dachshund rescue

Mama… Tell Me the Story Just One More Time Please.

Posted by Barbara Techel

gidget apr 2014

My heart yearned for another dachshund with special needs to care for.

More love in this heart of mine to be shared.

Time for it to expand once again and take in more teachings from the short little dog they call wiener dog.

Then one day, after much searching,

there you were.

You seemed larger than life looking back at me from the big monitor on my computer,

Even though you were described as only weighing nine pounds.

It was your eyes. I fell deep into them. Into this blissful, knowing place, feeling as if I’d been here before.

It felt as if I was seeing my own soul reflecting back to me.

I wondered, Had we been together before?

Space and time stood absolutely still in that moment, as my heart rapidly beat in my chest, a familiar rhythm.

I knew. I knew without a doubt that you were the one.

My heart was electrified and I felt connected to you with every fiber of my being.

Your eyes spoke to me telling me that you were on your way home.

The final destination of your  journey right into my heart.

Welcome home, little one. Welcome home.

—

I was inspired to write this after posting the above photo on my Facebook wall this past week. When my mom saw it she thought Gidget’s eyes were telling me to tell her the story one more time of how she came to live with me. Thank you to my special mama for inspiring me!

Meet Annie: #25 Dog Helped with a Dog Wheelchair through The Frankie Wheelchair Fund

Posted by Barbara Techel

annie eAnnie resides happily at Hotdog Hill Sanctuary in Virginia.  Kim, who runs the sanctuary shared with me that Annie’s previous owner surrendered her to a rescue and the rescue was going to leave her at the pound – which likely meant she would have been euthanized. Kim took in her last year.

Annie came with a wheelchair, but unfortunately it was for the size of a Corgi. After reading a post of Kim’s saying that Annie kept falling out of her wheelchair, I reached out and offered to help with the funds for an Eddie’s Wheels wheelchair so it could be fit exactly to the measurements of Annie.

It wasn’t until today as I prepared to write this post and asked Kim the age of Annie(which she is between 5 and 6 she thinks), that I found out Annie does not have IVDD. Her injuries were caused by human’s hurting her. Kim has to be careful to not approach Annie too quickly to pick her up as it frightens her. She also requires extra gentle care because of her previous life experiences that weren’t good. It made me all the more happy that providing a wheelchair for Annie will help her lead an even better life. And I’m happy that Kim shared that Annie now plays with her which means she is healing and learning to trust again.

Kim said, “You know, it’s funny. Every time I put Annie in her cart, she runs to her bed.” You can see her in a short video here doing just that. It made me chuckle and reminded me of how Frankie and Joie always did this, too. Those doxie’s and their beds!

I sometimes feel odd saying what “number” it is that The Frankie Wheelchair Fund has helped, with Annie being dog #25, because they are so not numbers in my heart, but beautiful, sweet souls. But I’m so honored and proud that I have been able to help this many dogs so far. It’s just one of those things in life that happen that you never see coming. So each time I get the opportunity to help another dog live a better life, it fills me up in ways I can’t find in right words to express.

I continue to be so grateful for those that have contributed to the fund so that I’m able to carry on Frankie’s legacy. If you would like to learn more about the fund please visit the website at National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day.

Oh little dachshund paws, how far have you traveled?

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_2050 12

I think I love little dachshund paws and butt’s just about as much as I love their petite, sweet faces.

Capturing this shot of Gidget’s perfectly sized paws had me thinking about where they may have all been.

That’s the thing when adopting a dog from a rescue situation. You may not know what roads they’ve traveled to get to their destination.

Do they know where they are heading? Do they know where they want to end up? Did Gidget seek me out? Was it meant to be?

In many ways I do feel it was fate that we were brought together. I felt this intense pull toward Gidget when I first saw her photo.

I couldn’t say exactly why, but I felt this calling in my heart that was so strong. Her eyes reached into my soul as if to say, “I’ve traveled many paths with my final destination as you.”

So maybe I’m projecting a bit into this. Maybe not. But there is no denying there was something in my soul that spoke to me about her.

Every time I hear the clickety-clack of her nails on our hardwood maple floors, my heart gushes with love for her. She makes our house a home.

No matter where those tiny paws have been before of which I do not know, I’m so grateful they took a turn and headed down the path to me.

And I promise you, little sweet paws attached to the softest, hot-dog shaped body, and big spirit of a personality, who I fondly call my Little G, you can remain planted firmly in this place that is now your forever home.