Time Is Running Out - Can You Help?

 ***I am re-publishing this post because time is running out to purchase a calendar to help support the GSD Rescue group that is working so hard to save the lives of these precious dogs. The deadline is the end of this month - May 31st. Please consider buying a calendar. Misfit Shepherds (The Rescue group) could really use the support!!***

If you feel inspired, you can help save the lives of German shepherds who are about to be euthanized? All you need to do is buy a calendar! 

Here's the back story: There is this wonderful gal named Susan whose personal mission is to help organizations who are working on behalf of German shepherds that are on the euthanasia lists. Every year she holds a calendar contest as a fundraiser. She does this out of the goodness of her heart and she doesn't make any money from her efforts. 100% of the profits go to a German shepherd rescue group to help them keep saving lives! 

I came across Susan because her pick for a Rescue group to receive this year's calendar proceeds happens to be Misfit Shepherds out of Camden, South Carolina. They are a rescue group (run by Michael and Roxane) that I have been following with awe because they are doing so much good and because they are doing things in a way I have always dreamed of. They are not just saving the lives of German shepherds but giving them everything they need to prepare them for a new loving home. 

Susan has 8 different calendars for 2027 and she is taking orders NOW - between April 1 through June 1, 2026. You may not be thinking about 2027 yet but now is the time to place your order! (Yes, 8 separate calendars. You could make a big dent in your holiday shopping list by placing a big order!)

I decided to submit Lucky's story for their Rescue calendar. Much to my delight, Lucky was picked to be in the calendar and then she ended up winning second place!! Susan even let me choose what month Lucky would be in the calendar and since we celebrated Lucky's birthday in July (Six months after I won her in the adoption lottery in January of 1996), I thought July would be the perfect place for her picture! (Here is the picture of Lucky that I submitted for the contest). 

For those of you who don't know Lucky's story - she had been used as bait for a dog fighting ring and then thrown into a dumpster with a bunch of other deceased puppies. She and one other dog were barely alive and were rescued. I "won" Lucky in an adoption lottery and I made it my mission to help her recover from all the trauma she had experienced. It was a long road of recovery but we did it!! (I shared our journey in my book: Lucky For Me - a Journey of Healing and Self-Discovery. Link to purchase: CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT BOOK or Buy e-book edition).  If you met her in her adult years, you would have never known what she had been through in the first part of her life. She taught me everything I know about love, trust, courage, forgiveness and determination. She was not only my inspiration for my own healing journey - she was also the love of my life. 

Those of you who know me and/or read my blog probably know how passionate I have always been about saving the lives of German shepherds (and how deeply I care about assisting ALL animals who are in danger and/or not living the lives they deserve). With all my years of volunteering for GSD Rescue groups, (both while Lucky was still with me and after she passed away) it is truly an honor to have won a slot in the Rescue calendar to help raise money for another GSD Rescue. Here is a picture of Lucky and I "volunteering" at a GSD Rescue event.

That day she helped out in the booth where we were educating the public about the importance of Rescue and what our group was doing to save shepherds facing euthanasia in the local shelters and matching them up with a new loving homes. Lucky loved attending these events. She was the perfect ambassador - showing people what was possible when a dog is given a 2nd chance. 

So here's the big favor I am asking . . . 

Would you consider supporting this fundraiser by making a purchase? Since there are 8 different calendars - you have lots to choose from and believe me, I have seen the winning submissions for all the calendars and there is not a bad picture in ANY of them!! Do puppy pictures melt your heart? Do you prefer jaw-droppingly gorgeous pictures of adult German shepherds? How about beautiful heartwarming pictures of senior dogs? The pictures are all stunning - you seriously can't go wrong with any of the calendars. *(Susan was nice enough to put together collages of each of the calendars so I have added them at the bottom as this blog. There are some minor formatting issues that I can't seem to resolve but hopefully you can still enjoy the collages).

No matter which one(s) you choose, the profits will go to Misfit Shepherds to help them continue with their lifesaving work. (If you want to learn more about them and the phenomenal things they do, you can find them on Facebook.) Given how important their rescue efforts are and how they keep so many German shepherds from being euthanized, I want to help spread the word about this wonderful and easy way you can assist them. 

Below you will find the instructions on how to make a purchase. 

Since Susan does this fundraiser from her heart every year, fueled by her own passion about keeping German shepherds from being needlessly euthanized, I would be so grateful if you considered buying a calendar (or several). By doing so, you will help Misfit Shepherds continue to save the lives of these majestic dogs!

Instructions to purchase from Susan:

The calendars are $30.00 dollars for people that live in the United States.

All other people out of the US the calendar are $40.00 dollars.

I will take orders from April 1st - June 1st. After that time, I will have the calendars printed. 

There are many different calendars. Please be sure you state specifically in your email which calendar(s) you want to purchase as well as the mailing address you would like the calendar(s) sent to.

Puppy Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place
Adult A Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place 
Adult B Calendar - 13th Place through 24th Place 
Senior Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place 
Rescue Calendar - 1st Place through 12th Place
"My Best Friend" Calendar A - 1st Place through 12th Place.
"My Best Friend" Calendar B - 13th Place through 24th Place. 
"My Best Friend" Calendar C - 24th Place through 36th Place. 
Please email me your order to my email which is Whiskydog95@yahoo.com  (No "e" in Whisky)
After I get your email, I will send you a link that will be from my husbands email account:  Kanajoe1@yahoo.com - You clink on the link and it will send you into paypal. YOU DO NOT NEED AN ACCOUNT WITH PAYPAL to do this. Just click on the link and pay with your credit card. You're done.


Puppy Calendar (#1)





Adult calendar A (#2)







Adult calendar B (#3)





Senior calendar (#4)





Rescue calendar (#5)





Best Friends calendar A (#6)





Best Friends calendar B (#7)



 Best Friends calendar C (#8)

A Special Anniversary

Today is a very special "anniversary."  It was 30 years ago today that I "won" Lucky in an adoption lottery. It was a day that forever changed the course of my life - a day that sent me on a path of healing and growth I didn't even know I needed to be on. 

I had to do the "math" several times to make sure it was really 30 years ago because I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the fact that it had been so many years. The January 12th part was never in question - just the year.  :-) 

Here is some of the magic I am embracing today: If I hadn't won Lucky in that adoption lottery that day, I wouldn't be who I am today. I also wouldn't have written "Lucky For Me" because there wouldn't have been that story to tell. So with the focus on celebration - I thought I'd share information about our book once again with a few excerpts from a blog I wrote a while back.

Our story still astounds me in many ways . . . I know that 30 years ago today, I was the one who was truly LUCKY, in ways that I had no concept of at the time. What a remarkable milestone indeed!  

***********

A while back, I received an incredibly powerful piece of feed back from someone after they finished reading my book. They wrote: "Your book is kinda like the boulder that gets dropped in the lake - exponentially magnifying Lucky's impact and a testament to you and your growth. I'm very grateful for your story, for you sharing it with the world and that I got to read it." My heart was deeply touched by his words. 

I wrote the book in the hopes that it might inspire and support others. His comment was like a big thumbs up . . . encouraging me to keep believing in myself and the story that unfolded during the years that Lucky and I were together.

For those of you who are interested in learning more, here is a summary of our book:

From the time Maureen was a little girl, all she wanted was a German shepherd. Then one day she is inexplicably drawn to a news story about a shepherd puppy that had been used in a dog-fighting ring and then heartlessly discarded in a dumpster. Was this the German shepherd she was meant to have? An adoption lottery could answer that and change her life in unimaginable ways.

Lucky For Me takes us deep into the lives of Lucky, the severely abused German shepherd and Maureen, her adopter. Assuming the role of rescuer, Maureen set out on what felt like an insurmountable mission to help Lucky heal from her physical and emotional wounds. Along the way she was catapulted into her own healing journey. Will Lucky and Maureen be able to overcome the obstacles that life has dealt them?

Maureen gives us an honest and introspective look at their quest to regain their confidence and find their way back to whom they are meant to be. As they endeavor to accept, heal and free themselves from the past, Maureen realizes how disconnected she has been from her true self.

While attempting to answer the question “Who am I?” pieces of the puzzle begin to reveal themselves in synchronistic and magical ways. Discovering the hidden gifts in her extreme sensitivity and empathic nature, Maureen’s bond with Lucky grows even stronger and more powerful. As the process of self-discovery unfolds, a new way of life emerges—one that finally feels like home.

Lucky for Me is a true story about second chances and new beginnings. It follows Lucky and Maureen as they navigate the ups and downs of the somewhat rocky terrain, which leads them to self-acceptance and self-love. Ultimately, their inspiring adventure shows us what is possible with love, courage, forgiveness, and trust.

Here is a link to purchase the paperback version: CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT BOOK

If you would like to see how others have reacted and responded to the book, you can also read reviews on their site as well.

In addition to that, our book is also available as an Ebook via Amazon. I was previously resistant to doing an Ebook because I personally prefer a hand held copy of a book :-) but I have come to learn that a lot of people prefer to read books on their kindles so I decided to broaden my scope. You can even read the first few chapters of our book for free if you want to see if it is something you would enjoy.

The Ebook can be purchased here: Buy e-book edition

Happy reading everyone!! 

Close To The Finish Line

In December, I was sure that my book "Lucky For Me" would be published in January. It seems the Universe felt I needed some more practice with PATIENCE, given that there have been quite a few unexpected delays in the last 6 weeks.  LOL 

I'm happy to say, we've got forward momentum again!! The proof of the book arrived today . . . the last opportunity to look through it and make sure everything looks right!!!  The next step is bringing it over to Annie the publisher so she can look through it as well and once we are both satisfied that the formatting, picture placement, etc. are all as we intended, then it will finally be "Go Time!"

Part of me can't believe this is finally coming to fruition!  It has been a big dream of mine for a very long time and the last promise I made to Lucky before she passed away. (That was twelve years ago). 

I am so excited about this, I just had to share!  More information coming in the next week or so on how to purchase a copy if you are interested!  

For now, here is the book summary if you want to know more about the content of my memoir that covers the journey of healing and self-discovery that Lucky and I went on from 1996-2009. 

From the time Maureen was a little girl, all she wanted was a German shepherd. Then one day she is inexplicably drawn to a news story about a shepherd puppy that had been used in a dog-fighting ring and then heartlessly discarded in a dumpster. Was this the German shepherd she was meant to have? An adoption lottery could answer that and change her life in unimaginable ways.

Lucky For Me takes us deep into the lives of Lucky, the severely abused German shepherd and Maureen, her adopter. Assuming the role of rescuer, Maureen set out on what felt like an insurmountable mission to help Lucky heal from her physical and emotional wounds. Along the way she was catapulted into her own healing journey. Will Lucky and Maureen be able to overcome the obstacles that life has dealt them?  

Maureen gives us an honest and introspective look at their quest to regain their confidence and find their way back to whom they are meant to be. As they endeavor to accept, heal and release the past, Maureen realizes how disconnected she is from her true self. 

While attempting to answer the question “Who am I?” pieces of the puzzle begin to reveal themselves in synchronistic and magical ways. Discovering the hidden gifts in her extreme sensitivity and empathic nature, Maureen’s bond with Lucky grows even stronger and more powerful. As the process of self-discovery unfolds, a new way of life emerges—one that finally feels like home. 

Lucky for Me is a true story about second chances and new beginnings. It follows Lucky and Maureen as they navigate the ups and downs of the somewhat rocky terrain to self-acceptance and self-love. Ultimately, their inspiring adventure shows us what is possible with love, courage, forgiveness, and trust.

No More Chances

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that Lucky told me before she passed that she would come back to me in a few years.  When I asked how I would find her, I was told to look for a german shepherd named Chance.  Ever since then, that has been my "mission" - to find a german shepherd named Chance.

Last spring I found one and was over the moon when the guy who ran the rescue group decided I would be the perfect adopter . . . and then Chance's foster mom decided she wanted to keep him herself and well, I felt pretty "under the moon" after that.

Once I got over that disappointment, I got back on my quest and have spent the last 9-10 months continuing to look for Chance. I often wondered if I should give up and just get any German shepherd because I miss having one so much, but ultimately I decided to keep having faith and trust that it would all work out.

Two weeks ago, I found another German shepherd named Chance and it looked like it was all coming together.  As I prepared the house and yard for my new roommate, I was beyond excited thinking about how wonderful it was going to be to finally be with "Lucky Chance" (as my friend's call him) again. I didn't imagine it could fall through again . . . and yet, it did.  It felt like the ultimate smack down.

I have always believed that if the same thing happens to us again, it is because we didn't learn the lesson that was there for us the first time.  I have spent much of the last week pondering this, trying to open my mind and my heart to whatever lesson I may have missed.  I don't have any answers yet.

What I have decided is that it is time to abandon my "quest" - the information I received may have been very true and accurate at the time I got it, but a lot of time has passed since then and maybe things have changed.  Sometimes "staying the course" isn't the best approach . . . and in this case, I think it's time to change the course.  I know that once I grieve the loss of the dream, I will be able to open my heart to another German shepherd, by whatever name he or she comes with.  I'm not there yet, but maybe some day soon.