Friday, January 31, 2014

Making It Official

1.  On Tuesday afternoon, I made the 45 minute drive, two counties over, to the Orange County Animal Shelter to fill out the paperwork and officially adopt Winnie.  Winnie is home, as I hoped she would be.

This little Chihuahua has already made a huge impact on our household.  She is happy, and scampery, and oh-so loving.  Her ability to adapt and trust seems infinite, as she learns that we are now her family and she takes her place here.  She is learning how to get around in this big old house, and she has no problem hopping onto one of the big dog beds by the radiator in my husband's office to take a nap.  Her favorite place, though, is wherever I happen to be.



2.  Winnie had an appointment with our regular vet on Wednesday, for a check-up and to follow up on the various things that she was being treated for when I got her last week.  Her spay incision looks good and her mouth has healed well from having her teeth pulled three weeks ago.  The infection in her right eye is completely healed since she finished her course of antibiotic drops, though the resulting scarring has compromised her sight in that eye.  Considering how dire her neglected condition appeared to be when she was found in December and taken to the shelter, she is in extremely good health for a gal her age.

My vet knows me very well.  She said that she did a TRIPLE take when she saw our appointment on the schedule ... it said, Chihuahua Hilker.  (Connie has a CHIHAHUA???)  Once she was told that Winnie is a rescue dog, she understood perfectly.  Like I said, she knows me well.



3.  After we finished at the vet's, Winnie and I made a stop at PetsMart to get her a collar and leash.  Winnie was wearing a collar and I was given a leash when I picked her up last week, but I returned them to the Shelter when I was there on Tuesday.  They can save them for another tiny dog in the future ... I wanted Winnie to have her own collar and leash, chosen especially for her.

I was surprised to see that all of the extra-small sized dog collars in PetsMart were either too long (requiring them to be adjusted almost to their smallest point) or too stiff to be comfortable.  So, Winnie and I checked out the cat department of the store.  Discovered that cat collars are also too big for her ... KITTEN collars, however, were a perfect fit ... but the kitten collars don't have a ring on them to attach the leash.  I bought one anyway, to use as a tag collar.

Speaking of cats, this is what my lap looked like last night.  I was watching the hockey game and knitting a sweater for Winnie.


4.  With Winnie's new collar in hand, I have already ordered her ID tag online from Boomerang Tags.  I have used these tags on all of our dogs, and I love them!  They fit flat on the collar, so there's nothing hanging down to get snagged or jingle around. Ruby's 1-inch-size tag is large enough for her name, complete address, and two phone numbers.  Winnie's tag, as you would expect, will be significantly smaller (3/8 inch size) and can only hold four lines of info, 14 characters per line.  The chances of losing her are slim and none, but I fully believe in being safe rather than sorry when it comes to keeping ID on my animals.

A tag like this lasts for the life of your dog and it only costs $9.99.


4.  I went to Richmond yesterday, and one of my stops was at Trader Joe's to stock up on supplies because we are having friends over on Sunday (football related, of course.)  Petco is next door to TJ's ... I went in to see if they carried dog collars that are little enough to use on Winnie.  They had a small selection in the tiny size, and I chose a plain pink nylon collar with a snap buckle ... perfect, or so I thought.  Brought it home, tried it on Winnie for size, and it was too small.  There's a Petco right across the street from my dentist's office (where I will be later today), and I plan to exchange the pink collar for a larger size ... as long as the next size isn't TOO large.

This was the scene to my right ... both of them are sound asleep.


5.  It feels wonderful to say that Winnie is now officially our dog.  I loved her at first sight, as did my husband when he got home from his trip on Saturday.  I still can't believe that I brought her home without telling him first.  Fortunately, he concurred with me that she needed to be part of a family ... and he agrees that her home is here with us.  Ruby accepted her very quickly ... the cats are making progress and I hope that things will work themselves out within another week or so.



Welcome to the family, Winnie!  It's only been ten days, and I already can't imagine this place without you.

35 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post about your new family member. Is she going to need little boots to keep her feet warm on all that snow?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh she is so cute! Im so glad you rescued her!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, good for you! She's darling. I

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi, "neighbor"!
    Thanks for visiting and commenting. I guess I'll need to read back on your previous posts to learn more about Winnie, but bless you for giving her a furever home!
    (And I love that you have two #4's in your Random Five!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Two #4's? I guess it's time to fire my proof-reader. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Have you considered a harness? I had a 3 lb.Yorkie and she pulled so much, it was the only way I knew I had control. Still have the harness after almost 30 years. jd

    ReplyDelete
  7. winnie is cute and very photogenic. I'm glad to see she has a new home.

    hope you have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a nice post about your new family member!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations! She looks perfectly at home and extremely happy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have tears in my eyes after reading this beautiful post! Winnie is a lucky girl to have been rescued by you and brought into such a great family. She is a sweetheart! That's great that your other dog has adapted to her. I know that it can take cats a little longer. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations with Winnie. I enjoyed this post so much. The pictures of the cats on your lap and the dogs next to you are so lovely warm, and you knitting another sweater for Winnie, great.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a sweetheart!!! Love, love little Winnie! So happy you found one another and so happy that she has a wonderful home! You and your husband are a rescue-angels!
    xxojoan

    ReplyDelete
  13. Welcome Winnie! I agree with JD, our vet recommended a harness for Pepper. Little dogs' tracheas can be harmed with collars and leashes (it happened to Mr. P.) But you really only need it if you're walking her. She probably gets plenty of exercise just exploring your house!

    ReplyDelete
  14. She looks so sweet. I love the first photo of her peeking around the corner.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Glad to hear Steve is in total agreement! I thought he might be.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You are a wonderful angel for rescuing such an adorable baby. Sounds like Winnie really needed a forever home. And that red and white coat is so stylish!
    Visiting from Friday Finds.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank You for taking her in. She does seem to be fitting in. That is amazing about the collars. I would have thought she'd fit a cat collar.

    She is safe now and loved. Spoil her for all of those who aren't.

    XO,
    JC

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm so glad Winnie Pearl is staying. I actually like to hear the "jingle" of the dog tag. It lets me know where the dogs are in the garden when we are outside. :) Each of my three dogs have a different "jingle" too.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Winnie is adorable and looks like she's making herself right at home! Hope you find the right collar/harness (have you tried a harness???). My Maltese has a very sensitive trachea and she does much better in a harness.
    You shoulda yelled at me since you were coming to Orange - you have to drive right past me (well, practically) to get to the shelter....but of course, you were on a mission. :-)
    Welcome home Winnie!
    Martha

    ReplyDelete
  20. Winnie was meant to fill that spot in your heart that was waiting for her! So sweet and I love that she is too tiny for most collars, except it causes problems. Love the dog tag info, I would use that if I had a dog. Charlie says no way Jose!
    hugs,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  21. awwww so love this post! Thanks for the update, I think Winnie is a very lucky little girl!

    xox

    ReplyDelete
  22. aww, i love the name "Winnie" too cute. what a sweet shot of the 2 of them. hope they stay friends forever. ( :

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh my goodness, Winnie is so cute. I am so happy she now has a loving "forever" home. I'm more a cat person then a dog person but I have come to love my mom's little dog, Pixie and of course our goofy Pug, Crickett. I must say your one cat (The Tortie) is the spitting image of our cat, Snickers at least from the top looking down. I am a new follower of your blog now. Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  24. NICE! I am glad she can stay. She looked like she wanted to stay. I think she knows who her mama is too! You are giving an old little dog a happy home! Good for you, Connie.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congrats on adopting your new baby. Glad hubby likes her, too. Looks like she has settled in and is part of your furball family. xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  26. Lucky, lucky little girl. So glad you gave her a forever home!

    ReplyDelete
  27. A sweet addition to your home I'm sure and I love her name. Cutie! :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. I think my heart just swelled two sizes larger now knowing that Winnie is a part of your family forever. AND, you may need to make her a collar that fits. Would that be feasible?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you for the boomerang collar tip. Barbie has already rubbed the writing of four ($15.99!) tags.
    The saga of Winne really warms my heart. Thinking of what her life was just a month ago to now...her mommy running all over town to get her a collar that's just right. I just love it. You're the real deal.

    ReplyDelete
  30. "Sweet, sweet, sweet" was the one thing running through my mind as I read this post, Connie. You have just the sweetest, most giving soul ever - and Winnie is so blessed to have you as her Momma. :) Hugs to you, my friend!!! ♥

    xoxo laurie

    ReplyDelete
  31. As some like to say, you're good people!

    ReplyDelete
  32. What a wonderful heart warming story and Winnie is so fortunate to have found you and you her.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I will just repeat what I said on your post on Facebook--Although I loved this post because of the chance to see the photos and get the inside story. I want to just say CONGRATS (again) on your adoption! You've taken that chance and opened your heart and home to a special gal like Winnie who really needed you. Those rewards of welcoming her into your family and having her as part of your life are already so apparent. You are truly making this part of Winnie's life, the best part!!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and reading what I share. Comments are welcome and very much appreciated. Spam and trolls are not!

Related Posts with Thumbnails