Can You Help Save the Lives of German Shepherds?

If you feel inspired, you can help save the lives of German shepherds who are about to be euthanized. All you need to do is buy a calendar! 

Here's the back story: There is this wonderful gal named Susan whose personal mission is to help organizations who are working on behalf of German shepherds that are on the euthanasia lists. Every year she holds a calendar contest as a fundraiser. She does this out of the goodness of her heart and she doesn't make any money from her efforts. 100% of the profits go to a German shepherd rescue group to help them keep saving lives! 

I came across Susan because her pick for a Rescue group to receive this year's calendar proceeds happens to be Misfit Shepherds out of Camden, South Carolina. They are a rescue group (run by Michael and Roxane) that I have been following with awe because they are doing so much good and because they are doing things in a way I have always dreamed of. They are not just saving the lives of German shepherds but giving them everything they need to prepare them for a new loving home. 

Susan has 8 different calendars for 2027 and she is taking orders NOW - between April 1 through June 1, 2026. You may not be thinking about 2027 yet but now is the time to place your order! (Yes, 8 separate calendars. You could make a big dent in your holiday shopping list by placing a big order!)

I decided to submit Lucky's story for their Rescue calendar. Much to my delight, Lucky was picked to be in the calendar and then she ended up winning second place!! Susan even let me choose what month Lucky would be in the calendar and since we celebrated Lucky's birthday in July (Six months after I won her in the adoption lottery in January of 1996), I thought July would be the perfect place for her picture! (Here is the picture of Lucky that I submitted for the contest). 

For those of you who don't know Lucky's story - she had been used as bait for a dog fighting ring and then thrown into a dumpster with a bunch of other deceased puppies. She and one other dog were barely alive and were rescued. I "won" Lucky in an adoption lottery and I made it my mission to help her recover from all the trauma she had experienced. It was a long road of recovery but we did it!! (I shared our journey in my book: Lucky For Me - a Journey of Healing and Self-Discovery. Link to purchase: CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT BOOK or Buy e-book edition).  If you met her in her adult years, you would have never known what she had been through in the first part of her life. She taught me everything I know about love, trust, courage, forgiveness and determination. She was not only my inspiration for my own healing journey - she was also the love of my life. 

Those of you who know me and/or read my blog probably know how passionate I have always been about saving the lives of German shepherds (and how deeply I care about assisting ALL animals who are in danger and/or not living the lives they deserve). With all my years of volunteering for GSD Rescue groups, (both while Lucky was still with me and after she passed away) it is truly an honor to have won a slot in the Rescue calendar to help raise money for another GSD Rescue. Here is a picture of Lucky and I "volunteering" at a GSD Rescue event.

That day she helped out in the booth where we were educating the public about the importance of Rescue and what our group was doing to save shepherds facing euthanasia in the local shelters and matching them up with a new loving homes. Lucky loved attending these events. She was the perfect ambassador - showing people what was possible when a dog is given a 2nd chance. 

So here's the big favor I am asking . . . 

Would you consider supporting this fundraiser by making a purchase? Since there are 8 different calendars - you have lots to choose from and believe me, I have seen the winning submissions for all the calendars and there is not a bad picture in ANY of them!! Do puppy pictures melt your heart? Do you prefer jaw-droppingly gorgeous pictures of adult German shepherds? How about beautiful heartwarming pictures of senior dogs? The pictures are all stunning - you seriously can't go wrong with any of the calendars. *(Susan was nice enough to put together collages of each of the calendars so I have added them at the bottom as this blog. There are some minor formatting issues that I can't seem to resolve but hopefully you can still enjoy the collages).

No matter which one(s) you choose, the profits will go to Misfit Shepherds to help them continue with their lifesaving work. (If you want to learn more about them and the phenomenal things they do, you can find them on Facebook.) Given how important their rescue efforts are and how they keep so many German shepherds from being euthanized, I want to help spread the word about this wonderful and easy way you can assist them. 

Below you will find the instructions on how to make a purchase. 

Since Susan does this fundraiser from her heart every year, fueled by her own passion about keeping German shepherds from being needlessly euthanized, I would be so grateful if you considered buying a calendar (or several). By doing so, you will help Misfit Shepherds continue to save the lives of these majestic dogs!

Instructions to purchase from Susan:

The calendars are $30.00 dollars for people that live in the United States.

All other people out of the US the calendar are $40.00 dollars.

I will take orders from April 1st - June 1st. After that time, I will have the calendars printed. 

There are many different calendars. Please be sure you state specifically in your email which calendar(s) you want to purchase as well as the mailing address you would like the calendar(s) sent to.

Puppy Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place
Adult A Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place 
Adult B Calendar - 13th Place through 24th Place 
Senior Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place 
Rescue Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place
"My Best Friend" Calendar A - 1st Place through 12th Place.
"My Best Friend" Calendar B - 13th Place through 24th Place. 
"My Best Friend" Calendar C - 24th Place through 36th Place. 
Please email me your order to my email which is Whiskydog95@yahoo.com  (No "e" in Whisky)
After I get your email, I will send you a link that will be from my husbands email account:  Kanajoe1@yahoo.com - You clink on the link and it will send you into paypal. YOU DO NOT NEED AN ACCOUNT WITH PAYPAL to do this. Just click on the link and pay with your credit card. You're done.


Puppy Calendar (#1)





Adult calendar A (#2)







Adult calendar B (#3)





Senior calendar (#4)





Rescue calendar (#5)





Best Friends calendar A (#6)





Best Friends calendar B (#7)



 Best Friends calendar C (#8)

Another Review of Lucky For Me

This past week, my book Lucky For Me was reviewed by Readersfavorite.com. I was delighted to find out that they gave it 5 out of 5 stars! 

I have shared the review below in case anyone reading my blog is still unsure if they want to read my book. Maybe this will inspire you to make a purchase.  :-)

And for those of you who HAVE read my book, if you feel compelled to write a review I would definitely welcome that! You can post your review directly onto my book's page at Amazon.com Amazon ebook or send it to Riversanctuarypublishing.com  https://riversanctuarypublishing.com/shop/lucky-for-me/ - or both! 

Since there are many people who like to read reviews before making a purchase decision, every review is helpful. I am grateful for every bit of support! 

While book sales are always welcome, for me this is more about Lucky For Me reaching the people who it can provide the most assistance to. That has been my heartfelt wish all along - for our journey to provide support to others. In the prologue I shared a bit about why I wrote the book. Here is that paragraph from the prologue: 

I know I am not the only person who has had an intense bond with their animal, nor am I the only one who has gone to extremes to help an animal recover from the abuse they suffered or heal their own trauma. My intention in sharing our journey is to light a path for those who find themselves with similar challenges. Whether you are someone who is extremely sensitive and feels things very deeply or you are trying to heal the past or you are in a process of self-discovery, my hope is that you’ll experience some “aha” moments and points of connection through this book that can assist you on your own journey, and maybe even inspire you to find your way to a deeper understanding and appreciation of all you have to offer too.

Review by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite:

Maureen Burkley's Lucky For Me is the author's story about her tough but highly rewarding journey with her dog. The author's German Shepherd, Lucky, went from a traumatic experience as a puppy to being rescued by a caring human. As Maureen drew closer to Lucky, she found out about the dog's health challenges and other signs of the lingering effects of trauma. However, she also saw herself discovering similar battles as she strived to be the best human friend to her dog and attend to Lucky's needs. From hospital visits to water therapy and chaotic encounters with other dogs, Maureen's journey with her dog is captured in a very compelling tale. Get ready to meet a resilient and caring human and her playful and adorable German Shepherd in this deeply poignant memoir.

The many profound deductions in the book are quite enlightening. I found myself pausing to reflect on the author's thought-provoking observations, such as her belief that animals "come into our lives to help us reconnect with our true selves." Maureen Burkley's determination not to give up on Lucky, despite being advised to, and the dog's multiple challenges inspires you to tackle any situation life throws at you. Lucky's recovery process and struggle with trauma are depicted well alongside Maureen's challenges with her family and other personal issues. The author's experiences in difficult moments and being on edge when she took her dog outside reveal that her dog rescuer role was far from easy. This soulfully written memoir will make animal lovers feel deeply emotional and captivated from start to finish. I feel very fortunate to have read Lucky For Me.