Original story: Vinnie is a brand new to us 2-yr old vizsla/lab (b. 5/2008) looking for a home because of a run in with a neighbor's cat. Vinnie was raised with a cat of his own but this cat was loose on Vinnie's property and when it ran it was too much for a young bird dog to resist (the cat lived, btw). Besides his cat, Vinnie's other best buddy was a dachshund so he is fine with dogs of all sizes, well socialized with children and has an incredibly nice temperament. He's a tall, lanky boy at 70-lbs and 25-inches so if you are looking for a gentle giant buddy who can snuggle with you at home but keep up with you on the trail and be everybody's friend, Vinnie might just be the guy for you! He is also great with horses and would be a wonderful trail riding buddy.
Sep 2010: Vinnie found a home near the great wide open spaces of northern California. Besides another dog (Bingo) for company, he also has kids to play with and will never lack for exercise since his new mom & dad are both runners and when they aren't running with him, they might be hiking/backpacking... or maybe just taking Vinnie & Bingo to entertain the kids at soccer practice! (We know Vinnie's original owners are sad they had to give him up but we hope they find comfort knowing he is well loved by his new family.)
Julie writes: Vinnie and Bingo are getting more affectionate day by day. Vinnie has the cutest bark/howl when Bingo has the toy that he wants. They play fetch well together, although Vinnie needs help on focus, as 9 times out of 10 Bingo gets the ball first! She may be older but she isn’t slower! We are very happy that Vinnie has come to join us in our home. It is different being a two dog family but we are enjoying it. Bingo is enjoying it too. A permanent playmate, constant canine company, and someone to swap slobber on the toys with! I will try to take some pictures to send your way soon.
Oct 2010: New pictures added of Vinnie relaxin' with Bingo.
Dec 2011, Julie writes: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Vinnie and family. Vinnie has had a great year... in addition to lots of running and hiking trips, he also got to go on a 5 day backpacking adventure, canoeing, a trip to the coast, soccer games, and a few other road trips. He knows what it looks like when we put on our running clothes, so we have to close the blinds if we don’t want him driving us nuts before we leave! He can run a long ways and be ready to do it again the next day. He has been a great addition to our family. He is still a snuggler and loves to sit tall and regal-looking. Bingo is aging and slowing down, but she gets us to take her on some even longer runs with her pleading eyes.
Jul 2015: We are sad to report that, after 4 years with his family, Vinnie was becoming increasingly unpredictable with other dogs and small animals. He came back into rescue hands and he left us on July 14th. We're not sure if it was on his terms or ours but, despite appearing rock solid with all people and the kennel staff falling in love with him, he was unpredictable in multi-dog situations. Thank you to Mandie & Jessica and the staff at Northwest Animal Hospital for their efforts to give Vinnie every possible chance. In the end we just couldn't risk injury to another dog and decided the kindest thing to do was to let him go... after a few ice cream sandwiches and a good game of fetch... surrounded by people who loved him and a candle to light his way. He was brave, happy and trusting to the end. Run swift sweet Vinnie! Please visit Vinnie at The Bridge.
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