Dually and Griz

It’s finally time to write, on this fine Spring afternoon, about the divine and joy-filled experiences with which we’ve been blessed…. Our two miracle pups, Dually and Griz.

On Aug 31, 2009, our blue heeler (Australian Cattle Dog), Liz, was killed in a freak car accident. Our family was devastated. Pain, depression, sorrow, wag-less days and nights. People told us we had to finish our grieving, we had to honor Liz’s memory and feel the pain. I believed them…. for awhile. Then, my fingers took over and started typing on my computer in search of another heeler. I don’t know why, but just the act of looking brought me relief from my grief, knowing that we could rescue a dog that might not otherwise find a happy home. Sure, I may have been in avoidance and denial of the profound loss we were enduring, but somehow my fingers kept reaching out on the computer.

Shelters here, there, everywhere… they all had a heeler or two (notorious dogs for either running away, or being ‘off-loaded’ mercilessly in some country locale). Each photo of the dogs tugged on my soul, but I knew they were not our dog, our healer heeler.

Then, by chance, I stumbled on the roster of Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado. I saw some heeler pups that were obviously well-cared for, looked feisty, and had the character in their pictures that ignited my hopes. Without even consulting my husband and son, I emailed the link on the site. I waited for a day or two, but no answer. I figured the pups had been adopted and the site had old information. However, the pups listed were calling out to me. I persisted. I called Beth in Ft Collins only to get her answering machine. I went ahead and filled out an online adoption application. I tried calling other phone numbers on the site and reached someone in Denver who suggested I keep trying to reach Beth.

Those pups were probably all adopted, I figured, but something told me to keep trying. I finally reached Beth, well into the evening on a late-September night. Two of the pups were still available for adoption. She sounded a bit shocked that I had emailed and submitted my application as she had not received anything from me. A few hours after we’d communicated, she said she’d contacted her webmaster and that there was a problem with her website, and that is why she had not received my inquiries. Beth also said there were HUNDREDS of inquiries about the pups, but she had not been receiving the emails because of the issue on the website! (miracle?)

I quickly faxed her the application and asked if we could come see the pups that weekend. She was hesitant as she was preparing them for an adoption fair on the upcoming Saturday. I asked if we could come really early (from NE Parker) and look at the pups before she took them. She agreed. (miracle?)

I finally spilled the beans to my family, showing them the pictures from the DRC website: Two brother pups – one red, the other a red-blue mix. Each dog’s personality shone through on the pictures. Beth asked if we wanted one or two pups. I could not decide and told her we’d have to meet them.

On our way to Beth’s, on that magical October morning, we drove by a busy street-corner near our house. There, on the corner, was a pickup with a truck-bed of heeler pups a rancher’s family was selling off the street-corner. My heart was racing. Were we supposed to get one of the truck pups, or were we supposed to continue on to Ft Collins to Beth’s pups? It seemed almost TOO coincidental that we were ‘led’ to an intersection (literally and figuratively) in which we had to look for divine guidance as to which dog (dogs?) were going to be ours. Were we supposed to take one of the truck-pups, who looked frightened, insecure, and in need of a home? Or was our canine destiny at Beth’s an hour’s drive north? I struck up a conversation with another elderly couple who were looking at the truck-pups. I’d mentioned we were on our way to Ft Collins to DRC to look at some pups. The lady, a rancher who was looking for a ‘working’ dog’, huffed and said she’d seen the listing at DRC, but those “were not workin’ dogs.” We were 70 miles from DRC on a random street-corner, at a random time, and ran in to someone who already knew our future pups? (miracle?)

The picture of those two puppies on the website called out to me. Ft Collins here we come!

Meeting Beth, and meeting the pups, were two of the most magical moments of my life. These dogs were lively and bright and so joyful and well-mannered. How could we not see the miracle we were led to discover that day? Beth’s other dogs, all amazing animals, had created a loving pack for Griz and Dually. They were well-adjusted, and a delight!

Then, Beth asked the hard question: “Which pup do you want?” My heart sank. Dually had all the personality traits that my husband wanted: plays fetch, likes to run and romp and was very curious and feisty. Brother Griz, the red-head like our son, had the devotion and protective nature that appealed to me, and whiskers that curled under like he’d been at the beauty parlor all day in order to achieve that effect. Together, they were the perfect playmates, and truly the yin-yang of dog-dom. Which pup??? Was this the canine-version of Sophie’s Choice?

“Well, Beth, I don’t see how we can NOT take them both!” I said.

What on earth were we doing? Two dogs? I’d never had two dogs at once. Was this a decision made too soon after Liz’s passing? Were we asking for trouble? (or a miracle?)

It was then Beth reminded me, after I’d mentioned that people said it might be too soon after Liz’s death to consider another dog. Beth said, with 100% confidence and a deep and knowing awareness, “Why would you EVER want to deprive yourselves of that love for even one day?” That hit me to my core. It was/is true. To love a dog, present or absent, dead or alive, is joy and love beyond measure. Why would I want to deprive myself of that deep connection? (ahhh… is Beth the miracle?)

“We’ll take them both!” I exclaimed. It felt right… scary, but right. Beth was a bit concerned about us taking two pups, and assured us that she would take one or both back if we thought we could not handle them.

They rode home on the long journey to NE Parker, peaceful, not a whimper between them. They must have known it was right, too. That first night, they slept beside our bed without a peep, like they knew this was the place, the time, the home that was theirs. (miracle!) I was elated and fully in love. (natural)

The next morning, the pups were out in the barn with my husband. I went out on our deck up the hill from the barn. I called their names. Without missing a beat, these two thunderballs of fur and joy turned and rocketed across our yard to me as though they’d known me a thousand years. WE’RE HERE! REPORTING FOR LOVE DUTY! I fell to pieces in absolute tears of joy. This is the love I never want to be without.

It is now eight months to the day that they have been in our home, our hearts , our heads. Never ever, for one nanosecond, could I have ever known the joy and happiness these two rescue-pups could have brought. Who rescued whom? They rescued me, they rescued our hearts from sorrow. (Miracle-plus!)

I am forever grateful to Beth and the team at DRC for our miracle pups, our healer heelers.

Sandy D.
Aurora, CO

Time for Griz' close up!                    

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