Rescued! Dog Finds a Good Home

Hi, Charlie Bear here, with a featured rescue dog (like me!). That’s Deedra, and she’s loved by her Peep, Pamala. Here is Deedra’s story:

Hi B.J.

When I lost my little dalmation/lab mix to a heart murmur, I was so heartbroken I decided I wouldn’t have another dog. I just couldn’t bear the pain of the loss. But within a week, I heard about a 3 year old lab that had been abused by its owners. My husband encouraged me to go look at her. Reluctantly, I went. I’ve loved many dogs in my life but there was a connection with Deedra. Within 30 minutes of meeting her, she came to live with us. She was shy, scared of everything and rarely left her bed we bought her. I had to buy 3 beds to get her to move from one to the other in the house. We began taking long walks together twice a day and I would just talk to her. We became connected at the hip. She still suffers with a bit of separation anxiety from me, but she’s growing out of it as she learns to trust. I watched her confidence build and soon began to see her try new things and venture more on her own on our ten acres.

I’m a teacher, and she stays with me in the classroom. She’s the first to let me know if someone is coming in that shouldn’t or that she doesn’t know. I’ve seen her get between two students that are beginning to have ‘words’ with one another (typical ‘splitting’ technique in the dog world) and they quickly stop so she won’t be upset. She points out to me who is having a rough day and  who has hard-boiled eggs in their lunch!

I had a bad headcold one day and fell asleep on the couch. I was gently awakened by her paw on my chest. When I could focus I asked her what she was doing and my husband said, “You weren’t breathing well, and she watched you for a while and on her own decided you needed to wake up.” Then one day I watched her playing rowdily with the older students when one of the parents arrived with a two year old. She immediately calmed down and stood quietly so the little one could pet her. Those events made me think she might be a great therapy dog. We’ve taken the training and have been put to use in several situations. She loves to visit the elderly clients, she comforts an ADD/ADHD student when he gets upset by laying on the floor and letting him lay on her. She has an ability to calm a rowdy dog, love gently a severely autistic child, and will drag me towards a person in a wheelchair to allow them to pet her. I’ve loved discovering her empathetic heart and watching her ‘fish’ in our pond, lay by the window in the sun, complain at my feet when I’ve been on the computer too long, play tag with the cat, and wake me up to snuggle at 5 am in my bed!

My husband and I just entered the ‘empty nest’ season of our life so at this point in time, I’m not sure which one of us needed the other one more!

Pamala J. Vincent

Between a Rock and a Teenager! Parenting Teens Survival Guide
Website: www.pamalajvincent.com
Blog:        www.100newthingsin2011.wordpress.com

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Charlie Bear back again — isn’t that the neatest story? Of course, I have a pretty neat one myself, and Mom Peep said I shouldn’t do it AGAIN, but you know me….I can’t help it. Here’s the book she wrote–it’s about our first year together. I think you might like it, especially Pamala, because Mom had a hard time bearing the pain of loss, too.

Wiggles & woofs,
Charlie Bear

Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love, and Second Chances  On the Publisher’s Website here:  http://bit.ly/HHI8zs 
On Amazon here: http://amzn.to/IegHi4

And Mom Peep said if you bought the book and read it (and liked it–we hope) that maybe you could write a review on Amazon for us? Let us know when you do that so we can thank you from the paws of our hearts.  xo xo    : o )