Hi! My name is Penelope. That's me on the left with my big sister, Maggie. Am I cute or what? I use my big eyes to melt everyone's heart! I wanted to tell everyone my story in hopes that other people would adopt those of us that need loving homes so desperately.

Mom and Dad got me from great Almost Home dachshund rescuers in North Carolina on January 2, 2007. You could say I'm a New Years baby since that was the day I was re-born. No one knows my "official" birth date but they think I'm about three. I was scared to death when I came into rescue.

My new family had been looking for another longhair mini dachshund for about a year. They have had Maggie since she was a puppy (she is eight years old) and knew that their next dachsie would definitely be a rescue, which was good news for me since I was looking for a good home. The day they picked me up, I got right in the car and never looked back. I was on my way to my new life.

That first night I had a new bed of my own but I decided I wanted to be in the big bed. Hey, Maggie was there under the covers, so why not? I just made myself at home and LOVED having a sister! Maggie is kind of quiet and shy so she let me be the new "baby" in the family. I knew right away that this was going to be a new beginning. I had some new toys and these things called "bully bones" that are to die for, as well as a huge fenced-in backyard and doggie door.

I'm all settled in and--let me tell you--life is good in South Carolina! We go on walks at least twice a day in the neighborhood or the park in downtown Charleston, where I get to meet lots of new people and dogs. I even go to work with Mom (and Maggie) sometimes. I've been on a big trip to meet my dachsie "cousins" and saw snow for the first time. Boy. I'm glad I live in the south! My next new adventure will be to the beach when it gets a little warmer. Thank you, Almost Home, for rescuing me and giving me a new lease on life!

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Although she has been with us for only two months, we can't imagine life without Penelope. She has stolen out hearts! How anyone could have abandoned or given up this precious gift from God is beyond us, but we're the lucky recipients of this angel. She is perfect in every way and every day brings joy to our lives and a smile to our faces. Maggie is her soulmate and loves her new "baby sister." We hope others find it in their hearts to adopt one of these angels and give them a new beginning! You will never regret it! Thank you to the Almost Home rescuers for all you do to make a difference!

--Debbi and Jerry Zimmerman
  Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

I'm Mitzi -- that's me on the left in front. I'm the one with the pretty white blaze on my chest and white "anklets" on my feet. I was rescued from the streets of Chicago. The streets and the people who walked them were very scary and did really mean and hurtful things to me. My foster mom cared for me; she healed my wounds on the inside and out, and she showed me that not all humans hurt little doggies like me. When it was time for me to find a forever home, she made sure it was someplace good and safe. She found my forever family in Delaware. And it is here that I now live with my four-legged sister and brother, Destiny and Dylan, along with my forever mom. Destiny is the red dachshund in the background of the photo, and Dylan is my black-and-tan wirehaired brother.

When I first arrived, I was really scared. I didn't want to leave the house! When it was time to go outside, I was so afraid to pass by mommy that she would have to hold the door open from the outside so I wouldn't see her. Once I was outside, I was still a little scared--it was a BIG yard and I thought for sure it was filled with spooky things and mean people. Over time and with the help of my four-legged siblings, I began to understand and realize that I am safe here. I started to walk the yard with them, staying very close to them and always looking back to see where my mommy was. But now, I can be clear on the other side of the yard without my big sis, little brother, or mom and I am not afraid.

In fact, I am not afraid of a lot of things any more. I may never be like Destiny or Dylan, who crawl all over mom and slurp up her face with kisses. And I may not ever greet houseguests gleefully at the door. But my mom tells me that that is OK. She tells me that all I am obliged to do is to be happy and feel safe. And guess what... I am happy and I know I am safe too. So much so that I give mommy Eskimo kisses, which I happen to know are much better than slurpy face kisses. I am not even scared to visit the vet or greet a stranger. I let mom pet me and give me belly rubs and on several occasions lately I have even allowed a few houseguests to pet me, rub my belly and give me treats. Destiny and Dylan snuggle and play with me. I just love them, they are fun! I am so happy that I am always doing what mommy calls the wiggle-waggle dance; it's when I wag my tail so fast that my entire body wiggles! Yup, things are good here and I will soon be celebrating my one-year anniversary here in my forever home.

Thank you to my Chicago foster mom and to AHDRS for saving me from fate unknown and caring for and loving me!

P.S. From Mitzi's Forever Mom

There is no greater joy than to see Mitzi explore the yard with such independence and confidence. She has blossomed from a frail, scared little girl into a sweet, affectionate, playful and loving little pup. When she looks at me with those chestnut eyes, I can't help but melt. I love her dearly and I can't imagine life without her!

-- Mitzi (and mom Marlene)
    Bear, Delaware

This is Sammy Boy, formerly known as Rocky. We decided he did not look like a "Rocky," so we changed his name. To tell you the truth, Sammy doesn't care what we call him, as long as we call him all the time--preferably with treats in our hands!

Sammy's story began sadly. He was kicked and thrown downstairs at his old home, and the fall broke his pelvis. Despite the fact that this was a very painful injury, Sammy's owners did not seek any medical attention for him. He could not put any weight on his right rear leg and he was in constant pain. AHDRS heard about Sammy a considerable time after this event happened and managed to get Sammy into a foster home with a very nice lady who took good care of Sammy. Because his pelvis had healed poorly, Sammy had to have his leg amputated, but he was no longer in pain.

When I saw Sammy on the AHDRS Web site, I fell in love with him at first sight. Another nice lady carried Sammy on two planes to his new home with us in Las Vegas. He arrived on the day before my birthday, and he was the best present I could have wished for.

Sammy is a very handsome boy, with hazel eyes and dapple coloring. He now shares our home with two dachshund sisters (and one nondachshund), and he loves to play with them. He is a very active and mischievous boy, and we think he is going to get a bachelor's degree in English literature because he has shown a great love of books.... He has chewed quite a number of them!

He is a very happy boy now and loves to take his Mom and Dad for a run every day. Yes, you read that right--he loves to RUN! The fact that he has only three legs doesn't slow him down one bit. Sammy is a wonderful addition to our home and we love him dearly.

--The Ferraros
   Las Vegas, Nevada

We would like to let our rescue dachsie Portia tell you her story.

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My name is Portia and I am a shorthaired chocolate dachshund. I know that a lot of dogs endured much more than I have, but my misfortunes were very real to me. My former owners decided one day that I shouldn't live in the house any more, so I was moved to the garage. The explanation I heard was that I was aggressive, and that surprised me because I don't recall ever being like that. I hated being without my humans, and I hated living alone in the garage. It's no place for a little dog. Over time, because I was so stressed, my coat lost its sheen, and then my hair started to fall out. I was becoming bald. So my owners of nine years decided to get rid of me. Things happened very fast, and before I knew it, I was being transported by two Almost Home volunteers to my new family.

I was shy and quiet the first week at my new home. I would bury myself under the Christmas tree skirt and stay there for hours But after a week, I began to feel more comfortable and trusting, and my tail started to wag. I was happy because I was so loved and well cared for. I am one lucky dog! I sleep in the big bed at night, and during the day I have my own bed made out of fleece because I love the feel of it. The only time I am ever in a garage now is when my new is taking me for a car ride--I love car rides, especially when we go to the dog park, where I can run and get lots of exercise. I go for walkies four times a day!.

My new home has three cats who try to play with me, but to tell you the truth, I can't be bothered with felines. As for the "aggressive" bit, well, you be the judge: My new family has lots of company, and when people come to the door, I am picked up and introduced to everyone. I give a quick growl to let the strangers know who is in charge, and within a few short minutes I am trying to get one of the guests to pick me up and put me on their lap. I don't call that "aggressive"--I call that Taking Care of Business!

I know how lucky I am. My new family took a chance on an older gal and because of that, I am now living happily in a wonderful, comfy, and very loving home. Thank you, Almost Home, for giving me a new life!
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It's hard for us to imagine how sad Portia's life would still be if Almost Home hadn't taken her in and gotten her to us. We love her very much and are so grateful that she is with us!

--Frank, Greg, and Vivian
    Rhode Island

Hi! My name is Buster and I'm the longhaired chocolate dachsie on the right in the picture. I was adopted so that my longhaired red brother, Link (on the left), wouldn't be lonely. This is my story.

I used to be called Rusty. My owner had to move in with family members who wouldn't let me live in the house. Instead, I stayed outside in a pen with other dogs. I hated being without my human. I had hardly any shelter so I was sometimes hot, sometimes cold, and I wasn't cared for. My fur was in terrible shape. My tail was completely bald and my ears had bald spots and were leathery and rough. I had worms. I didn't feel good or look good. I was sad.

I escaped from the pen one day and a nice person took me in and called someone to help me. That's how I wound up with an Almost Home foster family. Boy, they sure were nice! They really cared for me. They had my sunburned coat shaved down, had me neutered, had my teeth cleaned and got me meds for my worms.

Mom and Dad had been looking for a longhaired male for some time, and one day they were notified that I was available. They were THRILLED! My foster mom sent pictures of me to Mom and Dad and they fell in love with me, even before they met me in person. Just two weeks later, I was on my way home. My new dad had heard that my shelter in the pen had been a truck topper set on the ground. He drives a truck with a topper, and he worried that I'd be scared if I saw another one, so he rented a car to pick me up. He's a great guy! They changed my name to "Buster Braunschweiger." It's silly, I know, but my brother is named "Smoky Link" and we're a pair, so I won't complain.

I was shy and quiet the first week at my new home. Link had so much energy and I felt so very tired. I didn't play much. I would sit and hide my bald tail and just stare out the window. Mom and Dad were so sad for me. They held me and told me everything would be OK. They were right. They love me so very much. My tears are gone and I'm very happy now. My hair is coming back in very nicely. My tail is starting to look like a normal tail again and I wag it all the time! Mom and Dad feed me good food and take me to the vet to make sure I stay healthy. I feel great now and even sing howling songs to Mom when she gets home from work! I am part of a family and it feels really good!

Link is my best friend. We do everything together. Dad fenced in the back yard so we can run and tumble and play. When Mom whistles for us to come in, we run shoulder to shoulder just like a team and race to the house at 80 MPH! We eat and sleep together just like brothers and like to be "bed hogs" at night, pushing Mom and Dad right to the edges of the bed!

I can't think about how sad I'd still be if it weren't for Almost Home taking me in and helping me find my new home. They work hard to help us dachsies and make such a difference in our lives. Thank you, Almost Home, from the bottom of my and my family's happy hearts!

-- Buster (with Ron and Debra)
    Trevor, Wisconsin

When we lost our 13-year-old dachshund, Heinrich, in 2004, our whole family was devastated, especially his two dachshund "sisters." What a huge hole in our hearts, and one which I thought would never mend. Not only was he especially devoted to me, but I to him. However, time does wonders for healing, and after several months I began to broach the idea of adopting a rescue dachshund with my family. The two two-legged children were 150% in favor of it, so I began surfing the Internet for dachshund rescues.

The first two dogs I was interested in did not work out; one could not be adopted out of his region and the other was adopted before I could get there. The regional rescue organization whose by-laws didn't allow out-of-region adoptions had given me several rescue websites, one of which was Almost Home. When I checked it out, I decided to look at senior dogs first. And who was gazing up at me? "The masked Hallowiener"-- Oliver, and I fell in love. There was something about this rescue that made it feel especially right, and the next month of waiting to find out if we were approved was torture! When we had our in-home visit, my flu-ridden husband even crawled out of his bed to show his support of adopting Oliver into our home.

Finally everything was approved and I made reservations to fly to Chicago the week before Thanksgiving. When I met Oliver for the first time, it was definitely love at first sight. He is such a wiggly, affectionate little dog, with not one mean bone in his body (except the one reserved for any big, bad dogs!). While waiting at the airport for our plane back to Connecticut, I had so many compliments and felt I was able to spread the good word about Almost Home and especially about adopting a senior dog.

I feel so honored to be entrusted with the care of this little guy, whom you would never guess is 10 1/2 years young. My children and husband adore him, as do Wilhelmina (13) and Annabelle (4). The three dachshunds are always together, as you can see in the photo -- Oliver is the black-and-tan at the front of the lap of Louisa, one of his human siblings. My husband calls me the "Queen" since all three of the dogs follow my every move with great interest. As I hugged Oliver this morning, I couldn't help but think how lucky we are to have this new old dog as part of our family. What I don't know is who is luckier, me or him, but I strongly suspect the former!

-- Helen Savage
   West Hartford, Connecticut

In April 2004, we adopted a dachshund from our local shelter, and six months later we lost him to pancreatic cancer. Although the loss was devastating, we wanted very much to rescue another dog. I was looking at the pictures of available dogs on the Almost Home web site one day and there, staring out at me from my computer screen, was Maxwell. I read his story and went on to some other dogs, but I kept coming back to those eyes, so I filled out the application. Max's foster mom called me and told me that Max had some serious issues especially with trusting. Our other dachsie had also been neglected and had issues too, but with a lot of love and patience, he became a much-loved family member. As we spoke, I knew that this was the home Max needed; we had the patience and understanding to work through all those issues. Max's foster mom flew him to us during Thanksgiving week. When they got off the plane, Max was just a tiny bundle of shakes! The first week was tough: He was afraid of everyone and everything, and nippy! We just kept loving him and sitting with him on the floor, and now his favorite place is on a lap. He has come such a long way in the two months we've had him....and he is such a delight to be around. He dances all over the place when I get up in the morning and get ready to take him downstairs with me. He loves to "Goforride" and "Takeawalk," and we have learned how to type on the keyboard with a dachsie in our lap! Max even lets people at the pet supply store touch him as long as I am holding him. He has a way to go yet, but he finally knows he can trust us and that he is truly a part of this family.

-- DeeAnn and Dave Schaefer
   Oneida, New York

We just celebrated one year with our beloved dachshund-chihuahua. She is eight years old. After losing our 17-year-old dog, our son felt that there was an empty space left to fill. He kept asking for another dog, but we were unsure whether we were ready. We "tried out" several breeds, but didn't bond with any of them. Finally, a friend from my husband's office told us about Twix. When we first met her I thought "Where's the rest of her?" She's only eight pounds, and we were used to a much larger dog. It turns out that our family is actually much more suited to a little dog and we just love her!

-- The Soucy Family
    Merrimack, New Hampshire

Lilly, our first dachshund, was 10 years old when we adopted her through a rescue organization. It didn't take long for her to win over everyone in the family, and she was sleeping in the big bed after only one night. Except for her failing eyesight and gray muzzle, you would never have guessed her age. Before long we knew that a second dachsie was in our future. Since Lilly was a senior citizen, another senior would be the only possibility; after all, Lilly was here first and she was used to the lazy quiet life that older folks enjoy.

We had been watching the rescue sites on our computer for a few months and the minute we saw Brandi and read her story we knew she was the one. At 15 years old, she still has lots of spunk and love in her. At first Lilly was not too keen on the idea, but with a little patience and extra love, the girls are now best friends. The picture tells the story! That's Brandi on the left and Lilly on the right. The two girls seem to "work together;" Lilly follows close behind Brandi, who still has good eyesight, and Brandi follows Lilly's lead in responding to noises, as Brandi's hearing seems to be the only thing affected by age. We take them both to visit my mom in the nursing home and the residents can never get enough of them. So many seniors have to give up their animals when they can no longer take care of themselves. We like to think that there are people out there who are willing to take them in. Our family joke is that we are running a retirement center for dachshunds! No other animals have brought so much love and laughter to our family.

-- Mary and Michael Scarlett
   Raynham, Massachusetts