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Upcoming Events
November 2009
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Who We Are
We are a small group of volunteers whose goal is to save the lives of homeless dogs suffering in high-kill shelters. In doing so, we hope to provide an alternative to the purchase of puppy-mill and pet-store dogs, thereby reducing the demand for and ultimately the supply of such dogs. We strive to match each dog with the right family after the dog has been observed in a foster home.
Please help us help them by adopting and never, ever buying. Opt to adopt!
Meet & Greet Schedule
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME: Our weekly Meet & Greet events will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All dogs shown on the website and Petfinder page may not always be at our Meet & Greets every week.
The following is our monthly Meet & Greet schedule. It shows locations and times of our Meet & Greets for each week, and will remain consistent for each month. We will post updates if anything changes. Click on the links for store addresses, information and directions.
- 1st Saturday: Cutter's Mill Natural Pets in Chalfont, Pa., from 11 am-1 pm
- 2nd Saturday: Dog Town in Colmar, Pa., from 11 am-1 pm
- 3rd Saturday: PetSmart in North Wales, Pa., from 11 am-1 pm
Adoption Process Information
A home visit and reference/vet check will be done to determine the best placement of our dogs. You must complete an application, which will help us determine if the dog you are interested in is a good match for you. Almost Home reserves the right to determine the best placement for our dogs. The application is NOT a guarantee of any dog's placement.
You can e-mail us to request an application, or pick up an application at any Meet & Greet event.
A $200 adoption fee is necessary to cover the cost of spaying/neutering, medicating and caring for dogs that often come from situations of neglect and illness. We also pay the sending shelters a fee for every dog we rescue and sometimes have to pay a driver to transport them out of harm's way. Without charging our own fee, we could not afford to do what we do. Most Pennsylvania county shelters are supported by taxpayer funding and large corporate donations, so they can afford to let their animals go for a lower fee than we can. Thank you for understanding!
IF IT'S CHRISTMAS, IT MUST BE TIME FOR ... BARKETPLACE!!
Looking for that special Christmas collar, Hannukah halter, Solstice slip-lead?? Then you'll want to join Almost Home at Y2K9s' fifth annual "Barketplace" and Doggie Health Fair! Stop by the Y2K9s training center at 1000 E. Mermaid Lane (between Stenton and Cheltenham Aves.), on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5th (9 a.m.-6 p.m.) and 6th (9 a.m.-3 p.m.). It's a great opportunity to enjoy one-stop shopping for the pet-centric, spend some time with your dog and learn more about dog behavior and dog sports from Y2K9s members!
Don't forget to stop by the Almost Home Dog Rescue booth to meet some of our current dog, and find out who will be arriving in the weeks to come! And if you happen to meet your "dream dog" then and there ... well, there's no better place to pick up all those treats and supplies you'll need!
Y2K9s Barketplace and Doggie Health Fair is the place to shop for the pets on your holiday list, check off those “to-do’s” on your dog’s health care list, snap a photo and rub shoulders with other like-minded canine crazy individuals. A favorite of the dog-loving public since it began in 2005, Y2K9s Dog Sports Club will hold its fifth annual Barketplace and Doggie Health Fair on Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 6th at the training center in Wyndmoor, Pa.
Check out this warehouse full of canine-oriented goods including home-baked dog cookies, unusual gifts, sports and training supplies, handmade leashes and collars, and pooch-themed fashions and jewelry. Shoppers on a budget will love the "Flea-less Market" of gently used items for pets AND their humans!
For the first time ever, the event will include demonstrations of dog sports. Visitors might see trained canine athletes showing off their skills at agility, flyball, disc dog, rally, tricks or freestyle.
The Animal Studio will be snapping holiday pet portraits on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Treat your dog to a canine massage from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day or a "pawdicure" (nail-clipping) courtesy of Dogroom of Elkins Park. Ft Washington Veterinary Hospital technicians will be available to microchip pets and answer health-related questions, and canine ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Peiffer will be on hand for eye examinations on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. Contact codycane799@yahoo.com for an appointment. The charge for each of these services will be well below the normal fee, so take advantage of this great opportunity to keep your dogs safe and healthy!
New this year: Y2K9s will be offering a Canine Good Citizen test in conjunction with the event. Contact dbattis@verizon.net for more information.
Admission is free, and donations are gratefully accepted. Proceeds benefit Y2K9s Dog Sports Club. All well-behaved dogs are welcome; no Flexi-leads, choke or prong collars, please!
Y2K9s Dog Sports Club offers a regular roster of classes in a variety of canine activities including agility, flyball, obedience, tricks, disc dog, canine freestyle and rally. For more information and directions, visit the Y2K9s web site!
Our Featured Pet: You'll Be Charmed by Chet!
Chet needs a new foster home -- can you help? He is currently in a home with cats, and the cats aren't happy about it ... so we need to find him a cat-free foster home!
Whether you're looking for a companion for your daily run, a playmate for your school-age children or a large lap dog, Chet is the dog for you. This cheery and affectionate fellow is looking for someone who wants a dog that loves to play fetch, go for long walks and take rides in the car. When play time is over, the calm, serene side of Chet's personality comes to the fore -- he literally melts into the floor with a tummy or ear rub!
This 1.5-year-old, 35-lb. rescued boy has come a long way since he arrived from a high-kill shelter in Ohio several months ago. Chet attended obedience training and has made great strides in learning basic commands (and what he can and can't chew!). He loves to play with other dogs and gets along well with other dogs in the home, but since he hasn't learned yet that cats don't like to be chased, he's looking for a cat-free home in which to hang his leash (or a home with a cat that will stand its ground). He is housebroken and is learning to like his crate.
There's an old saying in the dog world: "Where the nose goes, the hound follows!" ... and Chet's nose is all hound! So to keep Chet from following that excellent nose to places he shouldn't, he'll need a securely fenced yard where he can romp and play to his heart's content.
If you think you've got the right home for this happy and loving boy, please e-mail us or stop by an upcoming Meet & Greet to see if Chet is the right dog for your family!
Shop Online to Benefit Almost Home
If you're doing any shopping online, why not help us out at the same time? Almost Home has signed up with Give Back America and iGive, which means when you shop online through those sites, our rescue will receive a percentage back from your purchases. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and there are hundreds of major online retailers to shop from, including Amazon, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and many others. To get started, visit Give Back America and type "Almost Home Dog Rescue" for the Charity Name. For iGive, just type "Almost Home Dog Rescue" in the Keyword Search field. The stores are the same, but now it helps our dogs when you shop online!
Style to the Rescue: Almost Home Hoodies, T-Shirts and Baseball Caps!
Spread the word about Almost Home with one of our eye-catching T-shirts, tank tops, camis, hoodies (pullover or zip-front) or baseball caps! And now that the cool weather has returned, it's time for layering to stay warm ... so why not get one of each? E-mail us for ordering info, availability and sizes, or pick one up at any of our adoption events!
SPECIAL OFFER FOR ALMOST HOME ADOPTERS!
Dog Town doggy daycare and boutique is the latest and hippest way to spoil your favorite furry friend! Almost Home adopters receive a 25% discount on their initial purchase for a newly adopted dog, and a 10% discount on all subsequent purchases for the life of the dog. Now that's a doggone good deal! Stop by and check out their selection of top-of-the-line foods, treats, bedding, toys and accessories for your new best friend!
The Truth About Puppy Mills
We all know puppy mills are bad. Factory farms where thousands of breeding dogs are kept in cages slightly larger than their own bodies. Underfed dogs feeding an industry of corruption and greed. Instead of walking on grass, they stand a lifetime on stretched wire flooring in cramp rabbit hutches. Instead of collars or bandanas, they wear rusted livestock clips in their ears or chains with USDA tags embedded in their necks. Undeserving of a name after eight years of service, a breeding female is often led into a dark cornfield and killed once she can no longer produce her young for market.
The factory farming of man's best friend is an ugly business. Each step of the process is harsh, inhumane, and unspeakably cruel. From the time a female dog comes into her first heat cycle at six or seven months of age, she is bred unmercifully. Producing two litters a year for eight years, she will spend her entire life isolated from the outside world. Kept along with hundreds of other breeding dogs in rows of outside hutches or hidden away in dark barns. Deprived of the most basic of veterinary care, she can suffer from untreated bite wounds, pneumonia, heat stroke, ear infections, blindness, malnutrition, splayed and swollen feet, rotted teeth, and mange. Her puppies, taken from her too soon, will be shipped across the country in large tractor trailers to pet shops or brokers. Vulnerable to extreme temperatures and contagious diseases, many puppies die en route.
Unlike baby sea turtles scrambling toward the ocean, puppies heading to our country's pet stores will not find safety or comfort once they arrive at their destination. They will be weak, frightened, and often legally underage. Playing host to a variety of health and behavior problems, they will be purchased by consumers, uninformed and on a whim. Unsuspecting families who believe the sales assistant's lies about puppies born to small breeders and raised in loving households. "Our dogs don't come from puppy mills," she says. Don't believe it.
If you would like to help shut down puppy mills, please contact your state representatives.
#30796 - The Dog in the Back Room
Hello, is anyone there?
I thought I heard someone, I guess not. I am so lonely. There are other dogs here but I am in a cage all by myself in a back room in this building. There are no windows so I cannot see very much. I do not know if it is day or night but it is dark and cold. There are cracks in the walls and the snow and wind are blowing. I'm so cold I cannot stop shivering.
I'm hungry and thirsty, it has been a long time since The Man came in here. He put water in my dish but it froze before I could get enough to drink. He threw some hard, dry food in my bowl and his hand hurt me when I went to get a drink of water. I don't like hands - they hurt. After The Man left, I ate some food. It hurt my mouth. I heard someone say that my teeth are abscessed, I'm not sure what that is, but I know when I put something in my mouth it hurts.Everything hurts me. My eyes are so sore and my hair sticks to the corners when the runny stuff comes out. My ears ache and smelly stuff oozes from them and mats the hair together. It hurts. When I try to move to get comfortable, the hair on my belly and neck and legs is all one big, huge mat and it pulls and hurts really bad. I am so cold and hungry and thirsty and I hurt.
I heard the children talking the other day. They were playing in the snow and talking about something called Christmas. They are very excited about Santa Claus. Apparently, this Santa Claus person checks to see if the children were naughty or nice and then he brings them many presents. They make a wish list and if they were nice, Santa fills it.
Later, I heard The Man and The Woman talking and they said that my puppies all sold at the pet store so Santa would be very good to the children this year. Is that you Santa? Can you hear me? Do you care about dogs? Just in case you do, I'm going to send you my wish list:
I wish for a home, a real one, where I can live inside and have food to eat every day and where there is always fresh water (the kind that is not frozen please.)
I wish for a human with a soft voice and a soft touch to love me. Just me. I wish for them to talk to me softly, to love me gently and to protect me from The Man and The Woman.
I wish for a bath and I wish for my hair to be brushed so that it flows pretty like the dogs in the pictures. I wish to be clean and mat free.
I wish to go to the veterinarian and get my teeth fixed. I wish that my mouth would stop hurting, my eyes would stop seeping, and my ears would no longer cause me pain.
I wish to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer with no fleas or ticks or parasites or heart worms to bother me.
I have a lifetime of love I've been saving to give a human, so yes please, I wish for my very own human. I want to give them nose licks and kisses, I want to protect them from strangers and alert them if a leaf falls in the yard. I want to welcome them when they come home every day. I want to share their life in good times and bad and I want to show them how special they are and make sure they know they are the best person in the whole wide world.
I wish for my own name, I think I would like to be called Angela.
Please Santa; take me away from this cold, dark place. I'm a good lilttle dog and I have so much to give, please help me. I'm so very, very cold.
Thank you for considering my wish list,
#30796 - the dog in the back room
Interested in Becoming a Foster?
We can only do what we do for these homeless dogs if we have foster homes for them to stay in for a few weeks. Can you open your heart and home and become a foster? It is an experience that is so very rewarding! E-mail us for more information on how to become a foster for Almost Home.
Transport Team
Almost Home is in need of volunteers! If you'd like to help our organization but are unable to provide a foster home, we could use your help in transporting dogs from shelters to fosters. For more information on how you can help, please e-mail us.
"Prisoners of Greed" is a video that
depicts the cruel treatment dogs must endure at puppy mills throughout the country. Click on the image to be directed
to the "Prisoners of Greed" video.
Rescue Angel
Tail tucked between your legs,
Confusion in your eyes -
I know it's hard to understand
That someone heard your cries.
When loneliness is all you know
And pain is all you feel
And no one can be trusted,
And hunger's all too real...
That's the time the Lord sees you
And lets you know He's there
That's when He sends His messengers
The hearts that love and care.
Yes, rescuers are angels
You cannot see their wings,
They keep them neatly folded
As they do their caring things.
The medicine to make you well
Good food to make you strong,
And finally to help you learn
That hugs are never wrong.
The perfect place then must be found
The home where you can live
Secure and safe and happy
With joy to get and give.
When you reach your Forever Home,
Your place to feel whole,
The Angels smile, and off they go
To save another soul.
(Author Unknown)
Contact Us
Visit our Petfinder page for a list of pets at this shelter.
If you would like to make a donation to Almost Home, you can either do so through Paypal:
or by mailing it to the following address:
Almost Home
P.O. Box 132
Doylestown, PA 18901