adoption

Tonya writes:

I heard through some Facebook friends that SPCA International’s Operation Baghdad Pups (SPCAI OBP) had acquired seven retired contractor working dogs in Iraq that needed forever homes. My sister, Lydia, and I had been thinking of adopting a retired working dog, so I contacted the organization at the beginning of December 2010 and we decided that Diablo would be a perfect fit for our family.   He is a 10 year old Belgian Malinois, originally from South Africa, and has worked his entire life.  He has never had a home or family.  During his career, Diablo found a bomb in the pool area of a hotel in the green zone where many journalists were staying, saving hundreds of lives!!

In a war zone it takes a lot of time to get things done and I spent all of December, January, and February wondering where Diablo was and when he was going to be coming to the United States. Finally, on March 2 I learned that he was flying into the Dulles airport and would be housed at a local kennel. After an eight hour drive to Virginia and a good night’s sleep, the day was finally here when I would meet my new “forever friend”. I first met with Mickey, the volunteer who flew to Iraq to pick-up Diablo and another bomb-sniffer, Ivy. Mickey told me how much she loved Diablo and how happy she was to see him going home with me.  It had been a difficult eight hour flight from Iraq. When we got him out of his enclosure to take him outside, he jumped up on Mickey and was so happy to see her—Me, not so much!  He was standoffish, skinny and weak.  We went outside and walked around but he still didn’t seem to like me very much. He had a bath, and although he didn’t like it, he stood still and let me do what had to be done to clean him up. After he was in the drying crate for a little while I let him out and THEN he was happy to see me… Finally!!!! He leaned on me and gave me kisses.  He stayed in the kennel for one more night. The next day when I picked him up I met two more of the SPCAI OBP volunteers.  They are angels to our soldiers who befriend and love the dogs and cats they meet in Iraq and Afghanistan. This wonderful organization raises funds to rescue these pets so that they are in the U.S. when the soldiers arrive home from their tours of duty. These wonderful people volunteer their time, hearts, and risk their lives to fly into Iraq and Afghanistan to rescue these dogs and cats… and most recently a donkey!

Since arriving in Dearborn, Diablo has gained four pounds, gotten visibly stronger, visited the vet, and is now scheduled to have his teeth cleaned!  He loves to sleep on the couch, his dog bed, and even my bed!  He is getting along well with my German shorthaired pointer, Otter, and he seems to just love everyone he meets. He even leaned on the vet when she walked into the exam room!! There is no one that this dog doesn’t like.

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ASPEN – FROM DENALI TO DEARBORN
Another wonderful adoption story told by GPP Sitter, Emily….she writes:

As a dog lover, I was fortunate to have the experience of spending a summer working at Denali National Park in their sled dog kennels. I didn’t know much about sled dogs before heading northwest but it was an amazing experience to immerse myself in the mushing culture. While there, I met 32 wonderful Alaskan Huskeys who have dedicated their lives to preserving the natural beauty of Denali. I had been back in Michigan for about a year and a half but my walls were still decorated with pictures of the dogs and not a day goes by where I didn’t think about them. So when my old boss called me in December with an opportunity to adopt one of the dogs I worked with, I jumped at the chance. I am now the proud owner of Aspen, an 11-year old Alaskan Husky, retired from Denali’s team.
Denali’s dogs are different than the dogs most people think of when they hear “sled dog”. Most people’s minds immediately go to racing and the Iditarod but Denali’s dogs are used for what they more historically have been used for – as a means of transportation for people and supplies. In the winter, the dogs break through deep snow creating a trail system for visitors, they haul supplies in and out of the park, and occasionally take a researcher or their equipment into the backcountry to collect winter data. They are preserving a way of life that is not as prevalent as it once was.
While not a regular lead dog, Aspen did have her fair share of time up front. When a friend of mine, Emily, went out on her first winter mushing, she was sent ahead with her team of ten dogs to break the trail while the other two teams remained at the cabin. When the snow gets too deep for even the long legs of the dogs, the musher must brake the team, snow shoe a mile out and back before continuing on. This process is continued until the snow reaches a manageable level for the dogs (as you can see, it’s quite a bit of work for the mushers as well as the dogs). The snow turned out to be not as deep as originally thought and Emily found herself hours ahead of the other teams and a bit turned around. As an eight year old, Aspen had spent more time in the park than most of the other dogs so Emily put her in lead and Aspen led her straight to the kennels!
With Aspen now officially retired, she has adjusted quite nicely to life in Michigan. She remembered me right away but took some time warming up to my family. Surprisingly, the transition from the smallest dog in the kennels (at 56 pounds) to the biggest in our house (surrounded by my parents’ two 10 pound Maltese dogs) has gone smoothly. Aspen has worked hard all her life, running about 1,000 miles every winter but is soaking up her retirement with long afternoon naps. As soon as I get home from work, however, she is ready for her walk!
For more information on Denali National Park’s sled dogs, visit http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/kennels.htm