
Currently owning two Dobermans, we weren’t looking for another but my husband saw a story of 116 Dobermans seized in 2016 from a puppy mill in South Carolina and we wanted to rescue one of them. This led us to a local rescue, Doberman Underground, who took in 26 of the dogs. We were privileged to adopt one of these beautiful dogs, Thelma.
Thelma and I would visit Doberman Underground at local events and soon I was asked if I wanted to become a volunteer, I said “Yes!” It all began doing transports and working events with Thelma as an ambassador. Through training, she became a therapy dog visiting residents in a nearby assisted living facility.
Seeing my passion working with the rescue, we were asked if we were interested in fostering. Of course I said “Yes!” In the fall of 2017, we took in our first foster Teddy. A few months prior, Teddy jumped from a convertible going over 50mph and broke his femur. A Doberman Underground volunteer drove across several states to get him in their care and the surgery needed to repair his leg.
After a few months recuperating, he was moved to our home to foster. Teddy had some aggression but loved my family so it wasn’t an issue. Immediately I noticed him favoring this leg and x-rays showed the bone did not heal and the plate holding it had failed. Due to a low success rate for another surgery, the decision was to amputate his leg.
I then received a message from one of the directors to give her a call. I thought I must have really failed as a foster and was going to be fired, but instead she offered me a position on the board. Guess what I said? Once again I said “Yes!”
Teddy healed from the amputation but his aggression was no better and we lost one of our original dogs who had Wobblers. Fearing Teddy would be un-adoptable we adopted him, or should I say he picked us!
Shortly after adopting Teddy, Thelma passed away, we adopted a puppy Karma, then adopted a 4-year old Mattie. A year later we lost our other original dog. Seven years after finding Doberman Underground, we still have Teddy, Karma and Mattie along with foster #49. Call us crazy but it feels AWESOME to have played a part in so many dogs finding their forever family.