Author Topic: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?  (Read 9482 times)

Offline Kermit

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Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« on: January 26, 2007, 07:27:47 pm »
I was just thinking about the rescued Great Danes we have over here at my house, and what a joy they are. Something just got me to thinking about them. I think I know some of the stories of how people on this site rescued Danes but I was thinking... maybe I haven't heard about some of them??

Let's share rescued Dane stories!!! :D I'll start!

Will rescued Leeloo from the Petfinder classifieds. The ad was a last resort before this Dane would be taken to the pound. She was a divorce leftover. :-[ So Will adopted her, she was 4 and a half years old. Healthy but very underweight. Luckily she was worm-free and heartworm-free. She slowly picked up weight over the next few months. She had a very dominant personality, but there aren't any other dominant females in our household so everything worked out fine. She bonded to us immediately, and has been an awesome companion. Her only health issue has been a malformed tooth in the back of her mouth, which will eventually need to be pulled. She's 5 and a half now, and still energetic as can be. She's so beautiful. It's so hard to imagine that she was unwanted.
It's been a great experience to take her in and see her change and "blossom" on good nutrition and lots of love. Here are 2 pictures of her from her first week home and then 2 current pictures of her looking fantastic. ;D

(I'll do Connor later after other people have a turn!)
Please share your rescued Dane story and pictures!!! :D
« Last Edit: January 26, 2007, 11:37:33 pm by doghealer »

Offline Karyl

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2007, 02:46:00 pm »
We have a rescue Dane. After we took this photo he asked us if he could please go back to the shelter now...   ;D
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.

Safe a life. RESCUE.

bigdogs@5501

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2007, 08:06:28 pm »
I have 3 danes that are rescues. Jake is the first and he was our first dane. We had just moved out of the city and to the country in a new house with land when my husband was approached by a young man and his girl friend with this scrawny looking puppy with 2 doggie toys.My husband is a truck driver and picked up regularly where the boyfriend was employed. The young mans girl friend worked at a local Petsmart and Jake had been abandoned at the Banfield Hospital by a pet store broker who thought that he had Parvo. The clinic didnt want him and the young mans girl friend thought that it would be cool to have a Great Dane. This didnt work well at all since they lived in an apartment and neither of them were home for any length of time during the day. Poor Jake went from a broker at a pet store- to a vet clinic to being locked up in a bathroom all day in a tiny apartment.The apartment complex gave the young couple the ultimatum of get rid of the dog or move immediatley. Seems that Jake cried and howled when he was locked in the bathroom. My husband took him figuring that we would find someone to give him to... ha, like that was ever going to happen. So we got Jake at 12 weeks old with a few anxiety issues. He is way past all of those issues now and is really a wonderful dog.
Annie and Garrett were listed as being in a Animal Shelter in a town about 1 1/2 hours from where I lived. I called several Dane rescues, but never heard anything back. I had been in touch with the Shelter and was told that if they were not picked up by noon on Sept 9th, that they would be put to sleep. I was at the Shelter at 10AM that morning and met Annie and Garrett for the first time. Annie had been abused and still has major issues from what ever she had to endure. Garrett has fewer issues- but always needs reassurance that all is ok. He was completely obedience trained prior to us picking him up and I still wonder who lost thier dog. I still check the local listings just in case someone is still looking.Both Annie and Garrett were extremely underweight. My daughter and I stopped once at McDonalds and bought 6 hamburgers (meat and bread only) and then again stopped at a Sonic and bought another 6 hamburgers. I am not sure what I was thinking when I went and got these two out of the shelter. They could have decided to have attacked us on the way home or any number of things. They just turned out to be the two best rescues ever. Jake and Garrett had to be seperated for about 3 mos because Jake wanted to kill Garrett, but even that issue has really settled down. Jake only threatens violence occasionally now.
I recommend rescues to anyone looking for a great dog, wether it is thru a rescue organization or from going to a local shelter and finding the dog on your own.

Offline Kermit

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2007, 09:51:49 pm »
Thank you everyone who is contributing to this thread!!! :D I love all the stories!!! :D

Now for Connor! ;D
I used to live about half a mile away from an Animal Control facility. I donated dog and cat food regularly at the time, so going down to the shelter was a somewhat regular routine. They had a website that listed all the adoptable dogs, so I would check it out the night before I'd take donations down, to see if there was anyone I wanted to go look at or play with. Well... one night I looked on the website and there was a very scared looking blue Great Dane.
Next day I went down to meet him. He had just been neutered about a half hour beforehand, so they almost didn't let me see him. He was really out of it, but I remember him looking at me with these sad, bright red, infected eyes. :-[
I came back for him a few hours later after he was more awake. And the next few months were very trying healthwise. He had two eye surgeries, anxiety like you would not believe, all his hair fell out, he had constant diarrhea, skin allergies, and could hardly keep any weight on him. It was a big challenge. Hehe I even tried to tape up his floppy cropped ears for a short while, but he hated it. Through it all he was such a sweetie. Angelic sweetness. I think it took 6 months before he was what I consider to be "healthy". He is doing great now. Still as sweet as can be. So good, such a ham, such a character. Every day I am so thankful that he is my dog. ;D He is the snuggliest guy ever!!!! Life would not be the same without him.
Here's my boy Connor. ;D

Offline specialkdanemom

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2007, 02:22:43 pm »
I've been trying to find the time to add to this thread.  I have so much too share and too little time.
Appollos (RIP 12/05) :'( was our first rescue dane.  He had seperation issues, deaf, wobblers and he constantly paced and paced and paced... but always w/ a wagging tail and smile.  All his potential adopters loved him, but didn't want to deal w/ the possiblity that he potentially had an even shorter life span w/ wobblers.  Their loss and our gain... he was one of the best!!! ;D ;D  He loved everyone and everything... as long as it involved being with his family.  My favorite thing about him... I could throw my arms wide open and he would come running across the room in his funny, loppy/hoppy gate ::) w/ the biggest smile on his face... knowing he was going to get a great big hug.  He was one of the goofiest dogs I've ever known and I loved him for it.  It might sound funny, but he could always warm my heart with his "smile" and his love of life.  We had an awesome year and a half with our happy big boy and would do it all over again, even knowing the outcome.  His loss was heart renching... I have a "head shot" of him at the Grand Canyon that I use as my computer background, so I see him everyday.

Here's a link to his "story" before we got him.  The pics at the top are of his time after we adopted him.
http://gracieland.org/DaneRescue/available/apollos.html

Sera (aka Seraphina)was our second.  We went back and adopted her from the same rescue a couple months later.  When we adopted Appollos, we chose him over Sera because she had a better chance of adoption.  Then we decided we had to have her too and went back.  She had almost died a couple times before we got her and from the start has been a very special little girl... our "Princess", "Baby Girl" and she's a daddy's girl.  I think it's because Marc, her rescuer, was so dedicated in making sure she lived (she slept on his chest every night as a puppy, just in case she stopped breathing... he'd be there), that she has a special place in her heart for men.  My husband, Sera's daddy, spoils her rotten everyday.  What's funny was that when we adopted these two... Appollos was going to be my husband's dog (you know... big, male dog) and Sera was going to be mine (smaller, female dog)... well, we all know it's not us who chooses, it's the dogs.  And, Sera loves her daddy!!  Sera rules the roost amongst the dogs... and she definatly is a Princess 8) and acts like it.  She crosses her front legs, holds her head up high and is very, very dainty when taking food from your hand... if it's pizza crust, she will take 2-3 minutes to nibble it down.  Just love her!! :-* :-*
Here's a link to more of her "earlier" info.  Pictures at the top are pics w/ our family.
http://gracieland.org/DaneRescue/available/sera.html

Mika (aka Guin) was added to our family about a year after Sera and about 6 months before we lost Appollos.  We had gone down to help the rescue with a "Rescue Booth" they had at a small fair.  We, along w/ other past adopters and some of the available dogs, brought our dogs to help bring in potential adopters (I have some really good pics... at times 16-18 GD... that someone took and emailed me, so I'll attempt the scan/post).  This is where we met Guin (now Mika) I had seen her on the website (I admit, it's on my favorites and look quite often) and was amazed at how sweet she was and how our two got along with her almost instantly.  Well, we put a bug in Marc's ear that day.  Two weeks later I was driving back down (a 3-hour drive) to bring her home for a trial period.  Ten days later Marc called to see if we were bringing her back... and I said, "h*ll NO!" and sent him a check for her adoption fee.  We have found out, by her reactions to certain things, etc. that her previous owner's new husband (who did not like her) had to have been quite mean >:( >:( >:(... She does have lots of scars on her head, back and rear that they claimed was from dog fights.  We've had her for 1.5 years now and she trusts my husband and loves him to death.  She used to cower(sp?) and hide when my husband moved around after lights were out.  She was afraid to get on the bed... now she thinks she owns it. :D  When Marc got her, she was very thin and they claimed they couldn't keep weight on her.  Marc had no problem, and we sure have had absolutly no problem... she's getting a little chunky. :o   We love her very, very much.  And whats really odd, since Appollos has past, my husband and I see a lot of his traits in her now... very happy girl and loves life.  Appollos loved to grab a toy, toss it around and play by himself... Mika has been doing that same thing the past few months.  And now I catch myself throwing my arms open and she comes running with a sparkle in her eyes and a silly grin. 
Here's her link:
http://gracieland.org/DaneRescue/available/guin.html

Hope the links work... if not, go to Deaf Dane Rescue (in Oakland, OR) and you can click on "Happy Tails" in the upper left corner of the home page and then click on each individual dog... ours will be listed first, in the "Bet you can't own just one" list of multiple adopters. 
I appologize if this is too long, but you asked!!
We love our dogs very much and unfortunatly alot of people around us don't understand and don't know what they're missing!!  I have to thank my wonderful husband for loving me and understanding my passion/love of Big Dogs (I have him hooked now, too!! ;D)  My life would not be as wonderful as it is without these wonderful creatures!!  These dogs have made sure that there will always be a place for big dogs in our lives, because how loving they are.  Thanks for "listening"... you guys are the greatest listeners!! ;) ;D
Big Dogs...got to love'em!!

Karen, mom to:
Mika (GD)
Sera (GD/Greyhound X)
Shasta (Lab/Newf X)

Appollos (GD) RIP 2001-2005

Offline BellaRoosMom

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2007, 10:45:26 am »
Ellie is a "Rescued - Rescue"...hmmm.   She was at a rescue in SoCal.  She was adopted from there, then they decided they didn't want her, and gave to her to a lady who gave her to me (who knows her story before the rescue--couldn't have been too peachy).  She's been bounced around so many times it's very heartbreaking.  She is so loveable, and she has to be cheek to cheek to cuddle (and gives real hang her head over your shoulder hugs).  She climbs in bed right between me and my hubby and wont budge.  She gives super sloppy kisses and is totally an in your face kind of dog.  For the life of me, I can't figure out why nobody she's met so far wouldn't want to keep her.  Her only fault is that she jumps like a pogo stick and she does get aggressive upon meeting other poochies.  But hey, she's gorgous and sweeeeeeeeeeee eeeeet beyond belief other than that. 

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2007, 10:58:46 am »
i'm sure EVERYbody knows diesel's story by now, but for the few who don't, here goes!  i wanted to get a great dane for several years now, but wow the ones i liked were almost $1,000!  so, i settled for a 4 month old puppy i drove to chattanooga tn to get for a WHOPPING $75.  well, i was told he was in good health and they were only selling him that cheap b/c he had no papers or shots and he was getting too old to sell, but when i got there...  omg.  words can't describe it.  they said he had never been off their property, and i could see why!  he was awful skinny, and had sores on every joint in his body, even his ears and on almost EVERY vertebrae going down his back and even down his tail!  he wouldn't walk, on the way home we did a potty break where he squatted but he had nothing to poop out!  his pee cleared a 20 ft circle around us b/c it was so strong smelling.  he had patches of hair missing, and was in awful mental condition.  well, i had brought axle with me and ended up putting them together b/c diesel clawed my dashboard up, peed and pooped what little he did have in my front seat.  he was TERRIFIED.  when i got him home, i really thought he was going to die, because he laid down and didn't move for a very long time.  he was so mentally messed up, when we got him home and put him in the yard it was such a culture shock he impaled himself on a twig running away from everything.  luckily it had just gone under the skin about 3-4" and hadn't punctured his ribcage.  6 months later we finally have him ALMOST up to his ideal weight, but we're still working very hard on his "mental" health.  he's still a very scared dog, but now he's at least happy here and even has a miniature buddy to go along with his big paw friends!  sorry i don't have a before picture, we had just moved here when i got him and i didn't have my camera yet :-\
steffanie in atlanta

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axle-140ish-lb akita (4)
peanut-5lb, 11 months chihuahua
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Icerotti

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2007, 11:24:15 am »
What a great thread. I loved reading the stories about all the loving and caring people who opened thier hearts and homes to those in need. Thank you.

Offline SnydersDanes

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Re: Who all has a rescued Great Dane?
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2007, 04:48:07 am »
I agree.

Bless all your hearts for givng them a loving home and a great life.

They are all beautiful.  ;D