People often say, ?it?s not about the destination, it?s about the journey?.? This week we met a dog named Huck who made us look at this quote a bit differently.? In fact, I bet if you asked Huck, he?d tell you that for him it isn?t about the journey at all, it?s about getting to his destination, arriving at his forever, all wrapped up in love and attention and food and shelter and companionship and care.
Hello, I'm Huck and this is my story
But before we can get to his destination we do need to tell you about his journey.
Recently we introduced you to non-profit group called Home For Good that rescues dogs in the Southern United States and brings them to New Jersey to find them homes.? Once they arrive in New Jersey the dogs are then placed in foster homes while they await adoption. ?Next we brought you the story of Kathy, a new dog foster mom, and her experiences of what it was like to open her home to these rescued dogs on their journey to finding forever homes.
And that takes us to Huck.? You see Huck was rescued by Home For Good, placed in a foster home and then adopted.? And they all lived happily ever after.
Well?not exactly.? Let?s go back a bit and find out what actually happened.
Before Huck was Huck, his name was Jersey.
He was only a few days old when he was found, lying with his siblings and his mother.? Tragically, the Mom and her newborn pups had been struck by lightening and none but little Jersey had survived.? He was taken in by Home For Good, bottle fed and nurtured till he was old enough to be placed.? Then comes the moment that all homeless dogs wait for; Jersey was adopted.
Five months later, Jersey was back in the custody of Home For Good.? He?d been diagnosed with hip dysplasia and his adopted family wasn?t prepared or able to manage this situation.? Home For Good arranged for Jersey to have double hip surgery and then he was placed in a caring foster home for his recovery.? After his surgery he experienced some seizures, so Home For Good got him the vet care he needed to stabilize that situation.? The rescue group then posted info about Jersey on Petfinder.com in hopes of finding him ?another? forever home.
Melissa was looking on Petfinder that day.? You see she?d recently lost one of her dogs:
??????????? I had a dog, Honey Puppy for the past 15 years.? A few years after I adopted her, I took in a stray who I named Michael Moore.? A few months ago, Honey died at the age of 18 from cancer in her mouth.? I was devastated and Michael Moore was depressed.? I think dogs like to have canine companionship as much as human companionship.? So we went looking for a new dog to complete our pack.
They say first impressions are everything and well, for Jersey this was his second chance at a first impression.
The Petfinder description of Huck included a video and he looked so sweet and fun that I couldn?t resist him.? It was love at first sight.? I knew we could handle a dog with some special needs and since they often have a harder time finding homes, I wanted to take someone who needed a little extra TLC.
Happy in the sunshine
We had to ask Melissa, what led her to consider adopting a rescue dog?
I am one of those people who can?t help buy cry every time the ASPCA commercials come on TV.? I hate the idea that there are so many perfectly wonderful dogs who will die because they don?t have homes.? It makes me downright angry that people with no intention of breeding or showing just don?t bother to have their dogs neutered.? And puppy mills make me ill.? I have only ever had rescue dogs, and I love them so much I wouldn?t consider anything else.
Tigs and Holly are both rescue dogs, and I wish I could say our reasons for getting them were as noble or passionate.? We got them both simply because we weren?t prepared to take on a puppy and wanted ?easier? dogs. ?We also wondered why she?d take on a dog with some possible medical issues and challenges:
Some time ago we adopted a senior dog named Grover from a shelter; he had serious medical issues and we didn?t want this sweet, funny old man to die in a shelter so we took him in and gave him medical care for the rest of his short life.? When Grover died, we decided that our next adoptee would be a younger dog, who would hopefully be with our family longer.
And thus, Jersey (renamed Huck) arrived at his destination.? We had a few more questions for Melissa.
Happy in my new life
What was it like when he first arrived?? How did the two dogs get along?
They were best friends from the start.? Huck loves every dog he meets; Home For Good did a great job of socializing him with other dogs and with evaluating his temperament.
Did it take Huck long to settle in?
No, not at all.? He was on his best behavior for a day or so; his inner puppy came out after that.? He is more energetic now and likes to play more than he seemed to at first.? Now, he has settled right in.
Did you have any apprehensions (about getting a rescue dog, about his difficult background etc?)?
I wasn?t nervous at all once I met him!? But the next day when I was talking to the physical therapist on the phone, I realized just how much work we needed to do to make sure he got the maximum benefit from his surgery.? This has been one of the best parts of having Huck, actually.? He and I walk at least two miles every day to build his strength.? We do his exercises together and we drive to his physical therapy appointments twice a week?where I stand in front of the treadmill talking to him.
At water therapy
It has bonded us tremendously and we are already a team.
Did you have any particular challenges?
The only real worry I had was his age?I had always had adult dogs before him and wasn?t sure exactly what a teen puppy like Huck would be like.? I have had to train him a little more than my others, but my older dog has taken on most of that role?he has made sure Huck knows where to do his business, which things are OK to chew and which are not, and when it?s time to go lay on his bed. That has been amazing to watch.
What makes Huck special?
This could be a VERY long answer?this dog has charmed his way into my heart in a very short time.? He is a sweet, playful boy and he loves to go everywhere with us.? He is gentle around Michael Moore (who is 14 now and not really interested in too much rough-play) and loves to play with the other 8 dogs on our campus.? We are hoping that once he recovers fully from his hip surgery he can begin training to become a therapy dog.? I live and work in an all-girls boarding school, and Huck is a perfect hug-dog for the girls when they are feeling sad or homesick.? He knows just when to put his nose gently on someone?s lap and when to do a silly trick to elicit a laugh.? He seems to genuinely care how people are feeling.
Yes, I'm a lap dog, well sort of...
Do you have any advice/suggestions/guidance for people considering taking on a rescue dog?
Take the advice of the rescue organization or shelter!? Don?t pick a dog based on looks (unless he or she also matches the needs of your family).? The rescue organization has taken a lot of time to get to know the dog and evaluate it.? They will be really good at picking the right family for the dog.? Don?t be offended if they say another dog might be a better match for you.
Sometimes people expect a dog to come home and know what to do from the start.? Remember to take the time to teach your new dog where things are, and how you want him to do things.
Anything you?d do differently next time?
?No!? As soon as Huck is fully recovered from his surgery, I plan to volunteer with Home For Good, to help repay the incredible gift they have given me and my family.
We appreciate you sharing Huck?s story with us and on behalf of all dogs who haven?t started their journey or are in the midst of their journey, thank you for being the destination for one special yellow dog.
Saving one dog won?t change the world, but it will change the world for that one dog
Get to know a bit more about Huck on his blog at: http://meethuck.blogspot.com/
?
michigan football sugar bowl mild kidney failure presidential candidates celebrity wife swap gla republican candidates
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.