Unfortunately we are at an intake hold until we are able to fundraise to cover the cost of multiple dogs awaiting medical procedures. Puddin, Bane, Sweetie and Merry all need surgeries or specialist care. We've have several emergent, unexpected medical expenses that have depleted our medical fund. We need to recoup those funds so dogs like Bane can finally get neutered and be placed up for adoption. Merry get an echocardiogram and hopefully cleared for spay and placed up for adoption. Puddin to have her specialized urethral operation and placed up for adoption. The sooner we get the funds for these dogs, the sooner they can receive their surgeries and adopted out to make room to save more deserving souls. We can't continue to do this work without our supporters help.
Please donate whatever you can, every single dollar helps us save more lives.
ABSOLUTELY NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL.
We are really struggling to make ends meet. It may not seem like much to you, but that $10 could help us reach our goal for a procedure. It all helps!
Meet Griffin! This sweet boy has had a hard life! A follower found him beside a warehouse with multiple deep lacerations, fleas, hungry and thirsty and HOT! They contacted us and we hopped to it. Thanks to our wonderful donors, we were able to get him the emergency treatment he needed. The road is long though. He will need a lot more medical care due to his rough life. Anything and everything helps! Click the paw to help out.
Pudding
Pudding was found running loose at a construction jobsite. Her finder waited a month while he looked for her owner. He attempted to rehome her online but found that the people were interested were untrustworthy so he reached out to us for help. We accepted her into our program assuming she was a healthy, 5 month old puppy. Turns out she was born with an Ectopic Ureter, a congenital defect that means her tubes don't reach her bladder, so she constantly leaks urine, not to mention regular UTIs. It turns out that very few vets do the needed proceedure. We are lucky to find one, but they are in Los Angeles and very expensive. Please help us help this little girl live her best life.
About Us
Pit Crew Sacramento is made up of a small group of dedicated and experienced Pit Bull/Bully breed owners and advocates. Pit Crew Sac is committed to supporting "America's Dog" by dispelling the negative stereotypes and promoting the Pit Bull as loyal and loving family members that add joy and value to their owner's lives.
Based in Sacramento California, PCS rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes dogs from shelters and places them with carefully selected responsible foster and adoptive families. We offer education and socialization support for the lifetime of our dogs. The dogs we rescue from the shelters are either already slated for euthanasia or they are high-risk. We do not take owner-surrenders. We strongly believe it is an owner's responsibility to safely and responsibly re-home their pet if for some reason they can no longer care for them.
Of all dogs in shelters, approximately 70% are "Pit Bulls" or "Pit Bull Mixes". Only 1 in 500 dogs of this breed will find a home and the remainder are euthanized. PCS is devoted to reducing the homeless Pit Bull population through the spaying and neutering of all the dogs we rescue. Additionally, we participate in community outreach events which spay, neuter, vaccinate and microchip pets throughout Northern California. PCS is dedicated to saving the lives of Pit Bulls who have been neglected, abused and left for dead. We are foster-based which means that we do not have a facility. All of our rescue dogs are in foster homes and therefore foster families are a necessity in order to continue to save lives.
We are a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization, and as such, we operate solely on public donations and fundraising activities to support our rescue efforts. Pit Crew Sacramento is run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about Pit Bulls and changing people's perceptions of this maligned and misunderstood breed. We welcome all Pit Bull enthusiasts to come join our crew!!!
Adoptable Dogs
Bam Bam
Bam Bam was shut down at the shelter and in desperate need of busting out as he was at risk of being euthanized.
Now, he is doing AMAZING in his foster home!! His foster dad has crate trained, potty trained, leashed trained, dog tested and even bird tested our little guy! Bam has no prey drive, loves other dogs, is still weary of new sights & sounds but with a little patience and love, he's becoming more confident by the day! His foster dad took him to park to play fetch on a long lead and Bam choose to sit on his feet and watch the turkeys instead. He knows his basic commands of sit, down, heel, middle, come, stay, leave it, drop it, spin, back up, weave & place.
According to his foster dad, Bam is no longer afraid of motorcycles. He loves squeaky plush toys and does not destroy them right away. Foster dad has to hide his oranges from Bam too, because he likes to steal them! He is still full of puppy energy which gives his foster dad plenty of laughter as he can be the biggest goof ball at times. He is still very food motivated and easily trainable. He finally had his first pup cup awhile ago and it was Love at first taste. Bam was initially weary of small children, but has since shown interest in kids and wants to play. He may be a bit too big to do so with small children, but slow intros might help him figure kiddos out. Foster dad also mentions that Bam is not the best photo subject "I try very hard to get pictures of Bam while at the park. But he always seems to find a stick or a leaf that takes his attention away. His favorite things to do are running & swimming.
Bam is now fully vetted & ready for his forever home! He would love a k9 sister to play with as well as boost his confidence even more.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is an amazing dog with tons of drive and athleticism. She discovered a bird feeder hanging in a tree and jumped 8 feet straight up to get it!! ??She absolutely loves swimming, running, jumping, working, playing, adores kids, and her favorite thing in the world is car rides. She is great with other dog as long as they can handle her high energy. She is crate trained and knows "Sit", "Shake", "Down", and "Spin." Don't let her small size fool you, she is a tank of brute strength!
Brooklyn is great on leash but needs a handler who leads her. She loves to curl up on the couch or in bed and hide under the covers. We could see her with a young family/couple/person who is active. She doesn't need lots of space as long as you work her: teach her tricks, take her running, hiking, throw the ball, etc. She loves puzzle toys and is so smart!
Brooklyn came to us from the Bay Area where her time was running out in the shelter due to space.
Cane
Cane came to us with his Momma Merry and 9 siblings on December 17, 2023 after she gave birth as a stray.
Cookie
Cookie is GREAT with other dogs and non-reactive with cats. She is an amazing dog who would be an awesome member of your family!
Cookie, originally Oreo, came from the East Valley shelter. She was dumped there after being overbred. Sadly this is an all too common situation. She is doing wonderfully at her foster home, and is ready for a forever home.
We have been fostering her for over a year. She loves to get cuddles and love and will sit on you for hours if you let her. She loves the tennis ball but will only play for a little bit before she gets tired and wants you to sun bathe. She loves outside time and is good with her foster brother and sister. She does well with other dogs with proper introduction. We have a cat and she sometimes pays attention to her and other times she won't. She loves to chew on pillows and socks so we keep them far way from her :) she is good walking but will sometimes pull when a bike comes by. She is crate trained and does well in her kennel, car rides she needs to be in a kennel if you alone cause she will try to get up front with you, even if she is on the car seat buckle with her collar. She is over all a love bug and just wants her forever home to be loved like she deserves.
Momma Merry
Momma Merry was found as a stray and had a Microchip. After reaching out a dozen times to the original owner, we never heard a peep from them! After just a few days with her good Samaritan, she went into labor and delivered 10 healthy, beautiful puppies! The good Sam was overwhelmed and reached out to us for help. We took one look at Merry's sweet face and jumped into action! They are now safe with us and have have been examined by our vets the second day of arrival. The babies look perfect but momma is struggling to keep up. Momma merry is overwhelmed with 10 babies so our vet has suggested we supplement feedings so she can have a break. At only 40 lbs they are nursing her to near emaciation so we are supplementing momma and stepping in to help nurse. Momma is so darn tiny she is withering away caring for her giant litter! It's our turn to help momma, but we need your help We are so grateful the good Sam reached us so we can help her care for her beautiful babies. We need supplements, whelping pads, donations for 11 dogs to be vaccinated & fixed which will be between 10-15k easy! It is a huge undertaking but with your help we can reach our goal to provide absolutely everything they need! Momma is just a year old. She is just a pup herself and she is such a good momma! She needs us and we need your support.
Nemo
Meet Nemo, our newest foster! Sadly, Nemo was abandoned at a park by his POS owners. When Nemo attempted to run after his owner's car, they brought him back to the park and tied him to a tree. Luckily, someone witnessed the whole thing, notified Pit Crew, and a volunteer was able to pick him up right away.
Nemo was thought to have some sort of neurological issue. He was clumsy when he walked, often bumped into things, and dragged his front paws. He needed to wear booties on his front paws on walks or he would scrape them on the cement. He was otherwise a playful and loving puppy who just wanted to be loved and cuddled. He took to us right away and made himself right at home.
Fast forward to now, 6 months later, and those neuro issues have mostly resolved. He still is a little clumsy but the bumping into things and dragging paws has greatly improved to almost where it doesn't happen anymore!
Nemo is a 70lb loving and playful pup who just doesn't realize how big he is! He can't wait to find his furever home
Sweetie
Say hello to Sweetie, also the world's most loving, affectionate, forgiving soul to ever grace our universe! Sweetie was thrown out like trash when her little body could no longer physically produce more puppies for some a-hole to sell illegally. To say we love this little nugget would be such an understatement. She is BY FAR the sweetest dog we have ever had in our 14 years of rescue work so to hear her cough, to know it isn't kennel cough, to even think this darling angel likely has a heart condition: it absolutely shatters what little faith we have in humanity these days. How someone could be so evil, so cruel... and for her to be so incredibly trusting of her rescuers & love us with all of her being... it just breaks us wide open. Sweeties new life starts NOW. We desperately need funds to have an echocardiogram, chest xray and bloodwork done immediately. Unfortunately we are unable to get her an appointment this week, so we need your help to help her. Every dollar we raise from this post will go towards taking her in for all diagnostics under emergency care. Yes it will cost a significant amount more than a basic vet appt but she's been neglected far too long and now she is a PRIORITY for us. Despite her dragging female parts, literally vulva nearly touching the floor, more excessive skin in her breast's we have ever witnessed in our life, broken teeth, double horrible ear crop.. she is still ALL LOVE.
Hospice Dogs
Bane
From neglected for years, living in a garage crate... to his own room with a twin sized bed & weekly adventures.
Bane is a senior Cane Corso. He has been finally medically cleared for neuter & adoption!
Bane went down in the back end. I am beside myself.
We rushed him to the vet.
We're here now.
PLEASE DONATE 🙏🏽 😭
This special boy lived most his life with severe neglect. We fought tooth & nail to save him from that life. I lost multiple lifelong friends over this rescue. I'd do it again. Bane is SO special. I love him. He loves everyone. Please help him today, no amount is too small.
PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US HELP BANE😭
This one cuts deep....
We don't know how long he has left, but we will make every second count!
Bear
Say hello to our newest rescue boy Bear! We named him after Teddy, one of our director's dogs because he has the same little short body and is just as goofy!
Bear was on the kill list at the Stanislaus County Shelter after he ran out of time when nobody was interested in him. Their diehard volunteer (a champion of their dogs), Nadia, sent us a plea and a video of his dog to dog test where an enormous husky laid his paw on his head to hold him down and Bear wiggles his whole body to play.
We knew instantly this boy was special!! Luckily we had foster space so we sent a transporter to pick him up the next day. The shelter notated that he had bad skin, deformed back knees, and something with him mouth to where his tongue hung out. They assumed he was missing a K9, and frankly so did we!
Once he arrived and we were able to check him out closer, it was obvious his jaw had been broken in the past and since healed on its own incorrectly. His tongue doesn't just hang out the side, the top jaw sits on the bottom jaw at an angle. So Bear has to drink out the side of his mouth, eat out the side of his mouth, and he even kisses us out the side of his mouth. BUT all that aside, he is still the happiest little nugget! He hops around and kisses all the dogs and people... or he tries to! AND every dog he has met, he has won over, even those not fond of other male dogs. We just knew he was special.
Bear also has a unique walk indicating prior injury as well. His bad breeding left him with deformed back knees but he gets around well without any pain. Our theory is one of two: He was kicked in the back and face OR he was his by a car and left to suffer and heal all alone. Either way, we are so grateful he made his way to us and has been nothing short of a way of sunshine everywhere he goes! He is seriously the happiest, sweetest little guy! We just adore him!!
Bear was thought to be a senior by the shelter, but we believe he is more like 6 years young, and with good nutrition, supplements, love, and exercise he could go on to live a long, wonderful life with a special family. You simply cannot have a bad day with this little guy in your presence. In fact, we took him to our hospice foster who lost Jericho to cheer them up until their next foster, and he has done exactly that! He makes them laugh, he plays with their pack, and gives sideways kisses to everyone at the company.
UPDATE - 11/6/2023
Bear is still doing great. He had fun at the Halloween photo shoot and is overall a happy guy.
He hates to go out when it rains, so what he does is instead of going to the back yard he goes to the garage (yes he can magically open doors somehow.. just by pushing i think) and starts his inner bark for me to open the garage door so he can go outside in the front underneath a big tree so he stays dry. He is so smart!
He also still has his playful moments every day where he storms through the house like a little bull just cause he is happy
UPDATE - 1/7/2021
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I am working on learning commands this year. So far I am doing really good with "Sit" as long as my Foster Momma keeps those treats coming! ;)
UPDATE - 12/10/2020
OH MY GOSH EVERYONE! Foster Momma and I went one a walk and guess what I saw!?! CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!! They were so bright and pretty and I just had to laid down to watch them for a bit. It took a bit of coaxing from my Foster Momma to get me to get up and keep going on my walk but she promised to bring me back the next day.
Oliver
Oliver is as sweet as he is adorable! After several months under our Behavioral Assessment Hold & Medical Hold, he was finally cleared on both. He had 6 punch biopsies done & to all of our surprise, they all came back benign. As it turns out Oliver has solar dermatitis from living a life of neglect outdoors. However, the masses came back and after more testing, he has been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma.
Oliver will have to be monitored closely to ensure this condition will not worsen suddenly, as it can be deadly, and we feel the medical expenses related to mass removal and close watch on him will be too costly to burden an adopter with. Despite this, we've got our couch potato for life and we will do everything to support him! He is now with a wonderful foster hospice who will take him to all appointments and events and help us to give him the best care.
Oliver is like a bump on a pickle. The bump being Oliver, the pickle being the couch or bed inside the AC. Which as it turns out, is PERFECT because he cannot be exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time. In fact, he has to be coaxed outside to go potty then comes right back in. Every now & again we see his silly side which consists of about 2.3 seconds of a hop/zoomie & we all laugh hysterically. He does have a stubborn streak and is known for putting on the brakes when he does not want to go somewhere. Oliver really is the funniest bestest boy ever!
Oliver CAN go outside, he wears doggie sunscreen & doggie onesies if necessary. His ongoing protection from the sun is quite easy.
Oliver came to us from Riverside County Shelter after he was labeled rescue only for Medical reasons. He had open lesions. His ears were infected & swollen shut. And yet, he was still all tail wags & sweetness at the shelter. His videos went viral and when we called the shelter to place a hold, we were told he had 13 local rescues who had expressed interest, so we moved on.
Fast forward a week later & we saw his pleas still circulating. We called the shelter and every rescue who expressed interest had backed out. So we hustled to contact our rescue friends in SoCal. We had a local rescue with pull rights tag him so he was not destroyed. Then we put out a plea & found a volunteer to transport him. Thanks to everyone involved we were able to save his life and in turn, he has made all of ours better.
Sanctuary Dogs
Bobo
This sweet, enormous teddy bear was so shutdown at Animal Care & Control San Francisco that he was trembling in the corner and refused to walk out. It was so heartbreaking! The staff worked hard to network this guy as they knew he deserved a fighting chance outside of the shelter environment. Bobo has completely transformed into a silly, loving, goofball who loves other dogs and is beginning to show us his silly side. He has taken a liking to stealing couch pillows and taking them to his crate!
Griffin
Meet Griffin! This sweet boy has had a hard life! A follower found him beside a warehouse with multiple deep lacerations, fleas, hungry and thirsty and HOT! They contacted us and we hopped to it. Thanks to our wonderful donors, we were able to get him the emergency treatment he needed. The road is long though. He will need a lot more medical care due to his rough life. Anything and everything helps! Click the paw to help out.
Louie
Three different rescues & trainers said to euthanize him. To that we responded, "Hand him over." Chaos, now Louie, was found chained up in a yard in Bakersfield. He was scared and defensive, but now he never needs to worry about any of that again. We got him on February 22, 2021.
On day one he nipped to let us know he wasn't ready. We listened. He said, "I'm scared but I want to love you." Dogs communicate differently. Louie is an amazing dog who needed capable, confident handlers who provided structure. He has come so far in such a short time. Here at PCS we don't kill dogs we can't adopt out immediately. We see rescues euthanize dogs all the time because they have behaviors they claim they cannot handle. In fact, we don't adopt our dogs out quickly whatsoever. Maybe that's why out of over 1300 dogs adopted we have only every had ONE returned. Chaos, is now our loving Louie.
Louie has now been integrated with the entire pack off leash at the ranch, where Cosmo, Teddy, Porsha and Teddy gave him time and taught him he can trust them. He's even met Reese, Daphne and Gilligan! He is not human aggressive. He just needs time. He is not dog aggressive. He just needs time.
Foster mom says "Now we spend our days cuddling on the couch and I can make full eye contact with him, pick him up, handle him in any capacity and he trusts me wholeheartedly. It took me just as long to trust him too....but we made it.
I love this dog. He listens to every word I say and he is super responsive to corrections. He is just a sweetheart who never got a fair chance. He is still reactive to any new humans who come around so the next step is introducing him to the rest of the world and teaching him that nobody will hurt him and he can trust me to lead out there too."
Louie will not be available to the general public. He will need a very seasoned owner who has experience with reactive dogs so he is setup for a lifetime of success. Louie has to be managed and protected. His owner has to be able to say, "NO STAY BACK" when taking him out because he is so adorable everyone will want to pet him and we can't risk him biting. It's not worth the risk. Strangers don't need to pet your dogs anyway. Tell them to stay in their lane.
So far he is still under behavior assessment and he has been with us for several months. We don't rush. He's not even ready to go to foster. We take our time with every dog we save and we focus on them instead of trying to bring in more and take away from the dogs we have already committed to.
Lucy
Lucy was confiscated from a breeder, birthed her babies, all of them got adopted through the Sacramento SPCA. Then when it was Lucy's turn, they couldn't make progress with her severe human & dog aggression. The shelter worked with a UC Davis "behaviorist" who gave her meds, but after 8 months they still couldn't pet her.
Here is what Ilbra, our founder, decided to do next:
"When they contacted us I told them wean her off the meds, bring her to meet me for an assessment. I ended up having to go to their car to grab her and take her for a walk. They were extremely nervous and of course, I had no issues. Lucy has been handled by me since day ONE of meeting her. No meds. No reactivity. No problem. Lucy is also integrated with my entire personal pack and even has a foster playmate Louie! She's safe with us??"
As of December 2022, Lucy has five dog siblings that she plays with every day. She gets treats all day, new toys every week and fresh blankets out of the dryer each night. She loves to be carried around the rescue like a baby while being showered with kisses.
Pit Crew has never killed a dog just because they couldn't be adopted out to the public. We commit to every dog we save for life!
Lucy's Diary:
*4/17/2023: Lucy is part of our Sanctuary Program ? She is not adoptable. She has been through enough. Now she gets to live on 3 acres, play with her friends every day, explore the country, chase lizards & sun bathe to her hearts content?. She is why we do what we do??? We love you babygirl. You are safe with us FOREVER!
Muffin
Muffin came to Pit Crew as a stray, malnourished, injured, and unloved. She had likely been hit by a car and left to die. Her elbow had been severely broken, since she had been left to fend for herself her injury healed incorrectly.
After her corrective surgery Muffin is running, jumping, and loving life!! She is adoptable now and ready for a family/person to call her own. She is just a huge puppy with tons of energy and now, has the capacity to be a crazy lovebug ??
Your donations are to thank for allowing her a second chance. We couldn't do it without you and we appreciate every dollar immensely, we know Miss Muffin appreciates it too! Just look how happy she is!!!?
Pudding
Pudding was found running loose at a construction jobsite. Her finder waited a month while he looked for her owner. He attempted to rehome her online but found that the people were interested were untrustworthy so he reached out to us for help. We accepted her into our program assuming she was a healthy, 5 month old puppy. Turns out she was born with a congenital defect that means her tubes don't reach her bladder so she constantly leaks urine, not to mention regular UTIs.
Rudy
Please welcome beautiful boy, Rudy. The pressure sores on his body tell his history. This beautiful big boy has captured the hearts of so many shelter volunteers and rescuers alike that they moved mountains to spare his life.
Rudy has been terrified at the shelter since January 2023. Shelter volunteers worked tirelessly with him to get him comfortable enough to even leave his kennel. Multiple rescue groups came together to put a plan in motion to save his life. He is headed to us today and we can't wait to make him feel safe & loved.
Rudy was unable to be neutered by the shelter due to his fear, so we will need to get that done once he's had an opportunity to decompress and get comfortable with us.
I am so excited to share that he actually eats all his meals from my hands now. Still can't touch him. Still can't leash him. But he's loved and cared for so whenever he's ready we'll get there too.
Short Stack
We are calling this little guy "Short Stack" AKA "Stacks" or "Shorty" welcome to Pit Crew little man!!!! Upon arrival it was apparent he still has a little kennel cough. We also discovered some blood in his stool so we will keep a close eye on him and start him on antibiotics right away and get him to the vet for fecal testing and blood work. He's scheduled to have his neuter next Thursday and after a week or two from that point, we will begin to evaluate him with other dogs, cats and children to determine what home would be best suited for him. Our goal is to avoid him being returned to a shelter or rescue ever again. He appears to be about 4 or 5 years old and unaltered, so he marks everything around including anything indoors which tells us he has not spent much time inside a home. We will work with him on this as well as his confidence but sadly this is definitely a reason someone would return him to the shelter or just throw him in the backyard for the rest of his days not knowing how to handle it. We're not going to let that happen. We're going to make sure he's properly trained with a healthy, happy, clear bill of health and matched up with the most suitable home that's best for this little guy. He's already been through enough.
THAT much we can assure everyone! :)
Stanley
This beautiful boy was waiting to be rescued after hiding under a car for three days! He is slow to warm up but such a playful boy once he does! Sometimes when he gets too excited, he forgets how big he is. Stanley is a giant puppy at heart who just wants to play and fetch. He is over 100 pounds and his head is twice the size of a human. We are working on helping him trust the world as much as he has learned to trust us. Stanley would make a great addition to a home that can dedicate the time and attention that he needs.
PitCrew Angels
Sometimes we can't get there in time to rescue them from the hardships of their past, but we are there to love and care for them for the rest of their days on earth. Until we meet again...
Gilligan
Gilligan came to us 4 years ago. He had been chained up & left to starve to death. He broke all his teeth to set himself free. The video of him staggering down the streets of Fresno looking for scraps of food went viral. We saw them & immediately got him.
While nursing him back to health he went lame. We rushed him in for emergency spinal surgery. I sold my truck & dirt bikes to get him surgery. We didn't have time to fundraise.
He never walked again. But that never broke his spirit. He got a wheelchair. He scoots all over the house. He cuddles with his brothers Hogan & Cosmo daily. I sleep in the living room so we are all close to him. For the past 4 years I have expressed his bladder since he cannot. He gets daily meds, fluids, snacks, cuddles, diaper changes, fresh bedding... he still scoots after me & his foster siblings. He still opens Amazon Boxes I leave by the door & steals treats.
On August 18, 2022, Gilligan passed away at home with his mom and foster siblings. He was loved until his last breath. Run free, sweet Gill.
Granny
On Friday March 17th I had a horrific accident at the ranch. For those who follow know I've been struggling with flooding due to the rainfall. The septic tanks are not draining into the leach fields due to standing rain water so I've had the plumbing treated & the septics pumped.
Unfortunately Friday when I was checking the levels in the tank,
Granny fell into the septic tank when I had the manhole cover lifted. I didn't think I just went in after her.
The lid is 24" in diameter and 4 feet to the base of the riser to the ground surface: then drops 8 feet to the bottom of the tank: totaling 12 feet underground. At the bottom of the 4 foot risers, the tank spans out 6 feet wide in every direction.. so a rectangle tank underground.
She sank instantly. I tried to hold on to the top and find her with my feet but it was even deeper than that and completely black sludge so I couldn't see.
I felt her tail so I just let go and fully submerged to the bottom & felt for her. I found her. I got her out over the top by treading water then I couldn't get out myself for at least 2 minutes so I knew my CPR was pointless... too much time had lapsed when i was stuck...but I couldn't stop... I attempted CPR for at least 45 minutes 😭
I am just absolutely shattered. Of every dog here she is the most vulnerable & I know better. I should have put her inside.
I'll never forgive myself for this one... it could have been avoided & it IS my fault so I accept the blame & nobody can be harder on me than me. So here we are.
I laid in the sun with her in my arms for an hour after I stopped cpr. I called my team & we took her to the hospital for cremation. After a few days of uncontrollable grief & processing trauma; it occurred to me I had actually jumped into a septic tank so I've since been to the ER received medical care, tetanus shot for the scrapes from the eroded metal tank trying to get out & antibiotics for the exposure to sepsis.
As I think back it happened so quickly. I turned my head for a second & she fell in. I was inside myself the next second. She sank so quickly & had I been able to get out myself quickly maybe I could have revived her 😭
I am so sorry my angel😭😭
Huckleberry
We pulled Huckleberry from the Stanislaus County Shelter. He was in terrible shape. It took us 8 mos to get his eyes, ears & skin under control.
Then we had a scrotal oblation to remove masses that came back high grade terminal cancer. They gave us 6 mos tops. We decided we would make that the best 6 mos of his life instead of put him through treatment that wouldn't give us more than a few months & would have him at the vet hospitalized for treatments weekly.
Instead we brought him into our Hospice Program where he got a home of his own, a pack of his own, trips to the river weekly, beach overnights, 3 walks a day, hikes every weekend, farmers market every Sunday, slept in bed with his foster momma.. as much life as we could fit in with the short time we had.
Last night his breathing was labored so we rushed him to the ER where they told us he is in fact crashing from a "cancer storm." His heart rate was over 300, temp 105.9 & climbing.
I didn't have time to get there to be with him & my foster ... but he was held by his foster momma & human foster brother for his last breath as we decided we wouldn't let him suffer...
Hospice dogs are the most difficult kind. You have to be willing to put your own feelings aside and show up for a dog: yes, I'll give him love & family for as long as he has knowing he is terminal.
This post is to thank our 5 Hospice Foster Families. Huckleberry didn't die alone at the hands of a stranger in a cold, terrifying Shelter. Instead he got to experience real life & unconditional love for an entire year since his prognosis.
Wanting more time with him is just us being selfish. Knowing he got all the things he was neglected prior to coming to us, is what drives us to keep going to the shelter to take the oldest, sickest dog there. Give them as much as we possibly can, keep them comfortable, and then say goodbye with dignity in our arms with no pain whatsoever.
Run free beautiful boy, the rest of the Pit Crew Pack is there to greet you at the rainbow bridge. See you on the other side my darling boy....🌈 October 12, 2023
Lucas
Last night we had to say goodbye to Lucas. After the last post we made here they released him to us and we took him home. When we carried him into the house he wouldn't move from where he was, and when he tried to stand he was unable to. We rushed him back to urgent care where they told us that the remaining tests had come back and that he was also suffering from stage 4 kidney disease and that we had to make a choice. We asked that he not be moved from where he was in the medical area because we didn't want to potentially cause him any more pain or discomfort from being moved around again. Lucas passed from us over to where all good dogs go as we held him and spoke to him until they told us that he had gone. We thought we had more time, we really did. After the liver diagnosis we were talking about plans of where we could go with the time we had left. We loved him completely. He was gentle. He was sweet and kind even though by rights this world gave him no reason to have to be. He was perfect, and his presence here will be missed as long as we live.
Happy Endings
Ajax
This big boy is about 29 pounds now. He is so funny and sweet. Loves to watch tv. He sits like a champ. He's always the first to run to his crate when he hears food. He is doing so good at potty training. No accidents in over a week. His light colored eyes are so insightful. He looks at you like he's just studying for a test.
Update 9/21/2023
Spunky as ever. He is starting to get the hang of playing fetch properly. He's a very fun dog. Playful when you want and chill when you need. We have started him on a slow feeder bowl because he was eating so fast he would throw up. He just loves food!
Anastasia
Anastasia came to us with her Momma Merry and 9 siblings on December 17, 2023 after Merry gave birth as a stray.
Bailey
Georgina is now Bailey!!! She has a mom, dad, a sister & brother. She is already so loved. More updates to come soon...
Harley
Jangle
Jangle came to us with his Momma Merry and 9 siblings on December 17, 2023 after Merry gave birth as a stray. Jangle is one of the calmer puppies of the bunch. He likes to curl and snooze while his siblings run chaos all over him. He also loves to be snuggled. Jangle is a smart boy and tends to watch with an interest.
Josie
WELCOME HOME, JOSIE!!!
During the weekend of March 24th, Josie went to her Forever Home with her mom Heidi, her human siblings, new dog brother Murphy, and cat siblings! She now gets to hit the beautiful green trails, and so much more while beginning a new, beautiful life with a new, beautiful family!!
Congratulations, Josie!!
Loki
Mack
The game is changed forever for our sweet boy!
Puppy Mack goes to his forever home!🥳😭❤️
It hasn't been an easy ride for our precious guy... he was born in the blistering heat of Sacramento Summer in a box truck... It is ASTONISHING his momma was able to keep him & his siblings alive for as long as she did; all the while fending off other strays, riddled with ticks & no regular food or water.
She managed to keep them safe until we arrived🙏🏽
Pup Mack, the only male of his litter, had a broken tail. Literally had his tail broken at a 90 degree angle at just days old... He suffered through the pain until we arrived and got him the surgery he needed- to amputate his broken tail that caused him constant pain & discomfort. Mack is a special soul. He is sweet, gentle, loving, playful, affectionate, good with ALL animals & never met a human he didn't absolutely adore: big or small- Mack loves them all!
To think of what he's been through & still be so loving: Well, that's why we dedicate our lives to saving them. Mack IS why we do what we do😭❤️
Mack had lots of applications & interest but we knew none of them were HIS family until his new dad came along. He had watched his entire journey from the day we rescued the whole family, to his foster journey, to his surgery, to his post-op complications. He already knew everything about him & loved him from afar so we were thrilled when Mack chose him at the official Meet & Greet!
These two are a match made in heaven & we can't wait to see Mack exploring all that life has to offer with his new dad!
'His future is clear'🎵🎵
We love you beautiful boy & we are so honored to have been part of your journey that led you to your amazing forever poppa!😭❤️❤️
Maisy AKA Betty
Mallory
From defending her babies with other strays after being abandoned in a box truck in triple digit Sac Summer heat.. to her happily ever after & everything in between❤️
How momma Mallory as just a pup herself, manged to birth, nurse & keep her babies alive and safe until we got there.. we'll never understand. She is an absolute warrior & more courageous than any one of us.
Once she was safe with us, she could finally put her guard down and let us help her and her sweet babies. She went in for an emergency surgery for one of the many bite wounds & lacerations covering her head, neck & legs. She was safe & we assured her nothing & no one would ever hurt her or her babies again.
From rescue, to medical, to weaning foster, to spay, to shots, to a new foster, to events she attended, to every moment we had the privilege of loving her... here is Mallorys Journey.
You couldn't meet this girl and not falling absolutely in love! She is as forgiving & full of love as she is adorable. So when we arrived at the home inspection for her forever home and saw that they had decorated their house to welcome her.... we knew she was home 🏡 ❤️
We love you babygirl, here's to your forever🎉🌟
Penelope
Veronica
Veronica has found her forever family! Not only does she have a mom & dad, but also a fur sibling named Roary. She also has a new name, Junie. So adorable!! She goes on runs with her family, and can do a couple of miles. They took her on a backpacking trip for 4 days. She loved being outside and sleeping in a tent. She is the perfect hiking buddy. Her family has found that Junie is a great dog buddy. She loves meeting new dog friends, and impresses people with her positive attitude. She is gentle and patient when it comes to dog intros, and as soon as she sees that a dog i smore relaxed with her, she lets herself be more energetic. Her utmost favorite thing is to cuddle, and has no problem laying on top of her people. More updates to follow!!