Michele and Steve, two of our NYCSR volunteers, recently told us how their pups have been doing. They adopted 3 from NYCSR and have 2 other inus. It’s a furry furry loving house!

Nami was our first foster for NYCSR back in June of 2007. He’s come a long way from his scared, skittish days. He’s still a little skittish if he doesn’t see you coming to pet him, but he believes he’s a little tuffy and likes to yell at our other inu’s. In the cooler months, he likes to snuggle under the blankets with us in bed. He loves the outdoors, especially laying in the sun. Because of his awkward, skittish ways, he’s earned the nickname McLovin after the character in the movie Superbad.

Ginger was the second inu we fostered for the rescue, she came to us in November of 2007. She took the longest out of any foster we have had over the years to be integrated with our other dogs. Ginger had a little fear aggression, and it took some time for her to adjust. We call her our little Grumpapuss since she tends to be grumpy. She loves belly rubs. When we go on walks or to the dog park, she is more interested in finding a person to rub her belly than in playing with the other dogs.

Gigi is third inu we adopted from the rescue. She came to us as a foster in January of 2011. We had fostered quite a few other dogs before Gigi, but they all found homes quickly. Gigi needed surgery for her luxating patella when she came to us, therefore she was with us longer than any other foster. Gigi was rescued from a puppy mill and she was so scared of everything and every sound. It took us a few months to get her to trust us. She trusted our inus almost instantly. She would spend most of her time under our bed, but now, she is never under the bed. She is quite spunky and loves to jump on the bed in the morning and romp around to wake us up. She’s completely healed from her surgery and has become a total love bug. There was no way I would have been able to part with her, so of course, we had to adopt her.

We also have two other inus, Shabu and Happy. They are also rescues. Our house is full of inu love!!! Both Steve and I couldn’t imagine our lives without these inu’s and NYCSR/

Shanna, Nikko’s forever home mom, emailed us to let us know that Nikko is the most fantastic dog ever. She said he is super intelligent and learns commands quickly (with treats of course!).

They live in Williamsburg and he has a back yard that he just loves to hang out in. He is a bit leash aggressive and is choosy about his canine friends but he has one best friend, Leonard. Nikko and Leonard share the back yard and absolutely love each other.

Like many shibas we’ve met, he hates taking baths and lets everyone know with the “shiba scream.” But once the bath is over, he loves being towel dried.

Now that the weather is getting nicer he loves to lay in the sun and relax in the yard. Nikko is also talented; he has learned to deshell endamame but is not sure what to do with lobster.

One of our volunteers, Michele, and her husband adopted 2 shibas from NYCSR and gave us an update on their furry friends as well.
The two cream colored shibas were adopted from us. The one on the left is Ginger and the right is Nami. The red shibas are Happy, top left, and Shabu.

Nami was their first foster and they fell for him. He’s a mushy dog who sometimes was easily frightened and at times can be grumpy. But he adjusted and fit very well in their house. Ginger was their second foster and for a while did not always get along with Shabu and Nami. She would play with the other two shibas but at night and when no one was home she was kept separate to avoid any problems. However, she got along great with Michele and her husband.

It took some time but Ginger now spends all her time with her shiba siblings and loves everyone. She’s also lost weight and is doing wonderfully!

As Michele put it:
“We’ve had many foster’s come and go over the last few years. It’s always hard to give them up, but knowing they are going to a wonderful forever home makes it easier to let them go. I stay in touch with the families who have adopted the dogs I have fostered.”

This past January they were lucky enough to take in another red boy. His name is Happy. He fit in almost immediately with their 3 shibas. They all get along well for the most part. A little scuffle here and there, but they know each other’s boundaries. Happy is our littlest guy. He’s a big mush and a lap dog. He has tons of energy and out-plays all the others. All four of them have become big mushy dogs and are very affectionate.

“I am thankful every day to NYC Shiba Rescue, the wonderful people I have met through them and of course for my wonderful babies who I love so much. The rescue can always use more foster homes. It is a very rewarding experience and helps to save the lives of many Shibas in need.”

We’re so happy to know that Ginger and Nami have such a great home and lots of siblings to play with!

One of the great perks about working with NYCSR is that you get emails now and then of dogs that have been adopted.

We recently heard from Barbie’s forever home and she’s living the life! She looks amazing, happy, and comfortable. It’s an amazing transformation from the scared and shy looking dog we took in. Here’s a pic of Barbie when we first got her:

And here is Barbie in September enjoying the fall sunshine with her buddy, Caleb!

Seeing our dogs looking this great is one of the reasons we tirelessly volunteer and spend time promoting responsible ownership and finding homes for our shibas. We’re thrilled Barbie has such a wonderful home!

Barbie’s family took their dogs to a Japanese Garden in Portland, CT and let us know that Barbie and Caleb were perfect. They walked around, explored, and were well-behaved.

The gentleman who built the garden was amazed at the dogs and how nice and pleasant it was to see well-balanced and sweet dogs walking around. Perhaps Barbie and Caleb used their shiba mind control and won over another human.

Here’s a few pics of their outing:

Clay and Zucca were adopted by their foster dad, Rain, back December. Recently, we were sent an update and some photos of the dogs, who are now called Betsy and Kit.

Rain told us that they are doing great and have a shiba friend who sometimes stays with them. Kit’s fur has come in nicely and is thicker and softer. In Feb, he took the dogs to a cabin in the mountains where there was deep snow and Kit loved it.

Here’s a pic of Kit, Betsy, and their friend:

Barbie loves the snow and is happy that another holiday is upon us, it means she might be able to get some good food or treats and lots of presents! Her owners sent us a few pics of her and her friend Caleb.

Nicco was adopted back in June and has been having a great time with his forever family. We received this photograph of Nicco playing in the snow that fell last week in NJ. He looks happy and healthy!

Nikko has been coming out of shell and can be a super sweet and loving dog. He’s warmed up and relaxed in his foster home. His foster mom has nothing but great things to say about him and loves that he will walk over with a toy in his mouth to her asking to play tug of war.

He still pulls when he walks on a leash but his foster mom is working with him on this and thinks it is because he gets very excited to explore and sniff things in the outside world. Nikko has been described as a teenager and sometimes tests the waters to see what he might be able to get away with but overall he’s a good dog and very cute.

Nikko knows some commands and is learning more and more everyday. He does need to work on his manners when meeting someone new or seeing other dogs. He sometimes barks and tries to lunge at other dogs and has a tendency to jump on other people.

Keep checking back to read more about Nikko.

Barbie is doing well in her new home. She has 2 friends – a canine and feline.

Her new forever home sent us a few pics:

After dinner: