Happy National Rescue Dog Day
My rescue dogs pictured above: Flynn, Lexus, Neiko, SpiceGirl, Mercedes and Lady Zsa-Zsa
Happy National Rescue Dog Day, y'all! It’s one of my favorite days of the year because it gives me an opportunity to brag about my own rescue dogs and to encourage others to get one (or more) of their own. My life has been and is so much richer with my fur babies, and I’m grateful to have been able to give them all forever homes.
At the time Mercedes came into my life, I had two other dogs, Lexus and SpiceGirl. Lexus was becoming less amused with Spice Girl's energy, and I wanted to add a little one to the pack for SpiceGirl to play with. So, I tried out a few puppies and none of them seemed to connect with our family.
Then one day, a friend called to let me know he had found a puppy roaming the streets without a collar or chip. He’d spent the last few days trying to find her owner, but had no luck. He couldn't keep her and remembered I was looking for one.
We met at my vet's office to introduce the girls and see if there was a connection. Lexus didn’t seem interested and Spice Girl seemed unsure. But, I took a chance and brought them all home—together. Later that night, Spice Girl and Mercedes were huddled up on the couch sleeping peacefully as if they were mama and pup. And the next day, even though Lexus still wasn't thrilled about the pack expanding, she allowed the pup to drink out of her water bowl.
We chose the name Mercedes (latin for "Mercies" or the "Lady of Mercy") because of her gentle, sweet, easy-going and "merciful" nature. Mercedes intuitively understands what Curtis and I emotionally need, and she's also a really sweet mama dog to our newest Fur-Baby, Zsa-Zsa.
And then there’s Lady Zsa-Zsa! What an unexpected surprise. I was in Las Vegas when my friend rescued the cutest little poodle mix from a puppy mill. She had to leave town that night, so I took care of the tiny pup while she was gone. She stole my heart right away, but I knew she belonged to my friend.
After a few months, though, she called me and said it was apparent that this pup wasn't fitting in with her other fur baby. My heart leapt when my friend asked if I would be able to adopt her. Curtis was a little on the fence because we already decided our next dog would be a Great Dane, but when he finally held her in his arms and she kissed all over his face, it was all over.
Mercedes stepped into mama role immediately. When we were choosing a name for this tiny poodle puppy personality, we felt it needed to reflect her feisty and dominant personality. Curtis and I tried on a few different names until we found one that fit perfectly. We chose Lady Zsa-Zsa (Eva Gabor's sister & Lady GaGa) because of her strong will, cleverness and fiery nature. There has never been a moment when LadyZsa-Zsa hasn't kept us on our toes.
And because I like to understand the mixed breeds of my rescue dogs so I'm prepared for anything medical that could happen, I do DNA tests. Curtis and I had a good laugh when we got results for Lady Zsa Zsa—turns out we adopted the dog we always wanted. Our super pint size puppy has four Great Danes in her ancestry!
Lady Zsa-Zsa has helped to heal a void that our pack has faced since the loss of Spice Girl, adopting out all our ranch animals, the two year move to Missouri and COVID-19. She brings us so much joy and life to our family and our neighbors, and she keeps 13-year old Mercedes feeling young with hours of playtime.
I am thankful for many things in my life, and two of those blessings are Mercedes and Zsa-Zsa. I've rescued or adopted many fur babies in my life, and I don't think that I will ever be absent of a four-legged family member. National Rescue Dog Day is the perfect opportunity to help those precious furry souls. They need someone to give them unconditional and unselfish love that they so freely reciprocate.
Adopting, rescuing, or fostering an animal can change your life forever. There is more that can be done for these lovely creatures needing a forever home, too—spaying or neutering a dog, volunteering at a shelter, educating children on how to be kind to our furry friends. More often than not, the animals we rescue end up actually rescuing us in the most beautiful way.
Be Greatly Blessed, Stay Groovy and give kisses to the fur babies in your life, Y'all! Amy