rasta.htm

Posted March 10, 1997

Rasta is a very lucky dog. He was given up by a family who loved him. Unfortunately, they couldn't keep him. They contacted us, and we began contacting others. We promoted this handsome boy on our home page, but it didn't take long before he won the hearts of a family in Ontario. Yes, Ontario. These terrific people drove all the way to Maryland to get Rasta. It was a special connection. We were fortunate to have contacts in Toronto who were able to do the home check for us.

We could not have asked for a better family for any of our dogs. These people are a one-in-a-million find. They even offered to take another dog back with them to a potential adopter in Ontario, and they will make themselves available for transport of future needy dogs. I can't say enough wonderful things about Rasta's new home. He will have two loving parents, two adorable children to play with, and a beautiful English Cocker girlfriend named Harriet.

Rasta's new owner has sent us the following letter.

We want to tell you about Rasta--our long-distance adoption Cocker. In doing so, we hope to share with you some of the incredible happiness we have found with our new little friend. Now we have grown to know Rasta well, we feel we would have probably travelled even longer distances than we did to make him a part of our family. If you see a furry friend who appeals to you at the Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center, and you live farther afield, it may well be worth a little extra inconvenience and extra planning to bring him/her to into your lives. Rasta has already given us so much in return -- and this just keeps increasing daily.

Rasta is an incredibly special little guy. He is seven years old -- going on three! He has the energy and enthusiasm of a much younger dog. He is funny and clever, amazingly loyal, and his capacity to love seems endless. In short, as you can probably tell, Rasta has come to mean everything to us. He is a special playmate to our younger children and a companion to our English Cocker.

We first met Rasta in Maryland, having driven from Ontario to see him for the first time. He stole our hearts immediately. Rasta, being the chipper little guy he is, patiently sat and slept beside us all the way home. Crossing the U.S./Canadian border with him was no trouble at all. Rasta very quickly settled into the Canadian way of life. He discovered tennis balls are just as much fun in Ontario as they were in Maryland. He loves to swim in lakes (much to our amusement) and enjoys all the wildlife scents. Rasta has become a part of our family in just a few months. He has given us many laughs with his tricks; he has taken us all at face value and has risked putting his complete trust in us -- despite only knowing us for a short time. We often ask ourselves, "Where else in life can you find such remarkable qualities in a friend"?

Rasta has taught us a lot about life, trust, and being open to positive change in later years. We know the happiness he has brought us is "up for grabs" for others also who might consider adopting a dog. We remain eternally grateful for the opportunity of being able to adopt Rasta. And of our (longer) drive home, what better opportunity could we have had to start getting to know him well!