I was lucky to spend my formative years on a beautiful farm in Saskatchewan.  My family moved into town when I started grade one but my heart always remained on that farm only 3.5 miles from town.  The most diffcult loss for me was my dog.  I was not allowed to have another dog until I was an adult and on my own.  I would rescue stray cats instead and train them like they were puppy dogs.  Over the years, like over 35 years now, I have rescued many dogs.  Often they were starving and in poor shape and too often they had been abused and neglected.  I found that it didn't take long to have a dog become happy, healthy and so loyal and loving towards me.  I wish I could say the same for the human beings I have tried to befriend and help in my life.  This past year has been so terrible for me.  I am going through a ugly divorce and decided to find good homes for my dogs and sell my house.  Not having a dog in this past while has made my life feel worse than empty.  I found my anxiety level going way up.  When I have a dog she or he is always so protective and the best friend and home security ever.  I have not been able to sell my house because my neighbors are such a serious problem.  They have a yard that looks and smells like a garbage dump.  To make matters worse they breed dogs and cats but abuse and neglect them too.  They have been complained about to the SPCA a number of times but it doesn't seem to help.   About a month ago they managed to get their hands on two St Bernard pups for free.  They are sisters, about 9 months old.  Neither one had any training and the neighbors kept them in a chain link enclosure with no shade and only a dirt floor.  They ran a hose through the chain link into a bucket for water and would just slit a bag of dog food open and throw it over the side onto the mud and dog poop.  The pups still had their winter coat in Late June and into July.  I did see the neighbor trying to brush one dog in her front yard but she kept kicking her, yelling at her as she yanked her chain.  Both the husband and wife neighbors admitted that they can't handle these dogs and that they are so strong they just pull them around if they try to walk them.  I felt so bad for these poor sisters.  I offered them the use of my dog run which cost me over $2,000 to build 3 years ago.  It is baeutiful with separate sleeping quarters, cool in the summer and heated for the winter.  I even offered to buy one dog and to work with them to train them.  They instead chose to continue on even though both dogs would regularly dig under the enclosure and run loose.  On June 26, 2012, 2 weeks ago today, a terrible storm hit.  I went outside once it calmed down to check my potted plants on my front steps.  One of the St. Bernard pups came barreling around the corner, ran up my front steps and into my house.  She was like a bull in a china shop.  My plants on the steps went flying.  A table in my house was knocked over, a vase of flowers smashed, chairs tipped over and the kitchen table with my laptop on it almost went over as well when she tried to hide under the table.  I moved quickly to clear away the broken glass and put my laptop away in my office.  I gave her some cold water and some food.  She was so hot, dehydrated and sick.  She was also underweight.  I spent several hours cleaning up poop soup and vomit.  I cleared out most of the furniture from the living room and put my mattress from my bed in my bedroom on the floor in the livingroom.   Finally around 2:00 am. I laid down on the mattress to get some sleep and Hazel sat on my face!!  I managed to get from under all that winter bum fur only to have her jump on me again and pin me down.  This was the beginning of our regular World Doggy Wrestling Contests.  I am getting better at it but she really gives me a good workout.  It didn't take long to train Hazel.  I call her Haze for short.  She is so smart, so sensitive and so stubborn.  I think I have finally met my match.  I had her to the vet twice and likely spent at least $400 in just two weeks but we are all set and Hazel is looking and doing great.  I got a special rake that makes grooming her easy and fun.  I set up a paddling pool downstairs for her to bathe in.  I thought that wiser than the bath tub in my bathroom.  I spent alot of ttime in the tub when she was sick and I ended up covered in poop, puke and pee.  Hazel would sit right beside the tub while I had a bath.  I figured if she learned to jump in the tub too, I'd likely drown in that wrestling match.  I take her out in the country for runs and so far my neighbors do not know I have her.  I reported everything to town council members, the by-law enforcement officer and many other residents nearby that have had complaints regarding how these neighbors neglect and abuse their animals.  I have a license for Hazel, had her micro chipped and have all her health records from the vet.  Soon I will have to make it known to the neighbors that I have adopted Hazel.  I wish I could adopt her sister too.  The other St. Bernard is now chained up so she can't run away too.  There have been a few bad thunder and lightening storms in these past few weeks.  Hazel is very afraid when these storms hit and I know her sister must be afraid.  I saw Hazel's sister early this morning.  She still has most of her winter coat.  She jumped on top of an old wreck of a car to get my attention.  I told her she is welcome to come over to my place as well.  I know I will have a fight on my hands as soon as the neighbors find out I have had Hazel all along but I will be ready.  Hazel has already brought so much joy and such peace of mind to my life.  I promissed her she is not going back next door.  Hazel picked me and I am very grateful she did!

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Will You Help Rescue Others? You'll LOVE Our Work! Before: scheduled for euthanasia at the pound. After: His new family has a huge backyard!