Lucy is GREAT!! I’ll keep my eyes out for the dog wash events…Lucy loves to get dirty when we go hiking!

I’ve attached a picture of her and our first dog Loki and a picture of Lucy exhausted after a camping and hiking trip in the mountains – it’s the funniest picture of her I’ve ever seen – she just fell asleep on our gear!

Maddie

In a letter to ADS:

Hello to everyone at Atlanta Dog Squad,

We wanted to send you some pics of Sahara. She has been a great addition to the family! She is the sweetest dog imaginable. As you can see by the pictures she is enjoying playing with her new toys. She is gentle with the cats, but the cats still aren't sure what to think of her? She is very playful and all she wants to do is play with the cats and toys!

She still is in somewhat of a "Puppy" phase as we are finding out. She likes to "Chew" on anything she can find. Well, we will keep you posted on her progress.

Thanks again,

Carol and Deb

To the Atlanta Dog Squad and all Supporters:

Foster's Story:
Foster was a 14.5 year old Labrador who's owner passed away and had no surviving relatives to take Foster into their home. He was picked up by animal control only to be rescued by the amazing Atlanta Dog Squad.

Foster was clearly very sad, lonely, scared, and missed his former owner terribly. He would perk up when he heard the sound of car doors, hoping to see his owner again soon, only to be let down each time. The ADS then began their mission to find Foster a loving home that he deserved during his most precious senior years.

Fate Brought Him to North Carolina: My mom sent me an e-mail from ADS (after multiple forwards, thanks to the strong network of supporters) describing Foster and his situation.

Immediately, I knew this dog would be perfect for our home in Raleigh, North Carolina. My husband, Greg, had previously owned and raised 2 Labradors for 16 years, and we both knew what it took to care for elderly labs. There was no doubt that this e-mail reached us for a reason.

We discussed the option to adopt Foster and within a couple of hours we responded to the ADS to begin the rescue process. The background check and house "review" was very thorough, reassuring us that the ADS was a professional and incredible organization. Upon approval, we drove 6 hours to Atlanta to pick him up the following weekend.

When we first saw Foster, he was very skinny, had dry brittle hair, callused elbows, and had the fragile walk of a typical 14.5 year old dog. He was unsure of his surroundings and seemed a little nervous with all the activity around him. Immediately, I started crying (uncontrollably with joy, weeping like a baby!) because somehow I KNEW he was perfect for us. His sweet nature and kind demeanor overshadowed every other detail about his old body and we couldn't wait to take him home. It was one of the most emotional turn of events I have ever experienced, I can't even explain it. Everything had to line up perfectly for this moment to happen and seeing Foster was truly love at first sight for Greg and me.

The Upper Update:
Since September, Foster has been the most amazing gift to us in Raleigh. We are convinced that FOSTER actually rescued US! He has added so much love and laughter to our home and we are so lucky to have him with us.

In just 5 short months, Foster has visited 7 states with us, loves to travel, and truly enjoys the beauty of each season. Foster has gained 15 healthy pounds, he now has hair on his once-callused elbows, his coat is shiny and no longer brittle, and he has a bigger bounce in his step! His favorite sport is football and he loves to catch the squeaky toy football in mid-air. He even barks at things he sees outside, showing us that he now feels AT HOME. We sometimes joke about Foster, saying he spray-painted the gray hairs on his face to get rescued and that he is really only 5 years old! :) That is how healthy and happy he is! Our Vet even said he is in great shape to be almost 15 years old.

We could go on and on about Foster, so I will close now by saying THANK YOU. Thank you for giving us the greatest gift we could ever ask for. Foster is the best thing that has happened to us and we are so grateful for such wonderful moments with the most amazing dog.

Please, please, please forward this to all of the volunteers who helped make this a success story. (We did, of course!)

All our love,
Amanda and Greg

Jay's such a sweet, good little man!!!! He curled up in a ball and fell sleep in the car before we were out of the Petco parking lot! He and Blanca are negotiating their space. He barked at her once, and I've only seen her hiss at him once. Blanca has done lots of sculking around, had several sniff-offs while Jay was sleeping, and even several times when I was petting them both! I think they'll be best buds before long. He's not agressive towards her, I made sure I introduced them when we first got home, so there is already some mutual respect. He mostly stays out of her way; when he doesn't know where she is his ears go up and he totally looks like he's wanting to play.

He's sleeping a lot, and quite soundly too. He's eating and drinking well, and he's also been great about going out. He really likes his new back yard, and has marked almost every inch!! We're thinking about changing his name to Johnny - spelled the Italian way - Gianni.

Here's a picture I snapped of Jay last night with my phone for one of our close friends (who is ALSO a dog lover)!"

Steve - and Jay (and Blanca too)!

In a letter to ADS:

Just wanted to give you all an update on Rocco and how he is doing. Everything is fantastic, he is still our very best friend and one of the finest Black Labs known to man. We have since moved to Florida, while he misses Atlanta we struck a deal with him that if we moved we would get him a pool so he could swim in it everyday...I'll attach some pictures.

Now we are planning a move to New England, he is very excited about that since it'll be his first experience with snow.

Well I just wanted to thank you all again for such a wonderful service you provide. We sincerely appreciate everything you do.

Sincerely,
Paul and Vanessa