[ladyj]

Originally Posted by jamiesaari

Nothing is set in stone yet, but I might soon be able to complete my Yorkie family by adopting a 13-year-old female Yorkie who was scheduled to be put to sleep in North Dakota (a three hour drive from Winnipeg).

I want to extend a HUGE thanks to LadyJ for her advice on how to connect with rescue groups to find the right dog for my family. LadyJ's advice led me to the possibility of adopting this little old lady who is scheduled to be put to sleep because she has mammory cancer (like my former beloved Annie). I am thrilled I might be able to save her life and give her a loving home.

To be honest, I was feeling a little disheartened as I kept getting rejected from many of the well-known Yorkie rescue groups out there. The reason is because I have a six-year-old daughter (which seems unfair to me and also the dogs needing permanent homes).

The great advice LadyJ gave me was to be proactive and touch base with local animal rescue groups to have my name put on a waiting list for a particular breed. I had previously just reviewed the websites of Yorkie rescue groups and applied for dogs that available for adoption. Constant rejection after rejection almost made me give up on bringing another Yorkie into my family. After receiving LadyJ's advice, here is a simple letter I wrote to local animal shelters:

Hi,

This is a message to let you know that I am looking to adopt a Yorkshire Terrier (a mixed breed is okay) of any age with any health conditions. I am passionately in love with the Yorkshire Terrier breed and have experience in rescuing two Yorkshire Terriers (both seized from abusive and neglectful situations). Please keep my name in mind should you receive any Yorkies in your shelter in the future.

I am in a unique situation in that I can receive unlimited veterinary care, medicine and supplies because my business belongs to a barter exchange where businesses trade services with each other (without spending cash). So as an example, I build websites for $5,000 each in barter currency - which gives me $5,000 in barter credit to spend with other business that belong to the exchange. There is a veterinarian (Dr. Zheng of the Animal Hospital of Manitoba) and a pet store (Pets 101) that belong to my the barter exchange. If you are interested in learning more, please go to www.winnipegbarter.com for a better understanding of how barter works.

Currently, I have a beautiful, four-year-old, spayed Yorkshire/Chihuahua female and am looking to add one more dog to our family. I own a house with a fenced in backyard and can provide a loving, attentive home since I am self employed and work from the comfort of home during the day.

I can provide references and answer any other questions you may have. I have attached some photographs of my current Yorkie mix, Tika.

Warm Regards,

Jamie Saari

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

- Anne Frank

Jamie, thank you so much for getting actively involved in rescue. As I said, there are good times and bad with rescue. You can't save them all and that just breaks my heart. I saw in a later post that you apparently cannot adopt this little dog, but are still corresponding with them. I hope they change their minds and let you have her. You sould like an ideal home for her. Rescue groups have rules, of course, but sometimes I think they are a little unrelenting. Some require fenced yards, which I am not allowed to have where I live, but I would provide a very good home for any small dog. We go for walks and rides in the stroller and play out in the yard on leash. We also play fetch inside and play with toys and run around and have fun. But I can't even apply for some dogs because I don't have a fenced yard. My little rescue Chihuahua, Kozanna, who doesn't weigh quite four pounds, will get plenty of exercise running around with my Bichons. Please don't get discouraged and God bless you richly for caring about his creatures.
LadyJ