Max's Story-How We Became a Family

The Story of Max – It took a WHOLE lot of Loving People to give me The Gift of Max

04/08/11, 7:37 am          #A4260925 was brought into the Carson Shelter in California and listed as stray, 3 Year Old, Male, Chihuahua Short Hair Mix, Tan.

05/18/11-05/28/11        Animal lover and voice for many of the Carson Shelter pups, Akie, posts a Facebook plea to help #A4260925 out of the shelter before his time runs out! She also photographs many of the dogs there and helps them find homes.  There’s a lot of back and forth talk on Facebook about pledging money and trying to find a home for him.  A person has interest in him, names him Max, but lives out of state and Max’s time is running out, the clock is ticking.  There are certificates of  health and travel arrangements that need to still be paid for, (i.e., pledges of money still needed).  A call is put into Carson Shelter by a lady named Lisa who learns Max’s “time is up” to live on May 29, 2011!  However, contact was made and arrangements thankfully that extended Max’s life.

06/02/11                   Akie’s friend, Kim pays the fees to get Max out and he narrowly escapes death.

06/02/11                          There are details here that I just couldn’t quite pin down, but Max is then fostered by another animal lover, Jodie whom even has to try to somewhat hide the fact that she has Max, but risks it and does it anyway while also fostering another friend of Max’s named Champ!  Then Max is ultimately fostered again by Akie who by then has also become a foster Mom to Max’s buddy, Marley.  At some point poor Max ends up with scabies and mange but Akie steps up to the plate once more and gets Max the needed treatment and attention.

November, 2011             The supposed to be only short-term rescue of Max, never quite worked out, thus Jodie and Akie’s wonderful help in keeping Max (and many other pups) safe.  Keep in mind that now that Akie is now the Foster Mom of three…Max, Marley and Champ when she learns of circumstances that mean she will be moving back to Japan!  She reaches out for help for someone to please help her find forever, loving homes for these pups. 

Nov.-Jan., 2011               Again, I wish I knew more of the exact details here, but wonderful ladies named Stacy and Joy get involved, perhaps networking through past pup rescues with each other and Stacy arranges to put Max on a plane along with Marley and I know at least Max even spent the night at Stacy’s house before making the trip by plane to his new home with Joy at Rover Oaks in Katy, Texas.

January 2012                   Max arrives safely with his good friend Marley and are both welcomed with open arms to Rover Oaks Pet Resort in Katy, Texas.  There ironically another lady named Aki (no e at the end though), who is a fabulous trainer there also falls in love with Max.  Allow me to explain that the super folks at Rover Oaks Pet Resort in Katy, Texas have a wonderful and very generous relationship with Citizens For Animal Protection in Houston, Texas and help the shelter in unbelievably ways of kindness, compassion, hard work and love!

Feb. 11/12^th, 2012          I decide to go to Citizen’s For Animal Protection in Houston, Texas (www.cap4pets.org) to just look only! I am still thinking that I’m maybe not ready as I had lost my pup of 16 years and just wasn’t sure about getting my heart broken again.  Well, that’s where I met Joy! She was volunteering and had a few of her/Rover Oaks (www.roveroaks.com),foster pups with her and introduced me to Max and told me about his cute handshake trick.  I quickly explained that I really didn’t want another male as I had problems with that with my last pup that lasted a long time. Joy listened and then promptly explained how belly bands, (which I knew nothing about),  can sometimes aid in the training of the famous leg lifts, etc. and gave me her card and I said maybe I’d consider a girl pup. 

February 16, 2011          I am calling my daughter again telling her about this really sweet pup and how he’s just really been on my mind, but how I just do not want another male dog and besides, he’s surely already been adopted by now right?! So, I of course call Joy, who has the patience of a saint with me and shows me several female pups, then I ask to see Max again. I knew when I asked to see Max. that really was why I drove there all along.  I think Joy might have known too.  I completed the application/interview process, made my adoption payment to Citizens for Animal Protection and was approved to take Max home.  Before leaving though both Joy and Aki asked me to please keep in touch from time to time to let them know about Max.  Both may regret saying that now – ha! I do and send them my ridiculous photos of Max periodically and have just embraced the fact that I’m “the crazy dog lady” now. In case you’re wondering about my fear of having another male dog…ends up no reason for me to have worried J

February 18, 2012          My daughter, Max and I made the trip from Houston to San Antonio to visit my son for the day. I figured might as well see how Max does traveling right away! He was awesome! He also melted the heart of my daughter whose lap he just laid in so calmly the whole trip, only getting off her to stop to use the tree. (Note:  I now have a Pupsaver car seat so Max is safe while driving...www.pupsaver.com thankfully)! Then promptly stole my son’s heart just as easily. Since then, Max has driven across several states with me as my co-pilot and if I wasn’t honest, which I was/am, the hotels would have never even known I had Max with me! He’s an excellent Road Tripper and likes it a lot…just gingle keys and he knows! You can sort of fill in the blanks from here as I mention the love my entire family has for this pup in this blog…he’s not just MY Max he is everyone’s Max in my extended family as with all those people who saved his life, sacrificed their money, love, and time and hearts to help him and who continue to love him and who blessed me with this wonderful little pup I refer to as THE BEST PUP IN THE WORLD!!!
                                 Thank each of you so very much from the bottom of my heart and soul for giving me the gift of Max!! I am sure there are many out there that I didn’t have names for that helped too and thank you to those people too! I promise to always be a good Mom and love him forever!!!  Thank you ALL soooo much!!! Happy Adoption Birthday Max!!!