Family Found

I have some Jolly news to report!

~ memeethemuse ~ Leave a comment

Miss Jolly

If this face looks familiar it’s because I have written about Jolly on two previous occasions. The first time was in the post Seeking Love on Valentine’s Day and the second time was in Sweet Earnestine Found A Furever Home. I love being able to report when a dog that I choose to highlight on Memee’s Musings has been adopted, especially when the homeless dog was scheduled for euthanasia due to lack of public interest.

And I just found out that sweet miss Jolly was adopted despite her special needs status. Pairing the right animal to the right person is crucial to adoption success, and so I am thrilled that Jolly’s furever friend walked into the shelter when they did and had their heart swept away. Way to go Jolly!

It is always important that when we think about adding a fur baby to our life that we consider the needs of the animal. Can we commit ourselves to both the short-term and long-term needs of the animal? Bringing a fur baby home is making a commitment just as it is to decide to have a child. Your commitment is for the life of the animal so it is important that whatever animal you choose fits into your lifestyle. Do you travel a lot? If so, then perhaps a Great Dane or Saint Bernard are not the best choice for you. Do you see what I’m getting at? Picking a large dog when much of your life is on the road or spent in an airplane is not fair to the dog. That is just one example of a fur baby-human mismatch.

One of the reasons we love our dogs so much is that they bond with us. They truly enjoy spending time with us and are eager for us to be near them, playing with them, loving on them, or just silently sitting by. So when you head to your nearest shelter looking for the dog to join your family, don’t choose one because you feel sorry for it, don’t choose one because it is the cutest one there. Choose the one that fits into your life. A pet is not an accessory (despite women’s current penchant for carrying them in their handbags) it is a loyal friend that will love you through your worst days and never hold a grudge. It is a family member that yearns for your attention, affection and love. Let that dog fall in love with you too. Don’t be hasty, there will always be more great dogs coming along so wait for the dog that you can create a mutual bond with.

And please remember, do not give an animal as a holiday gift. Animals that are gifted have a much higher chance of being abandoned or given up to shelters. If you don’t believe me, look for bunnies at shelters about a week, two weeks after Easter. Everyone needs to choose the pet that is best for them. If your heart is set on giving a pet to someone, take that person with you and let them do the choosing.

Oh, and if you love dogs but do not have a stable situation to own one, consider fostering or volunteering… shelters are always looking for loving dog lovers to help with the animals, getting them out for walks, socializing them, giving them a temporary home… the options are there, call around and thanks in advance!

A Special Message from Sevi

~ memeethemuse ~ 1 Comment

Hey, everybody! What an interesting weekend I had. I met with a nice family and had a sleepover at their home! My foster mom and dad cried when they dropped me off, but I didn’t understand why. Unfortunately one of the other dogs and I both wanted to be in charge. So my foster mom picked me back up the next day and told me they wanted to be promoted from “foster parents” to just “parents.” I happily accepted and have been home ever since playing with my brothers. Sometimes your forever home is closer than you think!

Sam, Sevi & Buddy
Sam, Sevi & Buddy: 3 beautiful pit bulls.

I am thrilled to share this story with you. Sevi is a beautiful female pit bull mix (pictured in the center) who, along with Leyla (also a pit bull) and their human advocate Charlotte (a Texan) inspired me to do what I can to help our four-legged friends.  It took a year, but Sevi now has her furever home! Congratulations Leyla, Sevi, and Charlotte on your happy endings!

A Furever Family Miracle: Gunnar’s Story!

~ memeethemuse ~ 3 Comments
Gunnar at home with his brother... reunited at last!
Gunnar at home with his brother… reunited at last!

We love our animals and our animals love us. I cannot understand how it is that there are so many people who think that a pet is nothing more than a possession that can be thrown away when the animal becomes inconvenient. It is my unwavering belief that animals have souls and that makes it downright impossible to stand aside and do nothing. And so when I created my blog I knew I needed to make space for the animals and that is how Seeking Love Saturdays came about.

Here is the story of Gunnar Karl who disappeared from his yard in Verona, Pennsylvania and was missing for 20-months. His story will have you crying with joy.

Gunnar’s disappearance in the summer of 2013, left his canine brother to feel lost and alone while his human family pulled out all of the stops desperately trying to locate him. But, Gunnar was nowhere to be found. Finally, they gave up hope, as any of us would, that they would ever hold, play and talk with their beloved pooch again.

Meanwhile, there were ongoing reports of a loose dog in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Agents at the City of Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control found themselves on a hunt of their own: to find and capture the dog that was outsmarting them.

This dog was smart.* He knew that these humans trying to capture him were strangers and was fearful of their intent.  He would quickly respond to their tactics, avoiding capture by running off into the 644-acre Frick Park, where he lived by his wit and his instinct to hunt and scavenge.  Despite months of ongoing sightings and searches, which included efforts to track him using footprints in the snow, the dog remained free of human capture and the safety they were trying to afford him.

The efforts of these tireless men and women to rescue this dog that had evaded capture for so long eventually did pay off. The dog was captured and taken to the Animal Rescue League for care. And it was there that thanks to a microchip he was identified as Gunner, the dog that had gone missing in a neighboring community nearly two years earlier!

And on Wednesday, Gunnar was reunited with his human family.2 They were of course overjoyed to see him, but what they got from him in return was even more heartwarming!

Watch the video and see what I mean:

*I like to imagine that his canine brother was out in the car, excitedly awaiting the return of his brother Gunnar, who he could smell for the first time in, well, for a dog, an eternity!

2In fact, he was so smart he returns home no longer lean like his brother but fat and happy from all of those nutty-lovin’ squirrels!

Video credit: Steve Stoehr, Allegheny County Dog Warden

Sweet Earnestine Found a Furever Home!

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Hours away from death, Earnestine found her home!
Hours away from death, Earnestine found her home!

Ernestine is the 1-year-old hound dog (that doesn’t like to hunt) which had only 1 day remaining on her Doomsday Clock at the kill shelter she was housed in. She was featured on the website Dogs in Danger! and I highlighted her, along with two other homeless dogs, on my blog in the article entitled Seeking Love On Valentine’s Day. I don’t know about you, but Earnestine’s picture really touched my heart. She looked so sad and so very lonely. The reason her clock was ticking down was simply that there were zero kennels remaining at the shelter for dogs that were more likely to be adopted. You see, Earnestine’s shy and quiet temperament got in her way of bonding with a potential family. Today, I cried when I saw she has been saved! Knowing that, makes my efforts in raising awareness for homeless dogs so worthwhile!

Please, get your pets spayed and neutered and when looking for a furry family member, rescue, don’t buy!

Herbie, who I also chose to highlight in Seeking Love On Valentine’s Day may have found his furever family… the adoption is currently pending. He is the 8-year-old Labrador-Husky mix that was found wandering the streets of Lisbon, Ohio, abandoned by his family at Christmastime. Let’s say a prayer that this potential new family will love him and take care of him for the rest of his days!

Jolly, the female chow chow is still waiting to be saved. She needs someone to fall in love with her despite her special needs and shortened life span. Here is her information again:

“My name is Jolly! I was dropped off at the pound on 12/20 and I have been here ever since. When I got here, they discovered that I am heartworm positive. Around here that is a very bad thing, but, everyone loves me here. I love kids and people in general. I like to play ball and cuddle, too. Please, consider coming to meet me! I will be a loving and loyal companion, with all of my heart, for as long as I live. OOOXXX Jolly”

Jolly is currently at the Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter. Get more information at Jolly’s Info page Remember her, she’s a beauty!