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Last month we talked about Kota, the dog in southern Oregon, and the problems we had with the Jackson County shelter. They steadfastly refuse to work with rescue groups because they want to place the dogs themselves. We contacted a county commissioner but could not convince him it’s in the best interests of dogs to allow breed rescue groups to help them. Kota was subsequently adopted to someone locally.

The new adopter contacted us the first week in June asking if we could take Kota. He is often out of town and Kota is too much for his very small yard. Even though the shelter visited and did a home visit, they didn’t understand the needs of a Samoyed. By the time you read this we hope we will have Kota safe in rescue, and perhaps he will already have a new home. We guarantee it will be one where the people understand the challenges of a 15 month male Samoyed and are prepared to deal with him.

NWSR was contacted about a female Samoyed named Mya in Great Falls, Montana. That’s usually out of our area, but we were able to offer some assistance. Samoyed Rescue of Utah is actually the closest rescue group, and after an exchange of e-mails they were ready to take her. As things developed, she will stay in Great Falls. The group helping Mya put her in a temporary foster home that quickly became a permanent forever home. Imagine that!

The largest association of breed rescues in the northwest is Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue (SPDR), which has been without a Samoyed representative for many years. The most recent rep was listed for a while, but gave up because she hadn’t received any referrals (people usually call us first). We’re happy to report that Ryann Grady will now be the SPDR Samoyed breed representative, and we’ll work with her when anyone needs help. We are also now listed on the SCA website, and the first inquiry we can tie to that listing came recently.

Tara has had an inquiry that looks good from a family in Yakima. There will be a delay of a week or so before we will know for sure, but it looks positive.

We are not planning to list Hope because she needs a very special home. Hope came to us almost feral, with no previous contact with humans. She is comfortable now but will always be timid so she needs someone patient and understanding. She needs to live with other dogs because she takes her cues from them. She usually won’t approach a human alone, but if another dog is getting attention she wants her share. In the right home she is going to be a once in a lifetime dog. If you’re reading this and interested in her, please contact Ron.

The 2010 Rescue Picnic is July 10 at Ron and Kathy’s house.

The picnic will be the same as in previous years, except instead of hamburgers and hot dogs we will have deli sandwiches. We love to visit with our adopters and the dogs we’ve placed, but we can’t do that standing at a grill. We’ll also have a couple assistants hired for the day to take care of t-shirt sales and odds and ends that come up during the picnic. We’re looking forward to visiting with our friends. Remember, the picnic is open to all club members as well as adopters.

About a year ago we found a purebred Sammy girl in the Jackson County shelter in southern Oregon. It is a small shelter and the management refuses to work with rescue groups, so we asked friends to go adopt her and help get her to us. We were able to find her breeder, who promptly paid back all our costs and drove to get her. In April this year another dog came into the Jackson County shelter. His name was Kota and we called our friends to pick him up. When they went in, the shelter not only refused to let them take the dog, they blackballed them from ever adopting again because they had turned a dog over to us.

Last year we chose not to fight their policies because we didn’t want to jeopardize our chances of getting a dog in the future. This year it was a decision potentially harmful to dogs of all breeds. We decided to involve the county commissioners in a complaint against the shelter, and had some productive correspondence and even a phone call from a commissioner. He admitted the shelter is small and parochial and needs to reexamine policies about working with rescues. As we pointed out, letting a breed rescue group pull a dog from their shelter gives it a much better chance of going to an appropriate home. Kota was adopted to someone locally, and we have to hope it was a good home. Next time they have a Samoyed we will probably have to fight this battle again.

Melissa has been working with a woman in Portland who needs to place a dog, helping her make sure she goes to a good home. Her name is Nala and the woman has now had her spayed (at Melissa’s vet) and is doing everything right. We are always relieved when someone is willing to keep a dog while the right home is found. Also on the radar is a girl named Mya with a rescue group in Great Falls, Montana. She is a beautiful purebred and we’ll offer to list her on our website.

Hope has reached a plateau where she is reasonably comfortable being around people, but still nervous and afraid of sudden movement or noises. She enjoys being petted but is slow to ask for it. She needs a home where she can be with people, and definitely needs other dogs for company. She takes her cues from the dogs and is much faster to warm up to someone already petting another dog. Because she is a special case who arrived completely unsocialized, we’ve been taking our time with her. We’re also limited on how much we can do for her because of the number of dogs in the house. Rather than list her on Petfinder we’re going to ask people we know, both club members and previous adopters, to consider her. We know she will blossom in the right environment.

Tara is also ready for her new home. Her leg healed well after ACL surgery and she needs a home where she is the only dog, or one of two. She is better with girls than boys, though either are OK as long as they aren’t dominant personalities. Anyone who sits with her instantly recognizes that she is centered on people and wants human attention more than anything in the world. As a companion dog she would be perfect. We prefer to place dogs with applicants on file, but we may put Tara on Petfinder to give her a better chance.

Remember, the Rescue Picnic is July 10 this year!

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!

Once upon a time there was a woman named Denise Nations who did Samoyed Rescue. Denise was famous for fostering dogs, falling in love with them, and then adopting them herself. Her name is now Denise Newell, but to this day she remains famous in the Samoyed Rescue world for a disease called “denisenationsitis.” It applies to everyone who fosters and then adopts a dog, and this month we report a case of denisenationsitis in our own group.

Freya was listed on Craigslist and given away at least several times. The last time we intervened and found transport to Portland where Melissa picked her up and has been fostering her since January 20. During the last year Melissa and Terry lost two of their four dogs, and you may recall they adopted Keno last year, the dog from Montana. The two dogs they lost were both bonded to Terry, and the rest have bonded to Melissa. Freya is an intelligent dog and immediately decided Terry was her human, so you can guess the rest. After a month and a half there, Freya has found her forever home.

Tara continues to heal, and just had her final visit to the vet who did her ACL repair. She has now graduated from a short leash to a flexi, but will still be on a leash outdoors for at least another month. She is putting weight on that leg now and getting around very well. The vet says the “fixed” leg will be strong enough that she may never need surgery on the other leg. Whoever gets Tara is going to have one of the most loving dogs we’ve ever fostered. She isn’t purebred but she has every bit as many sweet genes as any dog could have. She is a bit of an alpha, but one-on-one with a human she really shines.

Hope this month is much like Hope last month, but with progress. She is the dog we retrieved from the Puyallup shelter who appears never to have been socialized. She came to us terribly frightened of people, and after two months she has slowly improved her level of trust. Initially she lived in hiding in a small bathroom off our laundry area, but has gradually trusted us enough to spend most of her time in the kitchen. In the last week or so we’ve been able to walk up to her without her running from us, and occasionally she has even turned over for a belly scratch. We think with another month she may be able to go to a very quiet home. Our work with her has been both frustrating and incredibly rewarding.

We had an e-mail from a family in Renton saying that they had a baby and their Samoyed growled at it. While we all know that’s a training issue, and one of the best dogs on earth around kids is a Sammy, they refused to do anything but find him a new home. When they threatened euthanasia we knew we needed to take him. Sam is ten years old and lived with that family since he was young, but now he is with Lon and Mary in Custer. He has settled in nicely and a case of temporary separation anxiety seems to be getting much better. Lon says he is still playful and loves toys. When he has one he growls to say he wants to play, and we think that’s what happened. It’s a shame his family couldn’t see that.

Melissa has been working with a dog in Salem. Our first message came by way of Craigslist, where someone wanted to give away a Samoyed girl they had for two months. They got her from a previous Craigslist ad where former owners had shaved her, and although the family loves her a number of circumstances meant she needed to find a new home. One of the circumstances was financial, so after a number of e-mail and phone exchanges we offered a grant to have her spayed and some dental work done. The woman promised to do the research to find which clinic offered the best price on the work, which she did. We thought this would be the best thing for the dog, but then the circumstances changed again. Her 18 year old daughter was taking care of the dog because her Mom’s health wasn’t good, and the daughter suddenly announced she was moving out. Melissa has arranged to take the dog, whose name is “Baby Girl,” and by the time you read this she should be in Melissa’s care. She is about five years old and we’ll know more soon.

We have the longest list of applicants we have ever had, but because of circumstances the dogs we have been fostering aren’t ready to be placed. We could use some help doing home visits to get people ready. It’s an easy way to help rescue, a chance to meet new Sammy people, and we’ll help you do it. Please let us know if you can help.

There are as many stories of mistreatment of dogs as there are dogs who find their way to rescue. We experienced a first this month when we heard of a dog at the Puyallup shelter and checked on her. Luckily it was the weekend of the Puyallup shows, and Darlene and Cheri said they could go check the shelter right away. They called back and said she was definitely a purebred Samoyed, and not only that but a well bred dog. The shelter people said she was afraid of everybody and they thought she had been dumped. They were pretty sure she was kept in a crate for months, if not years, because she was so matted and covered in feces they had to clip her short. They said she was so horribly matted that her intake form actually said “intact male.” The person who found her had to call animal control because they couldn’t get close to her because she was so fearful.

The shelter told us she would be available the next afternoon at five, so Kathy was there to pick her up a little before that. They put a harness on her because she didn’t understand a collar and leash and wouldn’t move, but even with that help it was hard to get her into the car and just as hard to get her out. Eventually she was carried into the house, where she hid in a half-bath off our laundry room. When we got close she tuned out as though we weren’t there. If she had room she scurried out of the way. It appears she has never had a moment of socialization or human contact, though she is well fed. Our immediate guess is that she was a puppy mill bitch who escaped, but we can’t tell if she ever had a litter. The area she was found is residential, nice, and not the place a puppy mill or even a backyard breeder would be. She is debarked, which isn’t done casually, and it was a well-done surgery. If someone cared that much it’s impossible to understand her history.

We named her Hope, because it’s how we see her future. For three weeks we have been seeing steady, very slow progress in her socialization. For the most part she lives in the bathroom on her rug, venturing out as she learns not to fear so much. It took 18 days before we could reach down and pet her without her jumping and running away. In the past week she has begun coming out and sleeping on a rug by the door in the kitchen, and only a couple days ago we were able to pet her there. We have been taking our cues from her, while making a point of going to her area to visit her many times a day. We usually sit or lie down on the floor and talk to her and she is becoming used to us and to getting petted and combed.

Hope went to the vet yesterday to be spayed, and we picked her up early so she could recover at home. Our vet is really good about working with us on dogs with issues. She slept it off all night, and this morning she is just about back to normal. When she is recovered from surgery we will start looking for a home with very special and very patient people. She is a beautiful girl even without her hair, and will be stunning in another year.

Tara is the dog who came to us last month after her family moved and left her behind in the yard. We’re grateful to the neighbors who cared for her and helped her find her way to us. She is not a purebred, possibly mixed with Collie, and has a beautiful golden and white coat. We know she lived there for about 7 years so we think she is about that old. She limped a little, so when she was anesthetized for her spay surgery we asked the vet to check out what the problem was. She reported the right rear ACL was completely broken, not just injured, and felt like it had been for a long time. We found a new vet (for us) in Tacoma who was highly recommended, and a couple weeks ago Tara went for surgery. For two weeks she had a thick bandage immobilizing her leg, and she just had that removed. The surgical site has healed well and she is putting weight on her leg without much discomfort. It’s possible she may need surgery on the other leg, since the stress put on it for so long likely affected the left ACL.

Although Tara is a very large dog who towers over the others, she has a sweet disposition. It’s almost as though she understands how much better her life has become and is trying to thank us. It’s very easy for her to walk up to someone sitting at a desk or table and lay her head on their knee, and look up with those big eyes asking to be petted. This is the kind of dog who makes us feel we did the right thing in taking a mixed breed into rescue.

Freya has been around the block a few times. She was listed in the Boise Craigslist last November but we couldn’t get to her in time. She was listed again last month, this time by a new owner, who told us she was Freya’s third home in the last year. Freya has a shrill bark that they couldn’t get used to, so she needed to go. Unlike November, we were able to help this time, and after many (many!) e-mails and phone calls we found a Chessie breeder coming to the Portland shows who had room to bring her along. Melissa met her in Portland late that night and took Freya home.

Freya is not well bred, and the coincidence is how much she looks like Keno, the boy from northern Idaho Melissa and Terry fostered and subsequently adopted. Since going to be fostered there, Freya’s bark has improved. Perhaps she no longer has anything to complain about, considering how she has tried to convince Terry to fall for her. Freya went to the vet to be spayed, and when the surgery was begun they found she was already spayed. When recovered she will be available for adoption.

With these three dogs we are at capacity, and our next foster will have to go somewhere else. Lon and Mary have volunteered (thanks!) and so has Cyndy. We’re fortunate to have so much help from people who care for our Samoyeds.

As always, this report will reach dozens of our friends who love dogs and contribute to humane societies and shelters all over the northwest and the country. Some of you also contribute to the Humane Society of the United States because of the help they appear to give to so many needy pets. Undoubtedly those who contribute don’t realize the vast majority of the funds HSUS receives don’t go to animals, but rather to lobbying efforts attempting to restrict our rights to own dogs. They don’t own or operate one single shelter in the entire country, nor does any of their money go to our northwest shelters. It’s true. If you want facts and not fiction, look here: http://www.nwsams.com/themyth. The NWSR board unanimously approved adding this page to our website and we hope you send the link to your friends.

Casey is a senior dog who came to rescue after his owner died at only 46 years old. He left no instructions for his dogs, so they went to a shelter. They called us and arranged transport, and after a few weeks here we are happy to say he has a forever home with a 92 year old woman on Vancouver Island. Pat Cummins was instrumental in helping us place him, and she took the last leg of the transport from Lon & Mary’s home to his new Mom. A week later when someone from rescue visited, he stayed behind her until he was sure nobody wanted to move him again. He is as happy there as a dog could ever be.

Kaiya is another result of a death, this time an older woman who thought her family would take care of her dog. They didn’t have a place for her, but they did call Melissa who was able to take Kaiya into rescue. She was fascinated by Melissa’s cats, who proceeded to teach her how Sammies should respect their feline housemates. After a stay in the Hopper Bed & Breakfast, Kaiya moved to her home with Deb and John in southern Oregon.

Tara is a hard luck case, and one of the few mixes we have taken recently. We received an e-mail Christmas Eve from a woman in Onalaska about a dog in the neighborhood, whose owners moved a month previously and left her behind. After neighbors realized she was alone some of them began feeding her, but it was during very cold weather and she had very little shelter. After a lot of conversation Christmas day we convinced the neighbors to take her to the shelter when it opened the next day. Kathy met them and we arranged to get Tara when her hold was up. A note was left on the door of the empty house saying where she was, and it was removed during the time she was in the shelter, but nobody came to pick her up. We took Tara home the first hour after she finished her 72-hour hold.

Tara is about seven years old and was in the yard most of her life. She immediately took to living in a warm house and has no interest in the yard now. She is an affectionate love sponge who would be content to have a human arm around her the rest of her life. Although the shelter didn’t charge us for her because she was spayed, it was pretty obvious she was in heat. Her spay appointment is coming soon and we expect to find out she may have had some romance in her life while she was waiting for her humans to return. She is in good health except for her right rear knee, which may have had an ACL tear that wasn’t treated. She will probably end up with surgery. She is a big, tall girl who towers over the other dogs, and our males are wary of her and would just as soon she found a new home soon. Sorry, guys.

Fundraisers went well this year but total sales were considerably less than usual. Part of that was the economy, and part was because we offered t-shirts which cost less than the traditional sweatshirts. The bright spot was calendar sales; we sold out this year and will be splitting proceeds with SamUrgency, a group that funds medical expenses for Samoyeds who are with rescue groups. Many thanks to to Wolfpacks for their donation of the calendars.

Over a hundred smiles of rescued dogs are online at http://www.nwsams.com/rescues.

First off this month is Sally, a wonderful senior girl who ended up in the county shelter in Spokane in September. She was a stray so we don’t know where she came from. When we asked for someone to check on her, Darlene jumped to help. She picked up Sally from the shelter and kept her that week, then brought her west when she came to the Shelton show. We picked up Sally and took her home but didn’t have her long. Penny, who had previously adopted Harley, saw pictures and came to visit. When she went home it was a happy Sally who accompanied her. I’m sorry that somehow in all that was happening in October I missed telling you about Sally. In the two months since she was adopted she has been doing great. She enjoys car rides, but not as much as she likes to watch ferrets.

Melissa is working with a dog in Salem. More to the point, she is working with the attorney for the estate of a woman who died and left her Samoyed behind. The woman’s sister has the dog now but can’t keep her and has asked Melissa to find her a home. The dog is Kaia and is about 7 years old, still very active with a lot of years ahead of her. We think we have a home for her but we have to wait until NWSR actually has legal possession before we can do anything more.

Casey is an old guy who came to us when his owner died at only 46 years old in southern Oregon. He has been with us for about a month now and during that time he has gone from an old dog who couldn’t stand on his own to a dog who trots around the yard. He loves people and should do well in a home where he can stay next to his human. His drool has resulted in a stain on his neck, but despite having dental work done the vet couldn’t determine what causes it. He otherwise seems completely healthy. Pat Cummins has located a 92 year old senior lady who very much wants to have a Sammy again, and as of this writing we have arranged for a transport to take Casey north very soon. We all think this is a great match, and Pat will be close by if needed.

Two dogs in a month have come as a result of their owner’s death. Please be sure you have planned for your dogs. All it takes is a note with your will, or with a family member, that tells them Northwest Samoyed Rescue will care for their Sammies. Or ask your attorney to make it official in your will. We’ll take it from there.

Around the first of this month we had a request for help from someone who needed a Samoyed fostered for six months. Danna volunteered, and we let them know her contact information. Neither she nor we have heard anything since. It’s the kind of thing that happens often but always makes us wonder what happened.

Northwest Samoyed Rescue is in the midst of our annual shirt fundraiser. We recognize that the economy is down, so we offered t-shirts as well as sweatshirts this year because they cost less. As a result we’re down about 60% from last year, but we will be taking orders until just after Christmas so things may yet pick up. If you haven’t seen this year’s designs, Holley’s talent is showcased at www.nwsams.com. We are also selling the stunning Wolfpacks 2010 calendars, a donation again this year from Paul and Linda. As with previous years, we’re splitting the calendar profits with SamUrgency, a non-profit group that helps with medical costs for rescue Sammies who need assistance. We are privileged to know so many caring people who help ensure we have funds to help our dogs. It really makes us feel the spirit of the season.

One of the first people I met when I joined SCWS was Carey Grummitt. It didn’t take long to understand he was one of a kind, with a wicked sense of humor, often off-color, but genuinely funny. To those who took time to know him he was a real friend.

Before Kathy and I were involved in rescue, Carey had a screen printing business and he donated his time every year for the annual rescue fundraiser. He also printed t-shirts with the old SCWS logo and gave them to Cheryl to sell at the picnic and other functions.

A year after we began running rescue, Carey told me he decided to retire from the printing business. I asked him what he would do with all the equipment, because the fundraisers meant so much to rescue. He said he would sell all his equipment to “some sucker” somewhere, at which time I raised my hand and said “let’s talk.” His price was low, but he knew it would be used for the dogs. He helped move everything to our shop and set it up, and ever since he has been ready to answer questions. We wouldn’t have made it through the first year without his help. He also began doing home visits and other rescue work.

In February 2004, we found a dog at the Tacoma Humane Society. She was an old girl, so we put out an appeal for someone to foster her. Carey responded and took her straight home from the shelter. He named her Madison and nursed her back from a sick dog to a beautiful princess. She was with him until October the following year, and he made sure her twilight year was filled with love.

Then there was Snowy, only four months later. She was a stray found tied to a railing. Her chip information was out of date and we agreed to help her. Right away, Carey stepped up and took her home. She flourished with him and found out the good in humans. Seven months later she bloated and he lost her.

All through this, Carey was with his partner Kaz, who patiently put up with Carey and his foster girls. Those two guys together were a riot. We looked forward to talking to them at shows, where Carey showed Cheyenne and Kaz showed his Shiba Inu Jay. Kaz was forced to return to Japan in December 2007 when his visa expired, but hoped to return some day. Unfortunately it was a day too late.

In November 2007 Carey took in his last foster girl. Her name was Sophie and she had some serious medical issues, but he eagerly accepted her. He sat with her at the end, three months later, and then wrote to us with this, which I’d like to share:

“This afternoon I wrapped Sophie up in her favorite green blanket “just as snug as a bug in a rug”. I placed her in a pine box I made for her the day before, gave her one last kiss on her fuzzy white cheek, place a dog cookie – well two – next to her paws. I screwed on the lid as I said “good night ole’ girl- sleep tight” and placed the box in the hole. All along Cheyenne was sitting next to the grave watching every movement I made, as if standing guard over an old trusted friend, sniffing the cold air and licking the fresh fallen snow as it collected on the ground around us, his beautiful white coat gleaming in the cloudy filtered sun light of a cold January afternoon. I finished filling in the whole with dirt and then gave Cheyenne a great big bear hug- he didn’t need it, but I sure did. The late afternoon sun begin to get much more blurry as Cheyenne tryed to lick away the tears. As we walked away and I looked back over my shoulders, I knew that someday in the future I’d be out here digging yet another hole – right beside the last – not because I want to, but because I find it an honor and a privilege to do so…. “

These are the memories I’ll always take with me of Carey. He was a profoundly caring man who had a lot of bad breaks in his life. He would be the first to say he brought some on himself, but his honesty was part of who he was.

Carey came to the rescue picnic in July with Cheyenne, and everybody was glad to see him. Sue got some great pictures of him with Cheyenne. We stood and talked but I didn’t get a hint of what would come soon.

Late in August Carey wrote to ask if we would find a home for Cheyenne. He said he was positive, no possibility of changing his mind, and could we help. He was about to lose his home, Kaz was gone, he had no more income and couldn’t find a job. He requested we make sure his dog was safe. Cheyenne found a wonderful home, and made the move on August 31 to live with Dennis and Rocky.

A few weeks ago I called Carey’s mother and heard that he had visited a couple weeks but had returned home. We both worried about what might happen, but it was a shock when I learned of his death November 8.

Carey, we will miss you and your offbeat humor, your smile, and your caring. May you be welcomed by all the animals you ever loved.

Ron

Carey as he adopted Madison, February 2004

Madison after a few months with Carey

Snowy, Carey’s second foster girl