Category Archives: Geordie Tails

Letter to Santa (from two adopted shelter dogs)

Posted on by

Image

Merry Christmas everyone! Geordie and Brady Davis here and we are so excited mom is letting us post our letter to Santa as guest bloggers on her site. We pointed out to mom she had been a little negligent of her blog recently and the cuteness of us is just what she needs to get it back on track. We’ve been trying every morning to type our letter to Santa while mom’s checking her email and Facebook, but not having thumbs makes it really hard. So, mom agreed to type our letter to Santa and in exchange, we agreed to let her post it here.

Dear Santa,

Geordie and Brady Davis here. Since a lot has changed for us in the last year or so, we’re thinking we may need to remind you who we are. 

Image

I’m Geordie (the smart one). You came to see me last year which was my first year with mom and dad. I still didn’t know them really well, but I knew choosing them to be my new parents would be a good idea. When I first found myself all alone in Gallatin, Tennessee, being a smart dog, I figured if I went to one of the local schools there would be lots of good people there, maybe even someone who would want to take me home. Well, instead I found myself in the Nashville Metro pound. I was literally on death row, scheduled to be executed the next day for a crime I didn’t commit. Oh wait, I guess the crime was not having a family, maybe I was guilty. On the day before my planned execution, EmmyLou Harris’ wonderful organization, Bonaparte’s Retreat http://www.bonapartesretreat.org/#!/Home came and rescued me. They only rescue dogs like me, who are on death row. They placed me in a temporary foster home with a wonderful woman named Kate. Another great organization, Mars Petcare sponsored an annual adoption day and that’s when I first met mom and dad.

Out of all the dogs there, they chose me! There were a couple of other people who filled out an adoption application, but mom called every day until Kate came to see them. She brought me with her and I got to stay! Those first three months were so great-I was the only dog, the top dog, they took me everywhere-to the toy store, to the park and even just riding around so I could bark at motorcycles.

Then, it happened. I saw mom on the computer and she was gushing over another dog. His name was Dillard and he was on the Tennessee Death Row Dogs site. He was at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Animal Shelter. He was sooooooo furry you couldn’t even tell from the picture what kind of dog he was. So off we went, me and mom in the car driving to Clarksville to see another dog. “Dillard” had just been picked up by a rescue and was at the beauty shop so we had to go there to check him out. Come to find out, there was a dog under all that fur, a Cocker Spaniel. I stayed in the car while mom met him, she liked him a lot so I got to go in and meet him. Well, I decided to let him know right away who’s boss so I peed all down mom’s leg-she’s mine! That didn’t stop him, he just sat there in her lap like he thought he belonged there or something! Next thing I know, Dad is there too and well, long story short, I got a new “little” (although he’s older, he’s still little) brother. We all decided Dillard was a totally dorky name so after much thought we decided to go with Brady (mom won’t let me say words like what I wanted to name him) after Tom Brady. I don’t know how Brady came to be at the shelter the day after Christmas, he won’t talk about it. Either it’s too depressing or too awful to share. I know how he feels. Life on the streets is bad enough, but being dumped by your family at four years old, that sucks too. Here’s Brady’s picture, he kind of blends in with the furniture.

Image

So now that you remember who we are, we just wanted to let you know that this year for Christmas, we don’t need a thing. We have a mom and dad who love us, who spoil us rotten (mom’s phrase) and give us lots and lots of love. We have two brothers who aren’t as furry as we are and they walk on their hind legs all the time, but they’re pretty cool too. Every day we have full bellies, warm beds, toys and a big yard to run in. Every day we get hugged and kissed and reminded that we are the best dogs in the whole world.

“So this year Santa, we were wondering, could you make sure every shelter dog gets a home like ours?”

With Much Love and Much Gratitude,

Geordie and Brady Davis

P.S. IF you have some extra tennis balls rolling around the sleigh, I could perhaps take those off your hands-you know just to make sure they don’t cause a sleigh wreck or anything.

When we say our fur babies, it may be closer than you think!

Posted on by

The boys in Mom's lap

You’ve already met our two dogs, Geordie and Brady. I’ve been laughing quite a bit as they’ve been getting to know each other. The first week we brought Brady home, Geordie hardly “spoke” to me. I definitely got both the cold shoulder and the cold tail. It reminded me of when Colin was two years old and Reo brought him to the hospital to meet his new baby brother. Colin promptly took one look at Brandon lying in the little bassinet, then looked at me, and stomped over to sit in a chair across the room with his arms crossed. He wouldn’t speak to me, he wouldn’t sit with me, he wouldn’t even look at me. The whole first week we were home with the new baby, Colin would just glare at me. Eventually, he tried to “play” with Brandon, if you call dropping toys on him playing…

Fast forward to when we took Geordie to meet Brady before deciding to bring him home. We met Brady at the groomer’s (Heavenly Paws in Clarksville who groomed this Tennessee Death Row Dog for free!) I went in and sat in the floor and played with him first. Then Reo came in and played with him for a bit. Then he went to the car and brought Geordie in to meet him. As dogs typically do, they sniffed each other and looked at each other and then sniffed each other some more. Brady (at the time known as Dillard) came around and sat in my lap. Geordie did not like that at all! He kind of play nipped at him to try and get him up. Then Brady went over to see Reo for a few minutes and Geordie decided it was time to make his move. He promptly walked around to my side, started at my knee and proceeded to hike his leg and urinate on my leg from knee to ankle! While the lady from Heavenly Paws and the lady from TDRD gasped (and of course, Reo laughed), Geordie walked away, chest puffed out, looking so proud, you could almost hear him say, “My momma.” I think the fact that I didn’t freak out helped seal our adoption fate with Brady. (It may have also helped that when they asked for proof that Geordie had been vaccinated for rabies that I had a copy of the documentation on my iPhone.)

Now, we’ve all been one [mostly] happy family for a couple of weeks. I still have flashbacks to when Colin and Brandon were jealous of each other (like yesterday? literally, it was yesterday!) when watching Geordie and Brady play. They will run and play and chase each other and get along great, but then…I catch Geordie looking across the room when Brady is in my lap. He has this look like, “Why, why did you bring him here? Wasn’t I enough? Didn’t I deserve all of your love?” That look of course, breaks my heart and I go scoop him up (as much as you can scoop up nearly 50 pounds of dog) and love and kiss on him. While doing so Brady will come put his fluffy little paws on my leg like, “What about me? What about me?”

They have learned how to fake each other out too. Geordie will be sitting beside me when Brady will grab one of Geordie’s toys. Of course, Geordie is going to jump off the couch, bark at Brady and go grab the toy. By the time Geordie turns around to show off the toy he has rescued, Brady is sitting in his spot looking all satisfied and I swear I can just hear him saying, “Na-na, na-na, boo-boo.” I would totally be lying if I said I don’t love all this attention. Fur babies are the best!

BariBelle

Dog People? Cat People? Caring People!

Posted on by

Earlier this week I gave you a little update from the OAC retreat by introducing you to our board members who are by my definition “scary smart.” At every retreat we always begin with some type of ice breaker during our introductions. This year I asked everyone to tell us something work related, something personal and we also tossed the thumb ball person to person to learn fun facts about each other, such as worst job ever, favorite concert, etc.

Icebreaker Thumb Ball

I began by introducing myself, showing off my laptop wallpaper of my two new pound pups. As we went around the room and completed introductions (5 staff members and 13 out of 14 board members), we noticed an interesting phenomenon, all but one of us had either dogs or cats that we included in our introductions and the really interesting fact to me…nearly all were shelter or rescue dogs! It just made me wonder is there a pattern? The people on our board are some of the busiest professionals I’ve ever met. They are also extremely dedicated to multiple volunteer organizations and the OAC is blessed to have every single one of them. Yes, the OAC is lucky to have their expertise, their “free labor,” and certainly their dedication; however, I believe we are most lucky to have their truly kind and caring attitude. We know those affected by obesity are many times not treated kindly. Often we’re ridiculed, blamed, shamed or just plain ignored. Kind of like a shelter dog (no, I am not saying we’re dogs, I’m just drawing a comparison!) When you care about an issue, any issue and are truly passionate about seeing the issue improve, you work really hard, it tends to permeate every area of your life. Hearing this group of people I respect so much describe their pets really allowed a peek into the kind and caring side we know resides within each of them.

What’s the point of this post? Well, since the retreat I’ve not been able to get it out of my head how this group is really working to rescue the rights of those affected by obesity, the same way they rescued their pets, with strength, devotion and dedication. If you’ve not yet joined the OAC, please do so now. It will be the best $20 you’ve ever spent.

If you’re looking for a new pet, let me steer you in the right direction for that too!

Geordie Davis, age 1 adopted from Bonaparte's Retreat

This is Geordie Davis, who came to us in October of 2011 via Bonaparte’s Retreat. Geordie was just under a year old, fully potty trained, crate trained, super smart and super sweet. He is a mixture of sweetness, he has some Scottie in him as well as Basset hound (his front paws) and lab (he is a water dog and obsessed with tennis balls.) He is the best natured dog I’ve ever seen, he lets me dress him up but he hates to be brushed.

Brady Davis adopted from Tennessee Death Row Dogs 12/29/2011


Brady Davis, came to us on December 29th, 2011 via Tennessee Death Row Dogs (who had rescued him from the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.) Brady is a four year old Cocker Spaniel who’s owners turned him in the day after Christmas (I simply canNOT imagine!) He is house broken, we’re working on crate training and he is the best little snuggle bunny ever!
Now, go out and pay it forward, share your dedication, devotion and support to a cause. Might I suggest the OAC?

BariBelle

Cinderella's Castle at Disney 2001 (before) and 2011 (after) Gastric Bypass

In the Beginning…there was my first post!

Posted on by

After talking about it for a long time (mainly to myself), I decided to stop talking and start blogging. The final push to motivate me? A dear friend and one of the busiest women on the planet has recently found the time to start running (gasp) and to begin a personal blog. I rationalized if this super busy lady can find the time to share her perceptions and realizations with us, I need to stop procrastinating and do the same. If you would like to check out the most fabulous Dr. Jacqueline Jacques blog about running, please check out “Not born to run.“

Of course me writing it and anyone reading it, well that’s two different things. If anyone finds my idle ramblings, (composed primarily of stray thoughts I have while driving to and from work) insightful, funny or enlightening then that will most definitely make me smile.

Where will my thoughts take me and this blog? Well, my husband and I recently adopted a one year old shelter dog, Geordie. He is quite honestly, the cutest and smartest dog on the planet, so there will be some Geordie tails (yes, I meant to spell both his name and tails that way.) I love, Love, LOVE to shop, so there will be some adventures in shopping. I am a bit of a coffee freak, so there will be coffee comments. I am also a bariatric surgery patient. I had gastric bypass surgery March 2nd, 2001. I lost 160 pounds. In 2004 I was fortunate enough to begin working with other bariatric patients, so there will be many references, ideas, hints, tips, and resources related to bariatric surgery. Most exciting for me, on January 1st, 2012 I will begin my role as Chairman of the Obesity Action Coalition, so there will be many updates and announcements about this wonderful organization.

Thank you for checking out my first post. Hopefully, you’ll cuddle up on the couch with your own warm puppy, hot cup of coffee and come back to read more.  That’s how I’ll be writing.

BariBelle