Ruff Love Rescue – Our Adoption Story

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Earlier this week, a friend shared this video with me and it warmed my heart to see these inmates creating bonds with dogs and giving them a second chance.  I’d love to see more programs like this!  It made me realize that I had never shared about Ruff Love Rescue, which is the wonderful no-kill rescue organization that we adopted our sweet dog Sasha from almost 2 years ago.

Gabe and I moved around a few times after we got married due to his job, but about 2 years ago we moved to Greensboro and found an apartment complex that allowed pets for a reasonable fee.  We didn’t adopt a dog right away, but we started visiting local shelters to get a feel for what type of dog would be a good fit and would be able to live in the apartment without any issues.  We didn’t have a specific breed in mind but were hoping to find a Basenji or something similar that wouldn’t affect my allergies.

One weekend we drove all the way to Tennessee to meet a dog in a shelter there.  Strangely enough, her name was also Sasha, but we didn’t feel like it was the right dog for us.  It was a long, sad drive home.   A month or two after that, I begged Gabe to go with me to an adoption event I’d seen advertised at our local Petco.  I’m sure you’ve seen these events where they bring adoptable dogs outside the store and you can take them for short walks and interact with them.

We took a few dogs for walks, then we noticed a white dog with brown and black spots that was wearing a bandana.  She had interesting features and it wasn’t too clear what type of breed or mix she was, but we asked if we could take her for a walk.  She was a very calm dog and didn’t get too excited about us at the time.  After taking her for a walk, we inquired about her background and learned she was currently being fostered by one of the employees of Ruff Love, Melissa.

She had been given up by her former owner who had lost her job and was living out of her car and could no longer afford to keep her.  I was a smitten kitten, and while Gabe agreed that she was a sweet girl, he wasn’t fawning over her quite as much as I was.  That day we asked about the adoption process and found out it was not a same-day type of thing.   I was a little disappointed to find that out (because I wanted her NOW), but in hindsight, I’m glad that the process is in place to ensure the dogs are placed with people who will be a good fit.

Long story short, we filled out our adoption application that day and about a week later we were accepted as adopters!   The next step was for Melissa to come over with Sasha and inspect our living space to make sure it was appropriate and safe, we weren’t hoarding other dogs, etc.   That visit went well, so she left Sasha with us that day with the understanding that the first week would be considered a trial period to make sure we were confident in our decision to choose Sasha.  She checked in with us several times during that week to make sure everything was going well and to see if we had any questions or concerns.

Sasha was an incredibly easy dog to adopt.  She doesn’t really have any bad habits, doesn’t chew things, she was already well house-trained, and she walks well on a leash.  She doesn’t get along too well with other dogs, but loves all people and is good with children and cats.  She seemed to have some fear issues at first which was completely understandable knowing she’d been bounced around to different owners recently.  It took a little while for her to relax with us and come out of her shell, but now she absolutely LOVES car rides and going for walks and hikes, but as you can see is also a big couch potato and a wonderful napping buddy.

She seems to have adjusted well to life with us and is incredibly spoiled.  She loves to sleep with multiple pillows and ends up snoring in a matter of a few minutes – it’s so cute!

She fully supports my Kansas Jayhawks habit by stealing my favorite blanket every chance she gets.

She loves going with us to explore new places and even humored us with a photo by Smokey in TN.

Sasha has added so much joy to our lives and has helped me to be much more active since I have a good reason to take long walks each day.   One of her favorite spots to visit is the local park so she can explore the paths in the forest and sometimes even gets to chase some deer!  We still aren’t completely sure what type of breed she is, but we’re fairly sure she has some Cattle Dog in her.  Maybe someday we will try one of those canine DNA tests to find out more!

We are FURever grateful for the chance to adopt Sasha and had such a positive experience with Ruff Love Rescue so if you’re near North Carolina and looking to adopt a dog, definitely consider them.  You can click here to access a list of all their adoptable dogs.  Look at all those cuties!  If Sasha got along with other dogs, I would definitely be begging to adopt at least a few of them!   If you’re not ready to adopt, you can also view opportunities for fostering or making a donation on their website.

Do you have a furry friend in your life?  I would love to hear the story of how you met in the comments!

Check out my list of products to keep your pet healthy here.

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Thanks for reading and remember #AdoptDon’tShop

Emily