Today We Rescued Your Dog
by Pat Closher
Today we rescued your dog. We don’t know where you got him from - maybe you saw him in a pet store window or maybe one of your neighbors bred a few litters a year just to make some vacation money or because they loved their dogs so much that of course they wanted to have puppies. We don’t know much about how you cared for him either, although our vet thought that for such a young dog, his teeth were in pretty bad shape.
by Pat Closher
Today we rescued your dog. We don’t know where you got him from - maybe you saw him in a pet store window or maybe one of your neighbors bred a few litters a year just to make some vacation money or because they loved their dogs so much that of course they wanted to have puppies. We don’t know much about how you cared for him either, although our vet thought that for such a young dog, his teeth were in pretty bad shape.
Did you know they were going to keep him outside? At least it was a pretty mild winter. There were no heavy snows, not much heavy winter rain and only a few days of bitter cold. But for all of those weeks he had no companionship, no care, and no love.
For some reason, your grandparents took him to the shelter. Maybe a neighbor complained about him or maybe their own health gave out or maybe they just got tired of him. You know the local shelter is a kill shelter, don’t you? You know that their own statistics indicate that about half of the dogs that enter are killed, don’t you? Maybe your grandparents thought he would be adopted quickly. He is a purebred, after all. No one was interested in him, though, maybe since he’s an adult dog and not a cute little puppy. No one contacted the purebred rescue group either. They probably would have placed him quickly, since he really is a great boy. The shelter is a clean place and they take good care of the dogs. They get good food and they’re bathed and brushed. It’s still a shelter though, and is noisy and chaotic and frightening. He spent two months there in that confusion, away from everyone and everything he had known.
One day, we saw him on the shelter web site. We called and asked about him. The shelter workers were so happy to hear from us and were delighted to agree to bring him to a local pet store where they do adoptions. Do you want to know why they were so accommodating? He was scheduled to be killed that afternoon. He didn’t know that, but the shelter workers certainly did. It hurt them and he felt that, so he knew something was wrong. All of a sudden, though, the shelter workers were happy and excited and so was he. They bathed him and brushed his coat. We think they probably told him this was it - his big chance, or maybe he just knew it somehow. When we met him, we all fell in love.
He had to go to the vet to be neutered, of course, but then he came home. He has his very own 13 year-old boy. You know, it’s almost like watching one of those old Lassie movies, seeing how well they’ve bonded. He’s got good food and his own toys. He’s taken on walks three times a day, is regularly groomed and is taken to the vet for needed care. We’ll be with him always, even if we have to make that last, difficult decision, because, you see, he is our dog and we are his family.
He has a good heart you know, but then he is a dog, so that’s to be expected. He’s probably forgiven you and, with a dog’s grace, doesn’t even remember you dumped him. He’d probably even be willing to greet you at the Rainbow Bridge. But you know what? He’ll greet us and go with us at the Bridge, and then he’ll be with us forever, because he’s our dog and we’re his family.
The way we heard the story, you moved out of state and didn’t want to take him with you. You left him at your grandparents. Maybe you thought a lively, handsome dog was just the thing for them, and under better circumstances it might have been. Maybe they have been cleaning up your messes for your entire life and an unwanted dog was just another mess to clean up.One day, we saw him on the shelter web site. We called and asked about him. The shelter workers were so happy to hear from us and were delighted to agree to bring him to a local pet store where they do adoptions. Do you want to know why they were so accommodating? He was scheduled to be killed that afternoon. He didn’t know that, but the shelter workers certainly did. It hurt them and he felt that, so he knew something was wrong. All of a sudden, though, the shelter workers were happy and excited and so was he. They bathed him and brushed his coat. We think they probably told him this was it - his big chance, or maybe he just knew it somehow. When we met him, we all fell in love.
He had to go to the vet to be neutered, of course, but then he came home. He has his very own 13 year-old boy. You know, it’s almost like watching one of those old Lassie movies, seeing how well they’ve bonded. He’s got good food and his own toys. He’s taken on walks three times a day, is regularly groomed and is taken to the vet for needed care. We’ll be with him always, even if we have to make that last, difficult decision, because, you see, he is our dog and we are his family.
He has a good heart you know, but then he is a dog, so that’s to be expected. He’s probably forgiven you and, with a dog’s grace, doesn’t even remember you dumped him. He’d probably even be willing to greet you at the Rainbow Bridge. But you know what? He’ll greet us and go with us at the Bridge, and then he’ll be with us forever, because he’s our dog and we’re his family.
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It is with sadness that I come to you, for today My Clovis left us. I want to take this opportunity to thank LSBR for allowing us to be a part of this beautiful baby's life. For allowing my husband and me to fill our home with the love of a Boxer once more. The last 6 weeks Clovis was in our home I learned many things. I learned one cannot be selfish, you must make sacrifices because these beautiful creatures depend on us 100 percent and LIVE for us. I had to clean our baby's stomach wounds every day, help her get up to go outside and my husband religiously prepared special meals for her every day (she stopped eating dog food after the second week). Despite her physical state, her heart NEVER faltered. She wiggled her little butt every time she saw you. She was my velcro dog. She followed me around the house like a shadow, and watched me and studied me every morning as I got ready for work. I am convinced she had eyes to my soul and knew all my secrets. I hope she never tells... I had forgotten that death is a part of life. I forgot how tough it was. How even though you move on, that hole in your heart is never filled again. I am at peace knowing that Clovis knew the other side of the coin before she took that last peaceful breath. That there were people that really cared for her , that loved her and that would never have abandoned her. Again, from the bottom of our heart, we thank LSBR for granting us the opportunity to make Clovis not our forever foster, but OUR DOG, our friend, and a part of this crazy Stanley family.
Mikki (aka Nickel) Our beautiful, loving Boxer girl transitioned from earth on January 16 2016. Mikki came from LSBR to join our family and live with us in January 2008 after she had two unsuccessful attempts at finding forever homes since her birth in 2005. From the moment we first met her we knew she was a very special girl - - happy, playful and eager to please. With a little professional training she became a perfect lady. She wiggled and loved being petted by total strangers and she was a perfect ambassador for the boxer breed. She also got to travel all over the country! Fun places like South Padre Island, TX where she loved splashing around in the water, Orlando, FL where she would visit family, and Palm Springs, CA where her favorite sunbathing spot is located. Despite being diagnosed with significant arrhythmia last year, her medication seemed to be keeping it in check and Mikki was her usual happy playful loving self right up through when she went to bed Friday night. She was sleeping on the bed with her LSBR brother Boris and was near the humans she loved when her struggling heart gave out. She peacefully passed away while sleeping. Mikki leaves behind her LSBR brother ‘Boris’, her two loving Dads and many friends and family around the country who love her very much. Mikki joins her other LSBR brother ‘Baxter’ (aka Chaucer) who crossed the rainbow bridge in May 2013 after 13 years on earth.
I'm not gone. Not really. I'm just scouting ahead, as dogs sometimes do. Remember my gotcha day? You said we would be together forever, no matter what. I believed you with my whole heart. Did you believe it? While I'm off scouting, talk about me as if I'm just in the backyard, chasing a squirrel. Like the time I caught one and brought him to you, unharmed, holding him by the tail. I was so proud! Or the time I found the container of cocoa powder in the counter, and left a trail of chocolate paw prints throughout the house...you couldn't stop laughing. Or the first time I had a Chick-fi-la nugget....so good that I wanted to pee myself. Oh wait, I did! Keep these memories with you while we are apart, as if I'm nearby, just outside. Don't forget what you whispered to me that night on my "gotcha day" and every night since: I am yours and you are mine. There is no mountain high enough or valley low enough to keep us apart. We will be together forever and ever, and forever is not over yet.
Nine years ago we adopted Fletch. The folks who were his foster parents were very taken by Fletch as evidenced when they brought him to our home the final visit. After 9 terrific years we lost Fletch, or Fletcher Boy as he became to be known this past weekend. I wanted to inform his foster family of our loss, and thank them for their part in giving him a fresh start on life. He brought us immeasurable joy. The Kay Family
Sadly, we report that we had to euthenize our LSBR girl, Allie, today. We adopted her as a peppy 4 year old in June, 2007 – drove all the way from Dallas to Houston and back to get her, and she has given us 8 1/2 years of love, joy, protection. She will be so missed. She was so unique. First boxer we ever had that had curly hair on her back side – yes, curly! Over the last few years her face has gotten so white we thought she was turning into a white boxer! She was always very attentive and protective – she always sat where she could see the front door and sometimes the back door as well, and would let us know someone was coming to the door even before they got there. She was the first boxer we have had that did not inhale her food! She would daintily eat a little bit, then walk around a little, then back to eat a little more, then walk around some more. It took her forever to eat! She survived 4 male rescued boxer companions (1 from LSBR and 3 from Legacy Boxer Rescue here in Dallas). And we have managed to keep her going these last 6 months despite an ever-enlarging mesenchymal tumor that started in a lower joint in her right hind leg and has slowly grown to the size of a lumpy tennis ball. The vets felt the only thing that could be done was amputate the leg, and at the age of 12+ we did not feel that that was an option, so we gave her 6 more months of love, and now the tumor has grown to a size where it is restricting her walking and causing her pain. So we felt it was necessary to send her to the rainbow bridge with our last few hugs. We love LSBR for bringing her into our lives, and we will miss her greatly! We have decided to hold off looking for another female right now because the male we now have is a true chauvinist and will probably do well without her – better than we will!
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