7 years ago, I drove from Richmond to Roanoke to meet a skinny, frightened, abused dog I'd seen in a picture on Petfinder. The family fostering her were very generous; allowing me to sit with her until she let me touch her, and that was the moment that I decided to bring her back with me to DogTown, where she proceeded to change my life completely.
Annie also introduced me to the Livestock Guardian Dog breeds - which are so very different from all the other breeds I've met, including Terriers, Herding Dogs, Hounds, Hunting Dogs, Toys, Retrievers. Having her in my life has been an adventure, a comfort, eye-opening, and highly entertaining, and I continue to learn from her daily. She's sweet, quirky, obsessive about certain things, sheds an Annie-sized layer of fur every few months, extremely protective but with enormous self-restraint, affectionate, quick to growl when annoyed but infinitely patient and gentle, and has never met a child she didn't like. I'm extremely grateful to National Anatolian Shepherd Rescue Network for giving me the opportunity to try taming that wild, terrified, scarred, starving little girl, and for giving her another chance. The experience of watching her make the decision to live, then to bloom and thrive, has been such a source of joy that I recommend that anyone with the capacity to, open your home and heart to a rescued pet.
This morning's mail brought a story from NASRN, about another dog who'd been facing death, but thanks to the perseverance and generosity of a few good-hearted folks, Rex is now finally at home. This photo was taken during his transport this weekend, and the expression on his face made me laugh. Click on it to read the linked story - it brightened my day considerably, hope it offers some sunshine for you as well!
