Today we said goodbye to Norris....He is now up for adoption & "dog of the week"

starryeyedtiger

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I just got back from the shelter a moment ago and I have not stopped crying since i got in my car and left
Today I took Norris up to the shelter to be placed up for adoption. My job as his foster mommy is now done and it's time for my little angel to find a wonderful new forever home. My bosses and I took his pictures and they are writing a wonderful story to put on the home page of our website (as soon as i see it's posted, i'll post the link here.) Tomorrow morning at 9:00-9:15am ish he is going to air as our "Dog of the Week" on our local radio station.
(i'll post a link of that also if it's available.) I am really happy that this wonderful little guy is now able to find his forever home. (i am just really sad that i have to let him go!
i'm really going to miss him). Before i took him up there, i wrote a little letter to go with his paperwork for whomever adopts him. I also took up his favorite stuffie, his green giraffe for him. He is being spoiled rotten by my coworkers right now up there. They are going to bathe him today and all that jazz so he smells great for tomorrow. He is also in the big "showcase" cage in the front of our shelter where everyone who walks through the door can see him. I will get to have the final say on who adopts him, so that makes me feel better. I have no doubt he will find a great home- there are soo many wonderful people out there- i'm sure one of them would love to open up their home to this amazing little guy...that makes me feel a bit better.

Please keep your fingers crossed that my sweet Norris finds a wonderful forever home tomorrow that will love him and treat him well! It's really sad seeing him go- but i know he will find a great family.

here's the letter i wrote for him. what do you think? (i go by my first name at work)

" Hi, my name is Lydia,

I would like to take a moment to tell you about sweet Norris. I have had the pleasure of being his foster mom for several months now during his recovery. You could not ask for a better dog- he is a real sweetheart and is one of the best dogs I have ever been around. Each day with this amazing little guy is a blessing!

\tThis little guy had quite a rough past, but with a lot of work now- he has come such a long way since the amputation of his leg! He never really notices that he’s missing that leg….except when he wants to scratch his ear! (It’s quite cute!) The vet said that the missing fur from the amputation site should finish growing back by fall time. It has already started to grow back in certain spots. He doesn’t even seem to realize that he has only three legs instead of four. He runs, walks, jumps, and plays just like a normal dog. The vets have all said he has made an amazing recovery since his surgery as well! He has been in my home around two other large dogs, 4 cats and also has been around the children in my extended family. He is excellent with all of them!

\tHe loves to play with other dogs and would do best in a home that has other dogs or even tolerant kitties for him to play with. He also loves children and is very gentle around them. He is crate trained, house broken, knows some commands (sit, stay, shake, gentle (when receiving a treat- we make him earn his treats by practicing his commands) play dead – but you have to show him this one.) We have trained him according to the book, “The Loved Dog”…it is an excellent training tool and he has been very successful using those techniques. (It is available at most book stores).

\tNorris is very playful and loves to be wherever you are! He also knows his name. He does not like to be left alone or by himself (this is why it’d be best if he had another dog in the same home with him, but he’d also do well with a family that is home a lot). His favorite game is “tug of war” he enjoys playing that with our Australian Shepherd. They will drag each other all around the house playing for hours on end! It is very sweet! He also loves Nyla bones, rope toys, stuffed animals (safe ones for dogs), rawhides, and his favorite toy- his giraffe! (I have included it with his files so that he can take it to his new home.)

\tHe has been eating Pedigree dry dog food (a donation we got into our shelter-it has glucosamine in it which is good for strengthening his body). I would however recommend an even more premium dog food. The best food for him would be either a raw or home cooked diet- but a good premium dog food be it dry or wet is always great too! He does need the added glucosamine in his diet though whether it comes from a supplement or it’s in his food so that it helps to strengthen the remaining joints in his body.
\t
\tNorris is also very good about being handled. He will let you brush his teeth (very important for preventing periodontal disease as dogs age!), brush his fur, bathe him, clean his ears, trim his nails, you name it! He is fully potty trained and knows to go stand by the door when he needs to go outside. (We have him mostly trained to ring a strand of bells attached to our door when he needs to go outside and potty- that way there is no guess work).

\tNorris is a very obedient dog, but occasionally will try to jump up and chew on your hand. When he does this if you take a newspaper and hit the side of your leg with it (not him) the noise distracts him and will make him stop, then he is easy to redirect. (A light mist from a spray bottle on his bottom works as well)

\tNorris is a very family oriented dog and likes to be right where his family is. I believe that he is a German shepherd / Jindo mix and his personality seems to fit that combination. If you wouldn’t mind him hopping into bed with you at night or on your couch to watch TV, I recommend purchasing some “doggie steps” at your local pet store so that it’s easier for him to climb on and off furniture if you plan to allow him up there. He has acclimated exceptionally well to life without an extra leg, but he does occasionally have some issues with walking on different surfaces. In our home, he has learned to walk on carpet, and wooden floors – but sometimes he will slip on the wooden floors a bit. You could put a runner down on any slippery surfaces in your home so that he will have better traction to walk on them and will not hurt himself if he slips and falls. He has not been up and down a staircase since his surgery as we only have a single story house- but I have no doubt that with a little work, he will learn to walk up and down those with ease.

\tNorris does have some requirements as a three legged dog that need to be observed. He needs to be taken for daily walks to help him remain fit and also to strengthen his other legs and back as he now has added weight on them without that other leg there. He also must never be allowed to become overweight as the added weight to his joints can lead to pain and arthritis later on since he already has added weight on the remaining three legs. Norris also needs to be an indoors only dog as he tends to overheat quickly and not do well in very warm weather. I also recommend adding an orthopedic doggie bed to his crate if you crate him so that it is easier on his body.

\tI hope you enjoy this beautiful little guy as much as our family has. He is the best dog that anyone could hope for. I have no doubt that he will do excellent in his new home and be a very loving pet. I know as his foster mom, I will miss him dearly, but I could not be more happy to see him find a great new forever home though where he will be loved and cared for!

Enjoy your wonderful new angel!

Lydia
 

sarahp

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Ohhh Nikki I know how heartbreaking it is to have to give them back


That's a wonderful letter you wrote, and I'm sure him being pet of the week will get a lot of interest in him and allow you to choose the BEST home for him.

Good luck, and I hope you're doing ok
 

jenny82

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That's a wonderful letter Nikki. I know he'll go to a perfect home.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Thankyou soo much everyone. I'm REALLY missing the little guy- but i know he'll get a good home so i'm trying not to worry toooo much (haha yeah right
)
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Awww my boss just posted his profile on our front page of our website
Here's NORRIS!!!!!!
(hehe and my car is in the background
)

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TN219.html

-isn't his bandanna cute????


If ya'll want to listen to his story on the radio tomorrow morning and you don't live in the Midsouth, you can go to this website and listen live
(it will air around 9:00- 9:15 am tomorrow morning Central time!) http://www.kix106.com/ - the box is in the top right hand corner of their website!
 

natalie_ca

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Awww! He's such a sweetie!!!


I'm sorry you had to give him back. I was so hoping that you would adopt him because you loved him so much and he returned that love.

I hope his next home is really a forever home and that he will be loved to pieces
 

MoochNNoodles

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I'm going to set the alarm on my cell to remind me to listen!!! That is a cute picture and I love his little bandanna.. (hehe...first I spelled it bandanda
)
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by lunasmom

What a sweetie!!!

I thought you were going to adopt him
Obviously I misunderstood.
no, that's been talked about in a few other threads
i would LOVE to keep him, but Colin and I both feel that he is exceptionally adoptable (if we didn't think so we would keep him) and will find an excellent home easily. He has also had quite a few inquiries about adopting him by others -so we know there is a huge response by our local public that would love to give him a good home. We would feel guilty keeping him because it means one less animal we will have room to help when they may need a foster home like Norris did. So since he has shown himself to be very adoptable, and there has already been quite a healthy interest in him- we decided it was best we at least give him a chance to find a wonderful new forever home. (if he doesn't find one though, which i doubt would happen......i told Colin i'm keeping him and he's not going to say anything
) So far though with our new "dog of the week" spot on our local radio station- we have had 100% placement success!!!!
I have no doubt he will find an excellent home tomorrow
(i'm just really nervous about who gets him- i will screen them half to death
)

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Awww! He's such a sweetie!!!


I'm sorry you had to give him back. I was so hoping that you would adopt him because you loved him so much and he returned that love.

I hope his next home is really a forever home and that he will be loved to pieces
Thanks Linda

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

I'm going to set the alarm on my cell to remind me to listen!!! That is a cute picture and I love his little bandanna.. (hehe...first I spelled it bandanda)
Definitely listen to it!!! I would tune in around 9 (not sure if there's any sort of on air delay or not) and be ready for it
It usually comes on around 9:15am
My boss Kim will be doing the interview like she does every thrs.


(hehe by the way, glad you spelled bandanna right! I wasn't sure how to spell it!
I need to change that!)
 

lsulover

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What a wonderful letter about Norris, I know that he will find a forever home soon.

Please let us know when this happens.
 

carolpetunia

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Oh Nikki, what a beautiful letter you wrote for him! I'm so glad Norris had you for a foster mom... he sounds like such a happy dog, in spite of everything, and I know that's largely due to the love and kindness you've shown him.

Norris, darlin, please have the most wonderful, joyful life a dog could dream of!
 

adymarie

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You can really tell in the letter that you love that dog! I just hope that he finds a home with half the love you give him and then he will be happy.

I hope that everything works out for him!
 

MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

Definitely listen to it!!! I would tune in around 9 (not sure if there's any sort of on air delay or not) and be ready for it
It usually comes on around 9:15am
My boss Kim will be doing the interview like she does every thrs.


(hehe by the way, glad you spelled bandanna right! I wasn't sure how to spell it!
I need to change that!)
I'm logged in now. I'm glad I tried early, I needed to register, which only took a minute and is no biggie, but I don't want to miss it! It's a good thing I set my cell alarm too. I heard it from my bedroom, but I was knocked out still. Can't hardly type this!...still sleepy.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by LSULOVER

What a wonderful letter about Norris, I know that he will find a forever home soon.

Please let us know when this happens.
thankyou hon.
i will definitely update later and let ya'll know as soon as he gets adopted.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh Nikki, what a beautiful letter you wrote for him! I'm so glad Norris had you for a foster mom... he sounds like such a happy dog, in spite of everything, and I know that's largely due to the love and kindness you've shown him.

Norris, darlin, please have the most wonderful, joyful life a dog could dream of!
Thankyou Carol
I have no doubt he'll get a great home now! My boss did a wonderful job on the radio interview this morning


Originally Posted by adymarie

You can really tell in the letter that you love that dog! I just hope that he finds a home with half the love you give him and then he will be happy.

I hope that everything works out for him!
It'd be impossible not to love him- he is just the best little dog!!!
(and oh my goodness- i miss him soooooooooooo much right now. i got soo used to having him here with us, that it's really sad now that he's gone.)

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

I just heard it! Your boss did a great job pluggin for Norris!
Awww thankyou for listening!!!
I think Kim did a great job this morning on the radio interview too!
The DJ's were really sweet as well (they're huge animal lovers) and were saying how everyone loves an underdog and how much people need to go up there and adopt him
it really helps when they're all just really excited about the dog and try to promote them
I have no doubt Norris will find a great home now! We've only recently been doing a "dog of the week" and have had a 100% success rate so far- each animal who has been on the radio feature has found an amazing home
Not to mention- as soon as the dog of the week gets adopted- we immedately put another dog in the showcase cage- and the people that come in who heard the "dog of the week" story get to look at them too. So on a typical day when the interview airs (Every thrs.) we will adopt out 2-3 as a direct result of the radio station helping us
It has saved soooo many animals already
 

sarahp

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Awwww that pic on his profile is gorgeous!!!!!! Such a sweet face


I missed the radio spot, but I'm sending all the vibes I can spare that the perfect person comes along!!!!
 

jaffacake

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I`m sure Norris will find a wonderful home. God knows he deserves to.
Got everything crossed this end for him!

Wish I`d seen this post before so I could have listened but sounds like it went great!

Yay for
Norris
!
 

muttigreemom

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Did Norris get adopted already? When I tried to click on his photo to see his petfinder profile it says "Oops! The pet you've tried to access is no longer listed on Petfinder.com!"
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Well no luck so far
I just called my boss a little while and she said that they have not even recieved one phone call about him
I am sooo upset- and so is the rest of the staff. Usually when the radio spot airs- we get several calls immedately and that dog us normally gone by noon. It's almost 4pm now and nobody has even called or looked at him
Today is our late day though- we stay open until 6...so i'm praying when some folks get off work they'll stop by.

If he has not left by tomorrow when i go to work (i switched days this week) i told Kim that I am taking him back home with me and Colin can just deal with it. No way i'm going to let my little baby sit up at the shelter
Uhhhh i feel aweful! I sincerly thought he would have been adopted by now. And the interview my boss did with the DJ's was just great- they really did an incredable job trying to get the word out about him. I just pray he finds a home tonight or tomorrow.

And well...if he doesn't.....Colin can just deal with it, because that baby's comming home with me.

(thanks for letting me vent guys!)

-ps. MuttigreeMom- we have an issue with the website....anytime you click on the picture for another link it does that (it did that the past two dogs of the week we had also).
 
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