How do you "rescue" a Hero?

This afternoon we are scheduled to pick up a hero and help him find his way to a new home and a new life. These are the difficult rescues. Taking an abused dog from his owners or bailing out an abandoned dog from doggie jail is easy in comparison.

Jake's family is in the military and they are being transferred overseas. Jake is ten years old and beginning to show some arthritis in his hips. His family is facing a number of choices, all of them bad. If they take their friend with them he will spend several months in apartments and temporary quarters while they are in transit. Then he will spend days in a crate on his way to Germany. Once there he will face quarantine, then life in a small transient apartment while permanent quarters are found. For a ten year old Golden, that is a very bad choice. If he were younger he might be able to stand the long periods of confinement and isolation on his way overseas. Even if he made the trip, overseas assignments themselves are fleeting and they may find themselves facing the same question again soon, only without access to a rescue organization that cares.

The alternative is to re-home him now, save him the pain of travel and separation. For a beloved ten year member of the family, that is a painful choice as well, for this is the path of broken hearts. The compromise they seek is to find him the best home they can. We hope they can follow him through my blog and perhaps watch him find his way to a new life.

We will be asking our readers to start looking for a very special home for a ten year old male Golden. Lets find him a home worthy of a hero who sacrificed his home and family in the service of his country. Help us prove that we support our troops.

Our rescue serves five active military bases over seven states. When units ship out, all rescues are called on to keep the pets from having to sleep on concrete floors and live behind chain link walls. Sometimes we forget the pain of the people that are leaving their canine friends behind, sacrificing their cherished companions in the service of us all.

"How do you "rescue" a Hero?" Help us answer, "by giving him the best home possible."

Mogley G. Retriever