Dear BAS,

Last August my husband and I adopted Blade which we have since renamed "Kilo." It is coming up on Kilo's 1 year birthday and I just wanted to tell you guys what a blessing he has been to both my husband and I and his big brother, Killa. The two of them are attached at the hip, and although h Killa is 4 1/2 years older than Kilo he has brought the puppy back into him. We adopted Kilo from an event at the Petco in Poway. The minute I saw him and the way that Killa took to him, I knew that he would be perfect. Both Kilo and Killa are my babies and my best companions. My husband recently was deployed to Iraq and he always e-mails telling us that he shows all the guys pictures of kilo and killa calling them his boys. I know that he is very anxious to come back home as are we, because the boys miss their daddy. Thank you again for providing such a wonderful shelter for these dogs, we could not be a happier family.

Love, Heather and Everett Diaz

Dear BAS,

On February 7, 2009, I adopted Lily at an adoption event in Poway. Lily has come so far in the last year and I couldn't be more grateful that she's come into my life. We really are the perfect match.

Lily was about a year and a half when I adopted her. When I first brought her home, she was extremely timid and fearful of every noise, dog, and person (including me). She didn't know how to walk on a leash and just being outside made her nervous. It took a couple of weeks to gain her trust and over the next few months she transitioned into a playful, loving, and active dog with a silly and affectionate personality. We've gone on camping trips together, taken countless trips to the dog park, and had many play dates with other dogs. She walks great on a leash now and loves long walks almost as much as she loves cuddling on the couch. I'm proud to say she is incredibly smart and has learned many tricks. Though Lily has had some separation anxiety issues when I've had to leave her with others, she's slowly learning to trust other people to care for her as she's beginning to see that her mommy always comes back for her.

Adopting Lily has been the most rewarding experience for me. We've learned a lot from each other and I'm so grateful for her loyalty, love, and companionship. She is the sweetest dog, the best friend to come home to everyday, and a great joy in my life. I can't thank you enough for rescuing this wonderful dog and bringing us together.

Sincerely, Melissa

Hi,

Hello,

I just wanted to tell you that I recently lost my beloved Nikita to kidney disease, she was 9 years old. I adopted her at a Petco event at which I was volunteering for a different group, and someone from BAS walked in with a beautiful 3 month old puppy under her arm and I fell in love instantly. I was told that Nikita was one of 8 puppies that had been thrown into a dumpster and only four survived...she was the last of the four to be adopted, but I was the lucky one.

Nikita grew up to be the most beautiful, loyal, and kind hearted companion I could have ever dreamed of. She was a gentle protecter when it came to her small little brother, a ill Japanese Chin, and her cat siblings. Nikita traveled from San Diego to Washington state with me where we have lived for the past 7 years. She was the perfect dog in so many ways, she loved rides, collected rocks from rivers and lakes, was a perfect watchdog and the best snuggler around. She went on all vacations with us, from Montana to the beaches of the Oregon coast, Nikita was always ready to go, our most loyal companion.

For a dog with such a rough beginning, she had more compassion in her little paw than most humans I have met. She walked the beach with me in Ocean Beach during a lonely time in my life, and gave me the kind of unconditional love that I needed. She fell in love with my husband almost at the same time I did, and our little family has been a beautiful and happy family for the past 7 years here in Washington. Unfortunately, Nikita was diagnosed with advanced kidney disease in April 2009 and we lost our battle on July 13th, 2009, no matter what I tried, I could not save her life from the horrible disease. But I made a promise to Nikita the day I adopted her in San Diego. I told her that I would never leave her..and I never did. What I hadn't realized was that she made the same promise to me...she tried so hard to stay, but her body failed her when her heart never did. Nikita saved my life, she was my angel for 9 years and I loved her more than anything. I am absolutely devastated by her loss, can barely breath without it hurting. But I wanted to thank you for my beautiful girl, for rescuing her and for putting us together. She was the best friend I ever had, and I will never forget her.

I wish I still lived in San Diego because I would rush to adopt another dog from you, as the dogs you have are very special indeed, and offer more love and loyalty just because they are so grateful for love.

I have attached a collage I have made of her just to share with you. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for my truest love in life...Nikita, my beautiful girl.

Sincerely,

Irene Stone Holguin

Hi

We adopted our pup from a Baja event about 7 months ago. Her name was "Buzza," but we've re-named her "Conchy." Conchy was a shy little 4 month old, sitting in the corner alone at the adoption event. When we took her home, we had to sit with her outside all day before she felt comfortable enough to come out of her crate. Once she was out, she never looked back. She's just over one year old now, and still changing every day. She goes to the Dusty Roads Dog Park and/or OB Dog Beach every day. She loves to wrestle and run with the other dogs. In the last month or so, she has become a serious swimmer. With giant webbed paws like hers, it was inevitable! She also loves going on hikes, but feels so-so about camping. Sleeping late in a warm snuggly bed with her people is so much nicer! At home, she hangs out with her cat friend, Lucy. When we adopted her, we weren't sure how she would react to cats, but Lucy is now the number-one most respected creature in the house! Conchy also likes to sleep in the yard and steal socks. Sometimes she buries them, along with her rawhide bones, and we have lots of surprises when we dig in our vegetable bed. One really great thing about Conchy (and there are so many!) is how sensitive she is to others. She is a rough and tumble girl, but she instincively knows to tone it down to appropriate levels around children and elderly people. My father is 85 years old with Parkinson's Disease. She is always very calm and loving with him and walks alongside his wheelchair just like a trained service dog. Dad loves dogs, and having her come for visits is a highlight of his days.

Thanks, Baja, for giving us the gift of Conchy. We love her more than you can know!

-Chrissy & Noelle

Hello BAS!

How time flies! It was almost a year ago this month that I adopted Rico, formerly known as Rudo. Rico was a little pup very skinny and shy when I brought him home. However he has grown into an energetic but very well mannered dog. He loves going to the grape st. Dog park and is very sociable with people, kids, dogs and cats alike. He loves to run with you! He has been the perfect companion and recently ran the 5k with me in San Diego. I highly recommend adopting your next best friend from BAS. Thank you BAS

Jose

When Haley and I were ready to have a dog we knew we wanted to adopt. Ruby, our Basenji/Jack Russell mix came into our lives in 2005. She was rescued from the rough streets of Baja, Mexico and originally adopted by a family who had another dog. After being attacked by the adoptive family's female dog, the family had to return Ruby back to Baja Animal Sanctuary. My girlfriend Haley was hesitant about adopting Ruby, but I knew under that timid, anxious, solitary exterior was a dog longing for love and security. It has been quite a journey but the devotion, time and love given to Ruby has paid off more than tenfold. She loves our weekend getaways where we explore the natural wonders of San Diego. She would chase anything that moves (be it birds, squirrels, cats, leaves or bugs) and come back with a smile so big that it would stretch from one floppy ear to the next straight ear. In June 2008, we were ready to add one more to our happy family. Once we saw baby Simone quietly sitting on Sandra's back steps with a large dog sitting on her head we knew she was the one. Simone, our Australian Sheppard/Border Collie mix was rescued from Baja, Mexico's animal shelter just minutes from being euthanized and was the only puppy in her litter to survive. Because Simone was so young, she got over her fearfulness rather quickly. Everyone compliments about happy she always is. She never tires of practicing jujitsu where she lays on her back and strategically use her legs to keep playful attackers away. Within minutes of coming home she will run up to you and show you the many toys she manages to stick in her mouth. Simone has made our family feel more complete. And most importantly, Simone and Ruby are best of friends. At the end of their playful day, they will usually sit in the backyard and peacefully watch the sun set over the canyon together. Although we are not ready to get another dog, we wanted to bring this balance to other needy dogs waiting for their chance at a forever home. It is amazing how quickly these foster dogs open up and relax after being around "our pack." The third dog here, Vinny, is our current Rat Terrier foster dog. He is a handsome little fella. He has even made himself very cozy with our Ruby and Simone. So far we have learned his two favorite things are: snuggling (next to you and burrowing between the pillows or under covers) and eating (until his little belly is about to pop). He is quite a character and who ever is lucky enough to have this guy will find much happiness and joy, just like what Ruby and Simone have brought into our lives. Thank you Baja Animal Sanctuary, for all you have done for us.

Kyle and Haley

Hello!

We adopted a puppy through a woman in Encinitas who helps place dogs through BAS. Our dog is definitely the smartest and most well-behaved puppy I've ever had. He stayed pretty small (only 30 pounds so far) and he's 8 months old now. He loves our cat, other dogs, and every child he has ever met. He loves to snuggle on the couch with Daddy and run through Balboa Park with Mommy. He is never far from our side, and we've found ourselves planning our vacations and daily activities to include our dog as much as possible.

We had our vet run a DNA test on him to find out his mix. He is made up of these 5 dogs: Siberian Husky, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Akita, Great Pyrenees, and Boston Terrier. In other words, he's a "pure bred" Boston Huskita Pyrenetriever.

We recommend BAS to everyone when they say they are ready to adopt a dog. When we are ready to adopt another dog within the next year or two, we will certainly find our next little buddy through BAS.

Here are a few pictures of our little boy (car-surfing; strolling on the bay; road trip to Mammoth to play in the snow). As you can see, he is quite a handsome little fellow.

(3/11/08) Sandra & Sunny:

I am finally home with my very own family. My new family tells me I am exactly the age and disposition they have been looking for in their new dog. I am adjusting to my new surroundings very well. Next to eating and all the treats I receive my favorite past time is sleeping in one of my new comfy soft beds. I also live across from the park so I get to take walks every day with my new friends Mattie and Bosco. Mattie is pretty much blind so she depends on me when we are out in the park and follows me everywhere. Thanks to Baja for not giving up on me and taking care of me for the last 10 years. Please let Jaimie know I am living a happy and spoiled life these days.

Love,

Morellos

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

(5/13/08) Update from "Mom" Michelle:

Maury aka "Morellos" has done exceptional and adjusted quite well from day one. After spending 10 years at Baja he found his purpose. He has become the guardian for our son. He takes daily walks alongside the stroller and makes sure we bring the same baby home each time we walk in the door. He shows interest when the baby cries and I think will become his protector as he gets older. Going out for walks is his favorite thing next to eating and sleeping in one of his beds.

Dear BAS,

Just an update on our fabulous little kitty Chloe whom we adopted from you in the Fall of 2002. We had just lost our 8 year old kitty Oscar to heart disease and were actually looking to adopt a puppy. We visited the PetSmart in San Diego and Chloe stole our hearts that day! You knew her as Carla but since that is my Mom's name we changed her name to Chloe. She is quite the diva kitty as can be seen in her pictures! Just as she did that first day, she has won our hearts over again and again with her divalicious attitude! She is certainly the queen of the roost and has her feline brother Spanky and canine brother Scruffy at her beck and call. When she wants attention she will plop down in front of "her human" and look up adoringly so no one can resist! She was even featured in the local newspaper while we were in Pensacola. She believes the coffee table to be her "throne" and never ceases to knock over the annoying candles that always seem to find their place on her throne..We just wanted to thank you a ll once again for bringing this special kitty into our lives. We love and adore her as much as the first day we brought her home..She has enjoyed the traveling that we as a military family have to do and is adjusting well to our new home.. Keep up the wonderful work!

Love,

The Gill Family

Va Beach, VA

Hello to all at BAS!!

My name is Sarah Mooney, and almost 2 years ago, I took an amazing dog home from you guys. Back in April/May of 2006, you were having a little meet-and-greet with some of the dogs outside of the PetSmart in Vista, and you had the cutest little dog named Luisa. She was only a few months old, but i could tell she had seen and been through enough stress for one lifetime. Her sweet little German Shepherd face just looked to ready for love and a home. I loved her instantly. I brought my pitbull, Bumpass, by to see if they would get along (Bumpass has a tendency to get dominated due to his submissive character). They got along without any dominance issues! It was such a great first meet!

I brought her home that day. I still believe it was the best money I have ever spent. Her name is Daisy-mae and she is the most amazing dog I have ever owned. She loves me so much, and it makes me feel good to see her little happy face everyday when I come home! She also loves my two other older dogs, and they welcomed her into the pack without any problems. Daisy-mae sleeps in bed with me and my husband, crawling under the blankets each and every night. She is such a snuggly little girl! Every morning while i drink my hot tea and read the paper, she comes and hops in my lap for some quality time. Its so sweet! She loves car rides and playing outside with Bumpass. She also has the strangest, most comical way of sitting and laying down, her little legs all tangled up and such. I often wonder if she was a contortionist in a part life.

She has brought so much joy to my life. I cannot thank you enough for bringing us together. Daisy-mae is such a character and a great dog, and I know that she is happy here with us. Thank you again! I am also attaching some pictures of her so you can see how she is doing, including a picture of her and her dog-trainer at doggy graduation :) A proud moment for any parent!

Dear BAS,

It has been 10 months since we adopted Negrita from Baja Animal Sanctuary and her foster mom, Rosy. We knew when we saw her photo on the website that she was the doggy for us and we were right!! Negrita is now called Juanita and she loves her new name and her new home! She has really blossomed over the last 10 months and we are all madly in love with her. She was a bit nervous when she first came to live with us and all the new experiences were a bit overwhelming for her. She was 3 years old and Rosy told us she didn't think she had ever lived indoors and she had not been trained so she didn't know any commands. She was eager to please and wanted to be a good girl so she learned very quickly. It took a few days for her to understand the "sit" command but once she learned that and realized that it made us happy she loved to do it even without being told - and she still does. She sits down with her back straight and her nose pointing up in the air looking very proud of herself. Juanita didn't know how to play when she first arrived here. She didn't know that balls were for chasing and she was frightened of most of the toys we gave her to play with. As she became more comfortable in her new home she started to become very playful and mischevious. She now loves to play fetch with the ball or anything else we throw for her. She will even throw things herself and then chase after them. She loves her leather chew bone the most. She is very mischevious and in the mornings when she is trying to wake us up to take her for her morning run she will start to run around with one of our slippers or socks in her mouth shaking it as noisily as possible. She will also drag her doggy bed around the bedroom and jump around making her special "wake-up" noises so we will wake up and play with her. We call her our "doggy alarm clock" and have not had to use a real alarm clock since she came to live with us! She also likes to hide things - especially her Mom's slippers which we find hidden in all sorts of strange places around the house! Juanita is very affectionate. She loves to cuddle with her head on your shoulder and to snuggle next to you on the sofa when you are watching television. If her Dad is watching TV and she thinks it is time for her walkies, she will sit on his head until he gets up and takes her out. She is so cute it is hard not to laugh when she is being bossy!! For the first few weeks after she came to live with us Juanita never barked. We were a bit worried that something was wrong with her but then one day she saw a ground squirrel and barked at it before taking off at top speed to try to catch it. Her barking has come a long way since those early days. She has become quite the guard dog now and barks ferociously whenever someone comes to the door. She might only be 30 pounds but she scares the bejeezers out of people when she barks and growls and shows them her "scary" face. She likes to keep us all safe. Juanita has turned into quite the little princess! She loves living inside the house and she can usually be found during the day fast asleep sprawled out on the sofa or lying in front of the window in the sunshine with her legs crossed very daintily. She loves to sleep upside down, sometimes with her legs standing straight up in the air and she looks very cute :).

Juanita is truly delightful and a wonderful addition to our family. We are so thankful to you for bringing such a wonderful doggy into our lives. Thank you for the fabulous and selfless work you do to save all the doggies and to find forever homes for them.

In August we got an inquiry on one of the dogs on the BAS website, 7 year old Oso, a sweet black lab / shepherd mix who had been a Sanctuary resident for several years.

Oso is a big lover of tennis balls, and his description and photos captured the heart of Faye Kolin, a Massachusetts resident.Before we knew it, Faye had made the arrangements for Oso to be transported all the way back to the East Coast.

Oso was picked up on Saturday September 8th by Sissy with We Move Pets, LLC (http://www.wemovepets.com). Even though they had lots of stops to make, picking up & dropping off other dogs in several states along the way, Oso proved to be a great traveling companion for Sissy. Sissy with We Move Pets did a great job, and Oso arrived in Massachusetts happy and stress free.

Oso is adjusting really well to his new life in Massachusetts. We wonder how he'll do when the snow comes!

Here is a picture of Oso with his new big sister, Olivia. Oso and Olivia often hang out together outside on the back porch. Oso loves to take walks with Olivia, as well!

Best wishes,

Hey there,

Just had to write you guys and tell you how great our dog turned out. We got Marley roughly a year ago. She was extremely fearful of people when we got her, so we knew there was a lot of work to do. After about six mths of training she began to come around, and her fearfulness of humans has subsided. She has become an amazing addition to our family, fulfilling all our needs. She has become the best companion a dog owner could imagine. I will admit when we first brought the dog home I had my doubts, I was unsure if she was even trainable. But much to my surprise she let go of her fear and became the dog we had always hoped for. Thanks again BAS you guys are truly doing the Lord's work.

Sincerly,

For several years I have had 3 dogs. My Sophie passed away suddenly in April 2006 and once my heart was on the mend I decided it was time to "consider" adopting another dog to round out my brood. I went to PetFinders and when asked for the criteria, I selected "older dog located in Southern California". I scrolled down the page and saw the most adorable face I have ever seen. I don't know if you can bond with an animal without having met them, but I did.

I knew in my heart that I had to give this fuzzy little creature a home. I looked to see where she was located and it said Baja, California. I immediately emailed Baja Animal Sanctuary through PetFinders and heard back from them the next day. I found out that my new family member's name was Shaggy (which is the perfect name for her). I just knew, without having actually met her that she would fit in.

It took a long string of emails, a new transmission for my car (which broke down on the way to pick up Shaggy), an "international adoption", and one whole month of communication with the wonderful volunteers of BAS before I would meet my new love. My husband (as he has with all of my fur children) tried to talk me out of it, but he quickly figured out that he had either "get on the bus or get run over by it".

I can't tell you how much love and laughter Shaggy has brought into our lives. Her brothers, Chuey and Samuel, adore her and quickly taught her how to use the doggy door and that dog toys are fun to play with. Sometimes when I look at my Shaggamuffin my eyes well up with tears just knowing that she will live out her days in comfort and that she is a member of my family.

She constantly amazes us with her antics and tricks. We swear that she is part goat. Every time she does something crazy or silly, my husband looks at me, rolls his eyes and says….."she's your dog". And I always reply…."yep, she sure is!"

In late July, 2004, I was on my way into PetSmart on Aero Drive to buy food for my two cats when I saw the sweetest looking puppy named Violet wearing a purple collar and sitting by herself in the farthest corner of the puppy pen. I went over to pet the little pup and the look in her eyes told me that she was looking to become part of my family. I told myself, I have no time for a puppy, I have a full house already with two high maintenance cats. As I went shopping in PetSmart, I kept thinking about the little pup sitting outside and how badly I wanted to give her a good home. I knew that she was going to go home with somebody that day and whomever was lucky enough to take her home would probably be overwhelmed with puppy expenses so I bought her a collar, a leash, a bowl and some treats and asked the volunteer to make sure they got sent home with her to her new home. I then proceeded to do some last minute shopping at Wal-Mart. When I came out of the store, it was around 2:00 and little Violet was still sitting there with just a few other puppies and I started getting worried that maybe her forever home wasn't coming for her that day. I told the volunteer that I wanted to take her home and foster her and after the two weeks if everything worked out, she would become part of my family.

That first night was so hard, the cats insisted on sleeping on top of the crate and poking their paws inside teasing the little pup. I finally broke down and slept on the floor next to the crate to "keep an eye" on the mischief. Little did I know that this was the first bonding experience of the three racketeers.

The next day, I took the pup, who was still without a forever name, to my sister's house to play with her three shih tzus. We took her outside to play ball and since all four of the dogs mouths were so small, we used cat balls to play fetch. Well, this little pup decided she didn't want to bring back the balls, she only wanted to fetch rocks. Each time we threw a ball, she would bring back bigger and bigger rocks. Finally we realized that she was telling us her name was Roxi. Throughout the rest of the foster period, she would use her gigantic paws to hold the cats and my sister's dogs heads away from her "babies" (rocks) and we gave her the middle name Balboa. She was now Roxi Balboa and I was so attached to her that there was no way she would be able to find another forever home, she was right where she belonged.

She finally outgrew fetching rocks and now she play with regular sized tennis balls and she no longer uses her paws to keep the cats away from her toys. She loves to play soccer with the cat, Roxi drops the ball in front of the cat who then curls her body around the tennis ball and kicks it back to Roxi. This game will last all afternoon or until the other cat decides he wants to play and pounces on the ball and drags it away by pulling the fuzz with his teeth.

Roxi Balboa has a wonderful life here, she goes to the park, to the beach, she went to the local hockey games on dog night, she goes everywhere with me and on the few occassions when I travel without her, my parents and my sister fight over who gets to Roxi-sit.

Although Roxi loves me and knows I am her mom, her favorite person in the whole world is my 18 month old niece. Roxi has loved my niece since my sister was pregnant, Roxi would sit next to my sister on the couch and would lick her stomach and listen to the baby moving around. Now whenever my sister calls, we put the speakphone on and my niece bables incoherently and Roxi "talks" back to her. When the two of them see each other, it is a competition over who gets more excited, my niece points and pants and Roxi runs in circles with her tail wagging telling everyone "look, it is my favorite person".

At home, Roxi is a total sweetheart, she sleeps in her den with the two cats and when one of the cats became very ill earlier this year, Roxi refused to leave his side and would cry when I took her out to potty. The vet had to put her on anti-depressants until the cat recovered because Roxi would have dog panic attacks if I tried to take her anywhere away from home for longer than 20 minutes. Fortunately, the cat recovered within 6 weeks.

My neighbors have told me, they know when Roxi is not home and is out with me because the cats sit at the front door and cry until they hear her jingle. My parents are amazed at how attached the cats have become to Roxi and how attached she is to them.

Roxi is not just a dog, she is my companion, my best friend and most of all, an important part of my family. I don't know who raised my Roxi Balboa the first 10 weeks of her life, but I would love to thank everyone who was involved in giving her a healthy start in life and for giving me the opportunity to love her more than I have ever imagined.

Roxi just celebrated her 3rd birthday and each year I remember that look she gave me the first time I bent down to pet her.

I have attached some photos, some of them are blurry but the goofy grin on Roxi's face shines through on all of them. I couldn't decide which ones tell her story the best but all of them say she is loved and she loves her home.

Thank you.

Hi !!!!

I wanted to send in Stewie's Happy Ending so everyone can see how awesome he is doing. Stewie was considered "special" because Stewie is an ankle and finger biter but for us it was love at first sight.

Stewie now has 2 (one is another Baja Rescue) sisters and a big brother (as pictured) Ralphie. Stewie LOVES to skate board with his dad and is the world's best cuddler. Stewie smiles all the time and he knows he has a great life living on Mission Beach.

Thank you so much for Stewie. We love him soooooooooooooooooo much!