Hope - Adopted 1/1/02
Hope was adopted by a great family in Golden Valley, MN. She will have lots of love and affection and the most wonderful yard to play in. Hope will also have lots of doggie cousins to visit with!
Here is a note we got on her first night in her forever home:
Hope seems to have taken over the spot under the kitchen table. She is watching us. Every so often she will come out and search me out for a pat. At first she would come and crouch. I turned away when she did that. Amazingly, she understood and would come around standing up. As I am sending this, she has ventured into the den and is laying beside me. She has met some of her cousins. (Ssssshe just bumped my hand. ) She played with the dogs with her tail held high and her ears pointed up. I think you must have done a very good job with her. We expected much less this first day, but she seems to be remembering the lessons you have taught her. We love her already, and feel a great need to protect her. She is precious. She is so very curious about everything. She does not seem to be very afraid. For tonight we will set up the kennel with the blankets we had in the car in our room. Hopefully that will be a safe feeling for her. She ate her dinner ready to bolt, but she cleaned her plate. She has had no accidents. I am sure we will have our moments, but for right now, I think she feels ok. I know how hard it must be to share her with strangers, but know we will treat her like the precious gift she is. Sounds a bit sappy, but she kinda brings that out in us!
Hope is a 6-12 mo. old Sable/White female collie puppy. She was found wandering with her Mom, 4 sisters and brother in farm fields. They were eating corn and soybeans out of the fields to stay alive. The were corralled over a three day period by animal control. The worst one was Hope. For her height she weighed in at a paltry 25 lb. but since coming into rescue she has put on 20 lb. Hope is beginning to trust humans again and is learning that food is readily available and she is very loved. She is blossoming. She now comes when called and is learning the basics of come, sit, stay and has always walked nicely on a leash. Hope needs a secure loving forever home.
Latest Update:
October 21, 2002
It seems like this has been a year of hopefully Hope! She is a most precious Princess of Contrast. She is getting braver every day. And knowing Hope, it takes a tremendous amount of courage to get through the fear she must have inside. She fights it continually. She does have a few tricks that seems to keep her sane. When she just isn't quite sure, but not totally afraid she will go down on her front paws and do a HUGE yaaaaawn. And if one doesn't work, she will do it again. That usually gets our attention and some attention to Hope. Then she seems to be just fine. Sometimes for no reason we can figure out, she will just be afraid. She will act like we want to hurt her. It takes just about all we have to stand up and walk away. Hopefully those moments are less and less, but we do still get them.
Hope travels badly. We have yet to take a trip with her that she has enjoyed. We are trying just short ones to different parks. She loves to walk on the leash. She does that very well and can be quite brave. In fact, she prances! But she has great fear getting into the truck. If anyone has any ideas on how to travel with a collie Please let me know.
We planted a garden this year, with two rows of corn. Guess who loved to lay in the corn 'field'?
We have plans to take her to 'school', she really seems to love doing things. She is quite bright and a quick learner. She loves playing games. We kinda make them up as we go, usually ending with Hope getting a bit of treat! She is the perfect Princess for us and we have forgotten what life outside our 'kennel' was like!
Thank you again for sharing her with us.
I lost the email from Ellie's family, with their address and phone number on it. If it is possible to get that, I would be grateful. I wonder how the other puppies in Hope's family are doing.
Thank you again.