About Doberman Rescue of Colorado
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The story of DROC...
Doberman Rescue of Colorado (DROC) has paired over 800
homeless dogs with loving families since Chuck Vaile took
charge of the volunteer group in 1996. Most of their orphans
are “purebreds” like Rickie, a blind stray found wandering
the streets of Arkansas who is now a cherished pet and
therapy dog; or Brodie, a beautiful, playful blue Dobie with
sweet amber eyes whose folks wouldn’t trade him for a
Westminster champion. He found his way to DROC after
backyard breeders couldn’t turn a quick profit on the thin
coated puppy and brought him to a New Mexico vet to be
euthanized. She rescued the little guy and turned him over
to Special Needs Dobermans, who transferred him to the
Colorado-based group.
DROC also helps dogs of varying ancestry. Each recipient of
their care has a unique tale of salvation that often begins
with a mystery. Hundreds of homeless Dobies are picked up
from shelters, with only their wounds or idiosyncratic
behaviors giving mute testimony to their origins. Even a
Labrador retriever guide dog was re-homed by DROC after
being inexplicably dumped at a Park County rest area. Others
come from known circumstances that lay heavy on rescuers who
rehabilitate the dogs’ bodies and souls.
Browser’s family knows their handsome doberboy’s history.
Before rescue, he spent years tied up with tow chains that
traumatized his spine but couldn’t break his noble spirit.
Like so many Dobies, Browser was willing to trust and eager
to love. He was adopted into his “forever home” after
receiving surgery, intensive physical therapy and emotional
support from DROC. Rex’s story began with three individuals
who saw a neighbor severely beating him, fracturing the
starving dog’s neck and ribs, then leaving him in the yard
to die. According to Chuck, one of the witnesses “finally
got a conscience,” and called authorities. Rex was rushed to
a vet and eventually adopted into a good life with a family
who treasured him.
It
takes a courageous heart to witness and heal the cruelty
experienced by too many of these dogs, animals that were
born to love their people with exuberant joy, provide
intelligent service, and protect their families with
single-minded devotion. Chuck Vaile wants people to know
that a rescued Dobie’s origins are not limiting. The dogs’
adaptability, character, natural devotion, and intelligence
lend them an ability to transcend trauma and go on to
fulfill their breed-specific destiny as adoring companions,
guardians, and working dogs of the highest caliber.
“There’s a common misconception that dogs available from
rescue groups are homeless because they’re flawed,” Chuck
states, pointing out that most of these dogs are orphaned by
human frailties. Some unfortunate folks succumb to terminal
illnesses or circumstances that destroy their ability to
care for their animals. Others make ignorant or
irresponsible decisions that lead them to abandon their
dogs.
Given a chance, the versatility that makes Dobermans so
trainable also helps them recover from hardship with their
hearts’ intact. “Dobermans can learn anything a dog can be
taught to do,” Chuck states proudly. There are Dobies
herding livestock, pulling sleds, and providing therapy in
nursing homes. There are Dobie police dogs, military heroes,
search and rescue, and disability assistance dogs, including
pilot dogs for the blind. One dog trainer commented that
“All Dobies should be named Einstein, except that they’re a
little weak in mathematics.”
Chuck has a particular fondness for the guide dogs. Willow
is his third Doberman pilot dog since he was blinded in an
accident while serving in the Army as a combat medic and
surgical specialist. Willow’s professional skills help her
sightless companion navigate our complex world, while her
calm nature is employed at home as den mother to the lucky
rescues who stay for awhile before moving on to brighter
futures.
Chuck mirrors his favorite breed’s legendary vigilance with
his heartfelt advocacy for dogs that others would forsake.
The committed volunteers of DROC make endless rounds of
shelters, vets, physical therapists, donors, and prospective
homes for adoption or fostering. Their efforts provide a
second chance for countless abandoned dogs like Kenny, a
drop-dead gorgeous red Dobie who initially cowered in terror
from people and life. Kenny was coaxed back to a joyful
existence by Chuck and his most senior volunteer, foster-dad
Doug Smith, who renamed the dog Kuma when Kenny’s yearning
for love triumphed over fear and Doug’s ability to part with
him. Kuma is now a beloved member of Doug’s adopted family
of Dobies and Beagles, living there happily ever after. And
that’s how every rescue story should end. |
