PALTIN has joined our family after waiting for many years in the shelter. He arrived on 13 August 2026.
I first met Paltin in April 2022. I had to leave him behind because I had to choose between Rexy, then Molly, and Pippa. When I returned to the shelter in 2024, my heart was truly broken because I could see how miserable he was.
You can read the story about Rexy, our first Romanian rescue, in one of my other blogs.
I had committed to Molly without ever having met her, but she had been captured by the “hinges,” the brutal animal catcher in the Petrosani, Romania, public shelter.
She was on the brink of being euthanized when several ladies desperately pleaded to save her. These ladies had been taking care of Molly, feeding and watering her in the streets, but none of them was in the position to take her in. So when the “ hinger” finally captured her, her fate seemed sealed. In Romania, dogs have only 14 days to be claimed; after that, the animal is subject to being euthanized.
Needless to say the coditions in those shelters are horrific. The animals are starved and left to perish, as you can see on social media and which ultimately
is my involvement for improvement abroad, by helping the NGOs which operate on a dime and are subject to much scrutiny.
While on the way to save Molly, I met Pippa, a ten-year-old Airedale Terrier mix at APAI ( NGO) shelter who clung to me so desperately; it was heartbreaking.
Knowing that a dog like Pippa would never be able to be adopted, I committed to getting her next.
These 2 trips to Romania were in conjunction with my mother’s passing back in Germany and dissolving her household.
Germany is just a 2 hour flight/ 9 hour drive away from Romania, so I made a plan to check on 2 of the shelters I support through my charity during that time.
Back then I saw Paltin paired with several other dogs in a kennel. Just as in 2022, he was mobbed, and every time you
tried to give him a treat, the other dogs stole it.
Paltin is extremely shy and timid. In fact, Paltin was the runt of the litter when he was born in Sep 2021 to a shepherd who completely neglected
him, his parents, and the rest of the puppies.
Paltin was sickly, lying between sheep on the grass. It’s brutal to think he was kept there
to be trampled to death, just to “ go away”. Thankfully, the good people of APAI shelter saved him and his family. Since then, all his siblings were adopted, except Paltin.
I always felt that a dog as pretty, young, and sweet as him would find a family. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Since 2022, I have kept his photo in my studio.
In recent weeks, my husband noticed me crying while looking at Paltin’s picture. That’s when Ted encouraged me to ask about him. I learned he was still waiting for a family.
I always felt something was missing from my heart, and only Paltin could make it right. It was a hurt that never went away until now.
We took action and made arrangements for Paltin to come home to us. We are thankful to the many people involved in his transport! (And you all know who you are <3)
A heat embargo complicated things, and once arriving in Germany, our friend Marlene in the Black Forest Area
stepped up and took him in temporarily until the strict temperature guidelines were in place for safe travel.
Compared to our other dogs, this time I was not in Europe to oversee part of the travel and had to
depend and so many others for help.
Once Paltin arrived in Denver, I picked him up. The sweet boy was so shy that it took 45 Minutes to coax him out of his kennel (with fresh sliced turkey in hand).
We spent the night in a pet-friendly hotel in Denver and made the journey home to Rapid City the next day, driving 7 hours.
I had prepared a puppy lounge in the back seat with Pelsbarn’s fabulous travel hammock. To my surprise, Paltin snoozed like a bear for almost the entire drive home.
Once home, we introduced him to the rest of our gaggle. Some of our dogs were a little skeptical; others welcomed him instantly. After all, now everyone has to share “mama” , with one more furnose in the mix.
The first night Paltin was so frightened, I had to sleep with him on the patio outside. He was just too afraid to come inside the house. Mind you that this was a dog that was in a shelter kennel for 5 full
years.
With patience and love, we are potty training him now, and he gets more and more comfortable every day.
This is something we wish to point out to all of you considering a rescue: please BE PATIENT!
There is a 3-3-3 rule: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn the routine, and 3 months to truly feel at home.
With this guideline and beyond, we encourage you to reach out to us when you need advice for your rescue.
For now, Paltin is adjusting wonderfully with us; I only wish I could save them all.
Before Paltin
After Paltin
