Long drive, long story, nice new dog

I met Linda Dewell many years ago when I first started in rescue work with Animal Connections. She lives in a remote area in southwest Virginia. Curiously, she lives there by choice, moving her family down there from northern Virginia many years ago. She's a well educated and fascinating woman with an interesting family history. I've picked up bits and pieces of her story over the years but I really only know her because of her rescue work. 

Linda is the one I refer to as my "doggie dealer." She would pull dogs from her local shelter and contact me. I wasn't her only contact, I'm sure, but she did transfer a lot of dogs to me over the years, usually shepherds I guess, but also several boxers, and the only collie I've had in rescue among others. Most recently she and a neighbor friend arranged a transfer of a chocolate merle Great Dane to me as a Green Dogs foster. She has also worked with a women's shelter down there taking in dogs from women escaping from abusive households who wouldn't leave without their dog. Obviously I think the world of her and she's also an excellent judge of canine character. I've never been disappointed in a dog she brought to me and she's the only person I'll take a dog from sight unseen, based on her word alone. 

Linda is probably in her mid-80s now and still living in a log cabin in the woods on a piece of property that backs up to a national forest. She has had some serious health issues and doesn't do so much rescue work any more. She had been looking for a new companion dog for herself and this past summer the shelter director called her about a German Shepherd that had come in as a result of a court case. Reyna's former owner had a bit of a drug problem and somehow Reyna ended up abandoned in a house for a couple of weeks before being seized by animal control officers. Linda met the dog and liked her, and then awaited the outcome of the court case and adopted Reyna when she became available.

Reyna quickly bonded with Linda and lived happily in her home with a couple of cats. The outdoor cats were another matter, however, and Linda never felt comfortable letting her off leash because of the cats, and all the deer and other wildlife on the property that abuts a national forest. I drove four hours down there today, met Reyna, and spent a couple of hours talking to her and Linda before making the drive back home. 

Reyna is said to be eight years old, but seems very playful and active still. She's housetrained and has lived with dog-savvy cats indoors. She was a bit wary of me at first, as she is with men, but I have no doubt that she will be bonded to me very soon. She met Clay when he came home this evening and was going up to him, cautiously, very soon.