Seven and a half years ago our family adopted a pup. We actually adopted two pups: one for our whole family named Lyla, and one for my daughter (Lauren), named June. A week or so later, Lyla, passed away from complications of pneumonia she already had when we brought her home. The shelter only had her for a day and had no idea she was sick. We went to every effort to save her, but the illness overwhelmed our tiny girl.
We began a search for another pup: one Lyla made room for in our lives. That’s when we learned of a litter of mixed breed pups that SEVA GRREAT (Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training). Grace’s litter was one of the first mixed litters taken in by SEVA GRREAT. This is when Grace came into our lives.
The mother of the litter was rescued from a cold pen at a shelter: this means outside with no heat in early December. Poor girl was going to give birth any day. Turns out it was the next day in foster care. This makes Gracie the only pup whose birthdate we’ve ever known – December 6.
She was named Honey Bear by the foster family’s children. We did not know when we took the hour-long drive to pick out our litter choice that it would be her. From online photos I honed in on one of Grace’s siblings that looked like a full-bred Siberian Husky. But Gracie stood out among the rest as a sweet, playful and personable puppy. And she lived up to our expectations and beyond them.
My daughter, Melissa, tells me that in every dog lover’s life there is one “heart dog”. Gracie is mine, This does not diminish my relationship with past and future pups. It’s an indescribable connection I’ve never felt with any other animal. Gracie is my girl and I love her beyond measure.
Gracie is alpha in our house over our handsome boy, Tucker, and whatever foster pup we have at any given time. This means she gets treats and food first, gets let out of her kennel first and in and out of the house first. This reinforces her hierarchy with our ever-changing pack.
A lot of people think Grace is a Golden retriever (except, of course, for people who really know Goldens). My husband, Keith, even liked to tell people she was a Golden mix. Then we had her DNA done. Or I should say my daughter gifted me with the test for Mother’s Day. Gracie is 25% American Foxhound, 25% Siberian Husky, 12.5% American Eskimo Dog, 12.5% Labrador Retriever, 12.5% Rottweiler and the rest other breed groups.
Recently, Gracie and me were on an evening walk and I heard a loud, distressing series of screams. I knew they were not human sounds, but thought they were from a bird…a large bird. Gracie was distressed by the screams. She was looking around and pulling me forward down the street. The pulling was not unusual…remember she’s part Husky (translate ‘sled puller’). But through our connection, I sensed she was upset by the sounds. When we got what seemed to be closest to the sounds, Gracie pulled me up into a front yard toward a tall, white vinyl privacy fence. I held her back and asked a woman a few yards away on the street if she heard the sounds — which had stopped by then.
As she walked toward me, I saw what looked like a clod of dead weeds at the bottom inside corner of the shut gate. It soon dawned on me that it was the head of a small dog, stuck under the gate and immobile.
I went to the front door of the house and rang the bell, hearing another small dog barking inside. Once I informed the homeowner of the situation, he rushed out to attempt to push the dog’s head back under the fence. When that didn’t work, another woman pulled up on the gate handle to make more wiggle room and the pup (a Yorkie-poo) retreated into the backyard.
Dogs often die of strangulation when they are trapped and panic to escape. This pup seemed to have given up and may have laid there until he died … if not for Gracie.
This moment was full circle for me: Through SEVA GRREAT we saved Gracie. And now, she had saved another dog. Not to mention, saving our family with her love and devotion. My girl is a true hero!
If I didn’t love her to the moon and back already, this would have sealed the deal.
