Love that Dog

It’s been about 4 months since Bella died, and I miss her terribly.  But she is everywhere in my life, particularly with the book, and for that I am so grateful.

I actually wrote so much about her, that some material didn’t ultimately make it in the final manuscript. In cleaning up my computer today, I found a few pages about Me & Bella–The Beginning…

Bella & Me

Finding Bella was absolutely, hands and paws down, the best thing that ever happened to me. But I almost gave her up, a thought which makes me ill to even think about. But six weeks after I found her I was moving to Seattle to be with a boyfriend and into apartment that didn’t take dogs. Moving cities seemed like enough of a challenge and I knew how much it took to care for a dog. I had been a failure of a dog mom to my college dog Tucker, and I didn’t know if I could handle the responsibility of bringing Bella with me to a new city and a new life.

muchlove.org

Ambivalent but looking out for her best interest, I decided I would try to find a great home for Bella through a rescue group I worked with in Los Angeles called Much Love. As I handed her off to a volunteer and walked towards my car (they felt my bond with Bella was already too strong and she would show better at the adoption event if I wasn’t there), Bella got away from the volunteer, ran after me and tightly wrapped her two front paws around my waist in a hug. She clung to me like a child clings to her mom on her first day of school. Something inside me clicked. It felt like she was asking me not to let go, and to this day I never have.

I like to say the stars aligned when I found Bella. Although I had been hesitant to bring a dog with me to Seattle, the timing was actually perfect. I had a built-in best friend and more importantly, with no job, and no friends, I had a ton of time to devote to her and to being a stand-up dog mommy. Good thing too; I needed every I had to take care of Bella.

Seattle Public Market

When getting a dog, people often idealize what life with that dog will be like. And for everyone those dreams are different. For some it could be dressing their Chihuahua in cashmere sweaters and rhinestone tiaras as they tote their baby around the world in a Louis Vuitton caring case? For others it could be images of snuggling with a big mutt beside a cozy fire while sipping tea.

Before I left LA for the northwest, I dreamed of taking leisurely walks with Bella on the gorgeous walking trails around Seattle. I would be holding hands with hot my boyfriend who would then of course become my husband, who would also give me a big diamond ring, not too ostentatious of course, and that I would make lots of new friends in Seattle and it would all be awesome!

For better and for worse, things didn’t exactly turn out as I envisioned. Bella immediately put me through my paces as a mom. Within the first three months in Seattle she got thrown out of a daycare after 45 minutes (supposedly she jumped over a wrought iron gate then  broke down a metal fence in an attempt to find me after I dropped her off).

daycare that Bella got thrown out of

Bella then attended a training camp for three weeks in which she learned exactly one thing-being at home with mommy was much better being at camp. Bella then had an adverse reaction to calming herbs given to her by the training camp herbalist, and her peristalsis shut down. Food was no longer moving through her digestive track and they performed emergency surgery.

I spent thousands of dollars and weeks in and out of emergency rooms. Dog mommy-hood, like Seattle (my own personal Seattle McDreamy and I broke up) didn’t quite turn out to be the rah-rah good time I was expecting. But even with all of this, I feel blessed.  Bella turned out to be the best dog one could ask for.

Me & B

There are many wonderful dogs out there waiting to love you like Bella loved me. If you need help finding the right one for you, email me at betsy@lovethydog.com!

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Check Out My Guest Blog Post on BargainBabe.com

Click here to visit Bargainbabe.com!

I recently connected with a great blogger. Her name is Julia, AKA The BargainBabe.

Her blog, BargainBabe.com offers excellent advice about how remain fabulous while keeping on your budget. I will be doing some guest posts for her in the upcoming month about how to save money when it comes to all things dog!

Click the photo to ready my first contribution!

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Should Bo Obama Be Considered A Rescue?

Yesterday I wrote about Bo Obama- the girls named him Bo– and referred to him as a rescue dog. I actually struggled with whether I should add the words “sort of” at the end of that statement. Ultimately I left it off and now I regret it.

While Bo was given back to the breeder, something that happens a lot with puppies (FYI a sign of a good breeder is whether or not they will take a dog back,  so I am at least grateful that they found a decent ethical breeder) I realize that I don’t think their bringing Bo into the White House is in sync with what was promised– that they would rescue a dog. Sorry, but no matter how much I have been behind Obama, I can’t quite buy that a dog from The Kennedy’s chosen breeder should be consider a rescued dog.

Reports indicate that The Obamas will donate to the Humane Society, but to me actions speak louder than words, and in this case money. The donation is  a consolation prize and while a nice sentiment, it will be but a blip on the Obama dog radar. Rather Bo will be around for a long time, and people will think in order to get a good, worthy dog they must get a breeder dog.

And lest anyone claim it was an issue of allergies, there are hundreds of dog dying in shelters around the country every day who are just as hypo-allergenic as Bo Obama.

I am sad and extremely disappointed in the example The Obamas are setting.

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Ranger to The Rescue

Ranger

Last week my best friend Nell– we went to high school together–was perusing Adopt-A-Pet dreaming about getting a dog (she has wanted a dog but timing hasn’t been right) when she realized oh, I could look for a dog for Betsy; like an anorexic girl baking for her fat friend she dove in looking for the perfect dog for me (in this scenario I’d be the fat friend and she the anorexic- get it?)

Knowing that I wanted another Labbie, Nell sent me the profiles of three dogs- Adopt-A-Pet has a very easy way to share a pet’s profile. She sent a profile for a yellow lab, and two black ones. For some reason- I say divine intervention- only one came through and that was for an Adult Yellow Lab Named Phoenix who was up for adoption through one my favorite rescue groups: Molly’s Mutts & Meows. Okay, so with a friend’s group, good with cats, kids, dogs and on and on. He was so perfect it just couldn’t be real. And yet it was.

While I am friends with Molly, I also know rescues have rules and bylaws. It’s what makes them function and I respect and admire that. Besides, having been the one reading applications for mastiff rescue, I hated people who would not take the time to fill out an application. Just sending in a note saying I’d like to adopt so and so, doesn’t really impress rescuers. If you won’t sit down and do it, what else are you not willing to put effort into. So I immediately– and I mean immediately filled out the application. I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of me getting this dog!

By the way though (good English, right?) being on the adoptee end of things for once in my dog life, I have a new perspective on how crappy it is to fill these things out and then never hear back from anyone, or worse be rejected. The apps ask all sorts of personal questions for good reason (so that the dogs don’t end up back in bad situations similar to the ones they came from) but for the potential adoptee putting some of that stuff on paper to be judged by a nameless faceless entity is kind of creepy and off putting. And to make everyone feel better I, who is arguably the craziest dog person ever, seem to have been rejected or at least passed up on by French Bulldog Rescue. Of course I’m glad that happened now, as I now have Ranger the Perfect one. But last week, I was a mess. I likened it to sending a Match.com prospect a picture of myself in a bathing suit and waiting for a call back. My mind went wild with rejection scenarios and I knew that it was probably a clerical thing, or that they weren’t interested in me because I rent. (Rescuers often prefer to adopt to homeowners because, well before toxic mortgages at least, homeowners were less likely to have to give up a dog due because they couldn’t find a place that took dogs) but it sucked nonetheless.

Anyway, I digress from Ranger (formerly Phoenix). Did I mention that he is perfect?

Thankfully I was able to be in touch with Molly’s group soon after submitting my application and we set up a meeting at the adoption Saturday.  Andre (boyfriend) was out of town for the weekend so my mom and Dad came for support. My Dad is my number rescue supporter and fan and was eager for me to get Ranger. We arrived at least 30 minutes before we needed to, just to make sure no one else could stand in my way!

Thankfully we were the first ones there, even before Ranger arrived. There was another great dog there; a petit Aussie Mix with a gorgeous coat and a wonder demeanor who loves kitties, named Cheyenne. Seriously she is edible, and anyone looking for a great dog should check her out. But something in me said Ranger (then Phoenix) was my guy. Watch a Video of sweet Cheyenne below!

But back to Ranger… about 15 minutes after we arrive, he came barreling into the park with his foster mom

He’s shorter than Bella was, and he’s built like a fireplug. 62 lbs of muscle and kisses wearing a big cone on his head (to keep him away from his recent neuter and the stitches on a cut he has on his foot); the goofy guy just made me smile and my parents melt.

Ranger with Me, My Mom & Dad and his foster Kelly!

I filled out the paperwork and followed the appropriate rescue procedures and away we went.

I miss my Bella sooooo much that I still burst into tears at least once or twice a day, particularly when someone sees me with him instead of her for the first time,  but having Ranger around makes things quite a bit better. It’s a weird transition though; full emotion ranging from sadness over the loss of my girl and then guilt that I shouldn’t be loving another creature. But I guess that’s the price you pay for loving your dogs as much as i do, and I’m willing to pay it.

Thank you Nell; I love that this dog came from you and to Kelly (Ranger’s Foster Mom), Molly (Molly’s Mutts and Meows) and Karen Perkins (Fetching Companions Lab Rescue) who has been my rock through this whole process of losing Bella and finding Ranger.

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