We are up and running!

This sign is meant for Stephanie -

She tried to set up Crossroads Dog Rescue blog with Network Blogs

as a .org instead of a .com

YAY! We should be pulling to Facebook now, though!

Thankfully her brain kicked in!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

'Tis the days before Christmas,
And all through the house,
The puppies are squeaking an old rubber mouse.
The wreath which had merrily hung on the door,
Is scattered in pieces all over the floor.

The stockings that hung in a neat little row,
Now boast a hole in each of their toes.
The tree was subjected to bright-eye whims,
And now, although splendid, it's missing some limbs.

I catch them and hold them, “Be good I insist!"
They lick me, then run off to see what they've missed.
And now as I watch them, the thought comes to me,
That theirs is the spirit that Christmas should be.

Should children and puppies yet show us the way,
And teach us the joy that should come with this day?
Could they bring the message that's written above,
And tell us that most of all, Christmas is love!

I Want To Rescue a Dog

Vesper - when he was rescued by Rescue Ink

By Marti Houge

One Starfish Rehoming Connections

Columbus, Wisconsin

I want to save a rescue dog

that no one else would pick.

But please...  I couldn't handle one

that was too old...or sick.

I want a dog with fluffy hair

that's silky to the touch;

A dog I wouldn't have to groom 

(the work would be too much!).

My allergies are bad

and so the dog must never shed 

or jump up on my velvet couch     

or sleep with me in bed.

The size is not important

but the dog can't be too tall.

And while I'm not being choosy   

I'd prefer he not be small.

Cute and cuddly, sweet and smart 

and one who doesn't chew.

Of course he must be housebroken

(my carpeting is new).

A dog who's quiet in his crate

(I work twelve hours a day);

A dog who isn't hyper, 

and yet one who likes to play.

Of course all vetting must be done

(it's easier for me).

And I don't want to *pay* a lot 

for an "adoption fee".

Ah, yes...it truly warms my heart

to save a dog in need.

I'll pick a dog that no one wants: 

a noble choice indeed!

A dog that no one else could love:

a homeless dog that's needy....

I only wish those rescues weren't so fussy--  

and so greedy!

Vesper, recently, after much needed vet care and a LOT of LOVE!!

Thank you, RESCUE INK!!

Thanksgiving Blessing for Dogs

A Thanksgiving Blessing For Dogs

It's Thanksgiving, our national holiday, this day of turkey, parades and football.  On Thanksgiving, we celebrate a feast and we give thanks for our food, our friends and family.

We rush to shop, to catch a plane home or drive to be with friends.  Some share their day in nursing homes or shelters, giving thanks with strangers, those in need, and giving of themselves.

And whether in a quiet moment while chopping the celery, or if we bow our heads at the table, we reflect on the year and give thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us.

In this 1915 painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris(1863–1930),  entitled "The First Thanksgiving", the artist makes clear his viewpoint that dogs were central to the Thanksgiving celebration.  In a time when painters were literal in their work, Ferris places this dog in the center of the painting - as a companion to the Pilgrims, and sharing in the celebration, an integral part of life.  The dog is not positioned in the background nor partially hidden next to another, lesser figure in this work. The view is that this dog is worthy companion and friend.

I couldn't agree more with Mr. Ferris' interpretation.  So on this Thanksgiving, I wish to give thanks for my dogs and the dogs that come through my life through rescue, and thank  them for the blessings they have bestowed upon us. And I'd like to encourage you to do the same, with a Thanksgiving Blessing for Dogs.

Thanks and Blessings For the Dogs

When we gather together this Thanksgiving, there are souls on this earth that have made a difference in our lives, certainly Frank, Jerze and Hannah.  You probably feel the same way about your dog (s), too. As each of you gives thanks this season, you may want to remember those who may not be seated at the table, but near or under the table.

I give thanks for Frank for his undying pledge of loyalty, for he would protect me no matter what, or at least not budge on the warm bed for anything.  

I give thanks for Hannah for her undying love - there is simply nothing like her happy dance upon greeting.

I give thanks for Jerze for her endurance. She will go to the ends of the earth to retrieve a tennis ball, and she always comes back for more and sits like a beautiful young lady.

I give thanks for all their senses of humor, silliness and ability to make us smile or laugh out loud in the face of a bad day or unfettered grumpiness.  I give thanks for their love, their unconditional love, their boundless joy and deep well of happiness that they share with us each day

And especially I give thanks for each and every rescue dog that comes through my life, be it through even a moment we spend in transport, or the time they spend in my home.

I give thanks for their spirit, bent but not broken from an unknown life on the streets and in the shelter. Scarred, but only on the outside. I give thanks for their resiliency, their healing has been mine.  And I give thanks to them for loving me, and not judging me for being the wrong breed.  Human.

Just like Thanksgiving, our love of our dogs unites us.  It doesn't matter whether we are Republicans or Democrats, or what our ethnic background may be or what kind of car we drive, or how much money is our bank account.  It doesn't matter what kind of dog we own, either.  Big or small, a shelter dog or a show dog. Yorkie, Rottie, Poodle  or Pug.  We love our dogs, and if we stop to think, we know that our dogs have given us so much for which we are grateful.

Thanksgiving. We will we sit down at the table this year, with family, with friends, and will count our blessings.  We will think of all of the things we have to be grateful for, large and small.  And our Thanksgiving Blessings include our dogs.  As my grandmother would say, "Why bless her little heart".