. Very soon we will have his lumps removed as they are starting to annoy him. For the moment he is being professionally massaged etc, to improve the stiffness in his neck, shoulders and back.

Zahli (Inga) on the other hand is still the hyperactive young Dobe who is still learning how to be a dog. We got Zahli in January this year. She doesn't know how rough she can be in play and has accidentally killed some of our poultry. Rather than re-homing her we have fenced off 1/2 of the back yard for the dogs and 1/2 for the poultry. Zahli still interacts with them but, only while supervised. Zahli also has a thing for cats, for everyones sake we have made a cat run, so the cats have access to the front yard and their bedroom. When the dogs go to sleep in their bedroom the cats come into the house to spend some time with us.

Romy our Rottweiler is 10 years old and loves the fact that the 2 Dobes play like crazy and she gets the peace she wants.

We couldn't have asked for a more gentle giant than Sam. His calming influence on Zahli has been phenomenal.

Thank you to all at AAPS and Sam's former Dad who is now in heaven for letting Sam be a part of our lives.

Regards,Iris and Shaun

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