I start my day waking up in my cozy cuddly blankets, taking a very big dinosaur stretch and wait for a human to bring me outside. Once outside, I sniff each blade of grass. They say to stop and smell the roses, and I would smell those too but instead I’m stopping to smell the grass. I nibble at some but the human pulls me away and I quickly go pee. But THEN I see this weird four legged small creature eating an acorn. I want to chase it! The human scolds me and we rush back inside. Once I get settled inside, I put on my biggest and cutest smile because maybe I’ll meet my furever friend today. 

Breakfast is here and I devour it! After breakfast, I see this bright round object and grab it and boy oh boy it squeaks!! Eek! A new human comes over and we play and play. We play so hard that I fall asleep with the ball in my mouth. Then the human leaves and I think I’m never going to see her again. 

When dinner comes around, I get so excited that I wiggle and I wiggle. I almost don’t wait to be told to eat! As soon as I get the go, I chow down. 

After dinner, a girl approaches me. I realize that it’s the human I thought I would never see again by sniffing every inch of her I can. I snuggle up close in her arms as she cradles me like a baby. I know she would be my furever friend right then. I gave her so many kisses I almost can’t breathe. 

She takes me to her home, and I am overwhelmed by the love that I get so excited I just run around like crazy. She calls it zoomies! We fall asleep snuggled up together. I realize it’s now my home too. I dream of treats and toys and being in her arms.

In our TLC foster homes, we’ve learned that sometimes the best way for a puppy to get the hang of things is for the resident dog to show them the ropes. We took that tried-and-true method and created a team that helps our new volunteers (the “Puppies”) by pairing them with a seasoned volunteer (the “Guide Dogs”) to show them the ropes.

Our volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. Their contributions are essential to everything we achieve. They are our foster homes, our coordinators, our application processors, our marketing teams, our school visit leaders, and everything in between. They care deeply about our mission and they drive our rescue forward. 

We make a commitment to our volunteers and ensure that every new volunteer feels supported throughout their TLC journey. Each volunteer application is processed with care and attention to detail. A member of our Guide Dogs team speaks with every applicant to get an idea of their interests and experience. Each approved applicant goes through an onboarding orientation to learn the ins and outs of our rescue. After orientation they are paired with a Guide Dog to be their first line of support. Their Guide Dog learns more about them and helps them decide what line of volunteering they want to get involved in (ex: fostering, daytime events, applications, etc). Guide Dogs are available for continued support and guidance throughout the puppy’s journey as they gain confidence in their abilities and find a pack where they can feel their impact.

We can’t let this moment go by without giving a huge shoutout to our Guide Dogs Team: Tracie (Onboarding and Training Coordinator), Kari (Volunteer Coordinator), Allison, Andrew, Beth, Carolyn, Cheryl, Christine, Dorothy, Madison, and Sue. 

As spring’s “puppy season” begins, we invite you to start your own season - as a Puppy! Take the leap into volunteering and find comfort knowing that your Guide Dog is ready to help you make the most of your interests, experience, and efforts - ultimately helping you feel more connected to your volunteer work and our rescue mission.

Seeking Happy Tail: Tool Time PUPPIES

Meet the "Tool Time" pups—six adorable Rat Terrier mixes rescued from Mississippi in early February. With their playful energy, sweet personalities, and love for snuggles, these pups are ready to build a lifetime of happiness with their forever families. Two of their siblings, Milwaukee and Rigid, have already found their homes, but Bosch, Craftsman, Dewalt, Makita, Ryobi, and Stanley are still searching for theirs. Each one has their own unique personality just waiting to shine.

Bosch – A sweet, playful girl with an easygoing personality. She’s a little timid at first but warms up with time and gives the sweetest kisses. Bosch loves zooming around the yard, bouncing on and off the couch, and curling up with her foster dad at night. She’s gaining confidence every day and is ready for a family to help her continue flourishing.

Craftsman – The social butterfly of the group! Craftsman runs to greet you with pure excitement and is the perfect balance of playful energy and loving snuggles. He adores playing with toys, zooming around with his goofy antics, and will sit nicely for a treat. His fun-loving personality will steal your heart.

Dewalt – This sweet and confident girl is always the first to greet you with a wagging tail and a big smile. She loves playing with toys, running around with her foster siblings, and soaking up human attention. Food-motivated and eager to please, Dewalt is a joy to be around.

Makita – A loving pup who enjoys people of all ages. Makita is sweet, playful, and a little shy. Her slightly uncoordinated prance—like a baby deer—only adds to her charm! She’s food-motivated and responds well to training. 

Stanley –  Stanley arrived just as joyful as his siblings, but his fosters soon noticed something wasn’t right. It turned out the entire left side of his skull had been crushed when he was just days old, causing his jawbone to fuse as he grew. Thanks to urgent care and complex reconstructive surgery, he’s finally not in pain and feeling his best!  The doctor’s said he’s healing great, and he’s ready for a loving furever home.  Amazingly through it all, he has remained full of life and love.

If you’re ready to open your heart and home to one of the "Tool Time" pups—especially our brave little Stanley—apply today. Let’s help these deserving pups find the forever families they’ve been waiting for!

On her official 2nd birthday, Chelsea has found her furever home! After an incredible 623 days, our longest resident and honorary mascot has finally landed her very own furry-tail ending.

Chelsea is one of those dogs who will always hold a special place in our hearts and fuel our mission. With her sweet, lovable personality, she brought smiles to everyone she met. Chelsea may also be one of our most expensive rescues, having undergone a revolutionary, first-of-its-kind surgery to repair a malformation in her spine. But knowing that all of our efforts have led to this very moment—giving Chelsea the loving home she has always deserved—makes every challenge along the way worth it.

Chelsea arrived at TLC on June 17th as a tiny 3-month-old pup. To the best of our knowledge, she had been discarded—shoved under the chain-link fence of a Mississippi shelter. At first, she seemed like any other puppy, but her foster noticed something wasn’t quite right. What started as a routine vet visit quickly snowballed into months of tests, specialists, and searching for answers. Between her first appointment on June 26th and finally scheduling her spinal surgery, Chelsea endured six additional vet visits across three different offices, saw two neurologists, and underwent an X-ray, two CT scans, an MRI, a spinal tap, endless tests, bloodwork, and multiple rounds of antibiotics. The heartbreaking diagnosis? A malformation in her lower spine caused by prior trauma as a puppy. Chelsea deserved better.

For over five months, we explored every possible avenue to ensure Chelsea could live a life without pain. And thanks to an outpouring of love and support, she got exactly that. In total, nearly $20,000 was invested in giving Chelsea the quality of life she so deeply deserved—a testament to our unwavering commitment to every dog that comes through our doors, no matter the obstacles they face.

None of this would have been possible without our incredible community—every single person who donated, cheered Chelsea on, and believed in her happy ending. To her loving foster family, who gave her a safe place to heal and grow, to the veterinary teams who provided expert care, and to every supporter who followed her journey, donated and sent love her way—this victory belongs to all of you. Chelsea’s story is proof that when we come together with love and determination, we can change lives. Thank you for being part of this miracle.

Seeing Chelsea showered with love, gifts, and undivided attention with her furever family fills our hearts and empowers our mission for the next dog who needs a little extra TLC.

"This is why we foster. This is why we pour our hearts and souls into these animals, only to let them go. Because in the midst of all the hardships, you find that there are good people in the world—people who remind us why this rescue work matters." —Chelsea’s foster family

Until they all have a home… Happy life sweet, lovable, floofy, resilient Chelsea. ❤️

Want to read Chelsea’s story from the beginning? Check it out here: https://www.tlcrescuepa.org/barkingback

LAST CALL FOR BASKET DONATIONS - DEADLINE IS MARCH 15th!

HELP US MAKE OUR 10TH ANNUAL RAFFLES FOR RUFFS THE BEST ONE YET!

We need YOUR help to make this year’s virtual basket raffle fundraiser a huge success! Raffles for Ruffs is a virtual basket raffle with the opportunity to win hundreds of baskets, 50/50 drawings, door prizes & incredible grand prizes! These are the faces that benefit from your basket donations!💙

How You Can Help:

• Donate a basket or item for our raffle

• Small businesses— contribute a product or service and receive promotion for your business!

• Make a monetary donation to support our rescue efforts

Why It Matters:

• Last year, we raised over $41,000, which helped us:

  • Treat heartworm-positive dogs

  • Spay/Neuter dogs and puppies

  • Provide wellness vet visits

  • Administer vaccinations

  • Continue rescuing the dogs who need us most!

Let’s make this 10th Annual Raffles for Ruffs a record-breaking success and save even MORE lives!

To donate and item or become a basket sponsor click the link below!

To provide a monetary donation for our basket items, visit donorbox.org/raffles-for-ruffs-2025

Photo Tip: Capture Awesome Action Shots of Your Dog!

1. Use Burst Mode: Hold down the shutter button to take multiple shots and pick the best one.

2. Get on Their Level: Lower angles make action shots more dynamic and exciting.

3. Good Lighting is Key: Bright natural light (morning or late afternoon) helps freeze motion.

4. Focus on the Eyes: Tap your screen to lock focus before they start moving.

5. Use a Toy or Treat: Get their attention and capture playful, mid-air moments!

Have fun and snap away—action shots take practice!