Category: Tales with Tails

 

In September of 2022 I was picking up hay for my horse in Freedom, Wyoming. As we pulled onto the highway to head to Afton to have lunch with my mom and a friend, I opened up Facebook and looked at Lucky’s Place. I had been regularly checking for dogs to foster or adopt for a month or so but nothing had been the right fit. This day, though, was different. Little Miss Spitfire, a young GSP, had been taken to Lucky’s the day before after the death of her owner (a woman in her 80s…how a senior handled a young GSP, I have no clue!). Lil’ Miss, as she was called, spoke to me through that photo and I went directly to meet her. Within five minutes of meeting her, I knew I could never take her back. Either my family would adopt her or I would find her the perfect owner. It turns out that was me.

We have named her Maggie Mae. We joke that Maggie is my emotional support animal, but I am just as much hers. I didn’t know how much I would need this GSP with so many names (Legs, Mags, Magpie, Lil’ Miss) but this winter has been extra tough on me. Family, life, seasonal depression, etc., Maggie has been a balm to my soul, a heating pad for my lap, a snuggler extreme, and is the goofiest dog to take on a walk. I told Maggie the other night as I kissed her goodnight while she lay curled up in a bean bag she appropriated from my daughter, “Maggie, I think your last human whispered to me from heaven as I was leaving Freedom, Wyoming and told me to check Facebook. Because she knew we needed each other!” Maggie sighed a big sigh and she snuggled deeper into the bean bag.

If anyone wants to find Maggie, look for her ridiculously long legs and ears and nose as she moves like lightning on the Melody Ranch trail system in Jackson Hole. Whether she is pointing birds in flight or on the water, chasing invisible snow fairies in the drifts, she will make you laugh at her silliness!

Thank you for rescuing me, Maggie Mae!

We adopted Afton almost 2 years ago. She’s doing so well! Loves her humans, overall a great girl!!                                                                                                                                                                                                    -Faith

 

It’s so cold out that Matt brought the dogs in for the night.  I’m not sure who’s happier, the dogs or Matt.  They even helped us cook supper.  Love these sweet babies to the moon and back.  We are forever grateful for the work you do to save them.  You are an angel from heaven.

Note: These two Akbash were adopted together from Lucky’s Place a couple of years ago.

 

Gunner goes to Wisconsin! Ron made the drive to Wyoming and back to Wisconsin with Gunner.  Ron also transported puppy Belle who was headed to Illinois. 

“Good morning from Wisconsin. Gunner is AWESOME! He is already fitting in…quite the talker .. love it!! Gunner’s fitting in perfectly. He’s teaching his new pack how to stalk those pesky squirrels and in return, he is learning how to beg for treats. It’s almost comical.”               -Ron

 

I’ve experienced a true gut intuition only a small handful of times. Locking eyes with Luke laying calmly in a crate at your adoption event was one of the stronger gut feelings I can remember.

He struck me as so terribly defeated yet so gentle. I said in my head, “I can love him better than anyone else can.” Strange thought off the cuff! But that’s what I’m now lucky enough to be able to do, thanks to the team at Lucky’s Place.

Watching Luke melt into trust and comfort has been nothing short of magical. He is as obedient as he is affectionate and has mirrored more love back than I could have prepared for.

                                                              -Laura

A new year and a new life for Holly!  Here’s a note from her wonderful new family.

Holly is getting comfortable with us here.  We’re calling her Dingo now since she’s a little wild and kind of a ding-dong!

The third name’s a charm? She loves the snow and finally figured out the shovel is ok.

                                                                                                                                       -Katie

Tig finally became friends with Red. He came from Lucky’s in 2020 and was the red kitten that ran at any human that walked into the room. Red took about a week before he started to play with little Tig.  Pictures are of her with Red, meeting the resident parrot, enjoying the warmth of Magnus, and saying hi to Minnie. Both Tig and Minnie are doing fantastic. Tig is a great mouser.                    -Ramona

Thank you for introducing us to Blue (now known as Huckleberry Hound). He is a rambunctious, slobbering, howling cuddle bug, and we love him so much.
He is settled in here in Denver and is well worth the long drive to come get him. He and his new brother Sully are best friends now and are enjoying life. I would encourage anyone looking for a pet to seriously consider Lucky’s Place for their adoption.

         

Every year since it was started, we’ve managed to miss Lucky’s Place “Wag & Walk” fundraiser. We would’ve missed it this year, too, if it hadn’t been for our kind neighbor, Lee Robertson. Our family enjoys visiting with Lee when he’s out for a walk and we’re out for a walk with our dogs and our paths cross on the road that leads to the Osmond foothills below Wikiup. As Lee was kneeling down to greet our dogs he asked if we were going to take them to the Wag & Walk. I asked, “When is that again?” He said, “This morning! It starts in an hour.” I felt a sudden urgency to get three kids and two dogs back home and in the car so we could make it to the event! I’m so glad we did because that’s where we met Tesla!

She is one of the four adorable pups that Lucky’s Place staff had brought to the Wag & Walk in the hope of finding them homes. Even before we saw Tesla and her siblings, we were asked multiple times by other dog walkers at the event if our 11-year-old wire hair terrier mix, Pippa, was the mama of the pups. When we saw the pups, we knew why! The pups – Tesla most especially – looked just like Pippa did 11 years ago when Eli (my husband) and I rescued her as a young pup from an abusive home. Ever the terror-terrier, Pippa can be crotchety with other dogs. But, she was totally relaxed with the pups. My kids fell in love with Tesla and asked if we could bring her home. I knew right in that moment that we were about to become a three-dog family!

I called Eli to make sure the whole team was on the same page. He played Belgium, staying totally neutral and saying it was up to me as I’m the one who does most of the day-to-day care for our furry family members. We filled out paperwork and then went home, anxious to hear back from Lucky’s Place. On Sunday, Kerri called us and said we could come pick up Tesla!

She has been with us now for five weeks and fits so perfectly into our mix that we know it was meant to be! Our two-year-old Aussie mix, AnnaBella, loves having a little sis playmate and snuggle buddy. Our grumpy old Pippa has been won over by the feisty spunk and affection of her mini-me. Pippa is busily training her new pack member on how to patrol the yard and take care of the humans. Telsa is so sweet that even our four cats don’t mind her! She loves going on walks in the Wikiup foothills, working in the garden with us (she’s great at shaking dirt off of roots!), and helping us care for our three ewes and a large flock of chickens. She has learned that the canvas storage rack under three-year-old Miriam’s seat on the jogging stroller makes for the perfect place for a puppy power nap during long walks! Tesla is very efficient with recharging her battery!

Mary Ann told us that her litter mates Chevy, Titan, and Porscha are all doing great in their new homes and that makes us so happy! We’re not sure if they all retained their auto-inspired names or not, but Tesla is definitely a Tesla! Kerri did such an amazing job fostering Tesla that she was already responding well to her name and it just fits so well that we kept it! Pippa, Bella, Tesla…all two syllables and end with “a”.

Our nine-year-old son writes and delivers a monthly newspaper for our neighborhood. September’s headline was very attention-grabbing: “Hendersons Get a Tesla…we got a brand new, black Tesla for only $150! Our Tesla has been up and down Bowles Lane four times so far since we brought it home this past Sunday. Our Tesla has to charge every two to three hours and it does not need gasoline.” The story was continued on the back page with a cute picture of Tesla and a good plug for Lucky’s Place!

A big thank you to to our friend and neighbor Lee Robertson (a former employee and devoted Lucky’s Place volunteer) and Kerri Taggert (Tesla’s amazing foster mom), Mary Ann, Jeannette, and all of the other wonderful employees, volunteers, and board members of Lucky’s Place for helping the stars align so we could find the perfect member for our pack! Tesla has already brought so much love and joy to our home and we look forward to many, many happy years with her.                                                                                                                 Eli, Steph, August, Eliza, and Miriam