This weekend’s rescue mission went so much better than I had expected! Granted, Friday night was a bit of a pain. Rosie and I left St. Louis around 6:15, and didn’t get in to Arkansas until midnight. The highlight of the night was stopping at Dairy Queen for Blizzards. Purely for functional purposes, of course. We don’t LIKE ice cream at all. We would have much preferred some carrot sticks, but figured the chocolate and sugar would keep us awake.
After a short night’s sleep, we got up and headed to the lovely Macadoodles hole-in-the-wall convenience store where we were scheduled to meet the breeder. We stopped in to get some breakfast, but the only thing we found even remotely to our liking was a six pack of mini chocolate-covered donuts. Not Hostess, however, but some off brand we’d never heard of. In a word, nasty.
At 8:30, the breeder pulled up and opened up the back of her vehicle, and when I saw the dogs, I was surprised by how small they were. I mean, I know how much a typical Shiba Inu weighs, but I guess I never translated that into size, and the pictures I’d seen of them didn’t contain anything that my pea brain could use for scale.
I immediately focused on one particular dog that looked like the one I was supposed to get, and I asked it it was her. But the breeder told me that they didn’t bring her because she “wouldn’t fit.” Which made no sense because we had prepared for nine dogs, and up until the last minute the breeder had told us we’d be taking nine dogs. I was a bit panicked because I was afraid that I’d sacrificed my time, gas, money and sleep, all to end up with no dog to show for it.
So once we got the dogs loaded and back on the road, I called one of the coordinators of the rescue association, and she assured me that they’d move things around so I would get a dog. She called back a few minutes later to let me know I’d be taking this adorable little red one, who I just happened to like the best. Also, she thought that the dog I was originally scheduled to get had probably gotten pregnant, and that’s why they didn’t send her. She was still a money-maker for the breeder.
It took five hours to get back to St. Louis, and the dogs were wonderful the entire time. There were two minor growling incidents, but the rest of the time they either slept or looked around excitedly. I didn’t have time to take a bunch of pictures of the group but here’s a picture of three of them:
Three of the Eight
Meet Kaia!
She’s a little shy, but that’s typical with puppy mill rescues. She hasn’t gotten much attention during her life, except when she had puppies. So she’s not used to a lot of human contact.
Foxy mama!
Mmmmm...Cheese
She hasn’t eaten ANY dog food yet, but again, that’s typical with rescue dogs. She’s adjusting to her new situation, and will ultimately eat when she gets hungry enough. In the meantime, we’ve been plying her with cheese. She LOVES cheese, and it’s a great way to make friends with her. Whoever (whomever?) has the cheese is her newest best friend.
So, we’re all getting acquanited with one another, and it’s looking like a really good match. As her foster mom, I’m supposed to post pictures and a bio of her on the adoption website within two weeks. Somehow, I don’t think I’m going to need to go to all that trouble…
p.s. Anyone interested in adopting or fostering a Shiba Inu should visit www.savingshibas.com
14 Comments
Congratulations on the new addition to your household! She looks beautiful.
Thanks!! We’re so happy to have her, and to give her a new life. Because her old one wasn’t much of a life at all.
what a sweet little face!
Thanks! She’s got such a sweet personality to go with it!
Dude. They’re freaking adorable. So glad that you made it out alive.
Thanks, I’m glad too! Kaia and Auggie should have a play date!
I love her! She’s got such a sweet face. And I adore you for fostering. I fostered for almost a year and it was the most rewarding and the most heartbreaking experience. Darn it, you are making me cry.
Awww, thanks
Yes, I completely understand where you’re coming from. This is my FIRST foster dog, and I’m probably going to adopt her. We have no other pets, and she just brightens up the place! But I can’t adopt ALL of them, so I know that will be hard.
How.Awesome.Are.You? Very! Adorable!
Thanks so much!!
That is so nice.
I had no idea dogs liked cheese. That’s pretty funny actually.
So are you allowed to adopt her if you want?
Yep, good ol’ Kraft American cheese slices. And yes I can adopt her if I want, and I’m wanting to more and more!
If I didn’t have to type sitting down, I’d give you a standing ovation. I am the final stop on a rescue chain that started in South Carolina and ended in New York State. Three dogs were brought to our local shelter and I adopted Kylie. Having lost my dog a month before, I was pretty raw and not sure I was ready. But after two minutes of belly rubbing and face licking (her belly, my face) I was hooked. Thanks for being part of the rescue process. It works. One dog at a time.
Aww, thanks Marshall. I’m getting another one in less than two weeks. This one SHOULD be a foster, meaning I’ll be adopting it out to a lucky family. If I’m strong enough NOT to keep him! And I thought of you often during the process of getting my dog, knowing what an enormous loss you were dealing with. Have fun with Kylie. You know Jett’s looking down and smiling.
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