Nothing makes us happier then to see the wonderful dogs in our care find their loving and forver home. Nothing that is, except maybe updates and pictures from their new families.

Please submit your A Rotta Love Plus success story & picture to Rachel at: randerson@arottalove.org if you would like to see your rotten Rottie or playful Pittie on this page.

Rio - Adopted: October 15, 2007

Our adorable gentle giant Rio (now Gus) came to us from a local humane society because he had some skin issues they weren't able to deal with. Lucky for us! Gus was the most gentle, mellow puppy his foster family had ever met. He enjoyed cuddling with the children, playing with the other dogs and was just such a nice guy to have around. We all knew it wouldn't be long before he would be adopted. But we didn't expect it to happen so quickly! A mere one week in our program and Mary and Ryan spotted Gus on the web. They were smitten and shortly after Gus joined them and 4-footed big sister Tula Belle on the couch! Good, responsible owners that Mary and Ryan are they already have Gus attending obedience classes and have taught him a solid "sit". We're all so proud of Gus we can hardly contain ourselves. He is a shining example of what a pit bull should be. Equally important we are VERY proud of Mary and Ryan for making Gus a perfect canine companion.

Emmy - Adopted: November 25, 2007

Sweet, little Emmy came into our program in November 2006 after being picked up as a stray by a local shelter. Emmy, who is SO adored by her huge ARLP fan club also has the dubious honor of living in more foster homes than any other dog we've had. She certainly managed to spread her love around because everyone that met her fell in love, and yet surprisingly no applications came in. That is until Jennifer and Erik saw her photo! Jennifer and Erik were pretty much in love with our pint-sized Emmy even without meeting her in person but the adoption hinged on what big-boy Chance thought of her! Emmy, her foster parents and a couple of other fans made a nice weekend of it in Duluth to give Chance the opportunity to weigh-in on Emmy. Well, leave it to our Emmy to charm the pants off of 100 lb. Chance and the rest is history! We were all sad to see Emmy leave us but so happy for her and her new family. We expect great things from this match. Thanks to Jennifer, Erik and Chance who opened their hearts to a little gal who had been waiting a long, long time!

Jameson - Adopted: November 12, 2007

Hunky Jameson was seized by police as a victim of extreme neglect and then resided for several months at a veterinary hospital until he could be legally released to rescue. During his stay at the vet hospital Jameson became a favorite and frequently accompanied staff members home for an outing while being spoiled silly with toys, Kongs and treats. Once it became clear that we just HAD to have Jameson in our program, the next step was to find a foster home for him. Well, that was an easy decision; it had to be our dedicated and energetic volunteers Tim and Sara! Tim and Sara had 'failed' Fostering 101 when they adopted one of their first foster pups Scuba. Since then, though Tim and Sara continued fostering other dogs, it was obvious that Scuba had other ideas and made it clear that SHE was the princess of the house. We all knew that Tim wanted a rottweiler so when Jameson came along we went for the set up. The true test was if Scuba would also fall for Jameson. Well, she did and the rest is history! Bear-hugs to Tim, Sara and Scuba for opening your hearts to Jameson. And many thanks to the wonderful staff at the veterinary hospital (you know who you are!) for keeping our big guy sane for those many months of incarceration.

Sheba - Adopted: January 20, 2008

Sometimes in rescue we see a dog that is just outstanding and for whatever reason the dog waits and waits for an adopter to come along. Such is the case of Sheba. Sheba came into our program in July of 2007 as a young pup. She needed manners and she got them! Foster parents Lindsay and Steve were put to the task and taught willing Sheba a multitude of obedience tricks, sit and down were basics she mastered quickly and went on to "shake", waiting before going through doors, and sitting for her food. She earned the name "Pretty Girl" because of her unusual and beautiful coloring. She played politely with all dogs, welcomed visitors to the home with a wagging tail, was a pleasure to take on walks and to go on visits to family member's homes. Month after month Steve and Lindsay brought Sheba to adoption days and extolled all of her virtues. People were interested in hearing about Sheba but amazingly, no one applied. We were all sad and surprised. Then......"after repeating all her wonderful qualities so many months in a row to interested adopters and watching her learn new commands and manners, how could we possibly let her leave the family she loves and loves her so much? That is when we decided to adopt her. We are so happy with our decision. She is even more loving than she has ever been. I think she knows she is home forever!" We were thrilled to say the least! So, congratulations to Lindsay and Steve (and the new human addition coming soon!) and Sheba! Sheba can now spend the rest of her days playing with her canine brothers Tug and Lucky and sleeping in bed with Mom and Dad. Soon Sheba is off to formal obedience classes on her way to a CGC (Canine Good Citizen). We couldn't have asked for a better ending!

Bella - Adopted: December 12, 2007

Baby Bella, our little brindle lovebug, arrived in our program along with her littermates Brodie and Henna. They were an unwanted, accidental litter belonging to a couple of college students who found themselves overwhelmed with two adult dogs and a litter of puppies in the house. Fortunately we had a perfect foster home for Bella and she happily joined children and three other dogs in the home. Experienced foster parents Lisa and Nate set right to teaching Bella good house manners, potty-training and crate training. In short time Bella was ready for adoption. Lo and behold, Amanda and Jason were busy searching the web for their next canine addition. After checking out Petco.com's Adoption Information web pages, they found ARLP's Available Dogs and who did they immediately set eyes upon? Our lovely Bella! In their own words "I could tell by her picture that she was the one" and as the saying goes, the rest is history! Canine brother Gunnar thought Bella was a sweetheart too and Bella joined her new family in Lake Elmo. Amanda and Jason are busy teaching Bella new things and she is sitting reliably on command and doing tricks. We applaud Amanda and Jason for knowing how to keep an active dog busy in both body and mind!

Remy - Adopted: February 2, 2008

Growing up, Ryan and I always had dogs. It was a huge adjustment having to go away to college and be without a dog. fter college, and upon purchasing a house, the two of us got a bit more serious about having our very own dog. We agreed to wait until we were really ready. Ryan was always the more practical one and he was adamant about waiting a bit longer until we welcomed a dog into our home. I was, of course, heartbroken but realized that he was probably right. With both of us working full time and being out of the house during the day, it would be hard to raise a puppy. It was hell to think about trying to housebreak a puppy while working eight hours a day. Then Ryan had a slight change of heart. His proposition: Why don’t we rescue an adult dog? Knowing Ryan as well as I do, I figured he was just messing with me. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high. I thought he was trying to get a rise out of me since I had begged him to get a dog in the past. His response was something to the effect of, “I almost adopted a dog today. You should check her out on AROTTALOVE.ORG. Her name is Mya.” It turned out that Mya had been adopted. Even after Ryan took the time to inquire about her, I was still leery of the sudden change in his behavior. It was very out of character for him to rush into something as serious as adopting a dog. Ryan registered on ARL’s forum and, after his first post, got a private message from Laura saying that she may have the perfect dog for us. His name was Ali (now named Remy.) Ryan set up a time for us to go and meet Ali. Even as we were pulling into the driveway, I wasn’t really certain that Ryan would go through with everything. Of course it was love at first sight.. for both of us. There really wasn’t any appropriate plan of action except to adopt Ali and bring him into our home forever. The first thing that we did was change Ali’s name to Remy. Ryan would continually put emphasis on the wrong syllable. Ryan joked that he didn’t want Ali to come to the name, “Ali, no, no, you’re saying it wrong.” Ali has now come to be known as Remy, or Remalemy, Stinky, Remyemy, Rem, or any other variation of his name. Shortly after our trial period with Remy began, he swallowed a small tennis ball that needed to be removed endoscopically. Boy did that put our love for Remy to the test. The procedure ended up costing an upwards of $1200. Being as lovely as they are, ARL graciously waived our adoption fee. Ryan and I joke that we got a free, $1200 Rottweiler. Of course we couldn’t have denied Remy the procedure. Even after only a few days in our life, it was just too painful to imagine life without him. Thanks to ARL and the veterinarians at Metropolitan Veterinary Services, we won’t have to!

Taz (aka Nino) - Adopted: April 7, 2008

The Rutherford’s came into the A Rotta Love Plus Adoptive network in a round about way. They had fallen in love with an Am staff that they had adopted from an out of state rescue. Not having the opportunity to do home visits, they sadly had to return her as she did not get along with their cats. From that moment on they could just tell that they adored the breed and wanted desperately to find the right one for their family! The Rutherford’s choose this breed because they are so misunderstood and not at all the "norm". They wanted to give a rescue dog a chance to prove others wrong and be a voice to the breed. They chose Taz because it only took one look to know and to "feel" some kind of a higher connection, like he was made for them. Taz fit right in from the start! He had such a smooth transition that it truly didn't feel like an adjustment phase at all! They expected some slip ups and some challenges because every dog goes through that; but Taz didn't have any of it. He adapted so well to the kids and his new surroundings. Renee cannot say enough about Taz - “He is unlike any dog we've ever had - yet, he is about as loyal and faithful as our lab Jake was. He is such a lover and such a snuggler! His face is just so cute and unique...he's a one of a kind that's for sure! One of the sweetest things that I could tell you about is how Taz "knows" when someone is due home from work/school. For instance, he knows that around 4 pm our sons get off the bus in front of the driveway - he begins his wait at about 3:30 - like "clockwork". He also knows when I change into my scrubs that he will have to go in the kennel for about an hour and a half and as I go to get him a few bones after he "kennels-up" he's already inside with his head peering out waiting for his reward! He does such cute things! Another favorite of mine is the way he loves his cheerios in the morning - inside his squirrel dude toy! Right after I get the boys their breakfast, he sits patiently by the pantry and waits for his cereal too!” Before Taz became Raz-a-ma-taz and the Taz-Man, he was once known as both “Aspen” and “Nino” while in Foster care through ARLP. He was surrendered along with his littermates to the Animal Humane Society. The AHS asked A Rotta Love Plus to take them because they had demodectic mange. The Rutherford’s feel very fortunate and grateful to those involved with Taz . “You not only gave them a chance to succeed in life, but you help to "mold" these dogs into wonderful members of their new forever families...I honestly don't think thank you is enough; Taz has touched our lives so much in this short time already and its just a wonderful thing that you all do for these voiceless beings. We want so much to offer our help in the future and to change minds too!” A big thank you to the Rutherford’s, Renee, Kevin, Joe, and Brendan

Wesley (aka Axel) - Adopted: May 10, 2008

For those of you that have not already been to www.petfinder.com, this is a great site to search for available dogs in your area, as well as local rescue information and resources. A Rotta Love Plus posts all our available dogs on www.petfinder.com and that is exactly how Michelle and Jamie feel in love with Wesley. There search was wide and tall, they actually looked for about a year, knowing that whatever dog they chose it would be from a local rescue. Little Wes is fitting in fantastically with his new family, which includes Mom, Dad and 3 furry feline brothers and sisters. Although it is taking his siblings a bit more time to get used to him, Wes had been proactive in getting to know them! He loves to cuddle and his parents say he is a thoughtful young pup. Wesley, then know as Axel, came into A Rotta Love Plus just days after his birth. Wes’s mom Daphne (Who recently found her forever home!) gave birth to her litter in Animal Control on New Years Eve! Wes and his litter mates were picked up the next day. The sad reality is that Animal Control Facilities are filled with Pit Bulls just waiting to be rescued. Michelle and Jamie have had good experiences with the breed in the past and look forward to challenging the stereotypes that Wes has inherited. Michelle is excited for the opportunity to show people how sweet these dogs really are. Wes is adjusting great to his new surroundings. True to his cuddle-bug personality, Michelle reports that he acts like a total teenager in the mornings. He doesn't want to get out of bed right away... even with the promise of food. Once he’s gotten up and gone out to potty, he goes back to the bed and claws at it while whimpering... he just wants to crawl back in bed. Thanks to Michelle and Jamie, and Wes’s 3 new furry friends! Ask any cat, it’s hard opening up your home to a puppy!

Cedric - Adopted: February 15, 2008

Often times when one hears the word “fail” the mind conjures up all things negative such as failing a test or failing to remember something important. Rarely are there any positive connotations associated with the word fail—except maybe one: a failed foster. A failed foster is defined as someone given the duty of fostering a dog that is available for adoption who, instead of adopting the dog out to someone else, decides to adopt the dog as their own. Cedric [the entertainer] was found running loose in Saint Paul with his sister, Reese. Animal Control contacted ARLP about Cedric and Reese. The two dogs stood a much better chance in our foster program than in a small, metal cage in the Animal Control facility. Cue Kellie and Tony. Cedric was the ninth dog to be welcomed into Kellie and Tony’s home as a foster. Involved in ARLP’s temperament testing process, the two have been by Cedric’s side since he was accepted into our program in January of 2008. They even got to give him his first name! Cedric seemed to fit right into their family; Marri (their dog) and Cedric bonded instantly like long lost siblings. Cedric is also man enough to put up with Kellie’s dress-up sessions, donning camouflage pants and even a flower headband. In exchange, Cedric runs amuck with their socks. Though he never chews them, he uses them to his advantage: for attention! Kellie and Tony plan to have Cedric ready to pass the Canine Good Citizen test by the end of the summer after recently graduating from Obedience I. Good luck to you two—and, of course, Cedric!

A Rotta Love Plus - Minneapolis, MN --- 651.649.4451 --- info@arottalove.org