http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/FL474.html, http://pawsnclawspetrescue.org/

Paws & Claws Pet Rescue, 616 N Main Street, Chiefland, FL (2024)

08/21/2024

Murphy (now Oreo) is living the good life! His family says they are so happy to have him. They say he is a big snuggler and such a sweet boy! Yay Oreo! We are so happy you found your forever home and are loving your new life! We wish you all many happy years together! ❤️

08/21/2024

Cookie...this girl is very selective about who she likes. We think Cookie may have some herding breed in her because she is a heel nipper. She will try to corral some of the other dogs by literally being right on their heels. Cookie is another tough love case. She hasn't had it easy, at all. Cookie came to us from a family who had originally adopted her from a kill shelter. There was no background info on her so we don't really know her full history until she was adopted. Cookie lived with her adoptive family until they lost their home and had to surrender most of their animals. That was when Cookie joined us, along with a dachshund from the same home. Cookie did NOT want to be there though and she broke free of the collar/leash and bolted. She was growling and snapping at us before she got loose...absolutely terrified. She ran our yard for about 3 weeks before we finally (slowly) started to get her to come closer and closer then finally into the house and slammed the door behind her. From that point forward, she acted like she had always lived there. She was a different dog! With us...with everyone else, she is still very leery. Fast forward a year or so and her original family contacted us to say they wanted her back. They had gotten a home where they could have her. So...Cookie went away for about a year. Then we got a call that she had killed their cat (a cat that she previously had lived with in harmony) so back to us she came and Cookie has been with us ever since. She loves us but strangers...not so much. Cookie is 8 years old now and she is going on 3 years in the rescue herself. She is a fantastic watchdog..nothing and noone gets by her! We have resigned ourselves that she will probably never get adopted BUT we don't want to give up because we also know there are others out there who are willing and able to give a dog the time and space they need to adjust. If anyone gives Cookie that chance, you will have a loyal, loving best friend and protector! Cookie is housebroken and crate trained. She will often put herself in a crate on her own. She does well with other dogs but obviously, since her last cat encounter, she will not do well with cats. She is great in the house and you will never need a doorbell if you have Cookie!!

08/21/2024

Little Kiefer is doing so well! After surviving a parvo scare that cost his brother his life, Kiefer was vetted only to discover that he now has ringworm. He is now on day 6 of a 16 day treatment for that. Kiefer can't seem to catch a break but his spirits are high and he is a happy, wiggly little boy! He can't wait until a family scoops him up and gives him his best life! We know it won't be too far in the future because who could resist this little charmer?! He's small but he is mighty! Kiefer is just a baby so he will fit into any home environment easily. Of course,he will need training and plenty of chew toys..those teeth are like needles! Kiefer will be continuing his treatment but is ready to find his forever family otherwise.

08/21/2024

Dixie is a new arrival who just joined the rescue on Monday. She is a chocolate labradoodle and is approx 9 1/2 months old. Dixie was surrendered to us after a cat rescue colleague referred her owners to us. They had only had Dixie a short time and stated that she was too much for them. She was at risk of going to the pound and we couldn't let that happen! She is a wonderful girl already and has fit right in. All of the dogs gave her a sniff and that was it...we love those easy introductions. She is housebroken and crate trained. She walks on a leash but will pull so we recommend a harness to control her a bit better. We were told that she is a counter surfer and ate a whole dozen eggs that she snatched in her previous home but so far, she hasn't tried that at our house. She is a tall girl so we shall see if she decides to test her abilities once she settles in a bit more but as of right now, we have not witnessed this behavior. We were also told that she can jump a fence if she desires but she hasn't tried that yet either. I think that as long as everything she wants is on the right side of the fence, she won't try to jump out. I would not leave her unattended in the yard though. Dixie has already started to play. Beau was her playmate today and they enjoyed playing tag in the yard and chasing each other around.
We have a couple of things to update Dixie on to get her completely ready for adoption but she's pretty much had most of her vetting completed so she will be looking for a family in the very near future. Just look at that smile!!

08/21/2024

Beau is also making progress with his social skills. When he first arrived, he wanted nothing to do with us. He has come around much faster than BJ since it only took Beau a couple of weeks to figure out we were A-OK and that he was safe with us. Beau is getting very shaggy so he will be going into the groomer on Tuesday and getting spiffed up so that he can show off just how handsome he really is! Beau does well with other dogs and people he trusts. He's still not sure of children. He isn't mean or aggressive but he does bark at my 6 year old grandchild when we go outside to meet the bus so he would probably do best in an adult only home or a home with only a few people that he can bond with. Beau does very well in the house and is housebroken. He hasn't spent much time in a crate but he would probably do fine in one. Beau will walk on a leash. Beau is still a very young boy, at just under a year old so he can still benefit from social outings and exposure to new people and things to help him feel more secure with the unknown. He is really just scared and building his confidence will help him overcome some, if not all,of his fears. Now that he trusts us, he seeks us out for attention instead of running in the opposite direction. He's a great dog who will make a wonderful companion for a patient, understanding person/family.

08/21/2024

BJ has been with us for a year now (we will be getting him updated on his annual vetting soon). He is a chihuahua/jack russell mix and while these little dogs generally get adopted quickly, BJ is a bit of a challenge. BJ is a grumpy boy and is not a big fan of the human race. He just doesn't put his trust in people. It may be that he had been abused at some point in his life but he takes a very long time to get used to the people in his life. He can be snippy so it's been a long road for this boy to find a home willing to deal with his behavior since most people want dogs that they can love on immediately (or soon after adoption). BJ will probably not be that dog. BJ has warmed up to us some...like maybe lukewarm....lol. He will respond to us,will allow us to pet him (on his terms) but without growling and teeth-huge progress, and he doesn't bolt as far away as he possibly can...all positive moves forward. We have been able to get a harness on him but he's still not liking being picked up much. He has jumped up on the couch with me a time or two also so baby steps. He does GREAT with canine friends and really enjoys their company. He is crate trained and sleeps in his crate at night. We have mastered the nightly routine for bed and he knows right where he needs to go then right outside first thing in the morning. BJ is, honestly, one of my favorite type of dog. I really enjoy the difficult ones. The ones who challenge me to befriend them and make me work for it. They are some of the most rewarding and loyal dogs once you succeed! He's not the first dog that's taken me a year to win over and I can proudly say that so far...none have withstood my persistence 🤣. In any case, we are still working with BJ but he is available for adoption to anyone who (like me) loves a challenge and will see it thru. I feel like once he's over the hump, he will be a velcro dog. He may not love anyone but you but he will love you with his whole self!! That alone is worth the effort!

08/21/2024

Coco is one of our long term rescue residents, having been with us for over 3 years now. We don't understand how this amazing dog is passed over because she is wonderful! Coco is crate trained and housebroken. She is leash trained and is fantastic in the house. She has great manners! She does well with other dogs and kids. She doesn't like cats at all but there are plenty of homes out there who are like minded, I'm sure. Coco is a chunky, lazy girl who loves her food! She would fit into most any home environment quite well! Coco will make a wonderful companion for anyone who enjoys just chilling and isn't overly active. (She can get up and go too when she wants to but she prefers the laid back life!).

08/21/2024

It's double trouble right here! Tebow and Brady are shepherd mix Brothers who came to us as strays at approx 5-6 months old. They have been with us for almost a year now and we just don't understand how that is even possible because they are AWESOME!! Both boys are crate trained and housebroken. They get along well with other dogs and kids. Cats are unknown but they do like to "hunt" small critters like squirrels so cats may be a work in progress if you have them and you may need to work with them on that. We don't have any cats but they will squirrel watch and think they are doing great things "treeing" them. They seldom catch any though. They are wonderful playmates for their canine friends though! They have both been on a leash but not in awhile. Tebow did better on the leash than Brady. Tebow is the more outgoing of the two brothers and tends to be the "leader" while Brady is a bit more reserved/shy and follows his brothers lead. They do not need to be adopted together as they do well apart. Tebow and Brady can both jump a 4 ft high fence so a secure fence or leash walk will be needed. They are both very smart and quick to learn. They both do well in the house also. Brady used to be a counter surfer but I think we have broken him of that since he hasn't done it in a long while now. We can trust both boys to be left out while we are gone although they will put themselves in their crate on their own for naps or just quiet time. They are two handsome fellas and will make wonderful companions!

08/21/2024

Super Star is such a wonderful puppy! She is about 6 months old now and was part of a litter that was being given away a few months ago at a yard sale. Unfortunately, by the time she was picked up, all of the other siblings had been given away. She was too young and full of worms. Her savior(a friend who assists in rescue), nursed her back to health and socialized her. She gets along well with other dogs and is currently hanging out with small dogs. She loves kids and did fine with cats in her rescuers home. We do not have cats so she hasn't been around any in awhile but a proper introduction should be all that is needed. Star is crate trained and has done well in the house but we do not guarantee her to be housebroken. She has not been on a leash so she may need some work with that also. She absolutely loves attention and being a part of whatever is going on. I believe she is around 30-35 pounds so a smaller medium girl (mostly weight as she is not very tall). Star was said to be a terrier/cattle dog mix. She is just the sweetest thing, super cute and would love to be someone's best friend and cuddle companion!

08/21/2024

UPDATE: The disassembly of the fence has been completed. We will be reaching out to people who offered to help in a week or two when we get ready to put the fence up. We still have to get it all here and figure out where everything is going. We want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who helped or offered to help! We could not have done it without you and we look forward to getting the fences up and getting our pups better play areas and containment. If you offered to help, please contact my husband, Tom, at 352-226-0100 so that he will have your contact info when we get ready tor Phase 2.

We are still needing help with taking down fence and getting it to us and will be needing help erecting the fence once it's here. My husband just had heart surgery a few weeks ago and injured his elbow by cutting it on some glass a week ago. We REALLY need help getting this done for the dogs. We are willing to pay someone who is willing to work and can offer up community service hours also for anyone needing those. We are a 501c3 not for profit dog rescue who has served our community for 20 years. My husband is coordinating any volunteers/assistance so please contact Tom at 352-226-0100 if you can help or want to make a couple of bucks.

08/16/2024

HELP!!! Does anyone need community service hours or wants to do some volunteer work for the rescue for a few days? We need some help taking down some fence, getting some cinder blocks and loading a couple of sheds to transport to the rescue. Also, setting the fencing up at the rescue once transported. The location of the disassembly is in Bronson but we are located in Chiefland. If interested, please call my husband, Tom, at 352-226-0100 to arrange or comment/message below and I will have him contact you with details.
We may be able to pay someone to assist but we are a nonprofit. We really need help with this because it will allow us to help a few more dogs and it's a pretty big undertaking.

08/15/2024

This boy! He just loves to stretch out and not budge! Brady is such a great dog and we can't figure out how in the world we still have him and his brother,Tebow. Crate and housebroken and great with kids and other dogs! Both boys do well in the house but they can jump a 4 ft fence and we are not sure how they would be with cats since we don't have any. Brady is a bit shyer than his brother but once he feels comfortable and safe with you, you get this...lol

08/15/2024

After VERY rough starts for these three cuties, with a broken leg for Raina and a parvo scare for Tofu and Kiefer, we FINALLY were able to get them vetted yesterday with their spay/neuter and age appropriate vetting. Tofu and Kiefer are being treated for ringworm but that is minor compared to what we have already went thru with the parvo exposure. They have started their vaccinations and were clear on their f***l. Raina has already started her vaccinations and got the good news on 8/7 that her leg is healing well on its own. She has been using her leg and it does not appear that she will have any long term effects from her break. All great news! The pups are now on the hunt for their forever families. They are all happy, playful, energetic puppies who thrive on attention and love to be social! They should fit well into any home environment. Tofu and Kiefer are small with Tofu being only 4.9 pounds and Kiefer 5.7 as of 8/14/24 so their size does need to be taken into consideration with children who may be rough with them. Raina was 15.4 pounds as of 8/14/24 so she is a sturdier, larger pup but she is also still healing from her break so she will need to not play too hard or rough until she is fully healed, which should not be much longer as the x-ray seemed to show the bone had grown together well. However, I would still be cautious for a few more weeks so she doesn't have another issue. If your kids are fairly calm and gentle with animals, these pups would do great with them since they really do love everyone. They will require training since they are still puppies and that's pretty much a given so be prepared to provide training and plenty of toys for chewing as they go thru the teething phase. The pups have all gone thru so much in their short lives and its time they started living great,comfortable lives with people who will love them forever!
Raina is a klee kai/bulldog mix who should remain a large small to medium sized dog. Her DOB is 4/26/24
Tofu & Kiefer are chiweenies who will remain small. Their DOB is 4/12/24.
If interested in adopting, please complete the adoption application located on our homepage on either www.petfinder.com or www.adoptapet.com. Adoption fees and more info can be found in their bios on these sites also, along with our other fantastic dogs still looking for homes.

08/15/2024

Is anyone able to foster a 2 year old male chocolate lab or interested in adopting?

08/14/2024

Very sad news about Buttons today! This little girl survived her brush with parvo and we thought we were out of the woods with her and the other two pups that came into rescue with her from the same home (remember that we already lost one of the puppies to this deadly virus, which was heartbreaking). But, we gave the remaining kids a parvo shot,put them all under a 2 week quarantine and hoped for the best. They all made it and 3 weeks later (soonest we could get them back in after the quarantine was up), we brought them to the vet to be spayed and get all of their health care updated so we never have to worry about parvo and other diseases again. Well...Buttons went on the table and under the knife for her spay and unfortunately, the vet found an enlarged liver and a huge tumor that was taking up her entire abdomen. To compound her problems, all of her organs were encased and/or attached to the tumor so it is inoperable. The vet recommended putting her down. Sadly, we opted to do that and save Buttons from future suffering and health problems that she would inevitably have from this tumor and the enlarged liver. This is always a decision of last resort for us as we never like to euthanize but occasionally, it does come down to their quality of life. We will always opt for our dogs to live their best lives and if we are able to treat, we will most definitely give them their best fighting chance. Not every dog can be treated successfully though and in those cases, we defer to our vet and their medical advise. Buttons can run free now without pain and I hope little Tiefer met her at the Bridge! We are sorry we couldnt give you what we all wanted to give you but we can bring you peace.❤️

08/09/2024

We got some excellent news on Wednesday when we had Raina's leg rechecked. If you remember, about a month ago, Raina had gotten her leg entangled in the fence and ended up breaking it. The radiograph on the right was the day she broke it and the one on the left is her leg today! It's pretty much totally healed! She will not need her leg amputated which is fantastic news! Raina will be getting spayed next week and she can officially find her forever home now! There is definitely something to be said for the power of youth! Her young age and natural growth helped heal this girl. Of course, our wonderful veterinarians at Chiefland Animal Hospital were key to getting this little girl on the mend and helped her be pain free during her recovery! Thank you to everyone who kept Raina in your thoughts and who assisted her to a full recovery! We love happy news!! ❤️❤️❤️

08/01/2024

Sometimes when you feel like you can't go on and the world is against you, you have some wonderful people turn it around and make you remember why you exist and what your purpose is in life. Yesterday, we had someone lift us up like that and we are forever grateful! I don't know if she wants her name out there but I think she will know who she is when she sees this! Thank you, in more ways than one, for bringing us out of a terrible slump we have been in lately! Your generosity and belief in us and what we do truly did wonders! ❤️

07/28/2024

We wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who has donated recently! We love to thank everyone individually but some of the apps don't give us a way to respond (other than with an emoji) and some of the other avenues for donation just don't always allow personal responses but just know, we do appreciate you all so very much and are very grateful for the help and show of support for us and our pups!
Thank you from the bottom of our heart! ❤️❤️

07/28/2024

4 of our pups were lucky this weekend and found their forever families! Three of the klee kai pups and YES, Mama Millie too! Millie has been waiting since January and watched all of her pups find homes but finally, today, it was her turn! We are so happy for all of the pups as they begin their journey into happiness and love because nothing brings a dog more joy than being a part of a family! We wish each pup and Millie and all of their families many wonderful years together! ❤️

07/27/2024

Adorable Star saw the vet yesterday and she got her final vaccinations and was finally old enough for a heartworm test, which she was negative on. Star is about 6 months old and weighed 35.6 pounds as of 7/26/24. She is a small but stocky, sturdy little girl. She would be perfect for a family with kids who want a smaller dog but not so small as to be fragile. Star was initially fostered in a home with cats but hasn't been around cats in awhile. She should be fine with them since she did love them and is a happy, social girl. She gets along great with other dogs and absolutely loves people! She always wants to be with you. She is still a pup so she is still very playful but she comes when she is called and is quite intelligent. She should learn quickly. She doesn't have any experience with a leash so she would need to be worked on with that and also with her house training. Star will make a wonderful family companion and should be able to easily go into any family/home environment.
Star was originally saved from a potentially terrible life when she and her siblings were being given away at a lawn sale. Star,unfortunately,was the only pup left when her former foster got to her. She was too young really to be leaving mom and was loaded with worms and had no vaccinations. She is a fat and sassy girl now though and fully vaccinated. She also will not be contributing to the pet overpopulation as she is spayed, as well. She is also pretty darn cute too!!
If interested in giving Star a wonderful life, please contact us!

07/26/2024

As everyone knows, we had a parvo incident a week ago and lost the little white chiweenie, Tiefer, to the deadly virus. In a desperate attempt to save the two brothers (Tofu & Kiefer) and an adult (Buttons) who came in with them from the same home, we rushed them all to the vet where they were given the Parvo MAB shot. This is supposed to treat parvo but its expensive-the alternative (death) is worse though. It is our first time ever using it and so far, everyone seems to have dodged a bullet. We do have another week of worry and stress but it's looking pretty positive that these 3 will be OK. Having said that, we are a very small mom & pop rescue. It is just my husband and myself who volunteer our time and money to help dogs like these. We are not rich people and expenses like these take their toll on us and the other pups in our care. We need the community's help with these unexpected and expensive expenses! Thankfully, it is not often that these types of things happen to our dogs but like everyone else in rescue, we can't do it alone. Any amount helps and is greatly appreciated. If you prefer to donate thru cashapp: $pawsandclawspups
Venmo: $pawsandclawspetrescue
PayPal:
Or directly to our account at Chiefland Animal Hospital 352-493-2000. We appreciate you all so much and know that we can't do this without your support!

07/26/2024

This boy just celebrated his 2nd birthday and he got to do it with his very own family! Keegan (formerly Negan) is well loved, as you can see and he is doing fantastic in his forever home. He is devoted to his mom and loves his canine sister! He is living his best life these days and we are so thankful to his family who gave him that!!

07/26/2024

Happy news for this boy who found his forever family on Wednesday! His sisters both found homes around Christmas but Lee patiently waited for the right home and it finally happened! He will be living the good life with his new dad and human brother! Congrats to Lee and his new family! May you all enjoy many wonderful years together! ❤️

07/20/2024

Here are the pups and dog we had to rush to the vet yesterday. Sadly, the little white brother did not make it and succumbed to the terrible disease, parvo! Please vaccinate your dogs because this is totally preventable! The adult and the other 2 remaining pups were given the parvo shot so praying that works and we stave off any further illness and loss! These dogs are not ready for adoption and we will be following the vet's recommendations on when they can move forward with their vetting. Just wanted everyone to put faces to the words we write about them. So far, the remaining 3 are doing well. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

07/20/2024

Coco can't believe she's been in rescue for over 3 years now with barely any interest at all. She's beginning to get an inferiority complex (just kidding). She's really a calm, cool and collected girl who does great with other dogs. She's fantastic in the house and is housebroken and crate trained. She will sometimes go in the crate on her own. Coco is a beautiful, healthy girl. Her only real downfall is she hates cats but there must be a wonderful family out there who would love to add this fantastic girl to their family who doesn't have cats. Coco is a laid back, mellow girl who tends toward the lazy life. She will go out and play but she does like the easy going lifestyle. Coco is leash trained and is just an awesome dog, not to mention beautiful!!

07/20/2024

Tebow and Brady..the brothers! How in the world are these handsome boys still with us?? They are awesome! Both are housebroken. Brady usually goes into a crate for bed..sometimes he likes to be mischievous and get into stuff at night but he crates himself most nights so that works for us too! Tebow is great in the house but he is crate trained also..he just prefers to stay out and since he isn't one to get into anything, we let him. Tebow does love squirrel watching (and if the occasion presents itself, chasing as well). He will park himself under a tree and sit there looking up into the branches. Both boys love to play with other dogs and will also get out of a fenced area,if not secure. They are usually followers though and only try that if they are following another dog. They are both very affectionate,loving boys and we aren't sure how they haven't captured someone's heart already. They have been with us for several months now. They do not need to be adopted together as they do well separately also.

07/20/2024

Beau says..I need a haircut! He's also wondering why Brady and Tebow are smacking him in the face with their tails! Beau has come a long way with us since first joining the rescue. Initially, he wanted no part of people. He kept his distance and wouldn't come to us at all. He refused to come in the house or be anywhere he saw a human. He was very timid and frightened but he loved the other dogs! He would run and play with all of them with no hesitation. Well...we turned a corner a couple of months ago and Beau enjoys getting pet and lounging in the AC on the cool tile floors! Beau races into the house now with all of his friends. Beau is a young boy and just needs to figure life out! He's starting to and we are happy to see him progressing into a loving dog. Beau is housebroken and doesn't get into things in the house. He can jump a fence if he wants to so he will need a secure fence or be leash walked (he does walk on a leash). Beau is a standard poodle so he does need grooming. We are not groomers so if he isn't adopted soon, he will probably be seeing the groomer. We definitely don't want him to get too out of control with his coat. He's still manageable right now though, just shaggy..lol. He's a great dog with lots of potential and cute as he can be!

07/20/2024

Millie or Mama (as she is affectionately referred to) is still waiting for her forever home after all of her pups found loving homes around Christmas of last year. Millie was a community stray who was very skittish around most people. She had obviously had some trauma in her past that had resulted in trust issues with humans. She ran the community for at least 2-3 years and lived her life as a semi feral dog. She was fed scraps by the residents and would come around for those but she never let anyone get close to her until a new resident moved in. She slowly befriended Millie and gained her trust enough to capture her. Millie had a couple of litters during her feral dog years but now she is spayed so no more babies for her. She enjoys her life as a housedog but still has a touch of loving freedom in her too. She can escape and does dig to accomplish her freedom goals so it's important to leash walk her(she does well on a leash, surprisingly) or ensure that your yard is like Fort Knox so she can't get out. Millie is heartworm positive due to her living on her own in the woods/swamps and not getting heartworm prevention but she is on Simparica Trio monthly so she just needs to be maintained on that to treat her heartworms. She has had no ill effects from the Simparica Trio and you would give her one once a month as a prevention anyways so really no special care or extra expense is required to treat her. Millie is housebroken and is very intelligent. She is also very sweet and gentle. She does bark at my 5 year old grandson and not sure why as usually she's pretty quiet. He may be too energetic for her and although she is not a lump, she is a pretty chill/mellow girl. And she is absolutely beautiful!!

07/20/2024

We have had a number of recent unexpected emergencies and expenses that we have to ask the public's help for. Within the last 3 weeks, we have had a broken leg and most recent (as of yesterday) a confirmed parvo case who ultimately did not survive, sadly. We did, however, give the other 3 dogs /pups who came from the same place a parvo shot which is supposed to prevent them from getting sick. This is the very first time we have ever used this shot and I assume it's something relatively new since we haven't and have occasionally had this deadly disease rear its ugly head in the past. All of this is in addition to the normal, basic care and altering that we provide for every dog in our care. As everyone knows, we are a very small mom and pop rescue with only myself and my husband who volunteer our time and money to caring for other people's cast offs, strays and unwanted pups. We are usually able to do most of it on our own but sometimes, we do need the community's help. We do hate to ask and if it wasn't for the dog's sake,we probably wouldn't but like everyone else, we are not made of money and with costs rising, it's hard. I'm not going to lie,adoptions seem to be way down even though we have some really great dogs and costs just keep going up. Unexpected emergencies and accidents definitely are something we don't need so any help is greatly appreciated. $1, $5, $20, $100 or anything you can spare makes a huge difference and is so appreciated. We love these dogs and we want them to have the best lives possible but that can only happen with your help! We can't do it all alone! Remember that you can make any donation directly to our rescue account at Chiefland Animal Hospital , and we also have:
cashapp: $pawsandclawspups
Venmo:
PayPal: and currently have a Cuddly campaign running for Raina. We have not yet gotten the bill for our parvo pups but will post once we have that also.