Grizz was just 9-months-old when his owners decided to have him euthanized after biting a child. They thought Grizz was aggressive and at fault when they failed to supervise their toddler taking food out of his mouth. 

A good Samaritan learned about Grizz and made himself the dog’s personal advocate. He found someone to adopt Grizz, but it took a lot of work to convince the family it was the right thing to do.

The morning that Grizz’s advocate arranged for a meet-and-greet, the family changed their minds and were headed to a shelter where the dog would be euthanized. The owners would not listen to reason, so the advocate had the potential adopter ask the owners to let him give Grizz a second chance at life. When they finally agreed, the person adopted Grizz immediately.

At first, the young pup was frightened about everything, but his new owner is taking the proper steps to make him feel comfortable in his new – and true — forever home. Now Grizz has a long and wonderful life to live!

We thank Mike for his steadfast advocacy and determination to prevent a needless death. We also thank the adopter for taking Grizz home on the spot. It’s something we rarely recommend, but in a case of life and death, we applaud his courage to save a helpless dog. Finally, we congratulate Grizz on having two rescue heroes and a new home where he’ll finally be loved and respected.

#ARKforGrizz #JustSaveThem

No one can re-play this adoption story as well as Beanie’s new “mom” Karina. She said,
“We were scrolling through Petfinder while Saske was in the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office during a sick day from school. The only thing he wanted for Christmas was a dog. He has been asking for one literally for years and we have asked him to be patient. We finally bought our first home in June eliminating one of the hurdles of pet ownership and after several conversations and a 20-minute lecture from Saske on the drive to the Pediatrician’s office about why he was ready for pet ownership, I caved and decided to at least let him look while we waited for our turn.

He looked at several dogs and I ruled out several because of extra high energy needs and kept reiterating the need to find the right dog for our family. He saw Beanie and stopped and clicked on her ad and said, ‘Mom look, this one says Urgent, what does that mean?’ We discussed that there is a finite amount of time a pet has to be adopted and it must mean she really needed a home as soon as possible. He lit up and said, ‘We can give her a home!’ We sat there discussing her needs and whether we felt we could meet them and before they called us in he had me convinced that we should really consider it. One of the other moms in the waiting room commented that Saske drove a really hard bargain and wished me luck in saying no.”

Something about Beanie spoke to him and to us. We stopped looking for other dogs the minute we saw her and we applied that same day.”

After the family had a few meet and greets with Beanie and her trainer, this sweet girl finally found her people. It did not take her long to settle into her new surroundings especially with her new best friend and brother showing her around. Saske is the bright light Beanie had waited for. Her photos are proof that she feels safe and happy. No more knitted brow and her ears are more relaxed.

Karina told us, “We think she’s a beautiful dog and we think Saske and her will grow to be really good friends and will both benefit from the consistency and discipline of training and bonding. He already got her to give him her paw! They are getting along splendidly and we are all so happy.”

Beanie’s entire team of advocates thank the family for saving Beanie and giving her the loving home she deserves. In the new year, we’ll share more about Saske and Beanie’s adoption journey!

Beanie’s Backstory

Beanie had been waiting for a home for more than 15 months. She was surrendered to a shelter where she struggled with environmental stress. The caring staff of Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, asked for help and a large support team is what Beanie got in response.

Animal Rescue Konnection offered to take financial responsibility and send Beanie to a boarding-and-training program with Nico at Five Rings Dog Training. Broken Tail Rescue agreed to sponsor her. This was all well and good, but what about after training? She needed a foster asap to make the plan complete.

With foster homes in such high demand, we couldn’t believe our luck when an application arrived just in time THANKS TO THE HELP OF ARK’S GOOD ADVOCATE, JENN. We can’t thank Gena and her roommate Lauren enough. They became much more than temporary fosters and cared for Beanie for over one year. Despite all the marketing and campaigns, we received few applications and none were a fit for Beanie’s dog reactivity. After a year, the fosters moved and could no longer keep her. Beanie had nowhere else to go. Her only option was to return to her trainer for boarding.

At this point, a networking blitz on social media and adoption sites was our greatest hope of reaching a unicorn adopter. But what happened is nothing short of a Christmas Miracle.

Thank you Saske for choosing Beanie, for understanding her predicament, and for convincing your mom and dad to adopt such an overlooked and underappreciated dog. You are a rescue hero!

#ARKforBeanie #JustSaveThem

Jack, a smart and beautiful Great Pyrenees / Black Lab mix, experienced considerable turmoil and abuse during his first 14 months of life. When a good Samaritan heard the original owner was going to shoot Jack, she rescued him and worked on his behavior issues. He soon showed his wonderful personality, eagerness to learn, and penchant for affection. Despite this, Jack’s large size, age, and management needs were not the best match for a young woman with young kids. She turned to Animal Rescue Konnection (ARK) to help Jack find a more appropriate home.
After marketing Jack, we received an application from a single adult with an older resident dog. Several ARK teammates explained Jack’s behavior and the management techniques to help him succeed. We strongly recommended Jack continue training with ARK’s support which was at no cost. Over the next 16 days, we received glowing reports and photos even though the adopter opted out of further training.
Suddenly on Day 17, the adopter said she would no longer keep Jack due to his guarding behavior around her dog. Jack has always loved other dogs, but without any rules he can guard things he perceives as his own. This behavior was disclosed before the adoption, so we were surprised to hear about these incidents after two weeks of positive reports.
When discussing this turn of events with the adopter, she admitted paying a “certified behaviorist” for a phone consultation instead of asking our trainer for the continued training support. To make matters worse, this so-called behaviorist advised the adopter to euthanize Jack. This person made a life or death recommendation without ever meeting Jack.
The situation warranted an attempt to manage Jack’s issues, not make the rash decision to euthanize him. The caseworker who oversaw the adoption reviewed pre-adoption counseling with the adopter and reminded her that testing behaviors often arise after the initial honeymoon phase. Since that’s what Jack was doing, the caseworker recommended working with the original ARK trainer to reinforce the basics with Jack.
The adopter was not amenable to this idea so we decided to network Jack for a new home. Unfortunately, we were shocked to learn that the adopter had entirely given up on Jack by having him euthanized the following day. We had to move fast to save his life. Emergency placement for dogs like Jack is very difficult, but within hours the owner of Delightful Dogs Dog Training offered to foster Jack temporarily.
Jack was quickly transferred to the foster home where he benefited from the direction of his new foster/trainer and Jack’s original trainer. At first he tested with some woofs and growls, but responded to a firm “uh uh.” Specifically, training involved a blend of desensitization and CER (changing emotional response). Jack responded very well to this method and it didn’t take long for his foster to see his silly, puppy side. She worked on the crate, bed, and other potential areas he may guard, though Team Jack agreed he would benefit from a board-and-train to really hone his skills.
Jack attended Five Rings Dog Training, which helped immensely.We hoped for the right match and seamless transition to a new home this time around. An amazing application soon arrived, followed by several meet-and-greets between Jack, the applicants, their two resident dogs as well as plenty of instruction from his trainers. Finally, Jack went to his forever home just two months after nearly losing his life.
Guided by patience and understanding, Jack’s adopters continued working with him. After a few weeks, Jack showed them his playful and silly personality and they reported that his days consisted of chasing his tail, chasing his sister, and taking really long naps.

A year after rescuing Jack, the adopter stated: “He’s doing great. Once he got into a routine and we got to know him, he settled in. He loves his sister. They are having a romp as we speak. The last two nights we left him out of his kennel overnight and he was perfect. We are very happy to have him.”

#ARKforJack #JustSaveThem

Nala had weekly training for several months, and Maura of Clear Skies Training provided handling instruction. Despite working on her issues, Nala’s environment remained the major trigger for all things scary. Unable to change living arrangements, her person asked ARK to help rehome Nala.

While Nala was networked, Nala and her owner kept working and working and working together. From the physical exercise of running, walking, and playing soccer, to mental stimulation like lick mats, puzzles, and snuffle mats, things started to improve. With consistent training practice and loads of patience, Nala’s owner started seeing Nala transform. She gained confidence to overcome her fears and improve her social skills. The work to desensitize triggers was paying off.

In April 2023, Nala is comfortable enough in her hectic surroundings to no longer need rehoming. Plus, she and her person will be moving out of a city environment to a quieter area where she can succeed even more. Nala is a success story, not one of adoption but one of owner responsibility and determination. We hope adopters who are doubting their ability to manage their dog will learn from this experience. Anything is paw-sible!

#ARKforNala #JustSaveThem

At just one-year-old, Dior narrowly avoided euthanasia in exchange for a chance at life. His fate changed in a single day. It took a team of 16 and a band of followers to make it happen, but Dior was adopted and is now enjoying his new life.

As a puppy, Dior was dealt a losing hand. He never had a chance to grow into a well-balanced dog. He was kept in a crate in a basement most of the day. When he was 8-months-old he was surrendered to animal control. It didn’t take long for Dior to show his love and affection toward people, but spending so much time alone resulted in kennel stress. With little hope and little time left, Animal Rescue Konnection learned of his dire need.

Saving a dog in this situation requires a team with tenacity. We were fortunate to have so much support from so many people to save this dog’s life. Together we developed a plan to understand Dior’s behavioral needs; find a rescue to sponsor him; have Dior neutered; find a fitting trainer with a board-and-train facility; gain financial support; and find an experienced foster to continue working with him.

Within a couple of weeks, the entire plan was in motion. We had faith in Dior, but we also knew there were no guarantees. Would Dior respond to training? Had his upbringing and kennel experience ruined his resilience to overcome? Would we get enough donations to offset the cost? Would Dior and his foster mesh?

For the first week or so at board-and-train, we weren’t so sure. He was going through the motions, but looked withdrawn in photos and videos. But in his second week, he turned the corner and started opening up. One of Dior’s challenges was a lack of confidence. He grew very unsure and anxious whenever he sensed that the people around him were anxious. To improve this behavior, he worked on basic skills he had never learned while having a strict daily routine, regular exercise, and lots of encouragement. With such structure, Dior’s demeanor began to relax a bit and he began to hold his head a little higher. All those treats began to pay off!

Building skills and confidence is one thing, but to ensure Dior maintained them once training was over was another. True success requires follow through. Dior needed someone with experience and confidence handling large dog breeds. He needed a leader good at reading dog body language. He needed someone to trust and look to for direction. Those are big asks, but when Dior was still in the pound that special someone stepped forward. Foster Dad Emmanuel agreed to foster Dior and continue his training and routine in a home setting.

Toward the end of training, Dior began working with his foster Dad and soon-to-be foster brother Cerberus, a 160-pound Rottweiler! The meetings went very well and finally it was time to go to his foster home. They took things slowly and after a few weeks iit became clear that Dior was “home.” Emmanuel and Cerberus officially adopted him! The boys are getting along great. They are often found sleeping on the couch together, leaving Dad no place to watch TV.

Thank you Team Dior!

We appreciate the many individuals who signed up for Team Dior. Thank you to the officers at Lawrence Animal Control who supported our plan to assess, train, and rehome Dior instead of choosing the easy option to euthanize! Thank you to Dior’s advocate Marlene who raised funds and acted as a liaison to the ACOs! Thank you Laurel of Lulu’s Legacy Dog Training for clarifying Dior’s history, evaluating his behavior, and determining his training needs! Thank you Joy of Broken Tail Rescue for sponsoring Dior! Thank you Dr. Carnevale of Andover Animal Hospital for neutering Dior! Thank you Nico and Staff from Durso Canine Company for working with Dior day in and day out for three weeks! Thank you to those who donated to help ARK pay for Dior’s neutering and training! Thank you to all who shared his needs on social media! Thank you to the ARK volunteers who marketed him through various creative strategies! The best for last – four paws up for Emmanuel the angel foster and adopter, and sibling Cerberus who was willing to share his human.

#ARKforDior #JustSaveThem

Our Solution
Shelter staff and volunteers had high hopes for Toby because when hanging out with people in the office area and going on walks, he was a different dog! Toby’s advocate was determined to save him and sought ARK’s guidance. The shelter’s medical manager was especially fond of Toby, but unsure in her ability to meet his needs as a foster. After an ARK volunteer evaluated Toby and explained his issues, things just fell into place. The manager then felt confident to care for him while ARK sought an adopter.

Happily Ever After
Soon after Toby was fostered it became clear to the family that he had already made his way “home” and they adopted him! Toby came out of his shell to find a world he loves on a farm running off-leash with other dogs, chickens, and horses! His guarding issues diminished and he gained a zest for life. Toby’s story is another example of how a dog’s behavior is so different in a home environment. A dog should never be judged by his or her shelter behavior. It is unfair and unjust. Without advocates, intervention, and this particular shelter, Toby would have been euthanized. Thank you to the staff at Cocheco Valley HS in NH; Tracie, Toby’s adopter and the shelter’s medical manager; Cindy, HS board director and advocate; and Laurel, evaluator and trainer.

Postscript: So very sadly, Toby was rushed to the hospital on January 24, 2019, but died from severe bloat. He lived the last five months of his life as the dog he was meant to be. Our hearts go out to Tracie and her family.

After these two incidents, the ACO and neighbors pressured Kobe’s owner to surrender him. Although the owner was frustrated by Kobe’s behavior, he pressed for more time and contacted ARK. While on a walk, Kobe was attacked by a loose dog but inflicted injuries on his attacker. Kobe was then quarantined for ten days and was scheduled for euthanasia in two weeks.

Our Solution
With ARK’s persuasion, Kobe’s owner agreed to pay for Kobe to attend a training camp with specialists who could understand and work through his behaviors. While training, we aggressively promoted Kobe’s story, broadcasting his situation all over social media and other platforms. After working with Kobe, his trainer concluded that he was an awesome dog who was just anxious and, consequently, “dog reactive.”

Happily Ever After
After a very tense few weeks, Kobe found his new family! Training gave Kobe the chance to learn how to cope with his anxiety and overcome his reactive behavior. Now Kobe is living in a more suitable environment, and he’s doing much better in his new circumstances. Our last report was that Kobe was doing great! Thank you to Maura for the training consult, Dave for training and networking help, and Kim from Patra’s Pittie Project. We are so grateful for everything our partners do to help us give each dog the chance they deserve.

Our Solution
ARK intervened and had Frankie neutered, vetted, and begin training to overcome behavioral issues. Frankie was soon adopted by a wonderful family, but they were unfamiliar with a pit bull’s exuberant, rough play and thought it was a form of aggression. A second challenge was then before us.

To help Frankie, ARK served as a resource to the adopters while working through his behavior issues. We never thought of him as unadoptable, but rather paired the owners with one of our top fosters who offered to have sleepovers with Frankie on the weekends. With other dogs in the home, Frankie played and let out his energy. The foster deemed Frankie one of the easiest dogs she ever worked with, and he steadily grew more manageable.

Happily Ever After
Frankie’s adopters now understand his behavior, play style, and need for direction. They now have a fun fur kid who is obedient, loving, and smart as a whip. Though unsure at first if they were a good match for Frankie, their commitment paid off. They understand that his play is not aggressive and see what a fabulous dog he really is. In fact, Frankie receives straight A’s on his doggie day care report card!

Thank you Lawrence ACO, ARK friend Marlene, foster volunteer Anne Marie, trainers and evaluators, and adopter Olivia!

Our Solution
ARK arranged for the dogs to be evaluated outside of the shelter and all performed beautifully. Even the two blues behaved differently as fear and defeat transformed into confidence and curiosity. After all four dogs were removed from the kennel and placed in a home-like setting, they were able to show their good-natured personalities and potential. Within one week and numerous hours at the kennel, on the phone, and writing emails, ARK and our partners found safety for every dog! Plus, they were all neutered and vetted.

Happily Ever After
Ivan was quickly adopted and his family is head over heels in love with him. With ARK’s help, Frankie, our most challenged pup, underwent training to overcome behavioral issues. He was adopted, but as part of his transition to family life, Frankie spent weekends with an experienced foster to work on behavior and socialization. The foster claims he is one of the easiest dogs she’s ever worked with! The two blue-nosed pit bulls, Moose and Hippo, were the last to go home. After being fostered for a few months, they were adopted together by a wonderful couple with bully experience. This story shows why shelter dogs should not be judged by shelter behavior alone. It’s unjust, unfair, and unnecessary.

It was a special Thanksgiving for The Lawrence Boys and all those who helped them. Thank you Lawrence ACO, Sweet Paws Rescue, ARK friends Marlene and trainer Laurel, foster Anne Marie, foster Scottie for opening his home for meet ‘n greets, and adopters Olivia, Kristen, and Brianna (and families).

Our Solution
With a scheduled euthanasia nearing, the ARK Team desperately networked Rugby. We convinced the owners that Rugby had other options, even though people were recommending the easy answer. ARK arranged for a behavior expert to evaluate Rugby so we could really understand Rugby’s needs to correctly match him with an adopter. After learning more about his behavior and how to manage it, the family grew more determined than ever to improve Rugby’s chances. They worked with Rugby and started him on cannabidiol (CBD) which is the non-psychoactive hemp ingredient in marijuana. CBD is legal and known for helping anxiety. It worked! Rugby’s “special” biscuits calmed his behavior.

Happily Ever After
Just knowing Rugby had other options helped reduced the family’s stress. This gave them time to “regroup” and think more clearly about the situation. They grew more confident as Rugby’s behavior improved. They realized they could not give up this wonderful, clown of a dog or take up a valuable rescue spot when they were managing just fine. We were elated when his owners decided to keep him! Rugby was in the right home with the right family all along.

The take-away to this Success Story – even when friends, shelters, or veterinarians recommend euthanasia, there are options for most dogs. Don’t take the simple path. Search for other options instead. Thank you Pam and Maddy for doing just that.

Our Solution
A relative asked ARK to assist with the owner surrender because Haze was deemed “unadoptable” by so many agencies. ARK shared different rescues and agencies to contact and a list of low-cost vets and potential neutering locations. The relative helped get Haze more “adoptable” by bringing him to a vet and having the owner apply for a free neutering program for pit bulls. ARK also made a professional-looking flyer with Haze’s bio and photos. This was posted on social media and many of ARK’s followers shared his story.

Happily Ever After
After networking Haze for just a few days, the relative got the most wonderful call from a family in Hanson, MA. Ken and Lynn opened their hearts and home to this “unadoptable” dog. They looked past all his issues and saw only the dog he was meant to be. Now, instead of living in a small room all day and night, Haze has a life filled with fun, family outings, toys, treats, long walks, healthy skin, and both two-legged and four-legged siblings! Haze loves his forever family and they love him!

Our Solution
ARK called shelters to house Rocket until we could find a foster. No luck. We asked the closest Doberman Rescue to help. Again, no luck. The rescue would not consider Rocket’s stress, illnesses, and behavioral issues that led to Rocket’s situation. Sadly, he was looked upon as just a dog with a history. We then turned to our amazing followers and partners. His dire situation was blasted on social media. The day before his euthanasia, Danielle, an experienced dog owner volunteered to foster him, transport him, pay for his medical needs, and handle his adoption! We could not believe our luck. The family took care of him both medically and emotionally to prepare him for his forever home.

Happily Ever After
Within weeks, a couple from upstate New York heard about Rocket and wanted to adopt him. They drove hours to meet their new family member. The connection was quick because Rocket jumped right into their truck and has been shot-gunning it ever since. There’s no shortage of yard to play in – his loving home sits on a few hundred acres! New mom Katie took Rocket to their vet to continue his medical treatment. Rocket’s family says he feels right at home!

Our Solution
When ARK was just a dream, Mary Lou, co-founder, took Elsa under her wings. She patiently nurtured this soulful dog with love and sensitivity. Living in a reassuring environment helped Elsa grow more confident. She was ready for adoption if the right person came along because she still needed special care. Along came Christina, the right person, but even she soon felt that helping Elsa was too overwhelming. With much encouragement from ARK, Christina decided against returning Elsa and committed herself to the task at hand. Since Elsa was so terrified and always on guard, Christina and her son treated her with kid gloves. Every time they passed Elsa, they gave her a treat or a scratch. When Elsa lunged at her food bowl in terror, Kristina gave her extra feedings to show Elsa that she’d never be hungry again. A gentle and patient approach worked best.

Happily Ever After
With time and the help of Christina’s two Bernese Mountain dogs, Elsa learned to trust, relax, and enjoy life. She learned to run off-leash in the woods with the other fur kids. From the start, she’s been loved, pampered and treasured. Elsa is now 9 years old and ever a lady. She’s reversed roles and is now the alpha in the pack. She fusses over her siblings and did the same for various fosters over the years. She has also changed many people’s negative attitude toward pit bulls. Elsa is now living in the lap of luxury on St. Croix! Dubbed “Queen of the Household,” Christina says Elsa is a gift. We think so, too!

Our Solution
ARK was made aware of the situation just days before the euthanasia was to take place and knew we had limited time to find a third option for Princess and her puppies. We sprung into action and, against all odds (after all, not many organizations are looking to take in a pregnant pit bull), were able to find a rescue organization to take her in. A shelter was found and the wonderful volunteers cared for Princess around the clock until her pups were born and until every one of them including Princess was adopted. The staff had to continuously replenish their tennis ball supply as Princess would endlessly hide them in the yard.

Happily Ever After
Through this collaborative effort, Princess and all of her pups found wonderful forever homes. Princess was adopted by a couple that happily enables her tennis ball obsession.

Our Solution
We agreed to meet and evaluate Bella to see what her options were. When we met them, Bella was muzzled, barking and lunging at the end of her leash. We spent over an hour with them, during which time Bella warmed considerably, but was still wary. There was no way to properly assess her in her current frightened state, but we knew that if she was taken to most shelters, she would be euthanized on arrival.

We contacted the animal shelter in Fitchburg at the time, and made the 90-minute drive with Bella in hopes of giving her a second chance. There, Bella was given the time that she needed to feel comfortable with people again. The shelter has since closed.

Happily Ever After
Bella was eventually adopted into a loving home with another pit bull and a young child.

Our Solution
ARK researched the facts. While Chris awaited his formal notice to quit from the landlord, we worked with him to prepare for negotiations with the landlord. Some of the things we did were prepare Nala for her Canine Good Citizen Certification by starting her in a training class with Chris, arranged to have photos professionally taken of Chris and Nala showing the bond they had, obtained a letter from Chris’s doctor verifying the need for an emotional support dog and obtained letters from neighbors verifying Chris was a responsible dog owner. With all of that, we arranged to have a professional mediator contact the landlord.

Happily Ever After
The landlord dropped the case and Chris and Nala are living together happily ever after.

Our Solution
One of ARK’s trainers conducted her own evaluation of Frankie. Once she realized his life was in danger, she took Frankie home with her. What was supposed to be a temporary, life-saving measure, turned into a long–term affair. She adored Frankie, and he soon became her “demo dog” for training classes.

Happily Ever After
While being the demo dog, Frankie was spotted by what would soon be his guardian for life. Frankie continues to thrive.

He was labeled “too dangerous to be evaluated.” At the same time, shelter volunteers were interacting with him appropriately and found him to be a great dog.

Our Solution
ARK reviewed the videos of the evaluations and gathered information from the volunteers at the shelter. We determined from Henry’s interactions with the volunteers and more convincingly from viewing the evaluation tapes, that Henry was mislabeled. However, the staff did not want to transfer Henry. Thankfully Henry had “friends” at the shelter and we were able to transfer him to a rescue that had an experienced foster home available.

Happily Ever After
Henry was adopted by his foster family and is a very happy (and lucky) dog.

ARK evaluated him and was working on placement when another shelter took him into their care. Within days, they said they would not be adopting him out and if we could not transfer him he would be euthanized because of dog aggression.

Our Solution
ARK found placement with a rescue. We found that with slow, controlled introductions, Stan actually was ok with other dogs, he just had no social skills.

Happily Ever After
Stan was adopted and has a sweater wardrobe most humans would die for!!!

Our Solution
ARK found a foster with a dog that was willing to work with Jenni on dog introductions in attempts to see what the particular issue was and whether it could be managed. What was discovered is (much like Stan’s story) Jenni was ok with other dogs if given slow, controlled introductions. She did fabulously with her foster sister.

Happily Ever After
Jenni was reconnected to her original owners through joint efforts of ARK and the Animal Control Officer. Because of Jenni’s increased socialization during foster care, along with our training tips, the owner now has the tools to keep Jenni safe and cared for.

Our Solution
A foster was found through a rescue and Ginger displayed none of the behaviors she displayed during ARK’s evaluation. She was relaxed and a great companion to the foster’s own dog.

Happily Ever After
Ginger soon wiggled her way into her forever home where she continues to thrive.

Our Solution
We were able to convince the shelter that local rescues would be able to take the dogs and, with the help of the volunteers. ARK was able to do just that.

Happily Ever After
All the dogs did well in their foster homes and all have been successfully adopted.

Our Solution
ARK arranged for a smaller, quieter shelter to take Percy. After a little fluffing and buffing, Percy was ready for the adoption floor.

Happily Ever After
Percy was adopted and loves to be handled. He is living happily with another Papillion!

Our Solution
Chuco passed ARK’s evaluation with flying colors but we discovered he was heartworm positive. Money was raised for his treatment and a foster was found where he could recover.

Happily Ever After
Chuco proved to be an absolutely wonderful dog. He completed his lengthy heart worm treatment and was adopted very soon after that by a family that had recently lost their dog.

Our Solution
ARK didn’t need any more information on her behavior but needed more information on her medical diagnosis concerning her vision. We offered to pay for her to be examined by a vet. However the Animal Control Officers would only take her to the vet on a catch pole. We vetoed that, knowing she would be set up to fail. Once she was safely in rescue, we would have her seen by a vet. So we networked for a rescue to take her immediately. We found a rescue and the foster came to the kennel to observe our evaluation. Mitzy did brilliantly and went home with her foster parents that very day.

Happily Ever After
Very soon thereafter, Mitzy was adopted and continues to thrive.

Our Solution
ARK decided to give Finn a trial run with a foster. To the relief of the foster, he turned out to be a dream dog. He did not show any signs of separation anxiety in the home environment, he kenneled well and he never soiled in the house.

Post-Original Adoption
Finn was adopted out to people who eventually abandoned him. Thankfully he was found by upstanding people. He was brought to the local shelter and was scanned for a microchip which fortuitously was still under ARK’s name. Immediately after being contacted, an ARK volunteer drove over an hour to pick Finn up. When we contacted the adopters they told us that Finn was with them and was not lost. They were lying.

Our Solution
ARK vigorously worked to prosecute the adopters for abandonment but the police closed the case without pursuing. ARK continues to fight for dogs in need.

Happily Ever After
Finn was finally adopted out to a family that treats him like a prince and consistently and regularly works with a trainer one-on–one to build his confidence after the abandonment. We get regular updates on Finn’s progress, the bond formed with Finn and praises from the trainer of how Finn finally won the jackpot with his committed and loyal family.