Success Stories
Dogs F-L

These are stories of the wonderful dogs that found their forever homes
because of AGSDR volunteers and supporters. 

To make a Memorial/Gift, click here

or send an email to jazz@austingermanshepherdrescue.org

Have you adopted from us and have a story and picture to share? 
We believe ALL of our adopted dogs are SUCCESS STORIES and would love to hear from you too!
Email us at jazz@austingermanshepherdrescue.org

Hi Joyce! Fudge is getting along well in her new family and her personality is coming out more and more each day. We are finding her to actually be quite silly and funny. She loves the boys, checking on them at night with us and getting them up in the morning with lots of kisses and nose rubbing. She loves to be rubbed, play with her balls/toys/stuffed bear, sleep in her "king" size dog bed and even try to get in your lap!!!

We love her and thank you for helping us to give her a home!  Thank you for all the hard work you do to save these magnificent animals!

-The Shipkey Family

A letter, from Greta's Mom...

Greta Von Motl - When I lost my dear companion in February 2005, I thought that I would never be able to find another Shepherd  like Paula.   Wow, was I wrong! Greta won me over immediately.  Her big brown eyes gave not a hint of the difficult phases of her past life. Greta was found in Houston roaming the streets.  Thanks to a good Samaritan who took her in, cared for her, and later surrendered her to AGSDR, I was able to bring Greta into my life.  At the time AGSDR took Greta in, she was only days away from giving birth to five healthy puppies. Her foster parent, Joyce Martin, carried her through the ordeal and provided the finest of care and so it is no wonder Greta was able to erase bad memories so fast!   

Now, I am her proud owner. Greta is one of a kind. She is intelligent, beautiful, loveable, loyal, and obedient. Her favorite hobby is riding in the car. As I drive, she sits quietly and watches the world go by. But when I can't take her, she sits by the window in my study watching for me and, at the same time, keeping strangers at bay. Just one of her big barks will do it.

Another of her favorite things to do is to sneak to my closet, select a pair of shoes and carry them to her bed. Once I discover my shoes in her bed, she waits for my chuckle and immediately rolls over for an extra dose of petting. ( I think she enjoys petting  more than food.) When I have work to do, Greta is quiet.  She is either lying  close by or basking in the sun on the patio. But she knows the exact time for our walk. Then she won't take NO for an answer. 

I am blessed. I wish everybody could have a dog like Greta.  

Thank you.
Pauline

I just wanted to give you an update on Greta.  I figured that with a new home I would give her a new name.  She has taken to Simone very well.  The mange she had on her legs had gotten worse for about two months.  But it has since cleared up and all of her fur has grown back to make her a beautiful GSD.  She has gained a few pounds since then and weighs about 61 pounds.

She loves her walks and will even go swimming in the lake.  She really loves being around people, but most of all me.  She either sleeps in front of my door or on the couch where I normally sit at night.  She has become protective of the house, barking about people who come into the front door or side gate. 

Above all things, she really enjoys to play.  I have a few friends who have brought their puppies over to the house and she loved them.  They played for hours.  It was almost as if she was acting as a mother to them.  Yesterday my friend brought over to the house Simones friend Kimber, who is a five month old Anotalian Shepard, Great Pyrnese mix, as well as her brand new 100 pound brother of the same breed named Barrett.  As always she played with Kimber.  With Barrett she did her thing, sniffed around and played all night with him.  But the Alpha in her showed as she bossed him around when he did something that she did not want. 

I am very happy with her and could not have asked for a better dog.  I have enclosed a few pictures of her.

Joe Cabaday 

I know...you're thinking,

"Man, that is one well-dressed dog"

Right?

Jenny

My wife and I had the pleasure of adopting Jenny last September (2004). Megan was her foster mom, but Jenny is truly the master of her forever home. She rounds us up each evening to go to the Sonic drive-in where she is loved and spoiled by all the employees. She doesn't get to go every evening, but often enough so that she hasn't lost any weight. She has always loved water and the 2005 calendar has pictures of her chasing the water from a nozzle. As smart as she is, she doesn't understand why the water doesn't stop when she bites it off. Today I was checking the sprinkler system and she tried to bite the water off at each sprinkler head. She kept trying and trying, but to no avail. 

A couple of weeks ago we were in Round Rock at our daughter's family's home and we couldn't keep Jenny out of the pool. (Attached are a couple of pictures.) She was cautious at first until she learned where all the steps were, but after a few minutes she was all over the pool. It was hard swimming too as she is a long-haired GSD. All that hair must have added quite a bit of weight to her already not-so-svelte figure. It also did a pretty good job on the pool filter. I'm sure Megan and her mother would like to see the pictures. I've lost her email address though.

Patrick

Sometimes, a dog seems perfectly healthy on the outside, and initial vet checks agree "healthy as a horse."  Later, you find out that it's not always exactly what it seems with dogs, just as with humans.  Below is the story of one such dog, and of the dedicated guardians who acted diligently and swiftly to do the right thing...never mind the bank account!

The story is long, because it gives some details about a form of "elbow dysplasia," a problem which many large breeds are prone to.

And to Mark and Monalisa, those guardians we mentioned...we sincerely could not have asked for more for these two.  We're delighted you adopted them!

The letter from Mark...

Good evening everyone.  I wanted to send you all a quick email to let you know how Kenny and Apache are doing and about a recent medical issue with Kenny...

Both are great dogs and have become inseparable.  They are both enjoying life and have added so much more to mine.  Unfortunately, last week on Friday, as the two were in the back yard playing, Kenny jumped off the 5 foot retainer wall—something he has done many times while playing (chasing) with Apache.  I initially thought that he had broken a bone in his front left knee.  The fortunate thing about this incident was that when the Vet took the X-Rays, he found that Kenny did not actually break the bone, but rather aggravated a pre-existing condition in his knee called Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP). 

For those of you not familiar with UAP, UAP is a failure of the growth center of the anconeal process in the elbow joint to unite properly with the ulna. This fusion should be completed by sixteen to twenty-four weeks of age. Instead of a normal bony union, the ununited anconeal process represents a large piece of bone connected to the ulna by a strand of fibrous tissue. The diagnosis is easily confirmed by radiography. Surgical removal of this unstable bony fragment minimizes progressive arthritis and is indicated as soon as possible to prevent further joint degeneration. 

The reason I used the word "fortunate" earlier is that we were able to determine his condition early.  Quite commonly, without treatment, the joint will become severely painful and useless. The dog will walk on three legs, or not at all if both elbows are involved. The condition worsens with age, with severe arthritic changes occurring.

This is something that obviously could not have been prevented.  It is a process that usually affects large and giant breeds of dog including the Afghan, Bullmastiff, French Bulldog, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Labrador Retriever, Pointer, Pyrenean Mountain Dog, St Bernard and Weimeraner. It has also been reported in achondroplastic breeds - the Bassett Hound and the Dachshund. However, by far the most frequent number of reported cases come from German Shepherd Dogs.

As a result, I took Kenny this morning to the South Texas Veterinary Specialists Hospital for surgery.  I visited Kenny after his surgery and he is doing well.  He is staying overnight at the hospital so that they can limit the initial pain from the surgery with morphine.  Dogs with an ununited anconeal process may have other abnormalities of the bones in the elbow joint. Sometimes a flap or piece of cartilage may become dislodged from the bone. This is called osteochondritis dissecans.  I asked the vet to x-ray Kenny's other three knees and hips for any signs of dysplasia.  The good news is that NONE of his other legs showed signs of UAP.  His hip, however, did show a mild sign of dysplasia.  According to the vet, this is not something to worry about.  It will be years before he'll have problems with his hips, if ever.  I will make sure to have his hips x-rayed annually to monitor any progression so that I can act as soon as possible if it becomes necessary.

The long term prognosis is generally good, although some dogs have reduced range of movement within the joint, and some develop chronic degenerative joint disease, Kenny is young and strong.  I am hopeful that he'll be fine.  Please pray with me that Kenny will not develop addition problems.

In the past few months, I have grown extremely close to Kenny and Apache.  They have really helped me get over the loss of Alex (my previous 14 year old GSD).  They have quickly become part of the family and I am very lucky to have them both.

Again, thank you all for all that you do to help these dogs that may otherwise not have much of a life.  I am glad that I have been blessed to find these two and give them a life they deserve with lots of love and happiness...

Don't they look happy?

 Mark

Lady

To be fair, we did want to show that every once in a while, AGSDR does get a "complaint" on their dogs...

My daughter, Jessica, and I made a mad dash to Austin and adopted this girl during spring break (2005). To be more accurate, Leyna has adopted all of us into her family. She has become friends with our cat, Rory, and they both play chase in the yard. The other day, she spotted a small group of deer and has been on their trail for days now. She is frightened of storms but acts as barometer and gives me advance warning.

Leyna now knows the kitchen is the place where good things happen....usually. With her dark coat and the summer temps approaching, she rather enjoys being an AC puppy. My husband, John, plays "roof ball" every evening. That is quite an adventurous game where you throw the ball on the roof, guess its possible location to fall, and then run to catch the tennis ball.

Needless to say, we love her and have recommended your work and organization to everyone we know. We can not thank you enough. The Binneys have been blessed with the love and companionship of our own angel here on earth, lady Leyna.. 

John, Madonna, and Jessica

You're really gonna like these pictures. Gracie has got a new little stuffed friend hedge-hog that I've named Sonic. She will play with him for hours, until I get tired of hearing all the squeaks and take him away. The thing makes multiple squeaks and produces a rattle sound when she flips it up in the air.
 

She's doing so much better when being around people.  Some of the other pictures were taken while hiking, or shortly afterwards when she crashed out in the car or at home. While out hiking, everyone thinks that she's just absolutely adorable. We have to stop at least 3-4 times every day when I walk her out on the Greenbelt. Many more people admire and give compliments while passing on the trails. People just want to pet and say hi to her. I always make sure to put in a plug about the AGSDR and what a wonderful job you all do.

- Jason

Another letter about Gracie

...Gracie Meets Klein

I wanted to make sure that you got a hold of these pictures. Gracie went totally crazy over Klein when they first met. It was right after John had gotten him from your place, and I'm guessing that he still had the smell of your place on him. I say this because Gracie went totally bonkers over him. She was only like 50 lbs then and Klein was around 80lbs, but she still backed him up. He couldn't figure out why this crazy girl was totally spazzing out over him. She backed him up in a corner and forced him to try and hid out in a bush, . . . which he totally demolished due to his size. Now the two of them are best friends. They both look for each other while outside and Thor just about broke down John's back door the other day when we were out. It's like having two kids, . . . when one is ! outside the other has to be out there.

 Oh, and Miss Gracie has turned out to be quite the river-rat. She absolutely LOVES getting out and into water. 

--Jason--

Thanks to Jason adopting Lily (now named Gracie) and spreading the word about AGSR, Klein (now named Thor) was able to find a forever home with John!

Lily

It wasn't so much Lily who had the hard time in foster care, it was her foster parents.  Not that she was a bad dog at all.  Yes, Lily was a doll.  In fact, she was a very good dog...and therein came the problem.  You see, like so many who adopt our dogs, our foster homes sometimes get a little too trusting of their sweet, innocent charges.  Which led, in Lily's case, to this lovely scene.  Luckily, her foster parents are good-natured souls who have been a few times around the block on foster dogs, and weren't all too surprised by this! 

WARNING...Not for the light of heart. 
If you don't like to see innocent furniture, ripped apart like so many scrap rags, avert your eyes now!

If you look VERY carefully, you can see Lily hiding under the coffee table.  She blends in quite well with all the stuffing, eh?  The stuffing, by the way, is the contents of both back cushions of Bryce's new sofa, and the side of the loveseat.   

You MAY USE these photos to EMPHASIZE to our FOSTERS and new ADOPTERS that they SHOULD CRATE their foster dogs when they are not home! 

CRATE, CRATE, CRATE, can we say it enough?!  Lily had been a pretty good girl, right up until this event!  She's so sweet though, that it's hard to stay mad at her.....!

 - Amy

Of course, Bryce and Amy forgave Lily, but they were much more careful in giving her freedom unattended!  Soon, Lily was adopted, and here's just how lucky THIS gal is!  Here's a letter from her new dad, and some current pics:

Amy,

I took a few snapshots of Lily on the boat with me these last days.  I hope you enjoy them.  She sure is a joy and we are doing great.  I can’t seem to put any weight on her though, you can still see her ribs and she looks a bit thin…I get “ribbed” (I know, corny) about it from my fellow marina mates.  I’ve started doubling her portions at mealtimes.  We’ll see if I can’t get a few more lbs on her.

What else can I tell you?  She is a completely different dog now; opening up to strangers and everything although she still doesn’t care for anything that resembles a long stick.  She just about freaked out when I tried to cast my fishing pole at the lake.  I think she may have been mistreated with a broom or something of the like…ugggh! 

We are starting to work on more complex behaviors now.  She has the 5 basics down, so we have moved into some things like scent finding (the Find-It command), and what I call intermediate staying. (I put her in a down-stay across the field and after I command her to come, about halfway or so, I give her a halt command and another stay).  She has decided she does like to play fetch (YEA FOR ME!!!) and is fairly reliable at bringing the ball/floppy Frisbee all the way to hand…still needs work on the give command though.  I think I would like to teach her how to back up too.  It also seems she is a fan of my west gate; specifically, digging under it.  The power struggle that ensues would rival that of the Contras and the Sandinistas.  So far I think she has the upper hand J.

Well, listen to me ramble.  You’d think I was a proud papa bragging on his kid.  I suppose in a way I am.  I love her dearly.  She is exactly what I need in my life and I feel so fortunate to have met you and Bryce and want to say thank you; both to you and to Liz and to everyone at AGSR.  I know the work can be demoralizing sometimes but I just wanted to encourage all of you to keep fighting the good fight.  It was you all that brought Lily and I together.  And on that sappy note I’ll close J  Hope all is well there and would be interested to hear about your latest “roommates”.

Best Wishes,
Dave
 

In June 2005, we got a note from Kira's family.  What they had to say shows clearly that the senior dogs still have a lot to offer a new family!

I wanted to let you know that Kira is such a wonderful dog, friend, and companion. We adopted her in September 2006 and we think she turned 6 years old in April. She had some dental problems, but they have been resolved and she has lost the remaining excess weight and is now 68 lbs.  In the photo, she had just had a bath so her coat is all fluffy and therefore makes her look bigger than she is. 

She learned to go in and out of our doggy doors very quickly; however, she prefers not to stay in the yard unless one of us is out there with her, which is fine with me. Her favorite things to do are trotting along beside my husband's bicycle, playing with her tennis ball and fluffy squeaky ball, riding in the car, and walking to our local coffee shop (I have the coffee and they bring out a bowl of water for her). Oh! I forgot, she loves to come to the ice rink to watch me skate...I am not joking.

We just love her dearly. Thank you for introducing her to us, you have made us all very happy.

Cathy Whalen

Lucy was adopted in late 2006 by Michael, who sent this pic of her in her new home and a short note...

Made it home OK with only a few stops for water and the bathroom. Very well behaved while riding. Went right into her crate last night. She seems to like laying on the pad in the living room and looking out the window. Likes to roll around in the grass as well.

I'll keep you updated,
Michael

and his later update...

Best dog anyone could hope for. Loves the kids. Only dog I've ever seen that wasn't afraid of a lawnmower, she just won't get out of the way. Michael