Rescue, Rehome, Reward

Penelope on Payment Lake

I'm thinking about Penelope today.  Her surgery to remove two tumors is scheduled for this morning. We have been fostering this 12 year old silver Weimaraner for a week and yesterday I brought her back to H.O.P.E. Animal Shelter so they could prepare her for the operation.

Penelope & Pete at H.O.P.E.

 RESCUE

Like Callie Blu, Penelope was surrendered by her first owners after a divorce.  Life circumstances prevented them from keeping her.  One can get angry with the owners; call them unkind or irresponsible, but that isn't the way to look at it. I  don't know the couples or their troubles, but I do know that the result is that 2 wonderful Weimaraners have joined our family this year.

Asher & Penelope - First Morning Walk

Some people like to call dogs like Callie and Penelope rescues.  I think this implies some sort of tragic, abusive, neglected previous life.  This characterization doesn't apply to either dog. They are both healthy, well-trained, good-looking pets and I know they were loved.  Callie Blu was with a wonderful foster mom for a year before she joined us.

3 Dogs on a Log at Net Lake

REHOME

I like to think of the dogs as being re-homed.  They moved from one home to ours. It's as if the pups finished their "projects" at their first home and came to ours to help us.

Penelope with the World in her Mouth

I agree with Mike Dooley's writings on the subject in his book, The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU

". . .their presence in your life is just one more invitation for you to love as you could not have loved otherwise, even as they teach you lessons of compassion, tolerance, patience, or whatever else you stand in need of."

Penelope = Play

" Animals absorb and react to the energy of those they live with. . .as reactors, they mirror the energies they receive. . . reflecting the patience, compassion, exuberance, anger, openness and shyness of those around them."

Pete & Penelope in the Woods

"Owners can always find 'themselves' in their pets."

Callie Blu & Penelope - Our Rewards

REWARD

". . .that you 'found' who you 'found' and that they 'found' you has deep meaning and occurs with flawless precision.  The world would not and could not have proceeded even one more day on the path it was on until each of you was present for the other, to be shaped by each other's love, to lean by each other's example, to teach, to laugh and to heal."