Happy Tails

Rescue dogs become important members of their new families - some even have their own websites!

Sugar & Sierra - Make a Difference...Adopt a Pet

Visit Petfinder's adopted pet list to view the gallery of our Rescue dogs that have found their furever homes.

BAILEY: John and Irene; Tulsa, OK

I was in pretty bad shape when I got to John and Irene's house in Tulsa. A nice lady had spotted me at the Benton, Arkansas shelter in July, 2004. Her name was Janet Bailey. I am named after her because she saved my life by getting me out of that place and hooking me up with Irish Setter Rescue. I had escaped from my former owner several times, but this time I was so glad when he didn't come to take me back. I was only four years old and I was so emaciated. I had already had puppies four or five times. I had to live in the backyard and I was a mess. I had lost a lot of hair, had worms in my belly and heartworms in my heart. I had ear infections and two rotten teeth that had to be pulled. I had nightmares and would startle easily for a long time after I got to John and Irene's house. I am severely thunder phobic and I don't like loud noises. But I've put the past behind me and I'm here today to tell you that if it wasn't for the wonderful Irish Setter Rescue volunteers, I wouldn't be alive today. "Mom and dad" couldn't give me up after the four months that it took to get through all of my medical treatments. I love my nice comfy life in Tulsa with mom and dad and my Irish Setter brothers Riley and Hoover, and my Greyhound brothers and sisters. But most of all I found my big sister Sophie, a German Sheppard, to be the best comfort of all when dad is at work. I really love my mom and dad and they really love me, even with all my quirks.

CLANCY: Beth and Richard; Lutz, FL

Clancy was one of five 8 week-old puppies picked up by rescue volunteers, John and Irene, near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The parents of the litter were not much more than puppies themselves, and their owner didn't know much about raising a litter of puppies. The five puppies ranged in weight from 3 lbs. 5 ozs. to 9 lbs. 1 oz. Their owner had been unable to find buyers and wanted the puppies to be gone. It was just before Christmas. John and Irene and their vet nursed the puppies to good health over the next several weeks and by the second week of January they were ready to move on to their new homes. The first two flew to homes in Florida; the other three flew to their new homes in the northeast part of the country over the next several weeks in between ice storms and airport closings. Clancy is now six months old and weighed 31 lbs. when he had his last booster shots in March. Our vet believes he will weigh about 70 lbs. when he is all grown up. Clancy loves going to doggy day care three times a week. When I take him in the mornings he is so excited that he drags me to the door and then he tries to jump over the counter. He's not a morning man after he has been to doggy day care. He moans and groans when we wake him up in the morning for his potty break. Sometimes my husband has to carry him outside in the morning, but that won't last long. Clancy has a great personality and he is very inquisitive. He just cracks me up every day, especially the day he took my mom's hair piece out of her bag and ran with it.

CODY: Johannah and Ken; Palm Harbor, FL

Cody came to live with us as a foster dog in July, 2006. He had a crusty, bloody nose, yeast infected ears, infected callouses on both elbows, no hair on his back and little hair on his tail. He was 15+ pounds overweight and flabby with little muscle mass. To add insult to injury, he must have been confined a lot in his crate because he couldn't straighten his back legs. We had his infections treated, put him on a high grade kibble, canned food, fresh cooked meat, lots of fresh cooked vegetables and a fish oil supplement. We fed him three times a day so he didn't feel hungry as he gradually lost weight. We also started taking him on several short walks a day. He was so lacking in stamina he could only go a short block before becoming exhausted. Slowly he regained the full use of his hind legs, began loosing flabby weight and started gaining muscle mass. As soon as he was able we added several weekly trips to the dog park. Those outings were so enjoyable that it is now an almost daily routine. What a joy to see him running from tree to tree chasing the squirrels. Watching Cody morph into the healthy, happy, beautiful dog that he was meant to be has been a very rewarding experience. He is so gentle and loving he constantly reminds us why we originally fell in love with the Setter breeds. This is Cody wearing his bumble bee outfit for the costume contest at SetterFest in October, 2006.

MAGGIE and ROSIE: Sue and Bryan; Homestead, FL

This is Maggie and Rosie! I know Rosie is dying to talk, but I am older so I'll go first. I have been with my forever family for three years and am very lucky. When I was rescued they called me Sassy--because I was! Five of my puppies and I were left beside a road and someone found us. Thank goodness! The FL All-Setter Rescue took us in and fixed us up and we were adopted. Sue and Bryan took me in and turned me into a real couch potato. I have another sister, Sandy, a rescued terrier mix who is much older then I am. She and I got along right away. WOW--I not only got to live in the house but sleep on the bed, couch, or chair and eat interesting food like pizza. I didn't realize just how lucky I was. Even though I was glad to be here, I didn't know if I would get to stay. Then six months later I got really scared. Bryan took us out early while he was closing the horse in for the night. Sandy was afraid of loud noises and there was a lot of loud music and noise everywhere. I got really scared and jumped the fence (5 feet). I had never jumped a fence before. I didn't know where to go and ran and ran and ran. The noise was horrible. I ran until I could run no more. Little did I know how lucky I was because I had run into the Everglades which is 18 to 20 miles away! In the morning I saw two men across a canal and swam over to them and jumped in their truck. The next thing I knew Bryan and Sue were there and I was never so glad to see anyone as I was to see them. Mom held me all the way home in the truck. I was not hurt except for my paws, so Dad carried me everywhere for days and they stayed home from work with me. I found out later it was something called New Years Eve and it happens every year! Thank goodness for my microchip and tag information--that is how they found out where I belonged. I was very happy to be home and now I stay very close to them when I am outside. Lately this New Years thing has not been as bad as that year, the guns are less and the music is not as loud. Sandy and me get something called Rescue Remedy. In 2005 I heard Mom say she thought I needed a playmate--whatever that is. Little did I know it would be another dog! Then Rosie came into our lives…..

Me--Me, it's my turn. I want to tell my story. Please let me talk now! Oh, OK. My name is Rosie, and I came to my forever home from Kansas City, Kansas. I was living with my owner's father and mother, when one day a stranger came to see me. She sat on the ground to hug and kiss me. I did not know what that meant but I found out later in the summer. I went for a long car ride with Bill and a very nice person picked me up; John took me home to Tulsa. He and Irene gave me special wonderful love and treats. I thought I was staying with them, but I later found out my journey wasn't done. Next, I was in the car again with John and Irene and another Irish Setter for a long drive. We went to Bonnie's house in Florida, full of dogs who looked like me, for a week, and then that strange lady came back. You know, the one that I met in KC. This time she brought a man with her and guess what--they put me in the back seat of a big truck and I went for another ride. When we got there I found out this was to be my NEW HOME. It took me a while to realize that I was not moving again, but I think I finally believe it. There are two other dogs here and we get along great. I tried to blame them for all my mischief but that didn't work. I don't know why Mom and Dad kept me but they did. When they went to work they left me out of a cage and I guess I went wild. I had always been in a cage when no one was home, but at this house none of the dogs were in cages. It has been a year and a half since I moved in and I have to admit I have been a terror. I finally stopped eating the leather couch and chair, but I did like stripping the linen off the bed. The hardcover books, plastic, and shotgun shell casings were very interesting. But I have to admit I like the pizza crust better and the yogurt and the bread and the meat. Now I only eat the chair Mom calls the Sandy chair, it's the one Sandy uses to sleep on. I am not sure why I still chew, I guess I get mad and I don't like it when they have to go to work. Mom says they don't like to have to go to work either. I am good at one thing-- Mom says I am teaching Maggie how to play and have fun, whatever that means. We have lots of toys and bones. Maggie told me she never knew how to play and never got to do that before. Me, me, me-yes, Rosie is teaching me how to play and I am told she is teaching me not to come when called! All we know is that we are lucky. We take turns sleeping on the bed at night, we like it when Dad sits between us on the couch, we love to be petted, and we love sitting in Mom's lap. YES, we are very happy with Sue and Bryan. Thanks to FL All-Setter Rescue/Magnolia Setter Rescue, we have found our forever home.

GUINNESS: Chris; Sarasota, FL

In November, 2003, I had just lost my elderly adopted Setter, Mulligan, and was looking to Irish Setter Rescue to adopt another setter. I was not looking for a puppy but rather a dog of at least one year of age. I work with horses and it is much easier to adapt a larger, more fully grown dog to working around horses. I contacted Deanna in New Jersey and she put me in touch with a twenty month old Irish. He had been put in Rescue because the owner was an FBI agent and had been transferred to a mobile unit and he had to kennel the dog for extended periods. He felt this was unfair to a young active dog so he made the move to place him up for adoption. I drove from Florida to Virginia to pick up Guinness sight unseen. This is a great dog. He is tall and thin and the most beautiful shade of dark mahogany. He loves his job working with me while I braid the show horses at night. He has numerous friends, both canine and human, at the horse shows. He swims in pools (we can only do lakes "up north" due to alligators here in Florida). He loves to run in fields and through the woods on trails. He loves to jump all the horse jumps and can jump fairly high as well. He always has a stuffed toy in his mouth at home when greeting visitors. He goes with me when I travel in the summers and does shows in Michigan, Kentucky, and New Jersey. He was prone to car sickness when I first got him but after 25,000 miles he loves car riding now! He gets along great with our two cats, and after the first month or so lost his fear of larger men, I assume he got during his kennel period. The ISCA National Rescue event in Ocala in April, 2007 was the first time we marched in a Parade of Rescue.

HEATHER OF BLACKRAY: Roberta and Jean; Chattahoochee, FL

May 2, 2006 is the day Heather came into our lives. This young girl found herself within a day of euthanasia at a kill shelter in Chipley, Florida. Bonnie Foster alerted us on a Monday and the next morning I headed out, not knowing that this girl would steal my heart. Heather seemed to be about 2 years old, was skin and bones and had evidently had at least one litter of pups. She accepted getting into the crate in the van and rode like a brave little girl--anxious, but quiet. We discovered that Heather obviously was loved and cared for before her "trials and troubles" began. She could sit, stay, and come when called. She knew how to calm down and settle when directed, especially when I would gently rub her head, ears and back. Although Heather is most likely backyard bred, she is instilled with an intense desire to hunt. Birds and squirrels! Squirrels and birds! Her special love is running and hunting with a squeaky toy in her mouth. One of my funniest memories of Heather, toy in her mouth, was when she was pointing a squirrel. The squirrel was way up in a pine tree. Heather, becoming impatient, began squeaking her toy at it! She traveled with Jean to the SetterFest this past October, and to the ISCA National Rescue event in Ocala in April, and proved to be a good companion on the road and in the motel room. Our dream for Heather is a Junior Hunter title. Heather is a sweet, "full of it" Irish girl who has become an integral part of her forever family. I will never forget that lucky day Heather's eyes met mine and she leaned against me as I reached down to love her. She shares her home with Mickey and Levi (geriatric Irish Setter rescues), her best friend Bailey (a "little black dog" rescued as a very young puppy by a garbage can on the side of a road), and Irish Setters, Maggie-Rose and Forest.

BELLE: Margo and Glenn; Gaffney, SC

My name is Belle and I now have a loving home. My life was hard in the summer of 2005. I had been running stray for a month near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was tired and thin. Somehow I was lucky and was put into a rescue near Raleigh with a great foster mom named Vicki. She took me to the vet and they found out that I was with pups but that I also had breast cancer. The vet had to abort my pups and remove a breast to save my life. My foster mom took such great care of me and I became a happy dog again. After I was doing better she put my story on Pet Finders to find me a good home. One day foster mom said a couple was coming to meet me and bringing their four-legged family with them to see if we all got along ok. Well, all went great and I went home with them to South Carolina. I am very lucky and happy here. Mom spoils me all the time. All of the other four-legged family sleep in their kennels, but I get to sleep in a big King Size bed, right between mom and dad. Mom is always giving me hugs, kisses and belly rubs, which I just love. I was adopted in October, 2005 and I'm so happy I found a wonderful home. Mom and dad just adopted another Red Dog from the same rescue at Vicki's house, his name is Kyle.

KYLE: Margo and Glenn; Gaffney, SC

My name is Kyle and I now have a loving home. I came into rescue feeling quite poorly. I had lost a lot of hair, I was overweight and had bad skin problems. My foster mom took me to the vet and I had bad infections of my skin, ears, and urinary tract. They also found out that I had a thyroid problem and needed medication. My foster mom worked really hard and got me feeling a lot better. It was real hard for her to do all the skin treatments I needed all through the day because she works. One day she was talking to this lady and they talked about her doing foster care for me until I was adopted. Well, I went to my new foster home in South Carolina in December, 2006. My new foster mom took real good care of me and gave me my skin treatments and thyroid medications daily. I will have to have my meds daily and go to the vet every six months for my thyroid problem. My hair is growing back real good and I look a lot better now. I was adopted in January, 2007 by my foster mom and dad. I have a great new home with other dogs, one of which is Belle, who was adopted from the same rescue.

SAVANNAH MOLLIE: Sue; Bradenton, FL

First, I want to take this opportunity to thank Irish Setter Rescue for finding such a wonderful addition to our family! Mollie is my third Setter, and my first female. My first was a great great grandson of Disney's Big Red, and those of you who can remember, will recall that his mate was named Mollie. My second, Casey, was rescued from a puppy store when he was barely eight weeks old, and lived to be ten. I was mourning his loss, and thinking I would never find another Setter, when I finally found Irish Setter Rescue on Petfinder. It is hard to believe that was three Thanksgiving's ago, and Mollie was only nine or ten months old. She has matured into a beautiful dog, who leads the Life of Riley. She has her own leather chair, and like most Florida Setters, loves to chase lizards, squirrels, and any bird that flies, including crows and vultures! For those of you who know her, she still thinks she is "The Cats Meow" and can turn into "Kujo" when she feels so inclined. She also lives with five cats, and actually gets along well with most of them. One thing I learned is that she needs a lot of attention, and MUST be held and cuddled every night before she goes to bed. She also adores my neighbor, where she can run on an acre of fenced in land, and is affectionately told - "It's a good thing you're Pretty".

MOLLY: Debbie and Bob; North Fort Myers, FL

Molly (on the left) was adopted on July 15, 2006. She is about two years old. Molly and her sister, Meaghan, were unclaimed strays at a shelter in Anderson County, South Carolina. We were ending a week of vacation in Asheville and picked both of them up from their foster home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Meaghan was dropped off at her new home in Gainesville on the drive back to Florida, and Molly came home with us. Besides sharing the house with Bob, Deb and their 17 year-old son Danny, Molly also shares it with four other dogs, three cats and a rabbit. Molly has a large, fenced yard where she can romp with Coco (Chocolate Lab), Scott (German Shorthaired Pointer), Buddy (Golden Retriever), and recently adopted Sassy (English Setter). On a side note, it has been said that Deb should not go on vacation, as Molly is the fourth animal the family has adopted over the years while on vacation!

REILEY: John and Sandy; Palm Bay, FL

Back in February and March, 2006, I was on petfinder.com and found Reiley's North Carolina listing. The picture and bio told me this little guy was for us. He was a little over a year old and his owners had given him up to an Asheville shelter because he was wild. He was in one of Bonnie's foster homes in Charlotte and his major problems were lack of first year training and constant problems keeping his crate clean when left unattended, so off he went to "bootcamp". His trainer, Denise, put him on the right track. In April my wife and I were driving from Florida to Pennsylvania for a week so I called Bonnie from the Setter Rescue and told her we wanted to meet Reiley. We were ready to deal with his issues and his routine car sickness. We pulled into Denise's driveway. She had him on a lead and right away I knew he was ours. Sandy got his lead and started walking him around while I talked to Denise. This whole time, all he did was look at shadows and birds. Sandy talked to him but he didn't pay much attention to her. We were there for about an hour or so. When it was time to go, Sandy and I were by the car and I was talking to Reiley and he leaned right against Sandy's leg. We knew he liked us. We told Denise we wanted him but were going to pick him up on our way back home the next weekend. The next Sunday we pulled into the driveway and Denise and Reiley came out. We opened the door and he jumped right in the backseat! He put his head on Sandy's shoulder and thirty minutes later we were gone. The whole way home he was so good. He was great on a lead. He never got sick and had his head right between the seats. It was just great. He loves Wendy's french fries and burgers. When we got home early the next morning he met Sage and Jake, our old Setter. Reiley was the first one to get to our bed. He put his head on the pillow and it was just like he was ours all along. He still chases shadows and lights and everyday he makes us laugh. He is always there waiting for me when I get home. And he was there for Jake, lying next to him, when we recently had to put Jake down at thirteen years of age. He loves to go for rides in the truck and loves going to PetsMart. He is non-stop all day long playing with Sage. We run three miles a day and he loves it. We are so glad he is part of our family.

RUSSELL: Stephanie; Austin, TX

Hi Carolyn, Russell's great. We completed school and he got a certificate. He knows sit, stop, and we are working on stay and come. I'm attaching some pics of him. The first is him sleeping in my car as we drive from one store to another. He now just conks out and really gets a good nap in on the way to the next place. He does great in PetsMart and Home Depot and really well in my store as all clerks are allowed to give him as many treats as they want to. The last shots are of him downstairs which is where he prefers. I think because it is cooler. He is eating his dinner and loves the bike rides we go on so he can rrruunn. He loves to do that. Hope you are doing well - you trained him really well.

(Russell is 8 years young, and had lived his entire life as an outside dog before coming into our Rescue. We think Russell has hit the jackpot in his life with Stephanie!)

SHAUGHN: Patti and Jason; Dade City, FL

My name was originally Copper. I was purchased as a puppy by a nice lady in Arkansas. When I was four years old she hurt her back and couldn't keep up with me. Some nice people named John and Irene from Tulsa came and picked me up. Eventually I took an airplane ride to my new humans in Florida, Jason and Patti. I also have a big brother and a little sister who I get along great with. When I first arrived, everyone was very sad because they recently lost their dog Cassie. I did my best to cheer them up by making funny faces and doing crazy antics. I also demanded that they get out and play fetch with me! When they saw what an athlete I was, they started taking me on long runs and taught me how to catch frisbees. From there, I've learned agility and dock diving off the sea wall and also into the neighbor's pool, sometimes without their permission! Shortly after arriving at my new home, my humans found out that I was fascinated by running water, so I learned to brush my teeth every night at the bathroom sink. They also discovered that one of my favorite pass-times is hanging out with the guys at bonfires and enjoying a cold frothy beer! So everyone decided I deserved an Irish name to go along with my Irish habits. My new name is Shaughn. I love my new home and have made friends with everyone in the neighborhood, human and non-human. Thank you Magnolia Setter Rescue for giving me the home I always dreamed and hoped for. Love, Shaughn

SWEETPEA: Diane; FL

This is Sweetpea with her twin sister, Sassy, and their wonderful foster mom, Sam Scarfo. Aren’t they the cutest little girls in the world?! Both puppies had been neglected, underfed and left in a crate with three other siblings for months, with little human contact until they were rescued by Magnolia Setter Rescue. Foster parents Sam and Henry began the process of nurturing, loving and caring for these two little ones until they became strong and healthy enough to be placed with a forever family. That's me holding Sweetpea on my lap.

I decided to become Sweetpea’s adoptive Mom the first time I laid eyes on these two little darlings. Sam and Henry live across the street from me and my husband Frank. Sam and Henry have their own adopted English Setters, Sierra and Sugar. Sweetpea’s placement with her foster parents has been wonderful for her; partly because she can still visit her foster sisters, Aunt Sam and Uncle Henry; and still romp and play in their backyard - always maintaining a connection with the family who rescued her! Here she is with Sierra, Sugar and Uncle Henry, and getting snuggles from Aunt Sam.

Sweetpea’s adoption into our home turned out to be an amazing and wonderful blessing for my family – one that we had no idea would unfold as a result of bringing her home to be our own. Instead of rescuing Sweetpea, she actually rescued us!! It turned out that we were entering a time of great loss and grief in our family, and Sweetpea arrived just in time to bring a sparkle and enough joy that would be needed to help us through. Our little cocker spaniel, Maggie, was 13 years old and coming to the end of her time with us before crossing the Rainbow Bridge to run free and be the happy, healthy dog she was meant to be. Maggie was dealing with blindness, arthritis and deafness when we decided to bring Sweetpea home as a new addition to our family. Maggie was patient with this new active little sister and she obviously yearned to interact with her even though she couldn’t see her or move well enough to play!

Soon after Sweetpea came to live with us my Dad had a fatal stroke that left him with only days to live. The last picture I took of my parents together was of them enjoying this new little member of our family. Sweetpea made Dad laugh whenever they were together! Here's Sweetpea with her grandparents, and that's Maggie peeking out from under the pillow.

After Dad’s stroke, he came home with hospice, passing away on December 16, 2006 after six days of home care. During this entire time Sweetpea and Maggie helped us keep vigil. They both camped out on a little sofa next to Grandpa where they stayed with each other, somehow knowing their presence was a comfort to Dad.

Two weeks after my Dad died, we had to say goodbye for the last time to our little Maggie. Sweetpea became our comfort and focus during another very difficult time. Mother came to live with us and Sweetpea provided the love and distraction she needed to cope with her loss of Dad and her new living arrangements - at age 90 and dealing with Alzheimer’s, the one constant that she relates to everyday is Sweetpea. The first thing mother looks for each day – before breakfast – is searching for the puppy! They have become like our two little children.

Four months after my Dad passed away, Frank’s father died from a short illness with cancer. Again Sweetpea provided the distraction and love we needed from her affectionate personality and constant willingness to bring us a toy to play. I truly think there was a divine plan for Sweetpea to be discovered just across the street at just the right time to become our little shining star in the midst of some dark moments.

Sweetpea is 15 months old now and almost all grown up. She’s a beautiful puppy and everyone stops to talk with her because she is so cute and stands out with her snow and spotted coat. She is still shy around new people, but making progress with strangers in her Basic Behavior classes. She loves to meet new dogs and is ready to play at all times!

Our family is thankful to all who have participated in rescuing our Sweetpea and giving her the love and attention she so richly deserved!! She has a great smile and is as bright as she looks! Here are a few “happy ending” photos of our lovely Llewellyn Setter and adored Sweetpea!!