Dalmatian Rescue of Southwest Virginia

12/01/2025

New arrival - another near starvation case on our hands. This poor guy comes to us after his owner stated that "he wasn't worth shooting". Thankfully a kind-hearted couple took this boy into their care and contacted us for help. He weighed just over 30 pounds at 10 months old. He is doing better already under the care of his new foster mom and she chose the name Oliver for this little boy. He has a sweet personality and is doing well. He has been to the vet to get rid of a bad case of parasites and goes again on Wednesday to our vet for a complete blood panel and vaccinations. He had to get a little healthier before getting any vaccines, so he has been quarantined. I want to thank our amazing foster, Kat, and her boyfriend for taking Oliver in under their wing and reaching out to us for help. Oliver could have died in that field and no one would have known. He will be available for adoption once he is healthy. Applications will be accepted at our online website. More photos will be available soon!

12/01/2025

Courtesy Post - Gorgeous 4 year old Dottie is available for adoption. She will be screened and approved through DRSWV for the proper home. Dottie has been living in a home with 3 small children and a Yorkie, so this is a nice dog available for the right home. Circumstances have just arisen where the kids are involved in too many activities and Dottie is not getting enough attention. Lets not criticize the owners, but help Dottie find the perfect place where she can be the center of someone's world. She is very sweet, loves to cuddle, loves to shake hands, and waits on you at the end of the driveway to get home. She uses an underground fence and is used to a fenced in yard. She’s been through some training to help with behaviors/obedience (just regular puppy training). She stays in a kennel often when we are gone and does well with that. She’s not the best long distance traveler as she still gets sick in cars without medication. We recommend she be taken on several short trips to build her up to long distance travel if new owners want to "travel" with her. Like most Dalmatians, Dottie can be protective when she meets new people, especially men, and does better with women but warms up to new people quickly. She is spayed, UTD on vaccines and will just need an adjustment period in her new home. Smaller dogs should be okay, but Dotty will want to be the dominant dog. Completely our online application if you are interested in this cutie.

06/01/2025

05/01/2025

Ron got some pictures of our sweet brownies playing in the snow today. Clara and Coco are still available for adoption - as a pair. They are 8 years old and been together all of their lives. We do not want to separate them at this point. They act like they are 3 or 4 and are the sweetest girls ever! They are good with other dogs and great with kids. They are NOT good with cats. Two for one adoption deal on these girls. Complete our adoption application if you are interested at our website www.drswv.com. (sorry, they do need baths!) Orange collar is Coco, black collar is Clara.

28/12/2024

UPDATE! A 5th bag arrived today and we discovered our sweet benefactor was Tom Smith, a wonderful friend and adopter. Thank you Tom. We thank you and our fosters thank you so much!

03/10/2024

We have also taken in two nice dogs from the Wake County Shelter in NC. Meet Mack and Ellie. Sadly, their owner passed away, so we don't have any history on them. They could be siblings, but Mac is about twice her size, so I am doubtful and think he might be a little older. I don't think she is a year old yet, and he might be a year and a half. Getting them to the vet next week so we can get a closer guesstimate. Both of them are gorgeous dogs, friendly, but a little to dependent on each other. These two will do better separated, but also do well with another dog to help them learn how to be real dogs. Mack dominates Ellie a little bit, but every other dog here scares him at first. With Hurricane Helene hanging around about every day since they have been here, we haven't had much opportunity to work with them yet, so send us some sunshine this week - please! Mack is about 60 pounds and I'm guessing on Ellie at 38-40. Neither have been handled much, but friendly and eager to learn. More on them once we get them vetted and worked with. We will take applications.

03/10/2024

Coco & Clara....These two 8 year old half sisters are looking for a home together if at all possible. They have been bonded their entire lives. We were told that they have the same sire and were born the same year. We adopted them to a family four years ago, but sadly, they escaped the family's yard and killed a cat. The cat's owner forced Animal Control to have the family surrender the dogs, or to go to court to deem them dangerous dogs - involving a lot of things in Virginia that no one wants to put their dog through. For the safety of the dogs, they were returned to rescue. Coco & Clara may be a menace to cats if allowed to run loose, but otherwise, they will lick your face off and give you the sweetest kisses ever. Because they have been in trouble previously, we WILL require a fenced in yard for these two. They have been good around kids and other dogs. I would consider them NOT AT ALL good with cats, and probably no small dogs that are cat-sized or other little furry critter. Both are spayed, UTD on vaccines, heartworm protection, etc. and about 48-50 #. These girls are sweethearts and just need a place to live out their golden years (but don't tell them that - they think they are just 3-4 years old, and act that!) Special adoption rate to the perfect family. Complete an application on your website. At this point, I don't want to separate them, but may consider that if we can't find them a home together.

02/10/2024

We don't see them often, and we really don't want to because - well, we just don't - but occasionally we get a long-coated Dalmatian. This little cutie, Lily Grace, I will have to admit kinda stole our hearts with her sweetness. Of course she came from a BYB not far from us, ended up at a shelter, adopted to someone who knew very little about Dalmatians and surrendered to us because she wanted her to have a better life. I sent a picture of her to one of our longtime adopters and volunteers and I'm not sure that the picture even hit her inbox before she was screaming, "I want her". My Darcy thinks I have a revolving door here with young female playmates for her. They come and go too quickly for her. Scott & Cynthia Ambs wasted no time driving from Manassas area to pick up Ms. Lily Grace and we are happy to say that she immediately fit right in with their pack. I can't even remember how many Dalmatians that these folks have adopted from us over the last 20 years, but I can say that they are our #1 adoption family! Love you guys!

02/10/2024

Paula Michaud & I have been FB friends for years (and years!) and she saw Luna on our page and was determined to adopt her, even if it meant a 12 hour drive from MA to VA. We held Luna an extra month awaiting Paula & Dave's vacation week in September. No problem, right? Well, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men.... Ms. Luna and my Darcy shared everything, even chewing on opposite sides of toys, bones, treats, etc. Well, Luna thought she could do that with head-bitch-in-charge Andie, and it didn't go so well. Andie of course, nailed her right in the end of her ear. Blood bath, CSI style. For two weeks before pickup, poor Luna was in a head wrap healing while waiting for her new mom and dad, and new sister Bella. Adoption day arrives and while Luna still completely trusts Darcy, she is now a little shy around other dogs while protecting that ear, so she didn't immediately take to new sister Bella. Thankfully, mom Paula is patient and the girls are working it out. Please welcome Paula & Dave to our spotted family. I think the girls will be fine once that ear heals and Luna learns to trust Bella a little more.

01/10/2024

Clancy came to us almost emaciated after being sold to someone who had no clue about Dalmatians from a local BYB not far from us. At only 7 months old, he was with his new owner only a few weeks, full of parasites and more than 10 pounds underweight, but it sure didn't change his disposition. One of the sweetest boys we have had in rescue, this boy was happy about everything and loved everyone and every dog he met. Audra and Robert from Earlysville, VA drove down to meet him with their son and female lab. Clancy was totally in love. Clancy's new name is Jack and he follows his sister around everywhere, loving life. Jack has a family, a kid and a dog sister. He kinda thinks he won the doggy lottery!

01/10/2024

Ace has been adopted to former adopters Nora & Travis Price and their kids. His new name is Bulleit (like the bourbon) and if you watch him run, it fits! His first temporary foster home recognized this boy needed kids when her grandsons visited. We listened and held on to this boy until the perfect home came along. Bulleit has 3 kids and a Dalmatian mix sister previously adopted from DRSWV. This handsome liver boy is now loving life in Roanoke.

01/10/2024

These two handsome boys never officially received names because they arrived fully vetted and left before they had time to unpack all their things. All we had to do was to give them one vaccine and some dewormer..... and get to smell puppy breath for a few days. Purple Collar went to long time adopters Gayle and Jenn from Wilmington, SC. The first to make an inquiry on them, they got first pick and wanted the whitest face pup we had. Just so happened we had one of those! The gals had adopted Goose several months ago and he was one of many who come from a puppymill that had never been worked with much. He has been doing great under their leadership in training classes, but lets say he is a little bit of a fraidy cat. Well, little brother Sheffield is helping chase away all the spiders and scary things in Goose's house and making him a much more active boy. Yeah, Sheffield!

17/09/2024

UPDATE!!! We have a driver to cover the ENTIRE TRIP!!!!! :)

TRANSPORT NEEDED - Sat, 9/21/24 for 2 Dalmatians from Wake County Animal Services (Raleigh, NC) to meet rescue in Salem or Roanoke, VA. Thanks for helping DRSWV get Ellie & Mack safely to rescue!

27/08/2024

Please read the post on Dutton for more information

And last but not least, Walker....the smallest and first chosen by a previous adopter. I think Ron's photography might have had a little to do with that. Check out that head shot! This little cutie is also the shy one, probably because the others are a lot larger than he is, so he got some extra cuddles today. What a sweet boy!