The owners had medical issues of their own and were unable to meet his training or treatment needs. Finding a foster or adopter for a large, lively dog with an illness would be challenging.

The family contacted ARK for rehoming assistance. To improve his chances, we suggested they begin his HW treatment with our financial support. ARK found a vet and low-cost treatment, had him professionally evaluated, and networked him to a select group of fosters/adopters.

Surprisingly an experienced foster became available! Annemarie took him home to manage his care over the next several weeks. And she fell in love with him! In truth, it took a lot of work, but it was worth it. The evaluator described him as “…awesome…a really good dog…smart, sweet, and sensitive…a total ham…” Once his treatment was finished, Marvin gained some manners, and was eventually adopted. Thank you to the staff at Angell Animal Medical Center for an affordable treatment plan; Maura, evaluator; Broken Tail Rescue; and Annemarie, foster mom. (2018)

Before a change in management, ARK was notified that Uly was set to be euthanized because he was too reactive and scratched the officer’s face. Through collaboration among lots of helping hands, Uly was saved! First he was temporarily fostered by ARK founder, Mary Lou, until a long-term foster with Broken Tail Rescue became available. Longtime ARK supporters and foster extraordinaires, Annmarie and Steve opened their hearts and home to allow Uly time to recover from all that time under such poor care. Though Uly’s case required a longer than usual period to find the right adopter, he did settle in with his new family!

But Uly is one of the lucky ones. Many Fitchburg dogs under a former ACO’s control were rarely networked for adoption, left to linger in kennels, and not given basic veterinarian care to include rabies shots. What’s more, the ACO refused to work with rescues, including ARK, who wanted to help Fitchburg dogs for many years.

After a new ACO took over in late 2017, the shelter has turned around and is now a well managed, progressive animal control where animals receive fairness and justice. Assisting ACO Todd Pickett with his tougher cases has been a rewarding experience. He truly cares for the animals under his direction. The dogs are now networked, vetted, and handled with equal care.

Many, many thanks to BTR, Uly’s fosters, Uly’s adopters, and ACO Pickett for giving Uly a new life!

One day our door was open and I simply could not resist the opportunity for an adventure. You know the kind – chase squirrels, smell garbage, terrorize cats, and bark at people. It was all in good fun, but the neighbors didn’t agree. Before I knew it, I received a notice to vacate the premises!

At first I laughed it off, but when I saw how upset Chris was, I knew I had to do something fast. I could not break my promise to take care of him fur-ever. My rescue friends Cole and Nena had a great idea. They told me about their friends at Animal Rescue Konnection. ARK had helped them, so maybe they’d do the same for me.

It worked! In no time at all, Miss Mary Lou had a plan. She said the best way for me and Chris to stay together was for me to attend training classes and get a checkup at the vet. I didn’t relish the idea, but went along with it for Chris. ARK got me spayed and vaccinated. I don’t know what a cyst is, but I had one of those removed, too.

When I was busy doing that, Mary Lou found me a lawyer. Mr. Jeremy Cohen of Boston Dog Lawyers wrote a letter to the homeowner’s association explaining my rights and all I had done to redeem myself. And you know what else? He didn’t even send me a bill because ARK was helping me! Now I have good manners and feel better than ever. Best of all, Chris and I can remain together in our cozy home.

I am so sorry for terrorizing the neighbors and worrying Chris. I want to thank all the humans who helped me keep my fur-ever promise to my best pal.

Love,

Nyla xo

#JustSaveThem

Instead Matt got his canine fix by making regular visits to a local shelter. There he met an 18-month old pup named Jessie, a German Shepherd/Collie mix. Found as a stray, Jessie’s loving soul deeply affected him. He loved her abundance of energy and how her exuberance actually caused her fur to shed.

Though Matt wanted to adopt Jessie, he was torn over leaving her alone all day while he worked. As fate would have it, the decision would be decided for him. Ironically, Jessie became his neighbor Mary Lou’s new foster dog! She didn’t know about Matt and Jessie’s friendship so it was a big surprise for both of them. Matt visited Jessie many times and it wasn’t long before he officially adopted her. With the help of friends and family, Jessie never went without attention or companionship.

Jessie stuck by Matt for the rest of her life. She showed her devotion after Matt suffered severe injuries from an accident. She never left his side during his long recuperation, lifting his spirits and helping him recover. Ever the therapy dog, in later years she accompanied Matt on visits to a senior community where his mom lived. Jessie greeted everyone there with a wagging tail and smiling eyes. She brightened their days as much as they brightened hers.

As a senior dog, Jessie suffered from osteo-arthritis and before turning 13 she was diagnosed with cancer. After a year of palliative care, his four-legged companion and confidant passed away at age 14. The loss left a tremendous void in Matt’s life, but he tries to live by the ideal he first had as a boy. In honor of Jessie, he is determined to be the person she thought he was.

Because of our relationship with them, we were thrilled to help our 80th dog from NSAH!

NSAH contacted ARK when Logan’s options were running out. We were communicating with the Scituate Animal Shelter regarding another dog when we noticed they had just a few dogs on their website. We struck gold and jumped on this rarity! That very same day the shelter picked up Logan. ARK was so proud to have given Logan a lifeline, our 80th at the time!

Logan’s transfer allowed him a better environment in which to live while preparing for adoption. Scituate’s shelter does not discriminate against pit bulls! After being evaluated by Donna at All Dog Rescue, Logan soon found his forever home! He was adopted in May, 2018 and has since been enjoying an active life and sharing lots of affection with his family.

Thank you NSAH, Donna, Scituate Animal Shelter, and Logan’s family!

As a result, she was surrendered to the Animal Protection Center of Southeast Brockton (APCS).

Under the direction of Kim, the shelter director, Lola started doing well with other dogs, walked with staff, and became crate trained. Kim kept ARK updated so we’d be ready to network Lola for adoption. However, the commotion of the shelter’s busy summer months proved too stressful for Lola. Kim decided that a foster home would be a better match.

ARK then reached out to Annmarie, a highly skilled foster. Through Broken Tails Rescue (BTR) she agreed to help Lola and prepare her for a forever family. Within days, Lola has become more relaxed. She now feels comfortable showing her sweet, smart, and silly personality. Best of all her first play date was a huge success.

Thank you Kim and the staff and volunteers at APCS for keeping Lola safe for several months. Thank you BTR and Annmarie for opening your heart and home. Stay tuned for ARK updates and lots of networking for this delightful dog!

Scottie and Jen loved and challenged him for several weeks and even took him to a meet n’ greet where he proved very approachable. He allowed people to pet his ultra-soft coat. He befriended everyone with his winning personality – from two-legged and four-legged kids, to adults and seniors. After an evaluation by an animal behavior expert, we soon realized Mookie has the “It Factor.” Our goal then was to match Mookie with a canine brother and active family that would help Mookie become an ambassador for his breed.

ARK networked Mookie and our fantastic partners shared his story. Mookie quickly attracted a pool of great applicants. After Mookie’s best match was made with adopters Courtney and Brian, the other applicants were so affected by his story that they wanted to help other dogs in need! Because of Mookie more homeless dogs are now safe!

Mookie is blending in nicely with his forever family. All he wants to do is play, but always takes time to cuddle. The family is committed to helping Mookie become an ambassador. Mookie is enrolled in Canine Good Citizen training and actually looks forward to classes!

Thank you MassPaws for finding such perfect fosters for Mookie. Thanks Scottie and Jen, who fostered this very busy boy and allowed him to flourish. Thank you Laurel Sylvia for evaluating Mookie and recommending his vocation. Thanks to his caring adopters, Courtney and Brian who are celebrating their good fortune every day. Be on the lookout for CGC Ambassador Mookie! He may just pass through your neighborhood one day!

When ARK learned about Odin, he was networked and soon found an interested family. Odin was adopted and had a brother dog to play with. However, because of that long shelter stay as a pup, Odin needed more training and attention than expected. He chewed pillows, dog beds, and even the baseboard, so he was kept in a crate while the adopters went to work.

Responsibly, the adopters reached back to ARK to re-home Odin. Again, ARK networked Odin with updated flyers and soon one of several applicants proved a great match. Shawn lives on 5 acres to enable Odin to run and explore. He also is home much of the day to work on Odin’s training.

Odin is now living “home.” He is very sweet and is good company to his human. Although it took longer than it should have, Odin finally found his place.

Thank you Rebecca, Laurel, and Shawn!

Fortunately, a neighbor stepped in to help; however, Taylor soon bit one of the new foster’s dogs, which caused an infection. Taylor was homeless again.

At this point, Laurel from Phinney’s Friends contacted ARK for help. We had just days to get Taylor safe as no shelters would take her, even temporarily. ARK quickly networked Taylor’s plight and had Taylor evaluated. (We learned that her aggression was likely caused by anxiety in response to a sudden change in homes.)

We couldn’t believe our luck when the day of our deadline arrived. Someone saw ARK’s winning flyer online and volunteered to foster Taylor right away! Finally, Taylor is doing well with her third foster family. She is gradually adjusting to change and getting healthier. Before long she’ll be up for adoption!

Thank you to Laurel at Phinney’s Friends who advocated for Taylor for months. Her persistence paid off! Thank you to Taylor’s new foster family! You saved the life of a misunderstood dog with so much potential.

Addie was not doing well in a shelter environment so she was spayed to make her more adoptable. Unfortunately, this added to her stress.

ARK was contacted for help and guidance. We sent news of Addie’s plight to our many partners and an experienced foster volunteered to care for her physical and emotional needs on a long-term basis.

Addie slowly settled in with the aid of foster siblings, also pit bulls, who taught Abbie how to be a dog. This took time because of Addie’s intense fear. However, within six weeks she grew to enjoy walks, share affection, roll in the grass, and snuggle. We all felt Addie was ready for adoption, but we were sorely mistaken. ARK received applications and carefully vetted them. The foster mom chose a family with other dogs who said they were determined to give Addie a forever home. However, they returned Addie soon after adoption. We were devastated for Addie. Apparently, the family discontinued promised training, exercise, and integration with their other dogs. They were away from home much more than we understood and crated her too much. As a result of the disruption in her life, one day Addie bit one dog and was thus returned. Addie went back to her former foster, but this time her stay did not work out.

Because of the disruption of the failed adoption and her increasing attachment to the foster mom, Addie’s behavior turned into aggression toward a foster sibling. ARK had another emergency placement but once again social media helped us find a new foster home where Addie is the only dog. Stephanie is determined to reign in Addie’s clingy behavior and aggression. Currently Addie is doing great, enjoying car rides, has a backyard, and is back to snuggling on the couch.

The many people and agencies involved in helping Addie have their fingers and toes crossed. Finally, she has a quiet place where she’ll get structure, a new evaluation, and professional training to gain confidence. We are so grateful to Stephanie for opening her home to this girl. We don’t know Addie’s story before being found at age 3 but this has been her journey since being picked up by Swampscott animal control: from a holding facility to major surgery to foster home to adopter to former foster home to new foster home. Can you imagine this chaos?

ARK is grateful to many loving hands! Thank you, Swampscott and Marblehead ACOs, for working together. Thank you NSAH for giving Addie a temporary place to stay and for having her vetted. Than you Marblehead volunteer Dyan Lowman for making the partnering link with ARK happen. Thank you MassPaws for sponsoring foster mom Nicole. Thank you, Nicole, for patiently working with Addie and giving her valuable time in a safe, caring environment. Thank you, Laurel Sylvia, for overseeing a meet n’ greet for Stephanie and Addie on neutral grounds.

Thank you, Stephanie, for fostering Addie despite the challenge ahead. We all appreciate your determination to turn Addie’s life around and help her have a happy, healthy life.

ARK’s Role
A friend of Amy’s owner wanted to handle Amy’s transition from owner surrender to adoption, but needed ARK’s help. The team arranged for an evaluation, posted Amy’s bio and pics which were shared by hundreds, and advised on applications and transfer.

A Place Called Home
After many weeks in a stressful home, Amy was adopted! Amy’s new mom is giving her time to adjust, but will work with her on the barking and growling. Amy did wag her tail upon meeting her new mom and has since been glued to her side!

Helping Hands
Thank you Karen for working so hard and Maureen for giving Amy a forever home!

Since he is not neutered he always pulls the leash toward female dogs. After some time, no one claimed him so NSAH contacted ARK for help. ARK then reached out to our network of fosters and rescues. Joy, a phenomenal volunteer with Mass Paws, agreed to meet Bubba Lou and determined he has great potential. Joy is currently fostering him for several weeks to train him on basic commands. Joy is also providing the exercise and play time and direction he requires and believes he will calm down with activity, structure, and direction.

Thank you NSAH, Mass Paws, and of course Joy for working with us! Joy’s training skills, patience, and care will enable Bubba Lou to find the home he deserves. Bubba Lou is doing so well in foster care that ARK has started to network him. Stay tuned for updates on this wonderful dog!

We had no luck. Jake was so fearful that it took the staff nearly a month to gain his trust. We did not know how he would react to another move and Jake was simply too stressed to be evaluated for appropriate placement. So, we had the challenge of trying to find a foster with GSD experience willing to take an 80-90-pound dog, sight unseen, that has difficulty trusting and needed time to de-stress in their home. Not the easiest task in the world.

We were getting nowhere fast and Jake was running out of time. We decided on a last-ditch effort and plastered Jake’s story on social media. We really had little faith that it would yield a candidate with all the many credentials we needed. We really felt we were going to lose Jake. And then YOU ALL came through and the post was shared and shared and shared and Bingo, we struck gold! We pulled an eleventh hour save due to the talents of a foster named Lauren.

Thank you Lauren! You’re a patient and caring foster mom with breed experience. We think you’re amazing! Jake is already showing signs of an underlying personality that’s sweet and playful. Thank you Laurel Silva! Your calm presence and behavioral expertise during this dramatic rescue are so appreciated! Thank you to the holding facility who took such good care of Jake and trusted us with him. And thanks to YOU, our wonderful followers and supporters, because it all came down to you clicking that share button. YOU brought Lauren to us which enabled us to do what we do best.

He was medically evaluated and several health issues were found. Nacho has a heart murmur, perianal hernia, and all his teeth are in terrible condition. He also is not neutered. The vet determined Nacho should be in hospice care. ARK reached out to our network of fosters and rescues. We thought the wait would be long, but soon a compassionate family volunteered to foster Nacho and care for his hospice needs. He was brought to the local vet who confirmed his health problems and agreed he should be in hospice.

Nacho is now settled in. The little guy loves his foster mom and has followed her every step since day one! He enjoys soft furniture, blankets, pillows, and treats! He loves the backyard
especially rolling in the grass, wet from the morning dew. Nacho is also a tool! He loves posing for pictures to show off his striking chestnut-colored coat. Sometimes Nacho can be quite mischievous…he likes chasing the family cats!

Thank you to the holding facility who contacted us because they felt Nacho was the sweetest boy who deserved a chance. Thank you to this amazing foster family. We appreciate their patience with Nacho’s antics and many ailments. This precious Chihuahua will now have a pleasant and dignified last chapter.