Makeover Entry Sassy

Day of adoption. Whoppee!

Dear Derby,
I want to start by apologizing for the late entry. My typist/mom has horrible ADHD and in spite of my efforts to remind her it is now nearing the makeover deadline. I am hoping that you are in the central time zone and that I am on time.

My name is Sassy and I am a 7.5 year old shepherd mix. My mom adopted me at 6 months from a shelter. My first mom wasn't healthy and had not anticipated what it meant to have a puppy. I was too bouncy. She surrendered me along with my puppy class certificates. I was top in my class but that wasn't enough. This isn't the best picture but this is the day my mom adopted me.

Neo Crazy Ears

At first it was just me and my mom. I loved it. She got hurt in an accident though and I had to stay with my aunt for a while. I missed her but loved having my younger cousin, Neo, to play with. I was so happy the day I got to go back home. I could barely believe it. It had been nearly 9 months. This is Neo. He has crazy ears.


Mom decided to adopt me a brother since I missed Neo. So along came Chance. He is a black and white pointer. This is Chance interfering with my mom taking my picture. He interferes a lot.

Chance and me

We added Rocky, a black and white pointer mix, and that makes three of us. This is me with my brother, Rocky. We are pretty tight.

Sassy and Rocky 

I love my brothers but I have noticed something that makes me sad. People don't pay as much attention to me as they do to them. I am starting to show my age a bit. A little gray under my muzzle. I have tears in each ear from getting beat up a couple of times as well. Maybe that is why? I went to the store with my mom the other day and all the staff said hi but they didn't want to take my picture. They always want to take my brother's picture. It made my mom sad that they didn't notice me.

NOTICE ME! I'm pretty darn special too!

I hope if I win that people will maybe notice how awesome I look in my new collars and take the time to get to know me. I am a super sweet dog. Faithful, well behaved, and a good sister. I put up with a lot of drama from Chance and have endless patience with Rocky.

What do you think Derby? Is there hope for me?

Thank you,

Sassy Emery

Makeover Entry Fresca

It all began one day in September 2007.  The plea came through for a young female English Setter in need of rescue.  Contact with the shelter was made and wait, oh NO there is not one, not even two, but THREE English Setters in need of rescue.  Miraculously foster homes were found for all three.  They were moved to safety, vetted and then, the wait for transport.  Finally, the transport filled for Saturday, October 13, and I was on my way to pick up my sweet setter foster.  I left the house telling The Clan, life will be a little different starting this afternoon, but it will only be for a few weeks, this girl is sweet and beautiful as can be, her new forever family will come along soon. 

The introductions to The Clan went well.  Ah yes, the adventures of bringing home a new foster…  The cats all were happily chased, the antique dresser danced upon, and Fresca began her lessons in house manners. 

CATS...they are NOT just for chasing!

I noticed Fresca had a terrible time with stairs and “crashed & burned” when running in the yard.  I knew she had a hip problem.  Sure enough after x-rays were taken, Fresca was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia.  Fresca’s made great progress, she plays and has the energy of a “normal” setter.  My vet can’t believe the x-rays belong to Fresca, that’s how much she has improved.

From her reactions to some males, we know there was abuse in Fresca's past.  Due to the patience, time and gentle nature of a very special young man down the street, Fresca has overcome her fear of young 

children, boys in particular, and is a little calmer around adult males.

 After close to 7 months of being available for adoption, without much real interest, we remained hopeful the right home would come along.   Then, one night as I sat on the kitchen floor at dinner time, Fresca walked into my lap, put her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss.  That sealed it, I KNEW Fresca was never leaving.  I believe Fresca knew the minute she walked into the door that fateful day in October, 6+ years ago, she was home……..    Foster failure, we don’t think so! Fresca, sweetheart, we all love you! 

 So, Fresca’s life has almost had a full makeover.  The last missing piece would be to win the Lucky Fiona Makeover contest!  Fresca’s coat is nice and short, collars stand out on her and she loves bright colorful Lucky Fiona collars!

Hi Collar Peeps, Fresca here!  You have no idea what it’s like living here with this grumpy old setter brother and those hissy cats.  Yikes what’s a girl to do?  Heck, I’m 8 years young and need something to help brighten me up.  Let me tell you, I’d feel sooo special if you choose me to win the collar contest.  Your collars are amazingly comfie and pretty too.

Makeover Entry Eve

I am a 10 year old German Shorthaired Pointer and my name is Christmas Eve Stinkeye Smith, my family calls me Evie for short…You’re laughing? Why? Do you think that’s a crazy name? Well I don’t, I love it. It suits me well and tells my story. You look like you don’t believe me, well let me tell you my story, and you’ll see….
I wish that I could tell you that in my former life I was an Italian runway model, or a French pastry chef, but I can’t because I wasn’t. I was a German stay at home mom, of sorts. I loved my children very much, but I was never allowed to keep them for long. I was always lonely.

My owner treated me poorly. I was not well cared for, nor well fed. I was not a pet, nor did I have a name. I did not have a family, nor was I loved. I was not happy. I was my owner’s slave.

Right before Christmas Eve my former owner dropped me off at the shelter in town. He no longer needed my services. I was no longer useful to him and so I was abandoned to strangers with no paperwork or any written proof of my existence.

Please don’t look at me that way, wipe those tears, don’t be sad. This is the happy part, this is where my miracle begins….

                    This is me at the shelter…I’m very scared.                                                        

 A lady I had never met before, (my Aunt Michelle) heard about me from a friend who saw me at the shelter.  Aunt Michelle knew the shelter conditions were unacceptable and right away she began work to find me safe haven. Rescue volunteers work miracles you know, and she immediately started the process to find my miracle, a real home.

Yeah, I flew in a plane and drove to
my new future, it was a ride well worth it.

Before I knew it I was sprung from the shelter and on the road again.  I stayed with the Bailey’s, a very nice foster family, I flew on an airplane with Pilot Dr. John Lee and in an instant I was in Aunt Michelle’s arms and she called me Eve. I liked it. Eve sounded so special, for the first time I felt loved.





Aunt Michelle took me to the vet to be evaluated. I was very busy while at the Vet. I was having surgery, and hanging with the techs and dumping over garbage cans and eating my E-collar and pulling out my sutures and one more chew of the E-collar….It was a strange place but I didn’t mind. I was safe and warm and fed. I was starting to heal and trust people. What I didn’t know was that during this time Aunt Michelle was speaking with her friends at NJ GSP Rescue about my miracle. They wanted to help too.

She was making plans to send me North in search of a better life with more rescue volunteers I had never met.  My Aunt Ranya and Aunt Sandy were making plans with Aunt Michelle to have my miracle begin in NJ. My mom tells me the story that the rescue goddesses (that’s what she calls Aunt Rayna & Aunt Sandy) were fighting over who would foster me first, they both wanted to take a turn while they found me a forever home…

And so once Christmas was over, and my sutures had healed, I spent one last night with Aunt Michelle and then was loaded up in a van full of very whiny puppies and on my way to NJ, taped up E-collar and all. It was a long ride to NJ. The puppies whined the whole way but I didn’t mind, it was so much better than where I had been living. I was on the adventure of a lifetime.

I awoke when the van stopped. The doors opened and it was chilly. I breathed deeply and knew I was somewhere new. Suddenly I realized a crowd of people were standing there. I didn’t know anyone. Now I know because my Mom told me, that they were foster parents there to collect the puppies. I remember seeing Uncle Brian & Aunt Jenny for the first time, they were there picking up Prancer. There were so many people. I was worried what would happen next.

 Once the puppies were unloaded my miracle became visible.  I could see my new family waiting for me. My Christmas miracle had already happened before I even left for NJ. My family had already adopted me, and we hadn’t even met. That day, they took me home and gave me the rest of my awesome name and the rest is history…

Hey wait! Don’t stop reading now! This is the most important part. This is where I tell you why I need to win the Lucky Fiona Makeover. This part is very important so please, listen carefully….

You would think that a dog like me would want to retire, once I was adopted in NJ that I would just kick back and live the good life…but I’m not that kind of girl. I was ready for my real life to begin, and begin it did, first things first I needed a career change.

I hung up my ovaries, and slipped on a rescue vest and now I’m a teacher. I work with my family to teach others about the dogs that I left behind who are birthing puppies in the same conditions I was.

We go to cool events with the rescue and meet all the people who are there. Some like to pet me and give me money so that the rescue can save more pointers and get them the medical care that they need. All of my friends go to the events too. I love to spend the day with Riley, Henry, Dexter Martin and Cookie….We always have a lot of fun being together and stealing all the bully sticks on the sale table.

This is my favorite part "Meet the Little Ones!"

The children who come to these events are my favorite part. They like my spots and they think my ears are soft. Some of the children though are afraid of dogs…these frightened children are my favorite and for them I pull out my secret weapon…my Lucky Fiona Collar.

My mother loves to treat me and my brother Flapjack to these special collars. They are soft and special just like me. Wearing a funny collar makes children who are afraid giggle and realize that I am not a mean dog, because a mean dog would never wear such a cool collar!

I love to wear my “Hootnanny” collar and my “Terra loves Hedgehogs” collar…the kids think that they are adorable like me…Then they feel comfortable petting me and it gives my Mom a chance to speak with their Mom about saving more pointers.

Winning this makeover would allow me to have a new collar for every event I go to this year, WOW! Can you imagine how many children I can reach with that kind of bling?

I am a beautiful dog and I know it. I am so lucky that the scratchy brassy fur that I had in December has been shed and my beautiful Liver & White fur has grown in. I am soft and special just the way I am. Having a neckwear makeover however is exactly what I do need.

Being rescued has given me confidence. I know I am lucky to have a family who loves me, and a job that fulfills me and even a special name that defines me….bur having a new collar at every event is exactly what I need in order to properly teach my story and reach the frightened & shy children.


What did you say? What about the stinkeye part of my name you ask? Well that’s my pirate name and that’s a story for another day….

Love and Kisses,
Christmas Eve Stinkeye Smith


This was my first day ever at a beach. Ocean Grove, NJ.

       

                                               

Makeover Entry Tucker

Tucker's Video Entry

Makeover Entry Hot Rod

Hi Lucky Fiona, 

My name is Hot Rod and I am a basset hound.   Pretty obvious I know.  Not really sure why they called me Hot Rod because my foster family says I putter around more than zoom zoom, but maybe in my younger years I was a zoomer. I am around 10 now.

So here is my story as I know it.  I lived somewhere in southern Georgia and lived outside my whole live,  didn't really know there was this place called "inside"  Then these nice people with Bhrg and Pilots and Paws came and got me and told me life would be better.  And they were right!   Now I am living with my foster family and sleeping on comfy furniture and beds.  Pretty nice I must say!  I have lots of health issues, chronic ear issues, thyroid problems which caused me to lose weight instead of gain and have to have lots of eye drops daily too.  You can see why I need a makeover!  My foster mom and dad says it will take a special person to adopt and love me, but I think they are already my family.  After all who else would love me with all this drool I sling every day?  If I had special collars to wear every day can you imagine how awesome I would look?   I would show all the families how great I am and I would be able to walk around looking very handsome. 

I will be waiting to be picked because I know I am very worth it.  :)

Thank you,  Love Hot Rod

Makeover Contest Entry Jack Reacher

Jack is looking for a style makeover!

Hey  there, Derby!

Jack Reacher , here. I am in urgent need of a Lucky Fiona makeover. They tried to make me over when I was released from the small pen I lived in for the first five years of my life. Apparently I was a matted and mud encrusted orange belton English setter. So they cut off  a bunch of matted fur and gave me a bath. They must have been in a hurry because the haircut looks like a real hack job. I should not be ungrateful, I got out of the cage and I was getting people attention, which for me, is a wonderful thing. But I digress. Allow me to tell you my story.

My name is Jack. I existed in a small pen with my other dog friend in southern Virginia, until a kind neighbor convinced my owner that that sort of solitary confinement is no life for a gregarious fellow like me. I needed to be with people and to learn some basic manners. Another Chance for English Setters stepped in and my buddy and I were rescued.

I traveled from southern Virginia to my foster home on Long Island in March of this year. Talk about culture shock! This country boy was amazed at the traffic, all the people and the bridges. The bridges are so high and I am afraid of heights. I stayed with a lovely couple for a few weeks. I was getting fed twice a day and I had water available whenever I wanted a drink. I learned that one must answer nature's call OUTSIDE. That is a work in progress, but Mom says I am making huge strides.

I had to visit a veterinarian. For any other dogs reading my story, the vet's office is a place to avoid. Trust me. They do unspeakable things there. They poke you with needles, make you sleepy and then they cut off your balls while you are unaware.  They say I am now fully vaccinated and neutered. I could have done without this. At least they pet me and gave me treats after the "incident' and told me what a good boy I am, so in retrospect, maybe it was not so bad.

My foster told me someone was coming to see me on Easter Sunday. I was excited. I love company. Then I heard the news I was waiting for. I now had a 'furever' family!!! I was going to live in a house, eat good food regularly, and just be loved. It was my dream come true.

I was wearing an orange plastic coated collar . It poked and chafed. My new sister loaned me one of her collars, albeit grudgingly, a LUCKY FIONA collar. It is so stylish and comfortable. I certainly look dapper. But, I want to have collars to call my own. It will be the topping on the cake of my rags to riches story.

Your pal,

Jack Reacher

PS I am enclosing some pictures of me with my new family. There is even a baby here sometimes that does not care if I kiss her or eat her cheerios. The boy throws a ball for me and we play video games together.

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. _ Roger Caras

3rd Annual Makeover My Dog Contest

LUCKY FIONA MAKEOVER MY DOG CONTEST

It's that time again! The 3rd Annual Makeover My Dog Contest is here. Grand Prize is a one year Collar of the Month Subscription! New this year - - -The 2013 makeover winner Derby will be the one to pick our new winner and pass along the crown to a deserving dog. Here are the rules:

* Submit your dog's story and why they feel they should be the official Lucky Fiona Makeover Winner. Submissions must include a photo of some kind. Videos, slideshows or text and photos are all acceptable. Be creative! Be sure to include your dog's age and breed in entry. 

* Send entries to info@luckyfiona.com by midnight June 15th. Entrants allow Lucky Fiona the right to publish entries on blog and feature on Facebook. Winner will be announced on June 17th. 

Here's a few words from Derby about her reign the past year...

Derby pre-makeover. A hot mess of style.

Hi Auntie Shannon,

Derby here. Sorry it has taken me so long to write you, but I am busy being a wonderful host and playing in the Spring weather. This winter was a rough one and I may or may not have gained some "fancy skin" from lack of outdoor socializing at the dog park.

I just wanted to send a quick report on how I have blossomed into quite the pretty girl this year, all thanks to Lucky Fiona's Makeover Contest.

A quick recap:

I had only a couple collars. Mom tried to put them on me to dress me up, but DogDad insisted that "bird dogs should have orange collars". Boy has he come around, too! Not only do I have two whole racks of collars, DogDad even has favorites and picks a fresh one for me to wear for every month! The pink and gray mustaches collar is one of his favorites. I just had my bath time -- now I can jump in and out of the bathtub all on my own and I'm a very good girl for the whole spa treatment. Hair done, nails done, ear cleanings, brushes...I love it all, but getting new collars has been the most fun ever! I know those little packages they come in! I get so excited, I would jump up and down and try to put it on myself, whether DogMom was ready for me or not. It was so much fun I couldn't contain myself! I am so proud to be a Lucky Fiona Girl!

Now my time with the crown is over and it's time to pass the collar craziness onto another deserving doggie (or cat maybe? I don't know all the rules.) I can't wait to pick a winner!

Derby post makeover, refined and elegant. 

I've included some before and after photos to be used at your discretion. I have faith no scandals will ensue.

With lots of love and kisses,

Derby xo