Shelby - Forever the best girl!

Dearest Black Dog Animal Rescue,

I don’t know where to start, but with a simple thank you. On September 5, my soul dog, Shelby, was laid to rest. Shelby was adopted from BDAR in 2016, and she has always been one of the best decisions I have ever made.  

In 2016, I had just finished my associates at Casper College and to continue my education I had to transfer to the University of Wyoming. So, there I was moving to Laramie at 20-something feeling like I needed a companion. I reached out to a friend, Andrea Sullivan, for any suggestions. She suggested BDAR and sent various adoptable dogs. I remember seeing Shelby’s picture and thinking “THAT’S MY GIRL.”

On moving day, I was able to schedule a meet and greet before I left town. I will always remember that morning because I was so nervous to move out for the first time and I wasn’t sure if I was taking on too much by getting a dog. However, at 10:30 AM at Wolf Creek Park I signed the papers and my life began with my best friend. 

Boy, was Shelby crazy! That dog ended up needing emergency surgery a few weeks later from all the nonsense she would chew up. From sprinkling systems to college books she had no preference in making my life harder and less financially stable. Shelby was a pro at jumping the fence and making Houdini look like an amateur.  But, with all her crazy adventures she had a heart of gold. Everybody that met Shelby loved her. So, with her being so social and loving I signed her up for doggy classes and she quickly became the most well behaved pooch.  Shelby and I began traveling more often and she was able to experience places like California and Las Vegas. 

Life with her was a dream, we had our daily walks and routines that made Shelby thrive. She stopped chewing on random items and didn’t ever need to be kenneled. She rarely barked and when she did it sounded like she was yodeling. Quirkiest dog I have ever known, but damn, she added so much joy to my life. 

Three years later, I had graduated and was heading back to Casper with my girl. Time definitely flies. I blinked and we had settled into a new routine in Casper. From hikes on the mountains to being my running buddy as I trained for marathons, she was always by my side. Eventually, in 2019 our little family of two became a family of three. I met my now husband and Shelby had a new best friend. Those two were inseparable. 

The COVID-19 pandemic started and as registered nurse it took a toll on my mental health. Shelby was an essential part of my well-being. We would go on walks and enjoy nature together. Although, the unknown was scary and tearing people apart, we could at least count on each other. 

In mid 2021, Shelby began growing a suspicious tumor on her neck. The tumor was cancerous and it was a reminder that my sweet girl was aging too quickly. Surgery was performed, but I was warned that these type of cancerous tumors could come back. 

Fast forward to 2023, Shelby is thriving and our family was growing! We welcomed a little blessing that Shelby immediately couldn’t get enough of. Where ever the baby was, Shelby was right there. Shelby was especially fond of the little one when he began eating solids! The baby loved seeing Shelby catch the food, so he would sneak her some bites. 

At the beginning of 2024, Shelby started having trouble going up stairs and I noticed another small bump on one of her hind legs. The Veterinarian prescribed arthritis and pain medications, also, surgery was suggested once again. Within two months, the bump had grown at a massive rate. From there, Shelby’s love of life changed drastically. 

Fetch had always been Shelby’s favorite game. One summer day, as my husband played fetch with her she refused to put any pressure on the leg with the tumor. We took her to the vet and everything spiraled down from there. The Vet had high hopes that surgery would help, but as dog owners we can sense when something is “off”. More of those bumps slowly started growing. Even with pain medications, Shelby would refuse to go up the stairs and struggled to keep her food down at times. She began having accidents at home, and one of my worst nightmares became a reality. 

The final decision was made on September 5th. 

Shelby, my best friend, needed to rest. I owed her that after so many beautiful years. It’s crazy to think that a random “college decision” would become my family dog and then later my child’s childhood dog. My son’s love for dogs began all thanks to our Shelby. This family is beyond grateful for the opportunity to share those years with her. She blessed us with more than we could ever express. Our home is empty without her, but grief is the reminder that love was present. 

Once again, thank you so much. Your organization has brought years of happiness and memories that are irreplaceable to our family. The impact that BDAR has made in Wyoming is priceless. Our furry companions could not be more thankful for all your hard work. Shelby participated in the 2018 Jackalope 5K (AND won the fastest female dog). In that fundraiser, passion and dedication could be seen with all the volunteers. When the time comes to add a companion to our family, we will honors Shelby’s memory by adopting again from BDAR. 

Lastly, we will make a donation to honor our girl. And, if you guys are needing a name for a female dog our suggestion is Shelby. She was the goodest girl, in our eyes. In our Shelby corner at home, we keep her portrait and Jackalope trophy (picture included). 

With Much Love,

Joann Colina (now known as The Stuarte Family) 

The Foreman's First 100!

Black Dog Animal Rescue relies a lot on our foster homes. They spend the most time with the dogs in our care and they learn a lot about them while they are fostering. Which in turn, helps us find the best bit for them and be able to relay as much information as possible to potential adopters. Fostering is really easy in theory, we just ask that you open your heart and home to a lovely dog while we try to find them a forever home. As a foster-based rescue, the only way we can save a dog from an overcrowded shelter is if we have a foster home willing to take them in.

If you ask any of our current foster parents their feelings on fostering, they will all tell you that it's hard, but rewarding. It’s hard to take in a dog and fall in love with them knowing they will soon leave, but it is so rewarding when you are able to watch them find their forever home with new confidence and skills you have given them. We joke that sometimes it’s really easy, because some dogs are tiny monsters and you can’t wait for them to get adopted.

We provide all the necessary support to our fosters, including medical care, food, and any other supplies needed. Our dedicated team is always ready to offer guidance and answer any questions, ensuring that both the foster parents and the dogs have a positive experience. Fostering also allows you to be part of a wonderful community of animal lovers. You'll have the opportunity to share stories, seek advice, and celebrate the successes of the dogs you help. Many of our fosters form lasting friendships with one another, united by their shared passion for giving dogs a second chance at life.

We have a foster home that we would like to recognize for a tremendous achievement, Robin and Jeff Foreman and their pack of rescue dogs have reached their 100th foster dog! This isn’t our first foster to do this, but anytime it happens it's a momentous occasion.

Robin is adept at finding forever homes for her fosters. She can often be found posting online about their current foster; cute videos, cuddly pictures, their likes and dislikes, good qualities and quirks,  and what kind of home would be best. Not only do Robin and Jeff care deeply for their foster dogs but they take an active role in finding the right home for them. When you reach the number of foster dogs that the Foreman’s have, a certain amount of heartbreak is inevitable and the Foreman’s hearts have been broken more than once. But each time, just when we think they may have had enough and wouldn’t blame them if they gave up, they come right back and help us save another dog that needs them just as much as the last. All of the Foreman’s four dogs are BDAR alums, too! They are all quirky in their own right and make really good foster siblings. Join us in congratulating Robin and Jeff, Ralphie, Zoey, Gizmo and Luna on taking in their 100th foster dog! The Foreman family is an exceptionally important part of the BDAR team and we are so grateful for them! 

In addition to being a rock star foster mom, Robin has also started a fundraiser for BDAR! It is her goal to raise $10,000 for us, $100 for each dog  they have fostered! https://www.facebook.com/donate/1067635771387083/?fundraiser_source=external_url

Interested in fostering? Find more information at bdar.org/foster!

The Foreman’s 100th Foster was adopted today! She is pictured with her new family!

Indigo and her Baby Blues!

At the beginning of the year, Indigo found herself heavily pregnant in a loud, overcrowded Texas shelter. Scared and alone, she gave birth to eight babies while she hoped for someone to save her. When we found out she needed help, we accepted her into our program right away. 

The journey from Texas to Wyoming is a hard one on any dog. Typically, dozens of dogs make the trip in one vehicle as they make their way through the northern states to rescues and shelters that have agreed to help. But, when you are a 10 day old baby who weighs less than a pound, the trip is not only hard, it is also risky. But, it was the only option for Indigo and her sweet family if they were to have a future. Sadly, two of Indigo’s babies passed away on the road and one more passed away once they arrived at their foster home. But, five babies survived and were soon given names to match their momma’s; Cyan, Aqua, Cerulean, Azure and Navy.

For the first few weeks, Indigo’s babies thrived. But, suddenly the babies became sick with a vicious respiratory infection. Shortly after that, the whole family was diagnosed with Coccidia and Giardia, intestinal parasites that can take several courses of treatment to cure. 

The first several weeks of this little family’s life was tough on them and filled with expenses we were not expecting.

After all the babies were healthy and adopted, and Indigo’s parasites were cleared up, it seemed that everything was finally on the right track. Indigo was scheduled for her spay surgery and was awaiting her forever home. She was finally, for the first time in a long time, able to be herself. Not a stray, not a scared pregnant shelter dog, not a mom; just a fun, rambunctious girl in a foster home filled with love and dog friends. However, the universe had other plans. In a freak accident, Indigo’s rambunctiousness got the best of her and she fractured her leg when she landed wrong from a jump off the couch in her foster home. Emergency surgery was required and Indigo’s new found freedom abruptly came to a halt. Indigo could now add convalescent to the roles she has played in her three tumultuous years on earth.

These types of things are not only incredibly hard on the animals. But, they are a blow to their foster homes, our staff, and our resources. Even though accidents of this type are rare, they still manage to take the wind out of our sails. But, no one had the doldrums more than Indigo. To be honest, she was a terrible patient. The poor girl just wanted to be free! We kept promising her that if she stopped chewing off her cast, she would finally get to live the life she deserved.      

And, at long last it finally came!  In a surprise twist that brought the happiest of endings to this story, one we all so desperately needed, Indigo was adopted by the parents of one of her babies! She is now living life to the absolute fullest with her new family.  

By the time Indigo was adopted, she and her family’s expenses reached nearly $10,000.  That is nearly three times the amount it usually costs to care for a family of puppies. But, through it all, we can’t imagine not having been able to say “Yes!” to sweet, silly Indigo and her precious babies. Without Black Dog Animal Rescue, all that this family endured was just a few bumps in the road compared to what their future may have held without us committing to save their lives.

A Bumpy Road and Happy Endings

At the end of May, we were contacted by a community member who got a dog from a person who was trying to sell her in the parking lot of a store. She was in a small dirty kennel and the sweet lady just wanted to rescue her from that situation. Unbeknownst to her, the little dog was very pregnant and soon gave birth to five tiny puppies. Right before the dog gave birth to the surprise babies, the good samaritan also rescued two more older puppies from the same person. With the birth of the puppies, she found herself with 8 new dogs in her home! She wanted to keep the puppies’ sweet mama, but due to a recent injury was unable to care for everyone sufficiently at the time. Understandably, she was quite overwhelmed and reached out to us for help. We quickly found a foster home for each of the older puppies and one for the mom and her little three week old babies. 

Before surrendering them, she had made us aware that it seemed one of the puppies, Auggie, had an issue with his legs. She assumed it was an injury of some sort. We told her we would get him evaluated by our veterinarian as soon as she got them to us. Once we did, we were not expecting the diagnosis we received. 

When the puppies arrived, it was clear that Auggie wasn’t suffering from an injury. It was much more than that. His rear legs were completely limp and he could not control his bodily functions. We were able to get him in with our friends at Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic right away where x-rays were performed. None of us, including the veterinarian, had ever seen anything like it. This poor sweet little boy was afflicted with a severe birth defect and was missing the entire lower section of his spine. He would have had no real quality of life as he grew and we had to make the hard decision to euthanize him. One of our staff, who had known him less than an hour, stayed with him, cuddled and kissed him, and told him how sorry we were that this was the hand he was dealt but that he was so very loved.

Auggie’s X-Ray

The two older puppies, Latte and Melody, and mama Frankie and her remaining babies, Mr. Big, Miranda, Charlotte and Carrie went to their foster homes. For the first few days, it seemed everyone was thriving except for Carrie. She didn’t engage with her littermates like the others did, she was listless and couldn’t move around much, and their foster mom was starting to notice that Charlotte, too, was not walking normally. The two girls went to the vet for x-rays and exams. Again, the news was not good. Carrie was also missing a portion of her spine and was most likely blind and deaf. It was recommended we end her suffering and we did. Charlotte’s exam also revealed a defect; her tail was not connected to the rest of her spine and she was unable to move it, luckily she seemed to be doing fairly well aside from her odd gate and the inability to lift her tail when she used the restroom. She would be okay! We decided we would amputate her tail at the time of her spay surgery to help her keep clean and then we would just need to find a home for her that understood she may have some special needs in the future. 

We were so sad and angry about all of this. And, one of the many reasons why spaying and neutering your animals is so important. This is something that could have been prevented. But, someone chose to breed these dogs with no regard for anything other than how much money they could sell them for. Backyard breeding has so many consequences and severe genetic defects is one of them. If you are considering breeding your pets just for fun, or because you need extra cash, or because you think your dog or cat wants to be a mom, or because you think your kids need to experience the miracle of life, please reconsider. The outcome can be devastating and shelters and rescues are left to pick up the pieces.

We understand that some people may prefer to buy from a breeder than to rescue, and that’s okay. But, we implore those people to do their research and find the most reputable breeder they can. A reputable breeder would never breed a puppy missing part of their spine, let alone try and sell it to you. 

At this point, we’re sure you’re wondering if there is a happy ending to all of this. And, there is! Six happy endings, in fact! Of course, in addition to being vaccinated and microchipped, all of these dogs were spayed or neutered. Mama Frankie will never have to have another litter and everyone else’s genes will stay where they are. After their surgeries, everyone was adopted by wonderful, loving families. Latte’s new mom is hoping to train him as a service dog to travel the country with her and detect spikes in her blood sugar, Miranda was adopted by a long-time foster and volunteer, Charlotte found the perfect family that understands she may require a little extra throughout her life and in return she is providing therapy to her new mom as she undergoes cancer treatment, and mama Frankie went home with the kind person who saved her from that parking lot in the first place. 

In situations like this, we can’t help but wonder what would have happened to Auggie and Carrie and the others if Black Dog Animal Rescue didn’t exist or we didn’t have the resources at the time to say “Yes!” to this family. Because of your donation to our WyoGives campaign today and all the love you show us every other day of the year, we will hopefully never have to find out. 

The 12 Dogs of Christmas

Rye came to Black Dog Animal Rescue, heavily pregnant, and in search of a comfy place to rest. We knew there were a lot of puppies in mama’s belly but we weren't fully prepared for just how many puppies. On October 18th, pregnant mama Rye gave birth to 11 puppies. That’s right, 11! Almost a full dozen squirming, squeaking, multi-colored pit bull puppies came into our world. Mama Rye got right to work, making sure her puppies were well fed and loved.

Rye is a three year old pitbull mix. She’s got a shiny dark coat, and large belly from giving birth to so many puppies. Despite all she’s been through, she loves and fully trusts people. On our visit with Rye to make sure her puppies were doing well, she met us at the gate to her foster home. She took our hands into her mouth (which was a little scary at first!!) and then led us to her babies. She was so proud of the puppies that she has worked so hard to care for, and she wanted to share them with us. Rye had no reservations about leading two strangers to her prized babies. Despite being shuttled around, pregnant and without a home, Rye knew we were there to help her. 

Rye left an overcrowded shelter behind, something we are all too familiar with. We hope that by bringing Rye and others like her into our care we can alleviate some of the stress of overcrowding. Getting one dog out of a situation like Rye’s is only a drop in the bucket. But we never doubt that that one drop makes a difference. Because that one drop has a ripple effect; after Rye has weaned her puppies, she will be spayed and once they are old enough, her babies will be spayed and neutered as well. They will all be microchipped, vaccinated and placed in loving homes just in time for the holiday. 

Because of our meaningful foster program, 12 lives have been changed. Rye will never be forced to be a mom again. Her babies will live healthy lives, never contribute to the overpopulation of an overcrowded shelter and their chances of ever seeing the inside of a shelter themselves, are significantly reduced.

Animal shelters and rescues are struggling nationwide. We are dealing with low adoption rates, high surrender rates, and low spay/neuter rates. The combination of all of these factors leads to overcrowding in shelters. At Black Dog Animal Rescue, we wish that we could say yes to more of the hundreds of animals we see every week who need us.  Whether they’re from the email lists we receive from our shelter partners, the ones that concerned animal lovers tag us in on social media that are facing euthanasia or the surrenders that people ask to drop off at our center every single day. 

Chestnuts roasting by an open fire, 9 puppies nipping at your nose...

Noel was transferred from a northern Wyoming shelter just days away from giving birth. The day after we shared her story, Noel became distressed. She was not eating or drinking, using the bathroom, and was producing no milk for her babies. Two of the babies were struggling also, and very sadly passed away. When we called our veterinarian at Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic LLC, there was no hesitation to add a family of 10 dogs to their already full schedule. Noel’s foster mom dropped everything, the day before the holiday, and rushed them there. At the clinic, all the puppies received check-ups, subcutaneous fluids and were either bottle or tube fed. It was suspected that Noel had an infection of some kind and was given antibiotics, fluids, and an injection of medication to help increase her milk production. Everyone was sent home and we waited…

On Thanksgiving Day, the update from Noel’s foster mom was a joyous one! Noel was eating, drinking, using the bathroom and most importantly - feeding the babies that she loves so much! Her milk production is still kind of slow so the foster home is supplementing with bottle feeding a few times a day. But she feels so much better and the babies are steadily gaining 1-3 ounces a day! Noel is so proud of her babies and we are so proud of her and her foster family!

Without a foster family agreeing to take Noel into their home, she would have most likely had her bundle of 11 in a scary, cold, loud shelter. Due to the volume of dogs they have to keep their eyes on, Noel’s distress might have gone unnoticed and this story may have had a much less bright beginning.

Noel’s foster family deserves so much credit here. But, you deserve credit too! Without you and the support you show for us all year long, we would not exist. There would have been no one to take Noel from that shelter, no volunteer transporter to go pick her up, no staff to reach out to, no veterinarian to take care of her and her family at a moment's notice. We are here because of you and not a day goes by that we don’t think about that!

Do you know this Muffin, man?

Muffin came to us in late September as a surrender along with his siblings. His mama is a gorgeous white pitbull who had the cutest litter of puppies. Muffin’s mama wasn’t supposed to get pregnant but a fence couldn’t stop the most arduous of suitors. The family that owned Muffin’s mama quickly found themselves overwhelmed with a house full of kids and puppies. They contacted BDAR for help, surrendered the puppies to us and we spayed mama so that this wouldn’t happen again. 

All the puppies quickly found a forever home, all but Muffin. You see, Muffin has two front leg deformities; one club foot and the other isn’t formed fully. Our vet has assured us that Muffin is doing okay, he has a boot for the club foot to stop his elbow, which bears a majority of his weight, from becoming too sore. His other legs function fine for the time being and essentially he operates as a tripod. He mainly uses his three other legs while the club foot acts as a brace for balance when he needs it. 

Muffin isn’t affected by any of this talk of his legs. He loves to play and romp with his foster siblings and is confident joining in with other, much bigger dogs, during playtime. He is so happy to play around and chase after other dogs in the yard. You can tell that he jumps right into puppy playtime but does struggle to keep up with the other dogs. He tries hard to chase down his friends, but is happiest when they choose to play closest to him. 

There are some dogs that love to be close to people and Muffin is one of them. He loves to curl up in everybody's laps. At a recent adoption drive he was left all alone in the pen, so he flopped to his back and immediately had visitors. Muffin knew what he was doing and was content to curl up in their laps and get good head scratches till it was time to go home. 

 Muffin could potentially benefit from a wheelchair, and an enterprising volunteer has offered to supply one when the time is right. Muffin still has some growing to do and the next best steps can’t be figured out until his growth plates close. Muffin’s future is a little uncertain until he is done growing. He may keep his legs or it may be best for them to be amputated. He may be able to live a relatively normal life just the way he is or he may develop arthritis and pain. Because he’s a baby, we just don’t know what the future holds for this adorable boy. What’s not uncertain is how much love this boy has to give. We don’t turn away dogs that are a bit different or who need some extra care because we know that they are just as deserving of love as all the others. 

Muffin is a special needs case but one with a happy ending! Muffin’s foster has worked diligently and ultimately has fallen in love with Muffin. He is getting adopted by the parents of his foster, so they can stay close to each other!

Eddie, The Cat who Surrendered Himself

As this 4th Annual WyoGives Day winds down, I wanted to share a story with you about a cat that was with us only a few days yet still managed to leave a lasting impression. Animals are so good at that, aren’t they?

Stray cats are a huge problem in this community and BDAR has a lot of stray cats in its neighborhood. We tend to recognize the cats around here, but we’d never seen this particular one before. Until one day, a couple of months ago, when he showed up at our door. He was matted and emaciated, like someone told him this is where he needed to come to be saved.  

During our bi-weekly staff meeting someone spotted him through the window, yelled “Cat!” and the rest is history. There stood the cat we would soon call Eddie. I opened the door, expecting him to take off. But, he didn’t. I knelt down, put out my hands and this sweet creature walked right up to me asking to be held. I picked him up and brought him inside. We all fawned over him, gave him as much food as he wanted (which was a lot!) and marveled at the fact that he showed up seemingly out of nowhere begging to be rescued. We scanned him for a microchip, but the search turned up empty. He was neutered though, so maybe he was loved by someone at some point? We got him settled in an enclosure and he ate and ate and slept and slept some more. 

He clearly needed to see a vet so we scheduled an appointment for a few days later. Blood work was first on the agenda. It usually reveals all we need to know. This time was no different. Eddie was old. Like, old old. 18 maybe? He was in the end stage of FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), a virus common among, mostly stray, cats. His platelets were as low as they could get and without a blood transfusion he wouldn’t survive. We’re a realistic bunch and we knew we couldn’t use our limited resources to give a stray, 18 year old cat a blood transfusion on the off chance he would survive. So, at our vet's recommendation, we chose to humanely euthanize him.

Part of this job is choosing euthanasia as an animal’s best option. It’s not the glamorous part and it doesn’t have to happen very often, thankfully. But, it does have to happen sometimes. I’ve made this decision enough to know that it was the right thing to do. Even still, I cried over Eddie. It took me a couple days to reconcile his death even. A stray cat I knew for barely a moment. I finally decided he came to us because he knew we would help him and Eddie needed us to help him not live anymore. He knew that we would do what was best for him. We still have no idea where he came from or where he’d been and, like nearly every animal we help, we wish we would have known him sooner. While I long for this story to have had a happier ending, I am comforted knowing that for a few short days, Eddie had a name and was loved and fed and comfortable. And, honestly, most of all, I am happy that we were able to take his hunger, exhaustion, and pain away. Sometimes we get so busy with the day-to-day work that we forget that everything we do here matters in some way. Eddie reminded all of us that BDAR is here for a reason. He came to us for help. And we helped him. 

I have held onto this story for a while. So long in fact, I moved “Eddie’s story” from one weekly to-do list to the next. But, I am glad to finally be sharing it with those of you that mean the most to our organization. 

Without our facility, staff, and access to quality veterinary care what would the last few weeks of this sweet boy’s life have looked like? I am glad we will never have to know.

Thank you all for a really wonderful WyoGives Day. Our hearts are full. - Emilee

Meow Mates begins

Black Dog Animal Rescue (BDAR) and the Laramie County Sheriff’s department are teaming up on a brand new initiative, Meow Mates.

Photo by: Wyoming Tribune Eagle

This community service will provide a meaningful program for inmates at Laramie County Detention Center (LCDC) to participate in and provide adoptable cats with basic social skills before they are available for adoption.

The program starts this week with Sully, a three-year-old orange and white male cat, as the very first enrollee. Sully and all future cats in the program, will live in the housing units at LCDC with the inmates who are responsible for caring for them.

“After months of planning, the cats and inmates at LCDC can finally benefit from the Meow Mates program. We are thrilled it is underway!” said Kaitlin Whitman, Development and Marketing Manager at BDAR. Whitman continues, “Meow Mates will benefit cats that are transferred out of high-volume shelters into our care. They will have the opportunity to decompress outside of a tiny kennel while being cared for and loved by the inmates that participate in the program. As a Socially Conscious Animal Shelter, programs like this perfectly align with our principles to create shared responsibility for the pets in our community. It’s great for the cats and it’s great for the people!”

Lieutenant Stephens with Sully, Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Lieutenant Jennifer Stephens added, “We are so excited to start a partnership between BDAR and the Laramie County Sheriff’s department. It is our belief that everyone will benefit from this partnership especially the inmates and the cats. Jail can be an extremely stressful place and studies show that simply petting a cat can have a calming effect. Our hope is that having the cats in the facility will take a little of the stress away from both staff and inmates while providing a great environment for the foster cats.”

After cats spend a period of time at LCDC they will become available for adoptions and meetings at Black Dog Animal Rescue. Applications to adopt a cat, or a dog, from BDAR can be submitted online at BDAR.org/adopt.

Read the Wyoming Tribune article.

Photos by: Wyoming Tribune Eagle