Building The Love Shack

With all the dog run-ins, we have had lately, it has left our Romeo sad.

He wants to play with everyone but somehow he keeps getting bit or attacked. He sees a dog, gets all happy, and then he gets growled at. I’m told this is actually called Big Dog Syndrome.

What happens is because a dog is large, his size is threatening and other dogs will feel threatened and attack. This makes the big guy the one who gets bullied.

We had never experienced this before with our many big dogs, but we got it now. And so the solution to this problem, to make our Romeo a happy guy, we decided to do something we have never done before, we decided instead of going to the breeder, we would adopt a rescue.

So the first place we went when looking for a friend and life-mate for Romeo was to go to our local Animal Shelter.

To both our disappointment and pleasure, I was happy to see that in our very large city, the eight largest in Canada, there were only a couple of older dogs, which we needed a young one to keep up with Romeo.

On that note a big shout out to all the people who are adopting and to the staff and volunteers of our SPCA. Yeah for you guys. I left there with my heart touched, warm, and with a sense of pride in all.

Next, I tried to contact a Doberman Rescue.

I have to tell you when I say tried, I mean tried and tried again. Leaving messages on their Facebook. Then finally after getting a message back many days later, I finally got an email with where to download an application.

Then came the fax game. I tried again, for days to send the fax. At this point, I thought they really don’t want to foster as if they did, someone at some point would be checking the answering machine, fax machine, and emails. And so I gave up. On them.

But Romeo still needed his friend and so the search continues.

Now at this point, I have gone to finding a friend for Romeo, to this is now my life’s mission.

This time I contact another page I was following.

Now let me tell you my experience was much different. An email was sent within a couple of hours we had an application. That night we had a telephone interview. And a selection of dogs that would be available. With much decision on what would best fit our home and Romeo, the wonderful lady from the Rescue helped us pick out our future little girl.

The next day our references were checked. They asked a lot of question and wanted to see our your home, as they should. These are forever homes.

Later that night we got an email confirming that we have been approved to get our little girl. We were now doing the Happy Dance.

A few minutes later, came the contact to adopt.

I signed the contracted and transferred the donation for adoption and had a pickup time for our little girl.

And so the next two days we had to wait to go get her and bring her home.

One of my dear friends agreed to pick me up,  I can’t drive related to the shoulder surgery and took me shopping for her. We bought everything pink.

The night before we went to get her was a very exciting night in our house. Daddy and I could hardly sleep waiting to go pick her up. Romeo knew something was up and he felt the excitement.

Our little girl was coming along way, with other rescues. She had left from Texas with another part of the rescue team. The Travel Team, who was driving her to New York State where we would come and get her.

Before she was with the travel team, she was with another family who had fostered her when her litter was found.

She had been bottled fed, seen her vet, had her needles and was traveling a long way to come and join our family. All this and only three months old.

There we a lot of people who volunteered their time to give her a chance at life and now it was our time to take over and give her an amazing life.

As I have mentioned, I am known for living through my heart. Her journey and strength to make it through all of her three months of life, made me fall in love with her before I met her. Her courage and strength and love me kind of eyes, made us know that she was meant to be in this home.

And so the excitement was on. Soon we would drive down to NY to pick up our Juliette.

At 6:30 Am today we were excited to meet our lovely little girl. We also meet many families from NY and Ontario who were also there to meet the team who were bringing in our rescues.

I watched with amazement the skill and organization to get every dog to its new parents.

I have to admit to tears being in my eyes when I saw the doors open and there were close to twenty-five dogs of all ages and breeds, happily and safely in their crates being carried to their forever homes.

With all her paperwork in hand, vet checks, adoption papers, and her papers needed to cross the border, off we went to our first drive to Juliette’s new home.

She was funny, cuddly and loving from the first second we met her. It didn’t take long for her to win our hearts and Romeos.

Before the afternoon was over, he was sleeping by her crate, checking on her. They are playing in the park and walking together. I have never seen him so protective and the most distant he has ever been from mommy. He is still checking on me, but he has a new girl in his life and I am happy to share him with her.

So at the end of our first day, we have an extended family.

Juliette has been fitted for her life jacket and we will be taking both of the fur babies up to the cottage to a swim. She is a Boxador, A boxer-lab mix. We are hoping she loves the water as much as he does.

At the end of this day, after everyone has had their dinner and another play in the park, Romeo is not sad anymore, he has found his Juliette.