Shadow 08-056

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On behalf of Shadow, I would like to thank an extraordinary volunteer who braved a winter storm to bring Shadow into RAGOM foster care. Shadow is a beautiful, black lab mix with the shiniest coat I’ve ever seen. Shadow was raised on a farm where she had one litter of puppies and now she is learning how to be a “city girl” and live in a home. At the top of her list of things to do is to figure how to navigate those strange things called “stairs,” because that’s where everyone goes at night! Shadow is a very, very sweet and gentle girl who absolutely adores people. She’s the first dog I’ve ever met who knows how to hug! Really! And so far she’s doing well with the canine members of the family too. She doesn’t play with them too much yet…right now she’s content watching from the sidelines. But she’s always happy to join a rousing game of “tree the squirrel” and she likes chasing down balls with the gang. As soon as she gets to know them a little better, I’m sure they’ll be buddies. We haven’t introduced Shadow to the cats yet, since that requires a trip up those silly stairs. I’ll need a few more days to get to know this special girl a little better, and then she’ll be ready to look for her very own forever home.

 

At a Glance #08-056

Mixed Breed Born: January 2005
Female Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

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On behalf of Shadow, I would like to thank an extraordinary volunteer who braved a winter storm to bring Shadow into RAGOM foster care. Shadow is a beautiful, black lab mix with the shiniest coat I’ve ever seen. Shadow was raised on a farm where she had one litter of puppies and now she is learning how to be a “city girl” and live in a home. At the top of her list of things to do is to figure how to navigate those strange things called “stairs,” because that’s where everyone goes at night! Shadow is a very, very sweet and gentle girl who absolutely adores people. She’s the first dog I’ve ever met who knows how to hug! Really! And so far she’s doing well with the canine members of the family too. She doesn’t play with them too much yet…right now she’s content watching from the sidelines. But she’s always happy to join a rousing game of “tree the squirrel” and she likes chasing down balls with the gang. As soon as she gets to know them a little better, I’m sure they’ll be buddies. We haven’t introduced Shadow to the cats yet, since that requires a trip up those silly stairs. I’ll need a few more days to get to know this special girl a little better, and then she’ll be ready to look for her very own forever home.

 

Updates

Thursday, April 18, 2019

We are sad to report that our beautiful girl Shadow (08-056) passed away on April 8, 2019. According to RAGOM’s web site, Shadow was born on January 30, 2005. This means Shadow lived 14 years, 2 months and 9 days before she made her trip to the Rainbow Bridge.

We would like to thank RAGOM and the extraordinary RAGOM volunteer who braved a winter storm in Iowa to bring Shadow in from the cold.

We would like to thank the wonderful RAGOM foster parents in Vermillion, South Dakota, who took Shadow in after her winter rescue in Iowa in February, 2008.   

When we adopted Shadow on April 12, 2008, she was a beautiful dog with a shiny coat, but pretty nervous, a little mangy, skittish and very skinny. She had just delivered a litter of six puppies – we understand all 6 had been surrendered to RAGOM before Shadow. She had been an outdoor farm girl for the first three years of her life. Shadow was then sent to a foster home in Vermillion, South Dakota, where her foster parents did a wonderful job taking care of Shadow for the next couple of months. She never cowered like an abused dog – she was likely just neglected because she was still somewhat malnourished when we got her.

Brenda, Shadow’s foster mother, had written extensively about Shadow’s good nature on the RAGOM website. What Brenda wrote obviously spoke to us – we signed up to adopt Shadow even though Vermilion is 300 miles from Minneapolis. 

Shadow 08-056
Shadow 08-056
Shadow 08-056
Shadow 08-056
Shadow 08-056
Shadow 08-056
Shadow 08-056

Monday, March 10, 2008

Me and my Shadow...We're closer than pages that stick in a book...We're closer than ripples that play in a brook...Strolling down the avenue...

Frank Sinatra could have been singing about our Miss Shadow. She is so incredibly affectionate...giving me those big hugs, resting her chin on my lap when I work on the computer, snuggling close at night. And her fur is so soft and silky...the best cure for a tough day at work!

And I love the way Shadow lives every moment to its fullest. When she is eating, she closes her eyes and savors the meal. When we walk, she holds her head high and prances. When she chases squirrels, she climbs the tree!

I've been told that black dogs always take a long time to be adopted. I'm not sure why. But Shadow is not just a black dog. She is Shadow....she is unique. And she has so much love and joy to share. Please give our special girl a chance.

And as Frank put it....Life is gonna be we-wow-whee! For my shadow and me!

 

 

Sunday, February 24, 2008

With the warmer weather, I was finally able to photograph Shadow doing what she loves best...playing outside! It's hilarious to watch her run from tree to tree, trying to catch the squirrels. I'm not exactly sure how she expects to get one, but she has lots of fun trying. Shadow has now become really good friends with the other dogs. They spend hours playing tug-of-war and keep-away. I would love to see her go to a home that has another dog for her to play with. And we are slowly making progress on the cat front.

The other evening I was watching a television show about lions and one of the lions was starving. I started to sniffle a little and Miss Shadow raised her head and studied me. She then jumped on the bed and put her beautiful, silky head in my lap. I truly believe she was trying to comfort me. Miss Shadow may not be a Golden Retriever, but she sure has a heart of gold.

 

 

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Miss Shadow tried to write her own update, but licking the keyboard didn't work. So perhaps foster mom should take over. Shadow had a great week with us...from wallflower to the life of the party! She now dives into playtime with all of the other dogs. Her favorite game is keep-away and boy is she good at it! Shadow also mastered the stairs and showed off her skills for the camera...other dogs in the way?...no problem! Now she is busy exploring the rest of the house and trying to find the cats. She is very, very interested in the cats and if her forever home has cats, we'll need to work on this. I think she's mostly just excited when she sees them, but it's still enough to scare the kitties. I suspect that with repeated exposure, the novelty will wear off. I'm not surprised by her interest in the cats, because I've never had a dog that actually tries to climb the trees to catch the squirrels. If you want a yard free of squirrels and rabbits, this is the dog for you. Shadow is a very, very high energy dog. She needs lots of exercise and would make a fantastic running partner. My two mile shuffle is just a warm-up for her! And kids...bring 'em on because Shadow loves them! Last but certainly not least...Shadow has not had a single accident in the house!

I think Shadow would do well in just about any home, as long as she gets plenty of exercise. She is highly intelligent, loving, sensitive, and very eager to please.