Take Me Home - Pet Adoption and Animal Rescue - Pets & Animals on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com)

Susan Daffron talks to Vicki Korobkin from Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in Washington, D.C. about Angel Lyn, a Dalmatian mix that is available for adoption. Lucky Dog Animal Rescue transports pets from high-kill shelters in North and South Carolina and helps find them new homes in the greater D.C. area. Although no one is sure exactly what breed of dog Angel Lyn is mixed with, she is about the size of a Dalmatian and is all white except for cute black Dalmatian spots on her ears. Angel Lyn is about 4 years old and like most Dalmatians, she has a lot of energy and love to play. If you've ever wanted a jogging buddy or a dog to go on hikes with, Angel Lyn would be a great dog to add to your family. Although Angel Lyn hasn't had much formal obedience training yet, she does know how to sit and is obviously extremely smart and eager to please. She would do extremely well in canine sports like agility or flyball. If you want to make Angel Lyn a part of your family, you won't be disappointed; she will be a loyal friend, companion and an amazing exercise partner too.

Take Me Home host Susan Daffron reflects on 100 episodes of the show and shares stories about pets who are now living in new forever homes. Every animal at animal shelters and rescues has a story and the goal with this show has been to tell them. A big thank you to everyone who has listened, downloaded and shared Take Me Home. The more we can showcase the "pet adoption option" the more animals can be saved!

Susan Daffron talks to Jen Chapman from the Pet Welfare Adoption Center in northwestern Florida about a Australian Shepherd/Doberman Pinscher mix named Bear who is available for adoption. Pet Welfare is located at the Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida and often works to help members of the military and their families with their pets. Bear is a sweet 7-year-old neutered male with pretty black and tan "dobie" marking and a happy smile. Unfortunately, he is back at Pet Welfare after having been adopted for two years and then returned. It's likely that his owners didn't spend enough time with him and Jen thinks he may have a bit of separation anxiety, so it would be great if he could be adopted by a family where someone is home often and can spend time with him. A retired couple or someone who works from home would be ideal. Since he's 7, Bear is well beyond the puppy phase and although he does need daily walks, he's also just happy to hang out with his people. Bear is a great dog that is looking for a second chance to bond with a family who will give him the love and attention he deserves!

Susan Daffron talks to Kathy Akopov from PAWS Atlanta in Georgia about an American Staffordshire mix named Bonita. When she was three years old, Bonita was found roaming as a stray and taken to the shelter. She was in bad shape and almost furless, but the staff knew there was a beautiful dog underneath, so they named her "Bonita." She has been at PAWS Atlanta for 5 years now and grown into a hilarious, fun-loving girl. Bonita is housebroken, crate trained, and knows some basic commands. She gets along well with most other dogs and enjoys eating fruit. Kathy says that watching Bonita eat a banana is hilarious! Bonita has her own special dinnertime dance complete with spins in the air, which you can see in her video on the PAWS Atlanta Web site. Among her other fun, quirky behaviors, she also snorts like a pig when exploring and "smothers" you to get attention. She also snores with the best of them and even prances like a show dog. As you can tell, Bonita has a big personality and although she does love to run and play with her toys, she also settles down and is happy to just hang out. No one at PAWS Atlanta can figure out why this wonderful dog has been overlooked for so long. Bonita is energetic, funny, and adds joy to your life whenever you're in her company. PAWS Atlanta is doing a special "Home for the Holidays" promotion for long-term residents like Bonita and are offering 50% off her adoption fee through December 31, 2011. Give this sweet dog the ultimate holiday gift: a forever home!

Susan Daffron talks to Janet White from Camp Cocker in California about a cocker spaniel named Alvin who is available for adoption. Alvin is such a sweet and special little dog, his foster mom Janet started up a blog for him, which you can see at Little Alvin's Big Life. Alvin now has friends and supporters all over the world. He's a small caramel-colored cocker mix with huge brown eyes. Because he's smaller than most cocker spaniels, he has a perpetual "puppy" look, even though he's probably at least three years old. Although the folks at Camp Cocker don't know much about Alvin's past, they do know he came in as a stray in a Los Angeles area shelter. It's likely Alvin was an outdoor dog who was kept in a back yard with very little human contact. He can be shy and nervous around new people, particularly when he's inside. Unlike many small dogs, you can't just pick Alvin up and put him in your lap. Initially, he was fearful of being touched at all, and even now after lots of love and attention in foster care, Alvin still needs to warm up to new people a bit. He is responding extremely well to obedience training and he is motivated by food so he's easy to train. Janet says that just teaching Alvin to "sit" has reinforced the bond between them. Often learning a few obedience commands can give shy dogs more confidence, so Alvin would do best in a home with a patient owner who will give him the time and attention he needs to bond and learn. Wouldn't you just love to come home to that adorable face?

Susan Daffron talks to Carie Broecker from Peace of Mind Dog Rescue (POMDR) in California. POMDR works with both senior dogs and senior people. They specialize in finding homes for older homeless dogs or dogs whose owners can no longer care for them because of illness, death, or other circumstances. Lobo is an 8-year old Saint Bernard/Golden Retriever mix who weighs about 75 pounds. He is quite a bit smaller and has shorter fur than a Saint Bernard. Lobo came to POMDR with his 14-year old father Kaiser after they lost their home because of foreclosure. He was very bonded to Kaiser, but unfortunately Kaiser passed away a few months ago, so now Lobo is alone. Even though he doesn't have his buddy anymore, he's adapting and Lobo is still a happy older dog who particularly enjoys being around children. In his past life, he probably was an outside dog, so he would do best in a home with a doggie door or slider to a fenced yard, so it's easy for him to go outside when he needs to. Although he hasn't had a lot of obedience training, he's a smart boy who loves food, so he should be easy to train. Contrary to the old saw, old dogs can new learn new tricks! This sweet goofy older guy deserves a second chance at love. If you love big mellow dogs, check out his pictures and his smiling face.

Susan Daffron talks to Sansa Collins from Sanctuary One in Oregon. Sanctuary One is a Care Farm, a type of shelter more commonly found in the UK and Europe. In fact Double Oak Farm is the first such shelter in the United States. Sansa describes it as a working farm where people, animals and the earth are brought together for mutual healing. Bubba is about four years old, a beautiful orange and white tabby with perhaps a trace of Abyssinian. He has a sweet disposition, and is very loving with people of all ages. He's friendly with other cats and not too bad with dogs after the initial meeting. Bubba was transferred to the farm from the Rogue Valley Humane Society. It appears that he was hit by a car at some point, since he has a pelvis fracture that rehealed on its own. When he first arrived at Sanctuary One, Bubba dragged his back right leg, but a combination of diet and minor treatment has done wonders (he's on a wet cat food only diet and will continue to require a mild laxative). Bubba can now use his leg, and is a very active kitty. His perfect forever home includes indoor accommodations and a little extra care, but Bubba the super love bug would be a welcome addition to any family!

Susan Daffron talks to Brandi Tracy from the Braveheart Rescue in Minnesota. Star is a spayed female Canaan/Lab mix who ended up in rescue after she was almost killed (her prior owner slit her throat and left her to die). She was saved, recuperated and has been at Braveheart for a while now. According to Brandi (who has seen a LOT of dogs) Star is actually one of the smartest dogs she's ever met. Star is an easy dog to be with, walks well on a leash, gets along with other dogs, and loves going for car rides. Star also is an amazing athlete and her claim to fame at Braveheart is that the first day she was at the rescue, she scaled a 10-foot fence with ease. (She didn't actually go anywhere, but Brandi turned around and there was Star sitting looking at her.) Star is an amazing survivor and after her rocky start really deserves a fantastic home with someone who will appreciate what an amazing dog she is. As it says on her page on the Braveheart Web site, Star is "a perfect companion animal or working dog ... she has the capacity for both. She is an extraordinary dog and whoever she finds a home with will be a happy person/family."

Susan Daffron talks to Char Boroni from the Shelter Pet Rescue Network (SPRN) about a dog named Chelsea who is available for adoption. SPRN is a non-profit shelter located in Henderson Nevada, which offers services to southern Nevada and southern California. Specializing in the "bully breeds," SPRN rescues strays, homeless and death-row pets. Chelsea is an adorable, active American Pit Bull Terrier who is around two years old. She weighs about fifty pounds and has all the energy and agility that is characteristic of her breed. Chelsea loves playing with tennis balls. Her athletic ability makes her a natural for flyball, agility training or maybe even water sports. Chelsea's perfect forever home would be a loving family, couple, or individual who could keep her active both mentally and physically. Because she has been boarded for a while, children over the age of 12 would be a better fit. Chelsea is not aggressive with other dogs, but can be somewhat selective, so ideally any other dogs in the home should be around the same size and temperament. If you have an active lifestyle, Chelsea could be your new best friend!

Susan Daffron talks to Christine Michaels from Riverfront Cats in Florida about two cats named Johnny Walker and Tiffany who are available for adoption as a pair. Riverfront Cats, located in downtown Miami, has seen an explosion of homeless felines. Christine rescued both these cats as kittens from a nearby colony, though neither one is feral. They were probably dumped or strays who had a home at one time; they love the cushy indoor life at their foster home with Christine. As Christine points out, contrary to popular myth, most black cats actually aren't "scaredy cats" at all and are extremely social. And Johnny Walker and Tiffany are no exception. Johnny Walker is about a year and a half old and extremely people-friendly. He loves laps and even is willing to go to the store on a leash. Tiffany is a small petite female, about a year old, who loves to play. Both cats are pure black and Christine hopes someone will adopt them together, since they already enjoy each other's company. In fact, because it's "Black is Back" month, Christine is offering a two for one adoption fee, along with a gift basket including his/her pet bowls, a food mat, a bag of premium dry cat food, a stack of premium canned moist food, new toys, the book 50 Games to Play with your Cat and a bottle of Coppola wine. Johnny Walker and Tiffany would make wonderful companions for someone, maybe it's you!

Susan Daffron talks to Robert Shapiro from Social Tees Animal Rescue about two cats named Harris and Samuel who are available for adoption. Social Tees Animal Rescue (S.T.A.R.) is a non-profit 501c3 organization that takes abandoned animals from New York shelters and provides them with a safe haven and veterinary care until they are placed in a proper home. STAR rescues, rehabilitates and places more than 3000 dogs, cats, birds and reptiles every year. Like many cats, Harris and Samuel ended up in rescue through no fault of their own; their owner died leaving them homeless. These two kitties are about 10 years old and need to be adopted together. Harris is a black cat with beautiful green eyes and Samuel is a silvery tabby. They are both mellow easygoing cats that would be suitable for virtually any family. All they need is a home. Could it be yours?

Susan Daffron talks to Bobbi Allen, the Shelter Manager at the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, Maine about a Labrador mix named Berkeley. Berkeley is a dog who was actually transferred from Georgia through the Paws Across America program. When the Animal Welfare Society has space available, they work with volunteers in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia to transport puppies and dogs from overcrowded facilities to Maine for a second chance at life. In Berkeley's case, a Georgia volunteer saw this 2 1/2 year old Labrador Mix and realized that as black dog, no matter now nice he is Berkeley might be overlooked for adoption simply because of his coloring. Berkeley was treated for heartworm and then made the trek northward to Maine. He is an energetic smart dog who is treat-motivated and eager to please so he'll be extremely easy to train. This loveable dog would be a great addition to almost any family, even if you're a new dog owner. If you've been looking to include a great dog in your life, Berkeley could be just the dog for you.

Susan Daffron talks to Dian Setz from Diabetic Cats in Need about two 8-year old male orange cats named Beasley and Twinkie. Diabetic Cats in Need is a small, nonprofit rescue that helps diabetic cats and their people. In addition to helping and educating caregivers of diabetic cats, they also rehome diabetic cats. People who need help understanding how to treat a diabetic cat can receive a tremendous amount of support from either the Feline Diabetes Message Board and Diabetic Cat Care. DCIN is also on Facebook and Yahoo Groups. DCIN does not have a shelter facility and many cats are now in foster homes. Beasley and Twinkie were in a home, but their human "mom" went into a domestic abuse shelter and had to surrender her cats to an animal shelter where they were to be euthanized. But the caring folks at DCIN found out about the situation and are sponsoring the cats in their foster home.

Susan Daffron talks to Martie Petrie from Ken-Mar Rescue in California about a two-year old Tibetan Terrier mix named Lois who is available for adoption. Lois is a sweet tan and white "Benji look-alike" dog who ended up at the shelter after her owners turned her in. The claimed they had "no time" for Lois, who was not surprisingly sad and bit shy when the folks at Ken-Mar Rescue pulled her out of the shelter. After receiving love and attention in her foster home, Lois' true affectionate personality has returned and she is happily wagging again. At only 10 pounds or so, Lois is an extremely petite little terrier who loves going for walks and also sharing some quality couch time with her favorite humans. She gets along well with both her canine and feline foster siblings and will be a great addition to the lucky family who adopts her.

Susan Daffron talks to Chase Inman and Nicole Cook from the Martinsville-Henry County SPCA in Southwest Virginia about two dogs who are available for adoption. Tattoo is a male neutered American Staffordshire Terrier mix with huge soulful brown eyes and a pretty reddish brown coat. He has a very round face, so he might have some bulldog in there somewhere too. Tattoos best canine buddy at the SPCA is another AmStaff mix named Elvira, who has a fawn-colored coat and white markings. These two wonderful dogs would fit in well in just about any home. The volunteer dog walkers all love these two friendly dogs -- fans and supporters range from elementary school age to retirees. Both Tattoo and Elvira are about two years old. The SPCA doesn't know too much about their history because they came into the SPCA from other facilities after being picked up as strays. If you're looking for all around great dogs who walk beautifully on leash, you won't find a nicer pair of dogs than Tattoo and Elvira!