The Joy of Flying
by Carolyn Cothran
Flying dogs north of the border brings a huge amount of joy to all of us involved. There are a lot of people who make this happen. Syd and I get the total joy and honor to be the people who propose the dogs to the various rescues whom we have relationships. It has been amazing to watch some of the dogs who have been with us for an extended period of time. It is bittersweet because we really know and love these guys.
The one who touches my heart the most is Jefe. He has been in our loving care for 8 years. Always happy and loving and perfect, except for two things: he has a skin condition that requires prednisone every so often. He would periodically get lesions but were easily treated. The other problem was a little more serious. He was not always good with other dogs. We discovered that he really loved riding in the car, so on Wednesdays, when I had the time I would load him in my car and drive him around Chapala. He loved it and my favorite part was that when we stopped at red lights, he would kiss my cheek the entire time. How can I not love this guy???
One day, Amanda Wheeler from Street Dog Hero, was visiting and I asked her if she would consider taking Jefe. We spoke honestly about his problems. Always ready to help, she said let’s put him on our website and see if we get any interest. Well, sure enough, a loving couple with no other dogs expressed interest. We all had some concerns about how he would do in a home. Think about it, he had never been inside except the the occasional vet visit. Jena from Clicker Pets helps us a lot with many issues. She offered to work with Jefe on obedience training and being indoors. He went to stay with her and her staff until we could arrange a flight.
I sent videos and pictures of Jefe and his progress. He was learning to get along with other dogs and actually does well with confident females. He continued to learn new things at 81/2 years old. He loved all the attention from the trainers, and particularly loved Brian.
The day finally came. I picked him up from Jena and off he went into the loving arms of his new family. They report that he loves his bed and he is a snuggler. Can you imagine what must be running through this guy’s head? He is indoors and cozy. He has a comfy bed, a fleece hoody and two people who adore him. If any of you wonder why Syd and I work so hard and are as committed as we are, consider this story.