Carolina Poodle Rescue - SOS

Vinnie is a very large (a solid 80 pounds!) Golden Retriever–Standard Poodle mix who’s been with us since February 2024.

He arrived full of beans—bouncing, flopping, spinning, and oozing personality. Vinnie is peak goofball. He loves to run (not gracefully), play fetch (sort of—he often loses the ball), and gallop around with his BFF Bonnie the pit bull. Together they are a two-dog comedy show, and we are the lucky audience.

Now let’s clear something up: Vinnie is not your typical “doodle.” He is big. He is bouncy. He is not particularly coordinated. Did we mention he is not graceful? Good. Because he’s not. But he is full of joy and has a knack for making his caregivers smile. Nine times out of ten, Vinnie is an absolute delight.

As for the other 1/10? Well, that usually comes out around food. Vinnie takes meals very seriously, and he can get a little intense about it. At 80 pounds, that’s something we’re mindful of, but with the right handling and consistency, he’s done great in our care.

Vinnie joined our sanctuary program so we could give him just that—consistency, routine, and a whole lot of love. One day, the right person will fall for his oversized personality and hilarious antics. Until then, Vinnie’s got friends to romp with and toys to lose, and he’s doing just fine.

Smooth coat edition!

Mindy was originally born to a stray mother that had been found in early spring of 2020!

Mindy was adopted and returned in winter of 2021 due to no fault of her own.
Mindy is a shy girl with a loud bark, she is scared of most things and weary to trust.
She loves her frequent caregiver and loves living among our poodles and poodle mixes in sanctuary.

Buddy is part of a group of feral dogs we rescued in the summer of 2021. Most of these dogs are still wary of human contact, but they needed our help. They had been living freely on the property of an elderly woman, roaming happily—until they started wandering into a neighboring yard. Tragically, the neighbors began using the dogs for target practice. It’s heartbreaking, we know.

Originally a pack of twelve, eight now live with us as part of our sanctuary program. The ones who adapted to companion pet life were adopted. Those that did not seek out being companion animals stayed.

They’ve slowly adapted to life on the farm. Their routine is simple and comforting: wake up at 8:00 AM, breakfast by 10:00, afternoons spent sunbathing in the yard, dinner at 6:00 PM, and quiet nights in their crates. Despite this structured and peaceful life, only three of them allow us to touch them.

Humans failed them once—but here, they’ve been given the chance to simply exist, safely and freely. They are content, and most importantly, they feel secure.

For those we can touch—like Buddy—we see something more. We see hope. We see gratitude.