Happy Endings and New Beginnings!

Rex (aka Gunny)

Adopting from New Hope has been a great experience. We adopted our first dog in August 2004. Jack was a great dog, and when he got sick and passed away in May 2005 we weren't sure if we were ready for another dog in our family, because it wouldn't be Jack. However, the chaos Jack brought to our lives was missed and we decided we needed that chaos back, so of course we again contacted New Hope about adopting another dog. There was one litter of puppies available in the Spring of 2005, and Rex was one of them. We sought out Rex due to his white tipped tail as our two girls both had white tips. Rex has definitely brought his own sort of chaos to our lives, which we totally love. He is a leaper. He loves to jump from high places and over things. When the three of them are playing in the backyard, he will often jump over his two sisters, who are both three times the size of him. But despite his tough guy appearance, he is quite the cuddlebug at bedtime. He loves his belly scratched and first thing in the morning when we wake up, after he has given his morning kisses, he will flop onto his back and look at us for his belly to be scratched. We would definitely adopt again from New Hope, and find ourselves telling many people about the rescue when they are looking for a new addition to add to their family.

Thanks again, New Hope.
Lisa and Joel Reichert

Click on the photos to see larger view

Soli (aka Grady) and Kyra (aka Emily)

Here's looking at you....Soli Blue (adopted Oct 2004 when he was 8 weeks old) and Kyra(adopted in February 2006 at the age of 5 months).
I was so lucky I was there when these kids were looking for their forever home. Initially, I adopted Soli to help me overcome the heartbreak of losing my 14-year old German Shepherd, but he quickly established himself as a more than worthy addition to the family. About a year later, Kyra joined us, her previous owners having surrendered her to New Hope due to her wild puppy antics. Soli is a true aficionado of the agility sport and has progressed to the impressive level of Intermediate within a short time. He is very smart and learns new exercises at amazing speed. Kyra goes to obedience school and already the instructor recognized her as a very smart student who is sure to achieve great levels of success. Both dogs love to go camping, hiking, car rides, the dog park, swim and play ball. They have wild chases around the house and yard, and play wrestle until exhausted. They also have a very loving and much gentler side where all they want to do is cuddle up with us and give kisses. They make my life exciting, happy and complete.

I love my furry kids!
Dagmar Lowe

Ringo and Cinnamon

Hi, my name is Ringo. I am a Blue Australian Cattle Dog. I had a tough start in my life. My previous family didn't like me. My old mommy and daddy use to fight a lot. My old mommy decided one day that she was going to bring me to the local ASPCA and told them I was a vicious dog. I was confused because I wasn't vicious. How could my mommy lie? I was put in a cage and put in the basement and was left all alone. I got to see someone only when it was dinnertime. Then somehow one day I was taken out of the basement and took a long trip to Arizona. I wasn't sure what was going on but I was glad to be out of the cold, dark basement where I was all cooped up and couldn't play. I love to play!

I met this nice lady named Shannon. She gave me a home and I got to play with other doggies. Funny thing they all kind of looked like me. I didn't care I was having fun and I didn't have to have to hear anymore yelling. I went to a foster mom for a while. She had two other dogs that didn't look like me and some cats. I had a lot of fun wrestling with them and would sometimes get in trouble with the cats. Oops! Then one day this couple came over to the house. They were playing with me and petting me. I liked them a lot and hope they would never leave. I especially like the lady. She was real nice. She was not like my old mommy. Then in a couple of days I saw them again at their house. They had three other doggies. We played a lot and they had a big yard for me to play in. I wasn't sure what was going on at first. Then realized that I had been adopted. They adopted me in June 2003. I had a permanent family and they loved me. It was so nice to have a family that didn't yell anymore and didn't say I was a vicious dog. I love my mommy and my new sisters. I especially love my new mommy. I guess you can tell I am a mommy's boy. That is ok! My oldest sister died about a year ago. I was sad! I didn't have a playmate anymore. The other doggies they liked to play but not like she did. But in a month later I met this new doggie. Now is her story………

My name is Cinnamon. I am a Red Australian Cattle Dog. I had a tough start in life. When I was a pup I was abandoned and left all alone to fend for myself. I didn't know what to do. I was just a baby. I would wonder around and try to hunt and eat what I could. It was hard. Sometimes I didn't eat for days. I was so scared because I didn't know what all these other wild animals were. Some were friendly but some tried to bite me. One day I was walking along and I heard a very large pop in my ear. I felt dizzy and had horrible pain. It took me a couple of minutes but then realized I had been shot. What? How could someone shoot me? Did I do something wrong? I started to walk but couldn't walk very well. Then I realized I had been shot in my left front leg and that the shotgun pellets ricocheted into my mouth and ear. The buzzing in my ear was horrible. I decided I better leave. So I started to walk the best I could. Then this lovely couple found me. They brought me to the vet and the vet fixed me up. I stayed with this couple for a while. I was happy because I thought I finally found a home and I didn't have to survive on my own. Then I was brought into New Hope Cattle Dog. I was confused and hurt at first. Why would they give me up? But then realized I was just a pup and was too much for the older couple so I understood. I had a foster couple take care of me for a while. They had two other dogs. We had fun playing around and chasing horses that walked in the alley in the back of the yard. Some of the horses didn't like it but I thought it was funny. Then this couple came in to speak to my foster mommy and daddy. They were real nice. Then all of a sudden I went home with them. They had three other doggies. They were all real nice especially this one doggie named Ringo. He loved to play and so did I. We hit it off. We love to wrestle, play tug of war, play hide and seek and I love to tease him. My new family adopted me June of 2005. I am so happy that finally I have a place to call home. I especially like to tease my older brother Ringo. I love to hang out with my new family especially my daddy. He likes to stay up late like I do. I guess you can say I am a daddy's girl. Don't get me wrong I love my mommy too.

We are both very grateful that Shannon has this rescue of New Hope Cattle Dog. If her company didn't exist then we wouldn't be able to find great homes like we are in. We might of both died or could have been living in a bad home not getting any love. We love to be loved and play!

Thanks Shannon!
- the Gerards

Rumi (aka Dingo)

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of the wonderful people who volunteer their time with New Hope Cattle Dogs rescue.

Back in October, 2005, I was searching for a companion for my 5 year old Australian Cattle Dog named Trixie.
I did an internet search and found the New Hope Cattle Dog website. I was very impressed not only with the layout and organization of the website but also with the very helpful information regarding fostering, adoption, nutrition, and other pet care tips. The site has pictures of all dogs available for fostering or adoption, and very detailed information regarding their history and any special needs that the dog may have. I found the website so comprehensive that I was able to to narrow down the dogs that would be most suitable and compatible for my Trixie!

When I contacted New Hope Cattle Dog, all of the volunteers were responsive, kind and knowledgeable. They were able to help me further narrow down the best possible mates for Trixie, and we set up a time for some of the rescue dogs to meet me and Trixie. I decided on the perfect partner for my female heeler; his name is Rumi, who I named after one of my favorite poets!

I was able to foster Rumi first to ensure that he would be a good fit, and then proceeded with adoption shortly thereafter. The volunteers gave me great advice on integrating Rumi into my home and appeased my anxiety about having a new family pet.

From the time I surfed their website to the completion of the adoption process, New Hope Cattle Dog was excellent. You could not meet a more dedicated, loving bunch of people. Special thanks to Shannon and Robin who made themselves readily available to assist me as needed.

I have recommended this organization to several friends and familly, both cattle dog lovers and those who I know would become great fans of this breed if they spent time with these intelligent, focused, loyal, lovable creatures!

Respectfully,
Suzanne Northey

Taco (aka Perro)

Hey Shannon,

Adopting Taco from you (June 2005) has been an unbelievable joy! Driving from San Diego to Phoenix to meet yall was a little hard; I didnt want to leave behind Zorro and Cinnamon, the two other dogs we met. I did see though, through your great web site, that they were both adopted shortly after we adopted Taco. Although Taco has been simply wonderful from the start; we did have some typical ACD dominance issues when we got him home. The support I received from your organization was great. The advice I received from you coupled with lots and lots of training (more for me than for Taco J) has worked wonders. I cant tell you how great Taco is. He is the ultimate Velcro dog, we never have to wonder where he is- he is glued to my side all times! After receiving his Canine Good Citizen Award he has been nothing less than an angel. We cant thank you enough- our family wouldnt be the same with out him! My husband and I were wondering if the Boy Scouts of America Scouts Law was actually written about ACDs.

Scout Law
A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. How true!

-Kelaher family

Mingus (aka Beau)

We had been thinking about getting an ACD for a number of years and when we moved to Arizona we were happy to find New Hope. We weren't sure what kind of an ACD we were looking for but we picked out a few that were available for adoption and then made an appointment to meet them all. Mingus (then Beau aka Beaucoup) was the last of three dogs we met that day and we fell in love. He seemed calm and cuddly and he was only 5 months old. We took him home that very night. We now live in British Columbia and calm is the last adjective I would use to describe our dog. He is, however, totally loveable and he lives life in the lap of luxury enjoying things such as frisbee, playing at the dog park, and swimming in the Pacific.

-Ben and Jenn

Houlio

Hi Shannon! You had requested that I update you about my dog. As you know, I adopted one of the catahoulas. We named him Houlio. He is about 65 pounds. He is such a happy dog and loves to go walking with me. That has made him very muscular. He is very well-trained on the leash and lets me know when the elk are near with his "hopping." He gets along very well with our bloodhound and our old akd puts him in his place. We all really enjoy him and he is my "baby dog." Everyone says he is spoiled. Again, he is always happy which puts a smile on my face!

You also wanted to know about the adoption experience. I thought it went smoothly. The application on the web-site makes the first contact with you, and after that, I had no problems getting in touch with you personally. Your care and concern about the dogs is real and you make sure they are all set before they go to their home. I have nothing negative to say; only that it was really hard to pick out our puppy! Thank you for your concern and love of the dogs.


-Carmen Martinjako

Travi (aka Traveler)

Dear Shannon,

We love Travi! He has really blossomed and is the sweetest boy. He is a pretty normal dog at this point – chews on his bones and toys now and seldom hides under the furniture. Goldie and Travi even act like they like each most of the time! Travi is quite the Frisbee catcher now. We look forward to getting back up to Pinetop this summer where there is more space to run and catch the Frisbee. Plus it is a better place to take long walks. Travi still likes to ride in the car and is pretty much attached to Wayne’s side whenever he is around.

Here are two fairly recent pictures. I think they were taken in December.

I would be glad to have Travi included on your website and write a testimonial to the joys of ACD’s and the good work that you do finding them homes.

Best regards,
Kathye

Charlie and Maya

Hi my name is Maya, Shannon saved my life. She was coming home from meeting an adopter in El Centro and she saw me laying in the desert in Gila Bend, I had a knot on my head and was covered in ticks and totally dehydrated. She took me home and cleaned me and got fluids in me and saved me. Then she asked Mommy Carole to foster me and she said okay, well after a few hours in my new home I had everyone eating out of my hand. I am a very happy girl and I have my brother Charlie and my sister Angel to play with. I am now Maya Wright, my mommy loves me to pieces. Thank you New Hope and Aunt Shannon.

I am Charlie, here is my story. I was shot and dumped in Gilbert, I have buckshot from my head to my tail. The people that found me took me to a vet and they called Aunt Shannon. She came and got me and I was in awful pain, she called Mommy Carole and said I needed a quiet place to be so she took me to Wright's. I was in so much pain I just screamed, I went through acupuncture, and two sets of medicine before I could lay down. It didn't take long and Mommy Carole said I would be with them for the rest of my life. I have had a hard time of it but my pain is being controlled and at last I have some peace. Now I go for walks with the family and play. I am truly loved, my mommy loves me so much. I love my sister Maya, she is so cool. Thank you Aunt Shannon for saving my life.

Maverick and Missy (aka Miss Scarlett)

Hi, our names are Missy and Maverick, and we are very unique in that one of us is TOTALLY DEAF!!! We challenge you to come visit us, and figure out which one of us hears and which one doesn’t!!!

Hearing smearing – what about sight, smell, feel, intellect, instinct, intuition, etc. etc., must we go on!!! Actually, the one of us that hears, often acts deaf, and the one that doesn’t hear, reads lips! We try hard to keep life interesting in our house!!!

Here is some more information about us. Maverick would share anything in the world with Missy, or anyone else, EXCEPT his ball, which is totally off-limits -- unless you intend to throw it! Missy likes to be the boss, and it is her DUTY to keep everyone (human, dog, or otherwise) behaving properly at all times. We love being outside with our people. And did we mention bones? At the end of (every) day, we love to be loved, and never seem to get enough of it.

We both had a sad and harsh beginning in life, but we prefer to focus on how happy we are now in our forever home. And our people, well, they don’t know what they ever did before they had us to love! Happy endings -- that is what “New Hope” is all about!

Thanks to all of you who helped us along the way!
Maverick and Missy
Lesa, Lou, and Sam

Mack and Jack (both deaf)

Shannon,

Hi, sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. It's amazing how much time a 2 1/2 yr old takes up! And me with no energy since another's on the way!

Well, I have some sad news. We lost Mack. He and our GSD got out and decided to go across the road to "visit". Seems the guy wasn't too thrilled (got scared?) and shot both of them. Unfortunaltely I heard it. My poor babies.

Jack moped for a while. It's hard being an only when you've had brothers for so long. So, my dad brought his lab down and left her here and Jack has been happier. He still looks for Mack when he first comes in or goes out though. It's been a month. My daughter still asks for Mack. She loved to play with him and Jack. Jack gets all her attention now, and glories in it!

We've bought Jack a stock tank. The summers are murder in Texas! He loves it! Everyday he's in it and playing. We have no more grass because he tears around the yard like a crazy man after he gets out of the pool. Then as soon as he's dry, back into the water! He still catches birds, and eats them. Yuck! I didn't figure the jays would come back this year, but they did. They chase him and he chases them. He hasn't caught one yet, but he's had a taste of tail feathers! He usually catches the sparrows. I guess they're not as smart.

I am so glad we got the boys from ya'll. We had wonderful years with both of them and are looking forward to many more with Jack. He has gained some weight and is now at a "fine fighting weight" as our vet says. Big monster weighs in at 60 lbs! He doesn't look it. He's gotten slightly darker blue than when we first got him. His face is still baby cute though! Thinking of adopting another from ya'll. Have to have some time to grieve for my Mack though. He was my lap boy (at 65 lbs).

I've sent you some current pics. The one of Jack was taken this weekend. The one of Mack was taken about a month ago. I'll take some more of Jack and send them for you.

Thanks for everything Shannon. We've had a great experience with ya'll. I can't believe that pilot flew them to SA for us! How wonderful that you have people like that. Remember, we'll always help in any way we can. Remember us if you need a travel leg in this part of South Texas.

Jenna and DP
3D Ranch
Moore, Texas

Jake and Radar

Hi Shannon & Shirley,

Since you were the wonderful fosters of the two best cattle dogs in the world, I thought I'd send a little update. I've attached a shot of them "at rest". My camera isn't fast enough for the action shots.

Radar is the ball dog - a tennis ball is his best friend - he could put any retriever breed to shame. He would happily chase it all day. He used to bring the ball to my feet while I sit on the couch. I got tired of leaning over and he now knows to place it in my lap. He is also the official greeter at our cabin in Pinetop. He loves everyone. He is our pyromaniac dog - singes his whiskers whenever we have a campfire. Silly boy. He loves the horses and likes to play with Flash, my gelding. Both of them are like little boys.

Jake is still the jumper. Our back courtyard wall - 4 feet - is nothing to this dog. He rarely waits for us to open the gate - just sails over effortlessly. Luckily he never tries to get out our perimeter fence (5'). We have 3 acres for them to run around and they are happy with that. Jake is the hunter - chases rabbits but happily hasn't caught one. Up at the cabin we take them out in the meadows - Jake is so amazingly fast - I'll have to see if I can take a short video - he's fun to watch. He is king of the ottoman - the only piece of furniture he's allowed on. I think his former owner let him sleep on the bed. He still tries once in a while - "If I look cute enough curled up on Gary's pillow maybe he'll let me stay".

All in all they are best friends. We are so glad to have both of them. They play together all day long. Neither is bossy - that's the job our our 4 lb calico cat, Mesa, who has both cattle dogs in their place.

Shirley, we keep track of all you do for cattle dogs by seeing the website. Many thanks to both of you.

Paula & Gary

Rosco

Hi All
I thought you would like an update on our boy, Rosco. He has grown into a beautiful handsome guy! People stop us in the street to admire him, he loves it. He has finally found a job, chasing his red toy (in picture). He loves it and becomes obsessed with it, barking for more... We are so happy with him. He is a bit challenging when we have visitors coming to our home, but we are working on that. He is a big sweetheart with us and adores us both. New Hope Cattle Dog Rescue, thank you for our boy. We will hopefully be moving right next to Central Park (they now live in Hawaii), where he will have horses to watch, water to wade in and off-leash time before 9am

Best regards
Cherryl & Josh Robbins
originally sent 4-05

Sugar

Hello, my name is Sugar.  I was recently adopted by my new parents.  I love them!!  I had to learn to trust them at first.  My foster mom told my new parents that I was found on the side of the road with my sister Annie one day in Tucson.  Shirley took me and made me healthy and taught me how to be a puppy.  When my new parents came to visit me for the first time in Marana they brought my future brother, Tug.  He and I get along great.  I get depressed when he’s not around.  My mom tells everyone she suspects that I was abused from a man before.  I, of course, had to learn how to trust people again.  I’m learning that my mom and dad are good people and would never put me in harms way.  I come around more and more everyday!  I love my new home.   When mom gets home everyday after work we go to the school next door to play.  It feels so good to run around after being cooped up in a house all day.  I’m still adjusting to loud noises and loud voices.  I also am learning to travel more.  I tend to get sick when we go out though.  I can’t help it but my mom says it will help me more and more as we go out.  My mom and dad also takes me to school every Friday to see my new friends and help me out with my timidness and help me socialize.  Thank you New Hope for helping me find my forever home!!
 
 -Sugar
 
Hello New Hope.  I want to thank you for all your help with Sugar.  I love her to death!!  She has really come along since we first brought her home.   I want to personally thank Robyn for all her help and advice with getting Sugar to become more social and relaxed in life.  I, myself have been raised around dogs my whole life and have never witnessed such a beautiful and timid animal in my life.  Without all the help and support I would be lost in my own mind trying to help Sugar become a great companion.  New Hope is definitely an agency I would consider adopting from again and tell everyone about it.  I hope one that I will be able to become a volunteer myself to help these beautiful creatures.  Thanks again New Hope!!!
 
 -Dotti and Chris
   (mom) and (dad)

Lilly (aka Lillian)

hello everyone,

Well it has been a little over two months since we went and picked up Lillian and she is just an absolute JOY! We have not had any problems with aggression. Kaya and Lilly have become absolutely inseperable. If one is with Mom and the other is with Dad they both look for eachother. Lilly gave us a little scare about two weeks ago she was outside playing ball with her Papa and hurt her leg when she jumped up to catch the ball. We took her to the vet, he took exrays, and found nothing. He proscribed some anti inflamitories for her and sent her home. The vet was so impressed with how pretty she and Kaya were. He said he was happy to see that they were so loved. Anyway, Lilly hobbled on that back leg for about a day and then she was back to her normal spunky self again. It was difficult trying to keep Lilly from jumping and wanting to play but we kept her pretty mellow for the weekend.

We go to the beach every weekend and with the weather being so great sometimes durring the week. Lilly loves to pick a color of dog and herd them all together. She also loves to chase the labs and retrievers into the water when they are running after their toys. The little brave girl that she is she sometimes steels balls or toys from other dogs. Our everyday walk is on the golf course in the evenings. Kaya showed Lilly where the bunnies like to hang out and where you have to go to get a good bunny chase going. Lilly and her big Sister LOVE to chase those bunnies. Good thing they have bells on their collars so the bunnies hear the girls coming from a mile-a-way and get a good head start run on them. Lilly comes back panting so hard but that smile on her face is priceless. She also likes to chase the sprinklers when they come on. She gets nice and wet but boy does she love it. Next week Lilly starts formal obedience training. We wanted her to be a little bit older before we took her to class. I just know she will be the shining star in class as smart as she is.

This week Lilly and Kaya are going to be exposed to herding we want to see if they show an interest in it. Rick and I believe these girls were born to herd and that is what is going to make them happiest so we are going up tonight to meet with the trainer and have an instinct test (waste of time in my book cause the girls love to herd anything that moves) but I want to see how the trainers work with the girls and with us.

I know I havent been very good about keeping you all abreast of what is going on with Lillian so I thought I would take some time out this morning and send you all an update. She is happy and smiles every day. We call her the kissing bandit because she will sneak up on you and steel some kisses then run away and play. We call that drive by kissing.

We are so happy to have Lilly. Will you please thank Kat for keeping Lilly and taking care of her until we were able to find her and bring her home with us.

Please feel free to keep in touch.

Michelle, Rick, Kaya, and Lilly(the Kissing Bandit)

Tucker (aka Garth from Gizmo's litter)

I had been thinking about getting a dog for some time and spent many weekends visiting a local animal shelter until I found Karma (who ironically was named Emily at the shelter which is my sister's name!). Shortly after adopting Karma, I decided she needed a playmate and that's when I discovered New Hope Cattle Dogs on petfinder.com. Their website was a fantastic resource that helped me learn more about the breed.

So we made the trek over to meet some of their puppies. . .

I had intended to adopt a little white one with black spots, but while we were there this little runt kept climbing into my lap. Since Tucker picked me, I decided take him home instead. He was only about 8 lbs when I brought hime home so he couldn't navigate the stairs which made potty training interesting! Karma right away took over as mother hen and would snuggle up with him all the time. He's definitely my velcro dog. Always right by my side or at my feet - he loves to snuggle and jump on my lap and on the bed. Karma is a little more shy and aloof. I adore them both! Karma turned 2 in March and Tucker will be 2 this summer.

A few months after I adopted Tucker, we discovered his brother Soli was adopted by a couple literally down the street! So we've had many fun play dates with Soli! We moved out of our condo at the end of last year and into a house with two doggie doors - which means the pups can run in and out whenever! But we don't get to see Soli and his new sister Kyra as much as we used to.

I had such a great experience with rescuing a dog that it inspired my sister to save a pup as well. Kylie had been adopted by a young girl who was terminally ill and thought a puppy would make her feel better. Little did she know just how energetic cattle dogs are! Through a remote connection, my sister heard they were looking for a home for her. When she came to her forever home at 6 months old, she was in a little airline crate way too small for her and her paw pads were still pink. I don't know if she'd ever been walked.

She is a very social puppy and visits doggie daycare regularly where she has two great dane pals she plays with! And she comes to visit Auntie Sarah, Karma and Tucker all the time. I think Tucker likes his new girlfriend!! Karma just rolls her eyes at their antics! Kylie likes to play in the fountain and encourage her cousins to do the same! She also discovered sprinklers recently and thinks they're great fun!

I am so happy that I have these puppies in my life! They bring me so much joy and happiness every day! At the end of a bad day, you come home and see these little guys so happy to see you - it just warms your heart!

Sarah, Karma and Tucker

Skyler and Ginger

I adopted Skyler about five years ago and he is now almost 6 ½ years old. When he came to me, he was best described as “wiggy” with wild eyes – pretty scared boy from a bad situation. I took him through obedience classes where he started brightening up with praise and accomplishments. Though the past five years, we have gone on hikes, road trips, he (with Ginger) has hosted parties at our home – of course it is part of his duties to ensure everyone has a chance to throw his toy for him! Many of my family and even some friends were so concerned when he first came into our family – they thought I was biting off way too much – but now, everyone loves him and enjoys playing with him (OK, my brother does tease him but Skyler enjoys trying to outsmart him!). Skyler has developed Progressive Retinal Atrophy which has caused him to lose most of his sight. This brings me to Ginger who also joined our family as a rescue.

Ginger has always been a vibrant, active little girl. She came to our family about 4 ½ years ago and we figure she is now about 5 years old – becoming a little lady with a halo set askance by her devil horns! She has a favorite toy – one of those holey balls from the pet store. She goes everywhere with this ball and I do torment her by hiding it in various locations through the house. She gets very concerned but has learned this game and will go to the room I tell her to find her ball. She never returns empty-mouthed and is so happy and proud to have outsmarted me. She takes the lead on our hikes (OK, even our walks when given the “roam” command) and she “shows” Skyler the path. It is amazing watching her with him – she seems to understand that he can’t see and will nuzzle him on the trails and makes sure he is right behind her when they have to climb up anything. I sometimes joke that I have one dog in two separate bodies. They are not only glued to me but they are always close together – even sharing a dog bed most of the time.

The happy ending continues for us. Our lives together continue with hikes, outings, road trips, and any adventures we can make out of being home. I love these kids and they have enriched my life in ways that could NEVER be calculated. Adopting them has been one of the best choices I’ve ever made. I can’t imagine my life without them to care for and love. And the love I receive back – well, there are no words.

- TJ

Oakley

Our family just can't thank you enough for all your help! Oakley is a sweetheart and has found a home forever. We took him on his first hike and he did so well! He is part of our family and I know he will continue to learn and grow in our hearts. Thank you for all your support through our indecision and adjusting to a new member of the family. We are happy and excited to show Oakley a good life full of adventure and love.

sincerely,
Julie, Rob, and Josie

Dusty (aka Dustin)

Dusty was the answer to our prayers.  In my talks with God one day he told me it was time to get a dog.  I did not have a desire to get a dog due to our being in the military and with so many moves and so much uncertainty I did not want any pet of ours to be neglected in any way.  Once God gave the order I began to look into the right type of dog and found the Australian Cattle Dog to be a wonderful mixture.  Dusty has been far more than what we expected; he is so very smart and loving.  I don't think I have ever seen a dog that wants to be hugged and held quite as much as Dusty.  He is truly a member of the family and miracle to our family.  Thanks so much to the superior work done by all those with New Hope Cattle Dogs.

Fair Winds, Following Seas!
Chris T.

Lucy

It's been going on a year and I wanted to send you am update about Lucy after reading your newsletter.

Lucy has grown into one of the sweetest dogs ever. She still has plenty of energy but has this soft side to her. Lucy will come up and lift her paw to you for some attention. She's full of kisses too! We've nick named her "Goosy Lucy" because when she is happy - she is HAPPY! We've also seen a new found life in our older adopted dog, Scooby. We adopted Scooby from another agency almost 4 years ago. He and Lucy are like bread and butter.

Even though Lucy is deaf (And we were apprehensive about adopting a deaf dog) she really is like any other normal dog. Lucy knows her hand signals and communicating with her is very easy. She does want we want her to. Thank you Robyn for telling us about Lucy, we would have never thought about adopting her.

Thank you so much NHCD! You are doing a wonderful thing!

- The Dunn Family in Mesa

Jade and Devon

New Hope Cattle Dogs is the greatest!  I can't thank you all enough for the smiles, laughs and kisses you've provided me with via Jade and Devon, and knowing that you've done the same for so many other people and dogs makes me like you all the more.  :)

My first experience w/ NHCD was when Lita and I were looking for a new roommate.  My family was made up of a blind Aussie/Heeler mix (Lita) and an old cat at the time, and I wanted a ACD, so I felt it would be best to get one that'd been fostered instead of going to the Humane Society or Animal Control, and NHCD had several that sounded promising. (I've found foster parents to be a great resource when it comes to learning about a dog's true personality BEFORE they get a chance to settle in with me and their new surroundings.)  I narrowed it down to just those that got along well with other dogs and didn't sound like they'd be too keen on eating Sam, the cat, but that still left quite a number to choose from.  I was prepared to meet lots of dogs before making a decision, but fell for the first one foster mom Shirley picked for Lita and me to meet - Jade.  As one of you there at NHCD told me before I went to meet Shirley and her fosters, "Shirley's a pretty good match maker." 

Then about a year later, Shirley asked if I'd be interested in fostering one of NHCD's pups, Devon.  He'd been rescued with his mom and surviving siblings, and was pretty sick in addition to having some neurological problems that left him blind and unable to walk.  Shirley convinced the people at the Humane Society to give him (and his family) a chance with New Hope and nursed him back to health.  I saw taking Devon in as a great chance to try my hand at fostering, but the HOA rules where I live wouldn't allow it...long story short, a couple months later I was granted permission for more dogs.  By this time, Shirley had nursed him to the point that he was healthy, growing stronger, could walk without falling too often and had some vision.  Within just a day or two I realized that I'd already failed at my attempt to be a foster - I'd never be able to give him up and had to adopt him myself. 

These days Jade and Devon can often be found, along with one or more of my other "kids", ripping around the off leash enclosure at one of our local parks, or acting as the greeting committee at the Bookman's corporate office.  (I wish I enjoyed work like they do.)  Devon's progressed to the point that he's fairly "normal", and just appears a bit tipsy or clumsy.  He's really a sweet boy, and watching him snuggle up to one of his siblings or friends during a quite moment is awfully endearing.  Jade, the smallest of my kids, is the sometimes pushy dog-boss, but she's also the one that's completely won over a human friend that otherwise has a pretty strong case of animal phobia.   I'm really quite lucky to have been able to adopt them!

Many, Many Thanks,
Chris (Lita, Jade, Bryn, Chance and Devon)


BTW, Jade is deaf, and is the white "blue merle" in the pictures and Devon is the red boy, in case you're curious. 

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