This is Andre. He came to us from a local shelter in July 2001. He was our first official rescue as The Promised Land Dachshund Sanctuary. He was found on the streets in Odessa and we were horrified at how skinny and scared he was. We loved on him, fed him, vetted him, and then discovered the miracle that is rescue. He changed from a frightened little man into a gorgeous, burgundy, filled out standard boy that believed, as did we, that he was the Alpha Male of the entire world.

We realized very soon that the seniors and special needs dogs in our shelters were not being rescued because the rescue groups could not place them in homes and could not spare the fosters to care for their long term needs. So we decided that was our niche in the rescue world.

Andre lived his entire life with us and the second, silver picture was taken in 2017 when Andre was 16 years old. He left us not long after this picture was taken, but his imprint on our hearts has fueled our desire to Rescue One More for more than 20 years.

For every baby who miraculously recovered, there are many who sadly did not. But by the grace of God those memories fade while the memories of the triumphs of these courageous babies reins supreme in our minds and in our hearts. Today we celebrate the victories, we celebrate the awakening in the hearts of so many to the value of the seniors and the special needs, we celebrate a following that is so faithful that we never worry about paying the huge vet bills, we celebrate the old babies vying for their special spot on the bed, and we celebrate each and every day that these precious souls teach us what we do best. Bless all the Andres of the world, the Promised Land Dachshund Sanctuary residents who followed him, and everyone who helps us keep the mission alive.