It has been more than two years since Paisley (formerly “Sally Ride” of the Intrepid Band of Explorers) came to live with us. We’ve meant to send her “Happy Ending” story for a long time, but were especially inspired to do so when we saw that one of her littermates, Amelia Earhart, was back in rescue. We hope that potential adopters will seriously consider Amelia or any of the other hounds in rescue!

Paisley was ~4 months old when she flew on a plane from Ohio to St. Louis in July 2006. When we picked her up at the airport she was too scared to come out of her crate, but as soon as she was on my lap for the ride home, she was fine. These hounds are amazingly resilient! She felt secure enough by the time we got home to begin playing with us and her brother Sammy, a border collie.

When Paisley plays she does what we call a “pouncy run” where she tears through the yard at blinding speed while kind of pouncing as she goes, throwing up leaves and grass in her wake. I bet that the adoptive parents of some of her littermates would recognize it. From what I read on their Happy Endings updates, I am sure they would also be familiar with Paisley’s destructive chewing mode (which thankfully only lasted through puppyhood) and the nursing nibbles she still tries to give us. She also likes to give small, neat, single-lick kisses right on the nose and leans her whole body against you when riding next to you in a car.

Paisley was a challenging puppy, with more energy than the average hound, but she has grown into a beautiful girl who is an important member of our family. I hope that the success stories on this page will reassure those looking to adopt or recent adopters that the trouble is worth the reward if you have the appropriate “facilities” for a hound and plenty of patience. Please, especially, consider adopting Paisley’s sister Amelia! We would try to adopt her ourselves in a minute if we had the extra room and resources!

Thanks,
Summer and Greg