I have had dogs my whole life. They have been a really big part of my growing up. When my sister and I were little my mom was part of a partnership program at the local SPCA. She would always be bringing different dogs home. Some for a few days, some for a few weeks. It all depended on the circumstances and when they were ready for adoption. We would take in some of the overflow from the shelter, and also help introduce the dogs into a family and other dogs to help reabilitate them so they could be fostered into their forever home.
As kids we wanted to keep all of them. I remember having as many as 6 dogs at a time sometimes. A few of them found the way into our hearts and we ended up keeping them… We just love dogs.
A couple success stories to share…
Jessie: The first would be Jessie, she was a boxer found locked up and abandoned in a shed. By the time the SPCA was called the mom and her entire litter aside from Jessie and her sister had passed. At the time of the rescue Jessie’s sister was stable but Jessie was in bad shape, dehydrated and massive malnutrition, the rescue team didn’t know if she was going to make it. The SPCA had asked my mom to help out since Jessie would need round the clock attention and they were concerned she may not make it through the night. My mom went to get her and brought her home for the weekend.
At this time she wasn’t named Jessie yet, and she was completely wild. She was only a puppy but my mom wouldn’t let my sister and I near her and she kept her away from us and the rest of the dogs in the house for the first few nights… She made it through, it was touch and go for a bit but she did it… We had her with us a little longer then expected, she made her way onto our hearts. My mom couldn’t let her go to just anyone. Because of what she had been through once she started to connect with us she became very dependent, and suffered from anxiety. She thought she was a lab dog and loved to cuddle. One day my mom met the perfect person to give Jessie a home. The woman that ended up taking her worked from home and did lots of volunteer work with sick and disabled children. Because of Jessie s very soft nature and her love for attention, the woman thought she might be perfect for her home and life style. She did a probational period for a few weeks, when my mom touched base with the woman Jessie had already started to settle in tp her new routine. A few months later the woman started to get her ready to come with her as a stress dog for the children she worked with. Turns out Jessie was a natural. The children loved her and Jessie loved allll the attention.
We were sad to watch her go, but very happy for her that she got a second chance at life and its full of love…
Mandy: This princess was rescued from a puppy mill. When she came to us we were uncertain of her age, and her condition, all we knew was she came from a puppy mill and she was in pretty rough shape. From the moment she came home with us she was so sweet and very gentle. It broke our hearts that such a lovely little dog had a whole life locked in a cage being bred litter after litter. Mandy was a little Dashound. My mom was a sucker for her, and had her in a crate in her room with her for the first few nights till she got more settled. This little girl was so sweet she trusted my mom almost instantly, as if she knew she was safe now and she just wanted to help. In no time she was running around the house playing with the other dogs and being the dog she could never be.
Mandy had one bad habit… Soon after Mandy settled into the house, my mom let her sleep in the bed with her. My mom totally had a soft spot for Mandy. The issue was, once everyone went to bed at night Mandy did not like it if anyone got up. If anyone got up for a glass of water, or use the washroom, she would bark until my mom got up. It really became a challenge some nights.
My mom is a decorator, and one day while she was at a clients house, her client mentioned how she hasn’t slept in months since her mom had moved in. This customers’ mom had alzhimers, and has gotten up out of bed a few times and wonder out of the house, her daughter was so worried about it happening, that she was almost afraid to sleep… I’m sure by now you know where this is going… My mom spoke to her about Mandy and introduced them. They hit it off in their meet in greet and set off into their probation period. The lady totally fell in love with Mandy’s soft and sweet nature just as we had. Further when my mom called to follow up the woman, she was so happy, she was telling my mom how she sleeps right through the night now, because Mandy always wakes her up if her mom gets up in the night. Mandy went on to live a full and happy life with this woman.
Dogs really are a big part of my life. I truly believe that a dog becomes a very big part of the family. And it’s because of this, I think its very important that per owners know all they need to to make smart decisions when it comes to choosing a breed and raising a healthy happy puppy.
I wanted to dedicate this site to everything you need to know about your dog… I hope you find lots of helpful information and enjoy the site.