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Suzy's story is one that will make you cry ... she's been featured in our newsletter and in previous blog posts. In February 2009 she was part of her "then future dad's" proposal to the woman he had loved since the previous summer. To read more click here.
Suzy is doing so well. She has been learning so many new things. We go to my parent's cabin most summer weekends and we dont even tie her up - she runs and runs, jumping through the woods and field, and swimming. She's very good about staying with us and knowing not to get too far away. Last weekend she saw a deer and started sprinting after it, then knew she w
as getting too far from us, stopped, and came running back to us. She's also a great swimmer! She'll run and jump off the end of the dog into the water to fetch her dummy. We still can't believe she wasn't adopted by someone else. She's absolutely loved by everyone and is such a wonderful dog. Adam still tells me "you were right about her", every couple days. :)
Suzy the black lab is loving her new life. As you can see, she is exhausted -- being adored is hard work. Here's an update from her adoptive mom:
On Wednesday night, Suzy was part of her future dad's surprise proposal to the woman who has been in love with her since last summer. Suzy sat quietly next to Adam's side as he popped the question. Sarah said "YES!" and Adam slipped the most gorgeous ring on Sarah's finger. He also slipped a leash into her hand. Along with promising to marry Sarah, Adam also promised to provide a loving home for Suzy - another surprise for Sarah. Suzy gave Sarah a Valentine to seal the deal. I am not sure which surprise Sarah was most excited about - a husband to be or a new dog? One thing is for certain, Sarah could not be more excited to move forward in life with both of them by her side.
Sarah and Adam are now vacationing on a warm beach until the end of the month. But on their return, Suzy will be going to her forever home with her favorite girl, and her favorite girl's favorite guy. There's a wedding to plan after all and Suzy has to put her paw print on all the decisions. Wouldn't she make the best flower girl? Dreams do come true.
I can not even begin to express my excitement and outstanding joy to be officially adopting Suzy. I have wanted to do this since the first time I brought her home with me and she is SO loved by us. She made for a perfect engagement and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful (and extremely well-planned) proposal. Thank you so much for helping Adam make an incredible memory. We have a wonderful story to share for years and we are really looking forward to having Suzy be the first member of our family. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Can't wait to see her when we get back!!! I just can't get over how everything has come together....I can't stop smiling! Thank you again, for making it so special! ALSO - the VALENTINE from Suzy is so sweet and brought tears to my eyes.
Do you recognize this pose? No, it's not doggy yoga...
Suzy is pretty excited to hear that President Obama and his family are looking to adopt a dog. A lot of media attention has been focused on the Obama family's search for a dog -- what breed, rescue or breeder, etc. The Obamas have indicated that they are open to rescuing a dog, which is great! But what Suzy and I would like to suggest is that they also give serious consideration to adding a black dog to their family. Whatever dog they end up adding to their family will get a lot of press coverage and it would be the most amazing press coverage for black dogs -- who are often overlooked and the last ones to be adopted (or purchased, for that matter).
Midnight is a 4-5 year old male black lab who was going to be put to sleep when his family could not afford the surgery to repair a torn ACL. Pet Haven stepped in and saved his life and it could not have happened to a nicer boy. Midnight is a love bug who is good with all the dogs, cats and kids in his foster home where he is recovering from surgery.
Missy is a 1.5 year old lab who came to us through an Iowa animal control facility. She was dumped at the home of a good samaritan. Missy is good with other dogs and very sweet with cats. She is also housetrained and crate-trained. All the hard stuff has been done, but she would still benefit from a basic obedience course.
Sweetie is a 2.5 year old lab mix who would love to find a home where she can be your one and only dog. She does get along with other dogs, but at home she would prefer to have all the attention for herself. She loves to play fetch, but she is also happy to settle down and snuggle up. She's a people-lover who is looking for some new people to love.
Kix is a 4 month old shepherd mix boy who came to us via Red Lake Rosie's Rescue in November. He came in with his littermates, Ozzy and Sierra who have since been adopted. Kix is the only one remaining. They appear to be shepherd mixes, but they are small puppies -- so whatever their mix, they have something small in there!
Ruby is a a black lab mix that we are estimating to be around 1 year old. She came to us from an animal control facility in Iowa, so we don't have a lot of background on her. Ruby is very sweet and shares her foster home with a husky sister. She can easily jump a 4' fence so she needs a 6' fence or a home where she will be taken out on leash.
Frankie is a 3 month old black lab mix. He was picked up running loose along with his littermates in northern Minnesota just before Thanksgiving. He came to use through Red Lake Rosie's Rescue along with his brother Forest (and Fletcher, who has been adopted).
Forest is a 3 month old black lab mix. He was picked up running loose along with his littermates in northern Minnesota just before Thanksgiving. He came to use through Red Lake Rosie's Rescue along with his brother Frankie (and Fletcher, who has been adopted).
Lacy is a 6 year old female Rottweiler mix. She has been through the Pet Haven program before and was returned this fall when her adoptive home did not work out. Once a Pet Haven dog, always a Pet Haven dog! Lacy believes that 84 lbs is not too big to be a lap dog! She would love an adoptive home where she can be the center of your attention.
Garth is a 5 year old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. Garth is a rough and tumble player who enjoys the company of other dogs, but might not be the best match for an older dog who does not enjoy rough housing quite as much as Garth does.
Foster is a 10 month old male lab mix. He came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He's a big boy and we are thinking that he might be mixed with Newfoundland. Foster has a happy go lucky personality who would fit into almost any adoptive home willing to give him the attention and exercise that a puppy needs.
Komo (aka Dutch) is a 9 month old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. He LOVES to play with other dogs and would love a doggy playmate in his adoptive home.
Dakota is a 7 year old female husky/shepherd mix. Dakota was an owner surrender. She is very smart and a star pupil in obedience. She has a tendency to get nervous around other dogs, but she could share her home with the right dog companion. Being a typical husky, she does need a secure fence.
Suzy is a 2 year old female collie/lab mix. She came to us from a shelter in rural Iowa. Suzy is house trained and crate trained and is used to being left alone for a full work day. At only 2 she is young and energetic and is looking for an active family to run and play with!
Daisy is a 2 year old female lab. She is shy as a result of an abusive background, but once she warms up to you she is an engaging, entertaining snuggler. Daisy is looking for a forever home without kids because their unpredictability makes her nervous.
Bailey is a 4 year old female springer spaniel/lab mix. She is an owner surrender due to divorce. Bailey loves to play fetch and is looking for an adoptive family with a good throwing arm.
Andy is a 2 year old male shepherd mix. Andy came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He was a bit of a wild child when he came into foster care, but after a few weeks of consistent boundaries, training and exercise he is a dream dog!
Bentley is a 4-5 year old poodle/pomeranian mix. His previous owner was not able to keep up with his energy needs so he came to Pet Haven to look for a new home. Bentley is a tennis ball FREAK and despite his small size he can fit a regular sized ball in his mouth. He loves to play fetch and just carry a ball around. He would love to find a forever family to toss the ball for him.
As 2008 comes to a close I am reflecting on the past year's foster dogs. January started off with two beautiful springers, Sweetie and Jackson. Along with my own springer Buddy it was a houseful known as springer central. But not for long as both dogs were adopted quickly. Sweetie was from Rosie's Red Lake Rescue and now gets to spend long summer days lounging by the lake. Jackson lives with three young children and hunts muskrats in his very own
The year was filled with 15 foster dogs. There were beagles, spaniels, a Great Dane, and several lab mixes. The biggest challenge and triumph of the year came from a big black barky one-eyed dog named Shadow. I thought we would have her forever. A true testament to the power of hope Shadow was adopted after only 3 months and is now residing on the shores of Lake Superior.
Just as the year started we just adopted out Junior, a springer mix from Rosie's Red Lake. He was my first puppy and spoiled me because he was so easy. It has been a rewarding experience to be part of finding homes for these helpless dogs. I look forward to the new dogs I have yet to meet. And hopefully Suzy our lovely black lab mix will be finding her forever home soon.
Two students (left and center) work with foster dog Suzy under the guidance of Danielle (right).This fall several Pet Haven foster homes and their foster dogs were invited to work with some kids at Kenwood Trail Middle School in Lakeville. The program pairs dogs and kids with ADHD and teaches the kids the proper way to interact with dogs. The kids also work on teaching the dogs basic commands. The dogs adore their weekly visits and got just as much out of it as the kids involved. They absolutely loved going and working with the kids (extra attention and treats? yes please!) and the kids were frequently able to get the dogs to obey commands faster than their fosters.
Pet Haven dogs selected for the program participate weekly until they are adopted. Over the past 10 weeks Hector, Hank, Libby, Bailey, Ode and Suzy have participated in the program. The manners that they learned working with the kids contributed directly to the adoptions of Hank and Libby -- who both went to families with children. For that we would like to extend a huge thank you to the kids at Kenwood Trail Middle School!
The kids now have wonderful dog training skills and something to look forward to every week. Knowing that the dogs will be coming soon helps them to focus on the task at hand and finish their classwork. It has been a win-win situation for all involved! Many thanks to Danielle from The Canine Coach for facilitating the classes and getting Pet Haven involved.
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Junior wishes everyone a happy Friday and hopes you all have a productive weekend preparing for Thanksgiving. He has been checked over by our vet and is headed to his foster home today -- have fun, Junior!
Wilma is a 1 year old female black lab mix. She came to us from a shelter in rural Iowa. She is totally house trained and good in the house. She is enjoying the company of the resident dog in her foster home and is an "easy keeper." Wilma is just looking for someone to take her home and love her up.Lacy is a 6 year old female Rottweiler mix. She has been through the Pet Haven program before and was returned this fall when her adoptive home did not work out. Once a Pet Haven dog, always a Pet Haven dog! Lacy believes that 84 lbs is not too big to be a lap dog! She would love an adoptive home where she can be the center of your attention.Foster is a 10 month old male lab mix. He came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He's a big boy and we are thinking that he might be mixed with Newfoundland. Foster has a happy go lucky personality who would fit into almost any adoptive home willing to give him the attention and exercise that a puppy needs.Komo (aka Dutch) is a 9 month old male lab mix. He came to use from a shelter in Iowa. He LOVES to play with other dogs and would love a doggy playmate in his adoptive home.Dakota is a 7 year old female husky/shepherd mix. Dakota was an owner surrender. She is very smart and a star pupil in obedience. She has a tendency to get nervous around other dogs, but she could share her home with the right dog companion. Being a typical husky, she does need a secure fence.Suzy is a 2 year old female collie/lab mix. She came to us from a shelter in rural Iowa. Suzy is house trained and crate trained and is used to being left alone for a full work day. At only 2 she is young and energetic and is looking for an active family to run and play with!Daisy is a 2 year old female lab. She is shy as a result of an abusive background, but once she warms up to you she is an engaging, entertaining snuggler. Daisy is looking for a forever home without kids because their unpredictability makes her nervous.Bailey is a 4 year old female springer spaniel/lab mix. She is an owner surrender due to divorce. Bailey loves to play fetch and is looking for an adoptive family with a good throwing arm.Andy is a 2 year old male shepherd mix. Andy came to us from a shelter in Iowa. He was a bit of a wild child when he came into foster care, but after a few weeks of consistent boundaries, training and exercise he is a dream dog!
