Bertie the Diplomatic Dog

A few weeks ago Wendy contacted me and asked me to share Bertie. Isn't he stunning?

Bertie had just crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and Wendy wanted to share all his wonderful attributes.

She and her family adopted this Jack Russell mix from an RSPCA in the United Kingdom, and all of Bertie's pictures featured here were taken in Scotland.

Bertie had quite the life!  He loved playing on the beach, even though he was afraid of the ocean.

He loved adventures and went with Wendy and her family on long mountain hikes and trails.

  

He even enjoyed the snow, and it's a good thing he did because look at all this snow!

  

Bertie was both "mischievous" and "very affectionate," to quote Wendy.  What a wonderful combination in a pet.  

Wendy chronicled some of Bertie's life in a blog called Diplomatic Dog.  You definitely need to check it out. Her photography is phenomenal and her subject is a doggie supermodel if ever there was one.  All of the pictures above link back to her blog; all you have to do is click on any image.

Bertie enjoyed life to the fullest, and he passed away quietly and without pain when his heart just stopped beating. Wendy's heart is too big to ignore other dogs in need of homes, and so although she knows there is no replacement for Bertie, she has found another dog in need. You can read about it on her blog.  

Wendy thank you so much for sharing your story with us and for sharing Bertie with the world. We hope you will keep us up to date as your household grows via another furbaby, and our thoughts and prayers are with you as you mourn Bertie's loss.  Still, just look at the beautiful life you gave him!

  

As always, we encourage all readers to share their rescue stories with us. Contact me at pabibliophile@gmail.com

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Holly's Happy House

How much cuteness do you think you can stand?  How about happiness?  Because you've already met Davey and Mini, but they have a sister I haven't shared yet. . . Gracie.  She's the schnoodle on the left up there.

When Davey and Mini first came to live with Holly, Holly's family had a beautiful and beloved cocker spaniel named Maui.

Maui, Davey, and Mini got along great and were adored by the whole family. Here they are pictured with Macy.

Unfortunately, poor Maui went to the Rainbow Bridge at the young age of 7, due to cancer. After they said goodbye to Maui they decided to hold off on getting another dog because Holly's husband had learned of a possible job relocation in Canada, and they didn't want to complicate things even further with another dog. Besides, they also had two cats, and Davey and Mini seemed to be getting along just swell.

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you know I believe some animals are destined to be part of our lives. God sends them along at just the right time and the next thing you know. . . they're family.  That's what happened with Gracie. 

Gracie found herself homeless after ten years of living with the same family. Her owner married someone who was allergic, and Gracie got passed around through the family until she wound up being surrendered to Holly's friend, who fostered dogs. Holly was watching Gracie for a bit when her friend went out of town and she noticed how well Gracie was getting along with the other pets.

She said Gracie had an "old soul" that reminded her very much of Maui. She had similar mannerisms and habits, such as howling if Holly left the house for a walk and didn't take her along.

Both pups have Canadian snow faces here!

 Although Holly continued to look for other homes for Gracie, nothing really panned out. When her friend came back to town she found herself putting off returning Gracie. One day her husband said "She's not going back is she?" and Gracie became a part of the family.

 Let's remember the family includes cats too!

Now, think back to the reason I mentioned earlier for Holly delaying getting a third dog when Maui passed away.  Remember the potential move to Canada?  Well that became a reality, and Holly had to tell their Canadian realtor that she needed a rental unit that would accept three dogs and two cats!  I bet that realtor loved Holly and her family. Anyway, in June of 2012 they packed up all five pets and moved to Canada.  Oh yeah, they decided to take along their daughter Macy too. haha

Now they're adjusting to those cold long Canadian winters.

Holly said the whole pack couldn't wait to sunbathe as the winter receded and the sun appeared!

Someday I hope to be able to do everything for rescue animals that Holly has done. Her family (human and furry) is beautiful and they all enrich each others' lives.    Holly writes a blog about her transition from Kansas to Canada, among other things. I encourage you to check it out. This post addresses the importance of rescuing instead of buying.

Many thanks to Holly for sharing her stories and pets with us. We hope to continue to get updates and we wish Holly and her family all the best!

Please consider sharing your rescue story, and don't forget all pets are eligible for the Great Outdoors Photo Share.

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Davey

Over the past few weeks I have expanded the Rescue Dog Blog to a number of different social networking sites.  It's been working out better than I could have imagined, putting Wiley and I in touch with animal lovers all over the world. I met today's feature through Instagram. Davey is currently living in Canada after a recent relocation. His mom, Holly, has such a big heart that I won't be able to tell all of her story in one post!  So, we'll start with this adorable guy and spread the joy over a few posts.

When Holly started volunteering at Lifeline Animal Placement and Protection in Wichita, KS, in March of 2010 she was not looking to adopt another pet. She had a Cocker Spaniel, three cats, and a guinea pig at home. However,  as she fell in love with her work and started going more frequently, she told her husband she was looking to adopt an bigger, older dog who would otherwise be overlooked. Davey must have known he would do great in the Canadian winters Holly didn't even know were in her future, so he had other plans.

He was so hyper in his cage in the shelter that he would bump his head on the top of it when he jumped.  Yep, sounds like a terrier. He loved Holly because she would let him out to play fetch, and he had lots of energy to burn.

Holly tried to ignore her growing connection with Davey, especially because she was still looking for a bigger dog. Readers, you know my feelings on this. Our dog destinies find us even when we try to hide from them.  As Holly said ,"This little guy was relentless in his love for me and he was starting to grow on me."

Eventually Holly decided it was time to bring this one-year old terrier mix into her home. She said it went even worse than she could have predicted!  He appeared to be entirely unexposed to living in a house, and you can imagine the results, including the vigorous enthusiasm for fetch and the marking of a lot of territory.

 Luckily Davey had a patient mom and dad who understood that there would be chaos before Davey learned how to be civilized.  Now just look at him:

Davey is now a gentleman, and Holly's husband even said "I could have a houseful of Davey's."  Who can blame him when he's looking at this every day?

Holly and her husband certainly do have a houseful, but that story can't be told all in one day.  I will fill you in on Davey's siblings, canine and feline and human, next week, but here's an adorable sneak peak.

 In the meantime, Davey's mom Holly writes a blog about her relocation to Canada. She has shared this specific post with us about adopting instead of buying.  It's a great read. Check it out and pass it on.

Two more days to get your sleeping pets pictures in for the photo share! Don't forget to share your  rescue stories and follow us on Twitter (@RescueDogBlog) if applicable.