On June 29th, I became a new mom to a very large new furry kid. I signed up to be a foster parent for a German Shepherd for the German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California. I went through their process to make sure I was a good pet mom. After I applied, a volunteer came to my home to check it out and to meet me in person to interview me and spend some time with me in my home to make sure my home and I would be a good fit to take care of their dogs in need. The volunteer and I will undoubtedly have a long-term relationship given our mutual love of animals and desire to make their lives better.
I was approved and impatiently waited to receive my foster dog. The same volunteer who met me in my home delivered my new pup to me about a week later. It was love at first sight!
His name is “Teddy Bear,” and I call him “Teddy.” He is about two years old, although you wouldn’t have guessed it to look at him. He was emaciated. Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw him for the first time. His ribs pushed through the thin skin covering them and his bony hips protruded through his coarse, thin, malnourished fur. He weighed a mere 60 pounds and a healthy weight for this guy is about 100 pounds. He had a skin and ear infection and needed some love. My home was ready to supply everything he needed.
I spent the next couple of weeks giving him as much love as each moment could hold. He became my shadow and we went everywhere together. As soon as the volunteer left, Teddy and I walked to the Napa River.
The power of touch is important for both human beings and animals. Throughout the day, I would massage him from head to toe, giving his atrophied muscles some gentle love and encouragement to grow while building trust to let Teddy know he had a safe home and owner.
I immediately recognized he was special. He has the temperament of a wise old soul with the fun loving attitude of a pup. I have two cats and he instinctively gave them the respect of knowing he was entering their home. It was quite extraordinary to see how good he was with them. They didn’t immediately return his generous attitude.
When the rescue organization told me someone was interested in adopting him, my stomach jumped into my throat. I had fallen in love with this guy and couldn’t imagine him leaving my home. In a very short time, he had touched my heart and gave me a renewed desire to more fully explore life and create adventure. Importantly, one of my goals is to volunteer with returning war veterans who are recovering from post traumatic stress disorder. I want to volunteer with my dog, particularly a German Shepherd, because I believe we can make a difference. Given Teddy’s temperament, I thought he’d be the perfect dog for this duty. After speaking to the rescue organization, they agreed. I adopted this precious boy and now he has his forever home.
We go hiking….
And wine tasting…
And work out…
And he checks out skunks…
And he likes napping, especially after eating big meals, which he now can count on three times a day….
And he plays…
And he is flourishing….
In a very short time, we’ve already had a lot of adventures. And it’s just the start. We count on a lifetime full of adventure and making a difference. Stay tuned as I’ll undoubtedly share our adventures with you. I hope you will create your own adventures and add a rescue animal to your life. They understand the karma of a second chance and will add a dimension to your life that you will never get in any other way.
- Speak Your Truth – Mastering Communication in Challenging Circumstances - July 1, 2023
- Live Life on Your Terms – Break Free from Conditioning - June 21, 2023
- Are You Letting Your Circumstances Define You? - June 15, 2023
You look beautiful. Like a glowing momma. So happy you two found each other. Miss you.
Kim
Thanks Kim! It was definitely a match made in heaven! Miss you, too!
Joan
I am so happy to hear that Teddy and you have found each other. What a blessing for both of you! I hope he can keep up with you! Skunk? Here I have been complaining about some ticks on our Willie. Marie
Thanks Marie! It is such a blessing for both of us! Right now, he has to work a bit to keep up with me as I gently push him to develop his atrophied muscles. However, it won’t be long before I have to scramble to keep up with him! I’m happy to have a new hiking and running partner. I’m glad we can provide you with perspective on pup hygiene!! German Shepherds are supposed to be intelligent, so I”m hoping that one skunk encounter is enough!
Hugs!
Joan
Great post and great photos! It totally cracks me up to see how BIG that guy is and how SMALL Dorito is! Hilarious! So glad all is going well and that Teddy is loving is fur-ever home. 😉
Hugs and scratches!
jls
Thanks Jack!
We definitely covered the spectrum of sizes on our rescue pups! I’m glad we both have new fur balls who can live amazing lives and share their awesomeness with everyone.
Big Hug!
JJ