Posted in Happy Tails

Thought you'd like to see how Skutt is doing these days... He loves being a therapy dog and visits a nursing home every Wednesday!

The Golden in the photos are his best friend, "Lily". They visit the nursing home together every week and play together whenever they get the chance!

We just love our Skutter! He brings quite a few laughs into the house on a DAILY basis!

Thanks for rescuing him for us!!!

I adopted Chance - a yellow lab w/ a little golden retriever thrown in - from Wild Heir following Pet Expo. I just wanted to let you know how terrific he is. As many strays are in our area, he was heartworm positive. After some soul searching, we decided to take the aggressive treatment route. He came through beautifully and is running with me almost every day. He travelled with us to Canada for Christmas and practically swam in the snow. Some fun. Thanks to all of you for saving him from the Georgetown shelter. A special thanks to George Hayes for making the effort to bring him to Pet Expo.

From Sullivan's new family:

Well, Sullivan seems to be settling in just fine here at the beach so far. No marking in the house to speak of now that we know his body language to go out and he loves his bed and Stephen too. We have not used a crate at all, does not even attempt to get on the furniture, has not chewed anything but loves to play with his rawhides and squeeker toys. Our backyard is surrounded by 5 homes (a corner lot) and every home has at least one dog so he has plenty of canine company. We'll probably be taking him for a walk on the beach this weekend so we'll let you know how that goes.

Sullivan riding home on adoption day

Lazy Sullivan eating

Relaxing

Charlie was adopted from WHLR about a month ago. Frequently, the labs in rescue don't have a lot of training with them. While they're staying with WHLR foster families, they usually get some obedience training as necessary, but usually just the basics (sometimes they're not around long enough for much more than that).

Here's a video from Charlie's new family showing all the things he's learned in just a few weeks.

I adopted Charlie from a lab rescue about a month ago. Then, he did not know many of these commands. Now he knows all these. He is very quick to learn and responds to commands quickly. Unfortunately, I was recording him at the end of lesson time, so he is a little unresponsive and I have to repeat some commands, but that is just because he is getting tired.

All he wanted for Christmas was a loving family of his own and Santa came a little early. Now Clifford, the adorable big red Labby, has his forever home for Christmas!

I just wanted to thank you again for helping to bring Chelsea into our lives. She certainly is a piece of work - but that's why we love her!!

Here are a few recent photos that we took during the weekly bark-park excursion. She's definitely a daddy's girl. She and Ivan are inseparable. It's standing room only when they are on the couch together watching sports.

Thanks again for all that you do!

Dear friends at Wild Heir, It has been a year now since we adopted Melody from your group, and wanted to let you know we are doing great!! She has really come out of her shyness for the most part, and is a joy to our family!! Enclosed are pictures, one at Sullivan's island, on the beach, which she loves, and the other with my son's dog, Izzie. They are best friends, love to wrestle and play tug of war as you can see. We live in VA, but out son lives in Charleston, so we were there to visit last week. I wish you could see her in person, you would be so proud, as we are!! Thanks for taking care of labs like Mel, and providing a place for families like ours to find a wonderful dog. Keep up the good work!

Another Happy Tail ... Nezzy was a Wild Heir Lab puppy who found her forever home during Southeastern Wildlife Weekend back in February. Many of our volunteers might remember her as little "Ella". Her forever family calls her Nezzy and tells us that she has is sooooo sweet!

From Bella's forever mom, Sharon Haumschild:

Bella was my first foster with Daisy's Place/ Wild Heir and is now a happy member of my family and loving life in her forever home! She's doing well after beginning thyroid medication and has lost 16 pounds!! We celebrated with a Doggy Party complete with treats and snacks for all. Bella sported her feather Boa playing with her best friend Hans. She's an energetic and a happy, happy girl. You only have to make eye contact with her and her tail just starts thumping the floor. She's my doggy soul mate and my rescuer! She absolutely loves to lie on the floor and cuddle and lives to go for her two daily walks.

Even though Sharon was a 'foster failure' on her first try - she continues to be a valued member of our foster team. She and Bella have opened their hearts and home to five other 'Daisy' dogs (Wild Heir Labs six years and older) and have given them a safe and loving haven until they found their forever home!

Jessica and John met Java at our Meet and Greet at Petsmart in Mt Pleasant. One week later he is part of the family :)

This was sent in to us by Helen, who adopted Barkley several months ago.

Imagine that after years, you've decided to expand your household pack to include a companion for your 9-year old Lab, Maggie. Given Maggie's small size, you search the Lab rescues for another small one so as not to daunt Maggie. Having learned of Barkley, a 60-lb lab who was rescued from a shelter, the pack drives 8-hours to meet him at the Wild Heir South Carolina lab rescue.

You haven't taken into consideration that he was 60-lbs when you learned about him, i.e. a few months prior when he was only 9-months old. You arrive to find a 75-lb giant of a Lab who leaps over couches in one bound. ("He's not 60 pounds anymore...") He puts his paws on your shoulders and looks you in the eyes. But Maggie, whom you feared would be quite displeased with a year-old clumsy brother, is delighted with him, and you can't help but be either.

Barkley appears to have no qualms about leaving South Carolina with unfamiliar people and dog, in an unfamiliar SUV - leaping in the back (momentarily). He merely views the back seat as an exercise hurdle to get to the front. ("uhm, he's in your seat." ) You open the door, take him around to the back. By the time you're back in the car, he's back in the front. Repeat two more times.

He never appears confused or anxious about arriving in a new home. He paces the bed every night ("Did we get an insomniac?") until you realize he just wants on the bed. After that, you - and Maggie - are pillows for him to lay across while he sleeps. When it comes to sleeping, he never applies "lay down" but rather falls across you from a standing position. He buries his nose in your neck for the entire night.

All dogs are friends, all squirrels are foes, and moles are to be to be carried carefully in one cheek. ("What's in Barkley's mouth?) Leashes and Maggie's collar are edibles ("Why isn't Maggie's collar on? Why are her ID plates on the floor?") His Nylabone and tennis balls are pacifiers. Water is for slobbering across the kitchen, requiring you to put a rug down. Maggie's head is for drooling on. Vacuums are a terror, causing you to have to replace the Plexiglas door he broke through to escape one. (He wasn't injured.) Couches are for you to sit on - with Barkley's entire self on your lap. Maggie is his most beloved big sister and best friend whose side he won't leave.

Maggie, now 10-years old, is a pup again. Post-breakfast is Labrador wrestlemania, as indicated by the joyous sounds of thunder throughout the house and by every rug accordionned against a wall. She loves an ambush - hiding under a desk or chair and leaping out at him with a playful "snap snap" of her ferocious fangs. Every play session begins with each giving each other nose licks, and then pandemonium ensues. She lets him chase her just long enough to gain momentum and turn on him - the chased becomes the chaser - and he seems as delighted as she. She has taught him that the first thing to do every morning is check the tomato plant for new green tomatoes, thus ensuring we never get to eat a ripe one.

Such is our life with our beloved rescue Lab, Barkley. If you rescue a Lab, you will be blessed to have the same love, affection, fun and frivolity as we do.

Skutt, formerly Killian, has a wonderful loving forever home in Maryland! Everyday Skutt gets to hang out with his mom, a potter, in her studio and he has a new best friend, Lily. Life is good!

Killian saying goodbye to foster mom Adrienne

Skutt and Katie

Skutt helping out in the studio

Skutt and Lily

Skutt and his new family

Skutt at the pet store

Jasper and his big sister, Beth, snuggling on the couch. This photo was taken on Jasper's first day in his new loving forever home. Thank you so much for your help - Jasper is a great addition to our family!

Jake & Beethoven - Together for the Rest of Their Days!

Jake and Beethoven are two ten year olds that had been together their whole lives, until one day they found themselves dumped in a high kill shelter and their world turned upside down. Their owners decided that they were allergic to these sweet old souls! Daisy's Place (a special WHLR program dedicated to saving and finding loving homes for Labs and Lab mixes six years and older) brought them into rescue, but sadly could not find a foster home for both of them, so they had to be separated. Beethoven, the more outgoing of the two, continued to be his happy go lucky self, with a tail wag for everyone. But Jake missed his brother terribly and became quiet and withdrawn. Until one lucky day when Daisy's Place got the call that someone was interested in adopting the two of them! Now Jake and Beethoven are together again in their forever home where they will spend the rest of their days being loved and cherished. Jake has started wagging his tail again - and these two old boys are a living testament that miracles do happen! Daisy's Place is eternally grateful to Patricia Altshul and Micheal Kelcourse for opening their hearts and home to Beethoven and Jake.

Gracie has absolutely stolen our hearts. She is a wonderful little girl and has adjusted well to her fur-ever home, despite being a little timid at first. She loves going on walks, taking rides on the boat, and chasing birds on the beach, but is also quite content to sit around and snuggle with us. She is definitely a daddy's girl and grins from ear to ear when he comes home. She spends most of her times rolling around with her brother, Reagan and chasing him around the house. But I think her favorite thing is showering him with kisses. Thank you so much for all this organization does. Because of you guys, we were able to find a perfect match for us and our home now feels complete!

Here's the lovely Sadie who's enjoying her "new" forever home. Butchie and Sadie are getting along very well. Butchie played hard to get the first day or two but now they sleep together. Sadie's great on the leash and I've been taking them both out walking thru the neighborhood...she loves her walks. And they do walk together so nicely....my little pack. Anyway, I'm so glad I adopted Sadie...what a loveydovey. My cat Lucy was disgusted that we brought another dog in but she's getting over it. Anyway, It's all working out just fine and they can also be left alone in the house for a few hours while we're out at work...yey:)

Another happy tail submitted by WHLR volunteer Lauren.

Darby arrived at her forever home in Maryland in November and has since become the happiest dog in the universe! Her Papa, my father-in-law, plays frisbee with her at least 3 times a day, and walks her every night. She has her own couch and a bottomless basket of toys. She has her very own kids (her Papa has 8 grandchildren who love her), and a huge yard filled with squirrels. Life is good for this girl! Darby celebrated her 7th birthday on January 4th, and is proof that life only gets better as you mature!

This Happy Tail was submitted by WHLR volunteer and foster failure Lauren, who adopted Chloe.

Chloe is such a special girl! She has really blossomed since arriving at our house as a foster dog back in November. Everyday we are so thankful that we decided to adopt her and make her a permanent member of the pack! She has put on some weight since arriving, and is now healthy enough to undergo heartworm treatment. Her "brother" Bernie will be very sad that she won't be able to wrestle in the yard while she recovers! Chloe is sweet to everyone, human, dog, and cat, and has been a great influence on all the fosters that come through the door. Here are some pics of our sweet girl.

I am going to be in town over the holiday weekend. Also taking Monday and Tuesday off after Easter. Maybe we can get together at some point during that time so Caly can come a see you two and his play mate Jake again. Light is so active again. It makes me so glad to see the change. The two of them wrestle so much they tire each other out. When we walk, Light pulls ahead like he used to and Caly is in step with him. I feel like I have a sled team with out the sled, like it used to be when Dark was healthy.

Caly is growing and eating well. His body has adapted to our eating habits and schedule. Each day at lunch time I come home from work to let him out of his doggy den to play out in the yard. You have to see him run. He looks like a shot flying around and bouncing off the fence.

I often wonder how long I will be able to continue holding him as I walk upstairs to bed. We can both still fit in my chair together so he can nap. I can never explain how his presence has healed the hole in our hearts. He has received a Dog Bakery gift and card from on of my friends. My sister has accused me of severely spoiling him. I think that he and Light deserve it for making my life so sweet.

Amy is still doing well. She is such a sweet and CALM girl. So different from other labs I have had. The one exception is that she is dying to go see the cows. Everyday when we are outside she tries to drag the kids down the yard to get to the cows. Here is a picture of the kids and Amy.