My May

Each of the last three years, I have done around 40 blog posts.  This year, I'm on track to hit just 16.  My time has been more consumed by work than ever before due to some restructuring of the operation as well as some technology failures.  I spend countless hours staring at my computer leaving me with no desire to log in when I get home.  I hate that I have been neglecting my writing because my blog is very important to me.  It's my memory bank.  I already regret not writing more about Brodie and Gracie (who's antics could have filled weeks of blogging). They were just as important to me as any of my other dogs and yet years from now, I will have less left of them.  I need to make writing a priority again. 

Since Haven left (she is doing wonderfully in her new home by the way) we have had Boo come and go.  Boo has been in our rescue for over 3 months now.  His foster mom went on a 3 week vacation out of the country and instead of boarding, he came to stay with us.  Boo is deaf and has some major issues.  The poor boy spent an entire year in a shelter.  That is both horrendous and miraculous.  Extended shelter life is incredibly hard on any dog, let alone a special needs dog.  The miraculous part is that after all that time, he actually made it out alive.  He was finally adopted and not a year later his adopter became critically ill and poor Boo faced homelessness yet again.  That is when he came to our rescue, along with his little pal, a miniature schnauzer, who was adopted almost instantly.  Boo, like many deaf dogs, struggles with extreme anxiety.  He came to us to work on some training and to learn some dog play manners.  He had only been around females and most of them were small.  His play was quite aggressive.  Dixie loves difficult dogs because it gives her a job.  She got to work on him right away, spending literally hours the first night encouraging play and correcting anything that got out of hand. In the short time he was here, his manners improved incredibly.  Boo's foster mom is new to fostering and I applaud her for not giving up on him.  He is a lot to handle, even for someone with experience.  We offered to keep him, but she absolutely adores him and couldn't wait to have him back.  She asked only for my advice and I sent him back to her with all I could think of.  She swears that she won't adopt him, but only because she is older and she feels he needs someone young.  She says that he will likely outlive her.  She doesn't trust her family with the responsibility of him and doesn't want him to lose another home.  Of course, our little rescue family would make sure that he always had a good home, but I understand and respect her decision.  She even decided to foster another dog so that Boo would have a companion.  Anxiety issues aside, what an amazing temperament he has.  He was awesome with Livi, my 2 year old niece.  He was gentle and adored the attention she covered him in.  I don't often recommend deaf dogs to families with small children, but Boo Boo is an exception to the "rule". 



Handsome Boo Boo!

Spending time with Livi. 

We also got a special visitor over Memorial Day weekend.  Bella!  Oh, and she brought Jen with her;-)  This was the first time that we have had a former foster back to visit.  Although Bella was with us for 6 months, she had already been gone for 8.  I wondered if she would remember us, the dogs, her former home.  And with certainty, the answer is yes.  She sure did!  It was a fun reunion.  Dixie went absolutely crazy, to the point of obsessing.  (Of all the fosters, Bella's departure was by far the most traumatic for Dixie and I will never forget the mournful howling.  I had never heard her do it before, and I haven't heard it since.)   After the initial excitement, Bella made her self quite at home.  It was neat to see how she remembered little things, like that the best place for hunting is behind the shed and that the robot pool cleaner is her nemesis.  We had a nice long weekend of eating, drinking and relaxing.  Our biggest decisions were whether to lounge on the couch or out by the pool.  It was great!  As you can see by the pictures, the dogs had fun too!  It was just a big blur of white fur when they got to playing. 

Little Bella all tuckered out.

I expect our next foster, Harley, this coming weekend.  It will have been two full weeks of no foster dog in the house, the biggest gap we've had in a long time. 

Golden Oldie

Two senior boxers were found near the interstate in town here.  They were picked up by animal control and brought to the shelter where my good friend works (I say works, because she spends every spare second saving these dogs, but she doesn't get paid. She is an angel on this earth.).  They were an obviously bonded pair.  A male and a female.  Everyone assumed that someone would come for them, that someone was missing these dogs.  But nobody came.  After the "hold" period, he was put on the adoption line.  She, being heart worm positive, was put on the euthanasia list.  This busy shelter does not have the funds or the resources to treat sick dogs. 

Of course, I'd had my eye on that old girl, but we were completely full at the time with several dogs already in boarding in need of fosters.  My friend was able to get an extension on her life and found another boxer rescue willing to take her in if money was raised for her care.  She raised the money and got transport set up for last weekend.  Then sadly, tragedy struck for the receiving rescue when they lost one of their own.   It was a rare occasion in that I was in between fosters.  So, we were blessed with the privilege of caring for her until her rescue is ready for her. 

Haven fit seamlessly into our family.  It's almost as though she has lived all of her years with us.  She is so well behaved and good natured.  Clearly, she was a loved member of a family at some point.  She is well socialized and confident and knows several "commands," (I hate that term) come, sit, down, stay, shake, and catch.  How on earth did she end up out there?  We can't write their history, but can only make guesses.  Did somebody die?  It's the only thing that makes sense in my head.  Although, the senseless happens everyday.  We see owner surrender reasons that just say "too old."  Too old for what? I wonder.  Because we will all be "too old" for something, someday.    I would guess Haven to be between 9-11 years old (which is about the average life span of a boxer).  She is full of lumps and bumps and because of her age, is not a candidate for traditional heart worm
treatment.  Her bark is soft and hoarse.  Her once obviously beautiful brindle coat is now riddled with grey.  Her face is white.  But "too old"?  No way.  She is such a happy dog with plenty of pep left in her step.  She still does boxer wiggles and spins.  She rests a lot, of course, but for a few minutes at a time, she plays enthusiastically with our dogs.  She looks at us with her soft, if slightly hazy, wise eyes and they are so full of love.  She sure isn't "too old" for us.

It's been just a week, but the old lady has stolen my heart.  I don't know how much time she has left, but I wish that she could spend the rest of her days, however many they may be, with our family. The odds of her getting adopted are probably slim, so she will likely be a forever foster in her new rescue.  I'm quite sure she will be well cared for and loved there.  It's a wonderful place, this "boxer ranch".   Still, I'm afraid I will regret letting her go. 
 

 

 

 

 

I wish more people would consider adopting senior dogs.  The time allowed to share with them may be short, but worth it.  I am positive that even if Haven died tomorrow, she would die a happy dog, and I would have had a week of my life made better by her being in it.   

 

 

 

My Grace is Gone



Gracie has found her forever home!  She moved all the way up to north Kansas.  She lives in the country with 16 acres to run around on and burn up all that energy.  She joins two other young boxers that love to play.   There are a bunch of kids in the family that visit regularly too.  Sounds like our girl will stay plenty busy. 

 

We got up at 4am on Saturday and the whole crew piled into the car to meet Gracie's new mom and dad up in Joplin, MO, the half way point.  We were planning to meet at 9:00.  I got a text from them at 8:15 that they were already at the park.  When we got there, she told me that they had been too excited to sleep and were awake and ready to go at 2am! 

 

We visited for a while and when it was time to go, Gracie hopped willingly into their car, more than ready to start her new life.  It's a little easier to let go when they are confident like Gracie.  I knew she'd be fine.  She is the definition of happy and always up for anything.   

 

I got a text that afternoon from the rescue director.  It said "Thank you so much for all you and Jonathon did for Gracie.  I know you two were her only hope in ever getting a home."  Although I don't think that is necessarily true, it was very nice to hear.  This is why we take the ones that nobody else wants to try.  She is a wonderful dog.  She just needed some guidance after a rough start at life. 

 

 

Gracie's new family



Long time gone.

Life has been nothing short of exhausting lately, in all aspects, and the past couple months are somewhat of a blur.  Contrary to what is seems, I have not given up on blogging and as summer approaches, I anticipate having more time and energy to get back to regular posting.  I appreciate that people are missing me (Thanks Auntie Kathy!) but I am also disappointed to have missed out on documenting my experiences with my current foster dog.  I love going back and reading about and remembering the dogs of my past.  That is, after all, why I started blogging in the first place. 

I have had her since Brodie left.  Almost two months now since Gracie has joined our family.  She is a big dog, the biggest female we have ever had. She is a sealed brindle which means she is solid black and even looks a little blue in the right light.  A real beauty.  But at just a year old, she has been quite a handful.  As our dogs reached that perfect middle age stage of life, it's easy to forget what it's like to have a puppy in the house.  No shoe is safe!  Hell, nothing is safe.  I went outside the other day to three different blankets lying in the yard.  She dragged them out through the dog door!  She loves bras, slippers, paper, sticks, rocks, the list goes on.  You really can't take your eyes off her! 

She came to us from Broken Bow, OK.  She had been found as a stray at only 9 months old, taken in by another rescue, and adopted out.  Unfortunately, the rescue failed to educate the family on what owning a 60lb boxer puppy entails, let alone one who had been living on the streets and had zero training.  They were an older couple with two toddler age grandchildren living with them.  They didn't have the ability to exercise or train her and were in completely over their heads.  After having her for a couple months, they did the right thing by her,  admitting that they couldn't provide to her what she needed and giving her to us. 

I'm not sure where the initial assessment of Gracie took place, but we were told that she needed to be either the "only dog" in the house, or be with another "submissive dog."  I had my doubts about that, being she was barely a year old.  I assumed her massive size and her untamed energy were deceiving and she was prematurely judged.  Still, we don't take chances with inexperienced foster homes and Gracie had to sit tight until Brodie was adopted so she could come here and we could figure her out.  We were right on the money.  Not a dominate bone in her body.  Quite the opposite, she was actually very submissive when she met our dogs. 

Interestingly, it was Jax that took the reins with her initially.  Dixie usually obsesses over new foster dogs, never leaving their sides.  She seemed almost indifferent to Gracie being here at all.  Jax showed more patience with her shenanigans than he typically does and they have formed a strong bond.  Eventually, of course, Dixie did warm up to her.  Good thing, because they have to take turns keeping her entertained. 

She is exhausting, but we all love her. 

 

 

 

 

 

I am currenlty working an adoption application on Gracie.  They live in Kansas, so I am trying to arrange a home visit, but their references are glowing, so I have high hopes.

Another forever home found!

It's that time of year again.  Work is so busy and most of my free time is spent helping dogs, and not writing about it. 

So I just introduced Brodie, not even a month ago, and now I happily announce his adoption!  He went quickly, barely here for a month!  After long-timers Bella and Winston back to back, this was a real surprise.  We all got attached right away and it was hard to let him go so soon.  He was such a sweet dog.  You would think that the good byes get easier, but alas, they do not.  It is bitter sweet every time.  I don't know where my sad tears end and my happy ones begin.  If I could skip the part where they look at me as I'm leaving them, It would be easier.  I try not to show any sadness until I am gone, as not to alarm them, but the look is always the same.  Head tilted, confused, sometimes panicked, "Where are we going, Mom?  I'm coming too, right? Wait! Please don't leave me!"  It breaks my heart every single time. 

Brodie made giant strides forward while he was here.  He was the happiest boy in the world all the time.  Still, when I took him out of his comfort zone, which our house became, he was still pretty insecure and shy.  I wouldn't have let him go just anywhere so early on in the rehabilitation process.  His adopter is a life long dog owner and lover.  She is also single and retired and home all the time.  She was the city of Mayflower's very first animal control officer back in 2000.  At that time, she placed a stray boxer with her son and his wife and they became a boxer loving family.  She lost her own boxer, at the ripe old age of 13, a year ago.  Six months ago, she adopted a young boxer/boston terrier mix.  She decided that her new addition needed a friend.  Enter Brodie. 

When we first arrived, Brodie was scared and shy, as I knew he would be.  He wasn't completely apprehensive with her, but he wasn't his affectionate self either.  His tail was tucked.  When we moved on to introducing the dogs, the real Brodie surfaced.  He couldn't resist the offer to play and within minutes he was wiggle butting around the yard with her.  Just like when he met our dogs, he gained his trust of her through her dog.  He was soon loving all over her and accepting the hugs and kisses enthusiastically.  And a new family was formed.

Brodie's new home is a beautiful mountain top property, about 30 minutes north of us.  The views are incredible.  Inside, a huge, rustic, floor to ceiling fire place with a giant dog bed in front of it.  Outside, 5 fenced acres with woods and trails to run and play in with his new sister.  An ideal home for just about any dog, but for Brodie especially, I couldn't ask for a better place. 





boxing with new sister, Lottie.

Quick Kiss!

Family photo

They had no interest in stopping play to pose for me!

 

 





No Words.

 I guess I thought I had seen enough in the past few years of rescue that nothing would truly surprise me.  I was wrong.  A rescue in my network is trying to help a dog that had her feet cut off by her owner so she wouldn't be able to jump the fence.  HER FEET CUT OFF.  I actually wouldn't have believed this had I not seen the pictures with my own eyes.  What in the hell goes through someone's mind while deciding to attempt this?  I mean, seriously.  How does that become a possible solution?  Things like this get me so frustrated with the human race that it makes me physically ill.   It just feels like there is no hope.  There is just too much cruelty and ignorance.  I try so hard to focus only on what I am able to do to help, but it just isn't that much in the grand scheme of things.  It will never be enough.  And that sucks.

Meet Brodie!

Our newest foster could be Jax's twin.  His ears are a little floppier, and he is underweight, but other than that, he is a mirror image of our boy and every bit as sweet.  He even had the same name.  Buddy! (We have called Jax Buddy from the very beginning.)  He seemed to recognize his name, so I changed it to the closest sounding name I could think of.

Brodie comes to us from the Texarkana area as an owner surrender.  The situation is sketchy and the owner has one story and the person who has been helping find a rescue to take him (and has also been buying him dog food) tells a different story.  Only Brodie knows the truth, but it's clear that he his situation was far from ideal.  He is skinny, but gaining weight already since he has been getting good food and has been de-wormed.  He is overly shy to not have been mistreated at some point.  "Normal" boxers are outgoing by nature.  He approaches with extreme caution and cowers at the slightest move.  His self confidence is zero until, that is, he gets around our two heroes, Dixie and Jax.  Perhaps more dramatically than I have ever seen a dog turn, he did when he met them.  I'd had him for about eight hours when they first met.  I had yet to see his tail move out from the tight, tucked position it was in when I picked him up.  We don't usually do face to face introductions, we do the walk first.  This time, because he clearly longed to be near them, we just let it happen.  His tail and ears perked up for the first time and he was instantly a different dog.  It was as though he was being reunited with his long lost best friends. 

He is the sweetest, most gentle dog.  It hasn't been a week yet and he is totally at home in our home already.  He is quiet and pretty mellow for a two year old.  Unless it's playtime, which he is all about!  He is potty trained and picked up on the dog door quickly.  I have started the crate training.  Although he's not had any leash training in the past, he walks quite well.  He gives great eye contact and doesn't pull at all.  I think he takes comfort in being right by my side.  He needs major socializing with people and that will be our biggest challenge.  I think and hope he will come around quickly. 


Welcome to the good life, boy, where you will never know severe hunger or thirst again and you will never be filthy and covered in fleas.  You will snack on healthy treats and not have to rummage in the trash.  You will learn to trust humans, even men, and learn that the ones allowed near you mean you no harm.  And most of all, you will learn that I will protect you and love you as my own until the forever family comes along that is worthy of having you join their life.