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01-01-2009, 02:01 PM
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#1 (permalink) |
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Crowned Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Illinois
Posts: 8,075
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Astro is 11 - Where Has the Time Gone?
Today is not his real birthday or his gotcha day, but January 1, 1998 is the date we have always used for Astro's birthday. Which makes him 11 yo (at least!) today.
Astro is the one that started it all for me over 10 years ago. Little did I know when I was driving home from work that day how much my life was going to change forever. I was driving down a busy street in DeKalb, IL when a skinny dog ran out in front of my car, stopped and looked at me, and then took off again. Of course I had to stop and try to catch him. One and a half hours later I did catch him, and after checking with neighbors, took him home for the night and called the ACO to report finding him. The next morning I heard back from the ACO that he had escaped from a foster home, so I brought him to the vet that the ACO used (no county shelter) for the fosters to pick up. On a hunch, I left a note with my contact info for the fosters in case they needed help with him. My hunch was correct because one month later, a man called me saying that he and his wife were fostering Astro (then Chopper) but he needed to go somewhere else that day because their white GSD was coming home from surgery. The man sounded urgent and upset and knowing that the county doesn't have a shelter and all dogs turned in are PTS, I told the man to bring him over. (Then I told DH!) So Astro came home that day along with two weeks supply of steaks and brats. The couple owned a meat market and took Astro in after he was hanging out there. He had been an abuse and neglect case that had been passed around, with people trying to help him but no one committing to him. All I knew about him was that he was about 1 yo (from a faded receipt for a rabies shot) and that he was terrified of everyone and everything. It had been a difficult year for DH and I, we had lost our 2 yo German Shorthair to bone cancer four months earlier and my heart was still broken. Astro was just the 'project' I needed to help me over the loss of Kirby, because he was so needy in every way. So we began our journey. Astro got me started in GSD rescue and also introduced me to the world of agility and dog sports. I thought agility would be a good way for him to gain confidence, little did I know that ten years later it would be my obsession. And what a first agility dog he was, I had to drag him into the building because he was so terrified. I soon found out that he was especially afraid of kids, he would react and go nuts if one came within 20 feet of him. So we had our work cut out for us. But somehow we did it and he finished his AX and AXJ. What a challenge it was training and running a fearful dog, but I learned so much from him that will stay with me always. Most importantly, I learned that it is not about winning or even qualifying. The joy of the sport (and any sport) is being able to get out there with your best friend and participate in addition to the journey it took to get there. And, of course, if it weren't for Astro, none of our GSDs or fosters through the years would have been in our lives. Here's some pics of the last 10 years.... With a young Starine  Looking serious  The agility years   Hanging out with friends  "Who says seniors can't jump?"  Hanging out with the youngster  Old guys like toys too  Happy Birthday Stroey!!!  Thanks for sharing our special day!
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Sandy UCD UAGI Starine CD RAE HT OA OAP NAJ OJP HCTs NAC NJC TC CGC Kayto CD RAE2 MX MXJ OF AAD ASA AJ AG SS SR EAC EJC OCC TG-O TN-O WV-N CGC FFX-AG UAGI Astro AX AXJ NAC NJC JS-N Rio RE OA OAJ CGC TDI & the Pack |
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01-01-2009, 02:20 PM
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#3 (permalink) |
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Crowned Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 14,797
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Re: Astro is 11 - Where Has the Time Gone?
Happy Birthday Astro! Thanks for posting his story, Sandy. It brought tears to my eyes.
__________________
Ruth & the 4 Legged Rescue Gang Rafi the malaroo http://www.dogster.com/dogs/693238 Gio & Varda, the krazy kittens ....In my heart: Cleo Kitty Chama Kai Basu Massie |
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01-03-2009, 04:23 PM
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#7 (permalink) |
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Crowned Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: pottstown pa
Posts: 7,936
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Re: Astro is 11 - Where Has the Time Gone?
aww, what a heartwarming story
  happy birthday astro. 
__________________
But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. ~ Jer. 18:4 http://elsieflynn.blogspot.com http://www.dogster.com/?41847 |
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01-05-2009, 03:32 PM
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#8 (permalink) |
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Crowned Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McAlester, OK
Posts: 16,921
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Re: Astro is 11 - Where Has the Time Gone?
Oh what a cool story!!! Sounds like Astro was just what you needed and you were just what he needed. He sure is a handsome fella!
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Kathy The Wrecking Crew URO3, UCD "Kayos" CD,TDX,RE,CGC,HIC,TC URO1, UCD "Havoc" CDX,GN,RE,CGC,HIC,TC,BH At the Bridge: Lucky, Wolf, Max Gone but never forgotten 
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01-12-2009, 08:36 PM
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#9 (permalink) | |
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Crowned Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,147
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Re: Astro is 11 - Where Has the Time Gone?
Quote:
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Sean: Adopted July 1999 Neely: Adopted May 2005, LH Tabby/Tortie Gizmo: Bi-color Persian 2009 Neeko: Purr-fect Persian Cat (3/91 - 1/05) |
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