100 Dogs!
We are proud to announce that we have reached the milestone of 100 dogs brought into our Rescue program!
click for more imagesADOPTED! Spartacus, our 100th dog, is a real character. His delightful personality will bring a smile to your face on any cloudy day. He is a very loving and intelligent guy, learns very quickly, and is willing to do whatever is asked of him. The breed standard says a German Shepherd is supposed to be aloof, but Spartacus never read that and he loves everybody.
This boy is a delight to have around the house. He has not made a mistake yet. He is housebroken, crate trained, proficient in the use of the doggy door, and walks nicely on leash. With a little work and an obedience class, Spartacus will be an amazing family pet. He would do very well in competition obedience; his attention and focus are fabulous, and he is very food and toy motivated, a trainers dream.
He loves to snuggle and will gladly join you in your easy chair. Rides in the car are on the top of his list of fun things, right behind playing with squeaky toys. Give this boy structure, channel his energy in a positive direction, and you will have a fabulous companion.
Oh, and did we say he's gorgeous? The entire package, looks, intelligence and temperament, everything you could ask for in a German Shepherd, that's Spartacus.
To adopt one of our dogs, please see our Adoption guidelines and application.
Welcome!
Greater California German Shepherd Rescue is an all volunteer group dedicated to rescuing German Shepherd Dogs from unacceptable situations and finding them permanent, loving homes with qualified owners.
We serve the Greater Sacramento, Central San Joaquin Valley down to Merced, the North Bay and occasionally parts of the East Bay, including area codes 209, 707, 916, parts of 530 and, to a lesser extent, area codes 510 and 925. We don't adopt out or state or outside of our areas, and we require a home visit from one of our volunteers before placing a dog.
To find out how you can help us in these efforts, please see our How to Help section, where you'll find information about donating, volunteering, and fostering. We also have opportunities for Sponsoring a dog.
If you are interested in adopting one of our German Shepherds, please see the Dogs section for listings of adoptable dogs and our Calendar for a schedule of our Adoption events. The first step toward adopting one of our dogs is to fill out an Adoption Questionnaire. Click here for our Adoption Questionnaire (pdf).
See us also on Petfinder.
Can You Help Geneva?
**Update!** (12/2/08)
Geneva went in for her surgery around the first of November, and just had her 3-week checkup right before Thanksgiving. Our fabulous vet, Dr Dave Petrunich, opted for two screws instead of a plate, since it would involve less cutting into the muscle and less chance of affecting the sciatic nerve. When Geneva was x-rayed at her 3-week check, one of the wires holding the screws in place had broken. We're waiting to see if she'll need a follow up surgery to fix that. Meanwhile, she continues to improve slowly, and gradually uses her leg a little more each week. She will go back in for another 3-week checkup, and see how she's doing at that time. Once the pelvis was pulled back into place, her hip joint looked pretty decent. We won't know if she'll need the FHO surgery for a while yet.
Geneva's super-sweet personality is starting to shine. She's very sweet and friendly to everyone she meets, wagging her tail continually while getting attention. She's been very good with other dogs so far with the exception of a rude young male, and she just wanted him to leave her alone. She's on the quiet side at this point, seems to be a very gentle girl, and is happy to hang out in her spot most of the day. She's completely housebroken and almost trustworthy loose in the house. She's still a youngster and needs an eye kept on her upon occasion. While she's fine riding inside a vehicle, understandably she wants nothing to do with them when she's outside one. Smart girl!
New pictures coming soon!
Geneva's story:
This scared, very sweet little girl is Geneva. She's about 18 months old and has a severely broken pelvis from being hit by a car. She was found lying alongside the road and taken to Merced Co, where she was unclaimed as a stray.
Through the generous help of the Merced volunteers, she was taken to Valley Vet Hospital in Merced and given pain meds and had an x-ray taken. We then took her to our vet for more x-rays, antibiotics and more pain meds, and discovered the break is right at the hip joint, and she needs a plate put in her pelvis to hold the two pieces of bone together.
Amazingly enough, this brave little girl could actually stand on her rear legs and felt like moving around a little when we got her home to take pictures. Her poor legs and chin were also horribly scraped up from the encounter, yet she never made a sound.
The surgery to put in the plate will cost around $1000, even at a very generous discount from Bradshaw Vet Clinic in Elk Grove. Once her pelvis heals, she'll then need FHO surgery for around another $1000 to prevent the top of the femur from grinding painfully against the healed bone since the socket will no longer be smooth. We need donations to our Rainbow Fund to help pay for it!
Please help us help Geneva and sign up to Sponsor her or donate to our Rainbow Fund!
Thank you!
Sponsored by: Flavia & Matt Davis; Brent T.; Pete & Karin O.
About German Shepherds
German Shepherds aren't for everyone. They're big, energetic dogs with long tails, and can clear a coffee table with one swipe. They have a lot of hair with a double coat, and that means they shed year round - and they shed a LOT.
They're active, alert, assertive, noisy and mouthy. They take work - a LOT of work. They need socialization, leadership, exercise and a job, or they'll find their own amusements, usually by chewing, digging, barking or escaping. They tend to get territorial and protective.
If you don't mind all that, if you understand and love the breed, and are willing to put the necessary work into one, you'll end up with a very intelligent, very devoted, and very responsible member of the family. There isn't a finer family dog or for all-around purposes than a good German Shepherd who is well trained and well socialized.
"The German Shepherd Dog is known throughout the world for his uncanny intelligence and faithfulness. This versatile breed has well-earned the reputation as family companion, guide dog, police dog, and, of course, herder."
– American Kennel Club
Donate
Our rescue dogs need vaccinations and other preventive care, and some need more extensive treatment. When we have more dogs than foster homes, we need to board some dogs in commercial kennels. Since our adoption fee covers less than half of our costs per dog, we need revenue from other sources. Checks, cash, and dog supplies are always helpful. Easiest of all, you can donate directly from this Web page, using PayPal!
Thank you! Greater California German Shepherd Rescue is a public nonprofit (501c3) charitable organization, and your donations are tax deductible.
We also need a variety of supplies, including dog bowls and leashes. We are short on German Shepherd-size dog crates and choke, prong, and flat collars. We need camping canopies and a small trailer to support our adoption events. Donated supplies can be dropped off at our Adoption Days or by appointment, and we'll send you a thank-you note for your records.
Adoption Days
First Saturday of every month in Modesto:
Petsmart
2100 McHenry Ave
Modesto, CA 95350
(209) 574-0441
Second Saturday of every month in Vacaville:
PetSmart
210 Nut Tree Pkwy
Vacaville, CA 95687
(707) 448-1872
Third Saturday of every month in Sacramento:
Petsmart
10830 Olson Drive
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
(916) 851-1813
See additional information and directions on our Calendar page.