I started the wonderful journey that is hunting with a well-trained pointing dog in 1994. Over that time I have gone through the heartache of losing your best four-legged friends many times. Recommendations from other “dog people” carry a lot of influence on me, especially those that I admire and trust. A few years ago my wife developed Alzheimer’s disease and as it progressed I realized that I was no longer a young man that could take care of an ailing wife and do justice to my lab and three young English Pointers. I reached out to a good friend, Mel Luek, to whom I had re-homed one of my pointers previously. She told me to get in touch with Pat Nordquist at Gundogzrescue.com. I talked with Pat and he convinced me that he is so much more into his dogs and the dogs he rescues than I ever was. He is retired and he lives for his dogs. His organization is very particular with whom he fosters the dogs initially and who will receive these “rescue” dogs. Pat and his organization are big into NAVHDA. They evaluate the potential rescue to determine where they are in their training. They go to extremes to match future parents up with the right family. If the family doesn’t pass their scrutiny then “no dice”. They look for the perfect fit.
After talking with Pat and Mel about my two pointers I was easily convinced that the best thing for them would be to let Pat find them new homes with younger families that hunt. My Sally is a Yellow English Pointer and a NASTRA champion. She now lives with a young family that hunts 40 days a year in Eastern Oregon. My Tessa is 7 but you wouldn’t know it. Both dogs were so sweet butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths, as the old English saying goes. Well, Tessa now belongs to Pat. She is a dream dog.
I would be happy to speak with anyone considering giving up their hunting dog. I don’t think you would be unhappy letting Pat help you and your pet.