Announcing our Rescue of the Year ~ LEXIE !!!

Thank you to all who voted in our poll. We had a total of 1258 votes, with Lexie taking 444 votes (35%!) Sam came in second with 350 votes!

Rescue of the Year Contest

Our "Rescue of the Year" contestants: Benna, Lexie, Ripley and Sam. Please scroll down the page to read the stories and view the photos, then vote (at right) for Rescue of the Year.

The deadline for voting is FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4 at MIDNIGHT!

Rescue of the Year - BENNA

Benz was always at the side of her owner. In late spring of 2009, her owner's husband died unexpectedly in his home. Benz and her doggie housemates were sent immediately to a boarding kennel, and eventually the family decided Benz should be placed through rescue. This photo was taken the day Benz came to rescue. She is a brave girl, and dealt well with the change that had happened so suddenly in her life... A month in boarding without her family, then on to a foster home.

At about the same time, the Hartnett family of Powell, TN lost their beloved Hannah – a Weimaraner they had adopted from Wolf Creek Weim Rescue about 3 years ago. They were heartbroken. They quickly started looking for another dog to help them with the void in their lives. They looked at GSPs this time, and the day that Benz was listed on the web site, the Hartnetts filled out an application to adopt her. Within days, Benz was taken along on the home visit, and walked right into their lives like she belonged there.

“All things happen for a reason” - that saying is at play here, and while it’s difficult to find the reason for such loss, it is easy to see that this family and this GSP were made for each other. Benz was renamed “Benna” and she and her new family are growing closer and closer through the healing process.

Submitted by Benna’s foster mom on behalf of Joe, Christine & Joey Hartnett

Rescue of the Year - LEXIE

Lexie was hit by a car near Chattanooga, TN and brought to a shelter. They think it was a Lexus that hit her, thus her name Lexie. Michael Shirley and his wife, Amy, (a vet) took her into the rescue. Doc Shirley discovered that Lexie had a cancerous tumor on one of her mammary glands which turned out to be mammary carcinoma, a very malignant form of cancer. Dr. Shirley was able to get in there and remove the tumor quickly.

A year and a half later Lexie seems to be cancer free. Now she gets to spend her days going hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains and curling up with me at night. We take weekly trips to the Three Dog Bakery too for some tasty goodness. Lexie loves anything peanut butter! She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm extremely thankful for her.

~ Megan

Rescue of the Year - RIPLEY

Before we even knew who Ripley was, we had a large family that included two GSPs (Lenny and May), a border collie (Skye), and three cats (Mojo, Fearless, and Harley).

Ripley had been a hunter’s dog, but when the hunter found out Ripley had epilepsy, he no longer wanted him. The hunter gave him to a family member who then let Ripley run loose. True to his intrepid nature, he quickly got lost on two different occasions. His fairy godmother found him at her parents’ house and then in a shelter the second time. She contacted Rescue, and Michael Shirley and his wife took him in. They saved Ripley’s life, and gave him a chance. Our May has epilepsy also so we knew that we had to help this Ripley fella.

We talked about fostering him, but before we even met him, we both knew that his forever home was going to be with us. Sure enough, he fit right into our Brady Bunch family, and now we can't imagine our family without him. Blake says he's the thinker of the family because he is very slow but deliberate in his actions!

We are the luckiest family to have him in our life.

Blake & Tiffany

Rescue of the Year - SAM

Sam, my rescue, my family. We do everything together. He is my second GSP rescue. My first, Fred, was with me for 15 years. Sam brings back all those great memories. He makes me laugh every day. In fact, maybe HE rescued ME ...