"Gypsy Rose"
Another HT-Z Success Story

It was the head tilt that got me . . . An adorable darling of a dog with a “baby” in her mouth and her legs stretched long and firmly to the ground, and the head tilt. You know the one, surely you do!! And, that was it, she had me then!! Only after my heart was stolen, did I learn she’d always look that way, adorable and slightly off center, because she’d had a TECA (total ear canal ablation). This major surgery was the last resort solution to badly infected ears, so she’s deaf in the left ear and has a cauliflowered one on the right. She also had 3 toe nails removed due to poor early care. Living was certainly not easy. At least, not until she found HT-Z and her foster mom, Tina Fields, who spent six months nurturing, soothing, comforting and caring for this little soul. And, you should see that Gypsy girl now!!

She had a long flight, from Dallas, TX to Portland, OR arriving with wide eyes and in good spirits!! Then a 3-hour drive to the beach, yup, the beach, every dog’s dream, eh? And she was going to live there!!
WOW! Cold!! From 96 degrees & 95% humidity to 56 degrees in less than 12 hours!! And tall trees and seagulls and ocean smells on the breeze! Good grief! Timid, delicate, like a fawn maybe. But sweet, oh so amazingly sweet. If I sat down, she was right there, right now, wanting the lap!! We puttered in the yard for a while, she dogging my every step, smelling the flowers, and drinking from the hose when I was trying to water!! I said it would never happen, no dog ever slept on my bed, except Zorro when we were traveling, and well, now Gypsy because she is who she is. Awwww. . .

It’s been a month now. And it only gets better. She’s smart, quick to learn and eager to please. She knows my morning routine and hers too and stays on her rug while I workout, knows where to get her cookies as I leave for work, that she gets her peanut butter kong when I come home for lunch, a walk at night, endless cuddling, and more than her share of the bed. It’s been like having a 3-½ year old puppy because her life experiences were so limited, everything is “new”. A guardrail, certainly a skateboard (jumped straight up in the air, twisted and turned, pulled outta her leash and stopped in the middle of the road -- and then came back to me!), lawnmower, my African drums, oh and statuary stuff -- that‘s the most amazing.

I have been blessed again by HT-Z -- so thank you!! Thanks to Carolyn & Jane & Tina -- we couldn’t do this without you, and surely wouldn’t want to!! Lindee & Gypsy Rose Lee