Dusty

Dusty was adopted by Karol & Dave Wicker from SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in August of 2008, when Dusty was about one year old.

She likes long walks and playing fetch - chasing a ball or a Frisbee.  Normally very well behaved, she loses her composure when squirrels are sighted.  She longs for the chase and will stand at the base of a tree yipping to let you know she’s found one. 

Mostly, she is very lovable and easy going.  She is quick to roll over for a belly-rub; the kids in the neighborhood believe doing so gives Dusty energy.

Griffin

Griffin had big paws to fill from the start.  He was replacing a wonderful dog, named Mishka, who Gregg & Teresa Boersma lost when he was struck and killed by a car. 

In August 2010, when he was just about a year old, Griffin had been surrendered by his owner and placed in a kill shelter in Ohio.  Fortunately, someone from the shelter saw this beautiful boy and called a local rescue organization, The Pet Society.  They pulled him from the shelter and his profile was placed on Petfinder.com.  Within hours, Gregg and Teresa spotted him and paid his adoption fee, just so that they could have “right-of-first-refusal.” A few days later they drove to Cleveland from their home in Annapolis, MD and it was love at first sight.

Griffin has matured into a fantastic athlete, companion, and role model.  He is quick to learn and has taken exceptionally well to obedience and agility training.  He is as well mannered as he is beautiful.

Almost every night Griffin sleeps with his head off his bed, his head resting below his body.  Gregg and Teresa joke that he does this because he thinks the blood rushing to his head will make him smarter.

Sparky

Originally sent to a high kill shelter in Georgia, this little fellow – accurately described as a “heart throb” on his adoption profile -- was transported to the Animal Welfare Society of Howard County, MD.  That’s where the Krause family found him and adopted him on November 11, 2011.

Sparky came with a few unwanted “issues” due to neglect, but nothing that some medicine, TLC and training couldn’t correct.  Once given proper care, this little spark plug has blossomed into a very good and extremely smart canine member of the family.  He’s taken well to training and learning tricks.  He loves running and playing with his human brother and sister, Conor and Sydney.  The only one he can’t get to play with him is the family cat.  The way we look at it, that’s the cat’s loss!

Katie

Who knew that a casual shopping trip in Annapolis, Maryland, could result in being “struck by the thunderbolt” like Michael Corleone in The Godfather?  In February 2011, Cathy Miller spotted an event happening outside a pet store from across a parking lot. Closer investigation revealed that K-9 Lifesavers, an all-volunteer organization that works with under-resourced and over-crowded shelters in rural counties from West Virginia to Georgia, was showcasing many recently rescued puppies and mature dogs.

When Cathy saw seven-month-old Katie, the thunderbolt hit! It wasn’t just her looks, but her engaging personality that made her so appealing. Cathy’s husband Ben agreed, they took her home that night, and Katie joined the Miller family.  They say she came to them smart, fun loving, and extroverted so they can’t take too much credit, but they are proud pet parents when they ask Katie to show off all the tricks she has learned. The best part is how Katie brings a smile to everyone’s face when she greets them with her “full body wiggle!”

Barney

In 2010 Barney was rescued by Paws for Tomorrow (no longer operating) from a shelter in North Carolina that was being evacuated due to Hurricane Earl.  He was about one year old at the time.

Ekaterina and Casey loved his outgoing, playful personality and were happy to give him a forever home.  At home, Barney is easy-going.  Thunder, loud noises, strange people….whatever.  None of it bothers this super-cool, super-cute, super-friendly pup.  But get him around other dogs and his real personality emerges.  His owners describe him as a “trickster.”  He loves instigating a game of chase with other dogs by stealing their toys; but it’s clear he isn’t really interested in the toy, it’s the chase he loves.  And his speed enables him to “win” the game almost every time.  Good thing he loves to run because, as Ekaterina and Casey will tell you, “Barney has never met a treat he didn’t like.”

Lucy

In May 2010 Lucy was a tiny ball of fur, about 12 weeks old, when K-9 Lifesavers rescued an abandoned litter of pups.  Lucy was the quiet one among the litter of otherwise noisy, solid black or brown puppies.  With her new family, she has grown to be a smart, calm, quiet and affectionate canine.  She loves being patted and hugged, but she has a playful side too.  In fact, she’s a natural at soccer; defense is her specialty.  Normal dog games like retrieve, well, she’s still working on that.

Clues to what breeds are in Lucy’s heritage begin to show on her morning walks.  She’ll find birds everywhere – in the grass, bushes, trees and flying overhead.

The Crooks family says Lucy is the best dog they’ve ever had; they love her dearly.  We suspect Lucy would say the same.