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Success stories
I saw Molly on Petfinder.com. She was in Baker City, OR at
the time and we were in Boise, ID. I called and got some information on her,
finding out that she had been living in a backyard filled with trash for her
whole 1 1/2 years! Also, to my disappointment, found out she was being moved to
Bend, then Medford the next day. I pleaded with them to keep her closer, as
Medford was too far to drive. Luckily they worked with us and decided to keep
her in Bend, which was a 5 hour drive. So we booked a hotel for the following
weekend and made plans with the foster family to meet up that Sunday to meet
Molly and hopefully take her home. Just wanted to let you know that Annabelle is doing great and has acclimated very well to her new home. Here are some pix of her for you! Thanks so much, Thomas from Central Maryland.
Jen, I haven't seen you at Sugarloaf shows in
Gaithersburg lately but wanted to give you an update on Bear Barry. He's
doing great, he's Al's best buddy, and he's a total lapdog. He's totally
over trying to kill the cats; a cat actually rubbed against his nose the
other day, and other than a look of 'why me?', he handled it very well. He
goes for long walks every day and does a merry snuffy dance whenever you ask
him to go for a walk.
Thanks for sending me his medical records.
He's become a blood donor for our local vet, and it was really helpful to
know his history. He's amazing, we adore him, and as long as he has a lap to
put his head in he's very happy.
The last time we took Barry to the vet's, she
had a sad tale to tell of a stray young Saint they had found wandering the
streets. Very thin, with Lyme's disease, they were unable to find his owner
and they had been unable to find him a new home. Well, he found one......he
has several issues we are working on. I think he's about 18 months, but it's
hard to know for sure. He may be younger. He's still very thin, and started
obedience training classes last week. He's got stranger issues, dominance
issues, cat issues, but Barry loves him and he's a total lap dog. He's as
tall as Barry, and right now as I type they are lying down together head to
head.
Both Barry and Mojo do a sneezy thing when
they are excited and dancing. Is that a Saint thing?
I would love to do something to help with
Saint rescue. If you are coming to Gaithersburg, let me know and I can make
up some dog mugs for the Rescue group, or something.
Barry is a joy, and has brought us so much
happiness. He's in love with the new guy, Mojo, and they walk together like
a matched set. Here's some pictures. Mojo is the one in front, on my son's
lap. He's Chris's dog; follows him everywhere.
Thank you so much for insisting we take Barry
home. We love him very much; it's strange to realize it hasn't even been a
full year since he joined our lives. I hope you found another Saint to fill
the hole Arthur left.
Helen
Groundhog Blues Pottery
We were reading the success stories section on your
website and thought we would contribute our story. We adopted Samantha from
the Maryland, Virginia chapter in September, 2003. "Sammi" was 2.5 years old
at the time and made herself right at home with her two new friends (Spooky
& Owen), our two cats. The cats were a little unsure of their giant new
friend in the beginning but it wasn't long before they were getting along
very well (see attached pic). Sammi was a little skittish about the basement
when we got her. She seemed to be scared of the door that led to the
basement steps and, to this day, has not entered that part of the house. She
has always been welcome to any room in the house but decided that she didn't
want anything to do with the basement. She loves rides in the car and going
for walks in the field behind our home or to the local park. She also loves
getting a bath. We got her a children's swimming pool to give her baths.
When the pool is getting filled she stands next to it waiting to jump in.
She gets a trip to the local lake once in a while and likes to take a dip
along the shoreline. One thing we were not expecting was the way she
snores!! She snores very loud when she is in a deep sleep. We had a scare
with Sammi's health back in 2007 and thought maybe we were going to lose
her. She developed a problem with her blood. A condition that made her
platelet count free fall and her kidneys and liver began to shut down. She
completely lost her appetite and her weight dropped to 115 lbs. and she was
losing her hair. Sammi had always been around 145 lbs. The doctor told us
that Sammi might not come home. Thankfully, the doctor (we call her the
miracle worker) treating her really paid close attention to her condition
and was able to bring her back to good health. Sammi was at the vet two
weeks ago and weighed in at a hefty 162 lbs. and has a beautiful coat!!!
Well, it has been six years now since Sammi arrived. We often say that
traveling to Maryland to get Sammi was the best thing we ever did. She has
been an absolute delight and has become my very best friend. Thank you to
all at The Saint Bernard Rescue for all that you do to save our best freinds!!!!
Larry D. & Denise Frantz
East Greenville, Pa.
We adopted TESSA from Ken and Lori 3 years ago. Tessa is fabulous. She was called ROBIN when we adopted her, but now is definitely a Tessa. She was found wandering the streets of Reno and was heartworm positive when Ken and Lori took her in. They paid for her treatment and she’d just been medically cleared when we saw her. Tessa must have been abused and not exposed to many things. She was terrified of men and any loud noise when we adopted her. Now, loud noises still frighten her (not as bad as it once was) but now she’s more comfortable around men. It took Tessa about 6 months to find her voice but now she’s wonderfully loud when playing or alerting us that someone’s at the door. Tessa is a valued member of the family and travels everywhere with us. She enjoys her new brothers and sisters (3 cats and a Lhasa Apso). She is loving, friendly and very playful! Although Tessa isn’t sure what to do with dog toys, she’s taught my son and hubby how to be her personal wrestling partners. We’re thankful each day that we have Tessa. I could write on forever about the joy of having Tessa! Thank you Ken and Lori for saving her. We were in Reno this past weekend for our yearly fishing adventure, but didn’t have time to stop by. We’ll pop by next time and maybe even bring Tessa! Stephanie Mello
Hello. I
wish to tell of my wonderful St. Two years ago in May of 2005 a
picture had been posted on the bulletin board at work of a dog needing a
home. The only home she had know had been forcibly torn apart and she
had been put into an animal shelter where someone adopted her only to tie
her up and leave her to get tangled up close to an electrified fence.
An great advocate and rescuer, Claudia Vader found out about her and managed
to get her away from there. She tried to keep this staunch gentle
giant at her home but this St did not get along with the rescuer's other
dogs. For this special dog was visually impaired from birth and at
puberty began fighting other dogs, even another St she had been raised with.
So now the rescuer was trying desperately to find a special place for her.
Well, for three weeks that picture hung
there...no takers.
Now I am essentially a cat-person; had 5
at home. Haven't had a dog in over 12 years. I had thought about getting
one "someday." One who was big (a prerequisite), gentle and lazy as I am
getting older and can't physically take long energetic runs. But a St?
Wow, what a responsibility.
Okay, I innocently asked, Does she get
along with cats? My goodness, you'd have thought I was offering to rescue
the earth from destruction......well, I quickly found out I was offering a
breath of hope as this St was either going back to confinement or out West to
a large St. rescue site. And she does like cats. The following week the
rescuer, Claudia brought Angel to live with me. What an adjustment for all
of us.....what a Blessing for me! I love this great gentle giant.
PS: I do live on a large property and
she gets several walks around it a day. However our (her's and mine) dream
is to fence in the backyard (about a acre) where she can run loose and free
of leashes and cables and to modify the deck with a ramp and higher railings
where she can rest in the shade and be safe. I have been saving some money
towards this but could use help in fullfilling this dream. Do you know
anyone who could help, where to turn, where to go?
Peace and light in Saluda, NC
Cynthia Pace
We adopted Sam in Jan. 2008, a 2year old Saint who had been turned into a
shelter because he was too big. With great thanks to Cheryl Olson and Sherri
Flynn, Sam has settled right in. He is a big ball of fur and love. He and our
female Saint Anna are great pals. Sam and Anna bring us joy everyday. This year
our daughter turned 8 years old. For her Birthday she asked her friends to
contribute donations to the SBRF in lieu of presents for her. Even Children who
were unable to attend made contributions. We had a big party and all the
children and their families made generous contributions. We raised over $300.00.
The children were so excited to help. We want to send our sincerest thanks to
all the families that donated and helped bring Isabel's Birthday wish come true.
And to SBRF for all of their hard work and effort.
I wanted to tell you about Jake’s excitement this week. On Monday, he visited the girls’ school. He went in the 5th grade, 3rd grade and 1st grade classes. He was my fifth grader’s "prop" for her oral report in class. She got an A. My first grader was the hit of the day with a Beethoven look-alike visiting. While the fifth grade class was surrounding him and loving on him, he pulled a Beethoven move – shook his head a drool went everywhere! Of course there were shrieks and screams, but the boys thought it was cool. Needless to say, he was loving every minute of the attention. We are having a lot of fun with him!
I adopted JULIE from VA/MD/DC Saint Rescue on
March 31st 2007, I fell in love with her before I even met her
(emails & pictures). Before I brag about my perfect little lady
(JULIE) I would like to share my thoughts of her FOSTER MOM (Linda
E.) and for Rita V. who made this all possible. Rita thank you for
understanding and passing along, my family and our intentions with
wanting a Saint. LINDA I will never be able to thank you enough, you
went out of your way to match us, sent me news every day (my Julie
Diary), finding you and Julie could not have happened at a better
time, at 30 something (almost 40) I was starting to wonder if maybe
I should've had more children, with my two children (almost 9 and 15
who call her "Droolie") getting older and less depended on me I was
feeling a bit unwanted and that I didn't have much purpose. Julie
over filled that void, I did not rescue her, she in fact rescued me.
All thanks to you Linda!!! Unlike my two older kids, Julie is very
depended on me, and I on her. When I got her home, there were small
issues, first she wasn't a big fan of the cats...not aggressive just
curious, she did not eat well at all (found out she preferred canned
to dry) within days found out that she loves to dig, just to dig,
not for any really reason!!! She doesn't know her name so, that’s a
bit of a barrier. She does listen to "NO", which is good because
that stops her in her tracks when she gets the urge to chase the
cats, in these pass 3 weeks she has all but stopped the chasing. She
does not know the word "OUTSIDE" so she nudges or stands at the door
when she needs out (in the pass week she has learned to let herself
out, but hasn't figured out how to get back in), she loves to lay on
the deck, loves the snow and the ...rain (which both make her a mud
puppy and she doesn't like water so my vacuum is working over
time). I took her to the vet, she had lost some weight and needed
to be de-wormed which made her loose even more weight (I think she
lost another 4 lbs, passing worms) so she is a bit on the thin side,
108 lbs before worming. Vet thought she was much younger than first
thought, which to me only meant that I would have her with me even
longer I was thrilled. She is back on puppy food and needs to be
fed several small meals per day to beef her back up, and it just so
happens that I am one of those people who needs and wants be be
doing for others. So, her needing all this fussing over it just
what I need. I had her micro-chipped, and I have been researching,
GPS chips. (although she never leave my side) Julie is the baby and
the princess of the house. When I met her and her foster parents
(Linda & Ed) I brought her a Hot pink leash and collar, that I had
outfitted with Gems and Jewels, within days had her nails painted
hot pink (she slept though her manicure). Which is good because I
have to do them every couple of days, did I mention she is a digger.
She rides and walks so nice, I took her to a large pet store here
(that allows pets to also shop) there were at least 20 other dogs in
this store, she never pulled, never showed a signs of aggression.
Everyone just keep telling us how beautiful and well mannered she
was. For those who think that my 4 legged children should NOT
be family members and playmates, you are way off. My family, my
children have a true and caring love for their 4 legged siblings.
Julie is treated no different than when I had my daughter, who was
dressed in tons of pink, had pretty bows, and her ears pierced. (I
didn't pierce Julies ears, she got gems on collar). Just like my son
and daughter are, Julie is the stars in my eyes, she is the smile on
my face after I've had a bad day, when home schooling isn't going
well, Julie's cold/wet nose from her nudge makes it better, when no
one wants what I made for dinner her drooling tells me she thinks it
at least smells good. And when everyone is in bed, all is quite and
I am unwinding from the day, she hangs out with me and is MY best
friend. I am so very thankful for JULIE...and I am thinking of
getting her a playmate, hint, hint to Linda and Rita. Lastly,
being from the North East...trust me when I say there is something
to be said about Southern hospitality! Forever in my heart.
Charity T & Julie
New Jersey
I just had to add my 'success story'. I adopted Maggie from SC St Bernard Rescue on 1/6/07. I feel like an e-harmony commercial, but she is the (dog) love of my life. She stays at my office and is adored by me and the staff. She is an absolute darling and I cannot imagine my life without her. She soon will have a boyfriend - I'm adopting Henry as soon as he is out of treatment. Maggie & I are very excited. I would encourage anybody who thinks 'big dog = mean dog" to give Saints a try. They are truly, well, saintly. Myra Carlisle
We have to share our luck in being adopted by Droopy this
year. Already dog owners, we knew that bringing one more into the house
could be crazy, but what's one more dog? Immediately we renamed him Brutus,
in honor of The Ohio State University's mascot; to date he has been a good
luck charm for the #1 rated Buckeyes!
Brutus/Droopy was about 15 pounds underweight when we
adopted him through the Utah St. Bernard Rescue organization. My husband
and I fell in love with him at first sight. Today he weighs about 160
pounds. He loves romping and playing with little dogs and big dogs alike.
He is quick to give "snuffles" to anyone who gives him kisses back. He
takes daily walks with us and is stopped wherever we take him.
Brutus/Droopy is the dog that people dream of having: he is unconditionally
loving and has the personality of a gentle giant.
We have never before owned a St. Bernard but are hooked
on the breed now. We highly recommend that those searching for a new
friend look at these loving dogs. We already can't remember life before he
joined our family.
Sincerely; Laurie and Jarrett Hallas; Sandy, UT
Just could not help wanting to share my joy in adopting Roxy and Powder, two sisters, from the West Virginia Rescue. I saw the girls on the website and knew it would probably be hard to place two sisters to one home. I had already been lured into this wonderful breed and was an owner of a 10 year old female Saint, Lizzie, that I raised from a puppy. It was very sad that I had to put Lizzie down due to old age issues etc. She did not have the dignified quality of life she deserved. The girls came into my life and although they cannot replace Lizzie they have been such a joyful distraction. They joined two medium sized mixed breeds and a female shih Tzu. Happily everyone plays well together although the shih Tzu does rule the roost. My neighbors enjoy watching "wrestle mania" in my yard every day.
The girls have
been very easy to train for life in the house and they are enjoying their
large fenced yard that contains a large wooded area. Thank goodness I have a
king size bed because Roxy feels she is suited to sleeping in my bed with her
smaller siblings. I understand why they needed to stay together. They are
attached to one another although they will play with other dogs as well.
It will be my
daughter's senior year this year so I was already dreading the empty nest to
follow. I thought I could make a difference by adopting a rescue dog. The joke
was on me because Roxy and Powder are making a difference in my life with
their unconditional love and devotion. I cannot recommend adopting rescue
dogs enough. There is no way I can thank JoAnn and her husband enough for this
incredible gift of the opportunity to adopt Roxy and Powder.
Jamie Connors
Ringgold, GA
Hi, I have been on your website and I saw the "success stories" section and I would like to know if you would add our success story of Charlotte aka "Boo-Boo". Charlotte came to us by way of Robin Hansen, the contact for the Florida branch of Saint Bernard Rescue. One day after several discussions about getting a 2nd dog my husband and I finally decided we would get a 2nd dog to play with our Golden Retriever: Grover. Now, the dilemma: what kind of dog, do we rescue, or get a puppy? I had originally wanted a Great Pyrenees because of many conversations with a lady that I met at our local dog park that had 7 she was fostering. Then my husband saw an ad in the paper advertising St. Bernards for adoption. He explained he had always wanted a Saint...I didn't know much about them except that they drool. We decided to call about the ad...and now, the rest of the story. OUR BOO-BOO After several questions about what "personality" we wanted, Robin matched us up with Charlotte. Robin said she would be the perfect fit, considering our Golden is older and we didn't want a big boy Saint knocking Grover around and hurting him, and we have a cat. When Robin brought Charlotte to us, my hubby and I fell in Love with her and completed all paperwork that day. Robin said "if she doesn't work out give me a call, I will take her back". After 2 hours with Charlotte, I said "no way is Robin getting her back-I'm in love." Charlotte, like all rescue dogs came with baggage; I believe we are her 4th or 5th home-but we are definitely her final destination. If nobody will accept Charlotte or Grover, then we don't want them in our lives. Not to say there were no issues with Grover after we brought Charlotte in; he pulled his hair out and wouldn't come out to eat for about 2 days. Now, Grover and Charlotte are the best of friends. Grover is the big brother and he "protects" Charlotte when she is up to no good. When Grover gets the energy to "play", they take turns being dominant. Charlotte will not eat without Grover standing beside her. When we let them out, they follow each other around and wait while one or the other does their business and then they walk back to the porch together and come inside at the same time. They go with us to the bank to get their treats; when we take them to the dog park. Charlotte lets everyone know she is there and has to monitor the gate when someone new comes in. I have to admit, I wasn't all to sure I wanted someone else's rejects, but after having Charlotte in my life, rescuing is the way to go. The "rejects" need love to. Oh, and I have definitely become accustomed to the drool. It's a way of life now...without our "Boo-Boo" I have no idea where we would be. As far as the cat "Spooky", he pretty much just stays out of the way. Thank you very much St. Bernard Rescue and Robin. Sincerely, Tracey, Gil, Grover, Charlotte and Spooky
We are so in love with our Saint, Hansen, and so
grateful to the Saint Bernard rescue of Florida that I wanted to share
our story and say "thanks!" on the website... here it is:
Tragedy struck us on August 22, 2005, when our beautiful eight-and-a-half year old mastiff, Oscar, died unexpectedly after suffering gastric torsion and bloat. Oscar weighed-in at a fierce 175 pounds and, throughout his life, was the deciding factor in where we lived, what we drove, and where we could go. We often joked that we had purchased two homes and two cars just to accommodate our enormous dog. And then, suddenly, Ossie was gone. We were lost. We were a “big dog” family without our big dog. The house was too empty, the yard too vast, the truck unnecessary and our hearts were broken. We ached for our missing family member who used to fill all this empty space. What were we supposed to do? Move into an apartment and trade in the Suburban for a sports car? Or maybe we could offer our “big dog” accommodations to another big dog who needed them… That’s when we contacted the Saint Bernard Rescue of Florida and how we met Hansen. Hansen was matched to our family in September of 2005, and my heart swells with joy just thinking about him! Hansen is the kindest, most gentle soul I have ever met; calm and trustworthy with our two-year-old son, tolerant of our three fat house cats and gentle with our geriatric black Labrador Retriever. He’s a good sport too, and has tolerated trick-or-treating while being dressed up as a fireman for Halloween and donned red Christmas bows while posing for the family holiday photo! In spite of the tragedy that brought us together, I know Hansen was just meant to be with us. He is loved so very much; our family would not be complete without him! We felt we had something to offer a rescue dog: a good home and a loving family. But the truth is, we are the ones who have received so much more-- Our Hansen, a sweetheart through and through, who has brought us so much joy and companionship through his wonderful, loving, playful spirit. My deepest thanks to Sandra Morrison of the Saint Bernard Rescue of Florida who introduced me to one of the greatest loves of my life! Oh, how I adore this fluffy dog! With love from Hansen and the Brummer family,
I adopted Sheba on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2003 from
NCSBR, because I had spent a lot of time around a friend's saint and just fell
in love with the breed. When I went to pick a saint out, I couldn't decide which
one I wanted, but Sheba let me know right away that she wanted to come home with
me by dancing in her kennel. I've had her for almost a year and a half now and
know that adopting her was the best thing I have ever done. She has been through
a lot with substantial medical problems, but we have only grown closer through
it all and I cherish every minute with her. She loves belly rubs, kids and big
kisses on her snout. I am so grateful that I found such a loving dog out of
rescue and have been able to give her the proper love and attention that she
needed in able to thrive. I just wanted to say thank you Saint Bernard Rescue!
Giving one of these big guys a good home is truly one of the most rewarding
experiences a person can have.
George the St. Bernard: Amy & Jason
Trina and Katrina ( VA Saint Rescue ),
Bruno is such a great dog! You guys did an awesome job of matching
Bruno with our family! He loves playing in the big yard with his new
sisters and brother. Roxy and Jakie are teaching him how to play rope!
He also likes to go on blazer rides to Dairy Queen!:) He is such a
loving being and he aims to please everyone! We were so glad to have
Bruno for the long spring break weekend. It rained every day, but we all
got to know Bruno really well! Feel free to call and inquire as to how
he is doing. Katrina, we can't wait to have you visit your baby! We are
all so happy!:) If you do need for us to do any home visits, just let us
know. We would be glad to help out! We hope you enjoy the pictures of
Bruno playing with his new family! Great job!
Sincerely,
Tammy, Missy, Roxy, Jakie, Bea, Tommy and Bruno
It was a beautiful day when my transport
lady dropped Bentley off at our foster home. Bentley was not beautiful. A very
tall Mantled Saint, Bentley was about 50 pounds underweight, his fur was matted
and thin and he was covered with hundreds of ticks. We brought him directly to
our outdoor grooming table and spent and hour and a half shaving him, and
scrubbing him with flea soap. The water ran red with blood the whole time.
Fortunately he proved to have no lasting maladies, heartworm negative, good hips
and a great appetite. Over time and with good groceries and fish oil supplements
for his fur, Bentley grew... and grew and grew. Up to 180 pounds of exuberant
loving young Saint. In October, we were devastated to lose not one but two of
our Saints to cancer. I wasn't sure I could ever love another dog but I looked
to Bentley to change that. I had already decided that because he was such a
great protector of the herd that he would not be adopted out but would live with
us forever. Now I noticed that he had been providing another service in our
home. I have a severe case of Fibromyalgia. I frequently fall and have trouble
walking and getting up from a sitting position. I had tried to pull up on
Bentley a few times after a fall left me on the floor and he seemed eager to
help. I now wondered if he could actually have a job helping me.
Bently has been in training as a mobility service dog for one month and he is
doing great. We go everywhere together! We have a new harness that allows me to
steady myself and lean on him when necessary and he knows that he needs to lean
against me (luckily Saints love to lean!) when I am needing the support. He gets
a lot of attention from passers by but always seems to know when he is working.
Having a service dog has not only allowed me more mobility but has helped to
alleviate the crushing depression that comes with a chronic illness. Bentley has
changed my life. Who says rescue dogs are not the best of the best! Katie: 3 yr old shorthaired female. Very loving. Walks very good on a leash. She's only about 80 lbs but she has a big heart. Not sure how she is with small children, but seems to love everyone. She wants to be loved and has a lot of love to give. 10/20/2004 Katie has been adopted and reunited with her heart-broken owners. Seems Katie AKA Sadie was lost in April in Apache Junction. Her family has been searching high and low for her ever since! Yesterday, she was spotted on our website, from a tip of one of their friends. who found Saint Bernard rescue. After all paperwork was completed.....the meeting was arranged and WOW........what a reunion!!!!! Sadie is now back in her home where she belongs and she and her 3 boys as well as Charles and Katrina are settling back into the routine of lots of love and attention that she has missed so very much!!!!! This is definitely one great SUCCESS STORY!!!!!!
Hi!
We love Nina! Please
tell Melissa that she is doing well and thank her for taking such good care of
her! She is getting along well with Petunia and doing well. Nina
is the sweetest, most obedient fuzzy dog that we could ever hope
for! We love her sooo much!!! She seems to be adjusting well and
is being spoiled, like she should be! She is our bean girl!!! Nina
and Doug have formed a total bond and she follows him wherever he goes!
She is absolutely wonderful! I think what I like the most is when we
tell her to "clean your face" and she gets all of the slobber off!
Every morning, I give both her and Tune a piece of cheese and she doesn't
quite get it so Petunia manages is sneak in! She's just adorable!
We're having our small challenge of the leash, but she's making progress.
I thought I would forward you a photo of her so you could put it on your
website! Thanks for everything!!! Please let us know when the
"walk" is!
Thanks a
million!!!
Rebecca Barber
A TALE OF TWO SAINTS Joanne Patenaude You might ask yourself what Calgary (Alberta, Canada) and Aguidilla (Puerto Rico) could possibly have in common. The answer would be New Haven, Vermont, the Field Family and Rescue Saint Bernard's Duchess and Beethoven. Our story begins in November 2001 with 3-year old Duchess. Dutch came into Rescue when her rancher/owner decided she was no longer “convenient”. Jude Fine who does Senior Dog Rescue in Calgary, learned of Duchess’ plight and took her in. National Saint Bernard Rescue was contacted and assisted with Duchess’ boarding fees, but no one seemed able to move her. After nearly two months in the kennel it was clear that Duchess needed a home. Our Canadian friend, Krys Prichard of Trinity of Hope Rescue (and an advocate for Canadian Saints in need) arranged a 3,000-mile flight to Ottawa, Canada. After a short stay at Steve and Shari Murray’s southeastern Ontario kennel (we call it “Camp Saint Bernard”) Duch was ready to travel. She made her way to Connecticut thanks to the efforts of five volunteer drivers involved with the Canine Underground Railroad, and Duchess arrived in Tolland, CT on January 19, 2002. Duch was a very sweet, high-spirited gal desperately in need of a permanent loving home. Among our Rescue adoption applicants was the Field Family –mom, two adult sons, a 7-year old Saint Bernard named Barnabas, Brice (a 5-year old Cocker Spaniel), horses, geese and a cat, all living on a lovely 150-acre farm in Vermont. After many conversations with the Fields and a veterinarian check, we approved their application and took Dutch for yet another ride to meet the Field family. All went extremely well and Duchess’ great adventure was finally at an end. Fast forward to September 2002. We were contacted by Puerto Rico’s Dee Fluitt about an intact 4-year old Saint who had spent his life in a crate and was used mainly to breed. His original owner no longer wanted Beethoven and surrendered him to a kennel. Dee heard of his plight and quickly responded. A military family, Dee, her husband and children are currently stationed in Puerto Rico where she is active with a local rescue group. She knew Puerto Rico was not the place for a Saint and she asked for our help. As virtually all of the East Coast Saint rescue groups were inundated with dogs, we decided to bring him to New England. Since 9/11/01, it has become more difficult to transport dogs by air, never mind a 140-pound Saint Bernard! However, the luck of the Saint continued through guardian angel Leigh Grady of Sterling Animal Shelter in Mass. Leigh is involved with Save-A-Sato, a group that brings Puerto Rican street dogs to the U.S. for adoption. She kindly offered to escort Bee to Boston on her next run and at no charge for his flight! On January 13, 2003, Bee was met by Judy Bredin-Graham and his new foster mom Diane Scuderi-- after a 1,500-plus mile flight and from 85 degrees to 25 degrees. In the meantime, we heard from Pam Field who sadly reported they had lost Barnabas. Pam and her family were feeling the huge void many of us have experienced at the loss of a beloved Saint. Hmm, we thought. What about Bee? Could he fit into the Field Family? Were they ready? Could Bee tolerate the transition from the warmth of Puerto Rico to the cold of Vermont? Would he like Duchess and Brice, the horses and the geese? We talked this over and decided to give it a try. We took Bee to Vermont for a meet-and-greet, and I am happy to report that all went very well. Duchess and Bee are great buddies now, and have the honor of being the most traveled Saint Bernard’s New England Saint Rescue has re-homed.
We adopted Bailey from The Wisconsin Saint Bernard Rescue on December 19, 2003. We had lost our precious saint, Sampson to bone cancer just a month ago, and were just devastated by this loss. We had decided to wait until spring to adopt, but while browsing the web, we saw Bailey on petfinder.com and that was it. She stole our hearts. So the adoption process began. We were able to bring Bailey home a week before Christmas and she truly was our Christmas angel. A house that was so full of sadness once again had joy. Bailey loves going for rides in our van, and loves to sit up front. There is just so much to see. She adores having her belly rubbed and has got us wrapped right around her big paws with that. Our couch and our beds are her favorite places to lay down. Although we will always have a special place in our hearts for our beloved Sampson, we love Bailey just dearly. Bailey, you really are such a sweetheart, and we love you. Al and Dee Pobjoy Poynette Wisconsin Delilah
adopted us and we are the happiest parents on the planet! In no way
did we ever expect to be able to share our daily lives with such a
wonderful and majestic soul/Saint! The love and affection she shows us is
beyond comparison, her willingness to please and her gentle nature are to
be admonished and celebrated, this coming from a former Newfoundland
owner. With no doubt, she has been a wonderful addition and compliment to
our family, and at this point, in less than a year, we can't even begin to
imagine what our lives would have been, or would be, without her. Our
thanks, and our prayers and blessings go to this Saint rescue, who
without, our lives could never be so rich.
For some reason in November of 2003, we decided to volunteer to foster a St. by the name of Banjo. We saw his pic and bio on the Maryland - St. Bernard Rescue site and his story and look just hit a soft spot. We spoke with Kathi Asid, the local contact for the Rescue and voila`, we had Banjo. This boy came to us with epilepsy, never ending, not-so-great back legs and an under bite that doesn't quit. We assumed we were in for a LONG-TIME fostering job, but to our surprise, in December we had two interested parties and we panicked. Banjo belonged here and there was no way we could let this boy go. We formally adopted him and have had nothing but laughs and joy since. When the rescue initially went to evaluate Banjo, he was chained on a concrete slab, having a seizure. Since coming into Rescue, he has not experienced any seizures, has his own warm bed, and lots, and lots of love and attention from both his humane family and his canine brothers and sisters. A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers involved in saving these saintly dogs. Jeanne Schubert & Family in Millers, Maryland
We
adopted “Bella” formally known as Dakota from Ann Richards and friends who
run the Arizona Rescue. We
already had 2 dogs and I don’t really know what led us to our beautiful
Bella but from the moment we brought her home she has been an instant member
of our very busy family. The
adoption process went great. I
found out about the organization from an add in the classifieds. After
the paperwork and home study we packed up our 3 boys and 1 of our dogs to go
and visit “Bella”. I was
truly amazed at the utter dedication people have regarding these wonderful
animals. We loved Bella at first
sight and brought her home. She
loved the car ride but was scared to death of the staircase in our house.
She found her spot in the household right away and we just can’t
remember what things we like before she came to us.
She is so well behaved and just a big love bug.
She loves the The
Arendts Family Wendi,
Eric, Connor, Parker, Jack Arthur
(14yr. cat) I
adopted Bailey, formerly Mo, in March of this year from the Va/MD branch. I
drove up to Maryland to pick him up, and he immediately fell asleep in my lap on
the way back ( don't worry, I wasn't driving!). When Bailey first came to me, he
was in a rough state, he had scabies and his coat was worn and he had giant
scabs on his elbows. But that didn't stop him from being the friendliest, most
loving animal I have ever met. When he first came home, he would get very sad
whenever he got into a car, ( we were convinced he thought he was going to a new
foster home). Now, however, whenever I pick up my keys he beats me to the door.
Of course, he also sleeps in the middle of the bed, couch, or floor, whichever
is closer. (it doesn't matter if I am already there!). He is fascinated by
water, mirrors and squirrels. ( he likes climbing into the bathtub- again, it
doesn't matter if anyone is already in it!) I am convinced he is completely
befuddled by the Chihuahua next door, who barks around his ankles. He loves
going to his grandparents house, where his favorite pastime is sneaking out of their
fenced in backyard, only to let himself into the fenced in backyard of our
neighbors- to play with his "girlfriend". (I should've named him
Houdini) Bailey has wormed his way into the heart of every person he has met (
to the extent where he did not get in trouble when he pulled the plug out of the
bottom of the 2 ft. deep doggie pool at his doggie play care and ran around the
yard with it!). He is truly an angel, and I thank Saint Rescue for allowing me
to give him a home. I cannot say enough about the wonderful temperament of this
breed- they are truly "gentle giants" and everyone needs one in their
lives- I cannot imagine my life without a wet nose and giant paws waking me up
every morning!
We
adopted Bogart (see attached picture) last February from a foster home outside
of
I adopted a Saint from Darlene Serpa in Clearlake CA. She is a wonderful girl and we all love her including the four other dogs of various breeds. Our Saint is the best on a leash and great with people. She rivals the lab. She roller blades slowly with me, rides in the car, swims in the lake with us and we have yet to take her to the snow but we are excited about it, her name was Keenie which we changed to Queenie. She came spayed at 1 and 1/2 years old but she wasn't eating, lost weight and was in the emergency twice in two days (within in the first five days of owning her). She had an abscess under her tongue from chewing on something possibly before Darlene even got her. We have cats that are only bothered by her size but she is so mellow. We have an 11 year-old yellow lab, three year-old Chihuahua , four year-old Pug who went through cancer surgery last spring an almost two year-old Dachshund who plays like mad with Queenie all are neutered and or spayed. I will send you pics as soon as I can because I would love to be part of the happy adopter page.
Mara Brill
1141 Woodland Ave.
Menlo Park, Ca
650 323 3913
The Mighty Diesel By Deb Hodgdon I’d been looking for a long time for just the right companion animal and was beginning to feel a bit frustrated. I made countless trips to the Humane Society, the Animal Shelter and check classified ads but somehow none of the animals I found there seemed to be right for me. Oh yes, I did feel sympathy for all those poor creatures locked up and abandoned and wished I could afford to take them all home and love them as they deserved to be loved, but still not one of them seemed to be just the right one for me. It was beginning to look like I might never find a furry friend to keep me company and then one day, I dropped into the shelter on Baseline Road in Ocala and there was this huge, sad-eyed Saint Bernard just waiting for me to take him home. I don’t know why, but I just knew this was the one. He actually wagged his bushy tail and smiled at me, yes he did, don’t laugh! My heart was broken when I realized that another lady was in the process of completing his adoption paperwork. I was too late. After all this searching, I was too late to take home this beautiful dog. Right then and there, I made up my mind to stop looking. Perhaps I just wasn’t meant to have a furry friend. But I was wrong about that and fate stepped in one Friday evening about two weeks later. I was doing some research on the Internet and something drew me to my favorite search engine. I did a search for Saint Bernard, “Just out of curiosity”, I told myself. Just wanted to see what information I could dig up. And there it was, Saint Bernard Rescue Organization. I read all about it and guess what, they have a rescue right here in Florida! I completed the online adoption application and clicked it off into cyberspace that night wondering what would happen and how soon. Well, I didn’t have to wait long. The phone rang at about 9:00 that Sunday morning and Robin Hansen introduced herself to me as the Florida contact for the Saint Bernard Rescue. We chatted for a long time about my application, about the available dogs, how the rescue works and finally she told me, “I have the perfect Saint for you.” This was how I came to find Diesel, the glorious Saint Bernard. I drove to Tampa the next weekend to meet him and his foster mom. From the moment she drove up and I saw him sitting proudly in the back seat of her SUV with that tongue hanging out and that big wonderful grin on his face, I was hooked. Stealing a quote from a well-known movie, I guess you could say, “He had me at hello.” Diesel came into my home pre-named and I’ve since found out why it was perfect. When he pants he sounds just like a train flying down the tracks, I swear! Now I know you may be thinking that Saints are huge, ferocious dogs that drool and bark and destroy your home. Well, that’s not exactly the case. True, some may have their faults that can usually be corrected with training, patience and love, but the nature of the Saint Bernard is sweet, gentle and calm. They are protectors of their human families, especially children. Now I admit, I was a really concerned about what he might do to my new furniture and my precious possessions, but from day one, he has been a truly amazing dog. He is careful not to knock over things on tables, he does not climb on furniture (except my bed which I have given him permission to do) and he is infinitely patient with me as I learn the ins and outs of being “the human” of a magnificent Saint. He adores my grandchildren, finds my daughter amusing as she squeals when he affectionately leaves a drop or two of slobber on her sleeve and he finds my son a curiosity especially the day he found him on the roof with a tree saw. (My son had the saw, not Diesel.) Makes you wonder what really goes through their minds. I’ve added a couple snapshots of my Diesel, so you can see what a wonderful guy he is and in the hopes that this might inspire someone to consider giving a safe and loving home to another lonely Saint in desperate need of rescue. Think about it and if you find in your heart that there is room for a cuddly bear, please contact the Saint Bernard Rescue Organization and talk with Robin Hansen. I should tell you that Robin doesn’t post pictures of the Florida Saints online although other states do. She explained to me that she wants people to fall in love with the personality before they see the beautiful face. I probably should add that Robin loves these animals so much that her adoption contract guarantees a refund of the adoption fee if you return the animal to her for any reason. You don’t find that very often. Here’s the web address: http://saintrescue.org/florida.htm By the way, Diesel says hello and hopes some of his “brothers and sisters” will find a great home with one of you humans. (No, he doesn’t speak to me, but those looks are unmistakable.)
A Lucky Day UPDATE: 11/14/2002 Hey yesterday
Lucky tested negative to heartworm. He is heartworm free! After 3 months of
treatment, we can celebrate! Lucky had dinner out at Sonics, where he ate 2 hot
dogs, drank a cup of ice water and stole all the attention. What a great day it
is!!!
This is Brett. Yes, he really does stick out his bottom lip like a 2 year old when he doesn't get to share your snack! The Grad family in Ontario, Canada adopted him from Kathy Graham's branch of the Saint Rescue in Toledo, OH in April, 2001. Brett was very nervous and anxious when we first got him and would sometimes act up around guests. It took him about 8 months to be fully adjusted to his new home. With a lot of patience, love, affection and a bit of discipline, Brett has become a wonderful family pet. He is now very good around guests and other animals. We had to be firm with Brett so that he could learn all the rules, and now he is very well behaved. Brett always needs to be reassured that he is loved, and believe me, he is spoiled rotten! I hope our story will encourage others to make informed choices about adopting Saints. They are the best dogs in the world! 10/9/2002
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