Good Evening!

As I’m writing you, I am sitting here cuddled up with the newest addition to our family, Sukah. Sukah is about a year old German Shepard (and perhaps Malamute or something else) and he is a snuggle bug. J We first noticed Sukah last summer at a neighbor’s house down the way. He was just a tiny little fluff ball that was full of energy. We would often see him out front of the house playing with the kids. Having an extra affection for shepherds, we noticed him quickly. We also noticed that as he grew a little bigger, he was now tied to a tree in the dirt out front of their house. At first we thought, and hoped, that this was just a once in a while thing….but soon realized that no, he was tied up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The end of summer was here and Fall was quickly approaching. Worried about the rains, cold, and eventually snow, I asked Eric if he would build him a doghouse. Within a day Eric had built a beautiful doghouse that would keep Sukah warm, give him a place to lay out of the elements and keep him dry. We filled it with fresh straw and took it down to deliver to this family, we had never met. To our disappointment they weren’t home, so we took it out of the truck and left a note that we would be back to introduce ourselves someday. A few days later when they were outside we stopped by to say hi. They were very grateful for the doghouse and even gave us a homegrown watermelon in return. (which we and the other animals loved!) But, when we were there, we also noticed that Sukah had a hurt back leg. So, days passed and I would often think, and worry, about Sukah. We would take treats down to the family and bring Sukah gifts. We’d drop off fresh straw to refill his doghouse when he had kicked it all out. Then replaced the straw with a dog bed. We would bring him bones and toys. After realizing that he was tied up all day and all night, I had to do more knowing he was a young shepherd full of energy and wanting to play. So, I brought a friend with me and we went down and asked if I could walk their dog a few times a week. The mom and youngest boy were home and she seemed delighted by the idea. So, I did. I walked Sukah, and sometimes Eric would join us, every 2 days for the last few months. It was something I always looked forward to. We didn’t go terribly far, as I was still concerned about his leg, but he seemed to walk pretty well on it and I watched closely. Most of the time was spent leisurely smelling and exploring. I let him take as long as he wanted. More appropriately, he was walking me.

As you may imagine, we bonded quickly. I always brought a large container of fresh water in case he didn’t have any and would give him a bully stick (the longest lasting treat we’ve been able to find) when I had to leave him. In the beginning he would happily lay down and eat his treat while I drove away, but it didn’t take long for him to catch on to routine and he would jump up and whimper as I drove off. The daughter in the family was responsible for Sukah and she was very thankful that I was walking him, because she said she had school and work, so therefore didn’t have much time for him. We offered to put in a fence or help however we could…including adopting him.

The young girl seemed quite relieved and though he was her first and only dog and she did love him, she was kind enough to be willing to re-home him to us, knowing it would be better for Sukah. She cried and loved on him as we loaded him up. Sukah loved his family, even though he didn’t get to spend much time with them, he still would get excited to see them. You could tell he knew he was moving to a new place and though he seemed confused about leaving his family, he had already started bonding with me and there was plenty to entertain him when he got home!

Sukah has had some great moments in the short time he has been with us and has experienced many things for the first time…meeting lots of new friends, playing and wrestling with other dogs, walks in the wilderness, lots of treats, sleeping and hanging out indoors, belly rubs and a lot of attention! It also has been a big adjustment for the little guy. He had never been to a vet, so the very day after we got him he had a vet appt. for all his vaccines and he got x-rays on his leg. Two days later he was back at the vet to get neutered and they needed additional x-rays of his leg. So, now the last few days he has spent lounging… not able to run, play, or jump, until his sutures heal. And though Luna had been acting so great with him, her old self came out the other morning when I left the dog door open and she gave poor Sukah a nick on his nose. He is such a gentle, easy going, sweetheart of a dog, that it didn’t faze him much. You can tell he still likes her. We knew it would be a challenge bringing an additional dog into our home, as it was with Maya, since Luna is dog aggressive. But, we also know with time, they can be friends, running, playing, and enjoying each other’s company. For now, Sukah doesn’t understand why he isn’t allowed to play with them or why he needs to be on a leash in the yard, but I keep telling him its only for a few days and it won’t be like this forever! We have heard there is a lot “going on” in his knee/ankle on the injured leg, which is not surprising because we knew it was from being hit by a car, but we are still waiting to hear back from the surgeons on if and how they might be able to fix his leg. We will let you know once we hear.

For now, we are just grateful he is here with us and we can give him the life he deserves. Thank you to all of you for your love and support. Thank you for the sweet notes and to those of you who have purchased a hat! It is so fun to send out our first merchandise and know you are out there spreading awareness! We appreciate you more than we can say, and so do all the animals!! Sukah especially says thank you!!

With love and gratitude,

Anna

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