Happy Howl-o-ween!

Doesn't Komo (aka Dutch) look adorable in his bee costume and isn't this a beautiful pictures?

This photo was taken by Sarah of Sarah Beth Photography and on November 22nd she is holding a fundraiser for Pet Haven! For a $25 donation to Pet Haven, Sarah is offering a free mini pet session and one free 5X7 print. 20% of any additional prints ordered will be donated to Pet Haven. Sessions are being scheduled for November 22 between 1 and 5 PM and will be at the Northwind Loft Warehouse, 2400 N. 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN.
Email sarah@sarahbethphotography.com to schedule your mini session.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Adoption Event Tomorrow - Saturday, November 1
You can also come out and meet Komo and his fellow foster dogs at our adoption event tomorrow. We will be at the Woodbury Petco on Saturday, November 1, from 10am - noon. All of our dogs would love to meet you!

Bishop: Looking to be your best bud

Bishop is a 9 month old terrier mix. He came in to Pet Haven foster care when he was approximately 4 months old and as he has grown our guesses about his breed mix have evolved. His foster thinks that he might be a Basenji mix. Whatever his heritage, Bishop is 100% sweetheart. He loves to snuggle and sack out with you on the couch. For a 9 month old pup his he not overly energetic. He likes to go for walks and sniff around the yard, but he's also happy to sit on your lap (yes, I said on your lap) and watch TV. He does still like to chew, as most puppies do, but he's learned to limit his chewing to dog toys. He is smart cookie and knows that you can't put just anything you find lying around in your mouth! In the 2nd photo posted here you can see Bishop combining two of his favorite activities -- chew toys and couch lounging. Doggy heaven!

Bishop is going to start an obedience course with his foster mom next week, but he would love to finish it out with his new adoptive family. It's a 6 week course, so act fast! If you would like to adopt Bishop, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com

Benne: A big cuddle bug

Benne's name was originally pronounced "Ben-ay" (French), but after a few months in Minnesota its morphed into "Bennie" (our apologies to his New Orleans roots). Benne is a gorgeous 15 month old pit bull terrier. He is currently hanging out in a foster home with a couple of dogs and a cat named Henry. As you can see, he's hard at work attempting to broker a peace deal on behalf of dogs and cats everywhere. He gets along well with the dogs in his foster home as well. He likes to play with them and also respects the fact that he is not the one in charge in this dog pack.

Benne LOVES to snuggle. He would make a great foot warmer this winter. If your lap is cold, he'd be happy to sit there as well. If you need to warm your hands as temps drop this fall, Benne would like to remind you that dogs have warm fur and he would be happy to offer his services as a petting recipient. If you share Benne's belief that there's no such thing as "too big to be a lap dog" and want to meet this sweetheart, email pethavendogs@yahoo.com.

Drake: Learning to live on 3 legs

Drake is a young American Bulldog who was hit by a car and taken to a local vet for medical attention. His family never claimed him during his stray hold. The clinic staff felt he was a sweet dog who deserved a 2nd chance so they went ahead and amputated his badly damaged leg (all of his medical care was donated by the clinic, Camden Pet Hospital) and started searching for a rescue who could take this boy in and help him find his forever home. This weekend Drake landed on all three feet in Pet Haven care. He is currently hanging out at Pampered Pooch where Keith and his staff are loving him up while he waits for a foster home. Drake gets along well with other dogs, but cats are a no-no for his foster or adoptive home.

Who can resist Drake's seriously sweet puppy dog eyes?
If you are interested in fostering or adopting Drake, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For those of you who will be attending the Pet Haven Fall Benefit on Saturday, November 1, Drake will be one of the models in the dog and cat fashion show. He will be joined by fellow tripod and Pet Haven alumni Bella (fka Spice Girl). There are a few seats still available for the biggest event of the year if you want to see Drake in action. Last year we did sell out, so don't wait until the very last minute to reserve your tickets or it may be too late: Pet Haven Fall Benefit

Another happy ending: Zack

Zack came into Pet Haven back in August. He was surrendered by a family who loved him very much, but their child developed very strong allergies to Zack so they made the difficult decision to find him another home. Zack has spent over 2 months in a great foster home, patiently waiting for his new family to find him and fall in love. He attended several adoption events, but didn't get any nibbles. What Zack didn't know, and what we at Pet Haven didn't know, is that his new family had already found him -- they just weren't in a position to adopt quite yet. This week they were ready and contacted Pet Haven to see if he was still available. After watching Zack on the website for almost 2 months, J & P adopted him on Sunday. Congratulations to the whole family!

National Pit Bull Awareness Day!

Today is the 2nd annual National Pit Bull Awareness Day!

A Rotta Love Plus, a twin cities Pit Bull and Rottweiler rescue, is hosting a picnic at Minnehaha Park this afternoon to celebrate.


We at Pet Haven could not resist this opportunity to highlight the wonderful bully breed dogs that we have in foster care right now:

Dutch -- also known as Komo in his foster home -- is a 1 year old lab/bully breed mix. He is loving life in his foster home where he gets to go to work with his foster mom who works with one of Pet Haven's doggy daycare partners. He loves playing with other dogs and he still has a lot of puppy energy in him at just 1 year of age so this arrangement is a dream come true!



Hazel is a 2 year old Pit Bull. At only 37 pounds, Hazel is a petite little thing. Hazel gets long well with other dogs -- too well, she LOVES to play and she will play and play and play until the other dog collapses from exhaustion. She is not a hyper dog though, without a doggy playmate around she is happy to entertain herself a toy or snuggle in with her humans.

Bishop is a 10 month old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He came into Pet Haven from a hoarding situation when he was just a few months old. He is loving life in his foster home where he has three people all to himself. Bishop likes to play with other dogs, but he doesn't like to share his space and people with them on a long term basis. He would love to take trips to the dog park, but would like to be the only pet in his forever home.

Benne is a 1 year old Pit Bull. Benne has come a long way from his sad start in life. He was dumped at a shelter as a young puppy. If you were to meet him now you'd never never guess there was a time that he didn't know love. He gets long well with other dogs and kids. He's still a puppy so he can get rambunctious and needs a family who will commit to continuing to train him to be a good canine citizen.





The 2009 legislative session starts on January 6, 2008. If another bill is introduced to try to ban specific breeds of dogs, Pet Haven will be involved in the fight to block its passage. To learn more about Pet Haven's advocacy efforts at the state capitol, check out our advocacy blog, the advocacy page on our website or email Advocacy@PetHavenMN.org

Seeka: Seeking a new foster home

Seeka is a 4 month old spaniel mix who is currently living in foster care with her littermate, Jake. These two young pups have learned a lot in their first 2 months in foster care together, but now we really need to split them up into separate foster homes while they wait for their adoptive families to find them. Often times when littermates live together they will bond more to eachother than to their human pack members. Jake and Seeka need to be split up so that they can focus on learning to bond with people and mastering all of the behaviors and commands expected of well-behaved canine citizens.

Seeka has gotten the hang of housetraining (as long as you stick to getting her out on a regular schedule) and she is crate trained and will sleep through the night. She can be left alone in a crate for 5-6 hours at a time. She's learning "sit" and "come" and other basic commands. In short, all the really hard puppy work has been done, but a lot of fun puppy antics remain!

If you're interested in being the lucky family who gets to foster Seeka, fill out a volunteer application and email it to us at Volunteer@PetHavenMN.org.

Nestle & Gunnar: Adopted!

Don't you think that Nestle looked very much at home at his foster family's cabin this weekend? Well, his foster family agrees! Nestle is being adopted by Jenny and the rest of her pack. From Jenny's email "He is such a great dog and we have already grown very attached to him."

Gunnar is another middle-aged lab who came from the same shelter as Nestle and arrived in Pet Haven care on the same day. He was profiled on the blog a couple weeks back. He was deemed unadoptable at the shelter because of a heart murmur. Gunnar also charmed the socks off of his foster family and they are adopting him.

Nestle and Gunnar's stories are a heartwarming example of what dog rescue is all about.
Congratulations, boys!

Katie: From a hoarder to happy hound

Katie is a 2-3 year old pointer mix who came to Pet Haven this summer from a hoarding situation in SW Minnesota. A hoarder is someone who has an obsessive-compulsive disorder about collecting things, such as newspapers, boxes, books, etc. Unfortunately for Katie, this individual hoarded dogs. Things were way beyond their control and luckily Katie ended up in rescue and coming to Pet Haven.

Since Katie did not have the best start in life, she had some insecurities when she arrived in foster care. Katie was living outside a number of other dogs, and did not get a lot of attention. Katie has some separation anxiety and would do best in a home where someone is home most of the day, or someone works from home. She does take an inexpensive medication to help keep her calm. When she is left alone in the home she will bark, but she is not destructive.

Katie's separation anxiety, which is common in many dogs, is the only special requirement she has. She is ready to go home! Katie is housetrained and currently lives with two senior dogs. Katie would like to have another dog brother or sister but doesn't need them to be a playmate, just to hang out with. Katie would prefer a fenced in yard so she can explore without you worrying about her nose taking her somewhere far away! Katie knows some commands and likes to play fetch and tug. Katie walks well on a leash -- she sticks close to your side (ok, maybe sometimes a little TOO close). Katie also enjoys listening to you talk - she'll wrinkle her forehead so you know that she is really paying attention. She has some favorite toys she would love to show off for you!

If you would like to meet Katie, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com

Nestle: Being nursed back to health

Nestle came to us from an animal control facility. Pet Haven was asked to consider taking in Nestle because he is middle aged and a retriever mix (we are thinking a Chesapeake Bay Retriever) -- which are a dime a dozen in animal control shelters. What we and the shelter didn't know at the time is that Nestle needed immediate medical attention as well.

Nestle arrived three weeks ago and he was very skinny (you can still see his ribs and hip bones in these photos -- after 3 weeks of good food in foster care) and generally in poor condition. He had an eye injury and was a little lame in one leg. Within a few days he had gone down hill and was very sick. He was hospitalized in ICU at one of our great veterinary partners, Bloomington Veterinary Hospital. They ran a battery of tests to try and understand what was wrong with our sweet boy. They were able to determine that he was shot with a pellet gun in the past. He may also have been hit by a car at some point. He developed a lot of swelling in his chest and front legs, he was bleeding in his groin area and was very lethargic. It was a tense few days -- Nestle was found to have a blood infection and bacterial endocarditis, which is an infection of his heart muscle. He also developed a slight heart murmur.

Nestle has the softest eyes and the sweetest disposition -- everyone who meets him falls madly in love with this chocolate brown boy. Everyone in Pet Haven and at the vet clinic was pulling for him to make it through. After a week of treatment at the vet he started to turn the corner and was well enough to move into a foster home. Nestle charmed one vet tech so much that she jumped at the chance to bring him home. He is now on the road to recovery, but he's not entirely out of the woods yet (all signs are positive though!).

Pet Haven is fortunate to know that he is in good hands with a trained veterinary professional who will be able to monitor his progress on a daily basis...
...and who also takes him to her cabin!! Nestle spent this weekend swimming in the lake and hanging out up north with his foster family. Nestle has come so far in three weeks.

Pet Haven is able to provide these life saving treatments for Nestle and other dogs like him because of the generous financial support of our donors. We are incredibly blessed to have been able to say "yes" to all of the diagnostic work and veterinary care that Nestle required. Pet Haven supporters saved Nestle's life. All you need to do is look into Nestle's big brown eyes to see how thankful he is.

To make a donation and help Nestle and other dogs like him, please visit our donation page.

Andy: Another awesome big black dog

Andy is another fabulous big black dog -- one of our favorite kind of foster dogs here at Pet Haven (we say that about every type of dog -- don't tell them!). Our best guess is that he is a lab/shepherd mix and around 1 year old.

Andy came to us from an animal control facility. He was picked up as a stray. His canine companion, a female pit mix, was hit and killed by a car on the interstate. Andy stayed by her body until the authorities got there to pick them up. Andy's show of loyalty brings tears to my eyes. Any family would be blessed to have such a devoted canine companion.

Andy is currently hanging out at Auntie Ruth's, one of our great boarding partners. He is having fun playing with the other dogs at his doggy daycare. He made his adoption event debut on Saturday and while it was clear that he needs some work on walking nicely on a leash, he loved meeting and greeting all the people and other dogs.

If you are interested in adopting Andy, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com.

Update on Geordie the dumpster pup!

Back on April 15, 2008 Pet Haven got a plea to help a litter of 5 black pups found in a rural Iowa - left in a box by the dumpster! With the overwhelming response we received in our effort to find fosters for these pups, we decided to start a Pet Haven dog blog so that their progress could be followed!

This beautiful litter of 5 black pups marked the birth of the Pet Haven dog blog!!

And yesterday, we received an update on one of the pups... Geordie (formerly Calcifur):

"I thought you all might enjoy another Geordie (formerly known as Calcifur) update! We are so happy with him. His training is going along well - he learns best playing frisbee, though he's happy to learn with dog food kibble as well. He's very smart, affectionate, and enthusiastic. He still climbs in bed every morning to get his snuggles. He and Angus have been become great buddies - playing together and sleeping together during the day but Geordie is very respectful of his older brother thanks to Angus' teaching. He and Angus did lots of swimming in the river this summer - he loves the water. He's a big boy - 60 lb the last time we had him at the vet, but pretty slender in build. He loves walks and riding in the car - and getting his picture taken! Whenever I get out the camera he comes over and sits in front of me, though we didn't teach him that! He's still into chewing whatever he can get his mouth onto, but he is so graceful with his lips! He can peel flat magnets off the refrigerator and pulls select, single books off the bookshelves to chew on and seems to prefer the oldest and dustiest books, for some reason (we've had to put the bookshelves off limits, of course). He is such a sweet boy, though we've had to do a lot of explaining about how the cats are not toys! But he is working on remembering that and listens when we say, "leave it" when he goes after the cats. Geordie is such a treasured member of our family - we feel so lucky to have found him. We can't believe he's over 7 months already - the time has gone so quickly!

Thank you so very much for helping us to find Geordie!"


To view earlier posts click on the following links:
- Pups arrive
- Update on the pups
- Calcifur and Wyatt

Pet Haven adoption event tomorrow (Saturday, 10/18)

(Foster, a 10 month old Newfoundland mix, currently available for adoption)

Our foster dogs are resting up for another big adoption event on Saturday. They are looking forward to greeting any and all adoring fans who come out to meet them at the Richfield Petco on Saturday morning between 10am and noon.

Pictured above is Foster, one of our latest intakes. He will be making his Pet Haven adoption event debut on Saturday. Who can resist a big goofy puppy? Stop by and ask him to show off his newest "trick" -- sit!

You can learn about all of our dogs available for adoption on our webpage.

Little Ann: Looking for a little love!

This weekend 2 Pet Haven volunteers spent some time volunteering with Rosie's Red Lake Rescue in northern Minnesota. They met many wonderful dogs waiting for loving homes, including Little Ann. She was one of two dogs that they were able to bring back with them and into the Pet Haven program. Little Ann is hanging out with a temporary foster right now, but she's looking for a regular foster home where she can hang her leash until she is adopted.

Little Ann is little over 1 year old and weighs about 45 lbs. She's great with other dogs. She's still getting used to life in the big city. She needs a foster who will take the time to get her out and about and introduce her to new sights and sounds so that she can become comfortable with the hustle and bustle of the city. Little Ann would love a foster home with another dog and a fenced in yard, but she's flexible if you have time to give her the love and attention that she wants and deserves!

If you are interested in fostering Little Ann or another dog in need, please fill out a volunteer application and email it to us at Volunteer@PetHavenMN.org.

Foster Homes Needed!

Pet Haven is always in need of more foster homes, but in light of the current economic climate, the need is greater than ever. Every day we get multiple requests from families who are no longer able to care for their dog. These dogs have done nothing wrong and are the innocent victims of their family's misfortune. We can only help as many dogs as we have foster homes available!

Fostering a Pet Haven dog can be done at no cost to the foster home. All Pet Haven dogs arrive at their foster homes fully vetted with a collar, leash, gentle leader or harness for walking (if needed). Dog food, toys, blankets and treats are donated to Pet Haven and distributed to foster homes. Pet Haven covers the cost of any additional veterinary care required by the foster dog while in foster care. All you need to provide as a foster home are love and attention.

Pet Haven works hard to match up foster dogs and foster homes to try and ensure a positive experience for all involved. We work with you to identify a foster dog who will fit in well with all family members -- kids, dogs, cats and other pets. We also try to match the energy level and personality of the dog to the foster family. Do you have a young resident dog who loves to play, play, play? We can easily find you a foster dog who loves to do the same! Do you have a senior dog who does not tolerate young whippersnapper puppies? We can hook your family up with a mellow older dog who is happy to just hang out. Do you have a resident cat that does not want to be pestered by a dog? We will try to match you with a dog who has been there, done that with cats and won't bug your resident feline. Do you have kids? We will make sure you get a foster dog who has been kid tested.

Foster homes will tell you that fostering is one of the most rewarding things that they have ever done. Check out our dog foster information page to read testimonials from current Pet Haven fosters. You can also find answers to all of our most frequently asked questions about fostering on our dog foster information page.

Already convinced? Fill out a volunteer application and email it to us at Volunteer@PetHavenMN.org.

Ode loves her new bear!

Ode came into Pet Haven's foster program in late July 2008 after she was rescued by Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. This sweet puppy was the victim of horrific abuse, yet has shown us how incredibly resilient, loving and brave she is -- to read her story visit the Pet Haven website. At our last adoption event, Ode apparently was given a stuffed bear, and foster mom Mary shares: "Ode got a bear at the last adoption event. It has become her favorite toy."
Ode is thriving in her foster home and is currently going through Obedience I training at Canine Coach. Her training can be a little exhausting, so she has to take lots of naps to recuperate and prepare herself for her next session.

Ode is going to be a special guest at Pet Haven's Fall Benefit on Saturday, November 1st. We hope you consider to join us for the event and meet Ode and other Pet Haven dogs and cats!

Gunnar: Gunning for your heart, of course!

Gunnar is a 7 year old yellow lab who came to Pet Haven through animal control. During examination by the vet staff at the shelter they detected a heart murmur. Unfortunately, this meant that Gunnar was unadoptable through the shelter. Fortunately, Pet Haven was able to step in and save this sweetheart's life. Gunnar was brought into foster care and is currently undergoing some diagnostic tests so that we fully understand the extent of his heart murmur.

What we know at this point is that Gunnar is happy and in good health right now. It will be important to keep Gunnar at a healthy weight so that his heart does not expend extra energy hauling around weight that Gunnar does not need anyway. He will never be a jogging partner, but regular exercise will be important for Gunnar. The heart, like any other muscle, needs to be kept well-conditioned for optimal health and this will be especially important for Gunnar.

Pet Haven is very fortunate that we are able to say "yes" to helping dogs like Gunnar with some extra medical needs on a regular basis. We are able to do this because of the generosity of our donors who provide us with the funds necessary to pay for extraordinary care such as Gunnar's diagnostic work. If you are interested in making a donation to help Gunnar and other dogs like him, please visit our donation page. If you would like to adopt Gunnar, please email dogs@pethavenmn.org.

Zack: Move in ready

Zack is hanging out in foster care, waiting for his forever family to find him. He's seen some younger dogs come and go through foster homes and he's just waiting for a family to appreciate all that he has to offer with a couple more years of experience under his belt. He's still got pep in his step and is ready to run and play and walk and fetch. He's also a lover who will sit and soak up all the attention you have to lavish upon him. At the same time, he's old enough to know that dogs have it pretty in good life and he's not about to mess this gig up -- so he sticks around and listens well off-leash. He's totally trustworthy with free roam while you're gone and is and happy to hang out at home for a full work day. He knows that if you pull too hard on the leash, that your humans don't enjoy the walk as much -- so he walks like a gentleman without pulling too hard. He knows the difference between dog toys and shoes, and which ones are appropriate chew toys. He's learned all the hard lessons in a dog's life -- and he's got a full bag of obedience tricks that he would love to show off for you!

Zack does have one confession though (lest you think he sounds too perfect) -- he likes to play chase with the resident cat. Unfortunately for Zack, only one of them enjoys that game. He doesn't mean to cause any harm, it's just a game -- but any felines in his forever home should be willing to tolerate some antics.

If you would like to learn more about this easy-going guy, email dogs@pethavenmn.org.

Dutch: Cute as a bug!

Dutch is ready for Halloween. Are you ready for Dutch? Just try and resist his big blue eyes!

Not only is he a willing participant when it comes to dressing up as a bee, he also loves to hunt for bugs in the yard. Sounds like some human boys I know! Estimated to be 1-2 years old, Dutch has a lot in common with human kids. He thrives on routine, love (his favorite is a big kiss on the head), positive training/reinforcement...and he will sleep better at night when he is given ample opportunity to burn off steam during the day! Sound like any kids you know?

Dutch has really lucked out with his foster home. His foster mom works at one of our doggy daycare partners -- so Dutch gets to go to work with her and play, play, play! This also means that she has gotten to observe him with all kinds of dogs and Dutch gets along fabulously with all of them. He would be a great 2nd dog if you have a pooch who needs a playmate.

If you've fallen victim to Dutch's big puppy dog eyes, email dogs@pethavenmn.org to find out more about him!

Andy, Foster and Butterscotch - new intakes!

Yesterday afternoon, a fellow volunteer and myself had the good fortune of welcoming 3 new dogs into our foster program: Andy (black lab/shepherd mix), Butterscotch (heinz 57 brindle mix) and Foster (young lab mix - possibly has some newfie in him!). All 3 arrived in a transport from Sioux City, Iowa. All 3 whose time was up at the Sioux city animal control and the harsh reality where most often the big black dogs are euthanized (to learn more about Black Dog Syndrome visit Start Seeing Black Dogs).
Pet Haven received a plea from Sioux City animal control to save these dogs.
Every time I participate in transporting and welcoming dogs into Pet Haven's foster program, I am reminded of how each and every one of us can make a difference. For many of us entrenched in animal rescue, it's heartbreaking for us to know we can't save them all - but for every dog we rescue and are able to provide that well-deserved second chance, it is without the doubt, the fuel that keeps the flame of hope alive.

Andy, Foster and Butterscotch are all beautiful dogs. After many hours of travel, and a close brush with death, they are now safe and will soon be going to foster homes or one of our doggie daycare partners.

It's a never ending cycle and we continue to need your help. If you are able to foster (or know anyone able to) please send an email to volunteer@pethavenmn.org. You can learn more about fostering on our website. Every new foster allows us to save one more life, and in return you will receive lots and lots of slobbery kisses and more tail wags than you could ever imagine!

Lacey - being pampered at Pampered Pooch!

If you are looking for a big loveable bear then Lacey is just for you! This gentle giant is being fostered at Pampered Pooched, one of Pet Haven's newest doggie daycare partners. Keith (co-owner of Pampered Pooch) falls in love with all of their foster dogs (their first foster dog was Jasper, who is as close to perfect as a dog can be!) - not a bad problem from our perspective! We are grateful for how much pampering our foster dogs get (Lacey even gets to sleep in a luxury suite ... Lately she's been spending her nights in Luxury Suite 1 so tune into their webcam at night to take a peak at Lacy while she dreams about chasing squirrels!). Keith also recently blogged about Lacy.

We are extremely grateful for our doggie day partners who provide us with a complimentary foster slot all year round: Pampered Pooch, Downtown Dogs and Auntie Ruth. Because of the support and partnership of doggie daycares we are able to rescue and re-home one more dog.

If you would like to learn more about Lacey (she will be up on our web soon) or any of our dogs visit our website. For specific questions email dogs@pethavenmn.org.

Pet Haven adoption event tomorrow (Saturday, 10/4)

(Eeyore , a Cocker Spaniel, currently available for adoption)

The weather is getting chillier -- dogs are great footwarmers!
Come out to the Minnetonka Petco on Saturday morning from 10am - noon to meet some of the cutest, smartest, sweetest footwarmers around. All of our dogs in foster care are waiting patiently for their forever family to walk into their lives. They would love to meet you!

Adoption events are also a great place to learn more about volunteering with Pet Haven. If you've been kicking around the idea of fostering -- or getting involved in another way -- come on out and meet our volunteers and find out what we are all about. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Not able to adopt right now? Schedule too packed for regular volunteering?
Our dogs never turn down ear scratches or a little extra TLC -- so if you can spare a few minutes, stop by and show them some love.

You can learn about all of our dogs in foster care on our website.

Vote Jasper!

Jasper is really making his case this election year to be voted the sweetest dog ever! Jasper comes to Pet Haven from a shelter where he was saved from euthanization several times because the workers there thought he was too nice to be let go of. Luckily for this guy, Pet Haven stepped in and he has been living the high life!

Jasper started on his campaign for Sweetest Dog Ever 2008 when he was boarded at Pampered Pooch Playground while waiting for a foster home to open up. He got to play all day long with other dogs of all sizes and hang out with the workers there. Everyone, of course, fell in love with him.

Jasper moved on to stump for his cause in his foster home. Jasper has been there for about 2 weeks and his foster parents are completely convinced that he is the sweetest, easiest, most easy going foster they have ever had!

Jasper would like everyone considering him as a candidate to know a couple of important details about his life. He is a black lab mix and only weighs about 38-40 pounds. He is cratetrained, housetrained, and knows some obedience but could use an obedience class with his new family. Jasper gets along well with all other dogs, male and female, and enjoys playing with other dogs. He walks well on a leash and is a perfect car passenger. Jasper rarely makes any noise at all. He is used to a fenced in yard here and loves it because then he has room to romp around with his foster brother and sister. Jasper loves everyone he meets, and wriggles right up to you when he meets a new person - if you scratch his neck (he has a white spot on his neck that is the perfect location!) he is your friend for life!

Jasper loves eating his high quality food and foster dad loves that it means there isn't a lot in the poop pick up department for him!

If you are interested in meeting Jasper, please fill out an adoption application or email dogs@pethavenmn.org and it won't take long for him to convince you that he really is the sweetest dog ever!

I'm Jasper, and I approved this message. -- Jasper

Mandy - Burning Calories with Kisses

Mandy has a very serious question to ask -- how many calories can you burn off licking your human? Mandy loves to kiss her foster dad and nibble on his ear -- and Mandy's foster mom loves to take photos of these hilarious moments.

If Mandy could kiss her way to better health I am sure she would be svelte in no time. Unfortunately for Mandy, kissing doesn't burn calories fast enough and she is not the one in charge of her exercise routine. You see, Mandy is carrying around a couple of extra pounds -- truly just a few, but on a small dog that's a lot of extra weight. So her foster mom has her on a d-i-e-t (don't tell Mandy) and gets her out walking every day. Foster mom thought that perhaps some cute new workout clothes would inspire Mandy to get out there and get going, but instead Mandy was just sorely disappointed (and a little bit shocked) to learn that you do not lose weight by just wearing exercise clothes while you lounge on the couch.

So Mandy has pulled out her final stop -- the "if I can't see you, you can't see me and this whole exercise thing just isn't going to happen" move. Mandy is sad to report that it's not working. So the walks continue and Mandy is learning how to walk nicely on a leash without weaving all over the place. On the upside, all that extra meandering is burning off extra calories!

If you need some extra loving in your life from a little Jack Russel Terrier and are committed to continuing her exercise program, please email dogs@pethavenmn.org to learn more about Mandy.