Rescue is a Beautiful Word - A Joyous Adoption Story

This post by Gayle M. Irwin

Nearly two months ago a 4-year-old Shih Tzu found a new home: MINE! His name was Stormy and he spent the first three years in a Midwestern puppy mill. He was used for breeding and though he had some interaction with people, his life wasn’t filled with much compassion, love, or care. Then, in September 2016, he was brought to an animal rescue sanctuary in southern Nebraska. At Hearts United for Animals, Stormy learned people could be kind and they could be trusted. And though he had veterinary care (sadly, losing 28 of his 42 teeth) and caring interaction with people, he still had no experience living in a home and consistent, compassionate care. That all changed on September 10 when my husband and I drove back to Casper from Nebraska with the little guy in the back seat of our car next to our 2013 rescued springer/cocker named Mary.

 

He and Mary had opportunity to meet at HUA’s play yard. They spent more time together at the hotel where we overnight and during the long drive back to Wyoming. They are now attached, especially him to her. Renamed Jeremiah, our little adoptee follows Mary everywhere and cuddles with her on the couch, on the floor, on the bed – she is his big sister and best friend. He’s already learned a great deal from her, including walks on the leash can bring grand sniffing adventures; running through the back yard is great fun; and going outside to potty gets you treats. He’s also learned how fun toys can be. He still needs to learn to share with his canine housemate, though!

Jeremiah is a sweet companion. When I’m home working in my office, both he and Mary come and lay either on the futon beside my desk or on the floor near my feet (although Jeremiah much prefers to lay on a soft-blanketed doggie bed than the hardwood floor!) When I return home from my day job, gone about eight or nine hours, Jeremiah is usually waiting at the door, and the joy he portrays, dancing on his hind legs a move for which Shih Tzus are famous, raising his little feet up toward me to be held, hugged, and cuddled melts my heart. My blind dog Sage used to come through the house after hearing the lock turn in the doorway, welcoming me home with springer songs of AHOO, AHOO!! I love the devoted, loving way dogs (and cats) oftentimes greet us when we come through the door!

As I watch Jeremiah settling in and coming out of his shell, revealing his precious, somewhat precocious personality, I am thankful my husband and I adopted him. There are challenges to pet adoption, particularly when bringing home a puppy mill/kitten mill animal; however, watching them blossom under loving tutelage is very rewarding and observing them overcome their fears and mistrust is joyous! That joy is contagious. The first time I watched Jeremiah flat-out boogie across the back yard and witness him grabbing the stuffed toy, shaking it, then running through the house with it in his small, somewhat toothless mouth made me both laugh and cry. Knowing he might never have enjoyed such freedom, pleasure and joy was like an arrow to my heart. Rescue is a beautiful word. I’m grateful to the staff and volunteers at HUA for saving Stormy/Jeremiah and the countless other animals they’ve rescued in the 30 years of operation. I’m also grateful to the other puppy mill rescues, such as National Mill Dog Rescue in Colorado, and the thousands of animal shelters and rescue groups across the country.

November is Adopt-a-Senior Pet Month. Although Jeremiah was by no means a senior, when I inquired as to why this small dog had not yet been adopted, the staff member responded, “Likely his age – most people want puppies or 1-year-olds.” That shocked me – by no means is Jeremiah “old,” unlike the cocker spaniel my husband and I adopted in 2008, who was then 10 years of age. Cody lived to be almost 18, possibly because of the love and care we gave him. I hope Jeremiah lives to such a ripe old age!

During this special month of Adopt-a-Senior Pet, I hope you will take time to help rescue animals in some way: by adopting or fostering; by volunteering at your local shelter/rescue; donating necessary items; helping to promote adoption; helping at an event put on by your local rescue organization.

November is also Thanksgiving. If you have pets, take time to be thankful for the joy and companionship they provideas and for the numerous rescue groups who unite people and pets. Also consider being grateful for the many thousands of animals who provide not only companionship, but also necessary help for their humans, such as service dogs, therapy cats, and K9 and military animals. We are blessed by having animals in our lives, in our communities, and in service to our country.

Hugs to you and your pets from me and mine, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

 

Gayle M. Irwin is a freelance writer, author and speaker. She is part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul family, having published seven short stories in seven of the internationally-acclaimed books, including a rescue story in the August release "The Dog Really Did That?" She also has a story in "Memories from Maple Street USA: Pawprints on My Heart" from Sundown Press. She maintains a pet blog on her website, found at www.gaylemirwin.com.

Be Inspired

This post by Gayle M. Irwin

“Every day is a fresh beginning. Every morn is the world made new.” – Susan Coolidge

That quote is on the January 2017 portion of my new calendar, a lovely creation by Blue Mountain Arts given as a gift by one of my friends. The calendar is titled “Follow My Lead – How dogs teach us to live a life of kindness, faithfulness, and unconditional love.” For the month of January, the heading says “Be Amazed.” Future months encourage taking time to be curious, to be in nature, and to relax – each one a bit of wisdom and an inspiration. My friend knows me well – nature and dogs inspire me. This calendar is now part of my home office, and each time I look at it, I will be inspired – by the headings, the various quotes, and the beautiful artistic drawings.

As I mentioned, dogs inspire me. Whether my own pets, the dogs of others, or the rescued ones I’ve assisted, they have been, and are, a focus of my writing. I enjoy cats, too, and recently I’ve created some cat stories, ones that have run in my local weekly paper as a reading for children. However, dogs seem to be more my forte’ so I continue my quest to create inspirational short stories and books with canines as the main character.

Her name was Jazmine. She was on a journey, and I was part of that adventure. When she arrived at my car in Casper, Jazmine had already traveled more than four hours from her foster home in southern Wyoming. I was taking her another two-plus hours north, and someone else was taking her an additional two hours into Montana. Her final destination? Calgary, Canada, where her adoptive family awaited her. That would take another full driving day.

         

As I gazed at the elegant, yet scarred face of this rescue dog, a gentle giant who had been abandoned in the wilds of Wyoming’s Red Desert by someone she once trusted, I marveled at the tenacity, not only of Jazmine, but of most rescue dogs. Going from one family to another, having to adjust not only to new humans, but to a different home, oftentimes with new rules and expectations, at times to once again be left behind at an animal shelter filled with strange voices, other sounds, and smells: all that takes courage and perseverance. Then waiting, whether in cages or in foster homes, for yet another family and try again to settle in and be accepted – that, too, takes bravery and tenacity. And, here was Jazmine, me the third person in a day she’d accompanied: her foster parent, transporter #1; me transporter #2, and her journey had barely begun. She had thousands of miles yet to travel, and would encounter yet another five transporters at least before finally meeting the family who had adopted her. How would she fare once she arrived ‘home?’ How would she be treated? And how confusing all this must, and would, be for a dog who sought only to give devotion and love.

Jazmine and her adoptive family in Canada.

So starts a short story I’m working on for an anthology about dogs; deadline is later this month, and I’m hopeful for its acceptance. But, Jazmine didn’t just inspire a 1,000-word story; she’s inspired a children’s book that I’m also currently working on. The story is told from her perspective, much like the award-winning children’s book A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin. I read a segment of my manuscript during a writer’s open mic night in my community; many people came up to me afterwards with encouraging sentiments. One woman even had tears in her eyes and told me about the rescue organization in another state that her daughter operates. My goal with this book is to teach as well as to inspire: to teach children about the plights of homeless animals and about the people who rescue and help them, and to inspire those children and their parents to help pet rescue organizations through volunteering, donating, and educating their friends. Jazmine’s story, her life, is one of courage, perseverance, love, and second chances (see above photo). Her life is an inspiration, and I look forward to sharing her story – whether as an article, a book, or both – this year.

A new year has dawned. May you find many wonderful treasures to inspire you in 2017, whether it’s pets, nature, your family, even strangers. Inspiration is all around us – we only have to be aware through our senses and our intuition and to open our hearts to the wonderful discoveries. 

Gayle M. Irwin is the author of several inspirational pet books for children and adults. She is also a contributing writer for six Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and she has a story in Sundown Press' summer 2016 release Memories from Maple Street USA: Pawprints on My Heart. She helps several Rocky Mountain region pet rescue organization with events, by transporting rescued pets, and through donating a percentage of her book sales to these groups. Gayle enjoys sharing about the pet-human bond and believes people can learn a lot from animals. Learn more about Gayle and her work at www.gaylemirwin.com.

Writing and Pets -- An Ideal Partnership for NaNo and Beyond

This post by Gayle M. Irwin

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNo) as well as Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month.  As a writer of inspirational pet stories for children and adults, I weave my love for animals and my enjoyment of writing together.  I am excited for November! I’m participating in NaNo this year; I missed last year due to writing deadlines for several magazine and newspaper articles I was working on. This month I also have some articles due, but not until later in the month and not as many as last year due to finishing them in October for a November 1 deadline. Therefore, NaNo, here I come! (maybe at a “gale-force!”)

I have two projects I desire to complete, both of which were started a few years ago. One is what I call a “pet rescue romance.” I developed the idea about three years ago while taking a fiction writing course at my local community college. The instructor, Mary Billiter, is a published writer of newspaper columns and fiction stories. Several in the class write in the romance genre, as does Mary with her fiction stories. As I learned romance is a leading seller, I thought I’d give it a shot. But, I also wanted to weave my passion for pets into the work with hopes of doing something else I enjoy: educating people about pet rescue. So, I began this new journey. But, I quit within a few months of the class ending. This style is out of my writing box, out of my comfort zone. However, as I’ve shared the idea with writer friends, I’ve been encouraged it’s a story that interests people and should be written. So, as November dawned, here I go, diving back into it.

My second goal is to finish another work I started more than five years ago: a dog rescue story for children. Based on a true story about a dog I helped transport for Big Dogs Huge Paws, a large-breed dog rescue group in Colorado, this relates the tale of a dog abandoned by its owner and taken into rescue then later adopted. Again, my desire is to educate people (in this case children and their families) about pet rescue. I’ve even spoken to leaders at Big Dogs Huge Paws on how we might collaborate to bring them additional funds through the sale of the book and hopefully also more volunteers for the rescue organization. But, I need to finish the book first.

NaNo will help me complete the projects and continue in the vein I enjoy: pet stories (albeit one story out of my comfort zone). The pet passion has stayed with me since childhood, and writing provides opportunity to increase awareness of and need for people to help pets. According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) nearly eight million dogs and cats enter animal shelters and rescues annually, and many of them don’t leave. Only about 35 percent of shelter animals are adopted; sadly, many shelters kill healthy animals that don’t get adopted to make room for another sad statistic: additional animals coming through the doors. Pet ownership responsibility and community needs for rescues and shelters are lessons I hope readers learn from my works, whether those readers are children or adults. Weaving writing with pets, pet ownership responsibility, and animal rescue is one way I can serve the causes for which I’m passionate. 

Pets and writing make an ideal partnership for me as an author. With NaNo, I plan to achieve my writing goals and complete these two works. Blow ye winds, hi-ho – off to writing more pet stories I go!

Gayle M. Irwin is a Wyoming writer, author, and speaker. She is the author of several inspirational pet stories for children and adults, including a chapter book called Sage's Big Adventure, a kid's activity book titled Cody's Cabin: Life in a Pine Forest, and two memoirs: Walking in Trust: Lessons Learned from My Blind Dog and her latest: Tail Tales: Stories of Pets Who Touched My Heart and Impacted My Life. She is also a contributing writer to several editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul and is one of the featured writers in Memories from Maple Street U.S.A: Pawprints on My Heart, released by Sundown Press. She has new children's works forthcoming and will be on the booksigning circuit in Wyoming and Montana during November and December. Learn more at www.gaylemirwin.com.