ADOPTION DATE 10-09-2017: Life is filled with its trials and tribulations, its moments of victory and glory. Neither the “ups” nor the “downs” can be avoided no matter how desperately one might try. The best one can do is remember that everything is temporal, and whether the situation to be endured is pleasant or unpleasant is inconsequential. Both are fleeting experiences and shall pass with time. All the sayings about the “preciousness” of time are true, and when life unveils in ways that demonstrate this lesson so clearly, it behooves the recipients of the message to PAY ATTENTION. Otherwise, the lessons keep repeating until we wise up enough to learn what is necessary in our process of individual evolution. It’s really no different whether we’re talking about dog rescue, human life, employment situations, school, marriage, family: you name it.
BONDED PAIR OF FEMALE LITTERMATES***SCOTTISH TERRIER MIX BREED***SPAYED***HOUSE-TRAINED***GOOD WITH OTHER ANIMALS — DOGS AND CATS***LEASH TRAINED***LOVING AND ADORABLE!
The moments pass, and during those times when the clock ticks, our lives our happening in the elapsing minutes. Fortunate. Unfortunate. Pleasant. Unpleasant. Happy. Sad. Content. Unfulfilled. All these emotions might seem diabolically opposite, but truly, they are neither good nor bad. They just ARE. My dearest friend who is 52 years my senior, reminds me all the time, “One need not define experiences as solely ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD,’ especially if one learns something.” Perhaps that seems simple, but it’s a very profound statement and sage advice. Humans spend so much time focusing on what we WANT and DON’T WANT that we miss the bigger picture and subtle nuances in daily life. Being involved in dog rescue more easily allows me to keep this truism at the forefront of my thinking because dogs need no reminder that LIFE IS NOW. They embrace the whole notion of living in the moment. When dogs sleep, they are sacked out and focused solely on that (perhaps dreaming of bones and digging and chasing seagulls, but nonetheless sleeping). Same thing with play. Canines live so completely in the present that we, humans, can’t help but be inspired by their engagement of life. They love — WHOLLY and UNCONDITIONALLY. And when they are afraid — we know that too as their fearful barks and raised hackles indicate what they are experiencing that moment.
These two “TERRIER TWINS,” as they are most lovingly referred to, are such sweet reminders of each day’s special and precarious nature. Thought to be Scottish Terrier mixes, these adorable female littermates have been teaching me lessons and forcing me to remember what is truly important in life. Honestly, these lessons started the moment I met a fellow rescuer–whom I respect and admire tremendously– just across the Mississippi border in Alabama to retrieve ANGEL and WIGGLES. Having just placed a long-term foster dog in the Northeast, I had vowed to take a hiatus from rescue if only for a month as I like to give my own mainstay rescue dogs a reprieve from temporary interlopers. Don’t get me wrong. My rescued pack of four absolutely welcome each foster dog that enters our lives for a stint. In fact, they are no doubt the reason I’ve been able to successfully re-home deserving dogs. What I can’t relay as readily as my dogs can to the newcomers — my dogs seem to convey so effortlessly. Maybe that just highlights a few other undeniable truths. The very confident, calm, and loving demeanor of my own rescued pack must be easily surmised by the newcomers. Once again, that reminds me that I have to demonstrate what I want and teach by example. If I appear anxious and concerned about the possibility of failure when introduced new pups, my dogs notice that and behave similarly. After all, DOGS LIVE IN THE MOMENT AND TRUST THEMSELVES. So, I have learned by their teachings, and if I have to, I “fake it till I make it.” I prepare for the worst scenario, but I expect the BEST OUTCOME. 99 percent of the time, I get what I give.
My involvement with animal rescue is born of my desire to give these dogs the second chances they should never have needed in the first place. It’s not a self-motivated endeavor where I hope to reclaim some lost part of myself or an attempt to boost my own morale by doing something for another sentient being. By my own family’s modus operandi I understood that if one can help–in any situation– one should. It’s that simple. And I can help, so I DO HELP. It’s not a sacrifice. It’s not really work. It’s just a commitment, and one I’m able to make willingly and wholly. I have no expectations other than the process will “take as long as it takes.” Again, that might seem like a simple statement, but it’s not. I may foster a dog for a month, two months, three or even more. Each situation is different. Every dog is different, has varying personalities and unique characteristics. These combined factors determine what I must to do to meet those needs successfully so that they can be matched with ideal forever homes. If there is any one similarity in fostering different dogs, it’s that all of them have already been through so much change and transition, most of which we’ll never really know, that the LEAST I can offer is my very best in learning each specific dog’s behavior so that such can honestly be relayed to potential adopters. Full disclosure is a mandatory requirement. But that goes both ways. Not only must the rescuer be completely forthcoming, but the adopters, too, must share their lives, desires, needs and hopes, lest the match is only half complete.
Some rescuers feel that dogs should not be re-homed in cities, or to people living in condos without fences. I’m just not one of them. Just like every dog is different, so is every adoptive family/individual. Thankfully, I’ve learned from my canine comrades that I HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING. I know of far too many situations where dogs live OUTSIDE all the time, never have enough human interaction, exercise or stimulation, but, hey — they have a fenced yard. That alone determines little. Granted, it might be a factor in placement as I have, indeed, fostered dogs with incredible bolting tendencies and I’d be more concerned with potential adopters without fences if that’s the situation at hand. However, if I make my considerations based on everything I’ve observed from my fosters and likewise, evaluate the conversations that I’ve had with adopters, I am hopeful that the results will be positive and a WIN-WIN situation for all stakeholders, including me. It’s simply so dishonest to say anything less. For a foster family/individual to be able to rescue and re-home an animal, there has to be extreme confidence in the process. Letting go of an animal you’ve come to love as one’s own, is just not an easy task. Yet, it’s easier when one honors the process in its entirety — and that means the dog, the adopter and one’s self. Nobody wants to fail. And what I know more than anything else in rescue is that a happy adopter translates to a happy dog, and that’s the goal.
Surely, ANGEL and WIGGLES’ bio is prefaced with these cursory paragraphs because it’s an undeniable attempt to usher forth comfort and trust with the process of finding an ideal forever home. Although I’ve re-successfully re-homed over 500 dogs, I find it harder each time. I’m confident that this is because two of my rescue dogs are nearing a decade in age, and I can’t imagine my days without them. This is when I try to remember what I know, and what they’ve taught me: LIVE IN THE MOMENT. In a blink of an eye, it all changes — and the fragile days of our existence can never be recreated. The sun sets and rises on a new day every 24-hours. And I’ve had the blessing of getting to know these amazing canine souls well enough to match them successfully. If “letting go” is the ultimate sign of “LOVE,” then I’m ready to proceed to the next step because LOVING THEM has been incredibly EASY. What’s more, though, is that both Angel and Wiggles, no matter their start in life, are comprised of complete and utter love.
When I read a plea for help from my trusted rescuers, I could not resist offering my home and my heart to these two darling dogs. About 16 months old, these furry, little, fun-loving dogs were part of a pack of four other littermates, two of whom did not survive, including their mother. Apparently their situation was dire, and they were initially saved by a tender-hearted and compassionate woman who has rescued animals her whole life and brought much happiness and salvation to the world from her altruistic endeavors. While two littermates didn’t get the chance to be re-homed, two others were successfully placed with loving families and are thriving happily. That left Wiggles and Angel to be re-homed in the same manner. Yet their original savior was one of those deeply compassionate souls who never allowed any animals she could to languish in the shelter and be euthanized when they were totally adoptable and viable animals, the only thing missing a permanent home. So, she had a house of nearly 20 foster dogs and more cats that she was trying to re-home. Those high numbers make it simply impossible to be successful at an already challenging task. Because ANGEL and WIGGLES were the youngest of her menagerie, she felt as though they would transition to another foster situation more easily than any of the others in her care.
Herein is one of those instances when life unfolds as it does. Letting go of these two sweet dogs was not easy for her, but it was in their best interest to be in a home where they could be housetrained and more adequately socialized and assessed. And the human angel was right: these two gorgeous little black fur balls made the transition to our home without much of a hitch, the most pressing issue was to house train them as they had been trained to go to the bathroom on “pee pads” instead of using the outside. With four other rescued mainstays, patience, understanding and a regularly consistent routine, ANGEL and WIGGLES are mastering the art of housetraining– and know to “do their business” with the rest of their current pack. What a delight it is to witness the unfolding of these two animals. That’s one gift of rescue — watching potential develop right in front of one’s eyes. It’s the most hope-inspiring and reassuring aspect of the process — knowing that anything is possible without expectation and with heaps of patient instruction. Teaching ANGEL and WIGGLES meant “unlearning” the behavior they had been taught. It even took them a while to fully enjoy the art of racing around the yard with the other dogs, playing ball and enjoying a long snuggle watching the news. But what they didn’t need to learn was how to love. From the moment of transfer, these two lickalicious little cuties knew how to give love. It’s an innate and known phenomenon that they did not have to learn. They knew they were “rescued” from a bad situation that allowed them to live from the get-go, and their willing trust in their new environment was evident immediately. What’s more is how incredibly smart and eager both WIGGLES and ANGEL are — all the time to listen to instruction and follow it. “Sit” and “shake” were tasks they learned in a day. When the treat jar lid is opened — no matter where they are, they come running and know to sit and gently take their treats from whomever’s hand is offering. They wait their turn, and only take the treat when their name is quietly called, right on cue.
Weighing in around 24 pounds, they’ve each gained about six or seven pounds, and their hair/fur is so soft and shiny. Both sisters so enjoy being combed and brushed. They even tolerate a toe nail clipping more readily than the other dogs that I’ve had in my care for years. These two are just so eager to please, and they are inseparable and adorable together. When they sleep their heads are always touching. A friend’s child was drawn to them immediately because of their sweet disposition and loving nature. These two “terrier twins” as we refer to them, are just filled with LOVE, LOVE and MORE LOVE! They so enjoy their food, enjoy being pet and enjoy being WANTED and cherished as companion family members. Whenever I look at them, it’s easy to remember why I rescue dogs: because they are so great, give so much and ask for so little. If I have a hard day, all I need to do is walk in my door and see their cute little faces and receive their affection, and I forget the challenges that might have consumed me at work. Dog is surely man’s best friend — and that’s because they just don’t disappoint us. They don’t lie. They don’t betray. They don’t hold grudges or gossip.
Socialized extremely well with all other dogs, the Terrier Twins have not met a dog they don’t like. Angel, aptly named for her angelic-looking face and purity of spirit, is such a tender creature. She enjoys playing with all the dogs–big or small, male or female — and equally enjoys being next to humans. Wiggles, too, is very appropriately named. When this darling little dog greets another person or dog, her whole body is “wiggling!” These dogs are simply the epitome of happiness and joy. With every angelic glance or body wiggle, one remembers that second chances ARE possible, that helping one another — those with two legs and four — is a worthwhile endeavor. And that sentiment continues onward and propels those of us in dog rescue to know that we’ll find the forever homes they deserve because there are undoubtedly more GOOD people than not, and one usually gets what they give.
WIGGLES and ANGEL would thrive in a home with another dog or two, or be a welcome duo in a home with a family/individual that has a lot of time to share with them, and likewise, enough time to receive THEIR LOVE in return. If companionship and easy love are on your agenda and what you’d hope for in rescue — this is the match for you. While Wiggles and Angel could surely do okay on their own in two separate homes, the only constancy they have is one another. They aren’t dependent on one another, but in an attempt to honor them both — their mom and two littermates that didn’t make it — our goal is to keep them together. Truly, they are easy to love, easy to care for, gentle and terrifically sweet dogs. Would your home be a good match for them? Please consider opening your heart and home to this dynamic duo and be the last chapter in their rescue story. To talk to their foster family, please APPLY NOW for Wiggles and Angel. Thanks for wanting to make a difference in the lives of two special canine companions!
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