Petropolis

Adoptions
Pawtropolis strives to make an impact on the lives of our animal community, not only by offering you ways to pamper your pet, but also by pampering those pets that have yet to find their own parents. Following are pictures and descriptions of animals available for adoption that currently call Pawtropolis home. Stop by anytime for a visit. You can also help by donating much needed items like cat litter, dog beds and toys, money and more.

Though Pawtropolis rescues all breeds, large or small, we work extensively with Dalmatian and greyhound rescue. If you are interested in either of these breeds but do not see any listed, please feel free to contact us.

Donations & Sponsorship
Helping Paws relies on the donations of our customers and supporters, adoption fees, and a portion of Pawtropolis profits to fund our rescue efforts. We make sure all animals are fully up-to-date on all vaccines, spayed/neutered, heartworm negative and whatever else they may need to make sure they are 100% healthy and ready for a home. Many people help by donating old dog beds, toys, rawhides, food (we feed Nutro Natural Choice Chicken and Rice) and much more. Do you feel especially attached to one of the animals below? If so you can sponsor that animal. For a $50.00 donation we will list you as the sponsor of the animal. Your name or business name will appear on the web site and any adoption flyers created. If you would like to make a monetary donation or sponsor an animal for Helping Paws Rescue, you may do so by clicking the link below. The animals of Helping Paws Rescue thanks you.

You may also donate a sturdy Kuranda bed. These beds last for a long time, meaning that many many foster animals will make good use of them before they have to be replaced. We only need about 10 of the beds total, since they will stay at Pawtropolis and not be sent home with the foster once adopted. They will only be used for foster dogs/cats, never for customer pets. So a donation of a Kuranda bed goes to great use. Click on the happy dog on his bed to be directed to the site that offers the "Donate a Bed" program.

"Finding Fido"

The number one reasons dogs are surrendered to the pound is "behavioral problems." Complaints range from anything from barking too much or having too much energy. What most people don't realize is that finding the right dog for you isn't just about looks it's a science. Finding the right dog for your family will mean a better life-long relationship and less work on the part of the owner. This is why Pawtropolis has created a class called "Finding Fido." This class, designed by Tamela Boyd, helps education people before they adopt or buy a dog. She will help you understand which dog would be best for you. Topics covered include:

Mixed breed or pure breed? Which one to choose?
What should I know about the breed I choose?
What should I know before adopting a mixed breed?
Should I get a puppy or adult?
How does my personality and life style affect choosing a dog?
How do I recognize the dog with the perfect personality for me?

You can also sign up for extra help....

Recognizing a quality breeder.
Narrowing your search.
Contacting a breeder or rescue group in our area.
Assessing the temperament of a puppy from the breeder, rescue group or animal control.

Class is offered every Sunday with pre-registration. It starts at 3:00, lasts between 1-2 hours and is $20*. Class or stop by Pawtropolis to register.

*We encourage all people wanting to adopt from Helping Paws Rescue to attend this class. If you do, you will receive $10 off your adoption fee.

Dogs
Dogs can only be adopted to homes where they can live primarily indoors. We do not allow the use of pens, runners or any free roaming. If you are interested in any of the dogs pictured, email us to request an application or stop by and visit.

Rosalie
Rosalie is a little chihuahua. She is an absolute sweetheart. She just runs around jumping on people's laps and greeting everyone with a wagging tail. Unlike most chihuahuas I've met, she doesn't even mind getting her toenails trimmed. The only thing we've found she doesn't like so far is being left alone in her crate. However, once she learns that she is okay, I'm sure she will learn to stay calm and relax even in her crate. We've only known her for a short while, so we will update as we get more information.

Sponsored, and named, by the students of Clarke Middle School!!
Way to go!!

Maple
Maple got her name because she’s sweet and sticky. Maple is about 1 year old and weighs about 35lbs and seems to be a mix of quite a few breeds. Maple’s idea of the perfect home would be one where she can pretend she’s a lap dog. She loves to put her front half in your lap and the rest of her in the air (since it won’t fit). Maple is a silly, silly dog who loves ALL humans no matter what size. She is quite the clown when you get home, pouncing and bowing while dashing around doing her “happy dance”. Maple was abandoned by her family when they moved out of their rental house. She was on her own for a few weeks and was found on an elementary school playground where she had entertained the children for several days.

Trainer and foster mom Tamela Boyd is working with Maple on her doggie social skills. Maple LOVES dogs she trusts, but does not trust any dog she doesn’t know. She shows her distrust and fear with a growl and a snap. If the dog reacts, she continues, if the dog ignores her, she soon calms down. She has had a very difficult time blending in with the other two dominant females in her foster home, but the easy going foster brother Murphy and she have become best friends. (Murphy’s even teaching her to point, although she’s not sure why they’re pointing.) Maple would do great in a home where the other dog is either submissive, or calm and easy going. Being an only dog in an active family home would be perfect for her too.

Sponsored by Toni Pomerene!!

Icelynn
This sweet girl is a Dalmatian mix rescued all the way from Murray County Animal Control. We don’t normally travel that far for anyone, but there was something about this young lady that made her special. Additionially, she had an angel (Miss Hamilton) looking out for her all the way down in Florida, so we knew we had to save her. We estimate that Icelynn was born sometime last summer, which would make her around 6 months old.

Even at her young age, she seems to already know some basic obedience. She always sits before being fed, receiving a treat, being leashed up, walking through doors, or crossing the street. She quickly learned that a polite sit is the best way to get what she wants. She is also learning other commands such as “wait”, “stay”, and “down” but those are taking a little longer. She really enjoys going on walks and prances along right beside you. We do use a training collar on her walks, but she rarely needs correction. She’s a fast learner and only needs to be told “no” once to prevent any unwanted behavior. She would be a wonderful dog to take through an obedience class!
She’s also well on her way to being potty-trained but, like any other puppy, needs a regular routine with frequent potty breaks to prevent accidents, at least until she is adjusted to her new home. She can already sleep through the night in her crate and is nearly crate-trained. She is often found snuggled-up in her crate for some downtime during the day. She has not yet been cat-tested; however, she is so easy-going and polite that she should learn to respect her feline friends.

Icelynn is perfect in every way except for her eyes. The last week of December she was rushed to the UGA Vet Teaching Hospital because we noticed her right eye was turning blue. After a lot of tests and vet visits, the most likely diagnosis is uveitis caused by an allergic reaction to the adenovirus portion of her vaccine. Uveitis is basically swelling of the eye and it can be very painful. She is currently on very expensive medicine that alleviates some of the pain and controls the symptoms. Her eye is improving, but she will remain on these eye drops for quite some time. She will continue to need two of the less expensive medications the rest of her life to keep her eyes moist since her tear production has been negatively affected. Please consider a special donation to help cover Icelynn’s medical costs.
Even though Icelynn may come with a little financial baggage, she is more than worth it. She is a favorite among the ophthalmology department at the vet school because of her impeccable behavior and forgiving nature. Everyone quickly falls in love with her. Icelynn is so calm, well-balanced, and absolutely adorable that she would be the perfect addition to any loving home.

Sponsored by Karen Hamilton!!
Additional Sponsors to help with her medical costs:
-In Memory of Meredith (What a great loss)
-"Moonpie" and Ms. Townsell
-LaVonda Cheek

(if I am missing anyone, please email me and let me know. Thanks to everyone that helped her.)

Eli-Adopted!!
Eli is a purebred miniature poodle. He is a sweetheart. We guess that he is about 7 years old and only weighs about 8lbs. He plays great with every size dog but has really fallen in love with his foster mom’s 60lb Border collie mix.

He’s favorite activities are running full speed through the house, finding new stuff animals to play with and then snuggling close to his foster siblings. He really acts more like a puppy that is just now discovering the world. He is a little timid at first but warms up after a little reassurance. You will fall in love once you see his little under bite and his silly personality.

Sponsored by "Ody" Farnsworth!!

Carter
This beautiful English Setter is only one year old. His birthday is October 15, 2006. He was picked up from animal control looking like a skeleton; he is nothing but skin in bones. We are working on getting him healthy. Other than his weight, fortunately, he is healthy in all other areas. He is so handsome and will look even cuter once he fills out. He has the most sad, endearing eyes. He is such an even tempered dog.

He already has some obedience training. He knows how to sit, down and walks nicely on a leash. He seems very interested in cats. Since he is still new to us, we haven’t fully cat tested him yet.
We will update his bio as we learn more about him.

Sponsored by Jill & Joey Phellan!!

Johnny-Adopted!!
Johnny is a young guy. We estimate his birth date to be in March of ‘07. He weighs about 48lbs and will fill out to be around 50-60lbs full grown. We guess he is an American bulldog/pointer mix, but it is hard to tell for sure.

Johnny is a fun loving dog. He loves to play fetch and absolutely adores squeaky toys. He does wonderful with other dogs and loves every person he meets. Johnny is a moderate to high energy dog, but since he leans to the submissive side, he will be easy to train and acclimate to your family. He is well mannered on the leash and we are working with him on the basics, such as; sit, down and stay. We highly recommend crate-training so that his curious nature doesn’t get him in trouble by chewing the wrong things.

Sponsored by Keri Goodman!

Sassy
Sassy’s mom was found, already pregnant, back in April. Her mom is a long-haired black lab mix with a VERY sweet disposition. Sassy’s litter was born at Pawtropolis on June 14th. Their coloring suggests that their dad may have been a pointer mix, but it’s impossible to know for sure.

Sassy is a puppy that lives up to her name. She has to be one of the happiest puppies. She will even do a little dance when she is excited to see you. She is very wiggley and most of the time can't decide whether she would like to sit on your lap or play with her friends. She is everyone's best friend at Pawtropolis, and she greets everyone and makes them feel welcome. She knows how to sit, shake and lay down, she also loves her crate and will bring all her toys inside it. Since Sassy is very active (and quite the morning dog) she would do very well with someone who likes to run. She also gets along with cats (tries to get them to play) and other dogs. She has the funniest personality and is a bit of a clown. And not to forget those "Bette Davis" eyes of hers, which makes her very unique.

Sponsored by "Sister" Farnsworth! Thanks!!

Gabe-Adopted!!
Hey, I'm Gabe. You may remember me as the cute little puppy. Well, now I am three months old and all well from a bout with mange. I started in Pawtropolis day care and I'm all potty trained and crate trained. I have learned to sit and lay down. I love chasing leaves in the back yard and cuddling with humans. As a puppy, I have tons of energy but still take several naps. Fetch is my favorite game.

I let you know every time I need to go outside and when I am hungry. I have learned the microwave is a dog food producing machine. With two older foster brothers I have learned to play nice and respectful. I am very interested in cats as potential playmates but I'm a little afraid of them still. I think my dog parents were shepard and a bit of husky. Who cares. I'll weight around 25 pounds and be your best friend for life. I will need a bit more training to make sure I know all the rules of life. I look forward to meeting my new humans!

Sponsored on behalf of Walton EMC Member Services! Thanks for the community support!

Drake
We estimate Drakes birthday to be September 13, 2006. This would put him about 1-year old right now. He appears to be a Great Dane, German shepherd, shar pei mix. He weighs just at 70lbs full grown.

Drake is a special needs case. Though he is an amazing dog with a long list of great qualities, he is very insecure with new people. This insecurity often comes out in the form of growling. He is already housetrained, good with cats, well-mannered, graduated from obedience class and has many more good qualities.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTION:
We will only adopt Drake to someone that is very skilled at handling large dogs and has obedience training experience. They need to be willing to continue to work with us after adoption to ensure a good transition into his new home. Therefore they will need to live near the Athens area.

Sponsored by previous foster dog "Fred"!!!

Berkley
We estimate Berkley to be about 5 years old. He is a spunky little terrier mix weighing about 35lbs. He has the most adorable scruffy little face. Berkley loves other dogs (of all sizes) and is a friend to every person he meets. He does seem to think that it is fun to "herd" young children and nip at their heels, so we want him to go to a home without very young children. He also thinks that cats are fun to chase (a common terrier trait) so no cats either.

Berkley is a great little dog. He is already housetrained and has a good energy level. He enjoys playing but will settle right down when it is time to just hang out and watch TV. He loves playing with toys and can entertain himself by throwing toys in the air and trying to catch them. He is a fun dog to watch and play with.

Sponsored by the Handy Gang!!

Otto
Meet Otto. Otherwise known as "otto otto otto otto" What a smart guy he is. Have you ever met a demon Dachshund? Well Otto was once one of those but is now born again. His foster mom has succeeded in rehabilitating him. He now sits and waits at doors, waits politely for food, walks nicely on a leash after only a few reminders,is crate trained, and has recently mastered down and stay. (Not an easy task for a breed who thinks they're already down.) Otto now attends doggie daycare. His favorite friend is one who will play tag. Otto literally tags you (or a friend) and rushes off hoping you'll follow.

Otto is hoping to go to a home that will continue him on his road to success by making him follow house rules 100% of the time. An owner willing to carry his education on will be rewarded by little Otto hugs (he hugs you back with his neck on your shoulder) and endless games of tag and keep away. Otto's adorable overbite gives him a unique profile and his habit of tucking in his hind legs before sitting down, makes him a goofy little clown of a man. Otto is a gem whose time has come to shine. His ideal home would be one with another young dog to play with.

**Otto is through another rescue group, however, his foster mom is Helping Paws Supervisor Billie Rae King so he comes to doggie daycare very frequently and we can set-up a meeting here at the facility. You'll just want to call ahead of time.

Bernard-"I am super cool!"
We estimate Bernard to be a little under 2-years old. He appears to maybe be a Dalmatian/whippet mix, but he is probably a mix of quite a few things. Bernard is a petite boy only weighing about 39lbs. He is completely white except for a few tiny brown spots on his ears and one on his back.

Bernard is a funny but interesting dog. To outsiders he is a shy insecure dog. He is afraid to walk up to new people and weary in new situations. However, once this boy trusts you it is a whole different story. He is goofy and fun, at the same time he is very regal and poised. His favorite thing in the world to do is play with other dogs and to play with toys. Another dog in the home makes him overcome his trust issues much quicker.

He is crate-trained and will go right "to bed" with a command. Everything is new to him, but he is a quick learner and always aims to please. We’ve taught him how to walk properly on the leash and he really enjoys going for walks. He is also already housetrained, knows how to sit, down and wait to go through doors and eat.

Sponsored by employee Sara Beth Moore and UGA's Delta Zeta!

Prissy
Okay, we really need your help with this precious girl. She had a loving owner. Unfortunately, due to age, her owner passed away. We got her when she was about 10-years old and proceeded to find a home for her to retire. We found a wonderful older gentleman who was looking for a quite sweet dog to spend time with him. It was a great match. We are very sad to say that only 3-monts after adopting Prissy, he passed away as well. His family said that Prissy would lay by his side on his bed all day. Prissy has been there to help others during such a sad time, it is now her turn to find a home where she can live out the rest of her life.

She is very spunky for her age. She will occassionally get a pep of energy and seem like a little puppy. She loves to go for walks. Prissy isn't excited to meet a ton of people. This puts off people as they come to visit her, she just wants to get out the door. I often think she is wanting to go back to the home that she knows. However, once she knows you are her owner, she transfers this loyalty to them. In her old age, she isn't a fan of rowdy puppies or young children (though she will do fine with kids that are respectful of her.)

I picture her perfect home being one that is relatively quiet with someone that enjoys taking the occassionally walks, lounging around and living the good life. She seems to be a poodle, bichon mix, weighing about 25lbs full grown.

Sponsored by LaVonda Cheek!

Reo-Adopted!
Reo is a wonderful Boston Terrier mix (Dalmatian or pointer we think) who was rescued from the Athens pounds just in the nick of time. She is a small girl, only about 28lbs. For quite a few months now she has been waiting patiently for her new family while all the younger dogs were adopted into their new homes. Perhaps Reo is the dog for you. Even at the age of six, she is in perfect shape and as athletic as dogs half her age. Don’t let her age deter you; if provided proper exercise and nutrition, dogs her size can live up to 20!

If you have an active lifestyle, providing adequate exercise won’t be a problem because she would make the perfect jogging partner. Additionally, with her love for toys, she’s more than willing to play fetch in a yard for hours. She’s eager to please and would excel at agility or flyball. At just shy of 30 pounds, she’s more than happy to fill the niche of the bigger (and more slobbery!) breeds such as retrievers while taking up much less space. She’s housetrained, sits on command, and walks nicely on the leash, especially if you establish yourself as the leader from the beginning. More than anything, she would love to have a family that meets her exercise and nutrition needs while allowing her to live inside and participate in all that family has to offer.

Little did we know this girl was squeaky toy crazy. The minute we found a toy, she could not contain her excitement. She would sit and try really hard to be patient, but her whole body would shake with excitement, as she would bite at the air towards the toy. She is a great catcher. She will make a spectacular jump in the air to catch the toys.

Family Requirements:
Reo can only go to a home where she will be allowed to live inside and be part of the family.

Sponsored by Ms. Thurmond (Millstream Properties) and "Boss" & "Crystal"!

Safe Harbor Rescue
Safe Harbor Rescue is the rescue of owner Amanda's sister Angel. The dogs listed here are not at the Pawtropolis facility, nor can Pawtropolis give you any details about these animals. You will need to contact Safe Harbor Rescue directly for any information.

Farragon
Poor Farragon has been in rescue for a while. He is an alpha dog that loves people and is not food aggressive with people. Not sure yet how he does with other dogs. We guess he would do well with submissive dogs, but would probably try to challenge another dominant dog. He is very sweet and just wants to be someone's buddy. If you are interested in Farragon or have more questions, email Brenda Prince at papa47@gmail.com.

Cats
Cats can only be adopted to indoor homes and to families that will promise not to have them declawed.

Della
Della is about 3 years old. She is a sweet petite cat. Della may sometimes act aloof, but she cannot hide her enjoyment of being loved on and petted. She will start purring and raising her back to reach your hand. She doesn’t just dote on anyone. Della will sometimes play hard to get, but the second you start petting her she loves it. Though she will always be a little shy when company comes over and such, she will be a great low-maintenance companion for a loving family.

Sponsored by Arianna Kimbler! Thanks!

Reno
Reno is about 4 years old. We actually had Reno and her sister in our adoption program about 2 years ago until they were adopted together into a great home. Unfortunately, their owner had to go over seas for the military, leaving them homeless again. Despite all of his efforts to find them a home, they had to come back here to us.

Reno is the lap cat. She doesn’t mind being picked up and loves to watch out the window. Reno is the sweetie sister and prefers to be near her human. While she’s not as brave as her sister, once Reno knows you. . . she loves you.
She does great with other cats and isn’t too bothered by “cat-savy” dogs. They are low-maintenance friendly girls that just want a house they can feel safe comfortable and loved.

Their adoption fee is $75.00 for one or $125.00 for both. Though we would absolutely love for them to be placed together (they still cuddle and groom each other) we understand how difficult that would be and are willing to let them be separated if that is what is best to find them a home. They are indoor only cats and their new owners cannot have them de-clawed.

Sponsored by the Phelan's!

Roxy
Roxy is about 4 years old. We actually had Roxy and her sister in our adoption program about 2 years ago until they were adopted together into a great home. Unfortunately, their owner had to go over seas for the military, leaving them homeless again. Despite all of his efforts to find them a home, they had to come back here to us.

Roxy is quite the diva. When she wants attention, she isn’t shy at all to ask for it, or even demand it. Like a typical diva, Roxy does not care for people who vi for her attention and prefers those who let her make the first move. She is the brave sister, however, and will explore new surroundings quickly. A game of “chase the little red bug” (lazer) is her favorite form of exercise.
She does great with other cats and isn’t too bothered by “cat-savy” dogs. They are low-maintenance friendly girls that just want a house they can feel safe comfortable and loved.

Sponsored by the Phelan's!

Not what you're looking for?
Click on the links below to find more animals in the area that are available for adoption.