Some good news

The job search continues in this stinking economy. But, you've got to take good news where you can find it, and I have received some via email over the past week or two.

Jake is a shepherd mix rescued from a trailer court here in Fluvanna. His family lived in a single-wide and had recently had a litter of pitbull puppies. I'm sure they hoped and planned to sell the pups for money to support their crack and/or meth habits. Jake was fine with the pups, but the female pitbull didn't like him being around them. They first tried him in an outdoor kennel, but Jake barked constantly because he was accustomed to life inside the trailer. The owner of the trashy trailer park told them to get rid of the dog and they contacted me. He had heartworms, but went through the treatment without problems. Jake was great as a foster dog, but he really wanted and needed to be in a home. He was adopted by a young woman who had previously adopted a shepherd from me. He has a wonderful home for the first time in his life and an owner who absolutely adores him. You can see by his smile just how happy Jake is.

The trailer park he came from has finally been closed because it had no functioning septic system. The loss of a home doesn't usually result in a rise in one's standard of living, but that is exactly what happened for Jake. His guardian angel worked overtime.

Perhaps after Jake's angel saw that he was settled and well cared for, he took up Bud's cause to keep him busy. Bud is doing well, continuing to settle in, enjoying the comforts of indoors, and also enjoying walks on the farm. He is friendly with strangers, but still prefers that they keep their hands to themselves. However, the owner has some understanding friends who are helping him work on that. I changed his status from "pending" to "adopted" when I was told that I'd need to find someone new to take over Bud's role as kennel manager. I'm very happy to have the vacancy and I know that Bud is happy to have a real home for the first time in his life.

Jerry's new family wrote recently and said:

Jerry has become a trusted and loved family member from day one. It feels like he's been with us for years. He's like a brother to [our son] and a new child to [us]. From his playfullness to his protective nature and obedience, he's really astounded us.

Now isn't that nice?

Here's a pic of Jerry taken at an adoption event this fall. He was new then and pretty nervous, so I just sat by him with my arm around him most of the time. We didn't meet anyone there that day I would have considered adopting him to anyway. He found a really great home.


Samson's new mom is just in love with him. Here's a pic after a walk on a cold and wet day. I like seeing that kind of commitment and devotion to a dog's needs.