The Dog That Adopted Me

"I'm not going to adopt another dog." That's what I always say just before I adopted another one. I already had a pit bull and a Chow-Chow mix. They were expensive to feed. But I craved having a lap dog to hold in my arms, now that my babies were grown and gone. And when I saw the cute little dogs at an adoption event, I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They were adorable!

Then I saw a sign offering to let me foster a dog with all of the expenses paid. That seemed to be the perfect solution. The only problem I had was which dog should I take? I'd learned from Cesar Milan that the one lying quietly in the back is the one that will be easiest to handle in the home. I saw a little yellow Chihuahua that looked like she needed me. She was rail thin and largely detached from her surroundings. As she moved around the pen, she hopped on her back leg as if it had been broken. Her dark eyes bulged due to stress but when the rescuer put her in my arms, she relaxed as if she knew she was in safe hands.

I named her Daisy and took her home. In a few days, she started to cough. So I took her to the rescuers house to get a shot for kennel cough. The lady was amazed when she saw the little dog. "She is so happy!" she exclaimed.

That was when I realized how much Daisy had thrived since moving into my home. She had made significant progress in getting housetrained, had gained a few pounds, and wouldn't let me out of her sight. It was as if she was saying "I love it here" and was determined to make the most of the opportunity.

When I took her to an adoption event the following week, she fought the leash and refused to go into the pen. How could I make her go to another home when she was already so content in mine? It would have  been cruel and I realized that the adoption decision should not just be one-sided, but in all fairness, should be made by all of the parties involved.

I talked to the rescuer and told her my plight. I offered to make payments on the adoption fee if I could keep Daisy. She responded by saying she would reduce the fee by $100 if I would foster other dogs for her. I did and was able to fix the behavior problems of many dogs. Every one of them subsequently got adopted.

A friend of mine says Daisy is my soul mate and I believe it is true. She has taken the place of Bliss, a Labrador Retriever I lost a year ago due to old age. We were only apart for fifteen days out of thirteen years and she has been sorely missed. But Daisy has filled the void in my life and I have a feeling that I have filled a void in hers.

Under my desk and in my heart forever