by Lee Juslin

Sophia Rose spent the first three years of her life in misery. Abused and neglected by her family, she was finally discarded with the trash. And, that may have been the only bright spot in her short life.

A passerby heard whining and crying from an apartment dumpster. Recognizing a cry for help, the kind soul looked in and found the little dog. Soon the county sheriff was involved, the original owners had been found, and a cruelty investigation had been opened. In order to keep the dog safe, the sheriff called in Small Paws Rescue, Inc., a national Bichon Frise rescue organization and, in fact, the largest breed rescue group in the United States.

Robin Pressnall, the organization’s Executive Director, said the little dog was just a big giant mat. “We really didn’t know what she was except with her curly hair, we thought she might be a Bichon. Once we cleaned her up, we could see that she was at least part Bichon Frise.”

The arrangement with the sheriff was for Sophia Rose to be held by Small Paws but not adopted in case she was needed to appear in court. In fact, she wasn’t ready for adoption anyway because she was dirty, unkempt and had a number of health concerns including being heart worm positive. She also had a number of worrisome breast tumors but fortunately all turned out to be benign.

Sophia Rose’s first stop was with the area team leader, but she was quickly moved away from the scene of the crime for her own protection. Small Paws calls this their Witness Protection Program for Bichons. Dogs in Witness Protection are not pictured on the group’s web site. Instead, a generic photo is used with a Groucho Marx mask.

Once the sheriff gave Small Paws full custody of Sophia Rose, a suitable foster home was found. Small Paws is organized around a Board of Directors and team leaders across the country. Under each team leader are foster parents, Bichon folks experienced in caring for and socializing a dog like Sophia Rose. With good health care that enabled her to become heart worm negative and lots of love and attention, Sophia Rose transitioned from a dirty fur ball to a beautiful, happy, tail-wagging little girl. “We were all pulling for little Sophia Rose”, said Robin. “Most of our volunteers knew her story because her story represents a certain mindset in our culture that pets, if they become inconvenient or sick, can just be thrown away like garbage. Sophia Rose was one of the lucky ones.”

At Small Paws, foster families are given the first choice to adopt a dog they’ve fostered. Sophia Rose’s foster family had been through so much with her, and she had become such a part of their family that they adopted her. However, most of the Bichons in Small Paws, once they are ready, are put up for adoption. Like all reputable breed rescues, Small Paws has a rigorous adoption program including the completion of a detailed application, references, and a home inspection. In addition, Small Paws will not adopt to a home that does not already have a well socialized dog. According to Robin, “This is because so many of our Bichons come from puppy mills or abusive homes and have not been socialized. We find that in a home that already has a dog, that dog will teach the Bichon the ropes and help it fit into the family. We learned early on that many times the adoptions did not work out if the Bichon was an only dog. Of course, any time an adoption doesn’t work for whatever reason, ‘Small Paws’ takes the dog back and either finds a suitable home or keeps the dog in foster care.”

Although Small Paws only adopts within the United States and, in certain cases, to Canada, they have over 6,000 followers representing 27 countries on their mailing list. Since their beginning in 1998, they have rescued nearly 9,000 Bichons and have been recognized by national news organizations like the Fox News program, Paws for a Cause. Although they depend on their 800 volunteers, the organization does have two paid staff. “I’m amazed and so impressed by the passion of our volunteers and staff”, said Robin. “They have taught me that when people get outside of themselves they grow and develop a purpose in life and that makes them better human beings.”

If you would like to learn more about Small Paws Rescue, sign up to volunteer, apply to adopt a Bichon, or support their rescue efforts with a donation, visit the website: Small Paws.

Enjoy this slide show about Sophia Rose:

Read more animal related articles by Lee here in KRL.

Lee Juslin a graduate of Bucknell University with a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and is a freelance copywriter who lives in NC. Until recently, she was active in pet therapy with her certified therapy dog, Frosty, and owns I B Dog Gone, an embroidery business dedicated to supporting several terrier rescue organizations.