Welcome to the family Panda Bear

Exciting announcement! Meet our newest little addition, Panda Bear!

Panda Bear came to us from Hot Mess Pooches Rescue and Sanctuary in Houston, TX. This is a fantastic family-run organization that dedicates their rescue efforts to special needs, primarily deaf or visually impaired, dogs. The Hot Mess Pooches founder has a huge soft spot (pun intended) for Dalmatians and when they received the call informing them of a family of Dalmatians in need, they immediately stepped up and took in Panda, her partner Rocco and their 7 puppies, several of whom are deaf. Happily, it didn’t take long for her puppies to find the perfect homes. As it turned out, Ember, one of Panda’s puppies ended up being adopted by a friend of mine. I grew up with two lovely Dalmatians, so it was no surprise that I was immediately in love with Ember and started casually following Hot Mess on social media to support their mission.

Panda and her foster sister, Pepper
who came along for moral support.

Having lost our precious pit bull mix, Holly to cancer only a few months earlier and our elderly terrier mix, Cody a few months before that, we weren’t quite sure when we would be ready to adopt again. We had discussed the possibility of fostering a dog (we regularly foster kittens) but were still on the fence on when that day would come. Then, as it usually goes, Panda’s story popped up on my radar. After seeing a photo of her, something in her eyes spoke to me and I felt the need to reach out to the rescue to learn a little more about her. At the time, I did not realize that she was the mother to my friend’s sweet Ember. Only after talking with Hot Mess did I put the two of them together and realize that I already had a connection to this sweet little dog. 

After reaching out to them, Hot Mess spent nearly an hour chatting with me about her past

Panda's puppy, Ember.

, her personality and answered the many questions I had. We happened to be visiting Houston the same weekend and were able to set up a meet and greet. From the moment we met her, it was a done deal. We set up our home visit for the following week, she moved in, met our two cats and gave them the respect that all kitties demand. Minus a few chasing incidents, they have become very friendly, napping together and Panda even allows the cats to steal a few pieces of kibble at dinnertime (but only a few). We know that with time, they will all be the best of friends.

Panda has been a dream addition to our family. Not only is she a wonderful little dog, but she is already helping our hearts heal from losing our two precious pups over the past year.

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art

Follow Panda Bear on Instagram @spottedpandabear