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At this point in my life, I have owned four Standard Poodles. The first was a rescue who was given to me by a man who was the winner of a silent auction at The Houston Opera's yearly gala. Poodle Rescue of Houston donated the puppy to the Opera to bring awareness she had full bred dogs for adoption - and earn money for the cause. Hence: the opera poodle. I went dressed to the nines in my favorite pink beaded gown and three hours later left with a puppy. I didn't want a dog. But fate decided I did. They gave me the puppy and told me I could come get her paperwork later. I left with no crate to carry the pup in so she rode in my lap on the way home. She also peed on my favorite pink beaded gown. And I wasn't mad. That was when I knew she was my dog.
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Two month later I went to pick up her papers at the rescue center. Everyone was excited when I arrived as one of the puppy mill rescues that they had just got was delivering puppies. They ask if I wanted to peek in. One of the babies was not breathing and I said I was a farm girl so they handed it to me and I got to work rubbing and giving it puppy CPR. Apparently there is a rule with Mother Nature. If you bring something back to life, it is your. Six weeks later I had Shandy home with me. The rescue was so overwhelmed with dogs at that point they were sending the pups home early. So far, my rescuing dogs had just been a matter of walking in a door at the right time. No pre-planning and no idea what I was doing.
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I was freshly divorced after 24 years of marriage, and had just got my only child off my sofa. I was ready to travel, date, start a hobby... Instead I found myself with two puppies only three months apart in age. I had never considered owning a poodle. I had no idea what the breed even involved. I was a GSD and Labrador person and had lost my last dog, when she was at the age of 14, a year earlier with the promise to myself that I would never have another heart break like I did losing her. Suddenly my life was chewed shoes, pee messes, vet bills, and grooming costs. And I loved it. I was so happy that I couldn't imagine what my life would have been like without my two girls.
Sadly, Shandy never got past her hard start in life. If there was a health problem a dog could have, she had it. At two years, she jumped up on my bed for the night and bloated with torque. I knew. I knew. I knew. I put her straight into the car and we drove the fifteen minutes to the vet hospital that was open all night. They took her back to prep for surgery, x-ray'ed her, and had me fill out the paperwork. She couldn't have been in the back for more than 15 minutes before they came out and told me there was too much internal damage. I couldn't breath. For weeks I wouldn't leave the house. I was dating a rather wealthy man at that time who, in hindsight, really didn't deal well with "emotions." He thought the best way to handle things was throwing cash at it so he showed up after a half attempt to comfort me for a few weeks with a white ball of fluff - now know as Sherlock. He went out and spent money on a, in vitro, frozen sperm from Canada, champions in the blood line to the hilt dog; as to him that would more than make up for losing a puppy mill rescue. This brought me to the sage advice I always give men: don't buy a woman a dress or a dog because it won't fit. This was the second time a man handed me a dog. Both times it was not the type of dog I wanted much less even wanting a dog. The first time, after the shock wore off, it was the greatest gift ever. So I gave it a shot and I kept Sherlock. And again I ended up over the moon. So much that I didn't want to go out most nights and dumped the boyfriend as he was getting in the way of my puppy time.
![465048]()
Three dogs - no effort on my part at all. No researching breeds. No researching breeders. No second guessing. And this is where my title for the post comes in. If given the choice on how to come to own a rescue dog, I would take my first two from the "it just happened" method. Just walk into a room with your heart on your sleeve - easy breezy. But I guess it was time for me to do it the old fashion way: with a lot of thought and a lot of work. Here is the link to my story of rescuing Waffles the Wonder Dog.
How far would you fly for Waffles?
Just like this it is a long read so you may want to save it for when you take vacation. But for a teaser, here is a picture of the latest member to join the pack taken today after his hair cut.
![465049]()
Be careful of ever saying "I will never have another dog." Mother Nature will take issue and send you four.
Two month later I went to pick up her papers at the rescue center. Everyone was excited when I arrived as one of the puppy mill rescues that they had just got was delivering puppies. They ask if I wanted to peek in. One of the babies was not breathing and I said I was a farm girl so they handed it to me and I got to work rubbing and giving it puppy CPR. Apparently there is a rule with Mother Nature. If you bring something back to life, it is your. Six weeks later I had Shandy home with me. The rescue was so overwhelmed with dogs at that point they were sending the pups home early. So far, my rescuing dogs had just been a matter of walking in a door at the right time. No pre-planning and no idea what I was doing.
I was freshly divorced after 24 years of marriage, and had just got my only child off my sofa. I was ready to travel, date, start a hobby... Instead I found myself with two puppies only three months apart in age. I had never considered owning a poodle. I had no idea what the breed even involved. I was a GSD and Labrador person and had lost my last dog, when she was at the age of 14, a year earlier with the promise to myself that I would never have another heart break like I did losing her. Suddenly my life was chewed shoes, pee messes, vet bills, and grooming costs. And I loved it. I was so happy that I couldn't imagine what my life would have been like without my two girls.
Sadly, Shandy never got past her hard start in life. If there was a health problem a dog could have, she had it. At two years, she jumped up on my bed for the night and bloated with torque. I knew. I knew. I knew. I put her straight into the car and we drove the fifteen minutes to the vet hospital that was open all night. They took her back to prep for surgery, x-ray'ed her, and had me fill out the paperwork. She couldn't have been in the back for more than 15 minutes before they came out and told me there was too much internal damage. I couldn't breath. For weeks I wouldn't leave the house. I was dating a rather wealthy man at that time who, in hindsight, really didn't deal well with "emotions." He thought the best way to handle things was throwing cash at it so he showed up after a half attempt to comfort me for a few weeks with a white ball of fluff - now know as Sherlock. He went out and spent money on a, in vitro, frozen sperm from Canada, champions in the blood line to the hilt dog; as to him that would more than make up for losing a puppy mill rescue. This brought me to the sage advice I always give men: don't buy a woman a dress or a dog because it won't fit. This was the second time a man handed me a dog. Both times it was not the type of dog I wanted much less even wanting a dog. The first time, after the shock wore off, it was the greatest gift ever. So I gave it a shot and I kept Sherlock. And again I ended up over the moon. So much that I didn't want to go out most nights and dumped the boyfriend as he was getting in the way of my puppy time.
Three dogs - no effort on my part at all. No researching breeds. No researching breeders. No second guessing. And this is where my title for the post comes in. If given the choice on how to come to own a rescue dog, I would take my first two from the "it just happened" method. Just walk into a room with your heart on your sleeve - easy breezy. But I guess it was time for me to do it the old fashion way: with a lot of thought and a lot of work. Here is the link to my story of rescuing Waffles the Wonder Dog.
How far would you fly for Waffles?
Just like this it is a long read so you may want to save it for when you take vacation. But for a teaser, here is a picture of the latest member to join the pack taken today after his hair cut.
Be careful of ever saying "I will never have another dog." Mother Nature will take issue and send you four.
