501c3 #99-1184971
MEET OUR PPP PACK
At Pyrs, Pits & Pastures, our sanctuary dogs are the heart of our rescue. Each one has come to us carrying the weight of trauma, lifelong medical challenges, or behavioral needs that make living in a traditional adoptive home difficult. Instead of being overlooked, forgotten, or euthanized, they’ve been welcomed into our pack.
Here, they are more than “unadoptable”, they are protected, cherished, and promised a lifetime of safety. They spend their days healing, learning to trust, playing in the pastures, and receiving the specialized care they need to live with dignity and joy. When you sponsor a sanctuary dog, you’re not just donating, you’re becoming part of their story, giving them the chance to live the life they deserved all along.
Bailey Mae
Bailey Mae’s story began in Arkansas, where she and her brother were found stuffed inside a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster. A local called animal control, and the puppies were taken to the shelter together. But on their second day, her brother was adopted and (teeney) Bailey was left behind. She sat shaking, frozen in the corner, too traumatized to look at anyone. We found her there, in full shelter shock, and pulled her from euthanasia before she ever had a chance to be seen.
It took a full year of careful rehabilitation, training, patience, and trust-building for her to finally let us in.
Today, the dog who once couldn’t lift her head now shines in crowds, greeting strangers with confidence. She is our event dog, our behavioral assessment partner, and helps us evaluate the dogs who enter our rescue the same way she once needed someone to understand her. Bailey Mae was thrown away, but now she’s the one who helps us save others. She is proof that healing can light up the whole world.
***not available for adoption
Hank
Hank arrived from one of our local overcrowded shelters, where dogs are at risk of euthanasia every single day. He was quiet in his kennel, overlooked by everyone who walked past him, his body already breaking down before he ever had a chance at life. His skin was raw, his ears infected, his eyes swollen, his stomach full of parasites, and even his mobility was compromised. He came to us a sick, hurting puppy the kind no one else wanted to take on.
Today, Hank receives daily medications, ongoing specialized care, and even his own custom knee brace to keep him comfortable. And with all those medical needs covered, he has transformed into the happiest, most playful member of our sanctuary pack. Hank may have been considered “too much work” elsewhere, but here, he is celebrated, protected, and finally living the joyful life he deserved from the start.
Macy
Macy came from one of our local overcrowded shelters, placed on the urgent euthanasia list while her sister had already escaped to a foster home. Instead of a spacious run, she was kept in a tiny kennel by the building’s front entrance, with no room to stand up or stretch her legs. This Great Pyrenees was broken in spirit her coat mangled with dirt, urine and briars, her skin and ears full of painful infection, her eyes dull, her body severely underweight. She didn’t trust a leash, refused food in our presence, and wouldn’t even stay in the same room with us. Even light switches or the sound of a closing door sent her trembling. Whatever she had endured, the trauma stayed in every part of her.
Today, Macy is groomed regularly and now weighs more than double her shelter weight, her infections fully cleared and her body finally healthy. She spends her days roaming our property just as she was born to do, chasing birds and exploring the fields with a freedom she once could only dream about. She still fears storms, loud noises, and car rides, but healing takes time, and she no longer has to face that journey alone. Macy is safe, she is seen, and she is finally learning what peace feels like.
***not available for adoption
Gunner
Gunner was found at a known dog dump site in Alexander, Arkansas a tiny puppy fighting for his life, covered in infection and too weak to stand. We rushed him overnight back into Texas so our veterinarian could treat him, and were told that had we not found him, he would have died within 48 hours. Larvae were crawling from a rotting wound in his back, leaving scars he still carries today. He was severely underweight, dehydrated, and clearly victim to abuse long before he ever had a chance to be loved.
Gunner has become one of our most difficult behavioral and medical cases to date. Trauma, when left untreated, doesn’t just disappear and he learned that the only way to survive was to protect himself. If something isn’t on his terms, he bites. When he’s startled, he charges. He is selective with his people and requires daily training to keep everyone safe, including him. Many would have given up… or never given him a chance at all.
But here, we don’t give up on broken souls. Even after personal bites, we chose relationship over rejection. We learned his boundaries, respected his triggers, and helped him find safer outlets for his fear. His biggest breakthrough came when he learned to put his anxiety into his favorite ball instead of his teeth. After a broken jaw, and tooth removal from infection, he stands stronger than before. He still has a long way to go, but he is safe, alive, understood, and finally valued because someone failed him before, and we refuse to fail him now.
***not available for adoption
Bronco
Bronco came to us from one of our local shelters after enduring unimaginable neglect. His former owner had removed his back paw, leaving him unable to walk and in constant pain. When he arrived, we discovered that his suffering didn’t end there he had a severe intestinal parasite infestation, fleas, and further testing revealed advanced heartworm disease so damaging it caused both heart and lung failure. This dog had been left immobile, in pain, and emotionally shut down, found tied out in a field with another dog, as if his life didn’t matter to anyone.
But Bronco’s life matters here. Through our sanctuary, he received intensive medical care, full heartworm treatment, and a custom wheelchair that finally gave him the chance to move again. His trauma still shows in the form of triggers and fear, but he no longer faces it alone. Because of his lifelong mobility needs and the depth of both his physical and emotional wounds, Bronco will spend the rest of his days safe with us not discarded, not tied out, but honored, supported, and loved for every step he is able to take.
***requires someone who is knowledgeable with special needs and handicap dogs
Cash
Cash’s life began on a Texas highway, where he and his sibling were thrown from a moving car. A couple found the puppies and reached out to us for help, but Cash had already suffered the heavy physical and emotional toll of that cruelty. When he arrived, he couldn’t walk on his own. His body was skeletal, crawling with fleas and ticks, and his belly was full of parasites. He was only a young puppy, yet his life had already been defined by neglect, pain, and fear.
Once he began to gain weight and grow stronger, we learned the deeper truth of his injuries, Cash has double hip dysplasia and damage to his lower spine, leaving him permanently disabled. He now receives daily specialized care, including water therapy, massage, at-home physical exercises, supplements, and the support of his own custom wheelchair. A kind donor even gifted him a medical-grade orthopedic bed, which has been essential to his healing and comfort.
Despite everything humans once did to him, Cash is one of the most loving souls in our sanctuary. With a mended heart, a resilient spirit, and the gentlest personality, he has become a favorite among our pack. His disability may last a lifetime, but so will our promise to protect him, care for him, and give him the love he was denied in the beginning.
***requires someone who is knowledgeable with special needs and handicap dogs
Cowboy
Cowboy arrived at our local shelter as a young puppy, huddled with his siblings, covered in feces, and begging for a fresh start. He was kept in the same kennel room as puppies battling parvo, leaving him at high risk. We immediately pulled him into our rescue and placed him in strict quarantine for two weeks. Thankfully, after retesting, he was negative and strong enough to begin his new life.
Cowboy came from a small rural town in Texas, likely the result of irresponsible breeding whether for profit, a “mistake” litter, or something more sinister. Whatever his origin, his life easily could have ended before it even began. Instead, he entered our care and has been given what every dog deserves: patience, structure, proper nutrition, medical care for his skin infections, and training rooted in respect and understanding.
Over time, Cowboy revealed who he truly is: athletic, deeply intelligent, driven, and overflowing with love and personality.
His working-dog instincts and high mental and physical needs require a very specialized environment, one that can meet his intense breed traits and behavioral training journey. For that reason, Cowboy will remain here with us, where he thrives with consistent direction, enrichment, and daily purpose.
He is no longer a forgotten shelter puppy. He is one of our most capable, loyal, and incredible sanctuary dogs living the life he was meant for.
Dixie
Dixie is one of the countless pit bulls overlooked because of her breed and her beautiful black coat. As a senior, she found herself counting down her days in an overcrowded, high-kill shelter in Central Texas, a place no older dog should ever have to face. Seniors don’t belong in kennels; they deserve peace, comfort, and someone they can rely on in their final chapter. When we saw Dixie waiting for a home, we knew we couldn’t leave her behind.
After being passed through foster homes and spending months in the shelter system, Dixie finally found her way to our sanctuary, where she is part of our Senior Sanctuary Program and will live out her life surrounded by safety and love. Whatever human failed her before no longer matters, she is home forever now.
Dixie is everything you’d hope for in a senior pittie: a champion cuddler, professional couch potato, and a sucker for belly rubs, pizza nights, and toy time. She adores everyone she meets humans and animals alike and reminds us daily that even the most overlooked dogs still have so much love left to give.
***Senior
***not available for adoption
Addie
We met Addie while volunteering at a local high-kill shelter, where she was one of many puppies found as strays in the Dallas, Texas community. She arrived covered in fleas and dangerously underweight, already fighting just to survive. We rescue tagged her and brought her back with us, hoping a safe place and proper nutrition would finally give her the chance she deserved.
As Addie began to gain weight, another battle revealed itself a strange bump on her back foot that was later diagnosed as cancer. After surgery, she faced a long and difficult road of rehabilitation, and her health has remained a constant challenge ever since. While we don’t know what her past looked like or how she ended up abandoned, we do know that she has never stopped trying.
Today, Addie receives specialized veterinary care, prescription food, supplements, and daily medications to help her feel her best and live comfortably.
Addie is a cancer survivor, a gentle guardian, and one of the quiet protectors of our land. She spends her days lying in the grass, watching birds drift by, keeping watch over the rescue she calls home free from the weight of her past. Here, she doesn’t have to fight anymore. She gets to simply be, and that is exactly the life she will always have with us.
***not available for adoption
Roo
Roo and her sister were rescued from a local high-kill shelter, both severely underweight and in urgent need of help. We brought them into our rescue to heal and grow, and before long, Roo’s sister Harley was adopted by a wonderful family. Roo, however, is still waiting for her own forever home patiently hoping her turn will come.
Roo is the kind of dog who thrives on connection. She adores car rides, long walks, drive-through adventures, and any opportunity to spend quality time with her humans.
She is protective without being aggressive, deeply loyal, and incredibly affectionate, the kind of dog who fits seamlessly into a family and makes every day feel a little warmer.
Until her forever family finds her, Roo remains safe, loved, and cared for with us. She has so much love to give, and we know that when the right person comes along, they won’t just be adopting a dog, they’ll be gaining a best friend.
Jo-Jo
Jojo came to us as a stray, but she wasn’t unknown. She was a local dog whose suffering had been reported time and time again. Her last owner abused her both physically and mentally, starving her nearly to death and leaving her to endure Texas storms without shelter, food, or water. She was hit, discarded outside, and forced to survive however she could. Eventually, Jojo wandered off in search of something she had never known someone who cared.
We began feeding her where she was, slowly earning her trust, until one day we were finally able to bring her into our rescue. There, she received the medical care, nourishment, and safety she had been denied her entire life. Imagine being a senior dog who had never once experienced kindness from a human and then finally finding it.
Jojo responded the only way she knew how: with overwhelming gratitude and endless love. Today, she is one of the happiest seniors in our sanctuary and part of our Senior Sanctuary Program, where she will live out her final days surrounded by comfort and care. She gives kisses and hugs freely, waits faithfully by the window until her people return, and shows us every day what true loyalty looks like. Jojo is safe now and she will never be alone again.
***Senior
***not available for adoption
Kodi
Kodi was dumped at our property. Our security system alerted us to a large animal outside, something so big and broken it almost looked like a bear. When we looked out the window, we saw an emaciated, scarred, and injured dog howling in pain. For days, Kodi wouldn’t let us get near him. He stayed on our land, watching from a distance, unsure if humans were safe or just another threat.
Over time, he began to choose us. First our porch became his safe place, and for everyone’s safety, we hoped he would eventually move to our fenced backyard. After nearly a week of patience and quiet trust-building, Kodi made his decision. One day in our driveway, still unsure, he walked up to us, lowered his head, and placed it in our lap. He surrendered not in defeat, but in hope asking for help for the first time in his life.
Kodi weighed just 115 pounds despite his massive frame, his back hip injured, his body starved nearly beyond recovery. His healing journey has been long, and he remains wary of unfamiliar people and that’s okay. Trust comes on his terms. Today, Kodi sleeps inside at night on a Tempur-Pedic bed, chooses whether he wants to be indoors or outside during the day, and lives a life built entirely around his comfort. He is one of our most severe neglect cases, our gentle senior soul, and he will spend his final days safe, respected, and deeply loved here at the sanctuary exactly where he chose to stay.
***Senior
***not available for adoption
Gracie
Gracie was found as a stray and brought into an overcrowded, high-kill shelter in Texas. She arrived as a middle-aged girl with heartworm and clear signs of severe abuse. When she came in, she had a three-inch-thick leather collar embedded into her neck, lower jaw teeth that had been intentionally knocked out according to our veterinarian, and scars that ran far deeper than what the eye could see.
She was terrified of humans. When shelter staff cleaned her kennel, she would sit shaking in the corner, refusing to eat. She was afraid of leashes and anything placed around her neck and for good reason.
Today, more than two years later, Gracie is still healing, but she is healing on her terms. She is heartworm-free and slowly finding comfort in stability, routine, and knowing she is safe. She has begun to fit into our pack and has discovered joy again running in the sun, playing with balls, and simply existing without fear.
Gracie now wears a thinner collar with her tags, but she gets to decide if she wants it on each day. We go at her pace, always. Some days she still needs space and will retreat to a quiet corner when she feels overwhelmed and that’s okay. Those moments don’t define her progress; they honor her resilience.
Gracie is living her best life now. Free from pain, free from fear, and surrounded by people who respect her boundaries and love her exactly as she is.
***not available for adoption
Nala
Nala came to us as a puppy after being rescued from a Craigslist operation connected to dog fighting rings in New York. She and other dogs were being bred and sold out of the back of a minivan in a Walmart parking lot, intended to be used as bait dogs until the operation was shut down. Because we were able to intervene early in her life, Nala was given a rare second chance one that allowed us to guide her into the best version of herself possible.
Despite her difficult beginning, Nala has grown into one of the most social and people-loving dogs at Pyrs, Pits & Pastures. She adores humans, is deeply loyal, and takes her role as a protector seriously. You’ll often find her stretched out in the grass, tennis ball by her side, watching over the sanctuary she calls home.
Nala’s life has not been without hardship. She has faced significant medical challenges, including double TPLO surgeries, seizures, muscle tremors, and chronic allergies. While we may never fully know what she endured early on, we do know that her strength is unmatched. Thanks to ongoing veterinary care, specialized treatment, and the support of our donors, Nala continues to live a comfortable and fulfilled life.
Now a senior, Nala is part of our sanctuary program and will remain with us for the rest of her days. She is safe, loved, and finally free from the life she was never meant to endure. We are endlessly grateful to the supporters who have helped make her healing and continued care possible.
***not available for adoption
Sherman
Sherman arrived at our rescue the same week as two other white dogs in desperate need, but Sherman was no small puppy. He is an Akbash, a breed known for being tall, athletic, and incredibly large, and there is simply no place for a growing livestock guardian puppy in an overcrowded, high-kill shelter. Like many of our rescues, Sherman came from one of those shelters needing help immediately.
When Sherman arrived, he was underweight and lacked basic training, manners, and social skills. He was a puppy still learning the world and required significant structure, patience, and consistent training especially as he went through a phase of chewing on hands while figuring out boundaries.
Today, Sherman is brilliant. He has mastered his training, understands his role, and thrives doing exactly what he was bred for: protecting. Outdoors is his favorite place to be, though he proudly guards our home both inside and out. Despite his massive size, Sherman is the sweetest, most emotionally sensitive boy. If someone raises their voice even when he’s not in trouble he becomes deeply upset. He is truly a gentle giant and a big baby at heart.
Sherman is still waiting for his forever home a place where he can sleep in a bed, protect the people he loves, go running with his person, and sit outside while he quietly works, watching over everything. Until that day comes, he is safe, loved, and growing here with us.
Paisley
Paisley was found while we were volunteering at our local high-kill shelter. She was placed in a VIP kennel room, wearing a pastel sweater, but beneath that, her condition told a very different story. She was severely emaciated, her bones visibly protruding, and she would completely pancake to the floor when approached, urinating out of sheer fear.
As we gathered more information, we learned something deeply disturbing: when Paisley arrived at the shelter, her mouth had been reinforced with titanium, and all of her teeth had been shaved down into sharp points. This is something rarely seen in rescue and is consistent with dogs used in organized fighting rings. Everything about Paisley pointed to a life of exploitation, fear, and extreme abuse.
Terrified of life itself and emotionally shut down, Paisley had clearly reached a point where simply existing felt overwhelming. We could not leave her there especially knowing that dogs with her past are often targeted again by people with the worst intentions.
Once she came to our rescue, we began her healing journey slowly and intentionally. She was fed multiple small meals a day, allowed to socialize entirely on her own terms, and introduced to our veterinarian weekly to begin rebuilding her health and trust. Progress was slow, but steady.
It’s clear now that Paisley was likely discarded because she doesn’t have a single mean bone in her body. She is gentle, affectionate, and incredibly loving. She gives kisses freely, seeks out hugs and cuddles, and loves both people and other dogs. She is still working on social confidence and car rides, but she continues to grow at her own pace.
Due to her traumatic past and ongoing emotional needs, Paisley will remain with us as a sanctuary dog for the rest of her life. Here, she is safe, protected, and surrounded by people committed to understanding her triggers and continuing her training on her terms, always.
Paisley’s story is one of survival, softness, and second chances. And here, she is finally home.
***not available for adoption
Buddy
Buddy came to us as an owner surrender, but his story begins alone at a rural Texas gas station. While passing through town, people noticed him sleeping near the pumps cars nearly hitting him as they came and went. He had no home, no consistent food, and no one truly watching over him. Some offered water or treats, but that is no life for a dog.
After contacting the gas station, we learned the truth: Buddy’s owner worked there, and he would follow her from their home to the station every day. Instead of securing their yard or keeping him safe, they chose to give up on him. Buddy ran miles daily just to be close to the human he loved only to be blamed for escaping a yard that was never fully fenced.
We took Buddy in without hesitation. He was heartworm positive, emaciated, covered in fleas and ticks, suffering from intestinal parasites, and completely broken hearted. At first, he wasn’t social with other dogs and preferred to sit quietly in corners, unsure of the world around him.
With time, consistency, and compassion, Buddy began to heal. Training in our fully fenced yard, having his own bed, his own food bowl, endless clean water, and proper medical care helped him learn what safety truly feels like. Slowly, he became part of our pack.
Buddy has since completed heartworm treatment and is now heartworm-free, healthy, and thriving. He even found love here forming a special bond with JoJo, and the two have helped each other heal in ways only dogs can.
Buddy is now the best version of himself: happy, secure, and finally home. He belongs in a place where no human will ever give up on him again and that place is here, with us.
Hulk
Hulk was produced by a backyard breeder for profit born into a world of exploitation, abuse, and violence. His parents were used in a fighting ring, and he was next in line to be forced into that same life. Somehow, Hulk escaped that fate and found his way to us as a young dog carrying immense trauma.
When Hulk arrived, he was highly aggressive toward people and animals alike. He was unsocialized, deeply traumatized, and unable to trust anyone. Euthanasia seemed like his only outcome until we stepped in and committed to giving him the time, structure, and rehabilitation he deserved.
After two long years of consistent training, patience, and unconditional care, Hulk transformed. Today, he is a social butterfly full of love, cuddles, kisses, and personality. He is now one of the most social seniors in our senior sanctuary program. He loves the humans we trust, enjoys playing (especially with female dogs, though he tolerates males), and thrives on inclusion while still valuing his sleep and personal space.
A dog once written off as “too dangerous” is now one of the most spoiled, cherished seniors in our sanctuary. Hulk is proof that when someone refuses to give up, lives can be rewritten.
SPONSOR A SANCTUARY DOG
CHANGE A RESCUE DOGS LIFE FOREVER
Become a hero for a dog who needs a forever place to heal, grow, and simply be loved.
At Pyrs, Pits & Pastures, some animals who enter our rescue have endured trauma, medical conditions, behavioral hurdles, or specialized needs that make traditional adoption unsafe or unrealistic. These animals don’t get left behind they become part of our Sanctuary Program, where they are promised lifelong care, training, enrichment, and a peaceful, loving home on our ranch.
Sponsoring a sanctuary dog allows supporters to directly provide for the dog of their choice.
Your sponsorship helps cover:
-
Veterinary care & medications
-
Behavioral training & specialized programs
-
High-quality food, supplements, & enrichment toys
-
Safe housing, exercise, and daily ranch care
-
Lifelong support tailored to the dog’s needs
As a sponsor, you’ll receive:
✨ A personalized bio of your sponsored dog
📸 Quarterly photo & video updates
💌 Exclusive stories from their life in sanctuary
🤝 The joy of knowing you are changing their life forever
WHY SPONSORSHIP MATTERS
Sanctuary dogs are just as deserving of love but they require more resources, time, and individualized care. Your sponsorship helps us continue saying yes to dogs who would otherwise face euthanasia, abandonment, or suffering simply because they need a little extra. By sponsoring, you’re not just donating
you’re standing up for the dogs who never had anyone fight for them.