There’s a new sheriff here in Carter Library.
For those of you who haven’t heard, we’ve adopted Annie, a “senior” chocolate lab from Labrador Retriever Rescue. Annie’s family wanted to put her to sleep because their kids had “outgrown her” and they’d banished her — a lifetime house dog — to the backyard with a shock collar. The owner’s sister said she just hated seeing a great dog like Annie treated this way and talked them into surrendering her to Lab Rescue.
Annie is 11 years young, and so very mellow. Nothing phases her, not even my other two labs running in circles and wrestling like the maniacs playful angels they are! Annie loves people and dogs and kids and even cats. Her favorite thing in the world is to drag me out of this library for a walk around her new neighborhood. Then it’s back home for a long, comfy nap under the bookshelves. You hardly know she’s here.
Well, you hardly know she’s here unless you’re in the kitchen. Annie is a bit of a foodie — can’t fault her there! — so if I’m making a sandwich I have this very attentive, full-house audience.
My toy-obsessed-lunatics sweet dogs got along with Annie right from the start. In fact my older lab, Lea, happily shares her bed with Annie at night. Welcome to your forever home, Dreamboat ….
Teri Carter's Library 
She looks like the chocolate filling in a Labrador sandwich cookie. Sweet girl.
My vet put Izzy on a diet, so she spends all her free time mooning around the kitchen and searching the floor for crumbs. I can see the wheels turning, like, I’ve been so good, why won’t Mom give me a snack? It’s killing me!
Oh Izzy. No more of mama’s good cooking for you!!
Annie’s foster mom left a loaf of bread on the counter and came back a few minutes later — no bread! She downed the whole loaf in about a minute. I’ve got a sharp eye on this foodie!!!
she’s so pretty, and so…adoring. lea and jojo already look slightly protective of her. from that picture she looks like she’s been with you all along.
have i told you the story about our chocolate lab?
years ago, we had a short lived romance with a chocolate lab someone had left in a convenient store parking lot. my husband found the dog during his workday and couldn’t bare not to bring him home. we named him James Brown.
He was a chronic runaway. at least once a week he would take off to god knows where. sometimes we would find him after driving around all evening, sometimes he would find his own way home. we even installed an underground fence to keep him in our spacious yard (yes, with a shock collar, but only b/c we couldn’t keep him put). it didn’t work–he would run right through it. we’d watch him…he’d walk back and forth and then rare up and jump from our yard to the street with a small yelp. and then he was off like a race horse.
one time he came back home and he was with a friend, another male dog, a big mixed breed with white hair. it was the strangest thing. james brown’s entire back was muddy, filthy, but the sides of him, his underside, and legs were shiny brown without a smudge of dirt. just as i was watching him and his buddy playing in our yard, trying to figure out how he got the top half of himself so dirty without a mark on the bottom half, that his buddy demonstrated he was more than an acquaintance. the white dog, who was filthy all over, jumped right on james brown’s back in an extremely explicit display of public affection.
it was obvious. our sweet runaway dog had been running away to live an alternative lifestyle, never knowing that we were 100 percent accepting of his choices in love. even with a dirty old mutt.
it was too late. by the time we adopted him, he was already an adult and stuck in his ways. a few months later, he ran awhile while we were on vacation and my brother-in-law was dog sitting. we never found him after that. i hope he found a home where he felt more comfortable…and fell madly in love with the dog of his dreams.
I think I’m madly in love with your James Brown! What a great story!!!
Bruce and I loved reading this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So happy Annie is home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved the pic with all the doggies! Food rules!
She’s being a little persnickety about her dog food, which tells me she’s had a lot of people food. Unfortunately for Annie, she’s met her match!! I will wait her out until she eats her own food with glee! 🙂
“Your forever home” My very favorite words.
Hugs and pats all around!
Agreed, Erika. We know she’ll only be around for a year or 3, but that’s okay. She’ll have some lovely golden years!
You’ve done a wonderful thing,Teri, allowing Annie to live out her days with a loving family. What bothers me about this story is the callousness of her original “family,” who saw no problem with exiling her or even killing her when they grew tired of their responsibility. What kind of people will those kids grow up to be?
I thought the same thing, Joe. The rescue woman said that, often, the family is giving up the dog for a reason beyond their control (job change, house move, divorce, etc…) and they cry when the dog leaves. She said this family couldn’t wait for them to leave, and that the kids basically said, “Well okay then, bye!!” and went back to playing video games.
What are those parents teaching their children?
She looks right at home!
*wavering, teetering*
Teri: 3
Downith: 0
🙂
Hurray for Annie! And hurray for you :).
Thanks Les. A doggie project. 😉
So sad! So happy now but so sad leading up to now! My god, people disgust me sometimes. I wonder if dogs can forget. I hope that you and your two dogs can completely erase what came before. (And every time you call her, I’ll have to look up, since my nickname is Annie.)
Oh people. What to do with them?!
One person asked what I’m sure many are thinking: why in the world would you adopt this needy dog when you have 2 perfectly good dogs? Well, for one, I’ve long liked dogs more than people. And two, I’ve been thinking for some time now about adopting an elderly dog. She will have issues, I’m sure of that, but we will deal with them and go on with our lives, whatever that brings….
Maybe you have something to learn from her in order to truly finish your book. I found my beautiful dog friend then years ago right as I began my first novel. She has taught me patience. Something I needed to begin.
I absolutely get this, CJ. So many things lead up and through what we’re working on, and a always believe that whatever you’re doing is exactly what you’re supposed to be doing, and the reasons reveal themselves. If we’re open to it.
Oh, sweet Annie. She looks even more beautiful in your house — where she belongs!
What a clan! Love their looks. What? Hey? C’mon, more photos? And I can’t believe how an entire family could just decide to knock off one member – probably the most gracious of the lot! She looks adorable.
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