Smiling Mirabella
January 13, 2011...her unofficial [re]birth-day.... Prior address: The Corridor of Cruelty. But, Corridor Rescue was full...they couldn't take her in. The nights were in the 20's. Her pictures showed she was in pitiful shape.... I asked for the Corridor volunteers to find her and drop her off at my vet...my heart stood still until I received word she was found.... The thought of her spending another night in below freezing temperatures in that hell-hole was unimaginable!

My vet called, "she's a candidate for euthanasia, both of her back legs are shattered, there is no medical explanation for how she is able to walk,"...and-on-and-on the list went.... Her X-rays are chilling! Is she "fixable"? I ask. "Yes," he replied.... "OK then...."

He works his magic, fills her scripts, I go to pick her up along with referrals, she needs an orthopedic specialist...my heart leaps when they bring her out, she's precious, trusting, beautiful, her tail is wagging...and she needs so much help! Gypsy is what the volunteers named her...that's not nearly beautiful enough...a search for names...I decide on "Mirabella" loosely translated, "beautiful miracle," and she was....

For seven weeks she inspired me...and I loved her...she touched my soul...to have endured so much pain, so much cruelty and to be so loving...her broken legs and scars told her story, one cut on her mouth went to the bone, missing teeth, puncture scars everywhere, wire marks encircling her neck -- so deep they were still scabbing over...they would take a long time to heal and the hair would never grow back.... But, through it all, Mirabella was a wonderful patient, she loved rides to her vet appointments, she loved meeting new people, her tail was non-stop, my most favorite memory is her first belly-rub...she laid in the grass, feet in the air, eyes closed tightly as I rubbed her tummy, you could tell it was her first tummy-rub...so, we sat in the grass for a long as we could, wanting the moment never to end...she had a lifetime of tummy-rubs to make up for....

She learned good food and treats were unending, she'd never be hungry again.... She learned about kisses...I couldn't help but kiss her sweet face a 100 times a day.... She was a good girl...she was well-mannered, grateful, sweet -- she was perfect...!!!

Her last orthopedic visit was wonderful...everyone loved on her and she loved everyone...a glowing report -- and she had gained another 5 pounds...I was so happy for her...another hurdle behind her.... Then, a few days later, a happy world is destroyed...Sunday, March 6, rapid breathing, a trip for emergency vet care...they did everything possible...a few hours later, our world crashes...she's gone...a pulmonary thromboembolism ended it all...my beautiful miracle has crossed over...and I'll be forever missing Miss Mirabella.... Her fairy tale ending, ending tragically to soon....

My Dear Miss Mirabella...you'll be forever in my heart....
Tammy

Kisses From Zack
Just wanted to say hi, that I am doing great, life is good. my mom and dad are taking me to California for x-mas. I really do have a good home. they love me so much. I am a lucky dog. the picture makes me look chubby, but I really am not. I weigh about 118. hope all is well for you. I still have the story of how I got my name. hope someday I will get to see you. my eyes are doing much better. dad washes them with sterile wash and uses liquid tears. I am on a diet of baked chicken and w/d kibble, plus biscuits that clean my teeth!!

Dixie Loves Her New Home
Thought I would send an update. I am so happy in my new home!!! I romp and play on 5 acres all day long. Its completely fenced in and Its MY domain! There is so much to do and see here. My people make sure there is food out all the time. I get special treats every day...cheeseburgers!!...well not really the human Variety, the box has these letters on it...gainsburger...my favorite! My female owner took some pictures of me to send To you of me playing in the cold white stuff. That was so much fun!! Thank you for taking such good care of me until the right people came and adopted me! Thank you for rescueing me and giving me a second chance and for giving me life. I LOVE MY NEW HOME AND I LOVE MY PEOPLE!!!

Ruben Gets A New Name...and A Happy Home!
I just wanted to update you on "Ruben", the German Shepherd mix puppy that we adopted in August 2009. "Ruben" is now named Osi (after one of our favorite NY Giants football players, Osi Umenyiora). He just turned six months old and weighs around 60 pounds; he's getting to be a BIG boy!! He loves running around outside in the sprinklers and playing catch with his squeaky football in his big backyard. Osi recently discovered that Mom and Dad's bed is super comfortable, so that's where you can usually find him taking a nap if he isn't in his big chair (photos attached) or chasing our cat Tiki around the house. He is great puppy and is very smart- he has learned how to sit, shake, lay down and we are working on stay! Thank you so much for allowing Osi to be a part of our family, we love him so much!

Happy Anniversary Cody!
Just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to Cody. I can't believe I have had him for a year already! I feel like he's been apart of my whole life. He has really turned into a wonderful dog. He has a lot of friends at the park and has even befriended a few cats as well! I've attached a recent picture of when Cody and I went out to Rough Creek Lodge. He had a ton of fun running around and being a "country dog". Thanks again!

Cool River Opens Up To The Dogs
After months of planning and one rain out, Cool River and Happy Endings in Austin finally had their dog days event in Austin on June 13, 2009. Cool River has a huge patio and has never allowed dogs...until this event with Happy Endings! 150 people attended with dogs on Saturday. We raised funds to keep the rescue efforts strong in Austin and we're proud to say, that Cool River will allow dogs on the patio from this day forward. Yay!

Second Chance Charley
I adopted a dog from Happy Endings on 04/30/07. His name was Charlie Brown and he was a Chow-Chow/Golden Retriever mix. I would like to give you a quick update on the dog you refer to as "Charlie Brown" and we refer to as "Charley". His offical name is "Second Chance Charley" for several reasons; the two main ones are he looks so much like our dog who passed away named Chance that the vets called him "Second Chance" when I brought in for his first "well dog" check up and I felt like he was getting a second chance at a good home and we were getting a second chance at a good pet. I almost laugh when I type the words "dog" and "pet" because Charley is so much more than that to us! He is as much a member of our family as our only daughter is! Charley has full run of the house and the farm, and if I was to be totally honest, he has full run of my husband and myself! We just love him!!! He is such a sweetheart!

I could go on and on about how wonderful Charley is, but I won't! I do want you to know how much we love him and how grateful we are to you for having Happy Endings Dog Rescue. Charley had been at your shelter for about 1-1/2 years when I adopted him, but one would never know it because he was so well socialized at Happy Endings. You had Charley at the kennels at your house, and you had told me he had been at HE the longest of any dogs you currently had, and that you let him out and let him play with your children. He immediately fit right in at our house. Charley had a bit of an adjustment to country life, but has made the adjustment just fine! Thank you for all you do!

Missy Loves Her New Pool!
Missy is doing great with her new family! She has become Ozzie's best friend. In the first month she was with her new family, she gained 15 pounds and now weighs around 95 pounds. She's loving her new pool and has indeed found her new forever family. Hey! Anyone with a pool is a welcome addition to world of dogs in the summer.

My Name is Hardy!
Hi, My name is Hardy and I'm a big boy that was adopted by the Brass Family. My dad Geoff fell madly in love with the bully breeds when he and my Mom Trish adopted my playmate and girlfriend Chloe three years ago. Chloe is half pittbull and half rottie. My Mom was won over when she discovered how loving and smart our breed is. My Mom and Dad both decided to look for a boy to be a playmate for Chloe. Then they found me. I was 11 weeks old when they found me at Happy Endings. For my Dad's birthday my Mom did DNA testing on me and discovered that not only am I part pittbull and bull terrier, I am also part St. Bernard so I am going to be a really big boy. I have already gained over 20 lbs and am taller than Chloe and I'm only a year old. My folks love me and say that our breed gets a really bad rap. I am gentle and loving but I am very strong and need a lot of exercise. I go with walks with my Dad every day and my Mom plays a lot with me with my toys. I love to chase the cat toy on a string and I won't stop as long as she plays. I also work out on the treadmill although I'm not quite as good as Chloe, my Mom says that I am getting much better. I also live with three cats. When I came to live here there were four but one passed away due to illness. I have always been very good with cats. Happy Endings was a great place for me in my early years. They helped me find a loving forever home and for that I will always be grateful.

Molly Finds A New Home
Wanted to let you know Molly had a wonderful trip home. She rides very well! It was love at first sniff for she and Ty. She loves the pool and seems to be potty trained too! Molly could not be a more perfect Rotty and a perfect fit for us. This is one very happy puppy now!

Zzzzzzzz!
Austin's newest March '09 adoptee Heather (right) enjoys some well-earned nap time on a soft bed in air conditioned comfort with her new friend Zoey after their return from a nice, long walk with her new people, Karen and Mike! Sweet dreams to the new family from Happy Endings!

Smiling Faces!
Look at those smiling faces! In February, 2009, Ray Ray became our first official adoption from our new Austin facility! He now has a great home in the country with Shannon, who reports that he is continuing to show his playful, loving personality more and more each day. She loves him very much and hopes that others will find the same happiness by adopting their new best friend at Happly Endings!

Happy "Hershey" - Now Happy "Jagger"
My wife and I adopted a puppy American Pit Bull Terrier mix from you in April of this year. I meant to send you an update and pictures quite a while ago, but am just now getting to it.

When you had him his name was Hershey, but we named him Jagger. I have attached a few pictures so you can see what he looks like now.

We love him very much, and he is the friendliest dog we have ever met; he absolutely Loves everybody and every thing!!!

Please read this part: He had some pretty bad skin allergies that we thought would go away after a couple of baths, but they didn't. We switched his food at about 4 months, thinking that might fix the problem and it did! We had the same problem with our schnauzer too, and this new food took care of his allergies as well. They both ate Science Diet before. The food that fixed the allergy problems is Canidae "All Life Stages." The reason I tell you this is that I thought it might be helpful to others that may have adopted Jagger's brothers and sisters if they have similar problems.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures...

Thanks for rescuing these wonderful animals and allowing people like us to adopt and enjoy having them as members of the family!

Mocha Enjoys Her New Family!
Just wanted to send some pics of Mocha. She is doing well and is a very important member of our family. We can't imagine our lives without her. She is very affectionate and loves to cuddle on the couch with us. She is wonderful with our grandchildren and is even starting to love Holly, our Chihuahua mix. She absolutely LOVES walks in the evenings. She is up to about two miles a day. We went hiking at Enchanted Rock recently, and some of the pics are at the summit. Thanks to all of you for the love and care you gave Mocha. God bless each of you. P.S. My granddaughter, Breigh, said to tell you that she loves Mocha very much!

---