Charlie's Foundation
a promise to senior dogs
forever homeS
Higgins has gone and found himself a forever family!
If his family looks familiar that’s because they are! This is their third adoption with us and we are so thrilled for them. They both laughed and said, “he wasn’t going anywhere on day two of fostering”.
Higgins was in a high kill shelter where his time was coming up. We saw his before photo when he was picked up as a unaltered, matted stray. How does one let this 💎 of a dog find himself homeless and in a kill shelter?
He had some medical concerns we were addressing and in the process of, we found ourselves at the cardiologist😔. Sweet boy has a heart murmur with some valve disease and he was started on vetmedin. He also was scheduled for a badly needed dental and had three 🦷 removed. Careful instructions were followed and he recovered beautifully❤.
Higgins resides with his sweet fur sister Lulu and three cats who he loves, (especially a Siamese named Bunny). Bunny loves him too and frequently accompanies all of them on their daily walks.
We are so grateful to the Larson’s, yep that’s Swen our FUTY volunteer nominee and his lovely wife Sandy.
Thank you to our dear friend Iris, who fostered him and took such great care of him for us while recovering from the shelter “gunk”. Also to our dear rescue partner, without her this boy was a goner. She also drove 18+ hours to get him safely to us.
All that is left to say....is-“Happy Life” Higgins Larson❤.
Murdoch (AKA Winston) our sweet senior Cocker-spaniel has found his forever home!
His new family is super private and therefore wanted to place the spotlight on him and his new fur-sister Honey (long haired dachshund). He is loved and adored and has a HUGE yard to explore. You’d never know he’s almost blind and has a pretty high grade heart murmur too.
Thank you to our loving foster mom who worked magic with him and to his forever family who is smitten and to Honey who is always close by his side.
They are also Seattle Seahawks fans so we donated his collar for some added “fan support”. BIG “thank you” to our sponsor Hope Botanicals, LLC who donated his CBD Oil during his foster time. It helped with his skin, hair, his anxiety and his eye sight too!
His family is keeping the tradition going❤️. Special mention to Darrell Poole with Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter who reached out to us through our partnered shelter and asked if we could help. How could we say no to this love-able boy?! Happy life Winston❤️🤗🐾
Adoption Announcement-Rosie....her story~
On February 1st we were contacted by Jackie, the animal welfare coordinator at Auburn Valley Humane Society. We have a special needs miniature poodle we are trying to find placement for and are reaching dead ends, I am trying to exhaust every option so I wanted to reach out to you guys and see if you possibly knew of any option for her. Her name is Rosie, and her owner left her with a friend and never came back for her. Her friend was unable to take care of Rosie so she was brought to us.
When we were doing her medical exam it was noted that she is estimated 10 year old, intact female poodle. She has a suspected inguinal hernia which is likely longstanding. After listening to her heart it was found that she has 2-3/6 Heart Murmur. Her teeth have heavy tartar and possibly might need canine extractions. After taking her blood it was noticed that her blood glucose was 462, and she is diabetic. Along with all of that she is developing cataracts, so likely reduced vision and impending blindness. She also has two luxating patella’s, that more than likely due to her age cannot be fixed.
We really do not have options for her because she is diabetic. All in all she is a nice little girl, if you know of anyone or anywhere that might be able to take her on please let us know. We do not have the space or staff to treat diabetes at the shelter. I know that she is a lot to take on, and if you do not know of any possible options for her we completely understand.
Our founder visited with Rosie that weekend and posted her on social media with a plea for an experienced foster home (possible hospice). Within 48 hours that loving foster Mom with lots of previous senior and hospice care “appeared” and we went together on February 19th to start her new life.
Rosie Posie had many vet appointments over the past several months, both with the loving veterinarians at her primary practice (Rainier Veterinary Hospital and her specialists at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Seattle-).
Rosie had to get healthy first and weight on her tiny frame, she had a bad bacterial infection to start with, and her foster Mom was incredibly diligent and got her healthy and to a weight where we could start addressing her many medical concerns. First concern was her diabetes (insulin and glucose curve testing), we got this managed and continued to test her as things changed (behavior, potty accidents, etc.). We then set our sights on her heart murmur to make sure she could have her necessary surgery.
On March 6th, Blue Pearl’s, Cardiologist, Dr. Mark Harmon performed her echocardiogram and cleared her for her spay and inguinal hernia repair. June 6th Rosie went in for her big surgeries, we sent out a plea on social media to keep her in your thoughts and prayers! Not only did she have her spay and hernia repair but a dental cleaning (no teeth had to be removed)!
Rosie’s cataracts have become more pronounced (she more than likely will become blind), she will need occasional glucose curve testing and she has horrible “poodle hair” and will need consistent grooming in the months and years to come. Her foster Mom took this all in stride, she did try to see if Rosie was open to being adopted with a neighbor friend and as Rebecca explained the encounter, Rosie wouldn’t even look her way.
Rosie has a sweet Japanese Chin fur brother named Cricket and a variety of other senior dogs who come to daycare to hang out daily. Rosie lives to play, explore neighborhoods, parks and sleeping inside or in the yard with her friends has become her pastime. Rosie never lets her Mom out of her sight and truly adores Rebecca, we could have not found a better forever home where she is loved, cherished and fits in so well. We've watched her blossom from a scared, shy, sweet neglected senior to an outgoing and energetic senior who is living her BEST life!
Rosie will always have a place in many of your hearts as the underdog, we appreciate the donations that came in to help us take care of her and offer her the best medical care in Seattle!
This is one more example of how foster homes truly save lives and why we do what we do! Swipe to the right and take a look back at her transformation.
Happy life Rosie Posie, we RUV you!
CHAMP-I’ve been ADOPTED!
Champ (AKA Chico) was rescue with help from our California rescue partner on September 13, 2018.
His first vet appointment with our long time veterinarian, said “we’ve got some work to do”. Champ would not stop drinking water or peeing nonstop, as you can imagine this was problematic and frustrating for a family who worked during the week. He also would steal food from tables, the kitchen counter or the stove! This boy really needed help and his family needed strength and compassion and lots of support. None of this was his fault as we all suspected he was kept as an outside dog most, if not all of his life. He just did what he always had done to survive. 💔
This was going to be a challenge, and through it all Champ was the typical goofy, drooling, silly boy and breed we’ve all come to love.
His foster Mom continued to work with his nutrition, taking in urine samples and stuck with him and eventually he’s stopped soiling his belly band during the week. He also stopped pooping in the house and swiping food from counters (sometimes an occasional oops, but hey he’s a growing boy). His e-coli infection is improving but it’s sadly still a concern along with organs that were affected due to the infection. He’s on a new medication now and we ALL have hope that he will kick this soon! The best part is he now weighs a healthy 64 pounds! His hair is soft like bunny fur and it matches his enthusiasm to hop around like a bunny or roll down his adoptive families grassy hill or chase a ball, he LOVES car rides and weekend adventures. We are so thrilled he found his forever family and we can’t begin to thank them enough or our vet who really has been so instrumental in his medical progress.
His forever family took a trip to Portland this past weekend for his Dad to be sworn in as a US Citizen and his Mom’s brother took care of him and his fur brother Loki. He had done this previously and Champ was a mess, this time he said’ “Wow, Champ is like a whole new dog”! That says it all, they LOVE their Champ and Champ sure LOVES them!
Champ’s story has the happiest of endings and we are so thrilled we can visit with him and his forever family, because he’s only 20 minutes from us! His face licks and drool are EPIC!
Thank you to his now FOREVER family for sticking with and by YOUR boy, loving him fierce and for saying YES!
Happy life Champ Estrada:-) xoxo
Akuma has found his forever home with the Marson's and he's so treasured!
Most of you remember the shelter photo with his blue cone still on. He was sick with Demodex, upper respiratory infection, allergies and ear infections. His family just could not afford his care.
We stepped in and with the help of a very dedicated and loving California foster home and terrific veterinarians he became healthy once more. We are very indebted and so appreciate your willingness to keep him safe, while attending all his vet appointments, picking-up and administering medications and frequent baths.
He then traveled to Seattle and stayed with his foster Dad's for a long time, until his forever family found him online. This was such an important time frame where he played with the resident Shihtzu "Millie", went on road trips and forged friendships with many other dogs in the neighborhood. We learned so much about him and his personality (belly rubs please), we were able to hone-in on what he needed to be successful. His foster Dad's fell hard and were part of the open-adoption-process and have willingly offered play dates and built in babysitting.
-FOSTERING DOES SAVE LIVES-
Akuma has already traveled on a plane to meet his extended family, has played at the space needle, goes to work with his Dad (in a dog backpack) and plays with other dogs there too. His Mom comes home during lunch (when it's a stay-at-home day) and takes him on a stroll through-out the neighborhood. Weekends are especially fun and so much to explore in Seattle!
He has a crush on a female Bishon in his building and has a friend in the Havanese that is the shop dog at the business next-door to where he lives.
We have been sent so many videos and photos 💞. We just smile and most of the time giggle at his antics and his fabulous life.
Thank you to each of you (and you know who you are) for making this happen for this sweet little guy who almost didn't make it out of the shelter.
Dreams do come true and Akuma is living his best life!
-Happy life Akuma Marson-
"Blondee" has found her forever home with the Sibon's. She has an amazing home on the waterfront and will soon be a snowbird and traveling to Arizona with her forever family for part of the year. She immediately fit right in and we look forward to hearing all about her adventures. We are so thankful their daughter found her for them on a courtesy post by Old Dog Haven. We are thrilled for the Sibon's who decided they couldn't do without her in their lives.
Happy life sweet Blondee!
Welcome Gwen, she was in California at the Orange County Shelter. She was adopted twice before and found as a stray twice and picked up. We knew this time we could do better for Gwen! This little sweetheart weighs 47lbs and is good with other dogs and cats. We shared Gwen and the Marchand Family fell for her sweet nature and thought she would be a great companion for their senior boy Riley; a big loveable boy who tips the scales at around 80lbs. This wonderful family are seasoned Boxer owners and love this wonderful breed. We drove to meet the Marchand's over the weekend and it was love at first sight. We hear she has already meet several of their friends and their pups and is enjoying her new forever family. She has 25 acres to roam, a orange feline, chickens and loving parents to cherish her.
Happy life sweet Gwen you are home!
Welcome Harley Davidson, now named Fry has a girlfriend named Leela. Thank you to Kelsey and Vincent for having a passion for saving unwanted animals and seeing him on Petfinder. Fry isn't a senior but was dog in need as we were reached out to and asked to help. The finder offered to foster him which was incredibly helpful. This was a day filled with a lot of laughter as these two ran around the large yard and played and played. Very similar personalities and both Dachshund mixes which are well matched. Kelsey and Vincent adopted Leela a few months ago from the Olympia Shelter and its clear they wanted to offer her the best forever home and now their family is complete with Fry.
Happy life little Fry
(AKA Harley Davidson)
you are home!
Welcome Miranda!
We found her in California at the Downey Shelter. Miranda was being overlooked because she was so shy and hid from the other dogs she shared her crowded kennel with and would not come to the front of the kennel to interact with visitors. We saw Miranda on a shelter post and we couldn't leave her to die so we brought her to Seattle, WA. Miranda was an absolute delight and very smart it wasn't long before her perfect home was found. On Valentine's Day Miranda found her forever and loving home in the arms of her new Mom (Caralee).
Happy life sweet Miranda!
Welcome Rocky, we were alerted to him by a Craigslist post and agreed to bring him on as a Charlie's Foundation boy has been adopted with his bonded sister Angel.
Please see their story and their journey to a forever family below:
Rocky and Angel came into rescue when their owners passed away and the children could no longer care for them. Sadly, the children didn't think anyone would want Angel due to her medial needs and had planned to euthanize her that Monday. On a wing and a prayer that rescue help for Angel could be found, Danielle Elizabeth brought the pair home. Sachi Animal Rescue couldn't say no to backing Angel, so we all joined forces to keep this bonded pair together because that's how you spell TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves More and we never leave a bonded pair behind.
A special thank you an additional team member Stacy McKeon Coleman who reached out to her vet to help both rescues with medical costs for these two and foster them overnight at her home before driving them in for their medical procedures.
Knowing they were seniors and very bonded, we thought they would remain in foster care forever... But fate would have it that these two would find the perfect forever home! Their adoptive home was living in San Francisco, but soon moving to New Hampshire, where their foster mom just so happens to spend part of her summer vacation. They met Rocky and Angel in California and instantly fell in love. Danielle Elizabeth and her hubby drove them out! Last week they made it to their final destination where these two seniors will be spoiled and live out their days as they so deserve!
It's hard to find adopters for seniors, and even harder for bonded pairs, but it goes to show that there is a perfect home for EVERY dog! Fate would not have it any other way. Congrats to Rocky and Angel on getting their forever home. We couldn't have done it without Danielle Elizabeth "Foster Mom of the year" and all our senior loving friends who helped in countless ways.
We so very much appreciate all the support along the way. Please let us know if you'd like to help make a difference in the life of a senior by fostering one in need.
Welcome to your forever home Rocky and Angel!
It is with much gratitude that we post Maizey has been ADOPTED!
She has a wonderful home with Tasha Essen and her sweet boy Boris who Maizey adores.
Tasha previously had a brindle female boxer who she loved dearly and when she first saw Maizey she made it her mission to bring Maizey home. We want to thank her previous family who kept her safe the past 6 months while we networked her, and a huge thank you to Marty and Lyle who fostered her, and to Marty who worked with her during introductions and home visit the past month and made Maizey feel like a new girl.
We are so incredibly grateful that this sweet girl has found her final forever home with such an amazing Mom and furbrother. Maizey will be going on adventures over the water to play at their cabin and the benefits of a city girl with lots of walks and love.
In closing we want to just say "Welcome home sweet girl and happy life"
Buster Keaton's day has come, we are so blessed to post he is now in his forever home with the Larson's.
Buster came to us by way of a California Shelter as an owner surrender, he arrived in Seattle the beginning of the year and we have been searching for his forever home for several months.
Thank you to Old Dog Haven who shared Buster Keaton for us a few times, we so appreciate your willingness to share senior dogs in Washington.
The Larson's have had several Boxers over the years, and they recently lost their senior German Shepherd (Reba) and had been following Buster on Facebook.
They came to our adoption event last weekend with Lulu and the rest is history. They have a passion for helping those who are in need of love and compassion. It's clear that Buster has a new Master who loves him very much and it's clear that Buster feels safe and where he needs to be. The Larson's also help feral cats and have helped many dogs in need over the years. Buster has a new fur sister named Lulu (who loves him and showers him with kisses), and he also has a resident cat who he also enjoys (she will get use to him we are positive).
Buster will receive lots of attention in his new home and we are told he goes on several walks a day and has already met the neighbors and friends and has already started to charm everyone he meets. Did we mention he has a HUGE back yard to roam around and protect?
Thank you to the Larson's who decided Buster was their forever boy.
Buster K Larson we wish you a happy life sweet boy may you never want for anything ever again~
Benjamin Buttons (AKA Benji, AKA UncleBen) was one of the Hillsboro, OR 4
Now named Benjen he has officially been adopted. He lives feet away from Alki Beach in West Seattle with his new furmom; Devki RajGuru and is loving his new home. He is visited regularly by friends and family and other Dachshunds. Devki hasn't had a dog in a long time, and she fell for this little man like we all have over the months he's been in our rescue. Thank you to his loving foster family who kept him safe and loved so he would get the chance at his forever family. Without foster offers these wonderful seniors wouldn't be on earth to enjoy their new life!
Thank you to everyone at the Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter for asking us to help save him.
Welcome home sweet Benjen!
LillyMay has been adopted!
She is our 2nd Hillsboro, OR Senior and was one of the Hillsboro, OR 4
Thank you to Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter for alerting us to her.
Today her trial adoption became her forever home. We can't begin to thank her amazing foster family the Meyers, her private donor who covered the majority of her medical needs. Our dear friend who performed her home check, and last but not least her forever Mom who lost her previous Dachshund to Cancer and wanted to add sweet LillyMay to her home. Thank you to Coleen for saying yes to LillyMay!
~Welcome to your forever home sweet girl~
CHEVY has been adopted!
Chevy was one of the Hillsboro, OR 4
We are so thrilled that we were contacted by Jessie Hanawalt and her boyfriend Dallas J. Kimball regarding adding Chevy to their home. They had to let their previous sweet black lab (Vida) cross over to The Rainbow Bridge earlier this year and wanted to find another senior dog in need to love.
We took a road trip to beautiful Forks, WA with his long-term foster Mum Tonya Arredondo a few weeks ago. Chevy is a poster dog for being abused and neglected yet still wanting love and showing love whenever he can to anyone possible.
He lives with two beautiful and sweet fur siblings who are American Staffordshire Terrier mixes. Keta who is from another rescue group (she's the black and white sweat heart and 2.5yrs old) and Guido who is 7.5yrs old (he's the big brindle boy and HUGE love bug) Guido ended up in a shelter with his bonded brother Capone after their owner passed away. His brother was adopted leaving this poor boy behind for months when a prison training program sprung him. He eventually was brought back to the shelter where he found his forever home with Jessie and Dallas.
We also met their extended family who are currently fostering a rescue puppy who has medical needs. This entire family is huge on saving dogs and it was so wonderful to be around so many caring people!
Chevy sees Chickens, Turkeys, Cows, Elk and more wildlife on a regular basis and seems to very much love his new life. We hear he's going along with everyone on a road trip to the Oregon Coast in a few weeks and we are certain this will be one of many adventures he will be a part of.
Without Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter, Darrell Poole, Cindy Schippers and the rest of the staff to include the ACO's and the Attorneys who were able to successfully prosecute his previous owner for animal neglect and cruelty this boy would have been another statistic.
We are so grateful for Chevy's happily forever ending, and to his new forever owners (Jessie and Dallas) who love him more and more with each new day.
Chevy also joins a family who is VERY passionate about FOOTBALL and the SEAHAWKS so collars are heading their way shortly!
Happy life Chevy! You are HOME!
Babe has been ADOPTED!
Thank you to her new family and her Dad Scott McGough!
Babe will live with her two fur kitty siblings in Seattle and will have multiple daily walks and car rides much to her joy!
Babe was loved by so many people before her adoption and the list is so long we made a long "thank you" post on our Rescue Facebook page.
This girl adores children and people alike and her new Dad is more than what we could have hoped for here at Charlie's Foundation.
We do know that Babe adores her new life and meeting lots of new people and friends that her Dad has in his life. We just know she's going to have the best time and be treasured.
On a beautiful day in Seattle where the rain stopped briefly and the sun came out to welcome her home.
Thank you Scott and welcome to your forever life Babe McGough!
Welcome Diego!
Diego is a Miniature Schnauzer born on Christmas Day 9 years ago. His owner walked into our local MudBay in Overlake and was asking if they knew of any local senior dog rescues, and they gave her our rescue card.
We were contacted the early part of October by her and we just knew this was meant to be (Kizmit). The Meyer’s were our previous foster home who lovingly fostered both LillyMay and Benjamin Buttons (AKA Benjin) and they were previous Schnauzer owners. When we contacted them about Diego there was no hesitation. We met at their home with the owner and learned a lot about him!
Over the next few weeks, he was taken into the vet and cleared of any medical concerns. Diego was becoming a fast family member and the Meyers were learning more about him each day.
We knew when we received the text that he’s ours and he’s going nowhere meant we lost a foster home but more importantly Diego gained his forever home. Diego spends most of his days with Ron and has bonded quickly with him and the rest of the family.
We are so grateful to the Meyers “Pictured left to right (Aly “granddaughter”, Sherri, Ron and Diego).
Owner surrenders are always so hard but knowing Diego went directly into his forever home has softened the heart ache a bit more and knowing he has such an amazing and loving home is what helps the transition even more.
Welcome home Diego~
-Dutchess is a permanent Foundation Senior-
She came to us on 11/24/2015 through a joint effort with our California
rescue Partner Sachi Animal Rescue.
Rand Souden from Sachi drove from Palm Springs to save this sweet senior girl from Pomona Shelter where she had run out of time and euthanasia listed and required a medical waiver. She stayed with Rand and his pack for a few days and then was brought to Newport Harbor Animal Hospital in Costa Mesa to receive needed vetting before heading to Seattle. Thank you to Raphaele Brilliant who kept her overnight and to John Noland who transported her early Saturday morning for her to catch her ride to Seattle.
Dutchess arrived in Seattle, and she had some health concerns (heart murmur and some behaviors that we were working on).
During the past few years, she was diagnosed with Liver Disease, grade 4 heart murmur, and Cushing's Disease. She is an American Bulldog/ Boxer mix, which are two very strong-willed breeds. Dutchess frequently will greet you running directly at you with her head down and growl.
She also isn’t the best with new visitors and lets them know she is in charge. Because of this over the past years it was clear to us Dutchess may not be understood well by an adoptive family.
We’ve successfully introduced her to cats, and many dogs who have rotated through our headquarters and we felt it was finally time to post “she’s staying with us, and we wouldn’t have it any other way”.
Dutchess resides at our Foundation with her fur sister Shelby and little Coconut too.
To her family who never came for her, shame on you, but because of you we have her and love her like she has always been with us. We are officially a foster fail!
Happy Life Sweet Dutchess, you are home~
Scruffy has officially been adopted!
Scruffy was one of the original Hillsboro 4 Shelter seniors and the last senior in our care.
He has been adopted by his loving foster home and his young caretaker Suji is thrilled to hear the news today. We kept it from her for over a week until we could visit today, and we can tell by her smile that her family made the right decision for Suji and for Scruffy.
Suji brought Scruffy to a few of our adoption events and Scruffy even went home on two trial adoptions. Although, Scruffy wasn't the easiest for his trial adopters and we made the hard decision to bring him back to his foster home each time.
We think Scruffy wanted to stay right where he was all along, he's sneaky like that:-)
He's settled in so well and he also has other family members and two fur canine brothers Bailey & Sunny, and a cat named Bear just to name a few to keep him company.
We are so thankful to the Camacho Family for truly falling for this sweet old man and for us knowing he will always be loved and cared for.
We hope his dad is looking down from Heaven and knows that he's very much loved by this amazing family.
We made a promise to him and to each senior in our care and today we can say......
~Welcome Home Scruffy Camacho!~
Maggie has been adopted!
Alison Monroe (AKA Ali) saw Maggie's photo on Petfinder and it was love at first sight, Ali's Mom Lorraine Galbreath-Monroe contacted us immediately about meeting her and bringing her home.
The Monroe's are a very active family and Maggie has at least 3 walks a day, a large yard with a HUGE waterfall feature, car rides to her hearts content and a home to call her very own. They made sure that scatter rugs, dog beds with extra memory foam and a large carpet was in place even prior to Maggie arriving.
Maggie's family is a rescue animal family and have had many (small and large) over the years whom they have loved and been able to offer endless joy and lots and lots of love to.
We know Maggie is in the best home we could have possibly hoped for, and we also know they will continue to be a family that advocates for all animals. While visiting with them this past weekend it was clear to see that Maggie is greatly loved and cherished and she has brought joy back to the Monroe's home once again.
It's our great pleasure to say welcome to your forever home Maggie Monroe~
Charlee Brown has officially been adopted
Written by: Charlee's Mom
I could write a book about this sweet little boy. I was contacted by a very close friend in Walla Walla about Charlee Brown. He was in his second home, with a family of 4 young kids and a father that traveled a lot. Charlee was not getting the attention he needed and was on Craigslist. His family turned him over to my friend as an owner surrender.
Charlee was not even 2 at the time; he was not allowed on furniture or allowed to sleep with anyone at night. He was in a kennel more often than not and at bedtime, he was in a dark room in his kennel. Charlee came to stay with me in early October 2016. Charlee immediately blended with my other two boxers and my Lab. Charlee was too thin, afraid of the dark and loud noises and very starved for attention.
Charlee was ill and needed medical attention, which he did get right away. After about a month of helping this little guy adapt to his new surroundings, learning what good kibble really was, fresh water and last but not least, Love. I knew I couldn’t let him go to his fourth home, mine is already home number three for this sweet boy. My mother watches him and his brother and sister’s while I am at work.
Charlee began to thrive, and our family was in love with him. So, Charlee officially became a member of our family in in late November.
This little guy is a charmer, he loves everyone, and everyone loves him. Charlee has gained weight now and looks like a 2-year-old boxer should look, he is healthy and neutered and loving life.
We all love Charlee Brown, he is now in his forever home with me and my furkids, he will never wonder “what’s next” he will never want for anything, he will forever be loved as every dog should.
My heart was literally broken when I first saw Charlee Brown, his eyes were not shiny, and I believe he was broken. Charlee Brown is no longer broken; he will never be broken again. He now has beautiful brown eyes; his hair is shiny, and he is ours.
Welcome Home Charlee Brown, you are safe.
Ginger (AKA Ginger Snap) has been adopted
On 7/10/2016 Ginger was rescued from Downey Shelter by Charlie's Foundation in a joint effort with Sachi Animal Rescue who put in the pull for us. Heather Jones drove to Downey and personally saved her, and she was brought to overnight Boarding then to her foster home and now forever home with Danielle Elizabeth and her husband Erik. For those of you not familiar we've posted photos from her previous past at the shelter, her freedom photos and all her silly escapades at her foster home leading up to her foster home becoming her forever home!
Here is Ginger’s story in her mom’s eyes:
“Ginger first came to us as this little 55 lb firecracker". She was full of spunk and had a prey drive that drove away any kitty or bird in the yard. Our first challenge with this girl was crate training. She was the first boxer (and we had fostered 26 at this point) that we could NOT get used to the crate. The second she was in there her breathing increased and she would stress, even when I would lay down next to her on the floor. After multiple training method attempts, and 2 crates later, we decided to just leave her out and hope for the best. Well, Ginger surprised us all when 4 hours later we came home to a normal house! Weeks later Ginger decided she wanted to see what the neighbors had in their yard, so she broke through the fence… Turns out her prey drive kicked in and she seriously wanted to kill the blue tarp in the neighbor’s yard. At this point I wasn’t sure what to do, but we fixed the fence and put chicken wire around the bottom (great tip Teresa!!). It took a few weeks for her to settle in, and lots of work so she didn’t take over the house, but once she did, our Ginger girl blossomed into a beautiful flower! She started cuddling with me at night, and it was easy to fall in love with those big brown eyes. While my husband was away, she was also my rock and my sidekick! I was afraid she wouldn’t want to share my attention, but when she came home, she instantly drew to him and now I think she is more attached to him!
Even with our ups and downs I still had faith that this girl would probably stay with us forever… When the thoughts of moving her came and turned my stomach, I knew she was meant to stay here!”
From Charlie's Foundation-
She's a sweet and fiery girl who has won the hearts of her family and we are so thankful she doesn't ever have to leave Sunny California or the home she has been in for the past 5 months. Ginger has a fur sister named Stella and a fur brother named Dexter and of course Malcom who is being fostered for Sachi Animal Rescue who she like to lay on his head and use him as a seat cushion it seems daily. She is true to the breed, and we are so thankful for knowing she is deeply loved.
We have much respect and gratitude for her forever family who has fostered MANY boxers over the years and have been die hard advocates for this breed. Danielle fought so hard for Ginger to get out alive and it's only fitting this is where her home will always be!
We know there will be many updates and we look forward to each and every one!
Welcome home Ginger Snap!
~Willow was adopted on her final day on this earth ~
On this first day of summer, we said goodbye for now to this sweet warrior princess. The sky will be bright tonight with a shiny new star, and we will light a candle in her honor.
Her family loved her, and we want to celebrate her life and her spirit not that she is no longer on this earth. We made a promise to save her almost a year ago now and for her to have the best final life no matter how long that might be.
Willow thrived even though she dealt with so much in her daily life. She danced around in the morning before her breakfast she kept the resident dogs Gooby (AKA Buster Keaton) and Lulu in line.
She loved her dad. She was sweet and feisty and would cry when he left for the day and was excited when he returned.
When she was having issues walking, we placed a request out for a stroller, and she loved taking rides and was able to go on her pack walk in style and comfort. Willow also enjoyed car rides and she loved to eat.
We were told she made peace with her adoptive Mom last night no growling as she normally did unless she was being given a bath. She came up into her lap and allowed her to touch her and love her and she looked straight into her eyes as to say I love you and she went on a stroller ride.
Her most recent diagnosis was trachea collapse including her cushings disease and her heart disease and kidney/liver failure. She had been to the ER a few days ago and placed into an oxygen tent and sent home with pain pills. She coughed all night long and the next day unless she was sleeping, we knew she was in distress and pain even though she kept up a brave front.
Willow's body failed her, and we all knew that we'd rather let her go one day too soon instead of one day too late.
Our entire rescue family is grieving, she had a large following and those that loved her all over the world and we know from the outpouring today that she won't soon be forgotten.
We want to thank her family who wanted to adopt her to give her their last name and to show everyone that senior dogs matter and they deserve love, compassion and a forever home no matter how long that might be. We have no doubt that Willow was loved deeply and will be missed even more.
We will be thinking of ways to honor this little lion and her family in the upcoming weeks. For now, we want to thank everyone for their well wishes and please say some prayers for her family as they are grieving at her loss.
We love you Willow, may you be young again once more and running free without pain at The Bridge~
Eli has been adopted!
Today we visited with his new family (the Olson's) and saw just how at home Eli is. Eli lives with a female black lab named Indi who they adopted through a rescue that found her abandoned in a remote area. Eli loves to give Indi lots of kisses! Eli has already joined his family on an overnight camping trip, and we hear he had a relaxing time. Eli has a nice quiet neighborhood and a big back yard to roam around in when he isn't laying on the leather couch:-)
The Olson's have rescued many black labs and even once had a Great Dane mix. They have never had a Boxer in their home, and they are really enjoying him especially knowing he was given up by his previous family. None of us can understand why they gave him up and, in the condition, he was brought to the shelter in. What we do know is Eli is not looking back, he's in the most loving home we could have hoped for. The Olson's are a very active family and Eli will be involved with every adventure. It's like he has always lived with them. He also very much loves his new children Ella and Sam and it's really obvious they love Eli too:-)
~All that we have left to say is, Happy life Eli Olson!~
Cooper has found his forever home with the Byrnes. He's been in their home for the past several months as a foster dog and they couldn't bear to lose him.
Cooper joins a family who believes in rescuing not just dogs but any animal that comes along their path. Cooper's Dad {not pictured} finds calm when Cooper is around him at home.
His Mum laughs at his antics and recently mentioned that Cooper likes to be sneaky and counter surf on occasion. He's also known for hoping up on the couch and making himself at home. We loved visiting today with his family and seeing how incredibly happy he is.
We know the Byrnes through their daughter Chantelle who adopted a senior boxer named Cash a few years ago from another local rescue. This wonderful and loving family really is the bees knees and we are so thankful that Coop Coop or Coopie (their granddaughter Addi's name for him) has fur siblings and a very sweet 3-year-old to love on him.
All his fur siblings are rescue dogs and we find comfort in knowing he will never want for anything.
Pictured front row left to right is as follows: Diggory, Mollie, Cooper, Back row left to right: Chantelle, Addilyn, Brittany, Tetley and Gwyneth.
Please join us in welcoming Cooper home!
Cooper has been adopted!
Lucy has been adopted!
It's with great pleasure we announce that Lucy is home!
We were so blessed to visit with her Mom and Dad and see her interact with one of the resident neighbor cats (Calvin).
She really has settled in so beautifully and another neighbor was there too with her senior male dog, she really seems to have found her stride.
So much of this is due to her forever family who spend a lot of time with her, hiking, camping, long walks and her Mom takes her on runs as well. She has become a fast favorite of the neighborhood children we are told and anyone she meets comments on how well-mannered she is.
We are also told she loves being in the car as it's sure to be an adventure wherever she goes, and we think she really looks forward to the destination.
Her family loves her and enjoys her 24/7, whether that be out and about or cuddling at home. We know we will receive updates on all of her new adventures, and we are grateful in knowing she's treasured.
We want to thank everyone who rallied for Lucy, helped us save her, fostered her in California until transport was set and to our Seattle Vets who we showed her adoption photo to today and a big round of "that's awesome" was shouted loudly in the lobby.
Today was an awesome day for Charlie's Foundation and the seniors we've vowed to help in Charlie's name.
~Welcome Home Lucy Mayo~
Greggor has been adopted!
Greggor has found his forever home with his fur-brother Trouper and his Mom (Vicki) and Dad (Preston).
They saw Greggor's photos and video from the shelter and knew he was the next senior for them. His family has adopted several seniors from local shelters and Trouper has been their big brother. Even though Trouper is only 4 he's very gentle and sweet with Greggor and has been mentoring him and when we arrived this afternoon for his adoption photo, he eagerly greeted us with a wagging tail and Boxer bowed and picked up a tennis ball!
We hear he's a gem and very kind and gentle to their grandchild and has gone on some short walks in the neighborhood and getting use to his new home. His Dad says he's picked him up to let him lay on his lap which we are so happy to hear he's bringing joy to his family and has a loving forever home.
We noticed right away his new purple Husky collar too:-)This neglected boy who was picked up as a stray and brought into a shelter with not much interest sure has won the hearts of many along his journey.
We love this boy and know many who have fallen for him, and we take great glee in knowing we can say today was an awesome day for him and his forever family.
~Greggor you are home, long life sweet boy~
-It's time for some Shelby love (AKA Penny AKA Penny Lane) A Permanent Foundation Senior-
We rescued Shelby from a shelter when her family never came for her. She had a family once as she is altered, potty trained, crate trained, loved car rides and other dogs/cats and still they never came for her. We knew rescues were full and most don't have room for mixed breed dogs no matter how sweet they area.
Shelby was at our Headquarters for a while as she was awaiting her forever home. During this wait she had some medical concerns that we ended up determining was Chronic Pancreatitis.
We had a few wonderful adopters interested in Shelby but after speaking with them at great length regarding the urgency of her disease and the constant monitoring of food, treats, stress, etc., it was decided that she would not remain an adoptable senior dog. Instead, Shelby was adopted by the Founder of Charlie's Foundation.
Shelby is a love and recently our Founder splurged a bit and found out her true mix. We knew she was a Boxer Mix but all along we thought maybe Yellow Labrador, maybe Sharpei, maybe American Staffordshire but we didn't really know until a few days ago.
Shelby resides at our Foundation with her fur sister Dutchess and little Coconut too.
We are thankful we could be part of her rescue and her journey and love her every day. We thank her supporters, and we thank our vet partners who we've had a few appointments with regarding her sometimes-having meltdowns even though we do our very best to prevent them.
Shelby is probably the gentlest soul we've ever met and very sensitive. She has taught us a lot and we are blessed to love her for as long as she has.
A very heartfelt thank you to Julie Austin Photography for her time this past weekend to take these forever photos to help reminding us of these amazing dogs we've saved in Charlie's name.
We are blessed!
"Coco is a 10-year-old Miniature Pinscher and a Permanent Foundation senior who came to Charlie’s Foundation on 6/22/2016".
Her previous owners had surrendered her to her vet’s office after she had been attacked by another animal and they could not afford her medical needs. Coco had a large wound on the top of her head and her side, and she also was not spayed and had at least one litter of puppies.
Upon further inspection it was determined it had been a while since she had a dental procedure; she went into our vet to have 7 teeth removed and spayed. While she was being spayed a mammary tumor was discovered which was the size of a small tangerine, it was the largest one they had seen for her size of a dog, Coco only weighs 8lbs. She also had her current wounds re-flushed and was put on antibiotics for the pain.
It took several weeks for her to recover and during that time we learned a lot about her habits and got her use to our resident cats and dogs at our headquarters. We’d never had a senior dog this small or knew much about her breed and boys were we in for an adventure!
We placed Coco up for adoption on the regular adoption sites and brought her to several meet and greet adoption events through our local MudBay Rescue Partner Locations.
It was pretty clear early on that Coco had felt she had already found her forever home with us, we just didn’t get the memo as quickly. We continued to bring her to adoption events and although we felt a better home was out there (or at least we believed that) she continued to bond with our Founder and the senior dogs and cats at Charlie’s Foundation Headquarters. This meant that she would be protective during events, nip at potential adopters and bark to let everyone know she was off limits. It was brought to our Founders attention at her last adoption event that her breed chooses their owners and once bonded they are bonded (from a current Miniature Pinscher owner).
About a week later and a full year of trying to find her a home we made it official and let Coco know that she would stay with us as a permanent resident. She was thrilled and started to make herself at home at our headquarters, bossing around the big dogs (Babe was one of her favorites and Lilly). Both Babe and Lilly have since gone to The Bridge and Coco seems content with Shelby and Dutchess who we also decided due to their medical needs to stay with us and become a permanent Foundation Senior.
Coco keeps us on our toes and sometimes we will find gray fluffy hair in her mouth (compliments of Gadget our resident rescued Persian) Coco loves his fluffy tail. She also cuddles up next to one of the seniors every night and snores like a trucker. She’s had 6 more teeth pulled recently and her wounds are finally healing on her head and are just distant reminders of what her life was once like.
We are so thankful to Charlie for placing us on this path to saving mix breed senior dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds for without this, our rescue wouldn’t have saved great little dogs with huge hearts like Coco (AKA Coco Chanel AKA Coconut).
Katie was our first unofficial senior we saved while we were awaiting our 501c3 status.
Katie came from the Orange County Shelter. She was a stray that had a hard life and had a lot of retraining. Katie went through obedience training, learned to co-exist with cats and other dogs. Her perfect home came forward in the shape of a retired 911 operator located in Yakima, WA. Carol fell hard for Katie and she had a previous Belgian Malinois named Harley who had passed away. Carol worked very hard with Katie getting her adjusted to her new home and life. Katie now enjoys the grandchildren and is the perfect companion for her Mom.
Happy life sweet KatieBird!