Events & Information

Adopter of the Month

We got our first Great Dane in 2005 shortly after we got married. Ender, or “Biggie” as he is affectionately called, fit into our new family perfectly. By all means he is the biggest, frothiest, most exuberant dog who ever lived. At that time we lived in a tiny apartment in San Diego and both worked with dogs (Joe as a trainer and kennel manager, and I as a groomer). The magic of Great Danes is the fact that with enough training and exercise, they are actually quite comfortable in small spaces. As long as there is a comfy couch around, Biggie is content. We knew that we wanted to get another Dane (they really are like potato chips) but we quite literally didn’t have the space.

When we moved to Alabama we immediately bought a house with a huge fenced yard. We knew that we didn’t need a large house as long as it had a safe refuge for Biggie to play fetch. Dane owners know that it takes quite a chunk of land for them to be able to break into a full, manic, gallop (known in our house as “the zoomies”). We finally knew that getting a second Great Dane would be as natural as breathing. We couldn’t wait to adopt!

We chose to adopt Roo in September of 2009. She was 6 months old, shy, and boney. She looked at the ground a lot in those days. Her confidence was shot. Our hearts tore open a little when we saw her. We could count her ribs. She was already so calm, so sweet, and so thoughtful. She never ran in the house, never knocked things over with her tail, and never, ever chewed on household items. It didn’t quite seem natural to us that a dog could be so well behaved. We were at a loss of how to break her out of her shell. Luckily, Biggie did the trick. The two became instant besties (and partners in crime). While she taught him to play gently, walk softly, and mind the knickknacks, he taught her how to “let go” and be a dog. While she is still soft-spoken and well-mannered, she can now be seen tearing through the grass with a squeaky toy chirping rapid fire, jowls flapping, wide eyed and grinning.

Roo’s favorite activities include blanket hide-and-seek, wrestling with the kitty (gently of course), and launching off the porch steps after her toys. In fact, she earned her new name from the exuberant way she springs off of her back legs when in pursuit of her favorite squeaky.

Thanks to Roo, our family now feels whole. There is so much love and laughter to be had during our Sunday morning pillow fights and quiet movie nights (fighting over couch space and blankets). Every time she leans in and hugs us with her long neck, we know that she is telling us how happy she is to have found her forever home. We know, because we are happy too. Thanks Great Dane Rescue!

Joe & April Garcia