Kurt Sanders had been volunteering with FHI for about a year when he saw a photo of Piper on a high-kill shelter’s website in Wichita, she was listed on the list to be euthanized. Before he even had the chance to contact Deb to see about saving her...FHI already had it in the works. Another volunteer, Kristina, drove through a blizzard to give Piper her Freedom Ride. She would then be fostered by two other volunteers, Heidi and Todd, for 6 weeks before she got to move in with Kurt and Sandy to begin her heartworm treatment. Kurt tells us that even though she was just a foster, “we knew we would be adopting her after meeting her for the first time. After her heartworm treatment was complete and her subsequent negative test...we immediately adopted and have never had a regret.”
That was way back in July 2017 and now, here we are in 2020...Piper is 6 years old and she rules the house. If it were up to her, she would rule the entire housing development! “She loves to go for walks and convertible rides; she loves to chew her bones, destroy squeaky toys and guard the house from what she perceives as “danger!”
“Piper has a very strict schedule at night. They claim dogs have no sense of time, but she knows when 8pm is every night. (I swear I’ve actually seen her look at the clock on several occasions!) If we don’t go for her last walk of the night at 8pm, she will start nudging us. If that doesn’t work, she’ll sit and stare at us. And finally, she will start to do a little throat gurgle/growl until we take her outside. When the walk and potty break is done, she knows she gets half a dental stick before bed and goes straight to that bag after we come in. Then, at 9pm, she starts her routine over again because now it’s her bedtime...so we have to watch TV in the bedroom for an hour or so while she settles in for the night. We pretty much follow her schedule now, lol”
Oh boy, it’s definitely clear now why she runs the house! Crazy how quickly we become wrapped around their little paws, isn’t it?! Kurt also tells us that she is the “most devoted little dog. She doesn’t leave my side when I’m home. She loves our son and his dog, Dexter, and really enjoys going to visit her grandparents. Both my mother and mother-in-law never allowed dogs in their homes until Piper and Dexter came into our lives. Now, they have free roam of their houses. To say they’re spoiled would be an understatement.”
To wrap up Piper’s blog, we asked Kurt if he had any advice for someone that is considering adoption, here’s what he had to say: “DON’T WAIT! Sandy and I both had outside dogs while growing up on the farm, but we didn’t want to have an inside dog while our son was growing up because of the mess, etc. It is our biggest regret now. As OCD as I am, I found that living with a little dog hair and dog toys laying around is a small price to pay for the unconditional love you receive, and knowing you are helping save these precious lives (although, I often wonder who saved who in this case). Piper and Dexter have stolen our hearts and given us more laughs and happiness over the last 3-4 years that I could have ever imagined. They’ve changed us for the better and forever. We can’t imagine our lives without them now.”
ADOPT. DON’T SHOP.
