Today was an eventful day; and it all started last month.
I'll explain. I have felt like our family is incomplete. I am by no means "baby hungry," but I am pretty "puppy hungry." While I don't know if we could actually take on a second dog to call our own at this point in our lives, I still knew I wanted another one. We were at first concerned about space, food, financial burden, and mostly space. We still talked about it and dreamed about it. One of the biggest things we talked about is how much better Roxie does when she's around other hounds. It was a daydream I liked to entertain often. We'd talk and talk and talk and laugh about it. Every so often after adopting Roxie I'd get an email asking for anyone to open their home to foster, because too many dogs were coming in and there was not enough room for them all. How can you turn down a rescued dog? Many people associated with American Greyhound have more dogs than should probably fit in their houses, but they foster them and love them until the lucky dog finds its forever home.
Finally I was getting overly excited about my daydream, that Rhett said, "Maybe we should try fostering first." I just stared at him with a grin on my face. He made the deal with me that if I would be the one to ask permission from our landlady, and be the contact for American Greyhound, he'd be happy to foster. Then it was Rhett who started bugging me about it. He'd ask almost every day if I had contacted our landlady yet. At the time we decided to offer our home as a foster place, there were a few problems with the pipes in the building and I think some other things were going on. I wanted to catch my landlady in the best mood possible, so I waited. I waited almost 2 weeks to make sure everything was good and no complaints were made or repairs needed to be done around the place. Funny how the tides turn and Rhett was the impatient one to get another Grey into our home.
Our landlady took a few days to think it over, and when she got back to us she commended us for our efforts in rescuing dogs. She has rescued many herself. She told us that as long as it was only one other dog at a time, we were welcome to foster. Overjoyed, I shared the news with Roxie's foster mom first, who then put me in contact with the foster coordinator. That was around February 17th. Due to some unforeseen personal circumstances, we didn't contact the coordinator until late February.
Then we waited a little more. March 1st rolled around and I got a call back. There was a girl who was being returned to AG and would need a foster home. Because she had already spent a year as an adopted pet, she was used to retirement, and would likely make a great first foster. We said yes. The time and date for the return of the dog was set, all I was told is that her name was Tory. Of course I looked up her old bio on AG's website. Her racing name was Tory Lane, how cute is that? There wasn't much said about her, but I could see she was a beautiful brindle, and good racer.
That brings us around to March 10th. While I am typing this, it has still been less than 12 hours since we received Tory. During the 10 day wait, I had a myriad of emotions run through me. I thought to myself, "these circumstances had better be pretty extreme to be returning a dog. The only way American Greyhound could get Roxie back from me is over my dead body." I was upset at the person who would so casually cast aside a dog after having them for a year. How can you do that? I also felt bad, because if that person is anything like me, the circumstances must be extreme to return a dog. How am I to know what this pup's situation is? I wasn't sure I wanted to meet this person who was returning their sweet dog for fear of either crying, or wanting to punch them in the face.
Before I continue my story, I would like to say that I do understand when people have to return a dog. Perhaps the dog just doesn't blend well with the family, perhaps there's safety issues, or perhaps the adopter just wasn't as prepared for a dog as they thought they were. Most of these cases can be determined within the first few weeks with the dog, which doesn't really allow the dog to adjust to a "forever home." Many Greyhounds who come into AG's care require special care and treatment. Some are dependent on Prozac just to function. It's not easy to take in a dog like that. If you are unable to take care of a dog, I am all for it being returned to a place where it will be taken care of and loved. I'm grateful to the man who kept his contract with AG and returned the dogs to the rescue (Rhett and I had to sign the same contract with Roxie. We cannot ever give her to anyone else, or sell her [the thought horrifies me], if we have to give her up, the contract states she must return to American Greyhound.)
Rhett and I arrived at the determined meeting point (in Indiana) around 2:30. It was cold and windy outside. Tory immediately came up to greet us. She gave me kisses and jumped up to sniff Rhett. She had a brother with her who would be going with another foster family. The man who was returning them came around the car with an armful of things for the dogs. He looked very nice, he greeted us with a warm smile. He started dropping off the food bins, the dishes, we got a kennel for Tory, then this man brought out a stuffed alligator, and said, "this is Tory's toy that she just can't live without." I realized in that moment this would be a heartbreaking scenario for me. I wanted to give this man a big hug and tell him I'd take the best care of her ever. The American Greyhound president, Jeff, was there. He talked to the man quietly, and before leaving wished him the best of luck (with his wife, I think he said?) I knew this was an extreme circumstance. This family really could not take care of these two beautiful dogs (who looked very well taken care of). I don't know what is going on in these peoples lives, and this man whose name I don't even remember held himself together very well. I am sure he had already said his goodbyes to the dogs, but I saw sadness in his face. I did almost cry for him there, but I held myself together. I don't know if I could ever have the strength to do what he did with such a calm demeanor.
Now here I sit watching her sleep in her kennel, which we set up right next to Roxie's kennel. Praying that she will be happy, and learn to love us, and know this is in her best interest. She's been so unsure about everything. She's much bigger than Roxie, but her voice is a lot higher. She talks to us a lot. Whines and grunts and even little barks. I can't tell exactly what she wants, but she had a lot of nervous energy today. We took her on a walk to a small dog park where, after a few minutes on the leash, we let her off the leash. She didn't really enjoy the freedom the way Roxie does when she's off the leash, but at least she got some energy out. She and Roxie seem to be getting along. I'm hopeful this will be a good friendship for the both of them.
Whoever this man is, keep him in your prayers awhile. Keep Tory in your prayers, too. I'm praying she will open up to us, trust us, and find a good forever home soon. Mostly I pray she will be comfortable and at ease here with us. I can't imagine what she and her brother must be feeling, nor do I know how deeply their feelings extend. She's a good girl with a lot of love to give.
I'm finally a foster mom! It's new and exciting and a little nerve-wracking. I feel like I want to do so much for Tory, but I don't know what or how. I guess we'll learn together. I am so grateful to be part of the foster team at AG, though. I've been wanting to be more involved in the rescue, and I finally feel like I am. I needed this. As much as I know I was meant to be a nurse, I know I need to help rescue dogs my whole life long. Rhett and I have a lot of compromising to do. He says 2 dogs is the maximum we can ever have, 3 if we're fostering. I say 10 to 12 would be acceptable :) Of course we'd need a yard first, and I don't want to leave the city just yet... So we'll keep our one and continue to foster one more at a time, until we can do more. Though I am also helping by donating some art work of mine to the annual "Winning Hearts, Not Races" American Greyhound auction! April 9th, I'm so excited! It's a whole big to-do with some pretty awesome auction items. My paintings will be part of the silent auction. I just hope they do well and bring in a little extra money for the Grey's.
I truly believe in rescuing dogs. If you need anymore proof, just look at my life 18 months ago. I was a depressed and anxious wreck. Now I'm a happy dog mom and also a foster mom. #adoptdontshop
Woof woof!
Mary, Rhett, Roxie, and Tory
Friday, March 11, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Dog Dreams: A Play
Scene: Mary is sitting on the couch, feet propped up, the clock reads 3:30 in the morning. She working on her computer, namely class work for school. Roxie is laying next to her, down near her feet, front paws curled under, nose tucked down, and back paws stretched out to dangle off the couch.
Mary: type type type
Roxie: twitch
Mary: stops typing to look at Roxie.
Roxie: twitch
Roxie: high pitched "woof"
Roxie: "Woof. Woofwoofwoofwoofwoof." More twitching.
Mary: "Roxie are you dreaming?"
Roxie: -----
Mary: "I'll take that as a yes." Continues on with school work.
End Scene.
This is quite typical. Roxie sleep barks at least once or twice a week. They're little, I wish I could hear her real bark again, but boy are they cute little sleep-woofs. I wonder if she dreams about Rhett and me? I wonder if she has nightmares? I hope not. Or maybe she has dreams of chasing rabbits and squirrels and cats? I hope one day we get to know what our dogs dream about. She just woke up and looked at me. I think she knows I'm typing about her now and not doing my schoolwork. She's a good chaperone for that. I guess I'll get back to work.
Have a good day, all!
Roxie and Roxie's mom
Some Visuals for reference: First picture, feet propped on the couch, Roxie laying by them. Second picture, Roxie in her artists' cap. Third picture: A paw dangling over the couch.
Mary: type type type
Roxie: twitch
Mary: stops typing to look at Roxie.
Roxie: twitch
Roxie: high pitched "woof"
Roxie: "Woof. Woofwoofwoofwoofwoof." More twitching.
Mary: "Roxie are you dreaming?"
Roxie: -----
Mary: "I'll take that as a yes." Continues on with school work.
End Scene.
This is quite typical. Roxie sleep barks at least once or twice a week. They're little, I wish I could hear her real bark again, but boy are they cute little sleep-woofs. I wonder if she dreams about Rhett and me? I wonder if she has nightmares? I hope not. Or maybe she has dreams of chasing rabbits and squirrels and cats? I hope one day we get to know what our dogs dream about. She just woke up and looked at me. I think she knows I'm typing about her now and not doing my schoolwork. She's a good chaperone for that. I guess I'll get back to work.
Have a good day, all!
Roxie and Roxie's mom
Some Visuals for reference: First picture, feet propped on the couch, Roxie laying by them. Second picture, Roxie in her artists' cap. Third picture: A paw dangling over the couch.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
A Cause Worth Sharing
Oh my goodness, it's been almost 3 months since I've updated this blog! And Roxie has done so many cute things!!! I just don't even know where to begin. Do I make a post about her kisses? Her stinky butt? Her kenneling abilities? Her trick learning? Her confidence levels? Her happy face? Oh how I love her happy face.
In fact, Roxie seems a lot happier now than I've ever seen her before. Not that she's been unhappy, per se. There were definitely times that I thought she might be battling doggie depression, though. Whether it was getting used to being an only dog, or just having had a hard past, I don't know, but she would only get "happy" at certain times. Now she seems happy most of the time! I really love it. She just looks at us with a smile on her face, her tail wags for much longer when we come home and greet her. She seems more interested in us and what we're doing beyond just curiosity. Maybe out of love and desire to be part of the "pack?" Either way, her happy face makes my whole life!
I think I will use this particular post to share with you the American Greyhound fundraiser! I have a page, you can sponsor me. It's: https://www.firstgiving.com/
This is the annual Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser, where all the hoomans who work with American Greyhound get together on New Years day and dive into Lake Michigan! I am participating as a "woolly walrus," which means I get to dive into warm blankets instead of the lake. While I am totally sharing this in hopes that I might get some donations (which are tax deductible), I really just want to raise awareness of how awesome American Greyhound is. They use only volunteers, and 100% of donations go directly to helping the dogs, whether it's travel costs to go bring more into foster care, or veterinarian costs of the dogs currently in foster care. American Greyhound rescues dogs from tracks, legal and illegal, from all over the country. They also work with local prisons to rehab inmates. Prisoners are given a hound to train and look after as part of their therapy and rehab, and it's a double bonus, because the hound then gets a new chance at life and can be seen as more desirable for being trained. After a few months with the prisoners, the hound is placed up for adoption where they can go to a loving home full of treats and beds. No more being confined to only crates and tracks. These dogs finally get a chance to be loved and show just how much love they can give in return.
Read all about it at americangreyhound.org .
Thanks for letting me share about an issue I care about. Roxie cares about it, too. No dog ever deserves to live a life without love. So we help, one dog at a time.
Woof!
In fact, Roxie seems a lot happier now than I've ever seen her before. Not that she's been unhappy, per se. There were definitely times that I thought she might be battling doggie depression, though. Whether it was getting used to being an only dog, or just having had a hard past, I don't know, but she would only get "happy" at certain times. Now she seems happy most of the time! I really love it. She just looks at us with a smile on her face, her tail wags for much longer when we come home and greet her. She seems more interested in us and what we're doing beyond just curiosity. Maybe out of love and desire to be part of the "pack?" Either way, her happy face makes my whole life!
I think I will use this particular post to share with you the American Greyhound fundraiser! I have a page, you can sponsor me. It's: https://www.firstgiving.com/
This is the annual Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser, where all the hoomans who work with American Greyhound get together on New Years day and dive into Lake Michigan! I am participating as a "woolly walrus," which means I get to dive into warm blankets instead of the lake. While I am totally sharing this in hopes that I might get some donations (which are tax deductible), I really just want to raise awareness of how awesome American Greyhound is. They use only volunteers, and 100% of donations go directly to helping the dogs, whether it's travel costs to go bring more into foster care, or veterinarian costs of the dogs currently in foster care. American Greyhound rescues dogs from tracks, legal and illegal, from all over the country. They also work with local prisons to rehab inmates. Prisoners are given a hound to train and look after as part of their therapy and rehab, and it's a double bonus, because the hound then gets a new chance at life and can be seen as more desirable for being trained. After a few months with the prisoners, the hound is placed up for adoption where they can go to a loving home full of treats and beds. No more being confined to only crates and tracks. These dogs finally get a chance to be loved and show just how much love they can give in return.
Read all about it at americangreyhound.org .
Thanks for letting me share about an issue I care about. Roxie cares about it, too. No dog ever deserves to live a life without love. So we help, one dog at a time.
Woof!
Thursday, September 24, 2015
The American Greyhound Picnic
It's been awhile! Roxie has been keeping us busy, you know all that sleep wears a dog out ;)
On September 12 Rhett, Roxie, and I got to experience our very first American Greyhound picnic, down in somewhere, Indiana. About an hour and a half away. They do it annually. There's costume contests, a dog run, vendors, groomers, photographers, etc. It is quite the ordeal! We had a blast. Everyone knew or knew of Roxie. She's just famous. I finally got to meet Sharon, who did our whole adoption. She interviewed us over the phone, called our references, and approved us to adopt. It was great to actually meet her face to face after so much phone time. Barbara, who was Roxie's foster mom was also there, and it was good to see her, too. We keep in contact via text. Especially those first few months we had Roxie and had lots of questions/updates for her. Roxie spent 3 months or so with Barb after all. It wouldn't have been a greyhound event without seeing Julie, Roxie's dog-sitter and honrary aunt. I made some new friends there, too. Roxie of course snubbed all of them, including Julie and Barbara. They are scary...
Roxie's emotions of the day went as follows:
You're packing up chairs and food? OMG why?! Fear.
You got my leash! Hooray! I love going with you! Joy.
We get to go in the car?! Hooray! Joy.
Oh no, there's a scary person in the crosswalk we're stopped at. Fear.
Oh good, we're on the highway. Content.
Snooze.
Arrive at the picnic. What? Where are we? Curious.
Get out of the car. There are people 20 feet away. Fear.
The whole first half of the picnic terror. Why are all of these people fawning over me?? Tell them to stop petting me cuz I'm too scared to... Oh when will the horror end?! (She's a bit of a drama queen).
To the dog run. No leash?? Joy!!! Run and play! Be the center of attention. All these male dogs are really liking me. I'm so cute. I'm so tricksy. (She waits till they're all distracted then bolts off in the opposite direction so she has a head start, they of course follow.) This is weird that I'm not the fastest dog here. When we go to the beach I'm always the fastest dog. Play! Fun! Tired now...
After that our pretty girl was much more relaxed around the people at the picnic. There was a silent auction, but we didn't win anything. We did, however, get to dress Roxie up in adorable snoods and collars to see what we liked. We also bought her the most beautiful winter coat. We've been wanting one since last year. All we had before was a fleece lined windbreaker. No bueno. She just looks adorable! And it's thick and warm. Best part is, all the proceeds from buying the coat went straight back to American Greyhound.
Even better, Julie gave me the name of a woman who makes collars for Grey's. (If you didn't know, they require a special collar cuz their heads are the same size as their necks. A regular collar just comes right off.) We just ordered a purple collar for Roxie. She's gonna look so beautiful :D Rhett laughs at me for always wanting different color snoods, scarves, booties, collars, coats, and costumes for her. She's just so pretty, how can I help myself?!
Overall, the picnic was a success. My mini cupcakes went pretty fast. The hamburgers and sides were delicious. I give it an A+. The only problem was that we got rained on. Roxie wasn't a fan. She got laughed at by a guy who's dog she took shelter under. Yes, under. Just like she would do with Bob, her brother. She's so small compared to all the other Grey's! What the guy was really laughing at though, was that she sat under his dog. She just backed up and sat so his dog was standing over most of her. Silly girl... That's what we get for teaching her to sit. (Side note: Greyhounds don't natually sit. They stand or lay because of their build.)
Now for the part of the picnic that wasn't so great. Rhett and I were getting ready to go, I had my Tupperware and was standing near a pavilion, Rhett had Roxie and was walking towards me from another pavilion. It was raining and kind of cold. Suddenly we both heard this yelping and whining. From my standpoint I looked over and saw a man wrestling his greyhound, it looked like he was trying to get a collar on her. Several Grey's on leashes stared at her and started to make growling and barking noises. Then she got away and bolted towards a group of trees that lined the highway. Something spooked her. A small group of people ran towards the fence that lined through the trees when one of them ran back and said to us all, "she doesn't have a collar on!" At this point everyone ran down there, myself included, only to see that there was a large gap in the fence. Two women immediately started crying, several people started running along the highway to look for her. A few others were calling for someone to bring a hot dog. Luckily, I had a hamburger patty in my pocket (we were using it in pieces as treats for Roxie). As I pulled it out, Rhett caught up to me. I looked at him, and I could hardly speak. My eyes had watered up. I told him that she didn't have a collar on and she got out, and I had to go help look for her (at this point the only thing holding me back was my Tupperware in hand, and wanting to let Rhett know that I was going out there). He said, "I know, give me the patty." He handed me Roxie's leash, kissed my cheek, and without another word he left. I think he knew if I were to see something horrible, I'd lose it, and my own safety could be at risk so near the highway. (Funny, I'm a nurse, and I've seen horrible things on/in/done to people, and I can put on my nurse face and I help them. With dogs, there are no words. I can't see sad things happen to them without crying. My nurse face is only good around two legged people.)
After a few minutes looking around the gap in the fence, some people were coming back to get in their cars and drive along the highway to look for her. There was a small group of us left at the pavilion. Every single one of us had a silent prayer on our lips as we went about organizing other search parties and calling the state troopers. Roxie could feel the tension. She kept her butt right against my legs and her little body shook. I just waited. And prayed. I was losing hope fast, and hoping that I could hold my tears in. That's when a miracle happened.
Rhett texted me and said, "We got her." I jumped up and yelled the message to everyone. The sigh of relief was audible. Happy tears were being shed.
The state troopers were called again and told that we had found her, so they didn't need to worry. They asked if we were going to take care of the body or if they needed to come pick it up. When we told them she was alive they were shocked. The troopers told us that finding a dog loose on the highway alive almost never happens.
I got a picture message from Rhett right as he was getting back with the dog. Rhett was the second person to her, and the first to give us the update. I felt a little more validated for staying behind with Roxie during the search since I was the one able to share the news. I had been praying so hard... (Even typing this story is making my heart race). I could never even imagine something like that happening to Roxie. I would lose all function if it were her who had bolted off. I don't want to think about the wails that would come out of my body at even the thought that she might have gotten hit by a car. The whole time we waited, I kept her very close to me and gave her a few hugs.
I'm grateful to my Father in Heaven that the story had such a happy ending. The whole way home I kept saying little thank you prayers in my heart. Julie's nephew was the first to get to the dog (he was the one holding her in Rhett's picture message), Rhett was second, and everyone hailed them as hero's. I think it made them both a little uncomfortable, but I couldn't stop kissing Rhett. My hero husband, and Roxie's hero dad. I was so impressed with Rhett when he just came to me, got the hamburger, kissed me quick and left. No words were needed in that moment. My tears and his actions spoke enough for us.
The whole way home Roxie slept. It was kinda hilarious. She usually doesn't sleep well in the car, she just snoozes on and off. She was out cold, though. She was a bit wet, so I covered her with a blanket and she didn't even budge. She just snuggled in farther. She slept the rest of the day, that whole night, and most of the next day. It was a stressful event, so it took awhile to recover I guess. Haha.
As a note: this is the first time something like this has ever happened at an American greyhound event. At the same time, what better place for it to happen, when so many greyhound lovers are gathered in one spot? Every single one of us there jumped into some sort of action. It affected every single one of us. I don't know if there was a dry eye in the pavilion.
Hug your dog tight, and never let go! Miracles do happen. God hears our prayers. People are good. Greyhounds are the best.
Mary and Roxie, signing out. Time to go snuggle in bed for a good day of sleep! Zzzzzzzzzzz....
On September 12 Rhett, Roxie, and I got to experience our very first American Greyhound picnic, down in somewhere, Indiana. About an hour and a half away. They do it annually. There's costume contests, a dog run, vendors, groomers, photographers, etc. It is quite the ordeal! We had a blast. Everyone knew or knew of Roxie. She's just famous. I finally got to meet Sharon, who did our whole adoption. She interviewed us over the phone, called our references, and approved us to adopt. It was great to actually meet her face to face after so much phone time. Barbara, who was Roxie's foster mom was also there, and it was good to see her, too. We keep in contact via text. Especially those first few months we had Roxie and had lots of questions/updates for her. Roxie spent 3 months or so with Barb after all. It wouldn't have been a greyhound event without seeing Julie, Roxie's dog-sitter and honrary aunt. I made some new friends there, too. Roxie of course snubbed all of them, including Julie and Barbara. They are scary...
Roxie's emotions of the day went as follows:
You're packing up chairs and food? OMG why?! Fear.
You got my leash! Hooray! I love going with you! Joy.
We get to go in the car?! Hooray! Joy.
Oh no, there's a scary person in the crosswalk we're stopped at. Fear.
Oh good, we're on the highway. Content.
Snooze.
Arrive at the picnic. What? Where are we? Curious.
Get out of the car. There are people 20 feet away. Fear.
The whole first half of the picnic terror. Why are all of these people fawning over me?? Tell them to stop petting me cuz I'm too scared to... Oh when will the horror end?! (She's a bit of a drama queen).
To the dog run. No leash?? Joy!!! Run and play! Be the center of attention. All these male dogs are really liking me. I'm so cute. I'm so tricksy. (She waits till they're all distracted then bolts off in the opposite direction so she has a head start, they of course follow.) This is weird that I'm not the fastest dog here. When we go to the beach I'm always the fastest dog. Play! Fun! Tired now...
After that our pretty girl was much more relaxed around the people at the picnic. There was a silent auction, but we didn't win anything. We did, however, get to dress Roxie up in adorable snoods and collars to see what we liked. We also bought her the most beautiful winter coat. We've been wanting one since last year. All we had before was a fleece lined windbreaker. No bueno. She just looks adorable! And it's thick and warm. Best part is, all the proceeds from buying the coat went straight back to American Greyhound.
Even better, Julie gave me the name of a woman who makes collars for Grey's. (If you didn't know, they require a special collar cuz their heads are the same size as their necks. A regular collar just comes right off.) We just ordered a purple collar for Roxie. She's gonna look so beautiful :D Rhett laughs at me for always wanting different color snoods, scarves, booties, collars, coats, and costumes for her. She's just so pretty, how can I help myself?!
Overall, the picnic was a success. My mini cupcakes went pretty fast. The hamburgers and sides were delicious. I give it an A+. The only problem was that we got rained on. Roxie wasn't a fan. She got laughed at by a guy who's dog she took shelter under. Yes, under. Just like she would do with Bob, her brother. She's so small compared to all the other Grey's! What the guy was really laughing at though, was that she sat under his dog. She just backed up and sat so his dog was standing over most of her. Silly girl... That's what we get for teaching her to sit. (Side note: Greyhounds don't natually sit. They stand or lay because of their build.)
Now for the part of the picnic that wasn't so great. Rhett and I were getting ready to go, I had my Tupperware and was standing near a pavilion, Rhett had Roxie and was walking towards me from another pavilion. It was raining and kind of cold. Suddenly we both heard this yelping and whining. From my standpoint I looked over and saw a man wrestling his greyhound, it looked like he was trying to get a collar on her. Several Grey's on leashes stared at her and started to make growling and barking noises. Then she got away and bolted towards a group of trees that lined the highway. Something spooked her. A small group of people ran towards the fence that lined through the trees when one of them ran back and said to us all, "she doesn't have a collar on!" At this point everyone ran down there, myself included, only to see that there was a large gap in the fence. Two women immediately started crying, several people started running along the highway to look for her. A few others were calling for someone to bring a hot dog. Luckily, I had a hamburger patty in my pocket (we were using it in pieces as treats for Roxie). As I pulled it out, Rhett caught up to me. I looked at him, and I could hardly speak. My eyes had watered up. I told him that she didn't have a collar on and she got out, and I had to go help look for her (at this point the only thing holding me back was my Tupperware in hand, and wanting to let Rhett know that I was going out there). He said, "I know, give me the patty." He handed me Roxie's leash, kissed my cheek, and without another word he left. I think he knew if I were to see something horrible, I'd lose it, and my own safety could be at risk so near the highway. (Funny, I'm a nurse, and I've seen horrible things on/in/done to people, and I can put on my nurse face and I help them. With dogs, there are no words. I can't see sad things happen to them without crying. My nurse face is only good around two legged people.)
After a few minutes looking around the gap in the fence, some people were coming back to get in their cars and drive along the highway to look for her. There was a small group of us left at the pavilion. Every single one of us had a silent prayer on our lips as we went about organizing other search parties and calling the state troopers. Roxie could feel the tension. She kept her butt right against my legs and her little body shook. I just waited. And prayed. I was losing hope fast, and hoping that I could hold my tears in. That's when a miracle happened.
Rhett texted me and said, "We got her." I jumped up and yelled the message to everyone. The sigh of relief was audible. Happy tears were being shed.
The state troopers were called again and told that we had found her, so they didn't need to worry. They asked if we were going to take care of the body or if they needed to come pick it up. When we told them she was alive they were shocked. The troopers told us that finding a dog loose on the highway alive almost never happens.
I got a picture message from Rhett right as he was getting back with the dog. Rhett was the second person to her, and the first to give us the update. I felt a little more validated for staying behind with Roxie during the search since I was the one able to share the news. I had been praying so hard... (Even typing this story is making my heart race). I could never even imagine something like that happening to Roxie. I would lose all function if it were her who had bolted off. I don't want to think about the wails that would come out of my body at even the thought that she might have gotten hit by a car. The whole time we waited, I kept her very close to me and gave her a few hugs.
I'm grateful to my Father in Heaven that the story had such a happy ending. The whole way home I kept saying little thank you prayers in my heart. Julie's nephew was the first to get to the dog (he was the one holding her in Rhett's picture message), Rhett was second, and everyone hailed them as hero's. I think it made them both a little uncomfortable, but I couldn't stop kissing Rhett. My hero husband, and Roxie's hero dad. I was so impressed with Rhett when he just came to me, got the hamburger, kissed me quick and left. No words were needed in that moment. My tears and his actions spoke enough for us.
The whole way home Roxie slept. It was kinda hilarious. She usually doesn't sleep well in the car, she just snoozes on and off. She was out cold, though. She was a bit wet, so I covered her with a blanket and she didn't even budge. She just snuggled in farther. She slept the rest of the day, that whole night, and most of the next day. It was a stressful event, so it took awhile to recover I guess. Haha.
As a note: this is the first time something like this has ever happened at an American greyhound event. At the same time, what better place for it to happen, when so many greyhound lovers are gathered in one spot? Every single one of us there jumped into some sort of action. It affected every single one of us. I don't know if there was a dry eye in the pavilion.
Hug your dog tight, and never let go! Miracles do happen. God hears our prayers. People are good. Greyhounds are the best.
Mary and Roxie, signing out. Time to go snuggle in bed for a good day of sleep! Zzzzzzzzzzz....
A family picture :)
Some of the silent auction items. I was in love with all the greyhound art.
Rhett and Roxie (who is wearing pearls, cuz she's so pretty) with a few of the greyhounds attending the picnic in the background. <3
Monday, August 31, 2015
Why We Call Her "Snuggle-Butt"
This is Roxie:
We were waiting for my niece and her boyfriend to get off the plane in this picture. There were people at the airport, so she was nervous.
When Roxie gets nervous she always backs her butt into one of us. Even in the above picture, she sat with her butt towards Rhett.
I find that it just melts my heart that she backs against us when she's scared, because she knows we will have her back. She can't watch both ends at the same time, so she backs up until her butt is pushed against us, (to the point of occasionally making me lose my balance) where she can look out at one end, and know her other end is protected. She used to hide underneath her brother, Bob, when she was scared, which was all the time when she first entered American Greyhound foster care. While she's come out of her shell, and has "protected" us, she's still a scaredy-dog at heart.
We will always protect you, Roxie.
She doesn't always do this when she's nervous. She likes to be close to us, and I think her favorite body part to snuggle up against is her butt. It's got some bald spots, so maybe it gets extra cold. or maybe it's cuz she's nervous all the time (which wouldn't surprise me). Or maybe she just really likes having her butt touched. Either way, she's a snuggle-butt.
She also loves to lay her head on pillows, or use your lap as a pillow. Her most favorite is when she has a pillow and someone to snuggle her butt against. Then I think she's in doggie heaven. Our little girl really trusts us to watch her back. At home or at the airport.
Two more bonus pictures because she's so freaking adorable!!!
Mar
Monday, August 10, 2015
Treats for Me?
Roxie has been learning tricks. She's getting confident enough to ask for food, and is somewhat treat motivated. She has to be completely comfortable with her surroundings to be treat motivated, but it's a start.
It's really cute to watch her, actually. It took us forever just to get "sit" down. As it turns out, greyhounds don't naturally sit like other dogs because of they way they are built. So "sit" isn't necessarily the best command to teach them. She learned it anyway, our smart girl.
After "sit" we moved on to some commands that have been said to help shy dogs gain a little more confidence. The first is "say hello" and the other is "watch me." When we tell her to "say hello" we hold out a closed fist, and she has to bump her nose against it. When she does that, we give her a treat out of the other hand. This is so they aren't just bumping their nose against a hand that smells like a treat, but rather they are following a command. When we say, "watch me," we hold a finger to our nose, between our eyes, and she has to make eye contact with us for more than a millisecond. Haha really we try to keep her eyes on ours for about 2-3 full seconds. Then she gets a treat. Eye contact is an Alpha-dog thing, so learning she can make eye contact with us lets her know there is mutual respect. It's also a great way to bond.
Moving on we started to teach her to "shake." That one took her awhile as well, though so far has come much faster than the previous tricks. Our Roxie is a lefty, and always puts her left paw up to shake.
What I think is the cutest thing though, is how she'll ask for treats now. She never really used to. She would sniff at something, but if you didn't give it to her she'd just stand there and look sad. Now if we have food in hand she'll come over and sit in front of us. Sometimes she'll bring that left paw up just to see if that will work. My most favorite thing she does though, is when she bumps Rhett's hand if he's eating something. He often leans against the counter and will eat an apple with one hand, and leave the other hanging. We often get caught up just chatting in the kitchen, until Roxie decides she wants a bite, and will come over and start nudging Rhett's hanging hand with her nose. Once he looks down, she sits. It's so adorable we just can't refuse!
Our newest trick is "down." She's picking up on this one fast, too, but like the others it's also a hit-and-miss trick she doesn't quite have the hang of yet. We'll get there.
If you ever come over for a visit and she nudges your hand while you're eating a snack, you probably won't be able to say no to her little face. And that's okay with us. I really have seen a confidence boost in this pretty girl.
Until next time! "Sit" tight.
Mary + Roxie
It's really cute to watch her, actually. It took us forever just to get "sit" down. As it turns out, greyhounds don't naturally sit like other dogs because of they way they are built. So "sit" isn't necessarily the best command to teach them. She learned it anyway, our smart girl.
After "sit" we moved on to some commands that have been said to help shy dogs gain a little more confidence. The first is "say hello" and the other is "watch me." When we tell her to "say hello" we hold out a closed fist, and she has to bump her nose against it. When she does that, we give her a treat out of the other hand. This is so they aren't just bumping their nose against a hand that smells like a treat, but rather they are following a command. When we say, "watch me," we hold a finger to our nose, between our eyes, and she has to make eye contact with us for more than a millisecond. Haha really we try to keep her eyes on ours for about 2-3 full seconds. Then she gets a treat. Eye contact is an Alpha-dog thing, so learning she can make eye contact with us lets her know there is mutual respect. It's also a great way to bond.
Moving on we started to teach her to "shake." That one took her awhile as well, though so far has come much faster than the previous tricks. Our Roxie is a lefty, and always puts her left paw up to shake.
What I think is the cutest thing though, is how she'll ask for treats now. She never really used to. She would sniff at something, but if you didn't give it to her she'd just stand there and look sad. Now if we have food in hand she'll come over and sit in front of us. Sometimes she'll bring that left paw up just to see if that will work. My most favorite thing she does though, is when she bumps Rhett's hand if he's eating something. He often leans against the counter and will eat an apple with one hand, and leave the other hanging. We often get caught up just chatting in the kitchen, until Roxie decides she wants a bite, and will come over and start nudging Rhett's hanging hand with her nose. Once he looks down, she sits. It's so adorable we just can't refuse!
Our newest trick is "down." She's picking up on this one fast, too, but like the others it's also a hit-and-miss trick she doesn't quite have the hang of yet. We'll get there.
If you ever come over for a visit and she nudges your hand while you're eating a snack, you probably won't be able to say no to her little face. And that's okay with us. I really have seen a confidence boost in this pretty girl.
Until next time! "Sit" tight.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
A Single Bark
Hello, dog lovers!
I have some amazing news to share... After 8 months of having our sweet Roxie, I finally got to hear her bark.
Just once.
It was amazing.
Here's the story:
Rhett and I went to Wisconsin for the weekend so Rhett could go on a fishing trip with some of his buddies. I stayed with one of the friend's wives (Courtney) and their dog, Korra. Korra is a year old, and extremely high energy. We hoped Roxie might take a lesson in "playing" from her. Courtney was hoping Korra would take a lesson in relaxing from Roxie. Neither happened.
Saturday morning we took Korra and Roxie to the dog park in the Madison area. It's quite lovely. So we get the pups in the back seat of the car and start driving over. It's not a long drive. On the way, Korra was apparently doing something to annoy Roxie, and from the back seat I hear a sudden, big, deep, loud bark. I looked back in shock, my first thought being, "Wow, I didn't know Korra had such a deep voice!" Then I saw Roxie, eyes wide, staring at Korra, mouth puckered in a bark position. Then it hit me, Roxie gave one warning bark. That was all it took. For the next few minutes, Korra stayed on her side of the car. I was stunned. In 8 months we've never heard her bark once. She's so passive, that we didn't know if we'd ever actually get to hear her bark.
Sadly, there was no replicating it. She's just too chill. Rhett didn't get to hear the beautiful, big-dog sound come out of our sweet girl. To be quite honest, I'm not sure I want to ever replicate it. She scared even me for just a moment. I think she may have scared herself a bit with it, too, hahaha.
Hopefully this means she's gaining more confidence and won't put up with as much crap. Nothing else has seemed to change, though, so I'm just not sure. I was, however, really excited to share the news of her bark with Rhett, and now with you!
Til next time!
Woof!
I have some amazing news to share... After 8 months of having our sweet Roxie, I finally got to hear her bark.
Just once.
It was amazing.
Here's the story:
Rhett and I went to Wisconsin for the weekend so Rhett could go on a fishing trip with some of his buddies. I stayed with one of the friend's wives (Courtney) and their dog, Korra. Korra is a year old, and extremely high energy. We hoped Roxie might take a lesson in "playing" from her. Courtney was hoping Korra would take a lesson in relaxing from Roxie. Neither happened.
Saturday morning we took Korra and Roxie to the dog park in the Madison area. It's quite lovely. So we get the pups in the back seat of the car and start driving over. It's not a long drive. On the way, Korra was apparently doing something to annoy Roxie, and from the back seat I hear a sudden, big, deep, loud bark. I looked back in shock, my first thought being, "Wow, I didn't know Korra had such a deep voice!" Then I saw Roxie, eyes wide, staring at Korra, mouth puckered in a bark position. Then it hit me, Roxie gave one warning bark. That was all it took. For the next few minutes, Korra stayed on her side of the car. I was stunned. In 8 months we've never heard her bark once. She's so passive, that we didn't know if we'd ever actually get to hear her bark.
Sadly, there was no replicating it. She's just too chill. Rhett didn't get to hear the beautiful, big-dog sound come out of our sweet girl. To be quite honest, I'm not sure I want to ever replicate it. She scared even me for just a moment. I think she may have scared herself a bit with it, too, hahaha.
Hopefully this means she's gaining more confidence and won't put up with as much crap. Nothing else has seemed to change, though, so I'm just not sure. I was, however, really excited to share the news of her bark with Rhett, and now with you!
Til next time!
Woof!
Miss Roxie at the dog park in Madison, WI.
Roxie (the tall one) with Korra (the fluffy one) and Courtney (the human) in Madison, WI. Wish I had a better picture of Korra, just to show the relationship between the two of them. Haha.
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