Candace's Pack Dog Rescue

To encapsulate what Candace meant to me in a social media caption would be impossible.

I believe her purpose on this Earth was to teach me how to be a better person, a better man, which would ultimately prepare me to be a Dad.

We had to say goodbye to her this week. As painful as it was for us, she was comfortable, on her favorite bed, and surrounded by family she loved.

Through my heartbreak and devastation, I have to remind myself that our decision was our final act of kindness to her.

She’s the dog that with me in the silhouette of my logo.

She’s the name and face of my nonprofit Candace’s Pack Dog Rescue.

She was and is the inspiration for everything I do for my training clients and why I wanted to help shelter dogs.

Rest in peace my love.

“You were my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye”

“Loving you has changed our lives, so it should come as no surprise that losing you has done the same”

“If love alone could have kept you here, you would have lived forever”

Sunshine Got A Forever Home!!!!rose.m and her little boy make such a perfect family for Sunshine. I couldn’t be happier for her and her new family
This one was a tough one for me initially but I knew Sunshine was more than ready to be part of a family.
I’ve been telling people that Sunshine gives me more affection in 30 seconds than Candace ever has and it’s so true. She’s a completely different dog that loves to engage with you. As you can see from her videos, we built a great connection and I’m excited to see her build a new one with her new family.
That is what rescue is all about, no matter how hard it may be for me. Congratulations Sunshine and her new family!!!
Special thanks to for helping me rescue her back in October 2021 🙏🏽 And thank you to all my volunteers who helped me with her.

I’d like to give a HUGE THANK YOU and shout out to someone I’ve been lucky to meet within the local Gainesville dog world: Natasha Kelly of Menagerie Petcare
Natasha first contacted me to inquire about dog training. When she heard that I was in need of a temporary foster home for Sunshine so that I can go out of town for a short family getaway, She didn’t hesitate to offer volunteering her services
She’s a great person, calm and confident with great instincts for dog behavior! She sends pictures so you can see what your pup is up to during their stay ❤️
I was also really excited for Sunshine as I knew this would be a great social experience for her, new human, new dogs, a puppy to mentor and cats!
Natasha gave Sunshine an excellent report. I’m so proud! ☺️
If you’re in the Gainesville, FL area and you’re in need of a pet sitting service, I highly recommend her!

Threshold work.
The next 2 pictures are why I named her Sunshine
She’s available for adoption ❤️

Happy New Year from Sunshine!
2022 will be the year she finds a forever home
DM if interested!

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/sunshine-54059426/fl/gainesville/candaces-pack-dog-rescue-fl1759/

Sunshine is available for adoption! message me for details

Adopt Sunshine on Petfinder Sunshine is an adoptable Dog - Rat Terrier & Chihuahua Mix searching for a forever family near Gainesville, FL. Use Petfinder to find adoptable pets in your area.

Sunshine is howling “Merry Christmas!”

Sharing some photos from an amazing year that was 2021! CPDR Alumni Dottie & Meadow who got homes this year, Sunshine who will be ready for her forever home soon. And of course our very own Candace ❤️
Cheers 🥂 to a bigger and better 2022!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!🥳

Meadow got the Christmas gift of a lifetime, a forever home & family!!
Dianne, her husband Sebastian, sweetheart daughter Cala and little chihuahua Patron is the perfect pack for Meadow! I’m so happy that these amazing people, who happen to be friends, were interested in her
When we visited with Meadow last weekend, Dianne was so inspired by Meadows good behavior and manners that she started working with Patron for the first time. He’s still learning his basics
Dianne understands what she needs to do to be a good leader for Meadow and she is excited to build their relationship
What a way to close out 2021!!!

Today was Meadow’s turn for a spa day! Bath, ear clean, nail trim and dry off. Scroll for some action shots
Joseph & Kathryn Pizzurro and their Scent Hound Gainesville SW crew are amazing people and provide an excellent service!
If you’re a dog owner in Gainesville, FL I highly recommend them. Candace is also a frequent flyer! We are super lucky to have them partner with us and provide their grooming services for our rescue pack.
Thanks to the Scent Hound bather Ryan for doing such a good job with her! ❤️
Scent Hound Gainesville SW
2835 SW 91st
STE 330
Gainesville, FL 32608
352-505-8435

Sunshine & Meadow doing their place work after a nice afternoon pack walk.
Help is needed so these girls can get more quality outside time! Please DM me for volunteer opportunities

Just a couple of snapshots from this week’s training with our rescue pack
Meadow & Sunshine started “place” training and are very fast learners!
And of course our resident chickens are helping out with Meadow’s impulse control. She’s doing excellent!
These sweet girls will be ready for their permanent homes really soon ❤️

MEADOW UPDATE!
3 Videos! Scroll for progress! ——>
Working with our new C-Pack girl Meadow
I’ve been saying that she has quite the little engine on her and I knew doing long line work would be fun and super beneficial
Video 1 - (7 days ago) coming from the shelter, she had no concept of leash pressure and handler relevance.
Video 2 - (Today) This is day 5 of doing long line work with her and you can see how much she loves it. She totally gets it and is becoming more aware of where I am. I’m also finding long line work to be amazing for teaching a dog their new name! That “touch” and wag at the end is huge. She’s getting to know me as much as I’m getting to know her
Video 3 (Right after long line) She is what my mentor calls “packed in” after allowing her to practice her prey drive.
Long line has been a game changer for me and I encourage everyone to give it a try!

Want to volunteer and get hands on experience working with dogs? Message us!

Candace's Pack Dog Rescue Send a message to learn more

We try to give the rescue girls (Meadow on the left & Sunshine, on the right) as much outside time as we can.
The more volunteers we have, the more social interactions and outdoor exposure they can get.
If you’re in the Gainesville, FL area and you’re interested in learning more about dog behavior and training, and you’d like to volunteer, please DM or contact us - [email protected]

Sometimes you meet people and they end up being a true gift from the universe. April is one of those people for me.
From the shelter experience, to naming and getting to know meadow and Sunshine (Summer?) to $35 fridges, she was with me for every minute of it.
Like I told you when you were here, If you hadn’t of come I probably would have postponed and made excuses out of fear.
“Thank you” doesn’t even describe how grateful I am, but again Thank you! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
If you’re in the Bend, Oregon area please do yourself a favor and hire the best dog trainer in Bend.

We have some exciting developments in the works.
Some announcement posts are coming soon in regards to the progression of the rescue and getting to work on our mission

Happy 7th Adoption Day anniversary to the dog that changed our lives and inspired our dog rescue!

I thought it would be fun to share a picture from each year, and show some of the adventures she’s been on through the years. Scroll to see each one.

1 - First meeting. First picture.

2 - with her old BFF Romeo, the dog that taught her confidence

3 - First snow.

4 - Candace makes the newspaper!

5 - Over 4,000 feet high, on White Face Mountain

6 - canoeing

7 - Jacksonville Beach

8 - At the park after some long line work

I’m so happy to announce that we, Candace’s Pack Dog rescue, have officially adopted out our first dog!
Congratulations to Julie from Newberry for committing to being Dottie’s new forever mom! Dottie now has a doggie brother named Derby, and an Equine sister named Sheeba. Not only does she have plenty of space to run around, her new mom is planning on traveling the country by car! I’m really excited that Dottie now has a pack of her own that she’ll get to explore more of the world with.
It was not easy finding people that were serious enough to consider taking in a “big dog”. After having a serious talk about leadership, and seeing how well we were able to orchestrate Derby and Dottie’s meeting, I knew Julie was the one.
It makes me extremely happy that all of the work I put into rebahilitating Dottie will continue to be put to use in her new everyday pack life. Her new Mom (a former military nurse) knows all about giving directions!
Dottie came to us on May 1st as an owner surrender. Both she and her former owners were in a serious situation. I was not fully set up at the time but I knew I wanted to help and it was a great opportunity to get started on our rescue mission and grow as a trainer. Dottie taught me a lot and her presence here will be missed.
Over 4 months later I’m super relieved and happy to finally tell a happy ending to this story.
Stay tuned to a future episode of the CPDR podcast. I’ll give way more details of Dottie’s time at CPDR, her rehabilitation journey and the grueling process of finding her a home.
Thank you to my friends and mentors that guided me through this process and first rescue experience, to name a few: & . The dog world is full of good people and it’s almost impossible to do this alone!
Music: Founder - “Man’s Best Friend”

At the Gainesville Farmers Market at Heartwood with this girl, trying to find her forever home.

At the local farmer’s market this morning showcasing Dottie. Let keep our🤞🏽 she finds a home soon!

We earned a 2021 Gold Seal of Transparency! Learn more about our organization’s impact through our on :
https://www.guidestar.org/Profile/85-1739371

Just released our first blog!

https://www.cpackdogrescue.org/post/candace-s-story-and-where-our-inspiration-comes-from

Candace's Story and Where Our Inspiration Comes From Part 1 Maryland - October 19, 2014 The day we picked up Candace from the foster couple that transported her was the day that changed our lives. This is the first ever picture we took with her. Notice her tucked tail, curved posture, and her head is lowered while my wife Andrea and I smile. The truth...