I had been watching the website of the Walton County Animal Shelter since we adopted Nellie, our black mixed breed pup, from them in December 2010. I don't know why I do it because it generally makes me so sad to see entire litters of puppies dumped there, the dogs their owners surrender to the Shelter because they are tired of them for some stupid reason, and the old dogs whose owners have passed on and left no provision for their pets. When one gets adopted (they update the site multiple times per day) it is a huge relief. Thankfully they have a great network of local rescues working with them, so a lot of dogs do get adopted rather than euthanized.

The week of May 16, 2011 a puppy appeared on the site who looked very much like Nellie but with more hair. Being black, she did not have a good chance at being adopted. Sure enough, day after day, she was still there- until it was 5 days past her hold time. They don't usually keep them that long but sweet, adoptable dogs they do try to hold longer if they have room. It was just eating at me; I was so worried she was going to get put to sleep. I mentioned her to Jim but said I knew we couldn't take on another mouth to feed and asked if he knew anyone who was looking for a dog (he didn't).  Early one morning a few days later, he said to me "so when are we going to get the puppy?" I kind of looked at him funny, said I didn't think we could "do" 3 dogs, and went back to bed. Jim left to go pick up a load of hay before it got hot. I could not sleep, and I knew why. I called Jim and said "isn't the Shelter on the way home from getting hay?" He said yes, so I asked him if he was going to look at the puppy. He said he had thought he would. "But what about a collar and leash?", I asked. He said "I brought one with me". Ah, the truth was out- he was going to go get her all along! He had looked at her on the Shelter website and thought she would make a great playmate for Nellie.

The Shelter was calling her "Tanya" but I couldn't keep that name- it would just remind me of Tonya Harding! We think she is perhaps a Border Collie and Poodle, as she has a wavy coat, but it looks like she will be bigger than either breed, unless a Standard Poodle was involved. The Shelter was calling her a Curly Coated Retriever/Border Collie cross; some folks thought Portuguese Water Dog when they saw her pictures. Our vet thought she had some Cocker Spaniel in there.

Sophie seems to be a very smart girl, though in her puppy mindset, a bit easily distracted. Nellie just adores her and Jackson does the "I am an old, dignified dog so don't bother me" act but he is accepting of her. We are looking forward to watching her grow up- and I am so glad we were able to take her in after all!


Here is Sophie's listing on the Shelter website, which gives a little of her story. It really is a bad picture - her front legs are completely straight!


Sophie's first day home. Jim with the "Black Pack" (L-R)- Sophie, Jackson and Nellie.


With her new friend Nellie.


Hunting for windfall apples with Jackson.


August 2011, 7 months old.



August 8, 2011- We fenced off our apple trees in the front yard in an attempt to stop the dogs from eating so many. Well, that worked for one out of the three dogs ;-) Sophie at first was going through the hole she made in the fence (visible just below her in this picture), but she has gotten too big to fit through it. So, now she just jumps the fence. In the first three pics, she is returning to the yard with her prize; the last one was "posed" as I was having a time getting the camera to focus, so I called her back over the fence a few times for the photo op :-). Look at that beautiful form over the fence! George Morris would be proud!


I have a hard time getting pictures of Sophie, as she always wants to come to me so I get snoot views :-) Here is Sophie with Nellie, September 2011, looking at Jim rather than me. She is 8 months old.

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