05/07/2025
When Phoebe died 6 weeks ago, Echo needed to grieve before we thought about bringing home another dog, and he sure did grieve, hard. Lately, he’s turned the corner and is back to himself again. Leslie and I were on the lookout for a pup, but assured each other that the right dog would come along at just the right time. Unbeknownst to us, the right time was today!
Please welcome our newest little girl, tentatively known as Fiona. She is a 2-year-old mini Golden Doodle!
The circumstances are as mystery-filled as Fiona is sweet & adorable. I was working my volunteer shift at the Mount Joy Gift & Thrift, arranging bed sheets on a shelf when a woman came over looking for a sturdy pillowcase for a dog bed. Of course that led to a long conversation about dogs, dog parks, different dog foods, the dogs that we have in our lives and the ones we’ve lost.
Turns out Judy breeds mini-golden doodles. We exchanged numbers and I asked her to let me know next year when she had another litter, but that I would prefer to rescue a dog instead. Her eyes lit up.
Judy has a special place in her heart for Fiona, who happens to be infertile. But with several other dogs under her care, the cost of living on the rise, and with some health issues of her own, she was considering the heartbreak of surrendering Fiona to a doodle rescue. While this would ensure a good home for Fiona, it would be a real tough loss for Judy.
As if touched by an invisible magic wand, we both realized in the same moment that our “chance” encounter was the answer to unspoken prayers. With tears in our eyes we hugged and agreed that Leslie and I would meet Fiona later (at that time, her name was Trisha).
When we met, it was love at first sight for all of us, but in reality, I loved Fiona before I met her. And Leslie is gaga, too! Fiona visited Aunt Joan’s house where she met Echo, Holly and Benson, and tomorrow she will meet Sadie and many other new furry friends. When it finally quits raining, we’ll make our maiden voyage to Dog Park Mount Joy.
Investigating the whole house, trying out all the chairs and dog beds, she ate a full meal, found the water dish, and is making herself right at home. Nite-nite sweet girl!!