Dogs XL Rescue

Once again this year, in memoriam to Dogs XL alum Maggie, Harborside Mobile Vet will match all donations to the Delta Humane Society up to $2500 now through Friday December 30. This is a rescue that doesn't even get $100/month in donations....yet they have about 3-5 litters of puppies dumped on them per week since intact dogs run loose down in that area. This rescue only sends dogs and pups and cats up to the North East because they know people will take better care of them. So please, in Maggie's memory, donate a dollar to this rescue, donate ten. It will all be matched and we can make this a fabulous holiday season for a rescue and their dogs who are doing a lot with a whole lot of nothing. Please see Maggie's inspirational story below, and consider donating:

Although Dogs XL has suspended operations for the time being, our dogs continue to leave pawprints on the hearts of their adopters. They inspire as rescue dog ambassadors. Our partner shelters still need your support so they can keep helping dogs in need. The Delta Humane Society (DHS) in Louisiana, which sent hundreds of dogs and puppies to Dogs XL over the years, manages to do so much with so little. Sadly, sometimes the hardships these dogs suffer early in life result in chronic illness that shortens their lives even after they find loving forever homes. This was the case for Maggie, originally from DHS, who was adopted by one of our partner vets in 2018 and sadly passed away this past weekend. In her memory, her adopter will match all donations to DHS made between now and Sunday 12/19. Please consider sharing some holiday cheer with the dogs and puppies at DHS this holiday season.
Your donations go directly to supplying these dogs with food and medical care.

Delta Humane Society of Louisiana
PayPal email is [email protected]
318-303-1448
165 Covington Rd.
Raysville, LA. 71269
In memory of Maggie Hawkins. Surrender date 3/22/2018.
Gotcha date 7/5/2018

Maggie's story in the words of her adopter:
One week ago today, I didn't know I would be taking my last hike with my beloved angel rescue dog Maggie. All I knew was that I was stressed out by Christmas and figuring out how to get everything done. But now nothing matters but the sheer pain in my heart her departure has made.
Maggie came up from Louisiana April 2018 with six three week old puppies and severe heartworm disease at the age of 3. The Delta Humane Society of Louisiana was able to get her to Dogs XL rescue in Maryland. I treated almost all their heartworm dogs. I met Maggie July 5 2018 and it was love at first sight. Her foster dropped her off with me for the night because she needed two deep intramuscular back injections of immiticide 24 hours apart. Maggie stayed in our house and I contacted the foster that night because I just couldn't let her go. The foster was thrilled because she had too many dogs and it seemed like Maggie just wanted to sleep in the bedroom with someone and just be loved.
Maggie was the first dog to break the no dogs on the couch rule. It was a good way for her to recover from heartworm disease and then three months later, her spay. Her health came back and so did her exercise tolerance. She was the best dog to walk on a leash...stayed out in front with slight easy pressure on the leash and kept the lab and the boxer in order.
I put a lot of miles on those pads.
In April of this year, I was training a new technician and used Maggie to pull blood from. I was shocked when it showed she had protein losing nephropathy. I had to work on getting her off carprofen to treat the pain in her old broken hip from her prior life. I had to work on getting her on the meds and the kidney food. But it just wasn't enough.
On Tuesday she started coughing and acting weird enough that by that evening we scheduled an emergency heart ultrasound for her Wednesday at 4:30. We got the bad news that she had thrown a clot to her lungs. Hospitalization for 48 hours was advised in order to give the meds a chance to work while keeping her comfortable on oxygen. I knew it was a grave prognosis.
On Friday, there was no improvement. I wanted her to pass away at home or in the Element (the dog car)...places she knew and would not feel anxious in her final moments. It would be iffy to get her home just because of how compromised she was. We loaded up her favorite chaise couch cushion and took off. The emergency euthanasia drugs were also loaded...just in case they were needed during the car ride.
She got loaded into the Element and you could see the look of relief in her eyes. I laid unsafely on the cushion while holding her and supporting her through the turns. We got home and Vinnie (the lab, her hiking buddy) was thrilled to see her. We got her back onto her favorite place on the couch. She was relieved and slept peacefully on and off for five hours.
Unfortunately, we had to euthanize Maggie around 10 pm that night. In a moment of clarity that can come to someone in their final moments on earth, she ate all of her pills in a pill pocket, ate half can of her favorite thing, cat food, and had a few laps of water. The first she had eaten since Wednesday afternoon. Then she started panting heavily (which she had done in the ER right before having diarrhea each night) and Ken carried her outside. We all stood with her as she took in her last breaths of winter air, unbeknownst to us. As Ken carried her inside and laid her on the couch, she struggled to breathe and her tongue turned blue. It was then we ended her struggle.
She had to suffer three years of a horrible life to live in glory with us for 3 1/2 years. We will miss her terribly.
In her honor and in the honor of any rescue dog you have been blessed to have in your life, please donate to the Delta Humane Society of Louisiana. Since discovering her old records and seeing that is where she was dumped, it is the only thing that has stopped my crying since Wednesday.
Thank you all,
Dr. Hawkins

To our incredible supporters, adopters, volunteers, alumni, and friends —

This is not a message we ever hoped to write, but like everyone else, the past year has been one of much uncertainty and struggle for Dogs XL’s leadership, foster families, and volunteers. The COVID-19 pandemic has made rescue increasingly difficult by impeding transport, reducing donation volumes, and increasing application processing workloads, among other challenges. We are so happy to see that so many families have sought to give dogs in need great homes, and we’ve had some wonderful success stories over the past year - undoubtedly a very bright spot in a very dark time. However, our core team is made up of a small number of volunteers and we have faced no shortage of difficulty, stress, loss and heartbreak over the past year. Rescue work is hard, emotional work and burnout is extremely common in all nonprofit organizations. The average lifespan of a nonprofit is a mere 7 years. Dogs XL has made it 10.5 years and we are incredibly proud of the important work we’ve done for more than a decade. However, at this time, Dogs XL is in the process of suspending operations and shuttering our organization.

Our director founded Dogs XL in 2011 to fill a hole - large and extra large dogs were being left behind in shelters by local rescue organizations who had neither the expertise nor the resources to care for the big guys, so she stepped in. Over the last 10 years, Dogs XL has saved over 3,000 dogs and we are deeply proud of the impact Dogs XL has had both on the rescue community at large (pun intended) and in the lives of the gentle giants we have rescued.

Dogs XL has been a special place not only for our dogs, but for the humans who have made the rescue what it is - every single person who has donated money, services, and time coordinating all the admin work behind the scenes, is an indispensable part of this community. Dogs XL is so much more than a rescue organization - it’s a family. While we will never have the words to fully express our gratitude to everyone who has supported us over the last decade, we will start with this: thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

At this time, we have stopped intaking animals and are actively seeking adoptive homes and/or alternative rescue placement for all of our remaining dogs. Rest assured that they will be well cared for and any recent donations received will be put to good use ensuring our remaining Dogs XL’ers have appropriate care both now and until they have found their forever homes. If you are interested in adding to your family or helping us network our remaining dogs, attached are the photos and profiles of the adoptable dogs remaining in our care who are seeking adoptive homes or rescue placement.

We are hopeful that in the years to come, after we all have had a chance to rest and recover, Dogs XL may come back better and stronger than ever! In the meantime, many of us will continue our rescue work in a more limited capacity with other organizations to save the big guys because as you all undoubtedly know, once you start working in rescue, your heart is in it forever.

Please share your stories and photos with us as we remember the many incredible triumphs and happy tails our organization has orchestrated over the last several years! We can’t do the math, but if we added up the weight of all the dogs we’ve saved in the last 10 years, we’re sure it amounts to something more than worth celebrating!

Until we meet again,
The Board of Dogs XL Rescue