Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Good People, A NASCAR Race And A Dog Named Chase…Day Two Hundred, Thirty One

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If there is anything that can make me feel better about being away from home and loved ones, it’s the friendship and hospitality of kind people and a dog to hang out with.

My friend Mindy had tickets to a NASCAR race on Sunday.  Seeing as the track is in a very rural area, and traffic is well a nightmare, we decided to go up on Saturday and spend the night at Mindy’s cousin’s house. This tactic allowed us to approach the track from the opposite direction of about 95% of the 100,000 people attending the race.

It also meant I needed to be away from Chet, Sampson and Delilah on Saturday night.  BOO!

We arrived at Margaret and Mike’s lovely home in Sanford, Maine right around 2:00 pm.  I was greeted very warmly by both Margaret and Mike and was beyond excited to meet Chase, their yellow lab.

After Chase greeted Mindy he turned to me (the newcomer) I was instantly reminded of Sampson and I.  Chase was leaning against my legs, while I loved on him and Margaret was telling Chase, “Ok, Chase leave her alone.”

This scene takes place in our home all the time as Sampson thinks every visitor is there to see him.

I loved Chase, he’s very easy-going and friendly and VERY WELL behaved.  He was originally Margaret’s daughter’s dog and was trained as a hunter but was diagnosed early on with hip issues so he retired.  Luckily for Chase he got great parents in Margaret and Mike.  Mike says Chase takes Glucosamine and it has really helped his hips.

Tell me he's not adorable; go ahead I dare you!

After a couple of hours Margaret and Mike left for a social obligation and Mindy and I took Chase for a walk.  Isn’t it cute, he can get his own leash.

I wish my dogs walked as well on a leash as Chase does.

After our walk Mindy and I were off to visit some relatives, then into Ogunquit for a great seafood dinner.  After dinner we drove down to Perkins Cove and watched the sun set and the moon rise.

My camera was totally inadequate to capture the beauty of the moon, but I did get a decent picture of the sunset.

And the opportunity to dip my feet into the Atlantic Ocean.

The entire time I was thinking about Chase, sitting by the window waiting for us to return.

We were off early in the morning in order to catch our shuttle to the track, so there was no time for another walk with Chase, but I was sure to give him some love before we left. (If we were driving straight home I might have tried to sneak him away.) 🙂

We had a fun time at the track, but since I am on antibiotic and was supposed to stay out of the sun I had to really try to cover as much as possible in 95+ degree weather.

Here are two nuts at the track.

The weekend was over all to soon, but I have some great memories of some wonderful people and one special yellow lab.

Margaret and Mike, thank you for opening your home and extending your hospitality to a complete stranger.

Chase, thanks for the love. 🙂

Mindy thank you for including me in your first NASCAR adventure.

Oh The Horrors….Day Two Hundred, Thirty

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Did you ever go through the pet section of your local paper?  Have you seen the ads that say, “free to a good home” or “3-year old neutered male $100”? Did you know that pit bull fighting rings look for these kinds of ads in the paper to purchase a cheap dog that can be used for bait? 

I didn’t either.

But it’s true, I found this out on Saturday when I was trying coordinate the surrender of a dog to the Labs 4 Rescue group. 

I was contacted by a reader who had a neighbor who they thought would be willing to surrender their lab.  I contacted my friend Ann from the lab rescue group and told her the owner had a put an ad in the local paper trying to sell the dog, that’s when Ann told me what these pit bull fighting rings are doing.  It just about stopped my heart.

This is Ranger.

 

When Ranger was surrendered he had allergies, dry skin, bald spots (like he had been sleeping on concrete) and he hadn’t been neutered.

He was picked up and brought to a boarding facility where he will reside until he can be checked by a vet.  Then he will be placed in foster care until they find someone to adopt him.   Had he not been surrendered to a rescue group, he may have had an entirely different fate.

The world of pit bull fighting is vile and disgusting.  What can we as a community of dog lovers do to ensure this deplorable practice is stopped permanently?

How can we get the word out and encourage people to surrender their dogs to reputable agencies? 

An agency where at least every effort will be made to ensure the safety and well-being of these precious, furry beings of love.

Blog The Change For Animals….Day Two Hundred, Twenty Seven

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Today is one of the days designated  “Blog the Change for Animals.”

I recently found out that CT has a law pending that will just about stop rescue organizations from bringing dogs in from other states.  Inspired by Kristine over at Rescued Insanity I decided to join the movement (my traditional follow-up post will be tomorrow) and write a letter to the Governor of CT.  What follows is what I wrote. 

Take the initiative and be the change for those who cannot speak for themselves!

Dear Governor Malloy, 

I am writing to beg you to veto the bill requiring rescue organizations to incur an additional $200 in expenses per rescued animal brought into CT. 

When I rescued my beautiful chocolate lab from American Lab Rescue four years ago, she came with a certificate of health and I was required to bring her to my vet within 30 days. Since her vaccinations could not be verified, the rescue group made sure she had the necessary shots.  When we discovered she had not been spayed, the rescue organization took responsibility and paid for her procedure. 

I received a beautiful pure bred lab for $375. Burdening a rescue group with an additional $200 in costs is going to increase the adoption fee, which in turn will limit people from rescuing animals in desperate need of homes; in many cases ensuring more animals are euthanized un-necessarily. 

The joy received from the relationship between a dog and an owner is immeasurable, if you yourself are a dog owner, you understand and if you are not, then you are truly lacking something beautiful in your life. I for one can say my life has been enriched by the experience of rescuing my beautiful dog. 

I believe the majority of rescue groups take the necessary precautions and assume responsibility if the representation of the dog is not accurate.  

In a world where so many things are wrong, please don’t punish something pure and good that benefits so many.  

Sincerely,

Jodi Stone

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