Dropped off by a good samaritan who found him eating trash behind Sam’s Club, Willie was nothing more than skin and bones. At first we assumed this was due to the fact that he was a starving stray. But, we soon realized it was more than that. Willie was having a hard time keeping his meals down. 

BDAR pup, Annie Oakley, birthed 7 puppies overnight Monday and early Tuesday morning. An x-ray revealed that a puppy was stuck in her birth canal and another 1-2 were behind it.

We did not hesitate to accept Tank into our rescue and take him out of the neglectful hands of his breeder. However, we do not have the resources to help a special dog like Tank but our rescue community does. Our first priority was getting him to a veterinarian and making sure he got antibiotics for his skin infection.

Amy and Steve Nelson have reached a milestone in their fostering career! They have their 100th foster dog, Bashful, with no signs of stopping. As one of BDAR’s veteran foster homes, the Nelson’s have seen it all. Their foster experience spans all possibilities from size, age, temperament, length-of-stay and so on. However, early on in their fostering journey, they discovered a niche. They gravitate toward fostering the “more difficult” pups – often the ones that are scared of people and need a little more patience.

As I stood there with my friends and fellow dog handlers I knew that this was a moment that I forever wanted to remember. It was a feeling that I wish I could hold onto indefinitely. Like a hug, I squeezed the moment as tight and for as long as I could, because I knew it would only last for a brief time.

To help us all work together to prevent homeless and stray pets, we want to share these tips about common animal related issues you might encounter. By supporting animals in these situations, we can ensure animal control can focus on cases of animal abuse, neglect, and public safety; and allow the shelter to provide critical care to seriously injured or dangerous animals, while also hopefully avoiding a stressful and scary experience for animals.

The second annual WyoGives Day is just a week away and I got to spend part of the day today attending proclamation readings from Governor Gordon, Mayor Collins, and Laramie County Commissioner Malm. It was an opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends for the first time in many long months and I came away from those gatherings renewed in my faith, support, and enthusiasm for all those who work, volunteer in, and support the nonprofit sector. Commissioner Malm in particular relayed a poignant story from late last year that really exemplifies the way our sector works and cares for our communities. I’ll share it with you here, but understand my version is not a direct quote.

Kaitlin Whitman: I’m sitting here with Kevin O’Hare and we have three kittens climbing all over us. We’re here to talk about Kevin’s generous donation to BDAR to upgrade Kitty City with brand new cat condos that now live across from the suites we recently had built.

So, Kevin, how are you today?

Kevin: Pretty good. I’m a lot happier with the kittens here.

Nearly 100% of the time, thrusting a dog right into the entirety of their new world sets them up for more stress at best, and trauma at worst. As a dog trainer who integrates student dogs into a pack of nine, I’ve observed it doesn't matter how seemingly outgoing or confident that new student is: there is always a decompression process. Decompression is the word we use to describe the mental and emotional processes of acclimating to new environments, people, and animals while also waiting for the body's natural stress defense systems to relax.

Tuli’s story is a testament to rescue and BDAR’s mission. But it’s also a little like my story. And isn’t it a little like yours? We’ve all had false starts, and we all deserve a chance to love and be loved, to find nourishment, and to fulfill our purpose.

For many, the year 2020 was the most devastating year of our lives, and it was no different for Sky a flat coated retriever mix that was born in January, just months prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Like many around the world she would have to fight for her life in order to survive.

A review of bills we are watching in the 2021 Wyo Legislature

Black Dog Animal Rescue (BDAR), Wyoming’s leading Socially Conscious Animal Welfare Organization, is pleased to receive a charitable gift for $50,000 by an anonymous donor. The organization plans to utilize the extraordinary gift to offset fundraising losses and continue developing plans for its onsite, publicly accessible spay and neuter clinic.

Last week during what was surely the hundred-thousandth virtual meeting of the year, I asked our board members to spend some time reflecting on the successes of 2020. In a year plagued by, well, the plague - and politics, and social unrest, and toilet paper shortages, it seemed difficult to find and remember the bright spots.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis we are evaluating our operations and the best way in which to serve our community on a day-to-day basis. Accordingly, here are our plans for the foreseeable future…

Cleo’s mom wanted to give back in honor of her very loved pup. What did Cleo love more than anything? Blankets! So, in honor of Cleo, we receive these wonderful handmade blankets each month to give out to our senior dogs. Read Cleo’s full, heartwarming tribute and see just why these blankets are so special.

Black Dog Animal Rescue (BDAR) is excited to announce it has been selected as a recipient of a $3,000 Mutts Across America: 50 States / 50 Shelters Grant from the MuttNation Foundation.

When Buddy arrived, we noticed that this little, happy go lucky pup, had a bulging eye. It looked painful and was slightly discolored. Our immediate thought was that his eye would have to be removed but first he needed to see a Veterinarian.

Last year, we completed our challenge to visit all NC State Parks and hike over 100 miles, beginning in January of 2019, and ending in November of the same year. We began our fostering experience [at BDAR] with Flint, a playful Rottweiler who was one of the sweetest, most personable dogs we took care of.

These two seemingly unrelated passions came together in a very unexpected way.  We were searching for a new challenge for 2020; something to push the boundaries of what we had accomplished, while remaining realistic from both a time and budget perspective.  We had also lamented on several occasions that we were not in a good position to foster again full-time. 

Poppie was abandoned on our doorstep early in the morning. A young female black and white cat with adorable nose freckles and soft, longish fur, Poppie had obviously recently nursed kittens as well. There was no note and no later phone call. We’ll never know where she came from. Though it may seem callous to some that she was just left here anonymously, the fact is she fared far better than most cats in her situation.