Rangeley

(formerly Abby Gal)

Eric and Katie adopted a dog named "Max" from a local shelter in October 2006. He was an excitable little grey poodle/schnauzer mix (at least that's what the vet thought he was) and loved to jump up on you, chew underwear and paper, bark at other dogs and people, and basically be a little terror. And we loved him so much! We re-named him Grissom, after the character on CSI, and he became a part of our little family the day we brought him home. That day, he was sad and looking for his old master who had dumped him at the shelter. However, he soon became very attached to both of us. Grissom loved to take baths that Katie gave him, liked to sneak up onto the bed and sleep between Eric and Katie at night, and play with his squeaky toys.

Soon, it became clear that we absolutely had to have another dog. Grissom needed a pal, and we needed another family member. We started looking through Petfinder and came upon Abby Gal, a lab-hound mix at Furry Friends Network.

Abby Gal had a rough start to her life. She had been emaciated, had mange, worms, and even had a broken bone and two surgeries by the time she was only about 6 months old! But Furry Friends worked wonders and she was soon up on the site and available for adoption. Her picture showed her gazing into the camera, chewing on a toy with her big floppy ears hanging in her face.

Since we read that she was friendly with other dogs, we decided to meet her. And as she came limping up the street (she will always have a limp due to her injuries, but she is a healthy dog otherwise), and we saw her big ears bobbing in time with her strides, we fell in love with her right then and there! She spent a couple of "sleepovers" with us, and we knew that we wanted to bring her into our home.

Grissom was wary at first, because she was taller than him and seemed to not be interested in him. But soon that changed, and they now wrestle around all the time! Grissom snorts and play-growls and jumps under her so that she can't reach him, and she uses her long legs to push him down and pin him, all the while letting out little hound bays. They chase each other in circles around the stairs, and run together when we go to the dog park. You couldn't find a happier brother and sister!

When we first saw "Abby Gal", we thought she was absolutely beautiful. So we tried to think of appropriate names for her for when she would become part of our family. After signing the adoption papers, when she came to live with us "furever", we started calling her Rangeley, after the most beautiful place in the world that we know of, where we vacation every year. Rangeley is a little town in Maine, where there are beautiful clear lakes, pine forests, all kinds of wonderful animals, and scenic hiking trails. We could think of no better name for her, because she is absolutely gorgeous, and deserves a name that brings happy, beautiful memories to mind!

Rangeley loves to lay on her big comfy chair, and eat peanut butter treats. It's hard to find a toy that she doesn't like. She bays all the time when she is playing with Grissom. She also bays when you tell her "no" and she disagrees with you. She's got a lot of spunk! She is such a lovely dog, and we are so happy to have her with us. Grissom and Rangeley have bonded and are "partners in crime "!

Here are a couple of pictures of Rangeley and Grissom during our trip to Rangeley, Maine this year (2007). There is one of Rangeley begging for a roasted hot dog in front of the fireplace. In a couple of them, you can see them playing with my sister's adopted dog, Thurston, the English bulldog. Rangeley loved to take a dip in the lake, as long as she could do it slowly. There is one picture of her looking out over the water, in a kind of meditation! Another is Grissom and Rangeley asleep on Katie's lap. There are also a couple of pictures of Grissom and Rangeley on the couch together, and one of Rangeley lying on top of a lot of her toys!

Thank you, Furry Friends Network, for saving so many lives! We don't know what we would do without Rangeley!

Katie and Eric