From commentor Joy:
This is Chloe (white with black eye) and her big sister, Abby. After our little Maya died suddenly, my husband and I along with Abby walked around like zombies. After a few months, I decided I was ready to adopt again and with the help of my best friend and vet, I started looking. I had never gone to the dog pound before but with her support I was able to go in. She helped me pick out animals that would fit into our family the best. But then I saw Chloe and she just stared at me with those longing eyes. I had been waiting to have what I call my “Maya Moment” and I just knew in my heart she was the one. I adopted her and brought her home. It turns out she was a reactive dog, easily stimulated by everything especially animals and people and fearful. I searched high and low for a trainer to help me deal with her issues and finally found one. He explained that she was fearful, not aggressive, and that we could overcome this with a lot of patience. The trainer said a lot of people would have given up on Chloe and returned her to the pound, but I was determined. With his help and encouragement plus a lot of constant work, Chloe began to adapt to being in the company of other dogs and slowly warming up to people. After 8 months, we have come a long way, but she still a work in progress. Watching her overcome her fears and be able to participate in activities like walking in the park with Abby is so gratifying. It is the best decision I have made. When you come home, that little butt just wiggles until you get to her for kisses and love. She is definitely worth the time and effort and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. I really believe that most rescue animals are so happy to be in loving homes that they turn out to be the best companions. Not only is Chloe lucky, but we are as well.
Maude
Morning, Anne.
The pooches are supremo.
Earl didn’t become a dramatic event. The reporters aren’t getting to wear their storm outfits and yell into their mikes while the wind whips their hair in front of their eyes.
stuckinred
My rescues Lil Bit and Bohdi and I are headed to the bakery (where Bohdi was dumped 6 years ago) and then to the famers market, After lots of night games Georgia is kicking off at noon today so it will be wild in the streets this morning. All I can say is “GO DAWGS”!
SiubhanDuinne
Chloe and Abby are both gorgeous — and that pose is priceless. What trust! You chose well, Joy — and so did Chloe.
Maude, you left out the other obligatory part of storm reporting: Once the brave correspondent in his weather gear and wind-whipped hair has finished yelling into his mike (and it is almost always a “he”), the anchor back in the studio (who is almost always a “she”) puts on a super-concerned voice and says “Thanks, Bill, great reporting. Now you get inside. We don’t want *you* to be blown away!” and then chuckles as if she’s said something exceptionally clever and original. Happens every time there’s a hurricane.
SiubhanDuinne
@stuckinred: Cars over here (Atlanta) have been sporting their UGA window flags all week long. I don’t follow football at all (don’t even know who’s playing Georgia today) but if helps I’m perfectly willing to yell “Go Dawgs!”
demo woman
@SiubhanDuinne: There’s a big game tonight at the dome. The Chick-Fil-A Kickoff is tonight between LSU and UNC so you will have the opportunity to see lots of school banners.
demo woman
Chloe and Abby are lucky dogs. When you adopt a trainer can help both the rescuer and the dog adapt to new surroundings.
Miss Moxie was so traumatized when I first rescued her that it would have helped to have a trainer set boundaries. Instead I have a lovely mutt who interacts with other animals and people just fine but howls when I leave. She’s been with me for 8 1/2 years and is about 11 and still is scared about being abandoned.
I’ve been house sitting a cat for a few weeks and it’s been a hoot to see the development between the two. Last weekend was sibling rivalry weekend. While I ironed one positioned herself in front of the ironing board on the floor while I pressed my clothes and the other behind. This week their noses did touch a few times so that’s progress.
SiubhanDuinne
@demo woman: Thanks! I expect over in these parts, I’m more likely to see UNC banners, assuming a fair number drive down from the Triangle. I’m staying far fron downtown all weekend, though, so shouldn’t get mired in game traffic.
Have a good, relaxing weekend.
bkny
oh man, photos of sleeping, contented poochies are irresistible. tbogg has a classic up right now.
Maude
@SiubhanDuinne:
It was easrly and I couldn’t come up with the whole bit of nonsense.
I heard a report by a woman who runs a program that gives free groceries to people in South Jersy counties. She was sayinf that about 60 families will sign up and hundreds show up. They don’t do income verification and they do help people apply for food stamps.
I feel a real sense of panic when I hear these things. There are No jobs. UI will run out.
So, my emo reaction is get the soldiers out of Afghanistan and get huge infrastructure programs started here in the US.
I have noticed that congress and even Obama aren’t talking about the poor.
Bill Clinton pulled the rug out from under poor people and that hasn’t been corrected. It is much worse now than in the 1980’s.
Some of the middle class is sliding down to being poor.
The Haves could care less.
Sorry to dump this here, but this isn’t going away.
WereBear
That “click” of connection is a reliable guide in the shelter; it often happens with an animal you didn’t plan to get; too big, too small, too young, too old, or a breed you thought would be wrong for you.
But making the connection has to happen; or nothing else follows.
JCT
@WereBear:
+1
And what a great way to start the morning– those two are the picture of love and contentment.
I always look at a picture like that at can’t help but think what sweet Chloe’s life would have been like if you had kept walking. Same certainly goes for dear Lily and her original situation.
Sometimes difficult to remember given all of the incredible and hateful nonsense going on in this country that there are still uplifting and happy stories.
demo woman
Headline on the AJC
I wonder if the man was clothed. Cole could attest that mops are dangerous instruments.
jeffreyw
@bkny:
Yup
Kristine
That is a lovely picture. I need to come here first thing on a Saturday morning. Instead I read the Abbreviated Pundit Roundup over at GOS and got depressed.
@WereBear: This is so true. Gaby was so far from the image I had of a prospective King-buddy. No retriever or GSD. Small. Waaay small. A little quiet. She didn’t even look at me when we were introduced. She gave me her paw, which I learned later is what she does when she feels uncertain. But something inside me said Yes.
In between the day I first met Gaby and the day I picked her up, someone else adopted her. Talk about lack of patience–they brought her back the next day because she was “too active.” She kept wanting to go outside and the people lived in an apartment with a community yard, which made taking her outside complicated, or at least more complicated than they wanted. Worked out for me and the Old Guy.
WereBear
I just found out that Florida has a Whig party.
Undoubtedly some of the original members…
stuckinred
@SiubhanDuinne: LSU is one of the best traveling schools in the nation, Carolina won’t even come close.
SiubhanDuinne
@stuckinred #16: But where I live (Duluth) is arguably on the route UNC would take (I-85) whereas I’m nowhere close to the LSU route. That’s all I meant. (But if, as you say, UNC fans basically don’t travel, then I’m unlikely to be troubled by either school!)
quaint irene
Hey, it’s Petie from ‘Our Gang!’
debit
That is such a lovely picture, and they are such beautiful dogs. I also approve of Chloe’s name.
Dog is My Co-Pilot
What a great picture of Abby and Chloe. It’s great that you are taking the time with Chloe to “rehabilitate” her. Lots of people wouldn’t do this and that is why so many animals end up back at the shelter. We have a Pomeranian who came from a puppy mill. The rescue group knew they had to find a special home for her because she was a pretty damaged dog, both physically and emotionally. Since we adopted her, almost three years ago, she has made great strides and is mostly a happy little dog now. But it has taken great patience, the help of our other dogs, and just allowing her to be a dog. It’s a very rewarding process.
stuckinred
@SiubhanDuinne: Gotcha.
Josie
@Dog is My Co-Pilot: The patience and the idea of allowing a dog to be a dog is so true. People sometimes have such unreal expectations of pets. If only they could know the contentment of having that dog buddy who is so special and doggy, their lives would improve tremendously.
Jebediah
Joy – what a beautiful picture and story. Thanks for taking the hard way with a dog with issues, and thanks for starting my day off in such a lovely way. You have most certainly earned the earnest love of a wonderful dog – she is very lucky.
asiangrrlMN
Sniff, sniff, what a lovely story. Both girls are beautiful, and I love seeing cuddle pictures.
JR in WV
A nice pic of some nice dogs.
We have 3 dogs (1 young part lab, 1 big old part pit bull, and a middle aged black fuzzy dog – he loses 35 lbs when he gets his spring shear!) and 5 cats; all are rescue critters!. Two of the cats are senior, one nearly 19 but in good health and sprits, and 3 are young.
We live on 90 acres in SW West Virginia, mostly wooded, in a rural neighborhood of farms. So everyone gets to go in and out the house as they will. Old Rufus the senior cat only goes out on sunny hot afternoons, to lay in the sun.
Last week the most affectionate young cat, Roscoe Adkins, a grey tiger striped tom (fixed) went out in the evening, and didn’t show up for dinner at bed time! Then he didn’t show up for breakfast, which was really bad, as Roscoe is a skinny hyperactive cat with a big appetite!
I was thinking about the barred owls who live on the ridge top, and the red foxes that used to hit the chickens back when we kept yard birds… not good thoughts at all. Owls can do a cat or small dog, and they won’t even hear the bird coming. It’s unusual, but it happens.
This morning Roscoe came home… acting like he had been gone a couple of hours, what’s the big deal, where’s breakfast? He was gone 3 days, and seems to have done OK with mice and whatnot. He’s in the bed now, lying on his back, purring.
What a relief! Then WVU won their opener, against a weaker opponent, but a win is a win. Next week they play my alma mater, Marshall U, and I expect them to win big again.
I can’t stand to follow the political news noise machine. I just quit.
I’ll donate to a few good dems, and work for a couple, but I just can’t stand the noise machine.
You all take care of all the rescue dogs and cats!
Best to all!
JR