Rescue
The story of our newest member of family begins in early December
2001, the same day George Harrison crossed over to new realms. While en route
to pick up what we thought was an American Foxhound who has since claimed
our hearts, "Hey, Jude," a favorite among Beatles' songs, came on
the radio. So it was that we had a Pet Smart tag engraved, "Hey Jude."
Jude is a tricolored, 65 lb. male. It was a
chance remark by the technician who installer our phone lines that corrected
out assumption about Hey Jude: "Nice lookin' Treeing Walker Coon hound
you got there." Well, we did some digging, and found out that Hey Jude
not only has excellent conformation but matches the United
Kennel Club's breed criteria, and is good-natured, playful, and affectionate.
He loves to hunt, particularly at night, and check his territory daily before
settling for an afternoon nap.
Hey Jude has one of those wide-open personalities
that makes you laugh when he lopes to greet you, ears flapping in the breeze.
He leaps several feet in the air for joy, high enough to give you a sloppy
kiss on the face and send your bagged groceries flying. It's hard to get mad
at him even when he lays in your newly planted garden. He looks at you as
if to say, "How thoughtful of you to prepare this little spot in the
sun for me!"
Nonetheless, Jude's origins remain an enigma.
Though we know someone's loss has been our gain, 
we
can only surmise that he was a favored dog. Some hunters keep dogs grouped
in kennels the size of a small house, but Jude was easy to house train and
adapted well to our home.
Like Beau, Jude's not above taking stuffed toys
from the boys' room, but interestingly, he does it when they're at school.
Jude's refined olfactory system selects the most favored companions, like
Puppy or Monkey, and it seems only for the comfort of curling up with them.
Perhaps they remind him of his boys.
Though once a kennel dog, he is certainly Jude
the Obscure* no more.
* Another British theme for those of you who remember Thomas Hardy in tenth grade. Okay, I admit that while it seemed insufferable at the time, I actually really liked the book.
During the midst of Zoe's showing, other activities were underpaw, as well. Bruno found his way to our home from Washington state via the Lowell Humane Society, who called us when he was abandoned by his former owners. New pals
Bruno was then a 75-pound,
eight-month old purebred Chessie without papers to show for what otherwise
appeared to be fine breeding. Bruno has a fun-loving disposition, is great
with kids, and just wants to play and be loved. He's handsome, healthy,
powerfully built, and has the official "deadgrass" coat coloring.
If you've kept up with Bruno's story, then you may recall that we were searching for a good, permanent home for him.
We advertised him on the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Rescue website and received numerous emails from families all over the country. Sadly, many families were seeking new Chessies after their own had passed away.
We're happy to report, however, that we successfully placed Bruno in a home where he is the sole companion to a man who lost his own devoted rescue Chessie of fifteen years to old age. Bruno is adjusting well to his new home on Martha's Vineyard where he accompanies his new master to work every day, rides next to him in his truck, sleeps by the big bed, and goes on duck hunting vacations. What more could a Chessie need!
We commend the Chessie Rescue organization for the effectiveness of their efforts, and we urge you to check with them if you are interested in rescuing one of these wonderful dogs.
