Redd

Redd  -  Age 8

MATCHED

Note from Redd’s surrender paperwork: “Found by an absolutely WONDERFUL lady. She spotted Blondie and Redd roaming a busy parkway on March 30.  She has put up flyers, checked at the local vet clinics, posted on Craigslist…. no owner.  She really does not want to take them to a shelter. She’s a cat rescue person or she’d keep them herself!  These are two VERY lucky dogs to have found her.”

And the luck didn’t stop there, because senior partners Blondie (a petite lady about 8-10 years old) and her big, husky pal Reddd (maybe age 7-9) even found a foster-to-adopt mom who wanted BOTH of them! The pair didn’t go to the pound; instead, we had them posted as “found” on the shelter website for the hold period, so they never had to see the inside of a shelter cage. Since they day they were picked up from the streets, it’s been nothing but cushy indoor living for these two.

Their new mom says:

Here is a story of my first meeting with Blondie and Redd.  When these two came on the GRR radar, the intake team contacted me, and I agreed to foster. I already knew I wanted two dogs, and the surrendering Good Sam didn’t want them to be separated… and  I also wanted older dogs, and both of these dogs were “mature.” A perfect fit!  We arranged for me to collect them from the clinic after they’d had their check-ups.  First they brought Blondie out—and as soon as the leash was in my hand, Blondie took my hand in her mouth and tried to lead me to the door. “Let’s go!” she was clearly saying.  However, I was not moving yet, because we were waiting for Redd.  So Blondie sits down as close as she can to me, stuck like glue. She takes her head and nestles it between my legs and allows me to pet her with some mild whining going on.  She had my heart right there and then.  I was "mushy" in love!

When they bring out Redd,  I just start laughing.  Redd is huge to me.  Tall, big head, a full 25 pounds heavier than 51-pound Blondie.  Redd is also carrying a blue Kong stick in his mouth.  Apparently he carries it everywhere.  A vet tech helped me out to the car.  Blondie is quite spry for her age and jumps right in.  She takes the hump part of the back seat.  Redd gets in next.  He is not sure where to sit.  Blondie is not budging from the hump area and he has just been neutered so I figure he is a tad uncomfortable to begin with!  It takes a while but he finally finds his place scrunched up against her and on a sliver of the seat’s edge. They were both good all the way home—and it was a 45 minute drive.  All is good.

It’s been a few weeks now, and they both have adapted well to my routine.  They both know some commands and listen fairly well to them. Poor Redd had a couple of days of diarrhea—probably due to eating concrete chips that had broken off my patio! Poor boy.  I could not help but feel he was in survival mode.  With his teeth being worn down who knows what he survived on when a stray? He was on chicken and rice for a time, but now the regular dog food is just fine.

While suffering from his tummy upset, he couldn’t hold it in and pottied in his crate; but of course he didn’t want to sit down in that, so managed to exit the crate. My carpets suffered, but nothing that a good shampoo didn’t fix! I have also learned that he can jump right over a baby gate. I had to get creative to outsmart this clever guy! So, I went to Lowe's and bought some inexpensive particle board used in garages for tools and had it cut to size; it slides between the wall/refrigerator to the 1/2 wall.  It’s  4 feet tall and he cannot jump it. Now he stays in the kitchen with Blondie while I’m at work.

Redd is a “herder” – he likes to circle around people and other dogs (all the while carrying a toy in his mouth, of course). Sometimes, if you want to make forward progress, you just have to squeeze past him! As far as playing fetch goes, he’s happy to pursue the ball, but he hasn’t quite got the “release” part down yet. We are working on it!

Redd and Blondie are keepers for sure – and I am adopting both of them!