Phoenix - Resilient soul rises up from the ashes

Yes, all of the dogs that come through Pet Haven's foster program are special ... all have their own story and all deserve to be loved and cherished by their own special family.

Phoenix is a boy who has touched the hearts of so many, including his foster Meagan. We/Pet Haven are fortunate to have such incredible fosters like Meagan who give up so much of their time and their heart and provide these innocent creatures the second chance they so deserved.

Here's an update from Phoenix's foster:

"Over the last four years I have fostered six dogs, and have had the opportunity to watch each of them grow and develop in their own special ways.  Even with that said, when Phoenix first came into my family I was skeptical about how quickly he would turn around in our quest to help him become a "normal dog."  He was skinny and had no coordination.  He was terrified of everything new.  He had endless energy and loved to use it up by exploring the world with his mouth.  He liked to pick on the puggle of the house and didn't understand that his old, crabby Australian Shepherd brother's warning growls did NOT mean "play harder."  He was absolutely incapable of entertaining himself, so he required constant attention.  And he loved shoes; like to a crazy, abnormal extent.

As I sit here thinking about the transformation Phoenix has made, I am tempted to look up what "Phoenix" even means.  According to the "Internet's Bible," Wikipedia, Phoenix is a greek character that is reborn from its own ashes.  Wow.  What a perfect name for this guy.  Coming from a situation where he was looking death in the face, Phoenix certainly represents a reborn version of his previous self.

In the short two months since Phoenix arrived at my house I have truly seen a Cinderella story unfold before my eyes.  The scrawny, wiry dog who picked on his Puggle foster brother is now a muscular (although still lanky), beautiful boy who knows the boundary between "forcing" someone to play and mutual play.  He only takes a couple minutes to warm up to new women, and once he is comfortable with them he wants nothing more than to snuggle and be pet- and he knows just how to flash those warm chestnut brown eyes that are impossible to say no to!  He can entertain himself for an hour or so before he remembers he needs his human(s), and although he is hesitant about new things and situations, he is also inquisitive: a great sign that he is making huge strides.  Shoes are still a guilty pleasure of his, but at least now he knows that they are forbidden as a chew toy.  Phoenix's "mouthy" tendencies will be the primary issue his forever family will have to correct, but we have already made progress in this area as well.  Although he still likes to touch everything with his mouth, he is learning that this is not a desired behavior, so it has minimized greatly (and is almost non-existant on the days he receives the appropriate exercise for his energy level). 

All in all, I want other people to know what a gem this handsome man is.  Who would have known that an emaciated, scared, banged-up pup could transform into such a wonderful dog?  I am honored to have been one of the many people over several organizations who have experienced this story firsthand, and I'm excited to see what new opportunities unfold for this boy."

Phoenix - Resilient soul rises up from the ashes

Phoenix arrived into Pet Haven's foster program on April 2nd ... the video below documents his arrival into our program. A heart wrenching story of a dog who has been through so much suffering and touched the hearts of so many of us where rescues came together to give this boy another chance.

His foster shared the following on Phoenix:

Phoenix is one of those souls you run across very seldom in life. He has the spirit of a cheerleader, the vulnerability of an infant, and the courage of a soldier. You see, he experienced a rough situation early in his life, through no fault of his own. Although he is leery of new people as a result of these conditions, he doesn’t hold one person’s actions against us all.

Phoenix has come a long way in the few months he has been in rescue, and his improvements continue with each day. He wakes up each morning ready to play, whether it be tug of war with his stuffed animal or wrestling with one of his canine foster brothers. He has learned how to sit, lay down, come and stay; he is currently working on learning self-control by holding his “stay” for longer and longer periods of time…he is up to 30 seconds! He is kennel trained and potty trained, and doesn’t seem to have any major separation anxiety issues. He doesn’t seem to be a “flight risk” as he stays fairly close to his owner(s) and his behavior is wonderful at the dog park.


Like most Huskies, Phoenix does have an independent and stubborn streak in him. This, coupled with the strong prey drive and herding instincts he gets from the German Shepherd mixed into his DNA, makes living with small dogs a less than ideal situation for Phoenix. One of his foster brothers is a Pug/Rat Terrier mix and Phoenix does tend to pick on him; however, he plays nicely with his larger Australian Shepherd foster brother.

As soon as 10:00pm rolls around, Phoenix is all cuddles. If his behavior for the evening has been good, he is allowed to sleep on the human bed, and he LOVES it! He gets to stretch out and lay his head on a pillow, finally letting his guard down to relax and snuggle. It is in these moments that one can see how truly sweet this overgrown puppy is.

One last note about Phoenix: he has an amazing ability to belch like a human. On some of his best “pushes” you can hear him from another room in the house. As a result, Kate and William probably will not be bringing him into the royal family…but that means he’s available for you!

Phoenix is up for adoption. For more info check out Phoenix's bio.

If you are interested in learning more about fostering/volunteering with Pet Haven email volunteer@pethavenmn.org.

Mario - sunshine stroll thanks to Lulu & Luigi!

Mario was adopted as a puppy from Pet Haven and lived a happy life for 12 years. Then, his life was turned upside down when his human mom passed away and Mario went to live with a family member. When the family member lost their home, Mario was once again uprooted and moved to a friend’s home as a foster. Unfortunately, that situation was not a good one for Mario and Pet Haven stepped in to provide him a new foster home and prepare him for a new family. Sadly, during this transition, it was discovered that Mario has a liver tumor and severe arthritis. These conditions prevent him from being a candidate for adoption.

Since just before Thanksgiving of last year, Mario has been considered in “hospice care” with his Pet Haven foster family. While his physical limitations keep him from getting around too well, he is in great spirits and does as much as his body will allow. Some days are better than others for Mario. He is no longer able to stand if he is lying on a hard surface, or go up steps. He is trying to learn not to shake his body because his legs won’t support his weight and he falls down. But he never whimpers and he never cries. And the greatest gift of all, Liz from Lulu and Luigi’s has provided a stroller, and he is now able to go on walks with his foster human and canine family. He looks so happy when he is in that stroller, enjoying the fresh air and seeing the world.

Mario is another example of “once a Pet Haven dog, always a Pet Haven dog.” Mario will spend the rest of his days as part of his new family, provided with the love and comfort he deserves.

To read more about Mario check out an earlier blog posting.

Thank you Sharon and Barb for fostering Mario, and for providing him with such a loving home to spend the rest of his days. And thank you Lulu & Luigi for providing a doggie stroller so that Mario can go out on walks with his foster family and his 2 foster siblings!