We are so incredibly happy to report that Alice (now Agnes) found the perfect home last weekend at the Best Friends Super Adoption event at the La Brea Tar Pits. This sweet and gentle little girl will now be loved and live out the rest of her life in comfort and security (something every animal deserves) instead of being cold and confused in a lonely kennel where she was abandoned to die by her previous owner. Poor Agnes was dumped at the shelter at the age of 13 when her owners decided that she was too old and too blind to keep around. Agnes, who is also diabetic, now shares her life with a new canine best friend with whom she enjoys sunbathing and a pair of moms that adore her. Have a wonderful life, precious little Agnes!

This little gem was on a recent AAA networking list. Abandoned at the Baldwin Park kill shelter like many other dogs just like him, this boy was a forgotten soul until we got our hands on him. Fortunately he was rescued and transported to Vancouver where he was recently adopted by a police officer. Here is a short description about Chippawa’s (now Chip’s) recent experiences from his new parent.

“Chip was a busy boy today riding a bus, a skytrain, a car and a cop car.  Everywhere he went people would break out into a smile. He is such a happy little boy. Tail wagging all the time. We went to Tisol on Arbutus where he met lots of new doggie friends.  He tried out a bed and curled right up in it, a nice reflective waterproof coat he waggled his bum in, some of that Chihuahua food you recommended, some treats & chews, a harness, lead, a nice metal bowl for his food…. He was being spoiled rotten. Every store we went into gave him treats – he liked that very much. Then we headed down to another doggie store where we bought him a lovely cableknit wool coat and a name tag.  He literally pranced down the street once he started wearing it. The nametag should be ready in the next day or so.

Gracie [the cat] & Chip ate their dinners side by side. Both more interested in the other one’s food.  She’s following him around and vice versa.  They’re trying to figure each other out. But all in all he seems to be settling in well.

Thank you ever so much for letting Gracie & I have the opportunity to give Chip a forever home. We decided Chip was such a perfect name for him so we’re not going to change it.”

To all the other pups sitting at our local shelters right now, we will do our best to make sure you have the same opportunity as our little friend Chip, whether in LA or all the way in Vancouver.

We no longer have to wonder why our sweet little Darla keeps getting overlooked at adoption events as the perfect match for Darla fell in love with her and she is now living in her new home, probably training for the K9 snowboarding championships right at this moment. Darla was adopted by snowboarding champ and Dancing With the Stars contestant Louie Vito and they both could not be happier! We miss Darla incredibly but are thrilled that she found the perfect home. Send us a postcard from the slopes Darla girl and have a great life!

Our little buddy Calvin the clever found a fantastic home as Karen and her husband drove all the way down from northern California to adopt this wonderful creature that had been dumped at the Baldwin Park shelter. Who on this planet would surrender this dog to a high kill temporary holding facility?! Kelly from AAA rescued and fostered Calvin and just after a short week he found the perfect home. This is what Karen, Calvin’s new mom, has recently said about this super dog: “He went to his dog training and was the BEST yet!!  He was such a good boy !! We took him for a little burger after his class he did so good!! what a love bug and a cuddle bug.” The following pictures speak a thousand words as to what Calvin’s life is like now – we wish that more shelter animals had this opportunity and we wish that more people like Karen would give them that opportunity. Have a GREAT life Calvin!

Hi my name is Rusty (formally Watson) and I think I am a Beagle-Bloodhound mix.  Please don’t let my three legs fool you because I am far from disabled.  In fact, my new mom says I’m “perfect” (she tells me that at least 10 times a day!  It’s so embarrassing).  I still have no idea why my old family dumped me at the shelter with a broken leg (after I was hit by a car), but I sure am glad the nice people at AAA saved me and paid to have that pesky leg removed.  Now I am free to run, play with my toys, snuggle, and follow my mom everywhere she goes!   I started out as a foster with my new family, but they told me I make them way too happy to ever let me go… and with all this love & attention, I am not complaining!!  Thank you to everyone who helped save my life!

It only took an appearance on the Univision pet segment for AAA volunteers to realize what an incredible little buddy Donte is. Donte is a 3-4 year old male Chiweener (Chihuahua-Dachshund mix) who loves to play with other dogs of all sizes. He’s a happy, intelligent and friendly boy who loves to walk on leash and go for rides in the car. Despite his short legs, Donte loves to run and jump. Weighing about 11 pounds, he is athletic yet portable. And now Donte has found his perfect home! CONGRATULATIONS TO DONTE!!!

We are incredibly happy to announce that both Rocky and Ruby have been adopted! Although to different families, these two amazing dogs have found equally amazing homes and their new life is now well under way. The team at AAA would like to thank (i) Sarah and Jake for spotting these two abandoned and tied to a light-post, (ii) Ric for arranging to keep them both safe and transferred to the West LA shelter, (iii) Ranelle for fostering them at the initial time of need, (iv) Amy for giving them an amazing foster home for almost a month and (v) their amazing new families, each of whom fell in love with them at first sight and are now welcoming them into their lives. Every shelter animal deserves this opportunity. We look forward to photos and updates from the new families and they have promised to keep in touch and arrange play dates for these two best of friends to check in from time to time. Thank you all!

The photo and video above are from Bingo’s (now Petey) days at the shelter. Petey had been at the shelter for over a month and his time was quickly running out. AAA took Petey to an adoption event in Malibu where he was adopted by an amazing couple and the following paragraph and photos from the family are about Petey now.

“We have to tell you that Petey is the sweetest, smartest dog either of us have ever known. He gives us constant love, kisses, and hugs. It also seems someone trained him with kindness in the past, because he knows a lot of things. He sits and waits patiently when we get his leash for a walk, and if we tell him he can’t do something he listens very hard and then remembers it forever. He has totally charmed us and the second day he was in our home, he really came out of his shell. He jumps, runs, plays, and is our constant companion and pack mate. He is filled with joy and enthusiasm all day long and he has brought so much to our lives. Every day he surprises us with his intelligence and just pure sweetness and love. Needless to say, we spoil and love him every second! We are so glad he is happy in his new life.

Petey has taught us a lot about pitbulls. We, like everyone, had heard the stories of them being aggressive or difficult. But he is neither of these. He only wants to please us and he is the most loving creature imaginable. We now are advocates of the breed and we socialize him a great deal around town so that everyone will know what a great dog Petey the pitbull is. He has become popular in our neighborhood and everyone says hi to Petey and gives him love. Thanks for all of your amazing work with the Animal Advocates Alliance and for helping animals to have a second chance. You all brought us this little furry angel and we are very grateful.”

Even in the sadness of Buckett’s passing, this is truly a success story, for Buckett was incredibly lucky to have found Sarah and her great family and Sarah’s family was blessed to have shared their life with Buckett. The following is written by Sarah, Buckett’s mom.

“I met “Wrigley” on September 15, 1997. He was tucked away in the very last kennel, housed all alone at an animal shelter in Boulder, Colorado. He was a brindle Great Dane mix, probably crossed with Akita, and he was just gorgeous, despite the fact that he was dreadfully thin. I knew right away that he was my dog. He became “Buckett, Dear Liza” Belgard.

I have struggled considerably to write a proper memorial for my big boy. I want to let everyone know all of the intricate details of our lives together – every move, every contact, every emotion. But I cannot do that. The relationship I had with Buckett is ineffable, and I fear I will not do him, and his life, justice. So I have decided to tell you what I think HE would want you to know.

Buckett loved rocks. With him, there was no “playing fetch,” no “tug-o-war,” no enjoyment whatsoever in any doggie-safe chew toys. There were only rocks. Buckett would take his giant forepaws and place them in front of each rock, and use the strength in his highly muscular back legs to drag a rock around the backyard for hours. Whether in a straight line, circular pattern, or somewhere in between, no lawn or plant was safe when in the path of him and his rocks. If the rocks were small enough, he would put his giant paws around them, take them to another part of the yard, and start over. Bricks and stepping-stones also fell into Buckett’s category of “adequate playthings.” If you knew Buckett, you knew about his utmost passion for rocks.

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Roxy is yet another great dog that was lucky enough to get out as a result of the great networking of AAA volunteers, the rescue community and anyone else who cares to forward the emails. The following is a description that we had for Roxy and what follows is the amazing message we just received.

“A3693629 Roxy is a super sweet two year old tan female Poodle who came into the shelter as a stray on August 28th. Weighing approximately nine pounds this gorgeous girl is very smart and well socialized. Scared at being in the shelter, she is very affectionate and loves to be held. Roxy appears to be smart and we think she is most likely housebroken. She will make a wonderful pet for senior citizens, apartment dwellers or families living in private houses. Roxy is in Kennel 309. To see a video of Roxy please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b12f5l-SKz”

The message: “Just had to take a moment to let you all know about a success story because of your networking efforts. I got your e-mail about the Baldwin Park dogs and decided to look through the list b/c a friend of mine just told me that a friend of hers was looking for a small dog. Little did I know that her previous dog that she loved so much was a poodle. Well, this little poodle on the list caught my eye so I decided to forward it on… nothing to lose, right? Well, she went and adopted the little sweetheart and read what she wrote below. It will touch your hearts and confirm to you that all the hard work you do is so worth it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know we wish we could save them all but it is comforting to know that we do save some. Good job!”

- The note: “She is gorgeous…How could someone let this little baby get away from them?…She is perfect in every way…When i brought her home with me she went straight to the little  bed that i bought for her and she is fully housebroken and has had all of her shots plus microchipped and spayed.  Boy what a joy!!!…She has not left my side since i picked her up…She sleeps at the foot of my bed (her choice) and when i am not in my bed she goes to her little bed…I have not had to teach her anything!!…She has settled right in and i am enjoying every moment…Those little eyes that look at me with such affection just simply sends me over the top…Its like she is trying to say “Thanks for bringing me home…I am sure there will be great days ahead for the two of us as we have already become inseparable (smiles)…She is sooo laid back!!! Not at all loud or barking, in fact i have only heard her bark one time, but i know that will probably change once she is settled in…………Thanks so much Cheryl for telling me about her…The lady at the shelter said that she was going to be euthanized if no one came for her in a couple of days….I am so overjoyed to have her…We (Spirit and I) will always be grateful to you for bringing us together…Oh by the way, she already answers and comes when her name is called…(smiles)…What a peach!!!….God Bless, and i will keep in touch with you about her progress……..Tess”