Whats Your Story?
This is going to be a long post, and I assmue given the discussion most will. This is for how your dog came to be, how did you come to find your four legged family member, does he/she have a story up until the first day you came in to each others life.
I'll start...
To understand how this came to be is about as complex as life itself. I've always wanted a dog, ever since I can recall. Unfortuently given the circumstances I was not in the position to have one due to either finanical circumstances or time constraints. I went thru Highschool without any added responsibility of pet ownership.
Eventually came across guinea pigs, Jeremiah and Sebastian were my first experiences in pets that were more interactive then gold fish. They had an impressive enclosure, both were trained to come to their names. Jeremiah was reliably litter box trained and Sebastian really didn't care either way. Yes both could be leash walked without an issue. At this time realizing that if I could train a guinea pig a dog wouldn't be much more of an issue, and in a way drove that confidence to take on a dog.
Girlfriends came and went, none really liked dogs..Until my last now ex came in to my life with her Dachshund, we talked for a while which breed of dog. The decision ( rather told this is how its going to go) was made that I was going to attempt to adopt, and that a Dachshund would best fit the sisuation. Annabelle was an adoption from Craigs list, she was horribly over weight and obviously not well cared for ( she still bares the bald spot from previous abuse and doesn't know how to play or tollerate other dogs due to her past). Within the year Annabelle was down to her proper weight and taking camping trips with me. Anything nature wise I'd throw at her she handled, never left my side off leash or on. Eventually things got rocky and my ex left Annabelle displayed classic symptoms of depression. Given that I'd lost my job there was not much I could do for her as funds were limited. We spent many days in the park or walking the block because this is what I could afford to do.
Shiloh came in to my life as a gift, a Beagle without any resolve. I will say he was an adorable dog, charmed my family (Thanks Mom) to help with medical bills limitedly. Thanks to working with Petsmart and Banfield he was able to obtain any medical care needed. However life was not all happy, he managed to destroy half the house in the mean time. Due to my vounteering at the humane society I did get to know many trainers, one which has trained from show dogs to K-9 dogs used for police work. None managed to tame his distructive and severe anxity issues, I'd hoped she would. She left and her comment to me is " This dog, is untrainable without medication". I'd investigated that option with the vet, the medication was going to cost me more then I could afford with no job and my resources drying up. A decision had to be made, do I further cut back on my one can of soup a day already diet to feed myself and hope Shiloh's life gets better, or do I make the painful decision to give him up. Looking back at what had happened, the cage that sits in ruins and the four stitches to his muzzle due to trying to push out of it...
The goodbye was difficult and painful at the adoption agency, FOHA promised he would find a good home and would recieve the medication needed to curb his anxity. I remember the look to this day, it wasn't one I'd expected rather " I know why your doing this, I'll be ok" we parted ways.
An unexpected phone call came from a friend in NC, after talking about what had happened in his life and in general he mentioned that a large amount of barking and some terrible whimpering was comming from his neighbors. He had suspected it to be a breeders facility and the dogs were not in the best of condition. After asking he mentioned that they were Corgi's and where I could find the information on-line. I'd promised I'd do what I could, upon contacting the breeder I found out about one puppy left, the pictures most def. did not match what I'd find. I knew that for him to actually proceed with an abuse case that evidence would need to be obtained...time to rescue a dog again. If you know anything about shady breeders they will not just put themselves out there to be found.
Four hours later, funds I didn't have and nothing more then a few phone conversations I meet up with what would be my next adventure that I didn't know about. Originally I was to buy the dog and then drive to the shelter, plans changed and I was given the opertunity to keep her. Maybe it was the first smile from Jazmin that made me realize how thankful she was.
I've recieved news that Shiloh has found a wonderful home on a farm in Herndon, he is doing very well as I've talked with his new family. I may be able to meet the family at a resturant, they are a bit skeptical about me seeing Shiloh until his training is further along thoug, which I can understand. They've 2 kids and the Beagle is always occupied, he also is on medication to manage his anxity and is doing well with it.
I've since found a full time job that I love, granted its night shift however is a great position with an awesome company. Jazmin is in great health now, she FRAP's daily and that same look I remember reminds me why I do what I do.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Don on
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Jeremiah and Sebastian have sinced crossed the rainbow bridge, Both lived to a fat and happy age respectivly of 10 years and 11 years old. Both of them waited until I returned from work to pass on...
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Permalink Reply by Alison Prasavath on
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My story is a simple one. I had 2 hamsters and basically treated them like a dog, even my mom liked them and that is saying a lot. Bob died in my arms and Nacho died 2 months later. I was devastated and it showed. My husband and I had been talking about getting a corgi, but we wanted a male. I found only one breeder in Oregon and she had only one male. Two weeks after Nacho died, Noodles came home and our lives will never be the same. We love our baby!
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I'm so blessed you did choose a dog, the advantages are amazing. Unconditional love is just one of the many things that they have to offer...
Sincerely,
Don and Crew
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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your story was very touching by the way. i hope all is well for you now.
growing up i have always had a huge passion for animals so my mom let me get a male guinea pig, squeaker. he was so awesome. i could carry him around on his back and he was lash trained i would walk him on beaches,parks, u name it:) then we got a female and had 11 babies(not at once) and i had 13 all together. i loved them all but at 5years the 1st one died. then squeaker died in my hands. after him then the mama got depressed and wouldnt eat. after that they just kept going until my last one died at 8years old 2monthes ago. but the whole corgi obsession started back when i was a kid and have seen corgis but never really knew much about them and i honestly didnt know what they were called but there was just something about them that i just loved. so jump to last year when i moved to SC with arthur i seen the 1st dogs 101 and corgis were the subject. i payed close attention and loved the way they sounded. i did so much research and knew that this was the dog meant for me. for months i searched and looked to see where i could get my dream dog. while on the internet and my eyes burning i see a year old mama corgi on craigs list(dont be alarmed!) i emailed the lady and she said she had already found her a home but had 3pups. she sent me a pic,i was instantly in love the the middle one(teddy) and we talked for two days about it because arthur my hubby claimed we couldn't afford him at the time. almost heart broken the kind lady worked with us on price. when arthur said yes i quickly emailed her and asked for directions. we went out and bought everything the little guy needed and had his appointment with the vet and everything. so for days i so excited i could barley sleep.
the day came and we arrived there and our car broke down 4 times prior but we kept going lol. we were greeted by the husband outside and also her one corgi and foster dog who were very sweet. the kind lady had was holding him and handed him to me. right then i knew we were meant for each other, those sweet blue eyes and so laid back personality. arthur and i talked to couple for a couple of hours and really got to know each other and became friends on face book and here on mycorgi! when it was time to say good bye we all went outside and the kind husband and wife played with him in the grass and then said our good byes. on the way home he laid in my arms so quiet and peaceful. he didnt make a sound or anything. he sleep the 3 hours home.that night was amazing. i quickly figured out he was a very sweet laid back wonderful pup. he played and then would sleep and then when i took him out he went potty right away like he has been there forever. at the house we got him he had a huge kitchen to wander and she put kennels out and on his own he loved to go in there and sleep so when it came it crate training it was a no brainier! he went in the crate i had set up and went right to sleep and for all the time have had him he has not once made a peep! and yes i am very serious. he is a very quiet guy. but anyways, i remember that puppy hood dosnt last long so i have taken soooo many pics!! lol he had to be the best puppy ever. he caught on to the potty training very quickly. he learned his name with in a few days. and learned a few tricks.his first day at the vets, o my goodness did everyone go crazy of how cute he was(and still is) he melt the hearts of everyone. the vet said he was super healthy and he got first round of shots and he honestly didnt even notice. he got a nail trim to and fell asleep in the vets arms. they took so many pics because they have never seen a corgi pup at there vet lol now i knew to be careful because i didnt want to catch parvo so i didnt let him walk on the floor but i let him socialize with children, which he loved! and other dogs. i took slow and day by day just waiting until i could take him out more. once that last round of shots were in and waiting that last 2weeks, we set out for down town and he had so much fun meeting everyone and dogs. he meet so much children and to this day i am happy because he just loves kids!!each and everyday his personality grew and grew and everywhere we went he was and still is a star! he just loves to greet everyone and we always get stopped and asked "what kind of dog is he?hes so cute!" he just makes me so proud. i take him every where because i am just so proud of him. i have put so much hard work into training him and he has turned out to be more than i could ever hope for! i never knew how much i could love a pet until i got him. when i go to the store the 1st thing that crosses my mind is"does teddy need something? or what can i get him?" i make sure that he has the best vet, food, toys, training, and i try to be a good corgi mama. i do everything i can to keep him healthy and thats why i go the extra length to give him good kibble but also in the morning he gets and eggs,strawberries, blueberries, bananas, carrots and spinach. and then an hour later gets his teeth brushed.so yes i am very passionate about him:) lol thats my story
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It sounds like you're very dedicated, and I'm blessed to hear that your pup found a home with you. Anyone training Guinea Pigs or rather whom has not really dosen't know how hard that is.
I can equate Training Guinea Pigs almost like training a bunch of acorns how to walk a tight rope at times. They do have their own agenda and about half the time disspear in to the world of bliss, or just flop in the grass and become guinea lumps as I called them. You've my respect for training them.
As for the remainder it sounds like your doing a great job, keep up the good work and you'll have so many memories that cameras can never capture, nor words can describe.
Sincerely,
Don and Crew
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Permalink Reply by Cindi & Twinkie on
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Such a wonderful story Don. You have a big heart! I especially like the part where you asked for help with Shiloh's vet bills when money was so tight. I see here sometimes people giving up their dogs because of money and it makes me so sad. Apart from vet bills, dogs are some of the only friends that love us even when the world seems to be against us. Its heartbreaking. Jazmin is a very lucky girl to have to as her champion!
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I just was doing what I thought what was right. I love my pets more so then life itself, and as for understanding that they are living creatures with feelings no different then my own guides my decisons greatly when looking in to what to do next.
I've never really understood the term " It's just a dog", to me such terms are cold and make no sense at all. They have feelings and can see it unless your blind, deaf and numb to the world. I even pushed the terms and limits with Shiloh myself, it was so very painful to let him go and great care went in to my choice for a no kill shelter for him. Please keep in mind that with Jazmin I was down to my last duckets and what was left in my account.
I begged a friend to drive me to get her, looked at my account and dropped it to only pennies to save her life, had to ask favors afterwards and use what little bit I had left over from old shampo and medication from old stock to get her back in to health. If it wasn't for the kind donations from a few that took pity on me then I'd assume the road to recovery for Jazmin would have been much longer.
The Humane Society gave me the opertunity to adopt her, I was told at the time " She will have at least have a loving home to pass away in" her health was so bad that they didn't know if she would make it.
I couldn't see giving up, and neither could she obviously.
Just to reflect on how happy she is, yesterday at the Pet Expo they held a local mini dog show. The judge had mentioned that she could easily take national best in show given her condition as it sits right now.
Am I proud of her, yes...and I do believe that she is proud of those whom stood by her side when others would have left her for dead.
Sincerely,
Don and Crew
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Permalink Reply by Nicola Porter on
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DH and I will be married 20 years in June. Our first dog together was overseas and his name was Brandon, he was a datsun mix I believe. We loved that little rascal. Due to be chosen to live in off base navy housing which did not allow dogs we gave Brandon back to the base rescue with a sad heart but knew that Brandon would be ok. The funny thing is that we did not have a pet for a while when we came back to the states.
We both had pets as children but seeing as we were young and had two young children I guess we were all tuckered out with life in general. While cruising the internet one day we came across the Purina web site and it had an area where you answered questions about what dog might suit you and your lifestyle. DH and I took the quiz separately and both our top five answers had corgi in them.
Sometime later we were at a petshop with the children (cheap fun) and there was Max, now don't forget in 1997 corgis were quite an unknown entity so we thought it was fate to have taken this quiz and then come across a corgi. He was 6 months old and we were quite concerned at what would happen to him being that old and still at this pet store. So he came home with us and cemented our love for corgis.
Max passed on to Rainbow Bridge Aug 7th 2008, it was devastating to us and I thought I would never again get a corgi as losing Max was horrible and I didn't think I could love that hard again. Needless to say we now have Lando Oliver AND Bootsie but we have Max's ashes in an urn on display.
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Yah, you tend to never forget those that are lost. I still have Shiloh's picture and tag and they will not ever be out of sight. I have my guinea boys and my two crazy bunny bun's up as well on my wall ( photos that is).
I love both my dogs dearly, Annabelle has earned her time to be lazy now, she no longer can make the back packing trips that she used to. Jazmin will slowly take her place in stride but I'll still not forget the long nights Annabelle and I were bed down due to rain, or her sneaking tidbits out of my food bowl. Annabelle and I have shared many adventures and many more safer paved adventures to come I'm more then sure of this.
It never gets easy to loose, but its always easy to remember how to love, especially with someone whom can return it unconditionally.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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My rescue stories are all attached to cats; I've personally pulled three off the street and either kept or found homes for them, and our current comes from a no-kill shelter. We were told she's deaf, and while she is definitely hearing impaired I believe she does have some hearing.
I have no heart-warming dog stories. I grew up with dogs and lots of other pets. When I finally moved out on my own I was in an apartment and was dogless for some time. My husband and I moved into our house in the fall of 2006 and got our pup in the early summer of 2007.
Everything was carefully planned. We did diligent research into what breed was best for us. We started contacting breeders in early 2007. The club-member nearest us had no puppies planned, but invited us to her house to meet the five Corgis she had at the time. She watched us with her dogs, and especially with her pushy adolescent girl. She remarked that the girl listened to me very well, even though she was quite rude with her (the owner's) boyfriend, and liked the way we interacted with the dogs.
She referred us to another breeder. I had several long conversations with her, we discussed my experience with dogs and what I was looking for. She had two litters planned. When the pups were six weeks old we went down and met both litters. One had been hand-raised (mom needed emergency spay after delivering pups) and was a little smaller and very docile. The breeder said they'd catch up in size as they matured. The other litter was all rough-and-tumble, and we preferred that group.
The breeder hadn't yet temperament tested the pups or decided who she was keeping. We went back down a month later to find which pup would be ours. We had originally wanted a female. We live by a busy park and were specifically looking for a confident, happy-go-lucky pup. She said she had two that would be perfect but both were males. She brought out the first one she thought would be a good match, we squealed and cooed and clapped our hands and fell in love. We filled out the paperwork, put him in his crate in the back of the car, and brought him home. We put him down in the backyard and he promptly ran to the front and started to head up the street, exploring. No whining, no crying. He cried for five minutes when we first locked him up at night and immediately fell asleep and slept til morning. From day 1 he thought every dog and person he met would be his friend, and nothing fazed him. He was EXACTLY the pup we were looking for.
Two years later we were ready for dog # 2. We contacted the breeder and she had no pups. Do to a long series of events we were looking on short notice. We went back to breeder #1, the one near us who had no pups the first time. She had no pups again but did have an adult she was looking to place. We went and met Becky, but she was so mellow and so calm that we all decided she was not a good match for us. (incidentally, Becky did turn out to be the mom of the Best of Breed at last year's PWCCA National Specialty, which I thought was so cool and I was so happy for Ann when she won with Joy; Ann Caterson is a wonderful person and has been so helpful to us even though we never did buy a dog from her, purely out of her own generosity and love of Corgis).
Anyway, in the meantime the breeder we got Jack from ended up having an adult SHE was looking to place. She'd had several inquiries but hadn't felt any of them were the best match for Maddie. When she heard we walk in a park every day, take the dogs swimming at a nearby creek and hiking, she thought we would be a good home for Maddie. We went and met her, brought Jack with us and they got along ok. We talked it over and brought her home, and she's been a great addition. Also bombproof with most things, though she does have a bad habit of getting overly-excited greeting other dogs on leash and saying "Harf! Harf!" in their faces.
So mine both have had charmed lives, with great starts in life and never a hard time to speak of.
I do like rescue (as illustrated by my cats) but with our lifestyle, we really needed dogs that had minimal chance of suffering from issues like separation anxiety, aggression, or timidity and maximum chance of being outgoing and social with all and sundry. On a typical day in summer they meet a few dozen people and easily a half-dozen dogs. Confidence and stability were the most important things to me.
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Beautiful story...I'm so very glad to have people like you in the world today. It only takes one stone in the pond to cause a ripple in life, even if that life is one whom can't directly say in english " Thank You".
Sincerely,
Don and Crew
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Permalink Reply by Robyn - Halo's Mom on
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Such a touching story!
My rescues have all been cats..."Chase" was found in a garbage can at 3 months of age, is now a happy 13 year old. "Monkee" was brought to the animal hospital that I work at by the local Animal Shelter, she had fur stuck to her gumline. This proved to be a teratoma (tissue from a fetus that was absorbed by her), now jokingly known as the evil twin LOL. 4 surgeries later it finally stopped growing back, but the shelter didn't want her, they said they would euthanize her, so we introduced her to the corgi we had at the time ("Lexi") and Lexi said she could come home with us (they actually were best buddies). Turned out she had other problems too. Her soft pallet is too short on one side, so she chokes on food sometimes, and she has eyelashes that grow on the inside of her eyelid(leftover evil twin?), I've had the eyelashes removed twice, they keep coming back, so I give up, just clean her eye daily and add lubricant to lessen the scratching to her eyeball. But she's actually a really great cat. Then there's "Timmy". A client brought him to the clinic at approx. 5 days old, he'd been abandoned by his mom in a garage. He came in a Timbit box, so his name is actually Timbit. I hand raised him and he was supposed to be put up for adoption, but I just couldn't give him up. That's it for cat stories.
My first corgi was easy to find, just luck I guess. My daughter wanted a puppy, and I've always loved corgis, phoned a few breeders and found one. Horribly she passed away May of 2010 before reaching her 7th birthday. The trials and tribulations of trying to find another were not too fun. I was actually starting to think that I was not meant to have another dog. I could not find one in Canada, waiting lists 2-3 years long. My original breeder had a pregnant female, who's pups were all stillborn. So I expanded my search to the USA. After a few more lost litters, or fluffy litters (nothing wrong with them, just not for me) I finally found the little girl that was meant for me..hence her name...HALO...and we couldn't be happier, she's just such a nice dog
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