Hello Mark,
My name is Maria LaRocca and I am the founder of Little Forgotten Friends Rescue and Hospice.  This rescue has anywhere between 60-90 dogs at a time. None of them are caged, they roam freely through my home with every amenity I could possibly give them.  There are 40 permanent pooches here, some are terminally ill, others are aggressive with no chance of adoption and some are simply just old.  I treat my dogs both conventionally as well as holsitically, because I always try to have hope that I can help a dog that the world has given up on.

My heart leans towards the old timers who would have been euthanised had I not brought them here.  There is something so beyond special about senior dogs who\’s spirit was broken as they were dragged to a shelter for what was about to be their final day.  Sometimes I bring them here knowing they WONT survive, that no matter what measures I take they still wont live longer then a few days or weeks.  I take them here to die with dignity as I believe they all desrve.  Read the rest of this entry »

This is my dog Bull. Almost 3 years ago he was abandoned in a barrel in a city park. He was not more than 8 weeks old, it was in February and rainy and cold. My daughter lives across the street from the park and the next morning she heard him whining and crying. She went and got him, dried him off and gave him something to eat. Since she didn’t have any place to keep him I took him over. I live out in the country 8 miles from town and now Bull is free to roam anywhere he wants to. He enjoys life here very much.

Stanley from TX

Hi Mark:  My wife Tamara and I acquired two samll dogs in 1985, a mini pin and a beagle.  They were born within months of each other .  Over the years we moved from San Diego, to Reno to Fresno.  They were always both with us.  In 1998, at the ages of 13, the Beagle became very sick, cancer.  We were forced to put him down.  Within a month, the lonely minipin layed down at the foot of our bed on \’his\’ blanket looked at us and then went peacefully and unexplicably to be with his lifelong buddy.

We had always been with dogs and cats.  At this time we only had a big Calico cat \’Big Foot,\’ left.  His name is big foot because he has extra toes.  Being dog lovers my wife and I went to the pound and picked out a pup, about 1 year old, a queensland Healer we named striker.  1 month later we opened the door one morning and found a puppy staring at us,, an English Mastiff.  We searched for her home and could not find her owners.  A month later another pup turned up on our doorstep, just sitting there.  After searching the neighborhood, we still could not find the owners.  So.. we added the Em, her name is Cheyenne, and the Lab, shepperd, named Cody.

One year later we found another stray, a chihuahua mix we named \’Ginny.\’  We refuse to take strays to the pound.  My Aunt turned up with dementia, and could not take care of her dog, so in 2001 we added Collie, a weird terrier.  They are all old now, averaging 10 years, we have given them great lives and they in turn have given back ten fold.  But the parade did not stop there, Read the rest of this entry »

On Tuesday last week, my Mom was overrun by democats.

She went out of the back door – heading to get the newspaper – and lo and behold. . .

From a small doghouse near the back door, there was a rash of fleeing democats of the feline variety.  She described them as looking like the clowns pouring our of a VW at a circus.

My Mom was so shocked she couldn\’t get a full count – but it seems to be four – apparently a mother and three almost grown kittens.

Mom is grey and white calico, two of the kids are grey and white calico with orange highlights, and one of the kids is orange.  Looks like the traveling salescat must have been orange. Read the rest of this entry »