January

Updated 6/2/11

Time for an update and lots of great news!  And the most important news is that January is ready to go to her forever home!

We’ve uncovered lots of wonderful traits about January in the last 5 months.  First of all, she’s so well behaved in the house that there is no need to crate her.  She is free to roam as she pleases.

She doesn’t jump on people and she’s calm around children.  She doesn’t even pay any attention to cats.  Actually, it seems like “calm” is her middle name.  She’s calm in the car, calm at the vet’s office, and calm inside the house.  For a 65 pound dog, calm is a good thing.

January also plays well with other dogs.  She and her little Bichon Frise buddy love to play together.  She even protects the little dog when the other big dogs get too rough.  Picture big January with a little dog hiding between her legs, with their heads lined up one above the other… it’s too cute!

January loves to go for walks and is good on a leash.  She doesn’t go far, but she doesn’t want to be left behind.  In one sense, she doesn’t live up to her breed because she’s not interested in retrieving, but everything else about her is typical Golden.  She loves to be brushed, likes to be close, and sleeps through the night.  Oh… she does snore, so you might not want her to sleep with her head on your pillow.

Now that you know all about her, what is January looking for in a forever home?  Someone who will continue to put artificial tears in her eyes.  A one-story home where she won’t have to walk up stairs.  A small dog to play with would be nice, but she’d probably also be happy as an only child.  Children, cats, chickens, you name it… love on her every day and this gal will be a happy camper.  And so will you!

Updated 1/07/11

“New Year, New You!”

That’s what all the healthy & beauty mags say at this time of year, and for one little dog, never was a tag line more apt.

On our regular scrolls through local shelters’ web postings, we spotted a worried-looking older red girl with dark rings around her eyes. We didn’t have to spend too much time wondering  why the shelter hadn’t notified us about her, because the dog was identified as a brown (wrong) Labrador (wrong) mix (also wrong!!).

Once we made inquiries, the response was: “Can you take her today?? She is in our overflow area already, and she needs medical care.”

No sooner said than done!

By evening, the friendly girl had:

* A new name! “January,” suitable for new beginnings, and so much nicer than that impesonal shelter ID number.

* A new start towards good health! The vet exam revealed a spay scar and no heartworms (rah!), but a bad case of hookworms (medication willl get rid of them) and “dry eyes” – seems January isn’t manufacturing enough lubrication on her own for her eyes, so they  get sore and crusty. Hence the “dark circles”—the discharge has discolored her fur a bit. This problem is easily and inexpensively solved with the application of artificial tears each day. Ahhh, that feels better.

* A new ‘do! Everyone knows that a trip to the beauty salon can make all the difference. A shampoo, comb-out and pedicure brightened January’s auburn locks, tidied up those cute paws, and made her ever so fragrant. (Gee, your fur smells terrific!)

* New digs! Whew, she’s traded in that stressful shelter cage for a real home complete with delicious food, soft dog beds, lots of canine company, and a nightly tour of the neighborhood in a luxury SUV. January is such a social and easygoing girl that she went on the 5 PM Dog Drive the very night she arrived in GRR care.

* A bright new future! January just knows that 2011 is going to be her best year ever, followed by many more great years to come. This lovely Golden will be ready for her brand-new  home soon.