every animal I've ever had have been rescues! from my very first cat (the mother found her way to my window one extremely cold blizzardy winter night.. my dad said "figures it would find HER window" lol.. mom brought it in after about 30 mins of my pleading, 2 days later she had a litter.. we kept the runt.. it had 12 toes! lol the rest were given to good homes!)
I was never much of a dog person, we weren't allowed them when I was a kid (too much responsibility.. my dad used to say) but I dated one guy who had a dog.. a doberman.. awesome pet.. great companion.. but he was badly hurt in an accident and didn't make it.. I realized I was more heart broken then my then bf.. then I got hit by a car.. the 'typical therapies' weren't helping so I talked to my doctor and suggested I take control of my own 'recovery'.. first thing I did was go to a nearby shelter.. found this gorgeous (albeit very shy) Pyrenees Mountain dog pup huddled into a corner, softly crying.. I picked him up, snuggled and crooned to him and felt his little heart gradually slow as he started to relax.. the shelter said he was badly abused where they got him from and cried constantly.. to the point no one wanted him.. they were surprised he had stopped while in my arms.. without a moments hesitation.. I took him home.. I tried several 'names' to see if he'd respond.. finally he did.. his name was Bear! he was the beginning of me becoming whole again.. he helped me walk again and regain use of my left arm.. he was my best friend during a very difficult time.. 3 yrs later, while I was moving myself and kids, he stayed with a friend overnight.. her kids forgot about the dog and left the door open.. he ran (presumably heading home) and was hit by a car.. what I could never understand was.. how you could miss a 110 lb huge white 'polar bear' in broad daylight! I carried him to my car and brought him to my vets to 'dispose' of.. hardest thing I had to do.. leaving his side..
the next was another rescue, this one from New Mexico.. a Bernese Mountain dog pup.. she fared the travel well and Delta did an amazing job with her care!! a friend who lives there has a friend that saw this pup being tossed from a moving car on a highway.. right out the window.. she brought her to my friend who took the pup in (she's a big bernese fan and had 3 of her own already) plus her neighbor is apparently one of THE best vet surgeons in the USA so the dog was given to the vet to see if there was anything they could do for her.. he gave her a mechanical elbow and the dog recuperated at my girlfriends house for a few months and I got things set with the airlines & customs.. my gf named her "Miss Molly Brown" cuz her spirit was one that never gave up... I picked her up at the Montreal International Airport on April 16th 2003.. and lost her 7 yrs later as she died in my arms from cancer.. she never did give up till I told her it was okay to let go! her ashes sit on my fireplace mantle.. alongside Bear!
my kids encouraged me to get another pup.. so I decided to get another rescue of course.. Feb. 14th 2011, while I was out with my kids, a couple were walking an adorably playful pup.. her owners were very aggressive towards her, yanking her collar and even hitting & kicking at the pup.. I made, rather loudly, a comment to my kids about how some people shouldn't own animals.. the man replied "well if you think you can do better.. here.. YOU take the mutt, our son dumped it on us and we didn't want it anyway".. I didn't hesitate, I grabbed the leash, thanked them, and walked away.. she's now 6 years old.. she was only a few months old when I got her though.. she's afraid of just about everything.. thunder, lightening, heavy rain, black outs LOL.. but when it comes to protecting ME or the home? she's fierce!!! she's always with me.. sometimes when she wakes up, if she doesn't see me, she starts to whimper, I call her name and she comes running up to hug me.. she's my now best friend.. funny how life unfolds some times eh? after I initially got her, I did some checking and it turned out.. she was born on the same day my Molly passed away! Xena's a Labernese.. (Lab / Bernese mix - new breed) and the BEST Valentines gift EVER!
sorry for the "short novel"