Stanley

This story is hilarious.  Stanley is a rescued golden retriever who just cannot be bothered to be like other dogs.  He has his own ways and he is very set in them.  He won't respond when called or be trained or anything, but he's very sweet with everybody including children and cats, and so his peculiar habits (like every day collecting the same three items and putting them in the same place) are just worked around.  His family just says, well that's the way it is and we love him.

I'm just so angry at all the people who abandon their pets and leave the rest of us to pick up the pieces.  Such irresponsibility.  The only pets in shelters should be the ones whose owners have died without somebody who can take them, that sort of thing. 

Ziggy's quirks include her reactivity, and if that's how we have to live then I'll live with it, but I keep having hope that we'll get over it.  Maybe we could foster dogs until placement.  Maybe Ziggy could pass a canine good citizenship test and visit nursing homes and children struggling with reading who need a patient listener. 

I want Ziggy to have a full life and I'm still not sure of her limitations that we cannot overcome.  I want to keep trying.  She is such a love bug and can bring so much joy to people that I hate to not keep trying to help her learn manners and stop freaking out. 

ONe day at a time.