Adopter Name

Shannon LeFebvre

Rescue Dog’s Name

Rosie The Yellow Lab

Where Did You Find Your Dog?

Sometime in February, 2011 Rosie (formally known as Jazz) was found wandering the streets. A landscape architect picked her up and took her to the Sonoma County Animal Control. Rosie was wearing a collar with tags and was micro-chipped as well. While Rosie sat in a cold chain linked kennel, the shelter tried for over 3 weeks to contact her owners. When her owners finally called they told the shelter that they did not want Rosie back and in fact put her out on the street!

Tell Us About the Moment When You Knew that You Two Were Meant for Each Other.

Around that same time I lost my job and was devastated. The days become more and more lonely. My husband and I thought it would be a great time to bring a dog into our home. We had rescued our cat, Walter five years prior and knew we wanted to rescue again. I started scouring the internet for adoptable dogs. When I came across Rosie’s bio, I just knew I had to meet her. I was afraid she would already be adopted out by the time I got to the shelter and when I got there another family was with her. My heart sank. I was in luck though, the family left empty handed saying it wouldn’t work out. Rosie greeted me with loads of kisses and a friendly tail wag. I tried to play fetch with her but she would not leave my side. She just kept looking up at me with her big brown eyes. That was it, she got me. I had to bring her home. I signed the papers, paid the fee and called my husband telling him we just rescued the best dog EVER! Little did I know what I had gotten us into…

How Has Your Hero Changed Your Life?

I should have known there was an issue with Rosie’s training when she frantically tried to sit on the dash of the car as I took her home. I should have seen the warning sign when she escaped from her collar and leash and attacked my neighbors small dog once we got home. I was in shock. Where was the gentle, loving, well behaved dog I had just visited with at the shelter? I felt dooped. Well, it is now almost four years later and I am happy to say we have all come a long way since that first day. What the shelter failed to inform us was that Rosie had never been properly socialized and was dog aggressive. They also told a teeny white lie about her knowing basic commands as it turned out she had NO training what so ever. We were not about to give up on her, so my husband and I immediately enrolled her into classes with a trainer. I am happy to say that Rosie now knows all basic commands and some tricks too and is always eager to learn more. The dog aggression is something we work on daily. Some days she does excellent and gets along fine and other days not so much. Throughout these almost four years Rosie has been my rock. She loves my husband but she is definitely my dog. She has been by my side through losing my job, infertility and moving to another town. She is wonderful with Walter the cat and the best momma dog to our six month old daughter Elena. Rosie is the most amazing dog a family could ask for.