Update on Jedda (formerly Helen):
I had been asking God for a long time to send me the right dog, the dog He wanted me to have. It took a long time, but God answered my prayer with my wonderful, sweet Jedda. Her name was Helen when I got her. She musta been named after somebody’s mother. Helen’s no name for an adventuresome lab/something or ‘nother – I think maybe high jumper. She can really snatch those pesky bugs right outa the air. Or maybe sled dog, she does a great job of hauling me around. We are working on that!

She was surrendered in Kentucky and hasn’t grown a winter coat yet. It’s November and I fear that she is in for a huge culture shock when the snow steals her long grass away – her favorite potty place. There are about 200 acres of farmland behind us with a small road running through it. That is where we walk every day. There’s woods, long grass, a pond, good diggin’ dirt and critters - everything a huntin’ dawg needs.

On one of our walks Jedda’s nose was excitedly snuffling the long grass when she suddenly jumped straight up in the air. Her flight upwards was hindered only by the annoying tether to her walking mate. Just as her paws landed, a previously snoozing doe leaped straight up as well. She bounded away across the tall grass with Jedda attempting to follow. She was most disappointed to not go with her new friend. Although she couldn’t tag that doe, she did slay a mouse and nearly a pheasant. She has also dug to China on several occasions attempting to find the bunny, chipmunk, gopher or whoever lives under all that dirt. We both yearn for leash freedom, but we have to get “come even when distracted” under control first. Then who knows, she might even catch a rhinoceros.

Jedda has been learning not to bark excessively at all the turkeys, crows and deer that venture into her territory – not to mention human visitors. We have "shhhhh" treats. When she barks to alert me, I ask her what it is and then say "shhhhh" as we look for the invader. She looks for a treat and is quiet - mostly. Some varmi’ts seem to deserve an extra woof.

Although Jedda was previously afraid of her crate, she is almost completely crate trained. She doesn't sleep there by choice, but thanks to Roxanne’s coaching to make a treat-trail into the crate, rather than just treats in the crate, where it’s scary to go, she will usually get in without much resistance when I ask her to.

We have been to obedience classes at HAWS and will be going back for the next level of training. Except for Jedda-Jump Up and coming all the time when called OUTSIDE, she’s learned a lot of obedience and a few tricks, like guess which hand (the treat is in.) I am very grateful to God and ask Him to bless Heavenly Hearts Rescue for their work, because Jedda has done so much to enrich my life. She shows me great love, trust, gratitude and many of God’s creatures that I might not otherwise have seen had we not been trekking across the hinterlands together. 

Jedda’s Friends,

Treva and Tom 

Dear Heavenly Hearts,

We can’t believe it’s been over a year since we found Harper on your website!  The one-eyed beagle we rescued last September is now named “JJ” and he quickly became an important member of our family.  He adjusted to living in our home in no time.  This sweet guy loves to snuggle with us, play in the back yard, and go for walks.  He likes everyone he meets and loves to have playdates with neighborhood dog friends.  He enjoys chewing so much that we no longer buy dog toys for him.  We simply hide treats in a plastic drink bottle and he plays with it until he gets the treats inside!  We couldn’t be happier to have JJ in our lives and we look forward to many fun years ahead with him.   

Thanks for bringing JJ to us!

From,

We were blessed to bring Lucky into our home in October of 2006. She was about 1-1/2 and had very little life experience, but plenty of fears. She had the pads of puppy, was especially afraid of men and really didn't know how to play.

Meet Tess, our third rescue dog.  She was found in Kentucky with two little puppy boys.  She took very good care of them even though she had a severe flea infestation, worms and mites.  You'd never know now that over half of her hair was missing.  Someone abandoned her and her pups but fortunately for her, Heavenly Hearts came to the rescue!  How anyone could leave this sweet little girl in such a deplorable condition is beyond belief.   But life is great for her now.  She and her big brother Gordon are best buddies.  Tess and Gordon love to play catch me if you can and occasionally enjoy getting into a little trouble together.  We don't mind a bit.  Tess is the sweetest most loving little girl.  She loves to cuddle & give lots of kisses and she's very smart too!  Tess joined our family about six months ago and we can't imagine life without her.  We wish more people realized that these dogs are the best!  Rescue adoptions are desperately needed and the joy these pets bring is priceless.  Thank you Heavenly Hearts for all you do to help these wonderful pets and  for bringing so much happiness into our lives.

Ana’s adoptive parents have sent several updates over the past few months, here are some of their stories:

Soon after Ana came home with us we took her to Chocolate Fest – we went to the parade and everyone wanted to pet her.  She was a very good girl.  I have to say we lost the battle of the couch, although it’s partially our own fault.  She’s just so cute that after a long day of work we just want to cuddle her.  Ana met our friends’ dog, a 3-yr-old yellow lab named Tucker.  They got along really well.  Tucker is very playful and accidentally knocked Ana over a couple of times, but she got right back up and chased after him.  They had a lot of fun and were both asleep by 7:30!

We have been having a great time this summer.  We spend lots of time outside in the yard on the weekend, which Ana loves.  As long as she is near us she’s happy.  Last week was a little rough with all of the fireworks that were going on.  We spent the 4th of July cuddling Ana because she is terrified of them.  Her safe place seems to be either on the rug in the bathroom or on our bed tucked between us.  Now, we usually don’t allow Ana to sleep in our bed and she is really good at staying in her own bed at night, however, when she’s scared there is no stopping her!  We are hoping that with time, the memory of Ana’s ordeal will fade and she won’t associate loud bangs with gun fire.  We are working on it. 

Ana’s vet appointment went really well.  The vet said we need to watch Ana’s front leg for arthritis in the future and that playing on grass is best for her.  She’s a very healthy girl and at 67 pounds, a perfect weight.  Also, she has found a new little friend in the neighborhood.  Our vet lives around the corner from us and they have a 6-7 month old male puppy that they adopted.  Ana loves this little dog and has to give it a kiss every time we walk by and he’s outside.

Ana has been behaving herself while at home.  Her “spot” seems to be our big chair in front of the window. I think she spends the day either sleeping or looking out the window. Even when we are home she lays with her big front paw over the top of the chair and her chin resting on top.  She looks like a person lounging!  (Of course she doesn’t sleep all the time … there was one day when Ana discovered a bag of flour on the kitchen counter.  She decided to take the bag into the dining room and redecorate everything in fluffy white!  Including herself!)

Ana has quite the personality and we love her very much!

Hello Heavenly Hearts, 

We just wanted to update you on Sadie (formerly Lacey).  We adopted her in May.  She has brought an immense amount of joy to our family since the loss of our coonhound in January.  Being the newest member of the family, she still gets the most attention.  She never gets tired of belly rubs, being pet or snuggled.  She's always at the door to greet us with her big brown eyes and wagging tail.  In her free time, she enjoys playing with our 4 cats.  In fact, I believe she thinks she's a cat as well.  At first, she ate 2 pairs of shoes, a remote and her gate.  Now, she has her own toy box which includes a 2 foot rawhide bone.  (It's the only one she can't get through in a day.)  No matter what you are doing, she insists on being in on the action.  Despite her bad hips, she is slowly building up muscle with her daily exercise outdoors.  She has learned to stay in her yard and does her daily "patrols".  With that beagle nose, she scouts the yard for chipmunks, birds and lots of other good smells.  Often, you'll find her lounging in the landscaping or in the sandbox.  I can't thank Heavenly Hearts enough for your patience and guidance in helping us adopt Sadie.  We love her dearly!

Hello Heavenly Hearts,

I adopted my little Katie (aka Blossom) from HH one year ago, and I can’t remember life without her.  She stole my heart the minute I saw her, and has kept it ever since.  Her favorite form of play is cuddling, and she does it very well.  Her second favorite is chasing alien squirrel invaders she sees come in her yard – I think they just chuckle at her.  She snores in bed and makes the cutest little snorts when getting a belly rub.  They get along great, but she has no problem stepping on her 55lb. hound brother Guinness to take over any hand that may be giving out a belly rub.  Her foster mommy Roxanne took very good care of her, and I thank her, and ALL of you for everything you do to give these furkids a happy and forever home.  In honor of Katie Blossom’s 1^st year with us, I have made a donation to help your cause.  She has truly been a gift and is so very loved by this family!

Mary

Hello all,

I adopted Max about a year ago and couldn't possibly be happier to have him in my life! I first saw him at the Humane Society and even bookmarked the page to look at later. When I saw him again on PetFinder through HHR, I knew there was something special about him.  It is a shame that older dogs aren't given the chance by many because of their age – I didn't want Max to continue being passed up. I can't say enough about my little Maximillian Boy.  I adopted Huckleberry (Huck for short) about a month and a half ago and not only has he touched my heart, he has given Max the playmate that it seems he always wanted. Huck is very playful and snuggly – he just wants to be loved by everyone around him (dogs and people alike).  He imitates his older brother and is learning things very fast for being only 15 weeks old.  These two boys have brought so many joys to my life and I would like to thank Heavenly Hearts for the wonderful work it does in giving so many a second chance. I will continue to lend my time to HHR so we can keep this important mission going!

Hugs and kisses from Max & Huck

Sincerely,

Dear Friends at Heavenly Hearts,

Emma just finished her beginning dog training class and guess what?  She took first place in the competition for the class!  She has come a long way from that shy, scared dog we met when helping you guys with a transport,  to being able to heel, sit, down, stay and do figure 8's and recalls!   Time and patience are the key.  You knew she had it in her and thanks for your support, as always.  Emma is a great dog thanks to  Heavenly Hearts!  She was great before, but now she has a trophy, too!  If we can come this far, so many others can too.

Hi All,

We wanted to give you an update on Chip. We adopted him earlier this year and he’s such a sweetheart. He’s settled into our home and hearts very nicely. He’s very happy (wags his tail all the time), plays a lot (especially in the morning), is very spoiled (several walks a day, loves taking the kids to school and has claimed the Lazy Boy as his own) and has even learned some new tricks (he's a very quick learner). We’ve already given him many nicknames. He goes into "Stealth" mode when he’s concentrating on his job: getting the squirrels in the back yard. He’s earned the name "Random" for various odd acts that seem to come out of the blue such as stealing the butter dish and barking at things we humans can’t see. Otherwise, he’s our “Chippity-Chip,” or “Chip Shot,” or “Potato Chip,” or “Chippendale.” You get the idea. He came with a great name!

It was a pleasure working with Stacey. Her love and dedication in helping these animals find great homes is very evident. We are very grateful that Stacey put Chip and us together. We love him very much.

We’ll keep in touch. We are looking forward to taking Chip up north this summer to the lake to see how he likes it!

Chad, Colleen, Alex, Casey and Chip

Hello,

Hi Heavenly Hearts,

Oscar is doing great! He loves to sit outside and roll around in the snow.  He has eviscerated one skunk so far.  He loves to chase the wildlife. His limp is slightly noticeable, but in a cute way.  He runs very fast, you would never think that he was as injured as he was.  And of course I kept the name Oscar.

Mary

A Heavenly Hearts Rescue alum, giving back to the community :-)  Dolly on her first pet therapy visit - she did great!

If you were following Babs last year, you'll remember she came to Heavenly Hearts with a severely injured leg, an anticipated amputation for that leg, and an unexpected pregnancy.  She had nine lovely puppies, mothered them expertly, and sent them on their way to great new homes.  Along the way, she built muscle in her shoulder that allowed her to flip her paw forward and walk - even run!  Here is a picture of sweet Babs in her forever home, with her canine sisters Tina and Emma, and her wonderful people.  We hear she wears a protective wrap on her paw for her daily walks and keeps up with her sister dog just fine!  She's so happy, just look at that smile! (And those ears!)  Updates on her pups follow below...

Adelaide (now Calypso, Caly for short):

Well Caly as expected has become the sweetest thing I could ever ask for. She is about 65 pounds in a compact little frame. She loves the dog park, playing w/ other dogs and new people, riding in the car, and sitting on the couch w/ mom and dad. Her favorite games are tug, rip the stuffing out of my soft toys (and then spread it around the house), chase dad across the back yard, or let's go for a run. She excelled at the early obedience but has grown into a bit of a stubborn streak now.... she knows how to do everything but doesn't always choose to listen. Last week she managed to slip on the ice and cut her shoulder pretty good so she has had to wear a cone this week to keep her from licking her stitches. I feel so bad for her but her hatred of the cone makes the picture too cute not to include.

All in all we love our puppy and are so glad she's a part of the family! I thank everyone involved in seeing she got into a good home. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to the new site coming up.

Bondi (now Luna):

Luna is the petite pup, about 45-50 lbs. She is full of energy and loves to run and chase bunnies and squirrels. Most people think she has some greyhound in her? She is a wonderful puppy, who is very loving. She gets along great with her 10 year old black lab mix sister and is really good with our kids, who are ages 7, 4, and 1. She is very busy and rarely sits still or lays down. Her energy is endless, and she makes a very good running partner. She doesn't seem to like the cold unless she is running. On the really cold days she does her business and comes right back to the door. We think it is because she has no insulation on her, she is very tall and lean! She has been a great addition to our family and we all love her! (well, I think our 14 year old cat doesn't care for her so much!)

Hervey (now Jake):

Jake is doing great.  He grew quickly and in no time he was as big as our 11 yr old lab and weighs just as much (68lbs).  He is very muscular and strong.  He is a spunky playful pup and likes to throw his weight around.  Hunter has grown to love him (tolerate him!!), they actually get along very well and Jake tends to follow Hunter around and kiss him all the time, which is another one of his favorite things to do – he is constantly trying to give out kisses, like it or not!  His other favorite thing to do is to body slam into you to move you out of the way ot get you to play.  He especially likes to slam his body into Hunter while playing.  He has only had the opportunity to go hunting once, but did well.  He is still very timid about a lot of things.  We especially like to watch him freak out with shadows on the walls. He sits and barks and cries and watches a shadow forever, he tilts his head in all kinds of weird directions to try and figure out what it is.  Jake is convinced he is a lap dog.  We keep trying to tell him he is a lab not a lap dog!  He loves to cuddle and cannot lay down or sit unless he is on your lap or on your feet, but he has to be touching you somehow.  If he isn’t laying on your lap he tends to think the couch is his he takes full advantage of it, till he gets caught!  We love him and are so glad that we made the decision to adopt him.  He still has the white patches with the white nail on each of his paws, his very own trademark!

Ken and Robin and family

Mackay (now Mackey):

Attached are some recent pictures of Mackey (we tweaked her name a bit) on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Morning.  I am not a very good photographer but you should get an idea of how she's grown.  Was 55 pounds at the vet last month think she may gain a few more pounds but vet thought she was pretty close to topping out.  Sue and I adore her and her brothers (though they are not around to much anymore) are crazy about her.  We bought an electronic collar for her about 4 months ago and she now knows the boundaries of our yard and stays within them unless being walked by one of us.  Great investment. We can't thank you and Jonathon for being her caregivers last February and March and for allowing us to make her part of our family.  Anytime you would like to stop for a visit, warning not during the packer game, feel free, someone is usually around.  Again thanks and am looking forward to seeing pictures of her brothers and sisters at one year when you get them posted.

Ken and Sue

Melbourne:

Miss Melbourne has quickly become the love of our lives. She’s weighing in somewhere between 70-80lbs at the moment. She’s a big girl  but still tries to fit on our laps just like when she was a little . She has also claimed her portion of our bed which always starts at the foot and by morning becomes right in between us snuggled close. She constantly makes us laugh and smile with her expressions, what a personality!!  She of course loves her outings to the park where she jumps in and out of the snow like a deer and then passes out almost immediately when she arrives home and sleeps for hours, yes back on our bed where she can finally have the whole thing to her self.  Her best buddies are our parents’ dogs Sasha and Scooter and she loves her time with them up at the farm.  We feel blessed to have her as an integral part of our family.

Norah:

I have been thinking that Norah's birthday was coming up. We absolutely love her. She is so smart and friendly. She is already taller then our Chesapeake but not nearly as full bodied. She loves to be outside no matter how cold it is, she has a great time playing in the snow. She also loves to go swimming in the summer but she jumps the waves like she is trying not to get wet.  When she is inside her favorite spot is on her bed next to the wood-burning stove. At night she sleeps pretty much on top of Maddie in her bed. Although we got her for Will, she and Maddie are really the pair. Norah's best friend is Lucy the long-haired Calico cat. They were both babies at the same time and continue to play together. When Norah was first here Lucy would run away, fly off the rocks and climb trees. Norah could not do those things and by the time she caught up to Lucy she was already way out of reach. Lucy had a ball teasing Norah. Now that Norah is older they are on more of the same level Lucy does not get away as easily. We never did find a name that we liked more then Norah so that is what she has always been. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful dog. Thanks for all you do to rescue dogs, it is a great service. I am going to try and send some pictures by e-mail. If they don't come through I will mail them. It will be great to see all the dogs on the web site.

Paddington (now Tiva):

Tiva is currently 67 pounds, and her colors are a mix of black, brown and tan in some spots. She has a white spot on her chest that looks like a bat.  Her body frame is very muscular, and she doesn’t realize her own strength sometimes when she’s playing.  Her favorite activities are:  taking walks, playing fetch, jumping in the snow banks, car rides, and playing with other dogs. Squirrels and deer don’t have a chance entering our yard with her loud barking J  She has a fun personality that makes us laugh many times in what she does.  Last summer we bought her a kiddy pool and she loved playing in the water. She would also bite the water coming out of a sprinkler or hose.  She is also smart, feisty, has a lot of puppy left in her, but still loves to cuddle. She did graduate from puppy and basic dog training school. 

Don’t get too close to her face when you pet her because she will clean your face with all her kisses. She is very good at schmoozing puppy treats when she is at the bank drive through or pet store.

Yes, her left ear does stick out to the side, while her right ear flops down. J

Spike (now Jester):

Jester has broken 90 pounds. In fact, he weighed in at 96# last month. He goes back to the vet in February for a check-up and I expect he will be around the same at that time. He is a very happy puppy. Although, he is quite a chewer, digger and pretty hyper at times, life wouldn't be the same without our baby. Like any child of this age, he is a challenge some days. I haven't found the secret to get him to stop chewing/eating everything he can get in his mouth or digging up the yard. He's eaten pillows, couch cushions and dirty laundry. No matter how many bones he has lying around, rope pulls, etc., he can't seem to resist the urge to destroy a portion of the couch or whatever else happens to catch his eye. He also loves to dig.

He and Jasper are inseparable and love to wrestle. Even though Jasper is only half Jester's size, they can really tear it up. There are days that it seems they have contests to see who can chew up the most items or dig the biggest holes.

Sydney:

We’ll start out our introduction of Sydney by apologizing to all of you that we picked the perfect puppy!!  I hope her laid back, affectionate, loyalty is in the genes and you all can report the same.  She is so calm and laid back that friends come over and will either say that we have the perfect dog or there is something wrong with her!

 After looking up lots of different breeds, we are convinced she is part Rhodesian Ridgeback – if you look up the breed on line, you will find a picture of Sydney!!  But we definitely see her mom in her too.  Like the lab, she LOVES the water – maybe not actually swimming, but she likes to put her head all the way under the water looking for stuff.  She also is like Babs in that we have noticed she is quite shy and timid when meeting new people or dogs.  She has never been aggressive, but she very much wants to do the approaching rather than be approached!  She is also a VERY finicky eater – we have tried 3 or 4 different brands and now have resorted to mixing her food with applesauce or the like just to get her to eat.  She likes to play catch a little bit, but gets distracted with all the good smells outside to stick with it for more than a couple throws.  She weighs approx. 65 lbs. and hardly ever barks.  She loves to go on walks and runs with us, play with the kids, go out in the boat and follow my husband WHEREVER he goes!!  Once in a while she’ll get a hold of something that’s not hers, but surrenders it easily and goes back to her own toys.  We buy her lots of chew toys, as she usually has the stuffing coming out within a matter of minutes!!  We are thrilled to have her and she has been such a great addition to our family!!