Ziggy was my family's German Goberian (German Shepard, Golden Retriever, Husky mix) who suddenly began suffering from weight loss and fatigue. After one week of vet visits, testing, and sadness we learned that Ziggy has a cancerous tumor inside the chambers of his heart and throughout nearly his entire body. With no possibility of saving him he was helped over the Rainbow Bridge in January 2010 at eight years old.
Saffron was Mike's family's Golden Retriever who also began suffering from cancer in his liver. Within a month Saffron's condition was too much to bear and he was also helped over the Rainbow Bridge in October 2010. He was just shy of his 12th birthday.
Then in late October Mike's mom told us about an adoption day taking place at our local PetCo. We both were desperate for some puppy love so we decided to muster up some strength and stop by... Pedro came along for the ride in hopes of a new toy or some treats. Then we met Veatch... and after a little more than an hour of pleading and filling out papers, he came home.
Veatch was rescued by the caring volunteers at Last Chance Animal Rescue. He was taken from a high kill shelter down south at a mere six weeks old and brought up to the Big Apple in search of his forever home. At around four months our paths became forever intertwined. Veatch found his forever home, and the void left by Ziggy and Saffron slowly began to heal.
Then came Marley. While I was a busy new puppy parent my family was still searching to find our next big dog. We knew we wanted something big, and with a similar temperament to Ziggy, but a mix like his is hard to come by. After months and months of research our eyes were locked onto the Bernese Mountain Dog. My step-mom found a breeder, and then we found Marley. As soon as the first paw stepped over the threshold of our door it was clear to see he was the perfect fit.
Pedro wasn't quite up for the challenge. But the two are slowly building a bond that we all hope will reflect the deep connection Pedro and Ziggy had.
Then last but not least came Bailey. Veatch was healing Mike's pain, but not so much his dads. So we put an ad up on craigslist hoping someone who needed a good home for a Golden Retriever would take us into consideration. Well the very next night Grandpa got a call from a loving family who was looking for a home for their one year old Golden Retriever, Bailey. We went to visit the family and see if Bailey was what we needed. Bailey's family loved him very dearly but simply did not have the time he needed (something we have all felt before). Grandpa took one look and began to glow. We said our thank yous, goodbyes, and promises, and then with tears in our eyes Bailey came to our home.
Veatch and Bailey got along the first moment they met and are developing a bond that will never be broken. Its almost sickening how much these two love each other and fit in perfectly with our crazy family. Wherever Veatch goes Bailey goes and wherever Bailey goes Veatch goes. Once the long hours of playing bitey face are over the pair cuddle up for a nap and then it's play time again!
So now here we are. Collectively we had lost two very dear dogs and in our search gained three very different puppies. Each have their own personalities and are helping us heal little by little. We set out for some puppy love after our losses and wound up rescuing three loving dogs. But really... Who rescued who?
