Out of State Dog Rescue Story

One of the gals in our Leash Your Fitness class shared this heartwarming dog rescue story with us. Elizabeth and her dog Gracie were on a mission to help their friend SAVE a dog, read on…….

It all started with this email,  Seriously thinking about trying to get this girl…  (see video) Know any dog people in So cal who might help get her at least to Denver??? , from my friend Christine in Chicago, the link in her email shows the very scared and skinny pup at the animal shelter, which is apparently a high-kill shelter that does not seem to be very helpful or accommodating to people trying to do long-distance rescues. Christine fell in love with this sweet dog partly because it looks a lot like (almost identical to) Christine’s dog Zoe…who happens to also be one of Gracie’s BFFs back in Chicago :-).  Anyway, the San Bernardino shelter told Christine the dog had to be out of there by a certain date (last Monday) or she would be killed…they would not consider holding her for a few extra days so Christine could get there from Chicago, and they would not give her the names of any rescue organizations or no-kill shelters that might be able to take her temporarily. Sounds like a pretty crappy animal shelter! I was on jury duty that particular day so I could not go up there immediately…Christine was about to lose her mind over this dog (she is the type of person who once she sets her mind to something does not give up and will spare no cost to get what she wants). Somehow she found a kennel owner in the San Bernardino area who was able to go get the dog from the pound and keep her at her kennel until Christine could fly out, and Gracie and I met them there.  Christine rented an SUV and drove herself and the dog all the way back to Chicago…Gracie and I joined them on the first leg of the journey to Flagstaff and spent a couple of days there with them, visited the Grand Canyon, etc.  Gracie’s sweet and friendly nature really helped the pup, now named Izzie, relax and warm up to us (she was absolutely terrified the first day) and Gracie hit it off…that’s the two of them lounging on the couch together in our hotel room :-).  By the time we parted ways in Flagstaff she had completely opened up and bonded with Christine. Even better news – she and Christine’s dog Zoe hit it off wonderfully and are enjoying their new “sisterhood” back in Chicago. The bottom pic is them in the living
room of Christine’s condo.  So that’s the story of “Operation Rescue Izzie”…a complicated, very expensive, cross-country adventure that has ended wonderfully for everyone – most of all this sweet girl who was on death row (literally her last day) and is now living the good life with her new mom and sister in Chicago.

Everyone at Leash Your Fitness wants to give 2 PAWS up to Elizabeth, Gracie and their friends Christine and Zoe!! What an AMAZING story and HAPPY ending!!  🙂