Dave and Bear are on their way home again. It was a grueling marathon! He so missed the SAINTS hidey hole! With so many dogs there was no place to sleep – they couldn’t be left in the van alone. There were 5 that met their families the next day. So Dave and Bear roughed it that night too. Once all the dogs were placed with their families Dave got back on the ferry to back to the mainland and pick up Charlie from her sleepover. Charlie failed – she has separation anxiety and cried and cried when left alone. It didn’t take long for neighbours to complain. Charlie is a very good natured little one but she attached herself too quickly to Lisa – to the point that she would cry when left with her partner. So… a failed adoption – Charlie is not the perfect match. It was a hard decision as she was perfect in every other way – happy go lucky, friendly, quiet indoors, playful and dog social. Now we know that Charlie will need a home with someone home or another dog to hang out with. Charlie learned important life skills tho – she travels well, walks well on leash and is clean. Her family will find her.
Dave and Bear slept somewhere on the road in the canyon. Last I heard they were in Hope at 9 pm!! I am waiting to hear where they are now and when they will be home again. The new guys are doing well! They have integrated completely with the few guys left here.
And now updates!!!
Hi Yvette,
Fritzi here. Gosh that was a long trip. Where am I? What am I supposed to think at 11:30 at night when I was taken out of my nice van and put into a strange car? I found a cookie on the seat, and I nibbled on it, but was too tired, confused and scared to do much else than tuck myself quietly into a corner, and, do you believe it, slept. My new mommy didn’t let me sulk for too long after we arrived at her (strange) place at 12:45 am. It was pitch dark with strange noises, was that water? We walked around in the grass until I finally clued in that I was to pee and poop before we could go inside. I felt safest to just Velcro myself to the new mommy at her heels, and when she sat down for a bit and gave me the monkey to play with, I felt a lot better.
Can you believe it? She let me sleep on her bed. I was worried that I would sleep in that crate I saw, but could snuggle against her on the bed. It got to be 2:30 am until she finally turned off the light. We both slept until 11:00 am. Got up, went outside, had some food and water, went for a little walk. But I’ve decided to take it slow. There is so much I’ve never smelled, seen or heard before. it’s little scary, but my mommy says, it’s not scary, it’s a new adventure.
Did you know she has another dog here? I saw it, it’s in the bedroom and stays there.
That’s it, I am taking a nap now. I’ll write again soon.
Fritzi
Hi Yvette,
As promised we are sending you some pics of Bella. As you can see she seems happy and has settled in here very happily. We are also sending a very short video of her playing her favourite game, chase the laser dot. We hope you enjoy these as much as we enjoy Bella. We still feel like we won the Dog Lottery when we got her!
Talk to you soon.
Fran, Kevin,& Bella 
Bella with her boyfriend

Big smile!

Ready for a nap

hunting squirrels

After a hard playtime

in front of HER couch

Hi Yvette,
I wanted to write and give you an update on Chewie. We picked her up yesterday afternoon. She had a good car ride home, and seemed really excited by the new smells when she got out at our house. Our babysitter Jen was here minding Edison. She came out and brushed Chewie with me for 1/2 hour in the backyard, and then David and I gave her a bath. We got SO MUCH HAIR off of her, and there is still so much more coming off! Chewie was very good for the brushing and the bath. She seemed very happy to be getting so much attention!
Edison really likes her a lot. Last night he waved hello at her all through dinner. He’s been very good about letting her have her space, and has been very gentle when petting her. This morning he brought all of his favorite toys one by one to show her. It was pretty darn cute.
Chewie seems quite happy when she’s outside in the backyard or out walking, but she’s still a bit anxious when she’s in the house. I’m not sure if that’s because she’s never been an indoor dog. She’s also a bit anxious with Edison, even though he has been quite gentle with her. He is still a toddler and moves about the house with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. I think it will take time for her to get used to his exuberance. She follows me around while we are inside most of the time. Last night she slept in our doorway (she didn’t like Gibson’s old bed). I think it will be good when the Kuranda bed arrives, so she will know it’s her place to sleep.
I’m a little bit concerned because she doesn’t really want to eat or drink very much. I’ve tried two different flavors of the Natural Balance (Venison and Sweet Potato, and Lamb and Rice) and she really doesn’t seem interested. I’ve used some beef liver treats in her bowl to lure her into eating a bit of the dry food, and she will eat those and a bit of the kibble, but not very much. I don’t want to give her too many of the liver treats because they are quite rich and I don’t want her to get sick. Edison dropped turkey bacon and cereal on the floor this morning and she wasn’t interested at all. She has had a bit to drink a few times today, and has gone to the bathroom. David and my mom both think she’s just anxious and getting used to us and she’ll eat more in time, but I thought I would check in with you to see if there is something else we should try feeding her.
I’m going to take her to the vet tomorrow. Dave said we should have another deworming, and I’m going to get her a giardia shot since we’ll be walking out in the woods. We’ll get her dog tags then, some flea treatment, and maybe a microchip. We may shave her down for the summer to get rid of the rest of the matts as well. It’s supposed to be really hot this summer, and she might be happier with a shorter coat.
We just had a big walk at the park and she’s sleeping next to me while I write to you. She was quite playful on the walk, and was beside herself when she saw the squirrels in the park! She really is a sweetheart. David wants to call her Baroness Chewie, but we haven’t decided yet.
Let me know if you think there’s anything else I should do to try to get her eating. I’ll check in with the vet too, and see if there’s anything he can think of. I’ve never known any golden retriever mix that didn’t want to eat!
Lisa


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