Posts, messages, and phone calls

I had a phone message this week from someone who had adopted a shepherd from me several years ago. That dog was still doing well, but their older dog had passed away and they were looking for a young companion for my former foster. Having former adopters come back for another is always gratifying.

I had another phone call this week from someone who has adopted I believe three dogs from me now. He just called to say that my former foster, a Dane, was the only member of his family to greet him when he came home that night and she did so everyday with a welcoming howl. 

I see a Facebook post from another former foster almost every week. That was a poorly socialized shepherd who came from deplorable conditions and was adopted just as the world was shutting down for Covid a few years back. That dog is now a stunningly beautiful white shepherd who goes everywhere with her people that a dog is allowed and I don't think they go many places that she can't go along. 

I frequently see messages and posts from the various litters of puppies who were born here, including the Danes born to Della and Allison, and the beautiful mutts we had from Holly, as well as the fine wine and donut pup litters just to name a few. 

The adopter of a shepherd mix pup that I had nursed through parvo many years ago stayed in touch with me throughout his life, and his people sent other adopters my way over the years. This dog and many others whose adopters have stayed in touch more or less continuously has felt like a part of my life up and including their final days and I feel privileged to have been included in the bad times as well as the good. 

And of course there are some that I don't hear much from after adoption. And that's okay, adopting me is not part of the adoption contract. People may moan about the rigors of the adoption process, but I'm content to let a dog go knowing that I may never hear from them again, because I trust that the dog has gone to a good home with good people. 

The rarest of circumstances perhaps is when I don't hear from a dog for many years until at or near the time of that dog's passing. These come out of the blue because we haven't kept in touch and over the past almost 24 years, many dogs have passed through our home. I'll confess that I can't always recall dog and/or adopter, but thankfully this blog and email searches go a long way to refreshing my memory. The adopter I heard from yesterday I remembered instantly although it had been several (many?) years since I had heard her name. I remembered the adopter because it was someone I knew through rescue work but it took me a little longer to recall the dog. 

The dog was an extremely shy little female shepherd mix. I have a soft spot in my heart and head for dogs like that and this poor little girl was among the most fearful that I ever had. A person who will take on a dog like that is very special. She wrote me the nicest note and told me how much she had loved having the dog in her life. The dog is a senior one now and has cancer that has metastasized but I know she will get the best possible end of life just as she has had the best possible life since she was adopted. I'm sad for the adopter who will be losing her companion of course, but I'm so happy for the dog who has had such a good life, and I'm grateful that she reached out to let me share in the sorrow as well as the joy.

Hug them, pet them, kiss them, whatever they prefer. If your dog came from here, give them one from me as well.

The point of all this is this: if you got your dog from a rescue, drop them a note and send a pic. If you adopted from a shelter, they probably need to hear from you even more. 

The pictures are from dogs in the pasture on this wet Friday afternoon. When the dogs are tired we all sleep well. 

Norman, enjoying some pasture time.

Norman is one of very few dogs since Trooper who has ventured to the top of Playstation K9.

Clay saw him jump directly down to the ground from the top today.

There's several intermediate levels so he doesn't need to do that, and shouldn't.

Norman is the color of the winter pasture grass.

Arlo is with us until Monday.

Arlo and Bailey play together and here Bailey was trying to teach him about hunting.

This picture tells you everything about Bailey.

Arlo enjoys the pasture time but he wasn't interested in hunting field mice with Bailey.

Arlo and Elvis

Bailey is even better camouflaged in the winter grass than is Norman.

The pounce. All four feet off the ground.

Della and Arlo. They had a brief play run.

She still isn't quite sure if she wants to play with him.