Cotton

Cotton with goliath, now sweet william

    Updated photos in June 2008

Cotton went to her forever home in April 2008 and will be living in Rhode Island.

Hi Malay!

Thanks for including us in the newsletter! Here are a couple of photos of Cotton with her forever family! Please let me know if you have any problems opening these. I can send them in a snapfish account if that would work better for you?!

Thanks again!
Lisa

. . .Wait a "COTTON" Pickin' Minute! has been lovingly adopted by my
sister Lisa, her husband, Mark, and their three precious children, Emma
(my special 10 year old Godchild and dog whisperer in training), eight
year old Oscar the Great, and soon-to-be five, Happy Henry!

This is truly one of the greatest days for me.! Cotton, along with her littermate, JOSIE (formerly known as FRECKLES) was rescued from the Hancock County Animal Shelter in Waveland, Mississippi in late Feb. 2008 by FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER in Hancock County. My dear friend, Mickey Evans, an initial founder of FRIENDS called me to inquire whether Gulf South Golden Retriever Rescue could foster these two Golden Retriever mix puppies who were in desperate need of homes, having been at the shelter far too long already in their short lives. Collaborating is essential, and being a former member and officer of
that group I help found with Mickey, I readily said yes. Working with her is always fun and fruitful!

Mickey brought both of the puppies to Vet-extraordinaire, Dr. Charlie West, at Pet Haven in Bay St. Louis, who has helped us rescue countless Goldens over the years, and is just a wonderful human being and incredible asset to Gulf South! He vetted them both, and the foster process began with them coming home with me. Immediately, an already- approved applicant from the NE adopted FRECKLES aka JOSIE -- and all before either of the dogs had been posted on the website. She had been waiting for that special dog to welcome into her family's life, and she decided Josie was perfect! Off to New Hampshire she went, and lovingly
was received. There she resides with her four-legged brother, 11 year old Hoagy, the beautiful black lab and three precious children in the Bajger family. Oh yeah, did I mention that the parents were awesome too?

And, then there was just Cotton left . . . and I worried that she'd miss her littermate, but wanted to continue to foster her because I knew my sister was going to visit me in Ocean Springs from Rhode Island in several weeks and they had been waiting to adopt a puppy for their family as well. Over the course of the next few weeks, Cotton acclimated quite well, and savored the attention being doted on her by not only me, but her foster brothers Cooper and Bergh and a few other interlopers in between: 13 year old GO GO Goliath (now Sweet William,
living in Taos, NM with his fabulous forever home, Alexis and Jim), Belle, the beautiful Field Golden currently residing in her forever home in Long Beach, MS and now Sweet Benson, another beautiful foster dog who is sharing my home at present! With all this interaction,
Cotton is a well-balanced, highly socialized and very confident puppy. She's lovingly tolerant and thinks she's a BIG DOG and runs with the BIG DOGS, but is smart enough to get out of the way when my 97 pound Baby Bergh fetches his tennis balls and she happens to be in close
proximity!

Cotton is finally house trained, knows the command SIT and just today, she successfully "GAVE ME A HIGH FIVE" on every request! She's not mouthy at all, but she is teething, and she is just a perfect furry ball of love. What more could I ask for than my sister and her adoring family to adopt this amazing dog? Now, I'll have not only a godchild in that family with Emma, but a GODDOG with Cotton! If I could convey my happiness appropriately, it would be jumping off the page straight at you!

Cotton will be loved and get all the attention and affection she deserves. All the children were wonderful with her, and Emma took care to feed all four of the dogs every meal while she was visiting, and did it such enthusiastic glee. Pretty awesome for a ten year old, but she's
always been great with my dogs, and she loved being with me when we picked up my newest foster dog from transport. It was just an awesome experience in every regard!

The kids and their dad walked the dogs every day -- too! It was great! I have to admit, the dogs and I missed having the extra hands to pet when they all left yesterday, but we are rejoicing today, having just learned that IT'S OFFICIAL: .THE FOLKS HAD THEIR FAMILY MEETING AND THEY WANT COTTON TO BE PART OF THEIR FOREVER LIVES!

Oh the joy! Thanks to all of you who helped make this possible, supporting me and helping Cotton in your own special ways, and helped make this dream come true. It's so meaningful that my sister will be adopting a dog from my former hometown and community that is still so
devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and it heals my heart in ways I can't express. I know many people join me in wishing them boundless happiness with their new dog, COTTON!

HAPPY DAYS! HAPPY DAYS! HAPPY DAYS! HAPPY DAYS! COTTON PICKIN' IS ONE LUCKY PUPPY, and I feel quite blessed to have been part of the whole process!