Riley’s adoption story, as told by Riley’s dog mom, Tammy Baughman:
“In 2011, we got Ry from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. Back then, I did not know much about this organization. A friend had suggested NDSDF to me and it sounded like a great place to start looking for a young dog. I went to the NDSDF website, and at the time they only had two dogs for rehoming. The other dog was a Siberian husky, and I knew I didn’t want a dog with all that fur!
I emailed the foster/trainers of Rebel (Riley’s original name) back and forth a few times, finding out more info about him. The day came in early April for us to meet him. I was SO excited. We met at a park so he could run around. As soon as he jumped out of their car, I was in LOVE with HIM!!! I played ball with him while my husband and the trainers finished up the final paperwork. Ry was a young 10-month-old brindle boy with cute ears, and NOT too much fur! The NDSDF posted that Rebel was a Dutch Shepherd mix. I found out 10 years later that he is also a mix of different herding breeds, through a DNA test. 
We got him home and I could not wait to take him for a walk, it had been a whole year since our last had dog died. Ry did great on the first few hour-long walks, then it occurred to me that an hour walk was like a walk in the park for him, and I was exhausted. Ry still had a ton of energy left in him. I decided to train him to run next to me with the help of a strong, springy device that was attached to my bike. He loved it!!! And, so did I!!! Now it only took about 30 minutes to tire him out, and he was much better on the leash too.
Ry also loved to catch a frisbee, and I loved to throw it to him! WIN-WIN. Another great way to have fun with him and TIRE him out! YAY!
Ry is a goofy dog, too. I love when he gets the zoomies—TOO funny! Ry likes to hang out with other dogs at the high school, and that was good for me as well, because I am not a big social person, so it was nice to meet other dog people and exchange experiences.
Ry is now 13+ years old and is a lot mellower. Now he enjoys just a walk in the park, and so do I. 😊“
Thank you to Tammy for sharing Riley’s adoption story! If you have an SDF adoption story to share, please email your story to [email protected]—we can’t wait to read it!
Riley was adopted through SDF’s Canine Placement Program, which promises a lifetime of love and care to every dog rescued by SDF and ensures every dog is carefully matched with a home or career that’s a great fit for their unique personality.
Click here to learn more about our Canine Placement Program!