Four rescue dogs fill a home
“Is that Jordy?” the little girl asked 9 years ago as my daughter and I walked out of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society. We had just adopted Jordy. Jordy, my 10-year-old terrier mix loves to hear that story. He sits there every time, thumping his tail like a “happy beating drum.” I remind him if I had even been there an hour later, he might be living on the east side of town, at the little girl’s tea party with his nails polished and slurping hot tea.
After being a dogless home for almost a year, I decided that it was time again to welcome a furry companion. Jordy is a passive terrier. He sits politely waiting his turn for another McDonald’s fry, and when he sees me eating Frosted Flakes, he knows that when I am done, he will get a lap (just one) of sweetened milk. Jordy has welcomed into our home three other rescues (2 brothers and a sister).
Spotty, my smaller, 7-year-old terrier mix, came next. My friend and animal rescue advocate, Kimberly Roman, called and asked if I would be interested in adopting Spotty. His elderly owner had died and he had no home. I agreed to meet the owner’s son at the outlet mall to pick him up. He arrived, barking at me through the window when the truck he was in pulled up. Once home, he waited outside the entire afternoon at the fence hoping his momma would pick him up. He stopped waiting at the fence and now waits for me at the front door. Spotty is still as feisty as he was that first day in the truck. He is my Scrappy. When he barks, I hear him say, “Lemme at ’em.”
Then there are my two grand fur babies, Taz and Myla. I rescued them temporarily when my oldest son moved from Phoenix to Chicago. “You can’t take them from hot to cold, they will freeze,” I cried. So one weekend, my son’s father met me halfway and we did the exchange. “I can handle a home with four dogs,” I reminded myself. “It’s only temporary.”
That was three years ago. Taz is my old man and my youngest son’s best friend. He is a 14-year-old dachshund who walks around talking. He grunts as if to complain about the weather, what is on the menu for dinner or the kind of music playing. Yes, he is the spoiled one of the four. My son’s room is Taz’s man cave. He is stocked with a couple of good bones and a fluffy fleece blanket. We have mastered lifting his long, old body up onto the bed where he lies and watches my son play his games. He doesn’t allow the other dogs in the room, and they have learned to respect his privacy.
Myla, my only girl, is a 12-yearold cattle dog who helps me keep the boys in line. Once I learned the temperament of a cattle dog, I understood why she always feels she must round up the boys when they get a little rowdy. Rather than scold her, we cuddle on the couch; two gals who need to have one another’s back in a house full of testosterone.
As anyone who has rescued an animal knows, when you adopt a rescue animal, in my case four, you sacrifice things that you once took for granted. I now have four bodyguards that accompany me to the bathroom, and a bed I once had all to myself, I now find that there is hardly room for me.
There is a story behind every animal that is rescued. In 2021, the Rescue Report told the stories of 55 animals. In 2022, the stories will continue. When deciding to add a pet to your family, please consider adopting from a rescue group or shelter.
Tracks
This week, five animals that have been available for adoption for more than a year are featured.
Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society: “I really like Princess, but I also recognize she is not the dog for everyone,” said Dylan Moore, director of shelter operations at the Santa Fe animal shelter. “Princess’s stay with us started rough when she jumped out of a moving truck on the way to the shelter. That was a year ago this week, and then hurt her leg fairly significantly, although it has long since healed. After she recovered medically, she came to adoptions, and for lack of a more technical term, she was quite wound up. Eleven months ago, Princess was hard to leash because she was so jumpy, got excited when she knew it was time for a walk, and would even tug on your clothes. But it’s hard to blame her. Getting out of a kennel is the best part of most of our dogs’ days,” Moore said.
Moore said Princess is a very smart dog.
“She responded remarkably well to routine and structure and has gone from being one of the more challenging dogs to walk to one of the easiest, as long as you know and follow the routine.”
Princess’s biggest obstacle is her lack of dog social skills.
“She isn’t into other dogs here at the shelter, and the longer she is at the shelter, the less into them she is,” Moore said. “She loves her walks, almost like she is on a mission.
“Once you are back in her kennel, and all alone with her, she wants that human interaction with you. She really is a sweetheart,” Moore said.
The shelter’s adoption hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with the last adoption at 5:30 p.m. On New Year’s Eve, adoptions and admissions will close at 1 p.m. and the shelter will be closed New Year’s Day.
Call 505-983-4309, ext. 1610, or visit SFHumaneSociety.org.
Española Humane: Sid is staff favorite. This 1–year-old pintsized dog is 37 pounds of love. He is dog and people friendly and loves cats. Despite being cooped up in the shelter since August, this bull terrier has a positive outlook on life. Sid’s adoption fee is waived and he is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and he goes home with six months of heartworm prevention and six weeks of free training with GoodPup. Visit espanolahumane.org or call 505-753-8662.
Felines & Friends: Teshi was trapped more than a year ago in a Santa Fe backyard where kittens were fending for themselves. He is a handsome and affectionate brown tabby with a white bib, white paws and a cute brown button nose. Teshi used to be very shy, getting overlooked as more outgoing and younger kittens stole the spotlight.
After time and tender, loving care in foster care, Teshi is no longer a wallflower. He became more confident and comfortable around people. Teshi loves attention and will gently grab a hand if he feels like he’s not getting enough. He is crazy for wand toys, and his favorite pastime is wrestling with other cats. Teschi is at the Petco adoption center.
Dew Paws Rescue: Sam, an almost 3-year-old, mixedbreed dog was rescued two years ago from an almost 70-dog hoarding situation in San Miguel County. For over 10 years, most of the dogs were born on the property and others wandered onto the property.
According to neighbors, as a puppy, Sam was so cute, his owner let him run loose. As he got bigger, he was confined to one of the many kennels. Smart and determined, Sam would get out and wander. When rescue groups began to remove dogs from the site, Dew Paws Rescue knew Sam was going to be a challenge. He head-weaved and moved about, unable to hold still. He had never been on a leash and didn’t have enough exposure to people.
Sam has been with Dew Paws Rescue for two years. Sam was recently assessed by a certified trainer and received a better report than when he was rescued.
Sam is sweet, attentive, gentle, good on a leash, knows basic commands and takes treats with a soft mouth. He ignores most dogs but has had a few mild incidents. He is a bit scared and nervous in the kennel environment, and has responded in fear. Sam would be a best fit with a person who is willing to work with a trainer to get him to the next step. A more relaxed environment would make Sam a fantastic dog.
Sam needs to be in a home with support and love. Free basic training classes are included with the adoption or foster of Sam. Call 505-412-9096 or go to infodewpaws@gmail.com.
The Horse Shelter: Una is a big black beautiful mare who has been at The Horse Shelter since 2006. Una came to us with some challenges.
She is difficult to catch, is extremely herd bound and is hard to lead as she tends to pay very little attention to her handler and gets very pushy. She is also quite advanced in age and is not a riding horse. All of these things have made finding the right home for Una challenging.
When she is comfortable, Una can become easier to catch and does enjoy being groomed. When she is in the company of her herd, she is good about picking up her feet for the farrier and will stand quietly for the vet. She becomes a loyal friend to any equine quickly. Una is a pretty girl who is an easy keeper, despite her age. For more information to adopt Una, visitthehorseshelter. org or 505-577-2193.