Hi! My rescuers named me Atlas when I was in Texas, but I'm a Virginia boy now. And I've got a new name too - Zeke.

I had it rough in Texas. When those wonderful rescuers found me in the grass, I couldn't walk or even lift my head for a sip of water. I had sores all over my body and very little hair. They had to carry me to the vet clinic where I got an immediate IV.

When Mike and Susan saw my pictures through SSR, they knew they wanted to bring me into their home. I had to wait though - after the vet released me, I lived with a wonderful foster parent in Texas until I was well enough to travel.

The day finally arrived when the transport picked me up. I made a very long trip to Virginia with many other noisy dogs. Jennifer was there with Susan when I arrived in the parking lot. Jen lifted me into Susan's car and we drove home. Susan sang the sunshine song to me on the way home and, to my credit, I did not howl or try to get out of the car. :-)

Mike was there with Eva (a black GSD) and Shyla (a small, GSD mix) when I arrived. I've been a member of the family ever since and I couldn't be happier. I can't recommend adoption strongly enough. I had given up in Texas and look at me now!

We were asked to temp foster Sadie shortly after she arrived from Texas. It didn't take us long to fall in love with her....we knew by the time we arrived home, maybe before we made it on I-66. She talked to us the entire ride home. How did Sadie know that we had a soft spot for talking pups?

Sadie was definitely not one of the dogs we were thinking of adopting. After recently losing the second of our family dogs to cancer, we were not looking for a dog that had special medical needs.  Based on her x-rays it looks like Sadie had been hit by a vehicle when she was under a year old that left her with broken leg that is several inches shorter than the other hind leg and fractured her hips/pelvis. Every time we take her to a vet we've seen plenty in the past 6 months they are always amazed that she can walk, let alone run and jump like she does daily. We will have some challenges as we navigate an amputation sometime in the future but we are currently getting her stronger to make a quicker recovery.

All of us love her quirky personality. She might not be into cuddling on the couch with you, but she does love to lean into us and rest her head on our feet, legs, or the armrest in a car. She loves to go on walks, especially hiking the trails in Prince William Forest or Shenandoah National Park.

We are so grateful for Sadie coming into our lives. The four of us adore her.

Fran, Jen, Isabella, & Jonah

Hello! My name is Benny (Benny bug). I came from Texas with my mom, brother, sister. My brother Chester's back legs don't work and my sister Sammy had distemper and they both have the most loving families! My mom even has a human child to look after since we have grown up and left.

My new family includes my brother Bandit, he always keeps me on my toes with sneak attacks, constant wrestling, and guarding the house from rabbits and joggers. We always find time to cuddle though!

I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many people that love me, it's probably why I smile so big! I am so thankful that SSR gave my mother, siblings, and me a chance at a new life. We are all loving every minute!

Molly came to our family by way of Texas. Hats off the dedicated people who helped getting her to us. She came to us as an underweight little gal at about 5 years old. She's a blue heeler.

She joined our family of 2 human children and 1 four-legged child. She immediately knew she was loved! She'd found her FURever home with us!

We initially began as a foster family, but soon found we couldn't bear to let her go. She joined us in June 2017.

Our dogs are just as much a part of our family as the human kids. We are so thankful that SSR provides the service it does. We will only ever adopt animals. Molly has become a faithful and loving companion and fits right in with our family.

Thank you SSR for all the work you do to rescue dogs!

After serving in the United States Marine Corps, I had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While overseas I had the opportunity to interact with many German Shepherds that were part of the military. When I returned from Fallujah, Iraq, I had insisted we bring a German Shepherd into our family. I didn't see it yet, but would later realize this was a coping mechanism that would help me tremendously. The GSD shared many traits I had adopted from my time in the USMC, and my relationship with my new puppy immediately took off.

The ten years I was blessed with Riddick had such a positive impact on the inordinate stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms I would often encounter. Losing Riddick was hard. My wife would observe my anxiety and stress levels rise beyond normal, knowing Riddick was gone and my ways of dealing with relief had changed. At times I would find myself sitting in the parking lot of the veterinarian office where Riddick left me.

I wasn't sure if I would ever get another dog, even though the memories were great, the loss was just too painful. One day, while on Facebook, my wife randomly came across a picture of Zeus. A lonely, sad, and helpless dog in a shelter across the country. We both took one look at his face and knew he was meant to be a part of our family.

Zeus was said to be "too far gone" by the shelter. Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue disagreed, begging and pleading to take custody of him. They believed that there was someone out there that had been searching for him, someone that needed him as much as he needed them. They were right. Zeus had a variety of problems, he was extremely underweight, had severe mange, a secondary bacterial infection leaving him with barely any hair, he was heartworm positive, and lived a life full of neglect and abuse.

He was saved from the shelter and sent to a vet to start his long treatment. Zeus' loving heart finally had the opportunity to shine, touching everyone who had the opportunity to meet him. We soon were able to bring him into our family. Zeus immediately loved our young children, our other dogs and us as if he was with us his entire life. He showed us that an open heart and a loving hand could make a family grow beyond wonders, and how relationships between humans and dogs could do unimaginable things for conditions suffered by both species.

He truly has the most loving heart and kindest soul. Zeus has shown us what forgiveness can look like, and how love can ultimately heal any wound. I've accepted that I will have to deal and struggle with my conditions for the rest of my life. But knowing Zeus is here, that we help each other recover from wounds and scars that won't go away, makes it an easier journey.