Parker
As we all know, many people on Long Island and in New Jersey really suffered a tremendous loss due to Hurricane Sandy. A family in Howard Beach had bought two Vizslas, a brother and sister named Coco and Louie in June 2012 and sadly their home was damaged because of Sandy. They found it too difficult to keep the puppies so they gave them to a person that did Beagle rescue. Needless to say, Vizslas are very different from Beagles and he found them too hard to handle and fortunately he contacted Stephanie Fischer for some help. She worked her magic and it was the beginning of a new time in Coco and Louieʼs lives.
My husband Ron and I have had Vizslas for almost 20 yrs. We had Rylee and her daughter Baylee until last April when Rylee passed away suddenly. It was quite a shock for us and we knew we were not ready to have another Vizsla right away. Meanwhile, my daughter got married and was in between jobs so she, her husband and their 18 lb. rescue cat moved in with us. Our house was very full so we didnʼt really think at all about adding a new dog to the group. A job finally came through for her and the three of them moved out the beginning January to start their new life. The house was very quiet now and when Stephanie sent out a request for foster homes for Coco and Louie we were happy to lend a hand. Another Vizsla club member was kind enough to foster the female so we ended up with Louie. We had fostered rescues before and knew that a new forever home was being considered for him. This is where the most unexpected thing happened.
Louie came with typical rescue issues–fearful of new surroundings, socializing with two humans, another Vizsla and an elderly cat. Quite a lot for a sad nine-month old boy to handle. He came to us rather underweight and kind of timid but with a personality that ignited a new spark for Ron and me. All he wanted was love and lots of affection. He is very smart, and best of all got along really well with 7-year-old Baylee and 16 ½-year-old Casey (the cat).
We did our best to socialize him and get him used to not being in a crate all the time. It took about 3 days for us to finally realize that Louie had really touched our hearts. By day 4 we were hooked. That is how we joined the “failed foster family”. This sweet young boy with his big paws and adorable face and personality had found his “forever home.”
We renamed him Parker and have been enjoying all the hugs and kisses he gives us. He loves the snow and sleeping by the fireplace. Parker seems to have a nose for hunting which makes Ron very happy. We realized that we were ready for another Vizsla after all, and it took Parker to bring this new chapter to our lives. We are definitely the fortunate ones.
Cathy and Ron Jones