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That’s, like, half a century in doggeh years!

July 14th, 2008 11:30 pm by Kelly G.

Seven years ago today, LD and I adopted Ralphie from Dachshund Rescue of North America. At approximately this time 2555 days ago*, the three of us were making the long trek back to Rochester from Jamestown.

Originally from Indiana, Ralphie’s foster Mom Janet met our local DRNA rep Lela at some dachshund parade thingie in Ohio and handed him off to her. We met Lela and her husband - who were traveling with a vanful of wieners, one of which bit Mr. Lela on the lip - at their home in Jamestown, NY to pick the little bugger up. Shane drove home while Ralph and I cuddled in the backseat. I sat on the floor so I could get plenty of Eskimo kisses in.

When we first met him in Lela’s backyard, Ralphie ran away from us, huddling behind Lela - whom he’d only just met a few hours earlier - for protection. By the end of the car ride, we were BFFs. When we got home to our duplex in Fairport, he investigated the place dutifully, and promptly took a shit on the kitchen floor. I was so f’in happy to have my very own dog (he’s our firstborn, you see) that I couldn’t care less.

Seven years later, and he’s still my soul mate.

I love you, buhbie.

Warning: super crazy sweet nostalgia after the jump.

Name: Ralphie

Location: IN

Sex: Male

Age: 4 yrs

Size: 23 lbs

Medical Issues: Up to date on all shots

Description: Ralphie is housebroke. He is good with kids, cats, dogs, and all people. He gives kisses and just a great dog for a family. He lost his home over a divorce in his old home and is looking for someone to love him.

Foster Home: DOXIEGIRL321

If you would like to adopt Ralphie or need more info please click here

—– Original Message —–
From: Lela
To: Kelly
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 6:10 AM
Subject: Re: DRNA - Dachshund Adoption

Kelly,

I have another dog you might consider. His name is Ralphie and he is in Indiana. He is on the web site: on the available dogs list. He’s the very last dog on the list. Check him out and see what you think. If you want to know more about him, you can e-mail the foster home right from that page. You can tell them I referred you– I have contacted them already and let them know I may have a home for Ralphie. If you think he’s the one for you, we can get him transported July 14. Let me know what you think of him.

Lela

—– Original Message —–
From: Kelly
To: Lela
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: DRNA - Dachshund Adoption

Wow, that’s so strange! Right after I e-mailed you, I checked out the web page to see if there were any new listings, and Ralphie caught my attention immediately. He looked perfect, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, because I remembered what you said about how sometimes the dog’s cat tolerance is mis-represented on the listing. I will e-mail the foster parents for more info, and I’ll let you know what I think once I hear from them. Aside from cat/dog-tolerance, I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t want him.

Thanks so much!

~Kelly

—– Original Message —–
From: Kelly
To: Lela
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 1:12 PM
Subject: Ralphie

Lela,

I just spoke to Janet, who is Ralphie’s foster mother. What can I say, other than that he sounds perfect! Shane and I would love to have him. Let me know how and when I can get him (I’m still somewhat unsure of how the whole transportation process works).

Thanks so much!

~Kelly

—– Original Message —–
From: Janet
To: Kelly
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001 9:55 PM
Subject: Re: Ralphie

Hi Kelly, Well Ralphie is on his way to you. I will miss him a lot. Please e-mail me when you get him and he is safe. If you change his food…he may have loose stools for a day or two. He will come and get you to let him out to potty. I know you will take care of that baby boy. I wish I could be there to see the smile on your faces. That is how I know I have done my job as a foster Mother and got him a good home. Good Luck with him! He is a good boy!

Janet

—– Original Message —–
From: Kelly
To: Janet
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001 11:02 PM
Subject: Re: Ralphie

Janet,

Just wanted to let you know that I got your e-mail - it was very sweet Ralphie must be one special little guy, for you to miss him so much. I imagine that it must be awfully hard to foster a dog, though, I myself would get way too attached to them all.

I’ve been so excited the past few days…now it’s like the night before Christmas for me. I was running around at work today showing everyone Ralphie’s picture from the web site. I can’t wait.

I’ll be sure to e-mail you when we get back tomorrow, so you know that everything went ok. I bet he’ll be so exhausted that he’ll sleep the whole way home (I’m picking him up from Lela in Jamestown, which is a 3-hour drive for me). Or at least I’m hoping.

I wanted to thank you for all the great work you’re doing. It certainly hasn’t gone unappreciated. Thanks so much for everything.

~Kelly

Of course, this wouldn’t be a properly sentimental post without photos!

Here’s Ralphie in the summer of ‘01 (this is the oldest photo of him that I’ve uploaded to Flickr)…

And here he is checking out Ozzy the cat (they didn’t immediately get along)…

Here the boys share a moment (most likely a moment of mutual dislike for trick-o-treaters)…

This is the Ralphster all buckled in for our move to Kansas City in November 2002…

This photo was taken in March 2003, the day we brought Peedee home (Ralphie got sick of his new brother sometime on the second day)…

Here he is during the infamous photo shoot of January 11, 2004…

Unfortunately, I don’t have any supergreat shots of Ralphie and Peedee meeting O-Ren for the first time; she was sick with kennel cough when we brought her home, so there wasn’t much playing for the first few weeks (plus, they technically met at the shelter itself, but wev). Here’s a sweet shot of the three of ‘em in late March (she was soooo tiny!)….

Ralphie gets his hump on while Rennie is otherwise occupied…

The three pose somewhat reluctantly for our ‘05 FSMas card…

Ralhie models a cute red sweater knitted especially for him by his great-grandmother…

Ralphie circa September 2006, showing his new sis Kaylee how bois pee…

And here be the beginnings of the ill-fated Festivus card of ‘06…

(Group shot? Don’t think so!)

2007 saw plenty of digging, in old yards…

and new…

Today, Ralphie is totally loving…

…(errr, digging?) his new, doggeh-friendly house…

And I’m so, so, ridiculously happy that we were able to give it to him. For awhile there, it felt like LD and I would never get a house - not in Ralphie’s lifetime, anyway. But now he’s got the biggest backyard of any wiener dog evah, and it warms the cockles to watch him wander the perimeter for an hours on end, sniffing out intruding toads and squirrels and other creepy crawlies. It takes him forever and a day to come to bed at night, but it’s all good.

So here’s wishing you a Happy Anniversary, My Other Boyfriend ™ - I hope we have 50 more doggeh years together.