Emotions

You know what... there is something in the demeanor of a dog when brought home directly from the shelter.

They have this look that they give you.
I'd like to imagine that it is a look of thanks.

That just hours ago they were in a tiny square cement cage with no air or light. And now they are being pet and loved on, with a few kind words. A bath, some good treats, and a place to run.
They have a look of gratitude on their faces that melts your heart. Literally melts it, and it leaks out of your eyes.

Just now, the way that Charlie is looking at me, laying his head on my lap while I pet his ears.... I wish that I could adequately describe the emotions that elicits.

Obi (Wan Kenobi)

Obi is an absolute doll.
I think they were a little surprised that we took him from the shelter, as he was "hyper and unmanageable".
Nah, he was just kennel crazy. After bringing him home and letting him run, he is actually a really great dog.
He is well behaved, and is willing to do whatever we want him to.
He gets along great with the other dogs, though he is a bit amorous with Luna. LOL.

Doesn't he look like a big, furry Jaxson?

Charlie

11-05-09

We made a trip to Cedar today to pick up some dogs from a Shelter that was over-full.
Charlie is one of the dogs that we brought home.
We aren't sure what kind of dog he is, but looks like he's got some greyhound in him.

He is SO unbelievably sweet. Very mellow, a little shy. What an adorable dog.
I'm glad we were able to bring him home today.

11-08-09

Charlie has some pretty severe abandonment issues. He needs to know where we are at ALL times. We tried crating him on his first night here and he tried digging out of his crate, causing quite a lot of damage.
He now gets run of the house at night and seems to do ok, as long as I am sleeping on the couch. As soon as I go to bed, he just wanders the house crying.
When I sleep on the couch, he comes up and nuzzles me for a minute, then goes outside to sleep for a bit. Then comes in to see I'm still where he can see me, and goes back outside to sleep. He does that all night long.
We'll get it worked out to where he's ok with coming in the bedroom to 'check on me'.

He is a sweetheart, and I adore him.

Adoption updates!

11-05-09

CeeCee and Kiya both got adopted today! YAY!! Click on their names to read their stories.

Macey

11-04-09

Macey was the only pup left from a litter that was at the shelter. They let us take her today so that she wouldn't be all alone in the shelter kennel.
She's only 7 weeks old, and is an absolute doll.
She is so sweet, and the girls just LOVE her.

Ginger is very protective of her.
Amara keeps trying to carry her around like a mama dog would. We keep having to tell her to put the puppy down, LOL.
Luna is very sweet with her, and Amikah ignores her completely. LOL

It's fun having a tiny fluffy yummy puppy in the house. Oh the puppy breath. *sigh*

11-05-09

Macey went to a different foster home today to enable us to bring a couple more dogs home. It was so much fun having her here and playing with her for the time that we had!

Amara, again.

Amara came back to us on Saturday. Her family said that they didn't think she was happy there, and they couldn't give her what she needed.
She is happy to be back with us, and is absolutely in heaven with Kiya and Luna.

You can read her whole story here, or just scroll down to the end for the update.

New Maggie picture

If you follow along on FaceBook, you'll see lots of photos of Maggie, taken by her dad Chris, and by her friends, Dan and Lisa.

I was told I could share this one here on the Starfish Journal.

Isn't she GORGEOUS?!

*photograph by LC Images*

UPDATES!

I've been so busy that it's hard finding time to do my updates!
(Click on the underlined names for links to specific entries)

First, and most importantly, Amara got adopted! This was a hard one for me, I was very very attached to her. I miss her terribly. We'd had her as a part of our family for too long... she left a big gaping hole when she left us.

Vanessa was adopted as well! She went to a great family in Vegas. I'm so happy for her!

Maddie and Lily went to their new home together!

Beavis/Travis was adopted at our last event too!

Jaxson is finally at his new home after having to wait for a little while here.

You all know about Mikey from my last entry, and be sure to check out Layla's entry to read the comment from her new mom.

I've been pretty relaxed about posting some new fosters too. If we only have them for a day, I've been not posting them here, though I should. We had Cheeto and Frito here overnight, and I never even got photos of them. They are a pair of brothers, Rottie pups, about 8 weeks old. They were fun to have here, though we had to keep them separate from the other dogs because they were SO small. Tevin had fun playing with them!

We also had Monty and Tootsie here for a little while, off and on. They came here to be bathed, and to play in the yard for awhile, then Wade and I just took care of them for 2 weeks while they were being kenneled. We walked them 4-5 times a day, and took them to the dog park, played with them, etc. They were Tibetan Spaniels, about 2 yrs old, seriously adorable. We couldn't bring them here to stay because they didn't get along with all our big dogs, but technically they were our fosters as we cared for them for 2 weeks before they were adopted.


It's been a whirlwind 3 months, let me tell ya! October 20th was H.A.R.T.'s 3 month mark. In that 3 months, we've saved 65 dogs! Imagine that! It is just amazing to me. A lot of hard work and dedication from a lot of people to make that happen.

We've had a couple set backs, but all in all, we are doing what we love. And it's worth it!

CeeCee

10-21-09

This little darling was rescued from the shelter today.
Surprisingly, she had been at the shelter for a long time... I can't believe no one adopted her.

She is only 3 months old, and is an absolute DOLL. She's the only dog I've ever bathed who wagged their tail the whole time, LOL.

Her name morphed a bunch when we first got her home, but she ended up with CeeCee aka CC aka Chocolate Chunko. LOL. She is a FAT little puppy.

We'll have fun with her while she's here. She sure has some spunk. LOL

10-27-09

CeeCee is a doll! She is incredibly smart, and has the best puppy attitude! She listens well, and responds to her name. She gets along well with the other dogs, and can definitely play in the big leagues with them! LOL
I'm loving having her here, she is so soft and cuddly.


11-05-09

CeeCee got adopted! YAY! A gentleman drove down from up north to meet Izzy and CeeCee to decide which one he wanted. Well, turns out that he wanted both! They both got to go home with him today. How cool is that?!

Kiya

10-20-09

Kiya was abandoned at Apple Valley with a note attached to her crate that said 'please take care of my dog'.

She is a Dalmation mix, about 5-6 months old. She is an absolute sweetheart! She has been a house dog before, obviously, and took up her position on the couch almost immediately. LOL

10-27-09

Kiya is one of the sweetest, most well behaved young dogs we've had.
She is so incredibly smart! She learns things super quickly.. I'm so impressed with her! She listens well, and has a great personality. She is SO loving. She likes to be a lap dog (or a shoulder dog, LOL) and wants nothing more than to be close to one of us.
She has such an expressive face too. I just love her.

11-05-09

Kiya got to go to her new home today. I think she is a perfect fit for them, and will fit in great. I got an E-mail already from her new mom saying that everything is going great!
They even sent me a photo already! Looks like she adjusted quickly to her new home!

Luna

10-20-09

Luna was a shelter rescue.
She's been at our Apple Valley place for about a week or so, but is getting spayed tomorrow, so we brought her here.

After her appt tomorrow, she'll stay here to recuperate, then go to our event with us on Saturday.
We aren't sure of her breed, but are putting her as an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix.

She is desperate for love, and is a little clingy, but oh so sweet. She was great for her bath, didn't wiggle or whine.

She is a doll.

10-27-09

Luna is a sweetheart. She has a different kind of personality than any of the others that we have here right now, but she is so fun. She desperately tries to please us, and will do anything we ask her to. She is well behaved, but oh so full of energy! She doesn't have any brakes either, and that can be a bit painful. LOL
She is learning her basic commands, and doing really well.
She is just excited to be here, and shows that through her actions.
She's got a bit more of a dominant personality, but Ginger keeps her in line. She loves Kiya and Amara and the three of them play almost non-stop.

Right now she is sleeping on the floor, with Amikah's head resting on her. It's so sweet, and I can't get my camera because if I move, they will get up to follow me.

Cisco

10-15-09

We got Cisco from the shelter today. He's between a year, year and a half old, an Australian Shepherd mix. Probably mixed with some Spaniel.

He is a big goof, and SO incredibly sweet.
He did NOT like his bath at all, but really enjoyed the toweling off afterward, LOL.

He seems like he may have a urinary tract infection ( he whines when he pees, and he only dribbles a little bit at a time) so we'll have to go get that taken care of.

He's getting along great with everyone else, and even though we introduced three new dogs today, everyone is getting along splendidly!

The last photo there is him looking in watching Josh make dinner tonight. LOL

10-22-09

Cisco is doing GREAT! He is so mellow and laid back compared to the other crazies in the house, LOL. He is completely housebroken (with use of the dog door), and is over his infection, though now he has a bit of kennel cough.
He's a big sweet boy, with a soulful face and I just love him.

10-24-09

It looks like Cisco has found a home! He went on a trial to see if he got along well with their pig, and it seems to be going great.
A note from his new dad:

A quick update on Cisco.
He is doing well and playing well with Toby. He stays away from Piggy as much as possible. Including crawling backwards out of his skin if necessary.
Another day or two and Toby will realize that Cisco is staying. The nice thing is that Cisco is not overly energetic especially for his age. They will play hard for about 5 minutes then take a 2 hour nap.

It's not all final yet, but it's looking good!

Maddie and Lily

10-15-09

Lily and Maddie were found tied to a tree together with no food or water out in the middle of nowhere. The county sheriff took them to the shelter. They were VERY shy and skittish and afraid of everything.
And they looked HORRIBLE. Matted and filthy and stinky.

We took them from the shelter last week to see if we could get border collie rescue to take them. While they were in our Apple Valley facility, a couple out there saw them and fell in love. They've been going over several times a week and interacting with them, playing with them, etc.

They completed the adoption process just this Tuesday, and Lily and Maddie now belong to them. They are a fantastic couple, Wade and I spent quite some time visiting with them in their home.

ANYWAY...

I took the girls to the groomers today, and they'll go to the vet tomorrow to be spayed.

When I picked them up from the groomers, I almost started crying. They looked like 2 different dogs than the ones I dropped off this morning. They are gorgeous.

And they are so incredibly sweet. Very shy, but sweet.

We have them here at our house, and they'll be here till they go home on Saturday morning.

Everyone, meet Maddie (the black one) and Lily (the white face).

10-17-09

Maddie and Lily went home today. Their new mom and dad picked them up at our house early this morning before our adoption event. They say that both girls are doing fantastic, and that they are SO happy!
YAY! I can't tell you how happy I am that they were adopted together. J seems to think that Maddie may be Lily's mom, and that is where the connection comes from. It is entirely likely, and makes total sense.

Thank you J and T for loving these 2 special gals!

MIKEY IS FINALLY HOME!

10-12-09

It took awhile, and a lot of bouncing back for the poor guy, but I believe he has finally found his home.

Go to his entry HERE and read the whole story.

Grab a kleenex first.

Vanessa

10-10-09

Vanessa is a sweetheart. I fell in love with her from the first moment I saw her cowering in her kennel at the shelter.
She was a stray, picked up on the side of the highway. From the looks of her, she'd been out there on her own for quite a while.

She was at the shelter for about 3 weeks or so before we were able to take her out. She's been out at our Apple Valley facility for about a week, and we just brought her home today.

We had an appointment to meet with a family from the Las Vegas area who were interested in adopting her. So she came here and got a bath, then we met them at the dog park.
They loved her (how could they not?) and we finalized the adoption.

They can't actually take her till she is spayed, so she will get to stay here for a few more days till all that gets done, then we'll drive her to them.

She is SUCH a doll. So mellow, and very sweet. She is well behaved, and she gives amazing hugs.
I'm glad that we've got her for a few days so I can love on her. And I am SO glad that she has found a home!


10-14-09

Vanessa went home today. They were so excited to take her home! She will have a wonderful life with them. Oh! And they changed her name to Roxy. ;)

Beavis/Travis

10-05-09

We got little Beavis today. His owner had to give him up because their other dog was being dangerously mean to him.
He is a Rat Terrier, is only 6 months old, and has quite the personality!

The other dogs don't quite know what to make of him, I think they didn't hear the 'Terrier' part, and think he's just a 'Rat'. LOL

10-08-09
Beavis got a name change. He is now Travis. We decided as a group that he needed a name that was more socially acceptable. Besides, we were tired of people asking where Butthead was.

Travis moved on to another foster home. He was doing great here, but we were a little full for a bit, so one of our other foster homes took him. He is doing great there!

10-17-09
Travis is adopted! He went to a great home with kids, and will be so happy there!

Zoe

9-28-09

Zoe is a little 9 month old terrier mix, and our very first ever lap sized foster dog. LOL
She is unbelievably adorable.

The big dogs and the puppies seem to really like her, and she can hold her own in the rambunctious play.

She was a shelter rescue whose time was up today. She was brought into the shelter as a stray, but this little gal has been a house dog before. She loves to be in the house, and feels right at home here.

I'm liking the little thing, LOL. She is so freaking cute.

9-30-09

Zoe was accepted at HWAC today! She was so cute on the drive to San Diego.. she rode on my lap for the second half of the drive, and loved every minute of it.

Update!

Jaxson is adopted!
To read the story, go to his entry HERE and scroll down to read his update.

Ozzie also got adopted! His story is at the end of his entry HERE.

UPDATE ON LAYLA!

LAYLA got adopted! Click on her name and scroll to the bottom of her entry to read her adoption story.


A very dear friend of mine gave me a hug today and said "it's always good when a starfish hits the water."


Amen, Becky. Amen.

*And there was MUCH rejoicing*

Troy update!

Wade and I got to visit Troy today. Click here to go to his entry and see his photo!

Jaxson!

9-15-09

We drove to the Enoch shelter yesterday, and this little guy was love at first sight for me. I have a special place in my heart for Catahoulas and he is a gorgeous one.

Jaxson will only spend 2 days with us now, then will go to Apple Valley, since we are full here. As soon as one of our fosters gets adopted though, Jax will come here with us!

He is the sweetest pup.. about 6 months old. He's got kennel cough pretty bad, and got antibiotics today.

9-22-09
Went and got Jaxson from Apple Valley, and brought him here so that he could go in to be neutered on Wednesday. Well, turns out that he still has a little bit of kennel cough, so no surgery for this little dude.
We'll just keep him here and happy till next week, then he will either go to HWAC with us, or be neutered and stay here. Haven't decided yet, and it will depend on when his cough is gone.

He is a sweet little guy, very mellow, and he just loves the other dogs. He likes to hang by himself outside.

When we brought him home, I was very sick so I haven't had much time to work with him on housebreaking. He has been doing really good so far, and I have high hopes that he'll be completely housebroken by next week.

9-26-09

We walked today in the Santa Clara Swiss Days Parade with 10 of our adoptable dogs. After the parade, we went to the park where the celebration was being held, and stayed there for a few hours with all the dogs, meeting people, and just having fun.

A young girl there saw Jaxson and just fell in love with him. She sat and loved on him for quite some time, then called her mom to come down and meet him.
We talked for a while, and by the time we were ready to go, they had decided to adopt Jaxson!

It actually all worked out rather well.. Jaxson can't be adopted yet, because he hasn't been neutered, but they can't take him yet because she's going to be out of town for a little while, and they have some fence work to do before they can take him. The timing worked out perfectly.

We'll just keep him here till everything is done, then they'll take him home. :D YAY for Jaxson!!

10-06-09

Jaxson went to his new home today! YAY!

Tears

Some days are particularly hard.

Sometimes there is a definite reason for it, but other times emotions just run high, and the tears flow freely.

A very dear friend of mine, while drying my tears with a much needed hug, told me:

"Tear ducts are connected to the heart, and when your heart bleeds for these dogs, so do your eyes, that's all."

Perfectly said, Jim. And thanks for the bear hug.

I want to say thank you to all of my wonderful friends and family who stand behind me and encourage me with their love and their hugs. I couldn't do this without the support of so many dear friends.

Ozzie

9-07-09

Ozzie was a shelter rescue, and has been at our Apple Valley facility for a couple weeks. He was just neutered today, and we brought him home to hopefully teach him some manners and housebreak him by this weekend. He will have a better chance at being adopted Saturday if he's a little calmer, and a little better behaved.

He is a cutie, and wow is he ever vocal! I've never heard so much noise from one pup. LOL. He talks more than a beagle.

Right now he is crashed out on our couch, comfortable as can be. I like his personality so far, but it's hard to judge too much because he's on drugs. LOL. We'll know more about him when he's off his pain medication from his surgery today. ;)

The video is Ozzie meeting Vader.
Our cat, Vader is the most patient cat I've ever known. Do you think he sees his fair share of spastic fosters? LOL! What a great cat. This gave us all serious laughter fits.




9-24-09

I knew that Ozzie had been adopted, and that his transport was in the morning, so we had a bit of fun today with him. We filled up the kiddie pool, and I've never laughed so hard at a dog in the pool. He was a HOOT. It was a GREAT last night with the little Ozzmeister. LOL


9-25-09

Ozzie went to his new home today! Lorraine drove him to Fillmore, to meet his new family halfway. I was going to make the drive, but I was so sick the last couple days that Lorraine offered (well, insisted) to make the drive for me.
I'm so happy for the little guy. He is such a character, and has so much to offer his new family! I'll miss his attitude and playfulness, but most of all I'll miss him talking to me in the morning. LOL

Amara

9-2-09

Amara is the sister of the little stripey girl, Nanya. (info tidbit: Nanya and Amara are both Swahili names. Nanya translates to: "Love me" and Amara translates to "Grace" or "Paradise" depending on which online translator you use)
They were both in the shelter a couple weeks ago, and Nanya got adopted.
H.A.R.T. took Amara from the shelter, and she's been out at Apple Valley for a while because our house was Full. With a capital F.

Well, since Oscar got adopted, and Mikey will be going to Lorraine's house this week sometime, I picked up Amara from AV when I went this morning to pick up a couple of our boys for vet appointments.

Holy moly she's cute. When you first look at her, she looks black, but on closer inspection, she is black/gold. Her undercoat is a gorgeous golden/coppery color. It shows mostly on her neck and her haunches, but I think it's all over.

She has the cutest little bark too, LOL. She's still trying to figure out if the cats are scary or not.

9-16-09

Amara is so sweet. She is loving and quiet and demure.
Unless she is playing with Ozzie, then she's all piss and vinegar and teeth. LOL!

She can look right into your heart with her big brown eyes. Such a doll.

9-17-09

Amara got adopted! She went to a young couple here in St George, and I am so happy for her!
They took her camping this weekend.. what a great way to bond with her new family!

It was hard to say goodbye to her, I'd gotten quite attached to her sweet little face. Ozzie is a little sad as well, and quite a bit calmer, LOL.

I know that she will have a great life with them!

9-19-09

Amara is back with us. She spent a couple days camping with her new family, and they said she did really great, even off leash.

But after getting home today, they had a problem with their neighbors dogs and Amara barking at each other through the fence. This wasn't an issue that they were willing to try and break her of, and one that they didn't think would go away, so they brought her back to me. Hopefully they can find themselves a dog that doesn't bark when the neighbor dogs bark. We certainly don't have any dogs like that around here. LOL.

I'm glad that we got her back quickly, it's like she never left us. And she had a great little vacation, got to go camping. I bet that was fun for her. :D

10-17-09

I've been putting off updating this entry, because this was a tough one for me. I had gotten VERY attached to Amara, and it was difficult letting her go, even though I know that her new family is perfect for her.
What a great birthday present for me. My baby girl Amara got adopted!

She went to a great family with kids and a nice yard to play in. She'll get to go jogging with Dad, and play with the kids, and become friends with their cats. She seemed at home there almost immediately.

I was crying when I left her at their house, and cried all the way home. I miss her terribly. But at the same time, I am SO happy for her. She deserves a home like that.

10-24-09

Amara is back home with us. Her family called us and said that they didn't think she was happy. They tried it for a week, and decided that she didn't fit with them, and they couldn't give her what she needed.
So.. she is back with us.

She was so happy to be back, racing around the yard with the other dogs like a lunatic. LOL.
She loves Luna and Kiya and the three of them get along so great together!

I think I cried more when they called and said they didn't want her, than I did when I left her with them. What an emotional roller coaster!

Well, she is back with us now, and we are on the lookout for the perfect home for her. It's out there somewhere.

Can I just say....

That I LOVE my Layla?
I do.

There are some dogs that affect me more deeply than others. Layla is one of those. There is just something about her.... she is an older dog, supposedly about 5-6 yrs old, but may be older than that.
She has gone through so much: shelter rescue, tumor removal surgery, etc.

She is bossy with our other dogs, and we've had to work with her constantly. She barks when someone knocks on the door, we have to muzzle her during play time with the other dogs so she doesn't get angry with them for barking, we have to make sure that she doesn't eat with anyone else, I'm constantly having to watch her to make sure that she's not pulling an attitude with the other dogs, she's gotten in a fight TWICE with the other dogs, but, in spite of all that, I just LOVE her. Deeply.

She has got the most incredible personality. The way that she looks at me when I talk to her. She likes to be right with me all the time, (and I don't mind). She can communicate with me completely by just a look.. her eyes say it all. She has such an expressive face.
When Im sitting on the couch, she will sit and look at me, and if I say "Layla, up" she will jump up on the couch next to me and just love me. She has such an incredible capacity for love.

I get such joy from watching her play. She gets so happy, and her entire face changes when she plays. The years just fall off of her when there is a tennis ball or a frisbee involved!

She listens SO well, and is very well behaved. She loves to go on car rides with me, and travels SO great in the car.

I really hope that we can find her a home where they are willing to have only one dog, and where they will give her the love and attention that she deserves. I fear that no one will want to give her the chance, but pray that her perfect family is out there somewhere, just searching for her.

It's my goal to help them find her.

And I know that I will cry like a baby when she leaves me.

9-18-09
Layla got adopted! Read her entry HERE for the full story.
And yes, I cried like a baby.

Update for Oscar!

Oscar got adopted today! Click on his link in this post, and scroll to the bottom of his entry for the update!

Mikey, again.

Mikey's story starts HERE


8-25-09

Mikey came back to us yesterday. Due to unfortunate circumstances, his family had to move into an apartment and he couldn't go with them, so they asked us to take him back.

I can't believe how much he's grown in just 3 weeks! Holy moly he's huge!

He remembered Ginger and Amikah when we got home last night, and went immediately into puppy play mode. He and Oscar get along great too.

I am sorry that the situation with his family made it so that they couldn't keep him, but I am glad that he came back to us. He'll go to our adoption event on Saturday and hopefully will find a great home. Again.

9-5-09

Mikey has had quite the week and a half. He spent a couple days with a fantastic couple who fell in love with him, but they would be traveling a lot and decided that Mikey may not be the best choice as a traveling dog. They reluctantly let him come back to our house as they were getting ready to leave on a 3 week motorhome trip across the country.

Mikey went to the parade in Hurricane (Peach Days) and was the hit of the day, as always. The kids just LOVE him. Then he spent the rest of the day at our adoption event here in St George.

Saturday evening, a couple from Enoch came to meet him, and decided that it was time that Mikey went home. They promised that once they took him that there would be no situation, nor anything that Mikey could do that would make them give up on him. They assured me that once he becomes a member of their family, it is forever.

They have 2 young girls and a lot of space for him to run and play. I am so happy for him... he definitely deserves some stability and love from a family he can call his own.

9-8-09

Nope. *many tears*
Forever, apparently, isn't very long.

On the day that I was to do Mikey's home check, his new family called and said that they couldn't keep him.
Mikey is very protective of his kids, and wary of men, and that caused an issue in their household. Mikey wouldn't let the dad in the same room where the daughters were.

So, Mikey is back with us, and is just as sweet as ever, going with the tide, happy to be back at our house.

10-04-09

Mikey went to a family in Mesquite for an overnighter. They were very interested in adopting him, and wanted to make sure that he would be ok with their cats and the baby.
Wade and I drove him down, and he seemed to do ok, though he was a bit clingy with us while we were there.

We left him with the understanding that it was just a trial to see how he did. They called us in less than 4 hours to come get him. The husband had an allergic reaction, and was swelled up like a pumpkin. :(

When we went to get him, the woman told us "You should just keep Mikey with you. He loves you guys a lot. He wouldn't stop looking out the window waiting for you to come back and get him.".

*sigh*

I love Mikey, I do. But he needs a home where he will be the center of someone's world. He deserves that, and we can't give it to him.

His home is out there. We'll find it.


10-12-09

Mikey is finally HOME.

Wade and I drove him 2 hours away to meet her, and it was TOTALLY worth the drive.

This woman was just perfect for him. I think she needed him just as much as he needs her. She knows everything about him (And I mean EVERYTHING). I wanted no surprises. She was ok with it all.
She lives alone, no men for Mikey to be wary of.
No kids for him to be protective of.
Nothing fancy in the house for him to ruin.

She is retired, and will be with him all the time.

She even went grocery shopping before we got there to stock up on everything so she wouldn't have to leave him at ALL for several days till he gets settled in.

First thing Mikey did when he met her was put his paw on her and kiss her face. It was love at first sight.

We stayed and visited for quite some time, and Mikey just wandered around exploring. He found a bone that she had left out for him, and brought it into the living room, dropped it at her feet like he was asking if he could have it.
She told him it was his, and he laid right at her feet and chewed on it while we all were visiting.

He didn't cling to us while we were there as he's done at other homes.

She took him out the back door to go for a walk and then Wade and I left, hoping that would fix the 'he wont stop looking out the window for you to come back' issues.

She asked if when she comes to St George to go to Costco sometimes if she can call us and have Mikey come over to play with our dogs while she shops. We think that would be AWESOME.

She told us lots of stories of her past dogs.. one of which had Wade and I in tears.

Here's one of the stories she told us. (grab your kleenex)

Mikey was just gazing into Ginny's eyes while she was petting him, and she said "You have Maggie eyes".
She said it a couple more times to him throughout the visit, then said to us "oh, I need to tell you about my Maggie".

Maggie was her 'ultimate joy' and the best dog she ever had.
She had a disease (I don't remember what it was called) that finally took it's toll on her when she was older. Ginny was out of town when her daughter called and told her that Maggie was real sick and she'd taken her to the vet.

Ginny rushed home, went to the vet and they told her that Maggie was real sick and that they'd have to put her down. She argued with them and said no she's fine.
They told her to go ahead and take her home for the weekend, and to come back in on Monday and they'd discuss what needed to be done.

So she took her from the vet's and went home to spend some time with Maggie.

By Saturday night, Maggie was just so sick that she knew what had to be done, and called the vet. They came into the office special on Sunday just to take care of Ginny and Maggie.

They left the two of them together in the room for awhile, and Ginny held Maggie and told her that she knew that Maggie was holding on because she wanted to make sure that Ginny would be ok. She told her that it was ok to go, and that she'd see her in awhile when she crossed to the other side too.
She just said over and over "it's ok to go baby. I'll be ok. You'll see... I'll be taken care of here, don't worry. You can go."

When the vet came in with the shot for her, Maggie had already died in Ginny's arms.

*sob*

So then Ginny looks at us (While Wade and I were both in tears) and says "Mikey has Maggie eyes"


*sob*

I am so happy for Mikey that I can't even express it in words. I just know that this woman won't give up on him. I pray that she won't. I think he's found his final home, and I .... well, I can't finish typing because I'm crying.

New homes! Update for Anni and Cosmo

What a wonderful week! I can't even express my amazement and my joy.

2 dogs were adopted this week, by PERFECTLY matched families.
Both adoptions were just perfect, and it brings tears to my eyes to know that these two amazingly wonderful dogs found homes with people who will love them like they deserve to be loved.

You can read their updates by going to their entries and scrolling down to the bottom:

COSMO

ANNI

Oscar

8-24-09

Wade and I went and got Oscar from the shelter today and brought him home.
He is such a fantastic, gorgeous boy!

He knows all his basic commands, and knows them WELL. He is gentle and well behaved. And that's pretty good for a 2 year old Golden!

He fits in great here, though Layla is trying to show that she is the boss of him. LOL

I have no doubt that we will be able to find him a great home. A dog this fantastic will get snatched up pretty quick!

8-30-09

Oscar got adopted today! They met him yesterday at our adoption event, and wanted him then. They had some work to do on their fence so that it would be secure, and we took Oscar to their home today for the home check and to make sure everything was a good fit. I think it went fantastically, and I was very comfortable with that being his new home. His new person is a teenage boy, and I think that he and Oscar are perfect for each other.

I got a little teary letting him go. I love every dog that comes into my house. Some, though, I love more deeply. Oscar was one of those. I am happy for him, but will miss him terribly.

Cosmo

8-18-09

I drove to the Enoch shelter today to pick up a mama dog and her 8 pups. We already had a foster home for them, and I was taking them there on my way home from Enoch.

While there, I looked to see if there were any dogs that I could bring home with me, and Cosmo was the one! He is an older dog, probably about 5-6, but still very active. He loves to play ball. LOL

Out of all the dogs that we've brought home over the years, not one of them smelled even HALF as bad as Cosmo did. PHEW!
Let's just say that his bath took a long time. LOL

He is a sweetheart... he's got the gentlest personality, and is so loving. He will go to our adoption event with us this Saturday, and hopefully we will be able to find him a great home.
But for now, he's here, and loving it. He is currently stretched out on the floor right by my computer chair, sound asleep. What a doll.

8-24-09

Cosmo was adopted! Oh my gosh, he couldn't have gone to a more perfect home! I am so happy for him! I get choked up every time I think of how amazing it was that Cosmo and his new dad crossed paths and came in to each others' lives. Truly amazing, and wonderful!

I believe that Cosmo was meant to go live with his new dad. His new dad needed him, as much as Cosmo needed a home. It was a match made in heaven, and I'm blessed to have been a part of it.

*wipes away a tear*