Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue – Page 14

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.

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.

Reassurance

Wordless Wednesday: Love

Peace and Results in the Garden

Yes, Gunther. You still have to go to dog school today, even in the rain!

Yes, rain. California rain. Two weekends in a row! Come on El Niño!

Just as the garden was about to succumb to winter brown after a summer of scorching drought,

the rain has brought it back to life.

As one thing falls away – another comes to life.

Fall is a gardener’s busiest time of year, I think. Even more than spring. This weekend – before the rain – we enlisted the help of three hard-working youth volunteers to cover our well-worn paths with a fresh layer of bark and shreds. It has been three years since we last did this. And El Niño threatens a season of muddy walks. Take a look back to see how much the garden has changed.

This time, the load was only half the size – as the beds are twice theirs.

But everyone pitched in to get it done in record time.

Their reward? Dogs. We lunched with Scrappy.

got bowled over by Bailey…

And witnessed just about the sweetest “going home” ever.

Holly is one of our Taiwan rescues. She came all this way to find a forever home – but no one seemed to understand her. That is, until two adorable and smart young girls came in and spoke to Holly in her native Mandarin! They have been studying the language at school and are already quite fluent. When they sang “Happy Birthday” to Holly in Mandarin it was as if someone unlocked her world. The deal was sealed and Holly found her home.

Awesome youth volunteers. Paths dressed. Holly’s adoption. Rain. And more tiny frogs.

“There is peace in the garden. Peace and results.” ~ Ruth Stout

Boy Meets Girl

New “fur-ever” friends. Nothing better.

Wordless Wednesday: Lenny

If We Could Talk To The Animals

“If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages
Think of all the things we could discuss…”

People who love animals are often guilty of channeling their furry companions, putting tiny-human words to their every animal expression. Working in the Homeward Bound garden, I sometimes carry on entire conversations with dog walkers speaking in the first-dog-person of their canine companions.

Carla is one of those dog-channelers. She writes the dog profiles for our rescue, Homeward Bound.

I learned from her and our photographer, Rob that a connection can be made almost immediately through an expressive photo and a story – told from the dog’s perspective.

People fall in love with the look of a dog; that’s Rob’s job, and he does it beautifully. But physical attraction is not enough to make a good match – for dogs or humans. Dogs don’t keep secrets, and neither does Carla. She believes in putting it out there, warts and all.

“You can call me Max, but I probably won’t come! Do you know what they call a two-year-old boy with very little training? MAX!” ~ Max

Speaking for them, she helps people connect with a dog’s journey…

“I am a ten-year-old girl, and I am here because Divorce said dad had to leave and couldn’t take me with him and then Divorce said that mom had to work a lot of hours and didn’t have time to take care of me. So I told Divorce that I was going to Homeward Bound for a fresh start.” ~ Lola

explains their pasts…

“I am a three-year-old boy looking for a fresh start. I am what you call a “stray”; I was picked up with no visible means of support and no one ever came to post my bail. Maybe it’s my lack of training or the fact I jump up on people or maybe it’s because I don’t’ like cats. So now I am hoping that my new family enjoys training and will forgive my shortcomings.” ~ Denver (now adopted Bailey)

and helps potential adopters understand how they can support a dog with challenges.

“Alright, I have had some issues with other dogs. I can go for walks…which I love to do…and not bother another dog. It’s just sometimes, when you are wrestling and romping with another dog, things get said and I take it personally and well…it’s all down hill from there!” ~ Jenny

Reading a bio, talking to our assessment team, looking at a photo – she has a way of seeing into a dog’s soul and giving voice to their hopes.

“My owner died, and I swore I would never love again, it just hurts so much to lose someone you love. My problem is that all I know is unconditional love, and my idea of love is up close and personal! I am going to need an experienced dog owner who will also understand my very sensitive nature.” ~ Marley

And she does it without a hint of pity – because our dogs don’t need pity; all they need is understanding and loving homes.

“If we could walk with the animals,

talk with the animals,

Grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals,

And they could squeak and squawk and speak and talk to us!” ~ Dr. Doolittle Lyrics, If I Could Talk To The Animals

Wordless Wednesday: Maddy

A Heart That Sees

When our entry beds were sketched and planted, it took imagination to see what they would become.

But in that dirt were the seeds of this towering symphony of purple, white, and silver.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ Antoin de St Exupery, The Little Prince

Victor came to us in the fall of 2014 from an area shelter. Surrendered at the age of 10, he was a hot mess of chronic ear infections and flea allergy dermatitis. He had literally scratched and rubbed his coat away from the constant itching.

Most people would have a hard time seeing past his scabs to his sweet personality and the potential he had inside. Barbara, however, sees with her heart and not her eyes. She took Victor home knowing his challenges. Add to the list, Vestibular Disease, which struck about a month later. The disease causes sudden loss of balance and disorientation that might be mistaken for stroke. While symptoms often resolve in a couple of weeks, it can result in permanent head wobbling or tilt. Welcome to Victor’s 45-degree world!

When he came for a visit yesterday, I did not even recognize this furry, fluffy boy. Only the angle of his gaze would give it away.

A garden teaches us to see potential beyond what is visible to the eye. With imagination, work, and love, its shape takes form and its true personality comes to life.

“At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous.” ~ Mirabel Osler