I was looking for a little dog that would get along with my 35-year-old parrot. A friend recommended visiting the Baldwin Park Shelter in Los Angeles, which has sooooo many dogs needing homes. There was Sammy sitting sadly in a corner, two weeks in the shelter, a stray found in West Covina. Three months later and he’s a happy little dog, especially at Tabano Hollow and on walks. Oh, and unfortunately, he and parrot are not friends and I wonder if ever there will be at least tolerance — at least by the parrot. (Betsy Cramer) 
Maggie was adopted from DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group) in September 2005. She has been an amazing addition to our family! (Teresa Thornburgh) 
Our adopted dog, Carleigh. (Brooks family) 
We adopted Rita, at right, just one week after our beloved 2-year-old Basenji had a freak accident and passed away in January. Heartbroken, we found Rita, an older Jack Russell, to fill the void. But since we have a 7-year-old son, I soon realized he needed a dog closer to his age, and Rita could use a friend. As fate would have it, Penny, a 1-year-old Dachshund mix, came into our lives. She is super playful and into everything! Penny loves to ‘rassle’ and snuggles with her big sister, Rita. Our son and both dogs sleep together at night — a happy outcome for everyone. (Suzanne McDonald) 
I had no idea how much love this amazing dog, Tasha, could bring to me and all who know her. (Barb Bentley) 
Sunny, the sweetest dog ever, has defied all pitbull prejudices! Here, she’s snuggling with her owner, Daniel Cortina. (Lindsay Groark) 
Family moment: Bo-Bo has the Kong in his mouth, Minnie is the brown-and-white kisser and Rachel is the big black (camera shy) dog. (Laura Hout) 
This beautiful big black dog is our family jewel, Shadow. We adopted him from K-9 Pals six years ago. We are truly blessed with his big size and giant heart. (Lori Pedersen) 
Isis was rescued from the Coastal German Shepherd Rescue in Orange County — although she is a Belgian Malinois. I enjoy her company, taking her to the training sessions she needs and building her self-confidence. Isis was found starving on the streets of San Diego and was plucked from the ‘Green Mile’ at a high-kill shelter. Her Cleopatra eyes saved her life and she deserves all the love she can get for the rest of her life. (Nancy McCradie) 
Our new family member, Heffe, makes for a convenient pillow for Jared Lux. (Sheba Lux) 
Karma the rescue dog sprints down the beach. (Blake Burgard) 
Rocco came from DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group) when he was 6 weeks old. He is now 2½ and a strapping 85 pounds. Rocco is a great running partner and loves to go out for runs on More Mesa and up the hiking trails — Jesusita is his favorite. He is full of energy and loves to hike with his buddies Kona and Milo. He is a sweet and gentle boy … but still acts like a puppy sometimes! He’s also a bit of a supermodel and is featured in Andrew Grant’s coffee table book, ‘Rover.’ (Cara Gamberdella) 
Lady, now 12, came from the Santa Barbara Humane Society when she was 18 months old. She was neglected and a ‘BBDD,’ i.e. a ‘big black dead dog,’ since most big dogs that are black are not adopted. She’s now 90 pounds and has been featured on Cottage Health System’s brochures as a pet therapist. Here she is sleeping with Howie, our black adopted cat. She is one of the best dogs we’ve ever had. (Margo Kenney) 
Boomer, a border collie mix, was adopted from the Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter. (Lori Buffington) 
Eddie is my adopted DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group) dog. He’s a special needs dog with a seizure disorder who would have been considered un-adoptable elsewhere. But DAWG took him in and managed his health, and I fell in love with him. He’s been my best buddy for more than three years now. Adopted dogs are the best! (Jennie Reinish) 
Sasha, enjoying Shaver Lake with Lori Pedersen, joined our family four years ago, adopted from wonderful K-9 Pals. She has a true heart for adventure. (Pedersen family) 
Poncho, riding in style in daddy’s car. Of course, he’s secure, seat-belted into his car seat. 🙂 (Joan Hunter Mayer) 
Cody was adopted in 2009 from DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group). (Suzy Irvine) 
Allison Curtis with adopted dogs Gracie and Harry. Gracie was rescued in the Bahamas and Harry in Turks & Caicos. (Curtis family) 
We adopted Abraham 12 years ago. He had hip surgery and cancer surgery within the first year but he’s our kid! (Gina Papadakis) 
Our adopted dog, Jack. (Chryss Yost) 
Pre — short for the late legendary runner Steve Prefontaine — was adopted in 2010 from Boxer Rescue Los Angeles. My wife wanted a boxer and I wanted a Labrador retriever, so a boxer/Lab mix was the perfect fit! Pre was in the shelter system all of his life (almost two years), and since moving to Santa Barbara he’s learned to enjoy the finer things in life: playing at the beach, jumping in the ocean waves, movies in the park, hanging out on the patio at the brew pub and, of course, his wine barrel dog bed. If Pre isn’t out for a run or at the park with us, he’s typically fast asleep in his custom-made dog bed constructed from an old wine barrel. (Chris Clemens) 
Barley, posing for a beach photo with our children, was adopted last year from Cold Noses, Warm Hearts. He had been scheduled to be killed the day before the group rescued him from a Ventura County shelter.He is an amazing dog. Our son, who’s 10, completed AKC training and the instructor said he was one of her best dogs ever. Our neighbors call him Smiley and all of our friends are envious about how great of a dog we got. (Janice and Rob Wagner) 
Dixie, adopted from DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group). (Maureen Ray) 
A year after her adoption, Leona has been transformed into a happy and loving dog. She is living proof that no matter how ragged or ill-behaved dogs look in a shelter, they can become your perfect companion. (Rosalie Skefich) 
Jessie, a Dalmatian mix, was adopted from the Kern County shelter. (Lori Buffington) 
Hattie — her name because she was a Hurricane Katrina rescue dog and was transported to the Humane Society in Hattiesburg, Miss. — was picked up on Aug. 29, 2005, and remained in the care of the Humane Society until DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group) volunteers arrived from Santa Barbara with food and other items for animals. DAWG brought Hattie back to Santa Barbara and we offered to be her foster parents. We wanted to adopt her but there was a waiting period prior to our being permitted to do so. Just in time for Christmas, on Dec. 24, 2005, Hattie became our adopted dog. She had already integrated well with our other dogs. When Hattie came to us, it was obvious that she had a good person taking care of her before Katrina. She knew how to fetch, knew a number of commands and at 6 months old (the veterinarian’s guess when we got her) she was already trained. She also proved to be a very smart dog. When she came into the house, she watched our other dogs and followed their lead. For example, when we sat down for dinner, our dogs simply lie down under the table. Hattie took one look at what they were doing and did exactly the same thing. Hattie has become completely integrated into our family and we want to thank DAWG for bringing her into our lives. (Linda and Andy Seybold) 
Bo was adopted in 2006 from DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group), where he was described as looking ‘suspiciously like a Corgi.’ Bo is an affectionate, devoted, quiet (mostly!) Chihuahua who likes to play with our (disinterested) cat and answers to any nickname: Tonkin, Boo, Bubie, Mr. Dooker, etc. Over 27 years, we’ve had many rescue pets and we’ve loved them all! (Judy and Stuart Light) 
Bodie was adopted through indilabrescue.org in November 2010. He’s about 4 years old now and a fantastic Labrador retriever who gets plenty of time to run the Douglas Preserve, hike local trails and frolic in the waves on the beach. He’s a total lover boy and is truly a warm and wonderful addition to our family. (Eddie Cybulski) 
Max, a rescue dog who became a therapy dog, slinging drool at a Thanksgiving dinner because my mom was feeding him turkey! Sadly, Max passed away, but he will live forever in our hearts. (Laura Hout) 
Our adopted dog, Baxter, providing a head rest when he was a puppy. (Maureen Ray) 
Elizabeth is a 6-year-old beagle. Here she’s dressed up and ready to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. (Seth Miller) 
Summer, our rescue dog. (Capt. Dan) 
Henry, who used to be called Pierre!, came from DAWG in 2004. (Marilyn Gillard) 
No longer nervous and scared after being abandoned and abused, Sadie Rojo rules our house. There’s nothing like a rescue dog; they appreciate and relish every day. Most owners of rescued animals will say that they end up rescuing the owner, and I believe that. (Lee A. Knodel, aka Ms. B.) 
My adopted chihuahua, Peanut. The best experience of my life was adopting my little ‘Nut!’ (Caitlin Wyman) 
Drew Klassen and Cricket, a crazy mutt mix adopted from the Santa Maria Animal Shelter in 2009. (Meredith Klassen) 
Toby was adopted by his owner, Erica Jackson, six months ago from the Santa Barbara Humane Society. She couldn’t resist his sweet puppy-dog eyes and lovable personality. Toby goes everywhere with his mom and they have truly become the best of friends. He loves to go to the beach or just spend time outside relaxing in the sun. Toby’s family could not imagine not having him around to make them laugh with his crazy antics. (Jackson family) 
Benny loves his life with our family, and our lives wouldn’t be the same without our little guy. We adopted him about 6 years years ago from our favorite dog shelter, DAWG. Here he is howling with my husband, Davey Smith. (Theresa Smith) 
Kota was adopted four years ago from a shelter. (Jill Transki) 
Cooper was left behind when his owners moved out of their foreclosed home. A real estate agent found him and eventually we were lucky enough to rescue him. When he came to us he was skinny and scared. Now, he’s loved, happy and ready for some Santa Barbara sun! (Bonnie Quintanilla) 
Spirit, cuddling with her sister, Sammy, was adopted from a husky rescue in the High Desert. She had been found roaming the streets of Los Angeles when she was about 6 months old. We adopted her (our third Husky) when she was around 10 months old and we’ve had her for six years now. She’s been a wonderful family pet — great with kids and loves everyone! (Moore family) 
Taylor Klassen with Riley, a Labrador retriever adopted from a Lab rescue in 2004. (Meredith Klassen) 
My fiancé and I adopted Bruno (a Bichon Frise and toy poodle mix) about a year and a half ago, and never looked back, even when he’s occasionally a bad boy. He has brought us endless joy, laughter and snuggles. This picture is from an August 2010 trip to Mammoth Mountain, with the top of Chair 23 and the Minarets in the distance. Bruno got a little sleepy at the 11,035-foot elevation, so he’s looking pretty relaxed and comfortable in mom’s arms. (Krista Morley) 
Joey is a cockapoo adopted from the Santa Barbara Humane Society by Kevin Keane and Linda Ballard in December 2008. Now 4, he enjoys sitting on the sofa after dinner to hear about the events of the day before going up the street to play with his best friend, a Shih Tzu named Sadie. (Linda Ballard) 
Beverly McCurdy with Dahlia, a border collie girl adopted from a local border collie rescue on Oct. 3, 2011. (Klassen Family) 
Our newly adopted dog, Oliver, is a 2-year-old Beagle/Schnauzer mix who has quickly learned to just go with the flow. (Carla Mager) 
Emma is a little princess hunter warrior! She was adopted twice and returned by others, then I found her and we’ve been buddies ever since. We take three-mile hikes each morning on the beach. She loves it. (Leslie Lund) 
Marsha Miller and her constant companion, Allie, take a moment’s break from their beach walk. “She is the best cuddler!” she exclaims. The couple just celebrated their one-year anniversary of the adoption with a small gathering of her small dog friends. (Valorie Smith / Noozhawk) 
Best adoption ever. Drake Whitcraft with 6-month-old Terra, so named because she’s brown like the earth. (Whitcraft Winery) 
Alex II was 3 years old when he arrived in Santa Barbara in 2006 from a rescue farm in Los Angeles. His parents had previously rescued another white standard poodle named Alex, and when he died they sought to find another. Within 10 days, Alex II was on his way to Santa Barbara, a very happy boy. Alex II, photographed with Geoffrey Rutkowski at Christmas 2010, is a perfect gentlemember of the family and loves his family and his friends from all over the world. (Joan Rutkowski) 
Tracy is my best friend. This photo was taken years ago, when she was a puppy. (Lou Segal) 
All Daniel Smith wanted for the holidays was a dog of his own. He found a picture of Tahoe on the Santa Barbara County animal shelter’s Web site and we knew it was meant to be Nearly two years later, he is huge and playfull! … and so is his dog! A perfect match. (Valorie Smith / Noozhawk)
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