It was around 1993 or so. My Daughter Ann and her then Boy-Friend said there was a Chocolate Lab at the SPCA that was available.
Her former 'owner' was an elderly woman, who only got the dog, so when her grand-son occasionally visited he could 'play' with her.
When she went to work each day, the young puppy (maybe 6 mos. old) was STAKED outside all day. At night it was put in a cage in the kitchen for 8-10 hours.
No Love, or attention, or playing - just boredom. The woman took her back to the 'pound' after several months of this routine.
The day we all went to see her, she had beautiful, sad, brown eyes - Big paws, and a long tail, with a Lump in it. Obviously, she was some kind of 'mixture' - Not a pure Chocolate Lab.
But, those sad eyes GRABBED us, and we took her Home. After much discussion, we all agreed on a name ... HEATHER!
Next, we bought her a bigger 'cage' or 'kennel' (she could not even turn around in the one she came in) and toys, food, bed, et cetera.
After checking into the black markings, and the tail, we discovered she was a Lab/Doberman mix! At the time, I did NOT trust Doberman's ... but she turned out to be the Best 'Sweetie-Pie' one could want.
She grew quickly, and the Vet said the 'lump' in the tail was because it had been Broken somehow, and the best thing to do was to get it 'Bobbed' (cut-off) like many Dobes do. The day of the surgery, when i picked her up, she had one of those' funnel' gizmo's around her neck. She wasn't in the car for more than two minutes, and it was OFF!
I took Heather to training classes the First time ... and we FLUNKED!
My daughter and her Passed the Second time. We later found out that she was probably abused by someone in a Uniform - she went Crazy, every day when the Mailman came! After chasing a Mail-Lady about a block one day, she Spritzed her with Pepper Spray ... and was CURED!
She was one of the fastest things on Four legs I ever saw, and we Loved her Dearly! Heather just LOVED to ‘fetch’ - play Ball - catch the ball - and she was good at it - had a ‘keen’ eye, and good sense of direction.
She also LOVED to chase the water stream from a garden hose. Out - Up - Back - Forward ... all the way up to the blasting Nozzle! Years ago, Ann and I Video-Taped her for about fifteen minutes, and sent it in to that ‘Funny Video’ Show - but we never even received an acknowledgement. Heather would have WON ... Dog-Gone it!
When she sat, or stood still, almost at an attentive pose, there was something almost Regal about her ... “Heather ... SIT! ‘Good Girl!”
Heather went over the 'Rainbow Bridge' at Age 14 ... and we ALL miss her Terribly.
To this day, I think of her everyday, as I use a variation of her name for my Passwords!
To be sure, we had our 'Ups n' Downs' ...
but, she made Four People Very Happy!
So glad we Saved her!
I'm glad you saved her, too. And I still think you should save another one, no matter how busy you are - you have the right 'heart.'
PS: The Great Animal Rescue Chase Site hopes to get One Million Rescue Stories. I think I've already sent in about ten of them, with more to come. I'm very sadly very busy myself - and not how I had expected to spend my 'Retirement.'
Puffy strays and something happens to make him decide he will never run away again. Judged "Outstanding" at the 2013 Writers Digest SPB Awards. Named among the best in family-friendly media, products and services 2019 by the Mom’s Choice Awards®.
Puffy strays and something happens to make him decide he will never run away again. Judged "Outstanding" at the 2013 Writers Digest SPB Awards. Named among the best in family-friendly media, products and services 2019 by the Mom’s Choice Awards®.
