Who Rescued Whom?

Summary - On this last episode of Season One, we interview Dr. Rick Coufal, Owner of Ponderosa Vet Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Dr. Coufal shares his thoughts and methods on end of life decisions for our pets. 

“Dr. Coufal and His Shadow” ~ Episode 8 - Show Notes and Script for the Hearing Impaired*

Summary - On this last episode of Season One, we interview Dr. Rick Coufal, Owner of Ponderosa Vet Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Dr. Coufal shares his thoughts and methods on end of life decisions for our pets. 

*Below the Show Notes you will find a full script for the hearing impaired.

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Dr. Coufal - Background Information - (at 00:08 - 03:58) - Dr. Coufal is a native of Colorado. He grew up on a small family farm, surrounded by animals, both big and small. He participated in 4H over the course of many years and that led him to becoming a veterinarian. He went on to Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2000, and he started working in the Black Forest community of Colorado later that year. Dr. Coufal opened a new practice, Ponderosa Vet Clinic, in 2015 and they recently built a brand new office space designed specifically for the practice of Veterinary Medicine.

• Donation - (at 23:30 - 25:25) The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode. Dr. Coufal would like this episode’s donation to go to Wild Blue Refuge for Cats and Kittens. As he said, Wild Blue Cats is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving the precious lives of cats and kittens who abandoned, abused, neglected, displaced or surrendered, and to find them permanent homes or provide lifetime sanctuary or foster care. Wild Blue Cats! is located in the Black Forest area of Colorado Springs, CO, nestled in the woods where not only do our cats enjoy their beautiful habitat, but so do our volunteers, adopters, and visitors. You can see pictures of Dr. Coufal and Cisco, show notes, and an entire script for the hearing impaired on the Episode page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

• “Be a Guest” - (at 25:29 - 25:53) Although this is the last episode of Season One, we will be back in the fall with more rescue stories. Do you have a rescue story you’d like to share? We’d love to talk with you about being a part of our podcast. Just go to the ‘Be A Guest’ page on our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com, and fill out our ‘Future Guest Information’ form. You can also email us at [email protected], or message us through our FaceBook Page.

• Mike McClellan - (at 26:00 - 26:09) - podcastps.com Mike is our editor and producer, and Mike is the composer and performer of all the music you hear on each episode, specifically “Missy's Theme", which is the main theme for the podcast.

• SCRIPT ~ A script ,created for the hearing impaired, can be found below, or on the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com (Click ‘Read More’ next to Episode 8)

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode 8 ~  “Dr. Coufal & His Shadow”

Hosts John & Diane Thomas with Dr. Coufal ~ This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited by Host Diane Thomas Script for the hearing impaired.

Music - “Missy’s Theme” Fades in here…

HOST DIANE - [00:00:04] Hi and welcome to the last episode, episode eight, of Season One of the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast. Today we're doing something a little bit different. We're going to be interviewing our veterinarian because we have some questions that have come up through the season through the stories that we've told and so we wanted to talk to him about that. Uh, Dr. Coufal is a native of Colorado, he grew up on a small family farm, surrounded by animals, both big and small. He participated in 4H over the course of many years and that led him to becoming a veterinarian. He went on to Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2000, and he started working in the Black Forest community of Colorado later that year. 

HOST JOHN - In 2014, we moved from Nebraska to Colorado Springs and since I was retired military, uh, we started taking our dogs to the Army Veterinarian at a Fort Carson, which was great, but it was a long trip, and each time we went we always saw a different vet, 

Music - “Missy’s Theme” Fades out here

so we started looking for a local veterinarian and came across Dr. Coufal’s practice and a Dr. Coufal quickly became our favorite a veterinarian. Diane and I have had pets and dogs most of our lives and a think we both agreed quickly that we enjoy Dr. Coufal's a bedside manner, and really took a lot of time with us, more so than other vets to explain what was going on and to diagnose what was going on with our dogs So we really, uh, grew attached to Dr. Coufal.

HOST DIANE - And Dr. Coufal opened a new practice, Ponderosa Vet Clinic, so welcome Dr. Coufal and what we, we thought we would ask you to start out by telling us how you came to currently, have Ponderosa Vet Clinic, because I think you started in the Black Forest, like we said earlier so if you can just talk a little bit about that.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - Sure, thank you, Diane. I graduated Vet school in 2000 and I came down to uh, vet clinic here in the Black Forest that I worked at for many years. That clinic actually went through the Black Forest Fire of 2013, and we continued on to work after the fire in a new clinic, but shortly after the fire, the clinic was sold to a corporation that I did not want to stay with so I decided to go do my own practice at that time. It was a motivating factor for me to get out there and do that. So I started the loan process and looked for places to go. We were able to find, uh, actually a basement of a house looking structure. It was an accountant's office that we were able to start our Ponderosa Veterinary Clinic in 2015. And, just continued to grow from getting our doors open. I'd been around the community for many, you know, 15 plus years, so people knew my name and knew where I was so they, they did come in quite a large numbers, so we continued to grow and, you know, we were able to go to the next step of buying land and looking into building our clinic that we presently are in.  We started there about six months ago. It’s in a building that's actually made for a veterinary clinic and we've really enjoyed getting into the bigger size, can continue to grow. We want to try and control it to some degree, but it is, you know, it's a very busy place, a very high growth area in Colorado Springs that we are dealing with. You know, it's a very rewarding career, but it can be difficult, and just about the discussion like what we're going to have here today is always a hard thing for people to come to grips with sometimes. 

HOST JOHN - I just want to a compliment you that even though your practice has grown exponentially, because like you said, you first started off in that a smaller building and whatnot, it still feels like you're a small town vet. You like still spend quality time with us, we never feel like you're rushed to get out of there and that means the world to us as a dog owners and whatnot, so thank you. There's a current theme in our podcast and friends talk about the like pain of deciding how, or when to euthanize their animals. It's a traumatic experience, the dogs and animals typically live a shorter lifespan than humans so it happens, uh, several times, uh, throughout our like lives. So we just wanted to, uh, talk to you because you've helped us make those decisions. Uh, just want to ask you, uh, what goes into your decision to, recommend euthanasia.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - I think, like many of our clients, we're all interested in quality of life for our pets and I think that's the conversation that I try to talk with people. Many, many of these people, the majority, I would say, I've known for many years and that's the part of my job that I think helps me is just knowing many of these people through many different paths, many different situations, versus like working in an emergency clinic situation. You don't know these people at all, and it's sometimes more difficult to have these conversations to me. How I describe it a lot of times to people, being straightforward with them and saying, are there more good days than bad days? But if it's starting to flip around where there's more bad days than good days, then we have to start talking about, how, how the pet's overall quality of life is.

I think, eating and drinking, mobility. Those are easy things for us to kind of gauge and that's a lot of times, what you know we talk about with people is just, you know, are animals laying around all the time, like 99% of the time, are they laying in their own excrement? It’s just, you know, it's not what we think about as a good quality of life at that point. Um, pain, I don't think any of us, even people, we don't want them in pain. So it's, if we can't make them comfortable, I think that's another big situation for people to evaluate and discuss with each case. I mean, unfortunately it is a day-to-day thing of my job and it is something that, you know, every case is different and you, you have to, you know, look at people's, you know, what they can tell you, cause there's our best way to connect with this animal, is what the people see at home. And that's, that's really what we have to try and come across, and listening, you know, that's, that's the biggest thing.

HOST DIANE - Right, and your answer helped us make our decision with Cody several years ago, we had adopted a senior from Rocky Mountain Collie Rescue, Cody, he was about 11 and a half. We only had him for a year and a half, but yet it felt like a lifetime, but you made it very clear and you asked the right questions that we didn't know to ask so that was important. Have you ever had a client that just refused euthanasia and you knew that that dog was gonna just leave in pain and there was nothing you could do or have you had to get over a hump while they're there? And that may be more for a person that you didn't know. Like you said, you've known a lot of these people, so.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - I think having that bond with the client does help a lot when you don't have that knowledge of their life, you know, past experiences it's, it's difficult. There are some that are not ready. You know I have some times with a family, a husband and wife, one is ready one is not. And we talk about the case and yeah, sometimes they do go home and, you know, my goal is to have them you know, just like we talked, what are the quality of life questions here and people start to realize that this is not a good quality of life and we, in some ways are being selfish keeping some of these pets for us and not thinking about the pet. I have, people where they've wanted to go home and have a night just to spend that time to say goodbye. I am fine with that if you know, a lot of these pets are chronically ill, another 24 hours, 48 hours for people to come to peace with things, cause it's ultimately the client's decision on this situation and you know, all of us, it's going to be a little different for each one. And, you know, I get asked a lot of times, what would you do if it was your pet, and I go over the same stuff that we've talked here is just, you know, what's happening at home, eating and drinking and getting around, are we laying around constantly, all those types of questions, you know? And I've sometimes spent a lot of time talking with people about this because it's just, it is such a difficult decision. It's not one to take lightly.

HOST JOHN - Right. I can't remember exactly what you like told us, but with like Cody, uh, we were, you know, looking for different options. He, he was having a like hard time getting up. He was, you know, he was, he would just, he would struggle to get up. And you basically explained to us that we can't treat them like humans, like just keeping them comfortable. That's really not an option you know, long term. Can you talk a little bit about that? You know, that, we just can't keep them going like we do humans.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - I think, some of it's a factor of size when you have a little 10 pound Chihuahua or Dachshund, you can help move around easier. I've dealt with that with my own little Dachshunds, you know, compared to a 70 or 80 pound dog like Cody was, it's a lot harder to help those bigger animals up and down steps and things like that. I believe Cody, what was going on with there we see a lot in older, large breed dogs. They just can't get up anymore and it's a progressing disease that's happened over months. You know, there's going to reach a time where they can't get up anymore. Yes, there's an arthritis component, but there's also this more of a neurologic disease. It’s not painful, they’re not suffering from it, but it's the dignity for those pets to have in that situation.

HOST - DIANE - Right. And I think there's another component to that I’m sure you have thought of at some point, but, we can communicate with humans a lot more easily than we can, a dog or any pet that you would have to make this decision about. Sometimes when Cody, or Missy, or any of our other dogs that have to or have gotten to this point in their lives they are communicating to us by the fact that they can't get up and the things that you suggested earlier that are, they're not eating, or they're not drinking, that’s a communication tool that they're using, I think to let us know. One of our guests before, Caroline, down in South Carolina, had talked about it was really, it's the merciful thing. People need to understand that it's mercy and love when you let them go.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - Yeah, I mean, very much. So it's a very tough part of our job that I don't think as pre-veterinary students we realize how much of that we get involved with and the question of this time, you know, I didn't really think of it much when I was before being a vet, you know, how much, you know, having to guide people through this type of choice.

HOST JOHN - Since you actually do it, is it emotional for, for you too, for each animal, even though you don't know them well, they’re you're still their like vet, is it still a traumatic thing for you?

GUEST DR. COUFAL - It is. I mean you can't do this without having some emotion to it, but I, you also, the objectivity of it, that you have to look at things in the health. You know, I've been a vet now for 20 years and I say that you've seen a lot, but every day you see something different that, you know, in certain circumstances, I know there are things we cannot help. You know, cancer's such a common thing. We cannot turn back the clock on anybody's age. It is, unfortunately these pets don't live as long as we would like, we would all like them to live 30 or 40 years or longer. And it doesn't happen that way. I think our profession, we have, we're learning more and more what we need to do to help ourselves because I know I've lost veterinary classmates to both suicide and alcoholism and the stresses that we deal with in our profession on this type of thing. We deal with patients that cannot talk to us. We deal with this euthanasia part that we are, you know, pretty much faced with, if not every day it's, it's fairly regular. And many, many of them are health based things, some are cost base, and those are even the harder ones when decisions are made simply due to cost. And it’s where some of these helpful things with rescue organizations, I've, I've known multiple ones that they do help have as an option and you can at least talk to people about, hey, here are some other things that we can talk about for rescue organizations to adopt your pet or to take on this, this case type of thing.

HOST - DIANE - Oh, that's great that you do that. I hadn't even thought about that factor, that maybe somebody can't afford it. And I certainly didn't realize the enormous pressure on a veterinarian in those situations day in and day out that, that, that could psychologically be difficult. Can you just briefly explain the process for our listeners to understand what exactly goes into it, and I know with us, it was more peaceful than we realized the first time we did this.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - I mean, I have changed my technique over my career. Uh, even before vet school I was in a job where I was having to perform euthanasias. I mean, my background with the farm animals and things, they were euthanasia's just, different things. But as far as what my technique is now, um, it's a two-part process where I do a sedative just to put the patient into a plane of anesthesia. That to me has just made things so much more peaceful for pets in my experience that I've done it that way probably 15 to 18 years now. And when we do a second part that is actually injecting the solution to stop their heart, stop their breathing and stop their brain activity, they really do not feel it. I tell people, we're trying to make this process as peaceful as we can. If it's not going well, we have to stop and rethink what we're doing. You know, trying, you know, having this same conversation I'm having right here with almost every single euthanasia, even if I feel like I've done one for their family before you don't know, I don't remember, and I just want everybody to know what's going to happen. Our ultimate goal is to make it as peaceful for everybody. I have people that stay with their pets, I have people that don’t. Some will stay for the sedation part. And, you know, again, we talk about all of this stuff before we do it and they all can make their decision. That's what I think my job is,a lot of times, are here are your options. You know, this is what we can do or what it's going to happen. You know, even with a regular medical case, that's how I view things a lot. 

MUSIC Fades in here…

JOHN -  NARRATION - After our discussion about euthanasia with Dr. Coufal, we asked him to tell us about Cisco, his special rescue found in the Black Forest.

MUSIC Fades out here…

GUEST DR. COUFAL - So much of why I am a veterinarian is because of this type of case. He was a, a dog that was found by a good Samaritan on a Wednesday before Thanksgiving, in a ditch alongside the road, out in the country, he’d been hit by a car. The good Samaritan picked him up and took him home and gave him some horse meds, to help for pain that actually hurt his liver in some ways. He had a fractured pelvis, collapsed lung. His tail had been damaged or probably pulled away from his pelvis to where it caused nerve damage, where he couldn't urinate or defecate for the first week after we had him in the clinic. This good samaritan brought him in to the Friday after Thanksgiving, so he had spent 48 hours in this condition. As soon as we saw him come in, you could tell his breathing pattern was that a dog with a collapsed lung. So we fixed that right away and he just went to sleep, and the decision was we were going to just support him at that point because we did not have an owner. We were going to see if any owner would turn up. Nobody ever really did for several weeks. Down the road we did find out what maybe his history was, but it was around this Thanksgiving time when this had all happened, so I had started taking him home because of the treatment he needed. There was a snow storm that was coming in, a blizzard, that we didn't know if we were going to be able to make it into the clinic. And, you know, I'll never forget out there in the blizzard, he had started walking and he had kind of hobbled out to the mailbox post and he tried to lift his leg to go pee, and, you know, right then and there, I knew he was getting better because of, you know, him knowing that he needed to pee. That was, it sounds funny that, you know, you think about that, but as a vet, you know, that's a very good sign to see. And, you know, from that day on, he just kept going back and forth with me to work and then I'd bring him home with me. And I mean, he became my shadow. I mean, wherever I was, he was with me. And, there are very few days I don't really even think about him at all times, you know, with my other pets I have now,, and just for the 13 years that I had him, you look at why do you become a vet is to help animals in need, and he was in such need, you know, but he gave me back so much love and companionship over his life that he just was what you would call a perfect dog to me. And, this talk about euthanasia and all these things he even you know, the day before he passed away, I did not have to make the decision to let him go because I think just how he would be, he, he didn't want me to have to come to that decision for him. I think a lot of people hope that that's the situation and I wish it was more that way where we didn't have to make a decision, but, [JOHN - right] he went for like a mile walk in Fox Run Park the day before he passed away. That afternoon, he started to cough a little bit and the next morning I had to take him to the clinic and he passed away in my arms. I mean, [JOHN - wow] you can't script any easier way to let him go than me just being there with him and, you know, he passed away in a veterinary clinic, just the way that I found him in a veterinary clinic. And [JOHN - wow] he's made an impression on me and it's just always, you know, I thought when he was gone, I'm like, what am I going to do now that I don't have him to look at as my, you know, reason to be a vet, but you know, you don't forget them. I mean, he touched me so much that, you know, I'll never forget him. 

HOST JOHN - Do you have any, any advice to dog owners who no longer want to get another dog because it's too painful to lose them? 

GUEST DR. COUFAL - It's a question that comes up sometimes while we are in the room after we've put their pet to sleep. [DIANE - Oh wow] I mean, some people say I'm never getting another animal again. They will be back sometimes the next day with a pet because they feel like they couldn't [JOHN - laughter] deal with, in a way they're probably replacing what they had lost, but the house was too quiet, they would say. And I have other people that never do get another pet. You know, they just cannot take the heartache. 

MUSIC Fades in here…

JOHN -  NARRATION -  This is where the many rescues scattered across the US can come in.  There are many dogs that need homes.  Thousands of dogs.  Actually millions of dogs.We encourage those who have a difficult time after a beloved pet passes, to go to a rescue, look at the available pets, you’ll never be sorry you saved another one. 

Our conversation with Dr. Coufal continues.

MUSIC Fades out here…

HOST DIANE - Well, this has been very helpful. And, we hope that our listeners, through our stories and through this interview will come to understand that this is a normal part of having an animal, a pet of any kind that at some point we're going to lose them and to have someone as compassionate as you are to help us through that process. I can't imagine that there's too many in the number of people that wouldn't come back to you, but I suppose you're right. It's the psychology of it and possibly they, they don't, but, hopefully what we put out with our first, uh, trailer, and in our episode, that was two episodes ago, episode six, we say that, you know, we give this statistic 3.3 million dogs enter US uh, shelters every year and 600 and some thousand of them don't make it out, and they are euthanized because there's no one there, but there's families everywhere that could open up to one, just one dog and rescue.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - The rescue groups that I've worked with, I mean, they have so much more compassion than I feel I have sometimes because of what they see. They go out to these puppy mills and they're getting these animals in such poor, poor conditions that, you know, they've never even touched the ground because they've just been in a cage their whole life there to produce more puppies. It's a conversation that more needs to be talked about as far as, you know, rescue dogs, you know, those are a lot of times the rescue groups they're looking at that as, rescue these guys instead of us having to make those tough decisions about euthanasia. My heart goes to them because of all their hard work, all the numbers of animals that they save. These dogs come out and they're not perfect, but I think the majority come and they get a loving home, they can flourish, very, you know, special cases to see. I've experienced many, many, many of them over the years. 

HOST DIANE - And just like Cisco, it sounds like he really flourished for 13 years, uh, from your description, how you wouldn't have thought he had made it that long. Speaking of rescues, each week we make a donation to the rescue of choice of the guests that we interview. So is there rescue that you'd like us to donate for this episode?

GUEST DR. COUFAL - If you would like to I think the Wild Blue Animal Rescue in Black Forest would be my choice. They are mostly a cat rescue, but I've worked with them for many, many years.

HOST JOHN - Okay, well, thank you, Dr. Coufal for, uh, for the time that you, uh, gave to us today. Uh, we appreciate that, and your veterinary clinic, Ponderosa Veterinary Clinic in Colorado Springs. Thank you for all you do for all of us who own pets.

GUEST DR. COUFAL - Thank you. You're very welcome.

Music - “Missy’s Theme” Fades in here…

HOST DIANE -  The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode. Dr. Coufal would like this episode’s donation to go to Wild Blue Refuge for Cats and Kittens. As he said, Wild Blue Cats is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving the precious lives of cats and kittens who abandoned, abused, neglected, displaced or surrendered, and to find them permanent homes or provide lifetime sanctuary or foster care. Wild Blue Cats! is located in the Black Forest area of Colorado Springs, CO,  nestled in the woods where not only do our cats enjoy their beautiful habitat, but so do our volunteers, adopters, and visitors.   You can see pictures of Dr. Coufal and Cisco, show notes, and an entire script for the hearing impaired on the Episode page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

HOST JOHN - Although this is the last episode of Season One, we will be back in the fall with more rescue stories.  Do you have a rescue story you’d like to share? We’d love to talk with you about being a part of our podcast. Just go to the ‘Be A Guest’ page on our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com, and fill out our ‘Future Guest Information’ form. You can also email us at [email protected], or message us through our FaceBook Page. 

HOST DIANE - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike  McClellan of podcastps.com Mike is our editor and producer, and Mike is the composer of all the music you heard on this episode.

Summary - Today’s guest is Kari, from small town Texas.  She became a bank teller while getting her MBA, and during that time she tapped into her love of rescuing and fostering; it became her passion and her dream and she became known as the town rescuer.

Lexi in Feb. 2017

Lexi in July, 2017

“The Town Rescuer” ~ Episode 7 - Show Notes and Script for the Hearing Impaired*

Summary - Today’s guest is Kari, from small town Texas.  She became a bank teller while getting her MBA, and during that time she tapped into her love of rescuing and fostering; it became her passion and her dream and she became known as the town rescuer.

*Below the Show Notes you will find a full script for the hearing impaired.

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Kill Shelters - (at 00:52 - 01:00) - A kill shelter is considered an “open admission” shelter. That is a shelter that accepts any and all animals regardless of owner circumstances, animal health or age. A person can come in at any hour and freely surrender an animal, usually at no charge.

• Fostering Dogs - (at 02:11 - 02:55) Article by Jane Harrell, found on petfinder.com. Why Foster A Dog and What Does It Involve? What does fostering a dog involve? When you foster, you agree to take a homeless dog into your home and give him or her love, care and attention, either for a predetermined period of time or until the dog is adopted. Why do adoption groups need foster homes? There are many reasons a dog might need foster care. Some of the most common include: - (1) A rescue group doesn’t have a physical shelter and depends on foster homes to care for dogs until suitable homes are found. (2) A puppy is too young to be adopted and needs a safe place to stay until he or she is old enough to go to a forever home. (3) A dog is recovering from surgery, illness or injury and needs a safe place to recuperate. (4) A dog is showing signs of stress such as pacing or hiding in the shelter. (5) A dog has not lived in a home before or has not had much contact with people and needs to be socialized. (6) The shelter is running out of room for adoptable dogs. Why should I foster a dog? Fostering a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have (other than adopting, of course). By taking an animal in need temporarily into your home you’re: (1) Freeing up a spot so the shelter or rescue can take in another dog. (2) Giving your foster dog the time he needs to be ready for adoption. (3) Helping the shelter or rescue learn more about the dog so he can end up in the best home possible. (4) Socializing the dog to a home environment and possibly getting him used to being around other pets and different types of people.

• Ankylosing Spondylitis - (at 05:44 - 07:06) - Kari was diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis, which is an inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine and large joints. The condition is more common among men and usually begins in early adulthood. Symptoms typically appear in early adulthood and include reduced flexibility in the spine. This reduced flexibility eventually results in a hunched-forward posture. Pain in the back and joints is also common. Treatment includes medication, physical therapy, and in rare cases surgery.

• Annual Check-ups - (at 06:56 - 07:06) - How Often Should Your Pet See a Veterinarian? Click the link (title) to read an article from PetsWebMD.com

• Texas A & M Veterinary Medicine - (at 07:55 - 08:11) - https://vetmed.tamu.edu

• Grapes are Dangerous for Dogs - (at 09:04 - 09:28) - According to the ASPCA, although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure. Until more information is known about the toxic substance, it is best to avoid feeding grapes and raisins to dogs. Click the next title link to read the full article on People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets.

• Dr. Rick Coufal - (at 12:26 - 12:46) - The next episode, Episode 8, also the last episode of Season One of The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast, will feature our veterinarian Dr. Rick Coufal, of Ponderosa Veterinary Clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He will not only share his own rescue story, he’ll also share with us how he advises his patients and their families on how to make the tough decision to put a pet down. Euthanasia is difficult but Dr. Coufal has helped us make that decision more than once and his care and compassion for for us and our pets, has been invaluable during such hard circumstances.

• Donation - (at 14:00 - 16:22) - Good Shepherd Rescued of Texas The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode. Kari would like this episode’s donation to go to Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas. Founded in 1999, Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas is a volunteer group operating in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They focus on the rescue, rehabilitation & rehoming of German Shepherd Dogs, as well as Belgian Malinois & Dutch Shepherds. All dogs in our program are in private foster homes. They provide medical care for gravely ill or injured dogs, they spay or neuter, microchip, vaccinate, deworm, heart worm test and heart worm treat if needed. Their volunteers give freely of their time, money, and affection to save these animals. You can see picture of Kari and her dogs, show notes, and an entire script for the hearing impaired on the Episode page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

• Quote - (at 17:55 - 18:06) - Kari shared a quote from author and Canine Psychologist Karen Davison. “Saving one dog will not change the world, but for that one dog, the world will change forever”.

• “Be a Guest" - (at 19:45 - 20:04) - Do you have a rescue story you’d like to share with our audience? We’d love to talk with you about being a part of our podcast. Just go to the ‘Be A Guest’ page on our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com, and fill out our ‘Future Guest Information’ form. You can also email us at [email protected], or message us through our FaceBook Page. This podcast was edited and produced by

• Mike McClellan - (at 20:13 - 20:23) - podcastps.com Mike is our editor and producer, and Mike is the composer of all the music you hear on each episode, specifically “Missy's Theme", which is the main theme for the podcast.

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired, can be found below, or on the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com (Click ‘Read More’ next to Episode 7)

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode 7 ~  “The Town Rescuer”

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited by Host Diane Thomas

“Missy’s Theme” fades in here…

Host - Diane - Hello and welcome to another episode of Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales. Today’s guest is Kari, from small town Texas.  She became a bank teller while getting her MBA, and during that time she tapped into her love of rescuing and fostering; it became her passion and her dream and she became known as the town rescuer. 

Music Fades out here

Guest - Kari - I was a bank teller I worked part-time there. So when I wasn't working, I was fostering. I established a really great bond with the animal shelter at Sulphur Springs. Her name was Barbara. She would always message me whenever she had a dog or a cat that just wasn't getting rescued as quickly, they were unfortunately a kill shelter. So if an animal had outstayed their welcome, I suppose you could say that unfortunately was the end of that animal's life. So she would always call me before that happened. And I would always take in as many as I possibly could, which essentially leads us to my Rosie. I was known in my town as the rescuer. Everybody knew if they gave me a “I'm about to take this animal to the pound. Do you want her, do you want him?” I would take them in. A lady that owned a local sandwich shop in Sulphur Springs, Texas came in, I was very used to her coming directly to me. She said, hey, I have a German shepherd that she's just not working out for our family. She’s a really sweet dog, but we don't have a fence. We can't keep her contained. And she just, we need to give her into a new home that will actually be able to give her the attention that she needs. German shepherds are one of the easiest ones in my opinion, that you can foster and that you can re-home. So I had no intention at all of adopting. This creature. And I just knew I could absolutely find her a home quickly. I didn't want her to end up at the shelter. And I told her absolutely I'll swing by her house and pick her up that day.

Host - John - Fostering isn’t for everyone, sometimes it’s hard to let them go.  Kari made a rule for herself that helped her solve that problem.

Guest - Kari - Well I had two dogs prior to fostering. My golden number was three. I was only allowed to have three dogs at all times. I knew if I ever adopted a third dog, then that would be the end of my fostering career. Not a lot of people understand how fosters can do it because you get attached to them too easy. How do you know they're going to a better home? My thought process when I'm fostering is I'm saving more animals. It puts your mind in the right mindset of this is why you do it. I would bond with them. I would give them love. And then when we found them the correct home, it felt right. So I didn't have any remorse letting them go to their new homes.

Host - John - But then, there was Rosie. Kari tells us why her experience fostering Rosie was a bit different.

Guest - Kari - Rosie on the other hand, I adopted her out to this couple out of Dallas and they seemed great over the phone. I of course, was having that smidgen of doubt, but that was just because I'm partial to German shepherds. I met with this couple, I brought Rosie with me and it was the meeting for them to take her home. So there was essentially no backing out for me at that time. 

Music fades in here…

Guest - Kari - As soon as I handed that leash over my heart, just sank. And my heart was just like on the floor crumbled as they were walking away with my dog. 

Music fades out here

Host - Diane - Kari later found out that the adopters she’d found intended to breed Rosie.  Kari wasn’t a fan of small, backyard breeding operations.

Guest - Kari - Once I found that information out, I mean, it was probably three to four times a week I would just email them and go, hey, how's Rosie working out for you guys? Is she doing good? I'm just letting you know, if she's not going to work out for you guys just hit me up. I'll be more than happy to come and get her. Um, they of course had to pay adoption fees. I was like, I'll pay the adoption fee. I’ll reimburse it, just, you guys let me know if she doesn't work out for you. And then I never anticipated, but I had always had a hope in the back of my mind that they would eventually reach out to me. And then about a month in, they did reach out to me and they were like, hey, do you still want Rosie? She's too small of a dog to breed. We don't want her anymore and my heart, it was, very, oh my goodness, I get my dog back. So, I was like, absolutely. I will be right there.

Music fades in here…

Host - Diane - Kari left to get Rosie, but when she arrived, she noticed something.

Guest - Kari - She was a completely different dog from when I dropped her off to when I went to go pick her up. It was, she looked, you could tell, she just wasn't happy with them. And then when she saw me, she was like, okay, a familiar face. I remember this woman. She actually did treat me nice and she loved on me and she was very excited. She jumped in my car and she never left my front seat. She was just like, let's go home. 

Music fades out here

Host - John - Kari told us about their special relationship.

Guest - Kari - She was my, everything. She was there for me. I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, which is an inflammation, so I'm in constant pain, and the only thing that I found helped with that pain was working out, exercising, going on walks and runs, and so she became my running buddy. We would go running throughout the town. We would do miles a day and every time I would go running with her she would just constantly look up at me with this huge smile and you could tell that being next to me, running together, was, it was her passion. She just loved being next to me at all times. She was my partner in crime. Whenever we had anybody out to either do the bug spray or whatever, she would always be right in front of me. And she would never let anybody near me, if she didn't feel comfortable with them, nobody was getting between her and I. It was just, she was my protector. And she would always sleep next to me at night. Her spot was right next to me. And I loved that. I love knowing that I was safe with her and I think she knew that she was safe with me too. So, uh, we just, we loved exploring and going out and adventuring. So, going to beavers bend and all of that fun stuff, that was our special times together.

Host - John - Being a responsible dog owner, Kari took her dogs to the vet annually for check ups.

Guest - Kari - So I bring them in for their yearly exams every year and lo and behold, Rosie got her blood work and my doctor called me and he said, hey, Rosie's blood is showing some high levels, but she's only five. These are very common to have false positives. So, whenever you guys have the chance, just swing her back by and we'll get her tested again. So, I took her in for blood work again, and they got the blood back fairly quickly, so within a day turnaround, and the levels were even higher. So I asked my doctor, what does this even mean? Why, why are her levels returning so high? He had this flush white look on his face when he told me she's in acute kidney failure. Of course when, I get bad news, I always go into fight mode. I'm like, okay, okay, so what do we do to fix this?

Host - Diane - Her vet kept her for three nights but then called and told her to take Rosie to the Texas A & M College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station, TX. According to Kari, Texas A & M is the place you go when the local vet can’t treat the problem in their office. They kept her for one full week.

Guest - Kari - Day seven they called me and they said her levels aren't getting any better. We can keep her on fluids and it keeps her levels steady, but the moment that she's off of fluids, her levels just continue to rise. So I said, what, what are my options? And they said, at this point, we give her a month. Okay. Uh, my heart just, I was on the phone, just bawling. I was like, there's nothing we can do? I can find a kidney donor. I can, I'll take her to California. I've already done. Research and knew that there were two places that could do dialysis in America and I was going to find them. And they said, I don't think that that's really going to save her at this time. And I said, she's five years old. How could this have even happened? Like what could have triggered acute kidney failure in such a healthy dog? She was fine. And they said something as simple as one grape could have done this to her.

Music fades in here…

Host - John - According to the ASPCA, ingestion of grapes and raisins has been associated with acute renal failure in dogs. Because Kari is a vegetarian, she feared that perhaps a grape from a salad could have made it’s way to the floor where Rosie would have gotten to it.  Although she doesn’t know that for sure, she wants people to be aware of this potential danger. Kari knew that there was nothing else they could do.

Music fades out here

Guest - Kari - I said, Okay, well, I'm coming to get her because I don't want her to be in some random, strange place. If you guys are only going to give her a month, we're going to have the best month ever.

Host - Diane - For the next few weeks Kari and Rosie spent quality time together. Also during this time, she experimented with different foods to insure Rosie would eat in order to keep her strength up.  It was difficult time, all around, because Kari continued to have to go to work daily.

Guest - Kari - My heart was just telling me, you can't keep her alive because you want to be selfish. She’s at home right now and she's struggling. She has such a very low dimmer to her eyes. She doesn't have much life left in it and you can tell she's ready to go. She’s just waiting for me to be ready too. I called my vet and I was crying and they knew as soon as they answered the phone, they knew it was me and they knew what those cries were for, and they said we can be there today at 5:50. And I was like, okay, that sounds like a plan, let's make it happen. 

Music fades in here…

Guest - Kari - I was very grateful that they would even come out to my home and let her go in peace. 

Music interlude here…

Guest - Kari - It was the worst moment of my life watching them pull into my driveway, cause I knew it was time and I'm sitting on Rosie's bed with her and she has her head in my lap and I'm looking down at her and I'm like, okay, my brother had passed away and I was like, go find my brother, he's going to take care of you because he absolutely loves, loves, loves, dogs, too. So you go up, you go to heaven and you go find him and he's going to take care of you until I can get with you again. My vet comes in and he's giving me my time to say my goodbyes to her and I'm kissing on her nose and telling her that I love her more than anything and, and that everything's going to be okay.

Music fades out here

Host - Diane - Kari cradled and loved on Rosie while the vet proceeded with the process of putting her to sleep. 

Music fades in here…

Host - Diane - It was difficult but Kari knew it was the most unselfish thing she could do.

Host - John - Having experienced these losses ourselves, Diane and I, have come to the conclusion that although it may be easier to leave your pet with your vet for such a heart breaking procedure, we believe, that like Kari, sitting with your pet, loving on them and being strong for them gives them peace and provides closure for you.  

Music fades out here

Host - Diane - Making the decision to euthanize an animal, especially a beloved pet, can be a traumatic. In our next episode, episode 8, the final episode of season one, you will hear from our veterinarian, Dr. Rick Coufal. He will explain the process of euthanasia, and how to make that ultimate decision. Dr. Coufal will also share a special rescue story of his own.

Music fades in here…

Host - Diane - As Kari described, losing Rosie nearly broke her, even her other dog, a Husky named Outlaw, was showing signs of sadness at Rosie’s loss.  Many people find it difficult to think of getting another dog after such a painful loss.

Guest - Kari - I don't think I ever want to go through this heartache ever again. Well, two to three weeks goes by and I'm like, okay, this isn't what Rosie would want for me. She wouldn't want me to shut my entire heart down to opening up to another love. This is not what she wants. She wants me to continue fostering, saving lives, all that good stuff. So, I told myself to get over this pain, that the years of happiness that a dog can bring you, it outweighs the pain that they leave when they leave this earth. I knew I needed another shepherd because there's something very special with German Shepherds.d They are not only protective, they're just kind and the most loyal dog you will ever find. 

Music fades out here…

Guest - Kari - So I got online and the first place that popped up was Good Shepherd. This sounds like a great rescue to go through. They were out of Dallas and I was ready for an adventure again. So I loaded up Outlaw; he doesn't like many dogs, so we're gonna, we're gonna to give him a chance to find his friend again. They had probably a good 10, 15 dogs available. So we went through every single dog at that event and there was one little scrawny dog, long-haired German Shepherd, that was sitting in the back. She didn't want to have anything to do with anybody. She was abandoned in the heart of Dallas in a grocery cart. So we go up to her and Outlaw and her kind of sniff each other and, and then they both go back to back. Everywhere they're looking, they're growling at every dog that's walking by, but they are back to back doing this, so it's kinda like you get that side, I'll get this side, we’re going to tag team these dogs. So, I was like, okay, well, I guess they're a match made in a very strange heaven, but they, they seem to like each other.

Music fades in here…

Host - Diane - The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode. Kari would like this episode’s donation to go to Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas.   Founded in 1999, Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas is a volunteer group operating in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They focus on the rescue, rehabilitation & rehoming of German Shepherd Dogs, as well as Belgian Malinois & Dutch Shepherds. All dogs in our program are in private foster homes. They provide medical care for gravely ill or injured dogs, they spay or neuter, microchip, vaccinate, deworm, heart worm test and heart worm treat if needed. Their volunteers give freely of their time, money, and affection to save these animals. You can find a link to Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas, along with pictures of Kari and her dogs, show notes, and an entire script for the hearing impaired on the Episode page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

Host - John - Kari said that Hope, now re-named Lexie, was doing many of the same things that Rosie did and she took this as a sign from Rosie that she had found Lexie for her.

Music fades out here…

Guest - Kari - I have never, ever, ever found a dog that clicked with me so quickly as Lexi did, for me, she's incredible. I now have Lexi doing everything that Rosie had done. Rosie is trying to tell me that she's okay, and that she wants me to be okay, too.

Host - John - Just as we do in all of our episodes, we asked Kari, of her dogs, Who Rescued Whom?

Guest - Kari - Oh, they 100% rescued me. They have been through some of the biggest life changes in my life, and if it wasn't for them, I don't know if I wouldn't necessarily be the person I am today.

Host - John - Because Kari has fostered and rescued many animals, we asked her to give our audience a word of encouragement about rescuing.

Guest - Kari - There will never be a more grateful creature in your life than a rescue. They have seen things that we can only imagine. They've either been abused, they have been starved to death. They know what it's like to be in a horrible situation. So when you adopt a creature that has been in such a horrible situation and you give them a beautiful home filled with love, they will give that back to you tenfold.

Host - John - Kari shared a quote from author and Canine Psychologist Karen Davison.

Guest - Kari - One of my favorite quotes is “saving one dog will not change the world, but for that one dog, the world will change forever”. And that is something that I absolutely live by. It's very difficult knowing how many dogs in this world are alone, they don't have a family and you want to rescue everybody and you can’t because it's not feasible, it’s not possible. But, if you can open up your family to one dog, I can promise you, you will have a best friend forever.

“Missy’s Theme” fades in here…

Host - Diane - Our dogs, Missy, Stormy, Jake, Cody, and now Rex and Zoey, have brought John and I nothing but joy in the 14 years we have been rescuing these precious dogs.  Yes, there is heartache when we lose one of them, but the renewed joy with each new rescue makes it all worth it. And even though they can’t ‘tell’ us, we know from the wag of their tail, or simply the look in their eyes upon seeing us first thing in the morning, that they have received an equal measure of joy from the fact they have been given a real home, a second, or in some cases perhaps even a third chance, at a great life, in a loving family.

Host - John - As we said earlier, out next episode, that will post on July 25th, will be the final episode of this first season of the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast.  We will be back in the fall with more rescue stories. If you have missed any of our previous episodes, you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  You can download all Season one stories and enjoy them while on vacation, or even while walking you dog.

Host - Diane - Do you have a rescue story you’d like to share with our audience? We’d love to talk with you about being a part of our podcast. Just go to the ‘Be A Guest’ page on our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com, and fill out our ‘Future Guest Information’ form. You can also email us at [email protected], or message us through our FaceBook Page. This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed and produced all the music that you heard on this episode.

Music fades out here…

Summary - This episode is about the inspiration and story behind the creation of this podcast.  Your hosts, John and Diane, interview each other and talk about how it all got started.  They also share the story of their first rescue Missy, along with some special thanks for those that have helped get the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast launched. 

John & Stormy

“The Inspiration” ~ Episode 6 - Show Notes and Script for the Hearing Impaired*

Summary - This episode is about the inspiration and story behind the creation of this podcast.  Your hosts, John and Diane, interview each other and talk about how it all got started.  They also share the story of their first rescue Missy. 

*Below the Show Notes you will find a full script for the hearing impaired.

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Statistic - (at 00:0) - 00:17) - Approximately 3.3 million dogs enter animal shelters each and every year in the US, but sadly, 670,000 of those, never make it out. (ASPCA) Please consider rescuing from a shelter in your local area.

• School of Podcasting Link - (at 04:22 - 04:26) Dave Jackson’s School of Podcasting Online https://schoolofpodcasting.com

• Nebraska Collie Rescue Link - (at 06:33 - 06:56) - https://collie.rescueme.org/nebraska

• Donation - (at 13:40 - 14:28) - Rocky Mountain Collie-Sheltie Rescue in Pueblo, Colorado Rocky Mountain Collie and Sheltie Rescue, Inc. (RMCSR), originally Pueblo Collie/Sheltie Rescue, is a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 non-profit, volunteer-operated organization founded in 1979. They are a dog rescue organization certified with the Colorado Board of Agriculture's State Veterinarian's office. Their mission is to promote and provide for the humane treatment of Collies and Shelties. They accomplish this by rescuing, rehabilitating and placing lost, abused and abandoned Collies, Collie-mixes, Shelties, and Sheltie-mixes into loving, responsible homes. All of their rescue dogs live in foster homes. They remain in foster care and receive complete veterinary care until they are ready for adoption, at which point we match them to carefully screened and approved adopters. They do not adopt out dogs at public events.

• Laura Coover - (at 14:42 - 14:50) - Laura Coover (our website creator/designer and my personal coach) ~ Creative Consultant - for technical and design support. [email protected]

• Mike McClellan - (at 14:51 - 15:17) - podcastps.com Mike is our editor and producer, and Mike is the composer of all the music you hear on each episode, specifically “Missy's Theme", which is the main theme for the podcast.

• Special thanks - (at 15:18 - 15:31) Bill and Betty Thomas. Although they are no longer with us, Bill and Betty, John's parents, have had a great deal of influence in our lives when it came to dog rescue. They have also, posthumously, been a financial help with getting our podcast started

• Ron Shankland - (at 15:32 - 15:47) Decisive Moment Photography - Ron Shankland, of Decisive Moment Photography, is a talented artist with a great eye. At the drop of a hat, Ron would stop whatever he was doing to fix a photo for us, create a banner and so much more. Ron is also a volunteer photographer with the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep organization. http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org

• Be a Guest - (at 16:33 - 16:50) The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking stories. If you’d like to share the story of how you saved a rescue dog, or how they saved you, please visit our “Be a Guest” page on our website WhoRescuedWhom.com where you can fill our our Future Guest Information Form, or, you can email us at [email protected].

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired, can be found below, or on the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com (Click ‘Read More’ next to Episode 6)

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode 6 ~  “The Inspiration”

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited by Host Diane Thomas

Host John Thomas - 3.3. Every year, 3.3 million dogs enter U.S. shelters, 670,000 never make it out. We want to change that. 

INTRODUCTION MUSIC (“Missy’s Theme”) ~

Host Diane Thomas - It's the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast, co-hosted by me, Diane, and my husband, John. 

Host John Thomas - If you have listened to any of our first five episodes, you'll know that each one normally takes any storytelling format, but today we're going to interview each other so you can learn a little bit about us, about our history with dogs, about how and why we started all of this. We are not dog experts. We just love dogs and want to share great rescue stories with you.

Host Diane Thomas - We'll also be sharing with you the story of our first rescue, Missy, the inspiration behind our podcast. 

Host John Thomas - So let's get started, Diane, tell us a little bit about yourself. 

INTRODUCTION MUSIC Fades Out (“Missy’s Theme”) ~

Host Diane Thomas - Well, I grew up in Nebraska. My father was in the military, so we landed there, uh, right before he was going to be set to retire. And, uh, I spent most of my young, and adult, life there. I became a teacher, I was a teacher for 27 years, taught in three different districts throughout the state. And I'm also an entertainer. I do a lot of entertaining for seniors in nursing facilities these days. We moved here to Colorado in 2014 to help take care of aging parents. What about you? 

Host John Thomas - I was born in Chicago and raised in the suburbs, went to college and then upon graduation joined the Marine Corps, spent 20 years with them and I retired from that in 2009 and became a crop duster and then an aerial firefighter, Which is what I'm primarily doing now. 

Host Diane Thomas - So, John, tell me a little bit about your history with dogs.

Host John Thomas - Well, we always seemed to have a family dog growing up and they're just part of the picture, part of the scene. And although I enjoyed playing with them, you know, I never really had a relationship with them. They're, you know, they're always there and they were fun. I think parents sometimes get dogs to help try to teach responsibility for kids growing up, you know, for care and feeding of them. And just being the typical selfish kid, I always kind of resented having to stop what I was doing and feed or, uh, pick up after them. But, uh, that's basically my older history in, you know, in the past 15, 20 years, I've really developed a deeper appreciation for dogs and actually do have bonded relationships with them now, which are a lot more meaningful than just a family pet. What about you? 

Host Diane Thomas - Well, I grew up, uh, with just a couple of dogs. One in particular, Kirk was a Sheltie. We got him when we were living in California when I was quite young, and when we came to Nebraska, we had him for a couple years and unfortunately we lost him way too soon and fast forward to my first dog as an adult, I got a dog where I was working I had a kindergarten student bring a little Collie puppy in for show and tell. And I just happened to say, I wonder if there's any more in the litter, and of course there was, and I had max for eight years, um, wonderful dog. And, uh, that's that's about it. Um, didn't get another dog until we got Missy, which we'll tell you about later. 

Music fades in here ~ (More of “Missy’s Theme”)

So we wanted to tell you a little bit about how this podcast came to be. And, uh, so last year during the pandemic, at the very beginning, we, um, had the unfortunate diagnosis of John having cancer. So not only were we stranded at home because of COVID, we were keeping home and keeping safe so that he went through his treatments safely and successfully, which he did. While we were here, we had revisited the idea of writing a children's book about our first Collie, Missy. So we pulled out some old notes and we had an idea.

Host John Thomas - Well, I think it was you that said out loud, it's you? Uh, wondered if anybody had produced a podcast about rescue dogs. So we searched the podcast library online and, uh, it didn't really find one similar to what we wanted to do. So we enrolled in an online podcasting school and learned all about process. 

Host Diane Thomas - Yes. And then with the help of a lot of family and friends, we were able to, it took about a year of, um, learning and, uh, production and figuring things out and having getting a website. And we were just, um, excited to be productive in, in our downtime.

Music fades out here ~

Host John Thomas - As you said earlier, uh, Missy is the inspiration for our podcast. And since you were the one that brought her into our lives, why don't you tell us a little bit about how you found her? 

Host Diane Thomas - Well, we have some friends in, uh, Bellevue, Nebraska, Ron, and Shelly, and they have a daughter Tiffany, who was working at a pet store and a couple from Western Nebraska who were passing through from Western Nebraska had found this Collie and they brought her into the store and asked Tyffini where they could take her, and Tyffini decided to take her to her parents' house because they, she thought, well, maybe they want a dog. So Shelly, knowing that we were thinking about getting a dog or maybe mainly, I guess it was me. Um, and she knew I had had collies and loved them, and, so she called and I went over to meet her. And as I was walking up to their house, she ran out from the backyard. And the first thing out of my mouth was, oh, Missy, Missy. She was just so happy and so bright and I just fell in love with her. So I then needed to convince you, right?

Host John Thomas - Yep. 

Host Diane Thomas - You want to tell him why? 

Host John Thomas - Well, we had always grown up with a short haired dogs, so I've always been opposed to long hair dogs because I thought that the long-haired dogs cause more problems with allergies, and I have some allergies to a certain animals and grasses and pollens or whatnot, so never even considered getting a long-haired dog. But, uh, Diane was so in love with this dog that I, well, okay. Maybe I could give it a shot. So she arranged to bring Missy to our, our house so I could meet her. 

Host Diane Thomas - I just wanted to throw in that before we did that, you had the great idea and the right idea to take her to Nebraska Collie Rescue in Omaha first for a couple of weeks to make sure no one was searching for her because she was just such a great dog.

[00:06:18] I thought there's no way no one's searching for her. So we took her there, left her there for a couple of weeks. They put out a national bulletin. And all the information and no one claimed her. So then they called us and then that's when I brought her home. 

Host John Thomas - Yeah. You took her there. I still hadn't met her yet.So, uh, I came home from work one night, knowing that Diane was going to have this dog for me to like meet. And I remember it, like it was yesterday. I got out of my truck, came around and Diane and this dog were on the back porch. She was holding her collar and Missy was just dancing back and forth on her front feet. Just so excited and wanting to be let go. And when Diane let go, she ran up to me and, uh, just was so excited, you know, meeting me for the first time. It was, it was almost as if she was welcoming home a long lost friend or something.

Host Diane Thomas - Yeah. There were a lot of special things about Missy. We loved her so much. She was with us for so long. We had a Nebraska City property, for about five years, where we operated a bed and breakfast and she became quite popular. She was so special and she was a guide for our guests, she was a protector, she was a watchdog for the coyotes that would try to get into the cornfield and too close to the house. What's special about her that you remember?

Host Diane Thomas - Well, I don't know, like I said earlier, you know, it wasn't until recently, 15 years ago, meeting Missy, that I really began to appreciate the relationship with dogs, for whatever reason, she and I just bonded. And, uh, it's almost like she could read my mind or like mood and knew what to do or how to make me a happy or whatever. She was just an incredible companion on that property. If I was out working in the fields, she was always close by watching over me. She particularly had a humorous side where if she wanted to play, uh, she would stand with her head low to the ground, trying to catch my eye, and as soon as I looked over and saw her, with her head down low, that that meant that she wanted to play. So I would stock up to her and it got to a certain distance and she would take off running and I would chase her. It's just a funny little thing that we had. 

Host Diane Thomas - She was a daddy's girl. 

Host John Thomas - She absolutely was. 

Host Diane Thomas - Well, I remembered speaking of chasing, we had some pasture out in the front of the property that someone else owned and they had cows on there and, uh, they had calved one season and these little calves had gotten under the fence and a little close to the house and her instincts kicked in and she herded them right back under that gate. And she would lay there and just watch them, and the guests just thought that was awesome. And a she was also a great protector. That was her place, and we were her people and she wasn't gonna let anybody hurt us. 

Host John Thomas - Yes, she was absolutely a constant presence in our life and an active participant in everything that we did.

Host Diane Thomas - So as part of our podcast, we ask our guests, who rescued whom? John, how would you answer that when it comes to Missy? 

Host John Thomas - Well, obviously we rescued her. She was lost or, or abandoned, still can’t figure out why or how, but a must, she must have been meant for us, but, uh, you know, we gave her a great home, a great life. And, uh, I think in turn, you know, she gave a lot back to, to us, just with emotional happiness and joy and a companion to talk to and have another soul in this big old house. It was very, very quiet. It was just nice having this companion, whether it was you by yourself, Diane, or sometimes you were gone, and it was just, uh, she and I, but she was just a great presence in our life that added a lot of joy and positive things.

Host Diane Thomas - So if I answered that question, I would say, hands down, we did rescue her, but she rescued me because you were gone a lot in the military, you were stationed overseas the first couple of years that we had her and um, there were a lot of times when you were crop dusting in another state and you were gone and she was always there with me. And one night in particular, um, we had just gone to bed. She went up to the bedroom with me usually when we didn't have guests, because she would stay downstairs if we did. But we were sleeping and then all of a sudden we heard a noise, a drill, it was found out later that someone was trying to drill some screws out of the screens and get into the house, but we heard it right away. I called the sheriff, but Missy, never before that time and never since that time, did I ever see her in this protective stance like I saw her, she was at the top of the stairs, there was a growl I'd never heard out of her and she would not let me pass to go downstairs to check it out. She was not going to let me pass. I'd never had her act that way before. So she definitely saved me. Um, I didn't go downstairs until I knew the sheriff was there. So yeah, as many times as you were gone, outside of that one night, I was never scared because I knew she'd take care of me. 

Host John Thomas - That reminds me of a really good memory that I have. The like farmhouse that we turned into a bed and breakfast was built in 1880. It was very drafty, poorly insulated and during the winter, we didn't have guests just because it was so hard to, to heat, and on the coldest nights in Nebraska, I'm not exaggerating our room, our bedroom, would get down into the mid forties. It was freezing in there. And, uh, I remember all three of us getting in bed just trying to keep each other warm and she was just part of our family. We all huddled together in bed trying to stay warm on those cold Nebraska nights. 

Host Diane Thomas - But then it would get a little too warm for her and she jumped down and she'd lay in the doorway, kind of like protecting us again.

Music fades in here ~

Host John Thomas - So that's a little bit about Missy. If you recall back at the beginning of this episode, we start off with the 3.3 million dogs enter US shelters every year, and that's a really, the other major inspiration for our podcast is that we hope to inspire people to consider rescuing one of those dogs. We have nothing against people getting dogs from breeders. We just hope that they'll consider, going to a shelter or a rescue organization to look at some of these dogs that are in need of a good home. And they have added so much to our lives that if we can help them, that's what we want to do with this podcast. 

Host Diane Thomas - One of the special features we have with each episode on the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is that we make a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature. John and I are going to make a special donation for our episode, Episode 6, to Rocky Mountain Collie-Sheltie Rescue in Pueblo, Colorado.

Music fades out here ~

Host John Thomas - Since adopting Missy and moving to Colorado in 2014, we’ve now rescued five other collies; Stormy, Jake, and Cody, all seniors at the time that we rescued them, and currently we have added Rex, and Zoey to our family.  Hope, and all the other good folks at Rocky Mountain Collie-Sheltie Rescue have allowed us the privilege of adopting these wonderful dogs. Thanks for trusting us with them.

Host Diane Thomas - We will post a link to Rocky Mountain Collie Rescue in the Show Notes that are on our website episode page at WhoRescuedWhom.com.  You can also view a picture gallery of Missy, and all our other rescues on that same Episode page at WhoRescuedWhom.com.

Music fades in here ~

Host Diane Thomas - Before we close, we’d like to take a moment to thank a few people. First, my niece, Laura Coover, Laura is the talent behind our beautiful website and my personal coach for how to make all these podcasts live. We would not be live and publishing today without Laura. So thanks so much to her.  

We'd also like to thank Mike [email protected]. Mike is our editor and producer, and Mike is the composer of all the music you hear on each episode, specifically “Missy's Theme", which is the main theme for the podcast. He's a musical genius, that goes without saying, and his wife, Laura and he have been my very good friends for more than 35 years.  Special thanks go to Bill and Betty Thomas. Although they are no longer with us, Bill and Betty, John's parents, have had a great deal of influence in our lives when it came to dog rescue. They have also, posthumously, been a financial help with getting our podcast started. 

Host John Thomas - Thanks to Ron Shankland of Decisive Moment Photography. Ron is a great personal friend who at the drop of a hat would stop whatever he was doing to fix a photo for us, create a banner and more. He's a talented artist with a great eye. Thanks, Ron. Thanks also goes out to Dave Jackson at the School of Podcasting for his lexicon of online classes and one-on-one guidance that has allowed us to learn and grow through the creation process. Finally, we'd like to thank all of our friends and family members who have participated in surveys along the way from choosing pictures, colors, music, fonts, and so much more, our committee of helpers was invaluable in this process. 

Host Diane Thomas - And most importantly, we appreciate you, our listeners. We’ll have two more episodes of this first season of the Who Rescued Whom?Canine Rescue Tales Podcast, then we'll be back in the fall with more stories to share. You can always follow, subscribe and share via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or Spotify. If you'd like to share the story of how you saved a rescue dog, or how they saved you, please visit our ‘Be a Guest’ page on our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com, where you can fill out our Future Guest Information Form. Or, you can email us directly at [email protected].

Music fades out here ~

Summary - Our guest is Jeff from eastern Nebraska. Jeff is a retired Air Force Officer and current government contractor. His story will not only encourage those with sadness and loss in their life to rescue a dog, but we hope it inspires people to seek out the help that they need.  Sadness brought on by loss, pain, or any other circumstance, can lead to isolation.  In Jeff’s case, even though his wife, Tammy, of many years, has been a life partner and there to help, it wasn’t until he found his rescue dog Aimee, that he knew it was what he needed to ease his troubles and make life more complete.

“The Moment” ~ Episode 5 - Show Notes and Script for the Hearing Impaired*

Summary - Our guest today is Jeff from eastern Nebraska. Jeff is a retired Air Force Officer and current government contractor. His story will not only encourage those with sadness and loss in their life to rescue a dog, but we hope it inspires people to seek out the help that they need.  Sadness brought on by loss, pain, or any other circumstance, can lead to isolation.  In Jeff’s case, even though his wife, Tammy, of many years, has been a life partner and there to help, it wasn’t until he found his rescue dog Aimee, that he knew it was what he needed to ease his troubles and make life more complete.

*Below the Show Notes you will find a full script for the hearing impaired.

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Be a Guest - (at 00:54 - 01:18) The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking stories. If you’d like to share the story of how you saved a rescue dog, or how they saved you, please visit our “Be a Guest” page on our website WhoRescuedWhom.com where you can fill our our Future Guest Information Form, or, you can email us at [email protected].

• Puppy Mills - (at 01:38 - 01:57) - According to the Humane Society, (https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/stopping-puppy-mills) a puppy mill is an inhumane high-volume dog breeding facility that churns out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers. Dogs from puppy mills are often sick and unsocialized. Puppy mills commonly sell through internet sales, online classified ads, flea markets and pet stores. In fact, the majority of puppies sold in pet stores and online are from puppy mills. Responsible breeders will be happy to meet you in person and show you where the puppy was born and raised—and where their mom lives too. Mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages with little to no personal attention. When the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are abandoned or killed. Due to poor sanitation, overbreeding and a lack of preventive veterinary care, the puppies from puppy mills frequently suffer from a variety of health issues, creating heartbreaking challenges for families who should be enjoying the delights of adopting a new family member. The sad facts are these: there are an estimated 10,000 currently active puppy mills in the United States, approximately 500,000 dogs are kept solely for breeding purposes, and 2.6 million puppies are sold each year after originating from a puppy mill.

• Donation - (at 08:32 - 09:55) - The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode. Jeff would like this episode’s donation to go to The Nebraska Humane Society. The Nebraska Humane Society is the fifth oldest humane society in the nation, and today, is also one of the largest. They offer shelter to animals who have no place to call home and provide vital services to them and to the people who love them. Every year, more than 24,000 animals, including wildlife, find their way to their doors. Through their programs, they touch the lives of more than 200,000 people annually with their message of compassion and humane treatment for all living creatures. The Nebraska Humane Society is housed on a 13-acre campus with170 dedicated staff members and 500 volunteers. Their mission is to protect, save and enrich the lives of animals in the communities they serve. Their vision is a good home for every pet. The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast will post a link in our Show Notes in case you’d like to donate to The Nebraska Humane Society as well. You can also see pictures of Jeff and Aimee by visiting the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

• Tail Wagging - (at 09:57 - 10:17) According to the Veterinarian’s Centers of America, the wag of a dog’s tail is one of the best methods of communication in the canine kingdom. Tail wagging may indicate insecurity, aggression, friendliness, or excitement. You can read an article by Lynn Buzhardt, DVM, on tail agging and and interpreting tail wags in dogs by clicking the link here. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/interpreting-tail-wags-in-dogs

• “Dances with Wolves” - (at 11:14 - 12:04) “Dances with Wolves” is a 1990 American epic Western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner. It tells the story of Union Army Lt. John J. Dunbar played by (Costner), who travels to the American frontier, to a military outpost, where he befriends of a group of Lakota Native Americans. While living at the outpost alone, he has several encounters with a wolf, whom he affectionally names Two Socks, due to the white markings on his lower legs. It was Lt. Dunbars’ patience with Two Socks that resulted in a trusting relationship.

  • Here is a YouTube compilation of scenes of Two Socks and Lt. Dunbar ~

• Veteran’s and Dogs - (at 13:27 - 14:49) - There are many organizations helping to connect veterans with dogs after their service is ended. Here are just a few, along with links to their websites ~ K9s for Warriors , Operation Delta Dog , and Pets for Vets .

• Quote - (at 14:58 - 15:11) “I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” Doris Day

• Statistic - (at 16:34 - 16:56) According to the National Alliance for Mental Health, “Dogs bring happiness into your life, and depression is often no match for the unconditional love they provide”. About 40 million US adults suffer from depression. Taking on the responsibility to care for another “creature” increases our self-worth by reassuring us that we have a purpose and are needed.

• Sponsors - (at 18:53 - 19:04) The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales is Seeking Sponsors. If you’d like to sponsor an episode, or several, please email us at [email protected].

• Production Note - (at 19:09 - End) - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed, and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired, can be found below, or on the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com (Click ‘Read More’ next to Episode 4)

SCRIPT for the HEARING IMPAIRED

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode 5 ~  “The Moment”

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited by Host Diane Thomas

INTRODUCTION MUSIC (“Missy’s Theme”) ~

Host - John Thomas - It's the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast and we’re your hosts, John and Diane. Today’s episode will tug at your heart, it certainly did ours.  Our guest today is Jeff from eastern Nebraska. Jeff is a retired Air Force Officer and current government contractor. His story will not only encourage those with sadness and loss in their life to rescue a dog, but we hope it inspires people to seek out the help that they need.  Sadness brought on by loss, pain, or any other circumstance, can lead to isolation.  In Jeff’s case, even though his wife, Tammy, of many years, has been a life partner and there to help, it wasn’t until he found his rescue dog Aimee, that he knew it was what he needed to ease his troubles and make life more complete.

Host - Diane Thomas - Before we tell you Jeff’s story, do you have a rescue story you’d like to share with our audience? We’d love to talk with you. Just go to the ‘Be A Guest’ page on our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com, and fill out our Future Guest Information Form.  You can also email us at [email protected], or message us through our FaceBook Page. 

Host - John Thomas - Jeff grew up with what he calls, “farm” dogs. The were kept outside keeping watch over the property and accompanied family members hunting and fishing. Many were lost to the highway near their home. Later in life, his military career brought him to Nebraska and in 1999 he got a wonderful dog named Freckles, from what was essentially a puppy mill. 

Host - Diane Thomas - According to the Humane Society, a puppy mill is an inhumane high-volume dog breeding facility that churns out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers. There are an estimated 10,000 currently active puppy mills in the United States, and 2.6 million puppies are sold each year after originating from a puppy mill.

Host - John Thomas - Fast forward to 2013, it was a tough year for Jeff, but then Aimee entered his life.

Missy’s Theme Music fades out here…

Guest - Jeff - A couple things that happened in 2013, were quite traumatic for me and it was my mom passing away and, uh, Freckles passed away.  And so I, I had told myself no more dogs! I mean, too much work, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, for about a month, maybe, (laughter), and I realized that, to me, a dog was important.

Host - John Thomas - People who bond with their dogs know all too well that the time they get to spend with their four legged friends is way too short and the grief that follows their passing can be gut-wrenching. So much so they initially swear off dogs forever, but many soon realize that something is missing. Something that fulfills a need, something that overcomes that grief.

Guest - Jeff - It's hard to put your finger on it. Uh, they're not humans, but other than my immediate family, I've come to appreciate the fact that I'd probably rather hang around with the dog than most humans anyway. So, uh, I started looking and I don't remember who it was, but they suggested that I look into a rescue.

Host - Diane Thomas - Jeff came across a local rescue’s webpage. The rescue was located in eastern Nebraska.

Guest - Jeff - I started looking and, I sent you some pictures this morning. The first one was of Aimee. The fact that, pictures states a thousand words is an understatement because when I saw the picture, I mean, I just knew that was the, that was the dog. I don't know, pictures can't talk, but this one did.

So this was, I would say early November of 2013, and I called the people and they told me the story about her, that she was rescued from a high kill shelter in South East, Missouri, near a town called Farmington, which, it goes back to the point, it makes absolutely zero sense how she and I came to be, because this is like a 10 hour drive away from here, where she had come off of, like a farm where she had been chased by wild dogs, her entire time. She went to the shelter pregnant, they aborted her babies, and they were going to kill her because, during the course of the time, when she was on this farm, she was horribly abused, it was just heart heartbreaking to hear what had happened with this dog.

But, you know, not knowing what I didn't know, other than the fact that the picture talked to me, I wanted to meet her. So we set up a time, uh, to go meet her. But before that time they had warned me that, it was their assessment, and this is probably pretty strange coming from a place that does rescues, that she was possibly un-adoptable because she was so abused. And I'm going, oh boy. Uh, but again, the picture talked. So we went and that first meeting was at a place called Pet’s Earth, it was just kind of a neutral place to go see her. We came in and she was in the corner shaking, like a leaf.

So the lady said, this is Aimee over here, but you can see she's a mess. And so Tammy and this lady sat down and I just laid on the floor, that’s what I did. I didn't want to be imposing. I didn't want to be intimidating. I just, laid on the floor. I didn't say anything. And pretty soon, it’s like the dog is, I mean, superimposed of what I think a dog might say to itself, if it says anything at all is like, “Hey, this, this guy's not going to kick me or beat me.” So she came out of her corner and like circled around, but she didn't stop. And she went right back to the corner. I just laid there and this went on a couple, three times. And pretty soon I touched her, she shot back to the corner. And the lady said, see, I mean, I kind of warned you guys that this might not work out.

Music fades in here ~

Host - Diane Thomas - Many dogs are deemed un-adoptable due to age, or, for medical, emotional, or mental issues. Aimee may have been a mess, as the rescue gal described, but Jeff saw something more.

Guest - Jeff - She said, well, what do you think? And I said, I'm going to take her. And it’s like, what? Are you, I mean, she basically was implying, are you crazy? But she didn't say that, and I said, no, I'm going to love her out of it. 

Music fades out here ~

Host - John Thomas - Over the next few weeks Jeff and Tammy filled out the adoption papers, but the rescue kept asking them, “Do you really want this dog?” They insisted that they did. So the rescue came over and inspected the house and property to make sure theirs was a safe and proper home for Aimee. 

Guest - Jeff - So we set up a time on Thanksgiving weekend cause I was going to be off a couple extra days. So, they came over and brought her and she ran upstairs to one of the upstairs bedrooms, I call it one of my upstairs man caves, and she jumped up on the bed and she's, that's her favorite place, even to this day. The second picture that I sent you is our first picture that Thanksgiving weekend. And she’s setting in a dog bed that we got for her, and that's me in the red sweatshirt, (laughter) which obviously detracts from the picture, but that's okay.

Music fades in here ~

Host - Diane Thomas - We’ll be right back with more of Jeff and Aimee’s story after we tell you about this episode’s donation. The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode. Jeff would like this episode’s donation to go to The Nebraska Humane Society.  The Nebraska Humane Society is the fifth oldest humane society in the nation, and today, is also one of the largest. They offer shelter to animals who have no place to call home and provide vital services to them and to the people who love them. Every year, more than 24,000 animals, including wildlife, find their way to their doors. Through their programs, they touch the lives of more than 200,000 people annually with their message of compassion and humane treatment for all living creatures. The Nebraska Humane Society is housed on a 13-acre campus with170 dedicated staff members and 500 volunteers. Their mission is to protect, save and enrich the lives of animals in the communities they serve. Their vision is a good home for every pet. The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast will post a link in our Show Notes in case you’d like to donate to The Nebraska Humane Society as well. You can also see pictures of Jeff and Aimee by visiting the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

Music starts fading out here ~

Host - John Thomas - According to the Veterinarian’s Centers of America, the wag of a dog’s tail is one of the best methods of communication in the canine kingdom. Tail wagging may indicate insecurity, aggression, friendliness, or excitement. With Aimee, Jeff realized something wasn’t quite right.

Guest - Jeff - What I noticed for the first few months is she never wagged her tail or she never barked like, you know, dogs bark, right? She never did that. And it was like she was mute and almost couldn't express feelings of being excited when the tail wags, if that's what that means. So fast forward to February of 2014. So, you know, a few months, and like I said, she hadn't wagged her tail, no barking. She would always wait at this big glass door, on the front of the house. She knew what time I came home from work and she would always lay at that door, but she never wagged her tail, she just laid there and watched at the door, kind of like, kind of like “Dances with Wolves”. It was one of those weird things. It was like, I would see her and she would stand up, but she was looking through me. Very strange.

Music fades in here ~

Host - John Thomas - Dances with Wolves is a 1990 American epic Western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner. It tells the story of Union Army Lt. John J. Dunbar played by (Costner), who travels to the American frontier, to a military outpost, where he befriends of a group of Lakota Native Americans. While living at the outpost alone, he has several encounters with a wolf, whom he affectionally names Two Socks, due to the white markings on his lower legs. It was Lt. Dunbars’ patience with Two Socks that resulted in a trusting relationship.

Music fades out here ~

Guest - Jeff - So, uh, one day I came home and it was February and there was snow on the ground, and I got out of the car, like I normally did and went down and checked the mail box, and all of a sudden, here comes this dog charging out the front door, barking and just going crazy, tail wagging, and uh, I thought, wow, this is a different dog. And since that time it was like, it was like a weight had been lifted off of her.

Music fades in here ~

Host - John Thomas - It has been Diane’s and my experience with each of our rescues, that there comes a “moment”, usually within the first few days of bringing home a rescue, when the dog realizes for the first time, “Hey, this is my home now, I’m safe, I’m loved and I can stop being afraid and be myself!” They come out of their reserved, cautious selves and their personality shines through! We like to call this, “the moment”.  Aimee’s moment took a few months to come, it finally came!

Music fades out here ~

Host - Diane Thomas - Aimee fulfilled a need Jeff didn’t know he had. Years earlier he’d visited with a Veteran’s Administration, or VA Doctor.

Guest - Jeff - He said, how you doing? And I said, well, you know, I'm okay. But I don't, and I don't know how to explain this, so I'm going to screw it up, but I'm not who I was. I have no idea how to explain it other than, well, of course I lost my mom, and lost my dog. And, uh, but I'm not who I was. And he said, I think you got major depression. And of course, now you're, you're telling me the guy who was at every event, was like the court jester, right, and does just kind of nut-so and crazy stuff and whatnot. But now this guy's telling me that I have this major depression, so they put me on a pills. But that wasn't, that wasn't all it.

Host - Diane Thomas - What he needed, was Aimee.

Guest - Jeff - So the fact that, we had each other, I think that that really helped me. It helped me more than, any medication, it helped me interact with a creature who seemed to understand.

Music fades in here ~

Host - Diane Thomas - (Quote) “I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” Doris Day

Music fades out here ~

Host - John Thomas - Aimee changed Jeff’s life in many ways. For instance, Jeff had been a hunter all of his life, but his compassion and empathy for Aimee’s tormented past made him look at it differently.

Guest - Jeff - I used to be like a big hunter. I couldn't shoot, I couldn't shoot anything now. I couldn't put a worm on the hook now because I wouldn't want to hurt it. And, and, you know, I'm the guy that if there's a fly on the door, the glass on the front door, not that the house was full of flies, but if one happens to get in, right, I open the door so it can get out. So anyway, anyway, I, I think some of those behaviors are a direct result of knowing what she went through.

Host - Diane Thomas - So we asked Jeff, Who Rescued Whom?

Guest - Jeff - I would submit that it's possible that we kind of saved each other in a different way and in a different context than you might put into taking on, uh, a shelter animal or that interaction with a human. This goes beyond that because I can tell you, I am very different.

Host - John Thomas - According to the National Alliance for Mental Health, “Dogs bring happiness into your life, and depression is often no match for the unconditional love they provide”. About 40 million US adults suffer from depression. Taking on the responsibility to care for another “creature” increases our self-worth by reassuring us that we have a purpose and are needed.

Host - Diane Thomas - Jeff shared a funny story with us about the love and connection he has with Aimee.

Guest - Jeff - I can be kind of a jokester, I mean Tammy, and I have been married since '83 and started dating in ’77, she knows me pretty well, and honestly has nobody to blame but herself for being here. Tammy told me early on, she said, “that dog is in love with you!” And of course, what would a smart guy like myself say about that? Oh, well of course she is. She can't help herself, (laughter) But the point is, I think there is a capability in these animals to show love, whatever that is. I mean, there's probably a lot of ways to define it, but there something about this dog and that connection with me that, I think that, genuinely dogs have the capacity to love their humans.

Missy’s Theme music fades in here ~

Host - John Thomas - Dogs, their simple lives are centered around their daily interaction with each of us, their family, their pack. As I was writing this, our current rescue dogs, Rex and Zoey, were comfortably laying on their beds, sound asleep, with not a care in the world, as usual. Whenever I get up and walk over towards them, they each raise their heads and with a twinkle in their eyes convey to me that they are “in” for whatever I want to do at that moment and will eagerly join me in the day’s adventures. They are ready companions, and though the precious few years that we get to share with them are all too short, they stand ready to accompany us for a little while on our journey through life. As Jeff treasures Aimee, I treasure our dogs and the joy they bring to our home; I wouldn’t have it any other way. Please consider rescuing a dog. 

Host - Diane Thomas - The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking sponsors.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode, or several, please email us at [email protected].

Host - John Thomas - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed and produced all the music that you heard on this episode.

Missy’s Theme music fades out to end ~

Summary - This story is about Suzan and Mike, their love, her loss, and the perfect timing of a rescue dog, that became a source of healing, that no one saw coming.

“Rudder” ~ Episode 4 - Show Notes and Script for the Hearing Impaired*

Summary - The story we have for you today is about Suzan and Mike, their love, her loss, and the perfect timing of a rescue dog, that became a source of healing, that no one saw coming.  

*Below the Show Notes you will find a full script for the hearing impaired.

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Pilots and Paws - (at 02:10 - 02:28) - Pilots and Paws is a rescue organization through which Mike and Suzan rescued Rudder. Pilots N Paws is a non-profit organization that helps coordinate, thru a volunteer network of private pilots who donate their time, fuel and aircraft, to fly rescued animals throughout the country to or from rescues or adopting families. https://www.pilotsnpaws.org

• Quote - (at 07:05 - 07:07) Suzan shared the quote, “You can't buy love, but you can rescue it.” Author Unknown

• Quote - (at 07:09 - 07:23) Suzan shared a quote she came up with herself, “Living in this world, with all the strangeness going on, it's hard, especially if you don't have someone to love, and that someone could very well be just a furry friend.”

• Donation - (at 07:27 - 08:15) - With each episode, in honor of our guests, the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a $25 donation to the rescue of their choice. We are happy to make this episode’s donation to Mountain Pet Rescue in Grand County, Colorado. Mountain Pet Rescue is how Rudder’s story with Suzan and Mike began. Mountain Pet Rescue is a foster-based rescue that focuses on rescuing active, energetic “mountain” dogs by working with overcrowded shelters in and outside of Colorado. Their Board of Directors strives to match each dog with its perfect home by assessing its temperament, evaluating the potential foster and adoption homes, and following up with the pet owner to ensure a healthy and enjoyable relationship. It’s been just over four years since Suzan lost Mike, and she still walks with Rudder, every day! And recently, she added another furry friend to her home, Baeta, a Labrador, springer/pointer mix that she also adopted from Mountain Pet Rescue. You see pictures of Mike, Suzan, Rudder, and Baeta, by going to the episode page on our website WhoRescuedWhom.com.

• Theophany - (at 08:45 - 08:52) Science fiction author Dean Koontz describes his experiences with his dog named Trixie as a theophany, a visible manifestation of a deity. Trixie changed his life in so many positive ways. You can read what Dean has to say about Trixie by going to https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-big-little-life-koontzs-warm-tribute-to-beloved-2009oct18-story.html or, by going to https://www.deankoontz.com/dean-on-trixie/

• Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales is Seeking Sponsorship & Support - (at 09:18 - 09:53) The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking sponsors and supporters. If you’d like to sponsor an episode, or several, please email us at [email protected]. Or, if you love our show, and just wish to support us in creating more great content, please consider visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/whorescuedwhom, where you can support us by buying us a coffee or puppaccino! Each $3 Cup of Coffee, or Puppaccino, represents the 3+ million dogs that enter animal shelters each and every year here in the United States.

• Production Note - (at 09:59 - 10:11) - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed, and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired, can be found below, or on the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com (Click ‘Read More’ next to Episode 4)

SCRIPT for the HEARING IMPAIRED

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode 4 ~  “Rudder”

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited by Host Diane Thomas

INTRODUCTION MUSIC (“Missy’s Theme”) ~

Host - Diane Thomas - Hello and welcome to another episode of Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales. The story we have for you today is about Suzan and Mike, their love, her loss, and the perfect timing of a rescue dog, that became a source of healing, that no one saw coming.  

Host - John Thomas - Suzan met her soon to be husband Mike in California while he was serving in the United States Marine Corps as an air traffic controller.  In 1991, Mike got out of the military and began working for the Federal Aviation Administration in Denver. They were married the following year.

Host - Diane Thomas - Suzan has always loved dogs. Suzan and Mike had recently had to say goodbye to two dogs so she began volunteering at the Retriever Rescue of Colorado to fill that void, and consequently adopted a 12 year old dog, named Faith. Later, while working at a special event for the rescue, Susan was paired up with a dog named “Boomer”. 

MUSIC FADES…

Guest - Suzan - The reason they named him, his actual name was Boomerang, was that he had been rescued four times, but had the ability to jump a six foot wall, so he kept escaping. He was a runner and so he would run away. So when I was done showing himwe left and I was supposed to take them back to a kennel and I called my husband and I said, hey, would it be okay if I bring back this dog? And he said, sure. We lived on acreage at that time. And so Boomer came there and he was happy because he could run and run and, we didn't have to worry about him.

Host - John Thomas - It was a good match, so they adopted him. As Mike worked many long shifts for Denver air traffic control, and Suzan worked from home, isolated from neighbors, she and Boomer spent a lot of time together and grew close. Mike loved to fly himself, and was a private pilot. Suzan and Mike owned a small airplane and combined their shared love of dogs and flying by volunteering for Pilots N Paws.

Host - Diane Thomas - Pilots N Paws is a non-profit organization that helps coordinate, thru a volunteer network of private pilots who donate their time, fuel and aircraft, to fly rescued animals throughout the country to or from rescues or adopting families. In early November 2016 they got an email about doing a rescue flight.

Guest - Suzan - 2016 was kind of one of those weird years. My dog boomer started getting sick in June and progressively got worse and he passed away. It was kind of rough, cause he was my dog. At that time, my husband was still working a lot, he was still flying part-time and so I didn't see him a lot.

Host - John Thomas - The email they received from Pilots and Paws was a request from Mountain Pet Rescue of Colorado seeking a flight for two dogs to be picked up from Denton, Texas. The night before their flight, the rescue had provided pictures of the two dogs they would be transporting.

Guest - Suzan - One of the dogs looked a lot like our dog Boomer. So we requested that we could take him and adopt him. And so the lady said, sure, you know, why don't you bring them home and you can foster him first and then decide whether you want to adopt him.

TRANSITION MUSIC Fades in and out ~

Host - John Thomas - And that’s exactly what they did. Rescues don’t always know a dog’s name at the time it comes to them, so they will often give the dogs names in order to sort them.  The dog they brought home, came with the name Ravi, but Mike had always wanted to give a dog an ‘aviation’ type name. 

Guest - Suzan - So he started looking and found the name Rudder. A rudder is something that steers your airplane, and so it's like a dog steers your life if you think about it that way.

Host - Diane Thomas - In early December, Suzan began preparing for the holidays, and Rudder was excited because of all the different activity.  They couldn’t know the significance the name Rudder would have until one night, when everything changed.

December 9th, my husband started not feeling so well and, and he ended up staying in bed. And then on the 10th, he was still not feeling well. I wanted to take him to the doctor, he said, no, he figured it was just a stomach flu or something. Anyway, so him being sick I didn't want to sleep in the bed with him. so I had Rudder out in the living room with me and I made a bed out on the couch and just around midnight, Rudder barked and it startled me awake, because apparently I had fallen asleep, and I looked over and he was sitting by the master bedroom door.

I opened the door and found my husband laying. And unfortunately he had passed away

TRANSITION MUSIC Fades in ~

Host - John Thomas - Mike had died suddenly of an unknown heart condition. Perhaps Rudder was brought into Suzan’s life to fill this very unexpected void so he could ‘steer’ Suzan’s life through grief, sadness, and loneliness. So we asked Suzan, Who Rescued Whom?

Guest - Suzan - Losing my husband was like one of the worst things in the world because I didn't have children. I lived farther away from most of my family, and so I had Rudder.

MUSIC Fades out ~

Guest - Suzan - What the amazing part was he actually, helped me overcome some of the heartache and, a lot of the heartache, because every day I'd have to go out and walk him.

I'd get outside, I'd see people. I would talk to people, people would ask me about Rudder and I would start taking him to dog parks. And so him being in my life was the biggest rescue I could think of, of rescuing me. I don't know how people say, divine intervention. Something had made us adopt Rudder at the time we did, because somebody knew I would need him.

TRANSITION MUSIC Fades in ~

Host - Diane Thomas -  “And God said, I will send them without wings so no on suspects they are angels.” A quote from an unknown author.

Host - John Thomas -  Rudder is special in many ways.

MUSIC Fades out ~

Guest - Suzan - Rudder’s actually very attached to me. Um, he will walk with me off-leash and stay with me, but when he hears me getting upset or sometimes if I sit and cry, he will come over and put his head on my knee and just lay there and all I can do is pet him and as I pet him, I feel better. And so I think he actually understands that. Somehow he has the empathy to sense me feeling bad or getting upset or hurting. And so he's very in tune with that. He'll always come over and bring me a toy, he’ll bring me a toy. Like, Hey, play with me even though I might be crying or whatever. And so that always seems to make me feel better.

Host - Diane Thomas - We often ask our guests if they have a favorite quote about dogs. 

Guest - Suzan - So one of my favorite ones is one I got from Mountain Pet Rescue. She sent me a book marker and it said, “You can't buy love, but you can rescue it”.  And then the other thing, which is kind of something I put together was, “Living in this world with all the strangeness going on, it's hard, especially if you don't have someone to love and that someone could very well be just a furry friend.”

MUSIC (“Missy’s Theme”) Fades in ~

Host - Diane Thomas - The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a donation to the rescue of choice in honor of the guest(s) we feature on each episode.

Host - John Thomas - Suzan would like this episode’s donation to go to Mountain Pet Rescue in Grand County, Colorado. Mountain Pet Rescue is how Rudder’s story with Suzan and Mike began.

Host - Diane Thomas - Mountain Pet Rescue is a foster-based rescue that focuses on rescuing active, energetic “mountain” dogs by working with overcrowded shelters in and outside of Colorado. Their Board of Directors strives to match each dog with its perfect home by assessing its temperament, evaluating the potential foster and adoption homes, and following up with the pet owner to ensure a healthy and enjoyable relationship. We will post a link in our show notes in case you’d like to donate to Mountain Pet Rescue as well. It’s been just over four years since Suzan lost Mike, and she still walks with Rudder, every day! And recently, she added another furry friend to her home, Baeta, a Labrador, springer/pointer mix that she also adopted from Mountain Pet Rescue.

Host - John Thomas - Dogs. There are so many anecdotal stories of dogs sensing danger or sadness in our lives, and then warning or comforting us. Science fiction author Dean Koontz describes his experiences with his dog named Trixie as a theophany, a visible manifestation of a deity. Trixie had changed his life in so many positive ways. Was it fate, destiny, coincidence or divine intervention that brought Rudder to Suzan and helped her cope with an unbelievable loss? It really doesn’t matter why, or how, Rudder just did, a dog did. One could be there for you in your time of need, so consider rescuing a dog and developing that unique bond. Dogs are truly a gift, a joy and comfort to have in your life.

Host - Diane Thomas - The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking sponsors and supporters.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode, or several, please email us at [email protected].  Or, if you love our show and just wish to support us in creating more great content, please consider visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/whorescuedwhom, where you can support us by buying us a coffee or puppaccino! Each $3 Cup of Coffee, or Puppaccino, represents the 3+ million dogs that enter animal shelters each and every year here in the United States. 

Host - Diane Thomas - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

MUSIC (“Missy’s Theme”) Fades out ~

Summary - Today we will be sharing the story of Angela, a working mother, and her daughter Adelaide, a nursing school student and working emergency medical technician, who were living in New Jersey in 2018. Their story is one of a series of unfortunate events, leading to a serendipitous ending, resulting in a mutual rescue of lives and relationships. We love this story and we hope you will too!

“The Mountain” ~ Episode 3 - Show Notes
Summary - Today we will be sharing the story of Angela, a working mother, and her daughter Adelaide, a nursing school student and working emergency medical technician, who were living in New Jersey in 2018. Their story is one of a series of unfortunate events, leading to a serendipitous ending, resulting in a mutual rescue of lives and relationships. We love this story! 

….See below for a full script for the hearing impaired…..

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Dumping Dogs Article - Angela had a not so pleasant history with dogs… (from 7:18 to 10:01) - Excerpt from an article in the Des Moines Register, 2018 - Deserting animals isn't new or unique in the United States. A woman was arrested east of Springfield, Missouri, after surveillance video showed her dumping a dog, which chased her vehicle as it drove away. At least 18 Labrador puppies were dumped in upstate New York in June. One woman dumped a bag of newborn kittens at a condominium complex in Corpus Christi, Texas, in June. To read the full article, follow this link: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/08/13/people-dumping-dogs-eastern-iowa-forest-heinz-aheinz-57-abandoned-pets-de-soto-animal-shelters/981400002/

• Josh Hopkins Quote - (at 12:40 - 12:54) Josh Hopkins, an American TV and film actor says, and I quote, “The perfect rescue dog is out there for everybody, you just have to find it.”

• Donation - (at 13:11 - 14:19) - With each episode, in honor of our guests, the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a $25 donation to the rescue of their choice. We are happy to make this episode’s donation to Puppies and More Rescue of South Jersey - Puppies and More Rescue of South Jersey, is an adoption and foster home network. They are a nonprofit group of volunteers dedicated to rescuing dogs, puppies, and other animals that are doomed due to overcrowding in shelters, abandonment, or because they are just unwanted pets. They provide immediate medical attention as well as loving foster homes. Each animal is socialized and evaluated in a family setting. After taking care of immediate needs, they show their animals on their website and Facebook so they can find their forever home through adoption. You can find a link to Puppies and More Rescue of South Jersey and see pictures of Wesley, by going to the episode page on our website WhoRescuedWhom.com.

• Subcribe and Review - (at 15:03 - 15:18) Please subscribe and review our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

• Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales is Seeking Sponsorships & Support - (at 15:19 - 15:58) The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking sponsors and supporters. If you’d like to sponsor an episode, or several, please email us at [email protected]. Or, if you love our show, and just wish to support us in creating more great content, please consider visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/whorescuedwhom, where you can support us by buying us a coffee or puppaccino! Each $3 Cup of Coffee, or Puppaccino, represents the 3+ million dogs that enter animal shelters each and every year here in the United States.

• Production Note - (at 16:02 - End) - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed, and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired, can be found on the Episode Page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com (Click Read More next to Episode 3)

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales Script - Episode 3 ~  “The Mountain”

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited.

INTRODUCTION MUSIC ~ 

Host - Diane Thomas -  It's the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast, and we’re your hosts, Diane and John. Today we will be sharing the story of Angela, a working mother, and her daughter Adelaide, a nursing school student and working emergency medical technician, who were living in New Jersey in 2018. Their story is one of a series of unfortunate events, leading to a serendipitous ending, resulting in a mutual rescue of lives and relationships. We love the story. 

Host - John Thomas - This twisted tale begins in Philadelphia, where Angela was attending a funeral. She dropped some friends off at a hotel, following the service.

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Angela (Mother) - I parked underneath the carport, went into the hotel, was three minutes long, and when I came back, my wallet was gone and my purse was gone. That was the beginning of the story.

Host - John Thomas - Angela knew she had lots to do to get herself back in order, canceling credit cards, getting a replacement license and cell phone. She was under a time crunch too. As two days later, Angela and Adelaide, and we're supposed to be leaving on a mother daughter trip to Tennessee. Angela called her husband, Michael, who was working in Saudi Arabia at the time, to discuss her troubles and predicament. She was thinking of outright canceling the trip with Adelaide, but… 

Guest - Angela - My husband had seen that we were drifting apart and needed some time to spend together. And he said, no, I, I think you still need to go. 

Host - John Thomas - So Angela spent the next day replacing her missing items. And then the following day, she and Adelaide flew into Nashville. Part of the reason for the girls' trip, in addition to the fun, was that they wanted to look at some houses in the Chattanooga area as a possible area where Angela and Michael's future retirement might be. Angela and Adelaide got into the rental car to start heading to their hotel, and that's when they discovered a problem with their cell phone.

Guest - Angela - It came to my attention that we didn't have data.

Host - John Thomas - Another unfortunate event, but one that we'll find out later was really a blessing in disguise.

MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas - Here's Adelaide. 

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Adelaide (Daughter) - Yes. So at the time my brothers and I shared phone data and they had been streaming to YouTube or Netflix or games or something that had completely wiped out the data and for our phone plan, for some reason, I couldn't use the GPS properly unless I had data. 

Host - John Thomas - So, although their cell phone mapping app wasn't working all that well, they were able to get to their hotel to check in, and then…

Guest - Adelaide - And they told us you can't check in. And we're like, what? Why? 

Host - John Thomas - Turns out Michael, Angela's husband, booked the room with his credit card from Saudi Arabia. The hotel clerk was adamant that the name on the reservation and the name on the credit card must match. Finally, after two hours worth of phone calls and conversations with managers, they were allowed to check in. After a good night's sleep, and with their recent troubles behind them, they headed out to Chattanooga the next morning.

Host - Diane Thomas - Not so fast, as they were leaving Nashville, the check engine light came on in their rental car. So they took it to the car rental location to exchange for a different vehicle. 

Host - John Thomas - They arrived in Chattanooga to check into their hotel. Well, tried to check into their hotel and guess what? It's Deja Vu all over again. They can’t. Something about a guy named Michael and credit cards not matching. Finally, they get checked in, get some dinner and relax for the rest of the evening. They departed the hotel the next morning to meet with their realtor at a house they wanted to see that it was near the top of a mountain. As they drove up the mountain Adelaide checked her bank account using her cell phone. Unbelievably, the rental company charged her for an entire new booking, and, an additional 500 bucks. 

Guest - Adelaide - So being a nursing student on an EMT salary, I was like, I can't, I can't do that! I was freaking out. My a’A’ type personality, I'm like, that's wrong. This needs to be fixed. Who do I need to talk to? 

Host - John Thomas - They continued up the mountain and at the house, her phone rings, the realtor is going to be an hour late, figures. Needing something to do for the next hour, they decided to find a coffee or snack shop to grab a bite to eat. So as the mountain top house was in a remote area they headed back down the mountain. Since Adelaide was still upset that the lack of phone data was causing GPS problems, and about the rental car overcharge situation, she got out her phone and tried calling them, and of course, the phone call dropped. 

Guest - Angela - Everything's going to work out. Okay. And she's like, turn around, go back up the mountain. 

Host - John Thomas - So back up the mountain they go in search of a better cell signal. 

Guest - Angela - So we turned back up and we're about three quarters up and all of a sudden we see a white, fluffy rabbit. But it wasn't a rabbit.

MUSIC FADES IN/OUT ~

Guest - Adelaide - It was one of those moments where I had always like, just in my mind, just ever since I could drive just thinking, well, what if I find a dogg, what would I do? And it was like, in that moment I was driving thought it was, uh, a bunny or a cat. And then we saw that it was a puppy and it was like, my dream is coming true right now!

Host - John Thomas - Adelaide jumped out of the car before she even stopped and went looking for the puppy, but couldn't find it, when all of a sudden

Guest - Adelaide - I turned around and this little dog came up to me and literally jumped into my arms and started crying. 

Host - John Thomas - They both looked at this little dog and wondered why a puppy was out here in a remote area, all alone.

Host - Diane Thomas - They looked to see if there were any others, but there weren’t. This puppy was starving. His ribs were showing and it needed water. They remembered that they had passed a horse trough on the way up the mountain so drove back to it to get this little guy some water, which he lapped up very quickly.

Host - John Thomas - They decided they needed to get him to a vet, so their realtor gave them the name of her vet and they headed down the mountain. After whining nonstop for 10 minutes…

Guest - Adelaide - He settled down and he fell asleep almost immediately. You could just tell he was exhausted. 

Host - John Thomas - The vet told them that if this dog had spent another night or two out there on the mountain, that he likely would have died from exhaustion, he was that weak. Adelaide, without expressing it to her mom, knew from that moment, this dog, to be named Wesley, that jumped into her arms, was going to be hers. Privately, Angela wasn't so sure.

MUSIC FADES IN/OUT ~

Guest - Angela - I'm not a touchy feely person with dogs. That's because when I was being raised, we would get a puppy and it would have diarrhea or something, and before long, the dog was being packed up and going to the woods to meet “somebody”. And as a child, you just don't realize that it's getting dumped. 

Host - John Thomas - Angela says her mom was a good person and always meant well, but at times she must've gotten overwhelmed with the responsibilities and costs of keeping dogs and chose to simply abandon them in the woods, probably thinking they would find a way to survive.

MUSIC FADES IN/OUT ~

Host - John Thomas - Perhaps dog shelters were not as available as they are today. But in today's modern world, with internet access, there is no reason to abandon any pet or domesticated animal. 

Host - Diane Thomas - According to a 2018 story in the Des Moines register, deserting animals isn't new or unique in the United States. A woman was arrested east of Springfield, Missouri in July of 2018, after surveillance video showed her dumping a dog, which chased her vehicle as it drove away. And, at least 18 Labrador puppies were dumped in upstate New York, in June of 2018. Animals are most commonly dumped in rural areas like farms and forested areas; older and injured animals are more likely to get dumped because people don't want to take care of them anymore. It's very sad, and unnecessary, as there are organizations all over the United States who will take them in. 

MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas - One simply has to call a shelter and they can take the pet and can give it a great chance at being adopted and living a full, happy, productive life, a life that could change your life. Consider rescuing a dog.

MUSIC FADES OUT

Host - John Thomas - Angela continues her story. 

Guest - Angela - But as an adult, I just didn't really want to get close to any dogs because I had a history of that, and I always felt really guilty and ashamed and upset. You know how you just don't realize you're like that, you're feeling those things. But when we got Wesley and Adelaide was picking like 20 ticks off of him and he was so desperate, that something broke inside me. He needed us and, you know, I needed him.

Host - John Thomas - After they left the vet, they drove back up the mountain, both to look for more puppies and, they remembered passing a sign about a lost dog and they wanted to be sure it wasn't this lost dog. They found the sign and to their relief, it wasn't Wesley.

MUSIC ~

Guest - Angela - So I said, okay, he is free. He is ours now.

Host - John Thomas - That was two years ago. Today, Wesley is thriving and is moving to Arizona to be with Adelaide. During our interview, Adelaide fondly reminisced about how ironic it was that the series of unfortunate events led them to meeting and rescuing Wesley. 

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Angela - The timing of everything was, we had it, it really was, it was like we had all of these, bad things, and these unlucky things keep happening. But if I hadn't had no data and a poor cell phone service, I wouldn't have turned around. If I hadn't had had the car double charge me or break down, I wouldn't be on the phone and had to have turned around. Like it was just crazy. Every unlucky thing led to that decision to turn around. And that's, that's how we found him. 

Host - John Thomas - Wesley changed them as individuals, as well as healed their mother daughter relationship. 

Host - Diane Thomas - Angela's family has a special Christmas tradition each year, where, before they open gifts, they do a little sharing. And during one particular Christmas, after rescuing Wesley, Angela, and Adelaide discovered something about their relationship, that Wesley had indeed helped heal their hearts.

MUSIC ~

Host - Diane Thomas - So who rescued, whom?

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Angela - Wesley rescued us! I was telling my husband, I said, you know, God is so wonderful in the fact that in this dog, there is nothing He could have used that would have really bonded us back together. But a puppy, that you find together, that you share, his story is, it’s just amazing. And so we're really blessed to have this Westley dog,

MUSIC ~

Host - Diane Thomas - Josh Hopkins, an American TV and film actor says, and I quote, “The perfect rescue dog is out there for everybody, you just have to find it.” 

MUSIC FADES OUT

Host - Diane Thomas - Angela's family has lived all over the world to include Saudi Arabia and 13 years in Australia. There are several rescues they have helped along the way, but Adelaide highlighted the work of one in particular called Puppies and More Rescue of South Jersey, an adoption and foster home network. They are a nonprofit group of volunteers dedicated to rescuing dogs, puppies, and other animals that are doomed due to overcrowding in shelters, abandonment, or because they are just unwanted pets. They provide immediate medical attention as well as loving foster homes. Each animal is socialized and evaluated in a family setting. After taking care of immediate needs, they show their animals on their website and Facebook so they can find their forever home through adoption. The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast will be making a $25 donation to Puppies and More Rescue of South Jersey in honor of Angela, Adelaide, and of course their wonderful rescue, Wesley. You can find a link to Puppies and More Rescue of South Jersey and pictures of Wesley, by going to our website WhoRescuedWhom.com.

MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas - Dogs, with their unassuming trusting spirits, capture our hearts and cause us to envy them in many ways. They can sense the goodness in us, even when we can't and they help to bring it out. They live in the moment, but can heal our past. They give us cause to look towards tomorrow because they depend on us, they ground us, and they become a daily touchstone for what's important in life, family, good food, playtime and laughter. Long Live Dogs!

Host - Diane Thomas - You can find this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify. Thanks for listening, and if you love the show, please subscribe.  And feel free to leave us a positive review on your favorite listening platform!

Host - John Thomas - The Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast is seeking sponsors and supporters.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode, or several, please email us at [email protected].  Or, if you love our show, and just wish to support us in creating more great content, please consider visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/whorescuedwhom, where you can support us by buying us a coffee or puppaccino! Each $3 Cup of Coffee, or Puppaccino, represents the 3+ million dogs that enter animal shelters each and every year here in the United States.

Host - Diane Thomas - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan atpodcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

MUSIC FADES OUT

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descript, then edited by Diane Thomas

Summary - Our guests today are Wayne and Caroline. We met them while vacationing in 2018. We became fast friends for many reasons, but we'd say we are actually more like kindred spirits in that they are dog rescue people like us, we connected immediately. All their lives they’ve had a passion for animals. Wayne and Caroline have rescued 11 dogs over the years, each one, having their own story of how they were saved by the opening of their home, and their gracious and loving hearts. You will hear/read about four of their rescues today, Buster, Abby Grace, Hope and Doc. Friends tell them they are hopeless adopters, no one is surprised when a new little canine arrives in their lives.

“Potcake” ~ Episode 2 Show Notes

Summary - Our guests today are Wayne and Caroline who currently reside in South Carolina. We met them while vacationing in 2018. We became fast friends for many reasons, but we'd say we are actually more like kindred spirits in that they are dog rescue people like us, we connected immediately. All their lives they’ve had a passion for animals. Wayne and Caroline have rescued 11 dogs over the years, each one, having their own story of how they were saved by the opening of their home, and their gracious and loving hearts. We will hear about four of their rescues today, Buster, Abby Grace, Hope and Doc. Friends tell them they are hopeless adopters, no one is surprised when a new little canine arrives in their lives.

….See below Highlights/Takeaways for a full script for the hearing impaired…..

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Dean Koontz Quote - (at 3:52 - 4:00) - Science Fiction Author Dean Koontz said, “Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” Find out more information about Dean Koontz by visiting his website: https://www.deankoontz.com

• Potcake Place and the story of Hope (starting at 6:46 - 10:42) - Wayne and Caroline adopted one of their dogs, Hope, from Potcake Place in Turks & Caicos. Potcakes, or what they call the street dogs in Turks and Caicos, really, basically in the Caribbean Islands, and they're called that because the locals will make large pots of conch and rice chowder and stew, and the burnt remains of the stew on the bottom they would scrape out of the pot and they're kind of caked up remains and they would throw them out to the street dogs because the humans didn't want them. So that's how they got the name Potcakes. I they call the little scrape of food Potcakes, and they fed them to the dogs. So the dogs became Potcakes.

• Donation - (at 10:32 - 11:54) With each episode, in honor of our guests, the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a $25 donation to the rescue of their choice. We are happy to make this episode's donation to Potcake Place (http://www.potcakeplace.com), in Turks and Caicos, in honor of Wayne, Caroline, and Hope. Potcake Place is the only dog rescue charity based in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. They adopt out 100% of all of their rescues to approved, screened homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands and North America. They run solely on donations and their mission is. To reduce the number of homeless Potcakes on the Island. If you are ever in the area, much like Wayne and Caroline were, they ask you to pop in, meet some puppies and learn more about what they do. They have a constant stream of puppies needing socialization and adoption. You can go by and even take a puppy out for a walk. They'll give you everything you need. You just need to supply some TLC. You can learn more about Potcake Place, and see pictures of Hope, by clicking on the link to their website on the episode page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com.

• Author Lewis Grizzard - Humorist - (at 19:25 - 19:58) - Guest/Wayne - “There was a famous Southern writer, Lewis Grizzard, he was something else. He wrote about his dog Catfish a lot and also wrote about when his dog passed. It's one of my favorite prints. After his dog passed, someone did this caricature of Lewis Grizzard entering heaven and his faithful dog was jumping into his arms. It's like, you know, that's kind of says it all." You can read about Catfish, Grizzard’s dog, and see the print, at https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/man-best-friend-catfish-howling-holds-twilight-bay/YIExOzvMKBkbS8twAAmzfK/

• Twilight Zone Reference - (at 20:04 - 21:17) -Twilight Zone Episode - “The Hunt" Originally Aired on January 26, 1962. You can see a short snippet of the episode on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBTTIf7EzA

Full Summary of the Twilight Zone Episode called "The Hunt”, taken from: https://twilightzone.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hunt 

Hyder Simpson lives with his wife and his hound-dog Rip in the backwoods. Mrs. Simpson does not like having the dog indoors, but Rip saved Hyder's life once, and Hyder won't be parted from him. Mrs. Simpson has seen some bad omens recently, and warns Hyder not to go raccoon hunting that night. When Rip dives into a pond after a raccoon, Hyder jumps in after him, but only the raccoon comes up out of the water. Next morning, Hyder and Rip wake up next to the pond. When they return home, Hyder finds that neither his wife, the preacher, nor the neighbors can hear him or see him—they seem to think that he and Rip are dead. Walking along the road, he encounters a fence he doesn't recognize, and decides to follow it. Presently, both come to a gate tended by a man. Simpson asks him if he is Saint Peter. Explaining only that he is a gatekeeper, the man explains that Simpson can enter the Elysian Fields. Simpson is appreciative, but disheartened to hear that there is no raccoon hunting there, nor are there any of his other usual pleasures. When he is told that Rip can't enter and will be taken elsewhere ("up the road"), he declines and angrily goes on down the "Eternity Road" rather than enter the gate without his beloved dog. Simpson states, "Any place that's too high-falutin' for Rip is too fancy for me." Later, after stopping to rest, Simpson and Rip are met by a young angel whose job is to find and bring them to Heaven. Simpson tells the angel about his experience at the first gate, commenting "Son, that'd be a helluva place without Rip!" The angel replies "Mr. Simpson, you ain't far wrong - that is Hell! Heaven's up yonder a piece," pointing up Eternity Road. When asked by Simpson why the gatekeeper at the gate to Hades wouldn't let him bring Rip inside with him, the angel explains that the reason Rip was not allowed in was because the dog would have been able to smell the brimstone and alert Simpson that something was wrong. The angel says, "You see, Mr. Simpson -- a man, well, he'll walk right into Hell with both eyes open. But even the Devil can't fool a dog!" The angel also tells Hyder that there will be a raccoon hunt in Heaven that night, "right after the square dance," and assures him that his wife, who will be coming shortly, will not be misled into entering Hell.

• Will Rogers Quote - (at 21:21 - 21:27) “If there are no dogs on Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went.” Will Rogers

• Production Note - (at 21:37 - 21:50) - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed, and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired, can be found below.

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode 2 -  “Potcake”

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descrip, then edited by Diane Thomas

INTRODUCTION MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas - It's the who rescued, whom K9 rescue tales podcast. And where are your hosts? John and Diane.

Host - Diane Thomas - Our guests today are Wayne and Caroline who currently reside in South Carolina. We met them while vacationing in 2018. We became fast friends for many reasons, but we'd say we are actually more like kindred spirits in that they are dog rescue people like us, we connected immediately. All their lives they’ve had a passion for animals. Wayne and Caroline have rescued 11 dogs over the years. Each one, having their own story of how they were saved by the opening of their home, and their gracious and loving hearts. We will hear about four of their rescues today, Buster, Abby Grace, Hope and Doc. Friends tell them they are hopeless adopters. No one is surprised when a new little canine arrives in their lives. Here's Caroline…

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Caroline - My first love was always animals in whatever way I could be around them. Thankfully, my husband feels the same way that we have some more time on our hands, we’re just really enjoying our time with our dogs. But even when we were working full time, gosh, we had so many dogs, but somehow we managed it. Maybe all the dogs just gave us peace and joy after a long day at work. So it's kind of been a lifelong project for us.

Host - John Thomas - We asked Wayne and Caroline to tell us about Buster.

Guest - Caroline - Um, well I just start smiling and giggling when you just said his name, he says, of course I feel that way about all of our dogs, but he was a goofy dog. I was coming home from an animal shelter function and, uh, I came across a little puppy, on a side of the road, Wayne was riding behind me and I pulled up and there were two puppies and Wayne pulled up behind me and he's like, what now? I found a puppy again, another puppy.

Guest - Wayne - And this poor little guy was, he had blood and we thought he was badly injured. The sad part that Caroline didn't tell you was that just ahead of us was a younger driver and, uh, in a revved-up car that was speeding. And, uh, it turns out that two puppies were crossing the road and, and one was killed and Buster survived. This is when we were living in West Virginia, there was only one all night shelter, uh, open at that time. And it was about a 45 minute drive, but we took him down there and, um, of course we're both looking at each other, like, you know, we don't need another dog at this point. But then they looked at us and said, what's his name?

And we had to come up with something, so, you know, it's like, well, his name's Buster. 

Guest - Caroline - We both just looked at each other and said it, we were calling him that we were saying, hang in there, Buster, you’ll be okay, Buster, we're going to get you to the vet. So we were setting ourselves up. 

Guest - Wayne - We were with him throughout the night and lo and behold by daybreak, his name was Buster. And then we took him home with us and, uh, you know, he had Basset hound ears and a droopy face. I mean, we used to calling slobber Huck because he seemed to leave a path of drool wherever he went, but he was just a great lovable soul.

MUSIC ~

Host - Diane Thomas - After 11 joyous years together, Buster passed away from cancer, but their home was never without a dog, whether they stumbled upon a dog in need of help or a dog stumbled upon them in search of a loving family, fate continued to lead them to one another and enriched their lives. 

Host - John Thomas - Science fiction author, Dean Koontz said, “Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is it a life diminished?”

Host - Diane Thomas - Wayne and Caroline lost another dog named Annie. But years later, Annie's twin found them.

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Wayne - Losing Annie was very difficult. A few years later, one night we're at home and a neighbor calls and tells Caroline that there's a stray dog in the neighborhood. And, she wants Caroline to come out and help her determine what breed of dog this is.

Guest - Caroline - Isn't that a sneaky, a way of getting us to look at the dog? 

Guest - Wayne - Yeah, I could see this coming because she knew that we were suckers for, you know, and I’m begging Caroline, not to go out. Caroline goes out and then she comes back in the house as if she's seen a ghost ,and she looks at me and she goes, you've got to come out here, and I'm like, no, I don’t. She’s like, no, seriously, you really need to come out here. So, you know, I put a jacket and shoes on and she looked exactly like Annie, I mean, it gave me chills. You know, at the time we had four other dogs and I believe they were all male. So the first night that Abby Grace stayed in our house, she stayed alone in the garage. And then the next day, of course, Caroline was really worried that, you know, it's like, well, you know, I think we're really going to have to take this slow and we're going to have to introduce her one at a time to the other dogs. There was just something about this little puppy. I could just tell by looking in her eyes, it's like, she's fearless and she's got so much spirit about her. You know, I told Caroline, I said, no, just let all of them out in the backyard and I'm going to come around the side and I'm going to let her out there with them.

Caroline and I got the biggest kick for the next half hour or so watching our four larger male dogs chase after this little black puppy with panda paws.

MUSIC ~

I mean, she was like a little running back. She was just juking and you know, in and out and a half hour later, our four guys are just, they're all lying down, uh, gasping, and Abby's still prancing around the yard. And from that moment on it's like she was queen bee, she just owned it.

Host - Diane Thomas - We also asked them to tell us about their Potcake puppy, Hope.

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Caroline - Yeah, so Wayne an I were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and we thought, well, let's go somewhere special. So we chose the Turks and Caicos Islands. I don't know why maybe it's because we're such dog people, but I decided to do some research about the island and of course the first thing and research is what's the homeless dog situation on Turks and Caicos. I was just curious and I found out, told Wayne there's a place called Potcake Place, Potcakes, or what they call the street dogs in Turks and Caicos, really, basically in the Caribbean Islands, and they're called that because the locals will make large pots of conch and rice chowder and stew, and the burnt remains of the stew on the bottom they would scrape out of the pot and they're kind of caked up remains and they would throw them out to the street dogs because the humans didn't want them. So that's how they got the name Potcakes. I guess they call the little scrape of food Potcakes, and they fed them to the dogs. So the dogs became Potcakes. So our first whole day, we didn't go to the beach, we went over to this Potcake Place to see the puppies and make a donation. And, um, we walked out of there two hours later, without a puppy, we were so proud of ourselves. So we went about our vacation and the next day we were walking down the beach, minding our own business, and we see a little Potcake puppy being walked by a little girl and her parents. And we said, oh, is that a Potcake puppy, and they said, yes, her name is Hope. And, um, I put my hand down and just cradled her chin in my hand and she just looked at us, she was so shy. 

Guest - Wayne - She was not in good shape. 

Guest - Caroline - No. Oh, she was well so bad for her. Um, she was being walked actually by Potcake Place volunteers, a lot of people who vacation will volunteer to walk these dogs. We had about a 20 minute walk back to our hotel and neither of us said a word. We were both thinking and afraid to say it out loud. And then, uh, we just started talking about it, you know, and I don't know if you remember the rest of it Wayne, exactly how it came about.

Guest - Wayne - Our last day Carolina's in the shower and, you know, we're all packed and I had already called a cab to take us to the airport, and I call Potcake Place and, uh, they remembered us, and uh, I asked them, I said, how difficult is it to adopt a Potcake. They wanted to know which one we were looking at and I said Hope. They were just thrilled because Hope had a bad case of mange, and she had had some other ailments. The reason why they named her Hope was that the first night she arrived at Potcake Place, they didn't think she was going to make it through the night and they gave her the name Hope.

Host - John Thomas - The Potcake Place immediately got the needed adoption and travel paperwork together and waited for Wayne and Caroline's arrival. When Caroline got out of the shower…

Guest - Wayne - I gave her the good news that, hey, uh, we're going to be making a stop and, uh, she was thrilled. 

Guest - Caroline - I want to point out that I think that does not normally does the adoption process go so quickly, but you have to remember about three days before, four days before we had spent at least two hours in there and they remembered us very well and you know, so they knew who we were.

Guest - Wayne - Right. And, and I think they were also desperately wishing to find a home for Hope.

MUSIC ~

Guest - Wayne - Yeah. We were so happy with her, I was just thrilled, never expected it, you know, go away on our 20th anniversary vacation and come back with a puppy, but we've had people well, you guys would do that, that doesn’t surprise us too much. (laughter)

Host - Diane Thomas - With each episode, in honor of our guests, the Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales Podcast makes a $25 donation to the rescue of their choice. We are happy to make this episode's donation to Potcake Place in Turks and Caicos, in honor of Wayne, Caroline, and Hope. Potcake Place is the only dog rescue charity based in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. They adopt out 100% of all of their rescues to approved screened homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands and North America. They run solely on donations and their mission is. To reduce the number of homeless Potcakes on the Island. If you are ever in the area, much like Wayne and Caroline were, they ask you to pop in, meet some puppies and learn more about what they do. They have a constant stream of puppies needing socialization and adoption. You can go by and even take a puppy out for a walk. They'll give you everything you need. You just need to supply some TLC. You can learn more about Potcake Place, and see pictures of Hope, by clicking on the link to their website, on the episode page of our website, WhoRescuedWhom.com. 

Host - John Thomas - Hope is doing great and enjoys her new home and pack members. Next, Wayne and Caroline told us about Doc.

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Caroline - He was found at five weeks old, abandoned in the field in Georgia, when we lived in Georgia and some friends of mine who volunteered in a shelter, I said, you gotta see this dog. And, uh, Wayne went down the, see it. And he said, oh, that's where we're getting this dog. I'd always wanted a Golden Retriever and he looked a lot like a Golden Retriever and Wayne brought him home and I fell in love with Doc! Oh, he was just so cute. Always smiling, even as a puppy. We named him Doc, after a dear friend of ours.

Guest - Wayne - I don't think I've ever seen a, a happier soul. He just woke up happy and, and went to bed happy, and in-between, he just lived life to the fullest. I mean, he just couldn't understand why Hope would want to be lying around. It's just like, you know, I mean, well, let's go chase something, you know, it's a great day out there. Let's go seize it!

MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas - In time, Doc's time came. He developed a mysterious disease that caused unexplained seizures. They took him to a specialist clinic where a team of 12 doctors each played a hand in trying to figure out what was wrong with him. The best they could conclude was that it was probably tick-related. Consequently, Doc had heart problems, gallbladder, and bone problems. One thing after another, this disease was taken over.

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Caroline - It was winning. And, um, we had to make that decision sadly on Wayne's birthday, but it, he couldn't suffer anymore. It was a way to show love for him, you know, and if we could do that for them and take the pain away from them, we don't want them to suffer and we just had to put our dogs first and not our feelings and do it for them. 

Host - Diane Thomas - Because of another recently rescued dog, Wayne got to spend some quality time with Doc in his last few weeks. 

Guest - Wayne - One major blessing for me, we had adopted Charlie Buck and Charlie Buck was so afraid of men, period, that Caroline had no other choice, but to coddle him. So I got to spend some good quality time with Doc that I may not have had if Charlie Buck hadn't been in the picture and Caroline and I even talked about that. 

Guest - Caroline - It really was nice that they had, that they spent more time together. And having Charlie Buck has been a lifesaver in our grieving over Doc. 

Host - Diane Thomas - Wayne and Caroline told us that each and every one of the 11 dogs, they rescued have impacted them in numerous ways

Guest - Wayne - Each and every one of our dogs has a very special place in our hearts. Every one of them was unique. They all have made us laugh and brought us emence joy. 

Guest - Caroline - They knew love and happiness and comfort and safety. And in return, we have been beyond blessed, um, by having them in our lives. 

Guest - Wayne - These dogs have given more to us than we've given to them, and they've enriched our lives more than we've been enriched theirs. There’s something special about the relationships that people have with their dogs. And there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. I mean, I have felt it in my heart and in my soul and I've witnessed it in others. So, it's a live thing! Caroline, and I've always been drawn to rescue animals. Just leave your hearts open to it. One of life's wonderful connections and one of God's great gifts, just that relationship. It's mind, body and spirit, you know, the dog is all in and you're all in. And you know, we really try to encourage people like, well, you know, you really, you know, consider rescuing because they're already here and they need help. So just go visit a shelter and look at the conditions they're living in and look, and just think how much better you can make their lives.

MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas - Some people, after a pet passes away, understandably, find it hard to think about getting another. Wayne and Caroline had some good advice. 

Guest - Wayne - We've known so many people that have had a dog and have lost it. You know, it's like, I'm never going to have another dog. I'm not going to do it. You know, losing that dog was just too much for me. I think any dog owner would tell you that we all wish dogs lived longer. And the hardest part of being a dog owner is when it comes time to say goodbye. I think the one thing that gives us a added peace, is being able to reflect and know that, hey, you know, do you remember the night or the day that we rescued this little guy, or this little girl, they were not in a good place. You know, it just makes the process of letting go

Host - John Thomas - Diane and I have gone through that ourselves, but the years spent with the rescue dog, or even sometimes just days as it was with our rescue dog Stormy in 2015, who was with us only 25 days, that precious time and shared life experiences, giving that dog years, or just quiet days of peace, safety, happiness, love and comfort ,for us, the tears and heartache that follow their departure are replaced by the satisfaction that for a time, that dog new love and that possibly for the first and only time in their life felt that they were part of a pack, part of your loving family. That feeling of giving them a true home for however long and thinking that if not us, then who, well, it makes it all worth it, and we choose to believe that we will see them again, someday down the road. 

Guest - Caroline - I don't know why. I, I can't think of a words right now, but I just saw a little meme on social media that really touched my heart. 

MUSIC FADES OUT

And it was a picture of two dogs, like up in heaven and they had little angel wings and one dog turned to the other dog and said, you know, they still talk about you. He said, yeah, I know. And that just touched my heart. There's another one where Peter at the Gates of Heaven and in a man comes in and he says, Oh, you must be a little Bobby. He's an older man. He said, you know, Rufus has been talking about you for years. 

Guest - Wayne - There was a famous Southern writer, uh, humorist, uh, named, uh, Lewis Grizzard, he was something else. He wrote about his dog a lot and also wrote about when his dog passed. It's one of my favorite prints. After the dog passed, um, someone did this caricature of Lewis Grizzard entering heaven and his faithful dog was jumping into his arms. It's like, you know, that's kind of says it all. 

Guest - Caroline - We'll see them once again. 

Guest - Wayne - There you go. I remember as a kid, there was one episode of a Twilight Zone where an elderly man and his dog, and his dog was old as well, and they lie down to rest, uh, by this tree and they both passed away, uh, the, the man and his dog. They get up. And they continue walking and they're greeted, this individual is presenting himself to be Saint Peter, and it's like, you know, hey, we've been waiting for you. Welcome. And you know, the old man's getting ready to enter and he's telling his dog, you know, come on Buddy. And the guy says, well, you know, I'm sorry, you know, dogs aren't allowed. And he said, well, I'm sorry, but if he's not allowed, I'm not coming in. He walks further up the road and lo and behold, it's the real Heaven. He said, now is Buddy invited? And they're like, well, of course he is, we've got his name right here alongside yours. We've been waiting for both of you. And that's one of the few real happy episodes of the Twilight Zone.

MUSIC ~

Host - John Thomas- “If there are no dogs in the heaven, then when I die, I want you to go where they went.” Will Rogers

Host - Diane Thomas - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode. 

MUSIC FADES OUT

This script, for the hearing impaired, was created using the online platform Descrip, then edited by Diane Thomas

Stephen & Karen tell us about rescuing Chance.

“The Glue” ~ Episode Show Notes
Summary - Stephen and Karen adopted Chance nearly 20 years ago, and they still remember the circumstances around how they found him, or rather, how he found them. They called him their UN peacekeeping dog as they struggled at times and Chance was there to ‘calm’ things down between them.  Chance was with them for many years but sadly passed away unexpectedly one evening when Karen was home and Stephen was out of town. She felt like Chance had passed away of loneliness as kids moved out and life changed.  Stephen reminded her of how loved he was and felt. 

….See below for a full script for the hearing impaired…..

Episode Highlights/Takeaways

• Humane Society Statistic…(at 4:40 - 4:52) - Dogs are one of the most common animals to suffer cruelty and neglect, along with cates, horses, and livestock.

• Jetsons Cartoon Reference (at 5:34 - 6:14) - YouTube link to opening where Jane, George’s wife takes his wallet (in video at 0:40)…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTq6Tofmo7E

• Quote - (at 7:55 - 8:17) - “Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces a old dog, it merely expands the heart.” Unknown Author

• Donation - (at 10:32 - 11:10) As part of each podcast episode, we will be making a donation in the name of our guests to the rescue organization of their choice. Stephen and Karen would like their donation to go to Hope for Paws, a non-profit rescue organization based in Los Angeles, California. You can learn more and/or donate by going to their website, hopeforpaws.org.

• “Who Rescued Whom?” - We ask the following question of each guest, “Who Rescued Whom?”. Here is what Stephen had to say: (at 13:48 - 14:25) “I would say he rescued us. We were very fresh in our marriage, and Chance created that “glue” for us, and he insured that the next 20 plus years of our lives were going to be filled with some pretty amazing memories and I think he put us on the right path together as a couple, he gave us that foundation.”

• Statistic - (15:05 - 15:16) Approximately 3.3 million dogs enter animal shelters each and every year in the US, but sadly, 670,000 of those, never make it out. (ASPCA) Please consider rescuing from a shelter in your local area.

• Production Note - (at 15:33 - 15:47) - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed, and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode.

• Artwork Credit - The painting of Chance that you see in the gallery was painted by Patricia Ragone. You can find her artwork at https://www.lovestopaint.net

• SCRIPT ~ created for the hearing impaired -

WRW? Canine Rescue Tales - Episode:  “The Glue”

This script, created for the hearing impaired, was created, then edited, using the online platform Descript.

INTRODUCTION MUSIC ~

Host - Diane Thomas - Welcome to the podcast Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales, hosted by me, Diane Thomas and my husband, John. 

Host - John Thomas - On today's episode, we hear from Stephen and Karen, previously of Boulder City, Nevada. Just after they were married in 1999, they purchased their first home and consequently discover their mutual love for dogs. Enter, Chance, a Border Collie/Golden Retriever mix, and despite being over 20 years ago, they seem to remember meeting Chance like it was yesterday. 

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Karen - Stephen and I had not been married long and we had purchased a house, our first house together and we were out shopping and getting some things for some home renovation and as we were driving down the street. I saw an 8 1/2 by 11 handwritten sign, chow puppies for sale and a phone number. I asked Stephen, cause I used to have a Chow puppy named Jake years before… 

Guest - Stephen - Karen, can I add just a little bit to that story? It really wasn't an 8 1/2 by 11 you know, piece of paper, it was a very small pink day-glo like almost postcard size stapled to a telephone pole in Las Vegas, Nevada on Valley View Boulevard, or Valley View Drive, and we were in the middle of traffic and she says, Oh my God, turn around, turn around! I just saw something! And so I had a Chevy Silverado Z71,  so decent sized truck, and I had to whip around in the middle of traffic and go by to see this sign so she can get the phone number off of it, cause it did say Chow puppies for sale, with a number. The honking of the other motorists kind of, you know, keeps it constant in my mind, yeah, that's just a little point of clarification that I would add to the story.

Host - Diane Thomas - They decided to go to a nearby PetSmart to ask the onsite veterinarian a couple of questions, as they thought, the six week old puppies were just too young to be offered for adoption. They thought eight weeks was the normal adoption age. 

Guest - Karen - I walked back to the adoption center and while I was waiting there was one dog sitting next to the lady who was doing the adopting, and I thought it was her dog because these were all cats. This was the only dog. There was no gate, there was no fence. Beautiful, very soft. I remember that from the very first time I saw him and I, and I was petting him because I was waiting to talk and he put his paw on my knee, which I thought was very sweet and I just pet him and waited, and then when the vet became available, I said, uh, I have a couple of questions if you have just a moment about puppies and when they should be weaned off their mother and you know, I’m interested in these chow puppies that I'm aware of that have become available. And so we had that conversation, and he confirmed it was too early. So in my mind it was too good to be true of course. Then I turned to leave, and I thought of another question, so I turned around and I came back and there was another gentleman talking to the lady who was there and they seemed to be having a conversation, not about the cats, but about the dog that was sitting there. And, uh, she turned, I think she turned to me and she said, um, did you have another question for the vet? I don't know what came over me, but I said, oh no, no, I just, I came because I want to adopt this puppy, but I can wait, you know, I feel like I lied, which kind of is true. I did kind of fib and say, no, no, no, I'm, I'm interested in the dog and so forth, but you were here first and he goes, no, no, no. It's okay. It sounds like you were here first or something to that effect. So he just kind of wandered away and said that I could have first shot at it and so she said, oh, well this, let me tell you about Chance. She started to warn me that he was, he had been badly abused.

MUSIC ~

Host - John - According to the humane society, dogs are one of the most common animals to suffer cruelty and neglect, along with cats, horses, and livestock. 

MUSIC FADES OUT

Guest - Karen - I guess that's what they have to do to make sure you're a good fit or that, you know, what you're getting into. Uh, but the abuse was along the lines of having been burned badly by cigarettes, behind his ears and under his haunches and badly broken bones from being kicked. I looked at the dog and I heard what she was saying, and I thought, no, how is that possible? This is a beautiful dog, it doesn't seem skid-dish, doesn’t seem, you know, like he's hurting. And she said, well, that's because I'm here and he's been living with 

Host - Diane - Knew in her heart and mind that they needed to adopt Chance.

Guest - Karen - So I just darted out in front door, ran to the car, opened the car door and told Stephen, we were adopting a dog and he should come in. (laughter)

Guest - Stephen - Well, it wasn't just opening the door and saying, we're adopting the dog. She said, how much money do you have, and give me your wallet! So it reminded me of the whole George Jetson thing, you know, in the opening credits, when you know, they're flying through the city and Jane, his wife, and he pulls out a dollar to a hand to her and she grabs the whole wallet and a high tales it, that's essentially what she did, grabbed my wallet and went inside to get the dog. 

Host - John - Stephen and Karen often referred to Chance as their United Nations or UN peacekeeping dog. 

Guest - Stephen - Ever had a spirited conversation with your spouse. (laughter) Well, I have, and Chance would literally get between the two of us and kind of shake and just look up at us like, dude, come on, really, and, and Karen and I would take that as our cue to be like, okay. Even if we couldn't, you know, even if we weren't mad at each other and we were just like, you know, having that, just that spirited discussion, like I'm really passionate about this point, he would give him between us, and we would recognize that he was just trying to, okay guys, you might be getting a little bit loud, just mellow out, treat each other with respect, we’re all cool, you guys talk this out and we'll be good. 

Host - Diane - Throughout the years, Karen remembers how every time they came home from being away, if even for a couple of hours, Chance would run to the back bedroom, jump up on the bed and wait for them to come back where he would put his paws on their shoulders and they'd rub his tummy. After a couple of minutes, he jumped down and that would be that. 

Guest - Stephen - One of my most fond memories of him is every time I'd go to leave, he would sit in the hallway and I'd turn around and say, well, you know, I'm going to work. I'll be right back. And he would just lean up against the wall and look at me like, really?

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Host - Diane - Each episode of Who Rescued Whom? Canine Rescue Tales will feature a quote, today's quote is by an unknown author. 

Host - John - “Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog, never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart.”  

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Host - John - As most dog owners know, all too well, the day comes when you have to say goodbye. 

Guest - Karen - The circumstances were that I came home one day. I was there by myself because Stephen was working in California and I was by myself and when I came home that day, he met me inside and I put my things down to go check the mail. He went with me to the mailbox and got it. And as I was walking to the mailbox, I was talking to Stephen, I believe, and I thought that Chance, when I turned and I saw him behind me, I thought he had aged. Like he looked like he was turning gray or white and he was limping. I said to Stephen, hey, he's limping, we’ll will have to keep an eye on that. You know, the first thing that comes to my mind is, you know, maybe he stepped on something or perhaps a scorpion bit him or something, you know, it's the desert, so you never know, but he was there and he was fine and we didn't have anything going on before that. And then we went back in the house and did the tummy rub thing on the bed and I turned to go, he jumped off the bed. I went to pour myself a glass of water, and I just heard a big plop onto the ground and I turned and he was on the ground shaking, uncontrollably. 

Host - Diane - Chance did not survive the night. Karen often wondered if time, and their changed circumstances, had somehow played a role. When we come back, Karen shares her thoughts on his passing.

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Host - John - As part of each podcast episode, we'll be making a donation in the name of our guests to the rescue organization or charity of their choice. 

Host - Diane - Stephen and Karen would like their donation to go to Hope for Paws, a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Los Angeles. They rescue dogs, cats, and other types of animals suffering on the streets or neglected in the wild. Through rescue and education. Hope for Paws works to raise awareness for abandoned animals. You can donate as well by going to Hope for Paws.org, or, by finding their link on our episode page at WhoRescuedWhom.com. 

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Guest - Karen - For me, I've always kind of looked at it as he, sadly, died of loneliness because we were all there, when I say we, Stephen and I, and the kids when they were home, and then Uncle Don, and Uncle Don was with us about five years and he passed away. Then the kids grew older and graduated from high school, one in 2007, one in 2009, Uncle Don passed in 2008, I believe. And then Stephen got his job in 2010. So it was just Chance and I at home, although Stephen came home on weekends and things, it wasn't the same. So when I went to work, I worked long, long hours, 12, sometimes longer hours a day. (Emotional Voice) And I think he just got lonely. His people left him, I guess, slowly but surely. Maybe he was older. Maybe he did get bitten. He's certainly excited to see me that day, but I feel responsible some ways that, uh, he, I feel like some days he died of loneliness without us.

Guest - Stephen - Karen, I know that you feel he died of loneliness but I believe that he waited for you to come home to say goodbye, because he did love us all so much. I mean, we did provide stability and love and comfort for him. 

Host - John - We asked Stephen, if he thought there was a special connection between humans and dogs. 

Guest - Stephen - I do. I think that dogs are in my opinion, dogs are, are, how do I say this? I believe that dogs have a connection to our species and their connection is to be our friend, our companion our, you know, they, they, to me, dogs are the example of unconditional love. I mean, they just, you walk in the door, it's the most exciting part of their day. I'm sitting here talking with you with our, our, our puppy, Beau, who we adopted from a neighbor, and he's, he's happy as punch just to be near me just to be, you know, next to Karen and I, just to take a walk with us. And so I do think that there's that connection that they feel like they're part of us and they just wanna, they wanna, they want to give us happiness and joy. 

Host - Diane - So Stephen and Karen, Who Rescued Whom? 

Guest - Stephen - I would say he rescued us. We were very fresh in our, our marriage and Chance, created that, uh, I don’t know, like that “GLUE” for us. He ensured that the next 20 plus years of our lives was going to be filled with some pretty amazing memories. And I think he ensured that he put us on the right path for our future together as a couple. He gave us that foundation. 

Guest - Karen - Yeah. He knew what to do. And when, that’s why we called him our UN dog, because he just knew what to do.

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Host - John - Dogs are amazing! They can bring us a little bit of daily joy from their unbridled enthusiasm, greeting us at the end of a long day, to being peacekeepers, in a relationship they know nothing about, but still sensing something is wrong and yearning to make theirs and our worlds, right again. For us, and probably many dog people, they simply make a house, a home. 

Host - Diane - Approximately 3.3 million dogs enter us shelters every year, according to the ASPCA. So please consider rescuing from a shelter, in your local area. 

Host - John - Thanks for listening. You can find out more about Stephen and Karen, and see photos of Chance, by visiting our website WhoRescuedWhom.com. Please subscribe to our podcast and join us for our next episode.

Host - Diane - This podcast was edited and produced by Mike McClellan at podcastps.com. Mike also wrote, performed and produced all the original music that you heard on this episode. 

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This script, created for the hearing impaired, was created, then edited using the online platform Descript.