My first Dog Rescue

**tulip** · 06-16-2009, 07:37 PM

I was driving back from a family event on Sunday with my mother, brother, niece and nephew. My brother has a station wagon, which is just big enough for five people and our luggage.

Driving down the interstate, we spot a pair of what I thought were sheep by the side of the road. With my niece begging my brother to stop and my mother-the-dog-lover wondering what dogs like THAT were doing out on the interstate, my brother obligingly pulled over. He walked to where the dogs were, and they started trotting towards him, as friendly as can be. They appear to be purebred Great Pyranees dogs.

They are thin and ragged and matted and stinky, but so happy to see us, it's like they knew us already! We gave them some water, and then wondered, Now What? My brother said we have no choice, so we rearranged the luggage, my niece and nephew lost their legroom (I was in the middle of the backseat, so I didn't have any to begin with), and we loaded the dogs into the way back. I wish we had taken a photo of them back there--they arranged themselves among the luggage with hardly a complaint!

We found a rescue group to take them the next day, so we drove them 7 hours to my mother's house and then the following day I made the rendez-vous with the rescue lady. That's my mom in the photo with them.

They are awesome dogs--friendly and laid back! We think they are mother and puppy about 8 months old. Neither were fixed. Perhaps they were dumped by folks who could not keep them anymore, perhaps they were escapees from a puppy mill, who knows. In any case, they will be well taken-care of, owners will be searched for, and if no owners are found, they will be placed in good homes. It was quite a day!

**Zen** · 06-16-2009, 07:43 PM

Oh my word!
What a couple of beauties!
If I didn't already have two dogs....

**Trek420** · 06-16-2009, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by tulip

I wish we had taken a photo of them back there--they arranged themselves among the luggage with hardly a complaint!

Of course! They knew "we're going home!"

They are great dogs.

Back in the day a family friend, photographer and painter Otto and Hansel Hagel had a pair of GP's. The Hagel's would drive into town in their convertible and the two dogs took up the whole car. The top would be rolled down, the dogs would surveying the town. What a sight, these two huge white dogs in the back of the white convertible.

Friendly, gentle, intelligent, magnificent dogs.

Thank you for rescuing them.

**crazycanuck** · 06-17-2009, 01:00 AM

What booteful doggies! Awwww..

THank you for rescuing them Tulip

**KathiCville** · 06-17-2009, 03:42 AM

What a great story! And what wonderful faces!! They're both adorable. Good for you, Tulip, for making room for them in the station wagon!

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 06-17-2009, 05:57 AM

Wonderful story. You did a beautiful generous thing.

**NbyNW** · 06-17-2009, 07:31 AM

Beautiful dogs -- hope they find a good home!

**martaw** · 06-17-2009, 10:04 AM

They are so beautiful dogs, wish them to find a great home!!!! Good job!

**mtbdarby** · 06-17-2009, 10:07 AM

Tulip, what wonderful story! I'm so glad you were able to take them home and get them to the rescue. You have great control - I don't know if I could have let them go

**tulip** · 06-17-2009, 11:05 AM

I miss them! But Shiloh would not have approved, and I would have had to spend big bucks on a fancy vacuum cleaner for those two. Hopefully they'll be placed on a farm or at least somewhere that they can be outside alot.

In a very strange twist of fate, I had a meeting with a client yesterday and mentioned the whole ordeal and he said that they are looking for two GPs for their farm, and have been in contact with the same rescue lady looking for two that are good with sheep. So maybe, just maybe, they'll end up on my client's farm...wouldn't that be interesting!

My niece named them Rosie and Gus.

**Tuckervill** · 06-17-2009, 11:40 AM

Gorgeous. I'll bet someone is looking for them.

My son has a GP mix, and he sheds BUCKETS. I have to do dog hair eradication after he leaves, and you would not believe the clumps of white hair and where it ends up, only after a couple of days.

My son has taken to combing him every day when he gets home from work. It barely makes a dent.

Karen

**tulip** · 06-17-2009, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tuckervill

Gorgeous. I'll bet someone is looking for them.

That would surprise me. Neither were fixed (they are now, apparently), and the collar on one was so tight I'm surprised she could breathe. There are alot of farms in that area, and so they might have been dumped if the farmers ran into trouble financially and had to sell the farm or the flock. Those dogs don't run away from their place. Since neither were fixed, they could also have come from a puppy mill. Who knows. They are so friendly, though. In any case, the rescue group knows what to do and I'm sure they'll do a good job in getting them in appropriate homes.

The shedding was incredible. After only a few hours in my car, I had to vacuum three times at the car wash. And yes, there were big tufts!

**Selkie** · 06-17-2009, 01:22 PM

The poor sweet souls were lucky to find you and your family. They will be snapped up right away and a rescue will ensure they go to deserving homes.

You are a stronger woman than I because there is no way I could have turned those beauties over to anyone! Talk about love at first sight. Look at those smiles....

It sounds like they had been on the lam for awhile, particularly if one of the collars was tight (particularly if it was the puppy's collar).

**emily_in_nc** · 06-17-2009, 06:58 PM

They are gorgeous dogs, to be sure, but it was your mom's smiling, natural face that caught my eye in your photo. She is an absolutely beautiful woman! We should all hope to look so healthy and real at her age.

**tulip** · 06-18-2009, 06:33 AM

Rosie (the adult) has heartworms and will be treated once she recovers from the spaying. Gus (the puppy) does not have heartworms, so once he recovers from neutering and the stitches come out, he'll get a bath, which he really needs. It's nice of the rescue lady to keep us informed. Rosie is the one who had the very tight collar. The puppy didn't have a collar. No word on if they are microchipped.

Even if I didn't already have a dog, there's no way I could have kept them. They really need a farm, and I'm sure they will get one, hopefully with some sheep to guard. I know that they will get a more appropriate home than I can provide. My mother already has three dogs, and so her place was out of the question, too. At least she lives in the mountains, though, where it's cooler. My hot and humid climate would not be fair to them.

My mom turns 66 this summer. She takes very good care of herself and always has. It's paid off.

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