 
In March of 2003, my husband, Scott, and I moved into our first house and knew immediately we wanted a dog to help make our house a home. After extensive research, we decided that the boxer breed fit our lifestyle. Having always had "pound puppies" in the past, I knew I wanted to rescue a homeless boxer rather than purchasing from a breeder. This decision led us to NorCal Boxer Rescue.
In July of 2003, we brought home our first boxer baby, Dizzy, a semi-flashy fawn female. At the time Dizzy was just over a year old and had been surrendered to NorCal by her owner who had gotten too sick to care for her. Dizzy fit into our family immediately; she even got along with our cat, Tipsy. However, in just a few weeks it became obvious that Dizzy was lonely and that Scott and I did not have the time or the energy to keep her fully entertained. She needed a playmate! So, in September we returned to NorCal in search of a brother for Dizzy. We instantly fell in love with our big boy, Sober, a flashy reverse brindle. Sober had been tied to a tree with a car tow chain and was being mistreated and neglected by his former family when he was seized. NorCal volunteers sought veterinary care for Sober, including the removal of a cancerous tumor, and nursed him back to health. We brought Sober home and he and Dizzy became fast friends. They are now inseparable.
Finally our new house felt like a home. After only a few weeks with our new family Scott and I were completely taken by the boxer breed. We are constantly amused and delighted by Dizzy's fun-loving antics and we're amazed by Sober's complete devotion and love even after being severely mistreated. We knew we had to do everything we could to help this wonderful breed.
We became volunteers with NorCal. At first I dedicated my time to completing home visits and manning pet fairs. Now after a year of volunteering I am involved with all aspects of the organization. I serve as a resource for potential and past adopters, transport dogs to and from vet visits, evaluate and pull dogs in shelters, and we have even opened our home to foster dogs. I can honestly say that my work with NorCal is the most rewarding area of my life. There is nothing that beats the feeling of rescuing a dog from “death row,” enjoying the immense love from and for the dog as you nurse it back to health, and watching an adopter's face light up when they find the perfect dog to complete their family. I can honestly say my heart is full!
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