Gracie Lou, Another Good Dog

All last week while Gracie Lou was here visiting, I meant to write a blog post.

(Did the Fourth of July being in the middle of the week throw you off as much as me? I kept thinking it was Sunday, but it was Friday, then Saturday, finally Sunday.)

Anywhooo, I can’t let this opportunity to shine a light on this special dog go by unheralded. I’m still stumped as to why I haven’t been able to find a home for this precious girl (or Marley for that matter…).

Basic facts: Gracie Lou is about 7-8 years old and weighs 50 pounds. She is spayed, utd on shots, microchipped, all that. She needs nothing – except a home of her own.

GL has been in foster care for going on two years (it might be longer, I’m fuzzy on the dates. That might be age – see my Fourth of July confusion). Prior to that, she spent her entire life living on a chain. She’s had lots of babies, walks with an occasional limp, and has nicks and scars all over her that speak to a life of neglect.

Amazingly, she holds none of that against anyone. She loves everyone she meets. At Lowes with us last week she slurped on a three-year-old making her giggle, succumbed to pets from an untold number of associates, and happily lounged beside me through a nearly two-hour bathroom renovation consult.

Although we did take time for a little sled-dogging through the appliances and she enjoyed accepting the adoration of passing customers.

Gracie Lou is super easy to have around. She really wants nothing but to lounge in a sunny yard, itching her back on the grass, or hang with you inside, occasionally disrupting the atmosphere with her powerful farts.

Because she was never socialized since she spent her life in isolation on a chain, she is hit or miss with other dogs. She’s VERY excited to meet them, but her social skills are lacking. She’s had a few tussles, but no one ever gets hurt either because GL’s front teeth are broken off or because she doesn’t mean it.

Gracie Lou doesn’t need much but a soft place to land and regular feedings. A fenced yard where she can linger would be ideal (but not mandatory as she does fine on a leash, just can’t walk far).

I know that people don’t go out of their way to adopt a senior dog who is gimpy and large. I know that as you read this, you’re thinking, “good luck with that”, but I also know that there are adoption gods and that once in a blue moon the right person reads a post at the right time and thinks, “There’s my dog!”

I wish so hard that someone will give this girl the life she deserves in her remaining years. It’s a tough time to be an unhomed dog, but it’s especially hard if you’re a large, senior bully breed. I know that in plenty of the shelters I’ve visited, Gracie Lou would not be long for this world.

Lucky for her she has Amy and Dan, who have been her advocates all this time. I’m just a fill-in foster who really hoped she could help, but they have done the real work of healing and helping GL. They have four small dogs of their own, or GL would be home already. For now, they manage their pack the best they can, but I’m sure it isn’t easy. Three of the littles do not like GL. And yet they persist, not giving up on this sweet dog.

I know I ask all the time, but once again, dear readers, please share the story of another good dog so she can find the home she deserves.

Gracie Lou is currently back at her foster home in Maryland. She’ll be back with me for the first half of August. If you or someone you know is interested in meeting Gracie Lou, please reach out (carasueachterberg@gmail.com) and I’ll put you in touch. We will find a way to get GL to you for a meet and greet.

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com.

If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog. If you’d like to see dogs I’m connected to who are available for adoption in Shenandoah County, visit Shenandoah County Adoptable Dogs on Facebook.

And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds. You can support our work by donating items and/or bidding during our fall online auction.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or its follow up that takes you to the shelters in the south One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.

I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

If you’d like to support our fostering work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist.