Success Stories 

Bonita came to CRT the first week of October 2008.  She was frightened and biting.  In fact, I was there when we pulled her from the shelter and Cyndi tried to calm her down by giving her tiny bites of string cheese but they had to put on the big gloves to get her into a crate for us.  She was taken to the clinic and vetted before I picked her up to foster her.   
Bonita was not man friendly and was snapping at my son.  As I watched her I realized it was fear, what ever happened to her before, had happen because of a man.  I had Bonita for a month before I saw how very smart this girl was, I taught her to fetch, come, give and she loved balls and toys that squeaked, plus chew things.  We got along fine but as soon as a man was around there was barking and lunging at the man!  She was going to be a hard to place girl as most families have a man in it somewhere.

I started taking her to our adoption events at PetSmart and the same problem came up right away, not friendly to men and very snappy with anyone trying to pet her.  Even our volunteers had problems with her but I kept loving her and holding her, rubbing her belly which was one of her favorite things!  She was wonderful with me at home but no one ever got to see “the real Bonita”, she had never had a visit by an adopter.

Now it has been almost a year and I have turned down sooooo many applications for one reason or another, they just didn’t fit and I wasn’t going to let her go where she wouldn’t be happy!  Will she ever find the perfect forever home???  I was starting to have my doubts or was I being to fussy about her placement??

Then I received an application from the King family, I was very happy!  She was a stay at home wife and mom; they had a yard, dog and 2 teenage girls.  I talked to her about Bonita and her husband, who is a police officer for Mesquite, he was willing to work with Bonita.  We had our trainer do the home visit so she could evaluate the man of the family and their dog and low and behold, she loved the family and thought it was the perfect place for Bonita.  On October 25, 2009 we wrote a contract and I had the extremely hard job of leaving Bonita who I had loved and cared for a whole year, but because it was such a perfect home with another dog for Bonita to play with, and knowing she would have 4 times the love there and a man who had the knowledge and will to work with Bonita, it became easier!  They are a fantastic family and I was so happy for Bonita!!

When I arrived home I sent an email to the family thanking them for the adoption and within an hour and a half I received an email with pictures which I sent to Robin right away!  In the subject line I put “Look at this would ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”  The pictures were of Bonita on the chest of the MAN!!!  I couldn’t believe it!!  The tears flowed, Happy Tears!!  I thought she would bond but Not this fast!!  I was absolutely blessed to find this wonderful family for Bonita and that is what I strive to do for every one of my fosters!! 

CRT is an awesome rescue group who not only takes the easy ones, we take the seniors, sick, broken babies and bring them back into a positive life where they will be cherished and loved for the rest of their lives!!  We don’t stop until we find the perfect home for them.  I am proud to be a part of such an Awesome organization!!  This is what rescue is all about, making Happy Endings!!

Foster Mom Bev

Here's a recent pic of "the girls" - Layla (blonde), Princess (brunette) and Izzy (black/tan).  I've had Pincess the longest - she's about 9yrs old. I adopted her from my parents 4 years ago. Layla was adopted a year ago from CRT. She and Princess have been doing pretty well, so I decided to adopt another - Izzy. 

Izabeau is a TLC rescue. She's been doing very well with Princess and Layla. You'd think they've known each other the whole time! I'm very satisfied with the pack and looking forward to many happy years ahead.

Dave

My wife and I rescued two Chi’s that were going to be put down because of demadex mange. That was about 5.5 years ago and someone at CRT said that if I could send in some recent pictures of the pups they would do an update on them. Well, I finally have got the pictures.

They were named “Harry and Sally” at CRT, and we changed their names to Tinker and Belle. Anyway, here are their pictures now and they are doing wonderful.

I believe Harry and Sally were from Georgetown, TX and when the breeder came in with them, she asked the vet to euthanize them.  The vet called CRT, and we were able to adopt them and the rest is history. We didn’t get the mom as she was already adopted out at the time. Thanks again!

No, thank you!!  Not only did Ryan and his wife adopt these wonderful dogs, but they've been generous donors to CRT.  We really appreciate everything you've done!
 

"Fawn" came to us from Dr. Michael Windley's vet clinic in Cantonment, Florida. Someone reported finding this tiny 3 lb girl in their yard with both front legs broken. They took her to Dr. Windley's office and dropped her off. The staff there splinted both legs and called CRT to see if we could foster her.

This little girl was quite a sight with both front legs in splints. Fortunately, she adapted very well and was soon running around her foster home, playing with the other dogs. She was easy to track as her splints made a loud tapping sound as she ran across the hardwood floors!

Dr. Windley was kind enough to provide splint changes and x-rays for FREE......our favorite price! The only reward he asked for was for us to let him know once little Fawn found her forever home.

Shortly after her splints were removed, Fawn found a new home with a wonderful couple. She even got a new "sister" to play with! Her name is now "Cricket" and she is enjoying her new life. [Cricket is the black pup, shown with Penny, her new playmate].

Hello!

My name is Casey and I adopted Petey from Kathy Crumpler in FL about a year ago. Petey’s Story before I adopted him: He was found on a side of the road with a groin injury and had to have surgery, then he had a separate surgery to get neutered! So by the time I got him home with me he was very afraid!

I don’t believe he had ever been walked on a leash before but with the help of his new brother Carlos (who was adopted from a shelter in West Palm), demonstrating how it works, he caught right on.

When Petey first got home with me he would want to jump up on the couch to sit next to me. He had the jumping down but he couldn’t go forward. After about a month he finally was able to spring forward when he jumped up!

Petey’s favorite thing to do is to steal Carlos’s bones and hide them. He doesn’t really eat them, he just wants to bury them. Petey has been a joy to our home, teaching Carlos how to be a little kinder to others. Right now Carlos and I are trying to teach Petey how to dance for a treat. I have no worries that soon I will be a proud mom of two dancing Chihuahuas. Petey lives like a prince and Carlos a King (being the alpha dog).

Casey L. Milford

I adopted Betsy (the brown chi) in September 2007 from CRT. She was one of the Cleveland 6. It has been an incredible journey along the way for her & me. She has brought so much love & joy & fun into my life since the moment I first held her.

Betsy and her new sister, Sweet Pea are inseparable. Sometimes all you can see is 2 little noses sticking out from under the same blanket. What a pair....what a blessing!

Thank you CRT, foster mom Janet & Laura Hasenstab, for your patience & kindness & for allowing me the honor of being Betsy's 'forever' mom...Keep on 'Chi'ing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God Bless,

Rosey

Hi CRT Fans:

We’re the proud family of these two wonderful dogs. Both came from CRT. You might recognize Gonzo (formerly Blue) from the Cleveland Six. He’s the boy with the handsome blue fur and the beautiful red haired girl is Gracie (formerly Shannon/Little Red). Gracie came to live with us just two days before Christmas, 2006, and Gonzo joined our family in September, 2007.

To be honest we were never really small dog lovers. We always had big dogs that we got as puppies. We never even considered adopting. In the summer of 2006 the older of our two dogs died. It was the first time in years that we had only one dog. We were very sad so my sister who worked for a vet asked if we would foster a Chihuahua that had been abandoned. She was very old and very sick so we agreed take her in so she wouldn’t spend her final months being without a family. We never had a small dog before and were surprised how fun they are. She was sweet and gentle and we loved her. We learned from that experience that although puppies are cute, it is even more awesome to bond with an older dog. We love our adopted dogs just as much as our dog that we’ve had since he was a puppy. In some ways it’s even more special to earn the trust and love of an older dog.

Gracie and Gonzo are about as different as night and day. Gracie is a gentle sweetheart who loves to be held. Gonzo is funny and playful and prefers to be chased. Gonzo loves to be brushed and Gracie prefers to be petted. Gracie sleeps with us or our son Matt, but Gonzo prefers his bed. Gonzo favorite thing to do is eat but Gracie is very finicky. Gracie is sensible and will wear her coat if it’s cold outside. We have yet to get a coat on Gonzo. Gracie is fearless but Gonzo is more fearful. She has a very tough sounding bark for such a tiny girl and Gonzo’s bark is similar to the sound a chicken makes. It’s part of what makes him so lovable. Gracie is a “daddy’s girl” and Gonzo is more of a “momma’s boy”. Gracie can run like the wind but Gonzo is a bit slower and more cautious. They do have a few things in common. They both love being in the sun. They love to be outside on a blanket napping and enjoying the warm weather. The most important thing that they have in common is that they are loved. They are as much a part of our family as the human members.

People tell us that our dogs are lucky that we adopted them but we think that we’re the lucky ones. They have made such a difference in our lives. We will never “purchase” a dog again, not when there are so many wonderful dogs that need homes. They just want a little love and they give back so much more. Thank you CRT. Thank you to the transporters, the foster families, the best friends, the regional directors, the home inspectors and everyone else at CRT. God Bless you. You are truly angels.

Mark, Jenny and Matt Augspurger
Forest View, Illinois

Dalia was one of the Cleveland 6 dogs rescued by CRT. She came to our home as a foster dog recovering from a mammary tumor, removal of two bladder stones, the loss 14 teeth (two of them broken off at the root), and having two different kinds of hernias repaired. There were all kinds of adhesions and a hole through her abdominal wall, all results of giving birth to too many litters. She weighed almost 10 pounds which was far too heavy for her delicate frame and for her rear knees that are very bowed from bad patellas.

You would never know her knees are bad from the speed with which she races through the grass and the impish way she tries to convince the other dogs her to play with her. After fostering her for a year my husband and I decided that Dalia should stay with us so we adopted her.

This is the second older Chihuahua we have adopted and if you have always felt that you didn’t want an older dog think again. There is sweetness and appreciation for life these wise animals have that makes them an extremely special part of your family.

I have several dogs that I love very much but none fill me with appreciation watching them enjoy a sunbeam like Dalia. She seems to cherish those moments instead of taking them for granted since those moments were not part of her early life. Even with her ailments that require special foods or maneuvers on our part, the joy of spending time with her far outweigh those small inconveniences.

We recently traveled to warm Atlanta with our dogs (including Dalia) during the cold months and Dalia spent every afternoon sunning on the screened porch. When the other dogs were ready to come back in the house Dalia was still rolling in the warm, green grass.

An older dog may not be with you as long as a younger one but the special moments spent with an older, “wiser” dog are priceless. We are blessed to have Dalia join our family.

Hello! My name is Patti and you might remember me as part of the Cleveland 6. I have some great, great news just in time for Spring. I went to be a foster at Tamale's home in February when my good friend Ms. Chris had to take on another dog friend. I was such a good girl and everyone loved me so much at my foster home, that I have been ADOPTED!!!!! I am very, very excited to be in my forever home where I have my good friends Toby and Molly with me.

We have a great time in our backyard--the only problem is that it is Michigan and they get alot of snow. Today, we had 10 inches and my mom had to clear a path for us to even get outside. This really interferes with my daily job of checking out all of the bird feeders. But, you know what they say in Michigan "If you don't like the weather, wait until tomorrow -- it will be different."

I would like to thank everyone at CRT who has fostered me along the way and made me the very sweet (and considerably thinner) girl that I am today. We won't say what I used to be called but it rhymes with Patti! It is also my Easter wish that every other dog at CRT find a forever home just like me! Thank you CRT for making my dreams come true.

Debby & Patti 

Hello Everyone!

My name is Lucha, it's means 'to fight' in Latino. Some of you may remember me from the CRT adoption list where my story was told about my long life in a wooden box, my profession at the time was puppymill breeder having two litters a year, then at last I was rescued after 9 long yrs and placed into foster care where my life made a miraculous change for the better..

After two wonderful years in great foster homes I finally found my forever family who were on the verge of giving up any kind of hope of being able to adopt from other rescues due to the fact that they had a small child and a large older dog (whom I might add were both raised with teeny- weeny four legged pets) but CRT looked past that and by sheer luck and chance meeting fell in love with me at a Chicago Pet Industry show in March of 07.
 
My life now exists of happily greeting all customers daily at my forever mom's work, which I just love to do, and who owns a pet related business, which means plenty of cool pet stuff, great food, lots of attention, watching cartoons with my human brother, playing with Nina my Papillion sister, getting a massage every other Sat. from Kathy Drelicharz, my personal massage therapist, and snuggling under the bed covers with those that truly love me. My new profession?  Telling my story and helping to raise some funds for CRT to help my other Chi relatives.
 
My 12th birthday and 1yr forever home anniversary is coming up in March, 08, and I cannot wait for the surprise that may be in store for me.
 
The gratitude that the entire family feels for the work that CRT does is beyond words, and the love that we have for each other will go on until the end of time.

God bless Rick & Janice (Foster Parents and wonderful people-especially Rick) and Saundra for making this just a perfect ending to a not so perfect beginning.

Lucha xoxoxox

Hello!

My name is Tamale but my new forever mom calls me Molly. I was adopted in December of 2007 by my new family in Michigan. I have a brother who is a Toy Fox Terrier named Toby. He is a pretty nice guy and we have our morning routine of clearing the yard of squirrels and birds. We have a great yard that is partially wooded and fenced in but we have our work cut out for us with those pesky squirrels!!!

We also have a new foster sister named Patti. Patti is fun and likes to eat a lot just like me!!!!! It was a race to the food bowls this morning. We are on diets.....just like real girls. This is a picture of me in my favorite place on the bed. Toby wanted his picture taken too, but I told him that this site was about me (TFT can be so bossy!!!!! He needs to get his own site!) I also have a new Chihuahua friend named Cinco de Mayo that lives at a nearby home.

My new vet made me get my teeth cleaned in January. I made it through the procedure, but I was not a very happy girl for a couple of days after that and hid under the bed. Of course, Toby couldn't mind his own business and.....well, that is another story.

I would like to thank my foster mom, Sarah and my transportation person Chris for taking such good care of me until I found my way to Michigan. I think it was meant to be because shortly after I arrived, my new mom's very old cocker spaniel died. I was here to help her out and make sure she had a new friend.

As much as we love Patti, she needs a forever home just as great as mine. She is on the site for the Midwest Region.

Thank you CRT for making my dreams of a forever home come true!

First off I want to apologize for not thanking CRT sooner. We adopted Violet on May 12th, 2007. Adopting her from CRT was a joy. Everyone was so nice and they really care about the Chihuahua's. Violet has been the sweetest addition to our family. We don't know how we ever lived without her. Violet moved in and stole all of our hearts right from the beginning. Even our other 3 chi's liked her right away and we have never had any issues.

Violet has an obsession with purses, obviously with one of her former owners she was carried around in a purse. She has a collection of purses and more outfits now and enjoys going to family functions in them. I discovered this because every time I would go to leave she would try to get in my purse no matter how big or small it was. She came with one but i did not take it serious on how much she loved them. She is a delight to be around and EVERYONE that meets her falls in love with her. Thanks CRT for saving Violet and taking good care of her till we could find her.

With much love, Michele, Shaun and Violet

I have attached some photo's of Violet at her new house. She loves her new backyard and protecting it with her buddy's.

I am so happy to share these pictures of Sady and tell you how glad we are to welcome her to our family. Sady brightens up the house and keeps us all entertained! Sady loves going for walks, playing with her toys and running around in her big back yard. I have to admit she has us wrapped around her finger....how could you blame us though? Just one glance at that loveable little dog will melt your heart.

Sady has a little buddy named Rickey (pictured above) and they are crazy about each other. We couldn't have been blessed with such a more amazing gift like her.

Thank you so much for the work that each and every one of you do and for the dedication, hard work, time and energy you put into each and every rescue. You are incredible human beings that will be richly blessed for opening up your lives and helping these helpless animals. May there be more people like you in this tough world.

God Bless,

Molly and Melissa