These are older Happy Tails stories that Forever Home Updates!!

Greetings from Ellie's House

When we first got to my sister’s house, I was pleasantly surprised that Ellie wasn’t a bit afraid of boys.  She apparently remembered her previous visit the week before when she met Bert and Ernie Butch, and how much fun they had, so she wasn’t scared.  Yeah!

Ellie also met my nephew for the first time Sunday, and she kept flirting with him.  It was really cute.  She loves her Uncle Richy too.  She kind of ignored us girls when Rich and Mat were in the room.

Ellie has been doing great.  Her and Buttons are like two peas in a pod.  Ellie likes when Buttons chases her.  Ellie breaks my heart when I leave for work.  Before I leave, I take them out for a quick walk in case someone has to potty.  Then I put her and Buttons in their kennel and give them their treats.  Ellie cries and I feel so bad.  Most of the time I go back and give them another ½ of a Pup-Peroni stick.  She still cries, but I don’t feel as guilty because I gave them an extra treat.

As soon as I get home, we hit the trail for the first of our evening walks.  She walks on her leash with her little head held so high, and such a look of confidence all over her little face.  Of course, everyone in the neighborhood thinks she is an absolute doll.  We usually do a couple of more 20-30 min. walks in the evening before we all go to bed.

I’m in the process of getting my front yard fenced in.  The girls will have a blast out there.  Ellie loves to play fetch.  Additionally, she has made one end of the couch totally hers.  She all her favorite toys and chew bones buried under her blanks, and has a fit when Buttons tries to go down to that end of the couch.  She doesn’t growl at her, but glares at her and lets out the big “yap.”  Like I’m warning you.  She also steals Buttons’ chew bones and hides them with her stash too.  Thank God Buttons isn’t aggressive. 

When the alarm goes off in the morning, Ellie’s tongue wakes up and it’s kisses galore whether I want them or not.  If I cover my face, she gives me “wet willies” in my ears.  She is relentless.

Well, I had better get back to work for now.  I’ll try to remember to get the pictures taken tonight.

Mindy Has Been With Her Family For Almost A Year and Has Never Been Happier!

  Though it's almost impossible to photograph (she's quick!), one of the funniest things we see is when she gets Tristan to play; Mindy will start tearing around the house at a million mph and Tris will try to chase her, and they are just hysterical. (And loud! One wouldn't think two smallish dogs could make that much racket just by running, but these two do!)

Hope all is well!

Annie Is All Dressed Up To Celebrate Her New Family!

  My husband and daughter put ribbons around her neck (since she was my Christmas present) and then surprised me with the ring that was on her neck!  She is doing great but we are still having difficulty with house breaking due to the weather.  When the Christmas tree was up, she decided she would rather go under a tree in the house than a tree outside in the cold!

Next week she is going to have two baby teeth removed that don't seem to want to come out on their own.
Hope all is going well!

Lucy Is LOVED Forever

Lucy is very comfortable with us now and shes an absolute joy to have around shes veryy loving and loves to snuggle alot,and we just love her soo much.

Rusty Has Traveled the Country Looking For His Furever Family!
He is Finally Home!!

We had a great summer and are enjoying fall in NYC.  Rusty is doing very well!!  We love him so much!  He has been very busy!!  He loves to ride in his red travel bag and go everywhere with us.  We have been going to regular dachshund meet-ups in the park and he has met a lot of friends.  His best friend is my friend's dog Cairo (a year old boxer mix).  She is 3 times bigger but Rusty is the boss.  They love to play and chase each other (Rusty always ends up under her legs).  My sister came for a visit in August and we all went on a row boat ride in Central Park.  In September we took the train to the beach in Long Island for the day and Rusty loved it!!  But I think that his favorite past time is to sleep on the pillows on our bed (he is sleeping there now)!  We always find him there when we come home from work and he just looks so cute!!  Rusty dressed up for halloween as a honey bee...he was not crazy about the costume but we thought he looked really cute.  (Sascha told everyone he was a killer bee so he would sound tougher)!

Rusty has changed so much since we adopted him in March!!  He is so trusting now and friendly.  He no longer has problems meeting new people and never growls!  He still loves to go on long walks and he has made many friends on our block.  His favorite is Larry (the flower shop owner) across the street.  Every day on our lunch walk Rusty goes into Larry's store and says hello.  It is so sweet. 
 
We just feel so lucky that we found Rusty!!   Thank you for taking such good care of him and seeing his potential.  We are thinking of adopting another rescued dachshund in the future (I think Rusty would enjoy the company)!!  We could not be happier!!

Link Is So Thankful For His Loving Forever Home!

 Link is good.  He is still on medicine but he doesn't mind.  His leg bothers him occasionally but nothing like it did in the beginning. It took about six months before he could run and play without limping every day.   He learned the doggy door really quick and he tells us after he has gone outside to potty.  He loves to lay in the sun, lay on his pillow, lay on the couch, really he loves to lay anywhere!  He has gained 3 pounds in the last year and the Vet said he needs to stop now (ha,ha).  He is on a strict diet of canned food - seems as though he cannot digest dry food.  But he is really a good dog; I could not have picked a better fit. 

  Milo Has a New Home For the Holidays!

Lily Has All Her Dreams Come True!

  Lily is doing much better.  My neighbor works from home and is very helpful monitoring her whinning.  She says she is doing much better.  I have her on these herbal calming tablets from Petco and I think they help.  I know it just takes time to adjust but she is getting there!

 She has had a few accidents in the house - this morning most recently - but this is prone to happen.  I have been giving her training treats when she pees and poops outside to reinforce this.  At least it is on my hardwood floor and not my bed like she did twice in the past.

 I think we are almost there.  I love her SO MUCH!  She is the best thing.  I took her to a small dog play group last night at a doggie day care in my neighborhood and she had fun.  She likes to bark and wag her tail to get dogs to play with her.  The other owners get such a kick out of her.  She loves people and she goes up to all the dogs to say hello.  I am so thankful and lucky I got Lily.

 Below are two photos of Lily in her Halloween costume.  We went to a party on Sunday at the park by me.  We entered the costume contest but didn't win.  That's okay she was so good in her costume.

Oscar & Hank - Just Beginning Their Wonderful New Life!

I am so in love with these dogs, it is out of control :) I grew up with dogs and knew/hoped any issues would eventually work themselves out, but I can honestly say these are the easiest dogs I have ever taken care of. They have adjusted very well. We've been to meet the new vet, and everything has checked out fine.

I attached a few pictures. Hank (formerly Spencer) is such a little bruiser :) All play and all dog. Oscar is a little more reserved and happiest when he is curled up on the couch in his blue blanket. They love to be outside, so trips to the park are a must and squirrels are viewed as a personal offense :) Lots of bones and lots of love, and these boys have quickly reserved a big space in my heart! And I know it's wrong on so many levels, but their Halloween costumes are hilarious.

Bella - Dumped at a Shelter at 12 Weeks Old - Now Safe and Loved

Bella is just the most loving little girl! She showers us with kisses CONTANTLY! She and Squirt have a blast together playing and snuggling all day. We celebrated both of their birthdays this August, Bella turning 1 and Squirt turned 4. They got new toys and a special birthday dog treat which they didn't hesitate to woof down!

Dexter Never Has To be Scared Again! He is Home!

Dexter coming to be with me was a serious of events both wonderful and not so wonderful. I already had 2 wonderful senior dachshunds--Oliver and Zee, and we were pretty set in our ways and thought we did not have room for another dog. One cold December morning last year, as I drove through the park next to our house on the way to work, a small reddish dog cut in front of my car. It was very cold, and she was very small. After about 30 minutes of alternatively chasing her and coaxing her I had her in my car. She was obviously part dachshund, and I contacted the rescue people (as I said, I did not think we had room for another dog). Needless to say, by the time the rescue people found a foster home for her, she was mine.

I lost my Zee doggie on 3/4/09. We think he was about 16 years old. I had rescued him about 7 years prior. With Zee gone, Molly (my young girl I found in the park) began to focus all her considerable play energies on my one old guy, Oliver. Poor old guy could not even go for a drink of water without being pounced on and knocked off his feet. Clearly Molly needed a playmate. 

I got on the All American Dachshund site. I was hoping for a black and tan male (like my Zee) about 2 or so years old. I found Dexter. He was so beautiful. I could not wait for transport to be arranged to bring him to me in Nashville, so I drove to his foster mommy's house in Memphis to get him. I have never had a mini before, he was soooo small! But he "grr-ed" at me to make sure I knew he was small in body only!

As soon as he got home, he and Molly hit it off! They ran out the doggie door and ran through the yard shoulder to shoulder right away--and that is how it has been ever since. On occasion, Oliver will join in briefly, but usually he chooses to steer clear and lay in the comfort of his own bed.

Dexter has been with us for 6 months now. He has almost completely stopped "grr-ing" at people when they come over. He is an affectionate little guy who wants to please his people. He and Molly sleep snuggled together in their bed on the floor next to mine. They run the yard, policing the perimeter, and generally have a great time. He is definitely part of our family.

Thank you so much to the Rescue and to his foster mom, Betty. He is one special little guy.

A True Happily Ever After...

 Our first doxie was Molly, approximately 12-yrs old when we got her through the Knoxville Dachshund rescue folks in 2004.  Six months later she was diagnosed with Cushing's disease and given a year to live.  We loved her and took care of her, and she lived for three more years.  She died peacefully in our arms, and we still feel grief to this day.
    Susan and I are convinced that Molly was our angel, sent to us to make us understand what rescuing such wonderful creatures means.  We have this saying as our screen saver on our computer:  "Loving Molly forever.  Loving Joey and Eby because Molly made it so."  The Christmas picture is Molly's first with us.

    We got Eby (your Ebony) and Joey (your Echo) nearly two years ago...we picked up Eby in Alcoa, TN to send back to you, but by the next morning, when we met your 18-wheeler angel delivering Joey to us, we couldn't give Eby to him, as we were supposed to do.  So, both Eby and Joey came home with us that morning. Eby was terrified of nearly everything.  And Joey was skinny and frightened.  It took two weeks for Eby to wag her tail and much longer until she gave us kisses.  Joey adapted quickly, because all he wanted was a lots of love, which was easy for us, and he returned it 10-fold, showering kisses on us all the time.

   They are now happy and healthy and play fight and chase each other around the house and into the fenced yard all the time.  Eby loves to play fight with "Daddy" in our bed when we wake up in the morning, while "Mommy" and Joey watch.  Joey only play fights with Eby...and spends a lot of time in Daddy's recliner, often with Daddy.  Joey, you see, is a lover, not a fighter. The yard picture shows our healthy and happy dynamic duo.

    We are all one big happy family, because of you, and Eby, and Joey. We understand how Jamie feels about Sir Edward, because of our Molly and what she means to us.  A donation to the Sir Edward Project is forthcoming.

 Klaus and Hank Couldn't Be Happier!

Hank was picked up by animal control a little over a year ago in GA. They found him along the side of the road lost and alone (and he was just a puppy!). Klaus was given up by a family who didn't want him anymore just a few months ago. He was scared and confused. Now they couldn't be happier with their new forever family in Greenville, SC. Thank you to the Healy family for taking these doxies in and showing them all the love and happiness that life has to offer!

 WIGLEY 

Hi Diane.  Hope you weren't worried about us.  We are all fine, me, Mom and Wigley. 

Wigley is now 3 years old as of February 25th.  He is a lovely young man who is very energetic, kind, compassionate and very affectionate.  He still loves people but does not like dogs.  His favorite toy is a sock tied in knots.  He plays football with it.

Wigley's health is excellent and his weight is good.  He has the most beautiful teeth I have ever seen in a dog, daschund or not. 

I often think of Wigley's two siblings and wonder how they are doing.

 I've attached a photo taken at Christmas of Mom and Wigley.  Hope you enjoy it.

Please tell me how things are going for you. 

Thanks for saving them one by one.

Love, Maggie 

Sunny's Story

There once was a dog named Scooby, his owners decided they didn't want him and moved away.  They left poor Scooby all alone in the yard, no food, no water, his life was very hard.  He was scared and alone and didn't know what to do.

A hero named Diane heard of his plight and said, "Oh No, that isn't right!"  She rescued dear Scooby, she took him that night.  She fed him and bathed him and held onto him tight.  For the first time in a while he knew he would be alright.  He even got to sleep in her big bed at night!

Diane truly loved Scooby and lots of other dogs too, she knew what she had to do.  She searched the land far and wide to find him the perfect forever home where he would never have to hide.  She brought him to us in Florida, even though it was a very long ride.

We loved him from the very first minute, we bought him a kennel but he never stays in it.  We changed his name to Sonny and we would never leave him for any amount of money.  He is the perfect dog, very funny.  Sometimes we call him Sonny bunny.

He doesn't care what we call him, he knows who he is.  He knows we love him, just like we love our kids.  He has a special place in his heart for the hero named Diane who gave him a new start. 

Our funny bunny Sonny is happy at last.  He only gets irritated, when we make him take a bath.  The sad dog Scooby is part of his past, but no worries this family will be his last. 


Thanks to Sunny's mom for sharing the story she wrote for her children.  What a wonderful gift we give our children when we show them compassion for little creatures.

Dodger & Moochie

Diane —

We haven’t seen Moochie (Maggie) on the success pages yet, and we want to show her off as another AADR success. Here’s another shot of her with little (big) brother Dodger. She has made him a different dog, particularly in terms of his anxiety. He’s much more relaxed in general, and even is getting used to having me around. He loves her so much, it’s adorable. After her surgery she had to rest her knee for a while, and he refused to go on extended walks without her. She’s back in action now, so they’re both happy as can be.

Take care, and keep up the great work.

- Alex

Barker Walter Woodrruf Florence

Hi Diane and Jenny!   Hope this email finds you both having a great day!  Our house has been nothing but sheer joy since we brought our little guy home.  As I conveyed to Jenny, we wanted to give him a name that would be
all his own as well as a perfect fit for our family, so his new name is Wally.  His actual name is Barker Walter Woodrruf Florence.  (Barker Walter after Ron's dad - isn't "Barker" fitting?" - Woodrruf in honor of Woody -and rruf spelled that way since my maiden name is Furr.  Furr spelled backwards is RRUF.)  I know, I have TOO much time on my hands.
 Little Wally has adjusted so unbelievably well.  He thoroughly enjoys his brother and sisters.  He likes snuggling with them for a nap, or chasing their tail.  He loves to chase Chloe and Woody's tail especially.  He has found Frannie's "nursing spouts" and latched on a few times.  Frannie wasn't too fond of that and thankfully Wally found out that the well was dry anyway. 
He is taking an afternoon nap with Ron right now.  He is on top of Ron's chest and they both look completely content.  Jenny, excellent job training
this little guy.  He goes outside consistently and has already used the pee pads that I have down for the other three at night.  We certainly don't get
bent out of shape over accidents, but it was a nice treat to have him trained so well.  We really appreciate that!  
He cried and cried the first night at bedtime, so he and I slept on the floor together.  (I didn't want him in the bed or even on the couch for
safety issues.)  Last night, he slept in his crate right by our bed and cried some, but I would put my hand in the crate and talk to him and he
would always go back to sleep.  He is so cute and wonderfully perfect that if I don't sleep for a month, that's okay.  Thank Goodness our schedule is
light right now!
He will see the vet in the morning for a check-up and to have his chip put in.  Thank you both so much for your dedication and love for these animals.  I am
so thankful for you all!  I will keep you posted!
LA

Abby's Summer Vacation

Hi Diane,
Hope you are doing well - Abby is doing GREAT - seems very settled and a very good little girl!  We feel so blessed to have her --- she has met the neighbors, found her sleeping spot in the MIDDLE of the king size mattress, and knows everyone in our family as her own!  She is nice to everyone she meets but will "greet" our family members when she sees them - she basically treats us special or at least we think so!!  My older son, Baylor, was so sweet today he said "Mommy, do you think Abby loves me extra special because she knows I am her boy?"  (Made me melt) I told him absolutely!!  Please have anyone call me if they need to talk with someone about adopting and as soon as I start working more I will try to donate some things- I have included Abby's pics over the last few weeks "just being happy" I hope you enjoy and post them if you want--  I am taking her to the vet this week as I was meant to but she is doing fine - her heat cycle is wrapping up so she is not so bothered by it--incision is fine too (used to be in medical) I have also referred our niece and her husband to your site - let me know if you need anything else and please keep in touch with us

Bless you for all you and your husband do---  
 

Polly Winecoff

Wincie

Here's a new photo of my beautiful boy!  As you can see, he is doing great.  He's healthy and happy and so sweet and beautiful!

Rita Kaye Hamlet 

Camper Dogs, Vanna and Melvin

 Hope that everything is going well with you.  It has been a really busy year for us.  With arrival of grandchild #3, Midge and I went to Columbus, GA to pick up #1 and #2 to take them camping.  My son is in the Army at Fort Benning and not home all that much.  We figured Mom could use a little help with three little ones in the house a get a bit of a break.  Vanna and Melvin made the trip to Georgia/Florida with us and again back to the 1,000 Islands.  Both are good travelers and great campers.  They certainly enjoyed the beach and their quiet time under the picnic table.  Vanna has had some dental issues but otherwise is doing extremely well.  Melvin is getting older (now 12) and slowing down quite a bit.  They both still love to walk and a simple wave of leashes brings them to the door.  Unfortunately, the grandchildren not only loved to feed them under the table but found the dog snack drawer.  Unknown to us, Vanna was fed almost a half can of chicken strips.  Thankfully, other than a bit of weight gain, she was none the worse after that ordeal. We missed the dachshund parade again this year.  It happened while we were in Georgia.  Another dachsie owner I know told us there were over 200 dachshunds in the parade.  I will definitely have to put that on the calendar (along with your picnic) for next year.

Best Regards,  Carl Englund