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Judd is the real inspiration for the Sleepy Dog name. Yes, he is a sleepy dog most of the time and he assists me in my work by lying at my feet until the job is done, but he has a very sad story (with a happy ending!)...
Judd is originally from Northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border. Before his rescue, his owner left him chained up outdoors with no food or water, surviving on plants and snow and who knows what else. He must not always have been treated so poorly since he survived at least 4 years before coming to us. Something happened and he was completely neglected by his owner. Besides living in the extreme elements, he also had an open wound on his back of unknown origin. There were several glass shards sticking out of his back and his owner did not want him inside because he would "start to bleed when he warmed up"! Thankfully, one day, the owner's daughter told her teacher about Judd.
Shocked by her student's account of her dog's predicament, the teacher made every effort to get Judd help to no avail. The owner refused to cooperate. After several weeks of constant effort, however, the owner finally agreed to surrender Judd to the teacher. He was immediately treated for his back wound. The veterinarian pulled 5 pieces of glass out of his back (the largest piece was 2" x 3"!). Upon further examination, Judd was 30 pounds underweight (an adult Boxer/St. Bernard mix weighing only 70 pounds!) with a BB gun pellet near his spine. Judd also tested positive for Lyme disease, heartworms and anaplasmosis. On top of all this, he had ground his front teeth down to nothing from chewing on his chain trying to escape his prison.
After a few weeks of recovery, Judd was transferred to Midwest Animal Rescue Services (MARS) and began staying with Sheri, his foster "mom." His story was published in his online adoption post and that is where we come into the picture. Having recently lost one dog unexpectedly, our remaining dog, Hilda, was very lonely and needed a companion. We were reluctant to adopt another dog so soon after Oswald's passing, however after reading Judd's story online, there simply was no other choice. The timing was amazing. Miraculously, our application was the first one submitted. After a thorough home inspection the next day (MARS was very interested in finding Judd a good home fast), we were granted the adoption!
In the month since his rescue, Judd gained 30 pounds and his back started healing nicely. He charmed everyone who came in contact with him. There were many tears shed when Judd was adopted. Tears of happiness mostly, but also some sadness. Unlike the majority of Sheri's foster dogs, Judd completely captured her heart. She was so taken by his laid back personality and good manners, but with so many dogs to care for, it wasn't practical to keep Judd. With a loving family to adopt him, he could receive more undivided attention that he had been missing out on for who knows how many years. Like proud parents, we send Sheri updates and photos of Judd on a regular basis and she is welcome to visit us anytime.
Judd has completed treatment for all his parasitic diseases and is expected to fully recover. He did have to have another surgery to remove the remaining glass in his back. After recurrent infections with tiny shards of glass popping up through his skin, the vet decided to open him up. She found 3 more pieces of glass! Judd has since healed and his hair pretty much filled in the area surrounding his scar.
Spending the majority of his time sprawled out on the office floor as I work at my computer, Judd looks as if he's won the lottery, however it feels more like *I* won the lottery. He is such a loving, friendly, and obedient dog that it's hard to believe he came from such a horrible situation. If he wants to spend the rest of his days being a lazy, sleepy, totally pampered dog, he well deserves it!
About Marie:
She took her first programming class in high school and has been working on computers ever since. Self-taught in most applications, Marie's lofty standards, attention to detail and semi-OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) tendencies make her a worthy ally for anyone with a need for technological and creative assistance.
Armed with an interesting resume packed with unique and varied experience, to say the least, Marie has always been the problem solver wherever she goes. Being able to quickly assess the situation, see how it can be improved upon and then make it happen, has been her strong suit. Maybe the stint working as a police dispatcher and telling people what to do in a crisis has something to do with it!
In a previous life, Marie was an ASCAP award-winning singer/songwriter with two original CDs and an international following. After being on stage, in heels while 6 months pregnant, her feet decided that was to be her last gig. Performing morphed into voice-over work which somehow morphed into web design.
Motherhood and caretaking make for quite a busy lifestyle, however Marie is the type of person who desperately needs a project to work on to maintain her sanity. After a long day or night of executive household operations, computer work is often the perfect therapeutic outlet! With Judd by her side, work is not such a bad thing!
Marie lives in Eagan with her husband, son, father, two dogs, two cats and fish. Having moved from Los Angeles in 2006 and touching down right before the first snow of the season, they survived and have become full-fledged Minnesotans (minus the Midwest accent) anticipating the next snowfall.