Stallone Meets The Dog Liberator ~ Adopted

8 December:

Rescued by Sid Utsey from Selma, Alabama, this gorgeous boy is on his way. His photos will be updated on Facebook.

Sid writes:

“Stallone is doing great. He is full of spunk, once he feels safe. I can’t believe how happy he is acting – I think he knows he has a great life ahead of him! And for that, I am forever grateful. Here are a few pics of him taken tonight – he is smiling!”

Special thanks to Becky Harshman and Christina Skrobak for arranging transport and putting me in touch with Sid!

Stallone is only 7 months old, and he’s ready to create quite a stir here! Just read what happened last night, when I posted his photo on Facebook!

December 12th Update:

Yesterday was a long day for Stallone. He and five other puppies started the day in Alabama and ended it in central Florida. Transports are kind of like a relay race: each volunteers drives about 2 hours before handing off the dogs to the next driver, or leg. Yesterday’s transport began at 8 am and ended, 9 legs later, at 9:15pm when Amy pulled into my driveway. Wow! Considering that the transport included 14 dogs coming from three different Alabama shelters, going to 3 different Florida rescues, each leg with 2 to 3 vehicles, well, you can imagine the logistics involved. And yet Suzanne managed to pull it all together once again. Thank you to the dozens of people who made this possible!

Stallone arrived with a wag in his tail. Honest to goodness, I think he thought it was some sort of wonderful adventure. Is it any surprise that two drivers along the way called us to offer to adopt this boy? Yeah, he’s just that wonderful! He’s beautiful, all white except for a black maske and a small black spot on his lower spine. His fur is long and course like a rough coat Border Collie, but his structure and paws speak of Great Pyrenees. He is so mellow that when I was washing him in the bathtub last, he fell asleep! My daughter commented that this morning would tell us which breed dominates his personality: if he lines up all the other puppies, he’s a border collie; if he tries to take care of them, he’s a Great Pyrenees. Guess what happened. You’re going to think I’m making this up, but I promise, I’m not! This morning I opened up the crate doors to let all the dogs out into the yard. Stallone stayed in his crate and wouldn’t come out. Then, after about 30 seconds, he got up, trotted across the room, and got into the crate with the two smallest (and most frightened) puppies! Honest!!! My daughter laughed and said, “Yup, Great Pyrenees!”

While out in the yard, he plays wonderfully with all the dogs, but the cutest sight is when the little puppies stand underneath him. Oh yeah, Stallone’s a keeper!!!!

Make sure you check out his photo album.

December 16th Update:

A couple of days ago I was on the phone with Gisele, scanning my e-mail while she was talking. Suddenly I said, “Gisele, I just placed Stallone.” She kept talking.
“Gisele, I’ve found Stallone a home.” blah blah blah blah blah
“Gisele, did you hear what I said? Stallone has a home!”
“What?”
Yeah, that’s how most of our conversations. Anyway, I read Deb’s e-mail and knew this was the right home. Her 13-year-old Giant Schnauzer had recently died; someone is home almost all the time; they have 4 acres of fenced property; they have two small dogs;…. the list went on and on. I immediately called Deb. We talked for quite a while and, yup!, she and her family are wonderful.
This evening Deb and son Charlie drove almost 2 hours to meet Stallone. I was concerned because it was too dark to meet outside, and outside is where Stallone is comfortable. The indoors are still very new for him. But I need not worry. Within moments Stallone was giving kisses to Deb. It was wonderful. He is now home with his new family and I couldn’t be happier!!!

When Stallone was giving Deb kisses, I caught it on camera to send to Sid, the wonderful woman who first rescued him. I wanted to share the moment with her. I’ll share it with you too!

December 17th Update:

You will be so proud of him… Had a nice quiet nite’s sleep and got up with the other dogs around 5am (normal around here) and went out and did his business. We all came back in and slept for a couple more hours. Then I took all the dogs out for about a 1/2 mile walk to get the paper. He walked on leash, no tugging, is even heeling pretty consistently already, and he even carried the paper for a little while.

We walked the property on leash, then I let him off to explore and he is very curious but mindful. And so smart! He comes in and out of his crate at will while we are in the house with him. He is really liking the indoor life! He likes to stand over the corgi like he’s her roof, haha… I’ll try and get a picture (but the corgi doesn’t like to be photographed, weird I know). He is enjoying some new toys (soccer ball and his very favorite, the Kong wubba (xmas version, of course ). He’s so proud of his toys! He has quite the personality and is really relaxing and settling. he is a very different dog… he is all puppy! Let the chewing begin!

He ate this morning like mad man… so he’s a good eater. And has found all the water bowls, and has no fear of the indoors anymore. He even jumped up on one of our couches (the dog couch) this morning and was looking out the window. Guess he likes the lake view too.

He comes in and out of the house with us, the other dogs like he owns the place. I think he found his inner puppy again as well as his voice. We will be working on inside voices. His house training so far is excellent.

We decided on the name Ozzy, (short for Osbourne), as he is a rock star.

Here are the comments left on this post… they are awesome!

Megan
Submitted on 2010/12/15 at 12:13 am
Dear Anonympous,your comment has all the earmarks of a disappointed child.First of all, by remaining anonymous your accusation loses much credibility.An informed accuser is not afraid to face the accused by identifying him/or herself. Secondly, I wonder what difference it makes what day of the year it is~ if you are a dog in need of a permanent home. Responsible people who adopt may find the time off from school or work the ideal situation for focusing on integrating a new family pet. If the fees are too high for you -there is absolutely noone stopping you from searching the local shelters in your area where there are hundreds of animals you can take home for 50-200$. TheDogLiberator is a very unique organization that has evolved from a fantastic idea. Rescue,Rehab,Resocialize,Rehome!!Gisele personally chooses each dog herself! That in itself is a daunting job,considering the numbers of shelter dogs out there. No we can’t save them all. We have chosen not to move shelter dogs to just another shelter run to await random adoption who knows when. These lucky dogs are welcomed into the fosters own homes where they become part of that family for a short period ,where they are vetted, spayed or neutered, and they begin to learn what is feels like to be secure in a loving environment. They learn proper pack manners and housetraining and all that goes into making each one suitable to his/her new home. Most of these fosters are not paid ,other than the joy they feel when they know that this dog has found the right family. To say that this is for profit , why ,my dear , that is outrageous!!! If you followed the BLOG the very public account of the lives of these dogs,you would realize just how many people it takes to save just one. From the pullers down south ,the many legs of ground transport,those who volunteer to fly them,the vets and techs , the behaviourists , to the families who already have their own pets and children and choose to give these sometimes fearful,or aggressive dogs (how would you behave after spending a good part of your life in a dirty kennel??)They get what they need- whatever it may be. The buck stops here! No dog is given up on once they have been chosen. This tranformation is not always easy- just always worth it. Ask each and every single dogliberator ADOPTER. Anyone of the over two hundred in this first year….Yes, Anonymous, there is a Santa Clause and to each adopted dog and each “forever home” her name is GISELE!

Holly
Submitted on 2010/12/14 at 7:27 pm
And one more thing…

When I get an inquiry from someone interested in one of my fosters but it turns out they can’t afford the fee, I get on my computer and hunt up some options for them. I go to the websites of the more obscure rural shelters that are not listed on Petfinder and find them a couple of options that might work for them. I did it this morning for Joshua who asked after Kipper. I did it for Richard last week who asked after Dolly. There’s no “benefit” to us in my doing this. I am doing it to save more lives, to complete more families. I must be a really really horrible person!

Cyndy
Submitted on 2010/12/14 at 7:12 pm
Are your parents siblings….
We have to charge these prices because our unicorn ran out of shitting gold bricks!

Cristina
Submitted on 2010/12/14 at 6:39 pm
I think adopting a puppy for Christmas is a GREAT idea, and not only will we adopt one, if they match our family, we’ll adopt TWO!

The fact that a rescue comes in and saves a dog in its final hours, takes them home to vet, spay/neuter, train and rehabilitate these poor critters (and by rehabilitate I mean trying to make the dog whole again after having suffered at the hands of human jerks with no respect for life), makes the life of the dog better and the chances for a good match with a family much easier.

Hats off to rescuers, especially those like the Dog Liberator!

Merry Christmas Anonymous, you don’t have to adopt during the holidays, but some of us will. Go and be a blessing to others.

Holly
Submitted on 2010/12/14 at 6:28 pm
“Anonymous said…

You seem to be promoting adoping a puppy for Christmas. Do you think that is a good idea?”

REALLY? Are you serious? Yes, I’m sure your idea is much better. We should have left them all in the unheated kill shelters to be euthanized for Christmas. That’s a much better idea. You are a selfish, self-centered individual who is quick to criticize but to do so anonymously. Forgive me if I fail to be impressed.
I have a house full of puppies that I have saved from illness and death, and for whom I will find wonderful loving homes (don’t worry ~ yours won’t be one of them). Because of this, I have not a single Christmas decoration up, no tree, no lights. I am too busy cleaning up after them, feeding them, loving on them, washing them, deworming them, bringing them to and from the vet,… Oh, am I boring you? I’m sure you have other places to go to share your Christmas joy.
I have children. They would like the house decorated. They would like for us to gather around and decorate the tree. But they know that this year, for Christmas, we are saving lives. And that’s okay. Because my children also know the true meaning of Christmas, a God who sacrificed all that we may have eternal life. We are sacrificing just a small bit so that these little ones can have life.
Merry Christmas Anonymous. Go and be a blessing to others.

Lynne
Submitted on 2010/12/14 at 6:05 pm
Oh please do your research before you comment, do you have any idea the vet bills for these broken dogs, its three times the amount they are adopted out for. These are dogs that were to be euthanized, sure, they look pretty cuz we make them that way.
Holly bathes puppies all hours of the night and trains 24/7, the other fosters deal with training issues and personality issues,fear and biting- you people out there cant deal with. Why they were in shelter and pounds in the first place, you dont see the dirty stuff and know the stories of rehab, you only see the finished product…. The beautiful endings. Its nice to be all holier than thou at Christmas eh? thats the spirit!
Lynne

Gisele Veilleux
Submitted on 2010/12/14 at 4:54 pm
Thank you for your comment Anonymous. There is never profit in rescue. While our prices appear to be high, the adoptions fees help cover expenses for our current dogs that in foster, waiting to be adopted, such as:

Joey, rescued from Miami, Emaciated and Heartworm Positive

Little Bear and Jasper, Owner-Surrendered, Heartworm Positive

Velveteen, rescued from Gainesville, underwent bladder surgery, and is deaf/blind

Miss Miami, rescued from Miami, hospitalized for Tick Paralysis

Dudley, rescued from Athens, Alabama, Emaciated, Kennel Cough, Heartworm Positive and Shot in the Chest, Dudley has been adopted.

Asia, found on Craig’s list, deaf/blind

Asia’s sister, Sparrow, who has a fractured left femur and an injured right foot.

Thanks again for your comment, and have a very Merry Christmas.

Gisele

Anonymous
Submitted on 2010/12/13 at 12:37 pm
You seem to be promoting adoping a puppy for Christmas. Do you think that is a good idea? I don’t. Are you in this for a profit? It sure seems like it. Only cute puppies.
Only gorgeous dogs. Are you even a rescue or for PROFIT organization? Who couldn’t find homes for these dogs. Your prices are outrageous. Rethink what you are doing. A favor for them or yourself.