By “The Schu’s”

River came to us at 1.5 years old as part of the Rescue 9 group, where he was still a puppy (named King). He is a completely different boy then the one we met 4 years ago. At times, his journey has been difficult but the most rewarding. When he first came to our home, he was scared of every little noise and sudden movement. He would “pancake” (lay flat) on the floor when being approached or when walking past a human, most notably when someone stood in doorways. He still struggles with sticks of any kind (brooms, mops, pool sticks, canes, etc), unless his parents are the ones with them. Throughout his journey, our hearts broke repeatedly wondering what happed to our little guy. But, we began the long road to recovery and rehabilitation.

Today, River is big lap dog. He loves affection and kisses (which he gives on command). He is his dad’s shadow and his dad is his safety net. He loves playing with his dad mostly. Whenever unsure, he sits next to him or stands between his legs. Occasionally, River still deals with night terrors, only soothed by the touch of my husband. It’s almost like he’s in a state of confusion until he opens his eyes and realizes he’s safe, at home and in bed.

“Stinkers” is his nickname and it that was honestly earned. Blame the true beagle in him. He LOVES food & treats, going on walks, rides in the car and going to see family. He’s never really adapted to the whole toy thing, but he’s a master paper shredder. Anyone hiring?

We as a family love to travel and when possible take our pups with us. He’s been to The Original Dog Beach, San Diego, Ca., they’ve gone boating & camping with us and we frequent our favorite dog park where everyone knows your name.

We have gone to great lengths to ensure he would never see the inside of a cage again; so much so, that we’ve found a cage-free groomer, an exceptional dog-sitter who knows about BFP (she even had a BFP car magnet when we met her… YOU’RE HIRED!) and we would do this over and over again… and that’s where Maggie comes into the picture (our 2nd BFP adoptee)

Maggie
“Heeere’s Maggie!!!” Also known as Mags or My Mags. When we made the decision to foster again for BFP, I was home on medical leave from work, my grandmother had just passed and I needed something to keep myself busy. I emailed the BFP team about my foster interest and as fate will have it, there was an upcoming rescue!! I filled out my application and soon received a response that I would be selected to foster . The day of the SoCal Snowflakes release was the day of my grandmother’s funeral, so I missed the initial meeting. The next day, I gathered myself to go meet “Tiny” as she was formerly known as. The love was instant as I watched her small, petite frame pace the BFP office. We soon gathered her up for the ride home. As soon as we hit the road, she let out this huge exhale and fell right asleep. She knew she was safe forever.

I was in love but knew we hadn’t planned on a 3rd dog. Over the next couple of months, I was home all-day and able to bond with her and ready her for her forever home. The plan was to allow another family to adopt this sweetheart, but I simply could not part ways with her. We officially made the decision to adopt her and named her “Maggie Lee Schumann” (Lee in honor of my grandmother).

Maggie, unlike River, didn’t have as much noticeable trauma. She will walk in circles as if she’s still in a lab cage from time to time and still looks off in the distance; but, this little girl is a mighty one. She’s long found her voice. She’s greets us with her howl every morning at 5am because she wants breakfast, she belts out a big “aroo” when we get home from work or whenever she wants to be held.; picking her up for cuddles is affectionately known as the “mute button” in our home.

She’s my shadow and follows me EVERYWHERE, but her favorite sleeping spot is on her dad’s feet. Just like her siblings, she loves food!! So much, we’ve had to invest in slow feed bowls to slow her down. She also loves toys or one toy in particular that we call her “baby”. She walks around with it all day long. She, too, is a master paper shredder! She also loves sunbathing. Especially in the dirt right after a bath…HA! Maggie has also learned that when we approach “the basket”, it usually means we’re getting harnesses/leashes to head out – much to her delight.

We’ve had the pleasure of taking this little love out boating with us as well, and she stretched right out and enjoyed the ride. She also loved camping. Again, cool dirt and warm sun…she’s all in! We look forward to planning more trips with our “babies” in the near future.

The foster/adoption process is nothing short of amazing. It’s life changing and one we would do over and over again.
~ The Schu’s.

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