Well, I have been on the board for a couple weeks and decided to take a moment to tell Kinza’s story.

I would start the story with how I found Kinza but really I think she found me. I lost my lab Dee to cancer about 5 years ago. 5 year is a long time to be labless so I started searching. Initially I was looking for a young adult lab to adopt. Every search I did Kinza would come up in. Initially I skipped over her because she was 7 years old and her Petfinder listing said she could be dominant with female dogs. My brother and sister in law have a female lab, Jenny that I spend a lot of time with so I could not get a dog that had a problem with females. Still I kept searching and Kinza kept coming up….EVERY SINGLE TIME. I took this as a sign that I should actually pay attention and look at Kinza. Talked to my brother and told him about Kinza. He and his wife both said don’t worry about her and Jenny they will be fine. Go call now!!

I called the rescue that was fostering her and found out her foster mom was out of town for a week, so I waited…and waited!! Kinza’s foster mom finally called. I asked my list of questions and asked about the female dog thing. Her foster mom said she had never encountered any problems with female dogs. Kinza just spent the week with her father while she was out of town. He has female dogs and she was fine. I also asked about her history. I found out she was surrendered to the rescue group 1 year ago! She spent a year in foster care. Thank goodness she had a good foster mom. I asked to meet Kinza on neutral ground and have Jenny and her yellow lab brother Jake meet her as well. My house was about as neutral as we could find in the winter so the meeting was set.

Kinza got to my house and ran around like a mad woman. She got to me my entire family. I had a towel from Jake and Jenny for her to smell. After about 10 minutes it was labratornado time and in came Jake first. They sniffed and that was about it. Then Jenny. Ok, 3 labs with energy that are meeting for the first time. I had lab hair from ceiling to basement (thank you Dyson!!). Jenny and Kinza got along like they had known each other forever. Jenny and Kinza are both black labs so of course they resemble each other. But they kept doing mirror things of each other. They would sit next to each other, one would look left and the other right at the exact same time. Debbie, my SIL kept commenting on how alike they were. The foster mom had Kinza’s pedigree chart that was surrendered with her. Debbie looked at it and thought she recognized a couple of the names of Sires/Dams. I told Kinza’s foster mom no need to bring Kinza back because I was keeping her. That night Debbie looked up Jenny’s pedigree and called me. Kinza and Jenny share 2 lines in their pedigree! It was really meant to be!

I found out after the fact that Kinza’s foster mom had to stop fostering. Foster homes are hard to come by and there were none available in our area. Kinza was headed to the local humane society the week I called for her. Our shelter is not no kill so I am sure she would have been PTS due to her age and the oh so common black dog that nobody wants to adopt.

I am so happy this silly 7 year old lab that acts like she is going on 2 found me and has a safe secure forever home filled with lots of love!!

:cheers2: to all who rescue!!

She is beautiful!

DITTO! You have one beautiful girl there!

Thank you both! I need to get more pictures of her and get them posted. Now if it would just get above single digits outside. :(

What a wonderful story. You're right, she found you and you couldn't get away, had you tried. :) My BB is 7 and is going on 8 in March. Kinza reminds me a lot of her in these pics.

Kinza is the only black lab I've seen that has so little gray/white on them, as my BB also has.

Thanks for sharing your story. Very uplifting and so glad you decided on a older dog. Definitely a special place in Heaven for you.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da22b3127cce9a90a8690d0000000006108Acs2bFwzctZ

Wow Linda, you are right, BB and Kinza look a lot alike. Maybe they are long lost cousins. :) I can not believe how little gray BB and Kinza have. If I didn't have her papers I sure would not believe she was going to turn 8 in May. Her cousin Jenny is a couple months younger and is very gray around her mouth.

All of my dogs, except BB, are rescues. My vet even argued with me, saying somebody was wrong, this dog couldn't be over 5 yrs. old. I said, I got her when she was 10 wks old, so I know her age. He just said OH, he thought she was one of my rescue dogs and I didn't have a clue, I think. :)

The old girl in my siggy is 11, we are having to put her down tomorrow. She is full of smooth cell lymphoma and is literally drowning. I can't stand to see her this way, but I don't want to lose her yet either. I rescued her in June, 04.

Yes, everybody that meets Kinza can not believe she is 7 1/2. Besides hardly having any gray she has a ton of energy still. I'm blessed with her in such good health. I do not know why her owners gave her up but I'm glad she found me.

So sorry to hear you are going to have to put Tessy down Monday. I have been following her other threads. I had to put my Dee down when she was 14. She was in some pain from an old hip injury combined with dysplasia but was in very good spirts. She ended up with cancer tumors on her with one right next to her eye. Taking her eye was the only way to remove that tumor. My vet at the time felt her other tumors were so advanced the surgery would not give her much more time or quality of life. Hardest thing I've ever had to do was have her put down.

May Tessy cross the bridge and find Dee to play with.

My thoughts will be with you and Tess

Thank you. She just can't breath. Sometimes it sounds as if she's drowning, but she doesn't act like she's in pain, she eats, she goes with us places, but definitely much more fatigued than she used to be. DH & I are going to call tomorrow. I think I have waited too long and I feel bad and selfish for that.

Linda,

Don't feel bad or selfish. You have done the best you can for Tessy. While she sounds like she can't breath if she is not in distress she must still be getting enough oxygen. I totally understand how hard this is. No words can make the choice you have to make any easier. If the vet has options to allow Tessy to breath a bit easier then for sure worth it. You will know what the right thing to do is when that time comes. If that time is Monday may she go in peace and finally be able to breath fully and run through that beautiful field waiting on the other side. I will say a prayer for Tess and ask Dee to meet her in the field and show her around when she gets there.

-Trish

:hug: Linda, so sorry to hear about Tess. I know that you have provided her more love, compassion, and friendship than she had ever known before. You are doing what is right. I know it is not easy. Please know that all the good thoughts and prayers we can send will be with you.

mytrook~ Kinza is so beautiful! I can't believe someone didn't want her anymore. Ohhhhh those eyes! I wouldn't have been able to pass her up either! That's so great that you brought her into your life.

Thanks LabTest! I knew the minute I saw her she was staying with me. It is beyond me why her "family" got rid of her.

Your story gave me goosebumps!

I think you are absolutely right that you & Kinza were meant to be forever friends.

She is simply beautiful!

That is such a wonder story. Glad Kinza is with you.

What a lovely story. Some things are meant to be.

AWWWE what a great story! I love this rescue section.

What a great story.

Linda:

I'm so very sorry to hear about Tessy. :frown: I know what you're going through. You know I lost my precious Keira to lymphoma. Just know you're in my heart. I'm here if you need me for anything. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers always. Keira will be waiting for Tessy when she crosses the Rainbow Bridge. :tissue:

Sue

Oh Trish- your story is beautiful!!!! :)