Serena

I'd like to tell the story behind this picture. This is "Serena", a golden retriever mix who was rescused by Marilyn Foulke. Marilyn, who is a friend of a friend.....and is now my friend (I'll go into more detail later), wrote this about Serena:

In 1999, after one of my dear Great Pyrenees died, I was looking for another dog to be a companion to my remaining Great Pyrenees. I definitely wanted a rescue dog, and looked in the newspaper to find a dog needing a good home.

There was a family in a very poor part of town who advertised a part Golden Retriever for sale, along with a bunch of Chow puppies. When I arrived at the house, it was obvious that it was a "puppy mill" of the worst kind. Serena was the mom- she was thin, nervous, scared, and apparently had had three litters of puppies in a short span of time, when she was still just a puppy herself.

I paid what they were asking for her, and it was all I could do to keep from getting some of the little puppies, too. From her first visit to the vet until her second visit in a few weeks, she had gained about 15 pounds, her coat had improved, and she was ready to be spayed.

I have never had a dog who so wants to be loved, and who loves so unconditionally herself.

For nine years, she was a wonderful companion to my lovely Great Pyrenees, Bella, and slept with her head on Bella's back . They kept each other warm when it was cold, and they roamed and played when it was pleasant.

A little over a year ago, Bella died at age 13, and it was very touching to see how Serena suffered the loss.

She continues to be a completely loving dog, but her visceral memory of her difficult beginnings still is apparent. She eats every meal as if it may be her last, and no amount of love and wonderful treatment from us can make her completely forget her insecure beginnings.

What a wonderful story! Now, to give credit to the photograph. This picture was taken by Cathy Lyons, a friend of Marilyn's. The picture is of Serena and Cathy's son, Ryan. Cathy is a photographer and a very dear friend of mine from high school. We had remained in contact with each other via our parents and Christmas cards. However, when we became friends on Facebook, we have reconnected......she is so very creative and I'm hoping to absorb some of her artsiness! Visit her blog http://cathylyons.blogspot.com/ and her website http://www.lyonsphotography.com/.

Thanks to Serena, Marilyn, Cathy and Ryan.....for a wonderful story about unconditional love and undying friendship.