My Newfound Mission in Life

So I recently got on the Humane Society of Utah's website and saw my beautiful Blue listed again. What does that mean? It means that someone adopted her and after a month or so was unhappy with her and brought her back. I honest to goodness shed tears over that. At work. Luckily I was alone at the time.

That made me so unbelievably sad I almost couldn't even handle it. I was ready to go get in my car and pick her up right then despite the destruction she caused. I didn't even care because she needs someone who loves her and who knows her. Luckily I do not have myopia (shout out to my eighth graders who have that word on their vocabulary quiz today!) and I did not do that. I currently do not have the resources to provide a life for her that would make her (and me) happy. But I did decide to do something.

I have this dream of living on a huge piece of land with a garden and animals and basically homesteading like in Dr. Quinn. (HAHAHA). That kind of a life would be wonderful for dogs like Blue. So into that dream, I incorporated and made room for dogs like Blue and the elderly dogs at the Humane Society of Utah that will most likely die there because people don't generally want to adopt a dog with less than 3 years left on this earth.

I want to be a place where those doggies can die in a home with love and snuggles and love and a family and love. I want my kids to have the responsibility of taking care of an animal that (more or less) needs them. I want them to have the experience of death of a (furry) loved one and go through the loss and learn from it. Learn that when a family can be together forever, it includes your furry, feathery, four legged, winged, and tailed family members too. I want to be a home to the dogs who end up in the HS or shelter multiple times because people are irresponsible.

I would also like you guys to help me. I don't care where you are or what your life is like. 7 times out of 10 you can and should get a dog. Check back for all the reasons why you should adopt a dog from the Humane Society or Shelter in your area and help me out with this dream of mine because as much as I would like to, I will never be able to be a home for all the dogs out there who need a family.



**I'll get to fostering kids later ;)**

Fostering Dogs - Blue the Cattle Dog

Ah, Blue. What a wonderful little ball of electricity. What a handful. What a monster.

She jumps up on people but not obnoxiously at all. It's like she is giving you a hug because she actually puts her little arms around you. I think she just wants to make it easier for you to pet her to be honest. It was adorable. She is like the perfect size too. Not a small dog but not a huge one that takes up a ton of space either. Perfect travel size!

If you sit on the ground with your legs out she makes herself quite at home there wanting to be pet and loved.

She looks so nice in these pictures. Not at all showing the psychotic nature underneath. She always has this smile too. AH the smile. So CUTE. I can't find a good picture of her with that smile. She found (or created) a spot in the backyard under the big pine tree that stays cool and that is where she spent much of her time here. Ah Blue...I love you. 

She was in heat when we first got her so she was superrrrr obnoxious. Like so annoying. And she has the worst bark I have ever heard in my life. It's a high pitched yap and I hated it. We all hated it. Luckily she isn't a very vocal dog. 

She is so curious. So so so curious and the way she manifests that is through digging and chewing. I will let my dad speak about this:

"Then she brought home a female dog, and this female dog was totally the opposite. I think we should have named her "Tasmanian Devil," but her name was Blue. She is a Blue Heeler, so she has all the attributes of a Blue Heeler. They herd cattle. It is a mistake to think they bite the heels of cattle. They are bred to herd cattle and they open their mouths, and hit with their teeth at the heels of the cattle to herd them. Blue has all of the psychological makeup required to engage in that hazardous occupation. 

And this dog, bless her heart, is eager to please. Disciplining her was simple, you just had to indicate you weren't happy, and it about killed the poor animal. But she is so full of energy that she couldn't help but drag the mulch bag out into of the middle of the lawn and reduce it to shreds. She also has engaged in a major excavation project to find out exactly how the sprinkler system is put together. She clearly questioned whether we really needed a valve at the location she found it. She also wondered what the valve tasted like? When she found out we don't like that behavior, she was so apologetic. I could not bring myself to do anything, other than by the voice to say, What are you doing!?! She responded to the tone of voice and she fell onto her back, as if to cry: 'You have to love me still! Please, you have to love me still'"

All that is true. 100% true. She's a curious, energetic archaeologist in the making. And she's so eager to please. That was good. And she's so receptive to discipline, which is necessary because her antics often require discipline. She is a puppy and comes with all her puppy ways. She is queen of the love bite or love chew. 

Perhaps the best thing about her, besides all of this:

is the fact that she did not run away. Not once. In fact we let her off the leash and she would walk with us and it was so great. Like having Rocket with us again. Ah Blue, what a gem! We miss you Blueberry. 

This adorable pup is Mo:

We will talk about her next time.