Newfoundland Dog Rescues New Owners, Tweet Edition
Looking back at the first week Shamus, our Newfoundland, adopted us one year ago, tell me you wouldn’t immediately have fallen in love too. He’s quite a character!
(In case you missed it, visit Newfoundland Dog Rescues New Owners, Part I.)
A SNAPSHOT OF SHAMUS’ HISTORY VIA TWITTER
We enjoyed revisiting our discovery process as we built a relationship with our new dog. I share some our comical ponderances via a collection of last year’s tweets. Consider this a journal of sorts, one that you are not only allowed, but encouraged to read.
Newfoundland Dog Rescues New Owners
March 7th, 2009: The Day Our Lives Changed for the Better
But prior to that…
TRAGEDY STRIKES
Just over a year ago, Tim and I were deeply grieving the loss of two beloved family members.
Bill, our adopted foster, had been with us for 5 years. On a Sunday morning like so many others, we had a game of tug-of-war in the living room and ate a glorious breakfast. That’s when an undetected abdominal mass ruptured and Bill went immediately into shock. We rushed him to the vet within 15 minutes but, during emergency surgery, a blood clot traveled to his main artery and he was gone.
On February 14th, we also said good-bye to Tim’s dog, Jack. Jack had sucessfully battled cancer, extending his life 13 good months until there was no more fight left in him. Jack had been with Tim (and Tim’s ex, Stacy, who managed his cancer care) for 14 years. It was an awful beginning to 2009.
Snow Day Dog Play
With the hustle and bustle of kitten adoption, I never got around to posting photos from the last snow storm…
At the time these were taken, Tim was off skiing in Jackson Hole, as if he needed to leave the East Coast to find snow. I, on the other hand, was home alone scooping through 20 inches weighing the equivalent of a 12 ton slushy. In dire need of a rest after clearing the front path, I retired my shovel and took some time to play with the dogs. By play, I mean I laid winded in a cold bed of white and watched the dogs as they played. The only thing I played with is the camera…
My Dog is a Poster Boy: Emmett Goes Commercial
Designing an ad for Creekside Kennel, I needed a photograph of a smiling dog… and, in the name of authenticity, one that had been boarded there. Conveniently, our dog Emmett fit the bill. Having called Creekside his home for nearly a year after being rescued by AnimaLovers.org, and revisiting twice after we adopted him, it’s only right that he’s their poster boy.
That said, I am proud to present my baby boy in print as he makes his debut as an advertising model. (Click the picture for a larger view.) Dawn Niebuhr, the owner at Creekside, kindly offered to mention AnimaLovers in the bottom left corner, giving Emmett credit for his photo appearance.
Now that he’s made the big time, what’s next in Emmett’s future? Dinner. He sure has earned it today.
Kitten Obsession
Jed was sleeping in Tim’s spot on the couch as Tim came home from work last night. Knowing full well that the little beasties spend gobs of time pouncing and bouncing around, Tim asked with a note of sarcasm, “Is this all you do all day? Sleep?”
I answered for Jed. “Are you kidding me? He’s busy growing up – right there in front of your eyes!”
Jackson and Jed already seem changed since Saturday. Their confidence is building, their connection to us is strengthening, and their little bodies are stretching and lengthening. The changes are happening at a perceptible rate.
Kittens!
A RESCUE CATTERY LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN
Yesterday, we visited an amazing rescue organization called Animalkind, Inc. in Hudson, NY. Katrin, the woman behind Animalkind, Inc., and her devoted staff pull cats from death row, manage feral cat colonies and rehabilitate injured cats to adopt out every furry soul they can. This shelter is unique. A house rather than a facility, every amenity is provided for the cats, the majority of whom roam free. Let me just say, being surrounded by more than 100 free-roaming felines in one room is quite an experience, one you have to see to believe.
What I found most special about AnimalKind, Inc. is the way the cats’ relationships and emotional health were considered and preserved. If a cat came from an irresponsible barn situation, Animalkind, Inc. requests that a responsible barn situation be provided. If two cats have bonded at the house or prior to rescue, they adopt the pair together. Impressed by the sensitivity to cat relationships especially, I bought an extra cat carrier and went with an open mind. Two were certainly a possibility if both were a fit. Continue reading
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