The Saturday of the epic icemagedon, I was already two days without power, housebound with kids, dogs, mo heat and suffering from cabin fever…. I needed to get out…

Prior to the storm I had an adoption meeting set up for Athena about 2 hours south… Normally we require adopters to travel to DFW but I wanted to go there and see how she would interact in a new home. She was still a baby at 7 months and special in her unique way.

Athena and Aphrodite came to us with their momma and her baby daddy. They were left in the yard of a shelter in rural Louisiana. The girls were still days old and mom and dad were in ruff shape. Our amazing intake team was able to find awesome foster homes and long distance transports. As soon as the girls weened from momma they came here…. They are stone cold deaf.. like door knob deaf…. and at first we thought bat with a blindfold blind…

Most of you know Mocha and my family foster the babies… (I probably have the only kids on the planet who cringe at the word “puppy”) But these would be our first blind/deaf babies. Challenge accepted! But what a hill to climb when you have to start with how to find the water bowl!

The “twins” caught on fast to most things and others are a bigger challenge…. but slow and steady goes the training! We have touch/scent signals to potty outside, the dog door, “nite nite”, dinner, sit and “no”. We are working on leash manners, new environments, polite hellos… As we trained we learned that both girls see a tiny bit…. just enough to avoid large solid objects, track movement, and light.. but not a ton, just enough.

So you can see the “twins” will need very special, experienced FURever homes.

We got an email from a White Dane Rescue on the west coast who had a past adopter in Texas looking for another b/d (blind/deaf) dane… This family has had FIVE b/d danes over the years ! They currently have the sweetest senior/male b/d dane, a “normal” dane and wanted a third…. So they applied and went through the approval process.

By approval time I knew that it was a great home but I was nervous about how Athena would do… we have struggled with our ventures out and new places can be frightening for her.

Soooo I packed up the suburban and headed south…. on the icy roads…. I can honestly say I have done smarter things but few as rewarding!

The drive took longer than it should but we made it. After giving Athena the “talk” we jumped out of the car and up to her new home… Well let me tell you that little stinker walked in there and never gave me a second sniff… She was soooo happy and immediately took to the young son and other dogs! Athena just KNEW she was FURever home! She is playing with her fur siblings and sleeps under the covers with her skin kids! Can you say spoiled! If the kids are in school she will nap with the other dogs in a pile, play and be awesome!

I would lie if I said I did not cry a little on the way home!

So this was why we all do what we can for GDRNT… every contribution of $$$ and time make these moments possible… so THANK YOU to all of you… so if you are looking at year end giving or would like to make a gift as a donation please consider us! If you want us to send a card to let someone know you donated for their gift email us and I will get it in the mail.

The Saturday of the epic icemagedon, I was already two days without power, housebound with kids, dogs, mo heat and suffering from cabin fever…. I needed to get out…

Prior to the storm I had an adoption meeting set up for Athena about 2 hours south… Normally we require adopters to travel to DFW but I wanted to go there and see how she would interact in a new home. She was still a baby at 7 months and special in her unique way.

Athena and Aphrodite came to us with their momma and her baby daddy. They were left in the yard of a shelter in rural Louisiana. The girls were still days old and mom and dad were in ruff shape. Our amazing intake team was able to find awesome foster homes and long distance transports. As soon as the girls weened from momma they came here…. They are stone cold deaf.. like door knob deaf…. and at first we thought bat with a blindfold blind…

Most of you know Mocha and my family foster the babies… (I probably have the only kids on the planet who cringe at the word “puppy”) But these would be our first blind/deaf babies. Challenge accepted! But what a hill to climb when you have to start with how to find the water bowl!

The “twins” caught on fast to most things and others are a bigger challenge…. but slow and steady goes the training! We have touch/scent signals to potty outside, the dog door, “nite nite”, dinner, sit and “no”. We are working on leash manners, new environments, polite hellos… As we trained we learned that both girls see a tiny bit…. just enough to avoid large solid objects, track movement, and light.. but not a ton, just enough.

So you can see the “twins” will need very special, experienced FURever homes.

We got an email from a White Dane Rescue on the west coast who had a past adopter in Texas looking for another b/d (blind/deaf) dane… This family has had FIVE b/d danes over the years ! They currently have the sweetest senior/male b/d dane, a “normal” dane and wanted a third…. So they applied and went through the approval process.

By approval time I knew that it was a great home but I was nervous about how Athena would do… we have struggled with our ventures out and new places can be frightening for her.

Soooo I packed up the suburban and headed south…. on the icy roads…. I can honestly say I have done smarter things but few as rewarding!

The drive took longer than it should but we made it. After giving Athena the “talk” we jumped out of the car and up to her new home… Well let me tell you that little stinker walked in there and never gave me a second sniff… She was soooo happy and immediately took to the young son and other dogs! Athena just KNEW she was FURever home! She is playing with her fur siblings and sleeps under the covers with her skin kids! Can you say spoiled! If the kids are in school she will nap with the other dogs in a pile, play and be awesome!

I would lie if I said I did not cry a little on the way home!

So this was why we all do what we can for GDRNT… every contribution of $$$ and time make these moments possible… so THANK YOU to all of you… so if you are looking at year end giving or would like to make a gift as a donation please consider us! If you want us to send a card to let someone know you donated for their gift email us and I will get it in the mail.

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