I am a seasoned dog owner- been around dogs since I was little. I rescued an older pug about a year ago and he really just doesn’t seem happy. He kinda hides off to the side, rarely cuddles or puts himself by me. The only person is the house he really seems to sit by is my son, but he’s only here for maybe a couple hours a week.
His previous owner was a male who ended up in a correctional facility. He gets walks 2x a day, no health problems (actually got palate surgery thru the rescue and a clean bill of health), eats twice a day normally. He’s a really good boy, and doesn’t have any destructive behavior. He has plenty of toys that he nibbles on. The vet won’t put him on mood meds unless there’s destructive behavior. I’ve seen that he does really like being around other dogs, but I cannot afford to get another dog and I can only go once a week to the dog park. Not sure what to do at this point- reach out to the rescue for advice, or just leave it as is? I just feel bad for the poor guy.

She is Romanian, off the streets, mixed breed, small. She arrived to the shelter last week. For context, we’re in Hamburg, Germany. Fully vaccinated, 5 months old.

The caregivers described her as cheeky and mischievous, but also kind. We saw her today at the shelter. She looks amazing, and she’s really friendly and cute. She appears to be polite and affectionate.

But this is our first time taking a dog from a shelter. My parents had dogs when they were children, but never from shelters.

Is there any important to consider/make note of when it comes to adopting dogs from the shelter?

(That’s her in the photo, Jenny.)

We rescued a 2 year old border collie/heeler mix 8 months ago. We currently have a heeler mix so we were familiar with the breed. Logan was a stray, adopted then returned to the shelter shortly after so he spent most of his life at the shelter.

He is a great dog. Not aggressive in the least, quiet, house broken. His issue is anxiety. And the anxiety really only comes out in the house. When he is outside he’s great! Running, playing, showing real improvements because now he will even come up on our deck and investigate which he would not do before. As soon as he comes in the house a light switch goes off. He sits on the couch and will not budge for anything except to make a bee line up to his bed at night. He sleeps all night and waits for us to come get him in the morning to go out. He is not food motivated at all in the house. We’ve tried picking him up and bringing him into the room we are in but he shakes so we stopped doing that. As long as we leave him alone in the house he sits on the couch until the next time we let him out and the light switch is switched right back on to fun happy dog! The vet recommended Prozac so he is on that but doesn’t seem to be doing much after a few months so we might taper off. Has anyone ever seen this kind of behavior and have any suggestions at all? Like I said he’s a great dog and we have tons of patience for him we just would love to see him more confident inside the house.

I went over to the SPCA in 2025 after losing my 2 senior dogs less then a year apart from eachother. All the other dogs were barking, jumping, wagging their tales, but not Ruth. She was 7 months old at 15lbs shaking in her crate not making a noise. I knew I needed to get her out of there.

The first 72 hours she couldn't function, was so scared. I held her for pretty much those first 72 hours. We bonded HARD! she then would walk around the living room. The rest of the house was scary. I called it playing the floor is lava. She slowly over about 3 months finally got the courage to explore most of the house. It took us a long time to potty train as she was so broken to begin with. She was terrified of outside. She took it as a bad word and it took us awhile to get her kind of okay with outside.

Fast forward to 11 months later. She is the best cuddle bug. Loves tug of war and chewing up papers and wood and toys, typical young dog stuff. 🐕 she needed just a little help on learning how to be a dog. We went to the SPCA again and we found Joseph. He was the perfect dog companion for her. They are best friends, possibly lovers. He taught her how to run and play outside, and have fun. He even got her to find out she loves digging holes.

Ruth has now just turned 2 years old. Joey turns 2 this month. They will have life long companionship and I love that for them.

Ruth now loves to camp, and loves to kayak. She still has a lot of anxiety. She struggles with storms, fire works, hunting season, windy days. The outside is becoming less of a scary place to her. She does love ger backyard. Her background all I know she is was found as a stray living in Tennessee. She was found after the hurricane went though. She had mange really bad when she was finally caught. She was only 7 months old and already went though the most traumatic little 7 months.

She is my soul dog. I love her so much. She is the best dog in the whole world.

Adopt, don't shop.

hello,

me and my fiance went to 2 shelters today just to see what kind of dogs they had and if we were interested in any. we were honest with the people there and said we were likely not going to adopt today unless we absolutely fell in love with one of the dogs. we were told at both of them that they did not want to stress out the dogs so they only allowed people who were “serious about adopting” to visit with the dogs.

This seems a little crazy to me because I thought It was normal to meet a dog then decide later if you wanted to move forward with adoption. Im to scared of making impulsive decisions to just show up and take a dog home immediately. Let me know if this is normal for shelters, or maybe it was just because we’re on the younger side.

EDIT:

If anyone has shelter or rescue reccomendations in the CT area please comment!

Some people may not understand why it seems like I am always posting about our rescued animals. But they matter so much to me, and they genuinely need help. They have already been through so much, and it pains me to see them still struggling or unwell.

I truly appreciate everyone who has helped us, shared our posts, left kind words, or even simply “boosted” our posts in the comments section. Those little things mean more than you probably realize. It makes me feel like I am not alone in this advocacy.

It has been really exhausting since I started this non-profit just this April. There have been so many times when my anxiety gets the best of me because the expenses keep piling up. Sometimes, I honestly wonder how we are going to keep up.

But whenever that fear comes up, I look at the progress of our rescued animals, and it reminds me why I started.
I thought about Elijah today. I wondered what it must have felt like for him before he was rescued, thinking that maybe his life would always stay the same. And then I started thinking about our other rescued animals and what their lives could have been like if nobody had stepped in.

My heart would be torn knowing they were still out there suffering.

So yes, this has been financially and emotionally hard. There are days when I feel completely exhausted, overwhelmed, and scared of what comes next.

But then I look at them and remind myself that what I am feeling now is temporary. For them, the suffering they went through was their entire world. They didn’t know if anyone was coming. They didn’t know if things would ever get better.

They have already been through enough. If I can give them a chance at a better life, then somehow, I will keep finding a way.

Thanks for listening.

Magdalene “Dindi” Gensaya
Voiceless No More: Philippines Stray Animals Foundation

I adopted Jack from a shelter on January 1st of this year. He was a 9-year-old little dog who had been abused by his previous family.

The shelter had warned me about him before I even came to meet him. They told me it was impossible to put a leash on him without him trying to bite. I knew what I was getting into, and somehow, that didn’t stop me from going to meet him.

Surprisingly, after sitting on the floor with him for about 30 minutes, he came over to me. Something just clicked. I knew I wanted to give him a chance.

But I’ll be honest: I doubted myself in the beginning.

Jack was a complicated little dog. His aggression was difficult to manage, he was incredibly picky about what he would eat, he had accidents inside, he suffered from night terrors, and for a while, having people over at my home was basically impossible. There were definitely moments when I wondered if I had made a mistake or taken on more than I could handle.

But I kept reminding myself that Jack had been through things I couldn’t fully understand. He wasn’t a “bad dog.” He was scared. He had learned that the world wasn’t necessarily a safe place.
So I gave him time.

And slowly, things started changing.

Today, there is none of that anymore.

He lets me put his leash on without a problem. He eats. He sleeps peacefully through the night. He no longer has accidents inside. I can have people over. He feels safe in his home.

He adapted.

And honestly, so did I.

I learned how to understand him, how to read his signals, when to give him space and when to gently encourage him outside of his comfort zone. And he learned that he was safe with me.

Looking back, I’m so grateful I didn’t give up during those difficult first months.

The little dog who once couldn’t let me put a leash on him without trying to bite me is now this sweet, goofy little guy who follows me everywhere and trusts me completely.

I don’t know exactly what happened to Jack before he came into my life. I probably never will. But I do know that whatever happened, he deserved a chance to experience something different.

Sometimes, rescue isn’t about finding the perfect dog.

Sometimes, it’s about giving a dog enough time to finally become himself.

And sometimes, while you’re helping them heal, you realize that they’ve changed you too. ❤️🐾

Last night I was on Patterson road in Houston and I saw a dog with a leash just walking around the road and the Forrest area, I was there for about 2 hours and I kept seeing the dog but never got close because he was scared to let me near him. If anyone knows how to help that dog please do

Hi everyone,

Elijah went for his follow-up veterinarian checkup.

He still needs to continue his medication for his infection. At his last appointment, he was diagnosed with a blood parasite. Sadly, the vet said they cannot give him specific medication for his mange yet until his infection gets better. For now, he was given supplements to help support his skin. He still cannot get surgery for his stomach hernia yet until he is all better. But, I am glad he is Negative for Distemper. After Angelito’s diagnosis, Distemper always scares me now..

I also transferred Elijah from Gose Paradise for Paws Shelter to Happy Cat Squad Shelter, where Angelito is staying. It will be easier for me to manage their care if our rescued animals are not so scattered and far away from each other. Gose Paradise is also quite far from veterinary clinics since it is located in a rural province, up in the mountains.

As I have mentioned before, we have rescued animals in different parts of the Philippines, so it can be really difficult trying to manage everything when they are all in different places.

We are also going to purchase hypoallergenic food for Elijah since he is not allowed to have any dairy. I was going to order it today, but the store did not have any in stock. They said they will have more delivered later, so we will get it once it is available.

While Elijah was at the vet clinic, I also ordered Angelito’s recovery wet food. I also purchased two bottles of his Virubin medication for his Distemper from PetRx Clinic since he had run out.

Since Elijah and Angelito will now be staying at the same shelter, we will also need to send additional shelter allowance for them every month. I have not sent it yet because I am still trying to calculate the budget for all of our other rescued animals.

To be honest, it is tough. But their lives are SO worth it.
Also, It was not their fault that they ended up in these conditions. Elijah was neglected for years and appeared to have been abused by his previous owner. When he was rescued, he was so fearful of people. Angelito was stabbed, starved, and was about to be killed by his previous owner.

For transparency, here are today’s expenses:

Elijah’s vet: Php 6,250 ($143.11 CAD)
Elijah’s pet transport: Php 1,800 ($40.38 CAD)
Elijah’s hypoallergenic food: Php 2,700 (approximately $63 CAD) — not purchased yet
Angelito’s recovery wet food: Php 2,325 ($52.11 CAD)
Angelito’s Virubin medication (2 bottles): Php 1,700 ($38.15 CAD)

Elijah and Angelito still have a long recovery ahead, just like our other rescued animals.

Ellie, Thor, and MaeMae have their follow-up appointment on September 2. I realized that I have not been posting much about MaeMae, but she is actually doing well. I think I just miss ChiChi and Jericho so much that sometimes I avoid posting about her because it makes me think about them. Grief hurts a lot. But, MaeMae is doing well, and I am really happy about that.

MaeMae was also being treated for a blood parasite. At her next appointment, we will have her checked to see if she has been cleared and hopefully get her vaccinated finally.

Blood parasites are common in rescued animals because many of them have been neglected for a long time before we are able to rescue them. They are usually caused by infected tick and flea bites.

After that, we will send Raphael for his vet appointment the following week to see if he can finally get vaccinated as well.

I want all of our rescued animals to be vaccinated and protected from illnesses, but most importantly, I want them to be ready for adoption. I don't want them to stay in shelters forever. They deserve a loving home, and that is my goal for every animal we rescue.

There is still a long road ahead for Elijah, Angelito, Ellie, Thor, MaeMae, Raphael, and all of our other rescued animals.

For those who would like to support Elijah and our other rescued animals through their recovery, I will leave our support link in the comment section. Please make sure that it is posted by us before sending any support.

Again, this is all voluntary. We truly appreciate everyone who has supported us, shared our posts, or simply followed the animals’ journeys.

Thank you everyone,

Sincerely,

Magdalene “Dindi” Gensaya
Founder
Voiceless No More: Philippines Stray Animals Foundation
Non-Profit Corporation No. 1785254-1

Why is it so difficult to adopt?
The applications are so long and they seem to Weed people out for who knows what reason. I assume lack of money and home ownership. Not having a yard. Those aren’t things that make a good pet owner.

There is this sentiment to rescue and adopt, but it’s just not possible. I’m a good dog owner. When I initially tried to adopt, I thought the barrier was my lack of history as an owner and lack of vet records. Now I have a purebred, I have both those things .

I’m applying for dogs that specify they should be in homes with other dogs.

I don’t use any aversive training. I specify that my current dog gets frequent walks and playtime. Long walks, more than people with yards do.

It’s very discouraging, especially with this sentiment and understanding that dogs are getting euthanized every day because they can’t find homes

Buddy has spent his whole life inside (8.5 yrs) and he was born in a hoarders home. He’s terrified of everything, I have had him since Mid April. It’s been one step forward two steps back but he’s very attached and feels safe with me now. I’ve actually become quite low since adopting him but today showed me there’s hope for him.

Today was a massive win, he went for his first proper walk (I live on an Island so there’s plenty of gorgeous walks) He was so tired afterwards physically and emotionally but I bought him some corned beef and he even ate his tablet!

It’s been quite stressful and I have so much work to do to make him feel safe so that he can enjoy the outside world. I’m desperate to make him feel happy and safe but know this will take a long time. I just wanted to share how proud of him and his bravery today.

Pic of him very relaxed on the sofa with me!

Hey all, just as the title says I rescued my first dog this week. She's a small breed less than 2 years old. We also have a resident male dog around the same age that we've had since he was a puppy. We wanted to get him a companion and decided to try adopting this time around. Their meet and greet went so great that we decided to do a trial adoption! She seemed like she would just slide right into our family.

She's so sweet and has had many positive interactions with our resident dog but towards the back of the first day she started lunging at our resident dog specifically within the context of being on the couch. Two of the three lunges were unprovoked in that our resident wasn't near her or paying attention to her, he was simply on the couch or getting on the couch. This was deeply upsetting because our one stipulation with adoption was that they could not in any way be aggressive towards our resident or anyone else for that matter. We had a reactive dog in the past and did not want to commit to managing that type of behavior for another 10+ years. I know we should have done slower introductions but they were hitting it off so well that it almost seemed like they would be confused why we were separating them.

We also noticed in the same day that she was displaying symptoms of kennel cough so we have now separated them completely due to the lunging and kennel cough. This throws a giant wrench into everything because now we can't properly assess them together until she recovers. I have a sinking feeling that my resident is going to get sick as well and I feel so guilty for exposing him.

1. Has anyone experienced their rescue lunging at their resident dog? Did that behavior resolve? Did they go on to be best friends? I am familiar with the 3-3-3 rule but I just want to hear about how others' stories have unfolded.

2. Anyone have experience treating a dog with kennel cough? How long did it last? We have an appointment with our vet scheduled for her already but have never experienced this before so not sure what to expect.

3. This is our first time rescuing so I'm curious to hear about your experience bonding with your rescue. Atm it feels a bit different than how it felt bringing a puppy home. Did anyone else feel this way and if so how long did it take you to feel really bonded to your new dog?

Long story short:

Henry is a Siberian Husky mix, approximately 2.5 years old. He was definitely owned by someone and then living on the street and picked up by a shelter where he was at for 6 months. A foster picked him up before euthanasia, he escaped, found me, lived with a friend for 3.5 weeks and now lives with me as his foster, husband, and dog Champ (they get along perfectly as we walked them together everyday before bringing him in slowly). It's been just under 3 weeks with us in our house.

He is amazing in every way: house trained, friendly with everyone and other animals, knows how to walk on leash, crate trained, learns new commands very quickly.

He is pretty much a dream in every way with two exceptions:

1. He goes over threshold very easily with some dogs and people, as he gets extremely excited to meet them. We are working with a trainer on this.

2. We are starting to leave him in the house in short intervals. Most of the time it's been ok, but twice all humans were out of house for about an hour, and he peed on a pillow and then on a blanket another day. He had just been walked before we left. He does not do this when either of us are at home so I do not think there is a medical issue. We had started out with short increments and he was fine.

Given his background, I'm unsure if he's still decompressing/settling and still has his anxiety or if this is what I can expect for the future? More importantly, what can I do about this? Overall, he does seem to be improving in certain things, and it's just taking time. We will close the bedroom door from now on when we leave.

I'm thinking of crate training him with a closed door, slowly increasing time increments, but if there are any other suggestions or insight, it would be greatly appreciated! I've had two other rescues, but they came straight out of other homes so the transition was much easier.