Influence Positively Questionnaire - Fergus the dog & Carol
Fergus found his family just over 2 years ago through the Dane County
Humane Society. "I was lucky enough to be transferred there with 14
other dogs from a shelter in Kentucky that was out of space or I
wouldn't be here to tell my tale." His boy kid had sponsored a dog at
the Humane Society for his 8th birthday and the family had come to meet
that dog. His girl kid was very afraid of dogs because she had been
knocked over by a stray dog when she was little.
"The dog they came to see was way too wild for her but Mum saw me in my kennel and I came over to meet her. When they brought me into a room to meet the rest of the family, I sat quietly by Mum's legs and, before long, my girl kid succumbed to my charm and was petting and hugging me. Everyone knew I was the dog for them and I went home with them the next day and met Arthur cat, my bossy fur-sibling."
Last year, Fergus started tweeting as @fergusthedog and quickly became part of the anipal community. Early on, he met @frugaldougal and got involved in #pawpawty from the beginning. Fergus organizes the DJs for the #pawpawties each month, making sure that they have anipals lined up to play music through all 24 hours of the party. It has been a very rewarding experience and he has met a lot of wonderful anipals and their staff as a result. [Note: click through to the bottom for a special treat!]
What natural gift would you most like to possess? hee hee, this
one's easy - patience! I'm a bit over-excitable, especially when I'm on a
walk! I can't wait to see who is out and about that I can sniff. I'm
working on being more patient but it's going to take a while to change.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? I love playing with other dogs, being with my family and curling up asleep at mum's feet. Having been in shelters, my idea of perfect happiness is having a home with a warm bed, plenty of food to eat, kids and other dogs to play with, and people who love me. I have all of that right now. The only thing that would make it better would be a dog sibling to play with. I'll have to work on mum for that :)
What is your most treasured possession? My squeaky squirrels. I
can throw them in the air and catch them and get people to throw them
for me. I look after them really well and haven't chewed them up, even
though I've had them for over two years now.
Your proudest achievement so far? I have two. My real life one is
not running away when mum fell on the ice and broke her wrist last
year. She dropped the leash when she fell but I didn't go anywhere
because I knew she was hurt. Normally, I'd have taken off running to go
visit other dogs in the neighbourhood. My virtual life one is being
involved with the #pawpawties on Twitter. I organize the DJs for the
#pawpawties and I am so proud of what we have done and the money we have
raised for animal charities.
Who are your heroes in real life? Anyone who can reach the treat cupboard! Seriously, though, one of my biggest heroes is @frugaldougal because of all the work he has done for #pawpawty and because he has total control of his staff! My other big heroes are helper dogs like @GD_Kenworth, @goldencaesar (RIP), @therapydoggabe (RIP) and his brother Jack because they do so much to help humans and they give so selflessly to do it. I'm a bit too high strung to be able to do something like that. @GD_Kenworth is a guide dog who lives in Australia and goes everywhere with his vision impaired human to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. @goldencaesar was an assistance dog who travelled all over helping his disabled mum, Wendy. He was able to alert her to seizures and detect health problems in other people. Sadly, he died earlier this year and left a big hole in her heart. @therapydoggabe also sadly passed away this year leaving a big hole in his family's hearts. Gabe had a special way with children who were going through some kind of crisis and was the founder dog for Gabriel's Angels in Arizona, a therapy dog organization that helps abused, neglected and at risk children. His brother Jack has taken over for him now. These special dogs are heroes to all of us, animals and humans alike.
A special bonus this week, is
Fergus' human Carol joins in the fun and answers five questions too!
What is your idea of perfect happiness? My idea of perfect happiness is being with family, especially in Scotland. I cannot describe the joy I get from sitting on top of a hill or by a loch in Scotland. One of my favourite places to be is on top of the Carrick Hills just outside Ayr in Scotland. There is such a beautiful view of the ocean and the isle of Arran from there and it is so wild and peaceful there even though it is only a few minutes drive from town. I used to take the dog I grew up with there all the time for walks. I wish I could take Fergus one day but, since we live in Wisconsin, that's unfortunately not likely to happen. We'll have to find our own special place here instead.
If you could come back as a dog or a cat, which one would it be &
why? A dog. They have so much fun in life and always seem so happy.
What is your pets most treasured possession? Me (lol!) but only
because I fill up their food bowls.
Your proudest achievement so far? My proudest achievement so far
has been teaching my kids to be kind and caring individuals.
Who are your heroes in real life? My Mum.