Balboa
the spark that lit the flame of LOVE DOGS Rescue!!
Its with a heavy heart that we say farewell to the beloved BALBOA... the gentle dog who inspired "For the LOVE of DOGS Rescue" effort!
In 2009 a twist of fate.. kismet..& perhaps a touch of alchemy brought Balboa from a kill shelter in South Carolina to a home in NJ where he became a treasured family member of a young family of loving animal advocates.
The family quickly spread the word of the great & desperate need to save so many abandoned, forgotten & mistreated dogs who languished in scary, over crowded shelters... many of whom would not be so lucky as their Balboa!
We heard the story.. met Balboa and visited the Greenville web site where he was pulled from. We saw one beautiful sad face after the next.. each with brief descriptions about the dog.. and the PTS date.. put to sleep date.. It was shocking, heart wrenching and although we knew it was just one shelter with more dogs in need than we could ever save.. we began..
SPCA of Westchester was the first to step up and agreed to take all the dogs we could sponsor.. and then New York Pet Rescue jumped in to help...Soon transport vans filled with dogs were delivered to Westchester We were amazed to see one load after the next were all sweet.. beautiful dogs.. young healthy dogs..
Balboa and his wonderful little family sparked a movement that has rescued and found homes for thousands of dogs!!! That single spark has become and will continue to be a growing movement that carries a message of awareness, respect, dignity and kindness.
All of us at LOVE DOGS thank the gentle, quirky dog Balboa and his beautiful family for being such a powerful inspiration.
We and the many dogs who got a great second chance in life, send our gratitude, our love & hope peace will soon fill the hearts of those who will so miss their dear friend and family member.. BALBOA!
In 2009 a twist of fate.. kismet..& perhaps a touch of alchemy brought Balboa from a kill shelter in South Carolina to a home in NJ where he became a treasured family member of a young family of loving animal advocates.
The family quickly spread the word of the great & desperate need to save so many abandoned, forgotten & mistreated dogs who languished in scary, over crowded shelters... many of whom would not be so lucky as their Balboa!
We heard the story.. met Balboa and visited the Greenville web site where he was pulled from. We saw one beautiful sad face after the next.. each with brief descriptions about the dog.. and the PTS date.. put to sleep date.. It was shocking, heart wrenching and although we knew it was just one shelter with more dogs in need than we could ever save.. we began..
SPCA of Westchester was the first to step up and agreed to take all the dogs we could sponsor.. and then New York Pet Rescue jumped in to help...Soon transport vans filled with dogs were delivered to Westchester We were amazed to see one load after the next were all sweet.. beautiful dogs.. young healthy dogs..
Balboa and his wonderful little family sparked a movement that has rescued and found homes for thousands of dogs!!! That single spark has become and will continue to be a growing movement that carries a message of awareness, respect, dignity and kindness.
All of us at LOVE DOGS thank the gentle, quirky dog Balboa and his beautiful family for being such a powerful inspiration.
We and the many dogs who got a great second chance in life, send our gratitude, our love & hope peace will soon fill the hearts of those who will so miss their dear friend and family member.. BALBOA!
Balboa was a beloved family member who in his eight years with his family turned into an accidental yet excellent ambassador for rescue, big dogs and dogs in general. He was a sweet boy who came north from South Carolina carrying anxiety about his past treatment but very quickly learned that that part of his life was over; he was safe and loved and soon blossomed! He also learned that he could use his voice, and often, to let people know how he felt about situations and his rooo-roooing became part of his presence. In fact, his singing along at concerts, or greetings, or parades, or staff meetings, or conference calls, or solemn ceremonies brought him widespread acclaim.
Until 2015, Balboa commuted with Chris to his offices at two environmental non-profits in New Jersey and he loved these years, going for long car rides with his favorite person to dog friendly environments. It was not uncommon for other motorists to wave at or photograph him as he sat happily looking out the back window. Walks on the NJ Bayshore, in the Hackensack River watershed, or in his home neighborhood, were also favorites. Balboa suffered through a significant Addisonian crisis, at which point he was diagnosed with Addison's disease. This was kept well managed throughout his life and he became an accidental ambassador again, this time for canines for living well with a chronic disease.
Balboa was a fun and funny fellow who was a fabulous fetcher, had to learn to sit (he only lay down or stood for the first few weeks of northern life), was keenly attuned to his family members, made unique groany self-soothing noises to himself, allowed the cats to sleep in his crate or bed even when he wanted to go to bed himself and was a connoisseur of sticks large and small. He decidedly loved romping in fresh snow and hated going out in the rain. Balboa touched many lives and his death due to a fast moving cancer called hemangiosarcoma has left a shepherd-hound mix shaped hole in the hearts of those who knew him.
Until 2015, Balboa commuted with Chris to his offices at two environmental non-profits in New Jersey and he loved these years, going for long car rides with his favorite person to dog friendly environments. It was not uncommon for other motorists to wave at or photograph him as he sat happily looking out the back window. Walks on the NJ Bayshore, in the Hackensack River watershed, or in his home neighborhood, were also favorites. Balboa suffered through a significant Addisonian crisis, at which point he was diagnosed with Addison's disease. This was kept well managed throughout his life and he became an accidental ambassador again, this time for canines for living well with a chronic disease.
Balboa was a fun and funny fellow who was a fabulous fetcher, had to learn to sit (he only lay down or stood for the first few weeks of northern life), was keenly attuned to his family members, made unique groany self-soothing noises to himself, allowed the cats to sleep in his crate or bed even when he wanted to go to bed himself and was a connoisseur of sticks large and small. He decidedly loved romping in fresh snow and hated going out in the rain. Balboa touched many lives and his death due to a fast moving cancer called hemangiosarcoma has left a shepherd-hound mix shaped hole in the hearts of those who knew him.