We want to place dogs. Really we do. But sometimes we get adoption applications that aren't filled out and that really slows down the process. Here are some tips to help us with your application:

1) Fill the application out as completely as possible. The more detail, the better. We love our rescued Pei and don't want them to be returned because you forgot to tell us you had a cat/snake/hamster...and it became a squeaky toy.

2) Full street addresses only, please. We can't do a homecheck at a P.O. Box.

3) Listing your other pets is crucial. We have limited ability to tell if our dogs are safe around cats/snakes/hamsters, etc. Shar Pei are amazing hunters and for a lot of our dogs, cats are a no-no. We are rescuers and we hate to see a life lost due to misinformation.

4) Please list your veterinarian and a contact number. Even if you are not currently using a veterinarian, please let us know who you used in the past. It's important to us that our dogs get excellent care.

5) Please. please, please...if you rent we must have the contact information for your landlord. Like we said, we want our Pei to stay in the loving home of an adopter.

6) Be open-minded about which Pei you want to adopt. Sometimes, one of our dogs will generate a lot of applications. We have many other wonderful dogs that would love to make you the center of their universe. Please give them a chance; you will help save another life.

7) We can't take requests. If you are looking for an 8-week-old, blue, brushcoat, female meat mouth, we can't help you. Think of us as a thrift store for Pei. You know that somewhere in our facility is an amazing dog. You just have to look.

8) Please be patient. We are all volunteers and it sometimes takes a few days for us to get back to you. We really want to make sure you get the right dog and our dog gets the forever home of its dreams.

Thank you for considering adoption. Everytime one of our dogs is adopted we can save another dog from a shelter. We can't do this without you!

We received a very uplifting email from one of our adopters. By adopting one of our dogs, it seems he returned the favor...

Subject: Re: Safe by a Shar Pei

Dear Anna & Rich

It has been about 5 years since we adopted two Shar Peis ( Ming/Maude red fawn and Bix/dirty Harry cream color shar pei) from your Rescue. Both are doing well and happy with us.

I just wanted to write to tell you thank you so much for finding us our two beautiful dogs. A few weeks ago, as you know Northern California was plummeted by heavy rainfall and gusty wind about 80 miles per hour.

Our boy Bix (the cream color horse coat shar pei) who is used to sleeping with us in our bed was restless and kept pawing my husband Ray starting about 0130 and he kept at it every 15 to 20 mins. He has never done this before even on stormy nights before. We thought that he wanted to go outside to relief himself. When we open the door, he refused to go outside, even with much coaxing.

We were tired and went back to bed and he was very persistent and finally we got up and went downstairs again and then when we heard loud crashing noises outside our back yard. We saw several trees started to fall and a 70 foots cypress fell at an angle inches from our bedroom.

If the tree would have fell straight forward, it would have came down over the roof into our bedroom and on our bed. That was when we realized that Bix had sense danger and was trying to get us up and out of the bedroom. Our boy Bix was trying to save our lives. My beautiful boy is our guardian angel. I wanted to share this story with you. By rescuing a dog, you’ll never know when he’ll return the favor. Thanks for finding us our two beautiful kids. Here are some updated photos of our kids.

Sincerely

Diane Levinson

A couple of weeks ago, I transported 2 Pei from Sacramento County shelter to our wonderful folks in Redding. One was on the euthanasia list because he would try to bite anyone handling him. When I went into quarantine, I met a beautiful dog and he seemed that he wanted to interact. Then I noticed his back feet. Both were swollen and misshapen from infected dewclaws. It also turned out he had several dislocated toes. Somehow, something inside of me felt that he had it in him to be an amazing dog when he felt better. I agreed to take him. The officer wouldn’t let me walk him to my car because they were afraid of liability.

When she finally brought him out his face was bleeding from her tying a rope around his muzzle (a technique that does not work on Pei.) She was unable to get a hold on him to put him in the crate. Finally, I told her to leave him to me. I got him up and into the crate (first try) and got him out of there. Because of his messed up feet I named him Keyser (from the movie "The Usual Suspects.")

Yesterday I got the report that he was happy, grateful and pain free. Hearing that made me cry. I knew it was in there once he got past the pain. He wags his little Pei butt off at Anna and Rich. Anyone can handle him and he is one of those dogs that KNOWS he was rescued and is thankful. He will be a wonderful dog for someone someday.

They would have killed him for being in pain. I’m grateful that we could give him a new life.