Max and Gibson

My best buds. Max is on the left, Gibson is on the right. This picture was taken the second day I had them. They slept in the car when they were pups and as they grew up I wished they would have always napped in the car! When they got older {and MUCH, MUCH bigger, about 60 lbs each} Gibson liked to sit right next to me on the console and chew on my hair while Max roamed from window to window to hang his tongue out to flap in the wind.

I'm embarrassed to say say they were always that dirty. I don't think this picture shows the filth properly! I could never keep them clean. Ever. If you ever saw their excavation pit {once known as my backyard} you would understand why they were always filthy.

Rescued from the pound, my little furry friends were my pride and joy and I really didn't care that I almost always had some kind of dog paw print hidden on my person or that they ate everything from my earplugs {2 whole sets!} to an entire cushion of the couch, books, shoes, one green earring I still miss, and Gib's favorite snack: paper products. i.e. cotton balls, tissue, paper towels.

They were the best hiking partners ever. Together we roamed the canyons and trails all over southern utah. Max would stick near me because he was suspicious that I would hide from him. And I would. Every chance I got. And he never got better at finding me. And he calls himself a hound dog. Gibson would be off gallivanting, chasing anything that moved and investigating the terrain like the goat I half suspected him of being in his last life. He impressed Ben and crew over Christmas when we were out hiking. He spotted a rabbit and he was gone like a flash of lightening, all the while howling his crazy dog howl. I've tried to explain to him that it'd be easier for him to maybe catch something if he wasn't so loud. I don't think he cared much about catching anything. It was all about the chasing and howling for him.

It kills me that I'm writing about my dear pets in the past tense. When I moved back home I had to find them a new home. I'd heard about a 'no kill' sanctuary in Kanab and while it absolutely broke my heart to leave them there, I think I found the very best home for them. The staff are total animal fanatics and I could tell that Gib n Max are going to get lots of love and attention there. The people impressed me and won my dogs over with about a pound of snacks, each. My mom and I were there for hours before we were told the sanctuary couldn't take them. This wasn't really an option for me {another story} and it wasn't until we were about to leave that one of the trainers said they could stay. It happened fast and I'm glad for that. I was relieved and heartbroken and a complete mess. I hugged them goodbye and Gibson seemed a bit concerned about my emotional state and kept watching me which was unusual I thought since there was so much for him to get into and other dogs there to sniff. But he quickly forgot the scene I was making when the trainers took them out for a walk I could hear him announcing his arrival to his new friends. Wonder if Max ever gets tired of his boisterous brother howling in his ear?