Congratulations John

Brother and Friend John has a new addition to his family

He writes:

I have attached a link to web portraits of my new project, though he is much more handsome in person.

I am using the British, rather than the American pronunciation of his name

- It is Gawain BTW. If you click on the link above you can read his story. These places that rescue dogs will always have a special place in my heart. Congratulations John! I am happy for you. Hugs, j

Addendum
The rest of the story from an e-mail I just got:

I've known about HUA for years, have supported them with financial gifts almost every year, and have visited them in Auburn. Auburn is in the far south-eastern corner of Nebraska, south of Omaha, and just a few miles west of the Misery River.

Gawain is the third dog I've adopted from them. Foxworth, another Pembroke Corgi, was the first. When I went out to pick him up, I stayed overnight, and helped Carol Wheeler, the founder, to feed the dogs. She and I had dinner at her husband Dennis's (really excellent) steak house, and the next morning I got an almost inch-by-inch tour of the entire facility. It is truly an extraordinary place, and Carol knows EVERY one of the critters by name and temperament. Her daughter Lee, an attorney in Pennsylvania, is the web mistress, and is leading the fight against puppy mills in Lancaster County (she's won some significant battles, too).

I've also done the occasional home check for them around here, and have helped trouble-shoot a few canine behavior problems.

Anyhow, while I was there, I met the first Great Pyrenees I'd ever seen. It was love at first sight--for him as well as for me. "Why don't you take him with you?" Carol asked.

But I didn't know nuthin' about no big white dogs. So I came home with Foxworth, the funniest Corgi I've ever known (and who died a couple of years ago of a congenital heart problem), and set in to research the breed. The more I learned, the better I liked Pyrs After about six weeks, I called Carol, and Logan came to live here. He's the one I had to put to sleep last month, and he was probably the most gentle creature of any species I've ever met.

So--I was down to only five dogs (from a peak of 11), and have one who, while responding well to chemotherapy, is nonetheless dying of lymphoma.

I browse the HUA site regularly, and all of a sudden, there were three Pems there! I WISH I could've taken all three, but I'm also working fairly seriously with Pyrenees rescue in the Midwest to adopt another Pyr. Every dog I give a "forever home" to opens up a place in rescue for another one.

I drove to the east-bound rest area on I-80 just east of Waukee today, and the HUA folks met me there. It's about half-way, and easily accessible. It's the same place I picked up Logan (of blessed memory).

In any case, I can't sing the praises of Carol and her operation loudly nor often enough. Even among excellent rescue facilities, they are among the very best. Breed-specific rescue operations in the area work hand-in-hand with Carol and her (almost completely volunteer) crew.

With so many charities using up 90% of funds they collect to feather their own nests, it's good to know about one where the money really DOES go to a good cause.

I trust these folks completely.

Gawain is too chubby, so I see some green beans in his forthcoming victuals, but other than that, and PARTICULARLY for a mill dog who really DID just fall off the turnip truck, he has moved in here with absolutely no fuss whatsoever. When the other doggies went outside for their nocturnal ablutions a few moments ago, he scampered right out with the rest of them, and, when I opened the door for them to come back in, came grinning back inside with the pack, happy as a clam. And he has reclined near my chair all evening and occasionally sauntered over to have his ears scratched.

Pretty good for a guy who spent the first six years of his life in a little cage with no socialization with either dogs or humans...

But then he's a Corgi, and I have to get up early in the morning to stay ahead of my Corgis mentally.

As I said, Gawain is MUCH more handsome in person, and his smile is even more winning. He reminds me so much of Foxworth that it brings a tear to my eye.