In general, we wish people would give us their dogs. So it’s a shame when we get a call from an owner who *loves their dogs, saying he can no longer keep them. (*”loves” to mean, besides being given food and water on a daily basis, the dogs get that thing called affection/ positive attention).

Jared’s house had caught on fire. Thankfully, the backyard was massive and sectioned off by a large garage/workshop and smaller shed, which created a distraction for the fire giving the dogs ample place to flee with their owner. He tried for a few weeks…but it became impossible for him to keep his dogs with the constant stream of people going in and out of the yard to assess this, fix that. One company was insistent they would shoot the dogs should they show up again to find only the dogs and not him at home. (Jared had wound up placing huge pieces of wood across the entire fence, only able to be removed by an electric screwdriver. Not even a lock to bust off! He wanted his dogs safe.)

And unfortunately he couldn’t farm them out to family or friends. Not even the younger 3 month old. People always offer to help should such a life changing event occur, but when it actually does, well, things aren’t always the same. And these were big Shepherds…which turned out to be part of the luck.

When Jared first called ACN, it was more brainstorming and throwing out the possibility he might have to surrender 1 of them. Given that they were Shepherds, purebred rescue people were a place to start and we eventually found a foster by networking. Second part of the luck? Time. Lady went first to the foster home and by the time Jared called again, very distressed, 2 weeks had passed and the foster home was able to take BOTH Luke and the little guy, Carlos.

How fabulous an ending to such a sad situation? When we pulled up to the house and the dogs realized they were together again, the barking frenzy bordered hysteria…then they ran towards each other at 100 mph, rolling on the ground, whimpering, jumping…can’t say that I personally had seen anything quite like it, despite having witnessed many dog reunions.

(Jared is related to a lady we have been helping in Inkster for years. It was through her referral that he called us, having been told that should she ever have to give up her dogs, we would be the only people she would trust to take them. Wonderful compliment!)