Outta the Cage

06/03/2026

MEGA-PUPDATE on Candle!

Back in December, Candle landed at West Valley shelter. He was 90 pounds of enthusiasm, optimism, and whatever genetic cocktail produces a dog who thinks every stranger might be carrying liver treats.

He was great with other dogs and people. Even little kiddos. So naturally, we assumed someone would adopt him. That's how this works, right?

Except it didn't.

Weeks turned into months. Candle attended adoption events. Volunteers took him on field trips. He charmed everyone he met. He'd come back from an outing, hop out of the car, and then put on the brakes in the shelter parking lot because he didn't want to go back inside. Heartbreaking.

Honestly? We didn't blame him. Then we posted picture of him looking depressed at an adoption event.

A few days later, we got a call from Michelle in Montana.

For the record, we don't usually send bully breeds out of state unless there's a rescue partner involved. We've been around long enough to know that when things go sideways, it's often the bully breed that gets blamed.

I explained all of this to Michelle.
Michelle did not care.
Not in a dismissive way. In a "that's my dog and I just haven't met him yet" way.

We talked again. She told me about losing their beloved pittie a few months earlier. She sent photos of their property. She asked thoughtful questions. Her husband Mac was on board. Her sister-in-law was campaigning for Candle in the Comments section.

Then Michelle and Mac offered to drive to California.

At some point, it became obvious that we were no longer interviewing them. They were interviewing us. So we broke our own rule.

We rescued Candle, loaded 90 pounds of potato into the car, and drove to Barstow, where Michelle and Mac were waiting.

Candle immediately adored Michelle. Mac? Candle was a bit more reserved.

Not because Mac did anything wrong. Candle just needed a minute, as many good dogs do. I suggested they take turns feeding him. Build the relationship one meal at a time.

Over the next few weeks, Michelle sent updates. Reports from the road trip. Stories about Candle settling in. The announcement that Candle was now "Tater" (as in "Tater outta-stater.")

Then last week Michelle sent us this video of Mac coming home. Remember the guy Candle wasn't sure about?

People ask us all the time if rescue is worth it. If the heartbreak is worth it. If the uncertainty is worth it.

Watch this video. Then tell us.

Love you, buddy. We knew there was a family out there for you.
We just had to color a little outside the lines to find them. ❤️

05/29/2026

Big News! Outta the Cage has rescued Macy from West Valley shelter!

A few weeks ago, Macy was sitting in a shelter kennel, euth-listed for Giardia. After she was cleared of Giardia, she was diagnosed with Coccidia and... euth-listed again.

This gentle 3-year-old joined us at Malibu Farmers Market last month and handled the whole experience like a pro. She was patient with some delightfully bratty dogs (yeah, we said it 😏), gentle with little kiddos, and greeted strangers with her trademark tail wag.

The truth is, we couldn't let Macy die over Coccidia—a common, easily treatable intestinal parasite. So we got her out.

We brought Macy straight to Mid Valley vet, where she spent time in isolation recovering. It wasn't her favorite thing in the world. Macy is a people dog, and being alone wasn't exactly her idea of fun.

But she did it. She's now cleared, healthy, fully vetted, and ready for what she's deserved all along:

A family. A couch. A routine. A backyard to sniff around in.
Someone who says, "There she is!" when she walks into the room.

And here's the best part: Macy is currently staying with our friend Megan Karasch, who reports that she's has been an absolute gem. She's house trained, sleeps through the night in her crate, and happily joins the family dogs on leash walks. No drama. No surprises. Just a good dog settling into home life exactly the way you'd hope.

Macy has endured losing her home, losing her owner (he fell ill and couldn't keep her), losing her health, and spending months in a shelter. Through all of it, she has remained gentle, affectionate, and hopeful.

Now it's our turn to give her a break. Interested in meeting Macy? She's ready. Hit us up. We think you'll fall for her the way we did. 🐾

05/19/2026

Shhh… wanna hear a secret? 🤎

We think Mimi might be part chocolate lab. Maybe. She’s definitely got that soft, silky “please pet me immediately” coat going on. There’s pittie in there, too. But honestly? Mimi is just… Mimi. Sweet, soulful, gentle Mimi.

Mimi stopped by one of our adoption events recently and quietly became everyone’s favorite. She greeted children with the kind of polite sweetness that melts you on contact. She leaned into pets from strangers like she’d been waiting all day.

And the thing that really got us?
Mimi checks in with her handler constantly—looking up softly, as if to ask: “Am I doing okay? Is there anything else I can do?”

No one taught her that. That’s just who she is.

At the shelter, Mimi enjoys playgroup and has a few doggie pals she really loves. But she’s just as happy lounging in the sunshine, soaking up a little peace away from the noise of the kennels. She recently got a bath and stood there like an angel for the whole thing—even the blow dryer. 💅

And yet… she’s still waiting.

We worry that people see “gray pittie in a shelter kennel” and scroll past. But Mimi is so much softer, kinder, and more special than the label people assign her in half a second.

She deserves to be noticed.
She deserves a couch, a family, and someone who sees the sweetness we see.

And honestly? It could save her life. Please DM us if you need help meeting Mimi.

✨ Mimi:
📍West Valley Shelter
20655 Plummer Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311
☎️ (818) 374-5469

05/17/2026

Jill's latest Substack post was born from the heartbreak of watching dogs land in bad situations—or increasingly, having to save dogs from those situations.

Rescue is damn hard.

We don’t just want dogs to survive. We want them to thrive—to exhale, stretch out on a couch, learn routines, become family.

But until the public understands how this system actually works—and until politicians recognize that animal welfare is HUMAN welfare—we’ll keep doing what rescue people do:
showing up, improvising, and chasing the dream anyway. 💔🐾

In which Jill reexamines “safe with rescue.”

05/12/2026

FINN IS HOME!!! 🎉🐾💛

A few weeks ago, 4-month-old Finn—a scruffy little Border Terrier with a big personality—was lying injured after being hit by a car. Broken pelvis. Abrasions. A tough start for a tiny pup.

We thought, “a small dog rescue will grab him in a heartbeat.”
But no one came.

So we did. Finn went straight to our vet and began three long weeks of cage rest. (And yes… Finn had opinions about that. 😂)

But here’s the part we love most—

The Good Samaritans who found him, Francesca and Hector, couldn’t stop thinking about him. So when Finn was finally healed, we brought him by for a visit…

…and it was instant.

Finn hit their beautiful, sprawling yard and immediately launched into full-speed zoomies—the kind that make you laugh and cry at the same time.

You would never, ever guess this little guy had been broken.
Finn was home. 💫

Now he’s living his best life with his new family, a magical yard to run in, and a new brother, Jasper, to share it all with.

This is what second chances look like.
This is what rescue is all about.

Thank you to everyone who shared Finn, believed in him, and helped him get here—and to the incredible Mid Valley vet staff for keeping this spicy little patient on “quiet time.” (We know that was a challenge 😄)

Happy life, sweet Finn. You were worth every second. 💛🐾

05/09/2026

The only thing better than rescuing a red-listed dog is rescuing him for a wonderful foster-to-adopter. Maggie, a kind pittie-lover, agreed to come meet Maximo and it was a total love match!

Anyone willing to drive past a dozen closer shelters to meet one specific dog? That’s our kind of foster mom. Thank you, Maggie!

05/07/2026

VALENTINA IS HOME 💛

When we brought Valentina to John and Bri, she had just come from the vet—new place, new faces, a little unsure of what came next.

Bri didn’t miss a beat.

“This is Dice!” she said, happily introducing Valentina to every member of the pack like she already belonged there.

Valentina just rolled with it. Took it all in, like it was all new, and that she'd landed someplace special.

At the time, we were still figuring out how to tell her story. A semi-senior, fresh off a few medical procedures… we thought we’d need the perfect pitch.

Turns out, we didn’t. Valentina is officially home. 💫

And in a moment that feels like pure serendipity, she’s arrived just as this family is grieving the loss of their beloved Penny Lane. In true Valentina fashion, she’s stepped in with gentle companionship and quiet comfort—already doing what she does best: loving her people.

This is what it’s all about. The right dog, the right family, at exactly the right time.

Run free, sweet Penny. You left them in very good paws.🐾