Adopted Dog Update: Missy

Missy, a young black lab, came to Pet Haven in 2009 from Sioux City, Iowa. When she came to Pet Haven, she suffered a terrible case of separation anxiety where she was terrified to be left alone and would engage in destructive behavior when her fosters left for the day. Her anxiety was so bad that she destroyed and broke out of two different crates and chewed/scratched a hole through the bathroom wall to escape and try to find her foster parents.
Because Missy obviously couldn't be left alone during the day, she was moved to one of our fantastic boarding partners, Pampered Pooch Playground where she could play with dogs all day and be surrounded by activity. Missy was also very fortunate to have Sarah, a Pet Haven volunteer, come by each day to take her for walks and runs and give her some one on one love and affection. Well, the two became nearly inseparable and after a short time, Sarah chose to adopt Missy and give her the safe, loving forever home she so desperately wanted.
With lots of love, consistency, and training, Sarah has given Missy a stable home where her separation anxiety has virtually disappeared. Here's an update from Sarah:
"Missy is doing great, and I couldn't be happier with her. Early on in Missy's time as an adoptable dog with Pet Haven, it became apparent that she was a dog that would need routine in her life due to the separation anxiety she suffered from. Missy has a pretty set schedule with me now and her days typically consist of the following:
- Wake mom up about 30 minutes prior to her alarm going off...:)
- Eating her breakfast and also getting a few bites of whatever mom is eating for breakfast (some toast ends, banana with peanut butter - her favorite - she gets to clean the remainder of empty jars of peanut butter too, or some Honey Nut Cheerios)
- Missy goes into her kennel by herself after she goes outside for her before-work bathroom break
- Mom gets home and we typically go to the dog park. Missy has taken an interest in looking for squirrels in the past few months and prefers that
over playing with the other dogs, but will take part in chases (whether it be chasing her or another dog) when they crop up
- Eat dinner and go out on the balcony and look for squirrels and bunnies
- Chew on her favorite toy - hard bones
- And finally, cuddle and fall asleep in bed with mom

Missy is a great dog - we were lucky to find each other!"
Thank you to Sarah who opened her home and her heart to this special girl who had some special needs. Dogs really do get a second chance at finding the good life....

Adopted Dog Update: Missy

Missy was in Pet Haven's foster program for quite some time before she got adopted. She was bounced around from foster home to foster home, not because she wasn't sweet and loving, but because she had a pretty serious case of separation anxiety (which is something we see in rescued dogs who have been tossed around and have no sense of 'home'). She finally landed as a foster at one of doggie daycare partners, Pampered Pooch Playground where they just fell in love with her. Missy did great there and also had a Pet Haven foster buddy, Sarah, who would stop by every day to take her for walks/runs. Well, Sarah has been a buddy to quite a few Pet Haven dogs .... but there was something about Missy and the bond they shared. The rest is history :) I recently asked Sarah for an update on Missy after I saw this cute photo of her posted on facebook. Here's her response:

"Yeah, she was looking like quite the model on Saturday when I took that. :) She's so cute and sweet. She's doing great. We moved into my condo August 31, and she really knows this is OUR place. I had been living with her at my friend's place for a month until we moved in here (the friend she was living with for a couple months before I moved in there while I was waiting to close on my place), and you can tell she just really feels at home here. She takes most ALL her toys out of her toy basket every night. I don't know if she's showing off or has a short attention span per toy. :) She LOVES laying on my patio/balcony - she has HER spot. She loves being on the lookout for squirrels and bunnies which are plentiful around here. I have a picture of her laying on the balcony (attached) where she likes to but you can't see her real well because I was taking the picture of the balcony to show a friend shortly after I moved in. Missy and I go roller-blading just about every day after work around Shelard Park here. She SPRINTS so I needed to strap on my rollerblades to keep up and give her a good workout. She's been sooooooo good in the mornings - we have our routine and when we come in from outside for the potty shortly before I leave for work she knows I'm leaving and goes directly into her kennel without me asking. So good. She also loves to sit and shake people's hands. She sleeps in bed most of the time and when my boyfriend is over insists on sleeping right in the middle of us to be cuddled from both sides. :) I can't say that I see much separation anxiety from her. PS - I had never read all her papers from her adoption before and came across what her name used to be - Snickers! Too funny. She fits as a Missy I think much better. And I came across her birthday which I was really happy about too so I know for sure what day to celebrate!"

Adopted Dog Monday!

Oh wow, we have a lot to celebrate today!

Dakota, a mid-aged husky mix was adopted by her fosters. Dakota has/had some pretty serious dog-dog aggression issues and Ed and Edith have worked very hard with her over the many months. They have made tremendous progress and hope that next year Dakota will be able to handle having a foster dog in their home. Congratulations, Dakota!

Missy, a black lab mix, has been patiently waiting for her new mom to get settled in a new place so that she could finally go home. That day has come and the adoption is final. Congratulations, Missy!





Clyde was returned to PH after a short adoption last month when he did not get along with the resident dog (not Clyde's fault). He moved to a new foster home, where it just so happens that one of the neighbors had been following Clyde on Petfinder. They ran into Clyde and his fosters on a walk and the rest, as they say, is history. Congratulations, Clyde!



Decey, a hound mix, has been officially adopted by his foster-with-intent family after spending several weeks settling into his new digs. Congratulations, Decey!





Abbie, a black lab mix, had a couple of interested parties come to meet her at our adoption event on Saturday. She picked a young couple to claim as her very own and enjoyed her first adopted dog shopping trip at Petco before they headed out on Saturday. Congratulations, Abbie!




Baxter, a maltese, has had a lot of interest during his short time in foster care and this weekend he went home with a wonderful new family. Congratulations, Baxter!





Louie, a three-legged sheltie mix, was adopted this weekend. His new mom has had her eye on him for a couple of weeks. Congratulations, Louie!






Eli, a Jack Russell Terrier, has been in foster care of over a year. He's a timid guy with a multitude of behavior quirks, but his foster has stuck with him and he has made tremendous progress. Of course, after bonding with Eli and helping him to come so far there was no way that she could let him go, so Eli has been officially adopted by his foster mom. Congratulations, Eli!



Maisey, a beagle, was adopted by a PH volunteer. He was helping out at an adoption event handling a different foster dog when he fell in love with little Maisey. Her new dad works from home and she has a brother to play with. Congratulations, Maisey!

Is Missy your missing piece?

Our girl, Missy, is ready for a forever home.

Missy is our 2 year old, peppy black lab. She’s been with us for a few months, and has been in boarding since March. She had some separation anxiety in her first foster home, however we’ve been working with her and she’s doing much better!

Missy is very sweet and comfortable almost anywhere. She was at the Walk for Animals this weekend and was a super star! Missy walked extremely well with her gentle leader, and a number of people commented on how well-behaved she is. That’s pretty impressive for a such a happy lab!

Missy is crate and house trained, and LOVES kids. She’s very gentle and lets babies and kids pet her. She gets along well with other dogs and is cat-friendly, too.

Her last two boarding buddies – Riley and Colby – have each found forever homes, and now she’s all by herself at boarding. Won’t you please help our girl find an adoptive home?

If you are interested in fostering Missy, please email us at pethavendogs@yahoo.com.

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

Missy and Colby - 2 Peas in a Pod

Missy and Colby have been hanging out at Pampered Pooch Playground while they wait for a foster or forever home. We got an update on them from the obedience trainer who works at PPP and has been spending some time with both dogs. Missy also bonded closely with Riley (a springer mix) when she was fostered with him in a boarding facility. She would make an excellent 2nd dog in almost any household. Maybe you have room in your heart for 2 black beauties?



I took Colby and Missy out to Petsmart today for a nice little walk and to see how they did around distractions and how they walk on leash. I would love to bring them both to the Walk for Animals if I could (if they dont get adopted before then) and show them off. They did absolutely fabulous at the store, in fact its funny how they behaved 10 times better than all the other dogs in the store> with their actual owners!! Dogs barked and snarled at them and they just stood and looked at them like "what are you doing?" They could have cared less! Both walked awesome on gentle leaders and by the time we left they were both walking behind me (now thats what I call a pack walk).

I have attached some photos and sent you a video of these two on Facebook. Its pretty cute how well these two get along, infact if someone could handle it, they would do great getting adopted into the same home, and they could wear eachother out! They hang out a lot together at daycare, so you know they are good buds when they have soo many other buddies to choose from. They both seem to still be doing well with the daycare environment and do not seem to be too sick of it yet, although Missy is always ready for her walk with her foster buddy! I was happy to see that when I came back with them today after out outing though, Missy was excited to be back and even sat starting at the door anxious to go back into the play area. Colby is a follower, and will do whatever your doing or what Missy does. He does however seem to have an anxiety about small spaces or doorways. He seems to have gotten better about going into our kennels and going through doorways, with the exception of the car. He won't jump in the car, but once hes in, he has no problem and seems to enjoy the ride its just the small doorway he has to go through that troubles him. Otherwise, he seemed pretty at ease with noises, the automatic doors and people at the pet store. Just thought I would send a little update on these two and a few photos.

Missy is on the left in both photos. She does not have pointy ears in the laying down photo -- she has floppy lab ears that are just flopping over while she rests.

If one (or both!) of these dogs sound like the right match for you, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com.

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Sadie is still on the run, please keep an eye out for her if you are in the Longfellow area of Minneapolis.

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

Fun Facts About Foster Dogs

I thought a Friday near the end of the month would be a good time for an update on some of the dogs for whom we have put out foster pleas, either by email or on our foster dog blog. Most of them have found foster homes. To everyone who responded to our requests for help, a sincere thank you -- whether you were able to take a dog or not!

ALFIE is in a foster home with intent (to adopt) waiting for her second heartworm treatment next month. Her foster family loves her gentle spirit and is enjoying their time with her.

OSO is also in a foster home with intent. This lovable boy is living with another Rottie mix and both dogs are enjoying having canine companionship, something new for both dogs.

MISSY has a great foster buddy who has taken her home for the weekend. There are already three dogs and a cat in the home, including adoptable Pet Haven dog Andy, so Missy will be spending her weekdays at Pampered Pooch Playground.

RILEY, our nervous but oh-so-dear Springer mix is in his original foster home with Pet Haven. We are looking for a situation for him where people are around 24/7, such as a group home. Please put the word out for this boy. There is a right place for Riley -- we just need to find it for him.

SOPHIE, the Yellow Lab/Hound mix is going to a foster home this evening. Her new foster mom is new to Pet Haven and has no other animals, which may be the best place for Sophie as she is a little particular about which dogs she likes to hang around with!

MAGGiE, a senior Black Lab, has a home visit scheduled for this weekend. She came and went so quickly she didn't make it to our website, thus proving that being an older big, black dog doesn't necessarily mean that you are unwanted!

FLETCHER, now known as GEORGE was fostered with intent for a short while before his family decided to make it official. This cute chocolate lab is having a blast in his new forever home!

TUCKER, a Lab/Chow Chow is in a foster home with intent. Tucker's family is working on a couple of behavior issues with him, but are hoping to adopt him soon.

PORTER, formerly BUDDY is in a terrific foster home -- mine! ;) He's already generated some interest from an Aussie-owned family; meanwhile, he and my socially-challenged GSD Daisy have gotten past the awkward "let's just ignore each other" stage and were spotted playing together this morning.

SAVANNAH is still at Auntie Ruth's waiting for a foster home to open up for her. If you would like a sweet dark chocolate companion, let us know. You will not be sorry for welcoming this morsel into your home.

I think that's about it for today. Please keep spreading the word about our dogs. Your efforts make a difference. Many of our dogs have been placed in foster and adoptive homes through your contacts.

Fostering . It's rewarding and fun.

Fostering a dog is rewarding. It's fun. It helps a dog who would otherwise have nowhere to go.

As a foster home based rescue, we rely on the kindness of our foster families to provide a home for our dogs while they await that perfect forever home. If you choose to open your heart and your home to one of our deserving dogs, we provide the food, the medical care, the toys, other supplies as needed (food and water bowls, a crate, Gentle Leader or walking harness). All you need to contribute is the time and the love.

If you crave some canine companionship but are not ready to make the long-term commitment of adoption, fostering is the perfect way to have a dog in your life. Pet Haven screens carefully to make sure the dog you have loved and cared for goes into an excellent forever home.

We have started a new blog devoted just to dogs in need of a foster home, either dogs we would like to bring into our program, or Pet Haven dogs who are being boarded or otherwise need to find a different foster home. Each day will bring a story of a dog that just might be the dog you have been waiting to bring into your life! Click here to visit our fostering blog.

Pictured above is Missy, a year old Black Lab mix; at right is Punkin. She is a 14-16 week old puppy who just arrived from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue yesterday. Both girls need a foster home. If you are interested in learning more about them, or any of our other dogs, email us at pethavendogs@yahoo.com.

Missy: Foster Home Needed

Missy is a sweet black lab who charms everyone she meets. Some of her fans have started a blog for her: Missy's Life.

Missy has had a rough go of it recently. She came into Pet Haven several weeks ago and went to a foster home. She was an angel while they were home, but was very nervous being left alone. She was destructive and for her own safety we needed to move her into a different environment. Missy's foster home didn't have any other dogs and we are hopefully that she will be comfortable being left alone with another dog in the house. Her foster home did have a cat and she is very feline friendly!

Missy was also diagnosed with pneumonia shortly after arriving in Pet Haven care. She is on the mend (and not contagious), but she lost quite a bit of weight on a frame that did not have much to lose, so we are working on putting some weight back on her. Missy is more than happy to inhale any extra treats you throw her way.

Missy is currently hanging out at one of our boarding partners, All Seasons Canine Country Club. They are working on acclimating her to a crate.

If you have room in your heart and home as a foster or forever home, please email pethavendogs@yahoo.com

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.