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Dominique's
original photo |
A couple of weeks ago, I found a gorgeous dog at the shelter who was scheduled to be euthanized at 7:00 the next morning. She had a few notes on her profile and a shelter profile picture, which did not do her justice. To make matters worse, the notes were not positive! The shelter suggested she be placed in an adult-only home because she had "growled" at someone, and she was not eligible to be fostered through the shelter, due to high fear, anxiety, and stress. (FAS) Why a FAS dog cannot be fostered makes no sense to me!
Upon our first meeting, the odds of getting her out of the shelter seemed slim to none. As I approached her cage, Dominique and her sister Flo barked ferociously. Usually, when I get that kind of reception, I back off. I gingerly placed my hand for her to smell, in which she momentarily stopped barking only to start again. However, I noticed a wagging tail, so something possessed me to move forward and open the cage. Somehow, I got Dominique out, without Flo darting down the hall, and brought her outside.
Once outside, I saw a beautiful and loving animal!
Dominique is a true love dog, and her videos got a lot of traction. By day's end, she had almost $600 in pledges and a rescue commitment. The rescue ended up taking both her and Flo. I drove the ladies to meet their foster about an hour and a half out of Memphis.
This woman, who will foster both animals, only has 28 dogs: eleven are indoor dogs, three puppies, and she has multiple other animals, such as cats, on her farm. Why does she have so many? She falls in love with them and foster fails. I get that, because we still have Kumquat.
The fosters have changed Flo's name to Angelique and fluffed them up with a professional grooming session. Aren't they gorgeous?
Dominique is on the left and Flo (Anqelique) is on the right.
I tell this story because rescue has become a part of my life, and the positive stories keep me going. Seeing dogs I love die is the worst!
I have a new realistic fiction story based on another dog whom I helped find a home for. I changed a lot in the story to protect the owner's identity and add a new element, bullying. I have no idea if the owner was bullied, but I do know she had a beautiful, acne-free face!
If one kid in a teacher's class adopts a shelter dog, my job is done. Unfortunately, I will never know unless a customer tells me it happened.
Click the picture or
here to find
Rescue Both of Us at my store on TpT. Plus, if you buy it before tomorrow morning, you can get it at
half price! Here is a little bit about it.
Build reading comprehension skills with this delightful, realistic fiction story about a bullied middle schooler's encounter with a lovable dog. This original reading passage comes complete with vocabulary words, high-level reading comprehension, research, and point of view questions, plus an answer key. The engaging story is based on real events at an animal shelter.
Use this story and questions for literacy groups, reading centers, whole or small group activities, partner or independent work, emergency sub plans, or homeschool for grades 5 - 7. Quick and easy setup makes this a win for you and your students.
Inside this no-prep activity, you'll find:
- Reading Passage ~ 6 pages
- 16 Vocabulary Words Matching
- Vocabulary Fill-ins
- 7 Reading Discussion Questions
- 4 Research Questions
- Point of View Questions
- Answer Key
- Printable PDF. File
- Link to Google Slides
- Easel Worksheets
Please check out my resource at
Catch My Products, and thanks for reading Catch My Words!
Joyce
