HELP Me find a pet who needs Me as much as I NEED Her

ok here's the story... We had to have both of Our dogs put to sleep last year,
one due to Her age and health reasons and one due to a continuing medical
condition that surgeries didn't seem to be able to help...

then We retired and moved from the Toledo area to near the Dayton area into a
VERY nice apartment, that Yes, does permit small pets. We have No fenced in
back yard, BUT We do have a fairly nice size Big fenced in Privacy patio,
that's half grassed in and, 1/4 cemented and 1/4 bushes and flowers, its Very
nice...

the problem I'm having is in contacting rescues, every time I find a dog I'm
interested in, it either says don't bother to write if No fenced in yard, Or
states they want My Renter's information to contact them, first off to Me that
seems extreme and My business, But I can supply a copy of Our Renter's contract
to prove I am allowed to have said dog on premises. And for what reason as I
could move a day later and the dog would still be with Me.

I have owned in My life time, two lil' tea cup poodles, three Chi'c, ALL full
blooded and with papers Yet I Never sent away for them because I wanted them
for pets Not to make money off of them, was just a breed I liked... last dog I
had was Daisy, a beagle from a puppy mill of which I knew Nothing of such
places and didn't realize I had gotten Her from a Mill until My heart was
connected to Her and ALL her inner breeding problems. Never knew there was such
a thing as a pyscho dog, well She was, She Loved Me and was so sweet as long as
She wasn't around food, if You opened the fridge She would literally throw
Herself inside, grab anything, didn't matter what, even if She had just eaten a
full meal, each time was as if She was being starved, which wasn't the case at
all, was over weight from so many helpings of Her doing. Would even attack You
when You were eating if She could, each meal became a test of who was going to
win... The snarling and showing of teeth many times scared Me into placing Her
in Her cage before eating or during with a taste of what I was eating,only way
She would go in.

She would literally ram Herself against the sides of the cage trying to get to
the smells. Vet put Her on a diet, But try as I may, was No way to enforce...
She Loved Her cage, was a Big blond one, Big enough for a much Bigger pet, But
housed Her many toys and treasures, things She stole throughout the day to try
to eat and some She did, like many important papers. Because She was over
weight, She injured Her legaments in Her right leg, several surgeries and even
a replacemet tendon I think it was called wasn't working, kept working itself
through the skin, leaving open wounds, We tried the collars, tried several
casts to prevent Her chewing at it and to keep it stable. Yet always had to
block Her out of the kitchen with a child's security gate, yet some how She
would still manage to jump it time and time again even if pain, She would jump
and the yelp and try again, until She succeeded...

I could go on and on with stories... She was quiet a experience, tested Me many
times yet I Never gave up trying for 5 years, until the Vet's gave up... I
STILL cry and Miss Her, feel I didn't do all I could yet I know I did... She
was part of My family and Only dog I didn't own until their own passing from
old age...All of My poodles and Chi's I had for near 15 and more years, twice
in settings of 1 Chi and 1 poodle... I've Now been without a pet for over a
year.

Been searching, reading profiles of 100's until I was falling asleep and crying
over the sad stories of many. Yet try as I may, on the ones I was interested in
I can't find a way to get the ones I've been interested in or get one without
being treated as if the FBI is investigating Me...

I don't mind them coming to My home, No problem or in viewing My renters
contract, in wanting to give a older dog a home verses buying a puppy out of
the paper, makes Me feel I'm helping out a dog who is feeling abandoned and
wanting to know what happened to His Master's, why did they leave Me... Because
many times thru the years I worried about My pets wondering away lost and who
would find them, treat them, and the agonizing terror I would feel lost without
ever seeing them again or holding them...

First dog I had after moving away from home was Buffy, had her 13 years, died
of cancer, was like My own child and still 25 years later I Miss Her as if it
was yesterday even through there's been two more sets since She died< tear even
now...

Is it possible that anyone out there can HELP Me find a dog that needs a home,
where someone died or can't keep for whatever reason... Prefer a small breed
Only and a female who's house trained if possible... Papers mean Nothing to
Me...

Would maybe like to try a new breed, Love Yorkies a true dream of mine yet
can't afford to spend $500.00 to over a thousand buying one, would rather spend
my money buying FOR them and keeping up their health issues... Saw a Chinese
dog in searching last night now called a Japanese something I'd Love to own, so
cute...But thats just My wants, will consider any breed as long as small and
even if a male, if housebroken will consider, Never had a male Only females,
all were fixed, My doing... But hey could Love a male too I'm sure...

I watch the paper all the time for ads of give away But even so I watch it
faithfully seems others are quicker, I seem to be a dollar short and a day late
even though the paper just came out...Thought about putting My own ad in But
I'm so long winded as You see Not sure what to say and what Not to say... HELP
Me find a dog that NEEDS Me as much as I NEED it in My life...

Don had Biscuit for near 18 years, and Loves animals like I do... So the dog
will be well Loved... We also have a cat who has owned many dogs while living
with Us and would again like His own dog again... Midnight has also owned Us
for going on 16 years, doesn't know He's old or act like it... With so many
unwanted dogs out there is there anyone who knows of a pet who Needs Us, if So
email Me, then We can talk on the phone if need be too... Can't wait...

Leigh and Don
Ross...

"JustMeLeigh3" <justmeleigh3.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040914145541.25923.00000718@mb-m03.aol.com...
>
> the problem I'm having is in contacting rescues, every time I find a dog
I'm
> interested in, it either says don't bother to write if No fenced in yard,
Or
> states they want My Renter's information to contact them, first off to Me
that
> seems extreme and My business, But I can supply a copy of Our Renter's
contract
> to prove I am allowed to have said dog on premises. And for what reason as
I
> could move a day later and the dog would still be with Me.

Two things. Firstly, while there are rescues with zero-tolerance policies
wrt fences, a great many are willing to take people on an individual basis
although they won't say so on their website. Its to weed out the buckoos of
folks who believe that dogs should "run free" or shouldn't be supervised
when outdoors. So I'd still recommend writing an email. Sell yourself to
them without being too wordy and don't project any attitude.

A simple "I've been searching for my next companion for a long time, have
excellent references, many years of dog ownership experience, but live in a
townhome that has a fenced-in patio but no "yard." Would you be willing to
consider an application from me and judge me on what I have to offer one of
your dogs rather than my lack of yardspace?"

Now, as to the rental agreement. There are ways to get around the landlord
thing. Offer to show a copy of your lease agreement but explain that your
leasing manager is very busy and you would prefer to show proof of
pet-allowance rather than have your landlord called. There is *very* good
reason that rescues do this. Too many people try to surrender their dogs to
rescue because they moved to an apartment that doesn't allow pets. Or they
got a pet from a shelter only to find out afterwards that they weren't
allowed to keep it. No rescue who cares about its dogs is going to just
take a renter's word that they're allowed to have pets because people lie,
they do it all the time when it comes to their pets. So don't be too harsh
on a rescue for this and don't feel like its too intrusive. As someone who
used to make these landlord calls, trust me, the landlords do *not* get
upset. Many of them thanked me for calling first to check on their policy.


--
Tara