left to right: Petey
farm dog, following closely behind me everywhere I went on our little 4-acre farm. That voice of his that was missing in the beginning didn’t take long to emerge when he met 28 chickens through the fence. Pete had a voice!! The chickens did not fear him, and he found that unbelievably frustrating because he was such a ferocious 4lb Yorkie (LOL). He now looks forward to his morn- ing run each day with me, out to fetch the paper at the road, the daily farm chores multiple times a day around the horses, while the cats sneak at- tack and pounce on him now, all in fun, which he takes in stride as he quickly runs back and forth along the fence line. He gardens daily & rides in the John Deere Gator with me dur- ing the day and gives my husband Ron (who has Parkinson’s and is not very mobile) complete comfort and consis- tent love as his faithful companion at night. Pete has forever changed & en- riched our lives and we are eternally grateful to have himwith us.We think Petey would make a perfect Smoky Award recipient. Thank you for your consideration. As we move forward into our 23rd year of rescue we thank our very generous supporters and look for- ward to a fantastic year of saving, rehabilitating and finding homes for those that were left or abandoned. We have HOPE!
comfy life. She sleeps a lot, loveswalks when she goes to the city, (but hates a leash), often misses the corner of the potty pad (but feels proud of the part she hit), and cheerleads loudly when dinner is being prepared, or late. She hates to be brushed, but loves to look pretty. She listens when she wants to, and sometimes really can’t hear. She’s always ready for a car ride, but never for her X-pen. As noted, not all her qualities are those of a poster child, but we are so happy that she feels safe enough to express herself any which way she wants, that she feels happy enough that her little tail cannot stop wagging when she’s excited, and that she feels loved enough that she knows if she gets to a pillow on the bed first, it’s her’s for the night, and you have to make do! Suzanne, and doggies like her, are the reason we support rescue, and adopt. Nothing like witnessing the joy of a little dog receiving a second chance, and nothing like experienc- ing the love of a saved life. Above all, there is nothing like knowing a little life once at risk due to being lost, then deemed shortened.
friends of the family thought they could take care of Pete. On day 10 YTNR was called because he was in his 3rd home where two other dog- gies were beating up on him and he needed to be surrendered and picked up ASAP. Hannelie from YTNR in Oregon called me for quick assistance because he was so close tomy home in Washington and she asked if I could foster him and I agreed. Within a half an hour, Petey was in his 4th (and fi- nal) home in ten days. He was thin, scared, confused and very upset. I was told by the last home he was in; they did not think he barked because they hadn’t heard a peep out of him. He had been crated for his own safety from the other dogs, which did not please him at all. Someone had at- tempted to cut matted hair from his coat, and he had his own waste and vomit dried in his fur, he was in dire need of a bath, dental work, vaccina- tions, stability and love. On his second day, after trying to maul my mild-mannered cat, Petey’s first lessons was “be nice to the cats” which took a couple weeks to get through to him. Pete struggled co- habitating with two Cats, but in time, he agreed to be nice. Within three days he’d received all his medical care and much needed grooming complete with Mani & Pedi and began to settle in and eat. My heart quickly softened to him and I became a foster failure as Pete settled in and became a faithful
2ND RUNNER UP PETEY By Lisa Hanson
I nominate Petey: His owner was unexpectedly and quickly put into a nursing home and a few big-hearted
T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2020 • 63
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