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$2Tuesday Inspiration |
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Many of you will remember last year we got this amazing card in the mail from Emily, who was 9. Emily isn't a child of one of our volunteers or anything, just an amazing young girl with a HUGE heart! We tried to get a great picture, but the text reads: "Dear Dog Rescuers, I am Emily, a 9 year old from Orlando, FL. I just wanted to say Thank You for saving these doggys. Maybe I can be one of you when I grow up. Oh, and I thought this would help a little. From, Emily." Along with the card were two neatly folded $1 bills.
Going to be honest, we all ugly cried when reading this, as it had been a very rough couple of months with all of the hoarding case dogs, puppies, and "normal" rescue dogs, that some of us were pretty close to breaking. Then this amazing card from a 9 year old who sees the good in the world and wants to help arrives, and we all are reminded we are making a difference, even on the days when we feel like it is fighting a losing battle. It was right as Covid was starting to appear, and within a month, we were all on "pause", with events and fundraisers grinding to a halt, but pups still needing help. It was really hard for us to ask for help and donations, as so many people were going through very difficult times, on so many levels. Through it all, Emily would still send us little projects she made for the pups and to promote rescue. She also realized the pups would still need help, so she took the initiative and Emily posted on Nextdoor, went to local restaurants & stores & hung up flyers at local stores, and knocked on neighbors doors (safely!) asking if they would help the pups needing rescue. Woofgang was also very kind and donated a huge box of samples to her. She did all of this just because she love dogs, and frankly, is a really good human with some awesome parents! She's 10 now, and still helping the pups, with this most recent car full of donations she dropped off to our fosters. She's honestly quite an inspiration to all of us at FLDR:)
So, this Tuesday, as we are facing another rough week, with a BUNCH of new pups needing our help, we have a challenge for all of you! In honor of Emily's amazing effort, will you also donate $2 to help the pups? We are going to call it the $2Tuesday Challenge, because $2 really does make a difference, as it adds up! Honestly, if every single one of our 53K+ fans donated just $2, we would not have to fundraise for almost a year - so it DOES make a difference. What we each do makes a difference, and no effort is too small or not helpful! All you have to do is go to www.floridalittledogrescue.com, click on the donation link, and Bam! pups are helped!! We will also pick a few random, lucky challenge-accepters to win one of the beautiful jewelry pieces that were donated to FLDR by Fundraising with a Cause. It's a super easy win-win-win way to do good and feel good this Tuesday! Please also like, share, react - as that helps spread the word - and for more people to see that everyone can make a difference, sometimes we just need an amazing 9 (now 10) year old to remind us of that!
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Want to Shop AND Help the Pups? |
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| Meet Marino! Marino is a 7 year old male Terrier mix and he weighs about 9 pounds. Please know Marino is NOT HYPOALLERGENIC/allergy friendly and he does shed. His foster mom says, "This very cute silver Terrier (and possibly Poodle) mix came to rescue from a deprived situation when his loving but impoverished owner could no longer care for him and his brother. They have been in foster together and though they are fine as a pair, they have “vacationed” apart and each is ok on his own. Marino is a sweet and very affectionate boy, fine with other dogs and peacefully shares the home with two cats. He will bark at strangers or strange noises but settles quickly and is not “barky” for long periods of time. He still needs some house and handling experience, though, and cannot go to a home with young children. He is great with normal handling, even vetting and grooming, but he at first objected to intrusive acts like being forced to take a pill or to have his ears trimmed. He soon learned we weren’t going to hurt him but his adopter should be tactful in this regard. After years of neglect, Marino came to us with a cough that though mostly resolved and medically cleared by our vet is still an occasional thing and might persist. The two dogs had no real idea what housetraining meant and are still unreliable. Marino uses a potty pad in his “den,” a small room, but needs work otherwise. He walks in harness on a leash and has learned to take advantage of every back yard opportunity, so is on his way. He is very loving, will seek affection and be your shadow. He likes his safe space too and will occasionally vanish to take a private nap. We like this because he doesn’t object when left alone there if we go out. He’s a very loving and nice dog. We’ve loved having Marino and seeing him blossom. You’ll love him too.!" Marino is neutered, up to date on vaccines, heartworm negative, microchipped and has had his teeth cleaned. He is fostered in the Orlando area, and his adoption donation is $275. |
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How Many Have YOU Helped Save?
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| Gizmo has found his forever home! |
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Faith Gave Us Faith |
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June 6, 2011: Early that morning I received a call from Samantha, one of the rescue coordinators at animal services, telling me "please check your email ASAP". Calls like that are usually never good and assure me 145% that my day is about to be turned upside down. I logged in to my email and saw one from her "Sweet Shih Tzu Puppy", with files attached. First thought was "hmm, this doesn't seem bad" with a feeling of relief as I waited for the email to open. It opened, and that relief turned to shock, then sadness, and as the tears rolled down my face as I frantically got dressed. I called Sam on the way out the door, then our vet, who graciously cleared his morning to get our newest pup seen right away. That pup was Faith. Faith was found tossed over the fence of animal services in her carrier, in the Florida heat, after the shelter had closed. She was matted so badly you could barely tell that she was a dog, heartworm positive, with a shattered pelvis and a shattered rear leg that was causing her tremendous pain. She had to be sedated just to have her face shaved down so animal services could try and evaluate her. Faith was barely a year old, if that, she still had some of her baby teeth retained. FLDR was still a tiny rescue, new, Facebook was still new for us, and "Saving Faith" required just about every resource, and pretty much every volunteer in our rescue. Fluids, meds, a leg amputation, teaching her how to walk (because she literally didn't know how because the matts had bound her so badly), slowly adding weight to her, heartworm treatment - everyone stepped up and took shifts the first few weeks, and through it all, Faith gave US faith. She immediately trusted all of us, gave us kisses, snuggled up, and her faith in us never wavered. Many of you followed her progress, came to our events to meet her and give her some cuddles (she truly did love everyone). After almost a year of rehab, treatments and recovery, Faith was finally cleared "as healthy as she will be" and ready for a true home of her own. Beth and David, fosters and volunteers with FLDR, had been instrumental in Faith's care from the beginning. They fell in love with her, especially Beth, but as much as they loved her, when approached with the possibility of adopting her (all the rest of us already knew in our gut that they were supposed to be Faith's family) they initially hesitated - citing concerns they they weren't good enough for her, worried that they would somehow "let her down" or "miss something" in her care. We, and Faith, had more faith in them than they had in theirselves. After speaking with her vets, and lots of thoughtful consideration, Beth and David welcomed Faith into their family, officially. Faith had a new brother, Bennett, one of FLDR's puppy mill rescues, and would go on to welcome Thor, another FLDR medically fragile pup, into their pack. Over the last nine years, Faith has been loved, cherished, treated like the princess she deserved to be, and barely spent any time away from her humans. She's vacationed, attended family celebrations, celebrated the wedding of Beth and David's daughter, and welcomed three grandchildren with them. If Faith had a theme song, we truly believe it would be "Don't Stop Me Now", as she was always having a good time, and never really slowed down. Until this past week. Faith's medical issues started to catch up to her, and despite all of Beth and David's best efforts and top notch medical care, Faith was finally tired, and let them know it was time. To say this has been devastating is an understatement. Faith was so loved, by so many, and she loved everyone back fiercely (attacks with kisses were a real thing!). We can not offer Beth and David enough gratitude, thanks, appreciation, hugs and love for loving Faith so so much, giving her the best life, and still sharing her with all of us. While for the last nine years she has been an official part of Beth and David's family, they always made sure to let us know she was still "ours" too, and our collective hearts are broken, as last night Faith crossed the Rainbow Bridge, while being held in the loving arms of her humans. As I am typing this, the tears are still flowing. We are all going to work really hard to focus on the many, many good years that Faith knew she was loved and cherished, while we grieve the fact that it still seems too short. Somehow, rescue can shatter your heart yet put it back together all at once, its hard to properly articulate the feeling in words, but this is as close as I can get at the moment. I sincerely hope that Carol was there to greet her at the bridge, and give her so much love and let her know "job well done" for rescuing so many humans and giving us all Faith.
Thank you Faith, for all the love, and all the faith. (Laurie)
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FOSTERS NEEDED!! |
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FLDR wants to save as many puppers as we possibly can and the only way to do this is by YOU joining our team!! We need fosters!! If you live in the Orlando area and would like to help save lives, we want you to join our pack! We are in need of foster homes willing to open their hearts and make a space on the couch for a rescued pup, usually just for a couple of weeks! We take care of the vetting, grooming, medications and you provide the love and snuggles! Please complete the "Adoption Application" and just put in the comments - "Want to Foster" and a Foster Coordinator will reach out to you right away!
We are also in need of people willing to do transports, usually from Winter Haven to St. Cloud or from north Orlando to St. Cloud a couple of times a month, during a weekday. Please email littledogrescue@gmail.com for more info on helping with Freedom Rides!
Welcome to Florida Little Dog Rescue Group!
Florida Little Dog Rescue rehabilitates unwanted, abused and abandoned little dogs and places them in loving and responsible homes to live out their lives as cherished family members. We would love for you to join us by adopting a dog, volunteering as a foster home or donating money to help save the dogs. We are a 501(c)3 Charitable Organization, and all donations to FLDRG are tax deductible!
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Save a Dog on Death Row!
They need YOUR help right now!!
Please help us save dogs on Death Row at local Animal Controls. These are dogs that can't be adopted out directly from Animal Control, mainly for medical reasons. When they can't be adopted, they need a rescue to save them when their time runs out. These pups desperately need our help, we are their last hope!
Click the Picture to Save One More!
Florida Little Dog Rescue Group rescues dogs from all over the state of Florida, but our main focus is the Central Florida area. Our volunteers live anywhere from Tallahassee to Tampa, but all of our dogs are fostered in the Orlando area. We are 100% volunteer-based, which means no overhead or salary costs. Your donation is used directly for dog care. We do not receive government funds. We are entirely supported by charitable donations.
We ensure that each dog is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, tested for heartworms and other parasites, examined by a vet and treated for any known conditions prior to adoption. All known medical information is fully disclosed to new families. While awaiting adoption, the dogs live in foster homes that provide love, patience and TLC to the pups! A pup's stay in foster care could vary from several days to several weeks, depending upon the dog's conditions and needs. Unlike shelter or kennel living, fostering the pups in a home environment allows us to personally evaluate each dog for behavior and temperament issues. We are able to see how they interact and react to other animals and children, if they are house trained, like to go for walks, play ball, etc. and that makes it easier to know what type of home/family would be best suited for them!
Please note, we are not a shelter. We do not have a kennel or facility that you can visit and see all the dogs. Each dog is fostered in an individual home. We do rescue out of our private homes and in our spare time. So, you cannot come visit our dogs until you have gone through the application and interview process and we have contacted you about scheduling a visit. We do not have set "hours" and we answer all calls and emails as quickly as we can!
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