We lost our furry friend Bailey in November of 2014 to liver disease. She was the sweetest, easiest dog ever. Half Aussie and half something else. She was our first baby before human children. Eric and I loved her and when the boys were born, they loved her, too.
Max was still in diapers when Bailey passed away, and I knew a puppy would be a ton of work that would fall on me. I was already overextended from work, two little boys, volunteer jobs, and a husband that worked crazy long days. Oh, and our LA residence had a postage stamp-sized yard.
Then we decided to move cross-country to St. Louis. And we bought a new house, and thus the puppy decision was postponed once again.
The boys eventually became relentless and I eventually caught the puppy bug, too. I knew we were set on another Australian Shepherd, but unfortunately the Aussie Rescue Foundation of St. Louis had closed its doors. I kept my eyes open for an adoptable Aussie pup, but finding a puppy was proving difficult — most rescue groups have mostly adult dogs.
And then one day the universe decided it was time. I was on Facebook and came across an Aussie Rescue Foundation of Kansas – Aussie Rescue and Placement Helpline: http://www.aussierescue.org/adopt/by-region/mid-west.
An Aussie Tri (Ginger) had been relinquished by a former breeder…and she was pregnant. I immediately submitted an application for a girl pup, told our story, and waited.
Phoebe (né Nutmeg) was born on February 10, 2019, outside Wichita, Kansas. Mom and pups were being fostered by an experienced Aussie breeder so she was in good hands while we waited to meet her.
We had to submit references (who were both called), I had a 45-minute phone interview and even a home visit to make sure we were capable of providing a safe and nurturing home. We were eventually allowed to adopt one of the two female puppies!
At home we discussed names and bought puppy toys, beds, etc. It was so fun to plan for the little furball.
Once Phoebe was 8 weeks old, we planned our visit to Wichita to meet our pup and bring her to her forever home in St. Louis.
We were instantly wrapped around her little paw. The boys called her their little sister and they fawned over her constantly. For the first few weeks, I slept on the basement couch with her crate next to me. Potty breaks were every 2-3 hours. It was intense those weeks, but she was so darn cute — it made it worth it!
Phoebe chewed on everything, but she especially loved socks, one particular dust broom and pulling the toilet paper from the roll in the bathroom and taking it all the way to her bed.
She did get in big trouble one day for chewing up my nice wool rug in the laundry room. Dog shaming, take 1.
By 16 weeks, things were better. And she discovered the flower beds, tall grasses, bully sticks and neighborhood friends.
Phoebe was even Miss May in the Aussie Rescue calendar!
Phoebe’s favorite job is catching the frisbee. She works a minimum of 3x each day….catching frisbee first thing in the morning, again around lunch and also in the evening. Always, frisbee…or catch. And she doesn’t really take “no, I’m busy” for an answer.
Phoebe is a natural lifeguard, but gets a little nervous when the boys are under water or jumping into the water. She’s been known to grab an ankle or calf to prevent a dive into the pool. Sometimes she falls in and then we see her crazy crimpy hair!
Phoebe has grown into a beautiful, protective and loving dog. She always thoughtfully removes all stuffing from her plush toys — for security reasons, of course. She loves her walks, doing work for treats, cuddling, belly rubs, going to the dog park, lounging outside on our watermelon raft and guarding the neighborhood from her office perch or the back of the hearth room couch. She couldn’t get enough of the snow during winter months.
So that’s the story of how our fur-baby Phoebe came into our lives and brought cuddles, wet kisses and sweetness in a way only a puppy can.
We are all incredibly smitten with this lovable, smart girl.
