Dog Rescue Success Blog
Stay up to date with our most recent news and tipsIs the Timing Right to Adopt a Rescue Dog?
Is the Timing Right to Adopt a Rescue Dog? A key to any successful dog adoption is timing. When Marina's health took a turn for the worse in November 2016, I was mourning the unexpected death of my brother two weeks earlier. Having to make the brutally difficult...
Adopting a Traumatized Dog
Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really. ~Agnes Sligh Turnbull This is a challenging post. A year has passed since we said goodbye to Marina. She was a tough old girl, but her body just couldn't keep up anymore. Her quality of life...
MDR1 Testing for Herding Dogs
In a previous Post, I briefly mentioned MDR1 Testing for herding dogs because of Marina's hind-leg weakness. I ordered a test kit this week from Washington State University (College of Veterinary Medicine). According to the order confirmation, I should receive the...
Potassium Bromide and Hind Leg Weakness
The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth will ever be. Konrad Lorenz Life with our fur-kids is a constant learning experience. The picture on the left is Marina's adoption photo. It's hard to believe she's been with us for over eleven years. She...
Koda’s Success Fund
I know I've been MIA, it's been an intense six months. I miss my Petey Boy, and hold on to the fact that we gave him a great life after such a rough start. As a reminder, we didn't lose him to IMHA, so if your fur kid is battling, there is hope. It's a challenging road...
Goodnight Sweet Petey
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner It is with great sadness that I let you know of the passing of our dear, sweet Petey. Many of you started following this blog because...
Dogs and Grief
If you’ve been fortunate enough to experience the companionship of a dog, it’s almost certain that at one time or another, they’ve been there to comfort you through a difficult time. Maybe it was a bad day, a break-up, or on a much larger scale, the death of a loved...
Thank You Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue Participants
A huge "thank you" to everyone that participated and helped us promote this event! We couldn't have done it without you. If you missed the event, the links below are the posts in support of dog rescue/adoption - and perhaps a cat or bunny post or two - we love all...
Please Help Bloggers Unite For Dog Rescue
How you can help today Please help us publicize Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue, a special online global event held on July 23, 2012 stressing the importance of dog adoption. Dog Rescue Success is proud to partner with Blog Catalog, BTC4animals.com and YOU to...
Dogs and Fireworks
Happy Independence Day! I hope you have a wonderful day planned doing something you enjoy to celebrate our freedom. If those plans happen to include leaving your companions at home, I've included links to two articles with tips for helping your dogs cope with...
The Birth of Dog Rescue Success
I've always been an animal lover, but it was Petey who inpired the creation of Dog Rescue Success, and our July 23rd Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue campaign. I've always had rescue companions in my life. When we adopted Petey, his history really tugged at my heart. He...
Community Solution for Dog Rescue
I always seem to encounter amazing people in the dog rescue community. Kim Clune and the rest of the pack over at Dog House Adoptions are a perfect example. What really caught my attention about this group is how well they integrated the entire community in their dog...
Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue
What is it and why is it important? On July 23, 2012 Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue will harness the power of bloggers across the world to help save the lives of dogs in need. Dog Rescue Success is proud to partner with Blog Catalog in Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue and...
Older Dogs
"Older Dogs" are such a wonderful fit for so many people, I think of them as hidden gems. Both of our rescues are now considered to be "older". Marina came into our lives when she was one and a half years old. She was still in a "puppy stage" which meant lots of...
Mr. Chewy Review
Mr. Chewy to the Rescue! With two kids, two dogs, two working parents, lots of activities and a home to juggle, I was happy to have the opportunity to review Mr. Chewy, an online pet store. Even before ordering, I loved the fact that the company has a referral program...
Detroit Dog Rescue
I grew up just north of Detroit and moved out of state in the mid eighties when automotive was just beginning to tank. In better days, I remember going to Detroit for Ethnic Festivals at Hart Plaza, the food in Greek Town, Tiger games, and the Joe Louis Arena to name a...
A Dog Rescue Success
I love this story. It's such a testament to what love, kindness, and compassion can do. Such a heartwarming story. What could have been tragic, turned into an amazing success story. I'm sorry about the commercial, I'm not able to edit it out. It's worth watching. Please...
A Picture of Health
A Happy BanditI'd like to thank our reader Ann for sharing Bandit's journey. When your companion is diagnosed with a serious illness, it throws you into a seemingly endless roller coaster of emotions and decisions. It's a gut-wrenching time and only those who have gone...
The Petey Chronicles II
Emaciated and near death, Petey was rescued by an L.A. county officer who just happened to spot him and another dog in a backyard. When they were rescued, they were so emaciated that they had to be carried out, and it wasn't certain if they would make it. Unfortunately,...
Canine Vestibular Syndrome
Happy New Year! We wish you and your current or future rescues a fantastic 2012! Last month Petey gave us a bit of a scare. As I was walking through our front door, our eldest son let me know that "Petey was walking funny." Now, this was a bit of a concern because Petey...
Dog Shampoo Review
Over the years my hubby and I have assumed certain responsibilities for Petey and Marina. Meds and feeding are a joint effort, he gives the liquid medicine, I dispense the pills, I take them to the vet, he gets to give the bath, I dry. We recently had the opportunity to...
Top Toxic Foods to Dogs
It’s that time of the year again – we’re cooking, baking, and having parties. It’s ok to include your fur-kids in the festivities – however, it’s NOT ok for them to enjoy the same foods as you. Some seemingly harmless foods can be fatal. Most people know that...
Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy Treatment
By March of this year, Marina’s seizures had steadily become more frequent. The most frightening episode was when she had an instance of cluster seizures. Rather than having seizures weeks or month apart, they were days and hours apart. This is a dangerous...
Petey IMHA Update
This is just a quick update on Petey. He went in for his regular check-up yesterday which is now just a CBC (Complete Blood Count) and it was perfect! Everything was in the normal range. For those of you who have battled or are battling an illness, I know you...
Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy
There’s nothing more frightening than seeing your companion experience a seizure. The first time it happens, you may not have any warning at all. Marina had her first seizure approximately three years ago. We were having dinner and heard her nails on the wood floor in...
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia ongoing care
The last post left off at a critical point in our journey. Petey’s prognosis was not looking good, and we could only hope that the new combination of medications would help turn things around. Our follow-up appointment was on October 6th, and Petey’s numbers remained...
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia Complications
Petey’s treatment for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) would prove to be a complex one. His follow-up was scheduled for August 31. Thankfully, things at that point did not get worse, his medication was unchanged, and his drains were scheduled for removal on...
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia Treatment
After Petey’s diagnosis of Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA), we began our journey into treatment. He had been in the hospital for several days and was released on August 17th, 2009. He was prescribed: 50mg of Azathioprine daily, 1 ½ 20 mg tablets of...
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia Diagnosis
After receiving an initial diagnosis of Evans Syndrome and an estimate of 2,000 to confirm the diagnosis, we sought a second opinion. We opted to take Petey to a long-time family friend who is a veterinarian. Although we respected the opinion of the initial hospital,...
Evan’s Syndrome Symptoms
By 2009, our rescue Petey, had been part of our family for nearly four years. He settled in nicely, was healthy, eating well and a pretty happy go lucky dog in general. Every August, we have a summer party with friends and family and Petey and Marina are regulars. At...
The Petey Chronicles 1
Since I’m an Internet Research Geek for a living, it’s only fitting that I found Marina online, through a rescue group. I wanted to find an Australian Cattle Dog companion for her in hope that the energy level and personality would be a match. Once again, I went online...
Cajun
In 2004 we lost our beloved companion Cajun, to end-stage liver disease. Cajun came into our lives thanks to FOCAS, a local rescue group. We attended a dog adoption event at Balboa Park and spotted Cajun, an older beagle terrior-mix. He seemed very sweet and...
Marina’s Tale
When she came into our lives, she was essentially a feral dog. She was found roaming the streets without a collar, tag or microchip. Her owners were never found and she was scheduled to be euthanized at one of the shelters. Fortunately, the rescue group felt she could...
