Archives: Success Stories

Cassie (AKA Prinkle) had been a breeder mom on a farm when she came to us in late January as a foster. The farmer said that she was 7 or 8 years old. At the time, she had broken and infected teeth, a wound on her side, double ear infections, and she was grossly overweight. She had never been vaccinated for anything, including rabies.

At our home, she didn’t want to spend time outdoors and was afraid of any object that looked like a stick or a pole, even a toy Chuck-it stick. Despite it all, she was sweet and gentle, and we immediately fell in love with her, especially our two resident Labs. We became a foster-fail and adopted her.

Until coming to us, Cassie had never lived in a house. The first couple of weeks were hard for her. Stairs were scary, but she figured them out after much encouragement from our other dogs. She was not difficult to housebreak; there were a few accidents but she caught on quickly.

She was very good for her ear treatments, which had to be done daily for six weeks, until the infections were finally gone. Surgeries were in her future – first to clean up her bad teeth and, after that, to be spayed.

In just a few months with us, Cassie has transformed from a shy, fearful and insecure girl into a loving, confident family member. We even took all the dogs to Vermont and she loved hiking in the snow! She has lost nearly 25 pounds, (about 10 more to lose) and is now eager to run and play outside. Fetching tennis balls has become her favorite game – though she still tends to eye the Chuck-It stick with caution.

Cassie is extremely intelligent! But, best of all, she has learned to trust. She is eager for affection and she actively seeks pets and snuggles. Such a wonderful change from the scared farm dog we first met to what is now a happy, loving, active, and very welcomed member of our family. We look forward to many wonderful years with Cassie.

Beau spent his first year on a farm with his mom and aunt. All were breeder dogs for a farmer. Although he lived mostly in an outdoor pen and had free roam of the farm, his world was limited to the farmer, his family, and a small barn.

Once evaluated and approved to come into foster care, Beau’s life dramatically changed. As a farm dog with little socialization, Beau needed to learn what it was like to be a family dog living in a home. Beau’s foster family described him as a dog who loved being outside, but a dog that may have missed out on typical Lab puppy activities such as swimming and playing fetch. They also said that Beau was a fast learner, and they enjoyed experiencing his new world through his curious eyes. All of this was so true!

When adopted by us, there were still many new things for Beau to discover. He did not know how to climb steps, and he’d side-eye the washer, dishwasher, and vacuum cleaner. Beau’s lack of socialization at a young age initially led him to be somewhat dog selective, requiring slow introductions to dogs he did not know. Dog training helped us learn to not only be in sync while leash walking but also to be attuned to reading his signals and situations. Training (and time) helped Beau become a calmer and more confident dog. We went through a lot of cheese and cheerios that year!

But as good as life was off the farm, there was something missing in Beau’s life. We felt that Beau missed his family and foster family’s dogs. It was clear that he needed a dog-friend, and so we adopted Keira from Brookline.

Keira was also a farm dog – an older puppy that couldn’t be sold despite expressive eyes and a loving demeanor. Keira was pulled from the farm by Brookline and fostered by Lesley, an amazing Brookline volunteer who did a wonderful job getting her ready for a forever home.

Keira quickly settled into life off the farm. As a typical 8-month-old puppy, she was running, jumping, and doing full flights of stairs on her own. She was described by her foster mom as a “super cute sweetheart with the most adorable wiggle butt swagger.” How could we resist?

So, we applied for Keira and, fortunately, she was matched with us. Keira found her forever home with Beau and it was just what he needed. The two of them are inseparable.

 

 

It’s been nearly three months since we got Sadie and I wanted to give you a quick update. She is doing wonderfully. She eats well, walks great on the leash, and is very gentle with everyone. We stopped crating her last week. She settles quickly into one of her beds at night and doesn’t make a beep until we come down in the morning. She is an attention seeker and will let you know with a tap of her paw that she is not quite done having you pet her. Occasionally she plays with her stuffed toys but isn’t showing any interest in fetch or tug.

We are training her on the electric fence now. She has done well with it overall and enjoys running around the yard.  Today she had a serious case of zoomies after her walk and ran laps around the house!  She still has trouble barking and pulling aggressively when other dogs are near.  I have an aunt who has fostered many dogs and owned a kennel. We are hoping to introduce Sadie to her dog in the next couple weeks with her supervising.

She has been a welcome addition to the family.  I did not realize how much I missed having a dog in the house! Thanks again for your help. We feel very lucky to have her.

Shawn T.

 

Pepper was rescued by Brookline after spending 7 years on a farm. The day she was rescued she was covered in cow stink, and physically and emotionally drained. Brookline placed her in a caring foster home. She was examined by a vet, vaccinated and eventually spayed.

While in foster care, Pepper learned what it was like to be a real dog. Some of her favorite activities were playing fetch, running free with the resident dogs, napping in the sun with her foster fur sister, and taking long walks in the Wissahickon. Pepper was recently adopted into a loving family and she is thriving. Pepper is one of the lucky ones.

Meg and John Place followed Pepper’s online blog and applied to adopt her. Meg summed up Pepper’s transition to her new life saying, “She loves long walks, the comforts of a warm bed, and she adores our grandkids. Puppy mill moms just need time and patience, and they need to know they are safe.”

Over the course of our Farm-to-Family Campaign, Brookline will be sharing many more success stories of our farm girl rescues. But there are so many dogs that still need our help. Your monthly donation of just $10.00 will help us rescue, foster and adopt even more dogs into loving, forever homes.

Thank you.

Rex came to us from Brookline in October 2023. Rex’s silly personality really fits in with our family. He is fun loving, playful, silly and lately coming into his own. He is a big snuggler and super friendly with people, dogs and cats. My cat (mitter) adores him and Kody (my other boy) is a totally different dog around him. He wants to play and socialize more than before. Kody now has a pal that he can play and snuggle with! Even though Rex has been with us for a few months we already have some silly nicknames for him (The big Mama Luka and The Big Galute). Scott and I are so thankful and happy that Rex is part of our lives and he already has special place in our heart

 

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Molly is a 2-year-old chocolate Lab that came into my life in September 2023. Right from the start, I said I was given an angel. I was told that she came from a farm and lived in two other houses before she was rescued by Brookline. I couldn’t understand why someone would give up this sweet dog. When I got her, Molly was already house trained. She was the star dog at the training class, picking up commands faster than any of the other dogs. I believe Molly’s success was the result of all the hard work of Molly’s foster mom, Deb. Deb worked with Molly for months before I got her. She housetrained her and taught her commands like sit and stay. She socialized Molly with other people and dogs. Deb was so concerned about Molly that she drove from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to make sure Molly felt comfortable with me and her new home.

Molly’s success and the success of all the dogs that come through Brookline is because of all the hard work of the forest parents. Without these dedicated men and women working endlessly to provide food, shelter, and love, Molly and dogs like her would not have the opportunity to find their forever home.

 

After losing our beloved Bella, we revisited Brookline where we first met Sue S. before a family member found our Bella for us. Sue was so professional, friendly, and sensitive to our needs. She spent lots of time with us as we started the process of finding another rescue to love. It was Sue who turned us on to an older dog that she felt would be a great fit even though we were looking at younger dogs. Joe, who became Mojo, hadn’t been fostered yet as this was a new entry for Brookline, and Sue jumped right on it in our best interest.

 

We picked up Mojo from his owner who was surrendering him through Brookline. We reviewed a few available Labs that were younger, but Sue recommended that we take an older dog since we are both in our 70s. Her insight into how Mojo would fit in our family was spot on. From his first day, it was as if he had been our dog for years. He is 6.5 years old but
acts like a much younger dog: playful, energetic, intelligent, and affectionate. He came to us well trained and obedient (for the most part). Mojo loves to be with “his people” rarely letting us out of his sight. We live on 10 acres in the country, so he gets lots of opportunities to watch critters and has taught the local squirrels to stay on their toes. He loves to sit on our deck and survey the yard for whatever passes through. We’re trying to get him to swim by slowly introducing him to our above-ground pool where he loves to play with a tennis ball at the edge, but he isn’t comfortable yet in the deep water. Although, he readily swims in Lake Nockamixon nearby when he can walk from shallow to deep water, but a sudden plunge into the pool will take some accommodation.

 

Brookline and Sue did us a great service and favor. Mojo is a great addition to our lives and such a gift for both of us. I’d recommend Brookline to anybody looking to adopt a Lab or Lab mix. They are professional and sensitive to the needs of both the dog and soon to be new rescue owners. We couldn’t be happier!!

At 5 years old, Princess-Tessa-Lucy was relinquished to Brookline from her breeding regimen on the farm because she had a mammary tumor. Thankfully, the tumor was benign and removed when she was spayed. Lucy’s infected ears were also treated at the same time.

Rescued from the life of a breeder, Lucy was emotionally drained – shut down from life. She was fostered by Lesley, a Brookline volunteer, who eventually matched her with us. Lesley gave her baths, helped Lucy learn to eat from a bowl, and got her well on her way with housebreaking. While in foster care, Lucy also began her long journey of socialization to humans and a whole new world.

Lesley said Lucy was the first dog she ever had that she had to entice to go for a walk. One day, while coaxing Lucy along, they ran into a family with another dog. Lucy’s tail started going crazy. During those few moments, Lucy was a completely different dog and Lesley knew, then, that a successful adoption meant that Lucy had to have another dog in her forever home.

At the time we adopted Lucy, we already had two, senior chocolate labs. Lucy was shy and a bit fearful of noisy children, but she immediately took to our two resident labs as well as every other dog she met. We like to believe our senior lab, Bailey (who loves and trusts everyone) has been most helpful with easing Lucy’s transition.

Fast forward seven months from adoption and Lucy has continued to make progress in trusting us and everyone who visits us. We are working on treat enforced “clicker” training and helping her gain confidence and progress to taking walks on local public trails. She accepts the leash with less hesitation and is very gentle with her plush toys.

If your heart is open to give these wonderful former farm dogs a chance, please consider it. It’s heartwarming to watch a shy, low confidence dog ease out of her shell and have absolute joyful dog “zoomies” a few minutes each evening, then snuggle deeply into a warm, comfy bed.

Be patient, be kind, be consistent and a farm dog can be a wonderful addition to your family, for you and for her. We LOVE our Lucy. Thank you to everyone at Brookline for all you do to help these dogs.

We want everyone to know that Daisy and I are both doing great.  Daisy is now 12. She was adopted three years ago after being rescued from the farm.  I was rescued in April and adopted by our Mom and Dad in May after Bear, their 13-year old chocolate Lab, crossed the rainbow bridge.

 

Both Daisy and I had way too many puppies. Neither of us lived inside a real home until Brookline came along. We now love long walks, warm fires, relaxing in the sun, and curling up together on our comfy beds. Even though we have our own bed, snuggling together is just something we love to do.

 

I want to thank everyone who helped Daisy and me find our way from our former life on the farm to a wonderful life with a family that loves us. Life is good.

Love,

Abby