Star
STAR my Pirate January 2014 brought Starletta, a long hair dachshund into my life. I met her at the meet and great, I wanted another dachshund to fill the hole in my heart left by Glory. See, I could not deal with not having my baby there wagging her tail to great me from the top of the stairs as I came home from work. Enter Star. The moment she was in my arms she gave me a true, long, definite hug around my neck. My heart melted and I believe she knew that’s what I needed. To my blessing, Star had chosen me. For the next three and a half years she was my best buddy. She started being more outgoing and playing. She would be in the yard exploring and suddenly whip around and trot for me, like playing a game of tag. She started to play with a ball. I don’t think she ever had any toys, you see she was a puppy mill mama until thrust into the arms of Dakota Dachshund Rescue. She was not needed anymore and no longer wanted. She had used up her usefulness. She had a scar on her head and her right eye was damaged. We never knew what that was about but it never affected her beauty for me or the sweetness she had in her heart. She would gallop from the other room if I sat in my chair and always, always wanted up and to snuggle with me. She learned quickly what ride meant and was the first one at the door and at the car. She loved riding in the car. She had her favorite blanket, not to cover up with but to drag around the house and play with. We figured that was the only enjoyment she had while she was making puppies. Her short time with me was wonderful for both of us. I know she loved my wife and I, and I can’t even begin to explain how I loved that little girl. She went outside to play August 8th with her other two buddies. All tails wagging and running out the door. After lunch two came back and Star had laid down under the apple tree and crossed the Rainbow Bridge. To have another like Star would be a blessing more than anyone could deserve, but she is out there and needs me like I need her.

Frodo
Frodo aka Mr Frodo came to us the evening of Feb.2nd 2017 from a horrible living situation. A friend had removed Frodo with permission from this situation. He was brought thru our back door in a cat carrier that he lived in for years and was hardly ever let out of as he and the inside of the carrier were coated in filth. The blanket inside the carrier went to the burn pile. He had no hair on his tail or ears . His ears felt like rubber & his tail looked like a Stegosaurus tail. I took him out of the carrier to meet him & immediately demanded a towel, dog shampoo and gently put him in the kitchen sink for a bath. I scrubbed and scrubbed this little stranger of a dog for 30 minutes and he let me do it! I & my husband immediately fell in love and I know he did too. We found out later that he was in fact 7 years old and had suffered a broken back when he was a puppy. I didn't care as he was ours now. I happily bought puppy stairs and doggy ramps to make it easier on him.We carried him & lifted him up when we had to. He brought so much life & love to our family. He acted more like a puppy than a 7 year old dog who had broken his back! He ran laps around the house and demanded that you rolled that red ball for hours. Oh that propellor tail! It never stopped wagging ! He was also the best camping dog ever! He gave the longest puppy hugs and tons of puppy kisses! We always said he was making up for those 7 years of living in that carrier. 5 months later I came home and knew he had hurt his back again. The tail was down and he was falling over sideways. We tried everything we could for 2 months to help him recover and on September 2nd 2017 he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Exactly 7 months from the day he came thru our door. RIP my little buddy & know that you were loved and are missed greatly ......until we meet again.

Brady
Brady was an amazing Doxie. He was the first double dapple deaf dachshund we had seen. He was such a puppy when he first came into our home with Gus and Bernie in 2007. He was adopted for many years but returned to us this year as he had developed bladder cancer. We tried so hard to save him, one thing God has taught us in rescue is you can take great care of a lot of dogs but you can't save them all :( Brady so loved his been by the back patio door so he could bask in the sunshine and look outside, when he was feeling better he loved being outside with us. Yet another boy that took a big piece of our hearts. Rest in peace our furry friend.

Jessie
Jessie was our first foster from DDR and was such a blessing. I believe in love at first sight and that was surely true with her. She was my constant companion in the kitchen and I would sing to her while cooking. Jessie loved her outings to the city park with us and she made a couple trips to WA with us. I miss you Jessie and you'll have a place in my heart forever.

Frank
Frank, also known as Frankie, Franklin and Frank-the-Tank, came to us from the Sioux Falls Humane Society in 2007. We were looking for a companion for our older Dachshund Molly who suffered from high anxiety. When we arrived at the Humane Society and started to look at all the dogs needing homes, Frank instantly stood out from the rest. He was sitting very quietly in his kennel and I instantly noticed that his kennel was clean and his bed was intact; the opposite was something we dealt with on a daily basis with Molly’s anxiety. He seemed very calm and kind given the circumstances he was found in on a cold winter’s night in Sioux Falls. Frank had been abandoned and tied to a pole in the middle of February and was extremely underweight and frightened when he was rescued. We are not sure what kind of life Frank lived prior to his abandonment since he came to us well trained. Frank hardly ever barked, was potty trained and was trained to never get on the furniture (something we changed right away). From the start, he was perfect in every way. When Frank met Molly, there was an instant bond. He was able to calm her anxiety during night and day. He kept her emotionally grounded during life’s different transitions. Frank was more than just a companion to Molly; he became a best friend, cuddle buddy, fishing copilot, momma’s shadow, mouse and vole hunter, a so fast but yet so slow rabbit and squirrel wrangler, entertainer and master snack stealer. Frank radiated a sense of innocence and never ending kindness. Partly due to the mental slowness he received from his seizures going untreated before his adoption and his slightly chucky figure that he carried so well. Frank may not have been the sharpest dog on the block, but he excelled at loving his family and creating happiness wherever he went. Frank enjoyed many aspects in life; cuddling and burrowing in a blanket with someone was priority number one. He also enjoyed early morning fishing adventures on the boat with his dad. One of Franks many talents that will be forever remembered was when he would sit up on his bum and pump his front little legs in anticipation of that little piece of whatever we were eating. Frank will be greatly missed by all that were blessed to have known him. Saying his passing shocked us is an understatement. Frank was a one of a kind dog- “a diamond in the rough” kind of dog. He took the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” to a completely new level. He was a selfless dog that lived his life pleasing and loving his family immensely until the very end. RIP good friend, you are sorely missed every day.