Success Stories! 

Most Malamutes who end up in rescue don't have amazing stories, just sad ones.  Our job is to find them loving owners and give them the happy lives they deserve.   Our reward is watching an ill, frightened, stinky, matted, flea-covered, and filthy dog blossom into a confident, healthy, and beautiful Malamute — the dog they were meant to be.  Here are some happy endings!

Here are just a few special stories

SANNAH

This beautiful girl was very lucky indeed!  Sannah was spotted in January '07 running along I-95 south of DC.  Luckily for her, she was seen by a sheriff's deputy, who also volunteers for Pet Harbor, a local Siberian Husky rescue group.  Sannah jumped right into the car with the volunteer.  Pet Harbor called CHAAMP right away.  Sadly, she had been weaning puppies at the time she was found.  Volunteers went back to the area to search for her pups, but couldn’t find them.  Hopefully they are safe and sound.

CHAAMP found her a great home with an adopter who had recently lost his Malamute Rowan to cancer.  Her dad says:

She's more of a sweetheart every day – if that's possible.  She loves being near me and is never too far away when we're in the house.  She's very popular with my neighbors who have all fallen under her spell – and she even has several male dog buddies.  In addition to still loving her car rides, she enjoys hanging out with her kitty-cat sister Morgan.   Sannah also enjoys long walks with her new dad and her mid-day dog walker.  She loves to hone her great sense of smell by spotting deer and fox in the woods and other kitties in her neighbor’s bushes.  She is also an recognized expert at dismantling large dog bones and volunteers in the community as the neighborhood Trash Inspector.

KING

You may have seen King's pictures on our adoption page in 2006.  He was severely underweight and had been hit by a car.  His owners, who had kept him chained in the back yard (until they forgot to check on him), refused to pay for the surgery so King became a CHAAMP dog.  He has recovered fully from his leg amputation and is adored by his new family.  Here's a before and after pictures — look at that big Mal smile! 

JEB (now Brady)

Jeb was found as a stray by a Virginia shelter in 2005. The wonderful animal control officer there called and begged us to take him.  She said he'd come right up to her, put his head in her lap, and sighed.  He weighed only 42 pounds, even though he was full-grown.  We pulled a 4-month old pup at the same time who weighed more than he did!  How could we say no? 

In addition to being 40 pounds underweight, Jeb had  heartworm, fleas, and myriad intestinal parasites.  A chain was imbedded in his neck and had become extremely infected.  For a week or so, we thought we were going to lose him!  But after 3 months of antibiotics and TLC — and many, many baths! — this is what he looked like at 60 pounds.

He was still a scared little thing when he met his new mom.  But he's come a long way in the past year!  This is what she writes: 

Brady loves his toys and can play for hours just entertaining himself and everyone else.  He's an avid ball player and loves to fly through the air when going after his ball.  He actually jumps straight up — I swear he has springs in his little legs. 

He has gained weight, but it is a healthy amount. He's about 80 pounds now.  Of course, he is still a love bug and is glued to my side at all times.  He is still very affectionate and loves to cuddle  — he's still like velcro and I love him just the way he is. He's met the whole family now and everyone loves him, especially my parents.   He's come along way with his fear of men; he and my Dad have become buddies and he likes my Dad to walk him around the neighborhood.  He also enjoys teasing my Dad and they like to chase each other around the pool.  Of course, my Mom has to give him lots of kisses and hugs throughout the day because he's such a sweetie.

He's a wonderful little boy.  I tell him every day that I am lucky to have him and I thank him for picking me.  It's amazing how he has progressed – he doesn't look like the same little boy from last year.  Thank you for saving him!    Michele 

Living the good life

Graduating from training class

BALTO

We are thrilled with how happy, adjusted and healthy our boy is. His favorite activities include walks to the golf course, visits with his Mal buddy Charlotte, and the bicycle runs.  Here he is with Brent — he loves to run alongside.  Thank you!  Brent & Jennifer

CUBBY

This boy was also a stray, pulled from a shelter. His nails were more than an inch long; the poor dog was walking on his pasterns instead of his pads. The toes were all splayed out to make room for the nails. When the vet cut the nails there was blood everywhere. The poor boy was scared but very brave. 

We thought he was deaf, but finally figured out that he just didn't understand that someone might be talking to him! He was so neglected that he didn't realize he was worthy of attention. One of our volunteers was teasing him, and you should have seen his eyes light up when he got it!  Now that he realizes that people talking means he can get some love, he's downright attentive.

His foster mom reported:  "We had to wash Cubby three times to get him clean. I took him to the vet because he has a cold. He wagged his tail the entire time, even when the vet was taking his temperature! She said she'd never seen that before. Drew blood, wag. Did a skin scraping, wag. Glop removal from ears, wag. It was pretty cute.

Tonight when I put him in his crate to come upstairs and work, he started howling.  I went down to see what was wrong.  Well, Clara and Roxie were lying next to his crate, each with a stuffed squirrel.  He was upset because he had no toys!  Once I gave him his squirrel, he settled down."

Cubby has since been adopted and has run of many fenced acres.  He and his owner take long walks twice a day.  Lately Cubby has taken to carrying a box turtle with him on his 4 mile walk. 

LITTLE GUY

"Little Guy" was pulled by CHAAMP from a shelter in West Virginia, with help from WV Mal Rescue.   A number of shelters in WV don't euthanize by lethal injection.  Instead they put dogs into gas chambers, which is a horribly slow way to die.  Here's what his owners have to say about him:  

"Keegah is doing GREAT!!  He loved the beach!!  Who wouldn't, long walks, cold water, decks to hang out on and watch everything, ferry rides, and everyone paying lots of attention to him where ever we went.   No one can believe how well behaved he is.   We're pretty proud of him too. . . He has developed a taste for the moles that tend to tunnel through the yard – although there aren't too many these days.  He has also decided he likes vegetables and fruits now:  eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, cantaloupe, strawberries, and the juice of oranges (but he won't eat the thing, just the juice).  He is my helper at dinner preparation.  He lays down right at the sink just waiting for something to drop.

Keegah and our son are just so funny together.  He likes to read Keegah fairy tale stories – he says they are Keegah's favorite.  He introduces him as his brother now.

Once again, we have to thank you for bringing us together. I think our town would thank you too. They all love to see Keegah coming – farmers market, playground, even the cat who lives at the bookstore! 

Thanks again, Diane"

MIRACLE

One spring Monday a woman was hiking well off the trail in Northern Maryland. She came across a Malamute who had clearly been shot with a small caliber pistol, at close range, in the head. The Mal had been lying there for some time, bleeding but not dead.

The woman hiked back to her car, called a couple friends at work, drove back to town to pick them up, and then back to the trail. The three women hiked to the dog and carried this 95-pound boy to their car a mile or so away. Their vet performed emergency surgery to repair the damage to the Mal's head, but had to leave the bullet in, as it was lodged in his jaw.

This wonderful dog survived everything: being shot and left to bleed (for 2 days the vet thinks), the hike to the car, and the surgery. We named him Miracle, because he certainly was! At first he listed a little to one side, had some difficulty remembering what to do with his back legs, and chewed very carefully.

A month later, Miracle was almost healed. His head still has a charming tilt and one eye has a roguish wink. Miracle has won the heart of everyone who sees him because of his sweet personality. He is now a beloved family member, as you can see from his pictures — a happy ending!

BUCK

"Buck is big and strong and loveable and goofy. He and Lily play and tussle and chew on each other's ears all day. Buck has tested all of us at least once or twice, but he has that goofy grin all the time that just tells us what a great sense of humor he has, so it's hard to get to mad at him.  Thank you for rescuing him. He is a great loveable lighthearted spirit. 

Thanks again, Barbara and Daniel" 

DOTS

Dots, one of Kiara's pups, at six months old. This exuberant girl has never met a stranger. She lives with her new owner and big brother Jack.  Her name is now Anna.  She and her family have recently moved to Colorado.
Dots, now named Anna	Jack & Anna with their owner

 Roxie & Clara

Mopsy aka Clara	Flopsy aka Roxie

Flopsy and Mopsy were pulled by CHAAMP. These two sisters came from a shelter in Virginia. They had been dumped by their owner in the overnight dog drop-off.

After three days of intensive care at the vets, heartworm treatment, many baths, and a month of loving care from their foster dad, the girls were healthy again. The girls were placed in the most wonderful home imaginable.

RAVI

Ravi, now Keena, is thriving in her new home.  Here are some pictures — you can tell she's a very happy girl! 

Grizzly

This sad boy was abandoned by his family when he had a seizure.   He found a perfect home with his new mom.  Even though he had Lyme Disease and Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever, among other issues, his new mom has never given up on him.  Grizz is a happy and outgoing boy now — look at his smile! 

Kiara

Kiara was given up by a backyard breeder, along with her last litter of 5 puppies. This poor girl was not even three years old and had already been bred 3 times and had 21 pups.  Kiara is very happy in her new home, romping with her best buddy, Wolf, and adored by her family.