I wanted to pass on some pictures of Luna from our Thanksgiving in NY. I am sure you had a premonition about this, but Luna has been an absolute pleasure from day one. She traveled extremely well on our way to New York and with the exception of a small upset stomach for a day or two, she has been a near perfect dog. She has adjusted very well to our daily routines and has done exceptionally well in numerous situations including at the dog park with other dogs. This past weekend Luna joined a large group of my friends for a trip out to the Shenandoah Valley for some camping and Christmas Tree shopping. Luna once again was extremely well behaved and loved by all. I cannot thank you and your family enough for helping to not only save Luna's life, but to also connect me with her. She has truly been a blessing. Wednesday will be our two week anniversary and its almost difficult for me to imagine life pre-Luna. Thank you so much for the work that you do! More updates to follow.

Best always,

Mat (Mathew Todaro)

Our family wanted to give you a quick update and most of all convey our appreciation to your organization for helping us find "Madeline". Several months ago, we lost our eight year old German Shepherd, Bailey, to degenerative myelopathy. He was a huge part of our family and we had a big emptiness in our every day. We had considered buying another puppy in a year or so. In the meantime I stumbled upon your website and instantly knew we couldn't pay a breeder for a dog when I saw all those faces and read the stories behind those eyes. From the very first contact we spoke to all the way through to our foster parent- the experience was great. We attended our first adoption day at Petco in Herndon on September 25, 2005. We were barely out of the jeep when we saw "Bella" on the sidewalk. She and her foster mom, Diane were the first we saw and talked to. I truly believe they picked us! The old saying "love at first sight" rang true! We visited with other dogs and foster parents but we came right back to Diane and "Bella". We left that day with our new family member and a new friend in Diane. Bella is now Madeline and is doing great. As you can see, she fits right in with our other dog and our three year old. She is so full of mischief and such a lover at the end of the day when she wears out. Madeline now has her own farm and river to swim in and a special place in our lives forever.

From the Hardys in West Virginia to all of you- A huge thank you for doing what you do!

We wanted to give you an update on Marisol who we renamed as Maggie.  Maggie has fit into our family perfectly.

 She is about as sweet a dog as one can imagine with our family, but is quite timid of strangers.  That is OK by us. 

We are working very hard training her and every day she gets more comfortable with new situations.  She adores our

daughter, Kendal, and likes to wake her up in the morning with kisses.   She gets so excited when my kids come home

from school, that she does not realize she can knock them over because she is a big girl.  At home with me during the

day she never leaves my side.  We take walks in the morning and evening, sometimes in the middle of the day.  Her

favorite thing is playing fetch in the field across the street from our house.  This summer we saw her true love of the

water.  We have a family home on the Chester River.  Once she realized how much freedom she had, Maggie was in

and out of the water all day long.  It made us want to live there all year long to see how much she enjoyed the water.

We also got her swimming in the pool with us occasionally.  She is wonderful with our two cats and knows that they

actually run the house.  Maggie has been a true blessing in that we lost our first Shepherd mix in a tragic accident last

fall.  I do not think I could have healed without such a sweet, loving girl in my life.  We hope to add to our pack some

day in the future, but right now Maggie needs to know she is the one and only dog in our family.  We hope in a year or

two that she is ready to have a brother.  Thank you VGSR for rescuing Maggie and letting her into our lives.  She is a

happy, loved girl.

Barb,

Last Thanksgiving time, you introduced us to Mahala, a 3/12 year old female GSD.  A week later we

brought her home.  She was a bit wild and excited , but after she learned the house rules and received some good training, she has turned out to be a wonderful companion.  Mahala is my constant companion

and friend and is never more than 30 feet from me.  We enjoy our days together and we really love her.

We won't be able to attend the October celebration, but I wanted to give you and update.  Thank you so

Hi folks. My name is Maximus, but my friends call me Max. I had a rough beginning to my life but, has

that come to a halt. My new forever humans love me as much as I love them. My Mom and Dad get up at

4:00 a.m. for my first walk. We live out in the country so I am not the only one milling around and getting

some exercise. Between the deer, fox, you get the idea. I have a blast. We walk about 30 minutes then I get

to rest until 11:30 a.m. My dog walker comes in, (I think between you and me, she love me as much as my

folks do. Did I tell you she calls me Maxie?) and we go out for about a 45 minute walk. We walk the trails

behind my house. I find turtles and gently bring them to her. We do have fun. She takes me in and washes

my face and gives me a few treats.  By the time I get back to the hacienda it’s nap time. My Dad gets home

at 4:30 and out we go again. I not sure if the walk is for me or him. At 8:30 p.m. is my final walk for the night.

He put me on a strict diet (ha ha). I was tipping the scale at about 120. I am down to a muscular 106. Good

fighting weight for me. I would much rather lick your face than fight.  My Mom sneaks me a little of this and

that. She thinks Dad doesn’t know. I did forget to tell you she gives me frosty paws. What a treat I wish all

my dog friends were as lucky as me. Next time I write I will give you a little more incite to my home. By the

way Lea (my foster Mom) thanks for finding my forever folks for me.

Max Wishnefsky (with the help of his owners)

Hi. My name is Maya and I just turned two years old on February 5th. My mom, Eva, was rescued by VGSR and five days later, she gave birth to me and my nine brothers and sisters. You might remember our photographs on the web site under the adoption page. Were we cute or what? Anyway, those first few weeks of our lives weren’t easy, because we were sick quite a bit and mom didn’t have enough milk for all ten of us. But our foster mother, Sheila, was great and took good care of all of us. When I was five weeks old, I met my new parents for the first time, even though I had no idea that was who those people were. They came to visit me every weekend until I was eight weeks old and then they took me to my new home. It was kind of a confusing time for me. My mom was gone and so were all my siblings, but my new family quickly made it clear that they loved me and were going to take good care of me. I wasn’t the only pet. There was an older dog, Chance and two cats, Mini Me and Trudy. Chance doesn’t live with us any more because she never really accepted me (especially after I grew to be so much larger than she is) and would spend most of her time behind the couch. My parents say that she is very happy where she lives now and they still see her. Mini Me and I get along pretty well, but my parents are always telling me to be gentle with him. Trudy won’t play with me. Maybe some day she’ll stick around instead of running away whenever I get near her. Let’s see what else I can tell you about myself. Oh, strangers make me nervous. Reserved is what they say I am. But I get real excited when I see someone that I know. My parents have kept me in school because they say it is a good place for us all to learn how to deal with my reserved nature and occasional attempts to display dominance. My teacher says that I’m prone to display dominance even though I don’t really want to be in the alpha role. She says that is because I’m a teenager - which always makes my parents smile. If I could, I would roll my eyes at that. I guess the really big news is that I had to have surgery right after my first birthday. That was not fun at all. The doctor said that I didn’t develop hip sockets and was already suffering from arthritis. It hurt. Sometimes I would cry when I stood up. So, my parents took me to a specialist who gave me a new hip. It was a rough time for all of us. I wasn’t allowed to do anything by myself for weeks. No running or jumping or playing for three months. Three months! Can you believe that? But now I can do all those things without the pain. It is great! Well, I guess that is all the news I have. I just wanted to stop in and thank you all for rescuing my mom and giving me a fair chance at life. All in all, my life turned out pretty darn good.

Love,

Maya

P.S. My parents and I were so very saddened to hear about the passing of my foster mother. May she rest in peace in a place where breath comes easily and all her four legged friends are surrounding her with love.

Happy Holidays, Everyone! I just had to write to thank you for the gifts you've given me the past several months. The first gift I received from you was the blessing of my little Mick in August. At 16 weeks, we first thought he was pure-bred and have now pretty much decided he's a Shepherd Corgi mix, hence the new breed Shorgi! Yes, he is very low to the ground & has ears the size of satellite dishes (maybe his name should be Radar), and he's absolutely beautiful with the shiniest black coat! He has truly been a blessing in my life having saved me from a big pity party (guess it was empty nest syndrome & singlehood). He keeps me on my toes...he's the biggest thief I've ever met (especially of my underwear...hmmmm), he talks to me when he wants my attention, gets his leash when he wants to walk, "hides" his chew toys in the furniture and this morning we watched White Fang 2 together. No kidding...he watched the movie. The other blessing I've received from you is the pleasure of meeting some absolutely wonderful, loving, giving people. Thank you for coming into my life. I look forward to volunteering with you more in the coming year. God Bless You All!

Terri Harris

"Hi!! We are the McLaughlin family. On March 20, 2001, we had to put to sleep our beloved German Shepherd, Dasha. She was 14 years old. She was such a wonderful dog that by August of 2001 we were ready for another Shepherd. This time we chose to adopt a dog. Reading the Post one day, we saw a phone number for a rescue league. We called the number and found out there was a website. After checking the website, we saw a dog that looked like she might fit into our family. She was young, loved children, and got along well with other dogs. Since we have 3 boys and a mini dachshund we needed a Shepherd that would fit into our home & one that we could trust. We visited the Manassas mall and met our new beloved pet. Her name is Missy (formerly Mystic). She loves our children and has become part of our family. With all the anxieties in our world today, we are happy to say that Missy has brought us great happiness. We would recommend to anyone looking for a new pet, that adoption is a great way to go. There are wonderful pets out there just waiting for a decent home. Thank you Virginia German Shepherd Rescue, Inc."

The McLaughlin Family :)

Hi,

We are the McLaughlin family in Vienna Va.  We adopted Mystic, now Missy, from your organization in

August 2001.  I believe she was one of the first 10 dogs you all found a home for !  She has been a joy to

our family for many years. She is the best dog we have ever had !  We are so happy she is part of our family! 

She has lived with 3 boys, a mom, a dad, and a puppy dachshund and a 11 year old dachshund  for years now.  

Keep up the great work you all do !!! 

Adopting a dog has been a great experience for us.

Thanks to all the volunteers who make it all happen.

I have attached a picture of her.

Thanks so much,

The McLaughlin?s

Dave, Linda, John, Jeff, Justin, Missy, Honey, and Candy !!!

"Missy" (small dark sable)

She is our spastic and clingy child.  She came to us back in 2004 as an early Valentines day present to ourselves.  The foster at the time (Claire,) was actually doing a home interview with us for another Shepherd we were looking at.  After the home visit, we didn't quite think that the other GSD was a good match.  The following day we got a call that a Shepherd mix was left @ the DC Shelter and was pretty much on the queue to be euthanized if VGSR hadn't stepped in.  Our foster mom recommended that maybe we could take a look at this silly girl and see if she would be a suitable match.  At the time, how could we say no, considering the circumstances she was in.  By the time, Claire dropped her off to visit while she ran errands; Missy ran straight into our house, jumped onto my husband and it was kismet!   We've had our ups and downs with her, especially with her anxiety and silly behavior, but she has come a long way!

"Pepper" (Big girl Black/Tan)

Pepper is our bratty, rotten, typical shepherd girl (her human Dad has ruined her!)  this is her bio below from her... don't laugh MySpace page.  Yes Pepper has her own page with tons!!! of GSD friends online.

Hi, my name is Pepper, or "Peppernutts" as my dad likes to call me. I am a juvenille GSD who was adopted by my loving parents through the Va. German Shepherd Rescue when I was only 6 weeks old back in 2006 (apparently a "back-yard breeder" didn't want me.) I came along at a crucial time in my Dad's life. He had just lost his BFF of almost 14 years "Major" a beautiful Siberian Husky. With sadness still written on their faces and hearts I was exactly what they needed, and for my new big sister too (Missy.)  My mom and dad got a call from VGSR that they had a new puppy! So here I am :) They have raised me like a human child (so I am very spoiled.) I am still very true to my breed, but I am very playful and very sweet. I love to give kisses, "cuddle-up" and Sit on my dads head. I can't understand why he feels squished I am only 93lbs.  I am still young and have more growing to do. I am still clumsy around the house. Dad says I am All Feet! I love my big sister Missy who was also adopted from the VGSR. She is a bit spastic sometimes but it's not her fault, but my mom works very hard with her every day.  I also love my balls and my cat "Bilbo"

Jaime Clark

To the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue: As I am writing this note, my new best friend is lying next to me on the floor! When Jim and I began our search for a German Shepherd we decided after a lot of research that the Rescue League was the best way to find the perfect dog for us. We did have a few interviews with some dogs from the Rescue, and it was hard not to take them all home with us, but we felt that we would know when the right dog for us came along. It wasn't a long wait when we received a call about a dog that needed a home. As we drove to the foster home, we were very excited and we hoped that this would be the dog. Of course, when we approached it, the dog barked and he didn't want anything to do with us. Yet, he was a beautiful 4 year old long haired German Shepherd. We liked the looks of him right away. Now, we needed to find out if he would be okay with our children. Jim has owned German Shepherds before, but I have not. I left the decision up to him ,and he felt that he would fit into our family. So there we were, driving away with a dog in the back of our truck. We hardly slept that night because we were so worried about the dog and how he was doing. We call our dog MoJo. For the first 2 days he was very unsure of us and he was protective of only himself. He didn't like to be brushed, or us near his food. As we took care of him, we all started to bond in our own ways with MoJo. Before long he took over protecting the family and the house. We get so many compliments on our dog MoJo. People love the way he looks, and he turned out to be so friendly to everybody. He just hates squirrels! MoJo has fit into our family beyond our expectations and we have the Rescue to thank for that. It was the caring people who helped us every step of the way in finding us the new member of our family. Thanks!

Corinne Grunewald

Dear Barbie and Fam,

Remember me, Moscow?...Of course you do, how could you forget! I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am to have been a part of your home. Because of you I have the forever family that I always dreamed of having. I live in Blacksburg, Virginia with my forever family, Amanda and Dave. I have a big backyard that backs up to a big park. It's my park now, and if other dogs want to use it they have to be approved by me. Amanda and Dave are fast mountain bikers and they take me with them all the time. My first couple rides with them were EXHAUSTING! But I got in shape fast and now I can run for over three hours, and still have energy to play with my toys when I get home. I never let Amanda or Dave get out of my sight. On long uphills I have to keep running back and forth between Amanda and Dave. Amanda "takes her time to appreciate the scenery," so it makes it difficult to keep them both in sight. I love riding in cars, I put my head out the window, and get lots of attention at stop lights. I visit with Amanda and Dave's friends, I like to think of them as my own friends now. They like mountain biking with me, too. Dave goes to graduate school at Virginia Tech, and Amanda works for Virginia Tech. It's great because there is always somebody home with me. The longest I have to go without my forever family is from 9 - noon. I must say it is a relief to have the house to myself because sleeping is my other favorite activity next to bikes and car rides. Amanda says that I am very adaptable, and that I am warm and friendly in every situation. Therefore, I get to go everywhere my forever family goes. I even go to work with Amanda sometimes. I am so thankful for my family that I try to show it everyday, by being the best dog I can be. Thank you, Barbie for taking care of me when I had no family. I will never forget your smells, and I promise keep in touch.

Moscow

We adopted Cheta from VGSR on April 18, 2010. Already she has settled into our family routine and has brought such joy to our lives. Cheta now prefers to be called Moya and she has a busy social life. She knows on Thursday mornings that it is Doggie Day Care day and can't wait to stuff all of her
95lbs into my MINI Cooper, we are quite the sight going down the road. During the rest of the week it is long walks and meeting the neighbors and their four legged children or trips to Mt. Trashmore. Twice a week she helps me work with Autisic children. She will just lay down and let them touch
her. She has so many different fur textures it makes a wonderful tactile therapy for the kids.   Her main facination and source of amusement is our rabbit Francis. Though they have not gotten nose to nose yet, Moya loves to sit and gaze over the baby gate at her and Francis sits and gazes back.

Moya came to us with severe ear issues. Her ears had multiple polyps extending into the ear canals. She has had her first surgery and came through with flying colors. She will have her second and last surgery the end of June, after that she will be free of the polyps and chronic ear infections. However, she did not find wearing the big Elizabethan collar to
be all that flattering to her figure.

Everyday we learn something new and wonderful about Moya and we are so thankful to all the wonderful folks at VGSR. The process so was easy and everyone was so helpful. Moya's foster mom Connie is the best!

Thanks so much!
Doreen and Steven Shaw 

I fell in love with Princess #4 when I saw her picture on the web site. I was driven to adopt her. She was in heat, so we had to wait. We finally got her on March 21, and brought her back to Virginia Beach where she joined Duke Leto, Dog of Dune (another rescue, see Happy Tails) and changed her name to Dune Mystique. (The name of our house is "Dune"). We have applied for ILP numbers for both dogs so they can compete in obedience at some future date. We absolutely adore "Stiqui". I picked her because she looked like Raven who died at 12 in January, even down to the "love ears" in her picture. For that, we loved her before we even met her. Now that we know her for herself, we love her even more. She is a total "house dog" now and has to be thrown out to do her business. She gets a long walk at least once a day, though she pulls like a sled dog on the leash. She has a toy basket full of toys which she unloads every day and plays with every toy (right now, she's got a red ball) and every night I have to pick them up...just like when the kid was a toddler! She's a great retriever but does not willingly relinquish what she retrieves. "Get your own ball," she seems to say. "I chased this one." She wants to fly and sometimes it looks like she might be able to. She'd also like to climb trees because that's where the squirrels are. Rabbits would be on the endangered list if we didn't walk her on a leash. "Ethopian thin" when we got her, she convinced us to feed her exactly what she likes which is the new "Chicken Soup for the Dog's Soul" kibble "sweetened" with "Little Champions" packets. She's gaining weight and is one of the "slope back" Shepherds you see in the show ring. Her "flying trot" is like a ballet. She's now been spayed so won't have to put up with "heat" again, is microchipped, has dog health insurance with a double cancer policy, has had her dew claws removed, nails cut and teeth cleaned. She's good to go. She still has some baggage from the past. Away from the house she is stand-offish to strangers, but generally friendly. No meanness in her at all. But when someone comes to the house, she breaks our heart. She crouches down or runs into her crate. It's like she fears they have come to take her away. Little does she know, I'd fight a Great White Shark with bare hands and teeth to keep her and Leto. Leto had similar anxiety upon meeting people when we first got him, but has figured out that he has a permanent home. We're counting on Mystique figuring that out, too. I don't know how anyone could put this wonderful dog in a shelter and abandon her, but their loss is our gain. Thanks to VA German Shepherd Rescue for bailing "Stique" out of the pound, for fostering her with love and kindness until we could bring her to her forever home.

Elizabeth Gregory