Living with Rescue Dogs: A Journey of Love and Compassion
We adopted our first rescue dog, Moses, from a local pound about 30 years ago. We picked him solely based on his looks: he was handsome with white non-shedding fur, medium-sized and had sad eyes that begged to be rescued. We didn’t know his history. We didn’t care. We took him home after that first meeting at the pound.
We set ourselves up for heartbreak. Despite giving him our love and care for over 2 years, he didn’t overcome whatever trauma he carried from his past life. He wanted nothing more from us than to be fed, sheltered, and be allowed to bark constantly and left alone. He wasn’t a bad dog. We were inexperienced, and we didn’t understand his emotional needs, and he didn’t know enough to return our love. Recognising our limitations, we found him a new, deserving home.
Taking in rescue dogs is not for everyone. But our experience with Moses didn’t discourage us.
A year later, we welcomed 1-year-old Muffin, a pedigreed Golden Retriever, into our family. She was beautiful, regal and the name Muffin just wouldn’t do. We renamed her Chelsea, and she quickly became a beloved companion, our first “real” dog in Australia. Chelsea had a happy temperament, learned commands quickly, and even fetched the newspaper every morning. Her expressive face showed various emotions, and she gave us the urgency to move to a home with a bigger yard. She was our Wonder Dog.
In our new place, we felt Chelsea needed a friend. We found a free-to-a-good-home Jack Russell. Although she didn’t match our expectations in looks, this hyper, diminutive, mostly Jack Russell canine was friendly, affectionate, and cute in her own way. We couldn’t resist her and took her home after that first meeting. We called her Jackie. While Chelsea and Jackie didn’t become the best playmates, they coexisted amicably.
Two years before Chelsea passed at 14 years old, we began planning for a successor. We discovered Golden Retriever Rescue (GRR), a volunteer group seeking to rehome abandoned Golden Retrievers in need of homes, and found Amber, who had suffered unimaginable abuse in a puppy farm. Chelsea by then, was acting her age and showed no interest in Amber, but Jackie was beside herself to get another playmate.
The rescue group said Amber was the worst case of abuse they had seen and warned us that it may take a while, if at all, before Amber became a normal dog. She may always be detached and introverted, but they could tell she was never going to be aggressive. We can handle that, we said, so despite her traumatised state, we decided to give her a chance. After 2 years of patient and gentle coaxing, Amber started to trust us, and her personality began to blossom. She even became Miss February in one of GRR’s annual calendars. She lived a fulfilling life, even as she battled an aggressive tumour in her jaw when she turned 10.
To support Amber during her final months, we adopted Evie, another neglected Golden Retriever. Despite her physical condition due to neglect and abuse, Evie remained gentle and serene. Her presence had a remarkable effect on Amber, bringing out her playful side. After Amber’s passing, 11-year-old Jackie also fell ill and passed away in the same year. This left Evie severely grief-stricken. She became introverted, refused walks and food. We knew she needed a new companion.
We wasted no time searching for Evie’s mate and found Zoe, a 6-kilo Staffordshire cross mini-foxie with a yellow ball in her mouth, who formed an immediate bond with Evie. The two dogs became inseparable, constantly learning from each other, with Zoe showing Evie, the Golden Retriever, how to retrieve balls. While Evie was the prettiest GR we ever had with her soft blonde fur, calming eyes, beautiful posture and cute black nose, the perfect specimen of her breed, Zoe was “not the prettiest dog in the shelter”, her rescuer admitted. But they were the perfect pair with no signs of anger, competition or roughness toward each other. Our home was once again filled with the joy of having multiple dogs. Like the others before them, they happily responded to commands and taught us valuable lessons about love, compassion, and gratitude.
After giving us 11 wonderful years and innumerable memories, Evie passed away in 2023. Once again, we grieved deeply, but our heartbreak was matched by Zoe’s, who changed almost overnight. She refused to eat, lost all interest in yellow balls or walks, and preferred to stay in her bed.
We knew we had to act quickly, and so yet another search began. However, being seniors in our 70s, we faced unexpected hurdles with rescue organisations. Some rejected us outright, while others simply ignored our applications—even after we provided all the necessary documentation to show good faith. While we battled this disappointment, Zoe became even more introverted.
But miracles do happen, even for the four-leggers in the family. When Donna, our trusted vet of more than 10 years, arrived at our house for Zoe’s annual check-up, her very first words from the front door were, “Are you looking for another dog?” Hallelujah!
Through her work with rescue networks, Donna was then helping to rehome dogs from a poodle-cross breeding facility whose owner had suddenly become incapacitated. After our years with three Golden Retrievers, we had already decided that our next dog should still be female, between one and two years old, medium-sized, with a non-shedding coat. Billie fit the bill perfectly. That very afternoon, we welcomed home a 14-month-old, 14-kilo Bordoodle (Border Collie cross Poodle). Though initially shy, she soon showed her true self: affectionate, unassuming, and highly intelligent with just the right amount of cheekiness.
Zoe was shy and cautious at first, but it wasn’t long before she was teaching Billie how to fetch balls and cuddle in bed together. Our prayers had truly been answered.
As I write this, we’ve had Billie for two wonderful years. Sadly, Zoe, now 12 years old, was diagnosed with advanced bone cancer on her shoulder. Medical intervention is out of the question. We don’t want Zoe to suffer leg amputation and post-operative chemo treatment at this time in her life. Unlike the title of Bob Dylan’s song, we want Zoe to go gently as she deserves. We opted for palliative care, where we will keep her comfortable and pain-free as long as she needs it.
Thus far, Zoe is eating and sleeping well. She still gets excited about meals, cuddles, and car rides, maintaining her usual routine without any obvious difficulty. We have paused the ball games and long walks, though she would still sprint on her three good legs if given half a chance. This gentle pace is also helping us slowly accept that we may lose her in a month, or perhaps a little longer. It gives us the precious time we need to show her our love and gratitude for everything she has brought to our lives.
When I see her eyes twinkle at mealtimes, or look up at us with thanks as we tuck her into her heated bed in this cold winter of 2026, always accompanied by high-speed tail wag, I feel the deep connection between us. I sense a quiet agreement that we have shared a truly blessed life—and that is more than many families, two or four-legged, could wish for.
Question: What’s better than a dog? Answer: Two or more dogs.
The dynamics at home truly transform with the presence of rescue dogs. They teach us profound lessons in love, humility, compassion, patience, kindness, and gratitude. Our dogs are an integral part of our family and our entire lifestyle. While some friends view pets as a limitation, we find immense joy in their company. The simple fact that Greg and I smile the very moment we see them first thing in the morning is daily proof of the joy they gift us.
After more than three decades and seven rescue dogs, we know firsthand that rehoming these animals is just as rewarding for us as it is for them. We have witnessed the beautiful transformation of traumatised souls into loyal, loving companions, and their presence has filled our lives with immeasurable happiness. Through all the ups and downs, the deep joys, and the inevitable heartbreaks, our journey with rescue dogs remains a powerful testament to love, compassion, and the beauty of second chances.
In honour of all rescue dogs, we echo the sentiment of a heartfelt poem by an unknown author about a dog’s last will, if they could write:
“To a poor and lonely stray, I’d give my happy home, my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow and all my toys; the lap which I loved so much; the hand that stroked my fur; and the sweet voice that spoke my name.
I’d will to the sad, scared shelter dog the place I had in my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.
So when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.”
Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope, and give my place to him.
This is the only thing I can give…
The love I left behind.”
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