the lesley osborn blog

Arwen joined our family in 2023 when Gala (my senior Galgo Espagnol) was the only dog here. They both used our large, six-foot chain-link fenced yard for exercise. No walks required. After Gala passed on, this yard was too large for Arwen, plus the deck and ramp off the kitchen were going to be replaced.  Weather eventually takes its toll on wood. There was a small yard here when Mom and I purchased this home, but we never used it. It has a three-foot chain link fence. It's been mowed, and Arwen now has another opportunity to explore the outdoors besides our walks. It's taken her time and patience to adjust to something new.  Years back, this yard was a vegetable garden planted with loving care by my mom. Yesterday, during our time in this yard, I found myself sharing the following story with Arwen... "This yard had corn and other vegetables planted. My mom waited patiently, watching for the corn silks to emerge through binoculars from our porch. Once they were visible, sh...

Red was a ten-year-old smooth-coated standard-size red Dachshund. He was offered for free to a good home on Craigslist, of all places. Now I already had several Dachshunds in my family, so why on earth would I even entertain another? This was circa 1980s. There wasn’t the overcrowded shelter situation that exists today, either. But here I was, scrolling through a local newspaper in the canine-advertisement section (anyone remember newspapers?). There wasn’t a photo included, and he wasn’t far from me. I called the number listed, scheduled an appointment with the woman who placed his ad, and went to meet him. I drove into the neighborhood, searching for the address, and parked in front of a two-story townhouse. There stood a woman far younger than me at the top of the stairs with Red by her side. Yep, he was red in color and a standard-size Dachshund, but my immediate observation was the length of his ears. Doxies have long ears, but here was Red with the shortest ears I’ve ever s...

After Hannah joined our family (she was our first treeing walker coonhound), it didn't take my mom very long to say… “Someday, I'd like to add another to our family.” A few months later, at seven AM, I walked into her room. My mom was sound asleep. “Mom, there's an ad for a free litter of treeing walker coonhound pups on Craigslist.” (Of all the places to look, that was me back in 2007.) As she regained consciousness (she hadn’t had her morning coffee yet), the following words flew out of her mouth...“I said Someday , not Sunday .” Oh, did I forget to mention that it was indeed a Sunday? Read on... Before my mother could say another word, there I was with the photos tucked behind my back. If you know me, I believe in being prepared, you know, just in case! One included Sari with her litter of ten-week-old pups still trying to nurse. She was thin and didn't have enough milk to continue being the sole source of nourishment for her babies. Pups should slowly be t...

My mom was a Pet Nutrition Specialist for the Nutro Company for seventeen years. During a scheduled demo, the Humane Society had an adoption event. I was at home on this Saturday. She called, saying, "Whatever you're doing, stop and drive down here." There was a year-old treeing walker coonhound with a name tag “Puzzle” hanging on her crate. Her head was lying in an empty water bowl. To make a long story short, we adopted her that day, and home she came. The information we had was that she was heartworm negative and spayed. She didn't respond to that name, and we renamed her Hannah: one of grace. For those who love words, notice that Hannah reads the same in reverse. All of the canines who join our family have a vet visit as soon as possible. Hannah tested negative for heartworm. She was retested six months later, and the result was positive. She was successfully treated. Hannah had the sweetest disposition, but she was far from healthy. She developed a ...

Chance was a two-year-old Greyhound sitting in isolation at a local Greyhound rescue. It was suspected he was waiting to be euthanized for failure to race, and home he came to GREYSETT. Greyhound racing was still in existence in Florida at this time. Several weeks later, I learned he was one of two surviving pups from a parvo litter. No vaccinations had been given. Once home, it didn’t take long to realize he had a neurological problem, confirmed by his vet. No medication was required. He needed a home where he would be loved unconditionally; a home where he would feel safe; a home where he would be free to be the dog he was, a dog with special challenges. That home was with Mom and me at GREYSETT. Chance was a one-person dog and bonded with me. When my mom washed her hair, he barked. He didn't recognize her. Who looks good with wet hair anyway? Once dry, all was fine. As the years progressed, other behaviors consistent with neurological problems developed. Snapping at flies that w...

Ellie was a senior Greyhound deemed unadoptable by a Greyhound rescue group for one reason: she refused to leave her crate at the rescue for six months. This was back in the 1990s. I received a call and drove down to meet her. Even my soft voice wouldn't coax her out of her self-imposed confinement. She was frightened of everything. What to do, I asked myself. I established enough trust and slowly crawled into her crate with her. We sat together. I was successful in getting her out of that crate, and home she came. My mom and I had many dogs in our home back then, and each had their own crate. The doors remained open. They came and went as they chose. These were their safe spots. The doors were closed only when we went out for errands. This was for their safety. Ellie refused to leave her crate at the rescue for safety reasons—hers. She did the same in our home, and this lasted another six months. Ellie is an example of the reasons dogs need time to adjust to new surrou...

Sometimes we’re fortunate and get another chance… I met a senior seven-pound bundle of love years ago when there were senior Greyhounds in my family. She was going to become a member of my family, a member of the home I call GREYSETT. It didn’t happen then, but the dogs weren’t the issue; it was the circumstances surrounding this anticipated event. There was something about her, something I couldn’t define. It was a feeling difficult to dismiss. The timing wasn’t ideal for anyone, and I found her a home with friends, knowing she would be safe and loved. I received a call a couple of years later, with the following question: Could she come back to me? Circumstances had changed in that home as well as mine, and the timing was perfect. That was three years ago. Arwen has been with me ever since, just where she is meant to be. Having dogs in my family since I was a child, each holding a special place in my heart, some may wonder (myself included) what makes this story so special....