Rescue Stories
Thank you to our Fosters!!Truman has a superb foster to adopt home!! With none other then the fabulous Lisa, who adopted Lucie a few months ago and also works at our vet Dr. Klainbards office!
Read about sweetie boy Truman's story
Treasure, sweet boy Truman has had a heck of a time in his short life! He was brought into the shelter.. skinny, malnourished and terrified. Through all of what he's been through, his friendly and kind disposition shined through! Giving the misunderstood dogs a voice.. and a chance.. The two on the left huddled together are ours, the others in the photo were rescued by another group!. Read their story below!
These dogs are part of an original group of 12 chis who’s owner passed away. They were taken in by the son and put in an outdoor kennel where most of them escaped from. 6 were brought into the shelter.. They all went through so much trauma, having lived comfortably with one person their whole lives to suddenly being thrown into an outdoor kennel then corralled and taken to a scary shelter environment. Reports say they were all biting and growling when approached, shaking uncontrollably, wouldn’t eat, hiding under each other.. terrified out of their minds! The shelter workers were scared to handle them and didn't really know what to do with them..
Well as soon as we saw their photo, we knew we HAD TO HAVE THEM! We just had to get them feeling safe and comfortable and all of that fear based behavior would fade away.. We often see these little guys labeled as "tiny nasty dogs" or "chihuahuas are so mean!" Which can't be further from the truth!! You see, chihuahuas are such lovable little creatures who only want to feel safe in a world where everything towers over them!
We worked with the incredibly helpful placement partner, Carissa, of Lancaster Shelter and our dedicated southern team to make sure these guys were saved. Subsequently, another little stray came in at the same time who was completely emaciated, so we saved him too! Andrea drove to pick up our little group and they are currently safe at DawgPatch getting so much TLC!
UPDATE: Check em out!! Our little chihuahua rescues, now named Sylvi and Gandolff, not even 24 hours after Andrea picked them up.. it’s amazing how much dogs (and humans at that!!) can change when they feel safe. These once scared, biting, trembling little babies are relaxed and almost immediately trusting of Andrea.. check out the video below!
Environment and experiences can completely alter a dog behavior! Feeling stressed and unsafe will put a dog on the defensive.. and with that comes defensive behavior. When we rescue dogs who have been displaced and are so untrusting of all that is around them, we always put the feeling of being safe as a priority. Sometimes the feeling of safety comes from routine, comfortable and clean living space, playmates, food, speaking their language, allowing them the floor to be who they are without intrusion.. sometimes all of the above!
Over the years, we have rescued hundreds of nervous types.. learning something new from each! All of them now living successful lives in happy homes! It does take more time and a deeper understanding of the process but it is incredibly rewarding to watch these dogs blossom!
Turtle's Rescue StoryTurtle is the definition of resilience in a wee 6 lb body.
Looking at the photo above is enough to spark some heartbreaking emotions in anyone.. but knowing that it's our sweetie Turtle in that terrible condition makes it even more personal.
On a cold day in late December, a woman called Colleton County Animal Control claiming she found a stray dog that they needed to come pick up. When the officers pulled up, they saw the photo above.. a dog left out in the rain in a dirty crate, shivering in the freezing cold. His, what should be white, tinted brown coat matted from head to toe. The officers promptly scooped Turtle up to safety and warmth. Upon talking with the woman, the officers felt something was "off" about her story. When they checked her social media page, it turned out she had owned Turtle since he was a puppy and had neglected him into that awful condition. 
We can never begin to imagine how someone could be so neglectful especially to such a loving little dude like Turtle. He is truly HAPPINESS and JOY wrapped up into a teeny dog body.
We are also SO thankful for the incredible humane officers and rescuers of Colleton County Animal Shelter. Their work is admirable and their compassion holds no bounds.
Turtle, now named Tyler,
happy in his new home!!! 
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MimiIt Takes a Village
MiMi has since been adopted!!
This sweet girl Mimi was brought into the shelter in terrible condition. Turns out her owner had loved her dearly but suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's and her family did not visit often enough.
The same morning Mimi was brought to Colleton County Animal Services where Laura and her team took her in, Joann Moore and Elena Strauman happened to be there collecting a few dogs for transport. Right away everyone knew Mimi had to get out of there.. the sooner the better. We were contacted to pull her and she was scooped up and brought directly to Lynn, Jodi and all the wonderful ladies at The Dawgpatch Boarding Kennel/Dirty Dawg Grooming. They were able to get Mimi on the table and began removing the heavy mats that overtook her. We are so grateful to work with a swift acting, compassionate and focused group of rescuers.
The rest of the story from Lynn, owner of DawgPatch:
We are so happy to be a part of the “village” it takes to rescue and rehabilitate shelter dogs. Joann had given us a heads up that she was coming and in bad shape. Our groomer Jodi, rearranged her schedule to begin working on her within minutes of arrival. For several hours, at times through tears, - for the previous owner with dementia who once loved this dog , and for the dog herself who had been suffering in silence so long - she slowly and carefully removed all of the matted and filthy hair. As each clump fell to the floor you could see the relief in the little dogs eyes. There was no hair to be saved except a little fuzz on her ears. In places the mats had become so heavy they pulled the hair away from the skin leaving it raw and bare. Thanks to the Laura and the shelter for giving her NexGard- the removal of the tick clusters and fleas was much easier for us! She enjoyed the warm bath so much we gave her two. It doesn’t take long to blow dry a naked dog . By 8pm, we had a squeaky clean albeit exhausted dog (and groomer). Today will be the new beginning for Mimi. Welcome to Love Dogs sweet angel, you are forever safe now.
Stay tuned for updates on Mimi!! UPDATE: Mimi's grooming is complete.. a whopping 2.8 lbs of mats came off of her. Needless to say, she is feeling much better and has begun settling in at DawgPatch<3 Mimi will soon be going to the vet for a full spectrum wellness check.
Willadeen
Hoping someone wants to love me!
We learned of this poor grey muzzled lady who was taken from a sad hoarding situation and brought to a shelter. She is blind and lumpy and we can't let her live out his days at a shelter stay tuned for updates & send love his way!! We've had so many amazing adopters choose to bring home dogs like this sweet love. Let us know if you are one. We offer many options to adopters to make the magic work!
Sweet girl has arrived to DAWG PATCH and is enjoying love and comfort!!!
THANK YOU LYNN ANGEL.. you are a a true angel! FoxyDarling petite girl Foxy, below, was surrendered by her previous owner to a rundown shelter in South Carolina. Foxy has come down with pneumonia and we are waiting to see how she responds too medication. She is in good hands with our Southern Team and are hoping for a smooth recovery. Even through all of this transition, Foxy remains as friendly and sweet as ever. What a resilient, special girl she is!! Stay turned for updates.
UPDATE: Sadly, Foxy lost her battle with pneumonia. We are so sad to have to say goodbye to such a loving, sweet girl. She will be terribly missed. 
Foxy.. sad and scared at the shelter
Annie's StoryMeet Annie.. We recently pulled her from a southern shelter. This little love was found cuddled up to her owner who was laying deceased. The two were in the home together for about a week before they were found.
Annie’s owner adored her, putting her through heartworm treatment and treating her like family.. a very sad, tough transition for Annie but boy is she resilient! Check out the video below to see this happy, zoomie girl in action!
Annie first went to foster with Elena.. stealing everyone’s hearts! Annie's story is also a good reminder that some dogs that find themselves homeless aren’t always abandoned or abused.. some had a great life and are collateral damage in an unfortunate situation. 
Annie.. now Sophia with rescue sister Beanie at home!!
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