I am the doggy mama to two rescue dogs, a 70 lb lab/boxer/who knows mix named Lola J, and a 7 lb chi/min pin/who knows mix named Annie May! Lola J is my "first born" and she came into our lives a couple years ago when my boyfriend and I were perusing Craigslist for a dog. My boyfriend really wanted a boxer or boxer mix, so when I saw Lola listed as "Free" and a "Boxer mix" I thought we'd won the lottery! I went to meet the lady in a parking lot to see the dog. When I met them, she told me the dog's name was "Venom" and that they didn't want her anymore because when they tried to fight her, "she wasn't mean enough." Fantastic. I took Lola to meet Shane and she growled and tried to bite him, and wouldn't let him get near me. Again, fantastic. When Shane got home from work that night, she warmed up to him, and we renamed her Lola J. She slept in the bed, right in between us, and has been doing that every night since. She is the most protective, loyal dog I've ever seen, and also the biggest cuddle bug ever! Annie May, our newest dog, was found abandoned at a gas station this past December (it was 17 degrees that night, I had to bring her home!), and Lola warmed up to her as soon as I brought her inside. Annie May is super timid and does not let anyone "new" touch her. So far, she's only truly comfortable around Shane and I, which makes me sad, because I hate to think what she went through before we got her! Annie May and Lola J are the BEST of friends. They both sleep in the bed, eat together, and at first we kept them in separate crates, but they both flipped when separated so now they even stay in the same crate when we're away! They are also partners in crime. Annie will grab stuff Lola can't get to (since she's so big) and then they will both chew it to pieces (i.e. $50 TV remote, $300 mouth retainer, etc).
My advice would be two sided. I think, if possible, you should adopt a dog from a rescue or pound, because they need home so badly. At the same time though, know that since these dogs are rescues, you have NO idea what all they're issues are, and likely won't find out until something expensive happens. (This might not make sense, so here's an example): Whoever had Annie before us gave her stagnant water to drink, and now she is chock full of worms that are EXPENSIVE to treat. Nobody could've told us that. Also, whoever had Lola before us never treated her when she was sick so now she has a compromised immune system. In the past 2 months she's had bronchitis, pink eye, and some sort of digestive tract issue. My dogs were both "free" but have costed more than $500 in the past 3 months, so be prepared for that!
I LOVE my dogs, and would pay any amount to have them around, there is nothing compared to coming home after a long, bad day and having two little creatures SO pumped to see you :)
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Thank you Camille for sharing Lola J & Annie May's stories!
Please go say "hi" to Camille and her family over at her blog, Camille Yanair!
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SO cute how close those beasties are. And isn't it amazing how people can be so cruel and neglectful of their dogs? I look at my dog and only want to give her the best of food and the cleanest of water and the longest of walks. I don't get people who get dogs and then don't care about them or abandon them. Glad your beasties found new, better homes :)
ReplyDeleteTheir house sounds kind of like ours. :) Pooches are great, but all come with their special issues.
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