tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12487657477286452332024-03-14T10:49:46.532-04:00Rescue MeElainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-20922599623448441732011-01-12T09:46:00.001-05:002011-01-12T10:37:44.658-05:00Penelope, Adopted 8/4/10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRw31-dv1H2sJki53jXjrYY0aTEO4vNyDkvVTTnI7s_ACopA7EbNfQDmWaFMouINH5fOglLbfAb8wNf5ySSs9tCAg4jFFvE5N4H31rpCDdVa_z5o-1arrryLHJeZ5_5NGQ9xziCfLZcpI/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRw31-dv1H2sJki53jXjrYY0aTEO4vNyDkvVTTnI7s_ACopA7EbNfQDmWaFMouINH5fOglLbfAb8wNf5ySSs9tCAg4jFFvE5N4H31rpCDdVa_z5o-1arrryLHJeZ5_5NGQ9xziCfLZcpI/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I am late posting this due to pure laziness and being busy, but better late than never, I suppose. I sincerely apologize to Penelope and her new family for the amount of time it took me to post this.<br />
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Penne was such a good girl during her time with us. She was so well-behaved and mild-mannered that we didn't even crate her when we were at work and she never had a single accident! We didn't dare do that with any other fosters, just in case anyone got bored and decided to chew or get into something they shouldn't. She just hung out on the furniture with Gabe and Sam all day and then happily greeted us when we returned home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdV7TPhzNq-3NtG2oq_aeA6X9aLw7Z5nvLd6fcVgYIQXyauxPDM169kL-yYkG4oPePeN0t1m6b5L3ncSfWKcfq7W3r_-ps0s57s0HIZjdGE8BTG-n_XwWv7vnjDTE6MzYj7lEkSHW6CXo/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdV7TPhzNq-3NtG2oq_aeA6X9aLw7Z5nvLd6fcVgYIQXyauxPDM169kL-yYkG4oPePeN0t1m6b5L3ncSfWKcfq7W3r_-ps0s57s0HIZjdGE8BTG-n_XwWv7vnjDTE6MzYj7lEkSHW6CXo/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As the end of July was drawing near and Penne went to boarding and daycare while we went to Jamaica, I hoped for her sake that someone would finally express some interest in her. I picked her up when we returned and the workers gushed about how wonderful she was and that a few people had asked about her so they posted her picture and bio for anyone who might wish to apply for her. This was encouraging, but again, nothing came of it.<br />
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A few days after our return though, I got a great application from a family with two young kids. I called them immediately and they seemed very excited and we promptly arranged a time for them to come and visit. When they arrived, Penelope was just smitten with them all, especially the kids, and vice versa! They hugged her and pet her, ran around the backyard and threw her tennis balls. It was love at first sight! When they left, she seemed sad and looked out the window after them as they retreated down the street, but I had a good feeling about it and set up the home visit right away.<br />
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The home visit was a success and we agreed that they would pick her up the following Thursday evening. I was sad to see her go but I knew that this gentle girl would be beside herself to have two kids to grow up and be best friends with. Her new mom came to pick her up after work and we said our good-byes. I was excited and a little bit jealous that Penne would spend the rest of her summer at the cape before returning in the fall, and while I didn't get a family picture that evening, her new family was nice enough to send me one a few weeks later, which I greatly appreciated. She looked happy and healthy, and the update informed me that she was doing very well.<br />
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I think of her often when I see other dogs on our website who've been in foster for quite some time, for no real reason. She was an amazing dog and her temperament was perfect, I still can't believe I only had one application for her in 3 months! I suppose it doesn't really matter. She went with the perfect family and sometimes it just takes awhile to find the perfect match, but I still am baffled as to why it took so long. As I write this I am looking out my living room window and watching the snow fall with fury and blow in the wind. I love snow days myself and can only imagine how happy Penne must be to have her kids home with her, romping around on this wonderful snowy day. The thought brings a smile to my face.<br />
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</div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-41936601837376750122010-06-04T21:59:00.015-04:002011-01-12T10:37:22.039-05:00Penelope, Foster 4/30/10-8/4/10<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/reEiprpmJFo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/reEiprpmJFo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">I ♥ Penelope.</span></strong></div><br />
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As a foster family, once we hear who is next coming our way from the south, the first thing we do is check out their Petfinder bio. It provides some insight as to the dog's personality, but the fact is that we just never know what life will be like after picking up the dog from the kennel. <br />
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</div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;">It's been five weeks, and Penelope has been nothing but a sweetheart. Aside from being house-trained and well-mannered, she is a perfect, loving companion to our little family. She is just a 45 pound ball of silky, fluffy love. It amazes me that any dog with such a gentle temperament has been available for adoption since last year!</div></div><br />
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</div>When I arrived at the kennel that Friday afternoon to bring Penelope home, the kennel manager let her out of her crate and she padded softly over to me, immediately looking for love. We walked outside and I tried to coax her into the car, but she just kept looking at me like I was some sort of alien trying to lure her into my spacecraft. We were making no progress with encouraging words, so I just bent down and hoisted her into the car. She stood on the backseat until I got in the car and promptly sat as if she were a person, looking contentedly out the window.<br />
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</div>Upon arriving home, we let Penelope into the yard and went inside to let Gabe and Sam out as well. We opened the door and Sam went flying off the deck, Gabe a little slower, but still close behind, and all I could think of was poor Penelope! As she was looking for us, she probably heard a stampede, only to turn her head and see two little maniacs flying towards her. But, good girl as she is, the introduction went well and after some exploring around the yard, we went inside. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJRUcXQZxehyphenhyphenmnSQPF_nu-5X3JlkVfK77CsFaYXHpLTA2yXgl778K9X9iUV0dteJreUBiTex28HGpbdlvnX3mmjsiTtasrFt4DFGpRLKQWFtRH__r_IodMiojCxn9Txg76jy-0NZ1yFM/s1600/DSCN1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJRUcXQZxehyphenhyphenmnSQPF_nu-5X3JlkVfK77CsFaYXHpLTA2yXgl778K9X9iUV0dteJreUBiTex28HGpbdlvnX3mmjsiTtasrFt4DFGpRLKQWFtRH__r_IodMiojCxn9Txg76jy-0NZ1yFM/s320/DSCN1055.JPG" /></a><br />
Penelope has proved to be an extremely easy dog, who wants nothing more than love, attention and some playtime. She made her transition really easy for us. Looking at her Petfinder information again, I was surprised to see that she was surrendered to a high-kill shelter in the south by a family who said she had too much energy for them. Out of curiosity, I spoke with her foster mom in Tennessee to see if she had any further information, and apparently her previous owner was an elderly woman. Despite being some sort of Australian Shepherd mix, this girl has no more than a medium activity level. She walks well on a leash and just lopes along at whatever speed is good for you. If you're resting on the couch, she will rest beside you on the floor. If you're outside playing with a tennis ball, you better believe she is ready to fetch and jump, and she certainly holds her own playing with dogs of all sizes. She is amazingly gentle, often taking a submissive play position, with the smaller dogs. She is unfailingly happy to do whatever we're doing, as long as we are together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn2cfhswofO8fM_dlUvClNTikS0jVAyCZF6gzP7hA7JTL3j-w9LQ9PXzlD8Uc9Ds3sLnpsnHqGqp4twQyhgmVKC5RDOl69StYguYBgPH4-WYOEakQ3Hm6MD0_cNo-cfMw82cOILKwpJw/s1600/DSCN1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn2cfhswofO8fM_dlUvClNTikS0jVAyCZF6gzP7hA7JTL3j-w9LQ9PXzlD8Uc9Ds3sLnpsnHqGqp4twQyhgmVKC5RDOl69StYguYBgPH4-WYOEakQ3Hm6MD0_cNo-cfMw82cOILKwpJw/s320/DSCN1033.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The weekend of Mother's day was a meet and greet event in Marshfield at a pet adoption day sponsored by the Marshfield High School. The weather was miserable that day, constant thunder, lightning and torrential downpours the entire morning and most of the afternoon, but it was still a great turnout! About half of the Great dogs at the event were adopted as a result, but even though many people expressed interest in her, there were no applications for Penelope. I was surprised, but not at all concerned. As always, the right family needs some time to find her.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFC-TgURDzAuc9FjjxXcKnMXHY-PenFc6nxIEseh4m9Lcc1OHvSjt02TbXWCa8eb961fC4i3Z6ypgyoo8uuipPpQtkE62SsWdqDgjX4sJoBhtl6IC1izim-5aFehkhFyAskhyphenhyphenlaR5H5Q/s1600/DSCN1046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFC-TgURDzAuc9FjjxXcKnMXHY-PenFc6nxIEseh4m9Lcc1OHvSjt02TbXWCa8eb961fC4i3Z6ypgyoo8uuipPpQtkE62SsWdqDgjX4sJoBhtl6IC1izim-5aFehkhFyAskhyphenhyphenlaR5H5Q/s320/DSCN1046.JPG" /></a></div>I realize that I am gushing, but I can't say enough good things about "Penne Pasta", as I have become accustomed to calling her. As I type this, she is laying on the couch near my feet, my loyal friend ever by my side. She has never met a person she doesn't like, she adores other dogs, and was very gentle around my friend's 9 month old baby when they visited one evening. It is so easy to walk her and whenever we need to run out to the store, we just pop the three dogs in the car and one of us hangs out with them while the other goes in to get what we need. We went to Tufts one evening earlier this week to give them all a chance to stretch their legs, socialize with other dogs and really run free, and I did something that I've never done with another foster dog. I let her off leash, and she was very well-behaved and responsive to her name. She stuck right by us and came right back when called. She also thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the other dogs and romping around with them in the tall grass, which is starting to resemble wheat fields and swallows up my two little dogs when they venture into it. <br />
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There is meet and greet next weekend, and I have my "paws crossed" that Penelope's new forever family walks through the door. I can't imagine why people look past her, but the ones who take the time to get to know her will see how beautiful she is, and their lives will be richer and fuller for having such a faithful companion as an addition to their family. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0_uua-chiWiWAyxjMauAczxngmk2RV0ioxdefPlO2mgdRoMFfuxykeQWb7I9I5pbtRKtS3DPmJ2-db_OzjaG40ndJIvuDEz0jMGY2cR2iUa8BG0tweefhqCzPSk1mI4sJRVzxdzVOZo/s1600/124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0_uua-chiWiWAyxjMauAczxngmk2RV0ioxdefPlO2mgdRoMFfuxykeQWb7I9I5pbtRKtS3DPmJ2-db_OzjaG40ndJIvuDEz0jMGY2cR2iUa8BG0tweefhqCzPSk1mI4sJRVzxdzVOZo/s320/124.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrPjLHP2MsYM3YNJkslJE_dF2J2RQKFI_tpgJzm_kuksCGzQkwBSkOOCbv35ObVMNmF4OAHElgTP64PXPtSq1T1YQslSMttCnZALqCP-YJrPEYJBFAy4NOns4Beg89BUuZjK30GrjVtc/s1600/103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrPjLHP2MsYM3YNJkslJE_dF2J2RQKFI_tpgJzm_kuksCGzQkwBSkOOCbv35ObVMNmF4OAHElgTP64PXPtSq1T1YQslSMttCnZALqCP-YJrPEYJBFAy4NOns4Beg89BUuZjK30GrjVtc/s320/103.JPG" /></a></div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-61751939920450944402010-04-26T10:21:00.007-04:002010-04-26T11:22:03.228-04:00Connor, Adopted 4/15/10<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlpues7hiEJczDZVWAXfyFBZVeohHJsKrzoOAV3xjJA0hL7U9vGZOzU-cmzJRKUCMs3m8uDzaBxsRnuXkqOmxjRnMImSIC1WGwAQxlrveY47LSIWykQ8Yvpho7_FZW4aNdSWTMKdu5IU/s1600/Connor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlpues7hiEJczDZVWAXfyFBZVeohHJsKrzoOAV3xjJA0hL7U9vGZOzU-cmzJRKUCMs3m8uDzaBxsRnuXkqOmxjRnMImSIC1WGwAQxlrveY47LSIWykQ8Yvpho7_FZW4aNdSWTMKdu5IU/s320/Connor.jpg" tt="true" width="320" /></a></div>A few days after the meet and greet, I received an application for Connor that did not work out. I was so sad for him, but optimistic that others would come in, and even if it took a few weeks, I knew he would shine at the next event. Shortly afterward, I received another application for him, and it was a good one! I found myself feeling the usual mix of conflicting emotions: happy for Connor but sad for myself. I put that aside, however, and proceeded to work the application.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The phone interview went well and the applicants seemed very excited to meet Connor. We arranged that they would come to meet him on the following Sunday afternoon. When they arrived, Connor was a gentleman. Of the three dogs, he was the only one that didn't bark, and he greeted them happily at the door. They spent about an hour at our house that afternoon. They brought him a treat, asked some questions, and ran around the yard together. Connor seemed at ease in their presence and was his usual goofy, long-legged self. He demonstrated his pony-like trot around the backyard and really showed off for his potential new family. They, like us, were surprised at just how big he was. Seventy pounds gives a good idea of his weight but indicates nothing of his substantial height. I was momentarily concerned that his size would affect their decision of whether or not they wanted to go forward with the adoption but by the end of the visit they said they absolutely wanted to. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After they left Connor seemed a bit mopey. I suppose he just could have been tired since he must have expended a lot of energy showing off as much as he did, but I really think he was sad. It didn't last very long though, and soon they were all frolicking around the yard while I arranged a home visit for the applicants.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Because they were moving into their new home in a few weeks and Connor had no other applications, I agreed that I would hold him until they moved into their new place. It really seemed like a good match, I liked them a lot, and Connor was such an easy, good-natured foster that I didn't mind having him awhile longer. As the days passed and the home visit went well and we all prepared for his adoption I began to feel really sad, but grateful that we had the extra time together. It's hard not to have favorites and I really don't know if I could pinpoint just one of our fosters for the honor but it really seems as if each dog seems to steal our hearts more than the last. But then I remember our first foster, Honey, and how I cried when she left, and then I realize that it's not true. I think we're just becoming more comfortable with the process each time we receive and adopt out a foster and it's becoming easier to enjoy the dogs without stressing over letting them go.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Thursday evening of Connor's adoption finally arrived and I was feeling much better about it than I had the day before. Once the adopters walked in the door and all of the dogs mauled them with greetings, I knew I had made the right choice. I gave Connor a hug and told him to be good and sent him on his way. He walked out the door and hopped into their car without a glance back. It was a good sign, and I was ready to let go. We had taken our pictures with him the night before and I made sure to "dance" with him one last time. Connor was about to begin his new life, the one this Great Dog so deserves, and it was time for us to continue our fostering journey. <br />
<br />
I got an update from Connor's new family the next day, saying that he was doing great and making sure they were getting enough exercise. I'm sure that he loves his new home and the fact that he has two people to lap up attention from without having to share it with anyone else! Sam and Connor had become very playful over the last several weeks and the house was its usual quiet with only he and Gabe. Little do they know that Penelope will be arriving on April 30th. As for Alan and I, we will be enjoying the quiet, easy environment until she arrives, at which time all of the fun will begin again! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkAVtH61O053vD1PobgEQynoslAOjp_gtIq0XKobTgVJ2H-520QusoM3JeSgMVs3_EeN5Se2mg09zaJYBlBg2B7pmoCb9kpMkApK84kU2Lsp32FLSUDuAiGWJe9ExPSXD9rggzmYwuvM/s1600/Picture+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkAVtH61O053vD1PobgEQynoslAOjp_gtIq0XKobTgVJ2H-520QusoM3JeSgMVs3_EeN5Se2mg09zaJYBlBg2B7pmoCb9kpMkApK84kU2Lsp32FLSUDuAiGWJe9ExPSXD9rggzmYwuvM/s320/Picture+001.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Long legs!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCoqxC0aE6o-eVqqJijoNxubwcObzFIZDQj6ZO3HyokjmSkEbj2aOUU85LCZBOQxwjXatLpse-hOEChhelpQvJXfVwqfZzLxwTxOROHKBZBLXMv5mm5TNOzZEpiuqv2mSf79nYfMEdZE/s1600/Picture+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCoqxC0aE6o-eVqqJijoNxubwcObzFIZDQj6ZO3HyokjmSkEbj2aOUU85LCZBOQxwjXatLpse-hOEChhelpQvJXfVwqfZzLxwTxOROHKBZBLXMv5mm5TNOzZEpiuqv2mSf79nYfMEdZE/s320/Picture+060.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dancing with Alan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU16dHHucjwKcelzFl7NYDJns8kgF0S8MtLV50PFDvDyHeSHreB79oDihytNf4L754YFUeWtMeicl2hXlaaab442UfHpuhSGZidsskgxK07BlrPi_6gQhsNUelbobBChK-zIg6Ym5MtU/s1600/Connor4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU16dHHucjwKcelzFl7NYDJns8kgF0S8MtLV50PFDvDyHeSHreB79oDihytNf4L754YFUeWtMeicl2hXlaaab442UfHpuhSGZidsskgxK07BlrPi_6gQhsNUelbobBChK-zIg6Ym5MtU/s320/Connor4.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sleeping on the cool kitchen floor.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSPImJEBRmSvDWkLSqQXtGEPLoJxwP55ET6PQoLMlojJKQweOvVNIQlenCxocNh2VacsDyubhq9RfQ52XGUrkimk0HB109cxOQqZoDuBs7gMpVwOy8enDXHDMjIvqFhYTsCjloejI91k/s1600/Picture+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSPImJEBRmSvDWkLSqQXtGEPLoJxwP55ET6PQoLMlojJKQweOvVNIQlenCxocNh2VacsDyubhq9RfQ52XGUrkimk0HB109cxOQqZoDuBs7gMpVwOy8enDXHDMjIvqFhYTsCjloejI91k/s320/Picture+058.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The evening before our parting.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXowQhTYStcGfhHHeGPQLwVq0ie858i2bKyjgxeqkFtuCLZxyvks0bDjeVEoEaNUxapkOw_6FgS41CdlbGpZB4kfX1hRoeY9Kmp_bwwG2R_6XfddoU6XTXOqGavqFqVGNBMTHPiXEo104/s1600/Picture+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXowQhTYStcGfhHHeGPQLwVq0ie858i2bKyjgxeqkFtuCLZxyvks0bDjeVEoEaNUxapkOw_6FgS41CdlbGpZB4kfX1hRoeY9Kmp_bwwG2R_6XfddoU6XTXOqGavqFqVGNBMTHPiXEo104/s320/Picture+027.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Long nose.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp2R9ahFZEze5AAE-P8MK5kvLq34YcV5pZAHZpG97IByn9yARclgilCo2sH2ACVLRPAvxeOom8UD11OQqNLHdQH7kOrpJWFZ90M-w7hHDaE3Ddt8MeDEVwLJN9hOrkh4JdSWv6WzOwoY/s1600/Picture+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp2R9ahFZEze5AAE-P8MK5kvLq34YcV5pZAHZpG97IByn9yARclgilCo2sH2ACVLRPAvxeOom8UD11OQqNLHdQH7kOrpJWFZ90M-w7hHDaE3Ddt8MeDEVwLJN9hOrkh4JdSWv6WzOwoY/s320/Picture+069.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Toy destroyer!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSHfm97mwRfWOUF5rW-y6gMOR8YwzclQB7ztk4qvXKQNEhaLYDZKr4IcZKfrLc2w5BhVKLZBoUAkqB-0QaioazFjbCWI9f8rNI2iXGjPrG-TbvYNtFahikW3Y92job0UWPj0cxToResc/s1600/Connor3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSHfm97mwRfWOUF5rW-y6gMOR8YwzclQB7ztk4qvXKQNEhaLYDZKr4IcZKfrLc2w5BhVKLZBoUAkqB-0QaioazFjbCWI9f8rNI2iXGjPrG-TbvYNtFahikW3Y92job0UWPj0cxToResc/s320/Connor3.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Mopey.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmWN8EL45ZfaDBaw7cIBqDKmTHQpEMfITd37HhyrwuPcF4hr-2bTQONOIuBGgZ6NqTQqIgyoBSb7HbMKQEflaatv6f2XrNHWqYYIsq82_aI4VKLmHHiqHundwWlRuZ5T1Icc8C9tfr_s/s1600/Picture+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmWN8EL45ZfaDBaw7cIBqDKmTHQpEMfITd37HhyrwuPcF4hr-2bTQONOIuBGgZ6NqTQqIgyoBSb7HbMKQEflaatv6f2XrNHWqYYIsq82_aI4VKLmHHiqHundwWlRuZ5T1Icc8C9tfr_s/s320/Picture+037.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Connor at rest.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eK4S_zUXMkGel3vrr1mGtbReN_fHUNmG2ljlE2c9IRVx59xoqAlOwrPdfg5dymghmon9A41e1_3eD4FWviXWcEcdWOGXyhDGuLKWvVNPA6ZxX85icKXjmV8gFkdpN5HDJHQwNzlX5hk/s1600/Picture+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eK4S_zUXMkGel3vrr1mGtbReN_fHUNmG2ljlE2c9IRVx59xoqAlOwrPdfg5dymghmon9A41e1_3eD4FWviXWcEcdWOGXyhDGuLKWvVNPA6ZxX85icKXjmV8gFkdpN5HDJHQwNzlX5hk/s320/Picture+082.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Wiggly...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZ71LbnbTJP3wGKkQ_8hgfOXcZSRhhqTp6tko9Mo6usinYRuxwRIbn2AA0zdzelZwz2-bSTaVXj_TaqLJUWxNRGCnB3OgZcQgm-G56fwKU05o99O2S8srO5vpUViMmw8bQX9ODF4U5uc/s1600/Picture+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZ71LbnbTJP3wGKkQ_8hgfOXcZSRhhqTp6tko9Mo6usinYRuxwRIbn2AA0zdzelZwz2-bSTaVXj_TaqLJUWxNRGCnB3OgZcQgm-G56fwKU05o99O2S8srO5vpUViMmw8bQX9ODF4U5uc/s320/Picture+083.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">With his new family!</div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-78274994839401446142010-03-22T18:53:00.021-04:002010-04-26T10:24:23.137-04:00Connor, Foster 3/5/10-4/15/10<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxSEXYqAg15F1IcrxWryv44StXtoaRGqmo7LJKX_df_F7uB8fQDeZPNCx2ZDgJ7gvzzoQU40g_aCqja_ssby5my6FZXcpgQOcF-yptttPwppQxD-WBx8QGt1Yam_XCZFbdqAm80CZcsA/s1600/Connor7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452386937679574466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxSEXYqAg15F1IcrxWryv44StXtoaRGqmo7LJKX_df_F7uB8fQDeZPNCx2ZDgJ7gvzzoQU40g_aCqja_ssby5my6FZXcpgQOcF-yptttPwppQxD-WBx8QGt1Yam_XCZFbdqAm80CZcsA/s320/Connor7.jpg" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>As Daisy's adoption was being finalized, the foster coordinator emailed me and asked if we would be willing to take Connor next. I replied that we would and then proceeded to his description on Petfinder. He was so beautiful, a smooth, chocolate brown coat and greenish/white eyes, I figured that this guy wouldn't last long! I was a bit surprised though, because we had always been given small dogs up to this point, and Connor was 55 pounds. In the days before we picked him up I wondered how Gabe would react to such a large dog as his brother.<br />
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The day came to pick Connor up, and since Alan was driving near the kennels on his way home from a meeting for work, he offered to get him on his way home. He called me once they were both in the car and said that he was very sweet and giving him kisses...and that he was really tall! I couldn't wait to get home, so I rushed out of work as soon as the clock hit 4:30 and as I drove down our street I saw them waiting outside for me. He didn't look quite so tall with our house behind him but once we got inside he certainly did! We watched him extremely carefully all night, to try to prevent any accidents in the house as many dogs usually have when they've been plopped into a new environment, but he was a good boy and always did his business outside. Gabe growled at him nonstop (for days) but was truly petrified of him, and Connor would just tip his head at Gabe quizzically and move on. I browsed through his vet records on the first evening, as I always do for any new foster dog, and I noticed that his updated weight after coming off transport was 71.6 pounds! I then made a mental note that we needed to update his petfinder listing.<br />
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I learned from another volunteer that when Connor was found as a stray, he was extremely emaciated and was eating 8 cups of food each day to catch up. We're decreasing his food a bit as he's leveling out, and he is quite happy and in good health. It makes me sad to think of him as a stray, and the fact that he was starving makes me feel even worse, but he was lucky enough to stumble across an animal rescuer in Tennessee and his new life is just beginning. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />
Connor appeared to have bonded very closely with Alan in the few hours that they had alone before I came home from work, and he would whine softly whenever Alan left the room. He seemed to like me, but he definitely had eyes for his new daddy. The following day after we picked him up, there was a meet and greet at the Harvard Kennels, and so we brought Connor to see if he might generate any attention. There were a few families that appeared to be interested, but no one seemed particularly committed. Connor didn't seem to mind and slept like a log, sprawled across the backseat, on the way home.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Over the next few days, we got to know Connor quite a bit better. Every so often he would do something new or goofy, and after a few days he was starting to become a bit more snuggly and showing much more excitement when we would come home from work. During the time that we've had him, we've discovered that he loves rawhides and any sort of chewies, likes to trot like a pony around the backyard, and enjoys initiating play with Sam and being chased by Gabe. Our master bedroom is quite large and because Connor hasn't had a single accident, he hangs out with us while we are cleaning or putting clothes away. I think he enjoys the extra space, and he rolls around on the floor a lot, showing us the white patch on his chest, which practically begs for a belly rub. Sometimes he gets excited and gnaws on the carpet, but when he is told not to do so he immediately stops and looks at us with eyes just like a human's, or a child's as if to say "but it's so fun!". When we come home from work or let him out of his crate in the morning his whole body wags with pleasure. The past few weeks have taught us that big dogs' tails can be dangerous and we quickly learned that we should be ready to catch anything being knocked over from a medium height surface! </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">I cannot say enough good things about Connor. His manners are amazing, and he is loving and sweet. His goofiness is great, as he seems to just have that silly big dog look on his face sometimes. His personality is amazing, he loves everyone he meets and is quite the charmer. He hardly ever barks, plays hard with his brothers and sleeps hard, too. As I am writing this he is dreaming, hopefully a pleasant dream, on the love seat in the living room. He just made one of those whimpery-sleepy noises that dogs make when they are dreaming and I am trying to stifle my laughter so as not to wake him up. It's funny to witness such a small sound from such a large dog! He is all sweetness and love, a big baby and a gentle giant.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">While I know that Connor will not last long with us due to his amazing disposition and striking good looks, I feel a bit conflicted, as I often do when thinking of my foster dogs. On the one hand a short stay in our home is great because the sooner he finds his forever home the better it is for him, and once a foster is adopted another life will be saved as GDRNE sends another one our way. But on the other hand, the sadder hand, I think of how I am unlikely to ever see him again once he is gone. We have been so fortunate in that all of our previous fosters have kept in touch and sent us pictures and I cannot express enough just how much we appreciate it! But it still is sad to imagine never physically being with this buddy again. Nevertheless, I know that we will miss him more than he misses us and he will be happy in his new home, wherever that may be and whoever it may be with. I keep this blog for others to read but also mostly for myself. I like to look back and see the lives that I have saved and remember that even though parting with a foster is sad we are doing it to give other dogs a second chance at a great life. Hopefully Connor's forever family will come along soon and whoever they are will be so lucky to have adopted such an amazing dog!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451857744480716370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdwA10nUjlXLzy0taECJpD5yo9pMdV526l3vMxAkJATtFqQPBF2oJ3V9jnducf8qIe0o3btPVKBn8qhNoZvMTMePcR94c_e1oVDAAjEjMNYUMMLl0EWenhhODNizXsiqYj4IerqARzuc/s320/Connor6.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />Sleepy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451857740724822754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo8qhSR44yGQUgQTMp2qMYDPB7qD6sUazzHxxKh2g0rA-anZ8kSr1JQkBzRw4If4F9dZ4ftPj4lKTwK1E0GoZsqJvObpqwyd_o8cxfeG59x0tPk4ZuR2ijjpYv2BOqu_oAsoUaYLpVAM/s320/Connor5.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /> I am so handsome.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451857734085528610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UfdI9lTDRjQeyX1AE5wcgNd-e8UZnv6_WMSlDmrQ1a3Rh6mL-_2km-ajocZVsWbgpwXoItBE8imO86nsBoyRHHv4sVipVQu3m707u9w2p0y5JIicA3AK3Zj0ZzBOPtF41RseAQDz0wU/s320/Connor3.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" />Hi. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451857732561832578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDO0vq-fC7NrGkYgjbF_F2T19CsG403gbaKD330xjcMSIHK3v04KxLyXeE_YFw2uS_ATBXWp8k9AdofDOoo-hAGze9B0bfNt_5eaz9_iyc148WLKR5cm40FOO14eb0HvGmin4nE_jPrbE/s320/Connor2.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />Toys!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451857724755334194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTjexlbSCCYkkscx5v4_QF7V0pDe3bUU6LTaFarJHygAPVnTs1VkWgSuNMjMMxmCuYdDWCOBLG-KTyRhHAP5OVpyTBJjFBV-Tw1JzimsVivjLMXwiZn9vKHfpZ0mDYeIhLBxiFJ4V2_Y/s320/Connor.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /> Streeeeeetched out.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqclD9z-jFeVg0S6FYPw6ROc_oHmASKrQV9D9kjS9RmH8PFwGl_LbxEorU3FbgDpTc6_hbVM1mBPNopD9CjH6b1B-MzQPR_gvfuBeVZ71wG_WvpaC7l3ZmG60Bq9TDZvmbTU5Mw7JIyE/s1600/004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452384207210004578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqclD9z-jFeVg0S6FYPw6ROc_oHmASKrQV9D9kjS9RmH8PFwGl_LbxEorU3FbgDpTc6_hbVM1mBPNopD9CjH6b1B-MzQPR_gvfuBeVZ71wG_WvpaC7l3ZmG60Bq9TDZvmbTU5Mw7JIyE/s320/004.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> Connor and Sam snuggling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452389713659228146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUXnJAdWskZnFvRH7r8wGlrt15YbqniA-syEvmqt__aHac0jisB3gFlO1dmQRVxAB48Y3KqxGauAUZNgnJ32mUTRnEHhfPymKyGT3rFDD9fNZx-tDUoqK38ilABR1RhuW-9rUTqctQ1g/s320/Connor8.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /> <br />
<div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: center;">All the boys getting peanut butter.</div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-83376399473172454522010-02-25T12:28:00.014-05:002010-02-26T09:42:45.485-05:00Daisy, Adopted 2/20/10<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7mNGDl4K6hraMo3vQSA0sVsPbWShnvSYTA2Wanwgnuq1eKaajyyva-f0D4yjiE4OmdyuJw8JOYwpRy3e9uPSx_xh_fIm-H48YV_ADyZ2UFm9fCc_NV9jHvOieidXMssVoj1kMzUZzHQ/s1600-h/271.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442342905810259282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7mNGDl4K6hraMo3vQSA0sVsPbWShnvSYTA2Wanwgnuq1eKaajyyva-f0D4yjiE4OmdyuJw8JOYwpRy3e9uPSx_xh_fIm-H48YV_ADyZ2UFm9fCc_NV9jHvOieidXMssVoj1kMzUZzHQ/s320/271.JPG" border="0" /></a>Because we got Daisy right before the holidays, we ended up having her for quite some time because there were no adoption events in the month of December. On January 9th there was a meet and greet at the Harvard Kennels and I was worried that Daisy and I wouldn't be able to make it since she was being spayed the day before, but when I woke up that Saturday morning, she surprised me. Superdog! Daisy was as happy as a clam and raring to go.<br /><br />So we went. There were 6 dogs at the meet and greet and while there was a good turnout, it was as if everyone who walked in the door was looking for a big dog that day. Daisy was her usual cute self and even though she did not appear uncomfortable, she was a bit more clingy than usual. I brought her home knowing that no applications would be submitted for her based on this event, and I was so disappointed for her. She has such a great personality and is so cute, I couldn't imagine that she would spend long in foster care, but that was exactly what was happening and I was surprised. In the past month though, she had become my buddy and I certainly didn't mind having her with us longer.<br /><br />Another month went by with no interest at all in Daisy, and another meet and greet was announced for February 7th. I thought "This is it! She'll find her new forever family at this one, I can just feel it!". We went bouncing into the meet and greet, confident that fate would intervene. It was another great turnout but again, people would just pat Daisy on the head and walk right up to another dog. I couldn't believe it! I was in a bit of a grumpy mood for the rest of the day after that because I couldn't believe that no one paid much attention to her. She was such a great dog, so why was she still with us? But then I repeated to myself that she really is a great dog and I shouldn't be sad because she's good company to be around.<br /><br />On Sunday night of the long weekend, I received an email from the application coordinator at GDRNE, saying that she received an application for Daisy and did I want to work it. I said "Yes, please!" and I waited anxiously for her to send it to me. The following day I got it and I was ecstatic to see that it was a family with 2 young kids, ages 6 and 8. Daisy loved our dog Sam and she adores kids, so I really wanted her new home to either have another dog or a couple of kids to run around with. I was so excited, and promptly called the family the next day. Shortly after I hung up the phone, another application came in for Daisy! It was another great application, a family that also had two kids, and I had to laugh at how these situations tend to be feast or famine. Daisy had no interest for months and all of a sudden two great families wanted her. Luckily, I did not have to choose between them, as I had already begun working with the first family. And, as I write this, I am currently finalizing an adoption for another great little dog for the family that just missed out on her.<br /><br />The phone interview went well and they wanted to come visit Daisy the next day. I crated Gabe and Sam so that they could spend some time with just Daisy, and she was so excited. I truly think that the foster dogs know their people when they see them. She knew they were there to see her, she made her rounds to everyone in the family, ears plastered back to her head, tail wagging constantly, and it was love at first sight. Her now potential family stayed for about an hour, and after they left Daisy stood on my lap looking out the window after them.<br /><br />I arranged a home visit to be done on Saturday, and immediately afterward, Daisy went home with her family. It happened so quickly because they were anxious to have her over the weekend before the kids went back to school, and I was somewhat unprepared! We still had to take our pictures with her while we were in our Great Dog shirts and say goodbye. I was sad when the time came, but our house was a flurry of activity and Daisy walked right out the door into her new minivan without so much as a glance back at us. It made me a little sad, but it also gave me confidence that she would be happy and be comfortable in her new situation.<br /><br />The house was extremely quiet after Daisy left. She and Sam were always playing, and the barks and growls could get really noisy sometimes. Gabe and Sam were tired from all the action, and settled in for naps. We had friends coming over about an hour later, and it turned out to be great timing since we all could have used sometime to take our minds off of Daisy's departure.<br /><br />As Daisy's adoption coordinator I was planning to follow up with her family and see how she settled in on Monday, but when I dragged myself out of bed on Sunday morning there was already an email from her new family awaiting me! It was such a nice email and said how great Daisy was settling in and they thanked us for taking such good care of her, and how they feel it has made her the great dog she is today. This email was so nice and made me feel so good about fostering dogs! It can be so sad when they go to their forever homes, but an email with thanks like this is a great reminder of the important work we're doing, and how our goodbye with a foster dog actually is a brand new beginning for them.<br /><br />I requested a week break from the foster coordinator before we get our next dog. Daisy was a bit of an attention hog and with only two of us and three dogs in the house it was sometimes hard to distribute the attention as evenly as we would have liked, so we are using the break to lavish our much appreciated attention on our two permanent little men, Gabe and Sam. I think they are enjoying their quiet break, but I am sure that they (well, I'll be honest. Sam) is looking forward to the arrival of our next foster dog, Connor!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0lhjlllW5DajktgKwrztykKOmKslN_zj7olFdknogB1v4YG_eIJ86rWYXe5REQ-7Ex0fklE-MfpmsRG8JolduF9tXl_iqE_1bXi5fU1hIMKS41r4gGmPrSJ_yM_mmw0OU2l4Fg1ChYQ/s1600-h/daisy6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442343309695940066" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; center: ; 0px: " alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0lhjlllW5DajktgKwrztykKOmKslN_zj7olFdknogB1v4YG_eIJ86rWYXe5REQ-7Ex0fklE-MfpmsRG8JolduF9tXl_iqE_1bXi5fU1hIMKS41r4gGmPrSJ_yM_mmw0OU2l4Fg1ChYQ/s320/daisy6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p align="center">Daisy snuggling with Sam.<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9irMVMb3paZv8qcm1Xqn4qWWEtlo85qXUwAaNgd1XNNvRsmSV0wrFMD8HLr10X_qKIZfLNYjOs27LbmBHQ-CYqrXs2NRSV0Tc4r5qB0eaaZ4jKY6riBZifNo52IHjzpaztgZqZFuRSQI/s1600-h/Daisy2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442343312607838050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; center: ; 0px: " alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9irMVMb3paZv8qcm1Xqn4qWWEtlo85qXUwAaNgd1XNNvRsmSV0wrFMD8HLr10X_qKIZfLNYjOs27LbmBHQ-CYqrXs2NRSV0Tc4r5qB0eaaZ4jKY6riBZifNo52IHjzpaztgZqZFuRSQI/s320/Daisy2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><div align="center">Cutie-pie.</div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLUZO2ne8A4-OXOKhaF7eWPKHqRW_z7dvB_Y9fZw8IvA_uMjlhl-HusyVtl_gDPjiaDo6i-69bAXiQg8T-whPgiLwVOEaQfiFG0HcuDrSTvsBNWOlBAR5NwB6mJmCueKbokcWJzf6-4o/s1600-h/DSCN0538.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442557223684410402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; center: ; 0px: " alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLUZO2ne8A4-OXOKhaF7eWPKHqRW_z7dvB_Y9fZw8IvA_uMjlhl-HusyVtl_gDPjiaDo6i-69bAXiQg8T-whPgiLwVOEaQfiFG0HcuDrSTvsBNWOlBAR5NwB6mJmCueKbokcWJzf6-4o/s320/DSCN0538.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Daisy with her playmate, Bancu.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxRyhnFsV95I617JjPyj45wiXza4WPyKPSLM32QUWG8trXP1lykaiX1n3p38PTA30s8CoA1_qp_qv_hou2RKSTE5E3ns-KAKPo6Uz9Qp9diyQehoaGSM84Pq01DK5CJaslk6kb0q6M2U/s1600-h/DSCN0562.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442556926969916178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; center: ; 0px: " alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxRyhnFsV95I617JjPyj45wiXza4WPyKPSLM32QUWG8trXP1lykaiX1n3p38PTA30s8CoA1_qp_qv_hou2RKSTE5E3ns-KAKPo6Uz9Qp9diyQehoaGSM84Pq01DK5CJaslk6kb0q6M2U/s320/DSCN0562.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><div align="center">Our last day together.</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGoJaCTdO6y30R5WYSr3Nr6dpAE8IqgiymRYDq00aZWHP2W90sntZ6pmJ6JNaAkIqcMJF9xyQ6mrKSuSYhIV4qcEl-d_aMdp1Iy0LOwcDnzGCd5VrcdT2NFbxGCuJAKuZumxOLpgrnCs/s1600-h/DSCN0565.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442556932278604818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; center: ; 0px: " alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGoJaCTdO6y30R5WYSr3Nr6dpAE8IqgiymRYDq00aZWHP2W90sntZ6pmJ6JNaAkIqcMJF9xyQ6mrKSuSYhIV4qcEl-d_aMdp1Iy0LOwcDnzGCd5VrcdT2NFbxGCuJAKuZumxOLpgrnCs/s320/DSCN0565.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center">Daisy and her new family.</div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-39859355598584746092009-12-28T20:20:00.015-05:002010-02-25T13:12:27.306-05:00Daisy, Foster 12/2/09-2/20/10<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420476910461991762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD6Y0M30zFg80Udp5d4m3axDVOHn6didHbmOlfhUZ5U0qU1d8sIlIttV7fGv_QY-O3YIVckHV6wvzuGqFdea_5KH9HCJMLsCOzJUXLXZOp_eJnbRqIhSZUAKDnfTBDyFwMIfjVjc8tbs/s320/035.JPG" /><br /><br />While Sandy was recovering and her official adoption was being arranged, we received word that we would be getting another foster dog on December 2nd. Daisy is a 3 year old Jack Russell terrier mix who was found as a stray and then gave birth to a litter of puppies on October 17th. Because she was not an owner surrender there is no background information on her, but I can certainly say that she is in good health, is happy as a clam, and has never met a person that she doesn't like!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCR3oWSu7aru8hxpRqJBy_BgHrp8zAAW2AsVihF0wKCln1Be4NIGtS23LhJWjx4QZSTZqBqdkl6GntAubZJucgGOmG5e8FvDgia3DpeCL5gil-klr5Dh0d5Qf5vOMLRWeXKHJwpMQ9eg/s1600-h/187.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420682867340379506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCR3oWSu7aru8hxpRqJBy_BgHrp8zAAW2AsVihF0wKCln1Be4NIGtS23LhJWjx4QZSTZqBqdkl6GntAubZJucgGOmG5e8FvDgia3DpeCL5gil-klr5Dh0d5Qf5vOMLRWeXKHJwpMQ9eg/s320/187.JPG" /></a><br /><br />When I went to pick her up at the director's house that day, she came running right out to the car with me! She rode nicely in the backseat during the 45 minute ride home, occasionally popping up on the center console to check that everything was alright up front. When we got home that evening, it was dark out and we introduced her to Gabe and Sam outside in the back yard. She got along just fine with them and we went inside. She seemed shy and quiet that evening, following us around the kitchen while we prepared dinner, and eagerly sat for pats and affection. When it was time for bed, she went right into her crate with a treat and we didn't hear a peep all night!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_avbkkBKu5zIem_sveEKARw6HoY4DYdDt-tqtI36oNt-FcyQmHqWNg0S1KSe8isFuRoAPseTMKOQh5sbzKNvP-OAycL2hCwJ0jt55b27pQK-D5gy5wDnTWIU_AmzLeyHpQ6z3N37UXE/s1600-h/055.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420497753211619794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_avbkkBKu5zIem_sveEKARw6HoY4DYdDt-tqtI36oNt-FcyQmHqWNg0S1KSe8isFuRoAPseTMKOQh5sbzKNvP-OAycL2hCwJ0jt55b27pQK-D5gy5wDnTWIU_AmzLeyHpQ6z3N37UXE/s320/055.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Over the past few weeks I have been busy preparing for the holiday season, and so Daisy's first blog is being posted very late. On the bright side this has allowed us to get to know her much better! She is a sweetheart! She adores Sam and loves to play with him. She loves toys and will happily chomp on one for several minutes at a time. We knew she loved her food and treats, but we discovered this evening that she also likes cauliflower. For Christmas, she came back to my parents' house with us and got to hang out with their dogs, Spike and Pumpkin. Pumpkin is not a big player, but she loved Spike and they played most of the weekend. Daisy has a fair amount of energy and certainly cannot be labeled a couch potato, but being in the company of 4 other dogs, boy was she pooped each night and when we got back home! She also loved her foster grandfather and spent many hours napping on his lap or simply being loved. She sits well, and has learned to give her paw and we're working on staying while we wait at the door. She eats her meals from a food ball and she picked it up quicker than any other dog we've seen use it. She is one smart cookie!<br /><br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420688068544743858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstGAhiubATF5vgf2ZR1Qg8nB7p5cRvJ_OxRhfxbaHcjAU27Y7RI1GOCCan6xAu5_F6dBwGD99qZ7sqQutkGXdGC8wy0LB6OLZZsJPdSe8hL7UkVntAQHwIuSgyPbXG8rr_oT6wVo2A4Q/s320/212.JPG" /><br /><br />Last weekend a winter storm blew through and we got over a foot of snow, and because Daisy was transported from Tennessee, I think this may have been her first snowfall. She was so cute, romping around in the snow with our dogs. She has a very thin coat and you can see all her brown skin spots through her white fur and she gets cold easily, so I put a little doggy sweatshirt on her before we went out. Later that same day we had company for a Christmas party and she greeted everyone excitedly as they walked in the door. It was as if her long lost friends had returned from a journey! Everyone was excited to meet the new dog and she lapped up all the attention.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfochuOSuHYCXunO7lfIoiWRzSMERRZaLllJGX0ViRGse50Z6X5_mbY5Te3fFb4R3liDHjg7YO6HWdPKBusduQj_Kwak7mBurmna0DR8H8wDUlreuR-hOcd6FWI1K1ymrKvFLq83qqdc/s1600-h/049.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420497744785666514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfochuOSuHYCXunO7lfIoiWRzSMERRZaLllJGX0ViRGse50Z6X5_mbY5Te3fFb4R3liDHjg7YO6HWdPKBusduQj_Kwak7mBurmna0DR8H8wDUlreuR-hOcd6FWI1K1ymrKvFLq83qqdc/s320/049.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Every now and then Daisy will give us a peek at her wild streak and get the other dogs all riled up and a little discipline becomes necessary. I look at that goofy little face and it is so hard to scold her. Sometimes, when she's snoozing, I think about what her past has been like. The first few days she was extremely timid and cowered whenever we reached for her. It is painful to see, and awful to think about what may have happened to her over the past several years. Hopefully, she had a good previous life and her behavior was simply because she's shy in a new home. She has certainly come out of her shell, and quickly! She seems to be well adjusted and not at all afraid of people, strutting right up to them as if she has known them forever. And don't forget how much she loves all of her canine friends!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2dDe08LOlQLoLF84kuvKba4gLUBUzbCjEmeMWdOW_bksywxS2sMjxiVycONPX6p5nrg4hyphenhyphenfCgficWq_DXfVxqIuqtMaQVARs32247O5RFgHUK9xojkvV7_3lNdLeBwcHwfZKl2O6JRE/s1600-h/195.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420688059801852258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2dDe08LOlQLoLF84kuvKba4gLUBUzbCjEmeMWdOW_bksywxS2sMjxiVycONPX6p5nrg4hyphenhyphenfCgficWq_DXfVxqIuqtMaQVARs32247O5RFgHUK9xojkvV7_3lNdLeBwcHwfZKl2O6JRE/s320/195.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I noticed on the Great Dog website that only four of Daisy's eight puppies remain. My favorite, the 3 lb. runt of the litter is still available, but she's so cute I know she'll be adopted soon. Daisy is good company, a loyal friend, and I don't mind having her around longer, but I hope she finds her forever home quickly as well. She would love an active family, a home that is always full of hustle and bustle, and lots of people to be friends with. As we ring in the New Year, I hope for a bright new beginning for my little foster buddy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WkUIsFxAz_2BfMZZFSRDWv6hdkdHFjHiA-GwxHS6VDjRWkAhvvH1DV4S6DX9VpeKDRoUXhrgDHhyphenhyphenkyhjWYQtnTp385KawOEUNUD20aOHpj7uSKkQjJPyLv-QAvgkSiYQHznWILENedk/s1600-h/040.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420476911752918594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WkUIsFxAz_2BfMZZFSRDWv6hdkdHFjHiA-GwxHS6VDjRWkAhvvH1DV4S6DX9VpeKDRoUXhrgDHhyphenhyphenkyhjWYQtnTp385KawOEUNUD20aOHpj7uSKkQjJPyLv-QAvgkSiYQHznWILENedk/s320/040.JPG" /></a>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-14088902027161384772009-12-15T20:32:00.009-05:002009-12-16T19:34:56.418-05:00Sandy, Adopted 11/21/09On November 12th, at our first meet and greet with Sandy, we dropped her off at the beginning and did a little shopping since this event was in the kennels. We came back just over an hour later and a volunteer said "someone adopted your dog! It took me completely by surprise since there was not a good turnout that day, but what great news! Apparently an application for her had been submitted a few days previous and the woman wanted to come and meet her and see if Sandy was compatible with her dog, Molly. The visit had gone quite well, and while I was disappointed I had missed the applicant, I left happy that another placement was in the works.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF-pxqSmvFviZNJslHHN_6ENcQalWb0v_BVShvjV81UCRN_jPmABd6ZGPGW0lXlYkdrMk2hNAXCwipN7GWqLVQAH5c4-Twd_3V4qYOjBfI9nw7bVcfR5ftO9qpPr8Jgob8fDo_A-RLR0/s1600-h/060.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415658378899448578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF-pxqSmvFviZNJslHHN_6ENcQalWb0v_BVShvjV81UCRN_jPmABd6ZGPGW0lXlYkdrMk2hNAXCwipN7GWqLVQAH5c4-Twd_3V4qYOjBfI9nw7bVcfR5ftO9qpPr8Jgob8fDo_A-RLR0/s320/060.JPG" /></a><br /><br />As the application process was going on, we arranged to have Sandy spayed the following Friday at the Sterling Shelter. Sandy talked to me the entire ride there, and was so happy when a staff member came out to meet us, she went running right up to her! Poor thing had no idea what was coming! The shelter staff took great care of her, and I picked her up after work that evening. The ride home was quiet and Sandy was so groggy and sleepy when we got home that she just laid in her bed and dozed. She was very slow going up and down the stairs for a few days, but her happy-go-lucky personality returned after about 36 hours. It was good to see her back to her old self again. Then we got the wonderful news that her adoption had been finalized! </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrejH2_uxTqgn0gMzVubsa4nGizwZ7JBpi1CsjCFvBoq_EyxUUcXddJ4-fhUZr5MFBOCLPk9aEaph1mWbIF-JR-qM7RSB8Yvaie-2fR9qB2rDSCie657rOlyxk2AorgcHRaST3kbY870c/s1600-h/048.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415655132125955218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrejH2_uxTqgn0gMzVubsa4nGizwZ7JBpi1CsjCFvBoq_EyxUUcXddJ4-fhUZr5MFBOCLPk9aEaph1mWbIF-JR-qM7RSB8Yvaie-2fR9qB2rDSCie657rOlyxk2AorgcHRaST3kbY870c/s320/048.JPG" /></a><br /><br />To give Sandy time to recover in a familiar environment, we arranged for her new family to come and pick her up on the following Saturday. Sandy continued to heal over the remainder of the week, and even managed to break Gabe down into several long play sessions with her. My boys were really going to miss this little sweetheart! </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaOhN66ecsPngbZLXPJtbvdJ5VUg-FFSf0PImJPEieFqDmiaMreY2F9-q64MLgZDFn4fGEOpaSsUfO7Q9JNwe9XV7otN2mU_k7TbsmbrUKFNi5yglD-yrWQkJMu-rDdXnO30rOeWJFac/s1600-h/042.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415656099312269810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaOhN66ecsPngbZLXPJtbvdJ5VUg-FFSf0PImJPEieFqDmiaMreY2F9-q64MLgZDFn4fGEOpaSsUfO7Q9JNwe9XV7otN2mU_k7TbsmbrUKFNi5yglD-yrWQkJMu-rDdXnO30rOeWJFac/s320/042.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Saturday arrived and we had to say goodbye to Sandy. It was a short 4 weeks and it really seemed to fly by. Sweet, goofy personalities like her never last long! Either fostering and saying goodbye to my friends was getting easier for me with each dog, or I felt good about this goodbye because I knew that Sandy would be in good hands and fit in well at her new home. Most likely it was a combination of the two. After having the opportunity to speak with her adopter at length about what she likes (everything) and dislikes (nothing) and getting a sense of her new family, I looked forward to this adoption rather than dreading our final moments together. Sandy's new family arrived and she hopped into the car, excited for her new adventure. Her new mom promised to send pictures, and sure enough I received a few of her and her new sister, Molly. They look sort of similar and Sandy looks like she fits right in. </p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B0cZZPMyv0AvDnjvuRBasIlnh9qMvCRCtT-132jfZwjidXuouI5ImgxlRQfuDrO_DdSxn-0vLG_gUs0XH2ZLtBJcdlpbqXRtGd-MUwF2QxMMHEQ7RYNNlC32oAqFYF2ADzSlUVsWs5c/s1600-h/Sandynewhome.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415658383567079330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B0cZZPMyv0AvDnjvuRBasIlnh9qMvCRCtT-132jfZwjidXuouI5ImgxlRQfuDrO_DdSxn-0vLG_gUs0XH2ZLtBJcdlpbqXRtGd-MUwF2QxMMHEQ7RYNNlC32oAqFYF2ADzSlUVsWs5c/s320/Sandynewhome.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Our new foster dog arrived 2 weeks after Sandy's departure, and we have discovered that she is very similar in her happy personality, often causing me to suddenly miss her very much. Sandy is going to enjoy the holidays with her new family this year, and it is such a happy ending. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago she was abandoned on a porch with her pups, with a slim chance of survival. While we miss Sandy and would have enjoyed having her longer, her adoption freed up a space for Daisy, who we took into foster right after Thanksgiving!</p>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-22875646668841238222009-10-30T16:26:00.017-04:002009-12-16T19:35:31.220-05:00Sandy, Foster 10/25/09-11/21/09<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-AwoffaL9d2LXlVkw7rb0K4BHg-Ug_jWCyH_A87jlW5-uwlxY0s2tmkkTrsAsPm7sFe5735ACQcg0F2pfjpzryh3rDGb0JbtuWozURQBDqXMOOsZdGkumwHXqJ2v1iFNZqFIhGdB3fY/s1600-h/DSC05976.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399597527617778482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-AwoffaL9d2LXlVkw7rb0K4BHg-Ug_jWCyH_A87jlW5-uwlxY0s2tmkkTrsAsPm7sFe5735ACQcg0F2pfjpzryh3rDGb0JbtuWozURQBDqXMOOsZdGkumwHXqJ2v1iFNZqFIhGdB3fY/s320/DSC05976.JPG" /></a> As Cherry's adoption was being finalized, the foster coordinator informed me that there was a basset hound mix named Sandy, who was weaning her pups and needed to be placed into another foster home before another mom and her pups came along. The day after Cherry's new family took her home, I met the director at the kennel and I took Sandy home.<br /></div><div align="left"><p>Sandy showed me immediately what a good-natured goofball she is! Since I was alone and could not introduce all 3 dogs on neutral territory, I let her into our fenced-in backyard and went inside to get Gabe and Sam. I let them outside and Sam made a beeline for Sandy, who was probably shocked that this crazy black dog came barreling around the corner at her. Gabe followed suit and they all sniffed one another intently. Once they had finished with their introductions, they just kind of trotted around the yard as Sandy got familiar with it.<br /><br />Once everyone had done their business I brought them all inside. Poor Sandy was so skinny after nursing her pups. It took a lot out of her and I could see all her ribs and spine. Her head seemed huge in comparison! Alan came home shortly after we had been inside for awhile and she was so excited to see him, giving him a greeting as if he had been gone for ages. We tried to snuggle on the couch that evening but she was too bony to be cuddly. She was also very restless and later in the evening we put her into her crate with a treat and she didn't make a peep for the rest of the night. What an exciting, but also stressful and tiring day for these dogs!<br /><br />The next day, Sandy's "udders" seemed even more swollen and when she tried to sit or lay she seemed quite uncomfortable. Since it was a Monday, we had to go back to work, and so after running around the yard and having breakfast, she settled into her crate with a treat. When I got home that evening, Alan was outside with the dogs and Sandy was shivering in the chilly air. I found a little dog sweatshirt that my mom had given me after her dog Pumpkin grew out of it, and she let me put it on without any fuss. She was so cute as I was helping her put her short little legs through the leg holes. She seemed more comfortable after that, and on the chilly days she's been sporting it proudly.<br /><br />We've had Sandy for just over a week now and she's doing great! Her "udders" have shrunken considerably and she has been able to lay more comfortably as a result. She's still pretty skinny but we're working on plumping her up a bit. She's been trying so hard to play with Gabe and Sam, and while Gabe wants none of it and has no qualms about letting her know, Sam enjoys a good romp and wrestle for a minute or so before deciding he wants us to protect him. When we're hanging out in the kitchen we often hear the steady "thump thump thump" of her tail against the cabinets. She's just happy to be.<br /><br />Sandy came to Great Dog because her owners had moved and left her behind. She was found in an abandoned truck, along with a little of newborn puppies but otherwise alone, with nothing but a few unopened cans of dog food on the porch. This must have been an incredibly difficult time for Sandy and her pups, but thankfully help arrived. You would never in a million years guess that Sandy had such a tough time not so long ago. Her page on Petfinder describes her as a happy-go-lucky dog and we have discovered that this fits her perfectly!<br /><br />On Saturday, November 7th, we will be bringing Sandy to a meet and greet at the Harvard Kennels. I can't wait to see how people react to her when she wags her tail so hard she wiggles her whole body and rests her head against you when she wants love. Sandy is a sweetheart, loves people, other dogs and children, and would be so happy in a forever home of her own. Are you that loving home?<br /></p></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399579377531408866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK2077wlM4koQDnOCpJ1g7Rgl97lW0Drp40s8OIADOYRD-b38Bq5EwtlXoRN6lsaxLMpN5AAP0mDJYhf-Kfo-yeqqxmEsemVAX9uE3f7IwYGitQW5Ny-zp2CND-ip0a2CDfGTINzIldE/s320/DSC05945.JPG" /><br /><p align="center">Close up<br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399579372784399010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WhrW7b6mNqGewUp63OzSnTLbJ64ad7_42kF8gCjVgRHt9kfYzNpR5Es6a0bDUxPuMLLNE1rYU0Htpqca-NI9nKLfrSs0aCEs5DjniGVrRB-O18u8957_7c-HIDBfvxJnBJXorfMpxno/s320/DSC05985.JPG" /><br /><p align="center">Watching TV<br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399579367541228466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSpHGe3d2k6ItFma5cU2VfC7uULTB0R7U_Yv5EcaBdJ7mth-Hzy51z7fP8uwzZkaL7z0EHrDbLwNFjHFZe8BIw8ri0DUUJH_XF6mHvzdVD2zebOVIxRRN24yH280wshtS04sLOaURSP8/s320/DSC05977.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center">What's she pointing at me?<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_uLN_qy8i-LLfL3oDOohZU0JhWiSSEJ4Ijg9FOCOafgoWn3J2yfH6bqbPKtNcADgWMVC-OBKwqoAyg8TIYpMwg56i9aw9cR4PRXW5V8mSN8G-QCS-SVY99OOqt4I8VhayWGonaD3k5g/s1600-h/DSC05952.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399579359798145442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_uLN_qy8i-LLfL3oDOohZU0JhWiSSEJ4Ijg9FOCOafgoWn3J2yfH6bqbPKtNcADgWMVC-OBKwqoAyg8TIYpMwg56i9aw9cR4PRXW5V8mSN8G-QCS-SVY99OOqt4I8VhayWGonaD3k5g/s320/DSC05952.JPG" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p align="center">Sleepy </p><br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lSYd5XKDrmQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lSYd5XKDrmQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-20836118388961378152009-10-25T08:30:00.012-04:002009-11-02T12:37:18.179-05:00Cherry, Adopted 10/24/09<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ywF0agDXCLjkbvAK7o1mFQrDQMVikGA_Y29RR9497_AAqgiCHzAHEzh-9roajIzzgh4diGWeFVLErtmEgo1CljYNosb-r-529dBTKLo_EAgXDxjHKc6AUhFcEz6bF1mgtCZl1xK7zvM/s1600-h/DSC05869.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522146708287810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ywF0agDXCLjkbvAK7o1mFQrDQMVikGA_Y29RR9497_AAqgiCHzAHEzh-9roajIzzgh4diGWeFVLErtmEgo1CljYNosb-r-529dBTKLo_EAgXDxjHKc6AUhFcEz6bF1mgtCZl1xK7zvM/s320/DSC05869.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Our first meet and greet with Cherry was on a miserable rainy day, and not surprisingly, there was not a good turnout. Our second meet and greet with her was on a gorgeous day and of course she showed everyone she met what a sweetheart she was! A bunch of people appeared interested, but there was one particular couple who asked a lot of questions, both about her and about the process. Cherry slept soundly the entire way home, confident that she had found her new family.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyDF8yegF4JK151qIEImaosqgw6XtDfW7QM9tp7-xPDUft4doDcPd4tYlBpeT7vgpYAmY8qU_mmafe4FpjB0y-qizh8jGecG2hePADnT0wSJeWcCkaikHZQZjVeZO-QWl8zZVjdwMQwc/s1600-h/035.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522149454110626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyDF8yegF4JK151qIEImaosqgw6XtDfW7QM9tp7-xPDUft4doDcPd4tYlBpeT7vgpYAmY8qU_mmafe4FpjB0y-qizh8jGecG2hePADnT0wSJeWcCkaikHZQZjVeZO-QWl8zZVjdwMQwc/s320/035.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div>2 days later we received an email that she had two applications, one of which was the couple who had met her at the meet and greet. We remembered them, and told the adoption coordinator that they seemed perfect for her! References were checked and a home visit was arranged, and later that week we received word that Cherry was officially adopted!</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39wN9fTN0OqG6gv4Td5Dr2hwclTTpYnh1qytCeb3EWCB_TUw-4bRU9pvU1FnZlObt6pn0HNaeYf-Omzzx828lrjE4DMBve729iNeDEn2qtLsN3RZzLJOycIWiP6T8RLZF7-bBQ4Pircg/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522142422091186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39wN9fTN0OqG6gv4Td5Dr2hwclTTpYnh1qytCeb3EWCB_TUw-4bRU9pvU1FnZlObt6pn0HNaeYf-Omzzx828lrjE4DMBve729iNeDEn2qtLsN3RZzLJOycIWiP6T8RLZF7-bBQ4Pircg/s320/026.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396527899789372754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pJKvbVyNI9qIuCywsXmP0GxC0x3B7WpOTIQZ3UF4dww4nNSZiVavb0kW9Q2yjvNGy5UWFJ4JkDYR0dEb4-LplsBgY_yRFBHKHS3qKacoWn8nUH7tYQNV5Xa_M_Mf5iySsRBpABhQkTc/s320/059.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>That Saturday morning her new family came to pick her up. She had a spring in her step all morning and she was so excited to see them, it was as if she knew these were her new people! Her new family brought her a leash and a brand new toy, which she immediately romped around the room with. It was another rainy day but the weather couldn't dampen all of our moods. Cherry was looking forward to a long walk and a trip to the pet store. Our dog Gabe was really going to miss her, but her adoption made space for Great Dog to save a new dog!</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguA147b1dw2JiEZzybw0fEpk2SLyaa5kGd4gfGB8CxsI9NxRkBQhyphenhyphenN3Xtirbh0UvZiPGgcdWArUp3nVxqW4zQ-qtxdUXRkNcC3fScJoGR_CicXuahEcvU4xzSRxPwzm0CgMij_AqNSAUo/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396522130328456530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguA147b1dw2JiEZzybw0fEpk2SLyaa5kGd4gfGB8CxsI9NxRkBQhyphenhyphenN3Xtirbh0UvZiPGgcdWArUp3nVxqW4zQ-qtxdUXRkNcC3fScJoGR_CicXuahEcvU4xzSRxPwzm0CgMij_AqNSAUo/s320/017.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMdiHt8E_L0mFcHHmXfDNqAwbPLI3Tn2TfxwBTaeHuwxi2rdY235Id7rz4AUz22mdTWvSLfLQgU0TgtfuCqwvelwWk-pTGGaH1S8SBQ4CbJqYuqOAZpL3_IAx5LnP_VlP_wiuDzLzPOE/s1600-h/055.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396527894115285874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMdiHt8E_L0mFcHHmXfDNqAwbPLI3Tn2TfxwBTaeHuwxi2rdY235Id7rz4AUz22mdTWvSLfLQgU0TgtfuCqwvelwWk-pTGGaH1S8SBQ4CbJqYuqOAZpL3_IAx5LnP_VlP_wiuDzLzPOE/s320/055.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Cherry trotted down the driveway and hopped right in the backseat of their car, but not before we got a picture of the new happy family. We will miss Cherry but we know she is in good hands. We can now move on to our next foster dog, a basset hound mix named Sandy who we are expecting in just over 24 hours! </div><div><br /></div></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgfYbLcmCwFEVZgbw1kX4SxsswyIjHifm6yVIbEbGHtvuItIWdwDnhR6vAPNCMVI9Q0bpBIkO1BbZvzEz9EY_RCo_kA8QO4deW4ag87gP0Mny8seVY3kvsTZlSasHYDjea09lM2pTH-8/s1600-h/060.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396527904333388562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgfYbLcmCwFEVZgbw1kX4SxsswyIjHifm6yVIbEbGHtvuItIWdwDnhR6vAPNCMVI9Q0bpBIkO1BbZvzEz9EY_RCo_kA8QO4deW4ag87gP0Mny8seVY3kvsTZlSasHYDjea09lM2pTH-8/s320/060.JPG" border="0" /></a> Cherry with her new family</div></div></div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-62399883063078724372009-09-03T21:35:00.018-04:002009-10-25T08:30:26.745-04:00Cherry, Foster 8/28/09-10/24/09<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9voc5E2ekR4I0xHEIsemCEwqZPTawwVDGEKPvgbJYDGEPkT-j6dYPFp0nNML8838-q4FDPXwH7rkvO2XKb4BQsmKu97hSeaTfFXB8AsXswO7pjkp4qpxQbXenG6tVuogxNY72H4dO8g/s1600-h/Cherry7.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377638876010410690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9voc5E2ekR4I0xHEIsemCEwqZPTawwVDGEKPvgbJYDGEPkT-j6dYPFp0nNML8838-q4FDPXwH7rkvO2XKb4BQsmKu97hSeaTfFXB8AsXswO7pjkp4qpxQbXenG6tVuogxNY72H4dO8g/s320/Cherry7.jpg" /></a> Right before Honey went to her forever home, the foster coordinator emailed me asking if we would be willing to take Cherry the following Friday. I said absolutely! So, on August 28<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> I went to pick her up. I had seen her pictures on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Petfinder</span> but when she came trotting out to see me in the kennel, I was surprised by how small she was! In her pictures I thought she'd be so much bigger but she's actually got stumpy little legs and she's low to the ground. She is adorable! She could stand to lose a few pounds but with all of her peppy walking, I'm sure we're making progress.<br /><div><div><br /></div><div>Cherry is a 2 year old beagle who was surrendered in October of 2008 when her family decided they no longer wanted her or her puppies and dropped them off at a high-kill shelter in TN. Once again, Sam and Honey's foster mom came to the rescue and took them all. Cherry is a very social girl so when a foster space freed up, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">GDRNE</span> decided they would transport her up north to find her new home.<br /><br /><div>When Cherry and I walked out of the kennel that day, we walked around the grounds together while she sniffed everything. When the time came to get in the car and go home, she didn't seem very interested in hopping into it, so I lifted her into the backseat. Once she was in she found a nice sweet spot on the seat and promptly curled up for a nice snooze. She dozed in a little ball for the entire ride back and seemed perfectly at ease in the car.<br /><br />When we got home, I took her and Gabe for a walk and she showed me that she is a peppy little walker! She has the cutest little trot and sometimes does a little skipping thing with her back legs when she's excited or wants to go faster. It is so funny to watch her stout little legs moving so fast. In the words of a friend, go beagle, go! We took a 45 minute walk and she did great, stopping to sniff many things but eager to continue the walk. When we finally arrived back home she explored the house a bit and cried a little. I laid a blanket in the crate and put it in the entrance to the kitchen and living room and after checking it out, she laid in it for awhile. When Alan came home she got really excited, prancing around the door all silly and goofy, so excited for this new person! She wouldn't eat her dinner but instead laid back down in her crate and took a little nap, waking frequently to see what was going on in this new place.<br /></div><br /><div>Cherry has adjusted to us really well. She gets to run around in our newly fenced in yard, and loves to wriggle in the grass or lay in the sun. She's been great about walking with us at least twice a day, has gotten pretty frisky with one of the many tennis balls in the yard, and has been pretty content to just nap on the couch or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">loveseat</span> during the times when we're not doing anything special. Whenever she's napping or just laying and she hears us walk by, she rolls over on her back and moves her legs for a belly rub. She loves treats and has been eating much better and she doesn't mind relaxing in her crate while we're at work or have to run errands, as long as she gets a treat on her way in. She is such a laid back dog, with a really sweet personality. She has that distinctive beagle bark but she doesn't do it often, though she makes me laugh when she's turning in circles looking for the perfect spot to do her business in the yard, because she barks a bit while she's determining where to go. It is the funniest thing!<br /></div><br /><div>It makes me so sad to think that this sweet, sweet dog, this adorable soft and squishy animal who asks for nothing more than food, water and to be loved, would have been put to sleep simply because her owners decided they did not want her anymore. When I look at that little brown face I can't even imagine why someone gave her up in the first place. Cherry deserves a second chance and luckily, she has been given it. We have a meet and greet next Saturday and I am confident that she will put her best paw forward and someone will fall in love with her. I am counting down the days until Cherry finds her forever home...are you that home?<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9QhcoBIKI4LMRPnETql3rZMeUMw0O6rxJ1wG1BOq55Qs8oX2I-NWKuTZBHQCJ7JHECl_TbaFWzP6GfhrUbzqH4oWQNgc2Hau_X_37IR9NJGp2kCdPz2XgG_orhM06GxYUF7rzQXqO1M/s1600-h/045.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377435522365462866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9QhcoBIKI4LMRPnETql3rZMeUMw0O6rxJ1wG1BOq55Qs8oX2I-NWKuTZBHQCJ7JHECl_TbaFWzP6GfhrUbzqH4oWQNgc2Hau_X_37IR9NJGp2kCdPz2XgG_orhM06GxYUF7rzQXqO1M/s320/045.JPG" /></a> Exploring the yard<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377435518570913410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOlqoPj7f6cY2OsFmjb7c3-rzSUz8hPMy1WzY9kmWiQUdJ5kEWkbusEANz9hOUR05Tp_Ss9MP4sMv7xt4J2tZDR0J_z1nmq-o_uq-JmTKblJI5UoTLuYON60WZNlV-3euRrZ3MPUW5b8/s320/036.JPG" /> Napping on a pile of sticks</div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiTyH0dzOLIquF2IatNIugniYKp0kx2cumS92S71bpuzLQZnbUUASIgTCfGuKJDx0yAT_gXLJh-4zdBYK_z5OT6d6dzoi9nLjSpy0zU8m3OinwmM1vY_g1O73jCFL3Jl6U5mL5XrzCms/s1600-h/030.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377432010276556450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiTyH0dzOLIquF2IatNIugniYKp0kx2cumS92S71bpuzLQZnbUUASIgTCfGuKJDx0yAT_gXLJh-4zdBYK_z5OT6d6dzoi9nLjSpy0zU8m3OinwmM1vY_g1O73jCFL3Jl6U5mL5XrzCms/s320/030.JPG" /></a> Cutie pie.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWUNKwrFhvSTQ_UTrpapC7BzMQnVmTtb5phvIrtPPGjR7yAHMs-V2hBuh1thTj4rqPxRGQlxiYcvQUjKK6sWacxuak4zIl6anhVPX_qrAOrTBH9oPnHSh4y6TtPhejfwI5Wi5gEhRJ0g/s1600-h/Cherry6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377639087467149986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWUNKwrFhvSTQ_UTrpapC7BzMQnVmTtb5phvIrtPPGjR7yAHMs-V2hBuh1thTj4rqPxRGQlxiYcvQUjKK6sWacxuak4zIl6anhVPX_qrAOrTBH9oPnHSh4y6TtPhejfwI5Wi5gEhRJ0g/s320/Cherry6.jpg" /></a> Stretch!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOyp_PqA796MRthsZVtBR8yg14tABRBZA-PDzTSNcHteqERprS6GdZlcYGfT5kfImWp2X0v6_o463v48eiQYvCgy9gU9LcqWn5eYJ20Oe_cxUC3Q4i6eU-jG0F0UW8VgaeicvsR3OyzU/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377431757583999522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOyp_PqA796MRthsZVtBR8yg14tABRBZA-PDzTSNcHteqERprS6GdZlcYGfT5kfImWp2X0v6_o463v48eiQYvCgy9gU9LcqWn5eYJ20Oe_cxUC3Q4i6eU-jG0F0UW8VgaeicvsR3OyzU/s320/029.JPG" /></a> Hi.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQlSrsQISD2WarqTQ9PhnBrojOZFkL6zyOqGYvNzlM1ocRtgJz9RHjRh4fvI8I3_xEC1Z0tFHYZDgyQf06DwAwwXEskwRGBqP7J2Jh4902KBNsN8JSp5r2LQUjCLspcYl9u4GuORmD6Y/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377430793644302658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQlSrsQISD2WarqTQ9PhnBrojOZFkL6zyOqGYvNzlM1ocRtgJz9RHjRh4fvI8I3_xEC1Z0tFHYZDgyQf06DwAwwXEskwRGBqP7J2Jh4902KBNsN8JSp5r2LQUjCLspcYl9u4GuORmD6Y/s320/026.JPG" /></a> Napping in the yard.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-40703033352865957232009-08-29T20:57:00.021-04:002009-09-04T11:55:28.089-04:00Honey, Adopted 8/20/09<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAllFZdah2NSQa0UjRgdU-5CcKPVuOe-TgW40j3uV450LZAtBLLJCd37lwA-T5CHBXcTOI_m235Ja0LaXXIWeDKtr_36wvzSCquC-IpEn2ai22o4tbICG1ZTRaVnKgi2kuzaVRumzvCFs/s1600-h/1697.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375573081338723858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAllFZdah2NSQa0UjRgdU-5CcKPVuOe-TgW40j3uV450LZAtBLLJCd37lwA-T5CHBXcTOI_m235Ja0LaXXIWeDKtr_36wvzSCquC-IpEn2ai22o4tbICG1ZTRaVnKgi2kuzaVRumzvCFs/s320/1697.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After we had Honey for 2 weeks, I was contacted by the adoption coordinator, letting me know there was a potential adopter interested in Honey. Just an hour later, I got an email from them, with several questions about Honey. We answered them as best we could and their response was that she sounded perfect. We agreed that they would come and meet her that Thursday evening.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXaqdFoPSx3DqKlXERcTkh9nvWkcRY7F5xy7me4mTeXowzLeNlk40aRIB_rT20Hyg-4QBqH0OF93kHG12uUpGZToCnKRABX_x2EqXqg270GHBV-U1p6ykJPlfORPkiLdfy5YomoF5pec/s1600-h/1689.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375571568208070002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXaqdFoPSx3DqKlXERcTkh9nvWkcRY7F5xy7me4mTeXowzLeNlk40aRIB_rT20Hyg-4QBqH0OF93kHG12uUpGZToCnKRABX_x2EqXqg270GHBV-U1p6ykJPlfORPkiLdfy5YomoF5pec/s320/1689.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmLYFZ9VcFcvy_BVPXfpoEksXxCDscuPvd4vSwYi-lB4sYX5WTfRkhO2TWz7ITTkQdNZzLWSMWFpjbh68sdf3cW7GK4fmJjBwbcWEH35KOJYWz5TRoHkFzN7K3V8neHm5-NEN_qB89nM/s1600-h/1649.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375565680762914466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmLYFZ9VcFcvy_BVPXfpoEksXxCDscuPvd4vSwYi-lB4sYX5WTfRkhO2TWz7ITTkQdNZzLWSMWFpjbh68sdf3cW7GK4fmJjBwbcWEH35KOJYWz5TRoHkFzN7K3V8neHm5-NEN_qB89nM/s320/1649.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I was nervous for Thursday evening. Honey is such a great dog, and I wanted her to have the perfect family. They arrived Thursday and Honey warmed up to them immediately, as if she knew they were here to see her. They got to visit with Honey alone and also got to see her play with Gabe and Sam. They left an hour later, wishing they could take her home that evening.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPWR1-GQSvd8EiwXrhhJEor_6UqCTT0CynVuQcz4EoSUNr7IZDwvPRZGUWlq-eCu0TJQeul1e9zSJI3JpC3Pp4wfGyKbQbsZrfy6buIojux0Z1uDSFG0NkvcsQrd7axLbU_zRR-lzvIU/s1600-h/1637.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375569501827698962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPWR1-GQSvd8EiwXrhhJEor_6UqCTT0CynVuQcz4EoSUNr7IZDwvPRZGUWlq-eCu0TJQeul1e9zSJI3JpC3Pp4wfGyKbQbsZrfy6buIojux0Z1uDSFG0NkvcsQrd7axLbU_zRR-lzvIU/s320/1637.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was in frequent contact with them after that, as they went through the home visit and the adoption contract. On the following Tuesday morning I got notification that they were officially approved to adopt her, and I could release Honey to them at any time. We arranged that they would pick her up in two days, after her crate arrived and everything was perfect.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQcut00IiDyjzZiq7YwWn7bWdBt1JSzGHFkVvAAXutT9X1H3-UfKYMNCJe9O8HallKCDzHUFaFZty1kgZmGvpKoh3Y95JSH36tg9VyMrdBPBWTa2mWrfqQ-BOIDqlYXMDvKqAPiFBv6o/s1600-h/1680.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375568466297597922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQcut00IiDyjzZiq7YwWn7bWdBt1JSzGHFkVvAAXutT9X1H3-UfKYMNCJe9O8HallKCDzHUFaFZty1kgZmGvpKoh3Y95JSH36tg9VyMrdBPBWTa2mWrfqQ-BOIDqlYXMDvKqAPiFBv6o/s320/1680.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The evening before Honey was to be adopted, I cried. She was my first foster dog, and I really grew to love her. She was such a sweet dog and if we didn't already have two dogs, we may have considered adopting her. Three dogs is a lot, though. And more importantly, if we had adopted a third dog, we would no longer be able to foster. I had never let go of a dog before; the only time I had to say good-bye and face the fact that I would never see her again was when Lady died. This was similar is some respects but I had to remind myself constantly that Honey would be in good hands in her new home, and her adoption would free up a space to save another dog's life. I had recently spoken with Honey and Sam's foster mom in Tennessee and she told me that she cried until it hurt when adopting out her first foster, but then made herself a rule that she would only cry for those she couldn't save. I liked that rule and have promised myself that I will remember it again in the future.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURqrnztRbjvRO5d_BWxJTi-PY5Hk1qMwG69Ms4HbWvKcDPo_R_XSaaPz4f1ngPc1p2EvpMuTdFyvw6XaYfE2kfKBkzUbjdM_bZO1_0H9rSo4q71cdy-FVKykGo-EMSuhuY7Rzoew-llE/s1600-h/1600.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375567306458980514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURqrnztRbjvRO5d_BWxJTi-PY5Hk1qMwG69Ms4HbWvKcDPo_R_XSaaPz4f1ngPc1p2EvpMuTdFyvw6XaYfE2kfKBkzUbjdM_bZO1_0H9rSo4q71cdy-FVKykGo-EMSuhuY7Rzoew-llE/s320/1600.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I did well the day of her adoption. That morning we went for our last walk together, just her and I, and when I came home after work she wriggled in the grass more than usual and I rubbed her belly for a long time. We took a bunch of pictures of all of us for our new foster dog album, and we got to spend some quality time together. Her new family arrived shortly after and she was so happy to see them. She was a little bouncy, as if she knew they were back to visit her, and then she just sat calmly and let them shower her with rubs and love.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignYCtQQcnNHBof-6YFZ3rABY0N263624GmpUV1iV6xwQ24-2XAZIkXFwoIXCo_hcEcK0kdIKAoXM5_RUVMl6Gb2VV0YV6l7-Sp1NkQLwGJo38UAu3cqFgUse_pkhoO0P6vlA7MPxUi1E/s1600-h/1698.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375574733674057154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignYCtQQcnNHBof-6YFZ3rABY0N263624GmpUV1iV6xwQ24-2XAZIkXFwoIXCo_hcEcK0kdIKAoXM5_RUVMl6Gb2VV0YV6l7-Sp1NkQLwGJo38UAu3cqFgUse_pkhoO0P6vlA7MPxUi1E/s320/1698.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When it came time for the ride home, one of the adopters sat in back with Honey, and right then I knew that it was a perfect match. How exciting to have her own person in the backseat with her! We said our goodbyes and wished them well and off they went. Just before they were out of sight I caught a glimpse of Honey's ears out the back window and I burst into tears again, knowing that this would probably be the last time I would ever see her. Gabey came to my rescue, licking up the tears, and the four of us went for a walk, just like how it used to be.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16oVtLOm2Vz-0TqRD056O-zttKZln60-PtkY48oi7F-SuD5tsZg9iHKU1Epuf0dQSkzZpFuj_0PugsQ13hT0zerV2b4seXrpqqdgZPNvU5bIt7G_B0X-8OccUNNA6ldgLFGoxVFcc4E8/s1600-h/1706.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375576339653403458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16oVtLOm2Vz-0TqRD056O-zttKZln60-PtkY48oi7F-SuD5tsZg9iHKU1Epuf0dQSkzZpFuj_0PugsQ13hT0zerV2b4seXrpqqdgZPNvU5bIt7G_B0X-8OccUNNA6ldgLFGoxVFcc4E8/s320/1706.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to run into Honey somewhere, or maybe we'll meet at a dog event. Better yet, maybe they'll come to a meet and greet today in hopes of adopting a buddy for her! Either way, she is their dog now and she is in good hands. I will miss her always and she will have a special place in my heart as my first foster. I have been lucky enough that the adopters have provided me with a few pictures and updates, and I hope she lives a long and happy life with them. Honey almost died twice, and deserves every bit of this happiness.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwWuVwjoqZm583Jh7VNFcSmidmvp-WXBrvMUu0_KNQYI6mv-Ew92Ncgwd5jW_MU_hOUGNQVBvRVfnFuiWhhL2heNoqkcBw1hEeOcL3Nox4W7KPyJgZLssci2vcVdWcSCgd63N3IFBxfM/s1600-h/1709.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375577850469372754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwWuVwjoqZm583Jh7VNFcSmidmvp-WXBrvMUu0_KNQYI6mv-Ew92Ncgwd5jW_MU_hOUGNQVBvRVfnFuiWhhL2heNoqkcBw1hEeOcL3Nox4W7KPyJgZLssci2vcVdWcSCgd63N3IFBxfM/s320/1709.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Honey with her new family </div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-73930703040801202452009-08-11T18:10:00.017-04:002009-08-11T21:35:50.180-04:00Honey Update 8/11/09<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk492jR6FTPUZmCig9sOSANhvrs0MhpH4HCLUCFso3IhtTw-AiX2S2g29oemxdayt_O7ngQT2hda9ORRFFSq59t4uVLdk2rGqqk3LWwjUaiWz_b1Fjxf8saui_IKOuBjwsUT2utFv9Gg/s1600-h/081109+040.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368869451742481634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk492jR6FTPUZmCig9sOSANhvrs0MhpH4HCLUCFso3IhtTw-AiX2S2g29oemxdayt_O7ngQT2hda9ORRFFSq59t4uVLdk2rGqqk3LWwjUaiWz_b1Fjxf8saui_IKOuBjwsUT2utFv9Gg/s320/081109+040.jpg" /></a>This past weekend was a trip to upstate New York because I had a bridal shower to go to. Since Honey hasn't been adopted yet, we took her with us. She was so excited to have a fenced in yard to run around in and two other dogs to chase. She was so good! She proceeded to charm my parents and their friends, who brought over their 3 year old German Shepherd. Honey got along so well with everyone, the weekend went so much better than I ever could imagine.<br /><br />On Friday night after we arrived, Honey paced a little, so we set up her crate. She promptly laid down in it, she was pooped after the long car ride! It made us laugh and we tried to get pictures because we haven't even seen her sleep in her crate at our house! She's awake when we go upstairs to bed and she is always excitedly waiting for us in the morning. Saturday was a gorgeous day and the dogs were able to spend the majority of the day outside.<br /><br /><div>On the ride home on Sunday, we hit some traffic on the Pike. Honey was so cute in the back, and Sam was so patient with everyone. We put him in the middle because he's the nicest. As you can see from the pictures, he got a little smooshed but he was certainly feeling the love!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZ25To_lu-AjpNgkMNoIwUWUVAwMPorlYOTZP0w5hfWm7tVDPT6JMcCZhoJnJKelahWFIr_sLcdNCRcXH4HCI9xSwtiDHr3N7EbdL_4CW6xi5UZ4OhF4VUYaL5-N3bM3rNamezClMDvA/s1600-h/081109+176.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368879648725043250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZ25To_lu-AjpNgkMNoIwUWUVAwMPorlYOTZP0w5hfWm7tVDPT6JMcCZhoJnJKelahWFIr_sLcdNCRcXH4HCI9xSwtiDHr3N7EbdL_4CW6xi5UZ4OhF4VUYaL5-N3bM3rNamezClMDvA/s320/081109+176.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyj7_sfLJRnK9Xbm2MbSkRBBYVt866MySZzv40NgPR_ZWP6l3TWAPir3K93tbgaGZmWYusKmaBpmtdQAxYr9xots2w1i8EH9Leq9K1hf8DaeE7Iy0TwRSKQ_ioWP7auEhZeVfPA6t1bj8/s1600-h/081109+148.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368878623212006930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyj7_sfLJRnK9Xbm2MbSkRBBYVt866MySZzv40NgPR_ZWP6l3TWAPir3K93tbgaGZmWYusKmaBpmtdQAxYr9xots2w1i8EH9Leq9K1hf8DaeE7Iy0TwRSKQ_ioWP7auEhZeVfPA6t1bj8/s320/081109+148.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVqhwdRKzrl_zpWEeiiNCoJhOp2zOjKtgJhIQ5NLQzkk_fl32pNJUqg4_2q41uys7q_RRe9jL6oygeEzC3VT_rWy8hrE32iszTJvwfrG7Ae6FHKMtMuQkIfoB3B2-j54a4g1aL9i9Bjo/s1600-h/081109+144.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368877625115228194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVqhwdRKzrl_zpWEeiiNCoJhOp2zOjKtgJhIQ5NLQzkk_fl32pNJUqg4_2q41uys7q_RRe9jL6oygeEzC3VT_rWy8hrE32iszTJvwfrG7Ae6FHKMtMuQkIfoB3B2-j54a4g1aL9i9Bjo/s320/081109+144.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmO4cZd1fYNWyQGDmRk6vAbPye1m4nc3LKDSRlBjqVqX8-skXYKNCkcbg_jHdnaZUKUbDJCz4TwZotOmCRQ4dt1uNM95-OiY7p6rbLXCLyEKjO3DTFgYnrKVQMr2aAP4xJ1yZIiJwpb3Y/s1600-h/081109+111.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368870793052531426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmO4cZd1fYNWyQGDmRk6vAbPye1m4nc3LKDSRlBjqVqX8-skXYKNCkcbg_jHdnaZUKUbDJCz4TwZotOmCRQ4dt1uNM95-OiY7p6rbLXCLyEKjO3DTFgYnrKVQMr2aAP4xJ1yZIiJwpb3Y/s320/081109+111.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnfjkUuwfp-q4YgwFVU-wpkcwsB2JoHZHPQFVE9yl882nKLdzxQEHKg83kyRt6a3Qv30CwTa6XBRJg6Ut45GMWJtTq_cOJuFeXuN7Ns6mfCqZcRD-UR82wLHpEoEVMMUWMzOKa1G5rcA/s1600-h/PIC-0062.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368863702883901410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnfjkUuwfp-q4YgwFVU-wpkcwsB2JoHZHPQFVE9yl882nKLdzxQEHKg83kyRt6a3Qv30CwTa6XBRJg6Ut45GMWJtTq_cOJuFeXuN7Ns6mfCqZcRD-UR82wLHpEoEVMMUWMzOKa1G5rcA/s320/PIC-0062.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiglOYJIFgu9G3tnSpa2jzzwpie0OTZz6DpElS207GJH5gbAcZXEV4Ro3UiKCXU1eFEMPrYn3qjdDHzQ-WpsXQEBHfq0nrT9XsQRiQwTrNy3_o9H7O7iKZIES16CMU2Ssoil14dvWQ_T0/s1600-h/PIC-0065.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368863169458631922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiglOYJIFgu9G3tnSpa2jzzwpie0OTZz6DpElS207GJH5gbAcZXEV4Ro3UiKCXU1eFEMPrYn3qjdDHzQ-WpsXQEBHfq0nrT9XsQRiQwTrNy3_o9H7O7iKZIES16CMU2Ssoil14dvWQ_T0/s320/PIC-0065.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxAhMViEv7a1EpuM8k-_91E-upKU7x3nw9CQalLiF89c_QPGO4R4CqqjNRP9NQiZIXHeWjTMKN_yRyVwzHhDvN3aGZ6RLOiCgTaTkTtpdAK_hKfSONeFHxS61DOtEw-__WbUQctqgsjg/s1600-h/PIC-0058.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368862908241635522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxAhMViEv7a1EpuM8k-_91E-upKU7x3nw9CQalLiF89c_QPGO4R4CqqjNRP9NQiZIXHeWjTMKN_yRyVwzHhDvN3aGZ6RLOiCgTaTkTtpdAK_hKfSONeFHxS61DOtEw-__WbUQctqgsjg/s320/PIC-0058.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdc4q9oC0se6ZlfRaJlbwF1I5r56lwEz-aORGnqd2LWhqSCMKbuik2ZR0NIyDrBixV0GE4NjY5k4UnFYzX93dssHRxy1uv24FnJj3FA9WPQiRHrropQDzUd5g3YQsXOSzlv7YKPgnfEw/s1600-h/080909+107.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368861683006501826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdc4q9oC0se6ZlfRaJlbwF1I5r56lwEz-aORGnqd2LWhqSCMKbuik2ZR0NIyDrBixV0GE4NjY5k4UnFYzX93dssHRxy1uv24FnJj3FA9WPQiRHrropQDzUd5g3YQsXOSzlv7YKPgnfEw/s320/080909+107.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjnKNU04b4uIWS_XfRBX5mxjOM7RPVXYzU4nEJVAl78wZmkmYdYoOqXtRgC6mpxXjaYaUl9YeBiyF8XrjMn_1vtQ4z1RSYMED0jxhs4MU9aCzVu1vYkwM_t1ptYsmj5yIAsG-U4Z9q00/s1600-h/080909+098.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368860660352919890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjnKNU04b4uIWS_XfRBX5mxjOM7RPVXYzU4nEJVAl78wZmkmYdYoOqXtRgC6mpxXjaYaUl9YeBiyF8XrjMn_1vtQ4z1RSYMED0jxhs4MU9aCzVu1vYkwM_t1ptYsmj5yIAsG-U4Z9q00/s320/080909+098.jpg" /></a> <div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-QQn_OR_j34YkM2e0XBr3zfm-KHU7CQXI7MJ-DjEIPKF8Ls2MOShFL8bvIYyrwJFML4x9zUz4Ss6OgWqAgpcj586LetoQWrWCj5S7VcrhSY7yM5z7c8u6AgiUI54rDkUGUZEKWByGWY/s1600-h/080909+084.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368838328122584482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-QQn_OR_j34YkM2e0XBr3zfm-KHU7CQXI7MJ-DjEIPKF8Ls2MOShFL8bvIYyrwJFML4x9zUz4Ss6OgWqAgpcj586LetoQWrWCj5S7VcrhSY7yM5z7c8u6AgiUI54rDkUGUZEKWByGWY/s320/080909+084.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpo5bJDVPBAfPsYyUy-zwSWdCzL94tYFl4SFZ7FhpOBegGvRn1CRYMiPBKf0yf3FpOFkJVP-vTXlj8gBXP22UbBFQ6wAMdj8q-HxrYsyZgSmWWMX8MbqOB4gspLJNgczk2G6jURbKErs/s1600-h/080909+080.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368836393070580866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpo5bJDVPBAfPsYyUy-zwSWdCzL94tYFl4SFZ7FhpOBegGvRn1CRYMiPBKf0yf3FpOFkJVP-vTXlj8gBXP22UbBFQ6wAMdj8q-HxrYsyZgSmWWMX8MbqOB4gspLJNgczk2G6jURbKErs/s320/080909+080.jpg" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-26580216960410212252009-08-07T14:34:00.015-04:002010-03-08T21:29:50.524-05:00Honey, Foster 7/24/09-8/20/09<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDN4v47BvuZhbqnRwWYskPDhCOtnfQhOlHEiF0CLodcTU4Zzd121hN6_clVKHUAENTGNDykRWWqHrHk2mmmKLWGkyVVWtR3n6n-6xg1qpOigRoPWh15eJ49mq2J_KXkJ4xQAS7UC274A/s1600-h/DSC05042.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367292507839557490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDN4v47BvuZhbqnRwWYskPDhCOtnfQhOlHEiF0CLodcTU4Zzd121hN6_clVKHUAENTGNDykRWWqHrHk2mmmKLWGkyVVWtR3n6n-6xg1qpOigRoPWh15eJ49mq2J_KXkJ4xQAS7UC274A/s320/DSC05042.JPG" /></a> Honey is our first foster dog. The weekend before I picked her up at the kennel, we had applied to become foster parents for Great Dog Rescue New England, the organization from where we adopted Sam. I received a phone call that following Monday evening, asking if we could foster an 11 month-old husky/terrier mix named Honey, whose New England adopter changed his mind about her after she was already placed on transport. I said yes and proceeded to panic for the next few days. How would Gabe and Sam react? How would Alan and I handle it? Would this new dog be a handful?<br /><br /></div><p align="left"></p><div align="left">I had been in touch with Sam's former foster mom about fostering and when we found out we were getting Honey she told me that she had Honey! She told me that Honey was really laid back and very friendly and that I had nothing to worry about. I was still apprehensive but I felt a lot better, and as the Friday approached and I left work early to pick her up, I was really excited.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Poor Honey. When I arrived she coughed and coughed and coughed. As a small puppy she had a severe case of pneumonia. She was loaded with antibiotics and managed to pull through, but she has a piece of scar tissue on one of her lungs. It may be a permanent cough or she may outgrow it, there is no way to tell. After that stressful journey and being placed in this strange person's car, she coughed a lot. Because of this cough, she was scheduled to be euthanized. Once again, Sam's foster mom in Tennessee was called, and on Christmas Eve saved this sweet dog from death.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">The first evening with Honey was a bit rough. She paced a lot, and didn't know where to sit, and of course Gabe kept staring at her from the living room so she wouldn't leave the kitchen. She cried a lot and seemed very restless and I felt terrible not knowing how to help her. When she coughed I would talk to her and pet her and it would stop almost completely. She would perk up considerably when we went outside though, and we quickly discovered that she loves (I repeat, loves) to wriggle on her back in the grass. The evening passed and she wasn't a big fan of her crate that evening but she must have been exhausted and eventually fell asleep.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">The next day she woke up and was ready to play! She decided she would make fast friends with Sam and Gabe, regardless of what they thought, and that she would explore the house and discover all the new toys. That Saturday morning I walked each of them individually. It took me two hours, from 6:20-8:20, and when I was finished with the last dog I was pooped. No one else was though! And so resumed a day of new adventures. Gabe didn't want much to do with Honey and she came on a bit strong with Sam but he's a friendly little guy and didn't seem to mind too much.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Sunday morning I took her to a meet and greet for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">GDRNE</span>. There were 13 dogs there and it was a gorgeous day (too hot, but we were able to be outside) so a lot of people showed up. Honey put her best foot forward, was so personal and lovable and commanded belly rubs from all. She didn't cough once! Several families expressed sincere interest in her and I felt positive that she would go to her forever home soon.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">On the following Thursday evening as we were settling into our routine with the new recruit, I received an email that an approved adopter would be calling me with questions about Honey. On Saturday night I emailed the adoption coordinator because I hadn't heard anything and was wondering if she knew from experience how long these things usually took and she informed me that the woman called her the previous evening and changed her mind. She said there were two more applications in for Honey and that she'd emailed them and would keep me posted. Unfortunately, it is now the following Friday afternoon and we still have not heard anything. I don't mind keeping Honey for a bit longer though.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">She has completely come out of her shell. Where we used to have to coax her and sometimes give her a little push into her crate, we now just say "go to your crate!" with a little treat and she hops right in. She hardly ever coughs! The only time she gives a few little coughs are in the morning when we first wake up, and when we come home from work when she is extra excited. Otherwise, even when she is romping around in the yard or with other dogs, she doesn't cough at all. It seems to be just a mental stimulation thing, and I am so happy for her.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">It's been two weeks today that we've had her and while that's certainly not long, we've been able to adjust to her and she to us pretty well. We are going back to my parents house in NY for the weekend and they have two dogs as well so it should be an interesting trip. She'll get to meet her foster grandparents and aunt and uncle (dogs) for the first time! I am hopeful that next week she may find a forever home, but if not there is another meet and greet on August 15<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> that we will go to and I am confident that people will not be able to resist her!<br /><br /></div><div align="left">I like Honey a lot, and I could certainly keep her. She is a sweetheart and fits in well, and I wouldn't mind having her around. I would like her to find a home though, so that we can foster another dog. The more dogs we can foster up here, the more can be pulled from the brink of euthanasia in the south. If you're reading this, Honey needs a home, and she would make you so happy. Are you looking for your new best friend?<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzN1DV22PLw-Kp5W-CDLQZElcFS1t3p4sr3Ckuqp1zYiLscyAvDjchHPqctA6JxixLu9k_fYd6I8yhgjMYXlLMd_LmYVjVmU2fmwfiEsLrx9VjZGUzj32His8LRXhp6zEVrKE1rPpTwM/s1600-h/Honey.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367299495365080338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzN1DV22PLw-Kp5W-CDLQZElcFS1t3p4sr3Ckuqp1zYiLscyAvDjchHPqctA6JxixLu9k_fYd6I8yhgjMYXlLMd_LmYVjVmU2fmwfiEsLrx9VjZGUzj32His8LRXhp6zEVrKE1rPpTwM/s320/Honey.jpg" /><br /><p align="center"></a>Waiting for her forever family.<br /></p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_apRiAbyF1DWeypeU5Wi3-QEYxrlZDFlG5HjUaweS98vG_4HVpDDDEOOdA957s31Spg_hqtweLJJDJpLNuZkMpGHAFXl5tRPa0nMJTFTLsWUxLpD8rnLhPqrddb4EhjRln58lRXvY3w/s1600-h/DSC05077.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367297684356577778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_apRiAbyF1DWeypeU5Wi3-QEYxrlZDFlG5HjUaweS98vG_4HVpDDDEOOdA957s31Spg_hqtweLJJDJpLNuZkMpGHAFXl5tRPa0nMJTFTLsWUxLpD8rnLhPqrddb4EhjRln58lRXvY3w/s320/DSC05077.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a></p><p align="center">Snoozing with a formerly stuffed toy bone.<br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-tZUH8hD8LhxiSxeUJqKTVqy2aBb4lGucv2M_YdRX3MMxfRj_oHD1cIBVkJjE0mHkmtLGbWxIXGwJa-9Rk3iqOsu3x6EP2cCpif_rleDyfFCcYJwqmMB99j3QVMwwCprtaElMlzp6qs/s1600-h/DSC05047.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367297599599487506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-tZUH8hD8LhxiSxeUJqKTVqy2aBb4lGucv2M_YdRX3MMxfRj_oHD1cIBVkJjE0mHkmtLGbWxIXGwJa-9Rk3iqOsu3x6EP2cCpif_rleDyfFCcYJwqmMB99j3QVMwwCprtaElMlzp6qs/s320/DSC05047.JPG" /></a> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chewin</span>'.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLCCbdogTXWaMHzBNA74vN3UhDLmXh_8tf1J8x6Z0Bipu35wfuNZMGOaPJYyM7wxjUA8gjoWwnBDy1Z68AX7_9ff0feQ7nU0IYH8M3KMW8xIrFtXw1cK572NYTb7200kQ8YkL_HPbOQ8/s1600-h/DSC05064.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367297491584032482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLCCbdogTXWaMHzBNA74vN3UhDLmXh_8tf1J8x6Z0Bipu35wfuNZMGOaPJYyM7wxjUA8gjoWwnBDy1Z68AX7_9ff0feQ7nU0IYH8M3KMW8xIrFtXw1cK572NYTb7200kQ8YkL_HPbOQ8/s320/DSC05064.JPG" /></a> Tired after her long journey. </div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-22981234873657530372009-08-06T16:01:00.028-04:002010-03-08T21:28:43.237-05:00Sam, Rescued 5/2/08<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLarl_tRl-K1I4tn2WIAbLq2lyWeO6ZkyISHAPbpeCsu-QEkvWb0LDNMcGxcDYtclmRxYWXRX5qW5ZnjSb6rHh-IkeTZhT_dNStJsUBc02C5y5tFR_-qJGycNJHaZlRV0XTJ9zHIi8rI/s1600-h/Batdog.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367278380880442482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLarl_tRl-K1I4tn2WIAbLq2lyWeO6ZkyISHAPbpeCsu-QEkvWb0LDNMcGxcDYtclmRxYWXRX5qW5ZnjSb6rHh-IkeTZhT_dNStJsUBc02C5y5tFR_-qJGycNJHaZlRV0XTJ9zHIi8rI/s320/Batdog.jpg" /></a> On May 2, 2008, Sam became an addition to our family. We adopted him from Great Dog Rescue New England, which is a wonderful organization that pulls dogs from high-kill shelters in the south when their time has run out and finds them good homes in the northeast. Sam had been surrendered to a high-kill shelter in Tennessee after his family had a baby and decided they no longer wanted him. His time had run out and he was about to be euthanized when his foster mom pulled him from the shelter and he became available through <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">GDRNE</span>. He was only about 2 years old (I later found a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">birthdate</span> of 8/11/06 in his vet records. I am not sure if it is accurate but we're using it and he will be 3 in a few days!) He looked sweet in his picture and the description indicated that he was about the same size as Gabe (a plus since Gabe is feistiest with larger dogs) and that he was friendly and good with other dogs, so we applied for him, hoping against hope that he and Gabe would be able to get along, without ever meeting first.<br /><br />Once we were approved as adopters, Sam was put on transport to New England on Monday, April 28<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>. After a 20 hour truck drive, Sam arrived in Massachusetts on Wednesday, April 30<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">microchipped</span>, and was quarantined in a kennel for 48 hours as mandated by state law. This is a long and stressful trip for a dog! We were scheduled to pick Sam up on Friday afternoon, but since it was my first week at a new job, Alan had to go alone.<br /><br />They picked me up from work and I'll never forget how I opened the door of the car and Sam crawled right in my lap and slept curled up on me the entire (long, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">trafficky</span>) ride home. He was so personable and sweet and it was like he knew we were his forever family. The two dogs seemed to be <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">getting</span> along okay, until Sam scratched his ear with his back leg and touched Gabe while doing so, and Gabe gave him a big yip in the face. Once we got home, Sam was a good boy but he was so tired. His breath was terrible, he was shedding in clumps, and when he sat on the couch with me his head would fall off the seat and his eyes would roll back in his head. We didn't hear him bark for days and he wasn't eating well, but after awhile of routine, he began to sleep less and the shedding lessened and his breath cleared up (lots of breath bones!). He was so sweet with us and so adorable with Gabe, crawling up under his chin and rolling over to bare his belly. He was a very intelligent dog, paying homage to the "king" right away. There were some growls and a couple of heated discussions but nothing that a brief separation didn't take care of!<br /><br /></div><div align="left">They crack me up because they are so similar but also so different. They are the exact same size, and each have a few nice patterns and colors, but Gabe has perky ears and Sam's are floppy. Gabe holds his tail up and Sam hangs his down. Gabe has tiny little paws and skinny legs, and Sam has big paws and muscular legs. Gabe is sort of fluffy and Sam is so smooth and shiny. We didn't plan it, but they complement each other perfectly.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />It took us awhile to get used to Sam. He has more energy than Gabe and loves to jump and pulls on a leash. I don't know where he wants to go but he always wants to get there fast. Every dog has his little quirks but every now and then I look at Sam, snoozing on the couch, chewing on a toy, or sleeping in bed with Gabe, and I'm amazed at how well he fits in with our family. Sam loves to play, loves to run, loves to chew on toys, but is quite the couch potato when he wants to be! He's a very easy-going guy. All dogs love Sam, and while they sense to steer clear away from Gabe, they all jump all over Sam and chew on him right away. As Alan always says "Sam takes a licking, but keeps on ticking".<br /><br />On June 9, 2009, Sam had two seizures. We took him to the vet immediately but to this day we have not been able to figure out what caused them. We had seen something similar a few months previous, but did not <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">recogonize</span> what it was. We have been instructed to watch him closely and keep the vet updated, but apparently some dogs just have seizures a few times a year with no real cause for worry. It was an awful few days afterward, expecting him to have another one at any moment. It was very scary, and we were so afraid that something serious would be wrong. Thankfully, we have not seen another one, and Sam seems to be just as happy and bouncy as ever. During these few days where we watched him like a hawk, I gained a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">newfound</span> appreciation for Sammy. I had always loved him, but suddenly there was a chance of losing him and I couldn't bear that thought. Needless to say, he took advantage of this and made sure to hog more of the bed, steal the covers, and beg for more food. He is a smart little bugger.<br /><br />Sammy's shelter situation was different than Gabey's. Gabe was lucky enough to be placed in a no-kill shelter, but Sam was not. It is his story that most breaks my heart. To think that he would have been euthanized when he was just over a year old kills me. He has such a spirit, and such a personality! Why should he be put to sleep just because no one wanted him at that moment? I am so thankful for his foster mom and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">GDRNE</span>, who have made a world of difference in his life. They saved his life, and without them he simply wouldn't be here. It is Sam's story that haunts me, that makes me want to make a difference. I had always vowed never to buy a dog, and always adopt to save a life, but it's not enough. I have two dogs and even if I adopted another, that only saves one more life. After adjusting to the new house, new job and two dogs (who have become quite good friends now, true brothers I must say), I decided I wanted to do more. At the end of July, Alan and I applied to be foster parents for Great Dog.<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367282621378169762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggFR7_2tvN-u5ds0_dF6GVZR_x4BiJWk7zcsjad0iTd5hkJzIurqVCAFroLCIA6rj_y0EhNJofpkCoi970hRvUXUFea27FHVB1DFO-THiMOXR4c7_p86bpY-nfaWBnUbJJqvR-lU2TvQ/s320/DSC04952.JPG" /> <p align="center">Sammy is so handsome!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7zMIAlgnJH6YH5iYGc_1GOdLx_JEWFeX2Vgk3HK0Ud5hXxuY32BSKr4OkCTP7Fi0IPrN1Yx6aA8v9bTSgsSMMuLw9STegx8zv2QWu5GvfiBsczqmGja8C5gpWbEAXaQB0qD8pJGdh3M/s1600-h/DSC05004.JPG"></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367281616156476642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7zMIAlgnJH6YH5iYGc_1GOdLx_JEWFeX2Vgk3HK0Ud5hXxuY32BSKr4OkCTP7Fi0IPrN1Yx6aA8v9bTSgsSMMuLw9STegx8zv2QWu5GvfiBsczqmGja8C5gpWbEAXaQB0qD8pJGdh3M/s320/DSC05004.JPG" /><br /><p align="center"></a>Getting a bath at Suds and Scoops!<br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKrGsIgQXLEZuq3NBaLRBoyHIbTMUYQXGShXxdDKXO0BSBSNigrmz4IzTq4TcSX3l5t1Gw5dfXRKHlVK-bBB26wAZkoobSKrjoUOlcygZMVhH4A0VFABEbRZenw7xJ9tjDXD_rvA-dLk/s1600-h/DSC04973.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367281379531023042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKrGsIgQXLEZuq3NBaLRBoyHIbTMUYQXGShXxdDKXO0BSBSNigrmz4IzTq4TcSX3l5t1Gw5dfXRKHlVK-bBB26wAZkoobSKrjoUOlcygZMVhH4A0VFABEbRZenw7xJ9tjDXD_rvA-dLk/s320/DSC04973.JPG" /></a> Trying to nap.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73FPhUvkoMtB-hpK6uYhgK8uRZOB7PnI9kfnUbmy7pKtPc91YFRdVzAXeUTWo60zYvUiIbXmUC1igN8swPv4_wNvpGhLgYjSxg9ci8Gol115Osm2j7IEWE6LtBMXL2RrwiI_BRCgY2ew/s1600-h/DSC02421.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367280983004643906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73FPhUvkoMtB-hpK6uYhgK8uRZOB7PnI9kfnUbmy7pKtPc91YFRdVzAXeUTWo60zYvUiIbXmUC1igN8swPv4_wNvpGhLgYjSxg9ci8Gol115Osm2j7IEWE6LtBMXL2RrwiI_BRCgY2ew/s320/DSC02421.JPG" /></a> Curious, on our very first day together.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VhTM0MnAwH6ffx6fCYVfx3Dy0OdRhmHeS9LkvMBXOYEWvg9GY8TOEtTlNAElG73iM1nysHkhHaaqQ3rvDw_xSywfUkbXucxm96dHIRroICdN7MDY6pWfD46yEfPU2-FocFJHoL2T_j0/s1600-h/Me+and+Sam.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367280806500937346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VhTM0MnAwH6ffx6fCYVfx3Dy0OdRhmHeS9LkvMBXOYEWvg9GY8TOEtTlNAElG73iM1nysHkhHaaqQ3rvDw_xSywfUkbXucxm96dHIRroICdN7MDY6pWfD46yEfPU2-FocFJHoL2T_j0/s320/Me+and+Sam.JPG" /></a> Sam and I at the 2008 Walk for Animals.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YLEzQK43pdGLUappirqt0P_MrfmR8RXInjr9zXxYdzWN6ypMyAd2pd8fjyZVe8ehW_9ZmFptWMWd_AV8CmItQSf8Ew8_SnDDB7xm-itqn3zEmX_msqHD6tfjvKRnyOGPDV19_pfyoNQ/s1600-h/Picture+156.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367280505963209426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YLEzQK43pdGLUappirqt0P_MrfmR8RXInjr9zXxYdzWN6ypMyAd2pd8fjyZVe8ehW_9ZmFptWMWd_AV8CmItQSf8Ew8_SnDDB7xm-itqn3zEmX_msqHD6tfjvKRnyOGPDV19_pfyoNQ/s320/Picture+156.jpg" /></a> First day in the family, afraid of the camera. </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-KYn8M0R64zNCwyG8iyu140mqyXC2kDSyA2erLjCV9nrxA8vqaGOVuDy0qwgA6-rhlORcNZizKHMeX2cZ8R2C-lQ8euaQ2g3iiJ_IxDYsymGEWiw8BdlM_P5IQNwuyIFdh5Ea9cwJ_s/s1600-h/Picture+141.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367280159120959778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-KYn8M0R64zNCwyG8iyu140mqyXC2kDSyA2erLjCV9nrxA8vqaGOVuDy0qwgA6-rhlORcNZizKHMeX2cZ8R2C-lQ8euaQ2g3iiJ_IxDYsymGEWiw8BdlM_P5IQNwuyIFdh5Ea9cwJ_s/s320/Picture+141.jpg" /></a> Sam's first picture!<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367283581224245938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKXnE2n6H4yhlW6Jl5ipP4W1Le1d-G8ShjmE78XH6MSagZi-cNHecOFT0hX-STsoFqforZ5IcO-ZnjYZFTX-h8Mm6FWEz1Z7zpsoluX2kHNaF6_Z_DNd7F8WzY1AJ9_QklZT0FMtXfNE/s320/Holiday+buddies.JPG" /> <p align="center">Gabe and Sam, Christmas 2008.<br /><br /></p>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-8895792344661102482009-08-03T16:47:00.024-04:002010-03-09T22:09:02.888-05:00Gabriel, Rescued 12/6/06<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpnlx4Vd4LVg7Tz19gNYNdtxvhjbkq8a6Jpq9AhEVqoSLWwqY9OqEL5SsagtYSeBhxupwsNDxVP_W41Rkhm3IxN05qDFAF5VGl6QB3EJWTh0NHu9wpSzZLTvAXnJEXW8zKbqw3tT85yg/s1600-h/Gabey.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366877346657228146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpnlx4Vd4LVg7Tz19gNYNdtxvhjbkq8a6Jpq9AhEVqoSLWwqY9OqEL5SsagtYSeBhxupwsNDxVP_W41Rkhm3IxN05qDFAF5VGl6QB3EJWTh0NHu9wpSzZLTvAXnJEXW8zKbqw3tT85yg/s320/Gabey.JPG" /></a> We adopted Gabriel from Save a Dog on December 6, 2006. Put simply, Gabe is my best friend. He is goofy, playful, can nap with the best of them and is so sensitive to our feelings. If we are sad or down, he is there with kisses galore. When we moved into our first house, I fell down the basement stairs the second day and bruised my tailbone so badly I couldn't sit normally for a few weeks. I was yelling for help and the first one there was Gabe, kissing my face and making sure I was okay. He was too little to help me up, but he made me feel better nonetheless.<br /><br />We met Gabe on a November morning, shortly after we had to put Lady to sleep. It was at a meet and greet at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Petco</span> and there were only two dogs there and when I asked if there were any dogs all I could see was this little brown and white tail. His foster mom said "This is Gabe!" and I was so excited because I had picked him out on their website and he was one of the ones at the showing. It was fate! He was so cute. He was quite chubby but so sweet. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">knelt</span> down and he put his tiny paws (he has such skinny legs for his body) on my legs and kissed my face, after meeting me only seconds before. I have learned he does this to everyone, but still, he stole my heart. We couldn't apply for him then because we were going overseas to visit Alan's family over Thanksgiving but he certainly stuck in my mind.<br /><br />While we were in Ireland, I spoke with my mom back in the U.S. a few times and I kept asking her to check the website to see if he was still available. He was, and we bought him a little green and white stuffed soccer ball toy while we were there. It was just for him and we hadn't even applied for him yet. Long story short, we adopted him shortly after we returned and he showed us a whole new world of dog! We originally thought "what have we done?". He barked a lot, played a lot, kept moving my little stuffed toys all over the house and would look at us so innocently, as if we were the ones who had moved them and just didn't remember. He never slept, and he had tons of energy! This was very different than Lady, but Gabe was only 4 and Lady was 9 when we got her.<br /><br />Needless to say, we adjusted! We always tried to make him sleep on his own bed in our bedroom and we'd have to tell him to stay there a hundred times. He would eventually fall asleep and so did we, but in the middle of the night I'd feel someone staring at me, only to wake up and see this little face near mine, asking to come up on the bed. And because I am a marshmallow, I let him. It was an entirely new experience with Gabe. He was the first to sit on the couch with us or share our bed, he loves all kinds of toys and it was so fun to take him to the park and throw the tennis ball for him. Those little wheels can really go! Gabey is a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">little</span> guy with a big personality and a huge heart. He loves everyone and always wants to be the first to greet him. If you're not paying attention to you he might swat you in the face! When we go on walks and he sees people walking by he lowers his ears, wags his tail so hard his whole back end goes with it, and struts his stuff. He's cute and he knows it! He is such good company and whenever I'm having a bad day I can't wait to come home to his silly little face. Sometimes he is so excited he nibbles under your chin at your neck. It hurts and takes me by surprise so I say "ouch!" and he'll pull his head back as if to say "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I hurt you" and then his face quickly closes in for more love.</div><div align="left"><br />Gabe is a champion kisser. I think it is his favorite thing to do (besides eat). We have entered him in numerous contests, but have never won, due to somewhat <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">kissy</span> dogs with Red <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sox</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">jerseys</span> on. If I put him in a Red <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sox</span> shirt I'm sure we'll win this year, but why cheat? He's good and we know it. He also loves squeaky tennis balls and will destroy most toys within seconds. We have to watch how much he eats because when he was surrendered to Save A Dog, he weighed 33 pounds!! He weighs about 21-22 now, and in the summer usually around 19 when we walk a lot. He's a little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">pouchy</span> in the underbelly area and in the chest, which we call his "uni-boob", but he's still as handsome as ever. He won third place in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Petco</span> Halloween costume contest when we dressed him as an astronaut. He turned to stone when we tried to put it on but even though we had to pick up his paws, he still let us. It paid off! He got lots of free treats, a certificate, and a white ribbon that hangs in the kitchen. His new favorite thing in this warm weather is to lay under the futon in the guest room. It is probably nice and cool under there, since the comforter hangs down around the sides. Whenever I don't see him I say "Where's Gabey?" and I hear little jingles as he comes back out to join civilization.<br /><br />Shortly after we adopted Gabe we discovered that his birthday is December 13<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, the day before mine! He will be 8 this year, and last year I was very upset because 7 years old marks senior for a dog. Sometimes Gabe limps around on those skinny little legs because he can hurt a paw so easily if he jumps from too high or gets too rough playing, but other times he runs crazy dog around the house or yard and you would never believe this dog is entering old age! He is just a baby to me, and I cannot imagine my life without him.<br /><br />Gabe was adopted when we lived in our 3rd apartment in MA, and then we moved to our fourth, and now we live in our own home. He is a good mover, and basically doesn't care where he is as long as he can sleep with us. We learned that Gabe wasn't too bad with other dogs, but could be a bit feisty. He would certainly put anyone in his place if they didn't recognize that he was alpha dog! Once we had relatively settled into our first home, we decided maybe it was time for a friend for him. We wanted so badly to save another dog now that there were no landlord restrictions. Who would be good company for my little buddy? Only a kind and patient dog would do.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KEttupom4g60mHBPyKGuQt7sKi2SyYzZpcVPhBmPRl6_CEUbxp6rN7BjvQXSX2eXCZbAFV6kuI9Yh4f_sqzy7kqnjlAej6xWcfuK93W-AdUerPGRjJf9utzSUpxxSF4w7-OJ8BgQBo/s1600-h/Gabey.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366879232161022930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KEttupom4g60mHBPyKGuQt7sKi2SyYzZpcVPhBmPRl6_CEUbxp6rN7BjvQXSX2eXCZbAFV6kuI9Yh4f_sqzy7kqnjlAej6xWcfuK93W-AdUerPGRjJf9utzSUpxxSF4w7-OJ8BgQBo/s320/Gabey.jpg" /></a> <p align="center">Gabe on the window seat at daycare.<br /><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP8-p9JimxYztYwQ6MzFqUBjX7L_I1OAugbzZOzdWYFwn7kq6LuTqRGy-KaghdmERMQ_ZwowrVGF6SoPGowg-rBT4gg0Mnz-UynntyMEYcPGHnJuSDpnUUqdcotgSra12reap8NezQPA/s1600-h/Sleepy"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366879070908570322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP8-p9JimxYztYwQ6MzFqUBjX7L_I1OAugbzZOzdWYFwn7kq6LuTqRGy-KaghdmERMQ_ZwowrVGF6SoPGowg-rBT4gg0Mnz-UynntyMEYcPGHnJuSDpnUUqdcotgSra12reap8NezQPA/s320/Sleepy" /></a> A winter evening in his sweater in front of the TV :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g_GnjxxCBXZcoF7Ql__nhx_pXsvgiBkgu4YSh3ArSbBokxsCkcPBVxcXL4_ujaiYaNtiSUTawlp_X5A8aPFhNDK0nrkG3TioWFOPbJHgf46ynyP8RwiCrUdqc5TajpwAXde_UAU01iU/s1600-h/Buddha.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366878690859221154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g_GnjxxCBXZcoF7Ql__nhx_pXsvgiBkgu4YSh3ArSbBokxsCkcPBVxcXL4_ujaiYaNtiSUTawlp_X5A8aPFhNDK0nrkG3TioWFOPbJHgf46ynyP8RwiCrUdqc5TajpwAXde_UAU01iU/s320/Buddha.jpg" /></a> Buddha.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2cB9doN95qCnj98yd0UIFOpD_3VnI1TvqLak-IvFd2MN4FmPgu5_ljgSv8nEh4ZNd34GxJDvYnhBZFhy2gJkwy_7uvqT5odHEM9MmlUNQnLHovpgQGT9qjMh0b4P4GIz3yZVMr68kQw/s1600-h/Squirt.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 175px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366878227134095570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2cB9doN95qCnj98yd0UIFOpD_3VnI1TvqLak-IvFd2MN4FmPgu5_ljgSv8nEh4ZNd34GxJDvYnhBZFhy2gJkwy_7uvqT5odHEM9MmlUNQnLHovpgQGT9qjMh0b4P4GIz3yZVMr68kQw/s320/Squirt.jpg" /></a> Gabe as a puppy, formerly known as Squirt!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7EnwmLbf2TM8CXYaBQnpCsoov-0VMhB5W8odUgCjcbhz7D3e8ZXpYxq1X-Tp9ChY3q7StAatVE_qjiF_gVraYmYq8j1qwsdBGtYf6LAhXKWOsWz_LZOkjGJB55-CHHlakLI8eGNVTOU/s1600-h/gabestretching.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366982829682976994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7EnwmLbf2TM8CXYaBQnpCsoov-0VMhB5W8odUgCjcbhz7D3e8ZXpYxq1X-Tp9ChY3q7StAatVE_qjiF_gVraYmYq8j1qwsdBGtYf6LAhXKWOsWz_LZOkjGJB55-CHHlakLI8eGNVTOU/s320/gabestretching.jpg" /></a> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Streeeetch</span> those skinny little legs.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheC4tseNKF8GXWg7zeiD-Nap-WOzJco6mp_wnohvmzuxuvQDc2ooN2SZkBGMJBEjb6qHcM3utKh1W8DXgimY-qn6svYum-_YiOHCPuLM5nVNX2nWM5kxqJqSw4G4rL9sio51g9Q5QxEsY/s1600-h/gabeontherocks.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366982577930998738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheC4tseNKF8GXWg7zeiD-Nap-WOzJco6mp_wnohvmzuxuvQDc2ooN2SZkBGMJBEjb6qHcM3utKh1W8DXgimY-qn6svYum-_YiOHCPuLM5nVNX2nWM5kxqJqSw4G4rL9sio51g9Q5QxEsY/s320/gabeontherocks.jpg" /></a> Gabe in the water at Castle Island.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSx54v3iAcig1wlUOTh1i1WRg-GhOwSRBBnxWdOgURtI_KZwqjzoDvSfStbrpkNwOLTHrxTaID_eV_nuqZncrmvLSWar5FMUOjq_A-P3tTfiNehMl08S-l1L8BZS6qyCkzcd7tEbYYczQ/s1600-h/gabeinchair.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366982402683567714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSx54v3iAcig1wlUOTh1i1WRg-GhOwSRBBnxWdOgURtI_KZwqjzoDvSfStbrpkNwOLTHrxTaID_eV_nuqZncrmvLSWar5FMUOjq_A-P3tTfiNehMl08S-l1L8BZS6qyCkzcd7tEbYYczQ/s320/gabeinchair.jpg" /></a> Gabey at camp! </div>Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248765747728645233.post-22181213579903554962009-08-02T23:08:00.006-04:002010-03-09T22:12:37.112-05:00Lady, Rescued 7/27/02<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK52jKD_ckmvIrZ-96sZCx19hRHbOuYgLk2E_qAvAd7MtflfapKhLkl95Q1LiMRXVEwTkRB3DBZZ_fqrqEbxZfHBjSH89F3kRYgZfUo8ZoOUacA1GMBVY4IzuJIuZ34TcljEpkVNU48LQ/s1600-h/HPIM0158.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365575921870928178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK52jKD_ckmvIrZ-96sZCx19hRHbOuYgLk2E_qAvAd7MtflfapKhLkl95Q1LiMRXVEwTkRB3DBZZ_fqrqEbxZfHBjSH89F3kRYgZfUo8ZoOUacA1GMBVY4IzuJIuZ34TcljEpkVNU48LQ/s320/HPIM0158.JPG" /></a> Lady was a 9 year old <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">cocker</span> spaniel whose Long Island family decided they could no longer care for her. She was our first dog. She was not the original dog that we had applied for. We had inquired about a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">cocker</span> spaniel named Bailey who liked to chase bubbles but when we spoke with the rescue organization they informed us that he was already adopted. Luckily, they had just received a call from a family who needed to surrender their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">cocker</span> and they were put in touch with us. That weekend, Lady was driven from Long Island to us, and while she missed the only family she had known her entire life, she eventually became attached to us.<br /><br />Lady was technically my parent's dog, but when we graduated from college, we found an apartment that accepted pets and took her with us. Lady lived to be 14, and knew three apartments with us. She was a good mover and was always patient when we relocated her to a new place.<br /><br />Lady was a constant companion. She did not enjoy toys, expect for this one little squeaky red fire hydrant that she went crazy over, or the company of other dogs, but she loved to just sit by you. One evening, three days before she died, it was her birthday (or what we made her birthday) and I had a body shop party at our apartment. The presentation was in full swing when I happened to look under the table, and out of all of the feet underneath the table, she was sitting right near mine. She loved her walks and always looked so blissful when rolling around on her back in the grass. She had floppy ears that were always wet from her water bowl, and she was our best friend. On the weekend mornings she would paw at our bedroom door, I would get up and let her in, and she would snooze on the floor or a second bed until we were ready to get out of bed ourselves.<br /><br />As our first dog, she showed us how wonderful dogs can be. We were so fortunate, and I cannot help but believe that someone was looking out for her. We happened to call about adopting a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">cocker</span> spaniel the day her family decided to surrender her, and as a result, she never set foot inside of a shelter. Her situation opened our eyes to the fact that not all dogs are this lucky, and that we wanted to save more. We vowed never to purchase a puppy from a store or a breeder and instead, save the life of an animal in need.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1Gvs-zQTi8KRlUdDz51Yjqmo1n1Q_uLxBUFZIQCKjwUIou8QWvNa1XlNTzap5cZjNz0_3H1o_vLb70kuI4yYiHaYiwPR0_zKTh_LTJOa_iLJw1uIQJdIPCXjdWRtW3Fq1Xm1r6bnNJ0/s1600-h/HPIM0599.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365837841830845250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1Gvs-zQTi8KRlUdDz51Yjqmo1n1Q_uLxBUFZIQCKjwUIou8QWvNa1XlNTzap5cZjNz0_3H1o_vLb70kuI4yYiHaYiwPR0_zKTh_LTJOa_iLJw1uIQJdIPCXjdWRtW3Fq1Xm1r6bnNJ0/s320/HPIM0599.JPG" /></a>Lady died on October 24, 2006. We were devastated and to this day, still miss her terribly and reminisce about her occasionally. Lady was a trooper throughout her numerous surgeries and the last few days of her life. It is not fair that our furry companions occupy this earth for such a shorter time than we do, but her death allowed us to open up our home to another animal in need. We never thought we would love another dog like we did Lady, but we certainly have managed to...Elainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15148088333125451805noreply@blogger.com0