Rescues

Hey, my name is Shep! I was abandoned by my former family during the harsh winter of 2009. I spent the entire winter as a puppy in the bitter cold until the Madison County Animal Shelter found me. I was rescued through a Brother Wolf adoption day at Pet Smart in June 2010.

I saw Mom walk by my crate, and she couldn’t resist taking me home! I am such a good boy and her very first rescue. I’m the alarm clock for the house since I’m up by 5:00 every morning ready to go have fun! My favorite part of the day is when Mom takes us all on a walk every morning.

Shep turns 12 years old on June 4. He’s the quiet, steady leader, but he doesn’t miss a thing! He is Mom’s rock.

My name is Jordan, and I was rescued through Fifi’s Friends in Yancey County in 2011. I came through two shelters from Eastern NC and was sent to a high-kill shelter in Burnsville. On the day I was supposed to be put to sleep, the shelter put me up front, hoping my good looks would somehow get me adopted before that fateful decision was made.

My foster mom from Fifi’s Friends happened to come in at the end of the day and took me home with her so she could hopefully adopt me out. I stayed with her for four weeks before meeting my future mom and dad. They were looking to fill the huge hole in their hearts from the loss of Sugar, their sweet German Shepherd, six weeks earlier. I went to my future home on Mother’s Day 2011. I’m the only girl, and I rule the house!

Jordan’s 11th birthday is on Mother’s Day . . . where did the time go? Jordan is the only girl, but the boys follow in her footsteps. She’s a strong leader, outgoing, and very protective. Jordan was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at 5 years old, and Dr. Bowman-Hensley has been managing that fairly well up until the past year. The progression of the arthritis and her age are catching up, and her mom and dad are trying additional medicines and support.

Jordan encountered a much more serious challenge in 2019. Her mom and dad found a small lump on her back left leg, and her veterinarian surgeon removed it on in January 2019. Unfortunately it was cancer—a hemangiosarcoma—but was caught very early in Stage I. Her mom and dad took her back and forth to the University of Tennessee Veterinarian Hospital where she received 16 doses of radiation to the surface site over 15 days. It was a rough time for the whole family, but she was a tough girl who came through with flying colors.

In recent months our baby girl was diagnosed with liver cancer which we have recently learned is terminal. She has endured this particular challenge with the grace and dignity she always has, but they are not able to do surgery. We expect her to pass within a few weeks, and this will leave the biggest hole in our hearts. Jordan will let us know when it’s time to say goodbye, but until then we will love her to her very last breath and then some.

Hi, my name is Riley! Mom rescued me when I got hit by a car in front of her office in June 2014. I had internal injuries and a broken hip, and fortunately she caught it so I wouldn’t have to go back to the shelter right away. The Asheville Humane Society asked her if she’d foster me, and the rest is history. I officially found my forever home and wish every animal could do the same.

With all the hip x-rays, they found out I had serious hip dysplasia in both hips. Mom takes me to therapy with my big sister Jordan for acupuncture, massage, laser, water therapy, and chiropractic treatment. There’s a great team of people that take such good care of me!

Riley turns 8 years old on June 5. With multiple modalities of ongoing therapy, Riley remains active and healthy. He’ll chase and retrieve a ball until he drops, but Mom and Dad limit how many times to prevent overexerting his bad hips.

Yes, he does have a brown eye and a blue eye—a unique characteristic of his Husky Beagle mix. He’s strong and protective yet sweet and loving, all rolled into one special pup!

Hey, I’m Rocky, the newest addition to Dr. Bowman-Hensley’s family. Mom and Dad were devastated by the sudden loss of their Shepherd mix Murphy on January 27, 2021, to an aggressive cancer. Our story is unique in how it intertwined in such a special way with the big brother I never got to meet.

At 10 months old I was dumped off at Rusty’s Legacy on Christmas Day 2020, the same day Murphy got so sick. Mom stayed up all night with Murphy that fateful Christmas, and I spent that Christmas night scared, confused, and abandoned by the family I thought loved me. The same foster mom and shelter that rescued Murphy also rescued me—small world! It gets better: as Murphy’s cancer quickly took over, Mom let Jeri at Rusty’s Legacy know how sick he was and that he would pass soon. The night before my big brother went to heaven, our foster mom sent my mom-to-be a picture of me to think on, not knowing Murphy would pass so soon. During January, Camp Bow Wow took me in to help me conquer my fear and anxiety, giving me a better chance of being adopted. I got to play with other dogs all day, and the people there were so nice to me! Then on February 6, 2021, Mom came to meet me for the first time. She brought Shep, Jordan, and Riley too! They took me home with them that day, and I found my forever home.

I know I’m still not the perfect puppy yet. Mom, Dad, and my siblings have to let me know that sometimes, but I’m a work in progress. I’m learning that I can be touched without being hurt and am learning what real love is too. I turned two years old on March 8, but we celebrate my two birthdays: the real one on March 8 and the day I was united with my forever parents on February 6! By the way, I love food, long walks, sleeping with Mom and Dad—Jordan and I are working on that! Did I mention I love food?