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Penny's New Home!
I am thrilled to announce that Hope and Penny have both found wonderful homes! Since NEMDA was first contacted about these girls in need of new homes, I have logged over 332 e-mails pertaining to this rescue. Thank You to all who helped with this rescue along the way, I have had a lot of support. Rescue is a very important and rewarding part of NEMDA and I am glad I could help by picking up & fostering these girls this summer. The homes they have been placed in couldn't be more perfect for each of the girls individual needs.
Penny was placed with the Madar family in Arizona on August 25, 2001. We met at the NM - AZ state lines. Penny and Lucky (their 7 yr. old Entle, who is also a rehomed/rescue dog) seemed to get along fine and with Boris (Alice & Ivan's son) it was love at first site. The Madar family is very involved in Herding, Agility & Fly ball, all of which Penny will be trained in.
Following are a "few" excerpts from the many e-mails between Alice, Gina & myself over the past few months, kind of a fun way to follow her story.
6/30 - From Alice Madar
"Hello Senesa, I've just put in an adoption application to Gina. The two girls you're evaluating sound like one of them might work very well in our house! I was forwarded an e-mail that said to contact you for more information on the dogs. I'd love to hear more about them."
7/1 - From Senesa
"Hello Alice, Just got back from Texas with these dogs, they are both doing great and are very nice girls, (Hope & Penny) and should be easy to place in the right situation. They are sisters but are very different in every aspect it seems. I'll tell you more about them when we all get rested up and I have some one on one time with them. I will need to talk to Gina and see about your application and how this whole process goes as this is my first experience picking up and placing a rescued Entlebucher. I will be taking them for a vet exam tomorrow & getting them their shots. I will evaluate them this week and let you know how things are progressing in a few days."
7/10 - From Gina
"Hi Alice, I've rec'd more info. on Penny and Hope. There is a big article in the Entlebook coming out next week. What we're going to do is give that a week to see who all is interested in the variety of dogs and then start narrowing down the lists. Something more concrete to come maybe the end of the month, so, keep you eyes peeled for your Entlebook. :)"
8/12 - From Alice
"Hi Gina, Yes, I was interested in Penny. She sounds like a great dog that would fit in perfectly here. However, I've been talking it over with my husband and considering my new job (business administrator at a small elementary school), and I think at this time it would be very difficult to take on a new dog. Some of the staffers at the school are scrutinizing Lucky very closely and watching and judging my every move, and I am concerned that if I begin rotating in another dog at this point they may say NO dogs. If there are some other good options for her, I would say I should go to the back of the line. I just want to make sure she does end up with a home that gives her the love and attention she deserves!
8/13 - From Alice
"Gina, Well after receiving your e-mail and talking it over again with my husband, and for the first time in depth with my son, I've changed my wobbly mind. I now know why it was so hard for me to decide to step back from Penny--it was the wrong decision. I would dearly love to take her if you two don't now consider me insane. I feel very certain of this now and have no doubts about making it work."
8/16 - From Gina
Hi Alice, "We are getting close (maybe within a week or so) to the time for Penny to "go to her new home." Senesa will be contacting you regarding arrangements. My two cents, I think she will be a great match for you and what you are hoping to do with her!"
8/22 - From Senesa
"Alice & Gina, Picked the girls up this afternoon. They aren't quite a perky as usual ! The spay surgery went well however both of their uterus' were very enlarged as if they were in full blown heat. They started their heats the beginning of July, shouldn't they have been over it? ... Hope ate her dinner but Penny wasn't hungry, she is not quite the piggy that Hope is though. I'll keep you posted..."
8/22 - From Gina
"Alice, have you guys talked about a pickup/drop-off date? you're gonna have SOOO much fun!!!"
8/22 - From Senesa
"Alice, Still planning on coming there this Saturday, will be in touch."
8/25 - From Alice
"Senesa, Well we made it back! Penny and Lucky slept the whole way. Penny and Lucky have gotten along perfectly--we just took care not to let her see Lucky playing Frisbee! She is behaving somewhat submissively, but I think that's what she does until she feels comfortable with her new "people." She is a little bundle of love! I could not get Boris away from her all evening (but I didn't try--it was amazing how much he is enjoying her.) Tomorrow she meets our agility instructor, but Penny and I will just watch--I will wait till her stitches are out before doing any serious activity!"
8/26 - From Senesa
"Alice, Good morning... How did she do her first night? Just curious, Hope sure misses her..."
8/26 - From Alice
"Senesa, Penny did fine her first night--I had her sleep in bed with me and I don't think she moved the whole night! I took her with us to agility today and sure enough she wanted to be in there running and playing with toys. But that will have to wait until after her tummy heals from the spay and she graduates from basic obedience--I've got her enrolled in a class beginning September 11, but we'll do some work before then."
8/26 - From Gina
"Hi Alice, SOOO glad Penny is HOME safe and sound!"
8/29 - From Alice
"Senesa, I had her in the school office yesterday. She did very well but got very tired. She seems to be less more bold at home now, but concerned in new situations. I think she probably was not socialized much when she was young. Agility is great for giving dogs confidence to overcome just these sort of issues. She and Lucky have had a couple of rousing games of tug of war, in which they sounded like they were tearing each other limb from limb but actually were very respectful of each other Lucky seems to have decided Penny is OK because even though she can't throw a Frisbee, can play a good game of tug of war."
8/30 - From Alice
"Senesa, Today we had a major breakthrough. Penny and Lucky played together, without a toy. That is huge! I have never ever seen Lucky play with another dog, or show any interest in playing with another dog. Penny really won him over. And I can't believe how gentle he is with her."
9/5 - From Alice
"Senesa, Penny is all healed. She is also getting more and more comfortable here. We took her on a hike today (with Lucky) which she loved. She and Lucky move in unison like a school of fish (Purely Penny's doing--she follows Lucky everywhere!). Ivan, who resisted getting a second dog, calls Penny "addictive." She is Berner-like in that she can be so calm in the house, and so playful and energetic outside. Even her eyes (dark, almond, with long lashes) remind me of my Berner. Telepathy? The other night, with Penny sleeping between my legs as usual, I had this dream, and I swear it was her dream--the view was at her eye level. She was running through grassy fields chasing a small white floppy object--and having a grand time."
9/10 - From Alice
"Senesa, Yesterday when I took Penny (as usual) with me to observe Boris and Lucky in agility, the instructor said we could start her, even though she's had no obedience. She did very well, picking things up almost immediately. The funny part to me was the instructor had us use a food incentive (two other dogs started yesterday--Penny did the best), and each time Penny got a food reward, she then ran over to the toys--Lucky always gets a ball reward, so Penny wants one too!
So, as I said, Penny couldn't have found a better home...
5/7/03 - From Alice
Penny has worked out beautifully here. I often call her perfect Penny. She has unbelievable speed. She is faster than all but one of the 4 border collies on our flyball team. She is a little insecure, so training something new can take awhile because she gets sort of wound up (very much like my son!!), but then once she knows it she is just flawless. She loves being at school and is quite comfortable with masses of children--even seeking out the middle of a crowd, whereas when I first got her she was scared of groups and occasionally submissively urinated with strange men. Not now. She is sure of herself and of our love for her. And she LOVES to perform. She had the best time at that dog show we won recently. Our relationship continues to evolve--suddenly she is more interested in cuddling than she's ever been. Before, it seemed a little too familiar for her taste. I will bring her to Entlefest this fall (I will probably leave Bravo at home, since I can't bring 2--well, I won't bring 2).