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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I don''t believe in luck, or circumstancial events. I only believe in that when its ment to be, then it will be. I don't look back in life but just think what if you could, how much may you have gained or lost.
You've done a wonderful thing providing a loving environment and great life for those that were under your care, and for that I do say Thank You.
Keep a kind heart and a light footstep, you'll find that life's little annoyances and trivial matters dissapear, the real substantial and important things in life become evident and mean that much more.
Sincerely,
Don and Crew
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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My family has always been animal lovers and my 1st dog was Missy a beautiful Peke mix that my uncle who is a vet gave me when I was 10 then my brother added a black lab. They have been gone for over 30 years. When I got married we had 3 Irish Setters over the coarse of 20 years and 2 were rescues.Tascha my party colored cocker live with us for over 16 years and helped raise our children. Mav my Weimeraner mix who recenly went to Rainbow Ridge was suppose to be a Gordon Setter but I chose to take my daughter's dog and save the $$$$. He was the greatest. Bella # 1 showed up as a very young pup in my chicken shed a week after my Tascha died and I knew this was a sign...she disappeared and mysteriously as she appeared about 2 years later...she was a very special dog. I normally wait a bit before adding a dog but after Bella #1 left us I decided life was too short to wait 6 months or longer. I started searching for a pup and Wynn (my 1st corgi) chose me as I wanted a female. My 1st female Rainy (Rhiannon) was a snuggly little girl who we found out soon had some anxiety issues and so I spayed her even though I was planning on breeding her.She now lives in New York with Joanna's( Joanna,Rainy and Calvin) parents...she also lives the life of a princess which she so justly deserves:) Bella the 2nd joined us from SD and is the mellowist corgi you will ever meet unless she's chasing a rabbitt. Livvy joined our clan a year later and is my intense corgi but a lover and a snuggler also.
2 years ago I rescued Wiley,Teddy, Jackson and Mariah and kept Teddy and Wiley...my heart dogs. Jackson recently went to live with Jennifer and Amber in Iowa. Mariah lives in Minneapolis with her new family and is a "queen". I have frequent conversations and pics form their new familiess. Calvin my Cardi recue also lives with Joanna,Rainy and Calvin in New York (wow 2 trips to MN from NY in a couple months show BIG committment).
Sage is one of my own pups and a wonderful addition to this crew. Many of my corgis have done at least obedience once.
Zip will be joining our family in June (or before)...as soon as we get his fence built. Zip is an obese corgi that needs help finding new eating habits and a better food,exercise and learning that life isn't all about eating.
I also have 2 -13 year old cats and a 3 year old that showed up one fall when it was getting too cold to find plentiful food. I saved 4 kittens last year as barn cats but they also will get spayed/neutered and shots before they get to explore the outside. These kittens will then be able to explore the outside:) All of my cats have been free or rescues and have given us lots of intertainment!
Sorry this got soooooo long!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on
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I have always wanted a dog and my parents insisted that we would only have cats. My parents told me that they would get me a dog once I had my own home. So I lived life with the longing of one day owning a dog. I got my first apartment and begged my parents for the dog they had always promised. We went looking and I just couldn't find that one special puppy. So I gave up looking for a bit. When I was finally ready to starting looking again, I found out that I was pregnant and it was twins. I ended up having to move back home because there was just no way at 19. I could afford twins, apartment and dog.
Then a couple of years ago, I finally got my own apartment again and still wanted a dog, but money was tight on both mine and my parents side, so I decided to turn to craigslist. I was hoping that just maybe there would be that one special puppy listed in the pets section. I looked for months and found nothing. Finally, I started looking at posts from other states and I finally found that one special puppy. The craigslist ad was simple and had a picture of just her face and phone number. I called and found out that he still had her and I asked him to please hang on to her because I lived in Kansas City and would have to make the 6 hour drive to Oklahoma to get her. This all happened about 8pm. By 9:30pm, I was in the car and headed to Oklahoma. When I arrived at 6am to pick her up, I was so overjoyed. She was my perfect puppy. She looked like a big ball of black fuzziness. The gentlemen even decided that he would drop the adoption fee that he was asking. He told me that we seemed to be just the perfect fit for each other. He gave me all of the information on her from the vet and told me that she was corgi/lab. Her name was Harlem. I thanked him and got started on my way back home. On the way home, I just kept petting her and playing with her. Halfway home I looked at her and decided that Harlem just didn't fit her personality. I struggled for a few days on what to rename her. Then one day, she was laying on my lap and I was watching TV. One of the people on the show I was watching said Cheyenne and she went into a frenzy. She started barking at the TV and running all over the place. I said "Cheyenne come here" and she stopped in her tracks and came. That was now her name.
She has been the best dog I could have ever asked for.
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