Hi Everybody...

...it's me, Star!!!  Just wanted to bring everybody up to date and let you all know that, so far, twenty-one people have inquired about adopting me.  My moms (I spent most of my life BEING a mom, now I have TWO foster moms myself!!!), even invited three people out to meet me.  One of them even brought another DOG to meet me, well, I set him straight right away about who was the boss, ha!  Everyone oohed and aahed about how my coat shines and how much energy I have, but, in the end, my moms decided that they really do want a home for me where someone is home most of the day.  And then there's the fence thing (physical fence, not invisible fence), you gotta have it.  So...if you are home most of the time and have a fence, and are reading this thinking, "wow, this is a really beautiful and sweet girl", you might want to e-mail nallphoto@aol.com and inquire about coming to HyHopes to meet me.  I keep hearing my moms say that the perfect home for me is out there somewhere...is it you???

 

what's a photographer to do...

...when she forgets her camera???  well, use her cell phone, of course!  here's our girl gwyneth and her meant-to-be mom, allie.  we went to visit allie and gwynnie at allie's adorable little cottage on big lake erie!!!  gwynnie has her own little fenced yard, and allie has her "reason to get up in the  morning"!!!  many blessings to both of them!

an AMAZING transformation...

rescue is never more rewarding than when you see a transformation like this.  the only thing missing in star's life now is a forever home of her own, either as an outright adoption or as a financially sponsored forever foster.  contact nallphoto@aol.com for details. 

Our Girl Star!!!

We're still looking for a very special home/family for our girl Star.  A home local to us here in Michigan; one with a physical fence, and a family with a work-at-home (or retired), situation, without young children, because Star is a big girl.  We believe that in the right situation Star would likely be fine with a calm, older cat (one who was okay with Star, lol), and even a well mannered, calm, older male dog.  We'd rather not place Star in a situation with another female dog.  Maybe because she's been a mom so many times herself, Star has a mind of her own and will need loving and fair, but consistent, expectations in her new home.  She may need some time and patience while she adjusts to a new living situation.  Star is housebroken, rides well in the car and is easy to vet. 

Although Star is 8 years old, she is full of life and joy.  She is a friendly, happy, good-natured girl, who can be a little too fond of her food, lolol.  She is very smart, bonds strongly with her caregiver, is not a barky girl, and overall has a very sweet personality.  She is on  monthly Heartgard
heartworm treatment, we're monitoring her status, and hoping for a negative reading at next testing.

We've always known that Star was a very special girl...as we've come to know her even better, and as we've watched her come so far from her early life of continual motherhood...we're convinced there has to be an equally special family/person out there, whose situation is exactly what we want for our Star.

Star is available as an outright adoption, or, for the perfect home situation, as a sponsored foster, including adoption fee sponsorship.  Star is an absolutely beautiful girl...

If you think you might be just the right family/person for Star, please e-mail nallphoto@aol.com and we'll get right back to you.  And, as always, thanks to Pat and Harold at HyHopes, for providing our girl Star with such superb care!!!

there's a saying in rescue..."they'll land where they're supposed to land"...

...and our Gwyneth has landed with who she was originally chosen for, after all!!!  We are SO happy for her.  And doesn't she look happy too?  Both "ladies of a certain age", Gwyneth and her new mom Allie give each other a "reason to get up in the morning".  After taking a bit more time to get over the loss of Sybil Shepherd, Allie decided to open her home and her heart again, and it seems like a match made in heaven.  Bless your heart Gwynnie, and you too Allie.

Thank you again so much to Pat and Harold at HyHopes...another shepherd has gone "thru the door to a better life".

star contemplates her future...

...somewhere out there is the perfect family/guardian for star...

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI861.html

while gwynnie contemplates getting into something...

to learn more about adoption possibilities for both girls

please visit our petfinder site at:

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI861.html

Our visit with the Georgia girls at Easter-time...

...drove down to HyHopes with a new supply of Pinnacle Trout and Sweet Potato (the wonder food), to visit with the girls over the Easter weekend. They're adjusting, and changing, and we're learning more about them all the time. Today, when Pat brought them out one at a time, their demeanor was so different...different than before and different from each other.

Star, the queen, comes first. The only term that can describe her behavior is that Star "frolics" about, flops down for a roll in the grass and a belly rub, prances around...and then...when she decides she's done with her frolic, she heads for the kennel door...ready for a treat. Have we said Star loves her treats!!! Her new coat is coming in with a wonderful shine, her skin is clear...all of the uncertainty is gone from her eyes. Star is a happy girl, and is thriving under Pat's care.

Gwynnie comes next, she's all business...curious about every smell and blade of grass. Loves to get into the dried grass clumps from the lawnmower, is ever curious about the donkeys. She's been jogging with Pat's grandson and really enjoyed that, but we're being careful, since her front leg limping issue seems not quite totally resolved. We do know from x-rays that it doesn't seem to be a serious medical problem, but we're still uncertain exactly what's causing it. It does respond to anti-inflammatory meds.

One thing we've learned about both girls, beyond a shadow of a doubt...is that neither one responds nearly well enough to commands to "come", to ever be off-lead outside of a physically fenced yard. Although they both are very sweet and very smart, neither girl knows formal commands, (i.e., come, sit, down, stay, heel, leave-it, etc.), and any adoptive family/guardian will have to recognize this, and be proactive in protecting them by being diligent about safety issues. We have also changed the information on their petfinder listings to include the necessity for a physical, not invisible (electric), fenced yard for both Gwyneth and Star.

our day at the vet...

...tired us all out, but not too much for some new pictures. the girls rode well in the van, and behaved like ladies at the vet. gwyneth had her front leg x-rayed, she's been favoring it for a few days. star had her heartworm status checked, and got some new shampoo for some dry, flakey, itchies on her back. it's really quite wonderful to see the change in these dogs, once they know they're safe and will be taken care of. quite extraordinary really. especially star. the light has come back to her eyes. thank you so much to pat and harold at hyhopes, for the extraordinary care of our georgia girls!!!

settling in...getting comfortable...

" star"

"gwyneth"

...with new people and new situations. new pictures and a new petfinder site. these girls are both looking for just the right family where the rest of their life can be the best of their life.

our petfinder site:

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI861.html

and so it begins again...the Georgia Girls...

...Gwyneth and Star, arriving at HyHopes with Bill and Lucy. We don't think they'd ever seen snow before. They were both pretty confused, and tired from the very long drive. But tired as they were, it was easy to see that both of these sweet girls will make someone a wonderful companion. Uncertainty shows in Star's eyes...Gwyn is curious and unsettled. We know they are in the best of hands at HyHopes. Thank you again to Pat and Harold!!! Many thanks as well to Mike and Laurie, who generously and spontaneously gave to help Star and Gwyn with food and vetting expenses.

This Rescue is Dedicated to the Memory of...

...the beautiful HyHope's Image of Xillo, known to all who loved her as Sybil Shepherd, mother to our beautiful miss Seraphina Blue.