About us at SDDP

Why I do it....

My name is Redah. I am the founder/owner of SDDP. I have always been a rescuer at heart. I love animals and feel like their rights are over looked because they do not have a voice that most people understand I have always advocating for dogs. Even as a child I would bring the strays home and keep them safe until I found a good home for them. I fought people who were abusing animals. And I protected the animals when others turned their backs and walked away and ignored the issue. I believe if you have an animal they are part of the family and should be treated like one. And I believe that an animal is a forever friend. Not an until I get tired of it play toy.

Why Lindsay does it ...... I had just lost one of my fur babies to cancer and had an aging dog, Madigan, my faithful Lab mix who I'd rescued 6 years earlier. My heart was frail, but healing and I was positive that I wanted another dog; a younger dog as a companion for Maddie and to help keep her young. So off I went, one idle day in August 2009 to look for a puppy who needed a home. My heart and house were ready!

I had never owned a "Pit Bull" before, but I was a strong advocate for the breed and felt ready, willing and able to finally become the proud owner of a breed that no one seemed to want. I looked at many litters via the internet, and finally decided to go visit a pack of 6 that had been surrendered at a local shelter. I knew I wanted her the minute I laid eyes on her... She was sitting on one of her litter mate's heads as if it were the most comfortable, normal place to be... just sitting there watching the world go by. There were 3 white ones, and 3 brindle ones. She was all white with a tiny brindle patch on her back (about the size of a grapefruit), and when she saw me she fought and struggled to try to get to the front of the cage door ahead of the other puppies! She was beautiful. And cute as I'd ever seen! I filled out the paperwork, was interviewed and had to wait a few days for the staff to do a "home visit" since she was a "Pit Bull." All went well, and about 6 days later I brought this precious 13 week old puppy home with me. I named her Kinley Grace.
The first day home she ran around like any "normal" puppy. But I noticed fairly quickly that something was "different" or "off." When I left the room, if she didn't SEE me leave the room, she wouldn't follow. When I called out to her, she ignored me. I thought, "Man, this is a stubborn little thing!" I think it took me a whole 2 days to realize - Kinley Grace was deaf! She wasn't ignoring me, and she wasn't being stubborn. She couldn't hear a thing! I called the shelter and told them, and they said to bring her back and I could get another one. "What?! Bring her back?!" I kindly declined and said I just thought they should know so they could test the others to warn potential adopters. I had never even heard (no pun intended) of a deaf dog, let alone imagined adopting one. But when I make a commitment to a dog, it's for LIFE! So that day, my precious Kinley and I embarked on a journey together.
I would learn how to train a deaf dog, and she would learn how to obey commands in sign language. I bought a couple books, and spent hours on the internet researching ASL (American Sign Language)!! I used my well trained hearing dog Madigan as an aid, and taught her to "retrieve" Kinley from another room, or if she was "into something" she shouldn't be getting in to! Since Kinely cannot ever be off leash outside, I would tie her to Madigan and let her experience freedom outdoors from time to time! Madigan was (and still is) a wonderful helper. But Kinely..... my amazing, brilliant, beautiful Kinley Grace has astounded me with her fearlessness, and intelligence. She and I worked together and I can honestly say she wasn't any more "difficult" to train than the hearing dogs I'd had in the past, I just needed a bit more patience.
She is 3 years old now and just learned her 23rd sign! All the dogs I have loved in my lifetime have taught me lessons.... about life, and love, and loyalty. But my sweet Kinley Grace, who is affectionately called "Lil Pit" has, without a doubt, taught me the biggest lesson there is to learn - that our disabilities are ONLY disabilities if we allow them to be. Today she is a vibrant, happy go lucky, silly, loving, cuddle bug of a dog. She has not spent one second of her life "wishing" she could hear. And neither have I. She is my heart, and my inspiration. And she is 100% stone cold DEAF. She is the light of my life, and I know that when it's time to adopt another dog, I will surely CHOOSE a deaf one. I hope our story will encourage people to love dogs that are often deemed "unadoptable" and are killed before they ever even have a chance at their "furever" home. Won't you please give a pit bull, a deaf or blind dog, an older dog, or any "disabled" dog a chance? You might just find the love of your life. I know I did.
Very respectfully,
Lindsay Monroe, Lil Pit & pack

Why Alicia does it

From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a dog”, or, “that’s a lot of money for just a dog.” They don’t understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a dog”. Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a dog”. Many hours have passed and my only company was “just a dog”, but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a dog” and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a dog” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it’s “just a dog”, then you will probably understand phrases like “just a friend”, “just a sunrise”, or “just a promise”. “Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure, unbridled joy. “Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of “just a dog” I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog” but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. “Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a dog” but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “just a man” or “just a woman.” So the next time you hear the phrase “just a dog”, just smile, because they “just don’t understand”.

Why we network our animals.

A Dog Rescue specializing in hardship cases, deaf boxers and pit bulls. We are based in Ohio but will work with any State or Rescue. I truly believe networking and team work enables us to find homes for these dogs. By networking the dogs we get a broader audience and are able to place the dogs quicker and find more homes that have been looking for their best friend but hadn't found him/her yet.

Wish List

Towels and blankets (old or new)

Cages

Gas cards

Dog food (Pedigree)

Leashes

Collars

Toys

Cat litter

Cat food

Kongs

Bones

Flea treatment

News to share

Exciting news for Scruffy Dogs And Dirty Paws Rescue. We have been asked to partner with some terrific rescues and networks. I am so excited to be part of this. To be able to wake up every morning knowing that I am even a small part of rescuing these babies makes it all worth wild. Thank you to all who help. Thank you to the rescue's who pull. Thank you to the transporters. Thank you to the cross posters who get the word out. Without all of us working together there would be so many more lost.

To apply for fostering or adoption please use the contact page and email me and I will email the forms to you.

SDDP