It's been a bit over a month since our cherry blossom viewing and hey! I'm finally getting around to sharing some pictures.
Yangkyu and I have been doing this every year with Piri. We never had the chance to come with Bartles and Lady but did somehow make it out with Momo and Noah - two incredibly shy and timid dogs who have never really known what it's like to be around people, live in a home and walk on leashes. Everything is a learning process for them and while we are taking it slow as to not overwhelm them with so many new things at once, we really wanted to try and get them out to DC. While the ride out was a tough one (Noah has a hard time inside cars) and once on a leash they don't quite know how to stop and relax (they just keep walking and walking and walking) we are glad we were able to pull this off as a family.
**I know we can use treats to praise them but unfortunately Momo (while she loves treats) doesn't take them when she is overwhelmed or scared and Noah is a hit and miss because he has kidney disease.
While the cherry blossoms never get tiring to view what does get tiring are the crowds. And with two dogs who are still learning how to walk on a leash, going when there are a lot of people wasn't really an option. So instead we drove out early morning and even got a parking spot right near the Tidal Basin and we were able to walk about without having to worry too much about foot traffic.
Just a little background as I haven't written a post to introduce Momo and Noah properly. Both Momo and Noah are senior rescue mutts from Korea. They lived their entire lives at a place called Asan Angels Sanctuary although it isn't quite a sanctuary like you and I are familiar with. While no dogs are euthanized there, the living conditions are harsh with over 300 dogs and they have to spend freezing winter nights and hot summer days outside. A 70 year old grandma lives on the premise but the area is maintained by a small handful of volunteers. Funds are always scarce but I can tell you the hearts of the people and dogs at Asan Angels are resilient and inspiring. I encourage you to take a look at their Facebook page and see the incredible and selfless work they do for these dogs so they can one day know what it is like to belong to a family and have a warm house to call their own.
Momo flew from Korea to be with us on January 30th of this year and Noah came shortly after on February 13. Momo was 8 when she came (she has since celebrated her first birthday with us and is currently 9 years old). Noah is 14 and he has Stage 3 kidney disease. He is one of the original dogs at the sanctuary. I believe the grandma had him since he was a puppy when she was still living in Seoul. We knew about his illness before we adopted him and while we weren't looking to adopt a second dog when I saw a picture of Noah I just knew we were all meant to be together.
It has now been 4 months for Momo and about 3 months for Noah in what is their journey to becoming house dogs. People probably can't tell from pictures I post on Instagram but they are still very skittish, don't cuddle with us and sometimes still try to escape, although it's not as dramatic as when they first came. But we're happy to be in this together with them. For me and Yangkyu, no dog is too shy, too timid, too sick or too old to call family.
// My favorite people //
While the Tidal Basin area is beautiful, our favorite place to stroll is actually Hains Point. We didn't get to walk around that area though - just a little bit - before we called it a day to head back.
That's what our outings have been like. Whether it's short or a long drive out, we don't stay long (maybe an hour tops) before going back home. For one, it's a little hard for Noah who is older and has arthritis. He isn't used to riding inside a dog carrier and insists he walks. He also doesn't know how to pee or go potty while on a leash. And so he holds everything in until we are home and he is in our backyard. They both also don't drink water even though I can tell they are thirsty. So it's all about baby steps for them. And not overdoing outings.
Back at home, both Momo and Noah took a long relaxing nap. And we were able to log a family memory that'll last us a lifetime.
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