In November of 2012, Special Needs K9 hit the streets of NY City as well as some areas of NJ to start off our “Homeless with Pets” program.

This program was designed to help the homeless and their pets by supplying them with food…and yes that includes human food as well as dog food, blankets, cloths, few dollars and other daily necessities. We will also provide medical treatment for their pets when necessary, but unfortunately only when our funds allow such actions.

This program is to run indefinitely or until lack of funding forces us to shut it down. That’s the last thing we want to see as there are many people and animals living on the streets that NEED OUR HELP! So if you can find it in your heart to give a little, please go to our donate page. There are no salaries paid out by SNK9 and all donations go directly to the needy.

UPDATE: 2-14-13 “Valentine’s Day”:  So far we have done about 7 runs in NY and NJ. We have helped a number of people and their pets but we know there are many more as some are hard to track down. If you see any people with their pets living on the streets without homes and daily shelter that we all take so much for granted, please let us know of their location via e-mail info@specialneedsk9.org so we can help them.

We will continue to do our very best but we can NOT do it alone!  Please…..HELP US HELP THEM!

UPDATE with PHOTOS:  3-17-13  SNK9 at work in NYC caring for dogs living with the homeless.  Stacey of SNK9 and her niece Gabby and nephew Thomas helping to deliver blankets and dog food to the needy. It is great to see that the younger generation cares and wants to make a difference.

Left photo:  Stacey of SNK9 (middle) with her niece Gabby (left) and Ellie, the dog’s owner (right).

Right photo:  Thomas (left) and Gabby (right) making sure that the dog has enough food to last a couple of weeks.

Jake is a 5 year old Pittie Lab mix who was found outside curled up in a ball in below freezing conditions. Frostbite on his paws, his body just skin and bones, he had no one to love and no place to go!

SNK9 was contacted by a concerned citizen for help but we had no room for Jake. The only other option was to bring Jake to a nearby local shelter. We were very familiar with that specific inner city shelter, their high euthanasia rate as well as extremely poor conditions…..so that was not an option. We posted a request for help on our facebook page and as the “power of sharing” went into high gear, we finally received an offer to foster Jake as well as several donations toward his medical care.  So it was a done deal…we were taking him and he would be safe!

Judging from his emaciated body and thick calluses on his joints, Jake has had a rough life thus far but his soul is warm, kind, gentle and loving. He is currently in a foster home surrounded by a wonderful family and young children including an infant. He is also good with other dogs and cats.  For those that would draw a conclusion about Jake or other dogs with similar appreance, Jake is a perfect example of proving how wrong stereotyping dogs can be! Once he gets stronger and healthier, Jake will be neutered and he will then be available for adoption.

Brandy is a sweet senior from Florida, who was surrendered to a local High Kill Shelter by her owner because she was “too old”!

Since a mixed breed over 10 years old that needs medical attention is not at the top of anyone’s adoption list, Brandy was scheduled to be euthanized or as many shelters put it “destroyed”.  HER ONLY CRIME…GETTING OLD!

Special Needs K9 contacted the shelter and put a stop to the execution while looking for a way to get Brandy from FL to NJ. We enlisted the help of Neil Golden of “On The Road Again” and Martha Chandler of “Martha’s Mutt Movers”. They quickly and flawlessly organized the transport and with the help of over 20 volunteers, each of whom transported her part of the way, Brandy finally arrived in NJ two days later. (Brandy’s transport photo gallery)

Brandy was tired and confused, but she was alive. She was diagnosed with mange and giardia. These are common in shelters with poor and dirty kennel conditions. Brandy is currently in ISO at Kamp Kanine while she recuperates. She will be spayed once she gets healthy and will then be available for adoption.

Although Brandy made it out, let’s not forget the thousands of senior dogs that are euthanized in shelters across the country each year after becoming a “nuisance” to their owners who turn them over to shelters for execution!

Amy is a sweet Pit Bull mix, who was rescued from euthanasia by SNK9 from a high kill shelter in GA.

Amy had just given birth to a litter before being picked up by animal control roaming the streets.  She was taken to the local shelter and unfortunately no one knows what happened to her babies. She was obviously in need of medical attention but was quickly placed on a “Put to Sleep” list by the shelter.

Special Needs K9 pulled her from the brink of death just in time and she was transported to NJ. Due to foster homes shortage, Amy was housed at Kamp Kanine, a 24 hour boarding and doggie day care facility that we work with. She was diagnosed with heartworm disease, giardia, an enlarged heart as well as swollen lungs and will require extensive medical care.

Amy is approximately 5 years old. She is very sweet, loving and gets along beautifully with other dogs, cats as well as with all people and children. So far, she has had a life full of pain, sadness and disappointments. She deserves a chance at better life and a loving home!

In November of 2012, Special Needs K9 hit the streets of NY City as well as some areas of NJ to start off our “Homeless with Pets” program.

This program was designed to help the homeless and their pets by supplying them with food…and yes that includes human food as well as dog food, blankets, cloths, few dollars and other daily necessities. We will also provide medical treatment for their pets when necessary, but unfortunately only when our funds allow such actions.

This program is to run indefinitely or until lack of funding forces us to shut it down. That’s the last thing we want to see as there are many people and animals living on the streets that NEED OUR HELP! So if you can find it in your heart to give a little, please go to our donate page. There are no salaries paid out by SNK9 and all donations go directly to the needy.

UPDATE: 2-14-13 “Valentine’s Day”:  So far we have done about 7 runs in NY and NJ. We have helped a number of people and their pets but we know there are many more as some are hard to track down. If you see any people with their pets living on the streets without homes and daily shelter that we all take so much for granted, please let us know of their location via e-mail info@specialneedsk9.org so we can help them.

We will continue to do our very best but we can NOT do it alone!  Please…..HELP US HELP THEM!

UPDATE with PHOTOS:  3-17-13  SNK9 at work in NYC caring for dogs living with the homeless.  Stacey of SNK9 and her niece Gabby and nephew Thomas helping to deliver blankets and dog food to the needy. It is great to see that the younger generation cares and wants to make a difference.

Left photo:  Stacey of SNK9 (middle) with her niece Gabby (left) and Ellie, the dog’s owner (right).

Right photo:  Thomas (left) and Gabby (right) making sure that the dog has enough food to last a couple of weeks.

For the latest NEWS and UPDATES, please visit our facebook page.

Holly is an 11 month old Pittie mix and just like Noelle, she was scheduled to be euthanized on Christmas 2011, at a high kill NYC shelter. There was going to be no evaluation and Holly was automatically placed on a “Euth list” since she had a terrible case of mange, a skin condition causing open wounds and scabs all over the body, as well as hair loss.

We already took in Noelle and didn’t want to leave Holly behind to die just because she was sick! But we had no foster homes available for her. Once again, we turned for help to our friends at Zani’s Furry Friends in NYC and Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge (RBARI) in Oakland, NJ.

Joining hands with others that share our passion for saving lives of innocent animals would once again prove to work and save Holly’s life. The girl’s at Zani’s helped us get Holly out of the shelter. We agreed to take care of her medical bills and RBARI agreed to house her once she was well enough to leave the hospital. 

Once at the hospital, besides the mange, Holly was also found to suffer from a number of ailments including Canine Influenza, which is highly contagious. She would have to be quarantined for at least a couple of weeks.

About one month later, on the same day Noelle was released from the hospital, Holly was getting her discharge papers as well. She was now healthy and her coat is getting much better. It will still take some time to get her coat back to normal but she is expected to make a 100% recovery. She is extremely sweet, submissive and excellent around people, children and other dogs.

Holly is currently housed at the RBARI facility in Oakland, NJ where she goes by the name Molly to aviod confusion with a different Holly that used to reside there.  Holly/Molly is up to date with all her shots and can be visited during normal adoption hours (to view adoption hours, click on the RBARI link above).  PHOTO ABOVE, HOLLY/MOLLY NOW.

Noelle is a very sweet Pittie mix who was scheduled to be euthanized on Christmas at a high kill NYC shelter. Noelle didn’t stand a chance since her leg was broken and the shelter does not evaluate dogs that come in sick or with an injury. They are just placed on the “Euth list” and their sentence is carried out within a couple of days. Noelle’s sentence was to be carried out on 12/24/2011…Christmas Eve.

We specialize in the rescue of the ones left behind, the least likely to get adopted and the most likely to be put to sleep inside the shelter walls. Noelle was a perfect candidate. It was a race against time and with only hours to spare, Noelle was pulled from the shelter into the safe hands of SNK9. Noelle was saved on Christmas day and was taken to Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital for treatment of the broken leg. Since she was saved on Christmas Eve, we felt the name Noelle suited her better then her shelter name “Hilda”. We owe a huge thanks to Zani’s Furry Friends rescue (NYC) for helping us get Noelle to safety.

Noelle spent nearly a month at the hospital healing her broken leg and later a foot infection on the same leg. She was finally released at the end of January and went to her foster home, with the assistance of another great rescue located by the Jersey shore, Rescue Ridge. Noelle’s cast has been removed and she is healing beautifully, receiving tons of love from her foster friends.

Noelle is another one of many examples of how working together saves lives. We were not afraid to ask for help from others and others were not affraid to step with us into the “unknown” and save an innocent life!

Noelle is spayed and up to date with all her shots. All she now needs is a loving family to share her life with.

Noah has been adopted by a wonderful family in Virginia. He will be living on 11 acres of land with 4 other dogs and 6 cats.

We know we have not posted much lately. We are currently helping with nearly a dozen medical post adoption, rescue and victims of the economy cases. From broken bones, dislocations, infections and wheelchairs, etc., we are very much in full operation. Without our intervention most of these cases would end up back in the shelters or worse. We do not post and share these activities since it is not only time consuming, but would serve no purpose other then self-praise. That’s something we do not engage in. If you are considering a contribution to our cause and would like to know more about what it is that we are working on, please don’t hesitate to e-mail or call us and we will be happy to fill you in on the details

Noah is a Pointer/Pittie mix and is about 8 months old. He was suffering from severe kennel stress and had to be removed from the shelter.

We pulled Noah from the Newark shelter in September, 2011 and brought him back to health. He has since received obedience training at Kamp Kanine in Little Falls, NJ and is now available for adoption.

Noah is a sweet young boy, full of life and energy, ready to take on the world. He is neutered and up to date on all his shots.

If you are interested in meeting Noah, please contact us.

Ice is a 5 months old blind Pittie mix puppy. Ice came from a neglectful and abusive home. He is safe now, but we need to find him a more permanent foster home or forever home! Please don’t stop reading…this boy needs and deserves a chance and once you learn more, you won’t even know he is blind as some people that have met him didn’t even realize that this little boy could not see!

After a mountain of tests and an MRI, the doctors have determined that any abuse that Ice may have suffered did not cause the blindness. The doctors say he was most likely just born this way. No one even knew that Ice is also hearing impaired but can hear and does respond to human voice. This came to light only after the tests at the animal hospital. We also believe he might be able to see shadows…either that or he uses him nose like a sophisticated radar since he is able run around the foster family’s yard and turn before hitting the solid fence or the trees. Dogs have such a great sense of smell that they easily compensate for the loss of sight or impairment thereof.

The good news is that Ice’s condition is non-progressive, he is otherwise perfectly healthy and can live a healthy and happy life!

All we are asking is that people open their minds. The rest will follow…Once you meet this wonderboy, you might just open your heart and your home to him.

We are still attempting to figure out if any of this can be reversed since it is fluid in the brain that has caused this condition…and once again, this is a non-progressive condition so nothing will get worse.

VIDEO of ICE running and playing coming soon. You will be amazed at his navigation skills!

We will post any updates as we get them.

Toby is a small one year old Pit Bull Terrier mix that we pulled from the Newark shelter. He weighs in at only 28 lbs but has a very big heart.

He is special since he was born with the ligaments missing in the bottom portion of his right front leg, causing the lower portion of the leg to sway forward and act as a foot. But don’t feel sorry for this little guy. He was born this way and he gets around very easily by hopping like a bunny when he runs, using his right leg mostly to assist his left…and he can run! He walks just like all other dogs with a slight limp. The leg also has an enlarged paw cushion/pad just above his paw, which protects his elbow from being scraped against the ground and it works perfectly. He has absolutely zero pain from his condition which is non-progressive and is otherwise perfectly healthy.

Toby is great with people and other dogs. He is also neutered and up to date with all his shots.

Toby has a lot to offer. He is a very happy, friendly and loving boy! All he needs now is a place he can call home and someone to share his life with.

Buddy #2, a 5 year old Shiba Inu Huskie mix, who was abused then thrown away only to end up on death row in a high kill NY shelter, has been delivered to Spirit Animal Sanctuary (SAS) by SNK9.

Buddy also suffers from hip, leg and ankle problems resulting from being hit by a car before ending up at the shelter. Buddy #2 was rescued from the shelter by a dedicated animal lover. Through a chain of events and no fault of his own, Buddy became virtually unadoptable and SNK9′s help was enlisted. He has joined our Buddy #1 and Reuben at the sanctuary, and we wish him all the best!

Although Wednesday has a broken spine his spirit is far from broken!

This brave boy was found on the streets of Romania dragging his rear legs behind. He was taken in by a Romanian family to foster and another international rescue started working on getting Wednesday to the U.S.A. and finding him a permanent home. SNK9 was contacted to see about a wheelchair for Wednesday. After seeing his video http://youtu.be/Owuqt9jyxuk how could we say no?

After people from all over donated enough funds for Wednesday’s plane ticket to America, the plans were finalized. Wednesday is scheduled to arrive in NY on August 26th, 2011. He will stay over at a temporary foster’s home for a couple of days before being united with his new forever family.

As promised, SNK9 will provide Wednesday with a custom made wheelchair to help him run once again and “feel the wind.” There are many people and groups to thank for saving Wednesday, once again proving that working together saves lives and makes a difference! The abused, neglected and the discarded all deserve a chance to feel the warmth of a true home and the touch of a loving hand!

FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS AMERICANS KNEW PIT BULLS FOR WHAT THEY DID BEST… BABYSITTING.

Article by Yonah Ward Grossman, May 4, 2011.

Astoundingly, for most of our history America’s nickname for Pit Bulls was “The Nanny Dog”. For generations if you had children and wanted to keep them safe you wanted a pit bull, the dog that was the most reliable of any breed with children or adults.
The Nanny Dog is now vilified by a media that always wants a demon dog breed to frighten people and LHASA-APSO BITES MAN just doesn’t sell papers. Before pit bulls it was Rottweilers, before Rottweilers it was Dobermans, and before them German Shepherds. Each breed in it’s order were deemed too vicious and unpredictable to be around people. Each time people wanted laws to ban them. It is breathtakingly ironic that the spotlight has turned on the breed once the symbol of our country and our national babysitter.
In temperance tests (the equivalent of how many times your kid can poke your dog in the eye before it bites him) of all breeds the most tolerant was the Golden Retriever. The second most tolerant was the pit bull.
Pit Bull’s jaws do not lock, they do not have the most powerful bite among dogs (Rottweilers have that honor) they are not naturally human aggressive (in fact pit bull puppies prefer human company to their mother’s two weeks before all other dogs), and they feel as much pain as any other breed (accidentally step on one’s toe and you’ll see).
The most tolerant, patient, gentle breed of dogs is now embarrassingly portrayed as the most dangerous. It would be funny if the new reputation did not mean 6,000 are put to death every day, by far the highest number of any other breed euthanized.
That’s a lot of babysitters.
(Pictured: As you’ll see, from the richest to the poorest and everything in between, in America the pit bull was the dog for kids. Don’t miss the little boy in the goat cart at the end. He’s priceless.)

It started in December, 2010 with a visit from SNK9 to Mrs. Ebanietti’s 7th grade class at Eisenhower Middle School in Wyckoff, NJ. Our mission for this visit was to raise awareness about homeless and needy animals to our younger generation.

Abby, Cameron, Caroline, Connor, Elliot, Eric, Kara, Mike and Ryan were the students in this 7th grade class. They listened and took everything to heart. But that was just not enough for them. Now that they knew the horror that so many homeless pets have to go through, they wanted to make a difference and help save lives.

And so they did. These 12 and 13 year old kids embarked on a mission to raise money for Special Needs K9 by selling customized dog bowls and walking dogs. It was called their “Dog Bowls Project”, and they called themselves SNK9 “Puppy Pals.”

In mid June, 2011 just before the summer break and after months of hard work and dedication, the Puppy Pals contacted us and said they were ready to present us with their contribution.

SNK9 Puppy Pals sold 102 dog bowls, walked 18 dogs, collected $71.00 in coin donations, and $105.00 from a bake sale…GRAND TOTAL: An unbelievable $687.75…that is not counting the 16 bowls made for SNK9 to use for our foster dogs.

So our hats off to these young people…the Puppy Pals…for not letting it in one ear and out the other, for not looking the other way! They are our heroes and inspiration.

Special thanks to Mrs. Ebanietti, Eisenhower Middle School and we must not forget the parents of these amazing kids, who did such a wonderful job in raisinig their children.

Thank you PUPPY PALS!

Isabella, the Shar Pei/Lab mix who suffered from an extreme case of entropion can finally see again.

Isabella had her surgery 6 weeks ago and it was a huge success. Dr. Cattiny of Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital performed the surgery and had to reconstruct parts of Isabella’s eye lids. This was the most severe case of entropion anyone of us has ever seen.

Isabella now moves her head around non-stop to look at every little movement as she enjoys her new gift of sight. Her recovery has been amazing as the photos below show her journey from before surgery (left), two days post surgery (middle), and finally six weeks after (right).

Click on each image to enlarge.

Click here to read about Isabella’s story and her journey to be able to open her eyes and see again.

Special Needs K9 is proud to have received the “Shelter/Rescue of the Week Award” by SPCA International, an award recognizing shelters and rescues from all around the world.

Chance, the Boxer/American Bulldog mix that was abandoned inside the basement of a vacant inner city house and left there to die before being rescued by SNK9, has finally been adopted.

After several months of rehabilitation, training and gaining 40 lbs, Chance has found his “perfect” family. He now has the life that he and so many others deserve. His new family, consisting of three young children and their parents, loves him very much.

After our visit with the family to finalize the adoption, we witnessed how this gentle giant shows his gratitude and love by playing ever so gently with all the children. It was very obvious that Chance and his family are a perfect match.

We don’t need to wish him the best of luck…he has already won the jackpot!

To read about Chance and view his original post with photos click here.

Last Friday, April 15th, we met Isabella for the first time. Isabella is a 3 year old Lab/Shar Pei mix and is suffering from severe entropion in both eyes.
Entropion is a condition found mostly in Shar Pei and Shar Pei mixes, where the eye lids grow and turn inward, causing the wire like eyelashes to scratch the eyes. It is a painful and very irritating condition that requires surgery.
Isabella, a product of a puppy mill, had passed through a couple of different hands before ending up in the hands of one woman who loves dogs but did not have the means of providing what this dog needed. She was referred to us by a local shelter and even though we could not take on anymore dogs, we went to see her. After spending thousands of dollars in the last few months, our funds just about ran out.
The purpose of our visit was for advice and to leave some eye lubricant behind. When we arrived, we were greeted by Isabella, who was walking around with both eyes shut, which prevented her sharp eyelashes from scratching her eyes and causing further damage and pain. It’s something like brushing your eyes with a tooth brush. So Isabella was walking around pretty much blind and using her other senses for guidance. We tried to administer eye drops, but had no luck in getting the eye even close to open. We knew then, that she was in trouble and our advice and drops alone would not help her.

It was either us, or Isabella would be surrendered to a shelter. Given her condition and overcrowding in shelters, that option would pretty much be a death sentence. As our funds were dry, I realized something. My family has not exchanged gifts for Christmas and birthdays for the last few years. Instead we donated to various animal charities, and the last two years to Special Needs K9. And today, Friday April 15th was my dad’s 80th birthday. Two quick phone calls later, we were getting our paperwork ready to take Isabella into the possession of SNK9. My brothers and I decided that we would donate enough funds to SNK9 to cover Isabella’s surgery which would be the gift to our father for his 80th birthday. And so it was.

Paperwork was complete and she was ours. Stacey even brought our Lily to do a D2D test. Isabella exhibited no signs of guarding or aggression. She is very sweet, playful and friendly with people as well as with other dogs.

Later that day, our family went out to dinner and presented our dad with a photo of his gift…The Gift of Sight. He accepted his gift with a smile on his face (photo), knowing that through his gift, a dog that has not opened her eyes in a very long time will hopefully see once again, without pain.

Isabella’s surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26th at the Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital.

Hopefully all will go well and Isabella will be available for adoption once she has healed.

Happy Birthday wishes to our dad.  

Mike, Karl, Jiri and the Special Needs K9 family

Recently, we revisited Mrs. Ebanietti’s 7th grade class at the Eisenhower Middle School in Wyckoff, NJ.

Of course our Lily came along and it was a wonderful reunion from the visit in December of last year. (Click here to read about Lily’s first visit).

These determined 7th grade students wanted to be a part of the life saving process and wanted to make a difference.

After the visit in December, they started walking dogs and decorating and selling dog bowls to help raise funds for Special Needs K9. They even built their own web-site to sell these bowls. The bowls are only $6.00 and there is a lot of love that goes into this project. Please visit their web-site for more information and to order your customized bowl.  http://dogbowls.webs.com/apps/blog/

We are extremely proud of these kids and of their efforts to help the ones without a voice! We are very much inspired by them and we will keep you updated of their progress with this life saving project.

The first step in saving lives of innocent animals starts with awareness and education. Educating our younger generations is key so that one day they can take our place in the rescue world and make a difference. 

It was December 14th, 2010 and Stacey Pravec (V.P. of SNK9) and our Lily (a dog rescued from euthanization), who we frequently use to help balance troubled dogs, went to visit Mrs. Ebanietti’s 7th grade class at the Eisenhower Middle School in Wyckoff, NJ.

The goal was to do just that…bring awareness and educate the students on issues regarding animal welfare, neglect, abuse and rescue.

The students were a wonderful audience. They showed so much interest in learning all there was to know about these important issues. They asked relevant questions as they played with Lily, who enjoyed all the attention she was receiving.

The school visit was a big success. The students were very interested in learning about how they can help and came up with some great ideas such as walking dogs along with decorating and selling dog bowls in order to raise funds for Special Needs K9 Rescue.

A couple of weeks later, we received the following e-mail from the class:

Dear Stacey,

We want to help Special Needs K9 because we are all very interested and
concerned about animal welfare. Once we found out about how many animals are neglected each year, we went to Special Needs K9 for help. To our delight we got a personal visit from Stacey, Gina, and Lily. Lily’s story
inspired us to save more dogs from high kill shelters. Just saving one
animal’s life makes a huge difference. We can’t imagine how many dogs
wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for charities like Special Needs K9.
We are very fortunate to be able to help them achieve their goals and reach our own. Together we can make a difference.
Ryan, Caroline, Mike, Kara, Elliot, Maya, Connor, and Abby

There was another e-mail (below) sent to SNK9 by the students:

Hello this is Maya, Caroline, Kara, and Abby from Eisenhower Middle School and our project is going great. We already made over 50 dollars with our dog walking service and we are going to make dog bowls as well. With the  money that we raise, we want to save dogs’ lives or help with their medical care that makes an impact. Those are some of our ideas. We want to save as many dogs’ lives as possible!

Thank you,

Maya, Caroline, Kara, and Abby

After answering all their questions, we were very pleased with the motivation of these young people and their eagerness to help!

We thank the Eisenhower Middle School, Gina and especially Mrs. Ebanietti and her students for the opportunity to come in and share our knowledge and experiences with them.

Chance:

Chance is a 1 1/2 year old Boxer that was abandoned inside the basement of a vacant house, left to die.

Being rescued by SNK9, Chance has gotten a second “Chance” at life. He is currently in the process of getting healthy and will begin his training at Kamp Kanine, a boarding and training facility we work with.

Chance is about 70lbs and once healthy, he should be around 90 lbs. He is good around other dogs and is very playful.

He will need a family with strong leadership once he is available for adoption.

Chance as all dogs will deserve a family that can provide him with a home, unconditional love and security…something we are sure this boy has never experienced in his life.

It took us several days to realize that Chance has a deep scar on his chest. Since the scar is deepest on the bottom and fades out on the sides, there appears to be only one explanation.

Chance was most likely tied up around his chest since he was a puppy to prevent his escape, only to be left behind when his captors decided it was time for them to “go”.

UPDATE: 1/14/2011  Pennie has completed her training at Kamp Kanine, a top notch dog training and boarding facility, and now understands the basic sign language commands thanks to Mark Barish, a trainer/owner at Kamp Kanine with over 10 years of training and competition experience.

Pennie not only knows how to come, sit, lie down along with a few other commands, but she has also exhibited a great temperament. She is very submissive and great with dogs of all breeds and sizes. She is also EXCELLENT with children of all ages!

Pennie is a very happy and loving dog and has a lot to offer! She is only one years old and has a lot of energy. She will need a home which can provide her with proper exercise on regular basis.

If you would like to meet this wonderful dog, please contact us.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PENNIE’S TRAINING VIDEO.

Pennie is a beautiful 1 year old Lab/Pit mix that was pulled from a City shelter by SNK9. Although Pennie is deaf, she seems to love life more each day.

Pennie has high energy and likes to run around and play. She absolutely loves people and is good with other dogs. She loves to give kisses and loves getting attention herself.

Pennie is currently receiving professional training at Kamp Kanine, a 24 hour boarding and training facility. Once she successfully completes her training, Pennie’s new owner/s will be given tutoring on how to comunicate with her using sign language.

Pennie is very smart, loving and deserves a great home. Since Pennie has a lot of energy, she will do best if adopted into an active environment.

If you’d like to find out more about this wonderful dog, please contact us.

SPECIAL NEEDS K9 BENEFIT

At

THE ENDLESS VINE

  
823 Franklin Lakes Rd. Franklin Lakes, NJ

(Next door to the Market Basket)

• Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 @ 7PM   (No admission fee)

Please join us for an event to benefit Special Needs K9 Rescue at

The Endless Vine wine shop, with a wine bar and cocktail lounge.

Meet Bella Hope (above), a sweet and gentle soul used as a “bait dog” in dog fighting, abused and severely neglected before being rescued by Special Needs K9.

• A solo acoustic classic rock played by Dan Kleinrock in the “unplugged” style.

• Enjoy psychic readings by Tia from The Craft.

**Dan will generously donate all his tips and Tia all her proceeds from  the night of the event to Special Needs K9.

Small bites will be served. Don’t forget to bring your friends and help us help the homeless…the unwanted…the underdogs!  

They deserve a chance at life! 

Bella Hope is finally up for adoption!

This special lady has gained some weight and made a lot of progress following her emergency intestinal surgery!

After being used as a “bait” dog, subjected to severe abuse and neglect, her physical as well as her emotional scars are healing and she is coming out of her shell, showing her incredibly loving and happy personality.

Although Bella Hope is about 2-3 years old, her true birthday is November 30, 2010…the day she was rescued, marking the beginning of her new life.

***Click here to read about Bella Hope’s rescue and her journey.

Bella Hope has been transferred to an incredible and loving foster home, where she resides with a number of other dogs.

Although still a little scared at times, she LOVES people and absolutely ADORES other dogs!

She is very sweet and has a calm personality. She loves to cuddle up in warm places and is 98% housebroken. 

After all that she has been through, Bella Hope needs a very special home. She has already been spayed and would do best in a home where she is not left alone for very long periods of time and has one or more doggie friends to play with. 

If you would like more information about Bella Hope, you can call or e-mail us . If you do have an interest in adopting this special dog, please include your home, property and family information in your e-mail.

This information should include: Number of family members…if children, how many and their ages, number of other pets in the household, your work schedule/hours away from home and property info, such as: home type (apartment or house), rent or own, fenced in yard, pool and other general description of the property. 

UPDATE: 1/14/2011  Faith underwent surgery for her “cherry eye” which appears to have been successful. She was also spayed at the same time and received all her vaccinations. She is currently recovering in SNK9′s foster care.   

Faith is a Maltese between the age of 6 months and 1 year. She was located at one of the shelters we frequent and it was obvious that she was very neglected and sick.   

Just another homeless dog without a name…her appearance told all. There was no pretty story filled with care and love in this young dog’s life. Her teary eyes were covered with dirty clumped up hair and her nose was running like a dripping faucet. She was scared and curled up in the back corner of her kennel.

Seeing that this dog was in need of medical attention, SNK9 pulled her out of the shelter and took her to see a vet. At first she was very fearful, but once she was in our hands, she relaxed almost as if she had “FAITH” in us to keep her safe.

The vet confirmed that she was sick and running a fever. Faith received a shot and some medicine to go home with. She was placed in our foster care with Wendy, Jim and their two dogs, where she will receive proper care and love until she finds her forever home.

Now that a little time has passed, Faith is all groomed,feeling better and her true personality is coming out.

She is full of life, very sweet and affectionate, loves people and other dogs.

She travels well in the car and even made a visit to NYC, where she showed no fear of her surroundings, including while resting inside her doggie bag.

If you are interested in this young lady or would like more information about her, please contact us.

Cracker Jack is a 2 year old Jack Russell that was surrendered by his owner at an inner city shelter.

Cracker was going to be euthanized the same day he was brought in, even though he had done nothing wrong and appeared to have no behavioral issues. Usually, dogs get 7 days at most city shelters to give people a chance to reclaim them. Cracker’s case was different. Since he was surrendered by his owner, the shelter did not have the legal responsibility to keep him for the 7 day period.

When we met Cracker, even though he was in a very stressful and unpleasant situation, he kept wagging his tail (photo) and shared countless kisses.

We reached out to SNK9′s loyal friends and supporters asking for help in finding this little guy a foster or permanent home. We only had hours to work with and luckily, one of our supporters, Gina Mastrogiovanni, contacted us with news that one of her long time friends, an experienced dog owner who loves the breed was interested in adopting him.

We pulled Cracker out of the shelter, and took him to the vet for a check up, blood work, shots and to be neutered.

The next day, we picked him up at the vet and traveled to the country to do a meet and greet and a home check with his new potential mommy.

There was an instant connection between the two and everything else went great as well, including meeting with the family’s 2 dogs and a cat.

It was a perfect match and the adoption process was completed before the end of the day.

One week later, his mom reports that he’s just the sweetest thing and she has found an awesome and forever friend in Cracker.

This is yet another case with a similar story and proof that when people pull together, share information and work as a team, miracles do happen and lives are saved!

Merry Christmas Cracker and special thanks to Gina!

Rocco, a 13 month old Boston Terrier, developed a film over one of his eyes. The family’s regular veterinarian diagnosed him with congenital glaucoma with an eye ulcer.

The family could not afford the lifetime of care and reached out to SNK9. We set up and funded an evaluation for Rocco at the Animal Eye Center of New Jersey.

The opthamologist there didn’t see any signs of glaucoma and Rocco was diagnosed with Keratitis from eye trauma. Rocco received eye drops to reduce inflammation and a follow up visit still showed no signs of glaucoma.

Rocco is back to normal and his old self again.

This is an example why at certain times it is so important to seek an opinion of a specialist. Especially when dealing with eyes, opthamologists have the equipment that most regular vets don’t. This equipment is essential to making a correct diagnosis, without which eyesight can be lost. In many cases, eye drops can either solve the problem or at least slow down the process of deterioration.