Where are they now?
Clifford, also known as Jumpin' Jack Flash
Clifford as described the shelter where he
was surrendered: Has some skin issues- skin scrape was negative- we
have on antibiotics- heartworm status negative.
Altered - owner surrender- loves children and other
pets. Cannot afford was reason for surrender--8 months
old- spaniel/pom mix.
It was
January 3, 2013 and Christmas was over. Our local
shelter was being inundated with little dogs and
this was one of them. The rescue coordinator and I
had exchanged a dozen emails over the past 48 hours
lining up which dogs were coming to. A black little
with "a leg problem" had been mentioned in an
earlier email but when I saw this picture, I didn't
make the immediate connection. It
wasn't until he got out of the transporter's car and
crab walked into our building that I realized just what
we had agreed to. Clifford didn't have "a leg problem."
He couldn't walk.
Clifford had severe luxating patellas--his knee cap
bones were out of place. As the happy puppy grew, his
back legs grew in the wrong direction and became bent
and unusable. He would walk on front legs only or drag
his back legs along if he was in a real hurry. Best
guess - Clifford was born this way.
Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and
rehome needy poodles, poodle mixes and other small dogs.
Clifford was a small dog who needed rehabilitating.
Other groups will back away from challenges like
Clifford's. We may not have known exactly what we were
committing to, but once CPR commits we don't change our
minds because of a little issue like crooked legs. We
head towards the fix.
Clifford started his own fundraising by attending events
and manning the donation jar. He raised over $700 simply
being a happy go lucky little dog who refused to
acknowledge he was "special." He had a bark and a tail
wag for everybody and donors responded to that carefree
grin.
Our direct appeal fundraiser was simple - a foster mom
had a dream that her foster would walk again. $3,000
would make that dream come true. We realized he wasn't a
poodle, but he was a dog in need. CPR had never
attempted to raise this kind of money before for a dog
that wasn't a poodle or poodle mix. Would the generous
nature of our supporters extend to a skinny little
spaniel boy with a big heart?
It did - and on March 28, Clifford got his legs.
Expected recovery time was 5 to 6 weeks in rehab.
Clifford had other ideas and was using his new legs in
the first week. He was running and playing
less than a month after surgery and today, chasing a
tennis ball and a Frisbee brings Clifford much joy. The
video below was made before Clifford was permanently
adopted--he is no longer available for adoption.
This February, exactly
one year since he came to live with his foster family,
Clifford's second dream came true! The home where he
had recovered and learned to walk and then to run
became his permanent home. His foster family became
his permanent family.
Carolina
Poodle Rescue Valentine
Stories
Will you be my Valentine? by Lou Ann Porter
On Feburary 15, 2013, I began my journey
to Carolina Poodle Rescue to pick up my Valentine, a
little back poodle named Buttercup. Donna had picked her
out for me telling me, "She needs a confident small dog
to teach her the ropes and Klarabell can do that". I was
ok with that as long as it was not a puppy. I didn't
want the craziness of a puppy. Life was easy with my
other two dogs so I assumed sliding a third into the
pack would be easy. Yes, I was seeing life through my
rose colored glasses because that 10 pound bundle of fur
was a puppy! Although, she was an older puppy at almost
a year, she quickly earned the loving nickname,
Tasmanian Devil. She was cute, fast and the most
destructive creature on the face of the planet!
Buttercup was a shy, anxious un-socialized miniature
poodle! My saving grace was she immediately befriended
my other dogs. She really loved her sister, Klarabell, a
small Chinese Crested who also was adopted from CPR. She
stayed with Klarabell constantly never leaving her side.
I also was in contact with another CPR member, Teresa
Teague, who adopted her litter mate, Kiki. They were
similar in personality so I often consulted her for help
when I hit a brick wall. Teresa helped me keep my sanity
during the difficult times!
For months, Buttercup would not let us
touch her unless we were in her safety zones, which were
the couch or our bed. Needless to say, I spent many
hours on my couch or bed sweet talking and attempting to
touch her. At six months, she still had accidents in the
house, she still chewed up every dog bed I purchased but
amazingly we could touch her. If Klarabell was in my
lap, Buttercup would lie beside me and let me rub her
belly. That was fantastic! We were progressing and she
was starting to trust us more. Now at one year,
Buttercup is a totally different dog. My sweet girl is
still full of poodletude and I would expect no less of
my little Tasmanian Devil.
For several months now, she has only had a few accidents
in the house and she "goes" on command. Yeah! I'm happy
to report that she is the proud owner of a dog bed that
she loves and refuses to de-stuff it. Now that is
progress!
Most importantly Buttercup is gaining confidence. She
will now sit in my lap for short periods of time even if
another dog isn't around. That's huge! Just within the
past several weeks, she has started to really lean into
me when she is in my lap. I like to think this is her
way of telling me that she loves me. She also likes to
kiss me on the nose which her sister, Klarabell taught
her to do! I love it and I love her. Thank you, Donna,
for picking my Buttercup for me. She is a perfect match!
A Sweetheart Named Leo by Jennifer Reel
It was his eyes. I was scrolling
FaceBook over lunch one day, checking the status of
some new shelter pulls that we had helped sponsor to
the farm. And there he was - a cleanly shaved,
chocolate poodle staring brightly at the camera. We
had lost our first ever baby, a chocolate poodle named
Simon, very suddenly and unexpectedly about 6 months
prior. We were still hurting and healing from the
shock when "Cookie" appeared on my screen. In no small
irony, my husband saw him within about 20 minutes and
sent me an instant message at work with the picture.
He had spoken to both of us.
I emailed the fairy dogmother instantly. She had
trusted us with our precious Greta more than 10 years
prior and knew our home and our hearts. We knew this
was our dog. Donna graciously reminded me that animals
pick their people and that we should come to the farm
ASAP and meet "Cookie" as well as a few other small
chocolate poodles she had in mind. We agreed and the
weekend found us on a roadtrip south with our 2 other
poodles, Greta and Elvis, in tow. As promised Donna
had 4 dogs ready for us to meet. But there was really
only one. It was his eyes.
Leo (formerly Cookie) is really thriving in our home.
He helped heal my heart in more ways than I could have
imagined. His young energy has brought laughter and a
new level of play to our home. From the first moment
we met, he was a mama's boy; this bond has only grown
stronger. Leo knows no strangers, loves to play ball
and deconstruct toys, enjoys beach trips and RV trips
and time with his grandparents, and is generally just
a well-adjusted sweetheart. Every morning when I wake
up and every night before I fall asleep, I am blessed
to look into those eyes. They had me from the first
moment and haven't let go since!
Jimmy Bailey Stewart--A Love
Story by Pam Pelkey
My roommate always wanted a Standard Poodle, I was
under the impression they were prissy dogs. We
already had two rescue mutts, Brandie Muffin and
Harley Davidson. But I agreed to give it a go as I
always thought they were beautiful and my vet, a
standard poodle owner, encouraged me to go for it.
So for Mother's day 2008 we adopted a 6-month old
puppy named Blaze. Although we picked him up in
Ocala Florida, he was a CPR puppy. It was not long
before I became a huge standard poodle fan.
I decided Blaze needed a playmate and made an
appointment at the CPR Dreamweaver Farm. I had a
beautiful black Standard Poodle female picked out. I
met Donna and she let this gorgeous black beauty
Avalon out to visit us.
It was love at first sight, she jumped up to greet
me, gave me a big slurp, and I told Donna that was
it, she was coming home with me. Donna took her to
the grooming room to bathe and beautify her even
more.
While I was waiting, this amazing
dirty, broken-legged, creamy, white standard poodle
named Jimmy Stewart just would not allow me to sit
on the couch in the kennel; he wanted to play,
dragging his leg behind him, he was relentless. In a
few minutes he had me on the floor, playing with
him, before I knew it I was surrounded by balls and
toys.
Almost an hour went by and he finally tuckered out,
falling asleep in my lap. By the time Donna came out
with my dream spoo, Avalon saw me with another dog
on my lap and turned as if to say "well, huh, then
just take him." She never looked at me again. I felt
so guilty. Donna and her team worked so hard on
Avalon, my heart had been set on her, but as Donna
told me from our first phone call "you must come
with an open heart - they pick you". That was the
recording going through my head. I looked at Donna
and said "he picked me".
Jimmy Stewart could not go home with me that day as
he needed surgery, but the decision was unanimous he
would be mine. I was not sure about his name (I had
never seen the movie "It's a Wonderful Life") so
since his ears looked like Bailey's Irish Cream, I
would name him Bailey.
About a month passed when I received the
long-awaited phone call that Jimmy Stewart had his
surgery and was ready but a few more hurdles
remained. He survived the surgery, but was very sick
and needed to get out of the farm ASAP. Transport
had been arranged if I could meet them half way
tomorrow. The problem was that my mom was in ICU
after having brain surgery that day. How could I
arrange for this to work, and what was I getting
myself into?
I made a phone call to our original foster mom for
Blaze, she agreed to take Jimmy Stewart for two days
and would have her husband meet me halfway in a
couple of days. Well, mom was doing well and I
called to arrange to get Jimmy Stewart. When I saw
this bag of bones, very ill, dirty creamy white,
standard poodle, he looked nothing like the dog that
had picked me out at the farm, but I loved him just
the same.
He was pitiful, he weighed only 35 pounds, and
looked like death warmed over. I was scared to
death; I had my mom that needed my care and now I
was bringing home this poor dog that we later found
out had pneumonia. Our vet did not expect him to
live--he could hardly walk, would not eat or even
drink water. I called Donna and said HELP! What do
we do? She told us to give him canned pumpkin and
chicken noodle soup, as often as he would take it.
While my mom was in the hospital it would be good
practice for my dad to spoonfeed this scrawny
poodle. Oh, not to mention he did not respond to his
new name "Bailey." Well, why not? It was the perfect
name for him, but he would not give in, so he soon
became Jimmy Bailey Stewart aka JBS. It worked for
all of us.
It took about two weeks, but the
pneumonia was gone, he started eating and drinking
again. Although the vet said he may never walk on
all fours and would never run or jump, he beat the
odds. He is now 5 1/2 years old and the most active
Standard Poodle I have ever seen. He runs, jumps,
swims and never leaves my side, if I am home. He
sleeps with a ball in his mouth on the bed that he
jumps up onto to be right next to me, and he gives
us more love and affection than one could ever
imagine.
He has a standard parti Poodle adopted brother
called Harlequin Romance that our favorite foster
mom allowed us to steal away from her. Both of my
parents and Blaze have since passed away, and I know
that I never could have made it through their
illness and deaths, if I did not have JBS by my
side.
Thank you Donna and all the CPR volunteers for all
you do. Donna, you are an angel, and I know it was
no mistake that Jimmy Stewart was the only other
Standard Poodle that was not crated the day I came
to the farm. Hmmm. Coincidence? I think NOT . . . We
are now ready to fill our home with two more
standards. Cole Cooper and his mom, Momma Bella,
joined our house of CPR rescue dogs. This rescue
group has got to be the best!!! We love you.
We need your stories! Do you have a happy
homecoming that you'd like to share? Please send
it to newsletter@carolinapoodlerescue.org Feature Pet of the
Month Meet Peanut! After the death of his wife, Peanut's
former owner threw himself into work to deal with
the pain of losing his wife. He knew this wasn't
fair to Peanut so he turned to CPR and asked us to
find a home that would bring him joy again.
Peanut isn't the kind of guy who will just jump in
your lap when he first meets you. He takes his time.
He gives new people space but eventually he
approaches and wants to interact. When he first came
to CPR, he was really sad. Now he seems more content
but there still isn't the joy that we often see in
poodles.
Peanut has been house trained, though he might need
some reminders and a new routine in a new home. He
doesn't have a need for a crate; he sleeps very
contentedly on a doggie bed. With other dogs, he
generally gets along well but he won't put up with
another dog being too much in his face. In his
current playgroup at the Farm, he is the largest dog
of his group and he does fine with anything smaller
then him.
He knows how to walk on a leash. Peanut was very
sensitive to touch when he first came to us, but he
is doing much better now. He also limped. The
groomers were having trouble touching his feet.
Although a vet visit the year before, didn't reveal
anything about why Peanut was suddenly sensitive to
touch and limping, the vet put him on pain relievers
for limping.
The pain reliever did not come with Peanut and he
did not have his vet records at first so it took us
a week or so to find out just what was wrong. We
took Peanut to our own vet and got a firm diagnosis
-- Symmetric Lupoid Onychodystrophy or SLO. SLO
affects many adult dogs and before you consider
adopting Peanut - please read the following article:
http://www.dermatologyforanimals.com/faq-49/
Peanut has been started on omega 3 fatty acids and
previcox to help with the pain. We have the
appropriate Vitamin E on order and hope to get it in
next week. He is also now on a grain free food
(Canidae) and is doing well. We're hoping all of
this will resolve his SLO and he can move on but, if
not, the medications he is on are easy to obtain.
We're hoping that the right person will come along
who understands that Peanut may take a few pills but
in the long run, he'll provide a whole lot of love
in exchange for a little bit of support. His best
home -- a single woman with no more than one other
dog. A quiet home with time on the couch and some
sweet walks around the block. Oh, and toys -- he
loves to throw toys around and play.
Virtual Adoption Pet
of the Month Meet Sugga Bear! Sugga Bear was turned in to the
shelter because he was old and his parent died and
the family didn't want "grandma's old poodle". The
Greenville shelter had his age as 9 or 10 (which was
later changed by Dr. Ames who said not 9 or 10 but
19! I later found out that the shelter will not list
an age over 10 so any dog that is marked as 10 is
somewhere between 10 and dead).
Sugga came to us intact (the only intact dog at CPR)
because the shelter deemed him too old to neuter.
CPR agreed that he could live out his few remaining
days unaltered. Donna was picking up some other dogs
that day and also picked up Sugga. She called his
new foster mom from the road to say that she had a
senior male (his foster mom's soft spot!) that
needed hospice care. She said, "he would never last
at the farm--old and frail. Give him the best last
weeks of his life." That was three years ago!
CPR estimates that he turned 23 this year.
His foster mom picked up a blind, nearly-toothless,
skinny mini poodle and took him on for his
"hospice." Because of Sugga Bear, there is now a
"Sugga Bear" clause in the foster/hospice agreement
that states any dog taken in as permanent
foster/hospice is under the foster family's care for
the entirety of the dogs life--whether that be it a
few days or many YEARS.
Sugga Bear was originally named Sugar (maybe he was
Sugar Bear) but no self-respecting male dog can be a
sugar so he became Sugga Bear. Sugga is blind with
three teeth but he runs the roost. He gets on and
off the bed by himself and wanders around the house
keeping tabs on everyone. Sugga will tell everyone
who asks that he is a pimp daddy who may have snow
on the roof but there's fire in the furnace. He
still loves his ladies and a double helping of
dinner everynight.
Scott needs virtual
adopters!
Can't have a dog of your own?
Or can't adopt another dog? Have a soft spot for
old, sick or hard to place dogs? It only takes a $20
a month donation to adopt a virtual dog! Scott needs
10 virtual adopters (sponsors) to help cover his
monthly costs. The caregivers at Carolina Poodle
Rescue will do the rest. Just think, without ever
having to leave your home, you can have your very
own online dog that will send you update emails,
make Facebook posts, and be eternally grateful for
your support!
Go to the donate link for instructions as to how
to donate.
Questions? Email: cprsosdogs@yahoo.com
Join CPR's
Facebook Page for Friends & Family Why join another
Facebook group? Well, if you love poodles or rescue
dogs in general, if you want to keep in closer touch
with the CPR community and everything that is going
on at the Farm, with the current dogs, with adopted
dogs, and with incoming dogs, then this is the place
to be. We asked some of the members of the CPR
Friends and Family Page why they love being a
part of the page: There is nothing like being part of a
community and family of people who feel like you
do about their 4 legged companions. Your family
doesn't always think like you do!--Jennifer
Smith
I have adopted 2 dogs from CPR. Donna Ezzell and
her staff go above and beyond for each dog,
poodles and other breeds, young, old, disabled
dogs. In this community, we share the love we have
for our dogs.--Elke Penka
I love seeing all the successes and hearing all
the stories, be they happy or sad. Also I enjoy
all the advice that is shared.--April Steyert
If you have moved or plan
to move in the near feature, please drop a line
to CPR and let us know! We want don't want to
lose touch. Just send an email with your new
mailing address and/or email address to
cprmail@carolinapoodlerescue.org. We always love
hearing from the CPR community!
And if you have a
story about your CPR dog (or cat), we'd love for
you to share it--happy homecomings, travel
adventures, training achievements, or simply a
story that you'd like to share about your CPR
family member. Please send it to
newsletter@carolinapoodlerescue.org.
The
Rainbow Bridge Dedicated to those who have
passed over.
"Ginger" Teresa
and Jeffrey
Teague--Kernersville, NC
"Mattie" Tina
and Kenny
Kirkman--Greensboro,
NC
Max Kitchin,
formerly Little Lee at CPR, enjoying a walk in the
snow
The
Gallery
Rusty McComas
on a snowy day
Just Parks,
formerly Jesse at CPR, on a stroll
Upcoming Events
Become a Foster and Help Give a
Special Dog a Chance
It is
amazing to watch our foster network as it continues to
grow! We just completed another day of Foster Training
included in a weekend of fellowship and fun! We had16
people in attendance, several of the folks took their
first foster home and others are making plans to return
to Dreamweaver soon, with their own furkids, to select a
foster doggie. These extra special doggies need extra
special care and we are very thankful to each of these
fabulous volunteers! Please
remember, if you would like to be a rehab home for
CPR, you must complete the training. Even if you do
not want to be a rehab home right now, we provide
you with lots of tips, tricks and ideas for your own
furbabies. The next class will be in May 2014!
Please email me at debi@carolinapoodlerescue.org
if you are interested in attending.
Upcoming Adoption Events
Come out and support Carolina
Poodle Rescue and tell all your friends, too! Even if you
can help out for just a few hours at one event, it is a
tremendous help!! And spread the word about Carolina
Poodle Rescue!!
Volunteers are needed to help educate people about
Carolina Poodle Rescue and the adoption of pets. If you
have a CPR foster dog, this is a great opportunity for
your foster to browse potential forever families and find
the best one for them! Many people think "rescue" dogs
were given up because they are "bad" or damaged dogs. They
don't always realize how much difference a good home can
make and that a lot of the dogs have just had bad luck
(maybe an owner get sick, lose job, etc.). We can show
them what wonderful companions are available through
rescue. All you need to bring is a chair and a great
attitude to share with others!! Come prepared for inside
or outside depending on the event you are attending. Bring
a chair!
Please contact the event coordinator if you would like to
volunteer or have a foster or 2 or more to bring!
March 22 - Raleigh, NC
10am-4pm
Brier Creek Petsmart Event
(contact Jennifer Smith
- memstang68@yahoo.com )
March 22-23 - Mt. Pleasant, SC
11 am to 5 pm both days Charleston County Parks Pet Fest
Palmetto Islands County Park in Mt. Pleasant
Set up starts an hour before.
(contact Dennis Horn - Dlh65@aol.com)
April 26 - Wilmington, NC
9:30 am to 1 pm Health
Kids Day at Empie Park
(contact Laura Glover - ockdoc_1@hotmail.com)
May 3 - Wilmington, NC "Paws by
the River" at Battleship Park (more details to
come) (contact
Laura Glover - ockdoc_1@hotmail.com)
May 10 - Croft State Park, SC
1st Annual Poodle Trot
Charity Trail Ride for Carolina Poodle Rescue
Games with horses in the afternoon
Cost: $25. (includes lunch)
Dogs are permitted on leash in the park. Current negative
Coggins required.
If you have a horse, please mark your calendar and join in
on the fun.If not please consider volunteering. Lots of
things need to be done before, during and after the ride.
(Registration, food runner, games judges, etc) Please call
Diane Wood at (910) 822-0285, or contact her at
Deewqh@aol.com if you can help on May 10th. More info to
come.
If you live in SC or southern NC or within a two hour
drive of CPR and can put flyers in your local feed/tack
stores, this also would be very helpful! Let's all make
this a special event to support our CPR kids/poodles.
CPR Wish list:
Pedigree
canned dog food (all kinds)
Lowe's or Home Depot gift
cards (there's always something that needs to be fixed
at the Farm)
Or
please visit our Wishlist on
Amazon to see more items needed for Dreamweaver
Farms. We appreciate all of your help!
We'd Like to Hear from You
Do
you have a story about a Carolina Poodle Rescue dog that
you'd like us to publish? Have you read a book or
watched a movie about dogs or dog training that you'd
like to review or share?
Please send
your stories and/or reviews to
newsletter@carolinapoodlerescue.org as well as a photo
or photos to go with the story.
If you don't
have a story but have a photo you'd like to share of
your CPR rescue, we'd love to feature that too!
Email a Friend About Us
Tell 5
friends! Check Carolina Poodle Rescue out on our Facebook
page.
Can you
tell 5 friends about CPR? Can you Facebook or Twitter
a link to our web page? The power of networking is
unlimited. Telling 5 friends, and asking them to tell
5 friends, is the best way to reach many people and
tell them about the animal rescue, small but
determined to make a difference. Thank you!
Become a CPR
Patron!
Patrons are our lifeline -- our
patrons keep CPR going. Patrons are not only assisting
CPR, they are assisting themselves by earning money off
their next adoption. For more information on how to become
a patron, please email donna@carolinapoodlerescue.org. S.O.S.—Save Our Seniors and
Specials!
Offering long term care for
our sanctuary dogs has always been the commitment we
have made to CPR dogs. As we've matured, those
numbers have swelled and handling the costs of that
has become a challenge. We are seeking a Top 10
circle of friends for each of these very special
dogs -10 special friends who can donate $ 20 per
month to their care.
To see some of the dogs who are in need of
sponsorship and to read their stories, please visit
our S.O.S.
page Pet Food Stamps
Program
The Pet Food Stamps
program, a registered NYS non-profit corporation,
has been created to fill the void in the United
States Food Stamp program which excludes the
purchase of pet food and pet supplies. In these
rough economic times, many pet owners are forced to
abandon their beloved pet to the ASPCA, North Shore
Animal League or other animal shelters due to the
inability to pay for their basic food supply and
care. There are over 50 million Americans who
currently receive Food Stamps, many with dogs or
cats, who simply cannot afford to feed their
animals, and these cherished companions are dropped
off at animal shelters where they will most likely
be put to sleep. Many people are also forced to
choose between feeding their pets or themselves.
One of
the best ways to help poodles in need that lets you
do it from home is to be an adoption counselor. Do
you have 2 to 4 hours per week to give? Do you have
an unlimited phone plan? Do you have Word? Do you
enjoy talking to other dog-friendly people on the
phone? Do you have good instincts about people? If
so - adoption counselor work may be for you. For
more information, email Sherry Wilson at
poodles4ever@bellsouth.net.
Trupanion Insurance
With pet health care quality
now approaching the same level as human care, there
are more options available for the pet owner than
ever before. Unfortunately, those options can be
expensive. Who wants to make the decision between a
few dollars and their beloved companion?
Want to protect your wallet and your pet and help
CPR at the same time? Go here -- and see if Trupanion
has something to offer you.
Any time a web visitor clicks this custom link and
applies for coverage, CPR earns $25. Trupanion
offers the only 90% coverage plan for covered items.
That's right - 90% coverage with no limit after your
deductible is met. 90%. That is the most
comprehensive health care plan in the industry.
Remember
to iGive while you're doing your online
shopping. Every search helps CPR and every
online purchase associated with iGive helps
raise donations. For more information about
iGive and iSearch, go to www.iGiveiSearch.com.
Carolina
Poodle Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Donations are tax-deductible.
Our Mission:
To rescue, rehabilitate, offer permanent sanctuary
and, when appropriate, rehome needy poodles and
small dogs.
To
encourage the human-animal bond by promoting
activities that serve to bring animals and
their people closer together.
To
support the efforts of those in the animal
rescue community seeking to end euthanasia
as a means of population control.
CPR
Board Of Directors Donna
Ezzell, Chair
Wayne Ezzell, Vice-Chair
Beth Jancse, Treasurer
Dennis Horn, Secretary
Sherry
Wilson
Don Wilson
Anne Raduns
Melinda Horn
Debi Raby
Jennifer Smith
Where are they now?
Clifford
Where are they now
Clifford as described the shelter where he
was surrendered: 
Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and
rehome needy poodles, poodle mixes and other small dogs.
Clifford was a small dog who needed rehabilitating.
Other groups will back away from challenges like
Clifford's. We may not have known exactly what we were
committing to, but once CPR commits we don't change our
minds because of a little issue like crooked legs. We
head towards the fix. 
On Feburary 15, 2013, I began my journey
to Carolina Poodle Rescue to pick up my Valentine, a
little back poodle named Buttercup. Donna had picked her
out for me telling me, "She needs a confident small dog
to teach her the ropes and Klarabell can do that". I was
ok with that as long as it was not a puppy. I didn't
want the craziness of a puppy. Life was easy with my
other two dogs so I assumed sliding a third into the
pack would be easy. Yes, I was seeing life through my
rose colored glasses because that 10 pound bundle of fur
was a puppy! Although, she was an older puppy at almost
a year, she quickly earned the loving nickname,
Tasmanian Devil. She was cute, fast and the most
destructive creature on the face of the planet! 
For months, Buttercup would not let us
touch her unless we were in her safety zones, which were
the couch or our bed. Needless to say, I spent many
hours on my couch or bed sweet talking and attempting to
touch her. At six months, she still had accidents in the
house, she still chewed up every dog bed I purchased but
amazingly we could touch her. If Klarabell was in my
lap, Buttercup would lie beside me and let me rub her
belly. That was fantastic! We were progressing and she
was starting to trust us more. Now at one year,
Buttercup is a totally different dog. My sweet girl is
still full of poodletude and I would expect no less of
my little Tasmanian Devil. 
It was his eyes. I was scrolling
FaceBook over lunch one day, checking the status of
some new shelter pulls that we had helped sponsor to
the farm. And there he was - a cleanly shaved,
chocolate poodle staring brightly at the camera. We
had lost our first ever baby, a chocolate poodle named
Simon, very suddenly and unexpectedly about 6 months
prior. We were still hurting and healing from the
shock when "Cookie" appeared on my screen. In no small
irony, my husband saw him within about 20 minutes and
sent me an instant message at work with the picture.
He had spoken to both of us.
While I was waiting, this amazing
dirty, broken-legged, creamy, white standard poodle
named Jimmy Stewart just would not allow me to sit
on the couch in the kennel; he wanted to play,
dragging his leg behind him, he was relentless. In a
few minutes he had me on the floor, playing with
him, before I knew it I was surrounded by balls and
toys.
It took about two weeks, but the
pneumonia was gone, he started eating and drinking
again. Although the vet said he may never walk on
all fours and would never run or jump, he beat the
odds. He is now 5 1/2 years old and the most active
Standard Poodle I have ever seen. He runs, jumps,
swims and never leaves my side, if I am home. He
sleeps with a ball in his mouth on the bed that he
jumps up onto to be right next to me, and he gives
us more love and affection than one could ever
imagine.
After the death of his wife, Peanut's
former owner threw himself into work to deal with
the pain of losing his wife. He knew this wasn't
fair to Peanut so he turned to CPR and asked us to
find a home that would bring him joy again. 
Sugga Bear was turned in to the
shelter because he was old and his parent died and
the family didn't want "grandma's old poodle". The
Greenville shelter had his age as 9 or 10 (which was
later changed by Dr. Ames who said not 9 or 10 but
19! I later found out that the shelter will not list
an age over 10 so any dog that is marked as 10 is
somewhere between 10 and dead). 
