My heart dog Zoe that also started my journey in dog rescue (kind of long)

[bxrmom]

This was Zoe and I back in 2004 I believe. I adopted Zoe from a local shelter on May 28, 2003 after I was out on short term disability for a back injury. I was doing better and waiting to go back to work so I volunteered at a local shelter walking dogs and socializing with the cats (brushing, playing). When I finished on a Saturday afternoon, I went to the next city just to see what dogs they had available for adoption. That is where I saw and met 'Princess' (her name before I adopted her). After the shelter tried to give me a hard time because she was listed as an American Bulldog mix when in reality she was actually Boxer mix with 'possible' Am. Bulldog in her which I believe she did because she was built a little bigger than most female boxers.

Zoe was there through my journey in fostering for boxer rescue (she was a great sister), boyfriend breakups, college schooling, to finally get my computer tech job, to blurry vision that led to my MS dx in 2006, through relapses, and finally disability in 2008. She was always there for a hug when I needed it. She passed last year at the age of 13 yrs 4 months.

[jimeka]

bxrmom they become apart of us, and sometimes I think they know and understand us better than any human does. They give us un measurable pleasure and leave footprints on our hearts. Lovely photo, blessings Jimeka 🦋 🌈 🤗

[SueAB]

bxrmom, What a great picture! Thanks for posting! She was your adopted "Daughter" for all those years and she was fortunate to have you in her life. We had a 120 pound shepherd for 14 years and were devastated when we lost him. We have never replaced him even though we have seriously considered it several times.

[Kenu]

Love the photo. Sorry 😐 for the loss. We have rescued five standard poodles 🐩 and four Bichen Friez, along with two miniature poodles. They seem to know when rescued 👍🤗🐕🐶

[CalfeeChick CommunityAmbassador]

So glad that you had your precious furbaby for that length of time. It's a beautiful picture and I can see how much she loved you. Leaning in because you were her support for so long. It's hard to lose a furbaby, but it's something we have to consider when we adopt them into our lives. I have a huge 18lb. kitty that is my cuddlebug. We rescued him almost 6 years ago and don't know his real age. I notice he's getting more white hairs in his pure black fur and just cuddle a little more. Maybe another furbaby will find his/her way into your heart soon. They are such a comfort. Blessings, Lynn

[mrsmike]

The love of dog is priceless. Glad you had a lot of years together.

[mrsmike9]

What a sweet baby! How lucky you were to have her, and lucky for her to have you!

[bxrmom]

I was very lucky to have her as long as I do because most Boxers live to approx. 10 years. She was almost 14 when I had to take her for last vet visit. They made a paw print for me when I picked up her ashes (had all my dogs cremated). They sit on the bookshelf in my bedroom. In my house I had some special shelves that I kept them on but no room here for that.

Jessie

[Ikeeptrying]

So sorry for your loss. Christmas Eve 2014, this will be her third Christmas with us. We named her Chrissie for Christmas. My god we love her to death. She's probably 5, we're not sure how old she was when we adopted her. My husband and I have had so many dogs that went over the Rainbow Bridge. Nothing tougher.

[Sukie427]

My husband and I also rescue dogs and work at the local Humane Society socializing them. We have to 13 year-old pit bulls at the moment. We found Molly wandering the streets of Broward County in Florida because pit bulls are illegal in Miami and so people just dump them over the county line. She is a wonderful companion and is very sensitive to my moods and when I'm not feeling good. We adopted shadow when Molly was six. Shadow was rescued from former NFL star Michael Vick's infamous dog fighting ring. He was so shut down when he came home to us that he spent two years refusing to come out of his crate except to go outside and do his business. Now he is like a normal dog, still timid of strangers but loving and affectionate. I have also applied for a service dog, but everybody's telling me that it will take a minimum of 5 years. We'll see if I'm able to go that long without one. Dogs are so intuitive.

[bxrmom]

Sukie427 You right about that, dogs are very intuitive..some more than others. I know the wait and cost for a service dog can be a big hindrance for some people. With the prison dog program that I volunteer with, we have had about 5 dogs go through the program who have went on and be great service dogs for their adopters. They got all their basics done while in prison and then had to further their training after.

Jessie

[SometimesCrazy in reply to bxrmom]

Do tell. What is the prison dog program?

[bxrmom]

SometimesCrazy The prison dog program - Refurbished Pets of Southern Michigan rpsm.org is where we pull 14 dogs from high kill shelters, dogs that have been at a shelter for a long time, sanctuaries, other rescues, and owners surrenders to enter the RPSM Companion program where they learn the manners before finding their forever home. A lot of dogs are passed over because of behavior issues they exhibit in a shelter. These dogs are behavior tested before entering the program because the prison is very stressful and we only want to send dogs in that can handle the stress. After 10 weeks of training, they get to meet their new families that had been receiving their weekly progress reports on how they are doing. ***the only thing is we can't pull dogs out for meet and greets so the families have to go by the weekly reports they receive and can ultimately make their final decision on adoption day, which most do.

Jessie