Taking another night off from prompts while I'm not feeling too overwhelmed to deliver something I promised someone. Read on, if you wish.
Lately I have had quite a few friends ask me about my animals. Granted, I'm never shy about sharing their stories or the crazy household adventures, but there's been an upswing in interest from people, I think due to Livvie and her arrival from Alabama. When people ask me why I went all the way to Alabama for a dog, I simply tell them that she was the perfect rescue Siberian Husky for me, and that's where she was when I found her. With that entry, people often ask more about Tucker and Belle!, only to find that they, too, are rescue animals.
I honestly think that the best way to learn about rescue is from the biography of my three. They each have a fairly unique story and they each definitely have a unique personality!
First, meet Tucker (Siamese Snowshoe), age 9, adopted from Rocky Moutnain Siamese Rescue in 2006.
Why Tucker? Well, I wanted a new kitty who was a Siamese mix of some nature, and I didn't really want a kitten. I started out looking on the Texas Siamese rescue site and no kitty felt like the right kitty. I did link from them to the Colorado rescue site and the 2nd kitty on the page was this guy's handsome face. How could I NOT fall in love with him?
How did he end up in Rescue? True story: Tucker is lucky to be alive. He was an owner surrender to the Boulder County shelter because he was a "bad cat" who bit and scratched excessively. A Colorado Siamese Rescue volunteer happened to meet Tucker and didn't believe that he was a bad cat, just that he was an un-neutered 18-month-old boy who may have been in a home environment that wasn't good for him. I mean, I would bite and scratch too if I had elementary school age boys being mean to me! Brian convinced Boulder County to let him take Tucker and not euthanize him; Tucker got neutered, put with a great foster in Denver, and got to fly home with me at the end of March, 2006 once I was approved to be his human.
So, what's he really like? Tucker is sometimes just silly (in a very charming way), is often contemplative (I think he may have been a Zen monk in a prior incarnation), and is always near where I am when I'm home. He sleeps with me every night. When my cat who I had prior to his arrival died, he tolerated me crying on him for days- and ultimately mourned her with me, resulting in the addition of Belle! to the family. He's my kitty who just "knows" what I need at any given time.
Then there is Belle! (black and white domestic shorthair; originally Mabelle, who spent much of her kittenhood as, "Damn it, Belle!", which was then appropriately shortened to Belle!), age 5, adopted from No More Homeless Pets in Utah (now Best Friends) in November, 2008.
Why Belle!? I lost my 14-year-old Maine coon mix who had been through Hell, high water, and med school + surgery residency + burn fellowship + my first few years of being an attending surgeon to renal failure. I was miserable without her, as was Tucker. I started looking for a new kitty for us and found Mabelle, who was being fostered with her brother Mario leMew (aside: Best cat name ever, right there).
How did she end up in rescue? As a kitten she found her way into the No More Homeless Pets in Utah program from Utah County. She was lucky enough to be fostered by someone who I also now consider a friend. I found her in mid-November and after the usual approval process, she moved in with Tucker and me on Thanksgiving, 2008.
So, what is she really like? What's with the history of, "Damn it, Belle!"? She was a wild, wild kitten! In truth, she's also a very, very sweet kitty. She's the class clown who has no shame about doing anything. She's all Id, which means she doesn't modulate her behaviors at all- she lives BIG! She runs through the house at high speeds, as a kitten she would dive bomb Tucker for no apparent reason, and she is often ridiculous. Oh, and she plays fetch if you throw her toy mice for her. Belle! has left her mark on my dining room chairs, something I have simply had to accept (she's the reason I'm not investing in nice furniture any time soon). She's the first kitty to demand attention when people come into the house, and she eagerly accepts affection from almost anyone. She's also a huge fan of spending quality time in my Dad's lap. Did I mention that she's really smart and built her own "heat tunnel" in my living room? It's true.
And, most recently, Livvie (Siberian Husky, age estimated at 3) came into my life from the Alabama Siberian Husky Rescue on September 15.
Why Livvie? You see those freckles, right? Okay, there's more to the backstory than that.
In September of 2009 I brought home my first rescue Siberian, Kita, from Idaho Falls (props to Gail Birdsong and Birdsong Siberian Rescue). Kita was an absolute love whose worst habit was sleeping on the couch while I was at work. Unfortunately, Kita was a senior dog when I adopted her and between complications from her arthritis meds that developed and some underlying renal disease we didn't quite get 4 years together. I had good intentions of waiting a while to get another Siberian- though definitely another rescue- but Tucker is insistent when he's mourning. There was also the added factor of me realizing how much I missed having the structure that a dog brings for me. Those morning walks are important head clearing time. The need for an evening feeding (and to go out back for bathroom privileges) gets me away from my desk at the office. I love my cats, but with Kita a dog had become a central part of my life.
A few weeks after Kita died, I started looking around for a Siberian Husky to move into my life. There were, obviously, a few ground rules: adult dog, preferably under the age of 5, and with a demonstrated ability to coexist with cats. Many Siberians think cats are what's for dinner, not for friendship. Kita thought kitties were her friends (she groomed Belle! routinely and she and Tucker were caught napping in the dog bed with some regularity), and that was a quality I needed to replicate for obvious reasons. But...I was also insistent on having another Siberian. They are quirky dogs with unique behaviors and HIGH energy levels. They are also simply amazing animals and I can't imagine living with another type of dog, quirks and all. So, as I looked around I struggled with finding a cat-friendly Siberian who was in rescue and who was young. No luck in my home region here, nor with the rescue on the Front Range in Colorado. I broadened the net and looked in Texas- again no luck- and decided just to see what the rescue in Alabama might have since they're a well-run rescue that's near family for me. Low and behold, this creature named Olivia pops up on their website. She's 3-4 years old, a well-mannered young lady, and one who is not a threat to cats. And those freckles...well, I was sold. Application went in, and once April got over thinking that I had to be a crazy lady to come to Alabama to get a dog (she's kind-of right), off I went on the cross-country adventure. I flew to Atlanta where my Mom met me, we picked Livvie up near Birmingham, then headed North and West over the next 3 days. It was quite the adventure, and Livvie was an angel with all of the travel!
How did she end up in rescue? We don't know, to be honest. My suspicion is that the family who had her found out that she had heartworms and couldn't afford to treat her, so they surrendered her to the shelter. She has an incredibly sweet, even disposition and it's clear that some serious time was invested in training her, so I am grateful for whoever those people are and I'm sorry for whatever misfortune befell them so that they couldn't keep her.
So, what is she really like? She's sweet, she's funny, she's incredibly affectionate (she gives hugs!), and she is wonderful with the cats. She almost immediately became the favorite of all of her walkers because she has such good manners and is almost perfect on leash. She has "typical" Siberian Husky jumping capabilities, so I can't leave cat food untended on the counter or I'll find her standing on the counter eating it (yes, that has happened). She has made it VERY clear to everyone from Day 1 that I am her human and that's not changing; I'm told that she does tend to look for me when I'm not home. She always greets me at the door when I get back, though, and she does expect that once my hands are empty that we'll have a minute to hug. Oh, and she sleeps on my feet at night, something fabulous for someone with cold feet like mine!
Why I believe in rescue: Rescue serves an incredibly important function in providing animals who have found themselves down on their luck with another chance. Please don't believe that you can only get animals with a defect of some sort through rescue- it's simply not true, and I think that my three are testimony to the wonderful animals available through rescue. Yes, each of my three have their quirks, and I do tend to be indulgent of them. However, they seem to be both happy and well-adjusted in their home here. I'm absolutely certain that is true for the two who are on the couch, and Belle! is too busy running around upstairs right now to weigh in. Adopting an animal- cat, dog, bunny, whatever it is that you really want- from a reliable, organized rescue that is committed to the welfare of the animals is a gift to the animal, but is also a gift to yourself. Note that if you decide to rescue, you can anticipate a process for application, approval, etc. They want to make sure that the animal in question is going to a home that can really provide a great environment for it, and that the home is the "right" home for that animal. As an example, I think that Tucker likely spent a few months in rescue because they would not allow him to go to a home with children under age 5. Wisely so, based upon his history.
So, there's my PSA for tonight. Sorry that it's a little long and ramble-y, but I think these stories are important ones that deserve to be told. If you're not in a position to foster or rescue an animal, please consider supporting a rescue through donations of time, money, or wish-list goods. Their work is costly but (I believe) worth every penny. I think that these three would agree with that.
Now listening: "Share your love" - Susan TedeschiLabels: NaBloPoMo, things I love
