Sacred Paws Dog Rescue

02/13/2026

Dogs Remind Us: CHOOSE LOVE.
Choose Joy. Choose Hope.
💕🐕 Happy Valentine’s Day! 🐩🤎

🐾 This post celebrates dogs & the fundamentally healing power of true friendships — those based on mutual respect & motivated by Love.

🤎Maxwell (super-senior puggles) was rescued as a stray & became sanctuary status after many years; he’s had multiple dog friends with us but his two closest dog pals passed away. 🐾 We’ve witnessed mourning from dogs but what we saw from Maxwell was extreme — he bonds more with other dogs than humans so we rescued Valor (senior chiweenie superhero) from a high-kill municipal shelter. 🤎 We hoped Maxwell & Valor would bond. What really transpired is inspirational on a daily basis & provides amazing quality-of-life for two old dudes.

💚Aiden came to us with an “aggressive” label from a municipal kill shelter but he actually was terrified of everything. When people remark upon the transformation of this magnificent husky mix, we give credit where it’s due: his hero is sassy brindle-beauty Brandy (abandoned by former owner). 🐾The friendship between these two dogs continues to help balance Aiden’s confidence & enrich Brandy’s life.

♥️The lookalike bully-breed couple has an incredible bond. Waylon adores Precious & follows her every move. They choose to sleep side-by-side almost 24/7. They’re both seniors with hemangiosarcoma of the skin. We know how Love & true friendships extends quality-of-life. 🐾Waylon was seized by animal control from neglect, cruelty & living on a chain; Precious was rescued as a stray.

💙 This big white fluffball has the ability to transform the behavior of his dog friend when multiple dog trainers & behaviorists, & many devoted fosters could not. Izzi survived being dumped in a ditch as a puppy & then contracting multiple diseases prior to rescue; Silo was an owner surrender who had grown up in total isolation.🐾What these two dogs have taught us on how best to communicate with dogs who have “issues” is invaluable.

08/23/2025

This is the time of year we post an update on what’s up with Sacred Paws Dog Rescue® because we are still working “behind the scenes” to help dogs.
Our mission is focused on community outreach in unincorporated areas of Grayson county (ie: coaching locals on how they can help stray dogs, offering dog obedience training & behavioral advice to owners, celebrating compassion-in-action in youth, promoting low-cost spay/neuter services…).
We assist fully-screened REPUTABLE rescue groups save adoptable-status dogs who would be killed for lack of space at municipal shelters via dog-training services.
Our intake on new dogs remains closed in order to provide daily enrichment & quality-of-life to our super senior dogs & unadoptable dogs. (Our loyalty to previously adopted dogs stands, including dogs adopted in other states.)
Our founder is personally dedicated to helping other animal-welfare workers forge resilience so they don’t become silenced by decades of trauma.
Special gratitude goes to our volunteers/friends who consistently bless our dogs’ lives (you know who you are!).
👣♥️🐾 Sacred Paws Dog Rescue® is a federal nonprofit 501(c)3 charity organization. Please consider donating to our amazing dogs; we are grateful for every cent. 🐾💫 “WOOF!” ✨🐾
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GSN3J8EAD6AWA&ssrt=1755969707837

06/25/2025

Henry loves it when his favorite friends visit to volunteer their time for dog exploratory walks & extra lovens’! 👣💛🐾

05/21/2025

👣💗🐾 Endless gratitude to Rachael, Noelle & Ethan who have been visiting for years to bless Sacred Paws Dog Rescue’s® dogs with exploratory pack walks, special dog treats & tons of lovens’!
“WOOF!” 🐾🧡👣

04/21/2025

Here’s another post of gratitude & it serves as an ongoing celebration for this handsome dog who goes around spreading joy & love. 💫Tristan knew exactly who his forever family was the evening he met them (& before us humans knew lol). 🐾 The timing to publicly celebrate Tristan is actually perfect — because spring reminds us to embrace hope & rejoice in new life. 🌷
Tristan was already deemed a hero by humans before we met him but now, he’s a superstar! 🤩
This handsome blue heeler landed with Sacred Paws Dog Rescue® when another rescue group backed out on him due to him having heartworms. 🙏His rescue story may seem coincidental but Tristan knows better & so do we 😉😉 as he was destined to be with this forever family…. He was already in one of our foster homes waiting to go to that other rescue group & there was no way we would let this amazing dog be at risk by returning him to the rural south Dallas county municipal shelter where he came from. 🐾Our * reputable rescue group partners rallied strongly around Tristan so we took this sweet boy into our program. The amazing truth is that our volunteers often become fosters …& then become adopters …& then become true friends. 🐾 So as I was trying to ask his foster family to keep Tristan longer, these genuinely awesome people were figuring a way to adopt him — & then they offered to pay for his heartworm treatment & remaining vet care (!). ✨🐾
Fast forward to present day: Tristan enjoys a life full of security & enrichment as a cherished family member; he really likes long camping trips & strolls along the beach …dancing with “his” grandchildren …cuddling on his favorite pillow with “his” human on “the special side of the couch” …& spending quality “man’s man” time on the porch. 👣💗🐾Suffice it to say that Tristan hit the ultimate jackpot when he left Ferris, TX because he is forever part of a very, very devoted family.
(If this isn’t proof that miracles unfold regardless of human action, what is?) 🐾✨

04/17/2025

This post is waaaay past due!🐾 Sir Waylon is my family; he’s a Sacred Paws Dog Rescue® sanctuary dog. He’s a true friend to multiple dogs in my home & an inspiration/emotional support therapy dog to me. 💗 Waylon & I met at Ferris municipal shelter; he had been tagged to go to a * reputable fully-screened rescue group that later backed out on taking him. He then became a Sacred Paws Dog Rescue® dog— he even had an adopter lined up but that didn’t pan out either. 👣💗🐾
“You don’t always get the dog you want but you get the dog you need.” — Cesar Millan
At Waylon’s first exam with my veterinarian, we discovered that he was not heartworm negative (his papers had been accidentally switched with another dog from the same municipal kill shelter; that dog did go north after being trained in my home & was adopted; she’s living a great life 👏). Not only was Waylon high positive for adult heartworms but his X-ray showed an extremely deformed heart to the point he may not survive. We also learned this SWEET LOVING dog was full of lead bullets (into abdomen, not just skin). We already knew that Waylon was seized by a good animal control officer (no warrant was needed because Waylon was “in the act of dying” from an infected neck wound); we also knew this ACO monitored animals at this property & Waylon had lived at least 4 years on a chain. With a donation from 4-Legged Helpers, Inc, Waylon received heartworm treatment.
Waylon (Wayzon/WayWay) is now almost 11 years old & he’s never crated & never alone. He’s treated like the royalty he is! He loves structured & exploratory walks; he loves pillows; he thinks the entire Universe revolves around his dog friend, Precious. He literally jumps with PURE JOY every day. Waylon & Precious are the same age; both dogs have skin cancer (subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma).
🤎 Waylon, we adore you!!! 🤎 If anyone out there wants a definition of “sanctuary dog,” here ya’ll go. 👣💗🐾

03/07/2025

Update: Precious is recovering and I’ll share details later — it’s an amazing positive update for this darling dog. 🐾✨ (Thank you, Dr. Michael Shelton!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Here’s another photo of Precious’ (aka: Momma) shining beautiful face. 🐾💫
❤️ Precious is having mandatory bladder stone removal surgery today.
Prayers, good vibes, blessings & any donations are greatly appreciated! ✨💸🐾

03/06/2025

This darling of a dog is named Precious & she’s having bladder stone removal surgery. Please donate! 🐾🙏💸 (Please see PHOTOS in “comments.”)
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GSN3J8EAD6AWA
Since closing Sacred Paws Dog Rescue’s® intake on new dogs many years ago, I rely on loyal donators & maintain a stringent monthly budget. Within the past few months, multiple super-senior sanctuary dogs have had unexpected veterinary expenses.
🐾 Precious (aka: Momma) was rescued/captured almost 7 years ago. She was a semi-feral stray dog for many years who was fed, watered & loved by a wonderful lady in Van Alstyne. Precious had multiple litters over the years while a stray (many other rescue groups helped her pups). To our horror, her stray dog friends were all poisoned to death & her shelter in the woods that local children had built for all the stray dogs was cut down to build condos.
🐾 Precious has overcome many health issues in the past; she has skin cancer that we are treating/ monitoring in the present. Momma is almost 10 years old now & this bladder stone removal surgery will ensure that she continues to have the quality-of-life she deserves (also, once the specific type of bladder stones are determined, we hope to prevent future bladder stones & infections).
🐾 Precious has allowed us into her heart; she has become a world-class cuddler. This sweet wiggly-butt English Bulldog/ Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix has a heart bigger than the Universe! Precious is full of Love for her special humans & dog pals.
➡️ Sacred Paws Dog Rescue® is a federal 501(c)3 nonprofit charity organization; if you’d like a tax receipt for your contribution, please email: [email protected] (Donations can also be mailed to our dogs 🐕 PO Box 332, Van Alstyne 75495)

Blessings of abundance to YOUR pets! With GRATITUDE I thank you!
💫🐾 “WOOF!”
— Michelle Upchurch
(founder/director/dog behaviorist)

Help support Sacred Paws Dog Rescue by donating or sharing with your friends.

02/15/2025

Random acts of kindness create joyful ripple effects 👣💫🐾 not only to those who receive the kindness but to those who witness the joy.!
This handsome spunky fellow is one of my personal dogs; he helps me enrich the life of every dog here (super seniors & unadoptable misfits 💗) and dogs we help train/socialize in our ongoing local community outreach efforts.
THANKS AGAIN to the kind lady who donated premium dogfood, toys and more yesterday. 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

01/24/2025

“WOOF!!! I’m very special! My name is DALILAH DREW.
“My friend was an animal control officer that really cared about me & when he died, this lady took me away from Ferris municipal shelter. She knows how to communicate with dogs like me.
“Did I tell you that I am a very special dog?! I’m ready to meet other people that understand me & I would enrich your life as you enrich mine. We could be a fantastic team working together!
“I humbly admit that I require a dedicated & experienced human companion. I’m okay waiting until we find that kind of person; I believe they’re out there but maybe they don’t know about me yet. You can tell them if you want. 👣💗🐾
“Where I am now, I get to explore nature & nap on comfy couches. I really like food … oh my gosh, food is good! I need a place where I can exercise my body & my mind. I know I’m cute — this lady tells me that constantly! I really do like people & want to make new friends.
“If I need help redirecting my focus & making good decisions, this lady helps me. She looks human but she kinda acts like a dog lol.
“I understand how to communicate with people & with a qualified human coach, I’m always being reminded that I’m a good dog.
“I know I’m very smart — the super cool thing is this lady tells me that she will help other people communicate with me the way she does. That makes me so happy! I was worried that no one else around me understood dogs like me. I promise to use all the tools of communication this lady taught me — if you promise to coach me every day for the rest of my life. Every day. It’s so fun to communicate with people that care about me! That person must be extra special — is it you?”
🐾🐾 Love, — DALILAH 🐾

DALILAH is ~ 3 years old; she’s healthy/fully vetted & prefers a furever home as only pet. To learn more about this sweet adventurous & sensitive dog, please contact: [email protected]

A very loud “WOOF” goes out to HONOR THE LEGACY of animal control officer, DREW DAILY. 👣✨🐾

01/18/2025

This is another post of GRATITUDE to adopters.👣💗🐾 Tobias was adopted two years ago; updates from adopters bring joy to my soul. (And wow — look at how shockingly handsome this AWESOME DOG is!)

One thing almost 19 years in dog rescue has taught me is how to recognize what I call, a “good human” and thereby the value of a responsible loving home where the dog is a family member.
🙏The promises I make to dogs when I rescue them are — well, those blessings are sacred in words, intent and action. Dogs are my entire life — as a semi-retired dog behaviorist, “everything” I do still relates to dogs. So the dogs that have directly come into my life the past 5 years are exceptional! 🐾 (Sacred Paws Dog Rescue’s® intake on new dogs has been closed in order to focus all resources on enriching the lives of our super-senior sanctuary dogs & our unadoptable dogs.)

When I met this gentle giant, he looked like a skeleton but Tobias’ spirit was incredibly full of LOVE. He was at risk of dying in a high-kill municipal shelter; Tobias had been adopted but they were going to return him the next day (!) for being “too large.” All dog rescuers know an “owner-surrender” label usually means euthanasia at intake (especially for an extra-large dog) so I met a kind lady in the middle of the night and took him.

Since then, Tobias has blessed every person that he’s met 🐾💜 and he receives the love and dignity he deserves. THANK YOU to Tobias’ forever “good human” momma (and family!) that keep my blessings to THIS dog coming to fruition in their care. ✨🐾