Our next training class was starting beginning of September. We recently joined with Oakland County Pet Adoption, who volunteered to donate dogs to our organization! Appreciative of the offer and  anxious to save money for our  next class, we loaded up the car and drove the hour drive to the Shelter….

The days when we look for dogs are full of emotion, excitement for the possible contenders and sadness for the ones we couldn’t help. I remember walking down one very noisy isle. There were at least 10 cages lining the wall- stacked on top of each other. The Shelter was full and loud. Once one dogs starts to bark, they all join in.  Donna and I walked past the cages, each had a black Lab looking dog inside, cage by cage, was the same dog; black, big and barking.

Outside they had a nice fenced in area for us to take the dogs we wanted to spend some time with. The first dog we chose and took into the fenced area- wanted nothing to do with us! He was a wonderful, sweet dog- but he had more ‘prey drive’ than the ‘pack drive’ we were looking for. The whole time we were in there with the one dog, another black big lab was in the pen next to us barking his head off!!!  Meanwhile……..a Volunteer was walking another black dog by our fence. This dog wasn’t paying any attention to the loud barking one who was desperately trying to get his attention. This dog stopped and looked directly in my eyes……amidst all the ciaos, this dog was choosing me. Donna, who was off over talking to someone else, came into our fence area and pointed to the same dog who was staring at me and said “I want to see him” …… …… and in joins our next recruit…..

Wanting to keep with the Patriotic names we were choosing, we were discussing names in the car on the way home. Because it was close to September, and the anniversary of our Ben’s death, I wanted a name to be in honor of him. We already had named a dog Stiggy, I could do that again…..but……when Jamie Gorm suggested, “You should name him Doc”……Doc…. yea, I like it……so Doc it is!!!

Now, little did I know at that time that Doc was the perfect name…..we were to learn that even this dogs personality mirrored that of his namesake….

Meet Doc: A one year old black Great Dane/Labish mix. He is very intelligent and picks up on things fast!!! He has a huge desire to learn and please! Spend any amount of time with this dog, and you will fall in love! Doc has big round soulful brown eyes, that stare right through you. He will have you smiling or laughing within minutes. His clumsy-off beat- personality cant help but keep you entertained. Doc was an outside dog, much of this is a new experience for him. Watching him learn and grow is rewarding, like watching a child take its first bite of a Chocolate Chip Cookie! Doc is easy going, loves everyone and just a all around good guy! Sounds familiar????? (to those who knew Ben) 

Doc does have a Veteran that he will be paired with…….She has no idea of what is in store for her……and how lucky she is to have this Doc…..and how he will continue our motto of ‘Rescuing One to Rescue Another‘……(That’s if I don’t run away to Canada with him) *Tempting*