Blackie

Blackie Tribute...We Love You! 

That's me in the upper right corner - Blackie!  I am the peace 4 paws puppy dog mascot.  The first one!  I love other dogs.  But, wait, I would like to tell you my story from the beginning, so read on please, thanks!

Well, for the first few years I had a very happy puppyhood, but then my parents abandoned me to pursue a better life for themselves.  They left me behind at a vet clinic. Because I am a big boy, I was perfect for work as a blood donor. I think saved some other animals' lives. I was very glad to help other dogs! 

At the clinic I would leave my runner once a day to play with the other blood donors, and sometimes, when one of the really nice vet tech's was there, Gilda, I would just walk around the vet clinic with her. That was fun, because I really like people.  One rescuer, Cristina Ovalle, met me when she brought some other dogs to the vet clinic for care.  She was worried that I might be really missing family life. She really wanted to help me find a family. For years, she tried many things like putting posters up to try to get me adopted. People walked by my runner for years, but they did not want to adopt me because they thought I was either too big, too black, or as time dragged by, too old. I was sad about that.  I really wanted to love and be loved!  

Finally, when I was seven years old, Peace4paws.org found out about my life in the vet clinic ! They wanted to bring me to a loving home with caring parents, brothers, sisters, couches, soft beds, big lawns, and lots of opportunities for special field trips.  And the Vet Clinic was caring enough to let me have a chance for a forever home and let me leave institutional life. I really wanted that. And after all that time waiting - I was selected at last.  Somebody finally wanted me as their own boy.  I was so happy! I came to New Jersey in a big crate on a plane! Finally, I have a real home! And now I have not one but two beds, a brother, two sisters and lots of love.  

Right from the start peace4paws.org gave me lots of special attention. Lots of people helped me to be re-socializied and re-acclimated to life as a family dog. Amanda Berk evaluated me within weeks after I came off the plane and was convinced that I would be perfect as a family dog. She was right! Last year I started traiining for Canine Good Citizen with that nice dog trainer Amanda Berk.  We are still working on that.  That was the year, when I turned nine years old, and to be quite honest, I felt like I was nine months old, because I am so happy now, I actually took agility lessons and learned how to do really cool things, see the pictures below.. and got lots of treats and hugs in the process.  One of my trainers was my good friend, Don, who was also nine years old at the time.  He may have had more energy than me! There is a picture of us below this article. 

I think out of everything, I like the hugs the best.  Oh, and the kisses. But, treats are high on my list as well. My peace4paws.org parents will post more pics of from my story soon.  But, thank you everyone for being my friend! I  I am so,so happy.  Talk to you soon!

Blackie and Don are best of friends and cousins too!  Blackie and Don are learning about agility  on a crisp, sunny day in Fall 2010. This Agility course is super fun for both of them. They are about to try the "ladder" under the supervision of Alice Harris of Furry Tails Connection, LLC at the Pet Lodge in River Vale. Blackie also enjoys the various jumps, but, his favorite is the "tunnel". The treats are great too, but the fun and the love is the best. 

Here are some pictures from my journey from being transferred from the vet clinic, May 2008, in Puerto Rico by caring people like Crista Ovalle and Adri Galler's animal rescue crew.  I was in a crate on a plane for six hours.

Here is the truck that took me from the plane to the airport where peace4paws would come to take me to my new forever home! 

I had no idea where I was going!!!

peace4paws was driving to the airport to find me and give me the kind of happy I life I knew before I became a blood donor for four years.  

Here are Vicki Charron and Charles Bellon in the airport parking lot so excited to finally meet me! 

At last they open the doors of the truck and Jennifer Cece Bellon, Charles Bellon, and Vicki Charron see me standing up! 

I was so eager to get out of my crate and into my new life!!!!

Now I am in Westwood! Greeted by a trainer/evaluator and checking out all the new smells! Wow!!! 

And in moments Aunt Vicki would cook me my first meal.  It was years since I had "people" food. 

In the mornings to come I would enjoy sunshine in the backyard. 

And I would discover hiking in the Garden State. 

I made lots of new friends on my hikes.  Above is my cockerpoo brother, Freddie Gloves. 

All the exercise would put me to sleep.  I have plenty of soft beds and I enjoy couches. 

I was in my first peace4paws' show in 2010, Music for the Animals, at the Darress Theatre, Boonton, New Jersey.

Jennifer sang "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Jerome Kern and there was a kind of loud noise with the mike so I tried to 

run off the stage before Jennifer finished saying the first words 

"dont ever le...." and I was almost gone. 

I had fun.  I enjoyed the ride home with Charles Bellon and a friend in the SUV. I was very strong then. 

I could walk and run for hours.  A long car ride was super fun! 

I enjoyed my training classes with Amanda Berk of No Tricks Just Treats here in Bergen County.

I learned a lot, including how to act on stage.

Amanda helped me to learn some english too.  I am bilingual...

I learned "down".  I start in the "up " position of course.  Oh I was so proud when I learned "down"!!!

I was "up" before "down".  See above.  And below, of course, hunting, I go down to dig naturally! The neighbors were

so impressed with my work, they wanted me to come over and dig holes for the trees they were planting. 

I was actually a really successful hunter since I am a hound.  Nobody wanted me to hunt however. 

So this is me 2008.  I was very nimble, energetic, artistic, and a good helper in Amanda Berk's Canine Good Citizen tests.

I have enjoyed all sorts of field trips to special places, like Your Way Cafe where

they serve meals for dogs too.  Ayla, Susan Weinrich's dog is my friend. 

I was so excited to pose for the very first peace4paws coffee called

Blackie Peace on the Beach Brazilian - I am originally from a beach.

Do you like the label?  Try the coffee, everyone tells me it is great. 

Now, 2012, I look forward to a performance in Songs of Hope 2012. 

My back legs are very tired, so this might be my last performance.

But, I will rest a lot until then and as always, enjoy the sunshine and the sights.

I did make it to the Songs of Hope performance 2012. I was on stage again.  

I believe I entered on a Rossini aria that Jennifer Cece was singing.

Caro Nome - about the beloveds name.  I entered with Cupcake and walked right up to the center of the stage. Hoping to find those pictures.  

Now it is 2013.

I have been in Westwood, New Jersey, five years. 

And I was a blood donor for four years before it.  Most of my life was really good. 

These past five years have been so much fun and so much more interesting than being a blood donor. I am a wise 14 year old hound, and I think I was lucky to have found so much love. This is me, Blackie getting ready to go for a walk in the fourth blizzard of the Winter of 2014.  I still love eating snow and sniffing.  I found a good use for snowbanks, I sit on them to rest my legs! My daddy is so nice today that he walked in front of me and shoveled the road one step ahead of me.  Seems we keep getting big blizzards this season.  The support of the holster that helps too.  I am old yes, but, I still have a lot of things I want to do, including make sure I get a lot of organic carrots and celery and not let my beagle brother Cupcake beat me to them!

Later

Uncle Steve says goodbye as the party for Blackie goes into the wee hours.  Blackie loving the outdoors and friends!

In the last week, Blackie enjoys his patio breakfast in the summertime 2014.  Seven years of enjoying fine meals and loving friends.

Blackie says thanks for all the wonderful fresh food designed with my best health in mind, all the fun experiences from my wonderful patio, backyard and neighborhood to the trips to the woods, the city and the beaches.  And most of all the opportunity to have the chance to be a real pet.  I was a blood donor, and they were nice to me in the vet's office, but "there's no place like home".  Thank you my family and friends and peace4paws for giving me 7.5 additional and wonderful years to my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know you have loved me.... I will always love you.  Please continue to help dogs and cats who are "donor dogs" or "donor cats" in vet clinics or schools... who are so easily overlooked have a chance to be special.  Speaking from experience, I know we all just want to love and be loved and given the chance it's just wonderful!