Adopted Elkhounds

Latest Updates

01/07/2010 Update: It's been quite a while since I said hello, and I just wanted to touch base and let you know Thor is doing terrific!  Just celebrated his 4th birthday, and I can tell you his hip is probably the best it has ever been.  Its kind of amazing to see how truly massive hip replacement is, and how long it can take to be 100% yourself.  But no limping, lots of LONG walks...Thor is back in business.
 
07/09/2007 Update:

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 Referal 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 Update: 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:

December 2009 Update:  I can hardly believe that Gabe has been a part of my life for a year already! And a lot has happened in the last year. Gabe and I have made a temporary move, and will hopefully be in a new house before Christmas. He has done so well adjusting to the new surroundings, and I know will enjoy his new yard and home.

I have seen Gabe really come out of his shell the last few months as well, and it's been wonderful! He has gone from a somewhat shy, timid dog, with what seemed to be many fears, to a more confident companion. He is starting to do so many more things than he used to. He is now getting very playful. He used to only fetch a thrown toy once, and he would be done playing. He now loves to fetch his toys, and any time I walk in the room with his toys, he wants to play. He also keeps his toys very organized, and will pick them up if they are left somewhere other than his carpet.  He has also amazed me when it comes to getting in the car. When I first met Gabe, he needed to be picked up and placed on the seat. If he knows we are driving somewhere, he will stand next to the car door, and most of the time will hop right in when the door is opened. He has really come so far!
 
Gabe is also making some new friends, which has been an adventure! He has hung out with a great golden lab, and still shows some ignoring behavior, but is getting more social each time we get together. Gabe has also met another Elkie, who is a lot larger than he is, and he noticed with the first encounter! Gabe gave the look of "hey, wait, he looks just like me, but... he's BIG!" They spent a few hours together, and I am looking forward to getting them together again soon. 

I have been so lucky to have had Gabe in my life the last year, and I am looking forward to so many more great experiences with him! He has been such a wonderful companion, and a great part of my life!

May 2009 Update:  He is doing great! He has definitely adjusted well. We had a pretty good snow storm this week (it kept me home from school for three days!), and he seemed to be in heaven! He just loved going out and rolling around in the snow, and getting his nose full of it! I could tell it made him very happy (as it did me as well!) Every time I went toward the back door, he got so excited because he wanted to go out!  We have noticed that he is playing more with his toys lately as well. When we would throw his toys down the hallway, he would go after them, but then sit and chew it for a few minutes, and leave it in the hallway. He is starting to bring them back to us, and then going after it again. He seems to be doing that more and more. I do get a kick out of the fact that if there are toys that are left in the hallway, he always makes sure he takes them back to the den where they belong! We have also taught Gabe a few new commands/tricks as well. For treats, Gabe will sit and give his paw, but he has also learned down and speak. He does a nice job waiting for his food as well. That took a little while, but he now sits and waits for me to put his bowl down.

He does have his mischievous side though! We do let him outside in the yard off leash, and he is always very good about doing his business, and coming right back to the deck, but he has twice decided he wanted to check things out in other people's yards! I guess it's just some of his independent nature coming out! Otherwise, he has done very well in the yard. He and I go for walks in the neighborhood (on the leash) every day, and he seems to enjoy going.

I did take him to visit my family a few weeks ago, and other than being afraid of some of the floors (the slippery ones), he did fantastic being in a new environment and getting in the car. My grandparents love him and were so happy to see him again, as were my parents. We are so thrilled to have Gabe, he has added so much to our lives! We hope things are going well for you, and want to thank you for what you do for elkies! I know that we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to get Gabe!

Gabe's original rescue photo:

Hansen's original rescue photo:

11/7/2009 Update: I just wanted to take a minute to let you know everything with Maggie is great. Her paw is better, I guess she will always hold it up but she isn't limping on it as much as she was when she first came here.  She goes for 3 or 4 walks a day and plays with her bone and ball. She is very affectionate and just gets so excited when my Granddaughter plays with her. She loves to watch all the squirrels and chipmunks when she is on a walk. She has full run of the house, sleeps in our room and most of my cats have learned that she will not hurt them.  Attached are a few pictures of  Maggie. I am not a great picture taker. She is the perfect match for us.

Update 10/14/2009 Update:

Maggie's original rescue photo:

Hawkeye's original rescue photo:

Sheba's original rescue photo:

September 2009 Update:

Wilson's original rescue photo:

August Update: I just wanted to let you know that the pet detective was able to capture Ace (now re-named Houdini). He's back at home now and doing great! He's such a sweet boy and seems to have missed me. He's was running for 75 days and only had a couple of ticks, round worms and guardian when I got him back! I can't believe he was in that good of shape- he even gained 3lbs while out there; however, I was feeding him the whole time. I was soooo happy to get him back. He's such a sweet boy. It's interesting though...he never went to the door when he had to go potty and now he does that! He's been doing a few other things that make me think he was at Doggy Training Resort :) He's adjusting well, playing with toys/ sleeping with me etc..

He was captured at 11:50pm last Sat (25th). The trap was designed so that the pressure from his mouth on the food would set off a pulley system which closed the door. He then ran around in circles until he found a hole in the fencing. Attached to the hole was a regular dog trap. He ran in and just laid down :)

The total cost for his capture was $2685. I've drummed up contributions totaling $560, but could use more help. Please email me (Cara) at clisettes@hotmail.com if you know of anyone who can help and/or somewhere I should post this information. Ace (aka Houdini) is now famous- everyone knows him! He's got quite the story! Also, he's going to be in the Kingstonian Magazine and is online at http://www.detectapetusa.com/found.htm

Steve was fantastic, pricy, but great none the less. I would recommend his services to anyone in my situation! 

May 2009 Update:

Ace's original rescue photo:

Moose's original rescue photo:

May 2009 Update: Just wanted to give you a brief update.  Shadow, now Shyla, is doing wonderful, she is such a love.  A little quirky at times, still afraid of cameras and she has this habit of rubbing her back, the spot just above the base of her tail, on hard surfaces (couch, door, oven, bed).  Sometimes I'll be sitting in the chair, shoes on, with my leg extended and she comes up to rub her back on my shoe. 
 
She enjoys playing tug of war, and can do a number on rope toys!  She and Sparky play quite well together, loud and rough some days, and they love weekend mornings.  Wayne gets up earlier then I, he lets the dogs out and when they come back in both get on the bed and curl up with me.  Often Peeps, our cat, will come join us as well.
 
Shyla, is a barker, but is becoming more familiar with the regular noises and is barking less, well if she doesn't see a rabbit, squirrel, bird, other dogs out for a walk, the neighbors leaving....you get the picture.
 

Shadow 's original rescue photo:

May 2009 Update:

(Pictured are Sadie, Spirit, Sammie, and Ellie.)

April 2009 Update: Chance is a happy boy living in Philadelphia.

Chance's original rescue photo:

Josie's original rescue photo:

March 2009 Update: Hello from Eric the Elkhound's new owner! He's settled in marvelously and since his vet wrote in his chart that "he's amazingly well adjusted and just the nicest dog", I now claim he has a clinical diagnosis of nicest dog ever. He's a happy, bouncy, social butterfly who's tired out pretty much only by going to family parties and having hours of socialization with other folks. He's a joy to have around.

Erik's original rescue photo:

March 2009 Update: I wanted to let you know everything is great with Magi.  He and Seamus are great friends and love to race around in the yard with each other.  Seamus has picked up some good manners from Magi but unfortunately Magi has picked up some bad habits from Seamus, begging mainly!  Once he gets his one or two treats for the day though he is content.  Magi is still more sedate than Seamus but that's probably true of most every dog on the planet.  He's doing great with the stairs, has his own sleeping area, and has turned out to be a wonderful pet.  We are so happy to have him living with us and from his smiles and kisses we can tell he his happy too.  Its a great fit.  He's a hit with our families as well.

They both loved the snow earlier this week and I couldn't get them to come in.  We spent most of the day chasing each other and wrestling in the snow.  Thanks again, Magi has been a happy addition to our home.

Magi's original rescue photo:

March 2009 update:

Lucky's original rescue photo:

Jessie's original rescue photo:

Tucker's original rescue photo:

February 2009: It is with great sadness that I report that Sasha (Shadow) died of serious spinal injuries incurred when an inattentive driver of a minivan hit SHADOW, myself, my friend and her small dog.  We were walking in the evening.  I know that I had light clothing, a white hat and a flashlight which was lit.  We were walking near the curb against traffic on a street with no sidewalk.  One couple drove past and saw us and waved, but the driver that hit us was perhaps distracted and claims that he did not see us.

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

February 10, 2009: I would like to thanks all of the people involved with the NECPV Rescue.  Our experience, I am sure, is not very different than the experiences of so many others who have adopted the beloved elkhounds your organization has so vigorously helped.  We recently adopted KiKi, who has gone through an array of names because our children, who are spread across the U.S. and in the UK, still want to have a say in such an important event. We have now all come to call Kiki, Ziggy.  She is a love.  After our beloved elkhound Shadow passed away, Ziggy stepped right up to the plate to let us know she is willing to work to help us heal from our loss.  My husband calls her my “hat”, I call her my “halo” because at night she meanders up to the top of the bed and curls around my head. I think my husband is jealous. Ziggy loves her walks through the woods.  She loves running the property.  She knows those moose are there somewhere. She chases balls and most of all she loves, hugs, and cuddles.  She is a nurturer and we are so lucky to be the recipients of all of that.   A special thanks to Yvonne, her foster mom.  She gave us so many insights into Ziggy but most of all showed us how much your organization loves and cares for this special breed.

Kiki's original rescue photo: