See? No Need to Be Alarmed :)

Pit bull adoptions have been fairly slow lately and it's made some of us wonder if folks aren't still secretly concerned about adopting a dog who has come from a "fight" bust. Well we're hoping that here, we can show folks (again!) that bust dogs can be normal, every day companions despite their background!

To the left here, take a look at Sadie Mae. Sadie is one of two dogs we were able to rescue from a small bust in York, SC from February of this year. Sadie bears the scars from her past on her coat, hidden away now beneath the shine in her body and light coloring of her fur.

Sadie's paperwork from the shelter screamed "very dog aggressive" on page after page of the legal paperwork we were made to sign before they would release her. I can only hope today those same folks who wrote those very harsh words in an effort to protect themselves from any liability within the unknown SEE this photo and realize that you CANNOT label a dog ANYTHING without an individual evaluation. Sadie now lives in a home with 4 other dogs and 2 cats and loves every bit of it. We're definitely making plans to get more pictures and maybe some video of her "unexpected" home life as she paves the way for more bust dogs in our region to be afforded the opportunity of an individual evaluation before being labeled a villain.

Last October, we traveled to Missouri to assist with the large dog fighting raid and rescue that spanned across numerous states. In total, over 500 dogs were confiscated in this raid - the largest raid in US history to date! We were able to step in and help with 4 of these dogs, 2 of which are already in their adoptive homes :) Eva the Diva was spotted by her adopter from a photo from hundreds of miles away. The match has gone well and her new family adores her :) Superman Dan was the next to be adopted and is making his new dad smile every step of the way with his personality that is as unique as his looks! Suey Dolittle has gone through obedience training and enjoys a good romp with other dogs with a similar play style and has an uncanny love for children - She NEEDS one in her life! She's so polite with them and can certainly take their usual rough and tumble nature. Eddie Munster was saved before having to go through the horrors of training or fighting and my THAT is a good thing! This boy is sensitive and likely would have made a terrible addition to someone's "yard" for the purpose of fighting. Eddie is a busy boy with a way to make the girl's swoon with his goofy nature and polite but pleading hugs for people.

Want to see a video of two of the bust dogs PLAYING? Check this one out of Dan and Suey when Dan came down for a visit :)

Eddie Munster has improved by leaps and bounds since he came to us in October of 2009. Such a timid boy who is slowly but surely testing out new things in life and gaining a new confidence with new things. One interesting thing a lot of people don't realize but is something that is practically a necessity with Eddie; a LOT of dogs from these busts really THRIVE and LEARN from social interactions with other dogs. Eddie's lack of confidence is amplified in situations when there are no other dogs present. For instance, his foster home likes to take him running to meet some of Eddie's needs for physical exercise.

There are times on these run/walks where Eddie loses his confidence and basically just stops and "pancakes" to the ground in an effort to not have to go anywhere. What his foster home has found is that if he takes the other two (yes TWO) resident dogs out on the run, Eddie has no fears and can make it through his full route. It's amazing what other dogs can teach those who know so little!

And then there's Scarlet Justice, the second dog we were able to pull from the bust in York, SC. She has come with her fair share of advanced challenges quite simply because it's obvious she was heavily involved with the more worse things that go on in dog fighting - actual fighting. While we have no solid proof (ie: no one saw it happen first-hand with her) of her full background, her many scars and old injuries tell us a lot. She's not an easy dog for most people as she has a higher energy level than most dogs out there. She's also not so cat friendly. She's a true pit bull terrier through and through though with her insatiable love for people. Her body melts against your's like butter when she's being petted and she has the drive to do whatever it takes to make YOU happy. We're currently exploring her ability to be with other dogs and we're optimistic for the outcome. Not all bust dogs are going to be easy, but there are many, even with "special needs" that still exude the temperament we all look for with these dogs - their love for people.

At present, we're working out the details on what may be going on and where life may be taking Justice with an injury from her past. See, Justice suffered a break of some sort in her left front leg. It has healed, but because it wasn't attended to properly, we're now seeing some "new" issues lower on her leg in what would be our "wrist" area. X-Rays were taken of her leg last week after a bout of lameness in that leg for the second time in a 10-day period. Those X-Rays showed some very rough "healing" in the outer carpal area in that leg. She was prescribed Rimadyl and we're going to see how things progress once she is through with it. It could be a lifelong issue that will require medication to help her cope with the injury. At this time however, we aren't sure and we're waiting on additional guidance from our veterinarian on what this will mean for her over the long term. In the mean time, Justice is now learning what swimming is all about ;) It's a great form of exercise that doesn't require impact on joints that aren't at their best.

Although such a long post, we genuinely hope to reach people who may have reservations about dogs that have come from these fight busts. We understand, the words can sound intimidating and scary! Especially with all the bad press that abounds! And while the media may not find great stories from positive press since that hardly brings in a slew of ratings, the positive press is out there. And here, this is our PERSONAL experience with dogs from these types of cases. And the people that have opened their home and life to one of these extraordinary animals will also speak from the bottom of their heart just how normal and incredible these dogs can be. Ask someone ;)

Scarlet Justice

Okay all you New Hope fans! The blog is back in action! To kick off our blog reinstatement, we would like to direct your attention to a girl that needs your help! Scarlet Justice came into the rescue from a small bust in upper South Carolina, yes! Here in South Carolina! Two dogs were saved from this bust, Scarlet being the only one left without a home! However, now due to unforeseen circumstances Scarlet Justice is in dire need of even a foster home.

Scarlet Justice is a special dog that would need a foster home that has some experience with under-socialized dogs and has tricks and techniques to assist with inappropriate play behaviors (i.e. mouthing!). A lot of patience and time would really help with her! We also work with an excellent trainer out in Summerville, SC - Kristie Allen CPDT who owns and operates The Learning Canine LLC., who offers her services to some of our dogs and whom we could put you in contact with to help Justice along in her training.

This girlie absolutely LOVES balls of all kinds and is ready to play all the time! She is very busy, and if left alone can easily find something to do (and not always the best thing)! Scarlet is a very sweet dog that enjoys playing outside, playing “soccer” and jumping into the air for treats!

She, like all of our dogs would need to be slowly introduced into a home with other dogs. Due to her extreme prey drive (part of being a terrier) a home with cats will not be considered as she is always up for a good chase!

Scarlet is about 2 years old and sits nicely at about 40 pounds and surprisingly enough Scarlet is heartworm negative. While we would prefer someone who has experience in her direct needs, the right person who is willing to work with this girl could truly help! Let’s all network and try to find this girl a foster home, or maybe even a permanent home!

Let’s pull together South Carolinian's and help out a dog that came from our own state! Help make a difference in the life of a wonderful dog that needs a loving and understanding home!

If you are interested in helping Scarlet Justice find a foster home, or if you are interested in taking this girl in and adopting her, please fill out the foster or adoption application on our website: www.nhpbr.org!

Thank you for your continued support with the rescue and our needs! This is a truly special dog with some special needs, she has overcome some terrible times and experiences in her short life, and we want her to have a great life from then on! Help us get her a foster home or adoptive home and make her life the happiest it can ever be!

If you are unable to open your home to Scarlet Justice, please consider giving a small donation towards her care and training. No amount is too little and we know Scarlet would thank you with lots of tail wags and kisses for any new toys you help bring her way!

New Hope In Columbia, South Carolina

Many of you may be wondering why our web site and blog updates have been slow going over the last several months. Well, we won't make excuses, but rather we will just say that our web "guru" has been out of pocket due to a big move and it's incredibly hard for one person to stay on top of html stuff, writing content, keeping track of emails and phone calls PLUS caring for her own 2 foster dogs and 2 personal dogs... not to mention her work schedule and somewhere in there she likes to catch a wink or two. Whew!

Things are getting back to "normal" starting today. Our webmaster is back and with a HUGE update to boot!

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue is now a "chapter" organization, with locations in both the Charleston area of South Carolina as well as Columbia. Isn't this exciting!

As always, we are looking for foster homes in the Lowcountry, but now we are in dire need of volunteers and foster homes for the Columbia "chapter" too. If you are interested in getting involved with a great organization with a wonderful cause, please don't hesitate to visit our web site and read our policies... then don't forget to fill out the application that most suits your desire to help Pit Bulls in need!

We are looking for a new foster home for Superman Dan.

Dan came to NHPBR as one of the "Missouri 500", and one of four dogs that New Hope Pit Bull Rescue took in from the large raid back in July of 2009.

Quite an energetic boy, Dan has come a LONG way in learning how to be dog and is doing well in learning basic obedience and manners. Currently Dan lives in a home with three other dogs and his foster mom feels that he would benefit even more if he were in a home where he could receive more one on one attention and a lot more exercise.

If you are interested in fostering Superman Dan, and can offer a home where he will receive the amount of both physical and mental enrichment a dog of his energy level requires, please read our foster policy and fill out an application.

A Pivotal Moment...

First, we'd like to apologize to all of our faithful readers for slacking on the blog department lately. We've been incredibly busy maintaining behind the scenes stuff that we haven't had the chance to keep you all updated! Give us just a few more weeks and we'll start feeding your need for New Hope updates once again :)

"Catch the dog fighters and give them the same treatment they gave the dogs!" We've all heard the similar cries of support from those against the terrible act of dog fighting. Folks, while the support to end dog fighting is much needed and must continue, please don't forget that behind every dog fighter busted, there are dogs. Usually 10 or more and at other times it can reach close to the hundreds with one person alone. Dogs that have been encouraged by their humans to respond aggressively towards other dogs. Dogs who want to please their handlers and who may have become addicted to their praise and the adrenaline of a fight. Dogs who have lived their lives on chains, day in and day out, unknowingly waiting for their day to be matched. Many of these dogs die because, you guessed it, there is no where for them to go. We've seen little change in the state of South Carolina in respect to bust dogs. Most would prefer to hide the story. Most would prefer to euthanize the dogs simply because of where they came from, ignoring the individual personalities of the dogs or even feeling helpless as to what could be done for them, believing that there are no resources to help.

Resources. That is why we chose to get involved with the Humane Society of Missouri and Mutts N Stuff in aiding in the placement of 4 dogs from the largest dog fighting raid and rescue in US history to date. Although there is never a shortage of great pit bulls in our local shelters, we knew that by not getting involved, we would have a harder time effecting a change for the dogs in our own state, especially those confiscated from raids or busts. All 4 dogs from the MO-based raid are adjusting well. Its been different teaching them things in comparison to most of the dogs we pull from shelters but it seems primarily because they have never had to worry about learning anything. The only real boundaries set forth were dictated by chains. Teaching them impulse control and providing them with coping skills for new situations has been our largest task with the dogs. They want to make you happy one thousand times over but do tend to forget a lot in the beginning and need a fair and consistent leader. Three of the four dogs can safely play well with other dogs. The fourth likely will too but his foster mom is taking things slowly to make sure a good foundation is laid. To compensate for bringing dogs in from out of our home state, we rescued three emaciated females prior to our trip out to Missouri and after returning, rescued an additional five dogs of mixed genders, ages, and conditions. These are huge numbers for us being such a small rescue.

Our point to bringing up the dogs from Missouri is that they have afforded us the hands-on experience to be able to say with confidence that bust dogs ARE worth saving. I don't recall of ANY cases in the state of South Carolina where even a handful of dogs confiscated in a fight bust were released to a rescue for adoption. Folks, we are at a VERY pivotal point in South Carolina history that for the first time, dogs from a bust could make it out ALIVE! It's already a HUGE deal in our opinion that the shelter is allowing the evaluations! Please understand how IMPORTANT this is. Please also understand that to save these dogs lives, we have to move quickly. We NEED foster homes! If even a small part of you is considering fostering, talk to us! We're trying to make history for South Carolina and build up even MORE resources for dogs in the future and we can't do that without YOUR help.

In Memory of Fay - One of the MO 500

Although today is Wednesday, and we normally try to do a Wordless Wednesday post, there are words that need to be said about one pivotal girl in the pit bull world. Fay, the beautiful girl with Mutts N Stuff passed away Monday afternoon, December 28, 2009 after her second surgery to give her the lips that the dog fighters took from her. Ultimately, the dog fighters still killed her as her body suffered more damage than could be seen. It was the dog fighters that made her body unable to recover from the surgery, even when everything was perfect before hand.

Fay, although gone today, will always live on in the hearts of the people she met and the minds she changed. She epitomized the love a pit bull has for their people and had the courage and spirit to take in all the new things life was handing her in stride.

It is our personal hope that everyone will take this opportunity to revel in her spirit. She still lives strong in our hearts and each of those who met her and were loved by her, and by those who watched her story from afar. That courage to persevere should stand out in each and every one of us as we all strive harder to eliminate dog fighting, to increase the levels of punishment for those convicted, and to help all the dogs that sadly will follow behind Fay, learn that there are better things in life and that they never have to go back to the hell they came from again. Fay is breathing life into all of us to continue the battle against dog fighting.

Mutts N Stuff has set up a memorial fund in honor of Fay in which the proceeds will go towards "Fay's Phoenix House" a "halfway house" for bust dogs coming from situations like Fay's. Please consider contributing to Mutts N Stuff in Fay's memory. It won't bring her back, but it certainly will help to continue making the lives of bust dogs better. And we all think Fay would enjoy knowing that dogs coming out of situations like hers had the same chance she got.

Rest in Peace Fay. You are loved ALL over the world and we'll never forget you!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

As a special treat to show to all of our supporters, here's a simple photo collage of all the dogs we've been able to help this year! You guys are incredible and make it all possible!



Pssssssst! Click the image if you'd like to see it larger :)Thank you everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

Decorate Our Tree!

Its that time of year again and we kicked off our December fundraiser. Since we don't have a shelter facility, we have to put up a tree in the virtual world we do have. And guess what? You can help to decorate!

Right now, our tree is fashioned with blinking lights, but there are only a few ornaments and gifts under the tree. You can help with this though, and make the season merrier for the dogs in our program :)

We have several different ornaments available to choose from, and when you donate, you have the option to leave a message and tell the world about your donation :) If you have a special pet or person in your life that you would like to recognize, purchase an ornament "In Honor Of" or "In Memory Of" your loved one.

Click Here to view our Holiday Memory Tree and donation options :)

This season, we have our two heartworm positive Charmed Girls to treat, Piper and Prue. They are advancing well in their new home environments and treating their heartworms is the last thing we have to do to send them on their way to new forever homes! We also need many training supplies to help our foster homes with the training needs of our dogs to get them into new homes quicker. Other basic vetting for our dogs adds up too!

We mention these things because we want YOU, as our supporter, to know where your money is going. Our dogs are our priority and vet bills come first! Your help in succeeding with our goals is much needed and greatly appreciated!

Do you need a little extra push on seeing our tree as a finished product? Here is our rendition of what our Holiday Tree will look like upon full decoration:



Thank you all and get to Decorating!

Another Bust Dog Will Be Coming Home!

Remember our Wordless Wednesday post from yesterday? Well, we'd like to introduce you to Ms. Eva! This dignified lady is our last confirmed dog (although there are several others we'd like to bring in *hint hint*) from this summer's big Missouri-based dog fighting raid and rescue. Eva was a highly sought after girl up at the bunker and we are HONORED that she will be making her trip down to South Carolina soon.

Eva is what many recognize as an American Bully, a dog that looks very much like a pit bull and has similar roots but was bred to be larger and presumably, less "terrier". She's about 4-5 years old and her body is visibly worn from MANY litters of puppies. It's a bit grotesque and startling to see the ragged appearance of her vulva alone, much less the sagging teats that bear evidence to her primary purpose in life.

When we met Eva, there was no doubt in our minds why everyone thought her to be so special. She's a big girl with a big heart and a wonderful desire to be close to you, giving you kisses and getting her back scratched.

We liken her personality to that of Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island. She's not "snooty" but seems to give off that air of prestige one often may see from those who've experienced the finer things in life. Lucky for Eva, she'll get that for sure now, for the remainder of her life :)

Eva's new foster dad has been patiently waiting on her arrival and has been making plans for wonderful things for her like a custom cedar bed to fit her crate and a custom harness! We've been trying to talk him into dressing her up in pink to symbolize the princess that she is. We're still working on him there ;)

Like our other bust dogs (Eddie Munster and Ms. Suey Dolittle), Eva's foster dad plans to take her to her highest potential by becoming a CGC certified therapy dog. And Eva has it even MORE lucky - her foster dad has a very strong interest in adopting her. Her move to her new home in the Charleston area may very well be her forever home. We could only hope all dogs be so fortunate!

Again, we want to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful people at the Humane Society of Missouri and the volunteers that came from all over the country to help in caring for such a massive number of dogs for many months. Another thanks goes out to Mutts N Stuff, our favorite pit bull rescue in the Mid West, for helping us out and being a great mentor through the whole process. This has been an amazing rescue effort and means so many unbelievable things for pit bulls confiscated in future busts. Great work everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

Now That's Love!

If you're ever in New York City, you need to keep your eyes peeled for a very special man with a very lucky pit bull.

We received an email forward Wednesday evening from a rescue partner of ours who's friends with friends of the person who took a very touching photo.

What would you do if your 15 year old pit bull couldn't enjoy their walks anymore because walking long distances drained them of their energy? Would you succumb to life sitting at home while your dog stared longingly out the window? Or would you get your dog a wheelchair?

This wonderful gentleman without a name was stopped by a stranger for a picture of him with his dog. And we're glad the picture made it's way down to South Carolina for us to share with you! This man's dog no longer has the energy to walk to the park and still enjoy the visit to the park. This man showed his love for his dog by getting her a wheelchair. He takes her multiple times a day out to the park via the wheelchair - just so she has the energy to enjoy the park when she does go out.

This man is an inspiration with his devotion to his dog. We hope that should he ever come across this blog with his picture and his dog being showcased, that he will realize what a beautiful example he is setting for dedicated pet owners. We wish we could meet this man to hug him and smooch his dog!

Sir, on this day, Thanksgiving Day, we would like to give YOU a special thanks to being devoted to your dog and continuing to offer her a quality of life that so FEW of these dogs are fortunate enough to experience. Bless you!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

New Hope Welcomes Eddie Munster and Ms. Dolittle

Eddie Munster (formerly known as Eli by the HSMO shelter staff) was the first dog released to New Hope Pit Bull Rescue via Mutts n Stuff. We got the chance to meet him for the first time last Wednesday while we were in Missouri and this boy has got it going on! He's a bit unsure in new situations and places but he recovers quickly and is happy for guidance. He's about 8 months old and shows a LOT of potential to become a remarkable breed ambassador and therapy dog. We're going to be sure he makes it there!

We were fortunate enough to be able to take Eddie back to the hotel room with us that night and in doing so, we got a REAL glimpse of his personality and goofy nature. Check out his debut video.

Now that Eddie has been home for a few days and has really begun to settle in, we're learning SO much more about him. It's taken him a bit to get used to the side yard and thankfully, he's beginning to poop outside without me having to haul his butt out there mid-poop! Yes, we consider these things victories! :) Eddie is a busy boy who is definitely going to need a job. He LOVES to play tug and really enjoys playing with those cat toys with the "feather boa" attached to the end. He thinks the biggest game in the world it throwing himself at you with this big ol' cheesy grin and when he gets excited, he flattens his body to the floor and bounces around! It's mildly amusing now, but may not be when he finishes growing so we'll certainly be working on his personal boundaries and respecting others. We'll be teaching him new things in the future using Bridge and Target training and will prepare him to pass the Canine Good Citizen test in the next few months. He's very responsive to his people and he wants nothing more than to be that good dog everyone wants.

Of course we aren't going to forget to introduce Ms. Dolittle (formerly Mimi) aka Suey (because she reminds us of a little pot belly pig)! When we got to Missouri we knew 2 of the dogs we would be bringing into our program, but Ms. Dolittle here was a surprise. We had anticipated a 3rd dog, but weren't sure who that dog would be until we arrived at the bunker and began our evaluations. We had asked Gale Frey (of Mutts n Stuff) to share with us, dogs that she felt would fit the dynamic of our 3rd available foster home and "Mimi" was at the top of her list. We met her and instantly fell head over heels in love! Thank you Gale and Tracy (of Our Pack, Inc.), for recommending such a wonderfully sweet and full of life girl.

This little girl has such a spunky personality and gentle demeanor. Ms. Dolittle is all about a good game of fetch and will spend as much time as you will give her playing with cat toys, playing fetch, going for walks or just snuggling beside you for some love. And she thinks that kids are the best thing in the world next to Borden sliced cheese! (Yes, she really is a princess... she only likes Borden brand so far. Ha!) She can't seem to get (or give) enough kisses to every little one she meets.

Ms. Dolittle will also be working to attain her CGC certification and become a therapy dog. She came to us with a confidence that said "I will NOT let this beat me" and we have every intention of helping her become a true ambassador for the breed and hopefully make it easier for bust dogs in our own area to receive the chance that these very lucky dogs have been given.

We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of our 3rd dog, and you can bet we will update again as soon as she arrives safely in our arms. She is equally as wonderful as Eddie and Suey, and we promise you all are going to love her!

We Got To Meet Fay!

You've read about our trip to Missouri and the feeling of overwhelming camaraderie at the bunker, now we want to share with you some pictures of our meeting with this VERY special girl.

We appreciate getting to meet Fay and have our pictures taken with her more than anyone can imagine, because she just radiates love and is one more dog (like our own Mickey Mouth) who is a shining example of how wonderful this breed really is. We want to share our part of Fay's story with everyone who will listen, and hopefully some will walk away with a new sense of understanding about the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Gale Frey, with Mutts n Stuff, brought Fay out to the bunker while we were there and gave us a special opportunity to meet this AMAZING girl! Fay is something else and it's obvious why she's such a much loved character throughout all this. She is a huge testament to the people loving nature of these dogs and why pit bull fanciers favor this breed like they do.

It's painfully obvious that Fay's life has been anything but stellar. Nobody knows exactly what happened to this dog with a heart so full of love. Our guess would be that Fay was as loyal to her former master as she is to everyone she meets, and wanted to make him happy. You see, sometimes when dogs fight, lips get torn and rather than providing proper medical care for the dogs, dog men will simply cut away the hanging skin (in this case Fay's mouth) and use super glue to piece together what little they can.

Although Fay may look scary, she is anything but! She is so gentle and ever so careful not to be to pushy or rough when showing her love. Incredibly, and as we have experienced before with our own Mickey Mouth, Golda and so many other dogs, Fay has such a soft mouth and when she gives kisses, she seems to have an awareness that bumping a delicate human face could actually hurt.

It's always a humbling experience to meet another dog that's obviously been through a less than wonderful life. We are reminded over and over so many times, why we love the American Pit Bull Terrier so much, and just how people loving and good natured these dogs truly are. Why these dogs are so worth saving.

Fay was of course curious about the environment around her, and as most dogs will do... she would sniff the ground, the plants and the objects around us; but she would only step away for a few short seconds before she came right back to our sides wiggling her butt and wagging her tail. She would snuggle in as close as she could get and her whole body was relaxed. This is what we experience with most of the dogs we meet.

We feel so blessed to have been able to meet Fay, the face of dog fighting and spokes dog for so many, and we wish her nothing but the best that life has to offer for the rest of her many years to come.

Fay is scheduled to have multiple re-constructive surgeries to repair as much of this torturous damage to her mouth as possible. Right now, with Fay having no lips, she is suffering from serious dental disease which is causing her teeth to rot and fall out. If you are able to and would like to help pay for Fay's much needed surgery and help give her a better life, please contact Mutts n Stuff in St. Louis, Missouri to learn where to send donations. We know they will appreciate your generosity and kindness.

Welcome Back! Our Trip To St. Louis, MO.

First we'd like to apologize for keeping everyone in suspense. Our trip out to Missouri and back was a whirlwind and we're just now settling back down and able to think straight enough to share our excitement and experience with you all. Whenever anyone has asked how our trip was, there is only one thing we can say that describes our adventure.

Unimaginable...

You think you know what to expect, but then all preconceived images that you pictured in your minds eye go right out the window when you walk in the door. We were greeted by such caring and energetic staff, and they were glad to have us there; and we were glad to be there. The donations that have come in and are still coming, the support from fellow pit bull owners, breed advocates and animal lovers is just amazing and far more appreciated than anyone will ever know. The sound of dogs waking up and saying, good morning and thank you for taking care of me is deafening, but really... we knew it would be and what can you expect with literally hundreds of dogs in one space.

We sincerely wish we would have had more than a day, because we throughly enjoyed helping clean kennels and spending time with the dogs. Unfortunately we only had one day to help AND evaluate dogs that we would be bringing home, so we had to divide our time and work in the morning and evaluate in the afternoon. But the team work among volunteers and the morale is inspiring! And the system in place to make sure everything runs smoothly is incredible! Everything works like a truly well oiled machine.

We want to thank the Humane Society of Missouri and every employee and volunteer for doing such a wonderful job of taking care of all their charges and making sure that every dog gets as much enrichment and attention as possible each and every single day. We met so many great people in Missouri and we want them to all know how truly grateful we are for being welcomed and being allowed the opportunity to help, even if for a few short hours. The dogs seemed happy, a few even greeted us with literal smiles on their faces, and most every one wore those great big "bully grins" that we all know so well and adore. They were most definitely comfortable and there wasn't one dog that we interacted with that day who missed an opportunity to share some love and enjoy what we gave in return.

A big thank you to Gale Frey with Mutts n Stuff, for getting Eli (now Eddie Munster) out of the shelter and helping him begin his adjustment to life inside a home while he waited for us to come. And we also want to thank Gale and Pam (of HSMO) for all of their help in working with us on our first bust case. We feel like we have learned so much from you all and we hope to take this knowledge and turn it into something positive for the future of bust dogs in South Carolina.

We also want to thank, again, those of you who helped make our trip to Missouri happen. Without your support, we would have never experienced such an awesome event and brought home so much knowledge or our first 2 wonderful dogs. Thank you thank you thank you!

Wordless Wednesday

Rescued - Not Damaged!

It's amazing at times how many people comment that adult dogs are "damaged", or that shelter or rescue dogs are "damaged". A lot of people who contact us only want puppies because of the thought that the adults are "damaged".

We've had many dogs come through our program who appeared damaged on the outside - parts of lips missing, scars on their faces and legs, skin and bones, etc. These dogs, these ADULT dogs have been some of the BEST dogs we've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

We know little of their past and at times, can only speculate on how they came to wear some of the scars they possess. These dogs are a testament to the fact that the scars on the outside only tell a story and have no bearing on the soul of the dog on the inside.

We have SO many wonderful stories of dogs that have come through, there is no picking a favorite, so we'll share a couple of them. Golda was probably our "worst" case as we were able to hear more of the story on how she was found than some of our other dogs.

Golda's first picture alarmed us and broke our hearts. The lip, the overgrown nails, the skinny little body...Golda was found, half dead, on the side of the road by a good Samaritan in late April of 2008. The shelter treated her for her heartworms and spent a couple of months putting the weight back on her and cleaning her up. We were contacted in August of 2008 to bring her into our program and it took us a month to find a foster home for this beautiful girl. When we got to meet Golda, she melted our hearts. And that doesn't even begin to describe how this girl touched us. She was soft, inside and out and greeted us with her belly to the ground, head low, offering signals left and right that she meant no harm. She'd make a lap around the play yard and sidle right back up to one of us for some affection. What a peach! And we can't forget getting her in the car! This girl was so unknowing about much of anything that she had to be picked up and put into the car when we left with her. She slept the whole way back to Charleston with her head on our Assistant Director's leg, drool and all :)

Golda blossomed into such a wonderful dog! It took some time to figure out that it was okay to go in the house. She'd never experienced it before. It also took some time to learn not to potty in the house, but with proper direction, she picked right up on it. She wanted nothing more than to climb in your lap and lay there for hours! How could a dog like that be damaged? She was just never taught about the finer things in life!

Fortunately, a wonderful family came along and Golda was a perfect match for their home. She's now living it up blocks away from the beach :) She's one of our greatest "rags to riches" stories :)

Bones is another wonderful dog that graced many people with his loving and affectionate nature, despite an unknown past. Back in May of this year, Bones was brought into one of the areas highest kill shelters as a stray. This boy was skinny and had old scars around his face and legs. There was also a chunk gone from his tongue! Was he in a fight? At some point in time, probably. Was he a fighter? Well, frankly no one knows. Does it really matter? Bones did SUPERB in his evaluation and regardless of his past, he was a dog we wanted to see make it. And he did :)

Amazingly enough, we were able to find a foster home for Bones and got him out of the shelter within two weeks. He spent some time in foster care where we did learn that he liked to chew on things but, can you really blame him? He was never taught not to chew! The best thing of all though that we learned about him, he made a wonderful cuddle buddy :) He'd lay on his back for hours for you to pet him. Let him on the couch with you and it was time to stretch out on his back next to you and snuggle! Bones came to us, scars and all, a naturally good boy with a desire to please and a drive to get you to love him. His goofy, adoring nature epitomized what we look for in these dogs and naturally, he won over a great couple who wanted to take the next step.

Bones and Golda, although they had visible scars on the outside indicating their lives may not have always been so great, are far from "damaged" dogs. That is the greatest and most amazing thing about these dogs is that they can wear their scars from the past and not dwell on them like we humans tend to do. It's dogs like Golda and Bones that make great therapy dogs. Its dogs like Golda and Bones that can send home the message to the public that rescued does NOT mean damaged.