Their Stories 

 

Zero & Mr. Kitty

Way back when..  my now ex-husband surprised me with a Golden Retriever puppy for Christmas 1996. He said, “We have a surprise for you” (our roommate was with him). “BUT you can only have the surprise if you promise not to change the name of it”

Hence, I had a Golden Retriever puppy named Zero.  If you have seen Nightmare Before Christmas, you understand where the name came from. Also, we were all very techy, so it made complete sense to us.

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Anyone who has had a golden retriever knows how easy they are to take care of. Very obedient, never really leaves your side, loves everyone.

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A few years before Zero passed, my Friend Barbara found a big Maine Coon cat in the baby stroller in her backyard. She took her in and put signed up everywhere.  Mrs. Kitty also scratched up her legs pretty well during that time. After a month of no one claiming her, she asked if I would take her. I met her; she was precious, so I decided she should come live with me. At our first vet visit, we were told, “Yes, this is a beautiful cat, but she is a non-spaded he.”

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Zero and Mr. Kitty were great companions for many years. Zero had 13 wonderful years, and I treasure every minute I spent with her.

Soon after Zero passed, I found that I really wanted another dog.

 

Noah

Late one night, after days of searching online through the rescue sites, I came across a black golden retriever named Tanner. He was a year old and located in the state.  I filled out and submitted the paperwork!

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A few days later, the rescue organization reached out, we had a conversation, and I found out that he is also mixed with the Bassett Hound breed, so he is somewhat of a low rider.  Then I found out that he was actually in Tennessee. Come to find out -  there is a service that buses lots of dogs at one time into my state on a regular basis. I didn’t think much of this at the time. I was also in love with Tanner, so 3 weeks later, I traveled an hour and a half to pick him up. I was so unprepared.

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He was so scared. Once I got him in the car, he hid under the car seat. Finally got home and got him into the house. He found a corner and stayed there. I also saw that  Noah's front legs were extremely deformed, and the right leg was turned outward. About an hour later, I took him outside. 5 minutes later, he ran down the street with a leash behind him.   Did you know people can’t run faster than dogs?

 

9 days later. He was trapped in the "have a heart" crate outside my front door at midnight. Those were the worst 9 days of my life. I had great people around me to support and guide me through this.  Mr. Kitty also helped; wherever Mr. Kitty was sitting, Noah would go and sit near him. 

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I have an agility training friend in the family, and I took Tanner to see her that first weekend. She evaluated him and told me what I needed to hear and what I needed to do.

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What I needed to hear:  All dogs are not the same. Each dog I will have will be different from the other dog. People need to learn and understand their dogs. Trust is built, not given. I can thank her enough for all the support and guidance she has and continues to provide.

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What I needed to do:

• Change his name.

  • Tanner became Noah. Those 9 days on the loose were all thunderstorms and rain. Everyone said you can’t call him Noah because it's too close to “no.” I responded, “I will never say No to this little dog.

• Understand that he is still a flight risk.

  • She felt that he had experienced some abuse based on how untrusting he was and his response to certain things. For example – newspapers, brooms, arms, and hands. No quick movements. If anything happened, he would cower, make himself as small as possible.

• I need to build trust with him.   

  • She gave me activities to work with him on over the next few months. Eventually, he allowed me to become his protector. We spent a year just working together, strengthening our bond.

 

I’m so thankful for Noah. He taught me so much. He will never be what people consider a “Normal” dog, but he continues to broaden the group of people he trusts. Those are magical moments to witness.

 

Along comes Tessa

After working with Noah for over a year, I decided he needed a confident dog to show him the way. After the experience with Noah, I still felt like rescues were the right path. I needed to ensure the dog was in my state so that Noah and I could meet the dog first.  

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While searching for a companion dog for Noah, I saw Tessa while searching across the local state animal shelters. She is a Redback coon hound mixed with a Basset Hound. Seriously??  Then I clicked on the picture and saw her beautiful face and those ears… then the legs, and immediately knew we needed to see her.

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Tessa's legs are worse. Technically she is a tripod, even though she has all 4 legs. The front 2 legs cross like a ballerina, and she walks on her ankles.  If you have a crooked-legged dog, why not two?  Tessa is confident, friendly, loves people, and was so overjoyed with meeting Noah that she jumped over him. It took us about an hour to decide, even though we already knew she was coming home with us.

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The bond between Noah and Tessa is amazing. In the early days, Tessa would approach people and get hugs, pets, and treats. Noah would watch, then slowly approach the person.  They run and play as if their legs aren’t completely deformed. The Vet says that Noah doesn’t have a straight bone in his little body and that Tessa is a super dog for still being able to do all she does.  They are quite a pair.

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Mr. Kitty passed away in the summer of 2011. He was an incredible cat. 

 

Then came Reece

As COVID was winding down, my partner found a picture on Facebook from a local rescue service of a dog needing a home. OMG, She was adorable. I was like – “of course, we need a third dog.”

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When we started thinking about it, Noah was turning 11, and Tessa was 9. They both have started to slow down.  We felt that getting a third dog before anything happens would probably be good to ensure everyone is bonded.  Also, we were both pretty much working from home.

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A month later….  “Honey, I’m just going to bring Noah and Tessa on a meet and greet with Reece – that doesn’t mean I’m coming home with a third dog.”  Obviously, Reece came home that day. Here became the dilemma. She was 6 months old. The amount of energy she has versus the older dogs is crazy. I always say, “thank god she is cute.”

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Our house is a bit more chaotic than what we were expecting. Reece is confident and slightly unsure.  The best way to explain it is that she moves toward a person and barks. Most people feel that she is aggressive. However, she has never been aggressive. She warns people.  Once she gets to know you, she wants you to throw her frisbee.

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She is the baby and knows it and is such a lovebug. I bought her a little pink pillow for the bed – which she loves.

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