read the stories
Bear
Cowboy
Cowboy
I had to send a picture of Bear. He was my foster a year ago and today is his 1st birthday. He was the puppy that came loaded with fleas and was so sickly that i thought we might lose him. Now he is with a loving family who sends me pics regularly. He is smart, and happy, and healthy!
Cowboy
Cowboy
Cowboy
Buster aka Cowboy is now considered a king. According to his new mom, he perches himself on top of a tiny hill (which he thinks is mt Everest) while looking out at his new kingdom/three acre yard. The gsd are giving him space as he gets used to his forever home. His enjoyed his breakfast of ground chicken, coconut and meat. Mom says he is very smart and she is excited to start working with him. Here he is in his new kingdom.
Abbey
Cowboy
Mickey
‘I am so sorry about the late response, I just haven’t been by my phone much, but It was extremely uneventful! She did great. She’s started venturing out of my room if I leave it. she’s wagging her tail and isn’t as uncertain about my dad anymore. On our walk this morning she even let a lady pet her and she fell down for her!’Then Friday
‘I had a pretty rough night tonight, and when I finally hopped into bed, I asked Abbey to come up, and she did and immediately laid on my hand and started drooling. whenever I tried to move it I got nudged to stop. I can’t explain the pure happiness this girl has brought me in such a short time. I truly feel complete. thank you. thank you. thank you.’
Mickey
Mickey
Mickey
Hi,
I am Aryan and I am 10 years old. My dad adopted Mickey on aug,22,2015 and so far he is awesome he licks me a lot and is very playful and fun, he is very joyful and never is mean. He does not disobey and does not act aggressive, he will love you no matter what you do. Mickey is nice over everything, Mickey is so great.
Luke
Mickey
Sammie
It’s Luke’s birthday, so here’s a picture for you. He’s one now (according to your math). He’s doing well, he really like to go for walks and loves sniffing everything. He turned out bigger than I expected (about 40 pounds) and I suspect his dad was a bloodhound.
Thank you for taking care of him when he was young.
Regards,
Bo
Sammie
Mickey
Sammie
Sammie is a wonderful, sweet dog. She loves people, enjoys curling up next to family members, and gives lots of kisses. She is well-trained and loves to play in her back yard. I could not be happier with any other dog. Thank you K9 Lifeline Rescue!
Quincy
Quincy
Quincy
I just wanted say thank you so much for everything you do! We adopted Qunicy in March 2015, and we can’t imagine our life without her. Quincy was fostered by Ashley and Ryan, who took such good care of her, before we adopted her. It was love at first sight for all of us, and the past 6 months with her have been amazing. While Quincy is sill working through some fears, she has come tremendously far in just a few short months. She loves to run and is incredibly smart. She excels in all of our obedience and agility classes. She loves to cuddle and brightens everyone’s day! Quincy has brought so much joy and love into our family and we can’t thank you enough!! Thank you so much again!
Ruby
Quincy
Quincy
She and the other dog in our family are best friends. She met the grandchildren over the weekend, they loved her and she loved them. Everything is going well, and Ruby is settling in nicely. Thank you K9 Lifeline for bringing this dog into our family.
Minnie
Quincy
Minnie
I just wanted to send you an update on Maggie whom we adopted as a puppy- her name has been changed to Minnie. After months of hard work, last weekend Minnie pasted her Therapy Dog Test through TDI! I have plans to use her as a therapy dog with students that have special needs. She is quite the character. Thank you K9 Lifeline for adopting me such a wonderful dog!
Louie
Louie
Minnie
We absolutely adore our Louie! (used to be Aero). He is the baby of the family and knows it. Louie just loves people and likes to say hi to everyone. He could sit and give kisses everyday. We love that he is a go with the flow kind of dog and we take him running everyday at a conservation where he explores and gets all his puppy energy out. Louie and his big brother Winston play all day long and they snuggle at night when sleeping. We are so happy he is part of our family and just completes it. Thank you K9 Lifeline.
Nori
Louie
Nori
This is Nori (previously named Jorie). Who was fostered by Pamela. I adopted her almost 2 months ago now and she has truly been one of the biggest blessings of my whole life. Before I ever adopted her, I had dreams of myself cuddling with her and taking her for walks. It was like God knew what I needed before I did. She’s the sweetest and most loving little girl. Seeing how happy she gets whenever I come is so adorable. She’s filled my heart and home with more love than I could’ve ever imagined. Thank you K9 Lifeline Rescue!
Alex
Louie
Nori
Alex has been a wonderful addition to our family. He is so loving and loves to give lots of cuddles and kisses. He’s a very vocal boy and it’s so much fun to listen to all the sounds he makes. He loves to play and usually has his toy box in the middle of the room with all his toys out. Alex’s favorite things are his blankie and rawhide. He always has them close by. We love him so much and are very glad we found him and were able to provide him a good life. Thank you Bridget of K9 Lifeline Rescue for fostering this boy.
Dexter
Dexter
Dexter
I have grown up watching my mom train dogs, show dogs, and help families with adoption retention. When she lost our Falcor in July 2014, she swore she would not have another dog. We had Nitro and Hercules and that would have to do. By the end of August, my mom had been talked into fostering…..and thus it began. I do not know which number Dexter was. It didn’t matter. He was destined to be mine. I was allowed by Pamela of K9 Lifeline Rescue to adopt Dex and I got him registered as my Emotional Support Animal. Dexter lives with me in my townhome in DeKalb and does a great job as I pursue my degree in nursing school. I really pushed his comfort abilities when I broke my elbow one and a half weeks into my clinical rotation. He is the perfect puppy for me and a great companion.
Mya
Dexter
Dexter
Mya (formerly Pickles) came into our lives unexpectedly. My sister had adopted Mya’s brother (Cooper) and poor little Pickles was the last one left. The next day, we were on our way to Wisconsin to pick her up from Cassie’s house! We absolutely love this little sassy pants and cannot imagine our lives without her.
Mya definitely has the personality of both a Chihuahua and a Dachshund. She loves playing with her wiffle ball and driving us crazy by making us throw it for her. It has been so much fun to watch Mya and Cooper grow up together. They see each other every week and will play for hours together. We can’t thank Cassie & K9LLR enough for bringing our little girl into
our lives!
Reiny
Dexter
Bentley
I couldn’t choose just one photo! Reiny aka Mama, came to us January 2014 and has brought loads of love and chaos into our lives. We found her because my mother in law was adopting a puppy and told us all about his mama, who was only two years old, still needed a home. When she showed us the photo of Rosie (her name at the time), I instantly fell in love. She looked like a mini reindeer which is why she is now known as Reiny. Since then she has blossomed into a love bug who enjoys, no insists, on being in someone’s lap under warm covers at all times, treats; that she throws in the air before she eats them, playing with her sister Lucy; whom she also torments by chewing on her neck, and sleeping in her boyfriend’s (my husband whom she stole) lap. She talks to you if she doesn’t get what she wants and smiles, like you see in the photo. If you’re eating pizza, she will stare you down until you share a piece of the crust with her and once you do, she will be your friend for life. Her spunky personality has brought so much joy and I can’t imagine our lives without her. Thank you Cassie & K9LLR for choosing us to be her forever home!
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Adopted Bentley (former name Chip) when he was 8 weeks old. He is now going to be 15 weeks old and is the best companion one can have! Such a playful loyal dog. Can’t imagine not having him as part of the family! If/when I want to get him a brother I will definitely adopt through you guys!! He is the best! He now weights about 18 pounds and loves to play and go for walks. He is such a lover too! Loves to lay on my lap and cuddle! Going to be getting him to some training classes soon:)
Luccee
Bentley
Luccee
Of course you already know we love our Luccee (pictured on the right) ….. although I will admit we sometimes refer to her as LUCIFER…… but we made it through the 1st year with her, as we just had our 1 year anniversary in August 2015. I wasnt really looking for a new dog, as we had lost our 2 Dalmatians in that same year- 1 to old age & 1 unexpectedly to illness. We still had Ryllee (pictured on the left) & she was clearly lonely & sad. I stumbled across the sweet face then know as Roxy. She was a Dalmatian & Lab mix. We wanted to adopt from a rescue, so we drove over an hour from IL to WI….just to look………just one look…that’s all it took…..she slept on my lap all the way home….. & it was an immediate bonding with Ryllee……. It took no time for Ryllee to show her the ropes….& there are still times when Ryllee has to show Luccee whose the boss….. and we have yet to find any toy they can’t destroy…Luccee & Ryllee are now inseperable … they eat together, they sleep together….& they never stop playing together. Love is certainly grand around our house. I couldnt have asked for a better sister for Ryllee. and our experience with Cassie & K9 lifeline Rescue was great!!
George
Bentley
Luccee
George was my 43rd foster. I offered to take him, just how I do with all of my fosters. He came to me from Missouri in June 2014 labeled as “tiny” and “friendly with everything.” George weighed just under 7 pounds and was about 2 years old. We had even found a home for him before he arrived at my home! We went through the necessary protocols of holding dogs and his “new” family came out to meet him…Well, Georgie had other plans. He decided he wanted to stay with me! I did not plan on getting a third dog, but Georgie definitely showed me he was going to stay for good. He is a typical Chihuahua- tiny and full of ATTITUDE. But I adore him SO much. His best friend is an Australian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix and he is the boss of all the new fosters. He is the fun police and he thinks he is a Rottweilier…Nonetheless, George is one of the best things to ever come into my life. He may be small, but he is mighty…and he will make sure you know that!
Leland
Leland
Leland
Leland (aka Mr. Belvedere) came to us as a foster dog through K9 Lifeline Rescue, Inc. He was 5 years old and had just been neutered making him a bit difficult at first. He was a skinny, little guy who didn’t know to ask to go outside to do his business. He was emotionally distant and despondent at first due to a bit of a trauma before being rescued. But, we knew immediately we wanted him to be a part of our family. So instead of just fostering him, we adopted him! There was just something about him that we adored. It didn’t take long for him to become best buddies with our Shepherd and now they follow each other around everywhere. He is definitely a Schnauzer with those funny idiosyncrasies. We just LOVE him.
Murphy
Leland
Leland
SERENDIPITY. A tragic loss of our 11 year old Dalmatian in November 2014 initially put me in contact with K9 Lifeline Rescue. Having previously had 2 Dalmatians, I was looking for another and was considering fostering one first. Murphy came along, as his family had 2 young children under 5…and soon to be another. Having a young (18 month), energetic Dalmatian in the house was a bit much for the family to handle. We were to schedule a time for pick up, but then the communication with the family dropped off. It was later found out that they decided to keep him. I then realized how badly I really wanted to have a dog in my life…and started to seek out breeders. Later, in December 2014, I drove to Indianapolis to pick up my 5 year old Dalmatian, Maya. Several months later, K9 Lifeline Rescue contacted me. Murphy was AVAILABLE!!! Serendipitously, he was even in our city!!! The family had since had their third child, and decided that it was “too much”. Very understandable…because Dalmatians are bred to run 25 miles per day…and unless you have a very active household, they will take it out on other things. While Dalmatians can be very good with children, they are not for couch potatoes. Initially, I offered to foster him until a viable match was found…but the two dogs bonded immediately. Murphy now enjoys regular visits to the dog park, car rides, and daily wrestling events with Maya.
Trixie
Leland
Trixie
I got Trixie (Rosie at the time!) when she was just 8 weeks old. She had a lot to deal with. A 3 year old human sister and a 4 year old doggy brother. And Trixie settled in from day 1. We were looking for a smaller dog, and while she got bigger than we thought she would, she was the missing piece to our family. She is my daughter’s best friend and my constant companion. Spunky and full of attitude; she is everything a rescue dog should be. She also helped me decide to foster for K9 Lifeline Rescue, Inc. and she has helped a handful of other dogs settle into my home while we find their forever home.
Dixie
Dixie
Trixie
Dixie Chick was found as a stray in Illinois. She was in a shelter and tested postitive for heartworm. The day before she was scheduled to be euthanized, Pamela of Dalmatian Rescue of Wisconsin, took her home- where she provided the treatment for her. Then Dixie Chick went into a foster home in Franklin, WI. I had to have my Dalmatian, Zoe, put down two years prior and, like a lot of folks, I didn’t think I ever wanted another dog. I accidently found her on Petfinder.com while helping a friend look for a dog. And that was it! Like many Dals, Dixie is a “velcro” dog, loves people, and wants their constant attention. She prances around and seems to say “pet me. pet me!” I adopted her in February of 2006 and we have been best buds ever since- it’s now 2015! She has a lot of gray on her muzzle now and sleeps a lot. She’s losing her hearing so isn’t at the door waiting when I come home but she still hears me if I whistle and comes running when I put food in her stainless steel dish; funny how that never changes~!
Ava
Dixie
Onyx
“Ava Gardner” was found as a stray near Quincy, IL and came to me as a foster dog. When her adoption didn’t work out, I knew it was fate and she was meant to stay right here with my Dalmatian mix, Dixie Chick, and I. I adopted her in July of 2010 and she has been my sweet, constant companion for the last 5 years. She has a quirky little personality and thinks she’s my protector; all 16 pounds of her! I call her the “enforcer” because she’s the first one to try to get the other dogs to calm down and behave……she is always by my side.
Onyx
Dixie
Onyx
We fostered Onyx and adopted her out. She unfortunately got loose from her new family and was running loose for 3 weeks, during the polar vortex! She finally was staying in a certain area and I showed up with her dog friend Taite and she ran right to us!
Needless to say, we adopted her and she has been nothing but a joy! She makes us smile everyday. She loves to lay in sunbeams or on the back of ‘her’ chair. She also welcomes in new foster dogs and teaches them the ropes!
Buckley
Buckley
Buckley
Yep, Buckley is settling in to his new life in Wisconsin with our crazy family!! He stays busy trying to figure out a new house and while trying to understand why the cat doesn’t want to play with him. We have already had him out to my parents house to meet their dog and the dogs played and ran so hard we had to finally bring them in the house to take a breather (that’s the attached photo with his tongue hanging out to the floor)! He still jumps toward faces when he’s excited but he is really picking up on what “Down!” means. You can really see his eagerness to please, so hopefully this will resolve soon after a little more practice. You were absolutely right and he pulls like a mule when he walks! But he has responded well to a mesh harness that works almost like a martingale would and he seems to really enjoy just getting out and about to investigate all the new smells. We have thought about training classes, but have decided to wait until he adjusts a bit more. Then we can see what behaviors and habits are due to anxiety/adjustment and what are things that really need work!! I will keep you updated and send some more photos when I have them. My mom got a cute one of him with the kids so I will try to get that and send it to you. Until then, there’s a photo of him in the back yard and one of him “adopting” the love seat as his favorite spot to catch a nap. We’ll be in touch again soon! And please don’t ever hesitate to call or email!!!
Trucker
Buckley
Buckley
From foster mom to forever mom! Could not resist this happy and “snuggly†little guy. First day I had him, I could count his ribs from 5 foot away and he was frightened of everything. Lots of barking!! After loving care he got better and then the REAL Trucker came to play! He is a very easy dog to train and gets along well with other dogs, big & small. His barking at new people has decreased very much and he quiets after awhile. I’ve taught him the “down†command, and of course the “sit†command and with daily walks, he is progressing right along on not pulling me down the street Trucker is truly a success story in my book!!
Jack
Buckley
Bella
Jack is doing so good at his new home! He was playing and exploring and he is a great sleeper at night. Still haven’t heard him bark either. Today I left him for his first day in the kennel while I was at work and he did great. You could tell he was taking a nap when I walked in. Probably harder for me to leave him than for him to stay in there. I was worried about him all day, but he was a trooper. Thanks again for being a great foster home to him in his transition.
Bella
Scooby
Bella
Bella seems to be enjoying her new home ….she has really settled in well and we couldn’t be happier with her …I think even Tripp would agree ! She knows the morning drill now ….potty, eat , and a walk …as soon as she finishes eating, she will run to the garage door to head out for our walk . I have a toy bin for their dog toys and every night after dinner, she will go pick out a few and bring them over to the couch for her and Tripp to play with. We really couldn’t be happier with her and we are so happy to have found her at K9 Lifeline Rescue and wanted to send along another thank you to the rescue for taking her in as a foster!
Scooby
Scooby
Scooby
OMG! He is THE best dog!! He fell asleep on the kids laps on our car ride home. As soon as he walked in the house he was right at home. We gave him his own “spot” with a bed and he knew right away that was his place and goes there for his cat naps. Such a smarty pants! He hasn’t made any messes in the house and all of our shoes are still intact. We have all fallen in love at first sight! Thanks so much for everything.
Maggie
Scooby
Scooby
I just wanted to let you know that I brought Dancing Queen (sorry, but I’ve renamed her Maggie!) home yesterday afternoon. She is somewhat timid about exploring her new home, but she did find the couch with the pile of blankets! She slept next to me on the couch all evening and then at night she slept in a basket next to my bed. She goes out to do her business (how lucky did I get to find one that is trained!!) and comes right back in. No whining or crying. She didn’t seem to mind when I left the house this morning, she was back on the couch. I gave her a little snuggle and told her to be a good girl and she went back to sleep! My nephew lives just up the street and he will look in on them several times today. I didn’t get a crate. Foster Mom didn’t really think I needed it and she seems to be doing just fine. thanks for your help in getting me a new pup to fill that empty spot on the couch. I felt such a sense of peace last night to have my Buddy in his little basket by the couch and Maggie next to me. Life is good.