April 2010
Bernie is the new kid on the block, a dog from the Kent shelter. We put out an appeal on the rescue list when he popped up on the radar, and Erin and Tom said they would help. They visited the shelter that afternoon, arranged to have him neutered the following morning and picked him up later that day. Only a few days before, Erin had visited people just perfect for Bernie, so he ended up being in rescue barely a week. This picture is Bernie with his new family. We’re getting frequent updates and each is as positive as the others. Bernie is a lucky Sam who might find himself in training as a service dog.
Tara arrived here just after Christmas. She had ACL surgery to fix a broken ligament the end of January, and she has been recovering since. For a long two months she had to be walked on a leash so she wouldn’t over-exert and ruin the surgery, but now we are cautiously letting her out in the yard off-leash when things aren’t too hectic. She is responding well, shows no sign of lameness, and is getting very close to being available for adoption. Tara has a calm personality and loves people. She co-exists peacefully with the pack, but is showing signs of jealousy when another dog gets too much attention, so we think she would be perfect as an only dog or as one of two. One of seven is not her favorite status.
Hope is the timid dog from the Puyallup shelter. In two months with us she has become a very different dog. While she is still cautious, she is no long afraid of everything in the world. She regularly spends time in the office with her foster humans, and in the last week she took a huge step and began playing. At first it was with another dog and a rope, but within two days she figured out humans could also pull a rope. It seems to be a big confidence builder. Also in the last few days she finally decided that entry through a sliding glass door wouldn’t be too scary to think about. Each day we see a little improvement, and soon she will also be ready for the perfect home. After spending this much time with her, it will indeed have to be a perfect home. We may even have to put occasional visits in the adoption contract.
BeBe is a dog who was on Craigslist in the Portland area who found her way to Melissa and Terry. BeBe was lucky because she had already been on Petfinder before, and Sammies who are there tend to end up with people who don’t understand the breed. BeBe was a bit intimidated at first, but quickly settled in and even began to get used to the cats. That turned out to be a good thing, because Ron and Kathy did a visit on a couple in Montesano who were looking for a dog just like her. They also have cats, so the training Melissa’s cats gave her was valuable. Bebe’s new family came to visit her and when they left Bebe was with them and she didn’t even look back. Her family is enjoying her, and in return she is enjoying her new lifestyle (as you can see in the picture).
We were contacted by a man who said his ex-wife was in the hospital and her dog Chanel had to find a new home; the house she was at had been sold and the new owners were taking possession the next day. After another appeal on our list, Danna and Eric let us know they would help. We put them in touch with the ex-husband and arranged that they would foster the dog. We sent the paperwork, including the release form, to him so he could have them ready. When he delivered Chanel, he said he wasn’t the owner and wouldn’t sign anything and took off immediately. But fortunately his ex-wife’s mother heard about this and let Danna know they didn’t want to surrender her dog. As it now stands, Danna will foster for the next couple weeks and then Chanel will go back to the people she knows. We are grateful to Danna and Eric, not only for taking Chanel on short notice, but for taking the high road dealing with the ex-husband.
For nearly a year we had an applicant who wanted a Samoyed-Golden cross, and nothing else. When we heard of a dog like that we let her know–several times–and finally last October she found a dog, a mix in the Portland area. As time went by she learned her dog, Abby, was not good with small children or people she didn’t know. She is a piano teacher with many different people coming into her home, so she decided Abby would do better somewhere else. Our only involvement was sending her the link that told her about Abby, but we are helping by listing Abby on Petfinder. Inquiries go directly to her, and we hope Abby gets the right home this time.
Last month we told you about denisenationsitis, an affliction that affects foster homes in which they decide to keep the foster for themselves. Well, for the second time in two months it hit Northwest Samoyed Rescue again. Sam, the dog who had to go when he growled at the new baby, was being fostered by Lon and Mary. It lasted barely a month, and then Lon called to say Sam found his home because they wanted to keep him. Lon found out that Sam loves toys, and when he has one he growls to start play. He thinks it’s likely that is really what happened with his previous family, and their loss is his wonderful gain. Sam will live the rest of his life with them.
Occasionally we have a first-time dog owner apply for a Samoyed, or someone who has no experience with a Samoyed wants one. That happened last month, so we made arrangements for the woman who applied to visit with Cyndy and meet her dogs. It worked especially well because she is also fostering a German Shepherd mix for the humane society, and the woman’s neighbor has one. Two cars and many people descended on Cyndy recently and spent two hours there. Afterward the decision was to wait, possibly because of an allergy, but maybe because she was able to see the energy level of a Samoyed. OK, I admit suggesting to Cyndy that she could encourage them to be rowdy.
Hosting a potential adopter is only one way to help, and just one reason we love all our friends and volunteers. If you would like to help, please let us know and we’ll find a way to say yes.
Save the date! The RESCUE PICNIC is July 10 this year!