The Berry Pack

Meet my 5 rescued dogs who live with me

and share the daily joys of this life!

Here are their stories and how they came to be with me!

Grace (Goose) - Female, 2 yrs old; Rescued in 2020

This sweet girl was posted on Facebook by a friend. She was one of 5 puppies found in Athens County. The mama dog and pups were abandoned by farmers who moved away, leaving the pregnant dog. Neighbors reached out to a local rescue for help. SOAR answered the call. Southern Ohio Animal Rescue collected all five pups and the Mama for vet care. Soon they were available for adoption. Volunteers from SOAR met me in Jackson, OH, about an hour from Chillicothe, in order to pick up my new 4- footed baby. This is the furthest I've traveled to rescue a new family member. She stayed with wonderful friends of mine for a couple of weeks while my family said goodbye to our eldest dog, who had been sick for quite a while and was near her end. Grace met the pack while our Susan was still alive. They got on well, and it felt very much like Susan approved of the new puppy. It was a very tender time, made possible by the Pfeiler family and our wonderful veterinarian.

Fred (Fredly McFredson) - Male, 10 yrs old; rescued in 2013

This big hunk of love came to me via Ohio Bassett Hound Rescue. They rescue all kinds of hounds. His picture had been posted with his sad story. He was a year and a half, found as a stray in West Virginia. He was covered in mange. When OBHR got the call, the transported Fred to a vet (VCA) in Columbus that works closely with rescues. He was treated there for 3 weeks before I could bring him home. All the vet techs loved him!! They would tap their chests and encourage Fred to jump up for a kiss. He is still super good at that trick. When I brought him home, he was still on massive doses of antibiotics and really underweight. We could count his ribs. Now at 10 yrs old and 130 lbs, he is truly my big healthy boy!!

William (Willy, Wilbo) - Male, 13 yrs old; rescued in 2010

William was and is the sweetest boy! He came to me from Humane Society of Greater Dayton, a little, soft chocolate puppy with a bent ear and so much love to give, which he has done for 13 yrs. I saw him in a photo on the HSGD Facebook page. He was in the back of a big group, with that sweet, floppy ear pressed back and squinty little eyes. It was like he shouted to me through the picture, pick me, pick me. And I did!! This boy has always had naturally good manners. With very little training, he always tells me: I'm hungry, the water bowl is empty, I need to go out or I'm irritated with my sister. Hahaha. William is my good communicator. He has slowed down quite a bit, but his favorite thing is still sitting in the sun!

Wendell (Cloppychops) - Male, 7 yrs old; rescued in 2015

This sweet boy came into my life a few months after losing my beloved golden retriever. Much like with William, I saw Wendell's picture in a litter of 11 puppies. I didn't know which of the pups would be mine, but I traveled to an adoption event near Cincinnati to see them all and choose one. The rescue organization was Tails of Hope. The puppies looked so much alike I just waited for a volunteer to help me. He pulled out a couple pups who I held for a bit. They seemed overwhelmed with all the excitement. Then he handed me a third puppy. Immediately the magic happened. He looked me in the eyes, then snuggled right into my neck and licked my face. Yep, that was the one! I paid my adoption fee, purchased a sweet little puppy toy for the road and we set off for home. He is quirky, funny and charming. Honestly, he makes me laugh out load at times. That face. What a sweet boy, I'm sure all the others found good homes that day, too. They were irresistibly cute, although my boy was the pick of the litter.

Blueberry (Blue) - Male, 1 yr, 5 mo old; rescued in 2022

In 2022, it was my good fortune to work with Wags Inn Canine Charities. Over the 6 months I was there, I learned more than any course could ever teach me. On the job training is the best way to learn anything with a lot of variables. My assignments were primarily with the rescues!! Rescue animals are my jam! In early spring that year, a load of puppies were brought in from a puppy mill where that had been rejected and left for shelters to pick up. Wags Inn got 9 of them! It turned out that I got to be one of their main caregivers!! It also turned out that I fell in love with one of them immediately and he ultimately came home with me. The pups looked very similar so we identified them by collar color. They were known as the rainbow pups. My boy had a blue color. And the name sort of stuck. Since my last name is Berry, it all made sense. He is a year and a half now, and the wildest, sweetest boy you will ever meet!