You are blessing our hearts❣️

You are touching our grieving hearts with your compassion. 

Dogs have been and continue to be such a meaningful
addition to so many of our lives.
They care about their people just like we care about them.
Mutual affection.
God is the One Who so thoughtfully created domesticated dogs.
Those of us who have rubbed shoulders with our canine buddies
know that our lives are all the richer because of
their trust, friendship, and loyalty.

We extend our deepest appreciation to
the staff of Los Osos Pet Hospital
for making room for our Annie in their
very busy schedule yesterday (February 1).
Dr. Richard O. Knighton, Tony, and Windy
were beyond caring and compassionate.

It is a blessing to have them serving our community—
especially during such deeply troubling circumstances.

Who should you trust?

What does trust look like? Consider again my first bloodhound, Agatha. The girl with such potential began her life in Las Vegas. She and her mother were picked up together as strays and impounded. When they were scheduled to be euthanized, someone from Nevada SPCA rescued both girls and brought them to their no-kill shelter. Soon after, Agatha’s mother was adopted; but Agatha remained at the SPCA for seven long months.

Agatha was transferred to Bloodhounds West in Laguna Beach, California—that’s where we found her in 2001. We weren’t aware of her deep-rooted insecurities and the challenges we’d face. Agatha didn’t know me and vice versa. She had been through tough situations that resulted in her “shutting down” emotionally. It soon became clear that many new experiences and unfamiliar sounds terrified her. So we began learning that while having me by her side, she could begin to realize the frightening things weren’t too scary and she could get a bit more brave each day. It was a golden opportunity to prove myself trustworthy so Agatha could learn to trust me. A process that cannot be rushed. It takes dedication and time.

One by one, we tackled her fear of—

Big boxes
Boats
Bottom drawers, including file cabinet drawers

Buses
Dogs
Large culverts
Noisy, stinky trash trucks
Open stairwells
Trains

Continue reading “Who should you trust?”