A Personal Note From The Founder

Hello, my name is Kim Lardon and I am owner/founder of Giant Paw Rescue, Inc.. I live in Austin, Texas in the Lake Travis area with my husband, Brad and our two daughters, Margot, 17, and Lily, 4. We also have two sons Will, 16, and Nicklaus, 11, that come to visit us during school and summer vacations.

Brad and I have owned a giant breed dog of some sort for the past eleven years. Our first giant was Bertha, our English Mastiff. We now have Babe, our Saint Bernard, and Sailor and Belle, our two Newfoundlands, along with three cats and a tank full of fish.

My first memory of dog rescue probably starts with my dog Lady, who came to our door when I was about nine years old and stayed with my family until she passed away my sophomore year in college. Those were the days of the “Dog Catcher”, not animal rescue groups. Growing up my parents (mostly my Mom) could not say no to a stray, therefore, we had many wonderful mutts that came into our lives and brought us all many happy memories for years to come. So you see dog rescue comes to me naturally!

Giant Paw Rescue, Inc. was founded June 27, 2006, which happens to be my birthday. We have been on a roll ever since. I always felt that rescuing dogs was my calling in life and this year my dream came true.

Why Choose Giant Paw Rescue To Support?

Some of the most asked questions I have gotten over the eleven years since my husband and I have owned Giant Dogs are "how much do they eat?", "are you going to breed them?" and "Wow! how big is your yard?" A giant breed puppy can eat 6 to 7 cups of food per day their first 6 months! The good news is that after the first year they rarely eat more than a Labrador retriever. Medication is always double due to the weight of a giant breed. Yes, that means two heartworm tablets per month per dog.

You will never see a cuter puppy than a Saint Bernard or a Newfoundland, but those babies grow up to be beautiful, massive dogs that requite lots of love, companionship, and yes RESPONSIBILITY. Training is a must for a giant breed. The size of a yard is not a big issue as giant breeds don’t require much exercise. Did you know that a giant breed dog is one of the most popular apartment dogs in the United States? Remember these guys want to be with you, not outside chained to a tree or left hours on end with no human contact.

I think sometimes our giant breeds are forgotten due to some much media coverage and Hollywood hype with the small and toy breed dogs. They are wrongly viewed as aggressive because of their size, and of course they have to be loud right? Wrong! Next time you consider adding a dog to your family look up a giant breed. Most of these dogs have jobs, and two of them, The Newfoundland and The Saint Bernard are famous for their rescuing abilities (the Saint Bernard for its snow rescue ability and the Newfoundland for its water rescue ability). The least we can do is rescue these wonderful dogs and return the favor. If you can’t adopt one of our giant breeds please consider sponsoring one, or simply donating to our foundation. Thank you!

One Life Makes a Giant Difference...

Kim Lardon
President of Giant Paw Rescue
www.giantpawrescue.com
Email Address: Giantpawrescue@yahoo.com

Rescues - In Their Own Words

Once I was a lonely dog,
Just looking for a home.
I had no place to go,
No one to call my own.

I wandered up and down the streets,
in rain in heat and snow.
I ate what ever I could find,
I was always on the go.

My skin would itch, my feet were sore,
My body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat
Or to gently say my name.

I never saw a loving glance,
I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me
was really lots of fun.

And then one day I heard a voice
So gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to me
And took me off my feet.

"No one again will hurt you
Was whispered in my ear."
"You'll have a home to call your own
where you will know no fear"

"You will be dry, you will be warm,
you'll have enough to eat"
"And rest assured that when you sleep,
your dreams will all be sweet".

I was afraid I must admit,
I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let
A human come so near.

And as she tended to my wounds
And bathed and brushed my fur
She told me bout the rescue group
And what it meant to her.

She said, "We are a circle,
A line that never ends".
"And in the center there is you
protected by new friends".

"And all around you are
the ones that check the pounds,
And those that share their home
after you've been found".

"And all the other folk
are searching near and far.
"To find the perfect home for you,
where you can be a star".

She said, "There is a family,
that's waiting patiently,
and pretty soon we'll find them,
just you wait and see".

"And then they'll join our circle
they'll help to make it grow,
so there'll be room for more like you,
who have no place to go".

I waited very patiently,
The days they came and went.
Today's the day I thought,
my family will be sent.

Then just when I began to think
It wasn't meant to be,
there were people standing there
just gazing down at me.

I knew them in a heart beat,
I could tell they felt it too.
They said, "We have been waiting
for a special dog like you".

Now every night I say a prayer
to all the gods that be.
"Thank you for the life I live
and all you've given me.

But most of all protect the dogs
in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person
to lift them off their feet".