Adopted Dog Monday

Dasher and Daisy came to us as siblings from a hoarding situation. Here are their happy endings.


DAISY ADOPTED! This is Kaylan and Daisy..soon to be best buds! Daisy also has 2 Cockapoo brothers and a cat! She was welcomed with a new pink bed, pink toys, pink eat and drink dishes and last but not least PINK BOWS!!! She is going to make those boys jealous I tell ya!!!!

DASHER ADOPTED!!! Here is Dasher's new clan! Lots of kids to play with him and even a kitty too!!! Will be a busy household!!! But isn't it a great beginning!!

The continued progress of the Puppy Mill Girls

Daisy, the Shih Tzu  and Susie the Poodle continue to adapt and adjust in their foster home.  Their foster mom has sent me an update, which you can read below.  These two little dogs came to us from a puppy mill with a myriad of health problems and an evident lack of socialization with humans.  They're making progress and looking great.

Daisy is afraid of new people, she will run to her kennel and won't come out until the people are gone. These are people she sees 5 times a week. Last night after much coaxing I was able to call her out, but she belly crawled over to me. Hey it's start, the people were still here.

Susie will not go to anyone else but me but she will stay out of her pen and sit on a dog bed out of everyone's way. I think she will adjust fine to people.

Daisy is such a jokester. She loves to run, chew and do whatever is fun. I cant really blame her. Sunday morning I told them we were sleeping in until 9, Daisy had other ideas. When I got up at 7:30 she had the bathroom rug in the living room, my slippers, shoes, and she tried for the kitchen rug but I think it was to heavy for her to drag. She doesn't chew on them or if she does, she doesn't cause any damage. I try to distract her with appropriate toys for chewing.

Daisy's eyes are really looking good. (Daisy has 'dry eye' -- her eyes do not produce tears.) We started new medicine that only needs to be applied twice a day. No longer look dried up and dead.

Susie ear infection I think is really gone for good this time. She has had 4 baths with the special shampoo and her coat looks good for about 3 days, than she needs another bath, hopefully in a month she won't need baths weekly.

House training is not progressing as fast as I would hope. I take them out 3 times a day, sometimes I have luck with them going and other days I don't. They both are getting much more comfortable with outside, so maybe it will click all at once.

I still hope to place the two together. I think it is so neat that they had each other when they were in the hell hole. At the very least another dog for them to bond with is a must.

Progress Report: Puppy Mill Girls

Susie and Daisy continue to do well in their foster home.  The two are inseparable.  Our 'pipe dream' is that they could be adopted together, but when they are ready for their forever homes they will likely need to go their separate ways.

For now, they are enjoying life together and keeping each other warm in this seemingly endless winter.

Pet Haven Rescues Two Puppy Mill Dogs

Daisy and Susie came to us via the Animal Humane Society.   Here is what AHS posted on their website:

"Animal Humane Society was recently called in by authorities to assist in ceasing operations of a commercial breeding facility in a rural Minnesota county. The request for assistance came after authorities there responded to three different calls about the operation.

At this facility, a high number of dogs of various breeds were found living in deplorable conditions. They were housed three to a cage in small kennels that didn’t allow for them to move or turn around; each kennel was covered in feces that contributed to painful mattes in the dogs’ fur. They were not provided exercise and experienced little to no human contact leaving them unsocialized and scared of the outside world.

Pet Haven is fortunate to have an experienced foster home willing to take two of these dogs and work with them to make them adoptable little dogs.  Here is what she has shared with us so far.

Both little girls are shy with very sweet temperaments. Susie is coming out of her shell faster than

an Daisy is. They do not show affection yet, and Daisy tries to avoid being picked up, but both can be handled without a problem. They have started following their foster mom around the house. Both love treats and get along fine with other dogs. They clearly know each other. They had not yet been together in their foster home, but when they were let out of their kennels in the exam room at Plymouth Heights Pet Hospital, Susie got all excited and started trying to play with Daisy and both had wagging tails.

Susie is a 6 - 8 year old black and silver poodle. She is underweight at 8.6 lbs and had to have 18 teeth extracted this week. She was already missing 12 teeth, so there are not many left. She loves the canned and homemade food her foster mom feeds her. She was also spayed and had a couple of mammary tumors removed this week. Susie was covered in mats and had to be shaved. She is missing all of the hair on the top of her nose and a couple of spots on her hips where she is particularly bony, but hopefully some good food and loving attention will help it to grow back.

Daisy is a 5 - 6 year old lhasa (or maybe a shih tzu or maybe a mix of the two - hard to tell). She weighs 13.5 lbs and is light tan with some black on her face. Daisy had surgery and dental work done last week. She was spayed and had mammary tumors removed as well. She also had to be shaved to remove her matted coat, but the hair on her face was able to be trimmed and she is adorable. Daisy has dry eye and produces no tears in either eye. Because this condition went untreated, she lost a significant amount of vision in both eyes. We are hoping that the drops she is now receiving will help to bring some of it back. Daisy also has bad knees - her kneecaps in both back legs are permanently dislocated. She seems to get around fine and the vet concluded that they appear to not be causing her any pain. 

Both of these wonderful little survivors will soon be available for adoption. We have no doubt that they will learn to be loving companions. Since they have spent their lives until now in crates, they do not have a clue about housetraining and are used to eliminating where they live and sleep. Now that they have the space they need they are figuring out that does not have to be the case any longer. They are being trained to use puppy pads in their foster home and Susie is starting to catch on. Daisy still has to figure out this weird practice. They are taken outside, but the cold weather and the strange feel of the outdoors just causes them to be motionless. Once they are more comfortable in their foster home and it warms up a bit outside, they will be transitioned from puppy pads to pottying outdoors.
 

Adopted Dog Monday!

We had a busy adoption day on Saturday.


Hailey's delighted to be in her forever home with her Basset Hound/Springer Spaniel sister, Molly. The two hounds will share a fenced yard and two nice parents.  Hailey came to us from the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley.  She could not be placed through them because she had a history of nipping at small children, but we were able to place her with a couple without young kids.

Our lovely Shepherd mix from Red Lake, Daisy, found a new home. She'll be living with a young Irish Wolfhound.  Her doting dad enjoys visiting area dog parks, so Daisy is sure to have a fun, busy life.  She's a calm and beautiful dog who has many friends and admirers at Pet Haven.  Thank you to Karen Good at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue for giving this girl a second chance.

Mac Daddy is happily at home with another small Poodle mix, Pickles.  The two dogs met and played together beautifully at the Petco adoption event and are looking forward to many eventful days ahead.  Pickles has his own Facebook page, co-authorized by his mom, so we're thinking that perhaps Mac Daddy will have one, too.  Mac Daddy was a stray picked up by Minneapolis Animal Control and taken to Camden Animal Hospital for treatment of a broken leg. The leg healed and he found rescue with us.

Dakota was returned to Pet Haven recently because of changes in his owner's life. Dakota spent a few days in foster care and went home with his new forever family after the adoption event.  He's the perfect 'family dog' and will have two young boys to love in his new home.

You will be missed, Daisy

One of the dogs featured on our Happy Tails page, Daisy, has passed away. Her mom let us know that she was recently diagnosed with cancer and passed within 6 weeks. Thank you, Angel, for loving Daisy.

Adopted Dog Monday!

We have some wonderful adoptions to celebrate this week!

Maggie, an older black lab, went to her new home this week. Her new home has a mom and daughter, three cats and a big fenced yard. Maggie will be in heaven! Congratulations, Maggie!






Daisy, a black lab, has been in foster care for many months waiting for the right home to find her. She has some trust issues and need an adoptive home where she could feel safe and who would move slowly with her when necessary. Daisy met her new dad at the dog park and worked her charms. His last dog was also picky with her friends, so he is familiar with the challenges he may face with Daisy. Congratulations, Daisy!

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Don't forget to vote for Pet Haven in the Animal Rescue Site $100,000 Shelter Challenge!

Daisy: Looking for love and acceptance

Daisy is a 2.5 year old black beauty who is looking for the right family to call her own. Daisy is a little particular about her friends - we prefer to call it "discerning." She doesn't open her heart up to just anyone at the beginning, but once she gets to know you, you will have a friend for life. All you have to do is see Daisy interact with her foster mom to understand what a great partner she will be for a person or couple willing to take the time to get to know her. Daisy would especially love to find a single woman or female couple to settle down with.

Being honest about Daisy is not very flattering (sorry, girl!), but we will never withhold information about a foster dog. Daisy has some aggression issues with strange dogs and strange people. Her adoptive home needs to have a fence and be a relatively quiet place without a lot of strange people coming and going. She also needs a home where she won't have to spend time with kids as they make her nervous. I know there are people out there who want to adopt a dog that "truly needs to be rescued" because they have a checkered past and will not easily find a forever home. Daisy is that dog.

Daisy has completed two levels of obedience training with her foster at The Canine Coach and she was the star of the class. She knows all of her basic commands, but repeating class with a new owner would be a great bonding experience.

Because of her wariness, these photos don't do her justice. She just is not 100% sure that she should smile at the strange woman with the big black camera (thanks, Sara!).

If you are willing to give Daisy a 2nd chance (and maybe a 3rd or 4th) to make a first impression, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com and we would love to put you in touch with her foster mom to arrange a private meet-n-greet.







Photos courtesy of Sarah Beth Photography.

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Pet Haven has declared February as Black Dog and Cat Month. All month long we will be featuring our adoptable black dogs on the dog blog. We will also be working to educate people about "Black Dog Syndrome" and encourage everyone to take a 2nd look at black dogs when they are considering adoption.

Adopted Dog Monday!

We have six adoptions to celebrate this week!

Diedre came from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and is being adopted by her foster mom. No surprise -- who could resist a face like that? Congratulations, Diedre!










Kix was adopted this weekend. His new mom and dad are good friends with Dakota's foster. Kix had to wait a few weeks longer than his siblings, Sierra and Ozzy, to find his forever home, but it was worth the wait. Congratulations, Kix!







Bungie went home last week. Bungie's new family loves to take walks even in the cold! Perfect, since Bungie needs to drop about 5 pounds from the steroids that he was on. He is adjusting well and is very happy. He also will be attending obedience training for barking and for just something to do. Congratulations, Bungie!




Daisy found her home at the adoption event this weekend. Her new mom has adopted several "older" dogs in the past (Daisy has no idea she is "older") -- in fact, Daisy now has a 14 year old brother to hang out with. She also has a fenced in yard so that Daisy can enjoy as much time in the snow as her little heart desires! Congratulations, Daisy!




Mimi, a young shih tzu who never even made it on the website, went home this weekend. Mimi has had some medical issues that needed to be addressed before the adoption could be finalized. Her new family has been waiting almost two months to bring her home. Her new family includes an 8 year old girl who will be Mimi's best friend -- you can imagine how eagerly she was anticipating finalizing this adoption! Congratulations, Mimi!

Rowdy, a shih tzu who does not live up to his name, now lives with a new mom. She has several grandkids who are looking forward to helping to care for Rowdy. He also lives in an apartment building with a lot of other dogs for regular playdates. Congratulations, Rowdy!

Spread the word - special black dog adoption event!

Pet Haven currently has 16 large black dogs and one small black dog in foster care right now. In an effort to highlight our black beauties, we will be having a special black-dog-only adoption event on January 31st and we are making February Black Dog and Cat Adoption Month!!

Please spread the word that our black dogs will be meeting and greeting their adoring fans at the Richfield Petco from 10am to noon on Saturday, January 31st.

These are the black dogs currently in Pet Haven care. If someone strikes your fancy, don't wait until the 31st -- email pethavendogs@yahoo.com today to learn more about them.

Midnight is a 4-5 year old male black lab who was going to be put to sleep when his family could not afford the surgery to repair a torn ACL. Pet Haven stepped in and saved his life and it could not have happened to a nicer boy. Midnight is a love bug who is good with all the dogs, cats and kids in his foster home where he is recovering from surgery.




Missy is a 1.5 year old lab who came to us through an Iowa animal control facility. She was dumped at the home of a good samaritan. Missy is good with other dogs and very sweet with cats. She is also housetrained and crate-trained. All the hard stuff has been done, but she would still benefit from a basic obedience course.







Sweetie is a 2.5 year old lab mix who would love to find a home where she can be your one and only dog. She does get along with other dogs, but at home she would prefer to have all the attention for herself. She loves to play fetch, but she is also happy to settle down and snuggle up. She's a people-lover who is looking for some new people to love.




Kix is a 4 month old shepherd mix boy who came to us via Red Lake Rosie's Rescue in November. He came in with his littermates, Ozzy and Sierra who have since been adopted. Kix is the only one remaining. They appear to be shepherd mixes, but they are small puppies -- so whatever their mix, they have something small in there!





Ruby is a a black lab mix that we are estimating to be around 1 year old. She came to us from an animal control facility in Iowa, so we don't have a lot of background on her. Ruby is very sweet and shares her foster home with a husky sister. She can easily jump a 4' fence so she needs a 6' fence or a home where she will be taken out on leash.




Frankie is a 3 month old black lab mix. He was picked up running loose along with his littermates in northern Minnesota just before Thanksgiving. He came to use through Red Lake Rosie's Rescue along with his brother Forest (and Fletcher, who has been adopted).





Forest is a 3 month old black lab mix. He was picked up running loose along with his littermates in northern Minnesota just before Thanksgiving. He came to use through Red Lake Rosie's Rescue along with his brother Frankie (and Fletcher, who has been adopted).






Lacy is a 6 year old female Rottweiler mix. She has been through the Pet Haven program before and was returned this fall when her adoptive home did not work out. Once a Pet Haven dog, always a Pet Haven dog! Lacy believes that 84 lbs is not too big to be a lap dog! She would love an adoptive home where she can be the center of your attention.







Garth is a 5 year old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. Garth is a rough and tumble player who enjoys the company of other dogs, but might not be the best match for an older dog who does not enjoy rough housing quite as much as Garth does.




Foster is a 10 month old male lab mix. He came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He's a big boy and we are thinking that he might be mixed with Newfoundland. Foster has a happy go lucky personality who would fit into almost any adoptive home willing to give him the attention and exercise that a puppy needs.




Komo (aka Dutch) is a 9 month old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. He LOVES to play with other dogs and would love a doggy playmate in his adoptive home.










Dakota is a 7 year old female husky/shepherd mix. Dakota was an owner surrender. She is very smart and a star pupil in obedience. She has a tendency to get nervous around other dogs, but she could share her home with the right dog companion. Being a typical husky, she does need a secure fence.






Suzy is a 2 year old female collie/lab mix. She came to us from a shelter in rural Iowa. Suzy is house trained and crate trained and is used to being left alone for a full work day. At only 2 she is young and energetic and is looking for an active family to run and play with!





Daisy is a 2 year old female lab. She is shy as a result of an abusive background, but once she warms up to you she is an engaging, entertaining snuggler. Daisy is looking for a forever home without kids because their unpredictability makes her nervous.





Bailey is a 4 year old female springer spaniel/lab mix. She is an owner surrender due to divorce. Bailey loves to play fetch and is looking for an adoptive family with a good throwing arm.






Andy is a 2 year old male shepherd mix. Andy came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He was a bit of a wild child when he came into foster care, but after a few weeks of consistent boundaries, training and exercise he is a dream dog!





And one little guy!...

Bentley is a 4-5 year old poodle/pomeranian mix. His previous owner was not able to keep up with his energy needs so he came to Pet Haven to look for a new home. Bentley is a tennis ball FREAK and despite his small size he can fit a regular sized ball in his mouth. He loves to play fetch and just carry a ball around. He would love to find a forever family to toss the ball for him.

Daisy's new years resolution

Daisy's new years resolution is to lose the last 1.8 lbs to reach her goal weight of 17 lbs. She has lost almost 3 pounds since she arrived in her current foster home a few months ago, so she is on the right track!

As you can see from this photo, Daisy's still searching for her workout motivation. She knows that losing weight is a popular New Years resolution, so if she could find an adoptive family who is also recommitting themselves to daily walks it could be a match made in heaven!

If you are interested in learning more about Daisy, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com

Daisy: SWF seeks lifetime commitment

Single, white, female seeks lifetime commitment. GREAT personality (yes, code for she needs to lose a few pounds -- but she really is great too!). Enjoys long(ish) walks through the neighborhood and nights spent snuggling on the couch. Likes: petting, treats, hair bows. Dislikes: cats and dieting.

Daisy is an 8 year old Bichon/poodle mix who is looking for a serious relationship with a new family. Bichons are sometimes called "little clowns" and Daisy is no different. Unlike some small dogs, she loves to be outside and "plow" her nose through the snow. She doesn't care much about toys -- she's much more interested in hanging out with you and making sure that she is available for petting whenever the mood strikes you. She also enjoys being groomed and primped so maintaining her curly coat is not a war of wills, she enjoys being fawned all over like the princess that she is.

Daisy is housetrained and knows her basic commands. She can be trusted with free roam of the house while you are gone and is ok with being left for a full work day. Like all queen bees, she tries to throw her weight around at times and needs someone who will keep her ego in check. It's not hard to understand how someone so cute could easily start thinking she's all that and a bag of chips!

If you are interested in learning more about Daisy, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com

Big Black Dogs

Pet Haven has quite a few big black dogs right now. Black dogs are often overlooked for reasons which are hard for those of us who know these fabulous big black dogs to understand. And so, we present the top 10 reasons to adopt a big black dog:

Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Black Dog (source)
#10: We cannot clash with your furniture or clothing (and some of you actually worry about that).
#9: We cannot clash with any collar you might choose either! Ditto for the bandanas. Accessorize us!
#8: Ease of vacuuming! You can quickly spot the areas of most urgent need.
#7: We hide the dirt well (doesn't mean we don't need that bath after a messy play but guests won't be able to see it so quickly).
#6: We make an excellent "backdrop" for a second lighter colored dog (if you choose to have one).
#5: Availability!!! We are available now at every shelter or rescue you can imagine, in every age bracket with no long waiting lists or difficult search.
#4: No annoying queries of "exactly what kind of dog is that anyhow?" People are content with "big black dog" and don't ask anymore questions.
#3: EXCELLENT night walk protection. The "bad guy" won't see us till its too late!
#2: Status symbol potential. Black pearls are the most costly you know......
#1: WE NEED YOU!

Are you convinced?
Here are the Pet Haven big black dogs currently in foster care:

Wilma is a 1 year old female black lab mix. She came to us from a shelter in rural Iowa. She is totally house trained and good in the house. She is enjoying the company of the resident dog in her foster home and is an "easy keeper." Wilma is just looking for someone to take her home and love her up.




Lacy is a 6 year old female Rottweiler mix. She has been through the Pet Haven program before and was returned this fall when her adoptive home did not work out. Once a Pet Haven dog, always a Pet Haven dog! Lacy believes that 84 lbs is not too big to be a lap dog! She would love an adoptive home where she can be the center of your attention.







Garth [no photo available yet!] is a 5 year old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. Garth is a rough and tumble player who enjoys the company of other dogs, but might not be the best match for an older dog who does not enjoy rough housing quite as much as Garth does.


Foster is a 10 month old male lab mix. He came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He's a big boy and we are thinking that he might be mixed with Newfoundland. Foster has a happy go lucky personality who would fit into almost any adoptive home willing to give him the attention and exercise that a puppy needs.




Komo (aka Dutch) is a 9 month old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. He LOVES to play with other dogs and would love a doggy playmate in his adoptive home.










Dakota is a 7 year old female husky/shepherd mix. Dakota was an owner surrender. She is very smart and a star pupil in obedience. She has a tendency to get nervous around other dogs, but she could share her home with the right dog companion. Being a typical husky, she does need a secure fence.






Suzy is a 2 year old female collie/lab mix. She came to us from a shelter in rural Iowa. Suzy is house trained and crate trained and is used to being left alone for a full work day. At only 2 she is young and energetic and is looking for an active family to run and play with!





Daisy is a 2 year old female lab. She is shy as a result of an abusive background, but once she warms up to you she is an engaging, entertaining snuggler. Daisy is looking for a forever home without kids because their unpredictability makes her nervous.





Bailey is a 4 year old female springer spaniel/lab mix. She is an owner surrender due to divorce. Bailey loves to play fetch and is looking for an adoptive family with a good throwing arm.






Andy is a 2 year old male shepherd mix. Andy came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He was a bit of a wild child when he came into foster care, but after a few weeks of consistent boundaries, training and exercise he is a dream dog!





If you are interested in learning more about any of these fabulous dogs, email pethavendogs@yahoo.com.