I would like to introduce you to the PFT Gang, who make the rehabilitation of all the PFT Crusty’s work.
These are my 5 dogs. And here is their story, who they are, and how they came to be part of my beloved family. With five beautiful dogs in our lives, Mr PFT and I are extremely fortunate and lucky. These 5 dogs still have their quirks and annoyances, and pee in places they shouldn’t…but on the whole they are a fabulous pack of dogs. And they give so much of themselves every day to welcome all the newbies into THEIR home, to share with THEIR family, to sit on THEIR lounge and to eat THEIR food. My 5 beautiful dogs are rescue dogs. They have all come from the pound. Which proves beyond all reasonable doubt, that “Poundies” are NOT damaged dogs.
1. “Bad Boy Boris” – adopted from RSPCA. He was my gift to Mr PFT as our first wedding anniversary present. He was feral, challenging, hyper, crazy, one year old – and completely the wrong dog for a first time dog owner! He still frustrates the crap out of me but with time, he’s growing up (finally) and maturing into a much better dog (sometimes). He is our biggest dog and the only one I can go out jogging/exercising with. He is NOT a lap dog, and really should have been born a human that was the class clown.
2. Beautiful “Boof” – Boof is my “heart dog”. He is still, after 200 dogs coming into my home, the most rewarding dog I’ve ever known. He is extraordinarily special and I cannot imagine him ever not being in my world. I quite simply love him more than anything else on this planet. He was to be our second dog. Because most “normal” people only have two dogs – right??? He came into our life two weeks after Bad Boy Boris. After becoming frustrated with some of the lack of responses from rescue groups I decided to adopt directly from a council pound. It was to be the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I saw his face on the internet, found out where he was, took myself off to Blacktown Pound – and fell in love. I walked out that day with the new love of my life – he cost me $55. My love for him, seeing him suffer 17 days at the pound, knowing how shut down and depressed he was when we met him – is the reason today that I am a Rescuer.
3. “Harley” – This little guy was a foster dog, from Blacktown Pound. He was my fourth dog. We never intending on keeping him. He’d been in care 4 months prior to arriving to us. He remained in our care for another 6 months. In total, he’d already had 10 months in care, with 2 different homes. He had an adoption with a wonderful family – or so I thought. Four days later they rang us, asking to return the dog. The teenage girls decided they didn’t want him, as he was too old and didn’t chase balls. His adoption was probably one of THE most heart-wrenching episodes of my life. Harley was coming back – and he was to stay. He is the most affectionate dog I’ve ever met – without being annoying. He spoons me in bed every night, stares adoringly into my every direction, has fur as soft as a bunny rabbit, has impeccable manners and is by far one of the nicest, loveliest, handsomest little dogs I’ve known. Mr PFT and I are blessed to have this amazing dog in our life.
4. “The Nug Nug” – As a Rescuer, I saw him on the Renbury Farm website. I tagged him to come to me should he need to. But in my heart I knew he’d be snapped up for a general public adoption. I met him when I collected another dog – I knew straight away that this 18 month old long haired pure Chihuahua was an incredibly well balanced and grounded little dog. I’m a believer in rescue-dogs only – and here was my chance to get the dog of my dreams, but through rescue only. I asked Mr PFT if we could adopt him. He gave me an emphatic “NO” and said we already had 3 dogs plus fostered, and 4 was just way too much. So behind his back I emailed the pound and asked to adopt him. Their words were “ha ha we’ve been expecting this email”. Breaking the news to Mr PFT was easy. The Nug Nug arrived home and I asked Mr PFT to go to the car and to help me carry in the parcel on the seat. It was love at first sight – Mr PFT opened the door, fell to his knees and The Nug Nug was welcomed into our home.
5. “Yoda” – Yoda was PFT’s 102nd foster dog, from Blacktown Pound. He was disabled, cranky, snappy and sometimes just downright mean. It was going to be very hard to re-home him responsibly to the right family. PFT shut down – after been hounded, harassed, stalked and bullied by other rescuers, we’d had enough. Working hard every week to spend every single weekend in tears was no way to live. We packed up, donated all the PFT gear, gave donations away to other deserving charities and embarked on finding Yoda a new home. One morning, Mr PFT thoughtfully said that after all the dogs I’d saved, rehabilitated, re-homed – that I deserved to have at least one PFT dog of my own. He told me that Yoda needed us. And that we needed him. That he should stay. Yoda stayed, he is my ONLY PFT dog I’ve ever kept. We love him to pieces even when he’s the world’s most miserable bastard.