I was looking at your page and thought you might like another successful rescue story.
Last spring, I went to my local Humane Society to get some forms for a fundraising project. Since I already had a Golden Retriever and two cats (all adopted from Humane Societies) I had no intent to get yet another pet. But as I was talking to the person at the desk, an adorable face caught my eye. The puppy was white with black spots and one entirely black ear and eye. He was jumping and barking, but also seemed to be laughing at me. I laughed back.
Of course, I had no choice but to meet a puppy who made me laugh the first time I saw him. I petted him a bit, but then quickly turned around and left. I just couldn't have another dog. But on the way out, I asked what kind of a dog he was. The answer was, "We think he might be an English Setter." He had been found two months before, wandering the streets of a small town. I continued my exit and got home without turning around to go back and get him.
But I couldn't get him out of my mind. By 4:00 that afternoon I was heading back to adopt him. I took him for a brief walk, signed the papers, and took him home to meet his new friends. He was giddy with excitement to meet his new Golden friend Griffin and thought the cats were very interesting despite their arched backs and occasional hisses.
A trip to the vet the next day verified his breeding. I was totally unacquainted with English Setters, and she could tell me just a little. She did confirm that there was a breeder near the small town where he was found and guessed that he had wandered away. Since it was winter, she guessed that no one had bothered to look for him, assuming he was lost in the deep snows. The vet also told me that he was only about four months old (two months younger than the Humane Society had guessed) and that he might get substantially larger.
His integration into our home was more challenging than I had expected. I was not inexperienced with puppies, but had never dealt with this breed before or with a dog that had spent two very formative months in a small cage with little human interaction. Bailey was a challenge--but one well-worth the efforts. Housetraining was a breeze. He learned to sit and stay easily. His intelligence was obvious, but his enthusiasm for life sometimes overcame him.
My biggest break with Bailey was accidentally finding an obedience school where the trainer knew lots about English Setters. She was able to give me invaluable help in understanding and accepting who Bailey is, where he came from and what he was bred for, and how to help him become a better dog-citizen. Since then, Bailey and I have made unbelievable strides. Her insights gave me an appreciation of what a unique, special dog I had accidentally acquired. That was just what I needed.
Now Bailey is a year old and is a wonderful pet. He is becoming more and more well-behaved and obedient and is every bit as gentle as Griffin. He may never be the sedate gentleman that Griffin is, but I don't want him to be. He is still the puppy who makes me laugh. Not a day goes by that he doesn't accomplish that--with just a silly look or some unbelievable antics. I know I'm incredibly lucky to have found such a unique pet by accident. Somehow, I think it was meant to be. If he were a female, I'd have named him Fortuna. This spin of the wheel was indeed a fortuitous one.
Patty Ericsson