astiff/Boxer mix.
Me & Shadybear shortly after I adopted her--->
My 2 babies that live with my ex-husband are Chopper, a cuddly, white 5 1/2 year old American Bulldog/Boxer mix and Mr. Littles, a goofy, black 7 year old Lab/Doberman mix. It's so hard not having them with me everyday but I know their Daddie takes amazing care of them and loves them just as I do. He and I are great friends, (another story for another day), and I can see
them whenever I wish.
My ex, K, left this morning for California, where he will be visiting his family for the next 9 days. I will be taking care of Chopper & Mr. Littles while he's gone. Unfortunately, I cannot bring them to my home, so I will be going to see them twice a day. Luckily for me, K lives less than 10 minutes away, so it won't be a big deal to drive over there 2, sometimes 3 times a day. I am so excited that I will get to spend so much alone time with them, snuggling & playing just like old times. K and I haven't lived in the same house for over 3 years now, so the sting of not waking up with all my babies every morning isn't as bad as it once was. They are always so happy to see me, I get lots of kisses and butt wiggles when I come over.
All of our dogs are rescues. Biscuits came from The Humane Society, Chopper was a private adoption, Mr. Littles was rescued by a Police Officer friend of ours, from a homeless man who was swinging him around in a plastic shopping bag, Wingnut was a skinny, scrappy little 3 month old stray who found me and I rescued Shadybear from "Doggie Death Row" at a South Central Los Angeles animal shelter.
Shadybear has such a heartwarming story. I found out about her this past February in an email from a woman who is involved in dog rescues. Shadybear was given up, for unknown reasons to the shelter in L.A. 3 months earlier when she was 8 years old. This woman was desperately trying to find a home for her before she was PTS. (Put to sleep). In this email were 3 pictures of such a beautiful, sad, dejected little girl, that as soon as I saw her I knew she had to come home to me. This dedicated woman was able to put me in touch with another woman who lived in the Los Angeles area, who amazingly volunteered to pull Shadybear from the shelter and drive halfway to where I live. I was blown away by these 2 woman who were taking time out of their busy lives to help rescue a dog neither of them had ever actually met.
In the meantime, this same email went out to hundreds of animal rescue groups across the country and people were rallying, trying to find a way to save this one little girl. Donations came flooding in to the shelter, made to insure that she be kept alive long enough for her to find a home. The arrangements for me to get her took about 4 days and by the time she was pulled from the shelter, word had gotten around that Shadybear was going to a new home. The shelter received so many donations in her behalf, that they waived all adoption, vaccine and micro-chipping fees. The woman who pulled her was so touched by her story that she would not accept any money from me, not even for gas.
As soon as Shadybear and I got home, I promptly put her in the bathtub. She smelled so bad, poor thing. After I washed her and wrapped her in a towel, I took a real good look at her to evaluate her condition. She was skin-n-bones, had bed-sores on her bottom, a large mass on her belly and another one on her leg. She also had 2 smaller masses, 1 under each eye. My heart ached for her, that she had been so grossly neglected. I made an appointment to take her to the Vet for the next day.
The story gets longer from here but I'll shorten it and say, after 2 surgeries, (with many complications) and thousands of dollars, she is a firm member of my little family. She is amazingly smart, funny and affectionate and she is right where she belongs, with me and her 2 sisters. I knew what I was getting into by adopting a "Senior" dog and I'm okay with that. She has every right to live out her remaining years in a safe and loving home. I treasure every moment we have together and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
My 3 girls are my best friends, without them I would not be complete. Their loyalty is fierce and their love, forever. Dogs rule.
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