The Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is a national honor that recognizes individuals who are committed to a high level of volunteer and service within a 12 month period. PVSA recognizes, celebrates and inspires volunteerism the community. The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation was established in 2003 and created the PVSA program as a way to thank and honor contributions that volunteers are making in our communities and encourage others to serve.
Lucky Dog Rescue is a Certifying Organization that has been granted authority through an application and review process to give out the PVSA to volunteers. Certifying Organizations verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a PVSA within a 12 month period specified by the Certifying Organization. Only Certifying Organizations can certify volunteers’ eligibility for the PVSA and order awards.
Our ability to help the animals is dependent on the number of our available foster homes. We are not able to help when foster homes are unavailable. This enables us get the dogs out of the shelter and save them from the possibility of euthanasia. We are frustrated when we are unable to rescue very nice dogs at the shelter, some are slated for euthanasia because of overcrowding.
We encourage anyone considering to foster a dog to contact us. There are many types of foster homes. You may want to try it out first as a “vacation foster” or a “short term foster”. We will provide you with supplies, we only ask that you provide a nutritious brand of dog food. Please visit our website for more information about fostering and other volunteer opportunities. It is a very rewarding endeavor and a special four legged friend will thank you for the rest of his/her life.
After spending 11 months with us, Princess went home with her forever family. She was a real champ through her multiple knee surgeries and she is more than ready to move on with her life. Looks like she found the perfect family to spend the rest of her life with. Congratulations Princess.
11/4/21 UPDATE
Princess is available for adoption. She is doing great after her knee surgeries. No more pain, just a bright future. Click on the photo for more information.
6/27/21 UPDATE
Princess had her second surgery last Thursday. This time it was on the knee that had surgery last year. Unfortunately it did not heal properly requiring a second go around on the same knee. The surgery went well, she will have 8 more weeks to recover now. We are so privileged to be on this journey with Princess. She is a warrior through this process conquering every procedure thrown her way. She probably doesn’t even know what it is like to live without pain since she was likely born this way. But we are committed to give her a better quality of life. Please consider donating to help Princess live a pain-free life. https://www.1luckydogrescue.org/donate/
4/27/21 UPDATE
Princess had her first patella luxation surgery yesterday. The plan was to correct her unrepaired knee and clean up the knee she already had surgery on because it didn’t heal properly. However surgery was only completed on the unrepaired knee due to the severity of the condition. An additional surgery will be scheduled to all her future surgeries (see the 3/30 post) to fix the other knee. Princess is now resting comfortable at her foster home with a bunch of pain meds, antibiotic and also sedative to keep her calm. Bed rest for the next 6 weeks and 5 minute leash walks in week 7.
3/31/21
Princess was born with 2 bum knees. Her owners saw her through one surgery and rehabilitation to repair one of her luxating patella (dislocated kneecap). Her owners surrendered her to us to repair her other knee and re-home her.
Princess is an extraordinary girl. She is under 2 years old who loves kids, dogs and cats. She has wonderful manners, is very friendly and affectionate. She is everything you want in a family pet. So why wouldn’t we step in to help a wonderful dog get healthy and send her onto her new forever home.
Boy, were we surprised by Princess’ medical examination. We expected Princess needed to repair the untreated luxating patella. Unfortunately the already repaired knee did not heal correctly and will need surgery again. Both of Princess’ hips are also misaligned and should be surgically corrected so that the knees will stay in place after they are repaired. One of her elbows may also need treatment and has arthritis. It is hard to imagine the pain she is living with.
Princess is a sweetheart and a great dog. She was dealt a bad hand in life. We accepted the challenge and will help fix her up. She will not have a perfect gait, will not run a marathon or do agility races. But she will take nice walks, curl up next to her favorite human, give/receive unconditional love and of course PAIN-FREE! She may require occasional pain management after exertion.
This will be a long journey for Princess. We believe she will have many years of good quality of life since she is so young. We will give you updates on her progress. Her first surgery is scheduled the end of April. Please send good thoughts and keep Princess in your prayers.
You can help us raise the funds we need this year simply by purchasing your pet food and supplies from Pet Food ExpressONLINE. We get 4% cash back for all purchases made using our unique link.
This is an online program only. You must go through the above custom link each time you make a purchase. You must click the link each and every time.
Simply stated, the more you buy, the more we receive in donations –so ‘like’ and ‘share’ our FRIENDS posts on social media and help us fill our piggy bank.
New to QR codes?
Just point your mobile device camera at the code, the website link will appear on your device. Just click and start shopping!
September 18, 2020 was a day of celebration because two bills were signed by Governor Newsom to protect animal welfare. On 10/13/17 California became the first state to outlaw pet stores from selling dogs, cats and rabbits that do not come from rescue organizations or shelters.
Unfortunately out of state puppy mills exploited a loophole in the law and enabled some pet stores to deceive the public and continued to sell high priced puppies. Yesterday’s legislation officially ends the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in California by closing the loophole in the current law, while still allowing pet stores to partner with shelters and rescue organizations to showcase animals for adoption.
“In California, we are putting an end to the cruel puppy mill industry for good,” said Governor Newsom. “I am proud to sign this legislation to advance California’s nation-leading animal welfare protections and help more pets join loving families.”
The Governor also signed legislation requiring shelters and animals control agencies to microchip all dogs and cats with current information before releasing them to adoptive owners or an owner seeking to reclaim them. In addition to the above new legislations, the 2020-2021 State Budget allocates up to $5 million one-time General Fund for a University of California, Davis grant program to give the state’s animal shelters the training and resources they need to work toward the state’s no-kill goal.
We find ourselves living in a world that is very unfamiliar to most of us. COVID-19 is impacting all of our lives. As a dog rescue organization, we naturally worried about the welfare of the animals in shelters. We spoke with many of the animal shelters to see how we can help. Shelters are closed for non essential services. Shorter shelter hours and reduction of staffing have reduced pet adoptions and redemptions. The shelters are looking to rescue organizations to ease the burden in the shelters by getting the dogs out into their foster care. All of our available foster homes will welcome dogs into their homes this week. If you would like to foster a dog or maybe you are interested in more information about fostering, please contact Patricia 925-787-5825 or olveiry@yahoo.com. We are also partnering with Renegade Animal Welfare and Rescueto help the residents in the central valley. We will be assisting households having financial difficulties in providing food or basic needs to their pets.
Please wash your hands, stay home, stay healthy and do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
We were very optimistic that Forrest will find his forever home soon after we rescued him from the shelter. This retriever mix is gorgeous, just 5 months old, and has the perfect temperament.
Forrest’s limp was first diagnosed as growing pains. He should be fine with a rest and time. Unfortunately weeks passed and his condition did not change. A second examination by an orthopedic vet discovered he had elbow dysplasia, a painful condition caused by genetic factors that lead to less than optimal joint conformation. Some dogs respond to palliative care medication (for pain and stiffness) and controlled exercise.
Sadly Forrest lameness persisted and his primary care vet requested a 3rd opinion as x-ray revealed the possibility of a bone fragment loose inside joint.
The orthopedic specialist concluded that since earlier conservative approaches did not improve the condition of Forrest’s left front limb, surgery is required to treat the abnormality.
The specialist performing the surgery has performed this procedure many times successfully. It will remove bone and cartilage fragments, and may need to reshape the cartilage. But the cost will depend on what he finds after he opens up the leg. The cost of the surgery will be between $5000-$8000!! 😱
We are a very small rescue organization and a costly surgery like this will greatly impact our ability to help other dogs. The cost of the surgery does not even include all of the expenses to date totalling approx $1000. His surgery is scheduled for Thursday. Please help us help Forrest. We are grateful for your help. 🙏🙏🙏www.1luckydogrescue.org/donate/
GREAT NEWS!! Oliver’s foster family fell head over heels over this wonderful boy. They decided to make him a permanent member of their family. He now lives on a ranch and has 2 human siblings and 2 doggie siblings. He hangs out in the barn and by the horses. He is moving great, and actually will play and run.
Oliver is a one year of Pit Bull. He has a birth defect in his left paw. The paw cannot properly support him so he seldom stands. He walks with a limp but he is more comfortable crawling/lying on his tummy or sometimes he rolls on his back to play with other dogs. What Oliver lacks in physical perfection, he makes up in his temperament. He was a favorite among the shelter employees because of his sweet personality. He loves humans, dogs and cats; he is an absolute love bug! It is clear we need to help Oliver.
Oliver’s leg was amputated a few days ago. He is a trooper and the best patient on earth. His prognosis is excellent. It is beautiful animals do not have to deal with the emotional and physical stigma of being handicapped. Oliver will need a little time to adjust and learn how to use three legs. But once he adapts, the sky is the limit. He doesn’t know there is a missing limb. All he knows is it doesn’t hurt any more when he walks or runs.
“Isn’t it so hard to let your foster dog go?” This is a question our adopters ask us all the time. As foster parents, the most joyous time of the journey of saving a dog is when we finalize an adoption. We really never “let the foster dog go”. Our foster dogs leave an indelible memory on our hearts and in our minds.
We always remember the first time we laid eyes on that dog. Sometimes they are shaking in the corner of the shelter kennel, or wagging at the front of the kennel begging us to take them out, or barking/growling in the kennel out of fear unsure of our intentions, or just from a shelter picture that speaks to you.
We remember carrying or walking them out of the shelter and putting them in the car for their freedom ride. Giving them their first hug, giving them a bath and waiting for them to discover the meaning of family. We never know how long each dog needs to learn to love, trust and discover the world is not as scary as they think. Some only need hours while others need months. We continue to take care of their health needs, watch their bodies get stronger, coat get shinier, eyes get brighter, strengthen their foundation of trust while we love them and yes, get attached to them. Thoughts of maybe keeping him /her usually will cross our minds because it is hard to believe anyone can be good enough for him/her.
Then one day, you chat with someone who is just “perfect” and they want to adopt your foster dog. We may shed a tear or two when our dog is delivered to his/her forever home. But we know it is the absolute right thing to do when you see the joy in the new family’s eyes. The memories of our foster dogs will stay with us forever. These memories can be comical, heartbreaking, frustrating and magical. Fostering is not always happiness. It takes patience and sometimes things don’t work out the way you want and we have to resolve unexpected challenges. We absolutely get attached to our foster dogs, but letting him/her go means we can go back to the shelter and save another life. The journey starts all over again.
Actually the most joyous time of the journey of saving a dog is not when we finalize an adoption. It is when our adopters send us a follow-up email, text or call with those magical words “WE JUST LOVE HIM/HER”.
It is hard to imagine the pain she is living with.
