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Little did I know that several months later
that she would be mine. I only discovered the beautiful
Papillon breed in November of 2003. My parents brought home a tri-colored
baby pap and named him Quincy. Ever since then, I have been obsessed! I
went on the Internet to find out as much as possible about them. I came
across the Papillon Club of America site. I decided to try to adopt my own. On Sunday, October 17, 2004, Beth Reisinger,
PCA Rescue foster mom, brought Widget into our lives. So many people came
that afternoon to welcome him! He is a ten year old tri-color pap with
such beauty & spunk! I am his 4th and last home! His previous
owner could not keep him because she moved into senior care and her beloved
Widget could not accompany her (she adopted him from a shelter). He is
settling into his new forever home quickly! He knows how loved he is by his
new mommy & daddy! Widget loves to take flying leaps onto the couch and
snuggle with fleece
Hi folks,
We were introduced to the breed 14 years ago with a Papillon that found us in
our town park. Since that time, she has passed over the Rainbow Bridge, we
have rescued another Pap locally, adopted a black and white from Rescue and
then began a journey to help both dogs and people in need. In December of
2003, we were asked to foster two older female Paps for just a few weeks and
until a new home could be found for the girls. The two were Mother and
daughter and both were over 10 years old. They both came from a home of
abuse. The small black and white mom we named Peanut and her daughter, larger
and sable and white, we named Sara. Peanut is the small black and white on
the left and Sara is in the foreground in the attached picture.
To make a long story short, they adapted very well to our 4 other Paps.
Since December, one of our older rescue Paps has passed over the Rainbow
Bridge but we have adopted another foster Pomeranian and fostered a mixed
small breed from a woman who was at a women's shelter.
Our count now stands at 6 small dogs, 5 Paps and 1 Pom. The three younger
dogs play by the hours and the others, at various stages of their lives,
enjoy watching them and playing in the fields and orchard. We live in SW
Missouri on a farm and they all are part of our family which also includes 6
cats.
The Papillon is the best breed and we are very proud to be a small part of
this wonderful group of folks who love this little dog.
Rudy & Carol Parmenter
A Letter from one of our happy rescues
Well, I just wanted to say thank you very much for taking care of me when
I needed you and thank
you for placing me in my new home. I'll stay in touch and let you know
what I've been doing.
Rylee
Being a foster Mom - I have taken in only 3- I found homes for another on my own. Then along Max-- at least that's the name I gave him. Being the Mom of 4 Papillons already- Max came from a shelter- he was loveable from first site, with the bottom overbite and a big guy. When we went to visit the vet he was underweight- not a problem now!! LOL! severely anemic and had heartworms. His coat was all but gone on the rear and he had been infested with fleas.
So two weeks of building him up with iron twice a day- which I must say he didn't like very much-- that was for 2 weeks- then a recheck. Ok, so now we have the iron level up. Then we had to wait another 2 weeks before we could tackle the heartworm treatment. He went through that like a champ. Keeping him quiet-- that was not in his language! Then another 5 weeks before we could neuter and have the dental done.
He was more like a little guy when the surgery was over- so home with foster Mom to recoup and get lots of TLC.
Then came some training- like sitting and minding your manners- since Max was pretty much housebroken that wasn't an issue and walking on a lead was not too bad- or so I thought! The crate was not a favorite though.
Well time went on and the other owners-(that being Gabby, Poppy, Beau, Callie & Boomer- )of the house began to think of Max as one of the family.
The hitch to the whole thing was his foster Dad! Instant love between those two-- the man who likes dogs and loves his kids- but really another one!
When the applications came in for Max to find his forever home- I talked it over with the Foster Dad- he just wouldn't deal with it- he didn't want to say out loud I can't give him up. But Max and I knew after a night of no sleep and many talks and loving about the days to come, we had a decision to make he and I. Well- who could resist a nuzzle under the chin and the kiss on the nose. Not being the brightest bulb in the box- he sure knew how to capture my heart.
So Max wrote a letter to his Dad and told him that the decision had been made that he was his Christmas/ Birthday present and had found his forever home. So Dad and Max now curl up in the recliner to sleep together and Mom just shakes her head in wonderment-- that this now 14 inch 14 pound kid lays on his back with Dad and they snore together.
Max- You came into this house a sick boy and stayed a well loved kid for the rest of your days.
And there he was. Pippin. A little guy who had been surrendered by the nice lady who bought him because of "behavior issues." He wanted a home with a single female because of his fear of men, he might not mind a cat, and he needed some extra attention to training. That sounded like my situation, so I went forward into the world of dog companionship.
I confess, he didn't like me very much when we met. His foster mom gave me a treat to offer him, and he tried to bite me. But cheese is a powerful incentive, and he figured it out pretty quickly — this woman is friendly. We went for walks together, and he got the steak leftovers from dinner. Soon he was cuddled up next to me like we'd been friends forever.
Pippin has been with me now for two years. He's getting over his fear of men and gets along with my boyfriend and my neighbors very well. He takes walks with his neighbor pugs and border collie, and the last walk of the evening is always with his cat, Radcliffe. He still has some issues with barking and charging at children and men, and he thinks he's the biggest baddest dog in the 'hood. But he's getting better every day.
Kim Feldmiller
First of all, I need to make a confession. Until about a year ago, the only Papillon I had ever heard of was some character in a Steve McQueen movie. Tom and I had begun to think a canine companion for our Sheltie mix, Shadow, might help overcome her extreme shyness. Shadow had been fostered by a friend of mine and all we knew about her first four years is that she had been surrendered by her owner and it was pretty apparent that she hadn't been treated well. Shadow was afraid of everyone and everything and we found ourselves ill equipped to deal with an emotionally damaged dog. Obviously, this is a very abbreviated version of the events that led us to Pierre, but I felt the need to provide a little background.
Tom, being retired, had lots of time to do some "doggie research" on the internet, so he started investigating different breeds. We had pretty definite ideas as to the kind of dog that might be therapeutic for Shadow, but didn't have a specific breed in mind. We knew we couldn't get a puppy which would monopolize too much of our time; the dog had to be small and fairly independent, but not agressive or high-strung; he/she must be cheerful and tolerant -- well, you get the idea. I came home from work one day and Tom couldn't wait to show me the "perfect" breed. He had discovered the PCA Rescue site. Together we read the profiles of several Papillons and the AKC Breed Standard and decided this was the one!
I filled out the online form and the long wait began. All of the available dogs seemed to be either too young, too old, too far away, too needy (we already had one extremely needy dog!). Finally, Pierre appeared and he seemed perfect. Well, almost. My only concern was his age. Pierre was 10 years old and it worried me that we would bring him home, come to love him and only have him for a couple of years. It was because of Tom's insistence that I responded to the email and, after what seemed like an eternity, Pierre's foster mom called us and the adoption process began.
This little guy immediately took over our hearts, our home and our lives. Best of all, he has been wonderful for Shadow. They spent the first several weeks ignoring each other, but we knew with time and patience they would become friends. Pierre is the happiest, most cheerful little man and his attitude is contagious. We are constantly amused by his antics (it's hard to believe this clown is a senior citizen!) and we believe it is because of Pierre's influence that Shadow has started to come out of her shell. It's kind of like watching two siblings bicker when they are competing for cookies. Shadow doesn't really like them and they are Pierre's passion. We give both dogs a cookie and Pierre will immediately hide his and start barking at Shadow hoping she will get tired of him and leave. It almost always works, and as soon as she leaves the room he grabs her cookie and eats it, saving his for later. There is nothing better than coming home to Pierre's "happy dance". I've never seen a dog do this but he jumps and twirls and emits this high pitched bark to let us know he is glad we're home. He doesn't like it when Tom and I are in different rooms of the house and seems very unsettled. Once he has his family in one room, he will settle down and pick a lap to snuggle up on. If Shadow is with me, he usually goes to Tom and vice-versa. Neither dog has shown any jealousy toward the other and we have actually discovered them sleeping side by side on the sofa.
Pierre has only been with us for 3 1/2 months, but he has so captured our hearts that it is hard for us to imagine life without him. And, his age . . . no longer a concern. We consider ourselves fortunate to have had Pierre in our lives whether it is for 5 more years or 10. He has enriched us all.
Lucy is deaf, nearly blind, has arthritis, and had to have most of her teeth pulled. Oh, and she isn't housebroken. Yikes!! Thank goodness for tile. She won't let you pick her up or hold her. She still flinches when you go to pet her, but is getting better about that everyday.
She has her own little bed in the living room. One day I moved the bed to my office because I was working there all day. No Lucy in the bed. So I went looking for her. There she was lying on the living room floor where her bed was supposed to be. It didn't take her long to stake out her place in the house.
You'll love this one. She doesn't like packaged lunch meat. It's only Boar's Head for her. When I tell the deli ladies at Publix I'm buying ham for my dog, they go crazy.
Love and blessings from Kathryn and Lucy in Florida
Robin in NH
I had been driven to find her - now I was driving to get her. East from St. Paul to Eau Clair, WI - one hour. Just one short hour to my baby. The air inside my Honda was crackling with anticipation and excitement as my mind raced faster than the Honda dared. Would she like me? Could I help her overcome her past? Was I up to the challenge?
I parked behind the McDonalds near the area provided for semi trucks to gather, and watched and waited nervously. At last the huge truck pulled in. Smiling from behind the wheel of the mammoth cab was a familiar figure, and there, framed in the side window was that tiny face, surrounded appropriately by those famous Pap ears. That face I had fallen in love with on the website. Dorothy had arrived.
Mike, my trucker son-in-law, had picked her up in Elgin, Illinois, where she had been lovingly fostered by "Mama Jen," and delivered her to me. I took her into my arms and felt her fear and confusion by the quivering of her tiny body and the pounding of her heart, which was competing with the thumping of my own.
That was last April 22nd, and from that moment, both our lives changed. Now, as we approach our three-month anniversary, life together is good. Dorothy spent the first 4 and 1/2 years of her life as a "mill dog," - bred constantly - used rather than loved. The challenge to overcome that was immense - the rewards great. Good nutrition and great gobs of love and patience, (from both of us!) have worked wonders. A house and large fenced yard now are "hers," and she has taken full possession. She has a Mama she trust and adores, who is always there to shower her with love and tell her she is a "good girl."
Her coat is full, her ears are fringing, and she now carries them and her tail high, and prances rather than cowering in a corner. The fearful shadows of her former life are fading as she grows in her new-found confidence. For me, she is a loving companion, a perfect little girl, who teaches me things and enriches my life each and every day. Life without her is unthinkable. I know there are more discoveries ahead, but of this I am certain - the real Dorothy has definitely arrived.
Carol Christensen (Happy Pap Mom)
I just want to thank PCA Rescue for their wisdom and skill in matching me with Mickey. I hope they are up for the next challange when I decide it's time for Mickey to have a "brother" or "sister" and that could be sooner than they think!
For those of you who don't know, Avis spent her first 6 years in a puppy mill, being bred every heat. She'll be 8 in July. We adopted her thru Rescue.
Her loving, sassy and "I'll do it MY way" personality is uniquely her own, quite different from her "brothers" ways. She is assertive when she wants to be petted, sliding her nose under the idle or otherwise occupied hand, gently chewing on the hand if it doesn't perform to her expectations, rolling over on her back and pawing at the "reluctant" hand and starting over from go. The "reluctance" is short lived and mainly done to see her whole routine. She snuggles beside me in my chair--definitely a Mama's girl--even if she has to perch on Sam's back to get there. Sam seems to take this in stride, snoozing on as she rests on him and puts her head on my arm.
Avis and Sam have an interesting game. She waits for him to hike his leg on their outside visits, then hikes hers on the same spot. She only does this with Sam, not Bandit. Guess Sam is Alpha and she's the Alpha bitch. She does vie with Sam for who goes thru doors' first. Bandit waits to avoid being stepped on or mashed.
She is still much motivated by food. How she can tapdance backward, making more noise on the carpet than would seem possible, from the kitchen to the den when I take my tray there to eat is beyond me. Her joy knows no bounds. She stations herself on the floor to my left, Sam in the middle and Bandit in the fleece car seat. They get tidbits, usually cooked vegetables (canned green beans, if my lunch isn't dog-friendly) and gulp them down. They do wait, tho, knowing that each will get their own in turn.
Avis loves to explore in the back yard, especially beneath and behind the shrubs lining the fence. I think it is her safari experience. Then she races back to the doggy door and arrives back inside ready to greet the occupants with great glee. She's the main greeter, now, sounding the alarm that someone is approaching and must be made welcome with joyful noise and bouncing.
All in all, Avis has settled in very well and seems to love her new family as much as we love her and her brothers. We are grateful to have her in our lives.
Pat Gordon, Fort Worth Bandit, Sam and Avis (I'm the princess!!)
I thought I would pass along information on Katie, a papillon rescued through your organization, and adopted by my mother, Ruth Davis, in 2000.
Katie was eight years old when she came to my mother. Katie's previous owner had to go into a nursing home and could no longer care for her. My mother had recently lost her small sheltie and was looking for a new companion.
For my mother, it was love at first sight. She says she has never seen a more expressive dog. One week after Katie's arrival, she was given a doggie shower, held by the other dog owners in the retirement community where my mother lives. Katie took a little while to settle in, as she was overwhelmed by the new surroundings and new people. Now she is queen of her domain, and has my mother wrapped around her little paw. Katie '"talks" to the people she feels comfortable with, loves to play, waves for treats, and is ever vigilant for any outside strangers.
I have attached a picture of my mother walking Katie. Thank you so much for this wonderful little dog.
Long story short, somewhere along the line we bonded and I adopted her myself late last summer. (If you had told me in the first weeks that I would eventually adopt this dog, I would have told you that you were nuts LOL!) Macy started serious obedience training this spring and earned her CD this summer with a first, second, fourth and a high scoring toy dog at all breed outdoor shows. She is truly an example of what a rescue Pap can be and I just adore her and how well she had adapted to the "good life"!
Susan Hiller & Macy
I have never know so much joy as having these little furbabies is my life. I raised several different breeds of dogs through out the years but never ones that totally pull at your heart strings. If I had my way I would fill up my entire home with rescue Paps just to see how happy they become in the end.
Bless all of you for hard work and tireless effort to help put these dear creatures in the homes of people who will love them forever and ever.
Colleen
Repeat's Story
About 1 and a half years ago I adopted my little buddy Repeat from PCA rescue.
He was 8 months old and quite a handsome, but shy little guy. He moved in with
his 4 sisters and quickly determined that he had moved into his very own harem!
He was not shy very long. His favorite sister, Gator, a golden retriever became
his newest friend…but he definitely had his eyes set on making Furby, his Papillion
sister, his best buddy. Well it took some doing and perseverance but his hard work
paid off as Furby and he became best buddies. They play every morning on my bed as
I shower and dress. Repeat will bark at one of his sisters to get them to play and
if they don’t want to play everyone begins to howl…he makes all of his sisters “sing!”
Soon after Repeat came to live in my home we began his agility training. He was
quite a speedy learner and Furby was more than happy to help him along. He did
not like tunnels until he got to chase her through them…needless to say he has a
very speedy tunnel now. He loves to train and is getting more and more confident
with each trial he runs in. He has finished his Novice titles in two of the 3
venues he runs in and has only been competing since this spring.
He is a joy to have in my life and I can’t imagine my home without him being a
part of it. As far as looking for an agility dog, I would recommend the PCA
Rescue as a definite source to consider. Sharon, his foster mom does a wonderful
job with the dogs she fosters…helping them to be socialized and housebroken.
She is a very special PCA volunteer and I want to give her a special “Thank You”
from Repeat and me.
Sincerely,
Kathy, Repeat, Furby, Betsy, Tippy, Gator, Kibbles, Willie, and Ditto Too!
In December of 2003, our beloved Cocker of 15 years passed away. We went to Illinois Cocker
Rescue to adopt another and my wife said she wanted a small one that could sit with her on the
couch. Oh, you want a LAP dog, Alie commented. I have just the dog for you! She brought out
Daphne, who had been rescued from a puppy mill, and handed her to my wife. Daphne, who was
3 then, is in the upper left of the photo, and she started licking my wife's face from side to side
and top to bottom. I think she has chosen YOU, said Alie, and we took her home. This was our
first contact with a Papillon, and we just LOVED her.
In April of 2005, we decided to get a playmate for Daphne and went on the PCAR website. After
a while of looking, we saw Sophie, age 7, who was an obedience champion. Sophie is the gray
Pap in the foreground. She used to be dark, when she was young. We know this because we
have her champion ribbons and pictures. Anyway, we got our application in quickly and were
the third (and best) household to get a visit. Sophie liked Daphne and vice-versa and our
application was approved. She too, is just wonderful! Two Paps! What could possibly be better
than that! We would soon find out!
In August of 2005, we got a phone call from PCAR saying they had a Pap emergency, with 68
papillons having been found in one house, in dreadful conditions. The owner, who was unable to
care for them, surrendered the dogs. After veterinary exams they were sent to foster homes all
over the country. We agreed to be a foster home and Annie was delivered. At age two, she had
never touched grass, had a collar or leash on, and had never gone potty outdoors. Whew! What
a tall order this was to be! It took months for her to come to us voluntarily. Eventually, after
almost a year of trying to socialize her, poor Annie was considered unadoptable. We were
awarded permanent custody of her. She is still distrusting and fearful of everyone but our family,
she is sweet, loving, devoted to her siblings, my wife and I, and we love her too. She is the
beauty at the upper right of the photo. More pictures of all three girls can be seen on
dogster.com. Just go to http://www.dogster.com/?69478. That is Daphne's page, and the other dogs
can also be seen by clicking on their family photos. We feel SOOOO rewarded to have the
unconditional love of these wonderful girls. I still look at the list of dogs available, but to keep
our happy home, we'll stick with three, (for now)...
Ha Ha!
Jim, Rita, Daphne, Sophie, and Annie
We are so grateful to have Penny as part of our “pack”. We just love her dearly. She’s 14 years
old now and is still very much the feisty old woman! We do nearly everything with our dogs,
and Penny has been no exception. She has traveled with us to see relatives in Florida many times
and has been up to the lake and spent the night on the sailboat. She has really enjoyed our trips
to the beach to a place named, appropriately enough, Dog Island. While she doesn’t play like the
younger dogs, she loves hanging out on the beach and checking out all of the interesting smells,
sounds, and sights. When I go out of town with the other two Paps for agility trials, Miss Penny
always comes along to cheer on the home team.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that an old dog can’t learn new tricks! I took an introductory
clicker training class thinking that I might use it with my other dogs for agility training. On a
whim, I decided to try it with Miss Penny since she loves her treats so much. Well, to make a
long story short, she learned Sit and Down in record time and was clearly enjoying it. Because of
that, we took an obedience class, and Miss Penny can now proudly do her sits and downs for
treats with the rest of the dogs. A lot of people might find that a bit strange because of her age,
but it’s all about us having fun and giving her something to do and think about. It has also
helped her to be more confident and at ease around new people and dogs.
I wasn’t sure what to expect adopting a dog that was already 11 years old … I don’t think I really
expected anything. After having Penny with us, I would do it again in a heartbeat, and so would
Bird. At her age, she may nap a bit more than the younger dogs, but she is still very active and
full of life and love.
Thanks again for our Miss Penny,
Riley
Hi, my name is Woofie and I'm a 1 ½ year old Papillion. I used to be real lonely because my
Mom and Dad work and I'd get in trouble for chewing on the furniture, so I asked them to find
me a buddy. I want to thank PCA for letting me have my Buddy. PCA called him Chris, but
he's my little buddy so we changed his name to Buddy. He's been my Buddy since January 1,
2006. He was real scared when he first came here, but he loves my Momma and she takes good
care of him. My Momma tells him all the time what a sweet boy he is, even if he does take my
chew toys away from me. We have a good time together. We play and play and sleep together.
He doesn't even mind if I sleep on top of him or chew his ears. He does tricks too. He jumps
real high when he knows Momma is going to feed us. Sometime I sneak some of his food, but he
doesn't fuss at me, so I guess he loves me too. He's just now getting used to Daddy. At first he
was really scared of him, but I told him Daddy is really good. He buys all the toys and food, so
be good to him. So he's started to play with Daddy a lot. So now he loves us all and we all love
him. And we play with each other now, so I don't chew furniture anymore (most of the time).
We sent a picture. I'm the red head and he's the brunette. Aren't we cute!
Woofie
PS: Buddy says thank you to his Foster Mom, Bev Fish. She was sweet to him. And also
thank you to all those truckers that got him to our house. They are special people.
Howard, Cecile, Woofie and Buddy Vezinat
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
My name is Buddy. I grew up in Boise, Idaho with my brother Pepe. Then my "Dad" died, and
we were left behind. A really nice lady came and took us to Portland, Oregon, where Pepe was
adopted. Then one day my foster mom met a lady at a Papillon show in Carson City Nevada. She
had been trying for several months to adopt a buddy for her little boy Keaghan [aka Pooperstein,
because he doesn't always go outside like I do, but he is a Pappy Einstein].
This turned into the next leg of my travels. First a nice man from Roseburg Oregon came and got
me and took me to his place. His wife then drove me to Medford where her daughter lives.
Meanwhile, Keaghan's mom drove up from Sacramento to visit her granddaughters and to meet
me. Finally, after a couple of days sightseeing in Medford, getting to know two neat little girls,
and visiting a dog park twice, Keaghan, Mom, and "Big Brother Brian" drove back to
Sacramento to bring me to my new home.
I now live in a really nice house with stairs to run up and down, a big back yard, two cool
neighbor dogs [Nigel the black lab and Cricket the shepherd mix] and a bunch of cats and kittens.
I am trying to learn not to bark at the cats, but it is sssoooooo much fun! Saturday we all went to
a dog park [well the cats stayed home] and had a great time. I do just fine with Nigel and Cricket
because they are both used to small dogs and cats.
Well, I could go on a lot longer, but it is treat time. By the way, I have gone from being an
18-pound Spuddy Buddy to a solid 13-1/4 pound athelete. Keaghan and I do a lot of wrestling
and zooming, and then there are those stairs.
Sniffs, kisses and love,
Buddy
It's been 8 months now since we adopted sweet Nyla and little Brutus. Nyla had her 2nd birthday
around Thanksgiving and Brutus had his 1st birthday the day after Christmas. These two are the
highlight of our day. They happily greet us with their sweet kisses in the morning, go wild with
joy when we come home from work, and cuddle up with us in bed when we go to sleep. We
adore them so much that it's difficult to even put it into words, but I'll try.
How can I describe my sweet Nyla? She's a little girl that was never given time to be a puppy,
having had Brutus at such a young age. When we first brought her home, she had no clue how to
play or what a toy was for. When I approached her with a treat, she would back up and then run
away. She was so scared that it was hard for us to assess what her real character and abilities
were. We made a concentrated effort to get her to trust us before attempting anything else. We
worked on it slowly; one step at a time, constantly reinforcing to her how much she was loved.
Today, Nyla will come when called, she "sits" when I give her a treat, and the past few weeks,
she's been caught a couple of times with a squeaky toy in her mouth! She knows how to turn on
her vocals when I ask her to "talk" to me. She barks at the door when she wants to go out into the
backyard. She and I have a favorite game where we sit on the couch facing each other, and when
I bow my head down, she jumps toward my face, giving the tip of my nose little nibbles, ending
up with a face washing from all the kissing. I love seeing her blossom. She is the perfect
dog.
I call Brutus "my little man". He's a dog that is filled with joy. He was surrendered to PCAR at a
very young age, so he's never really known anything but happiness and love. He used to be quite
small and is now about ¼" taller than Nyla. His frame is still very slight, so he gives the
impression of being little. He's a very smart little guy, who can learn a new command after only
one repetition. It makes training a very rewarding experience for both of us. We have a number
of nicknames for him, "squeaky" because he's always walking around squeaking one of his toys,
or "jumping bean" because he sometimes resembles a yo-yo on a string with the way he jumps up
and down. Life with Brutus around is always filled with laughter. He's a little clown that keeps
us entertained all the time.
I truly can't remember what life was like before these two came into it. I can only imagine that it
must have been pretty dull. Thank you PCAR for giving us the opportunity to enrich our lives by
letting us love these two little fur babies.
Ellen and Joe Stuban
My husband and I want to thank Nana for doing a fabulous job with Molly and her puppies, Faith, Hope and
Charity. We were fortunate enough to adopt Hope, who has been re-named LuLu (partly in honor of Nana Lu).
She has been a wonderful addition to our family and has adapted well to our home and her new life. As you
can see in the picture, she had a great Christmas with us, got to meet her extended family, and has already
started making visits to a nursing home with me, where she is very well behaved and her visits anticipated
by all the residents.
Thank you to you, too, Papillon Rescue, for makiing it possible by your dedication and concern for the
breed and the health and safety of our beloved paps! -- (email received 1/27/06)
I wanted to send a note, along with a picture of our little Annie. We adopted Annie from Operation Liberty in August of
this past year. Attached is a funny picture of this beautiful little girl.
We love her SO MUCH! Although she is still quite shy around new people (and some people she has already met
ten times), she is slowly letting humans other than her mommy & daddy get a bit closer. She gets along great
with our 17-year old custom made rescue, Onyx, and she is such a delightful dog, so full of love and life.
The first night we had her home, I looked at my husband and said "Darn it." When he asked me "What is it?"
I said "I love her more than anything already."
So, when she strikes that adorable paw-over-the-face pose, or sits and stares at us with her beautiful
sparkly eyes, or does that precious "helicopter tail wag" as we approach her speaking softly...we whisper
at her "Darn it" and kiss the top of her head.
She stole our heart from the moment she kissed us back.
Thank you for all that you did to bring us Annie.
Sincerely, Karen, Ken, Elizabeth, Onyx and Annie -- (emailed received 1/24/06)
Dear All,
In April, one of my relatives that adopted a Papillon from me twelve years ago passed away. Her
dog "Oley" was not being cared for properly and family was having a difficult time in getting to
the house. My concern for Oley was so strong that I asked several local Papillon Breeders for
advice, I took their advice and ran with it, for I knew it was Oley's only hope. After talking with
a couple of Papillon Rescuers,
Marilyn was in the right location and volunteered to rescue Oley. Marilyn left her home and
drove about six hours to get Oley. Upon entering Oley's home, Marilyn was shocked and
dismayed about Oley's living conditions. He was so scared, it took Marilyn 45 min. to retrieve
him. She then drove through bad thunderstorms back to her home to get him to safety.
She took him to the vet. immediately and found that he was 3 pounds under weight and very
malnourished. Marilyn took him home and nursed him back to health which took over twelve
weeks. In the mean time, her husband got called up to Afghanistan,, and she became ill, all while
caring for her three children, dogs, and foster dogs.
Since she was unable to see Oley back to us, Marilyn got another rescuer to fly Oley home. We
met Robin and Oley at The Spokane International Airport this morning, we greeted each other
then, got Robin back on the plane within 40 min. of her arrival to get back home.
Oley is now getting reacquainted with his mother, brother, and aunt.
Thank You All,
Margo
Once again I have to Thank PCA Rescue for finding us another very special Papillon. His name is Cody. Let me give you all a quick briefing of my wonderful world of the PAPILLON. On Aug. 2nd. 2003 we adopted our sweet little Gwynny. Gwynny already has her update Happy Endings story. Well a year seem to go by in a flash. My little Gwynny is such a sweet loving giving furbaby, I just had to have another one. Gwynny and I thought it would be best if we added a little brother to our family. Since my husband and I both work,we thought it would be good for Gwynny to have a little playmate. Then it happened!!! Cody was ready for adoption at the very same time we were looking for a brother for Gwynny. Cody adopted us on Sept.12th 2004. What a wonderful addition Cody has been to our family! I'm not going to tell you that everything was comfy and cozy at the start. Gwynny & Cody had a few issues to resolve. After all Gwynny was Queen of the house for a full year and who did this little guy think he was coming into her house acting like he owned the place. LOL!!! Well after about 3 weeks, rules were made and lessons were learned. To see them now you would never know there were any issues at all. How they love to play zoomies in the backyard. Cody has shown the same astounding intelligence as Gwynny has. Cody has already learned all the ticks that Gwynny can do. Cody learned these tricks by watching Gwynny do them. Gwynny & Cody would be lost without each other now. They really do enjoy being together. As for my husband and myself, well we just can't believe how much these two furkids have added to our lives. The love and happiness in this household is overflowing! Rescue Papillons are refered to as second chances, well I say having a Rescue Papillon is a chance of a lifetime.
January
31, 2005
The first time we saw Jetta was our first Pap Play day in Bradenton.
It was the first time I saw an all black Pap, and she was so little. I
thought she was a puppy.
She has brought so much love to our lives, except Nike. Nike would have
nothing to do with Jetta. The first two weeks he kept giving us the eye,
"like she's been here long enough, when is she leaving." After the
third week he started warming up to her "I guess she's here to stay."
Nike watches out for Jetta. Lets us know when we forget her outside, cause
she's not fast enough before the door closes. Jetta has this little game
going on Donna when it's time to go to work. Jetta hides on her. Donna
running late running around the house calling Jetta, and no Jetta.
Nike, where is your sister, find Jetta. All of sudden Nike starts barking
with his nose under the couch, and who pops out, Jetta, her tail going
30mph. Got Mom again. Darn Nike gave me away again.
Jetta has transformed in to healthy little girl, who also put on a little
weight. She loves attacking my shoes in the morning while I'm tying them.
Her favorite thing is chasing my two outdoor cats, who no longer lounge in
the back yard. Everybody, and anybody who comes to the house loves Jetta.
She loves to be held, hug and gives lots of butterfly kisses. We all in this
house love Jetta to death, Nike too, he could do better, though he does stay
close to her, so he can steal her cookies.
She barks like a Dobbie, walks like a bulldog, and pees like a race horse.
But she's in her forever home, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Cheryl, Donna and Nike
blankets!!! He sings for his food and loves to play!!
During the day, he likes to look out our floor length windows
and watch
squirrels. He lets other dogs that walk by our house know that this is
“his” house. At night, when he is tired he snuggles up for a good belly rub
or brushing. Most of all, he cannot get enough butt scratches!!
After reading all the stories about the adopted Paps, I decided to add mine.
Dear PCARescue,
This is my sweet little Gwynny! ( Gwyneth ) August 2nd will mark our 1year Anniversary with Gwynny. I don't know how I ever got along without her in my life. She has brought so much love and joy into my life. Gwynny just turned 4 years old on May 15th. During the first 3 years of her life she was twice placed with PCARescue. Never again!!! This is her forever home and I'm her forever Momma! Gwynny has learned to spread her wings and soar like the beautiful butterfly girl that she is. I knew from the moment I set eyes on Gwynny, she was the one I had been looking and waiting for. I think Gwynny knew in her heart that we were ment to be together, because just minutes after we first met she gave me a kiss! The big test was to see if she could get along with my cats, not a problem, not even a little growl. Freckles, my male red tabby and Gwynny are the best of buds. Gwynny is a super smart little girl. In a year's time she has learned 12 tricks! She is her Momma's "I can do it" little darling. O.K., so I'm bragging! LOL!!! I can't help it, I really love my babygirl! I want to say a special thankyou to Gwynny's Foster Parents, Beth and Rich. Without them I would never know the Joy, the Love, the Fullfillment that my little Gwynny has brought into my life.
In February, our beloved cocker spaniel of 15 years passed away of kidney failure. I honestly didn't think I would have another pet, as I didn't feel that I could "replace" him. But the month before, my sister had gotten a new puppy, a Pap. The breeder she purchased her little bundle from also had taken in a rescue, a little gal named Angel, who is almost 4 yrs old. Sis called to tell me this little gal needed a home. Angel had suffered from bladder stones, and could not even stand up without dribbling everywhere. Her foster mom took her to the vet to have the stones removed, and by April Angel was ready for adoption. I couldn't wait to get her into our home! My sister drove from Columbus Ohio, down to Morgantown W.Va. We also drove to Morgantown, from Maryland. When I laid eyes on a beautiful little red-headed Pap, it was love at first sight!! She was the most loving little creature I had ever come across. She was nervous at first, not knowing us, or where she was going. But it didn't take her long to begin to rule the roost. She is such a little Diva Dog, and is madly in love with my husband. The sun rises and sets on him as far as she is concerned! She has settled in nicely, and now knows that this is her forever home. I want to take this opportunity to thank Angel's foster mom and the rescue group for all the hard work they do. It is wonderful to know that these pets are cared for, and handled in such a loving manner. Angel is a real beauty and we love her dearly.
I'm all settled in to my new forever home now. I really like it here.
Everybody is really nice, even those big ole Dobermans. You have no idea
how busy this place is. We are always doing something. I usually have
a few hours in the morning after breakfast to nap and take it easy but
after lunch I'm not always quite sure what's going to happen. We are always
having fun though. I got to go to school last night and learn how to stand
pretty on a table then walk around with my girl. It took a little while
for me to figure out that I'm not supposed to jump, jump, jump, but I'm
starting to understand. We have all kinds of really neat toys to play
with in the yard too. I'm not sure just what I'm supposed to do with them
yet but it sure is fun trying to figure it out. And talk about a lot of
room... I can run as fast and hard as I want to and beleive me, I do as
much as I can. There are just so many new sights and smells that I've
never known before. Every day is a new adventure. I might even get to
go watch an agility trial this weekend. I now have my very own web page
AND my own email address. You'll have to check it out when you get time.
www.lostriverdobes.com
Welcome Home.
Your Mom
Cyndra
After I saw Kirby's reaction to his 1999 Westminster Best In Show, I said, "I gotta get one of those!" I talked to my veteranarian and read about the breed, and found out a Pap would be all I hoped for — loyal, smart, and a good companion. But I wanted to adopt an older dog. I checked with the local Humane Societies, and was told that they very rarely saw Paps come into the shelters. I was ready to call local breeders to check on retired show dogs when I stumbled across the PCA Rescue website.
It's been a little over four months since Lucy came into my life. She is around 10 years old. You could see her ribs and her coat was a mess. Look at her now!!! She has gained over half a pound. And her coat is shiny and silky.
I wanted to give everyone an update on Solomon (Solly). I adopted him this winter and he is a wonderful addition to my family. He has the sweetest and most kind personality of any dog that I ve met. He sleeps with me and each morning I am greeted with doggy kisses when he decides it s time to get up. Solomon and his two Papillon brothers Billy and Sampson are all getting along great. Solomon just started obedience school and is doing well. I have put up a very large kennel for the dogs to play in. Solomon has discovered that he loves to dig holes. The other two dogs just watch him and try to figure out what he is doing. I want to thank everyone at the PCA for bringing Solomon into my life. I love this little guy with all my heart.
DRIVING FOR DOROTHY (formely Harley)
St. Paul, MN
It's been four months now that Mickey (now 13 months old) has been in my life and I can honestly say he is the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time. PCA Rescue contacted me about him the weekend after Christmas 2002 and I went down to NJ to meet him on January 4, 2003 (one year to the day that my beloved kitty TC, passed over to the Rainbow Bridge). He was an owner surrender 2 days before Christmas. Now, never having been a dog mom before, I didn't really know what to expect. I had been told he was a "bit" larger than a normal pap, so when I met him I was in shock-he was a PAPZILLA! A Great Dane! He weighed close to 15 lbs! Although I didn't feel an instant connection, I decided to exercise my option of taking him with me that day. The whole ride home I obsessed: Maybe he shouldn't be eating that rawhide bone-Jeanne, can you get it away from him? It's been an hour-should we stop for a potty break? Why isn't he going potty? Why is he so quiet in the crate? Is he OK? Five and a half hours later we arrived home and I introduced Mickey to his new home. It was late and it had been a long day, so it was time to go Night Night and he went eagerly into his kennel. I spent the whole night waking up every hour on the hour expecting Mickey to want to go out. Nope, sound asleep-wish I had been! The next day was Sunday and I had no choice but to bring Mickey to work with me. I had a Kong filled with peanut butter, his crate and some Nylabones. I took him out every 2 hours and rejoiced when he finally pooped! I think my high school aged help decided I had gone over the edge at that point! I had the next 2 days off from work and Mickey and I did a lot of bonding and playing. He also finally met the kitties and ground rules were established.
Since I adopted Mickey, he has graduated from Beginning Level One and Two Obedience. He has been enrolled in Doggie Day Care where he learned some much needed socialization skills, and we plan to go on to Agility when time permits. He now weighs a strapping 17 lbs and has become adept at training me. For example, he convinced me to take out a home equity loan to put in a new deck, rear entrance into the backyard, and most important, a brand new secure fence so that he can do zoomies to his heart's content. He felt we deserved all this since we spend the first 3 months of our lives together braving the never ending snow and subzero weather on our daily and sometimes twice daily walks to get "business" done. Plus, he feels it is very important that we start hosting Pappy Play Days for the our area. Not only have I found a new buddy, but a social secretary as well!
Just wanted to give you an update that Poppette and I are getting along very well, and she's bonding to me nicely. Everyday she getting more confident and settled with her surroundings. Today she went for a walk with the yorkie that lives downstairs, and actually went up and touched noses with another dog before she ran to hide behind me. She's still taking brisk walks for about a half-hour, twice a day. Poppette is now sitting on my lap because I told her I was writing to you, and she wanted to come to the keyboard to tell you she says hello and thank you for the wonderful care you gave her. She also sends her hello to Magic and Domino, and wants them to know she has a good home now.
I groomed her today, and she's now accustomed to the brushing and actually started liking it (to my surprise). She also let me brush her teeth as long as I was fast and didn't overdo it.
So I hope to assure you she's adjusting well and being well cared for. Oh, she just licked the keyboard to send you a kiss! We'll keep in touch to let you know how she's doing.
- Deb & Poppette
Domino was surrendered after 13 years of abuse in an unhappy home. Thin as a rail, completely distrusting of humans, his first foster home was his first experience in a safe environment. After two months of learning how to be treated fairly, Domino was moved to my home, and he has fit in so well here, that I am proud to say that I have adopted him. I think he's gorgeous, delightful, and loving. After learning that I would never pick him up unless absolutely necessary, he asks for petting and curls around like a cat on the pillow, and playfully chases toys. He smiles with his whole body and he will never be harmed again.
- Jen and Magic
Today marks the six month that we have been graced by the addition of Avis to our family. In some ways, it seems much longer than that. She and the "boys" fit so well with each other and with us that it could be years that she's been a part of us.
Avis seems to love to go to the hairdresser with me. She sits very quietly on my lap, graciously accepting accolades and affection from admirers, granting them such heart-breakingly appealing looks with her big, rather sad looking eyes.
Dear Papillon Rescue,
This is 5 year old Macy (Rescue Macy At Heartwings CD CGC). She was turned in to rescue last summer along with a stud, three of her 6 month old pups and she was pregnant again and had 5 pups here last June 19th that we raised and all of them were placed in wonderful forever homes. Macy had been part of a backyard puppy farm and had never been indoors before, had toys or any of the other things our dogs take for granted. She was so freaked when she arrived here that I had to use oven mitts to handle her- Miss Congeniality she was not!
Here is a current picture of Tommy now my Cubbie. He is in his Bomber jacket like the one his daddy has. His name is Piper Cub, Cubby for short, after his dads Piper Cub airplane. Although he is still a little skittish when it comes to being picked up he has adjusted perfectly to his new surroundings and his new "sister" Lexie. I was very concerned at first about getting another dog as to what it would do to our little princess but it didn't take anytime at all and they bonded like they have been together forever despite the 6 or more years difference in age. She gets the zooms and he keeps up the best he can and when he gets tired and lays down she will like him and move on to something else.
