Rescued

[GaryMayo]

How many of us have rescue pets?

Our Maltese, Sugar Bee was a rescue, I picked up this past winter.

I had just gotten a wisdom tooth pulled that had an exposed nerve through a cavity. Now, if you have never gotten a pissed off wisdom tooth pulled at 55 years old, you are really missing something. The pain for a week prior was dreadful. The pain for the hour in the dental chair was something out of a horror movie. If I never experience that much pain again, that will be fine by me. I have done pain, loosing a leg in a train accident as a boy, but that hour in the dental chair, topped that.

After a few days, of the pain never really going away, back to the dentist to treat a dry socket. Another day of pain and I could not take it any more. Only one thing to do. I placed an ad on Craig's List. Wanted: Lap Dog.

In a day, I had Sugar Bee. The Maltese came from a home where the dog was picked on by other dogs, and not groomed very well. The husband met us at a church parking lot at about midnight, as something snapped in the home, and the poor dog was needing out in a hurry. My mouth hurt so bad, I could hardly drive. I don't know who needed who more, but we did a lot of lap dog sessions and cuddling for several days. Eventuially, we both got better.

In a month, we purchased our current sailboat, and named her after our rescue puppy, Sugar Bee. The Maltese and the sailboat were both rescues. The sailboat was in storage on the hard three years.

Our Maltese is such a delight to have around. And always makes us smile. We do all his grooming which means a haircut twice a month, and a weekly bath.

This summer, I purchased another Maltese to keep Sugar Bee company. I tried to rescue another one from the internet, but nothing fell into place, so we went with a breeders puppy. Named this one after the same boat, Clipper Marine.

Bee & Clipper are best friends, and wonderful companions for my wife and myself.

As the holidays are upon us, I would suggest if any of you, are hurting as I was, to open your hearts to a little creature to love. So many little dogs and cats are needing love, and maybe you are that pets special someone.

If you have a rescue story, share it with us.

[Dulcesuenos]

Great story! So many pets out there needing love! We have been a "Hospice" for senior and sick greyhounds. We've buried 3 in the last year or so. Still have 3 ranging 14.5 yrs -12 yrs old. We've done the for the last 10 years and it has been very rewarding. Sadly they are not good boat dogs and when we these three are gone we are moving aboard. We did get adopt a kitten who accompanied us on our first 700 mile trip on new boat. It has carpeting everywhere and was funny to see him hanging upside down from the ceiling.

[gunkylump]

We too have a Rescue friend.....Buddy is half husky, half border collie, so he is very intelligent, but stubborn as a mule. We adopted Bud when he was about 4 years old....the rescue shelter really didn't know much about him, guessed his age at about 4. He had been in the shelter for about 4 months.....we took him for a walk, he wasn't leash trained, and did not like most vehicles passing by...he would lunge at them constantly.

First thing he did when we brought him home was pee on the couch....good start. He only did it once. He also would growl if I stuck my hand near his food dish when feeding him...so we had a little heart to heart, and I showed him who the Alpha dog really was....and still is.

Bud wanted nothing to do with us at first....very anti social. Beth took a dog training course....obedience they called it.....he kind of failed. Kinda passed.....but he does heel now.

We have had him for almost 7 years now....he has become a 70+ lb. lap dog...at least in his mind. He is a suck. If there is a knock at the door, he is sure it's for him....someone drops by...he whines and carries on until he can physically check out the caller.....a total, complete reversal. He understands quite a few hand signals, and will listen to voice commands such as sit, lay down etc.......when it is convenient for him, or there is food involved.

He sure isn't the same dog as when we picked him up. He is very social now, sticks to us like **** to a sheet. I can put my hand in his food anytime I like, he's a pleasure to walk with...but can't swim a lick. When he falls into the water, which he has a couple of times, he quickly becomes a bottom feeder. Not good! We don't take him on the boat, he's just too big to handle. His eyesight is going, he's getting pretty gray around the muzzle, and sleeps a lot...we'll miss him when he's gone. He has really become a grand old man.

gunk

[Astrid]

My cat is a rescue kitty. No particular story behind it, just her previous owners had passed on and she was in an animal shelter. I should mention she chose me rather than the other way around.

[Stingo]

Cooking Fat (aka Fooking Cat) comes off a cruising boat that is no longer cruising. CF's previous caretakers were offered a job in China. They couldn't take him there because the chances are he would have ended up as no 75 on the menu.

Here he is, taking the mickey out of me.

[gunkylump]

Originally Posted by gunkylump

We too have a Rescue friend.....Buddy is half husky, half border collie, so he is very intelligent, but stubborn as a mule. We adopted Bud when he was about 4 years old....the rescue shelter really didn't know much about him, guessed his age at about 4. He had been in the shelter for about 4 months.....we took him for a walk, he wasn't leash trained, and did not like most vehicles passing by...he would lunge at them constantly.

First thing he did when we brought him home was pee on the couch....good start. He only did it once. He also would growl if I stuck my hand near his food dish when feeding him...so we had a little heart to heart, and I showed him who the Alpha dog really was....and still is.

Bud wanted nothing to do with us at first....very anti social. Beth took a dog training course....obedience they called it.....he kind of failed. Kinda passed.....but he does heel now.

We have had him for almost 7 years now....he has become a 70+ lb. lap dog...at least in his mind. He is a suck. If there is a knock at the door, he is sure it's for him....someone drops by...he whines and carries on until he can physically check out the caller.....a total, complete reversal. He understands quite a few hand signals, and will listen to voice commands such as sit, lay down etc.......when it is convenient for him, or there is food involved.

He sure isn't the same dog as when we picked him up. He is very social now, sticks to us like **** to a sheet. I can put my hand in his food anytime I like, he's a pleasure to walk with...but can't swim a lick. When he falls into the water, which he has a couple of times, he quickly becomes a bottom feeder. Not good! We don't take him on the boat, he's just too big to handle. His eyesight is going, he's getting pretty gray around the muzzle, and sleeps a lot...we'll miss him when he's gone. He has really become a grand old man.

gunk

Forgot to add a couple of pics of the old guy.....

[Cormorant]

We have 1 dog, 2 cats, 4 horses, and 6 chickens, all of whom are rescues (or in the case of some of the horses, pampered retirees). Which is why I find it so damned hard to get in even a few weeks of cruising each year. . . .

[Blue Stocking]

You know the old adage,"lock your spouse and the dog in the car trunk for a weekend, and see who still loves you Monday morning"

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

We have 1 dog, 2 cats, 4 horses, and 6 chickens, all of whom are rescues (or in the case of some of the horses, pampered retirees). Which is why I find it so damned hard to get in even a few weeks of cruising each year. . . .

Have 3 horses (2 retired eventers). The most expensive way I know to turn $$$ into sparrow feed.