The big black Labrador meandered slowly up a Delmar street, much to the consternation of my client. She froze and clung to the leash, aware that her own dog would, at any moment, see the loose dog and go into a barking frenzy. We backed away, turned and worked on maintaining confidence and purpose so that her dog would not react negatively. In the meantime, the Lab, oblivious to cars stopping to let it pass, wandered away. A little Cairn Terrier stumbled down the busy street,

I can hear you groan already. Please, you say, not another pitful puppy mill story. Bear with me. You can read this one without a box of tissues, because this one is going to have a happy ending. We fostered a 2 year old Bichon Frise, courtesy of Waggin’ Tails Pet Rescue, that we named Patsy Cline (any country music fans?). She was a breeding female at a Pennsylvania puppy mill. She was caged around the clock, never walked on the grass, wasn’t even given a name. Patsy was bro

Chickie is a Spaniel mix, sweet-faced and sweet-natured. Her human companions had driven 3 hours in the pouring rain to pick her up. Yes,...

Comet is a Golden Retriever mix that recently found his forever home. His human family is a young couple who are proud owners of their...

Many of my clients confess overwhelming guilt about their dogs. “We got Hailey from the shelter 5 months ago” said Hailey’s owner. “She...

Three year old Cocker Spaniel Moe lives with his human companions in a nice house with a fenced yard. He has everything a dog could want:...

Oscar is a Lab Shepherd mix, 4 years old, and recently adopted by a young and very earnest couple. No one knows, of course, what Oscar’s...

Yes, I know. My motto, theme song, tag line, reason for living, is “Don’t Shop! Adopt!” The rest end up in shelters or euthanized. That...

So you get this dog from the shelter. The tag on the cage said “Lab Shepherd mix.” You bring the dog home. What can you expect? Will he...

Just like the shy little kid who hides behind her mother’s legs rather than talk to anyone, Aristotle is wary and skittish around people....

Most people who want to buy a house get a real estate agent. The agent interviews them to find out what type of home they want, where it...

A client once told me that his dog was “well-behaved but not well-trained.” Rosalita is one of those dogs. She may not know any tricks or...

I confess I don’t always call my dogs, or my client’s dogs, by their given names. Buster, Bud, Buddy, Kins, Toddalicious, Mister, Mister...

In consideration of International Homeless Animals Day on August 18, 2012 , I am going to use the F word. Foster. Wait! Don’t stop...

One of my clients cannot speak. She recently adopted a two year old Shepherd mix named Glinda. Glinda has a tendency to see an open door...

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, this is a story about a family for which one dog is very grateful. Pronto is an Aussie mix recently...

In honor of National Pet Owner’s Day, I’d like to give a shout-out to some of my favorite rescue organizations and the people who make...

At 50 pounds, he is considerably larger than the average Beagle mix. I suspect there is Rottweiler somewhere in his genetic past, or...

Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet! In honor of Petfinder’s 15th anniversary, people everywhere are being asked to pledge to spread the...

As my holiday gift to BARK! blog readers, I thought I would tell you about an extraordinary young woman I met who exemplifies everything...