Feel-Good Friday: Shana and Shiloh

Shiloh, a Wolf/Malamute hybrid, and her sister Jackie, an Alaskan Malamute

 Well, it's Feel-Good Friday again. The past two weeks I've run an incredible or inspiring story on Friday, and I thought maybe it was time to establish a Feel-Good Friday story officially as policy. Believe me, this is a feel-good story.

This story is about Shana. Shana was rescued from a puppy mill by the Fertigs when she was just two weeks old.  They were an elderly couple who had a wildlife sanctuary at their home in Alden, New York.

A few years later, in early October, Norman and Eve Fertig were caring for their animals in one of the sanctuary's buildings when the power went out. They went outside to find a surprise snowstorm so strong it was knocking down trees, one of which prevented them from moving. The snow had drifted into piles they couldn't get through.  At their advanced age, climbing over the tree wasn't an option. They thought for certain this was the end. They hugged each other for warmth and could not see how they would get out of the situation.

They hadn't considered what Shana, a German Shepherd Dog and wolf mix, could do. She was with the Fertigs when the power went out. When she realized the situation, she began digging a tunnel. Yes, that's right. Shana dug a tunnel to the house!  It took her a few hours, and when she finished she came back for the Fertigs. Eve draped herself over Shana's shoulders, too tired and frail to crawl through, and her husband held her legs while Shana pulled them both through the 20 feet long tunnel to their house. Once inside she curled up on them to keep them warm, and when the local fire company came to check on them in the morning to see how they'd weathered the storm that's how they found them.

What an amazing and touching story!! My great-grandmother's maiden name was Fertig. I'd like to think of this couple as some distant relatives, sharing the same compassion for animals as the rest of my family.  I also hope that if, God willing, my hubbie and I make it to such an advanced age, we have someone looking out for us the way Shana was looking out for the Fertigs that night.

My brother had a wolf hybrid years ago who went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2002 (I think).  She is on the left in the picture at the top of this page. Not only was she beautiful, but she was the smartest animal I've ever known, and I've had and have Australian Shepherds, who could give any breed a run for their money with intelligence.

Shiloh was very people-oriented. She followed her people everywhere. In fact she didn't even like when some of us were upstairs and some were downstairs, and our house was pretty small. She would get me out of bed by licking me until I gave in, or putting her paw gently right on my face.

Anyway, Shiloh was terrified of loud noises. Once, during a heavy snowstorm, I walked her to my grandmother's to check in on her. She lived about six blocks away, all uphill. Shiloh walked well on a leash and harness, and everything was going fine until a snow plow went by.  She pulled me all the way up two blocks of hills to get away from the plow. And when I say pulled me, I mean I lost my footing, fell on my butt, and she literally pulled me Marmaduke-style. 

I have no difficulty believing this story about Shana. I believe Shiloh could have and would have done the same.  Most of our pets would make efforts to save us, for sure, but the intelligence and perseverance in this story really resonates. This quote, attributed to Josh Billings, is exemplified in the story of Shana and the Fertigs.

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”

― Josh Billings

We've gotten some good pictures of pets misbehaving, but it's not too late to submit yours!  Are you telling me your pet never misbehaves? 

Sources:
"Incredible Rescue of Elderly Couple by Heroic Wolf Dog." Dog Heirs.  26 Jan. 2012. web. 24 Jan. 2013

"Half Breed Wolf Dog Hero Rescues Elderly Owners from Snowstorm." Fox News.  6 Dec. 2006. web. 24 Jan. 2013

Tail to the Chief!

In honor of the Inauguration, Wiley and I decided to take a look at the Presidential pets. Now, rest assured, I am not going to get political here.  You are not reading this blog for my political viewpoints, so let's get to it. Wiley is feeling patriotic. In fact, he insisted on wearing his dad's USA National Olympic team hat.

Anyway, let's begin with the classically named Fido.  He was Abraham Lincoln's mutt.  Lincoln was an animal lover. Anecdotal sources say he liked cats best, but his children had all kinds of animals in the White House, including two goats that answered to their names and slept in bed with his son Tad.

Actually we can go all the way back to George Washington if we want to find an animal lover.  He loved his horse, Nelson.  He also bred his own dogs, creating the breed the American Foxhound, and had a number of other pets including a lemur!  They didn't live in the White House as it was under construction at the time.

There were plenty of other pet lovers in the Oval Office. Benjamin Harrison had quite a few different pets, including a dog named Dash and a goat named Old Whiskers.

Teddy Roosevelt was famously conservation-minded, and his animal menagerie underscored his love for nature.  Among his pets were a bear, a pig, a hyena, guinea pigs, rabbits, a barn owl, a pony, and many dogs.

His distant cousin, Franklin, was also very well known for his devotion to his dog.  Fala is, in fact, forever memorialized with him.

This is the Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Kennedys were dog lovers who actually had a side yard built near the West Wing for their dogs to play.  Ted Kennedy, though not an occupant of the White House, was a dog-lover as well, and his Portuguese Water Dogs made frequent trips to Capitol Hill. In fact, Senator Kennedy gave the Obamas their dog Bo.

Senator Kennedy and his dogs, Sunny and Splash, in 2009

First Dog, Bo Obama

Barack and Michelle promised their daughters they could get a dog after the campaign was over. Imagine that: a politician keeping a promise!

Grace, Rob Roy, and Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge, famous for being silent and curmudgeonly (whether deserved or not) had quite an unusual assortment of animals at the White House. Not only did the Coolidges have two dogs, but their pets also included a bobcat, a raccoon,  and a donkey!

In more recent presidential history, Richard Nixon gave a famous speech in which he referred to his dog Checkers in 1952 when he was a candidate for Vice-President. Checkers never made it to the White House, but Nixon did have several dogs who lived with him during his presidency. 

Checkers Nixon lounges with her family long before Nixon's presidency

Lyndon Johnson loved animals, and kept several pets, including this rescued stray, Yuki.

Here he is, "singing" with Yuki in the Oval Office

He also had these beagles, Him and Her. He took a lot of flack for grabbing Her's ears this way.

Gerald Ford had Liberty, a great name for a Presidential dog!

Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy had many pets as well. They had Lucky, who was a gift from the March of Dimes. She eventually had to be transferred to their ranch as she got a bit too large and was a bit too naughty for the White House.

They also had Rex, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Golden Retriever named Victory, and various other pets during his two terms.

During my lifetime, the most famous presidential dog had to be Millie.

She was an English Springer Spaniel who lived in the White House with George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara. She had a litter of puppies, too, one of which became another First Dog when George W. took office.

Millie really vaulted to stardom when she released her book, which actually outsold her master's biography.

Bill and Hillary Clinton famously had Socks, a cat, and during his second term they got Buddy.

 After that there was a Bush back in office, George W., with his wife Laura. With them was Spot, the offspring of Millie, and also Barney, a Scottish Terrier who acquired quite a following of his own.

See Spot sit.

Barney even had a "Barney Cam" in the White House, which staff members used to make movies about him.

I've mentioned some of the more famous presidential pets, but I would be remiss if I didn't bring up Laddie Boy. 

He was an Airedale Terrier belonging to Warren G. Harding who achieved real celebrity status during his presidency.  Harding had a hard-carved chair for Laddie Boy to sit in during cabinet meetings!

  The White House held birthday parties for him, and newspapers published "interviews" with him. He was the first First Dog to get regular press attention.  Here he is hosting the Easter Egg hunt on the White House lawn!

It's so easy to forget that the presidents are human, and like so many other humans, they enjoy and probably even need a wagging tail to come home to. They never have to wonder if they can trust their dogs, or if their dogs are only being nice to them because they are famous.  I would think their pets would also keep them well-grounded. As Woodrow Wilson said, "If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.” 

Mine's pretty good!  How about yours?

I haven't covered nearly all the pets who resided in the White House. Many of the men pictured above had other pets I didn't mention, and of course there were many people I didn't even get to. In fact, there is actually a Presidential Pet Museum!

Here are some other links to slideshows of presidents and their dogs:

"Presidents and Their Dogs." Time.  n.d. web. 22 Jan. 2013

"Presidential Pets."Los Angeles Times. n.d. web. 22 Jan. 2013

Thanks for joining us today.  Wiley says "God Bless America."  Now, don't forget we need your rescue stories!  We are also looking for pictures of any of your pets misbehaving.  If you like the blog, please share with me so I can share with everyone.

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Sunday's Gratitude: Life Lessons

“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.”

- John Muir

 

 

When we brought Wiley home from the shelter, we had no idea what we were getting into. We didn't know his likes or dislikes, his abilities, or really even his temperament. All we really knew was that he was super neurotic at the shelter, and we wanted him to be as happy and comfortable as possible.  We bought all kinds of toys, but once he saw the ball he lost all interest in the others.  

 Much later, when we had him at a pet supply store, we saw his interest in squeaky toys when he heard customers testing them. Naturally we bought him a few, and Pinky became his favorite.

 The key about understanding Wiley, something I'm not sure I'll ever fully do but I will always try, is to recognize that if he loves something, he must share it.  He is not content to slink off into a corner and enjoy his toys. He wants us to see the toys. He wants us to like the toys as much as he does.  I can't tell you the amount of time he spends just staring at us with his beloved toys in his mouth. Yeah, maybe he wants us to throw the ball. Most of the time I feel like he just wants to say "Have you seen this!?! It squeaks and it's rubbery and I love it and I love you so I want you to see this!"

Wiley, like so many of our pets, is a daily reminder about generosity and the joy that comes from it, both in the grand scheme of things and the small stuff.   I think most rescue pets enhance our lives that way. 

To conclude our post about life lessons, I'll leave you with this video about what would happen if our human friends actually behaved like our canine and feline friends. I think it's pretty funny; I hope you do too. Just a heads-up: there is a middle finger given (can you guess if it's the "dog" or the "cat" doing it? haha).  Other than that the video is pretty harmless. Click on the picture to go to the video.

Don't forget we need both your rescue stories to feature on the blog and your pictures of your pets misbehaving for our Animals Behaving Badly feature. Have a great week and check in often because we have some fun stories coming up. We even have a little something for you cat lovers out there!

Silly Lilly, the pit bull pup

Brace yourselves: Lilly is going to steal your hearts and you can't have her.  She lives with Mark and Janelle now.  Here she is on the day they brought her home, at 8 weeks old.

 

 

 

See? You want her now, don't you? Too bad, she found her furever home. She had a few other stops along the way though. 

 

 Lilly's story begins like many puppies; she was a surprise gift for someone who wasn't up to the challenge of caring for a puppy, an 80 year old woman who wasn't even looking for a dog. So, lesson one, dogs shouldn't be surprise gifts to other households. Becoming a dog owner is a pretty personal decision, and when we try to surprise people, even though we mean well, a lot of dogs find themselves in Lilly's position: on the way to a shelter because she wasn't the right match.

However, Lilly had a few things working in her favor, not the least of which was Christmas spirit.  You see, Mark and Janelle went to her grandmother's on Christmas Day for lunch, fell in love with this puppy, and then found out she was headed to a shelter. 

 

I'll have to let Mark explain how that worked out: "We weren't planning on a dog. At all. Like it wasn't even a topic of conversation that we would consider one at any point in the near future. We have a 3 and a half year old cat, but that's it. But right as her aunt said they were going to take her to a shelter, we looked at the dog, and she looked right at us, and that was basically it. We went to her grandmother's expecting lunch and left with a 8-week old pit bull."

 Well, look at her. She certainly has the puppy dog eyes working in her favor. Mark and Janelle said she is everything they could have hoped for in a puppy. She is 99% house-trained, sleeps through the night, is good with their cat Lexi, and loves everyone she meets. 

Here she is interacting with some house guests she had just met. Isn't she vicious?

Mark and Janelle are looking forward to a lot of memories with "Silly Lilly" and "Sexy Lexi." They feel they are up for the challenge of the energetic outbursts followed by lots of lazy time recharging the batteries. What a happy and blessed Christmas for Lilly, Mark, and Janelle!

See that look? It says "Yeah, I have it good. So what? I deserve it."

Mark and Janelle's story, and thus Lilly's, exemplify this Thom Jones quote quite well.  "Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them,  filling an emptiness we don't even know we have." How did your dog find you?  Please share your story.