All homeless dogs deserve to be lucky dogs

All homeless dogs deserve to be lucky dogs...

...including the mangy, starving, shy, and crippled ones. That is Straydog, Inc.'s philosophy.

Straydog is a no-kill shelter located near Dallas (www.straydog.org). They started out as a husband-wife team whose rescued dog population grew enough in size to begin to annoy neighbors. They then moved out into the country to be able to continue rescuing more dogs. Their rescued dog population currently stands at over 100. Tragically, the wife died suddenly of a brain aneurysm two years ago, and the husband and his Straydog crew have put their hearts and souls into Straydog as a living memorial to her, and as a tribute to all homeless dogs. The crew even work on their days off to bring more light and joy to the Straydog residents. Straydog is often featured by columnist Jaquelinne Floyd of the Dallas Morning News and by Larry Powell. Unfortunately, they still do not receive enough donations to avoid falling into money emergencies on a regular basis. They take their most adoptable dogs to PetsMart in Plano every Saturday and maybe average only 1 adoption a month if they are lucky. Please visit www.Straydog.org to help. They need cash, foster families, and most of all - good adopters. Straydog has often been crushed in disappointment when adoptive families return their dogs. Straydog has had their share of triumphs and disappointments. Please help them to triumph in the war to reduce the number of homeless dogs!

-Mandy, a malamute-collie mix, had been adopted and returned multiple times. She desperately needed to find a home where she could be an indoor pet in the air conditioning. Mandy eventually found her forever home with a family in Boston who fell in love with her after reading about her on Petfinder.org and went to great lengths to adopt her from afar and work with her to settle her into a new home.

-Sydney, a hound mix, had been in a home for nearly two years when she was returned for snapping at a little girl in fear when her collar got tangled. Sydney can't understand why she no longer has her family and is yet again looking for a forever home.

-Sydney's sisters Kat and Mona were recently adopted into their forever homes. Mona had previously been returned once before because of her extreme shyness and because she ate a prized blanket.

-Albert, an elderly Aussie gentleman, was finally adopted by a wonderful lady who saw the potential in a polite older dog.

-Jack and Jill, blind Aussie pups, were abandoned by the roadside because of their birth defect from improper breeding. They are still looking for their forever homes

-Freckles, blind and pregnant, was found walking frantically in circles. She had no eyes and vets cannot rule out that she was intentionally blinded. She is very fearful and has yet to find her forever home

-Julie and Noble, both diabetic, need insulin injections every few hours. They have yet to find their forever homes because of their disease.

-Nikki, rescued when she was incredible thin, wracked with heartworms and with scars all over her body, must have been used as a bait dog in dog fighting rings. She is extremely fearful but has shown absolutely no aggressive tendencies. She is still looking for the right forever home.

-Buster and Dixie were extremely shy and rehabilitated by Straydog, then adopted into what was thought to be a loving foster home. Their "guardians" then moved, abandoning the dogs in the back yard, and a kindly neighbor informed Straydog so the emaciated dogs could be rescued. Buster and Dixie are now back at Straydog, and though they are restored to full health, have now completely lost their trust in humans and it is quite possible they will never find their forever homes.

These are only a few of the dogs Straydog cares for, each with their own stories. The Straydog caregivers spend so much quality time with each dog that their individual personalities are intimately known. Straydog makes every effort to assure that adoptive homes will be permanent. Straydog will not adopt out dogs that have not yet been SPAYED or NEUTERED because lack of education about SPAY and NEUTER are the reasons there are so many homeless dogs on the streets in the first place. Straydog will not adopt out dogs who will be kept outside because they believe all dogs deserve to be indoor dogs to be close to their humans. Straydog WILL adopt out dogs to compassionate people who will treat their dogs as part of their family, providing veterinary care and a stable social structure, to truly make their dog a LUCKY DOG. Straydog ALWAYS accepts returns (but really, please don't!) because they want to know that their dogs will receive the best possible care at Straydog.

Take every opportunity to EDUCATE people about the work involved in owning a dog, and the rewards that come from it, many times over! Encourage your friends to SPAY and NEUTER their pets. Discourage buying puppies from breeders and pet stores. There are already too many wonderful dogs waiting for good homes, and mutts are truly one-of-a-kind. If you must have a particular breed of dog, search for a breed-specific rescue organization. It's a myth that getting a puppy means the puppy will bond more strongly with you. RESCUED DOGS bond most strongly with their guardians, almost as if to say 'thank you'. SPEAK UP when you witness animal abuse or neglect.

On behalf of www.Straydog.org, (903-479-3497, straydog147@yahoo.com), all animal shelters/rescues and their inhabitants, Spay and Neuter programs, and all the scared, hungry, sick, and lonely animals out there who have not been lucky enough to find their way to a happy home or shelter such as Straydog, Inc.