Archives: Success Stories

Larissa is now known as Keshet

This is her favorite spot on the couch snoozing or watching the birdfeeders through the window.
Please let Deb know she is fabulous 🙂and is well looked after, living quite the pampered lifestyle lol.
Keshet is thriving. Truly part of the family. Perfect dog for us ☺️Thank you!

Abby is three and a half years old, we adopted her, when she was 10 months. Exciting news as she has passed her good canine citizens test and is studying to be a search and rescue dog with a Pennsylvania crew. It’s a lot of work but Abby and I are able to do it together. She has been such a blessing to our family and I would tell you she is living her best life. It is pheasant hunting season, which she loves, so she is out chasing birds every day. She even managed to bring me two non-injured birds in her soft mouth. That was an interesting twist. We waited 8 years to get a dog after our dog Bear passed away, we must have been waiting for her.
Much warmth and good thoughts,
Karen Lehman

Mom started out fostering me, but after day 2 she just couldn’t resist, I was so good.  She said I had some pretty big shoes to fill because of the other two Brookline labs she had, but she said I am doing a good job.  Of course, we are all Brookline dogs!

I listen really well, (better than my sister, Sabrina), I don’t counter surf, get into trash, chew things I shouldn’t.  Mom thinks somebody did some training with me because I know sit, stay, leave it, come.  She says I am either trained or pretty darn smart.  I say I’m that smart!

Sabrina and I play and play and play.  Good thing Sabrina has lots of fur cause I grab a mouth full of fur and skin and pin her down.  Mom yells 2 points.  Then Sabrina bites my rear legs and I go down and Mom yells 2 points. She said it has something to do with wrestling, whatever that is.   Sometimes when were tired we just lay face to face and play laying down.  We even share toys, lick peanut butter off the same plastic knife, each having one side of the knife..Sometimes we kiss lol.

When it is bedtime, I go to bed with Mom and Sabrina has free roam.  Sabrina likes to lay on the kitchen marble floor cause it is cool and I like to cuddle and as long as I lay my head on Mom I’m a happy guy!

Easton came to us as our 24^th foster dog and we had no intentions of keeping him. He had a sever skin issue on his legs and feet due to allergies. He was still a happy go lucky 4-year-old lab even with his painful feet. As his skin improved, he became more active, which was great for our other 11-year-old lab Doc. Doc started to become less active after we lost our 13-year-old lab “Q”. Easton just lifted everyone’s spirits and none of us wanted to see him go. So, Easton became a permanent member of the family.

Hi everyone!
I’m sorry it’s been such a long time, but I’ve been super busy learning all about my new family and fur sisters.

I am so happy in my forever home. Mom and dad and my fur sisters Keke and Raya keep me busy every day. I’ve learned so many things! I learned how to walk on the deck, which is now one of my favorite places to hang out on a sunny day. I’ve been learning to not be afraid of the wood floors—mom spread small carpets around so I could walk from carpet to carpet. But now I’m exploring without the carpets which is so cool!
Did you know I have a big toy box just for us dogs? So many toys, and so little time!

I like to go on walks with my sisters and mom or my favorite dog sitter, Miss Elizabeth. Mom is usually home, but if she needs to go out for a while Miss Elizabeth comes over and plays with us all and gives us treats! I also love our big back yard. Dad extended the fence so that we have lots and lots of safe room to play, and I can get into the yard now right from the small side stairs of the deck! Cool! I stand by the sliding door and that’s how mom and dad know I want to go outside. Smart, right?

The vet says I am doing so, so well. My coat is fully grown in. I am on new dog food and am only on thyroid pills and Apoquel for allergies. I feel so much better! My eyes are clear and my skin is not all flaky and itchy.
I am really a handsome boy—mom tells me this all the time!

In the evenings we all hang out and I chew on toys and get hugs and pats from mom and dad. I love to snuggle and give them doggie kisses. At night I sleep in my own bed and wake up eager to see what a new day brings.

I am so glad the great people at Brookline took me in and gave me this chance to have a good life. I miss my foster mom but love my new family. I am safe and loved and will always be grateful.
That’s all for now! I’ll write again, I promise.
Doggie hugs and kisses,
Buddy

It’s been nearly a month since our adoption of our handsome new family member, Matisse, was finalized and this good boy continues to impress!

We really weren’t sure if we were ready to welcome a new dog into our lives, so soon after losing our 13-ish year old Chocolate, Nelly in February, but things worked out, as Brookline was in need of Foster Families and we thought this was a great way to help the organization that had given us so much by bringing Nell into our lives. After completing applications and meeting with Sue and Lisa for our virtual interview and home visit, we learned that a Lab mix had been rescued from a shelter in Mississippi and needed a home. His foster Mom in Mississippi saved his life, and though she couldn’t keep another dog at her home, it worked out perfectly and we stepped forward to be his foster family once he made his journey North.

It was cloudy and chilly on April 11, but we excitedly drove to Cherry Hill to meet the transport. There were several folks waiting and we learned that there were many dogs on the transport team. This being our first meeting of a transport, I’m not sure what we were expecting, but were overwhelmed to see a large truck filled floor to ceiling with dog crates stacked strategically to allow access. When asked who we were there to pick up…we said Grady, and the one of the young women reached into an uppermost crate to lift down a big, beautiful, Black Lab/German Shepherd who had braved the odds and made it all the way here!

We were thrilled! Despite what must have been quite a journey, he came to us immediately, with pleasant, calm sniffs and licks, stretched out and walked politely and calmly around the lot, wagging his fluffy tail all the while. Once paperwork was completed, off we went for the ride back to Doylestown.

Our Boy was great that day and he continues to be great today, nearly two and a half months after bringing him home. We weren’t expecting to fall completely in love with our first Foster Pup, but alas…he is darn near perfect and we are so grateful that we’re able to give him a Forever Home after all he’d been through.

Though Grady was a very cute name, we knew that wasn’t actually his name and since there was no way of knowing what his owner had originally named him, we decided to make him a true Philadelphian and renamed him, Matisse (‘Tisse) – yes after the Philadelphia 76ers defensive powerhouse, Matisse Thybulle (who in fact was named for Henri Matisse, the French impressionist). It seems to fit him, as he is a handsome, smart, polite, athletic young man, with a taste for the finer things like art and photography. Visit our Matisse on Instagram at @theycallmetissetoo. 😊

Matisse has spent time with our family and friends of all ages. He and our sweet rescue Girl, Kawhi have become close friends in the short time he’s been here, though the little 9 pound Kitty is definitely in charge. He’s met many of the neighborhood dogs, and has a new best friend Frankie, a 7-year-old Huskie/Border Collie rescue who was Nell’s best friend. They are looking forward to many playdates.

His house manners are perfect, except for his tendency to want to sleep on every piece of furniture that DOESN’T have one of his blankets covering it, but he also enjoys his Big Barker dog beds and his outdoor cot on the deck. No begging, no aggressive protection of his own food/treats, no counter-surfing, and other than a little time needed to get him used to being left alone, (he was really good, except for chewing up some magazines and cardboard boxes) he is now doing very well on his own in the house, for up to four hours. Since we both work at home permanently, and socializing is still minimal as restrictions from COVID are eased, we’ve not had many reasons to leave him, nor do we want to!

Matisse walks well on a leash, knows come, sit, shake, down, rollover, off and go lay down. He enjoys two hearty meals a day, and some treats here and there as he needed to put on a bit more weight after his solo time out on the road. He loves the Dog Park, plays nicely with all dogs big and small, and has joined a weekly Pack Walk to get him acclimated with the trainer we’ll be with this Fall, as he begins working toward his Therapy Dog certification, following in his late Sister’s pawprints as a Roxy Therapy Dog. We think the kids in the Central Bucks schools are going to love him!

He loves to run, as we see at the dog park, so we’ve decided to move ahead with long-delayed plans to fence our back yard so he can safely enjoy the open space and we’ll be ready to welcome more Brookline Fosters when our Goodest Boy settles in!

Thanks to the entire Brookline Team for your wonderful work!

We officially adopted Milo (9 yrs.), a male black lab on May 12, 2021. He is our third senior adoptee from Brookline, each dog has been wonderful (Cooper 2017-18, Max 2018-21) and came from different circumstances. Milo is slightly younger than the first 2 (10 ½). He is very friendly with people and other dogs, he has a higher energy level and likes to play and socialize with other dogs. He has made a best friend with another Brookline adoptee named Rocky, who happens to be a neighbor and friend of ours. We get the boys together (depending on weather) often during the week. When Milo meets people at our door he always has some toy or favorite bone in his mouth to show his retriever skills. When people take the time to pet him he will lay on his back so they can give him tummy rubs that he likes. He is a great addition to our family, in fact fate must have been at work because Milo became available shortly after we had updated our records with Brookline a few weeks after Max had sadly passed. Our representative called and told us about Milo and thought he would be a great match. She was right! On the day we started the trial period we knew he was for us. When she checked with us that night we told her we wanted to keep him. Milo is a sweet, smart, loving boy, there are not enough adjectives to describe how great he is. Thank you Val and Brookline for a super match. Senior dogs may not live as long as we would like but during their time with us they give us unconditional love. They come to Brookline for many different reasons and we are lucky enough to give them good loving homes.
Fran & Bernie

They called her Lady Stray, sweet Maggie Mae. We all had so many questions about how, why and where she had been lost, and not found. And now after weeks of Maggie sharing her life with us, we know for sure that she was loved all along her difficult travels. Continued thanks to Maggie’s kind and caring rescue family in Mississippi, her kind and caring Brookline foster family in western Pennsylvania and our kind, caring and marvelous volunteer Lou.

We are feeling so fortunate to have Maggie to complete our family, and are most thankful to have a pack member for our 9 year old Jake, our wonderful Brookline alumni. And for the record, Maggie has slimmed down to a sweet, most affectionate 86 pounds of pure love!

May all of the dog lovers out there be as fortunate as we are!
Thank you Brookline!

Kayla #4

Twelve years of age and old injuries to her hind legs don’t hold Kayla back from enthusiastically taking every walk offered to her and making the most of it, and she has lost her excess weight. She chases rabbits, and she prances and barks whenever she sees another dog. She also barks diligently at the sound of the mail carrier and anyone else making a delivery, and she barks to let us know when she’s ready to come inside. She is no shrinking violet.

Kayla most enjoys the backyard when other members of the pack are with her, and she’s been happily excavating a brick she found out there and eating the dirt. She occasionally makes herself comfortable on the sofa, but she likes it best when she can join someone there. If the sofa is crowded, she will try to wedge herself in with everyone. During meals, she is likely to be found under the dining table.

She makes a point periodically to assert her authority over her bonded sister, Cindy Lou, and they remain a devoted pair. Kayla is a glutton for ear rubs from her people and ear licks from Cindy Lou.

Kayla is a loving addition to our family and gives a warm welcome to guests and any service technician who visits. She also has a knack for showing up whenever the youngest family member is upset and giving him some comfort. We hope to enjoy her company for quite some time.

Cindy Lou

Cindy Lou has a big personality, but happily, she is closing in on a healthy weight. As a result, her mobility has much improved, but she doesn’t hesitate to sit frequently during walks to take in the view; wait for her bonded sister, Kayla; or inform us that she’d rather forego a walk almost immediately, thank you very much. When Cindy Lou takes a longer stroll, she likes to pause frequently to snack on grass, and she barks loudly at any dog or human in sight.

She loves to hang out in the backyard, either alone or with pack members, and she’s dug out a depression just her size under the butterfly bush where she can lounge in the shade on a warm summer’s day. Lounging is one of her specialties. Never have we seen a dog so comfortable stretched out on her back, her gums spread to reveal most of her teeth, her eyes slits, her face basically that of a werewolf. She is hilariously terrifying.

Cindy Lou makes what her foster family called “Jurassic Park noises” to let us know when she thinks it’s time to eat, get her medication, go out, or receive affection. Happily, she has been free of seizures since we adopted her, and we hope that her current drug regimen will keep that problem under control.

Like Kayla, Cindy Lou is a loving addition to our family and gives a warm welcome to guests and any service technician who visits. We look forward to many years of laughter at her antics.