Harold

Hi Harriett,

Hope you had a nice Christmas. Just wanted to let you know Harry is doing well, getting along fine now with our other Bullie, save the occasional chew toy wrestling match. I still cannot believe someone would let such a fine animal go. Anyway, here is a pic of both of them. Have a nice New Year and thank you for your noble efforts in rescuing these animals! Mike Riley

Mowgli (Gretel)

Dear Harriett,

I know you must receive hundreds of wonderful letters regarding how blessed families are because you have added so much joy to their lives, well, here goes another.

You are such a remarkable and amazing person. I want you to know how much our dog and friend Mowgli means to our family. She makes us laugh everyday. She camps with us, goes on all of our vacations with us and even has her own seat at our kitchen table, minds her manners too! When weather permits, Mowgli is in the car on all errands and has just become like my shadow. I work from home and she is just as much a part of me as we are a part of her. In fact, we just can’t imagine life without our Mowgli. My son plays football and she is right there on the sidelines cheering with us.

I have to admit, when you first introduced us to Mowgli, her name was “Gretel” and she was so different looking we couldn’t even tell she was a Boxer. We had agreed to just foster her as she had full blown heartworms and was in fact, fainting due to the extent of her illness. After 24 hours of “fostering” her, the entire family was in love with Mowgli and there was no turning back.

With your knowledge, effort and tireless determination you were able to find a vet that agreed to help us rid Mowgli of her heartworms even in such an advance stage. A few months later, Mowgli was heartworm free and as healthy as a dog should be. Thanks to you we are looking forward to many happy years together.

I have attached a few photos and as you can see there is no question Mowgli is gorgeous but her heart is even more gorgeous and her personality even more!

Thank you ever so much for such a beautiful gift. I admire you for your dedication and relentless determination in giving a voice to all of these animals.

Kim, Matt, Sophie and Chandler Luellen

Rosie (Brownie)

Harriett,

Just wanted to let you know that Rosie is doing great. She appears to have no issues resulting from heartworm treatment and is now 100% housetrained and even sleeps all night. Rosie still loves everyone she meets--people and dogs, car rides, fetch and walks and simply loves to play almost as much as she loves food. We give Charley Bears, fruits and veggies for snacks and have found nothing that displeases her--her food motivation is great for training. She is a perfect house pet and companion and is as sweet as ever. We are looking forward to a long life with her.

Attached are some pics.

Happy New Year,
Michelle

Bailey

Merry Christmas Harriett!

Here is a picture of Bailey sitting beside our Christmas tree. Bailey is the most wonderful, loyal and loving dog ever (since Pepper). He is the only gift I asked for for Christmas! He is at home and doing quite well. Getting along so well with our senior pup Pepper. Thank you so very much!

Carol, Al & Bailey Dowdle

Dori

Hi Harriett,

Just wanted to take a moment to thank you for placing Dori (formerly Candace) with us back in August. She is so sweet and gentle and is just the love of our lives!!! I had to share a few photos of her with you so that you can see what a lovely pup she's grown up to be. She will be 7 months old on Jan. 3rd! Can't believe how the time has flown!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your crew!

Ace (Gordy)

Hey Harriett,
I got Gordy from Rufus Rescue two years ago (11/15/2008). His name is now Ace and he's been the best dog imaginable for two years and is doing great. He's had no health problems of any kind and gets to play all the time! I attached a picture for you.

Chris Vaughn

Beatrice

Hi Harriett,

I adopted Beatrice (BeBe) back in the spring- we are all doing great! I love her so much, she has been a WONDERFUL addition to the family. I attached a couple of recent pictures of her for you to see. I don't know if you can tell, but ever since I have had her I have been giving her fish oil once a day and her coat has grown in so much that her spots have faded.

Thanks!
Julie

Chip

Hi Harriett,
Just thought you would like to know that Chip has become quite the US traveler. So much so, that every time the car moves he thinks he should be in it :o) He absolutely loves to ride in the car. When I first got him, he would get car sick whenever we went for a ride, but that's all a distant memory now. Our temporary apartment complex in Orlando has ducks, so he and Kirby are having a ball trying to chase them. I am trying to train them NOT to chase them. Wish me luck!

Jasper

Hi Harriett!
Just wanted to pass along to you that we appreciate all your hard work in regards to the treatment of the animals and in finding them homes. We’re so happy we encountered you and your operation – Jasper is a huge and wonderful addition to our family. He truly brings us joy every time we see him! He’s extremely playful, very gentle, a neighborhood favorite, and so in tune with our moves and actions that it’s scary at times!

I also mentioned that our 6yr. old son had been given an assignment in his first grade class to take a picture of something that’s important to him in his household, and to bring in and share on a projector with his classmates. Without hesitation, he took a couple of pictures of Jasper - and it was very well received with a lot of “oooh’s and aaah’s” according to his teachers! Thanks Harriett, and keep up the good work!

Kirby

Hi Harriett,
I just wanted to update you that Kirby (Buster) is an irreplaceable part of our family now, after arriving here 3 weeks ago. Sasha loves him, and they have the best time playing and sleeping together. We can't imagine our lives without both of our babies - and we're indebted to you for rescuing them! Here is a picture of the new siblings together. Please take care and keep up the great work!
Ben & Bettina

Dottie

Hi Harriett. My husband and I adopted Dottie from Ruffus Rescue in January of this year, and we now have no idea what we ever did without her! Dottie seems happy and healthy, and she is extremely well-behaved in the house. She still isn’t great on a leash, but we’re working on it! We enjoy her so much, and I just wanted to thank you (and her foster mom) for everything you do.

Max/Cooper

Hey Harriett!

Max/Cooper is happy as a clam in his new home. I could not get a picture that captures his bliss better than the one attached, even though it is not a "family" photo. I hope it works!

Bebe

Hi Harriet,

Andi & I want to thank you for rescuing Bebe (tootsie). Without your good work, we would not have the pure joy of calling her our baby. You would think that she is our first dog!!! We are so smitten with her....it's a G-d thing for sure! Bebe wants me to tell you that you are an angel on this earth and to keep up the good work.

If you ever need anything, her parents will do their best to help out. I've attached a thank you picture from Bebe.

Love & Light,
Sondra & Andi

Tucker

He is the bestest… honestly, we just can’t get enough of him. We are entering him in the Atlanta mag best dog contest ‘cause he’s so cute and charming. Talk about a great student, he loves to learn new tricks. I can’t believe how smart he is, makes me feel bad that he isn’t a search and rescue dog or something that would leverage his talent. Image attached, are you sorry you asked, I’m like a new mother!

-Katie

Benny (Manny)

Hi Harriett:

Just wanted to drop you a line about Benny. We are taking him to our vet for the heartworm follow-up on June 29th. He should be fine. We have tried to keep him as inactive as possible, but sometimes he does let loose when we let him out in the backyard. I have to tell you that we love this flippin' dog. He could not be more perfect for our family. He is a giant couch potato (he even has his own couch for naps) and only barks when he sees a rabbit in our yard. Benny has bonded with me the most, and it's like I have a new best friend. He is so affectionate and sleeps until 9:00 am every morning. Thank you so much for finding him for us. I cannot imagine our family without him. I'll let you know how the vet visit goes next week. Thanks again.

Steve Hurst

PS. Below is a picture of Benny on his favorite couch

Goose

Hello Harriet. My name is Hannah and I adopted Roz from you about a year and a half ago (November). She is the love of my life (don't tell my boyfriend). She will be getting a fenced-in yard soon, and 2 new roommates, one of which is her huge lab mix buddy. Goose and I walk or run everyday and she sleeps in the bed with me. She is perfect. She also just won a Milkbone photo contest! I thought you would appreciate the link.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-sponsored-posts/our-favorite-5-dog-photos-milkbone-photo-sharing-115235?image_id=1372854.

Thank you again for my very best friend. I hope you and your animals are well.

Hannah

Izzie

Hi Harriett:

Izzie is doing wonderfully!! We've had a hard time coming up with a name because she has such a silly personality... but sticking with Izzie right now!! She fits right in with our family of fur balls and sleeps snuggled up with me every night. We love her so very much! Attached is a couple of pics - she won't stay far enough away from me to get many pictures!! Thank you for ALL you do and I hope some good homes come about for the pups! Let me know if you need my help with anything!

Melissa

Ruby & Dolly

Hi Harriett:

I received Ruby's microchip tag, thanks for sending it along. The pups are doing well. We renamed Polly to Dolly and she is gaining weight nicely. She is still a little timid around new people and will jump at a sudden noise, but she is getting better by the day. Rudy is a true Boxer, puppy and clown. I am attaching a couple of photos. Thanks for helping us find them!

Steve

Sasha

I often check your website to see what adorable creatures you have rescued from worse fates, and I ran across the testimonial portion... It occurred to me that aside from making donations, I don’t think we ever really told you how Sasha (Hula) has changed our lives.

Before we adopted Sasha, we were marginal dog people. We liked dogs and thought it “might be nice” to have one. What an understatement – having Sasha in our lives has made us 1000% happier and we don’t know how we ever lived life without her. We used to relish international travel, but now we can’t stand the thought of being without her for so long. We miss her during the day when we’re at work and can’t wait to play with her at night. She is the best dog we could ever imagine having (note: “best” does not mean perfect – she is still not so great on the leash), and I am so grateful to Ruffus Rescue for saving our girl and blessing us with her!

I’ve attached some pictures. (Oh, and btw, my mom is an avid dog hater/fearer – but Sasha won her over! See the picture of them together. My mother even insisted on having pictures taken with Sasha. You have no idea what a miracle that is.)

Bettina W. Yip

Howie

I've forgotten to write this note a thousand times in the 8 months since Dan and I adopted Howie from you back in June 2009! How terrible of me! Despite how long it has taken me, though, I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful addition to our family that Howie has been. You told us he was a special dog and he is indeed just that! He is well mannered, gentle and sweet. He is everyone's favorite dog at our gym--and that's saying something in a gym where people frequently bring their dogs when they work out. We can't thank you enough for bringing Howie into our lives--he's such a a wonderful dog and we're so happy to have him.

Thank you for all that you do!

Drew Slone

PS--I've attached some pictures of Howie making himself at home in our condo and at the gym. Enjoy!

Our Aussies Are Settling In!

I just wanted to thank you for locating Tigger and Frankie for us. I can't tell you how well they have fit in to our lives and both are getting along with the 3 kitties as well. I've attached a few pictures for you, so that you can see how they're doing. They love our backyard and make their rounds every time they go out to check things out. Tigger is always in the forefront and likes a LOT of attention. Frankie is more timid and takes a second seat to Tigger; however, we've been working with him and he's becoming more and more "his own dog." He'll even go off by himself now and likes a lot of attention as well. We're working with them on getting them used to leashes so we can walk them. For some reason, they were both really afraid of the collars and the leashes as well. Guess no one ever walked them or got them used to that. They checked out well at the vet as well. Thanks again, Harriett, for your help. We couldn't have asked for better doggies!

Bonnie Herndon and Steve Miller

Koda

Was going through some pictures and found puppy pictures of Koda and thought you would like to see how cute Koda looks now! He is such as sweet loving baby! He's my teddy bear. He and I have taken up trail running recently and he seems to really enjoy it.

Lora

Scooter

We just wanted to write and let you know how much we are loving Scooter (when she was with you, she was named Suzy). Scooter has been a wonderful addition to our home and she gets along great with our two big dogs and two cats. Not long before we adopted her, we had lost our little Schnauzer to cancer and we were heartbroken. Scooter has helped us to heal and has brightened up everyone's lives. She is full of herself and so much fun, but also so sweet and loving. We are so thankful that you rescued Scooter and took such good care of her. Thank you for all the work that you do to help animals and people.

Sincerely,
Shannon, Roxanne and Scooter (Suzy)

Manny & Sally

Attached are a couple of pictures of our sweet baby’s Manny and Sally. Both of these angels came from your rescue group. We adopted Sally October 30th of 2008. We thank you so much for bringing them into our lives. I cannot imagine our house without Manny and Sally now.

Sincerely,
Christine

Lucille Update

Hi Harriet,

I just wanted to give you an update on Lucille…now named Maribelle. Zeb and I adopted her from you on Sept. 14th this year. She’s a total sweetheart! She came home with us that first day, completely confused and very scared. As soon as we got home, I sat on the sofa and called her to me. She ran across the house and jumped up onto the sofa. She was so thrilled that she got to cuddle up on the sofa with me!

She’s still very timid and overly submissive but we’ve been breaking her slowly of those bad behaviors. Maribelle gets a long walk through the neighborhood almost every day and sometimes twice a day. She loves running around the backyard barking at the squirrels, the neighbors and various imaginary things that only she can see. And just last week, we started training sessions so that we can learn more then just “Sit”.

I think she’s a little lonely and could use more play then what we can give her. So when we complete the training sessions in a couple of months, we may be coming by to see you at Toco Hills for a suitable brother or sister for Maribelle.

Take care and thanks a million for rescuing our little baby girl,

Andrea & Zeb

Gidget

Hi Harriett!

Arlo here, although you probably remember me best as Gidget. Just wanted to say hi and tell you all about the fun home you found for me! Sorry it's taken so long but life around here is busy busy busy! I miss all my foster brothers and sisters, but my mom takes me to 'camp' two days a week so I can run around like the little nut I am with all my new doggie friends. These new people are pretty cool too. It took a little while but we finally figured each other out. And man do I have them trained-all I have to do is sit still or give kisses and they give me biscuits! It's awesome. The only thing I can't figure out is the cat who lives here in MY house. I don't know what her problem is but she never wants to play with me. Sometimes I can't help myself though-she is just too much fun to chase around the house!

My best friend Emmett comes over some days and we go play in the park across the street. He is trying to teach me to catch frisbees, but I just have too much fun jumping all over him and winning when we race (you should see me- I am reeeeeaaaallly fast!) to care much about flying plastic thingys.

I'm sure you remember how good I was at riding in cars, and guess what? I'm just as good in boats! I can't wait for it to get warm out again so we can go back to the lake and practice my swimming some more. Although they do make me wear a silly looking jacket and I'm still not too sure about those ducks...

But my absolute favorite thing to do is GIVE KISSES!!! (I'm a pretty darn good kisser if I do say so myself...) My people all call me Noodle-'cause I'm just so flexible! If there is snuggling to get in on, I can squeeze, flop, and wiggle myself into ANY position so long as it gets me in the middle of the belly rub action. I LIVE for snuggles, naps and kisses and am the love-iest dog my mom has ever met!

My mom says I get prettier every day-and now that my coat has grown all the way back in, I really must agree. I'm growing lots too and have filled out into quite a shapely lady! Although I doubt I'll ever grow into my charmingly huge, clumsy feet. But my mom says they make me even more adorable, so I'm OK with that. When we go for walks people always stop to say hi and pet me and my velvet ears...even the crazy ones that don't like dogs can't help but smile when they see my big happy grin!

I am loving my new life here and it is all thanks to you! I'm so grateful you found me and thought I was worth saving! I can't tell you how happy I am to have my forever home. It took a long time but I finally believe everyone here loves me and trust that my mom is keeping me for good. Even when she gets mad over something silly like chewing the door frame, I know she would never send me away, and knowing that is a pretty good feeling. As happy as I am here, I know that I've made my mom even happier. I'm such a joy to be around that I can just tell I've made her life so much better by sharing it with her! Thanks again for everything, and I know all the new babies you have will find homes just as happy as mine!