Meet the amazing Miss Athena. When the house next door was robbed, the investigating officer noticed poor, forlorn Athena tied up in the back yard. She was in such poor condition that she was seized by animal control, taken to the emergency vet, and later transferred to the shelter. She arrived at her foster home on New Year's day, not much more than a greasy, matted skeleton. She has shown amazing spirit and determination in her recovery. Even though she is 20 to 30 pounds underweight and is being treated for Lyme disease and Giardia, she is alert and has quite a spring in her step. She wags her tail often and is very happy to have a soft warm place to sleep, regular nutritious meals, and lots of attention. She loves her tennis ball and will enthusiastically chase it a few times before she gets tired and rests on the porch for a few minutes. Then shes ready to play again. She spent one day at Rags to Riches while John gently combed out her matted coat and gave her a much needed bath. On that day she literally went from rags to riches. Athena is very intelligent. Besides having her AKC papers, she also has her CD (Companion Dog), CGC (Canine Good Citizen), and TDI (Tracking Dog Intermediate) titles. Shes like a German Shepherd with a PHD. Except for one expedition into the trash can, Athena has had perfect house manners. She walks nicely on a leash, and is a very polite passenger in the car. Her foster mom is feeding her 4 times a day to help her gain back her weight, and Athena wakes up every morning feeling a little stronger and one step closer to a full recovery. Her foster mom thinks Athena would do best as an only child in an experienced home. She will need regular, structured, age appropriate exercise, and regular grooming. Athena may be 10 years old but she is far from ready to retire and will need a job to do. Please check out our web site at www.shepherdrescue.org for more information about our dogs, our adoption process and to download an application. You must have a fully approved application on file prior to privately meeting our dogs. We do not have a facility, all our dogs are housed in private foster homes throughout MD/DC/VA areas. More information available on our web site, so please read through our web site before emailing questions, as it might save us both some time!

VGSR can only adopt dogs out in the Virginia/Maryland/DC area, no exceptions.

Although donations of all types are needed, our primary need is foster homes for our lovely dogs while they wait for their new family to find them. Fostering is an extremely rewarding experience. Vet care is paid for by our rescue, and we can even provide you with food. All YOU need to add is love and security.

The adoption process starts with the applicant filling out the adoption application. This can happen at any time during the process, before or after having met a GSD that might be the ideal companion. (It's an advantage to have a pre-approved application on file with VGSR. It should be stressed here that being pre-approved does not mean that any potential adopter can select any available dog at will and take that dog home immediately. VGSR will exercise its best judgement as to which GSD will be the best match for that specific adopter based on a number of qualifying criteria. Many GSDs that come to us are matched up with their new people very quickly because their people have been pre-approved.) The applicant then submits the application form with a non-refundable $10.00 processing fee. VGSR reviews the application, then schedules an interview and home visit during which a number of questions are asked and the home is reviewed to be sure there is a contained/safe yard, and to meet the family involved. Once the application is approved, the applicant is asked to submit a $250.00 donation to VGSR, and the adoption is completed.

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