Meet the Dogs

Whispering Winds specializes in the Belgian Malinois Breed but try to assist in placement of all breeds. In 1999, we rescued our first Belgian Malinois, Jazmyn. Since then our lives have been touched by many others. We'd like to introduce those that helped us move towards the expansion of our dog rescue division, and those that are a part of that today. This page is only OUR dogs that we have rescued. Those that have been with, or are with, us at the ranch.

Those that continue to be a part of our lives

Kain

Kain came to live at the ranch as an owner surrender. Shortly after arriving at the ranch we discovered a lump on his hip. The biopsy came back as a hemangiopericytoma tumor and was removed . There was some concern that this could be a reoccurring situation, but our vet was able to remove the entire tumor with clean edges and he has never had another issue. However, he also suffers from focal seizures, which he has a couple times a month, but enjoys a healthy and happy lifestyle otherwise.

Eli

Eli is a Belgian Malinois pup that was listed on Craigslist after he was given away by a breeder. Working together with our resources we were able to bring he and his sister, Sasha, into our family. Eli is a very loving, full of energy and loves the water. His favorite time is when he and his sister hit the fields in a daily run heading for the pond. He is very personable, gets along with all the animals, and has appointed himself the Chicken Herder! They come out of their coup, he makes sure they go right back in.....

Sasha

One of the sweetest young girls we've ever had, Sasha is Ms Personality. Sister to Eli, she loves to play with her brother and the other boys at the ranch, she has also made it known who's boss. The toy hoarder, you can always find the majority of the balls, ropes, chew toys, neatly hidden under the fold of the sleeping bag she has made her bed. Where Eli will lie down and roll in the water, Sasha loves to jump from spot to spot across the pond, chasing the frogs!

Flash

Flash is a retired Portland Police Drug Detection K9 who joined the family at Whispering Winds in 2015 at the age of 18 months. Although he was active and did well in his position, he also had a bite issue and was not able to be used for on duty work so was retired early. He has been a great addition to our family and loves being able to just be a dog, run and play, and swim in the pond when he can.

Sophia

Sophia is a 1/2 Chihuahua 1/2 Pinscher that we rescued from the Los Angeles County Shelter in 2011 at the age of 2. Thanks to a group of wonderful, caring people we were able to have her transported Oregon. She became my therapy dog after our son's death and has been by my side since. She is the boss of all the dogs, we call the Napoleon Syndrome. She gets along with everyone and especially the cats, who are closer to her size.

Those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge...

Toro

Toro joined our family in 2006, at age 18 months. His previous owner was no longer able to care for him. Toro was my travel companion and went on many road trips with me as we delivered rescued slaughter bound horses and delivered them to forever homes. He was always by my side and loved to go with me to do morning and evening feedings because that was our time. He was a gentle soul that got along with all the dogs, horses, cats, and people. He would let our grandson, as a baby, pull and tug on him and never flinch. He was one of those "one of a kind" dogs and leaves a huge hole in our hearts. He was helping me with rounds one morning, came in and laid down. When he got up he lost balance and collapsed. We rushed him to the vet where he was diagnosed with a ruptured spleen and cancer. He never showed signs of being sick and was always a trooper. There's a huge emptiness in our family but we are grateful for the unconditional love he gave to all.

Jazmyn

Jazmyn was a Belgian Malinois that joined our family in 1999 at the age of 18 mths. She was imported from Holland for another family but escaped her pen and got pregnant by a Belgian Shepherd. The owners culled the puppies and sent Jazmyn to a trainer, asking him to find her a home. The day I met her she was a scrawny girl that rubbed up against the kennel, begging for attention. It was love at first sight for me. Jaz became the love of my life. Malinois' are very active dogs with strong prey drives. They are used a lot for Search & Rescue, and in Law Enforcement. I attempted to take Jazmyn to Schutzhund training or hoped to use her for Search & Rescue. But, the previous owners had beaten the drive out of her and she preferred to go on long walks and just stay close by my side. When Kato joined our family as a young pup, Jazmyn took him in as her own, teaching him the ways of dog life and satisfying the loss she had felt regarding her own pups. On December 30, 2008, Jazmyn & I were heading to the bedroom for a nap when she collapsed on the floor. In a panic I rushed her to the vet where it was discovered that she was bleeding out from a pancreatic tumor. Not once did she complain or show signs of being sick. Needless to say, my heart was broken as I held my beautiful dog while the vet put her to sleep. She will always be my special girl.

Kato

This is Kato - another Belgian Malinois, and the love of Tom's life. In 2000, we were looking for a playmate for Jazmyn when we came across an ad for a batch of Malinois puppies for sale. When we went to view the dogs we were told that the previous homeowner moved and had left 8 puppies and their parents behind. The new owner did not want the dogs and was trying to get rid of them. The parents were kept in a separate kennel - dad aggressive and mom frightened. We spent time looking at the pups and one little guy climbed over the top of the others and began tugging at Tom's pant leg. He was not like the other pups and Tom loved him immediately. When we got home with our new little guy we put out a notice to the Malinois rescue board and found that we were able to facilitate the placement of all the other pups & their parents. Kato has been an extraordinary dog with a prey drive like no other. Early games consisted of hide & seek at the local elementary school, where Kato would search out & find Tom in a matter of seconds. He loved to climb the steps and slide, would jump up on and over objects on command, caught frizbees out of the air, and chased balls until we were exhausted and he was still ready to go. Our stories would fill a book. One day we came back from running errands and Kato had found the solid horse ball (about the size of a basketball) and had taken it out of the pasture. From the looks of his nose he had been playing with it for quite a while and was upset when we took it away. In 2008, after moving to our ranch, Kato had gotten a tick bite which resulted in him finally being diagnosed with Lyme's Disease. He was running the trails with me on rounds, checking horses, when he collapsed. We took him to the vet who found a narrowing in his spine & gave him a steroid injection. However, Kato didn't recover. After thousands of dollars and several vets, we were told to put him down. Once last trip to our local vet and a blood test revealed the Lyme's Disease. Fortunately he had already been put on antibiotics, which is one of the primary treatments for the disease.

Kato goes mobile

Not ever free of the disease Kato got sick, again, at the beginning of November, 2009. Treating him for the same symptoms Kato didn't show any signs of coming out of this bout. This time, though, it had been compounded with his severe arthritis in his hips from the early years of constant jumping.

Kato slept on an airbed to help avoid bed sores. Sometimes "his" cat enjoyed naps with him. Although it was a 24/7 watch to help him get up to go potty, he slowly became more mobile with the wheelchair we had made for him by Dwane Carts.

Video: Kato playing ball

UPDATE: In January, 2010, Kato's nerves began regenerating but along with the feeling coming back, so did the pain. We held our boy with all the love we could, as he was put to sleep. Our lives will always have a piece missing without him.

Vader

Vader was a beautiful 18 month old when he came to the ranch. So full of life and loved to play. As a pup had eaten a toy that lodged in his gut and he had to have surgery. About 6 months after arriving at the ranch he became ill. Our vet was able to determine that the scar tissue from the previous surgery had closed off his colon and he required yet another surgery. Sadly, when Vader was a little over 3 years old he had been on feeding rounds with us when he collapsed. Unfortunately, as we rushed him immediately to the vet, he died on the way. His colon had been weaken from the previous surgeries and had perforated, killing him within an hour.

Kaiser

Kaiser is a 9 yr old retired Belgian Malinois drug dog out of Hawaii. Unfortunately, he was part of a political situation and ended his career early which resulted in him living in a kennel inside of a warehouse type garage for most of his life. Although he had a wonderful guardian that would take him out for exercise, Kaiser arrived extremely overweight for a Malinois.

We had several months of love with this wonderful boy until one day in July 2010, while on a trip to the back pasture, he collapsed from a stroke. Although we did all we could with the help of the vet and staff at Parkway Animal Hospital, Kaiser's age and weight were a determent to his recovery. Thinking we had possibly turned a corner, the vet loaded us up with IV fluids and meds and sent Kaiser home. It was a hot summer day so we laid him down on a bed on our front porch and all the other dogs joined us. Sadly, 1/2 hour after we all got comfortable, Kaiser passed on. He will be forever missed.

Kyra

Kyra, a 12 yr old retired Belgian Malinois police drug dog was caught in the middle of a political mess. She was put into a cage, behind a walled fence with no contact except to be fed. And, because she barked begging for attention she had a barking collar put on. When I met Kyra she was about 20 lbs underweight, depressed & scared. Before I could turn the department over to the humane society and call in PETA Kyra was given to us. Within a week she was at the vet's with IV's and going through a batter of tests to help her. It took her a few weeks to figure out that barking was ok, and that when we lifted our hands to pet her she wasn't going to get hit. The next picture shows how well she's adjusted.

UPDATE: In March, 2010, age caught up with Kyra. Her little hips began giving out so we made the decision to let her go with dignity. We will always miss this special girl.

Goodbye "Farm Dog"

In Spring 2013, we had to say goodbye to our "farm dog," Poli. At 17, old age had become evident in his movements and life in general so we had to make the decision to let him Cross the Rainbow Bridge with dignity. We miss him deeply; they all become family. But, we know that he is happy and running those green fields with a refreshed body.

Tebow

Tebow was a mixed terrier that was rescued from a shelter and through family he ended up with us. Everyone knows we take on some of the most difficult cases and love what we do. Tebow had gran mal seizures that we controlled with medication but had break-through seizures from time to time. They were very violent and frightening to anyone who was not used to them. We believe he may have been hit by a car, due to some other physical deficits, which may have caused the seizures. However, thanks to our great vet at Parkway Animal Hospital, Dr. Rott, we had come up with a combination of medications that not only seem to have helped keep the seizures under control, but have allowed Tebow to become like a real dog, playing and alert. Sadly, just before our relocation, Tebow developed some other health issues that were not treatable and we had to say goodbye. He is missed dearly.