FROM 'DEATH ROW' TO 'BEST IN RESCUE'

So here’s a story for you. In August of 2017, I was abandoned at a high-kill shelter with my three 1-week old puppies. THREE. ONE WEEK OLD. PUPPIES. We were on doggie death row. If not claimed, we would become just another statistic of the approximately 670,000 dogs euthanized each year at these shelters.

​

Thankfully, my fairy godmother Maria at the Los Angeles rescue organization www.TheFurgotten.org stepped in at the last minute and got the four of us out of there and into the safety of their charitable 501c3. My puppies - being puppies - were almost immediately adopted. Who can blame people - my pups were really really cute. :)

But no one came for me. My story is unfortunately typical of abandoned mama dogs everywhere - we tend to get left behind. I spent nearly 2 years as a foster - no one seemed to want to take a chance on an old mama like me. My self-esteem crumbled. I wanted to give up.

​

Enter Kimberly and Chris this past summer. They had fostered a number of dogs on behalf of The Furgotten and always managed to find them homes. The Furgotten asked if they could step in once more and help find ME a home. This sounded promising! So we met and we hung out, and Kimberly and Chris went right to work - posting and sharing and taking me to meet so many people. Then a funny thing happened. They started posting less...sharing less...meeting less. I thought “oh no - here we go again. They've lost interest in me!”

​

Until I overheard the argument that changed my life forever. Chris had set a meeting with a potential home, and he and Kimberly were discussing it -- passionately. Now, I’m not fluid in *human speak* but I know enough to pick up a few things -- like “who’s this person?” “why are we letting them meet Sugar?” “what if they’re not good enough?”...and the big one: “what if they like her? do we let her go?” No. They don’t. They didn’t let me go.

​

Turns out Kimberly and Chris WERE my home. And I was theirs - a perfect fit for a dog they never thought they were looking for, a perfect fit for me. Now, I go to the office, I go to sporting events, I get to protect MY house. They even take me on vacation! And they shower me with love and care. If there were a dog lottery, I had hit all the numbers.

And if this happy ending weren't enough, MORE unexpected awesomeness was on the horizon. We stumbled across this really cool show for Hallmark called “The American Rescue Dog Show” It was their 3rd season, and they were looking for candidates.

Hundreds upon hundreds of rescues from all over the country gathered in categories such as “Best in Snoring” “Best in Underbite” “Best in Wiggle Butt” and many others. My specialty? “Best in Belly Rubs” Just getting to participate in the show was a HUGE win - all of these wonderful rescue organizations were being featured on national television. Such a positive message.

Then a funny thing happened - I made the semi-finals alongside 9 other rescues... and won “Best in Belly Rubs!” Wow! Amazing! But we weren't done yet! I was whisked to the finals where an even funnier thing happened - I was crowned overall “Best in Rescue 2020” Me!

I went from abandoned mama on doggie death row to American Rescue Dog Show champion. And now, with a $35,000 donation to The Furgotten (courtesy of Hallmark and Pedigree), I am emBARKing (teeheehee) on my year-long reign with a mission to be the inspirational epitome of a “foster win”

Adopt, Don’t Shop. Foster, don’t...be an imposter (I’m still working on that one).

Thank you to everyone along the way who kept me going. Every animal has worth. Every animal deserves love and respect.