Drum Roll: Darby Has a New Home
When I started blogging about Darby the German Shepherd a little under a month ago, I had no idea if my question, “Can Social Media Find Darby a Home?” would be answered, let alone in the affirmative.
(If you’re catching up on the Darby story, you can find the earlier posts at the bottom of this one. In a nutshell, though, Darby’s a beautiful GSD who used to belong to my husband’s late uncle, who lived in Portland, Ore., and died suddenly on vacation in late April. My mission in life since that time has been to find Darby a home.)
I am SO happy and relieved that finally, the answer, is a resounding “yes.” Last night, Darby went home with Ron and Shawnee Ostrom, a lovely couple who live just outside Portland with their two sons, Garrett and Blake. The Ostroms were one of many animal lovers who saw the story Portland’s KOIN-TV did on Darby last week. After several rounds of meeting her, talking with the folks at Townhouse Pet Care Center and myself, it was clear that not only did they love Darby – but that Darby loved them.
KOIN-TV did a follow-up story on the Darby “chronicles,” as I like to call them, last night. You can see just how happy Darby is.
You know how it is when you’ve been working on something really hard, and then it all falls into place and you can’t quite believe that it’s over? I feel a little like that right now. I just wish Tom (our late uncle) could have seen all this. I think he’d have been tickled pink. (Of course, if he were here, none of this would have happened, so it’s a moot point. But you know what I mean.)
Filed under Communication, Personal, Public Relations, Shonali Burke, Social Media, Twitter | Tags: chip griffin, darby, janet tobiassen, jennifer zingsheim, kevin o'brien, koin, media bullseye, megan drake, oregongsdr, petrelocation.com, rachel farris, susan ragan, tim gordon, tom farrell, townhouse pet care center, Twitter | Comments (21)Follow the Fellow who Follows a Dream
Today’s #followfriday on Twitter. Since I invariably get asked at least once on Fridays what the heck that is, here’s an excellent explanation by Micah Baldwin on Mashable, for anyone who’s about to pop the question.
Beginning today, I thought I’d highlight a few people I like to follow and why, every Friday. Lauren Fernandez started doing this a few weeks ago and I thought it was a great idea, so thanks for the inspiration, Lauren.
As to the title of this post: if you know where it came from, you know where I’m going with the people I feature in this post. And there’s a treat in store for you at the end. Just keep reading.
1. Katie Paine (@kdpaine). Let me count the ways. She’s the measurement queen – I mean, literally. The measurement lexicon we use nowadays has been strongly influenced, if not entirely rewritten, by her. She’s pioneered the way we look at PR measurement today, because she knew, when she started out, there was a better way to do it. She’s a cancer survivor. To top it off, she lives in the dreamlike Shankhassic Farm, which has been in her family for over a century, and whose main house she literally rebuilt through sheer willpower.
2. Meghna “K” (@meghnak). I can’t remember how or why I came across Meghna on Twitter, but I’m hooked. She’s 13. She loves to write. She writes well; she puts a lot of adult bloggers I come across to shame. And I love her spirit. Did I mention she’s 13?
Filed under Communication, Shonali Burke, Social Media, Twitter | Tags: bhavin patel, darby, finian's rainbow, followfriday, katie paine, lauren fernandez, laurie ashton farook, mashable, meghna k, micah baldwin, petrelocation.com, rachel farris, shankhassic farm, Twitter | Comments (10)The Darby Chronicles: Part III
It’s a holiday weekend, the weather’s beautiful (at least here in DC)… all should be well with the world, right?
Unfortunately, for a lovely 7-year-ish female German Shepherd in Portland, Ore., who recently lost her “dad,” it’s not quite perfect yet.
If you’re getting up to speed on the Darby situation, I’ve included links to my earlier posts on Darby at the bottom of this one, so do read those first.
It’s not all gloom and doom. My Tweeps have continued to spread the word and are still sending me resources they can think of. The folks at Townhouse Pet Care Center are doing a phenomenal job caring for Darby – they are going above and beyond. The Oregon German Shepherd Rescue is doing its utmost to help place her as well, as are the folks at pdxdog.com and some of my IRL friends. PetRelocation.com has offered to cover Darby’s door-to-door transportation to her new home, if it’s outside Portland; and there are a couple of Tweeps who might have a home for Darby as an “option of last resort.”
I am so grateful to all of you. Thank you.
While I’m particularly thankful to have an option of last resort for Darby, wouldn’t it be great if we could find her an “option of first resort?”
Filed under Personal, Shonali Burke | Tags: animal welfare, darby, oregongsdr, petrelocation.com, susan ragan, townhouse pet care center | Comments (6)
