Brewster came to us with "issues" and the warning that he needed an experienced dachshund home. The woman who was surrendering him said she had made appointments more than once to put him down, but she could never go through with it. Within 16 hours, he was here and he was mine.

Brewster is a dog that no one in his right mind would adopt. His pattern is completely backwards: He is wonderful with my other dachshunds, he is wonderful with children and strangers. He has a problem with his owners. We think that his previous owners either abused him or played so rough with him when he was a pup that he just doesn't know any better. "Training" was apparently not in their vocabulary.

Brewster bites us. That's the long and short of it. We've had him for seven months and it's a learning experience every day, trial and error, to see what works with him. It's been two or three months since he has bitten either of us, so things seem to be looking up, and we are hopeful.

But whatever happens, we don't regret for a second taking him in. We celebrate his improvements, but we love him shamelessly just as he is.

Brewster lives with Jean Brewer in Tennessee.

Kibby and her brother were picked up as strays by Waco (TX) Animal Control. Although they had tags, their owners were not interested in picking up Kibby and Pablo, so they were at the shelter for over a month before an AH rescuer stopped in to see whether the local shelter had any dachshunds. They were both coughing, so she took them to the vet, where it was discovered that they were extremely high positives for heartworms with enlarged liver, heart, and other organs. The treatment was complicated and Pablo died.

Kibby survived the treatment, but she would not have anything to do with any other people after her brother died (as a brother-sister duo they had been very outgoing), so she stayed with her rescuer. She still has to sleep touching her mom at night. She is probably about 11 years old, but she is all puppy at heart and much loved in her sanctuary home.

Kibby lives with Rena Bonem in Texas.

Miles was purchased as a puppy for a “reduced fee” because he had a deformed tail. What the backyard breeder failed to mention was that he also had a total lack of bowel and bladder function. Everyone was ready to euthanize this little guy, but fortunately for Miles, and for everyone who knows him, he was surrendered to Almost Home.

A visit to the neurologist revealed that his tail was not attached to his spine and that fibrous tissue had grown and was strangling nerves, preventing neuromuscular development in the rectum, colon and bladder. His tail was removed, fibrous tissue was cleaned out and nerve pathways opened. Initially, he had a constant leakage of feces, as well as constant dribbling of urine, and he needs an enema once or twice a week to help him void. Belly bands helped with the dribbling and his mom found some special-order “scanties” for him to wear for bedtime and when visiting. She kept lots of old comforters spread around and got very accustomed to doing a lot of wash.

Over time he gradually improved and regular acupuncture treatments make it possible to avoid the enemas, but it became apparent that Miles would never be “normal” and would always have special needs relating to his condition. He will always need his belly band and bed-time pants, and his mom will always find unexpected spots on her clothes after she heads off to work, but rather than “special needs,” Miles is simply special. His mom thinks of Miles less as a “sanctuary dog” than as one of the greatest joys in her life.

Miles lives with Sandy Clabaugh in Texas.

Olivia was in a shelter, her belly covered with tumors (one bigger than her head), 15 years old and labeled "unadoptable." A very kind woman pulled her from the shelter and AH rescuer Helen Jeral and her husband Dave drove from their Pennsylvania home to New Jersey to get her. When Dave saw her, he actually cried. Their vet said that nothing could be done about the tumors or the fistula that had developed in her sinus from her neglected, rotting teeth. She was put on long-term antibiotic treatment for the infected sinus.

Olivia was probably a breeder dog who was dumped when she was no longer useful for producing puppies. The vet put her on medication to make her comfortable. She spent most of her time sleeping, waking up only to eat and eliminate.

One day, about a month after Olivia was taken into her new home, her mom saw a strange movement in her peripheral vision. Out from the bedroom toddled Olivia, wagging her tail and checking out the house. She has since decided that she will be sleeping in the big bed and will eat only delicious canned food, thank you very much!

Olivia now rules the roost in the home of Helen Jeral and Dave Santillo in Pennsylvania.
 

Milo is beautiful, young, and healthy. He's the kind of dog who would normally find an adopter instantly. But he has one problem: Milo bites. He has extreme fear aggression that nothing has been able to change.

Milo was surrendered to rescue by his family when he started biting at age two. We receive many dogs who are said to be incorrigible biters, and his foster mom hoped that he would respond to gentle discipline and training. But he didn't; he didn't respond to medication, hormone therapy, or expensive and extensive behavioral modification either. In the meantime, he managed to nip a dozen people. When Milo encounters a stranger, his eyes become glassy and before you know it, he lunges and bites; there's no growling, no warning--it's a hair-trigger response. Then he immediately flattens himself to the ground and looks miserable. Is it genetic? The result of poor socialization? No one knows. Once Milo knows you, he is completely affectionate and submissive, and shows no signs of aggression whatsoever. He's even good with the children he knows.

His foster mom decided it was not safe to adopt him out, so she had two choices: She could euthanize him or keep him. She kept him. He's a happy member of the family and is even good with his mom's foster dogs. She keeps trying to find new ways to help Milo conquer his anxiety.

Milo lives with Pamela Erbe in Illinois.
 

Zorro was turned in to rescue on Long Island, New York, in February 2004, when he was 14 years old. His elderly owner had passed away and his "mom" decided she didn't have time for him any more, even though he had been a member of the family his entire life.

After arranging transport to Chicago, we took him to our vet, who took one listen to his heartbeat and said "Uh-oh." Zorro had a bad infection in his mouth, most likely from years of not having his teeth cleaned. It had migrated and caused an enlarged heart with leaky valves. He was also later diagnosed with Cushings disease.

It took a few months to regulate his medicines, but when he started feeling better, his personality began to emerge. Zorro had been sweet and amenable from the first day in rescue, but he started to make himself completely at home and to flirt outrageously with our two senior female dachsies. Now he's 15 and is the "big man on campus" at our house. He patrols every night to make sure all the dogs and people are where they're supposed to be, and he worships his new dad. At his age and with his medical issues, he was not the ideal adoptable dog, but he fits in perfectly with us. We are glad he came to rescue and decided to stay.

Zorro lives with Paula Eacott in Illinois.

This little cutie is Scooter. Originally her name was Gueneviere but it just didn't fit her personality at all. Scooter came to us at the ripe old age of seven months, yet we were her third home and she was on her way to the pound! Thank goodness someone knew we did dachshund rescue and gave her our number. Scooter came from a PetLand pet store and is not a very well bred dog. She has some temperament issues. She will run up to some people and jump up and bite them. For no reason! And we never know who will be next!

We could not place her in a home knowing that she could bite someone, and then we fell head over heels in love with her, so she is going to live out her life right here with us.

Scooter has mellowed a bit and we can actually leave her out when the grandkids come now. We are just very careful and watchful.

Scooter lives in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, with Fred Ballard and Vicki Carlo and her sister Lacey.