Slinky

Okay, another favorite. Dandy, Blue, Sweet Pea, and Slinky. Okay? There. I've said the "F" word and I've named names. Happy?

Slinky was pulled from Bridgeport Animal Control about 1 1/2 years ago. He was a mess when he first arrived at PAWS. Skinny. Dull coat. Scabs. Scars. Scared - extremely afraid. He would slink into a corner and stay there. But he would never hurt a fly. Not a nip, not a curled lip. Nothing. You could see the fear in his eyes, but you could also see that he really, truly wanted to believe that you meant no harm. He wanted to trust someone.

Needless to say, it took months for Slinky to come out of his shell and learn that we weren't going to hurt him. That we were going to love him, give him food, medical care, shelter, and help him build his confidence - that was the important element. And, once we gained his trust, we discovered a playful, silly fellow under that sad outer shell.

Now, Slinky stands tall and proud. He plays and walks with confidence and greets people as if they were old friends.

If only all endings were this happy. Now I have to find him THE PERFECT home!

Blue

Okay, we've established that I'm not supposed to have favorites. But here's another of my favorites.

Blue was left at PAWS one morning. Yes, left. Abandoned. In early March. You know, a cold, snowy month? Well, one of the staff found her tied to a fence. (It seemed to be tie-your-dog-to-the-PAWS-fence-week, as another dog was abandoned at PAWS in the same manner that same week.)

Anyway, this beautiful blue-nose pit bull was left for us to find one cold morning. Which is fine by us. Obviously, whoever had her didn't love her as much as we do.

They didn't deserve such a goofy and playful girl. They didn't deserve her snuggles. Why should they benefit from her smile when you walk into the room? She's got a mean case of The Wiggles, too! When she sees you, her wiggle machine engages, she grabs a toy and wiggles her butt all the way across the room until she reaches you. Maybe she just can't wag her tail hard enough, so her whole body ends up wiggling. I don't know, but I love it!

If you can see it in the picture, she's standing on my foot. But I don't mind. If I could, I'd take her home in a heartbeat!

Gizmo & Casey

Gizmo (top) and Casey recently came to us as owner surrenders. What gorgeous dogs!

These beautiful Siberian Huskies are father (Casey, 5 1/2 years) and daughter (Gizmo, 4 years). They've lived with other dogs and very young children, and seem to be very friendly and playful.

Still getting to know them - I'll keep you updated... If they're around long enough!

Chase

Sometimes, I just can't figure out why a dog ends up in a shelter. Okay. All the time. I can never figure it out, but with Chase, I really don't get it.

Chase is a sweet Sheltie who really isn't cut out for shelter life. The noises, the people, other dogs, cats - what are cats?! - it's just not for him. He'd much rather be at home with his doggie siblings, a few kids, a ball or two to fetch, and maybe a comfy dog bed to curl up on at night.

But not a shelter. Oh, noooo.

The first few days were awful for this poor fellow. He didn't eat a thing, he huddled in a corner shaking, and he wouldn't approach anyone. Every little noise sent him jumping and shaking more - if that was possible.

Sweet as can be, he never acted aggressively towards any of us. But he wouldn't take any kind of food from us, either, which was concerning us. Eventually, he took turkey from one volunteer that he recognized after seeing her for a few days. Then, one night, he greeted me with a tail wag - big improvement from huddling in a corner - so I went into his room, closed the door, and put his food bowl right in front of him. I started whispering sweet doggie nothings (nonsensical gibberish to calm him down a bit). He ate! I was thrilled beyond repair!

Chase is typical of his breed; my Aussie would react the same way under the same circumstances. But that's part of the beauty of his breed. They're always watching and learning, waiting to see who's around the corner, who can be trusted, and who will be a friend.

UPDATE! Chase hits it big!

Adoption Update - Casey

There's nothing like leaving all the noise of the kennel behind and getting a good night's rest...

Casey has found her forever home and she's finally catching up on her sleep. But, Maggie is still waiting for her forever home.

I sure wish someone would consider this wonderful girl! They really don't know what they're missing.

Vendi

Goofball alert!

Vendi came to PAWS when her owner decided she was just too much to handle. (NEWSFLASH: That's how puppies are!)

Vendi is about a year old, and is definitely all puppy. She's become the best playpal of Melody, and the two of them make the funniest couple!

If you've never seen a dog do a full body wiggle, you must, must, must see Vendi perform this feat. She will also cover you with kisses and flash her million-watt smile your way.

Vendi is probably best with kids over 7 since she'll wiggle smaller kids right out of a room. Other than her "offensive" wiggles, this playful, happy, silly pup is just perfect!

Dandy

Since Dandy's kids have visited, I should probably talk a little bit about her.

I know I'm not supposed to have favorites. But Dandy is definitely a favorite of mine. I am totally, completely in love with this dog. She's eaten two pair of my glasses, but who cares. She missed me. I was gone for at least 30 minutes.

Dandy is a Basenji-Hound mix. If you know anything about Basenjis, you know that they can be stubborn. I had the honor of sharing my life with two wonderful Basenjis, Rudy and Max, for many years. They destroyed everything in their path. But they were worth it. Even the blue pen on the white carpet fiasco.

And I think Dandy is worth it. I would love to see her in a home with lots of room to run. She loves to chase the ball and bring it back for a treat. You see, Basenjis are smart. They'll check your pockets before they run for the ball. Empty pockets, no ball. Get it yourself. Got a cookie in there? They'll be back in a flash. This isn't a joke.

Come and meet Dandy. I can guarantee you'll fall in love, too!

Adoption Update - Another Dandy pup visits!

Dandy is definitely responsible for the prominent characteristics of her kids. The ears, the ears! (Sucre, one of Dandy's pups, is on the left. In case you haven't figured it out.)

Adoption Update - A visit from one of Dandy's pups!

Lima, formerly known as Mandy, came to visit! If the chin didn't give it away, those ears definitely would!

Adoption Update - Venus

Remember Venus?, Well, she found THE best home!

Three of the loveliest girls came in to sweep this love bug off her paws and claim her as their own.

Venus is now known as Snuppy, and is the love of these girls' lives. From what I understand, Snuppy goes everywhere with them and is living the life of a goddess!