June 9, 2017: Day +200

Trixie is Home.  We are so delighted. She came home with us today. We got to the Snake River Correctional Institution at about 3:00.  We met Barb from Second Chance in the parking lot.  We were told we could not take anything inside with the exception of our driver's license and the collar and leash for Trixie.  We went inside  and handed over our driver's licenses and signed in.  Then we waited for another inmate to go get Trixie and her trainer.  It is a low security prison.  Inmates have more privileges than you might expect.  We waited, while looking at some of the pictures of dogs that had been adopted on the walls. I turned as she walked up to us with her trainer.  She was everything I hoped she would be.  She is beautiful and so sweet.  I bent over to greet her and she  licked my nose.  My eyes filled with tears. Doug and I were both delighted.  She went right up to Doug, not afraid of his wheelchair at all.  After our greeting, we went into another room so that her trainer could show us the commands she knows, and tell us about her, so that we could get to know her a little bit.

Her inmate trainer, said that this will be the last dog that he trains.  He has trained 19 dogs and Trixie is his last dog.  He gets to go home in 50 days.  He said he was really glad Trixie is his last dog to train, because he got to end on a really high note.  He has loved her. Right before leaving another inmate joined us.  He wanted to tell Trixie goodbye and tell her he loved her.  It was so sweet.

It was hard for Trixie to say goodbye to her trainer.  He was allowed to walk out to the car with us with the guard and help to put her into the car in the crate.  It was so sweet to watch him tell her goodbye.  He obviously loves her.  When the door closed she started to yip and bark.  She barked off and on all the way home. She was not sure what was happening.  

When we got home she came right in.  She found the dog door within 5 minutes and let herself out and was back inside in about 5 minutes.  She did this same thing about 3 times in 30 minutes.  She wandered around the house to check everything out.  I took her for about a 20 minute walk and she loved it and was very good.  When we got home my sister Kate met us and she brought us dinner to celebrate our newest family member.  Trixie was so good during dinner, laying on her blanket.  Then she played tug-a-war with us, apparently her favorite game.  After much exploring and playing with us she was ready for a rest.  She crawled up in a chair and was ready to sleep.  Apparently she has sleeping on furniture somewhere in her past.  

We all love her.  She is very interactive.  She crawled right up on Doug and wanted to give him kisses.  She is now in her crate sleeping next to the bed.  She is very happy if she is very close to us.  We could not be happier. We are so glad to welcome her into our family.

And so we pray:

Loving God, thank you for blessing us with fur friends to share our lives with.  Thank you for this special gift of Trixie.  We are so delighted to welcome her into our family.  We give thanks for the people volunteering at Second Chance and for all their work to care for and protect pets like Trixie.  We give thanks for the Pen Pals, who train dogs and for all the love and care they put into their work and into the dogs.  Help us to make this transition easy for Trixie.  Watch over her and may she be a blessing to Doug as he continues to heal and he to her.  In your name we ask it.  Amen