11/6/04 Hello from the Gonzalez family!  We are all settling in quite nicely with our new family member.  Well, I guess she's ok with us...she pretty much runs the place.  She was going in and out that doggy door from the first day.  She taught the baby to use the door by shoving her through it on either side.  That was hilarious to us but not so much for the puppy. 

 

Meeka sleeps on the bed with us and loves sleeping on the couch.  She'll look out the front window when we go out but is always right at the door when we come home.  She is very loving and affectionate.  She is getting along well with the other pets.  She just tries to herd the cats and the baby.  She is definitely the mom dog.  She allows the puppy to ?win? when they play by lying on her back and letting the puppy tug her ears and jump all over her. 

 

She is just a joy and we are so happy she's a part of our family.  Please feel free to stop by and visit if you feel the need to get a Meeka fix.  We'll continue sending updates because I know how that makes a foster mom feel...especially when the dog you cared for goes to a loving home.  Talk to you soon. Kris and Lora

6/27/04 Meeka, a Blue Merle Lethal White approximately 5 years old, was brought to the Pinal County Animal Shelter the third week of June in the back of a horse trailer having been found as a stray.  The Shelter contacted us to see how we could assist and were very responsive to help coordinate her rescue.  She is deaf and sight impaired. Paula picked her up from the Shelter and took her for her initial vet visit where she was brought up to date in her shots.

 

From Michelle (foster mom): Meeka is a wonderful dog.  She has really adapted well.  She loves to play with Deaf Angel and I would consider Meeka able to socialize with any dog.  Her favorite things to do include sharing toys and running in the back yard.  She appears to be housebroken with the doggy door.  We did have a few accidents the first day, but none since.  Meeka is learning American sign language.  She has her own special sign name.  Hopefully she will learn it soon, but since this is only the third day at my foster home, she is doing quite well.  She enjoys giving lots of doggy kisses and being brushed.  She appears to be a very happy dog overall. I believe Meeka does not view herself as a dog who is deaf or vision impaired, I believe she thinks of herself as normal.  With that in mind, Meeka just needs a little more love and patience.  I am trying to teach her as much as I can, as much as she is willing to learn so her "forever" person has a 'semi-trained' dog.  The training method is a modified clicker training.  Instead of using a 'clicker' I use a flashlight.  The flashlight means 'good girl!  Then she gets praise and a treat.  By using positive reinforcement, I have experienced first hand that the dog will WANT to please you to get more praise.  I use this training with my Deaf dog and my Hearing dog.  Meeka, will be a delight to her permanent home, and hopefully the same training method can be continued to optimize Meeka hidden talents.  She is a beautiful girl, inside and out!
 

From Paula: When I first met Meeka she was so scared she couldn’t look you in the eye and would look away when she caught you looking at her. She panted and shook almost all the way to North Phoenix (1 ½ hr drive). After our vet visit we headed right to her foster home where she was welcomed with open arms by her foster mom, Michelle.  She met her new siblings, Deaf Angel (1 yr old German Short-Haired Pointer) and Precious (8 yr old Chocolate Lab Mix) who took to her almost immediately.  Within moments she had not only found immediate trust in her foster Mom but new playmates, especially with Deaf Angel.  The solemn, shaky baby I rescued from the shelter was now wagging her tail and prancing around with that true Aussie strut that I thought would probably take a few months to see. She was playing and ‘talking’ to her new siblings like she had known them forever.  Once she experienced her first bath, she was even happier.  She has a wonderful disposition, understands the doggie door, very much appreciates the company of her siblings and loves to play.

Watching her bloom from a quiet, shy and very scared dog to a tail wagging, playful, happy ‘baby’ literally within hours is the greatest reward for helping with her rescue.  I named her Meeka because she certainly now has a new ‘leash’ on life.  Meeka’s transformation is one miracle that truly warms the heart and brings tears of joy.