This is another dog rescue story with a very happy ending! This October a very large, black Lab arrived at our farm. I watched out the window as he made a left hand turn directly into our driveway (as if this was his planned destination) and walked right up our path. As many of you know Smokey is our guard dog and protector and does not easily tolerate visiting male dogs on his property. Smokey barked a little at the black giant but seemed comfortable with him and showed no aggression. I was pretty sure this dog had a home so I loaded him into my tiny car and drove all over looking for someplace that might seem familiar to him or find someone searching for him. He wore a dingy, old collar but there were no tags. When I saw that, my first thought was that he had been dumped but I held on to the hope he had a home. Days went by and he fit right in to our life like he had always lived here but I continued my search for his people, running newspaper ads and posting signs. I talked to dozens of people in a large radius of us but no one knew a thing about him and most didn’t care much about a lost dog out in the cold. I took him to a local vet to see if he had a microchip. He did but it was not a brand they carried so they could not help although they could read the number but they could scarcely be bothered to write it down for me. I called around and found a vet that could read this brand and we drove there only to find out that it had not been kept current and so there was no information available. I wasn’t done yet! I contacted the company but they could not help since the chip had not been kept up. However, they did give me the name of the actual manufacturer. They were in Baton Rouge and I lucked onto someone interested in this lost dog who looked up the original purchaser. It was a breeder in Sandpoint, Idaho. I felt like I was finally making progress and placed the call. Darn, if it wasn’t an answering machine but that evening I received a call back. After looking up the number they found the original buyer and told me the year he was born and what a smart litter he was from. They said they would contact the buyer and get back to me. I id not hear anything so in a few days I called and they said the number was disconnected but gave me the buyer’s name. Later that day I had a call from a person who saw our ad and knew the dog. They told me his sad story and his background and the abuse he had suffered along with 2 siblings. It was heartbreaking to hear these details. I called the breeder back thinking that they would/could help me place a pure bred Lab that they had brought into this world but suddenly their tone completely changed and I was told that I was on my own. Meanwhile, we had named the dog Champ. Actually, that was the 2nd name we chose. The first name we picked was actually his real name which I learned from the breeder and we changed it so that he could have a new name for his new life. He loved riding in the truck or car, he was happy doing anything that he could be a part of. Some dear friends bought him a new bed and brought over toys and food. Champ took to that bed right away! Champ was a great dog. He loved us and our dogs, was good with the donkeys and goat (Jimmy was always trying to get him to play) and was great in the house. The only problem was C-A-T-S. He was not good with cats and seemed to have been encouraged in his past to chase them. We needed help with this issue so I contacted our Animal Communicator and asked her to speak with Champ. I knew from experience that it is hard to place dogs who chase cats and I could not risk him hurting our cats. The following is Debbie’s conversation with Champ:
Hi Marci, Would you quit sending me animals that make me cry!! Sheesh. But I must say, I think Champ has just done more for me than I have done for him. What an amazing being. I think he just may be a healer or something. Before I get ahead of myself, I’ll start at the beginning of our chat. He came across very happy, even smiling. Very generous and talkative. He likes the donkeys and the goat is okay but Jimmy Two Toes is a bit bossy. He showed me a picture of him following your husband around as he does chores. Champ says “I’m free, I soar.” He mentioned in several places freedom. He wasn’t tied up before but he had to stay close to the man he was with. He really loves the hikes you take him on. And I got the feeling that it isn’t just physical freedom as his spirit can soar too now. I asked about the man he was with. He showed me a dirty van. He said the man was unhappy. After everything Champ had been through he didn’t have unkind words to say. He did say that the man would whip him sometimes and that the man was angry. He didn’t always get enough to eat — and he added jokingly “I over do now”. Champ tried to please him but said “I’m done now.” and that he chose to go. “I saw an opportunity and took it. I feel bad that I failed.” He sees his failure as not helping the man find happiness. But he knows there is another family out there to love…with kids, because he loves kids. I could feel so much love from him as he spoke that tears came to my eyes. By the way, he likes his new name, and asked if he could keep it. I said that he could but his new forever family might change it but that you would let them know he likes Champ. He was okay if they changed it but does like Champ. As for the cats, he gave me another happy smile and said he loves to play with them. He does not want to hurt them. It is a bit of an instinct thing. I let him know that humans don’t like that and it is keeping him from his forever home. So we came up with a job. He is to watch them as they move, know where they are at all times and protect them. He is basically the keeper of the cats. He seemed to like that job and I reiterated it several times before we separated. As you talk to him, remind him what we talked about and what his job is. Give him praise and hopefully it will all sink in and stay. He is very positive and not dwelling on the past. He is larger than life and his essence was pure perfection — minus the biological cat chasing thing of course. He wants to say thank you and told me how special you and your husband are. He says light shines from you both and said it is beauty personified. “I’m grateful for all you do. Peace be with you forever even when I’m gone.” I asked how he found you as other animals do, and he said that your farm glows. You truly are a beacon. If I understood correctly, it seems animals can see auras. Oh, and he also said you were beautiful. The end of our chat is near, but he doesn’t let me go. He tells me he is very wise. So I bite. I ask him advice for me. Without a beat he tells me I’m afraid that I will fail. The bugger makes me cry! He opens my heart and tells me there is nothing to fear. It was as if he was trying to get me to soar as well. I haven’t stopped crying yet. It was extremely cathartic and releasing. I hope that it is the shift that I need. That is why I feel he is a healer. He tried to help the angry man, he touched my heart, and is anxious for a new family to love. Absolutely amazing. He is my role model for sure now. Thank you for allowing me to talk to Champ….Peace, Debbie
For more information about Debbie and the services she offers visit: www.dvanimalcommunicator.com
We reminded Champ daily about his new role with our cats and by the second day he was already showing signs of improvement with them. By the end of the week they were all sleeping in the same room together! This was a huge breakthrough. No more chasing or lunging at our cats, Champ simply accepted them and pretty much ignored them. Hooray for Debbie! Hooray for Champ!
By now we had had Champ here with us for almost 3 months. He was such a joy to have around and was such a part of our life. Smokey and Champ were always together, playing or napping - they were best buds. But we knew we needed to find him home. He is a very large dog and we have a very small house. I also felt absolutely sure that this beautiful boy had come to us to help him find the home he was destined for. All his sad history could be forgotten with the love he would share with his new family and I was working hard to find him that home. We worked on manners and commands, changed his diet to a premium food and gave him lots of exposure to people and animals and took him on long daily hikes with our boys. He never left our side on these long walks, always keeping us in sight. A friend who has an animal rescue in Spokane suggested I ask a friend of hers to post Champ’s info at work. I contacted her and within hours of the ad being posted our phone was ringing. So many people called - kind people who cared about his plight and wanting to adopt Champ. Champ found his family. They walked into his life and he never looked back. He is warm and happy, well fed and loved. It is a home truly sent by the angels. A miracle for a black dog in a sea of unwanted black dogs. Things often happen in life that are ‘wow’s. Things that we need to open ourselves up to, to truly experience. Champ gave us that wow by offering Smokey the gift of pure friendship, helping Debbie regain her confidence and above all giving us his instant, unconditional love while showing us the goodness in others. We become jaded in our rescue work by mankind’s cruelty and indifference but Champ brought out the best in so many with his sad story. We were blessed to have had Champ in our life and feel even more blessed to have been able to place him in such a perfect home. The angels were truly watching over this big, black Lab.
