On 12 July, Linda Hammock writes to Andréa:

I just had to share my great news . . . I am getting one of the OK puppies! YAY! I cannot wait; the only thing now is she needs a very cool name! Thanks so much for all that you did to help make this happen. I have been told she is a "tough little broad" so time will tell what that means! I am a blessed woman . . .

On 13 July, Linda writes to the ADTHomeList:

As many of you know, I have Sass, who is my Service Dog. She has been and still is the best thing I have ever done in/for my life. But my Sassy One is growing old and it is time to bring in a a puppy to begin training to step into Sass' shoes, so to speak.

You see, Sass has cataracts and has decided the world is not the place it once was; our home is fine. but the world. not so much.

So when I heard about the seven puppies from OK, I contacted Andréa, who put me in contact with SOAR. I have applied, been visited and been approved! Barring any unforeseen issues, MIA will be joining Sass & me on Sunday.

I was not going share this until she was in our home, but I am just so excited. As I explained to the rescue folks, this a bittersweet thing for me as I am watching Sass pour her heart into another dog. Sass will retire and spend the rest of her life with me being loved as she has always been. In my care MIA will know the same love.

MIA will also enter a training program under Pat Mueller at Quansa Kennels. Much like Sass' training, MIA's training will a joint effort, I am sure Quansa's Nanny Ruby will get some training action as well. I am also looking into grants to help with the cost of training because I know they are out there for programs of this nature.

Life is good.

Tom Pinta:

MIA & BOGIE are settled in,
had first dose of worm medicine
and their heartworm medicine.

Better individual pictures will follow
(if they ever stop moving)

ELLEN McGEAGH:
That IS great news!
I hope you all have an easy adjustment and a terrific time together.

JOAN RAGAN (MIA's Foster Mom):
Linda: People often ask me, "Why do you do dog rescue?"

People like you are the answer! All the thought & work that goes into a match & placement makes it all worthwhile. I truly love seeing placement of a dog with a job. A working dog is a happy dog.

I know Lynn O will see that MIA is in her new home asap. Granddaughter Michelle & I are planning on a visit to you again after all are settled in. Sassy sure touched her heart also.

On 12 July, Lynn O writes:

Today, I drove to Coldwater, Michigan to meet with Marcia & Rich Felton to pick up the three pups. I had them chipped & vetted here. Two went to a foster home I have here; the sick one went home with me. The one Linda Hammock will be getting (she has named her MIA) is with my foster family right now until we can arrange a transport to Wisconsin.

Once they got to my house, I entertained them for about two hours until their scheduled vet appointment. They were microchipped, had blood drawn for tick titers, got their second puppy shots and I picked up their first heartworm preventative.

After their vet visit, two of the puppies went on to their foster home in Pinckney, MI . . . the boy & girl pair from Jan Wiles. The little girl from this pair, now known as MIA, will be traveling again this weekend to Linda in Wisconsin.

On 13 July, Lynn continues:

For those of you who knew about the little puppy girl who was in distress during the transport, I have to let you know that she is much improved today. She had a temp of 103.9 yesterday at the vet and even though she was better than she was on the transport, she was still a bit off. She came home with antibiotics & treatment for roundworms.

Who is that other dog?

What does THIS smell like?
No, wait . . . what does THAT smell like?

Today her temp in the a.m. was 101.2 and tonight it was 101.0. I sat down with her outside and she was biting everything she could find . . . my watch, shoe, ponytail, arm (ouch!). She walked all the way around our 120-foot long pole building, smelling everything she could. She is much more active. She is still a bit tender somewhere in front and has yipped a couple of times, but she seems much more like the other two puppies I saw yesterday before they went to their foster home.

I have nicknamed her "Sweetheart"
because she really is a lover.

I haven't met a hosta yet
that has survived an Airedale attack