If you are interested in applying for a rescue vizsla please download a detailed application form. It will require an Acrobat reader to download this form. Click HERE to download. Please send the completed form to Randy Russell, 229 Clarence Ct, Longview, TX 75605.

     If you are interested in fostering or adopting a rescue and you may be unsure of what to do you can download a copy of the Rescue guidelines that have been adopted by the club. Click HERE to download.

     Rescue is an important part of the vizsla world. Unfortunately, all vizsla breeders are not in the business of betterment of the breed but only for the money. Nor are all purchasers of vizslas aware of what they are adopting when they purchase a vizsla. That leaves a lot of beautiful, intelligent dogs, that we are all so passionate about, placed in homes that are unfit for vizslas or probably any breed of dog. That is where the importance of the rescue team comes into play. The goal of Vizsla Rescue is to unite vizslas needing new homes to caring and appropriate new owners. Through extraordinary efforts to retrieve vizslas in bad homes or situations where an owner can no longer keep a loved dog, the vizsla rescue program is a facet that touches everyone who loves the breed.

Donations: We do accept donations for our efforts since the cost of taking in and caring for these special dogs is very expensive. Please make your donations payable to SLVC and mail to: Karl Metzler, 5801 Caspiana Lane, Bossier City, LA 71112-9601.

     

It must be a "rescue" - A vizsla from various types of shelters, owners no longer able to care for their dog(s), strays or abandoned pets.
     It must be a "purebred" vizsla - It is recognized and accepted that most rescue vizslas will be without registration papers. Lacking such, "purebred" will be established through evaluation by a member of the South Louisiana Vizsla Club.
     Dogs must have a reasonable chance to be placed into a new home on a permanent basis. Dogs believed not to be placeable due to severe health or temperament problems will be refused or euthanized, with consultation with the VCA breed rescue coordinator and executive committee prior to such action.
     Dogs will not be accepted from owners who simply do not want their dogs unless these owners first seek assistance in solving whatever problems exist, make their own responsible placement efforts and have contacted, if known, their breeder.
     Any dog rescued by the South Louisiana Vizsla Club will require spaying or neutering prior to adoption unless returned to any of these designated individuals: the breeder, owner of the sire or any of the four grandparent owners. If these individuals can be notified they will be given the opportunity to take back the dog.
     A $250.00 (two hundred fifty dollar) adoption fee will be charged. This fee will be payable to the South Louisiana Vizsla Club and will be forwarded to the club treasurer.

     For additional information you may contact:
     Randy Russell
     wffrandy@cablelynx.com
     903 431 6549

   

Adoption  

     We who are committed to placing vizslas in homes want to make sure that they are going to a place suited for their needs. The following is a partial list of characteristics of the vizsla breed for you to consider before filling out an application:

They require, due to their high energy level, a lot of daily exercise. They are instinctive pointers and enjoy running in the field.
They are very loving, and friendly.
They require a lot of time and attention during the day and should not be left alone all day.
They are a part of the family.
They are very social and should be with other dogs as well as people.
They are not yard or kennel dogs but rather indoor dogs and leaving them outside alone might result in barking and behavior that is distructive as well as annoying to you and the neighbors.
They are not a very good guard dog but do make a good watch dog.
They are very intelligent and respond very well to training. Left alone they can be mischievous to destructive.
They respond to positive reinforcement and praise and loud and forceful reprimands can harm them.
They make very good companions for all kind of involvments including but not limited to: hunting, agility, obedience, search and rescue, therapy to name a few.
They are subject to a number of health concerns including but not limited to: allergies, epilepsy, Von Willebrand's disease, thyroid disorders, sebaecous adenitis and can be sensitive to anesthesia as well as chemicals. All dogs should be x-rayed for hip dysplasia (OFA).

Rescue Work
For Kirby, Maia, Anya, and all the many others

We recognize your fears.
We respect your fears.
We try to rehabilitate.
We release you from your fears.

We explain to the shelter worker that no, you are not dangerously aggressive, you are simply terrified. We keep you on leash because we know you will bolt if you can. We give you a safe crate to hide in.

We recognize your fears.
We respect your fears.
We try to rehabilitate.
We release you from your fears.

We watch for stress signals so that we do not push you past what you can handle. We let you eat in private. We don't stare straight into your eyes. We protect you from gunfire.

We recognize your fears.
We respect your fears.
We try to rehabilitate.
We release you from your fears.

We slowly, patiently teach you to trust. We show you that a raised hand need not mean a blow. We teach you that a cordless phone antenna is not a shock collar controller. We rejoice when you finally "misbehave" in a normal dog fashion.

We recognize your fears.
We respect your fears.
We try to rehabilitate.
We release you from your fears.

We do the best we can. And yet sometimes your body fails you; sometimes the heavy toll of time is too much to overcome. And then we weep for you as we say goodbye.
Lu Hart        

I look in your eyes
they hold love for me
An unconditional love matched by no other
You trust me with your life
and would give yours to me without hesitation
Such a loyal friend you are....
I am far from perfect
long days make me tired,
longing for rest and quiet at home.
You have been alone all day and want to be near me
Your one desire is to please and love the ones that love you
You are happiest when piled on the couch in my lap
This makes me happy too...
to share my blanket and my life with you
When we're outside I watch you run
muscles long, lean, quivering
You thrust your nose into the air
and find the squirrels high in the trees
You 'call' to them and run around in circles
as if to lure them down to you
I think you would do this all day long
You sleep at my feet now
LOYAL even in rest
I sit back and look at you.....
amazing what a Vizsla's eyes can tell about their spirit

Melessa and Ben Redditt, members of SLVC, have adopted
two vizslas,Julie and Monty, and while watching Julie
playing in the back yard Melessa jotted down the above thought.
Julie is the rescue pictured at the beginning of those thoughts.
Monty is below.



Katie, pictured at the right, was rescued from a shelter in Oxford, MS, February 2006 and is ending up in a home in Lake Charles, LA. She was given up by a byb who decided she was "ruined" becuase she accidentally got bred by a black lab. She gives the name "velcro dog" a whold new meaning. We are so fortunate to have gotten her into rescue so she can now live a normal life instead of the abusive conditions she was living under. She was a little shy around a camera so this is the best of about 75 photos!









Elvie, (left) formerly Coggle, was adopted by a very nice family in Houston, TX after spending a couple of years in Jackson, MS. Elvie has been handed around several times but we feel now that she has gone to a very loving forever home where she will be well taken care of.

Penny, at right, came from a lady who was frantic because her pet pot bellied pigs had been attacked by Penny and shredded the pig's ear. We think she was doing what she was bred to do - hunt game! Anyway, we were happy to take her "in", literally, as she was an outside dog, and place her with a very nice family of long time vizsla owners who have made her an inside dog and given her companionship with their eight year old male vizsla.




Tank, Topper and Hank are vizsla puppies that came out of Kansas City, MO. They were three of a large number of rescues that came from a puppy mill buy out. They were transported by volunteer transportation from Kansas City through Arkansas and down into Louisiana where they ended up in Bossier City and New Orleans, LA and Jackson, MS. The rescue in Bossier City didn't suit that family and he has now been re homed in Meridian, MS.




A shelter in Central Louisiana called advising they had received a call from a family thet wanted a vizsla picked up because it did not fit into the family very well. The shelter went to the home and found Rocky, at right, tied to a chain in the front yard. When we received him and took him to the vet Rocky had practically every worm in his system that a dog can have. He was malnourished, had sores on his skin but yet managed to wag his tail when he was picked up. In foster care he was given proper medical treatment. We kept him in rescue for several months taking care of him through recovery and found a very nice home for him with a family who live in Florida but have a farm in Mississippi.


Molly (below) Molly and brother, Ruari (below right)
“Molly” was purchased over the internet by family in BR with three children 5, 7 & 9 as a Christmas
present. When she arrived here she was brought to the vet for an initial examination. The vet noted
the 8 week old puppy had what they described as carpal hyperextension. The carpals (front feet)
extended almost 90 degrees forward. The ligaments and tendons supporting the front feet
were very weak and offered very limited support and stability for this little girl to move around. The
family was educated as best as possible by the vet and others and were advised to return the pup to
the original breeder immediately.
Unfortunately, the breeder refused to
reclaim the pup. The family understood
this little girl was not an appropriate
companion to raise in a home with small
children with her limited mobility, risk of
future injury along with possible high
veterinary costs. Unsure where to turn or
how to find a new more appropriate home
for this little Vizsla puppy, I was
contacted by the vet. I went to BR Thurs,
evening (12/20) to meet her and evaluate her situation. The family was very upset and did not want to get attached to the puppy at all. (The children didn’t know she was even here yet.) This pup, with no name yet, came to stay with us. Well, over the next week I contacted numerous people regarding the physical condition of the pup. There is not much information about this condition available, but we did learn there are multiple potential causes: nutrition, environment (little or no traction on surfaces where pups are reared), trauma or injury, growth spurt or congenital deformity (I don’t believe there is any definitive cause). We started by providing her good quality puppy food and allowed her only on surfaces with excellent traction. (No Tile! She would simply fall over if she tried to walk on slick surfaces; she could hardly get her front feet up underneath her to ambulate.) We protected her from injury by limiting contact with the adults dogs and limiting access to stairs or any other areas she couldn’t easily navigate. By Christmas day SLVC rescue had been contacted by a family here in southeast LA and we told them about this special little girl. I received their first email on Christmas night and they had already chosen a special name for this girl, “Molly”! This family has another young Vizsla male (Ruari) and have a history of working with the SPCA and rescue animals. They decidedly loved “Molly” sight unseen and expressed a strong desire to provide her a forever loving home, regardless of any physical disability she may have or develop. In the week she spent in our home, Molly progressed significantly. With good nutrition and a guarded environment, the condition of her front feet did certainly improve. She became stronger and more agile. She is bright, alert, loving and surely ALL VIZSLA! I traveled with “Molly” to meet the new family on Wed. (12/26). Mom, Grandma and young Vizsla were waiting outside for us when we arrived. They were waiting for their Christmas Angel – “Molly”, to welcome her into their home! I spent several hours with this family and was touched by their openness and willingness to accept this special puppy into their lives. It takes very special people to welcome a rescue puppy like “Molly” into their lives – no questions asked, no judgment, just the right Christmas spirit and an overflowing amount of LOVE! (Note: three months later Molly is doing very well with no signs of ever having had any problems at her early stages of development.)

Ginger (left) was rescue from a shelter in Pineville just hours befor being euthanized. She was taken to Shreveport and is being fostered by a very nice family while under the care of a vet for heartworms.

This is a second photo of Elvie (right) after being in ad
opted for several months. She has filled out considerably after being treated for heartworms but she still continues to be treated until all of the heartworms are gone.

Hello Everyone! Jack (right) is now in his new home with his new Mom! I think it was love at first site for both of them! Once we arrived in Gainesville we met with her in the parking lot of the Petsmart. I was impressed that she thought enough of Jack before meeting him that she had bought him a blanket and brought it with her for me to wear around and put my scent on it! We walked through the store and also used the class area for some free time to play and be comfortable. I made sure during the time in the class area that he would go to her when called and that he was acting happy and playful and to gauge his reactions to her, any fears were laid to rest as he seemed to just accept her straight out! He went into the crate she bought with no problems and only had a little bit of nervous panting going on. I am including the pictures I took before we all loaded up and headed home. I feel this will be Jack's new forever loving home and that he has been well placed!

Meet Lady! (left)As her Foster Mom I can tell you that this young girl is vivacious, energetic and full of love! She is 6-7 years old and still very much an active pup. Lady is housebroken and sleeps in her crate at night but roams the house and yard freely during the day. Lady’s most favorite time of the day is snuggle time and man does she snuggle! Lady gives new meaning to the phrase “Velcro Vizsla!” Lady will walk by your side, is leash trained and knows the command sit! She has a hard time being still for any other commands yet as she just wants to be right next to you! Lady will make a great companion to someone with one other dog, is older and has no small children, as she is an “Alpha” female, that feels she must herd and correct the young ones. Lady loves the birds and therefore would make an excellent hunting companion for someone that has the time to train her! If you have the love and time to give this adorable vibrant young Lady, then please think about becoming her new forever loving home!