February 24, 2008: Dudley is a wonderful dog and I am already very attached to him.  We took our first walk to the park this morning.  We will do about a 2 mile circuit through the local park every morning and will take another shorter walk in the afternoons.  I'll keep you posted on his weight loss, too. 

He is good company during a quiet evening and he took right to the doggie bed I got for him and slept well through the night next to the loft where I sleep.

I had my neighbor come over when we got home yesterday.  He took some pictures for me so that I could email them to my son in California about the newest member of the family.  I have attached them for you to see. Thank you for everything.

Dudley's original rescue photo:

February 23, 2008:  

January 27, 2008:  Cocoa is an absolutely wonderful, outstanding dog.  She's totally sweet and
loving.  She follows me around during the day and is perfect company.  The
entire family remains smitten.  What amazes me the most is how great she is with
kids.  Our friend's one-year-old was petting Cocoa's tail and she held perfectly
still until the child walked away.  Miriam decided to explore Cocoa's paws while
she was sleeping, and after checking to see who it was, Cocoa just slept on. 
 
About the only behavior we're going to have to work on is her food-snatching
tendencies.  She'll hop up on a dining chair and help herself to unattended
snacks.  At least she can't reach the counter.  Really, it's a minor, totally
normal dog behavior.

We owe you big thanks for bringing Cocoa into our lives.  I'll try to send more
pictures soon, too.
 

Missy's original rescue photo:

January 30, 2008:

Einar's original rescue photos:

January 29, 2008: Natalie loves the snow as we get a lot here. She rolls around in it and plays with it. She is gentle and very affectionate. Just try and stop petting her and she lets you know it. She has settled in to her routine here and when she hears the jingle of the leash, she comes running waiting for her daily walk. She has brought great joy to us and we are so grateful for your organization and all the wonderful people who foster. I have enclosed a few pictures.

November 20, 2007:  Keezie is doing great.  We did change her name to Natalie.   We have a lot of fun with her.  She is very affectionate.  I bought her her own bed to sleep on so that she does not sleep on the couch.  she loves it,  I think she just likes something soft,  who doesn't?  she does come on the couch when I'm on it and she just loves to hug, then she'll go back on her bed.  she really is quite comical at times.  she is so good.  we couldn't ask for a better dog.

Keesler's original rescue photo:

January 23, 2008:

Cyrus' original rescue photo:

January 18, 2008: Sadie is doing great and we are all getting along very well.  She and the cat have become buddies if you can believe that.  I've found them sleeping side by side on a number of occasions.  I think we really lucked out because she has fit right in...  She loves to go running with me in the morning and we have been working successfully on an obedience program.  She aims to please, is a quick learner and has really calmed down quite a bit.  We have a dog park near by and it's a lot of fun to take her there and watch her run with the other dogs.  She has amazing speed and really has a good time playing with the other dogs.  Nikki and I could not have asked for more and are really enjoying having a dog back in our lives.  Thanks for helping to make this possible. 

Sadie's original rescue photo:

January 11, 2008: Hunter Sophie

7/20/2007:  Sophie continues to win the heart of each New Yorker she meets!   She likes visiting Maryland with green lawns, but she is a New York girl at heart. Loves playing (or snubbing) the many other dogs in HER park. She loves taking me to the neighborhood pet store (she knows 3 different routes!).

12/29/2006:    She came into rescue from a hoarder and was heartworm positive and emaciated. Look how healthy and beautiful she is now!! 

Keira's original rescue photo:

King was adopted May 2007 and is now called Monty.

January 3, 2008:It's great to hear you're continuing to provide safe haven to such wonderful dogs.  Monty has settled in beautifully and is now completely at home.  His fear of thunder and noises (except for fireworks) is almost completely gone now.  A few months ago he started going to doggie daycamp once a week along with his "brother" Booda (a Husky/Shepherd mix) and is generally a happy healthy boy.
 
Before the cold snap hit, he was spending most of his time outside (he can go in and out of the dog run at will).  He was even sleeping outside for a while.  Since the cold hit, he's been in Elkie-heaven.  I hope we get snow this year so he can enjoy it.
 
I'm enclosing a couple of pictures.  The one with him and Booda is me working the "stay" command (he knows sit, stay, down, come, no, beg, drop-it, and go-lay-down).  The picture shows their differences: Booda keeps his ears up, leans forward, and is pushy, whereas Monty keeps his ears down, persistant but not pushy and is usually very laid back.  When we go on walks, Booda pulls on the lead like a dog on a mission (Husky!), while Monty meanders this way and that and has to stop and smell absolutely everything.  Their tails even curl in opposite directions. Once again, thank you for rescuing him!

King's original rescue photo:

December 12, 2007:  He's doing fine. He's still acting like a puppy and is energized by cold weather. When it snowed he refused to come inside. We've been doing some obedience training with him but haven't had time to move very fast on it. 

Wesley's original rescue photo:

December 9, 2007:  It has been awhile since I sent you updated photos of Bear (Bjorn) what better opportunity for a couple of Norsemen than snow. Bear could not wait to go out to play in snow and I could not wait to capture his fun. Best wishes to you and your family. P.S. as I send this message to you he laying at my feet chewing on a raw hide chip.

05/02/06 Note from Bear's new mom:

Bear's original rescue photo:

December 7, 2007: Happy Holidays! Hope all is well with you.  Sasha/Shadow is doing quite well.  a little over weight, but not bad and hopefully with cooler weather she will be anxious to move more.  She is well liked by people and dogs in the neighborhood.  Some of the dogs only like Shadow.  I took a break and looked at one of the elkhound rescue sites this morning.  Oh how I wish I had the time, money etc. to get another, but I am not sure Shadow would like it.  We will be meeting family at Beech Mountain for Christmas.  We are praying for snow.
 

Summer 2005:  Sasha has moved to North Carolina and continues shaping up with her daily walks. She is looking forward to the weather cooling down.

Sasha's original rescue photo:

Cowboy was adopted May 2007 and now goes by Oslo.

November 25, 2007:  Oslo has been in our lives now for over five months and we cannot image life without him.  He has such a sense of humor!  At 60 pounds he is really unaware of his size?  He thinks he’s a lap dog!  Oslo loves to be included into the family as much as possible.  On the weekends we run most of our errands Oslo insists on coming.  After all the errands are done, we’ll swing by at our favorite park and take a good long walk around a large pond.  During the week he is very good about going into his crate and listening to county music (currently holiday music) until we return from work.  After dinner we all go for a long walk and later when we are settling down for the evening to unwind and relax Oslo enjoys a rawhide with chicken topper or a pork bone.  Oslo used to sleep in his crate at night but after two months he started acting up at bedtime.  We initially stood our ground with him but two months later he now sleeps in our room, under the bed.  It sounds really odd, but he loves going under there even when it is not bedtime. 

We could not have asked for a better pup, in our eyes we got the best!

 Happy holidays to all!

Oslo's original rescue photo:

November 24, 2007: It's been almost a year since we adopted Apollo, and he is doing fantastic.  He is the best dog we ever could have hoped for.  He gets along perfectly with our four cats and two ferrets - they are one big happy family!  We are so attached to him, and he to us.  We could not imagine our lives without him.  He obeys every command we give him (verbally or visually) and he walks by our side without a leash when asked.  At night, when it is bed time, we say "Apollo, time for bed" and Apollo runs downstairs to put himself in his crate.  He is well known throughout our neighborhood and one of the people down the street told us he is "the most beautiful dog she has ever seen."  We love him so much and can not thank you enough for the opportunity to have him in our lives!

Apollo's original rescue photo:

October 25, 2007:  It is with great sadness- and yet with relief - I must tell you all that Benson has passed on.  On Tuesday evening, after seeing the tremendous amount of pain he had to have been in (the stubborn boy still would not moan or groan or anything to show pain) we went to the vet yet again and, after determining that the cancer had apparently spead to some internal organs and caused internal bleeding, we made that decision that one never wants to have to make.  We loved him from the minute we got him and Nancy said "ooh, he's a wild man, you're gonna have fun with him" and through his chew on everything in sight stage (we weren't real happy with some of that furniture anyway).  He loved to go jogging with us and all I had to do was get out my running shoes and he was right there to "help" me stretch.  The question "who wants to go for a ride?" would get him excited to no end - even if he just rode with me to the gas station.  He would lay on the porch and just wait for the squirrels or chipmunks that had been raiding the bird feeder to put in a return appearance so he could scare them all the way back to the woods.  Of course, as long as he was out, they wouldn't come back - actually, neither would the birds he was guarding the feeder for.  He would join us in the bathroom for our morning shower (you just can't have enjoyed a shower until you've had a doggie nose sneak under the shower curtain and lick your toes!).  There are so many little stories that he is a part of and I know that  "remember when Ben-boy did that?" or even "look at Tupsa, that's what Ben used to do" will be a part of  our conversations from now on.  We loved him from the minute we got him, we loved him till Tuesday night, we love him still.  Benson was just two years old.

September 09, 2006: From Benson's new owner:

We adopted Benson at the end of April and have been busier than a one-armed paper-hanger with him ever since.  Two sessions of obedience school certainly taught a lot - to us!  Benson, now, well that's another story.  Anyway, we are very happy to have him and we think he is happy with us, too.

August 8, 2007. She is doing absolutely wonderful. Her and Benson are getting along great despite an occasional unwillingness to share toys. Tupsa initially would inhale her food, afraid she would miss out, but is now eating slowly and actually chewing it!!! Her stitches have been removed and her good health has been confirmed. She went to Day Care yesterday with Benson and had a good time. She is great with our karate families and our neighbors. She really is a little sweetheart and a definite part of our family! Thank you for granting us the opportunity to adopt her.

PS - she has also taken over our bed at night and couch during the evening!!! She is in charge! 

July 2, 2007:  He is fitting into our family unit very nicely, we go on many walks to the park; he takes pleasure in accompanying us on car rides and enjoys playing fetch in the back yard.  He is such a character with such a loving personality.

Zeus' original rescue photo:

June 26, 2007:  Bingo is now called Nikita and loves to play with their other dog Nikolaus, loves to give kisses, and loves to cuddle on the couch.

Bingo's original rescue photo:

June 13, 2007 update from his new family:  We love Edzo! What a great dog.

Edzo fits beautifully into our family. I couldn’t believe what an easy transition we had. He’s terrific with kids of all ages—gentle and cuddly. He’s not shy about letting you know when it’s time to pet him either. :-) He gets along great with our other dog too.

I believed that I would have to hunt for many months to find my next dog. Because my dogs need to do school visits, career days, and safety events, I need a very social dog that can handle the unexpected well.

I never imagined that instead of me finding the right dog, the right dog would find me. I’m so glad that I walked in at just the right time to meet Edzo.

I feel really lucky to have adopted Edzo and will always be grateful to Daphne and all of you at NECPV for letting us add this funny little guy into our family.

Thanks so much!

Monroe's original rescue photo:

April 2, 2007 update:

He's been keeping us up some at night - guarding the house. I'm sure that will get better as he learns the noises. He likes to get socks out of the clean laundry pile. So far he's doing pretty well. He's eating good and as you can see he is getting plenty of exercise.

Loki's original rescue photo:

July 9, 2007 update:   All of his fears and apprehensions seem to be gone. His health is good and he has lost weight ( you can see how he has trimmed down in the picture). I've even noticed that he is sleeping more peacefully. He loves to ride in the car and he goes everywhere Scott goes. 
Thanks for all your help in bring Duke to us. 

March 31, 2007 update:  Homer is now named Duke

It's been three weeks and things have gone really well. He has settled in well and gotten used to the routine around his new house. He seems to truly enjoy the car ride each day to drop off and pick up the family's high schooler. He gets excited when he sees him, because they spend a lot of time together. 
"Duke has been a great fit for us and he seems to feel that way as well."

Homer's original rescue photo:

March 12, 2007 update from new owners:  Aspen is so totally fabulous!  We are so in love with her, I can't thank you enough for bringing us together. 

Aspen's original rescue photo:

Gunther was adopted November, 2006.

November 15, 2006 Update from his new owners:  GUNTHER IS A VERY LOVING DOG BUT HE IS VERY LOUD.  I HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS CONTROLLING THE BARKING IN THE HOUSE BUT BARKING OUTSIDE IS STILL AN ISSUE.  THERE ARE SO MANY DISTRACTIONS OUTSIDE, KIDS, DOGS AND OF COURSE THE ARCH ENEMY, SQUIRRELS.  EVERY DAY OR SO, WE HAVE A NEW CHALLENGE.  THESE DAYS HE WON’T COME IN THE MORNING WHEN I NEED TO GO TO WORK.  MY SISTER HAS A DOG WALKING BUSINESS SO SHE HAS HAD A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS TO HELP ME. 

EVERY DAY I WALK HIM 45 MINS OR MORE.  I FIGURE I SHOULD GET IN GREAT SHAPE BUT THIS EXERCISE DOES NOT SLOW HIM DOWN ONE BIT.  REALLY I AM AMAZED AT HIS ABILITY TO ADAPT AND HE IS GETTING INTO THE ROUTINE AND SEEMS TO TRUST ME MORE EVERY DAY.  HE WAS VERY SNIPPY THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS, HE SHOWED HIS TEETH EVERY TIME I WANTED HIM TO DO SOMETHING.  NOW THIS HAPPENS A LOT LESS.

May 14, 2007  Update from her new family:  She is doing really well and we love her!" "Clover and Cole enjoy playing together in the yard, They really make us laugh.  Both loved the snow.  Even in the house they stay close together"  "My youngest daughter broke her leg skiing and Clover
would go up and down the steps all day to check on her.  She would always bring
a toy or two along as well."  We are so happy Clover was rescued and part of our
lives!  She is home!   P.S. Clover still likes to dog holes. 

12/30/2006   As you can see Noel, Clover and Coal are getting along very well and are ready for Christmas.    Clover just celebrated her 1st birthday.  She loves playing in the yard and taking walks with us and Coal.  So many people stop and greet them on their walks.  She is very curious and so much fun.   We are so happy to have her in our family. Thank you so much for bringing her into our lives.  
 

Nov 1, 2006 Update from her new family:  She is adjusting well to her new home and family.  We really love her!   She really enjoys  playing in the yard and really gets into gardening.   Today I raked the leaves with my helper.

Clover's original rescue photo:

Oct, 2006: Update from Buddy's family:

09/12/2006 Update from Carson's new family:

I just wanted to send you a long overdue note on our life with Carson.  What a dog!  I've never really had a dog before, and to call Carson, "my dog," is a privilege.  He's the embodiment of every trait I can attach to a dog: playful, loyal, clumsy, humorous, smart, friendly, and stubborn.  The three of us have had so many great times together in just a short amount of time.  We're taking him to a puppy training class and he is behaving pretty well.  We both just adore his expressive ears and silly lazy tongue.  Thank you so much for all you did for us.  He's quite the addition to our family and just what we needed!
 

12/30/2006

Carson has turned out to be quite the photogenic canine  
We love him dearly and can't thank you enough for sending him our way.  
 

Carson's original rescue photo:

5/17/2006 Elkie is now called Peri. Update from Hanna and Peri's owner:  Anyway, the dogs are getting along better every day. They are frequently sitting together by the front fence when we get home from work. They're a security team to protect the house and to take on other dogs (they line up shoulder to shoulder and give the look of "we're not that big but we have a lot of teeth between us"). We're having lots of fun with them. Hanna's energy is offset by Peri's laid back swagger. They're a fun team and we're loving every minute of it. 
 
Thanks again for your help. We have some amazing pets!!!!!!! 

Elkie's original rescue photo:

Hanna's original rescue photo:

05/02/2006 Sheba is now called Melba-Mae since she is a West Virginia gal.  She has settled in quite well.  She’s a very sweet girl and loves to give her brother a run for his money.  We’re very happy to have her.

Sheba's original rescue photo:

4/17/06  Update from Nick's new owner:  Nick (now Niko)!  He's a happy boy!  He loves to play...especially with Desiree's sister's border collie!  He's learning a good bit of commands.  He does well with 'Sit', 'Stay', 'Wait', and now we're starting to work on him giving his paw.  He's a very bright dog!    He's getting plenty of exercise and we take him on frequent car rides! Here's a picture of Niko on his new bed!

Nick's original rescue photo:

4/17/06  Note from Toby's owner's granddaughter: My grandparents just adore Toby!! He sleeps on my grandfather's bed every night. In the days leading to Toby's arrival, my grandfather said he hadn't been so excited since his wedding day!! I just got a card from them thanking me for finding Toby. They feel an emptiness in their life has now been fulfilled. I can't express to you how happy they are!! They are definitely a perfect match for each other!!! 

07/09/2007

We had Thor's hip replacement done June 19th. For better or worse, we decided to do so while we took a vacation. Thor spent a week here in Richmond at the VRCC (Veterinary Referall Critical Care) which provided 24 hour care. We are now just over 2 weeks into recovery! Cost wasn't too bad, especially considering he was considered to be in ICU for 7 days. 
 
All in all, as long as he progresses as nicely as he has, he should be as good as new, and back to walking the neighborhood by fall. It was kinda cool to see his back leg shaved, you can really appreciate how thick their fur is! 
 
5/17/06 Note from Thor's owner: Quite simply, Thor is awesome! While he doesn't know any tricks as of yet, he normally responds to sit, stay and usually comes when he is called. He also draws quite a bit of attention when we walk him through the neighborhood. Our vet said she has only seen maybe 5 elkhounds in her 20 years of practice, and every time we call to make appointments, the assistants are upset we cant bring him in while they are there b/c they have never seen an elkhound. Its nice to share him with others, and spread the word as to where we got him from; maybe more families from around here will help rescue future elkhounds. 
 
Thor loves people! He cant get enough love from anyone who is willing to share. My parents are jealous of how well behaved he is. They have a cock-a-poo who is 1-2 years old. They took him for grooming last weekend, he was given 2 sedatives without feeling any effects! We feel quite fortunate that Thor is such a good pup. 

Thor's original rescue photo:

4/23/06 Note from Lakota's new family:

4/17/06 Note from Lily's new mom:   Lily has been a wonderful addition to the family. She has definitely helped to prepare us for becoming parents to our first child, due in August, by helping us to develop our patience and making adjustments to the home to keep her safe. My husband just completed building a fence for her, so she has enjoyed romping around in her doggy playground. Thank you so much for helping us to find her- she has changed our lives for the better!! 

4/21/2006 Bailey lives with other elkhounds Sadie, Sammie, and Spirit.  Spirit was adopted through NECPV on May 5. 2005 and Sammie was adopted through NECPV on September 4, 2004.

Update from Moose's new family:  We adopted Moose last October and he has been a wonderful addition to the family.  He is very social and loves people and other dogs.  Cats, rabbits and squirrels are a different story!!  Two of the pics were taken during the big snowfall in February.  This guy could not get enough of the white stuff.  Moose is very affectionate but is also very independent.  He loves to go on long walks in the morning and evening.  Earlier this year, Moose
attended a seven week basic training course.  Although it started out to be very difficult, he settled in nicely and was even voted co-valedictorian of his class!  It's great having two wonderful elkhounds.
   

Moose's original rescue photo: