I am a very loving and sweet boy. I am just shy of one year of age and have already battled the streets of Phoenix. A good Samaritan, an angel, picked me up and brought me to the Arizona Humane Society where I was given food, water, and shelter. I had been on the streets a long time and these things I missed the most. I cannot tell you that I miss my old family, if I had one, because they didn’t care enough to keep me or come find me when I got lost. How could someone not care about me, the gift from Heaven? When I stepped on the scale before my first meal, I weighed only 39 pounds. You can see all my bones and visibly see I have lost most of my muscles. I was covered in ticks, the big fat green kind, and was covered in dirt from head to toe  If I wasn’t saved before Christmas, I’m not sure if I would have made it through to see 2011. Due to my condition, and a case of kennel cough, I was sent to a rescue that could provide me the rehabilitation I so desperately need.

Now in a loving foster home, I have a crate to call my very own. It has a blanket that keeps me warm while I sleep and I don’t have to share it with anyone. I also have a fancy new collar with tags so I don’t get lost again and nice bright red leash. They gave me a warm shower and removed all the ticks that were sucking the life out of me. I even got to cuddle with a human while wrapped in a big snuggly towel! All of this is just for me. Can you believe it? These people know I’m a gift!

I cough a lot when I eat, so right now I’m not a big fan. Hopefully when my kennel cough goes away I will want to eat more. I don’t like looking at my skeleton in the mirror. It is a little gross and makes me queasy. I am learning how to play with toys and other dogs. When I’m not learning to play, I like to lay on a big cushy bed for dogs or sleep at my foster mom’s feet. The favorite part of my day is when my foster mom pets me. Simple pets make me very happy and remind me of the love I probably once felt as a small, cute puppy.

I haven’t had any formal training, shocker right? I don’t really know any obedience, but I want to learn, so please teach me. I want to make sure I am perfect so you won’t send me to the desert again. It was scary. If you don’t teach me, I won’t learn, and that will not be my fault. It will be yours. I’m a bit mouthy and might be too much for little kids.  My foster mom says I’m a little spastic on a leash. I love to run around, weaving in and out of your legs and around other dogs. You should see the beautiful messes I get into with my leash! I’m learning that this isn’t a game and is actually dangerous for me. Who knew a human would care about me being in danger? Must be another angel.

I know that grass is meant for going potty. In the house, I do not know yet how to tell you I have to go potty, so please watch me and take me out frequently until I catch on. Again, you need to teach me.

When we are outside, I will make sure to protect you from strangers or scary noises. I will ‘woo’ at danger to alert you, but because I’m so small I probably won’t actually be able to protect you so please let me stand behind you if needed. I recently got scared by the reflection of myself and that of my foster mom in the patio door and sent myself into a ‘wooing’ frenzy until I realized it wasn’t real. I will sure keep you entertained while I learn the ropes of living with a family!

I tested positive for Valley Fever with a titer of 1:32.  My symptoms at this time are just coughing so hopefully we’ve cought the disease in time so it doesn’t go into my joints!  I will need to be on medication until the vet says to stop….depending on how my body reacts to the medication, it’s unknown how long this well be.  I am tolerating the meds great, so hopefully this will be a non-issue for you!

Please contact the rescue if you have any more questions about the angel sent from Heaven. I promise to always be your angel, if you promise to help my friends and me.

Please visit Almost Home Az Boxer Rescue to submit an adoption application.

Adoption donation is $250 which includes:

*spay/neuter
*DA2PP and rabies vaccinations
*leash and collar
*flea/tick treatment
*worming
*Maricopa County license
*30 days pre-paid pet insurance
*Microchip with lifetime registration

All of the above information was provided by Almost Home AZ Boxer Rescue. Please contact them for further information about Gabriel or any of the other many dogs in thei foster care.

My name is Sookie and I am a female Boxer that is the foster care of the Almost Home Boxer Rescue.

I love so many things in life….wiggling like crazy, playing chase and doing boxer burns around the yard and playing with my squeaky plush toy! Man, I could play with my squeaky toy for hours!!!!

Most of all, I love cuddling and giving kisses! 

 Before I tell you more about what I love—a little about me—I was picked up by the Humane Society with a dislocated elbow. They called Almost Home Boxer Rescue and I was whisked away to the vet, where my arm was surgically fixed. I sported a fancy cast for a couple months, and when my cast came off, I had to go through rehab because I had this crazy limp. But I worked REALLY hard over the last few months, and now you can’t even tell I had surgery!  To keep my elbow super healthy, I need two 15 minute walks daily, and a little glucosamine with my meals.

 
Ok, so back to what I LOVE. I LOVE my crate! During the day when my foster mom is at work, she let’s me hang out in there all day. Sure, I could hang out in the house because I am housetrained, but why give up an awesome crate and a luxurious dog bed?
 
In my forever home, I would love to have a family that would give me all the hugs and kisses I could ever want. Ok… my foster mom says I should tell you that I do best following “Nothing in Life is Free” training. It makes me a very well-behaved pup—but if you let me sneak up on the bed and snuggle every once in a while I PROMISE I won’t tell! A handsome male dog to play with and a cat or two would be ok too.
 
Let all your friends and family know that I am ready for a forever home!!!!
 
PS…..I’m about 4YO

For more information on Sookie and many other dogs that are available for adoption through the Almost Home Boxer Rescue, please contact them directly:

Phone: 602-332-1626

Email: almosthomeaz@gmail.com

Web: www.almosthomeboxers.org

Photo editing by Laura Sand (my new, super awesome assistant!)

He growled at everyone that went near him, but after about ten minutes of pets and soft touch he warmed up to the volunteers of the Almost Home Boxer Rescue, who cried at the shelter due to his condition.

Simon’s prior foster mom and now his new forever mom says, “From that day forward, though at the time I didn’t know it, Simon became part of my family. He was in foster care for six months with minimal interest due to his health before I adopted him.  Over the last two and half years, Simon has undergone daily physical therapy, exercises, and massages to help him gain muscle in his back legs that have been affected by Valley Fever. He also takes medication to treat Valley Fever and a variety of other vitamins to help keep him healthy. He wasn’t able to physically sit down like a normal dog until just a year and a half ago – took a year for his knees and hips to bend in a sitting position.  Since being in my home, Simon has been a fantastic foster brother to eight Almost Home rescues that have come in and out of our home. He teaches them to play like a boxer, snore like a boxer, and lick like a boxer! He loves the resident cats, Lily and Mia, and can often be found trying to box Mia if our house is foster free. Simon is the best dog I could ever wish for! We have nicknamed him ‘Simon the Wonder Dog!’”

Speaking of licking like a Boxer, during Simon’s photo shoot, his tounge was flying around everywhere! So, I tried a little trick I use to keep dog’s tongues in their mouths…. peanut butter. He sure did like it, but it had the opposite effect that I was going for. It made for some pretty funny photos though!!

Almost Home Boxer Rescue is a foster-home based, non-profit organization founded in 2005.  Their Mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome unwanted pets to fur-ever families! They have saved the lives of hundreds of dogs and found them amazing homes! You can reach them by phone at 602-332-1626, by email at almosthomeaz@gmail.com or by visiting their website at www.almosthomeboxers.org.