Finding a Four Legged Friend

For the past few months, the Rubin rodeo has been on a quest to find the right dog for our family. Edgar’s sudden death last October left a void in our family that is impossible to replace. It’s been clear from the beginning of our search that we would not be buying a puppy from a store. More often than not, those dogs are from puppy mills, large-scale breeding operations that produce large numbers of puppies for profit. Most puppy mills are filthy, the dogs live in inhumane conditions, the more I learned about the more upset I got!

We chose to go the rescue route, because it felt like the right thing to do  and it was a way to honor Edgar’s memory. Edgar had been rescued from a hoarding situation in NYC, but no doubt he was born in a puppy mill and bought at a high priced puppy store in Manhattan.

 

Soon after we decided to start looking for a rescue dog, I received a phone call from Tara at Pawfection. Tara was instrumental in Edgar’s rescue and adoption. She had news that some of Edgar’s brothers were in need of a home. My heart skipped a beat and I brought hubby and one of my daughters up to Pawfection to visit the Yorkies. They were all on the tiny side, Edgar had been some sort of Yorkie mix, he was 10 pounds, these little guys were 5 or 6 pounds, but full of spunky energy. The biggest little guy had a bit of a hop in his walk. Tara advised that we wait until she checked out his knees at the vet.

It turned out his knees were not in good shape, he would need two surgeries and some rehab so he could fully use his legs. Tara became a foster mom for the little guy, her boys named him Beckham after the famous  soccer player.  I visited Beckham at Pawfection whenever I was in the neighborhood. After ongoing negotiations with family members, I had to give up my dream of adopting Beckham. He was too much of a reminder of Edgar for some, too tiny for others.  Tara found him a great home after she nursed him back to health during the two knee surgeries.

We spent hours and hours searching for an adoptable dog online. We used PetFinder and Adopt a Dog looking for small terriers within 100 miles of where we lived. We quickly learned that these online resources were like internet dating or searching for an AuPair online. The good ones were swept up quickly.  In addition, every organization with dogs available for adoption was different. Some were shelters, some were transporters, others were breed specific rescue groups.  We missed out on lots of dogs because we didn’t have applications in and approved.

Captain America was a special guy, he was a Biewer Yorkie in a foster home through  Save A Yorkie Rescue . Everyone in the family agreed he was a possibility, even with those ears that looked like Gizmo from the Gremlins movie. I spoke with his foster mom, she said Captain America was one of her favorites. I could not go and meet the little guy until I was approved by the Save a Yorkie gang. In addition to filling out  an application and an  interview over the phone, they had to call my vet and my references, I also needed someone to do a home visit to show that my home was a safe place for a Yorkie dog. Fortunately a small rescue organization nearby, New Chance Animal Rescue, was kind enough to come over and do a home visit for us. I was thrilled to meet Sophie and Sharon Silverman, a mom and daughter team who regularly travels south to rescue dogs. I especially enjoyed talking to Sophie, a sophomore in high school who proves that you don’t have to be an adult to make a difference in the world. She’s learned lots about dogs and about poverty in her work as a dog rescuer.

By the time I got all of my ducks in a row for the Save a Yorkie people and my application was approved, Captain America was adopted by his foster family. I never got the chance to meet him.

Hubby and I continued to search online, emailing each other photos and links to dogs day in and day out. It made for interesting discussions, because everyone in our family seems to have strong opinions about which dog will work. We filled out applications all over the place. Our vet and Tara had to field many many phone calls from rescue organizations. Fortunately,  they put in a good word in for us as potential dog owners.

Timing is everything with adopting a dog. We missed out on countless dogs due to bad timing. Snickers was one. He was a Yorkie Dachshund mix living in a foster home in NJ. I was a half day too late.  Someone else emailed the rescue group earlier and now Snickers is happily living somewhere in NJ.

When I got wind of a major adoption event happening in White Plains, this weekend, I scrambled to fill out applications and seek “pre-approval” before the event.  The Carolina Poodle Rescue seemed to have a number of nice looking doggies on their site that would be headed to NY for the big adoption event. I reached out to them with application and positive vibes. After my phone interview, I was approved, they were friendly folks from South Carolina.  I was super psyched to meet 4 possible dogs on Saturday morning: Nutmeg, Checkers, Mabel and Hutch. Mabel, a cockapoo, didn’t make the trip due to a cough, Hutch had become aggressive so he stayed in South Carolina too. That left Nutmeg, a terrier mix and Checkers, a Shih Tzu/Lhasa Aspo mix. Hubby and I were one of the first in the door Saturday morning to check out Nutmeg, Checkers and hundreds of others at the event.

Nutmeg was mellow, but distant and not cuddly, Checkers was a barker. We didn’t feel a great connection with either one. The County Center was filled with hundreds and hundreds of dogs needing homes. After spending two hours looking at all the dogs, most of them Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas, we left deflated and dogless.

Keep in mind that we could quickly and effortlessly end our dogless suffering by going to the puppy store in the town just north of us. But by doing so, we would be feeding into the cruel and inhumane system that is part of the problem.

When buying food and clothing, we really need to ask the questions about where things come from.  Dogs and cats are no different. Most people don’t think that way when making a purchase, they look at price and convenience above everything else.  We really must dig deeper  no matter what it is we’re getting, even if it means more work or more money to do the right thing.  That’s why I shop local and at farmer’s markets. Its why I buy many of my clothes pre-owned from Green Eileen.

Next on the list of potential dogs is Nutter. He is in a foster home in NJ, part of Sheryl’s Den, the group that had Snickers. This time, I was first in line, so I’m off to visit Nutter, a seven month old terrier mix, tomorrow. My fingers and toes are crossed that he’s the one.  He doesn’t look a thing like Edgar, who is irreplaceable, his photos indicate that he has the right combination of spunk and mellowness.

Stay tuned for updates on our dog adventure!