Good News!
Mommy's big, sad, baby blue's can still work their magic. Thank you, Daddy. So, instead of the pretty pink Nikon Coolpix I was using before a certain little Devil Dog (not sayin' who) flattened it flatter than a pancake, I'm now using a snazzy, black & silver Sanyo digital camera. Same price, too. Bonus points for 2.1 more pixels. I'm talkin' Mega, 7.1 Mega! well, that's what the camera says. And, I think it's even easier to use. 'Course, all I know how to do is take a picture. That's ok. I'll learn. Just like this Blogging thing. One day at a time.
There will be pixs of the day, everyday. "What's that you said".... "Oh, thank you, you're making me blush"...... "But, I was talking about pixs of the pups".
Where was I? Oh, right.
So, yesterday I promised to tell everyone "How we made them ours". Here goes.
Before I had seen the picture of the pups at the rescue shelter, I did something, highly, unusual. The usual MO with rescue groups is to send in an application adoption agreement, first. And then they will call you. If you're approved. That's a big, anxiety filled, IF for hopeful adopters. Each picture of the dogs notes to call the shelter manager, Janet Madden, (now known, officially, as Aunty Janet and Bridget and Flanagan's very own fairy godmother) at the listed phone #. So, I did. And even though they probably gets tons of calls and talk with lots of potential new dog owners, somehow, Janet remembered me later.
That is a very crucial detail, although neither of us knew it at the time. She remembered me.This is practically, miraculous! Magical, even! Don't ya think? well, that and the fact that I've been told that I could talk a starving dog off of a meat wagon, even a bacon meat wagon
Anyway, I told her all about Tibby and Toby and how I wanted to do it all over again. I told her that we had known, for a long time, that we couldn't imagine a life without dogs in it. Two dogs... hopefully two Chow Chow dogs. Chow Chow puppies would be wonderful. Chow Chow mix dogs were ok, too. But I told her I had to see, really see, Chow Chow in them. We fell in love with the breed with Tibby and Toby and we also knew that too many Chows end up in shelters. Kill shelters. I also told her that mostly, I just missed my dogs, just plain missed having dogs, and we would be open to any sibling pups. She told me that they don't see a lot of Chows, any chows, mixes or not, but to keep checking the adoption picture pages.
I really liked Janet from that first phone call, one of the many, many calls back and forth. She told me to email an application agreement. So, I did.
4 days later I spotted the picture of the pups. OMG! I was frantic. I knew these dogs were mine. Slight problem with that. At the end of the application agreement it says to give the shelter a week. OMG! Hasn't it been a week? It feels like a year! I quickly open my email box and head straight for the copy of the AA. Drat! Only a stinkin' 4 days had passed. I had a serious decision to make. If I waited the week the pups might be gone. I was not willing to risk losing them. I was so afraid that I would be disqualified if I contacted them early. I don't really know why I thought that, but I did. I took a deep breath and called Janet.
She seemed so excited to hear from me. I gotta admit, I thought it was odd. I mean, yes, I know I have a sparkling personality and all. But she was really, really happy to hear from me. Here comes another crucial detail. As soon as the 3 pups in a box were dumped at the shelter, Janet did something she tries very hard not to. She looked at the pups. Really looked.
You see, shelter workers try not to look, a look is dangerous. That look could cause you to do something. Something, you know in your heart, you can't do. You can't take them home. If you did, your weary heart would want to take all of them home. You have to force yourself to add protection for your heart. For the dogs sakes. So you grow a hardened shell to keep your soft heart from breaking. It's not as bad as it sounds. The hardness doesn't come in the form of a blow. No, the hardness is only as hard as a glance. You teach yourself to glance, never to look. There will be a time for looking. Not now, but later, when you kiss them goodbye as you send them off to a forever home.
The minute she looked at them she thought of me. She told me she now knew what I meant by "seeing the Chow". Then she thought to herself, "You little lucky pups, and me too, I got lucky tonight". "I get to look at you guys, twice".
Janet raced to her desk, a desk that is covered with chew toys and pet carriers, papers and files, and probably even an animal, or two. And somewhere under all the mess are the adoption applications. All except mine! Janet had lost the only way to get in touch with me. She had an idea. She would quickly take a picture of the pups and post it to http://carams.org/. She would write up a bio for the pups but she didn't give these 3 pups cutesy theme names. Not even the same first letter names. I think she was afraid that cutesy names would draw too much attention. As it was, Bridget, Flanagan and Ash were BIG TIME, cute. Throw in cutesy names and the "Oooh and Aaah" factor already goin' on goes right over the top! That's my theory and I'm stickin' to it!
Now all she could do was hope that I would see them.
Silly woman! Ha! How could I NOT see them? I'd only been practically glued to the website for 4 days!
But, stop and think about how strange it is for a woman who devotes her life to finding good homes for all the dogs in her care, would now find herself worried that these 3 pups would quickly find potential homes, separate homes. Or worse, with waiting periods where people can, and do, change their mind. Janet remembered that I not only wanted Chow Chow's, I was going to take 2 Chow's. Two chows out means two other dogs can come in. As it was, these pups shouldn't have been at the shelter.
The shelter was full. Janet made space in the lobby.
You tell me you wouldn't have been a goner, too.
I mean, just look at Flanagan's beautiful face and the 2 black balls of fluff with him. Bridget is the fluff ball in the back of the box.
That's it for today. They were now mine. All we needed to do next was get them, here. Sounds easy enough, eh?
Please, if you have a bit of extra time check out the shelter that is linked, above. Beautiful dogs, big dogs, small dogs, tiny dogs, too. Young, old and middle aged in all colors. All of them wanting the same thing. You.
Hey, who knows.. you, too, might see your heart dog. If it can happen to me it can happen to you. Besides, I believe in magic.
Later,
Bridget & Flanagan's Mommy
This is the actual posting with a bio and D.O.B.
Special Delivery!! 3 little pups were delivered to CARA and are now living in the lobby since there is no room in the shelter. There is 1 male & 2 females. The male is white & the 2 girls are black & smoky gray. Are you a forever home for them? The male's name is Tahoe. The black female's name is Julep. The smokey grey is named Ashes. (UPDATE! Tahoe & Julep have BEEN ADOPTED!)
Name:Special Delivery Pups
Breed:Chow mix
Size:Large
Sex:Female & Male
Approx DOB:2008-02-02
. Those 2 plates belonged to my Mom. I think Nana Maureen would be happy to know that they are now the pups plates.
This is my Big boy, Flanny. Ain't he a handsome mug, eh. But he can also be very goofy looking. He has the kind of face that just makes you laugh. Very comical. Sorta like Bill Murray...ya know he doesn't even have to say anything and he can still crack you up!
This pic cracks me up! You should see them patrolling the territory. Usually they hold on with one paw on the railing and the other one bent at the wrist. They keep their bodies in place and turn their heads in a full circle. They look just like the Meerkat's protecting the Manor. tee hee
Flanagan thinks HE should be doin' the Blogging!
Squirrel Alert! Bridget & Flanagan on the look out! OMG! They go nuts, absolutely bonkers, when they spot a squirrel. LOL
