Today We Rescued Your Dog
by Pat Closher
Today we rescued your dog. We don’t know where you got him from - maybe you saw him in a pet store window or maybe one of your neighbors bred a few litters a year just to make some vacation money or because they loved their dogs so much that of course they wanted to have puppies. We don’t know much about how you cared for him either, although our vet thought that for such a young dog, his teeth were in pretty bad shape.
by Pat Closher
Today we rescued your dog. We don’t know where you got him from - maybe you saw him in a pet store window or maybe one of your neighbors bred a few litters a year just to make some vacation money or because they loved their dogs so much that of course they wanted to have puppies. We don’t know much about how you cared for him either, although our vet thought that for such a young dog, his teeth were in pretty bad shape.
Did you know they were going to keep him outside? At least it was a pretty mild winter. There were no heavy snows, not much heavy winter rain and only a few days of bitter cold. But for all of those weeks he had no companionship, no care, and no love.
For some reason, your grandparents took him to the shelter. Maybe a neighbor complained about him or maybe their own health gave out or maybe they just got tired of him. You know the local shelter is a kill shelter, don’t you? You know that their own statistics indicate that about half of the dogs that enter are killed, don’t you? Maybe your grandparents thought he would be adopted quickly. He is a purebred, after all. No one was interested in him, though, maybe since he’s an adult dog and not a cute little puppy. No one contacted the purebred rescue group either. They probably would have placed him quickly, since he really is a great boy. The shelter is a clean place and they take good care of the dogs. They get good food and they’re bathed and brushed. It’s still a shelter though, and is noisy and chaotic and frightening. He spent two months there in that confusion, away from everyone and everything he had known.
One day, we saw him on the shelter web site. We called and asked about him. The shelter workers were so happy to hear from us and were delighted to agree to bring him to a local pet store where they do adoptions. Do you want to know why they were so accommodating? He was scheduled to be killed that afternoon. He didn’t know that, but the shelter workers certainly did. It hurt them and he felt that, so he knew something was wrong. All of a sudden, though, the shelter workers were happy and excited and so was he. They bathed him and brushed his coat. We think they probably told him this was it - his big chance, or maybe he just knew it somehow. When we met him, we all fell in love.
He had to go to the vet to be neutered, of course, but then he came home. He has his very own 13 year-old boy. You know, it’s almost like watching one of those old Lassie movies, seeing how well they’ve bonded. He’s got good food and his own toys. He’s taken on walks three times a day, is regularly groomed and is taken to the vet for needed care. We’ll be with him always, even if we have to make that last, difficult decision, because, you see, he is our dog and we are his family.
He has a good heart you know, but then he is a dog, so that’s to be expected. He’s probably forgiven you and, with a dog’s grace, doesn’t even remember you dumped him. He’d probably even be willing to greet you at the Rainbow Bridge. But you know what? He’ll greet us and go with us at the Bridge, and then he’ll be with us forever, because he’s our dog and we’re his family.
The way we heard the story, you moved out of state and didn’t want to take him with you. You left him at your grandparents. Maybe you thought a lively, handsome dog was just the thing for them, and under better circumstances it might have been. Maybe they have been cleaning up your messes for your entire life and an unwanted dog was just another mess to clean up.One day, we saw him on the shelter web site. We called and asked about him. The shelter workers were so happy to hear from us and were delighted to agree to bring him to a local pet store where they do adoptions. Do you want to know why they were so accommodating? He was scheduled to be killed that afternoon. He didn’t know that, but the shelter workers certainly did. It hurt them and he felt that, so he knew something was wrong. All of a sudden, though, the shelter workers were happy and excited and so was he. They bathed him and brushed his coat. We think they probably told him this was it - his big chance, or maybe he just knew it somehow. When we met him, we all fell in love.
He had to go to the vet to be neutered, of course, but then he came home. He has his very own 13 year-old boy. You know, it’s almost like watching one of those old Lassie movies, seeing how well they’ve bonded. He’s got good food and his own toys. He’s taken on walks three times a day, is regularly groomed and is taken to the vet for needed care. We’ll be with him always, even if we have to make that last, difficult decision, because, you see, he is our dog and we are his family.
He has a good heart you know, but then he is a dog, so that’s to be expected. He’s probably forgiven you and, with a dog’s grace, doesn’t even remember you dumped him. He’d probably even be willing to greet you at the Rainbow Bridge. But you know what? He’ll greet us and go with us at the Bridge, and then he’ll be with us forever, because he’s our dog and we’re his family.
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Tooty went to her final forever home on President’s Day 2020. She is survived by her mom, dad and Mr. Bird. We all miss her terribly since she was such a light in our lives. Miss Me but Let Me Go When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me I want no rites in a gloom-filled room Why cry for a soul set free? Miss me a little – but not too long And not with your head bowed low. Remember the love that we once shared, Miss me – but let me go. For this is a journey that we all must take And each must go alone. It’s all a part of the Master’s plan, A step on the road to home. When you are lonely and sick of heart Go to the friends we know And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds. Miss me – But Let Me Go!
Xander came to us through LSBR in August, 2008. For 10 years he filled our lives with joy and love. It is actually he that rescued us. We thank LSBR for taking Xander in and letting him adopt us. Our dear companion may be gone but he will never be forgotten.
Our precious Cash crossed the rainbow bridge 10/26/17. He was adopted from LSBR in 2014 and was diagnosed with renal disease shortly after. We did the best we could to make sure he had a long happy life.. from special kidney diet foods to blood pressure medicines and plenty of plush, warm beds and VIP access to our shower for his nightly drinking water... he was treated like a king. Unfortunately within the last couple of days, he went downhill pretty fast. He stopped eating, lost a lot of weight, and became very lethargic. Ultimately, due to his kidney failure, we decided to let him go to ease his suffering. As much as our hearts are hurting, we want to thank you guys for giving us the opportunity to welcome Cash into our home. Although he was only with us for a “short “ period of time, he was a wonderful addition to our family and brought so much joy to us and to everyone who met him. We will miss him tremendously. May he Rest In Peace.. Alice and Michael
We adopted Harris from LSBR in 2008 when he was approximately 3 yo and loved him ever since! He was a special guy and will be sorely missed by us all. We found out in January that his lungs were full of cancerous tumors. He fought a good fight but finally succumbed to this horrible disease. Robyn & Patrick
Theo is missed. He was the sweetest dog I’ve ever known. He was so good at being happy that he inspired us. He wasn’t even food aggressive even after being starved. We always thought that was amazing. We really missed Christmas tree shopping with him this past Christmas. He always came with us and wore his Santa suit. Naturally, he was the hit of the tree lot. This is a photo from Christmas of 2015. He’s wearing his Christmas collar, laying on his favorite bed, of the 5 we had for him. He may have been a bit spoiled. We think all the photos we have of him are cute, but of course that’s because he was a cherished member of our family. The Kuhn's
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