Happy Home day to ME,
Happy Home day to ME,
Happy Forever Home
Anniversary,
Happy Home day to ME!
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| Buddy sunning on bedroom dog steps |
I didn’t beg or bolt my food or raid the trash because now I
get fed regularly.
I didn’t drink from the birdbath or toilet because I now get
fresh water in all areas I roam.
I didn’t rush the door because I now have my own little door
to potty when I need to.
I didn’t crawl in a kitchen cabinet or closet to hide
because now I feel safe in my home.
I didn’t have to find someplace warm to sleep because I now
sleep in a warm house or out in the sun soaked yard. (My king size bed ROCKS,
even when I have to share it with my Mom, Dad, and Basenji sister, Kate).
I didn’t scratch myself half to death because I am no longer
riddled with flea bites, flakey skin, and old hair.
I could go on and on… but the BEST of all I didn’t do (because
of the loving people at BRAT), I didn’t have to spend 1 more day in that
despicable place they called the pound. I
know I’m an older guy, maybe not very handsome, some quirks and kinks still to
work through, but BRAT found me a Forever Family that loves me. Thank you.
Jim Fronk
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| Buddy with basenji sister Kate |
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| Buddy sunning in his garden. He loves the morning sun! |
Happy Home Day, dear Buddy!
ReplyDeleteHappy Home Day to you!
Happy home day, Buddy. What a great story!
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's taken a while but Buddy is learning how to let himself be loved. ♥
ReplyDeleteBuddy's Mom
Happy, happy home day, Buddy! YOU are why BRAT volunteers do what they do - We love you! May you have many happy years with your wonderful new family!
ReplyDeleteBuddy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to you and your family. I love happy endings!
What a wonderful story! Buddy is a lucky dog! Thank you for sharing this. It made my day.
ReplyDeleteYour story is heart warming, Buddy! Regards from my two rescue Basenjis: Timbú (his homeday is April 6th, 2011) and Chaná (his homeday is July 10th, 2013)
ReplyDelete:)
Congrats to you, katie needed a brother. A rescue dog is the best.!! Laurie
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your kind comments. This was our first foster/foster fail. :) Many times I started a draft of a BRAT blog post for Bud, but my anger got the best of me....how could someone abandon not only a senior, but a dog they raised (more likely just housed and fed)since a pup...why does he fear women, hide in small,lonely places, etc.. It took me a LONG time to realize that the kindest thing the past nincompoops ever did was to place Bud in the local pound so BRAT could bring him to us. I don't know if the anger part (at past owners) of the adoption process is normal, but I'm glad we are finally almost over it. I'd really like to see a blog post addressing this issue with comments from other BRAT parents on how they dealt with it. It might make a future foster/adoption decision easier for us. Bud's Mom Dawn Fronk
ReplyDeleteDawn, I think many of us who rescue dogs feel similarly angry and/or disappointed in former owners at various times, simply because we love our dogs so much. While some prior owners are truly "nincompoops" who just gave up on their dogs without really trying, it's been my experience that most former owners are actually people who loved their dogs but didn't know why the dog was behaving in a certain way, or reacted a certain way to a change in the home environment, or didn't know how to help the dog through a behavior issue that cropped up. They may have misunderstood the situation and thought the behavior change was the dog's fault, even though it most likely wasn't. Most people who give up dogs have tried to remedy the dog's behavior, but just didn't know how. Those of us who rescue dogs usually feel anger about this because we wonder, "Well why didn't they just try harder? Didn't they love the dog enough to keep trying? How could they just give up like that?" And in some cases our anger is warranted. But I've found in rescue that most people give up their dogs because they truly do want the best for them, and they have come to the realization (whether justified or not) that they just aren't able to give the dog what the dog needs. As you said -- the best thing most former owners have ever done for their dogs is to place them into rescue so that organizations like BRAT can bring them to a happier home. Sadly though, most people don't realize that when they bring a dog to "the local pound," the dog's chances of getting that happier home are slim; it's through the efforts of organizations like BRAT that more dogs get a second chance than otherwise would have. I do think that if more people realized how rare and difficult dog re-homing is -especially for a senior dog like Buddy- they might think a bit harder about whether to give up the dog or keep on trying. THAT makes ME angry, when people think that just giving their dog to a shelter is going to make things "all better" for the dog, simply because they're misinformed about shelters and don't realize how rare and hard (and sometimes expensive!) re-homing is. But ultimately, I've found that most people who do give up their dogs do so out of good intentions, however valid or misguided those intentions might truly be :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply Kristen. It gives me a different perspective to ponder. It also reminds me of all the hard work, time, and $$ the BRAT family, foster families and adoptive parents put into the process of rehoming. A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you.♥
ReplyDeleteDawn