Are you looking for a very small senior with a very big personality? You can’t go wrong with Dolson, a dreamy and sweet little guy who’s had too much shuffling in his life. It’s high time for this handsome devil to find his forever family.

Would you just look at that sweet, happy smile!?

Dolson, a tiny, little Chihuahua mix, is 11 years old. He originally found himself at the Norfolk SPCA in Norfolk, VA, because his owners could o longer afford to care for him, but sadly, he has since been in and out of their care. The last time he returned to the shelter, in fact, he was severely emaciated! But thanks to a grant from the senior dog lovers at the Grey Muzzle Organization, the SPCA was able to get him all the TLC and medical care necessary to bring him back to great health.

Staffers here feel like Dolson is consistently overlooked by adopters because of his age, but they know he still has a lifetime of love to give.

Little big man Dolson, say his caretakers, has a huge heart. He loves to be the center of attention, but if you’re not around, he’s happy to do his own thing (much of which consists of napping in comfy beds!).

He is looking for an adults-only home in which to live out his days and dole out his love. Everyone, they believe, would be happier with a little sidekick like Dolson around to brighten their days!

The Norfolk SPCA is located at 917 Ballantine Blvd. in Norfolk, VA. Adoption hours are 1-6 p.m. every day but Tuesdays (on which they are closed). Want more info? Visit the Norfolk SPCA website!

ALL Norfolk SPCA adoptions include:

• The pet’s spay or neuter surgery
• Vaccinations appropriate to age & heartworm test
• Microchip and registration
• General health exam
• Behavior evaluation
• 1st month’s flea & heartworm preventative
• Free 30-day offer of pet health insurance
• Care-A-Lot adoption kit valued up to $200

What’s more, after adoption, all alumni receive lifetime perks!

• 10% off vaccine clinic services
• 10% off dental cleanings
• 10% off merchandise (including over-the counter veterinary products)

Dog lovers in Texas, the state in which everything’s bigger, should fall in love with this handsome gentle giant! His name is Stevie.

Sweet Stevie was surrendered to animal control officers in Livingston, TX, after he grew to be larger than his family was expecting. After awhile, though, his clock ran out, but just when he was next in line t be euthanized, a kind person intervened and brought him to the folks at the SPCA of Polk County.

Staffers there estimate that Stevie is about 7-and-a-half years old, but no medical expertise is needed to asses that he’s also a sweet, lovable retriever mix who really deserves a second chance to find a loving forever home.

In fact, the SPCA thought they’d found him a perfect love match, but sadly, fate again dealt Stevie a cruel hand. When the family’s situation changed, they returned him to the rescue.

Upon his arrival, SPCA doctors checked Stevie over thoroughly and found four (4) relatively large masses on his body. One of these masses was a large and hard; it sat on his right shoulder. Thanks to help from the Grey Muzzle Organization, necessary funds were secured to have the masses removed immediately.

Three of the masses were determined to be benign at this point but had the potential of becoming cancerous in the future. The large, hard culprit on his right shoulder was indeed cancer, but the veterinary staff believes that the operation was a complete success and all the malignant tissue was removed. That means that Stevie’s prognosis is excellent and whoever adopts him will likely enjoy many wonderful years with an outstandingly sweet companion!

Without the medical funds provided through the Grey Muzzle Organization grant, we may not have been able to secure medical treatment in time to save this sweet dog’s life and prevent him from future suffering. They know that senior lives are worth saving. So does the staff down at the SPCA of Polk – and they’re hoping someone else sees that, too.

Let’s help this big boy find a great new home to enrich with his bigger-than-life love and gentle, sweet spirit.

When the architects at Studio Schickentanz undertook their latest project, they thought about how sustainability could fit into the picture … from a dog’s point of view.

Their canine cottage is high-design, a timber structure with an angled roof that boasts forward-thinking eco-friendliness!

The inside of the pint-sized house boasts a built-in floor drain and a solar-powered fan that keeps its canine occupant super comfortable on the hottest days. On the exterior, an easy-to-grip grassy ramp takes its pup resident to a green roof where a cool, motion-activated water fountain — it’s connected to an irrigation system! — ensures that no water is wasted.

Besides all the newfangled features, the house is stylish beyond belief! Built from wide, timber planks with a simple-but-impressive angled design, small windows allow natural light in and — because it’s still a dog house, after all — there’s a hidden drawer in which food and treats and toys can be kept

Why all the fuss over a dog house? This is one of several entries in the Carmel Canine Cottages Competition. Each of the entrants will be auctioned off – and all proceeds will go to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

A word about dog houses….

First off, we at LWD believe that dogs are INDOOR PETS! That said, it’s lovely when Fido can spend time enjoying fresh air out in the yard and if your pup enjoys him or herself out there, having a dog house can make that experience nicer by offering shade and shelter (or, in the case of some huskies we know, a snowy roof on which to happily nap in wintertime!). Here are some tips on what to think about when selecting a dog house for your pet:

-Does it have enough room? Your dog should be able to stand up, move around, and have access to water.
-Elevation, just slightly off the ground, can keep the house cooler in warmer weather and warmer when the ground is frozen.
-Light colors: these reflect sun and therefore heat, keeping the structure more comfortable.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Not long ago, we told you about River, the dog who last month was saved from certain death after he was left caged in rising water.

At the outset, his rescuer, Jennifer Vaz, planned to adopt him, but after her other dog, Molly, had difficulties adjusting to life with a new little brother, she decided to return him to the Monmouth County SPCA.

“After consulting with my family, the SPCA and my vet for the best interest of Molly’s health it would be better if River was fostered by someone else,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “As a (dog) mother, dropping River off was the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do. Even though I’ve never been a parent it feels like I’m losing a child.”

Vaz discovered River while on a morning walk in the park with Molly; the dog alerted her to something odd in the water. There she found River, a pit bull pup believed to be about 7 months old, trapped inside a wire crate. The rising tide was encroaching.

She contacted animal control and River was rescued with little time to spare.

Vaz was fostering River as the investigation into who had left him to die was underway, and had intent to adopt him.

She dropped him off at the shelter this past weekend, with a bed, toys, food and treats that had been donated. Additionally, more than $1,000 raised in a GoFundMe campaign will be given to his new forever family to assist in his care.

“We’re looking for a foster to adopt, for someone who’s going to keep him forever,” Ross Licitra, the chief and executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA, told NJ.com.

River must be fostered first as he is the subject of an ongoing criminal case. Once that case is closed, the foster family could adopt him officially.

Licitra said he believes River’s boisterous, young-male personality (he is not yet neutered) may have been too aggressive for the setting, leading Molly to become withdrawn. The shelter plans the neuter him and conduct a behavior assessment to see what kind of home he might take to best.

In the meantime, the list of names interested in taking River home continues to grow, he said. Other interested adopters can apply with the shelter.

The man accused of dumping River, Aaron D. Davis, 36, of Long Branch, was arrested earlier this month.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

An investigation is underway after police discovered an active dog-fighting operation in South Philadelphia, FOX 29 reported.

Upon arrival, cops had to break up a dog fight in progress. Police recovered a wooden fighting ring, spattered with blood, along with two firearms and a large amount of cash. Fourteen individuals were arrested and the two dogs, described as “pit bull-type dogs” were immediately taken in by the Pennsylvania Society for the Protection of Animals’s shelter hospital on Erie Avenue to begin the recovery process.

Both dogs were reported to be stable condition and will remain with the PSPCA until they are signed over by their owners or the adjudication of the court case. Activity related to dog-fighting is a felony.

Later this past weekend, as police executed a vehicle search warrant related to the case, officer discovered two additional dogs, one wearing a weighted collar and another which appeared ill, and immediately took them into custody, as well. Both underwent medical assessment and treatment at the shelter.

“Cases like this remind us that while we may not always hear about it, dog fighting is still happening in the city of Philadelphia,” said Nicole Wilson, Director of the Humane Law Enforcement at the PSPCA. “Our team has boots on the ground 365 days a year, investigating cases like this, and working to bring those involved to justice.”

Anyone with information about this case should call the PSPCA’s Cruelty Hotline at (866) 601-SPCA. Tips can be left anonymously.