Monday, September 3, 2007

Doggone it!

Photo courtesy of Bonnie, taken from the PetFinder website

We are interrupting our regular programming to bring you this special bulletin:

An adorable Havanese named Truffles just became the newest resident of Naples!

If you visit my Michigan blog, you know that I am involved with an animal rescue organization. We "bail out" dogs and cats from the city shelters and foster them in our homes until they are permanently adopted. It usually takes 2-3 weeks, so as you can imagine, it is a bittersweet moment - you are happy that they are finally going to their "forever" home, but your heart is breaking when you say goodbye.

And sometimes, the heart wins out over logic...This innocent bundle of energy and love was sadly neglected, abused and finally abandoned - all before his 1st birthday! One look into those hypnotic black eyes and we both knew that he will suffer no more (except for the occasional off-key singing of his new "forever mom" - hey, you've got to take the good with the bad ;-)

"No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich."
— Louis Sabin

Now, back to our regular programming...

25 comments:

Chris said...

Congratulations, Isabella, and thank you for rescuing Truffles! We also rescued a puppy mill Welsh Terrier . . . While these poor dogs start their lives in a bad way, they will have the peace they deserve.

TOG said...

We are dog people and for 30 years we had standard poodles. I trimmed all of them because I never saw a groomer that satisfied me. An exception was a toy poodle that I couldn't groom. We normally had two at a time. We put down our last dog three years. Now we are too arthritic to handle a dog properly. No I'm not lame, I still cut the lawn and paint the house. I admire your dogs and what you do with them.
Off subject, my real avatar is in today's picture at the mall.

WichitaKsDailyPhoto said...

It is like a rags to riches story for Truffles, who is now a pampered pet. He's a cutie. Glad he found his way to you.

Ann (MobayDP) said...

Having a dog really does make you rich. Congrats! :-)

Janet said...

All three of our pets came from our local animal shelter. Bonnie is a lucky dog!

Anonymous said...

Do people say to you, what they take great pleasure in saying to me?
"SUCKER!"
I don't care, I'd rather be a sucker than have a closed up heart!
Truffle's story is a bit like my Gypsy's story.
http://freefallingskyward.blogspot.com/2007/05/gipper-giroo.html
They look a bit the same too! Well, kinda.
Bless your kind heart, Isabella and the wonderful work you do fostering
foresaken little animals - the world needs more Isabellas!

Anonymous said...

This post made really happy feeling,
thanks , Isabella for that, but before all for this, what you are doing.
Kiki sends warm greetings to Truffles!
And why this post could not be a regular post ? Hm, perhaps therefor, because you can not take a dog a day ;)

Nikon said...

Great work that you're doing, Isabella. I'm glad that you are having luck placing the pets - this one is a real cutie :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful. It is heartbreaking that animals are in shelters and then many are destroyed. And then there are those who cause them to fight. It is a sickening so-called sport that I abhor. I am so glad you are involved and others too in saving animals.

Olivier said...

bravo pour ton implication et beau geste. il est si mignon ce petit, et Naples doit etre content de le recevoir.

cheer for your implication and beautiful gesture. it is so nice this small, and Naples must be glad to receive it.

Anonymous said...

Wow, a dog who walks on water - all the way from Havana. Did Castro kick them out or did they go with the rich refugees, knowing where the good treats are?
Good work and good luck with Truffles!

Peter said...

The dog eyes are so talking and appealing! Difficult or - in this case - impossible to resist!

Pity you didn't ask for the size or the weight. I would actually have preferred to win a dog prize rather than a gator prize! (But I was happy about the gator too!)

Neva said...

I love dogs and I could never foster because I would have to keep them all!!!! but this is a great post and lovely dog....congratulations!

Jilly said...

Welcome Truffles to the wonderful world of Isabella! You are one lucky doggy - but then so is she to have you in her life.

Kate said...

Well, this pup certainly doesn't have to labor today, does it??

We fostered dogs for a brief stint after our faithful dog, Odin, died. We adopted the first dog we had (our beloved Maggi) so that's part of the story, but we eventually had to stop because the rest of the dogs we got were dogs truly from hell -- animals that had been in the wild, another that howled when it was in the backyard which prompted complaints from neighbors, others that destroyed the yard and did considerable damage to the house. If we had gotten dogs which you seem to be fostering, we would still be doing it, but for some reason, we got all the difficult behavior problems. We tried to convince the adoption agency to make better choices for us, but that didn't happen so we discontinued in despair. What's your secret?

Shammickite said...

Truffles is a lucky dog to be rescued and then loved by nice people. I know there are many dogs out there that do not have such good fortune.

Annie said...

Isabella, you are the lucky one. I think these are the sweetest of companions.

Oya said...

Izzy, congrats. That is very sweet what you have done. Thank you...

Steve Buser said...

A wonderful heart-tugging and pick me up story. Give Truffles a hug for us all
--steve buser
New Orleans Daily Photo

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi dear Isabella,
Now I am sure I like you, people who loves animals are for me MY FRIENDS, I love animals of all kinds ad I would have made it my job if i would not been sick so many times.

Our dog is everything for me as you most probably have red in my last weeks post, she 's my most faithfull friend. Always Honest!!

Is this doggy still alive??? Owww the poor dog, how you described it, it seemde that this dog died?

Something completely different;
YEH i know know that your NAPELS is NOT in Italy hahaha:) I got al confused.... SO this is Napels in Florida.... Good to know. I'll visit you again.

:) JoAnn
Thanks for visiting my blog also!

sonia a. mascaro said...

You have a great and lovely heart, Isabella! Congratulations! People who loves animals are for me always good and lovely people!

isa said...

Truffles thanks you all for visiting us...and welcoming him to our family!

All of you animal lovers - those fostering and those adopting rescue dogs - get extra kisses from him (and trust me, he gives great kisses ;-))

Kate - I hear you, my friend. For every well adjusted dog I fostered, I had two "challenged" ones. But is it any wonder, after what they've been through?
Luckily, the pets in our organization get adopted very quickly ;-)
And you got Maggi out of this. Yipee!

JoAnn, you lovely redhead, I will send you a private email, but please be assured that Truffles is not dead! As a matter of fact, he's under the desk, gnowing on my toe right now! Help!

Anonymous said...

That is so wonderful that you open your home to these animals to buy them time to find loving homes.

teeth bleaching

Anonymous said...

What a lovely dog! Congratulations to you & Truffles on finding each other.

I share my home with two animals that were rescued from a fire and am endlessly thankful to people like you who support animal rescue organizations. Rescued animals are the BEST!

Blather From Brooklyn

JAM said...

Aww. What a sweetheart. I'm sure he's got many years of belly rubs in store for him.