I have always been a dog lover!!! Growing up my entire life with dogs surrounding me, they became my life and it became normal to have them in my family. Our first dog was a mongrel named Brandy, she was an awesome dog. My parents had her trained so well, that when we were bad, she would put us in a corner and keep us there until my mom or dad said it was ok for us to leave! Then there was our Brittany Spaniel, Tara Leagh of Royal Worth. She came from a long breed of show dogs. Mommy and daddy were championship show dogs! Well, this one, she was a monster and destroyed more stuff in the house, got into more trouble, then one could think a dog could! Then there was Precious Starr, our first English Springer Spaniel, she became mine and my dad's dog! My dad & I trained her and her so spoiled it was not even funny! She literally hated my brother and would nip him every chance that she got! Any dog that can guard a biscuit or bone for 3 or more days, is pretty damn cool! We would give her a treat and tell her she was only to guard it and not lot anyone near it or eat it, until she was ready. Then give her another treat and tell her it was ok to eat that one, without even flinching, she would eat the other one, but yet still guard the other one! Then there was her daughter that we kept after she had her first and last litter, she scared us so much, we thought we were going to lose her while giving birth to her pups. But, along came Tiffany Starr-Mist. She kind of turned into my mom & brothers dog, which was just fine by my dad & I! She was to mellow for our liking, however, we loved her to pieces. Then along came a very special dog, which my dad & I did not want from the beginning. He was a Brittany Spaniel, who was found about 50 miles away from where we lived, by a friend of my mom's. They knew our love for animals, so they called my mom and asked her if we would open our home to him and bring him in. He had been severely abused by his owners. He was still very young, but yet his owner I guess found it ok to chain this poor guy up and leave him outside in the cold for not performing his hunting duties properly, would be my guess. He was skin and bones, welts all over his body when we first got him. It was so sad, and heart breaking to look at this poor guy. I knew he was going to be a handful, so I tried to avoid him at all causes. I didn't want anything to do with him. But, then again I knew the past history of our previous Brit and all the damage and shit she did. I had nightmares of what was going to happen.
I will never forgot the moment he walked into our house, he looked at me, looked at my dad, looked at my mom and went straight to her. When I approached him, he shook like crazy, and was not sure of what to do. He would just flinch away from my dad. He didn't know what a "cookie or treat was", he had no clue what a toy was. How sad :/. It just breaks your heart and makes you wonder how in the hell could someone even think of doing this to this precious baby. Well as days and months went by, Franklin finally started to warm up to me, as I was the one to feed him, change his water, come home from work/school and take him out and play with him and chase him around.
When spring rolled around, my parents started going back up to their summer home on the weekends, they were afraid to take him with, so they asked me if I would care for him and leave him with me. At first I was not happy about it. I felt as if he needed constant care. He had seizures, which scared the shit out of me, but I learned how to deal with him and knew exactly when he was going to have one and I would rush to him, or he would come and collapse in my lap. I would cry and as I tried to hold him still and keep him from swallowing his tongue. I was starting to fall completely in love with this dog. He eventually became my sidekick. We went everywhere together, did everything together. I would leave for work and he would want to follow me out the door. He was so different, but yet so much like Tara, in so many ways. Instead of my dad's stuff getting eaten and chewed up, it was mine. He would get so pissed at me, that whatever he could find of mine and destroy he would! The final straw was when he ate my feather pillow, and my boyfriend at the time, went in the house before me and told me not to go in and freak out, as he laughed. Well when I walked in, there were feathers everywhere. A brand new pillow, destroyed. I flipped my lid and picked up Frank and threw him on the couch and told him we were going to have a one on one conversation and that he was going to listen. He sat there as I talked to him and told him that he was costing me more money then what it was worth and that if he dared to eat anything else of mine that he would be in deep doo-doo. From that day forward, he never destroyed anything of mine ever again! It was a damn as miracle. But as he grew older, his seizures continually got worse and we eventually ended up having to put him down. He died in my arms. I didn't want to let him go, I cried like a baby. I felt as if my best buddy was just ripped from my life. I didn't sleep from a week, I looked for him everywhere as if it were a dream. I mopped around and couldn't function. I hated going home and not having him there. I missed walking into a messed up bed, pillows on the floor.
So when I got to Vegas, and already having 2 dogs my Otis, and Pugsley. I wanted another dog, but I really wanted a Boston Terrier or a Pug. Well being unsuccessful at finding one, I found something better while searching the web, The Southern NV Pug Rescue. So I sat for hours and researched there page, and seen they were looking for Foster Homes! So I waited for my husband at the time to get home from work and show him the web-site and see what he had to say. So he agreed to open our house to become a foster home! I filled out the application and sent it off. I didn't hear anything from them, but seen that they were going to be at an event right around the corner from our house at the time and went down there! I seen the rescue, so I rushed over there to talk to them and advised them that I sent over an application, but haven't heard anything yet from them. So they asked me to send another one over when I got home. So I rushed home and refilled out the application and sent it over. Within in a couple of days, I had our house check and we were approved to Foster! I was so excited and could not wait! A couple of days later, I got the call to see if we could Foster! Of course I accepted! And it all began!!! Max came into the house! He was so sweet and adorable and funny as hell! Otis and Pugsley needed a couple of days to adjust, but when they did it was one of the greatest moments, and the boys looked forward to fosters coming and going!
I will say letting go of the first one was not easy at all. I balled. But, knowing that I was able to provide him the love and care that he needed until he got into his forever or (furever home!) was such a great reward! The next few pugs that stayed with us, had their challenges, but we worked through them and got them ready for their new life in their new home! It never gets easy though giving them up. Then along came this little guy in the picture below!!! I will never forget the day that I picked him up from the Vet, with his little cone-of-shame on, and he was so stinking cute! I got him home and my ex was in the driveway and he just about melted when he seen this little cutie pie! I opened up the door to let him in the house with the other boys! They all sniffed each other, kissed each other and went and laid down and chilled out together! It was like they were all meant to be together! It was love at first sight with this one. This one, I didn't know if we could let him go. As the days passed and the longer he was with us, we kept saying that he wasn't going to leave us. And then I got that dreaded email from the rescue, saying that someone was interested in Stitch. I didn't want to tell Jim. He would be devastated. But they knew we were thinking about keeping him. So, I asked if I could have a couple of days to think about it. And of course the answer was yes! So, we went back and forth on it, it came down to a coin toss, which we lost our own damn coin toss. So we agreed to let him go. Well, after not hearing nothing for a few days, we looked at each other and said that we were keeping him. We couldn't let him go. So Stitch was my foster gone bad as I say! He was the one to come in and not leave!!!! Well since the ex and I got divorced there has been some issues with me having my babies, but so lucky to have the rescue and amazing friends. Otis is back with his daddy, which I am not 100% happy with, but at least I know he is ok and doing good. Pugsley is with a friend of mine, and Stitch is with one of my dear friends from the Foster and her gang. She loves him so much!! I can't wait to have him back with me and I am able to keep him with me. I just miss the shit out of him. But I do go and visit him & get to play with him anytime I want! He's such an amazing boy and I love him to pieces. And he knows it!
So if anyone is looking to adopt a pet, instead of buying a puppy, which are just as much work as having an infant around, go to your local shelter or check into your local rescues and adopt from them. Always make sure you do your homework before you adopt as well. As each breed of dog is different, some need a lot of room, some don't, some get along better with other animals, some don't, some love kids, some hate kids. So always research before you adopt or buy an animal. I see way too many dogs come into rescue, because people have kids, or the dogs don't like the kids, etc. It breaks your heart. Dogs have feelings too, and people forget that, and just throw them away like they don't mean anything to them. I don't know how people can do it. Because having to separate my babies and not being with them, I will tell you sucks. I miss them everyday. But I know they are in great hands and being cared and loved for. So always know what you are getting into before you take that cute little fur ball home, just because you think they are cute and all. And then decide a week or months later that you can't handle it, because they are too much work.
Also, make sure you always get your pet neutered. There are more then enough animals in kill shelters and such. So All that I ask is that you be a RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER!!!
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