It’s no secret that purchasing dogs from breeders has long been the norm for many families nationwide. Adopting a dog with an unknown history might be daunting for some, it might even be a deal breaker, but for the Pezzoli family, it is a gift. Sandy and Bob Pezzoli began taking in dogs and cats (despite Bob’s allergies) when their children, Pam and Lisa, were little. Rescuing and fostering dogs is deeply embedded in the Pezzoli family’s culture and identity—it is second nature to all of them. “We think about it like a house,” said Lisa, “you wouldn't only buy new homes every time you moved…there’s nothing wrong with the used house [being] two years old...there may be more features available in the older home…What is important is how you live in the house and what you add to it. The same is true for animals. Rescue animals that have a prior story and background, to us, are exciting and preferable.” Lisa and Andy Katz, daughter and son in-law of Sandy and Bob Pezzoli have devoted the past 15 years of their lives to rescuing dogs. Some time after losing their beloved dog Farley, they adopted Fly, and more recently fostered Darla (now named Desi) who they see regularly. They have taught both of their children that adding onto a rescue’s story by creating a nurturing and loving environment is the most important part of fostering and adopting. Lisa remarked that rescuing is “a gift you are giving yourself and the animal!” Actively helping others is a wonderful quality to possess, but where does it come from in this family? “It comes from my parents and who they are and what they value; and wanting to help people and animals as much as possible” said Pam. “It was Lisa,” she continued, “who introduced the whole family to the value of rescuing dogs…We’re used to multiple dogs in the house so what’s one more?” Pam wanted to adopt a canine companion for some time, but wasn’t ready until she moved into a pet-friendly apartment. She viewed fostering as a way to help dogs on her own journey towards find a dog that would be right for her. It was Laura Adams, CDR Medical Director, who introduced Pam (her friend and former colleague) to CDR. “I love dogs” said Pam “and I thought it was a great way to participate in saving these sweet animals.” Pam’s first foster was Murphy. During their four months together she realized that a city environment would not be the best long-term solution for him and that he would need more attention than most other dogs that she had encountered. “We watched Pam's loving care of Murphy,” recalled her mother, Sandy, “and knew we just had to pitch in too. Murphy was so withdrawn and little by little responded to Pam's approach to him. We figured that it is so easy to feed and love another dog!” (Sandy already has three dogs: Chewy, Ella, and Sadie.) Because Murphy would need a special family, a home with a yard, and other considerations, Sandy took him in as her fourth CDR foster. (Prior to Murphy, Sandy and Bob fostered: Frosty, Libby, and Scrappy.) An added bonus to this arrangement was that Pam was able to see Murphy often. “It [was] great to see my niece and nephew [Lisa and Andy’s children] enjoying the fosters as well. My nephew was as eager to see Murphy again as I was. He also has a big heart and soft spot for animals like his parents and grandparents. I guess you could say it’s just in the DNA.” Murphy has now been placed in a foster-to-adopt home. Sandy and Bob are currently awaiting the arrival of their 5th CDR foster, Rosebud. Pam continued to foster throughout her search for her perfect match because she wanted to help dogs in need along the way, “They just want to be loved and they will all make such great companions…these dogs give us so much more than we give them.” She credits this realization to Murphy and the other CDR dogs she met during the process. In September, it finally happened—Pam met Mika. When they met, Pam was already committed to another foster dog. She immediately thought that Mika was a beautiful and sweet dog. However, shortly after they met, Mika was adopted. Unfortunately, Mika and her new family were not the best fit for one another, but fortunately for Pam, Mika was available again. “I reached out to CDR right away to express my interest in adopting her. Her fosters were wonderful in helping me assess if this was the right fit for me, and I became convinced she was my girl.” These two are the perfect match for one another, and Pam stated that she is looking “forward to many years with Kyra [formerly Mika]”. Pam also said that she is also looking forward to fostering again. “The Pezzoli family has been an amazing asset to the rescue,” said Meredith Raimondi, CDR Director. “They're a model family who will instill great values in the next generation. The Pezzoli’s are active and engaged fosters who provide helpful updates, photos, and descriptions that improve the foster dogs' profiles. We are so grateful to them in our program. Their dedication is admirable.”
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Clovis was found as a stray in Pulaski County, Virginia early in 2013. Since hounds are very rarely adopted from rural shelters, City Dogs Rescue decided to save this young boy with lots of potential. Clovis is about 1-2 years old and weighs 42 lbs. He is currently in the Washington, DC area hoping to find his forever home. "He just wants to be loved"
If you or someone you know would like to meet Clovis, please fill out our application here.
We would love to find Clovis a wonderful forever home! Madison was known as Bessie in the Smyth County Animal Shelter. When she came to DC, she was fostered by the Beagle-loving Emerson family who nicknamed her Pretzel. Here's a letter she wrote to the people in Smyth County who helped save her life. This weekend Smyth Shelter Coordinator Amy McLean and Director Meredith are going on a road trip to Smyth to meet the wonderful people who've become great partners for City Dogs Rescue. Hello. My name is Madison Belle. You saved me in the summer of 2013. When you saw me, I looked a little more like this. Although you were kind to me, I was scared and didn’t know what was going to happen to me. Because of you, I have an amazing life now and I wanted to share some pictures with you to show you what has come from your kindness and compassion. Because of you, I now have a baby brother named Jefferson Bravo. He can be a pain sometimes, but he loves me soooo much. He always wants to play and snuggle with me. This is my Mommy and Daddy, Jefferson and I. My mom and dad like to go places with Jefferson and I. This picture was taken at Great Falls. They take us all sorts of great places for walks and sightseeing. I just love smelling new places. It was a long drive so we had to stop at a hotel in Georgia. The car ride had us all exhausted, but after a good night’s rest, we got back on the road and arrived in plenty of time to go for a walk and explore the neighborhood. My grandma and grandpa just loved me to pieces. Grandma even let Jefferson and I snuggle up on her favorite blanket. While we were there, I lounged in the sun and looked out the window a lot. I also chased lizards and saw the biggest birds I have ever seen in my life there. Florida was fun, but I was glad to get back to my new home and relax in my own personal La-Z-Boy recliner. Sometimes I share it with Jefferson. Thank you for loving me when I was at my lowest of lows. Because of you, I am alive and loving life. Well, that’s all I have for now. I've been with my family for just a month and a half and just look at the life I have. I went from being dirty and infested with bugs to living in the lap of luxury with a family that just adores me. Thank you for loving me when I was at my lowest of lows. Because of you, I am alive and loving life. Lots of kisses, Madison Belle by Guest Blogger Orietta She had always dreamed of adopting a dog of her own, so when Eve Kager moved to Washington, D.C. last fall, she made it a point to look for a dog-friendly apartment. After months of admiring puppy-profiles on Petfinder, she came across a profile that stood out among the rest—a CDR pup named Linus looking for a foster home. “I have always loved animals and growing up in an environment where I had access to them was wonderful,” says Kager, whose family transformed their backyard into a mini farm. “It teaches you how to be compassionate, how to care for something else, and you begin to see that each animal has a personality. They’re not all the same, just like people.” Immediately after seeing the CDR profile on Petfinder, she completed a foster application with the intent to adopt the dog that she was interested in, but before her application could be processed another foster home became available. The foster team was quickly able to match Eve’s application with another adoptable companion--Amos who was called Slick while in the Bladen County Animal Shelter. Amos was, at the time, one of the more sickly and malnourished dogs that CDR had pulled from a shelter. He was found as a stray, likely abandoned by a hunter, and was in dire need of rehabilitation. Eve was not in the least bit phased by his condition, she viewed it as an “opportunity to take a skinny, shy, and occasionally unruly dog and make him a healthy, happy, well-adjusted dog.” Which makes perfect sense for someone with a motto like, “The bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward.” Amos is a lucky dog, but Eve would tell you that she’s the lucky one. Amos waited a long time to find a forever home, but many people adopters turned him down because he has motion sickness. Luckily, Eve doesn't currently have a car and after being called "The Mayor" in Eve's building, she decided to make it official. Her compassionate perspective and contribution has led to the success of CDR’s Lemon hounds. Her work underlines the significant impact one foster/volunteer can have on the community. Lemon hounds, according to Director Meredith Raimondi, “were once the least desired among our dogs and would take many months to get adopted. [Eve] has helped these lemon and white beauties get second glances in Washington, D.C. Lemon hounds are a dime a dozen in the shelters we work with but they are much less common in the city. The most recent lemon hound Eve planned to foster had an adoption application before Eve had a chance to foster her! Things are turning around in a for these goofy, lovable dogs. ” Eve’s big heart and determination to take on the very difficult challenge of rehabilitating a stray is just one of many things that she has done for the dogs of CDR. Her hard work and passion doesn’t stop at Amos. She is now a Medical Records Assistant for the organization, a volunteer job where she supports Medical Director Laura McClung Adams in managing the dogs’ medical records. Even though Eve had already adopted Amos, she continued to browse through postings of dogs in need through the Friends of Animal Networking Facebook group. That is where she came across Robbie. When Robbie entered the Smyth County Animal Shelter, the staff concluded that he had miraculously survived a bear attack. He was scheduled to be killed, but Eve couldn’t let that happen so she sponsored him and paid for his medical needs. Robbie and has since been adopted and is thriving in his new home. “Eve has become our biggest advocate for Lemon hounds,” says Raimondi. Kager’s foster, Charlotte, a lemon from rural Virginia, was recently adopted. “Dogs are resilient,” she says, “Charlotte was very shy and anxious when she first got to D.C. but within a week she was wagging her tail at everyone and her fears turned into curiosities.” Since fostering Amos and Charlotte, Kager states that she has “re-learned how much joy a dog can bring into your life.” I asked Eve a few questions about her work with CDR, and this is what she had to say: Why do you volunteer/work with CDR? “I work with CDR specifically because the group is full of passionate people who are driven to action. The leadership team is always responsive and available. Everyone has full-time jobs yet they devote hours upon hours every week to save, train, and find home for dogs that would have been killed simply because their owners gave them up (most of the time). They see beyond the cost-benefit analysis of saving a dog. We often spend FAR more on a dog than the adoption fee covers but CDR doesn’t care about that, they care about the animals. It’s that passion and commitment that makes me so thrilled to be a part of the CDR team.” Why is your work important? “Our work is important because, of course, we’re saving lives. But beyond that we’re spreading the message about adopting dogs rather than buying from breeders. There are so many negative stereotypes about shelter dogs and by providing a bridge between the shelter and forever home we help people who may not have considered adoption in the past. I think the fact that we are all fosters is very valuable. Anyone who adopts a dog can feel comfortable knowing that the personality they are seeing (and stories they are hearing) are true. So many dogs are so stressed in shelters their real personality doesn’t show through. It’s like trying to judge a person who just got off the plane in an unfamiliar country with no money and no friends. Not really the time you’re going to shine. CDR doesn’t want to get dogs adopted—we want to get dogs into their forever homes. That commitment means the team will help anyone interested find the dog that is best for them which is a HUGE benefit of going through a rescue. I’m so very proud of all that the CDR team has done and just to contribute a small amount to the team makes me feel honored.” Why should someone consider fostering a dog? “You should considering fostering a dog if you’re considering adding a dog to your life. Fostering allows you to meet dogs with varying personalities, ages, and temperaments. You can find the dog that is right for you while helping save lives! Fostering doesn’t take as much time as you may think it does. The first week is the most energy consuming because you’re keeping an extra vigilant watch over the dog to ensure they’re adjusting well, eating, using the bathroom, etc. but after that it’s just walks, feeding, and TLC. If you usually watch TV in the evenings you can do the exact same thing but now you have a dog to pet or snuggle with.” What is your advice for prospective foster parents? “Don’t take on more than you can handle. If you are the type of person who wants to foster you’re likely going to want to save them all. You have to remember that you can’t save them all but the one you save will be forever grateful. Also, don’t take on a dog you can’t handle. If you’re not familiar with dogs or training don’t offer to foster a dog that needs a lot of training. You’re setting both yourself and the dog up for failure. Be honest with the CDR team about your schedule, experience, and any other things. Both you and the dog will be happier if you’re matched well.” What would you want a prospective foster to know about fostering? “The dog is going to have an accident in your house. They are going to chew on something. Something will break. Go into it with the mindset that something may happen and be sure you are ok with it. If they never have an accident or chew on something they shouldn’t, that is awesome but plan for a few challenges. It’s hard to be in a new place with new rules so give them time to learn the rules and adjust to you. They are coming from a shelter where they likely had minimal rules and attention so, be understanding. Always praise positive behavior. It’s the best way to reinforce positive behavior (versus punishing negative behavior) and helps build the bond between you and the dog. Lastly, know that you have a community here to support you. The [private CDR Facebook support group for fosters and alumni] has been a wonderful resource for me. I have a question and I have answers from people with experience. The Internet can be helpful but there is nothing better than advice from someone who has been exactly where you are and knows the dogs better than anyone else. We are also here to support each other. Plus, lots of happy dog pictures.” What does a prospective foster parent have to gain from fostering a CDR dog? “The biggest thing anyone will gain from fostering is the immediate love and affection of a dog that, without you, may have been killed. I used to think fostering was the difference between a dog living in a shelter and in a home. I now realize it truly is life or death. The dogs know this and even when they don’t behave how you’d like them to, you can tell they appreciate you.” How do you know that the dogs are appreciative of the second chance they are being given? “Amos was so sick and tired when I got him and I could tell how happy he was to have a safe place to sleep. When he got to my place he slept for days. He had the ‘hey thanks’ look when I would wake him up for dinner, or give him a hug and some love. Coming from a shelter, no matter how wonderful the shelter, a home is an oasis and I believe they know it. When they wake up and see you, realize they're safe, I swear their eyes say, ‘oh, it's just you, I'm safe’ before they flop their head back down.” What Eve perceives as a small contribution has had a great impact on the dogs of CDR. Through fostering, adopting, volunteering, and sponsoring she has turned life or death situations into promising beginnings and has help several dogs find an oasis of their own. Lots of people have family photos peppered throughout their homes as reminders of happy events and a showcase of candid glimpses into family history. The Emerson family is no different, except that many of their photos feature a different “breed” of extended family: lots and lots of dogs. But these aren’t just any dogs -- these are animals that were given up on, lost, neglected, abandoned in high-kill shelters...almost forgotten. Almost. Thanks to families like the Emersons, City Dogs Rescue has saved hundreds of dogs from the clutches of death, giving them a second chance at life, love and happiness in a “furever” home. Over the past year, Megan Emerson, 38, her husband Toby, 36, and daughter Hailey,16, have fostered almost a dozen dogs for City Dogs Rescue, each of which have a special spot in the family’s living room photo collage and, of course, a special place in the family’s heart. Megan found City Dogs Rescue on Facebook and their first foster Maya was adopted a week after she arrived at the Emersons. The entire family posts photos of their fosters on Facebook and many of their friends have adopted or shared their photos that end up getting them adopted. “We love every single one of them!” Emerson says. “Every time we go by [the collage] we can remember them, their fun personalities, funny things they did and smile knowing how much we were able to help them.” One particularly memorable experience fostering was with CDR alum Dana (now adopted by the Emersons and named Clover), a sweet beagle that was too terrified to even walk from doggie daycare to the car, according to Emerson. “She was shaking like a leaf in the corner of the office and wouldn’t come out,” Emerson says. “My first thought was that she had been abused -- I had to pick her up and carry her to the car.” Once at home, Emerson introduced the skittish pup to her beagle Kiwi and two became fast friends. “I knew we had to keep her,” Emerson adds. “She belonged with us.” These days, Clover and Kiwi are inseparable, and their friendship has been instrumental in helping the once-painfully shy Clover come out of her shell. No longer does her tail seem permanently lodged between her legs in terror. No longer does she shake uncontrollably when unfamiliar people approach. “She’s even learned to give kisses now!” Emerson says. “She’s absolutely part of our family.” While the Emerson’s can’t keep all the dogs they foster -- though they would if they could, Emerson jokes -- every dog that gets adopted after the family fosters is proof that their contribution to CDR’s mission makes an impact. “I cry every time one of them is adopted,” Emerson says. But they are tears of joy. “I’m happy because I know they’ve found a safe and happy home to live in forever. It makes us smile knowing how much we were able to help them.” But without the commitment from foster families like the Emersons, City Dogs Rescue can’t continue its mission and the more than 300 dogs saved and adopted through the organization might not be around today. Some of the dogs the Emersons and other CDR families have fostered have been just minutes away from euthanasia before a foster was found allowing CDR to save them. “It’s a harsh reality, but if people don’t foster, we can’t bring these dogs in,” Emerson says. “If you’ve got some space at your home and love in your heart, you can really provide a future that these dogs would otherwise not have.” The Emersons are well on their way to fostering their next CDR pup, an activity the family doesn’t see slowing down anytime soon. With a big backyard at their Kensington, Md. home and their dogs Kiwi and Clover to show new fosters the ropes, Megan Emerson predicts the family’s living room collage of CDR fosters will get a lot more crowded. Not only have the Emersons been amazing fosters for CDR, the family brings their foster dogs to local dog parks, dog-related events, and they let CDR foster dogs fill their truck for Pride 2013. Megan is currently an Alumni Assistant for the rescue as well. “We hope to save as many dogs as possible and know that by fostering, we are actually saving two lives,” Emerson says. “The one of the dog we’re fostering and the dog that’s taking its place in the shelter, one step farther from their [euthanasia] date.” Pretzel is adopted! Many people have asked for an update on what has been happening at Cleveland County Animal Control since our Intake Coordinator, Patricia Kennedy, submitted a presentation to the County Commissioners with specific information about our unsuccessful attempts to rescue a sweet dog named Luna. After reviewing the presentation, County Commissioner Susan Allen reached out to us and has continued to be responsive to our concerns (even though she was traveling out of the country for a good part of the time). Based upon Commissioner Allen's review of the situation with Luna (and similar situations involving other rescues), the Commissioners determined that changes were needed at the shelter. Commissioner Allen expressed a sincere interest in having the shelter be more accessible to rescue and in reducing the shelter's euthanasia rate. One new change is that CCAC just hired Jennifer Coalson to serve as an internal rescue coordinator (previously, rescue efforts were coordinated through a local animal welfare group). CCAC is also implementing several safeguards to try to prevent breakdowns in communication from occurring. CCAC is requiring all rescue groups who wish to pull from the shelter to complete a FORM.
One of our Directors, Darren Binder, also spoke with Commissioner Allen today about the shelter's continued use of gassing. He recommended that Cleveland County consider looking into a grant from the The Humane Society of the United States to eliminate this method of killing (several other NC counties, including Sampson County, have accepted this grant). He then contacted the Humane Society's NC State Representative to encourage renewed discussion about this issue in light of the positive changes that appear to be occurring at the shelter. Please note that this is not to suggest that Cleveland County has committed in any way to cease using this method in the immediate future, but we believe it is at least a start. In summary, we believe that there are positive changes occurring at the Cleveland County Animal Control. We also recognize that not everything will be fixed at once and there will unfortunately still be hiccups in the rescue process. Commissioner Allen has encouraged anyone with specific information about a particular animal issue to provide her with the all of relevant information (such as tag number, dates, etc.), but noted that general or duplicative emails are not helpful. We thank Commissioner Allen for responding to our concerns and Patricia Kennedy for putting together a compelling presentation. We also thank local Cleveland County rescue volunteers, CDR supporters, and all of the other rescues who have worked hard to save the dogs and cats of Cleveland County. We also express our appreciation for the work of Chrissy Roberts and others at Take Action - Help Ban Gas Chambers for their continued advocacy on eliminating this inhumane killing method. We will update with more information when we have it. The story of Maddie begins with the early March rescue of a litter of eight adorable Coonhound puppies from a shelter in rural, southwest Virginia. The puppies were weaned prior to arrival at City Dogs Rescue and Maddie and her brothers and sisters went to several different foster homes in the metro DC area. Maddie was sponsored and named by Loretta Stadler in honor of Maddie from Newark who survived the streets for 11 months before being rescued. I'm told Maddie of Newark was one tough cookie.
On Tuesday, March 19th, one of our Dog Management Coordinators, Hae, got the call that no rescue ever wants to receive - - that Maddie was missing in DC! This was all very perplexing since this puppy was being fostered in Maryland. It turns out that the foster took the puppy to a friend’s home while she was at work without notifying City Dogs Rescue. As the story began to be pieced together, we learned that Maddie had disappeared from the foster’s friend’s home in Anacostia around 12:30 pm on the Tuesday, March 19th. Some contractors had come to work on the home and she had been put in the backyard temporarily and, unfortunately, without supervision. At some point thereafter, we believe she escaped through an open part of the fence. Hae received the call five hours later that she was missing. Even more unfortunate, we learned that the foster had removed her City Dogs Rescue dog tag with plans to adjust it, but never replaced the tag. City Dogs Rescue leaders were incredibly distressed that multiple terms of the Foster Agreement had been violated. While our leaders realize that dogs can still escape even when every precaution is taken, the circumstances here were particularly disheartening because the incident was preventable. We were particularly surprised since the foster had successfully fostered several dogs in the past with great care and results. Despite our efforts to maintain policies and procedures to reduce risk and ensure safety, CDR now faced a situation where an innocent 9-week old puppy was lost in an unfamiliar and rough neighborhood. How could we possibly find her with virtually no information about her potential whereabouts? She could be in the city or she could be miles away already. (PHOTO: Sister Marisa was wearing her tag in this photo. Marisa was adopted the Sunday before Maddie went missing.) We decided to focus on the most obvious area - - the neighborhood where she was lost. Volunteers were mobilized and went to the area with flyers. Recognizing that time was of the essence with a lost dog, CDR quickly hired a search and rescue tracking team, Sam Connelly and her sweet Golden Retriever, Brie, of Pure Gold Pet Trackers, that evening to track Maddie from the backyard of the foster home to a major road about a block away where the trail went cold. Sam believed that Maddie was picked up either in a vehicle or by someone on foot. We could only hope that she was found by a good samaritan. CDR Fosters Carmen and Katya posted on every light post, went into stores and talked to everyone they saw on the street. Katya even saved a stray cat that she brought to a local cat rescue. CDR Foster Rebecca put up flyers on the main road on her way home from work. Toby Emerson joined the search party multiple times as well. However, upon canvassing the area, we quickly learned that most people believed that our Coonhound mix puppy, Maddie, was actually a pit bull, based on her flyer picture. We updated the flyer to make sure it was prominently noted she is a hound! Sadly, it appeared from talking to neighbors that dog fighting is prevalent in this community and many said that she was likely sold into a fighting ring. However, we could not be certain. We could only hope that this wasn’t the case as it was unbearable to imagine. CDR volunteers did an amazing job online with our great networking group to coordinate ground efforts, generate ideas, and also manage the web monitoring. Our group "Find Maddie: Puppy Missing in Washington, DC" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/findmaddiecdr) was updated constantly throughout our search. Many people who couldn't help on the ground were monitoring websites, including Craigslist, Petfinder, Petharbor, and other sites. Every new posting about a lost dog was scrutinized by a team of highly devoted volunteers. We would all get our hopes up with each new posting. Many of us kept clicking “refresh” on Craigslist because someone surely must have found her. We quickly realized though that our online networking wouldn’t get us as far as we thought. Alumni Coordinator Amy said, "This is not going to be solved online." It was reassuring though to have everyone change their profile pictures and spread the word as best they could. In addition to monitoring social media sites, CDR Adopter and Adoption Counselor Deb donated a Pet Amber Alert to call 750 neighbors with phone messages to the community where she was lost. That led to a number of calls to Hae’s cell phone, but nothing concrete. We are also grateful to Eat Shop Live blogger Nikki Peele for helping spread the word on Facebook and Twitter about Maddie. We could not have done it without the amazing people in the neighborhood willing to help us every step of the way! In structuring the search, CDR also worked with Animal Control through the Washington Humane Society. Officer DiGiandomenico was extremely helpful and accessible to us and she coordinated our search efforts with the other animal control officers. They were extremely helpful in responding to any concerns the volunteers had along the way. Volunteers continued canvassing the area, speaking to residents, and posting flyers tirelessly each day for the remainder of the week. Patricia and the Pulaski Plotts went every morning at dawn to try to draw her out. We felt encouraged by the outpouring of support for our efforts within this community. By Saturday, we found that many people we encountered knew about Maddie and most people were carrying her flyer in their coat pockets in case they came across information on her whereabouts. At this point, we all tried to remain optimistic, but were increasingly concerned about her safety and the likelihood of recovery. Finally, Saturday’s adventure brought some leads for the first time since the original dog tracker on Tuesday. After canvassing all day, volunteers learned of several separate reports of sightings of a puppy matching Maddie’s description in a park North of the home where she was lost. We began to refocus our search efforts to that general area. On Saturday night, we brought the search and rescue dog back into the new area of focus. CDR Fosters and Adopters Megan back with Toby again, came into the city right after getting home (an hour away!) so that they could show the tracker where people had said that Maddie had been. The tracking dog’s findings corroborated the reports of sightings of Maddie and tracked her scent around two city blocks. In this path, we came across several well-fed and scrappy cats, but still no Maddie. The tracking dog then specifically zeroed in on the crawl space under two residences off one alley. The tracking dog’s handler believed that Maddie had been hiding under these buildings recently. The search dog’s findings brought invigorated hope to this very tired team of volunteers, but we all also continued to wrestle with the horrible possibility that Maddie could be out there, frightened, cold, and alone. Volunteers led by Guiding Star, Carmen, reconvened on Sunday to focus on the areas where the search dog tracked Maddie’s scent. Foster moms, Pat and Carlyn, also brought out two of Maddie’s brothers in the hopes that they would lure her out of her hiding place. Volunteers walked the streets and alleys for hours on this very cold and overcast day looking for any sign of the lost puppy. At the end of one alley, chained dogs lunged at us and the puppies. When we approached the men behind them to tell them about Maddie, they said we just wasting paper. It is important to note that vast majority of the residents of this neighborhood were on our team fighting to find Maddie. Neighborhood children rode their bikes alongside our search groups calling for her and peeking in potential hiding places. People walking around promised to be on the lookout and saved our flyers. As we continued to look for Maddie, the volunteers met a man selling his pitbull puppy that he told us was too small to fight and were told that she would likely be used as “bait” if she wasn’t purchased. One of the volunteers with us asked if CDR would authorize the “pull” of this dog if she could foster and the Directors agreed to take the dog right then and there. While we hadn’t found Maddie at that point, we were able to save one puppy. That gave us a sense that all of our efforts were not in vain. The circumstances behind the selling of the puppy are being investigated by the proper authorities. After an exhaustive search of our new target area, we left with little more information about Maddie’s whereabouts than when we arrived. Frustrated, tired and cold, our volunteers left without Maddie. We were feeling very defeated at this point. Shortly after arriving home, a call came in from a woman in Anacostia named Peaches. She said repeatedly that she was certain that her daughter had our dog. Peaches relayed to us a recent trip to the store with her daughter. Her daughter mentioned to another person in the store that she wanted a dog and a man who overheard mentioned that his friend was trying to sell a dog because he couldn’t take care of it anymore. When they asked what kind of dog he was selling, the man said it was a mix, and he wasn’t sure what kind but it could be a pit. Peaches and her daughter went to V Street and bought the dog from the man’s friend. A couple days later, a friend of Peaches asked about her daughter’s new dog because she said there were flyers of a lost dog in the neighborhood and groups of people were looking for her everyday. Peaches called the number on the poster knowing the dog was Maddie. Director Darren called her on the phone and stayed on her speakerphone as Peaches went to her daughter’s home to retrieve Maddie. Her daughter was not home, but her daughter’s boyfriend was there and told Peaches that he wanted to keep this puppy because she was a pit. Peaches said she knew from the posters that Maddie was a HOUND dog and that she belonged to someone who cared enough to hang posters everywhere. On speakerphone, Darren told Peaches that the police could pick up the dog if we had the address. Peaches went outside to the steps to get the address and the boyfriend, overhearing the conversation about the police, handed Maddie over to Peaches. Peaches drove Maddie back to City Dogs Daycare where they were both greeted by a welcoming party of ecstatic, emotional and relieved volunteers! Peaches was our hero in Maddie’s unfortunate adventure. Without her, it is unlikely that we would have ever recovered our Maddie. Peaches received a reward check of $750 donated by very generous CDR supporters. (We also named our newest rescue who looks like Maddie in honor of Peaches.) The first order of business was a collar with a CDR tag and a harness! Maddie appeared to be in good condition and was eager to play with the other dogs. That night she went home to a wonderful, safe foster home with Carlyn and Pat in Fairfax, Virginia with two of her brothers (Cosmo and Brayden) and slept in a warm bed with a full tummy. The story of Maddie is also the story of City Dog Rescue’s first (and hopefully last) lost dog search. The experience all made us appreciate the safety of our own dogs a little bit more. The takeaway from Maddie’s adventure is to always be vigilant about the safety and security of your own dogs. Dogs should not be left outside unattended even in fenced-in areas. Fences must be maintained and surveyed for escape routes that may develop through a dog digging or a newly missing fence post. An up-to-date tag should be on every dog. (Had someone not removed Maddie’s tag, this little misadventure may have never happened.) Maddie was too young to be microchipped, but this is yet another safeguard that can help you recover your dog in the event he or she is lost. Another great local resource is Lost & Found Dogs - DC Metro Area on Facebook. We could not be more amazed at the outpouring of support and volunteerism in the search for Maddie. At times, it felt totally hopeless, but City Dogs Rescue is truly a great community that came together to find this brave puppy! We want to thank our own volunteers but also the many concerned citizens of Anacostia who came to our aid over the course of this search. People on the street asked us what was so special about this puppy - - we told them we had made a commitment to her and there were a whole lot of people who wanted to make sure that that commitment was fulfilled. Welcome home, Maddie! You're a pretty tough cookie, too! We can all sleep better at night. by Meredith Raimondi, Director Since I started volunteering for City Dogs Rescue, I developed my love of hounds. When I began to learn more about animal rescue, I found out that hounds have a terrible plight as they are rampant in kill shelters. City Dogs Rescue is proud to be a resource for hounds in need of rescue because many rescues do not take hounds. There are many misconceptions about hounds and City Dogs Rescue has a goal to change the stigmas that hound dogs have especially in cities. We are proud to have rescued almost 50 hound mixes since we started in September 2011. Over 40 of these dogs are now placed in forever homes throughout the Washington, DC metro area. One of our Directors Darren said, “I look forward to the day I am out for a walk or at the park and I see a city filled with CDR-rescued hounds enjoying wonderful lives here.” City Dogs Rescue has many great partnerships with shelters from Virginia to as far away as South Carolina. One of the sad truths is that many hounds at risk of euthanasia are right in DC’s backyard of Virginia. Hounds are often dumped after hunting season for reasons like "I'll buy a new one next season" or "She wouldn't hunt". The females are often used for breeding and thrown away. There are so many rural shelters where hounds wait for weeks and months without a single chance of adoption. It is always so amazing to me that sometimes we will “pull” a dog to safety with our rescue and within minutes of being posted on our website that dog will have an adoption application. We have really enjoyed working with different shelters to be a resource for dogs in need. This December, I came across a photo of a dog named Georgie at a shelter I had never heard of in Dinwiddie, Virginia. I contacted the dedicated volunteers at the shelter and they told me Georgie had no local interest and asked if we would be interested in rescuing him. We posted for a foster and two of our alumni parents stepped up to say they would foster Georgie. When we found out we had room, we were also able to save his buddies Linus and Charlie too. These three dogs were tagged for rescue within minutes of the scheduled euthansia. When Georgie arrived to City Dogs Rescue, he was scared and overwhelmed. He seemed very shy and uncertain about what was going on around him. With the holidays coming up, I decided I would try out my first foster dog. Enter Georgie the Redtick Coonhound. Georgie seemed like a nice, quiet boy who needed some love. When he first arrived, he was a little apprehensive, but he spent every waking minute snuggling with on the couch. Now that it has been three weeks since he came to our house, he is much more independent and is testing his boundaries like the puppy he is! Georgie loves playing at the dog park more than anything in world. He enjoys playing with toys and likes to explore what is edible in the house. He is always following his nose! Despite what I've heard about hounds, he is very quiet inside the house. When we get outside, he is very talkative guy who likes to bay and howl at the dogs he meets on the street. His favorite place in the world is the dog park where we go every day and he is always excited to make new friends. He is not shy at all anymore in the least! I am having a blast with Georgie and have decided that he has found his forever home. I look forward to many fun adventures with Georgie in the years ahead and I am so happy to start the new year with a new dog. For all the hounds like Georgie looking for homes, we at City Dogs Rescue have decided to make a commitment to always try to help these hunting dogs (in addition to rescuing other breeds) that are stranded in kill shelters. Please understand, of course, that we are a small rescue and have a limited number of fosters at any one time. To save more hounds and other dogs, what we need most is most fosters. Please check out our Foster Page and apply to foster using our Online Application. Please visit and “like” our new page “The District of Hound by CDR” to help us in our mission to network and rescue hounds in need! In late October, we posted an urgent plea to save Mikey: "KENNEL 33,
OWNER SURRENDER, LAB/ SHEPHERD MALE, ABOUT 4 MONTHS OLD, NO ISSUES WITH OTHER DOGS, VERY SWEET PUP. OWNER SIMPLY DIDN'T WANT HIM". Shortly after this was posted, Greg stepped up to foster Mikey with the hopes of adopting him. We were so relieved that Greg stepped up because the vet arrived shortly after. He was either going to put dogs down or take them to be vetted for rescue. It was literally the nick of the time. We were sad to learn that Mikey was very sick and was unable to travel to Washington, DC with Olivia the black lab puppy. He had a bad cough and would not do well on a transport with other dogs. Greg heard this news and immediately drove down to the vet in North Carolina so he could get Mikey treated so he could recover in a home. We learned that Mikey had pneumonia! The poor fellow was abandoned at the shelter because his owner simply didn't want him and then he caught pneumonia. Well, the day Greg stepped up to save Mikey is the day his luck turned around. Mikey has recovered and Greg says he is adorable. They are working on house training now. Mikey's name and his past will be behind him and now Augie and Greg are will be together forever! These four dogs came to City Dogs Rescue with shotgun residue. How could anyone shoot these beautiful animals? In the past year, City Dogs Rescue has saved at least 5 dogs from North Carolina who have buckshot or in Sawyer's case bullet fragments in their bodies. What is buckshot? Buckshot is a form of ammunition that is used for big game like deer. If anyone can tell us why a dog would be riddled with buckshot, we welcome the opportunity to learn why this seems to be an epidemic faced by shelter dogs. It is always deeply upsetting when we learn that one of our rescue dogs has been shot. For example, Mystic (formerly Marble) had at least 6 pellets in her body. Earlier this year, Brody was brought to the shelter with an embedded collar and wounds from buckshot. Another alumni, Sawyer had severe complications with his ankle as a result of being shot with a .22 caliber. Hayden was rescued in February and also had buckshot. Today, we learned that one of our foster dogs Moby (formerly known as Carson from Bladen County) has been shot at 20 times! In the case of Moby and Mystic, they were fortunate enough to not require surgery for removal. These dogs are the only ones where we knew they had been shot. Unfortunately, it is probably more common than we know.
Please spread the word that it is not okay to shoot a dog. It is sad to know that the scars of being shot will always be able to felt in these dogs. Hayden, Mystic, Brody, and Sawyer all found their forever homes. Moby is still available for adoption! |
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November 2023
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