Wow, more than 16,000 of you have signed this petition in 3 months. Words can’t describe how grateful I am for the support of everyone of you. Unfortunately the 52 that remain are still not free and she is breeding again. We are continuing to make progress though, as more people are supporting us on Twitter and FB. We have gained the support of North Shore Animal Rescue League on Long Island, NY. We are so thrilled to have their help as they are a huge no kill rescue organization with lots of support in New York.This week we also got our first media coverage in the area local to Marjorie’s on and got our first coverage in local media with WBNG-TV in Binghamton. We are also gaining more support from other rescue organizations and starting to get other media attention as well. Send your friends to www.facebook.com/freethekees to keep up on all the latest info. As we all know winter is coming to NY very soon and these dogs will be in even more peril (one dog that we rescued had to have a toe amputated due to frostbite damage). We need to push even harder to get NY to enforce their laws and to free these poor dogs. In order to do this we are starting up two efforts to bring even more people into the campaign. The first campaign is called Keesie Freedom Tree. We would like our supporters world wide to send us your "Keys" in order to bring awareness to our ‪#‎freethekees mission. Show us your inner "Artist". Send us an old key with meaning, add a tag with the history of the key. Rather design your own key ... that works too. Design a key, dedicate to your dog or that special someone. In turn these keys will be hung on the "Keesie Freedom Tree". We will create a little booklet with a picture of each key & story. Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/344109755770887/ to "Send a Key to FreeTheKees The second campaign is Bring them Home for Christmas. Stay tuned as we will be sending out graphics and tweets to use to support this campaign very soon. One of the things that drive many of us at the center of this mission is the wonderful recovery we have seen in the 60 that are freed. Go to facebook.com/freethekees for more stories but here is the story of Charlie as an example. Charlie's Story Hi my name is Charlie, affectionately referred to as Charlie Bear. My foster momma named me Charlie in memory of a wonderful Keeshond she met last year and fell in love with instantly. I am honoured to carry his name. I’m about 3 or 4 years old. I was rescued from a puppy mill in NY where there were lots of Keeshonden waiting to be rescued. I was one of the chosen lucky ones to get out and even better just before Christmas. I was taken to a vet office where I got shots and was neutered. They had to shave me because my coat was so matted. I was transported on December 18, 2013, along with 5 of my friends from that mill. It was a very long drive thru snowstorms. I was very scared but somehow I knew something big was happening. Myself and my friends smelled so bad my transporters had to drive with the windows open even though it was cold outside. I drove for many hours, changed vehicles a few times and finally at 2:00am on December 19, I arrived at my foster home in Ontario, Canada. I was terrified, it was first time I had ever been in a house. There were two other dogs living there so that was good. It made me feel a bit better but there was this strange human that made me really afraid. I stayed away from that human for a very long time. She kept smiling at me but I was too scared to let her come anywhere near me, I kept running away. She put a really long leash on me that I had to wear all the time both inside and outside. Even when she fed me my delicious dinners I couldn’t eat if she was anywhere near me. There was a crate set up just for me with the door open. I would go in there a lot, that’s where I felt safe. I got a bath and then another bath shortly after I arrived. It was scary but I sure did feel and smell a lot better. I was also given this medicine because I had intestinal worms, lots of them. My foster momma gave us all treats but I was too afraid to take them so she would put them way far away so I could eat them from a safe spot. The treats were really yummy, she baked them just for us dogs. As time went on I noticed the other dogs in the house seemed to really like my foster momma. They would go to her for petting and lots of hugs. I would stand back and watch them. I really wanted to be hugged and petted but could not find the courage. Over several weeks I became more and more confident until I was able to let my foster momma pet me. It was the best feeling ever. No one had ever petted me before. Now I go to her often and she always pets me and tells me how handsome I am and how much she loves me. I even whack her with my paw when I want attention. I love my foster mom and follow her everywhere now. My foster mom noticed I did not put my full weight on my right rear leg and I had a pretty bad limp at times. She was very concerned and took me to the family vet. He took Xrays and told my mom my knee was affixed to the inside of my leg. He said it was a severe luxation of my patella. He suggested I be taken to a specialist. The specialist said I only had a 50/50 chance of a successful surgery given the severity of the luxation. My rescue group was very disappointed and didn’t know what to do. A very special lady in the group suggested a specialist in Michigan. She told him all about me and he felt he could perform a successful surgery. I was transported by the special lady in March 2014 from Ontario to Michigan. I stayed at a foster home with a nice lady, her hubby and dogs. After I was there a couple of weeks the big day came for my surgery. It sure was an ordeal and I was in lots of pain but they gave me medication to make me feel better. I had to go through extensive rehabilitation. Three weeks following my surgery I was transported from Michigan back to my original foster home in Ontario to complete my rehab. I think it was because my foster momma missed me. The rehab continued for several weeks. I was taken for longer and longer walks. It felt so nice to be out of pain and able to walk normally. After nine weeks of rehab I got the okay from the vet and was allowed to be off leash to run and even climb stairs. I was so happy the first time the leash was removed I ran and ran and ran. My foster mom cried she was so happy. I think that was the second best day of my life the first was when I was rescued. Once I was all better my foster mom enrolled me in clicker obedience school, boy was that scary going there the first time. I refused to go through the door my mom had to carry me in. As time went on I got braver and braver and now I really look forward to going to school. After six weeks I got a certificate showing I had passed. I was so proud. I met other people and dogs at school. I really like meeting other dogs but strangers can be scary but they do like to give me treats. Next to toys, treats are my favorite thing. My mom calls me a food pig. I am presently enrolled in my second set of classes and they are being held outdoors in a big park. I love the park even though there are lots of people and things going on. I get lots of treats from different people and now I go to the instructor on my own and she gives me special treats. I have learned how to sit, give a paw, down and wait. I walk nicely on a leash and I’m now learning how to spin to the right and then the left. It’s lots of fun. My foster mom says I’m ready for my forever home. She is looking really hard to find the right home for me where I can continue to grow, learn and enjoy the rest of my life in the loving care of a family chosen especially for me. I want to thank the many people involved in this rescue operation for making this possible. Love Charlie