CARLEY'S STORY

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I am so lonesome--
How about you?

When I came to the shelter
All covered with goo,
Even the folks who worked there said,
"Phew!"

They bathed me and brushed me
And said I was fit.
A family saw me and declared,
"She is it!"

They took me home for a life full of ease,
But their vet said, "Oh no,
She's got heartworm disease."

So back to the shelter
They drove in a hurry.
"We can't afford it," they said--
Then they scurried.

Who then will help me?
Oh, what can I do?
That is when ESRA
Always comes through.

Now I feel better.
I'm getting my meds!
The treatment is working
While I rest in my bed.

I have to stay quiet now,
Per doctor's orders.
But soon I'll be well enough
To run the yard borders.

I'm waggy and wiggly
And cuddly, too.
When I am ready,
I want to meet you.

I'll love you forever!
What more can I do?
And if you'll adopt me, I'll always be true.

Love,
Carley

My name is Coco, and I’d like to tell you about myself. I had a rough start in life, being bred to provide puppies for a puppy mill until I was five. I wasn’t loved or cared about for myself until the good folks at ESRA rescued me. I have now been with my foster mom for several months, and I’m so much happier now. I live in a big house with a wonderful yard, and I have two animal friends here—Max the dog and Louie the cat. It took a little while for us all to get used to each other, but now we play together and curl up together at night. What could be better than that? Max even taught me to play midair catch, which is a great game! The only thing I don’t like much is when Louie and Max get more attention than I do, so sometimes I try to wriggle in between them and Mom! I have lots of energy, and I love to play with Mom, Louie, and Max, but I am also a cuddler. If you want a lap dog to watch TV with, or someone to keep your feet warm at night, I’m your girl!

Because I didn’t have much contact with humans in my former life, it took me a while to learn to socialize with people. When Mom gave me my first bath, it was a little traumatic, but it helped me learn to trust her. I let her take care of me because I know she loves me. And I love the grooming part! At first I didn’t want to take treats from anyone, but now I’ve discovered a whole bunch of good things to eat! Right now I am most comfortable with my mom. Men are a little scary to me, but not as much as they used to be. When I am walking on a leash with my mom (which, by the way, I do perfectly), I will let men pet me. Even kids can pet me now. I confess that I like to get the attention! I’m still pretty shy and insecure, although I am trying very hard to trust people. Basically, if you are kind and gentle with me, I will let you do anything and never complain.

My mom seems to be quite happy with me because she doesn’t have to tell me very many times to correct my behavior. I never want her to be mad at me, so I try very hard to be good! I haven’t had any accidents in the house for a long time. I don’t have any really bad habits in the house or outside, but my mom thinks I do some interesting things, and some of them really make her laugh! You see, I like to redecorate. I will take the throw pillows or throw blanket off the sofa or chairs sometimes and move them somewhere else. Sometimes I like to see if an accent rug might look better in another area. I like to do this outside, too, not only with furniture cushions but with all my playthings. My mom just laughs because I never hurt anything. She also loves to watch me play my favorite game, hockey! I have some old cereal bowls that when turned upside down can be used as pucks. These are excellent to push around really fast on the deck with your paws or your nose, and they make a wonderful racket. I’m not very noisy as a rule, but when Mom is busy or reappears I have perfected my wonderful growl/bark to tell her things such as, “Come downstairs with me,” “Can we play now?” or “I didn’t see you there—hello!”

Here are some things I don’t like: certain kinds of dog food (Mom will give you details); being crated (I broke out of one once, and Mom still can’t figure out how I did that); being outside when it’s raining, although I will go out if you insist; seeing other people with dogs when we’re walking, although I’m trying to be good and not bark at them; getting in trouble for anything, because that makes me feel really bad.

Here are some things I do like: rawhide chews, big chew bones, and treats; walks; Max and Louie; sleeping on the bed with Mom; sleeping on my cushion beside the bed when Max beats me to the spot next to Mom; cuddling in the chair with Mom; playing in the yard with Mom, Max, and my toys; breakfast and dinner every day with Mom and Max.

I hope I can find a Forever Home where I can have all the love, patience, and attention I need. Is that home yours?

Fondly,
Coco

Hi! I'm Lucy, the English Setter. I was formerly known as Glory, named for my beautiful orange markings. I sure am lucky that there are lemon Springers that look somewhat like me (because that's how I got into ESRA's care), but let's face it: I am better looking! However, I will never say any bad things about Springers, since their organization rescued me. You may have thought you wanted a Springer, but I will make you change your mind!

I am a sweet young girl with lots of energy. I do great with my foster brother and sisters as well as the cat. I love to run. I am working on housetraining, and I am crate trained. I am also learning basic obedience commands. I am very affectionate. Since I can easily be frightened, I am looking for a loving family that will slowly introduce me to new circumstances.

I am up to date on all shots, spayed, and heartworm negative. Please consider making me part of your family. You'll be glad to have such a gorgeous and loving girl in your home!

Hi! My name is Orea, but I prefer to be called Lacy. I am a young, smaller-than-average Springer who is full of energy. I am still very much a puppy. I chew, nip, and play. I love to counter surf, but we are working on that bad habit. I also am being taught some good canine manners. I stay in my crate when my family is not at home, and I am fine throughout the house and yard when my foster family is at home. I sleep with my foster family's daughter. I love children, and I love other dogs.

I also have a really fun game that I like to play with my foster brother, Parker. There is a horse in the field behind us. Parker and I will lie in wait until the horse starts to graze closer to the fence. Once the horse is within five feet of the fence, we bark. The horse will trot off maybe twenty feet, then turn around and approach again. It is a game that we can play for up to an hour.

I am up to date on all of my shots, I am heartworm negative, and I have been spayed. I am great with all people, including children, but I am probably a bit too energetic for a home with a young child.

Please consider giving me a Forever Home.

I am learning not to counter surf, though I still might do that if the temptation is too great. I love to be brushed. I become a ticklish blob of jello while being brushed! I am also learning some basic commands. I am learning Sit, Down, and Shake.

My foster mom thinks I may be developing into an alpha dog, or maybe I am just exhibiting my teenage lack of common sense. I may need either to be the only dog in the home or to live with a submissive dog. I sometimes like to get into scuffles with my foster brother, but we are still great friends.

Hello! My name is Oakley, and I would like to tell you about myself. I have a very friendly personality, and I know how to meet and greet you. I am outgoing and lovable but not clingy, although I need to know where you are. I love to run and play. I am very quiet in the house and am content to lie around, as long as I get the exercise of a long walk or hard play for at least an hour each day. I am a typical Springer puppy. I really like to chew paper and to carry things in my mouth. I usually don't chew on inappropriate things other than paper.

I am housetrained and crate trained. I will go into my crate/kennel without a problem when my foster parents have to leave me home (although I don't really like to do that). When my foster parents are home, I have the run of the house.

I am so good with strangers that my foster mom has taken me to an assisted living facility where I can visit with all of the people we meet and really use my good manners. When we stop and my foster mom is visiting with someone, I just lie at her feet without a command. I am very patient.

I know Sit, Down, Off (although I still need some work on this one), and Wait. I come when called and I know my name. I ring the bell sometimes when I need to go out (although I'm still working on this one, too). I do not counter surf or beg while you are eating.

I walk pretty well on a leash, but I would like my new Forever Family to continue my training so I can be perfect. When my foster mom takes me out with her mobility scooter for a run, I stay right at her side. I am also learning to get my daily exercise when it is cold, just as my foster four-legged brothers and sister do, on their treadmill. I just started in obedience classes and I really like them. There are lots of other dogs there and lots of exercise while I am learning. I am pretty smart, and I learn quickly.

I would like to be placed in a home with another young dog that wants to play with me. I should also have a fenced-in yard, and maybe, since I am still a young boy, it would be nice if I didn't have to be home alone all day. I could be okay as an only dog, but I would want to be with other dogs regularly to stay socialized and to play. Children over eight years old would be okay also. I am good with younger children, but sometimes I can get too excited when I play. I have not met a cat yet, so I don't know how I would behave with them. I do like to chase squirrels. To be happy I will need regular exercise. Just going outside is not exercise. I need another dog to play with daily and/or daily walks to stay content, stimulated, and happy. In return I will be the best dog you could ever want.

My foster mom said that I should continue with my obedience training and could definitely enjoy competition. If my new parents get me registered in AKC or UKC, I would probably do well in Rally and then in Obedience. I like water and may do well competing in dock jumping. She also said that I will make a great certified therapy dog after I turn one year old, because I am a natural!

Do you have room in your heart and home to make me a part of your family? If you do, I will make you very happy.

My name is Nelson. My foster mom gave me the name when she first met me, as she thought I looked like an English admiral. (I think she got this idea because I had not had a trim in a while!) Mom said that she knew my name fit me when she read this quote about Admiral Nelson: "Nelson possessed an innate ability to inspire his men to achieve beyond what they thought possible."

I was found as a stray and taken to a shelter. I had not committed any crime, unless needing a bath and being skinny count as crimes. My foster mom and dad picked me, and they tell me they are grateful that I have taught them a lot. Actually, I thank them and ESRA every day and hope that my constantly wagging my tail shows everyone how happy I am to be with a family!

My life before ESRA is not known, but it is likely that I had been spending my days on a tie-out line and that my former owners were not able to feed or visit me regularly. I probably ended up chewing through my tie-out, as I had a broken tooth that had to be pulled when I came into rescue. Maybe people looked for me. I do not know if they called my name, because I am deaf. My foster family says that being deaf does not seem to concern me, because I can still roll over and ask for tummy rubs!

The vet told my foster family that I am just over six years of age. I have been neutered, and now I am up to date on my vaccinations. I have even been microchipped. I weighed forty-two pounds at the vet, but as I had not had consistent groceries for some time, that is probably not my ideal weight.

My foster parents say that I can read faces. The day that the vet told them that I was heartworm positive, they said that I became very quiet and got a faraway look in my eyes. My foster dad said that it looked as if I was thinking, "The news must be bad--look at their faces. I wonder if I will see another spring? I wonder if I will get to chase another spring robin?" Luckily for me, though, my foster parents called ESRA, and I will be starting my heartworm treatments in mid-January. That means I will be ready for my very own Forever Home in mid-to-late March.

My foster family says I am a very loving pooch (I do love to cuddle), and they say that I wag my tail more than any dog they have ever met. I want to please my family, and in a very short time I learned that they want me to sit nicely before going out or coming into the house. I pull a bit on the leash, but I am trying to figure out what is expected of me on the walk. I have not had much training, and although my family is working with me, I would love to have obedience classes.

I am friendly with the resident Springer, although I am not always sure what he is trying to tell me. I have met the seven-year-old neighbor boy outside, and I sat nicely for him so that he could pet me. I am social with the other people that I meet when I am with my foster family.

I am housetrained and crate trained. My foster mom and dad are amazed at how well I behave in the crate. I sometimes sing or chortle if I need to go outside before my foster family comes for me, but otherwise I rarely bark.

Everyone that has met me remarks on how sweet I am. I am not sure that "sweet" is an appropriate word for an admiral, but people don't seem to use words such as "honorable" in referring to their four-legged friends, so sweet is okay by me!

There are several things that my foster mom says are important: I will need a fenced-in yard. I am very loving and my tail only stops wagging when I sleep, but I will need a family that is patient and willing to work to communicate with me. I am friendly with the resident Springer and with other dogs that I meet, but I will stand my ground if another dog challenges me. (I sit and look the other dog in the eye, and the other dog seems to catch on quickly.) I will need supervision in a home until I am familiar with the house rules and boundaries.

Here are some other things Mom wants you to know about me: I don't bark when there is noise outside. I am a pretty quiet guy unless I want to go outside, or when I have a drink of water. I don't wake up when you run the vacuum.
I need a family that will keep me safe so that I can continue to wag my tail and be the happy dog that I am. If you can open up your heart for a special guy, I will be yours forever.

If you have questions, you can call my foster parents at 248-761-3213 or use the e-mail address below.

Hi! My name is Murphy, or Murph for short. I’m a down-to-earth guy who loves long sniffs in the grass and any cuddling I can get.

My foster mom thinks I had a pretty tough life before coming to ESRA. I can’t tell her what happened, but I’m sure happy some nice people found me and brought me to a shelter, where they called ESRA.

When I got to the shelter, my ears were so infected that the doctor had to give me medicine to sleep before he could clean them. I’ve probably had lots of infections because I don’t hear very well. That means I’m not a vocal fellow, but every once in a while I’ll woof at a passing bird just to let it know I’m here!

Because my muscles were weak and my white fur was stained yellow, my foster mom thinks I was kept in a crate all the time. You see, I have a problem that’s embarrassing for a big boy like me--I leak.

I know not to go potty in the house, but drips come out even though I don’t mean to. The doctor here says it might be because I have heartworm. I’m going to be treated for that soon, and everyone hopes it will help. Otherwise, I have to take medicine and wear this silly thing called a belly band when I’m inside. My human family thinks it looks like a fanny pack, whatever that is.

I’m so happy now, though! I get hugs from two human sisters, and I get along really well with my Springer sister. I play in a big yard, so my muscles are stronger now. I like to meet other dogs and people, including baby people. I’m not sure about something called a cat, because there aren’t any of them here.

My favorite thing to do is just hang out with my humans. I’m pretty mellow, although when I’m feeling good, I get a little goofy. Mostly, though, I just like to walk around the backyard and sniff, then come and sit with my family.

I’d really like to find someone who wants a calm, gentle, patient friend to keep him or her company. I like quiet walks on the beach--or anywhere else, for that matter!--and a soft bed to sleep on. I don’t mind sleeping in a crate, but I don’t want to spend all day there.

Would you have a quiet spot in your home for me? I promise I’ll make you smile!

• He goes outside to potty
• He is crate and kennel trained
• He walks on a leash
• He comes when called
• He will sit nicely and take treats
• He knows how to behave properly in a pack
• He plays with the sighted dogs
• He is not food aggressive
• He can find the toy basket and play with the toys
• He likes to be brushed
• He sits to be petted

(We didn't forget you, Holden. We know you want a Forever Family, too.
We'll tell 'em; we'll tell 'em.)

Hi! I'm Lady Bug, "Bugsy" for short. And I am one very happy girl. I have life pretty well figured out in my foster home. I get along just great with the two other dogs here as well as the three grumpy cats. I have learned all about the electric fence. I am pretty bright!

I like to play with toys, and I enjoy a good game of fetch. Like most field-bred Springers, I am very athletic. With a little more obedience work, I would be a great running buddy. My foster dad takes me running sometimes, and I have a wonderful time. With a lot more obedience work, I could be an agility dog because I am very fast. I have a real eye for birds and am always on the lookout.

I have been kid-tested, too. I still get excited and jump up, even though I know I should sit. So I might scare some kids, slthough I really like kids a lot.

I stay in my crate when no one is home. It's not my favorite thing, but I do it. I sleep on the floor in Mom and Dad's room (but I really would like to be on the bed!).

I am fully vetted, microchipped, and ready for fun!

Fondly,
Lady Bug

Hi! My name is Pretty Boy Floyd III, but everyone just calls me Floyd. They say I have such a long name because I am a purebred AKC-registered Springer, but I'm not sure what all that means.

My original owners got me when I was a small puppy. I'm still a puppy only ten months old, but I'm bigger now. My owners had to move out of state and couldn't take me with them. That meant I had to go to a foster home. My foster family is nice, and there are other dogs here to play with. I love to run and chase and wrestle with my big foster brother. We have lots of fun! I haven't been around cats, so I'm not sure how I would like them, but I think we'd get along okay. I like kids because they have a lot of energy, like me, and we can play together.

I like meal time. I don't mind if anyone pets me or comes near my food; I'm just fine with that. I don't mind if I'm playing with my toy and someone wants it, because I like to share. I love to play fetch and other games, too. It would be great if we could play a couple of times a day. It helps when I can use up the energy I have. I love to go for walks, and I'm good on a leash, but I really love to run. If you could run with me, that would be great! I love my chew toys, but I've also been known to grab a sock or two (although I usually just stick with my toys). I've heard my foster family say I'm mischievous, but they say that has something to do with how old I am. They said they understand my behavior and that I'll grow out of it.

I know some commands, like Sit, Stay, Lie Down, Come, and Off, but I need to be reminded sometimes. I definitely know what No means. If they say that, I just stop what I'm doing (they seem to like that). They say I am very smart and am a quick learner. They say that's good, so I'm happy about that. I've heard them say I do something called counter-surfing. They tell me Off and then I do get down, but there seem to be so many yummy things up there that it's hard to resist trying to reach them sometimes!

I will bark at strange noises or at the door bell. I want to let my family know that I heard something so they can be safe. When it's bedtime, I go to sleep in my crate. I would be fine sleeping with my family, but I like my crate. I have my bed in there, and it's nice and cozy.

My foster dad says that I am very sweet and that I have a wonderful disposition and temperament. I'd like to stay with my foster family forever, but I know I can't. It would be great to find a Forever Family that would love me and care for me and play with me again. I would love you back and be loyal to you, and I'd be the best boy you ever saw!

Love,
Floyd

My name is Weber, and I am a senior citizen. I was a stray and was placed in a shelter. However, I got very stressed in that environment. The shelter contacted ESRA, so I was sprung from the shelter and placed in ESRA's foster care.

I am so happy to be out of the shelter and be with my foster family. I didn't want to share them with anyone at first, but now I have learned to get along with my foster brother and sister.

I would do best in a fenced yard, as I can't hear very well. I don't go out much except to relieve myself and go for my daily walks. I sleep on my bed in my foster parents' room, and I don't mind sharing my bed or food with my new sister and brother. I get fed twice a day, but I really love the treats in between. I am up to date on my shots and have been neutered.

I look forward to meeting you and getting into my new Forever Home for my retirement years.

Fondly,
Weber