German Shorthaired Pointers are often discarded, given up, abandoned, and returned due to their high energy level and strong hunting drive.  Some are discarded by hunters because  they won’t hunt, or they may be “gun-shy.”   We have fallen in love with this sometimes misunderstood breed. ..So…Cello, Brian, and I have been volunteering for the GSP Rescue of NJ.  We have made phone calls to vets for background checks and references, visited GSPs in shelters to evaluate them and offer the help of the GSP rescue, called potential adopters for initial screening, and to go over their application, and have done home inspections for potential adopters.  Cello has even volunteered as a donation dog, wearing a donation vest and “working the crowd” with her cuteness at events such as the Ocean County Gunning and Decoy Show in Tuckerton, NJ.  We recently decided we could help out a bit more…so we signed up to pick up and/or transport GSPs to their foster homes, and to foster a dog if needed.  This past weekend, we were able to help two GSPs who were on the “urgent” list in Kentucky …they were scheduled to be euthanized.  Here is the story of the rescue of Penny and Perry…

Meet Penny and Perry…

About two weeks ago, A regional GSP rescue group in the Kentucky area contacted the GSP Rescue of NJ about Penny and Perry because the rescue’s foster homes were full,  and they would not have been able to save Penny and Perry from a kill shelter in Kentucky. Penny and Perry were found roaming in Perryville Battlefield State Park,  in Perryville, Kentucky.

Penny and Perry were brought to a kill-shelter, and held for the required amount of days to see if their owners would come forward.  No one claimed them after the hold-period was over, and they were placed on the euthanization list.  We received an email from  the GSP Rescue of NJ to see if anyone could foster these two sweethearts, or to help pick them up from transport. Two members quickly offered to foster.  When I had seen the email, no one had responded to do the pick up and transporting, so Brian and I volunteered to do this.  Just after the regional GSP Rescue group in the Kentucky area contacted the GSP Rescue of NJ, a woman in Kentucky came in to the shelter and adopted both Perry and Penny.

…But not even two days later, the woman returned Penny and Perry to the kill shelter because they were “too hyper.” The regional GSP rescue in the Kentucky area got back in touch with the GSP Rescue of NJ, and foster homes in NJ and pick-up and transport was again set.

Early this past Saturday morning, Brian and I took an 1hr and 45 minute road trip to pick Penny and Perry up from their Kentucky transport. I cried as soon as I saw them – – both were skin and bones, and severely dehydrated..but as Brian brought each one out of their crate to put a slip-lead on them, each dog stood up on their hind legs, put their front paws up to Brian’s chest, and kissed Brian with appreciation.  These two dogs were so sweet loving!! It was heart-wrenching to me that no one claimed them in the first place, that they were returned to a kill-shelter by someone who didn’t understand the breed – -and that these two loving dogs were close to being euthanized!

Brian and I had no crates to transport them with , so I rode in the back of our truck with Penny and Perry…for an hour and 45 minutes, these dogs smothered me in love and puppy kisses.  Here are some  pictures from the ride home… and then when Perry got to our house.

We arrived back to our house with Penny and Perry, and walked them around the yard and provided plenty of water for them both.  Penny’s foster family picked her up right away (I bawled my eyes out, as I had already became attached to these two wonderful dogs!!)  Perry’s foster parents could not pick him up until Sunday, so Cello was going to have her first sleep-over!

We bathed Perry, gave him plenty of access to water, and fed him.  Although extremely affectionate, Perry knew no basic commands, and did not have leash or house manners.  Brian took Perry out on the street in front of our house, and I brought Cello out to meet Perry… both Cello and Perry were very happy to see each other!  We walked them together down the street, and then back to our yard.  When we were back inside our fenced-in yard, we let Cello off her leash…but Perry had already tried to leap our fence while on his leash, so we were unable to let him wander the yard off-lead. Luckily we had beautiful weather and were able to spend the day and most of the night outdoors. (Perry was not house trained, and had a bad case of diarrhea!) While outside, Perry saw other dogs, people, bikes, and cars go by our yard, and he did not once bark – he was such a good boy!!  My aunt and uncle came to visit, and Perry greeted them gently, without jumping, barking, or being rough.  Perry’s tail did not stop wagging from the time we picked him up from transport, until we saw him leave with his foster family!!

Perry

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Perry finally settled down and took a nap out by the lake!

When we came inside, Perry got a visit from my mom, who brought him over some nice treats to enjoy.

Perry immediately became attached to Brian – and became upset if Brian was out of his sight. …So Brain loaded up a crate with nice soft fluffy quilts and blankets, and put the crate right in front of our couch.  Brian slept on the couch so that Perry would not be upset or alone.  Perry did very well throughout the night.  He was very content sleeping next to Brian, and whimpered each time he was about to have an accident (Brian ran him outside about 6 times that night due to his loose bowl movements).  Overall, Perry did great!

In the above picture, check out the bottom quilt…my mom had given us some quilts and blankets she was going to get rid of so that we had some bedding for Perry.  One of the quilts she gave us was mine as a kid (and has to be over 35 years old at this point!!) It’s a Life Savers candy quilt… but how cool/coincidental is that?!?!… LIFE SAVERS, and we are using it to help this GSP who would have lost his life if it wasn’t for the volunteers at several GSP rescues! I thought the Life Savers quilt was just too cool!

Cello was a polite hostess, and Perry was a great house guest.  Perry’s foster family came to pick him up Sunday morning (more tears and sobbing on my part…!)

Both Penny and Perry need some basic training, but are two beautiful and affectionate German Shorthaired Pointers, and are now in their foster homes and up for adoption through the GSP Rescue of NJ.  Penny has been renamed Casey by her foster family, and Perry is now referred to as Chester (short for Winchester) by his foster family.  Pray that these wonderful dogs find their forever homes quickly!!

Thinking of a GSP?  Think rescue! The National GSP Rescue lists regional GSP rescue groups across the United States and Canada. If you are interested in adoption, volunteering, or would like information on how to surrender your dog to rescue (Please do not surrender GSPs to a shelter or abandon them!!!!), please contact the group that covers your state or region.  If there is no contact listed for your state, you can email the National GSP Rescue at rescue@gspca.org .

A GSP rescue will help match you up with the perfect GSP for your family! 

UPDATE: BOTH PENNY AND PERRY HAVE BEEN ADOPTED!! YAY!

UPDATE ON “PERRY” (NOW CHESTER) on 02/20/2014:  Here are some pictures of a very happy and healthy Chester at his forever home sent to me by his loving family!