Change of plans

[Ankh]

Matrix - yeah, I check shelters almost every day.

Eddie - what a beautiful story! You sure made a difference for that dog!

Jade - I called about puppies yesterday, and we are going to see them on Saturday!! Can't wait!

About Judy/Crystal situation - I think that it could be a good thing that this girl lives nearby. As Kile told her, she is welcome to your home and to visit Crystal anytime, right? It could be a good thing as she seems to love that dog and dog loves her back. That girl's auntie can't obviously afford that dog, or maybe doesn't even want to have her, which probably brought a lot of sorrow to that girl. How old is she? But when she sees how well Crystal is doing, and that she is being fed and gets lots of love, maybe she can feel better about the situation? So, it's not only that you are helping that poor dog, you are also helping that little girl. That is a wonderful service, Jade! I wouldn't see it as something sad, but on contrary, something very positive. Yeah, I understand that Judy/Crystal is confused, but she is probably intelligent enough though to understand when she is wanted and when she is not. On some level, maybe she will come to see that situation is much better now, and that best thing that could happen, happened!

Next time you see that girl, maybe you could ask her about what happened to her back foot and how old Judy/Crystal is?

[Jade]

Yeah, Kile said he regretted not asking her more questions, like age and what happened to her foot especially. His brain just broke when they reunited happily, and then the girl said "Well you can keep her!" almost excitedly. She said that her aunt didn't want her anymore because she got out of the yard a lot, but it still makes me wonder how long they even had her, because the day I saw her was the first time I'd ever seen her out, and NO ONE else at the trailer park, even nearby her, recognized the dog. Judy/Crystal was very happy to see the girl (Simone), but in perspective she's also that happy to see me when I get home from work after being gone 5 hours. So, while the girl said she was "her baby", I find it hard to believe that she had the dog for any extended period of time.

Overall it is a happy situation for everyone, I think, because Judy (she doesn't respond to Crystal and JUST started responding to Judy, and Kile hates the name Crystal so I think it's gonna still be Judy) was quite undernourished and, while we don't have extensive disposable income, I am more than happy to go without to take care of my pets. Her bootie and new harness and leash should be here any day, she has a ton new toys including a Kong that she LOVES, and she's putting on weight with organic dog food. So, I know her situation is much better, but it's still sad to watch her go through the confusing process of being abandoned by her owners then being held captive by some very kind neighbors.

-crosses fingers hoping some puppy pictures get taken on Saturday!!!-

[Minyatur]

Kong toys are neat! Most durable toys I came across.

I think Judy found the owners she needed just as you found the dog you needed. (blind faith in fate and spiritual gravity)

[Jade]

Yeah, me too.

And she loves the Kong! We had one for our old shepherd before but she never really took to it. Judy finds the peanut butter irresistible. Which is good, because Sunday night she will have to spend a few hours here by herself while we are both at work, which will be a first for her. We have a kennel but we think the Kong will definitely take the final edge off. (she goes into the zone and doesn't even notice when I open the door!) I read recently that someone would fill it with peanut butter and freeze it for extended usage on an extremely anxious dog - that's probably what I'm gonna try.

[isis]

then being held captive by some very kind neighbors.

haha! ^

That's very kind of you guys to be willing to let the previous owner(s) visit her anytime. I'm not so sure I'd have made the same offer, since to me they seem sketchy & incompetent.

I agree with Kile that it's awkward & unfortunate her previous home is so nearby...but I can't help but wonder how long she actually lived there - since she doesn't answer to the name Crystal. I find it strange & suspicious that she doesn't!

"she said she had seen Kile walking past a few times and finally just caught him."

That makes me scratch my head, too. Sounds like bs, imo...(the part about her finally being able to catch him.) & makes me suspect the girl must be very young. & so does the fact that she didn't offer any information like the age, or the story behind the foot, or why they seemed to not care if she was eaten by bears. Hopefully you're given the opportunity to ask her questions.

btw, I'm glad you're leaning towards keeping the name Judy bc I like it much better. I went to school with a girl named Crystal that I found seriously irritating & when I hear that name I'm reminded of her. Not to mention, that judy blue eyes song is one of my favorites & has been for a long time.

Anywho, sending some comforting thoughts Judy's way! :)

[Jade]

Thanks for your support, isis!!


And yeah, all of this was definitely sketchy. Another detail was Kile mentioned putting up the signs, and she said very over incredulously, "OH, YOU DID??" We had suspected someone took our sign down near the mailboxes after it had been up a couple of days. But, that would have been extremely weird, and it was like 40+mph winds so I just assumed it got blown away. But now we think she just took it down (a courtesy call to say "Yes that's my dog and I don't want it anymore" 2 weeks ago would have been nice)

And Kile totally thinks the name Crystal is irritating, too. So we're keeping Judy. She's definitely starting to respond to it, and make eye contact with us when we call her it, and I can't imagine trying to change her name again after we've been doing all this time trying not to call her Dexter/Doodle.

[Jade]

Hey friends!!

Judy is doing very well over here, adjusting well and enjoying peanut butter. Her and Butters are enjoying each other's company more and more.

There has been a slight... aggravating.. hiccup in the Judy bootie storyline. I emailed a company called Therapaw about a custom order for her weird little foot a little over a week ago. The lady on the other end of the customer service email told me that I should be fine with one of their standard sizes, which did measure a little smaller than the measurements I gave her but I trusted that the lady had more experience than me. Well, when the boot arrived, we tried it on, and it was too small - it wasn't "tall" enough for how high the foot is (a measurement that wasn't requested, but this probably happened since she had me order a boot for a smaller dog instead of a husky-sized dog). So I emailed her to let her know the situation, to which her only reply was "It sounds like your measurements were wrong." :@ 

So she had me 'remeasure' (which I had done 3x before I emailed asking for a custom order) and send pictures of Judy's paw next to the boot, which I did. Then the emails stopped. What was once timely, 15 minute intervals between responses to my emails just totally dropped off. I waited 24 hours and emailed her again, letting her know that I'd be happy to place a new order for a larger boot to be taken in (since these are non-returnable), I just really wanted one that fit my dog. Still no response. 24 more hours later (this morning) I emailed her a bit more passive-aggressively, letting her know that I was sad that they didn't want my business anymore because I still wanted their product. She finally gets (right) back and says "Sorry Jade, I'm the only on in the office until the 23rd. You can send the boot back and we can alter it which will be more cost-effective than buying a new boot. However, the person who does custom orders is out of the country until the 23rd so there will be some delay." So all I can assume now is that she brushed me off of the process of ordering a custom boot because she didn't want to tell me during my initial inquiry that it would be a few weeks before the order could be made.

So this process has me a little agitated, because all I want is some potential comfort and relief for this puppy. I found another company and ordered another (pair) of boots from them, though they are in Canada so it will take a few extra days to post. Anyway. Hopefully these work out. I'm going to donate the bootie that doesn't fit and that I can't return to a local shelter. So, I did go ahead and make a youcaring page (Gofundme takes 5%, youcaring asks specifically for donations from donators) to recoup the cost of both booties. If anyone is interested, of course, please do not feel obligated, both of these are paid for. I have just had other friends begging me to let them help, as well, which is so sweet and kind, so I am facilitating that.

https://www.youcaring.com/judy-norby-523482

Included in the link is a picture of her goofy little weird foot. Though, I shouldn't call it that because it would upset my husband. We'll call it her little "hope foot".

[Ankh]

Hi sweetie,

So sorry to hear about problems with that store. I wish I could help you financially, but right now have some shortage of money too. I need to buy puppy/dog stuff as soon as I get paid on 25th, and then of course the puppy herself who will be ready in a month! Then I need to help out my mom and granny financially too, as granny broke her hip and my mom can't work for the moment as she needs to take care of her.

Judy is so beautiful! I really wonder what happened with her foot. Did you meet that girl any more times, Judy's former owner?

One of my bosses is still reluctant in regards to me taking my future dog to work, so I called another place this morning and they wanted to have a job interview with me already tomorrow. So tomorrow morning I'm going to have a job interview.

Buuuut about the puppies now!!  

The breeder texted us last Saturday at noon and said that they couldn't make it that day so we got really disappointed! We were sooo looking forward to that day and meet the puppies. But we met our closest friends instead and had an awesome day anyway. So now we are scheduled to see the puppies this Saturday, and it feels like I can't wait anymore! Will update you when we have seen them. Until then, here are some pictures of them:





/

[AnthroHeart]

Lovely Ankh. Will you be getting a male or female?

My mom's two male dogs mark in the house. My male doesn't. We can never catch when they do it because it's always at night. So we can't discipline them. But my dog I crate trained so we had few accidents. But from 4 months to 6 months we had to put a diaper on him.

Those 2 images you posted are perhaps the cutest I have ever seen.

[Jade]

I just want to say I have tears in my eyes and if it was one of you who made such a generous donation (I only shared it one other place where 2-3 people have seen it), I am flabbergasted and I don't even know how to breathe right now. I'm going to make a trip to town today and buy her a nice bed, since it is one really nice thing she doesn't have yet (we have a big pile of blankets on the bedroom floor that they share, and Butters has his own bed, and she's been found curled up in it a couple of times...) and, I don't know, other stuff probably.

It's really especially meaningful because what my husband and I really would love the most to do is buy some acreage up in the mountains to make a home for unwanted/needy animals. So it's just a wonderful confirmation that rescuing and loving animals is an important part of what I should be doing, which is thrilling. Thank you, thank you!!!

[Jade]

Judy got a new bed yesterday!!! She is still in the process of figuring it out. Finally this morning we succeeded in getting her to actually be on it lying down... Butters gets it though. In fact, dog beds were about half the price I was anticipating so they both got a new one!!! Butters has slept on both. She likes to have what he has, so surely it won't take long before she figures it out and takes over.



She also got a new stake, a big heavy duty one that twists into the ground, specifically for camping purposes, which she is gonna love.

Bonus extra picture of typical Judy sleeping position. I hope to get one like this on her bed soon!!



Kinda doin a ying/yang thing with the hedgehog toy there.

[Jade]

And now the Judy bootie plot thickens (or, at least I wish it would...)

Today we received the Neo-Paws booties in the mail from Canada. Exciting, right? Well, until I opened the package and realized they had sent me a smaller size than I ordered... so I log into my account on their page to verify I had ordered a large, and a little note is attached (never received in my email): "Shipped, changed size from L to M+, added insoles!"

/facepalm

Oh, the catalysts that teach us patience. I agonized for a while before ordering the M+ or the L. I finally decided that, with my prior experience, and with the weird shape of her paw, I should go with the large size to make sure she has enough room.

I called the number and the lady remembered my order, and was shocked, saying, "That should fit a husky perfectly!" It doesn't really matter what you think is right, because that was the decision I made. It would be one thing if you contacted me to discuss it and had my okay before you changed it, but to just do it on a whim...

What is happening with this new boot is that because Judy only has one center toe, her foot behaves more like she only has three toes. There's a little rubber stopper at the tip of the bootie to reinforce it, and this would usually reset between two of the dog's toes. But since she just has the one middle toe, it is too tall/meaty to fit into the tiny compartment remaining, and her foot just squishes right back out of the boot. And we can't spend a long time trying to get it to work, because her foot is sensitive.

I'm going through the same process again (emailing more pictures showing that my dog foot is indeed the way I am describing) but the whole process is... such a hassel!! I may have to look into seeing if there are any local pet boutiques that carry booties that might let me even come in and try them on or something. I'm tryin, Judy!!

[Ankh]

I just want to say I have tears in my eyes and if it was one of you who made such a generous donation (I only shared it one other place where 2-3 people have seen it), I am flabbergasted and I don't even know how to breathe right now. I'm going to make a trip to town today and buy her a nice bed, since it is one really nice thing she doesn't have yet (we have a big pile of blankets on the bedroom floor that they share, and Butters has his own bed, and she's been found curled up in it a couple of times...) and, I don't know, other stuff probably.

It's really especially meaningful because what my husband and I really would love the most to do is buy some acreage up in the mountains to make a home for unwanted/needy animals. So it's just a wonderful confirmation that rescuing and loving animals is an important part of what I should be doing, which is thrilling. Thank you, thank you!!!

You're such a beautiful soul, Jade! I can see you shining through this text and being so grateful! /

I had to quit from my job that I have had for these last 5 years, but I will be signing a new contact for a new job in a less than a week, where I would be able to bring my future dog to be every time I work! So I am looking so much forward to that!

But my problem is that my notice here in Sweden is 3 months, and I don't think that they can let me go earlier because there is such a shortage of registered nurses here. So I can start working at my new place at 29 of May, but already in 11 June we are going to Spain for 11 days vacation! So I don't think that it's a good idea to get a puppy any time before that! Dang!...

Anyways, Jade, please do update with shoes and everything that is going with Judy, and do post some pictures of your beautiful Husky! (In Sweden their nickname is "Sibbe"!)

[Jade]

How funny! You come into my thread and you're hit with the "change of plans" energy full force. How exciting how big this catalyst has been for you! I am sure your new job will be such a better fit, and there's definitely nothing better than a dog friendly building of any type.

It sounds like Baggio has been alerted of your intent (you must have hopped onto an early/latent possibility/probability vortex, now he has to find his puppy body!) I have no doubt you'll have a very advanced doggie entity coming your way, as it will be constantly working in a healing environment. I don't think this opportunity is wasted, seniority of vibration and whatnot. Your bond with him previously may have activated a situation where he is returning with 3D activation like Carla's cats did, in a way that he can experience early 3D in an environment where he can learn a bias towards service early. So fun!!

I will keep you updated if you promise the same!!

[Ankh]

How funny! You come into my thread and you're hit with the "change of plans" energy full force. How exciting how big this catalyst has been for you! I am sure your new job will be such a better fit, and there's definitely nothing better than a dog friendly building of any type.

It sounds like Baggio has been alerted of your intent (you must have hopped onto an early/latent possibility/probability vortex, now he has to find his puppy body!) I have no doubt you'll have a very advanced doggie entity coming your way, as it will be constantly working in a healing environment. I don't think this opportunity is wasted, seniority of vibration and whatnot. Your bond with him previously may have activated a situation where he is returning with 3D activation like Carla's cats did, in a way that he can experience early 3D in an environment where he can learn a bias towards service early. So fun!!

I will keep you updated if you promise the same!!

Sure thing, Jade!

Have you guys met that girl any more times, who was Judy's previous owner? I'm just curious of how old Judy is, and what happened to her back foot?

It was such a beautiful thought that you had of Baggio being alerted to come back to me, or to have any other almost harvestable to 3D, 2D entity who would join me to learn service to others and especially healing. It's funny that you mentioned it (!), as I will try to train my future to be dog into healing skills as a so called therapy dog. Here is one vid about how it goes, which displays the test that the dog needs to pass:



I can imagine that a Husky would pass almost all of it, but they are not so much into the obedience stuff. They are not "human pleasers", which I personally find great, as I don't have to worry about pushing something into my puppy which it would not like, but does anyway in order to "please" me. Huskys are pretty independent in this way and self-confident, so because of that my Husky may not pass the test. But if it doesn't - so what?! I'll love it anyway! So no worries either way!

Keep in touch, Jade! And I will too, as soon as there is anything to report!

[Jade]

That video had us cracking up, what a good dog!

I'm sure a husky can pass that test. The good news about huskies is that they aren't about pleasing their owners, but they are all about pleasing the pack and making sure the pack functions smoothly. So, raising it from a puppy, it will be in your "pack" and mold itself to fit in well.

Kile is writing for a local short short story contest at the moment, he decided to go with a story about a therapy ranch with rescued animals (basically what we wanna do). And as he's talking to me about the story this morning he's explaining how the ranch will bring people who have had trauma and unite them with these awesome animals who have also had trauma but are now in a much more calm place. I think it's offering that reconfiguration of being as a healer, I think animals can totally do it. You see it all the time, especially in the environments that you will be taking your dog, and like, soldiers with PTSD. Dogs are so good!

[Ankh]

It feels like I found a new sister in you, Jade! /

[Jade]

Good stuff, indeed. Much love!!! With any luck on my end we'll be meeting in just a few months!!

[Night Owl]

That dog is briliant. I didn't know about those kind of tests. It is really interesting.

[Ankh]

Today I found more of other species among dogs, which I didn't know existed! One is American Wolfdog! Very cute as puppies, but perhaps not so much as grown-ups. I was looking into Alaskan Malamutes before, as mentioned earlier in this thread, but even when meeting those cute, *cute* puppies I had to refrain from this choice, because of their mental state. They seem to be too aggressive and too much of a wolf than a dog. BUT Alaskan Malamutes turned out to be no more than "just puppies" compared to American Wolfdogs!

Fine. Then I was looking into "Aussies", or Australian Shepherd, who are incredably beautiful, buuuut.... not really as awesome as Siberian Huskies - again! Whenever it comes to any races of any dogs, they are always compared to SH (Siberian Huskies), and for now - SH wins!

But anyways, today - we looked into this incredably cute Aussie puppy:




And I agree. it's very, VERY cute! BUT - I still want a Husky!

The only reason as to why I am looking into other dogs is because everyone who sell Huskies warn buyers so much! Of how difficult Huskies are, etc. etc. Almost like impossible! And I have read tons about them, and I do feel doubt - what if we won't make it? What if the dog will be too much for us to handle? Etc. etc. What if my hope and thoughts are not realistic? Cause everyone warn potential buyers so much, so I DO have my doubts. But on the other hand, every time I compare ANY dog to a Husky, Husky always wins! Which is what still makes me keep going!

Jade, you were so lucky to have this beautiful Husky girl just running right into your arms - more or less - and becoming part of your life!

[Jade]

Oh man, I do love me some Aussies... and border collies... truly border collies are probably my most favorite breed. In fact, when I was little, I loved reading books about any working dogs: Sled dogs and sheepdogs were my favoritest, though.

If your heart is telling you husky, my friend, then your lesson must be to follow your heart! The breeders are doing their best to warn people who have likely never owned a husky before, or maybe are looking more for a vanity pet than a companion. They just want to make sure you aren't going to lock it up in a kennel all day for 8 months and then takes its neurotic butt to a shelter! They want what is best for the dog AND owner. But, ultimately, you will know what is best for you, and what breed will fit in best with your lifestyle. And also, just whichever one calls to your heart the most is truly so important. GET THAT FLUFFY HUSKY!! A sheepdog is not likely to have less energy or anything like that. Might be a littler smarter on average, would be the main benefit I see, and a tiny bit smaller. But that hardly matters because huskies are such efficient eaters - seriously, Judy hardly eats more than the shih tzu (and she still has gained weight). But I also learned (as a tip for that husky that you will likely be getting!) that they need a very high quality diet without a lot of crap filler material.

And yes, having choices is good, but sometimes the removal of choice works out just as well.

[Jade]

Judy's owner came over to see her today.

Kile was hesitant, because he was sure it would stress Judy out more than anything. I told him to let Simone know his concerns, and if she still wanted to come in and see her, that it would be okay. She did. So they spent some time saying hi and loving on each other, they were both very happy. Simone was crying a lot. I told her to come over again and check and see how bad Judy freaks out this time when she leaves (so far so good, thank goodness for peanut butter), and maybe they can try it again sometime.

We got to ask some questions, though...!

Judy is about 2 years old (which fits the Dexter timeline...). Judy was adopted in Oklahoma from a shelter by someone who wanted to breed her - but she was already spayed. That is how Simone came upon her (about 8 months ago).

Down in Oklahoma, Judy roamed free in the country, but down in Oklahoma, roaming free in the country is quite dangerous for a "wolf dog". Judy has been shot - TWICE - two separate occasions!!! One bullet grazed under her eye (we noticed a scar there, figured it could have been from anything!) and apparently was shot in one of her back legs, as well, and had to have emergency surgery to fix it! I'm pretty sure it's the leg other than the leg with the bad foot - all this info came out when we asked about the foot. We got NO info about the foot.  

After THAT incident, Simone moved up here with her to live with her aunt. But, her aunt would not let her keep Judy inside, and Judy would not stay confined outside (huskies have a desperate need to be with their pack - she's totally mellow and content being inside most of the time with 2 hour long walks most days). She also let us know that Judy has a strong urge to chase/eat/kill small animals (we suspected the inclinations, given how stand-offish she was towards Butters at first, and the way she lunges at cats, and excitedly pounces into rodent holes...) however, this seems to be something that has been relatively easy to nudge her out of (likely since she's still just a baby). The other day when we were working in the garden, one of the neighbor's cats started to inquisitively approach us. Kile saw her tense up and said "watch her!" (she was 'loose' but on her leash, she could have gotten out but not right where the cat was) so I went over to Judy and together, we went and approached the cat up along the fence. She was totally mellow (I thought she would freak out but she was mostly interested) and the cat was just so odd in general being there, right up next to the fence, but still all tense and big. I talked gently to it and it started to relax and sit down, and meowed at us a couple of times, and Judy sniffed her, then silly Butters had to ruin the moment by getting really excited when he saw what was going on, and running over, and scaring off the cat. She ran just a few yards away and sat and meowed at us for a little while longer before heading off down into the ravine. It was an odd moment! But I was worried that she would be broken around cats to the point where she couldn't resist herself, and that was definitely not the case.

Simone also asked, "Is she still puking a lot?" Apparently sweet Judy had a problem with puking. Maybe this is why she was so skinny? Judy has only puked once, actually - the other day when we were working in the garden, we tried to tie her off to the stake. She did NOT like it. She barfed. So we untied her, and just kept an eye on her, and she stayed near, and was fine. But that's the only time she has barfed. I think it's likely that she was getting probably the lowest quality dog food possible, plus had a lot of anxiety being forced to be outside away from her owner all the time. She's definitely an emotional eater (Simone: "Oh yeah!!"), I believe I've mentioned - as Butters has done for many years, she waits to have her evening meal until basically 10 seconds after I get home.

So, some mysteries were uncovered, some mysteries remain. The Judy saga continues.

[Zach]

Recently, something like this happened to me.

In early January, I decided one morning to drive over to the Daniel Boone National Forest, to hike on a trail that I had seen on a map, but never been on myself.  It took me a while to find it...it was in a very rural, isolated area, deep forest, and the access point was not well marked, so I drove past it, and had to backtrack to find it.  Finally I found the trailhead, and parked my truck, and gathered my things for a long hike.  As I was doing so, an emaciated, starving Walker Hound walked up to me, wagging his tail. 

I started my hike, but decided I should try to capture the hound, and take him home and feed him, and see if I could find a home for him.  He had two collars on; one, an orange nylon collar with no tags or identifiying marks; the other, an electronic shock collar.  I suspected that he had been abandoned by his owner; this sort of thing happens often with coon hounds.

The weather was very cold, well below freezing.  I was many miles from any town large enough to have a store that sold dog food.  I managed to catch the dog (who by that time had trotted quite a way up the mountainside, way into the woods), bring him back to the truck, and tie him into the bed.  I drove about 20 miles into a town, found a store with some dog food, and bought a bag, along with a dog bowl, and fed him.  It was obvious that he hadn't eaten in a long time, and was probably near to death by starvation.  I could count all the bones in his tail; I haven't ever seen a dog so thin and bony.  After feeding him I countinued on home on a secondary road.  I was afraid that he'd die from the cold air, in the back of my truck.

So I got him home.  He had a sore on his back, and the end of his tail had been abraided or cut off; he'd had a really hard time of it.  I can show you a picture, but it doesn't convey how thin this dog was, or how near to starvation:





I built a shelter for him out of some spare straw bales.  He went right in:



(To be continued.......)

When I was living in Costa Rica I saw quite a few dogs in really bad condition. It was a huge lesson for me in the sense that I am a HUGE animal lover; I've kept snakes, rats dogs cats, but it taught me I can't help them all. I was feeding my dog raw at the time (I brought her with me) and I would try to throw some meat or even buy dog food specifically for the strays dogs but all of them were extremely skiddish so I would toss some meat near them and they would jet off. I tried leaving food in certain spots but there was an element of needing to understand what they are going through and the bigger picture and how this experience for them is temporary, and I can't spend all my energy worrying about them all day long as this would be draining, the best thing I could do is feed or give water when I could and send them loving thoughts affirming their true nature. My neighbor, who was a coke dealer, had a vicious (fearful) pitbull that he would leave on a chain for days with no water. Such a sad situation to see...I had to find clever ways to give him water and food since this was not the kind of dog you want to mess with up close (atleast in its 'current' state..he loved his owner and his owners brother regardless).

If theres something I can do physically speaking, I will always do it...but sometimes I just couldn't financially speaking. This was difficult to come to terms with. I was able to rescue a young cat while I was there. he was extremely skinny and I got him on a raw diet and took him in. It was kind of hell, but it worked out... I guess. He pee'd all over the house. I didn't know what I was going to do with him when I had to leave and this was really hard to deal with...since I know that the view of cats and dogs over there isn't the same as it is here. Many people simply don't care or see them as dirty and a nuisance. The local vet said he wouldn't take him...but luckily the day I was to leave he wasn't there at the time and the lady who was his helper there took him in..this was an hour before I was heading to the airport. I had the cat in a backpack...lol (had to). I told her he was my pet and I can't care for him anymore and although I don't know what happened to the little guy, I feel that I left him in good hands and he would find a home. He was certainly better off than the state in which I found him and thats good enough for me. I wish I still had pictures.

[Ankh]

OMG!!!!

It looks like a Sibbe girl is moving in with us tomorrow evening!!



I've been running around here like crazy! I just sat down for a moment to catch my breathe or something...

But need to run around more!

Tomorrow! It's happening!! Oh-MY-God...!!!

*dancing/running away*.....................

[Jade]

HECK. YEAH!!!!

Can't wait for all the details, once you can really catch your breath!! What a beautiful little snowdog girl!!!

[Ankh]

HECK. YEAH!!!!

Can't wait for all the details, once you can really catch your breath!! What a beautiful little snowdog girl!!!

Hi sweetie,

I wasn't quite ready to talk about what happened with this dog until now, because it was such a shocking and sort of traumatic experience for us both, my daughter and I. But here it comes now:

This girl, the owner of Tesla, called us that night when I posted my previous post, and said something in the lines with "it's emergency! Can you take my dog tonight?" But it was almost 8 PM and I asked her if we could do this tomorrow instead, to which she said ok. The day after my daughter and I were all excited, knowing that our lives will change now forever, for good. I picked my daughter up at school and we talked about it all that day. We had our dinner, and then finally the owner of Tesla called us, telling us that she has arrived. So we decided on the phone to come down from our apartment to meet her so we could all take a walk for about 10-20 minutes, before going upstairs to our place for further arrangements and details.

Of course, my daughter (and I!!) were so excited to meet our new family member, and we saw her - OMG.... She was sooo beautiful!! We were thrilled!

BUT, and there is a BIG BUT! Her owner turned out to be a harsh, closed hearted person who told us right away that we could NOT show any signs of excitement, that we could NOT play with the dog, that we could NOT let her be herself, BUT instead decide EVERYTHING for her. This is not all that happened that night of course, but it is difficult to describe in words all that happened back then on the other hand....

Anyways, I told the owner to take the leash and show us how she does it, and we took a walk for those 15 minutes or so before going up to our place. Aaaand....

That pooor, poor dog who is about 8 months old (practically a teenager), who had been with that owner in her office that whole day (and God knows what happened to her before that!), just lying obediently on her little blanket, and then going by car to us, *walking* next to her owner during those 20 minutes in a leash which was about 10 cm from her owner, when she was finally was out!... Oh that poor puppy...

Long story short, I thought that as soon as I get rid of this owner I may perhaps get my own picture of this dog. I would of course not follow any "advices" of that owner of whatever kind, but raise her in my own way, like I raised my two puppies I had in the past, Baggio and Ronja.

But unfortunately that dog was too damaged. Not too damaged in a permament way yet - as I could see it, and that is what got me thinking; but still - it's like I couldn't trust it with my kids and cats. So if I would be alone, I would definitely take that dog and make it mine forever, but since I have a 9-year older and two cats, I could not trust it not damaging or killing them...

s***!! It WAS such a beautiful dog!!...

Anyways, I forgot more things about what happened. Tesla had a very short leash, and a so called strangling necklace (is that a correct name?), which shocked me, but it was a little part of what I realized later. The owner of Tesla twitched (is that a correct word?) in that leash all the time Tesla wanted to go further than those 10 cm from her! The twitching part is considered to be a bad thing in Sweden, and if not forbidden by the law, at least no one uses as far as I have seen on their dogs!

But the most "traumatic" part that happened is when the owner said these words on her way out when leaving Tesla with us: "And you must kick and pinch her when it is necessary in her training!"

Oh...! My...! God...!

But Tesla was such a beautiful dog! And I wish that I could keep her! Unfornately I could not trust her due to her behavior that I observed while she was here, and since I have cats and a daughter, I had to let her go. Damn it!

The thing is that I should probably report this owner for animal cruelty, as many of the things that she said is against Swedish laws, but the thing is that I never experienced them, except that twitching the leash thing, so I could never "prove" them in court, and another thing is that she is not keeping that dog, which is GOOD!

The funny thing is what she said when we came out with Tesla when she took Tesla back (at which she was furious at us!!) - she said: "Let this be your lesson to never get any dog!" And at that time even my daughter, who has ADHD and therefore never get quiet no matter how difficult her experience is, got quiet.

My daughter and I had to process this experience for quite some time actually! My daughter called this owner many bad names, like an animal abuser etc, so I had a lot on my mind to try to teach my daughter to find love for this person although I can't quite to do this myself (if anyone has any ideas in this matter, you are welcomed to share them in this case!).

I have been seeking unity with this owner ever since, and I can't find it except on the Creator's level, which is more of a logical understanding...

I can't see that people like her in regards to training or having a dog exist in Sweden! I know that they do exist elsewhere. I know that conditions for dogs and other animals are horrible in other countries, even developed countries, but here in Sweden - I thought that we at least pasted through the level of kicking and pinching our pets!!!

Jesus Christ!... So, yeah, it's been difficult to seek and see unity with this person...

Indeed, we learned a lesson, my daughter and I, and that is to not to take home dogs before we meet the owner.   I wish it would be more trust and openess in this matter, but this case taught us to think first and act later, unfortunately...

So, here is the sad story of Tesla. I deeply hope that this poor dog will find the right owner soon! Because she was truly awesome, beautiful and amazing!! But I just couldn't trust her that she wouldn't rip the throat of my cats and my daughter, which is what a Husky can do without any difficulties, when raised under these conditions... :S

Damn!

[Jade]

Oh sweet Ankh, I am so sorry for you and Tesla and your daughter! What an unfortunate situation! I hope that sweet girl gets a home where she can run free. I am so sorry this puppy didn't work. What intense catalyst for the two of you.... dogs!!!!! These silly beasts!!! That little one deserves a home where it doesn't even have to worry about restraining itself around cats, let her be free!!

I know just what you mean, though. Judy growls at Butters sometimes and I know it will be a long time before I can leave them alone together. This means we don't leave the house much together, because one person stays with the dogs, because we don't want to have to kennel her! She does fine in the kennel for short spurts once in a great while but we've really only used it maybe 4-5 times, 1-2 hrs at a time.

As far as helping your daughter... maybe you can explain to her that sometimes people just don't know better, and right from wrong isn't always obvious. And sometimes if they get older and no one tells them, and doing the "wrong" thing works for them for so long, it's really hard to change. It's not fair to Tesla, but all you can do is hope that someday, the trainer/breeder may learn/realize that what she is doing is the wrong thing, and learn to train her puppies with love and respect.

What a toughy.

Also, the words you are looking for, or at least that I would use... the "strangling necklace" is called a "choke chain", and I would describe the "twitch" of the leash/chain as more of a "yank", or "jerk". Anyway, still very sad, especially with such a ridiculously short leash... no one is impressed with your dog training skills, lady! Anyone can keep a beast under control like that...

My poor sweet husband has some interesting catalyst with Judy's former owner. The other evening on their walk, he ran into her (Simone). She asked if she could walk with him, and he said yes. (She has another dog - actually she has three...) Draco is the dog she was walking, he is just a puppy, a German shepherd/border collie mix. He and Judy really get rough and enjoy playing together. Anyway, Simone was very happy and excited to walk with them and asked if she could walk with them again, and my darling, sweet, generous husband said yes.

They've walked together now the past two evenings, and have a standing date to continue. When Judy comes back home, she is perfectly fine now, so it is not causing her any stress, and she's obviously very happy to see Simone and Draco each time. This has led to us getting some more interesting tidbits about Judy's former life.

Judy and Simone have lived in Colorado for just over 3 months. Simone said her aunt 'made' her move here, whatever that means. She was living with her mom and her mom's boyfriend, who may not have been the nicest guy, and apparently he raised turkeys... and Judy liked to go after the turkeys. And her mom's boyfriend shot Judy with a BB gun, repeatedly. Kile always said he could tell that a male had mistreated her, and that's some messed up stuff. Simone said that he would say "My turkeys are worth more than your dog!"... well I wouldn't say either are worth more than the other, both are valuable enough to go out of your way to protect when they are in your steward.

Since moving up here, Judy has been living outside, locked in a shed. She eventually chewed threw the siding of the shed and apparently this was the final straw for Simone's aunt. This is very sad. They still have three other dogs and apparently at least a cat... Kile says Draco is very, very bony too. They supposedly have a large male German shepherd as well, and another dog I'm not familiar with.

Hearing all this about Judy I'm mostly shocked that she's really so docile and calm being indoors most of the time... of course, this could be what she has always wanted the most. She really loves crashing out on her bed all day, or finding interesting ways to use her toys as pillows. She's polite, she's pushed her boundaries a few times (grabbed something out of the garbage, off the counter) maybe once-twice and then no more. And I mean, we aren't exceptionally tidy people, she has plenty of opportunity to cause a ruckus. But, I guess anything is better than being shot at on a regular basis...

Simone is obviously very upset about the whole situation. Moving up here to live with her aunt has been very hard. She told Kile that she also struggles with depression, which is why she is so close to Judy - Judy would bring her items, like, a t-shirt or a sock or just whatever she could find, whenever Simone was upset and crying. So she was a real comforter for her. Kile said it's obvious the dog means a LOT to her. And, that Judy enjoys being with her (and Draco) too. So he's, after a fair amount of struggle, dealing with this in the highest love I can imagine and I am so proud of him. Simone has mentioned a foster father, which hints that her life hasn't exactly been one of comfort and support. He says it feels weird being in this 'positive male role' position for a girl who could be his daughter... and he's kinda the anti-male role model for society's standards... I think it's perfect! He says she's really comfortable with him, and there has been a few times during their walks/talks that she has almost been in tears, just being able to talk about herself and her past, and her experiences with Judy. It's the super high road that he's taken, because she likely feels so extremely guilty about how she had to do Judy, and really is a simple girl who just didn't have the resources/knowledge to do better. Kile could have easily put his foot down and said "No further contact, you didn't take care of this dog well and made poor decisions" and then she would have just felt even guiltier, and worse. Instead she still gets to have a relationship with the dog. He's giving her a selfless opportunity for self-healing, and in turn he is learning to lessen his judgement on others. Not to mention - Judy has been good for him just because she gets him active every single day, and also on his walks, he talks to a lot of people and interacts with them a lot more. He has been quite reclusive in recent years, so being able to reach out and remember that people are mostly good when you do has been good for him.

Simone has never acted like she wanted to take Judy back (though she did ask Kile if she could come over and walk her alone or if Judy could come stay the night over there sometimes and he told her no for that), and I think she really understands and is grateful that we can give Judy a better life here. It seems like most of this situation is out of Simone's control - Draco is actually her cousin's dog, and her cousin pays him no attention so now she takes care of him instead, walking him daily. Lack of resources is hard to pin blame on her, because she is a very young girl who lives in the country. Anyway, sorry for the long effusive post after your very sad outcome with Tesla, I am just beyond in love with the selflessness my husband has shown in this situation, even though it has been difficult. In the same way, I know this process has been difficult for you two as well, but it is obviously ripe with interesting lessons. Your dog will arrive, in due time! It's just going to bring with it lots of transformations...

[TsaktuO]

meant to be, things ofc happen for a reason.. that dog ran away from something.. must be a very smart dog to understand when to leave, and when its needed else where. Very happy for you and i hope all works out well for u all. For i see much brightness n that entity.

[Jade]

Judy has been a tour de force in a lot of people's lives so far, and I haven't even had her two months!

[Wetsun202]

Any more updates on her? How is she doing now?