Meet our rescues!
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Mickey
When Ann-Marie went in search of a house, she found a dog instead! She had been looking for a house to buy and instead, stumbled upon Mickey. She just HAD to have him! The woman who was selling her house couldn't bring Mickey with her to her new apartment. If Ann-Marie hadn't rescued him, he would have ended up in a shelter.
The day that Ann-Marie took Mickey home changed everyone's life for the better. He became Ann-Marie's sidekick and her best buddy. For ten years, they lived joyously together. Mickey enriched her life. The love that she felt for him was beyond words. He was perfect in every way. No matter what she wanted him to do, like sit through a bath, a haircut or a teeth brushing session, he was so cooperative.
Mickey loved going to his grandparents’ house and to his great grandma’s house. He enjoyed going outside with his grandma as they played fetch with the tennis ball.
After he passed away, Ann-Marie decided to honor him by rescuing other senior dogs, just like she had rescued Mickey. He lives on through the many other rescues that have come after him.
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Cody
Cody was adopted through a family-owned rescue organization in Lehigh Acres, FL, called Senior Paws Sanctuary. When he was found by the rescue, he was in very rough shape. Due to a serious infection called stomatitis, Cody's mouth was full of ulcers. In order for the ulcers to heal, he needed to get all of his teeth removed. He was shaggy, dirty, and in need of help. Cody took 7 months to heal with the rescue group before he was able to be adopted.
Ann-Marie and Teresa met Cody at an adoption event. While there, they spent hours with him, just holding him and loving him. He sat on Ann-Marie's lap and moved quickly into her heart. The two seemed to fit like a glove. When the rescue owners brought Cody to Ann-Marie's house for a home visit, he scurried around the house happily exploring every corner of her house. He had a skip to his step! The rescue owners knew that Ann-Marie's house was a perfect fit for Cody.
Cody is a gentle soul. He is a cool little guy who likes his home to be quiet. He likes to sleep in the walk-in closet where he has several comfy beds to choose from, although the green bed is his absolute favorite. The lights stay on for Code Code and the closet doors always remain open. It's his own spacious bedroom.
He always shares his mommy with his furry brothers and sisters. He is welcoming to all of the rescues. He loves his mommy, his grandma and his Aunt Teresa!
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Ollie
Teresa met Ollie during a volunteer day with her team from work. They were volunteering at the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers, Florida. After their chores had been completed, the team was able to visit with the dogs and cats. Teresa immediately hurried to the doggie section. She walked past 3 or 4 dogs but when she spotted Ollie, she walked no further. "May I sit with him?" She asked the worker excitedly. The answer was, "YES!"
Ollie greeted Teresa excitedly. He was so skinny that she could see his spine! His heart was infected with heartworms and he had a terrible cough. Teresa knew she could bring him home to Ann-Marie's house, and they would help Ollie feel all better!
She didn't know what he had been through, but he certainly was lovable! He climbed right onto Teresa's lap and it was settled. He was her new son!
Ollie loves to give kisses (also known as lickies). He also loves to be with his humans wherever they are. Being two feet away from them is just too far. Ollie isn't settled unless he is cuddled on his human's lap or held tightly in their arms. He loves people and other doggies. Ollie lights up every room that he's in. His super cute, big brown eyes can steal your heart! He has a zest for life and a way about him that can cheer you up and make you smile. His energy is just extraordinary. Although Ann-Marie had 3 rescue dogs at the time and was hesitant to adopt a fourth, Ollie became a great addition to the family!
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Faye
Like Ollie, Faye is extremely cuddly and lovable. She is playful and sweet. She is extremely sensitive and gets scared when she hears loud noises and loud voices. Since she loves belly rubs, she will strategically lay wherever her humans are to ensure that she's in their path. That way, when they are walking by, she's sure to get a belly rub!
Faye is a little rascal. She leaves funny surprises for Ann-Marie while her human is at work. She'll rip a small hole in the doggie bed and leave the fluffy pieces of cotton all over the floor. She will find a piece of paper or a card and will also tear that to pieces, always leaving the evidence scattered around the floor. Sometimes, she pulls the blankets and pillows from the bed and the couch and she organizes them neatly on the floor. There is always a funny surprise for Ann-Marie! Faye loves adults, children, babies, and other doggies. She is extremely affectionate and incredibly sweet!
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Gizmo
When Teresa and Ann-Marie met Gizmo at the Humane Society, he was howling in such a way that he sounded so sad. It was painful to watch! He avoided the workers and the volunteers. He looked so scared! Gizmo had lived with his previous family for 12 years, like Lacey, and was owner-surrendered.
When Ann-Marie and Teresa took this little guy home, he kept his distance. He would burrow under the blankets and hide. He probably missed his family.
Once he warmed up to his new home, he fell in love with his new mommy. When his mommy left the house and another family member stayed home, he howled for her the way he did at the shelter. He just didn't like being away from his new best friend.
Gizmo loves bones. In fact, when Ann-Marie gave him his first bone, he held it in his mouth and ran all around the house. He darted from room to room, showing off his new treasure to his furry brothers and sisters. He ran and ran! He didn't even chew the bone; he just held it in his mouth like his most prized possession!
Gizmo has a lot of spunk. He loves going for walks and he enjoys spending time with his humans. He loves his new home!
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Holly
The family-owned rescue organization, Senior Paws Sanctuary, named this sweet rescue Holly because she was found at Christmastime. She is truly a miracle! Holly was found practically starved to death. She was skin and bones, and needed some serious love and healing.
Despite the abuse and neglect that she had endured, Holly was super sweet and loving. She, too, was a gentle soul. She got along well with every doggie who came to live at Ann-Marie's home. One of the cutest features about Holly was her extremely long tongue. It always hung out of the side of her mouth. Her hair was also parted perfectly in the middle, without even needing a comb. She always had one or two pieces of hair that stuck straight up, even when she was in the bathtub. We refer to those pieces of hair as "stickie uppies" because they always stuck straight up. What a cutie!
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Halo
Before Halo was rescued by Senior Paws Sanctuary, she was extremely abused. She was found underneath a trailer, curled in a ball, with all of her fur missing, and fighting to survive. Her skin was a deep red, and she was skin and bones. When the rescue organization brought her to the vet, he nicknamed her, "the drowned rat." Months later, the owner of the rescue noticed a brown spot under her little t-shirt that she wore for warmth. At first, he thought it was a bruise, but then he excitedly realized it was fur! Her fur was growing back! When Ann-Marie brought Halo back to the vet for a follow-up visit, the vet didn't even recognize her! Her thick, white and brown fur had fully grown back, and she looked as good as new!
Like Cody and Holly, Halo was super sweet and delicate, despite the abuse that she had endured. She trotted around the house in such a delicate, dainty way, like a ballet dancer. Something that set Halo apart from every other rescue was her love of exercise! She started every morning and ended every evening with a run! Halo couldn't settle into bed for the night unless she ran and ran! She greeted the day and ended the day with exuberance!
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Lacey
One day, Ann-Marie received a call from a family friend. She was asked to adopt Lacey because her human mom was moving and couldn't take both dogs with her. Lacey lived with her human mom and her doggie son for 12 years! How could they be separated? Ann-Marie did not want Lacey to end up in a shelter, so she agreed to meet Little Lacey, and of course, she couldn't say no!
It took Lacey a little while to adjust to her new home. After all, she probably missed her son and her previous human mom. It was the only home she had ever known, but at Ann-Marie's, she took an instant liking to Ollie! He must have reminded Lacey of her son! Regardless of the reason, Ollie and Lacey were inseparable. They enjoyed going outside into the grass together. She especially enjoyed exploring the area underneath all of the trees in Ann-Marie's backyard. It became known as Lacey's rainforest. Ollie loved licking Lacey and she always welcomed the lickies! Lacey and Ollie enjoyed relaxing together on the loveseat on Ann-Marie's lanai. It became known as Lacey's lanai! What a little cutie.
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Princess
When Teresa decided that she wanted a horse, she found Princess online. Shortly after adopting Princess, she had found out that Princess had come from an abused background. It took 3 years of hard work, perserverance and lots of training to help Princess learn to trust and to calm down. Throughout the process, Teresa oftentimes felt discouraged and frustrated. This journey wasn't what she had imagined when she first decided to get a horse, but she kept trekking on. She had made a commitment to Princess and wanted to keep her promise: Princess would be loved by Teresa for all of the days of her life.
Throughout the journey, Teresa was learning valuable lessons about herself as she worked with her horse. When Teresa and Ann-Marie's grandma passed away in January of 2019, Teresa decided that she wanted to pay a tribute to her grandma. Since her grandma was always extremely kind, patient, gentle and loving, Teresa wanted to be more like that with her horse. She made the decision to let go of mental To Do Lists that she had set in her mind. She decided to approach her training sessions more calmly. She let go of what she thought SHOULD happen and started appreciating the small steps as if they were huge milestones...because they were! Once she started looking at things differently, her whole world began to change and so did Princess!
Teresa and Princess continue to make great strides. They have come a long way from where they used to be. Princess is calmer, healthier and happier than she's ever been. Teresa does amazing things with her horse that she used to only see online. She is extremely proud of their growth.
Princess is also called "Nuzzles" because of her soft nose. She enjoys grazing in the open field, taking walks by the canal, and munching on carrots, apples, and juicy watermelon slices. Princess makes friends wherever she goes. No matter who she shares a pasture with, she is loved by all!
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Dakota
Dakota joined our family in February of 2023. Her name means “friend and ally”, and those words, along with spunky, loving, and energetic describe her perfectly. Though she spent a couple of months in a shelter and foster home, Dakota has found her forever home. It did not take long for her to settle in.
In fact, she began spreading joy and love right from the start. She is full of spirit, loves her ball, and enjoys spending time at her Nana’s house. Dakota loves company, cuddles, car rides, hikes, neighborhood walks, and being with her humans.