Jaffe~RIP

07/11/14: Dear Sweet Jaffe passed away this morning. He will be missed and never forgotten.

During the week of January 18, 2010, I received a call from a shelter in Brunswick, Georgia.  A family was distraught at having to turn in their ten year old Border Collie.

“But it’s not my dog,” the woman explained in tears.  “My brother died suddenly, and I can’t keep him.  He’s such a good dog, he’s fully trained, CGC even, but I have too many dogs of my own, and no one in the family can take Jaffe in,” she explained.

The shelter did not want to see this dog surrendered.  I asked for help to transport him, and Zondra Farence volunteered.

She drove to get Jaffe, and I posted his photos on Facebook and my blog, when I immediately received an email from Gary Jones who absolutely wanted to adopt Jaffe.

Jaffe stayed with Zondra for a few days, and we noticed he had not been neutered.  Gary drove to Jacksonville to meet the dog, and fell in love with him, but he couldn’t adopt him yet!  Jaffe was transported to my home, where he had a thorough work up with Dr. Ted Oliver of Val-U-Vet, and he was neutered.  Gary waited patiently for the green light, and when the day finally came, he and his wife, along with their little Sheltie, came to adopt Jaffe on January 28, 2010.

01/29/10 update: “Gisele, Jaffe is fitting in just perfectly. He is eating well and it is not on”people food”. He is quite the gentleman and appears very happy. I will keep you posted. Thanks again, keep up the good
work.  ~Gary”

On February 9, 2010 Gary stopped by to show Jaffe off.  He had been professionally groomed, and he looked stunning.  I wanted to take photos, but Jaffe was not cooperating.  For several minutes, Jaffe refused to look at the camera, because he was too focused on Gary.  I knew that Jaffe was home.

I sent the photos to Jaffe’s former owner, to let her know that Jaffe was doing great.  She called me later that afternoon in tears, and explained that Gary looked exactly like her deceased brother.  She couldn’t believe it, and she thanked me for helping her brother’s dog.

Gary later wrote, “Jaffe is a nine year old senior Border Collie who came into my life two short weeks ago. I had just lost my 12 year old shetland sheep dog and I was in need of the affection given by an older dog. Someone once said “Puppies are highly over rated” How true. My new dog is very smart, obedient and is highly polished. I just went to the great dog park in Deland and had a run with Jaffe who played like a little puppy. Proof that not only younger dogs are great pets. I am so happy that the dog liberator was there to save this dog and give him another chance to be happy and loved.

Jaffe’s new friend, Gary”

I learned much later that Gary was turned down by a rescue when he tried to adopt another Sheltie.  “I was approved, and then they did a home visit, and something about they didn’t like the way I had my Sheltie groomed,” he said.  I’m glad he was turned down!

Today is Jaffe’s three year anniversary, and even after all of this time, Gary still brags about his dog!  “I’ve had dogs all of my life, Gisele, but I’ve never had a dog like this.  All of my dogs have been very good dogs, but Jaffe is amazing.  He’s one of a kind, and it’ll be hard for me to find a dog this good again.”

I see Jaffe often, he never misses a reunion, and I can always count on Gary to help when I’m in a pickle.  When Gemini disappeared, Gary lived close by, and dropped everything to help find her.

When I was asked to take Jaffe, I never gave it a second thought.  Was I going to be able to find a home for a ten year-old dog?   I didn’t care, I didn’t hesitate, because I did not want a dog like him to experience the pound.  The sighs, smells and sounds of a shelter can traumatize a dog like Jaffe.  I’m glad I didn’t blink an eye!  Because of Jaffe I don’t hesitate to rescue senior dogs.  Today, we have Chaz and Baileys in our rescue, and one day, someone like Gary will find them and bring them home!

 

You can see all of Jaffe’s photos on Facebook.
The Dog Liberator is a foster-driven non-profit, 501c(3) charitable organization.  All dogs are fostered in a home environment, which enables the dog to show its true color. Founded in 2009, The Dog Liberator has successfully rescued and adopted nearly 700 dogs.

TDL dogs are fully vetted, spayed or neutered prior to adoption. TDL does not receive government funding of any kind, and relies on individual donations and corporate sponsors.  By using Paypal, you can donate to The Dog Liberator’s Veterinary Care Fund.

The Dog Liberator focuses on rehabilitation, taking in deaf and/or blind dogs, dogs that need social skills, fearful dogs, and dogs that suffer from depression. They also focus on educating the public regarding medical issues, like heartworm treatment, parvovirus, adopting senior dogs, Addison’s disease, pneumonia, and proper diet.

The Dog Liberator has a less than 4 percent return rate, and they pride themselves at creating the perfect match for dog lovers. Their adoption updates are shared on both Facebook, and their website thus creating a professional and personal relationship with their adopters. You can help Save a dog’s life today by donating.

There are a host of options to donate to The Dog Liberator, which are detailed in “The Promise“.