Shortly after I had the thought to start a blog I actually lost a lot of steam, as in I had no idea what I was doing and I still don’t but there’s a lot of things I have done where I was clueless and they didn’t turn out so bad. One of them was becoming a fur mom to an abandoned dog who has become the sweetest companion I could have ever hoped for.
For those who don’t know a lot about me . . . which is most of you . . . I am a huge dog lover. I cannot walk down the street – or go through a park – and see a dog without stopping to talk to it. Not just pet it, but talk to it. I always said as soon as I bought my own house and was completely on my own I was rescuing a dog. Originally I was going to rescue a greyhound but all that changed the day I met my girl. I can’t imagine anyone just abandoning any dog; it actually pains me to think of leaving behind a dog and it really irritates me . . . but that’s for a different blog post because this is a happy one.
In May 2016 I took the plunge and I rescued the cutest little (well, not so little) ball of fur I could find on this planet, or in my city. Her name is Korey, and I thought to myself why not feature a weekly post about all things Korey has done, or taught me, over the last six-ish months. There’s a lot she has taught me, but first I think I should introduce you guys to her.
She struggles with the whole smile for the camera thing . . . . she likes to stick her tongue out instead. She’s just as cute on and off a BOSU
So this is Korey, and me of course, at a fitness course for dogs! Yes, you read that right . . . fitness courses for dogs!! And this course is actually how I came to even know about her. The private gym I trained at hosted dog and owner fitness classes every Wednesday and the owner, who had three dogs, asked me to work with her dogs. So one night I met this girl who fosters for S.C.A.A.R in the city I live in and she happened to mention (and show me pictures EEEK) of this girl who had just come in and was up for adoption. Well as soon as I saw the photos it was game over . . . I told her I had to meet this dog and see if we were compatible. I did and well, within a couple weeks Korey was home with me.
Here is what Korey came home to. She’s pretty spoiled, clearly.
Rescuing Korey has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. At first she was really distant from me. I’m pretty sure this was because she was abandoned and she didn’t want to get too close to anyone and didn’t really trust anyone. Slowly but surely she started to warm up to me and she got closer, and closer. Eventually she even sat with me on the couch, and that was when I discovered my dog sits like a human.
So . . . watcha doin?
I cannot express enough how important it is to first look at rescuing a dog in need of a furever (ha ha, see what I did there?) home. Korey happens to be a mixed breed – although we aren’t too sure exactly of what – but she’s definitely not a pure bred dog. There are tons of rescues out there that cater to specific breeds – so if you know you want a certain kind of dog I’m quite sure you can find a breed-specific rescue for that.
There is nothing wrong with going to a reputable breeder, but do your research ahead of time. Make sure they follow responsible breeding practices, always ask for references and don’t be afraid to ask any question you might have – this is your potential future dog and you have the right to be comfy with the one you’re bringing home.
Now back to rescuing . . . you don’t always have the luxury of asking what the mother and father look like and any known health problems and whether you can schedule play dates with their litter mates. You’re taking a huge risk, sometimes, when you rescue but the pay off is like no other. You are bringing home a dog that was treated unfairly and left behind when all they wanted was a family to love. It gets me so emotional when I think of this, and I look at Korey and wonder how any family could ever leave her behind. She has chewed things, kept me up until the wee hours of the morning with her barking, and has legitimately scared men away but the day that she jumped into bed with me when I was reading and curled up next to me made every single minute worth it. The moment she sat beside me on the couch and put her head on my knee for the first time, and I cried like a baby, made it clear she was home (I’m seriously crying as I write this – don’t judge me).
It’s ok mom . . . don’t be sad
Our time together has been an adventure so far – from the time she got into a bottle of tylenol and had to have her stomach pumped . . . ooh, good times to the time she chewed her way through a duvet cover AND the duvet – but I couldn’t imagine my home without her, her wagging tail, her constant need to go to the dog park, and her ability to pick to exact wrong times to jump on me . . . like that time she stepped in her own poop and jumped up on me when I was all dressed up to head to work on a day I had a ton of important meetings . . . . memories.
She has made my house a home and I am so looking forward to all of the years with her.
Have you ever rescued a dog? What made you choose the one you brought home?
Three . Point . One 