Former Pack

Meet Jake V

Jake V is a 4-year-old male Vizsla that came from a puppy mill situation in the Central Valley of CA where he was kept in a outdoor cage with other Vizslas. He had a chronic eye infection and was 15 pounds under-weight. He’d never been around people and would not let anyone touch him. He is improving and lets Kay pet him and even lays in her lap. He has yet to let other people pet him. Jake V has a long way to go before he will be available for adoption. Jake V died October, 2018.

 

Meet Chance

Chance is a 6-year-old male who came from North Carolina. He has severe storm phobia and sensitivity to noise. His family spent his entire life trying to find something to help him. They tried everything — thunder shirt, CBD treats, crating, prescription drugs. Nothing worked. Chance’s physical condition started to deteriorate from the stress of his storm phobia. He broke half his teeth trying to get out of his crate during storms. He started losing weight. The family made the heart wrenching decision to re-home Chance to a location where there are few storms so they contacted the Vizsla Rescue Haven in Northern CA. The Vizsla Rescue Haven contacted rescue people across the U.S. to help with Chance’s rescue. Due to his noise sensitivity, Chance could not be flown so the work of establishing a cross country ground transport for Chance began. Days of planning by text, email, and phone occurred. Thanks to the generous rescue people across the country, Chance’s Ride to Rescue was set up. He would go from North Carolina to South Carolina, then to Kansas, to Colorado, to Nevada, and finally to Northern CA via the generous time and energy of 7 volunteers. But then Kat and Ray Harrington of Airsongs Angels, a nonprofit rescue organization, saw Chance. Kat immediately contacted me with concern over how thin Chance was. She cooked up tubs and tubs of rice and chicken to supplement his food for the trip. Then the morning they were going to leave on the trip, the nearby army base started firing practice canons. Chance immediately started shaking, panting, and exhibiting other signs of extreme anxiety. They realized Chance’s condition was too fragile to go through the stress of being handed off to stranger after stranger. Even though Ray had taken a couple of days off work to enjoy a long birthday weekend, he immediately volunteered to drive Chance almost the entire way. He met up with Chance’s foster dad in Nevada.

Chance’s foster family fell in love despite his ongoing anxiety from the PTSD caused by his severe storm phobia and adopted him.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Ray Harrington for helping Chance!!! And a huge thank you to all those rescue volunteers who spent days working to help Chance.

Chance Getting in the Truck
Chance on a Pee Break in Mississippi
Chance is enjoying the butterflies in Grand Isle, Nebraska
Chance in the California sun
Chance on his throne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AuggieDDavisCollageMeet Auggie

Auggie came to the Haven from a private shelter in So. CA in 2008. Vizslas do not do well in kennels so he had lost weight & had a large hot spot on his right hip. Auggie was a homely boy but he was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He loved going on off leash walks at Point Pinole. At first he would not go into the water but after a few months, he came to the Haven in was playing chest deep in the Bay water. Auggie passed away in January. 2012 from hemangiosarcoma.

 

MacyMeet Oscar

Oscar came from a very abusive home & almost died after being hit by a car & left lying in a ditch in Illinois. A good Samaritan found him & he ended up in a foster home for several years. When they were expecting a baby, they gave Oscar to the Haven in January, 2011, as regular Vizsla rescue would not take him since he had bitten his foster dad. Oscar was a very anxious boy & parts of his body were very sensitive from his car accident. He was taken to UC Davis canine behavior vet hospital where they prescribed Zoloft for him. He also resource guarded food & had a very high prey drive. He loved digging craters in the back yard & climbing the apricot tree after squirrels. In March, 2015, Oscar passed away from hemangiosarcoma.

 

3-1-15RedMeet Red

Red was a 33 lbs 13 yr old female who could barely walk when she came to the Vizsla Rescue Haven in Nov., 3 2014. She suffered from pancreatic insufficiency where she could not absorb the nutrition from her food without special enzymes on her food. Ater her owner died, the family did not put the enzymes on her food. With loving care, Red gained 18 lbs. & regained her joy of life & going for walks. In 2015, she slipped & fell breaking a rear leg. Xrays of her leg & chest showed cancer had spread to her lungs & bones. Her leg bone was unusually thin & there were masses in her lungs. She was put to sleep in Sept., 2015.

 

ScoobyMeet Scooby

Scooby came to the Haven from New York in July, 2007 at the age of 13. His owner’s landlord told her she needed to get rid of one of her dogs. Regular Vizsla rescue would not take him due to his age. He never met a person he didn’t love & everyone who met him loved him. He had a wonderful temperament. Scooby loved to play & go on off leash walks even after he went deaf & had to stay on leash. He passed away at the age of 18 in May, 2012.

 

KevinKirstenEilertsonCollageMeet Yoda aka Kevin

Yoda was an 11 yr old male from Colorado whose family was tired of dealing with him. His only behavior issue is he wanted to hump neutered dogs which for an intact male is not an unusual behavior. Yoda had a big lump on his lower left hind leg which was removed & found to be benign. Yoda was good with kids & with female dogs. He had tons of energy & loved to play with balls & stuffed toys. He had a bad front leg from falling out of a car when he was young. He was adopted by a young couple in Jan., 2012 who changed his name to Kevin. He passed away in Aug., 2014 from hemangiosarcoma.

 

Jake IMeet Jake I

Jake was a male Vizsla that came to the VRH in December, 2006, from No. California. When Jake was four years old, his owners had a baby & hired a housekeeper to help with the house work. Shortly after starting work, the housekeeper startled Jake when she grabbed & hugged him. Poor Jake urinated on himself & bit her face. While it wasn’t serious, it required medical attention. The couple had Jake evaluated by a dog behaviorist who determined Jake was not vicious but recommended placing Jake in a home without a baby. For the first month, Jake would not interact with anyone. Eventually Jake’s need for affection outdid his fear. Soon Jake let people pet him & he played enthusiastically with other Vizslas. He had several good years here, filled with love, long walks, play time and good care. Then he was adopted in 2009.

 

LJakeNLewisCollageMeet Little Jake

Little Jake was abused by the owner’s 10 yr old son who poked pencils & metal hangers in his ears. He bit the child & the breeder took him back. He’d been & in 2 car accidents & fell through the ice of a pond while with his original owner. He had a hard life & suffered separation anxiety. Then a toddler ran & jumped on his stomach so Little Jake bit her. Regular Vizsla rescue would not take him because he had bitten. He arrived at the Haven in April, 2010. He was a sweet boy & was adopted in Jan., 2011. Little Jake passed away in June, 2013.

 

Jakem IIIMeet Jake III

Jake was a 10 yr old Vizsla that came to the Haven from Utah Vizsla rescue in Oct., 2012. His owner had to give him up due to health issues. Jake had been an outdoor kennel dog all of his life so he loved being an indoor dog although linoleum floors where hard for him to walk on. He had a heart murmur & the beginning of cataracts which affected his vision just a little. Jake passed away in June, 2014.

 

Frasier3Meet Frasier aka Ranger

Frasier was a 10 yr old male Vizsla picked up as a stray by the Long Beach, CA shelter. He was pulled from the shelter by the Haven within hours of being put to sleep in July, 2014. He needed his teeth cleaned & an eyelid growth removed & had pretty bad arthritis in his hips. He was adopted in Aug., 2014 & his new owner re-named him Ranger.

 

Macy
Meet Macy

Macy was a 3 yr old female Vizsla whose family had to give her up because she bit people twice when startled while sleeping. She came to the Haven in June, 2010 from N.Y. When she first arrived, she was so scared, she hid in the garage behind furniture for a month before she started letting people pet her. She loved playing ball & playing with the other dogs. Although Mac was scared of new people, she got used to seeing other people on her off leash walks. She was adopted in Nov., 2010.

 

Pepper sleepingMeet Pepper

Pepper came from a back yard breeder in So. CA. Since she was afraid of strangers & noises living in San Francisco, CA. was very stressful for her. She barked & lunged at people on the street & eventually bit a man walking by. Her owners wanted to have kids but was told by a behaviorist that Pepper shouldn’t live with kids so they sent her to the Haven in Oct., 2013 at 10 months old. Pepper did a lot better once she was out of the noise & confusion of the big city. In Jan, 2014, Pepper was adopted.

 

Willow good pic (1)Meet Willow

Willow was an 11 yr old female Vizsla from the San Francisco Bay area that had been adopted through a Vizsla rescue when she was 2 yrs old. They decided to give her up because they said they never bonded with her. She was good with adults, kids, other dogs, & horses. The family would take the dogs to the dog park & couple of times Willow tried to get into other people’s cars. She did not seem to be getting the attention she needed. She came to the Haven in May, 2014. She did well at the Haven & loved going on off leash walks where she could get pets from a bunch of people. She was very sweet & won the hearts of everyone she met. Unfortunately Willow developed hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive cancer, & died in Aug., 2014.

 

VoltMeet Volt

Volt was a 10 yr old Vizsla whose owner dumped him in the Elko, CA shelter. The Haven rescued him from the shelter in May, 2013. He needed lots of exercise, was friendly, doesn’t bark or jump on people & plays well with kids, He was adopted in July, 2013.

 

Micah (1)
Meet Micah

Micah was a 6 mo. old male Vizsla from a back yard breeder in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area. He had been badly bitten by his mother when he was 4 weeks old & afterwards the breeder kept him separated from his littermates & mother. When sold, his owner had to deal with a puppy that was biting her & their trainer said he was showing canine possession aggression when he had objects he wasn’t supposed to have. Micah came to the Haven in July, 2014. He still tended to chew on hands when he got over-excited even with positive training. A certified professional dog trainer was consulted & Micah attended a 5 course positive re-enforcement training. His resource guarding & biting continued to get worse & he was put to sleep in July, 2015.

 

Lexie (2)Meet Lexie

Lexie was a 12 yr old large female Vizsla from So CA whose owners lost their house in a nasty divorce. Due to her age, regular Vizsla rescue would not help her. Lexie came to the Haven in Jan, 2012. She had arthritic hips & elbow & had been debarked. She loved the dog park where everyone loved petting her & giving her attention. Lexie loved her new life & all of the affection she received. Lexie died of cancer in June, 2013.

 

Marley (1)Meet Marley

Marley was a 67 lb., 5 yr old male Vizsla who was a product of a volume breeder in the Midwest. His first owner’s boyfriend used to grab him by the collar & beat him. This made him extremely fear aggressive of anyone grabbing his collar. He twice bit a doggie day care worker who grabbed his collar & bit a foster home volunteer once. Marley was also OCD & constantly looked for points of light to chase & had separation anxiety. He enjoyed tearing up stuffed toys & eating them. He barked a lot, licked himself a lot, & resource guarded food & toys. He came to the Haven from MN. in Dec., 2011. There was no improvement in his behavior after he adjusted to his new environment so he was taken to a canine behavior specialist. The behaviorist prescribed Prozac for Marley but his aggression continued to escalate resulting in 2 unprovoked attacks with several bites to the hands of his foster person. The behaviorist recommended putting Marley to sleep. Her recommendation was acted on in Dec., 2012.

 

RustycollageMeet Rusty

Rusty came to the Haven in 2005 from Utah/Idaho Vizsla Rescue when he was 7 years old. He came from an abusive home in Idaho where he spent most of his first 3 years in a crate in the garage. He was diagnosed as a reactive biter by the UC Davis behavioral vet school and was put on Zoloft which helped relieve his anxiety. However, he would not allow anyone but his foster mom to pet or touch him until his last few years when he really mellowed out. Despite his abuse, Rusty was a happy boy and loved playing with toys. Rusty passed away from cancer at the age pf 14.

 

LibbyMeet Libby

Libby came to the Haven in 2013 at the age of 12 after her owner passed away. The housekeeper was supposed to take care of her but surrendered her to the Monterey, CA shelter. Libby is bright, alert & active, super sweet to everybody & good with dogs. She enjoys playing at the dog park even though arthritis in her hips has slowed her down some.”

 

Sienna shelter
Meet Sienna

Sienna was a senior female Vizsla that was picked up as a stray in No. California. The VRH pulled her from the shelter in December, 2014. She numerous fatty tumors & very long nails. But she was great with other dogs & very sweet & loving with people. Sienna was adopted by her foster mom in January, 2015.

 

RudiMeet Rudi

Rudi was a 9 month old male Vizsla puppy from No. California. While playing with him, they had rough housed with him & he learned to bite their hands. As he got older, his puppy nipping became more & more painful. After he bit everyone in the family, they took him to the vet to be put to sleep. Fortunately the vet refused to do that & Rudi came to the VRH in August, 2011. He was adopted in December, 2011.

 

Meet Minnie

Minnie was a young small female Vizsla that was pulled from the Reno, NV shelter in March, 2014. She had been picked up as a stray. Although skinny, she had plenty of energy & earned the nickname “Little Rocket Dog”. She was quickly adopted that same month.

 

Meet Caley

Caley was a 3 yr old female Vizsla from a back yard breeder in CA who bit the kids in her family. The neighbors took her & she continued biting one of the women. The Haven took her in Jan., 2010. Unfortunately her behavior continued to go downhill & she attacked 3 of the Haven fosters seriously injuring one. She also bit 2 other people. Because her behavior had become so aggressive towards people & dogs, she was put to sleep in March, 2010.

 

Meet Bear

Bear (2)Bear was a large male Vizsla who earned his show championship & at the age of 5, was re-homed to a family in Florida who already owned a 9-year-old female Vizsla named Jackie. Unfortunately the family was torn apart by divorce. While they tried to place the two dogs in a home together, Jackie’s age proved to be an issue since she was 14. To keep the two together, the family contacted the Haven in July, 2005 when Bear was 10. At first Bear was scared of every loud noise. He did not play with toys. At the Haven, he became relaxed & trusting of everyone he met & everyone who met him fell in love with him. His biggest joy was cuddling in bed at night with his human. Bear passed away at 13.

 

Meet Jackie

Jackie was a 14 yr old female Vizsla from Florida. Her family was torn apart by divorce. When they tried to place the two dogs in a home together, Jackie’s age proved to be an issue since she was 14. To keep the two together, the family sent Jackie to the Haven in July, 2005. Unfortunately Jackie had severe congestive heart failure & passed away a few days after arriving.

 

Blue & catMeet Blue
Blue is a 2 yr old female Vizsla that came into the Haven’s care in Jan, 2016, after being in a house fire in Medford, OR. Her 2 Vizsla friends died in the fire & her owner was in critical care burn unit for months. The Haven found a foster home for Blue where she could receive individual care. Blue was taken to UC Davis veterinary hospital for a complete exam after being cared for by a small vet hospital in Medford for 3 weeks. She was very thin weighing 36 lbs. & had just started eating solid food. Her care involved preventing infection & adding weight. She was restricted to rest & not to be touched or taken in public where she might develop infection. Blue’s stay was one year and she is now with her owner.

 

Meet Tequila
Tequila was an active 12-year-old male Vizsla from Southern CA. His owner dumped him in a shelter after his new girlfriend’s young child ran into him full force & Tequila nipped him. Barely left a mark but they decided to get rid of him. He had a couple of lumps that needed to be checked but they were fatty tumors. He was friendly with other dogs & was happy to meet new people. Liked to go for walks & was great off leash. He always stayed close but still enjoyed smelling/investigating around. Tequila did not get on the furniture but liked to sleep on his foster dad’s bed at night. He was perfectly house trained, no accidents or lifted leg inside. Not the most snugly dog but he got more affectionate as time went on. He is very loyal, always knows where his foster dad is & follows him around the house. He was adopted by his foster family.

 

↓