"Hello, This Is Nancy...!

Yesterday afternoon, I received a phone call from a desperate, crying, Iraqi veteran, who served our country in Iraq! "Ma'am, I need your help! My wife and I have just had our house foreclosed on us, and we've had to move in with my inlaws, and we can't keep our dog! Please help us."

I teared up, "Unfortunately sir, we are at capacity out here. Please tell me about your dog." I wanted to help him, so bad!

"I have the greatest, yellow Labrador. His name is Goliath. He is three years old, great with little kids, and other dogs, but he isn't trained. He is neutered and current with his shots." Then he started crying, again. "I can't take him to the pound, he doesn't deserve to be euthanized—he is a great dog and I love him, so much!"

"Sir, let me talk to my husband, and I will call you back within five minutes."

"Tony," I said. "I know that we are full, but this nice, young man just called crying..."

"Hello, this is Nancy, from the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We can take Goliath, but..."

"Honey, they can take Goliath! Oh, thank you so much! I promise that you will fall in love with him! Thank you so much!"

"Sir, we are full out here, but last Saturday, we adopted out two puppies, and I want you to know that Goliath will have to be kept in our large puppy pen, until we adopt out another dog. It is the only space available."

The man was fine with it, we decided for him to bring Goliath, out this morning, and I gave the young soldier, directions to our rescue ranch.

Goliath arrived here, about an hour ago! We visited with the young couple for several minutes, and then they drove away. Tony and I went to the barn and loaded up on toys and chewbones for this gentle giant, and then we went back to his pen and played with him.

Goliath is one great, highly intelligent dog! Tony taught him how to sit and stay, using hot dogs—within three minutes! Here he is:



My sister, Cindy, just called to tell me that she thinks the mystery bird is a Blackheaded, female Grosbeak. She told me that the males have the black head and the females don't—and they live west of us. Before hanging up, I told Cindy about Goliath arriving, and what a great dog he was.

"He just got out," Tony said, as he entered the trailer. "He broke the latch on the puppy pen. I just put him in one of our alleys, next to Opie."

Cindy and I both started laughing! "Well, at least he didn't knock over the puppy pen," I said, trying to stay positive.

P.S. I can't wait for Kinky to meet him!