Hi! I’m Gordon! I’m an easy going guy who just wants to hang out.
The Mellowest Yellowest Lab
Gordon, a 6-year-old, huge, huggable, mellow-yellow lab, was saved at the end of his Schenectady stray hold and pulled from death row on April 11th. So sweet and stoic, he looked out from behind his kennel door with a head tilt that melted our hearts. So gentle of spirit, in spite of his confusion, he didn’t even bark when the other kennel dogs joined in chorus. The problem with kennel life, for Gordon, was that the heightened energy and noise caused him to shut down. Even still, Gordon loved the other dogs.
We knew very little about this dog but something about him grabbed us. His sweet personality was interrupted only by the fact that he seemed to be missing somebody, perhaps a child or another dog, whom he continued to search for. He was indifferent to toys. He was good in the car, but pulled on the leash. He appeared to have been confined to a cement slab for years, according to his deep elbow callouses. And he was nearly house trained so he must have had access to a garage dog door or a similar setup where he kept his personal space clean. Outside, he marked everything. His fur is so soft and bright, he looks creamy white instead of yellow, but he smelled like Puppy Le Pew before a good bath. His happiest moments were in the 6 foot fenced yard roaming back and forth in the sun. But he was content to be hugged and pet and loved, too. In fact, he’s quite a leaner.
Gordon Gained a Health Fund
We sincerely thank Monica Blizzard for so quickly sponsoring a large chunk of Gordon’s veterinary care! Gordon had an infected tumor on his rear end. First treated with a course of antibiotics. Once he was neutered, the tumor was removed, biopsied and came back benign!
A Serendipitous Search for a Foster Family
On April 17, we asked if Linda and Tom Mosher might be prepared to foster Gordon for a short time. They took in a dog named Noah back in 2011, a stray who survived heartworm after nearly being put down. Cassie, Tim and Kim helped Noah through other means before Dog House Adoptions existed and he was unforgettable to us all. The Moshers sent “Notes from Noah” for years, until he recently passed from bone cancer. They asked us then to keep them in mind down the road.
When we met Gordon, there was something about his sweet spirit that made us think of Noah and the Moshers. We sent them this video with our plea:
After a lengthy talk, during which it was obvious that the Moshers were still in deep mourning, Linda said “We’ll do it. He needs us,” and “Damn your videos!” to which we had a good laugh. (Kim’s very first rescue video was of Noah, which hooked them into meeting him.)
They would pick Gordon up on Saturday, she said. Then, bumping that first visit up to Friday, Gordon’s size and lack of leash manners made Linda uneasy at first. Could she handle him?
Cassie had never met the Moshers, but she knew their dog Noah well, saving him from certain death by asking Tim and Kim for help. Cassie softened Linda’s concerns by saying something to the effect of:
Your Noah didn’t know how to leash walk before I taught him. These dogs are tossed aside because they don’t know these things. We teach them in preparation for a home. Gordon can learn quickly, too. You just have to decide if he struggles to learn in a kennel situation that shuts him down or he learns with you in a loving home environment.”
Friday Night Foster Turns Saturday Morning Scramble
The Moshers decided on a dime, taking Gordon right then and there. And reports started coming in immediately.
He has been pacing, but giving a whole lot of kisses! He is finally relaxed with his raw hide chew. No accidents! Had a chicken jerky sausage for dinner. Yummm, he said! He didn’t try to jump our four foot chain link, but will not leave him outside without supervision. Bringing him across the street tomorrow to the park. He will have a good day. He knows sit, paw, and rollover so someone spent time with him. I’ll give you a progress report tomorrow. Hoping he will sleep tonight. He is looking a little worn out!
Another note arrived the next morning and they were now calling him Gordy:
He finally settled in his memory foam bed. It was obvious that he was an outside boy as he scratches his bed like dirt for quite some time before he settled in. He was funny. He kept jumping on the bed thinking he was sleeping there too! One pee accident in the kitchen this morning or last night, but he was super thirsty yesterday and super wound up. He seems calmer today. If you move so does he. He is so loving and gentle for all be has been through. He is is amazing.
A photo came from Schodack Park shortly after with the subject “He had a ball!” We’re pretty sure he wasn’t the only one.
Tick-Tock!
That same morning the call came. An interested party wanted Gordon and the situation was absolutely perfect. We broke the news to the Moshers and received this response:
He is not for sale! Sold! Yep you got got us!
A second email followed:
You should sell swamp land and cars. You would be rich!
Gordon Hits Jackpot in Fastest Foster Failure in History
We’re pretty sure we know the exact moment Gordon won his new family over. As Tom sat in his recliner that first Friday night, Gordon leveraged his enormous body into Tom’s lap, all fours included, and kissed Tom’s whole face. Linda called it the Marmaduke moment.
We’ve since traded forms — substituting a foster contract for an adoption contract. Gordon is healing the Moshers’ souls after the loss of their beloved dog to cancer. And they’ve begun to heal Gordon after he lost whoever it is that he’s been pining for.
Congratulations to you all! We couldn’t be happier for every one of you!