Tuesday, August 20, 2019

DOG DAYS OF AUGUST by CHERYL PIERSON

Hey everyone! I do have some book news but it's too soon to share it,  BOO HOO--so I'll share some updates on my sweet boys you might want to see. We just passed a milestone in our family! We've had Sweet Seminole Sammy for one whole year as of the 18th of August! (Yes, I gave him and his furry brother Max both a small dish of vanilla ice cream to celebrate, but no party hats for fear of them being eaten, too!) Here's the first day we brought Sammy home to live with us, August 18, 2018--he was (they thought) about 6 months old. He'd been adopted and brought back because he dug holes in the adoptive family's yard. What a lucky day for US, because he is the perfect dog for our home! Here he is at the shelter before we brought him home with us.



 


























And here he is on his little bed--it's amazing to see how "small" he was compared to NOW. No way he could even fit in that bed a year later!



Here are my two babies in March of this year--Sammy is about a year older than Max, and this was taken on Max's first day with us, March 11, 2019. Sammy was thrilled from the beginning, and he has been such a protective big brother ever since Max came to live with us. We got them both from the same shelter, but they never knew each other before, as Max came much later after Sammy was gone. This was taken in March of 2019, when Sammy had been with us about 7 months, and Max was a tiny puppy--only about 10 weeks old. He was so uncertain and afraid, but Sammy took him under his wing and made him feel right at home!

























Here they are this past week and look how both of them have grown! They are best buddies and love each other dearly.
They spend almost every minute together and wouldn't know what to do without one another at this point. They are such a joy and so much fun to have in our family--always up to something (and not always something good--they are a lot like kids!)

Judging how Max has grown, I think he's going to be taller than Sammy, but I believe Sammy will always be more muscular. They didn't know what breeds either of them were, but it doesn't matter. Their hearts are pure gold, and their breed is LOVE!



This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of them. I took this just a few weeks ago. Max has gathered all their toys around him on the floor, looking up so proudly, and Sammy is on the couch beside me with the look that says, "Oh, brother. See what I have to put up with?" But he wouldn't have it any other way! 




Do you have a pet you cherish with all your heart? Let's hear about them! I am such an animal lover, and I know many of you all are, too!

6 comments:

  1. They are adorable. I do love dogs, but cats have always had a special place in my heart and home.
    I've been lucky to have both cats and dogs in my life since I was born. They help keep me sane, (At least I hope they do.)
    What a great pair you have. Doris

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    1. Doris, when I was growing up, my dad worked in the oilfield and a "schedule" was non-existent for our family. Mom was a stay-at-home mom, but on the weekends, many times, she wanted to go to see her family in southeastern OK, and for us that was a 2 1/2 hour drive one way. So there was no one to take care of a dog if we'd had one, whereas a cat was a lot more self-sufficient. So I always had a cat, but never could have a dog. I love both cats and dogs! They are all precious. I think my two would be fine with a cat if it lived here--they do bark at the stray ones that like to get under our front patio awning to sleep, though! LOL Yes they all help keep me sane. I've no idea how anyone could ever be cruel to an animal--they have so much love in their hearts.

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  2. I love animals but haven't had a dog since I was a child on the farm. We always had cats because they were great mousers. During my marriage, I've only had two cats, one a runt from the litter on the farm who knew there was a better life indoors, and then when I took time off from work, Doug brought me a sweet little white kitten to keep me company. We bonded and she was a part of our lives for over 18 years. She's been gone now for 15 and just haven't had the heart to "replace" her yet. Your two pets are beautiful companions for each other. I'm glad you brought Sammy home to keep Max company. Your work/efforts are tireless in your mission to encourage people to adopt pets from the shelters and give them a happy life. The world needs more people of like-minds.

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    1. Oh, Elizabeth! It's high time you found another feline companion, my friend! Did you know they say that people who have pets live longer? They have lower blood pressure too!

      You know, I could just tell Sammy was depressed. Even though he had a good life with us, rescued from the shelter and a great home full of love, something was missing. They told me at the shelter he was a "social butterfly" and loved all the other dogs. Gary didn't want to get another dog, too, but after a while, he could see what I was talking about. When I saw Max on the shelter website I knew he was the one. Someone had dumped a litter of puppies at the shelter when they were only a week or two old, and Max was one of those puppies. He still has some of the "shelter mentality" as far as eating fast and trying to eat Sammy's food, too. LOL But I have never seen a dog as patient as Sammy has been with Max. He loves him, and Max loves him right back.

      As far as rescue--if I were younger and better able to physically do rescue work, I would do more of the hands on rescue efforts. But you know, everyone can do something. So I figure, as long as we each do what we are capable of doing, it all adds up! Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your very kind words.

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  3. The story you shared reminds me so much of our household from Sept. 2017 to March 2019. We adopted Jeremiah, a former puppy mill dog, from a rescue in Nebraska in Sept. 2017. He knew nothing about living in a home. Because of Mary, our springer spaniel mix, he learned many things quickly, like going out to go potty, and how wonderful it is to get pets and go for walks. We lost Mary in April from cancer, and Jeremiah was lost for many weeks. He's turned into a wonderful lap dog and companion, and most of that is thanks to Mary. Your dogs are sweet!! Thanks for sharing about them!

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    1. Gayle, I'm so sorry to hear about Mary's passing. That's why we ended up getting Sammy--our Great Pyrenees, Embry, passed in July of 2018. Our house was so empty. I couldn't get over the sadness, and Gary couldn't either. We were both emotional wrecks--we'd had Embry in our lives since he was a puppy--our daughter rescued him at about 8 weeks from a shelter, and he lived with her for the first 18 months or so, but when she was forced to move, the place she moved to didn't have a fence. So Embry came to live with us. He was 9 1/2 when he died, and that was a miracle, because he was such a big dog and had had health issues his entire life. Still, if it had been 100 years it wouldn't have been long enough. So I know how you feel about losing Mary. I bet before long another sweet doggie will tug at your heart strings and become a furry sibling for Jeremiah! I would have more than two if I could, but I would probably be divorced if I brought another one home. LOL Thanks so much for stopping by, and for all your rescue efforts and your wonderful stories!

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