"Jackies' Journey"........
Home of 303,000 homeless dogs.......2,200 Jack Russell Terriers........181 emails and 2 crazy weeks later....
"Jackies' Journey is over".........let me tell you her story, her happy ending.....
3 or so years ago a beautiful puppy with no name was born....another one of Gods perfect creations. Unfortunately, human-kind is not always "so kind" and this little puppy was never to feel the love and kindness of a caring human - only the coldness of the wire cage under her tiny paws...she lived in this wire jail and was only given attention long enough to have litter after litter of her own for sale to the pet stores......for that's all she was - meant for (just another lost little soul) in - the horrid, cold, uncaring, slums of a "puppy-mill"......
Day after day....month after month....year after year....heat, cold.......her only company was the companionship of other lost little souls (other pups) kept only for money, greed and breeding.....the only noise she knew were the barks of the other dogs or the yelling of the "miller" the slamming of cage doors - the only touch she knew was a "YANK" on her legs or tail to get her out of her cage long enough to get hosed down....
On one beautiful summers' day late in August of 2008.......something unexpected but wonderful happened to this little girl and 17 of her "jailed" friends. God came to their rescue through the efforts of Mini Mutts Rescue "Carla Nelson and her rescue partner.......they took this little girl and her 17 friends away from this horrible jail they lived in. They took them away, far away from this cold uncaring place, never to return again....these 17 little dogs felt for the very first time the warmth and love that a human could give, a kind touch, good food and a soft surface to sleep on........and MOST of all - they were given HOPE..........hope that someday each one of them would find a special for-ever home all of their very own.
******* Hi, my name is Connie, I'm the happy and proud "mom" of one of these 17 little souls.***** I found "Jackie" one day as I was checking out PetFinders.com...........we had (as a family) just put down our cherished little Maggie and after 8 very quiet weeks around the house, I thought maybe I just scout the internet to see what's out there.
Home of 303, 000 homeless dogs, I thought you gotta be kidding.......ok lets narrow this down.......I entered the breed "Jack Russell", same as our last little dog........2,200 came up listed in alphabetical order (shelters and rescue sites).....2,200 !! Oh no.... So I started scrolling through all the pictures and stories of all the homeless dogs, just waiting......how could you choose just one ?? which one would be the right one ?? - page after page after page - the little faces just looked at you - their stories tugged on my heart strings.
There were a few that sounded just right, but we were only looking for one dog, what to do....well I went home talked to the family - but there was (1) little dogs picture that STUCK in my mind.....how would I ever find her again ?? back to the beginning............A-Z.....
Finally I came across the familiar web site - Mini Mutts - and THERE SHE WAS !"Jackie" ! those little brown eyes still looking at me from her picture that stuck in my mind.....
I contacted Mini Mutts on a Saturday morning - they responded quickly through email and asked if I had filled out the on-line application (very thorough lots of questions) - they needed 3 references.....for some reason, I thought that this just wasn't going to happen..........I mean - this little dog is in OHIO and Im in Thunder Bay, Ontario. By Sunday nite, the very next day Mini Mutts had contacted my references and was awaiting my emailed pictures of my yard, house, neighborhood, where Jackie would eat and sleep and play............they were thorough, they meant "BUSINESS"........of course a site visit wasn't possible due to my location...........so jpeg pictures were requested. Well my computer screen BROKE !! that day...............frantically I raced over to my husbands office where there was a spare screen - then I buzzed back home hooked it all up and tried to figure out how to send pictures to Mini Mutts (I'm not too computer literate)....
SUCCESS.......they received my pictures and we were APPROVED as the new adoptive, for-ever home of this beautiful little Jackie (wow, my head was still spinning)..............only 1 problem.........how does she get from OHIO to Thunder Bay ??
Of course Carla Nelson founder of Mini Mutts has all of this figured out - much to my surprise there are these massive connecting convoys of pick up and drop offs of many many dogs - throughout the country run by wonderful dedicated volunteers..............."Jackie" would be on the next "transport" the weekend of October 17-19th - this would get her as far as Toronto - where my husband Paul would be for a business meeting - and be able to bring her back via Westjet Airlines to her forever home in Thunder Bay on Wednesday, October 29th.
Well excitement in the house built, many trips to the dog store for treats, supplies and of course "top of the line" carry on dog carrier - for the new addition to the family. Many many emails continued throughout the 2 weeks - and when the transport began - and even before, Carla spent her time and sent us pictures and movie clips of "Jackie" let us know of her personality in her foster care from the time she was rescued. What were we getting into I wondered........the day grew closer and then the weekend transport began - we were kept up to date constantly by people through her journey and the fantastic organization of the "transport coordinator" and emails from the drivers and many volunteers throughout her weekend trip from Ohio to Toronto...............but THEN there was a "GLITCH".....................YES YET AGAIN, another road-block.........but HEY, nothing that Carla couldn't figure out - she kept me calm and my nerves intact........
"Jackie" would be held up at the US/Canada border crossing (a paper-work) over-sight...........as Carla called me that nite on the phone to explain - it would all work out and be ok......
"my baby's" Stuck in Buffalo..............Jackie would be lovingly housed by yet another wonderful volunteer "Kimberly" in Buffalo, NY until the paperwork was sorted out and then she would personally bring Jackie over the boarder to meet (Jamie in St.Catherines) who would drive Jackie to The Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto to meet Paul who would bring her home with him to Thunder Bay. FINALLY - at 11:30am last Wednesday October 29th the Westjet flight landed in Thunder Bay and Paul and Jackie got into the waiting vehicle where we drove home.......her little furry body quivered in the corner of the carry on bag.......I unzipped the top and put my hand in to touch her softly until we arrived home.
Over the last week - little Jackie has gone from being scared and shy to the most wonderful special little girl any family could ask for - she walks well on a leash, loves playing with her assortment of toys, knows 3 commands - is still a little unsure of the cars and loud noises........but at the end of her day and many times in between curls up as close to me as she possible can - and gives me that wonderful look with those beautiful "brown eyes" as if to say thank-you for loving me and giving me hope.
Never doubt what love can over-come, never over-look a "puppy-mill" dog.......all they want is love and hope. "This is Jackies' story"................sincere thank-you's to all the volunteers and especially to Carla Nelson at Mini Mutts........may all of you continue to give the homeless animals hope for a better future....
"The Matarazzo's" and of course "Jackie" (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada)
Hi Carla,
A couple of years ago, I made application to
Minimutts to adopt a dog. At the time, there were few available to me, but
I did manage to get a yorkie mix from a rescue in Oberlin. Such a
sweet little dog, obviously mistreated and suffering from seizures. "Truman" was
an old timer when he got here, and high maintenance at the vet, however
with a lot of patience and love he finally allowed us to scratch his back. His
last year and a half were free from stress, and he passed quite peacefully. I
contacted Minimutts again, and Carla had just the right thing for
me............HENRY!!!! When he got here, he was fresh from the vets and a
neutering procedure, but acted like he owned me almost immediately. Well,
he does. He was accepted by our other dog, "Webster", and now they are
running all over the house and yard, wrestling like a couple of young boys, and
vying for my attention. Henry learned fast from his new buddy, and does outside
what he is supposed to do outside, fetch and return a small ball, and cuddle on
my lap. We tell everyone his little Shih Tzu nose is smushed in because I
stopped walking and he didn't and ran into my leg. The process for adopting
Henry was painless, Carla was wonderful, and I'm so very grateful that he is
here. Sincerely,
Julie (Ohio)
I
adopted a Toy Fox Terrier from Mini Mutts Rescue recently and I am so glad I
did.
* Note from rescue: Fred is a puppymill survivor. When he first arrived in rescue he was so scared he would hide for so long we had to keep a leash on him to find him and "drag" him out to go outside and potty. Whenever we picked him up he would just stiffen in fear. Fred's come a long way and we cried at every bit of progress he made, from not hiding to jumping up on the couch to snuggle to giving kisses. This is one true success story!
many horror stories about puppy mill rescue dogs. Living in a cage all
their lives, puppy mill rescue dogs may not to know how to socialize with
humans or be house broken or know how to walk on a leash. Furthermore,
these dogs could have health problems, or could have developed bad
habits due to neglect that could make their adjustment to living in a home
difficult. However, Minimutts rescue center was very honest and helpful
in describing Lulu's personality and habits to me before I decided to adopt
her. I was informed by Minimutts that Lulu was a sweet dog and got along
well with other pets and that she knew to do her business on a pad. All
true. She adjusted to her new home and her new friend Pasha almost
instantly and over the course of a month became more and more human
socialized, shedding her initial shyness and sadness. Now after three
months, I can not get Lulu off my lap when I am home, or sleep without her
by my side. She is inseparable from Pasha, as they kiss and play all day
long. I am most grateful to Minimutts and highly recommend Minimutts to
anyone that is inclined to adopt a pet.
Dear Mini Mutts,
I cannot tell you how much joy Lance had brought into our home. For
me, finding him was like a dream come true. You see, when I was younger my
family had a red pom/chi mix that looked just like a little red fox. His
name was Tiny and he was just an awesome dog. He lived to be 18 years old
and though my family has had many dogs since then (He passed when I was only
12) I have never had another pom. The night I saw Lance's picture it was
just like looking at Tiny. I read his story and my heart broke. He needed
a good home so badly - and I desperately wanted to be his forever home. I
was so afraid I would not get him that I tried to make myself not think
about it too much. But I did get him. He came to live in our home and at
first he was so shy. He mainly hung out in his crate or in my lap. But
that was then... Today Lance is a rambunctious, playful and most of all
LOVING little man. He gives kisses (mostly to his Aunt Chara), loves to go
for rides, loves to snuggle, plays with our other dogs and our new cat and
just loves life. I smile everyday when I look at him. He is truly a
wonderful guy and we are so glad he is ours. Thank you Mini Mutts! Genny Anderson (Ohio)
We had recently lost our
Jack Russell Terrier from a seven month struggle with hemolytic anemia. We were
really devastated as he was the center of our lives. Our house was so empty too. I
was planning on getting a puppy, but my vet told me to think about adopting an
adult Jack Russell who needs a home. A friend of mine told me about Petfinder.com. As I was looking through all the listings, a Jack Russell by the
name of Patches just jumped right out at me. Patches was listed through
Mini-Mutts Rescue. I emailed Mini-Mutts, and I quickly received a response. I
filled out their application and we were approved. As we were from Indiana,
Mini-Mutts even arranged to meet us half way, however, an unexpected problem
arose. We didn't want to reschedule, so we decided to drive the whole distance.
Boy, are we glad we did! Plus we got to meet Carla, who really is super nice
and we could see that she really cares about her dogs. We adopted Patches and
took him back to his forever home. It didn't take long for Patches to win our
hearts. We didn't know much about rescue organizations before now, but we truly
respect all the caring and hard work that Mini-Mutts Rescue is doing to find
homes for their rescue dogs. Thank you Mini-Mutts Rescue for Patches!!
Mike, Corinne & Patches-Miles Fitzgerald
(Indiana)
Have you ever had a hole in
your heart that you tried to fill but just couldn’t quite get it right? That
was our situation before Carla Nelson and Mable came into our lives. We love
dogs. But we were just starting a family, and we decided that we needed to wait
until our kids were a little older. Finally, when the time was right, we
decided to adopt a dog. We found Pepper at the pound. She seemed like such a
great dog. We met her first, and then we took the kids to meet her later that
day. And, to give her credit, she was a good dog. I think she just had issues
from previous owners that maybe we were not equipped to handle. So after almost
a year we had to return Pepper to the pound. We were heartbroken. The kids
were so sad. But we knew we had no choice. And, as parents we decided that we
wouldn’t put our kids (or ourselves) through that again for quite some time. So
we waited over a year and we felt that hole starting to ache again. The kids
were begging us to try again. But we had some guilt left over from not being
able to housebrea
k
and train Pepper. One night I was looking on the internet trying to find my
friend’s lost dog. Well, somehow I ended up on Petfinder.com, and then I ended
up on the Mini Mutts rescue website. As soon as I spotted Mable my heart
absolutely melted. After a couple of weeks of looking at Mable’s picture, and
reading her description over and over again, we decided to apply for adoption.
Carla was great, and SO quick. I didn’t think we would hear anything for at
least a week. But luckily our references were quick, and so was Carla. We
heard from her the next day. I went to meet Mable first. I thought she was so
great. Carla took that time to tell me all about Mable and any little quirks
she might have. She told me how great Mable was, and how she loves to sleep
under the covers. Carla and I then decided that we would have a meeting between
Mable and the rest of the family at our house the next day. Of course, the kids
must have asked a million times that day, “When are Mable and Carla going to be
here???” When they came, I knew Carla was right about Mable. She came in and
acted like she had always been here. She didn’t jump on our one-year-old. She
did what we called “run-by kisses.” She was so great with the kids. I just
knew that she was our perfect dog.
We’ve had Mable for a week now, and I can tell you she’s been absolutely great. Carla is so thorough getting to know you, your family, and your situation. She seems to have this great knack for setting people up with just the right dog. She’s not afraid to tell you which dog would not be right for your family, and that is SO important. We are so thankful to Carla for all the work she has done for us. We are happy to be providing Mable with her “furever home,” and in return Mable is filling that little hole in our hearts.
Sincerely,
The Linville family (Madison, Ohio)
Melissa, Dave, Emily, Davy, Brady and now Mable!!
In December, 2005 my husband
and I lost our dear Sophie to liver disease. She had only been with us for
thirteen months. Her death was quick but was very painful. After several
months I wanted a new dog but my husband was reluctant because of the pain in
Sophie’s passing. I went to the internet and looked at
rescue
dogs. Each time I would show him a picture of a new dog, he would respond
"no". There was always a new reason for not liking the dog. Finally I asked
him what type of dog he would consider. He responded a dog just like Sophie.
(She was a small dog, 12 lbs, black with a patch of white on her chest).
One day I came across the Petfinder ad for a small black dog, terrier mix with a white patch. Megan was here name. I immediately responded to the advertisement. After completing an application with three references I was contacted by Carla Nelson of Mini Mutts. A week later my husband, daughter in law, two grandchildren and I were in a car traveling from Columbus to Madison, Ohio. Megan was exactly what we were looking for. She has soft black hair, a gentle disposition, is housebroken and appears to have some great training. She is friendly with other dogs, cats and little children. She is even better than our sweet little Sophie. We changed her name to Sophie Too. My husband is delighted with her.
This is our third rescue dog. It is so rewarding to help an orphan to find a good home. Working with Mini Mutts was easy. Carla Nelson was prompt in answering our questions. The process was quick. When a person wants a dog, they want a dog. Some of the other rescue groups took several weeks in responding. Not so with Mini Mutts. Thanks again to Carla and Mini Mutts. You are doing a great job for these homeless animals.
(The Jacoby Family (Columbus, Ohio)
We decided we wanted to adopt a small dog, preferably a Shih Tzu or a
Maltese. I found Carla's Mini Mutts rescue on Petfinder.com. I checked her
list of dogs up for adoption; and there was Lacey. She was sooo cute! We
read her profile and she sounded like the dog we had been hoping for. Our
daughter Ariana is high functioning autistic. She is afraid of large dogs
but loves small ones. We were looking for a smaller dog that would be
gentile and loving so she would not be scared. I can already see the
difference Lacey has made in her life. It is amazing. We also have a 12 year
old son who loves her just as much of course.
|
I started looking for a dog last week after Mom's
birthday. I first found "him" at our pound, but he was being
held for 72 hours to give his owners time to get him. I
loved him the minute I saw him. I thought to myself, I'm
naming him Winston! I KNOW he's my dog!
We went to the humane society to look, too, but they only
had big dogs, so we went back to the pound. We played with
him and walked him. The pound allows you to put a hold on
the dog so if he's still there after the 3 days, the first
hold gets him, if they don't pick him up after 24 hours, the
2nd hold gets him and so on. Well, I was the 2nd hold.
I kept calling to see if the first hold got him and
unfortunately they did. I was crushed. So, I started
searching on petfinder to see if I could find a small dog.
Every dog was too big for Mom and I. I was told the small
dogs are gone in hours.
I was crushed my Winston was gone, so I started seaching
again. First I searched all the rescues in Canton, and
couldn't find a smaller dog. They were all lab size and
larger. So, I expanded my search to Akron, still nothing.
Then for some reason, I started searching in the Cleveland
area.
GUESS WHO I FOUND!! "He" was newly listed. A rescue
shelter ( Mini Mutts) had rescued him from Canton. I
inquired about him, and they already had him fixed, shots,
checked out by a vet and all! ( He left the pound on Wed and
this was Sat).
I asked Carla if this dog was rescued from Canton and she
said YES. I told her I WANTED HIM SOOOO BAD. I said that I
had already met him and just loved him!! So, she had me fill
out an application. On Sunday, they came to do a home
inspection, and on Monday he was mine!!
Everyone was so kind and helpful. They went out of their
way and were so gracious with my crazy emails of happiness
that I found "my DOG"! Winston was well taken care of and
happy, and now he has a forever home that he loves!
Guess what the rescue shelter named him... WINSTON!
Then, when he was found, all he had on was a little blue
collar. Guess what color my leash was that I took along to
the pound? THE EXACT COLOR BLUE!! It was meant to be. What
are the chances of finding the same dog!!
Inge (Ohio)
|
Peter really wanted a small dog. Nicholas wanted a dog that would snuggle up with him and that would get along with our cat. Joey wanted a dog that would run and play with him. Mom wanted a dog that was at least a year old, house trained, and did not bark or howl excessively. Mom searched the Internet and found Fritz on the Mini Mutts Rescue web site. Carla, founder of Mini Mutts Rescue emailed Sandie several times, Fritz's foster mom. Sandie was extremely helpful in making sure that Fritz was just the right dog for us. Then Sandie and Carla went above and beyond by driving 3 hours to meet Mom half way, so that Mom could bring Fritz home. Fritz is everything we hoped for and more! We will always be grateful to everyone at Mini Mutts Rescue for everything they did so that Fritz could be part of our family.
On September 7, 2005, I had hit bottom. My husband Kevin and I had been through every unimaginable hell a person can experience in just 3 years time, and we were ready to try to smile again.
It started when his parents passed away 17 days apart after long battles with lung disease. It was very close to Christmas of 2003. The devastation to his family didn’t stop there. His Uncle passed away a day later, followed by his Grandfather a short while after. Loss was a word we were all too familiar with. As we took a long hard look at our own mortality, we realized what we wanted more than anything was to be parents. We’re not able to have children of our own so we chose domestic adoption. We first started with private adoption, but when we went to the hospital to be present for the birth of our son, we were told that the woman we were dealing with was a con artist and that she had a long history of these unthinkably cruel acts to people like us. We again picked ourselves up, and after a while chose to go a more secure route via our county. We went through months of classes, background checks, paperwork, and waiting. Once we were certified adoptive parents for New York State, we were ready to fill our home with the love and laughter we so desperately longed for. Our wait was long, but a beautiful little girl came to us on October 23rd of 2004. She was everything to us. We both took vacation and started to settle into the dream fulfilled. On October 28th our dream turned into a nightmare. Her Grandmother petitioned the courts for custody of her and it was granted. After 6 glorious days she was gone. We were given 2 hours to say our goodbyes. Our souls were shattered. We tried to go on as best we could, thinking we’d never be able to survive the heartache. We sort of went inside ourselves. It was as if we were looking in on someone’s life…not feeling like this could be really happening to us again. Then the call…on November 3rd we were called by a worker for the county asking us if we would take an infant girl. She had been born on the 29th of October, and they were taking her from her home due to neglect of other children in this family’s past. We agreed. Though it was going to be much different than we had ever dreamed our adoption process would be. We were required, for the term of 1 year, to have in-home visits with her biological family three times a week for an hour at a time. They were awful with her. Always dirty, very rough when handling her, shouting at her for crying, and always treating the time they had with her as more of a social hour with us than a chance to see their little girl. We were more her protectors from them than we thought we would have needed to be. As time went on we grew more and more in love with her. Our life revolved around her. We would spend our time when the birth parents weren’t there as if they didn’t exist. We loved our little girl as if she were our own. Our entire family fell head over heals in love with her. She was our every breath. Every beat of our heart was filled with the love we had…and still have, for her. God took her from us on March 7th. I went in to get her ready for daycare and she was dead. God had taken our little girl from us!! I’ve just sat here for the last ten minutes trying to think of a way to explain what that feels like to you, but there truly are no words for what we felt at that time and what we’re still feeling today. We’re breathing in and out. Other than that our emotions and senses have shut down. We died in that crib too. We’ll never be the people we were.
We’re still waiting to find out what it was that took her life. That too has been a horrific experience. Not a day or minute goes by that we aren’t thinking of her and still asking “why?”
Now,
more than six months later, and overcome with grief, we needed to find a way to
survive what was so out of our control in our lives. It wasn’t until I found
Mini Mutts Rescue on Petfinder.com that I realized there might be some life left
in my husband and I. I saw a few write up’s on that site that really stirred my
heart. Feelings that I thought were gone forever were coming to the surface
again. Feelings of life. I can’t tell you what drove me to think we wanted or
even needed another dog, but I knew that we needed to love again. We needed
something else to think about, and we needed a reason to live.
I went home that night and talked it over with Kevin. He agreed whole-heartedly so we went ahead and filled out the application for adoption. That was September 8th 2005. After everything we had been through, we didn’t hold much hope in things going well for us. We received an e-mail back from Carla on 9/13 at 1:13pm with pictures of a dog she had there that matched what we were looking for. Carla took the time to take some pictures of her just before she sent the e-mail. That was so special. It gave me the sense that I was looking at her in real time. Like I was there and not 500 miles away like I was in reality. She stole my heart the minute I opened the first picture. It was definitely love at first sight. I took the pictures and information home to talk it over with Kevin that night and neither one of us hesitated for even a second. It felt so right for both of us. I contacted Carla the next morning, and at 9:35am on September 15th, we got the news of a lifetime! We were approved!! Marla Mae Treat was about to come into our lives and teach us how to live and love again. And BOY OH BOY HAS SHE!!! Marla went in for surgery that Friday and they found a cancerous tumor in her frail little body. Carla asked us if we wanted to reconsider our choice to adopt Marla and though I think she knew what our answer would be, we appreciated that chance and know that a lot of people wouldn’t have been so honest with us. There was no way we would turn our backs on her. Just her photos made us feel more alive than we had in months. Her presence was sure to be even more powerful, and we couldn’t wait!!
Kevin, or dog Scooby and I
all loaded into the Jeep Saturday September 17th, and made the 3 ˝
hour drive to Erie, PA where Carla was meeting us with our
new addition. I was so nervous with anticipation and excitement. I wasn’t
completely aware of the emotions that were flowing through me until I saw
Carla’s car and the little peanut on her lap. I was overcome with joy. First,
I guess that she was really there, and secondly that no one could take her
away. It was all happening for us. For ALL of us. We were so blessed to be
able to give Marla Mae the love she so desperately deserved, and we’ll forever
be grateful to Mini Mutts for the gift of life we so desperately needed.
We’re all bonding wonderfully, and as Marla has recovered from her surgery and settles in she’s shown us time and again what a perfect choice we made to consider rescue. We’re all giving each other another chance at life. A chance so close to being taken away forever… The Treat Family (New York)
My boyfriend John and
I were interested in adopting another
Chihuahua. Since we had known Carla and the work she has done with other
rescues we knew she was the person to call. After putting in our
request for her to keep an eye out for a Chihuahua puppy she happily
responded that she knew of a litter that was due soon. When our
baby Paisley was born Carla emailed us right away and sent pictures0 of
her so we could see what she looked like. Carla emailed me frequently as Paisley grew so we could see the progress
our little one was making. She called her by her name so she knew
it by the time we made the 6 hour round trip to pick up our little
Chihuahua puppy.
When John and I arrived we were pleasantly greeted just as we were
before when we came to get our other Chihuahua Pixie. The women
who fostered Paisley were there and they had made us a picture collage
of Paisley, her mom and her brothers and sister. They gave us a
beautiful puppy blanket and her favorite toys. John and I email
Carla to let her know how the dogs are doing, Pixie is almost a year old
now and we still send pictures of her playing with her
new sister Paisley. She really cares about what happens to her rescued
puppies. We could not have had a better experience with a
rescue organization. Thank you for helping us make our little
family complete. Sarah
and John (Michigan)
I was looking
for a new friend for our dog, Katey after our
dog, Dutchess, of 12 years died. I went
online and found Mini Mutts Rescue and started
searching. I found a cute little guy named
Duke. I filled out the information and
started the process of adopting him. When Carla and Dukes foster mom came to visit, we
were happy to finally meet. Duke ended up
becoming a part of our family on August 1st.
He is a chubby, happy boy. He and Katey love to play and sleep in bed with us,
under the covers, of course! He is a
sweet little guy with big sad eyes. He
loves to run and chase whatever is moving.
He runs with the neighbors dogs back and forth
along the fence every day, then comes in to
crawl in his chair with his blanket to take a
snooze. We are very happy to have found
Duke and very happy that Mini Mutts Rescue came
all this way to bring Duke to his forever home.
We thank you.
The Radigans
(Pennsylvania)
P.S. Katey (left) is a ham, but Duke (right) is a little camera shy!
Carla did a great job steering me towards a dog that would work with our family situation. She does a great job assessing the temperament and personality of the dogs and is clearly more concerned about placing the right dog in the right home, not just getting the dog placed. We chose Buddy (listed originally as Oreo on Petfinder), a 2 year old black, white, and tan terrier that Mini Mutts had saved just hours before being put down. He was a little scared and shy when we first brought him home, but after several weeks, was playful and loving and is gaining confidence daily. He is so gentle, sweet and affectionate and is wonderful with children. My husband actually called him "a perfect dog." As an only child, my 5 year old son just adores him. We look so forward to our family walks with him. But we all enjoy reading a book or watching TV with him cuddled next to us. He has really made a positive impact in our life and I'm so grateful to Mini Mutts for saving him. The Deneris Family (Ohio)
Hi Carla,
We are so in love with our Sweety Pie (formerly Spot). She is the perfect pet, house trained, no barking, not a mean bone in her body. She never so much as growls at anyone. She is very cuddly. We almost fight over who will hold her when we sit down together. She is a wonderful pet and an answer to prayer. My daughter (age 8) prayed every day for months for a dog. My husband found Sweety on Petfinder.com and the rest is history. My two daughters are so thrilled to have such a cute little doggy.
We had lost our beloved dog in February and grieved
for several
months. When it came time to think about getting a new pet we found
Mini Mutts.
We saw a picture of Bailey on the internet and thought he was adorable.
We went to see him and he was very shy and timid. Really didn't want to
be around anyone. But, we still thought he was so cute and wanted to
give him a chance. We brought Bailey home and he slowly came out of
himself and started to warm up to our family. Now he enjoys his new
home, goes for walks and lets other people touch him. He also enjoys
playing with his toys and fetching games. He will never replace our old
dog, but he does bring much happiness to our lives and we love him.
Thanks MAR (Ohio)
The girls are doing GREAT, they love their new mom, but are still a
little leery of their new dad. Louise is still very anxious around
strangers. The longer we have the girls, the
more convinced we are that they suffered
abuse. We hope that time and love will heal the scars of their
previous
life.
We just adore them. Each one has a different personality.
Thelma
loves to go for walks, Louise is a homebody. Both love to be loved
and cuddled.
Jutta (Ohio)
Hello Carla!
When we decided to adopt a dog, I searched the internet looking for
small dogs up for adoption in our area. It was there I found Mini Mutts
under petfinder.com. Also, my vet at Brightwood Animal Hospital in
Mentor told me all the little dogs in the Mini Mutts Shelter are brought
to them for their medical needs while they are at the shelter! I've been
bringing my pets to Brightwood Animal Hospital since I moved into Lake
County 9 years ago! I highly recommend them!
It was a pleasure working with Carla through Rex's adoption process. She
really cares about the dogs and wants what is best for them! Each
prospective family is well screened and the dogs and family members are
observed as they
interact with each other. Carla and Sandy (Rex's Foster Mom) did our
home evaluation. I was glad to see Carla again and I was also glad for
the opportunity to meet Sandy. They are very nice people and they really
care about every little dog in their shelter and it shows!
Finding and adopting Rex has been a very wonderful experience! We got
Rex on July 11, 2004, which happened to be my birthday! He is the nicest
birthday present I ever received! He has added so much joy into our
lives! As soon as we brought him home, it was as if he knew we are his
family and this is his new forever home! He took to us immediately! We
took to him immediately, too! Rex is very smart and loves affection and
attention! :-) Rex is a pleasure to
be around and he loves greeting everyone who comes to visit! Boy does
this little fellow like to eat! He enjoys his Iams Dog Food every day!
Rex wants to be with me constantly! He is a very good boy! He does very
well in his crate when we go away. Boy is Rex excited when we return
home! He does his "happy dance" for us!
I highly recommend Mini Mutts to anyone who is looking to adopt a little
dog!
Dana Allen (Rex's Mom) Ohio
Lady is a 6-year-old puppymill dog. She spent her entire life confined to a small wire cage without any (positive) human contact. Her only purpose for being alive was to be used as a breeding machine. In April, Mini Mutts Rescue, freed her from that way of living. Due to Lady's background and years of abuse and neglect, she came into the rescue being extremely people shy. It's taken all summer to earn her trust, but she's finally letting her guard down enough to let me inside her heart and show her a whole new world. For the first time in her life, Lady's getting the opportunity to be a puppy! Now, Lady is quick to greet me and enjoys getting her daily massages. She gives me kisses on the face when she just can't contain her happiness and she even lets me rub her with both hands now without darting away. She tells me in her own special way when it's time to rub her belly and she's discovered that's a WONDERFUL thing! If I stop too soon she quickly uses her paw to pull my hand right back. Lady and I just love cuddling on the couch together every night watching our M&Ms (Moxie & Mindy) chase each other around and play until they run out of energy. Lady's a joy to be around and now we even "happy dance" together! She reminds me every day not to take the little things in life granted. This has been the most amazing experience I could have ever hoped for!! ~Jenn (Ohio)
Moxie is the last of last four puppies Lady gave birth to on June 9, 2004. After seeing what a wonderful mother Lady was to her puppies and seeing how deeply she loved them, I knew I couldn't pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to keep one of her puppies with her forever. After being a mom so many times and always having her babies ripped away from her, keeping Lady and Moxie together has been the gift of a lifetime for all of us. Moxie just LOVES her momma (Lady) but she's very independent too and doesn't hesitate to wander off exploring new things and seeing what kind of "trouble" she can get into. Moxie mastered the stairs in our home in no time and even taught Lady how to climb them! There is no challenge that Moxie won't face and once she sets a goal she accomplishes it (no matter how many weeks of trying it takes to jump all the way up on the big couch)! She's been phenomenally easy to train and quickly caught on to using her new tricks to get what she wants! Moxie's recently discovered her voice and now she beats Lady to alerting me to company and strange noises and marches toward the "danger" without hesitation. She is the jealous one here and HAS to be the center of attention. If Lady or Mindy has something (doesn't matter what it is), Moxie HAS to steal it... lucky for her, Lady and Mindy let her have everything. Moxie is a constant reminder that you can accomplish anything if you just set your mind to it and at the end of the day, there's no one better to snuggle with than mom! ~Jenn (Ohio)
Flower now goes by the name of Mindy. Mindy came to us extremely emaciated, almost completely bald and sick, but she never let that get her down. We brought Mindy into our home as a foster and needless to say, we flunked fostering 101. She's just full of happiness and energy and more love than you can put into words. She's fought her way back to health without missing a beat. She loves everyone and is quick to express her love through her never-ending kisses! Every day we find more and more fur on her and it's been a wonderful experience to see her transform into a beautiful little girl. She's getting to be as pretty on the outside as she's always been on the inside. She's definitely one who doesn't let the bad days in life get her down. She focuses wholeheartedly on the positives and lives each moment to its fullest! She loves going for rides in the car and meeting new people. Mindy makes it impossible to have a bad day in her presence and if she can't make you smile by watching her little antics, she will climb up on your lap and kiss you until you can't stop laughing. She's a fantastic little cuddle bug, but she's always ready for just about any new adventure that comes her way. ~Jenn (Ohio)
Carla does such a great job with all her rescue dogs. She is so helpful and especially kind and caring to all of her adoptees (humans, too)! Penny (previously known as Maggie) is the sweetest, smartest dog I have ever met. She lets out the cutest howl of joy every time you ask her if she wants to go for a walk. She has made such a wonderful addition to our family and is so popular with everyone she meets! I know Penny misses Carla still, but she has definitely found a happy place to call home. She is so unique, she gets along great with her new sister and is enjoying being spoiled rotten! Julie (New York)
Both my husband and I are eternally grateful to Mini Mutts for giving us the opportunity to adopt our little "Wiggles". We found them to be truly dedicated to the welfare of these poor babies who were in need of love, care and a happy home. Carla was very prompt in getting back to me with answers to questions, was most informative with details regarding our new babies habits and general condition/behavior. She was also very accommodating with setting up the introduction and follow-thru adoption. I say "KUDOS" to Mini Mutts, Carla Nelson and her gang. "Wiggles" was the perfect fit for us. We absolutely love her. She has adapted so well and we are now a complete family. We look at each other and wonder how we survived without her! She is, to us, as I am sure all loving pet owners feel, the perfect dog and friend. With no children, she's our little girl.
THANK YOU CARLA!, You've made these two people very, very happy.
Sincerely, John and Melissa Kryman (and "Wiggles" too) (New York)
~Michelle House and family (Ohio)
After losing
my 13 yr. old dachshund to health problems this past August, I
had decided to start rescuing adult/senior dogs in need of good
homes. Having previously rescued several in this age bracket,
I’ve realized how much joy they can give and how greatly they
deserve to be pampered! I also have two young dogs (Ella
Louise, a 2 yr. old Chocolate Lab/Pointer mix, and Isabelle, a 1
yr. old Australian Shepherd mix) that had gotten along extremely
well with my dachshund and enjoy playing with smaller dogs.
Thus, I began my search on Petfinder.com. The minute I saw
these two girls I fell in love! They looked so sad—I could tell
they needed someone to love and care for them. It was so easy
to fill out the application and communicate with Carla through
email! I was so nervous, but once I met Carla and the girls I
knew it was meant to be…. When she asked me to take both of
them, I had to say “yes!” They fit in right away with my “big”
girls and love to play games together. I have so much fun
watching the little ones slide around like frogs and give kisses
to their sisters. There were so many things they had never
experienced—whistling, Christmas trees, CATS! Sophia has the
BEST time watching the kitties. Never chasing- just sitting
patiently, studying them and smiling. Whenever they get
excited, they do what Carla describes as their “happy dance!”
Absolutely darling—and they are soooo loveable! Needless to
say, we have a lot of dancing at our house now! Although they
need lots of work and attention due to their previous abuse, I
can’t imagine our lives without them. It truly was a match made
in heaven…… Thanks so much, Carla, for your true dedication to
saving the lives of these beautiful children! We are forever
grateful!
Much love,
Erin, Scot, Ella, Belle, Josephine and Sophia (fka. Mary Kate and Ashley) and Anastasia and Hammy (the kitties) - Ohio
Chubbs (now Rascal) became an instant family member! I wanted to foster a small dog to see what it might be like. I have 2 larger breed dogs and I assumed he might not fit in. I've come to realize dogs don't understand the concept of size! He initiates play and cuddles with them (when they let him!). He is my little buddy. He follows me everywhere I go and loves to cuddle up on my lap or beside me. He isn't crazy about other people, but he loves my other 2 dogs and loves to join them in whatever they might be doing. He's a kissing bandit, stealing kisses from the other dogs! He'll run up to lick them and then run away...often leading to a chase! He earned his new name "Rascal" because he likes to sneak away from time to time to do something he shouldn't (like get into the cat box or steal a pen), then tries to sneak his way back into the room...the look of guilt on his face as he tip-toes in, giving everything away! That is pretty infrequent. He is a great, well-behaved little guy. He listens well. He spends most of his time sleeping. He loves to run errands with me. He seems to hate the new dog park by my house! And...he's the cutest thing! He is such a precious gift. Carla does such great work with her rescue and is genuinely concerned for all of the dogs that come into her care. The 1st Annual Mini Mutts Reunion was a fun way to reunite the pups and to meet others who had the same great experience with Carla's rescue...and demonstrated Carla's love for what she is doing! Keep up the great work! The pups need you! Shellie~Akron (Ohio)
Our eleven year old son, Adam, had been requesting a dog of his own for quite some time. Anticipating that he would need something to fill in the hours after his older brother left for college, we told him that he could get his own dog after his brother's departure. We decided to make this a "research project" and Adam spent weeks online going through various rescues, searching for the "Ideal Dog". He happened upon one that he really wanted to look at, but we insisted that he wait until after his brother's departure for college to start visiting adoptable dogs. Adam was broken hearted when he went back online to discover the dog he was really interested in was already in a forever home. We contacted Carla at Mini Mutts in regards to the dog Adam had seen online. She asked us what we were looking for, and after several emails back and forth, let us know that she had the "perfect" dog for Adam.
We took a Sunday drive to meet this perfect pooch. In the midst of playing with the intended adoptee, Adam kept noticing this other little dog running through the yard. Though is head was literally on crooked, his personality was as sweet as any dog we'd ever met. At the end of the visit, "Ziggy" became the dog of choice and was on his way to his new home.
There was absolutely no adjustment whatsoever to his moving into our home. He fit in perfectly with our other little dog, Sage, and they became instant friends. Ziggy sleeps completely under the blankets, cuddled against Adam's belly every night. When we wake him in the morning, all you see are blankets squirming, until he pops out from underneath the blankets. He is Adams "guard dog" and will sit next to him until he wakes up. We actually have to wake Adam up from the doorway of the room if Ziggy is awake because he doesn't want us near "his boy".
Adam plays with him by the hour - which has been a delight. Most kids get bored with their dog after they bring him home - this has definitely not been the case with Ziggy. They are inseparable. Adam carved his Halloween Pumpkin this year ('04)with a profile of Ziggy on it, then carved "Ziggy - Furry Ocious" around the picture. This was indeed "Love at First Sight" and has continued to grow. Crooked head or not, this is THE PERFECT DOG.
Adam (Ohio)
Carla did a wonderful job in matching our family with the right dog. After not having a dog for 4+ years because I lost my dogs within 6 months of each other (due to old age) I thought I would never own another dog. When I decided it was time to try again I found Mini Mutts web site. It was GREAT! You truly match the animal to the home not just place them as fast as you can and hope it works out. You took the time to actually visit my home and make sure first Jo Jo would be in a good home and second that he was a great fit for us. I have never owned a dog that has stolen the whole families heart so quickly. Our family is complete now and we cannot thank you enough. Your dedication is amazing!!!!!!
Mike & Dawn (Ohio)
instant family member. She learned quickly that we
are her forever home. We thought that Darby was all
we needed. Then, while checking your website for
all the fun pictures and info, we saw Chase. And
again, we knew that Darby needed a big brother.
Ever since, the dogs have become exactly that. They
love to run in the back yard and play with toys
too. Since I am disabled, they are definitely my
best friends, and they know when I am not feeling
well- and just come and cuddle up on me. They
always make sure that I know how much they love me.
I would be lost without them. And I have you to
thank for that. You do such a wonderful job of
making sure that the right dog goes to the right
home, and you are definitely doing God's work with
these pups. If I know anyone that needs a dog, I am
going to send them to you for sure!
Our family’s search for a wonderful, cuddly, lovable small dog ended when I saw Rambo’s face on the MiniMutts website. We met the little cutie a few hours from our home and he took turns on everyone’s lap the whole way back. Although we showered Rambo with endless love and attention he was so anxiety ridden and scared to be left alone that whenever we were out of sight or we caged him he peed and pooped all over, even in his cage. We got rid of the cage and gated him in the kitchen when we were not home and he still kept messing things up as if to say don’t leave me. Further problems the second week as Rambo had blood in his urine and obviously difficulty urinating. We took him to two vets and the final diagnosis was a bladder stone and a tumor on his bladder, immediate surgery was required. We were not prepared to spend so much time and money on a dog we had just adopted. We almost gave him back to Carla because the frustration and disappointment was getting to be too much. Carla encouraged us to give of ourselves and not give up on Rambo. We did just that and scheduled his surgery with a local vet, keeping Carla posted all the way.
Rambo has since recovered from his surgery and has become a very much loved member of our family. He is always waiting at the door when we come home and watches for us from the window. He takes turns sleeping in everyone’s bed and and is a great snuggler. I must tell you we wouldn’t give Rambo up for anything. The love in his eyes for us and all the kisses he gives us have made everything we went through with him in the beginning a distant memory. Carla knew from the beginning that we wanted a loving, cuddly, family pet and she delivered with Rambo. We think back to the time when we had our doubts about keeping him and we’re so grateful we kept him and cared for him because it has just made him even more special to us. Rambo we love you forever!!!!!! MiniMutts provides wonderful support and advice for people who adopt from them and Carla is a great matchmaker!
Sincerely, The Savarino Family (New York)
Carla, you
were right that the adoption of Scruffy
(formally Pugsley) was suppose to be.
Our eleven year old daughter had been wanting to
adopt a little dog for sometime. We have a
4-year old border-collie mix named Shadow who
has been the only dog since we adopted him at
6-months, so we weren't so sure how this would
work. I understood my daughter's desire because
Shadow is a dog that never is separated from me.
He is a wonderful dog but not so good at playing
unless I am right there.
After several months of scanning the pics on
Petfinders I came across Pugsley at Mini Mutts.
Unfortunately, Pugsley had been adopted. I went
ahead and filled out Carla's adoption form and a
week later heard from Carla about a little dog
that she thought would be good for the family.
Because of the "two dog" concern we agreed to
foster to adopt. What a wonderful option, since
this foster dog clearly was not right for our
home. Sad and in tears we turned this cute
little dog back over to Carla. At the time Carla
told us that Pugsley had come back to her but
was now adopted by another family. Very
disappointed, we told Carla to keep in touch.
Two weeks later Carla contacted us that Pugsley
came back to her. Reluctantly, we agreed to meet
Puglsey. (At this point we were thinking "two
foster homes, what's up with this dog?")
When we met Pugsley we fell in love, he was so
cute. He appeared to be everything Carla
had described. Our 50lb. Shadow was a
little scared of the 15lb. Pugsley. After a week
of sniffing each other out Pugsley decided to be
bossy, which Shadow didn't respond well to.
Knowing that Pugsley's behavior was not what
Carla had described and that in four weeks he
had been in three homes with three different set
of rules, plus the dog pound and who knows what
before that I spoke to Carla for advice. She
gave me wonderful advice that worked
immediately. We happily and confidently adopted
Pugsley within two weeks of him coming to our
home.
It has been a little over three months now since
Scruffy (Pugsley) has been with us. The
two dogs are now good buddies. They really
started to interact with each other about three
weeks into Scruffy's arrival. They play nicely
with each other. The added bonus is that my
daughter gained two playmates. Scruffy loves to
lay next to Lauren, will play dress up, baby,
and anything else she comes up with plus Shadow
is right there with them instead of being with
me. Given Scruffy's dog pound background and my
daughter's age and experience I took control of
the obedience training and he has learned the
commands of sit, come, stay, drop it, and down.
Scruffy still has lots to learn and I have no
doubt he will. He is so eager to learn, loves to
please and be rewarded. With each passing week
Scruffy becomes more comfortable in his forever
home.
Scruffy has been a wonderful addition to our
family. His young life is a little bit like
Goldilocks and the Three Bears- on the third try
it was "just right." Carla, thank you for
helping us make our family complete.
Alan, Mary, Lauren, Shadow, and Scruffy (Ohio)
Hi Carla ,