A little introduction

[Sophia Kelly]

Hi guys, I hope this is the right section to be posting in. I just joined yesterday, and I'd like to share my little doodle's awesome journey. 

We adopted Lucy (who's foster named her Misty, but we decided to change. Already responding to her new name) about two and a half weeks ago. I've always been incredibly dedicated to rescuing animals. I was the type of kid who was always bringing home stray cats, and even once a bird with a broken beak and wing. Almost 3 years ago we adopted a two year old tortie cat from the spca. It was kind of a gamble, I was six months pregnant at the time, but thankfully it turned out amazingly. About three months ago we started talking about adopting a dog. We wanted to take in a dog that probably wouldn't have a great chance of being adopted at the humane society, a large or older dog. In my googling around I found an amazing rescue. They were a no-kill that pulled dogs out of high kill shelters and placed them in foster homes while working to find forever homes. Best of all, they ONLY worked with large or older dogs. After about a month of emailing back and forth with the adoption co-ordinator without being able to find the right match, the co-ordinator casually asked who would be taking care of the dog during the day. As soon as I told her I'm still at home with my daughter she excitedly told me that they had just pulled two doodle puppies out of the emergency shelter after having been seized from the paws r us puppy mill bust. Since doodles are a "designer breed" they hadn't listed them on the website for fear that they might get swarmed with people searching for a cute puppy, but not interested in taking on the responsibility of a rescue dog. They had been waiting to find someone with the time to invest in a puppy, and a stay-at home with a toddler seemed like a great fit to her. A few weeks later we brought Lucy home. 

Lucy is one amazing little dog. She is a golden, with an exceptionally beautiful coat. She has a tight poodle curl, but very very soft and she appears to be non shedding (of course it's a puppy coat, so we'll see). When we first brought her in the door we were a bit concerned with how she'd react to the cat and baby, but sure enough she and the cat touched noses and calmly interacted, and she slept at the baby's feet that night. It hasn't been without challenges, she went from the horrible conditions of the puppy mill straight to a foster home out in the country. We live in an apartment in a very urban environment. It took about a week to get her to walk into the elevator, I would carry the poor shaking puppy down for every walk. She's still timid outside. She isn't quite sure how to react to the cars and people everywhere, but the circle of her outdoor comfort zone is getting bigger everyday. Unfortunately it turned out she loves our cat a little bit too much. She had never met a cat before ours, and seems to think she's another puppy. She spends all day chasing her around and whimpering when the cat decides not to play with her. She's also a little too timid to tell us when she needs to go out. We've been on a very consistent walking schedule, but since she's uncomfortable in the neighbourhood she doesn't always 'go' at the right time or in the right place. Pretty small sacrifices for an awesome pup though :)

There's Lucy's story so far. Looking forward to getting to know all of you.

[K and Racey]

Yay congratulations and welcome!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sophia, I love this post. It is so nice to see someone who takes on the responsibility of a rescue pup and has reasonable expectations for the transition. Thank you so much for giving Lucy a great home and good luck!!

[Leslie and Halas]

Welcome and congratulations!