I’ll post more soon, but for now, a teaser:
The Roo is Two!
My tiny Truman is two today! Seems like puppy pick-up day was just yesterday…
And now he’s a full-grown grumpus and permanent member of my family. Happy Birthday, Truman! We also wish a very happy birthday to fellow forever-dog Tori, and to Tai, Tia and Thatcher — our littermates still in formal training. We all know that January babies are the cutest. š
You’d Better Not Pout
The look on his face? Oh, don’t worry about Truman. He’s already received his fancy new dog bed for Christmas, and he’s getting a fun road trip (where there will be two other dogs to play with), a new chicken-flavored Nylabone, and apparently some fun toys from my mom & dad. I told him that if he’s not paying his share of the rent around here, the least he could do is let me take a few shots of him in a ridiculous hat for my own amusement. Apparently, he feels this is beneath him.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and may you all be blessed this holiday season!
GDA Puppy Evacuation: Film at 11!
Our local Fox affiliate did a news story on GDA’s dog evacuation. Check out the video!
Posted in uncategorized
Fire Near GDA — Prayers Appreciated
Those of you who live here in California know the perils of fire season — when it’s hot and dry and windy, as it is every autumn, things can get scary.
There’s a pretty big fire burning in Sylmar right now, which is where Guide Dogs of America is located. I woke up to several e-mails this morning from puppy raiser group area leaders and GDA employees. The current situation is that all the dogs and puppies were safely evacuated at 1:30 this morning, and that the campus is still standing, but without power or phone service.
Fires are unpredictable, and sometimes even when things are seemingly under control, the winds can change and bring about a whole new situation. Your prayers are appreciated: for the campus itself, the staff and volunteers, the dogs and puppies, and especially the first-responders who are taking care of business on the fire lines.
Many thanks.
Posted in uncategorized
Iām Truman, and I Approve This Message
Sure, at first he was a little jealous that nobody got HIM a fancy new ring, but then we gave him a cookie and he forgave us. At least he got to be there for the proposal, which was only fair, considering he WAS the chaperone for our first date. Also considering the fact that Truman actually prefers Wolf to me, I think the arrangement will be to his liking after all.
So now I have a full-time dog, the most excellent future husband in the history of man, and something sparkly for my leash hand:
Yay!
Posted in Good News, TRUMAN, Truman's Humans
Guess Who’s Four?
Today is Lomax’s birthday…unbelievably, The Moof is FOUR YEARS OLD!!! Somewhere in Tennessee, there is a smiling blond dog in a black harness, guiding a smiling blond woman.
Happy fourth, little man. š
I’m Not Dead, Just on Vacation
Yes, I know I’ve been promising updates. And it was my fervent hope to be able to sit down for…what, four straight days, perhaps…and put up the 25 or so posts I know there are to write, but I’ve been a bit preoccupied. With many things! Life has been full of things to do and things to pray about. Dog adoptions, freelance projects, events and changes and work and church and puppy raising and surprise birthday parties and friendships and on and on and on….
But mostly, in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been busily preparing for gettin’ the heck outta Dodge. Tomorrow afternoon, in fact, I’ll be on a nonstop flight from Dodge to Germany! I’ll be gone for a couple of weeks, so there will obviously still be nothing new from me (with the exception of one teeeeeensy little post scheduled to publish in a few days) until I get back.
Truman is spending the next two weeks in the capable hands (and possibly the comfy bed) of Matt and Amy…’cause if you can’t have your own dog back, his brother’s the next best thing. š
Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with this photo of me, Wolf, and the Roo, taken just before he went IFT back in August. Auf wiedersehen!
Posted in TRUMAN
The Truman Has Landed
It was very quick — drive up, sign papers, get Roo, take photos, go home.
He gained 4 pounds while he was IFT. He weighs 74 pounds, and looks HUGE to me!
We’re settling in and figuring out logistics. Just thought you might want to see the boy as much as I did:
I think he’s happy to be home.
Posted in TRUMAN
Too Hip for Guide Work
I got the phone call yesterday: Truman has been released from the GDA program, because he has hip dysplasia.
It’s just on the left side, and fortunately, it’s a mild case. So mild, in fact, that not only does he show no outward signs of it, they had to get the opinion of an orthopedist because the x-rays alone weren’t strong enough evidence to make the determination. Missed it by that much….
Of course, I’m sad that he won’t graduate and go on to a life of guide work. I’m sad that he can’t even go to search and rescue — which I know he would love — because he’s been released for medical reasons. And I have spent the last 36 hours or so in deep thought and fervent prayer and my fair share of tears, and discussion and e-mail exchanges with many people, in an attempt to make the difficult decision of whether to adopt him myself or to let the school adopt him out to someone else.
The logistics are difficult. I live in a third-floor apartment with no yard, and would no longer be allowed take him to the office where I spend two of my weekdays at work. I would be taking on his medical expenses, no longer receiving reimbursement for his veterinary care. I would be paying for his food, and no longer allowed to claim the things I buy for him as a tax deduction. I would be a little less free to do what I want and go where and when I want. I would no longer have the luxury of dropping him off for free room and board and a bath up at the school. A full-time dog is a human tie-down.
But he’s my Roo. He’s this little face:
Okay, the face eventually grew more mature. But even when Truman was being difficult and adolescent and full of attitude, barking at nothing and demanding attention from the nearest person, daring me to correct him, this was the little face that I saw in my heart. I love that little face, and the heart behind it, and the messed up hip behind that, and the wagging tail behind that. And if he were to come home to live with me, I would KNOW he’d be getting the care and love that he needs, because it would be given by the person who knows him best and the person who loves him most.
So he will come home.
We will have help from my wonderful boyfriend and some other very supportive and loving people, who understand that my taking him back forever will be a challenge. I will definitely be making a list of the folks — puppy raisers, friends, family, co-workers — who have offered to watch him for me occasionally, or who have offered playdates with their own dogs or swim time in their backyard pools (really good exercise for dysplasia).
Yes, I will still update the blog with the last two months or so of photos and adventures…but I wanted to share this news with you right away so that you can share in my joy on Friday, when Truman becomes my Forever Dog. I can’t wait.
Posted in TRUMAN
LabradorRodeo 