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Maggie & Tootsie

Maggie on the left, was with a couple of boys on a frigid February day outside a rodeo. They had two Australian Shepherd puppies—the last
of a litter, their siblings had all been sold. The little dogs rode in a freezing horse trailer to the arena. The boys were told to get rid of them
before the night was over. One of the puppies was sick. A nice couple took her home, a family took the other. If they had not, the impression
was that the puppies would be killed.

Maggie’s new parents immediately took the very ill puppy to the vet for treatment. During this visit, they explained to the vet that loud noises,
even laughter, made the little dog drop to the ground and quiver. The instant she was placed into a car, she foamed at the mouth and vomited.
The vet was certain that this puppy had been badly abused. It would take patience and consistency if she was ever to overcome her fears.

Maggie’s parents were up for the challenge. They began working with her in phases, a process that took months. At first Maggie’s mom took
her and the other dogs out to the garage. She spoke in a happy voice. But as soon as Maggie was put in the car, she foamed at the mouth and
vomited. After a few weeks when this subsided, she began starting the car and pulling it outside the garage. Maggie got sick each time. The
work with Maggie continued until she jumped into the car on her own and tolerated short outings to the lake. But as the other dogs played
along the shoreline, Maggie clung to her mom’s leg and shivered. At some point along the way, Maggie finally overcame her fears. She
stopped getting sick and began romping with her friends. Despite her rough start, and because of the love and care given by her parents,
Maggie has had a happy, normal dog life for 9 years.

Tootsie, on the right, is the product of a backyard breeder and was only a year old when she wound up in a high-kill shelter. She had little
chance of being adopted because she could not use one of her legs and was unable to stand in her kennel. When she was taken outside, she
was able to walk on three legs. A caring rescuer took Tootsie to the vet where surgery was performed to remove a piece of bone floating
under the kneecap. During the healing process, Tootsie began using her leg and was able to be put up for adoption. The same couple who
saved Maggie read Tootsie’s story on the rescuer’s Web site and fell for the little red Australian Shepherd. They began the adoption process as
Tootsie’s healing continued. Soon she was home and, within a week of her arrival, Tootsie’s new mom had knee surgery too.

Tootsie’s parents report that “Toots” is a special, sweet, little girl. She loves to fetch but her favorite game is tug with a rope toy. She is quite
the guard dog and raises her voice if she thinks anything’s amiss. Tootsie’s birthday is February 14, and she truly is a funny, little Valentine.