RUTH

We adopted 11-year-old Ruthie during COVID through a rehoming network on Facebook. The moment our founder saw her picture, she thought Ruthie was the most beautiful dog she had ever seen. At the time, Ruthie’s owner was traveling and living out of a van, which caused Ruth a lot of anxiety. She needed a home where she could roam freely and spend her golden years in peace. Our founder knew the farm would be the perfect place for her—but there was just one catch.

Ruthie was highly reactive and aggressive toward most people and animals, except for dominant male dogs. But if you know our founder, Kristen, you know she’s not one to back down from a challenge. They decided to do a 30-day trial, and despite Ruthie’s rough edges (and the very real risk of losing a finger when trying to pet her), Kristen and her husband quickly fell in love with her.

In those early days, Ruthie had a habit of wandering off on unsupervised adventures, giving her new family plenty of heart attacks. But as she settled in, those escapades became less frequent, and her reactivity began to soften.

Now, at 14 years old, Ruthie has a few health concerns that the team carefully manages, but she has come so far in her emotional healing. Her anxiety has lessened, and she has learned to trust the people around her. While she still prefers her personal space, she once tolerated four lambs and two kittens being raised in the house alongside her! (We don’t think she’d volunteer for that again, but she was a great sport at the time.)

These days, Ruthie loves soaking up the sunshine, chewing on a good bone, going on occasional hikes when she’s feeling up to it, and taking a dip at the beach—on days when her hips are strong enough to get in the car. But more than anything, she loves being close to her person, Kristen, who she rarely lets out of her sight.

We are so grateful to give Ruthie the love, freedom, and comfort she deserves in her golden years. She will always have a safe place here, with all the treats and belly rubs she’ll tolerate!