Keeper

Dear Teresa & Shelly, This is Keeper reporting in from my new Forever Home. Wow, what a whirl wind these last few days! Foster Mom & Dad brought me over to check out my prospective new family. I was so excited – I ran into the house, sniffed everybody, ran into the living room and totally lost it – right there on the rug. I was so embarrassed! Good news though – Prospective Mom and Prospective Dad took it well (well, there was a moment of excitement but everything came out OK, I mean……well you get the idea). Anyway, I recovered quickly and reallllly cranked up the old Doxie charm and here I am with a solo gig, nice digs, good food, and two new doting pack mates who I don’t have to share with anybody. I have a new bed and blankets and clothes and toys and all is good in my life. New Mom & Dad have me up-to-date on my mange medications and my next two appointments scheduled with Dr. Lee. Thank you to all of you who have shepherded me through this trying time in my life. I think I have it under control again now and will check in with you to let you know how I like something called “RVing” and “Boat Ride” that Mom and Dad talk about. Barks, Licks, Snuggles and Love, Keeper T. Dogg ========================================================================= PS from “New Mom & Dad” We thought his name came from the idea that he was a “Keeper” as in one who would be kept or hung on to. Truth be told it would appear that the name comes from a habit of his – he gathers all shoes, slippers, sandals, etc. and “keeps” them in his bed. He doesn't chew them – just “keeps” them. If we put them back where they belong – in an hour they are all back in bed with him.

Milo Cramer

Hi, We adopted Marshmallow and Milo six years ago, in 2006. Marshie had been badly abused. Milo had been found wandering the streets of Fort Worth in poor health. They are both doing great now and are important members of our family! Marshie has grown the most. She came to us a distrustful, scared dog who sometimes bit and often times barked viciously at strangers. You wouldn't even recognize her now. She is the most loving dog around. She loves to cuddle. We got her one day before we got Milo, and we joke that she is still waiting for Milo to leave so she can get the house back to herself. She puts up with Milo, and we know deep down that she loves him, but she does have a hard time showing her affection for him. She's an old soul with a fragile body, and we have to be careful not to let her gain weight -- the pounds come easily to this one. Marshie's favorite activity is running around in the backyard chasing squirrels. It's so fun to watch her! Milo is a hoot! Just the most laid-back, fun-loving dog ever. He LOVES playing with the ball. He LOVES chewing Marshie's ears. He LOVES cuddling with his humans. The only thing he doesn't love is when we are paying attention to Marshie and ignoring him -- then he barks like crazy! He has taught Marshie so much about going with the flow and relaxing. And she has taught him to go crazy when it's meal time, to make sure we don't forget to feed them. Milo is the athlete of the two and makes crazy jumps that you wouldn't think were possible. And he keeps sprouting hair all over his face -- he is just a goofy old man! We are so grateful to CTDR for these adorable, wonderful dogs! Best, Cathy Cramer

Marshmallow

Hi, We adopted Marshmallow and Milo six years ago, in 2006. Marshie had been badly abused. Milo had been found wandering the streets of Fort Worth in poor health. They are both doing great now and are important members of our family! Marshie has grown the most. She came to us a distrustful, scared dog who sometimes bit and often times barked viciously at strangers. You wouldn't even recognize her now. She is the most loving dog around. She loves to cuddle. We got her one day before we got Milo, and we joke that she is still waiting for Milo to leave so she can get the house back to herself. She puts up with Milo, and we know deep down that she loves him, but she does have a hard time showing her affection for him. She's an old soul with a fragile body, and we have to be careful not to let her gain weight -- the pounds come easily to this one. Marshie's favorite activity is running around in the backyard chasing squirrels. It's so fun to watch her! Milo is a hoot! Just the most laid-back, fun-loving dog ever. He LOVES playing with the ball. He LOVES chewing Marshie's ears. He LOVES cuddling with his humans. The only thing he doesn't love is when we are paying attention to Marshie and ignoring him -- then he barks like crazy! He has taught Marshie so much about going with the flow and relaxing. And she has taught him to go crazy when it's meal time, to make sure we don't forget to feed them. Milo is the athlete of the two and makes crazy jumps that you wouldn't think were possible. And he keeps sprouting hair all over his face -- he is just a goofy old man! We are so grateful to CTDR for these adorable, wonderful dogs! Best, Cathy Cramer

Dixie

Hi this is Dixie reporting from my new loving family. My new life is 24-7 doggie love time. I have a little brother named Rudy. I don’t think of him as my little brother because he is way bigger than me. My two sisters always surround me and they roll me my favorite ball to play with. I love to cuddle up in my blankey and I always have to be around ‘my people!’ I have a special purple bowl with my name in silver writing on it that I eat out of. I have a new nickname, Dixie-Cup, which my family thinks is really cute. I love to explore and my people have a big yard for me to roll around in the grass in. I’m so happy to finally have my forever home! The Marler Family

Sabrina

Sabrina was rescued from a puppy mill in Rockport, TX, in May of last year. At the time she was only about two years old and had already had at least one litter of puppies. She is a tiny thing, weighing less than 10 pounds. Conditions at the puppy mill were horrific. The dogs were kept in cages inside an un-air conditioned, filthy trailer. The dogs had been seized by law enforcement officials and the court agreed that the breeder could not have them back. Three dachshund rescue groups transported more than 50 of these dachshunds to the Austin area. Sabrina was one of them. (CTDR named the Rockport rescue dogs after dancers on Dancing with the Stars .) When I first saw Sabrina after she had been taken to our vet's office, she appeared to be terrified. She huddled in the back of the cage and would not look at me, and when I opened the cage she scrunched down even more. She flinched when I touched her. Sabrina went from scared (top) to smiling. When she arrived she was very dirty and was covered with fleas. She had intestinal worms that would take three rounds of medication to eradicate. When I brought her home, I was concerned that she was so traumatized that she would never come out of her shell. However, within 24 hours at our house, Sabrina was coming around. She was exhausted and spent hours sleeping on my husband's lap. In the following few weeks she ate well and learned very quickly. Turned out, she had a quirky little personality, was full of affection, andwas very playful. She barked for attention, and pranced around when she got it. With her funny little stick-out ears (her adopters call them her "flying nun" ears), she made me laugh every day. She adored our other foster dog, Winston. She was afraid of strangers, however, which was understandable. Adoption applications started coming in when her picture was posted on the CTDR website. I knew that we needed to find a home for Sabrina with people who knew dogs, would be patient with her and pamper her, and I hoped would have another dog for her to play with. When I walked into her adopters' home, I knew we had hit the jackpot. Her new home had two other dachshunds, one an older girl and the other a youngster, Shelby, who wanted to start playing with Sabrina immediately. The adopters also had a doggie door and stairs leading up to the sofas in the living room. There were dog toys, treats, beds, and dachshund "stuff" everywhere. Perfect! Sabrina's adopters have kept in touch with me. She is doing great, plays nonstop with Shelby, and fits in perfectly. While still shy, she is loving life and her family is incredibly happy with her. What a change for this sweet little dog who seemed destined to live out her life churning out puppies in a cage! I am so proud and happy that CTDR and her adopters were able to give Sabrina the life she deserves. Janet Smith