Tag: dog rescue
Teach Your Children Well
A garden is a reflection of its keepers. Tidy and structured;
casual and carefree;
or untamed and wild.
It inherits our priorities – not by birth, but by effort and example. So too, our children.
“Whatever you would have your children become, strive to exhibit in your own lives and conversation.” ~ Lydia Sigourney
Kate is a dedicated Homeward Bound dog walker. Despite juggling a full life with young children and a husband’s doctor hours, she shows up every Sunday to get the dogs out – rain or shine.
She has an eagle eye for the first sign of a sneeze, limp, or matted ear – and an enormous heart for those most in need. In 2014, she extended it to George. As a Black Lab with insecurities in a place surrounded by sought-after Goldens, she was worried that he would be overlooked forever. So she took him home.
And while he is still unsure when he encounters dogs on his walks, it turns out that he is fine with dogs in his home. Go figure. This, of course, makes him a perfect host for fostering, which he has taken to very nicely following Kate’s example.
Last week, Kate saw that Maggie needed a soft place to land as she recovered from recent medical procedures.
With George and family in tow, an introduction was planned.
It did not take long for Maggie and George to give the “all clear.”
The kids cheered.
Rescue runs in this family. Kate and her husband, Christian, see to it by living the example. The love, respect, and concern for animals that they have inspired in their children is obvious.
Because of that, Maggie is in their foster care today. She has an opportunity to get well in the comfort of home, and to be loved upon while she waits for her own furever family.
Fostering. A gift for the dogs.
A great way to inspire a love of rescue in children.
Wordless Wednesday: My Boy
Emmie: A Gift from the Universe
“We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming.
We cannot stop the spring or the fall
or make them other than they are.
They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse.
But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.” ~ Gary Zukav
To the person who left sweet, thirteen-year-old Emmie at the shelter, emaciated, sick, and alone – in the winter of her life that she could not stop from coming;
thank you for this gift from the universe that we could not – and would not, refuse.
She brings light to our lives,
and purpose to our days. Our contribution is surrounding her with love and kindness, for whatever time is left.
Regardless of the sadness we know is coming,
this is what we choose. It is your loss that you could not do the same.
Update: Sweet Emmie passed peacefully and gently, surrounded by our volunteers the week that I wrote this post. We knew her time would be measured in days, not weeks or months. In a very short time, she touched so many hearts, not the least of whom was the woman at the shelter who alerted us to her need. Upon Emmie’s passing she writes: “I cried tears of sadness and anger when I got the call from the former owner stating she was bringing her to the shelter I work at. I am now crying tears for her passing. I am eternally grateful to Homeward Bound and for being there to show her love…she deserved nothing but the best, yet her owner was tossing her away. I will never understand that. Big hugs of thankfulness to every person at Homeward Bound! You are an awesome group of people.”
Fly free, sweet Emmie. You are our gift to heaven, now.
Thanks to Rob Kessel, of robanddog.com, for the beautiful photos of Emmie.
Where the Sugar Flows
In the big dog Park, the rough and tumble play.
But on the other side of the fence is where the sugar lives.
Sugar Shack Acres is home to Homeward Bound’s most senior dogs: the sugar faces –
our sanctuary dogs – like once-and-forever feral Red –
and dogs who just love being with other dogs – like Lucy, who is only five, but desperately needed to lose weight. After a couple of weeks with her Sugar Shack friends, she dropped nearly ten pounds (and was on her way home!)
These pups may be a little slow,
But they still get around.
And everyone gets along.
As they say: it takes a long time for a soul to get this sweet.
Some of our volunteers spend all their time in this sanctuary – where the dogs have their own house and a large open yard so they can come and go freely.
Some just pay a visit after walking, feeding, and cleaning up after our “dorm” dogs – only to be mobbed by smiling faces, tail wags and kisses.
And when the young dog pack leaves the Park…guess where the sugar flows?
Chessy’s Inner Lion
Hear her roar!
Hope Delivered
Oh the weather outside was frightful…but rain in California is delightful. We are so grateful for (count them!) two storm systems this week, moving through our drought-dried state. While it dumped in buckets, it was still very manageable (for most of us…sorry little bee!).
The walkers who braved it today were rewarded with a brief blast of sunshine by the end.
And of course, dogs!
This is pre-El Nino cheer bringing hope to our thirsty state.
The weekend also delivered on the hopes of five of our dogs. Our ”going homes” include Booker – who is the perfect foil to his new human, Mark.
Talk about mugging it up for the camera.
Charlie got the thumbs-up from gorgeous alum Goldie to come home and stay with her (and to shed a few pounds!)
Babe couldn’t wait to get in the car and go (not that she didn’t appreciate her time with us!)
And Precious and Lexi. These two came to us when their person could no longer care for them. I hope it brings them comfort knowing they will be in good and happy hands.
Dogs going home. A kennel that is half empty. The garden nearly put to bed for the winter. And rain.
The perfect way to end a weekend.
Winter Approaches
All signs point to winter. In the span of one week, the garden has transformed from a fall garden to a winter one. This, of course, means that I am way behind. Dogs come first, and more than a few have had their turn recently. Hurray for…
Marley,
River,
Keiko,
and Dart.
While it looks like the garden is beginning to slumber, there is still a lot going on under the surface. Until a freeze, newly transplanted perennials and trees, and an army of spring bulbs are all growing roots, while earthworms and tiny microbes are still hard at work.
“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.” ~ Barbara Winkler
All of this will come to a halt when we get our first real freeze. Before then, we need to complete the raising and mulching of the beds to keep them from floating away during our much hoped for El Nino, and to keep the soil temperature even.
Despite removing mountains of leaves, we still have heaps of them.
I rigged an open air container and assigned begged off the chopping duties. The leaf bits will over-winter in the container, creating a leaf mold to use as soil conditioner in our packed clay by spring.
I never mourn the passing of a season. Gardeners always look ahead. Besides, the colors of an approaching winter are beautiful in their own right:
Browns,
faded pinks,
yellows and reds,
And of course – the snowy whites…
the best color of all.
Dog Tired
This is how tired I am. Dog tired.
But it’s the best kind of tired. This weekend, we put more than 200 bulbs in the ground and pots for spring –
and planted a Redbud in honor of sweet BoBo.
BoBo found his forever home with Rob of RobandDog –
and started him on his journey of rehabilitating those dogs most in need.
Six pups went home including one-up/one-down Tessa with her new friend Ringo,
And Barnaby who is being renamed “Barney” as in his new Dad’s favorite TV character, Barney Fife.
Adding to the chaos was a visit from Santa!
Each year he makes a special trip to Homeward Bound to take pictures with all the dogs who have been adopted –
and those who wait.
Because we don’t have a chimney in the senior sanctuary, and because some of the senior dogs can’t walk all that way to Santa – his elves were enlisted to lend a hand. Look … I can fly!
All-in-all, it was an exhausting and perfect pre-Thanksgiving weekend reminding us to be thankful for the new families of our furry friends,
and our family of devoted volunteers who make it happen.
Trooper’s Mini-Me
Mini-me.
Just me.
Our Houseguest
I shared Lady Edith’s story on our rescue blog. But since many of you do not see that (and I am up to my elbows in puppy poop!) I hope you will indulge me with her story and current update.
Lady Edith was destined for a life of making puppies. Too young, too thin, and in need of eye surgery – she was surrendered, instead, to our rescue, Homeward Bound. It changed the course of her life forever.
Despite her slight stature, we could tell something was up. The vet confirmed. A week or so later, she delivered her beautiful pups in the wee hours of the morning following a rare evening of Sacramento Valley thunderstorms. Edith’s mothering instincts came naturally, despite her young age.
She has raised (with much assistance!) four beautiful pups from tiny things…
to rough and tumble troublemakers!
Each litter that we welcome has a dedicated human mom assigned to them. This time, it was Judy who ensured that they were well-socialized – so important in a dog’s proper raising. It also means countless feedings and clean-ups. What goes in … must come out!
All of Lady Edith’s puppies have been adopted.
As has Lady Edith – who is being renamed “Lacy.” Her puppies are now fully weaned and exhausting her. Yes, you – little troublemaker!
Before she can have her eye surgery, her milk needs to dry up so we can do her spay at the same time. No more puppies for this puppy. So we are fostering her for a couple of weeks until she is ready.
At only one year of age, she is a puppy herself – with absolutely no house manners. Just like her kids – she poops on, pees on, and eats everything in sight! We will work on those things before she heads to her own forever home where her adoptive mom also waits – anxiously!
There, Edith will enjoy a life of play and love – as every young dog should.
Wordless Wednesday: Love
Gardens For Goldens 