If you believe in kindness, thoughtfulness, and love for a pet, then this update is for you.

A few posts ago, I shared a good-bye love letter from Lizzie, our lab of five years.  The letter was written in first person, Lizzie, who wrote to her ‘new family’ sharing a thing or two about her upbringing as well as explaining how and why she needed re-homing.  HERE is that post.

The other day, in the mail  . . . none other than a letter from Lizzie!

Monday, June 05, 2017

To my “old” family,

I still remember you, but have been learning to live with my new family.  After a couple of weeks at Cindy’s, I came to live with Ann and Scott/ I’ve been here for four weeks now.  Like you, they’re much older than me (even in dog years) so I am still acquainting them with the rambunctiousness of a (mature) puppy!  I love to sleep on the floor side Scott’s side of the bed.  Most days I wake him up at break of day by shaking my ears and yawning loudly  The only time I’ve slept near Ann was when she took me out to sleep in the camper a couple of nights.  (She wan’t amused when I scratched and shook the whole house!)

I live in the country now so there are all kinds of new and interesting smells – rabbits, groundhogs, deer, cattle, fox.  Every day I see something new- a bumble bee, a flock of geese, a moth.  Mostly they keep me on my purple leash, but lately I’ve been allowed a bit more freedom, but still within their sight.  I still like to fetch a ball or sticks – and chew on them.  No other animals live here so I get to be top dog.  (from Ann:  Lizzie still need to learn that we are the alphas – that Lizzie needs to come when WE say, not when Lizzie wants to come.)

We took a long trip early on to a place on a lake in Pennsylvania.  I had the whole back seat to myself, but it was the back seat of a pick-up truck.  Ugh!  I fussed and whined the entire three hours down, but slept for at least a bit on the way home.  I wasn’t interested in going swimming, but it was fun to wade and to gather sticks from the embankment of the shore – and chew them of course!

Ann has begun to take me for rides in the car.  (MUCH better than a truck!)  We’ve gone to the post office a couple of times and once for a quick trip for groceries.  I’ve been very good about staying in the back seat and “waiting,” but I still let them know that I don’t like being left alone.  I don’t bark, but I do whine and yelp to register my annoyance.

One of my jobs here is to be a four-footed doorbell/ I take that very seriously.  Sometimes I still bark when Scott comes home.  Once, when he was “dressed up,” I really didn’t recognize him.  They tell me it’s OK to make an announcement, but that I have to work on curbing my enthusiam; this is TOUGH.

One more thing.  Last week they gave me some medicine on my back to fend off ticks.  I didn’t even notice it at first, but after a while it went to my head.  It was like I was high on drugs (which I was actually).  I couldn’t settle down for nearly a day – even during the night-and panted and whined and roamed around all over the place.  What a bummer.

Ann and Scott thank you for sending me with a letter of introduction.  They hadn’t had a dog for several years and needed to be filled in on dog tricks, including some of my own.  They still remember my predecessor (who also was a yellow Lab because I see her photo above the desk) and sometimes call me “Ida.”  But they’re learning!  I miss you, but want you to know that I’m doing OK and will be just fine.  I hope Dad is beginning to feel better.  Thanks for giving me a good start!

Love,

Lizzie

PS:  I just learned that my step-brother and sister, Noah and Laura, will be coming to visit next week.  They’re a lot younger so it will be fun to have somebody around with more energy!

I am sharing to let readers know that Lizzie is obviously in good hands.  Maybe, there is a lesson in this heart-wrenching experience.  If you use your resources around you, place trust in others, and pray A LOT, something good may follow.