A Dog Who Loved Exceptionally Well

In 2019, I wrote of a very special rescue – 19 Labrador Retrievers living in squalor who found new lives and hope through Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue. Our founder, Jody Jones, and her transport companion went to Oregon expecting to bring back a few dogs from a breeder neglect situation. What she found so shocked and saddened her that she rented a trailer to bring all 19 back at once – unwilling to leave one behind for even a day. We called it the Lab Lift.

One dog’s story was especially touching. Minnie was an older girl with worn down teeth and mammary cancer from too many litters. We removed the cancer, but it had already metastasized. The prognosis was six months. Shut down and untrusting of humans, she did not present well to potential fosters much less adopters. We assumed she would be sanctuaried with us. But one couple saw something in Minnie that others missed. She touched their hearts, and they took her home – perhaps initially out of charity but she would come to mean so much more to them than that. “Minnie gave me a renewed sense of purpose in this life.  I am forever thankful for finding her,” wrote her new human dad.

This week, her people wrote to tell us of Minnie’s passing. Six months had turned into four and a half years. The power of love.

In January of 2020, we saw Minnie on Homeward Bound’s Facebook page. She was the very last of the so-called “Oregon Labs,” a large group of Labs rescued by Homeward Bound from a very tough situation. Everyone else had been adopted, but Minnie was still waiting for her forever home. Something about Minnie’s eyes drew us in.  

The Homeward Bound team told us that Minnie had metastasized cancer. She was not expected to live more than six months. We decided to visit her at the Homeward Bound ranch and see if there was a connection. Minnie was aloof and detached, scared and confused. She had pretty much given up on humans. She basically ignored us as we tried to get to know her. There was no spark. There was no meaningful look from her eyes. There wasn’t even one wag of her tail. I (Elaine) felt we ought to leave her at Homeward Bound because she seemed too far gone and because the whole situation seemed like a lot for us to take on. Jay felt very, very strongly she was ours. We took her home that same day as a medical foster, and we began our journey together.

Minnie didn’t know a thing about living in a home, basic commands, or love and trust. We didn’t know a thing about raising large dogs, but as empty nesters, we sure had love and trust and time in spades to pour into her. So, we spoiled her rotten, fed her all of the cookies, and checked off her bucket list. Three months in, we called Homeward Bound and asked to sign paperwork to officially adopt her. No more fostering for our girl.

We went to the ocean, and she ran in the waves. We went to the snow, and she jumped for joy. We swam in the river and in the lake. She celebrated holidays. She had more sweaters than most teenage girls. She slept deeply in her beds (one upstairs and one downstairs, both beside fireplaces). She enjoyed warm baths. She knew exactly when whatever we were baking (which would somehow end up as one of her many treats for the day) would be ready in the oven, alerting us to the one-minute warning beep. She suddenly had a human brother, sister, Grammy, aunts, an uncle, and cousins. She had a dog cousin and cat siblings. She had human and dog neighbors. She blossomed right before our eyes.

Along our journey together, we found that we needed her just as much (or more) than she needed us. She was a special needs dog who loved especially well.

Minnie conned us all in terms of her expected time on this earth and was still with us until just last week (4 1/2 years!), when we made the very hard decision to help send her to heaven.

Minnie is the sweetest soul, and we know her soul is still with us.

We wanted to extend a profound thank you to Homeward Bound for not only changing Minnie’s life, but ours as well. Bless you all for the work you do. 

In Honor and Memory of Minnie Joy Andersen, Loved Forever and Always
5/19/11 – 6/11/24

With Thanks and Joy, Elaine and Jay A.

The next time you go searching for a new companion, allow your eyes and heart to see that shy, timid one who does not come forward. You may just find a dog like Minnie – filled with gratitude for an unimagined life who loves exceptionally well.