Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

Formerly The DIY Bungalow

  • Home
  • About
    • About Karen & the Blog
    • Thirty Days of Gratitude
    • Habitat for Humanity ReStore Workshops
    • Stories from the Bungalow
    • Dogs Who Don’t Eat Pizza
      • Bear, the Original Dog Who Didn’t Eat Pizza
      • Hank Dog
      • Elvis Parsley
  • Project Index
    • DIY
    • Decorating
    • Shopping Tips
    • Repurposing and Upcycling
    • Paint and Color
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Recipes
    • Gardening
    • Holidays & Seasonal
    • Friday Five
  • Home Tour
    • The 1929 House
    • The First House
    • Room Reveals
  • Advertising
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
    • Advertising
  • Media
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Readers' Favorite Posts / A Different Kind of Rescue

A Different Kind of Rescue

March 7, 2013 By Karen Cooper 7 Comments

You’ve read about how I rescue treasures from the trash heap on the curb or from a thrift store. Today, I’m talking about a different kind of rescue.

Today I’m going to talk about how I rescued the Dog Who Doesn’t Eat Pizza, Bear Cooper. (To be completely honest, her full name is Bear Bryant Dog Cooper. Dear Husband named her. There you go.)

Bear (Who Doesn't Eat Pizza)

I have always been a “dog person.” Growing up, we had two dogs, a mutt named Coco and a yellow lab/golden mix named Rocky. Coco came from the pound; Rocky, from a friend whose dog was galavanting around the neighborhood one day and came back knocked up.

Rescuing animals has always been a passion of mine. In 7th grade, at Sunday school, we had to pick a charity to donate our contributions to each week. I lobbied hard for the Memphis Humane Society and eventually won the day.  In law school, I would go to the humane society and walk the dogs. It was good for me and for the doggies.

I’ve rescued a kitten, too. I found him in the bushes outside my house and eventually earned his trust with tuna. He now lives with my former neighbor.

Anyway, let me tell you about Bear.

When Dear Husband married me, he knew that we were going to get a dog. He had grown up pet-less (I think he might have had a fish at some point) and didn’t know how much joy a dog could bring to his life. But he agreed that I/we could get a dog.  The deal was that we could get a dog, but he got to name the dog.  I agreed. No problemo. “Bear” would be the name of the dog.

We signed up to adopt at Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta. We filled out the application, we had a phone interview, we had a home check.  All good. On New Year’s Day, we traveled way out to the country to meet a dog they thought would be great for us.

The dog they wanted us to meet was a male lab puppy. He was WILD. Crazed. Nutty. Totally freaked out my formerly pet-less husband.  No thank you, we said.

We met another dog, a big black lab adult. He was sweet, but still, something told us he wasn’t “the one.”

Then the foster parent brought out this gorgeous leggy blonde. She had a pink nose. She wagged her tail, she looked up at him lovingly, and she did what he said. She was beautiful and sweet. I met her and she was ours. I just knew it.

And here’s the crazy part: the foster parent had given her the name “Reba.”

If you rearrange the letters, you get “Bear.”

It was fate.

We took her home right then and there. She was eight months old.

She’s now 12.

She is the smartest dog I have ever met.

Bear watching dog show

She knew I was pregnant before I knew. She knows when it’s going to rain before the weather channel does.

And she’s just sweet.

dogs keeping me company

Hank (left) and Bear (right) keeping me company the day I broke my leg.

So, what’s Bear’s story? How did she end up with a rescue group?

No one really knows. A woman in a small town south of here found her running down a rural highway and picked her up. She called vet offices and hung signs to see if anyone claimed her, but no one responded. They think that the former owner moved away and just left her behind, and she dug her way out.  Anyway, the nice lady turned her in to Golden Retriever Rescue, and ten days later, she was part of our family.

Hank is also a rescue, but I’m going to save his story for another day.

If you are considering getting a dog, please, please check out your local rescue groups first. There is a rescue group for every breed of dog and in almost every area of the country. Rescue dogs just want to be loved, and they appreciate you so much for loving them and giving them a warm, safe home and a family. Their devotion and love truly know no bounds.

Just ask Bear. (But no pizza, please.)

You might also like:

  • Bear, the Original Dog Who Didn't Eat Pizza
    Bear, the Original Dog Who Didn't Eat Pizza
  • Thirty Days of Gratitude, Days 14 & 15: The Pups
    Thirty Days of Gratitude, Days 14 & 15: The Pups
  • Hank Dog
    Hank Dog

Filed Under: Readers' Favorite Posts, Real Life Tips 7 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

« Someone got my message in a bottle…
Dining Room Transformation: Day 1 »




Comments

  1. Holly says

    March 8, 2013 at 6:21 am

    You know I love this story if I have to comment before I’ve had my morning coffee. I worked with Golden Retriever Rescue here for years before we had kids… in fact, I was president of the rescue the year I had James. We fostered and that’s how we ended up with Emma and 2 dogs in our home. Bear is awesome and I am so glad that she found you!

    Reply
  2. Jan says

    June 17, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Such pretty furbabies! : ).. I have successfully rescued and rehomed at least a couple pups, and helped many others find homes as well. Rescues are definitely an important place to start looking for pups. Bless you all for rescuing your babies as well.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      June 17, 2013 at 6:48 pm

      Thanks, Jan! All of our pets have been rescues; it’s so important to find those sweet babies good homes.

      Reply
  3. debbiedoos says

    June 17, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    Oh how beautiful! I am so glad you shared with Lucy and I. Really a great little treat to see our pets. You are so kind to rescue, wonderful deed never gone unnoticed.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      June 17, 2013 at 7:36 pm

      Thank you, Debbie! I love checking out all the pets – thanks for hosting the party!

      Reply
  4. Bliss says

    June 18, 2013 at 10:54 am

    Our first dog, a lab -husband named- was also Bear. She was an excellent hound and not only would she eat pizza, but anything else her nose led her too. So did I miss how come Bear doesn’t eat pizza somewhere on your blog? I need to know!
    Bliss

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      June 18, 2013 at 10:58 am

      That’s awesome. It’s in my “about” page. Bear got sick when she was a puppy after eating pizza one night, so she can’t eat it. That said, she begs for it every single time we eat pizza. She’s now 12. She has a long memory!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




find projects here!

My Daybed in This Old House Magazine!

Daybed from Old Doors featured in This Old House Magazine
Best of 2016 - Best Blog DIY Category - thediybungalow.com

Disclosure

Dogs Don't Eat Pizza is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  Dogs Don't Eat Pizza also participates in other affiliate programs.

To see my complete disclosure and privacy policy, click HERE.

About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
© Copyright 2012-2021, Dogs Don't Eat Pizza, LLC (formerly The DIY Bungalow LLC).