First, I want to say how very excited I am to have my wonderful sweet little sister Ella. She use to be called Garbo, but since she moved to Ellijay, GA dad thought Ella was the perfect name for this sweet little Golden Girl. Here is the Announcement that went out to all the volunteers with AGA:Garbo Adopted and is now an Elijay resident!
I am pleased to announce that Garbo was adopted yesterday by Marcia & Mike Hayden. Many of you saw Marcia and Mike at AD with their Golden daughter, Annie. You couldn't miss her decked out in pearls. The Haydens came in to the program hoping for an English Cream, but live in the mountains of Elijay and have a yard not suitable for a fence. They do have a very deep porch that wraps around the whole house and Mike quickly installed gates on both stairways so that AGA would consider them for a puppy. They came to Adoption Day looking for the right fit.
Garbo was not having her best day. She tried to completely hide her head under the shelving so that no one would see her. But the Haydens did. It didn't matter that she is red instead of cream. They were in love. If you will remember, Garbo was dropped off at a shelter with her brother after "being found in a back yard." Her brother was adopted before AGA arrived, but lucky Garbo was rescued by AGA. Although 6 months old at the time, she was not housebroken and was very shy and scared. We first thought she was blind in one eye, but later found that not to be the case at all. Her foster, Terri Dalton, took Garbo to the vet time after time so that her eye problem could be diagnosed and rediagnosed and finally treated properly. Terri has also worked lovingly and patiently on her potty training, and insisted on a stay at home mom or dad so that her efforts would be continued. The Haydens were smitten with little Garbo and totally undaunted by her shyness or her the appearance of her healing eye, or the fact that she's not totally housebroken. They were anxious for a second meeting, and Terri took Garbo to Elijay yesterday to see if the new home and family would be a good fit. Terri said it was bittersweet. Garbo has hit the doggie jackpot: a doting dad who is an education minister, and a devoted mom who is a teacher and off for the summer. Mom is staying home all summer so that Garbo can get her training and be all settled in before mom has to return to work. In addition to her diva sister, Annie, Garbo will have a feline brother, Bob the Cat. Since the Haydens are empty nesters, the girls will be spoiled rotten onlies most of the time, but will have adult human siblings visiting time to time with their own dogs. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the rescue and placement of this special little girl -- especially Terri Dalton, her foster, who spent lots of time and energy getting little Garbo ready to adopt, running back and forth to the vet, screening applicants, cleaning up puppy messes, and the list goes on...
Helen Davis
Dog Placement Team
Adopt a Golden Atlanta
OMD, I've never seen so many of my own kind in one place! Mom,dad and I took the long drive from the mountains to the "Big City" Hot Atlanta to the Adopt a Golden Atlanta Adoption Day today. They took me because Mom says I am a main priority in this process. and they wanted me to meet any of the dogs they were considering adopting.
Mom and dad have always bought their Goldens from a breeder, but through our friends here on dogster, they've discovered what a wonderful thing adoption is. We are all new to this process, but we are becoming more impressed by the moment. Let me share a little bit about it with you.
First, mom and dad had to fill out the application, then there were a lot of phone calls and conversations about the kind of home we have and the kind of care I get. Then there was the HOME VISIT! Yes, they came to our house and mom had to give them a tour of the house and our yard and answer questions about how I travel and promise that they would never let me or any other Golden ride in the back of a pick up truck. We don't have a pick up truck and mom said if we did she wouldn't let a child ride in the back of one, so why would she let a Golden Retriever? LoL mom forgets some people don't realize that dogs are kids too!
The Adopt a Golden Atlanta organization wants to make sure that any dog they adopt out gets a good safe home with just the right family for the needs of each dog. Today was sort of a Match Day. We met the dogs and their fosters and they got to talk to us. We learned more about each dog and their particular needs and they learned about our family and our needs. They are trying to get a perfect match. Mom and dad selected three dogs that they were interested in and ranked them. The next step is where the fosters will rank those people that were interested in the dog they have and if there is a match, then we will get a phone call and they will try to set up another meeting. If every thing goes well then, the adoption will be finalized. Then there is a lot of paper work and the changing of the microchip into our name. Goodness, so much to worry about. It was so much fun meeting the dogs and the foster owners. Adopt a Golden Atlanta has an AMAZING thing going on and mom said she thinks she'd like to volunteer with them. As for me, I think I will just take a nap and It dream about the day I may get a new brother or sister to play with. That will be a sweet dream!
Simple pleasures in life come in many forms. Yesterday, I discovered snow flakes.
While walking down our hill, I noticed them falling from the sky. Lots of them. I stood in the silence of the moment and gazed into the air. My eyes followed them as they fell softly on my nose and fur and then, I could contain myself no more; I started biting at them, like I do the marshmellows that mom tosses to me, and I caught those snowflakes. Cool simple pleasures. They kept falling and I kept catching. Mom laughed and of course I did it more. Mom says she sometimes takes the simple things in life for granted.
The sound of the water falling gently over the rocks in the creek below our house, the smell of freshly cut grass, the daffodills as they push through the ground and open their pretty faces each February, and softly falling snow flakes. Mom says I notice these things and help her to appreciate the smiple beauty of our world. I guess that's why she loves to go on walks with me :)
Dogster Obsessions: The Starter Kit for Dogs by Wildebeest
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