Monday, August 27, 2012

Introducing Eleanor

(Updates in red)

After months of trying to bring a dog home, we finally struck gold. Months of local rescue applications gone unanswered, months of being told we weren't good candidates for a dog because we didn't have a fenced 2-acre yard and I dare have a job outside the home (helloooooo 1950s), months of getting thisclose with certain dogs but it just not working out because they either didn't like cats or their current owners changed their minds, we made it happen.

This is Eleanor. She's twelvenine (long story) weeks old, a scruffy lab/poodle/schnauzer?/terrier?/German Shorthaired Pointer? mix of rough-and-tumble heritage.

Mystery solved: DNA test reveals all....



Eleanor was born in Georgia and dumped in a lot to die with her brothers and sisters. She found her way to us via a rescue partnership that sends dogs from the Deep South up north, which lets them escape the brutal shelter system down there and get matched with adopters like us, who outnumber available dogs in this area. We met her in Annapolis last night during a driving rainstorm, and even though we went in thinking one of her littermates would be our pick, this little lady stole our hearts.


She's a little squirt with big paws now, and they think she'll be 50 pounds or so when fully grown. She has serious eyes and a quirky sense of humor. We named her after one of my favorite ladies ever... a First Lady at that, also known for big thoughts and wry humor.

The cats are hanging in there. The first night is behind us. Our hearts are more full than they were yesterday, and our dog-in-the-District adventures are just beginning.

27 comments:

  1. Congrats on getting a rescue!! They really are the best. She is just darling!

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  2. A plucky survivor - I love it! Ms. Eleanor is one lucky pup - she just hit the "forever family" jackpot!

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  3. yay! this news makes me so happy! i saw you guys were having a hard time and it's so frustrating- there's a fine line between a rescue finding good homes for their dogs and being unreasonable. and i know some people are turned off because of this and just go to breeders. thanks for sticking with it!

    she's one lucky pup! now get her used to the city- basil is such a country boy and i envy those who can sit at an outdoor restaurant with their well-behaved dogs.

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  4. Well, that's just the cutest thing I've ever seen. And I had no idea that adopting a dog could be so exclusive.

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  5. She is just adorable! I want to scratch her ears right now! More pictures please.

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  6. Yay!!! Rescuing our Southern puppy (from your home state, actually) last year was the best thing we've ever done. You guys are going to have so much fun!

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  7. I had a cat named Eleanor Roosevelt when I was little! My family has a huge tradition of naming pets after real people (traditionally political figures or famous journalists).

    I'm so happy that Eleanor has a new home with you and T. She is absolutely adorable.

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  8. I feel like Eleanor and my pup, Reagan, would be best buds. Reagan is a shelter pup from the Washington Animal Rescue League and is well acclimated to life in the city now. Check out Dogma in Barracks Row. They are an AWESOME doggie daycare that will wear your little pup out. Reagan goes once a week and LOVES it! Its such a great way to burn off energy with these tiny DC yards.

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  9. Welcome home Eleanor! She is a doll!
    I feel like a "dog in the District" could be an excellent children's book.

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  10. Congratulations!! She's a cutie and will no doubt bring even more love and laughter into your house! Dogs are good for the soul!

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  11. I love her and I can only see her through my laptop. I can't imagine how smitten you must be. It baffles me that it was so hard for you to rescue a dog but it looks like she was worth the wait. Congrats, Mag!!

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  12. Oh I remember getting turned down from adopting dogs SO much, it was the worst feeling! But getting those puppy cuddles after everything is SO worth it! Congrats on miss Eleanor, she's precious!

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  13. I'm so excited for your new DOODLE! I have a slight obsession with doodles and literally stop and stare when I spot one, which drives my husband batty. I will live vicariously through you until we get out of our 35lb dog limit apartment. Eleanor's a lucky pup.

    P.S. - When you go back to Annapolis for a non-dog fetching expedition, let me know and I can provide plenty of recommendations.

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  14. She's such a cutie! Congratulations!

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  15. Little Eleanor has no idea what a lucky little lady she is! And she is cute as a button! I am so glad she has found her forever home!

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  16. I can't imagine living in a place where there aren't enough rescue dogs to go around! She's a lovebug. I'm totally a supporter of old fashioned names for pets, as Edith, Fern, Gert, Violet, Nick and Simon will attest.

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  17. Hooray for the newest addition to your home! Can't wait to meet little Eleanor.

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  18. Congrats on the puppy – she’s adorable. I volunteer at an animal shelter in the south, so I’m not so taken with your comment on how dogs are sent from “the brutal shelter system” in the south to the enlightened north. Yes there are some bad shelters in the south, just like there are bad shelters in your own backyard. But without a damn good shelter (or rescue group) in Georgia that was willing to take sick puppies from a parking lot and willing to make every effort to find them loving homes where ever they could, this adoption wouldn’t have happened. We (unfortunately) have plenty of dogs in our shelters, and large metropolitan areas have an adoptable dog shortage. We can make this work to everyone’s advantage and there are plenty of people in Georgia who are working to make that happen everyday.

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  19. Hi Jane - I certainly didn't mean to offend (and the argument as to whether DC is "north" or "south" is a fervent one!). That said, I was just reporting on what Eleanor's foster told me after 20 years of working down there. Some of the details she relayed are too upsetting to include here. She focuses primarily in rural south locations with extremely high kill rates at their shelters - her role is to use her contact in each community (a volunteer like herself, not a shelter) and get dogs out before they hit the shelter system at all. In their view this saves the puppies and provides more room at those shelters for other dogs to have a chance, too. Good to hear your own shelter system is great - the Washington Animal Rescue League here is a fantastic one, too. Love those who do it right!

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  20. OK... so I'm tearing up just thinking about your rescue applications and rejections. We went through the same thing last year and I can't even imagine all that you were going through! I'm so glad it worked out the way it was supposed to for y'all- Eleanor is a DOLL.

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  21. YAY!!!! I'm so so so so so excited and happy for you!! Eleanor is one super duper lucky pup to get you as her mommy. Oh, the fun you guys are going to have with a pup in the house! I am really so thrilled for you! I can't wait to hear all about her adventures! Just the puppy breath alone is worth it all! Give her a snuggle for me. And please post more pictures!

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  22. She is so cute! I love the white on her nose! :)

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  23. I hope we get to see a lot more of Elenor on the Freckled Citizen. I can already imagine a first lady dog graphic. Congratulations!

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  24. welcome eleanor! she will do A LOT for de-stressing (per your earlier post). What a cutie!

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  25. she is a DOLL! OMG, love her so much. I know you have to be smitten... can't wait to see LOTS of pictures!

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